Here are six pieces of writing which focus on Character Description, and six different writing assignments to go with them! Topics include: a larger than life character from ancient times (Voltaire), describing a person of a certain age (Pushkin), using direct comparisons (‘as happy as’), describing someone whom you are in awe of (Queen Victoria meets the Czar of Russia), comparisons of temperament (Conrad), and short but memorable descriptions (Conan Doyle). Writing assignments vary – from describing someone from an ancient civilization to giving special attention to describing someone’s eyes, from using comparisons to make your description more interesting to writing a description in only a couple of sentences. An image of Picasso’s Portrait of Igor Stravinsky is included to be used as decoration on the student’s notebook. Literature & Composition collections are suitable for students who are ready to read and study different types of literature in small quantities. For example, instead of an entire novel or scholarly work, a small sample of each (which can stand on its own) will be presented. This way, the intermediate student has an opportunity to stretch their reading abilities without being discouraged. Each book contains six different writing samples that share a common theme. The writing assignments vary in length and are intended to inspire the student to try writing in different forms and styles.

If you want to learn to knit, and you’re not sure where or how to start (or whether you’ll even like knitting), this guide may provide just the basic, step-by-step encouragement you need! Here you will find 48 consecutive lessons which will guide you to learn, practise and apply basic knitting skills. These skills are, in order: how to ‘cast on’; how to do the ‘knit’ stitch; how to do the ‘purl’ stitch; how to ‘cast off’; how to combine ‘knit’ and ‘purl’ stitches to make 11 different knitting patterns; and how to do three, more advanced stitches (‘yarn over needle’, ‘knit two together’, 'purl two together’) which will also be used in patterns. Labels are provided for each of the patterns, which you can pin to your finished samples for easy reference. Three bonus lessons provide basic instructions for completing a simple project: a washcloth or doll blanket, a hair ‘thingy’, or a scarf. Important: Please note that this is only a lesson guide; the lessons here only offer a plan for you to follow in order to acquire the skills you need, one at a time, in an enjoyable, encouraging, effective and satisfying manner. To learn the actual mechanics of knitting, you will need to refer to a handful of clear, full-colour, free websites (addresses provided), or to a library book or parent/friend. Knitting and other crafts (such as paper mosaics) are excellent tools for developing fine motor skills. This in turn can improve a student’s performance in other areas such as playing a musical instrument, writing neatly, attention to detail, patience, and the ability to concentrate for longer periods of time. Go slowly and be generous with your praise – fine work takes practise and perseverance!

The story of the beloved Merovingian king Childéric I (440-481) was preserved by the druidic Bards of old France and is here retold in a flowing, pleasant style by Madame de Beaufort d’Hautpoul (1763-1837), a renowned woman of letters who was at the heart of Parisian literary society during the reign of Louis XVI. For educational purposes, this description of Childéric’s early years has been divided into two-page segments that are easy to read. Advanced French students are sure to enjoy this poetic and quick-paced historical tale. The language has been updated, though the original, distinctive style remains intact. Simple grammar review, translation, ‘résumé de texte’ and creative writing assignments follow each section alternately. Summary Childéric is the young and intrepid son of King Merovée and his beloved wife, Aboflède, around the year 430CE. Childéric lives happily with his loving parents and is beginning his education with druids, when he is tempted to join his father’s army in a battle against Attila the Hun. Despite being guarded by his king’s most valiant friend, Viomade, Childéric goes missing amidst the turmoil of the conflict. The faithful Viomade wishes to know what the boy’s fate truly was, and goes off with the king’s blessing in search of the young prince. Despite treachery by Draguta, a fellow follower of the king, Viomade finally finds Childéric, who has been cared for in the wilderness by an elderly Hun named Gelimer. Gelimer had lost his family and status, and was inspired to renounce his life as a warrior in order to devote his final years to raising the young boy he found on a battlefield. The old blind man loves Childéric devotedly and does not know that he is heir to a throne. After Gelimer’s death, Childéric returns to France with Viomade where a traitor is about to be crowned king. It was presumed, due to their lengthy absence, that Childéric and Viomade had been lost forever. Just in time, the young prince is reunited with his father and fulfills the hopes of all Francs as the rightful heir to the throne.

‘Everything which was found there was either melted down or sold by order of the Commonwealth. Amongst other things thus treated was the gold filigree crown of Edward the Confessor, which was broken up and sold for its weight of bullion. Such vandalism is almost enough to make one a Jacobite . . .’ (Adela Elizabeth Orpen) Here are entertaining true stories surrounding a selection of the world’s most famous precious stones. Written in witty, charmingly opinionated style by Mrs. Goddard Orpen (1855-1927), these accounts could be read to pique a student’s curiosity about historic events and people, or, to explore interesting – and memorable – information that may not have made its way into the general history books. Precious gems and masterfully crafted jewellery have repeatedly found themselves in the hands of wealthy and powerful people, oftentimes well-known kings and queens. Each of the jewels described here has accumulated its own collection of bizarre tales of greed, treachery and power. Guided by a confident and well-informed author, the reader will contemplate how small objects of great monetary value have influenced the characters – and sometimes the course – of history. Read about as many jewels as you want to (12 different items are discussed). Make notes on an ‘Analysis Sheet’ that features a simple colour image of one of the jewels at the centre of the page; the student may jot down important facts or events about that jewel in the surrounding empty space in a ‘cloud’ of facts. Or, take your own notes in a traditional style on loose leaf. Once you have read about at least three precious stones you may also choose to write an essay – a list of possible topics is included, most of which require you to defend an opinion based on what you have learned and noted previously.

‘Dark was falling from a dull and humid sky, and the lamps were beginning to struggle for brightness in Piccadilly, when the opal of Carmalovitch was first put into my hand . . .’ Written in an engaging style similar to that of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle (author of the ‘Sherlock Holmes’ mysteries), these stories feature the entertaining experiences of a jeweller with a knack for solving mysteries, which he encounters as part of his unique position as a friend both to the wealthy and to the police. They will be of interest to readers who relish a certain Victorian type of atmosphere and plot that includes a fair amount of character study - in addition to being entertaining, they offer instructive food for thought regarding how greed and vanity affect human character. About The Book Six of the stories from the original collection are included here. They have been lightly edited (a few out-of-date terms have been replaced for clarity, such as ‘crowd’ in place of ‘crush’). Following each story are four possible assignments, which focus on descriptive writing and research. The student may complete as many of them as the teacher sees fit. The themes of the assignments are: a creative description of a place or concept; a creative character description; a long writing assignment involving retelling part or all of the story; and a research assignment related to the story (on the topics of jewellery, safes, precious stones, etc.). The student may also find themselves inspired to write their own mystery, in which case they can refer to Pemberton’s stories (or the plot summaries) for inspiration, their own completed assignments for ready character descriptions and accurate research, and the tips in the ‘Write Your Own Mystery, Tips and Worksheets’ appendix for guidelines and worksheets to help with planning and writing! Also includes a quick-reference sheet of images of precious stones, so students can keep an image in mind as they read.

About The Book ‘The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde’ is the creepy tale of a man whose inner battle between good and evil becomes manifest in a most dramatic and surreal manner. It is considered a classic horror story, though the descriptions of violence in it are minimal - it is primarily the tragic end and the macabre language used that place it in this category. This is a classic novella which has become so well-known that it is common to refer to a person with two dramatically differing sides to their personality as a case of ‘Jekyll and Hyde’. Contents & Instructions For the purpose of this book, the novella will be read in eight sections of similar length. The novella is not included here - simply refer to the chapter headings to know what to read before completing the assignments. Following each section are reading comprehension assignments that focus on language and style. The student is asked: • to ‘translate’ two short passages into more contemporary language, showing that they have grasped the meaning of the language and can express the same thing as the author using their own words (These passages are underlined in the main body of the text.) • to familiarise themselves with a list of several words or phrases. These should be looked up or discussed with a teacher to be sure the student fully grasps their meaning. If you wish, you may write down a short definition of each. • to explain, in one or two sentences, a short passage from the text that includes some form of figurative language • to write a substantial paragraph in which the student observes the deliberate choice of language made by the author. A specific topic is given for each section.

About The Book ‘The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde’ is the creepy tale of a man whose inner battle between good and evil becomes manifest in a most dramatic and surreal manner. It is considered a classic horror story, though the descriptions of violence in it are minimal - it is primarily the tragic end and the macabre language used that place it in this category. This is a classic novella which has become so well-known that it is common to refer to a person with two dramatically differing sides to their personality as a case of ‘Jekyll and Hyde’. Contents & Instructions Here the novella has been divided into eight sections of similar length. Following each section are reading comprehension assignments that focus on language and style. The student is asked: - to ‘translate’ two short passages into more contemporary language, showing that they have grasped the meaning of the language and can express the same thing as the author using their own words (These passages are underlined in the main body of the text.) - to familiarise themselves with a list of several words or phrases. These should be looked up or discussed with a teacher to be sure the student fully grasps their meaning. If you wish, you may write down a short definition of each. - to explain, in one or two sentences, a short passage from the text that includes some form of figurative language - to write a substantial paragraph in which the student observes the deliberate choice of language made by the author. A specific topic is given for each section.

Here are six pieces of writing about ‘The Moon’, and six different writing assignments to go with them! Topics include: an ancient Japanese fairy tale (monogatari), scientific speculation regarding how the Moon formed, a renowned old epic poem about a knight who loses his wits (which are later found on the Moon), Chinese poetry about gazing at the Moon, science fiction about creatures on the Moon, and an ancient Greek dialogue about what the Earth and its human inhabitants might look like from the Moon. Writing assignments vary – from rewriting a small portion of a story, to summarizing information, to writing a dialogue in the style of ‘rhetoric’, to describing being led about by an inhabitant of the Moon. A photograph of the Moon, taken through a telescope, is included (both in colour and in black and white) to be used as decoration on the student’s notebook. Literature & Composition collections are suitable for students who are ready to read and study different types of literature in small quantities. For example, instead of an entire novel or scholarly work, a small sample of each (which can stand on its own) will be presented. This way, the intermediate student has an opportunity to stretch their reading abilities without being discouraged. Each book contains six different writing samples that share a common theme. The writing assignments vary in length and are intended to inspire the student to try writing in different forms and styles.

Depuis le départ du premier consul pour la campagne de Marengo, où je le suivis, jusqu'au départ de Fontainebleau, où je fus obligé de quitter l'empereur, je n'ai fait que deux absences, l'une de trois fois vingt-quatre heures, l'autre de sept ou huit jours. Hors ces congés fort courts, dont le dernier m'était nécessaire pour rétablir ma santé, je n'ai pas plus quitté l'empereur que son ombre. Mémoires de Constant, Introduction. About The Author As Napoléon’s ‘premier valet de chambre’, Louis Constant Wairywas at the emperor’s side for fifteen years. Incredibly, he wrote an account of his experiences, offering the curious reader interesting insights about the famous couple’s personalities and habits, and also relating anecdotes and offering descriptions that bring to life the time, people and places of Napoléon’s rule. Whether you admire the self-proclaimed emperor – or not – you are sure to find this selection of texts entertaining, for the descriptions of historical events, fashions, battles, palaces, daily life and people. Contents & Instructions Here are 27 excerpts from the diaries of Constant, suitable for advanced students who are ready to improve their French through a generous amount of reading. Each text is two to three pages long. The student should begin by reading the excerpt. Unfamiliar vocabulary should be copied into the blank list provided for each section (or a separate notebook), and translated with the help of a dictionary. If it is easier for the student to make notes in the margins of the text they may do so. Large margins have been provided for this purpose. Having read the excerpt, the student must now exercise their research and writing skills. They may simply write a brief résumé de texte for each section, or attempt a longer assignment, in whcih case you may refer to the ‘Essay Writing’ section and follow the instructions to write either a snythèse de texte, commentaire de texte, or dissertation.

Read and Reflect! This assignment will take at least one week to complete. The student will read a thoughtful and informative piece of writing by Henry David Thoreau on the subject of ‘Wild Apples’, in which various themes are addressed, including history, myth, literature, philosophy and first-hand observations and reflections by the author. Several topics for essays are suggested. The student will treat the Thoreau text as a source for research purposes, and write an essay to show that they have familiarized themselves with the contents of the source, and have also thought about the contents. About The Text Thoreau is known for his unique and pensive style of writing. He spent considerable time in the wilderness and shared his reflections about nature and its relationship to mankind in his works. Here Thoreau ponders upon a marvelous fruit that has been important to humans since ancient times. He organises his musings according to the following themes: the History of the Apple Tree; the Wild Apple; the Crab-Apple; How the Wild Apple Grows; The Fruit and its Flavour; Their Beauty; the Naming of Them; the Last Gleaning; the ‘Frozen-Thawed’ Apple. Younger students often delve into season-related schoolwork in autumn – here is a text that will allow older students to do the same, and perhaps encourage appreciation of our natural surroundings, a gift at any age.

A wide variety of unusual topics makes reading comprehension practise interesting for children and parents alike. These files contain no pictures, making it easier to focus on the text and questions! Here are 40 short Texts (approximately 100 words each) on varied topics, in two files. Each text is followed by 5 questions to be answered in full sentences in a separate notebook. Topics in ’20 Short Texts’: Three Friends, The Royal Wedding, The Human Nose, ‘I’m determined, Mother!’, Hawaii, A Prairie Summer, Clothing, The Aurora Borealis, Chickpeas, The Piano, Pilates, Shoes, Mozart’s Sister, Teeth, Marie Curie, Hans and Akshay, Cattails, Giacomo Puccini, Hildegard of Bingen, The Canada Lynx Topics in 'And 20 More Short Texts’: Maple Syrup, James Wants A Pet, Couscous, Beavers, Snow, Rubber, Life Without Cars, Dogs, Cleopatra, Elastoplast Bandages, Haudenosauee, The Human Eye, Use Objects Properly, Alexander Graham Bell, Canada Goose, Chocolate, Made In Canada, Garbage, Host or Hostess, Laurette Likes Goldenrod

Here are six pieces of writing about Winter, and six different writing assignments to go with them! Topics include: a narrow escape on an icy bridge, skating alone on a winter’s night, descriptive poetry in four-beat verse, the drama of inadequate winter clothing, a place in the mountains where it is always winter, and a ridiculous winter ‘tall’ tale. Writing assignments vary – from summarizing events in the third person, to writing a poem in four-beat verse, to describing a winter rescue, to writing a deliberately absurd story involving melting snow. An image of a photograph entitled Ice One is included to be used as decoration on the student’s notebook. Literature & Composition collections are suitable for students who are ready to read and study different types of literature in small quantities. For example, instead of an entire novel or scholarly work, a small sample of each (which can stand on its own) will be presented. This way, the intermediate student has an opportunity to stretch their reading abilities without being discouraged. Each book contains six different writing samples that share a common theme. The writing assignments vary in length and are intended to inspire the student to try writing in different forms and styles.

Students age 11 and older will enjoy assembling this lapbook about Opera, in which special attention is given to the well-loved comic opera ‘The Pirates of Penzance’, by Gilbert & Sullivan. Here you will find a thorough but general description of the history and development of opera, with special emphasis on comic opera and opera in England (and in English). This description of opera is less complicated than those found in music dictionaries or textbooks. However, it is a dense topic which will be of greater interest to students who already have some interest in classical music. Contents: Introduction, Opera History and General Description I, About Arias, Opera History and General Description II, Characters and Types of Voices, Opera History and General Description III, Comic Opera, Opera in England, Gilbert & Sullivan, Pirates of Penzance Plot Summary. After each main section, there are other, smaller sections which investigate one other element of opera. These are: The Opera House, The Camerata, ‘Drama In Music’, the ‘Da Capo’ Aria, Nationalism, Comic Operas vs. Musicals, Singing in English, Other Operas by Gilbert & Sullivan and the ‘Patter Song’, and Libretto. Following the text are 10 activities to be completed, and lapbook templates to go with each activity (with instructions). The text is written in short sections, with pictures (in black and white, 24 pages of text). Upon completing the reading and activites/cut-outs, the student will be familiar with the basic facts of opera, its major composers, plots and styles, and hopefully have an appreciation for this complex and well-loved type of classical music.

Students age 11 and older will enjoy assembling this lapbook about Johann Sebastian Bach. Here you will find a thorough introduction to the life, times and music of one of classical music’s towering figures. This is more than a mini-biography – but somewhat less complicated than textbooks used for music history examinations in conservatories. It will be of particular interest to students who are learning to play a musical instrument – perhaps even practising a piece by the great master himself! Students who think they may one day take more advanced conservatory exams could benefit from this lapbook as preparatory work. The text is written in short sections, with pictures (in black and white). Upon completing the reading and activites/cut-outs, the student will be familiar with the basic facts of Bach’s life (dates, places, names) and will also have been introduced to more general concepts about Bach’s music (Baroque style, sacred versus secular music, Baroque musical forms, etc.). Contents: Introduction, Bach’s Era: The Baroque, Bach’s Family, Bach’s Travels, Bach’s Professional Life, Bach’s Instruments, Bach’s Style, Bach: The Man, Bach And Later Musicians, Bach And Other Composers. There are also nine ‘Musical Notes’, in which a paragraph is dedicated to one of Bach’s compositions or musical forms. Following the text are 10 activities to be completed, and lapbook templates to go with each activity (with instructions).

‘Gramma said when you come on something good, first thing to do is share it with whoever you can find; that way, the good spreads out where no telling it will go. Which is right.’ Little Tree narrates his own story, the tale of a unique upbringing in the near-wilderness in the 1930’s with his Cherokee grandparents as loving teachers. ‘The Education of Little Tree’ by Forrest Carter is a book that many readers turn to again and again. It is suitable for students age 11 and up who are ready to read about a time and lifestyle that differ from their own, and are able to take an interest in larger, challenging themes of life (the passage of time, spiritual beliefs, the natural world, money and government affairs, history, etc.) This eBook contains reading comprehension sheets to go with the novel. (Still protected by copyright, the book must be purchased or borrowed separately.) For each chapter there are three short assignments: 1) to summarize a lesson learned from the chapter 2) to examine the language used in the chapter 3) to explain how a suggested ‘main theme’ is relevant to the chapter. WARNING: The story does not paint a flattering picture of the Christian religion, and students who are Christian should be prepared; parents should read the book first, to be sure that their student is ready for this material. It also contains swear words and references to drinking alcohol, among other mature themes. The novel is presented as an autobiography, but it is a work of fiction.