Preamble

We the people of the United States, in order to form a more perfect union, establish justice, insure domestic tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general welfare, and secure the blessings of liberty to ourselves and our posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.

Art & Science, week 22 with Catholic Schoolhouse Curriculum

Art: "Brown Bear, Brown Bear, what do you see?" To wrap up our art studies in America, we are looking at the book illustrations of Eric Carle. Students are making State Symbol books that are inspired by Eric Carle's work. The state symbols in our books are:

• The Cardinal
• The Dogwood
• The Tiger Swallowtail Butterfly
• The American Fox Hound

Step One of our project: Painted textured sheets for each symbol. Students were allowed to use their fingers, paint brushes, Q-tips, popsickle sticks, and feathered balls to create textures within their watercolors and acrylics.

• Red, orange, yellow mixed and feather texture added
• brown and green mixed and ridges made with wooden sticks
• yellow and black stripes
• brown with white spots

*Activity is a suggested project in the CSH Art Curriculum. 

Science: Solar Power Experiment.

We used the Solar Power Kit from Home Science Tools to great success.

Music to learn (CSH Recommended)

#1 Salve Regina -The Lyrics and Melody as Sung Below:

#2 O Sanctissima - Lyrics to Print: O Sanctissima

The Melody as Sung Below:

#3 Regina Caeli Laetare - The Lyrics and Melody as Sung Below:

Today your Children wrote their own poem, including in it imagery such as the metaphor, alliteration and onomatapia!...

Dusters

On breezy days
When the wind is soft and low,
Flowers are dusters
Dusting the grass

Their petals bend and dust
in green pastures
And swish and sway
Faster and faster.

-Yankee Class
March 27, 2012

If you feel inspired help them imitate any simple poem this way, by using its rythm and beat to fill in their own ideas!  This is truely a work of thiers and not mine!

Nine Day Novena to St. Joseph...

Note: This prayer was found in the 50th year of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Sometime during the 16th century, it was sent by the Pope to Emperor Charles when he was going into battle. It is said that whoever shall read this prayer or take it with them, shall never die a sudden death or be drowned, nor shall poison take effect on them; neither shall they fall into the hands of the enemy, or shall be burned in any fire or shall be overpowered in battle.)

Say this prayer for nine days for anything you may desire. Then let go and let God. Trust that whatever is the outcome of your novena is truly what is best for you in accordance with the will of God.)

O Saint Joseph, whose protection is so great, so strong, so prompt before the throne of God, I place in you all my interests and desires.

O Saint Joseph, assist me by your powerful intercession and obtain for me from your Divine Son all spiritual blessings through Jesus Christ, Our Lord; so that having engaged here below your heavenly power, I may offer my thanksgiving and homage to the most loving of Fathers.

O Saint Joseph, I never weary contemplating you and Jesus asleep in your arms; I dare not approach while He reposes near your heart. Press Him in my name and kiss His fine head for me, and ask Him to return the Kiss when I draw my dying breath. Amen

O Saint Joseph, hear my prayers and obtain my petitions. O Saint Joseph, pray for me. (Mention your intention)

Science, Week 20 with Catholic Schoolhouse Curriculum

This week's experiment was not successful, but I think that very fact drove home the reality of the word "experiment." The children were to try to light a light bulb using only potatoes, nails, and leads. Next to the lightening experiment during our quarter on weather, this was probably the most exciting day yet in science. Thanks to Catholic Schoolhouse's Science Curriculum for suggesting the activity! The students all banned together to light the light bulb, and they were full of ideas and excitement. Many planned to return home to do research on how to make it work!

My favorite quote was from the same young man who expressed worries last week. At the very beginning of class, I heard a small voice say, "Mrs. Rolling, are there going to be resistors today?" I responded that there would be no resistors today, and he relaxed his shoulders, smiled, and said, "Oh, good. Now, I don't have to be worried!"

Art, Week 20, Stations of the Cross

This week in art as part of the study of Form as well as to help our our local homeschooling community, the students worked on Stations of the Cross. These will be used March 24, 2012 at St. John the Baptist Catholic Church in Front Royal, VA.

Young Students: For our 5-6 year old students, I pre-drew with a pencil some Stations that they then painted with oil pastels. The 7-year old students tried to do a Master Copy of a Pieta using their oil pastels.

Older Students: The 8-12 year-old students formed Stations out of clay.

PICTURE COMING SOON FOR CLAY STATIONS!

Science, week 19 with Catholic Schoolhouse Curriculum

Students were given a set of electrical supplies and instructed to connect everything in such a way to light their light bulbs. There was an assortment of resistors, so some students had success lighting their bulbs, some did not. One resistor was much too weak and smoked to the class's great excitement.

My favorite comment after the smoke was: "Mrs. Rolling, I'm afraid. Can we stop doing this now? I don't need to light my light bulb."

Supplies were bought from Home Science Tools. Activity suggested by CSH Science Curriculum. 

Art, week 19, Form

Students have begun to study form this week. They worked on a still-life after being instructed to look for the shapes within the still-life. They were also encouraged to apply their past lessons. I had them connect their forefingers and thumbs to create "a frame" through which to look at the still-life and to come up with a good composition. In other words, do not put everything in the middle. They enjoyed their new "lens".

Besides learning the Preamble to the Constitution these coming weeks, I would like the Yankee class to practice this poem called Columbus as often as possible.  We hope to share it with everyone when we have learned it by heart.  If we learn one verse a week it should suffice.  I will send copies home for everyone!

Columbus


Behind him lay the gray Azores,
Behind, the Gates of Hercules;
Before him not the ghost of shores;
Before him only shoreless seas.
The good mate said: “Now must we pray,
For lo! the very stars are gone.
Brave Adm’r’l, speak: what shall I say?”
“Why say: ‘Sail on! sail on! and on!’”

“My men grow mutinous day by day;
My men grow ghastly wan and weak.”
The stout mate thought of home; a spray
Of salt wave washed his swarthy cheek.
“What shall I say, brave Adm’r’l, say
If we sight naught but seas at dawn?”
“Why, you shall say at break of day:
‘Sail on! sail on! sail on! and on!’”

They sailed and sailed, as winds might blow,
Until at last the blanched mate said:
“Why, now not even God would know
Should I and all my men fall dead.
These very winds forget their way;
For God from these dread seas is gone.
Now speak, brave Adm’r’l; speak and say—”
He said: “Sail on! sail on! and on!”

They sailed: they sailed. Then spake the mate:
“This mad sea shows his teeth tonight;
He curls his lip, he lies in wait,
With lifted teeth, as if to bite!
Brave Adm’r’l, say but one good word:
What shall we do when hope is gone?”
The words leapt like a leaping sword:
“Sail on! sail on! sail on! and on!”

Then, pale and worn, he kept his deck,
And peered through darkness. Ah, that night
Of all dark nights! And then a speck—
A light! a light! a light! a light!
It grew; a starlit flag unfurled!
It grew to be Time’s burst of dawn.
He gained a world; he gave that world
Its grandest lesson: “On! sail on!”

—Joaquin Miller