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Please click on the cartoon to enlarge it so you can read the words.  (Once it opens in a separate window you can click it again one more time to make it even bigger.)  Then read this blog post, too.  Holocaust Vocabulary and Concepts Virginia

THE MYSTERY OF MATH One thing that I like about math is that it is so orderly! If you stick with it, things compute. They stay constant and objective. At the same time, math is a marvelous mystery. There is always something new and thrilling to discover. The patterns can be awe inspiring and even beautiful. In so many ways, I can see the hand of a Master Designer (our Gracious Creator) in math. Who else could invent all of the intricacies of geometry or the sense of justice found in algebraic equations? I have had a load of fun computing the sums of digits in multiplication facts. I know this is a bit complicated, but stick with me for a minute. Take a piece of paper, and write the numbers 1 to 20 down the side. In the next column, write the sums of the digits of each number. For example, the digit sum of 11 is 2, the digit sum of 12 is 3, etc. If you get a sum over 9, add the two digits of that number. For example, the intermediate digit sum of 59 is 14, and adding 1 and 4, the final ...

[ Untitled ] A Poem by Mary Knowles I sigh. Poems are hard to write, and I have to write one. I am not exactly a poet, though people guess that I am,     the same people that think I must dance ballet     because my hair is in a bun. I want to be a writer in the future, a newsgirl, but not a poet. But I remind myself, any kind of writing is hard work,    like mentally breaking up earth, plowing fields    and sowing many sentence seeds. With the warm laptop on my lap, the washing machine oscillating    and the finish line in sight, I stare down another assignment. And I like the click of the keys, even when it’s mostly the backspace key,    the lightning of thought striking screen --    and occasionally, as Mark Twain would say,    the lightning strike of the perfect phrase. Someone once said, “When I run, I feel God’s pleasure,”    and I say, when I write, I feel God’s pleasure,  ...

Dear friends, In my English class at our home school co-op, I have been teaching a series on the vocabulary and concepts of major world religions, including Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism, Atheism, and Judaism.  We covered Judaism last week, but didn't have time to discuss the Holocaust so I told them we will do it tomorrow (April 12).  This is actually providential timing, since Yom HaShoah (Holocaust Remembrance Day) is tomorrow.  Please note that this is not a full treatment of the Holocaust -- I am only introducing the terms and concepts.  I will bring along and introduce several books about the Holocaust -- some from the library and some that I own -- mainly focusing on fiction and biography.  I have included a short list of some of these after the vocabulary list.  I will also read a picture book, The Harmonica , by Tony Johnston.  I can never make it through this book without crying.  That is as it should ...

Dear friends, In my English class at co-op, I have been teaching a series on World Religions, explaining the vocabulary and concepts behind Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism, Atheism, and Judaism so far. This is the vocabulary word list for Judaism. The words with open bullets (o) were spelling words, too. My son-in-law Ryan, who is a Messianic Sephardic Jew, helped me with this list and loaned me a menorah, tallit, Torah scroll, matzah crackers, and other Judaica for my class presentation. I did not have time to discuss the Holocaust, so we are saving that for Holocaust Remembrance Day (Yom HaShoah) on April 12. I have put the vocabulary list for that here:  http://continuewellhomeschool.blogspot.com/2010/04/holocaust-vocabulary-and-concepts.html I will try to upload my other world religion lists soon, too. Shalom, Virginia Judaism Vocabulary & Concepts The Bible & Beliefs: o Judaism: monotheistic religion whose adherents worship the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob as d...

Dear friends, This spring in my English class at our home school co-op, I assigned for each of the students to read a full-length biography of someone who was a Christian missionary (such as Hudson Taylor, Gladys Aylward, William Carey or Mary Slessor), pastor (such as Charles Spurgeon), author (such as C.S. Lewis), hymn writer (such as Fanny Crosby), etc.  Most of these are from YWAM's Christian Heroes Then & Now series , which most of my students prefer, or the Heroes of the Faith  series, which are more complete but not as kid-friendly. The corresponding writing assignment is to summarize each chapter in at least one paragraph. As they proceed throughout the book, they are answering most of the following questions in their paragraphs, as appropriate for their subject.  Then they will compile their writing into a final report and oral presentation. Questions for Christian Biography Reports 1. What is this person's name? Was it the ...

Dear friends, Here is the newest audio version of my workshop "The Real 3R's of Literature: Read, Reflect & Respond." This is from my presentation at the Books & Beyond 2010 conference in Orlando. Read, Reflect & Respond Life has a purpose! Reading has a purpose! Down with ignorance and apathy! The discipline of reading, reflecting and responding helps us learn to think more deeply and relate to others more wisely. We are less likely to be duped and more likely to engage in real life. We will have something worthwhile to say in a conversation. We will be prepared to meet life challenges. Reflecting and responding increases long-term retention of information, beyond the test. Our response often includes practical application and action to transform our lives and culture. Reading improves comprehension, logical thinking, creativity, writing skills, grammar, spelling, etc. Reflective reading feeds the spirit and inspires our souls. Readers become leaders! The ...