Seventh Grade Science: More Fleisher and TOPScience Analysis, Oxidation, and Electricity (Seventh Grade)

Mater Amabilis™ Level 3 Year 2 science is a continuation of the physics and chemistry in Year 1.

The study includes two books by Paul Fleisher: Matter and Energy: Principles of Matter and Thermodynamics (Bookshop or Amazon) and Waves: Principles of Light, Electricity and Magnetism (Bookshop or Amazon). These two books are as wonderful as the sixth grade ones by Fleisher. Even better, Living Book Press has reprinted all of the Secrets of the Universe books with revisions by the author and the original illustrations. This is one of the few instances where it's worth it to find a new copy.

First Son identified sugar with a burning test

The third book scheduled for the year is The Mystery of the Periodic Table by Benjamin D. Wiker (Amazon). I love this book. It covers some pretty difficult scientific topics in an engaging way. Describing phlogiston ("the element that wasn't") in a way middle school students can understand is impressive.

Essential to the course of study in seventh grade are the activity cards from TOPScience: #10 Analysis, #11 Oxidation, and #32 Electricity. I love these cards! With a box of materials, most of the activities can be done with limited input from parents, though I always stay near-by, especially when flames are involved.

The cards are available as books, but I think the PDF files are the best value. The purchaser has permission to print cards for every student and you can just open the file and print when you have another student in seventh grade without holding a book open over your printer for every page.

You can also purchase kits from TOPS with everything you need for the set. (Choose the starter kit in the dropdown on the order page for the book.) I bought the kits for all three sets when First Son was a seventh grader and they made everything really easy, though most people probably have everything they need for electricity. For First Daughter, I ordered just a few things to refill our kits. You can see the complete lists on the TOPS website so you know exactly what you need and what's included when you buy the kit.

Every activity card has an "answer" card that includes not only the answers, but explanations that actually helped as I talked with my students about the activities.

First Son's alcohol fire

The one and only problem I had with the TOPS cards in seventh grade was the instruction to make limewater using garden lime. I bought garden lime and tried twice to make limewater. Kansas Dad tried to make limewater. We just couldn't get it to work. So we skipped all the limewater activities with First Son. I later found instructions at Home Science Tools using actual calcium hydroxide that work perfectly, so that's what we did for First Daughter last year. (I bought the calcium hydroxide at Home Science Tools.)

The Mater Amabilis™ site contains a schedule of lessons for the year that we followed almost exactly. Activities from the TOPS cards and readings are intermingled so well you might even think the TOPS cards were designed for the Mater Amabilis™ books.

The only difference I made was to combine some of the activity cards for Electricity (which is the easiest set, a nice way to end the year) so that we had time to do some of the reading and activities on electricity from Simple Machines and Fantastic Physics (Wildflowers and Marbles). We do most of that study in fifth grade, but it turned out to be a bit too long for my students, so I moved some of the electricity, magnetism, and computing to seventh and eighth grades.

I have received nothing in exchange for this post. Links to Bookshop and Amazon are affiliate links. Links to TOPScience, Home Science Tools, Living Book Press, and other sites are not affiliate links.

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.

What We Believe and Why: The Creed in Slow Motion (and exam questions)

The Creed in Slow Motion

by Ronald Knox

During World War II, Ronald Knox was a chaplain for a girls' school. He developed a series of conferences (lectures) on the Creed for their benefit. After the war, he revised them and published them in this book.

Knox simply explains the meaning of the Creed, revealing to young people a depth to their faith but in a conversational manner.

This book appears on the Mater Amabilis™ high school plans as Spiritual Reading for Religious Education in Level 5 Year 1 (ninth grade).  My son read it last year as a ninth grader, but one of the other mothers said she had used it for confirmation preparation. So this year, I've assigned it to my seventh grade daughter as she prepares for Confirmation. One week in, she said she already likes it because "it's like he's talking to me."

To believe a thing, in any sense worth the name, means something much more than merely not denying it. It means focusing your mind on it, letting it haunt your imagination, caring, and caring desperately, whether it is true or not.  

In the course of his lectures, Knox addresses many of the familiar questions raised by middle school and high school students.

When we say that God is Almighty, we mean that he can do anything which is not against reason. God couldn't create two equal-sized things one of which was larger than the other. But that isn't to say that he is being hampered by something outside himself. The laws of reason are part of the truth, and the truth is part of himself, or rather is himself; God is truth.

At the same time, he speaks eloquently of the profound truths of our faith.

No, there is no really satisfactory account of why Creation ever happened. We know that it did, because here we are. But the most the theologians can tell us is that it is the nature of goodness to diffuse itself, so that God uses Creation as a kind of reservoir for the overflow of his inexhaustible love.  

He writes on the working of the Holy Spirit in the writing of Scripture.

The Psalms weren't written to teach us lessons in geography; they were poetry, and the person who wrote that verse was just talking in the ordinary language of his time. So you can't be certain that every word of the Old Testament is literally true. But you can be certain that the theology of the Old Testament, once you have understood it properly and made allowances for the Hebrew way of saying things, must be true; because when it was written the Holy Spirit was at work to see that the thing got done right.

He also provides commonsense advice for young people. When talking about the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, he explains that although the Holy Spirit sometimes intervenes miraculously, providing a clear message of a vocation or speaking directly, those experiences are rare. Most of the time, we pray for guidance and then talk with parents, counselors, and teachers, all of whom give us advice. Then we consider the arguments for or against a decision. The Holy Spirit is acting within us the entire time, helping us use wisdom and discretion to make the choice.

Often, he exhorts the young women to strive for holiness in their own lives and their own relationships.

I mean that we should be really generous in our love of God, really honest in our ambition to follow Jesus Christ. What holds up the conversion of  England, I always think, is not so much the wickedness of a few Catholics, as the dreadful ordinariness of most Catholics.

There are Editor's Notes referenced by endnotes in the text that provide definitions for English or out-dated terms as well as historical notes (on "The Crusade of Rescue," for example) and a note on the 2007 Vatican advisory document on unbaptized infants.

Below are the exam questions I used with my ninth grader last year. Right now I anticipate using the same ones with my seventh grader. If she struggles too much, I'll adjust them for my younger children (both of whom will also be confirmed in seventh grade). These would all be answered with a paragraph or a short essay...or, in the case of my oldest, a sentence or two.

Quiz #1 (chapters I – IV)

1. What does Ronald Knox say about the words “I believe” (credo) in the Creed?
2. What does it mean to call God the “First Cause?”
3. Ronald Knox says, “The laws of reason are part of the truth, and the truth is part of himself, or rather is himself; God is truth.” What do you think about that?
4. According to Ronald Knox, why does God, our “Father Almighty,” allow suffering?
5. In the Creed, we say God is the “Maker of Heaven and Earth.” Why do you think he created the universe?
6. Share something you particularly remember from the first four chapters of The Creed in Slow Motion.

Quiz #2 (chapters V-VII)

1. What does Ronald Knox say about the words “Jesus Christ” in the Creed?
2. Ronald Knox writes that “theologians will tell you that the greatness of an offence is measured by the dignity of the person against whom the offence is committed; whereas when it comes to making reparation for an offence the greatness of the reparation is measured by the dignity of the person who is making it.” What does that mean for the atonement of mankind’s sin against God?
3. We say “Our Lord” in the Creed because He is our master and we belong to Him. What do you think that means?

Quiz #3 (chapters VIII-XVI)

1. According to Ronald Knox, what can the Virgin birth tell us about marriage?
2. What does Christ’s sufferings (hunger, exhaustion, pain) tell us about suffering today? What about our own suffering?
3. Why is Pontius Pilate named in the Creed?
4. Why did our Lord want to be buried in the earth?
5. How does the sacrament of baptism remind us of the Resurrection?
6. Ronald Knox tells of a priest whose favorite mystery is that of the Ascension “because it was the only one which made you think how nice it was for our Lord, instead of thinking how nice it was for us.” How are other mysteries nice for us? Why is this one so joyful for our Lord?
7. What happens at the Last Judgment?

Quiz #4 (chapters XVII-XVIII)

1. What do we mean when we say the Bible is “inspired?”
2. What are some of the ways the Holy Spirit was at work before Jesus came?
3. What happened at Pentecost?
4. What is the difference between the extraordinary and the ordinary operations of the Holy Spirit?
5. How can the Holy Spirit guide us when we have a decision to make?

Quiz #5 (chapters XIX-XXII)

1. What does it mean to say the Catholic Church is “holy?”
2. What is the “Church?”
3. How is the Catholic Church “Catholic” (meaning universal)?
4. What does it mean to say that the Catholic Church is “apostolic?”

Quiz #6 (chapters XXIII-XXVII)

1. What is the communion of saints?
2. How is the sacrament of communion a sacrament of union within the Church?
3. How is the forgiveness of sins one of the great mysteries of our faith?
4. What is the resurrection of the body?

I have received nothing in exchange for this post, which contains only my honest opinions. Links to Amazon are affiliate links.

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. 

Art and Wonder: Our Lady's Feast

Our Lady's Feasts

by Sister Mary Jean Dorcy, O.P.

This book is recommended by Mater Amabilis™for Level 3 Year 2 Easter reading, seventh grade. I don't remember where I found this book, but I'm sure I bought it used. Right now (June 2018), the online prices for a print copy of this book are outrageously high, but it is available in free downloads for a variety of devices.

The book is divided into chapters for ten of the most important Marian feasts:

• The Immaculate Conception
• The Nativity of Our Lady
• The Annunciation
• The Visitation
• The Nativity of Christ
• Feast of the Holy Family
• Our Lady of Sorrows
• The Assumption
• Our Lady and the Rosary
• Our Lady, Mediatrix of All Graces
• short chapters / appendices: Devotion to Our Lady, Source of Quotations, Appendix: Mary, the Mother of God

Each of the ten feasts is illustrated with a lovely silhouette; the one on the cover shown here does not do them justice. Contemplating the silhouette while reading the text encourages the reader to slow down and contemplate the words while looking at the illustration.

The book was originally published in 1945, so some of the dates when the feasts are celebrated have changed and some Marian feasts have been added.

The chapters invite us to contemplate Mary's life. For example, in the chapter on the Annunciation:

Where was Mary when the angel came to her? We do not know. She was in prayer, for Mary never was separated from God in her thoughts and affections, which means she was always at prayer. She might have been spinning, or weaving, or reading the Scriptures: the Gospel does not tell us.

In simple words, the author describes some of the most miraculous events.

With the word of a humble little maiden in an unknown corner of the world, the most tremendous occurrence of all time took place, and God became man. Not in His sublime majesty, from which man would hide his face in terror, but in the humble way that all children of Adam are brought into being, by means of an earthly mother, who was to give Him His human needs of flesh and blood.

Sister Mary Jean Dorcy compares the mark of the Incarnation on Mary's soul with the mark baptism leaves on all of our souls.

The Incarnation placed upon her soul a mark that will glow forever with a beauty that all eternity will not dim.

When describing the Visitation, Mary's zeal to share the joy of her cousin Elizabeth with that of missionaries unable to stop themselves from rushing to share the love of Christ.

The language is fairly careful when describing the doctrines surrounding Mary, which are much less followed, defined, or understood by our Protestant brethren. (I might argue some Catholics are mistaken in some of their Marian beliefs.)

Mary is a creature, and as such, is separated by infinite distance from the God Who made her. But as His Mother she has become a co-helper in our redemption. Through her free consent at the Annunciation, God took from her the flesh and blood needful for His Incarnation.

Later:

In regard to our spiritual life, Mary does not act independently of Christ, and she is never honored apart from her offie as His Mother. She was herself redeemed by His sacrifice. But Mary cooperated in the Redemption by her free consent. Without Christ, Mary would be as poor as any other creature, but with Him she is immensely rich in grace.

This is definitely a book for Catholics, though not necessarily for those who already have a devotion to Mary. This book is clear and good even for those who might not be inclined to Marian devotions. Except for one sentence, which I thought went a little too far:

Devotion to Our Lady is the least common denominator under which all human sanctity is measured; it would be impossible to find a saint who was not devoted to her.

We believe people with aren't Catholic can lead good and holy lives and even (gasp) go to heaven. It's not even clear that all the declared saints had an explicit devotion to Mary. However, a devotion to Mary can bring us closer to Christ and this little book is a lovely one to share. I personally thought it would appeal more to a female student, but First Son read it without complaint.

This post contains my own opinions. I purchased the book, Our Lady's Feasts. Links to Amazon in the post are affiliate links.

Homeschool Record: Our 2016-2017 Poetry

In the past couple of years, we've started reading one poem a day, focusing on a particular poet for six weeks or so, depending on the book or books I choose to read. One poem each morning after our prayer - that's all.

Separate from this poet study, 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 2016-2017 school year (7th grade, 4th grade, 2nd grade, kindergarten).

My America: A Poetry Atlas of the United States collected by Lee Bennett Hopkins - We started this last year after First Daughter completed her third grade state study and finished the few left this year. 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.

The Glorious Mother Goose selected by Cooper Edens - Second Son needed a dose of Mother Goose and this one was on our shelves. I happen to enjoy the illustrations in this book.

Over the Hills and Far Away: A Treasury of Nursery Rhymes collected by Elizabeth Hammill - This book included a few of the traditional nursery rhymes we know from England and America with lots of variations and additions from cultures all over the world, gorgeously illustrated. (library copy)

Forest Has a Song by Amy Ludwig VanDerwater is a book of poems focused on being outside, perfect for the family needing some nature study encouragement. The watercolor illustrations are fun and vibrant, too. (library copy)

Classic Poetry: An Illustrated Collection selected by Michael Rosen has a carefully selected collection of two or three poems by prominent poets in roughly chronological order, but I was disappointed at the times only a portion of a poem was included without any indication that it was just a portion. I don't mind excerpts of poetry for younger audiences; I just like to know.  There was a nice sentence of two to introduce each poet. We didn't finish by the end of the year, so we started with this book in the fall of 2017. (There's a newer version available, but we read the old one from our library.)

Homeschool Review: Maps, Charts and Graphs G

Maps, Charts and Graphs G: The World

from Modern Curriculum Press

We've been using these maps book since First Son's first year and they continue to be useful and fun for the children.

This is the seventh grade book. The exercises are more complicated than ones in previous books; the maps are smaller and more detailed. First Son didn't complain, but there were times I considered using a magnifying glass!

There are 42 lessons, so First Son did a couple of these a week. They usually took only 10-15 minutes and gave him just a little practice in reading and understanding maps but also deciphering multiple choice questions. Like the previous books in the series, these workbooks are in color, which my children appreciate.

Some of the map topics at this level include:

• general map skills (directions, scales, keys, grids, etc.)
• climate maps
• contour maps
• elevation maps
• highway maps and atlases
• political maps
• historical maps
• temperature maps
• population maps
• city maps

In addition, the book covers charts and graphs. These are less important to me than the map skills because we cover these in math as well. These topics include:

• tables
• circle graphs
• bar graphs
• line graphs
• using a map and graph together
• time lines
• diagrams

Finally, there are two lessons on editorial cartoons. Frankly, I never really understood why they put these sorts of things in the mapping workbook, but sometimes they lead to interesting discussions.

It would be nice if these sorts of exercises naturally rose up out of our other studies, but they don't always. These workbooks are an easy way to make sure the kids see these types of maps and questions and they never complain about them.

Beowulf and Christ: The King's Thane (and other Beowulf books)

The King's Thane
by Charles Brady

This book is recommended in Connecting with History volume 2 (my affiliate link) in unit 5, the time when the tale of Beowulf was first written down. This book, brings the story forward a bit in time, to coincide with the first Bishop of York. The setting provides opportunities for conversations of faith and valor.

Beorn wants desperately to be a thane, but a deformed leg hinders his ambition. When a hero comes to battle Grendel, he accepts Beorn as his thane, teaching and training him. Father Paulinus is a missionary priest who has already converted the queen and some others, though Beorn and the king hesitate.

At one point, Beorn and Father Paulinus have just finished a meal at a freeman's cottage, one full of welcome, good food, and family. Asked what he saw there, Beorn answers:

"Richness," said Beorn. "But a far different sort of richness than gold can buy. The richness of black earth and fat tillage. Honest wealth and weal and health and -- yes, a kind of holiness as well, though it is true I know not much of holiness and so should not speak about such things."

Father Paulinus responds:

"What is the world's glory worth, after all? Kings live that Gorm and Elfwina may be, not they that kings may flourish. If it is anything, Bjarki's sword is to keep safe such as these twain and their small ones. It is true that the songs the scops sing do not get written about such as Gorm and Elfwina. No matter. They are what the songs say."

At the end is a note provided by the author. He addresses the change in venue for Beowulf's story:

As for the suggestion that a monk named Beorn wrote the Beowulf, well, someone wrote the Beowulf, most probably at a Northumbrian court, and quite possibly as early as the year 667 a.d., when my Beorn would have been only fifty-six years of age.

First Son (seventh grade) read this book independently but I think it could have been a good family read-aloud as well.

I did share more traditional forms of Beowulf as well. I read aloud Beowulf by James Rumford to all the children. There's courage and lofty language and just enough visuals of the monster to intrigue the children without scaring them. (My youngest is six.)


First Daughter (fourth grade) will read Michael Morpurgo's version of Beowulf. Lavishly illustrated by Michael Foreman, this version is full of phrases reminiscent of epic tales but accessible to younger readers. There's plenty of gore including an illustration of Grendel eating a man's leg as he dangles upside-down (just to be clear). The Christian elements of the original are highlighted (a shadow of a cross above the dying Beowulf, for example). This version is also recommended by Connecting with History.

First Son (seventh grade) read Beowulf the Warrior by Ian Serrailier which is recommended by Connecting with History. This version is more sophisticated than Morpurgo's book, but could still be read by a wide range in ages from late elementary and up. It retains the look and feel of an epic poem (rather than prose). It was my favorite of the versions we read this year.

The King's Thane and the Rumford and Morpurgo versions we read were from the library. I bought Beowulf the Warrior at a Bethlehem Books sale last summer.

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). Every little bit helps - thanks! 

Unless otherwise stated, links to RC History for the Connecting with History program are not affiliate links, but if you'd like to make a purchase through my affiliate link, here it is!

Adventuring Through the Orient: Richard Halliburton's Complete Book of Marvels (Level 3 Year 2)

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 wrote about the Occident and how much I loved it last year. The Orient was just as riveting. In it, Halliburton continues his travels with a group of young people through Europe and Asia.

In the second chapter, exploring Halicarnassus, Halliburton writes:

How sad, how cruel, that this world should have been so completely destroyed; for was it not, perhaps, a better world than ours? We have radios and airplanes and motorcars, but Demetrius and Diomede, like most Greeks of that Golden Age in history, had the time and the desire to love beauty, and to understand beauty, and to live for beauty.

In the chapter on Timbuktu, the author describes how he purchased slaves on a previous visit. He cared for them well and, in the end, paid the slave dealer to take them back. I'm not sure what would have been better and perhaps it wasn't possible, but it seems like he should have at least explained why he didn't set them free. The story is quite funny as the slaves act like the children they are and frequently take off their few clothes.

The chapter on Victoria Falls is particularly beautiful, as befits the Wonder.

Before us and below us screams a hurricane of bursting water. We are on the downstream rim of the chasm, the rim which faces the falls. The curtain of water, opposite, is only 250 feet away, but we can not see it. For in this narrow abyss in front of us, and for half a mile on either side, the Zambezi seems rather to explode than fall. The violent blasts of wind shoot the clouds of smoke far up into the sky. These clouds condense and fall again and rise again, in perpetual motion and never-ending fury. They beat upon us and blind us. The shock of so much power dashing downward at our feet is physically painful. We are half-drowned in spray. 

The book ends on the peak of Mount Fuji in Japan as the sun rises.

Lifted up into this holy realm, on the white crown of the magic peak, we too stand there, as moved, as lost in rapture, as the kneeling, praying pilgrims. And as we watch the miracle of the morning unfold, each of us, after his own fashion, gives thanks to the Master Hand that made the beauty and the wonder of the world. 

[UPDATE June 2020; I wrote a kind of master lesson plan for The Geography Coloring that better avoids assigning the same map in multiple years than I did with my original plans, which were rather haphazard. I will leave First Son's assignments below, but here are the updated plans for the Orient.

Chapter 1 - Turkey on p. 28
Chapter 2 - Mark where Halicarnassus would have been on the map on p. 30
Chapter 3 - Island of Rhodes on p. 30
Chapter 4 - visible parts of Egypt on p. 28
Chapter 7 - part of Crete shown on p. 30
Chapter 8 - Find or add Timbuktu on p. 37
Chapter 9 - Mark Victoria Falls on p. 37
Chapter 10 - Saudi Arabia on p. 28
Chapter 11 - Jordan on p. 28
Chapter 12 - Israel on p. 28
Chapter 13 - Cyprus on p. 28
Chapter 14 - Lebanon on p. 28
Chapter 15 - Syria on p. 28
Chapter 17 - Iraq on p. 28
Chapter 18 - Kuwait on p. 28
Chapter 19 - Iran on p. 28
Chapter 20 - India on p. 28
Chapter 21 - Pakistan on p. 28
Chapter 22 - Afghanistan on p. 28
Chapter 23 - Bhutan on p. 28
Chapter 24 - Nepal on p. 28 (Optional: The Top of the World by Steven Jenkins)
Chapter 25 - China on p. 28
Chapter 26 - Mongolia on p. 28
Chapter 27 - Sri Lanka on p. 28
Chapter 28 - Cambodia on p. 28
Chapter 29 - North and South Korea on p. 28
Chapter 30 - Japan on p. 28

END UPDATE]

As last year, I assigned some 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 Turkey and Greece on p 18.

Chapter 2 - Mark where Halicarnassus would have been on the map on p 30.

Chapter 3 - Color the island of Rhodes on p 30.

Chapter 4 - Color what you can of Egypt on p 30.

Chapter 5 - Nothing this week.

Chapter 6 - Nothing this week.

Chapter 7 - Color the part of Crete shown on p 30.

Chapter 8 - Mark Tibuctoo on p 37.

Chapter 9 - Mark Victoria Falls on p 37.

Chapter 10 - Color Saudi Arabia on p 31.

Chapter 11 - Color Jordan on p 30.

Chapter 12 - Color Israel on p 30.

Chapter 13 - Color Cyprus on p 30.

Chapter 14 - Color Lebanon on p 30.

Chapter 15 - Color Syria on p 30.

Chapter 16 - Nothing this week.
Chapter 17 - Color Iraq on p 31.

Chapter 18 - Color Kuwait on p 31
Chapter 19 - Color Iran on p 31.
Chapter 20 - Color India on p 32.

Chapter 21 - Color Pakistan on p 32.
Chapter 22 - Color Afghanistan on p 32.

Chapter 23 - Color Bhutan on p 32.
Chapter 24 - Color Nepal on p. 32. Also read The Top of the World by Steve Jenkins.
Chapter 25 - Color China on p 33.
Chapter 26 - Color Mongolia on p 33. 

Chapter 27 - Color Sri Lanka on p 32.
Chapter 28 - Color Cambodia on p 34.

Chapter 29 - Color North and South Korea on p 33.
Chapter 30 - Color Japan on p 33.

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.

The Book of Marvels remains my favorite book of Level 3.

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

December 2016 Book Report

Three Short Novels by Wendell Berry - link to my post (purchased used at a library book sale)

Simon Brute and the Western Adventure by Elizabeth Bartelme is recommended by Connecting with History for American History. After consulting with the publisher (Hillside Education is just wonderful), I decided to read it aloud to the whole family and enjoyed it right along with them. It's a delightful novel of historical fiction based on the life of Simon Brute, a French priest who travels to the colonies to be a missionary to the Native Americans, though he spends most of his life teaching and as a bishop. He is a humble and dedicated man who loved and served God and His people. (copy purchased from Sacred Heart Books and Gifts)

Chaplain in Gray: Father Abram Ryan by H. J. Heagney is recommended by Connecting with History for American History at the time of the Civil War. It is only recently published (a reprint of a previously out of print book) by Hillside Education. It follows the adventures of a Confederate priest who became famous for his poetry. I appreciated reading a story aloud to the family that helped to alleviate the tendency to view all Confederates as perpetually in the wrong. It doesn't really explain why someone who didn't own slaves would fight for slavery (Rifles for Watie did that rather well, for older readers) but it did engender compassion for the people of the Confederacy. (copy purchased from Sacred Heart Books and Gifts; it's not on the site yet but she'll order it for you if you ask)

The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson is a classic I had never read. The Audible version was well-read and enjoyable, though the story itself is even darker than I had expected. (free Kindle version and audio book purchased at a discount)

Classics of Russian Literature with Professor Irwin Weil from The Great Courses (purchased from Audible) covers the classics of Russian literature in 36 lectures. It has inspired me to fill in the substantial gaps in my own reading. The professor seemed knowledgeable and was entertaining. I loved listening to him quote in Russian. (purchased from Audible)

Teaching from Rest: A Homeschooler's Guide to Unshakeable Peace by Sarah Mackenzie is a very short book, easy and accessible for the harassed homeschooling mom. I don't think it covered anything I hadn't already seen or read (being a slightly experienced homeschooling mom at this point), but it was pleasant listening to the author's chatty voice. It's also useful to have a reminder of what's really important and encouragement to ensure our days are centered around a life of faith together first while also managing the more traditional academic educational stuff. This would be an excellent book for a young homeschooling mother with little ones who is feeling a little overwhelmed. (purchased Audible book)

The Scarlet Pimpernel by Baroness Orczy - link to my post. (from a member at PaperBackSwap.com)



Books in Progress (and date started)

• Norton Anthology of English Literature Vol. 2 (sixth edition) (August 2014)
• Transforming Your Life through the Eucharist by John A. Kane (June 2016)
• The Innocence of Father Brown by G.K. Chesterton with my book club (September 2016)
• Between the Forest and the Hills by Ann Lawrence (October 2016, with the children)
• The Problem of Pain by C.S. Lewis (October 2016)
• The Wright Brothers by David McCullough (November 2016)

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Heroism in a Mask: The Scarlet Pimpernel

The Scarlet Pimpernel by Baroness Orczy

I selected this book for First Son to read in seventh grade as his second "classic." It is one of the recommended books for Level 3 on the Mater Amabilis site. I assigned it as First Son's second classic, but I really think it was easier to read than Ivanhoe which he read earlier in the year.

The Scarlet Pimpernel is one of the first superhero books. The hero is a masked master of disguises, his identity a secret to all but a few trusted followers. The mystery of his identity is revealed before a grand escapade at the end of the book. It all wraps up rather nicely (and quickly) but it's a fun tale of adventure, courage, and heroism amidst the French Revolution.

Homeschool Review: Augustus Caesar's World

Augustus Caesar's World by Genevieve Foster

This is a wonderful book describing now only the life of Augustus Caesar, but cultures and people all over the world at the time. The birth of Jesus is an important moment in the book, of course, but it focuses on Caesar and the Roman world. The text is enjoyable and the illustrations are many.

The book lends itself to narrations with the strong story aspect. First Son (seventh grade) read it easily enough, though of the reading assignments were long and took him a bit of time. I think it could be used a little younger and certainly older than seventh grade as well.

I appreciated how the book handled specifics that aren't exactly known, and that don't matter as much as the overall thread of history.

In this Year 1, which was later supposed to mark his birth, Jesus was perhaps eight, possibly only four or six years old. No one knows exactly, for the two stories telling of his birth do not agree. But that is not to be wondered at, for they were not written until after eighty or ninety years had passed. Seen through the distance of so many years, facts lose their sharp outlines and often appear strange and mysterious like objects seen in starlight.

Highly recommended and delightful enough for independent reading even if you aren't assigning the book as part of a history course. I only wish these Foster books weren't so expensive!

The link above is an affiliate link to RC History's website. I purchased this book used at Cathswap but wouldn't have known of it without Connecting with History.