| Author | |
Loren
Forum Pro
Joined: Jan 31 2006
Location: Texas
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 121
|
| Posted: May 06 2008 at 4:30pm | IP Logged
|
 |
|
I was reading the thread about what has worked well this year and noticed many compliments on Theresa's Harry Potter unit. I put that in a folder for us to do this summer, but was thinking about the other series my boys are fond of.
My almost 9th grader is very much into Star Trek and I would like to be able to incorporate that into his schoolwork. The TV series, movies, and novels do lend themselves to science, but it seems too abstract to me. I know we could do civics, focusing on governments, economics, and social systems. We found books on the religions and even the ethics of the series. I just don't know where to start turning it into a curriculum. Any ideas?
Another series that we like is Redwall. I'm sure there's plenty of botany, biology, and home economics we could glean from that series. The Redwall cookbook has been a hit when we checked it out of the library. Hmmm, maybe poetry? The characters are always singing some chant or other. Maybe monastic life? It is an abbey, after all. Anyone have any resources for this?
Thanks.
Loren
|
| Back to Top |
|
| |
Mary K
Forum All-Star
Joined: May 14 2005
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 945
|
| Posted: May 06 2008 at 6:03pm | IP Logged
|
|
|
Hi,
Have you checked out Redwall.org?
God bless,
Mary-NY
|
| Back to Top |
|
| |
lapazfarm
Forum All-Star
Joined: July 21 2005
Location: Alaska
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 6082
|
| Posted: May 06 2008 at 6:05pm | IP Logged
|
|
|
There is a Redwall unit-study guide somewhere. I know I've seen it, though I cannot remember where.
Star Trek sounds like a fun unit!I like the government angle. Also space travel, physics, etc would be an easy tie-in.
__________________
Theresa
us-schooling in beautiful Fairbanks, Alaska.
LaPaz Home Learning
|
| Back to Top |
|
| |
guitarnan
Forum Moderator
Joined: Feb 07 2005
Location: Maryland
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 10883
|
| Posted: May 06 2008 at 9:19pm | IP Logged
|
|
|
Closet Trekker here...
If you look at ST: TOS (original series), you can focus on things like race relations, the view of the future vs. the future we're actually in, the "laws of physics," even TV production (there are books and books on how the series were produced - warning, though, pre-read them before giving them to teens).
ST:TNG is also good for individual topics. "Darmok" is one of my favorite episodes - it is all about communication. You could view this episode and then read Eoin Colfer's Benny and Omar, which has a very similar theme (even TV-related). Of course you can use the Borg and even the "Unification I and II" episodes to talk about political systems.
Data's character is a good focus for bioethics discussions ("Brothers" and "Datalore").
__________________
Nancy in MD. Mom of ds (24) & dd (18); 31-year Navy wife, move coordinator and keeper of home fires. Writer and dance mom.
|
| Back to Top |
|
| |
Philothea
Forum All-Star
Joined: Aug 15 2006
Location: Virginia
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 824
|
| Posted: May 07 2008 at 9:08am | IP Logged
|
|
|
Star Trek as curriculum ... this may be the thing that pushes me off the fence re: Homeschooling ... I love Star Trek!
|
| Back to Top |
|
| |
lapazfarm
Forum All-Star
Joined: July 21 2005
Location: Alaska
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 6082
|
| Posted: May 07 2008 at 9:30am | IP Logged
|
|
|
Philothea wrote:
| Star Trek as curriculum ... this may be the thing that pushes me off the fence re: Homeschooling ... I love Star Trek! |
|
|
LOL!!!! 
__________________
Theresa
us-schooling in beautiful Fairbanks, Alaska.
LaPaz Home Learning
|
| Back to Top |
|
| |
Loren
Forum Pro
Joined: Jan 31 2006
Location: Texas
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 121
|
| Posted: May 07 2008 at 9:41am | IP Logged
|
|
|
I love the ideas. There are lots of great topics to cover through Star Trek. My problem is finding the resources and actually designing the class.
Of course it doesn't help that I'm not the fan. I don't know what episodes correlate to which topic. I need... OK, want someone else to do the hard work.
|
| Back to Top |
|
| |
CrunchyMom
Forum Moderator
Joined: Sept 03 2007
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 6385
|
| Posted: May 07 2008 at 10:47am | IP Logged
|
|
|
Loren wrote:
I love the ideas. There are lots of great topics to cover through Star Trek. My problem is finding the resources and actually designing the class.
Of course it doesn't help that I'm not the fan. I don't know what episodes correlate to which topic. I need... OK, want someone else to do the hard work. |
|
|
Maybe you could start with a movie? Those you can work through in a couple of sittings. Star Trek 4 would transition well into rabbit trails about natural science and whales. Star Trek 5 would open up a lot of discussions about philosphy and connections between science and its questioning the existence of God.
I haven't seen it yet, but some of those might correspond well with the new documentary Expelled.
__________________
Lindsay
Five Boys(6/04) (6/06) (9/08)(3/11),(7/13), and 1 girl (5/16)
My Symphony
[URL=http://mysymphonygarden.blogspot.com/]Lost in the Cosmos[/UR
|
| Back to Top |
|
| |
Vanna
Forum Pro
Joined: May 09 2008
Location: Kansas
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 331
|
| Posted: May 14 2008 at 1:49pm | IP Logged
|
|
|
LOL! You all are awesome moms!!!!
I had no idea that this process could be so fun and creative. I love this post..it reminds me that homeschooling doesn't have to be "school at home".
Thanks.
|
| Back to Top |
|
| |
Mary K
Forum All-Star
Joined: May 14 2005
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 945
|
| Posted: May 14 2008 at 2:05pm | IP Logged
|
|
|
You could also tie Star Trek into Charles Dickens. I'm thinking of the movie when Spock tells Captain Kirk that the needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few or the one (A Tale of Two Cities). Just can't remember which one it was.
God bless,
Mary-NY
|
| Back to Top |
|
| |
Philothea
Forum All-Star
Joined: Aug 15 2006
Location: Virginia
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 824
|
| Posted: May 14 2008 at 9:30pm | IP Logged
|
|
|
Wikipedia, Memory-Alpha and Star Trek websites all have detailed episode guides with little summaries ... you could glean some topics from there.
|
| Back to Top |
|
| |
Leonie
Forum All-Star
Joined: Jan 28 2005
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 2831
|
| Posted: May 15 2008 at 12:01am | IP Logged
|
|
|
Hogwarts School email list
Lots of lesson plans and unit studies on file, for the HP books, for different grade levels.
__________________
Leonie in Sydney
Living Without School
|
| Back to Top |
|
| |
Lori B
Forum Pro
Joined: March 24 2006
Location: Canada
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 209
|
| Posted: May 19 2008 at 7:51am | IP Logged
|
|
|
My husband loved this show, though you would have to preview it (I don't remember anything objectionable, but it was a few years ago).
Also, the book I'm Working on That : a trek from science fiction to science fact by William Shatner might be useful.
__________________
22yod, 16yod (Asperger's), 14yos (dyslexia, APD, ADHD), and 11yod (JXG, glaucoma, legally blind)
|
| Back to Top |
|
| |
4Real Forums : Living Learning
Topic: Harry Potter and Star Trek
