Reflecting Back on Middle School Home School

Dear friends,

This reflection is bittersweet for me since I officially retired from home schooling this year. I haven't posted on this blog in a few years, and I think this will be my last entry here. I do know that blog is still read, mainly via Google searches on literature studies, so I'm leaving it up as a resource.

I was just reminiscing back on home schooling during the middle school years. My first child started 6th grade in 1998 and my tenth (and last) child just finished 6th grade in May.  That's a lot of years with middle school students in the house.

My youngest started public school this month for 7th grade, and is making a good transition. I'm very relieved about that since this summer I went back to work part time (on a crisis and human services referral phone line). Next month I start seminary full time too, starting out with Church History, Christian Ethics, and Inductive Bible Study (much of which is literary analysis).  

(Edit to add in 2021: my "retirement" didn't last long. I brought my daughter home again before the end of that year of public school since it wasn't a good fit. We're about to start 10th grade at home, and I will also be teaching middle school and high school language arts in a homeschool hybrid program. In the meantime, I graduated from seminary and continued to work part-time.)

Anyway, I was just thinking about how so much of what I taught for middle school, I was actually teaching to myself as well. The lessons I learned then are vital to what I am doing now with work and school. Even some of the subjects I'm taking this first semester at seminary are ones I've touched on in my classrooms.

I've always said teaching middle school was my favorite, and I think that was especially true in the many years I taught at a home school co-op. The co-op class I taught was supposedly language arts, but I strongly believe in integrating subjects for maximum effect, so I, um, stretched that considerably. I threw history, music, and fine arts into the mix. I guess you could say it was more of a humanities class. While I had to teach grammar, it certainly wasn't my emphasis. I'm much more of an ideas and creativity teacher. Many of the posts on this blog are fruits of those co-op years.

Here are some of the methods and concepts I taught, along with related blog posts. Please note that these posts are just a sample of what we did. Also, most of them are several years old, so links and photos may not work or show up correctly. I don't have the time to fix all of them. Some of the links are also to some of my other blogs, like the one I used for class assignments.

Here we go!

Integrating Language Arts with Humanities

I integrated our literature, writing assignments, and art appreciation around whatever time period and geographic region they were studying in their history classes, which alternated each year between world history and American history

• "I Have a Dream" by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. (Video, Text, Study Questions and Writing Assignment)
• The Witch of Blackbird Pond Literature Study
• Johnny Tremain Study Guide
• Across Five Aprils Literature Study Questions and Related Poetry
• Caddie Woodlawn Literature Study Questions
• Medieval Legends and King Robert Bruce
• The Art of Albrecht Dürer

Ideas, Themes, and Character Qualities

We explored the deeper ideas and themes in literature - such as compassion, honesty, diligence, and courage - rather than just recalling facts - see above literature studies plus these posts: 

• Read, Reflect & Respond
• Honesty (A Mini-Unit Study)
• "With Literature and Justice for All" Workshop

Writing Skills and Formats

• Sentence Style Variety for Writing
• How to Write a How To!
• Christian Biography Report Questions
• The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe Study Guide I wanted the students to think about their own unique personalities and values. For example, while studying The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis, I created two contrasting assignments based on the huge house of the professor and the tiny home of Tumnus: "Imagine that you could design a dream house that reflects your own interests. It can be as large or as small as you want. Where will it be? What will it look like on the outside? Describe each room in your house. What will they be used for? What will they contain?" And then, "Yesterday you wrote about a big house you would like to live in. Today, you are going to write about a small one. If you had an entire home to live in by yourself that was as small as Tumnus's cave room, what would it be like? Make a list of what would you need to live in your home and a few extra things that you would want. What are some practical ways you could “make do” in such a small space?"

Effective and Ineffective Communication

We learned how to spot logical fallacies, like false dichotomies (either-or), band wagon, generalizations, etc. I wish I had posted these lessons on the blog! I think I lost them forever!

We discussed how to discern communication styles as passive, aggressive, passive-aggressive, and/or assertive.

We often talked about the importance of credibility, clarity, and creativity in communication.

World Religions

I taught the vocabulary and concepts of major world religions and belief systems such as Christianity, Judaism, Islam, Buddhism, Hinduism, animism, atheism/humanism, etc.

• Islam Vocabulary and Concepts
• Judaism Vocabulary and Concepts
• Holocaust Vocabulary and Concepts

Greek and Latin Word Roots

We learned important Greek and Latin word roots and the English vocabulary derived from them. This was based on English from the Roots Up by Joegil Lundquist.

Great American Communicators 

During our American history years, we learned about men and women who made significant contributions to communications in various areas and time periods. Here are a few of the many. I think there were more women than just Phillis Wheatley.

• Sequoyah
• Patrick Henry
• Benjamin Franklin
• Thomas Jefferson
• Phillis Wheatley

Bible and Theology

• The Bible as Literature
• Learning Vocabulary from the Bible
• The Life of Joseph in Genesis
• Art for the Book of Daniel
• Study Questions for the Book of Daniel
• Art for the Book of Esther
• Study Questions for the Book of Esther
• The Bronze Bow Literature Study
• Easter Assignment: Palm Sunday and Cleansing
• Easter Assignment: The Last Supper and Trial
• Easter Assignment: The Death of Christ
• Easter Assignment: The Resurrection
• The Apostles' Creed
• St. Francis of Assisi in History, Current Events, Literature, Writing, Art & Music

Christmas Studies

In December, we focused on Christmas carols, poems, stories, and art appreciation. We also usually had a Christmas program with each class presenting different pieces.

• Masterpieces of the Infant Jesus at the National Gallery of Art
• Yuletide and Christmas: St. Boniface and "The Holly and the Ivy"
• "Christmas Once is Christmas Still" by Phillips Brooks
• Obfuscated Christmas Carols Quiz

Poetry Appreciation and Writing

Most of our lessons included poetry, and I often had them try writing different styles of poetry. Some of the literature studies I already linked have poetry in them, but here are two additional poems.

• "If" by Rudyard Kipling
• "Truth Never Dies"

Teaching Character and Wisdom

These posts are not from the home school co-op teaching. Some are excerpts from one of my books, which are now out of print. I need to refresh myself on these concepts - they are just as needed when a child is in public school!

• Learn to Discern by Virginia Knowles
• Justice and Mercy by Virginia Knowles
• Preparing Our Children for the Storms of Life

One last thought about learning at any age...

"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."

John Ruskin, 1819-1900
English writer, art critic, professor, reformer

All the best to you in home schooling for middle school!

Virginia Knowles

"Over Utah in January" - Geography in Poetry

"Over Utah in January" 

by Virginia Knowles

I am in the sky looking down on

Vast speechless stretches of frozen white

Curved round and round by

Slicing crevices and streams

And human roads abandoned though they be

Foothills then soaring mountains beyond

Majestic tall yet distant small

From the sky where I look down

                                

Clustering pines (wilderness steeples)

Defer to barren ground below

Shedding to it cumbering, nurturing snow

Upright spires green

Evergreen over branches, trunks, 

Rough and woody brown

Rooted deeply into ascending slope

Yet as living arrows aiming high

To the sky where I look down

Up and over mountain towers, fly

Peering through mottled fog outstretched

Amid earthy upturned layers, variegated ripples

Shadow clouds now upwisping 

Sharply angled peaks

Oh! These are of no human construct or design

Not even marked by footprints in pristine snow

Just fingerprints, signatures divine

Where winter earth meets winter sky

Yet in the valley I see manly habitation

In patterned rows, casual curves beneath the mist

Nestled in yet beckoned to a deep and high communion

Only bold ones venture beyond certain fringes

Strive upward, breathe hard, ascending steep, behold

Some faithful cannot climb 

But still lift souls to see

To know and long to know

Others seem content merely to stroll 

In evenness beneath, below

Oblivious to wonder

I am in the sky looking down

Then gazing up in awe at Him

Who gazes down in grace on me below

On me, who sees and longs to know.

I just started teaching a 6th-7th grade integrated American history, geography and English class three days a week at a private Christian school.  Today, we were talking about some of the geological features of the western United States, especially mountains.  I told them how I had the opportunity several years ago to fly to Salt Lake City for my grandmother's funeral, and how awestruck I had been in the airplane while looking out the window.  Before we even landed, I started writing the poem "Over Utah in January."   While I was there, my aunt gave me a digital camera, and I took these pictures and many more to go along with the poem.

I tied this in to the writing process, which we are also learning. I had already been encouraging my students to observe the world around them as inspiration for their writing.  I used this as an example, as well as my recent blog post, Catch It While You Can.  In addition, I told them about the value of having other writers critique your work.  When I write poetry, I usually send a draft copy to my step-cousin Dan, a poet, artist, musician and teacher whom I met at Grandma's funeral.  Though he is very different from me in many ways, in other ways we think alike (such as our love for wonder and beauty), and he always helps me out.

So I'm posting this here because tomorrow I want to read this poem to them and show them a few of the pictures to go along with it.   You can see more about it here on one of my other blogs: Three Poems and the Stories Behind Them, Starting with a Funeral

Enjoy!

Virginia Knowles

www.ContinueWellHomeSchool.blogspot.com

Honesty (A Mini-Unit Study)

Dear friends,

In honor of President's Day this week, I assigned a literature study on the topic of honesty to my home school co-op English class.  In addition to the assignments and discussion notes below, you will also find very useful lists about honesty at http://www.k12.hi.us/~mkunimit/honesty.htm

Discussion: What is honesty?

·         Honesty is telling the whole truth, in your words, actions, and intentions.  It is being accurate. (That does not mean that someone who tells wrong information is lying.  If they sincerely think it is true, they are not being deceptive, just mistaken. There can still be negative consequences for this, especially if the person should have known better, but there is a difference based on their intention!)   Being honest does not mean you need to tell someone information that is none of their business, or that they would use to harm other people, or that is unnecessarily hurtful. You should use discretion and only say what you need to say.  You can reply that you can’t answer a question, or that they need to ask your parent for information.  Or you could just be quiet in the first place.

·         Dishonesty is purposely deceiving, or telling a lie, or using “correct” words in a way that is intended to mislead others.  This would include telling a “half truth” or concealing information that needs to be told. Slander is saying something bad and untrue about another person in order to hurt their reputation.  (This is illegal, and you can get sued for it.)  Another word for that is a rumor. Dishonesty includes false impressions and false advertising.

·         Honesty is being trustworthy and reliable by actively keeping your promises and doing what you say you will do.   This includes keeping a confidence of privacy when someone tells you something that is not for others to know.  (If someone is in danger of hurting themselves or others, you have an obligation to tell the proper authority, even if you promised not to.) If you legitimately cannot carry out a promise, like if your parent forbids you or if you really tried but couldn’t possibly fulfill it because of some obstacle, then you must be prepared with a reasonable explanation as soon as possible and find some other good way of doing what needs to be done.  When in doubt, ask your parent for advice!

·         Dishonesty is “forgetting” (not taking the effort to remember) or neglecting to carry through on your promises, or telling someone you will do what you never intended to do in the first place.

·         Honesty is being fair with money, possessions, and time.  It is following the rules to get a rightful reward.  It is your responsibility to find out what the rules are ahead of time, and not just claim you didn’t know better!

·         Dishonesty is cheating or stealing or manipulating or breaking the rules to get what does not rightfully belong to you.  Plagiarism, which is presenting someone else’s written work as if you wrote it so you can get credit for it, is dishonest.  Saying that you worked more hours than you did so that you can get paid more is cheating.  Tax evasion, which is filling out tax forms and saying you made less money than you did so that you have to pay less taxes, is cheating.

·         Honesty is being authentic, presenting yourself as you are.  This takes humility. 

·         Dishonesty is being hypocritical or fake to make yourself look better. 

LITERATURE

I included three main literature assignments in my lesson packet.   Our main class resource is The Book of Virtues edited by Dr. William Bennett.

Literature #1: Read “The Honest Woodman” story adapted by Emilie Poulsson on page 602 of The Book of Virtues.  The story is based on the poem by Jean de La Fontaine below.  

1.  Why did the fairy/Mercury show the woodman all three axes and then give all of them to him?

2.  List four ways the story is different from the poem.  Think about details, plot, characters, setting, style, etc.

3. What are a few of the rewards of honesty?  What are some of the consequences of dishonesty?

“The Woodman and Mercury” (partial) by Jean de La Fontaine

 

A woodman lost his means of gain, 
His hatchet, which he sought in vain;
’Twas grief to hear him sob and cry;
He had no tools to sell nor means to buy
His hatchet kept his hope alive,
With that went all his means to thrive.
His cheeks were bathed with tears: he sighed:
“My axe! O my poor axe! ” he cried;
“Restore it, Jupiter, to me,
I’ll own a second life from thee!”
Olympus heard him as he prayed,
And Mercury came down, and said :
“The hatchet's safe, and I can show it,
But are you sure that you will know it?
An axe I found near on the road.”
With that an axe of gold he showed.
This to be his the man denied.
A silver next his virtue tried,
“But that's not mine,” the man replied.

Then one of wood the god displayed,
“I'm happy now,” the woodman said;
“This is the one for which I prayed.”
The god rejoined; “ Take all the three,
To recompense your honesty.”
He took them all, and thanked the god.
The story soon got spread abroad;
The bumpkins lost their tools, and roared
To get them thus so well restored.
The king of gods which wight to hear scarce knows,
Again sends Mercury to heal their woes;
To each an axe of gold he shows,
And each had thought himself a pretty fool,
Not to have cried at once ; “ Ay, that’s my tool! ”
Bot Mercury gave not that axe, instead
Laid it with vengeance on each rascal’s head.

Be happy with your lot, and tell no lies,
Nor think to cheat the Ruler of the skies.

Literature #2:  In The Book of Virtues, read “Pinocchio” by Carlo Lorenzini, starting on page 609. 

1.  What did Pinocchio do when he had already lied and the fairy kept asking him questions? 

2.  Think about these quotes and then tell one reason why it is foolish to lie in the first place.

•      “Oh what a tangled web we weave, when first we practise to deceive!”  Sir Walter Scott (British spelling practise = practice)
•      “Lying can never save us from another lie.” Vaclev Havel
•      “If you tell the truth you don't have to remember anything.” Mark Twain
•      “No man has a good enough memory to make a successful liar.” Abraham Lincoln

3.     What was the visible consequence of Pinocchio’s dishonesty?

4.     How did his nose go back to its normal size?

Literature #3: In The Book of Virtues, read the “Lady Clare” poem by Alfred Tennyson starting on page 639 and “Rebecca's Afterthought” poem by Elizabeth Turner on page 608.  

1.  What happened at the birth of Lady Clare?

2.  How did the Lady Clare respond in her words and actions when Alice told her who she really was? 

3.  How did Lord Ronald respond in his words and actions?

4. Why did Rebecca decide to tell the truth?

Literature # 4: In The Book of Virtues, read “Nobility” poem by Alice Cary on page 654, “Someone Sees You” story on page 604, and “George Washington and the Cherry Tree” starting on page 605.  If you would like to read more about honest presidents, check out “Honest Abe” starting on page 620.

1.  February 22 is George Washington’s birthday!  He was born in 1732 in Virginia.  How many years ago was that?  Write it out in words.  Remember to hyphenate the words for the tens and ones place.  For example, the number 189 would be written out as “one hundred eighty-nine.”

2.  Ironically, the story you read today, written by a parson (preacher) named Mason Locke Weems, may be just a legend rather than a true story.  However, what can we learn from it anyway?  The painting above is by Grant Wood in 1939. (Look carefully at the patterns and themes in the painting, too!) Here is what one web site says about the story and painting: “Parson Weems was a bookseller, an itinerant preacher, and the creator of the cherry tree legend which he wrote in the fifth edition of his book Life of George Washington, the  Great. The story was fabricated [created] by Weems, and its purpose was to express a moral, not historical fact… Grant Wood satisfied both those who wished to keep the folklore and those who wished to expose the stories as less-than-truth. He is able to show the viewer that the story is Parson Weems' invention at the same time that he shows us an imaginative presentation of the original tale.”

3.     George Washington said, “Labor to keep alive in your breast that little celestial fire called conscience.”  Another quote from him: “I hope I shall possess firmness and virtue enough to maintain what I consider the most enviable of all titles, the character of an honest man."  Choose one of these quotes and tell in your own words what it means.

QUOTES ON HONESTY

Bible Verses on Honesty and Truth

“Kings take pleasure in honest lips; they value a man who speaks the truth.” Proverbs 16:13

“A truthful witness gives honest testimony, but a false witness tells lies.” Proverbs 12:17

“Lord, who may dwell in your sanctuary?    Who may live on your holy hill?  He whose walk is blameless and who does what is righteous, who speaks the truth from his heart and has no slander on his tongue, who does his neighbor no wrong and casts no slur on his fellowman…” Psalm 15:1-3

“I have chosen the way of truth; I have set my heart on your laws.” Psalm 119:30

“But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what he has done has been done through God.” John 3:21

“Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth.” 1 Corinthians 13:6

“Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will in all things grow up into him who is the Head, that is, Christ... Therefore each of you must put off falsehood and speak truthfully to his neighbor, for we are all members of one body.” Ephesians 4:15, 25

Other Quotes on Honesty

“Honesty does not always bring a response of love, but it is absolutely essential to it.” Ray Blanton

 “We tell lies when we are afraid... afraid of what we don't know, afraid of what others will think, afraid of what will be found out about us.  But every time we tell a lie, the thing that we fear grows stronger.” Tad Williams

“Honest men fear neither the light nor the dark.” Dr. Thomas Fuller (1608-1661)

“People grow through experience if they meet life honestly and courageously. This is how character is built.” Eleanor Roosevelt

“No legacy is so rich as honesty.” William Shakespeare (1564-1616)

“Honesty is the first chapter in the book of wisdom.” Thomas Jefferson

“Honesty is the best policy.” Benjamin Franklin

 “Honesty doesn't always pay, but dishonesty always costs.” Michael Josephson

“There is always a way to be honest without being brutal.” Arthur Dobrin

“Truth is such a rare thing, it is delightful to tell it.” Emily Dickinson

 “A lie has speed, but truth has endurance.” Edgar J. Mohn

“We all need to know what it means to be honest. Honesty is more than not lying. It is truth telling, truth speaking, truth living, and truth loving.” James E. Faust

 “The real things haven't changed. It is still best to be honest and truthful; to make the most of what we have; to be happy with simple pleasures; and have courage when things go wrong.” Laura Ingalls Wilder

I hope this has been helpful to you!

Virginia Knowles

www.ContinueWellHomeSchool.blogspot.com

"If" by Rudyard Kipling

It's coming up on Rudyard Kipling week in my home school co-op English classroom! (You can read more about his life here: Rudyard Kipling.) We're going to read three of his "Just So Stories" (like "How the Camel Got His Hump") and three of his poems ("If" and "The Thousandth Man" and "L'Envoi").  Some of these pieces can be found in The Book of Virtues, and you can listen to a narration of Just So Stories on-line.  Kipling is perhaps best known for his Jungle Books, later made into a Disney movie.  You can also see an intriguing virtual animation of "If."

Here is my favorite piece by Kipling, which is obviously drawn from this own varied life experiences:

"If"

If you can keep your head when all about you
Are losing theirs and blaming it on you;
If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you,
But make allowance for their doubting too:
If you can wait and not be tired by waiting,
Or, being lied about, don't deal in lies,
Or being hated don't give way to hating,
And yet don't look too good, nor talk too wise;

If you can dream---and not make dreams your master;
If you can think---and not make thoughts your aim,
If you can meet with Triumph and Disaster
And treat those two impostors just the same:.
If you can bear to hear the truth you've spoken
Twisted by knaves to make a trap for fools,
Or watch the things you gave your life to, broken,
And stoop and build 'em up with worn-out tools;

If you can make one heap of all your winnings
And risk it on one turn of pitch-and-toss,
And lose, and start again at your beginnings,
And never breathe a word about your loss:
If you can force your heart and nerve and sinew
To serve your turn long after they are gone,
And so hold on when there is nothing in you
Except the Will which says to them: "Hold on!"

If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue,
Or walk with Kings---nor lose the common touch,
If neither foes nor loving friends can hurt you,
If all men count with you, but none too much:
If you can fill the unforgiving minute
With sixty seconds' worth of distance run,
Yours is the Earth and everything that's in it,
And---which is more---you'll be a Man, my son! 

Rhythm and Rhyme

Read the poem aloud so you can hear how it sounds. Note the rhythm.  Usually, every other syllable in each line is emphasized.  The lines alternate between 11 and 10 syllables.

This poem has an AB AB CD CD rhyme scheme for each verse.  That means that the following line pairs rhyme: first and third, second and fourth, fifth and seventh, sixth and eighth.  This might be confusing since in the first verse, the first four lines all rhyme with each other, and three of the lines even end in the same word.

Some of the rhymes are two syllables.  In the first verses, the first pair is about you and doubt you and the second pair is waiting and hating.   Find the other pairs of two syllable rhymes in this poem. (Note that some of the words/phrases have three syllables, but only the last two syllables rhyme with the other word/phrase in the rhyming pair.)

The Meaning

This poem talks about many things, but what is the main theme? 

Match the following character qualities with the lines from the poem:

Patience when things are taking too long    _____

Perseverance in times of difficulty  _____

Making the best use of your time  _____

Honesty  _____

Calmness when everyone else is fussing at you   _____

Imagination and vision for the future, along with a dose reality    _____

Healthy self-confidence, with respect for other’s opinions    _____ 

1. “If you can keep your head when all about you are losing theirs and blaming it on you…”
2. “If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you, but make allowance for their doubting”
3. “If you can dream – and not make dreams your master”
4. “If you can fill the unforgiving minute with sixty seconds worth of distance run”
5. “If you can wait and not be tired by waiting”
6. “Or, being lied about, don't deal in lies”
7. “If you can force your hurt and nerve and sinew to serve your turn… and so hold on”

There are many contrasts in this poem that compare one thing against another, or that clarify what an idea means.  For example, "If you can keep your head when all about you are losing theirs" compares two different kinds of people -- the calm and the unreasonable.  The contrast in the line "If you can dream -- and not make dreams your master" clarifies that imagination and vision for the future are good, as long as they are kept in perspective with reality, and that they are adjusted as necessary.

(Note: Despite the ending "you'll be a Man, my son!" this poem applies equally to both genders!)