Women in History

We're nearing the end of another semester of Missionaries, Mothers, Martyrs and Others, a women's history class for homelearners. This is the second year I've taught the class and have really enjoyed it.

It all began with the realization that most of the girls of a homeschool overnighter could name most historical men, but didn't recognize the names of women like Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Jane Goodall and Mary Cassatt.

So I pulled together some resources and made the class available and was pleased when several young ladies signed up. We had great discussions and it was a year of discovery for all of us.

This year, I became more structured and organized, creating a syllabus and assigning weekly oral reports, monthly written reports, and a larger year-end project--an interview of and presentation about a woman they respect. Throughout the year, these girls have taught me about the issues that matter to them, the people who inspire them, and the goals that they dare to set for themselves.

Tonight is our Spring Arts and Science Fair and we're planning to host a Women's History table, which is cool since March is Women's History Month. The girls have a bunch of cool displays prepared, and I'm really looking forward to it.

And I know more about women in history now than I ever have. That's the beauty of learning with your kids...you pick up that stuff that was too boring to care about the first time around, because this time, it matters.

This Week's Lessons

Time to focus on the true meaning of this blog...to record what we've been learning.

We began a new schedule here after the Family Gathering was over. It's a simple schedule, but it seems to be working well. Each day, every area of our goals is covered as time allows. I'll post the schedule in another post.

This week, we've been reading Little House in the Big Woods. Wonderful conversations have come from the reading of this classic. Sweetheart wondered why Pa didn't drive the car to town. There was discussion about the difference between their Christmas and modern Christmas. We discussed butchering after the chapter where Ma, Pa and the girls helped with the butchering of the pig.

Each evening, after reading, we have been spending time in song. Bohemian plays the guitar and we choose songs from the songbook, songs that speak to our heart. It has been a wonderful time of family closeness, and everyone has looked forward to it each day.

In the evenings, just before bedtime prayers, I have been reading to Monet out of What Every Fourth Grader Needs to Know. The first reading was from Gulliver's Travels, but as we've read that book and its adaptations before, it wasn't really new to Monet.

All of the children have been spending time each day working on their handwriting, maths and reading. Sweetheart's reading is coming along well. :-) We had a wonderful time with her reading lesson on Wednesday! I couldn't find her reading book, Teach Your Child to Read in 100 Easy Lessons, so I wrote out short sentences made of the words that she can read and illustrated them with simple drawings. Every time she finished a sentence, we would dance around the room. :-) She enjoyed that time and is looking forward to more reading lessons. Now, where is that book??? ;-)

Yesterday, Monet, Sweetheart and Houdin had art class where we had a guest teacher. Rob taught the children how to draw faces and how our faces are proportionate to the width of our eyes. We discussed Leonardo DaVinci and his scientific way of drawing. This was helpful, as we began a nature journal recently and discussed how the drawing we do in our nature journals is about observation and not really about art. That was the day (Tuesday) that Sweetheart hit The Baby in the head with the swing. :-/ Bard says that The Baby will look like Harry Potter when we're done with her. :-)

We spent yesterday afternoon at a wonderful park near Bohemian's work. The park had a little building with a stage, so the children put on a play about the underground railroad.

In the evening, we worked on our Christmas knitting and read and then Bohemian played some David Wilcox songs for us on his guitar.

Today, I hope to make a couple of quiches and, since it is Friday, clean the floors.