Writing with Sharon Watson-Easy-to-use Homeschool Writing and Literature Curriculum

Navigation Menu

Unlocking the Secrets of Writing and Literature

Practical, easy-to-use writing and literature courses for homeschools, Christian schools, and co-ops by Sharon Watson

Tenacity

Tenacity

MIDDLE SCHOOL PROMPTS

“Let me tell you the secret that has led me to my goal. My strength lies solely in my tenacity.”

 

This quote is from Louis Pasteur, a famous scientist who lived in the 1800s and proved that it was not “bad air” that caused some diseases but actually microorganisms that we categorize as germs today. He also developed a vaccine for rabies, and his name is given to a method of killing germs in milk: pasteurization.

So, his secret is his tenacity, but what is it?

Read More

Exiled

Exiled

MIDDLE SCHOOL PROMPTS

What does Jesus’ disciple John have in common with Napoleon Bonaparte? I suppose the image below gives it away, but, yes, they were both exiled—banished from the homes and countries they loved.

John was exiled to the Isle of Patmos in AD 95 during Roman persecution of Christians. While banished to the island, John wrote the book of Revelation. Vistas of the Mediterranean Sea may be beautiful from there, but the island itself is only 30 square miles and very rocky and sterile.

Napoleon Bonaparte, the former emperor of France after the French Revolution, was actually exiled twice. The first time,

Read More

New Species: Have You Heard of Sparklemuffin?

New Species: Have You Heard of Sparklemuffin?

MIDDLE SCHOOL PROMPTS

Every year, paleontologists (those who study fossils or life in prehistoric times) find evidence of a species we didn’t know about before, like a new species of terror bird (Llallawavis scagliai) in Argentina. Its skeleton shows it was ten feet tall!

And, often, other types of scientists discover new animals or species still living that no one knew about. For instance, the kitefin shark was recently discovered in the deep sea off the coast of New Zealand. It not only luminesces but also its dorsal fin “emits light,” according to smithsonianmag.com. And now we know about a spider that looks like it has a peacock tail. It has been dubbed Sparklemuffin (Maratus jactatus), according to livescience.com.

In addition, a bird thought extinct for over 150 years surprisingly has turned up in a rainforest in Borneo. Ornithologists captured the black-browed babbler as it flitted through the trees. Then they photographed it for identification and sent it on its way, according to smithsonianmag.com. 

Read More