Tuesday, December 9, 2008

December 7th and 8th Grade English Classes

Dear friends,

In the 7th-8th grade English class, we are doing a two week series of on-line lessons on Advent using Scripture, fine art, music, poetry, and film. I have already posted the homework assignments for 8 days, which you can find by clicking here: Advent Assignments. This week's assignments are at the top.

As a recap of what we did during the two Monday classes in December:

December 1:
  • Read and discussed Luke 1
  • Read student Thanksgiving stories and poems
  • Looked at pictures from the book One Wintry Night by Ruth Bell Graham and discussed the concept that the Biblical story of redemption does not begin with the birth of Christ but with creation
  • Read an abridged version of classic O. Henry short story The Gift of the Magi
  • Listened to Christmas music by Sara Groves.

December 8:

  • Read and discussed Luke 6,
  • Read student responses to last week's art and literature assignments
  • Looked at all of the Giotto paintings on the life of Christ and read two poetic essays from Madeline L'Engle's book The Glorious Impossible
  • Read my new poem "The Story Did Not Start with a Stable and a Star" (which is also included in the December 10 assignment)
  • Compared three different versions (Celine Dion, National Christian Choir, and Sara Groves) of the song "O Holy Night"
We probably did a few other things each of these weeks, and we certainly took some bunny trails off of the aforementioned topics, but those are the main things.

Anyone is welcome to use the lessons I have posted. You can always adapt them for younger or older students.

Blessings,
Virginia Knowles

Christmas Costume Day

Dear friends,

I took several pictures on Christmas Costume Day. Enjoy!


Our fearless Katrina. Please note the whimsical snow people on her festive red sweater! I am so thankful for her initiative in getting this group started a few years ago, and her tireless effort to make it both educationally effective and fantastically fun!
















Jenn and Terri decked out with the jollies in the Fun Zone!


























Denise at the white board and Kim with kids
~*~*
Cleaning up her coffee cake crumbs!

Two high school students with teachers Beverly, Tina, and Clare

Sunny's fourth grade math class





Sunday, December 7, 2008

Jesus, Friend of Sinners

This post is the 7th-8th grade English assignment for Tuesday, December 9.

  1. Read Luke 7. Which verses are related to the painting below? How does this story relate to why Jesus had to come to earth in the first place?




"The Magdalen" by Bernardino Luini in 1525


(National Gallery of Art)








2. Read this poem, which is based on the Bible story in Luke 7:36-50. According to this poem, how is the symbolism of the broken alabaster jar related to how we should live for Jesus?

"Alabaster Jar"
by Virginia Knowles

Alabaster jar, costly sweet perfume
Devotion broke it open, fragrance filled the room.
Poured over Jesus’ head, anointing for the grave,
Some saw only money lost, but Jesus blessed the love she gave.
Broken and poured out, broken and poured out
But there’s no waste of life, just fragrant sacrifice
And it’s all because of love.

Can you see his love? Messiah on the cross
Body broken, blood poured out, for our sin’s redemption cost
Can you see his power? Victory over death!
Hell could not contain him, nor quench his living breath
Broken and poured out, broken and poured out
But there’s no waste of life, just fragrant sacrifice
And it’s all because of love.

Lord, break me for your glory, pour me for your name.
Let me share his sufferings and power just the same.
Crucified with Christ is what I want to be,
For when I’ve died to my old life, I’ll rise up to be free.
Broken and poured out, broken and poured out
But there’s no waste of life, just fragrant sacrifice
And it’s all because of love.

3. Read Luke 5:27-32 and Luke 18:9-14. Write a paragraph explaing how Jesus wants us to view ourselves, and how he wants us treat those who have lived sinful lifestyles.

4. With your parent's permission, visit the Magdalena, Released from Shame web site and click on "Discover Their Story" to scroll over each of the four women and see short videos about them. This movie is produced by The Jesus Film Project, a division of Campus Crusade.





Baby Jesus at the National Gallery of Art

This post contains the 7th-8th grade English assignment for Wednesday, December 10.

Instructions:
  1. Read Luke 8 and write down the section heading for verses 46-49.

  2. Look at each of the nine pictures very carefully. You can click on them to enlarge them. The dates listed are approximately when the art was created. The paintings are from the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C., which I visited in November. All of the ones in this post are related to the birth of Christ. I had to take the pictures from a slight angle because otherwise I was getting a glare from the flash.

  3. These paintings and sculptures were created during the Renaissance. Some of them are gilded. Many of the the titles contain the words madonna and adoration. Click on each of these four bolded words and write down definitions.

  4. Which three pieces are not flat paintings?

  5. Which pieces were created in the 14th century? (Think carefully about this.)

  6. Three of the paintings have an instruction marked with **. Choose one to do.

  7. Read the poem "The Story Did Not Start with a Stable and a Star" which is below the pictures.

"The Adoration of the Shepherds" by Giorgione, 1505-1510


















"Adoration of the Shepherds" after Annibale Fontana, 1600s, Terracotta

The words "after Annibale Fontana" means that he didn't create it himself, but it was based on one of his pieces.

In Italian, "terra" means "earth" and "cotta" means "cooked" or "baked." The American Heritage dictionary says that "terracotta" is "A hard semifired waterproof ceramic clay used in pottery and building construction." Firing is hardening or baking in an oven. There is one other terracotta piece in this blog post.










"The Adoration of the Magi" by Benvenuto di Giovanni in 1470-1475

















"Madonna and Child" by the Florentine School 1425

Click here to see another Madonna and Child sculpture at the NGA.


** Copy down the Latin inscription at its base.

















"Madonna and Child" by Circle of Giovanni di Turino 1430, painted and gilded terracotta


























"Madonna Enthroned with Saints and Angels" by Agnolo Gaddi 1380-1390


** How is this painting and its frame similar to the Giotto one below? How is it different? (Think about the subject, style, media and shapes.)








"Madonna and Child" by Giotto 1320-1330













"The Alba Madonna" by Raphael in 1510 (St. John the Baptist is the other child in this painting.)

Read about this painting at: Alba Madonna.
** Write a sentence about the significance of what the baby Jesus is holding in his hand.



"The Flight into Egypt" by Vittore Carpaccio, 1515













~*~*~

"The Story Did Not Start with a Stable and a Star"

by Virginia Knowles

The story did not start with a stable and a star
But in the beginning, before billygoats on boulders or bluebirds in birch trees
The Trinity, the Three-In-One: Father, Spirit, Son
Viewed a vast void with a venturesome vision
And lo, this Lavish LORD said, “Let there be…”
And there was Light and Life and Love
Tigers and tiger lilies and tiger sharks
Amoebas and ants, aardvarks and apple trees,
Honeysuckle and honeybees and heavenly hallelujahs
For it was good: this grand garden, green and growing, glorious and glowing
With two to tend Eden: Adam and Eve
Masterpieces made to multiply more masterpieces in the image of their Maker
Working and walking with Him, worshiping Him for the wonder of His wisdom
But then came a choice and a cheater and a chilling challenge
They rebelled and rejected and ruined their Royal Relationship
In punishment, pushed out from Paradise into pain and peril, perishing
Generation after generation
Mankind multiplied moral messes
The Spirit sometimes seized sinners into the Sovereign Sacred Story
Prodding prophets, priests, and preachers to proclaim:
“Repent! Return! Revere! Renew!”
And so the Father sent his Son
And seers sought this Savior from afar
But the story did not stop with a stable and a star

The little Lord Jesus, who lay there so lowly, lived his life
This Great God-With-Us grew in grace
He, the Holy One, who helped and healed
Preached and prayed and praised His Father
This Lord of Love looked high and low to liberate the lost
This consecrated Christ carried His cross
He was crucified in His courage by our cowardice
Thus our Prophet-Priest paid the penalty price for our Paradise
His ransom rescues rebels from ruin
Freeing those who by faith will fully follow
Generation after generation
Multiplying more miracles among mortals
For the Spirit of the Sovereign Sacred Story
Still seizes sinners and sanctifies saints
And our Royal Redeemer shall return:
Holy is He! Hark the heavenly hallelujahs!
For it is good and God is glorious!
Earth shall end and eternity shall start
And the story of the Savior shall always speak to the heart.

“In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth…” Genesis 1:1

"In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. In him was life, and that life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not understood it… He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him. He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him. Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God— children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband's will, but born of God. The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.” John 1:1-5, 10-14

The Lord Has Come

This post is the 7th-8th grade English assignment for Thursday, December 11.

  1. Read Luke 9. Copy verses 23-25.

  2. What does the word "advent" mean? What is the Latin root?

  3. Click to see the lyrics to Joy to the World. Then go to the bottom of the page and listen to all five days of radio devotionals for this song. Next, read the Devotional and Hymn Story and be sure to click on the "See More" links when they are given. Who wrote the words to this carol? Who wrote the music?

  4. Click to see the lyrics to O Come, O Come, Emmanuel. Click on the links to listen to it. Read all of the notes, pressing the "See More" links when they are given. What are the two Scripture references listed? Write down the meaning of the name "Emmanuel." Then watch a GodTube montage video of a modern version of it at: O Come, O Come Emmanuel. (It starts really slow, but picks up after about a minute.)

  5. Which of these two songs was written in a minor key? Which was written in a major key? What is the difference in the mood of the tune? How is repetition used in each of the songs?

  6. What is your favorite Christmas carol? Why? (Write at least four sentences.)

The Jesus Film Project

This post is the 7th-8th grade English assignment for Friday, December 12.


Instructions:


  1. Read Luke 10.

  2. Watch at least an hour of the Jesus Film. (Scroll down the page until you see "English" and then click on WATCH.) See how many of the scenes you remember from the first 10 chapters of Luke. If you have a DVD or video of the movie, watch it on your TV instead! Have your parent write a note verifying that you watched it.

  3. The Jesus Film has been translated into over a thousand languages and is shown all over the world as an evangelistic outreach. It is often played for large crowds outdoors, as shown below with the Maasai in Africa. Read the page Making Film Translations and list the five steps. (Make sure you click on them to read about them.)

4. Imagine that you are part of the team that is producing and presenting The Jesus Film for people around the world. Think about how God has uniquely gifted you, and tell which two of these jobs you feel you would be interested in doing: writing the script, translating it into other languages, acting, directing, makeup & costuming, set design, sound effects, producing the soundtrack, going out to the villages and showing the film, or another related job that you can think of.

Wednesday, December 3, 2008

Gingerbread House contest

Dear friends,

The high school students sure enjoyed the first annual Gingerbread House building competition on Monday. My daughter Joanna is going to put together some of her photos on-line soon, but I at least wanted to give you the link to the ones I took: Gingerbread House Contest at Providence

Here are just two of them to whet your appetite!