All in all, the first term of our year have been packed with interesting learnings and a lot of milestones. Fruitful 12 weeks 🙂
Below are exam questions for my year 3 student. All are based on our main CM curriculum, Ambleside Online.
Take note that these will be answered orally (children from years 1-3 focus on oral retellings instead of written) and there will be no review nor preparation done by the student. Student simply answers the questions.
The goal of a Charlotte Mason exam is to give the child the opportunity to tell what he knows. Very different from most tests that focuses or “catches” what child does not know. And because CM’s emphasis on narration or retelling after each reading (instead of projects or tests or memorization to “glue-in” the lesson) is what we have been doing since the beginning, most of the learning are owned by the child. As what my son always tells me, “if you can’t retell or narrate in your own words, you don’t truly understand.”
(Year 3 son would rather have Cheetos than chocolates while answering the questions below 🙂 His wish is my command.)
Age 9
Year 3 Term 1
Prepared Oct. 2016
BIBLE
What do you know about Moses’ babyhood and early life?
Tell about Moses and the burning bush, or a story of Moses and Aaron.
Describe what happened when Satan tried to tempt Jesus or when Jesus called His first disciples.
Tell about the healing of the man who came through the roof.
What is the story about the centurion’s servant?
PHILIPPINE STUDIES
>>Philippine HIstory (The Coming of Spain)
Tell about Ferdinand Magellan. Who is he?
Narrate Magellan’s voyage and his encounter with the Filipino people.
Trace the places and bodies of water Magellan went through to get to the Philippines.
Why did the Spaniards come to the Philippines?
What is the relationship of Spain and Portugal during this time?
What significant events happened in the first meeting between the Filipinos and Spaniards?
Tell about Lapulapu.
Tell the result of Magellan’s voyage.
>>Filipino Biography (Emilio Aguinaldo)
Tell about Emilio Aguinaldo’s childhood.
Tell how Emilio became a leader in the Province of Cavite.
>>Filipino Reading/Literature
Basahin ang short story na “Isang Sorpresa” o “Si Bingo at si Kiko” at ikwento sa iyong Tatay.
Magbigay ng mga halimbawa ng Kambal-Katinig na mga salita.
>>Sibika at Kultura
Ano ang mga produkto na nagagawa ng iba’t ibang mga komunidad sa Pilipinas?
Iguhit ang komunidad bago dumating ang mga Espanol sa Pilipinas, nang dumating ang mga
Espanol, at nang dumating ang mga Amerikano.
I-kwento ang pagkakaiba ng iyong mga ginuhit.
MATH
>>Oral Math
>>MEP
>>Beast Academy
>>Cuisenaire Rods
>>Paper Sloyd
LITERATURE/TALES
>>Heroes by Charles Kingsley
Tell me about Perseus.
Why does Perseus embark on this dangerous journey, and what help does he get?
>>Princess Goblin by George Macdonald
Tell me about Curdie.
Describe your favorite part in The Princess and the Goblin.
>>Shakespeare
Tell the story of The Merchant in Venice.
Describe either Shylock, Antonio, or Bassanio.
>>Pilgrim’s Progress by John Bunyan
Tell about Christian’s encounter with Appolyon in the Valley of Humiliation.
Describe Appolyon.
>>Parables of Nature
Describe the Wind from the story Voices.
What is your favorite part in the story Master of the Harvest. Why?
HISTORY AND TALES
>>Child’s History of the World by (World History)
Tell about El Dorado or the significance of the Coast of Africa.
Tell about the Period of Encounter/Discovery. What was the impact of this period in history?
Tell about the Period of Rebirth/renaissance. What was the impact of this period in history?
>>Biography: Leonardo Da Vinci
What does Renaissance mean and why is it called that?
Which of Michelangelo’s projects did you like best? Describe the commission, the piece itself,
and his process of creating it as best you can.
>>Trial and Triumph (Church History)
Tell short descriptions about Martin Luther, William Tyndale, and John Calvin.
What did each do that made a difference in Christianity as a religion.
>>This Country of Ours
Did the earliest settlers from Spain and France get along with the natives in America? Why or why not?
>>Our Island Story
Tell me about one of the Marys: Mary I of England or Mary Queen of Scots. How was each related to Queen Elizabeth I?
Tell what you know about the boy king or Lady Jane.
What do you know about Martin Luther, or how Elizabeth became a prisoner?
GEOGRAPHY
>>Marco Polo
Tell about Marco Polo’s journey to China.
Chart Marco Polo’s journey so far on a map of the world. Describe one of the sights he encounters along the way.
Tell me about Tartary. What animals live there, and what is the geography like? Where is it on our modern map?
Why was the Great Wall of China built?
>> Philippine Map Work
Write on the Philippine Map the different Regions in the area of Luzon.
>> World Map Work
Draw the shape of the earth, and show where the hot countries are and where the cold ones are.
NATURAL HISTORY AND GENERAL SCIENCE
>>Drop of Water
Describe Water’s Elastic Surface. What do you understand about surface tension, water vapor, and capillary attraction?
Explain the process of condensation in a glass with cold water inside.
>>Sea Creatures
What is a plankton?
What can you tell about how hermit crabs feed? or Tell about the grotto of eating trees.
Sketch and label from memory three faunas that one can find in a tidepool.
Choose from your sketch, and tell me all you can about it.
>>Bee Study
Sketch and label the anatomy of a bee. Tell me how each part functions.
Describe the relationship between flowers and bees.
FOREIGN LANGUAGE
>>Chinese
Recite or sing something you have learned in Chinese.
Write number 1-10 in Chinese Calligraphy.
>>Spanish
Sing a song in spanish.
READING SKILL
Please read this passage from Pilgrim’s Progress aloud in your clearest voice.
PENMANSHIP
“The queen went stumping along in one shoe of stone and one of skin.”
ART/PRINT STUDY (Jean Baptist Corot)
Sketch from memory your favorite picture from this term’s picture study.
PIANO
Play Book 1 Suzuki in front of whole family.
RECITATION
Recite Matthew 6:19-34, Psalm 19:7-14, and Psalm 121
POETRY
Choose 2 poems by William Blake that you like best. Read in front of the family.
SINGING
Choose and sing from our hymns this term: Be Thou My Vision, How Great Thou Art, Jesus Paid it All.
HANDICRAFTS
Show and teach a friend how to carve a candle with your carving tools.
FREE READS
What was your favorite book read during free time this term? What did you like best about it?