Oct. 10, 2006 Beginning Australia
I was planning on easing into Australia, but the kids dove in full force yesterday.
They made a long lists of everything they wanted to learn about Australia, they organized their folders, found many fasinating recipes and even cooked a couple. One groups of boys made Bloomin' Onions, which they declared were better than any they had ever bought. And another young man made Lamingtons, which is a sponge cake dipped in a cocoa frosting and rolled in coconut. They were also a big hit!
We started new group literature books as well yesterday. We have one group reading short stories from Australia and other Polonesian Islands, one group reading Lord of the Flies and the last reading Robinson Crusoe. I found it interesting with the choices each group was given that they would all end up choosing stories of island survival.
Tomorrow they will be giving their first oral book reports. I will try and remember to assign a 'reporter' to take pictures. Some of the posters that have already been brought in as props for the oral reports are very cool!
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Oct. 6, 2006 Buffalo Crossing.... Oct. 5, 2006 Science Museum Oct. 5, 2006 African Bonfire Sep. 29, 2006 Heart Of Darkness---Group Report
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Heart Of Darkness
Group Report
(this study group is all boys between the ages of 14-15)
As a group we had mixed
reactions to this book. A few thought it was boring because they
didn't understand the language. A few thought it was complicated and
layered with meanings making it very interesting. Some thought it
just rambled too much to really make any sense. A the last group
thought it was a very good example of how to use symbols to change
how people think.
Most agreed the theme of
this novel was that greed and power can turn an empty soul black. To
stand up to the temptations of power a persons needs to be grounded.
They really need to know who they are and what they want out of life.
The book illustrated that the slippery slope of control gets out of
control very quickly.
As a group we answered
the question: Why does Marlow travel mostly on the river? The
ideas discussed were that the Congo represented a main vein into the
heart of the dark continent. Marlow was traveling on this vein
physically while emotionally, traveling into Kurtz's dark heart.
Another thought was that the river kept him safe and separate from
the interior of Africa and the dark interior of men's souls. On the
few occasions he did step foot on land all he found was dead
wasteland or the wasteland of Kurtz's soul.
The
following are the individual essays on Heart of Darkness.
Austin: In the
story Heart of Darkness the author interpreted light and dark
in many different ways. Light usually represents good, warmth and
salvation, while dark represents evil, death, and despair. I
personally find these connections racist, but I also think that was
Conrad's point.
White people being
'light' were representing 'gods' to the 'ignorant' 'dark' natives.
Being dark the natives were worth less to the white men than the
cheapest of animals. It is strange because I think the case was just
the opposite, without the natives, the white men would not have had
the ivory they so craved.
Conrad showed how the
white men with their 'hearts of darkness' were cruel, greedy,
disloyal and mean. The natives were often kind, simple, loyal and
self-restrained. The cannibals for example went hungry instead of
killing the men on the ship. Marlow saw this as truly remarkable.
These men were able to kill, were hungry, and yet choose loyalty
instead of personal comfort or nourishment.
Throughout the whole
book Conrad plays with the readers traditional understanding of light
and dark.
Cody: Darkness
has many definitions. In the beginning darkness is just a reference
to Africa itself. Darkness refers to the dark skinned people and the
dark jungles. The author doesn't stick with those meanings very long.
Soon we figure out it is the hearts of the white men that are the
blackest part of this continent. Kurtz is the most extreme example.
His heart becomes completely black because of greed and lust. Then at
the very end of the book Marlow chooses to leave Kurtz's fiancιe
in the dark. Her darkness is one of not knowing the truth.
Unless you read the
whole book you will not notice how the definition of darkness
changes. The way Conrad changes and uses the word 'darkness' is one
of the book's huge driving ideas. It also gives us clues into his
believes and morals.
Travis: In
this novel darkness represents many things. Darkness represents
ignorance. The ignorance of the white people, the ignorance of the
natives, and the final ignorance of Kurtz's fiancιe. It also
represents Africa. It refers to the people and the jungles. Darkness
represents greed and evil desires. And finally, darkness represents
death. The death of Kurtz, the death of the innocence of the natives
and even the death of Marlow's idealism.
Brandon B.: Kurtz's
dying words were The horror! The horror! I believe they
expressed his torment he felt at the enormity of his actions. I
believe he was facing God and trying to explain his choices. This
must have seemed like torture. He realized that the way he had been
treating other human beings was horrible. Making the natives believe
he was a god so they would fulfill his lust for more ivory was just
one of the evil things he did. He also made people crawl on their
bellies while in his presence. Having to explain this to God would be
more than horrible.
I
believe the reason Marlow was the only one to hear the last words was
because he was more emotionally connected to Kurtz than anyone else.
People kept telling Marlow he was like Kurtz. Both were young men who
were given high prestige jobs without working their way up through
the company. The other men were very jealous and resented both Kurtz
and Marlow because the men thought the jobs should have gone them.
The words could also have been a stern warning to Marlow, to make
sure he didn't end up the same way.
Josh: The
horror, the horror! were Kurtz's last words. I think he said them
because he was reliving his last few years in Africa. He was facing
the real God and having to explain why he pretended to be a god. Not
a good god at that, but a vicious, greedy and lustful god that was
only interested in power and wealth.
Marlow
was the only person to hear these words because they were meant to
touch him. He understood Kurtz better than anyone else. He had been
chasing Kurtz's shadow all the way into the interior of the
continent. By hearing how tormented Kurtz was on his death bed, he
could avoid falling into the same traps. The continent could not
change him, the way it had Kurtz.
Marlow: Marlow
lied to Kurtz's fiancιe because she thought Kurtz was the
greatest man to ever have lived. Marlow didn't want to hurt her by
telling her the truth. She seemed to be a light in the darkness. As
she spoke about Kurtz her forehead and blond hair seemed to be the
only light in the room. Since she was thinking about Kurtz in a good
way her forehead lit up, but her heart was dark because she did not
know the truth of his heart.
In
reality Kurtz was no better than the next man and actually worse than
many. He lied, cheated, and abused power just to get more ivory.
Ivory was the main money in this book. It was also equated with
power. Kurtz went so far as to convince the natives he was a god to
get more ivory. Marlow didn't want to tell all this to the young girl
so he left her in a state of innocence. He let her believe Kurtz was
a hero, maybe even her god.
Gabe: Marlow
lied to Kurtz's fiancιe so that she would not be hurt by his
true memory. She was oblivious to the facts that Kurtz abused his
power and position. She had only the best of thoughts about him.
Marlow was faced with two choices. He could tell the truth and put
Kurtz's fiancιe into a deeper depression. She would probably
lose all grip on reality. Or he could lie to her and let her live in
a functioning fantasy world. Either way she was going to be a lost
soul.
Marlow
choose to lie because of the light illuminating her forehead as she
spoke about Kurtz. The room darkened, making her seem even more
innocent and about to be swallowed up. In Marlow's loyalty to Kurtz,
Marlow could not see shattering her hero worship of her intended.
We
would only recommend this book if you easily follow stories that
bounce around in time and place. It is not for those who like
straight forward stories with easy plots. The reader has to work hard
to follow the story and stay interested.
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Sep. 23, 2006 Movie Review by The Thursday Afternoon Movie Watchers
This
is a review of three African movies the kids have watched. I thought it
was interesting because I was just blog hopping and it seems Dafur has
finally made it into the mainstream. These movies, plus Darfur being in
the news made a huge impact on them.
Movie Review by The Thursday Afternoon Movie Watchers
Over the last three weeks we have watch three movies about Africa,
Cleopatra, Shaka Zulu, and Hotel Rwanda. At first it seemed these
movies had nothing in common, but upon closer inspection we noticed
that all three movies are about European interference in Africa. In
Cleopatra, it was Rome that conquered and exploited Egypt's resources.
Rome demanded payments of so much grain that the people of the country
were starving. In Shaka Zulu it was the English and the Dutch who were
trying to settle in the southern parts of Africa. The slave trade was
in full swing and that seemed to be the biggest natural resource the
Europeans wanted. In Hotel Rwanda, we saw the fall-out of a Dutch
Government pull-out. It seemed to us the Dutch were the root cause of
the problems by dividing a previously unified people.
Another
common thread between the movies was that the Europeans never saw the
Africans as real people. The Europeans were never able to meet Africans
as equal humans also created in God's image. With the Romans that
almost made sense because their gods looked like them and they were
conquerers. However, in Shaka Zulu and Hotel Rwanda the Europeans
professed to be Christians. It was very difficult for us to see the
slave ship scenes in Shaka Zulu, because humans should not chain, rape,
kill, or beat other humans. We could empathize with the slaves, but not
the traders. No matter how hard we tried we could not ever imagine
treating other people that way even if we disliked them. In Hotel
Rwanda, we saw all kinds of people helping others. We think that is the
way it should be. However, we also saw that it takes more than the
power of individuals to prevent genocide. We feel Christians and
countries that are primarily Christian have an extra duty to help keep
the peace in this world. It often seems like animals that are on the
brink of extinction get more attention and help than entire races of
peoples.
All three movies had people that inspired us and made us
think about our world and how we treat others. In Cleopatra, Cleopatra
was willing to give up her life for her people over and over. She
inspired them with her love. In Shaka Zulu, the movie makers went to
extra trouble make sure you saw the connections between Shaka and
Christ. He was strong, brave, and inspired others to keep going beyond
the usual limits of human endurance. He was especially Christ like when
he left the settlement without killing all the whites when it was
obvious that he could have done so easily. In Hotel Rwanda, Paul
Rusesabagina uses all his wits, contacts and drive to save almost 1500
people. He saw his country fall apart and over 800,000 men, women and
children killed in a massive act of revenge. We all hope that if we
were ever in a situation like his we could act with half his courage
and determination.
After discussing these movies the question came
up, Should we be sending troops into Darfur? Everyone of us thought
that even if the UN didn't send more troops, the USA should figure out
how to send Peace Keepers. We felt that even at these points in
history, if more time was spent on finding peaceful solutions, tensions
would not continue into each new generation. Everyone agreed to write
their senator and represenative to tell them to continue to pressure
the UN. We felt that when genocide is happening we need to make sure it
is stopped. |
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Sep. 9, 2006 Another great day.....
Since I had written about an unscheduled day yesterday, I decided to write about a scheduled one today.
Since we were cooking over raw wood today we had to get the fire going before 9am.
We
started the day with Math. This year I am teaching the foundational
classes (everyone not in Algebra). So, I helped with Saxon
54, Saxon 76, Consumer Math, and when lessons were finished we used the
rest of math time to play Suduko and 24. My mom has all the Algebra
kids this year.
When
math time was over, the fire was hot enough and burned into coals so we
put the lamb that they had marinated yesterday on the grill.
Then
we went into literature. I am reading Heart of Darkness with the 9th
and 10th grade boys. I love the language, the boys are struggling a
little, but the drawings they are doing while I read let me know that
they are understanding what is happening even if they are not
understanding the deeper meanings yet.
The girls are all together in one group they range in age from 12-16.
Right now they are reading Not One Damsel In Distress, it is a
collection of fairytales from around the world where girls are the
heroes of the stories.
The little boys are being read to by the senior boys, they are reading
fairytales too, Mightier Than The Sword, which are world folktales for
strong boys.
After
Lit. was lunch. We take a full hour for lunch. Lots of playing outside
and joking around. About the time lunch was over the lamb was finally
done  .
We brought it in and let it rest in the oven until after grammar.
After
reading and discussing 'The Thought For the Day' the kids could choose
to write an essay that introduced themselves or 10 positive I am...
statements. (today's thought: Who I am is what fulfills me and fulfills
the vision I have of the world. Audre Lorde), During grammar we also
reviewed how to write a good outline, three spelling rules, and the
rules for general to specific paragraphs.
Then
I worked with a group who were answering questions about land
formation. Specifically the Atlas mts, the Mediterrian Sea, and the
Great Rift Valley. This was extra fun for me because I love physical
geography and talking about plate tectonics, Pangea, and how the earth
works as a great machine!
While
I was working with this group on geography, I was also 'helping' a
group in the kitchen who were slicing up the lamb, shucking fresh corn
and squealing over the silk worms in the corn! It was funny because a
parent brought in a bushel of corn today and one of the little boys
said "that corn is wrapped in grass!" He had never seen corn in a husk
and certainly never shucked it before. It was a lot of fun watching him
experience it!
At the same time another group of students was working on beginning
Greek with Mr. Aaron and then he had an older group for advanced Hebrew.
During language time I tutored Latin, then helped someone with their spelling, then I colored an Egyptian Princess.
Since the scheduled part of the day was over, it was time for the kids
to work on group projects of their choice. I watched and offered a
couple hints to the group of boys who were shooting a movie. They were
funny because they went around in wigs and fake facial hair all day. I
was cracking up everytime I caught them out of the corner of my eye!
Other kids were working on animal projects, sewing projects, serving up
the lamb, playing basketball, going on nature walks, and photography.
It was another day that really let me know I am doing what I was created to do!
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Sep. 7, 2006 a perfect day.....
I think Thursdays are going to be one of my
favorite days this years. On MWF we have 20-25 students (when they all
show up), but on Thursday only 8-10 come over.
On MWF there are small group classes and a loose schedule. On Thursdays
there is no schedule and everyone decides how to spend their day.
Today was great! It started at 8:30 with the 4 girls who were here
deciding on a recipe to cook today. They found two they liked and when
reading the directions saw that one needed to be marinated overnight so
they asked if they could prepare it for tomorrow and cook the other
today.
The girls prepared the list, but the teenage boys were the ones that
went to the store. I was surprised that only one out of four had ever
had to find food in the store. I gave them the list and just followed
them around, trying to keep my mouth shut :) It was hard. It took them
over an hour to find 6 ingredents.
The boys learned to speak with the butcher. He taught them the
difference between a leg of Lamb and butterflied lamb chops. He even
cut the chops especially for them from a fresh piece of lamb. They
learned to smell herbs and I don't think they will confuse dill with
parsley again.
Today turned out to be all about Northern Africa. The recipe that was
actually eaten today was Koshery (Lentils and Rice). It was a bit spicy
and very tasty. Cumin was a new spice to many of the kids. We talked a
lot about the difference between herbs and spices and which ones are
common to Egyptian food and why.
The other recipe that was prepped today and will be cooked tomorrow
over an open fire was roasted leg of lamb from Morocco. While it shared
similar spices it had a few differences and one of the more interesting
ones was lemon juice from the Spanish influences.
While some kids cooked others were doing a project on the Sahara
Desert. They learned why it was a desert, that it changed sizes with
the seasons of the year and that the people who live north of it have a
very different life then those who live south of it.
Thanks to satilite radio we listened to an Afropop station out of
Algeria most of the day. The kids really liked the music a lot. They
thought it was fun and exciting. The modern instruments with the
ancient chants and drums were an interesting combination.
After lunch we watched Cleopatra ( Hallmark made for TV mini series).
It really helped the kids to see how Ceasar, Cleopatra, Mark Antony and
Octavious were all connected. Since we spent a lot of time on Rome last
year, they really made the connection this time to Egypt being in
Africa, but under Roman rule. It made more of an impression of why
North Africa is so different than the rest of Africa. For some reason
it also clicked that Alexandria was in Egypt therefore Africa. The
burning of the library in the movie made sense in relationship to the
other things they already knew. They were inspired to add quite a few
things to the group timeline.
After the movie the girls got out the history of clothing books and
spent quite a while researching Egyptian styles. They drew some
pictures and one even made a pattern to make her own robe based on one
of Cleopatra's dressing gowns.
Not everyone watched the movie. Some of the older boys who had seen it
a few times practiced music. A couple got out the drums and tried to
recreate the rhythms from the songs on the radio. One young man who is
fairly new to piano, practiced for almost 2 hours today. He is getting
really good!
As the day was winding down, a few kids were playing video games, a few
were working on maps of Africa and a few were coloring pictures of
African animals.
Today was a great day because we all learned so much. Tomorrow will be
noisy and the house will be full in comparison to today an it too will
be a good day!
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Sep. 6, 2006 First Day at RGRC Aug. 27, 2006 Life Skills....
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I
have been working on a list of life skills for parents who seem
confused when I say that I believe 'Life Skills' are as important as
reading and writing. I tell them to make a list of all the skill they
would want their child to have before moving out then start looking for
opportunities to introduce them. As a matter of fact I, tell them, I
schedule no academic work on Tuesdays and Thursdays because not only
does it give the students time to try new things, work, run their own
businesses, develop talents, pursue their own interests, but it also
give you time to teach life skills as part of their 'education.' In the
kids I see here, those with strong life skills seem to have more
self-confidence and natural leadership abilities. Here is my list so far in no particular order:
setting goals and meeting deadlines
laundry
balancing a checkbook and understanding basic finances
budgeting
grocery shopping
importance of good nutrition and exercise
cooking and food sanitation
how to clean a house (even if they don't keep it that way )
how to talk to people they might have to hire or get a good deal from-- clerks, bankers, plumbers, etc...
driving
conflict resolution skills
skills for dealing with stress
simple sewing (buttons, hems, patches, small tears)
So my question are:
Do you teach life skills?
What do you teach as life skills?
What do you wish you were taught before living on your own?
Do you think having life skills help young people make decisions about their future?
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Aug. 19, 2006 Seven Habits!!!
 
I have a book I really like for teens called The 7 Best Things Smart
Teens Do. These habits are great for teens to master, good for younger
kids to learn and practice and excellent for moms and dads to model! I
am going to use them as the format for my 7 habits:
1) Become
Competent: this means get in the habit of practicing new skills until
they are mastered and always reviewing old skills. The more competent
you feel the more honest self-esteem you have, making you a much more
successful and effective person!
2) Master Your Feelings: this
means stop and think before just reacting, too often 'feelings' get in
the way of good solid communication and learning. Figure out what you
are feeling and why, and keep it appropriate to the moment. Learn and
practice ways to control your emotions--deep breating, making lists,
exercising....
3) Breaking the Silence: getting in the habit
of finding people whom we can trust and with whom we can share our
deepest secrets and feelings is a cornerstone of good emotional health
and power. Pretending everything is always 'perfect' and having no one
you trust to love you worts and all is too scary a place to live. I
think homeschooled teens and homeschooled moms have to work very hard
to develop these relationships.
4) Getting Healthy Power: get
in the habit of setting realist consequences, enforce them consistently
and have a small numer of reasonable rules..... not only will parents
and kids both feel empowered, but they will actually really and truly
enjoy each others company!
5) Face the Serious Stuff: I think
this one goes back to making sure there are people around you that you
can trust. If you are in the habit of uncovering and admitting when you
are struggling, it stops the cycle of hurting, acting out, shame,
covering up, more hurting, more acting out and even more shame......
6) Finding An Identity: get in the habit of self evauation. Here are a
few goal markers that are more like sliding scales....trust vs
mistrust( I have people I can share the 'real me' with); autonomy vs
shame and doubt (My feelings are ok even though they are different than
yours); initiative vs guilt (I washed the car? Do you think I could use
it today?); competence vs inferiority (I like the fact I play hockey
well); identity vs identity confusion (I'm not sure where I will be in
my 30's, but I am confident that what I am learning now will be useful
to me later in life)
7) Staking Out the Extremes: get in the
habit of finding the middle ground. Rarely are things 'as bad as they
seem' or will 'last forever' even though as a teen (or even a parent)
it seems that way. Never and Always, are not as useful terms as
sometimes or giving specific perameters. This works for arguments,
lessons, siblings, etc...
These habits are a bit different
than others, but they are ones I still work on and practice! I wish I
had learned many of them much earlier in life!!!
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Aug. 17, 2006 More of what we do here!
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I thought I would post this to help give a clearer view of what goes on around here. This is part of a parent orientation packet. I have posted parts of the packet already (the independent reading list and the what to do with an independent novel). We seem to catch two basic types of students, those who have homeschooled all along and now want more group work as they prepare for college. And those who have been in traditional schools and have fallen through the cracks or have not been challenged. It is a very diverse community that crosses many age, religious, racial, and social-economic backgrounds. I love these kids with all my heart and opening my home to them 4 days a week has been a huge blessing!
We have been on break from the Summer Quarter for less than a full week and the house seems so empty and very quiet. The puppy is going nuts without her 20-25 kids to play with! We start the Fall Quarter on September 6th. Before then I have to get the books and materials out and sorted and the house deep cleaned!
Personal Best in All Subjects: Assignments must be in cursive or typed. Papers are to be neat and well organized. Folders and binders are to be organized and culled each quarter. All work is to be done on loose leaf paper and kept in the student's binder unless otherwise instructed. When work is turned in , it is also to be picked up promptly!
Math: Each student will have math assignments at their level from a math book on Mon. Wed. and Fri. Each lesson contains 20 to 30 problems. If the problems are not finished here, they need to be finished at home. On Tuesday and Thursday they will be expected to do math projects or work on life skills that use math (ex: cooking or balancing a checkbook).
Grammar: Each student will be expected to learn the parts of speech, their jobs and how to find them in a sentence, meanings of Greek and Latin roots, how to write a solid paragraph, common grammar rules, and spelling rules. There will be Grammar Quizzes at least three times per quarter. Thoughts for the day will be discussed during grammar time. There will also be essays and reports from History and Literature to edit on a weekly basis.
Foreign Language: We will have Mr. Aaron to help in the afternoons with formal Hebrew and Greek. Ms. Sandie will be teaching Latin I and II and Mr Dirk will be available on Wednesdays to help anyone who wants German. Students who plan on going to college are strongly recommended to choose a language and study it seriously.
Literature: For independent reading please see the very specific requirements outlined in What To Do With An Independent Novel. For group literature, students will be expected to listen to a book being read aloud, participate in group discussions and write individual reaction papers.
Geography/ History: We will be building notebooks based on the assignments in the book Around The World In 180 Days. We will be writing reports and essays based on the questions and suggested research topics. There will also be independent projects, group projects, cooking, music, art, movies, and current events based on each continent.
Independent Studies: I am expecting each 9th to 12th grader to 'fill-in' their schedule with one or two serious passions of their own. This could be novel writing, music, role playing games, movie making, photography, year book, painting, poetry, needle work, game design, a science, a sport, a job, etc.... If Mr. Dirk, Ms. Barb or I have no working knowledge in the field we will work to find a mentor who does.
What I expect from the parents: Your support is very important to me. We are a team working together to help your child be the best they can be. If you have questions or concerns I would like you to bring them to me right away. I am usually easiest to get a hold of by email or by phone after 3:00pm. I need you to ask the students about due dates, assignment sheets, projects and especially independent novels. If you don't see work by your child in the newsletter it means they aren't turning any in, ask them about it. Ask to see the continent folders and projects that will be evaluated and returned within one week of me receiving them. Please work hard to get your children here by 8:50am. We start small group work at 9:00am sharp. When students come in between 9:00 and 9:30 it causes major problems for us as tutors. Students leaving before 3:15 can also cause frustration when the tutor is in the middle of a class or project.
Basic Small Group Schedule for Mon, Wed, Fri.(often subject to vary): 9:00am to 10:30am Math 10:30am to 11:30am Literature 11:30am to 12:30pm Lunch/ Outside playtime
12:30pm to 1:15pm Grammar 1:15pm to 3:15pm History/ Geography/ Foreign Language 3:15pm to 4:00pm Independent Studies/ Projects
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Aug. 11, 2006 My Contest Answers!
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I might
as well enter a contest for something I was going to do this week
anyway :) I like these questions and they will help keep me focused.
Here is a link to the contest so you can join too!!!
www.homeschoolblogger.com/JacqueDixonSoulRestES/178599/
What type of homeschooler are you?
The best definition I guess is an eclectic leadership style, but some
call us classical, some say we are unschoolers, and some think we would
be called Latin centered. Check out the Ross Griffin Resource Center
Category for even more information and posts about how we actually work.
How do you homeschool? (Do you plan??)
A couple posts ago I posted sample weekly assignment sheets for the
Elementary level and the Middle and Highschool levels. I also posted
our first reading list and what we do with an independent novel.
We are a little different than most because we have opened our home to
other homeschoolers. We have quite a few peer lead small groups all
over the house during the day. I plan by picking the overriding topic,
but the kids decide how to approach each topic. This year the core of
the curriculum is Around The World In 180 Days. Some of the kids will
use a notebook, some a scrapbook, some a time line, some a lap book,
some will do mostly 3-d projects and on and on. The ideas are all from
the students and they do the bulk of the planning. They just let me
know what they need.
Are you using a specific curriculum or a conglomeration or none? Conglomeration
for sure! In Addition too ATW, we have students using, the daily
newspaper, Saxon Math, Jacob's Math, Real World Math, English from the
Roots Up, Latin Road to English Grammar, Abeka Grammar, Teach Me Some
Greek, Rosette Greek and Hebrew, Hebrew Bibles, Greek Bibles, and even
a few English Bibles :), lots of Classical Novels, Montessori
materials, cookbooks from around the world, reference books of all
sorts, art books and art history books, classical music and classical
music books, etc... We match the materials to the student's learning
style and interests.
Are you making it up yourself? I
make some stuff up,but I have found it is easier to adapt something
rather than totally reinvent the wheel! For us it is really much more
about approach, than material. So, we use Montessori Methods, CM
methods, Thomas Jefferson Methods, and The Trivium to teach whatever it
is the student wants to learn.
Do you have a plan or just use ideas as you go? We
use a four year cycle. In year one we focus on Foundations of Western
Civilization, in year 2 we focus on world history and geography, year 3
we focus US history and geography, and in year 4 we think like
scientist and cover lots and lots of formal science. Since this is our
third time through the cycle, we have built up a lot of ideas and have
lots of resources, so I have much less actual planning I have to do.
Do you homeschool in desks, at the table or anywhere it works?? Literature
read alouds tend to be on the couches, big recliners and giant bean
bags that is if they are in the house. Often when the weather permits
literature happens in the garden or the patio or even up in the trees.
One of the little guys' favorite places to read is in the big
honeysuckle tree. They have had 5 kids and one adult in the tree at the
same time before.
Math is usually at the table, writing is usually at the desks because
that is where the computers are, and science and art are usually in the
kitchen for easy clean up.
Tell me what you are excited about that you will be doing! I
love festival days! As we study each continent we will plan a huge
party to show case the uniqueness of that continent. All the families
come together for food, games, crafts, art, music and drama performed
by the kids that shows what they have learned about that continent.
Are you going to teach each child in their own grade level or do you multi-grade teach? The
kids are divided by skill levels and interest more than grades, but
roughly it is the elementary level, middle school levels, and high
school levels.
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Aug. 7, 2006 Elementary assignment sheet
This one is an example of an elementary
weekly assignment sheet. You can see they have a bit more structure to
their study day, but even so they still have much more play time then
study time :) This year I have two third graders, one fourth grader and
maybe one second grader. These guys are mostly younger siblings of the
teens who study here and have been studying with me for years, so they
"know the routine" pretty well and are not afraid to ask the older
teens for help when they need it and the adults are busy with someone
else. If you compare this sheet to the one for the teens you can see
that a lot of the topics are the same, this allows us to work with
ability groups intead of age or grade groups when needed.
Elementary
Assignments Week of September 6th 12th
Keep
these sheets in your notebook for the full quarter.
Thoughts
for the week:
Wed:
· Having a good discussion is like
having riches. (Kenya)
Even though many will agree
with this statement it is particularly true in areas of Africa where
history and news are conferred exclusively orally.
Fri:
· Every time an old man dies it is as if a
library has burnt down. -Chiek Oumar Ba- (Mandinka West
Africa) This is again referring to information in it's West African
form, as an oral tradition. The Memory of a Musician, Genealogist,
Story teller, Historian, myth maker, (often the same person) and a
strong sense of culture and community help to keep African tradition
and sensibilities alive in the present day as they have been for
centuries.
Mon:
· A student doesn't know about masterhood but
a master knows about studenthood. (Mandinka) A master was
once a student and cannot be fooled easily.
African Proverbs
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Fill
in your Calendar as you complete each
assignment!
Sept.
6th
Grammar:
Go over Thoughts for the Week. Write Wednesday's in your journal in
your best cursive.
Do the Abeka Oral Language Exercises 1.1.
Spelling:
Find two words that match each of this weeks rules. (6 words all
together)
Reading:
Review all the phonograms and make a list of the one you still
struggle with.
History:
Introduce Around the World in 180 Days. Start pages 3-5
together.
Geography:
Get out the globe and talk about where we are and where Africa is.
Literature:
Listen to two African tales from Tales Alive, and then do the
suggested crafts.
Math:
Introduce Saxon 5/4, do lesson 1
Language:Play
Rummy Roots to see how many roots your remember.
Sept.
7th
Grammar:
Make up an African Tale and either write it in your journal or have a
mentor write it for you.
Spelling:
Practice the spelling words you came up with yesterday. If you have
time practice your friends' words too!
Reading:
Read to a mentor from a book of your choosing.
History/Geography/
Math: Cook West African Yamballs
Literature:
Listen to more African tales.
Language:Play
Rummy Roots.
Sept. 8th
Grammar:
Go over Thoughts for the Week. Write Friday's in your journal in your
best cursive.
Do the Abeka Oral Language Exercises 1.3.
Spelling:
Find two new words that match each of this weeks rules. (12 words
all together)
Reading:
Phonogram quiz, to see where we need to focus. Read to a mentor.
History:
Around the World in 180 Days. Finish pages 3-5 together.
Geography:
Look at the different flags of African Nations. Make one of your own.
Literature:
Listen to African tales from The People Could Fly
Math:
Introduce Saxon 5/4, do lesson 2
Language:
Begin your own set of Root Card, do 3-5 cards.
Sept.
11th
Grammar:
Go over Thoughts for the Week. Write Monday's in your journal in
your best cursive.
Do the Abeka Oral Language Exercises 1.4.
Spelling:
Spelling quiz on your 12 words and bonus points if you get those of
your classmates too!
Reading:
Read to a mentor from a book of your choice.
History/
Geography: Use an Atlas and a blank map to label the items found
on page 9.
Literature:
Listen to African tales from The People Could Fly
Math:
Introduce Saxon 5/4, do lesson 3
Language:
Keep working on your Root Cards, do 3-5 cards.
Sept.
12th
You
plan out this day: (movie, cooking, projects, reading, etc)
This
weeks Spelling Rules:
Q
is always followed by u in English words.
G
usually says /j/ when followed by and e, i, or y.
C
says /s/ when followed by e, i, or y
Important
Dates to put on your calendar:
African
Project and folder due October 2nd
African
Feast will be October 4th
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Aug. 6, 2006 assignment sheet for our first week of the Fall Quarter...( a month away)
Since
I am on a planning roll today, I thought I would post our first week's
assignment sheet for Fall. We have one more week of the Summer Quarter
before our break.
This
assignment sheet is for 6th grade and up. We will be using Around The
World In 180 Days as our core this year. Spetember 6th seems like a
long way away now, but with a couple more short trips, a remodeling
project, and lots of parties it will be here soon.
Assignments
Week of September 6th 12th
Keep
these sheets in your notebook for the full quarter.
Thoughts
for the week:
Wed:
We must believe that it is possible to achieve our dreams and then
commit to achieving those dreams. Fill in your Success Circles.
Fri:
Who I am is what fulfills me and fulfills the vision I have of the
world. Audre Lorde Write about who you are when you are
at your best. Either an essay or 10 positive I am statements.
Mon:
Chances are youll feel confident, competent, and capable if
you have a strong support system around you. List the five times
you have felt most confident, five times you have felt most
competent, and the five times you have felt the most capable.
Nine
Steps to Success, Teens can make it happen! Stedman Graham
-------------------------------------------------------------
Fill out your Calendar as you complete each
assignment!
Sept.
6th
Grammar:
Go over Thoughts for the Week. Introduce the Spelling and Grammar
rules for the week.
History:
Introduce Around the World in 180 Days. Do pages 3-5 together.
Look at pages 11, 27, 34, 38, to begin deciding on individual African
projects.
Literature:
Choose independent novel from list, discuss how to take notes while
reading.
Begin
Group novel.
Math:_______________Language:______________________
Sept.
7th
You plan out this
day: (movie, cooking, projects, reading, etc)
_______________________________________
Sept.
8th
Grammar:
Do TFTW exercise. Go over notes on General to Specific
paragraphs, put the list of words on your grammar sheet in outline
form from General to Specific.
History:
Finish anything left from yesterday, do pages 6-8 using an
encyclopedia, atlas, or the internet.
Literature:
Read at least one chapter the Literature book you choose yesterday.
Group novel______________
Math:_________________Language:_________________________
Sept.
11th
Grammar: Do
TFTW exercise. Go over notes on General to Specific paragraphs,
outline the paragraphs on your grammar sheet.
History: Use
an Atlas and a blank map to label the items found on page 9.
Literature:
Read at least one chapter in your independent Literature book. Group
novel____________
Math:________________________Language:____________________________
Sept.
12th
You plan out this
day: (movie, cooking, projects, reading, etc)
_______________________________________
This
weeks Spelling Rules:
1)
Q is always followed by u in English words.
2)
G usually says /j/ when followed by and e, i, or y.
3)
C says /s/ when followed by e, i, or y
Important
Dates to put on your calendar:
African
Project and folder due October 2nd
African
Feast will be October 4th
1st
Independent Novel project/report due October 11th
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Aug. 6, 2006 What to do with an independent book?
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Since I posted the Fall book list, I thought you all might want to know what we do with those independent books.
(We still have group read aloud books too. I'll cover those later.)
Requirements
for independent book studies:
Keep a piece of loose leaf paper
folded in half long ways inside the book you are reading. As you are
reading jot down quotes (with page numbers), questions, and/or
comments. When you finish each chapter write a one to two sentence
summary of the plot and one to two sentences about where you think
the story is headed.
Check in with a tutor at least
once a week to discuss your notes.
When you finish the book decide
how you will report on it. Here are a few examples:
a. gather items from the story into a
shoe box and give an oral report to the group
b. write a book report
c. build a diorama from an important
moment
d. write and perform a skit that
illustrates the theme of the story
e. check out the Reading Activities
book for inspiration if you get stuck
However you choose to report on
your novel, do NOT, retell the story. This is a list of what should
be covered in your report, feel free to include more, but no less:
6th to 8th
graders
a. Author/Title
b. Theme (with one or two examples
to prove it)
c. What did the main character learn
d. Who is the hero and who is the
villain, did they surprise you
e. Which character is most like you
and why
f. What did you learn from this
story
g. Do you recommend this story and
why/why not
9th-10th
graders
a. Title/Author with basic
information
b. Theme with examples to prove
c. Which characters grew the most
and how
d. Which myth, legend, Bible story,
or fairy tale did this story remind you of and why
e. In which ways did you agree or
disagree with the author's point of view
f. How has this story changed you
g. Do you recommend this story and
why/why not
11th-12th
graders
a. Title/Author with extended bio.
Information
b. Theme with examples to prove
c. Explain the basic conflict
patterns
d. Use 2-3 examples to explain at
least one literary tool used by the author
e. Explain the point of view the
author used to tell the story, why do you think he made that
choice
f. In which ways did you agree or
disagree with the author's point of view
g. Do you recommend this story and
why/why not
Make sure your work is completed
neatly and on time. Keep your book notes in your continent folder
with a copy of your book report or oral report cards.
Fall Quarter
deadlines are October 11, 2006 for the first novel and November 15,
2006 for the second novel.
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Aug. 5, 2006 Reading List for Fall Quarter at RGRC
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Independent Classics Reading List for Fall Quarter: Each
student is responsible for TWO independent novels PER quarter. They
will choose at least one of these classics to read independently or
with a parent AT HOME during the first quarter. The other book can be
from the list, but doesn't have to be.
6th-8th grader's list Wyss, Johann The Swiss Family Robinson Swept
off course by a raging storm, a Swiss pastor, his
wife, and four young sons are shipwrecked on an uncharted tropical
island. Taylor, Theodore The Cay A n old blind man and a young boy figure out how to survive a shipwreck together Sperry, Armstrong Call It Courageous A young boy finding his hidden strengths in the South Pacific
Lekuton, Joseph Lemasolai Facing the Lion Growing up Maasai on the African Savanna.
St. John, Patricia Star of Light In
a mountain village in Morocco, an Englishwoman transforms the lives of
her visiting niece, a blind baby girl, and an eleven-year-old boy
through her work as a missionary nurse.
9th-10th grader's list - Allende, Isabel House of the Spirits The
story of the Trueba family in Chile, from the turn of the century to
the violent days of the overthrow of the Salvador Allende government in
1973.
- Defoe, Daniel Robinson Crusoe The adventures of a man who spends 24 years on an isolated island.
- Swift, Jonathan Gulliver's Travels Gulliver encounters dwarfs and giants and has other strange adventures when his ship is wrecked in distant lands.
- Mathabane, Mark Kaffir Boy: The True Story of a Black Youth's Coming of Age in Apartheid South Africa A tennis player breaks down racial barriers and escape to a better life in America.
- Carson, Rachel Silent Spring Carson's original clarion call to environmental action sets the stage for saving our planet.
- Young, Jerry D Shipwrecked Survivors
of a cruise ship wrecked during its final voyage face not only the
perils that nature throws at them on an uninhabited South Pacific
island, but also conflict among themselves.
-
11th-12th grader's list - Carroll, Lewis Alice's Adventures in Wonderland A fantasy in which Alice follows the White Rabbit to a dream world.
- Conrad, Joseph Heart of Darkness The novel's narrator journeys into the Congo where he discovers the extent to which greed can corrupt a good man.
- Golding, William Lord of the Flies English
schoolboys marooned on an uninhabited island test the values of
civilization when they attempt to set up a society of their own.
- Paton, Alan Cry, the Beloved Country A
country Zulu pastor searches for his sick sister in Johannesburg, and
discovers that she has become a prostitute and his son a murderer.
- Darwin, Charles The Origin of Species The classic exposition of the theory of evolution by natural selection.
- Wilder, Thornton The Bridge of San Louis Rey Five
people have fallen to their death in Peru, and Brother Juniper seeks to
prove the goodness of God by evaluating their lives to demonstrate
exactly why bad things happen.
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Jul. 17, 2006 Athena and her current paintings
I was working with 5 young ladies on
Thursday. They decided to learn about sonnets. So, we read a few
different kinds, went over a few rules, looked at different meters and
rhyming schemes. Here are the 'simplified rules' they choose to follow:
1) each line will have 10 syllables
2) the poem will have 14 lines
3) 3- four line stanzas and 1-two line stanza
4) rhyming pattern of a-b-a-b c-d-c-d e-f-e-f g-g
5) the first 3 stanzas mostly describe the last one reflects
The young ladies were all pretty happy with their finished poems, with
good reason! They did a great job. I am posting the one that I
found--and still do-- find most haunting. It a tiny window into the way
the author views love right now....
Love's
Spell
By:
Athena Rose
She
always takes the wrong turn in this maze.
Heart
avoiding all the signs thrown at her.
Walking
around in circles, eyes are dazed,
Confused,
her mind only sees a big blur.
She
tells herself she won't let love blind her;
Let
it leave her there standing, knees shaking.
To
bad its already taken over,
She
turns, but nothing changes anything.
Filled
with all kinds of bitter jealousy,
She
tries to step back and forget it all.
No
matter how she tries, she isn't free.
Feelings
of frustration and love enthrall.
Are
these feelings so complicated?
Is
it me being manipulated?
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I am posting this Poem by one of my
students because it shows how she is attempting to use many of the
things she is learning. She is working on the Haiku form of poetry, she
is working on using seasons to help convey 'subtext', she is working on
poem cycles, she is working on metaphors, she is working on building up
her vocabulary and spelling skills and most importantly she she is
trying to find her voice. She is sixteen and has struggled most of her
life with learning differently.
Love's
seasons
by
Sue
love,
like a spring night
calming
wind blowing through trees
promised
potential
love,
a summer night
sultry,
enchanting senses
your
fire at night
love,
an autumn night
leaves
colorful, air blows cool
secrets
now unfold
love,
a winter night
snow
falls beautifully bright
wrapped
together
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What Type of Homeschooler Are You?
Galileo - If it is worth learning, it has been printed
in Latin. You want your children to have a
classical education. You teach the Trivium of
grammar,
logic, and rhetoric, and the Quadrivium
of arithmetic,
geometry, music, and astronomy.
Ancient history is
fascinating to you, and you
own several Greenleaf
Guides to prove it.
Visit my blog:
http://www.GuiltFreeHomeschooling.blogspot.com
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