Poetry

Here are some websites related to understanding poetry.

Daily Writing Tips 36 poetry terms found at the following address: http://www.dailywritingtips.com/36-poetry-terms/

Glossary of Poetry Terms http://www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0903237.html
English Poetry Terms http://quizlet.com/23128245/english-poetry-terms-flash-cards/
Poetry Terms with examples http://quizlet.com/20303504/poetry-terms-examples-flash-cards/

Accelerated Reading (AR) for Homeschoolers

The AR program encourages students to read and then read some more.  Students are able to determine the reading level of books by using the AR Book Finder website http://www.arbookfind.com/UserType.aspx .  To understand more about the AR program for schools see the Renaissance Learning www.renlearn.com/ar.  This program is not accessible to homeschoolers, however there is an alternative given in the Five J’s blog http://fivejs.com/free-online-accelerated-reader-program/   called Book Adventures. http://www.bookadventure.com/home.aspx  sponsored by Sylvan Learning. 

History of a Sextant

While reading Carry on Mr. Bowditch, we researched the History of a Sextant and found this information compiled by Peter Ifland.

So what do navigators need to find their position on the earth’s surface by observing the stars?
1. They need an Almanac prepared by the astronomers to forecast precisely where the heavenly bodies, the sun, moon planets and selected navigational stars, are going to be, hour by hour, years into the future, relative to the observatory that prepared the almanac, Greenwich, England in modern times.
2. They need a chronometer or some other means of telling the time back at the observatory that was the reference point for the data in the almanac,
3. It is the cartographer’s job to provide accurate charts so that navigators can establish their position in latitude and longitude or in reference to landmasses or the hazards of rocks and shoals.
4. The navigators need a quick and easy mathematical method for reducing the data from their celestial observations to a position on the chart
5. Finally, navigators need an angle-measuring instrument, a sextant, to measure the angle of the celestial body above a horizontal line of reference.

How do navigators use the stars, including our sun, the moon, and planets to find their way? Well, for at least two millennia, navigators have known how to determine their latitude — their position north or south of the equator. At the North Pole, which is 90 degrees latitude, Polaris (the North Star) is directly overhead at an altitude of 90 degrees. At the equator, which is zero degrees latitude, Polaris is on the horizon with zero degrees altitude. Between the equator and the North Pole, the angle of Polaris above the horizon is a direct measure of terrestrial latitude. If we were to go outside tonight and look in the northern sky, we would find Polaris at about 40 degrees 13 minutes altitude – the latitude of Coimbra.

In ancient times, the navigator who was planning to sail out of sight of land would simply measure the altitude of Polaris as he left homeport, in today’s terms measuring the latitude of home port. To return after a long voyage, he needed only to sail north or south, as appropriate, to bring Polaris to the altitude of home port, then turn left or right as as appropriate and “sail down the latitude,” keeping Polaris at a constant angle.
http://www.mat.uc.pt/~helios/Mestre/Novemb00/H61iflan.htm

Poetry

Here are some links for teaching and writing poetry. Enjoy!
Daily Writing Tips 36 poetry terms found at the following address: http://www.dailywritingtips.com/36-poetry-terms/
Glossary of Poetry Terms http://www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0903237.html
English Poetry Terms http://quizlet.com/23128245/english-poetry-terms-flash-cards/
Poetry Terms with examples http://quizlet.com/20303504/poetry-terms-examples-flash-cards/

American Literature

American Literature http://public.wsu.edu/~campbelld/amlit/aufram.html This time line offers information on authors, a timeline, and other information.

British Literature

Literature Timeline http://ai.stanford.edu/~csewell/culture/britishlit.htm: This site is helpful to locate the time period in which authors were writing and also to note the prolific writers such as Shakespeare.  The time line appears to have been prepared by Standford University.

Literature Timeline http://www.socsdteachers.org/tzenglish/literature_timeline.htm: A literature timeline with a pictorial and historical presentation and includes other non-British authors.  I really like the British time periods presentation.

Study Guide.Org. http://www.studyguide.org/brit_lit_timeline.htm (British Literature Through Time) This site gives a listing of the time periods in British Literature.  Click on the period, for example, Victorian, and then review the general content of the literature, genre and styles, the historical context, and a list of authors.  Great site for a quick overview of British literature.

McIntosh High School offers British Literature for 12^th Grade http://www.myteacherpages.com/webpages/jkarcz/british_literature.cfm  This site offers a plan to review British literature by semester.

First semester, students will study English literature from Old English through the Eighteenth Century.  Second semester study will focus on the Romantics through the Twentieth Century.

The site gives a referral to a literature book at the following site http://www-pvhs.stjohns.k12.fl.us/teachers/rolandd/downloads/FOV1-00049CB5/Activation%20Codes%20for%2010th%20and%2011th%20Texts.pdf

Reading Online

Nook App                            

The Nook App is available for an iPad, iPhone, PC, Mac and more http://www.barnesandnoble.com/u/free-nook-apps/379002321/  There is a 14 day free trial offered. (as of March 2012)

Nook Reads in English and Spanish

Nook Kids Read to Me  http://www.barnesandnoble.com/s/?fmt=k2&store=ebook&cat=833709

Some of these books are for free.

Spanish Books on Nook –http://www.barnesandnoble.com/s/?cat=833709&dref=4679&fmt=k2&store=EBOOK

Books on Nooks

Text Books Online

I have recently discovered that there are new and used text books available as e-text books which may be helpful to those of you homeschooling abroad.  The Barnes and Noble site offers these e-text books.   The Nook Study offers a 7 day trail before you rent or buy books.   http://www.barnesandnoble.com/u/etextbooks-digital-textbooks/379002516

Nook App

The Nook App is available for an iPad, iPhone, PC, Mac and more http://www.barnesandnoble.com/u/free-nook-apps/379002321/  There is a 14 day free trial offered.

English Literature

Around the World in Eighty Days by Jules Verne

This is a great book full of adventure and humor.  I hope that you will enjoy reading it.   Here are some folks who traveled around the world in boats, balloons and other means of transportation.  Enjoy the sites and sights!!

Who went Around the World and How?

• Nellie Bly in 1989 – female Phileas Fogg – traveled around the world in 72 days, a journalist for the New York World  www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/world/peopleevents/pande05.html
• David Clark, the oldest man to circumnavigate the globe single-handedly, in a boat.  www.bluewaterweb.com/news/5-02clark.htm
• Steve Fossett traveled along the 40 degree south parallel in his balloon www.geography.miningco.com