Shining For HIS Glory

WEEK 11 Challenge A

 

Last weeks Challenge A Class

What an incredible week of Classical Christian Education with Classical Conversations.  I am thrilled to share with you stories of comparing and contrasting, respectful arguments, outstanding research, and so much more that took place in our classroom today. 

 

 

My heart is so tender for how the Lord is moving on the hearts of these amazing kids.  Please read on to see how each student is truly getting and embracing the dialectic stage of the trivium!

 

 

RESEARCH

 

Today we started our Research (Science) thread off with the topic, Birds Of Prey!  We had three species that were repeated:

 

Barn Owls (Sophie Mullins & Joseph Doto)

Vultures  (Noah Geers & Terry Thames)

Falcolns (Bethie White & Moriah Williams)

 

Here is where it gets GOOD! 

 

When we had repeat topics we would stop and ask each of the researchers what they learned from their peers report that they hadn't caught in their own research.  I absolutely LOVED how they jumped in and shared freely!  They were comparing and then contrasting what was the same and what was different.

 

One of the skills we work on during the dialectic phase is learning how to ask good questions!  Many times these questions lead to deep discussions, sometimes those deep discussions lead to differences of opinions.

 

Today one of those differences of opinions revolved around VULTURES!   Sage Hazlett asked a most excellent question, "Why would a vulture be a bird of prey and not a scavenger"?  After all, vultures eat dead meat.  I loved this question and thus began an intense discussion amongst our class. 

 

This lead into another skill set we are working on, "Learning how to be humble learners".   Learning how to be willing to pause, step back, possibly be wrong, for the sake of pursuing truth!

 

Our goal was to go home and dig deeper but one of our most excellent researchers, Terry Thames was able to give us our answer because he had researched vultures himself.  We found that they truly are birds of PREY.  Because even though the meal is "dead", it is still labeled and considered prey.

 

Dialectic Skills Learned:  Comparing & Contrasting, Respectful Arguing, Asking Great Questions, Humble Learning!
 

GEOGRAPHY

We are walking through Europe in 5 Stages:

 

1-  Nordic Countries

2-  Central Europe

3- Eastern Europe

4- Western & Southern Europe

5- Southeastern Europe

 

You will see in the picture above how we have labeled each Country.    This is the new way we have been doing geography in class.  every student will write each country and capital next to it's assigned number on one side of the paper, then flip it over and sketch Europe by heart.  Finally, they go back and place the corresponding number so that it lines up accurately with it's location.  Our system was put together by our very own fabulous Bethie White. 

 

 

This format allows the parents and peers to check the papers more easily and also allows the student to focus on really grasping and connecting the countries and capitals to their locations on the map.

 

 

Joseph Doto, modeled this weeks assignment on our white board.

 

 

 

BIBLE BASED WRITING

 

Important!  Please Note a CHANGE:  Your Challenge A Guide schedules lesson 23.  Malcolm Williams bravely raised his hand high and requested that we do lesson 22 instead.  He very eloquently pointed out that the objectives are the same, but the topic in 22 is so much more fascinating.  Plagues!  The rest of the class quickly concurred.  Please remember that You ultimately get to make all final decisions.

 

 

I.E.W. Bible Based Writing Highlights

I wanted to post with examples of our student's work from BBW! 

 

It sounded as if ten furious lions were loudly roaring inside Jesus' empty stomach. ~ Ciarra Conisgny

 

Lovely and exquisite, heavenly and holy, beautifully and artistically, strange and stunning, quietly and quickly, ~  Alliterations & Connectors ~ Moriah Williams

 

"Yeah sure" Adam replied.  As he bit into the fruit, a gargantuan voice boomed...... ~ Joseph Doto

 

Pranced, prowled, padded and plotted!!!  ~Sophie

The sleek lithe deer nibbled on the juicy grass that coated the emerald hills.  ~Sophie

 

 I am preparing my heart tonight to go back tomorrow and dig into week 12!  I simply cannot convey how much I LOVE walking through this year with my Colton.  I am storing up forever memories!