Science Updated

Science Rotation

I have to admit that Science is something that I go back and forth on. There are such good resources out there, and we have access to many of them. As I re-evaluate our homeschool, I'm putting down a couple of options for me to consider, while I decide the approach. I do want to do science together in groups... either years 1 to 3 together and years 4 to 6 together OR years 1-6 together. I haven't looked at science for the upper years, and whether it will make sense to keep those years together or not.

For years 1-6, the first option involves using Apologia, along with some living books. The second option involves using the Childcraft books that we own. All options involve nature study! I have had thoughts of using mainly living books for Years 1 to 3, then moving to the other options, but as I think while I type, I suspect my younger children would end up just wanting to join the older ones. Right now Apologia has 6 titles in their program, but more are being written.

Well, here are my thoughts

Apologia Option

Rotation 1

• Astronomy
• Find the Constellations - H. A. Rey AND/OR The Stars - H.A. Rey

H.A. Rey's constellation books draw the constellations differently than most astronomy books - and in a way that makes more sense. If you can find them, they are WELL worth it! Find the Constellations is great for the young student. The Stars is a great reference for mom or dad, works well for older students in the rotation, or is a nice addition if your student wants more after reading "Find the Constellations". I do recommend adding the Latin "true name" of each constellation into the pages of "Find the Constellations" (they are in the index)

• Botany

Rotation 2

• Flying Creatures
• Swimming Creatures

Rotation 4

• Land Animals

Rotation 5

• Anatomy

Rotation 6

future books.

Childcraft Option

Rotation 1

• World and Space (Childcraft)
• Find the Constellations - H. A. Rey AND/OR The Stars - H.A. Rey

H.A. Rey's constellation books draw the constellations differently than most astronomy books - and in a way that makes more sense. If you can find them, they are WELL worth it! Find the Constellations is great for the young student. The Stars is a great reference for mom or dad, works well for older students in the rotation, or is a nice addition if your student wants more after reading "Find the Constellations". I do recommend adding the Latin "true name" of each constellation into the pages of "Find the Constellations" (they are in the index)

Rotation 2

• Green Kingdom (Childcraft) OR Botany (Apologia)

Rotation 3

• About Animals

Rotation 4

• Feathered Friends

Rotation 5

• About Me [anatomy]

Rotation 6

• How Things Work [physics and mechanics]
• Scientists and Inventors [from an older set]

History - Family Rotation

We will now be doing history in a 5 year, Family rotation. I think that this will allow some flexibility, while still allowing a fair time for each time period. This means each student will go through the rotation twice, with 2 other years left.

These 2 years can be used in a flexible way...

a) Spend the first couple of years doing light history (ie, 50 famous stories, A Pioneer Story, story picture books) - a good option for the oldest child

b) Do whatever period of the rotation an extra time. - a good option for middle children

c) spend the last couple of years focusing on a period of history the child wants - a good option for youngest child.

d) graduate a couple of years early (if ready on other subjects)

e) Spend the last couple of years focusing on a period of history required in High School by the government

f) don't do history for a couple of years (grades 1 or 2, or grades 11 and 12) to allow time for other subjects/interests

g) combine the above options (ie, 1 year at one end... 1 year at the other...)

This post just has an overview. There will be more detailed posts later.

Pre-rotation (optional)

50 Famous Stories

A Pioneer Story - Greenwood

other favorites

Note - similar time frames from the Synge history books are an option if you don't own A Child's History of the World.

Rotation 1

Ancients

A Child's History of the World (ch 1-41) - Hillyer OR 

no Canadian History... instead do Canadian Geography (spine not chosen)

Rotation 2

Middle Ages

(~500 to ~1453)

A Child's History of the World (ch 42-60) 

The Story of Canada (ch 1-2) - Lunn & Moore OR My First History of Canada (ch 1-2) - Dickie

Rotation 3

(1453 to ~1800)

A Child's History of the World (ch 61-77) 

The Story of Canada (ch 3-part of 4) OR My First History of Canada (ch 2-13)

Rotation 4

(1800-1919)

A Child's History of the World (ch 78-84) 

The Story of Canada (rest of ch 4 to part of ch 9) OR My First History of Canada (14-19)

Rotation 5

(1920 to present)

A Child's History of the World (ch 85-91)

The Story of Canada (rest of book) OR My First History of Canada (20-21)

Older Students, (generally through their 2nd time through the rotation) might also use "The Beacon Lights of History" by John Lord like a spine. As I don't have any students at this stage yet, I'm not working out the readings... but I am noting it here so I don't forget it!

2009/10 Family Rotation Schedule

Get Rotation Schedules

Picture Study

Term 1

• Robert Bateman (pick your favourite 6, or do the extra during a break)

1. Giant Panda
2. The Return - Bald Eagle
3. Power Play - Rhinoceros
4. Watching Siberian Tiger
5. Wolf Pair in Winter
6. The Challenge - Bull Moose
7. Ice Berg and Hump Back Whale (the style on this is a bit different)
8. Polar Bear Profile.

• Raphael Sanzio (pick your favourite 6, or do the extra during a break)

1. The Knight's Dream
2. St. George and the Dragon
3. Galatea
4. Young Woman with a unicorn
5. Sistine Madonna
6. The Miraculous Draft of Fishes
7. Ezekiel's Vision

Term 2

• John Singer Sargent

1. Oyster Gatherers of Cancale
2. The Daughters of Edward Darley Boit
3. The Breakfast Table
4. Carnation, Lily, Lily, Rose
5. An Artist in his Studio
6. Lady Agnew of Lochnaw

• Norman Rockwell (pictures TBD)

Term 3

• Claude Monet

1. Terrace at St. Adresse
2. Women in the Garden
3. Jean Monet on His Hobby Horse
4. Woman with a Parasol: Madame Monet and Her Son
5. Tulip Fields in Holland
6. The Waterlily Pond

• (TBD) - I intend this to be a religious artist.

UPDATED: 3 Nov 09

Shakespeare Rotation

Shakespeare provides students with good classical tales. The language can be challenging, but the works are entertaining and well worth the effort. A lot of cultural information is contained in the plays as well. Who doesn't understand the reference to Juliet on the balcony? Doesn't it mean even more having read the play?

Shakespeare can be done as a family, with different students reading different roles. Some scenes can even be memorized. If you are very motivated, you can form a co-op with other homeschooling families and do a full production of a play.

Students in the very years are not ready for the complex literature of Shakespeare directly, so we use "Beautiful Stories from Shakespeare" by Edith Nesbit. After Year 4, Shakespeare is read directly.

Years 1-3 (Beautiful Stories from Shakespeare)

2 stories are read per term

Rotation 1:

• Midsummer Night's Dream
• The Tempest
• As You Like It
• The Winter's Tale
• King Lear
• Twelfth Night

Rotation 2:

• The Two Gentlemen of Verona
• Romeo and Juliet
• All's Well that Ends Well
• Cymberline
• MacBeth
• The Comedy of Errors

Rotation 3:

• The Merchent of Venice
• Pericles, Prince of Tyre
• The Taming of the Shrew
• Measure for Measure
• Much Ado about Nothing
• Hamlet, Prince of Denmark

Years 4-12

Ambleside Online does 3 Shakespeare plays a year (1 per term). However, because of some of the other items used at Maple Hill Academy that are not used in AO, we will be doing 1 play a year. As I graduated from high school having done a total of 3 shakespeare plays in school (plus 2 that I read on my own) - I do not feel bad having my children *only* study 9.

I am not going to provide a list of plays to study here. Select plays that interest you... I do recommend seeing if any will be performed in your area and selecting one of those.

Science Rotation

Years 1 to 6

Because we already own the World Book Childcraft series, we will be using this wonderful resource for Science in the early years. If you do not happen to own this series (which is WELL worth getting if you can find it) - I would recommend the Noeo Science series or Fulbright "Exploring Creation" series.

Nature Study is a major part of science at this stage. Note that there are other readings for Science and Nature in each year of study as well, which may not be "aligned" with the rotation. That is fine, the student will be able to handle it.

Rotation 1

• World and Space
• Find the Constellations - H. A. Rey AND/OR
• * The Stars - H.A. Rey

H.A. Rey's constellation books draw the constellations differently than most astronomy books - and in a way that makes more sense. If you can find them, they are WELL worth it! Find the Constellations is great for the young student. The Stars is a great reference for mom or dad, works well for older students in the rotation, or is a nice addition if your student wants more after reading "Find the Constellations". I do recommend adding the Latin "true name" of each constellation into the pages of "Find the Constellations" (they are in the index)

Rotation 2

• Green Kingdom

Rotation 3

• About Animals
• Feathered Friends

Rotation 4

• About Me [anatomy]

Rotation 5

• How Things Work [physics and mechanics]
• Scientists and Inventors [from an older set]

In year 6, the student continues the rotation, doing the same rotation they did in year 1. They will understand the material much better.

Years 7-12

to be determined.

World History Rotation

This post is out of date - see the updated one.

Picture Study

A lot has been said about Picture Study by other Charlotte Mason followers - enough that I feel at the moment that there isn't much to say. Pick an artist, select 6 pictures, and study them for a half a term. Study one picture a week. If possible, get a good sized version of the picture for the family to look at - and if possible get or print picture (snap-shot) sized versions for each child to keep in their "Book of Masterpieces"

The "Higher Up and Further In" blog has a good write-up on how to do this.

Another post on "Higher Up and Further In" mentions that it is important to pick artists that the child is likely to like for a child's first exposure to picture study. Pictures with action in them for boys can make a big difference.

Once you have your children enjoying picture study, if you need suggestions for artists and pictures to study, you can join the Art Schedule of Ambleside Online - but remember that you do not have to be bound by their schedule.

2009/10 Selections. This year, I am alternating the AO selections, and selections that I chose. This year. In general, I intend to include each year a Canadian Artist, an artist that specializes in Nature, and a religious artist. This year, the Canadian Artist also specializes in Nature, so I selected Norman Rockwell for an artist, as his Scouting pictures, as well as his scenes from life have always intruged me.

The selections:

• Robert Bateman. (Famous Canadian Nature artist.) - note that his pictures will NOT be in the public domain, so I recommend getting a good book from the library.
• Raphael Sanzio (Italian Renaissance)
• Norman Rockwell (Famous American Illustrator) - also pictures are NOT in public domain.
• John Singer Sargent (American)
• Claude Monet (French Impressionist)
• tbd
• 
  

I have not picked out all the artists yet for the 2009/2010 year.... I want to find some good exciting pictures for the first artist - and I plan to include Robert Bateman (a Canadian artist that shows nature), and Norman Rockwell. These are more recent artists, so I may have to deal with copyright issues.... but I think these artists will be worth it to start a love of Picture Study.

[update - the artists have been selected for 2009/2010]

Although we are not following the Ambleside Online Schedule for artists, there are a few Yahoo groups that have the pictures for their study available. It is worth joining these groups and checking there for the artists we are doing first when looking for pictures. (The first 2 have the pictures for 8.5 x 11. The other groups have the pictures in smaller sizes for albums or card games. Note that pictures are sometimes cropped to fit the size)

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/AO_HEO_PictureStudy_IA/

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/AO_HEO_PictureStudy_IB/

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/AO_HEO_PictureStudy_II/

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/AO_HEO_PictureStudy_III/

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/AO_HEO_PictureStudy_IV/

History

History is a subject that I am struggling with determining our program at this moment. Part of it, is that I know that "History is written by the victors". Imagine how recent history would be written if Germany won WWII.

History is also viewed differently by different countries at the same time... Look at the U.S. Revolutionary war. Americans call it the Revolutionary war. I believe I have heard that in the U.K, it is called something like the North American Rebellion. Ask an American and a Canadian who won the War of 1812.

Even in areas of the same country, history can be seen differently. Ask various Canadians from different provinces about Louis Riel, and see the wide variety of what was taught in Canadian History classes (in Canada!) He was a rebel, or a hero, or maybe someone barely heard of - all depending on where you grew up.

And all of this is recent history. Who knows the truth of the more distant history?

Add to that, the fact that the history I learned in school (especially Canadian History) was SO boring that I only retained bits and pieces. And then I learned about some events in Canadian History that should have been at least mentioned in school, but never was, has left me confused and saddened.

So - since the "taste" of history I have been left with is, to say the least, bad.... plus I have very little knowledge of what "should" be taught, one might wonder why history at all?

Well, I think history does a few things for a person

1. It helps give a person identity - a feeling of belonging, and who they are.
2. It helps a person see the consequences of actions - natural consequences - without having to feel the consequences directly themselves.
3. As a part of the previous point - it helps a person not repeat the "mistakes of history"
4. It gives a knowledge of events that might be mentioned or referenced - a cultural awareness. References might be in literature or stories, or in life.
5. It can be a fantastic story in itself - at least when taught the Charlotte Mason way
6. A knowledge of broader history can make the decisions or thoughts of people in history make more sense. For instance, a family moving to Canada in 1847 makes more sense when you realize they were from Ireland, and you know about the Great Potato Famine.

My understanding is that Charlotte Mason recommended that History be taught chronologically. I have also heard that her schools would do a rotation for children within a span of a few years - with children joining and leaving the rotation each year. This means that History will be a good subject for Family study. I am doing some of history the Charlotte Mason way - but some I will be doing differently.

I am breaking History into 3 categories. Most of the Charlotte Mason curriculums I have seen break it into 2 - World History, and U.S. History. This doesn't meet my objectives.

My 3 categories:

1. Family History. This will be done in Reverse. I feel that a Family History Notebook will be important to keep things straight. The student will be able to relate to the current history as it isn't as far removed. Major events in the country of the ancestor being looked at, and in the world that would affect the ancestor would be looked at.
2. Canadian History. (Of course, if you are from a different country, use yours.)
3. World History.

Geography Overview

Geography is a Family Study topic. Older children will have more required of them than others. Children join the Rotation in Year 2.

Year 1 is an opportunity in basic map reading. Children should be given a map book of their city (or rural area), and shown how it works. they can have the map book in the car, and follow along with their fingers as you drive to places. (If you go on a trip, you can get inexpensive maps so they can follow on the map. My family did this on summer vacations where we traveled through various states and provinces - each child with a map!) You may be able to get maps free from the tourist association of places you will be visiting, or if you are part of an Auto club like CAA or AMA.

Another part of Year 1 is an overview of the 7 continents and the Oceans. This should be done with a Globe, as well as an atlas or world map. Children should be able to recognize their own country, as well as any with significance. (Like countries where grandparents live.)

If you own the Childcraft Set, the book "World and Space" has a chapter called "Where in the World?" that covers some basics on map reading.

Family Rotation

Any children that have not done Year 1 should do the Year 1 activities. All children should also have their own city map books to use in the car. (read Year 1...)

1st : Australia (and New Zealand), Antarctica

2nd : North America (including Canadian (or US) specific geography

3rd: South America

4th: Europe (incluing Russia)

5th: Asia

6th: Africa

Children should also look at maps, and mark places that occur in their reading...

As well Children should be able to do these age appropriate things:

• about 8-10 - Use a compass, and be proficient at following a map, although not necessarily use them together. (by age 10 this should be a topigraphical map, including elevations)
• about 11+ - Use compass and map together to find their way (including adjusting for declination, and without a GPS) - Orienteering is a fun sport to encourage this.
• about 13+ - Sketch a map of an area accurately, and pretty much to scale.