READ:  K – 4:  Spend the Day in Ancient Egypt by Linda Honan (Read Introduction & Chp 1)

5 – 8:  Egyptian Dynasties by Joyce Haynes (Read Chp 3 only)

DISCUSS:

• What were Egyptian houses like? (flat-roofed houses made of mud bricks)
• What did they wear? (white clothes made of linen; men wore knee-length; women wore long dresses; women liked many hairstyles; boys shaved their heads leaving one long braid hanging over right ear;  children often wore nothing)
• What were some foods the Egyptians ate? (barley, wheat, bread, beer, honey, onions, leeks, cucumbers, beans, dates, figs, grapes, & eggs)
• Did the Egyptians wear make-up? (yes, all people did – even the men)

ACTIVITIES:
K – 3: Create the Scarab necklace on page 13 of Spend the Day in Ancient Egypt using self-hardening clay and blue or green poster paint.

4 – 6: Ancient Egypt daily life word find.  Click here for pdf: Ancient Egyptian Daily Life Word Find or here for  word.doc: Ancient Egyptian Daily Life Word Find

7 – 8: Read about ancient Egyptian homes and furniture from this website: CLICK HERE.  Write a short essay describing 3 aspects/articles of the home.  Tell whether any of these items surprised you and why?

The first few weeks in Italy were difficult.  We all had a lot of adjusting to do.  Angus deeply missed his friends and pined for his school.  He was disturbed that the only television available was in Italian and convinced I was unqualified to be his teacher (he was right about that).  I was shocked and disappointed that we’d traveled to this magnificent place only to hear him complain that he was bored!  How ungrateful!   And what about me?  Was I going to be a prisoner of curriculum prep and those home school workbooks every spare minute and never see Italy?  How unfair!

A battle of the wills ensued.  Angus was sullen and uncooperative for two solid weeks.  He nearly had me convinced we should give up and go home when I noticed he was sneaking peeks at the D’Aulaires’ book.  He was not a strong reader yet so I think the strange and wonderful illustrations mesmerized him (just like me when I was his age).  A few days later he found The Odyssey by Dorling-Kindersley among the books I’d brought along.

He kept it with him wherever he went, reading and reading and reading…

Suddenly the crisis was over. We had stumbled on the solution to our troubles.  Angus had cured his boredom with books and I had the inspiration to move our lessons out into the city; the myths he was so curious about were everywhere – decorating the buildings and fountains, in the museums and street names of Rome.  Bellissima!

PS: to this day Angus is never without a book, sometimes he brings two or three along on the subway to visit a friend.

Oh Pinterest.  You can be so addictive.  I am actually glad Pinterest wasn’t around when I was teaching in the classroom.  I always struggled with knowing when a lesson plan was “good enough” and Pinterest would have given me “just one more thing” to look at and consider adding.  For some reason I have the opposite reaction to using Pinterest to help me develop NDEW and hubby’s homeschool plan.  I really enjoy exploring the resources I find.  I’m not sure what the difference is.  Maybe it’s because when I taught I was always trying to tie every lesson back to an established state curriculum whereas I feel like I have a lot more freedom in developing a homeschool plan.  Maybe it’s because when I was in the classroom I knew that an administrator could walk in at any time to observe my lesson so I felt that my plan needed to be air-tight whereas I feel I have more breathing room planning for homeschooling.  Who knows?  I’m just glad that it wasn’t there several years ago, but it is now!  I invite you to visit our homeschool Pinterest page.  You can find it at http://pinterest.com/walhomeschool/  (also listed in the links list to the right).  Most of the boards are self-explanatory.  A couple that might not be are “Other Neat Stuff”, which includes all those things that don’t really fit on another board or that cross subject matters, and “Interesting Information” which includes overarching homeschool information and information related to those areas with which NDEW struggles.  I’m thinking about starting a board called “Things We’ve Actually Done” as a fun means of keeping track of what resources we’ve actually ended up using.

 A Couple of New Finds:

I wanted to share a couple of things we’ve found this week.

 The first comes from a blog I follow.  It’s a little poem to remember the difference between a comet, a meteoroid, a meteorite, and meteor and a great visual/drawing to go along with it.  I think we’ll be doing something similar in the next couple of weeks.  You can find the blog with more info here:  http://godmadeknown.wordpress.com/author/godmadeknown/

 The second thing is a computer game called “Kerbal Space Program”.  I’m not sure I really understand it (this is definitely an NDEW and hubby thing!) but you basically try to build a space program by designing rockets and space vehicles and trying to get your astronauts, the Kerbals, into space, along with satellites and space probes.  I thought it was just a cute little game until hubby and NDEW started throwing around words like low-earth orbit, eccentricity, prograde burn, and transfer orbit.  Huh?  Apparently this game is actually really involved and follows all the laws of astrophysics.  NDEW (and hubby!) seem to be learning a lot about space flight and all that’s actually involved.  Sounds cool to me, and it fits nicely with our current astronomy unit for sure!  You can find Kerbal Space Program at https://kerbalspaceprogram.com/ and it costs $23.

 A New Project:

In the continued effort to help NDEW become more self-directed with certain parts of his homeschool day, I’ve decided to put together some activity kits for him to choose from.  The plan is to have all the materials NDEW would need for the project in the kit so he can take it and run with it.  I haven’t made one yet, so we’ll see how it goes!  When I get a few made I’ll post more about it with some pictures.

 Math: Hundreds board-NDEW and hubby are going to fill in a hundreds board over the course of the week to review factors and learn about prime numbers, squares, and divisibility rules.

Spelling/Vocab: Definition, part of speech, spelling and use of the word in a sentence:  This week’s words are arid, arrogant, barren, blunder, and boisterous.

Science: We are starting our first lapbook, so we’ll see how that goes!  This lapbook will cover things like galaxies, astronomy vocabulary, famous astronomers, black holes, comets and asteroids.  We’re not going to attack our first one from scratch so we’re using a template that I found at www.homeschoolshare.com

History: Learning about the Jamestown Colony and more details about the 13 colonies. NDEW will be playing a Jamestown settlement game online (found here:  http://www.historyglobe.com/jamestown/ ) and completing a project that shares information about each of the 13 colonies such as leaders from each colony, the economy in each, why the colony was founded and what the predominate religion was in each colony.

Geography: We discovered www.seterra.net and it looks awesome!  NDEW will be doing some activities on that and making a US landforms informational mini-booklet.

Reading:  Who knows!  NDEW and hubby are going to go to the ASU library this week and get their library card (a great benefit for those of us who aren’t affiliated with the university but who live in the community!) I’m sure they’ll find some great books to explore!  NDEW was very excited when we searched their online catalog and they had over 2700 books just on astronomy.  He’s never been to an academic library before…I think we may have to drag him out of there!  The ASU library also has a great children’s section because of their strong education department.  I have a feeling that hubby and NDEW are going to become regulars there!

Writing: More journal writing and keyboarding practice, as well as an activity on literary devices (like idioms, personification, etc.)  In this activity NDEW will put a card that defines each device and gives an example into his writing journal.  He’ll then write two examples of his own for each device.  I found the cards at http://msjensenclass-teacherresources.wikispaces.com/Classroom+Posters They are designed to print as full pages-like to put up in a classroom-but I printed them four-per-page and they were great cards!  There some other great resources on that page that I think we’ll be using in the future!

Other Projects:

1.  Create the Jamestown colony/settlement in Minecraft.-So NDEW absolutely loves Minecraft and we definitely see him using his creativity and problem solving skills when he plays it during his free time.  It’s almost like virtual Legos.  So we thought it would be fun to bring Minecraft into his homeschooling every now and then.  We’re studying colonial America so NDEW will be creating the Jamestown settlement in Minecraft.  He has information including some maps/drawings to go by.  Depending on how detailed he gets with this and how much time he spends on it this week, this may turn into a multi-week project.  I think the eventual plan is for him to record a tour of his created settlement and then to post it to YouTube to share with others.

2.  Finish the planets PowerPoint started last week.

3.  Start on a PowerPoint for the 13 Colonies.

4.  A few other quick math and art activities.

Away from Home:  Trip to the ASU library, homeschool music/recorder class, trip to the ASU Dark Sky Observatory (on Saturday evening), lots of errands to run with dad (Get ready to use those real-world money skills NDEW!)

VIEW:  K – 3:  Abraham and Isaac by Nest Entertainment (many libraries across America carry these DVDs) OR  story of Abraham from children’s Bible    (I highly recommend The Young Reader’s Bible by Bonnie Bruno.  It’s excellent!) AND
READ: The Babylonians: Life in Ancient Babylon by Martha Rustad (Chp 4 only)

4 – 6:  Genesis  18: 10 – 15 & Genesis 21:1-7, & Genesis 22:1-19  AND  The Babylonians: Life in Ancient Babylon (Chps 4 only) by Martha Rustad

7 - 8:  Genesis  18: 10 – 15 & Genesis 19: 1 – 29, & Genesis 21:1-7, & Genesis 22:1-19  AND  Ancient Computing by Michael & Mary Woods (Chp 2 only)

DISCUSS:

• Why didn’t Abraham & Sarah think they could have a baby? (too old)
• What does the name Isaac mean? (he laughs)
• Why did Abraham try to sacrifice his son? (God told him to)
• Why didn’t he? (God stopped him)
• Why did God ask him to? (tested his faith)
• Abraham is sometimes referred to as the father of the Jewish nation.  Do you think this is a fair title?  Why or why not? (answers will vary)
• Does God still ask people to do hard things today to test our faith?  Give some examples.  (answers will vary)
• Abraham and his family lived in tents, not a city.  Why do you think this was the case? (livestock needed to move often to new pastures to feed)

Questions for Grades 7 – 8: 

• How did the Ancient Mesopotamians measure weight? (used scales and standard weight balances)
• Did they use maps? (yes)
• Did they plan cities or did they just grow with the population? (they were planned)
• How did they measure time? (with the sundial)
• Why do we have 24 hr days? (started with the Babylonians)
• When was Pi discovered? (with the Babylonians)
• What is Pi? (circumference of a circle)

ACTIVITIES:

K – 3: Abraham & Isaac coloring page from this website:  Click HERE. 

4 – 6: Answer the following questions in writing:  Abraham is sometimes referred to as the father of the Jewish nation.  Do you think this is a fair title?  Why or why not?  Does God still ask people to do hard things today to test our faith?  Give some examples.  Abraham and his family lived in tents, not a city.  Why do you think this was the case?

7 – 8:  Find and color the Dead Sea on a map of Israel (click HERE); many people believe that is where Sodom & Gomorrah once were located.  Essay question:  Lot was Abraham’s nephew.  Why do you think Lot and his family wanted to stay in Sodom?  Do you believe things are better or worse in cities today than things were in Sodom & Gomorrah?  Why?

Copyright January 12, 2013 by Gwen Fredette

A homeschool mom has put this curriculum guide together for those wishing to use Khan Academy for biology. It is a very short guide, basically just an outline of the videos to watch, correlated to California standards, with vocab words to know and a short question to answer after every lesson. Again I will state it is very basic, but it is free if you have a kindle and a prime membership, so it is worth a look. For me it was perfect.

In addition to the Khan Academy videos I have scheduled CrashCourse videos which the twins and I love.

For the lab portion of our class I wanted a guide that would walk us through the lab process step by step. I looked at many different choices and decided on Illustrated Guide to Home Biology Experiments: All Lab, No Lecture.

From The Home Scientist website - Experience the magic of biology in your own home lab. This hands-on introduction includes more than 30 educational (and fun) lab sessions that let you explore this fascinating field on your own. Perfect for middle- and high-school students and DIY enthusiasts, this full-color guide teaches you the basics of biology lab work and shows you how to set up a safe lab at home. The Illustrated Guideto HomeBiology Experimentsis written with the needs of homeschoolers firmly in mind, as well as for adults who are eager to explore the science of nature as a life-long hobby.

At the website you can purchase a lab kit with nearly everything you need to complete the experiments.

In addition to all of these materials we will be adding in living books and some readings from the CK-12 biology flexbook. This textbook is available as a free download, and I have read  many good reviews of it.

I believe I have put together a fairly good biology class for the twins. Hopefully they will have a productive time with all these resources. I feel fairly confident that they will.

Many of you know that although I was so happy to have Autry come home from school in October, I was not prepared to adding her into our day. Because she and Tru are very different students with very different interests she couldn’t just pick up what he was doing. Also I found that even though she had only been in school for a little over a year, she needed some deschooling time to switch her gears from a public school mentality back to a homeschool mentality. Because of all of this we didn’t do too much academic work over the last few months of the year.

I spent much of that time thinking about what we would do in the new year. I wanted to incorporate their interests and meet my goals in a fun, creative, and engaging way. Two of my children are creative learners, my other is a deep thinker. I needed to come up with a plan to meet all their needs without going crazy with all the materials. I also wanted to have plenty of time in our week for lessons, nature walks, fields trips, and doing nothing at all.

Today was our first day back to work, and it went better than I expected, especially considering that two of us have a terrible cold. It wasn’t perfect (is it ever?), but it was fairly close. When I get feeling a little better I hope to make a post about our new curriculum choices and resources we are using.

I

READ:  K – 3:  Tower of Babel story in a children’s Bible & The Babylonians: Life in Ancient Babylon (Chps 1 – 3 only) by Martha Rustad

4 – 5:  Genesis  11:  1 - 32 & The Babylonians: Life in Ancient Babylon (Chps 1 – 3 only) by Martha Rustad

6 – 8:  Genesis  11: 1 - 32 & The Sumerians by Elaine Landau

Note: Many people believe the Tower of Babel was built during the Babylonian empire.  Read 1 Chronicles 1:19.  This verse is about Peleg, the great, great, great grandson of Noah.  The verse says that in his time the earth was divided.  He probably lived at about the time of the building of the Tower of Babel.  There are some people who believe at one time the earth was all one continent, but at some point, it was broken into pieces.  Is it possible that in addition to confusing their languages, that God “scattered them from there over all the earth” by dividing the earth into pieces? Something to think about!

DISCUSS:

• How many languages were spoken when people began building the Tower of Babel? (1)
• Why did the Lord scatter the people over the earth and confuse their languages? (because they wanted to make a name for themselves)
• What does the word “Babel” mean? (confused)
• Find a picture of a ziggurat in your text or on the internet. (Click HERE.)  Many people believe the tower of Babel was a ziggurat.  Is this how you pictured the Tower of Babel?
• Why were most ziggurats built? (to honor a city’s patron god)
• What were the Babylonians’ buildings made of? (baked bricks)
• Where did the Ancient Mesopotamians first live? (Fertile Crescent Area)
• Which group living in Mesopotamia invented the first writing system? (The Sumerians)
• Who lived in Mesopotamia first, the Sumerians or the Babylonians? (Sumerians)

Questions for Grades 6 – 8:

• What were some of the jobs/positions of people in Ancient Mesopotamia? (king, government officials, merchants, scribes, farmers, slaves, priests)
• How many gods did the Mesopotamians believe in? (Hundreds)

ACTIVITIES: K – 2: Build a ziggurat out of Legos, blocks, etc.

3 – 5:  Write a paragraph discussing some good and bad things about everyone being able to speak the same language.

6 – 8:  Write an essay: Compare and contrast Ancient Mesopotamian Life with the lives of the Ancient Hebrews.  Be sure to include where they lived, what they worshipped, what type of work they did, etc.

Copyright January 5th, 2013 by Gwen Fredette

I read, voraciously when time allows. The problem is that time rarely allows. Sure, you make time for what matters, but parenting and homeschooling two boys while also wearing the hats of writing instructor, Physician Assistant, church volunteer, foster caregiver for cats, physics instructor, and single homeowner doesn’t leave much time for long afternoons curled up with a book. And by the time I make it to bed, I’m spent. If I make it through a chapter of one of the many books and magazines that live on the empty side of the bed, it’s a miracle. I’m midway through The Radioactive Boy Scout (Ken Silverstein), Japan: True Stories of Life on the Road (ed. Donald George and Amy Carlson), Rosy is My Relative (Gerald Durrell), How to Write a Sentence (Stanley Fish), the latest copies of Scientific American Mind and Brain, Child, and a knitting pattern book. At a chapter or article a night, I’m accumulating more reading material faster than I have a chance of reading it. And I’m not reading the classics.

And neither are my kids. Oh, they’ve read plenty of them as the years have passed, almost always assigned by me or by an online literature instructor. Both boys are willing readers, my younger with a heap of Horrible Histories on the floor near his bed and more in the car, by his seat at the kitchen table, and on the end tables near our couches and chairs. Oh, a book about zombies is in the mix, too. He’s enjoyed the classics he’s read or that I’ve read to him, but he doesn’t seek them out. Well, he plowed through a copy of Beowulf a few years back, and his copy of Lord of the Rings is battered and well-travelled, but he’s not picking up the Hemingway or Dickens on his own.

My older reads, too, although less prolifically and almost always nonfiction. His nose is either in Popular Science or one of his growing number of computer repair books, although some Bill Bryson or other lighter fare will appear at points. He did manage a list of fantasy and science fiction books this last summer, all required by a Coursera class. Some he liked; some he didn’t. None inspired him to explore the genre more. And he’s frank about it — the classics just don’t appeal to him. And for my older, not appealing is a fast track to not retaining. I sympathize.

Like with most subjects, our literature studies have been eclectic. I’ve avoided studies based around comprehension questions and other bottom-of-the-Bloom’s-Taxonomy pyramid activities. As one who struggles with remembering names and the favorite drink of the antagonist in chapter 7, I’ve always hated those questions. And without exception, every literature class I took, from junior high through college, relied heavily on comprehension questions. I stunk at them, losing the joy of the story while trying to guess what the quiz questions would be. It spoiled a fair amount of literature for me, blunting my thirst for more since most of what I associated with classic literature was the tedium tinged with panic as I read for quizzes rather then for story and joy. Thus as a homeschooling parent, I’ve avoided this method of teaching literature.

My younger eagerly laps up literature in his Online G3 classes, where discussion fills class time and meaty, high-on-the-pyramid questions dominate the homework assignments. He talks about reading more on his own, but despite my strewing them in his path, he gravitates to the familiar Horrible Histories or whatever the comfort reading of the season is. He’s a habit-driven child who finds it hard to break routine, even in his reading. I’m comforted that he’s generally interested in literature but not certain how to encourage him to try more on his own.

I’ve had some success wooing a child to read a book himself by reading the first several chapters aloud. Since my younger was born, I’d read to my children, either books in entirety or parts designed to pull them in and launch them on their own. This has slowed down as their bedtimes have moved later and our days have been busier. Classics filled most of our read-aloud selections, but plenty of popular fiction and nonfiction worked their way in. Just this last fall, I read Peter Pan to my younger (somehow I’d even missed that one), following up with the Michael Clay Thompson’s  Literature series, Alice, Peter, and Mole. (Review to follow when we make it through more.) This is one of four in a series available through Royal Fireworks Press with a focus on discussion rather than regurgitation.  Now, he actually doesn’t mind comprehension questions, but I don’t see the point in spending time on them. I’d rather discuss the book and literary techniques, noting connections between it and other books read. Most of all, I want to keep the focus on the discovery about our past, our selves, and the universe available through reading.

I hope that’s happening. I hope the balance we hit by my negligence interrupting my diligence gives them what they need to continue to be lovers of the written word, the sort to never leave the house without access to reading material. I hope they find some classics that speak to them, informing their writing and pushing their standard for what they read just a bit higher. But most of all, I hope they learn to read to learn and continue to feel a deep need to read long works requiring sustained attention. I’ll continue my job — gentle exposure focused on the bigger messages of a book rather than the little details. And maybe I’ll try some of what turned me off so long ago just one more time. After I finish what’s sitting on the empty side of the bed. 

Speaking of ETC, we’ll start back up again with ETC4. This book covers the syllable breakdown within words. We gave it a shot in kindergarten, but it was too much for her to handle (quite a few people skip ETC4 and then go back to it later). Once we finish ETC4, we’ll be done with ETC for the year. We still have ETC7 and ETC8 to complete, but those will wait until 2nd grade since there I want to wait a bit before we start reading comprehension paragraphs.

We’ll also be making changes to Math and Spanish. For math, Bean adores Math Mammoth, so we’ll continue with it. I don’t want to give up completely on RS B since I like the way it teaches and Bean does well with it, so I will mix it up by doing X amount of lessons in one and then X amount of lessons in the other.

Spanish will be a complete change. I’ve given up on La Clase Divertida. I liked it at the beginning, and Bean does have decent retention, but the more we did it, the less she liked it (and the less I did too). The lessons seemed somewhat disjointed. Bean knows a lot of random things (colors, numbers, body parts and some questions relating to them), but she can’t say hello, good-bye, how are you doing, and other conversation initials. There is also a student workbook, but I felt like it was geared more towards older kids.

Instead, we’re going to make the switch to Song School Spanish. It’s a new program, but I have Song School Latin (waiting in the wings), and I like the layout, so hopefully this will be a success. I just keep telling myself that my goal is not fluency, it’s to create the framework so when she learns a language in earnest when she’s older, that it will be easy for her.

…………………………….

Finally, we’ll start two new subjects: Religion and Cursive. For Religion, we’ll use Telling God’s Story Year 1 (TGS). I had meant to start it in the Fall, but it would have been too much. Bean asked to start learning about Jesus a few weeks ago, so I figured I’d pop it into the curriculum to replace OPTGR. I like that it focuses on Jesus (hey…the reason we have Christianity!), who he is/was, and what makes/made him special.

After losing interest in cursive last year (it was a short-lived interest), Bean has asked again to learn cursive. We’ll continue using D’Nealian, Book 2 introduces cursive. She’ll have to stick it out this time, I won’t give her the option to quit. I’m hoping that cursive will help her hold her pencil properly without a grip (she always slips into holding it wonkily when I don’t put it on), and that she’ll form her letters properly (she’s also picked up some bad habits regarding letter formation). We’ll see how it goes.

READ:  K – 3:  Let There Be Light  (Noah’s Ark section only) by Jane Ray
4 – 5:  Genesis  6:1 – 9:17
6 – 8:  Genesis  6:1 – 9:17 & Out of the Ark: Stories from the World’s Religions by Anita Ganeri (read pgs 26 – 35 only)

 

DISCUSS: 

• Why did God send a flood to the earth? (To destroy mankind)
• Why didn’t he destroy Noah & his family? (Noah was a righteous man and walked with God)
• It rained for 40 days and 40 nights, but Noah and his family were on the boat for about a year.  Why do you think? (took a long time for the water to recede.)
• Discuss what life must have been like for Noah and his family on the boat. (answers will vary)

Questions for Grades 6 – 8:

• Discuss how the flood stories you read compare and contrast to the Biblical account. (answers will vary)
• A flood story exists in numerous ancient cultures.  Why do you think this is the case? (Because there really was a great flood that destroyed mankind.)
• Why do you think each flood story is a little different? (God’s Holy Spirit preserved the true story of the flood in the Bible.  Other stories got changed over time by people.)

ACTIVITIES: K – 2: Draw your own picture of Noah’s ark and the great flood.  Be sure to include many animals!
3 – 5:  What do you think life was like on the ark?  Write a paragraph.  Be sure to include what things looked like, smelled like, and sounded like on the ark.
6 – 8:  Write an essay comparing and contrasting one flood story you read with the Biblical account.

Copyright December 28th, 2012 by Gwen Fredette

There are people who are worried about social skills and social aspects of homeschooling as they tend to believe that child and parent stuck in a room learning all day and student will not have enough time to make friends and create skills. Again and again, I am asked about this and this is really myth.

As a homeschooler, child will get plenty of social interaction during park days, field trip and play group. Homeschool kids gets to take physical education classes, music lessons, cooking lesson, horse riding and so on and there is plenty of opportunity to socially interact with other kids and adults alike, just like we do it real life.

Children who learn at home are more aware of the implications and
the purpose of their learning. They will ask intelligent questions
and make accurate observations. Children begin their life by
imitating their parents. Homeschooled children therefore pick
up the sterling qualities they see in their parents. On the other
hand, they are protected from the detrimental influences of their
peers.

for more information check out homeschooling curriculum ideas on parenting headquarters.

READ: K – 3: Adam & Eve story from a children’s Bible and read “Note” below.  (I highly recommend the Young Reader’s Bible by Bonnie Bruno.  It’s excellent!)

4 – 6: Genesis 2:4 –5 :32 and read “Note” below.

7 – 8: Genesis 2:4 – 5:32 & Ancient Agriculture by Michael & Mary Woods (Chapter 2 only) and read “Note” below.

Note: The section mentioned in this passage of the Bible mentions 4 rivers: Pishon, Gihon, Tigris, & Euphrates.  The Tigris and Euphrates rivers can be found on the map in modern-day Iraq.  Many scholars refer to the area between the Tigris and Euphrates as the “Fertile Crescent”. Most scholars (Christian and otherwise) believe this area of the globe is where the world’s first civilizations began.

DISCUSS:

• Why did God create Eve for Adam? (saw it was not good that man was alone)
• How did God create Eve? (used one of Adam’s ribs)
• What commandment did God give Adam & Eve? (not to eat fruit from a specific tree)
• Who tempted Eve to eat the fruit? (the serpent)
• Who tempted Adam to eat the fruit? (Eve)
• Who was punished for the sin? (serpent, Eve, & Adam)
• What was each punishment? (crawl on belly, pain in labor, work will cause pain)

Question for grades 7 – 8: Describe 3 agricultural or domesticating techniques used by Ancient Mesopotamians.

ACTIVITIES: All ages: Find and color in the “Fertile Crescent” on this map.  Click HERE.

K – 2: Adam & Eve coloring page.  Click HERE.

4 – 6: Adam & Eve crossword puzzle from “Garden of Praise”.  Click HERE.  And do the following: God’s punishment to Adam was that his work would cause him pain. Work is a curse and a blessing. Write a paragraph about how your schoolwork can be a blessing and yet cause you pain.

7 – 8: Write an essay: Describe three agricultural or domesticating techniques use by the Ancient Mesopotamians.  Considering what you read, what techniques do you believe may have been used by Adam & Eve, their children, or their grandchildren? Why?

Copyright December 15th, 2012 by Gwen Fredette

Today’s Wall Street article on vocabulary suddenly gives this guy some credit (which I immediately gave him when I read his compelling introduction years ago).  Vocabulary Declines with Unspeakable Results, The First Step to Fight Income Inequality: Do a Better Job of Teaching Kids to Read.  In my opinion E.D. Hirsch (The author) has a good point.  Reading, writing, and basic vocabulary make a difference in what people think you can do, and what people think you’re worth.  People don’t ask me often for my degrees, but they do listen to see if I sound wise or foolish.  Even a smart person, who can’t speak well or understand more complex words, will be thought of as uneducated, and therefore under valued in the marketplace.

What does E.D. Hirsch say…here are some sound bites, but I recommend reading the article.  Vocabulary and reading more complex material has fallen off since 1962 (a year before I was born).  He writes:

• “On average, students don’t know the words they need to flourish as learners, earners or citizens.”
• “Math is an important index to general competence, but on average words are twice as important.”
• “In the 1930s, American schools transformed themselves according to the principles of “progressive education,” which assume that students need to learn not a body of knowledge but “how-to” skills.”  He then argues that study the body of knowledge builds the vocabulary…
• “Analyses of schoolbooks between 1940 and 1960 show a marked dilution of subject matter and vocabulary.”  – I’ve noticed this is true of many homeschool books. My kids prefer to read Apologia over Bob Jones Biology…Hirsch is saying, this is a mistake.
• “The focus on the “skill” of reading has produced students who cannot read.” – He encourages us to learn to read simply by reading complex, meaningful material that builds around a body of knowledge, not simple English exercises. “Substance, not skill, develops vocabulary and reading ability—there are no shortcuts.”
• He concludes, “When questions of fairness and inequality come up in discussions, parents would do well to ask whether it’s fair of schools to send young people into a world where they suffer from vocabulary inequality.”

Unlike the author of the Ten-Day MBA, I don’t have my MBA – I was set on getting it until someone recommend I just hire a bunch of people that do when the need arises.  In 1998 I had eight MBAs working for me…I learned that they had simply read books I had not read.  I’ve since made it a practice to read the books that explain the body of knowledge I am after, written by experts in that field.  Forget the text books and start reading, applying, and learning.  Focus on a body of knowledge that builds, and that matters.  The vocabulary will follow.  If you’re a homeschool student – encourage your parents to read this before sending you off to read another watered-down text book…once you graduate you’ll realize there are largely a waste of time.

© 2012, David Stelzl

Week 1: Creation

 READ: K – 3: Let There Be Light by Pauline Baynes

4 – 6: Genesis 1:1 –2 :3 (The Bible)

7 – 8: Genesis 1:1 – 2:3 (The Bible)  & Look up and read about the following on the internet: “Big Bang Theory”, “Day-Age Theory”, “Gap Theory”, “Theistic Evolution”, & “Intelligent Design”.  (Parents:  you will probably have to help your students find this information.  Wikipedia may be a good source.)

DISCUSS:

• Who created the heavens and the earth? (God)
• What did God create on the first day? (Light & Darkness)
• What did God create on the second day? (sky; separated the waters)
• What did God create on the third day? (dry ground, seas; plants)
• What did God create on the fourth day? (sun, moon, & stars)
• What did God create on the fifth day? (birds & fish)
• What did God create on the sixth day? (Land creatures, man)
• What did God do on the seventh day? (He rested)

Questions for grades 7 & 8:

• Explain the Day-Age Theory (Each day of the Biblical account was actually thousands or millions of years)
• Explain the Gap Theory (six-day creation, as described in the Book of Genesis, involved literal 24-hour days, but that there was a gap of time between two distinct creations in the first and the second verses of Genesis, explaining many scientific observations, including the age of the Earth.)
• Explain Theistic Evolution (creatures have evolved over time, but God has allowed them to do so, and was ultimately responsible for the beginning of life on earth)
• Explain Intelligent Design (Some sort of great, intelligent being(s) began the universe and our earth)
• Explain the Big Bang Theory (Started from nothing, but began with a great explosion of matter.)

ACTIVITIES: K – 3: Using a ruler, divide a large piece of paper or posterboard into seven sections. Ask your child to draw a picture for each of the seven days of creation.

4 – 6: Write a short essay on one or both of the following: 1) Compare and contrast the Bible story of creation with what you’ve learned about evolution in the past. 2) God created plants before he made the sun, but plants need sunlight to grow. In your opinion, how did He do this?

7 – 8: Write an essay: After researching the different theories of creation (including the traditional, Biblical account), what do you find most believable? Why?

Copyright December 8th, 2012 by Gwen Fredette

NOTE: Following is the Early American History Test.  7th and 8th graders should be able to do all of this test.  4th through 6th graders should be able to do most of the test.   K - 3rd graders will be able to do a lot of this test orally.   Each question is worth 2 points.  This test is OPTIONAL.   Please feel free to skip it; scale it; eliminate parts of it; use it merely as a review, or do whatever best suits your family!  If you choose to give your children this test, I would recommend reviewing the “Discussion Questions” from the last 16 weeks’ lesson plans the day before you give the test.

Following the test you will find a teachers’ answer key.

EARLY AMERICAN HISTORY TEST

Name: ____________________________________________________ Date: ____________________

Fill in the blanks with the correct answers:
1.   Eric the Red and Leif the Lucky belonged to what group of people?
_________________________________________________________________________

2.   What were the names of Columbus’s three ships that sailed to America?
________________________________________________________________________

3.   What famous explorer is America named after? ____________________________________

4.   What Indian princess helped bring peace between Chief Powhatan’s tribe and the Jamestown settlers?
_____________________________________________________________________________

5.   Name two reasons why Native Americans wore paint on their faces: _____________________

_______________________________________________________________________________
6.   Name at least 2 kinds of Native American houses: __________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

7.   What special sweet did Native Americans like to eat? _________________________________

8.   Name the founder of Pennsylvania? ________________________________________________

9.   What was the original capital city of Pennsylvania? ____________________________________

10, 11 & 12.  Name 6 of the original 13 colonies.   ______________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________

13.  What terrible disease killed 9 out of every 10 Native Americans? ___________________________

Circle the letter of the correct answer:

14.  Why did Eric the Red have to leave Iceland?
A.  He killed some men
B.  There was not enough food there.
C.  It was too cold to live there.
D.  None of the above.

15.  Which of the following was NOT a reason why Leif wanted to explore the lands to the west of Greenland?
A.   He wanted to explore
B.   He wanted to move away from his father.
C.  His colony needed wood; there were very few trees in Greenland
D.  None of the above

16.  Why did the Vikings leave America?
A.   It became too cold.
B.   They were not able to live at peace with the Native American Indians.
C.  They were unable to find food there.
D.  The grapes there were bitter.

17.  After they had been at sea for many days, the sailors on Columbus’s ship grew frightened.  Why?
A.   They believed there may be sea monsters in the ocean.
B.  They were afraid they may not have enough food for the long voyage.
C.  Some were afraid the earth was flat and they may sail off the edge.
D.  All of the above.

18.  Which of the following was NOT one of Amerigo Vespucci’s accomplishments?
A.   He was able to determine latitude & longitude.
B.  He proved that America was part of the Indies.
C.  He was able to navigate by stars and planets.
D.  He was able to make accurate maps and determine within 50 miles the size of the earth.

19.  Which of the following were characteristics of most of the “gentlemen” who came to the Jamestown settlement?
A.   Most knew how to operate muskets and were in charge of protecting the community.
B.   Many were lazy and did not want to work.
C.  Both “A” & “B”
D.  None of the above.

20.  Many people died in the Jamestown settlement.  What was NOT a major cause?
A.   Famine: many didn’t know how to farm or fish and didn’t want to try
B.  The Native American Indians infected them with Small Pox
C.   Leaders argued with each other.
D.   Salty, polluted river was their drinking water.

21.  What French explorer, mapmaker, and trader started the fur trade with Native American Indians in Canada?
A.   Champlain
B.  Columbus
C.  Vespucci
D.  Leif the Lucky

22.  Which of the following was NOT a kind of food Native Americans ate?
A.   Pork
B.  Corn
C.  Deer
D.  Fish

23.  What was NOT something Native Americans made?
A.   Canoes
B.  Brick houses
C.  Bows & arrows
D.  Baskets

24.  Which of the following was NOT a game played by Native American Indians?
A.  Snow snake
B.  Skiing
C.  Lacrosse
D.  Running races

25.  What was wampum?
A.   Mashed corn
B.  Beads made of shells; the Indians used them for belts and as money.
C.  An Indian home
D.  An Indian tribe

26.  What religious group was Penn a part of?
A.    The Puritans
B.  The Catholics
C.  The Quakers
D.  The Jews

27.  Which of the following was NOT one of the very first English settlements?
A.  Jamestown
B.  Hartford
C.  Plymouth
D.  Philadelphia

28.  Which of the following is NOT a reason why settlers first came to America?
A.  They wanted religious freedom
B.  Some wanted land or to find gold
C.  They wanted a president instead of a king.
D.  Some were convicts or criminals sent from Europe

29.  Which of the following was NOT a food the colonists ate?
A.   Turkey
B.  Pork & bacon
C.  Spruce Tree Needles
D.  Pumpkin

30.  Which of the following was NOT a game the colonists used to often play?
A.   Hide & seek
B.  Dominoes
C.  Lacrosse
D.   Ninepins (bowling)

31.  What important Native American leader unified Indian tribes that used to be enemies to make a united attack on the English?
A.  Massasoit
B.  Pontiac
C.  Pocahontas
D.  Squanto

Write “T” if the answer is true.  Write “F” if the answer is false.

32.  T/F Columbus a good leader and truthful person. ______________________________________

33.  T/F Columbus  realized he hadn’t found the Indies. ______________________________________

34.  T/F Native American Indians were able to move their houses.______________________________

35.  T/F Squanto knew English before he met the Pilgrims. ______________________________

36.  T/F Thanksgiving became an official holiday when George Washington was president. _______

37.  T/F Native Americans sometimes hung their babies in cradleboards on trees. ________

38.  T/F  Many Native American stories are about animals. ______________

39.  T/F  “The Earth Diver” is a Native American story that is about a great flood.______________

40.  T/F Champlain learned the language of the Huron tribe and traded with them.____________

41.  T/F  Puritan children were able to play games and have free time to have fun.____________

42.  T/F Many innocent people were killed or imprisoned during the Salem witch trials. ______

43.  T/F  During the Salem witch trials two girls accused only 3 women of being witches. ______

44.  T/F  Massasoit stopped the Salem witch trials. ________________

45.  T/F King Philip was angry with the colonists because they were trying to force their religion on them and because they were taking over their lands. ___________________________

46.  T/F King Philip was able to rescue his wife and son. ___________________

47.  T/F Some colonists sent Indian tribes blankets infected with Small Pox to kill the Indians.__________

48.  T/F Small Pox could also cause starvation in communities.____________

49.  T/F  The Sewee tribe died trying to sail to Europe. ______________

50.  T/F  Mom loves her kids very much and is very proud of them._________________

Extra Credit:
Extra Credit: Grades K – 3: What year did Columbus sail to America? ___________________

Extra Credit: Grades K – 6:  What did Leif the Lucky name the Island he discovered in America?
___________________________________________________________________________

Extra Credit: Grades K – 6:  What does the name Pennsylvania mean?
__________________________________________________________________
Extra Credit: Grades K – 8:  What Indian tribe was known for living in Longhouses?
____________________________________________________________________
Extra Credit: Grades K – 8: What crop became a huge money-maker for the colonists?
_________________________________________________________________________
Extra Credit: Grades K – 8: Name the rest of the 13 colonies from question # 10 on the test.
__________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________

ANSWER KEY:

• 1.  The Vikings
• 2.  Nina, Pinta, Santa Maria
• 3.  Amerigo Vespucci
• 4.  Pocahontas
• 5.  Decoration/Celebration; Symbol of War
• 6.  Any two: Wigwam, Longhouse, Teepee
• 7.  Maple Sugar
• 8.  William Penn
• 9.  Philadelphia
• 10.  11. & 12. Any 6: Connecticut, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, Georgia, New Jersey, North Carolina, South Carolina, Delaware, New York, Virginia, Maryland
• 13. Small Pox
• 14.  A
• 15.  B
• 16.  B
• 17.  D
• 18.  B
• 19.  C
• 20.  B
• 21. A
• 22. A
• 23.  B
• 24.  B
• 25.  B
• 26.  C
• 27.  B
• 28.  C
• 29. C
• 30. C
• 31. B
• 32. F
• 33. F
• 34.  T
• 35. T
• 36. F
• 37. T
• 38. T
• 39. T
• 40. T
• 41. F
• 42. T
• 43. F
• 44. F
• 45. T
• 46. F
• 47. T
• 48. T
• 49. T
• 50. T

Extra Credit: Grades K – 3: 1492

Extra Credit: Grades K – 6: Vineland

Extra Credit: Grades K – 6: Penn’s Woods

Extra Credit: Grades K – 8: Iroquoi

Extra Credit: Grades K – 8: Tobacco

Extra Credit: Grades K – 8:  See question #10 answer key

Copyright December 1st, 2012 by Gwen Fredette

Yes, I’m tired. Tired, with a to-do list that grows by the minute, urgency growing on numerous items. I’m longing for more evenings where no one needs to go anywhere and just a few weekends where, “What do you have for homework?” doesn’t escape my lips. Fortunately, a break is coming, and the second semester is set. Here’s what we’ll be doing for Winter 2012

A.D. (15)

Classes at a local university are going well — astonishingly well, given my doubt three months back. My son doesn’t seem as surprised, but he is pleased. Despite a few hiccups and a resulting rapid revision of study habits, he’s pulling good grades in both his Sign Language class (our answer to a foreign language, and the first of four semesters) and Calculus I. He’ll move on to the next in both come January, with more of the series the following semester. I do like predictability and pattern.

He’ll add a third college-level class, PC Troubleshooting and Repair, come January. After building his own computer with a neighbor and fiddling with it endlessly on his own, he’s itching to know more about the innards of those machines. Now, I get antsy at the suggestion of even opening the case of any computer, sure that my mere presence will frighten the workings of the thing into an eternal black screen of death. I’m limited outside the box as well, having a few quick fixes at my fingertips but quickly phoning a more capable friend (or more recently my son) when something goes awry on the screen. While this isn’t a class with credits likely to transfer to a university some day, it could lead to the ability to perform some helpful work around this house and the homes of others. I’m enthused, as is he.

Personal Finance (Dave Ramsey), taken with a handful of friends, continues until early spring. Initially, he was certain this course had nothing to offer him, a sure sign to me that he very much did need some financial education. A few months in, he’s enjoying himself and appreciating the information. (Since I’ve not been watching the lectures, I can’t give a full review of the curriculum. Ramsey is entertaining to watch although overly optimistic about saving rates and investment returns. Watch this series with a post-2007 reality check from a well-grounded adult.)

Piano continues, albeit with a new instructor. I’ve shared our piano woes here before (Piano Lessons), and we’ve learned a good deal about the importance of chemistry between music teacher and student as well as the necessity of teens to set their own musical course. I’m optimistic, as is he. (A full post on music education will follow).

Physics, taught by me to my son and his friend, continues as well. We’ve finished our tour of mechanics and have moved on to sound. Next semester takes us to light, magnetism, electronics, fluids, heat, and quantum physics. I have quite a bit to learn. Our original goal was the SAT Physics Subject Test, but I’ve not looked at where we are on that road in some time. Add that to my very long list.

Ironic as it may be, I’m farming out writing instruction to a tutor. It seems teaching writing to one’s own teen isn’t always effective or desirable. Now, as a source of some of my income, I rely on that fact, but it took me until now to act on it at home. So my older is looking forward to ten assignments spread over 20 weeks, all lead by someone who is Not Mom. I’m smiling, too.

A.B. (11 years old)

My younger son will enter his fifth semester with Online G3, lead by the brave and nearly saintly Jamie Smith. With an assortment of gifted kids in the 8 (or younger) to 13 (or older) age group, he’ll take three classes. Magic Lens/Word Within the Word 2B continues his trip through Michael Clay Thompson’s books by the same name. Aside from adding weekly vocabulary quizzes and reviewing the new stems and words with him, he’s independent in this class. American Literature will round out his Language Arts study, carrying him through Huck Finn, Uncle Tom’s Cabin, Red Badge of Courage, and Call of the Wild. The accompanying text is from Lightening Literature, a series with which we’re familiar. Finally, he’ll take Government. He’s been prepping for months, if one considers his immersion into the election and regular (guided) watching of The West Wing. Jamie, beware.

Math will continue as before, with the goal of finishing Discovering Mathematics 1A and 1B (or 7A and 7B, as the new editions are labelled). Well, unless we’re distracted by other math. An interest of trigonometry will return us to Challenge Math after our current chapter in Discovering Mathematics. I’m in favor of side roads on this journey.

Physical Science (CPO Middle School series) continues, and we’re adding a third young person to our studies come January. Overall, the book is serving us well, and we’re progressing through at a reasonable rate with rather impressive retention. I’ll review this more thoroughly a bit later.

New to the schedule will be Latin with The Pericles Group. This is Latin via video game  (practomime), and he’s enthused. I’m interested to see how much he actually learns. It’s recommended for ages 12 and up and requires a good amount motivation and initiative to be worthwhile, says the creator and Latin teacher. My younger son doesn’t lack either, so I’m betting he’ll be fine. When we know more, I’ll report it here.

His Coursera World History class is winding down, and he’s done a fine job keeping up with 750-word essays, challenging readings, and over two hours of lectures a week. We’ve just started a Coursera class on argumentation, and while I’m not sure we’ll take all the quizzes or make it through all the assignments (which walk right through the two weeks when  I don’t want to discuss homework), so far the lectures are interesting and even amusing. The wisdom of placing a naturally argumentative child and his mother into an argumentation class is not open for debate.

Piano and fencing round out his schedule. He’s happy with his piano teacher of the last four years, and he steadily progresses.  He’s also quite satisfied with his with his fencing coach and venue, feeling accepted and challenged. He’s started to enter local tournaments, fencing foil at the  under 12 level. He loves it, and he’s gradually gaining skill.

Those are the plans. We’ll see what really happens. My older son thrives on the greater challenge and demands from his college-level coursework. My younger continues to do well whether I’m in charge or someone else is, although his schedule is heavy on outside courses this semester. Everyone, myself included, is learning. And perhaps just as important, everyone is feeling successful and happy. Sounds like a fine start to second semester.

VIEW: K – 8:  500 Nations A Jack Leustig Film Hosted by Kevin Costner.  View only the following scenes:

• Disc 2 Episode 4:  Scene 17 “Decades of Peace”; Watch from King Philip to the end of disc.
• Disc 3 Episode 5:  Watch from Scene 1 “Credits” to Scene 8 “Pontiac”

Note: Many Native Americans at this time wore very little clothing.  Many drawings accompany this documentary showing men and women wearing their traditional clothing.  (i.e. There are many images of almost naked Male and Female Native Americans.  Parents may want to preview this movie.)  This documentary is excellent but may be a bit hard for kids in grades K – 3 to understand.  Unfortunately, I have not been able to find any age-appropriate resources on this topic for K-3.

DISCUSS:

• Who was King Philip? (Massasoit’s son, Indian chief)
• Why was King Philip angry with the colonists? (they were trying to force their religion on them; they were taking over their lands)
• What was King Philip’s war? (Philip rallied many Native Americans to fight against the colonists.)
• What happened to Philip’s wife and son? (sold into slavery)
• Who won the war? (Colonists)
• Name some good and bad consequences to the Native American’s way of life from the fur trade? (gained new weapons & tools; stopped farming; many Native Americans spent all their time hunting animals to be able to trade)
• What happened to the Sewee tribe? (wanted to be able to trade directly with Europe; built large canoes to sail across the ocean; were unprepared for storms at sea;  all either died or were sold into slavery;  every able-bodied man and woman went on the canoes; only children, sick, & elderly were left behind – Sewee nation perished)
• Why did the Native Americans side with the French during the French & Indian War? (French traded with them, but did not come to take over the land)
• Why was Pontiac such an important leader? (unified Indian tribes that used to be enemies in order to make a united attack on the English)
• How successful was he? (was able to take over many English forts, but could not succeed in the end without the help from the French;  French did not help him because they signed a peace treaty with the English)

ACTIVITIES: K – 3: Draw your own picture of the French & Indian War

4 – 6: Write an essay telling about 3 new things you learned about Native Americans from this film.

7 – 8: Write an essay (5 paragraph - 3 proof)  telling about 3 new things you learned about Native Americans from this film.

Copyright November 24, 2012 by Gwen Fredette

READ: K – 3:  The Salem Witch Trials by Jane Yolen & Heidi  Stemple

4 – 5:  The Salem Witch Trials by Edward Dolan

6 – 8:  The Salem Witchcraft Trials by Karen Zeinert

DISCUSS:

• Where did the Salem witch trials take place? (Massachusetts)
• What religious group was involved with the trials? (Puritans)
• T/F  Puritan children were able to play games and have free time to have fun. (F)
• What happened to Betty & Abigail? (they got sick, rolled, convulsed, & shouted bizarre unintelligible words)
• Why did Reverend Parris think a witch did that to them? (He had no other good explanation)
• After the girls first accused the 3 women, were others accused? (yes)
• What happened to them? (some were hung, one man was pressed to death, others were put in jail)
• If people confessed to being witches were they hung? (no)
• What was Spectral Evidence? (girls claimed to see ghosts during the trial to prove that suspects were guilty)
• Who put an end to the trials? (Sir William Phips, the governor of Massachusetts)
• Why do you think the girls accused so many people? (to get attention, etc.)
• How did Phips change our court system? (said that “spectral evidence” could no longer be used in court)

ACTIVITIES:

K – 3: Draw your own picture of a Salem witch trial or color in this page from Unmusuem.org.  Click HERE.

4 – 6: Do the Salem Witchcraft trials wordsearch from Wordsearch fun.  Click HERE.

7 – 8: Do wordsearch above and write out the answers to the following questions:  Why do you think the girls involved in the Salem Witch Trials originally began shaking?  Explain your answer.  Did the governor of Massachusetts wait too long to get involved?  Explain your answer.  Should the father of the daughters involved and the daughters themselves have been punished for their actions?  Explain your answer.

Copyright November 17th, 2012 by Gwen Fredette

I’ve been teaching/coaching/tutoring writing for the past three months. I have five students in my charge, ranging from age 9 to age 15 and from 3 to 3,000 miles away. We communicate via Google Hangout and email. All my students could be characterized as reluctant writers, or at least not the enthusiastic type who loves to spend hours at the computer turning ideas into words on the page. But all are writing, and some are surprised to find out they enjoy it. I’m learning as I go, and I couldn’t be more pleased.

I know I’ve learned this: when possible, let them choose the topic. Let them write about what they like. While this seems obvious for the youngest writers, it’s easy to assume that the older writer should be writing about whatever topic is presented. Certainly that’s a skill necessary for academic and, often, professional success. I’ve never been asked at work if I wanted to write a note on a patient I’ve just seen or if I’d rather pick another subject. It’s not an option — for some reason, the family practice that employs me prefers me write about the medical encounter and not home schooling, Unitarian Universalism, or matters of the heart, all preferable topics. College was no different. The subject was given or was at least constrained.

But for young writers, especially the reluctant ones, let them write about what they like. I’ve received paragraphs about cats, essays about Minecraft, and stories about monsters. Each student’s first assignment was to introduce himself or herself, which provided me with both a writing sample, and per my instructions, a list of topics one would find not too painful writing fodder. Armed with lists including pets, video games, space, nanotechnology,the hate of writing, and more, I began to give assignments. Within days, my inbox contained with pieces about cats. A few weeks later, it was Minecraft. While I share an affection for felines, I’m not so enamored with Minecraft, a game my children talk about at length. But no matter. The kids were writing, and writing fairly well.

Cats and video games lend themselves to a variety of formal and informal writing. Cats can be described in appearance (descriptive writing).  They can be given a voice (point of view). A pair of cats lend themselves to comparison and contrast. One can even give directions about how play with a cat. And while research is not yet on everyone’s assignment lists, I’m sure cats will serve well there, too. I can easily see persuasive essays about cat ownership or declawing. Creative writers can write about cats, too: I’ve read more than one student-produced cat-centered story, and my younger son is deeply writing his second cat novel. Cats, for some kids, work as interesting, comfortable writing material.

Minecraft (and any video game would work) lends itself to the same treatment. Writers can describe the creatures within the game and give instructions on dealing with those creatures without getting killed. A recent young writer drafted a fine essay extolling the virtues of relying on player-created videos to improve one’s game play. While it’s not a topic I’d have ever chosen as a writer or a teacher, it interested him. The writing technique we were honing was unity, and this could be accomplished with any subject. Doing it with one within his comfort zone made that a bit more enjoyable.

Writing about one’s own interests has a few benefits. First, it’s easier to pay attention to what interests one. Personally, I’d rather write about homeschooling or twice-exceptional education than about fluctuating corn prices or how to roast a pig. Just like me, when students choose their writing topics, they stay engaged and are often more eager to write (or less heavily resistant, which is on the spectrum of eager, right?). A reduction in the pain factor is always a plus.

Writing about what interests one can make a long assignment more bearable. When team-teaching a group of high-schoolers through a research paper, my teaching partner and I encouraged them to pick a topic with care since they’d be living intimately with it for a couple of months. Liking it makes that a more pleasant time. While most of the kids were thoroughly tired of the writing process by the end of six weeks, they were still generally interested in their topics.

Additionally, writing is a fine process for organizing previously learned information in new ways. Writing about a passion is far from just a recitation of what’s previously been learned. It’s a chance to categorize and recategorize what’s already been learned. New relationships are revealed, which can make one consider one’s cat or video game in a different light. A martial art studied for years becomes more sharply defined when held against a different martial art — what was taken for granted is somehow now new and different. These higher-order thinking skills can blossom through writing about the utterly familiar and ordinary.

Finally, when the subject is familiar and comfortable, the focus can be on the writing process rather than wrestling with new information about a subject. In the comfort of a student’s knowledge of his two cats, he or she can focus on the structure of a comparison and contrast essay about those beloved creatures. With the subject matter previously internalized, what to say is not as problematic, and the attention can go into how to say it. Experimenting with metaphorical language is easier when the objects for comparison are familiar, and learning to write an instructive piece is easier if the process being written about is familiar to the writer.

There will be plenty of times when a young writer doesn’t have a choice about the writing topic, but especially for young writers and resistant writers, turning over topic selection to the writer can make the project easier and more enjoyable for both learner and teacher. As many a homeschooling parent knows, writing can be hard enough to teach as it is. Give yourself a break. Whatever the next writing skill on the learning list is, try turning the topic selection entirely over to your child while focusing on teaching the techniques the child needs to know. If that turns into short stories about fairies, expository essays about black holes, or persuasive pieces about the benefits of video gaming for kids, so be it.  You might even catch your young writer smiling.

READ: K – 5:  Read “Note” and look at pictures of smallpox victims on the internet. (Parents: Some of these images may be disturbing!  Please view these images first before showing them to your children!  To see photos click HERE,  HERE, and HERE. ) 

6 – 8:  Small Pox in the New World (Epidemic!) by Stephanie True Peters (Read Chps 1, 3, and Chapter 4 pgs 33-40)

NOTE:  Smallpox is a deadly disease.  Symptoms include headache, backache, fever, nausea, and a terrible rash that spreads all over the body.  The rash turns to blisters that fill with puss.  The blisters itch terribly and then turn to oozing sores that give off a terrible odor.  Survivors are permanently disfigured.  It spreads by sneeze, cough, or even by touching the clothing or blankets of a victim.  A person who survives the illness will never get it again.  Native Americans had never been exposed to it before.  9 out of 10 Native Americans who caught it died.  Widespread disease also caused starvation for people.  With so many people sick, there were not enough people to tend the fields.  People ran out of food and died.  There were many Indian tribes who were almost completely wiped out because of the disease.    Often colonists were able to take over land previously held by Native Americans when whole tribes died from the disease.  Unfortunately, there were some incidences of “biological warfare” by the colonists.  They deliberately sent blankets of smallpox victims to Native American settlements to kill tribes of people.    Many puritans believed that people who contracted the illness were being punished by God.

People do not get the disease today because of immunizations people receive as children.

DISCUSS:

• What is Smallpox? (a deadly disease. )
• What are its symptoms? (headache, backache, fever, nausea, terrible rash that spreads all over the body.  The rash turns to blisters that fill with puss.  The blisters itch terribly, then turn to oozing sores that have a terrible odor.  People who survive are disfigured.)
• How does it spread? (sneeze, cough, touching blankets or clothing of victim)
• Can a person who’s had it ever get it again? (no)
• How did it affect Native Americans? (Thousands and thousands died.  9 out of 10 died)
• Why did many people starve to death during Smallpox epidemics? (not enough people to tend fields)
• How did Smallpox give the colonists new land? (They were able to take over land previously held by Indians)
• Did Smallpox kill colonists too? (yes)
• What is biological warfare? (when people purposely send diseases to kill others)
• Were some colonists guilty of biological warfare? (yes)
• What were Puritan’s views of the illness? (believed it was a punishment sent by God)
• Do people get the illness today? (no – due to immunizations)

ACTIVITIES:

K – 3: Draw your own picture of a person suffering from Smallpox.

4 – 6: Write your own short story of a person getting Smallpox (1 page) OR pretend you are a newspaper reporter living in the 1600′s.  Write a newspaper article about the smallpox epidemic in your town.

7 – 8: Write your own short story of a person getting Smallpox. (2 pages) OR pretend you are a newspaper reporter living in the 1600′s.  Write a newspaper article about the smallpox epidemic in your town.

Copyright November 11, 2012 by Gwen Fredette

And books.

And three very different kids.

My students working on their electoral maps yesterday. It was nice to have them all working on the same thing.

Basically I am still adjusting to having my daughter home, and I am trying to remember how I homeschooled three kids before. I haven’t figured this out quite yet, but I have come to one very important conclusion. I don’t have time to work through three different programs for every subject. I will be spending the next few weeks trying to work out a plan that has the kids working on some of the same things, and I am doing this for the sole purpose of my sanity. Wish me luck!

Election day is a wonderful day to teach our children about the election process and the political system here in America. The kids and I have been reading books and watching videos about the election process for weeks now. .

One of my favorite videos about the electoral process is this one from TED.

This video from CommonCraft is also great.

NPR also has a very informative video on this election and the money spent on it. This one is worth a watch.

Finally, because this election is not just about who will be our next president, here is a short video from Al Jazeera on congressional elections and their impact on our federal government.

Looking for a map for your kids for tonight? I have printed out this map of the United States from the Washington Post. The kids are going to color in the states as the results come in.

You can print the map out here. Enjoy!

READ: K – 4:  Colonial Life (A True Book)  by Brendan January pgs 31 – end

5 – 8:  Your Travel Guide to Colonial America by Nancy Day pgs 50 – end

DISCUSS:

• What foods did the colonists eat? (turkeys, oysters, berries, apples, food from homeland, pork, bacon, beans, pumpkin, deer, & seafood)
• What did the colonists use for medicine? (doctors made them bleed, many believed in superstitious ways to cure themselves, such as: eating kidneys helped your kidneys. )
• Who had better medicines, the colonists or Native Americans? (Native Americans.  Willow tree bark helped with headaches, black spruce needles helped with scurvy because they are rich in vitamin C)
• What did Colonists do for fun? (hide & seek, tag, hopscotch, dominoes, sledding, ice skating, ninepins, swimming)

Discuss: Grades 5 – 8 -  What diseases did they suffer from? (small pox, scurvy, malaria, typhoid, dysentery)

ACTIVITIES:

K – 3: Coloring page from classroom clipart.com.  Click HERE.

4 – 6: Make a chart listing the 13 colonies, the founder of each colony, and the year each colony was founded.  Use one of these site pages for help:

• Americanhistory.about.com “Colony List” - Click HERE.   OR
• Americanhistory.about.com “Bl Colonial 13″ – Click HERE.

7 – 8: Do activity for grades 4 – 6, AND list the major religions and exports for each colony.  You may use this page from Revive the Spirit.com for help.          Click HERE.

Copyright November 4, 2012 by Gwen Fredette

To reach last week’s post, Colonial Life (Part I) click HERE.

READ: K – 4:  Colonial Life (A True Book)  by Brendan January pgs 1 – 30 AND Projects About Colonial Life by Morian Broida (See Activities)

5 – 8:  Your Travel Guide to Colonial America by Nancy Day pgs 1 – 49

.

These images were obtained from Amazon.com.  No legal image is available to me for Projects About Colonial Life by Morian Broida.

DISCUSS:

• What were the original 13 colonies? (See pg 15 of Colonial Life or pg 18 of Your Travel Guide to Colonial America – MA, NH, NY, RI, CT, NJ, PA, VA, NC, SC, & GA)
• Describe early colonial houses? (small, dark, only one main room, usually no windows but paper smeared with grease, some similar to Indian wigwams, others were log cabins made with wood planks)
• What were some of the early cities and villages? (Jamestown, Plymouth, & Philadelphia, PA)
• What did colonists wear? (only one or 2 outfits)
• Where did they get their clothes? (most made their own, wealthy people could buy clothes from England and wore wigs)
• Why did people come to America? (religious freedom, some wanted land, some wanted to find gold, some people were orphans, slaves and convicts sent from Europe)

ACTIVITIES: All Grades:  Label map of original 13 colonies using map from Eduplace.com.

K – 3: Do the “Hornbook” or “Quill Pen” project from Projects about Colonial Life.  For Materials you’ll need: a large feather, some ink, cardboard, & sheet of clear plastic (like a report cover)

4 – 6: 13 colonies state capitals worksheet from WorksheetLibrary.com.  You may use this map from Eduplace.com for help: MAP.

7 – 8: Write an essay:  Pretend you had the opportunity to spend a week in Colonial America.  What do you think you would like about living then?  What do you think you wouldn’t like?

Copyright October 27, 2012 by Gwen Fredette

To reach next week’s post, Colonial Life (Part II) click HERE.