Quiet, Right? Look here!

Ben contributes money saved from tooth fairy and lemonade stands to Riverhead Foundation affiliated with Atlantis Marine World. Total contribution (given in Boy Scout popcorn can in cold, hard cash) exceeds $60.

BEN’S SYLLABUS FOR THE YEAR
(Created by his mom with help from E. D. Hirsch's Core Knowledge series and Books to Build On.)

August
• Writing Theme:
Years from now: what will I remember from my experiences this summer?
• Social Studies:

• Deserts

• Plants and Animals of the Deserts (Core Knowledge: 75-81)

• Reading:

• Mufaro’s Beautiful Daughters (Picture Book)—John Steptoe

• Why Mosquitoes Buzz in People’s Ears (Picture Book)—Leo and Diane Dillon

• Anansi, The Spider (Picture Book)--Gerald McDermott

• Abiyoyo (Picture Book)—Pete Seeger

• Beautiful Blackbird (Picture Book)—Ashley Bryan

• The People Who Could Fly: American Black Folktales—Virginia Hamilton

• Math:

• Unit I, Lessons 1-6—Math U SEE (Gamma)

• Geography:

• Africa—www.worldatlas.com

• Field Trip: King Tut Exhibit, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
• Movie: Raiders of the Lost Ark


September
• Writing Theme:

• Why do you think that God is important?

• Language Arts

• Nonfiction Passages with Graphic Organizers—Scholastic

• Follow Directions & Learn--Scholastic

• Social Studies:

• “Judaism & Christianity”—Core Knowledge, 83-90

• How Do You Spell God? (Nonfiction)—Marc Gellman &Thomas Hartman (The God Squad)

• Reading:

• Buddha (Picture Book)—Susan Roth

• Parables(Picture Book)—Tomie DePaola

• Hundredth Name(Picture Book)--Oppenheim

• Yussel’s Prayer(Picture Book)--Cohen

• Tales of the Old Testament (Audio)—read by Jim Weiss

• Math:

• Unit II, Lessons 7-14—Math U SEE (Gamma)

• Geography:

• SW Asia—www.worldatlas.com

• Science

• Scientific Method—habits of the scientific mind (shell lesson plan)

• Galileo (biography)—Leonard Everett Fisher

• Hands-On Science Mysteries—James Robert Taris and Louis James Taris

• Movie: Jesus Christ, Superstar
• Field Trip: The Cloisters Museum


October
• Writing Theme:

• What is beauty? Why do I find things beautiful?

• Language Arts

• Nonfiction Passages with Graphic Organizers—Scholastic

• Follow Directions & Learn--Scholastic

• Social Studies:

• Ancient Greece—Core Knowledge: 92-98

• Reading:

• Myths & Stories—Core Knowledge: 25-45

• Children’s Homer—Padraic Colum

• Athens vs. Sparta—Nov/Dec 96 Calliope Magazine

• Math:

• Unit III, Lessons 15-20—Math U SEE (Gamma)

• Geography:

• Ancient World Rome/Greece—www.worldatlas.com

• Science:

• Understanding the Metric System-- http://edhelper.com/metric_system.htm

• Hands-on Science Mysteries—Taris & Taris

• Art:

• “Classical Art”—Core Knowledge (172-174)

• Movie: Jason and the Argonauts
• Field Trip: Greek and Roman Galleries, Metropolitan Museum of Art

November
• Writing Theme:

• What is heroism?

• Language Arts

• Nonfiction Passages with Graphic Organizers—Scholastic

• Follow Directions & Learn--Scholastic

• Social Studies:

• Ancient Rome—Core Knowledge: 100-105

• Reading:

• Myths & Stories—Core Knowledge: 25-45

• Classic Myths to Read Aloud—William Russell

• Great Lives: Medicine (biography)—Rob Curtis

• Math:

• Unit IV, Lessons 21-30—Math U SEE (Gamma)

• Science:

• Astronomy as it relates to the myths: Stars: A New Way to See Them—H. A. Rey

• Hands-on Science Mysteries—Taris & Taris

• Art:

• “Medieval” Art—Core Knowledge (176-180)

• Movie: Spartacus
• Movie: Camelot
• Field Trip: Socrates Sculpture Park, Long Island City


December
• Writing Theme:

• Which is more helpful to mankind: science or religion?

• Language Arts

• Nonfiction Passages with Graphic Organizers—Scholastic

• Follow Directions & Learn--Scholastic

• Social Studies:

• The Enlightenment—Core Knowledge: 106-109

• Reading:

• The Universe for the Beginner—Patrick Moore

• Quotes: Descartes, Hobbes, Jefferson, B. Franklin, Newton, Galileo

• Math:

• Review & Final—Math U SEE (Gamma)

• Geography:

• Europe—www.worldatlas.com

• Science:

• Hands-on Science Mysteries—Taris & Taris

• Art:

• “Renaissance” and “Neoclassical” Art—Core Knowledge (180-190)

• Movie: 1776
• Field Trip: New York City at Christmastime

January
• Writing Theme:

• When is it right to go to war to create change?

• Language Arts

• Nonfiction Passages with Graphic Organizers—Scholastic

• Follow Directions & Learn--Scholastic

• Social Studies:

• French Revolution & Romanticism—Core Knowledge: 111-120

• Reading:

• The French Revolution—Adrian Gilbert

• Math:

• Unit I,—Math U SEE (Delta)

• Geography:

• North America—www.worldatlas.com

• Science:

• Hands-on Science Mysteries—Taris & Taris

• Art:

• “Romantic” and “Rococo” Art—Core Knowledge

• Movie: Tale of Two Cities
• Field Trip: Madame Tussaud’s Wax Museum

February
• Writing Theme:

• In an ideal society, how should workers be treated?

• Language Arts

• Nonfiction Passages with Graphic Organizers—Scholastic

• Follow Directions & Learn--Scholastic

• Social Studies:

• Industrialism, Capitalism, Socialism—Core Knowledge: 122-130

• Reading:

• Marie Curie: Brave Scientist—Keith Brandt

• Read aloud: 1984

• W E B Du Bois and Racial Relations—Seamus Cavan

• Math:

• Unit II—Math U SEE (Delta)

• Geography:

• United States—www.worldatlas.com

• Science:

• Hands-on Science Mysteries—Taris & Taris

• Art:

• “Realism”—Core Knowledge

• Movie: Raisin in the Sun
• Movie: On the Waterfront
• Field Trip: Studio Museum in Harlem

March
• Language Arts

• Nonfiction Passages with Graphic Organizers—Scholastic

• Follow Directions & Learn--Scholastic

• Social Studies:

• Latin American Independence—Core Knowledge: 132-141

• Reading:

• Jose De San Martin, Latin America’s Quiet Hero—Jose Fernandez

• Spanish South America—May/June Calliope Magazine

• Living in South America—Chantal Henry Biabaud

• Simon Bolivar: Latin American Liberator—Frank de Varona

• Math:

• Unit III, Lessons 15-20—Math U SEE (Gamma)

• Geography:

• South America—www.worldatlas.com

• Science:

• Hands-on Science Mysteries—Taris & Taris

• Art:

• “Latin Artists”

• Movie: Evita
• Field Trip: Met—Art of the Spanish Americas

April
• Writing Theme:

• What do you think the experience was for immigrants?

• Language Arts

• Nonfiction Passages with Graphic Organizers—Scholastic

• Follow Directions & Learn--Scholastic

• Social Studies:

• Immigration to the US—Core Knowledge: 142-148

• Reading:

• Immigrant Kids—Russell Freedman

• Math:

• Unit IV—Math U SEE (Delta)

• Geography:

• World—www.worldatlas.com

• Science:

• Hands-on Science Mysteries—Taris & Taris

• Field Trip: Lower East Side Tenement Museum
• Movie: Avalon
• Movie: I Remember Mama

May
• Writing Theme:

• How did photography affect politics and law?

• Language Arts

• Nonfiction Passages with Graphic Organizers—Scholastic

• Follow Directions & Learn--Scholastic

• Social Studies:

• Industrialization & Urbanization—Core Knowledge: 92-98

• Reading:

• Read aloud: Hard Times—Charles Dickens

• Kids at Work: Lewis Hine and the Crusade Against Child Labor—Russell Freedman

• Math:

• Review and Finale—Math U SEE (Delta)

• Geography:

• US Features & Urban Centers—www.worldatlas.com

• Science:

• Hands-on Science Mysteries—Taris & Taris

• Art:

• “Photography of Urbanization and Industrialization”—selections

• Field Trip: International Center of Photography
• Movie: Stolen Childhoods

June
• Writing Theme:

• Hope: Why should we feel hopeful about the future?

• Language Arts

• Nonfiction Passages with Graphic Organizers—Scholastic

• Follow Directions & Learn--Scholastic

• Social Studies:

• Reform—Core Knowledge

• Reading:

• Story of Booker T. Washington—Patricia McKissack

• The Story of the Haymarket Riot—Charnon Simon

• Math:

• Review, if necessary

• Geography:

• World—www.worldatlas.com

• Science:

• Hands-on Science Mysteries—Taris & Taris

• What were your favorite experiments from this year? Why?

• Movie: Miracle Worker
• Field Trip: Fun day in New York/Central Park.