Harvard University's Justice with Michael Sandel is an interesting, engaging course that I found last Sunday. The particular course was delving into John Locke's treatises and applying them to specific situations our country has found itself in many times. I am thrilled that it is free and online, and not just available through TV. I stumbled onto the program on our local(ish) TV, non-cable channel thanks to our digital converter box. I was engaged right from the start, so I'm sharing it here in case you can use it in your homeschool high school, as I am going to do, since we are studying American History and some current events this year and next.
If you come up with any ideas of how you are going to use it with your teens, post them back to me, and maybe we can share info or activities.
Ciao for now,
Javamom
13 October, 2009
06 October, 2009
Online Civics Web site with Games
I stumbled onto a simple Civics web site yesterday that will be a helpful supplemental resource in teaching and solidifying how our court system works to our last two boys at home. It was created by retired Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O'Connor. On the site, you will find simple lesson plans for The Constitution, the courts system, how our government works, links to our current Supreme Court Justices, and interactive games.
The two games are called "Do I Have a Right" and "Supreme Decision." I have only previewed Supreme Decision so far.
Did I mention that it is free?
Javamom
The two games are called "Do I Have a Right" and "Supreme Decision." I have only previewed Supreme Decision so far.
Did I mention that it is free?
Javamom
02 October, 2009
National Parks
Some of you are probably getting tired of hearing me plug this program, which has been running all week long on PBS. The series, by Ken Burns, is called "The Naitonal Parks: America's Best Idea."
Some of you know that we are crunchy conservative libertarians (with a couple of Democrats in the immediate family, as well) so it comes as no surprise to you. Personally, I am frustrated by almost all politicians and lobbyists, but that is another post for another time. You know that we love National and State Parks and have extolled their cost-effective and natural, restorative benefits to soul and spirit. I don't intend to sound mystical. I am a Christ follower, and a preacher's kid. I know the difference between Christianity and Paganism, and a debate on those topics are not my purpose for posting. :-)
I have found in this series an impressive balance between things that are for "the greater good" of society vs. destroying our resources without some responsible efforts and replacing resources that are often and greedily stripped away. This series has presented and showcased both naturalists and rich, capitalist folks and presidents who all worked together to create and protect the wonders in our own nation.
We may not have cathedrals built by human hands, but we have been given some mighty and spectacular sights to oversee and to be good stewards. Some of them look like Cathedrals, some are far larger than European cathedrals, but were created by God himself. I've seen quite a few of those Cathedrals; climbed their narrow, spiraling staircases, being in awe of their beauty. Still, they really cannot compare with naturally carved and created wonders with which we were blessed. A lot of Europeans come to tour our National Parks, and are very impressed by what we have here. Our country may be young as we exist today, but these wonders have been in this land for thousands and thousands of years.
To me, they are but a glimpse of what Heaven may be like; a glimpse of Heaven on Earth while the Lord tarries to take us to His final home for us.
These can be viewed for free online at PBS.com until October 9th, and it is a collection of the best cinematography I have seen in one series. Ken Burns has hit another one out of the ballpark, in my opinion. I also recommend his "Lewis and Clark" series. Extremely beautiful to watch, to listen to (for the music is so well-chosen). His Mark Twain series is also one of my favorites.
I hope you take some time to enjoy the show!
Until later,
Javamom
Some of you know that we are crunchy conservative libertarians (with a couple of Democrats in the immediate family, as well) so it comes as no surprise to you. Personally, I am frustrated by almost all politicians and lobbyists, but that is another post for another time. You know that we love National and State Parks and have extolled their cost-effective and natural, restorative benefits to soul and spirit. I don't intend to sound mystical. I am a Christ follower, and a preacher's kid. I know the difference between Christianity and Paganism, and a debate on those topics are not my purpose for posting. :-)
I have found in this series an impressive balance between things that are for "the greater good" of society vs. destroying our resources without some responsible efforts and replacing resources that are often and greedily stripped away. This series has presented and showcased both naturalists and rich, capitalist folks and presidents who all worked together to create and protect the wonders in our own nation.
We may not have cathedrals built by human hands, but we have been given some mighty and spectacular sights to oversee and to be good stewards. Some of them look like Cathedrals, some are far larger than European cathedrals, but were created by God himself. I've seen quite a few of those Cathedrals; climbed their narrow, spiraling staircases, being in awe of their beauty. Still, they really cannot compare with naturally carved and created wonders with which we were blessed. A lot of Europeans come to tour our National Parks, and are very impressed by what we have here. Our country may be young as we exist today, but these wonders have been in this land for thousands and thousands of years.
To me, they are but a glimpse of what Heaven may be like; a glimpse of Heaven on Earth while the Lord tarries to take us to His final home for us.
These can be viewed for free online at PBS.com until October 9th, and it is a collection of the best cinematography I have seen in one series. Ken Burns has hit another one out of the ballpark, in my opinion. I also recommend his "Lewis and Clark" series. Extremely beautiful to watch, to listen to (for the music is so well-chosen). His Mark Twain series is also one of my favorites.
I hope you take some time to enjoy the show!
Until later,
Javamom
27 September, 2009
Tweaking School Schedules pt. 2
After thinking through what I typed regarding our ds #3, age 16 and his remaingin high school years, I'm considering that perhaps I will be able to crunch nine terms over two years (18-24 months), instead of crunching years 9 and 10 into the next 12 months (which would include summer school). It will take some more time for me to mull over the numbers game of dividing pages over fewer months, and I am NOT a huge fan of SYSTEMS or programs, so if I'm not as detailed here as you like, I am sorry!! I can post page number updates when I get that all completed and fit into a realistic time-frames each week. Do post any questions that you may have. Some friends just e-mail me privately, and that is fine, too.
I still may add one or two small items in this schedule for our 16 yo, but then again, maybe not! We'll see how he manages his time. He is between summer job hours and a different job. His summer job was with a business that only runs through the summer. He is waiting to hear back from other potential employers for work during the school term. He also needs to take initiative and visit those businesses to show his interest and motivation once again.
Friday:
Bible reading; Pope's Essay on Man (not sure how many pages, yet); Copy Spanish vocab/phrases in context; read Mere Christianity; Algebra 2; Read Ruskin's Ethics of the Dust; family movie night...especially if our college DD is home for part of the weekend with her fiance. We also cook up a feast on most Friday or Saturday evenings.
Any Questions?
Javamom
I still may add one or two small items in this schedule for our 16 yo, but then again, maybe not! We'll see how he manages his time. He is between summer job hours and a different job. His summer job was with a business that only runs through the summer. He is waiting to hear back from other potential employers for work during the school term. He also needs to take initiative and visit those businesses to show his interest and motivation once again.
| Jr. Yr. Term 1 Week 5 | Monday | Tuesday | Wed. | Thursday | Friday |
| Devo: Imitation of Christ | Thomas a Kempis | | Thomas a Kempis | | |
| Bible: James | Daily reading | Daily reading | Daily reading | Daily reading | Daily reading |
| History: HEO selections | History: Clarence Carson Hist. of the | History: Letters or journal entries | Government: Are You Liberal, Conserv. Or Confused? | History: Letters or journal entries of the revoltionaries | History: Pope’s Essay on Man |
| Language Arts: Elements of Style |
| Writing – narrations of essays | | Writing-other narrations | |
| Poetry: Puritan Poetry of | 1 poem read | 1 poem copy | Mom teaches Spanish I Class | 1 poem finish copying | Art History: Raphael bio |
Biography:Various HEO selections | John Adams | | Spanish poem scrip, or song | Leave for Chem class | Picture Study Raphael Sanzio |
| Spanish sheets 2 pgs day | Spanish sheets 2 per day | Spanish sheets 2 per day | Spanish sheets 2 per day | Apologia Chemistry Class | Copy Spanish vocab/phrases in context |
| Alg 2 | Alg 2 | Alg 2 | Alg 2 |
“ | Alg 2 |
| LUNCH | LUNCH | LUNCH | LUNCH | “ | LUNCH |
| A hymn per term | Benjamin Fr. Autobio 20 pgs./wk | | Spanish II | “ | Mere Christianity |
| Geography & Natural Hist.: | Carpenter’s N.American Geograph. reader | View maps of militia and battle sites | “ “ | NatureStudy: | Ethics of the Dust |
| Citizenship: Plutarch’s Lives or Ourselves | Letters from George Washington | Ourselves by CM | Spanish II ends, visit w/our friends before they leave | Writings from other re-volutionaries | |
| | | | Plutarch - together | | |
| Literature: Shakespeare * Midsummer Nights Dream | | Shakespeare together | | | |
| | TIDY | TIDY | TIDY | TIDY | |
| Tea and Fine Arts: Term 1 | Ralph V. Wms symph. I A Sea Symphony | job | job | job | job |
| Free | | | | | |
| Man Who Was Thursday | | | | | |
| Sir Walter Scott novel | | | | | |
| Games: Farkle backgammon | Or Cranium | | Dad Wood Working club | | Movie night |
| | | | | | |
| | | | | | |
| Bedtime | Bedtime | Bedtime | Bedtime | Bedtime | Bedtime |
| Lights out | Lights out | Lights out | Lights out | Lights out | Lights out |
Friday:
Bible reading; Pope's Essay on Man (not sure how many pages, yet); Copy Spanish vocab/phrases in context; read Mere Christianity; Algebra 2; Read Ruskin's Ethics of the Dust; family movie night...especially if our college DD is home for part of the weekend with her fiance. We also cook up a feast on most Friday or Saturday evenings.
Any Questions?
Javamom
24 September, 2009
Tweaking School Schedules pt. 1
Our last two teens at home are following slightly modified versions of the Ambleside Online's House of Education (high school recommendations) online buffet. We are pulling from years 9 and 10.
Youngest son, age 14, has been reading through English Lit for Boys and Girls and is not in the same chapter that is scheduled for year nine. Close, but not exactly the same, which I realize is hardly worth mentioning. We also work with his various learning issues and abilities, so he is not as far ahead as the 'average' student in one or two areas, Math being one. He has caught up in reading ability, spelling ability, and we are still working on writing. It is difficult for him to translate what is in his head to the page, but we are working on it! He is very imaginative and creative, so we have a lot to work with, and a lot of potential.
We are just now cranking up to begin other fine arts and Shakespeare for this year, so they may actually occur earlier in the day than scheduled below. Hubby works later in the day, so we have a later dinner hour than most people do, thus our evening draws out later than the average family's day. I am also a night owl, and am the parent who is up late any time any of our teens are out and returning home late for whatever reason, be it just visiting friends close-by, attending a football game, whatever.
Since you can't see Friday, b/c of my blog layout, I will just list it ~
Daily Grams, one page; Art History: The Story of Painting by Jansen (has been reading this one for two years, now, and should finish it this year); Piano practice- scales; Picture Study, this term: Raphael Sanzio; lunch; copy Spanish vocab and phrases; leave for piano lesson; Piano lesson; errands with mom--bank, grocery; movie night or spend night with a friend.
A couple of other modifications are these:
Hubby has added a few of his own recommended readings for our Junior, from summer reading assignments given to his upcoming American Lit students (at the school where he teaches and is head of the English Dept). Examples such as a chapter from _The Travels of William Bartram_, "An Account of the Persons, Manners, Customs, and Government of the Muscogulges or Creeks, Cherokees, Chactaws...of North America." or Washington Irving's "The Creole Village" or Thomas Paine's "The Crisis: Philadelphia, April 19th, 1783." (includes important thougths on 'now what' after the Revolutionary War.
So as our 16 yo son is also studying American History and Lit, we are doing a modified year for him, which includes recommendations from years 9 and 10. You may be asking "Why?" and I'd answer that I chose to have him complete HEO year 8 last schoolyear, to make sure and wrap up as solidly as possible his study of British and Western History. Combining selections from both 9 and 10 so that he will be ready for Yr. 11 and the study of the 20th century for his Senior year. Practically speaking, we will not do everything from years 9 and 10, and will also crunch our choices from the recommendations into the next twelve months.
I am sprinkling in a few original source documents (most quite short) for both boys that fit into this time frame, as well, but I will assign more and expect more from our 16 yo. These are usually just letters associated with the pre-revolutionary and revolutionary wars, and can probably be found online. We have them in Hubby's "Library of America" collection, and more specifically George Washington's letters and some diary entries of some of the British (Frederick McKenzie on the retreat from Concord, MA) on some of the battles. We also have a short "Tory view on Lexington and Concord" by Peter Oliver. Then, we have "A Pennsylvanian Reacts to Lexington and Concord, 1775," John Dickinson to Arthur Lee. I will likely throw in "George Washington's address to the Continental Congress, June 16, 1775."
As I get the time slots tweaked, I'll post our 16 yo's schedule in another post.
Javamom
Youngest son, age 14, has been reading through English Lit for Boys and Girls and is not in the same chapter that is scheduled for year nine. Close, but not exactly the same, which I realize is hardly worth mentioning. We also work with his various learning issues and abilities, so he is not as far ahead as the 'average' student in one or two areas, Math being one. He has caught up in reading ability, spelling ability, and we are still working on writing. It is difficult for him to translate what is in his head to the page, but we are working on it! He is very imaginative and creative, so we have a lot to work with, and a lot of potential.
We are just now cranking up to begin other fine arts and Shakespeare for this year, so they may actually occur earlier in the day than scheduled below. Hubby works later in the day, so we have a later dinner hour than most people do, thus our evening draws out later than the average family's day. I am also a night owl, and am the parent who is up late any time any of our teens are out and returning home late for whatever reason, be it just visiting friends close-by, attending a football game, whatever.
| | Monday | Tuesday | Wed. | Thursday | Friday |
| | | | | | |
| Bible: | Daily reading | Daily reading | Daily reading | Daily reading | Daily reading |
| History: HEO selections | History: An | History: Story of the Pilgrims | History: Clarence Carson Hist. of the | History: Capt. John Smith’s World | History: This Country of Ours |
| Language Arts: Daily Grams | Daily Grams One page | Daily Grams One page | Daily Grams One page | Daily Grams One page | Daily Grams One page |
| Poetry: Puritan Poetry of | 1 poem read | 1 poem copy | Spanish I Class | 1 poem finish copying | Art History: The Story of Painting Jansen |
Biography: Various HEO selections | English Lit For Children | Autobio of Ben Franklin 6.5 pgs. | Spanish I Class | Autobio of Ben Franklin 6.5 pgs. | Picture Study Raphael |
| Piano Lessons A hymn per term | Piano practice | Piano practice | Piano practice | Piano practice | Piano practice |
| An | Math Facts CD rom | Living Math reading | Math Facts CD rom | Living Math reading | Math Facts CD rom |
| LUNCH | LUNCH | LUNCH | LUNCH | LUNCH | LUNCH |
| Spanish sheets 2 pgs day | Spanish sheets 2 per day | Spanish sheets 2 per day | Mom teaches Spanish II Andrew copy Spanish Poem | Science: Science Lab in a Supermarket | Make Spanish vocab cards |
| Geography & Natural Hist.: Carpenter’s | View maps of militia and battle sites | Carpenter’s N.American Geograph. reader | …or copy a Spanish song | NatureStudy: Draw found treasures from the week | Leave for Piano |
| Citizenship: Plutarch’s Lives or Ourselves | Listen to Colonial audio dramas | Ourselves by CM | Plutarch | Ourselves by CM | Piano Lesson |
| Math: CDRom/ Teaching Txtbks Pre-Algebra | Pre-Algebra | Pre-Algebra | Pre-Algebra | Pre-Algebra | Piano lesson |
| Literature: Shakespeare * Midsummer Nights Dream | Letters from George Washington | * Shakespeare Midsummer Night’s Dream | Letters from John Adams | Writings from other re-volutionaries | Head home |
| | TIDY | TIDY | TIDY | TIDY | Bank/grocery with Mom |
| Tea and Fine Arts ~ Term 1 | Ralph V. Wms symph. I A Sea Symphony | | Raphael Sanzio (1483-1520) | “ | |
| Free | | | | | “ |
| | | | | | |
| Greek Heroes | | | | | “ |
| Games: Farkle | Or Cranium | | Dad at Wd Working clb | | Movie night |
| | | | | | |
| | | | | | |
| Bedtime | Bedtime | Bedtime | Bedtime | Bedtime | Bedtime |
| Lights out | Lights out | Lights out | Lights out | Lights out | Lights out |
Since you can't see Friday, b/c of my blog layout, I will just list it ~
Daily Grams, one page; Art History: The Story of Painting by Jansen (has been reading this one for two years, now, and should finish it this year); Piano practice- scales; Picture Study, this term: Raphael Sanzio; lunch; copy Spanish vocab and phrases; leave for piano lesson; Piano lesson; errands with mom--bank, grocery; movie night or spend night with a friend.
A couple of other modifications are these:
Hubby has added a few of his own recommended readings for our Junior, from summer reading assignments given to his upcoming American Lit students (at the school where he teaches and is head of the English Dept). Examples such as a chapter from _The Travels of William Bartram_, "An Account of the Persons, Manners, Customs, and Government of the Muscogulges or Creeks, Cherokees, Chactaws...of North America." or Washington Irving's "The Creole Village" or Thomas Paine's "The Crisis: Philadelphia, April 19th, 1783." (includes important thougths on 'now what' after the Revolutionary War.
So as our 16 yo son is also studying American History and Lit, we are doing a modified year for him, which includes recommendations from years 9 and 10. You may be asking "Why?" and I'd answer that I chose to have him complete HEO year 8 last schoolyear, to make sure and wrap up as solidly as possible his study of British and Western History. Combining selections from both 9 and 10 so that he will be ready for Yr. 11 and the study of the 20th century for his Senior year. Practically speaking, we will not do everything from years 9 and 10, and will also crunch our choices from the recommendations into the next twelve months.
I am sprinkling in a few original source documents (most quite short) for both boys that fit into this time frame, as well, but I will assign more and expect more from our 16 yo. These are usually just letters associated with the pre-revolutionary and revolutionary wars, and can probably be found online. We have them in Hubby's "Library of America" collection, and more specifically George Washington's letters and some diary entries of some of the British (Frederick McKenzie on the retreat from Concord, MA) on some of the battles. We also have a short "Tory view on Lexington and Concord" by Peter Oliver. Then, we have "A Pennsylvanian Reacts to Lexington and Concord, 1775," John Dickinson to Arthur Lee. I will likely throw in "George Washington's address to the Continental Congress, June 16, 1775."
As I get the time slots tweaked, I'll post our 16 yo's schedule in another post.
Javamom
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