The nights are getting cooler and it’s the perfect time to get outside and enjoy the planetary spectacular that this month brings. The Farmer’s Almanac offers a daily list of what to look for, so get your telescope and get out there!
The Evening Planets
Jupiter and Saturn are the planets to see in the evening. For Jupiter, look toward the east and high in the sky. For Saturn, took to the southeast after sunset. In the early evening, Mars lies very low in the west shortly after sunset.
The Morning Planets
Venus shoots rapidly higher each morning, before dawn, reaching its greatest brilliance of 2023 at midmonth. Venus will cast shadows on Earth. Above the same Eastern horizon, look for Mercury to reach its highest position on the 6th.
September 4 to 5: Jupiter Near Moon
Jupiter is high overhead during September nights. Look on September 4 and 5, when the Moon serves as a guide to locate the King of Planets. Jupiter will rise about 10 p.m.
September 11 to 12: Venus on Display
Witness a breathtaking sight just before dawn when Venus stands to the right of the crescent Moon within the constellation of Cancer.
September 19: Neptune in Opposition
Neptune comes into opposition this evening, which means that the Earth is directly between the planet and the sun. However, if you want to look at this tiny, blue disk, you will need to use your trusting telescope to bring it into view.
September 21: Mercury Dangles Below Venus
Very low in the east, Mercury will rise one hour before sunrise. It will dangle right below Venus. Mercury reaches its greatest elongation from the Sun on September 22; the nearest planet to the Sun is now at its best as a morning star. Venus is much higher in the sky and will climb higher each morning and will reach its greatest elongation on October 23.
September 22: Moon in the Milky Way
Head outside around 8 PM, and look to the Southern sky for a spectacular view. The First Quarter Moon hovers in front of the Milky Way’s center, in the constellation Sagittarius.
September 23: Autumnal Equinox
Saturday morning, September 23, brings the autumnal equinox—at 2:50 A.M. This marks the start of fall in the Northern Hemisphere and the start of spring in the Southern Hemisphere. The equinoxes occur twice per year when Earth’s tilt with respect to the Sun is the same for both hemispheres. Both north and south receive the same amount of sunlight, and day and night are, briefly, of nearly equal length.
September 26: Saturn Sighting
Saturn, the ringed planet, is easy to locate this evening. You can observe the golden planet shining steadily (versus the twinkling stars) as it hovers just above the Moon nearly all night long.
September 29: Full Harvest Moon Rises
The month of bright planets closes out with a magical Full Moon on September 29, which peaks at 5:58 A.M. Unlike other full Moons, this full Moon rises at nearly the same time—around sunset—for several evenings in a row, giving farmers several extra evenings of moonlight and allowing them to finish their harvests before the frosts of fall arrive.
What Is Betty Reading? The Five Star Weekend, by Elin Hilderbrand
After two months of enjoying reading students' summer books, I dove into a book of my choice. I chose the popular The Five Star Weekend by Elin Hilderbrand. I enjoyed this light, but emotional read about a group of women who convene on Nantucket to help a member of the group who has experienced a traumatic event. Hilderbrand's visual descriptions had me sitting on her back deck mesmerized by the ocean view!
Letter from Betty for August 2023
Hello Friends,
Scholarships might be on your mind if you are applying for admission to college. But for the uninitiated, it can be a daunting task to successfully secure a scholarship. There is great advice for this endeavor in our feature article for August, "Tips To Help With Your Scholarship Search."
It is summertime and it has been a hot one. Find some relief from the heat and make your own chilled refreshments by utilizing our bonus article for August, "You Can Do It! Cooling Drink Recipes." Ahhh!
Catch up on my latest favorite book in our special feature for August: "What Is Betty Reading? Beach Read by Emily Henry."
Whatever your educational needs, Foundation for Learning is ready to assist you with caring, one-on-one, individualized tutoring, as well as assistance in overcoming or coping with Executive Function Disorder, Attention Deficit Disorder, and Specific Learning Disability.
Please call 610-207-7811 or email betty.foundationforlearning@gmail.com for a free consultation.
Best regards,
Betty
Tips To Help With Your Scholarship Search
Are you looking ahead to college? Here are some tips to help you with your search for scholarships.
If you already have a school in mind, then the first step is to start your scholarship hunt right there. Most times the application for admission is separate from the process for applying for a scholarship or other financial aid. So contact the financial aid office at your prospective school and talk to someone there about the process for application, and what different opportunities might be available to you. Also, make sure to heed to application deadlines!
Don’t overlook the opportunity to talk to your high school college counselor, as they may have a wealth of information regarding financial assistance and services that you can investigate outside of what is offered at your prospective college. There are scholarships that focus on not only your academic interests, but also on other talents, extracurriculars, career goals, and geographic location, and much more, including assistance that could be offered at your parent’s employers, the church you may attend, and from local service clubs and social or professional organizations. Some scholarships might be merit based, others are awarded because of a special trait, talent, or financial need.
Doing an online search may yield hundreds of results, but please bear in mind that you should never pay a service to scholarship hunt for you. Those services are likely scams.
Helpful hint: every scholarship has a different application deadline so do your best to stay organized, keep track of due dates, and work to get those applications in on the earliest date you can. If your application arrives late, it won’t even be considered. Remember too that many of those applications will require an essay from you, so get to work on that right away, giving yourself plenty of time to work on it and get it honed just right.
Consider taking both the SAT and the ACT. Even though some schools are beginning to make those tests optional for admission, many scholarships do ask for those scores.
Don’t get discouraged! You may have to put in dozens of applications before you find one that awards aid to you, but be patient, stay involved in your extracurriculars, and keep your grades up!
Listed below are a few websites you might dive into as a part of your scholarship search, compiled by finance wiz, Clark Howard:
Fastweb.com, which hosts more than 1.5 million scholarships that provide more than $3.5 billion in funding.
CollegeBoard.org. Yes, they’re better known for their college readiness tests, but they also have a division that focuses on scholarships.
Niche.com has a well-organized website that allows users to search by interest, career, major, and other areas.
Scholarships.com probably hosts the largest database available, with more that 3.7 million scholarships and grant opportunities.
Cappex.com hosts a database of more than $11 billion in opportunities.
Chegg.com is widely known for its online textbook store which allows students to either rent or buy their textbooks at a huge discount, but they also offer a list of over 25,000 scholarships, including a “top scholarships picks of the week” category to help you discover some opportunities that you may have missed.
Petersons.com hosts $10 billion in scholarship opportunities and once you fill out a short survey, can filter the results in order to personalize your search.
CareerOneStop.org is the US Labor Department’s search tool and is a great resource for scholarships and grants.
Federal student loans are a great way to help pay for your education, coming with much lower repayment interest rates than a loan from a private lender, so consider applying for a student loan as an additional way to cover your costs.
Again, you should never pay a service to scholarship hunt for you. Those services are likely scams.
There are loads of opportunities available to help you cover the cost of your college education, and though it may take some extra research and hard work filling out all of the required applications, it will pay off in the long run by helping you to avoid graduating from college with the burden of heavy debt, so get to work!
You Can Do It! Cooling Drink Recipes
This summer has been a scorcher, so we tried these cooling drink recipes from FifteenSpatulas.com and wanted to share them with you. Enjoy!
Strawberry Limeade
Ingredients:
1/2 cup lime juice
1/3 cup sugar
1/3 cup water
1/2 lb sliced strawberries
20-30 mint leaves
2 cups cold water
Instructions:
To make the simple syrup, combine the sugar and water in a saucepan, and cook over medium high heat for 5-10 minutes until the sugar is dissolved and the liquid is clear.
In a large mason jar or a pitcher, combine the lime juice, simple syrup, strawberries, mint, and water. Let sit in the refrigerator for 2-3 hours. Serve and enjoy!
Melon Sorbet Float
Ingredients:
assorted melon balls (watermelon, honeydew, cantaloupe, etc)
2 scoops lemon, raspberry, or other fruity sorbet
fresh mint leaves
seltzer water
Instructions:
Freeze the melon balls for at least three hours until frozen.
To make the drink, put the sorbet into the bottom of a glass, then top with the frozen melon balls. Drop in as much fresh mint as you’d like (anywhere from a couple leaves to a handful), then top with seltzer water.
Let the sorbet melt to sweeten and flavor the drink. Enjoy!
Raspberry Vanilla Soda
Ingredients:
1/4 cup water
1/4 cup sugar
1 cup fresh raspberries
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 tsp vanilla extract
seltzer water
ice
Instructions:
In a small saucepan set over medium heat, combine the water, sugar, and raspberries. Cook for about 5 minutes until the mixture is bubbling away and the sugar is dissolved. Stir and cook this mixture for another 5 minutes, until the raspberries have cooked down.
Set a fine mesh strainer over a measuring cup or bowl and strain the saucepan mixture, pressing down on the raspberry pulp to squeeze out all the juice. Add the lemon juice and vanilla extract, and let this chill in the refrigerator.
To serve, fill a glass with ice and add 2-3 tbsp of the raspberry syrup. Add about a cup of seltzer on top, and enjoy!
What Is Betty Reading? Beach Read by Emily Henry
Beach Read is very appropriately named as I have heard several people talking about it this summer and with good reason! Emily Henry’s humorous, romantic novel warms the heart but also generates confusion and anger. While the plot is not unusual, as it revolves around summer romance, the twists and turns keep you turning the page and then, when you finish, searching the internet looking for a sequel!
Letter from Betty for July 2023
Hello Friends,
They say your boss usually has a larger vocabulary than you. So if you want to be the boss, learn more words! Related to this phenomenon is the fact that we each have two distinct sets of vocabularies: those words we understand (a larger set of words) and those we can comfortably use (a smaller set of words). Learn more about the science of reading and its benefits in our feature article for July, "Reading Is Good For You."
To celebrate July 4th, read about how Chinese people invented firecrackers to ward off mountain men and other fascinating historical items about fireworks in our bonus article for July, "Did You Know? Facts About Fireworks." Boom! Ooh! Aah!
Catch up on my own latest favorite book in our special feature for July: "What Is Betty Reading? The Firm by John Grisham." Enjoy!
Whatever your educational needs, Foundation for Learning is ready to assist you with caring, one-on-one, individualized tutoring, as well as assistance in overcoming or coping with Executive Function Disorder, Attention Deficit Disorder, and Specific Learning Disability.
Please call 610-207-7811 or email betty.foundationforlearning@gmail.com for a free consultation.
Best regards,
Betty
Reading Is Good For You
From time to time, we like to pass a long a list of recommended books to you because we think you’ll enjoy them. But did you know that reading benefits both your physical and your mental health throughout your lifetime?
The process of reading utilizes a network of circuits and signals in your brain, and researchers have used MRI scans in their studies that show that as you read over time, those complex networks get stronger, and that effect occurs not only while reading but also for days afterward. Additionally, the language-processing and sensorimotor regions of the brain are also strengthened.
Does it matter what type of book you are reading? Here is an interesting find: studies show that reading fiction can actually increase your ability to emphasize with others. By exploring, connecting, and “experiencing” the lives of the characters in the book, the reader can develop a heightened ability to understand the thoughts, feelings, and personal beliefs of those characters. This experience translates directly to the reader’s real world, and is particularly important in developing and maintaining the readers own personal and social relationships.
Reading can help us to become more socially aware. Reading about different characters in different situations than our own, help us gain insight into different cultures, economic status, family situations, and more.
Reading helps to develop a larger vocabulary which can directly influence everything from scores on standardized tests and college admission, to job opportunities. A higher vocabulary equals a greater ability to communicate with others effectively.
Reading can help to reduce stress! Just 30 minutes of reading can lower blood pressure, heart rate, relieve muscle tension and feelings of psychological distress, such as anxiety, just as effectively as yoga, walking, or diving into a distracting movie. Why does this work? Scientists theorize that, in part, it’s because of the amount of focus that reading requires, directing the reader’s attention to a single task, just like in meditation. Additionally, getting lost in a good book helps the reader to escape into a state of consciousness, one free from the actual stressors in their daily life. It’s also been found that reading can give some relief to people who deal with depression by allowing for a temporary escape from feelings of isolation and estrangement by diving into the lives and experiences of the characters in the book.
Reading can help you get a better night’s sleep. In fact, doctors at the Mayo Clinic recommend reading as a part of everyone’s regular evening routine. There’s an additional recommendation: it may be best to choose a print book rather that reading from a screen, as the light emitted from an e-reader or other device could keep you awake longer. In fact, the blue light that is emitted from electronic devices has been shown to actually inhibit the release of melatonin in your brain, thus keeping you more alert and preventing you from sliding easily into drowsiness.
Another interesting point regarding reading on a digital device: studies have shown that people who read print books score higher on comprehension tests and remember more that people who read the same material on a digital device. That may be because people who read print books tend to read more slowly that those that read digital content.
Reading can help to prevent cognitive decline as we age. The National Institute on Aging recommends reading as a way of keeping your mind engaged, and suggests that seniors who read and work on math problems (think puzzles!) every day maintain and can even improve cognitive functioning. And though you may not be a senior just yet, the earlier you start, the better. A Rush University Medical Center study found that people who have been reading and doing other mentally stimulating exercises throughout their lives were less likely to develop the plaques, lesions, and protein tangles that are found in people who have been diagnosed with dementia.
The take-away here is: pick up a good book! It’s much more than a guilty pleasure. It’s making time to care for your mental, physical, and emotional well-being. Escaping into a good book literally changes your mind.
Did You Know? Facts About Fireworks
From Smithsonian Magazine, here are some interesting facts about the history and science of fireworks:
1. The Chinese used firecrackers to scare off mountain men.
As early as 200 B.C., the Chinese were writing on green bamboo stalks and heating it on coals to dry. Sometimes if left too long over the heat, the wood expanded and even burst, with a bang of course. According to Scientific American, Chinese scholars noticed that the noises effectively scared off abnormally large mountain men. And, thus, the firecracker was born. By some accounts, fireworks were also thought to scare away evil spirits.
2. The invention of fireworks led to the invention of pyrotechnic weaponry—not the other way around.
Sometime between 600 and 900 C.E., Chinese alchemists accidentally mixed saltpeter (or potassium nitrate) with sulfur and charcoal, inadvertently stumbling upon the crude chemical recipe for gunpowder. Supposedly, they had been searching for an elixir for immortality.
This “fire drug” (or huo yao) became an integral part of Chinese cultural celebrations. Stuffing the aforementioned bamboo tubes with gunpowder created a sort of sparkler. It wasn’t long before military engineers used the explosive chemical concoction to their advantage. The first recorded use of gunpowder weaponry in China dates to 1046 and references a crude gunpowder catapult. The Chinese also took traditional bamboo sparklers and attached them to arrows to rain down on their enemies. On a darker note, there are also accounts of fireworks being strapped to rats for use in medieval warfare.
3. Fireworks are just chemical reactions.
A firework requires three key components: an oxidizer, a fuel and a chemical mixture to produce the color. The oxidizer breaks the chemical bonds in the fuel, releasing all of the energy that’s stored in those bonds. To ignite this chemical reaction, all you need is a bit of fire, in the form of a fuse or a direct flame.
In the case of early fireworks, saltpeter was the oxidizing ingredient that drove the reaction, as British scholar Roger Bacon figured out in the early 1200s. Interestingly, Bacon kept his findings a secret, writing them in code to keep them out of the wrong hands.
4. Specific elements produce specific colors.
Firework color concoctions are comprised of different metal elements. When an element burns, its electrons get excited, and it releases energy in the form of light. Different chemicals burn at different wavelengths of light. Strontium and lithium compounds produce deep reds; copper produces blues; titanium and magnesium burn silver or white; calcium creates an orange color; sodium produces yellow pyrotechnics; and finally, barium burns green. Combining chlorine with barium or copper creates neon green and turquoise flames, respectively. Blue is apparently the most difficult to produce. Pyrotechnic stars comprised of these chemicals are typically propelled into the sky using an aerial shell.
5. China may have invented the firework, but Italy invented the aerial shell (and also made fireworks colorful).
Most modern fireworks displays use aerial shells, which resemble ice cream cones. Developed in the 1830s by Italian pyrotechnicians, the shells contain fuel in a cone bottom, while the “scoop” contains an outer layer of pyrotechnic stars, or tiny balls containing the chemicals needed to produce a desired color, and an inner bursting charge. Italians are also credited with figuring out that one could use metallic powders to create specific colors. Today, the shape that the firework produces is a product of the inner anatomy of the aerial shell or rocket.
6. Marco Polo probably wasn’t the first to bring gunpowder to Europe.
While Marco Polo did return from China in 1295 with fireworks, some argue that Europeans were likely exposed to gunpowder weaponry a little earlier during the Crusades. In the 9th century, China began trying to control the flow of gunpowder to its neighbors, in hopes of keeping the benefits of the technology to itself in case of conflict. Given that Arabs used various types of gunpowder-like weapons during the Crusades, gunpowder likely spread to the Middle East along the Silk Road in the intervening period, despite China’s best efforts.
7. Boom! Hiss! Crack! Some firework recipes include sound elements.
Layers of an organic salt, like sodium salicylate, combined with the oxidizer potassium perchlorate burn one at a time. As each layer burns, it slowly releases a gas, creating the whistling sound associated with most firework rockets. Aluminum or iron flakes can create hissing or sizzling sparkles, while titanium powder can create loud blasts, in addition to white sparks.
8. Americans have been setting off fireworks to celebrate their independence since 1777, at least.
Even some of the very first Independence Day celebrations involved fireworks. On July 4, 1777, Philadelphia put together an elaborate day of festivities, notes American University historian James R. Heintze. The celebration included a 13 cannon display, a parade, a fancy dinner, toasts, music, musket salutes, “loud huzzas,” and of course fireworks. Heintze cites this description from the Virginia Gazette on July 18, 1777:
“The evening was closed with the ringing of bells, and at night there was a grand exhibition of fireworks, which began and concluded with thirteen rockets on the commons, and the city was beautifully illuminated. Every thing was conducted with the greatest order and decorum, and the face of joy and gladness was universal. Thus may the 4th of July, that glorious and ever memorable day, be celebrated through America, by the sons of freedom, from age to age till time shall be no more.”
9. Fireworks have been used in pranks for centuries.
After a series of fireworks shenanigans in 1731, officials in Rhode Island outlawed the use of fireworks for mischievous ends. At the turn of the 20th century, the Society for the Suppression of Unnecessary Noise campaigned against the use of fireworks (and other elements of urban hubbub), and their efforts are largely responsible for the first fireworks regulations in the United States.
What Is Betty Reading? The Firm by John Grisham
I have just finished enjoying a “fun read” with a rising sophomore. This young man chose the book because the adults in his world spoke so highly of the author. My student was not disappointed; he thoroughly enjoyed reading The Firm by John Grisham! He enjoyed discussing the actions of the protagonist and antagonists, the plot line and the many twists. Once mandatory summer reading is completed, he hopes to read another Grisham book before the summer is out.
Letter from Betty for June 2023
Hello Friends,
“Words can be like X-rays if you use them properly – they’ll go through anything. You read and you’re pierced.” These inspiring words were written by Aldous Huxley in Brave New World, just one of the 14 fascinating books we are highlighting this month in our feature article for June, "Summer Reading List for High School and College Students."
While reading engrossing novels and other books are an important part of any student's summer, it's also vital to stay physically active as well as engaged in the community. Get inspired to join in and give back by checking out our bonus article for June, "You Can Do It! The Benefits of Volunteering."
Catch up on my own latest favorite book in our special feature for June: "What Is Betty Reading? Atomic Habits by James Clear." Enjoy!
Whatever your educational needs, Foundation for Learning is ready to assist you with caring, one-on-one, individualized tutoring, as well as assistance in overcoming or coping with Executive Function Disorder, Attention Deficit Disorder, and Specific Learning Disability.
Please call 610-207-7811 or email betty.foundationforlearning@gmail.com for a free consultation.
Best regards,
Betty
Summer Reading List for High School and College Students
It’s time again for our summer reading list, and thanks to the editors of Goodreads, we have some choice options for your high-school and college aged students to enjoy. Happy reading!
The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck
The Pulitzer Prize-winning epic of the Great Depression, a book that galvanized—and sometimes outraged—millions of readers.
First published in 1939, Steinbeck’s Pulitzer Prize-winning epic of the Great Depression chronicles the Dust Bowl migration of the 1930s and tells the story of one Oklahoma farm family, the Joads—driven from their homestead and forced to travel west to the promised land of California. Out of their trials and their repeated collisions against the hard realities of an America divided into Haves and Have-Nots evolves a drama that is intensely human yet majestic in its scale and moral vision, elemental yet plainspoken, tragic but ultimately stirring in its human dignity. A portrait of the conflict between the powerful and the powerless, of one man’s fierce reaction to injustice, and of one woman’s stoical strength, the novel captures the horrors of the Great Depression and probes into the very nature of equality and justice in America. At once a naturalistic epic, captivity narrative, road novel, and transcendental gospel, Steinbeck’s powerful landmark novel is perhaps the most American of American Classics.
Saving Monticello: The Levy Family’s Epic Quest to Rescue the House that Jefferson Built by Marc Leepson
When Thomas Jefferson died on the Fourth of July 1826 -- the nation's fiftieth birthday -- he was more than $100,000 in debt. Forced to sell thousands of acres of his lands and nearly all of his furniture and artwork, in 1831 his heirs bid a final goodbye to Monticello itself. The house their illustrious patriarch had lovingly designed in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia, his beloved "essay in architecture," was sold to the highest bidder. Saving Monticello offers the first complete post-Jefferson history of this American icon and reveals the amazing story of how one Jewish family saved the house that became a family home to them for 89 years -- longer than it ever was to the Jeffersons. With a dramatic narrative sweep across generations, Marc Leepson vividly recounts the turbulent saga of this fabled estate. Twice the house came to the brink of ruin, and twice it was saved, by two different generations of the Levy family. United by a fierce love of country, they venerated the Founding Fathers for establishing a religiously tolerant and democratic nation where their family had thrived since the founding of the Georgia colony in 1733, largely free of the persecutions and prejudices of the Old World.
Rich with memorable, larger-than-life characters, beginning with Thomas Jefferson himself, the story is cast with such figures as James Turner Barclay, a messianic visionary who owned the house from 1831 to 1834; the fiery Uriah Levy, he of the six courts-martial and teenage wife; the colorful Confederate Colonel Benjamin Franklin Ficklin, who controlled Monticello during the Civil War; and the eccentric, high-living, deal-making egoist Jefferson Monroe Levy. Pulling back the veil of history to reveal a story we thought we knew, Saving Monticello establishes this most American of houses as more truly reflective of the American experience than has ever been fully appreciated.
Crash by Jerry Spinelli
Meet Crash Coogan. Crash seems to be all brawn and no brains, but he will need more than mere muscles to face the upcoming challenges in his life. Award-winner Jerry Spinelli has created a hilarious, poignant story of a cocky seventh-grade super-jock.
The Once and Future King by TH White
T.H White′s masterful retelling of the Arthurian legend is an abiding classic. Exquisite comedy offsets the tragedy of Arthur′s personal doom as White brings to life the major British epic of all time with brilliance, grandeur, warmth and charm.
Animal Farm by George Orwell
A farm is taken over by its overworked, mistreated animals. With flaming idealism and stirring slogans, they set out to create a paradise of progress, justice, and equality. Thus, the stage is set for one of the most telling satiric fables ever penned –a razor-edged fairy tale for grown-ups that records the evolution from revolution against tyranny to a totalitarianism just as terrible.
When Animal Farm was first published, Stalinist Russia was seen as its target. Today it is devastatingly clear that wherever and whenever freedom is attacked, under whatever banner, the cutting clarity and savage comedy of George Orwell’s masterpiece has a meaning and message still ferociously fresh.
Catch-22 by Joseph Heller
Fifty years after its original publication, Catch-22 remains a cornerstone of American literature and one of the funniest—and most celebrated—books of all time. In recent years it has been named to “best novels” lists by Time, Newsweek, the Modern Library, and the London Observer.
Set in Italy during World War II, this is the story of the incomparable, malingering bombardier, Yossarian, a hero who is furious because thousands of people he has never met are trying to kill him. But his real problem is not the enemy—it is his own army, which keeps increasing the number of missions the men must fly to complete their service. Yet if Yossarian makes any attempt to excuse himself from the perilous missions he’s assigned, he’ll be in violation of Catch-22, a hilariously sinister bureaucratic rule: a man is considered insane if he willingly continues to fly dangerous combat missions, but if he makes a formal request to be removed from duty, he is proven sane and therefore ineligible to be relieved.
1984 by George Orwell
Critics have hailed 1984 as Orwells "most solid, most brilliant" work. Though the story of Nineteen Eighty-Four takes place thirty-five years hence, it is in every sense timely. The scene is London, where there has been no new housing since 1950 and where the city-wide slums are called Victory Mansions. Science has abandoned Man for the State. As every citizen knows only too well, war is peace.
To Winston Smith, a young man who works in the Ministry of Truth (Minitru for short), come two people who transform this life completely. One is Julia, whom he meets after she hands him a slip reading, "I love you." The other is O'Brien, who tells him, "We shall meet in the place where there is no darkness." The way in which Winston is betrayed by the one and, against his own desires and instincts, ultimately betrays the other, makes a story of mounting drama and suspense.
Brave New World by Aldous Huxley
The astonishing novel Brave New World, originally published in 1932, presents Aldous Huxley's vision of the future--of a world utterly transformed. Through the most efficient scientific and psychological engineering, people are genetically designed to be passive and therefore consistently useful to the ruling class. This powerful work of speculative fiction sheds a blazing critical light on the present and is considered to be Aldous Huxley's most enduring masterpiece.
The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde
The Picture of Dorian Gray is a 1891 gothic and philosophical novel by Irish writer and playwright Oscar Wilde. First published as a serial story in the July 1890 issue of Lippincott's Monthly Magazine, the editors feared the story was indecent, and without Wilde's knowledge, deleted five hundred words before publication.
Despite that censorship, The Picture of Dorian Gray offended the moral sensibilities of British book reviewers, some of whom said that Oscar Wilde merited prosecution for violating the laws guarding the public morality. In response, Wilde aggressively defended his novel and art in correspondence with the British press.
Wilde revised and expanded the magazine edition of The Picture of Dorian Gray (1890) for publication as a novel; the book edition (1891) featured an aphoristic preface — an apologia about the art of the novel and the reader. The content, style and presentation of the preface made it famous in its own literary right, as social and cultural criticism. In April 1891, the editorial house Ward, Lock and Company published the revised version of The Picture of Dorian Gray.
The Martian Chronicles by Ray Bradbury
The strange and wonderful tale of man’s experiences on Mars, filled with intense images and astonishing visions. Now part of the Voyager Classics collection.
The Martian Chronicles tells the story of humanity’s repeated attempts to colonize the red planet. The first men were few. Most succumbed to a disease they called the Great Loneliness when they saw their home planet dwindle to the size of a fist. They felt they had never been born. Those few that survived found no welcome on Mars. The shape-changing Martians thought they were native lunatics and duly locked them up.
But more rockets arrived from Earth, and more, piercing the hallucinations projected by the Martians. People brought their old prejudices with them – and their desires and fantasies, tainted dreams. These were soon inhabited by the strange native beings, with their caged flowers and birds of flame.
Daughter of Fortune by Isabel Allende
Orphaned at birth, Eliza Sommers is raised in the British colony of Valparaíso, Chile, by the well-intentioned Victorian spinster Miss Rose and her more rigid brother Jeremy. Just as she meets and falls in love with the wildly inappropriate Joaquín Andieta, a lowly clerk who works for Jeremy, gold is discovered in the hills of northern California. By 1849, Chileans of every stripe have fallen prey to feverish dreams of wealth. Joaquín takes off for San Francisco to seek his fortune, and Eliza, pregnant with his child, decides to follow him.
As we follow her spirited heroine on a perilous journey north in the hold of a ship to the rough-and-tumble world of San Francisco and northern California, we enter a world whose newly arrived inhabitants are driven mad by gold fever. A society of single men and prostitutes among whom Eliza moves--with the help of her good friend and savior, the Chinese doctor Tao Chien--California opens the door to a new life of freedom and independence for the young Chilean. Her search for the elusive Joaquín gradually turns into another kind of journey that transforms her over time, and what began as a search for love ends up as the conquest of personal freedom.
1776 by David McCullough
In this masterful book, David McCullough tells the intensely human story of those who marched with General George Washington in the year of the Declaration of Independence - when the whole American cause was riding on their success, without which all hope for independence would have been dashed and the noble ideals of the Declaration would have amounted to little more than words on paper.
At the center of the drama, with Washington, are two young American patriots, who, at first, knew no more of war than what they had read in books - Nathaniel Green, a Quaker who was made a general at thirty-three, and Henry Knox, a twenty-five-year-old bookseller who had the preposterous idea of hauling the guns of Fort Ticonderoga overland to Boston in the dead of Winter.
But it is the American commander-in-chief who stands foremost - Washington, who had never before led an army in battle. Written as a companion work to his celebrated biography of John Adams, David McCullough's 1776 is another landmark in the literature of American history.
Girl with a Pearl Earring by Tracy Chevalier
With precisely 35 canvases to his credit, the Dutch painter Johannes Vermeer represents one of the great enigmas of 17th-century art. The meager facts of his biography have been gleaned from a handful of legal documents. Yet Vermeer's extraordinary paintings of domestic life, with their subtle play of light and texture, have come to define the Dutch golden age. His portrait of the anonymous Girl with a Pearl Earring has exerted a particular fascination for centuries—and it is this magnetic painting that lies at the heart of Tracy Chevalier's second novel of the same title.
Girl with a Pearl Earring centers on Vermeer's prosperous Delft household during the 1660s. When Griet, the novel's quietly perceptive heroine, is hired as a servant, turmoil follows. First, the 16-year-old narrator becomes increasingly intimate with her master. Then Vermeer employs her as his assistant—and ultimately has Griet sit for him as a model.
The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini
1970s Afghanistan: Twelve-year-old Amir is desperate to win the local kite-fighting tournament and his loyal friend Hassan promises to help him. But neither of the boys can foresee what would happen to Hassan that afternoon, an event that is to shatter their lives. After the Russians invade and the family is forced to flee to America, Amir realises that one day he must return to an Afghanistan under Taliban rule to find the one thing that his new world cannot grant him: redemption.
You Can Do It! The Benefits of Volunteering
Besides using summer break as a great time to catch up on good reading, it’s also a great time to do some volunteering. It’s a great way to give back to the community, and volunteering also offers personal benefits as well.
Here are a few reasons why you should volunteer during your high school and college years:
Volunteering is a great way to connect with other people, to learn more about your community and society at large, and to help others around you.
It’s a great way to come into contact with people of all ages and all walks of life, a way to connect with people outside of your social circle who may think differently than you do and live very different lives, helping you to gain new perspective.
Volunteering helps to build social skills, can give you the opportunity to interact in professional settings, and to practice good communications skills.
When volunteering for a cause or an organization you are interested in, you are going to meet people with interests similar to your own, an easy way to find new friends.
Volunteering has several mental health benefits, such as decreasing risk of depression, decreasing loneliness, anxiety, and stress. It can also improve self-confidence, provide a sense of purpose, and improve interpersonal skills.
Volunteering can also improve physical health, including lowering blood pressure, providing opportunities for increased physical activity.
Volunteering can improve future career prospects by expanding your professional network, helping develop transferable skills, and giving you the opportunity to showcase leadership potential and an interest in helping your community.
Volunteering can help you develop new skill sets, whether it’s canvassing people, planting trees or working in a community garden, working with kids or the elderly, doing administrative work, fundraising, caring for animals, or any of the other myriad volunteer opportunities in your area.
Volunteering may help you find a new personal passion by opening you up to new experiences and allowing you to engage in activities that you might not have done otherwise.
And aside from the benefits you are offering to your community, volunteering is fun! If you are feeling a little hesitant about striking out on your own, why not enlist a friend to join you. It’ll benefit them too!
What Is Betty Reading? Atomic Habits by James Clear
To help my high school and college students develop good sustainable habits, I have recently completed Atomic Habits by James Clear.
Whether students are looking to improve personally, academically or athletically – or in all three areas – this book talks them through the steps needed to make such changes. Clear uses solid real life examples of others who have realized that making small changes can have a significant impact – even a 1% change! Clear points the reader to his website where worksheets can be downloaded and used to start making new habits! He also includes an additional chapter: How To Apply These Ideas [Atomic Habits] to Parenting. I am looking forward to helping my students start new habits!
Letter from Betty for May 2023
Hello Friends,
Mark Twain quipped, "Never put off till tomorrow what may be done day after tomorrow just as well." Ellen DeGeneres joked, "Procrastinate now, don't put it off." But serious thinkers give better advice. Benjamin Franklin, in his usual brisk way, said, "You may delay, but time will not." Abraham Lincoln wisely observed, "You cannot escape the responsibility of tomorrow by evading it today." We have some useful advice for students on this subject in this month's feature article, "Procrastination - Why We Do It and How to Get Over It." So don't delay, read it now!
May 14th is Mother's Day, which is a holiday with a fascinating history that begins in Ancient Greece and picks up again in the U.S. Civil War era. Read about it in our bonus article for May, "Did You Know? Mother's Day Facts." Enjoy!
In in our special feature for May: "What Is Betty Reading? Flowers for Algernon," my student and I ponder the ethics of doctors performing an operation that would turn a person into a genius.
Whatever your educational needs, Foundation for Learning is ready to assist you with caring, one-on-one, individualized tutoring, as well as assistance in overcoming or coping with Executive Function Disorder, Attention Deficit Disorder, and Specific Learning Disability.
Please call 610-207-7811 or email betty.foundationforlearning@gmail.com for a free consultation.
Best regards,
Betty
Procrastination - Why We Do It, and How to Get Over It
Procrastination: putting things off, not tackling a job that needs to get done, particularly when it’s a task that has a deadline or has some degree of importance, i.e., getting your taxes done, or working on a school assignment that is due by a certain date.
Frankly, everyone puts things off sometimes and that’s completely normal, but chronic procrastination can lead to both emotional and physical problems.
There are many reasons why people procrastinate.
Some are perfectionists, putting off work they need to do because it’s easier to never face the job than face the possibility that they won’t do it well because they are concerned about what others think of them.
Some people procrastinate because they simply think that they won’t enjoy the task, so they will deliberately look for distractions.
For some, it’s confusion because of the complexity of the task (again, think taxes), because of fatigue, low self-confidence, or a lack of a well-structured daily or work/study routine.
Understanding why we procrastinate can be important, especially if it’s become a habit. Are we avoiding the work because we are protecting ourselves against the fear of failure, the fear of being judged by others, from unpleasant work? Or perhaps we enjoy the rush of euphoria when we conquer the task, completing it at the very last acceptable moment.
There are very real, negative side effects though. Procrastination can lead to emotional stress, fatigue, and restlessness. Self-esteem can take a big hit when tasks are not completed, leading to critical self-thoughts, particularly when in a classroom or group situation where others have gotten the assignment done and in comparison, the procrastinator has not. There is less opportunity for creativity in your work in the rush to meet a deadline. Additionally, chronic procrastination and the downsides that result, can lead to lower ambition over-all, because completing tasks and doing them well actually fuels ambition and a passion for doing well, but the opposite can result in a loss of those aspirations.
For teens, the act of procrastinating may find it’s roots in a different reason. It is developmentally appropriate for teens to procrastinate as the conscious or unconscious passive resistance is a way to pull away from a parent’s authority. No doubt, as parents you’ve seen a variety of ways your teen has begun to pull away. It’s a natural and necessary process that we see, particularly as our high-schoolers near their college years. Procrastination is just another way teens express their independence. There is a downside though because the decreased adult supervision can also lead to less study structure and routine, and a greater opportunity for distraction. Putting off the work that needs to be done may also relieve the in-the-moment pressure to get the work done, however, it’s been shown that students who routinely put off their assignments until the last minute tend to get lower grades and produce lower-quality work.
There’s a physical down-side as well. Chronic procrastinators may have a lower sense of well-being, suffer from some level of insomnia, experience anxiety, and develop stress related symptoms such as headaches and gastrointestinal issues.
How can a procrastinator change this habit of avoidance?
Set goals and make it a personal challenge to meet these goals.
Break large or complex jobs into achievable bits and celebrate the completion of each level as it is met.
Intentionally limit the amount of time spent online, particularly on social media.
Embrace imperfection and give yourself the freedom to work, create, and explore without the very stringent goal of perfection.
Read biographies, as many tell the stories of notable and successful people who have experienced rejection, criticism, and failure, and have overcome obstacles on their way to success.
Did You Know? Mother's Day Facts
Mother’s Day is on May 14th so mark your calendar! Here are some fun Mother’s Day facts collected by Town and Country magazine:
Mother's Day isn't always on the same date each year.
The holiday is celebrated every year on the second Sunday of the month of May.
The moniker 'Mom' comes from babies.
The first thing most babies can vocalize is the 'ma' sound, which is why in almost every language the word for mother begins with the letter 'M' or is some iteration of the 'ma' sound.
More calls are made on Mother's Day than any other day of the year.
Reportedly there are approximately 122 million calls made on the second Sunday of May.
Mother's Day is the third highest selling holiday for flowers and plants.
After Christmas and Hanukkah, more people buy flowers and plants for their moms on Mother's Day than any other holiday. Approximately one quarter of all the flowers purchased throughout the year are bought for Mother's Day.
41% of Americans plan to buy their mom jewelry.
However, flowers remain the most popular gift option, with about 72% of Americans opting for a floral present.
Normally, Mother's Day is the busiest day of the year for restaurants.
According to a survey by the National Restaurant Association, 48% of people make plans to go to a restaurant for Mother's Day.
Beauty salons and spas also get a Mother's Day boost.
According to the National Retail Federation, on Mother's Day, people will spend $2 billion on personal services (like spa treatments) for their mothers.
In 2022, over $31 Billion was spent on Mother's Day.
On average, shoppers spend $245 on gifts for their mothers according to the National Retail Federation.
The most popular gift for Mother's Day is the greeting card.
Every Mother's Day there are approximately 152 million Mother's Day cards sent.
One of the earliest Mother's Day celebrations was in Ancient Greece.
The Greeks would have spring celebrations in honor of Rhea, the goddess of fertility, motherhood, and generation.
The history of American Mother's Day starts with peacemaker Ann Jarvis.
During and following the Civil War, Ann Jarvis made a concerted effort to foster friendship and community between the mothers on both sides of the war. She started a committee in 1868 which established the first glimmer of today's holiday: "Mother's Friendship Day."
Ann's daughter Anna continued her legacy by creating the official holiday.
Anna Reeves Jarvis sought to honor her own mother by establishing a day of observance. The very first Mother’s Day was celebrated in 1908.
Woodrow Wilson signed Mother's Day into law in 1914.
After Anna Jarvis created the Mother's Day International Association in order to streamline the day of observance to the second Sunday in May, Woodrow Wilson legitimized the celebration as a nationwide holiday.
Anna Jarvis would later try to stop what Mother's Day became.
The holiday quickly became a commercialized opportunity for producers to sell flowers, candies, and cards. Anna Reeves Jarvis felt this was detracting from the personal and intimate aspects of the holiday and defied this by starting boycotts, walkouts, and even condemned first lady Eleanor Roosevelt for using the day as a means of fundraising. Jarvis would eventually use all her money in this fight, and died at the age of 84 in a sanatorium.
Carnations have a special meaning on Mother's Day.
Anna Reeves Jarvis used the carnation on Mother's Day to symbolize whether your mother was living. A red carnation meant she was, and a white meant she had passed.
Mother's Day is celebrated all over the world, albeit on different days.
In addition to the U.S., Great Britain, Canada, Costa Rica, Samoa, Georgia, Australia, and Thailand all have designated celebrations to honor their country's mothers.
Some countries still observe ancient festivals honoring mothers.
In India, people celebrate Durga-puja, a festival that pays homage to the mother goddess, Durga. The festival is a ten-day event that takes place around September or October.
Moms aren't the only ones getting Mother's Day love.
The average American buys 2.8 Mother’s Day cards, so most people are buying more than just one for their mom. Many people opt to buy Mother's Day cards for grandmothers, sisters, and their mother-in-law as well.
What Is Betty Reading? Flowers for Algernon, by Daniel Keyes
I recently completed Flowers for Algernon by Daniel Keyes. Throughout the reading of the novel, the eighth grader I am working with asked many questions regarding whether or not the protagonist should have been operated on to increase his intelligence. As readers, we see the increase and eventual decline of intelligence through journal writing. We also see growth and decline of friendships as Charlie goes through his changes. If you have not read this book or even if you have, consider reading it again and then consider the same ethical question my student did.
Letter from Betty for April 2023
Hello Friends,
Whenever I watch young children at play I find myself saying one thing to myself over and over: "Kids have to run!" It is almost as if their natural state is swift movement, and it seems universal. As children get older they gain inhibitions and shyness, and need to be coaxed into returning to their natural instinct for energetic movement, but it is so important they do so. Find out more about this vital topic in our feature article for April, "The Positive Impact of Team Sports on Mind and Body."
As Easter approaches, who doesn't love swirling colors on curved surfaces? We have a really fun and timely project for you in our bonus article for April, "You Can Do It! Shaving Cream Dyed Easter Eggs." Have a hoppy time!
“Mr. Knightley, if I have not spoken, it is because I am afraid I will awaken myself from this dream.” So says Emma, the title character of the Jane Austen novel of the same name. Read my quick take on this classic English novel from 1815 in our special feature for April: "What Is Betty Reading?"
Whatever your educational needs, Foundation for Learning is ready to assist you with caring, one-on-one, individualized tutoring, as well as assistance in overcoming or coping with Executive Function Disorder, Attention Deficit Disorder, and Specific Learning Disability.
Please call 610-207-7811 or email betty.foundationforlearning@gmail.com for a free consultation.
Best regards,
Betty
The Positive Impact of Team Sports on Mind and Body
Did you know that physical exercise is not only good for the body, but has benefits for the mind and spirit, and has an impact on school success as well? With this in mind, we need to encourage participation in team sports and other regular physical activity.
Yes, playing sports takes up a lot of time and energy, and you may think that this would be a distraction from important schoolwork, but participation in sports has a profound impact on school success. Sports requires memorization, repetition, determination, goal-setting, and learning, all skillsets that are directly relevant to schoolwork and learning. Thus, many athletes do better academically.
Participating in team sports enhances problem-solving skills and the benefits of teamwork. Effective communication within the group is needed to work together, to develop a plan, and to see that plan out in order to reach for success.
Organized, well-structured sports programs help to teach accountability, dedication, leadership, and commitment to the group.
There are many mental health benefits as well.
Participating in team sports helps to reduce pressure and stress, and is a great way to build up a supportive social network of friends and peers. It can also provide an important boost to self-esteem as goals are achieved and self-confidence builds. Additionally, when working as a team, there is the benefit of focusing on the success of the team rather than the success of a single player, allowing for broader opportunity for achievement.
Physical activity can boost your mood by stimulating neurotransmitters in the brain, releasing endorphins that make you feel happier and more relaxed.
Participating in a team sport also allows for the opportunity to unwind and forget the stresses of the day when you hang out with friends. Depression and anxiety also decreases as your mind is occupied with the activity of the moment, you are physically engaged, and there is a reduction of stress hormones being released in the body.
Concentration and focus improve, as thinking, analyzing, and judgement skills are put into play, sometimes very quickly, keeping the brain alert.
Then of course there are the physical benefits.
Participating in sports can help to maintain a good weight, encourages healthful decision-making (such as not smoking), and even can lower the chances of developing health issues later in life.
Physical activity is important in the healthy growth of bones, muscles, ligaments, and tendons, improves coordination and balance, and has cardiovascular benefits too. It also gives you the opportunity and ability to physically relax, thus avoiding complications of chronic muscular tension such as headaches and back aches.
Participating in sports improves sleep. The physical activity tires you out so your body needs to rest and recover from the exertion. In addition, getting better sleep helps to ensure that you’ll greet the next day well rested, with more energy, feeling better, and in a much better mood.
The take-away is: participating in sports does indeed positively impact the mind and the body, and can have roll-over benefits in school as well.
