New Links, Website Is Closed

2014 – 2015 was my last year homeschooling.  Here are the Dropbox links to the files.  I no longer have my website active because of hosting costs.

Grammar Stage

• Grammar Stage Ancients
• Grammar Stage Middle Ages
• Grammar Stage Early Modern
• Grammar Stage Modern

Logic Stage

• Logic Stage Ancients
• Logic Stage Middle Ages
• Logic Stage Early Modern

What’s here is what I have available.

First Weeks of School

I wanted to check in and report on what we’ve been doing so far. I have six children, but the oldest (14) attends public school and the youngest (2) doesn’t do school work.  In this post, “older two” means my twelve-year-old and and nine-year-old while “younger two” means my seven-year-old and six-year-old.

Daily Flow

With an active toddler, I’ve found that our day flows best if we have a more relaxed morning.  The children do copywork, individual reading (various subjects), projects (Scratch programming, creative writing, etc.), Latin, or other things they can work on without intensive help from me.  I use this morning time to work with my six-year-old on her occupational therapy exercises (motor delays) and Handwriting without Tears.  I also read picture books (history, literature, library books, and fun) with her and my toddler.  Occasionally the older children listen in.  After the toddler goes down for his nap, we do math and any other subjects that are difficult to work on while he’s awake.

History

I am really loving my modified approach.  I’ve chosen to use Human Odyssey Vol. 1 as our main spine this year.  We’ve read through The Story of the World Vol. 1 multiple times (great resource), but I enjoy having a different perspective this year.  I read aloud from Human Odyssey and The Story of Science in the late morning while the children do jigsaw puzzles or other quiet activities.  We discuss what we read and mark any new cultures on our laminated Sonlight wall map (ours is the old black-and-white style from when we did Core K).

I bought each child a History Portfolio (classic for the older two and junior for the younger two).  We’ve started filling the pages this week.  The Teacher Guide has suggested ways to fill the note booking pages, but it’s very easily customizable. My twelve-year-old has a two-page spread with quotes from creation myths (In the Beginning by Virginia Hamilton) on one page and scientific theories about the beginning of the universe on the other page.

At the beginning of last week, I went to the library and filled my bag with books that correspond to our current history chapters.  Each week I choose a few to read aloud and leave the rest for the children to read (or not).  Last week we read The First Drawing by Mordecai Gerstein.  Then I taped up some brown packing paper and had the children make their own “cave art.” I’d like to do simple history-themed activities every couple of weeks or as inspiration hits me.

Writing

I bought fancy journals and gel pens for copywork, and I’ve been shocked by how much the children have enjoyed them.  My reluctant-writer nine-year-old spent a couple of hours copying Shel Silverstein poems on our first day of school.  Then she wrote a few original poems and copied them carefully into her copywork journal.

 

My six-year-old worked on drawing the animals in Draw Write Now rather than copying the words.  That plastic golf ball is something her occupational therapist taught us to use in order to give her a better pencil grip.

I’m still ramping up to a full workload, but my intent is for writing assignments to include various forms across all subjects.  The History Portfolios give a great place to highlight history narrations as well as literature narrations that fit into the historical topic (i.e. myths, legends, epic stories, etc.).  

Reading and Literature

In addition to history, every morning I read aloud from a literature selection.  I read In the Beginning by Virginia Hamilton (selected stories) during our first week.  This week I’ve been reading from Theodosia and the Serpents of Chaos by R. L. LaFevers.  It is a nice introduction to Egyptian themes for when we hit Egypt in a couple of weeks.  The children are also listening to Rick Riordan’s The Red Pyramid on audiobook (not a great read aloud, IMO, but a fun book nonetheless).

Each child has chosen a novel to read in addition to books tied to our history studies.  My twelve-year-old is reading A Wrinkle In Time by Madeleine L’Engle, my nine-year-old is reading The Trumpet of the Swan by E. B. White, my seven-year-old is reading James and the Giant Peach by Roald Dahl, and I’m reading Bunnicula by James Howe to my six-year-old.  As they read, they mark potential copywork passages with sticky note flags.

Phonics and Spelling 

I’m taking the older three through Phonics Road 3 as a group.  The older two have done it already, but it’s the first time for the seven-year-old.  It starts with a great review of phonics rules using simple words before progressing to more complicated words.

My six-year-old is moving more slowly through Phonics Road 1.  She also reads I See Sam books and works on Hooked on Phonics on my iPad.

Grammar

I’m doing a mix of Phonics Road, Michael Clay Thompson, and Growing with Grammar.  Everyone will work through Growing with Grammar’s Digging Into Diagramming.  However, I will first introduce grammar ideas to the younger two with Grammar Island by Michael Clay Thompson.

Math

While my toddler naps, we have group math time.  First, each child works through the various work texts (Christian Light Education and Math Mammoth, depending on the child).  I go around the room, helping whomever needs help.  Then we play a Right Start Math Card Game all together.

Science

This semester we are watching Cosmos and discussing the episodes.  I also grabbed library topics on evolution and astronomy.  We will ramp up to doing formal narrations.  For now we are watching, reading, and discussing.  There are some field trips that I’d like to take as well.

Foreign Language

My twelve-year-old is working through Getting Started with Latin, which we started toward the end of the last school year.  The younger ones couldn’t keep up, so she’s doing it alone.  She will be starting a French class in two weeks and she began working through DuoLingo’s French course today.

Art

The three younger children will be starting art classes in two weeks.  

Performing Arts

All four children will be starting musical theater classes in two weeks.

Homeschool Group

I founded a homeschool group with some other homeschool mom friends that will start next week.  We have themes for each time we meet (history and games, science and art/music, literature and cooking/crafts, etc.) with moms assigned to lead activities for the older group (9 -12), middle group (4 – 8), and youngest group (3 and younger).  The group will be partly educational with history projects, science activities, literature discussions, and field trips and partly social with games, parties, just-for-fun activities, and communal lunch time.

Moving Forward

I will probably tweak things as we go, but right now these is working very well! I’m less stressed than I was last year when I had the children more separated and I had specific things to work on tied to the day rather than a list of ideas for the week.  Switching our mornings to be more relaxed and our afternoons to be more structured has also made a big difference.

Week 1 Schedules for 2014 – 2015

Here’s what our first week looks like!  My children are in grades 7, 5, 3, and 1.  We are outsourcing Art, Musical Theater (Triple Threat), and French.  Those classes start in September.  We experimented with switching math programs last year (they all started with CLE and then switched to Math Mammoth).  They’ve each stated a preference and will likely make up the “lost time” this year.

I made these lists in the Mac Numbers app.  This is a new style of planning for me.  I’ve used homeschool planning software in previous years, but I really wanted to try weekly lists this year instead of tying assignments to a particular calendar day.  We’ll see how this goes!  

Group Work

Group English	Copywork	Choose a flagged section of text from your reading or choose a passage provided by Mom to write in your copywork journal in your best handwriting.
	Phonics Road 3	Week 1
		Week 2
	Digging into Diagramming	—
	In the Beginning	Read selected stories.
	Tea Time	Read more of The Fellowship of the Ring.
Group History	History Portfolio	Design and complete at least one page.
	Human Odyssey Vol. 1	Introduction
		Part 1: Ch. 1: How Civilized! From Hunter-Gatherers to City-Builders
	Story of the World Vol. 1	Introduction
		Ch. 1: The Earliest People
	Story of Science: Aristotle Leads the Way	Ch. 1: Birthing a Universe
		Ch. 2: Telling It Like They Thought It Was: Myths of Creation
	Library Books	—
	Documentaries or Movies	See documentaries on Netflix.
	Activity	Cave Painting (water colors on brown packing paper)
Group Math	Right Start Math Card Games	Play one game.
Group Science and Technology	Cosmos	Watch Episode 1.
	Library Resources	Read Our Family Tree: An Evolution Story by Lisa Westberg Peters. 576.8 PET 2003
	Experiment/Activity	—

Grade 7

Subject	Resource	Assignment
English	^Essay Voyage	—
	Tales of Ancient Egypt	1)  “Isis and Osiris” on pp. 10 – 26  2)  “The Land of the Dead” – “The Tale of the Two Brothers” on pp. 122 – 146  3)  “The Treasure Thief” – “The Girl with the Rose-Red Slippers” on pp. 204 – 218
	A Wrinkle in Time	Ch. 1 – 3
	Blog	Write at least one blog post this week on any topic (ask Mom for ideas if you need help).
	^Writing Project	Discuss Tales of Ancient Egypt with Mom and complete the story chart.
	Copywork	As you read, put sticky note flags on any passage(s) you might want to use for copywork.
History	Library Books	Read any history library books.  Jot down anything interesting that you learn.
	Documentaries	Watch a history documentary on Netflix.  Jot down anything interesting that you learn.
Math	CLE 605	Lessons 14 – 17
	CLE 606	Lessons 1 – 2
Science and Technology	Minecraft Mod Design 1	Complete one module.
Latin	Getting Started with Latin	Keep working on this.  Aim for three or four lessons this week.
French		—
	Duolingo	On your iPad, play Duolingo.
Piano		Refresh and prepare for first lesson.
Triple Threat		—
Other	Always Icecream	Play Always Icecream if you’re done with your other school assignments.
Chores		Complete all assigned chores each day.  Friday is Cleaning Day.

Grade 5 (Turning 10 in the Fall)

Subject	Resource	Assignment
English	^Music of the Hemispheres	—
	Maroo of the Winter Caves	Ch. 1 – 5
	How to Train Your Dragon	Ch. 1 – 4
	Blog	Write at least one blog post this week on any topic (ask Mom for ideas if you need help).
	^Writing Project	—
	Copywork	As you read, put sticky note flags on any passage(s) you might want to use for copywork.
History	The Savage Stone Age (Horrible Histories)	Read the first half of The Savage Stone Ages (Horrible Histories) by Terry Deary.
		Jot down anything interesting you learned from your reading.  As you read, put sticky note flags on any passage(s) you might want to use for copywork.
Math	Math Mammoth 4B	Ch. 5
	Online Games	As listed on your weekly school blog post.
Science and Technology	Minecraft Mod Design 1	Complete one module.
	Scratch	Work on a project in Scratch.
Spanish	^Getting Started with Spanish	Lessons 1 – 3
	Duolingo	On the Kindle Fire, play Duolingo.
^Recorder		Learn fingering positions.
Art		—
Triple Threat		—
Other	Always Icecream	Play Always Icecream if you’re done with your other school assignments.
Chores		Complete all assigned chores each day.  Friday is Cleaning Day.

Grade 3 (Turning 8 in the Fall)

Subject	Resource	Assignment
English	^Grammar Island	Introduction and start Part 1
	Magic Tree House: Sunset of the Sabertooth	Ch. 1 – 5
	James and the Giant Peach	Ch. 1 – 8
	Blog	Write at least one blog post this week on any topic (ask Mom for ideas if you need help).
	^Writing Project	—
	Copywork	As you read, put sticky note flags on any passage(s) you might want to use for copywork.
History	Magic Tree House Fact Tracker #12: Sabertooths and the Ice Age	Ch. 1 – 3
		Jot down anything interesting you learned from your reading.  As you read, put sticky note flags on any passage(s) you might want to use for copywork.
Math	CLE 205	Lessons 10 – 16
	CLE 206	Lessons 1 – 2
Science and Technology	Minecraft Mod Design 1	Work on a project in Scratch.
Spanish	Getting Started with Spanish	Lessons 1 – 3
	Little Pim	On the Kindle Fire in Freetime (Leah), watch Little Pim Spanish videos. (Search “Spanish.”)
Piano		Refresh and prepare for first lesson.
Art		—
Triple Threat		—
Other	Always Icecream	Play Always Icecream if you’re done with your other school assignments.
Chores		Complete all assigned chores each day.  Friday is Cleaning Day.

Grade 1 (Fine Motor Delays, Summer Birthday)

Subject	Resource	Assignment
English	^Handwriting without Tears
	^The First Dog	Write a narration afterward.  (Library Book)
	^Life Story	Write a narration afterward.
	^Occupational Therapy	Work on OT techniques.
	Hooked on Phonics	Play on Mom’s iPad.
	I See Sam	Read on Mom’s iPad.
	My Nine Lives by Clio	Write a narration afterward.
Math	Math Mammoth 1A
Science and Technology	Scratch	Work on a project in Scratch.
Art		—
Triple Threat		—
Other	Always Icecream	Play Always Icecream if you’re done with your other school assignments.
Chores		Complete all assigned chores each day.  Friday is Cleaning Day.

.

Thoughts As I Start My 10th Year Homeschooling

This fall will start my tenth year of homeschooling.  TENTH.  That milestone makes me feel both accomplished and tired.  SO TIRED.  I’ve been contemplating ways to bring the spark and joy back into my homeschooling.  Here are some ideas I plan to implement as I plan this coming school year:

• Quitting the charter school partnership:
  • A private company partnered homeschoolers with charter schools who needed more students and used the state funds to offer curriculum reimbursements and a day of classes to homeschoolers.  The reporting and testing requirements were worth it for the years that we participated, but I’m looking forward to being independent again.
• Breakfast Binders:
  • I’ll start a new post about these.  Basically, I’m going to create sets of pages on various interesting topics to slide into sheet protectors in binders.  Pages will be swapped out randomly to keep the binders “fresh.”  The binders will be stored in the kitchen to be used as reading material during breakfast (or lunch).
• Scheduling by quarter within a particular broad topic:
  • For history, we’ll be following the units I created for Classical House of Learning History & Literature: Multi-Level Ancients.
  • For science we will start with astronomy using Cosmos (watching, discussing, and writing narrations).
  • I still need to figure out what our topics are for our other group subjects.
• Quarterly project days to introduce the next history focus:
  • I plan to scrap regular lessons in exchange for an amazing adventure into the next history topic.  These adventures might involve costumes, movies, creations, art, science, a field trip, or anything else that will whet their appetites.
• Relaxing on the specifics of what we accomplish each day:
  • I’ll divide each quarter into nine weeks and then have each child work from a weekly rather than daily list.  This will hopefully be the sweet spot between flexibility and structure.
• Keeping things simple and fun:
  • I really want to focus on writing across the curriculum.  I’ve set up private blogs for each child.  I also plan to set up binders or composition notebooks.
  • I will finally relent and allow my children to utilize an online math program for at least part of their math this year because it’s difficult to teach an excellent math lesson to every child every day. I plan to meet with one or two children for math each day to keep tabs on their progress and do offline activities or lessons.
  • More reading and discussing.  Fewer books if that’s what’s needed to get a child to really engage.  I’ve already had the older ones select books from the first unit of  Classical House of Learning History & Literature: Multi-Level Ancients.
  • More time with my littles, snuggling and reading great picture books.
  • More games.  There are loads of fun games for various subjects.  I’d like to play them with my children.
• Different outside classes and activities:
  • Our local art and theater organization offers homeschool classes during the day.  We’ll spend one morning a week there for art, musical theater, and French.
  • We started a new homeschool group with some friends to make sure we get around to fun history, science, and art projects among other activities.  Our group has just finalized its members and now we are figuring out which specific activities we will do within our chosen topics.  My children are excited to spend more time with their homeschool buddies.  I’m excited to spread out the workload of some projects.  And, yes, I’m excited to meet regularly with homeschool mom friends, too.
• Minimal new purchases:
• • I want to avoid purchasing anything major–especially any new programs.  I’ve got experience and I own lots of options already.  I need to resist the temptation to grab that Shiny New Program when what I already have can probably be presented in a new or more exciting way.  I want to use the money I might have spent on new programs for fun projects and activities instead.  I’ve got my eye on a few games in the Rainbow Resource catalog.
• Project time:
  • I’d like each child to choose a longterm project or skill and spend time working on that each day.  For example, my 9yo has learned how to create mods for Minecraft.  I’d love for her to create new mods based on different themes.  She’s finishing up a Greek mythology mod right now.  She’s thinking of doing an Egyptian mod next.

Multi-Level Ancients Writing Assignment Ideas

Writing Assignment Options

Choose one or more writing assignments for your child to work on during each unit.  Younger children can dictate while you write.  Older students may need you to collaborate with them or at least help them until their ideas start flowing.

□  Narration (summary of what was learned)

□  Outline (points under key topic headings)

□  Book plot chart (basic)

□  Book plot chart (advanced)

□  Gossip magazine (what secrets or scandals involve famous people from this time)

□  Comic Strip

□  Mail order catalog (what items would people of this culture need and/or sell)

□  Newspaper (article or collection of articles on different topics including sports, arts and culture, events, politics, want ads, classifieds, obituaries, etc.)

□  Postcard (use a 4 x 6 index card; illustrate the blank side and write a brief note about your travels on the lined side)

□  Travel brochure

□  Store flyer (what type of shop might this culture have and what would it sell)

□  Book review

□  Recipe book

□  Cereal Box book report

□  A poem (simple or epic)

□  Retelling of a folk tale or myth

□  Art critic

□  Food critic

□  Weather report

□  Agricultural report

□  How To manual (how to make a mummy, how to build a pyramid, etc.)

□  Political poster or government propaganda poster

□  Fashion magazine or clothing catalog

□  Mini biography

□  A script for a play or puppet show

□  Architectural magazine

□  Scientific magazine (featuring new innovations or scientists)

□  Transportation magazine (foot, chariot, horse, etc.)

□  Compare and contrast two cultures, people, or events

□  Research report on _______ (person, culture, religion, event, invention, etc.)

□  Persuasive essay about why ______ (person, culture, religion, event, invention, etc.) was beneficial or harmful to the world at large

□  Literary essay about symbolism or a theme with supporting evidence from the text

 

 

Reading List for Unit 4, Rhetoric Stage

Unit 4 Reading List: Rhetoric Stage

As I mentioned earlier, I do not have Rhetoric Stage students, so this level of the guide is just a basic outline.

Literature Options

□  ^Horace, The Odes: New Translations by Contemporary Poets by Horace and J. D. McClatchy

□  ^On the Nature of Things (Penguin Classics) by Lucretius and translated by Alicia Stallings (Epicurean philosophy)

□  ^The Aeneid by Virgil and translated by Robert Fagles

□  ^Metamorphoses (Signet Classics) by Ovid and translated by Horace Gregory

□  ^On the Incarnation by Athanasius (early Christian theology)

□  ^The Ides of April by Mary Ray (historical fiction based in Rome)

□  Beyond the Desert Gate by Mary Ray (sequel to The Ides of April)

□  ^Cleopatra’s Moon by Vicky Shecter (historical fiction about Cleopatra’s daughter)

□  Roman Blood: A Novel of Ancient Rome by Steven Saylor

□  The Ides of March by Valerio Massimo Manfredi (novel about the assassination of Julius Caesar)

□  ^Pompeii: A Novel by Robert Harris

□  ^The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins (inspired by gladiator fights of ancient Rome, first book of a triology)

□  Early Irish Myths and Sagas by Jeffrey Gantz

□  ^Daughter of the Forest by Juliet Marillier (retelling of a Celtic tale)

□  Hounded: The Iron Druid Chronicles, Book 1 by Kevin Hearne (urban Celtic fantasy)

History Options

□  HOTAW: Part Five: Identity

o   #Ch. 65: The Peloponnesian Wars

o   Ch. 66: The First Sack of Rome

o   #Ch. 67: The Rise of the Ch’in

o   #Ch. 68: The Macedonian Conquerors

o   Ch. 69: Rome Tightens Its Grasp

o   Ch. 70: Alexander and the Wars of the Successors

o   #Ch. 71: The Mauryan Epiphany

o   #Ch. 72: First Emperor, Second Dynasty

o   Ch. 73: The Wars of the Sons

o   Ch. 74: Roman Liberators and Seleucid Conquerors

o   #Ch. 75: Between East and West

o   Ch. 76: Breaking the System

o   Ch. 77: The Problems of Prosperity

o   Ch. 78: New Men

o   Ch. 79: Empire

o   #Ch. 80: Eclipse and Restoration

o   Ch. 81: The Problem of Succession

o   Ch. 82: The Edges of the Roman World

o   #Ch. 83: Children on the Throne

o   Ch. 84: The Mistake of Inherited Power

o   Ch. 85: Savior of the Empire

□  ^The Republic and the Laws (Oxford World’s Classics) by Cicero and translated by Niall Rudd

□  ^The Lives of the Noble Greeks and Romans by Plutarch

□  ^The Annals (Oxford World’s Classics) by Tacitus and translated by J. C. Yardley (Roman history)

□  ^In Search of Ancient Ireland: The Origins of the Irish from Neolithic Times to the Coming of the English by Carmel McCaffrey and Leo Eaton

□  Library Call Numbers: 355.009 (Roman army), 398.309 (Roman mythology), 709.37 (Roman art), 796.8 (gladiators), 875.01 (Cicero), 920.038 (Plutarch), 936.4 (ancient Celts), 937 (ancient Rome), 937.07 (Tacitus), 937.6 (Colosseum), 937.7 (Pompeii), Biographies (noteworthy individuals)

Activity Book(s)

□  Study and Teaching Guide: The History of the Ancient World by Julia Kaziewicz

Notes

Literature

□  Free study guide for Horace’s Odes (includes focus questions, commentary, and writing assignments): http://www.skidmore.edu/academics/classics/courses/2000fall/cl301/focus.html

□  Free study guide for On the Nature of Things by Lucretius: http://www.artsofliberty.org/study-guide-lucretius-nature-things

□  Free study guide for Virgil’s Aeneid: http://www.sparknotes.com/lit/aeneid/

□  Free study guide for Ovid’s Metamorphoses: http://www.sparknotes.com/lit/metamorphoses/

□  Free study guide for Athanasius’s On the Incarnation (Erksine College, a Presbyterian school): http://acad.erskine.edu/facultyweb/gore/athanasiusguide.doc

□  Free study guide for The Ides of April by Mary Ray: http://oncoursesystems.com/school/webpage/documents/G8fdPEG94fUPB45fPP/5450281-374449/downloadFile.aspx

□  Free discussion questions for Cleopatra’s Moon by Vicky Schecter: http://www.scholastic.com/teachers/lesson-plan/cleopatras-moon-discussion-guide

□  Free discussion questions for Pompeii: A Novel by Robert Harris: http://www.bookbrowse.com/reading_guides/detail/index.cfm/book_number/1317/pompeii

□  Free study guide for The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins: http://www.sparknotes.com/lit/the-hunger-games/study.html

□  Free discussion guide for The Hunger Games trilogy by Suzanne Collins: http://www.scholastic.com/teachers/sites/default/files/asset/file/hungergamestrilogydiscussionguide.pdf

□  Free reader’s guide for Daughter of the Forest by Juliet Marillier: http://media.us.macmillan.com/readersguides/9780765343437RG.pdf

□  Free site with fairy and folk tales from various cultures and religions, including Celtic tales: http://www.sacred-texts.com/neu/celt/index.htm

History

□  Free study guide for Cicero: http://www.nlnrac.org/print/25/edumatitem/study_guide

□  Free study guide for Plutarch’s Lives of Noble Grecians and Romans: http://www.artsofliberty.org/study-guide-plutarchs-lives

□  Free discussion questions for Tacitus’s Annals (scroll down): http://comp.uark.edu/~cmuntz/classes/hist4023/roman-republic–empire.html

□  Free lesson plans for In Search of Ancient Ireland: http://www.pbs.org/wnet/ancientireland/lessonplans.html

□  Register for PBS LearningMedia http://www.pbslearningmedia.org to gain free access to videos on various relevant topics.

□  Free eyewitness accounts of ancient history: http://www.eyewitnesstohistory.com/awfrm.htm

 

Reading List for Unit 4, Logic Stage

I still need to add page numbers for the encyclopedia.

—

Unit 4 Reading List: Logic Stage

Logic Stage students may also enjoy titles listed under Grammar Stage Level 2.

Literature Options

□  ^Warrior Scarlet by Rosemary Sutcliff (early humans)

□  *The Aeneid for Boys and Girls by Alfred Church

□  ^Julius Caesar (Shakespeare Made Easy) by Alan Durband

□  *The Bronze Bow by Elizabeth George Speare

□  ^The Thieves of Ostia by Caroline Lawrence

□  ^The Pirates of Pompeii by Caroline Lawrence

□  ^The Assassins of Rome by Caroline Lawrence

□  ^The Colossus of Rhodes by Caroline Lawrence

□  ^Laughing Wolf by Nicholas Maes (time travel back to Rome)

□  ^Outcast by Rosemary Sutcliff

□  *^The Eagle of the Ninth by Rosemary Sutcliff

□  ^The Silver Branch by Rosemary Sutcliff

□  ^The Lantern Bearers by Rosemary Sutcliff

□  ^Favorite Celtic Fairy Tales by Joseph Jacobs

History Options

□  KFHE:

□  HO1:  Part 3

o   Ch. 5: The Roman Republic

o   Ch. 6: Rome Rising and the Republic Challenged

o   Ch. 7: Days of Empire

o   Ch. 8: Judea and the Rise of Christianity

o   Ch. 9: The Spread of Christianity

o   Ch. 10: Rome on the Wane

o   Conclusion: The Enduring Legacy of the Classical World

□  SOSA:

o   Ch. 19: Rome Rules

o   Ch. 20: Longitude and Latitude plus Two Greek Mapmakers

o   Ch. 21: The Greatest

o   Ch. 22: A Saint Who Was No Scientist

□  Famous Men of Rome by John H. Haaren

□  ^Augustus Caesar’s World by Genevieve Foster

□  ^City: A Story of Roman Planning and Construction by David Macaulay

□  ^Gladiator by Richard Watkins

□  Library Call Numbers: J 355.009 (Roman army), J 398.309 (Roman mythology), J 709.37 (Roman art), J 796.8 (gladiators), J 936.4 (ancient Celts), J 937 (ancient Rome), J 937.6 (Colosseum), J 937.7 (Pompeii), J Biographies (noteworthy individuals)

Activity Book(s)

□  Life in Ancient Rome (Dover Coloring Book)

□  Spend the Day in Ancient Rome by Linda Honan

Notes

Literature

□  Free discussion guides for the historical novels of Rosemary Sutcliff: http://media.us.macmillan.com/teachersguides/9780374479824TG.pdf

□  Free study guide for Julius Caesar: http://www.sparknotes.com/shakespeare/juliuscaesar/

□  Free activity ideas for The Thieves of Ostia by Caroline Lawrence: http://www.romanmysteries.com/ideas-4-teachers

□  Free activity ideas for The Roman Mysteries series by Caroline Lawrence (scroll down): http://www.romanmysteries.com/schools

□  Free teacher’s guide for The Laughing Wolf by Nicholas Maes (scroll down to download the free teacher’s guide): http://www.dundurn.com/books/laughing_wolf

□  Free background notes and analyses for Favorite Celtic Fairy Tales by Joseph Jacobs: http://www.authorama.com/celtic-fairy-tales-29.html

History

□  Free exam questions for August Caesar’s World by Genevieve Foster (scroll down to Term 2 and Term 3 History sections): https://www.amblesideonline.org/Exam06Key.shtml#2

□  Free activity ideas for David Macaulay books (City, Pyramid, etc.): http://www.tacomaartmuseum.org/page.aspx?hid=3910

□  Free discussion and activity guide about Gladiators: http://ureadthru.wordpress.com/2013/11/22/gladiators/

□  Free site about Celtic history: http://www.primaryhomeworkhelp.co.uk/celts.htm

□  Register for PBS LearningMedia http://www.pbslearningmedia.org to gain free access to videos on various relevant topics.

□  Free eyewitness accounts of ancient history: http://www.eyewitnesstohistory.com/awfrm.htm

 

Reading List for Unit 4, Grammar Stage Level 2

I still need to add page numbers for the encyclopedia.

—

Unit 4 Reading List: Grammar Stage Level 2

Grammar Stage Level 2 students may also enjoy titles listed under Grammar Stage Level 1 and Logic Stage.

Literature Options

□  *Detectives in Togas by Henry Winterfeld

□  *Mystery of the Roman Ransom by Henry Winterfeld

□  *In Search of a Homeland by Penelope Lively

□  ^Time Warp Trio #9: See You Later, Gladiator by Jon Scieszka

□  ^Vacation Under the Volcano (Magic Tree House #13) by Mary Pope Osborne

□  ^The Lost Hero Book 1 by Rick Riordan (modern children and Roman gods)

□  The Adventures of Asterix by René Goscinny (comic book series about Romans in Gaul)

□  Between the Forest and the Hills by Ann Lawrence (historical fiction about Romans in Britain)

□  *Traditional Irish Fairy Tales by James Stephens

History Options

□  SOTW1:

o   Ch. 27: The Rise of Rome

o   Ch. 28: The Roman Empire

o   Ch. 29: Rome’s War with Carthage

o   Ch. 34: The Rise of Julius Caesar

o   Ch. 35: Caesar the Hero

o   Ch. 36: The First Roman Prince

o   Ch. 37: The Beginning of Christianity

o   Ch. 38: The End of the Ancient Jewish Nation

o   Ch. 39: Rome and the Christians

o   Ch. 40: Rome Begins to Weaken

o   Ch. 41: The Attacking Barbarians

o   Ch. 42: The End of Rome

□  UILEWH:

□  Other world history encyclopedia: __________________________________________________

□  ^Rotten Romans (Horrible Histories) by Terry Deary

□  A Street Through Time by Anne Millard

□  Magic Tree House Fact Tracker #14: Ancient Rome and Pompeii by Mary Pope Osborne

□  Pompeii: Lost and Found by Mary Pope Osborne

□  ^You Wouldn’t Want to Be a Roman Gladiator by John Malam

□  The Planet Gods: Myths and Facts About the Solar System by Jacqueline Mitton

□  Boudicca: Britain’s Queen of the Iceni by Laurel A. Rockefeller

□   Library Call Numbers: J 355.009 (Roman army), J 398.309 (Roman mythology), J 709.37 (Roman art), J 796.8 (gladiators), J 936.4 (ancient Celts), J 937 (ancient Rome), J 937.6 (Colosseum), J 937.7 (Pompeii), J Biographies (noteworthy individuals)

Activity Book(s)

□  The Story of the World Activity Book One: Ancient Times by Susan Wise Bauer

□  Classical Kids: An Activity Guide to Life in Ancient Greece and Rome by Laurie M. Carlson

Notes

Literature

□  Free lesson plans for Time Warp Trio: http://www.timewarptrio.com/teachers-parents/lessons/Free guide for Time Warp Trio #4: Your Mother Was a Neanderthal by Jon Scieszka: http://www.timewarptrio.com/teachers-parents/lessons/pdf/twt-lesson-gladiators.pdf

□  Free discussion guide for The Lost Hero Book 1 by Rick Riordan: http://books.disney.com/content/uploads/2013/09/Lost_Hero_DG.pdf

History

□  Free activity ideas for Pompeii: http://images.pcmac.org/Uploads/Exploreum/Exploreum/Divisions/PagesLevel2/Documents/Pompeii%20Teachers%20Guide.pdf

□  Free lesson plan on Ancient Rome: http://www.coreknowledge.org/mimik/mimik_uploads/lesson_plans/1646/CKLA_G3_AncientRome.pdf

□  Free general teaching ideas for use with the Horrible Histories series: http://educade.org/lesson_plans/explore-history-with-horrible-histories

□  Free simple student page for You Wouldn’t Want To… books: http://collaborationcuties.blogspot.com/2013/04/you-wouldnt-want-to-beseries-for-must.html

□  Free Irish history site for children: http://www.irishhistorylinks.net/More_Links/Childrens_History.html

□  Free history links about the Celts (including folk and fairy tales): http://ancienthistory.mrdonn.org/celts.html

□  Register for PBS LearningMedia http://www.pbslearningmedia.org to gain free access to videos on various relevant topics.

□  Free eyewitness accounts of ancient history: http://www.eyewitnesstohistory.com/awfrm.htm

Reading List for Unit 4, Grammar Stage Level 1

Unit 4 Reading List: Grammar Stage Level 1

Grammar Stage Level 1 students may also enjoy titles listed under Grammar Stage Level 2.

Literature Options

□  ^Remus and Romulus by Melissa Fitzgerald

□  Brave Cloelia by Jane Curry

□  Madeline and the Cats of Rome by John Bemelmans Marciano

□  Horace Visits the Roman Army by Adele Seviour

□  ^The Irish Cinderlad by Shirley Climo

□  Great Irish Legends for Children by Yvonne Carroll

□  ^Fin M’Coul: The Giant of Knockmany Hill by Tomie de Paola

History Options

□  ^Fun with Roman Numerals by David Adler

□  Going to War in Roman Times by Moira Butterfield

□  How to Be a Roman Soldier by Fiona Macdonald

□  ^You Wouldn’t Want to Live in Pompeii by John Malam

□  Pompeii…Buried Alive by Edith Kunhardt Davis

□  I Wonder Why Romans Wore Togas by Fiona Macdonald

□  Rome Antics by David Macaulay

□  Picture books about Rome, Caesar, gladiators, ancient Celts, and Irish fairy tales

Activity Book(s)

□  The Story of the World Activity Book One: Ancient Times by Susan Wise Bauer  Note:  For this age group, you may only use some of the resources.

Notes

Literature

□  Free lesson plan on Ancient Rome (questions for Remus and Romulus are on page 12): http://www.coreknowledge.org/mimik/mimik_uploads/lesson_plans/1646/CKLA_G3_AncientRome.pdf

□  Free discussion question worksheet for Remus and Romulus: http://www.painesville-township.k12.oh.us/userfiles/1083/Classes/1598/Romulus%20and%20Remus%20Discussion%20Questions.pdf

□  Free Cinderella comparison questions and charts: http://www.movingbeyondthepage.com/online/getsample.aspx?lessonID=207&bookGUID=7a14b753-6542-4ad8-9b60-b2934f9b978b

□  Free guide for legends about Finn MacCool (use the “Create Your Own Hero” questions on page 10 to discuss Finn M’Coul by Tomie de Paola): http://theateratmonmouth.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/Legend-of-Finn-Resource-Guide.pdf

History

□  Activities for Fun with Roman Numerals by David Adler: http://www.holidayhouse.com/docs/fun_with_roman_numerals.pdf

□  Free worksheets for Ancient Rome (could be used orally for discussion questions): http://www.primaryresources.co.uk/history/history5.htm

□  Free simple student page for You Wouldn’t Want To… books: http://collaborationcuties.blogspot.com/2013/04/you-wouldnt-want-to-beseries-for-must.html

□  Free Irish history site for children: http://www.irishhistorylinks.net/More_Links/Childrens_History.html

□  Register for PBS LearningMedia http://www.pbslearningmedia.org to gain free access to videos on various relevant topics.

Reading List for Unit 3, Rhetoric Stage

Unit 3 Reading List: Rhetoric Stage

As I mentioned earlier, I do not have Rhetoric Stage students, so this level of the guide is just a basic outline.

Literature Options

□  ^King of Ithaka by Tracy Barrett (retelling of the Odyssey from the POV of Odysseus’s son)

□  ^Dark of the Moon by Tracy Barrett (retelling of the Minotaur from the POV of Ariadne)

□  The Goddess Test #1 by Aimee Carter (a modern girl meets someone who claims to be Hades)

□  The Gatekeeper’s Sons by Eva Pohler (a modern girl in a coma interacts with Greek gods)

□  ^Gates of Fire: An Epic Novel of the Battle of Thermopylae by Steven Pressfield (historical fiction about 300 Spartans vs. the Persian army)

□  The Virtues of War: A Novel of Alexander the Great by Steven Pressfield (historical fiction about Alexander the Great)

□  ^The Iliad by Homer and translated by Robert Fagles

□  ^The Odyssey by Homer and translated by Robert Fagles

□  ^The Three Theban Plays by Sophocles and translated by Robert Fagles (Oedipus the King in particular)

□  ^The Oresteia by Aeschylus and translated by Robert Fagles (Agamemnon in particular)

□  ^Medea (Literary Touchstone Classic) by Euripedes and translated by J. E. Thomas

□  ^Birds and Other Plays (Oxford World’s Classics) by Aristophanes and translated by Stephen Halliwell

History Options

□  HOTAW: Part Four: Empires

o   #Ch. 43: The Mandate of Heaven

o   #Ch. 44: The Bharata War

o   #Ch. 45: The Son of David

o   #Ch. 46: From Western to Eastern Zhou

o   #Ch. 47:  The Assyrian Renaissance

o   Ch. 48: New Peoples

o   Ch. 49: Trading Posts and Colonies

o   #Ch. 50: Old Enemies

o   #Ch. 51: Kings of Assyria and Babylon

o   #Ch. 52: Spectacular Defeat

o   #Ch. 53: The Decline of the King

o   #Ch. 54: The Assyrians in Egypt

o   #Ch. 55: Medes and Persians

o   Ch. 56: Conquest and Tyranny

o   #Ch. 57: The Beginnings and End of Empire

o   #Ch. 58: A Brief Empire

o   #Ch. 59: Cyrus the Great

o   #Ch. 60: The Republic of Rome

o   #Ch. 61: Kingdoms and Reformers

o   #Ch. 62: The Power of Duty and the Art of War

o   #Ch. 63: The Spreading Persian Empire

o   Ch. 64: The Persian Wars

□  ^The Histories (Penguin Classics) by Herodotus and translated by Aubrey De Selincourt

□  ^The Landmark Thucydides: A Comprehensive Guide to the Peloponnesian War by Thucydides and translated by Richard Crawley

□  ^Plato: Republic by Plato and G. M. A. Grube

□  ^The Rhetoric and Poetics of Aristotle by Aristotle and translated by W. Rhys Roberts and Ingram Bywater

□  Library Call Numbers: 183.2 (Socrates), 184 (Plato), 185 (Aristotle), 509.223 (scientists of Ancient Greece), 796.48 (ancient Olympics), (935 (ancient Greece), 938 (science and life in ancient Greece, history of ancient Greece—Herodotus, Thucydides), Biographies (noteworthy individuals)

Activity Book(s)

□  Study and Teaching Guide: The History of the Ancient World by Julia Kaziewicz

Notes

Literature

□  Free activity guide for King of Ithaka by Tracy Barrett (scroll down to “King of Ithaka Activities”: http://www.tracybarrett.com/newsletter.htm

□  Free activity guide for Dark of the Moon by Tracy Barrett (scroll down to “Activities for Dark of the Moon”: http://www.tracybarrett.com/newsletter.htm

□  Free discussion guide for Gates of Fire by Steven Pressfield: http://www.litlovers.com/reading-guides/13-fiction/362-gates-of-fire-pressfield?start=3

□  Free study guide for The Iliad: http://www.sparknotes.com/lit/iliad/

□  Free study guide for The Odyssey: https://www.sparknotes.com/lit/odyssey/summary.html

□  Free study guide for Oedipus the King (other plays of Sophocles available as well): http://www.sparknotes.com/drama/oedipus/section5.rhtml

□  Free study guide for Agamemnon (other plays of Aeschylus available as well): http://www.sparknotes.com/lit/agamemnon/context.html

□  Free study guide for Medea by Euripedes: http://www.sparknotes.com/lit/medea/

□  Free study guide for Lysistrata by Aristophanes: http://www.sparknotes.com/drama/lysistrata/context.html

History

□  Free study guide for Herodotus, The Persian Wars (sections of Books 1 and 7): http://www.utexas.edu/courses/clubmed/hdtguide.htm

□  Free discussion guide for The Landmark Thucydides by Robert B. Strassler; http://lgdata.s3-website-us-east-1.amazonaws.com/docs/2215/781578/Thucydides_Discussion_Guide.pdf

□  Free study guide for Plato’s The Republic: http://www.sparknotes.com/philosophy/republic/

□  Free study guide for Aristotle’s Poetics: http://www.sparknotes.com/philosophy/poetics/

□  Free study guide for Aristotle’s Rhetoric: http://rhetcomp.gsu.edu/~gpullman/2150/aristotle_guide.php

□  ‘Register for PBS LearningMedia http://www.pbslearningmedia.org to gain free access to videos on various relevant topics.

□  Free eyewitness accounts of ancient history: http://www.eyewitnesstohistory.com/awfrm.htm