A bullet list today because we're right busy 'round here!
- finished reading out loud chapter 2 of Evidence That Demands A Verdict. This chapter was a bit tedious -- all the details determining canonicity of the Old & New Testaments -- but still highly valuable learning. Also, did you know that the word canon comes originally referred to a reed used as a standard of measure? Not me!
- reading out loud the introduction to The Roar On the Other Side: A Guide for Student Poets by Suzanne Rhodes. I'm so excited about this book! I'm hoping to do all the assignments right alongside Natalie.
- Natalie read chapters 5-8 of Uncle Tom's Cabin by Harriet Beecher Stowe. I'm proud of the way she's working through this book.
- I've been trying to find audio recordings of authentic Negro Spirituals and have had the hardest time. Today I found a website linking to amazon recordings. Unfortunately, most of them are no longer available on Amazon. I found one recording and played samples of the songs for Natalie to listen to as she read Stowe's novel. I was surprised how many songs on that album were songs I'd been familiar with from other sources: Give Me Jesus, This Little Light of Mine, I Want Jesus to Walk With Me. I should have known it, I guess. The website I found included a list of book titles so hopefully I can find something next time we go to the library.
- I guess we're a little bit heavy on the reading side of things this week, because Natalie also finished reading out loud to me Romeo & Juliet (Michael Rosen and Jane Ray). I can't help myself wishing, even though I know better, that everything would work out OK for these two young lovers. Natalie enjoyed reading all the poetic language and may or may not have been heard quoting Shakespeare randomly throughout the day.
- Natalie continued reading about the origins of theater from the History of English Literature for Boys and Girls by H.E. Marshall -- the Shepherds' Play(s)
- she completed lessons 3 & 4 in her grammar workbook, Our Mother Tongue: A Guide to English Grammar -- adjectives and adverbs
- she completed her final 2 math workbook pages -- inequalities and rational numbers. It's fun to watch her communicate back and forth with Alex in notes written on her workbook pages. (he's grading her math projects for her). Also, today we finally figured out how to access her online textbook via the school district. The website includes hands-on math ideas and practice pages. So helpful!
- for science, Natalie read pages in both the Kingfisher Science Encyclopedia and the Eyewitness Book of Time & Space on the history and science of maps and mapping. She wrote a one page summary of the Mercator projection map created by Gerhard Mercator in the 1500s and the challenges in creating accurate maps. I think tomorrow I'll have her watch one of my favorite Allison Janney scenes from the West Wing on this very subject!
If you're thinking Natalie had a lot of work to do today, you'd be right. This was on her own initiative, however. She wanted very much to get most of her work done by Thursday so that Friday could be a light day. We'll be baking cookies for our church retreat and she has one or two small assignments remaining, but I've got to hand it to her -- she got it done!
