Week 12

FYI- if you have iTunes on your computer, do a search on PODCASTS, some of our favorites are:
Naked Science
       (everyone is clothed, super cool semi-animated explanation of science subjects)
Grammar Girl Quick and Dirty Tips
There are great audio story items too.
Language? We did One Minute Mandarin last year which started us on our quest to learn Chinese! You have a minute don't you?


HISTORY
Civil War Trivia
More Trivia....
About Robert E Lee
About Ulysses S Grant
Transcontinental Railroad-1
Chinese contribution to Transcontinental Railroad
Lesson on Transcontinental Railroad  +Activities
Great new site for history

GEOGRAPHY
We are currently talking about Appalachian Mountains, my old stomping grounds! Appalachia is beautiful and consists of miles and miles of rolling rounded mountains. The mountains are some of the oldest and have eroded as compared to the younger mountains in the west. Rolling rivers riddled with giant round rocks, thick forest and musty moss covered earth is the heart of Appalachia. The people in the Smokies are warm and take care of those around them. The food is rich and flavorful. The music is fun and warm, often funny. If you ever get a chance, do go visit. I joke about being a "redneck" and "My Daddy married his sister but it didn't bother me none", but in truth, I am proud of my heritage and have many warm memories of the area. God spared nothing, it is gorgeous.

Learn more about Appalachia  This site is great, you can listen to music, search on just about any subject.   Project: Make a quilt square!

Decent Mtn info


SCIENCE
If you go on the CC website under foundations/file sharing/ science projects.  Someone made these GREAT worksheets to go along with the My Body readings we did the last 6 weeks.  I just found them and wish I would have found them six weeks ago.  We are going to do them over our "break" and review all that we learned about My Body!


Purposes of Blood

LATIN
I am going to have the kids memorize the verse in English first, don't you think that would make it easier?

MATH
1000 meters = 1 Kilometer
so what.... I am so not a math person.... but for YOUR sake (aren't I just so giving?) I thought I'd dig around and see if I could find anything interesting. Lo and behold I did!

Check these out, scroll down and see the comparisons.

This is more science but still interesting. 

Klick is a common military term meaning kilometer.[1] Its use became popular among US soldiers during the Vietnam War during the 1960s and 1970s, although veterans of the war recall its usage as early as the 1950s. The origin is from the sound military vehicle odometers made as they turned over each kilometer. Some also believe it to be an example of condensed pronunciation or contraction of the term kilometer. I believe that it comes from some item of military equipment, maybe a range-finder for artillery or the like, where there was a knob which was rotated through a set of fixed positions, giving a click for each step, until it found the setting which corresponded to the distance of the target. Each further "click" meant one more kilometre to the target. So when the range-finder said the target range was "five clicks", that meant five kilometres, and the gunners set their weapons correspondingly.

Week 11

I can't believe it is almost CHRISTmas! The most glorious time of year! I love the holidays and all that it includes. What a gift we were given! Hug your family close and praise the Lord for all He has done.  The history of our great nation proves His providence....

HISTORY

TimeLine of the Civil War

Details about the war and links to more info

Interesting facts about the civil war
Abe Lincoln quizzes and facts

SCIENCE  Sing to the tune of God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen!

What is your Endocrine System? Glands and organs that use

hormones to send messages through the bloodstream to

the rest of your body. the rest of your body

That is the Endocrine System, Endocrine System 

That is the Endocrine system

Kid Explanation

MOVIE

Tween explanation of Endocrine System

• hypothalamus   (HEADQUARTERS)
• pituitary gland  (CONTROL TOWER)   size of PEA-Controls Growth
• thyroid             (FUEL CONTROL)   looks like a bowtie
• pancreas           (INSULIN CONTROL)   sugar
• parathyroids     (CALCIUM REGULATORS)
• adrenal glands  (SALT/WATER BALANCE & STRESS REACTION)
• pineal body       (MELATONIN)
• reproductive glands  LET MOM DESCRIBE THAT ONE

ENGLISH
Cool flashcards (not Quizlet)

Had to share this, it is a must see.

http://vimeo.com/31158841

God is so cool.

Quizlet.com HOW TO

Sign onto Quizlet.com, create user name and password.
For a limited time I am making our "group" public because some folks are having difficulty signing on.

Search under EDGE Group, you may get a message like this

See where it says GROUPS (7), click that

We are the top group

http://quizlet.com/group/133486/

Click there and request to join. If you have any difficulty, email me at rauschfamilyemail@gmail.com

THANKS

You won't regret joining, it is SO MUCH FUN!


Candy for whomever can beat Brandon's history score!

Reb

Week 8

BY REQUEST
California Achievement Test Sample Questions

Wow, with the holiday....things sure have been crazy. Here is what I was able to collect for you. I hope you find it helpful.

REVIEW GAME
Last week I had the kids each guess how long it would take to do a FULL 6 week review of all subjects! Then we drilled the grammar as fast as we could and the person closest to the final time won. (20.43 minutes)   It was fun.

HISTORY
Henry Clay
Missouri Compromise video
Missouri Compromise info
More Missouri Compromise info
Neat timeline of world per continent

SCIENCE
Circulatory System
Fun Science Site for Kids
Make sure to check out the circulatory system video-what an amazing miracle we are. God was soooooo cool to make us like he does!  Psalm 139 baby.

Not a big rap fan, but this was decent
Circulatory Rap
Cardiovascular System Song School House Rock
Bill Nye makes it cool
Bill Nye part 2

GEOGRAPHY
Interactive maps and games
A little easier games for the younger set

ENJOY!

PRAYER
Thank you God for the ability to teach my children with a worldview that reflects your glory. Thank you for our health, our relationships, and even the tiny little things we so often take for granted, such as sweet hugs and giggles. Praise God.

Week 6

HISTORY

Very cool- a must bookmark      AUDIO HISTORY         http://www.archive.org/details/american_history_librivox

http://www.socialstudiesforkids.com/articles/ushistory/louisianapurchase.htm
Note the above site has lots of side links to learn details about the purchase plus the explorers too.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Davy_Crockett

Quick and fun game about the LP to test your knowledge!
http://jtlawson.tripod.com/index-8.html

School house Rock - Elbow Room

A song all about Lewis and Clark and the Louisiana Purchase

http://www.factmonster.com/quizzes/lewis-clark-expedition/1.html

http://www.kidsknowit.com/interactive-educational-movies/free-online-movies.php?movie=lewis%20and%20clark

Extras I stole from someone else's blog!

Lewis And Clark Coloring Sheets

Lewis and Clark Word Search

Lewis And Clark: American Explorers

Lewis and Clark Journal Entries

Lewis and Clark The Great Journey West- available on Netflix

Lewis and Clark Expedition Game

The Louisiana Purchase Reading Comprehension

Davy Crockett print out and quiz

SCIENCE

The Incredible Human Machine- National Geographic- available on youtube and netflix- this is an amazing documentary.  I highly recommend watching this one but note it is rated TV14...the first part has a naked woman, but it doesn't show anything, then after that it shows surgery and the like.  At the end of 7/9 and beginning of 8/9 it does a very scientific explanation of sperm and ovary. Nothing is shown that is inappropriate, but Mom should preview just in case.

Your Digestive System- Reading Comprehension Sheet

Label Your digestive system- more in depth

Your Digestive System-  Your kids can listen to the audio

Human Body - Digestive System - Kids Animation Learn Series

http://www.youtube.com/watch?NR=1&v=A7jKCfx-0Mo

MATH

These are great, I found them on another blog, but can't figure out how to get to the other ones.

Multiplication Wheels 11's

Multiplication Wheels 12's

We've covered much of the below, but will be going over it again soon.

SCIENCE
Kids Health Site
The teen section is good for the older kids, more info.


BALANCE-Day or Night, Ears Keep You Upright

Ears do more than hear. They keep you balanced, too. In the inner ear, there are three small loops above the cochlea called semicircular canals. Like the cochlea, they are also filled with liquid and have thousands of microscopic hairs.

When you move your head, the liquid in the semicircular canals moves, too. The liquid moves the tiny hairs, which send a nerve message to your brain about the position of your head. In less than a second, your brain sends messages to the right muscles so that you keep your balance.

Sometimes the liquid in your semicircular canals keeps moving after you've stopped moving. To understand this, fill a cup halfway with water. Now move the cup around in a circle in front of you and then stop. Notice how the water keeps swishing around, even after the cup is still? That's what happens in your semicircular canals when you spin in circles or go on the Tilt-A-Whirl at the amusement park.

When you stop spinning or step off the ride, the fluid in your semicircular canals is still moving. The hairs inside the canals are sensing movement even though you're standing still. That's why you might feel dizzy — your brain is getting two different messages and is confused about the position of your head. Once the fluid in the semicircular canals stops moving, your brain gets the right message and you regain your balance.

INTESTINAL TRIVIA

-Food passes through the small intestine in just two hours; zipping along at 0.002 mph. Inside the large intestine it takes about 14 hours, traveling at a more leisurely rate of 0.00007 mph.

-If you expel gas consistently for 6 years and 5 months and 4 days, enough gas is produced to create the 

energy of an atomic bomb.

-The large intestines are five ft (.61 m) long and are three times wider than the small intestines. The small intestines average about 22 ft. long!

SKIN/HAIR TRIVIA

-The average human has as much hair as the hairy primates, but only it is short and fine. 

-Each hair on the scalp has a life span of about three years. Eyelashes have a life span of about 150 days. 

-The soft down-like hair of the newborn sometimes reappears on the body of the aged. 

-Most people shed 40 lbs (16.14 kg) of skin in a lifetime.
-The dust in your house is primarily dead skin.

LUNGS

-Humans breathe 20 times per minute, more than 10 million times per year and about 700 million times in a lifetime.

-You will die of carbon dioxide poisoning if you are locked in a completely sealed room rather than oxygen deprivation. 

-The longest word is English language is pneumonoultramiscroscopicsilicovolcanoconiosis - an inflammatory lung disease caused by the inhalation of fine silica dust.

Jesus and the Quran & Eagle Stream....hhhmm

This site was very interesting, I didn't go too deep in it, but seems to be a great resource for witnessing  to your Muslim friends.

http://www.faithfacts.org/world-religions-and-theology/jesus-unique-in-quran-and-bible


This was just too cool NOT to share!

LIVE video streaming of the Decorah Eagles. Very cool.

http://www.ustream.tv/decoraheagles

Week 5 Science, George, Spelling, Timeline & Art

Spelling Lists

http://www.spellingcity.com/CCChaska/

Someone put up ALL of the EEL/IEW spelling words onto SpellingCity.com!

There are also many, many other lists that are helpful!

We are working on homonyms-I have the lists through high school level and each week I am testing the kids. They study spelling on the bathroom mirror!

George Washington
http://www.washingtonpublishers.com/Washingtonia/george_washington_trivia.htm
GREAT trivia of our first president


Here are some great videos too...cartoon style.....
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e2_mIqwZ0gM&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OjeCyIpLkY0&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ep8_blPmo7c&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jwrJbQWL5nI&feature=related


Senses
http://www.sedl.org/scimath/pasopartners/senses/lesson1.html
http://faculty.washington.edu/chudler/chsense.html   (I think the model ear drum looks like fun)
http://science.lotsoflessons.com/5senses.html


Rubbed Off - Hands On Science
The science this week is about the science of skin renewal.

So what is skin? 
Skin is a miracle garment. It's soft, pliable, strong, waterproof, and self-repairing. 


What would you be like without skin? 
The answer is, quite simply, a big squishy mess! Your skin is like a very large container. It's the largest organ of your body, and without it, all your delicate insides would spill right out. 


Skin doesn't just cover you! 
Your skin doesn't just cover you. It does a whole lot more. It functions as protective wrapping. Along with a layer of fat underneath, it insulates you against all kinds of bumps, bangs and wear and tear. It keeps germs and water OUT (unless you have a break in your skin) and keeps your body's fluids and salts IN. 
Skin manufactures and oozes out all sorts of wonderful liquids. Waxes and oils act as your body's natural waterproofer and a protector against germs. They make your skin softer; but they can also give you pimples. Your skin also contains glands which manufacture sweat. With sweat, not only does your body get cooled by its evaporation, but it has a convenient way to get rid of chemicals it doesn't need. 


How does it do all this? 
Skin is alive. It's made of many thin sheets of layers of flat, stacked cells in which you'll find nerves, blood vessels, hair follicles, glands, and sensory receptors. 
Older cells are constantly being pushed to the surface by new cells which grow from below. When the old ones reach the top, they become wider and flatter as they get rubbed and worn by all your activity. And, sooner or later, they end up popping off like tiles blown from a roof in a strong wind.


http://yucky.discovery.com/flash/body/pg000146.html


Here are some interesting facts about skin you may not know.

1. Skin is the body’s largest organ. 

2. The skin cells are continually flaking off at rate of 35,000 dead skin cells per minute. In a year, you’ll shed around four kilograms of skin cells.

3. Human skin consists of 19 million cells, 60 hairs, 90 oil glands, 19 feet of blood vessels, 625 sweat glands, and 19,000 sensory cells each square inch!

4. Human skin has about 100,000 bacteria each square centimeter, and that 10 percent of human dry weight is attributed to bacteria. These bacteria, however, are not harmful, and are called normal skin flora.

5. The average person’s skin renews itself every 28 days.

6. The average scalp has 100,000 hairs. We shed about 50 -100 hairs from our head everyday.

7. Sweat from the apocrine glands (located in the underarm and genital areas) is odorless, and body odor actually results from the reaction of the skin’s normal bacteria with sweat.

8. Basal cell carcinoma is the most common form of skin cancer.

9. Each square inch of human skin consists of twenty feet of blood vessels.

10. There are 45 miles of nerves in the skin of a human being.

11. Three-hundred-million cells die in the human body every minute.

12. SKIN- Cut and dried- The average adult is the proud owner of 21 square feet, nine pounds, and 11 miles of blood vessels.

13. Basing the skin's value on the selling price of cowhide, which is approximately $.25 per square foot, the value of an average person's skin is about $4.00.  (but you are PRICELESS to God!)

14. Your skin is made up of 3 main layers. (epidermis, dermis, and hypodermis)

15. Your skin swells when it absorbs water.

16. Your skin is the thinnest on the eyelid.

17. Goose bumps are actually little pimples that help retain a layer of warm air over our body.

18. The skin releases as much as three gallons of sweat a day in hot weather

19. Globally, dead skin accounts for about a billion tons of dust in the atmosphere.

20. White skin appeared just 20,000 to 50,000 years ago, as dark-skinned humans migrated to colder climates and lost much of their melanin pigment. SO THEY SAY....hhhhhmmmm

TIMELINE

Davidic Kingdom through Israel and Judah Fall

David kicked Solomon into 2 halves, all the way home, over Rome's democratic ice jump.

???? WHAT?!  you say?

David = Davidic Kingdom

Solomon = Solomon's Reign

2 Halves = Israel Divides into Two Kingdoms

Home = Homer and Greek Mythology

Over = Olympics

Rome= Founding of Rome

Democratic = Greece Colonizes, Democracy Begins

Ice Jump= Israel and Judah Fall

Can't tell ya why it works, but it worked for us. Go figure.

PERSPECTIVE/Illusion
http://www.impactlab.net/2006/03/09/amazing-3d-sidewalk-art-photos/

http://www.moillusions.com/category/3d-sidewalk-drawings-optical-illusions

Week 4 Ideas

I am preparing for this week's class and wanted to share a few links that were really helpful.

We will be doing Lung Capacity as our Hands-on Science:
http://science-class.net/Teachers_Lessons.htm#Anatomy & Physiology
This site was amazing, everything you could ever want!!
http://science-class.net/Lessons/Anatomy/Respiratory/Respiratory_Internet_Answers.pdf
I am hoping at the end of CC, my kids can answer all of this!

Nervous System
http://library.thinkquest.org/5777/ner1.htm

1776
http://www.historyforkids.org/learn/northamerica/after1500/government/declaration.htm

Little known facts:

1. There Was No “United States” in the Declaration of Independence.

When the Founding Fathers adopted “The unanimous Declaration of the thirteen united States of America” [wiki] on July 4, 1776, they didn’t form the nation called The United States of America.

2. Jefferson Was Upset that Slavery was Edited out.

The passage, was edited out by request of the delegates from South Carolina and Georgia. Jefferson (himself a slave owner!) remained upset about this removal of the condemnation of slavery until his death.

3. The Youngest and Oldest Signers

The youngest signer of the Declaration of Independence was Edward Rutledge [wiki] of Southern Carolina. He was 26. 

The oldest signer was Benjamin Franklin [wiki], who was 70 at the time. 

4. The Sole Recanter: Richard Stockton

During the course of the Revolutionary War, four signers were captured by the British  Under duress of harsh British confinement, Stockton recanted his signature on the Declaration and declared his allegiance to the King George III before he was released. 

Before he died, Stockton re-affirmed his oath of allegiance to the United States.

5. A bargain hunter bought an old copy of the Declaration of Independence for $4, then sold it for millions!

In 1989, a bargain hunter who bought an old and torn painting for $4 at a flea market found an old copy of the Declaration of Independence tucked away between the canvas and the frame! The lucky bargain hunter sold his copy of the Declaration at an auction for $8.14 million!

6.  Thomas Jefferson wrote the first draft of the Declaration of Independence, which was then edited by John Adams and Benjamin Franklin.

7. Independence Day: July 2, 1776 - Though Independence Day is celebrated on July 4th, the date that appears on the document itself, the 2nd of July is actually the day that the Continental Congress voted on and declared independence from Britain. The document itself wouldn’t actually be signed until August 2, 1776

8. If By Land or By Sea – The document has experienced many modes of travel. Initially, like other parchment documents of the time, the Declaration was probably stored in a rolled format. It likely traveled by light wagon and by horseback with the Continental Congress it its early years. When it was first brought to Washington, it traveled by boat, down the Delaware River and Bay, out into the ocean, into the Chesapeake Bay, and up the Potomac to the new capital city. During World War II, it was moved by Pullman train to Louisville, KY and transferred under armed guard to Fort Knox for safety and protection.

9. Line of Descent – Actress Reese Witherspoon is a direct descendant of John Witherspoon, one of the 56 signers of the Declaration of Independence.

10. Fireworks displays were used as morale boosters for soldiers in the Revolutionary war. At the time however, fireworks were the same type of explosives used in war and were called rockets, not fireworks

Redneck Latin and the EYE dissection link

Wanted to write this down before I lost it.  One of the things we have been doing is associating our Latin words with silliness. (who-us?)  Latin redneck is our theme.

For some odd reason, it currently is working, albeit for the life of me I have no idea why. It seems like it should complicate the memory work. Take it or leave it. Just didn't want to forget it as we delve into more and more of the Latin grammar.

Prepositions
In = In
Apud = With    (aka:  APUD it WITH my shoes)
Per = Through   (we drew a picture of a pear with a hole in it)
Sine = Without   (aka: Jesus was WITHOUT SIN)

Conjunctions
Et = And   (aka:  I  ET ham AND beans)
Ut = That   (aka: I tol' you, UT THAT over thar -Translation for the redneck challenged-"Put that over there")
Sed = But   (aka: I knows what you SED, BUT I don't care!)

Pronouns
Didn't use the redneck translation here, just did hopscotch games. Made a little chant.

Verbs
Erat = Was   (aka:  ERAT WAS gonna bite me)
Est = Is        similar enough to leave alone
Sunt = Are    (working on this one)
Venit = Came   (VENIT CAME over to our house)
Perhiberet = Bear      (there's a hibernate in there somehow which relates to bear)
Crederent = Believe   (Credible means believe, crederent obvious origin.)


DISSECT AN EYEBALL
http://www.eschoolonline.com/company/examples/eye/eyedissect.html

Week 3-Up against the wall, hands behind your back...

Today I was greeted via email from my dear friend, Kim, with a post that convicted me to my knees. Why do I homeschool? Have I turned success and accomplishment into our God? Is my need to look good as a mom/teacher more important than my relationship with my kids?? Oh my my....big questions. Honestly, I can't answer all of the above with absolute certainty. That scares me.  If you would like a good scare or at least a great topic for debate, read the following article. (btw- that's not me...)

http://www.joshharris.com/2011/09/homeschool_blindspots.php

Week 3- Lots of cool things this week!

LATIN
As the kids and I did the work for this week, we spent a lot of time trying to wrap our heads around the Latin. We came up with a hopscotch game where your feet hop to the matching words. Hailey put it to a song (that I couldn't repeat if life depended on it) that worked great, any ole song would have worked just as well.    We also wrote out the latin from all three weeks on the driveway then I'd call out a Latin word, they'd have to run to the corresponding English word. Worked pretty well. I may try to do same with my Latin flash cards I made. (index cards).

REVIEW
For review we drew 4 lines on the drive way. Line 1=easy question and closest to the goal. Get the question, make the shot, get double points. (ie:2)  Line 2= semi easy.....same scenario (up to 4 pts)  etc etc.  Kids really liked it. I am going to try it this week in class with a beach ball and a laundry basket. We'll see how nuts it gets.

GEOGRAPHY
We are still loving Mach Nacho states and capitals off of YouTube, however, kids are not really associating the capital name with the state. SO, in addition to drilling locations on the map, I'm randomly asking them capitals of states. That on the spot quiz seems to have them a little more focused when they sing the song. We are also doing geography puzzle races.

SCIENCE
For the muscles, we came up with a dance:  Skeletal muscle=stand like a scarecrow with arms dangling and head to side, Smooth=strike a pose like you are soooooo smooth and cool, then use hands to make heart over your heart for Cardiac.  We will investigate fingerprinting this week too.

IEW/EEL
Working on IEW this week really caused me to step back. The first poem about killed us all, so I asked them to do the second poem alone, without any help. They did just fine. Granted they did not meet all the criteria, but I did learn that they can write without my constant oversight. Humbling really...how dare they grow up so well!

OH OH!!   We found SpellingCity.com and someone has put all the C3 EEL spelling and vocab words on the site. (http://www.spellingcity.com/CCChaska/)

I also found a section of homonyms that you could print out "flashcards" without being a member. So we printed out minicards all the way through highschool level. Hopefully, that will really avoid some spelling sins we are all guilty of committing.  http://www.spellingcity.com/view-spelling-list.html?listId=3820028
We use another program, but for a while, we are going to try this. Kids want to take "tests" to get "grades" they can tell their non-homeschooled friends. It is so important they do not feel "weird" by being homeschooled. They get that they are getting a superior education, but they've shared with me that they feel odd man out when everyone is talking about their homework or tests each week. Homework you want? You got it!

HISTORY

We found a timeline online of the colonies. Really enlightening as it provided a short synopsis and we were able to see and understand the series of events much clearer. We followed with watching the corresponding episodes of LIBERTY KIDS on YouTube. Brandon liked it (he's the history buff) so well that he watched for an hour or more!!  It appeared to be pretty factual, so we are now going to incorporate that into our reading/watching of history.     Liberty`s Kids: #01 "The Boston Tea Party" (1/2) - YouTube

http://www.history-timelines.org.uk/american-timelines/index.htm

Well, hope this was somewhat helpful or inspiring. Hugs to all! Happy schoolin.

If you would like to follow this blog so it tells you when I have posted, please just sign up! It makes me think you like me!

Fall is in the air

Or is it me just falling?? Gee willakers, I sure wish I could do something in small increments. I get so excited about every little thing that I can't keep up with my brain!

As I prepared for this week's lessons in CC, I found some really neat sites that.... albeit, they may not be for everyone, but it really got my scientific juices flowing. Have you ever wanted to dissect an eyeball?? NO?! Me either, but without all the blood and guts, this site was great. As we are learning about the anatomy of the eye, seeing a real one and being able to take it apart was really neat. Ah, the wonders of the internet.
http://www.eschoolonline.com/company/examples/eye/eyedissect.html

These were good too.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gvozcv8pS3c&NR=1
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AsKeu4wm3XI&feature=related

AND BONES- we will also be learning about bones this week! This site is fab for all sorts of info. Here is a link you'd like if you wish to study more on the axial skeleton.
http://kidshealth.org/kid/cancer_center/HTBW/bones.html#


HISTORY
I remembered as we studied the plight and purpose of the Pilgrims how the tyranny of a monarchy really reeked havoc on a religious sect. For a few years it is all hunky dory, then a new person comes to power and you had to run for your life....then five years later all is great, then high tail it once again. I can't blame them for leaving. What trust and determination that took!! What a deep conviction that the Bible is truth...to sail for 65 days into the unknown, risking all...for your God. I can only pray I'll ever have that depth. Then to miss your mark, make do with where you landed, and then have the hardships! It wasn't all turkey and indian peace pipe as I was taught.

This site had some neat info: Check out the diaries and letters. I never realized they experienced earthquakes along with famine, illness and other hardships-yet miraculously kept a deep and abiding faith. How we became such a prosperous, blessed country in the face of what they went through is amazing. PTL
http://www.mayflowerfamilies.com/

And an interesting site about Columbus....
http://library.thinkquest.org/J002678F/columbus.htm
http://library.thinkquest.org/4034/vespucci.html

Seems to me Vespucci may have given old Chris C. a tough time about his misguided perception. Then to find out John Cabot was actually Italian (not French as he name sounded) and was the one who actually landed in "North" America before either of those guys! So who got to the future USA first? Really? Brendan the Navigator? Juan Ponce de León? Leif Ericson?      I am shocked at the contradictory info, but I think settled in the idea that many people "discovered" different parts of America. I think. What do you think?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Exploration


A.D.D. side note:
I do also remember a book I read some time back about China, called "1421, the Year CHINA Discovered America". Now, I can't say whether or not this fella is telling the whole truth, but it sure was an interesting read and puts a whole new spin on the history of exploration.

Busy busy bee! Subject links.

As I am preparing to tutor, I find myself getting more and more excited! I have so many ideas that I think I can smush into the classical mold and I keep finding terrific reading material and web resources. I am humbled and amazed at the plethora of information out there that I do not know and I am so thankful that it is available to learn. Here are just a few that I have found/were given that apply to what we are studying in CC. Hopefully my parents and students can use it to enhance their learning experience. Have fun learning!

TimeLine Resources
Send me an email if you want our song. It is 1 tune and thus 1 pneumonic. I find it easier than multiple songs/week, but it is up to each person to decide what works best. We focused on knowing the actual chronology of events to remember when/how/why things happened rather than just the memorization.


 I also have it spoken, ready for email.


English Resources
http://www.englishlanguageguide.com/english/grammar/

Science Resources

http://kidshealth.org/kid/htbw/
http://www.funtrivia.com/playquiz/quiz2573431d76a90.html

Geography Game/Puzzle Resources
           I have these songs as MP3s if you need them.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LfvfEUq0BLQ

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qzXu2qV6SJE&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k87N8K-nKLo&feature=related

United States

• GeoPuzzle U.S. and Canada*

• The United States Puzzle* (created by A Broader View)

• United States Bingo (created by EEBOO)*

• State to State Game (created by Smethport)

• The Scrambled States of America Game (created by Gamewright)*

• Great States game (created by International Playthings)*

• Sequence States and Capitals (created by Jax)

• Mad Dash! Three Minutes Across America (created by ITOS Enterprises)

• Web site—Place the State:

http://www.sheppardsoftware.com/states_experiment_dragdrop_

Intermed_State15s_500.html

• Web site—United States Map Puzzle: http://www.yourchildlearns.com/mappuzzle/uspuzzle.

html

• Web site—The United States Geography Game:

http://www.surfnetkids.com/games/united_states_geography.htm

• Web site‐‐Where Is That?: http://www.funbrain.com/where/index.html

World

• GeoPuzzles* (Asia, Latin America, Europe, Africa)

• Where in the World? (created by Aristoplay)*

• The World Puzzle (created by A Broader View)

• 10 Days in Africa (created by Out of the Box) also Asia, the Americas, Europe

• Amazing Africa (created by Fast Track Learning), also North, South, Central America and

Europe, Asia, and Oceania

• Around the World* (created by Around the World LLC)

• Web site—Free Rice: http://www.freerice.com/

• Web site—Where Is That?: http://www.funbrain.com/where/index.html

• Web site—Sheppard Software: http://www.sheppardsoftware.com/Geography.htm




Fit school into your life, rather than working your life around school. Involve your children in math lessons related to cost per pound of grocery items and science lessons on photosynthesis while you garden together.

A Stitch in Time Saves Nine

Top 5 signs you are anal-retentive               by MATT CUTTS on MARCH 1, 2009

1. You keep large redundant amounts of all your sundries such as laundry detergent so that you never risk running out.
2. You don’t just sort the money in your wallet by $1, $5, $10, or $20, but also sort the bills by wear-and-tear so that you get rid of the bills in the worst shape first.
3. You look up anal-retentive to see whether it needs a hyphen. (OK I admit it, that is how I found this list! hahaha)
4. You don’t just keep a grocery list, you micro-optimize order of the items on the grocery list so that you only make one pass through the grocery store.
5. After a power outage or when Daylight Savings Time starts or ends, you feel the need to set all your clocks to the same minute and second.
6. It really irritates you when someone says a list has 5 items and you count six.

OK, I concede, I must be just a tad anal. (My mantra:  Embrace your inner A.R.!) Those who know me laugh hysterically because they know how true it is. However, I defend my nuttiness in that I am feeling oh so relaxed about the beginning of our school year now that I have most of my curriculum in order and ideas on paper. Knowing that I will discard most of it is irrelevant, I FEEL in control and that is half the battle.

My humble advice today is then.... PRAY, GET ORGANIZED and WRITE IT OUT then sit back and realize that you have done all you can for now and relax until school starts back up. God will lead the way.

Inspirational thoughts

Thoughts, commentary and truths I have heard from those wiser than myself.

Our family mission statement:
Inspire a love of learning in order to use our knowledge to glorify God, share His love and do His will.


Learn not to be brilliant but to know God and his creation.

Learn not to be superior, but to be able to serve others better.

As a Christian we should learn all we can about all things, because all TRUTH is God's truth.

"Teach us about you Lord within each subject. Reveal your truth and character. Help us to joyfully and boldly tell others of your glory."

From the Robots Movie-  "See a need, Fill a need."

It is the glory of God to conceal a thing, but the glory of Kings to search out the matter.

My kid is royalty.... he/she is God's child more than mine.

God is my pilot, God's Words are my instruments.

Find God's glory in every day happenings. You see a leaf fall, a gorgeous butterfly, a sparkle of sun on the water... how do you know that God did not do that JUST for you?? I can see Him elbowing an angel in heaven, saying, "Watch this, it will blow her mind!"

If we are not good at something, we simply haven't spent enough time with it.

Kids are mosaics of us, the parent. Faith cannot be inherited. My children must find Christ for themselves. It is my job to help them on that path. I need to make it my goal that my child is able to be rhetoric about Christianity before they leave my home.

I don't need to protect and cloister my child, I need to equip them with tools to handle all that life may throw at them.

If there is a lack of understanding then one must again review the grammar, the understanding will follow.

Before one can intentionally break the rules, one has to know the rules.

Websites and Books for Mom/Teacher

These are resources that I have heard about or have experienced myself. I am just sharing so that they are all in one place.

TheLearningParent.com
Thetruthproject.org
www.agendadocumentary.com     MUST SEE MOVIE




BOOKS for Mom
The Core
Echoes in Celebration
Total Truth
Saving Leonardo by Nancy Percy  LOVE this book, hard read, but enlightening.
Words Aptly Spoken
The War Against Grammar
Lost Tools of Learning
The Elements (via cooking)
Seasons of Change by Rebecca Powell
Norms and Nobility
The Original Argument
Latin for Children (seems to follow much of what we do in CC but with more info!)
ANY book can be taught classically.




My favorite book....it has nothing to do with homeschooling...just sharing.
Shaunti Feldhahn- The Veritas Conflict

BOOKS for kids
Books can introduce delicate subjects gently and open the door for discussion.

The Elements (about the periodic table, stunning photos and info!)
Mr. Bowditch
The Bronze Bow
Classic Literature  To Kill a Mockingbird, etc..
Red Badge of Courage
Little Women

What books do you suggest???

Games, Activities, Tips #2

As I am coming up or stealing more ideas, I will collect them here until I get a nice list.

Here are just a few that have erupted around the ole' brain cell recently.

1. Instead of using kid and holiday songs for memory jogs, try famous jingles. IE: Oscar Mayer, My Bologna has a First Name, I am Stuck on Bandaids
2. Or perhaps TV show jingles? Flintstones, Adams Family, Rubber Ducky, Barney... can you think of some? Or Camp songs?  I'm a Nut, Bottom of the Sea, 
3. At my daughter's camp, they did a quick version of the Hokey Pokey to start the day and get the wiggles out.
4. I also liked the "shark clap", where kids put hands on top of head and clapped.
5. Random "woos" were cute too when kids got out of hand. They called everyone to say "woo" and spin around one time. Kids loved it and were back at attention.
6. They played a game called Clean the Yard where an area was divided into two. Two teams gathered on either side of the line and they had one minute to toss socks onto the side of the opposing team. The team with the most socks on their side lost. I thought what a great way to do REVIEW. Have 7 pairs of socks/bandanas/cloth strips (whatever) in colors that relate to subject. Your team has to answer a review question for each "sock" on your side of the line when game is done. I think I would (this is me) make enough "socks" to have at least 3+ weeks of review for each subject. Would be wild, but really fun and cover a lot of ground quickly.
7. Relay race review- answer question-run back, next up, question-run back, next up.... set timer and go!  Team with most questions answered correctly after set # of minutes wins.
8. Blind answers-students sit blindfolded or backs to one another, question is posed, first student to raise hand or stand up gets to answer. Or say memory work RIGHT or WRONG and have the mark on dry erase board T or F and hold up. Keep score.
9. My kids love craziness, one of the things we do is gather around the kitchen counter to do quizzing. If they get the question right, I throw a wet paper towel at them and they get to throw it back and try to hit me with it, I duck and turn etc. Paper is slower, doesn't hurt and doesn't splatter. Not sure why, but this is a huge hit. 
10. Drill race- I give the kids the memory cards and have them drill each other. I turn on the online timer (which has an explosion at end and big wick) and they have to try and take turns asking questions. If they reach a certain goal within the time frame, they get a prize. (chocolate chip, free time etc) Question does NOT count if they get it wrong. They cannot answer each other's questions.
11. Review Hopscotch. Each square is a subject, toss coin, jump and answer.
12. Saying memory work in various voices. Frog, princess, cowboy, old lady, old man
13. One eye covered, both eyes covered.... can you say it?
14. Era Costume
15. Use funny pointers. I couldn't find one the other day and I used a goofy floppy shark. Kids thought it was hysterical and totally stayed with me.
16. Be hard of hearing.... have them repeat by pretending to have something in ear.
17. Worksheet races
18. Balloon pop review   Pre-make balloons with subject within, kids get to pop and get a question for that subject
19. Yarn review   put vocab, latin, or mathfacts etc on a board with index cards. Teams of kids must connect with tape and yarn the correct answers.
20. Basketball Review   Ball or bean bag or balloon, teams take turns throwing item in laundry basket. If they miss they get latin/timeline, if they bounce off side they get math/science, if they get in they get history/presidents. If it bounces AND gets in, they get english.
21. Magnet Dart Review   Throw magnet dart or perhaps you do subject boxes on floor with tape and they throw a bag then get asked which subject of which they are closest.
22. Jeopardy
23. Wheel of Fortune, mystery word on board. Answer question, get it right, guess a letter.
24. Family Feud   Smack buzzer to answer first.
25. Toss ball around, you catch, you answer question
26. Subjects on floor, toss bag. Nearest subject to bag-answer question for that subject
27. Freeze Dance   Random questioning
28. Do a how NOT to present presentation and audience
29. Do How To do a presentation- diaper a pineapple
30. Stickers on the forehead of audience, get look, remove sticker.
31. Do a Latin Tongue Twister
32. Have an impromptu bag for kids not prepared to present. Have it filled with items or cards they can spring board off as their subject. OR Timeline cards, pix etc. 
33. Mouth Check, Chair Check, Feet Check, Hands Check, Heart Check.... 
34. Folders with pocket make great "cover the title" for timeline cards as does an empty kleenex box.
35. Kleenex- kids put kleenex over face and blow it into a bucket, tray or taped area on floor. If they get it in boundaries they win a point. Only get to try if they answer a question correctly.
36. 
    

Oh, it isn't just me?

My friend Becky told me when I began this homeschooling journey that "God's grace is sufficient." Boy is she right!  Although I feel like a hamster on a wheel trying to do the best thing and provide the best education, I constantly feel as if I am sub-par. My kids will be the lowest on the educational scale and I will be a huge failure. They will need years of therapy to undo the emotional and educational damage. The neighbors will whisper how I failed them, the family will cluck their tongues in disappointment.  Oh the agony of it all!

However, despite my angst, God is creating something beautiful and wonderful in my children. No, not perfect, but miraculous works-in-progress. I am so thrilled and so humbled that they learn in spite of my spastic nature. Thank you Lord for letting me have this opportunity to grow and to watch my children blossom close up.

I know that I am not alone in the journey and would love to hear your words of wisdom. Thank God for community. Thank God for our freedoms. Thank God for our children.

FUN Websites and Links-bring a pillow, you may be here a while

How blessed are we to have the entire world at our fingertips!  The internet is an endless resource! Learn to refine your search criteria and you can find some real gems. Here are a bunch we have visited from time to time. These are secular sites that, from what I saw, had decent content or games.   I have others that I will post later but I need to confirm links are still active. Have fun!



http://zenhabits.net/100-ways-to-have-fun-with-your-kids-for/


funbrain.com


factmonster.com


primarygames.com


http://www.eduplace.com/edugames.html


Online Education Games


kidspast.com      (LOVE this site)


kidsknowit.com


kidsnumbers.com

bicyclecards.com

kidsgeo.com

nationalgeographic.com

momshomeroom.com

thekidzpage.com

schoolexpress.com

homeschooling-ideas.com superchargedscience.com kidspast.com adaptedmind.com    (this is our MATH program-LOVE IT) bigiqkids.com schoolhousetech.com kidskonnect.com madglibs.com historyforkids.org online-stopwatch.com    (fun to use for games) tryscience.org kidzworld.com videos.howstuffworks.com YOUTUBE- machonacho song for states and capitals, schoolhouse rock, CC people doing various things, just be safe but search out. LOTS of fun stuff. history.com   (my kids can pass the citizenship test, can you? The online history games are addictive, be careful!)