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. 

Assignments for March 3, 2026

 March is upon us. Don't look for the weather to stabilize anytime soon. 

Spirit Day: wear a musical outfit or represent your favorite musical group. 

Journal: List your favorite musical group/band/artists (10 plus) or list 10 or more musical instruments.

Fix-it: Week 23

Bible Heroes: I checked the Daniel drafts. We started a new unit, summarizing a source and adding topic and clincher sentences. The topic/clincher rule is repeat or reflect two to three key words. (This is very similar to the title rule.) Leson 21 "John Was Humble" focuses on John the Baptist. We are not using all the facts and sentences. We are combining some. Our goal is to make our version somewhat shorter than the original. Our checklists now are on a separate page. 

For homework: Lessons 18, 19, 20 "Daniel"-- polish your final drafts. Be sure you have a new title. Lesson 21 "John"--complete page 122 and use some dress ups in your draft, write your rough draft, follow the checklist on page 123. 

Wonders of Science: I checked the Einstein drafts. I see topic/clinchers missing at times. Be sure to include those. Your Works Consulted is a separate page and includes all three sources. Each citation can be found at the end of each source text. Just copy it and put it in alphabetical order by the first words or authors. 

We started on the third paragraph--Einstein's later years. I gave you many of the source notes. You need to fuse them into a new KWO. Your checklist is on page 181. 

For homework: Lesson 18, Einstein part 2, third topic--later years. Fuse the outlines to make one new one. Write a rough draft. Be sure to include topic/clincher sentences. Revise your Works Consulted page. Use the checklist on page 181.

High School I: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe--read chapters 12-15.

Narnia: I check "The Spiteful Witch" drafts. Be sure you are adding in a triple in each paragraph. We discussed Lesson 19, the intro and concluding paragraphs. Follow the lesson directions. When it says focus, that's similar to moral or lesson learned--something important to know and take away from reading the book. 

For homework: Lesson 19 Intro and Concluding--complete the KWOs and write a rough draft. Add in (copy/paste) the other three body paragraphs. Get as much done as you can this week. We will likely try to tackle lesson 20 next week.

High School II: 

Blue Book--we finished up Capitalization, so do the quizzes on pages 187-188. 

Till We Have Faces--read and answer questions for chapter 21. 

Jensen's Format--Finish your book report on the book of your choice. We started discussing Section Business letter writing. Please bring an envelope and business letter--junk mail is fine to visually see how these are printed. Be thinking of a topic to write about--a letter of complaint, praise, request for information. Can be imaginary business and problem. 

I handed out some information on our research paper. Please read over all of it, take notes, make note of questions you have. Please find your copy of MLA: The Easy Way. 

Assignments for February 24, 2026

 Journal: Write a People Poem (see the handout) about a current or past Olympian.

Fix-it: Week 22.  Some of you are getting quite lazy and labeling words any ole part of speech--and sometimes two parts of speech. Please think before you write/label. Follow the order for the labeling of the number of each part of speech.

Bible Heroes: We're working our way through the three Daniel lessons. Today we tackled Part 3. Next week we will start a new unit that is closer to report writing. 

For homework: Lesson 20 Daniel part 3--write the rough draft. Add it to the other two paragraphs. Do page 116 and try to include some of the dress ups in your paragraph. Remember you will need a new title with words taken from the last sentence. 

Wonders of Science: We're working on a three-part Einstein essay. Lesson 18 is two paragraphs, so we're dividing it into two weeks. Last week we pulled notes from three sources on Einstein's early life. I took those up and will let you know any problems. Today we started Einstein's career. I started two source text outlines for you. You will need to take notes on the third source and fuse your notes. We also discussed the Works Consulted page. This is a separate page which lists your three sources. That information is found at the end of each source in Lesson 17. Copy it exactly as it is written, but in alphabetical order by the first word of each entry. Note that the first line is at the left margin and the second line is indented. 

For homework: Works Consulted rough draft--separate page. Lesson 18 Einstein part 2, topic B only--finish the KWOs for the source texts, fuse the facts you want to keep, write a rough draft. 

High School I: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. To understand this week's lesson, read chapters 10-11. For next week's lesson, read chapters 12-14. 

Narnia: For homework: Lesson 18 Spiteful Witch--finish the KWO (we talked through it today), write a rough draft, try to include a triple. Your checklist is on page 117. 

High School II: Blue Book--we started Capitalization, going over rules 1-4. No homework as yet. 

Till We Have Faces: We discussed chapter 19 today. Read and answer questions for chapter 20. 

Jensen's Format: I took up Cause and Effect. I checked Comparison. We started Section 3, focusing on lesson 14, 15, and 16--writing the book report. 

For homework: Last essay final draft--Comparison Essay. Choose a book to write a report about. Follow the directions from lesson 14, 15 or 16. Write at least the intro paragraph with the book's statistics and outline the three body paragraphs. Rough drafts optional this week. 

Assignments for February 17, 2026

 Spirit Day: bring a favorite stuffed animal.

Journal: Winter Olympic Sports. List at least 10 winter Olympic sports or research and write at least five sentences on one sport. 

Fix-it: Week 21

Bible Heroes: Elijah, parts 1-3 was due today. I checked drafts of Daniel part 1 (Lesson 18). We discussed the KWO for part 2 (Lesson 19). We also used our puppets with all three parts. I read the entire story. Each time a character was mentioned, that puppet was to be held up. We discussed some things the characters might say in each part. 

For homework: Daniel part 2 (lesson 19)--write a rough draft. Try to add conversation to the second part. What do the characters say to each other? You are welcome to add to the story what you imagine they may say.

Wonders of Science: I took up to check at home the rough drafts of Lesson 15, Nicola Tesla. No final drafts of this one. I did cut short our time with the Fix-it lessons. I checked and corrected student work rather than putting it all on the board. I did put day one of Week 21 on the board. 

Lesson 16 is part I of Albert Einstein. I gave out handouts of key word outlines to make it easier to take notes. These lessons are somewhat complicated. We have three sources. Each source has information on four topics: early life, career, later years, and legacy. Each source text has a faint line along the left side of the paragrahs. Put those labels beside each source text paragraph. 

Our first lesson pulls facts about Einstein's early life from each source text. That's one reason why the labels are important. I put source text notes on the board. I did not fuse the facts--that's homework. Remember, you will only write one paragraph--from the fused KWO. 

For homework: Lesson 16 Albert Einstein. Fuse the three KWOs into one outline. Pick and choose the facts you want to use. Make sure you put the facts in chronological order. Write a rough draft. (We will be writing three body paragraphs about Einstein.) 

High School I: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe--read chapter 9. 

Narnia: I took up any Lesson 15 "Diary." I checked lesson 16, the first paragraph of our multi-paragraph analysis of the White Witch as a character. The lesson does not mention it, but when we discuss literature, we typically use present tense verbs. It's a good idea to get into that habit now. We also discussed Lesson 17 "Fearsome Witch." We discussed possible answers, but I did not put them on the board. Remember to ask the questions and answer the questions. When writing your paragraph, use the question and your answer in the sentence.

We also reviewed the triple decoration. We went back to pages 88-89. That lesson mentions that you may use three quality adjectives or three strong verbs in a row. You may also repeat prepositions. The key is to keep them close together, preferably within one sentence. You will need one in each paragraph. You do not need a because clause and a www.asia--one or the other is fine. Each paragraph will not have a title--save that for the very last paragraph. 

For homework: Lesson 17 "Fearsome Witch." Finish the KWO and write a rough draft. 

High School II: Till We Have Faces--we discussed chapter 18. Try to read chapters 19 and 20. 

Blue Book: We went over the answers to the hyphen quizzes. We also finished the section beginning with dashes. No quizzes on this part.

Jensen's Format: We're getting to the finish line with our essays! Yay, fewer papers to grade. I took up Analogy essays. I checked Cause & Effect essays. Be sure you are writing either the causes of something or the effects after something happened. We discussed Comparison essays. Here you will compare (similarities) two equal subjects. (Apples and oranges are both fruits.) Mixed in will be differences. (Apples--eat skin, oranges--generally process skin to eat.) You may organize each body paragraph either by mixing the areas of comparison or discussing all one subject and then the other. This latter method is harder because you have to remember to use similar topics. 

For homework: Final drafts of Cause of Effect. Brainstorm and outline Comparison essays.  

Assignments for February 10, 2026

 It was good to see no broken bones this week. Sometimes kids do rash things with snow on the ground.

I forgot to send out a reminder that February tuition was due today.

Spirit Day (February 17): Stuffed animal day.

Journal: Babysitting part 2. Tell about a babysitting nightmare, sometime when things went sideways. You can ask parents for a story if you didn't experience one.

Fix-it: Week 20

Bible Heroes: I checked Elijah part 3. Remember to include a because clause. We also started Lesson 18, Daniel Part I. 

For homework: Polish your three-paragraph assignment on Elijah. Be sure to include a new title. For Lesson 18, write a rough draft. Cut out, color, and attach to popsicle sticks the puppets for the Daniel lesson in the back of the book. Bring them next week.

Wonders of Science: I'm still seeing problems with following the directions for the story sequence chart. Remember, you are not telling a story but describing three separate events. Each paragraph should start with a central fact--sentences that tell what is happening in the picture. After that, you reach back in time to tell what came before. Do that with the first two pictures. The third picture moves forward in time, after the events in the scene. 

I checked Lesson 15 drafts. We reviewed the checklist requirements found on page 145. We started a new unit--summarizing multiple references and creating a fused outline. I handed out a partial KWO. We discussed facts to move to the fused outline. 

For Homework: additional rough or final draft of lesson 13, 14, or 15. Use the checklist on page 145. Be sure you have sentences openers in each paragraph plus one new title. 

For lesson 16 "Tesla"--write a rough draft only using the fused outline. Pre-read the three sources for lesson 17. (No final draft of lesson 16.) 

High School I: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe--read chapter 8.

Narnia: Lesson 16 begins a multi-paragraph essay. This is a character analysis essay. We will have three lessons on the body paragraph and then finish off the essay with the concluding and introductory paragraphs. All this is spread over four lessons. 

The questions beside the KWOs are not just for filling in the outline. Use part of the question, combine it with the answer, and then write your sentence. 

For homework: Lesson 16, page 109--write a rough draft from the KWO. 

High School II:
Till We Have Faces: we discussed chapter 17 but did not get to chapter 18. Read chapter 19 for homework. 

Blue Book: We continued the Hyphens discussion. We did the first quiz in class. The rules are quite confusing and so are the quizzes. Do the best you can or check the answers in the back--quizzes pages 184-186.

Jensen's Format: I took up Process essay. I check Analogy essays. We discussed the next to last essay--Cause & Effect. Think of a history or science event that you can tell what caused it or what the effects are. 

For homework: Analogy final draft. Cause & Effect--brainstorm, outline, and write a rough draft. 

Assignments for February 3, 2026

 We made it through one chilly day of classes. Looks like we are in for more cold for a while. 

February 10 the co-op will celebrate Valentine's Day. Bring a decorated box with your name on it. Bring signed Valentines to share. 

Spirit Day (Feb. 3): Dress as a favorite book character.

Journal: Babysitting Part I: List things a babysitter should know--allergies, bedtime, telephone numbers, house rules, etc.

Fix-it: week 19

Bible Heroes: We worked on Elijah Part III--the climax and the resolution. We emphasized five-sense words. What does the fire smell like? sound like? We played a vocabulary/banned word game. 

For homework: Elijah part III--finish the KWO. Write your rough draft. Try to add your dress ups. Try to make the adjectives and verbs emphasize the senses. The activities page may help you (see p. 104). Try to use both vocabulary words somewhere. You will also need a new title. 

Wonders of Science: We're practicing Writing from Pictures. I checked practice drafts of Lesson 14, "Message in a Bottle." We also reviewed sentence openers. You will need sentence openers when we write the final draft of Lesson 13, 14 or 15. We also started Lesson 15 "Science Lab." We discussed the central facts for each and reaching back in time after we write the central fact for the first two paragraphs. I also passed a sample KWO and the accompanying three paragraphs for a sample picture. 

For homework: Lesson 15--finish the KWO. Write at least a partial rough draft. Study the sample papers I've handed out. Any final draft of the three lessons will use the checklist with lesson 15 on page 145. 

High School I: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe--read chapter 7.

Narnia: I took up Lesson 14 "Evacuations." If you have a triple, that is extra credit for this lesson. Review the Triple instructions on page 89. You are not just repeating any word. You are repeating verbs or phrases usually, plus the repetition needs to be within one sentence or very close together.  I also checked drafts and outlines of Lesson 15 "Diary of an Evacuee." Changes to the checklist--one triple somewhere, a because clause or a www.asia clause. Note all the banned words. You have a sample on page 220 to give you inspiration if needed. 

Next week I'll check any rough drafts, and we will start our next assignment, which is a multi-lesson and multi-paragraph essay. It would be a good idea to pre-read the Cinderella story. 

For homework: Lesson 15 "Diary"--second rough draft or final draft. Use the checklist on page 101. Include one triple somewhere. Practice this. Pre-read Lesson 16.

High School II: Blue Book--we checked apostrophe quizzes and discussed half the hyphen rules. No homework this week.

Till We Have Faces: we did not get around to discussing chapter 14. Try to read and answer questions for chapter 18.

Jensen's Format: I took up Definition essays. I checked Process essays. We discussed Analogy essays. The latter is best thought in terms of manmade and natural or big and small. A camera lens is an analogy to a person's eye. 

For homework: Final draft of Process Essay. Lesson 12 Analogy--brainstorm, outline, partial rough draft. Feel free to send me rough drafts, especially before Monday. 

Assignments for January 27, 2026

 It looks like it is the season of bad weather. We had a brush with snow this past weekend. This coming one is predicted to be bad--as in lose power--at this point. Should classes have to be canceled due to widespread power outages, I'll keep you posted, likely on Monday. Be safe!

Journal: Pen pals. Create an imaginary pen pal, either in this country or a foreign one. Write a letter of introduction to him or her. 5 + sentences

Fix-it: Week 18

Bible Heroes: I checked Lesson 15, Elijah part 1. We discussed the new dress up--because clause. We played vocabulary slap. We also started lesson 16, which begins with the conflict of the story.

For homework: Lesson 16, Elijah part 2--finish the KWO, write a rough draft, add dress ups. Do the practice sentences on page 100. Remember the new dress up the "because" clause. 

Wonders of the World: Lessons 13, 14, and 15 are Writing from Pictures. It is very tempting to get involved in writing the story you've created and forget the pictures. Each picture needs a central fact that tells what is happening in the picture. I took up Lesson 13 drafts and will return them next week. We started Lesson 14, "Message in a Bottle." We discussed the central facts of each picture. Remember you will likely need to tell what happened before the picture after you write your central fact. This lesson adds the sentence opener, #3 -ly adverb opener. (See page 133.) 

For homework: Lesson 14 "Message in a Bottle"--finish the KWOs. Try to write at least a partial rough draft. No need to add in dress ups at this point. You will choose one lesson to craft into a final draft. (Use the checklist on page 145.)

High School I: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe--read chapter 6.

Narnia: I checked Lesson 14 "Evacuations" rough drafts. The checklist lists "triple" as a decoration. We covered that in the previous lesson. This decoration will be extra credit for this lesson. We also started Lesson 15 "Diary of an Evacuee." This lesson is very different from any previous ones. Your paragraphs will not have topic/clinchers. You do need to answer the questions for each day before you create your KWO. Once you have your outline, then write your rough draft. You will need to use what you know about the children being evacuated from London and may even need to do more research. If you need help, two sample papers begin on page 220. 

For homework: Lesson 14 "Evacuations"--final draft. Lesson 15 "Diary of an Evacuee"--complete your questions and outlines. Try to write at least a partial rough draft. 

High School II: Blue Book--We finished up the section on Apostrophes. For homework do the quizzes on pages 183-184.

Till We Have Faces: Read chapter 17.

Jensen's Format: I took up Classification Essays. I checked Definition Essays. I noted that quite a few of you seemed lost. We reviewed the format. Please study the sample in your book. That's why it is there. It is especially helpful for this lesson. We also started Lesson 11 Process Essay. I do not want "how to make a cake" essays. Instead, I want "how to be a successful baker." No using imperative voice or "you." Think of more general topics that you can group into three categories: how to be a good pet owner (feeding the pet, housing the pet, health of the pet, etc.). 

For homework: Final draft of Definition Essay. Rough draft of Process Essay. 

Assignments for January 20, 2026

 Brrr! It was certainly cold this morning, especially after our summer-like day Saturday.

Next week's Spirit Day is uniforms.

Journal: Fingerprints. I handed out an article with some interesting facts about fingerprints. For homework, make one or more prints of your fingers. Study and describe them. Worls? Swirls? Loops? Younger kids: using one or more prints, draw an animal, flower or other object. Older kids: tell five uses for fingerprints. 

Fix-it:  Week 17

Bible Heroes: I took up Solomon. We started Elijah, Lesson 15. This is another 3-part lesson. We're only doing part I today--the setting, background, and characters. We quickly created a KWO for this paragraph.

For homework: Write a mostly final rough draft of paragraph I, Elijah, Lesson 15. Try to add in dress ups. Do the activities on page 96.

Wonders of Science: I took up "Flight" lesson 11. 

We've started a new unit, Writing from Pictures. Imagine this unit as event description. Each drawing is one part of an overall event. Lessons 13, 14, and 15 are all part of this unit. We'll do KWOs and rough drafts of these lessons and then pick one to turn into a final draft. 

Lesson 13 is titled "Meteorite." We discussed the central facts for each paragraph. I gave students a handout with a sample student paper so that they can get an idea of they are working towards. 

The important point to remember is to ask yourself questions. For instance, with the first paragraph, the central facts are couple, see, shooting star. Reach back in time. Who are these people? Why are they here? What did they do before? What led them to come here? What did they do when they got here? End with a clincher that repeats key words from the topic sentence. You get to use your imagination. You get to choose character names and their backgrounds. 

The second picture starts up at another time. The central facts are shooting star, zoomed, house. You can reach somewhat back in time or move forward. Did the couple move into the house or build it because it was so special? What can you tell about the house or the shooting star.

The third picture can be at another time or the result of the shooting star from the previous paragraph. Its central facts are ground, crater, huge. You can tell what happened just before the picture or simply move into the future. Tell what the couple/homeowners feel/think. Does anything good come from the disaster? 

For homework: Lesson 13--finish the KWO. Try to write a rough draft only. Remember we will be picking one of three lessons for a final draft. 

High School I: "The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe"--read chapter 5. 

Narnia: Lesson 14 "Evacuations." We did the KWO together. Note the source text has many banned words--your banned word list has really grown longer. 

For homework: Write a mostly final draft with dress up for Lesson 14. Research "Operation Pied Piper" for next week's lesson. 

High School II: 

Blue Book: We started "apostrophes" pages 50-52. No homework quizzes yet.

Till We Have Faces: We worked on Chapter 15 today. Read Chapter 16 for homework.

Jensen's Format: I took up the Example Essay. I checked Classification rough drafts. We discussed Lesson 10 Definition Essay.

For homework: Finish up your Classification essays. Start working on your Process essay, choosing your topic, brainstorming, forming your thesis statement, and doing a partial rough draft. 

Assignments for January 13, 2026

 Welcome back to Writing Classes! 

Today's Spirit Day was wacky outfits. Our next one will be January 20--Uniform Day.

Journal: Write a percentage poem. Step one: make a list of your likes, interests, physical traits. Step two: Assign a percentage to each one. (You should have at least five.) Write it in a poem format (column). Rhyming is optional. Your percentage must add up to 100. (I'm 10 % crafting, 15% cooking, 5 % dog-loving, etc.) 

Fix-it: Week 16

Bible Heroes: I checked drafts today. We did a vocabulary activity--looking through our vocabulary words to see if any would work in our Solomon story. If you need help with the final clincher, see page 77.  

For homework: Work on your final draft of the Solomon lessons. Be sure you have a new title taken from the very last sentence. Each paragraph should have all four dress ups (except -ly in the first one). 

Next week we'll start on the Elijah lessons. It would be a good idea to pre-read the story and maybe even read the Bible version as well to pick up added details. 

Wonders of Science: I checked drafts of Lesson 11 "Flight." I noticed that some of you forgot that we are taking facts from several areas of the source text for each topic. Facts on birds (not just hummingbirds) are in all three paragraphs. Facts on inventors should include Leonardo da Vinci as well as the Wright Brothers. 

For homework: Lesson 11 "Flight" final draft. Use the checklist on page 105. Pre-read lesson 13 which is a new unit. 

High School I: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe--read chapter 4

Narnia: I checked rough drafts on Lesson 12 "Crown Jewels." You need to include the three sources, a new title, and topic/clinchers. The checklist has gotten longer! Next time we will work on lesson 14. It would be a good idea to research the beginning of World War II, especially in England, the air raids, and the evacuation of children out of London. 

For homework: Lesson 12 "Crown Jewels" final draft. Read through Lesson 13, especially the source material. Read the source for Lesson 14 as well. 

High School II: Blue Book--we learned about parentheses and brackets beginning with p. 48 We also worked through the first quiz. For homework: Do the second quiz, pages 182-183. 

Till We Have Faces: We discussed chapters 13 & 14. For homework read chapter 15.

Jensen's Format: I checked rough drafts of Lesson 8 Example essay. Be sure you follow the instructions we have talked about for all the paragraphs--introductory, concluding, and body paragraphs. I gave the checklist to you to study--this is how you will be graded. You will have two grades--structure and grammar/usage/editing. So, follow the directions! We also started lesson 9 Classification essay. This has a different structure from the Example essay. Study the sample in the book. You will have two weeks per essay from here on out--so keep up and don't get behind. 

For homework: Lesson 8 Example Essay--final draft. Lesson 9 Classification Essay: study the sample, choose a subject, brainstorm, write a 7-sentence skeleton, write a partial rough draft.