Here is a mini-lesson plan to go with the free music file: Pause & Play ‘Spirals’, featuring three pieces of classical music: Duet for Two Solo Violins and String Orchestra, by Steve Reich; Cello Suite No. 1 (Prelude) by J. S. Bach performed by Mischa Maisky; Missa Virie Galilaei (Agnus Dei II) by Palestrina. ‘Pause & Play’ Music Appreciation mini-lessons are made for elementary-age students and their teachers or parents. Download the free basic file here: https://www.tes.com/teaching-resource/resource-12556504

Here is a list of all Canadian Winter Homeschool Materials resources! Search by grade or browse according to topic. Short descriptions of each book included, as well as page count and title page images, for easy reference.

Here are six pieces of beautiful art depicting Victorian London. Each has been prepared for use as a paper ‘cut and paste’ puzzle. There are a simpler 6-piece puzzle and a more difficult 10-piece puzzle for each work of art. Cut and Paste puzzles are a proven and effective way to improve younger students’ fine motor skills, as well as their ability to solve visual problems. Older students may also complete this type of activity, with a dual purpose, integrating hands-on learning into a study of the Industrial Revolution or Sherlock Holmes, or as a ‘change of pace’ from intellectual activities. The selection of great art in this collection will encourage young people to admire and appreciate beautiful works, developing their artistic taste and greater cultural knowledge. Take a moment to appreciate the beautiful colours and images of a time and place gone by! Bonus: Includes a page of questions that can be used to investigate the who-what-when-where-why-how of any one of the paintings.

Who says Christmas-themed schoolwork is only suited to elementary students? This resource contains 6 thematic reading and writing assignments for middle school students. Complement your main curriculum with interesting age-appropriate texts, each matched with a unique writing assignment! There is no limit to the number of selections you can use. You may work through them in order or choose a topic or assignment to suit the moment. This resource offers teachers and students a chance to explore different styles and forms of varying level of difficulty, through unique poems and literary excerpts about the Christmas season. (Cut-out decorations included.) Contents: 1 - A Christmas Carol (poem), by Charles Dickens 2 - A Peaceful Christmas Alone (two short descriptions), by Unknown and Stella Benson 3 - Drawing Santa Claus (spoken instructions), by John Wilson Bengough 4 - Did Shakespeare Like Christmas? (scholarly criticism), by Max Beerbohm 5 - The Appositeness of Christmas (opinion), by E. A. Bennett 6 - Trees and Bells (poems), by Carman and Tennyson

Do you love the music of J.S. Bach? Are you curious to learn more about Baroque music, the era in which Bach lived, and his life? Or are you preparing for a music history exam? This book contains 15 pages of information about Johann Sebastian Bach, including pictures and interesting facts about his music. Following each section of text are ‘activities’ and ‘cut-outs’ which you may use to assemble a simple one-folder ‘lapbook’, which will serve as a reminder of what you’ve learned, and a useful study prompt tool - your completed lapbook will also be something nice to look at! Full instructions are included. All you need are scissors, glue, a pen or pencil, a folder (the colour of your choice) and a printed black and white version of this book. Get ready to learn more than you ever thought possible about the man who is considered one of the greatest composers of all time!

Do you get a thrill when you hear an opera singer? Are you curious about the origins of this unique art form? Do you enjoy dates and names and history? Or are you preparing for a music history exam? This book contains 24 pages of information (facts and pictures) about Opera, with special attention given to the English comic opera The Pirates of Penzance by Gilbert & Sullivan. Following each section of text are ‘activities’ and ‘cut-outs’ which you may use to assemble a simple one-folder ‘lapbook’, which will serve as a reminder of what you’ve learned, and a useful study prompt tool - your completed lapbook will also be something nice to look at! Full instructions are included. All you need are scissors, glue, a pen or pencil, a folder (the colour of your choice) and a printed black and white version of this book. Get ready to learn more than you ever thought possible about a musical form that has been thrilling audiences for hundred of years!

Les Trois Mousquetaires transports the reader to 17th century France, where the young and daring d’Artagnan has taken the first step toward finding fame and fortune as a musketeer. But who can he trust? What unwritten codes of conduct drive the greedy ambitions and sly plots of the powerful people he encounters? Will he survive duels and intrigue, and find friendship, or true love? This classic adventure novel is perfect for advanced French students, who will enjoy an imitable blend of history and fiction, character and action, driving story-telling and brilliant language. Here you will find writing topics to accompany each chapter of the full two-volume novel. Read one chapter at a time. Complete the short French writing assignment that follows (no more than 100 words) according to the approach you have chosen (shorter and longer versions are included). Use the discussion topics to practice your oral French and to explore major themes of the novel, or for further writing practice. Also included are drawings of the characters in full costume, from the Fellens and Dufour edition of 1849, and short summaries of each chapter (in French) to help you confirm that you’re keeping up with the plot as you go! Contents: · Instructions and About the Contents · Reading and Writing Questions Set A (shorter) · Reading and Writing Questions Set B (longer) · Grandes Thèmes à Contempler (Discussion) · Images des Personnages · Sommaire de Chapitres Note: the book is not included here, but can be read online for free.

‘Uncle Mordecai, does not your own heart long to see our people restored to glory?’ Each ‘At The Movies’ selection is a movie that is both enjoyable to watch, and a good starting-place to explore important topics. High school students can expand on their analytical and writing skills by answering questions, writing plot summaries and character descriptions, and pondering upon important, far-reaching themes in discussion or essay-writing assignments. About the movie: One Night with the King Hadassah is a young woman who lives with her benevolent uncle in ancient Susa, capital of the Persian Empire. They are Jews, and they are aware that they are not in favour with the reigning powers. When the Queen disobeys her husband and is dethroned, King Xerxes must choose a new wife. According to tradition of the time, women are gathered together by his guards and imprisoned in the palace for a year’s preparatory beauty treatments. When the time is up, the King will choose a new Queen from among them, after they spend a single night together. Hadassah is one of those captured, but rather than dreading the trial, she continues to better herself with reading and maintaining a cheerful and sensible attitude. Circumstances evolve so that she finds herself in the King’s presence long before her ‘one night’, and they begin to forge a deep understanding. He chooses her as Queen, not knowing that she is a Jew, for she has taken the Babylonian name ‘Esther’ at her uncle’s urging. As the plot develops, an ancient feud inspires an evil Agagite to plot for the death of all Jews. Only by revealing her true identity can Hadassah hope to undo the deadly chain of events he has set in motion. She chooses courage and honesty, and along with her Uncle Mordecai, earns a place in the Persian Kingdom for both herself and her people. Rating: PG (imbd.com) / Date of release: 2007 / Language: English / Subtitles: no / Country: U.S.A. / Purchase: watch free on Youtube (link included)

Many parents wonder how to include music in their day, especially when children are very young – too young to get much out of playing an instrument or group music-making such as singing in a choir. With young families in mind (though teachers could also easily use these resources in a classroom or daycare setting!), we have put together a collection of short music compilations, found for free on Youtube (link included in file). Each one is themed according to style, country, genre, and/or mood, with a simple title such as ‘Moon’. Just pick a title that strikes your imagination (such as ‘Cake’ or ‘Together’) and listen! Each file is no more than 12 minutes long. The selections include a wide variety of performances. You may listen to them in any order, and at any time during the day. Just take a moment to ‘pause and play!’ Please see the file for further suggestions for how to make the most of this ‘music appreciation’ resource. NOTE: New selections will be added regularly!

What if you could actually talk with your favourite pet? Or live in the wild with your favourite wild animals? In this classic short story, Roald Dahl tells the compelling tale of a young boy who has a special ability to communicate with animals. In stark contrast to the greed of those around him, he sees an ancient sea turtle for the amazing, feeling creature that it is. This unit study guides students to dive deep into the story and explore all sorts of topics related to human-animal communication, while relishing a unique piece of fiction. Assignments emphasise self-expression, reflection and good writing. They are suitable for students in grades 7 and up. Please note: The Boy Who Talked with Animals is protected by copyright and must be procured separately. All other necessary resources are included in this unit study or available for free online (links provided). Contents *About this Unit Study & Before You Begin Guide to all Assignments Section Assignments Section Questions to be completed in a notebook Section Questions Worksheets Written Exercises for the Full Story Focus on an Excerpt Reflection Questions Creative Assignments Make a Short Video Write a Short Story – Properly Exploring the Story’s Themes through Music and Art Music: Flight of the Bumblebee (Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov) Music: The Trout (Franz Schubert) Art: Humans and Animals in Art (Three Paintings) Exploring the Topic Further: An Ocean of Possibilities Documentary: Understanding How Animals Think and Feel Wildlife safety Doctor Dolittle: Write a Compare and Contrast Essay

Compare and Contrast! The student will read two short pieces of writing describing storms (included). A list of relevant topics for a ‘compare and contrast’ essay is included. The student will choose three topics that they feel are interesting, and write an essay in which they briefly address how those elements differ in each story. Detailed guidelines are given. This assignment will take at least one week to complete. Here’s an easy and efficient way to practise essay writing, without having to commit to reading an entire novel or play before getting started! Texts: ‘Storm’ by Charles Dickens This excerpt from David Copperfield describes the dramatic effects of a seaside storm. ‘Squall’ by Leonora Speyer This poem describes a short storm that leaves nature refreshed. TIP! This may be a good choice for a student with an interest in outdoor adventuring or who loves nature.

Imagine finding an ancient Roman treasure of incredible value in your back yard. What would you do? And how would you feel? Welcome to the incredible true story of the Mildenhall Treasure, in which an unsuspecting farmer discovers a real trove of Roman silver in 1940’S England! This unit study for The Mildenhall Treasure by Roald Dahl is suitable for students in grades 8 and up. The story focuses on themes of discovery, honesty, history and greed, and the resources in this unit study put an emphasis on the characters, treasure and text while guiding students to assess some of the nuances involved in writing a fictional account of real events. Please note: The Mildenhall Treasure is protected by copyright and must be procured separately. All other necessary resources are included in this unit study or available for free online (links provided). Contents About this Unit Study Before You Begin & Guide to all Assignments The People Questions and assignments focused on the characters’ thoughts, behaviors and feelings. Special character description assignment based on four 1940’s portraits. The Treasure Questions and assignments focused on the difference between wealth and treasure, and what constitutes a real archaeological treasure. Introduce students to the popular British archaeological series, Time Team. The Text & Language Questions and assignments focused on Dahl’s writing, including an exercise in polishing, inspired by the author’s own approach and the theme of polishing buried treasure. Also, a look at the power of repetition, and understanding the terms sarcasm and priorities. Roman History & Gods A quick look at the Roman figures mentioned in the text, and further activities such as an ancient Roman names word search. Art & Music Admire a fresco depicting an ancient Roman banquet and listen to some music played on a lyre. Examine a painting and a photograph of farming and explore further the theme of the difference between depicting facts and taking creative liberties. Listen to two pieces of music about snow (Let It Snow! by Jule Styne and Sammy Cahn, and The Snow Is Dancing, by Claude Debussy), and decide which would be best suited to a certain part of the story (with a focus on the term context). Essay Writing Take a look at the real Mildenhall Treasure and write an essay comparing a factual account of its discovery with Dahl’s version. Suggested activities A handful of further activities are included, such as taking another look at historical Roman art or diving into professions that involve spending long hours alone.