Starting Back to School

8:45 AM - Sep. 4, 2008 - comments {0} - post comment

Vocabulary Studies Expanded

We've used Vocabu-Lit for several years to expand vocabulary.  Excerpts from classical literature are used as the basis for defining vocabulary in context, and then by looking up the definition.  Twenty words/week are added and reviewed using analogies, puzzles and matching exercises to reinforce new words. 

Now that I have a freshman, I feel it is important to redouble our efforts in the area of vocabulary as preparation for SAT/ACT tests.  We are currently reading unabridged classics in history and literature; I am pulling added vocabulary out for her studies.  Next year, I will require her to create her own vocabulary lists from her classical readings.

I'm not particularly enjoying the classic,  The Virginian by Owen Wister, but he does use interesting vocabulary.  I'm just not a big fan of Westerns as a genre, I guess.  Even if my freshman opts out of this selection, my 8th grade boys will probably love it!

Here's a sample of the vocabulary studies from this classic:

Chapter One:

antagonist

incessant

undulation

querulous

solicitude

disquieting 

Chapter Two:

facetious

valise

jocular

intrench

epithet

Chapter Three:

smote

manifestation

fastidious

infernal

gambols

disporting

My goal is to add 20 words/week from their literature.  By 10th grade, I think I'll have each student make their own list from each chapter of their literature books.

4:25 PM - Mar. 18, 2008 - comments {0} - post comment

What We're Reading

Mom:

15 year old:

13 year old:

12 year old:

11:19 AM - Mar. 14, 2008 - comments {0} - post comment

Spanish Update

I think I can actually say, we are enjoying Rosetta Stone Spanish.  I described our rocky start in Spanish earlier this year.  We are just finishing Unit Two of the Spanish 1: Homeschool Edition. 

Unit One had 12 Lessons (one week each) and Unit Two had 10 Lessons.  We take an additional week after each unit for quizzes, review and unit testing.  Because Rosetta Stone Spanish 1 & 2 has a total of 12 units, this program will take three years to complete.  According to our accredited homeschool high school program, these three years will be identified on our high school transcript s as:

Introduction to Spanish

Spanish 1

Spanish 2

During this first year, we have already been introduced to reflexive verbs, present progressive verbs, present perfect verbs and future tense verbs.  I am confident, after three years of Rosetta Stone, my students will be well-prepared for college level courses in Spanish.

6:59 AM - Mar. 8, 2008 - comments {0} - post comment

From My Desk

Math
Saxon Algebra - we completed Test #9

New Elementary Math (Singapore) - completing Chapter #10 in co-op

Spanish
Rosetta Stone - finishing Unit One testing

Religion - week off from didactics; service project fot Samaritan House

Language Arts

Spelling Workout and Vocabu-Lit - one weekly lesson each

Easy Grammar- direct objects (8th graders)

Warriner's Grammar - 9th grader falling behind!

Journalism - 9th grader submitted hard news story to our local paper

Music

9th grader performed with the Youth Symphony Orchestra

All are in rehearsals for upcoming band and choir concerts

Science - finishing up Module 6 in Apologia Physical Science

History - Week #9

Literature - in progress

9th Grader:  Tale of Two Cities

8th Graders:  Quiet Light and Citidel of God

Happy Thanksgiving!

11:57 AM - Nov. 20, 2007 - comments {0} - post comment

Physical Science: Module 4 & 5

Who'd have thought one could write two long chapters about water?  We just spent 3 weeks discussing the chemical attributes of water, and the hydrologic cycle.   To some extent, this was review of previous work we had done years ago in an Abeka science book.

Module 4:

Electrolysis

PolarityPolar Molecule

Solvent/Solute

Hydrogen bond

Cohesion

Module 5:

Hydrosphere

Hydrologic cycle

Evaporation/Transpiration

Condensation/Precipitation

Distillation

Residence time

Salinity

Firn

Water table/Percolation

Atmospheric Moisture

Adiabatic cooling

Cloud condensation nuclei

After completing an experiment on the stove with salt water, my 12 yo wrote this short summary:

"The salt water source evaporates and changes into water vapor, which through condensation, turns into water droplets.  When the water droplets collect in the bowl, they are fresh water, because when evaporating, the salt stays in the pot.   The salt water source represents the ocean.  Evaporation and condensation is the process by which water from the ocean turns into a cloud.   This shows us that we can change salt water (the ocean) into drinkable water."

Unfortunately,  I had no charged batteries in my camera, so no pics of the scientists at work.  Mom will  have to prepare better for our next lab experiment.

1:18 PM - Oct. 22, 2007 - comments {0} - post comment

Rosetta Stone Spanish

This is the first year we are using  Rosetta Stone Latin American Spanish,  the "Homeschool Edition."   It is a very slick, interactive computer-based curriculum.  The kids have whizzed through the first five lessons completing the various exercises for each lesson.  We don't use the voice recognition feature because we are also in a Spanish co-op with a native speaker and work on correct pronunciation there.  Then I started giving them assignments in the workbook to assess their ability to apply the lessons in written form.  This is where we hit a snag.

Their cumulative ability to write out  vocabulary (with the correct spelling) did not keep pace with their ability to negotiate the ongoing computer comprehension exercises.  Also, the grammar presented in the lessons are in context of each lesson, not systematically introduced as they were in our Latin curriculum.

So we started over.   I now use the Student Study Guide as the basis of our lesson plan.  This is our current Rosetta Stone lesson plan:

Monday: 

 Introduce all new vocabulary.  Write each new word in the vocabulary section of their NEW Spanish notebook;  look up and write the  translation; complete ORIENTATION exercises on the computer.

Tuesday:

Introduce the first grammar concept on the white board with examples.  Students copy this into the grammar section of their Spanish notebook; complete PROGRESS exercises on the computer.

Wednesday:

Introduce the second grammar concept on the white board with examples.  Students copy this into the grammar section of their Spanish notebook; complete the corresponding workbook page for the lesson.

Thursday:

Review the grammar concepts and add the third concept  on the white board with examples.  Students copy this into the grammar section of their Spanish notebook; complete a minimum of two test exercises on the computer and report scores to mom.

Friday:

Do assigned Spanish homework for co-op class (unrelated to Rosetta Stone lesson plans) and attend class with native speaker.  Grammar topics and vocabulary occasionally overlap. 

This system has worked so much better for mastery.  We are now on lesson #9.  If anyone else is attempting to teach Spanish using Rosetta Stone, I recommend using a written notebook, the workbook exercises and the lesson review tests to verify adequate mastery and progress.

10:24 AM - Oct. 10, 2007 - comments {0} - post comment

Physical Science: Modules 2 & 3

We're learning about air and the atmosphere.

Wile does a great job explaining the heat index and why we feel so much hotter when the humidity is high.  He also covers flobal warming and the ozone.  I had heard he gave a heavy-handed environmentalist perspective, but I found a very fair presentation on air pollution and how environmentalists present data toward their own ends.  Module 2 terms we studied included:

Humidity

Relative Humidity

Absolute Humidity

PPM - parts per million: how to calculate and convert to %

We conducted a simple experiment to observe the effects of atmospheric pressure in Module 3 (see photos).  My daughter independently set up everything we needed.  This is another thing I like about the Apologia books.  The experiments are simple demonstrations of principles using household items.  Module 3 terms:

Atmosphere

Atmospheric Pressure

Barometer

Homosphere

Heterosphere

Jet Streams

Heat

Temperature

Thermosphere

Exosphere

I'm more of a life science fan, but so far I'm enjoying this curriculum.

1:37 PM - Oct. 1, 2007 - comments {0} - post comment