Cycle 1 Week 17 Tutor Plans for Classical Homeschooling

Looking for engaging tutor ideas for Cycle 1, Week 17 in classical homeschooling? Read along for fun ways to introduce the memory work. If you’re a couple weeks behind me, see my tutor ideas for Cycle 1, Week 13, Week 14, Week 15, or Week 16. You can also find my tutor plans from each of the twelve weeks of first semester here.

Please note, I am not affiliated with any Classical education organization; these are simply my own ideas and suggestions based on my experience as a tutor. I hope they inspire and support you as you plan for Cycle 1, Week 17.

This post contains affiliate links, which means I make a small commission at no extra cost to you. See my full disclosure here.

We love being part of our Classical homeschooling community. Read more about how God redirected our path from private education to homeschooling and Classical education here.

Are you new to the Classical model and want to know more about it? Keep reading below about how it’s organized, the different cycles, our community time, and MORE!

If you already know about the Classical homeschooling model and you are ready to jump to the actual tutor ideas, click here.

A Classical model of homeschooling

We are part of a Christ-centered homeschool program that follows the Classical model. The younger children, ages 4-12, focus on a memorization-based curriculum which acts as the groundwork of learning that is built upon in later years.

Children and their parents learn key facts across the core subject areas including history, science, English, mathematics, geography, and Latin. Tutors use fun activities, games, songs, and lots of energy to introduce the new material. The parents can then expand on that material at home throughout the week.

Cycle rotation

The material is divided into three cycles, which each last one year. The cycles continue to rotate every three years, so most children who start when they are kindergarten age, complete each cycle at least twice. This allows them to develop a deeper comprehension and grasp of the material through repetition.

Cycle 1 material

This year, in Cycle 1, we are learning about ancient world history, biology, earth science, Latin noun endings, and English prepositions and verbs.

The following ideas are what I’m planning to do with the group of kids I am tutoring this year (ages 4-6). You may use these ideas if you are also tutoring in a Classical homeschooling community, or if you’re a parent who is looking for memory work ideas to use at home.

Also, you don’t have to be part of any particular Classical homeschooling group to use these ideas! These are ideas to help children learn key concepts in the core subject areas. If you are a homeschooling parent, or just a parent who wants to supplement what your kids are currently learning in school, these ideas will be helpful for you.

Community group time

Our homeschooling community has been meeting on Tuesdays. Our leader starts off the morning with everyone together in a big group setting. She typically begins that time with a devotional reading and prayer, and then continues with some announcements, celebrating birthdays, the pledge of allegiance, and anything else she wants to cover with everyone.

After this time, we split off into our different groups based on age. The tutors lead their groups into different classrooms and begin the New Grammar part of the day. This is when the tutor introduces the memory work for each core subject. Check out my post and video about how to make your own tutor board!

Cycle 1 Week 17 Tutor and Memory Work Ideas

English

I like to start with English each week. I have purchased a lined notebook for each child in my class to use and I lay these out on the table before our class time begins. When the kids walk into the room, they find their notebook which shows them where to sit.

I love using these notebooks because I think it’s great for the kids to get some writing practice. During the summer, I decorate the front of each notebook with each child’s name and a fun biology design related to Cycle 1 (see below for picture). You can download a template of this biology themed notebook cover here and customize for your kids.

In these notebooks, I write each week’s English memory work on a blank page as large and neatly as I can. I use a light colored marker, so that the kids can trace my writing and easily see their own writing with their pencil.

I lay the notebooks out on the table before our class time begins. After English, I collect them and bring them back the following week. At the end of the school year, they will have all 24 weeks filled out and they can take their notebooks home with them.

Cycle 1 Week 17 English

In Cycle 1 Week 17, we learn the next three helping verbs: may, must, might. I prep the notebooks with one of the helping verbs already written, one dotted helping verb that the children can trace, and a horizontal line where I will have the children write the last helping verb. See picture above. Depending on the ages of the kids in your class, you could adjust this to meet their level:

• Write two of the helping verbs and have the children write the last one.
• Write two of the helping verbs normally and then write the last one very lightly or with dots so the children can trace.
• Have the children write all three helping verbs on their own.
• Write out all the helping verbs, but leave spaces in place of the “M” at the beginning of each one, and let the children fill in the “M’s”.
• Write the first letter of each helping verb and let the children write the rest of each word.

As the children are writing, I sing the same song we sang last week beginning with the definition of a helping verb, and I continue singing with the addition this week’s helping verbs. This song is to the tune of This Old Man. See my video below. We will sing this song each week through week 19.

I love making little jingles to the memory work we are learning. Children memorize much quicker if it is to a song, and it’s more fun too! It’s also a great way to review the material throughout the week at home. It is so easy to play the week’s songs while you’re at home or in the car.

I hand out a sticker for each child to stick to the front of their notebook. It’s fun to find stickers that relate to some of the material we are learning about that week.

I also teach the children some simple hand motions for each of these helping verbs:

• may: hold your hand out flat, palm up (symbolizing offering or suggesting something)
• must: make a firm fist and bring it down decisively (symbolizing the emphasis of a rule)
• might: tilt your hand side to side as if weighing two options (symbolizing uncertainty or a small possibility)

I have the children practice singing the song with me while doing the hand motions from the last two weeks and these new hand motions a few times. See the English sections from week 15 and week 16 for the hand motions for the previous helping verbs.

Then, I lead a game where the children pick a hand motion of any helping verb they have learned and show the class without saying anything. The other children try to guess which helping verb the hand motion is for. I give each child a chance to show a hand motion.

Prepositions Review

I also have the kids sing and do the hand motions to the entire preposition song that we worked on last semester. I plan to have them review this once each week for the remainder of the year. See my video of a slowed down version of the entire Preposition song (weeks 2-12) and the hand motions below:

Also, check out this handout for stick figure drawings of each of the hand motions for the ENTIRE Preposition song if you want a refresher.

Timeline

I like to follow English with Timeline. Each week, I use these Timeline Cards: Set 1 (Ancient World), Set 2 (Medieval World), Set 3 (New World), and Set 4 (Modern World) I highly recommend investing in them (you should get all four sets) whether you are a tutor or a parent. I consistently use them as a tutor and also at home with my kids.

Since I have the younger children, I like to tape the paper letter that the timeline event starts with at the top of the card. I have found these letters at my local Dollar Tree. Some of the children in my class can’t read yet, so this helps them identify the event I’m referring to.

Cycle 1 Week 17 Timeline

Before our class time begins, I put seven pieces of painters tape on the wall and I hide the cards around the room. When it’s time to start Timeline, I tell the children to look around the room and see if they can find 1 or 2 cards (depending on how many children are in my group), and to bring them back to their seats.

I sing this week’s part of the timeline song as the children are looking for the cards. I sing it myself instead of playing the music so I can control the speed of the song. See my tutor video for the tune of this week’s timeline song.

When the cards have all been found and all the children are back in their seats, I go through each timeline event in the correct order and see which child has each card.

For example, I say, “The first card is Napoleon Crowned Emperor of France. What letter does “Napoleon” start with?”

A child answers, “It starts with the letter “N.”

I say, “Correct! Who has a card with a letter N on it?”

I instruct whoever has this card to walk up to where I have put the painters tape on the wall, and to stick the card to the first spot on the wall. We repeat this for each timeline event until all the cards are on the wall in the correct order.

After all the timeline cards are on the wall, I take the children out into the hall where I have set up a “timeline line” with these fun stepping stones that they get to walk along. You could also make this “timeline line” with painter’s tape or you could use these spot markers and have the children jump to each one.

I tell the children that they must walk carefully along the timeline line, WITHOUT touching the ocean water below. I tell them that one of our timeline events this week is “Immigrants flock to America” and many immigrants traveled across the ocean in a ship to get to America.

As they carefully walk, we sing this week’s part of the timeline song together. Once we have walked along our “timeline line” several times, I have them go stand against the wall in front of the timeline cards and we go over the motions together. I put these spot markers against the wall in front of each timeline card so it’s clear where each child should stand. See my video below which includes the hand motions for this week in the timeline section:

We sing this week’s part of the timeline song and practice the motions together a few more times.

Geography

Now for geography! The children are now sitting at the table which follows the timeline part well where the kids were standing. I like to try to alternate active parts with sitting to mix things up and keep the kids engaged.

I prepare these trivium table maps ahead of time. You could always print a map too and laminate it. This is the printer and laminator I have and use all the time. I outline the countries we are discussing this week in dry erase marker, each in a different color.

Cycle 1 Week 17 Geography: African Countries

This week we learn about some of the African countries. I give each child a trivium table map with each of the countries outlined in a different color. I give each child a dry erase marker and have them write the first letter of each country inside the country on their map. Since Mozambique and Madagascar both start with the letter “M”, I have them write “MO” inside Mozambique.

I teach the children a song to the tune of Oh Susanna to help them learn these locations. See my video below:

As we sing the song together several times, I have children point to each country as we sing it. Then I ask the kids, “let’s find the blue country with the “Z.” Who remembers the name of that country? Now let’s find the green country with the letter “S.” Who remembers what that country is called? After we do this for each country, I have the kids find each country again and we erase the letter. For example, I’ll say, “let’s find the purple country with the letter “M.” What is that country called? Now let’s erase the “M” from Madagascar.

After all the letters are erased, I repeat this and have the kids erase the country outlines as we go over each country again. We sing the song together a few more times and I challenge the kids to find the countries with no outline this time (since we erased everything)!

Depending on time, I give each child a few different colored dry erase markers and let them color in these countries and some of the other places we have learned about so far this year. Or if you need to move on to the next subject because of time, you definitely don’t have to do this.

I have also found that it works best to review geography WHILE we are doing geography. The kids have their maps in front of them and it’s really easy to talk about places we have learned about previous weeks.

Countries of Africa Notebook!

I’m so excited to share with you all about this Countries of Africa Notebook that I made. There is a page for each of the 54 countries of Africa plus Western Sahara. Each day, the kids get to discover one or more countries as they learn about their location, capital, iconic animal, popular dish, flag, and a fun fact.

The kids can color the maps, animals, and flags for each country as they explore! At the end of the notebook, there is a complete reference of all the African flags. I have also included two labeled maps of Africa with all the countries marked (one in color and one in black and white). Plus, there are blank maps for your children to fill in as they learn about each country.

Learning the Countries of Africa

I also want to share some of what I’m doing at home with my children this semester to help them learn the geography. We are LOVING learning the countries of Africa and I made this fun Africa map that we have on our wall by our kitchen table with all the countries made out of felt.

My girls love taking the countries off and on as we learn their names and locations. Download a paper map of Africa with all the countries labeled here.

I have the patterns for all the African countries, as well as a tutorial about how to make this kind of map in my Etsy shop.

My daughter is also enjoying putting together this Africa puzzle. She absolutely loves puzzles and it’s a great way that I can spend some time with her while the younger kids nap. I especially love these Geo Puzzles because the pieces are the actual shapes of the countries. They have puzzles for the other parts of the world as well! We have also enjoyed putting together South America this year.

We also made up a fun song to help us learn all of these African countries!

Cycle 1 Week 17 Math: Area of a Square

This week in math we are learning about the area of a square. Before our group time begins, I make a couple of large squares on the floor with painters tape.

When it’s time for math, I first show the children my square drawing on my tutor board and explain to them the area formula. Then, I teach them the beginning of our geometry song to help them remember this formula. See my video below:

We will continue to sing this song for the next three weeks, adding a formula to it each week.

I divide the children into two groups and have them stand around the two squares made with painters tape on the floor. I have them do the following as we sing our geometry song together:

• Walk along the edge of the square
• Tip toe along the edge of the square (they must stay on the tape!!!)
• Hop on one foot along the edge of the square
• Hop on the other foot along the edge of the square
• Jump from the inside of the square to the outside

History

We learn about the Aztecs this week. I say the history sentence once NORMALLY to the kids and tell them to listen very carefully. Then I say the history sentence again but with some “silly words” added in. I tell the kids that if they hear a silly word, to raise their hand and try to tell me what the correct word should be. Here is the correct version of the history sentence:

The Aztecs used pyramids in rituals of human sacrifice.  Their civilization began to fall when Hernán Cortés of Spain defeated Montezuma II in 1519.  

Here is the history sentence with silly words:

The wrecks used squids in rituals of snowmen sacrifice.  Their operation began to crawl when Hernán Mess of Spain defeated Pumbaa II in 1519. 

Each time I say a silly word and the kids catch it, I ask them to correct it. Then I say the history sentence from the beginning, correctly, until I get to the next silly word. This way the kids are hearing the history sentence correctly several times. I repeat this until I have said all the silly words and the whole history sentence correctly.

Then I hand out these cute miniature guitars to each of the children and encourage them to strum their guitars as we sing the history song a few more times.

Latin

In Latin this week we are continuing to learn the 2nd Declension Noun Endings. See my tutor video for the tune we sing these to. I show the children the noun endings that I have written on my tutor board. I ask them to help me decide on one noun ending that I can circle. For example, I could circle the noun ending “-ī ” both times that it is written on my board (under both singular and plural). We all start out sitting in chairs and begin singing the song of these noun endings. When we sing “-ī “, we all stand up and stay standing until we say “-ī ” again.

After we sing through the song once, I have the kids tell me another noun ending to circle. For example, I could circle the noun ending: “-īs.” Then we all start out sitting again and as we sing through the song, anytime we sing the noun endings “-ī ” or “-īs”, we change positions (either stand or sit). We repeat this until all the noun endings are circled. Once this happens we sit, then stand, then sit, etc. every time we say a new noun ending. It gets a little crazy but the kids love it!

You could even spice it up a little more but giving each child a silly voice card and switching off singing the song in different silly voices as you play the sit and stand game. Or you could just sing the song in the different silly voices. You can download these silly voice cards for FREE below.

Free Silly Voice and Movement Cards

You can also make these silly voice sticks. These are large popsicle sticks that I painted and wrote some silly voices on.

Here are the silly voices I wrote on these sticks:

• Loud to soft
• Slow like a sloth
• Close eyes
• Squeaky voice
• Super smiley
• Excited
• Whisper
• Crying
• Fish/pucker face
• Pouty
• Scared
• No teeth
• Quiet to loud
• Mad
• Hold your nose
• Tongue out
• Mouth closed

Science

This week in science we learn about some parts of a volcano. When I’m preparing for our class time, I write a number (1-6) with dry erase marker on the back of each of these spot markers. I also write the numbers (1-6) on my dry erase die. When it’s time for science, I spread out these spot markers so that they make circle and so that the numbers aren’t showing. I have the children each stand on a spot marker.

I teach the children a song with all these parts of a volcano to the tune of Michael Row Your Boat Ashore. See my video below:

We sing the song as the children walk around in a circle stepping from one spot marker to another. I tell them, “You have to stay on the spot markers, don’t step in the lava!” When the song ends, I roll my dry erase die with the numbers 1-6 written on the sides. I have the children check and see what number is written on the bottom of the spot marker that they are standing on. If they have the same number that I rolled, they become an “active volcano” and they have to jump up into the air like they are the lava coming out of the volcano!

We repeat this until all the children have gotten a chance to be an active volcano.

I also love using these science cards to help me learn about our topic and explain it in a quick and simple way to the children. Then, of course, the parents can expand on it more at home.

For review time this week, we play a game called “Stop, Drop, Act Like a Rock!” I tell the kids to move around the room and then I yell out, “Stop, Drop, Act Like a Rock!” Then they all have to stop moving, drop down to the floor, and curl up like a rock. I walk around and tap one of the “rocks.” and ask a review question. That child tries to answer and then everyone gets up and moves around until I say again, “Stop, Drop, Act Like a Rock!” We keep doing this until every child gets to answer a review question.

The kids love this review game and it’s very appropriate since we recently learned about different kinds of rocks.

I prefer to ask review questions on the fly instead of preparing them ahead of time. Here are some example questions I ask (remember I have the youngest children in my group):

1. Do you remember what 8 fluid ounces is equal to?
2. What is one part of the geosphere that you remember?
3. The Kush mined gold along what river?
4. What is a location in the Middle East that we learned about?
5. Do you remember the name of one of the places in Ancient Africa?
6. Do you remember any of the compound prepositions?
7. What is one of the helping verbs we have learned so far?
8. When we sing the noun cases song, what word comes after “nominative…”?

LoveBug Review Game

You could also play this fun Valentine’s Day review game that I made called Lovebug! This game is similar to the Stinky Feet review game we played during week 13.

Before community group, I cut out and laminate this love bug sign and heart cards. You can download these for free! You can also just draw a heart on a white board and use sticky notes as the cards if you don’t want to print anything out.

The heart cards have either a positive number on the back or a negative number with a bug. The numbers are from -2o to +20 in increments of 5.

I split my class into teams. I ask the first child a review question from any subject and after they answer they get to pick a heart card off of the board. If they don’t know the correct answer, I let the rest of their team help. They turn the card over and see it’s a “love bug” card or not. A “love bug” card is a negative number with a bug on it.

Whatever point value is on the back of the card gets added or subtracted from the team’s score.

The game ends when all the heart cards are gone! Whichever team ends up with the most points wins! Or you could switch it up and have the team with the least points win.

Cycle 1 Valentine’s Day Cards

Since it’s getting close to Valentine’s Day, I made some fun Valentine’s Day cards that relate to the memory work from Cycle 1. Download them here!

Printable and Editable Cycle 1 Week 17 Tutor Plans

Here is a printable EDITABLE template of these Cycle 1 Week 17 Tutor Plans. Here is a blank template too!

Cycle 1 Week 17 Memory Work Activities

Also check out the FREE activities and games that you can use at home to help your kids practice the memory work this week.

Blessings to you on this homeschooling journey!