Week 1

Welcome back, everyone!  I'm excited for our new year and new faces in class!  Here is info from week 1...

LATIN

We briefly touched on what was covered in CH A:

UNIT 1:  1st-5th Declensions (NOUNS) and nouns with special meanings in the plural

UNIT 2:  Adjectives of 1st-3rd Declensions

UNIT 3:  1st-4th Conjugations (VERBS)

Basically, first semester of CH B is a review of all material from CH A.  If you were a rock star in Latin last year, then first semester will likely be a bit easier for you and help to cement your stellar status.  ;)  If Latin wasn't your cup of tea last year, take heart!  You have a CLEAN SLATE!!! Stay on top of it now - do the exercises, drill vocabulary and endings, and COME TO LATIN STUDY HALL every Thursday from 10:00-11:30.

We also specifically reviewed the first and second declensions (lessons 1 and 2) in class:

1st Declension:

Nominative -a -ae 

Genitive        -ae -ārum

Dative  -ae -īs

Accusative -am -ās

Ablative         -ā -īs

2nd Declension:

Nominative (subject) -us -ī (or -um/-a)

Genitive (possessive)  -ī -ōrum

Dative (I.O.)          -ō -īs

Accusative (D.O.)  -um -ōs  (or -um/-a)

Ablative (object of prep.) -ō -īs

• For 2nd declension nouns, the nominative singular ends in either -us or -um.
• - us are generally masculine
• -um are ALWAYS neuter

Make sure you have these endings memorized as well as the vocabulary!  This week you're moving on to Lesson 3.

Also, I encourage you to resume writing in your Latin composition book (or start a new one!).

MATH

Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.  Hebrews 13:8 (ESV)

Everyone should bring a problem to present to the class each week.  Be prepared to lead your classmates in understanding how to solve your problem primarily by asking questions!  At the end of your discussion, your classmates should feel encouraged and equipped.  Use the 5 Common Topics chart to outline how you will lead the discussion.

We will also continue practicing our multiplication drills and basic math facts.  We'll have a Quizlet up for you to use during the week.

In class, we discussed real numbers, math in the Bible, and also looked at the origin of numbers - comparing Hindu, Arabic, and medieval numbers with modern numbers, as well as Roman and Mayan numerals and cuneiform.  We also took a look at material from the first 4 lessons of the Saxon text.

ASTRONOMY

Lift up your eyes on high And see who has created these stars, The One who leads forth their host by number, He calls them all by name; Because of the greatness of His might and the strength of His power, Not one of them is missing.  Isaiah 40:26

This semester, you will be researching an astronomer each week and compiling your own History of Astronomy.  You can use your Nature Sketch Book for this or get creative and make your own journal or book.  I'm excited to see where your creativity takes you!

This week, you are researching the life and work of Hipparchus.  Your research paper should use at least 2 sources and be a minimum of 4 paragraphs, each paragraph at least 100 words.  I strongly encourage you to try the notecard method for at least the first few papers.  This is described on page 180 in the guide, and we discussed it in detail in class.  As you get to more complex and lengthy research papers in the upper challenge classes, I believe you will find this method to be the most efficient, organized, and thorough.  Try it before you knock it.  ;)

I also passed out a handout (with the hamburger photo!) for how to outline and organize the paper (include an introduction and conclusion!).  Your guide specifies the topic to cover for each paragraph/section.  For each astronomer, remember to think about the big question of how/what they contributed to humanity and also how their faith shaped them and their work. In general, the topics to cover include:

-  Astronomer's background

-  Their contributions to astronomy

-  Other contributions, scientific or not

-  Their faith and how it may have influenced their work 

-  Quotes that show evidence of the astronomer’s faith (from the astronomer or others)

LOGIC

Come now, and let us reason together, saith the Lord: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.  Isaiah 1:18 (KJV)

Logic is the ART and SCIENCE of reasoning well.  Reasoning involves drawing proper conclusions from information we already have.  We discussed how there are formulas and rules and structure to logic (the "science" of it), but because God also created mystery in our world, logic cannot always be applied woodenly, and there is an element of art in skillfully applying those rules.

This year you will generally be assigned multiple lessons (around five) and have two weeks to complete them.  This week, however, you have only one week to finish lessons 1-5.  We briefly went through each lesson in class and also discussed the foundational laws of Excluded Middle, Identity, and Non-Contradiction.  Read through all five lessons early this week and make notecards for all the vocabulary.  Then you can review vocabulary all week while you work through the assigned exercises throughout the remainder of the week.

MEMORIZING VOCABULARY IS CRITICAL to understanding logic and being comfortable in applying it.  Don't slack off in learning it!

Logic is going to take time to understand and complete.  But if you stick with it, I promise it's at least kind of fun (and some of you will find it's LOTS of fun!).  After this week, you will have two weeks to complete lessons 6-10.  Here is the general pattern you should follow when you have two weeks to complete an assignment:

Day 1-2: Read all the assigned lessons.  Make flashcards for all new vocabulary (we'll also have them on Quizlet).  Then review vocabulary daily.  Also work on one lesson at a time - reread the lesson and complete all exercises.  Then move onto the next lesson and reread it and do the exercises.

For example:

Week 1, Tuesday and Wednesday:  Read lessons 6-10 and make vocabulary flashcards.

Thursday: Reread lesson 6 and complete all exercises.  Review all vocabulary from lessons 6-10.

Friday: Reread lesson 7 and complete all exercises.  Review all vocabulary from lessons 6-10.

Week 2, Tuesday: Reread lesson 8 and complete all exercises.  Review all vocabulary from lessons 6-10.

Wednesday: Reread lesson 9 and complete all exercises.  Review all vocabulary from lessons 6-10.

Thursday: Reread lesson 10 and complete all exercises.  Review all vocabulary   from lessons 6-10.

Friday: Review all vocabulary from lessons 6-10.  Catch up on any exercises remaining.  Take any quizzes or tests your teacher has assigned.  

LTW

As Pilgrim’s Progress is concerned with the awakening of the sluggardly spirit, The Phantom Tollbooth is concerned with the awakening of the lazy mind..” - Emily Maxwell (New Yorker review - 1961)

I'm so glad so many of you really enjoyed The Phantom Tollbooth!  This week you will draft your issue and create an ANI chart with at least 20 items in each column.  You also have several assigned worksheets to complete.

The final essay for this novel (due week 4) will use the Essay #2 format.  

Don't forget to start reading our next novel, Little Britches, which must be finished by week 4, too.

CURRENT EVENTS

We began current events with a discussion about "right to life" issues, including abortion, living wills, DNRs ("do not resuscitate" directives), euthanasia, and physician-assisted suicide.  We read the Hippocratic Oath and compared its original version to a modern iteration (http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/body/hippocratic-oath-today.html).  We also talked about the difference between "rights" and "laws" and what would happen if Roe v. Wade is overturned by the Supreme Court.

Each week for current events, you will have a different topic to research.  One of the goals for this strand is to learn how to safely and efficiently navigate the internet for research articles.  You and your parent should find articles together.  Then, for each article you find, you will completely fill out the Current Events Form on page 215 in the guide.  Make about ten copies of this page to start.  You also should find a Bible verse that applies to your topic.  Then practice explaining your article(s) and the position it supports.

This week you only need to find ONE article and it can be on ANY right to life topic you choose (and any "side").  Research with your parent, fill out the CE form thoroughly, find a Bible verse, and practice explaining what you found.  You will present your findings in class.

Some websites that might be useful this week are https://answersingenesis.org and https://www.liveaction.org.  Parents - please research WITH YOUR STUDENT!  These are Christian sites, but they deal with some pretty intense material (especially Live Action - a pro-life organization).

POSTREMO

- Parents: check out your student's note-taking journal!  We will be using these a lot in class.  Students should be taking notes in every strand, using the journal to do work in class (e.g., math problems), and also pausing for a minute after each strand to record a thought to remember. 

- RSVP for our movie night this Saturday, 6:30-9:00 p.m.!  We're watching "Julius Caesar" - bring a snack to share!

- Come to the Lone Tree community orientation on Thursday at Jubilee from 2:00-4:30 if you can.  It's mandatory for all F/E families.  Challenge-only families can still meet everyone and benefit from it.  Also, we'll have our Latin study hall there from 3:00-4:30!

- Next week, our normal Latin study hall will begin:  Thursdays from 10:00-11:30.  I will email you with more details about that. 

Blessings on your week - don't hesitate to email or text me with any questions!  

Love, Mrs. D.