CIRCUS COUPON! (Auburn Hills) RINGLING BROS. & BARNUM & BAILEY CIRCUS presents "OVER THE TOP!"

Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey present Over the Top ....

at Auburn Hills in November!

COUPON CODE! 

Get 4 tickets for $44 Monday‐Friday matinee, or $4 off weekend tickets by entering the code “MOM” in the MC promotion code box at Ticketmaster.

**If we get there at 6:30pm for the pre-show our children can meet the performers and try on costumes!







Auburn Hills Show Dates
Wednesday November 18: 7:30pm
Thursday November 19: 7:30pm
Friday November 20: 11:00am, 7:30pm
Saturday November 21: 11:30am, 3:30pm, 7:30pm
Sunday November 22: 1:00pm, 5:00pm

Minimum purchase of 4 tickets required; additional tickets above 4 can be
purchased at $11 each. Not valid on VIP Gold, VIP, and Circus Celebrity seats or combinable with other offers. Service charges and handling fees will apply.

ENGLISH: 11TH GRADE SYLLABUS EXAMPLE

English:  11th Grade

Class syllabus

Description
This course is designed to expose students to a broad cross-section of American literature. Students are also expected to increase their composition skills through a variety of writing experiences. Students will be expected to have a number of pieces ready by semester's end that can be included in senior portfolios.

Prerequisites
Credit for English I and II

Topics to be covered

Expect to:

•Read two or three novels by American authors on your own, and complete a full set of assignments related to your reading. At least one novel will be studied as part of a literary circle, where you will meet with 4-5 other students to discuss your novel. In addition, one novel will be studied in-depth by the entire class. Past novels have included Huck Finn, Fahrenheit 451, and The Fellowship of the Ring.

•Complete a research paper and class presentation on an original research idea. This is a major project that is designed as a college preparatory activity. Failure to complete this project can endanger your semester grade. Internet research is usually a major part of the project, so be sure you have internet permission.

•Memorize one famous literary passage of 1-2 minutes in length. This is usually the entire Gettysburg address, or six stanzas from Poe’s “The Raven,” although an appropriate substitute passage can be chosen with instructor approval.

•Complete a least four writing projects/papers that are portfolio-quality. Included among these will be a personal narrative or memoir, a short story and several poems.

• Work on grammar daily. We will begin each day with the Daily Oral Grammar series.

• Have weekly vocabulary tests. Vocabulary worksheets will be given out on Mondays or Tuesdays, and they will be graded two days later. Vocabulary tests will be on Fridays. These words are not easy, and most students find it takes study to pass Friday’s test.

• Read in class. During the latter half of class on Fridays, we will often have SSR—Sustained Silent Reading. You will be expected to have reading material with you.

• Spend quite a bit of time exploring U.S. history as we examine the literature selections.

• Read 15 or more short stories, sermons and non-fiction passages from the text.

• Have homework several times each week, especially early in the semester.

• Have spelling tests on a weekly basis--usually Thursdays.

• Watch films of books by American authors.

• Read a drama play out aloud in class – either “The Crucible” or “The Glass Menagerie.”

• Travel to see a play performed, if funds are available. I try to take each junior class on a field trip to view a live stage production of a play or short story collection. Eligibility for this trip can depend on class behavior.

Order of material to be covered
• Short story unit.
• Non-fiction unit
• Drama Unit
• Poetry Unit
• Drama Unit
• Research Paper Unit

Major papers and writing projects are interspersed throughout the semester.
Resources to be used
• Textbooks
• Videos that correlate with reading selections
• Media Center
• Internet
• Guest speakers
• Field trip to view play production

GEOLOGY CURRICULUM *FREE* (old earth/Christian slant)

I found a comprehensive Geology Curriculum Website today.  It holds an Old Earth slant with a Christian worldview.  The curriculum comes complete with Tests and Quizzes.  I hope you enjoy the freebie as much as we do.


HAPPY FREE HOMESCHOOLING!

SIGN LANGUAGE

TODAY'S HOMESCHOOL FREEBIE IS...

ASL University!

"ASL University is an online curriculum resource for American Sign Language students, instructors, interpreters, and parents of deaf children.

Feel free to use the various lessons and resources for self-study. There is no need to register or pay (unless you want documentation to fulfill high school, college, or continuing education course requirements).



"If you are a teacher I give you permission to use the LESSONS to teach your in-person classes. Enjoy! -- Dr. Bill Vicars"

It doesn't get much better than that!

FAMILY BONDING TIME GETS A REACTION!

We've recently had some time on our hands to watch television together as a family. We've had a few weeks of together time because we're all on break from college and the younger boys haven't started homeschooling full out yet.

We usually end up watching truTV. It's an absolute hoot and has been such a blessing! I know that sounds a bit odd to say about a television station but it's one of those channels where we can sit together as a family, eat popcorn and flip on a show that all ages can enjoy. My personal favorite is Most Daring because it never fails to whip us all into a frenzy. Every time I see somebody break a bone I roll up into a ball and cringe because it brings back the memory of my own leg break. Our sons laugh at me every single time because I just CANNOT help myself. I've tried not to react but even on my best try I end up making a hideous face and gritting my teeth! LOL

The boys yelp and whack each other in the arm or leg when something amazing happens out of the blue. We all laugh and make hysterical faces at each other during that show and others on truTV.

Even before the station began running their "physical reaction" commercials our family knew this was the one stop channel to turn up the emotions and reactions in our household. Of course, raising 5 sons has that effect on a household. We basically raise the roof every time we view a truTV video which is why I caution all the parents out there. The stories are real and WILL create a buzz in your living room. If you're looking for bonding time with your kids, this channel will do it for you. If you are looking for a quiet evening with no reaction, turn the channel!

MICHIGAN HOMESCHOOL PROM CRUISE!

Last Friday the Inaugural Michigan Homeschool Prom took place on the Elegant Detroit Princess Riverboat.

Kazz is 16 years old, considered a Junior, but is about to graduate from college with an Associate of Business Degree; so the standard "Senior" prom isn't something that would fly in the Homeschooling world. That is why this prom is a Freshman - Senior Prom. Homeschool Alumni under 21 can also attend as well as friends of homeschoolers.












There were teens in attendance from all over Michigan and Northern Ohio. Kazz and his friends are pictured above at the Detroit Renaissance Center. Kazz and his girlfriend, Beka, are to the right on the deck of the ship. The rest of the crew are pictured below in our yard. What a gorgeous bunch of unsocialized homeschoolers! LOL





Brian and I found out a while back that it is becoming more and more common for homeschooling teens to attend a Statewide Homeschool Prom. We decided that it would be a fun thing to plan a Michigan Homeschool Prom too, so that is exactly what we did. It went so well that we are now officially the Michigan Homeschool Prom sponsors. If you build it, they will come...and they did! :o)


If you know of homeschooling teens who live in Michigan or Northern Ohio who would like to attend the 2010 Michigan Homeschool Prom Cruise on April 30th please feel free to let them know. They can join the Facebook site for updates.



The view from the boat was absolutely amazing. We passed under the Ambassador Bridge twice during the cruise portion of the evening. We began the cruise when it was daylight and it ended after the sun had set so we were all able to get a lot of opportunities for sunset photos. Brian and I took advantage of that.



Here are some highlights of the dancing that occurred that evening. All of this fun took place with clean modern music too...who would have thunk it? :o)

I can't get over how pretty the boat was and how smooth the ride was that evening. I had never been on a Paddle boat. I didn't really know what to expect, but it was a pleasant surprise to find out that I couldn't feel the boat moving at all while inside the ship.




When I looked outside I couldn't tell we were moving either. It wasn't until I walked outside that I could appreciate the movement as I enjoyed the evening, breeze. It was a night to remember, though it took me 2 days to recover. The toe right next to my left big toe was numb for those 2 days and I have vowed to wear comfortable shoes next year...and I'm going to stop chaperoning long enough to dance with my husband at least once also!

Hope you all can join us next year too! :o)

DO ANIMALS FEEL LOVE?

There are many people who believe that animals are not capable of remembering caretakers, feeling love or building attachment. After only one year of care, a lion is set free into the wild. Did he form a bond of love with his caretakers?

If there were ever a doubt, I give you this.

HOMESCCHOOL FREEBIE: COMPUTER PROGRAMMING

Alice Computer Programming Software

This website offers "Alice" - free educational software from Carnegie Mellon University that teaches students computer programming in a visual, 3-D environment. It makes it easy to create animation for interactive games and videos and much more. The description from the website best explains it:

"Alice is a freely available teaching tool designed to be a student's first
exposure to object-oriented programming. It allows students to learn
fundamental programming concepts in the context of creating animated movies
and simple video games. In Alice, 3-D objects (e.g., people, animals, and
vehicles) populate a virtual world and students create a program to animate
the objects."

HAPPY FREE HOMESCHOOLING!

FAMILY MEMORIES REMAIN FOREVER

Plays, Musicals and Artistic Performances have long been my favorite kind of entertainment. Not only are they mine, but my children always enjoy the sights, sounds and experiences we have when we attend these art filled evenings together as a family. I believe that the arts bring about emotion that can feed the soul of our youth. It inspires direction and passion that enhance knowledge with experience and feeling about a certain subject or genre.

When Brian and I plan a vacation for example, we make it a point to see at least one artful production in the city or state we are visiting. We saw La Cirque du Soleil® — La Nouba in Orlando when we went to Disney World with our children and hope to see Cirque du Soleil and a few other Las Vegas Shows when we take our next vacation.

When we took the boys to the Cirque performance, Brian and I had as much fun watching the faces of our children as we did watching the performance on the stage..in the air...in the water! It was Amazing! Our sons still talk about their experience there and have mentioned more than once that they want to go back. THAT is the kind of family vacation that means something. It knits a family together with memories and experiences.

When you visit Las Vegas, rest assured that a show playing in Vegas is something that will not be forgotten. They have a way of etching their memory into the soul. When going on vacation with the family, isn't that exactly what we are hoping to achieve? We are trying to build memories that will last a lifetime. Vegas Shows are an absolute must if that is the goal of the family vacation. They will be talked about for years to come and could very well begin a tradition that will go on well after we have left the building. Grab a ticket and watch the memories accumulate. You won't regret it.

HOMESCCHOOL FREEBIE: ART LESSONS AT ARTYFACTORY

Artyfactory has a wealth of information from color theory (both technical stuff
like the color wheel and the emotional impact of colors in painting) to a
thorough overview of African masks and Egyptian hieroglyphs, shading
techniques in pen and ink, etc.

This site can be used directly as reading or coursework for a high school student.

HAPPY FREE HOMESCHOOLING!