Waldorf Homeschool: Seventh Grade Algebra

Today we started our Algebra/Geometry block. With the school year just beginning, we are usually ready to dive in. So I thought I'd put the toughest subject (for me to teach) right at the beginning, while I have the will and energy. Kind of like scheduling the most academic subjects in the morning, when the Boy's will is the strongest.

I have come a long, long way from my grammar school days of hating math. I never understood "why?" so it never made sense to me. By teaching math through a Waldorf perspective, I've learned to appreciate algebra and geometry. 

We've studied the history of math through our studies of ancient history, and the "why's" have become so much more evident. The concept of equations makes sense when you understand some of the history.

That is the approach I've decided to take with the Boy. In sixth grade we read "String, Straightedge, and Shadow," a book I would recommend to any math teacher or history teacher as a supplement to their curriculum.

It is not my goal to have the Boy be an algebraic wizard by the end of the year, but instead, to have a good understanding of what algebra is, why it came about, and how it can be used. Plus a basic understanding of formulas and proofs, and an understanding of how to solve equations. (process).

The Boy is like me in so many ways, and how he approaches math is one of them. He likes to know why things are done the way they are, why does he need to know this, how does it apply to real life? If I can give him some of those answers as we work our way through this block, he will have a much better foundation for increasingly difficult work. I want him to feel like he CAN do algebra rather than the way I felt all through school...that I stunk at it.

The Curriculum we are using is from Jamie York Press, Making Math Meaningful.  What I like about this curriculum is that I have to have a good grasp of the concepts because I am teaching it. He is not reading the book or watching a video...I am the teacher. Yes, that requires some work. But he's going to come to me for questions anyway. I might as well know the subject matter.

What I don't like is that there's no real lesson plan. Just the concepts to cover separated by grade. So I have to figure out how much I want to cover in each lesson. The author assumes the teacher has knowledge of each concept. It's explained in the teacher's book, but only briefly. Thank goodness for Google and Youtube. (Jamie York has several Youtube vids that are really helpful.)

Waldorf Homeschooling: Preparing for Eighth Grade

Summer Nights Spent Reading

The public school kids are back to school already; it's only the middle of August. Our district decided to start earlier this year to make sure they could get in all of the required 180 days without deducting from the teacher in-service days. I am so glad we homeschool! It still feels like summer....hot sun; sticky air; the cicadas buzz sawing; I would HATE to have to be in school. 

Even though we are not ready to start yet, I have been preparing. I think about the upcoming year all summer long. And I usually try to read as much as possible about the potential subject matter before I dig and plan. This summer I did not. I took a much needed break and decided to give myself a start date of August 1. I could think about things....but  NO PLANNING. I just needed to breathe a little.

As the Boy advances toward high school, our subjects get "meatier." Which means more preparation on my part...getting a real understanding of the subjects so I can present the main ideas at a deeper level. It is no longer enough to present everything through story. The Boy wants to know about things: how they work, why events ocurred, how things affect his life.  I spend much of my time looking for resources that i can use to articulate what I think is really important for him to know and understand. Thank goodness for the public library!

This year I need to concentrate on math. We are still a bit behind; I wanted to introduce Algebra last year but didn't get to it. So, along with Geometry in Art and Nature and regular Mathematics, I will be introducing Algebra. It will be a big math year for us. Ive decided to start the year off with Geometry and Algebra.

Some of the other subjects we will tackle include:

Latin III using the Cambridge Latin series, taught at Lancaster Center for Classical Studies

Dissection, taught at Lancaster County Parks

Algebra, using Jamie York Press's Making Math Meaningful

Geometry, also using JYP

Physics: electricity, incline plane, levers, aerodynamics, hydraulics

Anatomy and Physiology: digestion, circulation, reproduction,
                                          skeletal and muscular systems, eye, ear

History: Reformation, Revolution (including French, Russian, American, and Industrial)

Meteorology: Weather systems

Geography: South America, Africa, Eurasia, Asia

Language Arts: Short stories
Drawing: continue black and white drawing
Handwork: sewing
Piano and Voice: Tina Davidson
Drama/Speech: various plays through local theater

Warm Spring Days Bring Swarms: On Capturing a Honeybee Swarm

The Swarm!

April marked my one year anniversary as a beekeeper. It was a rough first year, to be sure. But I did have some success. My hive survived the winter, and that is a huge success of its own. So many friends lost hives this year.

It has been quite the year of learning the ropes but, yesterday something happened that made me feel as though I crossed over to new level of beekeeping. I caught a swarm.

Let me backtrack just a little: Last Thursday I checked my hive for swarm cells. I had hoped to see some; I was waiting to get a few swarm cells before I split out a nucleus colony, or nuc as the experienced folks call it. No such luck. It was looking a little tight in the boxes, but no swarm cells.

On Monday I decided to look again. I'm impatient, something I've mentioned before. In just a few days time the girls had created a handful of swarm cells. Yeah!

I ran up to the garage and grabbed my nuc box and some empty frames. Juggling this extra equipment I hustled back down to the hive and carefully placed everything out on the ground. Don't like my equipment in a bunch...nice orderly rows of boxes, frames, and tools for me!

By this time I needed to take a break. Storm clouds were looming, the humidity was oppressive. It was our first sweltering day of the year...hot, humid, no breeze. I could no longer see for the sweat blurring my vision.

After a short breather, I donned my suit, lit up the smoker and got to work. I'll write about the process of splitting out the nuc another time. I've not yet gotten to the whole reason for this post....the swarm.

As I was finishing up, the Boy pulled up on the lawn tractor, which was making a weird noise. Upon inspection I found the problem and looked up to tell him what tools I needed to make the fix. And there, just a few feet behind him I spied a glorious, humming, thriving swarm ensconced on an Autumn Olive that I had failed to pull out over the winter. (Invasive species, but the bees love it.)

Oh glory! I started screaming and jumping up and down with joy! Had any neighbors been home I'm sure they would have thought I was nuts. Well, I think they do anyway, but I'm sure I looked the part that afternoon.

My first swarm...and in my own yard! Hallelujah! And only 3 feet off the ground. It seemed a gift from the Divine! Placed within reach just for me!

I broke into action, heat be darned. Rubbermaid box and lid, check. Bee brush, check. Quick set up of a new hive, check. Extra bee suit for the Boy, check.  And cameras, check, check, check. Seriously, this had to be documented, which was the Boy's job in all of this.

Evaluating the best placement for catching the swarm.

I approached the swarm, trying to decide the best angle for the catchment box. Knowing I needed to get that queen along with all the bees was a bit intimidating. After studying the swarm for oh, 30 seconds, I grasped the top of the sapling, bent it over the box, and gave it a whack. Splat! a billion bees in a box! I shut the lid and walked the whole 10 feet to the new hive box and dumped them in. Shut the lid; walked away. 

Bending the sapling

The whack!

Recongregating bees. Whack, wait, repeat.

Ten minutes later a few hundred bees had regathered on the sapling, so I repeated the process. This time the flying sisters congregated on the front of the hive box. Yes! Yes! Yes!

After all was done, I contacted my mentor to see if I had done right. So maybe that was a bit backwards but I was Excited! (Yes, with a capital E). He assured me I had and gave me a few cues to look for to determine success. Were the bees gathering in the entrance? Were they going back to the tree? Yes. No. It was looking good.

Later that evening they were still there, buzzing in and out. I put in a frame of honey from another box...minus worker bees. I debated on putting another box on, it was a pretty big swarm. But I didn't want to disturb them too much. I wish I had. 

The next morning they were still there. Whoo hoo! It really was tight in there....every frame covered by bees. So, I promised them I'd have a new box for them that evening.

Sadly, when I returned home from taking the Boy to Latin and picking up new equipment, the colony was gone. But I still felt elated. I had caught the swarm! All on my own! I think the space I gave them was just too small. But I am ready for the next time, please let there be a next time!