First posted July 2008. Slightly edited. I was planning Lydia's Grade Two year.
My own second-grade Social Studies, in the experimental '70's, was called Environmental Studies, a word none of us had ever heard and which, I don't think, was ever fully explained. It took us forever to copy that off the blackboard and on to the covers of the new notebooks we were handed. I don't remember a lot about it, either, except for a trip to the sugar bush and some kind of a neighbourhood field trip where we walked around the block and pointed out various kids' apartment buildings. I think the baby chicks we hatched and any other science we did may have been lumped in there as well. For sure, though, it didn't include history.
Can second-graders do more than go to the sugar bush? Would we have "gotten" history in the second grade? No, not in the same way ten-to-twelve-year-olds do, or in the same way teenagers or adults do. Most seven-year-olds don't totally get maps, or dates. They don't get abstract ideas, cause and effect, or political things. But they do like stories, characters, heroes, villains. They do remember what happened and who did what, if not always why. It's the same in geography...I remember The Apprentice's map of the Mississippi, that started somewhere in Alaska. But she had the right idea at least.
Does it matter that we don't start right at the beginning of time, or that some of the history we do is out of sequence? (Bible stories are history too, but we don't confine them to an "ancient history" year! And then there are biographies that come up out of chronological order, and dates connected with artists and writers and the Guinness Book of World Records...) No, not at this age; all "long ago" tends to be a bit hazy anyway when you're still figuring out the difference between a hundred and a thousand; it's after that that children can start making better sense of timelines and other more sequential tools.
Sense of space and place is also a bit vague still at this age, as I remember well myself from when we once drove through Washington, Ontario (a tiny little place) and I asked my father when we'd left Canada. My Squirrelings have also shown confusion over the concept of living in Canada, living in British Columbia, and living in Vancouver, for example. How can you live in all those places at once? But we have to begin somewhere--so we start picking out the Great Lakes (especially Lake Huron, a familiar place), Hudson Bay, the oceans. This year's work will include the Rocky Mountains, the Far North, and why it took Marco Polo so long to get from Venice to China.
So we read the stories of kings and heroes, the brave and good, and the otherwise. Some of the stories may be what Josephine Tey calls Tonypandy; some may be disputed or offer currently unpopular viewpoints. Did King Alfred burn the biscuits?--probably not. Does it matter? Are we teaching untruths or trivialities? Would it make more sense just to wait until they're older and more discriminating?
No, because we are teaching more than facts and dates. We are teaching "norms and nobility," to quote David V. Hicks. "How to live," to quote Charlotte Mason. We are giving them heroes--feet of clay though they may have--to "people" their imaginations. And we are building a foundation for later history teaching--again to quote CM, an understanding that we are not the only people, and our time is not the only time; that people long ago may have known less about technology, may have had attitudes about churches and kings that we don't share, but that they weren't any less intelligent or less human.
Showing posts with label Ambleside Online. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Ambleside Online. Show all posts
Tuesday, July 05, 2016
Monday, June 27, 2016
From the Archives: The Apprentice and King Arthur
First posted June 2005. The Apprentice was finishing Grade 8, using AmblesideOnline's Year 7.
This is one of the exams that I wrote this week–it’s about King Arthur, The Once and Future King. I didn’t actually interview anybody–it’s fictional.
This morning on CNN news, we go to Stonehenge for an eye-opening experience–we will broadcast on live television a conversation discussing two books in The Once and Future King series, The Sword in the Stone, and The Queen of Air and Darkness. The conversation will be between the author, T. H. White, and King Arthur, the main character of the books. Let’s go over now . . .
King Arthur: As I was saying, T. H., you’ve documented my life remarkably!
White: Why, thank you! But I must say, I have a couple of questions for you.
KA: Go ahead. I, also, must ask you some questions.
W: What was it like when Merlin turned you into things?
KA: It was most enjoyable. The room would start to spin, it would go all black for a minute, and I would be a fish–or a deer.
W: Neat! So . . .did Merlin actually move Stonehenge?
KA: I am sworn to secrecy.
W: Oh–that’s too bad. What did you learn as an animal (or bird)?
KA: I learned life lessons and morals, the value of human life. I also learned about those animals.
W: The value of human life?
KA: When I was an ant, it was so tedious, absurd, and frustrating that I now highly value my life.
W: That’s interesting! You said that you have some questions for me?
KA: Why, yes. For one, King Pellinore was much more absurd than you wrote. Most of the time, the Questing Beast chased him! And he didn’t even know it.
W: That’s not a question.
KA: A comment, I agree. Why did you make Merlin so disgusting at the beginning of the book?
W: With the owl on his shoulder? I do admit that I stretched the truth a little bit.
KA: Not a little bit. That did not happen to him.
W: Very well, I’ll keep that in mind.
KA: What is all this mixed-up history? The events which took place in these books did not happen then. What have you done?
W: Since I wrote The Once and Future King more for pleasure than to make a bestseller, I did things my own way.
KA: A final question. Is my life really as intriguing as you advertise? You truly think that?
W: King Arthur, I love the story of your life deeply. Thank you for spending this time with me. I’m so glad that you like my books.
And now, CNN weather with Bob McChang—over to you, Bob.
This is one of the exams that I wrote this week–it’s about King Arthur, The Once and Future King. I didn’t actually interview anybody–it’s fictional.
This morning on CNN news, we go to Stonehenge for an eye-opening experience–we will broadcast on live television a conversation discussing two books in The Once and Future King series, The Sword in the Stone, and The Queen of Air and Darkness. The conversation will be between the author, T. H. White, and King Arthur, the main character of the books. Let’s go over now . . .
King Arthur: As I was saying, T. H., you’ve documented my life remarkably!
White: Why, thank you! But I must say, I have a couple of questions for you.
KA: Go ahead. I, also, must ask you some questions.
W: What was it like when Merlin turned you into things?
KA: It was most enjoyable. The room would start to spin, it would go all black for a minute, and I would be a fish–or a deer.
W: Neat! So . . .did Merlin actually move Stonehenge?
KA: I am sworn to secrecy.
W: Oh–that’s too bad. What did you learn as an animal (or bird)?
KA: I learned life lessons and morals, the value of human life. I also learned about those animals.
W: The value of human life?
KA: When I was an ant, it was so tedious, absurd, and frustrating that I now highly value my life.
W: That’s interesting! You said that you have some questions for me?
KA: Why, yes. For one, King Pellinore was much more absurd than you wrote. Most of the time, the Questing Beast chased him! And he didn’t even know it.
W: That’s not a question.
KA: A comment, I agree. Why did you make Merlin so disgusting at the beginning of the book?
W: With the owl on his shoulder? I do admit that I stretched the truth a little bit.
KA: Not a little bit. That did not happen to him.
W: Very well, I’ll keep that in mind.
KA: What is all this mixed-up history? The events which took place in these books did not happen then. What have you done?
W: Since I wrote The Once and Future King more for pleasure than to make a bestseller, I did things my own way.
KA: A final question. Is my life really as intriguing as you advertise? You truly think that?
W: King Arthur, I love the story of your life deeply. Thank you for spending this time with me. I’m so glad that you like my books.
And now, CNN weather with Bob McChang—over to you, Bob.
Thursday, June 23, 2016
From the Archives: Ten Years Ago Today
First posted June 23, 2006
This is the last day of Treehouse classes (we still have exams next week). This week is full of finishings.
The Apprentice finished Fearfully and Wonderfully Made, Whatever Happened to Justice?, and part 2 of How to Read a Book (the part that was assigned for this year). We're still working on The Betrothed, but that's all right.
Ponytails finished Pilgrim's Progress Book II (I think she would have liked a Book III to go on to next year). We also finished the geography story about mountains we were reading. We are one chapter away from finishing the last Narnia book, but she won't let me read it to her because then we'd be done.
And I'm trying to finish typing the last Plutarch study for this year. Almost there...
And when exams are done, we will celebrate the year's achievements in school, the beans climbing up the wall, Crayons' graduation to a two-wheeler (with training wheels), our wedding anniversary, the pink roses blooming, Canada Day, and the arrival of Coffeemamma's family [an online friend who moved into our for-real town].
This is the last day of Treehouse classes (we still have exams next week). This week is full of finishings.
The Apprentice finished Fearfully and Wonderfully Made, Whatever Happened to Justice?, and part 2 of How to Read a Book (the part that was assigned for this year). We're still working on The Betrothed, but that's all right.
Ponytails finished Pilgrim's Progress Book II (I think she would have liked a Book III to go on to next year). We also finished the geography story about mountains we were reading. We are one chapter away from finishing the last Narnia book, but she won't let me read it to her because then we'd be done.
And I'm trying to finish typing the last Plutarch study for this year. Almost there...
And when exams are done, we will celebrate the year's achievements in school, the beans climbing up the wall, Crayons' graduation to a two-wheeler (with training wheels), our wedding anniversary, the pink roses blooming, Canada Day, and the arrival of Coffeemamma's family [an online friend who moved into our for-real town].
Tuesday, May 24, 2016
A is for Airplane (Deep in the Heart of AO Conference, May 2016)
A is for airplanes, airports, and Atlanta, where (both times) I just barely made the connecting flight to and from Dallas. The airplanes were fun; the airports, not so much.
B is for bags: two of them.
C is for comfortable shoes, for which I was grateful.
D is for drizzle, which is what we had Thursday. Also for Dawn doing drill (Swedish).
E is for enthusiasm.
F is for fangirls, and not the kind you'd think.
G is for gravy and biscuits. Also for group photos.
H is for hayride and campfire. Also harmony, four-part.
I is for Instagram, where you can see people's #heartofao2016 photos.
J is for joyfully hugging hello.
K is for keys.
L is for long walks and lineups, but you don't mind those when there's interesting company.
M is for music, and Megan Hoyt's new book about it, which I didn't manage to get a copy of at the conference, but it's on the list.
N is for nature study, sometimes unintended.
O is for organized.
P is for PrimePeriwinkle, who is blogging her way through the conference. Also Prufrock...no, Plutarch...no, Prufrock, I meant Prufrock.
Q is for quiet. It wasn't, much, except for early in the morning and late at night.
R is for ready for business.
S is for swag bags, over 200 of them, filled by our crack team of helpers including one under the age of three.
T is for Texas, as in, deep in the heart of.
U is for umbrellas, which Kathy thoughtfully brought along for the drizzle downpour.
V is for van service, which is how I got home from the Toronto airport.
W, X is for WaXahachie. Also for Wristbands.
Y is for y'all.
Z is for Ziploc bags, to keep your socks and everything else organized.
Tuesday, May 17, 2016
Wednesday, April 06, 2016
Once upon a time and a very good time it was there was a moocow coming down along the road
Join us at the AmblesideOnline Deep in the Heart of AO Conference, May 19-21 2016.
(Cow graphic courtesy of Brandy Vencel)
Monday, November 02, 2015
Mama Squirrel's Daybook
What I'm working on today: a revision of an older Plutarch study.
What I'm listening to, in between that: Reading in Morning Time, a Morning Basket podcast with Pam Barnhill and Brandy Vencel. (The opening rooster was a bit startling...)
What I'm making for dinner: Mr. Fixit is going to make hamburgers.
What I'm making for some other dinners: Dry mixes for split pea soup and lentil soup. (I package beans and lentils separately from the seasonings.)
What I'm looking at: a blue, blue October sky, with orange leaves all over the ground (and some left on the trees). Sparrows and chipmunks. Ladybugs--still lots of those around.
What I'm listening to, in between that: Reading in Morning Time, a Morning Basket podcast with Pam Barnhill and Brandy Vencel. (The opening rooster was a bit startling...)
What I'm making for dinner: Mr. Fixit is going to make hamburgers.
What I'm making for some other dinners: Dry mixes for split pea soup and lentil soup. (I package beans and lentils separately from the seasonings.)
What I'm looking at: a blue, blue October sky, with orange leaves all over the ground (and some left on the trees). Sparrows and chipmunks. Ladybugs--still lots of those around.
Wednesday, September 09, 2015
From the archives: Homeschooling in 2007
First posted September 2007.
So far most of the term's plans have been working out. Doing the JUMP Math Fractions Unit was definitely a good choice for Ponytails; in fact, now she thinks math is getting a little too easy. She's finding that doing more of her own reading and doing written narrations (especially her Bible readings and Poor Richard) is a bit tougher than she'd like, but it's only a small part of the day. Ponytails also keeps amazing me by getting all her spelling words right. We just learned about General Braddock in Canadian history (yes, it's part of Canadian history too), and we're about to do the fall of Quebec. Reading Robinson Crusoe along with an audio book has worked well too; we're just at the point now where he's getting shipwrecked. Ponytails is unimpressed by Crusoe's tendency to shoot everything that moves, though.
I changed Crayons' Bible schedule; we were going to use the readings from her Bible League Planner, but we found they jumped through too much too fast--especially because they continue over the weekends and she doesn't use the planner then. We've gone back to using Daddy's copy of the Golden Children's Bible, reading the Genesis stories. This is actually very cool, because our study of Turkey has also mentioned the Tigris and Euphrates, Mount Ararat, and Haran (in the story of Abraham). I love it when threads come together unexpectedly like that.
Crayons has been reading books to herself at an awesome speed; I'm glad we can go a little slower with her school time books. We're enjoying the Just So Stories and the rest of Year One; we've also been going through the Little House books at bedtime.
We've done less on crafts than I wanted to this month, but that's partly because the weather's been so good; in all the school days that Crayons circled the weather symbols in her planner, there was only about one day she didn't circle the sun. But there's no big hurry...Christmas is only THREE MONTHS AWAY...
We're taking a bit longer than I expected to work through two books that we're all reading together: Organized KIDZ and Ben Franklin. We're also reading Five Little Peppers together. So it's just as well that I decided to hold off on starting Astronomy and French until later this fall--we're busy enough for now.
And if you want to know how The Apprentice is doing...she's solving equations for x and y using elimination and substitution; exploring problems of ecosystems; watching videos about the early 20th century (with me); teaching the younger Squirrelings how to play chess (okay, she's just learning herself); and her second-year hairstyling class finally gets to Use Scissors. Kind of like student nurses passing their probation in all those old nurse novels...I think she's also reading Emma.
So far most of the term's plans have been working out. Doing the JUMP Math Fractions Unit was definitely a good choice for Ponytails; in fact, now she thinks math is getting a little too easy. She's finding that doing more of her own reading and doing written narrations (especially her Bible readings and Poor Richard) is a bit tougher than she'd like, but it's only a small part of the day. Ponytails also keeps amazing me by getting all her spelling words right. We just learned about General Braddock in Canadian history (yes, it's part of Canadian history too), and we're about to do the fall of Quebec. Reading Robinson Crusoe along with an audio book has worked well too; we're just at the point now where he's getting shipwrecked. Ponytails is unimpressed by Crusoe's tendency to shoot everything that moves, though.
I changed Crayons' Bible schedule; we were going to use the readings from her Bible League Planner, but we found they jumped through too much too fast--especially because they continue over the weekends and she doesn't use the planner then. We've gone back to using Daddy's copy of the Golden Children's Bible, reading the Genesis stories. This is actually very cool, because our study of Turkey has also mentioned the Tigris and Euphrates, Mount Ararat, and Haran (in the story of Abraham). I love it when threads come together unexpectedly like that.
Crayons has been reading books to herself at an awesome speed; I'm glad we can go a little slower with her school time books. We're enjoying the Just So Stories and the rest of Year One; we've also been going through the Little House books at bedtime.
We've done less on crafts than I wanted to this month, but that's partly because the weather's been so good; in all the school days that Crayons circled the weather symbols in her planner, there was only about one day she didn't circle the sun. But there's no big hurry...Christmas is only THREE MONTHS AWAY...
We're taking a bit longer than I expected to work through two books that we're all reading together: Organized KIDZ and Ben Franklin. We're also reading Five Little Peppers together. So it's just as well that I decided to hold off on starting Astronomy and French until later this fall--we're busy enough for now.
And if you want to know how The Apprentice is doing...she's solving equations for x and y using elimination and substitution; exploring problems of ecosystems; watching videos about the early 20th century (with me); teaching the younger Squirrelings how to play chess (okay, she's just learning herself); and her second-year hairstyling class finally gets to Use Scissors. Kind of like student nurses passing their probation in all those old nurse novels...I think she's also reading Emma.
Wednesday, July 01, 2015
Your last, your very last chance to sign up for this summer's AO Retreat
Important Notice to Charlotte Mason Homeschoolers and AmblesideOnline Users: If you had at all considered the possibility of going to the AmblesideOnline Retreat in Indiana, July 24th to 25th, this is the very last chance to send in a registration.
(I would love to meet you there.)
(I would love to meet you there.)
Wednesday, May 27, 2015
AmblesideOnline retreat in July
Are you looking for CM inspiration this summer?
Have you heard about the AmblesideOnline retreat happening in July?
More info at that link.
Have you heard about the AmblesideOnline retreat happening in July?
More info at that link.
Monday, May 25, 2015
Lydia's Grade Eight: Week 34
Three weeks of "classes" to go, then exams. Who'd have thought.
We are a bit off schedule, but Lydia has been working hard this week to catch up on some of the readings. So these are some of the places we're supposed to be this week:
Finish Book 2 of Mere Christianity. (That's as far as I assigned for this year.) Continue The Holy War.
Continue our study (together) of Ecclesiastes
Up to James II in The New World.
Continue King Lear. Continue Plutarch's "Life of Timoleon."
Read a few more poems by John Donne.
Read the second-last chapter in Journey to the Source of the Nile.
Finish reading about earthquakes (together) in Why Geology Matters. Read "Factors That Affect Earth's Weather" in Physical Science, and some of Eric Sloane's Weather Book.
Do some Latin (we've been skipping).
We are a bit off schedule, but Lydia has been working hard this week to catch up on some of the readings. So these are some of the places we're supposed to be this week:
Finish Book 2 of Mere Christianity. (That's as far as I assigned for this year.) Continue The Holy War.
Continue our study (together) of Ecclesiastes
Up to James II in The New World.
Continue King Lear. Continue Plutarch's "Life of Timoleon."
Read a few more poems by John Donne.
Read the second-last chapter in Journey to the Source of the Nile.
Finish reading about earthquakes (together) in Why Geology Matters. Read "Factors That Affect Earth's Weather" in Physical Science, and some of Eric Sloane's Weather Book.
Do some Latin (we've been skipping).
Monday, March 23, 2015
Starting Term Three, school plans for the week (Lydia's Grade Eight)
Ten things on the list for this week's school:
1. Bible articles from this month's Mennonite Brethren Herald. It appeared in our mailbox and I thought we'd make the most of it.
2 & 3. Start reading our new Shakespeare play and Plutarch's life (Timoleon) for the term.
4. Read George Herbert's poems: Redemption, The Agonie, and Joseph's Coat.
5. Start reading Beyond Texting together.
6. Work on Churchill's New World, chapter 19, about "Cromwell's Terror."
7. Paul Klee, "Flower Myth."
8. The Seashell on the Mountaintop: Chapter 10 De Solido. "Given a substance endowed with a certain shape, and produced according to the laws of nature, to find in the substance itself clues disclosing the place and manner of its production."
9. Keep reading Perelandra.
10. Start practicing for the Gauss Mathematics Competition in May.
1. Bible articles from this month's Mennonite Brethren Herald. It appeared in our mailbox and I thought we'd make the most of it.
2 & 3. Start reading our new Shakespeare play and Plutarch's life (Timoleon) for the term.
4. Read George Herbert's poems: Redemption, The Agonie, and Joseph's Coat.
5. Start reading Beyond Texting together.
6. Work on Churchill's New World, chapter 19, about "Cromwell's Terror."
7. Paul Klee, "Flower Myth."
8. The Seashell on the Mountaintop: Chapter 10 De Solido. "Given a substance endowed with a certain shape, and produced according to the laws of nature, to find in the substance itself clues disclosing the place and manner of its production."
9. Keep reading Perelandra.
10. Start practicing for the Gauss Mathematics Competition in May.
Friday, March 13, 2015
Some good blog stuff to pass on
A couple of blog posts you really shouldn't miss this week:
The Deputy Headmistress at The Common Room has started a series about the Charlotte Mason approach to composition. This is not just theory; the DHM has a whole lot of years of experience with this, both ups and downs.
The latest Seven Quick Takes post on Afterthoughts has a couple of good links to challenging articles. Plus a cute baby goat.
That's all for now! (Really, there's enough in there to keep anybody busy for awhile.)
The Deputy Headmistress at The Common Room has started a series about the Charlotte Mason approach to composition. This is not just theory; the DHM has a whole lot of years of experience with this, both ups and downs.
The latest Seven Quick Takes post on Afterthoughts has a couple of good links to challenging articles. Plus a cute baby goat.
That's all for now! (Really, there's enough in there to keep anybody busy for awhile.)
Monday, March 09, 2015
Term Two Exam Questions (Lydia's Grade Eight)
Some of these are from the online exam questions for AmblesideOnline Year 8; a couple were taken from original PNEU school programmes; and some are questions of my own invention.
Christian Studies
1. Tell back a) one of the Old Testament passages and b) one of the Gospel passages from your recent readings.
2a. How does the story of Perelandra seem to parallel that of Adam and Eve (so far)? How do you think it is going to turn out?
OR
2b. Give some examples of ways that artists have tried to emphasize the humanity or the divinity of Jesus. If you were an artist trying to show what Jesus is like for your own age group, time and culture, how might you portray him (but not go "too far?") (You do not have to draw it, just give ideas.)
Mathematics
Questions are attached.
English Literature
1. Make a list of the chief characters in a) The Merchant of Venice or b) Fierce Wars, Faithful Loves, and write a short description of one out of EACH book. Make a list of favourite lines in the case of a).
2. What do you know of Sir Francis Bacon and his "new ways of wisdom?"
3 What poems by George Herbert have you read? Give the substance of two of them.
History
1. In what ways did Charles I set aside the Magna Charta? Describe the "storm that followed."
2. How did Puritanism affect English culture in the 17th century?
Geography
1. Describe, a), a journey across Tanzania from the coast to Lake Tanganyika, b), the island of Zanzibar. Give a rough sketch map.
2. Give examples of the conflict that arose between Richard Burton and John Hanning Speke. What finally happened to show that they should go their own separate ways?
Natural History and General Science
1a. Explain in detail one of the scientific things that "don't make sense." OR
1b. How can the universe be said to be "elegant?" Explain in as much detail as you can.
2. Describe some of the early work of Nicolaus Steno.
3. What do you know about lemmings? What principle does their life cycle illustrate?
4. Write either an interview, a journal entry, or a dialogue relating to one of the incidents from Exploring the History of Medicine.
Citizenship/Government
1. What is the trouble with political power? Give examples.
2. Read either of the editorials marked from last week's newspaper, and write a response, based on your understanding of liberty and democracy.
3. What do you know of The Way of the Will? (How do we live best by using our wills?)
Reading Skill (How to Read a Book)
1. What are some legitimate ways of disagreeing with an author?
Picture Study
1. Describe a picture from this term's study of Albrecht Dürer.
Recitation
Recite the memory work you have prepared.
Singing
Sing your favorite hymn from this term.
Handicrafts
Show some work in handicrafts from this term to someone outside your family.
1. Tell back a) one of the Old Testament passages and b) one of the Gospel passages from your recent readings.
2a. How does the story of Perelandra seem to parallel that of Adam and Eve (so far)? How do you think it is going to turn out?
OR
2b. Give some examples of ways that artists have tried to emphasize the humanity or the divinity of Jesus. If you were an artist trying to show what Jesus is like for your own age group, time and culture, how might you portray him (but not go "too far?") (You do not have to draw it, just give ideas.)
Mathematics
Questions are attached.
1. Make a list of the chief characters in a) The Merchant of Venice or b) Fierce Wars, Faithful Loves, and write a short description of one out of EACH book. Make a list of favourite lines in the case of a).
2. What do you know of Sir Francis Bacon and his "new ways of wisdom?"
3 What poems by George Herbert have you read? Give the substance of two of them.
History
1. In what ways did Charles I set aside the Magna Charta? Describe the "storm that followed."
2. How did Puritanism affect English culture in the 17th century?
Geography
1. Describe, a), a journey across Tanzania from the coast to Lake Tanganyika, b), the island of Zanzibar. Give a rough sketch map.
2. Give examples of the conflict that arose between Richard Burton and John Hanning Speke. What finally happened to show that they should go their own separate ways?
1a. Explain in detail one of the scientific things that "don't make sense." OR
1b. How can the universe be said to be "elegant?" Explain in as much detail as you can.
2. Describe some of the early work of Nicolaus Steno.
3. What do you know about lemmings? What principle does their life cycle illustrate?
4. Write either an interview, a journal entry, or a dialogue relating to one of the incidents from Exploring the History of Medicine.
Citizenship/Government
1. What is the trouble with political power? Give examples.
2. Read either of the editorials marked from last week's newspaper, and write a response, based on your understanding of liberty and democracy.
3. What do you know of The Way of the Will? (How do we live best by using our wills?)
Reading Skill (How to Read a Book)
1. What are some legitimate ways of disagreeing with an author?
1. Describe a picture from this term's study of Albrecht Dürer.
Recitation
Recite the memory work you have prepared.
Singing
Sing your favorite hymn from this term.
Handicrafts
Show some work in handicrafts from this term to someone outside your family.
Monday, March 02, 2015
School plans for the first week of March and the last week of Term Two (Lydia's Grade Eight)
Do this week's Bible readings. Read part of Chapter 5 in Seeing the Mystery.
Read up to Canto 12 in Fierce Wars, Faithful Loves.
Read some of Exploring the History of Medicine, Perelandra, and The Trial of Charles I.
Whatever Happened to Justice?: "The Lessons of Simón Bolivar" and "Eating the Seed Corn."
Read the next section of Journey to the Source of the Nile: it takes in the end of one chapter and the beginning of the next.
Do some punctuation exercises in The Easy Grammar Plus, and writing exercises in The Roar on the Other Side. Work on graphing equations in Key to Algebra.
Latin: Start lesson VIII.
Finish our art study of Albrecht Dürer, and composer study of Ralph Vaughan Williams.
Read up to Canto 12 in Fierce Wars, Faithful Loves.
Read some of Exploring the History of Medicine, Perelandra, and The Trial of Charles I.
Whatever Happened to Justice?: "The Lessons of Simón Bolivar" and "Eating the Seed Corn."
Read the next section of Journey to the Source of the Nile: it takes in the end of one chapter and the beginning of the next.
Do some punctuation exercises in The Easy Grammar Plus, and writing exercises in The Roar on the Other Side. Work on graphing equations in Key to Algebra.
Latin: Start lesson VIII.
Finish our art study of Albrecht Dürer, and composer study of Ralph Vaughan Williams.
Saturday, February 21, 2015
Two weeks left in the term (Lydia's Grade Eight)
We could take a quote for this coming week from "Uncle Eric": Humans are not made to be gods, they can't handle it. It reminds me of something I read recently in a Mitford book: that it is not up to us to make everything and everyone around us perfect; that's God's job. Isn't that kind of what Charlotte Mason said too, not to interfere with the Holy Spirit's work in human souls?School plans for the week:
Bible: already scheduled.
Christianity and art: finish chapter 4 of Seeing the Mystery.
Citizenship: A chapter from Ourselves Book II. Whatever Happened to Justice?, chapter 27, "The Fun is in the Playing."
History: concentrate on The Trial of Charles I.
Geography: the journey from Lake Tanganyika to Lake Victoria, with maps.
Composition: work in The Roar on the Other Side.
English literature: the poetry of George Herbert. Choose some memory work. Fierce Wars and Faithful Loves.
Readalouds: keep reading Perelandra. I have a feeling we're not going to get through this by the end of the term, but that's okay.
Composer study: Ralph Vaughan Williams.
Ecology: Chapter 11 of Exploring the World Around You: "Succession." How does the observable process of succession parallel the hypothetical process of evolution? This chapter refers to a Canadian film, "The Spruce Bog: An Essay in Ecology," directed by Dalton Muir in 1957. The film does not appear to be available online, but the link is to the original two-page teacher's guide.
Science biography: The Seashell on the Mountaintop.
Latin: keep working on Lesson VII of Our Roman Roots (we're about halfway through the book).
P.S. The school year is going by so quickly, way too quickly. We have two weeks left in the term, then exams, then a week's holiday, then Term Three. And if you don't think it's going to be hard not to try to stuff every very last thing into that very last term...
Sunday, February 15, 2015
Plans for the week (Lydia's Grade Eight)
Monday is a holiday here (Family Day). Here are some planned activities for the other days.
Tuesday
Hymns: Continue learning "O God, My Faithful God."
Celebrating the Christian Year, by Martha Zimmerman. Chapter 8, Shrove Tuesday.
Francis Bacon: "Of Beauty" (also called "Of Virtue") (Harvard Classics, page 106). Listen to it read aloud, slowly, and narrate back as well as you can. Names and Latin phrases to be put "on the blackboard" as an aid to narration.
Readaloud novel: Perelandra, by C.S. Lewis
Latin lesson
Independent work: Bible, math, grammar, history, science readings.
Wednesday
Hymns
Celebrating the Christian Year, Chapter 9, Ash Wednesday.
Ourselves Book II, chapter IX.
Geography: continue Journey to the Source of the Nile.
Latin lesson
Independent work
Thursday
Hymns
Celebrating the Christian Year, Chapter 10, Lent. Read pages 107-109
Whatever Happened to Justice?, Chapter 26.
Francis Bacon, "Of Virtue": work on paraphrasing the first half of the essay.
Readaloud novel: Perelandra, by C.S. Lewis
Latin lesson
Independent work
Friday
Hymns
Celebrating the Christian Year Read pages 109-112.
Justice: finish the chapter as needed, and read some of the quotes on the following pages.
Francis Bacon: complete the paraphrase.
Picture talk: Albrecht Dürer, the Apocalypse series of engravings. More here. Also described at Khan Academy.
Latin lesson
Independent work
Tuesday
Hymns: Continue learning "O God, My Faithful God."
Celebrating the Christian Year, by Martha Zimmerman. Chapter 8, Shrove Tuesday.
Francis Bacon: "Of Beauty" (also called "Of Virtue") (Harvard Classics, page 106). Listen to it read aloud, slowly, and narrate back as well as you can. Names and Latin phrases to be put "on the blackboard" as an aid to narration.
Readaloud novel: Perelandra, by C.S. Lewis
Latin lesson
Independent work: Bible, math, grammar, history, science readings.
Wednesday
Hymns
Celebrating the Christian Year, Chapter 9, Ash Wednesday.
Ourselves Book II, chapter IX.
Geography: continue Journey to the Source of the Nile.
Latin lesson
Independent work
Thursday
Hymns
Celebrating the Christian Year, Chapter 10, Lent. Read pages 107-109
Whatever Happened to Justice?, Chapter 26.
Francis Bacon, "Of Virtue": work on paraphrasing the first half of the essay.
Readaloud novel: Perelandra, by C.S. Lewis
Latin lesson
Independent work
Friday
Hymns
Celebrating the Christian Year Read pages 109-112.
Justice: finish the chapter as needed, and read some of the quotes on the following pages.
Francis Bacon: complete the paraphrase.
Picture talk: Albrecht Dürer, the Apocalypse series of engravings. More here. Also described at Khan Academy.
Latin lesson
Independent work
Tuesday, February 10, 2015
Three lessons for Tuesday (Lydia's Grade Eight)
1. Subject: Art and the Christian Faith (which might have been Sunday Reading in the Parents' Union School, but we do it on weekdays). Book used: Seeing the Mystery, by William S. Taylor. Beginning Chapter Four, "Over against us."
We have already mentioned the Dutch church where there is a carving of Jesus in Puritan dress. On page 53, Jesus is shown as a North American Native. On page 54, the artist Gauguin paints Jesus with carrot-orange hair. Read the paragraph on page 54: Do these images of Jesus distract too much from his divinity?
Skip to page 57, and read from "Most of the time, we are simply not aware of the way that cultural influences permeate our perceptions," to the middle of page 61. Look at the Javanese painting and then at Stanley Peters' Totem Cross. The author admits that Totem Cross makes him uncomfortable; what is your own response? (Is "comfortable" what we're really searching for?)
2. Subject: Canadian History. Book used: Grand River, by Mabel Dunham (1945); Chapter One, "A League of Indian Nations."
Introductory: Look at a map of Ontario and find the Six Nations Reserve, south of here. What do you know already about that area? The Six Nations did not always live there, though; they used to live in New York State. The land here was granted to them as a reward for loyalty to Britain, after the American War of Independence. And before they were the Six Nations, they were called the Five Nations.
Read pages 3 to "He had made the Men of Men in his own likeness; he had engraved his own image on their hearts" on page 5. This section lists the original Five Nations, and describes the interior of a longhouse. After listening to the passage, draw a longhouse as it was described.
Read pages 5 through 10, the legend of the formation of the Confederacy of the Five Nations. Narrate.
Read the last part of the chapter. Note Dunham's comment that "The confederacy functioned so satisfactorily that to this day it is regarded as a most remarkable political structure." What surprising thing was it able to achieve? Why do you think it worked so well? How did the Five Nations finally become the Six Nations?
At the end of the chapter, she mentions the Six Nations artifacts that (at that time) the New York State Museum had on display, such as wampum belts. In recent years, many of these items have been returned to their rightful owners. Read this article and give a short oral summary.
3. Subject: Natural History. Book used: Keeping a Nature Journal, by Clare Walker Leslie & Charles E. Roth.
Assignment on page 103: take a walk outside, and bring back plant materials such as twig samples. Remember which plants or trees they came from, if you know their names. Observe your finds using a magnifying glass. Make drawings in your nature notebook. Also make any notes of today's weather, birds seen, etc.
We have already mentioned the Dutch church where there is a carving of Jesus in Puritan dress. On page 53, Jesus is shown as a North American Native. On page 54, the artist Gauguin paints Jesus with carrot-orange hair. Read the paragraph on page 54: Do these images of Jesus distract too much from his divinity?
Skip to page 57, and read from "Most of the time, we are simply not aware of the way that cultural influences permeate our perceptions," to the middle of page 61. Look at the Javanese painting and then at Stanley Peters' Totem Cross. The author admits that Totem Cross makes him uncomfortable; what is your own response? (Is "comfortable" what we're really searching for?)
Introductory: Look at a map of Ontario and find the Six Nations Reserve, south of here. What do you know already about that area? The Six Nations did not always live there, though; they used to live in New York State. The land here was granted to them as a reward for loyalty to Britain, after the American War of Independence. And before they were the Six Nations, they were called the Five Nations.
Read pages 3 to "He had made the Men of Men in his own likeness; he had engraved his own image on their hearts" on page 5. This section lists the original Five Nations, and describes the interior of a longhouse. After listening to the passage, draw a longhouse as it was described.
Read pages 5 through 10, the legend of the formation of the Confederacy of the Five Nations. Narrate.
Read the last part of the chapter. Note Dunham's comment that "The confederacy functioned so satisfactorily that to this day it is regarded as a most remarkable political structure." What surprising thing was it able to achieve? Why do you think it worked so well? How did the Five Nations finally become the Six Nations?
At the end of the chapter, she mentions the Six Nations artifacts that (at that time) the New York State Museum had on display, such as wampum belts. In recent years, many of these items have been returned to their rightful owners. Read this article and give a short oral summary.
3. Subject: Natural History. Book used: Keeping a Nature Journal, by Clare Walker Leslie & Charles E. Roth.
Assignment on page 103: take a walk outside, and bring back plant materials such as twig samples. Remember which plants or trees they came from, if you know their names. Observe your finds using a magnifying glass. Make drawings in your nature notebook. Also make any notes of today's weather, birds seen, etc.
Monday, February 09, 2015
A lesson on Justice: Might or Right? (Lydia's Grade Eight)
Subject: Citizenship. Book studied: Whatever Happened to Justice?
Review: On page 126, "Uncle Eric" says, "The Founders did not like democracy and they did not trust it. They wanted liberty." Explain what he means by this.
On page 128, there is a short list of "obstacles to voting" in the early years of the United States: gender, skin colour, etc. It turns out that less than three percent of the adult population were permitted to vote. Read the rest of the chapter and explain why 3%, at that time, was actually a novelty.
Chapter 23 is a short discussion of one question: if the Constitution was supposed to be the highest law of the land, where did Common Law now stand?
Read just the first page of Chapter 24. What is the meaning of the expression "robbing Peter to pay Paul?" Why don't we want to do this? Why does "competing for privilege" mean that "everyone is scrambling for control of the blackjack?" Can you think of any fictional parallels?
At the bottom of page 134, "Uncle Eric" says that courts now seek to find ultimate law in the Constitution. OK, then, he says; let's look at the language of the constitution. Your assignment: Read the rest of the chapter (one page and a bit) out loud, as if you were Uncle Eric (Aunt Erica) giving a speech.
Tuesday, February 03, 2015
Wednesday school plans (Lydia's Grade Eight)
2. Read pages 47-50 from Seeing the Mystery. This section has no art to look at; instead, it's about how "the universal and the particular [or individual] are not opposed to each other." Quite the heavy-duty philosophy/metaphysics lesson.
3. Independent Bible reading
4. Choice of independent reading with written narration: History or Literature
5. Key to Algebra
6. Roar on the Other Side poetry assignments
7. The Easy Grammar, one page
8. Science readings: chosen book right now is The Elegant Universe.
9. Our Roman Roots, continue Lesson VI.
10. Reading with Mom: Perelandra.
11. Drawing and nature notebooks.
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