Why Should we Recycle Plastics?

So, This is how I started our lesson today:

Take out your notebooks. Answer these questions for me in a short report.
1) What do you think happens to trash that doesn't get recycled?
2) How does this lack of responsibility affect our environment?
3) How does it contribute to the demise of other species we share the planet with?

After having them read their thoughts outloud...

We started reading articles and watching videos concerning
~ The Atlantic Gyre (Garbage Patch). Located several hundred miles off North America and covering more than 1000 miles.
~Pacific Gyre a Texas-sized floating garbage patch located
(The floating garbage pile poses serious health risks to fish, seabirds, and marine mammals that accidentally stray into the bog.)

http://oceans.greenpeace.org/en/the-expedition/news/trashing-our-oceans/ocean_pollution_animation

http://www.environmentalgraffiti.com/featured/north-pacific-gyre-million-tons-garbage-growing/14477

http://www.mindfully.org/Plastic/Ocean/Moore-Trashed-PacificNov03.htm

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G9oSikW3eUM

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2004/01/06/eveningnews/main591770.shtml


*Some facts*
BOTH garbage patches consist of tiny bits of post-consumer plastic and trash, most of it weighting less than a paper clip. Much of this waste could have been recycled instead of ending up in the ocean. (Reinforcing the need for us to recycle religiously.) The Atlantic gyre is currently made up of about 500,000 plastic and trash bits per square mile, but is expected to continue growing. A disturbing fact, considering the 1.9 million bits per square mile contained within the Pacific gyre.


**We need to understand that plastic is a reusable resource. We can begin to lessen our impact on the oceans and the planet as a whole ~ Simply By Faithfully Recycling Plastics.

The Merry Adventures of Robin Hood

THE MERRY ADVENTURES OF ROBIN HOOD by Howard Pyle.

...An exciting vividly written novel re-creating the medieval world. With romance, swordplay, colorful friendships, archery contests, revenge and a quest for justice --this novel has something to interest and captivate each of my homeschooled children. Thus, allowing them to become immersed in yet another story. Which after all, reinforces my main goal in teaching with Classic Literature -- to incorporate a thirst and desire to read many types of literature, including ones they possibly wouldn't have chosen for themselves. :-)
Now we could go off in many directions when studying this novel. However with the writing style being so rich and descriptive, I have chosen to use it to develop and reinforce critical thinking skills. For their curriculum I am breaking down each part into chapters and plan to cover a chapter each day or two, as some chapters are longer and more complex than others.

SKILL OBJECTIVES
1) While reading the text they will decipher the theme of the novel. Identifying the main idea, supporting details and facts, setting, problems and solutions of each chapter.

2) They will also arranging events in chronological order, compose character analyses by traits of personality shown through words and/or deeds, and make connections between the characters and their lives.

3) To focus on individual learning styles and boost self esteem. I am giving each of them seperate Literature Teacher Jobs with this novel to share with the group.
a) Drake will create 8 questions for each chapter in his journal for the other two. Creating an answer sheet and noting the page number where the answers are to be found.
b) Griffin will compare and contrast characters in each chapter in his journal by the their actions & personality traits shown and his impressions. He will relate these to us, leaving out some details so the others can contribute their ideas and thoughts to each. Which he will then add to his journal entries.
c) Trinity will be the literary spotter. Listing the sentence or phrase and page number on which each Literary term is found in her journal. She will also explain and describe each at the end of each chapter to the group. These terms are --metaphor, simile, onomatopoeia, alliteration, personification, hyperbole, and idiom. (*A* Definations and examples of each listed.)

4) By using a variety of comprehension strategies, (ie. re-reading, context clues, and checking other sources), they will infer the meaning of new and unfamiliar words - thus increasing their vocabulary. To help with this we will be focusing on word relationships, (synonyms, antonyms, homophones, prefixes, suffixes, root words, & multiple meanings).
Additionally some vocabulary words along with definitions for most chapters will be given before reading. These will be copied from the white board. Reinforcing good handwriting and copying skills. (**B** Listed)




*A* Literary Skills
1) Metaphor - a word or phrase used in place of another to suggest a likeness.
The SOUND IN THE AIR CONDITIONER was MUSIC to his ears.
2) Simile - comparing two unlike things, often introduced by like or as.
Their STOMACHS felt LIKE TUBES OF TOOTHPASTE that had been all squeezed out.
3) Onomatopoeia - the naming of a thing or action by a sound associated with it.
PLUNK,PLUNK,PLUNK. The turtle sang as she walked up the ramp.
4) Alliteration - repeating initial consonant sounds in neighboring words.
The Gray Goat Gulped the Green Grass.
5) Personification - representing a thing or idea as a person.
The big TREE WAS FIGHTING HARD to keep standing.
6) Hyperbole - extravagant exaggeration.
The worm was SO LONG it stretched OFF THE PLATE, OUT THE BARN DOOR, AND INTO THE ORCHARD.
7) Idiom - having a meaning that that is different than the meaning of the individual parts.
Her EYES DRIFTED around the room and RESTED on the little girl.



**B** Vocabulary
Chapter One
Yeoman – a man who works his own small farm
Abbey – several buildings including a church, where men or women lived a religious life
Outlaw – criminal who is running away from the authorities
Treason – the crime of betraying your country or trying to overthrow the government
Lincoln Green – a color of wool cloth once made in Lincoln, England
Wager – to make a bet

Chapter Two
Idle – lazy; to not work
Mettle – an attitude of courage
Perchance – meaning perhaps
Staff – a pole or stick that is used to fight
Stronghold – a fort

Chapter Three
Guild – an association formed by merchants or craftsman to control a trade in product or service
Mutton – sheep’s meat

Chapter Four
Steward - servant
bonny lass - beautiful girl
beshrew - to curse

Chapter Five
Grammercy – a word once used to express astonishment or gratitude
Patron saint - a saint one prays to for help and protection. St. George is the patron saint of England
Thicket – a group of small shrubs

Chapter Six
Roundelay – a simple song with a line that repeats often
Jerkin – a leather vest that covered the hips
Mantle – cloak

Chapter Seven
Buckler – a small round shield held at arm’s length by handle
Hasty Pudding – boiled oatmeal; porridge
Rheumatic pains – pain caused by swelling in the muscles or joints
Anchorite – someone who lives alone as a hermit, usually for religious reason

Chapter Eight
Minstrel – traveling singers and poets who usually also played the harp
Normans – people of Scandinavian descent who occupied Normandy in the 10th century
Varlet – a servant of bad character
Banns – an announcement in church of a proposed marriage, usually made weekly for three weeks

Chapter Nine
Gallant –noble; brave
Parry – to ward off a weapon or a blow

Chapter Eleven
Page – a youth being trained for knighthood by serving a knight
Amnesty – a pardon or forgiveness

Chapter Twelve
Device – the design or emblem that identified a person or a family; coat of arms
Lists – in tournaments, a fenced area where knights on horseback charged each other and each tried to knock his opponent from his horse with a lance
Harts – male deer

Chapter Thirteen
Tinker – someone who repaired metal household utensils
Solder – a mixture of tin and lead that is melted to bond two pieces of metal together

Chapter Sixteen
Wis – know
appertaining - relate or pertain, usually followed by to.

Chapter Seventeen
Palmer – a person who made a pilgrimage to the Holy Land
Shrive – to listen to someone confessing his sins

Chapter Eighteen
Chivalry – the ideals of medieval knights that emphasized gallantry, honor and courtesy, especially toward women

Chapter Nineteen
Gruel – thin oatmeal porridge
Gauntlet – a glove with armor protecting the hand

Chapter Twenty
Health – a drinking toast wishing for health
Fripperies – foolish or useless things

A Study Guide For Alice In Wonderland

Alice In Wonderland is my Very Favorite Book! So of course I am going to share it with my children. They have been exposed to it before - by my reading it and watching the Disney movie.
It is my feeling that this novel is very challenging for each of their comprehension levels. I did not teach any of the psychology, symbolism, or politics that would be discussed with older children. The only theme I touched on was "Alice Growing up"
I tapered our curriculum to focus on comprehension, vocabulary, grammar and logical/illogical responses. I also encouraged them to make connections between themselves, "our world" and "Wonderland". We read the novel together and they worked on their study questions individually.
There are 13 Lessons -- The ones in normal text I used for Trinity 6th grade. The ones in BOLD I used for both her and for Griffin, 4th grade. Drake did not do these lessons-- he is 2nd grade and we focused on comprehension, setting, characters and plot. He made a coloring book book from pics I found online and either acted out scenes or paraphrased what we read everyday.


A Study Guide for Alice In Wonderland

Introductory Activities: Before you begin Alice, you must complete these activities in your Alice journal:
´ make a list of 10 things which you know for a fact
´ make a list of 10 rules which you follow without hesitation
´ complete this sentence in 10 ways: Adults are....
´ complete this sentence in 10 ways: Growing up is...



**Down the Rabbit-Hole -

1. Define and write a sentence illustrating the meaning of: antipathy.

2.Complete these assignments:
>Select a word from the dictionary which begins with "anti" and imagine it is the name of a country; describe the people who live there in a good paragraph.
> Select any one "simple rule" you learned as a child; write a paragraph which describes what happens to the child who breaks it; this should be fanciful and not too bloody!
> Because you are older than Alice, you might have been able to get that key; describe what you would have done.
>Do you think you would have jumped down the rabbit hole as Alice did? Why or why not? Respond in a well thought out long paragraph.


**The Pool of Tears -

1.Define and write a sentence illustrating the meaning of: inquisitive, soothing, commotion

2.Can you figure out under what algorithm (set of logical steps) Alice's mathematics is correct?

3. Illustrate the following expressions literal meaning with a drawing or an imaginative paragraph, and attach an explanation of the figurative meaning:

> It brought down the house.
> He is up to his ears in debt.
> She flew into a rage.
> Get to the heart of the problem.
> A bad idea

4.If you could change yourself into another human being, who would it be and why? Respond in a well thought out long paragraph.


**A Caucus-Race and a Long Tail -

1.Define and use in a good illustrative sentence - caucus, insolence, adjourn, audibly, melancholy

2.Write a very long and dry sentence about any topic of your choice.

3.Carroll uses a version of a Tom Swifty when he writes: "'Hold your tongue, Ma!' said the young Crab, a little snappishly." It is the adverb which creates the humor. Here is another: "I'm done, I'm done!" said the coffee pot perkily.
Write 5 of your own. Illustrate each.




**The Rabbit Sends in a Little Bill -

1.Explain the pun Carroll makes on "grown up."

2.What is ironic about Alice's meeting with the puppy? What do we learn about Alice in this incident?

3.Write a paragraph expressing your answer to this question: Is it better to know what needs to be done before you know how to do it, or to know how to do it before you decide what is to be done? Develop your paragraph with at least one good example.

4. Alice impulsively drinks from another bottle in this chapter. Describe a time when you chose to do something without thinking of the consequences. Respond in a well thought out long paragraph.

5.Which would you choose to be - large or small and why?

**Advice from a Caterpillar -

1.Define and write a good sentence illustrating the meaning of: languid, contemptuous, gravely, timid, contradict, wretched, piteous, subdued, contempt

2.Alice continues to "stick her foot in her mouth." Cite examples from this chapter and explain the result of each.

3.How does the caterpillar help Alice?

4.What "growth" do we find in Alice at the end of the chapter?

5.In a good long paragraph, answer these questions: Why? Who are you?
6.Create an if - then logical statement which proves that: The Queen is only happy when she is eating broccoli pizza.

**Pig and Pepper -

1.Define and use in a good illustrative sentence: livery, uncivil, variations, cauldron
2.This chapter could easily be a "What's Wrong with this Picture." Make a list in your journal of the things in the chapter "which do not belong." Pay attention to words and actions as well as to objects.

3.Explain why, after its last appearance, the Cat "vanished slowly."

4.Add 2 verses to the lullaby: one beginning "speak roughly to your little girl" and the other beginning "speak kindly to your little child"
5. The Cheshire Cat speaks in logical deductions. Pratice this by stating your point on 3 subjects- with me, using this method.

6. What part of this book has been your favorite so far?


**A Mad Tea-Party -

This is a chapter about language. We are going to read it aloud. Select the character whose part you would most like to read: Alice, Hatter, Dormouse, Hare, author. Read with inflection and emotion - become the character you chose.



**The Queen's Croquet Ground -

1.Define and use in a good illustrative sentence: courtier, harried (why is this a pun?), knave, procession, giddy, a furrow, a dispute, impertinent
2.Write in your journal at least 3 conclusions you can draw about "law and justice" at the Queen's court. For each, cite a specific passage from this chapter.

3.Select from the chapter 1 question asked and 3 assertions made by Alice, either to herself or aloud, and explain in your journal how they illustrate a growth in her as a character.
4.Here is a riddle: What has a head upon which many can stand, but which can not stand on its head?
5.Imagine that baseball were to be played at the Queen's court. Describe the game.


**The Mock Turtle's Story -

1.Define and use in a good illustrative sentence: stingy, unruly, moral, mock
2.What has been the state of "rules" in Wonderland? List at least 4 specific examples in your journal of rules learned.

3.What is mustard, botanically? Look it up in Encarta.

4.Open any other novel or short story book, at random, and select a line of dialogue. Copy it into your journal and then add this sentence: "And the moral of that is...."
5.What have we seen so far about the value of Alice's education to her experience in Wonderland?




**The Lobster Quadrille -

1.List all of the puns that you find in this chapter.
2.What exactly is a quadrille? Answer this in your journal, using any good reference source. Then create and describe -your own quadrille- for a different set of animals, in a different habitat, using two verses to the dance poem, introducing another sea creature which is not mentioned as being part of the dance. Be prepared to present your work to the family.



**Who Stole the Tarts?

1.Define and write a good sentence illustrating the meaning of : suppressed. Then tell me why this word was used to describe the treatment of the cheering guinea-pigs.



**Alice's Evidence -

1."It doesn't matter a bit," Alice says, and again, "I don't believe there's an atom of meaning in it." Soon afterward, she takes charge of the situation and "stands up for herself." In the eyes of many critics and readers of Alice, this assertion/growing is the meaning of the story. What do you think? Respond in a well thought out long paragraph which gives examples of actions and words throughout the book.

2. Where did the note come from and who do you think wrote it? Respond in a well thought out long paragrah.

3.Does Alice's sister think Wonderland is important to Alice? Why or Why not?

4. What was your favorite part of the story? Why? Respond in at least two well thought out long paragraphs.

Travel The World With Jack and Annie

During Drake's independent reading with The Magic Tree House series (Mary Pope Osborne) he hes been whisked away on grand adventures with Jack and Annie. These adventures have led him to different times in history across the world and introduced him to some very memorable characters. He has two chalenging projects to do with this unit,(both ideas taken from a handout from Random House Children's Books),along with a book report and an original illustration on each independent book.

Travel The World With Jack and Annie
((For the first project you will need a world map -- separating into two parts is a good idea -- as they will be writing on it. - 1st part North America & South America 2nd part Europe, Asia, Africa & Australia.))

1. He is praticing Latitude & Longitude while mapping the Title and setting of each story on his map.
2. He is writing one important Fact - taken from the book.

((( Second Project is making a timeline of All Jack and Annie's adventures - to save space I am adding that information to the far right of each book #, put in < >. This is where the illustrations come into play -- He puts them on his timeline.)))


#1 Dinosaurs Before Dark ***North America - Montana <65 Million years ago>

#2 The Knight At Dawn ***Europe - England <5th - 16th Century A.D.>

#3 Mummies In The Morning ***Africa - Egypt <5,000 years ago>

#4 Pirates Past Noon ***North America - Caribbean Sea

#5 Night Of The Ninjas ***Asia - Japan <14th - 17th Century A.D.>

#6 Afternoon On The Amazon ***South America -Amazon

#7 Sunset Of The Sabertooth ***Europe - France <25,000 Years ago>

#8 Midnight On The Moon ***Solar System - Moon

#9 Dolphins At Daybreak ***Oceans - Pacific

#10 Ghost Town At Sundown ***North America - Rattlesnake Flats

#11 Lions At Lunchtime ***Africa - Kenya

#12 Polar Bears Past Bedtime ***North America -Arctic

#13 Vacation Under the Volcano ***Europe - Pompeii

#14 Day of The Dragon King ***Asia - China <221 B.C.>

#15 Viking Ships at Sunrise ***Europe - Ireland <9th Century A.D.>

#16 Hour of the Olympics ***Europe - Greece <776 B.C. -A.D. 394>

#17 Tonight on the Titanic ***Oceans - Atlantic

#18 Buffalo Before Breakfast ***North America -Praries

#19 Tigers at Twilight ***Asia - India

#20 Dingoes at Dinnertime ***Australia - Australia

#21 Civil War on Sunday ***North America - Virginia

#22 Revolutionary War on Wednesday ***North America - Delaware River

#23 Twister on Tuesday ***North America - Kansas

#24 Earthquake in The Early Morning *** North America - San Francisco

#25 Stage Fright on a Summer Night ***Europe - England

#26 Good Morning, Gorillas ***Africa - Cloud Forest

#27 Thanksgiving on Thursday ***North America - Plymouth Bay

#28 High Tide in Hawaii ***North America - Hawaii

#29 Christmas in Camelot ***Europe - British Isles

#30 Haunted Castle on Hallows Eve ***

#31 Summer of the Sea Serpent ***

#32 Winter of the Ice Wizzard ***

#33 Carnival at Candelight ***Europe - Venice <18th Century A.D.>

#34 Season of the Sandstorms ***Asia - Baghdad

#35 Night of the New Magicians ***Europe - Paris

#36 Blizzard of the Blue Moon ***North America - New York City

#37 Dragon of the Red Dawn ***Asia - Japan


These are Wonderful activities for Drake -- he is 8 and we are really working on organization skills. He is able to do a small part each week (which he has to keep track of) and organize it into a larger assignment.

Here is a link to The Magic Tree House website. There is a "Readers and Writers Club" tab. It is a very well organized and teaches the concepts of characters, setting, details and plot. This is a wonderful addition to strengthen early writing skills.

http://www.randomhouse.com/kids/magictreehouse/?ds=1

Our Flexible Schedule

For us - mornings are relaxed, before nine we have breakfast - excelent time to teach cooking (and math), and do chores -starting the day with responsibility and independence (some days go smoother than others - we take it day by day).
Each of my children differ in learning readiness, preferences & interests. (Not to mention temperments). So to optimize teaching and learning I use differentation - I match resources to their individual levels (ie - spelling books) but teach a common lesson (ie-plural words).
I adjust curriculum topics and learning tasks to meet each individual need while ensuring challenging learning experiences during group morning work. This is when we work together and they learn from each other. I teach all lessons in tier format - thus reinforcing a "we" frame of mind -- family -- while ;) helping them respect their differences. This also helps them accept responsibility for individual growth while not making comparisons.
Afternoons are spent more one on one. Helping with anything they need extra attention on and just spending time with each one. They all need to feel important and cherished (homeschooling is an amazing opportunity to spend more quality time together). We also use this time for crafts and science projects -- All three Really Love ~ hands on projects!
I have implemented many online games - math, grammar, ect. into our curriculum. And always have fun handouts (crosswords & word searches) for them to work on to reinforce what they are learning.
The most helpful advice I can give is be flexible. Consider honestly the dynamics of your family & make it interesting and fun for them. If something isn't working - try something else. All families are different - use ideas, strategies and schedules that work for yours!


~ I look forward to hearing from you and how you implement different strategies and learning styles into your busy days.

((^.^)) Sherry