Week 4
We started with an archetypes activity were I set out a bunch of pictures of people in popular movies that have certain archetypes that I wanted to discuss. They kids then organized them in archetype groups; ordinary man/hero, mentor, comic relief/trickster, sidekick/helper, warrior, bully, villian, shapeshifter, maiden/damsel in distress, etc...
They learned that many supporting characters qualified to go in different archetype groups. We sorted characters from Wizard of Oz, Star Wars, Princess Bride, Moana, Harry Potter, Lego Movie, Cars, Lion King and The Lord of the Rings (even though they weren’t familiar with the movie, they were familiar enough with the characters.
We then discussed The Book of Three, but didn’t have a lot of time to really get into it.
Week 5
Last week we took a trip to the Skookum Archery Range. The Chronicles of Prydain has a lot of archery, so it was a fun activity to do. Sadly, most of the time was taken up by driving, but they got some good experience and had fun.
We will discuss the Black Cauldron on Oct 25, ( a week from Thursday) so please allow them the opportunity to finish this second book!
Tuesday, October 16, 2018
Wednesday, October 10, 2018
Week 3
Yesterday we wanted to discuss the Book of Three, but no one had
finished the book, so I am putting it off a week. This is the only time
I can do that with book discussions. Please help your child have
access to the series on audio (they are free on YouTube) or in book
form.
I introduced some beginning literary terms and concepts and told them what to look for as they read the books. We will discuss The Book of Three next week. The Black Cauldron will be two weeks after that.
This really is a great adventure series, they will get sucked right in!
For the rest of class, Adam Claridge took the lead in teaching a little about metal work. The kids hammered some copper wire and fashioned rings out of a piece. A huge thank you to Adam for sharing his expertise!
I introduced some beginning literary terms and concepts and told them what to look for as they read the books. We will discuss The Book of Three next week. The Black Cauldron will be two weeks after that.
This really is a great adventure series, they will get sucked right in!
For the rest of class, Adam Claridge took the lead in teaching a little about metal work. The kids hammered some copper wire and fashioned rings out of a piece. A huge thank you to Adam for sharing his expertise!
Week 1 and 2
Week 1 ( pretty much a repeat of the email I sent out)
For our first class, we learned about Lloyd Alexander, the author of the Chronicles of Prydain. We learned a little about Welsh history because Wales is the inspiration for this series we are reading this semester. The students colored a Welsh dragon while I talked and then they made a dragon mask (or a mask of their own creation. 😜). A red Welsh dragon is on the flag of Wales, but there are no dragons in the series.
Please make sure to supply the books or audios of these books for your student to read.
Week 2
I was on the Scholar East Coast trip for this week, and missed the class. Lisa and Cayln lead craft activities inspired by the metal working in the series. They made pie tin art and dog tags.
For our first class, we learned about Lloyd Alexander, the author of the Chronicles of Prydain. We learned a little about Welsh history because Wales is the inspiration for this series we are reading this semester. The students colored a Welsh dragon while I talked and then they made a dragon mask (or a mask of their own creation. 😜). A red Welsh dragon is on the flag of Wales, but there are no dragons in the series.
Please make sure to supply the books or audios of these books for your student to read.
Week 2
I was on the Scholar East Coast trip for this week, and missed the class. Lisa and Cayln lead craft activities inspired by the metal working in the series. They made pie tin art and dog tags.
Monday, May 8, 2017
Brian's Rescue
The exciting conclusion of our book had us talking about tornados, diving to the bottom of a lake to retrieve the precious hatchet, the changes in Brian's character and building shelters.
We watched two videos: How to make a survival bow and arrow
How to build a survival shelter
Then, we divided into two teams. Since Brian had to survive using just the items in his backpack, we, too had to look around us and get creative with everyday items. Points were awarded (in the form of raspberries) to those who could look at a paperclip and see a fish hook, or a phone charger cord as a shelter lashing. Teams had to successfully "survive" by obtaining the four basics: Food, Shelter, Water, Fire
Our last week of class, we will celebrate with a BOOK BEE. This is similar to a spelling bee, only answering questions about the five books we've read this semester. Points will be awarded to individuals, and the Lit Wit with the most points will get first selection from the prize box. Prizes may include gift cards, books, tentacle moustache, or notebooks.
May the odds be ever in your favor
We watched two videos: How to make a survival bow and arrow
How to build a survival shelter
Then, we divided into two teams. Since Brian had to survive using just the items in his backpack, we, too had to look around us and get creative with everyday items. Points were awarded (in the form of raspberries) to those who could look at a paperclip and see a fish hook, or a phone charger cord as a shelter lashing. Teams had to successfully "survive" by obtaining the four basics: Food, Shelter, Water, Fire
Our last week of class, we will celebrate with a BOOK BEE. This is similar to a spelling bee, only answering questions about the five books we've read this semester. Points will be awarded to individuals, and the Lit Wit with the most points will get first selection from the prize box. Prizes may include gift cards, books, tentacle moustache, or notebooks.
May the odds be ever in your favor
Friday, April 28, 2017
Brian's interaction with WILD LIFE
This week's discussion had us examining our own survival skills.
We pointed out that in our previous books of survival, the characters had some knowledge and past experience helped them in their journey.
THIS time, Brian is a city boy. He has no past experience. No dad to show him how it's done. He is surviving using his own ideas and learning from his mistakes.
Which kind are we? Are we like Karana and Julie? Or are we more like Brian?
We watched two videos: The first one was how to survive a bear attack.
The second video was how to safely extract porcupine quills.
Outside we went with our flint and steel to test our skills at making a fire. We suddenly had a lot of empathy for Brian. Getting a spark to land right into the tinder "nest" is a challenge, and takes a lot of perseverance and patience! However, we were successful a handful of times! YAY!
Then, we practiced our bear attack survival pose. Hands laced behind the neck, and protect the internal organs by laying flat on our bellies, legs spread. "Mama Bear" Nalani tried her hardest to flip her prey over, but it proved impossible, and all of our victims survived!!
Next week, come prepared to discuss the exciting ending of our book!
We pointed out that in our previous books of survival, the characters had some knowledge and past experience helped them in their journey.
THIS time, Brian is a city boy. He has no past experience. No dad to show him how it's done. He is surviving using his own ideas and learning from his mistakes.
Which kind are we? Are we like Karana and Julie? Or are we more like Brian?
We watched two videos: The first one was how to survive a bear attack.
The second video was how to safely extract porcupine quills.
Outside we went with our flint and steel to test our skills at making a fire. We suddenly had a lot of empathy for Brian. Getting a spark to land right into the tinder "nest" is a challenge, and takes a lot of perseverance and patience! However, we were successful a handful of times! YAY!
Then, we practiced our bear attack survival pose. Hands laced behind the neck, and protect the internal organs by laying flat on our bellies, legs spread. "Mama Bear" Nalani tried her hardest to flip her prey over, but it proved impossible, and all of our victims survived!!
Next week, come prepared to discuss the exciting ending of our book!
Sunday, April 23, 2017
HATCHET
Our new book, Hatchet, is full of intensity.
We learned a bit about the author and his past, and recognized that sometimes our real-life experiences make for a fantastic plot for writing stories.
Since the character in the book finds himself having to pilot an airplane, we logged onto a flight simulator (with Google Earth) and took turns flying over the cities. It is A LOT more difficult than we expected. None our of classroom pilots were able to land safely and made for some comical moments.
Continue reading the book, up to at least chapter 14, and come to class ready to discuss porcupine pricks, bear attacks, skunk sprays and starting a fire with flint and steel.
We learned a bit about the author and his past, and recognized that sometimes our real-life experiences make for a fantastic plot for writing stories.
Since the character in the book finds himself having to pilot an airplane, we logged onto a flight simulator (with Google Earth) and took turns flying over the cities. It is A LOT more difficult than we expected. None our of classroom pilots were able to land safely and made for some comical moments.
Continue reading the book, up to at least chapter 14, and come to class ready to discuss porcupine pricks, bear attacks, skunk sprays and starting a fire with flint and steel.
Wednesday, April 5, 2017
Number the Stars
This past week, we began our discussion of our new book, Number the Stars by Lois Lowry.
To set the scene of our story, we looked at a map of Denmark and noted how it shared a border with Germany and how close it is to Sweden. We also learned a bit more about King Christian X of Denmark and the tough choices he had to make during the German occupation.
We saw illustrations of a Nazi soldier's uniform and agreed that it would be intimidating to see in our own neighborhood. We also reminded ourselves about Adolf Hitler and his crazy ideas about the Master Race and why Jewish families were being relocated. We all agreed that we would NOT want to have be separated from our families and go live with our friends' family, but that we understood that it was for our own protection from the German soldiers.
(Concentration Camps and Jewish extermination horrors were not discussed- I will leave that discussion up to the families)
To set the scene of our story, we looked at a map of Denmark and noted how it shared a border with Germany and how close it is to Sweden. We also learned a bit more about King Christian X of Denmark and the tough choices he had to make during the German occupation.
We saw illustrations of a Nazi soldier's uniform and agreed that it would be intimidating to see in our own neighborhood. We also reminded ourselves about Adolf Hitler and his crazy ideas about the Master Race and why Jewish families were being relocated. We all agreed that we would NOT want to have be separated from our families and go live with our friends' family, but that we understood that it was for our own protection from the German soldiers.
(Concentration Camps and Jewish extermination horrors were not discussed- I will leave that discussion up to the families)
Friday, March 10, 2017
Charles Wallace and Mrs Whatsit
What an intriguing beginning to our new adventure, A Wrinkle In Time.
This week we discussed the characters in our story. A lot of us could relate to Meg Murry the way she thinks she is not smart, even though she is a genius. She believes that she is plain-looking when it is so obvious to others just how attractive she is.
We defined what INTUITION is, and challenged ourselves to trust our gut more often.
We sipped on Charles Wallace's hot chocolate while we discussed the character, Mrs. Whatsit.
(ask your student what the difference is between hot cocoa and hot chocolate)
Jael was our first volunteer to be transformed into the character, Mrs. Whatsit. We dressed her in a shawl, and eight scarves. Then topped the tramp with a man's wool fedora! What fun it was to re-create the scene when Mrs. Whatsit showed up to Meg's house that dark and stormy night. Other characters joined into the scene, and the scarves and hat were recycled onto a new Mrs. Whatsit, and the scene was acted out over and again because it is such fun to pretend.
This week, please read chapters five through eight.
We will continue our discussion of Meg and Mrs. Whatsit and TESSERACT travel.
This week we discussed the characters in our story. A lot of us could relate to Meg Murry the way she thinks she is not smart, even though she is a genius. She believes that she is plain-looking when it is so obvious to others just how attractive she is.
We defined what INTUITION is, and challenged ourselves to trust our gut more often.
We sipped on Charles Wallace's hot chocolate while we discussed the character, Mrs. Whatsit.
(ask your student what the difference is between hot cocoa and hot chocolate)
Jael was our first volunteer to be transformed into the character, Mrs. Whatsit. We dressed her in a shawl, and eight scarves. Then topped the tramp with a man's wool fedora! What fun it was to re-create the scene when Mrs. Whatsit showed up to Meg's house that dark and stormy night. Other characters joined into the scene, and the scarves and hat were recycled onto a new Mrs. Whatsit, and the scene was acted out over and again because it is such fun to pretend.
This week, please read chapters five through eight.
We will continue our discussion of Meg and Mrs. Whatsit and TESSERACT travel.
Friday, March 3, 2017
Julie's big decision
This week, we finished up our discussion of our book, Julie of the Wolves.
Those students who read the ending to this book agreed that the ending was both climactic and disappointing.
Miyax chooses to migrate closer to the river, and builds herself an igloo made from hard, dry snow.
We watched a video of some Inuits showing us how to expertly build an igloo in 40 below weather. Amazing!
Then, we built our own "igloos" using mini marshmallows.
What if you were Miyax's position? Would you choose to continue your journey to San Francisco like you planned? Would you choose to go live with your father? Or would you choose to live with your adopted family of wolves out on the tundra?
Our next book is "A Wrinkle in Time" by Madeline L'Engle. Get started reading right away. Students will need to have read up to chapter four by next week's discussion.
Those students who read the ending to this book agreed that the ending was both climactic and disappointing.
Miyax chooses to migrate closer to the river, and builds herself an igloo made from hard, dry snow.
We watched a video of some Inuits showing us how to expertly build an igloo in 40 below weather. Amazing!
Then, we built our own "igloos" using mini marshmallows.
What if you were Miyax's position? Would you choose to continue your journey to San Francisco like you planned? Would you choose to go live with your father? Or would you choose to live with your adopted family of wolves out on the tundra?
Our next book is "A Wrinkle in Time" by Madeline L'Engle. Get started reading right away. Students will need to have read up to chapter four by next week's discussion.
Wednesday, March 1, 2017
Part 2
Last week, we had a discussion about Part 2 of the book, Julie of the Wolves.
Part 2 describes Miyax's life before she ran away, before she learns to survive among the wolves.
We talked about her becoming a child bride, and suggested that maybe this was their native custom of "adopting" a new member into the family. We agreed that if any of us were to be treated as disrespectfully as Daniel treated Miyax, then we have every right to leave the relationship immediately.
Our discussion then led to all of the things that Miyax learned from her father. He taught her to hunt, to preserve food, to sew, to read and understand the nature around her. What have WE learned from our fathers that serve us well today?
Since Miyax was very skilled at sewing caribou fur in to muklaks and mittens, we thought it might be a good survival skill for us to learn, also. Each student was given a section of caribou fur to make an article of clothing with. Most chose to make mittens, but I also saw furry ear muffs, and a furry bag, too. Sewing fur is tricky!
Continue reading Part 3 of the book, and be ready to discuss on March 2nd.
Ask yourself "What is the THEME of this book"?
Part 2 describes Miyax's life before she ran away, before she learns to survive among the wolves.
We talked about her becoming a child bride, and suggested that maybe this was their native custom of "adopting" a new member into the family. We agreed that if any of us were to be treated as disrespectfully as Daniel treated Miyax, then we have every right to leave the relationship immediately.
Our discussion then led to all of the things that Miyax learned from her father. He taught her to hunt, to preserve food, to sew, to read and understand the nature around her. What have WE learned from our fathers that serve us well today?
Since Miyax was very skilled at sewing caribou fur in to muklaks and mittens, we thought it might be a good survival skill for us to learn, also. Each student was given a section of caribou fur to make an article of clothing with. Most chose to make mittens, but I also saw furry ear muffs, and a furry bag, too. Sewing fur is tricky!
Continue reading Part 3 of the book, and be ready to discuss on March 2nd.
Ask yourself "What is the THEME of this book"?
Thursday, February 16, 2017
Julie of the Wolves
We started out our discussion today by getting familiar with Miyax and her world. We were able to find Barrow, Alaska on a map and visually tracked her long journey to San Francisco. Seeing how close Alaska is to the North Pole helped us to understand her dilemma of "midnight sun" and lack of navigational stars in the summertime.
Jonny helped us to better understand the science behind a frost heave, and Corban and Benjamin offered some great ideas on ways we could build a sod house.
We learned more about the author, Jean Craighead George, and watched a video clip of her communicating with her dog, the same way Miyax learned to talk with the wolves. We all agreed that Ms George's knowledge of nature helps us to believe the events in this story are realistic and true.
After practicing our own wolf howls, we finished our immersion by playing a game that Eskimo children play. It is called Tingmiulang, and it uses tiny clay ducks that point their beaks at the winner. I challenged the students to make their own set of tingmiulang ducks the next time they find riverside clay.
Next week, come prepared to continue our survival discussion having read up to Part 2 in the book.
Jonny helped us to better understand the science behind a frost heave, and Corban and Benjamin offered some great ideas on ways we could build a sod house.
We learned more about the author, Jean Craighead George, and watched a video clip of her communicating with her dog, the same way Miyax learned to talk with the wolves. We all agreed that Ms George's knowledge of nature helps us to believe the events in this story are realistic and true.
After practicing our own wolf howls, we finished our immersion by playing a game that Eskimo children play. It is called Tingmiulang, and it uses tiny clay ducks that point their beaks at the winner. I challenged the students to make their own set of tingmiulang ducks the next time they find riverside clay.
Next week, come prepared to continue our survival discussion having read up to Part 2 in the book.
Monday, December 12, 2016
Summer of the Monkeys
December's book is SUMMER of the MONKEYS. Boy! Are we enjoying this book! I think this one is my favorite story so far.
The first week, we learned all about the author, Wilson Rawls and how he loved telling stories, and writing stories. He grew up in a very rural home in the Ozark hills and since there wasn't a school nearby- he was home schooled by his mother. She would read him books like Little Red Hen, and Little Red Riding Hood. Wilson thought those were GIRL books, and had little to no interest in reading anything at all. Until....his grandmother sent the book The Call of the Wild by Jack London. That book became his most prized possession, and he carried it with him every where he went. He decided at a young age that he was going to tell stories with DOGS in them. Where the Red Fern Grows was his first published story. Summer of the Monkeys came later, and we're so glad it did.
Last week, we used our creative minds to build some humane monkey traps. We used things from my recycle bin, using apples as monkey bait - and I've got to say how impressed I am with the clever engineering they were able to come up with to catch monkeys of all sizes.
This week- we will wrap up our discussion on the book while tasting a "huckleberry pie that could put muscles on a grapevine".
******** As an incentive - I'll award all readers who have read up to Chapter 15 ************
************with their own vintage Ozark Jay Berry pocket weapon. ***************
***Readers who finish the entire book will also be supplied ammunition to go with the weapon***
The first week, we learned all about the author, Wilson Rawls and how he loved telling stories, and writing stories. He grew up in a very rural home in the Ozark hills and since there wasn't a school nearby- he was home schooled by his mother. She would read him books like Little Red Hen, and Little Red Riding Hood. Wilson thought those were GIRL books, and had little to no interest in reading anything at all. Until....his grandmother sent the book The Call of the Wild by Jack London. That book became his most prized possession, and he carried it with him every where he went. He decided at a young age that he was going to tell stories with DOGS in them. Where the Red Fern Grows was his first published story. Summer of the Monkeys came later, and we're so glad it did.
Last week, we used our creative minds to build some humane monkey traps. We used things from my recycle bin, using apples as monkey bait - and I've got to say how impressed I am with the clever engineering they were able to come up with to catch monkeys of all sizes.
This week- we will wrap up our discussion on the book while tasting a "huckleberry pie that could put muscles on a grapevine".
******** As an incentive - I'll award all readers who have read up to Chapter 15 ************
************with their own vintage Ozark Jay Berry pocket weapon. ***************
***Readers who finish the entire book will also be supplied ammunition to go with the weapon***
Friday, November 4, 2016
An Introduction to Yorkshire
This week, we opened up the discussion for November's book, All Creatures Great and Small.
We heard mixed reviews and feelings about the book itself. Some found life as a country veterinarian to be "gross" and "boring" while others (including myself) found the stories to be humorous and interesting.
Our lesson was taught by Teacher Stephanie. Since her own mother was from Yorkshire, she was able to share some interesting facts and foods with us. We learned that when Dr. Herriot moved to Yorkshire, it was like moving to a whole new country with having to learn a new language/dialect, new foods, and new people. Stephanie brought some English shortbread and some ginger beer for us to snack on while we ooh-ed and ahh-ed at photos of the lush, green country side and the animals that reside there. We learned that they wear "wellies" on their feet, "kegs" on their legs, and they work to "addle some brass".
We wrapped up our Yorkshire experience by watching a couple of videos demonstrating the distinct Yorkshire dialect. It sounded so foreign to our ears, but it was fun to hear the different way of speaking English. We then attempted to speak a sentence using the new phrases that we learned. It's a lot more difficult than we thought it would be, but it was really fun and silly.
Next week, come prepared to train as a Veterinary Apprentice!
We heard mixed reviews and feelings about the book itself. Some found life as a country veterinarian to be "gross" and "boring" while others (including myself) found the stories to be humorous and interesting.
Our lesson was taught by Teacher Stephanie. Since her own mother was from Yorkshire, she was able to share some interesting facts and foods with us. We learned that when Dr. Herriot moved to Yorkshire, it was like moving to a whole new country with having to learn a new language/dialect, new foods, and new people. Stephanie brought some English shortbread and some ginger beer for us to snack on while we ooh-ed and ahh-ed at photos of the lush, green country side and the animals that reside there. We learned that they wear "wellies" on their feet, "kegs" on their legs, and they work to "addle some brass".
We wrapped up our Yorkshire experience by watching a couple of videos demonstrating the distinct Yorkshire dialect. It sounded so foreign to our ears, but it was fun to hear the different way of speaking English. We then attempted to speak a sentence using the new phrases that we learned. It's a lot more difficult than we thought it would be, but it was really fun and silly.
Next week, come prepared to train as a Veterinary Apprentice!
Saturday, October 22, 2016
Our next book...
Our next book on the calendar is All Creatures Great and Small.
I need to apologize to all of you about this one.
I admit that most of the books on our list are ones that I personally have not read yet, but wanted to.
All Creatures Great and Small has some excellent reviews and some really fun activities for us to engage in.
...BUT...
I just discovered that this book is 500 pages long!! Ack! Obviously, I wasn't aware of this fact when it was selected.
I know that I will not be able to read all 500 pages, and I certainly will not expect the students to, either.
I will be listening to this one via free audio book.
Please accept my apologies, and know that I've learned an important lesson about book selection research. Let's make the best out of the situation, and read/listen to some version of the story so we can still enjoy our hands-on activities, imagining what life is like for a Country Veterinarian.
I need to apologize to all of you about this one.
I admit that most of the books on our list are ones that I personally have not read yet, but wanted to.
All Creatures Great and Small has some excellent reviews and some really fun activities for us to engage in.
...BUT...
I just discovered that this book is 500 pages long!! Ack! Obviously, I wasn't aware of this fact when it was selected.
I know that I will not be able to read all 500 pages, and I certainly will not expect the students to, either.
I will be listening to this one via free audio book.
Please accept my apologies, and know that I've learned an important lesson about book selection research. Let's make the best out of the situation, and read/listen to some version of the story so we can still enjoy our hands-on activities, imagining what life is like for a Country Veterinarian.
Thursday, October 20, 2016
The Adventures of Tom Sawyer
This is our second week enjoying the adventures of Tom Sawyer.
Last week, we had a lively discussion about what our favorite part of the story is, which parts made us giggle, and which parts made us feel squeamish. We all agreed that it was clever and hilarious when Tom tricked his friends in to trading a "treasure" in exchange for a chance to whitewash the fence. We wondered if whitewashing a fence is really as much fun as Tom made it out to be... Outside we went with paintbrushes in hand, to a butcher paper "fence" taped to the wall. We divided up into two teams, and had a little competition to see which side could whitewash their half of the fence (with water) first. Turns out, we DO like whitewashing, but there was no clear winner.
Then we traded our paintbrush for an apple- which we ate while learning more about the author and why he chose a pen name. Did you know that the story of Tom Sawyer is based on all the adventures Mark Twain had when he was a youngster? Characters in the story are based on real life characters in Twain's neighborhood. There is even the cave in Missouri that is named "Tom Sawyer Cave" as it is the same cave that a young Twain went "pirating" in many times.
This week, we started off our class with a "Buffalo Gals" sing-off. This song is mentioned briefly in the story, and it was fun to sing the non-sensical lyrics with a catchy tune. We understood why Tom and Huck enjoyed whistling and singing this fun song.
Next, we turned our discussion to they way that Tom entertains himself. He has no video games or TV to amuse him. He uses his imagination while playing outside and magical adventures are happening all around him. His pockets are full of "treasures" that most of us would consider trash. We pulled out a pair of Tom's cut-off pants, and took turns reaching into the pockets to see what they contained. Then we would try to look at the item through Tom's eyes and find imaginative ways to use them and consider them treasures. We had a really fun time looking through a glass decanter stopper as a prism- or maybe it's a spinning top? Could the brass key be used to scratch inside an ear? Or maybe could it be used to dig in the dirt? A dead rat on a string is DEFINITELY a treasure! You can swing it around above your head, or even use it to scare the girls. The item that had us all wishing we had one in our own pocket was the Jews Harp. We took a few minutes to watch a video about how to move your tongue around in your mouth to make the interesting-sounding music.
Next week, we will wrap up our Tom Sawyer workshop by talking about things that happened while in the cave with Becky.
Last week, we had a lively discussion about what our favorite part of the story is, which parts made us giggle, and which parts made us feel squeamish. We all agreed that it was clever and hilarious when Tom tricked his friends in to trading a "treasure" in exchange for a chance to whitewash the fence. We wondered if whitewashing a fence is really as much fun as Tom made it out to be... Outside we went with paintbrushes in hand, to a butcher paper "fence" taped to the wall. We divided up into two teams, and had a little competition to see which side could whitewash their half of the fence (with water) first. Turns out, we DO like whitewashing, but there was no clear winner.
Then we traded our paintbrush for an apple- which we ate while learning more about the author and why he chose a pen name. Did you know that the story of Tom Sawyer is based on all the adventures Mark Twain had when he was a youngster? Characters in the story are based on real life characters in Twain's neighborhood. There is even the cave in Missouri that is named "Tom Sawyer Cave" as it is the same cave that a young Twain went "pirating" in many times.
This week, we started off our class with a "Buffalo Gals" sing-off. This song is mentioned briefly in the story, and it was fun to sing the non-sensical lyrics with a catchy tune. We understood why Tom and Huck enjoyed whistling and singing this fun song.
Next, we turned our discussion to they way that Tom entertains himself. He has no video games or TV to amuse him. He uses his imagination while playing outside and magical adventures are happening all around him. His pockets are full of "treasures" that most of us would consider trash. We pulled out a pair of Tom's cut-off pants, and took turns reaching into the pockets to see what they contained. Then we would try to look at the item through Tom's eyes and find imaginative ways to use them and consider them treasures. We had a really fun time looking through a glass decanter stopper as a prism- or maybe it's a spinning top? Could the brass key be used to scratch inside an ear? Or maybe could it be used to dig in the dirt? A dead rat on a string is DEFINITELY a treasure! You can swing it around above your head, or even use it to scare the girls. The item that had us all wishing we had one in our own pocket was the Jews Harp. We took a few minutes to watch a video about how to move your tongue around in your mouth to make the interesting-sounding music.
Next week, we will wrap up our Tom Sawyer workshop by talking about things that happened while in the cave with Becky.
Friday, October 7, 2016
Theme Seekers and Acorn Pancakes
This was our last week experiencing life in the wilderness like Sam Gribley.
We started out our day by designing a travel poster, enticing tourists to come visit Sam's tree and meet his animal friends. We have some very clever artists among us!
Then our discussion turned to the book's THEME. We read a few passages from the book that gave us clues. We all agreed that the theme of this story is that civilized life is dangerous and boring while life in the wilderness is safe and enjoyable.
Although my tease of possum stew was received with mixed feelings- we actually had something much sweeter to taste...acorn pancakes! We were brave enough to try pancakes made with mock-acorn meal and coconut flour, topped with black currant jam. We also were pleased with the way sassafrass tea tastes! Wilderness food is surprisingly tasty!
Next week- come prepared to talk about the Adventures of Tom Sawyer!
We started out our day by designing a travel poster, enticing tourists to come visit Sam's tree and meet his animal friends. We have some very clever artists among us!
Then our discussion turned to the book's THEME. We read a few passages from the book that gave us clues. We all agreed that the theme of this story is that civilized life is dangerous and boring while life in the wilderness is safe and enjoyable.
Although my tease of possum stew was received with mixed feelings- we actually had something much sweeter to taste...acorn pancakes! We were brave enough to try pancakes made with mock-acorn meal and coconut flour, topped with black currant jam. We also were pleased with the way sassafrass tea tastes! Wilderness food is surprisingly tasty!
Next week- come prepared to talk about the Adventures of Tom Sawyer!
Sunday, October 2, 2016
My Side of the Mountain
What a great way to kick off the school year! Our classroom is filled with eager readers who LOVE adventure stories as much as I do.
Our first book, My Side of the Mountain, has many interesting topics for us to discuss. Last week, we learned a bit about the author, Jean Craighead George. Did you know that her dad was a naturalist and taught her all about foraging for edible plants? And her two brothers were the first falconers in the country. They taught her how to train her own falcon!
We looked at a map of the east coast, and located the Catskill Mountains, we used clues to determine that this story likely took place in the 1950's, then we tried our hand at drawing nature journal sketches on the under side of a piece of tree bark.
This week, our hands-on project was about riverside clay, and how patient you need to be to be able to mold it into a preserves jar. While our hands were busy molding our jars and lids, we enjoyed viewing video clips of weasels, falconers, and listened to hoot owls and whipporwils.
We look forward to wrapping up our discussion of this book with our taste buds. Teacher Nalani has found a fresh opossum carcass just perfect for brewing a possum stew for us to try. ;)
On October 12, the discussion begins on our next book, The Adventures of Tom Sawyer.
(due to a miscalculation, Stuart Little had to be deleted from our calendar - sorry)
Our first book, My Side of the Mountain, has many interesting topics for us to discuss. Last week, we learned a bit about the author, Jean Craighead George. Did you know that her dad was a naturalist and taught her all about foraging for edible plants? And her two brothers were the first falconers in the country. They taught her how to train her own falcon!
We looked at a map of the east coast, and located the Catskill Mountains, we used clues to determine that this story likely took place in the 1950's, then we tried our hand at drawing nature journal sketches on the under side of a piece of tree bark.
This week, our hands-on project was about riverside clay, and how patient you need to be to be able to mold it into a preserves jar. While our hands were busy molding our jars and lids, we enjoyed viewing video clips of weasels, falconers, and listened to hoot owls and whipporwils.
We look forward to wrapping up our discussion of this book with our taste buds. Teacher Nalani has found a fresh opossum carcass just perfect for brewing a possum stew for us to try. ;)
On October 12, the discussion begins on our next book, The Adventures of Tom Sawyer.
(due to a miscalculation, Stuart Little had to be deleted from our calendar - sorry)
Wednesday, April 13, 2016
Christaon Themes and Animal Classification- Magician's Nephew
Week 9!
We discussed the Christain themes in the Magician's Nephew in our last class.
There aren't too many Christain theme's in this chronicle, compared to the other books, but the theme of creation is pretty big. Dignity needed to put Aslan first before his dear mother, just like we need to put God before everything in our lives.
We spent most of our time learning s little about animal classification and putting together a lap book, which we will finish this week.
We are almost done, can you believe it?! Have The Last Battle ready to discuss by April 21st. The planet for this book is Saturn.
We discussed the Christain themes in the Magician's Nephew in our last class.
There aren't too many Christain theme's in this chronicle, compared to the other books, but the theme of creation is pretty big. Dignity needed to put Aslan first before his dear mother, just like we need to put God before everything in our lives.
We spent most of our time learning s little about animal classification and putting together a lap book, which we will finish this week.
We are almost done, can you believe it?! Have The Last Battle ready to discuss by April 21st. The planet for this book is Saturn.
Tuesday, March 22, 2016
Horseback riding!!
We had a fabulous time horseback riding last week!
Merry was awesome with her horses and we are grateful to her for letting us ride them.
Here are a few pictures from the day.
This week we are discussing The Magicians Nephew! Have it read and be ready to talk about the themes Venus.
Merry was awesome with her horses and we are grateful to her for letting us ride them.
Here are a few pictures from the day.
Monday, March 14, 2016
Week 7- Hero Journey in The Horse and His Boy
This week in class, we discussed the hero journey of Shasta in The Horse and His Boy. I had word searches, mazes and crosswords for them to work on while we talked about random things in the book that we hadn't covered yet.
In the spirit of the Calormans and their story telling art, we ended class by watching an animated video of some of the 1001 Arabian Nights and explained the story of Scheherazade.
I got my days mixed up- THIS THURSDAY IS THE HORSE BACK RIDING FIELD TRIP, not the 24th. I will look for you at lunch and get your signature for the field trip form and collect $3 for toll and gas. We will be back at the church at 3:40.
IN CASE OF RAIN we will be discussing The Magicians Nephew. Everyone in the class said that they could have it read by this week in case we needed to have this as a back up. The planet Lewis used for this book is Venus. Look for themes of creativity, fruitfulness and love.
Please email me with any questions.
In the spirit of the Calormans and their story telling art, we ended class by watching an animated video of some of the 1001 Arabian Nights and explained the story of Scheherazade.
I got my days mixed up- THIS THURSDAY IS THE HORSE BACK RIDING FIELD TRIP, not the 24th. I will look for you at lunch and get your signature for the field trip form and collect $3 for toll and gas. We will be back at the church at 3:40.
IN CASE OF RAIN we will be discussing The Magicians Nephew. Everyone in the class said that they could have it read by this week in case we needed to have this as a back up. The planet Lewis used for this book is Venus. Look for themes of creativity, fruitfulness and love.
Please email me with any questions.
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