...and a few other things. This week's theme is Playing with Words: the Language Arts. This year for Language Arts the boys and I are using Movies As Literature from Bright Ideas Press. My boys are 15 and 17 years old, in 9th and 12th grades.
Here is the explanation of this curriculum from Bright Ideas Press: "This complete, one-year high school English course uses classic movies on video to introduce and study the elements of literary analysis. Student discussion and composition questions are provided for each of 17 lessons, several of which can also be used to supplement studies in grades 7 and 8. Also included are an extensive teacher's guide/answer key, plot summaries, glossary of literary terms, and final exam. This course will not only give students the tools to appreciate good books more fully, but will equip them with the ability to discern underlying messages in movies rather than simply absorb them. Movies include: Shane, Friendly Persuasion, The Quiet Man, Arsenic and Old Lace, The Music Man, E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial, The Maltese Falcon, Rear Window, Emma, The Philadelphia Story, The Journey of August King, To Kill A Mockingbird, A Raisin in the Sun, Raiders of the Lost Ark, Henry V, A Man For All Seasons, and Chariots of Fire."
I like this curriculum. We did it before with my daughters, but we did it with a co-op. I could not do it with a co-op this time because no one would come to my home for this and we cannot afford the gas to travel to go somewhere else for classes. They boys have enjoyed the movies, that is the EASY part, but the boys have been struggling. We are doing well with the discussion questions as well. It is the weekly composition questions they are struggling with. They are both behind on writing their essays. Nathan is more behind than Christopher. When the get an essay completed they both confess that it was not as bad as they thought. Getting them to do it however is light pulling teeth. I have to be firm. I have to deny them access to their computers in order to get what I want out of them for school. 
Also, I was struggling with grading their essays and so my daughters volunteered to do that, but they have not graded any of the essays I gave them. I have to remind them and get them to do this for me. I have to encourage the boys to work hard on their essays and to begin making up the ones they skipped. This must be a priority for school. Otherwise I can't give Nathan his English credit for this year and he won't graduate.
Last year we did Teaching Writing/Student Writing Intensive Combo Pack Level C from Institute for Excellence in Writing It was a great preparation for the essays they are writing this year. We enjoyed that study very much. The boys did not have any trouble accomplishing the writing that was required with that. I hope to go back to some sort of writing from IEW next year for Christopher.... I just have to decide what. I would love to use Student Intensive Continuation Course: Level C but it costs $240.00. anybody want to buy it for us???
I will probably have to go with something much cheaper, probably one of these.... http://www.excellenceinwriting.com/hbw-t 
Besides Movies As Literature my son Christopher is doing Easy Grammar Plus Workbook. All my kids have done this book for Grammar in High School. Nathan finished it last year, Christopher started it this year. It is the most concentration of grammar my children do. Before doing Easy Grammar Plus the kids only do Daily Grams They work their way up from grade 3 in 3rd grade to grade 7 then do the Jr. High//Sr. High book in grade 8. Then they do Easy Grammar Plus in High School. I do not use the workbooks. They do Daily Grams orally with me, except for once a month. Once a month I have them write their answers so I have something to put in their portfolios. Well, that is it for us. I hope this helps one of the readers of my blog and/or this curriculum fair.
Here is are the links to all the posts in the Virtual Fair for this week's Language Arts topics... spend some time this week checking them all out.
Reading on Time by Cindy Horton @ Fenced in Family
Playing with Words: the Language Arts by Christa Darr @ Fairfield Corner Academy
Reading and Beyond: Language Arts in Our Homeschool by Laura O in AK @ Day by Day in Our World
Language Arts that Work for Us by Melissa @ Grace Christian School
Learning Language at Our House by Jessica @ Modest Mama
Virtual Curriculum Fair: Language Arts by Christine T. @ Our Homeschool Reviews
The Learning of Language by Dawn @ tractors & tire swings
Reading and Spelling: Modifying the Magic by Pam @ Pam and Everyday Snapshots
An In Depth Look at All About Spelling by Missouri Mama @ Ozark Ramblings
Virtual Curriculum Fair: Let's Talk About Words by Debra @ Footprints in the Butter
Why We Love Classical Conversations Essentials (and how I know that is not a complete sentence!) by Nicole @ Schooling in the Sun
Virtual Curriculum Fair---Playing with Words: the Language Arts by Angie @ Petra School
Whole Language vs. Phonics by Christine @ Crunchy Country Catholic
It's All About the Art of Language by Brenda Emmett @ Garden of Learning
Watching Movies for Language Arts Class by Debbie @ Debbie's Digest
Only 5 Spelling Tests a Year! (Can we do that?) by LP @ justpitchingmytent
Playing with Words by Chrissy @ Learning is an Adventure
Language Art at Our House by Joelle @ Homeschooling for His Glory
Virtual Curriculum Fair Week One Playing with Words: the Language Arts by Leah Courtney @ The Courtney Six Homeschool Blog
Playing with Words, the Language Arts by Cindy @ For One Another
Heart of Dakota - The Fine Details part 1 - Language Arts by Lynn @ Ladybug Chronicles
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4 comments:
I'll have to keep the Movies as Literature course in mind for when my kiddos are a little older.;0)
Thank you for joining the Virtual Curriculum Fair, Debbie, it's great hear from your experiences.
This looks like a neat course I'll have to check out for my high school aged son. I do love having him watch a movie after reading a book.
As for grading the writing, I struggle with that for my own boys. Our charter school covers the cost of Write at Home for my eldest son this year and it has freed up some of my workload. Maybe having a grading exchange with another homeschooler is in order. If the boys have their work typed up, I'm more than happy to give some feedback and use a rubric on it. Just let me know!
It's so nice to read about some new curriculum that works!
Movies as Literature sounds really neat! I'm sorry you're having trouble getting the boys to keep up with the essays, though.
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