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Homeschooling with Core Knowledge: Making it Work

 As I introduce the Core Knowledge Sequence I always start with
the Core Knowledge at a Glance.  In a single sheet, a parent can see
not just the breadth and the depth of the Core Knowledge Sequence,
but also the simplicity of how to make Core Knowledge work for
their unique situation.  To help explain this I am going to focus on the
fifth grade level subject, “Art of the Renaissance.”

 The Core Knowledge at a Glance overview includes a fifth grade
curriculum sample.  Within the major topic heading of Visual Arts is
the subject of “Art of the Renaissance,” and within that the objective
“Observe and discuss works in different genres — such as portrait,
fresco, Madonna — by Italian Renaissance artists,
including…Leonardo da Vinci;  The Last Supper.”  How does Core
Knowledge help a parent-teacher fulfill this objective?

 The first and best recommendation is, of course, What Your Fifth
Grader Needs to Know, edited by E.D. Hirsch, Jr.  In it the parent
will find a thumbnail biography of Leonardo da Vinci and an article,
with full-color illustration, about the painting “The Last Supper.”  A
quick inquiry on the Core Knowledge website’s Resources to Build
On page, Fifth Grade, Visual Arts, Art of the Renaissance, returns 45
resources, including at least eight books on da Vinci himself, the
Core Knowledge book Rats, Bulls, and Flying Machines, and
references to specific lessons from the Baltimore Curriculum.  

 Utilized in Baltimore, Maryland, the Baltimore K-5 Curriculum is
available on the Internet.  It is organized grade-by-grade, subject-by-
subject, month-by-month, and lesson-by-lesson.  Each lesson lays out
stated Objectives, Materials and Suggested Books, and a detailed
Procedures and Activities.  The Core Knowledge Sequence expands
out beautifully from grade to major topic heading, subject,
objectives, resources — even individual lessons — allowing
parents to choose their own level of support.

 The Core Knowledge Sequence blends well with the flexibility of
homeschooling.  Using the Sequence to ensure that their child
receives a solid foundation for learning, parents are free to explore
every educational opportunity.  With the support of the Core
Knowledge Sequence and Resources, and the flexibility afforded by
homeschooling, parents can experience the joy of educating their
own children, confident that they are also giving them the best
education.

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