Captured History

The hint of a trip to Costco is a dangerous proposition for me.  For a few years I intentionally did not renew our membership because of all that storage needed to accommodate bulk items.  Since we've recently moved to a more rural area, the bulk option now seems more appealing, especially when it comes to buying big bags of frozen fruits and veggies.

I clearly need a chaperone while shopping there, someone who is not afraid to sternly yell, "for crying out loud, STICK TO THE LIST" and slap my hand when I reach for an item not on the list.  The book section gets me every time.  I usually make note of books that look intriguing on my trusty phone and eventually bag a used, library or borrowed copy down the road.  It would be fun to meet the person or persons responsible for book buying at Costco; somebody has a good eye for just the right variety.

Over the years we've scored some great wall maps of the world/USA/solar system/animals of the world, etc.  in the Costco book section.  I was just staring at the U.S. map last night, mentally tracing roads of places we've been.  For some reason I like to see the whole world on a big sheet of paper laminated with plastic, too.  It stirs my curiosity and sets me to dreaming of far off lands.  I've been hanging out with Rick Steves in his travel books lately, perusing pages, planning possibilites.

Today's run to Costco for food resulted in this acquisition, kind of like going to the store for romaine lettuce and coming home with a Dachshund puppy.  Ok, not really, but in principle, maybe?

Capstone's Captured History series.  Their caption reads, "books in the award winning Captured History series view history through the lens of groundbreaking photos".  Bite-sized curated photo collections that catapult you to a different time and place and make the emotional impact of events more palpable.  So cool, I could not resist.  If the imaginary chaperone had been with me today and adroitly whispered, "PUT THEM DOWN", I would have punched him hard in the arm, hissed and said, "NO".  So much for sticking to the list or appreciating the services of a chaperone.  My resolve dissolves around books.  And puppies.

You may spy these in sets of three for around $10 at Costco.  On Capstone's website, each title is listed at $25.49.  I have only briefly thumbed through one of these this afternoon, but already paused on some remarkable photographs that I had never seen before and jumped quickly to the accompanying text describing the time and event.  These books deserve some quiet, concentrated time with which to study them.  They are targeted to the 10-12 year old and would make a terrific addition to any homeschool library.    

Reader's Odyssey

Welcome to our high school library.  The bookshelves from Target haven't arrived yet, so we are in stacking mode.  The books above represent just the beginning.  Over the last several weeks I've been scouring used book stores and hunting the Internet for used volumes.  We had a pretty good selection to start out with, but dare I say it?  Adding more books is FUN!  I love books.  I want the teenager to love books, too.  Heck, I want everyone to love books.  The world's best ideas are found in books.

My guide in this adventure has been Dena Luchsinger in her book below:

The Reader's Odyssey

Now that I have had to type or write "odyssey" on a few occasions, I think I may be able to spell it correctly from here on out!  It's one of those words.  Do you experience those?  Try Albuquerque.  Or intermittent.  Or awesome sauce.  I swear, "television" once looked strange to me.  

I have read this guide cover to cover twice and still go back to reference it when needed.  She has presented a terrific literary program for the middle and high school years that is easy to tailor to your child's favorite genres, interests, and reading abilities, all with a hefty dose of classics and modern classics sprinkled in.  I highly recommend this guide if you are hovering in the middle/high school years of homeschooling.   

Why classics?  Because they have withstood the test of time and they harbor the great ideas of the deep thinkers, the flowing conversation over time that builds upon itself and in turn makes us better thinkers and problem solvers, if not at least more attuned to the human condition.  I wasn't exposed to many classics while growing up and wish I had been.  I really do believe they lead to a better understanding of life.

After assessing the teenager's favorite genres (science fiction, mystery, action/adventure, fantasy, humor, how-to, coming of age, dystopia, and psychological thriller), I asked him about his interests.  Those are animals, outdoor adventure, music, friends, reading, writing, food, movies, military, technology, engineering, construction, politics.  It is not much of a challenge to blend the genres and interests into a giant Venn diagram and figure out which books past muster.  Ms. Luchsinger stresses building a large library over time containing the the genres and interests that suit your child, but also to reach out beyond those parameters and cover more territory. 

The idea is to ask your child to read from the library at least an hour each day.  You can set up expectations such that they will read a certain number of classics, short stories, essays, dramas, nonfiction, etc. over the semester.  Perhaps this has been the most challenging part so far, determining a reasonable expectation over a semester for number of books to read.  The beauty of this program is that the child can choose books he or she likes, often trying on a few for size before hopefully finding one that sparks some zeal.  He or she can re-read books to a heart's content, as long as the baseline expectations for number of books is met. 

For the first semester of ninth grade I'll ask him to write a short, paragraph-long summary of each book and keep a log and rating of what has been read.  Gradually over his high school career, we will move into more literary analyses and writing.  I appreciate the author's take on literary criticism; she feels that criticism for the sake of criticism is nonsense.  What IS important is how the book impacts the reader and on what level.  That's plenty of fodder for some deeper exploration as the books get absorbed and we'll have a lot of material to play with.

She does provide helpful tips and worksheets on analyzing literary terms and themes toward the end of the book.  She also has catalogued many classics as to their genre and difficulty level, which helped me tremendously in selecting books.  

So far I've amassed the following books, short stories, novellas and essays, typed in rather cryptic form:

Essays of E.B. White

Mila 18

A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court

Tarzan of the Apes

Murder on the Orient Express

The Uncommon Reader

Heart of Darkness

Short stories of Mark Twain

The Outsiders

Omnivore's Dilemma (young reader's edition)

Three Musketeers

Apollo 13

Biography of Malcolm X

The Time Machine

Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee

The Education of Little Tree

Where the Red Fern Grows (tissues ready!)

Brave New World

1984

Animal Farm

Watership Down

Enter Jeeves

Cheaper by the Dozen

The Hunt for Red October

Speaker for the Dead

One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich

Ghandi's autobiography

Beowulf

Autobiography of Ben Franklin

Starship Troopers

Strong Poison

Catch Me if You Can

Pudd'nhead Wilson

As I Lay Dying

Dracula

Frankenstein

Packing for Mars

Lots of Isaac Asimov

A Tale of Two Cities

The Oxbow Incident

Flowers for Algernon

A Tree Grows in Brooklyn

Healthy Eating Healthy World

Personal Best by George Sheehan

The Jungle Book

Johnny Tremain

The Incredible Journey

Death Comes for the Archbishop

A Passage to India

Criminal Poverty (plight of the homeless in America)

Traffic

The Count of Monte Cristo

The Princess Bride

The Animal Dialogues

All Creatures Great and Small

Life of Pi

Gorillas in the Mist

A Farwell to Arms

The Book Thief (one of my favorite books ever)

Night

Man's Search for Meaning

Dune (series)

The Stand

The Good Earth

All Quiet on the Western Front

Wizard of Oz

Alice in Wonderland

The Naked Ape

I Capture the Castle

To Kill a Mockingbird

Hiroshima

Winterdance by Gary Paulsen (hilarious)

Winnie the Pooh

Out of the Silent Planet

Midsummer Night's Dream

White Fang

The Dark is Rising

Of Mice and Men

Martian Chronicles

O'Pioneers

Boy by Roald Dahl

The Little Prince

Old Yeller (more tissues)

The Secret Garden

Freakonomics

What the Dog Saw

There are many more on the wishlist, so the hunt will continue at yard sales, used book stores, etc.  The reason I am not using the library for this undertaking is one of having access to all of these at once so he can choose what he wants to read by handling them, flipping through them, reading the first few pages.  Managing books on this scale at the library seems like a daunting task for me, so I decided to make the investment of time and dollars, although if you plan for this ahead of time, you can keep a running list with you and choose gently used books at much cheaper prices, or borrow from friends and family. 

Another level of wonderful here is that we can apply these books toward credit for other subjects.  Pretty much all the subjects!  Lots of history, social science, science present and accounted for!  To say I am stoked is a mild understatement.  I am looking forward to joining him on this reading adventure.

If you have any great book suggestions, please comment!  Share this list with others, too.  Spread the book love far and wide! 

Student-Directed Learning

It's late in the evening, feeling sleepy, so won't write up a long post.  This video jarred me into a more awake state, though!  It's an enlightening look at what education could be if turned over to the student(s).  I get excited to see such activity!  Please watch:

If Students Designed Their Own Schools

I am struck that the "administration" views this method of learning as novel.  The teachers seem surprised at the engagement of the students and the outcome of the experience.  A very loud message is not-so-hidden in there.

The tricky part for unschoolers/homeschoolers is arranging group activities like that which is demonstrated in the video.  It's awesome.

It is my fervent wish that every single child could experience learning in a similar fashion.  Our world would sincerely benefit from such interest and passion.

So It Begins

Spot-on perfect quote discovery this morning:

At least two basic requirements were met:  quiet, and an uninterrupted stretch of time for the mind to dwell on, and bend to its own variations, any event, catastrophe, or idea presented to it.

~ Sheila Ballantyne

Thank you, Sheila; I needed to read this.  I crave such time and yesterday I indulged for 8-10 hours!  Really.  I did.  Time spent in this manner lets you sink deep into a project so it swallows you up whole.  The reason for the cloistered existence yesterday?  HOMESCHOOLING HIGH SCHOOL, the three little words that can strike fear into the hearts of many.

I decided to pay some serious attention to the task at hand with uninterrupted time off.  Funny how much a mom is 'needed' in the daily running of a household.  Everyone survived and somehow managed to get nutrients into their bodies without me.  Pretty sure teeth didn't get brushed or any clothes got changed, though.  If anyone came near me, I growled :).  

As much as I've tried to wrap my head around the big picture of what homeschooling high school CAN look like, I've so far just succeeded in a bunch of random writings and ideas scattered all over notebooks and sticky notes.  The day arrived when something had to be done to conceptualize the entire plot of the story, or I was going to "lose the plot" as my friend, Caity, is fond of saying.

The above picture represents a technique that works for some people when conceptualizing or planning.  It sure works for me.  I am a huge fan of project boards wherein you can see everything in front of you, everything is at your fingertips, and you can move items around as you change your mind (which happens frequently).  The blue painting tape saved the day in this respect!

I brought everything into the office yesterday, jumped on the Internet and got down to the task at hand.  I plan to hang out in there today, too.  The poor teenager was on his own with respect to food yesterday, but that's good for him.  He can take care of himself pretty well when he has to.  

What you see on the wall is ideas for 9th grade.  English, social studies, science, history, electives, and math.  I am working off of state graduation requirements as a guideline and working backwards, but am also keeping in mind his learning styles and preferences.  I hope we can nail a balance of unschooled subjects alongside the exposure that I feel will broaden his worldview (like, um, math).  

Here's how it's looking so far, but I reserve the right to change it all up when I get back in there today ;):

ENGLISH

This is the year to fine tune some basic writing and grammar skills.  He's an avid reader, so I'm not concerned about vocabulary; that and grammar seem to fall into place if you read a lot.  Reading will be a cornerstone for the year.  

We're going to do an online basic paragraph/essay class (BORING) for some structure.  He'll probably hate it, but he can tough it out.  This will be spread out during first and second semester.

I hope that we can read WIDELY and WILDLY all year long and incorporate his readings into other subjects like history and science.  My heroine, Grace Llewellyn, gave me a lot to think about along these lines, so a good part of yesterday was spent researching literature options based on the teenager's interests and favorite genres.  I also referenced The Reader's Odyssey by Dena Luchsinger as a guide (which is excellent, by the way.) 

He's going to hit grammar a few times a week using Grammar Made Easy by Connie Schenkelberg, just to solidify all those participles and dangling things.  I may jump in for a review since I have a habit of writing using incomplete sentences.  Probably because I can't be bothered and that's the way I think - short and sweet, to the point.

I found a science fiction literature class for high schoolers through Brigham Young University which will last one semester.  He will really enjoy this class.

Textword Press and Excellence in Literature both offer some cool literature courses, but in the end, I think they will not be a good fit for us.  

MATH

We'll be utilizing Chalk Dust Math to finish up pre-algebra and move into the algebra realm.  You can find the used curricula on eBay for much cheaper.

SCIENCE

Schmoop has an online biology class I thought he would find interesting.  It's a great overview of cells, chemistry, genetics, evolution, ecology, microbiology, plants and animals.  The intent here is to expose him to different disciplines to see if he sparks on them.  When the spark catches, watch out!  That's the way it is with many unschooled kids.

I also grabbed a copy of Neil deGrasse Tyson's Cosmos on DVD.  We'll watch those for fun and see where they take us.  Many other resources will likely pop up over the year.

HISTORY

Still working out the details for history, but want to take a look at a world history perspective as an overview and see how everything fits together over time.  I find that stuff fascinating and am hoping he will, too.  Dr. Eugen Weber offers fifty two free lectures on world history called The Western Tradition at www.learner.org, and they are fantastic!  

Here is where literature comes into play, again.  We can read broadly and deeply within history.  I will encourage him to keep a running timeline on index cards so he can get the big picture.  Books like Eyewitness to History by John Carey are fantastic to have on your shelf.  Listening to great speeches or reading the works of Studs Terkel are stimulating activities, too.  I listened to a speech given by Senator Nixon yesterday and tried to put myself in the teenager's shoes to see what he might think about it. 

Some lit picks might include:  Up From Slavery, Night, Hiroshima, The Education of Little Tree, The Jungle, Apollo 13, Across Five Aprils, The Scarlet Letter, Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee, The Great Gatsby, Death Comes for the Archbishop (one of my favorites), My Brother Sam is Dead, etc.  

Movies can be a nice adjunct, too.  There are innumerable history resources that could intrigue him.  Even The Concord Review could be a fabulous find (compilation of essays written by high schoolers about history).

 My job will be figuring out how to assign credit to such activities and encourage further use of resources or study on/write about the subject matter.

ELECTIVES!!

He can go hog wild here.  A study of music and musicians using free Coursera courses, documentaries and biographies might happen. The Beatles and Jimi Hendrix come to mind since he is obsessed with the guitar right now.  

He wants to pick up some computer programming, so will work through the tutorials on Khan Academy for Java Scripting. 

I found some speech resources, too, if he wishes to go there.  Speech is a requirement in our state for graduation.  It's an online class wherein you send in audio recordings of your speeches.  We'll try to assemble some folks from the neighborhood so he can get some public speaking practice.

That's where I am at as of today.  Our calendar will be a six week on/ one week off revolving calendar; six week bites have worked for us in the past.  We will start at the end of August.

If you have any questions about these resources, send me an email or leave a comment.  I am still on the high of the quiet of yesterday!

Life Happens When You Least Expect It.

I really should have blogged through the last couple of months and events, but frankly, didn't have the gumption to do that.  My attention was most assuredly diverted to various complex and sundry projects like MOVING and SURGERY.  It happened all at once, too - as in simultaneous madness reaching a crescendo that you just can't quiet down until it's darn good and ready to hush itself.  You sometimes just have to strap in and wait patiently (PUN!) for it to wind down to a halt, even if you hadn't planned on spending a few months at the theme park on a thrill ride.

Slow down it has!  Life is GOOD right now.  We've moved to the mountains and I've healed well enough to feel almost up to speed.  An ultrasound in March revealed a large tumor on my left ovary.  I nicknamed it "the Dictator", sent in a team of surgeons with a DaVinci robot to extricate it, and am ever so glad it's all behind me.  Although large, the tumor was benign, a fact I learned after I awoke from the anesthesia.  The not knowing part sauteed my nerves a bit, but I really didn't have much choice other than to go in and see what it was.  I learned of the interloper after we were under contract to purchase this house and right or wrong, we elected to forge ahead.  Enough said!  This particular story has a happy ending, for which I will eternally be grateful.

Through it all we UNSCHOOLED!  See?  Moving, surgery and unschooling can absolutely co-mingle in a room together successfully.  I didn't even have time to introduce anybody, so instead chucked them all together and hoped they'd work it out on their own.  Since we were following an unschooling philosophy for most of the school year anyway, the teenager took the stressors in stride and carried on with learning the way he likes to.  On his own, with little interference from me.  Because of the surgery we, of course, spent a few weeks oblivious to any type of educating, but even then, in his own way, he found interesting subjects to pique his curiosity.  He also learned about mortgages, closing, packing, schlepping boxes, interest rates, paperwork, and stressed out parents.  He even got to see his mom on morphine the night after the surgery.  I remember trying to communicate with him, but I think my words were pretty slurred and I kept falling asleep mid-sentence.

We are almost settled in the new digs and are absolutely relishing the warm days, cool nights and the wild critters who run amok all over the property.  So far we've seen a giant wolf spider, two black widows, one rattlesnake, tons of birds, coyote, deer, and wild turkeys.  I keep waiting for the mountain lions and bears to join the party.  I am going to post a picture of the giant wolf spider.  If you don't like giant wolf spiders, I suggest you squeeze your eyes shut and scroll down a little further past the picture of the giant wolf spider because this one is a doozy.  She was on the wall of the house near one of the windows.  My husband refused to harm her, so he used a plastic box to move her away from the house.  I did not sleep well that night or the next, so had to figure out a way to come to terms with our new cohabitants.  I'm feeling pretty good about them - until I see the next one, that is.  BRACE YOURSELF:

Holy cats.

The teenager and I looked at all sorts of pictures of spiders online to figure out what this one was.  That's a good practice to help with a spider phobia of sorts, by the way:  immersion!  As near as we can figure, this is a wolf spider.  I'm told they do a good job of ridding the land of other unsavories; hopefully they don't lump humans into that category.

Onward, ho!  I've had energy to research options for ninth grade homeschooling.  We will be forging ahead into highschool, learning at home.  He's enrolled in an umbrella school which offers homeschooling families oodles of flexibility and options.  We'll likely do a mix of online classes, lots of reading, some computer programming, some writing, some guitar and drum playing, and some volunteer work for 9th grade.  Our advisor will help us assess the teenager's interests and learning styles and will offer suggestions for the year.  We can be as clever and as broad as we want to be and I am truly excited about what will take shape.

I ordered a series of Chalk Dust math videos and texts on eBay for the year.  That's the only item that is settled.  The rest is gradually forming as we brainstorm the endless possibilities.

On a much cuter note, after we moved we fostered two litters of kittens from the animal welfare department.  If you like kittens, you'll want to pause and linger over the next picture.  PDC.....pretty darn cute.  That's Ernie on the left and Tub on the right.  Yes, Ernie always sported that expression.  They just left today to get neutered and to move on to the adoption center.  We sure do wish them great families and long, healthy kitty lives.

Critical Mass

Critical mass is one of my favorite terms to throw into conversations from time to time to describe periods of intense stress or the general messiness of life.  I always thought it was kind of a funny statement, meant to make one step back and look at the situation for what it is and not get so wrapped up in it.

There is some weird karma that dictates stuff like this, don't you think?  A quiet day humming along nicely when out of the blue the phone rings, someone simultaneously presses the doorbell button, the dogs fly to berserk mode, cats scramble for cover, the dishwasher decides it's finished and starts beeping, and the teenager is yelling from his room that the Chihuahua pooped in the corner......again.

These interludes can last a mere couple of minutes to several weeks or longer.  That's just the way life plays sometimes and one must tell oneself that the topsy turvy will right itself eventually.  I used to be seriously affected by critical mass, but have learned to chill out and let it play out to its own rhythm and be more of an observer rather than a participant.  Try it - it's good stress management!

Critical mass is upon us once again for the next few weeks to months.  Some of this is self-inflicted, some came out of the blue.  I am doing surprisingly well!  So is Max.  Any general routine of homeschooling has left the building, but learning is still occurring on many different levels.  We are in the process of selling our house, moving to another one and preparing a third property for the market.  I almost always bite off big chunks and try to chew through them, sometimes having to spit some stuff out!  All of the real estate stuff was planned, albeit a bit impulsive, which is not unusual either.  We are excited about moving to a much quieter location with some space around us and lots of wildlife to study on.

In the midst of the packing and purging, I found out about a pretty good-sized mass lurking behind my uterus, shamelessly acting like a little dictator.  This coming week we are sending in a team of highly trained experts to take out the offending character and try to restore some normalcy to my system, for which I will be most grateful.  Now that the little beast has been discovered, a lot of symptomology makes perfect sense in retropect.

I started down the road of worry with respect to the teenager, wondering what, if anything, he might be learning during this time of distraction.  I shouldn't have even turned in that direction because he is clipping along on his own learning adventures as usual.  We've been learning about mortgages, titles, septic systems and leach fields.  We've measured spaces and converted inches to feet to see what will fit and what has to go.  He's been sketching up different ideas for his space and has plans to construct an outdoor area for the cats.  He's utilizing his awesome Tetris skills in packing up his belongings.  He's also doing a fair amount of cooking!  He has big plans for some archery practice, some trampoline time and exploring the woods.

In between he is still wondering and pondering, researching, practicing, growing.  This week he looked up state statutes about an issue important to him and wanted to engage in a debate about the law.  I suggested he write letters to those who have influence over such issues.  We attended a showing from the Banff Mountain Film Festival for two nights and were wowed by the determination of the filmmakers to get their messages heard.  What I see time and time again is that if he cares about it, he will unleash a learning strategy about it.  The beauty and rhythms of unschooling I am learning to trust in.  They are amazing!

When I'm back on my feet we will resume a math strategy using Khan Academy.  I've also selected several books we can read while I heal and put them all in a box that is set aside from everything else, marked "Mom and Max fun stuff".  Decks of cards, games, books, magazines.  I am secretly looking forward to a little rest after the surgery and hanging out with my kiddo, adjusting to the new surroundings.  I am also pumped about taking out a dictator :).

      

Thoughts About Being Busy

It seems that nearly everyone you talk to is "busy".  I hear comments such as, "this has been a crazy week!", or, "it's really coming out of the woodwork now", or, "I am so far behind".  I have been thinking about the commonality of these statements and how they seem to be the norm in many people's minds.  It makes for a good thoughtful study in what people prioritize or how they conduct daily life; I find all of this fascinating.

One of the reasons we chose to homeschool was to try and avoid the mad rushing about to get to activities, get homework done, practice the instrument, finish the book report, study for the test.  Mornings were a thorough drag when we had to be at the school building by 8:30 a.m.  The days clipped by so quickly and we felt disconnected from one another.  I do not miss the 'corporate' schedule at all and am sincerely grateful for the quiet time we get to spend at home without the perceived pressure of appointments/tasks/lists.  Homeschooling allows family members a great deal of freedom to live out their days in whatever manner they choose.  That quiet time also allows for plenty of reflection about what is important.

Now, having expressed all of that, I feel the need to tell you how busy we've become (and what we are doing about it)!  Just kidding.  Yes, the last two weeks have been unusual mainly because we're taking steps to move to another house and sell this one; busy under those circumstances is a given!  It's part and parcel of moving and I'm accepting it as the temporary status quo.  This too shall pass and we'll hopefully assume the more relaxed routine we've come to enjoy in a few weeks.  The move is worthwhile because we are motivated to downsize, purge, clean out and start fresh.  Stuff is overrated!  Clearing out the clutter has been liberating.  You should try it if you haven't ever gone on a clutter-purging rampage.  Craiglist and Freecycle have served this quest well.  Freecycle's mission is to keep things out of the landfill and that's something to be respected.

On top of purging, packing, parceling and planning, I have learned that I have a pelvic mass that is going to need to come out, sooner rather than later.  Yesterday I was rather wigged out about the entire ordeal and didn't function very well.  Today, after a good night's sleep, I have felt better able to make arrangements and keep moving forward.  The next few weeks will be 'different', but I'm confident we'll manage with the help of friends and family as needed.

I could complain about how busy the days have been, how buried we could feel with so many things to do, how worried I could get about having surgery, how worn out we could all become, but I am not going to that place.  I'd rather take one morning or afternoon or evening at a time and do what we can do and be happy with the process.  Someone said to me today that a life based on what gets done is not a life that should be pursued.  It's much more about learning and growing and spending your time immersed in activities you enjoy, hanging out with people you want to be with.  Unschooling suits that mission so well and I'm very glad we've been running with it.  

Khan Academy II and Update on Unschooling

Lots of homeschoolers know about Sal Khan's Khan Academy.  The format has changed a bit since we started making use of this resource, but the mission has clearly retained its vigor.  I am undeniably impressed with Sal's endeavor.  If you have never visited Khan Academy, you need to stop reading right now and head over there.  Here's the LINK, again.

We've been messing with the math tutorial.  It is FUN.  It is ENCOURAGING.  It is GENTLE.  The program meets you where you are at via a pretest and then proceeds to gently coax you to mastery over topics, slowly but surely.  It's brilliant in that it sets the learner up to WIN.  By the way, Lumosity is a barrel of fun, too.  Nothing like a little brain training to get a day started.

Math has always been received with reticence around these parts.  There's just not enough room in this here town for math and Max.  Somehow Sal has ingeniously managed to sell math to my reticent teenager by boosting his confidence, showing him that he can, in fact, 'get it'.  I could cry and hug this marvelous human named Sal.  He probably hears it all the time!  Math, at least in my mind, is a magnificent tool to help one carve out a unique worldview.  It is pattern, it is art, it is language, it is rhyme and reason.  I don't need Max to know how to do math.  I do, however, crave for him to be able to see what math really is and then decide from there if it's worth taking a closer look at.  Math is magical stuff.  Exactly the kind of cool, mysterious stuff that makes life worth examining.

This unschooling journey has been simply marvelous so far.  He is learning how to learn with what can be described as single-minded determination.  Having tackled many books, built a computer, fiddled with the speed cubing arena and countless other subjects in which he noses about, he is developing a strong drive to discover and understand.  That's exactly IT.  The point of an unschooled life is to discover and uncover as much as you wish.  I harbor a deep craving that every child could experience the freedom of learning dictated by one's interests.

Sir David Attenborough has hung out in our living room via Netflix lately.  Gosh, isn't he wonderful, too?  I could gush, but won't.  So many admirables out there to explore with.  This week, here is what has come up so far:  we've visited the Constitution and its amendments, the three branches of our government and their purposes, and that whole electoral college thing; we've projected forth into the future and talked about having your very own mortgage and what that entails.  "How long does it usually take to pay off a house?"  The thirty year answer was met with saucer eyes, so we talked about the pros and cons of renting.  Which led to us opening a credit card application that conveniently arrived in the mail today.  After careful examination of the fine print, we shredded it with glee.  Take that, credit card company!

Every day is different.  Some days are packed, some are nice and quiet.  A good friend asked when I planned to test Max, just so I know where he is at grade-level-wise.  We won't be testing him because it simply doesn't matter where he is grade-level-wise.  As his mom I see how he is conducting himself and based on that observation alone, I am confident that he will craft a life that fits his own personal standards, whatever they may grow to be.  Our internally-generated standards are more important than the arbitrary ones dictated by the school system.

I am one homeschooling mom who is grateful for people like Sal Khan and David Attenborough.  They epitomize what it looks like to live life in line with one's passions.  Imagine what the world would be like if everyone was given room to explore their very own interests?  Perhaps this all sounds a little 'Pollyanna-ish', but.......just imagine!  

Addicted to Speed Cubes

I should have saved my Rubik's cube from my childhood; the quality of the product then was probably more remarkable than the quality now.  How quickly the teenager picked up on the poor quality of the current Rubik's offering is something to be noted.  On a whim several weeks ago I grabbed a Rubik's cube at Target and brought it home, knowing that he likes to futz with objects in his hands (see the post on Fidgets if you have a similar kid lurking about your house.)

He took to it immediately and then.....his interest morphed to obsession levels, which is so often the case with this one.  Youtube video after video was perused and studied in an effort to master the 3x3x3 cube.  The cube was always in his hands; it's possible he slept with it.  I can't be sure.  With mastering it behind him, he moved on to such nomenclature as learning how to 'cut corners' and 'trim his time'.  I had no idea about the far-reaching underworld of speed cubing!  Apparently the world record for solving a cube is something inconceivable like just over 7 seconds.  Read that again.  Seven. Whole. Seconds.  Tick, tick, tick, tick, tick, tick, tick.  DONE.  I can't do anything worthwhile in 7 seconds. Maybe get out of a chair or think a thought?

Here's a clip from the 2013 Rubik's Cube World Record Championship held in Las Vegas (of course) in July of 2013.  This is showing Feliks Zemdegs from Australia knocking it out in 7.36 seconds.

A chart showcasing the winning times in various categories of the 2013 championship can be found HERE in case you are curious.

Speed cubing has developed quite a following and manufacturers are paying attention.  There are some pretty neat products out there designed to 'fly' in your fingers, the clever things that they are.  Once you figure out how to solve the puzzle, you can continue to entertain your brain by learning different methods for reaching the solution.  It's crazy fun for someone who likes a challenge and is intrigued by the possibilities.

It also fits into the kinesthetic scheme of learning.  For those types of learners, having an object in hand to manipulate provides a conduit for the brain to absorb new information, or so it would seem.  Thinking back to Max's toddler years, he almost always grabbed a lock of hair at his forehead to rub between his fingers when he was concentrating on something.  Even then signs of his preferred style of learning were making themselves known.

The Dayan 5 ZhanChi 3x3x3 Stickerless Speed Cube is all the rage over here.  It's on the Christmas wishlist and at this writing, is tucked away in one of the closets, waiting for a slick application of wrapping paper.  The Teenager is rather adamant about cubes being stickerless for better play.

3x3x3 Dayan 5 ZhanChi Speed Cube

Ten bucks is not a lot to spend for hours of concentration, skill improvement and good times (pun!) sitting around the fireplace with cube in hand.  There are many different manufacturers and models, some of which get pretty crazy!  I think the 2x2x2's are kind of cute:

2x2x2 Dayan ZhanChi 50 mm Speed Cube

Shengshou Pyraminx Triangular Puzzle

Curvy Copter Puzzle

Shengshou 7x7x7

And if you really want to push the envelope:

11x11x11 High Order Speed Cube

Cubes even come with 'some assembly required' and look like this.  One of these is under the Christmas tree this year, too:

A handy reference manual for solving all kinds of cubes by Dan Harris

If your child is so inclined, you can locate resources for puzzle solving on blogs, in forums, in Youtube videos or books.  

Here's a picture from yesterday, playing with his friends while waiting for a meal to arrive.  We moms rather like not seeing the phones/ipods/ipads/gaming systems make an appearance!

United States History Over Time Puzzle

On a recent trip to Barnes and Noble to scout books we saw this puzzle.  And then brought it home.  I do the same thing with lost puppies!

4D Cityscape's USA History Over Time Puzzle

The puzzle certainly required some feeding and care over the next four days.  We are now adding the 3D elements to the finished layers; up until this point it's been an enjoyable experience.

Overall the concept is good.  Assembling the first layer is helpful in visualizing how the US grew westward from 1783 to the 1900's.  You can start by separating the puzzle pieces by color and then build each section (the Louisiana Purchase in 1803, the Gadsen Purchase, the Texas Annexation in 1845, the Alaska Purchase, etc.)  It's interesting to build those sections in relation to one another and imagine our growing pains over time.

In the second layer you add the states according to historical order of statehood.  On top of some of the western states goes a little dollop of foam Rocky Mountains to add some dimension.  Finally, you get to place the tiny 3D plastic historical buildings and monuments all over the map.  The Empire State Building is pretty easy to spot, as is the Statue of Liberty.  However, the Thomas A. Greene Memorial Museum is not that easy to distinguish without following the numbering system; I'm not even sure that landmark actually has a representative tiny plastic building that we are supposed to ferret out.  These historical buildings and monuments are placed according to their dates of birth, too.

You can visit www.4DCityscape.com to learn more about each building or monument.  There are many puzzles to pick from.  Putting together the New York City puzzle would be a great activity before a trip to NYC!  We picked this up because it seemed interesting and fun to build.  It has been a satisfying family activity over the week.  There is something very pleasing about snapping a puzzle piece into its spot, do you agree?  It is addicting.  My husband is a whiz at recognizing shapes (he generally doesn't look at the box cover); I glance at the box cover every five seconds to try and find those pieces.  The teenager has paid quite a bit of attention to the puzzle because he's a puzzle person and enjoys all types of them.  Please excuse me - I have an urge to go put 3D plastic pieces into their spots.  Because I am addicted!

I also find it interesting that near the end of puzzle completion, you are absolutely certain there aren't enough pieces to finish the darn thing.  Maybe it's an optical allusion, but I always feel it and I'm almost always wrong.
 

Isn't the mini arch in St. Louis cute?  And there's the Willis Tower, too.

The easiest piece to recognize!

Makes climbing them seem easy :)