Starting the New School Year With A Bang!

 Over the Labor Day weekend, we took a family day trip to St George Island.  It was our first time visiting the state park there.  Our son, his new wife, and their new baby puppy was also able to join us.  St George Island is very pet friendly.  We were able to take the puppy into the restaurant, though we did eat outside on the screened-in porch, which was perfect for us anyways.  They gave her a big bowl of cold ice water, which she was bewildered by, lol.

The state park was not packed, and there was plenty of room to social distance even if it was packed.  Such a beautiful beach and the seashells were amazing.  They have the largest sand-dollars I have ever seen, though I could only find broken ones, no whole ones.  

The first day of Grade 11 started for Caitlin on Tuesday, Sept 8, 2020.  She got into her FLVS Language Arts class, but not the Criminal Justice.  She was accepted just waiting for a seat.  Hopefully, this week she will.  We are still volunteering every Tuesday morning at WAG.  We have been taking a dog to the park on days that it doesn't rain.  Last week, Panda got to go.  She loved the park and what a sweet dog.  Not a bad way to start the first day of school.  Caitlin was not complaining.

Physical Education: Preparing for the Physical Fitness Test to be A Cop

 In one of the previous posts, I laid out what Caitlin would be doing for PE in grade 11.  The goal is to prepare her to take the Physical Fitness test to be a cop which is her desired profession.  The part for 11th grade is only the first part, and not nearly as intense as the second part will be.  If she masters all the steps before the end of 11th grade we will move on to step 2.  We had planned on buying a treadmill, but that has not yet happened because of our AC decided to die.  So, I went on the hunt for some indoor running videos for her to start working on towards the goal of the 1.5 miles run in 15 minutes.  The video below is the first one I tried.  I am not sure if it is 1.5 miles I will have to track it next time I do it, but I think it is more like a mile.  Eventually, we will run outside, but it is simply too hot for that right now.

Grade 11 Homeschool for Caitlin 2020-2021 School Year

As always our new school year will begin the day after Labor Day.  For the Summer Caitlin continues to work through Algebra 1. 

For the 11th grade school year, these are the classes Caitlin has chosen.

1-  Language Arts 3.  This year she will be doing Language Arts on FLVS.  She does much better with writing when I am not prompting and teaching it to her.

2-  Algebra 2.  We are sticking with ALEKS.  It works for both of us.

3-  PE:  PE for this year will be in preparation for the Physical Fitness Test required to be a Cop.  I will be posting what our routine will be probably next week.

4-  African American History.  This is a 1/2 credit elective option.  I will be posting our curriculum choices soon.

5-  Nutrition.  This is also a 1/2 credit elective course.  I will be putting this class together for her as I want her to focus on other Nutrition info than just a basic course.  This course will be completed after she finishes the History course.  So in the second half of the school year.

6-  Criminal Justice.  This is a FLVS course and a full credit elective course.

World History: Armenia

Before I start the bit on Armenia, I would like to mention a few blogposts coming up within the next week. 

1-  What I have learned about maintaining a swimming pool.  I read an article about a woman who was very frustrated after buying a pool that she thought would be easy to maintain, and affordable.  I will give my top tips on how it is easy and while not really affordable, it can be manageable.

2-  Our vacation.  This one is a trip, LOL pun intended.

3-  Updates to the grade 10 portfolio for Caitlin.

4-  There will be posts mixed in as I start to research African American History.  As I stated this will probably be her 11th-grade History, topic, probably a 1/2 credit, and then she will do the World History in 12 grade as that one is taking much more time to prepare.  In Florida, a student only needs 3 credits in History, but it is an easy way to get in interesting electives.  Which reminds me I have to really take a look at what she has done so far and what she needs for electives.

5-  I also need to start creating a PE year-long credit course for her to prepare for the physical fitness test to be a cop.  She will repeat it in grade 12 as well. 

So, now to Armenia.  As I stated before I really need to pick up the pace of the number of countries I get ready in a week.  Right now I am only averaging one, as we are crazy busy this Summer with wedding preparations and a 3 week-long vacation.  I hope to get back to a more regular blogging pace. 

Of course, there is always the virus to worry about, and it is exploding in Florida.  With 15,000 new cases yesterday, ugh!  Anyway, back to Armenia.  For now, I am posting just videos, and reading material.  As I decide what other activities we will do I will update each country.  Right now cooking a traditional dish, is what I have decided on. 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Armenia

This video titled The Land of Noah is a full documentary on Armenia.

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Antigua and Barbuda

If you can imagine the most beautiful place you would love to visit, where would it be?  I have to say Antigua and Barbuda look absolutely amazing.  If you ever follow The Weather Channel during Hurricane Season, then you already know that Antigua and Barbuda are located in the Leeward Islands chain of islands.  One interesting thing I discovered about this country is that you can become a citizen via investment.  Don't worry I am not wealthy enough.  Apparently, you have to be extremely wealthy.  There is a video below just in case you are way more wealthy than me.

Like all the countries I will share, we will pick a local food dish to create.  There will be other activities, as well, I just haven't decided what.  At the rate, I am posting this curriculum won't be ready until she is a Senior, so I have plenty of time to prepare, lol.

I hope you enjoy the video options I chose for you.  There will always be a book option, also.



https://www.artoncapital.com/global-citizen-programs/antigua-and-barbuda/

World History and Geography: Angola

I better start posting faster, or it will take me forever to get through all of the countries in the world, lol.  Today, Angola is the topic.  Another very cool place with a pretty interesting History. 

This post may contain affiliate links.

Algeria!

Next up in our World History/Geography tour of Algeria.  There is a ton of history in Algeria, as well as wonderful and beautiful places to see and learn about.  I have shared some videos, books, links to learning more, and a whole Pinterest page of Algerian recipes.  I think we will try to definitely cook something from each country.  We have used cooking in our History lessons before, and it is a fun way to learn about other cultures.

https://www.pinterest.com/edwinarich/algerian-recipes/

https://www.britannica.com/place/Algeria

Albania for Homeschoolers

On to the next country, Albania.  I would really love to visit Albania someday.  It is such a lovely looking place, and it doesn't appear most tourists know much about it.  I am sure they have a busy season just like any other travel destination, but the quietness of this place is a huge attraction to me.  Check out the videos, and links.  This post may contain affiliate links.  Leave me a comment, especially if you have visited this amazing country. 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Albania

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Albanian_cuisine

Afghanistan

So, I decided to go country by country in alphabetical order just to keep it easier, as I find videos, books, etc for our World History and Geography classes.  There are so many cool things to see in the world.

There really is not much as far as videos to choose from on Afghanistan, for obvious reasons.  This UNICEF reporter, below, has some really cool videos on Afghanistan.  He has also great videos, in other countries, that I will surely use at different times.  You need to click the playlist to see all the videos in this series. This post contains affiliate links.

I hope you enjoy all the video choices I have made for you.  The last one on food is amazing!

The Impeachment of Andrew Johnson

Well since this week has mostly been about Impeachment in Current Events, that is what I shall discuss.  I am recording a little bit each day of the trial of Donald Trump for Caitlin and me to watch together.  But, I wanted to cover the other Impeachment Trials in USA History first.  There are two videos in the series, both about an hour-long.  We will be watching these tomorrow after we go check out a dog rescue to volunteer at. 

This is part of Civics and Government courses for homeschool high school purposes.

Wednesday A Week of Current Events

Well, for whatever reason the debate only recorded for 1 minute last night.  So, I had to adjust our day by watching clips and post-debate shows.  This was actually quite boring, lol.  I also had Caitlin follow the candidates on Facebook plus a few news organizations.  Each week she will have to go through her feed to see what topics they are all talking about and discuss with me.  The first primary votes are less than 3 weeks away.

Next week, and possibly longer, we will be recording and watching the Impeachment trial of President Trump.  I forgot to add one important event to the list below.  The whole Russian Government just resigned after President Putin attempted to make changes to the Constitution.

A Week of Current Events

I was supposed to have posted this yesterday, but I had it all ready and then I didn't hit publish.  So, it is a day late.

Use these topics to discuss the week's current events and how they affect our society.  You can approach it any way you see fit.  I try during discussions to not try to sway their way of thinking, especially politically.  It is much better in my opinion for them to make up their own minds on various current event topics.  Tuesday is the last Democratic Debate before primary voting begins.  I will be recording that and watching it with Caitlin on Wednesday.  Now is when the real fun begins, lol!  Tomorrow, I work so there will be no Fitness on Friday post.  I will sneak one in the following Friday.

My other website Health Buddy Melissa

American Government: Impeachment

As we continue with American Government studies, and with Impeachment a hot topic right now, this week for History we will be focusing on Impeachment.  The book below is a Citizen's Guide to the Impeachment Process.  There is also this resource, which is free.  I found some short, but good videos on Youtube as well.  We also will be watching the Joe Biden Town Hall, as well as recording the public impeachment hearings to watch next week.  Apparently, she has already been reading up on Impeachment, which surprised me because she says she hates History. 

She is still studying for a big Oceanography test next week.  I have added Language Arts from EP Homeschool to her curriculum.  It is laid out nicely, and if I am not available to help her she can just work through the days.  We will still do Quill, and independent reading as well.

There is no change to Math.  Next week will be the end of the first grading period. 

Crochet Soap Cozy for OCC or Other Charity

Here come the holidays, ready or not.  Our church does OCC every year.  At the last minute, I decided to use up unused yarn from other projects to make soap covers.  I like the soap covers because the soap goes right in, and frees up space in the box.  My husband travelled a lot for work this year so I have 48 bars of smaller soaps.  So my goal is to make 24 soap covers with 2 bars per cover.  I have 10 more to go.  I can't find the pattern I have been using, but you can use this one.  Next month I will try making pillowcase dolls for next year.  I don't sew, so we will see how that goes. See one of my finished covers below.  These soap covers or cozies as some people call them are fast and easy, and a great service project for youth.  You can donate these to any charity you love.  I do recommend you add a bar of soap to the cozy before donating.

This week we move on to the 3rd Amendment and I will post sources for that later in the week.  All other classes are progressing along.  She will be studying for a huge Science exam now until test day which is the Friday before Thanksgiving.  Her knee is still hurting at times, so she is only walking twice a week right now.

Around the World in 80 Days

This is a post for a friend who is looking for projects to go with the book.  I thought I had some resources on this blog, already, but apparently, I do not.  A lot of the resources out there are for younger kids but can be easily adapted for older kids.  I personally would do more with the culture of each place visited through research, writing and art projects.  I may actually use this for Caitlin for World History next year. Instead of making a passport, due to age, I may just have her get a passport.  Another thing I would do, for older kids, is to have them cook traditional food from each place visited.  There is a link to purchase the book below if you need it. Speaking of History, this week we start the 2nd Amendment.  This is a huge topic and we will spend several weeks on it.  I will post links for this topic later this week.  A lot of it will be video, discussions and then end with a writing assignment.  There is a debate coming up on the 15th, so that will be on our radar as well.  Caitlin is finally walking, again, so we are back to walking for PE.

These are all free resources, except for 1, and that is only $1.25.  The book is not free and is an affiliate link.  Some of these have extensive activities available and may take some time to weed through.

https://educationpossible.com/around-the-world-in-80-days-book-study-activities/

https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Around_the_World_in_Eighty_Days

http://blog.homeschooling-ideas.com/50-educational-board-games/

https://www.tes.com/teaching-resource/around-the-world-in-80-days-activities-11187960

https://www.thebarefootmommy.com/2017/05/global-citizen-kids-activities/

https://www.proverbialhomemaker.com/around-world-80-days-unit-study-free-printable.html

Democratic Primary Debate

We are still dealing with an injured knee.  I went and got her some crutches which has made her more mobile.  Today, for History class we watched the Democratic Primary Debate from the other night.  Now she is following all candidates, including President Trump on Facebook and must look at her feed at least once a week to see what each one is saying on social media.  She is a fan of Pete Buttiegeg since Tulsi Gabbard did not make it to the debate stage.  I made the short slideshow below to help her remember the process.  It is short and sweet and there is so much more to learn about the process.  You can watch it too!  Let me know what you think.  I am very new to creating slideshows, but slowly getting better, and faster.

Photography Challenge: Red

So, for last week's challenge, we both had to find something red.  I love taking pictures, so I can always think of something.  Caitlin, however, is a little more of a challenge.  I think she is the only teen girl that does not take a million photos a day with her phone.  We had a ton of rain this week, of course because we had family visiting, but it produced some lovely rainbows.  Then one of our resident Cardinals was on the front porch, in the rain, eating, and Caitlin found a ladybug in her room.  So, those are the 3 photos for this week honoring the color, red.  This week will be Orange. 
We are officially on Summer Vacation, and I have to start putting together a portfolio, and making sure I am prepared for next year.  The first Presidential Debates are at the end of June.  So, Caitlin and I will be watching, and discussing those, as part of her Civics and Government Class for grade 10.  Let the fun begin, lol!

10th Grade Language Arts Option

I have actually decided on my choice for 10th grade Language Arts, for Caitlin.  After much thought, it made much sense to me to have her prepare for the PERT, using the standards she would need to know.  The PERT does not really concentrate on her writing abilities, but rather on her ability to edit someone else's writing.  I think that is perfect for her at this point, and time.  Over the Summer she will do a short, one paragraph writing assignment, so that will give her lots of practice.  She did fair, with note taking this year.  Her studying could still use some improving, and techniques besides just looking at something and trying to remember it.  Below you will find the links we will be using for both Reading Comprehension, and Writing (Editing) for grade 10.  She actually reads quite a bit, not classical literature or anything, but stuff she is interested in.  So, I guess I won't quibble with that.  Our 9th grade school year is officially over.  She just has her History final Wednesday. Oh and our photography challenge for this week is the color red.

http://www.fldoe.org/core/fileparse.php/5592/urlt/0078248-pert-studentstudyguide.pdf

https://www.test-guide.com/free-pert-practice-tests.html

https://www.educationworld.com/a_lesson/edit/edit01.shtml

https://www.quill.org/activities/packs/31    This one looks particularly good!

https://www.readworks.org/  This one also was a top pick of mine.

Photography Challenge: Smile

So, this week the challenge was to take a selfie of yourself smiling.  Caitlin didn't quite achieve that as she hates taking selfies.  This next week the challenge is small backyard critters.  We are nearing the end of her 9th grade homeschool year.  I will be sharing my thoughts on the year, in a post that my evaluater uses in August.  I also will share choices for grade 10 on another day.  For Caitlin there isn't a whole lot of grading, as she could care less about a grade.  So, for her it will be completed, uncompleted, excellent, satisfactory, good, or needs improvement, along with a final grade of pass or fail.  I hate the needs improvement, because all things can always need improving, but without a grade, I have to have some option for a C grade.  Hopefully there won't be any C's, lol.  Over the Summer we will work on Writing, using short creative writing prompts.  Math and History, and tiny bit of French, are the only classes we are still actively completing. 

Photography Challenge: Sky

So, I am a little late posting these, lol.  Next week's topic is grass.  I still have not wrapped my head around how I am going to make grass look interesting, but I am up for the challenge.  Caitlin is still  not feeling this all that much.  I am hoping she will get more into it.  The night sky image is mine, and she took the daytime image.  I love to watch the clouds, and at night the moon.  There is just something mysterious about it to me.