We have begun a study of China-- geography, history, and culture. I am right now reading Life and Death in Shanghai by Nien Cheng, so the Cultural Revolution is on my mind. Maybe that seems a strange place to begin history with the girls, but since I am studying it myself, it is fresh on my mind and I can teach it better now. I am determined my daughters will know the truth about the history of their native country.
I wondered, are there books for children on the Cultural Revolution? Yes! We've read two so far. My favorite is a beautifully written and illustrated memoir called Little Leap Forward: A Boy in Beijing by Guo Yue and Clare Farrow. The story is tender and poetic, with nothing too disturbing for children. We also read Mao and Me by Chen Jiang Hong, a true story about the author's childhood and his family during this time. This book is a little more graphic, but considering we have been reading about our own bloody Civil War, the book was appropriate for my girls.
I also found a book called Sparrow Girl by Sara Pennypacker. It is written like a folk tale about the time Mao declared sparrows the enemy of the farmer and announced The Great Sparrow Campaign to kill them all. Of course, this contributed to the great famine in China, but that is not addressed in the book. It is sweet story about a little girl who hides some birds in a barn over the winter.
I just searched the library website of our local inter-county loan system (it's fabulous for homeschooling moms) and ordered a few more books about other periods of Chinese history. The girls remember the stories of real people. Facts and dull text are soon forgotten.
Friday, November 13, 2009
Thursday, November 12, 2009
A New Routine
Kids are so adaptable. We are making do with our new routine for school. This has been another great learning experience for me in letting go of my preconceived ideas of what school should be and look like. The girls are still learning despite our change of circumstances.
First of all, we've changed bedtime! I never thought I would do that, but since it wasn't working for Liana, we decided to do things differently. I kept thinking about what our doctor said, that Liana might just have a different inner clock, that she might be what we call a night owl. So bedtime is now 10pm. That's a little late for me, but miraculously, it has been working fine and Liana's sleep issues seem to have disappeared. She wakes up cheerfully on her own around 8am, so I know she is getting plenty of sleep. Problem solved!
We still begin school at 9am. That way we can get in all the core subjects before Fred calls us to pick him up from school. The girls certainly don't like the long ride, but we just got The Secret Garden on audiotape and all of us are enjoying this beautiful story. The girls have read abridged versions before, but to hear the original has been a joy.
By the time we get back home, maybe run errands on the way and then eat lunch, it is very hard to go back to school! But having language arts and math done, I feel we can do projects or reading in a relaxed way. We're almost finished with our study of the Civil War and I suggested they make a timeline to tie it all together. Arielle readily started to work on hers. Liana groaned, "Why can't I make a Civil War lapbook instead?" Well, that's fine with me. She is working on one for her insect study, so I didn't think she wanted to start a new one. We looked at one on-line: http://www.jimmiescollage.com/ Jimmie has great homeschooling resources! Her daughter's lapbook provided inspiration for Liana, but she wanted to do it her own way and set to work.
The girls spent about two hours on their projects. It was way beyond what I required of them that day. Arielle finished her timeline. It is so large I could only show a portion of it in one picture, and her small, precise handwriting doesn't show up well in a photo. Liana has more plans for her lapbook. I will post pictures of that when she is done.
Monday, November 2, 2009
Changes
"It is well for us that, amidst all the variableness of life, there is One whom change cannot affect, One whose heart can never alter..." Charles Spurgeon.
God is teaching me to be flexible. Our school has been turned upside down and we are adjusting to the changes little by little. Fred fell and seriously broke his leg a week ago. It will be at least 6 weeks until he heals, so we can't just give up on school. We have to work around it. I have to juggle doctor appointments and caring for my husband along with teaching my daughters. The girls and I need to leave the house between 11am and 12pm every day to pick Fred up from his classes--about a 40 minute drive. Then we must drive back home and run Fred's errands. The first few days I was so exhausted I couldn't do any school work in the afternoon with the girls. But we are forming a new schedule. Late afternoon work, reading in the evenings, even some creative, light work on the weekends. The girls protested about that, but they realize too that we all must adjust.
In times like this I think how much easier it would be if the girls were in a public classroom. If I just sent them off to school and then did what needed to be done with Fred without them. But I think it is good that they are part of the process. They learn how a family adapts to injury or illness, the concessions we have to make, and how we deal with fatigue and impatience. They see how we press on and serve each other. The girls don't need to be protected from this; they need to participate in it.
In the midst of life's changes, it is good to know that God doesn't change. His character remains the same and His promises still hold true, no matter what goes on in our little physical world. We call upon Him and He answers. Everything will work out.
"I am the Lord; I change not." Malachi 3:6.
God is teaching me to be flexible. Our school has been turned upside down and we are adjusting to the changes little by little. Fred fell and seriously broke his leg a week ago. It will be at least 6 weeks until he heals, so we can't just give up on school. We have to work around it. I have to juggle doctor appointments and caring for my husband along with teaching my daughters. The girls and I need to leave the house between 11am and 12pm every day to pick Fred up from his classes--about a 40 minute drive. Then we must drive back home and run Fred's errands. The first few days I was so exhausted I couldn't do any school work in the afternoon with the girls. But we are forming a new schedule. Late afternoon work, reading in the evenings, even some creative, light work on the weekends. The girls protested about that, but they realize too that we all must adjust.
In times like this I think how much easier it would be if the girls were in a public classroom. If I just sent them off to school and then did what needed to be done with Fred without them. But I think it is good that they are part of the process. They learn how a family adapts to injury or illness, the concessions we have to make, and how we deal with fatigue and impatience. They see how we press on and serve each other. The girls don't need to be protected from this; they need to participate in it.
In the midst of life's changes, it is good to know that God doesn't change. His character remains the same and His promises still hold true, no matter what goes on in our little physical world. We call upon Him and He answers. Everything will work out.
"I am the Lord; I change not." Malachi 3:6.
Thursday, October 22, 2009
Literature Class
We joined the co-op at our church! Arielle used to go years ago every Wednesday morning for art, music and P.E. but when Liana started school it was just too much time away from our regular studies. Neither of the girls could settle down to classwork at home after being away all morning, so we lost a whole day of the week.
I had to convince the woman in charge that Arielle really is a 7th grader even though she is not yet 12 because this afternoon class is for the older kids. We only have to go four times during the year as a lot of the work is done at home. Arielle has to read four books throughout the course and do a written report on specific topics. The first assignment was to read The Yearling. The other kids had much more time to read it than Arielle because we found out about this class a little late. We checked it out from the library just two weeks before the assignment was due. This is a 400 page book! I divided the chapters up for her and gave her a reading schedule. We had a lot of interruptions with family events too, so many days she had to double up on her reading. She complained about it initially and said she didn't want to do the class and why was I making her?
Arielle did finish the book and now had to write a two to three page typed report on one of the suggested topics. She wrote (and re-wrote and re-wrote) on Jody's changing relationships with the other characters in the book. She did a fine job! And she went to her first class yesterday. I am very proud of her that she worked hard to complete a task.
In the class the children read their reports and discussed the novel. Arielle had the opportunity to interact with others in a group setting and to gain more insight into this novel, plus learn to read other novels with a more open mind, looking for particular ideas and symbolism. In a way, I wondered if I had ruined this beautiful story of The Yearling by forcing it on her. Maybe she would have enjoyed it more reading it on her own? Would she be sick of it now? We went to the library in the afternoon and she found the DVD and wanted to check it out. So she isn't ready to leave Jody and Flag behind.
The next assignment is to read an autobiography of someone who made an important contribution in history. She has to present a report on this person, plus add something of her own personal autobiography. She's not ready to tackle this yet. At the library she chose "fun" books, the kind she truly enjoys.
I had to convince the woman in charge that Arielle really is a 7th grader even though she is not yet 12 because this afternoon class is for the older kids. We only have to go four times during the year as a lot of the work is done at home. Arielle has to read four books throughout the course and do a written report on specific topics. The first assignment was to read The Yearling. The other kids had much more time to read it than Arielle because we found out about this class a little late. We checked it out from the library just two weeks before the assignment was due. This is a 400 page book! I divided the chapters up for her and gave her a reading schedule. We had a lot of interruptions with family events too, so many days she had to double up on her reading. She complained about it initially and said she didn't want to do the class and why was I making her?
Arielle did finish the book and now had to write a two to three page typed report on one of the suggested topics. She wrote (and re-wrote and re-wrote) on Jody's changing relationships with the other characters in the book. She did a fine job! And she went to her first class yesterday. I am very proud of her that she worked hard to complete a task.
In the class the children read their reports and discussed the novel. Arielle had the opportunity to interact with others in a group setting and to gain more insight into this novel, plus learn to read other novels with a more open mind, looking for particular ideas and symbolism. In a way, I wondered if I had ruined this beautiful story of The Yearling by forcing it on her. Maybe she would have enjoyed it more reading it on her own? Would she be sick of it now? We went to the library in the afternoon and she found the DVD and wanted to check it out. So she isn't ready to leave Jody and Flag behind.
The next assignment is to read an autobiography of someone who made an important contribution in history. She has to present a report on this person, plus add something of her own personal autobiography. She's not ready to tackle this yet. At the library she chose "fun" books, the kind she truly enjoys.
Thursday, October 15, 2009
Chemistry
If you ask Arielle, she would say she hates science. When she was younger we did a couple of years of zoology and then later botany, astronomy, and an introduction to physics. Nothing much has interested her. This year we are doing a middle-school level chemistry. Still, no spark, except for one brief moment yesterday.
We were learning about acids, bases, and pH. We made an acid/base indicator with red cabbage. Do you know how to do this? Very easy! Put 3 cups of distilled water in a pan and add a whole red cabbage, chopped in several pieces. Bring to a boil and continue boiling about 15 or 20 minutes. Strain out the cabbage and save that dark purple juice.
After preparing our cabbage juice, Arielle cut a white coffee filter in strips and with an eye dropper, dripped the liquid over the strips. We made our control acid--vinegar mixed with a little water and our control base--pure ammonia mixed with a little water. Then we gathered several light or clear colored liquids: Sprite, tap water, milk, lemon juice, orange juice, a little squeezed juice from a ripe tomato, Windex, bleach (careful!), dishwasher soap.
Our coffee filter/litmus paper was not dry yet and we were anxious to begin, so we just put a little of our vinegar in a glass bowl and added the cabbage juice. The vinegar turned bright pink! Then came the even more exciting moment. Arielle dropped some cabbage juice into the ammonia. Instant green! She said, "Cool!" She tested our other liquids and had fun observing the results. (Caution! Never mix bleach and ammonia. I warned Arielle that this is a chemical reaction we don't want to see.)
Well, it wasn't enough interest to spur her onto a career in chemistry, but it was something! She now has all these cool strips of paper too that she can dip into any liquid to see if it is an acid or base. I think we need more hands-on projects.
We were learning about acids, bases, and pH. We made an acid/base indicator with red cabbage. Do you know how to do this? Very easy! Put 3 cups of distilled water in a pan and add a whole red cabbage, chopped in several pieces. Bring to a boil and continue boiling about 15 or 20 minutes. Strain out the cabbage and save that dark purple juice.
After preparing our cabbage juice, Arielle cut a white coffee filter in strips and with an eye dropper, dripped the liquid over the strips. We made our control acid--vinegar mixed with a little water and our control base--pure ammonia mixed with a little water. Then we gathered several light or clear colored liquids: Sprite, tap water, milk, lemon juice, orange juice, a little squeezed juice from a ripe tomato, Windex, bleach (careful!), dishwasher soap.
Our coffee filter/litmus paper was not dry yet and we were anxious to begin, so we just put a little of our vinegar in a glass bowl and added the cabbage juice. The vinegar turned bright pink! Then came the even more exciting moment. Arielle dropped some cabbage juice into the ammonia. Instant green! She said, "Cool!" She tested our other liquids and had fun observing the results. (Caution! Never mix bleach and ammonia. I warned Arielle that this is a chemical reaction we don't want to see.)
Well, it wasn't enough interest to spur her onto a career in chemistry, but it was something! She now has all these cool strips of paper too that she can dip into any liquid to see if it is an acid or base. I think we need more hands-on projects.
Thursday, October 8, 2009
Begin a Happy Morning!
Liana always has music playing in her head--her own music. She also loves poetry, so she spontanaeously sat down and wrote a song and then sang it for me. I wish I could tell you the tune because it is quite nice.
Work
Working, oh working, all the day,
Never getting a chance to play,
After work's done, play in the sun,
Oh my, oh my dear, it's so much fun,
When the stars are overhead,
You go in and jump in bed,
When the sun rose,
Put on your clothes,
And begin a Happy Morning!
Monday, October 5, 2009
Spanish
A friend of mine let me borrow Rosetta Stone, Spanish 1 for Arielle to use. We tried it last year and kept getting sidetracked. I know from my experience with learning a foreign language, you have to be consistent. That's why Chinese school for the girls years ago did not work. You can't learn another language by attending a class an hour and half once a week. I told Arielle I wanted to learn Spanish with her. So finally we got serious about it.
Rosetta Stone is fun! And I am convinced it is the best way to learn, apart from actually living in another country among native speakers, of course. The program has so many ways of interacting with the language that you can't not learn it. Our study really took off when Arielle and I began competing! We have a notebook with each exercise and our scores in time and percent correct. (Also, this will provide documentation for the portfolio next year.) Right now Arielle is beating me by a small margin, and she is loving that. I should have an advantage, considering I learned a lot of Spanish during my time in Spain. But that was many years ago.
Liana wants to learn Chinese and not Spanish. We don't have Rosetta Stone for her yet, and I don't think she is quite ready for it. I do think either Chinese or Spanish is the language to learn though. To spite my mother who pushed Spanish on me when I was in middle school, I decided to take French. I continued with French all through high school and college, and a lot of good that did me. It would have been much more useful to know Spanish.
Arielle has a natural talent for language. She is so quick to learn and has quite an ear for it. We haven't done much with the speaking portion of the program, but that will be coming soon.
Rosetta Stone is fun! And I am convinced it is the best way to learn, apart from actually living in another country among native speakers, of course. The program has so many ways of interacting with the language that you can't not learn it. Our study really took off when Arielle and I began competing! We have a notebook with each exercise and our scores in time and percent correct. (Also, this will provide documentation for the portfolio next year.) Right now Arielle is beating me by a small margin, and she is loving that. I should have an advantage, considering I learned a lot of Spanish during my time in Spain. But that was many years ago.
Liana wants to learn Chinese and not Spanish. We don't have Rosetta Stone for her yet, and I don't think she is quite ready for it. I do think either Chinese or Spanish is the language to learn though. To spite my mother who pushed Spanish on me when I was in middle school, I decided to take French. I continued with French all through high school and college, and a lot of good that did me. It would have been much more useful to know Spanish.
Arielle has a natural talent for language. She is so quick to learn and has quite an ear for it. We haven't done much with the speaking portion of the program, but that will be coming soon.
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