A Master Lesson Plan for the Geography Coloring Book with Mater Amabilis™

As I was wrapping up our Mater Amabilis™ Level 1A year and organizing the Level 2 plans for Second Son, my youngest, I realized that over the years I have assigned different maps for the same book and the same maps for different books in The Geography Coloring Book. Because I love things to be nice and orderly, I decided to spend a little time creating a coherent set of master plans for The Geography Coloring Book aligned with the geography books for Mater Amabilis™ in Level 1A Year 2 (third grade), Level 2 (fourth and fifth grades), and Level 3 (sixth and seventh grades).

Just a friendly reminder: The Geography Coloring Book is not an essential tool for studying geography. I might even argue it's not the best tool for studying geography within the Charlotte Mason method. It is, however, an easy resource. The student colors the assignments independently, then can show the map work while narrating. Something similar would be asking the child to trace the country borders, rivers, and seas, but I found my kids tended to skip that part if I wasn't sitting next to them. I also personally love coloring maps, so in the usual fashion, I like assigning my children work I enjoy.

Moment of truth: These plans will not be used with any of my children in their entirety. They are plans for a hypothetical child who would start 1A Year 2 next year. These plans would allow for a student to use the same coloring book for the five years without duplicating the maps. (A few years allow options for different books, so there may be one or two countries or activities that appear more than once, but I really tried to avoid duplication.) At the end of five years, there are still plenty of maps left to color if you have a student who enjoys it.

If you are interested in a nice neat printable version of these, I intend to share a link in the Mater Amabilis™ Facebook group.

Level 1A Year 2 Geography and Earth Studies: People & Places
Mapping Lessons for Asia

Post on the Books We Read

Level 1A Year 2 Geography and Earth Studies: Extreme Environments

Map Assignments (for 52 Days by Camel, Jungle Islands, and By Truck to the North)

Level 2 Years 1 and 2 Geography and Earth Studies: American Geography
Mapping Lessons for the Holling C. Holling books (Paddle-to-the-Sea, Seabird, Tree in the Trail, and Minn of the Mississippi)

Level 2 Year 1 Geography and Earth Studies: People and Places

Mapping Lesson for the Americas

Post on the Books for Second Son

Post on the Books for First Son

Level 2 Year 2 Geography and Earth Studies: People & Places

Mapping Lessons for Africa

Post on Some of the Africa Books

Level 3 Year 1 Geography and Earth Studies: Travel

Book of Marvels: The Occident

Level 3 Year 2 Geography and Earth Studies: Travel

Book of Marvels: The Orient

Please do not copy and share these elsewhere, but instead share by linking to this post or to the Facebook group.

Links to Bookshop are affiliate links. You can also find The Geography Coloring Book at Amazon (affiliate link).

A Challenging but Worthwhile History: This Country of Ours

This Country of Ours

by H. E. Marshall

This Country of Ours is the first option on the Mater Amabilis™ Level 1B syllabus for History, the first year in a three year course of study that continues through Level 1A (first grade through third grade). I started to read it aloud to First Son when he was in first grade and...it was a bit of a disaster. A lot of reasons for our struggles were at play: First Son was not a strong narrator. I was new at homeschooling and at narration myself. I had an exhausting two-year-old. I also had a demanding infant. The book was published in 1917 and is written with an attitude toward Native Americans we now recognize as racist, though it was not intended as such, but I was uncomfortable dealing with that attitude as we read. This Country of Ours is a challenging text, and the early chapters are in some ways the most difficult. 

We had barely scratched the surface when I decided to switch to Stories of Great Americans for Little Americans by Edward Eggleston, one of the suggested alternatives. This was a much better book for First Son at that age and for me, too. 

There are a lot of discussions in the Mater Amabilis™ Facebook group about This Country of Ours and the American history options in Levels 1-3. I heard stories from other families that loved the book and from those that used it in later years. So a couple of years ago, I decided to revisit it. First Daughter and Second Daughter have read the whole book. Second Son just started it in Level 1A Year 2 (third grade).

One of the aspects of the book I really wanted to address was the change in attitude toward Native Americans between Marshall's time and our own. I also wanted to give my readers a more concrete grasp of where these events were taking place. So I wrote a study guide, one that could be printed with a little introduction to each chapter saying everything I would say if I were sitting down to read it aloud to them. I included some maps to study before and as they read. As the girls used the study guide, I fixed errors and expanded it. Over the past few weeks, I added a list of people for each chapter. (My children explained they were having trouble telling people apart, especially in remembering which country or army someone represented.)

Over the past three years, I have read This Country of Ours two or three times, and I have come to love it. The people described are real, with their faults and virtues. The stories are exhilarating, and yet encourage further study. The language is full of rich descriptions. As a teacher of children at multiple levels, I can see myriad connections with This Country of Ours and other books in the Mater Amabilis™ syllabi like A Book of Discovery. These are not explicit, as they would be in a series that referred to early books or chapters, but are there because they exist in reality.

Though I address Native Americans in the study guide, I found a book for Second Son to read from before he started This Country of Ours and to intersperse in his readings to give a completely different perspective on events concerning Native Americans. First People: An Illustrated History of American Indians by David C. King seems to be an even-handed description of life before Europeans arrived and the consequences that followed interactions between Europeans and Native Americans.

Second Son was nine years old before he even started third grade and is a fantastic reader and narrator, so he could handle a little more difficulty than just This Country of Ours. Even so, I let him tell me if I'd assigned too much. If he wanted to only read half a chapter, I let him. Because I knew he was such a strong reader, I knew he'd be able to handle adding First People in addition to This Country of Ours.

I encourage all Mater Amabilis™ families to explore the many different ways to teach American history in Levels 1-3. The website has many options and the Facebook group has lots of people willing to share their own experiences. Here are just a few ideas:

• Read This Country of Ours over three years starting in Level 1B as on the original Mater Amabilis™ syllabus (first, second, and third grades). Use the study guide and read aloud to your student. Divide the early chapters into as many readings as you need so your student doesn't get overwhelmed.
• Read This Country of Ours over three years starting in Level 1A Year 2 and going through both years of Level 2, as Second Son will, with readings from First People interspersed (third, fourth, and fifth grades). Or spread This Country of Ours over these three years but without any reading from First People.
• Read This Country of Ours over two years in Level 2, as Second Daughter did, using the study guide (fourth and fifth grades). (She did not read First People.)
• Read This Country of Ours over two years in Level 3, as First Daughter did, with First People as an independent reading book (sixth and seventh grades). 

As you can see, my own four children have each read (or not read) This Country of Ours on a different schedule.

The study guide I wrote is available in the Mater Amabilis™ Facebook group for families to download and print or to use on a tablet and would be appropriate for reading aloud with children in Levels 1B and up, or printing for children to use independently in Levels 2 or 3. I hope it provides some support for families who might otherwise hesitate to use This Country of Ours.

Incorporating First People with This Country of Ours (perhaps most appropriate for Levels 2 or 3)

Start the year with First People. For This Country of Ours, read about a chapter a day (perhaps increasing to two chapters nearing the end of the third year as the chapters get shorter). Some of the First People readings might need to be broken up as well, depending on your student.

• First People
• Introduction pp. 6-11
• Chapter 1: The Beginning pp. 15-19 (The Ice Age and the Land Bridge, Adapting to the Environment)
• Chapter 2: The Emergence of Indian Cultures pp. 28-33 (The Mound-Building Cultures, Monk's Mound)
• This Country of Ours (TCOO)
• Chapters 1-12
• First People
• Chapter 2: The Emergence of Indian Cultures pp. 68-71 (The Southeast, The Cherokee)
• Chapter 3: First Encounters with Europeans pp. 75-77 (Europeans Explore the Southeast)
• Chapter 4: The European Impact pp. 88-89 (Changes in the East)
• Chapter 5: The Contest for a Nation pp. 118-119 (The Virginia Frontier)
• TCOO
• Chapters 13-21
• First People
• Chapter 2: The Emergence of Indian Cultures pp. 60-67 (The Northeast Woodlands, The Iroquois, The Ojibwe)
• Chapter 3: First Encounters with Europeans pp. 78-79 (First Meetings in the Northeast)
• TCOO
• Chapters 22-31
• First People
• Chapter 5: The Contest for a Continent pp. 120-121 (The Conflict in New England)
• TCOO
• Chapters 32-49
• First People
• Chapter 5: The Contest for a Continent pp. 122-123 (The Conflict Moves West)
• TCOO
• Chapters 50-66
• First People
• Chapter 2: The Emergence of Indian Cultures pp. 42-46 (The Great Plains, The Sioux: Before European Contact, Made from Bison)
• Chapter 2: The Emergence of Indian Culture pp. 48-51 (The Plateau, The Great Basin)
• Chapter 4:  The European Impact pp. 94-98 (Changes on the Plains, The Sioux: After European Contact, Weapons of the Plains)
• Chapter 2: The Emergence of Indian Cultures pp. 54-59 (The Pacific Northwest, The Haida: Before European Conflict, Totem Poles)
• Chapter 3: First Encounters with Europeans pp. 84-85 (Encounters on the West Coast)
• Chapter 4: The European Impact pp. 108-113 (Changes in the Northwest, The Haida: After European Contact, The Kwakwaka'wakw)
• TCOO 

• Chapters 67-72
• First People
• Chapter 5: The Contest for a Continent pp. 126-131 (Last Conflicts in the East, Write it in Cherokee, The Trail Where They Cried)
• TCOO
• Chapters 73-74
• First People
• Chapter 5: The Contest for a Continent pp. 124-125 (Other Indian Struggles to Survive)
• TCOO
• Chapter 75
• First People
• Chapter 3: First Encounters with Europeans pp. 80-82 (The Spanish in the Southwest)
• Chapter 4: The European Impact pp. 100-107 (Changes in the Southwest, The Navajo: After European Contact, The Apache)
• Chapter 5: The Contest for a Continent pp. 134-135 (Indian Losses in the Southwest)
• TCOO
• Chapter 76
• First People
• Chapter 2: The Emergence of Indian Cultures pp. 52-53 (California)
• Chapter 5: The Contest for a Continent pp. 132-133 (The Impact of New Developments)
• TCOO
• Chapters 77-91
• First People
• Chapter 5: The Contest for a Continent pp. 136-143 (War for the Great Plains, What's in a Headdress?, Final Victories, Final Defeats)
• TCOO
• Chapters 92-99
• First People (spread over many days)
• Chapter 6: The Struggle to Survive
• Chapter 7: A People's Revival

Second Son also read some of the supplemental reading during his independent reading time over the course of the year.

I have received nothing in exchange for this post. Links to Amazon and Bookshop are affiliate links. I have also often purchased books directly from Yesterday's Classics because their reprints are consistently good and the myriad of options on bookseller sites are often impossible to evaluate before purchasing.

2015-2016 Fairy Tales

I decided in 2015-2016 to take a break in the beginning of the year from the Flower Fairy Tale Books collected by Andrew Lang. I believe I started with the theme of "beautiful versions of fairy tales I happened to find at our library" and ended with a book on our shelf.

For whatever reason, we struggled to read fairy tales every week during that school year; perhaps I just scheduled too many outside activities. Here are the few we did read.

In 2015-2016, First Son was in sixth grade, First Daughter was in third grade, Second Daughter was in first grade, and Second Son was still a preschooler.

Aladdin and the Enchanted Lamp retold by Philip Pullman with gorgeous illustrations by Sophy Williams - I selected this book from our library because I loved the illustrations so much. There are lots of versions of the tale of Aladdin, but I do think this is one of the better ones. We enjoyed it, reading it over a few weeks rather than all at once. It's longer than a standard picture book.

Merlin and the Making of the King by Margaret Hodges with illustrations by Trina Schart Hyman - This is another one where there are lots of versions, but I tend to love everything by Margaret Hodges and especially with illustrations by Trina Schart Hyman. The stories retold by Hodges tend to be ambiguous in the more mature scenes but without just glossing over immoral behavior, so you may want to pre-read anything from her books. I don't have this book on my shelves, either, so I can't quickly skim it to highlight anything particular in this one. I split this one into multiple readings as well. You would want to spend at least a week on each of the four stories.

Melisande by E. Nesbit, illustrated by P. J. Lynch - This is a fun fairy tale with a twist from Nesbit, one of my favorite authors.

The Book of Saints and Heroes by Andrew and Lenora Lang

I have received nothing for this post. Other than the last book by Lang, these were all books I checked out from our library. Links to Amazon and Bookshop are affiliate links.

2015-2016 Memory Work: Sixth Grade, Third Grade, First Grade

This is just a quick post to share the kinds of poems and verses the kids memorized in their respective grades. I remember early on I would have trouble discerning which options were too difficult.

Now, in 2020, I have a big binder of poetry and prayers for them to look through and choose their own. (That's the reward they get when they memorize something - something else to memorize!) I generally choose the Scripture verses unless a child specifically asks for something. They come from readings we've done, catechism books, Catechesis of the Good Shepherd, or just verses I happened to like.

I've written before about how we practice our memory work.

First Son's Sixth Grade Memory Work

Poetry

• Paul Revere's Ride by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow - This took him more than a year to memorize, but he learned the whole thing. He was able to immediately notice that our favorite picture book version is missing a verse (for no explicable reason) and, four years later, can still recite it from memory.

Memory Verses

• James 1:19-20
• 1 Peter 5:7
• Daniel 3:26-27 - First Son picked these verses.

First Daughter's Third Grade Memory Work

First Daughter loves memory work. She practices multiple times a week, even on days she doesn't work with me.

Poetry

• Yellow Butter by Mary Ann Hoberman from Forget-Me-Nots: Poems to Learn by Heart
• Bird Talk by Aileen Fisher from Forget-Me-Nots: Poems to Learn by Heart
• The Little Elf by John Kendrick Bangs from Poems to Learn by Heart
• Dad's cell phone number
• Anima Christi
• Catch a Little Rhyme by Eve Merriam from Poems to Learn by Heart
• I Heard a Bird Sing by Oliver Herferd from Forget-Me-Nots: Poems to Learn by Heart
• The Kitten by William Wordsworth from Primary Language Lessons

Memory Verses

• 1 John 4:18-19
• Hebrews 13:16
• Isaiah 40:31
• 1 Peter 5:7

Second Daughter's First Grade Memory Work

Poetry

• Toad by the Road by Joanne Ryder from Forget-Me-Nots: Poems to Learn by Heart
• Catch a Little Rhyme by Eve Merriam from Poems to Learn by Heart
• her birthdate and birth city
• Prayer After Meals
• The Bluebird by Emily Huntington Miller from Primary Language Lessons

Memory Verses

• Jeremiah 31:25
• Psalm 31:24
• John 6:35

I have received nothing in exchange for this post. All links to Bookshop and Amazon are affiliate links.

2015-2016 Family Read Aloud List

It's make-up work time on the blog, I guess. I never posted our family read alouds for 2015-2016. That school year I had a sixth grader, third grader, first grader, and a preschooler.

Many of these can be found in the literature recommendation on the Mater Amabilis™ site.

Easter, 2016

The Complete Tales of Peter Rabbit and Other Tales by Beatrix Potter - Our edition is out of print, but this is a complete one. My sentimental favorite is a set of miniature original tales Kansas Dad bought at Oxford when he was there for a conference and I was home with lots of little ones.

The Father Brown Reader II: More Stories from Chesterton adapted by Nancy Carpentier Brown - The second volume is more serious than the first in that in contains stories of murders rather than just thefts. Additionally, there is a suicide. A few times, too, I had to walk my eight year old through the conclusion as often it is not explicitly written out.

The Animal Family by Randall Jarrell, decorations by Maurice Sendak

Francie on the Run and Pegeen by Hilda van Stockum - These are the second and third books in the Bantry Bay series and are fantastic. The publisher has frequent sales and many other wonderful books.

The Adventures of Pinocchio by Carlo Collodi

The Big Alfie and Annie Rose Storybook by Shirley Hughes - My two youngest (seven and five when we read it) loved these sweet stories of Alfie and Annie Rose just living life. I loved the wedding story that showed a black couple getting married with Alfie as the ring bearer. There's no mention of race in the text, just the illustrations depicting different races celebrating family life together.

The Story of the Treasure Seekers by E. Nesbit

Brighty of the Grand Canyon by Marguerite Henry - We finished this book just in time to leave on a cross-country camping trip that included the Grand Canyon. The children loved the book and were thrilled to talk about it all over again when we were visiting the park.

Audiobooks

As You Wish: Inconceivable Tales from the Making of The Princess Bride by Cary Elwes - We listened to this audiobook from the library (read by Cary Elwes!) and loved it so much, I bought it on Audible during a recent sale. If you love The Princess Bride, you will love this book, though you may want to pre-listen to it.

D'Aulaire's Book of Greek Myths - This is a wonderful book, of course, but it's also a very enjoyable audiobook. Even Kansas Dad appreciated it.

A Little Princess by Frances Hodgson Burnett

The Cricket in Times Square by George Selden

Chitty Chitty Bang Bang by Ian Fleming - This is a really fun story!

We also listened to the Series of Unfortunate Events books, but I didn't think they were that great.

I have received nothing in exchange for this post. All links to Bookshop and Amazon are affiliate links. Most of these were probably library copies, but it was so long ago I can't remember!

Level 3 Geology: A Two Year Plan

Mater Amabilis™ recommends a two year study of geology in Level 3 (sixth and seventh grades) with A Doorway of Amethyst by Mary Daly in year one and The Practical Geologist by Dougal Dixon in year two, each read once a week. First Son read A Doorway of Amethyst (which I wrote about on the blog) but he never finished The Practical Geologist. I ended up cutting it out when we joined a drama club and needed an afternoon off for rehearsals.

In the Facebook group, there was a suggestion to combine the two books over the two years as they cover many similar subjects and I decided to tackle that for First Daughter. In the course of discussions, one of the other members recommended The Field Guide to Geology by David Lambert. After checking it out from our library, I decided I liked it better for Level 3 than The Practical Geologist.

The two texts complement each other well, covering many of the same general subjects but with additional explanations or illustrations on different topics. The Field Guide to Geology has extensive illustrations on nearly every page showing just about every feature mentioned in the text. A Doorway of Amethyst often provides more explanation, often making concepts easier to understand. A Doorway of Amethyst includes detailed discussions of the Catholic view of Creation and the relationship between faith and science. The chapter on the Williston Basin is one of my favorite readings of Level 3.


I initially developed a two-year plan using The Field Guide to Geology as the organizing text, including readings from A Doorway of Amethyst as they were related. After two years, the student has read all of both books. I also included a few sections of The Practical Geologist. In the Mater Amabilis™, I shared a document of these plans. I also shared a spreadsheet that correlated all three texts by topic so you could pick and choose topics and texts to create your own plan.

I did make a few small changes to the plans as we used them with First Daughter in Level 3 year 1. I eliminated all the readings from The Practical Geologist when I decided to move that text to a term of high school (which First Son will do next year in tenth grade). Because there was a whole section of The Practical Geologist in year two, I adjusted the readings and moved one unit from the end of year 1 to the beginning of year 2. I also split a few of the early readings that seemed long to me.

Many of the readings lend themselves to a written narration. First Daughter and I found a notebook with lines on the front and blank pages on the back which was perfect for making notes and referencing diagrams she could sketch right into her notebook. There are a few options with alternating (or half sheets) of ruled and blank pages, but the one with a cover of rocks was too perfect for geology.

So here are the readings as we did them in year 1 and as I anticipate them in year 2. (Join the Facebook group to see the original plan and the spreadsheet correlating the three texts.)

Year 1

1 - A Doorway of Amethyst - Introduction pp 1-2. Narrate.

2 - The Field Guide to Geology pp 12-19 (Introduction, Earth in space, How everything began, Birth of the solar system) AND A Doorway of Amethyst pp 8-10 (Origin of the Solar System to the end of the chapter). Narrate.

3 - The Field Guide to Geology pp 20-23 (Our layered planet and Earth’s size and shape) AND A Doorway of Amethyst pp 3-4 (Depths of the Earth, stop before “What is rock? What is it made of?”). Draw a sketch of the inside of the Earth in your "rocks" journal. Narrate (oral or written).

4 - The Practical Geologist pp 16-19 (The evidence for the theories). Narrate.

5 - The Field Guide to Geology pp 24-27 (Earth’s building blocks 1 and 2) AND A Doorway of Amethyst pp 4-6 (“What is rock? What is it made of?” Stop before Heat from within). Narrate and/or explain how minerals like quartz differ from compounds like water and sugar.

6 - The Field Guide to Geology pp 28-29 (Energy and Earth) AND A Doorway of Amethyst pp 6-7 (Heat from Within, stop before Earth’s magnetism) AND p 11 (To see convection cells). Narrate and/or explain why the Earth’s interior is hot.

7 - The Field Guide to Geology pp 30-31 (Earth as a magnet) AND A Doorway of Amethyst pp 7-8 (Earth’s magnetism). Narrate.

8 - Unit 1 Exam – Tell what you know about the inside of the earth.

9 - The Field Guide to Geology pp 32-39 (Introduction, Earth’s changing surface, The ocean floor, Oceanic crust). Narrate.

10 - The Field Guide to Geology pp 40-43 (Seafloor spreading, How seafloor disappears) AND A Doorway of Amethyst pp 13-14 (stop before Ocean crust: four layers). Narrate.

11 - The Field Guide to Geology pp 44-45 (The continental crust) AND A Doorway of Amethyst pp 14-16 (Ocean crust: four layers through Continental crust; stop before Why we think they move). Narrate.

12 - The Field Guide to Geology pp 46-49 (Clues to continental drift, How continents evolve) AND A Doorway of Amethyst pp 16-18 (Why we think they move through How to build a continent; stop before Mountain vocabulary)

13 - The Field Guide to Geology pp 50-53 (Mountain building, Rocks recycled) AND A Doorway of Amethyst pp 18-19 (Mountain vocabulary and Mountain building). Narrate.

14 - The Field Guide to Geology pp 50-53 (Mountain building, Rocks recycled) AND A Doorway of Amethyst pp 18-19 (Mountain vocabulary and Mountain building). Narrate.

15 - A Doorway of Amethyst pp 20-22 (Rocks and minerals through the end of the chapter). Narrate.

16 - The Field Guide to Geology pp 54-61 (Introduction, Rocks from magma, Fiery rocks formed underground, Volcanic rocks) AND A Doorway of Amethyst pp 25-26 (stop before Volcanic structure). Narrate.

17 - The Field Guide to Geology pp 62-65 (Anatomy of a volcano, Volcanic landforms) and A Doorway of Amethyst pp 26-27 (Volcanic structure; stop before Lava has many shapes). Narrate. Optional - Explore Volcano World for fun.

18 - The Field Guide to Geology pp 66-71 (Volcanic products, Hot water, gas, and mud, Fiery rocks of other worlds) AND A Doorway of Amethyst pp 27-30 (Lava has many shapes, Near the Deep Hot…, Extraterrestrial Geology, Exotic Waters, Etymology of the word "lava"). Narrate.

19 - A Doorway of Amethyst p 32-33. Make the globe on page 33. Explore the Digital World Tectonic Activity Map.

20 - Unit 3 Exam – Example: Tell what you know about volcanoes and volcanic rocks.

21 - The Field Guide to Geology pp 72-75 (Introduction, Rocks from sediments). Narrate.

22 - The Field Guide to Geology pp 76-79 (Rocks from fragments 1 and 2) AND A Doorway of Amethyst p 35 (Sediments; stop before Coal and limestone). Narrate.

23 - The Field Guide to Geology pp 80-83 (Rocks from chemicals, Rocks from living things) AND A Doorway of Amethyst pp 35-37 (Coal and limestone, Conglomerates, Sediments; stop before How sediments forms) and p 43 (How to identify common sedimentary rocks). Narrate.

24 - A Doorway of Amethyst pp 37-39 (How sediments form; stop before The geologic column). Narrate.

25 - A Doorway of Amethyst pp 39-41 (The geologic column). Narrate. Optional: complete the lost geologic drill log exercise on pp 40-41.

26 - Unit 4 Exam – Example: Write what you know about sedimentary rocks and/or the geologic column.

27 - The Field Guide to Geology pp 84-89 (Introduction, Rising and sinking rocks, Tilting and folding rocks) AND A Doorway of Amethyst pp 45-46 (Rock types and their ages, Metamorphic rock is bent; stop before Six faults). Narrate.

28 - The Field Guide to Geology pp 90-91 (Breaking rocks: joints and faults) AND A Doorway of Amethyst pp 46-47 (Six faults; stop before Many parts; one earth). Draw and label the six fault types for your notes. Narrate.

29 - The Field Guide to Geology pp 92-95 (Earthquakes, Bombs from space) AND A Doorway of Amethyst pp 47 and 49 (Many parts; one earth, Earthquakes, Asteroid marks; stop before Ways to metamorphose rocks). Narrate.

30 - The Field Guide to Geology pp 96-99 (Rocks remade 1 and 2) AND A Doorway of Amethyst pp 49-51 (Ways to metamorphose rocks, Metamorphic rock families). Narrate.

31 - Unit 5 Exam – Example: Write what you know about rocks that have been deformed or altered and/or about metamorphic rocks.

32 - The Field Guide to Geology pp 100-105 (Introduction, Rocks attacked by weather 1 and 2) AND A Doorway of Amethyst p 54 (Hadrian’s Wall). Narrate.

33 - The Field Guide to Geology pp 106-107 (Soil from rock) AND A Doorway of Amethyst pp 55-56 (Agents of change; stop before Soil: four horizons). Narrate.

34 - The Field Guide to Geology pp 108-109 (Types of soil) AND A Doorway of Amethyst pp 56-58 (Soil: four horizons, Soil types). Narrate.

35 - The Field Guide to Geology pp 110-113 (Mass movement, Slopes) AND A Doorway of Amethyst pp 60-62 (Gravity erosion). Sketch the different kinds of gravity erosion for your notes. Narrate.

36 - Unit 6 Exam – Example: Tell what you know about soil and/or erosion by weather or gravity.

37 - The Field Guide to Geology pp 114-119 (Introduction, Running water, Water comes and goes) AND A Doorway of Amethyst pp 65-66 (Erosion by water, The water cycle). Narrate.

38 - The Field Guide to Geology pp 120-123 (How rivers form valleys 1 and 2) AND A Doorway of Amethyst p 68 (Why rivers run downhill, Widening the river, When rivers meet faults). Narrate.

39 - The Field Guide to Geology pp 124-127 (Where rivers shed their loads, Rivers revived) AND A Doorway of Amethyst pp 69-70 (Rivers: therefore sediments; stop before Drainage Patterns) and p 72 (Rivers changing their beds; stop before Plateaus and Ridges). Narrate.

40 - The Field Guide to Geology pp 128-129 (Rivers underground) AND A Doorway of Amethyst p 67 (Underground waters). Narrate.

41 - The Field Guide to Geology pp 130-131 (Drainage patterns) AND A Doorway of Amethyst pp 70-71 (Drainage Patterns). Narrate.

42 - The Field Guide to Geology pp 132-133 (Plateaus and ridges) AND A Doorway of Amethyst p 48 (Hogbacks) and pp 72-73 (Plateaus and Ridges; stop before Lakes). Narrate.

43 - The Field Guide to Geology pp 134-137 (How lakes form, Vanishing lakes) AND A Doorway of Amethyst pp 73-76 (Lakes, Vanishing lakes, A hole is forever—almost, Karst landscape, Caverns). Narrate.

44 - Unit 7 Exam – Example: Tell what you know about the water cycle, rivers, and/or underground water.

45 - The Field Guide to Geology pp 138-143 (Introduction, The sea in action, Sea attacks the land) AND A Doorway of Amethyst p 79 (Waves and coastlines; stop before Rising and falling seas). Narrate.

46 - The Field Guide to Geology pp 144-145 (Drowned coastlines) AND A Doorway of Amethyst pp 79-81 (Rising and falling seas; stop before Causes of Waves). Draw and labels different kinds of coastlines for your notes. Narrate.

47- The Field Guide to Geology pp 146-149 (How sea builds land, Shores risen from the sea). Narrate.

48 - The Field Guide to Geology pp 150-151 (Where coral grows) AND A Doorway of Amethyst pp 81-82 (Causes of Waves). Narrate.

49 - Unit 8 Exam – Example: Tell me what you know about how the sea builds and destroys land.

50 - The Field Guide to Geology pp 152-155 (Introduction, Glaciers and ice sheets) AND A Doorway of Amethyst pp 93-95 (Rocks with Scratches; stop before Gathering the rocks). Narrate.

51 - The Field Guide to Geology pp 156-157 (How ice attacks the land) AND A Doorway of Amethyst pp 95-96 (Gathering the rocks, Glacial scratches; stop before Erratics). Narrate.

52 - The Field Guide to Geology pp 158-161 (Debris dumped by ice 1 and 2) AND A Doorway of Amethyst p 96 (Erratics). Narrate.

53 - The Field Guide to Geology pp 162-163 (Around an ice sheet's rim) AND A Doorway of Amethyst pp 97-98 (Glacier, Louis Agassiz). Narrate. Independent reading - The Ghost Lake: The True Story of Louis Agassiz (on your Kindle)

54 - The Field Guide to Geology pp 164-167 (Wind the eroder, Windblown deposits) AND A Doorway of Amethyst pp 98-99 (Dunes, Loess, through end of chapter). Narrate.

55 - The Field Guide to Geology pp 168-169 (Lands shaped by wind and water). Narrate.

56 - Unit 9 Exam – Example: Tell what you know about how glaciers, ice, and wind shape land.


Year 2

1 - The Field Guide to Geology pp 170-173 (Introduction, Relative dating: using rocks) AND A Doorway of Amethyst p 86 (Fossils in geology; stop before Biologic dating – fossils). Narrate.

2 - The Field Guide to Geology pp 174-177 (Relative dating: fossils 1 and 2) AND A Doorway of Amethyst pp 86-87 (Biologic dating—fossils; stop before Pre-Cambrian life). Narrate.

3 - The Field Guide to Geology pp 178-181 (Clocks in rocks, The geologic column) AND A Doorway of Amethyst pp 109-110 (The geologic column; stop before Major Geologic Periods). Narrate.

4 - The Field Guide to Geology pp 182-183 (Early times). Narrate.

5 - The Field Guide to Geology pp 184-185 (The age of former life). Narrate.

6 - Unit 10 Exam – Example: Tell what you know about the record of Earth’s history and how we know what we know about it.

7 - The Field Guide to Geology pp 186-189 (Introduction, The Age of Visible Life) AND A Doorway of Amethyst pp 87-88 (Pre-Cambrian life; stop before The Paleozoic). Narrate.

8 - A Doorway of Amethyst pp 88-89 (The Paleozoic). Narrate.

9 - The Field Guide to Geology pp 190-191 (Cambrian period) AND A Doorway of Amethyst pp 110-111 (Major Geologic Periods: Cambrian). Narrate.

10 - The Field Guide to Geology pp 192-193 (Ordovician period) AND A Doorway of Amethyst p 112 (Ordovician). Narrate.

11 - The Field Guide to Geology pp 194-195 (Silurian period) AND A Doorway of Amethyst p 112 (Silurian). Narrate.

12 - The Field Guide to Geology pp 196-197 (Devonian period) AND A Doorway of Amethyst pp 112-113 (Devonian; stop before Carboniferous). Narrate.

13 - The Field Guide to Geology pp 198-199 (Carboniferous period) AND A Doorway of Amethyst p 113 (Carboniferous). Narrate.

14 - The Field Guide to Geology pp 200-201 (Permian period) AND A Doorway of Amethyst pp 113-114 (Permian; stop before Mesozoic: Triassic). Narrate.

15- A Doorway of Amethyst pp 102-104 (The Mesozoic Era; stop before The Mesozoic ends). Narrate.

16 - The Field Guide to Geology pp 202-203 (Triassic period) AND A Doorway of Amethyst p 114 (Mesozoic: Triassic; stop before Jurassic). Narrate.

17 - The Field Guide to Geology pp 204-205 (Jurassic period) AND A Doorway of Amethyst p 114 (Jurassic; stop before Cretaceous). Narrate.

18 - The Field Guide to Geology pp 206-207 (Cretaceous period) AND A Doorway of Amethyst p 104 (The Mesozoic ends, Buttercups and magnolias, Paleozoic, Mesozoic, Cenozoic) and pp 114-115 (Cretaceous; stop before Cenozoic: Tertiary and Quarternary). Narrate.

19 - The Field Guide to Geology pp 208-211 (Paleogene period, Neogene period). Narrate.

20 - The Field Guide to Geology pp 212-213 (Quaternary period) AND A Doorway of Amethyst pp 115-116 (Cenozoic: Tertiary and Quarternary etc.; stop before Evolution – evidence for design). Narrate.

21 - A Doorway of Amethyst pp 91-92 (The merry trilobite, Geologic eras & things, Songs of Zoic times). Narrate.

22 - Unit 11 Exam: Tell what you know about the Age of Visible Life.

23 - A Doorway of Amethyst pp 116-117 (Evolution--evidence for design). Narrate.

24 - A Doorway of Amethyst pp 163-166 (Appendix 2: Evolution; stop before Philosophy vs. Science). Narrate.

25 - A Doorway of Amethyst pp 166-168 (Appendix 2: Philosophy vs. Science through the end of the appendix). Narrate.

26 - A Doorway of Amethyst pp 119-121 (The Williston Basin). Narrate.

27 - A Doorway of Amethyst pp 123-125 (The Williston Basin in North Dakota; stop before Cretaceous). Sketch and label this part of the column for your notebook.

28 - A Doorway of Amethyst pp 125-135 (Cretaceous; stop before Jurassic). Sketch and label this part of the column for your notebook.

29 - A Doorway of Amethyst pp 135-137 (Jurassic; stop before Triassic). Sketch and label this part of the column for your notebook.

30 - A Doorway of Amethyst pp 137-143 (Triassic, Paleozoic, Mississippian; stop before Devonian). Sketch and label this part of the column for your notebook.

31 - A Doorway of Amethyst pp 143-149 (Devonian, Silurian, Ordovician, The Cambrian, Pre-Cambrian). Sketch and label this part of the column for your notebook.

32 - Williston Basin Exam – Example: Tell what you know about the Williston Basin.

33 - The Field Guide to Geology pp 216-223 (Introduction, Mapping rocks, Finding minerals and fossils, Extracting and displaying finds). Narrate.

32 - The Field Guide to Geology pp 224-227 (Useful minerals, Gemstones). Narrate.

33 - The Field Guide to Geology pp 228-233 (Oil and gas, Geological prospecting, Mining). Narrate.

34 - The Field Guide to Geology pp 234-237 (Working with rocks, Man-made rocks). Narrate.

35 - Unit 12 Exam – Example: Tell what you know about how people find and use rocks and minerals.

36 - The Field Guide to Geology pp 238-243 (Introduction, Remote sensing 1 and 2). Narrate.

37 - The Field Guide to Geology pp 244-247 (Landsat, Global positioning system). Narrate.

38 - The Field Guide to Geology pp 248-251 (Mapping the surface, Ice cover). Narrate.

39 - The Field Guide to Geology pp 252-253 (Volcanoes). Narrate.

40 - The Field Guide to Geology pp 254-257 (Earth's gravity field, Earth's magnetic field). Narrate.

41 - The Field Guide to Geology pp 258-261 (Faults and earthquakes, Seismic monitoring). Narrate.

42 - The Field Guide to Geology pp 262-265 (Satellite laser ranging, Prospecting). Narrate.

43 - The Field Guide to Geology pp 266-271 (Ocean surface topography, Seafloor profiling, Ocean flow). Narrate.

44 - The Field Guide to Geology pp 272-277 (The Ring of Fire, Acoustic monitoring, Submersibles). Narrate.

45 - The Field Guide to Geology pp 278-281 (Monitoring the atmosphere, Ozone mapping). Narrate.

46 - The Field Guide to Geology pp 282-283 (Future developments). Look up one of the “planned Earth observation missions” (which should already be completed or underway) and report on its findings.

47 - Unit 13 Exam – Example: Tell what you know about how the earth is monitored.

48 - The Field Guide to Geology pp 284-289 (Introduction, Great geologists 1 and 2).

49 - A Doorway of Amethyst pp 151-160 (Geologist & Catholic).

50 - Choose a geologist to research. You will write a report or prepare a presentation on the life and accomplishments of your choice.

51 - Find out about your geologist's early life.

52 - Find out about your geologist's education.

53 - Learn why your geologist chose his or her career.

54 - Read about your geologist's contributions to the field.

55 - Start combining what you've learned into an outline.

56 - Start writing your paper or presentation.

57 - Prepare a posterboard for the homeschool expo. Finish your paper/presentation.

I received nothing in exchange for writing this post. All opinions are my own. The texts and the notebook were all purchased. Links to Amazon are affiliate links. 

A Different Mythology: Tales of Ancient Egypt

Tales of Ancient Egypt

by Roger Lancelyn Green

It's been a few years since we studied ancient history with RC History's Connecting with History volume 1, but we'll be returned to it again this year. Each time around, I find myself tempted to buy just a few more books at the higher levels; they're all so good! This year, I bought Tales of Ancient Egypt. I love Green's version of Robin Hood, so I really didn't seriously consider not buying this book.

The book is divided into three sections: Tales of the Gods, Tales of Magic, and Tales of Adventure. There is a short introduction at the beginning and a map of Egypt, both of which are useful for the student.

The tales themselves are wonderfully told with interesting language and excitement. There are written as if a comfortable grandfather were telling tales in front of a fireplace. (I don't really know what Green was like in real life, but that's always how I imagine him.)

I particularly enjoyed the Story of the Greek Princess, which tells a version of the abduction of Helen in which she is secreted safely away in Egypt through the entire Trojan War. (I searched online and there are indeed ancient sources for such a tale.) I also enjoyed the last tale which tells an Egyptian version of what we would call a Cinderella story, though it has some marked differences from more common ones today.

I expect all of my children will enjoy the stories in this book. My sixth grader will be assigned it. I will recommend it to my fourth grader. I even included it as optional independent reading for my ninth grader (along with the myths and tales he is reading for narrations). It's appropriate for all ages, though younger ones would appreciate someone reading it aloud.

The Puffin Classics edition is a nice little paperback, well-printed.

This post is my honest opinion. I have linked above, with affiliate links, to RC History, because that is the program through which I learned of this book. I purchase our books through a variety of sources and ended up buying this one on Amazon (also an affiliate link). 

Homeschool Record: Our 2015-2016 Poetry

We read from a book of poetry about once a week just for beauty and enjoyment as part of our cultural studies loop.

Just for the blog record, here are the books of poetry we read during the 2015-2016 school year (6th grade, 3rd grade, 1st grade, pre-kindergarten).

The Dragons are Singing Tonight by Jack Prelutsky, pictures by Peter Sis - This is a whole book of poems in the voice of different dragons. Some are silly or clever. The children enjoyed them all. The illustrations were adequate for the poems, though I prefer other illustrators to Sis. (library copy)

The Oxford Illustrated Book of American Children's Poems edited by Donald Hall - This is a wonderful anthology covering nearly all of America's historical periods. The illustrations vary, matched with contemporary poems. (library copy)

Is It Far to Zanzibar? Poems about Tanzania  by Nikki Grimes, illustrated by Betsy Lewin - A delightful collection of poetry sharing life in the African country of Tanzania with wonderful illustrations.  This is a great book to include if you're Reading Around the World and want to cover Africa. (library copy)

Carnival of the Animals with new verses by Jack Prelutsky, illustrated by Mary GrandPre - We were revisiting poetry by Jack Prelutsky because my children enjoy his poems tremendously. This particular book is fun because it celebrates the Carnival of the Animals with new lyrics. It includes a CD of the music by Camille Saint-Saens. (library copy)

Earthshake: Poems from the Ground Up by Lisa Westberg Peters, pictures by Cathie Felstead - I loved this quirky book of geology poems, illustrated with bold colors and swirls. (library copy)

Goodnight Songs by Margaret Wise Brown is a book of twelve quiet poems illustrated by twelve different respected children's book illustrators like Jonathan Bean and Melissa Sweet. Tom Proutt and Emily Gary set each of the poems to music, available on the included CD. My children listened to the poems when I read them, enjoying the illustrations, but the younger ones loved the CD. They even asked me to add a couple of the songs to their playlist on Spotify. (library copy)

The Children's Own Longfellow, poems by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, which I wrote about here. (library copy, but now we have our own copy from  PaperBackSwap.com)

America the Beautiful in the Words of Henry Wadsworth Longfellow - an older book with photographs of different American scenes to illustrated some of Longfellow's poetry. The kids were not as interested in this book. (library copy, one which they no longer have)


The Cuckoo's Haiku: and Other Birding Poems by Micheal J. Rosen, illustrated by Stan Fellows, provides about seven poems about different birds for each of the seasons. I am not a good judge of haiku, but the illustrations are lovely examples of nature study journals. I loved this book of poems. (library copy)

My America: A Poetry Atlas of the United States collected by Lee Bennett Hopkins - We finished the year with this book as a complement to First Daughter's third grade state study. We didn't quite finish it and picked it back up in the fall. I like this collection of poems that highlights a few characteristics of the areas of the United States. We've checked it out from the library numerous times, but now we have our own copy thanks to PaperBackSwap.com.

More than a Romance: Ivanhoe

Ivanhoe: A Romance

by Sir Walter Scott

Mater Amabilis recommends Ivanhoe as a "classic" read in Level 3, Year 1 (sixth grade). I had only waded a few pages into the author's introduction when I decided it wasn't a good fit for First Son, being much too convoluted. Last summer, though, I glanced through the book itself and realized the text itself is more accessible than the introduction. So I assigned it for the first term of Level 3, Year 2 (seventh grade), and decided to read it along with First Son rather than the summer before.

In the past, I've interspersed the assigned Classics with First Son's other independent reading, but he reads his schoolbooks so slowly, I felt like he was stuck reading the same book for ages. This year, I decided to try something different which I think it working well for us. He still has independent reading, for which I usually assign a book though sometimes I let him choose. He reads from that book 4-5 days a week for about 15 minutes each day. It's not much, but it means he's reading something that, while not challenging his reading level, is more substantial than the reading material he chooses. (Ugh.)

In addition, I assign Classics. I started the year with Ivanhoe. (I thought since it was a Year 1 book, it would be less difficult than the Year 2 suggestions, but I can tell already it was more difficult in reading level and content than The Scarlet Pimpernel which he's just begun. I think I will switch the order for the next child.) At first, we tried three chapters two days a week but the reading is dense and First Son was struggling. I soon switched it to two chapters three days a week. That was better, but it seemed to still regularly take him 45 minutes to an hour to finish his Ivanhoe reading. I think partly this was just his struggle to maintain his attention level, but there's no doubt this is a challenging read.

Another change I made was meant to increase our conversations about the book compared to what we discussed during last year's Classics (which was basically nothing). I asked First Son to write two questions in a notebook for me and we talked about those when we had his individual lessons. After a few weeks, I specified I wanted his questions to be ones I could not answer with yes or no. These questions were sometimes quick and easy and sometimes introduced more serious discussions about fidelity to the faith and treatment of those of other races and religions. Ivanhoe offers plenty of opportunities to discuss how people of faith should behave.

"If thou readest the Scripture," said the Jewess, "and the lives of the saints, only to justify thine own license and profligacy, thy crime is like that of him who extracts poison from the most healthful and necessary herbs."

There are instances of damsels carried off against their will for nefarious purposes, just as a warning, in addition to battles with their share of gore.

The air was filled with groans and clashing of arms; the floors were slippery with the blood of despairing and expiring wretches.

Though many of the religious of the book display sins small and large, the book itself is one of virtue and heroic courage. Those who have behaved ill are clearly shown as such.

But the moment had now arrived when earth and all his treasures were gliding from before his eyes, and when the savage baron's heart, though hard as a nether millstone, became appalled as he gazed forward into the waste darkness of futurity.

One of my favorite quotes of the entire book is from an endnote by "Laurence Templeton" (actually a nom de plume of Sir Walter Scott). It is a reference for the scene where the Knight Templar barges into a burning room to rescue the Jewish maiden from the flames (by kidnapping her against her will, for a second time).

Incident from Grand Cyrus. The Author has some idea that this passage is imitated from the appearance of Philidaspes, before the divine Mandane, when the city of Babylon is on fire, and he proposes to carry her from the flames. But the theft, if there be one, would be rather too severely punished by the penance of searching for the original passage through the interminable volumes of the Grand Cyrus.

Ah, if only he had Google Books!

I highly recommend Ivanhoe for Level 3 students. I suggest, however, being willing to read along with the student and to be prepared to discuss issues of race, religion, and morality. You may also want to try to find a copy that doesn't have "A Romance" on the cover as that was a major problem for First Son. Because he's twelve.

Solid, Dependable, and Never Needing Qualifying: Following Christ, Faith and Life book 6

Following Christ (Faith and Life book 6) from Ignatius Press

We've been using the Faith and Life series for years and I continue to find it solid and dependable. We don't use the activity book. First Son would read one chapter about once a week then narrate it to me. We have the second edition, without the changes due to the Missal's revision. The helpful people at Ignatius provided a document listing all the changes to I could adjust the text myself.

This book has 31 chapters plus two additional chapters devoted to Advent and Christmas to schedule at the appropriate time (found at the end of the book). There's also an appendix on liturgical colors and vestments.

The first sixteen chapters focus on The Ten Commandments. They include examples of saints appropriate for each commandment. There are also examples of sins against each of the commandments that might be committed by a late elementary or early middle school aged child. Chapter 13 covers adultery and coveting. Though there is nothing explicit in the chapter, it won't make much sense or will lead to questions if the subject of marital intimacy and conception have not been discussed or explained. St. Maria Goretti is mentioned in this chapter, which frustrates me a little. I prefer her example as one of forgiveness rather than purity as I worry a young girl who is overpowered and attacked may erroneously blame herself.

There is also a small paragraph on secrets in chapter 15 that's not exactly bad, but I wish it had specified not keeping secrets about someone being hurt or hurting someone else. It might also have mentioned that discussing something uncomfortable or distressing with a priest can be helpful. The Confessional is protected by a vow of silence and the priest can help discern if someone else should be told.

The remaining chapters address the Mass, walking the student through each part of the liturgy. The Mass is placed in relationship to the Old Testament sacrifices.

The lamb was slaughtered to offer it up. But this was not all. To complete the religious ritual or celebration of the sacrifice, the people would eat the lamb. The gift that they offered was received back as a gift.

Mass is even greater sacrifice, but the ritual is not complete without receiving the Eucharist.

We join the priest in offering Jesus to the Father; the Father accepts our gift and gives it back to us to eat....Holy Communion is normally meant to be received in the communal religious service which is the Mass. We are to go forward as God's family--not alone but in company.

Later, in chapter 20, the discussion of the Mass continues.

Those who feed on his Body and Blood have life in him--Christ's life, which does not destroy our personality, but perfects, enriches, and preserves it to life everlasting.

First Son reads well but not particularly quickly and he was usually able to read a chapter in ten to fifteen minutes followed by a few minutes of narration. We participate in Catechesis of the Good Shepherd and CCD classes at our parish, but I believe the  Faith and Life books complement those classes with excellent material presented clearly in a small amount of time. Every time I consider dropping them, I decide to continue.

The italic print: I received this book for free from our parish when they purchased the third edition for each of the classes. Links to Amazon are affiliate links. As an affiliate with Amazon, I receive a small commission if you follow one of my links, add something to your cart, and complete the purchase (in that order). Every little bit helps - thanks!

Defender of the Faith: Saint Athanasius

Saint Athanasius by F. A. Forbes

This book is recommended as Easter reading for Level 3 Year 1 students by Mater Amabilis. Because St. Athanasius is the patron saint of our homeschool, Kansas Dad's confirmation saint, and a patron of our whole family, I had read the book before but did so again before First Son would read it to refresh my memory.

St. Athanasius's life is nearly unbelievable as he stood firm against the persecution and misleading statements of the Arians, a divisive force in the early Christian world who maintained falsely that Jesus was not God, but a creature, one created by God. He suffered five exiles in the desert, hiding in the midst of monks and hermits. He wrote extensively, sending letters and treatises throughout the young Christian world.

The Arian controversy threatened to tear the early Christian church apart, but in the end, the Church survived, in no small part thanks to the courage and faithfulness of St. Athanasius.

Forbes's biography of St. Athanasius is meant to be an inspiring story rather than an objective biography we might expect today (not that they're ever really objective). Even so, it's an excellent book on the Arian controversy for the Level 3 student. First Son also appreciates "graduating" to saint books beyond the Vision series.

People of any era require reminders that how we explain and defend our faith is essential, that governments and peers can lead us astray if we do not ground ourselves in the most essential tenets of the faith. Yet St. Athanasius never held a grudge, which is also important to remember. Those who accepted the Nicene Creed were welcomed back without impunity and with open arms.

World Travels with Richard Halliburton's Complete Book of Marvels: The Occident (Level 3 Year 1)

Mater Amabilis™Level 3 recommends Richard Halliburton's Complete Book of Marvels, spread over the two years of the level, the Occident in Year 1 (sixth grade) and the Orient in Year 2 (seventh grade). I debated about finding an alternate title as it seemed expensive, but everywhere I looked online the homeschool voices resounded with praises for this book and lamentations that nothing else was comparable. I found Richard Halliburton's Complete Book of Marvels at the bargain price of about $28 including shipping using BookFinder.com. It may be cheaper to buy the two copies separately, but I like having it all in one book. (When I checked earlier this spring, it looked like the complete book was more reasonably priced than each volume separately.) I did talk seriously with First Son about our copy, explaining it was an older book that would require gentle handing.

[UPDATE June 2020: Halliburton's Book of Marvels has been reprinted by Living Book Press.]

Today I'd like to add my voice to the others singing the praises of The Complete Book of Marvels. This is by far my favorite Level 3 book!

Richard Halliburton writes as if he is traveling with a group of young people beginning in California, traveling east across the United States and then through Europe, ending in Istanbul. Written in the 1930s, the descriptions and stories are, of course, missing a few decades of history, but it's simple to supplement with some searches online if necessary. Each chapter swirls from geography to history to inspiring descriptions to travel adventures. There are ample photographs in the book, some from the author's own travels. His stunts like swimming the Panama Canal and thrusting a stick into the a smoking crack of Vesuvius thrill the reader and are perfect for reading rather than doing.

The descriptions astound and delight. Reading about places I'd been, I yearned to return. Reading about new and exotic places, I suddenly felt a wanderlust, a desire to venture out into the wide world. Halliburton invites the reader to venture to the edge of volcanoes, the pinnacle of mountains, and the dungeons of castles. In the chapter on the Iguazu Falls, he writes:

Then, abruptly, we reach the edge of a terrific mile-wide abyss, and stand before what seems, at the moment, to be all the beauty in the world changed into mist and moonlight, floating out from among the stars, and falling and fading into a bottomless fissure in the earth.

There are also exquisite descriptions of the wondrous, like the Blue Grotto:

Magic has been worked on everything. About us hang the draperies of an azure fairyland. The rock of the cavern walls has been changed to a curtain of soft sapphires ashine with silver spangles. And the water we float on is no longer water. It's a bottomless sky shot full of unearthly blue light. Blue--blue--blue--silvery, shimmering, fairy blue dances on the ceiling, electrifies the quivering lake and touches the very air with supernatural radiance, overwhelming us with its blue beauty.

[UPDATE in June 2020. I'm going to leave First Son's schedule below, but I want to share an updated one here from a Master Lesson Plan that allows a student to use the Geography Coloring Book over five years while avoiding duplicate assignments as much as possible. Pick the one that works best for you.

Chapter 1 - California on p. 3
Chapter 3 - Washington on p. 3
Chapter 4 - Arizona on p. 3
Chapter 5 - Nevada on p. 3
Chapter 6 - New York on p. 3
Chapter 8 - Washington, D.C. on p. 3
Chapter 9 - Florida on p. 3
Chapter 10 - Mexico on p. 3
Chapter 12 - Haiti on p. 3
Chapter 13 - Panama on p. 3
Chapter 14 - Peru on p. 14 (or p. 17)
Chapter 15 - Argentina on p. 14 (or p. 17)
Chapter 16 - Brazil on p. 14 (or p. 16)
Chapter 17 - Spain on p. 18
Chapter 18 - France on p. 18
Chapter 21 - Switzerland on p. 18
Chapter 23 - Italy on p. 18
Chapter 27 - Greece on p. 18
Chapter 29 - Russian Federation on p. 18 (may be colored from earlier study)
Chapter 30 - Turkey on p. 18

END UPDATE]

First Son read one chapter each week, narrating it orally. I also assigned him mapwork in his Geography Coloring Book as it was appropriate. I bought this book a few years ago and we use it over and over again, coloring in new pages as we work through geography and other lessons.

Chapter 1 - color California on p 11
Chapter 3 - color Washington on p 11
Chapter 4 - color Arizona on p 11
Chapter 5 - color Nevada on p 11
Chapter 6 - color New York on p 7
Chapter 8 - color Washington, D.C. on p 7
Chapter 9 - color Florida on p 8
Chapter 10 - color Mexico on p 12
Chapter 12 - color Haiti on p 13
Chapter 13 - color Panama on p 12
Chapter 14 - color Peru on p 17
Chapter 15 - color Argentina on p 17
Chapter 16 - color Brazil on p 16
Chapter 17 - color Spain on p 21
Chapter 18 - color France on p 21
Chapter 21 - color Switzerland on p 22
Chapter 23 - color Italy on p 23
Chapter 27 - color Greece on p 23
Chapter 29 - color European Russia and Asian Russia on p 26
Chapter 30 - color Turkey on p 30

First Son's copy of the Geography Coloring Book is an older one, but First Daughter has the third edition and I checked that the page numbers are still accurate.

I am eagerly anticipating the second half of this book as we venture into the Orient!

Links to Amazon and Bookshop are affiliate links. I have received nothing in exchange for this post.

The Source of Joy: The Little Flowers of Saint Francis

The Little Flowers of Saint Francis

This book is recommended for Lenten reading for Level 3 Year 1 students by Mater Amabilis. An ebook is available for free, but I opted to purchase this Paraclete Heritage Edition (used copies are quite reasonably priced) because paper books just seem to work better in our homeschool. This particular edition is introduced, annotated, arranged chronologically, and rendered into contemporary English by John M. Sweeney.

Originally published in Latin, The Little Flowers was almost immediately translated into Italian in the late thirteenth and early fourteenth centuries. It wasn't available at all in English until 1864. Before it was published, the stories were passed on orally by the Franciscan brothers. (A few additional stories were added by one of the Italian translators, but those weren't in our edition.)

The Little Flowers tells the story of St. Francis and his earliest companions--the men and women of the early Franciscan movement. They are teaching tales, intended to motivate the reader toward holiness. There is never a question as to the sanctity of the subject of these tales; they are not the subject of objective history.

The early stories focus on St. Francis and his first companions, but the second part is mostly about "modern" friars (stories 42-53), those of the time when the Fioretti was compiled or written. The more modern stories are presented in an attempt to defend themselves within the order at a time when it was divided into (mainly) two cohorts. They include multiple references, for example, to purgatory even though it was not a formal doctrine until long after St. Francis's death.

This book is essential for understanding St. Francis.

There is no document or collection of documents that has had as much impact on our collective and cultural understanding of Francis of Assisi and the personality of the early Franciscan movement as The Little Flowers.

The editor debated about changing the title as he felt it both didn't reflect the original Latin and because he thought people were not drawn in by the title. First Son, a twelve year old boy, protested on the very first day because of the title. He wanted no part of flowers! I shared a little of the introduction (which I had assigned) and encouraged him to have an open mind.

What makes these stories relevant today is the power with which they grab hold of the reader, sometimes by the fantastic claims they make for the life of St. Francis and his first followers, to change one's life before God. Hyperbole--if that's what it's called--has always been a rhetorical device and a symptom of deep believe; and it can be a tool of transformation.

Once First Son started reading the book, he loved it. The brief chapters glow with the early fervor of St. Francis and his followers. Stories of preaching in underwear, enduring hardships, and battling the devil inspire thrilled my sixth grade son.

One of my favorite stories is The source of joy, or, St. Francis and Brother Leo walking in the freezing rain. St. Francis, walking behind Brother Leo, calls out to him repeatedly, telling him everything the source of joy is not such as being "an example of holiness and integrity to the world," working miracles including "the dead to rise again after four days," knowledge of man and Scripture, and winning the conversion of others. Brother Leo finally begs St. Francis to tell him the source of joy.

"When we arrive at St. Mary's," Francis began, "and we're soaked by the rain and chilled to the bone, completely drenched with mud and so very hungry, and we ring at the gate and the brother on duty comes to the gate and says, 'Who are you?' We will say, 'We are your brothers.' But if he argues with us and says, 'You aren't telling me the truth. I don't trust you. You might steal from us. Go away!' then he won't open the gate and we'll have to stand outside in the freezing snow and cold until night falls.["]

He continues, saying they'll endure more insults.

"If we bear all of this with patience and receive his insults with joy and charity in our hearts--write this down too, brother: that is the source of joy!["]

He says, "We bear it all because we love him."

Physics with Fred

Life of Fred: Elementary Physics

It is now called Pre-Algebra 0 with Physics but the content has remained the same. I believe I purchased my copy from CBD. You can find a placement test there.

I wrote last year about how we started using Life of Fred and how First Son managed with Fractions and Decimals and Percents. He finished Decimals and Percents at the beginning of this year without problems, working steadily.

The Physics book contains forty chapters. At the end of each chapter are a few questions under Your Turn to Play. The answers appear on the following page (unlike the previous and ensuing books in which the answers appear immediately after the questions. While a student could avoid looking at the answers, I find it difficult myself to avoid accidentally seeing them.) Every six chapters or so, there's a "Bridge" of ten questions including recent and review material. The Bridge answers are in the back of the book. It's recommended students can answer at least nine questions correctly before moving on to the next chapter. With that in mind, there are five Bridges provided each time so the student has multiple chances to pass. In the beginning of the book, the author writes that some students complete multiple Bridges merely for additional practice and we did that a few times as well. If First Son seemed just a little shaky on something even if he had passed, I encouraged him to do a second Bridge and he usually did.

This is the last book for which the student is not supposed to use a calculator, and there's plenty of multiplication and division to practice those skills.

Because I didn't remember much of my high school physics, I read the chapters and answered the questions as well. I included it with my other preparation over the weekend for the upcoming week. He rarely needed help, but I was glad I was ready the few times he did. 

First Son loved placing mathematical problems and concepts within the framework of physics. Rather than replacing the physics he was doing for science, I found this book a nice complement, bringing in additional information and providing greater practice with the concepts introduced in his other books. (The physics books he read this year focused much more on the development of thought in physics and the theorems than practice problems with actual numbers.) Some of the topics covered include: friction, the meter, Mu, measuring force, Hooke's law, energy, work, transfer and storage of energy, the metric system, measuring mass, pressure, density, buoyancy, vacuums, volts, amperes, ohms, Ohm's Law, parallel circuits, and the history of physics.
 
Along the way, there's plenty of math, including review from Fractions and Decimals and Percents.

The Life of Fred books excel at revealing a greater world of mathematics and all of creation:

Fred asked a question that stopped Kitty: "What makes you think that human beings with their three-pound brains should be able to understand everything? There are mysteries in physics. There are mysteries in mathematics. There are mysteries in religion. Only lunatics and God say that they know all the secrets of the universe."

The last few chapters of this book are a condensed history of physics without any math problems to work.

The more we discover, the less we pretend to understand.

First Son spent fifteen weeks, four days a week, working through this book, including repeating a few of the Bridges. He continued with xtramath until he mastered division again and is also completing the sixth grade module on Khan Academy. He's nearly finished with that and then we'll set it aside until next year as well. (I didn't do as well keeping up with him on Khan Academy as I did with the physics!)

He has already eagerly started Pre-Algebra 1 With Biology, though he'll need to set it aside at the end of the year and finish it next school year. We continue to be pleased and encouraged by Fred here on the Range.

Physics in Sixth Grade: Objects in Motion and Liquids and Gases

Objects in Motion: Principles of Classical Mechanics and Liquids and Gases: Principles of Fluid Mechanics by Paul Fleisher, part of a series called Secrets of the Universe

These two books are recommended by Mater Amabilis for sixth grade, Level 3 Year 1. (Two of Fleisher's other Secrets of the Universe books are recommended for seventh grade.)

First Son read and narrated these books to me. Concepts of physics are clearly explained and illustrated by the author. The prevalence of inverse square laws, for example, is discussed in Objects in Motion. Using intensity of light as an example, the author shows clearly why so many intensive of force laws are inverse square laws. As the radius of a sphere of area covered by the same light is doubled, the amount of equal light is distributed across an area four times as large.

Picture each force spreading outward from its source like an ever-expanding bubble. Inverse square relationships hold true for all these forces because they all spread out evenly in all directions from the center point at which they are generated.

Many thought experiments and suggestions for demonstrations at home are included. Nearly all of the demonstrations are simple to put together with items you are likely to have on hand. Some of the demonstrations take longer than others. First Son, with First Daughter's assistance, spent the better part of an afternoon taking measurements of pendulums of different weights and different lengths.

The books end with an invitation to students to appreciate the complexity and beauty of the universe, and to keep learning.

Scientists believe that our universe was first created billions of years ago in a huge explosion they call the big bang. The same motion first created in the big bang is still with us today, spread among the vast number of stars, planets, atoms, and atomic particles moving and spinning through the cosmos.

We don't know all there is to know about the universe. Scientists still have much to learn about the stars and planets, the atom, and the miracles of life. There are still more laws to discover and more mysteries to solve. Perhaps you may one day add your name to that distinguished list of scientists who have helped to discover the secrets of the universe.

Each book contains a timeline of scientific discoveries (some general and some specific to the book's topic), biographies of scientists mentioned in the text, books for further reading, a bibliography, and a glossary.

I enjoyed these books and look forward to reading two more of them next year. (Hopefully First Son is as well.)

The italic print: Links to Amazon are affiliate links. As an affiliate with Amazon, I receive a small commission if you follow one of my links, add something to your cart, and complete the purchase (in that order). I like to use the little I earn on the blog to purchase birthday and Christmas gifts (so they'll really be from me because the kids say I don’t have any money). I purchased these books used.