The Hobbit

The Jedi and I have been working on a really fun Hobbit curriculum the last several weeks.  He's enjoyed reading the book and seeing the movie.  Last week I assigned him an essay on dragons and asked him to either draw or make a dragon to go with the essay.  He chose to make an origami dragon which turned out pretty cute...sorry, that doesn't sound very boyish.  The dragon turned out scary, well, that's not right either seeing as it's made of paper.  Anyway, I scanned his essay because he is really improving in cursive writing (something public school taught for three weeks and then never required him to use again). 

Historical Fiction - Courageous

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Courageous

 by the Homeschool Jedi

            “I caught one!” Natan exclaimed as he drew in an immense fish from the Sea of Galilee. 

            “Ha, ha,” Eli chuckled, “that makes five fish today, yet you caught the biggest Barbel of all my fishermen!  It is payday today and you have earned ten denarii!  Your father would be so proud.  Go buy some bread and your welcome to use my net to catch some fish for your family. Tell your three sisters and your mother I said, shalom!”

            “Thank you so much!” Natan called out on his way to the market.  With his money, the thirteen year-old boy bought five loaves of barley bread.  After catching fish with Eli all day, Natan was disappointed to come up with only two Sardines in the nearby lake.

            While cleaning Eli’s net, Natan thought about his family.  Natan was glad that his family knew Eli, as he was the only one who survived the terrible storm in the sea when his boat capsized, killing Natan’s father.  Natan clearly remembered the day when he was five years old and Eli swore to protect Natan’s family.  Natan thought of what Eli always says, “Your father would be so proud.”  Eli is right, Natan thought, my father would be proud.  I took over his job to keep food on the table because we all know mother’s sewing is not enough.  I’m proud to be my father’s son!

Suddenly, Eli’s gentle hand tapped Natan’s shoulder; “I’ll finish with the net later, but for now, follow me.” Eli said.  Natan obeyed Eli’s orders.  “We are going to see Jesus.  He has been healing and teaching in Galilee since this morning, and a crowd has been following him all day long.  If we hurry up, we might be able to get to a position where we can see and hear Jesus.”

            Natan had heard of this Jesus man and knew others were calling him the Messiah.  Natan knew the prophecies of Isaiah about the King of Kings, and so far, Jesus was meeting every description.

            Natan followed Eli into a massive crowd of people.  Eli said, “Listen closely, Jesus is teaching about repentance and eternal life.”

            Natan was shocked!  Eternal life?  Natan asked Eli a question, “What does He mean, eternal life?”

            “Patience, you are a smart boy, you will learn what He means.” Eli replied.

            In the center of the crowd, Natan could see Jesus smiling at the people as He talked about Salvation.  There were well over five thousand people!  The same crowd of people had been following Jesus around all day throughout Galilee.  Having not seen anyone stop and eat all day, Jesus asked His apostles to look for food because He knew the crowd was hungry.

            “Jesus’ apostles are looking for food.  Would you like to give your bread and fish to them?” Eli asked Natan.

            Natan pondered, What about my household, my three sisters need something to eat.  This bread cost me two denarii; we need the other eight for clothes, and…

            A tall, strong man asking for food interrupted Natan’s thoughts.  “Andrew!” Eli exclaimed, “I haven’t seen you in ages.  Natan, this is Andrew, I did business with his father.”

            “Uh, hello.”

            “I have come here looking for food for Jesus,” Andrew said, “Do you happen to have any?”

            “NATAN,” a gentle, but booming voice said inside his head, “GIVE YOUR BREAD AND FISH TO ANDREW”

            When the voice vanished, Natan looked around to see who said it, and who else heard it. When Natan realized God said it and nobody else heard it, Natan gave his food to Andrew. “Good choice, your father would be so proud, and so am I,” said Eli.

            Andrew went running back to Jesus.  “Sir, a little boy has given two small fish, and five small barley loaves, but not everybody will get enough food.”  Jesus did not reply because He was in prayer. When He finished, He broke the bread and fish and separated them into separate baskets.  He told the disciples to hand out food to everyone. 

            “Look at what you have done!  Everyone is filled!” Eli exclaimed.

            The disciples collected all the uneaten leftovers, and twelve baskets were filled!  “Jesus, how about we give the leftovers to Natan.  He is very courageous and today has lived up to his name, ‘to give’,” said Andrew.

            “Eli,” Natan started, “I have learned that God can do a lot with a little, and I can’t thank you enough for bringing me here today.”  Natan knew and believed that Jesus was God’s Son.  He couldn’t wait to share the incredible story with his mother.

            “Natan,” Andrew yelled, “Jesus wants you to have the leftovers.”

            Natan was shocked as he stared at the baskets of food, “Eli, could you possibly bring your family over for dinner tonight?”

            “I’d be honored,” Eli responded.

That day, Natan learned that when you listen to God’s voice, He gives numerous blessings.

Mesa Verde

Mesa Verde and the Anasazi People

In southwest Colorado, Mesa Verde National Park holds historical evidence of early Native Americans.  Mesas, flat plateaus, cover this eighty-one square mile National Park.  It is a significant place that helped shape America’s Native American history.

            Mesa Verde, Spanish for “green table,” is roughly one and a half miles above sea level.  The park collects ninety inches of snow a year and has temperatures ranging from fifteen to eighty-five degrees Fahrenheit.

The Native American tribes that lived in Mesa Verde from the sixth to twelfth century were called the Anasazi people.  The word Anasazi means “ancient enemy,” but due to the negative meaning, these Native Americans became known as the Puebloans.  They came to Mesa Verde to defend themselves from their enemies, the Cheyenne Indians in the sixth century.  The Anasazi people first built their houses on top of the mesas, but they soon built houses within the cliffs along the sides of the mountain to protect themselves from rain, snow, and falling rocks.  They built the houses out of wood and stone covered with adobe, a mixture of dirt, ashes, and water used as cement.  Their religious and family events took place in kivas, which are circular dwellings built underground.

A kiva

Ladder to climb down into the kiva

The women made baskets and pottery used for storing food and water and cooking. They cooked food in the baskets by heating a stone and placing it in the basket with the food and water.  The stone would heat the food in the basket and cook it.  They cooked food in pottery by placing pots over the fire until the food was cooked.  The men planted crops on the fertile mesas and hunted bison throughout the land.

The Anasazi people believed that the sun was their god.  It is for this reason that they built their cliff dwellings facing the East, the way the sun rises.  Another reason the Anasazi faced their dwellings toward the East was to avoid wind, which blows from the West to the East, and absorb the most heat possible.  The Native Americans climbed up the mountainside to protect them from wild animals.  They scaled the mountain by making notches in the rock to grasp as they climbed.

The Anasazi tribe did not have running water and just had one spot to relieve themselves.  This caused sickening hygiene problems, which killed people because they had no cure for the infections.  Another common health problem for the Native Americans were dental complications.  A severe drought came and forced the Anasazi people to move out once and for all around 1275.

On December eighteenth, 1888, Richard Wetherill and Charles Mason were looking for lost cattle when they stumbled along Mesa Verde.  They took mummies, arrowheads, axheads, clothing, and pottery to archaeologists to study and determine the mysteries of Mesa Verde. 

On June twenty-ninth, 1906, President Theodore Roosevelt proclaimed Mesa Verde as a National Park. Roosevelt said he made it a National Park to “preserve the works of man”.

The people of Mesa Verde, its discovery, and its transformation into a National Park are things that both helped shape Native American history and our country’s memoir.  Preserving one of America’s National Parks is a great responsibility so the cliff dwellings can be enjoyed for generations to come.

Bibliography

Crewe, Sabrina and Anderson, Dale. The Anasazi Culture at Mesa Verde. Milwaukee, Wisconsin: Gareth Stevens Publishing, 2003

 “Dec 18, 1888: Wetherill and Mason discover Mesa Verde,” n.d. Accessed November 27, 2012. http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/wetherill-and-mason-discover-mesa-verde

“Mesa Verde National Park.” n.d. Accessed November 27, 2012.  http://www.desertusa.com/ver/du_ver_map.html

 “Stepping back in time.” 2010. Accessed November 27, 2012.

http://www.visitmesaverde.com/mesa-verde-history.aspx

Happy Halloween How-to

 

How to Make Twinkie Mummies

A Twinkie Mummy makes a quick, easy, and edible Halloween craft and snack.  All you will need are twelve ounces of white candy melts, two boxes of ten Twinkies, twenty lollipop sticks, a cookie sheet, wax paper, one Ziploc storage bag, forty candy eyes, twenty gift bags, and twenty twist ties or ribbons. 

First, dump the candy melts into a microwavable bowl.  Melt the candy in the microwave on fifty percent power, stirring every thirty seconds until the candy is entirely melted.  While the candy is melting, unwrap the Twinkies.  Lay the Twinkies on a cookie sheet covered in wax paper so that you will not ruin your workspace.  As soon as the candy is melted, dip a lollipop stick into the melt, and then stick it three-quarters of the way into the Twinkie. Then, preform this step to all twenty Twinkies.

Afterwards, pour the melted candy into a Ziploc storage bag and cut a hole in the corner of the bag.  The size of the hole depends on how thick you want your Mummy’s wrappings to be.  A small hole produces small wrappings, while a thick hole creates thick wrappings.  Squeeze the candy melt out of the bag onto the Twinkie; moving the bag back and forth to make the Mummy’s wrapping. Do not cover the Twinkie completely with the candy melt so you can still see the yellow of the Twinkie.  Next, place the candy eyes onto the top third of the wrapping.  You can choose to do this to all Twinkies at once, a few at a time, or one at a time. 

Finally, position all the Twinkies in the refrigerator.  After five minutes have passed, take the Mummies out of the refrigerator and knock off the excess candy melt from the sides of each Twinkie.  Insert the Mummies into gift bags, and use the twist tie or ribbon to close the bags up. 

Voila!  The Mummy you have just made is an appealing Halloween snack.  Enjoy making and eating these delicious Mummies with friends and family.

There's Always Drama in My Town!

            

Better Than Broadway

Have you ever seen a show at the Springer Opera House, the State Theatre of Georgia? Every year, the Springer hosts a season of musicals and dramas.  Both genres are filled with exceptional shows and extraordinary actors from Columbus.

Many of the actors and directors at the Springer are from Muscogee and Harris County and all are as talented as the ones on Broadway.  In fact, Shane Hall, choreographer of the current show 9 to 5, was in a National tour of Cats as Mr. Mistofelees.  Paul Pierce, producing artistic director of the Springer for twenty-five years, has directed over two hundred shows at the Springer.

Another reason you should see a show at the Springer is because they are always entertaining.  Ron Anderson, director of the Springer Children’s Theatre and Academy, is an extremely funny person.  He has an ability to make anybody laugh.  The shows at the Springer Children’s Theatre are sometimes based on books.  Mr. Ron has adapted many books into plays for the stage.  Two of my favorite works by Mr. Ron are Little-Baby-Snoogle-Fleejer based on the book by Jimmy Carter and Oliviatown by Allen Levi.  The show that is currently on stage, Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing, is based on the novel by Judy Blume.

           

The shows at the Springer Opera House are educational as they teach a lesson in every show.  Last season’s show show, Amazing Grace, taught listeners not to judge people on the outside or by their skin color.  Damn Yankees taught the audience to be content with who you are and what you have.  

The State Theatre of Georgia is a historic landmark.  Columbus should be proud to have a theatre rich with history, filled with abundant talent, and packed with entertainment.  If you’ve never seen a show at the Springer, call Becky, my friend at the box office, today!  You will be glad you did!

springeroperahouse.org

Personal Narrative

An Extraordinary Opportunity

by the Homeschool Jedi

I had no idea what a Snoogle-Fleejer was, but if it had anything to do with the Springer, I wanted to be a part of it.  In February 2011, Mr. Ron, the director of the Springer Theatre Academy, invited me to try out for the play, The Little-Baby-Snoogle-Fleejer.  Mr. Ron adapted the play based on the book by former president Jimmy Carter.  Six other boys were competing for the part.  First, at the audition, Mr. Ron and Mr. Adam, a teacher at the Springer, started some warm-up games such as Zip-Zap-Zop and What Are You Doing.  Then, we had to read a monologue to Mr. Ron, and rehearse a scene with Mr. Adam.  Mr. Ron said that he would call us to tell us if we earned a part sometime in the next two days.  At the end of the try-out, my dad came to pick me up.  He went to Dunkin Donut’s and bought donut holes while I was at the audition and we ate them on the way home while we talked about the fun I had.

            Two days later, on the way to my sister’s dance practice, my mom got a call from the Springer.  My mom gave me the phone and told me to answer it.  When I picked it up, Mr. Ron asked, “Is this Joshua?”  I responded, yes, nervously.  He asked me if I would like to play the role of Jeremy.  Jeremy is the main character in the play, so it was an enormous opportunity to portray him.  I accepted the part and said thank-you.  After I hung-up the phone, my mom asked what part I was offered.  I told her that I was going to play the lead role of Jeremy.  Immediately, I called my dad and asked him to pick up my script at the Springer.

            I worked all day and night for two weeks memorizing the script.  By the first rehearsal, I already had it completely memorized.  My first rehearsals started the last week of February with only Mr. Adam, who would play The Little-Baby-Snoogle-Fleejer, and me.  The two of us completed a lot of blocking, and by the next week, we were ready to combine the entire cast.  The majority of the cast was in the seventh or eighth grade, but at the time I was only in fourth grade.  My character, Jeremy, had a disability called cerebral palsy and I had to wear a leg brace.  The leg brace covered my leg up to the knee and made it difficult to walk.  I fell a couple of times during the practices, so the set designers had to put stairs on the side of the stage so that I wouldn’t fall off when I walked during the show.  

 

            The first show for the cast was March 23, 2011.  My paternal grandparents came all the way from Colorado to see me on opening night.  I was so excited to be in a play at the Springer.  I felt like I was going to explode with anxiety, excitement, and nervousness.  The play was excellent, and nobody messed up his or her lines!  After we changed out of our costumes, Mr. Ron met with the cast.  He asked us, “What did we do well, and what could we do better?”  The whole cast agreed that we could all be a little louder, but other than that it was perfect.  As soon as our meeting was over, I dashed into the reception room where the audience was mingling.  My family told me I did a splendid job.  We went out to eat at an incredible restaurant near the Springer called the Black Cow. 

            In addition to the evening shows, the Springer hosted school performances.  We performed a dozen school shows, where over three thousand students were present to see our performances.  During one of the school productions, my elementary school attended.  It was neat seeing my sister and familiar faces in the audience.

            Unfortunately, the final show of the Little-Baby-Snoogle-Fleejer caught up with us.  My maternal grandparents and aunt came to see me at the last show.  After the production, Mr. Ron gave me a copy of the original Little-Baby-Snoogle-Fleejer book with signatures from the whole cast.  It was very sad to end the show’s run, but Mr. Ron said, “There will always be another show!”  I couldn’t wait for that statement to come true because I love the Springer and acting.

Meet the Fun-Guy (fungi)

Mushrooms

By: The Home School Jedi

Mushrooms from our yard

         Mushrooms grow in yards because of their main source, underground mycelia.  Mycelia are made up of two fused hyphae, tiny threads, which come out of spores.  The life cycle of mushrooms start with spores. Spores drop from mushrooms and fly into other yards.  The spores let out strands of hyphae that must find other hyphae that are compatible.  When two compatible hyphae meet, they fuse together to form mycelia.  Then, after a while, a mushroom gradually sprouts out of the ground and the life cycle starts over again.

Mushroom spores blow into yards from neighbors’ yards.  No matter where it lands, it will grow all over a yard.  The main source, underground mycelia, spreads out rapidly.  The sooner mushrooms are pulled out, the less chance spores will blow other places.  

The best way to get rid of them is not to pull them out of the ground, but to eliminate their food source.  Mushrooms feed off of dead plants, animal wastes, and old mulch.  They do not cause diseases in lawns, but do not make lawns look good either.  In a way, mushrooms help lawns because they are decomposers.  Decomposers are plants and animals that feed off of decaying material.

A way to eliminate mushrooms is to add nitrogen fertilizer to the mushrooms.  This helps because the fertilizer also decomposes so the mushrooms won’t have any food.  Another way to reduce mushroom growth is to pull them out before they can make more spores.  Some people want to spray mushrooms with fungicide, but it won’t work.

         Mushrooms are classified in different species.  Some mushroom species are edible, while others are not.  It is best not to eat any mushrooms found in yards for fear that they may be poisonous.

References:

http://www.weekendgardener.net/plant-diseases/mushrooms-090809.htm