Week 2

We began our discussion of Do Hard Things today.  I especially enjoyed hearing your thoughts and expectations about your goals for the teenage years.  Read chapter 2 and come prepared to discuss rebelling against low expectations!

LATIN

We introduced Verb Chart 3, which covers the passive voice in present, imperfect, and future tenses  (rules 243-245), and reviewed how  to build verbs:

E.g., to praise:   laudō, laudāre, laudāvī, laudātus

1. 2^nd principal part = laudāre — āre verbs are 1^st conjugation
2. Stem = laud-
3. Add conjugation indicator: ā = laudā    
4. Add tense indicator, if any:  none needed for present tense; imperfect = -ba;
   future = -bi / -bo / -be / -bu
5. add personal ending = 

-or (for -ō) / -r (for -m) -mur

-ris                            -minī

-tur                           -ntur

We then discussed the Ablative of Agent (p. 185).  In a passive sentence, the subject is acted upon instead of doing the action.

The boy threw the ball.    —->    The ball was thrown by the boy.

The “actor” in passive sentences is not the subject.  We call it the “living agent”.

In English and Latin, the living agent is expressed by a prepositional phrase.

The ball was thrown by the boy.

In Latin, we use the preposition ab (= by), which is written as ā before any word beginning with a consonant except h.

E.g., ab omnibus hominibus (by all men)

ā duce (by the leader)

ab hominibus (by men)

God is being praised by men:

God by men is being praised.

(Nom.) (prep w/abl.) (ablative pl.) (3rd sing. —> He is being praised.)

Deus ab hominībus laudātur. 

LOGIC

We reviewed some trouble spots in lessons 1-5.  This week, begin chapters 6-9.  Read through *all* four chapters at the beginning of the week, make your vocabulary flashcards and begin to study them, then go back and reread chapter 6 and complete the exercises in that lesson.  Repeat the same process for chapter 7, and so on.  You will have 2 weeks to reread all four chapters and complete all the exercises.  Please feel free to email or text me if you run into any trouble during the week - it's important to keep up with logic in these early weeks as we make this transition into propositional logic.  :)

SCIENCE

We discussed naturalism, the importance of students learning to "master the challenge of evolution instead of it mastering you", and what "the most important question" is: Is there a God who created us and who cares about what we do?  Note that it's not whether God “exists”, but whether God cares about us and whether we need to care about God’s purposes.  We also discussed whether there is an inherent conflict between "faith" and "science", and reviewed the current NABT (National Association of Biology Teachers) position statement on teaching evolution, which includes:

Science teachers must reject calls to account for the diversity of life or describe the mechanisms of evolution by invoking non-naturalistic or supernatural notions, whether called “creation science,” “scientific creationism,” “intelligent design theory,” or similar designations. Ideas such as these are outside the scope of science and should not be presented as part of the science curriculum. These notions do not adhere to the shared scientific standards of evidence gathering and interpretation.

Just as nothing in biology makes sense except in the light of evolution, nothing in biology education makes sense without reference to and thorough coverage of the principle and mechanisms provided by the science of evolution. Therefore, teaching biology in an effective, detailed, and scientifically and pedagogically honest manner requires that evolution be a major theme throughout the life science curriculum both in classroom discussions and in laboratory investigations.

**********

Your first attempts at highlighting and summarizing a chapter seemed to go well.  This week, you will "read" chapter 2 (using our multi-step approach of counting the cost, scan/touch, read & highlight, then read & summarize).  I look forward to hearing your thoughts on what stood out most to you.  We will review your completed outlines (do forget to bring it!!) and come up with our 3-5 main points from the chapter.

MATH

I introduced Saxon lessons 61-64, and students paired up to share the problems they brought this week.  We will continue this format next week.  Don't forget to keep practicing your basic math facts and multiplication drills!

SHORT STORIES

Last week focused on THEME.  We discussed the four assigned short stories and students shared their own story ideas.  This week's stories introduce the idea of STORY FOCUS.  As you read them, be thinking of a relevant Bible verse to share in class, and think about the Review & Thought Questions following each story.

You also need to narrow your own short story idea down to one.  WRITE it down and BRING it to class!  :)

MOCK TRIAL

Students competed in a scavenger hunt to see who could locate the most items in the case materials (congratulations Sydney, Greta, & Addie!).  We looked at the rewritten witness statements (nice job!) and several examples of how students compiled their timeline.

Remember, the evidence is the SAME for both sides.  It's the PERSPECTIVE that matters.   The prosecution will interpret the evidence one way and the defense another.  When you're creating "PDI" charts (i.e., ANI charts) for each witness or exhibit, you'll need to put on either the prosecution or defense “hat” in order to most effectively analyze the evidence.

This week, reread sections 1-3 in the case materials, analyze the statements of Porter & McGuire, rewrite those statements in your own words, and continue to add evidence to your comprehensive timeline.

Don't neglect to bring all of your work to class on Monday!  Your classmates are depending on you to pull your own weight - come prepared to share your work and ideas!

POSTREMO
* The Hiding Place at Faith's house on Saturday, Jan. 19, at 7 p.m.

* Latin Study Hall: Tuesdays from 10:15-11:45 a.m.

* And don't forget to bring to class:

- all books for each strand
- Bible
- Defeating Darwinism outline of chapter 2
- math problem with 5 Common Topics questions prepared
- your narrowed, single story idea, written down
- rewritten statements for Porter & McGuire
- your own comprehensive timeline for mock trial

Blessings on your week!  ~ Mrs. D

Second Semester Week 1

Welcome back!  Lots of fun in class today....

DEVOTIONS

Our new devotion will be based on the book Do Hard Things.  Plan to read one chapter each week (chapter 1 this week!) and we'll discuss it in class.  It's a pretty easy read and I think you're going to love it!

This semester I'm also introducing an accountability sheet for each student to mark at the beginning of class how much they completed for each strand.  Feel free to take a look anytime!

LATIN

We've finished our review of last year's material and now we're moving on to new stuff!  The pace will now start to slow down.  :)  

We reviewed adjectives and the special declensions of rules 41-43 and 74-76.  This week, you're finishing up Lesson 16 and moving into the beginning of 17 (active & passive voice).  Make sure you are staying on top of new vocabulary!

NATIONAL LATIN EXAM

Those who signed up will take the NLE Introduction-level exam on Monday, March 11, in class.  The best way to begin preparing for the exam is to practice the vocabulary I set up on Quizlet (I'll email you the link to request to join the class) and get familiar with Roman mythology (I also made Quizlets for this).  Mr. Seitz will review some with the kids during study hall, and I am working on a summary resource to send around.

LOGIC

We had 6 students successfully complete the 25 chart/13 day challenge, and another 2 write out all 3 charts from memory in class.  Good job!  Appendix A will be the most important one for now, so if you weren't able to finish this over break, focus on getting Appendix A down old as soon as possible!  (Appendix B will be used in Unit 2, and C in Unit 3.)

We discussed some of the many areas in the Bible that address logic, including:

2 Corinthians 10:5:  “We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets 

itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to 

make it obedient to Christ.” 

1 Timothy 6:20-21:  “Timothy, guard what has been entrusted to your care.  Turn 

away from godless chatter and the opposing ideas of what is falsely called 

knowledge, which some have professed and in so doing have departed from the 

faith.”

Logic and reasoning even appear when the Pharisees try to challenge Jesus’ 

authority in Mark 11:27-33!

We are now entering Intermediate Logic and the study of propositional logic:  evaluating the truth value of a proposition (i.e., a statement) by evaluating its component parts.  Note:  In second semester, we only cover Units 1-3.  Unit 4 is optional; and Unit 5 is not assigned.

This week, complete all reading and exercises for Lessons 1-5, and practice the vocabulary. 

SCIENCE

Welcome to Defeating Darwinism!  We'll spend 10 weeks reading, summarizing, and discussing how to think logically about the theory of evolution.  Written by a reformed atheist, the book is aimed at upper-level high school students and college students - the reading can be difficult, but remember:  Hard is not bad!  Get used to hearing me say that. ;) 

You will read (several times) one chapter each week, in addition to summarizing and outlining it.  It is important that you stay on top of your summaries and keep track of them!  I'm emailing you the outlines we discussed in class that will help you learn what and how to summarize - these shells provide a lot of guidance initially and then gradually wean you so that you are writing your own summary unassisted by week 8.  You can either print the shells and handwrite your summary, or type it on the computer - but make sure you print a copy to bring to class each week if you choose the latter!  And come prepared to discuss - this book is a lot of fun and very enlightening if you stick with it!

In class, I asked students to draw a picture of an alien.  Not surprisingly, every student drew something imagined from another planet in outer space.  We discussed where they got their ideas from - movies, books, cartoons - basically culture and the media.  Then I pointed out that the Bible talks about aliens and related words over 70 times!  We considered what it means to have a biblical worldview, and why no one's initial reaction was to draw that kind of alien first.

I asked which students think comes first:  Does science inform your worldview, or does your worldview inform science?

How to Read:

We reviewed the Highlighting Method used in Challenge A (It Couldn't Just Happen).  If students successfully tried that method and found one that works well for them, I encouraged them to stick with it.  We also should add these steps to this strand:

1st Read - Count the Cost

Look at the chapters, page numbers, sections, pictures, font sizes.  Ask yourself: What is this going to cost me?  (Luke 14:28 “For which of you, desiring to build a tower, does not first sit down and count the cost, whether he has enough to complete it?”)

2nd Read - Touch / Scan

Read the first and last paragraph of the assigned text.  Then run your finger down the text, touching each line and every word.  DO NOT "read", but rather, allow your brain to scan it.  You might want to start noting/highlighting names, dates, places or "structure" words (like ordinal numbers, lists, etc.), or you can save this for the next read-through.

3rd Read - Actually Read + Highlight 

Now read at a normal pace.  Highlight definitions, main arguments, favorite passages, memorable quotes, etc.  

4th Read - Re-read & Summarize

Read substantively one more time, summarizing and outlining as you go.  Ask yourself: What is the author trying to convey in the chapter?

• What’s the big picture? 
• How does the author build the argument in the chapter? 
• Does he give examples, definitions, tell a story? 
• Pull out the information that’s important and understand why it’s important.

Don't just copy!  Think it through, decide what needs to be included, and put it in your own words.  This is essential to making the material your own.

Include vocabulary and explanations of concepts.  Place vocabulary words, key concepts, and list of people noted within the chapter at the very beginning of each chapter outline.  It's easier to find and easier to study!

Finally, we read the Introduction together and outlined some of the main ideas:

According to Mr. Johnson, the most important question of our lives is: 

Is there a God who created us and cares about what we do?

Indoctrination of young people in schools in naturalism.

Under 10% of the general population believes in scientific orthodoxy.

Remaining 90% are split between biblical creationists & theistic evolutionists.

People understand the theory of evolution better than scientists do.  Scientists/professors know details but not the basics.  

“Scientific fact” vs. ideology that goes beyond the facts.

Book = education on HOW to think about evolution.

Freeing people to think about evolution critically as they would any other important subject.

Requires precise definitions and good thinking habits [LOGIC!]

Apply skills to evolution, which has been protected far too long from critical thinking by law and academic custom.

Mr. Johnson data is old (1997) and we wondered if there was anything more recent.  I found something from 2007 if you want to check it out:  https://news.gallup.com/poll/21814/Evolution-Creationism-Intelligent-Design.aspx?fbclid=IwAR3a4A4je6Bx-FjrcEKOL-exyvWJLQ89WhKsWcsAThZInm4XXicgenA2aB8

This week, touch/scan/read chapter 1 and outline all major points.  You might find this link helpful (it's the NABT position statement on teaching evolution):  https://nabt.org/Position-Statements-NABT-Position-Statement-on-Teaching-Evolution?fbclid=IwAR3LvWcbKkMjJ1PCcyfbSKg_gIVaGarKK3h9eQb4zAlRKxm3okuJ7ZO780w

MATH

We tried something new:  I introduced four lessons from Saxon, then students paired up to present their own math problems to each other.  We'll do this again next week, in addition to drawing one student's name to present to the entire class.  This way, everyone is sharing a problem each week, so come prepared!

SHORT STORIES

We previewed some great general questions to consider for every story (p. 14-15), and worked through Freytag’s Pyramid (a story diagram).  I'll circulate an example we can use in discussing the short stories we read.

We read aloud The Lion & the Mouse and answered the review and thought questions that followed it.  We also introduced ideas about THEME (p. 21).

This week, reread p. 21 about Theme and keep it in mind as you read the three assigned stories (p. 23-37).  Consider the review and thought questions and be prepared to discuss them in class.  Also bring a Bible verse that relates to what you read and 5 story ideas (written down!) to discuss in community.  

MOCK TRIAL

We'll have a MT notebook "scavenger hunt" in class next week, so continue to read through the case materials and get familiar with everything.

I explained the critical importance of everyone pulling their own weight in Mock Trial.  There will be no riding coattails!  Each week, students will submit their work to me and it will be shared with classmates, so be prepared!

There can be anxiety surrounding Mock Trial, but I promised you this is going to be fun despite any fears!  This week, read through the case again, organize and tab your case materials, and complete these additional tasks:

1.  Analyze the statements/reports of Chaney & May (think about what you learned for Defeating Darwinism - highlighting/summarizing; asking what’s important? Consider creating an ANI chart where one column lists points favorable to the prosecution, one the defense, and one "interesting".

2.  Rewrite statements for Chaney & May in your own words.  If a person doesn't have a witness statement, create one using the materials you do have for that person.  This develops familiarity & understanding.

3.  Prepare a timeline that includes all the information you learn from Chaney & May.  It works well to keep a running document on your computer.  Don't exclude any information you think is irrelevant now - it could prove to be important later as you learn more about the case.

POSTREMO

* Don't forget our Challenge Social at Dart Warz this Saturday - it looks like the times now are 5:30-8:00 p.m.  And our Parent Meeting will be from 5:45-7:45 pm right nearby at Starbucks.  

* We'll watch The Hiding Place at Faith's house on Saturday, Jan. 19, at 7 p.m.

* We'd love to have you join us at Latin Study Hall on our new day and time: Tuesdays from 10:15-11:45 a.m.!

Blessings on your week!  ~ Mrs. D

Week 15

Excellent job during blue book exams!  People were focused and working hard - you deserve a wonderful break! 

As you know, there are a few things to work on to be fully prepared for second semester - use the checklist I gave you in class.  I also emailed several resources to you, including Latin Verb Chart #2 and aids for Logic appendices.

You should have 25 handwritten and dated copies of each appendix (A, B, and C) by January 7, and you may not count more than 2 per day (of each appendix) - so it will take you a minimum of 13 days to finish this task!  There will be a special reward for all students who bring their copies to class on Monday, January 7!

Don’t Forget:

* Jot down any ideas that come to mind about short stories in the spiral notebook I gave you (or some other set place).

* Prepare a math problem for class on January 7th!

* Finish writing your Tanglewood Tales essay.

* Read through your Mock Trial notebooks - multiple times!

* Check out the NLE quizzes in our Quizlet class and start practicing.

* Work on your logic charts - and bring them to class on Monday!

* Make sure you know Latin Verb Charts 1 & 2 fully!

I’m praying for a productive finish to your year and beginning to second semester, as well as rest and fun times over break!  Hugs ~ Mrs. D

Week 14

DEVOTION

For our devotion today, we discussed Isaiah 53:

1 Who has believed our message and to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?

2 He grew up before him like a tender shoot, and like a root out of dry ground.
He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him, nothing in his appearance that we should desire him.

3 He was despised and rejected by mankind, a man of suffering, and familiar with pain.  Like one from whom people hide their faces he was despised, and we held him in low esteem.

4 Surely he took up our pain and bore our suffering, yet we considered him punished by God, stricken by him, and afflicted.

5 But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds we are healed.

6 We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to our own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all.

7 He was oppressed and afflicted, yet he did not open his mouth; he was led like a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before its shearers is silent, so he did not open his mouth.

8 By oppression and judgment he was taken away. Yet who of his generation protested?
For he was cut off from the land of the living; for the transgression of my people he was punished.

9 He was assigned a grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death,
though he had done no violence, nor was any deceit in his mouth.

10 Yet it was the Lord’s will to crush him and cause him to suffer, and though the Lord makes his life an offering for sin,
he will see his offspring and prolong his days, and the will of the Lord will prosper in his hand.

11 After he has suffered, he will see the light of life and be satisfied; by his knowledge my righteous servant will justify many, and he will bear their iniquities.

12 Therefore I will give him a portion among the great, and he will divide the spoils with the strong, because he poured out his life unto death, and was numbered with the transgressors. For he bore the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors.

We had a wonderful discussion about the prophecies in this passage that were fulfilled 450 years later!  

BLUE BOOK EXAM

We reviewed material and discussed extensively what would likely be on the exam.  Students should have been taking notes in their note-taking journals.  I also detailed much of this in last week's blog post, so I won't repeat it here.

LATIN

Students now know everything they need to completely fill out Verb Chart 1.  And after the upcoming week's material, you can completely fill out Verb Chart 2, as well!

Lesson 15 introduces the Perfect System (indicative active), which includes the perfect, pluperfect, and future perfect tenses.  This is the last bit of material that was covered in Challenge A.  The pace should slow down a bit when we reconvene in January!

To find the perfect active stem, you drop the ending -ī of the 3rd principal part (see p. 155).  We went over Chart 2 in detail, and everyone realized how easy this chart is since nearly everything is identical across the conjugations!  See rules 174, 177-179, 349 (PERFECT tense), as well as 175-176, 180-185, 350-351 (PLUPERFECT & FUTURE PERFECT tenses).

Verb Chart 2 will not be on the blue book, but you should know it cold by week 1 of second semester!

The class then worked through reading and translating exercise 159 together, and we were all pleasantly surprised how well everyone did and how natural it was to translate the Latin sentences into English!

ASTRONOMY

Students presented their papers on Stephen Hawking, and we had time to discuss his wife, faith, and work afterwards.

We compared and discussed these two quotes:

“Every song has a composer, every book has an author, every car has a maker, every painting has a painter, and every building has a builder. So it isn't irrational to take this simple logic a little further and say that nature must have had a Maker. It would be irrational to believe that it made itself.”     
(Ray Comfort)


vs.

Hawking‘s answer to the question “Is there a God?” He said, “No, I think the universe was spontaneously created out of nothing, according to the laws of science.” After all, he argues, “If you accept, as I do, that the laws of nature are fixed, then it doesn't take long to ask: What role is there for God?”

We also learned that scientists recently discovered that it seems like a meteor came near the Earth in the Dead Sea area, wiping out a good-sized civilization and landscape about 3700 years ago.  That is almost exactly when biblical scholars believe Sodom and Gomorrah was destroyed by God. 

Hawking was diagnosed with ALS at 21 years old and only given 2 years to live.  But he lived 55 years longer!  Students talked about how sad it was that God gave him all that extra time to repent and he never did; how gracious God was to give him those years and the brilliant mind he did, but Hawking used it to reject God.

We then considered the question:  If you only had 2-3 minutes in an elevator with Hawking, how would you convince such an intelligent man that there is a God?

It was interesting to note that Billy Graham died just a few weeks before Hawking.

Don't forget:  completed shoe boxes are due next Monday!

LOGIC

We discussed a few more "problem exercises" in lessons 30-32, and then I introduced lessons 33-36.  These lessons involve informal fallacies, and much of it was familiar to students, thanks to The Fallacy Detective in Challenge A.

These lessons divide informal fallacies into 3 types:  fallacies of distraction, ambiguity, and form.  Lesson 36 then teaches how to detect these fallacies by asking 2 questions.

Finally, we began learning a good (simpler) method for memorizing Appendices A & C for intermediate logic second semester.  We'll finish this up next week.

MATH

Thank you, Andrew W. and Addie, for being prepared and sharing a math problem.  

Students do not need to bring a problem to discuss next week, but everyone should be prepared with their math assignment to present on January 7!

CURRENT EVENTS

We changed things up this week: rather than split the class in half and spend time organizing and writing arguments, students paired up and presented their side of the issue solo: Should the federal government increase the federal minimum wage.  Great job!  It was a lot of fun to hear everyone's speeches.

Your assignment this week is to prepare your elevator speech, which will be given after lunch next Monday.  A few reminders:

- our issue is:  Should religious holiday displays be allowed on government property?

- the speech must be 1-2 minutes long (do not go over 2 minutes!)

- the speech must be completely memorized

- in other words, you may not carry anything up to the stage when you present

- that being the case, when you practice your speech this week, also practice what you are going to do with your hands!  (Hint: incorporate some hand gestures!)

- the Guide (p. 91) explains the elevator speech further

- in general, you should include the elements of Essay #6 or 7 from LTW; but you may have to condense or cut some parts due to the time constraint

- you may choose either side of our issue to talk about

- don't omit an exordium and refutation, however!

LTW

Students shared their issue and 3 favorite proofs.  We then discussed what narratio is, why we need it, and how to write it.  This week, students will sort their ANI chart and write an outline of their essay.  Now they are to write their paper using the LTW #7 essay form, as well as complete worksheets on exordium, amplification, division, refutation & narratio.

At our blue book exam on Monday, students should bring their completed outline.  We will review these Monday afternoon, and if students find they have extra time during the morning exams, they may work on drafting their essay from the outline.  The essay will not be part of the assigned exam, however.  The essay must be completed by January 7.  Bring your essay that day because we will share in class.

We wrapped up our day with a continued discussion on whether Hawthorne presents true heroes through the characters of Tanglewood Tales.

POSTREMO

- Refer to your notes, my emails, and last week's blog post for guidance on the blue book exams.  We will begin right at 8:30 a.m. next Monday.  The exam will last at least the morning (8:30-12:00/12:30).  In the afternoon, we will do our Shoe Box Activity, review week 15 assignments for over Christmas break, and have some fun!

- Don't forget to bring a healthy snack and a sweet treat next Monday!  And a pen, pencil, and something quiet to do if you finish a section early (e.g., a book or your LTW outline).

- Our All-Challenge Christmas Potluck is Friday, Dec. 14!

- MOCK TRIAL DATES are April 24 (9:00-1:00) and May 1 (8:30-12:00).

~ Love, Mrs. D.