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Hope Chest #50, part 2: With Liberty and Justice for All

#1 · July 3, 2002, 7:12 pm

Quote from Forum Archives on July 3, 2002, 7:12 pm
Posted by: homenews <homenews@...>

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

THE HOPE CHEST:

Ideas and Inspiration for Home Education

Issue #50 part 2

July 2002

With Liberty and Justice for All

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

In this section:

Poet's Pen:

I Am An American by Elias Lieberman

The New Colossus by Emma Lazarus

On the Bookshelf:

The Giver by Lois Lowry

Among the Hidden by Margaret Peterson Haddix

Just Ella by Margaret Peterson Haddix

The Breadwinner by Deborah Ellis

Pizza Math

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

POET'S PEN:

I Am An American by Elias Lieberman

and

The New Colossus by Emma Lazarus

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

For Memorial Day, a holiday on which Americans remember those who have died in service to the United States, I chose several poems to read aloud to my family. I found the following two in Favorite Poems Old and New, and both are included in my new Salt & Light poetry anthology, which is still available as a memorial to Martin Burnham. (E-mail me for more information.) I can't read "I Am An American" without choking up. My seven year old daughter Lydia posted it on her wall, and says it is her favorite poem. She plans to recite it for next year's Home School Promotion Night.

Read these poems aloud to your children!

I Am An American

by Elias Lieberman

I am an American.

My father belongs to the Sons of the Revolution;

My mother, to the Colonial Dames.

One of my ancestors pitched tea overboard in Boston Harbor;

Another stood his ground with Warren;

Another hungered with Washington at Valley Forge.

My forefathers were America in the making:

They spoke in her council halls;

They died on her battle-fields;

They commanded her ships;

They cleared her forests.

Dawn reddened and paled.

Staunch hearts of mind beat fast at each new star

In the nation's flag.

Keen eyes of mine foresaw her greater glory:

The sweep of her seas,

The plenty of her plains,

The man-hives in her billion-wired cities.

Every drop of blood in my holds a heritage of patriotism.

I am proud of my past.

I am an AMERICAN.

I am an American.

My father was an atom of dust,

My mother a straw in the wind,

To His Serene Majesty.

One of my ancestors died in the mines of Siberia;

Another was crippled for life by twenty blows of the knout.

Another was killed defending his home during the massacres.

The history of my ancestors is a trail of blood

To the palace-gate of the Great White Czar.

But then the dream came---

The dream of America.

In the light of the Liberty torch

The atom of dust became a man

And the straw in the wind became a woman

For the first time.

"See," said my father, pointing to the flag that fluttered near,

"That flag of stars and stripes is yours;

It is the emblem of the promised land.

It means, my son, the hope of humanity.

Live for it -- die for it!"

Under the open sky of my new country I swore to do so'

And every drop of blood in me will keep that vow.

I am proud of my future.

I am an AMERICAN.

The New Colossus

Emma Lazarus

engraved on a plaque in the Statue of Liberty

Not like the brazen giant of Greek fame,

With conquering limbs astride from land to land;

Here at our sea-washed, sunset gates shall stand

A mighty woman with a torch, whose flame

Is the imprisoned lightning, and her name

Mother of Exiles. From her beacon-hand

Glows world-wide welcome; her mild eyes command

The air-bridged harbor that twin cities fame.

"Keep, ancient lands, your storied pomp!" cries she

With silent lips. "Give me your tired, your poor,

Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,

The wretched refuse of your teeming shore.

Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me,

I lift my lamp beside the golden door!"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

ON THE BOOKSHELF:

The Giver by Lois Lowry

Among the Hidden by Margaret Peterson Haddix

Just Ella by Margaret Peterson Haddix

The Breadwinner by Deborah Ellis

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The following four books have a few things in common. They all deal with with serious social justice themes, especially as related to government control over personal liberties. (They make me especially glad to be an 21st century American, for sure!) None of them is written from a Christian perspective. They are all most appropriate for middle school and up, due to the content, though some younger children might be able to handle the material if you read and discuss it together. You should be able to find all of them in your public library.

The Giver, by Lois Lowry, is a Newbery Medal winner about a utopian society in which the government controls just about everything -- family, occupations, education, and even thoughts. Though supposedly a happy and safe society, it very sterile, devoid of any original thought or even COLOR. Euthanasia and infanticide are routine bureaucratic procedures. Each family has just two surrogate-born children, a boy and a girl, and at age 12, each child is assigned their lifetime occupation. Jonas has been "honored" to be the next Receiver of Memory, the only member of the community who will be permitted to know what has happened in the past. The knowledge he receives from his mentor proves to be too much for him to happily handle, and now he has choices to make! Parents, be forewarned: This is a heavy book, and it doesn't have a tidy ending! It is also one of the most frequently censored ones in the U.S., according to the web site below. But it will give your MATURE child some great food for thought! Total Language Plus carries a literature study guide for The Giver. Http://www.totallanguageplus.com/)

For more on Lois Lowry or The Giver, log onto

http://www.carolhurst.com/authors/llowry.html

http://www.carolhurst.com/titles/giver.html

I picked Among the Hidden, by Margaret Peterson Haddix, off the bookstore shelf because I had already read Running Out of Time by the same author. Among the Hidden instantly reminded me of The Giver! In this cautionary tale, the government has decreed that families must only have two children due to fears of overpopulation. (Does that remind you of China, which only allows ONE child in the real world of 2002?) Third children, if they are "unfortunate" enough to be born, go into hiding to avoid a death sentence by the Population Police. Luke is a hidden child, confined to his own home since a new upscale housing development has just been built where his beloved woods once stood. He is, by necessity, home schooled! By some miracle, he is able to connect with a new neighbor, Jen, who is another forbidden third child. Jen is from an affluent family and has Internet access. She has set up a secret network of hidden children who are prepared to demand their rights. What happens next is quite chilling. Again, this is a book for mature children. The first sequel, equally good, is called Among the Impostors. I have not yet read Among the Betrayed (published just this month). The fourth book in the series, Among the Barons, will be released next year. These books hold special interest to me, as we are expecting our 9th baby in February!

I have also read Haddix's book Just Ella, which is a twist on Cinderella that will surely unnerve any young girl who still likes the Disney or even classic fairy tale versions. Ella has made it to the palace as princess-to-be by her own wits and hard work, rather than magic. However, once she gets there, she is repulsed by the royal lifestyle. All who live there are incredibly snobbish and boring, with little concern for those poor peasants who live in the kingdom beyond the castle walls, or for the pointless war raging on the border. When her tutor -- who is the only interesting person around -- is called away, Ella is determined to escape and make a REAL difference in the world! Warning: Parents will want to preread this book to make sure it is appropriate for their children. It does have some feminist overtones in it, which will make for lively discussion. There is also the occasional use of a mild excretory word ("c---hole" in reference to a dungeon latrine) which you could cross out. On the whole, I feel this is a worthwhile book. If you liked the movie Ever After, you will probably also like the book Just Ella, which has much the same flavor.

The Breadwinner, by Deborah Ellis, came recommended by my sister Barb. Written before the Taliban was overthrown, it is a gripping and TRUE TO LIFE tale of a young Afghan girl who must disguise herself as a boy so that her family can survive. Women, even educated professionals, were almost entirely confined to their homes, with windows boarded up and almost all light blocked out. When they did venture outside into the fresh air, with a male relative, they were encased head-to-toe in thick black burquas. The author, a Canadian pacifist who champions the rights of oppressed women, received death threats during her year in Afghanistan while she researched this book first hand. If your children have wondered about the war in Afghanistan, this might help bring it to real life. Please be aware that this book, though written for children, contains some description of brutality, such as public amputations for theft. It will give your children a taste for what life is like in other parts of the world, and help them not to take for granted the many liberties they enjoy. For more information on The Breadwinner and its author, visit: http://achuka.com/can/canadaellis.htm

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

PIZZA MATH

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Which is a better deal: a 7" individual size pizza for $3.49 or a 12" pizza for $9.99?

At first glance, it may seem that the answer is the 7" pizza. After all, isn't it over half the quantity of the 12" pizza, at about a third the price? Not so fast! Let's use a little practical math here! Comparing the diameter of a circle is not the same thing as comparing the area!

The area of a circle is the radius squared times "pi" -- which is 3.14. The radius of a 7" (diameter) pizza is 3.5, so the area is 3.5 x 3.5 x 3.14 -- or nearly 40 square inches. The radius of the 12" pizza is 6, so the area is 6 x 6 x 3.14 -- or 113 square inches. Therefore, the area of the 7" pizza is only about 1/3 of the 12" pizza. Actually, you could calculate the same ratio without multiplying by pi, since (3.5 x 3.5) / (6 x 6) would yield the same 1/3 fraction.

The actual cost per square inch of the 7" pizza is about 9.1 cents, compared to 8.8 cents for 12" pizza. If only one person is having lunch, you would probably still buy the smaller pizza. Also, with that neglible price per square inch difference, the 7" one might still be the better deal even if you are buying a lot of pizza because each person can order the topping they want, and there will be no arguments over who gets the bigger slice! (This is not practical math, but practical psychology!)

Use situations like this to make your children THINK THROUGH real life math!

And yes, I think I will actually enjoy high school Geometry this year!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Part 3 of this issue of the Hope Chest is next!

Posted by: homenews <homenews@...>

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

THE HOPE CHEST:

Ideas and Inspiration for Home Education

Issue #50 part 2

July 2002

With Liberty and Justice for All

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

In this section:

Poet's Pen:

I Am An American by Elias Lieberman
The New Colossus by Emma Lazarus

On the Bookshelf:

The Giver by Lois Lowry
Among the Hidden by Margaret Peterson Haddix
Just Ella by Margaret Peterson Haddix
The Breadwinner by Deborah Ellis

Pizza Math

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

POET'S PEN:

I Am An American by Elias Lieberman

and

The New Colossus by Emma Lazarus

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

For Memorial Day, a holiday on which Americans remember those who have died in service to the United States, I chose several poems to read aloud to my family. I found the following two in Favorite Poems Old and New, and both are included in my new Salt & Light poetry anthology, which is still available as a memorial to Martin Burnham. (E-mail me for more information.) I can't read "I Am An American" without choking up. My seven year old daughter Lydia posted it on her wall, and says it is her favorite poem. She plans to recite it for next year's Home School Promotion Night.

Read these poems aloud to your children!

I Am An American

by Elias Lieberman

I am an American.

My father belongs to the Sons of the Revolution;

My mother, to the Colonial Dames.

One of my ancestors pitched tea overboard in Boston Harbor;

Another stood his ground with Warren;

Another hungered with Washington at Valley Forge.

My forefathers were America in the making:

They spoke in her council halls;

They died on her battle-fields;

They commanded her ships;

They cleared her forests.

Dawn reddened and paled.

Staunch hearts of mind beat fast at each new star

In the nation's flag.

Keen eyes of mine foresaw her greater glory:

The sweep of her seas,

The plenty of her plains,

The man-hives in her billion-wired cities.

Every drop of blood in my holds a heritage of patriotism.

I am proud of my past.

I am an AMERICAN.

I am an American.

My father was an atom of dust,

My mother a straw in the wind,

To His Serene Majesty.

One of my ancestors died in the mines of Siberia;

Another was crippled for life by twenty blows of the knout.

Another was killed defending his home during the massacres.

The history of my ancestors is a trail of blood

To the palace-gate of the Great White Czar.

But then the dream came---

The dream of America.

In the light of the Liberty torch

The atom of dust became a man

And the straw in the wind became a woman

For the first time.

"See," said my father, pointing to the flag that fluttered near,

"That flag of stars and stripes is yours;

It is the emblem of the promised land.

It means, my son, the hope of humanity.

Live for it -- die for it!"

Under the open sky of my new country I swore to do so'

And every drop of blood in me will keep that vow.

I am proud of my future.

I am an AMERICAN.

The New Colossus

Emma Lazarus

engraved on a plaque in the Statue of Liberty

Not like the brazen giant of Greek fame,

With conquering limbs astride from land to land;

Here at our sea-washed, sunset gates shall stand

A mighty woman with a torch, whose flame

Is the imprisoned lightning, and her name

Mother of Exiles. From her beacon-hand

Glows world-wide welcome; her mild eyes command

The air-bridged harbor that twin cities fame.

"Keep, ancient lands, your storied pomp!" cries she

With silent lips. "Give me your tired, your poor,

Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,

The wretched refuse of your teeming shore.

Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me,

I lift my lamp beside the golden door!"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

ON THE BOOKSHELF:

The Giver by Lois Lowry

Among the Hidden by Margaret Peterson Haddix

Just Ella by Margaret Peterson Haddix

The Breadwinner by Deborah Ellis

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The following four books have a few things in common. They all deal with with serious social justice themes, especially as related to government control over personal liberties. (They make me especially glad to be an 21st century American, for sure!) None of them is written from a Christian perspective. They are all most appropriate for middle school and up, due to the content, though some younger children might be able to handle the material if you read and discuss it together. You should be able to find all of them in your public library.

The Giver, by Lois Lowry, is a Newbery Medal winner about a utopian society in which the government controls just about everything -- family, occupations, education, and even thoughts. Though supposedly a happy and safe society, it very sterile, devoid of any original thought or even COLOR. Euthanasia and infanticide are routine bureaucratic procedures. Each family has just two surrogate-born children, a boy and a girl, and at age 12, each child is assigned their lifetime occupation. Jonas has been "honored" to be the next Receiver of Memory, the only member of the community who will be permitted to know what has happened in the past. The knowledge he receives from his mentor proves to be too much for him to happily handle, and now he has choices to make! Parents, be forewarned: This is a heavy book, and it doesn't have a tidy ending! It is also one of the most frequently censored ones in the U.S., according to the web site below. But it will give your MATURE child some great food for thought! Total Language Plus carries a literature study guide for The Giver. http://www.totallanguageplus.com/)

For more on Lois Lowry or The Giver, log onto

http://www.carolhurst.com/authors/llowry.html

http://www.carolhurst.com/titles/giver.html

I picked Among the Hidden, by Margaret Peterson Haddix, off the bookstore shelf because I had already read Running Out of Time by the same author. Among the Hidden instantly reminded me of The Giver! In this cautionary tale, the government has decreed that families must only have two children due to fears of overpopulation. (Does that remind you of China, which only allows ONE child in the real world of 2002?) Third children, if they are "unfortunate" enough to be born, go into hiding to avoid a death sentence by the Population Police. Luke is a hidden child, confined to his own home since a new upscale housing development has just been built where his beloved woods once stood. He is, by necessity, home schooled! By some miracle, he is able to connect with a new neighbor, Jen, who is another forbidden third child. Jen is from an affluent family and has Internet access. She has set up a secret network of hidden children who are prepared to demand their rights. What happens next is quite chilling. Again, this is a book for mature children. The first sequel, equally good, is called Among the Impostors. I have not yet read Among the Betrayed (published just this month). The fourth book in the series, Among the Barons, will be released next year. These books hold special interest to me, as we are expecting our 9th baby in February!

I have also read Haddix's book Just Ella, which is a twist on Cinderella that will surely unnerve any young girl who still likes the Disney or even classic fairy tale versions. Ella has made it to the palace as princess-to-be by her own wits and hard work, rather than magic. However, once she gets there, she is repulsed by the royal lifestyle. All who live there are incredibly snobbish and boring, with little concern for those poor peasants who live in the kingdom beyond the castle walls, or for the pointless war raging on the border. When her tutor -- who is the only interesting person around -- is called away, Ella is determined to escape and make a REAL difference in the world! Warning: Parents will want to preread this book to make sure it is appropriate for their children. It does have some feminist overtones in it, which will make for lively discussion. There is also the occasional use of a mild excretory word ("c---hole" in reference to a dungeon latrine) which you could cross out. On the whole, I feel this is a worthwhile book. If you liked the movie Ever After, you will probably also like the book Just Ella, which has much the same flavor.

The Breadwinner, by Deborah Ellis, came recommended by my sister Barb. Written before the Taliban was overthrown, it is a gripping and TRUE TO LIFE tale of a young Afghan girl who must disguise herself as a boy so that her family can survive. Women, even educated professionals, were almost entirely confined to their homes, with windows boarded up and almost all light blocked out. When they did venture outside into the fresh air, with a male relative, they were encased head-to-toe in thick black burquas. The author, a Canadian pacifist who champions the rights of oppressed women, received death threats during her year in Afghanistan while she researched this book first hand. If your children have wondered about the war in Afghanistan, this might help bring it to real life. Please be aware that this book, though written for children, contains some description of brutality, such as public amputations for theft. It will give your children a taste for what life is like in other parts of the world, and help them not to take for granted the many liberties they enjoy. For more information on The Breadwinner and its author, visit: http://achuka.com/can/canadaellis.htm

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

PIZZA MATH

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Which is a better deal: a 7" individual size pizza for $3.49 or a 12" pizza for $9.99?

At first glance, it may seem that the answer is the 7" pizza. After all, isn't it over half the quantity of the 12" pizza, at about a third the price? Not so fast! Let's use a little practical math here! Comparing the diameter of a circle is not the same thing as comparing the area!

The area of a circle is the radius squared times "pi" -- which is 3.14. The radius of a 7" (diameter) pizza is 3.5, so the area is 3.5 x 3.5 x 3.14 -- or nearly 40 square inches. The radius of the 12" pizza is 6, so the area is 6 x 6 x 3.14 -- or 113 square inches. Therefore, the area of the 7" pizza is only about 1/3 of the 12" pizza. Actually, you could calculate the same ratio without multiplying by pi, since (3.5 x 3.5) / (6 x 6) would yield the same 1/3 fraction.

The actual cost per square inch of the 7" pizza is about 9.1 cents, compared to 8.8 cents for 12" pizza. If only one person is having lunch, you would probably still buy the smaller pizza. Also, with that neglible price per square inch difference, the 7" one might still be the better deal even if you are buying a lot of pizza because each person can order the topping they want, and there will be no arguments over who gets the bigger slice! (This is not practical math, but practical psychology!)

Use situations like this to make your children THINK THROUGH real life math!

And yes, I think I will actually enjoy high school Geometry this year!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Part 3 of this issue of the Hope Chest is next!