Author: litalive

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Assignments for 02/17/2025

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Assignments for February 17th, 2025

Quick Looks at Great Books

Today, we did a game review and then took the final test on Cyrano de Bergerac. This test will still go on first semester, and second semester begins with The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas. Since this is a full year course, students will receive a transcript at the end of the year. If you need to know how your student is doing, just email me, and I will average his/her grade for first semester. For next week, begin The Count of Monte Cristo by reading the following chapters:

  • Chapters 1-12 (abridged version)
  • Chapters 1-15 (unabridged version)

The students received study guides today for this book. Answer questions 1-18 for this reading.

Watch this short biography of Dumas.

American History

Today, we reviewed our Crossword Puzzles on Jefferson and Lincoln. Then we had our Presidential reports on Millard Fillmore—Abraham Lincoln. Watch the following one-minute summaries of the lives of some of our Presidents.

Franklin Pierce

James Buchanan

Abraham Lincoln

We then started going through the rest of our current chapters. For next week, read Chapter 20. We will have a test the following week on Chapters 18-20.

Listen to these fun facts about the Statue of Liberty, a gift from France to celebrate the 100th anniversary of our independence.

No-Spin Economics

Today, we finished going over the worksheet on Crash Course Economics #2—Specialization and Trade. We then played a game to show how EVERYONE benefits from free trade. The more partners you can trade with, the more success you will have in getting what you want. Then we went over the worksheet for Chapters 1 and 2 in our Penny Candy book. Next week, we will have our first test on the notes (from the video) on Bastiat’s The Law, Crash Course Economics #1—Introduction to Economics, and Chapters 1 and 2 in Whatever Happened to Penny Candy? You don’t need to watch the videos or read the chapters again. Just study the sheets you were given to prepare for the test.

Also, for next week, watch Crash Course Economics #3 on Economic Systems and Macroeconomics.

Please download and print worksheet for this Crash Course Economics Lesson #3.

Practical Public Speaking

We finished one set of interviews and are almost done with the second set. With that done, everyone will have had a chance to be the interviewer and the interviewee. It is a great chance to get to know our classmates better.

If you did not hand in your ads today, be sure to bring them next week. Put them on a sheet of paper with your name on it. List the ads, where you got them, and what strategy they illustrate. Tell me a little bit about the ad as well.

Next week, we will finish our interviews and cover the lesson on Listening, an important attribute we all need. We will then begin some short assignments that are very practical and very likely to occur in your life.

Adventures in American Literature

We covered today’s homework: Emily Dickenson and her work, Walt Whitman and his work before, during, and after the Civil War, and Harriet Beecher Stowe’s classic novel Uncle Tom’s Cabin. (excerpt and questions) For next week, read the following short stories (works of satire) and the excerpt from The Adventures of Tom Sawyer on pages 114 to 125. Next week’s assignment will be to start our next novel, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. Make sure you have a copy of the book by next week.

Watch this short video for 5 facts you probably didn’t know about Mark Twain.

Previous Assignments for School Year 2024 – 2025:

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Assignments for 02/10/2025

Pink heart hanging ornament

Assignments for February 10th, 2025

Quick Looks at Great Books

We reviewed Acts IV and V and went over the rest of the study guide for Cyrano de Bergerac. We will have a game review next week and then take our final test. I will give out the study guides for The Count of Monte Cristo next week and give the assignments for both the abridged and unabridged version of the book.

Watch this ending of the play.

American History

We did a review game today and then took our final test on Chapters 10-17. This test will go on with the first semester grade. If you would like to know the grade your student has for first semester, please email me and I will average it for you. Next week, we will go over Chapters 18 and 19. Please bring the crosswords on Thomas Jefferson and Abraham Lincoln. Also, we will do our Presidential reports on Zachary Taylor through Abraham Lincoln.

Watch this short video that explains The Gilded Age.

No-Spin Economics

Next week, we will finish the Specialization and Trade sheet (Crash Course Economics #2). Read Chapters 1 and 2 in Whatever Happened to Penny Candy? and complete the worksheet you were given. In your notebook, it is advisable to keep your Penny Candy worksheets together and your Crash Course Economics sheets together for study purposes. We will have our first quiz a week from next Monday (Feb. 17). We will go over the worksheet on the Penny Candy chapters and finish Crash Course Economics #2. We will then play a game that illustrates how free trade benefits everyone.

Practical Public Speaking

Next week, we will begin our personal interviews and get to know each other even better! Also, using page 12 in your text, find three ads to illustrate at least two of the strategies listed there. This week is a great time to watch the ads on the Super Bowl, but you don’t have to use those. You can find any online, on TV, on billboards, or on the radio.

Adventures in American Literature

We went over all of the students’ reading thus far. (Redburn, The Minister’s Black Veil, Dr. Heidegger’s Experiment, Thanatopsis, and the works of the Fireside poets.) For next week, read about the poetry of Emily Dickenson through the play written about her, The Belle of Amherst. Read her poetry and answer the questions on pages 100-104. Then read the poetry of Walt Whitman and answer the questions on pages 105-111. Lastly, read the excerpt of Uncle Tom’s Cabin by Harriet Beecher Stowe and answer the questions that follow. (pages you were given in class)

Watch this short biography of Harriet Beecher Stowe.

Previous Assignments for School Year 2024 – 2025:

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Assignments for 02/03/2025

Pink heart hanging ornament

Assignments for February 3rd, 2025

Quick Looks at Great Books

Since we did not meet today, I need you to go ahead and fill out the rest of your study guide. Normally, we would have done this together in class. To save time, we will just go over all the details and discuss Acts IV and V. We will also take the quizzes on the two assignments. We will have a game review and test next week. The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas is our next book. Remember, do not purchase the Bantam version of the book. The translation is quite different from what we will cover.

American History

Continue to study for your test on Chapters 10-17. We will have a game review and then take the test. Just so we don’t lose any time, read Chapter 18 this week. We will discuss it next week, along with Chapter 19, and I will give you a list of things you have to know. (from the Chapter Review) Our next test will be over 3 chapters only! Those with Presidential reports will present them on February 10 instead of February 3.

Watch this explanation of the Reconstruction covered in Chapter 17.

No-Spin Economics

Next week, we will go over the worksheets you have completed so far: Bastiat’s The Law and Introduction to Economics (Crash Course Economics #1). Hopefully, you have a good understanding of these. For next week, also watch and do the worksheet for Crash Course Economics #2. Specialization and Trade are such interesting subjects that we will discuss in class.

Crash Course Economics #2

Please complete the Crash Course in Economics Lesson #2 sheet (PDF).

Practical Public Speaking

Hopefully, you picked up your text at KAT today. Since we are missing another week of Public Speaking, please complete pages 1-6 in your notebook. (Put the Public Speaking text in a three-ring binder.) We can then go over all the pages thus far. We will also have some homework that involves the Super Bowl. (Or really the ads on the Super Bowl.)

Adventures in American Literature

Today, we would have gone over Redburn, Dr. Heidegger’s Experiment, and The Minister’s Black Veil. We will go over all of those when I’m back with you. Since you have the second semester booklet (text) now, you can do the homework we were going to do, and we can go over all of it at once. We would have done Thanatopsis by William Jennings Bryan in class. Read the poem on pages 89 and 90 and answer the questions on page 91. Thanatopsis is a poem about Death. He wrote the poem at the age of 17; even then he was surrounded by death, so he took a positive approach to it.

Read the works of the Fireside Poets on pages 92-97 and answer the questions about each. Oliver Wendell Holmes was the class poet at Harvard, and this is a poem he wrote for his 30th reunion. We have two other famous poets before we start novels and Mark Twain.

Watch this introduction to the Fireside Poets.

Previous Assignments for School Year 2024 – 2025:

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Assignments for 01/27/2025

Winter cottage

Assignments for January 27th, 2025

Quick Looks at Great Books

Since we did not have classes today, we will discuss Acts IV and V next week. You will just need to do Literary Terms in your notebook. We will also do quizzes and the rest of your study guide. For our next class, do the following lessons: Denotation and Connotation (pages 1-3), Hyperbole (pages 4-5), Idiom (pages 6-7), Imagery (pages 8-9), and Oxymoron and Paradox (pages 13-15).

American History

I hope you had fun outside today, or maybe you stayed warm inside. Did you watch any of the January 20 Presidential Inauguration today? It was history in the making!

Study for our test next week on Chapters 10-17. We will have a review game over those chapters, so listen to every question! Don’t forget that some of you have Presidential reports on February 3. Reconstruction (Chapter 17) is the rebuilding that took place in the South after the war. Here are the things to know from Chapter 17.

People—1,3,4,5,6, and 7

Terms—1, 4, 5, 7,8, 9, 10, 12, 14, 15, 16, 18, 20, 22

Also, watch this short video on Millard Fillmore, our 13th President.

No-Spin Economics

Happy Snow Day! I hope you tried to listen to some of the historical inauguration ideas today on Martin Luther King day. Anyway, we’re beginning a new study this semester. Don’t forget to secure a copy of Whatever Happened to Penny Candy? by Richard Maybury in the next two weeks.

Also, much of our study of economics comes from Bastiat’s book, The Law. I don’t want you to have to read it because it IS hard to get through. I’m going to give you two videos to watch. One is a summary of Bastiat’s book, and the other is Crash Course Economics #1. I was going to give you a worksheet to fill out on each of them. (No reading, just watching!) I will include those sheets as well.

Each of the videos is around 10 minutes, and the answers to the questions come directly from the video. Pause it if you want as you fill out the sheets. We will go over both in class for next week.

Bastiat’s The Law

The Law handout/notes PDF

Introduction to Economics (Crash Course #1)

Crash Course Economics Student Questions PDF

Practical Public Speaking

Welcome to Practical Public Speaking! This will be a great course, and you will know well everyone in the class. This is something you can’t get at home! (for homeschoolers) Unfortunately, we have to wait until next week to get started since I was ready to pass out your texts. We will begin next week with our study of communication and double up so that we can cover everything that is needed. Enjoy the snow this week and stay warm!

Adventures in American Literature

We will go over all that you did for homework and discuss Herman Melville and Nathaniel Hawthorne. We will do as much as possible to cover some of the upcoming poets in class. (I have your text ready to give you for second semester.) Sorry, but you need that to do the next series of poets before Mark Twain and our covering of The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. See you next Monday. Stay warm and enjoy the break.

Previous Assignments for School Year 2024 – 2025:

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Assignments for 01/20/2025

Winter cottage

Assignments for January 20th, 2025

Quick Looks at Great Books

Today, we worked on the Grand Gestures on page 7, Acts I-III. We also talked about the events of the three acts and what was not understood. For next week, read Acts IV and V. If possible, finish Acts IV and V on page 7. We will go over those and many more pages in the study guide. We also will take our first quiz on Acts I-III since we ran out of time today. I will warn you that Act IV is a “tear-jerker”! Act V takes place 15 years later.

American History

Read Chapter 17 for next week and complete the Crossword Puzzles on Thomas Jefferson and Abraham Lincoln. The following week, we will have our test on Chapters 10-17. You will only be tested on the circled terms at the end of each chapter.

Watch these videos to review their lives.

President Thomas Jefferson

President Zachary Taylor

President Millard Fillmore

U.S. Government

We played a review game today before we took the final exam. Then we took the exam itself! No homework. Next week, we will begin No-Spin Economics. This is in the news so much and will fit exactly our study of economics. The economy always plays a major role in any government policies. Come to class with a three-ring binder and secure a copy of Whatever Happened to Penny Candy? by Richard Maybury. I can’t wait to grade the exams and see how they did!

PSAT/SAT/ACT Test Prep

We reviewed a sheet of Tips to Remember when you take a standardized test. Then we divided into teams and played a game to review all we have covered this semester, including vocabulary and English particularly.

Next week, we will begin our Practical Public Speaking class, with the addition of several new students. This is a perfect companion class to Test Prep. They have spent lots of time taking tests, but now, they will take no written grades, only public speaking. We will really get to know these students! No homework. All you need to do is bring a three-ring binder to class with you to hold the text pages I will give you.

Adventures in American Literature

Today, we covered all of the homework and the life of Edgar Allan Poe. (Listened to his famous poem, The Raven) For next week, read the excerpt from Redburn by Herman Melville on pages 79-82. Answer the questions on page 83 and 84. After that, read the excerpt from Dr. Heidegger’s Experiment by Nathaniel Hawthorne. Be prepared to discuss the meanings in this story. You need to read one other story by him, The Minister’s Black Veil. Answer the questions on page 85 about the symbolism in this story. On page 88 answer Yes or No to each statement found in Dr. Heidegger’s Experiment and tell why you gave that answer.

Next week, I will give you the pages for second semester to add to what you already have.

Watch this brief plot summary of Thoreau’s book

Previous Assignments for School Year 2024 – 2025:

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Assignments for 01/13/2025

Winter cottage

Assignments for January 13th, 2025

Quick Looks at Great Books

We did the first few pages in their study guides. We will work on the questions in this study guide together in class. For next week, complete pages 5 and 6 to better understand Act I of our new book/play. Also, read Acts 1-3 in Cyrano de Bergerac. We will have a quiz after we have discussed the reading.

American History

We talked about the First Ladies of the Presidents we have studied so far. Then we played history games and rotated after fifteen minutes. For next week, please read Chapter 16 in your text on The Civil War. We played games based on the Civil War and its battles. We will have a test over Chapters 10-17 on January 27. You can begin studying any time. We will have a review game the day of the test.

Watch this short video about the first battle of the Civil War.

U.S. Government

We played a game today that we played on the first day of class. The students knew so much more than they did then!! Next week, we will have our final exam for Government. Students should study past tests and quizzes as well as review the circled terms in the last seven lessons. There will be 100 questions, and most are objective. (Multiple choice, True/False, and Matching) The game today was also a great review of what we have studied.

PSAT/SAT/ACT Test Prep

This week, we played an ACT game to review principles of Math, English, Vocabulary, and Science. Next week as your final assignment, you should turn in a writing plan for when you have writing on a standardized test. Firstly, choose ten vocabulary words and definitions that are very general and easy to use in any situation or writing plan. (You did this today when you had the Vocabulary cards. I also added the SAT Vocabulary cards we have practiced with.) Secondly, you should list two personal experiences you could incorporate into your writing. (Lessons you have learned) Thirdly, list two historical or literary situations you could use to teach a lesson as you write. (You may choose two literary, two historical, or one of each if you’d like) You may try some of them out in your writing class if you are taking one!

Adventures in American Literature

In class today, we learned about the sad life of Edgar Allan Poe. We did a page together on the brief biography they had read. Then we watched a movie of an actor telling Poe’s story of “The Tell-Tale Heart”. We then had a glimpse of the man who had so much tragedy in his life. We studied some of Poe’s poems, which we will listen to later.

For next week, read “The Black Cat” by Poe and answer the questions on page 70 on the text you were given. We will do some of the pages together in class. Ralph Waldo Emerson was the founder of Transcendentalism in America and was a mentor for Henry David Thoreau. Pick three of his sayings on page 73 and 74 and be ready to tell us what he is saying in your own words. Read an excerpt from his famous essay “Self-Reliance” on page 75. Answer the questions on page 76 about this essay. Pick three quotes by Thoreau on page 77 and give them to us in your own words and tell us if you agree or disagree.

Watch this video about Thoreau’s book Walden, written as he chose to live simply with no help from others!

Previous Assignments for School Year 2024 – 2025:

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Assignments for 01/06/2025

Merry Christmas and Tree

Happy New Year 2025

Assignments for January 6, 2025

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

See you back in class on Monday, January 6. Quick Looks at Great Books, don’t forget to bring your Cyrano study guide and your Literary Terms notebook to class.

Everyone else, bring your textbook for class with you. Have a great break with your family!

Previous Assignments for School Year 2024 – 2025:

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Assignments for 12/16/2024

Artistic scene of winter village

Assignments for December 16th, 2024

Quick Looks at Great Books

We went over the rest of the book today, answered the study guide questions, and took the last quiz. We then began our review of the entire book (along with watching cute scenes of Eppie as a child in the BBC version). We had two rounds of Jeopardy, but we didn’t have time to do the second round! We will do it at the beginning of next week’s class, and then take the final test. The students can finish the Chronolog they were given today, and we will quickly go over it before the test. With the time we have left, we will celebrate our Victorian Christmas!

Watch this short explanation of a Victorian Christmas.

American History

We used Quiz #3 as a review sheet, rather than a quiz. We went over all the answers. Almost all of them were very important, and ones they will surely see again. They were told to keep the sheet to study for our final exam in the Spring.

We then started our Presidents’ reports. We will do one next week, but we talked about each of their lives and also issues and instances that were unique to them. We will review these men again before our test when we cover the first twenty-four.

We then went over Chapter 14 and those things they would need to know. “Manifest Destiny” was covered in this chapter, and they saw the famous painting illustrating it. James K. Polk’s Presidency accomplished so much in one term!

Watch the following videos for our quiz next week.

James Monroe

John Quincy Adams

Andrew Jackson

U.S. Government

We finished covering the U.S. Post Office and then went on to the first two branches of the military—the Army and the Navy. For next week, finish our workbook by doing Lessons 23 and 24—the Marine Corps and the Air Force. Students were given the answers for the Crosswords in class today,

Watch this medley of songs that represent the branches of the U.S. Military.

Meet the newest branch of the U.S. Military.

Space Force official song

PSAT/SAT/ACT Test Prep

We reviewed once again that the Science section of the ACT is not dependent on your mastery of science class, but instead on your ability to get information from charts and graphs, analysis of experiments, and the comparison of two opposing views of scientists. Next week, we will do our final review of what to expect on the writing section of standardized tests, We will make a plan or strategy when we return from Christmas break. If time permits, we will learn more vocabulary often found on the SAT or any standardized test.

Adventures in American Literature

In class today, we went over the Chronolog for review and then took our final test. Students also made up any quizzes missed. Then we began work on the Frontier Hero, James Fenimore Cooper, and began an excerpt from Washington Irving’s History of New York. We will finish that next week and also discuss Washington Irving and other Americans who influenced our celebration of Christmas.

Read the story of Rip Van Winkle by Washington Irving for a quiz next Monday, December 16.

Previous Assignments for School Year 2024 – 2025:

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Assignments for 12/09/2024

Artistic scene of winter village

Assignments for December 9th, 2024

Quick Looks at Great Books

Today, we finished discussing through Part 1 and took the second quiz. You should have already finished the rest of the book. Don’t forget to complete the Chronolog on page 22 of your study guide. (Events of book in chronological order) Since you should be done with your reading, complete the following pages in your Literary Terms notebook: Conflict (pages 54-56), Dialogue (pages 60-61), Genre (pages 66-68), Irony (pages (69-71), and Plot (pages 81-82). We will finish the book discussion, take Quiz #3, do a game review for the test, and then be ready to actually take the final test.

Here is a brief summary of the book.

American History

Today, we went over Chapter 13 and talked about the major inventors of that time. We also went through the terms they needed to know for the test in January. For next week, read Chapter 14. We will go through the important events and talk about the meaning of Manifest Destiny. We will also go over the important people and terms on the Chapter 14 Review page.

Watch the following brief video on The Alamo. (In this week’s lesson)

Listen to the Ballad of Davy Crockett from the Disney TV show about his many accomplishments. You will see why he became a tall tale hero and legend.

U.S. Government

We passed back and went over Test #2. The students did amazingly well and set new records for our grades! We went over Lesson 18 (State Government). I also gave them terms to study from that lesson for our final exam in January. We went through Lesson 19 on our City Government and then began the lesson on our Post Office (a federally-owned business). We will finish that lesson next week as well as go over this week’s assignment. Here are the answers for Lesson 21 Army and Lesson 22 Navy. We will talk about the Coast Guard and the new Space Force branches of the U.S. military as well.

Watch this brief video explaining our postal system—amazing!

PSAT/SAT/ACT Test Prep

We practiced today for the various types of passages on the ACT Science test. You do not have to be a scientist to do well. It tests your ability to logically read and understand experiments, charts and graphs, and scientists’ opinions. All the answers are in the passages, so it is not about how much you remember from classes. They seemed to understand and do really well! Next week, we will actually take our last test.

Adventures in American Literature

Today, we reviewed the entire book with game reviews including two rounds of a Jeopardy game. Next week, we will review the Chronolog (page 17) in your study guide and take our final test. (The games went really long, but they know the events well!)

For next week, read the Frontier Hero (page 52), Cooper’s Deerslayer (pages 53-54), and Washington Irving’s Early Life in Manhattan (pages 56-61). Also, answer in your American Literature text the twelve questions to the right of your reading in Early Life in Manhattan.

If you need to review for your test on The Scarlet Letter, please do so. You did a fantastic job on the games today! We will go over the Chronolog next week and answer any questions you may have.

Previous Assignments for School Year 2024 – 2025:

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Assignments for 12/02/2024

Happy Thanksgiving - sending blessings

Assignments for December 2nd, 2024

Quick Looks at Great Books

We discussed at least the first seven chapters of Silas Marner by George Eliot. I spent a lot of time going over the background of the book, and I think they all understand that well. We took a quiz over the first seven chapters and will finish the discussion of the rest of Part 1.

Then we can start on the rest of the book in Part 2. For next week, read Chapters 16-21 and Conclusion. We will discuss the rest and prepare for the final test before we celebrate a “Victorian Christmas” that last day of class before our break.

American History

Today, we went through the rest of Chapter 11 and circled certain items on the Chapter Review page. We then had our first reports, beginning with the first five Presidents. Each of the students was very thorough and did an excellent job! Even though they were already familiar with most of these founding fathers, we learned even more about their lives. As we go through the Presidents in order, hopefully they will remember at what time they were serving us. Our next set of reports will be due on December 9 on John Quincy Adams through James K. Polk. I’m excited to hear what those students have for us on these Presidents.

We then went through the reading for today—Chapter 13. This chapter focused on Revival and Missions throughout the 1800s. There is not as much to remember in this chapter referring to the events in history. Then we went over the Chapter Review for Chapter 12. For next week, read Chapter 13 which focuses on the development of education, technology, and culture in the 1800s. There will be a lot of inventors in this section (a matching section on the test later).

Watch a 60 second preview of three of our next Presidents.

John Quincy Adams

Andrew Jackson

Martin Van Buren

U.S. Government

Today in class, we watched a Powerpoint to learn more about the Supreme Court before our test. It covered many things in our lessons, but also many things we did not know. Then we did a review game to prepare for our test on Lessons 13-17. After that, we took our test and went over the Citizenship tests. Over half of the students passed the test (Citizenship Test), and one person even made a perfect paper!! (This is not for a grade—just a chance to see what process non-citizens have to go through to achieve U.S. Citizenship. For next week, complete one lesson only—Lesson 20 on the U.S. Post Office. (Did you know that was an arm of our government?) Here are can find the answers to the Lesson 20 the U.S. Post Office crossword on page 77.

PSAT/SAT/ACT Test Prep

Today, we did two practice Reading tests before taking the 35 minute ACT Reading test. The students did well on the SAT Reading test, so they will be familiar with this. There is no homework for next Monday. We will go over the ACT Science test and what it covers. Then we will do some practice tests that will be on the test itself. We will actually be taking the ACT Science test the following week. Next week we will learn how to read charts and graphs.

Adventures in American Literature

We finished our discussion of the rest of the book and had our final quiz. I think everyone understood what happened in Hawthorne’s story. (The students have now finished the most difficult book of the year!) We will continue with our game reviews of the book next week. Students should complete the Chronolog on page 17 of your study guide. We will have our final test on the book after we finish our competitive review next week.

Watch the following 60 second recaps of the book you just finished.

Previous Assignments for School Year 2024 – 2025: