The Lighted Rose Homeschool

Our carefully curated May playlist introduces topics in a gentle, intentional sequence. Pop it on in the background during morning time, car rides, or sensory play:

• Welcome to May: Celebrating late spring, exploring May as a month of the year, and honoring Mother’s Day
• The Great Outdoors: Fun melodies centered on camping, fishing, safety, and cozy campfires
• Deep Space Exploration: Journeying through the solar system with songs about the Sun, Stars, Moon, rockets, and planets
• Think Like a Scientist: Introduction to the Scientific Method, scientific pioneers, and the natural forces that move our world
• Intro to Chemistry: Playful songs introducing atoms, elements, and the wonder of the Periodic Table
• Our Global Home: Investigating Earth’s hemispheres, physical geography, and the ancient cultures of Greece and Rome
• Rest & Reset: Winding down with mindful moon, woodland, campfire, star, and spaceship meditations

🔗 Ready to listen? [Find May’s Amazon Music Playlist here.]

These books have been such a joy for us. I’ve included links if you’d like to add them to your home collection, which is a lovely way to keep them ready for when these themes come back around each year. Of course, I also encourage you to check your local library—it’s a wonderful place to let your children browse, explore, and find their own quiet treasures.

📖 Family Read-Alouds (Chapter Books)

Perfect for gathering around to share a longer, immersive story.

• Biographies of Dimitri Mendelev

📖 Illustrated Picture Books

A mix of illustrated stories for all ages covering our May themes: Astronomy and Camping & Fire.

• Fletcher and the Stars, by Julia Rawlinson & Tiphanie Beeke (Astronomy)
• Our Universe (9 Book Series), by Stacy McAnulty (Planets)
• Your Place in the Universe, by Jason Chin (Astronomical Sizes)
• Born with a Bang, by Jennifer Morgan
• A Child’s Introduction to the Night Sky, by Michael Drischoll (Astonomy)
• What Makes Day and Night, by Franklyn M. Branley (Earth, Day & Night Cycles)
• Science Works: Sun Up, Sun Down, The Story of Day and Night, by Jacqui Bailey (Earth, Day & Night Cycles)
• Bears in the Night, by Stan and Jan Berenstain (Nighttime)
• In the Middle of the Night, by Kathy Henderson (Night)
• Wolf Countdown (A) (Moon)
• Regards to the Man in the Moon, by Ezra Jack Keats
• On the Space Station, by Carron Brown & Alyssa Nassner (Outer Space)
• All Aboard Reading: Space Kid, by Roberta Edwards (Outer Space, Aliens)
• To Activate Space Portal Life Here, by Antoinette Portis
• The Berenstain Bears On the Moon, by Stan and Jan Berenstain (Rockets, Moon)
• Papa, Please Get the Moon For Me, by Eric Carle (The Moon)
• The Big Dipper, by Franklin M. Branley (Constellations)
• Our World in Pictures The Elements Book, by Smithsonian (Periodic Table, Elements)
• From Bam to Burp!, by Melissa Stewart (The Big Bang, Carbon, Elements)
• A Couple of Boys Have the Best Week Ever, by Marla Frazee (Camp, Nature Camp)
• Camp Rotten Time, by Mike Thaler
• Hello Muddah, Hello Faddah (A Letter From Camp), by Allan Sherman and Lou Busch
• The Grizzly Gazette, by Stuart J. Murphy (Bears, Math)
• Five Silly Fisherman, by Roberta Edwards (Fishing)
• Why Mosquitoes Buzz in People’s Ears, by Verna Aardema (Mosquitos, FolkTale

Grab some blankets and cozy snacks! These fun watches pair perfectly with your lessons this month:

• Out of This World Space Exploration & Technology: Space Jam, E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial, Spy Kids, and Zenon: Girl of the 21st Century
• Outdoor Adventures & Camp Life: The Parent Trap, Heavyweights, and Troop Beverly Hills
• Ancient History & Myths: Hercules
• Chemistry & Chemistry Science: The Mystery of Matter: Search for the Elements
• The Ultimate Theme Tie-Ins: The Magic School Bus (Gets Lost in Space / Out of This World / Sees Stars / Gains Weight / Goes on Air)

Bring your learning to life out in the real world with these seasonal excursions:

• Astronomy & Night Sky Studies: Booking a show at a local planetarium, visiting a regional UFO museum, or simply setting up blankets in the backyard at night to look at the stars
• Campfire & Outdoor Skills: Planning a family camping trip, spending an afternoon exploring nearby nature reserves, or setting up a backyard campfire to practice cooking over an open flame safely

If you want to add rigorous, free textbooks to our hands-on resources, we highly recommend matching this month’s activities with these specific units:

🧪 Core Knowledge Science

• Grade K Unit 1: Push and Pulls
• Grade1 Unit 1: Sun, Moon, and Stars*
• Grade 3 Unit 1: Investigating Forces
• Grade 5 Unit 5: Astronomy: Space Systems
• Grade 8 Unit 1: Contact Forces
• Grade 8 Unit 3: Forces at a Distance
• Grade 8 Unit 4: Earth in Space

🌍 Core Knowledge History & Geography

• Grade 2 Unit 4: Ancient Greece**
• Grade 3 Unit 2: Ancient Rome***
• Grade 6 Unit 2: Ancient Greece and Rome****

✏️ Core Knowledge Language Arts Units

• Grade 1 Domain 6: Astronomy*
• Grade 2 Domain 3: The Ancient Greek Civilization**
• Grade 2 Domain 4: Greek Myths**
• Grade 3 Unit 4: The Ancient Roman Civilization***
• Grade 3 CKLA Unit 4: Third Grade Skills—Stories of Ancient Rome***
• Grade 3 CKLA Unit 7: Third Grade Skills—What’s in Our Universe?
• Grade 3 Unit 7: Astronomy: Our Solar System and Beyond
• Grade 6 Unit 3: The Heritage of Ancient Greece and Rome****
• Grade 6 Unit 4: The Iliad, the Odyssey, and Other Greek Stories****
• Grade 6 Unit 5: The Tragedy of Julius Caesar****
• Grade 7 Unit 1: Hello, Universe

💡 Teacher’s Note: For the absolute best learning flow, we recommend reviewing any Science or History & Geography units marked with asterisks before you jump into the paired Language Arts unit!