unEarthingMe

For A.

World History - a bit of catch up here to come forward from Civil War era where we left off last year to about 1910.  As part of her fabulous History co-op, she will be traveling around the world in five periods ending the year at the end of the 20th century.  Currently (the first period) the focus is on pre-WWI, the 1880's to 1914.  To catch up she's researching the 1893 World's Fair in Chicago and hopefully this week we'll be able to cover the golden age in European History known as Belle Epoque as well as the Gilded Age/Progressive Era in the United States and take a look at the 1904 World's Fair in St. Louis.  Tonight we watched Magic of the White City Expo narrated by Gene Wilder about the Chicago World's Fair.  It was fascinating if a bit cheesy.  We'll be frantically trying to dig through our personal library and the Staunton library for reading on "the West" pre-WWI.  Tomorrow we'll watch The World's Greatest Fair about the St. Louis World's Fair.  With any luck she will be able to review Asia during this time period, which is what they covered Monday, over the weekend.  We won't even attempt to read ahead for this Monday.  She'll be doing quite well to cram all of this in by next class.  Ms. J has great things in store for the kids (as usual) this year!

Economics - My friend K has put together a fun a challenging class as she did a few years ago.  So far most of what she has covered has been Supply and Demand.  This too A will try to catch up on this week.  Fortunately she is somewhat familiar with these concepts because K did such a great job of teaching them before.  In fact, recently A just re-read the Invisible Heart: an economic romance that was assigned the last time she studied econ. under K.  She just decided to pick it up one day and told me that she had gotten more out of it this time around.  A has some websites to visit and articles to read to evaluate the changes in supply or demand discussed.  She will also track her personal spending for four weeks - which should be relatively easy since she doesn't do any.  Lastly, she needs to get opinions on credit cards from three different people that will encompass the views good, bad and ugly.  They had fun in class Monday watching videos and commercials.  They even watched a great Trend Spotting clip from The Daily Show on college grads. and credit cards.

Biology - Yeah, I know I talked up how we were going to be studying Chemistry this year.  While we (A & myself) did do reading and prep. work in that direction, there were a multitude of reasons that I couldn't lead the Chemistry co-op I had planned.  So, it's back to Biology for us.  My friend, P, teaches a mean science class and it all falls into place on Mondays after History and Econ.  I don't really know what A needs to catch up on here and I think she's just gonna have to jump in where she is and hold on tight!  Perhaps next week can be heavy on Biology because she has got plenty on her plate for this week and we have out of town guests coming this weekend.

Algebra - What more is there to say.

Language Arts - This is really incorporated into the writing and research she does for everything else.  She's always been a voracious reader.  She writes humorous fiction when the mood strikes.  I think we've got this covered.

Music - I want to take her music class!  She's taking a class from a Charlottesville musician, Matty Metcalfe, called Making Music at the Community Homeschool Enrichment Center (which offers REALLY cool classes) in C'vlle.  I never know whether they'll be studying Hank Williams, the Pogues, or Tom Waits; writing jingles or learning orchestration.  This week, they head into the recording studio.  Lucky girl.

For J.

Cultural Studies - We skipped forward from where we left off of Story of the World with the Greeks about halfway through Book One so that J could rejoin the co-op I started last year.  They plowed ahead over the summer and are in the beginnings of Book Two (Medieval).  Upon her return on Monday they were working on the Byzantine Empire and making mosaics with tiles set into Plaster of Paris.  We'll be preparing for Monday's topic (when I teach) on The Medieval Indain Empire by listening to that chapter of SOTW, doing some additional reading from the library, some mapwork and whatever activity I put together for Monday.

Language Arts - J is starting to take off with her reading.  She is now picking up books and trying to read them on her own.  It has been so rewarding to NOT teach her to read and to let her come to it on her own.  She is so proud and I'm all the prouder.  Writing is pretty much the same.  She uses invented spelling and sounds things out, sometimes asking how to spell something.  As time goes on, more and more of her words are spelled correctly.  She is evolving into literacy.  We read aloud to her religiously, especially Bill.

Math - Hmmmm.  This week I'd say - trying to decide on a math program that works for her.  I have my eye on Right Start, just not my wallet.  Saxon would be torturous, as I knew it would.  I thought I could adapt it but, it really would be a burden with the way it's set up.  Aside from anything formal, J is kicking butt at chess (mine that is), playing Thinkominoes and participating in Lego League which sadly ends this week.

Music - We really need to get the piano off of the step van for her.  She has been her usual little composing self and has come up with at least one song this week.

Visual Arts - Constantly

Practical Arts - We wrap up our Herbcraft class at the Community Homeschool Enrichment Center this week.  Last week we made massage oil with Essential Oils.  J altered an existing recipe of Lavendar and Juniper with the addition of Sandalwood to great result.  It really rounded out the smell.  This week we'll be making potpourri.  We're supposed to bring orange peel to contribute and I never dried any.  I'll have to come up with something and soon!