assignments for December 11, 2007

Hello Families,

Yesterday went by in a rush. Again, my struggle is within myself. All I would love to accomplish with your children to enrich their education is just not possible. I'd have to move them all in with me and spend our days researching, discussing then acting out this intriguing period in history. We'd sprinkle some grammar and science here and there then I'd send them back to you for a little math each week. Any takers? :)

I would like to strongly encourage you each week to ask you child about our discussions in history and/or literature. I pray over this time in particular during my preparations and ask God what he would have me talk to my students about. Please draw them out about our discussions and use the time to push the pencils and papers aside and build into their spiritual foundation by just listening. It can be a great time to correct any errors in their thinking, learn their hearts and train them as God would have them go.

We had a particularly difficult subject to discuss this week--the Crusades. I told them it was a difficult topic even for adults to ponder. We discussed it, read about it, acted out a play I wrote about it and settled on this lesson to take away from the subject: We are blessed to live in a country and time period where God's Word is easily available to each of us. I encouraged each of them to establish, now, the habit of getting to know God through time in his Word each day. If they know God's Word, which will never fail them, then they will not be led astray by false teachers as was the fate of the medieval people who tried to win entrance into heaven through crusading.

For next week (my last time with your children until next year)

History:
-produce narrations about the Age of Crusades. Use info from SOTW and from class time
-map pg. 77
-color pg. 78
-read ch. 19 in SOTW

Grammar:
-administer ch. 10 test after reviewing for it
-complete ch. 11 from the teaching text
-have ch. 11 vocab ready to turn in
-study vocab from ch 9--11 for a quiz

Literature:
-read through pg. 28 in The Story of King Arthur and His Knights. After working our way through Adam of the Road we have the vocab down and probably won't have any with this book.

Science:
-read pages 87--the middle of pg. 91
-produce a narration on what you learned in reading this section and draw from our class discussion as well.
-add circula & operculum to your science spiral
NOTE: Please bring your science spiral next week. We will do work in them in class.

We are going to work hard in class next week doing assignments that I usually have you complete at home. My aim is to keep us on schedule but have no homework over the holidays other than reading King Arthur.

Until the 11th,

Mrs. Tkach

p.s. Another huge Thank-You to Mrs. Dominique for assisting me. She steps easily into any of my "gaps" and helps things sail smoothly. We were like a well-oiled machine as we signed cards for her to send our troops. This activity spurred another quick discussion of self-sacrifice. We had to give up recess time to do this which, when we thought about it, is a small sacrifice to help the guys who are sacrificing to keep us free.

p.s.s. FLASH!!! Parents of third graders: let me know if you have an interest in having your student participate in standardized testing in the spring. If we have an interest, we must begin planning for it now.