Opening

Lenora	Pass out and lead song of the month
Lucy	Prayer
Talmage	Scripture/Spiritual Thought
Anya	Pledge of Allegiance
Ellie	Joke of the Day
Fielding	Lead Memorization
Hyrum	Show and Tell or Knowledge Share
Judy Sue	Treasurer and Snack

Poem and Shuffle Dance

Don’t forget to practice your shuffle dance!

This week we’ll finishing learning The Blind Man and The Elephant:

The Blind Men And The Elephant

By John Godfrey Saxe

(October 24)

It was six men of Indostan, to learning much inclined,

who went to see the elephant (Though all of them were blind),

that each by observation, might satisfy his mind.

The first approached the elephant, and, happening to fall,

against his broad and sturdy side, at once began to bawl:

“[Why], bless me! but the elephant, is nothing but a wall!”

(October 31)

The second feeling of the tusk, cried: “Ho! what have we here,

so very round and smooth and sharp? To me tis mighty clear,

this wonder of an elephant, is very like a spear!”

The third approached the animal, and, happening to take,

the squirming trunk within his hands, “I see,” quoth he,

the elephant is very like a snake!”

(November 7)

The fourth reached out his eager hand, and felt about the knee:

“What most this wondrous beast is like, is mighty plain,” quoth he;

“Tis clear enough the elephant is very like a tree.”

The fifth, who chanced to touch the ear, Said; “E’en the blindest man

can tell what this resembles most; Deny the fact who can,

This marvel of an elephant, is very like a fan!”

(November 14)

The sixth no sooner had begun, about the beast to grope,

than, seizing on the swinging tail, that fell within his scope,

“I see,” quothe he, “the elephant is very like a rope!”

And so these men of Indostan, disputed loud and long,

each in his own opinion, exceeding stiff and strong,

Though each was partly in the right, and all were in the wrong!

(November 21)

So, oft in theologic wars, the disputants, I ween,

tread on in utter ignorance, of what each other mean,

and prate about the elephant, not one of them has seen!

Finally, our next book club book is Summer of the Monkeys by Wilson Rawls. We will discuss this January 9th (our very first week back after break) so don’t forget to start reading after Christmas.

Here’s a checklist for this week’s assignments

Simple Machines

What comes to mind when you think of a machine? The washer? A tractor? A complex candy wrapping machine in a factory? All of those are machines, but machines have been around thousands of years longer than any of those inventions. On the most basic level, there are six simple machines. And while they’re simple, they’re mighty! In fact, they helped build the Great Wall of China, the Pyramids, and many more things.

To better understand simple machines, read the Willie E. Coyote chapter Smash! Wille E. Coyote Experiments with Simple Machines (p. 63).

Also, watch this video from The Good and the Beautiful on simple machines. In particular, pay attention to why we need simple machines and how often we still use them today!

Science Journal

Now, let’s take some notes on what you learned in your science journal. Title a new page Simple Machines. Then write the name of each simple machine, draw a picture of the machine, and write a brief description of how it is used to make work easier.

Remember, your science journal should be neat and visually pleasing, so take your time, use your best writing, and make it amazing!

Mechanical Advantage

All simple machines make work easier because they give the user mechanical advantage. Scientists define mechanical advantage as a measurement of how much a machine multiplies the force you input.

Watch this video to see how much mechanical advantage a simple pulley system gives one teacher over the other.

History Connection

Simple machines have been around for a LONG time, and they’ve literally shaped the course of civilizations. This week, I’d like you to learn more about one ancient civilization and how they used simple machines. You’ll prepare a presentation on what you learned to share with the class.

First – sign up for a civilization here:

Next – do some research on your civilization. If you have Story of the World volume 1 at home, this is a great place to start. Be sure you know:

• The location of your civilization

• When in history this civilization existed

• A little bit about what life was like during this period of time

Finally – research what simple machines were important to your civilization. If people in your civilization combined multiple simple machines together to create something new (for example – a water wheel), we’d love to hear about those inventions.

You can present your findings in whatever format you’d like. Get creative!

Experimenting with Simple Machines

This week we’ll experiment with simple machines in class instead of at home. We’ll be taking a short field trip and spending time outside (rain, snow, or shine so dress appropriately!)

A Final Note

While we may credit an ancient civilization for discovering one simple machine or another, their true creator was our Heavenly Father. In fact, the oldest examples of simple machines are found within our bodies!

• Several joints in our bodies act as levers multiplying the force of our muscles so that we can lift more efficiently
• Our patella (kneecap) and the tendon that runs from our thigh muscle to below our knee form a pulley system that allows the knee to extend smoothly and with much more strength.
• Our shoulder joints are considered a ball-and-socket which function similarly to a wheel and axel allowing us a huge range of motion without sacrificing strength.
• Our teeth are mini wedges that chop our food.
• There are even more examples of simple machines if we look at the anatomy of animals. Scientists recently discovered a weevil with a screw-and-nut knee joint!

Our Heavenly Father’s creations are truly amazing!