Farenheit 451 & Types of Government

On the surface, it may seem an odd pairing to put this novel with this topic, but one look at the nightly news will show you just how much the topics covered here are intertwined with our nation's changing government....

How does the book compare to today's society?  (Actual reader responses)
"Bradbury wrote Fahrenheit 451 as a response to seeing how television was absorbing people's attention spans and draining their intellectual stimulation. He envisioned the full flat screen television, ear buds, and the lack of interest in reading books long before our present society shifted in that direction. He even saw how war would become a commonplace event, one that did not raise much attention. The world of Montag carries the parallels of distraction and intellectual atrophy. How did Bradbury see so far ahead how television would affect society? Bradbury was a true visionary. He did not drive nor did he own a computer, yet he invented technological devices and traveled to distant planets in his writings. Fahrenheit 451 is still relevant for today."  ~adult response

"This book relates a lot to how in today's society, mass media is used a lot. It shows how people are very gullible and they follow what most people do. It shows also how people are losing creativity from the media and in the book shows that most of the citizens are like programmed robots that all have the same beliefs and thinking which is killing creativity. In the book, it shows how people can't think for themselves without being influenced by other people like how in society today many people's opinions don't even come from themselves."  ~teen response

Types of Government

• Democracy is a form of government that allows the people to choose leadership. The primary goal is to govern through fair representation and prevent abuses of power. The result is a system that requires discourse, debate, and compromise to satisfy the broadest possible number of public interests, leading to majority rule. Democracies advocate for fair and free elections, civic participation, human rights protections, and law and order.
• Communism is a centralized form of government led by a single party that is often authoritarian in its rule. Inspired by German philosopher Karl Marx, communist states replace private property and a profit-based economy with public ownership and communal control of economic production, such as labor, capital goods, and natural resources. Citizens are part of a classless society that distributes goods and services as needed.
• Socialism is a system that encourages cooperation rather than competition among citizens. Citizens communally own the means of production and distribution of goods and services, while a centralized government manages it. Each person benefits from and contributes to the system according to their needs and ability.
• Oligarchies are governments in which a collection of individuals rules over a nation. A specific set of qualities, such as wealth, heredity, and race, are used to give a small group of people power. Oligarchies often have authoritative rulers and an absence of democratic practices or individual rights.
• Aristocracy refers to a government form in which a small, elite ruling class — the aristocrats — have power over those in lower socioeconomic strata. Members of the aristocracy are usually chosen based on their education, upbringing, and genetic or family history. Aristocracies often connect wealth and ethnicity with both the ability and right to rule.
• Monarchy is a power system that appoints a person as head of state for life or until abdication. Authority traditionally passes down through a succession line related to one's bloodline and birth order within the ruling royal family, often limited by gender. There are two types of monarchies: constitutional and absolute. Constitutional monarchies limit the monarch's power as outlined in a constitution, while absolute monarchies give a monarch unlimited power.
• Theocracy refers to a form of government in which a specific religious ideology determines the leadership, laws, and customs. In many instances, there is little to no distinction between scriptural laws and legal codes. Likewise, religious clergy will typically occupy leadership roles, sometimes including the highest office in the nation.
• Colonialism is a form of government in which a nation extends its sovereignty over other territories. In other words, it involves the expansion of a nation's rule beyond its borders. Colonialism often leads to ruling over indigenous populations and exploiting resources. The colonizer typically installs its economy, culture, religious order, and government form to strengthen its authority.
• Totalitarianism is an authoritarian form of government in which the ruling party recognizes no limitations whatsoever on its power, including in its citizens' lives or rights. A single figure often holds power and maintains authority through widespread surveillance, control over mass media, intimidating demonstrations of paramilitary or police power, and suppression of protest, activism, or political opposition.
• A military dictatorship is a nation ruled by a single authority with absolute power and no democratic process. The head of state typically comes to power in a time of upheavals, such as high unemployment rates or civil unrest. They usually lead the nation's armed forces, using it to establish their brand of law and order and suppress the people's rights. Dictators dismiss due process, civil liberties, or political freedoms. Dissent or political opposition can be dangerous or even deadly for the country's citizens.

Read

• Farenheit 451 (Ray Bradbury)
• Guy Montag is a fireman. His job is to destroy the most illegal of commodities, the printed book, along with the houses in which they are hidden. Montag never questions the destruction and ruin his actions produce, returning each day to his bland life and wife, Mildred, who spends all day with her television “family.” But when he meets an eccentric young neighbor, Clarisse, who introduces him to a past where people didn’t live in fear and to a present where one sees the world through the ideas in books instead of the mindless chatter of television, Montag begins to question everything he has ever known.
• Political Science for Kids
• Many Types of Government: From Chaos to Control

Watch

• Farenheit 451

Make / Do

• Government storyboard
• Create your own government
• Gummy Bear government
• Real-world governments
• Map activity

Vocabulary

• ballistics
• imperceptibly
• odious
• refracted
• parried
• juggernaut
• pedants
• stolid
• pratfall
• proclivities
• tactile
• melancholy
• pulverized
• verbiage

Think

• Why do you think Mr. Bradbury set his story in the city? In the story, what kinds of things happen in the city as opposed to the country?
• Why do you think books were banned in Montag's society?  Are there books that should be banned? If so, which ones, and why? If not, why not?

Looking for a literature-based language arts program? The Twenty-Three Reads Bundle is for someone who wants a little bit of everything! 

It includes twenty-three unit studies covering a wide range of topics. Each unit has introductory text, which will give the student basic background information about the topic at hand. These studies are directed toward upper grades students, but some have resources for younger students so that the whole family can work together.

• There are photographs and illustrations, and we have also included primary documents when available.
• After this text, there are featured videos, which augment the background information and help make the topic more accessible for more visual students.
• You will also find a short list of reading books, including a featured novel that the unit builds upon.
• There are vocabulary words, places, and people to identify.
• Reading comprehension, critical thinking questions, and writing assignments are included.
• We add fun with hands-on activities and extra videos to watch that will bring the era to life.

Includes:

• Language Arts
• Finding Langston & the Poetry of Langston Hughes
• Geography
• Anne of Green Gables & Canadian Provinces
• Stowaway & Antarctica
• Julie of the Wolves & Alaska
• Blades of Freedom & the Louisiana Purchase
• The Avion My Uncle Flew & France
• History
• Zlata’s Diary & the Slavic Wars
• Freedom Summer & the Summer of 1964
• Treasure Island & Pirates of the Caribbean Sea
• Farenheit 451 & Types of Government
• Red Stars & Russia in World War 2
• The Great Gatsby & the Roaring Twenties
• The Long List of Impossible Things & Post-War Germany
• A Tale of Two Cities & French Revolution
• Witch of Blackbird Pond & Salem Witch Trials
• The World Made New & Early Explorers
• Stitching a Life & Jewish Immigration
• Life Skills
• Teetoncey & Lifesaving Skills
• Freak of the Week & Disabilities Awareness
• Island of the Blue Dolphins & Sailing
• Science
• The Science of Breakable Things & the Scientific Method
• Frankenstein & Human Anatomy
• Charlie Thorne and the Last Equation & Albert Einstein

Product samples:

• Teetoncey & Lifesaving Skills
• Finding Langston & the Poetry of Langston Hughes
• Farenheit 451 & Types of Government

Early Explorers & Navigation

 
The end of the year is when mom breaks out all the fun stuff that we've neglected earlier, and we have several days of hands-on fun!!
A Little Background

• 
  Christopher Columbus was famous for discovering America in 1492 while he was searching for a new trade route to the Indies.
• Ferdinand Magellan was famous for undertaking first expedition around the world, sailing through the Straits of Magellan and reaching the Pacific Ocean.
• Henry Hudson discovered the Hudson River. the Hudson Strait, and Hudson Bay.
• Francisco Vasquez de Coronado explored New Mexico and the south-western United States and discovered the Great Plains of Kansas.
• Leif Ericson was the Viking who is regarded as the first European to visit the New World.
• Sir Francis Drake was famous as the first to pass from the Atlantic to the Pacific coast of South America in his ship the Golden Hind.
• Amerigo Vespucci was famous for demonstrating that the New World was not Asia but an unknown new continent.
• Jacques Cartier was famous for leading 3 expeditions to Canada, exploring the coast from the Cape Fear River to Nova Scotia.
• Hernando de Soto was famous for exploring the southeastern US from Tampa Bay to South Carolina, and crossing the Mississippi River.
• John Cabot crossed the North Atlantic and reached the coast of America, north of Nova Scotia.
• Ponce de Leon was a famous explorer who sailed around the southern end of Florida and back to the West Indies.
• Giovanni da Verrazanno was famous for leading the first French expedition to explore the coast between the Carolinas and Newfoundland, including New York Harbor and Narragansett Bay.
• Samuel de Champlain was famous as the founder of Quebec City.  He was known as 'the Father of Canada,' and discovered Lake Champlain on the border between New York and Vermont.
• Sir Walter Raleigh sailed to America with his half brother, the English explorer Sir Humphrey Gilbert.  Raleigh provided backing for the Virginia colony of Roanoke Island.  He is also famous for introducing tobacco and potatoes to England.
• Vasco de Balboa was famous as the first European to lead an expedition to reach the Pacific Ocean from the New World.

Field TripWhile studying the Early Explorers, we learned about magnetism in our field trip to Arkansas.  You can virtually visit the museum and learn more about that here...
Curriculum Resources

• Elementary
• Book & Map work (starts on pg 88)
• Middle
• Complete chapter w/ Questions
• Any Age
• The World Made New
• Just the Facts (at a glance)
• Eyewitness Explorer
• High School
• Reading Unit & Critical Thinking

Hands-On Projects

If you're going to be a good explorer, you have to have an accurate compass.  You have to know how to get where you're going!

Supplies:

• sewing needle
• magnet (It can be a flat refrigerator magnet or a more powerful magnet, like neodymium. A stronger magnet will work best.  Keep the magnet away from your tv and computer.)
• pliers
• cork
• scissors
• bowl
• water

Directions:

• Rub the magnet against the sewing needle at least five times. (If you are using a weaker magnet, such as a flat refrigerator magnet, rub the needle at least a dozen times.) Always rub the magnet in the same direction against the needle. Your needle should now be magnetized for a little while.
• Cut off about 1/4" of the cork from one of the ends, making a small cork disk that is about one-quarter-inch tall.
• Lay the cork disk on a flat surface, and push the needle through the side of the disk with the pair of pliers. Push the needle all the way through the disk so that about the same amount of needle shows on either side of the disk.  We couldn't find any cork on the day of the project, so we carefully laid it across one of mom's kombucha bottle lids.
• Fill a bowl with at least one inch of water.
• Put the cork disk (with the needle) on the water in the cup. Try to keep the disk floating in the center of the water, away from the sides of the cup.
• Your needle will point north!  Take it outside and test it out someplace that you know, and see just how well it works, and how long it takes for the magnetism to wear off.

If you really want to go old-school, make a sextant!

Sextant

Supplies:

• Usborne Book of Explorers
• cardboard
• scissors
• protractor
• tape
• brad / fastener
• ink pen

Directions:

• Cut a triangle (with an arc at the bottom) out of your cardboard.  Cut a small rectangle (about 1" long) and a third, Y-shaped, piece for the slider, as shown below.
• Using a brad, fasten the slider to the triangle, at the point.
• Using your in pen and a protractor, mark of the degrees on the arc portion of your sextant.  Use the example in the book, Usborne Book of Explorers.
• Fasten the rectangle at the bottom of the slider, in front of the triangle (make sure it's stable in the back, too, but don't attach it to the base triangle) with tape.
• Slide the piece back and forth as you navigate your way through the waters!

Looking for a literature-based language arts program? The Twenty-Three Reads Bundle is for someone who wants a little bit of everything! 

It includes twenty-three unit studies covering a wide range of topics. Each unit has introductory text, which will give the student basic background information about the topic at hand. These studies are directed toward upper grades students, but some have resources for younger students so that the whole family can work together.

• There are photographs and illustrations, and we have also included primary documents when available.
• After this text, there are featured videos, which augment the background information and help make the topic more accessible for more visual students.
• You will also find a short list of reading books, including a featured novel that the unit builds upon.
• There are vocabulary words, places, and people to identify.
• Reading comprehension, critical thinking questions, and writing assignments are included.
• We add fun with hands-on activities and extra videos to watch that will bring the era to life.

Includes:

• Language Arts
• Finding Langston & the Poetry of Langston Hughes
• Geography
• Anne of Green Gables & Canadian Provinces
• Stowaway & Antarctica
• Julie of the Wolves & Alaska
• Blades of Freedom & the Louisiana Purchase
• The Avion My Uncle Flew & France
• History
• Zlata’s Diary & the Slavic Wars
• Freedom Summer & the Summer of 1964
• Treasure Island & Pirates of the Caribbean Sea
• Farenheit 451 & Types of Government
• Red Stars & Russia in World War 2
• The Great Gatsby & the Roaring Twenties
• The Long List of Impossible Things & Post-War Germany
• A Tale of Two Cities & French Revolution
• Witch of Blackbird Pond & Salem Witch Trials
• The World Made New & Early Explorers
• Stitching a Life & Jewish Immigration
• Life Skills
• Teetoncey & Lifesaving Skills
• Freak of the Week & Disabilities Awareness
• Island of the Blue Dolphins & Sailing
• Science
• The Science of Breakable Things & the Scientific Method
• Frankenstein & Human Anatomy
• Charlie Thorne and the Last Equation & Albert Einstein

Product samples:

• Teetoncey & Lifesaving Skills
• Finding Langston & the Poetry of Langston Hughes
• Farenheit 451 & Types of Government

Homeschool Encouragement for the New (or Weary) Mom

Whether you're new to homeschooling or about to graduate another child, there will come a time this year when you need to hear words of encouragement.  Here are some of our favorite encouraging books...just for you!

	The Read-Aloud Family by Sarah Mackenzie If you think you should only read aloud to your children until they can read on their own, then this book will convince you otherwise! Sarah does a great job of laying out the benefits of reading aloud as a family even as your children grow into middle and high school. Perfect for: Charlotte Mason, Unit Studies, Unschooling, and anyone who loves snuggle time!
	Homeschooling 101 by Erica Arndt Homeschooling 101 is a great book if you are just embarking on your homeschooling journey or if you need a little pick-me-up. Erica walks you through steps like choosing a curriculum, planning lessons, organizing your day, and staying on schedule.  Perfect for:  New homeschoolers and those looking to make some changes
	How to Get Your Child off the Refrigerator and on to Learning by Carol Barnier Your child doesn’t have to have ADHD in order for you to benefit from this book. Carol started researching ways to help her son, who does have ADHD, but I don’t know a parent who doesn’t have a child at some point is just plain fidgety. This book gives great tips on getting them focused on learning at different stages.  She's also an entertaining convention speaker! Perfect for:  Moms who are ready to pull their hair out...
	The Ultimate Guide to Homeschooling by Debra Bell At over 500 pages, this is a huge resource! Debra not only gives tons of resource suggestions like curriculum suggestions, homeschool supplies, and parent-tested ideas and solutions, but she also provides guidance on making homeschooling more enjoyable and effective for everyone involved. Perfect for:  New homeschoolers and those transitioning (such as to high school)
	Know and Tell by Karen Glass I didn’t realize how narration builds into so many skills later in life until I read Know & Tell. Better late than never! Karen does a great job in this book of talking about what narration is, why it’s so important in your child’s education, and also how to help your child improve their narration. Perfect for: Unschooling, Unit Studies, Classical, and pretty much anyone who talks with their kids
	12 Homeschool Myths Debunked by Kent Larson If you have a family member who is skeptical of your decision to homeschool your children or if you are just starting out and have some doubts about whether you can do it, this is a great book to pick up. Kent was a skeptical homeschool spouse himself, but when he started researching homeschooling statistics about academic success and socialization….he turned into a huge proponent of homeschooling! Perfect for:  Those with 'well-meaning' friends and family
	How Children Learn by John Holt John Holt explains that “learning is as natural as breathing” for young children. In this book, he explains how children learn best and how we, as parents can encourage this learning. This is a great read for parents if you are feeling the pressure to have school look like a classroom. Perfect for:  New homeschooling parents and anyone who is interested in multiple intelligences
	How We Teach by Jimmie Lanley A bunch of homeschool moms share what homeschool in their house really looks like. It is more like a reference book on homeschooling methods than a “cover to cover” read. You will see what Charlotte Mason looks like or maybe classical education in the high school years. Does unschooling interest you? Unschooling moms describe their days, too. The book is divided by age groups, so you can skip to see whatever interests you most.  Perfect for:  New homeschoolers or those needing a change
	Honey for a Child’s Heart by Gladys Hunt Providing your children with good books is a fantastic way to encourage a love of reading in them from an early age. Gladys discusses how to give your child a broad world view and to spark their imaginations with books. The book starts by discussing what is a good book and how to choose one, then the book lists are broken down by age group, making it very easy to find what you are looking for. Perfect for:  Moms who want to incorporate more reading books into their school day
	The Brave Learner by Julie Bogart If you want your child to have an “exciting, even enchanting experience” in homeschooling, then you should read this book. Julie gives inspiration and advice from her experience homeschooling her five children (now all grown). This book will inspire you to model life long learning for your children. Perfect for:  Parents of younger homeschoolers
	Teaching from Rest by Sarah Mackenzie Could you use a little more peace in your homeschool? Teaching from Rest is a great read for the type-A mom who needs a reminder that she is not in charge, God is. Sarah’s book is such a great reminder about what is important and how to ‘teach from a position of rest’ that we all need in our hectic homeschool lives.  Perfect for:  All moms at least once a year
	Free Range Learning by Laura Grace Weldon This book is a must read for every parent and teacher. If you are considering taking a more relaxed approach to your homeschool of if you feel like it needs to be very structured and look like a regular classroom, please read this book. Laura does a fantastic job of making the case for a slower-paced, more relaxed learning environment for children.  Perfect for:  Unschoolers and those who want to step off the gas for a bit
	10 Ways to Destroy the Imagination of Your Child by Anthony Esolen Just the title makes me feel like I need to read this. Ugh, isn’t this one of the biggest worries a mother has…am I doing what’s best for my child in the long run? Esolen  gives suggestions on how to encourage imagination in your child, too. Don’t worry, he builds you up after he tears you down! Perfect for: Any parent who wants reassurance that they're doing the right thing
	The Well-Trained Mind by Susan Wise Bauer and Jessie Wise Susan Wise Bauer and her daughter do an amazing job of laying out the concept of a classical education in The Well-Trained Mind. This was one of the first homeschooling books I read and it took away a lot of the “I don’t know what to teach” anxiety. Perfect for:  Classical and new homeschoolers
	Relaxed Homeschooling by Christine Owens Relaxed Homeschooling is a “step-by-step guide that will teach you how to inspire learning at home”. I mean, what homeschool mom doesn’t want that?! The table of contents includes candy floss, the hidden secret of books, how to pick an awesome book, to watch or not to watch, and what toys are worth it. Perfect for: New homeschoolers and those with young children Which books have spoken to you in your time of weariness?

Girl of the Limberlost & Lepidopterology

Nature study often tapers off in high school, but this is an excellent time for students to dive deeper into specialized fields.  Lepidopterology is a branch of entomology that studies moths and butterflies.  In A Girl of the Limberlost, Elnora is fascinated with this field of study!

What's the difference between butterflies and moths?

One guiding principle is that butterflies have thin antennae and small balls or clubs at the end of their antennae. Moth antennae are usually feathery with no ball on the end.

Unlike butterflies, which are considered one of nature's beauties, moths tend to be ignored by the cultural arts.  Not only can they eat through fabric, but some of them sting and cause skin irritation.

Butterflies

Butterflies have the typical four-stage insect life cycle. Winged adults lay eggs on the food plant on which their larvae, known as caterpillars, will feed. The caterpillars grow, sometimes very rapidly, and when fully developed, pupate in a chrysalis.  Most children have seen this process in action in the book The Very Hungry Caterpillar.

When metamorphosis is complete, the pupal skin splits, the adult insect climbs out, and after its wings have expanded and dried, it flies off. Some butterflies, especially in the tropics, have several generations in a year, while others have a single generation, and a few in cold locations may take several years to pass through their entire life cycle.

Butterflies often make use of camouflage and mimicry to evade their predators. Some, like the monarch and the painted lady, migrate over long distances. Adult butterflies have large, often brightly colored wings, and conspicuous, fluttering flight. Surprisingly, some butterfly fossils have been found that date to the Paleocene Era, about 56 million years ago!

Moths

Most of the order Lepidoptera actually consists of moths. There are thought to be approximately 160,000 species of moth.  Most are nocturnal, but there are also crepuscular and diurnal species.  They go through the same stages of development as butterflies, and they are important pollinators to our agricultural system.  Their hairy caterpillar bodies pick up pollen from just about anything and transfer it.

Our spine read for this unit is A Girl of the Limberlost

Access the complete unit in Beautiful Book Studies!

Each unit addresses a new topic, including science, history, and geography.  Each unit has introductory text, which will give the student basic background information about the topic at hand.

• You will also find a short list of reading books, including a featured novel that the unit builds upon.
• There are vocabulary words, places, and people to identify.
• Reading comprehension, critical thinking questions, and writing assignments are included.
• We add fun with hands-on activities and extra videos to watch that will bring the topic to life.

Table of Contents

• The King’s Fifth
• Red Falcons of Tremoine
• Golden Hawks of Genghis Khan
• Red Hugh of Ireland
• Calico Captive
• The Story of Eli Whitney
• Island of the Blue Dolphins
• The Lost Kingdom
• The Secret Garden
• Heidi
• Girl of the Limberlost
• The Winged Watchman
• When the Dikes Broke
• Using the Good & the Beautiful in High School

Product Sample:  Red Hugh of Ireland & the English Civil Wars 

The books selected for these unit studies can be found in the upper grades areas of The Good and the Beautiful Book List.  However, Homeschool On the Range and Sparks Academy are not employed by or affiliated with, nor do they receive any compensation from, The Good and the Beautiful.  It has simply been their curriculum of choice for many years.  These unit studies are not endorsed by The Good and the Beautiful or Jenny Phillips.

Artistic Pursuits in High School {Review}

Disclaimer: I received this complimentary product through the Homeschool Review Crew

Want to teach art, but aren't really sure what should be included or where to start?  We recently had the chance to check out the upper grades courses from Artistic Pursuits, and really loved them!  
Artistic Pursuits has two choices in the Beginner Level Art Core Classes - Drawing with Graphite Pencils and Painting with Watercolor Pencils.  We specifically used the Painting with Watercolor Pencils course.  It comes in both online and physical format, with both book and video components, and is appropriate for fourth grade through adult.
What's Included?The online course includes a flip book - it's an exact copy of the hardcover, but online - with an interactive Table of Contents that makes getting to the day's lesson a breeze!  Online videos are streamed, and you get two years of access to the course.  (It is a one-semester course, so you have plenty of time to complete it.)  The physical format comes with a beautiful, slim-line hardcover book that has three DVD slots built right into it so that you can easily keep the entire course together.  (Two are regular DVDs; one is a blu-ray.)  As it is a non-consumable course, you can use it over again with each of your students.

The course is divided into nine units, with four lessons per unit, for a total of thirty-six lessons.  A good pace for completing the course is to do two lessons per week.  Some activities will take an hour or more, while others will not take as long.  Our experience was that the deeper we got into the class, the longer the projects took.  For the student who wants a full-year credit of art instruction, completing both the graphite pencils and watercolor pencils classes would fulfill that requirement.

Peek Inside

The painting lessons begin by learning how to use watercolor pencils for painting, as well as various special visual techniques.  Then we begin looking at color theory through both text and visual aids.  Some of this may seem elementary to an upper grades student, but it's always a good idea to review the foundational basics before moving into more complicated theory.  With each lesson, there are practice activities and suggested projects for putting concepts into action.  There is also an element of Art History included in the course, as students learn about these concepts in the context of being used by Master Artists through history.

You can peek into the textbook yourself here!

Cupcakes....Yum!

We jumped around through various projects in the book, as I allowed the boys to first choose the ones that caught their eye.  They have actually used watercolor pencils many times with their everyday curriculum, so I was less concerned about focusing on the basics first.  HOWEVER.  If you've never used watercolor pencils to paint before, you'd definitely want to hit these first lessons first and cover those techniques!  One of them was fascinated by these chickens (he's my little chicken rancher), while the other was drawn to the tropical landscape with the history on Winslow Homer.

After search for quite some time, it was unanimously agreed that our favorite project was the cupcakes.  We decided that this was the project we would do our absolute 110% very best on to show off our art for this review.  (We're totally not artists....but following along with the video made us look like it!)  This particular lesson focuses on line theory.  Through the project, we learned about how lines accentuate a piece and bring out the depth, making it more life-like.  And, to be completely honest, after spending a morning drawing cupcakes...we were forced to bake some.  Unit study in action, am-I-right?  😊🧁

See what others are saying about Artistic Pursuits at the Homeschool Review Crew!

Hidden Gifts of Homeschooling

• Living Life Together
  • Traditional schooling usually means an early morning wake-up call, followed by a mad dash to get to school dressed and fed, a full day in a classroom, an afternoon of extracurriculars, an evening of homework, and bedtime.  Rinse and repeat.  The family becomes more like a group of people who share the same dorm!  Switching from traditional school to public school can be daunting for some parents because suddenly they are together all. of. the. time.  And it's a transition.  However, once you get through that (usually short) transition, there's nothing like it!  You are there when the concepts click.  You get to see the milestone successes.  You get to snuggle as you learn to read together.  You get to play with the manipulatives right beside them during basic math.  You are the educational light, mama!
• Getting Social
  • But what about socialization?  That's a question homeschoolers often hear.  What folks don't stop to consider is that true socialization doesn't look like a group of 100+ peers, all the same age, sitting in a tin can classroom.  That's a petri dish.  Socialization is a mix of ages, races, and cultures interacting in real time out in the real world.  I would argue that homeschoolers can be better socialized than their traditional school peers!
• Siblings as Friends
  • Having a close sibling relationship doesn't mean that there aren't squabbles...like an old married couple, any time you have people who spend that much time together, there are bound to be ticks.  Getting to spend this much time together, rather than separated by different grades in school and mounds of homework in the evening, is a beautiful benefit that your kids won't recognize until they are older.  They are working together, growing together, and helping each other develop.  On those days when you want to beat them with a broom - from the personality conflicts - remember that they are smoothing each other's edges!
• Not 8-Going-On-21
  • How often have you seen a seven year old girl who is dressed and acts as though she's going on twenty?  One beautiful aspect of homeschooling is that our children have the opportunity to really BE children.  They don't have to pretend to act grown up, or grow up too fast, in a worldly environment.  That doesn't mean that we're sheltering them, but rather that we keep things age-appropriate...allowing time for reading, exploration, free play, and boredom (one of the best gifts of childhood!) well past kindergarten. 
• Child-Led Learning
  • Unlike Common Core, and even schools who don't abide by that, homeschoolers have the opportunity to jump down bunny trails!  What do I mean by bunny trails?  When your child develops a sudden interest in space, you can study the history of space, the science of microgravity, etc etc etc...your whole school day can revolve around the topic of space, OR you can simply take a day off of school for in-depth research, following a trail of topics as the child explores his interest.  No matter the age of the child, this is a valuable asset to your homeschool!
• Parent Influences
  • Everybody's got an opinion...but as homeschooling parents, we have the option of introducing sensitive topics, often at the time we see fit, and discussing them with our children.  That's not to say that we don't discuss different worldviews, but we're able to be the first opinion they hear, to help guide them through difficult issues with our morals.
• Flexible Time
  • While there are still appointments, co-ops, and other time commitments, as homeschooling parents we have the flexibility to plan our own schedules.  The school year (9 month or year-round?), the school week (4-day or 5-day?), and the school day itself (start at 8?  start at noon?  take a 2 hour siesta?) are all places where we can tweak the schedule to suit our families' current needs.  It also allows us the opportunity to build in times of rest, which is so important for both physical and mental health!

If you're new to homeschooling, and need a bit of time to get your feet under you, come by the Homeschool House and chat with us!  You can also check out SchoolhouseTeachers, which has tons of full courses that are taught by experienced teachers.  (We wouldn't recommend it if we hadn't used it ourselves quite a bit!)

The Great Gatsby & the Roaring Twenties

Nicknamed the "Roaring Twenties" (in France, the decade was known as the 'annees folles,' or crazy years) because the times were hopping, the period between the end of WWI and the Great Depression came with great changes in fashion, entertainment, industry, and culture...it was the Bees' Knees!

Following World War I, America experienced a period of rapid industrial growth and cultural shift. Automobiles, telephones, movies, radio, and electrical appliances all became household items. Aviation and flight became its own industry. The entertainment business of movie-making became a viable industry. In the music industry, jazz and Tin Pan Alley were entering the mix, along with some crazy new dances!

With all of these new inventions, anything and everything seemed possible! This era is marked by a feeling of excitement and novelty. It was also marked by anti-immigration feelings, a political shift (from women winning the right to vote), and a focus on celebrities. The good times rolled for nearly a decade until October 29, 1929, when Black Tuesday ushered in the Great Depression, ending the Roaring Twenties.

Our spine read for this unit is The Great Gatsby

Access the complete unit in the American History Novel Studies Bundle!

Includes sixteen unit studies covering American History. Each unit addresses a new topic, spanning the Revolutionary War to Vietnam.  Each unit has introductory text, which will give the student basic background information about the topic at hand.

• There are photographs and illustrations, and we have also included primary documents when available.
• After this text, there are featured videos, which augment the background information and help make the topic more accessible for more visual students.
• You will also find a short list of reading books, including a featured novel that the unit builds upon.
• There are vocabulary words, places, and people to identify.
• Reading comprehension, critical thinking questions, and writing assignments are included.
• We add fun with hands-on activities and extra videos to watch that will bring the era to life.
• Some units also have cooking projects.

These studies are directed toward upper grades students, but some have resources for younger students so that the whole family can work together. Our family has used unit studies as curriculum for many years, and we hope that your family will enjoy these, too!

Product sample:  Paper Son & Angel Island Immigration  & Within These Lines & Japanese Internment

Includes:

• Casualties of War & Vietnam War
• No Promises in the Wind & the Great Depression
• Out of the Dust & the Dust Bowl
• The Watsons Go to Birmingham & Civil Rights
• Dusty Sourdough & Alaska
• The King of Mulberry Street & Ellis Island Immigration
• Paper Son & Angel Island Immigration
• The Red Menace & McCarthyism
• Johnny Tremain & Faces of the American Revolution
• Sounder & Sharecropping
• World War II Code Talkers
• Flashback Four: Hamilton-Burr Duel
• Within These Lines & Japanese Internment Camps
• Flashback Four: Titanic Mission
• Flashback Four: Lincoln Project
• The Diviners / The Great Gatsby & Roaring Twenties