March 7, 2010 by KellyH.

We’re almost finished with our unit on Family (also the Human Body–these go together quite well if you focus on how each member of the body is unique, just like each member of the family is unique) and the best part has been the read alouds! You may recall, from my earlier post on Chap. 12, that we started with Abigail Adams, wife of President John Adams. My children thoroughly enjoyed that story. We then moved on to Billy Graham, which they also enjoyed, but don’t seem to speak of as much. After that we read the Swiss Family Robinson, which was another hit. It was great fun discussing all the things the family had to “make” to live comfortably. Now we’re almost through with Susannah Wesley. There is so much history in that book! The chapters are a little long, but it’s giving us great opportunity to discuss marriages, death, and family living.

One more week until spring break… at which time I’ll be planning out the last couple months of our schooling.

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February 21, 2010 by KellyH.

We’re two weeks into our human body unit, but didn’t start making our organs until last week. No, I haven’t made the outlines of my children yet. After reading through the instructions, I was a bit flustered as to what needed to be done first. There are instructions for making everything… but not instructions for the order of making the models.

So, I’ve decided that we’ll just make all the organs and then worry about creating the body to “stick” them onto. And then I’m going to jot down lots of notes about how the project should proceed next time, and place it into my Weaver 3-D Body Book!

My children are really enjoying the sewing–actually, I think they enjoyed picking out the material for each organ the best. Rather than go out and buy plain material, we’re using whatever I have on-hand. These will certainly be colorful bodies!

I’ll post pictures at Facebook once we get a few more organs completed.

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February 9, 2010 by KellyH.

Chapter 12 of Volume 1 is the Human Body unit. But, while we’re studying the human body, we’re also studying “family.” I’ve chosen to do some read-alouds with this unit. We’ll be taking five weeks to go through this chapter, so I have four “families” to read about.

The first week we’re covering the family institution and preparation for family living. I chose to read Abigail Adams: First Lady of Faith and Courage (Sower Series). I chose this book because I simply love the way families were structured in this time period. It’s very different than what we now see, and this book gives me a chance to discuss those differences with my children. (Having just finished John Adams the time period is still fresh in my mind, as are John and Abigail Adams.)

During the first half of week two, we’ll be studying guidelines for dating. I’ve chosen to read about Billy Graham from the book, Backpack Books: Modern Heroes. All of these families exemplify godly people, which is what I’m focusing on for this unit. I don’t know if this book will touch on his relationship with his wife or not–the Abigail Adams book talked a bit about their courtship–but I’m sure I’ll find many character traits to point out to my children during this read-aloud.

During the second half of week two and most of week three we’ll be studying marriage. I chose The Swiss Family Robinson from Christian Adventures… 4 Books In 1. I realize this is a fictional family, but it’s also a family that works together to survive. Teamwork is another trait I’m trying to instill in my children.

During week four and the first half of week five we’ll be studying death, so I’ve chosen Susanna Wesley (The Sowers). I’ve read this book before and I seem to recall that Susanna loses a few babies along the way.

None of these books are suggested in the Volume, but they are what I have on my shelves. You will need to choose your own families to study if you chose to do read-alouds. As a way to wrap-up this unit, during the last week we’ll be studying “famous families.” I’ll be asking my children to write a letter to any of the famous families we’ve read about, even the Swiss Family Robinson, and ask them questions. It should be interesting to see what they come up with!

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February 2, 2010 by KellyH.

Chapter 11 of Volume 1 is one of the dreaded “White Pages” chapters. Why do these chapters strike fear into the hearts of Weaving moms? Two reasons:

1) It takes thought on the part of the mom/teacher to decide what to teach since there are usually so many options.

2) It takes discernment on the part of the mom/teacher to decide what to teach because not all of these chapters are broken down by age.

I believe Chapter 11 is the first White Pages chapter in Volume 1, and it’s followed by 5 more chapters, with only one of them NOT a White Pages chapter. That’s right, of the last 6 chapters, 5 are White Pages. But, take heart! As is noted in the intro to Chapter 11, the idea is not to make more work for you, but to lighten your load. Here’s what the author had to say:

As you review the materials that have been studied in the first ten chapters of The Weaver, you will realize that we have covered some very complex subjects. Chances are it has taken a toll on you. If it has, and your desk has a few file folders of left-overs, now is the time to catch up. Review any materials you do not feel your child has adequately grasped or finish items you planned to complete but have not had the time to do so.

This chapter contains six Bible lessons, as it is important that a continual study be made of the Bible to obtain the goal of hiding the Word of God in our children’s hearts. Character Sketches are continued in this chapter. There are no lesson plans for the academic level with it in mind that you will welcome a break and rest your mind as well as the minds of your students.

If, however, you are rested and wish to continue a detailed study with your children, the following are suggested areas of study. You may use the encyclopedia or juvenile section of the Library to help you with this.

She then lists 11 areas of study, mostly historical events that involved treaties or pacts. Since I could only find 4 of the 11 items in our encyclopedia set, I chose a slightly different route for this two week period: I pulled volume 4 of The Story of the World off the shelf and found the section that covers covers 5 or more of the suggested areas of study. We’re reading a chapter a day, starting at chapter 20 and continuing until chapter 29.

I know it’s awkward to start a book in the middle, but I have been curious about these books ever since I bought them and wanted to know how engaging they were for a read-aloud. They’re quite well written, and my children sit quietly while I read, with minimal–if any–fidgeting.  I give these books a hearty endorsement as resources/supplements for Weaver history. I’m learning a great deal myself, and finally starting to understand a bit more about our history, and the history of the world!

So, the next time you find yourself in a “White Pages” chapter, take heart! It’s a chance for you to relax a bit, and get creative with your teaching. You will not ruin your child if you take a couple weeks off from research papers. I promise.

Posted in History/Geography, Volume 1 | Print | No Comments »

January 12, 2010 by KellyH.

As we moved into the second half of Chapter 10 (Vol 1) today, we focused on moons. Using the list of questions/facts from the 6th grade science objective #3, I started Googling phrases. First, I found this site:

The Lunar Clock at TheSwordbearer.org

This site taught us how to “read” the moon and then, based on its location in the sky, tell the time. Based on what we learned, the clock in the main graphic has the wrong time if we’re reading the moon correctly.

The other site I found quite interesting is:

The Moons of All the Planets

I didn’t realize that Shakespeare had such an influence on the naming of the moons of Uranus!

We also found a site that tells you how much you would weigh on the moon. Just plug-in your earthly weight and click the button:

The Moon’s Gravity at MoonConnection.com

I would love to hear about your “great finds” online and in books! Feel free to leave a comment here, on Facebook, or on the email list.

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September 16, 2009 by gracefrombrazil.

I enjoy the luxury of not rushing through a book.  I decided to try to find a book that would last through several units and would reinforce the subjects .  I have not read all of Jules Verne’s novels but the few that I have read aloud always teach us so much in such a fun way.  I chose for this unit The Mysterious Island.  It is the sequel to Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea and my children have been wanting to read it after they finished Captain Nemo’s first underwater adventure.

From the early chapters I immediately saw that it would encompass so much of our future studies while reaching back and touching on others.  Stealing away in an air balloon and barely surviving a hurricane brought back to our minds units already studied.  One of the real surprises was the day we were studying in our math about how to figure the height of something very large by comparing it to a much smaller item, that has a known length, we saw it illustrated by the brilliant Cyrus Smith in the book.  That was very cool.

My 9 year old enjoyed reading through a lovely illustrated version of Aesop’s Fables during this unit.

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September 4, 2009 by KellyH.

We’re working through Volume 1 once again. We picked up where we left off last, in Chapter 3, and we’ve just completed our second week of school this year. It’s been the perfect place to begin the year: studying about communication and prayer. We’re doing Bible lessons on M-W-F, and since this past Wednesday was my birthday, we took the day off and doubled-up our Bible today.

One particular sentence in Lesson 5 really jumped at me: Just as the Dead Sea has only one inlet and no outlets, and is as its name suggests, so our lives will be if we only take the Word in, and fail to send it out again.  Of course, one of our Bible readings was Matthew 28:19-20, where Jesus tells his disciples to go and spread His teaching. I’ve read this verse many times, and emphasize it to my children. But, unfortunately, I don’t practice it.

What do I practice? Watering. I’ve always believed I was a waterer, like Apollos (see 1 Corinthians 3:5-7). I don’t work outside of the home (except when I take the children somewhere, like the grocery store). The majority (probably 90%) of the people I interact with are saved already. I don’t need to evangelize and plant seeds because they’ve already sprouted. My job is to water them, encourage them, help them grow closer to God. It’s something I enjoy doing, and I believe I’m good at it. I’m not good at planting seeds. But, I know it is something that Jesus expects me to do.

I’ve been praying about writing for a particular website– it’s predominantly secular with a large New Age population, but there are a few Christians there.  It claims to be the 2nd largest women’s site online. But, I’m hesitant because it’s not predominantly Christian. I know we’re supposed to be  a Light in this dark world. I know I can’t plant seeds if I don’t till new ground.

This morning, during my quiet time, I read Matthew 26:1-16. The heart of the woman who poured perfume on Jesus’ head was focused on Him. She loved Him so much, she didn’t care that she could have made money from selling the perfume. Judas, on the other hand, only thought of the money he could make. Do we love Jesus as much as this woman did? Search my heart, O Lord. Why do I not seek out others to share You with?

Does anyone else see the connection here?!

We need to take in God’s Word, and then send it out to others. Not because we’ll get a pat on the back or payment or anything, but because we love Jesus! I am not gifted in evangelizing, but I can still share the love of God with others–even unbelievers. God will protect and provide for us if we follow His commandments. If we use our gifts to do His will, He will be right there to guide us and bless us.

Have you asked God to show you His Truths today? Take in His Word… and then GO!

Posted in Encouragement, Volume 1, Bible | Print | No Comments »

May 31, 2009 by gracefrombrazil.

Have you ever tried to read a book that is really popular amongst the home school “living books” crowd, given up, and felt bad since everyone loves that author?  You may have even wondered what was wrong with you.  Did you then valiantly try again only to have your children ask you to not read that book anymore? This is what happened when we undertook to read a few of Holling Clancy Holling’s books.  Of the three titles that I have, Seabird, Paddle-to-the-Sea, and Minn of the Mississippi, none captured our interests.  Which is odd since my children are all avid nature entusiasts.  The other time this happened was when we read The Water-Babies by Charles Kingsley. The Holling’s books had all the earmarks of a perfect fit with this unit since the contents of the books coincided with many topics to be studied.  But alas it was not to be.

But on the other hand I had a similar experience with another author but this time what once seemed void of meaning now penetrated my mind and gripped me.  Reading the tragic tale of  The Rime of the Ancient Mariner by Samuel Taylor Coleridge in my high school English class failed to engage me but when I dipped into it again while my children sat around it was a different experience altogether.  Words that once seemed remote and enigmatic now seemed within my grasp.  The rhyme was spell binding.

Day after day, day after day,
We stuck, nor breath nor motion;
As idle as a painted ship
Upon a painted ocean

And then these well known lines:

He prayeth best, who loveth best
All things both great and small;
For the dear God who loveth us,
He made and loveth all.

I have learned that sometimes several tries is good enough to put something away forever, but on the other hand you just never know when that one illusive book or work will suddenly come alive.

Alongside these books my children read  Mutiny on the Bounty and Robinson Crusoe(condensed).

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March 24, 2009 by gracefrombrazil.

There are so many enjoyable living books one can read while doing a study on transportation. I really wanted to re-read Jules Verne’s classic Around the World in 80 Days, but the two week time frame of unit 5 prohibited it. I found such pleasure in reading this with my children years ago.  The ending of Around the World is one of my favorites.  If you have only seen the movies than you are in for a wonderful surprise.  I hardly recognize the book in what passes as the movie renditions.

I have had the book Twenty-One Balloons by William Pene du Bois on my shelf for sometime and since hot air balloons are covered in this unit I decided to give it a go. Although it was not what I expected it provided some light hearted reading and inspiration during our study. My older two children were not as entertained by it as my 9 year old but that is okay since I usually read on their level and expect my youngest one to appreciate it. I had hoped that it would have been more factual about Krakatoa so I was disappointed. I am glad that I did not save it for a study on volcanoes and read it now. But what it did do was allow my daughter and me to enter into our hot air balloon making with a sense of adventure. My daughter even added a “bamboo” house, complete with provisions, for our balloon ”The Forea-Un”. But just like the ill-fated Globe we had to also cut our shelter loose for it to gain any height.

My son read The Wright Brothers by Charles Ludwig and had no problem finishing it so it must have been pretty good ; )

Next time I will float some other books your way…when we study famines, water and the ocean.

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March 17, 2009 by gracefrombrazil.

One of my favorite phrases I love to hear during school time is, “Please read us more!”  When this comes from a teenager it feels more consequential.  Sharing enthralling literature is a goal of mine and when I get my children hooked I feel I have scored a significant victory.  This happened in this particular unit on history.

This unit was so enjoyable that I wished it would have spanned longer than just 2 weeks.  Because the unit was so short I was hard pressed to find a read aloud that could be done in this time frame.  I finally chose to read one of Shakespeare’s tragedies in story form, Anthony and Cleopatra.  Yes, it is one of his tragedies but we read it for it’s historical import as well.   I have a varied collection of books that have transformed Shakespeare’s plays into stories.  They are Shakespeare’s Stories (Vol. I and II) by Leon Garfield, Lamb’s Tales From Shakespeare by Charles and Mary Lamb, and The Best of Shakespeare by E. Nesbit   Garfield was the only one who attempted Anthony and Cleopatra .  The writing was done in a way that retained Shakespeare’s flavor and some of his pithy quips.  We pondered Anthony’s words that revealed his hopeless predicament when he muttered, “Ten thousand harms my idleness doth hatch”.   And we mused over Cleopatra’s description of her prior relationship with Julius Caesar as, ”My salad days when I was green in judgement.”  With this subject matter I did use caution. There were a couple words that were for more mature readers that I skipped over.

Other books my children read were George Washington and Abraham Lincoln  by Ingri & Edgar Parin D’Aulaire, for my 3rd grader, and various selections from Great Lives, Great Deeds  published by Reader’s Digest, for both my 8th grader and high schooler.  My high schooler worked her way through Founding Father by Richard Brookhiser.  I discovered this title about George Washington recommended at www.ambleside.com so decided to try it.  My daughter found it a challenge to read.  Although it was not quick reading she  reflected on the author’s thoughts long after she had closed the book.  I hope to read it soon in order to give a better review.

 Next time, I will share about what books we traveled through in our unit on transportation.

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