Stuff We Like :: 11.22.19
This week, I tried something new: We’ve been reviewing the plot arc, the path a story takes from exposition to conclusion (an essential piece of effectively summarizing a story before you analyze it), and I had an idea: What if we pulled out our trusty Dixit game? We numbered the major points on the plot arc (1. Exposition, 2. Rising action, 3. Conflict, 4. Climax, 5. Falling Action, and 6. Conclusion) and drew six Dixit cards, which we flipped over to inspire each new phase of storytelling. It was fun, but it also really pushed us to think about how stories come together, why you might leave loose ends dangling, what frustrates us when it’s unresolved. I wasn’t sure how this project would actually go, but it was a surprising hit. I love when that happens!
What’s happening at home/school/life
On the blog: Helping kids build focus and follow-through starts in elementary school.
On instagram: Dogs in pajamas!
In the archives: Working full-time and homeschooling — how I do it
On Patreon: I just finished Suzanne’s recommendation from last week’s Library Chicken podcast, and I can’t wait for book two to come out. (I do have to wait, though, because it’s not supposed to arrive until 2020.)
At the Academy: We were treated to a Schuyler sisters performance in the junior high, and it was EXCELLENT.
Links we liked
I actually really love having dinner alone.
This is so cool: Science jumps in with an assist for a historical mystery.
What is it about some fiction writers that makes us want to invent fictions about them, too? (And why do so many of these fictional inventions seem to make them less than they are?)
When it comes to history, we know better. So why are we having so much trouble doing better when it comes to curriculum?
Books that made it onto my TBR list this week
Herring Hotel (I like to keep a stack of picture books to read to my high schoolers at lunch, and this one sound perfect)
Valuing (I’m always in the mood for new poetry)
Things making me happy
Linzer cookies (the most annoying complicated but ultimately satisfying Thanksgiving dessert)
His Dark Materials (so far, so dazzlingly complex)
(We’re Amazon affiliates, so if you purchase something through an Amazon link, we may receive a small percentage of the sale. Obviously this doesn’t influence what we recommend, and we link to places other than Amazon.)
It's that time again! We've rounded up some great ways to celebrate your first day of the new homeschool year, whether you want to keep it simple at home or take a big adventure together.