Week 32 School Work....

My son missed his algebra class last week due to spring break, so his teacher made up the class this week.  As a result, he had twice as much homework to do this week, so we skipped the geometry work we've been doing at home in order to accommodate completion of that.

He finished up his last chemistry lab for the semester on Friday.  The last couple of weeks they worked with various gas laws and then finished up with solutions, suspensions, and colloids this week.  The last thing they did was to create napalm and burn it!

He is going to start a physical science lab with the same lady in mid-May and continue it over the summer.  I've never had my children really do school in the summer in past (save some math work to keep them on their stride), but I think he will not balk too much about it (hasn't thus far, at least).  This is the only time she can do it and she's so strong in the physical sciences that I really want him to have the benefit of her expertise.  They are using the BJU Physical Science lab manual for this class.

I've decided that he's going to continue her chemistry lab offerings next fall.  He will also take a chemistry/physics lab class at a co-op with her which will be more light-hearted.  That will allow me more leeway at home to just do some physics related reading and allow him to work through some physics experiment kits (Science in a Nutshell, etc.) on his own.  I want him to start to be more independent in his lab work.

We continued with the usual round of other classes at home this week:  he continues with a prayer journal; we are still working with adverbs in grammar, but getting ready to review those and move on to pronouns through the end of the year.  He completed a geography map book regarding Asia that we'd started earlier.  He's finishing up some italics style copy work that I bought online from Julie Shields at Lulu.com (she offers her copy work books in several writing styles).

We continue reviewing his vocabulary work.  He takes a day or two (if the list is long) to go back over the words, then he corrects any problems he had with his earlier answers to the related exercises.  Then we move on to the next list.  We should be finished by the end of the year.

He's working on finishing up his last outside Lit class writing assignment for the year.  They didn't have class this week, but each of the last couple of sessions they've covered one very short short-story (about 8 pages or less) and then taken home one longer one to complete at home.  For this last assignment, he had questions to answer about the Tell Tale Heart and then he has both questions and a longer MLA writing assignment to complete regarding the other story.

I've rather given up on the Barron's Spanish grammar for this year (he's through about the first 100 pages or so of it).  I don't understand Spanish enough, myself, to correct the work (there are obvious errors in the answer section).  I think his outside Spanish teacher is going to use the book with them some next year, so I will leave it for review at that time.  Instead, I am having him go through his workbook for that outside class this year and finish up the exercises so that the book will be finished by the end of the year (because the teacher hasn't been using it often enough to get it finished).  I am also pulling out various audio tapes and card games, flash cards, etc. and using those with him.  I've found a few online sources that are free for use next year, as well.



He continues with his Latin exercises.  He will not complete Latin Primer III this year as he didn't complete II last year.  I'm on a slower course because of the three languages he's been tackling the last couple of years.  Next year, we've decided we must drop Greek so that he can concentrate more on heavier reading and more Latin work.  He will complete Primer III and do Grammar I for Latin next year.  Right now, we're going back over his exercise book for Greek and correcting those, 5 lessons at a time.  We'll finish up next week and start reviewing with the audio portions of the lessons.  We've already been reviewing with the flash cards.  If we have time next year, I will probably continue review of that with him so that he doesn't completely lose it.

He used an audio-visual device I've owned for years to take notes on the first 15 U.S. Presidents this week, and will begin using that info for memory work next week, through to the end of the year.

(This is a KB Interactive Learning Toy....)

I generally take for granted that everyone uses Story of the World, as we do, and forget to mention each week that the topics we're covering are based on chapters in that history book, Volume III, which my son reads and outlines on his own.  We also do the associated map work with that and cover some of the topics included in the activity guide, although we don't use the coloring or do crafts projects and such at this age.   I am perhaps remiss in assuming that anyone who reads this will automatically know that, sorry!

Books I read from this week:

Herstory, Women who Changed the World, Ruth Ashby and Deborah Ohrn, re: La Pola (New Grenada), hearkening back to our recent South American liberation studies.



And I think I forgot to mention last week that regarding Mexican independence, I also read from Independence and Revolution in Mexico, 1810-1940, Rebecca Stefoff (re: Sor Juana and Father Hidalgo's revolt).


Herstory, re: Sarah and Angelina Grimke', sisters who were staunch abolitionists, regarding our study of the end-times of U.S. slavery.

Other readings related to the end-times of U.S. slavery, which also interestingly coincided with the rise of the women's rights movement:

Rabble Rousers, 20 Women who Made a Difference, Cheryl Harness, re: Frances Wright, Emma Hart Willard, and Mary Ann Shadd Cary.



America's Black Founders, Nancy Sanders (re: events from the 1800's, near the end of the book)



Great African Americans in History, Carlotta Hacker (re:  Harriet Tubman and Frederick Douglass)



Let it Shine, Stories of Black Women Freedom Fighters, Andrea Davis Pinkney (re: Biddy Mason)



And we also turned back a little in time to look more at Africa during the 18th and 19th centuries this week, using our usual round of encyclopedias from home, as well as:

History of the World, Africa, Mary Di Ianni (translator)




We also used this book last year and earlier this year....  It is available from Alibris, used books....


Exploration and Discovery, Simon Adams (Livingstone and Stanley)



Again, we also used this book last year, when we talked about the Age of Exploration, and earlier this year, too.  I see that Alibris offers several of these books for sale....




Exploring Africa, Hazell Martell and Gerald Wood







Another one that got use last year as well as this!  Also at Alibris....

The Atlas of Past Times, Haywood (re: Emergence of Africa and recap of the world by 1815)



I've mentioned this book before.  I love the historical atlases that John Haywood published (all OOP now, but you can still find them online).  I was never able to find one for the early modern time period, however, then ran across this atlas last year which bridges that gap perfectly!  It also includes even more historical info, I think, than his other historical atlases.

The Zulu Kingdom, Sandra Klopper








Each week, we of course are finishing up books started or assigned earlier.  If I've already mentioned what we're reading, I don't usually list it again, even though we're still reading from it. 

In general right now, we are talking about various areas of the world and the goings on there during the time period of the early to mid-1800's.  I won't be covering the Civil War until the beginning of next school year, so we're skirting around that right now and touching on some topics that extend into the last half of the 19th century, as well.  Our focus has most recently been on North and South America, and we've added in Africa this past week. (We had earlier looked at Europe and Asia during this same time period.)  We'll be reading more on Africa last week because my library closed for some renovations this week and the books I requested are currently being held hostage!

Books my son completed this week regarding South America:

Festivals of the World: Peru, Leslie Jermyn




Peru, Barbara Knox


A Family in Peru, Jetty St. John

(I don't find a photo, but it is also available from Alibris and he has others for other cultures, too....)

Regarding the end-times of  sanctioned U.S. slavery:

Amistad Rising, Veronica Chambers


He continues his piano work and is going to attend a piano camp this summer for the first time.  He's completed a couple of fact finders for his teacher recently: one of the history of the piano and another on Grieg.

Next week, we plan on seeing an impressionist art exhibit and will attend the last homeschool day for this school year at Frazier International History Museum.  They have a Da Vinci exhibit coming for the summer and plan a couple of homeschool days for that - hoorah!

I'm ready for summer to commence....

Regena

Spring Break Week!

We took the rest of our spring break this past week and traveled to Baton Rouge (where we lived for many years) to visit my father in law.  We were surprised that much of the deep south still takes their spring break centered around Easter, since no one in this area of the country has done that in all the years we've lived up here.  I guess it made for a pleasant drive for us because the roads were not much traveled. I think everyone had already left for their trip before we drove down - and we left before they came back! 

The last time we were able to go down to Baton Rouge was a year after Katrina, and the city was somewhat chaotic due to the influx of such a large number of people from New Orleans all at once.  The roads just couldn't handle all that traffic.  Now things seem to have settled down and the city has grown out into areas where we don't have need of going too often, so the roads we typically use were not too busy.  Driving in town was much more pleasant this time!

We enjoyed looking around at the old and new, returning to favorite restaurants and just hanging out with my husband's father.  He can't get around too well now, so we really couldn't do any major sightseeing.  Here are some shots of our wanderings while there:

At a crawfish boil for Krewe Mystique....

This is 400 pounds of live crawfish waiting to be boiled....

And this is the first 400 pounds already in the boiler.  The guys who came up to do this are from Pierre Part....

Of course, every good crawfish eater must learn to peel the tails and suck the heads, 'cause you just ain't gonna get enough to eat from those claws....

Even though the guys running Alligator Bayou tours have been run out of business, their gators are still hanging 'round....

And the Live Oaks were still ever-present and beautiful, although we did see one huge tree on LSU's campus had completely died.  Don't know what that was all about....

Of course, Mike the Tiger still reclines in his luxury enclosure on campus....

Although why he chooses the most cramped corner of a spacious enclosure for a nap is sort of beyond me, LOL.  I guess he likes the snuggly feeling....

Looking across Mike's enclosure....

Geaux Tigers!

The turkeys were strutting their stuff at the Rural Life Museum....

And while it was fun to see all the traditional buildings, it was also fun to poke every fire ant nest that came our way and chase the skinks who were sunning themselves on every step....

Even though the water levels were rather low while we were there, some water was in Bluebonnet Swamp and there were a few critters about besides the fire ants....

In addition to the many skinks and dragonflies, we saw a diamond-backed water snake and a broad-banded water snake.  Can you see them?

Bluebonnet Swamp is also a good place to see really large Cypress knees, too....

We did take a break from gorging ourselves on seafood a couple of times so that we could eat at other old favorite haunts, like Pinetta's (the epitome of hole in the wall restaurants, I think)....



And we did drive up to St. Francisville one day and visit the Myrtles.  There were no ghosts about, but there were plenty of big frogs in the pond.  The river was up across the road on the way out to Cat Island, so we couldn't go see the biggest Cypress trees in the world, but we did end the day wandering around the beautiful old St. Francisville cemetery.  It was a nice trip....

While we didn't set out to specifically do much school work this week, he did finish up a section of geometry in Russian Math 6 that we had gotten behind on.  He did also watch a Bible related video:  Testament, The Bible and History: Gospel Truth.  It's from this series:

http://www.amazon.com/Testament-Bible-History-7-tape-Humanities/dp/B000M5Q016/ref=sr_1_2?s=video&ie=UTF8&qid=1303575527&sr=1-2

On the long car trips back and forth, he finished up some reading or listened to books I'd put on tape for the occasion.  Here's the hodge-podge of books that were used, finishing up various topics we've looked at lately (I don't think I have mentioned any of these yet):

Regarding South America:  This Place is High, Vicki Cobb (Bolivia)

 

I LOVE this series for geography studies!  Ms. Cobb also has written many excellent science experiment books....

Regarding Mexico and Mexican independence from Spain:  Pinatas and Smiling Skeletons, Zoe Harris and Suzanne Williams; The Pinata Maker, George Ancona; Mexico, Gina DeAngelis;  and Charro, The Mexican Cowboy, George Ancona.

   

Ancona's book on the pinata maker is written both in Spanish and English, so if you are studying Spanish it makes good practice reading!  The book on the cowboy also includes a lot of good vocabulary....

Regarding the War of 1812 time period and the opening of the American West:  The Glorious Fourth at Prairietown, Joan Anderson; The National Anthem, Patricia Quiri; Washington Ablaze: The War of 1812, Randy Schultz.

 
Photography in The Glorious Fourth is also by George Ancona, who wrote the two books on Mexico previously mentioned....


Regarding the time period near the end of slavery:  A Good Night for Freedom, Barbara Morrow; Sojourner Truth, Margo McLoone; Talking Eggs, Robert San Souci (a folk tale that came into the Creole slave culture from other cultures); President of the Underground Railroad, A Story about Levi Coffin, Gwenyth Swain:


    

We came home Thursday night so he did go to his Friday afternoon Chemistry lab.  They were working more with gases this week and the various laws associated with those.

We sent in his literature writing assignment via email while we were there; I hope his teacher got it okay.  I believe he only has one more week of that class.

I think we're ready to get our last few weeks of school finished up!

Regena

Week 31 School Work...

We are getting into our end of school year wind-down with lots of review and revisions.  We began working on a geometry section in Russian Math 6 this week.  In Bible studies, we began watching some videos we own related to religion:

Faith & Belief:  Five Major World Religions, Knowledge Unlimited, Inc.

I found a teacher's guide for it free, online!

http://thekustore.com/guides/5472VD.pdf

My son is getting caught up on reading for the time periods we've studied for the past several weeks.  Here are the rest of the books he's read regarding the opening of the American West / War of 1812 time period:

Spirit of the Cedar People, Chief LeLooska (DK); Echoes of the Elders, Chief Lelooska (DK); The Choctaw, Emilie Lepthien; Folks Call me Appleseed John, Andrew Glass; Johnny Appleseed, Jane Yolen; Lewis and Clark: Explorers of the American West, Steven Kroll; Audobon, Painter of Birds in the Wild Frontier, Jennifer Armstrong; The Star-Spangled Banner, Peter Spier (with end notes and music).



These both come with CD's



Books completed regarding South America:

Amazon Diary, The Jungle Adventures of Alex Winters, Hudson Talbott; The Pied Piper of Peru, Ann Tompert.

At this time, I also wanted to take a look at Mary Shelley's Frankenstein, but my son has been experiencing major anxiety problems all year, so I wanted to take a somewhat lighter approach to it.  To that end, he read these two books:

Mary Shelley's Frankenstein, adapted by Chris Mould and In the Footsteps of Frankenstein, Steve Parker.

This week, we've been reading about Mexico during the 1800's as well as the Mexican people and culture.  Books he's read include:

Tortillas and Lullabies, Lynn Reiser (read in Spanish and played the simple song at the end); My Mexico, poems by Tony Johnston; Pedro and the Padre, Verna Aardema.

I read from Famous People of Mexico, Anna Carew-Miller; Artisans Around the World: Mexico and Central America, Sharon Franklin, et al; Mexico City, James Davis and Sharryl Hawke; The Tree is Older Than You Are, Naomi Shihab Nye ( this is poetry - didn't like it AT ALL - it was more modern in nature and like modern art, I'm just not very appreciative...). 

We've barely scratched the surface of our next topic, which will be the time period nearer the end of slavery in America.  My son has read A Picture Book of Sojourner Truth, David Adler and Sweet Clara and the Freedom Quilt, Deborah Hopkinson.

 

We continued our study of poetry this week with more on William Blake's poetry.  We're using an online resource (which I mentioned in my detail of that study) to look at analysis of some of his poems.  We'll finish up with him next week and move on....

We're heading out for Baton Rouge tomorrow - I certainly hope we don't have trouble because of today's weather!  I'm hearing that Alabama has declared a state of emergency - yikes!  I hope that no more folks are hurt in all this....

Regena