Dawn K Homeschool

Today, I finished reading  Children of Summer: Henri Fabre's Insects by Margaret J. Anderson  to the boys.  It is a lovely book which introduces naturalist and scientist Henri Fabre and many of his insect investigations.  Here is a review from Booklist. Imagine having a father who is known as a hermit, accused of being a poacher, and thought to be strange and simpleminded. According to this fictionalized story, French entomologist Jean Henri Fabre, a contemporary and correspondent of Darwin and a friend of John Stuart Mill, may have been such a man. Using the voice of Fabre's 10-year-old son Paul, who, according to Fabre's own writings, often helped his father, Anderson tells of Fabre's passion for learning about cicadas, scorpions, and the other "children of summer." The man's curious behavior will draw readers in, and the descriptions of the oddities of the insect world will keep them interested: children are bound to remember Fabre's shooting a cann...

I never took the time to upload some of the boys' writing assignments for the course we have been using this year from the Institute for Excellence in Writing -- Student Writing Intensive A. So, here they are! First are Ben's from the assignments "Our First President" and "The Donkey and His Driver." Next are Nathan's from the assignments "Our First President" and "Peter the Great."

We have been moving slowly -- too slowly -- through our writing course this year. On the bright side, we have been diligent in all other areas. Here is Ben's -- 5th Grade Here is Nathan's -- 6th Grade .