Mapping Term 2

Here are some of the mapping exercises Kyler has done:

Social Studies Term 2

Kyler read the book "Canadian Flyer:Pioneer Kids" and wrote the following synopsis:

He learned more about some of the difficulties of immigrating to Canada.  Trinity, Kyler and I read and discussed the following information from the back of this historical fiction novel:

Kyler has been enthralled by the South Pacific video he has borrowed from the library.  One of more than 20,000 islands has a population density larger than any other in the whole world.  Kyler loved learning about their society.  Here is what he wrote:

Trinity watched a Discovery Education video called "Citizenship in the Community,"  took notes and wrote the following:

                                                                     Citizenship

Citizens are people who belong to the community.  Immigrants and people who are born in Canada can be citizens.  People In a community need each other and help each other.  People in that community need others to build their homes, make their clothes, and grow their food.

Citizens have duties like paying taxes, voting, and keeping laws.  The government is in charge of making laws and solving problems.  They are leaders for the community.   

Citizens must respect private property and public property.  Citizens must recycle so we don't use up all of the natural resources on the earth.  Good citizens think of ways that they could make their community a better place.  Good citizens also tell the government their ideas or solutions to problems.  Citizens should volunteer to help their community.


Trinity watched two Discovery Education videos on the Constitution and the Charter of Rights and Freedoms.  She wrote a bit about it here:

Trinity has added to her natural resources knowledge by watching some discovery education videos.  Here are some notes from "Canada:Its Land, Resources, and Economy":

Kyler recently read "Beware, Pirates!" from the "Canadian Flyer" series by Freida Wishinsky.  It was set on the Aid, a ship that Martin Frobisher captained on his second voyage to the Arctic.  Kyler learned about privateering, life on a ship in the 1500's and some of what life was like for the Inuit of the time.  There was much information at the back of the book about Captain Frobisher's life and why he turned to pirating.  He found it interesting that he was knighted, even after 3 failed attempts to find gold. 

Kyler is always enthusiastic and attentive when learning history this way.

Structures Term 2

Kyler, Trinity, Memere and I went on a field trip to learn more about structures.  On our way to see the Golden Ears Bridge we saw this building going up.




Kyler took these pictures and this is what he has to say about them:

This building is made from very strong concrete and steel.  Those steel poles are keeping the wall from falling down while the builders are building.

The steel wires are called rebar.  They are there to keep the building nice and strong.

At the center of the building the builders have made the elevator shaft.  It is made of concrete too.  The elevator shaft is for helping the elevator not break up the building because the elevator is very heavy.

There will be drywall and wood on the inside of building walls.  This will make it stronger and warmer.  This is a picture of  what it will look like when it is finished.

This building caved in because the wood rotted and nobody took care of it. 

This bridge is on 200th Street in Langley.  It is there so people can cross the street without waiting or making the cars stop.  This bridge is arch shaped.  The arch is very strong and it's holding up the bridge with very strong steel cables.  The cables are made from thousands of strings of wire that are curled around each other to make them stronger.

This is a picture of a steel cable.

 This building has very strong steel in between the glass.  It's stays up because of the steel in the middle of lots of pieces of glass.  If it was one piece glass it would shatter.

This Colossus theater has roundish sides called a dome.   There is sound and video all around you.  The shape makes you feel like you are part of the movie.

The Golden Ears Bridge is made with humungous concrete pillars that are holding very strong cables.  The cables help the bridge to stay up.  The pillars are deep under the ground.  I think that's like a tree's roots under ground.  If the pillars were sitting on top of the ground they would crash down in the wind.

The last thing we saw was the bird's nest in this tree.  You can see it right, kind of at the top of this giant tree.  The nest is shaped kind of like an upside down cone.  It's in a lot of layers so that the little chicks would be warm.  The layers make the nest strong.  The tree branches hold it up.

Math term 2

Kyler received his best score yet on Teaching Textbooks.  He gets bonus points for doing well on speed drills.  The lesson 72 speed drill was multiplying 0,1 and 2 up to 12.

Trinity doesn't have speed drills but she is working on Timez Attack all of the way up to the 12 times table. She practices (with Kyler looking on and helping) 4 times per week.  Trinity averages 20/22 in her math lessons. 

Karate term 2

Trinity received her yellow belt.

This was at Trinity's first karate tournament.  In this kata(series of movements emulating a fight against multiple attackers) Trinity was competing against the boy on her left...she won.  The judges said she had good spirit and form...speed doesn't count.

Trinity with her Memere and a third place medal.  Way to go Brave Girl!

Earth Studies

These are question Trinity and Kyler answered, collectively, after watching "Planet Earth:Pole to Pole" on Discovery Education video streaming.  Kyler answered most of them and Trinity helped him and wrote after he was all tired out.

PE term 2

Kyler and Trinity both learned how to climb this past week.  They were given very specific safety training before, and taught how to climb and repel properly.  They both reached the very top after 3 attempts.  Brave souls!

Art Term2

Trinity is improving her jewelry making skills.  Here is the latest set she made from looking at  a library book.

Here are the latest ceramics that Trinity (monkey cup) and Kyler (snowman) painted.

Here is a necklace Kyler made for his cousin's birthday.

Christmas tags Trinity made.

Daddy bought a new digital slr camera after Christmas, so Kyler and Trinity have had many opportunities to try some photography.

Below are some of the photos they took.  They took many, many more but I thought these ones were the best.

 Kyler

 Trinity


Here is a bat picture Kyler made on one art afternoon.  He told me that the smaller ones only look small because they are further in the distance.  There is a bumblebee bat(smallest bat) and a fish catching bat.  There others are vampire bats.  Oh, and then there is a little owl that is a predator.

Below is an alien monster watercolor Trinity did.  She also drew a picture of two World War II evacuees who are heading to Canada.  They are possible characters of the book she is writing in her writing, art and book making course.

Trinity started a knitting class that Mommy is teaching.  She learned years ago but set it aside for other endeavors.  It's like she never stopped.  She is listening to an audiobook, as well, in the picture below.

Some pictures taken at Boundary Bay in Tsawwassen

Taken by Trinity

Taken by Kyler


Ducks at Chilliwack Library
By Trinity Brinkman

Water color paintings for
"Humphrey and the Evacuees"

Kyler watched an art class on Discovery Education and did the following sketches:

They were meant to be super quick and only capture weight distribution and limb position.

Kyler asked if he could use my mini loom to weave, so here he is weaving.  

Kyler made a Mod Podge collage to show how he has developed, physically from birth until now.