Co-Op in Review: May 10, 2018

May 10, 2018 was our last day of co-op for the 2017-2018 school year!  Tapestry of the Desert Co-op officially finished it's 10th year on this date!  Wow!  And, this week's assignments bring us up to the present day in our history studies and wrap up four years of studying all of human history!  The  focus this week for our students was our 44th president, Barack Hussein Obama.  Obama's presidency was historic, as he was the first black man elected president of the United States.  He campaigned on promises of hope and change, and he certainly delivered both.  The Five in a Row class read the book, "Owl Moon" and made adorable owl paper bag puppets.  

A lot has changed in the 10 years of Tapestry of the Desert.  Our kids have grown older.  Babies have been born.  New families have joined us.  Families have left.  We've had our first graduates.  We've studied the four year course of human history 2 1/2 times!  Yet, many things remain the same.  Our focus is and always will be HIStory.  And, we are privileged to be able to share it with the next generation.  May our future be focused on HIM and may we bring glory to God in all that we do!

Co-Op in Review: May 3, 2018

This week's study is definite by the presidency of George W. Bush, who's administration spanned eight years from January 2001 to January 2009.  Bush's first election included high drama, since he drew less of the popular vote than his opponent Al Gore, and his victory was ultimately decided in the Supreme Court after contentious recounts of ballots in Florida.  The defining moment for Bush's presidency came in his first months as president when terrorists crashed four domestic airliners into the Twin Towers in New York City, the Pentagon building in Washington, D.C., and a field near Shanksville, in rural Pennsylvania.  America was shaken and outraged at this unprovoked attack on American soil.  Bush responded and led the nation in a global war on terror.  The war on terror affected many aspects of American life at home:  security was tightened, new national security issues arose and the economy was affected.   The Upper Grammar and Dialectic classes discussed these issues, while the Lower Grammar class took a field trip to a local fire station, to meet first responders like those who responded to the disasters on September 11, 2001.  The Five in a Row class read the book, "Make Way for Ducklings" and made a cute ducky craft!

Co-Op in Review: April 26, 2018

This week, we learned about events that occurred during the presidency of William Jefferson Clinton, which spanned 8 years, from January of 1993 to January 2001.  He was a talented man who was the first baby boomer (post-war) to be elected, and for many Americans seemed  to bring a lot of promise for the future to office.  However, as we learned, Clinton had an uphill struggle while president.  His youth, inexperience and leadership style contributed to these struggles.   He is credited with several important successes during his term, like balancing the federal budget, but these successes are overshadowed by the fact that Clinton gave into temptation and then lied to try to cover up his personal indiscretions which lead to an impeachment trial.  It was during the 1990's that many of today's technological conveniences came into everyday use, partly due to an economic boom during the Clinton years.  The internet, cell phone, DVD's, digital cameras, cable TV, and PDA's area all inventions that became commonplace during the 90's.  The Five in a Row class read the book,  "Harold and the Purple Crayon."  Then they had fun making purple crafts and doing purple activities!