Thank you for posting this!

Ds 14 is a struggling writer - he completed WWS 1 this year, although with difficulty. He needed considerably more time to complete assignments than suggested in the TM. I plan to continue with WWS 2 next year. I'm curious how it compares to WWS 1 in terms of the level of difficulty in assignments. Thank you!

Ds 14 is a struggling writer with ADD / LD issues. I don't know whether to be pleased with his progress this year, or wring my hands in despair. :001_unsure: It took him hours to write this, and he used sources that are probably below grade level. I did help him with some of the most glaring errors in his rough draft, but I didn't require him to restructure the paragraphs. I would appreciate your feedback. WWS-35 Thomas Edison During his life time, Thomas Edison registered over one thousand patents and made many inventions that have had a lasting impact on the world as we know it. We often take his inventions for granted today. Much of the technology we use today can be traced back to Edison’s inventions. Thomas Alva Edison was born in 1847 in Milan Ohio. Edison was the youngest of seven children. From an early age, he began to lose his hearing; later in life he would become completely deaf. He attended school in a one room school house until one day his teacher told him there was something wrong with his brain and he couldn’t learn. His mother became very angry and took him out of school. She home schooled him from that point on. Edison was an inquisitive boy, spending lots of time out in nature and collecting samples of anything that interested him. From an early age Edison loved to experiment. He set up a make shift lab in the basement and did many experiments there. When he was thirteen, he got a job selling news papers, magazines, candies, sandwiches and other goods to the passengers of the Grand Trunk Railway. He decided to publish is own newspaper called the Weekly Herald to sell to the passengers on the train. At the Grand Trunk Railway, there was a telegraph office. Even as a child, Edison had always been fascinated by the telegraph. One day the son of the station master was playing on the railroad tracks and Edison saved the boy from an oncoming train. The station master was so grateful that he offered to teach Edison telegraphy. After that Edison worked as a Telegraph operator at the Western Union telegraph office. Edison’s first patent was a vote counter; the vote counter was a total failure. Edison’s idea was a good one. Edison knew that taking votes in congressional meetings was a long and inefficient process because he took notes at the meetings when he was a telegraph operator. He decided to make a machine to record the votes electronically. Most politicians didn’t want to make the voting process more efficient, they liked it take to a long time. Edison later said, "Anything that won’t sell, I don’t want to invent. Its sale is proof of utility, and utility is success." Edison invented many other things. He invented an improved stock ticker. He also attempted to make a two way telegraph machine that could send two messages at once but it failed. He later successfully invented a machine that could transmit four telegraph signals at once. Edison invented an electric pen which could receive an electrical signal which was then translated onto a piece of paper. He invented the phonograph which was the first record player. Edison improved upon Alexander Graham Bell’s telephone by improving the transmitter. Before Edison’s improvement, the transmitted signal was very weak. Whoever was talking on the phone had to shout just to be heard by the person on the other end of the line. Edison’s telephone used a carbon button for the transmitter which was much more effective than the previous design. He invented the lightbulb, the generator needed to power it, and all the components needed to light a house or a city. The hardest thing about inventing the light bulb was finding a long lasting filament to use. The challenge was to find a filament that would burn long enough to make the light bulb practical. The filament is the part of a light bulb that actually burns; the challenge was not to find something that would emit light. Edison ended up using carbonized thread for the filament. Edison’s first bulb burned for more than thirteen hours. He also invented the Kinetoscope which was a predecessor to the projector. It looked like a chest height box with a handle on the side that could be turned. On the top of the box there was a lens that the viewer could look through. Inside there would be a wheel with a series of pictures on it. When the handle was turned, the wheel spun and it made something that looked very much like a movie. He then began to sell the Vitascope which was one of the first projectors. Edison came up with the idea for the phonograph when he was working on a device to record telegraph messages. The first phonograph used a needle to cut impressions in wax covered paper cylinders. The impressions were read by a stylus which would vibrate a diaphragm. The night Edison invented a working phonograph he went to visit the president so he could demonstrate his invention. The first family was so fascinated by his invention that Edison showed off his invention until half past three in the morning. Later Edison would change from using paper to record the sounds on foil to make the indentations because the foil was more durable. Much later in his life Edison changed from making his recordings on cylinders to discs. Edison stubbornly used cylinders for many years because they had a cleaner sound than discs, but the discs allowed a longer recording to be put on them than the cylinders, and eventually he had to admit that the public wanted the disc records more. It’s hard to imagine what our world would be like today without Edison’s inventions. Each time we turn on a light, listen to a CD player, or talk on the phone we have Edison to thank. The idea for our televisions originated with Edison. Batteries power everything from IPods to cars. What would Edison think if he could see how far his inventions have progressed? 　 　 　 　 　 　 　 　 　

A friend who is a former teacher recommended this as an evaluation tool for our DC. Wondering if anyone here has experience with MAP testing.

Just learned about Karen's RS4K Online Academy - thinking about options for our science loving 7th grader next year . . . would love to hear if others have any experience with this.

Thank you! We just started reading The HIding Place.

I feel your pain. Ds 12 is a strong willed child. You'll find links to a couple of websites in my signatiure line with resources that have been extrememly helpful. All the best to you and your dd.

Thank you everyone! I have been following the links and researching all of your suggestions :)

We need to clean our carpets. I'm wondering which carpet cleaner to rent, and what type of cleaning solution to use. Thanks :001_smile:

They are very open to helping others who wish to launch similar schools ;)

Since it is late, late, late here and I am off to bed, I will refer you to the links in my signature line :001_smile: You'll find lots of great info at Celebrate Calm - they have podcasts, webcasts, blogs, an informative and encouraging email list, CDs, and an active page on Facebook. All the best to you and your dc. (Searching for the smiley with the litte zzz . . . above it )

I don't know where you live, but several new schools are opening this fall - two in the Chicago area, one in Seattle. You could email them to see if there is one in your area :001_smile:

Hi BlueRidge! You've received lots of helpful suggestions, and I think you are proceeding in a way that makes sense. Your description of your dd reminds me of my own experience with our 12 yo ds. He's intellectually gifted, creative, and a deep thinker like your dd. Oh, and he's argumentative too :tongue_smilie: You'll find some links in my signature line that have been immensely helpful to our family - Casey's Straight Talk for Kids CD would be a great place to start. The folks at Celebrate Calm are wonderful about offering discounts and / or setting up payment plans if necessary. Their free email newsletter is a great resource, and you can also follow them on FB to learn more. Blessings

Mr. Putter and Tabby :001_smile:

A small Catholic School offering a classical education Chesterton Academy

Thanks everyone! You've given me some great ideas to explore! :)

He's spending less time with Legos and we'd rather not buy another electronic gadget / video game type gift. Loves audio books, likes to read, musical, not into sports. Already has lots of Nerf guns. One option might be a class or an adventure of some sort, in lieu of a gift. Ideas welcome!

How about the Classical Kids CDs? Or anything by Jim Weiss - you may be able to find both of the above at your local library.

Oh, wow! Thanks Jeannie. This actually sounds pretty good. If I drink bullet proof coffee can I just skip breakfast all together? :001_smile:

Congrats on your success! Can you enlighten me about the bullet proof coffee? ETA: I just did a search for bullet proof coffee on the chat board - still trying to wrap my mind around the idea of putting butter or coconut oil in my coffee . . . :tongue_smilie:

I am beyond thrilled this! Can't wait to sign up our dc - and just think - as parents we get to learn alongside our kids - a classical education for us as well!

Here's a link http://wtmacademy.com/ I am seriously doing cartwheeles - (at least in my mind) :hurray:

Have you considered Khan Academy?

Anyone using Khan academy in addition to / in place of a more traditional high school science curriculum?

Here's a link