Dear friends,
I just realized as I was going through the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., "I Have a Dream" speech study questions that there is at least one typo in it. The version on my blog at http://continuewellhomeschool.blogspot.com/2010/01/i-have-dream-video-text-and-study.html is correct, but I had somehow used an old file from co-op class notes when I sent the e-mail to you this morning. There might be more errors, but the one I noticed today is that in question #6 of Section 1, it asks for a repeating phrase in a paragraph starting with the words "It would be fatal..." The paragraph in which the phrase "Now is the time" appears actually is the previous one, which starts, "We have also come..." I am also adding an extra video clip to the bottom of the blog post, an excerpt of his speech from the night before he was assassinated in April 1968.
We could have waited until we do our unit study on the 20th century in order to cover this material on Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., but I decided to do it now, especially since we are taking a one week break from our pioneer unit study in order to catch up on a few unfinished assignments, get the house in order, and prepare for Books & Beyond this next weekend.
Shhh... Don't tell my children that I'm sneaking in almost an extra week of school this year because of it! Last week was #21 in my lesson plans and this one is #21b. 🙂 My learning theme for the week is "diligence" -- so we're reading about the theme of work with Bible verses, short stories from The Book of Virtues, and poems. I'm also giving them specific training in house cleaning this week, particularly bedrooms and living areas. "A place for everything and everything in its place!" We started our mini-unit today with the story of Nehemiah and the Israelites rebuilding the walls of Jerusalem at the end of the exile. (I certainly see parallels between Nehemiah and MLK, Jr.) We also read the following poem by M.A. Stodart:
Work while you work, play while you play,
That is the way to be cheerful all day;
All that you do, do with your might,
Things done by halves are never done right.
One thing each time, and that done well,
Is a very good rule as many can tell;
Moments are useless, trifled away,
So work while you work, play while you play.
OK, so I am a multi-tasking mom juggling several plates at once, and I try to make even work seem like play at times, but you get the idea. It's really easy to get distracted when you are working, especially if you tend toward A.D.D. like me! I actually wrote out a simple checklist for my kids of what it means to clean a bedroom. Like, get the dirty clothes off the floor and into the hamper, and then start a load of laundry. Put clean clothes in drawers or hang in the closet. Put dress up costumes in the bin under the bed. Put shoes in the bin or under the edge of your dresser. Put the toys and gadgets in their proper spots, whether bin or chest or shelf. Put papers in folders and books on the bookcase. Gather up everything that doesn't belong in the room and take it out in a bin. Make your bed, dust the furniture, vacuum the floor, wipe down the walls if needed. Phew! I get tired even typing that! If we lived like the pioneers, we wouldn't have all this STUFF to shuffle around, now would we? It would have been ditched somewhere along the Oregon Trail. Hmm. No, I'll stick with the 21st century, clutter of not, thank you very much. Still, I wish basic organization was automatic for my kids. It doesn't come naturally to me either. I have to work at it. I have a certain level of motivation for myself, but it's hard to get them in the habit of it. I'm too much of a pushover! Thus my attempts at teaching diligence and tidiness in a little more purposeful manner this week...
Oh, and let's not forget my own verse on diligence from my AlphaVirtues song -- to be sung to the tune of "Jesus Loves Me."
DILIGENT means working hard.
Don’t be lazy! Do your part!
When you have a job to do,
Keep on working ‘til you’re through.
Let’s be like Jesus! Let’s be like Jesus!
Let’s be like Jesus! The Bible shows us how!
Blessings,
Virginia Knowles
P.S. If anyone is reading this who doesn't already subscribe to the Hope Chest, you can send any message to hopechest-subscribe@associate.com and then respond to the confirmation message. I will be sending out the new issue sometime in the next two weeks or so. We've got a literature conference this weekend, and two daughters leaving for three months in Italy on February 2, so I'm just trying to "hold the fort" here right now!
P.P.S. I love feedback so send me a note! I love to hear who you are and what you are experiencing in your home schooling. What topics would you like to see in the future? What has been helpful in the past? Do tell!
--
To subscribe, send ANY message to: hopechest-subscribe@welovegod.org
To unsubscribe, send ANY message to: hopechest-unsubscribe@welovegod.org
Visit my web site at www.VirginiaKnowles.com
