Our Week Ahead ~ 04 July 2016 (WW 1 Pt2)

This week gifted us with having just passed the halfway mark in our learning year.  2016 is going so fast, too fast,  when I look at the academic things we are hoping to achieve before the end of the year.

I thought other mums educating highschoolers at around  NZ year 12 (U.S. Grade 11) might be interesting to take a peak at Jay's English line up for this week.  He doesn't find the Te Kura format very inspiring; however, he has a very supportive and vibrant English teacher there  and me breathing down his neck  encouraging him here at home, so between the two of us we are managing to make the tasks more palatable.  He is also using Essentials in Writing Level 12 as it helps to break up the pace and give Jay some one on one writing tuition.

One of the TWTM moms gave some succinct advise for students that are proposing to carry on with further studies after highschool:  ensure you are giving your highschool student regular practice, every week, at expressing their thoughts CLEARLY on paper (in various styles of essays, research papers, etc..).

Daisy (14yrs old)  is also using Matthew Stephen's Essentials in Writing, and, Essentials in Literature this year and  both courses are a really good fit for her.  In her spare time she's also decided to try her hand at writing a book.   I don't know what it's about and am not to read it until she's done.  (She's currently at the 3,000 (approx) word mark, so it could be a while before I get to see any of the typed progress. )

Jay

History & Geography  

2:  Bp Early Modern Times:   Ch: 18 Russian Rev,  WW1 pt2 p.259-272 

4:  ITTC: Joseph Conrad ~ Heart of Darkness (1899) p.303

Mapping:   B.P  Wk 18   Treaty of Brest-Litovsk

History, Literature, & Book Basket:

1: Book Basket:  

o            3:  Winston Churchill ~ Severance

  4:  Outliers ~ Gladwell         

2:  Audio’s this week: 

 Christian Lectures (sermons)

English

1:  Literature Study:  Propaganda:  The Jews are To Blame ~ Goebbels (essay).     Week 2 of 4    

2:  Work on Reader Response, for Te Kura,  to above essay.      Week 1 of 2
3:  Complete first draft  on Courage vs Bravery.       Week 2 of 3
4:  Send Business Communication Letters,  draft copies, to Te Kura teacher.  Work on any rewrites required.

Daisy

History & Geography  

2:  Bp Early Modern Times:    Ch: 18 Russian Rev, WW1 pt2 p.259-272 

3:  Kingfisher Encyclopedia  p.390-391  (Battles of WW1  1914-1918)

Mapping:      

Wk 18   Treaty of Brest-Litovsk

Review:  Countries of the World  Quizz (Lizardpoint)

History, Literature, & Book Basket:

1: Book Basket:  

1:  Mother  ~  Norris  

2:  The Keeper of the Bees ~ Stratton-Porter WW1   

3:  Winston Churchill ~ Severance

Free Reading: 

Various

2:  Audio’s this week:

Christian Lectures (sermons)  

Our Week Ahead ~ Monday 16th November 2015

I'll discuss turkeys before I post up our week ahead.

Petal's eggs.  Photo taken by Daisy

We've been waiting patiently for our turkey eggs to hatch; nothing doing as either the hens stayed off the nests too long, and/or none of the eggs were fertile.
Having chicks, of some sort, to care for over summer seems to have become family tradition...so Dn has procured some Royal Palm turkey eggs for us to hatch via the incubator :)
Royal Palm turkeys will be a first for us.

Our week ahead is the final wrapping up of:
Greenleaf's Early Modern Times Guide  (Jay really enjoyed using this!),
our last NZ history reading, for this year, out of The Story of New Zealand,
and the last scheduled history reading, and history reader for both children - after that it's 100% free reading choices for all of us. :D

We still have 2 weeks left of academics to complete and then I'll close our learning schedule completely for this year on Friday 4th December.
I'm already well on the way to organising 2016's schedule; but that is a whole different post and not one I'm in the mind frame to want to type up now. :D

·       Jay

History & Geography

1: The Story of New Zealand : Wars Between the Maoris & British p.83-105

Mapping: New Zealand (Online Game)

                       

History, Literature, & Book Basket:

1: Book Basket:  

Practical Happiness ~ Schultz

Tom Brown’s School Days ~ Hughes (1830+)

2:  History Reading: 

Christian Men of Science ~ Mulfinger: Kevin 1824-1907

ITTC: Hawthorne:  The Scarlet Letter 1850 ~ Cowan

3:  Audio’s for this month: 

Mr. Midshipman Easy  ~ Marryat (1836)

Masterman Ready  ~ Marryat (1871)

English

1:  Greenleaf Guide: L23 Victorian Poets:  Tennyson – Charge of the Light Brigade,  Matthew Arnold (1822-1888)

2a:  Essentials in Writing, Level 10: S.2 L.9+  Mon to Thurs

3:  Timed writing with mum   Mon

  

Maths   IXL 

Science    Cosmos  Mon, Weds, Thurs, Frid

Languages  Rosetta Stone French   Mon, Tue, Wed, Thurs

·       Daisy

History & Geography

1: The Story of New Zealand : Wars Between the Maoris & British p.83-105

Mapping: New Zealand (Online Game)

 

History, Literature, & Book Basket:

1: Book Basket:

Michael O’Halloran ~ Stratton-Porter  (1915)

2:  History Reading: 

Christian Men of Science ~ Mulfinger: Kevin 1824-1907

ITTC: Hawthorne:  The Scarlet Letter 1850 ~ Cowan

6:  Audio’s for this month:

Narnia Series J

English

1:  Essentials in Writing, Level 8:  L. 35+ Mon to Thurs

3:  Timed writing with mum   Mon

Maths    CTC Math  

Languages Rosetta Stone French   Mon, Tue , Wed, Thurs

Our Week Ahead ~ Monday 12 October 2015

Only posting up a few extra things this week as we're still reading through much of last weeks type up - and will be for perhaps up to 2 more weeks after this one, especially with Jay's book basket.
Jane Eyre ~ Bronte
Barnaby Rudge ~ Dickens (Audio)

Christian Men of Science ~ Mulfinger: Maury 1806-1873

ITTC: Austen: Pride & Prejudice 1813 ~ Cowan

Allie, a Sonlighting friend, was interested to see what Jay thought of Jane Eyre ~ Bronte and on the off chance that anyone else may be interested in reading my brief reply - here it is, slightly edited:

I waited to reply until Jay was a week into Jane Eyre. He's actually enjoying reading this - and is appreciating, not only the storyline but Bronte's writing style too.

(He's pretty well read in the classics, so I knew the writing style wouldn't be an issue.)

My initial concern was that the protagonist was a pre-Victorian era girl ;-) and he'd quibble at reading further. 

He didn't.

No quibbling.

The rest of the characters in the book are so well developed that Jay has been able to enjoy it as a gothic read, as opposed to a book about an orphaned girl.

It's generating some good discussion - especially around character, or lack of, conduct; and how embracing biblically based instruction could change each event happening.

There is NO way I'd want Daisy to be reading this book, yet. In a few years yes, right now? no.  She has had exposure to a very abridged version of the story, but not the unabridged tale with all it's angst, mental illness, 'bigamously' intended marriage, and woe.

She's more than content to read Jane Austen :-)
ETA: Jay said to say while he didn't, initally,  mind reading this book, it's not a book he'd recommend or want to every read again ;)
Insane wives, and men with bigamous intent put him right off.

Also adding, Daisy flew through Emma... now we just need to focus on the written/discussion portion of that book.  Which we'll do after our term break.

Since Daisy wasn't feeling well last week, we decided she needed to spend most of one day just curled up on the couch reading.  Time well spent, as she got to devour They Loved to Laugh ~ Worth in one sitting.  She really enjoyed that Sonlight recommended book and now has it on her bookshelf as a keeper.
For any wondering about this book for their teen daughter; They Loved to Laugh has wholesome, character based, romance, without sensuality or promiscuity.  And the story ends with a very satisfactory conclusion.

October Monday 12 2015

 ·       Daisy

History, Literature, & Book Basket:

1: Book Basket:

1845  Under the Hawthorn Tree: Children of the Famine ~ McKenna (repeat read from younger years as she can't remember it) 

Free Reading for this month: 

The Daisy Chain ~ Charlotte Yonge

Famine Triology bk2: Wildflower Girl ~ McKenna (optional)

Famine Triology bk3: Fields of Home ~ McKenna (optional)

2:  History Reading: 

Dickens: His Work and His World ~ Rosen

6:  Audio’s for this month:

The Unknown Ajax ~ Heyer

Emma ~ Jane Austen  (Dvd)  *Film study.  Use NCEA notes.

Our Week Ahead ~ Monday 4 October 2015

This week is ending up being a bit of a buffet.  We'll be enjoying left overs from last week with William Pitt and Wilberforce, continuing on with Amy Carmichael as our missionary/Christian study;  as well as making a start on reading through The Story of New Zealand as our non-fiction and geography focus, we'll begin reading through Bronte & Austen for literature studies.
We couldn't find a NZ book that we wanted to read for the era of NZ history we are covering this week, so we elected to continue on with our British literature studies instead.

·       Family

Bible

All:  Proverbs Chapt 21+

History & Geography

Dvd: Amazing Grace (complete)

William Pitt (1759-1806)  BBC Radio 4,

1:  Read Alouds:

Amy Carmichael Biography (1867-1951) India tie-in  (complete)

English    

With Daisy.  

Emma ~ Jane Austen wk 1 of 4

Compare and contrast with Pride & Prejudice; book & Film.

Miniatures and Morals: The Christian Morals of Jane Austen ~ Leithart  allow 3 wks   (Start in wk 2 of 4 with reading Emma.)

Our copy of this book is still in the post :)  It was more economical, and quicker posting, for us to purchase this through fishpond NZ .
____________________

·       Jay

History & Geography

1: The Story of New Zealand : 

Under the British Flag p.40-47, 

Early Governors & the Maori p.48-56, 

New Life in a New Land p.57-67

Mapping: New Zealand

                       

History, Literature, & Book Basket:

1: Book Basket:  

Practical Happiness ~ Schultz

Jane Eyre ~ Bronte  wk 1 of 4       

Jay said he's willing to have a 'try' at this book, and we'll see how we go :-) .  Regardless of what happens with the book, I want to watch a BBC production of Jane Eyre with Jay.  (The one with Timothy ?? in it.)  So many character and tricky moral issues I'd like to discuss with him in that film.

I tentatively thought of going with an audio option, but as we already have quite a few audios happening in our home at the moment I'm loath to add another one.

2:  History Reading: 

Christian Men of Science ~ Mulfinger: Maury 1806-1873

3:  Audio’s for this month:  

B: Barnaby Ridge ~ Dickens  

English

1:  Jane Eyre.  Glencoe Lit Guide (selections,  and discussion)  wk 1 of 4 

Jay won't be using Greenleaf Guide to Early Modern Literature for a few weeks while we study Jane Eyre/Bronte, and focus on Essentials in Writing 
Jay and I have both enjoyed using this Greenleaf guide!  Admittedly we do customise things to suit ourselves ;)  and I, especially, have appreciated being able to go through a good cross-section of authors and their works.  We have 2 lessons to cover - Fireside, and then Victorian Poets - and then that is another Greenleaf guide satisfactorily completed.  

____________________

·       Daisy

History & Geography

1: The Story of New Zealand : 

Under the British Flag p.40-47, 

Early Governors & the Maori p.48-56, 

New Life in a New Land p.57-67

Mapping: New Zealand

History, Literature, & Book Basket:

1: Book Basket:

Do Hard Things ~ Harris (reading with mum)

Emma ~ Jane Austen  (Daisy’s Austen choice)  (Dvd)

Free Read for this month: 

The Daisy Chain ~ Charlotte Yonge

They Loved to Laugh  (1830) ~ Worth (SL)

2:  History Reading: 

Christian Men of Science ~ Mulfinger: Maury 1806-1873

6:  Audio’s for this month:

Uncle Tom’s Cabin Stowe (1840’s) ~ Stowe (audio)

Our Week Ahead ~ Monday Sept 28 2015

In history, this week, we'll be concentrating on William Pitt, the Younger, (1759-1806)
BBC Radio 4, and,  William Wilberforce (1759-1833).   Biblioplan, Chapter 32, spends the first portion concentrating on what is happening with the slaves in America.  In regards to slavery - we are wanting to spend longer concentrating on what is happening in Britain; and in much more detail than the second part of Chapter 32 gives concerning the life of Wilberforce.  Biblioplan is a good leaping off point..... 

We have 4 history, weekly,  units of scheduled learning left to complete this year and I'm trying not to embrace a gung-ho and let's get 'em done attitude with the children ☺... as some of the topics are 'meatier' and could take us longer than a single week to complete.  We also know that *my* best laid plans don't always work out - life happens - and that we may need to quietly put aside some of the content in those topics,  so that we don't get stuck in a scheduling rut.  I have no qualms about skipping content that we are not really interested in and pausing for much longer on areas of history that interest us more.

September Monday 28 2015

·       Family

Bible

All:  Proverbs Chapt 20+

History & Geography

Composer: Mendelssohn Biographical excerpt

Art History: Turner 1775 – 1851

Dvd: Amazing Grace (Wilberforce)

1:  Read Alouds:

Amy Carmichael Biography (1867-1951) India tie-in (complete this week)

2:  Book Basket:

·        The New Oxford Book of Children’s Verse ~Philip

·        lol! OMG! ~ Ivester

·        William Wilberforce's Speech to the house (1789)

William Wilberforce - The Great Debate   Re-enacted speech on youtube

English

1:  Car (& craft time) time audio for this month: 

Mendelssohn (select pieces)  

Out of the Depths ~ John Newton, Read by William Sutherland

·       Daisy

History & Geography

1: Biblioplan Early Modern Times: Mon to Fri 

Ch: 32: Abolitionist Movement (selections) , Boers in Sth Africa                       

History, Literature, & Book Basket:

1: Book Basket:

Do Hard Things ~ Harris (reading with mum)

The Kidnapped Prince  ~ Equiano (SL)  (1755)

Uncle Tom’s Cabin ~ Stowe (1840’s) ~ Stowe (audio opt)  our favourite reader for this is Mark Smith

Free Read: The Daisy Chain ~ Charlotte Yonge

2:  History Reading: 

Christian Men of Science ~ Mulfinger: Morse 1791-1872

ITTC: John Keats ~ The Great Odes 1819 ~ Cowan

A Journey Through the Life of William Wilberforce ~ Belmont (N/F)

6:  Audio’s for this month:

North! Or Be Eaten! ~ Petersen,  Read by Peter Sandon

Moonfleet ~ Falkner,  Read by Peter Joyce  We purchased the kindle so that we could procure the audio for, a very affordable,  $2.99 (USD)

·       Jay

History & Geography

1: Biblioplan Early Modern Times: Mon to Fri 

Ch: 32: Abolitionist Movement (selections), Boers in Sth Africa  (selections)                         

                   

History, Literature, & Book Basket:

1: Book Basket:  

Practical Happiness ~ Schultz

King Alfred’s English ~ White  complete

Free Read: Here Lies the Librarian ~ Peck

2:  History Reading: 

Christian Men of Science ~ Mulfinger: Morse 1791-1872

ITTC: John Keats ~ The Great Odes 1819 ~ Cowan

A Journey Through The Life of William Wilberforce ~ Belmont

3:  Audio’s for this month:  

Introduction to Barnaby Rudge by David Timson

B: Barnaby Rudge ~ Dickens  

English

1:  Greenleaf Guide Yr 3 Lit (1550-1900)  ~ Shearer

Lesson 20:   Emerson  (1803-1882)

2a:  Essentials in Writing, Level 10: S.2 L.3+  Mon to Thurs