27 September 2010

Blogger seems to be having some difficulties, on this computer, anyhow.   I will email students with lesson plans later on Monday.

Week of 20 September 2010

Monday:  Read AUGUSTINE OF HIPPO in Famous Men of the Middle Ages beginning on pp. 19. 

Tuesday:  Complete pp. 17-20 (Adjectives) in your grammar book.   PRINT IT AND BRING IT TO CLASS WEDNESDAY.

Wednesday:   Bring your adjective homework to class.

Thursday:  Begin the assignment on pp. 20-21 Biographies of Christian Saints.  I want you to use strong verbs and descriptive adjectives as we discussed last week.   Look out for banned words, and don't use them!

Friday:  Complete your assignment from yesterday.   Bring it to class on Wednesday!

Week of 13 September 2010

This week we are going to focus on putting tools in your toolbox to become a proficient writer, and on reading for understanding and note-taking.

If you have any questions or thoughts, please feel free to call or text my cell phone or my email (I gave it to you in class).  If you have lost or forgotten it, please leave a comment in the box below the post and I will get back to you.  

Monday:  In FAMOUS MEN OF THE MIDDLE AGES, read pp. 7-19, both chapters.   Order or purchase  Augustine Came To Kent, we will need it beginning late next week. 

Tuesday:  You will need the grammar notebook on your CD.   pp. 10, do exercise 1.1 (Nouns); pp. 11 1.1A (Nouns plus a quotation) and pp. 13 1.2 Pronouns

Plan to print and bring your STUDENT RESOURCE NOTEBOOK to class tomorrow.

Wednesday:   IMPORTANT:  Please print and bring your STUDENT RESOURCE NOTEBOOK.  It is 100 pages so you may want to print it at a copy shop. We will explore some of the stylistic techniques on pp. 5-6 in the SRN  and practice Key Word Outlining and revising the KWO with some of these techniques.


Thursday:   In Biographies of Christian Saints, read, do the vocabulary, KWO and re-write  pp. 14-15 St. Ambrose.

Friday:  Be sure you have purchased or ordered AUGUSTINE CAME TO KENT.   Use today to finish up yesterday's assignment and to tie up any loose ends before the weekend. 

Week of 7 September 2010

Hope your Labor Day weekend was a happy one!

Tuesday:   Familiarize yourself with the contents of your CD and let me know if anything is dysfunctional.
Wednesday:  Class, Key Word Outlining and Word Roots
Thursday:  Word Roots assignment (this is on your CD so you will need to look at it or have it printed.  I recommend a copy shop)
Friday:  Continue on your Key Word Outline

Lesson Plans, Week of 30 August 2010

Welcome!   Part of excellent writing is remembering how to use words correctly.   Therefore, we will begin with a very basic review of parts of speech.   Don't worry if you already know all of this, or if you have never seen it.   Just have some fun!

Disclaimer:  This is a writing fundamentals class designed to teach home educated students to be proficient, independent writers.   The first and most important teacher is who?  The parent!  This course will use lots of technology (because we only meet once a week) and parents must be completely involved.   I make every effort to be very familiar with the links I suggest and to ensure that links are proper for children, but parents are not relieved of responsibility to supervise their children while the children use the Internet  :-) 

Monday:  Look at the lesson here.  Review it here.   Then, take the quiz here.   Don't peek at the answers!  Give it to your parent to score and together, go over the answers.  

Tuesday  Review your verbs here and here. If the file doesn't open when you click on it, you may need the power point viewer, available here.  

Wednesday  Receive your CDs.   We'll go over basic grammar, basic grammar songs (it is lots of fun!) and will begin writing from a key word outline!

Thursday  Key-word outline (KWO) assignment provided in class

Friday  Grammar assignment will be ready to download.   


 

Course Description:  This is a middle school-school level writing course, with an overview of age-appropriate historical fiction from the Fall of Rome to the immediate Post-Reformation.    The class will feature instruction in grammar, weekly reading and writing assignments.   

In order to facilitate communication with parents, lesson plans will be posted at the class blog:  Http://sawfoundations.blogspot.com  

Lesson plans will be posted by Friday night at 6 p.m. for the following week.   

Parents will need to check the blog and download lesson plans, as your student will be held responsible for their homework.

The course will also use material inspired by Shurley Grammar; Reformers & Puritans (Jamey Bennett) and Twenty Saints (Bennett) both of which make use of writing techniques from the Institute for Excellence in Writing.   Downloadable assignments will be posted on the class blog with lesson plans.  I recommend that students have a 3-ring binder with a “Grammar” tab, a “Literature” tab and a “Writing” tab. 

Prerequisites:  Students should have a basic ability to construct sentences, and the ability to read and understand enjoyable, age appropriate books. 

Student Expectations:  Students should prepare to spend about four hours per week on course assignments.   They should come to class having read the material assigned and having grammar and writing assignments completed. 

Students Should Have:   Students will need the following books, which can be purchased throughout the year or borrowed from the library:  Augustine Came to Kent, The Story of Rolf and the Viking Bow (Living History Library) (Willard) Magna Carta (James Daughtery),The Door in the Wall (De Angeli), Thunderstorm in the Church (Louise Vernon), and The Children’s Shakespeare (E. Nesbit).   Links and reminders will be placed on our blog well in advance for parents to arrange to borrow or purchase books.

I recommend that students have a 3-ring binder with a “Grammar” tab, a “Literature” tab and a “Writing” tab. 

Parents and/or students should have access to the Internet in order to check the blog and to print assignments.