Comprehensive Curriculum -Jr High/Middle School

This Comprehensive Literature Curriculum was inspired by the following 3 unit studies:

https://homeschoolhelperonline.com/literature-unit-study-swiss-family-robinson/

https://easyfunschool.freeunitstudies.com/article2258.html

?https: //christinekovacs/other-books-to-choose-from-6th-grade/swiss-family-robinson?

Most questions have been borrowed freely from them and have been used without permission for my own personal homeroom use…….as per their free offer. I have added writing lines, more questions and all the images,( which are also from the internet and used without permission---again, for my own personal use.)

There is no plagiarism intended and I do not take credit for the content shown but for the arrangement of content to make a curriculum FOR MY OWN PRIVATE USE.

?I am sharing a few examples to give others an idea of how to develop their own comprehensive curriculums.---Charlene Savard

Targeting Jr High classes of grades 7-9.

My comprehensive literature-based?Swiss Family Robinson?offline curriculum provides the framework and most of the course load for an entire scholastic year ---Reading, Language Arts, Writing, Poetry, Art appreciation, Social Studies, Composer study, Handicrafts, Religion, Survival Skills, Science: Astronomy, Nature, Simple Machines, etc.. math is not included due to different grade levels but easy to add. We will also add his foreign language courses--especially since the Robinson family passes the time by self-teaching languages. Again, this is child or school-appropriate depending on native-foreign languages offered.

Let us look at Chapter 1. Here is how it works. We will study each chapter during a two week period.(more or less)

MATH-depending upon level and topics taught, students would be guided to use fractions, a squared+ bsquared=c squared by making a triangle on their map using the voyage starting , planned landing, and presumed landing places. Lots of triangulation concepts can be introduced here. Adding and subtracting of longitudes and latitudes could also be included. The math teacher will find ways to incorporate elements from the story into his learning plan. As Curriculum Leader,I would help him do this based on the grade level he is teaching.

Language Teacher-As we go through the book in English,you could contribute quotations and copywork from the native culture or designated language. Students could learn folklore, history, and legends from the targeted language.Also,copywork from the novel in the targeted language . The copywork would be chosen based on the grammatical lessons being given.For example, if the teacher is presenting?Subjunctive Clauses?or?past tense, a copywork passage would be chosen because it contains an example of this grammar lesson. Foreign language could be as simple as learning basic vocabulary: family terms , travel and shipwrecks. I would definitely encourage copywork of simple sentences , from the novel,to encourage students to use the vocabulary in sentence form. The native language teacher could do a complementary study of Robinson Crusoe and encourage discussions about the two novels.(Second language learners could read an abridged children's copy of Robinson Crusoe or SWF in that language)

Art,Drama,Dance and MusicTeachers-?Add music and artists from the local culture. European artist classics are provided for you. Throughout the study,the Music teacher will add famous selections from Composers Mr.Robinson may have heard......including but not limited to Beethoven and other German-speaking composers. Drama teachers could chose plays that may have been re-enacted by the family--especially during the *rainy season*. One item the Robinsons missed was a phonograph--discuss how he could have made one or how he could have fabricated instruments.(note; phonograph was not yet invented--add it to your timeline) Dance , cotillions and the *Season* were important events in the culture of the upper classes. The Robinson parents could have known some traditional or classical society dances. These teachers of the Arts should work closely together to develop a presentation to perform for parents. At home, learners may watch movies showing people dancing and could research and some simple steps and to recite lines from popular poems of the time. Remember, the Robinson family is locked up 12 weeks of each year during the rainy season. There is no reason for them to become bored if they have varied entertainment. With the recent COVID experience,many families relied on television and internet to keep their minds occupied.......how many of your students learned something constructive or completed a project ??? This is looked at in detail in the chapter on the rainy season but these specialty teachers will be preparing the foundations for this future discussion in English class. REMEMBER: as you introduce plays, composers, poets,etc remind student to add the appropriate figure to their timelines. Each subject teacher is adding to the whole in order to create a flowing ,*living* learning experience of the lives and times of the Robinsons.

History-One of the enrichment projects is History based.(more on this later) The history teacher would expand and contribute knowledge of the time periods, people, places, events, and inventions mentioned.

SCIENCE?-basic , barebones science is given but the science teacher(s) would embellish the facts according to grade level. Some of the Research projects will fall under the category of Natural Science and Animal Science so these would be the responsibility of teachers in this domain.

The point is.......this is the framework and if students lose the internet, they will not miss out on the lesson. They might not hear some discussions and depth but they will not fall *behind* which is a concept that greatly worries parents. Parents do not want their children to be 5 hrs in front of a screen either. This printed format will keep everyone aligned and on track inside and outside the physical classroom.

WEEK 1-2 (math concepts based on grade level requirements)

ENGLISH.The student looks up vocabulary using a *gasp* physical book dictionary, writes down the meanings, and is encouraged to read the comprehension questions BEFORE reading the chapter so that he recognizes important information. Reading comprehension is so important and many students lack this necessary skill.

There are also diagrams of a labeled sailing ship. Students can compare this to a pirate ship(especially if you have die-hard?Pirates of the Caribbean?fans. Keep learning relevant and you will keep their attention!

ENGLISH/SCIENCE/CIVICS?Reading comprehension questions

science-wedge and formula

social responsibility (discussion about the crew)

ENGLISH?Reading comprehension questions.

Good time to introduce Plot, setting, themes,etc

ART/ASTRONOMY-drawing lesson, astronomy lesson, reference to the?Moana?movie(popular culture), and the Polynesian islands(mark these on your world map).How to recognize certain star formations and use them for navigation.

ENGLISH?Introduce students to the compare-contrast essay they will have to write on Days 9& 10

-work on one of the research projects. (Pay attention to the seasons as the autumn is usually the time to identify mushrooms in your environment. This is the ONLY time period where you will be physically able to collect mushrooms for your Nature Project.)

RELIGION?Biblical verses about stars. -- Bible verses used are for their importance in European history or for?CHARACTER BUILDING?and are qualities that every major religion considers important. This curriculum study does NOT teach other religions because the novel is based on the beliefs and the teaching Mr.Robinson practiced with his family. Students from other religions are encouraged to contribute from their sacred teachings.

ART?Picture study of Van Gogh Paintings

Shakespeare quotes about astronomy

GEOGRAPHY-?all about Islands, formation, and volcanos

discussion about *No Man is an Island*.This may be written or verbal. In class could be discussion groups or as a debate topic.

Find Island countries.....England, Australia, New Zealand, etc and mark on your world map.

SCIENCE-lever experiment, proper scientific procedure

Archimedes

Scales of Justice

ENGLISH?Students write and submit a detailed narration of the chapter.

Students write a compare and contrast essay comparing a famous shipwreck to the Robinson wreck. The story of the Apostle Paul is provided for this purpose but students may prefer to use the?Titanic?story or another wreck from their cultural history. Students will complete this 5 paragraph essay for homework and submit it on Monday. Many writing prompts such as the *paragraph hamburger* and *webbing* are included.

Throughout the year

There are?5 Enrichment Research Projects. Most need to be done outside with the student providing pictures of himself doing the activities. All activities are complementary to the novel...Nature Study,?Survival,?Astronomy,?Forestry?and?HISTORY. These enrichment projects are based on Scouting badges.

Scouting is an amazing activity to add to your classroom . Who would love to learn at Scout School ?!!!!

The?HISTORY?Unit involves the making of a timeline and adding images of inventions, people, and events from 1000-1800. We will be using the History Timeline as proposed by KONOS although each class or home will need to adjust it for the space available. In our home-school, we will actually be using the ceiling! I am a history buff and this really helps excite students to enjoy learning *smart facts*. All the information is included but students are encouraged to do more research on events that interest them and present this knowledge to the class.

The above image was a stock image found on google and made blurry to protect any ownership rights.This is NOT the orginal Konos Timeline but is modeled on their example.

Here is an EXAMPLE of how I used Google searches to build a curriculum FOR MY OWN SON.With permission from various authors, a public/private schol teacher could easily build a classroom comprehensive curriculum.

The Shipwreck Story https://www.artble.com/artists/joseph_mallord_william_turner/paintings/the_shipwreck

Dreadful catastrophe was a common theme in English romantic art period. The romantics had taken a liking to natural phenomena and shipwreck became a popular subject. 19th century Britain specifically was very familiar with shipwreck as it was a period of great English shipping. The Navigation Acts, the skill in English shipbuilding and the use of English oak made such trade possible. Still, the craftsmanship of these ships did not deter the fact that the man made vessel was still at the mercy of the wind.

Shipwreck may be regarded as one of the worst things a human being can encounter. The sea is no respecter of persons- instantly, 100s of men can be wiped out. He wished to portray the power of the elements and how no one is immune from the dangers of an angry sea; he can struggle and fight but ultimately he will be swallowed up by the sea. The unlikelihood of deliverance from such calamity is great.

The Shipwreck: -William Falconer (shipwreck survivor of the Britannia)

Again she plunges! hark! a second shock

Bilges the splitting vessel on the rock—

Down on the vale of death, with dismal cries

The fated victims cast their shuddering eyes

In wile despair; while yet another stroke

With strong convulsions rends the solid oak.

Shipwreck (Тонущий корабль ) Ivan Aivazovsky1854????Style:?Romanticism

?Insert image here

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Renaissance Switzerland https://www.localhistories.org/switzerland.html

In the 15th and early 16th centuries the Switzerland grew still larger and stronger. The cantons of Fribourg and Solothurn joined in 1481. Basel and Schaffhausen followed in 1501 and Appenzell joined in 1513. There were now 13 cantons making up Switzerland.

Meanwhile Swiss soldiers became feared mercenaries in other parts of Europe. In 1506 Pope Julius II formed the Swiss Guard to be his bodyguard.However Switzerland suffered a defeat in 1515. In 1512 Swiss troops occupied Lombardy but in 1515 the French and Venetians defeated them at the battle of Marignano. Afterwards Switzerland began to adopt a policy of neutrality.

In the 16th century like the rest of Europe Switzerland was rocked by the Reformation. Urban parts of Switzerland embraced Protestantism but poor, rural areas remained Catholic. The leading figures in the Swiss Reformation were Ulrich Zwingli (1484-1531) in Zurich and Jean Calvin (1509-1564) in Geneva.

During the 17th century Switzerland prospered. It stayed neutral in the Thirty Years War that engulfed Europe in the years 1618-1648 and in 1848 Austria formally recognized Swiss independence.

18th and 19th Century Switzerland

In the 18th century economic growth in Switzerland continued. It was boosted by the arrival of Huguenots (French Protestants) fleeing religious persecution. Clock and watch making flourished in 18th century Switzerland. So did a textiles industry.

Then in 1798 Napoleon invaded Switzerland. He abolished the 13 cantons and replaced them with the Helvetic Republic. However it was short lived. The Swiss cantons were restored in 1803. (Although they were controlled by France until 1815).

In the early 19th century opinion between liberals and conservative Catholics in Switzerland became polarized. In 1845 seven Catholic cantons formed a union called the Sonderbund. Other Swiss demanded it be dissolved and in 1847 a short civil war was fought. It ended with the defeat of the Catholic cantons.

1760?Clock and watch making flourish in Switzerland

1798?Napoleon invades Switzerland

1847?The Swiss fight a civil war

The flag of Switzerland features a red field with a white cross in the center. It holds the distinction of being one of just 2 square flags in the world (the other is the flag of Vatican City). The white cross in the center is the same symbol used by the Swiss military since the 14th century. The flag was first introduced as the national flag in 1889

Plot of the Swiss Family Robinson (Der Schweizerische Robinson) is a?novel?by?Pastor Johann David Wyss, first published in 1812, about a?Swiss?family of immigrants whose ship en route to?Port Jackson,?Australia, goes off course and is shipwrecked in the?East Indies. Many chapters involve Christian-oriented moral lessons such as?frugality,?husbandry,?acceptance, and?cooperation.Watch for these lessons as you read each chapter. Wyss' novel is modeled after?Daniel Defoe's?Robinson Crusoe, an adventure story about a shipwrecked sailor first published in 1719 and the source of the "Robinson" in the title "Swiss Family Robinson".

Swiss Family Robinson Unit - Chapter 1

?Vocabulary:?

tempest:_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Fortitude_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ?forepart_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

problematical__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

gale________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

vehement__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

contrivance______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

spar_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

lever __________ _____________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________

mastiff _____________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________

hogshead__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

flamingo ?_____________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________

descried__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

stern(of a ship) ____________________________________________________________________________________________

ballast_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________

forage _____________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________

mutton _____________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________

oysters_____________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________

mussel_____________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________

agouti ______________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________

Learn about the parts of a sailing ship. Have you ever watched a pirate movie? Discuss how the ships are similar and different. (Insert image of ship to be labeled)

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Day 2

1.??????What did the ship get wedged between? _______________________

_______________________ _______________________

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Can you understand why we use the word *wedge* to mean *stuck between* ? Give a synonym for *wedge* in this sense. ___________________________

2.??????Who left the family? ___________________________ _______________________ ___________________________

Did the crew of the ship fulfil their main responsibility? __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

What actions should the crew have done first? _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

How do their actions reflect on their captain and the employer?

_____________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________

Would you want to travel with this crew?_________Explain your answer.

(many pages omitted)

Discussion:How does this crew compare with the flight crews on different 9/11 flights? Discuss ''fear'' and how the passengers/crew in the novel compare/contract to those who were on 9/11 flights.

Discuss Bravery after reading the 911 exchange between the emergency operator and a passenger on the hijacked airplane.