Need help with the BIG decisions, TOG2, week 29

[Trivium Academy]

Because we're moving during our break in-between Unit 3 and Unit 4 of TOG2, I am planning out Unit 4 now. I'd usually wait to plan until the break week but that won't be possible.

 

Here's what I need help with. In week 28, we're going to read Ben & Me as a read aloud which may last the entire two weeks but week 29 I've hit a snag.

 

The literature selection is The Matchlock Gun (50 pages), the other reads for the week are George Washington (D'Aulaire) pages 1-37 (two days of reading aloud is what I figure) and Liberty! (pages 2-5, done in one day). So for the week we have:

 

George Washington (D'Aulaire) 2 days, pg. 1-37

Liberty! 1 day, pg. 2-5

Ben & Me (read aloud), 2nd week

Hasty Pudding, chapter 2

then I have to decide whether to drop or which one to read between:

 

1. Matchlock Gun (fiction, 50 pages: 10 pages per day to be done in a week): feeling unsure about this but there is a student activity worksheet for THIS book.

 

or

 

2. Battles of the French and Indian War by Smolinski, 29 pages and is an Upper Grammar (4th-6th) grade reading selection, non-fiction and may be a little dry. I don't like throwing too many details at dd7 (to be 8) just yet and this would be throwing a lot of details at her.

 

For activities for the week, I have:

1. French and Indian paper craft (2 days)

2. biography page on George Washington (1 day)

3. Benjamin Franklin Experiment book (1-2 days, can be dropped)

4. Possible literature page if we read Matchlock Gun

5. Quick, short mapwork

6. Hasty Pudding reading and cooking activity

 

Yes, this can all be done in a week without much fuss, my question is whether to read Matchlock Gun or Battles of the French and Indian War or drop both of them?

 

Side question: for those who have read Matchlock Gun, is it a worthy read? I know she'll love Ben & Me, but dropping Ben & Me may also be the solution. That will free up a read aloud for the two weeks and I could read aloud The Matchlock Gun if it is ultimately a better read than Ben & Me by Lawson.

 

While you mull over this, I'm continuing on to week 30...

[Trivium Academy]

Unless someone else has a better idea, I think I solved it.

 

Week 29

George W. (D'Aulaire)

Liberty!

Hasty Pudding chapter 2

Independent Read:

George Washington -- Soldier, Hero, President (DK Readers, Level 3: Reading Alone) by DK Publishing

 

If we finish Ben & Me in the first week, then we'll read Matchlock Gun, if not we won't read Matchlock Gun or the Battles book

 

I'll probably have to scale back anyways...

[Kim in SouthGa]

I think I would try to find it on audio book and let them listen to it while you pack:001_smile:!

[WTMindy]

I think I would try to find it on audio book and let them listen to it while you pack:001_smile:!

 

That was going to be my suggestion, or in the car while you are moving (even if the weeks don't match up perfectly ;))

[siloam]

That was going to be my suggestion, or in the car while you are moving (even if the weeks don't match up perfectly ;))

 

Yes, we love Matchlock Gun here too!

 

Heather

 

[Trivium Academy]

I moved Matchlock Gun to the next week b/c I'm not reading Pipe, Paddle and Song in this cycle so we don't really have a read aloud for the next week. It worked out perfectly. This is all for AFTER we've moved. I just don't want the pressure of planning lessons on top of everything else. I'm creating a care package for myself for the tail end of our 2nd grade year which is June 23- Aug 22. Thanks ladies!