Given the world situation with refugees at present, I've been looking for ways to help Helena feel empowered rather than jaded and in despair - which is easy for all of us, I think. It's utterly appalling that so many folks are without homes and without hope of getting one, that so many people have died.... that so many millions of folks are turned away at borders.... 

We have some ideas for how we can help that are still in the formulation process. Hopefully I'll post more on them at a later date, as they develop. 

In the meantime, we found this Q&A section from our cities refugee resettlement organization highly informative. As Helena pointed out the process is "very complicated" - totally mind-numbing in my opinion. 

In short... less than 1% of the world's millions of refugees make it to the United States. There's a long and complicated process of resettlement. First an "asylee" has to apply for legal "refugee" status from a UN organization. If they get that, they're most likely kept as a refugee in the country they are in or maybe resettled there. A "3rd nation" resettlement (1st being country of origin, 2nd being the nation they are now in) is rare; in other words it's rare that folks get transferred out of the nation they fled to and into a 3rd nation for resettlement. 

If a refugee comes to the U.S they've been through a lengthy process that looks at their background, family tree, biographical info, education, language, medical exams, FBI clearance, state department clearance, and more!! Refugees apply for a social security card immediately, are provided with initial housing, obtain a loan they'll have to pay back for their travel expenses to the U.S, and are expected to be working full time within 6 months of arrival. 

I honestly get so angry when I hear people saying that we shouldn't help refugees until we have helped all of our Veterans and homeless. I disagree and here's why.

Yes, Veterans need far better services. I 100% agree with that!! Homelessness is not an easy problem either. I've worked with the homeless and they mostly all *wanted* to be on the streets because they were jaded by the abuse that happened in their wealthy families of origin and/or had mental health issues. There are extensive services in place to get folks off of the street if they don't want to be there: shelters, temporary housing, job placement assistance, and more. Is it perfect? No. But none of that should keep us from helping refugees in my opinion! I think this is especially true because funding for refugees comes from totally different, often international, organizations than those that help Veterans and homeless folks, and most refugees are on a fast path to self-sufficiency.

And contrary to popular opinion, being a refugee does no equate to being a homeless person in the U.S. 

When I lived in Utica, NY years ago, I saw a lot of Bosnian refugees come into the area. They started purchasing homes in one of the worst areas of the city. Within a year or so, whole blocks had been fixed up. Deteriorating homes with overgrown lots were fixed up, painted, and had pretty gardens growing. Having those refugees move in was great for the city and the economy! 

Seriously, these people have been through so much and are tired of being homeless. They want a home and place of security more than anything! That often leads to being exemplary citizens when they get here! 

If you're interested in more info... check out this link here...

And at the end of the day, think of how you'd want the world to respond if you were the refugee! Think about how grateful you are that you're safe. Think about what your religion or spiritual views teach about kindness and caring for the poor. I always think if we all did a little something, maybe the problem would be so much more manageable than it is. 

Here's what the last few months of child-led learning looked like for us! I don't "require" anything but some daily reading and that she be willing to explore math in some way, shape or form. 

Not all of the formatting transferred over from the PDF document, but I think it's still pretty clear... :) Homeschool regulations are different for each state. Here in NY we file an annual plan, quarterly reports, and a final assessment. 






First Quarterly Report
 2015/2016



Helena Aviles

5th Grade
 

Hours of Instruction: 225 +

Helena has made satisfactory progress in all subject areas.
 

Math:

• Read Life of Fred books 1-3 with review of basic arithmetic and introduction to a few new terms
• Watched Math Antics videos on YouTube
• Review of basic geometry such as point, segments, and geometric
  shapes along with acute, right, and obtuse angles
• Played Skip-bo number game
• Worked on common denominators and fractions
• Introduction to converting fractions to decimals and percents and vice
  versa
• Basic practical life statistics: figured out mean, median, mode of cost of
  items on a grocery receipt; discussed differences; looked at the effect of
  outliers
• Ran a lemonade and snack stand at town-wide garage sale
• Opened a bank account and is working on selling her hen’s eggs and
  saving money
  
 

  Social Studies:
  • Listened to the entire first volume (full year’s worth of social studies curriculum!) of Story of the World on audio CD. This volume covers ancient history “from the earliest nomads to the fall of Rome.”
  • Helena read Hera: The Goddess and Her Glory by George O’Connor and Roman Diary: The Journal of Iliona, Young Slave by Richard Platt.
• Together we read several of the who, what, where series: What were the Great Pyramids, What was the Great Wall of China, Who was King Tut, and What Was Pompeii.
• We also read Inside a Roman Fort by Manning and Granstrom, and Cleopatra by Diane Stanley.
• We read portions of An Illustrated World History: Prehistory, the Ancient World and portions of The Atlas of the Classical World: Ancient Greece and Ancient Rome.
• And since she’s *really* into ancient history we have a timeline of classical Greece and a timeline of ancient Rome on the wall in the bathroom!
• For all of the stories we discussed the philosophy of history and issues of social justice such as the following: Who gets to write history? Whose viewpoint matters? Is being “the richest and most powerful man in the world” really as important as the author makes it sound? What stories can we find that give a different view of history, maybe of minorities or women? What role did women play in ancient history?
• Geography: road trip to Cape Cod, MA; talked about the different land formations and learned about them in a book; saw cranberry bogs
  Science:
• Attended weekly several hour science class at Yacon and discussed early (Medieval) scientists and their discoveries and the development of the field of science.
• Continued to study botany and herbalism and Latin names of plants as well as their uses.
• Made herbal remedies and used them
• Read Ranger Rick magazine
• Actively looking for an opportunity to do animal rescue volunteer work
• Did a chemistry science project and explained it in a science fair
• Read The Adventurous Life of a Cape Cod Dog: A Curious Canine’s
  Exploration of the Cape’s Natural History by Scaglione-Peck together, in
  which we learned all about natural history of the Cape.
• Viewed the landscape of the Cape
• Experimented to see what an injured seagull would eat (only our pack of
  tunafish and water)
  
  
  

• Viewed whale spouting and a LOT of seals in Cape Cod; even saw a whale but only in a picture we’d taken; we didn’t see him at the time we took the picture!
• Learned that a fox can drag away a very full and heavy soft-backed cooler from a campsite; learned that fox would return the next morning at the same time and stare at us as if to ask why we didn’t leave our coolers out again
• Completed a Minecraft homeschool science session on weather; learned about weather patterns and storms and types of clouds; got a 100% on all quizzes; created a cotton ball project of various cloud types; identified cloud types in real life
  English Language Arts

• Daily reading
• Spelling and punctuation and grammar are attended to in real life
  scenarios
• Madlibs to review parts of speech
• Talked about present, past, future tense of verbs
• Talked about making the subject and verb agree and noted how they did
  not in a book we read.
• Talked about commas going around a set of something
• Read/memorized portions of “When the Frost is on the Punkin” by James
  Whitcomb Riley
  Health & PE

• Hiking
• Weekly yoga classes
• Weekly visit to the Flight Park for homeschool trampoline time
• Talking about health continually
• Meditation practice
• Swimming
• Read portions of an American Girl book on health and portions of Paleo
  Girl together
• Cooking, gardening, and many other healthy and active practices

Art & Music
• Weekly music appreciation and theory class at Yacon
• Several cartooning classes at Yacon
• Drawing a LOT of animal cartoon characters from Youtube instructions • Two fiber arts classes at Yacon
• Pottery classes biweekly
• Biweekly drum circle
• Playful Performing Arts classes
• Visited the Van Gogh & Nature exhibit at the Clark Art Museum
Spanish: Pimsleur audio CD’s for conversational Spanish 


 

Lavender for the Nervous System


Latin: Lavendula angustifolia (Elpel, 1997; Johnson et al, 2014).
Family: Lamiaceae
Parts Used: Aerial: Mostly flowers; sometimes leaves (Gladstar, 2014).
Common Forms: Essential oil, tea, tinctures (Winston & Maimes, 2007, p. 227-228).
Native To: Mediterranean region and Southern Europe (Castleman, 2009).
Energetics: Bitter, cooling or warming (Crowell, (Links to an external site.) n.d.); spicy, fragrant, mildly bitter, cool (Tierra, 1998, p. 151)
Actions: aromatherapeutic; Also antibacterial, antifungal, antiseptic, carminative, nervine, mildly nootropic, and antidepressant (Gladstar, 2014, p. 94; Winston & Maimes, 2007, p. 227; Tierra, 1998, p.151)

Common Uses: 
It is likely that many individuals are more familiar with lavender for its usage in the fragrance industry. The greatest commercial usage of lavender blossoms today is in perfume and perfumed products, with the essential oil of lavender containing over 150 different phytochemicals that contribute to its pleasing fragrance (Kowalchik et al, 1987, p. 350; Castleman, 2009, p. 302). Yet lavender is more than “just a pretty face” or aroma. Don’t be fooled by her delicate appearance, this gal has both beauty and brawn. She’s an aromatherapeutic powerhouse when it comes to treating anxiety and her purplish-blue flowers speak to her ability to calm the emotions (Culpepper, 2007; Tierra, 1998, p. 151).
Lavender’s nervine and nootropic qualities contributed to a variety of historical usages. Greek and Roman women clung to it for courage in childbirth (Gladstar, 2014, p. 93). In the Middle Ages, it was believed that sprinkling a lover’s head with lavender water would keep him or her faithful, and some even viewed it as an aphrodisiac. English farmers put sprigs under their hats to prevent sunstroke and headaches, and all over Southern Europe and the Mediterranean region people used it as an air-freshener in sachets and potpourris. Fusions and tinctures of it were used through the early 1900’s to cleanse wounds (Castleman, 2009, p. 300; Kowalchik et al, 1987, p. 350). It was also used for acne, fainting and dizziness, and muscle spasms. The 16th century British herbalist John Gerard wrote in his Herball, “It profiteth them much that have the palsy if they be washed with water of lavender flowers, or are anointed with the oil made from the flowers and olive oil” (Castleman, 2009, p. 301).
There have been multiple studies on the efficacy of lavender in relieving both situational and clinical anxiety. For starters, those ancient Greek and Roman women who clung to a sprig of lavender during childbirth exhibited intuitive wisdom not superstition. In a study of women in labor, 63 were randomly assigned to receive lavender aromatherapy while 58 were used as a control group (Mizraei et al, 2009). All of the women were first-time laboring mothers >37 weeks, 3-4 centimeters dilated, and with average anxiety levels at the start of labor. In the end, those mothers receiving lavender aromatherapy treatments while giving birth exhibited lower perceived anxiety, reduced plasma cortisol levels, and greater serotonin levels than women in the control group - demonstrating that lavender is an effective anti-anxiety remedy for birth. 
In another study, a lavender oil capsule called silexan was compared to the benzodiazepine lorazepam (Ativan) in a randomized adult population diagnosed with Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD) (Schlafke et al, 2010). Baseline and six week measurements of anxiety were taken with the Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale. Researchers concluded that lavender oil capsules were equally effective to the benzodiazepine treatment but without the dangerous pharmaceutical side-effects.

Specific Indications:
In short, lavender is good for a pattern of anxiety or nervous exhaustion in which the person needs to be both relaxed (lowering stress hormones) but also strengthened to deal better with stress over the long-term. For example, a woman in childbirth needs to be relaxed to allow her body to open and birth with ease - but also needs strength for labor.

Lavender is a powerful nootropic that has been described as both stimulating and sedative (Winston & Maimes, 2007, p. 227; Culpepper, 2007, p. 110). One Chinese herbalist describes it as follows:  “Lavender is pungent, slightly bitter, and cooling or slightly warming. It is both stimulating and relaxing; it sinks the qi in the body and disperses it. Lavender is both restoring and astringing. Sounds a bit contradictory, doesn't it?” (Crowell, n.d.) Gladstar explains these seemingly paradoxical energetics pointing out that lavender has both the ability to relax a person while also giving them a felt sense of resilience (Gladstar, 2014, p. 93). Anxiety and depression are often comorbid; thus these qualities of lavender make synergistic sense. Yet even for an individual solely experiencing anxiety these opposing qualities are beneficial. Gladstar elaborates “It is one of the best herbs to use in herbal baths to relieve tension, stress, headaches, and insomnia. Used traditionally to imbue courage and strength, lavender is still a favorite herb to strengthen the heart and mind during stressful situations” (Gladstar, 2014, p. 93). It is not always enough to gain relief from the stress; lavender offers the courage to muster hope and move forward as well.
Dosage:
Lavender essential oil is very safe and diffusing it is an excellent way to obtain the calming yet fortifying aspects of lavender without actually ingesting it. 

• Diffuse 10 drops of pure lavender essential oil in an electric diffuser for 15 minutes at a time. Never diffuse for longer than 15 minutes. Essential oils are strong chemicals. While they are natural and while lavender is one of the safest, they can be toxic in high quantities.
• Alternately, put about 10 drops of pure lavender essential oil in a bath. 
• A lavender hydrosol is water leftover from processing the essential oil and provides a lower dosage of the phytochemicals in lavender. It’s a great aromatherapeutic choice for children.
• Finally, for a more traditional and less aromatherapeutic (but still pleasant smelling) dosage… A tincture or tea is a common herbalist’s recommendation for lavender intake. Winston & Maimes recommend a tincture (1:5) of 15-30 drops to be taken three to four times per day and Tierra recommends a similar 10-30 drops (Winston & Maimes, 2007; Tierra, 1998). Various infusions of one to three teaspoons of lavender per cup are also recommended (Castleman, 2009). 
  
  

References
Caslteman, Michael (2009). The New Healing Herbs (2nd ed). Rodale Press: Emmaus, PA. 
Crowell, April (n.d.). Lavender’s dynamic energetics. Retrieved from: http://www.selfgrowth.com/articles/lavenders-dynamic-energetics-0 (Links to an external site.)
Culpepper & Potterton, David (editor) (2007). Culpepper’s Color Herbal. Sterling Publishing Company, Inc: New York.
Gladstar, Rosemary (2014). Herbs for Stress & Anxiety: How to Make and Use Herbal Remedies to Strengthen the Nervous System. Storey Publishing: North Adams, MA.
Johnson, Rebecca & Foster, Steven & Low Dog, Tieraona M.D. & Kiefer, David M.D. (2014). National Geographic Guide to Medicinal Herbs. National Geographic Society for Barnes & Noble: Washington D.C.
Kowalchik, Claire & Hylton, William Editors. (1987). Rodale’s Illustrated Encyclopedia of Herbs. Rodale Press: Emmaus, PA. 
Mirzaei, Firoozeh & Keshtgar, Sara & Kaviani, Masoumeh & Rajaeiford, Abdoreza. (2009). The effect of lavender essence smelling during labor on cortisol and serotonin plasma levels and anxiety reduction in nulliparous women. Journal of Kerman University of Medical Sciences. 16(3). 
Schlafke, S. & Woelk, H. (2009). A multi-center, double-blind, randomized, study of the lavender oil preparation silexan in comparison to lorazepam for generalized anxiety disorder. Phytomedicine: International Journal of Phytotherapy & Phytopharmacology. 17(2). 
Tierra, Michael L.Ac., O.M.D. (1998). The Way of Herbs. Pocket Books: New York, NY. 
Wood, Matthew (1997). The Book of Herbal Wisdom: Using Plants as Medicines. North Atlantic Books: Berkeley, CA. 

1. The sound of music and happy voices coming from my daughter's homeschool music appreciation class where she's learning about different styles of music and playing with musical software, a playful approach to learning quarter/half/whole notes and reading music.

2. Another full PPA session beginning today, the opportunity to bring the arts to children in a 

This year for our NYS social studies requirement we chose the audio book of the first volume of Story of the World: From the Earliest Nomads to the Fall of Rome. (For homeschooling in NY we have to cover some sort of history/social studies each year, but we're not told *what* to cover.) We've been listening to it in the car and Helena always begs for another chapter. She really enjoys it! So we are nearly finished with a year's worth of history at this point!

There's much that is good about Story of the World, but I also take issue with it in some ways. On the positive side, I love that we can listen to it in the car, that my daughter finds it interesting, and that she's getting a good overview of historical events, people, and places in the ancient world. 

However, it's definitely history from the conqueror's perspective - as usual - and patriarchal and even racist at times.

"Now ______ (insert name of latest conquering emperor) was the richest and most powerful man in the world!" is a common refrain, said in such a way as to convey that this was a positive thing. Add to this talk of "barbarians" and how they were inferior to the "civilized" Romans or Chinese.... And then add on the fact that the ancient civilizations of minority cultures are covered very little if at all. Most of it is the history of the mediterranean region: the Greeks, the Romans, the Egyptians.... There is decent coverage of ancient Chinese history. There is very little mention of ancient African or Native American cultures. 

So all that to say, I wish that Howard Zinn had an ancient history book, and I've beens searching for ways to explore ancient history that goes beyond "so and so conquered so and so and was now the richest and most powerful man in the world". In all fairness, Story of the World does cover other major historical events, such as the development of language and paper or the blue dye of the Phoenicians. But really, what made this blue dye more important than other ancient arts? Only the fact that it gave the aristocracy a means to differentiate themselves from the common folks by their clothing... nice! Yet another example of history being written by those in power!

I'd still recommend Story of the World. Why? Because it's probably impossible to find an unbiased view of history and the clear biases in Story of the World provide a great jumping off point for discussions of historical biases and issues of social justice! And, to me, any discussion of history is incomplete without these!

I've been looking for books that broaden the limited perspective Story of the World provides, and here are some we're exploring.

If anyone has recommendations for ancient history of other cultures (African, Native American etc), please let me know! I'm looking for mostly BCE.

​I love that this is about both a girl, a child, and a slave. We haven't read it yet, but it's top on our list.

​This one might be for an older audience than 10, will update later... 

We also have Hera from this series. They're graphic novels which Helena loves!! 

​This one is a picture book. Cleopatra was covered in Story of the World, but it will be fun to learn more.

​This book provides a lot more detail on the ancient Greco/Roman empires than Story of the World. Plus there are pictures of ruins, money, homes, and more. 

​Helena and I both enjoy this series! With the exception of Who Was George Washington all the ones we've read have been very concise yet interesting. We also read What Was the Great Wall of China, which inspired a whole Great Wall world in Minecraft. 

​This book is hilarious! Apparently not only were the Roman baths a place for congregating and socializing, but so were the toilets all in a row. And being so "civilized" the Romans would use a sponge on a stick to wipe their bums, rinse it, and put it back for re-use. I think I'd prefer to be "Barbarian," go alone in the woods, and use a leaf to wipe!

​This book begins earlier than Story of the World with the evolutionary pre-history of humans. It covers many of the same civilizations and events, but provides more accurate dates. It seems Story of the World dates events according to how they'd fit into a creationist and Biblical timeline. 

I found these two timelines in the thrift store for about $.50 total. They're temporarily hanging in our bathroom due to lack of wall space in our small cottage. But again... note how few women are even pictured on the timeline and how all of the important events are about men. This is not the idea of history I want to give my daughter!  Do we even realize how subtly brainwashed we are when "history" is 99% about men?