Editors, of course, pay a lot of attention to words, though some eurekas take longer to develop than they should. Reading to my youngest from The Story of Science again tonight, I realized that “matter” – the basic structural component of the universe – has its roots in the Latin word “materia,” which is derived from the Latin word “mater.” You got it: mater is Latin for mother. Of course! Mother – the basic structural component of the universe!
I know, this is an embarrassingly late connection for an English major. Maybe it took me all these years of motherhood to really grasp the significance of such an elegant etymology.
Or maybe it just took Joy Hakim’s wisdom. She points out the shoulda-been-obvious-to-me in Aristotle Leads the Way:
The Original Indo-European word for both “mother” and “matter” was mater. . . . Both mother and matter, in ancient minds, were the origin of all things. I think the ancients had it right. (page 40)
No wonder Hakim’s books are so popular with homeschool maters – uh – homeschool mothers.
Tags: etymology, Joy Hakim, matter, mother, science books, Story of Science
Having a much younger third son to homeschool while I edit for Home Education Magazine gives me a chance to revisit resources I used with his considerably older brothers, who are now young adults in college. Today’s read-aloud was several chapters from The Story of Science: Aristotle Leads the Way, by Joy Hakim. This book captivates my 11-year-old son just as it did his older brothers some years ago.
Like they did, he peppers me with questions born of Hakim’s interesting approach and lovely writing style. The text’s side-by-side photos of a spiral hurricane and a spiral galaxy transfix him, priming him for an understanding of Hakim’s well-wrought connection that explains why pictures of the spirals are so eerily similar:
Hurricanes are clouds of moisture. Galaxies, a trillion times larger, are mostly clouds of gas (even thought the stars in them grab center stage). Both water and gas are fluids, substances that flow according to the universal laws of science–in this case, the physics of fluid dynamics. (page 14)
Ah, a beautifully presented case for why we should be interested in the physics of fluid dynamics.
That alone would be enough to recommend Hakim’s book, but I also have her lovely melding of myth, poetry and science in those opening chapters, illustrating humanity’s quest for understanding the universe. My literary son immediately grasped her point, that every culture has its creation stories, and I think Hakim would be pleased with his observation, “We have ours, too, Mom, and every culture thinks its story is right.”
As so often happens during read-alouds of Hakim’s books, we have to stop for a side conversation about that. This made the journey through The Story of Science series (there are two other titles) a long one with the older kids–so many rabbit holes to explore.
Indeed, the best recommendation for Hakim’s books is that I savor the opportunity to spend that time rabbit holing with my youngest son all over again. Like when I visit a wise ol’ friend, I have no doubt I will learn something more and enjoy the process of sharing what I’m learning.
For more about The Story of Science: Aristotle Leads the Way, visit Joy Hakim’s website.
Homeschooling families are not missing out on anything this time of year. They celebrate the season with Not-Back-To-School observances held throughout the United States and internationally. What some homeschoolers once felt slightly subversive about saying aloud is now a full-on tradition that homeschool families embrace in celebration of their freedom to homeschool.
Google reveals many Not-Back-To-School activities coming up, including (among the first pages of hits) celebrations in Montreal, United Kingdom, Switzerland, New Zealand, Vancouver, Michigan, New England, California, Michigan, Alabama, Iowa, Chicago and beyond. Homeschoolers in small towns and large metropolitan areas–of varying races, religious beliefs and political persuasions–will gather for pizza, potlucks, campfires, or canoeing. They’ll make banners and craft projects; they’ll eat hot dogs and hummus; they’ll reflect on the past year and swap books and resources for the coming year.
Homeschoolers are often asked if they regret missing rites of passage connected to school. The askers haven’t realized that homeschoolers have well-anticipated traditions themselves–within their families, homeschool groups and communities.
There is a lot to love about the Not-Back-To-School season. Homeschoolers enjoy off-season vacation rates and diminished crowds at museums, libraries, parks, and carnivals. While we homeschooling parents have become accustomed to a daily life of connection to our children, many of us continue to savor annual Not-Back-To-School events as acknowledgement that we are exceptions to society’s most prevalent approach to education. We are approaching education in an unusual way, we are doing it on purpose, and we like how it works for our families.
Tags: diversity, families, homeschool, international homeschooling, Not-Back-To-School, rites of passage, socialization, socializing, traditions
You might be interested in a book I’ll be sharing with my news-addicted eldest homeschooled-to-college son, Losing the News: The Future of the News That Feeds Democracy by Alex Jones. My son, who is currently majoring in Latin American studies, gets much of his news from the online sites of major news organizations, with many forays into original sources. He’s scrupulous about using multiple media sites so he can consider varying viewpoints, and having been homeschooled in a news-oriented family, he’s well aware of the varying legitimacy of different sources. There is nothing like looking at international reporting of foreign affairs to make this point clear at the college level.
I find many homeschoolers are voracious news consumers, though as with any population, some individuals routinely expose themselves only to sources that reinforce existing viewpoints, missing opportunities to challenge themselves and fact-check their favorite reporters and bloggers. Losing the News, among other things, may provide a look at how that the effects of that tendency may be magnified as the “new media” come to dominate “the news.”
From the Oxford University Press description:
Jones explores how the epochal changes sweeping the media have eroded the core news that has been the essential food supply of our democracy. At a time of dazzling technological innovation, Jones says that what stands to be lost is the fact-based reporting that serves as a watchdog over government, holds the powerful accountable, and gives citizens what they need. In a tumultuous new media era, with cutthroat competition and panic over profits, the commitment of the traditional news media to serious news is fading. Should we lose a critical mass of this news, our democracy will weaken–and possibly even begin to fail. (Read more at Oxford University Press).
Looks like a great book to add to any study of the impact of the Fourth Estate. Or, to read because you’re a writer, editor or publisher trying to figure out how technology is affecting your trade.
Or, just to read because you are a homeschooler as seriously wonky about The News as I am.
Tags: Alex Jones, democracy, Fourth Estate, journalism, Losing the News, media, new media, Oxford University Press, politics, reporting, selective exposure, viewpoints, watchdog, ~ Books
Homeschooling an intense 11-year-old has its wry moments. To say our last son at home “enjoys physical activity” would be an understatement. He’s also extremely competitive, and our family works hard to keep competition in a healthy perspective. He spends hours playing soccer, working out, doing gymnastics, dancing capoeira, doing flips at the pool and on the trampoline, and handspringing across the yard.
Our recent trips to a cultural arts center for capoeira class got him curious about a neighboring yoga session. He asked me a lot of questions about yoga, but the topper was his serious question, “Mom, is there competitive yoga?”
I laughed and tried to explain yoga a bit better.
But of course, it turns out that competitive yoga is not as much an oxymoron as I presumed, as revealed by a Web search on the terms competitive + yoga. Still, I think the old fashioned yoga may be more valuable to our son, who may use it to balance the mental intensity that usually accompanies his physicality. Sounds like I have another activity to look into and consider for our fall homeschooling schedule.
Family and Home Network’s executive director Cathy Myers is offering a good deal on good books (I own them all!) for nonprofits. Cathy explains:
Our books are not-so-new any more, and that affects sales. But hey – parenting doesn’t change all that fast, and these books still offer lots of great information, support, and laughs. We need to get them out of storage and into the hands of parents. Can you help? If your moms group, preschool, place of worship or any other nonprofit organization will sell FAHN books as a fundraising project, FAHN will provide them at the below-cost price of $1 each, plus shipping. A win-win situation for FAHN and for your local nonprofit – they can set their own price for the books and make a significant profit. (On the FAHN website, the books are currently at the sale price of $5 each plus $2.50 shipping, $4 each for multiple copies, plus shipping.)
The book titles are:
Discovering Motherhood (especially for new mothers)
Motherhood: Journey Into Love (poetry & art)
Blow-Drying the Frog and Other Parenting Adventures (humor)
You can see the books at the FAHN website.
Email to Cathy Myers (exdir @ familyandhome.org) (remove spaces if you paste in an email) for details about the terms of this offer (no returns accepted due to the low price, minimum order of 25 books), and an estimate of shipping costs.
This is a limited-time offer, orders must be placed by October 31, 2009.
Today I’m deep in editing articles for the magazine. A time consuming bit is dealing with getting companies’ names, products and trademarks the way companies want them. Checking each company website and correcting or confirming the proper usage can be tedious, but it’s something editors do.
Among today’s discoveries and confirmations are these: LEGO(R) is always all caps and never ends in “s.” If you want a plural, you must be looking for the phrase “LEGO bricks” because LEGO is an adjective rather than a noun. Likewise, LEGO’s associated terms MINDSTORM(TM) and TETRIX(TM) are all caps, no plurals. On the other hand, another company, fischertechnik(R), is all lower case. Then we have the mixed marriage of eBay(R), which has its inital letter lower case, but its second letter capitalized.
LEGO provides a web page that helpfully explains its requirements, and I’m doing my best to wrangle all the letters into the necessary forms. With some other companies, it’s a matter of seeing how they write their own names and trying to be consistent with their style.
Don’t get me started on dealing with the symbols for trademarks. I’ve learned how to do the beautiful ones in Word. Looks like I’ll be consulting WordPress to figure out how to make them beautiful for the blog.
I admit it’s more fun reading and writing about homeschooling than some side trips editing sends me on. But when I’m edited by others, I appreciate knowing someone else is also following up on my work. And when I’m the editor, I often learn tiny pieces of information that help me play at home with Jeopardy.
Tags: trademarks, writing for HEM
Lissa has posted the Summer Carnival of Children’s Literature over at The Bonny Glen. Those of you who include book reviews on your blogs may be especially interested in her first category, which includes some posts about how the FTC is looking at bloggers who review books and other products when financial or other incentives are involved. An interesting line of thought. There are lots of other good posts in the Carnival, including book recommendations, interviews with authors, and writing about writing. This installment of the Carnival marks Lissa’s last as its manager; thanks for organizing so many previous carnivals and their hosts, Lissa!
Tags: blogs about books, Bonny Glen, book reviews, children's literature, kidlit, ~ Books
Homeschooling toward college? Plan now to attend the Nov. 11, 2009 Homeschooling and College Entrance Seminar sponsored byThe Organization of Virginia Homeschoolers.The day-long seminar will include sessions on homeschooling the high school years, creating high school transcripts, Q & A with admissions representatives from colleges and universities, financial aid, and community college opportunities for homeschoolers.
Registration will open September 1, but you want to go ahead and get the date on your calendar. The event will be held at the Science Museum of Virginia in Richmond – a captivating destination for homeschooling families even when there’s not a seminar or conference there.
I’ll be there and would love to visit with you. VaHomeschoolers is a nonprofit and inclusive state-wide homeschool organization. One reason I love working with this group is this statement: VaHomeschoolers appreciates that homeschoolers are diverse in their beliefs and backgrounds, but united in loving our children, valuing their education, and treasuring our freedom to homeschool. For this reason, VaHomeschoolers is an inclusive organization and is neutral in matters of politics and religion.
Tags: college, college admission, high school, homeschool conference, homeschool seminar, homeschool to college, post secondary homeschooling, The Organization of Virginia Homeschoolers, transcripts, VaHomeschoolers, ~ Higher Education
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