Assignments for May 5, 2026

 Time to celebrate! Classes are almost done. Now it is just the fun stuff. 

For parents: After I grade all the papers, I'll prepare an end-of-year report. These I will mail to you. 

Spirit Day: May 4th is Star Wars Day. Wear your Star Wars getup to co-op. 

Journal: Summer Plans. List at least five things you want to do this summer.

Fix-it: Week 30--the last.

Bible Heroes: Finish your thankful paragraph, Lesson 27. We'll play "Are You Thankful" next week.

Wonders of Science: Finish up your essay on the outdoors, Lessons 22 & 23. Be sure you follow the directions for the introductory and concluding paragraphs. The body paragraphs should have 3/5 dress ups and 2/4 sentence openers. 

We also talked about how to do a formal critique using the lesson on George Washington Carver. We discussed how the body paragraphs use the Story Sequence Chart. We have an introductory and concluding paragraph that are similar to the current ones we are doing. We are not finishing the Einstein essay. We just ran out of time. 

High School I: Finish reading The Horse and His Boy. Also finish Lesson 27 "Bree." Remember we are doing a character analysis. We need to pick a character trait and pick evidence from the book that backs that up. Try to also include a Bible quote.  Final drafts need 3/5 dress ups, 3/6 sentence openers, and one decoration. 

High School II: Your only homework is to finish your essay on Till We Have Faces. Send me any drafts you have questions about. 

Assignments for April 28, 2026

 We're close to the finish line! Two more classes to go. May 5 will be final checking of assignments, returning papers, snacks (bring some to share), and games (bring some to play as a group). 

Spirit Day--May 5--May the 4th be with you! Wear your Star Wars paraphernalia. 

Journal: Book Cover. Design or copy a book cover (real or imagined book). Include the title, author, a short summary. Illustrate it if you like. Tell something about the author. 

Fix-it: Week 29.  Also do the first page of week 30--fill in the words for the Mad Libs-like activity. 

Bible Heroes: We're trying to finish up the book. I checked Lesson 26 "The True Neighbor." Be sure you include the new decoration alliteration. Our last lesson is Lesson 27 "Paul Was Thankful." We aren't writing about Paul, but we are using him as an example of someone who was thankful. Think of someone or something that you are thankful for. Use the questions next to the KWO to help you generate ideas, but you do not have to use them all or use them in any order. 

For homework: Lesson 26 "The True Neighbor" final draft. Change the title. Use your checklist on page 153. Lesson 27 "Paul Was Thankful"--try to at least do the KWO. Write a rough draft if you can. This is a great lesson for moms to do as well. 

Wonders of Science: I checked drafts of Lessons 22 & 23, reviewing the introductory and concluding paragraphs. The final drafts should have 3 out of 5 dress ups and 2 out of the 4 sentence openers per body paragraph. Dress ups and sentence openers are extra credit in the introductory and concluding paragraphs.

This lesson on the outdoors is our last graded lesson. We will discuss (only) how to write a book/story critique with Lesson 27. This one has a source text on George Washington Carver, so please read that ahead of time. 

For homework: Lessons 22 & 23 final drafts. Pre-read the source text with lesson 27. 

High School I:

The Horse and His Boy: read at least through chapter 9. 

Following Narnia: I took up Lesson 25 "Chores." We discussed Lesson 26 as a model for how to write a formal critique. We are not doing this lesson. We did work on Lesson 27 "Bree." I gave out sample KWO for a different character--"Shasta." Follow the questions to help you write your KWO. Be sure you have quotes from the story to support your analysis of Bree's character. There is a sample paragraph on page 240 if you should need it. This lesson adds in the additional decoration of alliteration. 

Homework: Lesson 27 "Bree." Write your KWO and a rough draft. The checklist is on page 169. You will need 3/5 dress ups, 3/6 openers (#1 doesn't count toward the three), and one decoration. 

High School II:

Till We Have Faces: we finished discussing the book and the questions. I handed out the essay prompt for homework. I amended the instructions to say two body paragraphs/four total paragraphs for the final draft. I also gave out again a handout on symbols and themes from the book, the grading rubric (please return this with the final draft), and a sample with body, introductory, and concluding paragraphs for a different work--"The Necklace." Notice that you will need "two chunks" of information per body paragraph topic with quotes from the book. Your grading rubric is a good guide for that. 

For homework: rough draft of your symbols/themes essay on Till We Have Faces.

Blue Book of Grammar: we discussed a few "confusing words." For homework complete the two quizzes for confusing words on pages 171-172. 

Please bring your Jensen's Format next week as well. 

Assignments for April 21, 2026

 Well, I was all discombobulated today. I did mostly get today's date correct, but I made a mistake with the Spirit Day activity. I thought next week's activity was today as well. I also got twisted up with which Fix-it was due today in one class. Being off an extra week probably had a lot to do with the confusion.

Spirit Day (for April 21): Anything but a backpack day. Carry your gear in something or some way that's creative. (May 5 will be in honor of Star War's Day--May 4. Wear Star Wars gear.)

Journal: Journey into a cave. Use all your senses to describe the experience. 

Fix-it: Week 28 (Week 30 is the last lesson.) 

Bible Heroes: 

Lesson 24 "The Determined Shepherd"--due today; I took up.

Lesson 25 "The Son Who Was Sorry"--I checked. This one added in the alliteration decoration. Alliteration is repeating the same sound close together within one sentence.

Lesson 26 "The True Neighbor"--we started. Finish the KWO. Make changes to it if you like. You do not have to follow the Bible version in a strict fashion. If you can, write a rough draft. (Lesson 27 is our last lesson.) 

Homework: Lesson 25 final draft with alliteration. Optional--rough draft of Lesson 26.

Wonders of Science: I took up the Inventions essay, Lessons 20 and 21. I checked the work that was done for lesson 22, "Exploring Outdoors." I'm looking for one place and three activities that can be done in that one place. Say you choose Citizens Park. It has a splash pad, walking track, and sports fields. Each body paragraph would be about one activity/location. What all happens on the walking track? moms with strollers, small kids on bikes, adults walking alone or with a dog. That's all one paragraph. The next one would have the splash pad. The final paragraph would have the sports fields, where soccer and softball/baseball are played. (That's a sample idea. You're welcome to choose your own.) 

We also quickly added the intro and concluding paragraphs. 

For homework: Polish your body paragraphs. Dress ups--3/5 per paragraph; sentence openers--2/4 per body paragraph. Also try the KWO for the introductory and concluding paragraphs. Optional--write rough drafts of those. 

High School I:

The Horse and His Boy--read at least to chapter 6. Since the number of classes has dwindled, more is recommended.

Narnia: Lesson 25 "Chores." We added in the introductory and concluding paragraphs included in the lesson. Your checklist is on page 162. Dress ups and openers are optional for the intro and concluding paragraphs.  For body paragraphs--any three dress ups and any three openers per body paragraph. 

For homework: Second draft of "Chores"--mostly finished. We'll study lesson 26 but do Lesson 27 on "Bree" next. 

High School II:
Till We Have Faces: Finish the book. We did not get to chapter 3 today, but hopefully we can do both chapters next week and cover final book discussions. 

Research Papers: Review any material that you need to complete your paper. Your MLA booklet and the 9-page initial handout have instruction. Send me copies of your paper well before Tuesday if you need assistance. 

Your final draft needs to include: 

--Title page

--Formal outline

--Document--at least three full pages with at least one quote per body paragraph

--Works Cited page. All periods, quotation marks, commas, capitals that are appropriate. 

Research paper final draft is due next week--no exceptions. Not present--send it in. 

 

Assignments for March 31, 2026

 Just one more class before Spring Break! 

Spirit Day: March 31 is National Crayon Day. Try to dress head to toe in one color--like a crayon.

Journal: Color Poem. You can write about one color or a new color for each line. Try to include vivid words. Rhyming is optional. 

Fix-it: Week 27

Bible Heroes: I took up Lesson 23 "Jesus." I checked Lesson 24 "The Determined Shepherd." Be sure you use your checklist and change the title. 

We started Lesson 25 "The Son Who Was Sorry." This is another writing from pictures lesson. I helped with the first few lines. You will need to ask questions to fill in the rest. We added the decoration of alliteration. We try to repeat the same initial sounds of words, usually 2 or more, in one sentence. Think of tongue twisters. 

For homework: Lesson 24"The Det. Shepherd"--final drafts, using the checklist on p. 141. Lesson 25 "The Son"--Finish the KWO. Write a rough draft. Try the new decoration--alliteration. Your checklist is on page 147.

Wonders of Science: I checked rough drafts of the "Invention" essay (lessons 20 & 21). I'm noticing very skimpy introductory and concluding paragraphs. Try to fill in with more information, especially in the background part. How is this invention typically used? When was it created? What is it made of? 

We also started on the next lesson--Lesson 22 "Exploring Outdoors." We did some brainstorming about possible subjects and topics. You will pick one subject (one place) and three topics (aspects, features) about that outdoor place. 

For homework: Polish the "Invention" essay. Add dress ups and sentence openers to the body paragraphs. The dress ups and openers in the intro and concluding paragraphs are extra credit. I do need to see sufficient filler in these paragraphs--not just three sentences! The checklists are on pages 201 and 211. Also, with Lesson 22 "Exploring Outdoors"--start your brainstorming and do the KWOs for all three topics. Optional: write one or more paragraph rough drafts. Note--three body paragraphs and three topics. 

High School I: The Horse and His Boy--read chapters 2-4.

Narnia: I checked "Peter and "Edmund" rough drafts (Lesson 22). This lesson had two new sentence openers--#5 & #6. We also started our next essay on chores. Your textbook has a page of brainstorming to get your thoughts going. Note you will need to figure out three categories of chores. You choose the categories. Then you will need to tell more about those categories with details and facts. You may choose outdoors, bedroom, kitchen chores. For outdoors, you may list all the things you have to do outdoors. You also have a sample essay on pages 236-237.

Homework: Lesson 22 "Peter & Edmund" final drafts. Lesson 25 "Chores"--KWO for the three body paragraphs on page 160. Try to do the rough drafts as well just for the body paragraphs. We'll tackle the introductory and concluding paragraphs next week. 

High School II: 

Till We Have Faces: read part two, chapter 3. 

MLA The Easy Way: we reviewed the sample essay (note it is for an economics course, not an English one). Review the Works Cited information on pages 33-58. Remember you can use a bibliography generator like EasyBib to help you with the entries. 

Research paper: We reviewed instructions for the introductory and concluding paragraphs for your paper. We also reviewed the structure and format for the Works Cited page. (See pages 7 & 8 in your handout.)

Research paper homework: Add in the intro and concluding paragraphs. Work on polishing the body paragraphs, adding in additional topics and paragraphs if needed. Be sure you are including at least one direct quote per body paragraph with its appropriate citation. Aim for also introducing your quote with some source information. 

Assignments for March 24, 2026

 And we thought winter was over.... Surprise.

Journal: Imagine you lived in a town or city that has canals for streets. How would you get around? Get to school? See friends? Buy groceries? What would emergency vehicles look like? What are the advantages or disadvantages? 

Fix-it: Week 26

Bible Heroes: I took up Lesson 22 "Mary" final drafts. I checked Lesson 23 "Jesus" rough drafts. Be sure you change the title! The checklist is on page 135. We started a new unit with Lesson 24, writing from pictures. I demonstrated the KWO for you. You may make changes. This is writing from the brain, so you can make some changes as long as you stick with the pictures. Try to use some sense words--adjectives, verbs, -ly adverbs--in your draft.

For homework: Lesson 23 "Jesus"--polish your rough drafts. Lesson 24 "The Determined Shepherd" write a rough draft. Checklist is on page 140.

Wonders of Science: I checked drafts of Lesson 20 "Invention." This lesson adds in the #5 adverb clause sentence opener. Part 2 of this assignment is in Lesson 21, adding in the introduction and concluding paragraphs. These have specific formats/structure. Be sure you follow the directions. The lesson includes sample paragraphs. Yours will be different because your invention will be different. 

For homework: Lesson 20--polish and add in any sentence openers and dress ups. Lesson 21--p. 205--fill in the KWO; p. 207--fill in the KWO. Write both paragraphs as rough drafts. I'm really focused on the structure, so dress ups and sentence openers are extra credit. 

High School I: 

The Horse and His Boy--read chapter 1

Narnia: We skipped Lesson 21. You are welcome to read through it. It does have a new sentence opener.

We discussed comparing/contrasting in Lesson 22 "Peter & Edmund." We discussed the sample in the textbook. If you notice, it follows this format:

I.  (T.S) Peter & Edmund, (an event they both experience)

    note lines 1-3--Peter's experience followed by discussion

    note lines 4-6--Edmund's experience followed by discussion

   Clincher

Use the questions on the sample (p. 135) if you need help. The topics on p. 135 are what you will write about. Only write on one. 

We will be skipping Lessons 23 & 24. Our next assignment will be writing from the brain about chores. 

Homework: Lesson 22 "Peter & Edmund"--complete the KWO on page 136. Write a rough draft. Checklist p. 138--dress ups extra credit; sentence openers required; triple optional.

High School II: MLA: The Easy Way--review pages 5-27.

Till We Have Faces: read Part 2, chapter 3.

Research Paper: We spent most of the class on this. We reviewed in-text citations, the format for paragraphs, the possible topics, formatting the Works Cited entries. I checked any outlines and body paragraphs. If you email me a copy ahead of time, I have more time to read your drafts. 

For homework: four additional body paragraphs with in-text citations and quotes. Preferably at least one direct quote per body paragraph but at least two citations per body paragraph. 

    

Assignments for March 17, 2026

 Achoo--pollen is out in full force. Cars are covered in the stuff.

This weekend is the Aiken-Augusta Gem, Mineral and Fossil Show in Augusta at the Julian Smith Casino. Fridays are a good day to go. Make sure kids take their allowance or birthday money. Kids get in free with a paying adult. See their website for more information. (This was always a favorite with my kids. I had to put it on the calendar months in advance.) 

Spirit Day: next Tuesday is St. Patrick's Day. Wear green!

Journal: Research who St. Patrick was or research how the day is celebrated today. (The US is much more into it than the Irish.)

Fix-it: Week 25

Bible Heroes: I took up final drafts of Lesson 21 "John." I checked drafts of Lesson 22 "Mary." We started Lesson 23 "Jesus Loves Us." I started the KWO. Remember, we are not using every fact/sentence. We are summarizing--using some facts. We played a game called "What can wash away my sin." The playing pieces are in the back of your book. 

For homework: Lesson 22 "Mary" final draft. Leson 23 "Jesus Loves Us"--finish the KWO, do the practice dress up page (p. 134), and write a rough draft. Your checklist is on page 129.

Wonders of Science: I took up Einstein final drafts. We are skipping Lesson 19. Lessons 20 & 21 are an inventive essay. You will need to pull facts from your brain. Lesson 20 is the two body paragraphs. You need to pick an invention. Think of two other uses for it. Write one body paragraph on each alternative use. For instance--a vehicle tire. It can be used as a tire swing. The tread can be cut to make shoe soles. It can be ground up for mulch or mixed for road paving. You will need to use the questions and hints on the side of the KWO to help you generate ideas. 

For homework: Lesson 20--write KWOs for two topics but the same invention. Write a rough draft. We made some changes to the checklist--fewer dress ups (3/5) and fewer sentence openers (2/4). Recommended--pre-read lesson 21 which discusses the introductory and concluding paragraphs. 

High School I:

Finish The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. Locate your copy of The Horse and His Boy.

Narnia: With Lesson 20 "Adolf Hitler," I checked drafts. We reviewed the #2 prepositional opener. I made some changes to the checklist on page 128: dress ups are extra credit; sentence openers and triple required. 

For homework: Final draft of Lesson 20. Read through lesson 21 which compares Hitler and the White Witch. Pre-read page 135. This is a sample of what we will write next. You will compare Edmund and Peter's actions in a certain circumstance.

High School II:

Blue Book: We added no new work in this. Hopefully we will come back to the confused words.

Till We Have Faces: We did not get to this today. Try to read Chapter 2 of Part 2.

Jensen's Format: I took up business letters and envelopes. We will use some of this book as a reference for research papers, so still bring it.

MLA: The Easy Way: We focused on the instructions on formatting a paper--the settings for your computer/document. We did not go over every word, but we highlighted the important stuff. So, for homework, review pages 1-27. 

Research paper. I checked source cards. I need to see you are trying. I hope you also started reading the articles. 

We reviewed the works cited entry formats. I mentioned several times that EasyBib.org is a good helpful source for assisting in formatting the entries. You need the author and article title at the minimum to use it, though. 

We reviewed the topic of the research document and the deadline dates. We also reviewed the essay topic itself and how to possible answer it. We discussed the pros and cons of a ban on cellphones in the classroom. This is brainstorming. Those brainstorming ideas form the backbone of your essay--your outline, the areas you will try to find evidence to prove. 

Formal outline: instructions for this are in the handout with the paper instructions with a sample outline.

Body paragraph structure. Way back in the beginning of the school year, we discussed two patterns for writing paragraphs. Pattern I had a topic sentence, five or so fact sentences, and a clincher sentence. Pattern II had a topic sentence, three proof sentences, and an explanation sentence for each. Beginning writers follow Pattern I for research papers. One paragraph for those is given in the general instruction handout. I would prefer that you aim for Pattern II. You will have a topic sentence. Within the paragraph you will have two proofs or assertions. Each one will have evidence--a quote or paraphrase from someone. You will then comment on the quote/evidence. Try to end with a clincher sentence. Each body paragraph will be around eight sentences long. 

Homework: 1) Preliminary outline--(It doesn't need to be detailed, but I need to see you've put some thought in this and have an idea of your direction.) 2) Two body paragraphs with in text citations and quotations. That means you will need to read your sources and highlight possible facts to back up your point of view. 

Assignments for March 10, 2026

 Just two months of classes left. I know we are all getting weary. Let's push on a little longer.

Journal: Daylight Saving Time starts this weekend. You'll need to change your clocks. Your journal topic is somewhat related. Write an imaginative story about changing time to change the outcome of events. (Move the time forward or backward to change something that happened or may happen.)

Fix-it: Week 24

Bible Heroes: I took up final drafts of the Daniel story--all three paragraphs on one page with a new title. I checked drafts of Lesson 21, "John." We also started Lesson 22 "Mary." We started the KWO together. You will finish it at home. 

For homework: Lesson 21 "John" final draft. Use the checklist on page 123. For Lesson 22 "Mary," finish the KWO, write a rough draft, and do page 128 with ideas for dress ups.

Wonders of Science: I checked drafts of the last or all three paragraphs of the Einstein lessons. I see missing topic sentences. That means the clincher will also be wrong. I also checked the Works Consulted entries. This needs to be a separate page. 

We started discussing our next lesson--inventive writing. (We will be skipping Lesson 19.) Lessons 20 & 21 are your first essay. Lesson 20 is the two body paragraphs. Lesson 21 will add the introductory and concluding paragraphs. For Lesson 20, think of an invention that can have two uses. The example we discussed was the toothbrush. Beside brushing teeth, it can be used for cleaning and in art projects. The overall subject is toothbrushes (in the sample). Each paragraph would focus on one alternative use. Tell how it is used in four or more sentences. 

For homework: Polish the Einstein paragraphs. Make sure you have your dress ups and sentence openers identified. Make sure you have one title. For Lesson 20, try to think of an invention you can write about that has two alternative uses. See page 196.

High School I: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe: read chapters 15-16 (or finish the book). 

Narnia: I checked drafts of the essay. Do review the requirements for the introductory and concluding paragraphs. I saw missing titles of the book we're writing about. I saw other missing elements. We made some revisions to the checklist on page 122. The intro and concluding paragraphs do not have to have dress ups--extra credit. We also started out next lesson, working on Lesson 20 "Adolph Hitler." This is a summarizing a reference lesson. We are pulling facts that have to do with the losses of freedoms that Hitler imposed. We will go over/review the sentence openers next week.

For homework: White Witch 5-paragraph essay final draft--polish it. The checklist is on page 122. For Lesson 20 "Adolph Hitler"--finish the KWO and write your rough draft. (With this lesson, dress ups will be extra credit and sentence openers required.)

High School II: 

Blue Book: We covered the section on Numbers today. Complete the quizzes on pages 188-189. We will set aside the book for now, taking up the MLA handbook next.

Till We Have Faces: Read chapter 1 of Part 2.

Jensen's Format: I took up book reports. We reviewed the structure of business letters and envelopes. 

For homework: Write a final draft of a business letter with the instruction on page 149 or 153. Also, pre-read pages 195-200. 

Research Paper: I gave out a pile of papers today. Most are sources you can use to write your paper. I also gave out a handout (on blue paper) with easy instructions for creating your Works Cited entries. We reviewed the due dates for assignments. Last week I gave out a single sheet with some blank lines on it. That's the page with due dates. On the first line (for works cited entries for 5 sources), put next week--March 10. Dates after that are March 17, March 24, March 31, April 14, and April 21--final drafts due. Note that you will receive three grades, one will be for doing your work on time. The grading instructions and your topic are all on the paper that says, "Research Paper Specifics." I expect you to use at least some of the sources I have given you. If you do not, that makes me think you are not actually writing the paper. 

Due this coming week: Source cards or a sheet of paper with at least five sources written in MLA format for the citation. Start with the author's last name. Follow it with the title and other needed information. Also, try to read through as many of the sources as you can, making notes on possible quotes or facts you may want to use.