Continue Well in Your Home School

"Truth Never Dies" (A Poem)

2012-01-12T00:10:00.000-05:00

Truth Never Dies

Author Unknown

Truth never dies. The ages come and go.

The mountains wear away, the stars retire.

Destruction laysearth’s mighty cities low;

And empires, states and dynasties expire;

But caught andhanded onward by the wise,

Truth never dies.

Though unreceivedand scoffed at through the years;

Though made the butt of ridicule and jest;

Though held aloftfor mockery and jeers,

Denied by those of transient power possessed,

Insulted by theinsolence of lies,

Truth never dies.

It answers not. It does not take offense,

Butwith a mighty silence bides its time;

As some great cliffthat braves the elements

And lifts through all the storms its headsublime,

It ever stands,uplifted by the wise;

And never dies.

As rests the Sphinxamid Egyptian sands;

As looms on high the snowy peak and crest;

As firm and patientas Gibraltar stands,

So truth, unwearied, waits the era blessed

When men shall turnto it with great surprise.

Truth never dies.

The Sphinx

Gibraltar

I gave this poem to my 7th-8th grade co-op English students in their homework handouts on the first week of class last August. We read it line by line in class, talking about the concepts, unfamiliar words (such as transient, sublime, and insolence), repetition ("Truth never dies") and the rhyming pattern of each verse (ABABCC). I frequently give them well-written classic poetry in their assignments. It's good for the brain and the heart!

For more on how we incorporate poetry at all grade levels, read here:

Poetry in Life and Education

Go read a poem with your kids!

Virginia Knowles

www.ContinueWellHomeSchool.blogspot.com

God's Grace in the Midst of Middle School Misery

2011-08-14T14:14:00.006-04:00

GOD'S GRACE IN THE MIDST OF MIDDLE SCHOOL MISERY

by Virginia Knowles

8th grade

San Carlos, California. April 1977. I had just announced to my classmates that our family was moving to Baltimore. A red headed chick named Kathleen burst out, “Yay! Now we won’t have to pick her for our teams in gym class anymore!” I have laughed about that many times since then, but there was also still a sting from the constant and cruel peer rejection that I suffered for so many years. I’m sure many of you can relate. Middle school kids can still be vicious. Maybe this happened to you or maybe you treated other kids like that. Middle school misery is real.

Well, I was one of those middle school outcasts. I dressed and acted weirdly. I talked too much. I played chess at lunch time in the school library with the other outcast nerds, or we hung out at the nerd bench in the playground. I had one dear Christian friend named Donna, a Jewish friend named Teresa, a Mormon friend named Kathleen, and a Chinese friend named Anni. We were social rejects -- and it hurt! So where is God's grace in “Yay! She’s out of here and good riddance!”

As I reflected on this a few years ago, the amazing truth suddenly dawned on me: How kind the Lord was to rescue me up out of that place and give me a fresh start! I had been recently saved but didn't have a church to go to.

Anne and I at my going away party

In his sweet sovereignty, God moved me all the way across the country to Baltimore to plant me in a nurturing church where folks loved me and discipled me. They didn’t care whether I could play sports or not! A sweet girl named Anne, who sat next to me in chorus class in my new school, invited me to church. Her parents faithfully drove out of their way two or three times a week to come pick me up. By the time I moved away two years later, I had a whole bunch of great Christian friends, and I could hold my own much better among my peers at school. Most importantly, I now had a solid foundation in Scripture, prayer, and missions.

My sister Barb and brother John, with me in the middle

I also see how kind God was to birth klutzy little me into a creative family that skipped sports, dumped the TV for six years, and put heavy emphasis on books, writing, art, and music. Those creative pursuits all still serve me well as a home school mom.

Another benefit I received from my own childhood experience is an increased sensitivity to the middle school students in the co-op English class that I teach. Each week, using literature, writing, logical thinking skills, and other language arts topics, I seek to give them solid life lessons to chew on. I personally think it is vital in learning to treat others with dignity.

I can now see how the Lord has redeemed my middle school misery for his glory. Instead of rejection, I now see his Tender Loving Care.

~*~*~

Virginia's note: I wrote this story many years ago, and plan to share it with my 7th-8th grade English students in our Providence Home Educators co-op in conjunction with the story of Joseph in Genesis. Even if your children are entirely schooled at home and not in a classroom, I would encourage you to talk to them about accepting others, being welcoming and friendly, not being self-righteous with those who are different from them, etc. And as adults, we too, should do the same, not just as an example to our children, but because there are hurting people out there who need an authentic friend --- someone to listen and love and not "fix" them.

Learning Vocabulary from the Bible

2011-06-23T08:14:00.001-04:00

Dear friends,

I've tried to cultivate a habit of reading a chapter of the Bible to my children each morning. When our school year ended, I got pretty lax with this, but this week, we picked back up in the book of Acts. I was struck as we read through it how many vocabulary words we could learn, so whenever I came to a word that I thought some of my children wouldn't know very well, I stopped and discussed it with them. I feel that this really brings out the meaning of the passage and helps them think about it more fully. Since we aren't doing much formal schooling during the summer, this gives me at least a little time to engage their brains in deeper thinking, too.

I use the New International Version (NIV) 1984 translation for daily reading with my children. You can find this and other versions on www.BibleGateway.com or download it onto a mobile device such as an iPod Touch or iPhone using the YouVersion app. You can also probably find a Bible dictionary if you need help with some of the words. I could have used the www.Dictionary.com app on my iPod Touch, but I wasn't thinking about that then.

I usually read and discuss the Bible with my five youngest children, ages 5 to 14. Middle school students probably get the maximum benefit from a vocabulary activity like this, but I would introduce it little by little around third or fourth grade.

Look with me at just the first half of Acts 19. The bold underlined words are the ones that I covered in our impromptu vocabulary lesson. I could have done a lot more, but I didn't want to drag it on too long since my kids (ages 5-14) do not have infinite attention spans and we were reading the entire chapter. If a word had an alternate meaning, we talked about that, too. For example, interior generally means inside. In this context, it means inland or away from the coast. But we also have interior decorators who design the insides of houses. We mentioned a few antonyms (opposites) as well. The opposite of interior is exterior.

We asked questions, such as "Why did the people who were renouncing sorcery burn their scrolls publicly instead of selling them or burning them privately?" (Answer: They didn't want other people to stumble in spiritual darkness by using the scrolls, and they wanted to testify boldly to the community that they were now following Jesus rather than sorcery.)

We also tried to apply the concepts to modern day life as well. When we talked about people who weren't Christians invoking the name of Jesus to cast out demons, I commented that a lot of people talk about Jesus to get people to believe them, but they are using his name for their own purposes, rather than to accurately represent or glorify him. So we need discernment to know what is really right and true. We get that by studying the Bible for ourselves.

Here is the passage:

Acts 19:1-21

¹ While Apollos was at Corinth, Paul took the road through the interior and arrived at Ephesus. There he found some disciples ² and asked them, “Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?”

They answered, “No, we have not even heard that there is a Holy Spirit.”

³ So Paul asked, “Then what baptism did you receive?”

“John’s baptism,” they replied.

⁴ Paul said, “John’s baptism was a baptism of repentance. He told the people to believe in the one coming after him, that is, in Jesus.” ⁵ On hearing this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. ⁶ When Paul placed his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came on them, and they spoke in tongues and prophesied. ⁷ There were about twelve men in all.

⁸ Paul entered the synagogue and spoke boldly there for three months, arguing persuasively about the kingdom of God. ⁹ But some of them became obstinate; they refused to believe and publicly maligned the Way. So Paul left them. He took the disciples with him and had discussions daily in the lecture hall of Tyrannus. ¹⁰ This went on for two years, so that all the Jews and Greeks who lived in the province of Asia heard the word of the Lord.

¹¹ God did extraordinary miracles through Paul, ¹² so that even handkerchiefs and aprons that had touched him were taken to the sick, and their illnesses were cured and the evil spirits left them.

¹³ Some Jews who went around driving out evil spirits tried to invoke the name of the Lord Jesus over those who were demon-possessed. They would say, “In the name of the Jesus whom Paul preaches, I command you to come out.” ¹⁴ Seven sons of Sceva, a Jewish chief priest, were doing this. ¹⁵ One day the evil spirit answered them, “Jesus I know, and Paul I know about, but who are you?” ¹⁶ Then the man who had the evil spirit jumped on them and overpowered them all. He gave them such a beating that they ran out of the house naked and bleeding.

¹⁷ When this became known to the Jews and Greeks living in Ephesus, they were all seized with fear, and the name of the Lord Jesus was held in high honor. ¹⁸ Many of those who believed now came and openly confessed what they had done. ¹⁹ A number who had practiced sorcery brought their scrolls together and burned them publicly. When they calculated the value of the scrolls, the total came to fifty thousand drachmas. ²⁰ In this way the word of the Lord spread widely and grew in power.

²¹ After all this had happened, Paul decided to go to Jerusalem, passing through Macedonia and Achaia. “After I have been there,” he said, “I must visit Rome also.” ²² He sent two of his helpers, Timothy and Erastus, to Macedonia, while he stayed in the province of Asia a little longer.

~~~

Give it a try! And please send me your ideas on teaching Bible to children of any age!

To see blog posts on teaching Bible to elementary age children, click here: Bible articles on StartWellHomeSchool. My posts on teaching Bible in the middle school grades (especially through literature) are here: Bible articles on ContinueWellHomeSchool.

Virginia Knowles

www.ContinueWellHomeSchool.blogspot.com

"With Literature and Justice for All" Workshop Videos

2011-01-25T20:27:00.014-05:00

Dear friends,

Below you will find four video clips of my workshop

"With Literature and Justice for All:

Teaching "Virtuous Reality" with American Literature for 4th-8th Grades.

I presented it at the 4th Annual

Books & Beyond conference

on January 22, 2011.

Below the videos, you will find my handouts and links for on-line study guides.

Part 1: Justice & Stories

Part 2: Exploration, Colonies & Revolution

Part 3: Pioneers, Civil War, Immigration

& Civil Rights Era

Part 4: Family History, Field Trips & "Virtuous Reality"

Just a few trivia notes on the videos...

The background noise is from a workshop in the next classroom. Apparently Debbie Strayer's class enjoyed her humor! She's a great inspirational and educational speaker, and it was an honor to be presenting at the same conference as her. Check out her wb site: www.debbiestrayer.com/

A big thank you to Christina Mitchell, my teenage helper, who agreed to video the workshop for me. I only told her where the record button was on the camera, and she took it from there! She's got a good steady hand!

I referred to another keynote speaker, Jim Weiss. I really appreciated his story telling workshop and his session on heroes. The man has an amazing grasp of how to make history come alive, but you don't have to hear him in person to benefit from this since he has dozens of story sets on CD. Check out his web site: www.greathall.com/

Despite the fact that I mentioned Quakers quite favorably several times, I am not one! (I attend Lake Baldwin Church, a small Presbyterian congregation.) I did, however, want to give you the 17th verse to John Greenleaf Whittier's poem "Expostulation."

Rise now for Freedom! not in strife
Like that your sterner fathers saw,
The awful waste of human life,
The glory and the guilt of war:'
But break the chain, the yoke remove,
And smite to earth Oppression's rod,
With those mild arms of Truth and Love,
Made mighty through the living God!

Another quote I couldn't quite remember and didn't have in my notes is by John Ruskin (1819-1900), English writer, art critic, professor, reformer:

The entire object of true education is to make people
not merely to do the right things, but to enjoy them;
not merely industrious, but to love industry;
not merely learned, but to love knowledge;
not merely pure, but to love purity;
not merely just, but to hunger and thirst after justice.

OK, here are the official workshop notes...

With Literature and Justice for All:

Teaching "Virtuous Reality"
with American Literature
in the 4th-8th Grades

What do stories teach?

Stories capture our interest, stir our imagination, and engage the heart.
Stories teach us to ask, "What would I do if you found myself in this scenario?"
Stories teach, by positive and negative examples, how to handle situations and challenges in life. What are the consequences of each decision? (Noble action can lead to some unpleasant results, but ultimate impact goes far beyond that if you see the long-term big picture.)
Stories teach us how Biblical themes integrate into history and real life situations, even in books that are not written from an explicitly Christian worldview.
Stories teach us how to look and understand from a different perspective. They broaden our horizons, challenge our assumptions, and help us understand other people better.
Stories teach us to read, reflect, and respond -- to think and do as a result of the ideas.

Recommended Resources for
American Literature & History in the Middle Grades

This is just a sample of the excellent resources available for teaching the "virtuous reality" themes in American history and literature. Many of the books are Newbery winners available in your public library. Texts, audios and videos of speeches, songs, poems, and national documents are on-line. My free study guides are available for many of these, as noted below. You can also find publisher's free study guides for many books at www.glencoe.com/sec/literature/litlibrary/

Historical Fiction

The Witch of Blackbird Pond by Elizabeth George Speare - Puritan times & witch trials (Free Study Guide)
Johnny Tremain by Esther Forbes - Revolutionary War (Free Study Guide)
Caddie Woodlawn by Carol Ryrie Brink - pioneer days and prejudice (Free Study Guide)
Across Five Aprils by Irene Hunt - Civil War from both perspectives (Free Study Guide)
Turn Homeward, Hannalee and Be Ever Hopeful, Hannalee by Patricia Beatty - Civil War and Reconstruction as told from perspective of young displaced Southern girl
Sing Down the Moon by Scott O'Dell - Indian resettlement
Strawberry Girl by Lois Lensky - early 1900's cracker Florida
Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry and other books by Mildred Taylor - racism in 1930s
Words by Heart by Ouida Sebestyen -- racism, Scripture memory, forgiveness -- also DVD
Lights on the River by Jane Resh Thomas (migrant workers) PICTURE BOOK
A Day's Work by Eve Bunting (immigrants) PICTURE BOOK
The Blue and the Grey by Eve Bunting (Civil War) PICTURE BOOK

Biographies

American Revolution: George Washington, John Adams, Thomas Jefferson , Patrick Henry
Slavery, Civil War & Reconstruction: Abraham Lincoln, Frederick Douglas, Sojourner Truth, Harriet Beecher Stowe, Harriet Tubman, George Washington Carver, Booker T. Washington
Socio-economic reform, Civil Rights: Jane Addams: Nobel Prize Winner and Founder of Hull House by Bonnie Carman Harvey, plus Jacob Riis, Susan B. Anthony, Frances Willard, Nellie Bly, Sequoyah, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Mary McLeod Bethune
In God We Trust: Stories of Faith in American History by Timothy Crater and Ranelda Hunsicker -- short, readable biographies of American’s Christian leaders in one volume.

Speeches and National Documents

"Give Me Liberty or Give Me Death" by Patrick Henry (Free Study Guide)
"I Have a Dream" by Dr. Martin Luther King (Free Study Guide)
"The Gettysburg Address" by Abraham Lincoln
"The Declaration of Independence"
"The United States Constitution"

Patriotic Songs and Poems

Check http://www.poemhunter.com/ for these and other titles.

"My Country 'Tis of Thee" by Samuel Francis Smith
"The Star-Spangled Banner" by Francis Scott Key
"Battle Hymn of the Republic" by Julia Ward Howe
"Barbara Frietchie," "Expostulation," and "To William Lloyd Garrison" by John Greenleaf Whittier
"The Midnight Ride of Paul Revere" by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
"The New Colossus" by Emma Lazarus, inscribed on the Statue of Liberty
"I Am An American" by Elias Lieberman
Best Loved Poems of the American People compiled by Hazel Felleman

Anthologies: The Children's Book of Virtues, The Book of Virtues and The Moral Compass edited by Dr. William Bennett - rich treasuries with selections of stories, essays, poems

Parent/Teacher Book: Tending the Heart of Virtue: How Classic Stories Awaken a Child’s Moral Imagination, by Vigen Guroian (doesn't cover American historical literature)

Community Service Opportunity: Want action and not just reading about virtuous reality? Check out www.OrlandoChildrensChurch.org and make a difference in your community serving kids from inner city Orlando. OCC meets on Saturday mornings in suburban Maitland and is a life-changing place for young people and adults to volunteer. High school students can also get their Bright Futures volunteer hours there.

"Virtuous Reality"

The reality is that life isn't always fair or pleasant, but we can choose what to believe, what to say, what to do. We can live a "Virtuous Reality" no matter what is going on around us and make a real difference. Otherwise, as Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. said, “We will have to repent in this generation for not merely the cruel words and actions of the bad people but for the appalling silence of the good people.”

Wisdom & Understanding ~ discernment to know what is TRUE and how to apply it to life; listening to others to find out what (and why) they are thinking and feeling; getting the whole story without bias; respecting other perspectives that may differ from your own. See Proverbs & James 1:5-8; 3:13-18. You can't believe everything you see or hear. Many people are ignorant and/or deceptive. Many are also biased and cast an unfair light on the opinions of others, leading to prejudice and discrimination. Not only this, but there is an information explosion with TV, Internet, newspapers, magazines, and more. What is true, real, important and relevant?

Integrity & Honesty ~ doing & saying what is right and true, no matter what ~ knowing & following convictions even at great cost. See 2 Corinthians 1:12, Ephesians 4:25-28. We often have to stand alone. We also have to overcome the desire for ease, popularity, wealth that might tempt us to compromise.

Courage ~ bravery & valor in the face of physical limitations, opposition, difficulty, or danger. See Joshua 1:9, Hebrews 11 and 1 Corinthians 16:13. We are not promised an easy life in Christ. Our ultimate safety is in heaven, not on earth. It takes faith in God's care for us to dare to stand firm and risk danger for justice and mercy.

Compassion ~ ability to notice another's need, show mercy, and do something to alleviate suffering and/or bring joy. See Psalm 112, Colossians 3:12-14, James 2. People are hurting now more than ever, but many don't show it or we don't know them already. Have we isolated ourselves from suffering by apathy or ignorance?

Justice ~ not only treating others fairly, but working for truth, liberty, and equity in the society and culture as a whole. See Isaiah 58, Amos 5, Micah 6:8, and Matthew 23:23. Many people are only out for themselves, willing to cheat, lie, slander, steal, exploit, and even murder to get their own way. Imagine living in a Third World country where the government is corrupt or inept. What will it take to maintain justice in the USA so it doesn't get that bad here and so that we can continue to set an example of liberty to the rest of the world?

Peacemaking ~ seeking to extend peace to those who oppose us, as well as mediate between others (individuals and/or groups) in conflict. Also, preventing conflict from happening in the first place. See Matthew 5:9, Romans 12:9-21, 1 Peter 3:8-12. War, gangs, and lawsuits are daily news. Conflict is an inherent part of human nature. Much of this is due to selfishness, but also plain misunderstanding and ignorance certainly factor in too.

Patience ~ self-control when tempted to be angry, endurance when tempted to quit, the willingness to wait when tempted to demand what we want right now. See Proverbs 15:18, 16:32, 19:11, Romans 8:18-30. We all want it "yesterday if not sooner!" This is the age of instant gratification, and much injustice occurs simply because we have not learned to wait and to control our selfish impulses.

Great American Communicators: Patrick Henry

2011-01-21T10:05:00.000-05:00

Great American Communicators: Patrick Henry

Patrick Henry was home schooled by his father and his uncle. He had ten brothers and sisters. He didn’t do well at farming or storekeeping, so he taught himself law. He became famous for a case known as “The Parson’s Cause” and went on to establish himself as a prominent lawyer in Williamsburg, Virginia.

Patrick married twice. His first wife, Sarah, went insane after childbirth and had to be confined to her home for several years until she died. Between both wives, he had 15 children, but not all of them survived childhood.

A powerful orator, Patrick Henry was always a staunch supporter of liberty and patriotism. His “Give Me Liberty or Give Me Death” speech in March 1775 is credited with starting the American Revolution in Virginia.

He held the following public offices:

Delegate, Virginia House of Burgesses, 1765-1775
Member, Virginia Committee of Correspondence, 1773
Delegate, Continental Congress, 1774-1775
Delegate, Virginia Convention, 1776
Governor of Virginia, 1776-1779, 1784-1786
Delegate, Virginia Constitution Ratification Convention, 1788

You can hear a historian recite Patrick Henry’s speech at this web site:
http://www.history.org/Almanack/people/bios/biohen.cfm#speech

Activities

Carefully read the speech below. .
Choose at least five of the underlined words to look up and define.
Write one reason why Patrick Henry thinks the Americans should rise up and fight now rather than waiting.
Find an instance where he uses sarcasm to make a point and put a * by it.
Write a summary of the main points of this speech.
Recite the speech with passion.

"Give Me Liberty Or Give Me Death"

A speech delivered by Patrick Henry on March 23, 1775

No man thinks more highly than I do of the patriotism, as well as abilities, of the very worthy gentlemen who have just addressed the House. But different men often see the same subject in different lights; and, therefore, I hope it will not be thought disrespectful to those gentlemen if, entertaining as I do opinions of a character very opposite to theirs, I shall speak forth my sentiments freely and without reserve. This is no time for ceremony. The questing before the House is one of awful moment to this country. For my own part, I consider it as nothing less than a question of freedom or slavery; and in proportion to the magnitude of the subject ought to be the freedom of the debate. It is only in this way that we can hope to arrive at truth, and fulfill the great responsibility which we hold to God and our country. Should I keep back my opinions at such a time, through fear of giving offense, I should consider myself as guilty of treason towards my country, and of an act of disloyalty toward the Majesty of Heaven, which I revere above all earthly kings.

Mr. President, it is natural to man to indulge in the illusions of hope. We are apt to shut our eyes against a painful truth, and listen to the song of that siren till she transforms us into beasts. Is this the part of wise men, engaged in a great and arduous struggle for liberty? Are we disposed to be of the number of those who, having eyes, see not, and, having ears, hear not, the things which so nearly concern their temporal salvation? For my part, whatever anguish of spirit it may cost, I am willing to know the whole truth; to know the worst, and to provide for it. I have but one lamp by which my feet are guided, and that is the lamp of experience. I know of no way of judging of the future but by the past. And judging by the past, I wish to know what there has been in the conduct of the British ministry for the last ten years to justify those hopes with which gentlemen have been pleased to solace themselves and the House. Is it that insidious smile with which our petition has been lately received? Trust it not, sir; it will prove a snare to your feet. Suffer not yourselves to be betrayed with a kiss. Ask yourselves how this gracious reception of our petition comports with those warlike preparations which cover our waters and darken our land. Are fleets and armies necessary to a work of love and reconciliation? Have we shown ourselves so unwilling to be reconciled that force must be called in to win back our love? Let us not deceive ourselves, sir. These are the implements of war and subjugation; the last arguments to which kings resort. I ask gentlemen, sir, what means this martial array, if its purpose be not to force us to submission? Can gentlemen assign any other possible motive for it? Has Great Britain any enemy, in this quarter of the world, to call for all this accumulation of navies and armies? No, sir, she has none. They are meant for us: they can be meant for no other. They are sent over to bind and rivet upon us those chains which the British ministry have been so long forging. And what have we to oppose to them? Shall we try argument? Sir, we have been trying that for the last ten years.

Have we anything new to offer upon the subject? Nothing. We have held the subject up in every light of which it is capable; but it has been all in vain. Shall we resort to entreaty and humble supplication? What terms shall we find which have not been already exhausted? Let us not, I beseech you, sir, deceive ourselves. Sir, we have done everything that could be done to avert the storm which is now coming on. We have petitioned; we have remonstrated; we have supplicated; we have prostrated ourselves before the throne, and have implored its interposition to arrest the tyrannical hands of the ministry and Parliament. Our petitions have been slighted; our remonstrances have produced additional violence and insult; our supplications have been disregarded; and we have been spurned, with contempt, from the foot of the throne! In vain, after these things, may we indulge the fond hope of peace and reconciliation. There is no longer any room for hope. If we wish to be free--if we mean to preserve inviolate those inestimable privileges for which we have been so long contending--if we mean not basely to abandon the noble struggle in which we have been so long engaged, and which we have pledged ourselves never to abandon until the glorious object of our contest shall be obtained--we must fight! I repeat it, sir, we must fight! An appeal to arms and to the God of hosts is all that is left us!

They tell us, sir, that we are weak; unable to cope with so formidable an adversary. But when shall we be stronger? Will it be the next week, or the next year? Will it be when we are totally disarmed, and when a British guard shall be stationed in every house? Shall we gather strength but irresolution and inaction? Shall we acquire the means of effectual resistance by lying supinely on our backs and hugging the delusive phantom of hope, until our enemies shall have bound us hand and foot? Sir, we are not weak if we make a proper use of those means which the God of nature hath placed in our power. The millions of people, armed in the holy cause of liberty, and in such a country as that which we possess, are invincible by any force which our enemy can send against us. Besides, sir, we shall not fight our battles alone. There is a just God who presides over the destinies of nations, and who will raise up friends to fight our battles for us. The battle, sir, is not to the strong alone; it is to the vigilant, the active, the brave. Besides, sir, we have no election. If we were base enough to desire it, it is now too late to retire from the contest. There is no retreat but in submission and slavery! Our chains are forged! Their clanking may be heard on the plains of Boston! The war is inevitable--and let it come! I repeat it, sir, let it come.

It is in vain, sir, to extenuate the matter. Gentlemen may cry, Peace, Peace--but there is no peace. The war is actually begun! The next gale that sweeps from the north will bring to our ears the clash of resounding arms! Our brethren are already in the field! Why stand we here idle? What is it that gentlemen wish? What would they have? Is life so dear, or peace so sweet, as to be purchased at the price of chains and slavery? Forbid it, Almighty God! I know not what course others may take; but as for me, give me liberty or give me death!

Across Five Aprils Literature Study Questions and Related Poetry

2010-12-27T11:57:00.006-05:00

Across Five Aprils by Irene Hunt Literature Study Questions and Related Poetry

Across Five Aprils by Irene Hunt is a poignant novel for middle school age readers, although it can also be used for upper elementary and high school. Set during the Civil War, the title refers to the fact that the war started in April 1861 and ended in April 1865. This is a deep novel about complex issues and the different perspectives that can be taken about slavery and war. Expect to read carefully along with your student and be prepared to discuss the themes. There is much to learn about life, courage, and decisions here!

IMPORTANT NOTE: I have referred to three historical poems in this study guide. You can find them in the on-line study guide document which also contains all of the questions you find below in an easy-to-print Across Five Aprils Study Questions and Poetry PDF.

The novel is available from Christian Book Distributors here: Across Five Aprils by Irene Hunt.

You can find the publisher's free study guide PDF file here: Across Five Aprils Study Guide by Glencoe. You may wish to use it instead of or in addition to my study questions since it has some really great ideas, activities, maps, spelling and vocabulary words, charts, etc. My questions for chapters 1 and 2 refer to the "Introducing the Novel" and "Meet Irene Hunt" handouts which I printed out from it.

You can also use Spark Notes for Across Five Aprils and Book Rags for Across Five Aprils. I have not read all the way through these, so I don't know much of what is in them.

Please note that there may be some minor typos in my study guide and that the page numbers were from the edition we used in our home school co-op class, so if a question is driving you nuts, just skip it! :-)

Chapter 1

Read “Introducing the Novel” handout from the publisher's study guide before reading chapter 1.
Look at the first sentence (which ends with the word “road”) and tell who (names of 2 people and their relationship), what (just one main action), where (as much as you can find), and when (as much as you can find).
In the second paragraph, write down and correct any words in non-standard English.
Describe Jethro’s relationship with his mother.
Tell what Jethro’s opinion is about the possibility of war.

Chapter 2

Read the “Meet Irene Hunt” handout from the publisher's study guide before reading chapter 2.
How do the ladies show hospitality to Wilse Graham?
Compare Bill and John and describe their relationship.
How does Jethro’s attitude toward war change on page 32?
What news does Shad bring from Newton?

Chapter 3

What is going on in the first page of this chapter?
How does Bill respond to Jethro’s nighttime fears?
What is Bill’s opinion of the war
What happened between Bill and John?
Read “To William Lloyd Garrison” poem by John Greenleaf Whittier. William Lloyd Garrison (December 12, 1805–May 24, 1879) was a prominent United States abolitionist, journalist, and social reformer. He is best known as the editor of the radical abolitionist newspaper, The Liberator, and as one of the founders of the American Anti-Slavery Society. You can read more at: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Lloyd_Garrison

Chapter 4

On page 53, what do we find out about Jethro’s view of suffering?
What method did Shad use to teach Jethro about the events of the war so far?
What short rebuke does Shad give to Jethro?
What plans does Shad have for Jethro?
Read entire “Expostulation” poem by John Greenleaf Whittier here http://www.famous-poems.org/poems/john-greenleaf-whittier/expostulation and copy the verse below. (See if you can memorize it, too!) John Greenleaf Whittier (December 17, 1807 – September 7, 1892) was an American Quaker poet and forceful advocate of the abolition of slavery in the United States. You can read more at John Greenleaf Whittier and his poem "Barbara Frietchie."

Chapter 5

What is Jethro’s task in this chapter?
What happens at the store in Newton?
Describe Russ (Red) Milton.
How has your opinion of Dave Burdow changed since the start of this chapter?

Chapter 6

What major change occurs in Jethro’s life in this chapter?
How does Jenny describe herself (two ways) on page 95?
Describe the change in Matt Creighton’s personality on page 96.
What makes Jethro angry in this chapter?

Chapter 7

What does Ross Milton do on behalf of the Creighton family?
What happens to Guy Wortman?
What is Jethro puzzled about at the end of this chapter?

Chapter 8

What event happens at the Creighton’s farm?
Copy the paragraph which starts and the bottom of page 123 and ends on the top of 124.
Correct the grammar, punctuation, and spelling in this statement by John on page 127: “The sufferin and scenes of death was sech as to make a mans hart hate war.”
What is Shad’s opinion of General McClellan compared to General Burnside?

Chapter 9

What happens in the beginning of this chapter which makes everyone uneasy?
What is Jethro’s dilemma after he finds Eb?
What does he decide to do?
What is the result of the letter which Jethro sent?

Chapter 10

What does Shad’s spinster aunt request in her letter?
Find and correct any incorrect words in Jenny’s letter which starts: “I go to the hospital every day…” (Note: This includes putting apostrophes in words where necessary.)
Read the poem “The High Tide at Gettysburg”, and then tell who you think the author, Will Henry Thompson, might have been.

Chapter 11

Early in the chapter, the author comments: “Those who fought battles comfortably within their homes or newspaper offices had more than enough mud to spare.” What does this mean?
What was President Lincoln’s offer to the Confederates?
What news does Jethro’s family receive about Bill?

Chapter 12

What did Sherman’s Army of Tennessee do to Georgia?
What was Ed Turner’s reaction to his son’s letter?
What did Ross Milton say about “peace” when the war would be over?
Read this passage aloud with expression to one of your parents, and then explain what it means to them. Practice several times first! “It was the saddest and most cruel April of the five. It had held out an almost unbelievable joy and had then struck out in fury at those whose hands were outstretched. Jethro had learned to accept the whims of fate, schooled as he was in the philosophy of men who work the soil. The rains came or they were withheld, the heat ripened the grain or blasted it with scorching flame, the ears of corn matured in golden beauty of they were infested by worms or blight. One accepted the good or the evil with humility, for life was a mystery, and questions were not for the lowly. But on the last Sunday of that April, a Sunday of sunlight and bright sky, Jethro lay in the grass on Walnut Hill, and rage mingled with grief in his heart.”

Caddie Woodlawn Literature Study Questions

2010-12-27T10:59:00.000-05:00

Literature Study Questions for
Caddie Woodlawn by Carol Ryrie Brink

These are very simple study questions designed to get the students to pay attention to what they are reading. They are also suitable for oral narration if you are reading aloud. They can be used with upper elementary and middle school students.Author’s Note

According to the Author’s Note, what did the Mrs. Brink use as the basis for her story?

Copy the last paragraph.

Chapter 1How would you describe Caddie in this first chapter of the book?

How did Caddie meet Indian John?

Chapter 2

Why does Mr. Woodlawn let Caddie run around with the boys instead of acting like a young lady?

What do Mrs. Woodlawn and Mr. Tanner have in common?

Chapter 3What was Mr. Woodlawn’s policy about hunting pigeons? Why?

Describe Uncle Edmond.

Chapter 4

Why did Uncle Edmund choose to take Caddie hunting?

What did Uncle Edmund do to Caddie, and what was her reaction?

Chapter 5Why did Uncle Edmund want to take Nero with him?

What four kinds of food did the Woodlawns gather or raise in this chapter?

Chapter 6

Compare Caddie Woodlawn with Katie Hyman.

Why was the school only open in the winter?

Describe what happened with Caddie and Obediah.

Describe what happened with Miss Parker and Obediah.

Chapter 7

What was Caddie’s favorite part of the school week? Why?

What interesting thing did Caddie do as she was recovering from her illness after the accident on the ice?

What do the Woodlawn children find out about their father and their grandfather?

Chapter 9
What secret does Caddie keep for her brother Tom?

How does Caddie respond to the singing of the Star-Spangled Banner?

Chapter 10Why is Caddie’s mother concerned about her?

What rumor does the Woodlawn family hear?

Chapter 11

How does Caddie’s mother respond to the arrival of all of the neighbors?

How does Caddie’s father respond to the rumor about the Indians?

Copy this sentence: “A fine mist, almost but not quite like rain, hung in the air and curtained all horizons in obscurity.”

What does Caddie decide to do at the end of this chapter?

Chapter 12

In the paragraph which begins, “Carefully now, Betsy,” list five verbs that describe how Betsy moved. Note how this sets the tone for the paragraph.

What happens when Caddie arrives at the Indian camp?

Why did Caddie not want John to go back with her, and what was his reaction?

What happened to Katie when she saw Caddie return?

Chapter 13

What did Indian John ask Caddie to take care of for him?

Why is Hetty so delighted at the end of this chapter?

Chapter 14What sad thing happened in this chapter?

What did Caddie do to help the situation?

Chapter 15

Describe Robert Ireton copy the sentence on page 172 which begins, “On counting up the gate receipts…”

Why was Tom concerned after the show?
Chapter 16

In what manner did Caddie and Warren each recite their poems on speaking day?

What happened on the way home from school? (Give some detail!)

Chapter 17

On the first page of this chapter, copy the two paragraphs at the bottom of the page, starting with “All play and no work…” If this is not enough of a challenge for you, have your parent or sibling dictate it for you to write down.

What assignment did Father give to Tom, Caddie, and Warren?

Why did Caddie and Warren like Tom’s stories so much?

What is your personal opinion of the story of Pee-Wee?

Chapter 18

What was the importance of the Little Steamer?

What good news arrived?

What did Caddie realize about her sister Hetty?

What bad news did Mr. Tanner bring?

Chapter 19

Who were the “two unexpected heroes” and why?

How did Obediah change in this chapter?

Chapter 20

Describe Annabelle Gray in your own words.

What two tricks did Tom, Caddie and Warren play on Annabelle?

Chapter 21

Compare how Annabelle responded to the pranks that had been played on her in chapter 20 with how Caddie reacts to her mother’s punishment.

What did Caddie’s father say to her about womanhood, and what did she think about it?

Chapter 22How did Tom and Warren react when Caddie showed them her new quilting skills?

What news came in a letter with a foreign stamp?

Chapter 23

What decision did the Woodlawn family need to make, and how would they go about making their choice?

Why did Caddie’s mother choose as she did?

Chapter 24What three travelers came to the Woodlawn home, and why?

Copy the last two paragraphs and tell what they mean to you.

The Life of Joseph in Genesis

2010-11-11T18:37:00.003-05:00

Dear friends,

A few years ago, when I taught a middle school English class for a home school co-op, we did a few literature units on the Bible. We started with the life of Joseph in the book of Genesis for two weeks, and also did a week each on Psalms and Proverbs, and a couple of weeks on the student's choice of either Daniel or Esther. (See links below.)

Here are some of the questions I used for the study of Joseph. Since this was an English class, I incorporated some facets of language arts skills in with the inherent history and Bible. I categorized them by Setting, Plot, Bible History, Symbolism, Word Skills, Vocabulary, Spelling, Punctuation, Grammar. In other words, these are not the most comprehensive Bible study questions. I also skipped some passages.

I used the New International Version for this study, so some of the words may need to be adjusted if you choose another version.

The painting shown here is "Joseph Reveals His Identity" by Peter Von Cornelius.

Reading Activities #1 for Genesis 37:1-11

SETTING: What do we find out about Joseph’s lifestyle in this story?
PLOT: Underline all of the possible sources of conflict in this paragraph.
VOCABULARY: What does the word sojournings mean in verse 1?
SPELLING: Notice that sheaf is a singular word for a bundle, which is grain in this story. What is the plural for this word? There can also be a sheaf of paper or other objects.
SYMBOLISM: In Joseph’s dreams, we see the use of symbolism, in which something represents another thing. What do the sun, the moon, and the stars represent in his second dream?

Reading Activities #2 for Genesis 37:12-24

PUNCTUATION: In verse 17, we see a quote within a quote. Note that the words Let us go to Dothan are enclosed in single quotes instead of double quotes.
GRAMMAR: List all of the proper nouns in these verses.
PLOT: What did Reuben do and why?
PLOT: The story of Joseph is full of ups and downs in the direction of his life. This is his first down, and it is in the realm of family life. The ups and downs will affect wider and wider spheres of influence as the story progresses.

Reading Activities #3 for Genesis 37:25-36

VOCABULARY: What is a caravan? What is myrrh? Where else is myrrh listed in the Bible? What is Sheol?
SUFFIX: The suffix -ite means that a person is associated with a place, doctrine, leader or system. For example, an Israelite is from Israel. List two other words in this passage which end with the suffix -ite.
PLOT: Notice that the brothers did not tell their father what happened to Joseph, either true or false, but they let him assume something that was false. In other words, they intentionally mislead their father by not telling the whole truth, even though they technically did not make any untrue statements. This is just as evil!

Reading Activities #4 for Genesis 39:1-23

PUNCTUATION: The word LORD is written with all capital letters at various places in the Bible. It translates a Hebrew word for God which means Lord Almighty. The capital letters show respect.
PLOT: What do we find out about Potiphar’s wife and her character?
PLOT: This part of the story shows an UP, a DOWN, and another UP in Joseph’s life. Tell what the UP and DOWN parts were. Who caused the UP parts? Who caused the DOWN parts? Was God still in control even during the DOWN parts of the story?

Reading Activities #5 for Genesis 40:1-23

VOCABULARY: What does the word custody mean? What does interpretation mean?
PLOT: Explain how the dreams of the cupbearer and the baker are specifically related to each person’s job.
Like -ite, the suffixes -an and -ian can mean that a person is associated with a place. For example, a Brazilian is from Brazil. What word like this can you find in this passage?

Reading Activities #6 for Genesis 41:1-36

PLOT: The timing makes a huge difference in the plot! Joseph didn’t get out of prison right away after the cupbearer made a promise to speak to Pharaoh on his behalf. How much later did Joseph get called to help Pharaoh? Why do you suppose that God allowed him to stay there that long?
PLOT: Why did Pharaoh have two dreams that essentially showed the same thing?
PLOT: What was Joseph’s plan in response to Pharaoh’s dream?
PUNCTUATION: Note in verse 34 that the fraction word one-fifth has a hyphen between the numbers. Write the words for ½ and ¾.
VOCABULARY: What does the word reserve mean in verse 36?

Reading Activities #7 for Genesis 41:37-57

PUNCTUATION: We use quote marks to show when someone says something. Copy down at least three quotes from this passage. Pay careful attention to how quotes are punctuated, especially when they are part of a larger sentence. Sometimes a quote is interrupted, such as in the following example: “For,” he said, “God has made me forget all my hardship and all my father's house.”
PLOT: What are some of the “perks” (special benefits) that went with the position Pharaoh gave to Joseph?
PLOT: This passage represents another UP in Joseph’s life story. Besides his important position and his valuable work, he gained three family members. What are their names?

Reading Activities #8 for Genesis 42:1-38

PLOT: The plot thickens! The very brothers who sold Joseph into slavery are now at his mercy, and they don’t even realize who he is! Why does Joseph question and accuse his brothers? What does he find out about their heart attitudes?
WORD SKILLS: Find all of the proper names listed in this passage and write them in alphabetical order. Include the names of seven people and three places.
BIBLE HISTORY: Note that there are two names for Joseph’s father. Which one did he get at birth, and which one was given to him later by God?
PLOT: Why doesn’t Jacob want Benjamin to go to Egypt?

Reading Activities #9 for Genesis 43:1-34

PLOT: What is Joseph’s attitude toward his brothers in this passage?
PLOT: What was so amazing about the seating arrangement in verse 33?
VOCABULARY: What does the word abomination mean in verse 32?

Reading Activities #10 for Genesis 44:1-34

PUNCTUATION: In the second paragraph, there is a quote-within-a-quote. A pair of single quote marks (‘ and ’) are used to enclose it. Note that the ending single quote mark is right next to the ending double quote mark, so it looks like this: ’” Write your own quote-within-a-quote with proper punctuation.
PLOT: What do we find out about Judah’s character in this passage?

Reading Activities #11 for Genesis 45:1-28

PLOT: What does Joseph say is the reason that all of this stuff has happened to him?
PLOT: Who is ultimately responsible for everything that happens to us? What kind of attitude should we have toward our troubles in life because of this?
PLOT: How does Jacob respond to the news that Joseph is alive?

Reading Activities #12 for Genesis 46:1-34

PLOT: Copy the promise that God makes to Jacob.
PUNCTUATION: In verse 26, you will notice that the word sixty-six has a hyphen in it. This is how most two digit numbers are written as words. What words for two digit numbers do not have hyphens in them? (Hint: There are 17 of them.)

Reading Activities #13 for Genesis 47:1-31

VOCABULARY: What does the word languish mean in verse 13?
PLOT: What happens to the people who have run out of food?

Reading Activities #14 for Genesis 49:28-26

PLOT: Why did both Jacob and Joseph want to be buried in Canaan?
PLOT: The key verses in this entire story are found in Genesis 50:19-20, as well as Genesis 45:5-8 on page 13 of this study guide. Write a paragraph telling what you have learned about how God’s providence guides each event of our life, whether it is pleasant or unpleasant.
PLOT: Why was Joseph able to forgive his brothers for their horrible sin against him?

Twiddling Your Curriculum Choices: Small Changes Can Make a Big Impact

2010-11-11T15:38:00.001-05:00

Dear friends,

Have you ever started out using one curriculum and then realized it wasn't working for you or your child? What do you do next? This has happened to me many times in the past two decades of home schooling. Sometimes, I see what I can do to adjust the curriculum so we can keep using it, picking and choosing from it what is helpful and what is not. Other times I switch to another resource to use at least for a while. Much of home schooling is a matter of trial and error since each child can be so different from the others, and some curriculum just doesn't click! Also, there are times when we buy something that we haven't used before and we don't know yet how it will perform in the daily scheme of things.

For about four years, our family was enrolled in a structured home school co-op where each teacher selected the curriculum that would be used by his or her students. This was, of course, necessary to keep things in order so everyone could be "on the same page" and make it easier for the teacher to plan assignments. However, I have always loved picking curriculum, so this was one trade-off I had to make.

However, this past spring, having decided we would go back to what my husband calls "true home schooling", I relished the opportunity to go resource hunting again. There is a wonderful used bookstore near us that carries a lot of curriculum, and I noticed some middle school Earth Science books from a Christian publisher on clearance for $6 a piece. I bought two identical ones, because the child who would be using them likes to read to me, and it's easier for me, as a visual learner, to follow along if I have my own copy right in front of me. Well, we used this text for about 12 weeks, but it seemed like he was having a hard time motivating himself to read the chapters, and hunting down the specific answers to the questions always slowed the process down even more. I asked him about this, and he said he really wanted to learn about a whole variety of science topics, especially physical science, chemistry, technology, etc.

I didn't want to buy anything new for him right then, so I started looking on my shelves for what we already had. I hit the jackpot with a science encyclopedia (published by Dempsey Parr) which was written for his age level. Each page spread covers a different topic, with plenty of visually appealing diagrams, charts, and photos. There are also experiments in the back of the book. I showed it to him and he was absolutely delighted. Each day he reads four pages and then writes a paragraph about what he has read. He prefers this kind of open-ended written narration rather than comprehension questions anyway, so this is perfect. I love reading what he has learned each day. Science has become a joy for him instead of drudgery!

One small change, one big impact! I'm not saying we should be wishy-washy or give in to every sign of discontent in our children, but we do need to give it careful thought and see what we can do.

Don't be afraid to adjust curriculum as needed. It is not a sign that you "failed" in picking something out the first time, but of sensitivity to your child in being willing to change! It gives your child the message that you care.

Oh, what happened to the two Earth Science books I had bought? I brought them in to sell back to the used bookstore, and oddly enough, the on-line resale price had shot up to $60 each. The store pays about 50% of expected sales price if you choose to take store credit, so I came out with $30 in credit for each $6 I had spent! Sweet deal!

Blessings,
Virginia Knowles
http://www.continuewellhomeschool.blogspot.com/

Islam Vocabulary and Concepts

2010-09-30T15:11:00.000-04:00

Dear friends,

In my middle school English class at our (former) home school co-op last spring, I gave my students an assignment to read a missionary biography and write a report about it. In conjunction with this, I taught a series on major religions and world views, explaining the vocabulary and concepts behind Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism, atheism/secularism, communism/socialism, tribal religions and Judaism. You can find the Judaism list here: Judaism Vocabulary and Concepts.

This is the vocabulary word list for Islam. In addition to the following vocabulary words, I printed out current news reports related to Islam, plus an article about Samuel Zwemer, who was a missionary to Muslims. We discussed all of this in class, as well as comparing Islam with the Christian Bible. For more information on Islam from a Christian perspective, visit www.answering-islam.org/.

Islam Vocabulary Words

Allah: name for God; they often say "Insha Allah" which means "if Allah is willing"
Arabic: the language that the Qur'an is written in
burqa: full coverage clothing worn by many Muslim women
caliph: ruler of an Islamic Empire -- or a representative
Crusades: the battles that the Catholic church waged against Islam in an attempt to capture the Holy Lands during the Middle Ages.
fatwa: religious verdict/ruling; (in 1989, the Ayatollah Khomeini of Iran issued a fatwa that sentenced author Salman Rushdie to death for publishing an anti-Islamic book but the fatwa was lifted 1998)
Five Pillars of Islam: the main duties of Muslims: shahada, salat, zakat, sawm, and hajj
Gabriel: the angel who supposedly spoke to the Prophet Mohammad
hajj: A pilgrimage to Mecca, the birthplace of Mohammad, is one of the five pillars of the Islamic faith.
imam: a leader of Muslim religious services
Islam: the name of the religion which worships Allah -- it means "submission to the will of Allah"
jihad:“striving” or “holy war”
minaret: a tower of the mosque where the muezzin issues the call to prayer
Mohammad: prophet who founded Islam, also spelled Muhammad or Mohammed
mosque: a Muslim place of worship
muezzin: a man who calls others to pray five times a day, usually from a minaret
mulla: a scholar or teacher of Islamic law
Muslim: a member of the religion of Islam, also spelled Moslem
Qur'an: the Muslim holy book, also spelled Koran
Ramadan: the month of prayer and fasting (Arabic name for fasting is sawm; it is one of the five pillars of Islam); Ramadan ends in the festival of Eid al-Fitr
salat: the Moslem ritual of praying five times a day after a handwashing ritual. It is one of the five pillars of Islamic faith
Saudi Arabia: the country where the religion of Islam started
shahada: the declaration of Muslim faith: "There is no god but Allah; Mohammad is the messenger of Allah." This is the first of the five pillars of Islam
shari’ah: system of law imposed in Muslim countries -- many Muslims are trying to get shari'ah law into European countries
Shi’ites: a strict Muslim sect which rejects the first three caliphs, insisting that Mohammad’s son-in-law ’Ah was Mohammad's rightful initial successor; they believe that imams are infallible (never make mistakes); 10% of Muslims (about 170 million) are Shi'ites, and they are predominant in Iran and Iraq
Sufi: a small Muslim sect of Iranian (Persian) philosophical mystics who have adapted and reinterpreted Islam to make it a "heart religion" rather than a system of rules; they are often persecuted by other Muslims
Sunni: The largest Muslim sect which acknowledges the first four caliphs as Mohammad’s rightful successors; 90% of Muslims (more than a billion!) are Sunni
surah: a chapter of the Qur'an -- there are 114 surahs
zakat: donations or charity; money given to provide education, keep up or build mosques or help the needy -- one of the five pillars of Islam

Islam Vocabulary Questions

1. What are the Five Pillars of Islam?

_____________________ (declaration)

_____________________ (prayer)

_____________________ (charity)

_____________________ (fasting)

_____________________ (pilgrimage)

2. Which three vocabulary words are names of sects of Islam?

__________________________ (biggest one)

__________________________ (strictest one)

__________________________ (mystical one)

3. Which vocabulary words are different kinds of individual people who lead in Islam?

______________________________

______________________________

______________________________

4. How many surahs are in the Qur'an? What language is it written in? What is another spelling for Qur'an?

Great American Communicators: Sequoyah

2010-08-18T23:39:00.001-04:00

Great American Communicators
Sequoyah: Inventor of the Cherokee Syllabary

Sequoyah, born in the 1770’s, was a Cherokee Indian. His mother was full blood Indian, and his father was probably at least half-white. His English name is Geroge Gist or Guess. Sequoyah became an excellent blacksmith and silversmith and operated a trading business. He also had a drinking problem, but he gave up alcohol when he saw how it was ruining his life.

Sequoyah wanted the Indian people to have a way to read “talking leaves” like the English speaking people did. He never spoke English, and he never understood how the English alphabet worked, although he had seen some books. Facing much opposition and taking 12 years away from his business, he invented the Cherokee syllabary. This is like an alphabet, but there is a character for each syllable, not for each individual phonetic sound. He had originally tried to do a character for each word, like in Chinese. Sequoyah used 85 characters in his syllabary.

In order to prove that his syllabary worked, he taught his daughter, Ah-yo-kah how to read. Word spread quickly of Sequoyah's invention. In 1821, the Cherokee Nation adopted Sequoyah's alphabet as their own. Within months thousands of Cherokee became literate. Thousands of Cherokee began to use Sequoyah's invention on a daily basis and the syllabary gave the nation the ability to create the first American Indian newspaper, The Cherokee Phoenix.

By 1825, the Bible and numerous religious hymns and pamphlets, educational materials and legal documents and books of every description were translated into the Cherokee language.

Read more about Sequoyah here: Sequoyah Birthplace Museum

"Sequoyah"
by David J. Brown (a Cherokee)

Thou Cadmus of thy race!
Thou giant of thy age!
In every heart a place,
In history a living page;
The juggernaut chariot time,
May crush as she doth give;
But a noble name like thine,
Shall ever with Kee-too-whah live.

Orion-like thou dost stand,
In any age and clime,
With intellect as grand,
As ever shown by time,
'Twas thy hand lit the spark
That heavenward flashed its ray
Revealing the shining mark
The straight and narrow way.

Ignorance and superstitious awe
From high pedestals toppled o'er
When as the ancient giver of law,
Smiting, thou mad'st the waters pour;
Stand thou didst on Pisgah's height,
And gazed into the future deep.
But day was ne'er unclasped from night
E'er thy spirit silently fell asleep.

Great American Communicators: Benjamin Franklin

2010-08-18T23:23:00.001-04:00

This is another handout from my series on Great American Communicators that I taught to my students in the middle school English class in a large home school co-op.

Benjamin Franklin’s Contributions to Communications

Benjamin Franklin was born in 1706, the 15th of the 20 Franklin children! There must have been a whole lot of communicating going on in his house when he was a kid!
He stopped going to school when he was 10 (his parents couldn’t afford it) but he LOVED to read!
He apprenticed as a printer -- but he hated working for his brother James and so he ran away.
His pseudonym (false name) for writing letters to his brother’s paper was “Mrs. Silence Dogood”!
At age 24 he started the Pennsylvania Gazette newspaper.
He created the Poor Richard’s Almanack from 1732 to 1757. It was a yearly book with a calendar, list of events, advice, witty sayings, weather predictions, etc.
He founded the first public library in Philadelphia.
He established the postal system.
He founded a college.
He was elected to the Pennsylvania Assembly in 1751.
He was sent to England several times to protest their treatment of the American colonies.
He went as the ambassador to France to persuade them to support the colonies in the Revolutionary War.
As a delegate to the Second Continental Congress, he helped write the Declaration of Independence.
He was the only man to sign the Declaration of Independence, the Treaty of Paris AND the Constitution.
He wrote essays against slavery.
He tried to invent an easier alphabet, but it never caught on.
He wrote an autobiography, The Life of Benjamin Franklin.
I’m not even listing his scientific inventions – just the things that are about communications!

Can you unscramble these words and phrases that appear on this page? riptren, dusymepon, zegatet, clamkaan, clubip rilybar, lopast ystesm, bodarasams, easyss, tunconsittio, goubarthopyai, habalpet

Here are some of Benjamin Franklin's proverbs:

An empty bag cannot stand upright.
Be always ashamed to catch thyself idle.
The doors of wisdom are never shut.
Early to bed and early to rise makes a man healthy, wealthy, and wise.
God helps them that help themselves.
Hunger never saw bad bread.
If you'd have a servant that you like, serve your self.
Keep thy shop and thy shop will keep thee.
A lie stands on one leg, the truth on two.
A man without a wife is but half a man.
Nothing but money is sweeter than honey.
One today is worth two tomorrows.
Pay what you owe and you'll know what's your own.
A quarrelsome man has no good neighbors.
The rotten apple spoils his companion.
Speak little, do much.
Three may keep a secret, if two of them are dead.
Up, sluggard, and waste not life; in the grave will be sleeping enough.
Visits should be short, like a winter's day.
Well done is better than well said.
A good example is the best sermon.
You may delay, but time will not.
There are lazy minds as well as lazy bodies.
Let thy child's first Lesson be obedience, and the second will be what thou wilt.
Dost thou love life? Then do not squander time; for that's the stuff life is made of.
A good conscience is a continual Christmas.
God heals, and the doctor takes the fee.

What do these proverbs mean? Can you write some of them in your own words?

Put a star by the ones that talk about working hard and not being lazy.

P.S. Benjamin Franklin spent many years in Philadelphia, including a lot of time working in the building that is now known Independence Hall. We visited historic Philadelphia this summer; you can see our pictures of the sites here: Historic Philadelphia.

Great American Communicators: Thomas Jefferson

2010-08-18T23:11:00.005-04:00

In the middle school English class which I taught for a large home school co-op, I used to do a series on Great American Communicators the years we studied American literature. I featured about a dozen men and women who had made significant contributions to American communications either by what they spoke or wrote themselves, or what they did to improve communication for others. Some of them included John Winthrop (Puritan pastor), Jonathan Edwards (preacher in the Great Awakening), Benjamin Franklin (statesman, newspaperman, inventor, library and college founder, etc.), Noah Webster (creator of the American dictionary and spelling books), Alexander Graham Bell (inventor of the telephone and teacher of the deaf), Sequoyah (inventor of the Cherokee syllabary for written language), and Phillis Wheatley (slave poet). Here is what I gave my students in their handouts for Thomas Jefferson.

Great American Communicators: Thomas Jefferson

President John F. Kennedy welcomed forty-nine Nobel Prize winners of the Western Hemisphere to the White House in 1962, saying, "I think this is the most extraordinary collection of talent, of human knowledge, that has ever been gathered at the White House, with the possible exception of when Thomas Jefferson dined alone."

Thomas Jefferson was a VERY talented man. He was the primary author of the Declaration of Independence, second Governor of Virginia, second U.S. Vice President, third U.S. president, lawyer, inventor, architect, agriculturalist, archaeologist, and the founder of the University of Virginia. He also must have been quite a reader. After the Library of Congress was burned during the War of 1812, Thomas Jefferson sold Congress 6,487 books from his collection to start a new one.

However, for all of his intellectual gifts, Thomas Jefferson was not an evangelical Christian. He was probably a deist. He made up his own condensed version of the Gospels which left in the moral teachings of Jesus, but none of the miracles. So from an eternal perspective, he was not a wise man. 1 Corinthians 1:18-20 & 25 says:

"For the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. For it is written, “I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and the discernment of the discerning I will thwart.” Where is the one who is wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the debater of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? . . . . For the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men."

Oddly enough, Jefferson is said to have been a poor public speaker and gave only two public speeches as president. He even refused to give his State of the Union speeches in person, and instead sent them to Congress in writing. His other communication skills more than compensated for this lack. You don’t have to be good at everything to be good at something.

Thomas Jefferson died on July 4, 1826, the 50th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence. John Adams, who had been the 2nd president, died the same day.

Jefferson’s epitaph said:

HERE WAS BURIED THOMAS JEFFERSON

AUTHOR OF THE DECLARATION OF AMERICAN INDEPENDENCE

OF THE STATUTE OF VIRGINIA FOR RELIGIOUS FREEDOM

AND FATHER OF THE UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA

He didn’t even mention that he had been President of the United States!

At the Jefferson Memorial in Washington, D.C., these words of Thomas Jefferson are inscribed: “I have sworn upon the altar of God eternal hostility against every form of tyranny over the mind of man.”

Jefferson is also one of the four presidents (along with George Washington, Abraham Lincoln and Theodore Roosevelt) carved into Mount Rushmore. His portrait appears on the nickel and the rare $2 bill.

Can you find it on these pages?

□ Find the ellipsis in the Bible passage. Why is it there? (It is a kind of punctuation.)
□ Find an example of humor in the form of a compliment.
□ Who died the same day as Thomas Jefferson?

Think About It!

Thomas Jefferson worked with other men to write the Declaration of Independence. They each contributed their ideas, but he was the one to put it all together. What kind of skills does it take to get a group to agree on what to say?

Can you imagine being the person responsible for writing a document like this that would change world history? Thomas Jefferson’s words didn’t just affect the people right around him in his own time period. They affect us every day, because we live in this country, and they affect people all around the world because so many governments are based on ours.

You may not write anything as earth shattering as the Declaration of Independence, but your words – both written and spoken – do have an effect on people around you. Do you know what a ripple effect is? That’s when you have an effect on someone else, and then they in turn have an effect on someone else, and so on. So, if you take the time to encourage someone, they might treat someone else kinder, and then that person may pass the favor on to the next person, etc. But if you are nasty to someone, they might be nasty to everyone else around them, and so on.

My challenge to you is to stay faithful to Christ in all that you do, so that you won’t just be known for being smart or talented, but you will have an impact on others for eternity.

Read It Aloud!Preamble to The Declaration of Independence

I have included part of the Declaration of Independence below. Of course, they didn’t have TV or the Internet back then, so it was sent out by courier to all the colonies. Imagine, like nine year old Andrew Jackson (who later became president) that you have been chosen to read it to the townspeople. Recite it out loud as clearly as you can and think about what it says. See if you can memorize several lines of it.

In Congress, July 4, 1776

The Unanimous Declaration of the Thirteen United States of America

When, in the Course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another, and to assume among the Powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature's God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation.

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers form the consent of the governed. That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive to these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness. Prudence, indeed, will dictate that Governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes; and accordingly all experience hath shown that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable, than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed. But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security. --Such has been the patient sufferance of these Colonies; and such is now the necessity which constrains them to alter their former Systems of Government. The history of the present King of Great Britain is a history of repeated injuries and usurpations, all having in direct object the establishment of an absolute Tyranny over these States. To prove this, let Facts be submitted to a candid world.

(There is much more! This is just the start of it!)

P.S. Our family visited Jefferson's beautiful estate, Monticello, on our summer vacation. You can see pictures here: Monticello.

Blessings,
Virginia Knowles
http://www.continuewellhomeschool.blogspot.com/

Creator, Creation & Creativity

2010-07-19T10:37:00.001-04:00

Creator, Creation & Creativity
An excerpt from The Real Life Home School Mom: It's a Life in Revision

As home school moms, we long to fill our children’s hearts and minds with good things! We are not just talking about behavioral rules or academic skills, but a thirst for beauty. We are right to focus on the cross and salvation as the foundation of our faith, but we also need to reverence the Lord as our Awesome Creator. Think back to Genesis about how our Lord marvelously called our world into existence. Paradise! Beauty! Purpose in life! Oh, how sin marred this ideal, but creation still points us to our Creator. In fact, Romans 1:18-20 says: “For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth. For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made.”

I think that part of introducing our children to spiritual things, to the realm of a Gracious God in their lives, begins with an appreciation for creation. We should give our children ample time to enjoy the splendors and the intricacies of the natural world. They should gain a sense of divine awe for the masterful design of geographical formations, plants, and animals. This can inspire us to worship the Lord! The same God who created all this created me, too! We didn’t evolve from pond slime. We were designed by an all-knowing all-powerful God who has a plan for our individual lives. There are myriad excellent resources to teach our children about creation versus evolution. The Incredible Creatures that Defy Evolution DVDs are a great example of this. As home school families, let’s take full advantage of our right and privilege to use them.

I recently came across a book which expands on children, nature, creativity, imagination, a sense of wonder and mystery, the arts, and the heart far beyond whatever I could write here. Be sure to get a copy of Romancing Your Child’s Heart by Monte Swan. This is a masterful book on parenting, a must-read highly recommended by folks like Tedd Tripp (author of Shepherding a Child’s Heart), Dennis Rainey (Family Life Today), and Wade and Jessica Hulcy (authors of the KONOS curriculum). I was captivated from the start by Monte’s description of his own Wisconsin childhood, and parents who nurtured his love of nature and of creative tinkering, even though he struggled with traditional learning. The aimed for the heart – and they got it! Monte writes: “As we smell a wildflower in the springtime, watch a blazing sunset over the desert, or witness a thunderstorm on a sultry summer afternoon, beauty and drama capture our hearts. Is the wonder we feel the response He hoped for as He created these things? I'm confident that creation reveals another aspect of romance in God's heart. He's the first Quilter of prairies, the primer Painter of autumn colors, the archetypical Sculptor of the mountains, the master Composer of the whippoorwill's song, and the original Poet of grace and truth. And He has imprinted His creative image in human hearts. Burning curiosity, wonder at mystery, and the delight at finding a solution that makes order visible -- all these accompany creativity, giving us our fullest happiness and deepest satisfaction on earth."

Let’s go beyond nature study to more human endeavors. Our creative God, who made us in his image as creative beings, often reveals himself through the “common graces” of literature, art, music, and nature study. Charlotte Mason, the esteemed turn-of-the-century British educator who wrote much about home schooling, always urged parents to make the most of these, rather than merely dull dry paperwork. She envisioned children growing up wholesomely in the spiritual, emotional, mental, and physical realms of life. That’s what we want: true beauty, a keen aesthetic sense that so fills the soul that there is no room for the garbage our culture dishes up so liberally. The beauty I am talking about is not just “pretty stuff” for the eyes and ears. It is not devoid of pain and suffering. It is what transforms the soul toward the inner beauty of kindness and compassion – and that will mean exposure to the pathos of human existence. Our literature choices need to carefully reflect real life at the heart level. French archbishop Francis Fenelon wrote in 1687:

“Children filled with thoughts of their romantic heroes, become astonished when they look around in real life, and cannot discover a single person throughout the world bearing resemblance with their ideal hero. They would wish to live like those princes and princesses who are always charming, always adored, always above every care. What a disgust for them to descend from a hero and heroine, to the low detail and drudgery of taking care of a family. Children should be influenced by books that vividly portray life in all its trials and victories. Divine providence should echo throughout its pages. Characters who suffer wrongfully in a righteous manner, and display humble dispositions, will lay a secure foundation for the time when childhood may be stolen away; perhaps through the death of a loved one, sickness, or calamity. Children need informed instruction, and models of heroes and heroines of righteousness to fill their reserves for such a time. In literature as well as in history, God who doeth all things well, must be seen through the filter of His divine love and tender care of His children and as an avenger of all who harden their neck.”

Literature, art, music, nature study – these are so vital to “ignite the delight” in a child’s education! But they must be worthy! Philippians 4:8 tells us, “Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.”

What is the learning atmosphere in our homes? Are they places where great books are read to one another in the evening (or at any other time), where lullabies and hymns are sung, where fine art books are contentedly browsed through on the couch, or where an older sister thinks to put on classical music so a tiny brother and sister can grow up with a bit of culture? We can have it if we choose it. Even if we don’t own all the resources we would like, we can always go to the library, or take a field trip to an art museum or a free concert in the community.

Beyond enjoying the creativity of other people, our hearts are nurtured when we create beauty, too! Art is not just another school subject. In whatever form it takes, it is a way of touching the heart, of being who God created us to be. We can affirm our children in their fledgling efforts at creativity. Each child has different talents and interests, but each one can find a niche or two. Whether it is a pennywhistle performance, a colored pencil drawing, a pattern block design, a piano minuet, a zany impromptu skit, a rollicking rhyme, a fragrant flower garden, or a tasty ethnic meal – may our lives be enriched by the abundant fruits of their creativity! We don’t expect perfection because we learn and improve as we go. We don’t want to squelch the desire with undue criticism. Our family once visited an Eric Carle exhibit at our local art museum. From an information panel on the wall, we learned that he was inspired in his vibrant artistry by a kindergarten teacher whose encouragement carried him through the rest of his dull years of education. How much will our words of affirmation mean to our children, for whom we will be primary teacher for so many years? Let’s aim for the heart with the arts!

If you still think that the creative arts are optional, ponder for a moment how they can be used for God’s glory within the church. Our children have sung in choirs and on the church worship team, acted in church musicals, painted sets and sewed costumes for Christmas productions, face painted for community outreaches, mimed on mission trips, helped out with kids’ crafts during a Mom’s Brunch and much more. Our church also has several talented young dancers who bless us during holiday services, musicals, and youth outreaches. I see so much hope for the future of the church knowing these young people are using their creative energies – in whatever form -- to minister to others. Think also of how dependent our culture is on the arts to communicate messages about life. If we want to be able to draw people to the Savior, we are going to have to raise up a generation skilled in relaying the Good News through the most effective, heart-reaching means. Let’s get them hooked on honoring God with their talents while they are young! This starts with giving them high quality examples to emulate in the books they read, the music they listen to, the art they look at, the movies they watch, and the people they meet. Choose well – you are laying a foundation for life.

How Does a Home Schooler Change a Light Bulb?

2010-06-06T20:59:00.000-04:00

HOW DOES A HOME SCHOOLER CHANGE A LIGHT BULB?

I don't remember where I saw this, but I tucked it into the June 2000 edition of the Hope Chest. Wow, it's fun reading stuff after a whole decade!

Q: How does a home schooler change a light bulb?

A: First, mom checks three books on electricity out of the library, then the kids make models of light bulbs, read a biography of Thomas Edison and do a skit based on his life. Next, everyone studies the history of lighting methods, wrapping up with dipping their own candles. Next, everyone takes a trip to the store where they compare types of light bulbs as well as prices and figure out how much change they'll get if they buy two bulbs for $1.99 and pay with a five dollar bill. On the way home, a discussion develops over the history of money and also Abraham Lincoln, as his picture is on the five dollar bill. Finally, after building a homemade ladder out of branches dragged from the woods, the light bulb is installed. And there is light.

Summer Reading List

2010-06-05T10:34:00.002-04:00

Summer peaks around the corner. For some people packing for vacation is first and foremost on the mind. For others, summer camps and mission trips demand last minute trips to variety stores to purchase last minute necessities. In the midst of preparing for what summer will bring to our families, some of us are also visiting local libraries and used book sales to gather summer reading materials. For those who have asked about summer reading possibilities, I write this blog. The titles have been compiled over the years and are printed in Appendix D of my book You HAVE to Read This One: Raising a Contagious Reader.

"Parents choose reading materials for their children based upon several factors:
• a student’s reading ability and maturity,
• family’s values and worldview, and
• whether a book is to be read aloud or read independently.

All these factors, or a combination of these factors, will determine what titles are appropriate for your children. My list was complied for parents with upper elementary (grades 4-5) and middle school (grades 6-8) students.

The spectrum of age and maturity of students in grades four through eight is great. As a guide, I have marked titles considered more difficult—by vocabulary or content— with (M). Parents may decide to wait until grades 7-8 to introduce these books. Selections marked (2-4) may be considered acceptable read-aloud titles for grades 2-4. As always, if in doubt, read the book first."

• Adams, Richard, Watership Down (M)
• Alcott, Louisa May, Little Men (M)
• Alcott, Louisa May, Little Women (M)
• Allman, Barbara, Musical Genius
• Andersen, Hans Christian, Hans Andersen’s Fairy Tales
• Armstrong, William, Sounder
• Atwater, Richard and Florence, Mr. Popper’s Penguins
• Bagnold, Enid, National Velvet
• Barrie, J. M., Peter Pan
• Baum, L. Frank, The Wizard of Oz
• Beatty, Patricia, Turn Homeward Hannalee
• Beechick, Ruth, Adam and His Kin
• Blackmore, R. D., Lorna Doone
• Brink, Carol Ryrie, Caddie Woodlawn
• Bulla, Clyde Robert, A Lion to Guard Us
• Burnett, Frances Hodgson, Little Lord Fauntleroy
• Carroll, Lewis, Alice in Wonderland
• Collodi, Carlo, Pinocchio
• Crane, Stephen, The Red Badge of Courage (M)
• Coerr, Eleanor, Sadako and the Thousand Paper Cranes
• Crockett, Davy, The Life of David Crockett (M)
• D’Angeli, Marguerite, The Door in the Wall
• Dalgliesh, Alice, The Courage of Sarah Noble (2-4)
• Defoe, Daniel, The Life and Adventures of Robinson Crusoe
• DeJong, Meindert, The Wheel on the School (M)
• Dickens, Charles, A Christmas Carol (M)
• Dickens, Charles, A Tale of Two Cities (M)
• Dickens, Charles, Great Expectations (M)
• Dickens, Charles, Oliver Twist (M)
• du Bois, William Pene, The Twenty-One Balloons (M)
• Edmonds, Walter D., The Matchlock Gun (2-4)
• Equiano, Olaudah, The Kidnapped Prince
• Finley, Martha, Elise Densmore
• Fleischman, Sid, By the Great Horn Spoon!
• Fleischman, Sid, The Whipping Boy
• Forbes, Esther, Johnny Tremain (M)
• Fritz, Jean, The Cabin Faced West (2-4)
• George, Jean Craighead, Julie of the Wolves
• George, Jean Craighead, My Side of the Mountain
• Gipson, Fred, Old Yeller
• Gray, Elizabeth Janet, Adam of the Road
• Green, Roger Lancelyn, Tales of Ancient Egypt (M)
• Green, Roger Lancelyn, The Adventures of Robin Hood
• Green, Roger Lancelyn, The Tale of Troy
• Hawthorne, Nathaniel, The Scarlet Letter (M)
• Henty, G.A., Beric the Briton
• Henty, G. A., Cat of Bubastes
• Henty, G. A., For the Temple
• Henty, G. A., Young Carthaginian
• Homer, The Odyssey
• Homer, The Illiad
• Hugo, Victor, The Hunchback of Notre Dame (M)
• Hunt, Irene, Across Five Aprils (M)
• Hunt, Irene, Up the Road Slowly (M)
• Keith, Harold, Rifles for Watie
• Kelly, Eric P., The Trumpeter of Krakow (M)
• Kipling, Rudyard, Captains Courageous
• Kipling, Rudyard, Just So Stories
• Kipling, Rudyard, The Jungle Book
• Langford, Alan, Tales of the Greek Heroes (M)
• Lee, Harper, To Kill a Mockingbird (M)
• Latham, Jean Lee, Carry On, Mr. Bowditch
• Lawson, Robert, Rabbit Hill
• L’Engle, Madeleine, A Wrinkle in Time
• Lenski, Lois, The Strawberry Girl (2-4)
• Lewis, C.S., The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe
• Lindgren, Astrid, Pippi Longstocking
• Lofting, Hugh, Doctor Dolittle Stories
• London, Jack, The Call of the Wild
• London, Jack, White Fang
• Macdonald, George, The Princess and the Goblin
• McGraw, Eloise Jarvis, Mara, Daughter of the Nile
• McGraw, Eloise Jarvis, The Golden Goblet
• Montgomery, Lucy Maud, Anne of Green Gables
• Morey, Walt, Gentle Ben
• Norton, Mary, The Borrowers (2-4)
• O’Dell, Scott, Island of the Blue Dolphins
• O’Dell, Scott, The Hawk that Dare Not Hunt by Day (M)
• Porter, Eleanor, Pollyanna (2-4)
• Rawlings, Marjorie Kinnan, The Yearling (M)
• Rawls, Wilson, Where the Red Fern Grows
• Richter, Conrad, The Light in the Forest
• Sewell, Anna, Black Beauty
• Sharp, Margery, The Rescuers
• Sheldon, George, The Cricket in Times Square
• Speare, Elizabeth George, Calico Captive
• Speare, Elizabeth George, The Bronze Bow
• Speare, Elizabeth George, The Sign of the Beaver
• Speare, Elizabeth George, The Witch of Blackbird Pond (M)
• Spyri, Johanna, Heidi
• Stevenson, Robert Louis, A Child’s Garden of Verses
• Stevenson, Robert Louis, Treasure Island
• Swift, Jonathan, Gulliver's Travels
• Taylor, Mildred, Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry (M)
• ten Boom, Corrie, The Hiding Place (M)
• Tolkien, J.R.R, The Hobbit
• Tolkien, J.R.R., Fellowship of the Rings
• Twain, Mark, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn (M)
• Twain, Mark, The Adventures of Tom Sawyer (M)
• Vern, Jules, 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea (M)
• Vern, Jules, Around the World in Eighty Days
• Vern, Jules, Journey to the Center of the Earth (M)
• Wells, H. G., Time Machine (M)
• White, E. B., Charlotte’s Web (2-4)
• White, E. B., Stuart Little
• Wiggin, Kate Douglas, Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm
• Williamson, Joanne, Hittite Warrior
• Wyss, Jonathan David, Swiss Family Robinson
• Yates, Elizabeth, Amos Fortune Free Man

May this reading list is a springboard to many summer adventures!
Cheryl Bastian
www.cherylbastian.com

Touching Cartoon on the Holocaust

2010-05-30T15:23:00.001-04:00

Please click on the cartoon to enlarge it so you can read the words. (Once it opens in a separate window you can click it again one more time to make it even bigger.) Then read this blog post, too. Holocaust Vocabulary and Concepts

Virginia

The Mystery of Math

2010-05-14T00:15:00.000-04:00

THE MYSTERY OF MATH

One thing that I like about math is that it is so orderly! If you stick with it, things compute. They stay constant and objective. At the same time, math is a marvelous mystery. There is always something new and thrilling to discover. The patterns can be awe inspiring and even beautiful. In so many ways, I can see the hand of a Master Designer (our Gracious Creator) in math. Who else could invent all of the intricacies of geometry or the sense of justice found in algebraic equations?

I have had a load of fun computing the sums of digits in multiplication facts. I know this is a bit complicated, but stick with me for a minute. Take a piece of paper, and write the numbers 1 to 20 down the side. In the next column, write the sums of the digits of each number.

For example, the digit sum of 11 is 2, the digit sum of 12 is 3, etc. If you get a sum over 9, add the two digits of that number. For example, the intermediate digit sum of 59 is 14, and adding 1 and 4, the final sum is 5.

The pattern for multiples of 1 thus goes like this: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 9, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9... until infinity.

Now, in another column, write the multiples of 2 up to 40, and the corresponding digit sums. The new pattern will be 2, 4, 6, 8, 3, 5, 7, 9, 2, 4, 6, 8, 3, 5, 7, 9.... (Even numbers in ascending order, then odd numbers in ascending order.)

Now do the multiples and digit sums for other numbers.

The digit sums for multiples of 3 will be 3, 6, 9, 3, 6, 9, 3, 6, 9, 3, 6, 9.... (Every multiple of 3 has a sum of digits as a multiple of 3 also. That’s a quick way to see if a number is divisible by 3.)

The digit sums of multiples of 4 will be 4, 8, 3, 7, 2, 6, 1, 5, 9, 4, 8, 3, 7, 2, 6.... (Every other number is decreased by one. Add 4, subtract 5, add 4, subtract 5, etc.)

The digit sums of multiples of 5 are 5, 1, 6, 2, 7, 3, 8, 4, 9.... (Every other number is increased by one. Subtract 4, add 5, subtract 4, add 5. Compare this with the 4s.)

The digit sums of multiples of 6 are 6, 3, 9, 6, 3, 9.... (Compare this with the digit sums for 3.)

For seven, the digit sums are 7, 5, 3, 1, 8, 6, 4, 2.... (Odd numbers is descending order, even numbers is descending order.)

For eight, the digit sums are 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1, 9... (Numbers in descending order.)

For nine, all digit sums are 9!

If you summarize the results, you find pairs of corresponding number patterns.

1: numbers in ascending order
8: numbers in descending order

2: even numbers is ascending order, odd numbers is ascending order
7: odd numbers is descending order, even numbers is descending order

3: multiples of 3 in ascending order
6: multiples of 3 in descending order

4: +4, -5, +4, -5...
5: +5, -4, +5, -4...

9 is unique, in that all digit sums are equal to 9. (Another quick way to verify your multiplication answers!)

Now, to go a bit further: If you do multiples of 10, 11, etc. you will find that the same patterns repeat. The digit sums for multiples of 10 are the same as for 1, 11 is the same as 2, 12 is the same as 3, etc. This happens in intervals of 9, so the digit sums for multiples of 5 are the same as for multiples of 14, 23, 32, etc.

Are you thoroughly confused yet? Try it again. Middle school students might be able to understand this. Dr. Ruth Beechick mentions it in her book You Can Teach Your Child Successfully, Grades 4-8! (This is an excellent book.)

I wrote this article about 10 years ago in my Hope Chest e-magazine. I've had fun tonight browsing through my archives of old issues on the computer!

[ Untitled ] a poem by Mary Knowles

2010-05-12T23:29:00.002-04:00

[ Untitled ]

A Poem by Mary Knowles

I sigh.

Poems are hard to write, and I have to write one.

I am not exactly a poet, though people guess that I am,

the same people that think I must dance ballet

because my hair is in a bun.

I want to be a writer in the future, a newsgirl, but not a poet.

But I remind myself, any kind of writing is hard work,

like mentally breaking up earth, plowing fields

and sowing many sentence seeds.

With the warm laptop on my lap, the washing machine oscillating

and the finish line in sight,

I stare down another assignment.

And I like the click of the keys, even when it’s mostly the backspace key,

   the lightning of thought striking screen --
   and occasionally, as Mark Twain would say,
   the lightning strike of the perfect phrase.

Someone once said, “When I run, I feel God’s pleasure,”
   and I say, when I write, I feel God’s pleasure,
   the God who gives good gifts but buries them in fields,
   hidden until someone sacrifices much to dig them out.

Now the rocks are coming away from my field,
    and the weeds, and the thorns.
And I think, I am small, and I stink at sports,
    and I will not win “Miss Outgoing,”
    but I can become a writer if only I keep chipping away with my spade,
    or perhaps that would be my keys, even my backspace key.

I still sigh, but now it’s a different sigh.

Poetry Activities

Read the poem and copy one line or phrase that you particularly like.
Jot down one thing that you struggle with in writing poetry.
Notice the similes and the metaphors in this poem. Copy one down, and tell which kind.
Write a poem about your dreams for life.

When I taught middle school English, I asked my students to read this poem and do some of the above activities.

My daughter Mary actually wrote this poem when she was in high school, I think for an on-line English course. And she is a professional writer now! After dual enrolling at the community college for her junior and senior years of high school, she went on to major in Journalism at the University of Central Florida, working along the way as an intern at the Orlando Sentinel and Daytona Beach News-Journal. She graduated at the age of 20, and promptly started a 3 month internship with the Wall Street Journal in Princeton, New Jersey. Returning home, she landed a copy editing job with the Orlando Sentinel. Last summer, she accepted a position at Wycliffe Bible Translators, where she writes for magazines and blogs. Mary and her husband Ryan Tindall are expecting their first baby in June 2010.

You can read one of Mary's Wycliffe articles here: Family Ties Inspire a Legacy

Holocaust Vocabulary and Concepts

2010-04-11T17:41:00.002-04:00

Dear friends,

In my English class at our home school co-op, I have been teaching a series on the vocabulary and concepts of major world religions, including Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism, Atheism, and Judaism. We covered Judaism last week, but didn't have time to discuss the Holocaust so I told them we will do it tomorrow (April 12). This is actually providential timing, since Yom HaShoah (Holocaust Remembrance Day) is tomorrow. Please note that this is not a full treatment of the Holocaust -- I am only introducing the terms and concepts. I will bring along and introduce several books about the Holocaust -- some from the library and some that I own -- mainly focusing on fiction and biography. I have included a short list of some of these after the vocabulary list. I will also read a picture book, The Harmonica, by Tony Johnston. I can never make it through this book without crying. That is as it should be. This is such a crucial historical period to study, in hopes that we will never let this happen again. Unfortunately, this past week marked the 16th anniversary of the beginning of 100 days of genocide in Rwanda, while the world stood by and did just about nothing... Will we never learn?

Vocabulary of the Holocaust

The Jews and Persecution

• anti-Semitism: attitudes and actions against the Jewish people. Semite refers to the Jewish people being descended from Shem, the son of Noah

• Yiddish: language spoken by many Jews in Eastern Europe; a combination of German, Hebrew and dialects of the countries in which Jews were living.

• prejudice: an unfavorable opinion or feeling formed beforehand or without knowledge, thought, or reason

• scapegoat: a person or group made to bear the blame for others or to suffer in their place. The Jews were made scapegoats (falsely blamed) for all sorts of problems in Germany. The term originally comes from the Bible, in which a goat was let loose in the wilderness on Yom Kippur after the high priest symbolically laid the sins of the people on its head. Lev. 16:8,10,26.

• persecution: harassing or oppressive treatment, especially because of religion, race, or beliefs

• Diaspora: the scattering of communities of the Jews around the world, away from their homeland, Israel. From the Greek for “dispersion,” the term dates back to 556 B.C. when King Nebuchadnezzar exiled the Judeans to Babylonia and refers to the Jewish communities outside Israel.

• deportation: the expulsion of an undesired alien or other person from a state or region; Jews were deported from European cities to concentration camps

• displacement: the process, whether official or unofficial, of people being involuntarily moved from their homes because of war, government policies, or other societal actions, requiring them to find new places to live. Displacement is a recurring theme in the history of the Jewish people.

• Holocaust: The destruction of 6 millionJews by the Nazis and their followers in Europe between the years 1933-1945. Other individuals and groups were persecuted and suffered grievously during this period, but only the Jews were marked for complete and utter extinction. The term "Holocaust" - literally meaning "a completely burned sacrifice" - tends to suggest a sacrificial connotation to what occurred.

• Shoah: originally a Biblical term meaning widespread disaster, it is the modern Hebrew equivalent of the word Holocaust

• genocide: the deliberate and systematic destruction of a religious, racial, national, or cultural group

• pogrom: an organized and often officially encouraged massacre of or attack on Jews. The word is derived from two Russian words that mean "thunder."

• atrocity: appalling, cruel or monstrous condition or behavior

• annihilate: to reduce to utter ruin or nonexistence; Hitler's goal for the Jews was annihilation.

• ghetto: A section of a city where Jews were forced to live, usually with several families living in one house, separated from the rest of the city by walls or wire fences, and used primarily as a station for gathering Jews for deportation to concentration camps.

• the Resistance: the "underground" organizations working to help the Jews against Hitler/Nazi army

• White Rose Movement: A group of young German students who protested against the Nazi treatment of Jews and others. Most of the members of this group were eventually rounded up and executed.

• gypsies: a nomadic darker skinned ethnic group, whose ancestors were originally from India, which settled in Europe and was persecuted during the Holocaust along with the Jews.

Hitler and the Nazi Party

• Adolf Hitler: Führer und Reichskanzler (Leader and Reich Chancellor) of Germany who lived from 1889-1945. He committed suicide at the end of the war.

• Nazi: the political party, headed by Adolf Hitler, which seized political control of Germany in 1933; the German acronym for the National Socialist German Workers' party. People with similar aggressive racist views today are often called neo-Nazis.

• swastika: a bent cross symbol that the Nazis adopted as their official symbol; it was once an ancient symbol used to ward off evil spirits

• reich: German word for "empire." The Nazis hoped to establish a Greater German Reich that was “judenfrei” (“free of Jews”).

• Gestapo: acronym for Geheime Staatspolizei, meaning Secret State Police. Prior to the outbreak of war, the Gestapo used brutal methods to investigate and suppress resistance to Nazi rule within Germany.

• Aryan Race: a supposed "super race" of Northern Europeans. Hitler wanted to preserve the purity of good European blood by weeding out the undesirables. "Aryan" was originally applied to people who spoke any Indo-European language

• propaganda: information, ideas, or rumors deliberately spread widely to help or harm a person, group, movement, institution, nation, etc.

• Hitler Youth: (Hitler Jugend) established in the 1920's, it indoctrinated boys with Nazi propaganda, made them serve the war effort, and encouraged them to betray friends and family who were not loyal to the cause. The girls' organization was called Bund Deutcher Mädel. Hitler wrote in 1933: "My program for educating youth is hard. Weakness must be hammered away. In my castles of the Teutonic Order a youth will grow up before which the world will tremble. I want a brutal, domineering, fearless, cruel youth. Youth must be all that. It must bear pain. There must be nothing weak and gentle about it. The free, splendid beast of prey must once again flash from its eyes...That is how I will eradicate thousands of years of human domestication...That is how I will create the New Order." By 1936, all German youth were required to join it.

• Protocols of the Elders of Zion: a major piece of anti-Semitic propaganda, compiled at the turn of the century by members of the Russian Secret Police and later used by the Nazis to turn public opinion against the Jews. Translated into many languages, the book has been reprinted and is currently widely distributed by Neo-Nazis and others who are committed to the destruction of the State of Israel.

• Nuremberg Laws: two anti-Jewish statutes enacted September 1935 during the Nazi party's national convention in Nuremberg, taking away the Jews' civil rights. The first deprived German Jews of their citizenship rights. The second outlawed marriages of Jews and non-Jews, forbade Jews from employing German females of childbearing age, and prohibited Jews from displaying the German flag.

• Night and Fog decree: Secret order issued by Hitler on December 7, 1941, to seize "persons endangering German security," who were to vanish without a trace into night and fog.

• kristallnacht: (German) "Night of the Broken Glass" pogrom unleashed by the Nazis on November 9-10, 1938. Throughout Germany and Austria, synagogues and other Jewish institutions were burned, Jewish stores were destroyed, and their contents looted. At the same time, approximately 35,000 Jewish men were sent to concentration camps. The "excuse" for this action was the assassination of Ernst vom Rath in Paris by a Jewish teenager whose parents had been rounded up by the Nazis.

• blitzkrieg: "lightning war," used to describe the speed, efficiency and intensity of Germany's military attack against their opponents

• commandant: commanding officer of a military organization

The Concentration Camps

• Final Solution: The cover name for the plan to destroy the Jews of Europe - the "Final Solution of the Jewish Question." Beginning in December 1941, Jews were rounded up and sent to extermination camps in the East. The program was deceptively disguised as "resettlement in the East."

• concentration camp: a guarded compound for imprisonment of aliens, members of ethnic minorities, political opponents, etc., especially any of the thousands of labor camps established by the Nazis prior to and during World War II.

• extermination camp: a concentration camp especially used for killing Jews

• Auschwitz: Concentration and extermination camp in upper Silesia, Poland, 37 miles west of Krakow. Established in 1940 as a concentration camp, it became an extermination camp in early 1942. Some other main camps were Buchenwald, Dachau, Ravensbrück, and Treblinka.

• euthanasia: the original meaning of this term was an easy and painless death for the terminally ill. However, the Nazi euthanasia program took on quite a different meaning: the taking of eugenic measures to improve the quality of the German "race." This program culminated in enforced "mercy" deaths for the incurably insane, permanently disabled, deformed and "superfluous."

• gas chambers: large, sealed rooms (usually with shower nozzles) used for murdering prisoners of concentration camps with a poisonous gas called Zyklon B; many people were led into gas chambers with the belief they were going in to take a shower.

• crematorium: ovens built in concentration camps to burn and dispose of the large number of murdered bodies.

• death marches: At the end of WWII, when it became clear the German army was trapped between the Soviets to the east and the advancing Allied troops from the west, the Nazis, to thwart the liberation of camp inmates, forced them to march westward, resulting in the deaths of thousands.

After the War

• Zionism: a movement of people dedicated to establishing and preserving the modern nation of Israel as the Jewish homeland. Israel became a nation on May 8, 1948.

• Yizkor books: also known as memorial books, chronicle the lives of Jewish communities destroyed during the Holocaust. These rare books uniquely record the history of the shtetls (villages), cities, or regions of Europe, and are often one of the few remaining sources on a town’s people, as well as its cultural, religious, and social institutions.

• Yad Vashem: museum in Jerusalem dedicated to the memory of Holocaust victims. A tree lined avenue at Yad Vashem is commemorates "The Righteous of the Nations" -- those Gentiles (non-Jews) who risked their own lives to save Jews from the Nazis. The name of the Yad Vashem Museum is taken from an Old Testament passage in Isaiah: "I will build for them a name and a memorial." (Isaiah 56:5). There are many other Holocaust memorial museums around the world, including a large one in Washington, D.C.

• survivor: a person who continues to function or prosper in spite of opposition, hardship, or setbacks

• Holocaust Remembrance Day: also known by the Hebrew term Yom Hashoah, falls on the 27th day of the Hebrew month of Nisan. The Israeli parliament, the Knesset, chose this date because it falls between the date on which the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising began and Israel's Independence Day, and also because it occurs during the traditional Jewish period of mourning known as the Counting of the Omer.

• Nuremburg trials: a series of court trials conducted in 1945-1946 by the International Military Tribunal in the attempt to convict those accused of war crimes during the Holocaust. There were 24 men tried; of these, 12 were sentenced to death by hanging, 3 to life imprisonment, 4 to shorter prison terms, and 4 acquitted (declared not guilty).

For More Information

Web sites:

• www.ushmm.org/ (U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum)
• www.historyplace.com/worldwar2/holocaust/timeline.html
• www.remember.org/

Books (Fiction & Biography):

• The Hiding Place by Corrie TenBoom, or any biography of her
• The Harmonica by Tony Johnston -- picture book about a boy in a concentration camp
• The Butterfly by Patricia Polacco -- picture book
• Behind the Bedroom Wall by Laura E. Williams
• When Hitler Stole Pink Rabbit by Judith Kerr
• Number the Stars by Lois Lowry
• The Diary of Anne Frank by Anne Frank
• Hiding to Survive: Stories of Jewish Children Rescued from the Holocaust by Maxine B. Rosenberg

Be sure to look at my Judaism Vocabulary list too!

Judaism Vocabulary and Concepts

2010-04-11T17:28:00.001-04:00

Dear friends,

In my English class at co-op, I have been teaching a series on World Religions, explaining the vocabulary and concepts behind Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism, Atheism, and Judaism so far. This is the vocabulary word list for Judaism. The words with open bullets (o) were spelling words, too. My son-in-law Ryan, who is a Messianic Sephardic Jew, helped me with this list and loaned me a menorah, tallit, Torah scroll, matzah crackers, and other Judaica for my class presentation. I did not have time to discuss the Holocaust, so we are saving that for Holocaust Remembrance Day (Yom HaShoah) on April 12. I have put the vocabulary list for that here: http://continuewellhomeschool.blogspot.com/2010/04/holocaust-vocabulary-and-concepts.html

I will try to upload my other world religion lists soon, too.

Shalom,
Virginia

Judaism Vocabulary & Concepts

The Bible & Beliefs:

o Judaism: monotheistic religion whose adherents worship the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob as described in the Old Testament, or Tanakh

• Tanakh: the Hebrew name for the Old Testament, which includes the Torah (law), Nevi'im (prophets), and Ketuvim (Psalms, Proverbs, Job and other writings)

o Torah: The first five books of the Bible as dictated to Moses by God. Before the Torah is read, a prayer of blessing is said, including these words: "Blessed are thou, O Lord God of the universe, who has chosen us from all people and has given us Thy Torah."

• Talmud: Jewish religious writings that are not Scripture. Talmud is made of two parts: 1) The Mishnah (a collection of Judaism's oral law) and Gemara (discussion of the Mishnah by different rabbis). 2) The Midrash is a collection of parables and stories that help teach the Tanakh.

o covenant: an oath or promise, such as the ones God made with Noah and Abraham. In Hebrew, this word is “b’rit.” It is another word for "testament."

• mitzvot (“commandments” in English): laws, good deeds or duties commanded by God as a guide to a righteous lifestyle

• Shema: prayer used by Jews affirming belief in the one God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob: "Hear, Israel, the Lord is our God, the Lord is One. And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. And these words that I command you today shall be in your heart. And you shall teach them diligently to your children, and you shall speak of them when you sit at home, and when you walk along the way, and when you lie down and when you rise up. And you shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be for frontlets between your eyes. And you shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates." (Deuteronomy 6:4–9)

• mezuzah: a scroll containing the Shema, housed inside a container attached to doorframes in homes (Deuteronomy 6:9)

• l'chaim: "to life!"— a blessing or a toast at a celebration לחיים

o shalom: peace, wholeness

People & Places:

o prophet: a messenger of God or someone who wrote the Bible, such as Moses, Isaiah, Ezekiel, Micah, Amos, Jeremiah, etc.

o rabbi: ordained Jewish religious teacher or leader

• cantor: person who chants the prayers and blessings during services in a synagogue

o Orthodox: Jews who follow all the laws of the Torah closely; men and women sit on separate sides of the synagogue and no musical instruments are used

• Conservative, Reformed and Reconstructionist: Jews who are less observant of the Torah

o Messianic: Jews who believe that Jesus (Yeshua) is the promised Messiah (Mashiach) who fulfilled all of the messianic prophecies in the Old Testament

• Ashkenazi: (adj.) Jews whose ancestors came from Central and Eastern Europe

• Sephardic: (adj.) Jews whose ancestors came from Mediterranean countries, such as Spain, Portugal and North Africa

• Mizrahi: (adj.) Jews whose ancestors come from the Middle East, such as Iraq, Iran and Yemen

o synagogue: Jewish place of worship

o Tabernacle: the traveling tent in the Old Testament where the Jews worshipped and sacrificed before the temple was built

o Temple: the place of worship originally built by Solomon in Jerusalem as a permanent dwelling place for the Ark of the Covenant. Solomon's temple was destroyed, and Herod rebuilt a smaller one which was destroyed in 70 A.D. as Jesus had prophesied. The Muslim Dome of the Rock mosque stands on the Temple Mount site.

• Wailing Wall: The only part of Herod's temple that remains is the Western Wall, also known as the Wailing Wall, or kotel in Hebrew. Jews go there to pray, wedging small papers with prayers into the cracks of the wall.

• yeshiva: religious school for Jewish students and aspiring rabbis

o Israel: the Jewish homeland. Zionists, who believe that Jews must have their traditional homeland, established the modern country of Israel in 1948, and are working to ensure Israel remains as a nation despite its neighboring opponents

o kibbutz: a collective community in which everyone works together

Holidays & Celebrations:

o Sabbath: (Shabbat in Hebrew) the seventh day of the week, in which Jews are to rest and do no work, as God rested on the seventh day of creation; it starts with the lighting of the Shabbat candles and kiddush, a prayer of blessing. The Sabbath ends with the havdalah ceremony.

• Bar Mitzvah / Bat Mitzvah: celebration marking a boy (bar) or girl (bat) coming to maturity as a man or woman, usually at age 13.

o Yom Kippur: solemn holy commemoration of the Day of Atonement. It is a time of repentance and forgiveness. In the Old Testament, it was the one day of the year when the high priest could enter the Holy of Holies (the innermost room of the tabernacle or temple) to atone (offer a blood sacrifice) for the sins of the Israelites. Messianic Jews believe that Yeshua (Jesus) fulfilled Yom Kippur not only as the High Priest, but also as the atoning sacrifice. (See Hebrews 9 below.)

o Hanukkah: eight-day festival of lights commemorating the rededication of the second temple after the Maccabean revolt in the 2nd century B.C.

• Rosh Hashanah: holiday which celebrates Jewish New Year

• Purim: holiday celebrating Queen Esther's rescue of Jews from Haman's evil plot

o Passover: (pesach in Hebrew) the holiday which celebrates the exodus of the Jewish people out of Egyptian slavery in the time of Moses. The word refers to the the angel of death passing over (not visiting) the Jewish homes that had the blood of the sacrifice lamb on their doorposts, so that their firstborn sons were not killed. Messianic Jews believe that Yeshua (Jesus) is our Passover sacrifice, because through our faith in him, the blood of his righteousness appeases the wrath of God against our sin. Unleavened bread (without yeast, which symbolizes sin) is used at Passover. "Cleanse out the old leaven that you may be a new lump, as you really are unleavened. For Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed. Let us therefore celebrate the festival, not with the old leaven, the leaven of malice and evil, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth." 1 Corinthians 5:7-8

Things:

o kosher: food that is seen as pure and acceptable by Jews according to the Torah. Pork, shellfish, and eating beef with dairy are some examples of non-kosher foods. In the grocery store, kosher foods are often marked with ○U.

• challah: braided loaf of bread used during a Shabbat meal that is to remind them of the manna bread that God miraculously provided for them in the desert; other Jewish foods are bagels, knishes, blintzes, and matzah ball soup.

• yarmulke: a Yiddish word meaning a head covering worn by Jews, also known as a kippah in Hebrew; it is a sign of humility to God

o menorah: a seven-branched candlestick that is a symbol of the Jewish people for nearly 3,000 years. It was also used in the Tabernacle and Temple. A nine-branched menorah is used at Hanukkah to commemorate the eight days that oil was miraculously provided to the Jews when rededicating the temple; the ninth candle is used to light the other eight.

• shofar: ram's horn trumpet used in synagogue services

• tallit: prayer shawl with 4 tassels, one in each corner, to remind them of the Torah.

• Star of David: six-pointed star that symbolizes Judaism. The Hebrew name for it is Magen David. There is a blue one on the flag of Israel. During the Holocaust, when six million Jews were murdered, Hitler required that they wear the Star of David on their clothes to identify themselves.

Hebrews 9: Jesus the High Priest and the Sacrifice

9:1 Now even the first covenant had regulations for worship and an earthly place of holiness. 2 For a tent was prepared, the first section, in which were the lampstand and the table and the bread of the Presence. It is called the Holy Place. 3 Behind the second curtain was a second section called the Most Holy Place, 4 having the golden altar of incense and the ark of the covenant covered on all sides with gold, in which was a golden urn holding the manna, and Aaron's staff that budded, and the tablets of the covenant. 5 Above it were the cherubim of glory overshadowing the mercy seat. Of these things we cannot now speak in detail. 6 These preparations having thus been made, the priests go regularly into the first section, performing their ritual duties, 7 but into the second only the high priest goes, and he but once a year, and not without taking blood, which he offers for himself and for the unintentional sins of the people. 8 By this the Holy Spirit indicates that the way into the holy places is not yet opened as long as the first section is still standing 9 (which is symbolic for the present age). According to this arrangement, gifts and sacrifices are offered that cannot perfect the conscience of the worshiper, 10 but deal only with food and drink and various washings, regulations for the body imposed until the time of reformation.

11 But when Christ appeared as a high priest of the good things that have come, then through the greater and more perfect tent (not made with hands, that is, not of this creation) 12 he entered once for all into the holy places, not by means of the blood of goats and calves but by means of his own blood, thus securing an eternal redemption. 13 For if the blood of goats and bulls, and the sprinkling of defiled persons with the ashes of a heifer, sanctify for the purification of the flesh, 14 how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without blemish to God, purify our conscience from dead works to serve the living God.

15 Therefore he is the mediator of a new covenant, so that those who are called may receive the promised eternal inheritance, since a death has occurred that redeems them from the transgressions committed under the first covenant. 16 For where a will is involved, the death of the one who made it must be established. 17 For a will takes effect only at death, since it is not in force as long as the one who made it is alive. 18 Therefore not even the first covenant was inaugurated without blood. 19 For when every commandment of the law had been declared by Moses to all the people, he took the blood of calves and goats, with water and scarlet wool and hyssop, and sprinkled both the book itself and all the people, 20 saying, “This is the blood of the covenant that God commanded for you.” 21 And in the same way he sprinkled with the blood both the tent and all the vessels used in worship. 22 Indeed, under the law almost everything is purified with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sins.

23 Thus it was necessary for the copies of the heavenly things to be purified with these rites, but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these. 24 For Christ has entered, not into holy places made with hands, which are copies of the true things, but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God on our behalf. 25 Nor was it to offer himself repeatedly, as the high priest enters the holy places every year with blood not his own, 26 for then he would have had to suffer repeatedly since the foundation of the world. But as it is, he has appeared once for all at the end of the ages to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself. 27 And just as it is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes judgment, 28 so Christ, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time, not to deal with sin but to save those who are eagerly waiting for him.

Christian Biography Report Questions

2010-03-26T16:33:00.000-04:00

Dear friends,

This spring in my English class at our home school co-op, I assigned for each of the students to read a full-length biography of someone who was a Christian missionary (such as Hudson Taylor, Gladys Aylward, William Carey or Mary Slessor), pastor (such as Charles Spurgeon), author (such as C.S. Lewis), hymn writer (such as Fanny Crosby), etc. Most of these are from YWAM's Christian Heroes Then & Now series, which most of my students prefer, or the Heroes of the Faith series, which are more complete but not as kid-friendly.

The corresponding writing assignment is to summarize each chapter in at least one paragraph. As they proceed throughout the book, they are answering most of the following questions in their paragraphs, as appropriate for their subject. Then they will compile their writing into a final report and oral presentation.

Questions for Christian Biography Reports

1. What is this person's name? Was it the same at birth as in adulthood?

2. Where and when was this person born, and under what kind of family circumstances?

3. Who were this person's parents and what were they like?

4. What was this person's childhood like?

5. What was this person's life like before he or she became a Christian?

6. What (and who) led to this person becoming a Christian?

7. Who were the mentors, coworkers, and close friends of this person? What quality of relationships did they have?

8. What were the main events of this person's life, including dates, places and other people?

9. What did this person look like as an adult? Did he or she have any physical handicaps?

10. Where did this person work? (What cities, countries, etc.)

11. What type of ministry and practical work did this person do (writing, preaching, medical, Bible translation, mercy, etc.)?

12. What was the impact of this work on his or her time period?

13. What was the focus of this person's public Christian message? Was there anything unusual or unorthodox?

14. What did this person think about the Bible, salvation, Christian growth, the Holy Spirit, baptism, music, and methods of ministry?

15. What were some notable quotes from this person? What circumstances surrounded each quote -- such as causes or reactions?

16. What personal weaknesses or temptations did this person face, how were these handled, and what kind of problems were caused?

17. What external opposition and dangers did this person face, and what was this person's response to it?

18. Who were this person's spouse(s) and children, what were they like? Was the family relationship strong or strained?

19. What organizations or trends were started based on this person's work?

20. What were the date, place, and circumstances of this person's death?

21. What is the lasting legacy of this person's work and witness?

~*~*~

Since many of them have been reading about foreign missionaries, I have also been giving them vocabulary and basic concepts for the major world religions and ideologies, such as Islam, Buddhism, Hinduism, atheism/agnosticism, and Judaism. I will try to post some of this later.

Blessings,
Virginia Knowles

Read, Reflect & Respond

2010-01-31T14:36:00.003-05:00

Dear friends,

Here is the newest audio version of my workshop "The Real 3R's of Literature: Read, Reflect & Respond." This is from my presentation at the Books & Beyond 2010 conference in Orlando.

Read, Reflect & Respond

Life has a purpose! Reading has a purpose! Down with ignorance and apathy!
The discipline of reading, reflecting and responding helps us learn to think more deeply and relate to others more wisely. We are less likely to be duped and more likely to engage in real life. We will have something worthwhile to say in a conversation. We will be prepared to meet life challenges.
Reflecting and responding increases long-term retention of information, beyond the test.
Our response often includes practical application and action to transform our lives and culture.
Reading improves comprehension, logical thinking, creativity, writing skills, grammar, spelling, etc.
Reflective reading feeds the spirit and inspires our souls. Readers become leaders!
The reading, reflecting and responding stages overlap and can be simultaneous.
Research the Charlotte Mason method of education for more inspiration. Read The Charlotte Mason Primer by Karen Andreola and check out www.JeannieFulbright.com/CharlotteMason.html.
Use the RR&R techniques for art, music, movies, nature study, sermons, and life experiences.

Mom Tip! You need this as much as your children do! Are you feeding your mind and your spirit so you can keep up with the many overwhelming demands of life? Are you going deep or just trying to get through the surface stuff? Take time to read, reflect, and respond -- and set the example for your kids!

A few little quotes to amuse and inspire…

"Outside of a dog, a book is a man’s best friend. Inside of a dog, it’s too dark to read.”
Groucho Marx

“The man who does not read good books has no advantage over the man who can’t read them.”
Mark Twain

“When I get a little money, I buy books; and if any is left, I buy food and clothes.”
Erasmus

“The book to read is not the one which thinks for you, but the one which makes you think. No book in the world equals the Bible for that.” McCosh

READ

♥ Choose carefully! Books can make a deep and lasting impression, so avoid exposure to much “twaddle” that dulls or pollutes the mind. Reading for amusement and relaxation is fine, but be careful.

♥ Create a literature-rich environment with a well-stocked home library.

Kinds of reading: academic, pleasure or personal interest, skills, devotional, etc.
Formats: books, newspapers, magazines, web sites, blogs, books on CD or DVD
Genres: Scripture, realistic modern fiction, historical fiction, fairy tale, sci-fi, romance, mystery, poetry, song lyrics, plays, art, biography, history, science, how to, self-improvement, essays, etc.

♥ A variety of genres enhances and balances. When studying a historical period, read novels, biographies, key documents, and poetry. Listen to music and speeches. Watch a movie or documentary.

♥ Help your children select books or do it for them.

Selecting good books takes a little research and a lot of discernment.
Check book lists and ask for recommendations from people you trust.
Click on “inside the book” at www.ChristianBook.com or www.Amazon.com to read a chapter.
Do a web search on the author’s name or the book’s title to see what others say about it.
Stock a special bookcase with parent-approved, interesting books for your kids to choose.
Share your favorites with your children! Introduce a book like a friend.

♥ Evaluate reading choices by pre-screening from front to back.

Is it wholesome, age-appropriate, and highly recommended? Newbery & Caldecott books are a good starting point, but check each title yourself to see if it is appropriate for your child.
Is it accurate and fair, without being too simplistic or overly biased?
Is it interesting, well written, and thought provoking? What is quality of the illustrations?
Is the author reliable? (Your children may want to read his/her other books later.)
Is this the right book for right now? Is it worth the time it will take to read, reflect and respond?

♥ Choose a mode of reading. You can alternate between these during a single book.

Parent reading aloud to child: allows instant interaction about content, models proper speech
Child reading aloud: same benefits as above, plus personal practice with pronunciation and inflection
Reading independently – in one sitting or over a period of time (check in to see if they need help)
Reading independently but with periodic parental discussion or group interaction

♥ Encourage pre-reading preparation. Before reading, encourage your child to browse quickly, ask questions and make predictions. Preview any study guide questions before you read.

♥ Give plenty of time to read, in a quiet and comfortable setting.

♥ Read with pencil and paper handy!

“Children well educated, who employ their minds on serious subjects, have, for the most part, but an ordinary share of curiosity; what they know gives them a sovereign contempt for many things they wish not to know. They see the emptiness and futility of the many things which the idle and the ignorant pursue with so much eagerness and passion. Children ill instructed, and not accustomed to application, have wandering imaginations. For the want of solid nourishment to the mind, their curiosity turns towards objects which are vain and dangerous. Those who have wit often become conceited, and read books which nourish their vanity; they become passionately fond of romances, comedies, and novels, which silently instill into their unguarded breasts the poison of profane love. These imaginary adventures render their minds visionary, in accustoming them to the strained sentiments of vain romantic heroes. Children filled with thoughts of their romantic heroes, become astonished when they look around in real life, and cannot discover a single person throughout the world bearing resemblance with their ideal hero. They would wish to live like those princes and princesses who are always charming, always adored, always above every care. What a disgust for them to descend from a hero and heroine, to the low detail and drudgery of taking care of a family. Children should be influenced by books that vividly portray life in all its trials and victories. Divine providence should echo throughout its pages. Characters who suffer wrongfully in a righteous manner, and display humble dispositions, will lay a secure foundation for the time when childhood may be stolen away; perhaps through the death of a loved one, sickness, or calamity. Children need informed instruction, and models of heroes and heroines of righteousness to fill their reserves for such a time. In literature as well as in history, God who doeth all things well, must be seen through the filter of His divine love and tender care for His children and as an avenger of all who harden their neck.” Francis Fenelon, 1685, in Education of a Child: The Wisdom of Fenelon, published by Lamplighter.

Mom Tip! What books are you reading now? What do you want to read soon? Write a list! You might choose a variety, including books about spiritual life, marriage, parenting, home education, homemaking, cooking, crafts, social justice issues, historical fiction, etc. Download free Christian classics on-line at www.ccel.org.

REFLECT

“Some books are to be tasted, others to be swallowed, and some few to be chewed and digested.” Francis Bacon

Study questions should require critical thinking, not just factual recall. More advanced questions will require a synthesis (combining) of information from different parts of the book. Go beyond the questions in a text book!

Background:

• What kind of book is this and why am I reading it right now?

• What is the significance of the title or cover art?

• What is the author’s life background and worldview? What did he or she want to communicate?
• What is the author’s tone in this book (upbeat, harsh, relaxed, urgently persuasive, funny, reverent, etc.)?

• When and where was the book written, and under what life circumstances, such as war?

Character, Setting, Plot & Style:

• What universal themes, such as courage, pride, justice, greed, honesty, or jealousy, are woven into this book? Which one is most prevalent? What can I learn that is applicable to my own life?

• What perspective can I gain about these themes from this time period, culture, and worldview?
• Which character reminds me most of myself? What would I have done if I were that character?
• Which characters are dynamic (developing & maturing) or static (unchanging)? How do main characters learn/grow from events in the story? How do their values, fears, motives, or conflicts change?

• Are the characters believable? What flaws do the “heroes” exhibit? What virtues do the “villains” exhibit? (In simplistic stories, good and evil are more clearly demarcated for young minds. Books for more mature readers show the realistic nuances of authentic human behavior and attitudes.)

• How would the story be different if written from a different character’s perspective or in another setting?

• Do the characters speak in the same manner as I do? Are any special accents, idioms or dialects used?

• What are the main events in this story? How does the plot rise, fall and twist? Do this a chapter at a time, and then for the whole book at the end.

• How is cause-and-effect used in this story, especially in consequences for actions?

• What symbolism is used? What does it mean? Is the symbolism effective, understandable & significant?

• What other Biblical, literary or historical references are made in this book?

• Are there any words that I don’t fully understand and need to look up in a dictionary?

• How does sensory detail (what I vicariously see, hear, smell, taste, and feel) put me “on the scene”?

• Does this book use flashbacks or drop hints about what might happen in the future?

• Can I follow the clues and make predictions? Is the outcome too predictable or contrived?

• Does the outcome give a sense of closure, or is it unsettling or confusing?

Discernment & Application:

• How does this information fit in with what I already know (or think I know)?

• Humility is needed! We don’t know everything about the topic just because we’ve read a book or two.

• Is what I am reading essentially true or in agreement with Scripture? (Obviously, no other book is perfect!)

• Does this information contain logical fallacies or propaganda? Does it represent opinions as being hard facts?

• Does this reading challenge my assumptions or stretch my perspective? Is this good or not?

• What should I accept or reject from it? What do I need to fully absorb or apply?

• Is this book what I expected? Did it answer any burning questions for me?

Aids in the reflection phase:

• References: Bible, dictionary, encyclopedia, map, timeline, history/science text, commentaries, Google

• Published study guides (Progeny, Five in a Row, or Glencoe) or parent-written study questions
• Personal conversations, interviews with experts, discussion groups, literature classes, on-line forums

• Journal to take notes, ask questions, and make comments as you read. I like a notebook or composition book.

• Field trip related to story: art or history museum, zoo, bird sanctuary, horse riding, ethnic restaurant

Mom Tip! Are you truly thinking about what you are reading or putting your brain on auto-pilot? Does your reading motivate and inspire you? Does it make you draw in your breath or furrow your brow?

RESPOND

Communication Responses (Oral, Written & Artistic)

• Talk about it! This could be as you read or after you finish. You can do this as a parent and child, as a whole family, or as a discussion group. Give a short “book talk” to introduce it to a friend or a group.

• Read it aloud to someone, with expression, different character voices and sound effects.

• Recite or write a passage from memory. This is especially good for poetry, Scripture, and famous speeches.

• Do an informal oral or written narration, telling it back in your own words.

• Prepare a short formal presentation to teach to your siblings or friends using a poster or Powerpoint.

• Copy key quotes into your journal, along with your reflective comments and questions. These journals can become lifetime treasures! Or make a quote book.

• Copy it in your best handwriting, illustrate it, and give it as a gift. This is especially appropriate for poetry, Scripture, and short quotes.

• Summarize the main events or points either in a paragraph or a list.

• Write a complete, unbiased pro/con list about an issue as if you are investigating a potential decision.

• Rebut an argument or stage a full debate on an issue.

• Do a character analysis or compare & contrast characters or events within the story.

• Write a journal entry for one of the characters telling an event or feelings from his/her perspective.

• Write a short fable with a moral. Or, if you are reading a Bible passage, write a short story about it.

• Pick a book that you think one of the characters might enjoy and tell why.

• Give the story a different ending and/or write a sequel to the story.

• Compare and contrast a theme in this book with the same one in another book.

• Write an essay about the themes as they relate to Scripture.

• Write a book review and design a book jacket.

• Write a blog post or a personal letter to a friend about it. Include digital art or your own pictures.

• Write an imaginary letter to a story character to share your advice or express admiration.

• Write a letter to the author with your comments.

• Write a letter to the editor of a newspaper or magazine about how the issues in it relate to current events.

• Give a speech about the themes in it.

• Attempt to emulate the style of writing by writing a similar story or essay.

• Write a poem, song, or creative story about the key themes.

• Turn the story into a play. You can produce it, film it, and then edit it using Windows Moviemaker.

• Write questions and answers for a trivia game (like Jeopardy) or design a board game.

• Draw a picture, diagram, map, or illustrated timeline.

• Make a 3D sculpture, diorama, mobile, or collage.

• Make a costume or doll clothes that one of the characters may have worn.

Mom Tip! Practice your own speaking and writing skills! Start responding to what you read and then sharing it with your family and your friends. This is also an effective way to share your faith. What kind of person are you becoming in response to your reading? Start a reading journal today!

Application Responses

Decide on an appropriate action in response to a character’s example or an author’s persuasion – and then do it!

• Reach out to someone who is lonely or give help to someone who is needy.

• Make your voice heard about an important cause.

• Ask forgiveness of someone you have offended or forgive someone who has offended you.

• Break a bad habit and start new wholesome ones to replace it.

• Work harder at doing what you already know to attain a personal goal.

• Learn a new skill mentioned in the book, such as cooking, sewing, wood carving, nature collecting, camping. Find project instructions in library books or on Google. Many book series have their own cookbooks.

“Committing a great truth to memory is admirable;

committing it to life is wisdom.”

William A. Ward

The Bible as Literature

2010-01-31T14:05:00.006-05:00

Dear friends,

In the 7th-8th grade home school co-op English class that I teach, I try to incorporate Biblical themes as often as possible. We have done literature studies on the lives of Joseph, Daniel, and Esther. We learned about Psalms and Proverbs for a week or two each. We usually do integrated literature/art/music/Scripture units for Christmas and Easter. And we often study books that highlight Biblical themes, such as The Bronze Bow, which is set in Bible times, or The Witch of Blackbird Pond, which is set in Puritan America.

Here is the audio version of the workshop I presented a week ago at the Books & Beyond literature conference in Orlando. I am pasting in my workshop handout text below. I spoke about some things in the workshop (especially letting the Bible launch our children into life rather than holding them into a mold) that aren't in the handout, and visa versa. I know the handouts are pretty sparse. Below the handouts are a whole bunch of web links, not only to articles and resources on my web site and blogs, but many others, too. I'll try to write a more complete article later with examples, but you will at least find some of them in the audio, which is about 45 minutes long.

THE BIBLE AS LITERATURE

A BASIC APPROACH

Purposefully keep Bible central: spiritual nurture, worldview, practical wisdom, academic, thinking skills
Instill a sense of wonder and mystery: Experience with the Bible should not be just do and don’t lists; let the stories and poetry grab your hearts! We are made creative in the image of our Creator.
Ask: What are my goals? What have I been doing? What do I need to change? How can I be creative?
Integrate, don’t isolate: Give overview of Bible and themes. Let Scripture interpret Scripture. Read in historical context, not with 21st century assumptions.
Biblical literacy: Sequence/abbreviation of books, vocabulary (sanctification, iniquity, cubit, etc.), use of cross-referencing, concordance, Bible dictionary, commentaries
Literary features: irony, metaphor, alliteration, doxology, flashback, diatribe, epiphany, epithet, fantasy, hyperbole, ode, parable, rhetorical question, satire, tragedy, etc. www.kenboa.org/downloads/pdf/OBC2.pdf
Read, Reflect & Respond:
READ: carefully, not just skim – this takes time!
REFLECT: by meditating on meaning and deeper themes, not just obvious lessons
RESPOND: talk about it, copy it, write about it, pray it, apply it – use a journal!

OTHER LITERATURE AND SCHOOL SUBJECTS

Evaluate plots & themes, Biblical allusions
Study guides such as Total Language Plus and Progeny Press incorporate Scripture
Classics at http://www.ccel.org/, ex. Milton’s“Paradise Lost” www.ccel.org/ccel/milton/lost/files/lost.html
Notable authors (C.S. Lewis, Esther Forbes, Patricia St. John, Elizabeth George Speare)
Creative writing: Write profile of Biblical character, psalm, poem, modern short story based on proverb, parable illustrating Biblical truth, research report, persuasive essay, etc.
Science, history & cultural geography: God’s providence & sovereignty in human affairs, exploring creation (plants, animals, stars, ocean) while being aware of what Scripture says
Art, music and drama: appreciate Bible-themed art (http://www.biblical-art.com/) & music (http://www.songsandhymns.org/), create songs, illustrate stories, calligraphy verses, puppets, skits

GENRES OF LITERATURE IN THE BIBLE

Historical Narratives (found in Old Testament historical books, Gospels, Acts, etc.)

Learn from triumphs and tragedies, a mix of good and bad character qualities
Look for how the plot rises and falls, twists and turns
Profiles: Abraham, Moses, Joseph, Ruth, David, Esther, Daniel, Jonah, Mary, Saul/Paul
How do they change: mistakes, growth, consequences, lessons, victories?

Poetry (found in Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Song of Solomon, plus sprinkled elsewhere)

Imagery, symbolism and metaphor (the Lord is my shepherd, hearts refined as gold)
Designed to evoke feeling, inspire awe, and praise to God for his creation & kindness
Some has specific literary structure such as acrostics not evident in English translation

Prophecy (found in OT prophetic books Isaiah through Malachi, Revelation, other places)

Foretells or foreshadows what will happen in the future
Full of imagery and symbolism, some not literal
Hundreds of specific prophecies about Messiah made hundreds of years before birth
Some things in the Old Testament foreshadow things in New Testament (tabernacle, temple, feasts)

Proverbs and Parables (found primarily in Proverbs, Ecclesiastes and Gospels)

Moral teachings in literary language, with meanings not always immediately apparent
Proverbs are pithy, while parables are allegorical stories; both draw vital life lessons
Proverbs and parables often use imagery and symbolism

Doctrine and Practical Instruction (found primarily in the Gospels and Epistles)

Prose teaching on what to believe and how to act
Doctrine requires logic, abstract thinking skills, and careful study
Instruction requires obedience – literature becomes life -- not just academics but application

The Bible as Literature

Free study guides and resources for Biblically themed literature and/or writing

Art and Study Questions for the Book of Daniel by Virginia Knowles
Art and Study Questions for the Book of Esther by Virginia Knowles
Psalms Study Guide by Virginia Knowles

The Bronze Bow book by Elizabeth George Speare, set in Bible times with Jesus as a character
The Bronze Bow Literature Study by Virginia Knowles

Johhny Tremain book by Esther Forbes, Revolutionary War era
Johnny Tremain Literature Study by Virginia Knowles

Christmas assignments 2009 by Virginia Knowles
Christmas assignments 2008 (much more complete) by Virginia Knowles
Easter assignments 2009 by Virginia Knowles

Great Commandment & Great Commission essay assignment by Virginia Knowles

The Witch of Blackbird Pond Literature Study by Virginia Knowles Puritans

Read, Reflect & Respond Bible Note Page designed by Virginia Knowles

The Art of Albrecht Dürer to accompany The Hawk that Dare Not Hunt by Day novel about Bible smuggling during the Reformation -- blog post by Virginia Knowles

Biblically themed poetry by Virginia Knowles

Corpus Christi poem by Virginia Knowles

Bible Gateway - read the major Bible versions on-line

English Standard Version - on-line Bible

Life of Christ - look for Bible Harmony chart with story references for Matthew, Mark, Luke, John

Songs and Hymns - lyrics, music, background, more

Christian Classics Ethereal Library - tons of good books on-line for free

Biblical Art - wonderful web site with lots of masterpieces based on the Bible, but please prescreen to make sure each picture is appropriate

Literary Forms in the Bible PDF file
Leo Tolstoy's short story “Where Love Is, God Is”

Screwtape Letters by C.S. Lewis

Total Language Plus - literature studies from Christian perspective

Progeny Press - literature studies from Christian perspective

The Book of Virtues edited by Bill Bennett

Treasures of the Snow book by Patricia St. John, Switzerland
Star of Light book by Patricia St. John, Morocco
Rainbow Garden book by Patricia St. John, Wales

"I Have a Dream" Video, Text, Study Questions and Writing Assignment

2010-01-17T18:52:00.006-05:00

Dear friends,

In honor of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, my home school co-op English class is listening to his "I Have a Dream" speech and answering study questions on it. I thought you might like to join us with a week's worth of assignments. I have split the speech text into four sections to make it more manageable. You will find a persuasive paragraph writing assignment at the end of this post, as well as a video clip with a short excerpt from the speech he gave in April 1968, the night before he was assassinated.

For peace and justice,

Virginia Knowles

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
"I Have a Dream" Speech

August 28, 1963

(Section 1)

I am happy to join with you today in what will go down in history as the greatest demonstration for freedom in the history of our nation.

Five score years ago, a great American, in whose symbolic shadow we stand today, signed the Emancipation Proclamation. This momentous decree came as a great beacon light of hope to millions of Negro slaves who had been seared in the flames of withering injustice. It came as a joyous daybreak to end the long night of their captivity.

But one hundred years later, the Negro still is not free. One hundred years later, the life of the Negro is still sadly crippled by the manacles of segregation and the chains of discrimination. One hundred years later, the Negro lives on a lonely island of poverty in the midst of a vast ocean of material prosperity. One hundred years later, the Negro is still languished in the corners of American society and finds himself an exile in his own land. And so we've come here today to dramatize a shameful condition.

In a sense we've come to our nation's capital to cash a check. When the architects of our republic wrote the magnificent words of the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence, they were signing a promissory note to which every American was to fall heir. This note was a promise that all men, yes, black men as well as white men, would be guaranteed the "unalienable Rights" of "Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness." It is obvious today that America has defaulted on this promissory note, insofar as her citizens of color are concerned. Instead of honoring this sacred obligation, America has given the Negro people a bad check, a check which has come back marked "insufficient funds."

But we refuse to believe that the bank of justice is bankrupt. We refuse to believe that there are insufficient funds in the great vaults of opportunity of this nation. And so, we've come to cash this check, a check that will give us upon demand the riches of freedom and the security of justice.

We have also come to this hallowed spot to remind America of the fierce urgency of Now. This is no time to engage in the luxury of cooling off or to take the tranquilizing drug of gradualism. Now is the time to make real the promises of democracy. Now is the time to rise from the dark and desolate valley of segregation to the sunlit path of racial justice. Now is the time to lift our nation from the quicksands of racial injustice to the solid rock of brotherhood. Now is the time to make justice a reality for all of God's children.

It would be fatal for the nation to overlook the urgency of the moment. This sweltering summer of the Negro's legitimate discontent will not pass until there is an invigorating autumn of freedom and equality. Nineteen sixty-three is not an end, but a beginning. And those who hope that the Negro needed to blow off steam and will now be content will have a rude awakening if the nation returns to business as usual. And there will be neither rest nor tranquility in America until the Negro is granted his citizenship rights. The whirlwinds of revolt will continue to shake the foundations of our nation until the bright day of justice emerges.

(Section 2)

But there is something that I must say to my people, who stand on the warm threshold which leads into the palace of justice: In the process of gaining our rightful place, we must not be guilty of wrongful deeds. Let us not seek to satisfy our thirst for freedom by drinking from the cup of bitterness and hatred. We must forever conduct our struggle on the high plane of dignity and discipline. We must not allow our creative protest to degenerate into physical violence. Again and again, we must rise to the majestic heights of meeting physical force with soul force.

The marvelous new militancy which has engulfed the Negro community must not lead us to a distrust of all white people, for many of our white brothers, as evidenced by their presence here today, have come to realize that their destiny is tied up with our destiny. And they have come to realize that their freedom is inextricably bound to our freedom.

We cannot walk alone.

And as we walk, we must make the pledge that we shall always march ahead.

We cannot turn back.

There are those who are asking the devotees of civil rights, "When will you be satisfied?" We can never be satisfied as long as the Negro is the victim of the unspeakable horrors of police brutality. We can never be satisfied as long as our bodies, heavy with the fatigue of travel, cannot gain lodging in the motels of the highways and the hotels of the cities. *We cannot be satisfied as long as the negro's basic mobility is from a smaller ghetto to a larger one. We can never be satisfied as long as our children are stripped of their self-hood and robbed of their dignity by a sign stating: "For Whites Only."* We cannot be satisfied as long as a Negro in Mississippi cannot vote and a Negro in New York believes he has nothing for which to vote. No, no, we are not satisfied, and we will not be satisfied until "justice rolls down like waters, and righteousness like a mighty stream."

I am not unmindful that some of you have come here out of great trials and tribulations. Some of you have come fresh from narrow jail cells. And some of you have come from areas where your quest -- quest for freedom left you battered by the storms of persecution and staggered by the winds of police brutality. You have been the veterans of creative suffering. Caontinue to work with the faith that unearned suffering is redemptive. Go back to Mississippi, go back to Alabama, go back to South Carolina, go back to Georgia, go back to Louisiana, go back to the slums and ghettos of our northern cities, knowing that somehow this situation can and will be changed.

(Section 3)

Let us not wallow in the valley of despair, I say to you today, my friends.

And so even though we face the difficulties of today and tomorrow, I still have a dream. It is a dream deeply rooted in the American dream.

I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal."

I have a dream that one day on the red hills of Georgia, the sons of former slaves and the sons of former slave owners will be able to sit down together at the table of brotherhood.

I have a dream that one day even the Istate of Mississippi, a state sweltering with the heat of injustice, sweltering with the heat of oppression, will be transformed into an oasis of freedom and justice.

I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.

I have a dream today!

I have a dream that one day, down in Alabama, with its vicious racists, with its governor having his lips dripping with the words of "interposition" and "nullification" -- one day right there in Alabama little black boys and black girls will be able to join hands with little white boys and white girls as sisters and brothers.

I have a dream today!

I have a dream that one day every valley shall be exalted, and every hill and mountain shall be made low, the rough places will be made plain, and the crooked places will be made straight; "and the glory of the Lord shall be revealed and all flesh shall see it together."

(Section 4)

This is our hope, and this is the faith that I go back to the South with.

With this faith, we will be able to hew out of the mountain of despair a stone of hope. With this faith, we will be able to transform the jangling discords of our nation into a beautiful symphony of brotherhood. With this faith, we will be able to work together, to pray together, to struggle together, to go to jail together, to stand up for freedom together, knowing that we will be free one day.

And this will be the day -- this will be the day when all of God's children will be able to sing with new meaning:

My country 'tis of thee, sweet land of liberty, of thee I sing.
Land where my fathers died, land of the Pilgrim's pride,
From every mountainside, let freedom ring!

And if America is to be a great nation, this must become true.

And so let freedom ring from the prodigious hilltops of New Hampshire.

Let freedom ring from the mighty mountains of New York.

Let freedom ring from the heightening Alleghenies of Pennsylvania.

Let freedom ring from the snow-capped Rockies of Colorado.

Let freedom ring from the curvaceous slopes of California.

But not only that:

Let freedom ring from Stone Mountain of Georgia.

Let freedom ring from Lookout Mountain of Tennessee.

Let freedom ring from every hill and molehill of Mississippi.

From every mountainside, let freedom ring.

And when this happens, when we allow freedom ring, when we let it ring from every village and every hamlet, from every state and every city, we will be able to speed up that day when all of God's children, black men and white men, Jews and Gentiles, Protestants and Catholics, will be able to join hands and sing in the words of the old Negro spiritual:

Free at last! Free at last!
Thank God Almighty, we are free at last!

Study Questions

Monday

Watch the speech on-line. Research a little bit about who Dr. Martin Luther King was and what he accomplished.

Tuesday

Read the first section of this speech.

1. Who is the “great American”? Related to that, where does this speech take place?

2. What does “five score years” mean? What one word is a synonym for this?

3. What metaphors are used to describe the problems that Negro Americans faced?

4. What three national documents are mentioned on this page, and why are they capitalized?

5. What is a promissory note, and what does it symbolize here?

6. What phrase (four words) is repeated in the paragraph which starts “We have also come...” What one word in the first line of that paragraph sums up this sentiment?

Wednesday

Read the second section of this speech.

1. That first section ended with a stern warning to those in power that they can’t put off change any longer. This next section starts with an admonition to those who have been oppressed. List at least 3 positive words to show what kind of protest King is encouraging, and at least 3 negative words to show what he wants to avoid.

2. “They have come to realize that their freedom is inextricably bound to our freedom.” What to does “inextricably” mean?

3. List at least four specific injustices, listed in this speech, that Negroes faced then.

4. Copy the sentence on this page which refers to Amos 5:24.

Thursday

Read the third section of this speech.

1. Copy the sentence in this section which is from the Declaration of Independence.

2. This is the section where the phrase “I have a dream” is repeated. How many times? Summarize what it is that King dreams.

3. What does King want his children to be judged for?

4. Copy the sentence in this section page which refers to Isaiah 40:4.

Friday

Read the fourth section of this speech.

1. What are two key words in the first paragraph of this section? Hint: Each one is repeated several times, and each one gives a clue to how King’s goals will come about.

2. Copy the sentence that refers to music. Why does King use this word picture?

3. King refers to geological features several times. List the proper nouns that refer to this, and then list the common nouns.

4. The phrase “Let freedom ring” is repeated for emphasis. What word, found in the quoted verse of the song “America”, is a synonym for freedom?

5. In the last lines of his speech, King quotes a Negro spiritual song, "Free at Last."

http://www.negrospirituals.com/news-song/free_at_last_from.htm

Free at last, free at last

I thank God I'm free at last

Free at last, free at last

I thank God I'm free at last

Way down yonder in the graveyard walk

I thank God I'm free at last

Me and my Jesus going to meet and talk

I thank God I'm free at last

On my knees when the light pass'd by

I thank God I'm free at last

Tho't my soul would rise and fly

I thank God I'm free at last

Some of these mornings, bright and fair

I thank God I'm free at last

Goin' meet King Jesus in the air

I thank God I'm free at last

WRITING ASSIGNMENT

PERSUASIVE PARAGRAPH ABOUT "I HAVE A DREAM" SPEECH

Your paragraph will be about one of the following topics:

1. What is your dream (life goal or cause) and why do you think people should join or support you in it?

2. Why do you think Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was able to make an impact on history and culture? (Look at the character qualities of the man behind the speech.)

3. Do you think Dr. King's dream has come true? Why or why not? (Look for evidences that history and culture have changed because of his legacy.)

4. What is something that you think people in this country should do to make sure everyone has equal rights?

As you read the speech and write your own paragraph, think about the life behind the words. Dr. King made such a difference because he had passion for what he was saying, and his life backed it up. This man was willing to face hardship and opposition, going to jail, and eventually being assassinated because of the courage of his convictions.

What are you passionate about? What is the life behind your words?

~~~

An excerpt of the speech from the night before he was assassinated in April 1968.

Web Links for the Bible as Literature

2010-01-16T22:51:00.013-05:00

The Bible as Literature

Next weekend (January 23) I am presenting a workshop on "The Bible as Literature" at the Books & Beyond conference here in Orlando.

I am finalizing my handouts right now, and wanted to make some of my Bible/literature related blog posts and web pages easier to find.

In the 7th-8th grade home school co-op English class that I teach, I try to incorporate Biblical themes as often as possible. We have done literature studies on the lives of Joseph, Daniel, and Esther. We learned about Psalms and Proverbs for a week or two each. We usually do integrated literature/art/music/Scripture units for Christmas and Easter. And we often study books that highlight Biblical themes, such as The Bronze Bow, which is set in Bible times, or The Witch of Blackbird Pond, which is set in Puritan America.

I don't have all of this on the web yet, but here are links to some of our studies and other resources.

Free study guides and resources for Biblically themed literature and/or writing

Art and Study Questions for the Book of Daniel
Art and Study Questions for the Book of Esther
Psalms Study Guide

The Bronze Bow book by Elizabeth George Speare, set in Bible times with Jesus as a character
The Bronze Bow Literature Study by Virginia Knowles

Johhny Tremain book by Esther Forbes, Revolutionary War era
Johnny Tremain Literature Study by Virginia Knowles

Christmas assignments 2009
Christmas assignments 2008 (much more complete)
Easter assignments 2009

Great Commandment & Great Commission essay assignment

The Witch of Blackbird Pond Literature Study by Virginia Knowles Puritans

Read, Reflect & Respond Bible Note Page

The Art of Albrecht Dürer to accompany The Hawk that Dare Not Hunt by Day novel about Bible smuggling during the Reformation

Biblically themed poetry by Virginia Knowles

Corpus Christi poem by Virginia Knowles

Leo Tolstoy's short story “Where Love Is, God Is”

Screwtape Letters by C.S. Lewis

Total Language Plus - literature studies from Christian perspective

Progeny Press - literature studies from Christian perspective

The Book of Virtues edited by Bill Bennett

Treasures of the Snow book by Patricia St. John, Switzerland
Star of Light book by Patricia St. John, Morocco
Rainbow Garden book by Patricia St. John, Wales

The Art of Albrecht Dürer

2010-01-11T13:05:00.004-05:00

In my home school co-op English class, I try to incorporate fine art. This week, we are continuing a literature study on Scott O'Dell's novel The Hawk That Dare Not Hunt by Day, a tale featuring Bible translator William Tyndale during the Reformation era. To correspond with that, we are doing a Charlotte Mason style picture study of one of Albrecht Dürer's self portraits, followed by two homework assignments on descriptive paragraph writing using the paintings in this blog post. Next week in class, we will continue talking about Dürer, specifically about the theological impact that his contemporary Martin Luther had on him. We will be writing a persuasive paragraph for the writing assignment then.

In case you are wondering how I am going manage doing picture study with a class of 18 students, I actually have four decent sized copies of the "Self-Portrait in Fur Coat." One is in a book on Renaissance art that I've had for several years. Then, on the Books-a-Million $1 clearance cart, I found three copies of a beautiful hardback book of artwork by Grant Wood (think "American Gothic" -- dour farmer husband and wife with the pitchfork). This book coincidentally happened to have the Dürer portrait because Wood had studied it when he was in Europe. Next year when I teach American literature, we will do picture studies on Grant Wood's paintings. But I digress! Back to Dürer!

I'll try to post more about him in the near future, but wanted to mention the book Artist of the Reformation: The Story of Albrecht Dürer by Joyce McPherson, published by Greenleaf Press. It is written at a 5th-6th grade level, but is appropriate for older students as well. The book tells the story of his life, and includes some of his art work (only in black and white) as well as wonderful quotes.

I guess the point of this post is, don't neglect fine art, and try to integrate your history and English whenever you can! Great lives and great art will serve to inspire you and your children! There is a lovely home school art blog that will help you in this pursuit! Check it out here! http://harmonyartmom.blogspot.com/

Now, on to the art work!

Albrecht Dürer

1471 - 1528

Self-Portrait in Fur Coat

1500

Oil on panel, 67 x 49 cm

Alte Pinakothek, Munich

Self Portrait at 26

1498

Oil on panel, 52 x 41 cm

Museo Nacional del Prado, Madrid

Christ Among the Doctors

1506

Oil on panel, 65 x 80 cm

Fundacion Coleccion Thyssen-Bornemisza, Madrid

St Peter And St John Healing The Cripple

1513

Engraving, 118 x 74 mm

Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York

Hands of the Apostle

1508, Sketch

A Young Hare

1502

Watercolor and gouache on paper, 25 x 23 cm

Graphische Sammlung Albertina, Vienna

The Last Supper

1523; Wood Block: 21 x 30 cm

Museum of Fine Arts in Boston

Writing Assignment #1: Choose one of these pictures (other than the two self portraits) and write a descriptive paragraph. Include a topic sentence, at least three sentences containing supporting details, and a conclusion sentence. The topic sentence may contain the information supplied above each painting, such as when it was created, what kind of art it is, or what museum now owns it. The supporting detail sentences need to be your own observations about what is in the painting. The conclusion should include your opinion about the piece.

Writing Assignment #2: Write a paragraph that compares the two self portraits. The topic sentence will identify both paintings and make a statement of your opinion or observation about them. The supporting detail sentences will explain your topic sentence with specific examples. The conclusion will restate your opinion in different words.

Obfuscated Christmas Carols Quiz

2009-12-11T12:57:00.001-05:00

This is a fun little quiz for middle school aged kids. Answers are at the bottom in very tiny print! Don't peek until you think you've guessed most of them!

Obfuscated Christmas Carols Quiz

Can You Name These Religious Christmas Carols?

Approach Everyone Who Is Steadfast
Ecstasy Toward The Orb
Hush, The Foretelling Spirits Harmonize
Hey, Minuscule Urban Area Southwest Of Jerusalem
Quiescent Nocturnal Period
The Autocratic Troika Originating Near the Accent of Apollo
The Primary Carol
During the Time Ovine Caretakers Supervised Their Charges Past Twilight
Celestial Messengers From Splendid Empires
The Tatterdemalion Ebony Atmosphere
What Offspring Abides Thus?
Removed in a Bovine Feeding Trough
Seraphim We Aurally Detect in the Stratosphere
The Slight Percussionist Lad
The Event Occurred At One Minute After 11:59 PM—Visibility Unlimited
Are You Experiencing Parallel Auditory Input?

ANSWERS TO OBFUSCATED CHRISTMAS CAROLS QUIZ

1. O Come All Ye Faithful 2. Joy To The World 3. Hark The Herald Angels Sing 4. O Little Town Of Bethlehem 5. O Holy Night 6. We Three Kings, of Orient are 7. The First Noel 8. While Shepherds Watched their Flocks By Night 9. Angels From The Realms of Glory 10. O Holy Night 11. What Child Is This 12. Away In A Manger 13. Angels We Have Heard On High 14. The Little Drummer Boy 15. It Came Upon a Midnight Clear 16. Do You Hear What I Hear?

"Christmas Once is Christmas Still" by Phillips Brooks

2009-12-11T12:12:00.000-05:00

"Christmas Once is Christmas Still"

by Phillips Brooks

The silent skies are full of speech,
For who hath ears to hear;
The winds are whispering each to each,
The moon is calling to the beach,
And stars their sacred mission teach
Of Faith, and Love, and Fear.

But once the sky its silence broke,
And song o'erflowed the earth,
The midnight air with glory shook,
And angels mortal language spoke,
When God our human nature took
In Christ the Saviour's birth.

And Christmas once is Christmas still;
The gates through which He came,
And forests wild and murmuring rill,
And fruitful field and breezy hill,
And all that else the wide world fill
Are vocal with His name.

Shall we not listen while they sing
This latest Christmas morn,
And music hear in everything,
And faithful lives in tribute bring
To the great song which greets the King
Who comes when Christ is born.

~~Phillips Brooks~~

(He is better known for his carol, "O Little Town of Bethelehem." I have assigned this to my middle school English class in recent years.)

Medieval Legends and King Robert Bruce

2009-11-19T08:47:00.000-05:00

Dear friends,

In my 7th-8th grade English class in our Providence Home Educators co-op, we've been doing a unit on Medieval Legends. I've been sending home handouts with the legends in them, as well as comprehension questions and related writing assignments. The two main source books I've been using are:

Medieval Legends (Imitation in Writing series) by Matt Whitling, where I found the legends of Roland and of St. George and the Dragon. I did not use the writing component of this book, which I found at a used curriculum sale.
Medieval History-Based Writing Lessons by Lori Verstegen, which is published by the Institute for Excellence in Writing (www.excellenceinwriting.com/). In the this book, I found the story of "Genghis Khan and His Hawk" as well as instruction on sentence starters and descriptive writing. (This is a $35 book, but I found it at a used curriculum sale for about $1.)

I also pulled my vintage copy of Hero Tales from History (which belonged to my grandfather when he was a boy in the 1920's) off the shelf for the story of Alfred, the Saxon King. Then I found an on-line version of my childhood favorite, "Robert Bruce and the Spider" which I will link a little later in this post. I can't copy the book versions of these stories into my blog post, but I did find on-line versions of many of the stories written at a slightly lower reading level.

KING ALFRED AND THE CAKES by James Baldwin
KING ALFRED AND THE BEGGAR by James Baldwin
BRUCE AND THE SPIDER by James Baldwin
THE KING AND HIS HAWK by James Baldwin

LITERATURE STUDY OF ROBERT BRUCE AND THE SPIDER

Robert Bruce was a king of Scotland who lived from 1274-1329. Here is the tartan pattern of the Bruce clan.

Click the link to read the story (preferably print it out) and the poem. I have provided study questions below. Choose several words to underline in the story to use as vocabulary words. You will find the first page of the story (with a link for the second page) at: http://www.longlongtimeago.com/llta_history_bruce_page02.html

Story Questions

In which century did this story take place?
What is the first setting of the story? Where does the story end?
List the three words in the first paragraph that let you know it is cold.
Note that the story was written in British style. The quotes are single (') instead of double (") and there is one word in the first paragraph that uses British spelling. What is it? How do we Americans spell this word?
Write down the words that your parent has underlined in the story. Look up the definitions and write them in your own words.
Underline all of the adjectives in the story. Notice that they are generally vivid and descriptive, adding interest to the story.
List at least four words used to show the king's emotions.
Why was Robert in agony?
How long after seeing the spider did he still need to persevere in order to gain the final victory?
What is the lesson of this story? Write at least three sentences.

Writing or Oral Narration Assignments:

Write a one paragraph summary of the story using vivid verbs and quality adjectives. Use a variety of sentence structures.
Tell of a time when you hesitated to do something. What helped you overcome this? What was the result?
Read more about Robert Bruce at www.longlongtimeago.com/llta_history_bruce.html (or for more advanced readers or parents who want to paraphrase www.britannia.com/bios/robertbruce.html) or other sources. Write a paragraph about what you learn.

POETRY

"Bruce and the Spider"
Bernard Barton (1784-1849)

For Scotland's and for freedom's right
The Bruce his part has played;--
In five successive fields of fight
Been conquered and dismayed:
Once more against the English host
His band he led, and once more lost
The meed for which he fought;
And now from battle, faint and worn,
The homeless fugitive, forlorn,
A hut's lone shelter sought.

And cheerless was that resting-place

For him who claimed a throne;--
His canopy, devoid of grace,
The rude, rough beams alone;
The heather couch his only bed--
Yet well I ween had slumber fled
From couch of eider down!
Through darksome night till dawn of day,
Absorbed in wakeful thought he lay
Of Scotland and her crown.

The sun rose brightly, and its gleam
Fell on that hapless bed,
And tinged with light each shapeless beam
Which roofed the lowly shed;
When, looking up with wistful eye,
The Bruce beheld a spider try
His filmy thread to fling
From beam to beam of that rude cot--
And well the insect's toilsome lot
Taught Scotland's future king.

Six times the gossamery thread

The wary spider threw;--
In vain the filmy line was sped,
For powerless or untrue
Each aim appeared, and back recoiled
The patient insect, six times foiled,
And yet unconquered still;
And soon the Bruce, with eager eye,
Saw him prepare once more to try
His courage, strength, and skill.

One effort more, his seventh and last!--

The hero hailed the sign!--
And on the wished-for beam hung fast
That slender silken line!
Slight as it was, his spirit caught
The more than omen; for his thought
The lesson well could trace,
Which even "he who runs may read,"
That Perseverance gains its meed,
And Patience wins the race.

Poetry Questions:

Read the poem aloud. Can you determine the rhythm pattern? Which syllables are emphasized? How many syllables are in each line? Is there a pattern of the number of syllables in each line of all of the stanzas? Note: In some cases, two syllables may be compressed into one to keep the rhythm. An example of this is the word "seventh" in the first line of the last stanza.
Notice which pairs of lines in each stanza rhyme. Assign each rhyme pair a letter. What is the rhyming pattern of the poem? Hint: each stanza has the same basic pattern, though with different rhymes. Note: sometimes the rhymes are not exact, like "host" and "lost" in the first stanza. These are more visual than audible rhymes.
An archaic word is one that is obsolete, and is not used anymore. "Meed" is an archaic word that means "reward." Find the two places it occurs in the poem, and circle them. What other archaic words do you see in this poem?
In what ways is the poem different than the story?

(Note to parents: The rhythm pattern of the poem is dee DUM dee DUM dee DUM, etc. with even numbered syllables emphasized. The pattern of the number of syllables in the lines of each stanze is roughly 8-6-8-6-8-8-6-8-6-6-8. The rhyming pattern of the poem is A-B-A-B-C-C-D-E-E-D. You will notice that the rhythm and rhyming patterns are similar. The first four lines alternate, the next two lines are the same as each other, and the last four lines have the first and fourth lines matching and the second and third lines matching.)

Continue Well in Your Home School

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Learning Vocabulary from the Bible

Dear friends,

Acts 19:1-21

21 After all this had happened, Paul decided to go to Jerusalem, passing through Macedonia and Achaia. “After I have been there,” he said, “I must visit Rome also.” 22 He sent two of his helpers, Timothy and Erastus, to Macedonia, while he stayed in the province of Asia a little longer.

~*~*~

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The Art of Albrecht Dürer

Obfuscated Christmas Carols Quiz

"Christmas Once is Christmas Still" by Phillips Brooks

Medieval Legends and King Robert Bruce

²¹ After all this had happened, Paul decided to go to Jerusalem, passing through Macedonia and Achaia. “After I have been there,” he said, “I must visit Rome also.” ²² He sent two of his helpers, Timothy and Erastus, to Macedonia, while he stayed in the province of Asia a little longer.

~~~