Semester 2 ~ Week 9

DO HARD THINGS

Read chapter 8 this week and come prepared to discuss "Small Hard Things"!  Be thinking and praying about what your proposal will be for a "Hard Thing" our class can do.  

DEFEATING DARWINISM

We only have ONE chapter left!  For chapter 8 ("Stepping Off the Reservation"), you are creating your own outline from scratch.  Don't neglect to scan, touch, and then read the entire chapter BEFORE beginning to write your outline.  Consider how each section relates to the sections around it.  Create your own Vocabulary and People sections for new words and people you come across in the chapter.

If you work on paper, you might want to create a very simple outline of headings before you expand your ideas.  This way, if you want to add points in, or find another idea you missed, it will be easy to insert it.  You also might want to work in pencil.  Even easier might be to type your outline on the computer - insert ideas you find out of order won't be any problem at all this way.

For your outline, simplify and sum up the biggest ideas in as few words as possible.  The outline can be more complex or more simple.  We’ve tried many different types this semester with the shells you've been using.  The key is to use the format that YOU learn from BEST.  

The purpose of outlining is to show logical structure in what we are learning or writing about.  It also shows the relationship between ideas and helps us to strengthen our understanding of the bigger concepts and ideas by pulling out the most important information and summarizing it.  When you have finished your outline, assess whether you have accomplished each of these things.

LATIN

We are taking the NLE in class on Monday!  Put in as much time as possible this week to study - there are a bunch of Quizlets, I am resending the grammar study guide to you, and you have the map I handed out in class a few weeks ago.  I am excited to see how you all do!  The exam is 40 questions in 45 minutes.  Remember the strategies we've discussed:  with multiple choice questions, rule out the obviously bad answers; for short stories, read through the entire story as best you can first and read through all of the questions, because a subsequent question might give you clues about the correct answer to the preceding question; etc.

In Henle, we have another week in Lesson 22 and chart 5 (present tense, subjunctive mood, active voice).  You have a new vocabulary list (p. 230), four exercises, and five new rules.

SHORT STORIES

I really enjoyed our discussion about The Celestial Railroad - great job!  Initially, most of you found the story to be more difficult to understand, but I hope you all ended up enjoying it too!

The week, you are reading A White Heron (pp. 157-163).  Be sure to answer Review & Thought Qs and find Bible verse that applies (and it bring to class!).
  Reread p. 143 on "plot" and continue to refine your own plot by completing the following:
     -  clearly identify the conflict of the main character (and WRITE IT DOWN);
     -  is your character's conflict internal, external, or both?  (WRITE down your answer);
     -  identify your main character’s objective, the obstacle they will encounter, and the outcome you anticipate at the end of the story (WRITE these down!);
     -  finally, begin writing your story!!!!!

MOCK TRIAL

This week you are preparing an ANI / PDI chart for each of the statutes ("P" column includes anything helpful to the plaintiff; "D" is anything helpful to the defense; and "I" is anything interesting that doesn't seem to fit in the "P" or "D" columns).

Be as thorough as you can!  And email to me your ANI / PDI charts for BOTH the nine exhibits and each of the statutes, and I will post them in a Google doc.  On Monday, I will assign attorney examinations and witness roles.

You also need to:
     - reread Sections 8-9
     - re-read Section 2 regarding closing arguments
     - email me all of your PDI charts for the exhibits and statutes

LOGIC

We are now on chapters 17-19.  Read all of the chapters, understand the vocabulary, FINISH all of exercises 17a and 17b if you did not complete them last week, and begin to work on the new exercises as much as possible.  I will hold a logic study session on Friday, March 10, from 9:30-11:30 a.m. at the Castle Pines library - join us!

MATH

We are SO CLOSE to our Drill to Chill celebration!  Keep practicing on Quizlet - especially in the areas you have not yet mastered.  If everyone is at the study group on Friday, perhaps we can take the tests again to see if we can earn ice cream!

CHECKLIST FOR MONDAY:

- Note-taking Journal

- Do Hard Things book
- Prayer request to share

- Defeating Darwinism book
- Hard copy of your outline of DD chapter 8

- Words Aptly Spoken Short Stories book
- Bible verse for "A White Heron"
- WRITTEN tasks:
     - the conflict of your main character
     - main character’s objective
     - the obstacle they will encounter
     - the outcome you anticipate at the end of the story

     - beginning of your story!

- Nine completed ANI / PDI charts - one for each statute in the Mock Trial notebook.

- Logic book and completed exercises

POSTREMO

*  Please note our extra Mock Trial practice days on your calendars!  

          - Friday, March 31 (9:00-12:00)
          - Wednesday, April 5 (9:00-3:00)
          - Monday, April 17 (8:30-3:00)
          - Tuesday, April 18 (8:30-3:00)
          - Friday, April 21 (9:00-12:00)

*  Don't forget to study for the NLE!  :)

Semester 2 ~ Week 8

We've had a bit of a hiatus from the blog, but here's a quick recap of this past week for you, as well as a checklist for class on Monday.  :)


DO HARD THINGS

Read chapter 7 this week and come prepared to discuss the power of collaboration!  I would also love for you all to begin brainstorming some possible "hard things" you could do as a class.  Serving on a mission team to Juarez?  Organizing a race to raise money for World Vision?  Hosting an Exile Night for Voice of the Martyrs?  I can't wait to hear what you come up with!

DEFEATING DARWINISM

We only have two chapters left!  This week, it's chapter 7 - don't forget to scan, touch, then read!  Outline all the major points - the outline shell has even less this week because you should be figuring out for yourself what you should include.  Be prepared to discuss the chapter and add to your outlines - remember, these outlines are your study guides for this strand!

LATIN

We will practice a bit more for the NLE on Monday - then the following Monday is the actual exam!  Be sure to get some time in on Quizlet to review the NLE materials over the next week and a half.

In Henle, we finished Unit 5!  You now should know the entire Master Review Vocabulary No. 2 list (pp. 217-224) and be able to fill in conjugation charts 1-4.  This week, you are moving onto Lesson 22 and chart 5 (present tense, subjunctive mood, active voice).  You have a new vocabulary list (p. 227), five exercises, and some new rules.

SHORT STORIES

Everyone seemed to enjoy reading The Red-Headed League.  I hope you also have found The Celestial Railroad to be interesting - it is a bit more difficult!  Be sure to go over the "Thought" and "Review" questions and find a Bible verse.

You also need to reread the Plot section (pp. 143-144) and begin brainstorming the plot for YOUR story.  Use the questions on p. 14 for guidance, and complete Writing Practice 1 (p. 165).  Bring your WRITTEN plot ideas to share with the class on Monday.

MOCK TRIAL

Wow - our Mock Trial preparation is flying by!  You have completed direct and cross examinations for every witness.  This week you are preparing an ANI chart for each of the nine exhibits (exhibit 9 is the weather report - it is not labeled as an exhibit, though).  Think of the ANI chart as more of a PDI chart.  The "P" column includes anything helpful to the plaintiff; "D" is anything helpful to the defense; and "I" is anything interesting that doesn't seem to fit in the "P" or "D" columns.

Be as thorough as you can!  I would rather see you be over-inclusive with information on your PDI/ANI charts than under-inclusive.  :)  On Monday, we will review exhibits, discuss roles, and start analyzing the statutes.

LOGIC

Oh boy - we're getting into some really tough stuff now!  But this difficult, mind-stretching HARD THING will strengthen your brain, develop your logical reasoning, and toughen your resolve.  Hang in there!  As you reread chapters 14-17 and complete all the exercises, remember a few things:

- Recognizing the rules of inference in a proof is REALLY TRICKY!  Don't get frustrated with yourself.  PRACTICING is key - and PERSEVERANCE!

- Remember that the whole point of these proofs is to use the premises to deduce the conclusion
.  You're going to make intermediate conclusions, which then become new premises, in order to get to (or deduce/prove) the final conclusion.

- Don't just "look" at the form of the premise; actually READ it aloud or in your mind (e..g, "If…, then…")
.

- The Rule of Absorption and the Rule of Addition are frequently overlooked - if you are stuck, try them.


- Usually (not always) every step of a proof is used.  If you get stuck, check to see which premise line numbers haven’t been used yet.
  E.g., if you have used lines 1, 2, 4, and 5, and then get stuck on the next line, check out line 3!  

- In the exercises for lesson 17, you will use ALL of Appendix B - not just the bottom half.

- If you are not still familiar with Appendix B, take some time to relearn it.

- Finally, if you have a complete mental block, move on and come back to that problem later with fresh perspective.


MATH

We are SO CLOSE to our Drill to Chill celebration!  Get on Quizlet and take a few passes at the multiplication drills and basic math facts.  Maybe we can all get 100% next week!


CHECKLIST:

Okay - I'm not going to do this every week, but here is what you need to be sure to bring to class on Monday:

- Note-taking Journal

- Do Hard Things book
- Prayer request to share

- Defeating Darwinism book
- Hard copy of your outline of DD chapter 7

- Henle materials
- Latin conjugation charts - at least charts 1-5.  I emailed these several times to everyone - PRINT them if you have already!

- Words Aptly Spoken Short Stories book
- Bible verse for "The Celestial Railroad"
- Completed Writing Practice 1 from p. 165.
- WRITTEN plot ideas to share with the class, based on your answers to questions on p. 14 and the Writing Practice 1

- Nine completed ANI / PDI charts - one for each exhibit in the Mock Trial notebook.

- Logic book and completed exercises

- Dark chocolate (just kidding ~ sort of...)  ;)


POSTREMO

*  Please note our extra Mock Trial practice days on your calendars!  

          - Friday, March 31 (9:00-12:00)
          - Wednesday, April 5 (9:00-3:00)
          - Monday, April 17 (8:30-3:00)
          - Tuesday, April 18 (8:30-3:00)
          - Friday, April 21 (9:00-12:00)

*  Don't forget, you only have about ten days left to study for the NLE!  :)

Semester 2 ~ Week 2

Welcome back!  Here's a recap of what's going on:

DO HARD THINGS

I hope you are enjoying this book!  Read Chapter 2 this week and highlight your favorite parts.  Bring your book to class!

MATH

If you scored 100% on the multiplication drills and Basic Math Facts section of your blue book final, make sure your parent tells me.  We are so close to our Drill to Chill celebration!  We will continue to drill occasionally, but are adding in some fun math games each week now, too.  

Because of our snow delay, we didn't get to cover new Saxon lessons, but next week we'll take a look at fractional part word problems, changing rates, semicircles, proportions with mixed numbers, and ratio word problems and comparisons.

MOCK TRIAL

Mock Trial is finally here!  Do not let any anxiety or concerns interfere with the excitement and fun that is ahead!  I promise you are going to enjoy this, even if it forces you outside of your comfort zone at times.  We are in this together, and together we are going to learn and grow so much!

This week, make sure you continue reading through ALL of the case materials, but especially SECTIONS 1-3.  

You will also be analyzing and rewriting two witness statements into your own words (CUMBERLAND & CALHOUN), as well as creating a timeline for each of them.

Approach the rewrite by reading the statement as many times as necessary to really get to know the character; then, pretending you are that witness, write your statement.  Do not exclude ANY facts.  If something seems to be a mistake, do not change it.  You can combine sentences or separate them.  You can also add some of your own ideas as long as they do not change the important facts of the case.  (E.g., come up with your own name – “Samantha”; instead of saying “academic activities” at the end of paragraph two, you could say, “as long as my job doesn’t interfere with my football practice.”)  The purpose for rewriting the statements is to get WELL ACQUAINTED with each witness.  Here is a sample:

SAM PARKER STATEMENT (p. 96)

My name is Samantha Parker and I am 18 years old.  Last summer I was hit by a car while riding my bike.  

I have lived in Abbeville, SC all of my life.  After turning 16, my parents helped me get a part-time job.  The job had to be: close to my home so that I could use a bike to commute, not require me to work beyond my curfew, and not interfere with homework or other school activities. 

I was hired by a local restaurant, Main Street Café, which is located on Court Square and Pickens Street….

For your timeline, you can make a list of events or you can create an actual timeline horizontally across pages with hash marks for each event.  You will be sharing your information in class so that we can make a master timeline.  Here is a sample:

SAM PARKER’S TIMELINE:

Age 16 (date unknown): 

Hired by Main Street Café 

2 years later @ age 18:

May 30, 2005 – Memorial Day Parade & Concert by CJ Calhoun 

May 30, 2005:   
     6:00 pm – Sam’s shift at Main Street Café began 

   ~8:00 pm – began raining 

   ~8:30 pm – rain stopped 

   ~10:20 pm – to be continued…

Mr. McInturff and Ms. Jones also loaded documents onto Google Docs that you can all review and contribute to - a different document for each witness and a master timeline document.  Please at least take a look at these before Monday so we can verify that you all have access and understand how to edit/add to them.  Then start adding information to the sections outlined.  Thank you, Mr. McInturff and Ms. Jones!!!

Remember - the students who work the hardest and complete their assignments for our Mock Trial will end up with their top choices of roles later in competition.  :)

DEFEATING DARWINISM

(1) We're reading chapter 2 this week.  Remember:  SCAN, TOUCH, then READ!  Highlight with a system that you are comfortable with, including highlights for definitions (of words and people), important points, interesting quotes, and any "structural" words like first, second, third, or lists, etc.

(2) OUTLINE:  You may use the sample shell I distributed and handwrite or type your notes.  Bring your completed outline to class to share with everyone.

(3) Be prepared to DISCUSS this chapter in class.

Remember, you might need to reread the chapter a time or two to fully understand its points.  Reading this aloud with a parent is another option - you can talk through any questions or tough spots, and I think they will enjoy the book, too!

LOGIC

We finished chapters 1-5 and now are moving onto chapters 6-9.  You will have TWO weeks to complete this!  Please read ALL four chapters by Monday and start reviewing all the vocabulary.  Then, work on as many exercises as you are able.  Next week, you will review the chapters again and complete the remaining exercises.

By reading through all chapters this week, we can touch on any difficult spots in class before you have to move onto the next section.

LATIN

This week you are studying pluperfect & future perfect tenses.  You have two exercises and new vocabulary.  In class, we will be quizzing the first part of Verb Chart 1 and ALL of Verb Chart 2, so be practicing those - I have emailed them to you and (twice) to your parents.  Study the new vocab too.  

We will also begin to review for the National Latin Exam - hooray!  Come on...SMILE!  I'm sure we'll do something FUN after you finish the exam!  ;)

SHORT STORIES

For this week:

(1)  Re-read p. 39 on story focus

(2)  Read two stories:  Little Girls Wiser Than Men (p. 41-43) & Rikki-Tikki-Tavi (p. 45-55)

(3)  Take a look at the Review & Thought Questions for both stories

(4)  Find Bible verse that speaks to the theme or issue in the stories - bring it to class to share!

(5)  Finally, narrow your own list of short story ideas to ONE.  Write down a synopsis of the idea (this could be a summary of the story, a description of the characters and theme, some comments on the general plot, etc. - something to give us a taste of what you want to write about).  BRING YOUR WRITTEN SYNOPSIS TO CLASS and read it to us.  :)

SCIENCE FAIR

Next Monday, Ms. Baughman, Ms. Thoma, and Ms. Jones will bring their final display boards and practice their oral presentations for us.  If Ms. Nemec and Ms. Dragovich are ready to do the same, that is wonderful.  If not, they will present the following week (Jan. 30).

In two weeks (January 30), EVERYONE will bring ALL their science fair materials (final research paper, display boards, props/exhibits, oral presentation).  After class, we will set everything up and invite parents to come and see the amazing work you did.  You will also give your oral presentations. I'm hoping this will run from 4:30-6:00 so that all the parents can make it.

If you know of anyone interested in CC or Challenge next year, we will also hold an Information Meeting that night - feel free to invite them!

Our Science Fair will be Wednesday, Feb. 1, from 10:00 am to 2:00 pm in the gym at Cherry Creek Presbyterian Church (10150 E. Belleview Ave., Englewood, CO 80112).  I believe a mom has volunteered to pick up orders from Chic-fil-A for lunch, if you would like to bring money for that.  :)

POSTREMO

* Finish ALL Mock Trial and Science Fair work!!!  And Defeating Darwinism and Short Stories!!!

* Make sure you bring all of your books, outlines, notebooks, etc. to class!  If in doubt about whether you should bring something, err on the side of caution and BRING IT!  ;)

* MOVIE NIGHT is this Monday immediately following class - 3:30-7:30 p.m. at the Nemecs.  Bring your own dinner!

See you on Monday!