Every now and then I think it good for a homeschooling parent to actually do a lesson or two from their children's workload. In this particular case I was modeling outlining of a passage and then on a new fresh day, an essay, without consultation to the original passage. All in all, I see the superiority of what an outline can do for a student. Here is what I produced:
Captain James Cook
Cook, like most men of fame, actually started life entirely
disadvantaged. He was surrounded by a
culture of hard work for little reward and poverty. It is often observed that the absence of
luxury is the pivotal force on which drive and motivation fix itself. He was brought up in a struggling colony, an
Englishman in England. Who were to guess
that this boy would some day sail the Pacific Ocean and become the greatest navigator
of his time? Yes, that in due time he would
come to be noticed through his hard work, trustworthy nature, and for being
able to follow orders well. Soon he had
ascended to a very fine role where he had been entrusted to survey great coast
lines. This line of work, in due time,
would raise him higher than his common man.
His diligence and laudable work ethic would pay him dividends.
James had been born in England in 1728 to very humble
parents. He had been apprenticed at 13
as a shopkeeper near Whitby. He really
didn’t like the job, in fact he found it to be extremely distasteful to his
personality. He had little choice in the
matter.
James knew about sea life though. He would often dream about going to sea. He had heard many stories and tales. This gave him a good understanding of salt junk, about the foul water that they all drank, the brutality and violence
committed by the men on board, the diseases and death that marked and numbered
them all, but this knowledge did not stop him from desiring to go to sea. He had an inner calling that was so loud
within his person, that he must obey it, that he must go, and that life on sea
would be his work.
One quiet morning, before the daily crowd and throng of people
began their usual routine he gathered up all his belongings, which wasn’t much
as it all fitted in a small rut sack and stole himself away at daybreak. He told no one of his intention for fear that
he would be restrained.
He was very soon taken on board a ship, a collier as a ship’s
boy. His new adventure was coming alive
before his very eyes. He would now go to
sea.
Due to hard work he soon became noticed and entered into the
king’s service through the Quebec campaign.
This was a great turning point in his life. He became acquainted with many courageous men
amongst the limited fresh water, the contrary winds, the difficulties with
fresh food, the horrendous outbreaks of scurvy.
At any length, these matters he discovered would soon bring expeditions
to premature ends.
At last a new expedition arose.
The command had been given to Cook.
He had risen amongst men to an important position, full of
responsibility and great accountability.
His dreams were now completely in his hands to explore and bring to
life. They gave him 94 men and food for
10 months. He quickly sailed from
England in a stoutly built collier called the Endeavour to explore the Pacific
Ocean.
At this time it is to be noted that Australia was still an
unknown land, even though Tasman had discovered the continent 130 years
before. No white man yet lived there.
So Cook sailed on, around Cape Horn, crossed the Pacific Ocean,
to the east coast of New Zealand. New
Zealand consists of 2 islands and here he stayed for 6 months while he examined
their shores. He chartered the
coastlines and ran excursions to the shore and inland where they would look for
local flora and fauna. After their stay
they sailed northwest. It was a
particularly long journey of 1000 miles until he had reached ‘the great
southland’ of Australia.
They had come to an eastern shore of Australia and in want of a
name he decided to call it New South Wales.
They anchored 5 miles south of Sydney in a bay that he called Botany
Bay. It was much safer to anchor in the
bay where they would have some respite from the travailing winds of the ocean.
Soon it was realized that the discovery of Botany Bay would
solve a major social problem that England had been having for many years. They decided that it would make for an
excellent destination for convicts. Not
only convicts, but would also allow for new settlements, for both convicts and
free men. Thus a new settlement would be
soon arranged, drawn up and established.
At length it was time to return back home to England. They had been away for many months. So they sailed northward of Australia,
travelling over 2000 miles. Disease and
death had made its abode with them and overtaken the crew. Upon its arrival in England the Endeavour was
more like a ghost ship of members passing from this world to the next in its
very corridors. While Cook had mastered
navigation, he had clearly not mastered scurvy.
Cook soon had another command the following year and was given
the Resolution to sail. He was given
orders for his continued exploration of the southern hemisphere. We must also remember that England is
situated in the northern hemisphere.
These voyages were very far away from home. There was a chance that they may never make
it home again. His first voyage had
great advantage and success, so too would his second voyage.
He left England with 100 men, and rounding past Cape Hope again
but this time he stopped for food. In
particular they took on beef, mutton, bread and vegetables. While there he received word and report of
another expedition, similar to his own, that 150 men had died of scurvy. Was there no way to remedy this villain?
Back in the ship with morale not as high as it could have been
they sailed on. They sailed
southwards. One night a fierce and
unforgiving storm rose up and blew them off course. It had carelessly deposited them amongst the
enormous ice-lands. As they sat there
shivering from the cold he reflected upon the danger they had just escaped and
now found themselves in. Their minds
were filled with horror. Their hearts were
filled with fear. The storm had been so
violent that they had come very close to death itself.
Again, Cook sailed on.
They sailed for many weeks. He had
a great responsibility for the command of the ship but also for the souls that
were on board as well. They searched for
land, but the cold was bitter and the ropes for rigging frozen. The decks sheathed in ice. The only thing they found was frozen water. The cold had even frozen the little piglets,
fresh born, on board the ship as well.
At last they sailed to New Zealand. They had now been at sea for 100 days and saw
no land. Upon seeing the land their
hearts rejoiced and their hopes increased.
Amazingly they all still had their health. Cook was finally onto something. He was beginning to conquer every sailor’s
wicked enemy, scurvy. He had been
particularly careful and diligent with the food that they had eaten.
A happy sight awaited them with the discovery of new
islands. Of course they claimed them for
England. They now had on the books the
Friendly, Society, and Sandwich Islands.
A gift to England upon his return.
In due time they returned safely home again. He had done what no other navigator had
done. He had circumnavigated the
Antarctic Circle. The Resolution was
still intact. The men were in good
health. He had made their health a high
priority and had, by example, lead them to eat well to maintain their health.
Upon his return to England the second time Cooks fame increased
greatly. He was able to publish his
accounts of his voyages for the common man to read. It ignited a healthy and curious interest
amongst the people of the far away lands that he had reached. They heard of strange new things like coral
reefs, palm trees, bread fruit, tattooed warriors from New Zealand, gum trees,
kangaroos and koalas. He had opened up a
whole new world to Englishmen.
The earth had plenty to discover, and now it was all at the
fingertips and available for any courageous man brave enough to reach out and
touch it.
Now, finally, Cook had made a grand name for himself. The history books would make him a legend. He had built his name upon the thrashing
waves of the Pacific Ocean and the lands that he came to set foot on.
Sadly, our hero navigator ends his life in a strange island while
away on yet another expedition. He was
speared through by an indigenous native and died as a result of the wound
inflicted. He had been a stern sailor,
like a father to the men entrusted to him.
His face and naval career had been set southwards and its seas and lands
had welcomed him. Though hunger, cold
and monotony had plagued him, he got the upper hand. His calling and heart’s desire drew him on,
steered and steadied him to the fame he now holds still.
Deborah Perrot
Should you like to attempt the very same lesson or give it to your children I have it in the store for a bargain $1.50 HERE. It doesn't actually teach outlining, but it does provide the passage on which to outline.
Thanks so much for reading.
