How Do I Teach . . .

Brand New Website! How to Homeschool Today

2011-01-11T12:44:00.000-08:00

I have just launched my new website, How To Homeschool Today! I hope you will check it out and share the link with other homeschoolers that you know.

I created this website for owners of The Checklist; however, it’s available to anyone interested in educating children. On this site, you’ll learn about homeschooling, discover how to choose the best curriculum, and have access to free record keeping forms, worksheets, and unit studies, as well as many other educational resources.

You'll also learn about my products including The Checklist Assistant, a subscription-based database to help you find specific resources for specific topics of study.

Other features:

FREEBIES: lots of free worksheets, unit studies, forms, recipes
FREE TRANSCRIPT CREATOR: a free, quick and easy way to create a high school transcript
FREE STEP-BY-STEP GUIDE FOR CHOOSING CURRICULUM - quick test to help you choose the curriculum that will best work for your family
Cindy's new HTHT Blog
THE CHECKLIST ASSISTANT: A database for educators that will help you find the resources you need for your students!

I would love to hear your thoughts about the new website! Please check it out and post your comments.

Thanks! Cindy Downes

The LessonBoard

2011-01-04T03:40:00.000-08:00

Don’t let your child develop “two-finger” typing skills. You can easily teach your children to type as soon as they begin reading, using the right tools.

Chester Creek has developed a keyboard that I highly recommend for teaching young children to type. It’s called the LessonBoard.

The LessonBoard is a color-coded keyboard designed to teach the correct fingering. Each finger is assigned a color, making it easy for children to learn which finger to use when typing the letters, numbers and function keys on the keyboard.

The LessonBoard is standard size, but yet lightweight. It includes all function keys as well as a numeric keypad. The keys are large and easy to press; and, it’s sturdy, a definite plus around young children!

The LessonBoard is compatible with Windows and Macintosh computers and comes with a USB connector, as well as a PS/2 adapter for older systems. It even includes a free, 3-month subscription to ClassroomTyping.com, an online typing training and testing system.

I LOVE this keyboard for young children! It’s bright, colorful, and lightweight. It’s easy to use and extremely helpful for teaching children the correct fingering. And at $39.95, it’s not an expensive investment. The LessonBoard is perfect for new learners and for with vision and/or dexterity problems.

I taught my children to type at age eight, and I wish I had had this keyboard. It would have made the job a bit more fun and easier. One suggestion I do have is this: after your child learns the keys, cover the letters and numbers with adhesive tape. This will keep them from being dependent on reading the keys and help them increase speed.

State History by Joy Dean - A Review

2010-09-20T10:39:00.000-07:00

As many of you know, I publish Oklahoma History Online, an online curriculum for studying the history of Oklahoma. Many of you have written asking me to write a curriculum for other states, but sadly, I just can’t seem to find the time.

In August, however, I was perusing the vendors at the Homeschool Convention in Texas and discovered a resource I hadn't seen before: State History by Joy Dean.

Joy Dean, the author of these wonderful resources, was very helpful. She showed me the resources she created and let me take a few of them home to examine more fully.

I chose Fifty States Under God, Fifty States Under God for Young Learners and Geography of Fifty States. Using these three resources, you could create a wonderful unit on the 50 states for all grade levels.

Fifty States Under God is a workbook study of all 50 states in the order of statehood. It includes a timeline of statehood and map worksheets that correspond to the timeline. Then, there are four pages of interesting facts and worksheets for each state. Activities include pasting in a few of the state symbols, the state flag, state seal, and picture of the state capitol (full-color, pictures included in the back of book); writing in facts about the economy of the state; writing in the abbreviation, capital city, and nickname; writing in the name of bordering states; decoding the state motto; and unscrambling the state nickname. Students will also use research skills to complete the book. I particularly like the short anecdotes at the end of each lesson. They are stories from history such as “William Penn’s ‘Holy Experiment’,” “John Brown’s Raid on Harpers Ferry,” and the “Klondike and Alaska Gold Rush.”

Fifty State Under God for Young Learners does not include a timeline. Instead, it includes four pages of worksheet activities for each state. These worksheets include painting activities (You’ll need paint, markers, crayons, and glitter.); cut out and paste state symbols, flag, seal, motto, and nickname; and color by the number map study of bounding states. Again, there is an anecdote about each state to read. These anecdotes are different from the other book.

Geography of Fifty States includes a complete, day-by-day lesson plan on how to combine all three of these books, as well as State History from a Christian Perspective and My State History Funbook, into a one-semester or one-year course. How cool is that! You can also use the geography book by itself or combined with any one or more of the above books. (By the way, this geography course is also an introductory American history course!) Lessons include information about the geography of the U.S. and individual states, as well as a map study. Students will mark major land features and major cities. There are also quizzes and tests included.

Whether you are looking for a 50-state study or a study on one state for one student or a crowd, Joy Dean has plenty of resources to choose from. Website: State History.net.

App Review: 123 World Geography HD

2010-08-10T01:03:00.000-07:00

What I really love about the iPad is that it’s not only fun, it’s educational, too. Why not take advantage of this feature by not only entertaining your children, but educating them as well. 123 World Geography HD can help you do just that.

123 World entertains your children by providing “coloring book” fun as well as exotic music from places like Cuba, Ireland, Asia, and Japan. And, while your children are “coloring” and enjoying these cultural sounds from around the world, they’re also practicing color, number, and letter recognition.

They can also practice foreign language skills. With a simple change in the settings, you can modify the voice-over language to speak English, Spanish, French, or German. Now, instead of one, two, three, it can say uno, dos, tres or un, deux, trios.

Your children can learn world geography, too. They will practice identifying the continents, the oceans, the states of the U.S., and the countries of the world. The app includes 10 different maps from around the globe on which to practice.

And when they have completed a picture, they can save it or e-mail it to a friend.

123 World Geography HD is a winning combination of fun and learning. Check it out today!

Works with iPad and iPhone. $1.99 in app store.

Link to YouTube Video.

Teach your kids about the Constitution!

2010-08-10T00:54:00.000-07:00

Are you looking for a way to teach your children about the Constitution? Check out the U.S. Constitution app available from MultiEducator, Inc. It's free! For the iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad.

On the same note, if you'd like to explain the Constitution to your children, I've found a workbook that I recommend to educators that will help - Our Living Constitution, Then and Now. It breaks the Constitution down point by point and "interprets" it in everyday language (the Founders of our country spoke a bit differently than we do today!). These two items are great resources to use to learn more about our Constitution and government.

App Review: Preschool Memory Match

2010-08-10T00:47:00.000-07:00

Preschool Memory Match might be for preschoolers, but I had fun with it, too!

Preschool Memory Match is colorful, fun and educational. Your kids will enjoy delightful sound effects as they successfully find the pairs of animals, instruments, and other symbols. When they complete the game, they are rewarded with three wacky buttons that spin, whirl, pop, and fizz. What I like most about this app - kids will have fun and learn at the same time!

Choose from the Settings menu whether you want sound or not, which symbols you want to use, whether or not you want to show the words or hear the words. A super duper hard category uses all the symbols!

Features:

Over 220 different pairs to match in 5 categories! (Transportation, Musical Instruments, Animals/Bugs, Food, and Objects)
Brilliant graphics
Amazing Sound Effects
Studio voice recording of a speech therapist who specializes in Early Childhood Development!
Unique reward system with 64 weird and wacky buttons!
iOS4 Multitasking enabled for devices running iOS4 who can take a phone call or leave the app which automatically will pause the game!

iPhone, iPod Touch, iPad

$1.99 in the app store

App Review: Charles Peattie's Animal Alphabet

2010-08-10T00:43:00.000-07:00

Charles Peattie's Animal Alphabet is bound to be a favorite with young and old alike.

Are you looking for a way to entertain your preschooler? Teach him or her the letters of the alphabet? Either way, here’s an app to do it, and you’ll discover that you’ll be entertained as well!

You can view the app by proceeding through the alphabet from A to Z or you can select one from the icons that represent each animal. The animations and sound effects are awesome!

My favorites were the elephant with an attitude – I loved his expression! The Hyena has an adorable face and a hysterical laugh that will put a smile on anyone’s face! And I loved the lovey-dovey fish that burps in front on his new girlfriend! (By the way, you’ll never guess what x is. It’s very innovative, and I haven’t seen this before. You’ll have to buy the app to see!)

There is also a quiz. Personally, I think the quiz is too hard for preschoolers. For instance, the jaguar is a black square with the imprint of a paw in white. That this was the letter "j" was hard for me to figure out, but then I'm not a preschooler! Some are easier than others, and I assume that if you play it enough, you’ll soon learn which picture represents which letter. I also had several crashes while using the game, so this part was frustrating for me.

However, I’m sure they will fix the crashes in a future update. In the meantime, it’s a fun way to reinforce the letters of the alphabet while having a good time with your child or grandchild. Highly recommended!

Can be used on iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad.

$2.99 in the app store.

The Teacher's Big Book of Graphic Organizers

2010-08-03T05:35:00.000-07:00

As a visual learner, I depend on strong visual pictures to help me process information. Consequently, I have learned the value of graphic organizers. A graphic organizer is a visual learner's best friend in that it helps us organize data, remember facts, and explain concepts.

If you have a student who learns best from reading charts and graphs, I highly recommend The Teacher’s Big Book of Graphic Organizers published by Jossey-Bass. Included are 100 reproducible organizers for all subject areas.

For instance, the Carousel Brainstorm organizer helps students create a book report by filling in boxes of information. After the boxes are complete, they can take this information and easily write their final report. The report can be on the book itself or the topic discussed in the book, whether it be literature, history, science, or any other subject.

The Hypothesis Guide helps students visualize the scientific method. Students are directed step-by-step through the process from asking a question, writing down what they know, proposing a hypothesis, documenting the lab process and results, and preparing a conclusion.

The Six Column Vocabulary Organizer is a great tool to help students learn new vocabulary words. The student charts the definition, part of speech, synonym, antonym, and even draws a picture or icon to represent the word.

I love the writing organizers, which include a writer’s checklist, sensory starter (helps them add sensory details to their writing), character creator, and story map (helps with plotting). There’s also an organizer that focuses on persuasive writing.

Students of all learning styles benefit from graphic organizers because of their strong visual elements. So, whether you teach in a classroom or at home, The Teacher’s Big Book of Graphic Organizers is a tool you should not do without.

Hello New Homeschoolers from Cindy Downes!

2010-07-30T17:33:00.000-07:00

Hi - My name is Cindy Downes from Oklahoma Homeschool. For those of you who are new, I wanted to tell you about the resources available on my Website.

First, for prospective homeschoolers , check out the pages explaining what homeschooling is, why people homeschool and other interesting facts about homeschooling.
Next, for those of you who have already made the decision to homeschool, but not sure what to do next, check out the Getting Started pages.
Now, you're ready to start looking for curriculum. But, not before you try out my Step-by-Step Guide to Choosing Curriculum and other information that will help you choose the best curriculum for your child.
While you're curriculum is being shipped, read over the pages on recordkeeping - a very important part of homeschooling.
You'll also want to read over some ideas for scheduling your day.
Do you have a PreK or K child? Be sure to read over the 3R's and PreK & K Guidelines . You'll also find teaching tips for reading, writing, composition, grammar and arithmetic on these pages.
Have a special education student? Check out my special ed pages .
For those of you who want to do multi-level teaching or unit studies, be sure to read over Multi-Level Teaching .
Looking for FREE Unit Studies ? Blank Timelines ? Project Ideas for Unit Studies ?
Have a high school student? Check out the information about high school graduation requirements, transcripts, diplomas, college admission, and career training .
While you're homeschooling, be sure to check back for free forms and worksheets .
Looking for extracurricular activities in Oklahoma ? Academic classes ?
Find out what field trips are available in Oklahoma on my Field Trip pages .
During the year, read my book reviews and teaching tips on my How Do I Teach blog .
Become a fan of my Oklahoma Facebook page and my How To Homeschool Today Facebook page for more teaching tidbits and Oklahoma info.

There's more, but I don't want to overwhelm you! Enjoy!

Review of State of Reservations by Elysabeth Eldering

2010-07-26T09:51:00.000-07:00

Because of my interest in state history, I'm always on the lookout for new resources related to the states of the U.S. The latest resource I’ve discovered is called, State of Reservations, by Elysabeth Eldering, #3 in her Junior Geography Detective Squad series.

The main characters are Matt and Jolene, students who are studying for a test in geography. To make it easier, they decide to play a trivia game about states. The goal of the game is to guess the state based on clues discovered as they proceed through the game.

The facts and trivia presented range from obvious facts about the state to obscure licensing laws, all of which helps keep the state a “secret” until the end of the book. Interaction and banter between the two characters as they work through the game maintains the reader’s interest in learning the new facts.

The main characters, from their speech and actions, as well as from the illustrations, appear to be teenagers. The boy refers to Joline as “the girl of his dreams.” Because of this, I first thought the book was written for junior or senior high school students. However, the text is written for elementary grade level. I would have preferred that the author and illustrator use age-appropriate characters for the text.

There are a few grammatical errors in the book. For example, “Matt watched Jolene’s expression for a moment longer than he had planned to.” (Italics mine.) Some of the sentence structures were awkward such as, “One of these days, I’m going to travel the whole road and stop at all the historic places, after I learn about them all, of course.” The book could use more editing.

However, in spite of its flaws, it can be useful for stimulating interest in state history. An addendum in the back of the book provides additional facts about the state. A CD is also available, which includes five discussion questions/research projects, a map skills worksheet, a fill-in word scramble, and an end-of-book quiz with 14 questions. Answers are included on the CD, as well as a bibliography for further study.

The author has plans to create a "Passport Across America" booklet in which kids can collect what they learn about each state. All the activities will be included in this resource. More information can be found on the author's website. Retails for $12.50.

Teaching the Constitution - Make this a priority!

2010-07-21T06:49:00.000-07:00

Now, more than ever, we should be teaching our children about the Constitution and what better resource to use than Our Living Constitution Then and Now by Jerry Aten.

This book explains paragraph by paragraph what the Constitution and its amendments are about using a two-column format. On one side is the actual wording of the Constitution; on the other side is an explanation in today's English (The founders had a very different vocabulary than we use today!).

There are worksheets included that can be used for testing or review: short answers, fill-in-the-blanks, multiple choice questions, puzzles, fill-in charts, matching, writing letters, and map study.

The answers are in the back. Our Living Constitution is an excellent tool to use for a 1/2 year government unit. Don't neglect this part of your child's education.

NOTE: If you have an iPad, you might also want to check out MultiEducator's Constitution app.

Review of The Core by Leigh A. Bortins

2010-07-20T04:06:00.000-07:00

There are a few books that I believe all parents should read, and The Core is one of them. Whether you follow the classical model exactly or simply want to incorporate some of its methods, here's a book that will get you started.

I've never been taught nor taught using the classical method; but after reading this book, I am positively intrigued. Although I don't agree with everything the author, Leigh Bortins, says, I do believe that were I to homeschool all over again, I would incorporate many of these ideas in my homeschool program. In fact, without knowing it, I actually did. The main difference between the way I educated my children and Classical Conversations is that I didn't use all "classical" literature, and I still wouldn't today. The reason: there is only so much time in a day. There are many books not considered "classics" that are worth reading, and there is some "classical" literature that I consider less than "edifying." In addition, I prefer to assign literature based on the specific needs of children. My two children were very different, and I assigned reading based on their specific abilities and interests. I included classics, as well as modern literature, nonfiction, and vocation-related, how-to books. They are now adults and have the same love of learning and thinking ability as those educated on the "classics."

As a family, we did read some "classical" literature together. As suggested in The Core, we spent time on rote memorization. We put history and science in context rather than learning isolated facts. We spent time analyzing why and how, not just filling in blanks. Had I read this book, however, I would have had even more resources from which to choose and ideas for implementing this type of instruction in my homeschool. I would have spent more time on geography, too. I love the ideas presented here on learning geography. The bottom line: The Core is a gem!

The first three chapters explain what a classical education is, why we need it, and how it can help you, whether you are a single parent, working parents, homeschooling parents, or teachers in a school. Part two describes the skills learned and how to teach them. Finally, the last chapters provide scheduling and resource ideas.

If the book sparks an interest in you for teaching a Classical education, but you have no idea where to start, look for a Classical Conversations community in your area and give it a try. That's how I would start. You can find these groups listed on Bortins' Website at www.classicalconversations.com. Once you learn the program and how it works for you and your family, you can continue the program or spin off a program of your own that incorporates some of these same ideas. You won't be sorry you spent the time to learn the methods used in a classical education. It will only make your own program better.

Leigh Bortins is the founder and CEO of Classical Conversations, Inc. She homeschools four children.

Review of Simple Gifts by Caryl D. Schlicher

2010-06-28T13:30:00.000-07:00

Caryl Schlicher has a B.A. teaching degree, has taught in both public and private schools, and also home schooled her own children. In her book, Simple Gifts, she uses this experience to create a resource that benefits educators of all kinds and at all experience levels.

Simple Gifts is a perfect companion to my book, The Checklist. Schlicher believes, as I do, that education is more than learning facts. Just like The Checklist, Schlicher’s book also covers academics, character development, and physical care. The difference is that The Checklist lists the topics to study, while Simple Gifts tells you how to teach these topics most effectively.

Simple Gifts is jargon-free, making it both easy to understand and use. It doesn’t micro-manage with scripts such as, “Today, you will read pages 2-3 and complete exercise A and B.” Instead, it’s customizable. You can use it with students who are ahead, behind, or on grade level. It works with college prep students, as well as students who are more entrepreneurial, ministry or trade focused.

The book is based on a 15-step checklist, a system Schlicher used as a teacher, a tutor, and a homeschool mom. Here’s how I would use this resource along with The Checklist.

Let’s say our subject is the Civil War. From The Checklist, I select the topics I want to teach about the Civil War, depending upon age, abilities, goals, and past learning experience of my children.

Using Simple Gifts, I work through the 15-Step program. Each step is an activity that helps me set goals for the lesson, activate curiosity about the subject, and create learning assessments to help my child learn. The activities for the child include giving oral summaries, writing projects, dramatizing, vocabulary drills, timelines, memorization, and others.

As the students work through the assignments, they complete reproducible checklists that are included in the book. These checklists help them: determine the main idea, compare and contrast ideas, find similarities and differences, sequence events, determine cause and effect, outline character traits, and analyze plot and plot structure. By the time they have completed the 15 steps, the child will have mastered the topic much more than he or she would using a typical fill-in-the-blank workbook.

This is a resource that you will use over and over again. With a copy of Simple Gifts, The Checklist, and your local library or bookstore, you can create lesson plans that will rival the education in the days of our founding fathers. They had no “curriculum,” yet they were much better educated than most students today. The reason is that they were taught to think and reason, just as this resource will do for your kids today.

If you’re a do-it-yourselfer who is willing to take the time and energy to create your own customized lesson plans, this is a resource you will want to purchase.

See Schlicher’s website to purchase this and other resources she has created.

Saxon Curriculum is on SALE!

2010-06-07T07:14:00.000-07:00

From now until August 31st, you can purchase your Saxon curriculum for 35% off retail from the CBD website.

Saxon Sale, 35% Off

Review of Absotively Posilutely

2010-05-01T08:08:00.000-07:00

Maybe you can’t get to the Creation Museum in Petersburg, Kentucky; but there's another way to teach your kids about creation.

Absotively Posilutely by Carl Kerby answers questions about God and his creation by sharing amazing facts that interest kids of all ages. For instance, did you know that the giraffe’s heart can be up to 2.5 feet long and weigh more than 20 pounds? Did you know that the daddy Darwin frog carries its eggs in its throat for more than 50 days?

These facts and more help kids learn about God's creation and His plan for us. Kids will learn the difference between a Christian worldview and a non-Christian worldview. And best of all, kids will enjoy reading a book that not only informs, but entertains.

Phonics Song

2010-04-21T07:35:00.000-07:00

The chart alone is worth the price of the book!

2010-04-21T07:31:00.000-07:00

Reading Skills Competency Tests (Second Level) by Walter B. Barbe, Ph.D. and others.

Learning phonics rules is important, but you need to remember that only 80% of our vocabulary words can be decoded using phonics rules. This resource covers all areas of reading skills, including phonics.

Using the tests, chart, and recordkeeping form included in this book, you can access your child’s reading readiness and actual reading skills, as well as keep track of his or her progress. The chart is a chart showing all the different skills students should master. It is made of heavy-stock paper and pulls out of the book for easy reference.

The skills covered include (not a complete list):

Vocabulary Skills:

Reading readiness
Sight words (includes Dolch list of 220 Basic Sight Words)
Word meaning from context
Synonyms, Antonyms, Homophones, Homographs
Figurative and colorful expressions
Multiple meanings of words
Hyphenation
Similes and metaphors
Compound words
Root words
Prefixes, suffixes
Vocabulary terms

Perceptual Skills, Word Analysis and Word Attack Skills:

Auditory skills – how to pronounce words using phonics rules (letter sounds, consonants, blends, vowels, silent letters, etc)
Visual Skills – likeness and differences, word boundaries, left-to-right eye movement
Forming plurals
Roman numerals
Word endings
Compound words
Diacritical markings
Alphabetize
Syllabication rules

Comprehension Skills:

Interest and Ability Skills – interest in and enjoyment of reading, attention spans, following oral directions, text progression
Drawing conclusions and predicting outcomes
Locating information (table of contents, page number, specific information)
Classifying items, techniques of skimming, using maps and charts,
Note taking, outlining, reference materials, interpreting graphs and charts
Read proof marks
Structure of story: Main idea, topic sentence, sequence of ideas
Oral reading, silent reading
Interpretation and application, analysis, synthesis, critical evaluation (value system of characters, author’s background, point of view, etc.)
Figurative language, dialect, colloquial speech
Understands literary forms

Included in the book are tests for each skill to evaluate your student’s progress. The tests are simple to use and answers are provided. Once you have given a test, you can track the results on the recordkeeping sheet. Using the results, you can then find resources to help you correct any deficiencies.

I wish I had had this book when my children were learning to read. By knowing exactly what my child knows and doesn’t, I could have saved a lot of money on language arts curriculum. Although this book was created for schoolteachers, I highly recommend it for homeschooling parents. There are several levels of this resource, but for homeschooling parents, I think the Second Level will take care of most everything you need.

Creation Lessons

2010-04-19T05:42:00.000-07:00

This is a review of the book, Creation: Thirteen 6-in1 Comprehensive Curriculum Lessons by David and Helen Haidle.

Creation contains 13 lessons that integrate math, English, science, art, spelling and physical activities to teach your children about God’s creation. Although it has been created for grades 1-4, it can be used as enrichment for older children.Lessons include:

God Creates Light
God Creates Sky
God Creates Water
God Creates Land
God Creates Plants
God Creates Sun, Moon, Stars & Planets
God Creates Sea Creatures
God Creates Birds
God Creates Animals
God Creates People
God Creates a Day of Rest
Creation Celebration
God’s Great Plan for You

The book includes a plan for teaching the book in four weeks, six weeks, thirteen weeks, or twelve weeks. However, using The Checklist and this book, you could use it as appropriate whenever you teach a particular topic, such as Astronomy, Botany, Geology, Animals, Human Anatomy, etc.

Each lesson includes a list of materials needed. I didn’t see anything unusual on the list, however, you will need to take some time to collect it before each lesson (or you could do it in the summer and package it for use later in the year). For example, in the Light unit, you’ll need a sheet of green construction paper, different kinds of seeds, an egg carton, some plants or various pictures of plants, some leaves, paper and pencil, wheat and flour (optional), peanut butter and peanuts, jelly, jam, fruit, trees or tree bark, flowers, newspaper, and cardboard.

Components of each lesson include:

An introduction which explains the lesson and what your child will learn

An object lesson (in the plant unit this is making a tree out of the newspaper)

A Bible lesson with a visual (Plant Unit includes a lesson on Isaiah 55:12 and Eccl. 2:5. Using the egg carton, seeds and some plants, the child identifies various seeds that grow into plants. Then they list all the different kinds of plants they can think of.)

Web links to additional resources. Some of lessons include links that contain advanced concepts, which can help make this curriculum multi-grade level. The plant unit link includes a pdf document with instructions, worksheet, and mini booklet on growing beans.

NOTE: I had trouble finding the link to the additional resources because the publisher left off the “/curriculum” at the end of the link. I did manage to find it and I’m posting it here. You might want to bookmark this link for later when you actually have the book: http://www.masterbooks.org/curriculum.htm

Next is a Math Connection. Sometimes these are a little contrived as often happens in unit studies. In the plant lesson, you use leaves as “money” to practice counting. Personally, I’d rather use real money. Another activity is counting the points on leaves.

Next is English Word Work. In this section, you work on parts of grammar and writing. Activities include such things as locating specific parts of speech in sentences, identifying root words or synonyms, creating a journal or newspaper, writing a list and more.

The Science Scene is the biggest section. This is what I love about the curriculum. Many moms I know are not big fans of science and curriculums tend to make it a bit complicated. These are simple experiments with simple instructions that make learning science fun. In the plant unit, you identify the parts of plants using real plants, you use object lessons to show from what plants we get our food, and you go grocery shopping to look for plant parts. Internet activities are included via the Web link. In the plant unit, these activities include spouting seeds, watching roots grow, learning about plant parts and photosynthesis, and planning a garden.

Finally, there is an Art Activity (this unit includes tree and leaf rubbings), an Extra Activity (pressing flowers), and Conclusion (includes a book suggestion: The Creation Story for Children; questions to answer, Scripture verses to read, and prayer)

Creation is a wonderful stand-alone curriculum for those who want to do unit studies, but not create their own. Or you can use it as a resource for ideas of enrichment activities to do with traditional textbooks and other curriculums.

Review of The Archaeology Book

2010-04-15T09:13:00.000-07:00

Master Books has done it again! I always enjoy reviewing their books as they make teaching and learning fun. The Archaeology Book by David Down is no exception.

The book is written for multi-age levels for family or independent reading. Each page is color-coded for independent reading: Yellow or Level One for 5^th-6^th grade; Blue or Level Two for 7^th & 8^th grades; and White or Level Three for 9^th-11^th grades. You can assign your children to read independently or read it together as part of family reading time.

The subject matter covers what archaeology is about as well as specific historical and cultural information related to the excavation of Egypt, the Hittites, Ur of the Chaldees, Assyria, Babylon, Persia, Petra, the Phoenicians, the Dead Sea Scrolls, and Israel.

Beautifully illustrated with photos, diagrams and maps, this book is one you will want to keep on your shelves.

I liked this book so much, I incorporated into my unit study: Archaeology and the Bible. Enjoy!

Geography Lesson from Youtube

2010-04-14T05:26:00.001-07:00

Failure is not the end!

2010-04-14T05:20:00.001-07:00

Ten Fun Ways to Study World War I

2010-04-10T06:20:00.000-07:00

My new article, Ten Fun Ways to Study World War I, is in the Spring 2010 issue Old Schoolhouse magazine. You can find this magazine at area bookstores or subscribe on the Old Schoolhouse Website.

Worksheets!

2010-04-10T06:15:00.000-07:00

Some kids love worksheets; others don't! If your child doesn't like them, use hands-on learning such as those found at Recipes for Learning or Unit Study Project Ideas instead.

If your child is a fan of worksheets, here's a list of worksheets available on the Internet. The last time I looked, these were all free.

If you know of anymore, please comment below and add a link to the site. Thanks!

ENJOY!

Reading Problems? Here's a solution

2010-04-09T05:31:00.000-07:00

When looking for homeschool resources, don’t overlook resources used by professional educators. Here are two resources created for schoolteachers that can be extremely helpful to homeschooling parents with struggling readers.

Informal Tests for Diagnosing Specific Reading Problems by Stephen A. Pavlak, Ph.D. This book provides more than 70 ready-to-use diagnostic tests that identify a child’s individual reading problems. The tests are informal and written without specialized educational terminology, which makes them easily adaptable for homeschool use. The tests will help you identify specific reading problems your child may have including: letter discrimination, letter reversals and inversions, letter sound, consonant and vowel recognition, vocabulary and reading comprehension, oral reading, and survival reading skills (interpreting information and using references). All the directions you need are provided as well as recordkeeping forms to help you analyze the results.

Classroom Activities for Correcting Specific Reading Problems by Stephen A. Pavlak, Ph.D. Used along with Informal Tests for Diagnosing Specific Reading Problems by the same author, this resource will help correct the problems identified with the tests. The book includes 234 activities that can be easily adapted to a homeschool setting including: letter, letter and sound, vocabulary, comprehension, interpretation, critical reading, oral reading, and survival reading. The directions are simple to understand and follow. Everything you need is in the book including a reproducible checklist of reading skills to keep track of what your child knows and needs to learn.

More reading resources on my Website.

2010-04-02T16:06:00.000-07:00

I just reviewed a super great app for educators, parents and students. It's called MyNature Animal Tracks and it's available for the iPhone, iPod Touch, and iPad.

It includes instructions on how to identify tracks as well as photos, maps, and sound files of animals. Read my complete review and view a YouTube video about this app on my iPhone Life Blog.

Homeschool High School? Yes, You Can!

2010-03-31T12:49:00.000-07:00

Should I homeschool high school? I don’t have a college degree – how can I teach high school subjects? What about social activities, diplomas and graduation? Will my teen get in to college? My teen doesn’t want to go to college – now what?

If these are some of the questions you have about homeschooling high school, you won’t want to miss this opportunity to attend “Homeschool High School? Yes, I Did It,” seminar by veteran homeschool mom and author, Cindy Downes.

Cindy has been involved in homeschooling since 1981. She taught her two children at home from PreK through 12^th grade with only a high school diploma. In 2007, both Cindy and her homeschooled daughter, returned to college as adults. Cindy graduated in 2009 with a journalism degree from Oklahoma State University. Her daughter is a junior at NSU and plans on getting her Masters Degree in English. Her son owns his own computer graphics business and lives in Hollywood, CA.

Cindy will share her family’s adventures from both high school and college. Her goal is to encourage you that, with God, you can homeschool high school, too!

Sponsor: SCHEF Mom's Fellowship

Time and Date: 6:30 pm. April 26, 2010

Place: Hillcrest Baptist Church, 902 N. Washington, Stillwater, OK

Contact: Stephanie Ochsner Email: stephanieochsner@hotmail.com

The Oklahoma Land Run by Una Belle Townsend

2010-03-28T01:22:00.000-07:00

One of the best ways to get children interested in studying history is to read them age-appropriate, historical fiction. This gives children a context through which they can better understand historical events.

The Oklahoma Land Run by Una Belle Townsend provides such a context for a study of the Oklahoma Land Run of 1889. The book is about nine-year-old boy, Jesse, who must drive the family' wagon in the big Land Run race because his father has injured his arm. Children will relate to Jesse's courage, fears, and resourcefulness as he undertakes a tough mission for the good of the family.

Throughout the story, readers are introduced to just enough facts about the Land Run and Oklahoma to excite interest in learning more. Best of all, the illustrations are absolutely delightful, making this book a joy to read for both young and old.

A must-have book for those of you teaching Oklahoma HIstory, as well as for parents who are looking for enjoyable children's literature that also teaches.

Review of PAC Biology and American History

2010-03-16T06:48:00.000-07:00

I don’t know how I missed this resource in my earlier years, but I did. PAC (Paradigm Accelerated Curriculum) has been developing curriculum designed to motivate under-performing and under-challenged high school students since 1993. According to their Web site, “In 1996, PACS was recognized in USA Today newspaper among the nation's 58 most effective programs for recovering at-risk teens.”

I was recently provided samples of Biology (Principles, Theories & Precepts of Biology) and American History (The People, Places and Principles of America) to review. I am impressed with these products and highly recommend that you look them over.

The Biology curriculum consists of six chapters of texts and six companion student activity books, equivalent to one high school biology credit. A second course, Precepts of Anatomy and Physiology, can be added for a second Biology credit.

There is no lab work included with the curriculum; however, the PAC Web site has a list of companies that sell lab equipment. I recommend purchasing lab equipment and using it along with the textbook.

American History is available in a one- or two-year course of study, each year worth one credit in American History. The first year covers Discovery into the Civil War; the second year continues through President George W. Bush.

You will need the teacher’s resource kit for answers to chapter quizzes, as well as for additional tests and answers for both these courses.

Here’s what I like about this curriculum:

The text is interesting and easy-to-understand, but challenging at the same time. Even though the textbooks are black and white, I found myself wanting to read more because of the way in which they are written. Vocabulary is introduced, as needed, and is defined to help students understand the concepts.

The textbooks are designed to inspire kids to think for themselves. Facts are presenting for both sides of many hot-button issues, giving students the information needed to make up their own mind and then defend it. Although both sides of the issues are presented, the reading material supports traditional parental values, along with the reasons why these values are important. This is not a “Christian” curriculum, but it is based on Christian values.

All curriculum publishers pick and choose what they cover in their textbooks. As you know, you can’t possibly cover it all, so you are limited to what the publisher of your curriculum decides to incorporate. I believe the topics included in these two courses by PAC are essential and have no problem recommending them.

Problems of the curriculum and how to overcome them:

The course is set up so that the student independently reads each lesson and then completes the activities, which include multiple choices, fill in the blanks, and labeling diagrams. Unfortunately, I have learned from experience with my own daughter that those kids who are excellent readers can learn to quickly skim the material presented and locate the answers without actually learning what they need to know. Other students, like my son who wasn’t a fast reader, quickly become overwhelmed with the amount of reading required.

Normally, I don’t recommend this type of teaching method because of these problems. However, I believe that the information presented in this curriculum is so outstanding that I would find a way to use it that works for your kids. If your children tend to be like mine, my recommendation would be to read the information together as a family and then work through the activities together. This will take more time on your part, but it will be worth it, both for you and your child. You’ll both learn something worth while.

Homeschoolers can purchase single textbooks with answers, as well as single chapters within a course. They also offer the text portions on CD-ROM and PDF format at a discounted price.

• Biology - full course kit includes texts, activities, and teacher resource kit: $111.35

• American History Year 1 full course kit: $120.30; Two year: $189.86

For more information, see the PAC Web site.

Educational Videos

2010-03-09T04:40:00.000-08:00

There are lots of free educational videos that can be used to teach a variety of school subjects. Here is a lit of the ones I know about.

If you know any others, please post them in the comment section.

Educational Movies from KidsKnowIt Network
Educational Videos - select by subject
Have Fun with History Videos - select by topic - all kinds!
Teaching Videos - more topics.
Teacher Tube Videos
YouTube Education - all age levels of educational videos
Movies of Early America - primary sources

Add some fun stuff to your homeschool.

2010-03-06T17:21:00.000-08:00

School is more than textbooks. Why not add some fun stuff to your daily schedule?

Computer Skills

2010-03-06T17:15:00.000-08:00

I just finished updating my Web page on teaching computer skills. Don't forget this important skill when homeschooling.

Learning Games

2010-02-17T06:18:00.000-08:00

I just added some learning games to my Homeschool Web site.

You'll also find recipes for learning, art & craft projects, lesson plans and other freebies on this page. Enjoy!

YouTube Now Has Safety Mode

2010-02-13T19:37:00.000-08:00

Safety Mode gives you the option to filter potentially offensive videos - perfect for those using YouTube videos for education.

Homeschool High School? Yes, I Did it!

2010-02-09T04:46:00.000-08:00

Why should I homeschool high school? I don’t have a college degree – how can I teach high school subjects? What about social activities, diplomas and graduation? Will my teen get in to college? My teen doesn’t want to go to college – now what?

Cindy will share her family’s adventures from both high school and college. Her goal is to encourage you that, with God, you can homeschool high school, too!

Sponsor: Edmond Home Educators

Time and Date: 7-9 pm. March 25, 2010

Place: Holy Trinity Lutheran Church, 308 NW 164th, Edmond, OK.

Contact: Andrea Pflughoft. Email: pflughoft@sbcglobal.net

Homeschooling for the Rest of Us

2010-02-06T02:55:00.000-08:00

Finally, a homeschool book for the rest of us! So many homeschool books picture the homeschool family with all the kids going to Harvard, kids that are polite and spiritual giants, and homes that are spotless. Sonya Haskins explodes the myth of the perfect homeschool family in her book, Homeschooling for the Rest of Us.

In the 30+ years I’ve been involved in homeschooling, the perfect homeschool family is MOST unusual. Instead, just like traditional schools, there are good days and bad days. Some of our kids turn out to be auto mechanics; others become college professors. Some of our kids live to please their parents and others keep us on our knees. And most of our houses are far from spotless!

Haskins’ book gives a realistic picture of the typical homeschool from academics to housekeeping and from socialization to budgets. She shows you how you can succeed in homeschooling and not be picture perfect. She shows you how to focus on relationships with God, family and others in the community. She explains the variety of routines that homeschoolers have and how you can find one that works for you. She clarifies how to choose extracurricular activities and academics based on your child’s individual gifts and goals. Most of all, she helps you relax so you can homeschool your family knowing this is what God called you to do. It’s not your job to be perfect, just obedient.

5 STARS for a book we can read and be encouraged to do what God called us to do! Thanks, Sonya.

Review of The Flimflam Man

2010-01-31T18:17:00.000-08:00

I’m always on the lookout for books about Oklahoma and Oklahoma history. The Flimflam Man by Darleen Bailey Beard is a delightful addition to my collection.

Although the story is fiction, it's based on an actual event that took place in 1950 in the town of Wetumka, Oklahoma, and resulted in the annual Sucker Day Festival that continues today.

The story is about two girls, Clara Jean and Bobbie Jo, and how they become friends through their experience with F. Bam Morrison, the Flimflam Man, who is selling advance tickets to Bohn’s United Circus Shows.

What I love about the book is the memories it evoked. As an Oklahoman, I had to smile as Clara Jean talked about the cow-chip throwing contest. I cheered Clara Jean and Bobbie Jo on as they raced their bikes through oil fields in an attempt to catch the Flimflam man. I became nostalgic as I read about Bobbi Jo’s reel-to-reel tape recorder and Clara Jean’s clear plastic rain boots. The Flimflam man is a trip down memory lane for anyone who grew up in the 50’s.

Kids will love the book because it’s entertaining. The girls are funny; the illustrations are adorable; and the plot is interesting.

On her Web site, Darlene provides quizzes, reader's theater scripts, songs, and activities for her books. Activities for The Flimflam Man include writing a review, creating a wanted poster, designing a circus ticket and several coloring pages based on the book.

Whether you’re studying Oklahoma history or just looking for a good book to read to your child, I heartily recommend The Flimflam Man.

How to Homeschool Today Newsletter - Jan 2010

2010-01-28T18:14:00.000-08:00

NEW! How To Homeschool Today Newsletter

In this issue, you'll find:

 Cindy’s Homeschool Links  How to Homeschool for New Homeschoolers  Free Unit Studies and Lesson Plans  Recommended Books and Homeschool Supplies  Spring Activities  Incredible Web sites for Incredible Homeschoolers  Competitions, Contests, and Scholarships  Videos for Learning  Educational iPhone and iPod Apps  State History Ideas and Resources

ENJOY!

Cindy Downes

The Big What Now Book of Learning Styles

2010-01-24T03:53:00.000-08:00

I just finished The Big What Now Book of Learning Styles. In three sentences, I like it because:

1. It explains learning styles and the problems of labeling children with any system

2. It shows you how to use multiple learning styles to teach your children - the best way to learn!

3. It provides hundreds of ideas for teaching your children using all the senses. The ideas by themselves are worth the price of the book.

You can read my complete review on Amazon.

Music Appreciation

2009-12-27T07:44:00.000-08:00

I just discovered a wonderful iPhone or iPod Touch app that is an excellent resource for introducing your children to classical music. It's called, Classical Music and is available on iTunes. You can read my review and see some images of the app in my iPhone Life blog.

While you're exploring classical music, try some of these Internet links for other music resources and additional information:

At Home Science

2009-12-08T06:34:00.000-08:00

Looking for teaching tips on science? At Home Science is a blog by a homeschool mom. It features lots of lesson plan ideas and literature resources that teach science.

Genesis by Catherine Zoller

2009-10-31T17:30:00.000-07:00

I used to love playing "what's that" when reading to my children. "What's that?" I'd ask, pointing to a bug or a dog in the story. They'd race to be the first to shout the answer. If the illustrations were colorful and complicated, I'd changed it to, "Where's the bug?" or "Where's the dog?" I still remember my kids' excitement as they searched the page to find the object in question. This is the kind of reading that makes wonderful family memories.

Catherine Zoller's Genesis is the perfect "What's that?" book. Each page of this beautifully illustrated book is a treasure chest of colorful and zany animals, insects, birds, and people, just waiting to be opened.

The text, written in poetry, along with the colorful and zany illustrations make this a very fun book to read as a family. The subject matter and the vocabulary make it educational.

Zoller tells the story of Genesis from creation to Abraham in words that not only entertains, but also challenges the listener. She uses words such as dedicated, interpreted, and corporate, as well as testimony, communion, and implement. Not the type of vocabulary usually associated with books written for this age group; but, by reading a few pages at a time, discussing the pictures and talking about the meaning of the more difficult words, parents are provided a perfect opportunity to share not only a great story, but also their faith.

Genesis is a delightful book, and I'm looking forward to the next book in the series. For more information, log on to CatherineZoller.info.

Wright on Time: Arizona

2009-10-31T14:33:00.000-07:00

Review of Wright on Time by Lisa M. Cottrell-Bentley.

Finally, a children’s fiction series about homeschoolers that is fun, educational and family-friendly. Each book in the series relates the adventures of the Wright family as they travel the U.S in an RV. Fifty books are planned, one for each state.

These are easy-to-read chapter books that entertain and educate similar to the Magic Tree House series, but without the magic. As you read each book, you’ll experience adventure, humor, and positive family values, qualities that are not often found in today’s children’s literature.

In this first book, Arizona, your children will learn about Arizona, bats, and minerals as they follow Nadia and Aidan Wright deep into a desert cave located in Arizona. Weird noises, mysterious objects, and “freaky awesome” bats will definitely keep your children’s interest; and when they are done, they’ll be asking for the next book in the series!

Be sure to visit the Wright on Time Web site to read Nadia’s Blog, read biographies of the characters, and learn which state will be featured next in the series.

Exploratorium Science Snackbook, 2009 Edition, Review

2009-10-02T12:40:00.000-07:00

The Exploratorium in San Francisco is 40 years old this year, and one of the ways they are celebrating is the republication of The Exploratorium Science Snackbook. It was originally published in 1991. This new edition has been updated with new snacks (miniature science exhibits and investigations), illustrations, references and teaching tips. Although it was created for students in grades 5-12, it can be used with all grades with adult supervision.

Part One includes snacks that focus on sight and visual perception. Part Two: electricity, energy and matter; Part Three: light and color. Part Four: Force and Motion; and Part Five: Sound.

Teachers and parents can use the snacks as demonstrations, lessons and labs. Students can use the snacks for science fairs, science lab projects, and to earn science badges.

Each snack includes an introduction, a list of materials needed, instructions how to complete the snack, and an explanation of the science behind it. Photos and illustrations are included to help you visualize the project.

Materials needed for the snacks are not always readily available, so you will need to do some shopping around for some items. There is a list of science supply resources in the back of the book. One that is not on the list that I would recommend for homeschoolers is Home Science Tools. I recommend that you purchase your science supplies as needed and keep them in a safe place for your whole homeschooling career.

The Exploratorium Science Snackbook is an excellent resource for homeschool science labs, especially for those of you who do unit studies. As you study each different science topic, you can use the snacks in this book as a resource for science labs.

For instance, let’s say you were doing a unit on sound. You could have your child research sound on the Internet. Next, assign some nonfiction library books and/or biographies related to sound. Then using the index and the “tuning fork” icon in the Snackbook, select snacks that relate to sound and have your child complete them for lab. For art, have your child illustrate a concept learned from his or her research. Play a sound-identification game. Download and print off worksheets or coloring pages from the Internet related to sound. Many of these can be found freeing by doing a search for “sound” and “worksheet” or “sound” and “coloring page.” Finally, have your child write a report or research paper (depending on age level) on the topic. Instant unit study!

Energy: Its Forms, Changes, & Functions

2009-09-30T13:25:00.000-07:00

Energy: Its Forms, Changes, & Functions (Investigate the Possibilities) (Investigate the Possibilities Series)is part of a Christian-based science curriculum written by Tom DeRosa and Carolyn Reeves. The other sets in the series, which are published by Master Books, are Matter and Forces and Motion. Each set contains three, paperback booklets with color illustrations.

Energy includes 20 hands-on science lessons that cover such topics as energy, light, heat, magnets, electricity, and solar, wind, water and nuclear energy. Each lesson contains an introduction to the topic, lab instructions, an explanation of the results of the experiment, connections to other ideas related to that topic, an opportunity for students to expand on what they learned, andan assessment to determine what your child learned.

Supplies will have to be gathered ahead of time and include such items as dry cells, sandpaper, marbles, pipe foam insulation, convex lenses, insulated wire, battery holders, knife switch and thermometer. In other words, these are items that are not impossible to find, but you will need to purchase them ahead of time. Equipment can be ordered from places such as Home Science Tools. By purchasing your equipment a little at a time using books like this, it’s a good way to create your science supply kit for K-12^th grade.

The teacher’s guide includes objectives, notes and answers to the assessment questions.

The student journal is where students write observations about the investigation and answers to the assessment questions.

Each three-book set is only $18.00, well worth the price. I recommend Energy for children in 1-8^th grade, depending upon the student’s science aptitude. For younger students, this could be part of a complete science curriculum. Add some library books and you have everything you need for lab science. For students in 6^th grade and up, this could be used as enrichment to complement a science textbook. I would also use this for special education purposes for older students.

Math Puzzles and Brainteasers

2009-08-29T08:43:00.000-07:00

Math Puzzles and Brainteasers, Grades 3-5 and Math Puzzles and Brainteasers, Grades 6-8 by Terry Stickels

Someone once said, “Bad reasoning as well as good reasoning is possible; and this fact is the foundation of the practical side of logic.”

Logic IS practical. By developing skills in logic, your child will not only improve math skills, but he or she will also learn important problem-solving skills. Problem-solving skills will help your child at school, home and work.

These two volumes of Math Puzzles and Brainteasers are the tools you need to help teach these important logic skills; and best of all, they’re FUN! Each book includes more than 300 math puzzles and critical thinking activities such as word puzzles, Sudoku, analogies, and cryptograms. Also included are word problems that cover subjects such as money, time, and measurements.

There's something for everyone, regardless of skill level. The math brainteasers require skills ranging from simple adding and subtracting to determining probability and algebraic thinking. And the answers, included in the back of the book, encourage students to redo the problem until they get the correct answer.

Besides being fun, Math Puzzles and Brainteasers provides practice in IQ-testing skills, which may earn your student a college scholarship! And who doesn’t need that!

For more information or to purchase, log on to the Wiley Publishing Web site.

A Fun Resource for Book Reports and Other Writing Projects

2009-08-26T11:50:00.001-07:00

Animals at Work (ASPCA Kids)
by Liz Palika

This delightful book from the ASPCA (American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals) is a child’s guide to working dogs, cats and horses. Young readers will enjoy learning about the many jobs these animals do, how they are bred and trained to do these jobs, and the care it takes to keep them in working condition. The readers will meet, among others, dogs that answer phones, horses that dance, and cats that encourage reading!

There are color photos and eye-catching illustrations on every page that make it fun to read. The text is easy to read, but substantial enough to result in an authoritative resource which students can use to write reports and other composition projects. The 134-page book includes a complete index and a resource list of organizations that can provide more information.

The ASPCA currently has three other titles in the series: Kids Making a Difference for Animals, Amazing Pet Tricks, and Having Fun with Your Dog. For more information or to purchase, log on to the ASPCA Web site.

Preschool Activities in a Bag

2009-08-13T07:15:00.000-07:00

This is a review of Preschool Activities in a Bag, Book 1 by Paula Reetz & Sherri MacLean

The authors have done a super job of putting together a book of 34 activities, which include matching, puzzles, beads, collages, sewing, texture rubs and more. Using this resource, your preschooler will be introduced to numbers, letters, colors, and patterns. Some of the activities involve small motor skills such as coloring, cutting and pasting. Others involve larger motor skills used in playing games such as bean toss.

The unique feature of this book is that each activity costs about $1 to make and can be stored in a 1 gallon freezer bag with a sliding "zipper." This makes it easy to pull out an activity and get right to work. There's no need for further preparation as the preparation has already been done at an earlier time.

Instructions are provided to help you create these activity bags on your own or organize an activity swap. Working together can cut down the expense of creating the Activity Bags.

A supply list is included to make shopping for supplies easier; and all the masters needed to complete the projects are in the back of the book.

I taught three and four year olds for 20 years. The activities in this book will definitely provide lots of enjoyable learning experiences for this age group; HOWEVER, very few of these activities can be done by preschoolers, all by themselves. If you are expecting to use these activities to entertain your children while you homeschool, it may not be the answer you're looking for. However, if you are looking for some fun ideas for activities for this age group, this is an excellent resource. If you're lucky, you might get some work done, too!

For more information or to order, go to the Activities in a Bag Web site.

Night Fires - Recommended Reading!

2009-08-13T06:26:00.000-07:00

Raised in southern Delaware, in the 50's and 60's, I grew up around racial prejudice. I remember the first day our school was desegregated and how I made a new friend. When I got home and told my parents about my new friend, my father informed me that I couldn't have her for a friend because she wasn't the right color. Racial prejudice was ugly then and it's ugly now.

Night Fires by George Edward Stanley is a fictional story about racial prejudice. Woodrow Harper, a 13-year-old boy, and his widowed mother, move to Lawton, Oklahoma. The year is 1922. Woodrow is lonely and wants a father more than anything else in the world. He is befriended by a neighbor, Senator Crawford, who has lost a son. They soon become like father and son, filling the void in each of their lives. What Woodrow doesn't know is that Senator Crawford is the head of the Ku Klux Klan in Lawton.

The story continues as Woodrow struggles to make the right decision when it would be easier for him to make the wrong one. In the process, the reader feels the effects of racial prejudice and sees the evils of the Ku Klux Klan and how it affected everyone in the town. The book may be fiction, but the lessons learned from the book apply today.

I think this book should be required reading for everyone. The book is easy to read and extremely exciting. I read it in one day. It's written for ages 8-12, but I think anyone ages 8+ will enjoy reading it. Highly recommended!

You can purchase this book at Amazon.com.

Review of The Oklahoma Land Run

2009-07-28T13:16:00.000-07:00

The Oklahoma Land Run by Una Belle Townsend. Illustrated by Emile Henriquez.

The Oklahoma Land Run by Una Belle Townsend provides such a context for a study of the Oklahoma Land Run of 1889. The book is about nine-year-old boy, Jesse, who must drive the family's wagon in the big Land Run race because his father has injured his arm. Children will relate to Jesse's courage, fears, and resourcefulness as he undertakes a tough mission for the good of the family. Throughout the story, readers are introduced to just enough facts about the Land Run and Oklahoma to excite interest in learning more. Best of all, the illustrations are absolutely delightful, making this book a joy to read for both young and old. A must-have book for those of you teaching Oklahoma HIstory, as well as for parents who are looking for enjoyable children's literature that also teaches.

The Great Depression Lesson Plans

2009-07-24T14:19:00.000-07:00

Use the material available from the Library of Congress to create a unit on The Great Depression. Includes links to primary documents.

ABC Letter Templates

2009-07-24T14:08:00.000-07:00

Thanks to Laura on OKHSMoms-INFO group for this source: ABC Letter Templates.

While you're at it, here's a worksheet to practice converting fractions, decimals and percentages.

FREE Trial Offer for My Readers:

2009-07-10T12:47:00.000-07:00

Teacher Created Resources has given me permission to offer my readers a 15-day FREE Trial to Classroom Zoom. You will NOT have to set up a credit card account to take advantage of this trial subscription. Simply:

1) Go to www.classroomzoom.com/register

2) Create a user name and password

3) Enter code: 62MZE6C

4) Then click continue

Now you can try it for yourself. Enjoy!

Classroom Zoom by Teacher Created Resources

2009-07-07T10:52:00.000-07:00

Teacher Created Resources has released a new service for educators and homeschooling parents called, Classroom Zoom.

This is a subscription-based service that provides lessons and activities from Teacher Created Resources, in addition to lessons and activities available only to members. Here is an overview of the resources available and my take on them:

Lessons – You can search the lessons by subject, keyword or grade level. There are many to choose from in all subject areas including science, math, history, geography, and language arts. The history lessons are not quite as extensive as the other subjects, partly because lessons for K-3^rd grade tend to be social studies instead of history. This is my only complaint about the whole service. I would like to see more history lessons for K-3^rd graders. You can save the lessons you like as favorites for easy access later, or you can print them for use in your home or classroom. The science and language arts lessons include lots of excellent worksheets such as completing diagrams, labeling maps, matching, writing short answers or paragraphs and more.

Math Wizard – 5 Stars! I love this. You can create all types of math worksheets with this handy tool, including addition, subtraction, division, multiplication, fractions, money, conversion and time. They look professional, too!

Word Wizard. Create a word list to use in a variety of ways: Make Bingo cards, pocket charts, fill-in missing letters, flash cards, word bank (use for definitions or sorting into categories), word cube (this would be great for literature topics), scrambled letters and Venn diagrams.

Crossword Puzzle Creator – super easy! It looks professional, too!

Word Search Creator: another easy-to-use tool.

Clip Art – not a lot here, but helpful.

Multimedia Collections – 5 Stars! This is my favorite tool on the site and is worth the subscription all by itself. Your kids can use this tool to create multimedia projects - an excellent exercise to demonstrate what they have learned. Each collection includes audio sound bytes, videos, clip art, primary documents and photos. Topics include: Explorers, American Revolution, Ancient Egypt, Ancient Rome, Ancient Mesopotamia, Ancient Greece, California Missions, Civil War, Cold War, Colonial America, Immigration and Ellis Island, Industrial Revolution, Medieval Times, Renaissance, 20s and 30s, 50 states, US Constitution, Westward Expansion, World War I and World War II.

The $49.99 per year subscription price is not a lot to pay for all the tools available here. For those of you who like multi-level teaching, unit studies and other eclectic homeschooling styles, you will find this resource worth the money. This is also an excellent tool to use along with The Checklist!

NOTE: Since I posted this, I have been informed by the creators that they are "furiously working" to make history worksheets available for K-3rd. They hope to have them available in a month or two.

Kahri Lynn is the Winner!

2009-07-01T12:19:00.000-07:00

Kahri Lynn is the winner of my June Giveaway - Hands-On Heritage Africa Activity Book. Congratulations Kahri!

The Great Depression by !zzit

2009-06-21T05:08:00.000-07:00

Your teens will love The Great Depression video from !zzit.org, and you'll be glad they watched it. They really will learn something! This 12-minute video explains the causes of the Great Depression in a way that anyone can understand. The adorable, teenage hostess, Carra Cheslin, is a pleasure to watch as she visits the New York Stock Exchange and the Federal Reserve in her quest to explain what happened to cause the Great Depression, how people were affected, and how we avoided a similar depression in 2000.

Included on the DVD is a teacher's guide which includes discussion questions and a quiz, as well as a transcript of the video. Using this video is an effective way to interest your teens in the Great Depression and the Stock Market. Even your younger children will enjoy it. The video is professionally produced and will definitely appeal to its target audience - teens.

The only drawback for homeschool families is the price. At $29.95, it's expensive for a 12-minute introduction to the Great Depression. The price makes an item like this out of reach for a majority of homeschooling families. One solution would be to have your homeschool support group purchase the video and make it available to its members in the lending library. For those that can afford it, it's a wonderful resource to keep on hand for additional children as they reach their teen years.

Review of Max’s Mystery Travels by Nancy Ann Van Wie

2009-06-13T09:56:00.000-07:00

Max's Mystery Travels is a series of books developed by Nancy Ann Van Wie. The series includes Mystery Books, Activity Books, Teacher's Guides, and School Workbooks.

Mystery Books:

The Mystery Books are stand-alone, chapter books that can be read without having to use the Teacher’s Guides, School Workbook, or Activity Books. For this review, I read Mystery at the White House: A President is Missing, and I found it delightful! I can’t imagine any child, ages K-4+ who will not enjoy reading (or being read to from) this book.
Mystery at the White House is 133 pages long and has black and white illustrations. The illustrations are cute and add to the enjoyment. The story is funny, clever, and fun to read. While reading the story, your child will learn about Washington, D.C., Gilbert Stuart, and the White House. The author knows how to grab the reader’s attention and keep it.
My only objection to the book is that the author trivialized the President’s work by having his “very important” meeting be a golf game. I think this incident could have been used to introduce the students to something the President does that really is important, such as meeting with a leader from another country. However, this was not a major part of the book, so it did not affect my overall enjoyment. Mystery at the White House is an enjoyable book that will not only entertain your students, but educate them as well.

Activity Books:

The Activity Books are lots of fun, and I know your students will enjoy them. Each book includes the same type of black and white illustrations as does all the other resources. While not the best illustrations in the world, they are cute and most kids will enjoy them.

Each Activity Book includes a variety of activities such as coloring pages, hidden objects, crossword puzzles, maps, fill-ins, mazes, connect-the-dots, word finds, brain teasers, coded messages, and fun facts.

The Activity Books can be used as a stand-alone product or along with the Teacher’s Guide and School Workbook. Homeschoolers could use the Activity Books as supplements to any unit study on the same topic.

Teacher's Guide and School Workbook:

The Teacher’s Guide and School Workbook go together. The Teacher’s Guide provides vocabulary words, instructions for using the worksheets, ideas for integrating other subjects, such as math and language arts, into the curriculum, as well as answers to the school workbook. The School Workbook includes worksheets that go along with the lesson plan. It includes activities similar to the Activity Books. The Teacher’s Guide includes additional worksheets in the back of the Teacher’s Guide, which can be used to further reinforce each lesson.

As of this writing, the topics covered in the Max's Mystery Travels series include Washington, D.C., the White House, the Unites States Capitol Building, the Supreme Court, How a Bill Becomes a Law, How American Citizens Elect Their Leaders, the Baseball Hall of Fame, the Statue of Liberty, and Math is Fun.

For more information, see their Web site at Travels with Max.

For more reviews by Cindy Downes, see Reviews.

May Contest Winner - Amy Farris!

2009-06-01T03:46:00.000-07:00

AMY FARRIS won the Medieval Times Hands On Heritage Activity Book! Congratulations Amy!

Name that Note

2009-05-30T05:18:00.001-07:00

Here's a fun way to teach your children to read music. It's called Name That Note.

How to Speed Up Your Child's Reading

2009-05-28T03:40:00.000-07:00

If you can afford it, I highly recommend buying a Kindle 2 to help your reluctant reader. The Kindle's text-to-speech capability can reinforce reading skills and increase fluency. My husband, Bill, who has some vision loss, is my proof.

Before the Kindle, like many men (and boys), Bill didn't enjoy reading. In fact, he rarely read a book. But now, because of the Kindle, he reads all the time!

Bill's had the Kindle for more than six months now, and he loves it. He takes it with him everywhere we go. He reads while I shop, while waiting for appointments, and even at home instead of watching TV. That's a huge change!

The text-to-speech feature is increasing his reading speed, too. I discover that when I tried using his Kindle one day and couldn't keep up with the speed on which he had it set to scroll. After seeing Bill use the Kindle, I heartily recommended it to anyone who has a reluctant reader.

Please note: Not every book makes text-to-speech available. Check before you buy! Also, complain to Random House (and then boycott them) for forcing Amazon to disable the text-to-speech feature. They are afraid of losing money, when instead, my husband proves that they could make a lot more sales because of people like him. In fact, now I have to buy two copies of a book instead of one. Bill likes the Kindle, but I don't. I want the real book. So, we buy two copies of books we want to read together - one Kindle version and one in print. But it's worth it to me to see Bill enjoy reading and then we have something to talk about together. It's better than a movie!

Review of Bit and Bridle magazine

2009-05-25T16:21:00.000-07:00

I normally don’t review magazines, especially magazines which are not related to homeschooling. However, Bit and Bridle magazine was created by a 15-year-old homeschooler, Emily Echols, of Georgia in 2004. It’s now under the management of a 2006 home school graduate, Mandee Widrick, of New York.

Bit and Bridle is a bi-monthly magazine for horse owners and/or lovers. It’s faith-based and written from a Christian perspective, which makes it a nice gift for children and teens. The articles are written by the staff and freelancers and cover topics such as grooming, breeding, horse-related book reviews, horse-themed devotionals, reader-submitted photos of horses and short stories about horses and horse owners.

I am impressed with the entrepreneurial spirit of these two homeschooled girls. If you like horses, please consider subscribing to this magazine. For more information, see www.bitandbridlemag.com.

Disclosure Notice

2009-05-25T02:45:00.000-07:00

I am an affiliate of Christian Book Distributor and Amazon.com. If a product I suggest can be purchased on one of these two sites, I link to it and earn a small referral fee. I also link to products I recommend that are found on sites that do NOT pay me referral fees. My goal is to provide information; however, any money I make from affiliate links helps pay my expenses and earn a profit. Thank you for purchasing from my affiliate links. I really appreciate it!

Ideas to Inspire

2009-05-24T02:56:00.000-07:00

Looking for some creative ideas to inspire your student's learning?

Check out Ideas to Inspire. You'll find ideas for geography, writing, math, art, music, and science. My favorites so far: Weather Dominoes and Make Your Own Telescopic Text and Ways to Use Twitter in the Classroom. You can also send in ideas of your own!

If you decide to do a lesson on weather, be sure to check out my Weather Games and Cloud Chart. Enjoy!

New School Year

2009-05-17T15:15:00.000-07:00

It's hard to believe another year has gone by, and it's already time to plan your next school year!

If you just happened to stumble upon this blog and wonder what this homeschooling stuff is all about, read "What is Homeschooling."

If you're new or fairly new to homeschooling, you'll find some great tips to get you started on my Get Started in Homeschooling page.

If you've been homeschooling a while but wondering why your curriculum is not working, check out my free, Step-by-Step Guide to Choosing Curriculum.

Are you teaching High School next year and don't know how to get started? Try my Homeschooling High School page.

Maybe you're just looking for some planning forms? Try my Homeschool Forms page.

I hope these are helpful to you. Let me know if you have any questions. I'll be glad to answer!

New Giveaway - Medieval Times Activity Book

2009-05-03T18:27:00.000-07:00

Win a FREE copy of Hands-On Heritage: Medieval Times Activity Book by Edupress. You'll love the fun activities for kids in grades K-5th+. There are art projects, crafts, recipes and historical aids that make learning about the Middle Ages lots of FUN!

Enter now (see right side bar) and you just might be the winner! One winner will be chosen by random drawing on May 30th.

And don't forget to keep track of your studies using The Checklist!

Free Unit Studies by Cindy Downes.

Spring is Bird Watching Season!

2009-04-13T07:21:00.000-07:00

Spring is here and it's time to get out and go for a hike! While you're hiking, you can do a unit on birds for science. Here are some resources to help:

Free bird coloring book from Cornell.
Bird identification guide from WhatBird.com.
Sibley Online Guide to Birds.
Birding organizations.
Find out what birds are found in your location.
A list of fun activities related to birds.
More bird activities.
Bird crafts from DLTK.
Bird storie s.

Keep track of your bird studies on page 155 of The Checklist.

Job Fair Idea from Kelly Allen

2009-04-13T02:36:00.000-07:00

When I was homeschooling in the 80's, we lived for a short time next door (actually we lived in their yard in a mobile home!) to a wonderful family, Roger and Jean Rockey in Virginia Beach. A death in the family was the cause of these strange living conditions and the Rockey's were gracious enough to allow us to invade their turf while my husband finished his master's degree at Regent University.

Anyway, one of the Rockey children, Kelly, who is now Kelly Allen, was a good friend of my daughter, Shelly. We took her and her brother John (who was friends with my son, Wil) with us whenever we went on homeschool adventures. We all have wonderful memories of hiking and exploring Sandbridge - one of our frequent hangouts.

Kelly is now homeschooling her own children! (How time flies!). She recently wrote me about a job fair that she did with her children. It was such a good idea, I am posting it here:

"At the end of this past school year, I made our own "job fair" for my younger kids. I made big poster board displays for four different job fields (I chose Marine Biology, Teaching, Missions and Engineering) with lots of pictures of things that you might experience in those fields. Then I wrote up a "check list" of activities for the week. The kids had to pick which job they wanted to experience and then complete the list of activities to "experience" that job.

"We talked about skills that were needed, how their education helps prepare them for the job they would like, and what kind of "adventures" you might face in each job field. I displayed objects for them to touch and play with that represented each field (like a hard hat, graph paper, tools and a briefcase for engineering; objects from foreign countries, a back pack and bible for missions; etc, etc,). My goal was to keep it fun and interesting but to help them see how the work that they do (mastering those subjects that might be challenging for them) now will help them prepare for the life they would like to have when they are older.

"The kids really loved it. My plan is to make the Job Fair an annual celebration to close out the school year. I am hoping that by the time they get to 7th grade they will be able to remember all the jobs we learned about and will have already thought through the kind of work they would like to do."

If you're looking for more ideas for career training, be sure to check out my Web site at: Career Exploration and Training Resources.

I am Learning All the Time by Rain Perry Fordyce.

2009-04-10T04:33:00.000-07:00

Are you looking for a book to give to your child or your friends and relatives to explain what homeschooling is all about in a fun, interesting and simple way? Well, look no further!

Rain has written an adorable picture book for children called “I am Learning All the Time.” The main character is five-year-old Hugh, who is homeschooled. The 38-page, beautifully illustrated picture book follows Hugh in his daily life as he interacts with family and friends, both traditionally schooled and homeschooled. We see him learning both at home and away as well as playing with both his schooled and homeschooled friends.

Your own homeschooled children will recognize themselves as they watch Hugh learn about bugs, dinosaurs, money and space shuttles as he goes about his daily life at home and away.
But more importantly, this is an effective tool to share with your friends and relatives who wonder what you do all day as a homeschooling family. They will understand what it means to “learn all the time,” and begin to see homeschooling in a more positive light. They may even wish their own children were homeschooling!

For those who would like to know, there is a very brief mention of wizards and a tyrannosaurus rex who “survived over seventy million years.” Rain follows the Unschooling style of learning.

This is not a peak into the “school-at-home” variety of homeschooling. This is what I call a real education – the kind that Thomas Edison had as a kid. This is about learning all the time and wherever you go. This is about reading together, building things together, learning at the grocery store, and exploring the world around you. You can do this whether you add in some structured book learning or not.

I heartily recommend this as a tool to help your child understand how homeschooling fits in with “real life,” and to show non-homeschoolers what really goes on in many homeschooling family’s lives.

For more information or to order, go to the Homeschool Adventure Books Web site. You’ll even find free coloring pages to go along with the book!

Why Do I Need to Know Math?

2009-04-05T04:35:00.000-07:00

Have your children ever asked that question? Well, here's a resource that will help you answer that question: Hands-On Math Projects With Real-Life Applications by Judith A. Muschla and Gary Robert Muschla.

Hands-On Math Projects includes 60 lesson plans that reinforce math concepts and make learning math interesting and fun. Most important, it gives students a reason for learning math!

The lessons easily integrate into other class work including science, social studies, language arts, music, art, sports, recreation, and life skills. It’s perfect for those who enjoy doing unit studies!

It was written for students in grades 6-12; however, it can be adapted to younger grades depending on interests and abilities.

How I would use Hands-On Math Projects in a home school setting:

Home school parents can skim through most of the introductory materials that addresses classroom strategies. However, be sure to read over pages 24-42, which includes directions for writing in the math class, an outline of the basic writing process, ideas for using the Internet in math class, and assessment guidelines and forms.

Although each lesson discusses group activities and oral presentations, it’s very easy to adapt these lessons to a home school setting. The projects can easily be done individually and written reports are sufficient. If you choose to have your child do an oral presentation, he or she can perform for family members and friends or in a support group or co-op setting.

I would recommend using the lessons in this book, as needed, as part of a unit study; on a once-a-month or once-a-week basis instead of a regular math and composition class; or as needed to work on a particular math concept.

Some of the lesson plans included are:

Math and Science: What is the Weather?, Designing a Flower Bed
Math and Social Studies: A Great Mathematician, Creating a Scale Map
Math and Language: Fictional Numbers-Writing a Story, Rating Math Web Sites
Math and Art: I Wanna Be Like Escher, Designing a Quilt Pattern
Math and Music: Numbers and Songs, The Math in Music
Math and Sports: Choosing a Membership Plan at a Health Club, Comparing Sports Superstar
Math and Recreation: Going on Vacation
Math and Life Skills: Making a Budget, Buying a Car, The Costs of Pets

Sample lesson: The Geometry and Art of Architecture. Students are directed to do research at the library and online to find examples of interesting architecture. A suggested list of buildings is included or you might select a structure that is related to a topic you are studying, such as a castle for medieval history or the Eiffel Tower for the country of France. Students are to examine their structures for examples of geometry such as angles, polygons, three-dimensional shapes, symmetry, and parallel or perpendicular lines. They are to draw the structure on poster paper and then label the geometric forms. Finally, they are instructed to write a report about the selected structure, which includes background information on the building as well as a summary of the geometry it represents.

Sample lesson: The Benefits of Recycling. In this lesson, students are instructed to research the benefits recycling offers to people, companies and the environment. After they gather the information, they must analyze it and draw conclusions about the benefits of recycling based on facts. They are to explain their conclusions in a written summary and illustrate with graphs, charts, tables or posters. They must also include a list of resources used in bibliographical format. After the lesson, a visit to a recycling center is suggested. It would also be a good time to start your own recycling projects, such as recycling glass or paper.

Hands-On Math Projects is well worth the investment in time and money. It will stimulate your child’s interest in math, as well as reinforce logic and writing skills. I heartily recommend this book!

For more reviews of homeschool curriculum, see Homeschool Curriculum Reviews.

The Wonders of God's World: Dinosaur Activity Book

2009-04-01T03:43:00.000-07:00

The Wonders of God's World Dinosaur Activity Book by Earl & Bonita Snellenberger is the perfect resource for teaching your elementary-age children about dinosaurs. If it is used during family reading times, it would interest almost everyone in the family.

The book is a Bible-based textbook and activity book all-on-one. I found the text extremely interesting and discovered many things I didn't know about dinosaurs and fossils. The text explains what a dinosaur is, how fossils were formed, and how paleontologists reconstruct dinosaurs from fossil fragments. It explains how scientist can misinterpret fossil evidence and provides examples of specific instances where mistakes were made. It also discusses dinosaurs in history, both actual and mythical.

Activities in the book include mazes, puzzles, dot-to-dots, crossword puzzles, tangrams, and coloring pages. Some activities involve making a finger puppet or putting together paper models. Children who like to cut, color and paste and make their own booklets will love these activities.

My only objection to the book is that the author does not allow teachers and parents to make copies of the worksheet pages for their students and/or children. You would have to purchase a separate workbook for each child. This will only discourage honest teachers and parents on a budget from purchasing the book for classroom use. If you fit this case, I recommend writing to the publisher and asking permission. Perhaps they will give it!

Art in History: Discovery Through Creativity

2009-03-30T03:48:00.000-07:00

As most of you know, I'm a big fan of hands-on projects. They make learning fun and help your students retain what they have learned.

I just discovered a new resource for hands-on learning called Art in History: Discovery Through Creativity. In the words of the publisher, these kits are "historic replicas of art that students decorate to reflect the time period and the culture from which it originated."

Available kits are from time periods ranging from 3,000 BC to present day, making them perfect for unit studies! For instance, if you're doing a unit on the French Revolution, you can create a Limoges Box; a unit on Ancient Rome - an oil lamp; a unit on Romanov Russia - a Faberge-style Egg.

I reviewed a piece from the Civil War era - a southern Face Jug, a ceramic tradition started by African slaves during the 1840s. The ceramic was a large piece, about 5" high and 5" wide. All the stains, paints, brushes and sponges needed were included. The directions were simple and easy to use.

Each kit may be purchased separately for $8.49 each, plus shipping. Apparently, the lesson plans are no longer available, which is a disappointment. However, the kits can be used with any lesson plan.

If you have children who love art, these kits will be a hit!

Teaching the 50 States and Capitals

2009-03-27T03:45:00.000-07:00

There are lots of fun ways to teach the 50 states and capitals! Here's a few of my favorites:

U.S. States Tutorial Map.
U.S. States Jigsaw Puzzle (easy) and Jigsaw Puzzle (harder).
Teacher Tube - memorize the 50 States video.
States and Capitals Mnemonics.
50 States - list of states and capitals and links to information
A fun online quiz that teaches the states.
Another online state quiz.
Blank Outline Maps for the 50 States. Give your students a blank U.S. outline map every day and see how long it takes for them to fill in all the states and capitals.
Worksheet generator for states and capitals.
Fill in the capitals for each state worksheet.
State printables - maps, color pages, state symbols, etc.
State printables from Crayola.
50 State Songs.
50 State Recipes. Yummy!
State Symbols Report Form and Statehood Worksheet from Oklahoma Homeschool.
Oklahoma History Book List and Study Resources.

FREE Online Foreign Language Class!

2009-03-17T08:26:00.001-07:00

I just discovered this resource online -Ma France. It includes 24 interactive French Videos for a total immersion experience in French. This is not for beginners, but if you have had a basic course in French, this will help you improve your fluency, accent, and understanding. Explore the site - there's is more and it's FREE!

And for those interested in another language, this BBC Web site also offers Spanish, German, Italian, Greek, Portugese, and Chinese.

The Five Senses-Taste

2009-03-14T07:41:00.000-07:00

Now here's a lesson where your diet may go up in smoke! For this lesson, you MUST do some taste testing! (I love the sweet part!)

Reading:

Activities:

Do a taste testing activity. Put lemon juice, vanilla, sugar cubes, salt, pieces of unsweetened chocolate, pretzels, and oreo cookies in separate dishes. Have them each guess what each substance is going to taste like. After they have tasted all, have them complete the Taste Test Worksheet (matching)
Learn about other countries while using the sense of taste with The Science Chef Travels Around the World: Fun Food Experiments and Recipes for Kids.

Worksheets:

Raising an Isaac Newton

2009-03-13T17:37:00.000-07:00

It’s difficult to encourage your children to study mathematics if you can’t give them a good reason for doing so. I've written this article, Raising an Isaac Newton, to help you encourage your children to enjoy math!

How to Stock a Family Library

2009-03-13T03:37:00.000-07:00

Jo Ann Miller asked me to share some pointers on stocking a home library - I am assuming she meant a family library, not an adult only library, so here goes:

I look for biographies that make learning about famous people fun for kids. I especially like Childhood of Famous Americans, Opal Wheeler biographies, and Rookie Biographies. I know these are wholesome books.

I look for classic literature published with interesting illustrations. Because much of the classical literature is written in vocabulary that is oftenno longer used or difficult to understand, good illustrations help hold a child's attention. (I also keep a dictionary handy! Try reading Robinson Crusoe in it's original version and you'll see what I mean.)

I look for science and history books that make learning history fun - again with color illustrations if I can find them.

So much of what is in bookstores is full of violence, sorcery, vampires, sexual overtones, and bad language. I rarely find anything suitable in local bookstores. I do my shopping for children's books in Christian bookstores or used bookstores (both online and in local shops.)

I have a purpose for buying the book: Is it for my child to read on his own? Then I look for something that is below his or her normal reading level to make it fun and encourage reading. Is it to improve my child's reading skills? Then I look for something on or above reading level that we can read together. Do I want to inform or entertain my child? Then I buy a book that I will read to him or her. The vocabulary can be adult level because I can explain the words as we go along. This increases vocabulary.

I love books with pop-outs or inserts (like maps or diary entries) that you pull out and read. An example would be Lewis and Clark on the Trail of Discovery: An Interactive History with Removable Artifacts.

I hope that will get you started!

The Ocean - Unit Study

2009-03-09T04:38:00.000-07:00

One of my favorite units is The Ocean. I love the reading list and you can make it more fun if (1) you live near the ocean or (2) you have an aquarium nearby. Enjoy!

More Literature Resources

2009-03-07T04:32:00.001-08:00

I just updated my Web site with literature resources including where to get free e-books! It includes book lists, free e-books, and searchable databases. Enjoy!

The Five Senses: Sound

2009-02-28T18:22:00.000-08:00

March 3 is the birthday of Alexander Graham Bell. He makes a nice introduction to sound, the next in our series on the five senses.

Topics to Study:

How sound is produced
How sounds travel
How the ear works
Sound waves
Echoes
Speed of Sound
Volume
Terms: eustachian tube, auditory nerve, semicircular canals, outer eat, auditory canal, eardrum, middle ear, cochlea, hammer, inner ear, stirrup, anvil
Alexander Graham Bell

Reading:

Bell's Telephone from the Franklin Institute.
Hearing Sounds by Sally Hewitt.
Listen Up!: Alexander Graham Bell's Talking Machine by Monica Culling.
Alexander Graham Bell (History Maker Bios) by Stephanie MacPherson.

Internet Research:

Activities:

Label the parts of the ear by drawing a diagram of the ear or use the Ear worksheet.
Paint a picture while listening to different types of music.
Make a string telephone.
Make your own instruments and play your own tune!
Fill 8 bottles with water at different levels. Demonstrate how to change the sound by changing the water level. Create a simple tune by hitting the glasses with a spoon.
Mystery Sounds: Blindfold your student. Make a variety of sounds (or use Find Sounds) and have your student guess what they are.
Build a Human Ear Model.

Composition:

Make a list of sounds you hear in the next five minutes.
Use as many sound words as you can in a story. (Examples: bang, crash, thud, clang, clatter, crunch, patter, pop, rustle, rumble, neigh, chirp, splash, whistle)
Research one of these animals: bat, dolphin, whale and learn how they use echolocation. Write about what you learned.
Alexander Bell and Sound worksheets.
Echo and grammaphone coloring pages.

Check off your studies in The Checklist when you finish! (Page 139, 153, 161)

How Many Children Poll Results

2009-02-28T18:13:00.000-08:00

Results: 84% of the HDIT readers are homeschooling three or less children. Here's the breakdown:

One child - 18%
Two children - 43%
Three children - 23%
Four children - 5%
Five children - 4%
Six children - 0%
Seven or more - 5%

NEW POLL: What method of homeschooling are you currently using?

Weather Games

2009-02-27T15:50:00.000-08:00

Make learning about the seasons and weather even more fun by including some of these game ideas:

Weather Words: Give everyone a sheet a paper and a pencil. Set the timer for one minute. When you say go, everybody writes down all the weather words they can think of.

Feather Race: Set up a goal line with a heavy string or rope across the room. Give each player a feather and see who can blow the feather across the room first!

Fall Leaf Race: Set a timer and see who can collect the most leaves in five minutes. Then pick out the best ones and press them between sheets of wax paper using a warm iron.

Weathervane - Name the four sides of the room as North, South, East and West. Select one player to be the wind who stands in the middle of the room. The rest of the players are the weathervanes located around the room. Played similar to Simon Says, the Wind calls out "North." All the vanes must immediately face North. If the Wind calls out "Storm," the vanes must spin around three times. If the Wind calls out "Breeze," the Vanes must raise up on their toes and sway back and forth. Take turns being the Wind.

Hurricane Pong: Each player must make a paper fan - the heavier the better. Clear an uncarpeted room of obstacles in the center of the room. Mark goal lines on each side of the open space. A ping pong ball is placed in the center of the floor. On a signal, two players use their fans to "blow" the ping pong ball across the room to his or her goal. They are not allowed to touch the ball with their fans. They can only use the wind from the fans to move the ball. The first one to get the ball over his or her goal is the winner.

More weather activities on Cloud Blog.

Free Audiobooks

2009-02-27T15:32:00.000-08:00

Although this is a commercial site, you can download FREE podcasts of some of the best classics from Learn Out Loud:

The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorn
Aesop's Fables
A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens

The Five Senses - Sight

2009-02-21T18:24:00.000-08:00

There's much to learn about the five senses, so I recommend that you take them one at a time. This week, let's concentrate on sight. Here are a few resources that might help:

Topics to Study:

Parts of the eye.
Light
Color
Braille
20/20 Vision, Nearsighted & Farsighted

Reading:

Internet Research:

Activities:

Draw your own diagram of the eye or use my Eye Diagram Form or Eye Worksheet. Label the major parts: cornea, lens, sciera, pupil, iris, retina, optic nerve, rods, cones, eyelash, tear duct, vitreous
Put together an Anatomical Eyeball Model.
Optical Illusions.
Make a dinosaur flip book.
You've Got Braille.
Repetition in Art.
Neuroscience for Kids.
Buy a The Sunlight Print Kit or use construction paper (it fades pretty fast in the sun!).
Play Pin the Tail on the Donkey.
Dissect a cow's eye or watch a virtual cow's eye dissection.

Composition:

Compare an eye to a camera. How are they alike? Different?
Write a book report on Louis Braille or Helen Keller. Use my Famous Person report form, if desired.

Don't forget to check this off in your copy of The Checklist, page 153.

Virtual Dissections

2009-02-15T16:14:00.000-08:00

Most homeschool moms I know do not like the "mess" of science dissections. Some children are not so keen on it either! There is an alternative that a lot more animal friendly: virtual dissections.

In a virtual dissection, you watch someone else do the dissection. (They were going to do it anyway!) By watching the dissection and completing some lab worksheet sheets, your children will learn as much about dissection as a general biology student needs to know. Of course, if your child is planning on being a doctor, nurse or going into any other biology field, this probably is not the way to go!

Here are some resources of virtual dissections:

Visit my Biology Lab Resources page for more information about biology lab worksheets and resources.

And of course, don't forget to document your activities in The Checklist!

6 Steps to Creating Your Own Unit Study!

2009-02-11T05:24:00.000-08:00

Most children learn better from using a variety of senses -hearing, seeing, and touching - than they do from reading textbooks and filling in worksheets. This is not to say that textbooks and worksheet should not be used. Rather, a good textbook and appropriate worksheets are essential for learning math, phonics and handwriting skills. But the use of hands-on activities, visual and audio materials, and good books make teaching and learning much more effective. Literature-based unit studies are an excellent way to incorporate enjoyable reading and activities that use all of the senses. You can buy Unit Studies already prepared or you can create your own to suit the needs of your family. Here's a simple way to create your own unit study on any topic you wish:

1. Pick a topic - any topic!

2. Read books on the topic: Spend 20 or 30 minutes reading nonfiction, historical fiction, or biographies.

Read above-reading-level books to your children.
Assign your children books to read on their own that are below level. This will improve their reading speed and inspire them to read more!
Use on--reading-level books to practice reading - take turns!

In this particular situation, by reading level, I mean whether or not your child can read the book easily. This has nothing to do with the books "official" reading level. Have your child read a paragraph or two. If it's too difficult for him or her to read, use it for family reading. If it's easy, use it for assigned reading. If it's in between, use it for reading practice.

Here are some literature recommendations:

Literature List
History Reading List
Science Reading List
Math Reading List
Do a search on Amazon.com or Christian Book Distributors.

3. Do some research on the Internet related to the topic.

4. Spend another 10 - 30 minutes either on hands-on activities related to the topic or composition projects related to the topic. Alternate throughout the unit.

Use the internet to locate activities. Type into your search engine terms such as "civil war and music" or "planets and coloring page" or "Ben Franklin and worksheet."
Sign up to receive updates and teaching tips from this blog!

5. Visit places related to the topic - take a field trip or a virtual field trip!

6. Take photos of your activities and field trips and collect in a portfolio. This is the record of what you are studying. This takes the place of report cards!

Learn the Months of the Year

2009-02-10T10:58:00.001-08:00

Thanks to Lisa Swords for this idea! She asked me if I knew a song to teach the months of the year. Here are some I found on the Internet:

Songs & Poems
Google Video #1
Google Video #2
Google Video #3
How about learning the months of the year in English and in Spanish!
Theme units about the months of the year.

Cindy Downes: Results of my Poll

2009-02-08T04:36:00.000-08:00

Cindy Downes: Results of my Poll

World War I - A Brief Introduction

2009-02-06T13:43:00.001-08:00

Studying the World Wars does not sound like a lot of fun; however, using The Checklist for ideas of topics to cover and some creativity, studying the World Wars can be fun and interesting! Here are some resources you can use to create a short unit on World War I for your elementary age students:

Books to Read:

The Night Flyers (American Girl History Mysteries) by Elizabeth McDavid Jones
Eddie Rickenbacker: Boy Pilot and Racer (Young Patriots Series) by Kathryn Sisson

Internet Research:

Timeline of WWI - US.
How the War Began and Simple Version.
PBS - The Great War.
Document: Wilson's War Message to Congress.
Postcards of WWI.
What is a doughboy?
Diary of a WWI soldier.
Letters from WWI.
Overview Map of World War I.
Winston Churchill.
Woodrow Wilson.
Weapons of WWI.
Pigeon Spies in WWI (photo) and message. and Cher Ami - True Story.
Excerpt from the Treaty of Versailles.
The Balfour Declaration.

Science:

Listen to the first radio transmission in 1906.
100 Years of Radio history.
Baby Snooks radio show.
Ramsey AMFM7 AM/FM Radio Learning Kit.
Sinking of the Lusitania.

Poetry, Music and Art:

Poetry - memorize the poem, In Flanders Field. Audio: In Flander's Field.
Learn the Song: The Caissons Go Moving Along.
Music from WWI.
Look at some art from WWI.

Hands-On Activities to Do:

On a map of the world, color in all the countries involved in World War I. Color the allies in blue and the Central Powers in red.
Using clip art and photos, create a scrapbook or timeline of World War I.
Draw a World War I recruitment poster.
Cook some World War I Food. Doughboy Recipes.
World War I Puzzle.

Composition:

Research one of the major battles of WWI. Draw a map showing where it took place. Describe the battle and its results.
Make a list of the Allies and the Axis countries.
Pretend you are a solder in Wold War I or child of a soldier. Write your own diary entry.

Worksheets:

World War I Color Pages and Worksheets.

Movies to Watch:

Sergeant York.
The African Queen.
Lawrence of Arabia.
A Dog's Life with Charlie Chaplin. Silent Movies. 35 min. Watch online FREE!

More ideas on my Web site!

Mini Composition Workshop

2009-02-04T09:22:00.000-08:00

How to Teach Composition -

Mini Workshop

by Cindy Downes

College admission officers from around the country unanimously agree that composition is one of the weakest areas for most college freshman. This includes homeschoolers as well. Why is this happening? The reasons are many but can include:

Composition is harder to teach. It’s much easier to teach grammar skills using workbooks.
Many teachers became English teachers because of their love of literature, not their love of writing.
Composition ability is difficult to assess. Grading papers is difficult and time consuming.
Composition is usually taught in isolation from other subjects; however, it takes too much time away from other subjects when taught as a separate course. Therefore it is neglected.
Composition, when taught, is usually taught in high school as practice for college writing only - usually expository essays and how to answer in examinations.
Little real world writing is taught - letters, resumes, creative, editorials, business writing, journalism, etc. because of lack of time.

General Guidelines for Writing Instruction

Prepare a list of writing projects the student will undertake and set deadlines. These are your short-term writing goals. Use The Checklist pages 127-131, for a guide.
Have a purpose for each writing assignment. For example: if they need practice in transitions, have them spend a week or two just practicing using transitions in their writing.
Focus on only one or two new techniques per assignment (topic sentences, vivid verbs, idea starters, descriptive paragraph…) Don’t overwhelm them.
Have an audience for the writing assignment: portfolio, friend or relative, letter to editor, newspaper to family, publication, or contests.
Let them write about what they know or about what interests them.
Don’t punish kids for grammar skill deficiencies in composition class. Make composition lesson be composition lesson, grammar lesson be grammar lesson.
Allow them time to write - put it into your schedule. Spend more time in writing instruction than in grammar workbooks. You can teach grammar using their writing assignments and a good handbook. Have him write frequently in a Daily journal and integrate composition practice into other subjects.
Read books to them that are above their grade level to help them increase their vocabulary.

Writing Instruction Timeline. Until the child can write comfortably in manuscript:

Have him dictate his compositions to you. Tape them or you write as he speaks. An autobiography is a great project for the early years.
Use Storybook Weaver Deluxe, Story Wizard, or similar software to practice composition.
Make simple booklets with pictures.
Read aloud from great pieces of literature to increase vocabulary and to illustrate good writing techniques.
Use games like Squiggley’s Writing Corner to make writing fun (mad libs)

As writing becomes more comfortable:

Teach him to outline..
Use paper with lines and drawing space, writing booklets, or newspaper blanks to make writing more interesting. See Homeschool Forms for some templates.

After the child writes comfortably in both manuscript and cursive:

Teach him to type - minimum 40+ wpm (Mavis Beacon Teaches Typing Deluxe 20)
Show her where to get ideas for writing. and more ideas.
Have him write a list of things in which he is interested (sports, horses, airplanes). Use these as the basis for writing assignments.
Have her start a clipping file: Collect magazine and newspaper clippings that interest her and use those for writing ideas.
Visit museums, factories, missions, farms, read, expand their world. Have him take photos and use them as writing ideas.
Have him carry a notebook in which he can jot down ideas, images he sees, characters he meets, dialogues he hears, interesting names, etc
Teach her how to combine sentences to create more interesting sentences.
Teach him to add details to his writing.
Teach her to use transition words (although, after, therefore, while, finally…)
Teach him to write good leads or “hooks.” Begin with a: Funny, interesting, or dramatic statement, a question, quotation, or an opinion statement.
Teach her how to limit her topic.
For help, use Harvey Wiener's, Any Child Can Write.

Teach the Rules of Vivid Verbs:

Use active rather than passive verbs. Ex. The football was clutched by Dennis. Better: Dennis clutched the football.
Avoid using the “to be” verbs (is, are, was, were, am . .) Ex. Cindy is a fast typist. Better: Cindy types fast.
Use verbs that show rather than tell. Ex. The truck ruined the toy car. Better: The truck flattened the toy car.
Use a verb that is strong enough to stand alone without an adverb. Ex. Joan sat quickly on the sofa. Better: Joan plopped on the sofa.

More Tips:

Teach him to write from different points of view (1st, 2nd or 3rd person). Read a short story, then have him rewrite it in another point of view.
Teach her to write good endings.
Have him write from dictation great pieces of literature.
Let her use a word processor to write compositions if she is more comfortable.

How to correct your child’s writing.

First focus on content.
Have him read it out loud and rewrite parts that aren’t clear.
Sentence structure-does it sound smooth when read aloud? If she is having trouble putting it on paper, have her tell you orally what she is trying to say. Then have her write it down.
Are there good transitions between paragraphs?
Look at the arrangement of sentences, paragraphs. Reorder them if necessary. Alphabetical order; Chronological order; Geographical order—for example, describing an object from top to bottom or left to right; Rank order—presenting topics according to some measure such as smallest to biggest, least expensive to most expensive, or most favorite to least favorite.
Is the main focus or idea of the piece either stated or suggested?
Help him to delete confusing or unnecessary words.
Does she use descriptive words?
Does he use good action verbs?
Is there a good title?
Encourage him to rewrite (Rewrite however many time it takes to get it right. Put it away for awhile. Then go back and edit some more.) Hawthorne wrote one chapter over 100 times!

After the content is the way he wants it, edit for correctness.

Spelling
Punctuation
Capitalization
Usage (Verb Agreement, Grammar) - most of this is corrected during the oral reading.

Create the final product:

Typeset
Illustrate
Publish (a reason to write)

Movies - What a Fun Way to Learn!

2009-01-31T03:22:00.000-08:00

Movies are a great resource for rainy days, days when academic work seems to be going nowhere, and for family movie night. Why not make those movie times learning times, too. Here are resources:

Ancient History at the Movies - a FREE list of movies relating to ancient history.
At the Movies - a FREE list compiled by Beverly Schmitt, one of my new Facebook friends! List includes a brief description of the movie.
Creation Resource Library - FREE video rentals related to Creation Education.
F.I.L.M. - Finding Inspiration in Literature and Movies. A list of inspirational movies with a FREE activity guide that includes all sorts of goodies including worksheets!
Teach with Movies - For $1/month enrollment, you have access to the list of movies, lesson plans, background information, biographies of major characters, and a suggested book list.

You won't be able to find all the movies recommended in the video store. Here are two resources for movie rentals that sell educational and Christian-based movies:

A+ Educational Video Rental.
Moody Publishers sells Christian-based science videos.

My friend, Linda Cimino, loves this rental company so I had to put it in. You can rent Discovery Channel, Magic Schoolbus, and Veggie Tales videos from here, too. It's not easy to browse educational videos on this site, but if you know the title of the video you want, there is a simple search feature that will find it.

Netflix.

Before you show a movie to your little ones, you might want to make sure that they are appropriate. One way to do this is to have it edited by this company:

Hollygood.

Now, it's time to pop up that popcorn, turn down the lights, and watch a movie. And don't forget, when you are done teaching the topic, be sure to check it off on The Checklist!

Teaching Elementary Math - No Textbook Needed!

2009-01-27T14:11:00.000-08:00

Teaching elementary math is one way The Checklist comes in handy! Go to page 132-134 in The Checklist and use that for the order in which you teach math. Go down the list and check off as your child masters the concept. Here is a suggested order:

Basic Math Skills:

Use manipulatives to teach counting, adding, subtracting, etc. (this is ongoing)
Learn to count to 10, then 100 (practice until done)
Recognize shapes - squares, etc.
Work on and sort by size (bigger, smaller, tallest, etc.), color, shape
Count by 10's (practice until done)
Start simple adding - use manipulatives until child can write
Work on amounts - 1/2, 1/3, 1/4
Continue drilling counting by 2s, 3s, etc. Preferred order: 10s, 5s, 2s, 3s, 4s, 6s, 7s, 8s, 9s
Start simple subtracting - ditto (by now your child should be able to write so you can use both)
Take some time to teach measurements, weights, volumes, reading thermometer, counting money, and time while continuing above
Once simple adding and subtracting has been mastered, work on carrying and borrowing.
At the same time, introduce simple multiplication (if your child has learned to count by 2's etc. this will be easy.
Then add simple division.
Now your child should be ready for harder adding, subtracting, multiplication, and division, so it's time to get a textbook.
After this has all been accomplished, your child will be able to go into Saxon, Math-U-See or other curriculum, grade 6 or 7. You can skip all the rest!

Use free worksheets or make up your own to teach the above until you decide on a textbook.

Read over: Math Manipulatives, PreSchool and Kindergarten Guidelines and Math on the Internet (particularly the Worksheets)

The Gold Rush!

2009-01-27T04:42:00.000-08:00

It appears from my poll that the Gold Rush has been covered a multitude of times! Of course, we all know why - it's fun! So, here's my list of resources for teaching the Gold Rush for next time!

Web sites of Interest:

Gold Rush Web site - everything you need to know!
The Gold Rush - more of everything you need to know from PBS.
The Gold Rush Museum.

Fun Stuff:

Uncle JimStones® Mining Kit- Gems
Children's Dig & Play Pyrite Gold Nuggets Excavation Set *Fun and Educational Geological Excavation Kit, Gold Rush.
Activities and puzzles from the Boy Scouts on Gold Rush.
Make some recipes from the Gold Rush days!
Sing a song from the Gold Rush days.
Gold Rush Color Pages created by Cindy Downes (Scroll down the page)

Books To Read:

Homeschool Forms by Cindy Downes

2009-01-27T03:47:00.000-08:00

Be sure to take advantage of the homeschool forms I've created. There is a variety of forms there that you may be able to incorporate into your teaching. Enjoy!

Physics in Elementary School

2009-01-25T03:41:00.001-08:00

Physics is a subject that your boys will LOVE and some of your girls, too. During elementary school, prepare your students for high school physics by reading about physics and having them do lots of hands-on experiments. Here are some fun resources:

Kits:

Thames & Kosmos Physics Workshop.

Books:

Web Site Resources:

Math Manipulatives

2009-01-21T03:06:00.000-08:00

Hands-on manipulatives are wonderful tools to help children understand math concepts. You can buy them at educational stores OR you can make your own free ones! Here are some ideas:

Snowball math: use small, round cotton balls to make math facts sentences such as 2 snowballs + 3 snowballs = ? snowballs.
Use pipe cleaners to teach geometry such as learning about triangles, squares, hexagons, etc.
Use edible items as counting tools and in math fact sentences and then have a snack! Examples: M&Ms, gummy bears, carrot sticks, grapes, animal crackers and cereal.
Non-edible items such as buttons, macaroni, and beans can also be used for counting.
Use real money for teaching money concepts! If you don't like that idea, use the money from Monopoly or other games.
Use lunch for math class: Cook a pizza and teach fractions!
Have your children bake a cake to learn measurements such as cups and teaspoons.
Dominoes are a great way to teach counting, too.
Using card stock, make several Bingo cards with little clock faces in each block that show different times such as 1:00, 3:30, and 6:45. Use this and some bean markers to teach telling time.
Use a ruler and items in your home or classroom to teach measurements. Just measure every thing you can measure!
See my Web page for more Math Freebie ideas.

Martin Luther King

2009-01-18T13:21:00.000-08:00

Martin Luther King Day is tomorrow, making it a great time to do a short study on Martin Luther King and his role in Civil Rights legislation. Here's some information to get you started:

Meet Martin Luther King, Jr. (Landmark Books).
Martin Luther King, Jr.: Young Man with a Dream (Childhood of Famous Americans Series.).
Biography of Martin Luther King.
Story of Martin Luther King and a quiz (younger students)
MLK Papers Project (older students)
Text and video of his speech, "I have a Dream."
I have a Dream Fill In.
Another quiz for MLK Day.
Use clip art to write a report about King.
MLK color page and writing paper.
Art and craft projects for MLK Day.
Crossword puzzle for MLK Day.
Writing prompts for MLK Day.

Family Friendly Literature

2009-01-16T04:37:00.000-08:00

I love family reading. Not only did the kids learn, but I did too!

Here is a list of my favorite book series that we read together as a family. I recommend collecting as many of these as you can get as you will use them over and over as you teach various subjects.

These are all older books published in the early 20th century and not always easy to obtain. Some are being republished, so you can buy them new. Others, you will have to find in used bookstores or online.

Childhood of Famous Americans Biography series
Landmark Books history topic series
Opal Wheeler Biographies
Cornerstones of Freedom history topic series

This series is new. It is historical fiction, written from a Christian perspective, that introduces the lives of missionaries and other Christian leaders.

Trailblazer Books series

I will add more as I think of them. I hope you enjoy!

PS: If you would like to see a complete list of my favorite literature books, they are listed in The Checklist.

Spelling Help

2009-01-16T04:26:00.001-08:00

I saw this posted on the Homeschool Lounge by one of my lounge sisters and had to share it.

It's called Spelling City. What a fun way to learn spelling! I especially love the games!

Getting Started with Unit Studies

2009-01-13T04:02:00.000-08:00

If you are beginning to explore the world of unit studies and multi-level teaching, here are some tips to get you started:

Start with a prepared unit such as:

Read over Multi-level teaching.

When you're feeling more comfortable:

Use one of my free unit studies

Keep track of your unit studies with The Checklist.

Famous Figures of Ancient Times

2009-01-13T03:42:00.000-08:00

Book Review of Famous Figures of Ancient Times by Cathy Diez-Luckie.

If you have a child who enjoys putting on plays or making moveable action figures, you HAVE to get this resource! The book includes 20 figures to cut, color and assemble. You can then use the figures to tell stories of ancient cultures including Ancient Mesopotamia, Egypt, China, Greece and Rome. A brief biographical note explains a little about each character to get you started. Cathy is a published airbrush artist and these figures are EXCEPTIONAL! More information on her Web site at: www.figuresinmotion.com.

Cloud Chart

2009-01-10T02:49:00.001-08:00

When studying the types of clouds, have your students create a cloud chart. You'll need:

1 large poster board
black magic marker
glue
cotton
ruler
green and blue paint

1. Draw and paint the grass and trees. Paint the sky blue. Let dry.

2. Use your black marker and a ruler to divide the chart into three horizontal layers. Label the layers:

High Clouds - Above 18,000 feet
Middle Clouds - Above 6,000 feet
Low Clouds - Up to 6,000 feet

3. Start at the top of the chart and work down. Using cotton, either stretch, break into pieces or fluff to make clouds of each type. After you have made the cloud, glue it onto the poster board in the correct layer.

Cirrocumulus
Cirrus
Cumulonimbus
Altocumulus
Altostratus
Stratocumulus
Stratus
Cumulus
Optional: Research Nimbostratus and Stratus clouds and add these to the chart by drawing with black marker.

4. Label each type of cloud with black marker. Draw black lines falling from rain cloud. Take a picture of your project and put it in your portfolio! Directions for a portfolio can be found on my Web site at Portfolio.

For more fun with clouds:

Learn about clouds with this tutorial.
Look at photos of clouds.
Take your own photos of clouds and make a chart. Identify the photos you found.
The Man Who Named the Clouds by Julie Hannah.
Hubbard Scientific 2691 Cloud Model Activity Set (advanced students)
Peterson First Guide to Clouds and Weather by John Day (advanced students)
Using clip art, write a report on clouds and illustrate.
Create a cloud. Lab project.
Scriptures related to clouds.
More cloud lesson plans and activity sheets.
Weather Games.

Don't forget to keep track of your studies in The Checklist by Cindy Downes.