Week 5 Seminar Recap & Notes

Week 5 and still going strong!!!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY ANNA!!  (and thanks for bringing in a treat to to celebrate!!)

Also a thank you to Sierra for brining in Turkish Delight....now we know why Edmund was tempted to follow the White Witch!!!!

Here's the recap.....  (PLEASE SEE THE GUIDE FOR HOMEWORK DUE FOR WEEK 6)

Challenge (Sweet treat reward)
    1.  Find the greek word for trees
    2.  Decline arbor, arboris (feminine 3rd declension)
    
Logic/Math
I verbally gave another list of math terms.  I didn't include the definitions, so they will need to look them up.  Keep drilling those terms.

In class today we reviewed last week's concepts through dialectic discussion.  In each problem we worked we asked the same questions (based on the common topics):

Observation - What do you see? (i.e. whole numbers, exponents, multiplication, solve, equation etc)
Definition - What does .... mean?  What is...? (i.e. solve, evaluate, reduce, fraction, exponent etc)
Circumstance - Can any parts be written in different way? (i.e. 54 (5 to the 4th pwr) same as 5x5x5x5)
Relationship - What do we need to know to answer the problem? (i.e. when dividing fractions, you multiply using the reciprocal)
Authority - What math law(s) are we using to answer? (i.e. identity law)
What is the answer?
Can we work the problem in a different way?

It was tricky for the students to think in these terms about math. Ethan brought in a word problem that was "How many 1/2s in a whole?".  They knew the answer, but  could not figure out how to write in in "math" language (in the form of a equation, not word problem - 1 divided by 1/2 =).  We finally worked through it.  It was a good example on why we need to know our laws, terms and to be able to think through a problem.

I previewed new concepts of factors, prime factorization, subtraction with mixed numbers (writing those whole numbers in a "different way" to answer the problem), reducing fractions & reducing fractions before multiplying.  We went through the new concepts quickly.

POINTS: Bring in "math" language problem converted to English (word problem) for 5 points.

Be sure the students bring in the completed lessons you assign to class (even if they are not doing Saxon).

**Students should bring in a problem from their math lesson to share (can be one they struggled with; one they think will stump the class or anything they found interesting & would like to share & explain)  This will help them be rhetorical!!

Grammar/Latin
Today we went over questions from last week's homework.   We previewed this week's homework (exercises #17-23).  Please note that there is new vocab on pages 23 & 25 (I think the guide only lists p.25).  I would have students do their vocabulary flashcards & declining in spiral notebook early in the week (all together even if on different pages) so that they can get a head start on memorizing those & so that they start learning those different endings (like in the case of 2nd decl. has different endings for masculine & neuter nouns).  Also when they are translating sentences, they should write the sentence and leave a space above & below so that they have room to label it.  (i.e. exerc 17 #1)

     2/N/P  2/G/S   2/Acc/S    2/G/S     V/P
1. Amici   Dei       regnum   Christi    laudant.

The friends of God praise the kingdom of Christ.

They took notes on each exercise.  **Remember that for vocab, they will make a flashcard & decline in spiral notebook.  There were no new Grammar Rules (blue book) - continue to memorize #34-44.  There were new Latin rules on p 22 & 24 that will go in the "rules" section of their notebook.

The students did well on the quiz.  I returned those today.  We played a review game declining 2nd declension vocab.

Suggestions for parents @ home:  Drill student on vocabulary & grammar rules.  Check daily assignments (or have students check).  Continue to have students focus on memorizing endings for the declensions - sing the songs & work those charts, as well as memorize vocab & rules.  It's a good idea to write the endings out - like copying mastery charts in Essentials.

Research
Today the students presented on herbs - very interesting & delicious I must say!  Continue to have them practice their presentation skills at home.   Continue to look for interesting, unknown facts about the topic and put those IEW tools to work.  Again, they should develop a good paragraph. **They can bring in a "sample/example" of the topic.

We had a "student question" open note quiz where each student contributed 1 question to the quiz from their notes.  Way to go Caleb for getting all of them right!! Our next topic will be mollusks so look ahead for topics & sources.

Here are some possible helpful websites:

 http://www.seashellworld.com/classifications-of-mollusks.html 
http://fl.biology.usgs.gov/Region_4_Report/html/mollusks.html 
http://www.answersingenesis.org/articles/cm/v19/n2/fascinating-cuttlefish 
http://www.answersingenesis.org/articles/cfl/animals-without-backbones 
http://www.oceanicresearch.org/education/wonders/mollusk.html 
http://www.ucmp.berkeley.edu/taxa/inverts/mollusca/mollusca.php 

Suggestions for parents @ home:  Help students locate sources from Internet or library.  Assist in editing rough draft; listen & provide feedback for oral report (eye contact, etc). & check drawing.  Have them practice reading their report for you or even the whole family!

Expo/Comp

Today we learned how to sort our ANI in order to come up with main & supporting proofs for our essay.  I modeled the sorting process of grouping like ideas (for column A & N) by placing a symbol next to the first item in the column, then going down the list and placing the same symbol by any similar idea.  We repeated that process until all items in the column had a symbol.  Then we "named" or "labeled" our groups.  These "names/labels" will be the main proof in our essay i.e. (The first reason Mr. Bowditch should have indentured Nat was that he could not afford to care for Nat.).  The goal is to have approx 5 groups w/ approx 3 items in each group -need 3 supporting ideas.  If the student has too few groups w/ lots of ideas in that group - maybe the group can be split into another "main idea".  If your student has too many groups, maybe those can be combined.  **Reminder to let the student choose how to sort (maybe with a little guidance) so that they can think on their own.  Our goal is not to teach them what to think, but how to think.  If you have any questions on sorting, you can watch the DVD or email me.

Once we had our class ANI sorted & labeled, we went over how to complete student workbook pages 13-15; 16-17, & 18.  At home they will complete these pages to form their outline.  They will bring those completed pages to class next week.  

We'll be working in Lesson 2 Elocution next week.

**There was a question on the Challenge A forum about writing in the books.  Here is the response from the Challenge A team:

Students will be using the student workbook for three years as they go from Challenges A to Challenge I. I would encourage you to let your parents know, so they can decide whether or not they want to treat the student workbook as a consumable.

You are correct that this specific lesson on parallelism will only be presented once. As is the case with all concepts that are introduced in LTW, students will build on what they have learned and apply the scheme of parallelism to all future essays. 

Suggestions for parents @ home:  Re-watch DVD 1 Lesson 2 Arrangement to see how to sort the ANI and complete an outline.  Help student sort ANI & label groups & complete workbook pages. Watch DVD 1 Lesson 2 Elocution to prepare for next week's lesson.

Debate/Geography

The students took their Canada test (they had about 30-35 minutes).  I will return those next week.

I introduced our new area of study - Central America & Greater and Lesser Antilles.  We looked at some maps and started to practice drawing the outlines of the countries.  I suggested to them in class that they draw the bottom portion of the US including Florida as a "marking" to where to place the islands.  As the students drew we discussed interesting facts and had some brief "integration" discussion.

We played geography term pictionary again.....we ended in a tie between the girls & boys.....competition to be continued...... :)  They did well on their terms quizzes.  I returned those today.

Reminder: They should be drawing the USA with all states, capitals, rivers & features as well Canada (at least 1 time per week).  It would be a good idea to also draw the world (even if it's just"outline of continents") 1 time per week.

Students should bring in maps that they've drawn.  They'll show the class their best map.

DRAW FOR POINTS!!! Students will earn 5 points for each map drawn this week (after they draw 8 which would be 2 per day for 4 days)  Bring to class your best map!!

****Remember that at the end of the year we will be drawing the world - states, countries features - everything from memory.  Students need to continue to draw areas they've been tested on.  So this week, students should draw USA (states, capitals, features), Canada and adding our new area to that map.  (They can draw on the large laminated maps I gave them at the beginning of the year).  The more they draw the better they'll get - the more they will be able to remember.

Suggestions for parents @ home:  Drill student on provinces & capitals as well as geography terms.  Check daily drawings for accuracy & labeling.  Be sure students continue to draw previous geographic areas - adding them to new areas.  Continue to drill previous states & capitals.

Rhetoric

Today we mixed it up a bit.  I asked the students questions and they used their summaries to answer.  The students did a dramatic reading of DCYB chapter 4.  I think we may have some future actors in the group!!!!  Loved all the "voice" they did!!!  We played a physical review game with the catechism questions.  It got a little rough, but they all did well.  Hopefully Christina & Ethan won't be sore tomorrow after their "tackle" for the ball!!  What a competitive group.  We were so excited we forgot to  look over the new catechism questions so be sure to review at home!

Suggestions for parents @ home:  Discuss chapter 5 in each book.  Check that student is filling out study guide for ICJH & answering questions for DCYB.  Drill catechism questions (remember they must be able to state word for word).