What’s New

Flat Earth: Home Schooling

Did you know that some kids don’t go to school, but have their parents or guardians teach them at home? Look at the book cover below and try to think up reasons home schooling might be a good idea, or a bad idea:

Learn Like an Ancient Student

In ancient Greek education, the practice of “writing in role,” such as composing a letter or speech as if you were a historical or fictional figure like Socrates, was known as ethopoeia (ἠθοποιία). This exercise involved crafting a speech or text in the character, tone, and perspective of a specific person, often to demonstrate understanding of their personality, beliefs, or style. It was commonly used to develop skills in persuasion, empathy, and stylistic variety.

Activity: pretend you are a famous person or character and write a letter to a friend

New School Year Resolutions

The new school year is getting near. What are your new school year resolutions? Do you want to do better in a subject this year? Do you want to make a new close friend? Write down your top five goals for this year. What is the difference between a hope and a goal?

Why is Ancient History Tough? The Telephone Game

Have you ever played the telephone game? One person starts with a sentence that they say to second person, who then says it to a third person, and so on through the group trying to keep the sentence the same. What we find is that the sentence you start with is often very unlike the sentence you end with.

Imagine you played the telephone game. The sentence you started with was:

WE BOUGHT EGGS AT THE MARKET

And by the time you got to the 10th person telling it the sentence became

THE CLOWN IN THE WHITE MAKEUP AND RED NOSE ROSE FROM THE DEAD

Wow, that’s quite the change. Make a story line showing the steps in which the first sentence slowly changed into the last sentence.

Why might this be a problem in doing ancient history before they had cameras and most people couldn’t read or write?

Create a Coat of Arms

Source: wiki

A family crest or coat of arms show what a family wanted people to think about them. What do you think the lions in the coat of arms above mean? Design a coat of arms showing the important things in your life.

(8) Story: The Secular Web Kids and Magic Class

Billy had been thinking that maybe Mr. Bob couldn’t do magic at all. Looking down at a fuzzy caterpillar munching on a leaf, Billy had an idea.

Later in front of the class, Billy challenged: “If you can really do magic, Mr. Bob, change this caterpillar into a butterfly.”

“Sure,” replied Mr. Bob, not fazed by the challenge, and proclaimed “ALAKAZOO, caterpillar to butterfly!” There was a puff of smoke and a flash of lightning, and when the smoke cleared the caterpillar remained as it was before.

“I knew it,” Billy exclaimed, “You didn’t cast a spell at all!”

“Sure, I did,” replied Mr. Bob. “Take the caterpillar home and wait for 2 weeks. This spell takes a little longer, but you’ll have your butterfly.”

(7) Story: The Secular Web Kids and Magic Class

After a long day of teaching the kids how magic tricks work, Mr. Bob picked up his rabbit Fred and began to think out loud.

“You know,” Bob said, “It’s amazing to think how much thinking we do in a day talking to ourselves, and yet not out loud!”

Fred nodded.

“Imagine a world where everyone thought out loud and people thought whatever they wanted and never worried about what others thought!” Mr. Bob exclaimed.

Fred pooped.

“Anyway,” Bob remarked, “it was a good day of explaining fake magic so let’s cast a real magic spell and call it a day. ALAKAZOO! FRED OLDER!”

All of the sudden, there was a flash of lightning and a cloud of smoke, and Fred was slightly older when the smoke cleared than he was before the flash of lightning.