Week 12 Seminar Notes & Recap

Week 12 - Thank you all for meeting at Mr. Hopper's church so we can keep plugging along!

Here's the recap.....  (PLEASE SEE THE GUIDE FOR HOMEWORK DUE FOR WEEK 13 )

PLEASE NOTE FOR WEEK 15:  We will be drawing all of Europe & features, there will be a Latin mid-term for all info covered, and there will be a catechism "mid-term" for all questions covered through week 14. 

Challenge (Sweet treat reward)
 1.   Find the root language for "quad"
 2.   What kind of reptiles belong to the squamata species?
    
Logic/Math
Just a few more terms this week.  Keep drilling!

Each week we will continue to review previous week's concepts through dialectic discussion with the problems the students bring in.  In each problem we work we will ask the same questions (based on the common topics) - see previous blog for detail on questions.

I quickly previewed concepts of scientific notation & order of operations when exponents & squares are involved in the equation.

We did a little mental math - what fun!

POINTS: Bring in a math problem from their homework to explain to the class -  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
In class we went over questions from last week's homework.

We previewed this weeks homework -exercises #55-61.  We discussed the new vocab on p53.

We played games to review declining vocab. The girls finally defeated the boys today!  Next week we'll start the 4th declension!!

****It is important that the students parse/label each sentence so that they can clearly identify the parts of speech in order to translate it properly.   I will be awarding candy for those who do!!! :)

Suggestions for parents @ home:  Make sure you and your student preview the next week's lesson as stated in the guide so that they are prepared to discuss it in class. 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 amphibians.   Presentation skills were once again good.  Continue to have them practice their presentation skills at home - especially eye contact.  When you feel your child is ready, have them start presenting from note cards.  

Continue to look for interesting, unknown facts about the topic and put those IEW tools to work.  Again, they should develop a good paragraph with interesting facts - min 5-7.  The skills we are working on are research as well as good presentation skills.  **They can bring in a "sample/example" of the topic.

Our next topic will be reptiles so look ahead for topics & sources.

Here are some possible helpful websites:
http://carm.org/dictionary-reptile 
http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/reptiles/ 
http://www.animalspot.net/category/reptiles 
http://www.worldgiants.com/index.php 
http://www.reptilechannel.com/ 

POINTS:  What is the biggest reptile?

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 had our 2nd "editing" lesson - this time focusing on subjects.  We discussed not using "non-particular" subjects/actors (too much use of pronouns); hidden subjects/actors (sentences w/ passive verbs where "actor" appears at end of sentence); missing subjects/actors (sentences where we don't know who is performing the action).  We compared sentences with unclear subjects with those that contained clear subjects discussing why we need to use sentences with clear subjects/actors.

We spent time looking at their outlines to identify clear main proofs and good supporting proofs.  The students also shared their amplification ideas.  We gave suggestions and assisted in re-working some items in some of the outlines.  For each sub-proof I suggested they ask the why, when, how questions for the detail - also to ask why is this a good reason/support for my idea?  They are starting to get the hang of it!  ***There should be more than 3 sentences in each paragraph.  Again, "basic" sample is in teacher book p. 113.

This week the students will complete p 50-58 (skip antithesis pages) then using their outline write their essay.  I reminded students that writing is a processing and that after writing the 1st draft, they should be editing each day - starting with replacing "vague" verbs with strong action ones.  They will use the editing checklist on p 214 - again please feel free to add to that.  They will bring their papers & will read them in class.  I am excited and am expecting great things!!!!!

Reminder - LTW is cumulative, so each tool learned is added to the essay.  This essay will have exordium and amplification as well as parallelism in the thesis.

Things to remember about amplification - This is NOT a new proof or repeated proof. 

READ AMOS FORTUNE, FREE MAN

Suggestions for parents @ home:    Review student workbook pages.  Review draft ensuring we have 3 clear proofs with 3 clear & separate sup-proofs.  Assist with & review final paper - looking for strong verbs & subjects as well as stylistic techniques.  Check for parallelism in thesis, exordium & amplification.    

Debate/Geography

We drew Europe and filled in the countries & features for week 12.  We practiced drawing the "outline" of the world.  Students should be doing this on the large laminated sheets at least once each week.  They will continue to draw the parts of Europe we've covered - adding each new week.

We played Zonk in teams geography terms.
I handed back the geography terms quiz from last week.  Everyone scored 12/12!!  Way to go!!!
**We will have a geography terms quiz next 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.   (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

We reviewed our ICJH summaries & then the students broke into teams to answer questions based on on the Chapter.   We read over DCYB and discussed the related bible verses.  

We raced to write catechism question answers with each teammate writing 1 word, then next teammate wrote 2nd word etc.  The students seem to be struggling with the catechism questions.   They are very tricky because they have to state them word for word. Please let me know how I can come along side you in this area.

In the 2nd semester students will begin to lead class discussions, so begin talking about & practing that at home.

Suggestions for parents @ home:  Discuss chapter 12 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).