Last year everyone had so much fun rowing The Clown of God near our annual Harvest Festival.  I decided to row Mirette on the High WireMirette on the High Wire at the same time this year.  This was everyone’s favorite so far!

The boys each created their own colorful title page and we were ready to set sail on another great FIAR adventure!

BIBLE:

Memory Verse:

I created a Bible Verse Pack to go along with Mirette on the High Wire.

You can purchase your copy here at our TPT Store.

The first day Jordan traced his Bible verse using the cursive tracer worksheet.  The next day, we cut it apart like a puzzle and he pasted it together in his lapbook.

He used the Bible verse puzzle to practice his verse throughout our time rowing this book.

Our Talents:

Bellini and Mirette were both blessed with incredible balance.  We talked about the different gifts God gives us and use them whole-heartedly, because THAT gives praise to God.

We read The Parable of the Talents – Arch BooksThe Parable of the Talents for our devotion that evening.  The kids chatted about what gifts they have and I reminded them that those gifts are from God and should be used for HIS glory.

Humility:

Bellini scolded Mirette when she boasted, because pride comes before the fall, literally!  I turned to our Jelly Telly app looking for the story of Nebuchanezar, because his story would be the perfect lesson on pride!

I couldn’t find what I was looking for, but I came across Clive and Ian’s Character Quest “Humility” clip instead.

Jordan knew EXACTLY where the Nebuchandnezzar clip was!  His memory is AMAZING!!!!

This was PERFECT for our lesson on pride.  The best part was he acknowledged his pride and praised God at the end of the story.

SOCIAL STUDIES:

Geography:

We read Let’s Explore France (Bumba Books Let’s Explore Countries)Let’s Explore France and Paris on our Epic app.

We located all the places Bellini performed around the world.

Then the boys color-coded the places on their world map (Homeschool Share).

Then the boys added a few inserts (Homeschool Share) about France in their notebook.

French Food:

French Picnic:

I set out a little “French Picnic” lunch on the table with our tissue paper flower bouquet.

The kids LOVED it!  They munched on various cheeses, meats, crackers, nuts, and veggies!  Ooh-la-la!

Omelettes:

If Bellini could make an omelette on the high wire, Bub was sure to whip one up too!

He LOVES cracking the eggs.  He always tries to do it with just one hand and he’s pretty good too!

He whisked the eggs with a fork.  I love his concentration here….he takes cooking VERY seriously!

The boys went CRAZY for their omelettes!  They kept requesting omelettes instead of scrambled eggs (which WAS their favorite)!

Occupations:

We talked about the various occupations mentioned in the book, but focused our attention on Circus Stars.

We ready several books on our Epic app, but A%20Circus Star (How to Be A?) by Stephanie Turnbull (2016-01-06)How to be a Circus Star was the best!

Parker read Splat%20the Cat: Up in the Air at the Fair (I Can Read Level 1)Splat the Cat Up in the Air at the Fair for his reading assignment.

I brought out our mini bean bags and left them on Learning Lane for the kids to take a Juggling brain-break.

Building Character:

Perseverance:

As with juggling, anything worth learning takes a great deal of practice, patience, and perseverance.

We read Showing Perseverance (Bullfrog Books: Building Character)Showing Perseverance on our Epic app.

Map Making:

Jordan LOVES maps, drawing maps, and reading maps.  I thought of an art activity I did in high school that I could incorporate into this row.

First we read Me%20On The Map (Rise and Shine)Me on the Map.  This is a GREAT map book for kids.  It makes them aware of the big wide world out there and where EXACTLY they fit into it.

I printed the world map from the book and drew grids on it and labeled “A-F” on the top and “1-4” on the left.  I cut out a rectangle from a paper bag and drew and labeled the same grids on it.  I instructed him to draw one square (e.g. A1) at a time.

Since this was a BIG undertaking, he worked a little at a time.  Jordan has an eye for detail and worked hard on this project.

He didn’t complete this activity during our row, but I think we’ll continue working on it as we row through various countries through the year.

LANGUAGE ARTS:

Vocabulary:

I created a Mirette on the High Wire Vocabulary worksheet for this book.

You can download your FREE copy here at our TPT store.

Jordan completed his vocabulary words and we added them to his lapbook.

Compound Words:

I created a Circus Clown Compound Words worksheet for the boys to work on.

You can download it for FREE here at our TPT Store.

The boys matched and color-coded all the compound words.

MATH:

Circus Multiplication Match:

I created a Circus Multiplication pack last year while rowing The Clown of God.

I printed some of the fact cards and glued them to construction paper for a match game.

This was a match against Mommy…the game was on!

I loved this activity.  I’m thinking of creating some seasonal packs that we can bring out anytime!

Skip Counting – An Introduction to Multiplication:

I created a Juggling Clown Skip Counting by FOURs (An Introduction to Multiplication) pack last year while rowing Clown of God.

This year I created a pack for TWOs, THREEs, and FIVEs.

First, we used the skip counting mat to review skip counting by TWOs.

Next, we talked through each of the multiplication problem (i.e. 2 x 3 = “skip count by TWO, three times…”).

He saw the connection between skip counting and multiplication and was ready for the next step.  I brought out the Skip Counting by THREEs multiplication worksheet.  I started it with him by saying, “skip count by THREEs, 2 times” and he continued until he finished.

SCIENCE:

Balance:

As we spoke previously, we talked about needing perseverance, patience, and humility when learning to walk the high wire.  We also talked about needing balance.

We read Balancing%20ActBalancing Act and High-Wire%20HenryHigh-Wire Henry while on our afternoon walk.

Then we read The%20Man Who Walked Between the TowersThe Man Who Walked Between the Towers and the kids were fascinated by this story, because it was a true story that took place FAIRLY recently.

I was curious if there was anything more about Philippe Petit.  I found this great clip and put it on our Mirette and the High Wire playlist.

Jordan was SUPER excited about high-wire walking.  They walked around the edge of our the sidewalk.

He grabbed a twig and walked along the edge of the landscaping border.

Then he tried doing “tricks” like Bellini making an omelette on the high wire.  He LOVED this story and was really enjoying this row.

I found this cute Noah’s Ark balancing toy in Target’s dollar bins during the summer.  I try to keep future rows when browsing the dollar store/dollar bins.  I thought this would be a GREAT activity to pair with our lesson on balance.

They took turns trying to get all the animals to balance on the ark.

They all successfully balanced the animals on the ark.

This was a BIGGER hit than I thought.  I’m always happy when everyone joins in on ANY activity!

I love how they all chose different strategies to get the animals to balance.

We also read Starring%20Mirette & Bellini (Picture Puffins)Starring Mirette & Bellini.  The kids loved hearing their story continue!

Copper:

I printed a copy of The Periodic Table of Elements as well as a laminated card .  We read Copper%20(True Books)Copper (A True Book) which everyone enjoyed.

Jordan LOVED seeing the Periodic Table of Elements.  I think he’ll enjoy learning about each element.

He loved looking at it and trying to find various elements the book mentioned.

I find The%20Copper Tin CupThe Copper Tin Cup while searching for a book about copper.

Physical Education:

ARTS, CRAFTS, & FUN:

Caramel Apples:

Since it was the week of our Harvest Festival and we were reading about circus performers, I thought it would be fun to make caramel apples.

We washed and dried 3 small granny smith and 3 small honey crisp apples.  I inserted popsicle sticks into each one.

I also cut up some apple slices to dip in the “extra caramel”.

We dipped the large apples first then poked our slices with toothpicks and dipped those into the remaining caramel.

I used a spoon to make sure each slice was generously covered in ooey-gooey caramel.

They looked so yummy!  We set them aside to set and munched on the caramel dipped apple slices.

Fun with Food:

This was a really fun row and I couldn’t help making some circus-inspired plates.  I tried to pair them up with a fun read-aloud.

We read The%20Circus ShipThe Circus Ship while the kids ate their pancake & fruit clowns.  This was a REALLY cute story.

The kids ate their Nutella toast and fruit clowns while I read Emeline%20at the CircusEmeline at the Circus.

Movie Night:

I found an animated Caldecott%20Collection Volume 1 DVD Library: Owl, Moon, Mirrette on the High Wire, Drummer HoffMirette on the High Wire DVD at the Library.  We filled our cups with popcorn and sat down to watch it.

It wasn’t very long, but the kids really enjoyed watching it.

They all REALLY enjoyed rowing Mirette on the High Wire.  Their love for this book lingered LONG after we started our next book.  These are the moments I’ll cherish forever!

Circus Day:

I decided to do another circus day on October 31st.  The kids were SUPER excited about our Church Harvest Festival, so a fun day of learning was JUST what we needed.

I set up the eating area with a colorful bunting and the table was decked out with colorful straws, napkins, and a fun breakfast.  I brought out the circus hats we made while rowing The Runaway Bunny.

We read several fun pumpkin themed books during breakfast.

Afterwards, we went outside to harvest all the pumpkins we grew over the summer.

We had pumpkins of all shapes and sizes.  The weather was still so warm, we still had pumpkin vines growing with yellow blossoms and baby pumpkins.

It was SO cool to be able to “see” the entire lifecycle out in our garden.

We brought them inside and gave them a nice bath in the kitchen sink.

We set them out on the counter and they looked SO beautiful and festive for fall!

We read Oh%20My, Pumpkin Pie! (Step into Reading, Step 2)Oh My, Pumpkin Pie! and I printed out a copy of our From Seed to Pumpkin Little Science Pack.

The boys colored, cut, and pasted their packs together.

Continuing our pumpkin theme, I printed out a copy of our 3D Pumpkin Shapes and the boys drew and colored each using a 3D drawing tutorial clip on our Mirette on the High Wire playlist.

We added our pumpkin, circus, and harvest things into our lapbooks and headed to the kitchen for our final activity (Candy Science Sink/Float Experiment).

I gave everyone a copy of our Candy Science Sink or Float Worksheet and they picked the candy specimens they wanted to use in their Sink/Float activity.

And FINALLY, a picture of the kids at our Harvest Festival – Queen Esther (with her best friends), Cornelius, and a Panda Bear from Noah’s Ark!

Helpful Links:

Mirette on the High Wire Playlist:

As with our other rows, we created a Mirette on the High Wire playlist with read-alouds, music, science, and other animated clips.

 

Pinterest Board:

You can find most of the activities, ideas, and printables from this post on our Mirette on the High Wire Pinterest Board.