Week 36 4/26/2019

Language Arts: I read some more of the story that is part of my L. Arts program. I also wrote some more of the body paragraphs from my notes about Brazil. 

Math: I did a chapter in the Algebra textbook and we also got some more homework from our tutor to work on. He really wants us to master the concepts we have been working on. We weren’t able to have class with him this week because he had to go to the doctor. 

Science: We watched the next episode in Cosmos. It talked about the speed of light and how telescopes allow us to see back in time because of how long it takes light to reach us from far away. At HeeHaws we learned about dairy products and about the multiple stomachs of cows. 

History: We listened to the intro of Story of the World Vol 1. It talks about how we know what happened in the past. We use both written records and also archaeology, which looks at objects that people leave behind. 

Makerspace (Tech): This week I finished my clock. I had already assembled it so I had to take it apart a little so I could paint it. Then I painted it. I couldn’t bring it home yet, though. 


Programming (Elective): On code.org I finished Functions in Artist exercises. I also did the first couple of exercises for Determine the concept. 

Other: We had our last week of co-op for this semester. We also had a field trip to HeeHaws with some members of our co-op. We also went to Avengers: Endgame on Friday. My mom had already seen it on Thursday night with my dad, but she took most of us kids on Friday. My older sister couldn’t come because she had school. I had two basketball practices but we had an off week from having a game. I got to go to Night of Gaming at my friend's school. It was a fundraiser. We had fun. They had lots of different types of games, board games and video games, you could play. 

Week 32 3/29/2019

Language Arts: I did some sentence diagramming of compound sentences. I went through the checklist on one of my paragraphs I wrote to look for the style improvements. I read an article about the Andes mountains and identified the main topic of each of the paragraphs. I started reading UnWholly again, since I haven’t read it for a couple of weeks. 

Math: With our tutor his week we learned how to find the determinant of a matrix. We also reviewed algebra rules and learned how to calculate percent increase and percent decrease. 

Science: We watched episode three of Cosmos. It talked a lot about Robert Hooke and Isaac Newton and Edmond Halley. Halley was a real advocate and friend to Newton, who didn’t really have a lot of friends. If he hadn’t taken on the task of encouraging Newton to publish Principia and then financed the printing, it might never have gotten published. Pretty interesting to learn more about their lives. 

History: We finished up the history podcast episodes on Egypt. We learned about all of the pharoahs in the Ramses line but mostly about Ramses II. 

Makerspace (Tech):  We are planning our final project. It is going to be a clock. 

Programming (Elective): I did more Harvesting with Conditionals exercises and finished up that lesson/activity. Then I did Functions with Minecraft exercises 1-11. 

Other: I had basketball practice twice and we also had a game this week. 

My cat Bandit checking the table for food

Week 25

Language Arts: I did some of my dyslexia workbook lessons. I did lessons in my Language Arts program and a lesson in IEW. I summarized with a key word outline the fable of the eagle who is saved from a serpent by a passing man and then repays the man’s kindness by stopping him from drinking water that was poisoned by the serpent’s venom. 

Math: I worked mostly on units from my math teacher. They covered a variety of math topics including fractions, converting fractions into decimal and vice versa, and solving equations for variables. I also did a lesson in the textbook on solving challenging ratio problems. 

Science: we did an expanding foam experiment from our MEL chemistry set. The chemical reaction that takes place releases a lot of carbon dioxide and that is what makes the foam. 

History:  We learned about Hammurabi and the laws that he made. The laws were not always the same if you were in a higher or lower class. Lower class people would get punished more severely than higher class people. And if a higher class person did something against a lower class person, the punishment wasn’t at severe. We also learned about the agricultural revolution and how people who lived in the villages were smaller and less healthy than the hunter gatherer people. This is because they were more likely to get diseases and also didn’t eat as good of a variety of foods as the hunter gatherers.

Makerspace (Tech):  This week I designed my project. We are going to be doing wood burning. I designed a logo. I am doing the Mini Cooper logo because those are my favorite kind of car. 

Programming (Elective): I took a break this week because we have been doing so much with First Lego League the past month. 

Other: I had basketball practice a couple of times and a basketball game. We also went as a family to the Utah Jazz game which was fun. 

My cat Bandit likes to hang out with me sometimes while I do schoolwork

He's not particularly helpful but I still like having him around

Week 24

Language Arts: I did some reading in Unwholly, the second book in the Unwind series. I did a lesson in my dyslexia workbook. I wrote in my journal about our visit for scouts to a mechanic shop.

Math: We had a lot of review assignments this week to make sure we understand a lot of algebra fundamentals. I did the assignments and took the online tests.

Science: I learned about Newton’s first law of motion in the Physics class on Khan Academy. I watched the first video and the "more about" video.

History: I missed my co-op history class this week because I was sick.

Makerspace (Tech):  I missed Makerspace because I was sick that day.

Programming (Elective): We had FLL practice two days and then the state tournament on Saturday up at Weber State. It was fun but we didn’t place. Lego League was good this year and I’m glad we did well at the local tournament but I am also glad it is over for the season.

Other: I had basketball practice and a basketball game. For scouts we went to an auto mechanic shop and also learned about some of the jobs you can do with training instead of a college degree. In my co-op Survival Skills class we learned about different kinds of emergency shelters you can make and we also made one in the classroom out of a tarp and some other items.

I'm the one hunched over--I had the ball and the white guy came after me to get it but ended
up falling down so I got a foul called on me. 

My cat Bandit hanging out on my bed with my math 

We had to leave at 6 am to go to the FLL tournament. My mom took this picture before we left. 

Week 23

Language Arts: I am reading the second book in the Unwind series, called Unwholly. I did a couple lessons in my language arts program and did some writing. I am in a class at co-op that is learning about figurative language as well and we had the first class this week.

Math: We practiced solving linear equation pairs by graphing. Worked on solving long problems with lots of signs and parentheses as well.

Science: This week we watched some Brain Pop videos about the ocean, plate tectonics, and volcanoes. We started our next semester of co-op and made soda can stoves in my survival class.

History: In my co-op history class we learned about Disneyland and when it was built. It didn’t do well when it first opened. Too many people came and they weren’t actually ready but said they were.

Makerspace (Tech):  No Makerspace this week because of MLK Jr holiday.

Programming (Elective): We had another practice for the FLL strategic tournament. It is next week on February 2nd. We also brought one of the tables home so we could work on our missions more.

Other: I went skiing with my grandma, my dad, and my sister. I had a basketball game and got a lot of rebounds and some good blocks.

Basketball game

Windswept art installation at the BYU MOA

Week 22

Language Arts: I came up with some ideas for a narrative story. I started outlining one of them but then decided not to do that story. Then I wrote another very short story.

Math: Worked on our assignment of solving linear equations. Also did a couple more sections in the textbook.

Science: I watched the introductory videos on the Physics lessons in Khan academy. I am thinking about doing the physics course so I wanted to check it out.

History: No history this week.

Makerspace (Tech):  We worked more with the 3D printing software. We still didn’t print anything yet.

Programming (Elective): Since we made it to state, we will have more Lego league practices. This week one of the things we worked on is a way to release one of the balls for one of the missions. We are also trying to combine some missions to shave off some time required to complete them.

Other: I had a basketball game, two basketball practices, and a basketball training session with my trainer. Lots of basketball this week. 

Weeks 18-20

Language Arts: I did some lessons in my language arts curriculum. I finished a book on the Kindle and started another one. One book I also have been reading is What if? Serious Scientific answers to Absurd Hypothetical Questions. 

Math: We met with our Math tutor and reviewed how to solve linear equations with two variables. He showed us a new method that used a matrix called the Gauss method. Elimination seems like the most straightforward method, but I guess Gauss is good for more than 2 variables. We also got our first homework for Unit 3 and I completed that over Christmas break and turned it in. 


Science: We finished up learning about the center of gravity. We talked about the difference between where the center of gravity is on a symmetrical object (like a paper plate) and what happens when you add a weight (we used binder clips) to one side. We also learned how to find the center of gravity of an irregular shaped object by using a “plumbob”. This only works with flat objects, though. I’m not sure you can do anything physically to find the center of gravity of objects that aren’t flat. 


History: We learned about Shulgi, one of the rulers of Ur during its renaissance. That's when the Ziggurat of Ur was constructed. He established a code of laws called the Code of Ur Nammu that were somewhat progressive for the time, because it didn’t require death for minor infractions. Instead there were fines that were payable by weights of silver since there wasn’t coinage or currency at the time. 

Makerspace (Tech):  I made my mom a Mister Rogers ornament. It is made out of wood. 


Programming (Elective): We had Lego League and worked on more missions. Our qualifying tournament is January 12. The nice thing about this year is that the tournament is at the Provo Rec Center. In past years we have had to drive up to Lehi or Salt Lake City. 

Other: I turned 14. For my birthday, my dad took me and my best friend to race go carts. I told my mom that I like Canada and would like to live there when I grow up and so she made me a Canada themed gift and also my birthday cake was the Canadian flag. My grandparents gave me an electric guitar. My dad has one that I have been playing but I am glad to have my own. I had basketball practice a few times and did a training session with Coach Buddha. We also made graham cracker houses and I made the Pentagon. We rode the UVX bus to the Provo Library and looked at the photography exhibit there. It was a National Geographic exhibit of great photographs of the West. 

Photograph at the exhibit. Taken with a slow shutter speed so the stars made light
trails. 

At the go cart arena

Ready to race

Mister Rogers ornament

Graham Cracker Pentagon 

Birthday dinner -- sushi!

My Canada gift box contents

Happy birthday to me

Videos about the Center of Gravity we watched

My new guitar

Week 17

I was sick for about half the week so I didn’t get as much done as I usually do. 


Language Arts: I finished my essay on how optimism benefits health. I finished reading The Art of Racing in the Rain. I reviewed coordinating conjunctions and subordinating conjunctions. 

Math: Our math tutor couldn’t make it this week because he had food poisoning. I kept working on lessons from the math book.

Science: We got our MEL Chemistry starter kit. It has a 360 degree viewer so we played around with that a bit. 


History: I didn’t do history this week.  


Makerspace (Tech):  We did some more sewing. We are making blocks for a quilt. 

Programming (Elective): At Lego League we worked on finishing up some missions. We also decided on our mascot for this year. It’s a unicorn platypus. 

Other: I had a basketball game. I also had a guitar recital that was a Christmas singalong. It was kind of crazy with so many guitars but it was fun. 

Week 16

Language Arts: I did the language arts lessons in my program. I wrote the first body paragraph for the essay on how optimism affects our physical health. I am still reading The Art of Racing in the Rain. I did some TTRS typing/spelling practice. I am currently memorizing the poem Trees. 

Math: I finished the unit 2 tests. I got through chapter 20 in the textbook. With Mr. Rosa we went over a lot of different things but one of them we covered again was solving a set of equations using the substitution method or the elimination method. 

Science: I am working on a gear box made from Legos. I have made a couple of different versions so far. There is a boomerang video below of it but it doesn’t show how you can switch between gears. 

History: In my co-op history class we learned about Davy Crockett. In the We Didn’t Start the Fire song it mentions the name but doesn’t specify whether it is talking about the person or the tiny nuclear missile. We learned about the Davy Crockett show and listened to the theme song from the show. 

Makerspace (Tech):  We did machine sewing. We sewed some designs on pieces of fabric and I also made a very tiny pillow just to practice with the machine. 

Programming (Elective): This week at First Lego League I worked on making one of the tools we we already created be able to complete two missions at once. One of them is Escape Velocity and we made the run for that also complete the mission Observatory. 

Other: I am working with a basketball trainer named Coach Buddha and we met this week and worked on shooting and fine-tuning different aspects of my shots to improve them. For guitar we are working on Christmas songs some more because we have a recital coming up. I also taught myself how to play (with a video) Seven Nation Army by the White Stripes. 

Gear Box (version 1)

Sewing from Maker Space

Weeks 14 & 15

Language Arts: I did some lessons in my Language Arts program. One of the assignments was to research points about how being optimistic improves our lives. I am reading The Art of Racing in the Rain. It is written from the dog’s perspective and it is an interesting book. I finished Marley & Me and I really liked it.

Math: We worked on exponents and square roots and how to convert between the two. I did two of the Unit 2 tests and some of the lessons from the textbook.

Science: We did an experiment where we observed reactions. Everyone had different reactions and some got hotter than others. We measured the temperature every minute for 5 minutes. Some people’s got cold and some got hot. We watched the Mars Insight landing at home with the family. A few years ago my dad took us to a Curiosity rover viewing party at the University of Utah and some of the stuff was similar to this one. We also went to the BYU Paleontology museum for a field trip.

History: In my co-op history class we learned about polyester and how it was introduced as a sort of magical wonder fabric that doesn’t need ironing and doesn’t get wrinkled, but it wasn’t very comfortable so now it is used more for things like boat sales and less for clothes.

Makerspace (Tech):  This week I didn’t really get to do anything because I am still trying to get my thing cut out. I mostly helped my friend with their project.

Programming (Elective): During the break we didn’t have Lego League so my brother and Dad and I went and worked on stuff by ourselves for a few hours. It was really nice because some of the kids on the team are mostly just distractions who get into stuff and cause problems. We got one mission to work really well. I also did a custom paint job on one of my nerf guns. I painted it silver and then did the dipping technique to add black.

Other: We had our first basketball game of Winter League and we won. I am doing some private training with a coach from one of the high schools who happens to be a good friend of my uncle Adam. Our co-op teen group went to an escape room for our monthly activity and we beat the room with 5 minutes to spare. Then we went to The Chocolate dessert cafe for treats. It was fun.

Short video clip from my basketball game, I get the rebound after the free throw

Sometimes my cat Bandit gets really interested in my school work

Not helpful, Bandit

At the BYU Paleontology Museum

It was CS Lewis's 120th birthday this week. My parents named me after him.

We had a little CS Lewis feast, including Turkish Delight

Utahraptor at the BYU Paleontology Museum

Watching the Mars Insight Landing

Mars Insight Landing

First photo of Mars broadcast from Insight

My cat Bandit relaxing on my bed

I did a custom paint job on my Nerf Gun