Quantcast
Channel: Tiaras & Tantrums - Tiaras & Tantrums Homeschool Journal
Viewing all 165 articles
Browse latest View live

Jotham's Journey: A Storybook for Advent

0
0

Jotham's Journey: A Storybook for Advent

Jotham's Journey: A Sotrybook for Advent

In this widely popular, exciting story for the advent season, readers follow ten-year-old Jotham across Israel as he searches for his family. Though he faces thieves, robbers, and kidnappers, Jotham also encounters the wise men, shepherds, and innkeepers until at last he finds his way to the Savior born in Bethlehem.

We finished this wonderful book on Christmas Eve, right before we went to the midnight service at our church. There is something so satisfying about sitting together in our family room, with Advent candles burning and the children spellbound, listening to every word of Jotham's story. The children are captivated and want to know what happens each night.

The story follows Jotham's journey to find his family after he gets angry at his father and runs away. He has many exciting adventures and our children want to read the next day's section. Jotham ultimately ends up in Bethlehem and his life intersects the lives of Mary, Joseph, and the newborn Christ child in a lovely way that brings home Christ's divinity as well as the humanity of his infancy.

As a homeschooling mother, I really appreciate the way Jotham's Journey makes biblical times come alive. Even though there are very few illustrations in the book, the text provides many details about daily life that raised good questions from our children, showing their engagement with the story and their desire to understand the setting.

Jotham's Journey IS a Christian story that tries to bring to life the true meaning of Christmas - the birth of the Savior. This is the first time we have read this book and I know it won't be the last during Advent. We loved this book!  Reading Jotham's Journey together has been a simple and completely rewarding way to draw our family together.


Moochie Kalala: A New Chicago-Based WTTW Show #‎MoochieKalala‬

0
0

Moochie Kalala: A New Chicago-Based WTTW Show

Moochie Kalala: A New Chicago-Based WTTW Show #‎MoochieKalala‬

This past Sunday, the first episode of the new, Chicago kids' TV series, Moochie Kalala Detectives Club, started. Moochie Kalala inspires Chicagoland kids to discover science. Starring Tim Kazurinsky as the fun grandpa telling his grandchildren, Evelyn Alumbreros and Gregory Vasquez, amazing stories that lead them a search in Chicago's museums. 

Moochie Kalala: A New Chicago-Based WTTW Show #‎MoochieKalala‬

Each episode inspires Chicagoland children to discover science, and features a Chicago museum and its scientist! The first episode showed the grandchildren visiting the Adler Planetarium to learn what scientists know about the planet Mars. The Moochie Kalala detectives give the viewers a taste of what locals get to see all year long--our great city of Chicago. During each episoide they visit an area classroom to perform a basic science experiment related to that week's episode and museum visit.

Moochie Kalala: A New Chicago-Based WTTW Show #‎MoochieKalala‬

The remaining five episodes visit the Museum of Science and Industry to learn about tornadoes; the Lincoln Park Zoo to learn about big primates; the Field Museum  to see Sue, the T. Rex; the Robie House to discover Chicago's great architecture and the last episode will be at the Shedd Aquarium to learn about the beautiful beluga whales.

Moochie Kalala: A New Chicago-Based WTTW Show #‎MoochieKalala‬

This Sunday during Episode #2: The Grabinators vs. the Hoagies of Skunksville, featuring the Museum of Science and Industry Did you know that tornadoes are made from grabinators & hoagies? Either did the grandchildren, Kyle and Mandy, until Grandpa told his story. To check the facts, the detectives head to Museum of Science & Industry and meet with physicist Olivia Castellini.

Moochie Kalala Detectives Club - premiering on WTTW January 2015 from Dreaming Tree Films & Foundation on Vimeo.

Awesome Experiment #1 - Make a Tornado!!

Materials:

  • Two 2-Liter clear plastic bottles (they should be empty bottles!)
  • Duct tape
  • 1 washer Water
  • Food coloring(any color)

Instructions for Experiment:

1. Fill one of the bottles two-thirds full with water.

2. Add food coloring to the water.

3. Take the metal washer and place it on top of the bottle opening.

4. Take the second bottle and place it upside down on top of the first one

5. Match the openings perfectly and tape with duct tape (tape tightly so no water leaks out).

6. Turn the bottles upside down so that the bottle with water is on top. Swirl thebottle in a circular counter-clockwise motion.

7. What shape does the water takeas it moves from the upper bottle to the lower one?

8. Now, change it up! Tip bottles slightly. Move faster or slower

What happens to the tornado? Does the Tornado get wider or narrower?

TV Air Times

Episode Names and Broadcast Dates

  • Episode 1 – Featuring the Adler Planetarium, “Space Dragon of Oceanic Mars”; launches 11 a.m., Sunday, Jan. 18
  • Episode 2 – Featuring Museum of Science and Industry, “The Grabinators & Hoagies of Skunksville”; launches 11 a.m., Sunday, Jan. 25
  • Episode 3 – Featuring Lincoln Park Zoo, “We’re All Good at Something”; launches 11 a.m., Sunday, Feb. 1
  • Episode 4 – Featuring The Field Museum, “Cave Girl & The T-Rex”; launches 11 a.m., Sunday, Feb. 8
  • Episode 5 – Featuring Frank Lloyd Wright Trust, “Magic Blocks of Creation”; launches 11 a.m., Sunday, Feb. 15
  • Episode 6 – Featuring Shedd Aquarium, “A Whale of a Tale”; launches 11 a.m., Sunday, Feb. 22

Moochie Kalala Detectives Club airs on WTTW Kids, Channel 11 in Chicago on Sundays at 11am, and on Saturdays at 7am. The shows are also available on Comcast VOD and will run March-June 2015 on WTTW Kids

Celebrate National Day of Reading with The Book of Life

0
0
Celebrate National Day of Reading with The Book of Life

National Reading Day is a day to celebrate literacy. We are joining all school aged children today who will be involved in National Reading Day activities. National Reading Day is the perfect time to get young readers excited about enhancing their reading skills and turn your children in to lifelong readers.

Celebrate National Day of Reading with The Book of Life

My girls are avid readers and I have to say that I love it! I gobble up books by the dozen and hope I am instilling this love in my children. As a home educating mom, I have the luxury of selecting the books that I want my girls to read every year for Literature/Composition. They are free to read their own selections for pleasure, but I push the classics for school.

My youngest daughter started reading her newest book this week, Detectives in Togas by Henry Winterfeld, and she loves it. She asked me this morning if she could keep reading past the assigned chapters because she wanted to know what was going to happen.

My oldest daughter is currently reading Tirzah by Lucille Travis, and she insists on reading each chapter out loud to me so I do not miss a single word. This gal of mine has been slow to love reading and it brings me joy that she gets excited about books now.

Celebrate National Day of Reading with The Book of Life

To celebrate National Day of Reading this year I thought it would be wonderful for my daughters to create their own books utilizing storybook kits and their life and our family. I want the girls to be able to express the fun and culture in our home as well as our traditions and what keeps our family going all year long.

Celebrate National Day of Reading with The Book of Life Celebrate National Day of Reading with The Book of Life

Then we can look at their storybooks together and see how we may differ from other cultures and people in our amazing world. The Book of Life is an adventure of a lifetime movie and will be released on DVD January 27th. The characters of The Book of Life embrace their rich culture and family history as they embark on a wondrous adventure filled with magic, music and fun.

Celebrate National Day of Reading with The Book of Life Celebrate National Day of Reading with The Book of Life

Some cultures believe that butterflies carry the souls of the dead. The people of Mexico believe that if a butterfly lands on their home or a nearby plant, it is a reassurance that the family member's spirit has arrived. I included butterfly cutouts for the girls to use to tie in The Book of Life with our Life Storybook creations.

Celebrate National Day of Reading with The Book of Life Celebrate National Day of Reading with The Book of Life

Different cultures remember their ancestors differently and I thought this would be a good lesson and a great opportunity to honor our ancestors and learn more about who has passed away in our family.

Celebrate National Day of Reading with The Book of Life Celebrate National Day of Reading with The Book of Life Celebrate National Day of Reading with The Book of Life

Remember to celebrate The Book of Life and National Reading Day with your family stories! The amplify the National Ready Day and The Book of Life family theme, Pinhole Press is celebrating with us today as well. They have exclusive The Book of Life photo gifts such as memory games, mini storybooks, notebooks and notepads.

Pinhole Press is celebrating with a 10% off code. You can visit Pinhole Press and customize a professionally printed book to tell your child's own story with exclusive backgrounds and branding from the movie, The Book of Life.

Celebrate National Day of Reading with The Book of Life Celebrate National Day of Reading with The Book of Life Celebrate National Day of Reading with The Book of Life Celebrate National Day of Reading with The Book of Life

 

CELEBRATE LIFE, LOVE AND FAMILY WITH PINHOLE PRESS AND THE BOOK OF LIFE!      GIFT FROM PINHOLE PRESS

10% off Pinhole Press products with code: BOOKOFLIFE

Expires on Valentine's Day (2/14/2015) Visit Pinholepress{DOT}com/collections/the-book-of-life-collection/ to view The Book of Life and Pinhole Press photo gift collection. 

Now go write your own stories!

Disclosure: I am a member of Fox Home Entertainment Insiders program. As always, the opinions expressed are mine. We are compensated for our reviews. Click here for details.

Earthworms Aren't Senseless

0
0
EarthWorms Home School

originally posted on January 19, 2012

Did you know that a worm has five hearts?

Earthworms Aren't Senseless #Homeschool

Did you know that earthworms aren't senseless?

Earthworms Aren't Senseless #Homeschool

Did you know earthworms have bristles?

Earthworms Aren't Senseless #Homeschool

Guess what we've been studying?

10 Best Children's Books of all Time | Books on our Shelves

0
0

 A couple of weeks ago I was looking through out books shelves as I had run out of room . . . yet again . . . to add new books. I have had to move books around from room to room in our house to make room for newer books as my kids grow. As my children grow, their tastes in books evolve and I need to freshen up the books shelves.

My youngest daughter needed to make room in her bedroom for some new books that she is reading. She is reading long chapter books now and asked me if I could move all the "baby" books out of her bedroom. (secretly, I almost cried at this, I was so sad)

I lovingly went through all her shelves and removed all the books that I had read to her, to her older sister and even to her older bother  . . . for some many nights, for so many years. I can not part with these books and have moved them to the basement in a box, safely stored away for another time they will be shared. Because believe me, I will be reading these very same books to my grandbabies some day.

Here are some of my favorite books that I am saving for later. I would suggest investing in the hardback versions of these, because you’ll read them again and again  . . . and again. Obviously this is a biased list and I really could go on and on because I had a huge box to pack up. But here are some of our favorite favorites.

10 Best Children's Books of all Time | Books on our Shelves

Goodnight Moon by Margaret Wise Brown: When my son was born, this is one of the books I received from a dear friend who told me her son loved it when he was small. It quickly because a favorite and stayed that way for at least a decade in my home. It was so well loved, that I actually had to purchase another books to save the first one from disappearing completely. I now have both stored away. Goodnight Moon is one of the most beloved bedtime stories of all time. This classic bedtime story walks your child through a young child’s bedtime ritual, as he says good night to everything around.  I had this book memorized and I actually could probably still recite it if pressed. Best if read in a hushed voice! This is one story that will soon become a family favorite.

10 Best Children's Books of all Time | Books on our Shelves

Guess How Much I Love You: This book was likely my favorite to read to my kids. I bought it and I adored reading it to my babies. They loved hearing it and still to this day will ask me how much I love them.  Little Nutbrown Hare wants his daddy, Big Nutbrown Hare, to know just how much he really loves him. So he keeps coming up with more and more reasons to love his father and they try to outdo each other. It is a fun read and something that will always bring smiles straight to your hearts.

10 Best Children's Books of all Time | Books on our Shelves

Chicka Chicka Boom Boom: This charming and delightful book is still a favorite and I moved it from my youngest daughter's room o my oldest daughter's room, by request to not store it away. An alphabet story that is funny and with a bit of a twist that will keep you all giggling. It is so great, we are still reading it, 12 years later.

10 Best Children's Books of all Time | Books on our Shelves

We’re Going On a Bear Hunt Written by Michael and illustrated by Helen Oxenbury:  A father and his four children set out on a fine day to go on a bear hunt through the grass, through a stream, and into the wild. As they reach the end of the hunt, they come upon a bear who chases them all the way home. Was the bear real or did they pretend it into existence? This story is always super fun to read and your kids will ask you to read it again as soon as you turn the last page. Mine always did.

10 Best Children's Books of all Time | Books on our Shelves

The Napping House By Audrey Wood and Don Wood : Everyone in the house is napping. Everyone, that is, except one little flea who decides to cause all sorts of chaos.  Fun and  silly,  there is no way this won't become a family favorite to share over and over. . 

10 Best Children's Books of all Time | Books on our Shelves

The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle This whimsical story with Carle’s iconic collage illustrations of the hungry caterpillar and the beautiful butterfly is all about teaching the days of the week and counting.  The book unfolds the life of a caterpillar from the moment it is in an egg to the transformation it makes into a beautiful butterfly.

10 Best Children's Books of all Time | Books on our Shelves

The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein: A touching story of a young boy and his favorite tree. Over the years, the tree gives the boy what he wants–and as the boy gets older, he wants more and more from the tree, until the tree has nothing left to give. Well, almost nothing. This book is all about love, real love.

10 Best Children's Books of all Time | Books on our Shelves

Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak: In this classic story, Max dons his wolf suit to make mischief–and ends up being sent to bed without supper. While stuck in his room, he sets out on an imaginative journey to the land of the Wild Things, where they make him King. He rules over the Wild Rumpus, but then returns home to his very own room, where his dinner is waiting for him–and it’s still warm. This was a favorite of my son.

10 Best Children's Books of all Time | Books on our Shelves

Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs Judy and Ron Barrett: Here is another favorite of my son. My girls didn't enjoy it as much until a movie was made based on this book. Hilarity rules, as this mighty storm with orange juice rain, hamburger hail and mashed potato snow makes life messy. Just watch out for the giant falling pancakes. 

10 Best Children's Books of all Time | Books on our Shelves

Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus! Mo Willems:  This book is hilarious! It must e read really loud and with great character! When the bus driver has to leave the bus for a few minutes, he cautions those who are left behind not to let the pigeon drive the bus. The Pigeon will stop at nothing to get his chance to drive the bus. Great lesson here!

10 Best Children's Books of all Time | Books on our Shelves

BONUS: Blueberries for Sal Robert McCloskey: A highlight of any summer in the midwest is picking blueberries.  When little Sal and her mother go out to pick blueberries to can for winter, they run into a little problem. Sal loves picking the berries, but she loves eating them even more. Sal gets a bit lost and follows the wrong momma. It is always fun to find out what happens to Sal. .

What’s New In Your Summer Curriculum? 2015 Summer Curriculum

0
0

Every summer I still school my children . . . I know . . . I am the worst parent on the planet! We school part-time, meaning we school for about an hour three days a week. We cover the basics during the summer. Math and Literature. I also throw in whatever we may not have finished up during our regular school year OR whatever the kids may need a bit of extra attention with.

What’s New In Your Summer Curriculum? 2015 Summer Curriculum

This past school year, we didn't really focus on Spelling, but only because it is not an area that my children do not already excel in. However, this summer we are going to focus on Spelling to keep the girls completely on course and aide them in their continued success with Spelling.

My son attended a private school this year and I don't feel their curriculum was on par with what we were completing at home. His grades have progressively slide down the ladder from first trimester to third trimester. He will be working on Algebra  and Literature with me as well. I have completed an AP Literature curriculum just for him. He will be reading quite a bit for me this summer and writing a lot more. He only wrote two papers this entire year for his teachers. I can not even fathom this as I was having him write 2-5 papers a week for me - in sixth grade! He is not happy with me, but I told him he either accepts this deal with me or he will not be returning to this private school in the fall. I even made him sign a contract!

Each August I write a post on what curriculum we will use for the coming school year. Here is my 2014-2015 home school curriculum2013-2014 home school curriculm2012-2013 school curriculum and  2011-2012 school curriculum posts. 

Math: Saxon Math (Level 5/4 and 6/5 and 1/2 Algebra)
Does it work? Yes
Will I continue to use it for summer? Yes.

We are heavy on Math in this house! I refuse to allow my children to fall behind in this subject.  We did not get through our books this year, so we will be finishing up on Saxon Math levels for the girls. My son will be working on Algebra 1/2. He actually finished this book two years ago, but we are going back and revisiting concepts that I don't feel he did well on this year in Algebra.

Spelling: The Grammar of Spelling
Does it work? We will see
Will I continue to use it?  Unsure

This is new curriculum for the summer. I had used Spelling Power in the past and it just didn't work for us. My youngest daughter is a great speller and my oldest daughter is an average speller.I have Grade 4 and Grade 5 for the girls and so far they really like it.

Handwriting/Penmanship: Classically Cursive
Does it work? Yes
Will I continue to use it?  Yes

My daughters have wonderful fine motor skills, but is a bit off.  I think they struggle more with where to place their paper in relation to their writing utensil. My 3rd grader will work with Book IV The Attributes of God and my 5th grader will work on Book III Shorter Catechism. 

Literature/Composition: Various Books with Comprehension Guides
Does it work? YES
Will I continue to use it?  Yes

Grade 3 & Grade 5Dangerous Journey From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs Basil E Frankweiler and Misty of Chincoteague

Grade 7th: Uncle Tom's Cabin, A Tale of Two Cities and Moby Dick

Field Trips/Extra Activities: Tennessee, Iowa, Illinois, State Fairs

We have many, many field trips since we live in a great city with numerous museums. Field Trip days will always be the favorite. My son is going to Tennessee with his father for a week while I am away at sleep-away camp with the girls. They have numerous activities planned whilst there.

About Tiaras & Tantrums: Rese is a mom of three. She enjoys home educating her kiddos, taking photos, and traveling the globe. Rese is a family photographer and home educator. Connect with Rese on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest, and Google+. Sign up via email for the latest updates from Tiaras & Tantrums.

Walking with Dinosaurs Activity Sheets

20 Best Children’s Chapter Books of All-Time

0
0

My kids are getting older now and have moved on to chapter books. They still really enjoy non-chapter books as well, but we are on our summer reading programs and need some engrossing tales. I have compiled a list of some of our absolute favorites of all time. These titles have been read in my house numerous times.

20 Best Children’s Chapter Books of All-Time

From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler: Claudia Kincaid lives a comfortable life in suburbia, but she hates it. She feels that her parents do not appreciate her enough. She wants to run away-to somewhere beautiful and elegant. She chooses the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and invites along her younger brother Jamie. Living in the museum they get wrapped up in a mystery surrounding a statue that was possibly made by Michelangelo. On their quest to find out more about the statue, Claudia meets the extraordinary Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler –the woman who sold the statue to the museum- and discovers more about not just the statue, but about herself as well.

20 Best Children’s Chapter Books of All-Time

The Secret Garden: Mary Lennox is a rude, self-centered, affectionate little girl. She is all these things because she was unwanted by her parents, and raised mostly by servants that just tried to spoil her to keep her out of the way. When cholera kills her parents and the servants in the manor, she is sent to live with her Uncle on a lonely moor. There she discovers a secret garden, and within it, a young crippled boy who has been confined there for years. Through Mary’s intense characterization we are pulled into a charming children’s chapter book that is at once simple and full of depth.

20 Best Children’s Chapter Books of All-Time

The Velveteen Rabbit: I have exceptionally fond memories of getting this book read to me as a child. It is a lovely tale, albeit somewhat sad, about a young boy and his Velveteen Rabbit whom he gets when his china dog is replaced. The other more expensive toys scorn the Velveteen Rabbit, fancying themselves to be real while he is not. The Rabbit finds out that a toy can only become real if its owner truly loves it. The boy takes the Velveteen Rabbit with him everywhere, until he becomes deathly ill with scarlet fever. When he is well enough to travel he is sent to the seaside on doctors’ orders until he is all better, and all his toys are to be burned to disinfect the nursery. He is given a new rabbit, and forgets all about his old one that now sits near a bonfire. But even in the most dire of situations, as the Velveteen Rabbit finds out, there are still happy endings to be had.

20 Best Children’s Chapter Books of All-Time

Where The Red Fern Grows: Billy Colman wants, more than anything, a coonhound pup. When he is lucky enough to get two, he couldn’t be happier. He roams the Ozarks with his dogs, trying to ‘tree’ an elusive raccoon. They quickly become one of the finest hunting teams around, and win the gold cup in the coon-hunt contest. Where there is happiness though, there is also sadness. This book does a wonderful job of balancing these two emotions that come together to make this an unforgettable read.

20 Best Children’s Chapter Books of All-Time

James and the Giant Peach: James Henry Trotter is a four year old boy who lives a peaceful life with his mother and father in a cozy home. Unfortunately, their idealistic lifestyle does not last terribly long. On a shopping trip to London, Jame’s mother and father are both swallowed by an escaped Rhinoceros. He is then sent to live in a ramshackle house with his wicked aunts-Spiker and Sponge-who abuse him for the next 3 years. When an old man finds James crying, he hands him a sack of green crocodile tongues that James accidentally spills on a tree. Consequently, it is a peach tree, upon which a massive peach grows. Befriending a random group of insects that were also transformed by the tongues, James sets out on the adventure of a life time to rescue his parents.

20 Best Children’s Chapter Books of All-Time

Island of the Blue Dolphins: Karana is young when the Aleuts attack her village and tribe, killing her father and many others. When the new chief of the tribe heads out for a new land, he sends a ship back for his people. When it is about to set sail and Karana’s brother is still not on the ship, she jumps off and swims to the island. When her brother is killed, Karana is left to survive on her own-which she did, for 18 years. The book is based off of a true story that took place in the 1800s.

20 Best Children’s Chapter Books of All-Time

The Bad Beginning: The first book in Lemony Snicket’s A Series Of Unfortunate Events is truly a terrible beginning. The three Baudelaire orphans, Violet, Klaus, and Sunny, are sent to live with their wicked uncle (Count Olaf) after their parents are killed in a fire. Things only go from bad to worse then, with Olaf after the family fortune, and don’t get better. It’s only thanks to their wit and perseverance that they are able to escape the cunning and evil Olaf-or so they think. (But you MUST read the entire series to your kids!!)

20 Best Children’s Chapter Books of All-Time

Number The Stars: A rather intense children’s chapter book, Number The Stars takes place in Denmark in 1943, in the third year of the Nazi occupation in Denmark. It is told from the point of view of a 10 year old girl, Annemarie Johansen, as she struggles to deal with the cruelty that is taking place all around her. While she herself is not Jewish, her best friend Ellen is, and Annemaries family does their best to protect her. When they are forced to flee, everyone’s world is turned upside down.

20 Best Children’s Chapter Books of All-Time

Black Beauty: A totally classic chapter book, it is told from the first person point of view of a stunningly beautiful horse named Black Beauty. His life begins carefree and happy, until he falls and scars his knees. The wealthy people who owned him get rid of him, as he is no longer presentable in their eyes. The rest of the book tells about the many owners that he is passed to, some cruel and some kind. It has a strong emphasis on kindness to both man and beast.

20 Best Children’s Chapter Books of All-Time

The Wind in the Willows: Mole, who is usually quite a homebody, gets fed up with spring cleaning one day, and travels to the surface to enjoy the nice weather. By the banks of the river he meets Ratty (a water rat) who offers him a ride in his boat. Mole travels around with Rat more and more often, and together they embark upon a series of adventures that involve saving their friend-the obsessive and self-destructive Toad-battling weasels and ferrets, and exploring the Wild Woods to find the elusive Badger.

20 Best Children’s Chapter Books of All-Time

The BFG: Sophie is a young orphan in the city of London. One night she happens to be awake at midnight-the witching hour-a time known for strange and magical things to happen. And happen they do, when a tall cloaked giant comes striding down the street, silently, and carrying a long trumpet. Sophie watches in awe as he blows his trumpets into peoples bedroom-strangely, the trumpet is also silent. The giant spots Sophie then, and snatches her up to keep her from telling anyone what she saw. Thus begins the story of the BFG-in which Sophie goes from being kidnapped to a foreign land of terrifying and loathsome giants to a national hero.

20 Best Children’s Chapter Books of All-Time

The Witches: Luke is a young boy living with his Grandmother after the death of his parents. One night, his Grandma tells him how to recognize a witch by listing off their main traits. They have long fingernails, which they hide in gloves, and they’re bald, so they all itch their scalps under their wigs. They also want to destroy all children. While Luke and his Grandmother are vacationing in England (the place with the nastiest witches) Luke stumbles upon a meeting of witches, and must figure out how to deal with them, before it’ too late for children everywhere.

20 Best Children’s Chapter Books of All-Time

Mary Poppins: One day an east wind blows Mary Poppins, the most unusual nanny ever, onto the doorstep of the Banks house at Number Seventeen Cherry Tree Lane. From then on, life for Jane, Michael, and the twins will never be the same. Mary Poppins brings enchantment with her everywhere-sliding UP banisters, and making medicine taste yummy. One things for certain-in all the kids chapter books there have been or ever will be, there will never be a nanny quite like Mary Poppins.


10 Best Children's Books of all Time | Books on our Shelves

0
0

 A couple of weeks ago I was looking through out books shelves as I had run out of room . . . yet again . . . to add new books. I have had to move books around from room to room in our house to make room for newer books as my kids grow. As my children grow, their tastes in books evolve and I need to freshen up the books shelves.

My youngest daughter needed to make room in her bedroom for some new books that she is reading. She is reading long chapter books now and asked me if I could move all the "baby" books out of her bedroom. (secretly, I almost cried at this, I was so sad)

I lovingly went through all her shelves and removed all the books that I had read to her, to her older sister and even to her older bother  . . . for some many nights, for so many years. I can not part with these books and have moved them to the basement in a box, safely stored away for another time they will be shared. Because believe me, I will be reading these very same books to my grandbabies some day.

Here are some of my favorite books that I am saving for later. I would suggest investing in the hardback versions of these, because you’ll read them again and again  . . . and again. Obviously this is a biased list and I really could go on and on because I had a huge box to pack up. But here are some of our favorite favorites.

10 Best Children's Books of all Time | Books on our Shelves

Goodnight Moon by Margaret Wise Brown: When my son was born, this is one of the books I received from a dear friend who told me her son loved it when he was small. It quickly because a favorite and stayed that way for at least a decade in my home. It was so well loved, that I actually had to purchase another books to save the first one from disappearing completely. I now have both stored away. Goodnight Moon is one of the most beloved bedtime stories of all time. This classic bedtime story walks your child through a young child’s bedtime ritual, as he says good night to everything around.  I had this book memorized and I actually could probably still recite it if pressed. Best if read in a hushed voice! This is one story that will soon become a family favorite.

10 Best Children's Books of all Time | Books on our Shelves

Guess How Much I Love You: This book was likely my favorite to read to my kids. I bought it and I adored reading it to my babies. They loved hearing it and still to this day will ask me how much I love them.  Little Nutbrown Hare wants his daddy, Big Nutbrown Hare, to know just how much he really loves him. So he keeps coming up with more and more reasons to love his father and they try to outdo each other. It is a fun read and something that will always bring smiles straight to your hearts.

10 Best Children's Books of all Time | Books on our Shelves

Chicka Chicka Boom Boom: This charming and delightful book is still a favorite and I moved it from my youngest daughter's room o my oldest daughter's room, by request to not store it away. An alphabet story that is funny and with a bit of a twist that will keep you all giggling. It is so great, we are still reading it, 12 years later.

10 Best Children's Books of all Time | Books on our Shelves

We’re Going On a Bear Hunt Written by Michael and illustrated by Helen Oxenbury:  A father and his four children set out on a fine day to go on a bear hunt through the grass, through a stream, and into the wild. As they reach the end of the hunt, they come upon a bear who chases them all the way home. Was the bear real or did they pretend it into existence? This story is always super fun to read and your kids will ask you to read it again as soon as you turn the last page. Mine always did.

10 Best Children's Books of all Time | Books on our Shelves

The Napping House By Audrey Wood and Don Wood : Everyone in the house is napping. Everyone, that is, except one little flea who decides to cause all sorts of chaos.  Fun and  silly,  there is no way this won't become a family favorite to share over and over. . 

10 Best Children's Books of all Time | Books on our Shelves

The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle This whimsical story with Carle’s iconic collage illustrations of the hungry caterpillar and the beautiful butterfly is all about teaching the days of the week and counting.  The book unfolds the life of a caterpillar from the moment it is in an egg to the transformation it makes into a beautiful butterfly.

10 Best Children's Books of all Time | Books on our Shelves

The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein: A touching story of a young boy and his favorite tree. Over the years, the tree gives the boy what he wants–and as the boy gets older, he wants more and more from the tree, until the tree has nothing left to give. Well, almost nothing. This book is all about love, real love.

10 Best Children's Books of all Time | Books on our Shelves

Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak: In this classic story, Max dons his wolf suit to make mischief–and ends up being sent to bed without supper. While stuck in his room, he sets out on an imaginative journey to the land of the Wild Things, where they make him King. He rules over the Wild Rumpus, but then returns home to his very own room, where his dinner is waiting for him–and it’s still warm. This was a favorite of my son.

10 Best Children's Books of all Time | Books on our Shelves

Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs Judy and Ron Barrett: Here is another favorite of my son. My girls didn't enjoy it as much until a movie was made based on this book. Hilarity rules, as this mighty storm with orange juice rain, hamburger hail and mashed potato snow makes life messy. Just watch out for the giant falling pancakes. 

10 Best Children's Books of all Time | Books on our Shelves

Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus! Mo Willems:  This book is hilarious! It must e read really loud and with great character! When the bus driver has to leave the bus for a few minutes, he cautions those who are left behind not to let the pigeon drive the bus. The Pigeon will stop at nothing to get his chance to drive the bus. Great lesson here!

10 Best Children's Books of all Time | Books on our Shelves

BONUS: Blueberries for Sal Robert McCloskey: A highlight of any summer in the midwest is picking blueberries.  When little Sal and her mother go out to pick blueberries to can for winter, they run into a little problem. Sal loves picking the berries, but she loves eating them even more. Sal gets a bit lost and follows the wrong momma. It is always fun to find out what happens to Sal. .

2015-2016 Home School Curriculum

0
0

Each August I write a post on what curriculum we will use for the coming school year. Here are my 2014-2015 home school curriculum, 2013-2014 home school curriculm2012-2013 school curriculum and2011-2012 school curriculum posts. WOW! FIVE FULL years of home educating my kiddos! I can't believe it!

2015-2016 Home School Curriculum

This past summer I really was laid back and didn't have full time or even part time schooling planned. I would say were were part-time part-time schoolers over the summer. We had such a fantastic 2014-2015 school year . . . the girls and I, that I was not as strict as I normally would be.

We worked on Math three mornings a week, but that was simply to finish up our Saxon Math books. I wanted to be able to jump right in to the next level once the school year started. The girls worked on cursive writing skills and they also worked on spelling since we don't touch too much on this subject during the school year. The one aspect I was very strict on was reading. I made the kiddos read every single day.

This school year began four weeks ago and I am just now getting my yearly post up! I'm so behind on everything this year! My girls will be attending the consortium again this year and they fully know what is expected of them. My son will attend his last year at the private christian school this year. Not sure what we are doing with him next year (eck!)

2015-2016 Home School Curriculum

Math: Saxon Math (Level 7/6{6th grader} and 6/5 {4th grader})
Does it work? Yes
Will I continue to use it for 2015-2016? Yes.

Saxon Math is my friend! I have been using this curriculum for a long time. it works for us - I love - my kids know what is expected of them and we will keep using it this year as well. Plus, I already have all the books, so that sort of settles it.

Grammar: Shurley Grammar (Level 4 & 7)
Does it work? Yes
Will I continue to use? YES

This will be our FIFTH year using Shurley Grammar. USE IT! IT IS THE BEST! It will help your kids with grammar . . . it will help your kids with literature . . . it will help your kids with composition . . . it will help your kid with foreign language . . . JUST GET IT! I have to say it is one of the best Grammar curriculum out there, for us.

Spelling: The Grammar of Spelling
Does it work? Yes
Will I continue to use it?  Yes and No

This is new to us curriculum as we just started suing it over the summer. Does it work - YES. Do my girls like it - NO. BUT - they don't like any spelling curriculum I have ever purchased. They simply do not like spelling, that is all there is to it. I have been using this curriculum o and off for a couple of years. My little one is a great speller and my oldest daughter is a not so great speller. She could care less and there is nothing that is going to change that. She does not care how a word is spelled or why it is spelled a certain way or the way she thinks it should be spelled. Here's where grammar comes into play. (I didn't use Shurley Grammar with her UNTIL 3rd grade, so I totally failed her in that aspect! BUT - I also didn't get her at home to school until half way through first grade - AND, by then, she had already developed the horrible habit of not caring. Her kindergarten teacher was the worst at teaching spelling and grammar. Just horrid!) SO, I will be working with my eldest once again on getting these key spelling facts down!

Handwriting/Penmanship: Classically Cursive
Does it work? Yes
Will I continue to use it?  Yes

My daughters are both left handed and they do not have the neatest handwriting. My older daughter is really fine tuning her writing and it becoming so much neater these days. But adding in cursive is throwing her into a loop. My youngest child had poor writing skills. She has loads of open ended letters in her printing and I am really hoping Classically Cursive will help this sloppy habit of hers.

Literature/Composition: Classical Composition I: Fable, Classical Composition II: Narrative, Classical Composition III: Cheria/Maxim
Does it work? YES
Will I continue to use it?  Yes

Grade 4:  Twice Freed, The Story of Rolf and the Viking Bow, Cathedral, Castle, Augustine, The Farmer's boy, Beorn the Proud, Door in the Wall, Ink on His Fingers, The Kite Fighters, Son of Charlemagne

READ ALOUD: Beowulf: A Hero's Tale Retold, The Story of Joan of Arc, Favorite Medieval Tales, The Hobbit, Shakespeare's Macbeth

Grade 6: Twice Freed, The Story of Rolf and the Viking Bow, Cathedral, Morning Star of the Reformation, Augustine, The Farmer's Boy, Beorn the Proud, Door in the Wall, Ink on His Fingers, The Kite Fighters, Son of Charlemagne

READ ALOUD: Beowulf: A Hero's Tale Retold, The Story of Joan of Arc, Favorite Medieval Tales, The Hobbit, Shakespeare's Macbeth

Omnibus: Mystery of History, Volume 2 Early Christian Church and Middle Ages
Does it work? YES
Will I continue to use it?  Yes

I love and adore MOH - my kids LOVE history because of MOH! We are so excited to use this again this year. This is GOOD stuff!! I highly recommend it! I have already used this curriculum with my son when he was in 4th grade, so it is very familiar to me and I will have a great year teaching it again.

English/Vocabulary/Language: I feel this is covered well with Shurley Grammar and Lit/Comp work
Does it work? yes
Will I continue to use it?  yes

Science:  Exploring Creation with Astronomy AND Exploring Creation with Botony
Does it work?  YES
Will I continue to use it? Yes, We love Apologia!

We are a Science family! I love Science now - when I was a kid - I WISH I had been taught with Apologia textbooks! I would have loved science instead of abhorring it. My children adore Science and I'm happy to fill their brains up with whatever they want.  We all adore Science and I will continue to be Science heavy in this house. This will be another exciting year with Apologia as we get through two textbooks. Astronomy will be another repeat year for me as I used this when my son was in 4th grade, daughter in 2nd grade and little one in Kinder. We are super familiar with the text and will be using it a refresh our memories basically. Then head right in and dive deep with Botony!

Biblical Studies/Religion/Memory: God's Great Covenant, OT 2: A Bible Course for Children
Does It Work? GGC - YES!
Will I continue to use?  YES!

Both girls will be using GGC again this year. This is another repeat for me as I used this for my son when he was in 4th grade. My daughters love this curriculum, I do as well and it really works in explaining the Bible to children.

Foreign Language: Logos Latin I (Grade 4), Via Latina III (Grade 6)
Does It Work? YES!
Will I continue to use?  YES!

Doing Hard Things this year with Latin! I struggle with this language! I try really hard, but language is just NOT my thing. Latin is always a struggle and I know we will have many hours of studying this year! But, we shall persevere! We like the Logos Latin books MUCH better than the Via Latina - that is for sure.

Art & Music:  Violin, Private Lessons and Chamber Orchestra for my 4th grader & 6th grader. Art classes at academy, Study of Art Through the Masters - Drawing
Does it work? Yes
Will I continue to use? Yes 

Field Trips/Extra Activities:

We have many field trips since we live in a great city with numerous museums that we are members. Field Trip day will always and forever be a favorite. Field trips will be easier this year as I do not have to pick up my son from school everyday.

About Tiaras & Tantrums: Rese is a Chicago mom of three. She enjoys home educating her kiddos, taking photos, and traveling the globe. Rese is a family photographer and home educator. Connect with Rese on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, and Pinterest.

Ecosystem in a Bottle | Science Project #CampSci

0
0

It is hard to believe that I am in our sixth year of home educating my children. From the beginning our our journey to educate at home, my children have shown a keen interest in Science. Which baffled me in the beginning because when I was in elementary school and in high school I literally despised Science.

images credit: http://www.mycutegraphics.com/graphics/science/science-notebook.html

images credit: http://www.mycutegraphics.com/graphics/science/science-notebook.html

What I have come to discover as I have been teaching the Sciences to my children is that I actually love Science, I just had very bad teachers. And maybe, not necessarily bad teachers; but very uninterested and boring teachers. To teach Science, you have to be excited about it. You have to let your own love of the Science show to your students, that being my children.

In the lower grade levels of teaching when I had all three children home with me, they were very much into experiments. One year I ordered kits for the entire school year. My kiddos were happy to perform all these experiments. Sadly, we did not have good luck with these kits as all the pre-packaged kits were very old and they rarely worked.

The next school year, I ordered more Science kits from another vendor and we had better luck. What I realized was if I had the list of equipment we would need and purchased our own NEW, that the experiments worked out perfectly. Needless to say, I have been wary of Science kits from this experience.

image credit: http://www.hometrainingtools.com/bob-jones-science-5-science-kit

image credit: http://www.hometrainingtools.com/bob-jones-science-5-science-kit

We have been a STEM family for a six years now. I am happy to say we are heavy on the Sciences in my house. My son gobbled up Science when he was home with me. I remember doing dual Science each year and it almost was not enough for his Science hungry mind. We just received an acceptance letter last week letting us know that my son has been accepted to the Science, Math and Technology Academy for High School. He was so happy and we are so proud. I like to think that I fostered his love of Science in our home educating years together. I cant wait to see what he does in the next four years in high school.

This past fall we attended the Family Forward conference and had the pleasure of conducting a Science experiment whilst there. My kids were in experiment heaven. After the conference, I was asked if I would like to continue to participate with Camp Science at home. Of course, we were happy and excited to participate!

Disclosure: This Ecosystem in a Bottle | A Science Project #CampSci is sponsored by Monsanto. I have not been compensated for this post, I received the Science kit for my children. All opinions are my own. #CampSci #Monsanto

Ecosystem in a Bottle | Science Project #CampSci

We received our first kit a bit before the holidays and didn't have the opportunity to complete the experiment until recently. My son was just finishing up his Science Fair project, Worm Composting - What do Worms Eat? We needed to clear out the worm bins (we had 500 healthy worms in my dining room) before we began growing some herbs. 

Ecosystem in a Bottle | A Science Project #CampSci

Ecosystem in a Bottle

aka: Miniature Greenhouse
{lesson plan for home educators}

Quotes of the Day:

What most people know but don't realize they know is that the world is almost entirely solar-powered already. If the sun wasn't there, we'd be a frozen ice ball at three degrees Kelvin, and the sun powers the entire system of precipitation. The whole ecosystem is solar-powered.

I love all of the ecosystems - mountains, deserts, rain forests. They're beautiful, and nature has so many different flavors to it.

Our challenge for the future is that we realize we are very much a part of the earth's ecosystem, and we must learn to respect and live according to the basic biological laws of nature.

ECOSYSTEM:

An ecosystem is all the things that interact in a specific area, whether they are living or non-living. Some examples of non-living things that support life in an ecosystem are light, air, soil and water. Living things, like plants, called organisms, use those resources. Each of the specific ecosystems in the world has its own conditions created by the non-living things. These conditions determine what kinds of living things will be able to thrive there.

Organisms can only thrive where their needs are being met. Everything in an organism’s environment has an effect on it. One ecosystem that allows many different kinds of organisms to thrive is a temperate zone. It is an area where the conditions never become too hot or too cold.

All the living things in an ecosystem are called a community. All of one specific kind of organism living in a community is called a population. They take in nutrients like air, sunlight, water, and food. They use energy from those nutrients to grow and develop. They release energy by doing work and moving. They release waste products. They react to things in their environment.

VOCABULARY:

Ecosytem: A complex group of connected elements such as plants, animals and microbes that function as a unit in an environment.

Ecology: The science of the relationships of organisms to one another and their physical surroundings.

Terraqua Column: A bottle system that is composed of elements that live or relate to the earth and aquatic habitats.

Organism: An individual animal, plant or single-celled life form

SUPPLIES:

Ecosystem in a Bottle | A Science Project #CampSci
  • • Scissors
  • • Marker
  • • Seeds
  • • Caps*
  • • Two 2-liter bottles
  • • Water
  • • Soil
  • • Wicks
  • • Ruler
  • • Drill
  • • Safety glasses
  • • Vice grips

HYPOTHESIS

A self-sustained ecosystem is dependent on relating to living organisms and nonliving physical and chemical interactions.

PROCEDURE

This video is very helpful visually for children. I have found that with my kiddos, they have an easier time seeing the experiment than listening to me trying to explain it to them.

Science Camp - Ecosystem in a Bottle from Monsanto STEM Education Outreach.

With Ecosystem in a Bottle you will be building a terraqua column which will allow you discover the relationships between living organisms, and their environment.

Ecosystem in a Bottle | A Science Project #CampSci Ecosystem in a Bottle | A Science Project #CampSci Ecosystem in a Bottle | A Science Project #CampSci Ecosystem in a Bottle | A Science Project #CampSci Ecosystem in a Bottle | A Science Project #CampSci

Discovering Ecosystems:

What observations did you have when you looked at your ecosystem today? Has anything changed? How are the seeds or plants?

How do you expect the plants to grow?

What is one example of a non-living thing in an ecosystem?

What are three of the life processes that living organisms do?

What does population mean in a community?

When does an organism thrive?

Why does a temperate zone support many varieties of organisms?

How much water will be absorbed from the reservoir?

What will the plants look like or taste like?

If they included many elements in their ecosystem, what do they expect to happen?

How do they feel when there are lots of people in a crowded room?

Can anyone name an example of an environment?

What happens when we have too many organisms in one environment?

If you were able to design an environment, what would it look like? Which plants would you have in it? How would you decide how many plants you would put in your environment? Would you also live in your environment?

How would you get the right amounts of air, water and food for each of your plants?

Can you think of some of the steps an engineer may need to complete when designing something?

Where to Put the Ecosystem

Light is an essential part of ecosystems. Without it, photosynthesis would not take place and plants would die. Put the ecosystem in an area that gets direct sunlight for a few hours every day, that won't be knocked over or disturbed by people or pets and a location that can be observed easily.

Ecosystem in a Bottle | A Science Project #CampSci

Once the ecosystem is assembled,  watch it grow and see how the elements mature. Have your kiddos check their ecosystems every couple of days to observe and record the progress. We can't wait for the fresh herbs we will have in a a month or so.

image credit: gpstem.vcsu.edu

image credit: gpstem.vcsu.edu

 

STEM

Introducing your kids to the concepts of STEM encourages their natural curiosity about the world around them. Getting kids excited about STEM activities can help them make their own connections and their own discoveries about how things work. I am so happy I fostered my son's love of Science, Technology, Engineering and Math because NOW, he will be attending an Academy for high school that will fostering his growth in STEM. I can't wait to see what he will be doing in the next four years!

  • Science is a way of thinking and looking at the world
  • Technology is a way of doing and making things work
  • Engineering is a way of designing and building things that work
  • Math is a way of measuring, calculating and predicting results

What do you do to get your kids natural curiosity excited about STEM? Try out the Ecosystem in a Bottle Science Experiment at home!

Ecosystem in a Bottle | Science Project #CampSci

Garden in a Glove | A Science Project #CampSci

0
0

In this age of constant digital contact, connecting my kids to nature seems more difficult than ever here in Chicago. Fortunately, the amazing thinkers at Camp Science, have envisioned innovative ways to bring children closer to nature. Fortunately for me and my children, Monsanto has developed Homeschool Camp Science AND a K-12 Educational Outreach that fuses STEM with home school education.

Our next Camp Science experiment was Garden in a Glove. We are currently waiting for warmer weather to transplant all our seedling in the ground. I seriously had to turn my heat on last night as we dipped to 40 degrees! We are days away from May 1st and I am sitting her bundled up in my home. Our seedlings are warm in my dining room!

Garden in a Glove Science Project #CampSci

Botony and Camp Science

This semester the girls are studying Botony and Camp Science Garden in a Glove ties in perfectly!

Every little seed is a tiny living thing. But it is fast asleep. Once a seed begins to grow, it becomes a seedling. But a seed is essentially dormant. A see really only needs three things to wake up: warmth, water and air. We planted some seeds in a rubber glove to prove just that. You might think that a seed needs soil, but it really does not.

During the middle of winter, my girls conducted an experiment where they place wet paper towels in three separate plastic baggies and placed seeds in each bags. They then placed the bags in three different locations to find the ideal location for the seed to wake up. A dark closet, taped to the window and in the refrigerator. Where do you think the seeds turned into seedlings?

The closet!! Do you want to know why? The seeds turned into seedlings rapidly because and grew because they were searching for light! The seeds used all the stored food in the cotyledon find its way out of the darkness and into the light.

Garden in a Glove Science Project #CampSci

Disclosure: This Garden in a Glove | A Science Project #CampSci is sponsored by Monsanto. I have not been compensated for this post, I received the Science kit for my children. All opinions are my own. #CampSci #Monsanto

Garden in a Glove

Garden in a Glove Science Project #CampSci

Recently we conducted the experiment by placing seeds in the fingers of a plastic glove. Remember, seeds only need warmth, water and air to turn into seedlings.

Question: Does temperature effect seed germination?

HYPOTHESIS: More bean seeds will germinate when temperatures are cold than when it is hot.

Question: Does light influence seed germination?

HYPOTHESIS: Germination rates will be greatly influenced by light.

Question: Do plants grow toward the light?

HYPOTHESIS: Plants will turn toward the light as they grow.

Garden in a Glove Science Project #CampSci

SUPPLIES:

  • • 1 Clear Plastic Food Grade Glove
  • • 10 Cotton Balls
  • • 5 types of seeds (3-4 of each). Choose
  • a variety of plants you want to grow
  • (and eventually eat).
  • • 1 Permanent Marker
  • • 1 Twist Tie or Pipe Cleaner
  • • Soil
  • • Planting cups (optional)
  • • Scissors
  • • A glass of water

PROCEDURE

With Garden in a Glove, you will be able to see the life cycle of plants and discover what seeds need to germinate and produce fruit or vegetables.

Garden in a Glove Science Project #CampSci

Step 1: On each finger and thumb of the glove, write the type of seed that you plan to put into each.

Garden in a Glove Science Project #CampSci

Step 2: Wet five cotton balls in the glass of water and squeeze the excess water out of the cotton balls.

Garden in a Glove Science Project #CampSci

Step 3: Place one cotton ball in each finger and thumb of the glove.

Garden in a Glove Science Project #CampSci Garden in a Glove Science Project #CampSci

Step 4: Place 3-4 seeds in each one of the fingers and thumb of the glove. Make sure you match the seeds to the labels you have put on the glove.

Garden in a Glove Science Project #CampSci Garden in a Glove Science Project #CampSci

Step 5: Wet five cotton balls in your glass of water and squeeze the excess water out of the cotton balls. Place one cotton ball into each finger/thumb of the glove on top of the cotton balls that were placed in step 3. Cover the seeds as best as you can.

Garden in a Glove Science Project #CampSci

Step 6: Blow air into the plastic glove and tie it closed with a twist tie or pipe cleaner. Tape the glove to a window, chalkboard or wall. You can also pin them to a clothes line. Make sure the area you choose is warm and has a source of light.

Garden in a Glove Science Project #CampSci Garden in a Glove Science Project #CampSci Garden in a Glove Science Project #CampSci

Step 7: Check your plants each day. In 3-5 days, you should see them beginning to germinate, and you will know this happens when you see that the husk of the seed is open and roots start to emerge. The cotton balls should be moist through the germination process. If any of them seem dry, add a small amount of water to the cotton ball(s). Use care as seeds are most vulnerable as they start emerging.

Garden in a Glove Science Project #CampSci Garden in a Glove Science Project #CampSci Garden in a Glove Science Project #CampSci

Step 8: When 9-14 days have passed after the start of the experiment, transplant the seedlings into soil. If the outdoor conditions are too cold or wet to transplant the seedlings into the ground or an outdoor pot, consider planting them in the biodegradable planting cups provided in your science kit until outdoor conditions improve. This is a great way to start your garden.

Garden in a Glove Science Project #CampSci Garden in a Glove Science Project #CampSci Garden in a Glove Science Project #CampSci Garden in a Glove Science Project #CampSci

Garden in a Glove

{lesson plan for home educators}

Once water surrounds the seed, the testa of the seed loosens. Water gets inside the seed and the embryo wakes up. This starts the germination process! My girls were able to observe all of this right in the fingers of the plastic gloves.

Next a tiny arm called the radicle will push its way out of the seed and begin to grow downward. This will develop into a root of the seed. Next the hypocotyl and the epicotyl will begin to form. The hypocotyl will eventually turn into the stem of the plant. The hypocotyl will push its way upward, and the testa will fall off of the seed. if the seed is planted in dirt -- this is the first part you will see poking its way up through the surface).

The hypocotyl becomes the stem and the epicotyl will begin to poke out of the seed. The epicotyl is the formation of the first true leaves--the plumule. In between the epicotyl and the plumule will be the cotyledons. These are often called the seed leaves. The cotyledons supply food to the developing plant. The cotyledons have all the nutrition the baby plant needs for several days.

Guess what the "food" is? SUGAR! Plants love sugar. Plants really can't live without sugar, it is their food. They make it right inside their leaves. Plants produce their own food, so they really are their own producers.

Do you know why plants grow leaves? They grow their leaves to feed themselves. Each leaf on a plant has a stomata, sort of like a mouth. They don't actually eat, but they help the leaf make food for the plant. Without stomata in its leaves, a plant would ton be able to survive. The stomata are tiny holes in the leaf surrounded by guard cells.

The guard cells swell up once the sun comes out each morning and the stomata open. This allows carbon dioxide into the leaf. The leaf then used the carbon dioxide to make food for the plant.  When the sun sets, the guard cells shrink and go to sleep for the night.

The leaves of plants are super important. If you pick all the leaves off, the plant will likely not survive. We need the plants because they not only provide food for us to eat -- but they also release oxygen into the air for us to breathe! (If you are thinking how do tress survive in winter without their leaves -- that is a totally different lesson ☺)

The stomata allow oxygen to leave the leaves so that we can breathe it. Without all the leaves on our planet, we would have less oxygen to breathe. But here is another good reason to not pick all the leaves off plants-- plats also clean the air by taking in carbon dioxide and replacing it with fresh oxygen. They absorb harmful chemicals that are dangerous for us to inhale.

Photosynthesis

via National Arbor Day Foundation

To review, sugar is made in the leaves--the leaf takes water from the roots and combines it with light from the sun and the carbon dioxide from the air to make the sugar for the plant and oxygen for us. It then sends the sugar down form the leaves and the sugar runs throughout the entire plant to feed itself. In order to combine the carbon dioxide and water, the leaf needs energy. Where do you think the energy comes from? The sun! This is photosynthesis!

Photosynthesis means putting together with light. This is exactly what leaves do.

Do you know why leaves are green?? Leave need to be green in order to perform their duties. Leaves are filled with a substance called chlorophyll. This absorbs the light from the sun, uses the energy and gives it its color. Chlorophyll literally fills the leaves with green color! So, if the leaf is not green, it can no longer do Photosynthesis. (HINT: grass works the same way)

Quotes of the Day:

Behold, my friends, the spring is come; the earth has gladly received the embraces of the sun, and we shall soon see the results of their love! -Sitting Bull

The greatest service which can be rendered any country is to add a useful plant to its culture.
― Thomas Jefferson

VOCABULARY:

Germination: The process by which a plant grows from a seed.

Transplant: To transplant or replant is to move a plant from one location to another.

Botony: The study of plants.

Radicle: The embryo's root.

Hypocotyl: The stem of a germinating seedling.

Epicotyl: The top parts of the embryo.

Plumule: Feather like leaves on the embryo.

Stomata: Pores in leaves.

Photosynthesis: The process plants use to change carbon dioxide and water into sugar using sunlight.

STEM

Introducing kids to the concepts of STEM early encourages their natural curiosity about the world around them. Getting kids excited about STEM activities can help them make their own connections and their own discoveries about how things work.

  • Science is a way of thinking and looking at the world
  • Technology is a way of doing and making things work
  • Engineering is a way of designing and building things that work
  • Math is a way of measuring, calculating and predicting results

Science Camp - Garden in a Glove from Monsanto STEM Education Outreach on Vimeo.

What do you do to get your kids natural curiosity excited about STEM? Try out the Garden in the Glove Science Experiment at home!

The Butterfly Nursery | The Butterfly Lifecycle

0
0
We have been studying the life cycle of the butterfly during Science this past month utilizing The Butterfly Nursery that I received from Lakeshore Learning.

The Butterfly Nursery is such a delightful kit your children won't even realize they are learning. The kit enables your family watch the lifecycle of a butterfly. Literally, miracles happen before your eyes.  The live butterfly kits come with caterpillars so you and your children can see theamazing transformation!

The Butterfly Nursery | The Butterfly Lifecycle

These live butterfly kits are amazing for our science project and simply for the children to learn all about the ever-changing caterpillar and the butterfly life cycle in general.  One of the greatest things about these live butterfly kits is the fact that after the butterflies hatch out of their pupas, we get to observe them for a little while and then let them go! 

When the kit arrives, there will be a card to send off to let them know when you want to receive your caterpillars. In the kit will be the Butterfly Nursery which you can set up or wait until later.

The Butterfly Nursery | The Butterfly Lifecycle

When our kit arrived, it was a very cold spring day here in Chicago. My daughter got the mail that day and I could see her shaking the box all the way to the door. I would advise against this! ☺ Thankfully, all the tiny caterpillars were asleep?? We had six little caterpillars in our container filled with food.

The caterpillars were so tiny! However, they literally doubled in size by the next day! Each day they continued to eat and grow right in the container they arrived in. All six caterpillars grew and grew and grew! You won't believe how fast they grow!

The Butterfly Nursery | The Butterfly Lifecycle

After a week plus a couple of days, one caterpillar started to form into a chrysalis. This happened on a day we attend school. my daughters were so sad as they thought they would miss the entire process. However, when we arrived home that afternoon, we were able to see the caterpillar finish his chrysalis making process. The next morning, there were a few more. That evening we had five chrysalises and the last one was up on the top of the container ready to get to work.

The Butterfly Nursery | The Butterfly Lifecycle

This is when tragedy struck our container. My daughter accidentally knocked it off the counter. All the chrysalises that were formed were barely hanging on the paper circle. One had popped open and the last caterpillar had burst. Oh the tears!

The Butterfly Nursery | The Butterfly Lifecycle The Butterfly Nursery | The Butterfly Lifecycle The Butterfly Nursery | The Butterfly Lifecycle

I carefully removed the paper circle and placed it in the butterfly house. I took the two chrysalis that had completely become dislodged and placed them on the bottom. We said a prayer and were hopeful! included in the butterfly house will be a chrysalis hanger. I taped our paper circle to this and watched everyday to see how the chrysalis fared.

About a week later, we came home from violin lessons and I saw a flutter. One butterfly had emerged while we were out! We could see another butterfly on the bottom of the butterfly house, but he was missing a wing as it had not dried properly and he was unable to move very well. The next morning we woke up and we had the same issue.

The Butterfly Nursery | The Butterfly Lifecycle

We have one healthy butterfly out of the six caterpillars. We did learn a very valuable lesson thought. DON'T shake the box! DON'T drop the cup! My girls are sad--but we were able to watch the Butterfly Life Cycle.

The Butterfly Nursery | The Butterfly Lifecycle

We have one beautiful Painted Lady Butterfly and are feeding her sugar water and plan to let her go tomorrow. 

Letting our butterfly go is going to be a satisfying experience, but it is also a wonderful teaching lesson.  My children are learning that animals do not need to be locked up and while it is okay to observe them for awhile, it is always best to let nature take its course.

The Butterfly Nursery | The Butterfly Lifecycle

We have our Butterfly House and I think we are going to order another cup in order to do this again!

This The Butterfly Nursery | The Butterfly Lifecyclepost has been sponsored by Lakeshore Learning. All opinions are mine alone.

2016-2017 Home School Curriculum

0
0

Every August I write a post about our plans for the coming school year here at home. I plan out what curriculum we will use for the coming school year. I do have some help from our fabulous consortium. Here are my 2015-2016 home school curriculum2014-2015 home school curriculum, 2013-2014 home school curriculum2012-2013 school curriculum and 2011-2012 school curriculum posts. WOW! I can't believe I am heading into my 7th year of home educating! 

2016-2017 Home School Curriculum

Usually in the past, we would still school a bit over the summer. However, this past summer, we were off on a 2½ week vacation as soon as soon was over. When we returned, I was playing catch-up to everything I had dropped and left hanging. Then July arrived and I realized I was really, really tired and just wanted to relax. Here is it August already and all my kids did all summer is their required reading, which I will never be lax about. 

My youngest daughter finished up 4th grade last school year ad will be heading into 5th grade this school year. She is super excited and slightly nervous. My oldest daughter finished up 6th grade and will be heading into 7th grade this school year.

She will be moving up a level in the consortium this year from Grammar Level to Logic Level. The workload will greatly increase as will her responsibilities regarding her work. I wasn't even sure if "this" program, which is such a great fit for my family, would work for her any longer. She has some difficulties with reading and the Logic level reading is about double that of her last Grammar level.

2016-2017 Home School Curriculum

She really wanted to return and promised me she would work hard, which I know she will do. Even though reading is so very difficult for her, she always works very hard for me. Math is still an issue with her, but we will muster through like we always have.

We didn't work on math at all this summer, which is going to put us behind before we even begin, but I know my girls will catch up quickly. I really wanted to begin them both on Saxon ½ Algebra this school year, but we haven't finished the curriculum from last year. So, that is where we will begin with Math.

My girls will be attending the consortium again this year and they fully know what is expected of them. This will be our 6th year at this consortium and we still love it ad it is such a great fit for our family.

2016-2017 Home School Curriculum

2016-2017 Home School Curriculum

Math: Saxon Math (Level 7/6{6th grader} and 6/5 {4th grader}) & Saxon ½ Algebra
Does it work? Yes & No
Will I continue to use it for 2015-2016? Yes.

Saxon Math is my friend! I have been using this curriculum for a long time. It works great for my youngest daughter. My oldest daughter, not so much. I may search out something new for her this year. Will have to see about math for the school year.

Grammar: Grade 5: Shurley Grammar (Level 6)
Does it work? Yes
Will I continue to use? YES

This will be my SIXTH year using Shurley Grammar. My kids are so over Shurley Grammar. But, our consortium uses it, so we sort of have to as well. It does help with grammar and teaches the foundation correctly. But, it tends to be repetitive and boring after so many years. However, it really, really does help kids with composition!

Spelling: The Grammar of Spelling
Does it work? Yes
Will I continue to use it?  No

I let Spelling go last school year and we didn't miss it at all. I will do the same again this year, unless I see some problems arising with Spelling. thankfully, I don't have issues with spelling.

Handwriting/Penmanship: Classically Cursive
Does it work? Yes
Will I continue to use it?  No

I honestly don't have time to do penmanship and I honestly don't think my girls need to work on this task. They both have lovely hand writing, they just don't know how to write in cursive.

Literature/Composition: Grade 5: Classical Composition I: Fable, Classical Composition II: Narrative, Classical Composition III: Cheria/Maxim Grade 7: same as grade 5 PLUS: Classical Composition IV: Refutation-Confirmation, The Grammar of Poetry & The Elegant Essay
Does it work? YES
Will I continue to use it?  Yes

Grade 5: Thunderstorm in the Church, The Hawk That Dare Not Hunt By Day, Surviving Jamestown: The Adventures of Young Sam Collier, Voyage to Freedom, The Witch of Blackbird Pond, Blackthorn Winter, The Shakespeare Stealer, Cecile: Gates of Gold, Dangerous Journey, I, Juan de Pareja

READ ALOUD: Tales from Shakespeare, Adventures of Don Quixote

I (and my daughters) don't necessarily enjoy all the books that are selected for Literature, but we read them any way. They round out reading otherwise. My oldest daughter will have the same literature teacher as last year, so she is not looking forward to the class at all. My daughter is full of exciting ideas and loves to think outside the box and her instructor is all about staying completely inside the box and doing exactly as you are told. She has her favorite students and my daughter is not one of them. This will be one class that will sort of be a blow off for her as she does not meld with the teacher's teaching style.

Omnibus: Grade 5: Mystery of History: Volume III The Renaissance, Reformation, and Growth of Nations Grade 7: Omnibus II: Student Text
Does it work? YES
Will I continue to use it?  Yes

I love and adore MOH - my kids have LOVED history because of MOH and SOTW! We are so excited to use this again this year. I have already used this curriculum with my son and my daughters when he was in 5th grade and they were in 1st & 3rd grades, so it is very familiar to me and I will have a great year teaching it again. My oldest daughter will begin Omnibus II in the Logic level. My son really liked this class, but it is heavy on the reading. I have downloaded all the books for audio for my daughter and we are hopeful.

Omnibus II Required Reading Grade 7: Sir Gawan and the Green Knight, The Song of Roland, Geoffrey of Monmouth, Dante, Geoffrey Chaucer, The Bondage of Will, Saint Augustine, On the Incarnation Saint Athanasius, Bede, Beowulf, Macbeth, Midsummer Night’s Dream, The Nine Tailors, Merry Adventures of Robin Hood & Eusebius

English/Vocabulary/Language: I feel this is covered well with Shurley Grammar and Lit/Comp work
Does it work? yes
Will I continue to use it?  yes

Logic: Grade 7: Introductory Logic Student
Does it work? yes
Will I continue to use it?  yes

I used this in the past when my so was in 7th grade. It is a great book and really helps a student develop logical thinking skills. Hopefully my daughter will like this class as well.

English/Vocabulary/Language: Grade 5: Apologia: Exploring Creation Through Anatomy and Physiology & Anatomy Notebooking Journal Grade 7: Exploring Creation with General Science & General Science Notebooking Journal
Does it work? yes
Will I continue to use it?  Yes, we love Apologia!

We are a Science family! I love Science now - when I was a kid - I WISH I had been taught with Apologia textbooks! I would have loved science instead of detesting it. My children adore Science and I'm happy to fill their brains up with whatever they want.  We all adore Science and I will continue to be Science heavy in this house. This will be another exciting year with Apologia as we get through two textbooks. Anatomy will be another repeat year for me as I used this when my kids were in 1st, 3rd and 5th grades. General Science will also be a repeat for me as my son had this when he was in 7th grade as well. We are super familiar with the text and will be using it a refresh our memories basically.

Biblical Studies/Religion/Memory: Grade 5: God's Great Covenant, NT 1: A Bible Course for Children Church History/Hermeneutics: Grade 7: Turning Points: Decisive Moments in the History of Christianity & Journey Into God's Word: Your Guide to Understanding & Applying the Bible
Does It Work? GGC - YES! Grade 7 curriculum is completely new to us this year
Will I continue to use?  YES!

My youngest daughter will be using GGC again this year. This is another repeat for me as I used this for my son when he was in 5th grade and my daughters were in grade 1 and 3. My daughter loves this curriculum, I do as well and it really works in explaining the Bible to children. Grade 7 curriculum will be a challenge I already know. It is new and will be heavy on reading and listening in class.

Foreign Language: Logos Latin III (Grade 5), Visual Latin 1 (Grade 7)
Does It Work? Yes
Will I continue to use?  YES!

I do not like or enjoy Latin. Therefore, my daughters do not like or enjoy Latin. I struggle greatly with this language! I try really hard, but language is just NOT my thing. Latin is always a struggle and I know we will have many hours of studying this year! But, we shall persevere! Logos Latin is very well laid out and it will be fine for my youngest daughter. This is our first year using Visual Latina and I really hope it helps us!

Art & Music:  Violin, Private Lessons and Youth Orchestra for my 5th grader & 7th grader. Art classes at academy for my youngest daughter.
Does it work? Yes
Will I continue to use? Yes 

Field Trips/Extra Activities:

We have many field trips since we live in a great city with numerous museums that we are members. Field Trip day will always and forever be a favorite. Field trips will be easier this year as I do not have to pick up my son from school everyday.

Inside Our Homeschool After 12 Weeks (7th Grade)

0
0

We have been schooling for 12 weeks now and I can say we have hit a good groove . . . I think . . . but I probably shouldn't even say that or I might jinx the good thing we have going . . . My new 7th grader had a huge jump in curriculum and I will say the first four weeks were in straight out panic mode. At week five, I had to have a discussion with the director of our entire classical program for a bit of guidance as my head was beginning to swim with the amount of work. (she was drowning)

I was really hoping to be able to send my 7th grader to her desk or table or an area where she really could move herself along in her schedule throughout the day and the week. That simply was not happening and I was still needing to keep her on track at every task.

Also, since my 7th grader had such a huge increase in her work load as well as the curriculum itself is actually at a high school and college level, she is desperately in need of my assistance with her school work. After speaking with the director, we decided to give the option to take some classes as audit classes or simply drop one of them altogether.

This post may contain affiliate links. Please see my full disclosure policy. 

My middle child has this amazing spirit where she will literally give 100% +++ of her being in all the tasks that are presented to her. School work included. Week Five proved a turning point for her and week six seemed to just flow so much better. Each week that has passed since week five has been smoother than the week prior. Alleluia!

This week was workload heavy and she has five - FIVE - essays and/or papers due next Monday. needless to say, she obviously saved them all for the last day, Friday. I refuse to school on the weekends, I literally will make my girls work late into a Friday evening so I don't have to assist or do any "homework" on the weekends.

I'm happy to say that my 7th grader has been renewed and lifted in spirit and just works her little heart out to get her work done. I hear so much less complaining and she realizes the fruits of her labor because comprehension is up.  I really thought she was going to be missing out on some valid learning this year with the rough start we had, but she has really focused and put all her attention back on school and is once again excited about learning.

Inside Our Homeschool After 12 Weeks (7th Grade)

Here's where we are so far this year:

MATH

I was sort of ready to throw in the towel after last year with Math. I would spend weeks trying to explain concepts to my daughter and in the end I hired a tutor because I just couldn't torture her or myself any longer. Over the summer, I have always schooled in Math, but this past summer I did absolutely nothing. I gave her a 12 week hiatus from Math. Perhaps this is what she needed because when we started Math this year, she knew what I was talking about.

I did chuck the Saxon Math 7/6 and we jumped right into Saxon Algebra 1/2 . (I moved my 5th grader into this book as well because I was not going to teach two different Math curriculum this year). I don't know if it is the competition of not being bested by her younger sister or if all these concepts are actually up there and they finally decided to pop out --- but, she is getting Math this year! Alleluia!!

LATIN

We began our study of Latin in 3rd grade using Logos Latin 1, which was great and worked well. Our consortium used a Latin book written by an instructor at the school and my daughter used this curriculum for Grade 3, (Logos Latin 1), Grade 4 (Logos Latin 2) and Grade 5 (Logos Latin 3). The first two years using the book were frustrating, but do-able and last year was literally aggravating and a complete waste of time and so many tears. The book was awful and everyone complained about it, even the teacher.

My daughter had the same exact teacher for three years in a row for Latin and I have to say this year she has a new teacher and I am so overjoyed! I really think students need different teachers and not the same teacher year after year, especially if they are struggling in a subject. This year, we are using Visual Latin and it is a breath of fresh air. My daughter loves it and breezes right through all her exercises.

OMNIBUS/HISTORY

We've used The Story of the World previously, which we all loved, but our Consortium uses The Mystery of History:   MOH, so that is what we used. Since my 7th grader moved up a level this year, she will no longer be using MOH and has moved on to Omnibus II: Church Fathers Through the Reformation . This will be my second year teaching this as my son had used this curriculum when he was in 7th grade. I found it interesting the first time around and really enjoyed reading and rereading some of the classic literature.

My daughter on the other hand does not enjoy this class at all and the only book she has enjoyed thus far is The Nine TailorsEusebiusSaint AugustineThe Church History,  Confessions, and On the Incarnation , Saint Athanasius have not held her interest at all. I have either read these to myself and summarized for her, read them to her aloud or found an audio version of the books for her to listen to - which I still have to explain to her when she is done listening. This is the one class that was under consideration to drop completely. But, my daughter wanted to stick with it as she was enjoying The Nine Tailors at week 6. Now, at week 12, reading the On the Incarnation is once again slowly killing her and me along with it!

The issue my daughter has is she has difficulty analyzing the books assigned because they don't interest her. While they are great learning resources, she has yet to make that connection in her mind and how these books relate to History. I'm connecting the dots for her, but this is something that takes many hours a week for us. I would have been happy if she dropped this class and I would have found something else like American History, but she wanted to continue. We will see how the semester ends.

Here are the reminder of the books to read: Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, The Song of Roland, Geoffrey of Monmouth, Dante, Geoffrey Chaucer, The Bondage of Will, Bede, Beowulf, and Macbeth.

SCIENCE

We are using Apologia General Science again this year, the same as my son used in 7th grade. He didn't enjoy it and neither does my daughter. This saddens me because we have been a HUGE Science STEM loving family from the very beginning of our home educating journey. I'm not sure what the teacher does during class time as I really don't think they have enough time (50 minutes) and the teacher is trying to fit in as many labs as she can and the lecture.

This book is not a good fit for us - plainly said. My daughter does not like this textbook and the content in not laid out well in the book or the General Science Student notebook journal. The teacher is assigning every single page in the notebooking journal and it feels like busy work now. She is assigning additional work to supplement how bad the book is (in my opinion). But I wish she would eliminate some of the journal and just create these worksheets and various assignments.

We have loved all the grammar level Apologia books up to this point, but Apologia General Science  is boring and factual and general. I think the issue is my daughter misses the singular focus on one area. I am going to supplement -- if I can find the time with some other material I have here at home -- which is the same thing I did with my son in 7th grade as this material was just not interesting - just factual.

FORMAL LOGIC

My daughter is literally the least logical thinker ever! She is usually thinking about animals and rainbows and what to eat. So, I was pretty worried she would despise this class. Introductory to Formal Logic: In the beginning of the semester, she was a bit scared off by all the terms, but once I sat with her and really explained in great detail what Logic was and how to begin thinking logically -- she has spread her wings and just GETS logic! I do have to read the textbook, An Introduction to Formal Logic , to her and help her with her exercises, but for the most part, she answers everything correctly with minimal direction now.

CHURCH HISTORY/HERMENUTICS

This class is a new class for my daughter, she has always used God's Great Covenant  for the past four years and we all love this curriculum. But this year, the Logic level students do a bit more and Church History delivers. The beginning of the semester threw her off a bit, but she is settling into this class well. While the book selected, Turning Points: Decisive Moments in the History of Christianity by Mark Noll is a college level book and my daughter can't even read it -- she is grasping the content once I explain it all to her. Plus, she has an amazing teacher who is excited about teaching Church History to the students.

The great thing about this book and this class is my daughter is making connections with the material to other subjects and with the history she is learning in catechism. We will see how second semester goes.

LITERATURE/COMPOSITION

We are using Classical Composition: FableClassical Composition II: NarrativeClassical Composition III: Chreia/Maxim , Classical Composition IV: Refutation/Confirmation  as this is what our consortium uses. My daughter is an avid journal writer and writing papers is easy for her. She has the same teacher as last year and I'm not sure if she will see any growth due to this, but I am hopeful. She will also be using the The Grammar of Poetry.

My daughter doesn't like direction when writing, but these books do give her the necessary skills and tools she needs in order to become a better writer.

All in all, I think we are managing well and finding our pace. I don't know if we will continue at the consortium next year because the curriculum is not the best fit for my daughter. There is so much out there that I think would be so much better for her, but I just don't have the time to fit it in because we have so much busy work from the consortium assigns this year.

She has no interest to attend a public or private school and wants to continue to home school through high school and God willing, I will teach her if that is what she wants and where God keeps leading me. But I do think this will be our last year at the consortium, at least for her . . . and this summer I plan to have a planning weekend away with her so we can figure out what plan of action she needs going forward.

We are going to adjust accordingly and I hopefully can stop questioning myself every two days "Am I doing the right thing" "Am I making the right decision keeping her here" "Am I forcing too much" "Am I not doing enough"????


The 50 Best Reading Books for your Kids for the Summer

0
0

“I guess there are never enough books.” ― John Steinbeck

Our school year is coming to a close and summer is fast approaching, even though in Chicago the weather is still quite brisk. I have been schooling hard this year with my daughters and my son will be finishing up his freshman year at the Science, Math & Engineering Academy. My daughters are completely under my curriculum charge and I ca say their literature intake was great this year. I personally don't think my son read enough this year (for my personal satisfaction), but I can not get him to read additional books for me during the school year.

The Best Reading Books for your Kids for the Summer

During the long, summer months of summer I have always incorporated a summer reading schedule for all of my children. Last summer, I had my son reading (high school) Senior level AP literature. He didn't enjoy the books I assigned him, but the point was to enrich his literature palate. My daughters were also assigned enriching literature and we also created a lap book and complected some comprehensive workbooks.

I love this quote from Roald Dahl, simply because it is so true:

“I have a passion for teaching kids to become readers, to become comfortable with a book, not daunted. Books shouldn't be daunting, they should be funny, exciting and wonderful; and learning to be a reader gives a terrific advantage.” ― Roald Dahl

I encourage reading in my home and always have. We have bookshelves filled to overflowing with books in all the children's bedrooms and our home school room is literally filled with bookshelves stuffed full of books. I keep print in my home to encourage reading on a daily basis.

The Best Reading Books for your Kids for the Summer

I taught my children to read at an early age and they have soured ever since. When they were toddlers, I read to them and to this day, I still read to my daughters at bedtime (and more often than not, my so will come in and listen still) and they look forward to this every night. At bedtime, I read popular fiction books, but for assigned books, my children read the classics.

“Reading takes you to another world and challenges you.”

I happen to think the love reading and learning is innate in children, they are little sponges when they are kids. But, if your children really does not enjoy reading at all, it can be encouraged by having loads of books around your home. My personal theory is you can never have too many books! When we leave the house to run errands, we don't grab the electronics, we grab books!

If you have kids, you are driving them everywhere.  We spend a lot of the time in the car daily shuffling to and from school, music practices and activities. Another favorite activity that is reading focused is audio books in the car. Sometimes my kids will even beg to linger in the car longer to hear "a good part" of the story. My middle schooler pretty much listened to all her class assigned books on audio this year.

The slightest knowledge of a great book is better than the greatest knowledge of a slight book. — Paraphrase of Aquinas in the Summa Theologicae: Part 1, Question 1, Article 5

Here are some of our favorite classical reading books that you can read with your children over the summer. We have read all of these books over the past couple of years (and many more) that I have listed, some more than once. Some books were really enjoyed, others were difficult reads, but once completed, happily read.

“Read the best books first, or you may not have a chance to read them at all.” ― Henry David Thoreau

The 50 Best Reading Books for your Kids for the Summer

FOR THE GRAMMAR LEVEL STUDENT

  • Artist of the Reformation: Albrecht Dürer By Joyce McPherson
  • Augustine: The Farmer’s Boy of Tagaste By P. de Zeeuw
  • Black Beauty By Anna Sewell
  • Bound for OregonBy Jean Van Leeuwen
  • BradyBy Jean Fritz
  • The Bronze Bow By Elizabeth George Speare
  • Cathedral By David Macaulay
  • The Door in the Wall By Margarite de Angeli
  • From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler By E.L. Konigsburg
  • The Hawk That Dare Not Hunt by Day By Scott O'Dell
  • Ink on His Fingers (Johann Gutenberg) By Louis Vernon
  • Island of the Blue Dolphins (1850s America) By Scott O'Dell
  • Joan of Arc By Diane Stanley
  • The Little Prince By Antoine de Saint-Exupéry
  • The Magna Charta By James Daugherty
  • Number the Stars (WW II, Holocaust) By Lois Lowry
  • Old Yeller By Fred Gipson
  • The Perilous Road (Civil War) By William Steele
  • The Shakespeare StealerBy Gary Blackwood
  • The Sign of the Beaver By Elizabeth George Speare
  • Snow TreasureBy Marie McSwigan
  • The Story of Rolf and the Viking BowBy Allen French
  • The Story of the Treasure Seekers By E. Nesbit
  • Thunderstorm in ChurchBy Louise A. Vernon
  • Where the Red Fern Grows By Wilson Rawls
  • The Witch of Blackbird Pond By Elizabeth Speare

“A classic is something that everybody wants to have read and nobody wants to read.”  - Mark Twain

FOR YOUR OLDER READER

  • Beowulf By Seamus Heaney
  • The Canterbury Tales By Chaucer
  • The Eagle of the Ninth By Rosemary Sutcliff
  • Macbeth By Shakespeare
  • The Nine Tailors By Dorothy Sayers
  • Sir Gawain and the Green Knight By JRR: Tolkien
  • Son of Charlemagne By Barbara Willard

These next four were read by my grammar level daughter, but she is an advanced reader. Thus my putting these titles under this list. They are a bit more difficult read for a younger student who is not an advanced reader.

  • Theras and His TownBy Caroline Snedeker
  • TirzahBy Lucille Travis
  • The Golden Goblet By Eloise McGraw
  • Twice FreedBy Patricia St. John

FOR THE ADVANCED READER

  • The Bondage of the Will By Martin Luther
  • Call of the Wild By Jack London (this is a much loved book by all and has bee read no less than 10 times in our home)
  • The Catcher in the Rye By JD Salinger
  • The Divine Comedy By Dante
  • Henry V By Shakespeare
  • Moby Dick By Herman Melville
  • A Midsummer Night’s Dream By Shakespeare
  • The Song of Roland By Dorothy Sayers
  • A Tale of Two Cities By Charles Dickens
  • To Kill a Mockingbird By Harper Lee
  • Uncle Tom’s Cabin (Civil War era, slavery) By Harriet Beacher Stowe
  • White Fang By Jack London (I do not know why this is in the advanced reader section except perhaps because of the content, but this book is one of my children's favorite and has been read by all before they were 10 years old)

“Not all readers are leaders, but all leaders are readers.”  - Harry S. Truman

I haven't selected the titles for summer reading yet for any of my children, but am close to narrowing it down. I do not give the option of not reading over the summer. y kiddos can select the time of day that they would like to read, but they do need to read for one full hour per day over the summer. My youngest daughter will read more than is required as she is my voracious reader. My son will grumble through as he is a typical teenager and my middle daughter will read only because she is required. She has some trouble reading and it is not her favorite activity, nor one of her strengths.

Reading is something that I do require and I do not want to make it a chore, that is why I allow my kiddos to select the time during they day. They can choose to play video games, play outdoors or watch television, I don't care the order, just as long as at the end of the day, they read.

A man is known by the books he reads.  - Ralph Waldo Emerson

 

The Best Reading Books for your Kids for the Summer

Build Your Own Bee House #CampSci

0
0

You know that bees make honey, right? Do you know why bees make honey? It is their food during the winter months!  When the flowers are available, bees eat the nectar and the pollen; but during the winter, they eat the honey.

What do bees use to make honey? Bee make honey out of the nectar from the flowers. They use the nectar and also the pollen to make honey. The bees eat pollen for the protein and they mix the pollen in the honey to make their own food. That is why bees are always on the hunt for more pollen and more flowers.

Bees are quite literally the most important pollinators on this planet!

Build Your Own Bee House #CampSci

Some people keep bees to make honey for themselves. They keep the bees in bee boxes outside in their yards. They also keep plenty of blooming flowers in their yard or nearby areas during the spring, summer and fall months for the busy bees.

Bees visit loads and loads of flowers, but not all in the same day. A colony of bees will usually visit a specific area for a day or so, collecting pollen from the SAME flowers. They have built-in intuition to know they must pollinate the same flowers. The bees from the same colony will fly to the same area and collect pollen from the same flowers and pollinate the same flowers.

The survival of a lot of flowers and plants and fruit really depend on bees! Bees were created for the special purpose of helping flowers survive! Flowers don't use their nectar for themselves, they use it to attract bees in order to be pollinated!

If you are going to plant some flowers in your yard in order to attract some bees, stay away from the color red. Bees love all colors on the spectrum, but they are not prone to be attracted to the color red, (they can't see the color red) unless it smells really sweet. Purple is the best colors to attract bees!

Not all bees are honey producing bees though. There are native bees like the squash bee, bumble bees, blueberry bees and the blue orchard mason bee. These bees are the bees you will see in your parks and neighborhood areas. They pollinate our flowers and vegetable gardens.

Build Your Own Bee House #CampSci

National Pollinator Week

A couple of weeks ago was National Pollinator Week. This is an important week for numerous types of farmers all over our nation and the world. Fruit farmers love bees in order to have all their amazing trees pollinated for delicious fruits. But, did you know that dairy farmers need bees as well?

Cows love alfalfa and they need alfalfa in order to produce the best milk. Alfalfa depends on the bees for pollination. Therefore, farmers love bees because the bees will pollinate the alfalfa (its flowers are purple!), the cows eat the alfalfa, then the cows make milk and dairy farmers deliver the milk to us!

I am allergic to bees and my daughters are as well, so while we love the fact that bees keep our planet pollinated -- I'm a bit wary when I see them. My daughters and I are keen on the fact that bumblebees do not sting (they don't have a stinger). We know that once a bee stings you, it will die and we also know that wasps can re-sting you.

We avoid bees and never try to frighten bees -- this keeps all of us (bees included) safe!

Build Your Own Bee House #CampSci

Build Your Own Bee House #CampSci

We received our summer Camp Science Summer Experiment from Monsanto and my girls were so excited! They loved the idea of building their own bee houses. We have a pretty big yard with loads of trees, so we were able to select a tree that is not in close proximity to our house. The girls felt safe hanging their bee houses on our tree and if they are outdoors, they won't be disturbing the bee house at all.

Build Your Own Bee House #CampSci

SUPPLIES NEEDED

  • Cardboard bee tubes
  • Empty Milk Carton / empty oatmeal canister, coffee can etc (basically a sturdy, water-resistant container)
  • Extra long zip ties

If you don't have access to cardboard bee tubes, you could make your very own. Simply cuts sheets of a thicker paper like construction paper 5-6 inches wide and 8½ inches long. Roll the paper tightly around a wooden dowel rod or pencil and tape securely. Slide the dowel out and repeat until you are able to fill your container fully.

Build Your Own Bee House #CampSci Build Your Own Bee House #CampSci Build Your Own Bee House #CampSci

Pack the bee tubes into the water-resistant container, pushing them all the way to the bottom of the container. The tubes should fit snugly inside the container and not slip out or slide around.

Build Your Own Bee House #CampSci Build Your Own Bee House #CampSci

Decorate as desired.

Build Your Own Bee House #CampSci Build Your Own Bee House #CampSci

Hang the bee house in a sunny location near a garden, flower bed or a food source for bees. The bee house should be angled down so if it happens to rain, water will drain out of the container. Use the zip ties to secure to a tree branch.

Build Your Own Bee House .

Observe your bee house over the next few weeks to see if you have any visitors that have moved in to their new bee home.

Build Your Own Bee House #CampSci

We have a lovely pear shaped tree near where we hung the new bee houses, so there are plenty of flowers in the spring time for pollination. I have a garden in the back of my home, not far from the tree either, that has green beans and tomatoes that are just beginning to show signs of flowering. I hope this will attract some bees this summer.

Build Your Own Bee House #CampSci

POLLINATING YOUR PLATE

We will have the bees to thank come fall for all our garden foods. Bees are responsible for pollinating more than 75% of our world's crops. So, bees are very important to our world.

Without bees, a lot of the foods that are readily available to us at the local supermarkets would not exist or they would be greatly limited. There would be no honey, no almonds, very little fruit, which means very little juice, less coffee, less alfalfa, which would lead to less dairy.

It is quite amazing how much impact such a small little creature like the bee has on our food system! Without bees, trees, flowers and plants would also not survive, because who would be around to pollinate them.

Build Your Own Bee House #CampSci

Build Your Own Bee House and then plant some beautiful violet flowers and hopefully soon your bee house will be full.

Disclosure: Thanks so much Monsanto for our lovely Camp Science Summer Experiment Build Your Ow Bee House #CampSci kits!

8th Grade Home School Curriculum

0
0

Here are my TOP 8th Grade Home School Curriculum picks. Homeschooling 8th grade students and preparing your home schooled child for high school whilst developing the skills needed as well as getting a head start on high school credits.

Home School Curriculum Grade 8

Here we are ending the month of August already. This summer was a bit of a dude for us weather-wise. The summer began with the sun shining brightly and then just sort of fizzled out! We had a super wet and rainy summer, which really puts a damper on pool days. We ended the summer in Florida with amazing sunny weather for two solid weeks!

We are home now and ready to begin our school year. Big changes in lace this year for us. My son is still in public high school attending a Science, Math & Engineering Academy within his school - a school within a school. He has a great schedule this year and is actually liking all his classes - except gym.

This post may contain affiliate links. Please see my full disclosure policy. 

My youngest daughter no longer wanted to home school, so she will be attending private Christian school that begins after labor Day. We are all super excited for her at she begins 6th grade in a couple of weeks. 

Every August I write a post about our plans for the coming school year here at home. I plan out what curriculum we will use for the coming school year. This year I am all on my own as my oldest daughter no longer wanted to attend her private homeschool academy. Which is totally fine as we were so ready for a change in curriculum. We still love the consortium community, but the curriculum was no longer working for us.

Here are my Here is my 2014-2015 home school curriculum,  2013-2014 home school curriculum,  2012-2013 school curriculum and 2011-2012 school curriculum posts.  I can't believe it! WOW! I can't believe I am heading into my 8th year of FORMAL home educating! 

2017-2018 Home School Curriculum

MATH : Grade 8: Saxon Algebra 1/2  and Harold Jacobs Elementary Algebra
Does it work? we will see
Will I continue to use? possibly

So we will be finishing up the last few chapters of Saxon Algebra 1/2  because we didn’t complete the book in Grade 7. Then we are moving over to and Harold Jacobs Elementary Algebra. I thought we might try Saxon Algebra becuase my daughter does really well with Saxon Math, but I also used Harold Jacobs Elementary Algebra with my son and he liked it well enough. I also purchased the Solutions Manual and the Teachers Guide as well as the Elementary Algebra Workbook.

Saxon Math is like a long lost friend at this point we have been using it for so long. We will finish up the Saxon ½ Algebras we didn't complete the entire book last school year and head into Algebra I. I have not selected the Algebra I yet and I may want to repeat Saxon ½ Algebra.

Grammar: Grade 8: Growing with Grammar
Does it work? we will see
Will I continue to use? possibly

We are switching it up this year as I am so sick of Shurley English. My kids and I are just so over Shurley Grammar. I used Growing With Grammar before we attended consortium and now I am back to it this year. We shall see if my daughter hates it or not!

Spelling: Grade 8: Soaring with Spelling
Does it work? we will see
Will I continue to use it?  possibly

I have actually let Spelling go for the past few years as it just doesn't work for us. I will try Soaring with Spelling  out and if it causes too much stress, it will go on the shelf of unused books! ☺

Handwriting: Grade 8: Winning with Writing
Does it work? we will see
Will I continue to use it?  possibly

This will be the first time trying this curriculum, but I am excited as we always enjoyed Growing with Grammar ad this is from the same publisher. We are no longer going to use the following curriculum as I really feel they are just outdated and not pertinent today: Classical Composition: Narrative Stage, Classical Composition: Narrative, Classical Composition III: Chreia/Maxim, Classical Composition IV: Refutation/Confirmation . My daughter hated them last year and she did not learn one single thing from this curriculum writing. It just confused her to no end. We may reuse Grammar of Poetry and Elegant Essay Writing , but probably not. I will stick with Winning with Writing  for the first semester.

2017-2018 Home School Curriculum

English/Vocabulary/Language/Spelling/Literature/Composition: Literature 130 Student Guide 2016 version; I have selected books recommend by the Sonlight 8th Grade All-Subjects Package for Literature.
Does it work? we will see
Will I continue to use it?  possibly

I went through the list of books that Sonlight will use for the 8th Grade All-Subjects Package and selected what I thought my daughter would like to read. I did not select all the books inn the student guide and we will follow this schedule -- roughly -- as my daughter is a very slow reader. I will also not assign all of the questions in the student guide as a lot of this seems busy work. We will do a bit verbally and then I will select what I think she needs to know. I will assign papers ad book summaries she will write based on the reading.

READ ALOUD: Out Of The Dust by Karen Hesse, A Long Way From Chicago  by Richard Peck, Rules of the Road by Bauer, Joan, Peace Child by Don Richardson, Indian Captive: The Story of Mary Jemison by Lois Lenski, Bud, Not Buddy , by Christopher Paul Curtis, Elijah of Buxton, by Christopher Paul Curtis, Children of the Longhouse,  by Joseph Bruchac, They Loved to Laugh by Kathryn Worth, The Adventures of Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain, A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle, BOUND FOR OREGON  , (this will be a reread as she read this in Grammar 2) by Jean Van Leeuwen , Bonanza Girl by Patricia Beatty, The Call of the Wild (this will be a reread as well as this is one of our favorite books to read on our own!!) by Jack London, Stink Alley by Jamie Gilson and To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee.

Omnibus/History:  Mystery of History: Volume 4: Wars of Independence to Modern Times (affliate link)
Does it work? YES
Will I continue to use it?  Yes

I was actually so sick of Mystery of History last year I was ready to throw the book in the trash bin! But, after taking a summer break, I realized I didn't hate the MOH curriculum, but I despised the busy work the consortium assigned with the book. My kids love Mystery of History. My daughter actually requested MOH this year as there is a NEW book--Mystery of History Vol 4 Wars of Independence to Modern Times. Last year my daughter took Omnibus II and it was brutal! So we are back to MOH and I will not be creating busy worksheets but instead will have her create a work folder - which she loves.

Science: Grade 8: Apologia Physical Science and the notebook journal
Does it work? yes
Will I continue to use it?  Yes, we love Apologia!

I will be following the schedule put out by Exploring Creation with Physical Science for this subject. My daughter actually requested a different curriculum as last year, Apologia General Science,  was so boring. But, I think she will be fine this year. I bought all the curriculum, so she will simply pop in the DVDs and be taught the lesson and labs and complete the journal and reading assignments on her own. We are a Science family!

Biblical Studies/Religion/Memory: BJU Bible Truths: The Story of the Old Testament Student Text Level B, Grade 8
Does It Work? possibly
Will I continue to use?  maybe

This will be our first year trying this curriculum, Bible Truths Level B Student Worktext Grade 8 4th Edition . I wanted something interesting for my daughter and not too juvenile. Hopefully this will work for us. Last year, her consortium assigned the books and they selected college level books. It was simply too hard and too advanced for her. I had to read the chapters each week and reword everything ito age appropriate language. I wanted a curriculum that would be age level apprpriate, no-frustrating to her and something she would not dread doing each week, but rather, love -- I want her to love her time with the Bible. Selecting too advanced curriculum does not teach our children to love the Lord!

Foreign Language: Visual Latin 2
Does It Work? Yes
Will I continue to use?  YES!

I do not like or enjoy Latin. Therefore, my daughters do not like or enjoy Latin. I struggle greatly with this language! I try really hard, but language is just NOT my thing. Latin is always a struggle and I know we will have many hours of studying this year! But, we shall persevere! This will be our second year with Visual Latin  and it actually really works. The DVDs are awesome and everything is very well laid out. This curriculum comes with the worksheets, quizzes and tests. Simply make an account on Quizlet and you will access to their flashcards and onlines tests as well.

Art & Music:  Violin, Private Lessons, Chamber Orchestra and Youth Orchestra for my 8th grader
Does it work? Yes
Will I continue to use? Yes

Field Trips/Extra Activities:

We have many field trips since we live in a great city with numerous museums that we are members. Field Trip day will always and forever be a favorite. Field trips will be easier this year as I do not have to pick up my son from school everyday.

Here’s a post on our workboxes and how we use them in our homeschool classroom! I also have some printable workbox tags.

I really hope this helps in planning your homeschool curriculum for 8th grade homeschooled students! Make sure to check out my other homeschool grade curriculum picks.

The Best Homeschool Science Curriculum

0
0

The best homeschool science curriculum for elementary, middle school and high school home educated students and my top picks to use in your homeschool classroom. The needs of homeschool parents and students vary widely and there simply is not a single “best” science curriculum for everyone or every family since everyone is so different.  Since selecting the best homeschool science curriculum is a difficult task, I am highlighting my favorites and my most used and loved science curriculum that may help you on your research for your family and homeschool journey. 

This post may contain affiliate links. Please see my full disclosure policy. 

The Best Homeschool Science Curriculum

Best Elementary Homeschool Science Curriculum

 

At the Elementary Levels (or the Grammar Stage) the student should be gathering basic information about the subject of Science. This subject: science--->means exploring the world around them. Student should learn about animal anatomy and behavior, the functions of the human body, the movements of the planets and the position of the stars, and the manner in which atoms interact. In Elementary Grades, Students are learning to develop a scientific viewpoint. 

When I first began this homeschool journey with my daughters, I simply read reviews online to (hopefully) find the best science curriculum that we would like. I admit that we hopped around for a couple of years until we settled on our favorite. Some parents my not be comfortable teaching science and science may be your kids least favorite subject. 

Our first Science home school curriculum, for Kindergarten, 1st grade and 2nd grade, we used   R.E.A.L. Science Odyssey and Christian Kids Explore by Bright Ideas Press. I know it may seem strange to use two science curriculum in the same years simultaneously, but my kids love science. Like, LOVE science. Our main curriculum was the RSO and the supplemental was the CKE.

The RSO Level One Courses are to grade 1-4 and we used the Life, Earth & Space and Chemistry. I taught my daughters the Life and Earth & Space and my son the Chemistry in addition to the first two. My son is a science genius and literally gobbled up anything Science related that I taught him. I did purchase the student pages with the RSO and all my kids had fun creating lap books with these pages. My daughters are very crafty and tactical, so I simply let them use their own creativity whilst completing the worksheets. 

RSO Life (level one) is divided into three sections: the human body, the animal kingdom, and the plant kingdom. Students study the major body systems through making models and doing tests on their own bodies. Classification and the five kingdoms of living things are studied as students make an animal kingdom book. Animal kingdom labs include examining real worms, mollusks, arthropods, and butterfly metamorphosis. Students learn about the plant kingdom through looking at the makeup and function of seeds, flowers, leaves, stems, and roots.

In RSO Earth & Space (level one), the topics include weather, seasons, the earth, minerals, rocks, our solar system, and space. Students study the weather and atmosphere with several hands-on labs including making an anemometer, a rain gage, and water cycle in a bowl. Rocks and minerals are studied in depth with students identifying their samples through the same tests used by geologists. Each planet in our solar system is studied individually as students make their own planet book. Earth & Space has recently been revised to include changes to the status of Pluto and the definition of planet.

In RSO Chemistry (level one), the topics covered are usually those reserved for high school chemistry, but are presented in way that youngsters can easily grasp. Topics covered include atoms, molecules, the periodic table, states of matter, acids and bases, and chemical reactions. Students start small, pondering the size and magnitude of atoms and molecules. Then students make their own periodic table and study 18 of the most common elements. They experiment with states of matter and make their own pH scale. Students end big with chemical reactions and exciting combustion labs.

We also used the Christian Kids Explore by Bright Ideas Press Earth & Space and Chemistry, but we definitely preferred RSO over this book and these were used as supplemental only.  

We liked the RSO the best at the earliest elementary grade levels and moved onto Apologia curriculum at grade 3-6. By grade 3, we were ready for a change in science and Apologia was our answer. I have three children in three different grades, and Apologia has jr notebook journals that work well when the kids were in 4th, 2nd and K and 5th, 3rd and 1st. I was doing two science curricula simultaneous through all elementary for my kids, but only because we love science and my kids are fast learners. 

Apologia Science curriculum is the Best All Around Curriculum, Most Affordable, best for new homeschool moms, and the best for homeschool hands-on learning with great labs. 

Apologia's Young Explorer Series are great for Elementary Homeschooled Science students. We have used Exploring Creation with Human Anatomy and Physiology, Exploring Creation With Astronomy, Zoology 1: Flying Creatures of the Fifth Day, Exploring Creation With Botany, and Exploring Creation With Chemistry and Physics.  These are the perfect science curriculum for grades 3-6 and my personal favorites at these grade levels. 

Best Middle School Homeschool Science Curriculum

At the Middle School Level (or the Logic Level) students will begin to middle-grade students take all the information they gathered in Elementary Grades and will begin to grasp the scientific concepts that link all those learned (and hopefully memorized) facts together. Middle School Students will begin to see patterns ---> or rather: connect the dots. In middle school, Science classes are all about learning scientific principles, descriptions and classifications. 

Apologia is our favorite. By the time my kids entered middle school or junior high, we were pretty set with using Apologia. We have used Apologia Science curriculum for quite some time now and it fits with my family well for this age group. The day to day work is manageable, easy to navigate through and the labs are doable in a home setting with science experiments easy to incorporate into your daily schedules AND you can perform and demonstrate the science experiments right in your kitchen with great success. Apologia is interesting, engaging, thought provoking and it is not expensive. Be sure to also purchase the journal with the textbooks. 

In 7th grade, we used Apologia General Science . I ordered the General Science textbook for my daughter as well as the notebook journal. I also ordered the solutions manual and test booklet. This science course explains the scientific method, designing experiments, simple machines, archaeology, geology, paleontology, biology, and human anatomy and physiology. Its scope is very wide because it is introducing all the sciences to the students. The experiments are hand-on and easy to navigate with household items. 

In grade 8, we used Apologia Physical Science. I ordered the Physical Science textbook for my daughter as well as the notebook journal AND I also purchased the solutions manual and test booklet Make sure your student has taken the correct math prerequisite for this science level. This text discusses such topics as the atmosphere, the hydrosphere, weather, the structure of the earth, environmentalism, the physics of motion, Newton’s Laws, gravity, and astrophysics. Loads of opportunity for hands-on experiments at home again and we tied in research paper topics from this course to write papers for literature as well. 

Best High School Homeschool Science Curriculum

At the High School Level (or the Rhetoric Level), students is not simply just learning and memorizing any longer. They are actually applying all that Science to life. 

Apologia is in the running since we have used this curriculum for so many years. However, it is not our favorite science curriculum for 9th grade in high school. I'm not stating that the Apologia Biology is not great, it just didn't work for us for this particular class. 

We moved on to BJU Biology in 9th grade These seems to grasp what I want my kids to learn, whilst having great labs. I would suggest if you have the ability, to take this course with a group of homeschool friends and rotate the labs, or take this class through a consortium. I know some moms in my area who have hired a graduate student to come and teach once a week and that is another choice. 

For 10th grade, I suggest Discovering Design with Chemistry by Dr. Jay Wile, another Apologia textbook. This textbook has a content-rich website with video explanations to help students who don't understand the explanations in the text, videos of cool experiments the student can't do at home, and links to other information related to what is being discussed in the text. 

By grade 11, your home educated student be able to decide what curriculum they like the best, but I can suggest Exploring Creation with Physics, Apologia again. There are advanced versions of these textbooks if your students wants the Honors level courses. 

My son attends a Science and Engineering Academy for high school and he took an Honors Advanced Biology class in 9th grade and and Honors Advanced Physics class in grade 10. In Grade 11 he will take Advanced Honors Chemistry and in grade 12 he will take an AP Science course of his choice. Even though he is not required by state law to take 4 years of science, and most colleges do not require 4 years of high school science; he will be taking 4 years of Advance Honors science classes because it is highly recommended, especially if your student will apply for merit scholarships. 

A homeschool science curriculum that works well in elementary school may not meet your needs as your children move on to middle school or even high school. I recommend sticking with a science curriculum that works for your family throughout the elementary grades and then evaluate if the middle school level curriculum will also meet your needs. I also suggest doing the same when your child moves on to high school.

The Best Homeschool History Curriculum  

0
0

The best homeschool history curriculum for elementary and middle school home educated students and my top picks to use in your homeschool classroom. The needs of homeschool parents and students vary widely and there simply is not a single “best” history curriculum for everyone or every family since everyone is so different. Selecting the best homeschool history curriculum is going to be a difficult task, but I can only speak about our favorites and our most used and loved history curriculum that may help you on your research for your family and homeschool journey. 

The Best Homeschool History Curriculum  

This post may contain affiliate links. Please see my full disclosure policy. 

Teaching History / Omnibus, {eg: Social Studies} to Elementary students is probably one of my favorite subjects to teach. Teaching Omnibus is the classical Christian educational approach by teaching history, theology, and literature together. Omnibus is a Latin term meaning all encompassing.

BEST ELEMENTARY HOMESCHOOL HISTORY CURRICULUM

Why is Social Studies (eg: History) so boring? It's NOT boring! History has traditionally been taught in a boring manner. Do you recall your History teacher? Did he inspire you? Mine certainly did not and I can be completely honest and state that I didn't even realize I really LOVED History until I started teaching it to my own children. 

Our first History home school curriculum, for Kindergarten, 1st grade and 2nd grade, we used  Story of the World and Mystery of History. I know it may seem strange to use two History curriculum in the same years simultaneously, but my kids and I discovered that we love history. Like, LOVE, LOVE, LOVE history. Our main curriculum was the Story of the World and the supplemental was the MOH for the first year. (My kids were in 4th, 2nd and Kindergarten the first year of home educating and 5th, 3rd and 1st grades the second year of home educating).

Since my approach to teaching History is the Omnibus approach, I taught History and Geography together and our Biblical Studies correlated to our timeline as well. In addition, I selected Literature that also matched the lessons we were studying in History as well as creating art projects that were right inline with the history lessons of the week. Do not be intimidated by this at all. Teaching History does not have match the classical approach at all.

The SOTW and MOH curriculum are great enough they can be used as stand alone subjects. I used SOTW for my daughters, but my son listened and sometimes participated in the projects. My son's curriculum was MOH and my daughters listened, but did not do the worksheets the first year. All the kiddos participated in verbal queries, activities and projects.  

Image Courtesy of Susan Wise Bauer

Image Courtesy of Susan Wise Bauer

The Story of the World

Each Story of the World volume text book (there are four) provides a full year of history study which can be combined with the separately purchasable Activity Book, Audiobook, and Test book. The Story of the World Text Book is recommended for Grades 1-5. SOTW includes four complete years of history, geography, and literature study–a full elementary program! 

  • The Story of the World, Vol. 1: Ancient Times
  • The Story of the World, Vol. 2: The Middle Ages
  • The Story of the World, Vol. 3: Early Modern Times
  • The Story of the World, Vol. 4: The Modern Age

Volume One: Ancient Times: from the Earliest Nomads to the Last Roman Emperor: This first volume brings to life the ancient civilizations of Sumer, China, Egypt, Mohenjo-Daro, Greece, Persia, Rome, and more. Includes the author’s retelling of the great myths and religions of each culture. Maps, timelines, and illustrations provide context and detail.

Volume Two: The Middle Ages: from the Fall of Rome to the Rise of the Renaissance: Knights and castles; the Maya and the Aztecs; the rise of Islam and the Crusades; Joan of Arc, Mansa Musa, Galileo, Martin Luther, and Magellan. This volume is jam-packed with unforgettable characters and stories. Includes illustrations, maps, timelines, and a pronunciation guide.

Volume Three: Early Modern Times: from Elizabeth the First to the Forty-Niners: Clearly and grippingly narrates the exploration and colonization of the Americas, including the Native American response to the newcomers; the Scientific Revolution in Europe; the birth and expansion of the United States, slavery and the efforts to end it; and much more. Includes maps and illustrations.

Volume Four: The Modern Age: from Victoria’s Empire to the End of the USSR: The final volume helps readers understand the American Civil War, the rapid growth of technologies such as the railroad and electricity; new movements for freedom in Africa and Asia; the Space Race; the Cold War and its conclusion, and people as varied as Gandhi, Hitler, Evita Peron, and Martin Luther King. Includes maps and illustrations. 

I did not utilize the audio book, but I did purchase the test books (for book 1 & 2). I also created my own tests for my children and I read each day to the kids. (You will want to read this text because it is SO interesting). But, if you are traveling to activities during the day and have long drives, I can see the audio book as a helpful aide. 

I did purchase the Activity Book for Vol 1 & 2 and utilized a lot of the book, but certainly not every page or activity. There is a large selection and I was also using MOH. The maps are great and the review pages are also amazing. I didn't have my children complete all the coloring sheets, because coloring is not their favorite activity. When I was teaching from SOTW Vol 1, my kids also created a lapbook. The lapbook was created by Alica Heise who used to blog at Run of the Mill Family. These lapbook pages are no longer available from her as she no longer blogs. But I will link to her pages as we really enjoyed the lapbook exercises. My two youngest created the lapbook and completed these activities and projects and my 4th grader did not.   

Mystery of History

Mystery of History employs a classical (using rhetorical teaching techniques), chronological (instead of thematic) and Christian approach to teaching history. The Mystery of History is written from a Christian, young-earth, perspective, teaching children to see God’s hand throughout history. MOH is written in a conversational style, and many lessons are presented in the form of mini-biographies, tying in fascinating stories with the events of the time.

Image Courtesy of Mystery of History

Image Courtesy of Mystery of History

Mystery of History Volume I - Creation to the Resurrection: This volume covers world history from Creation to the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.  The text spans the incredible stories of ancient times, ancient lands, and ancient peoples.

Mystery of History Volume II - The Early Church and the Middle Ages: Volume II expands on the fall of the Roman Empire and the Dark Ages that followed.  Delve into the chivalry of knights and damsels, kings and queens, and the peasants who faithfully served them.  Students visit Vikings and villains; castles and crusades; and the poetry of Dante and Chaucer.

Mystery of History Volume III - The Renaissance, Reformation, and Growth of Nations: Volume III will look at what was going on all over the world in the order that it happened. While the Renaissance and Reformation were taking shape in Europe, students will look at the rise of wealthy empires in West Africa; the Mogul dynasty of India; and the peaceful lives of the Aboriginals of Australia.  We will also visit Ivan the Terrible in Russia and the Tokugawa family in Japan.

Mystery of History Volume IV - Wars of Independence to Modern Times: Volume IV, the last and final volume of this world history series, spans three pressure-filled centuries from 1708 to 2014. Starting with Bach and Handel, two of four major composers included in Volume IV, the time period will see numerous “wars of independence.” From the American colonies, the heart of Mexico, the gold mines of Australia, the mountaintops of South America, the shores of Greece, and the walls of the Alamo, we will find mankind desperately striving for liberty and freedom through the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries.

Arranged by quarters and weeks, each quarter begins with an “Around the World” summary of events to introduce the time period; lessons progress chronologically with each week having three lessons, a pretest, review, and an exercise or quiz. The 108 lessons will take a year to complete if you follow a traditional 36 week school year.

The Lesson Activities are partitioned by age group (younger, middle and older students) and reinforce the material just learned through fun activities and projects that engage all learning styles. These projects and activities are based on the classical grammar/logic/rhetoric stages.

The review exercises review the timeline and map work exercises. The quizzes are cumulative reviews that cover material from the previous lessons. The semester-long tests are similar, reviewing materials the previous lessons. The suggested schedules in MOH for different age groups are included, as well as a variety of reproducibles. The answer to all reviews, pretests, quizzes and test are included. 

Also available for additional purchase is The Mystery of History Volume I Companion Guide. I have the actual printed guidebook, but I think this is only available in CD or download nowThis PDF file includes everything from the print edition of the book except the lesson text (which needs to be purchased separately). Inside are various activities, teaching prompts, and reproducibles, organized by lesson numbers. There are also coloring pages, memory card ideas, Wall of Fame timeline suggestions, grading aides, a supplemental book list, Bible reading list, answer keys, and more included in the companion guide!

 The Companion Guide contains:

  • Quarter Summaries
  • Pretests
  • Instructions for making timelines, memory cards, and a history notebook
  • Map work
  • Quarterly worksheets
  • Quizzes and semester tests
  • Answer keys
  • Supplemental reading/video list
  • Extra activities and instructions for using The Mystery of History for high school students to gain a high school history credit

Now, the MOH volumes progress in history and the volumes also progress in content and level of rigor. The assumption is that you will progress through the volumes as your children progress through school. The suggested grades for MOH is grades 4-8, which I agree. The author explains very well in the introduction of MOH how best to utilize the textbooks. The lessons are very well written and activities well planned. The MOH texts are easy to understand, intuitive and the learning curve is minimal. The resources included in MOH are quite beneficial and the time it takes to complete a lesson each day with your children are practical and realistic. 

I do want to point out that based on your own family's morals, ideals and values, I suggest reading the material prior to your lessons. There are some lessons that contain information that you may not want to read to your children, teach to your children or may not even be reading to discuss based on the age of your children. If there is material included that I do not want to teach, I simply do not read these sections. I have actually gone as far as to black out the sentences I don't want my children to read. 

SUPPLEMENTAL MATERIALS

In order to teach History effectively, I suggest supplementals as well. I have a couple of globes in our classroom. I have various maps all over the classroom too. In addition, I have the following books in our homeschool library. I didn't purchase all of these books all at once. These are books I have collected over the many years of home educating my children.

  • The Student Bible Atlas
  • Map Trek The Complete Collection
  • Veritas Press History Cards Set of 5
  • National Geographic Atlas of the World (this book is huge)
  • National Geographic Kids books - Various
  • A History of US, Third Edition: 11 Volumes
  • DY Eyewitness Books - Various
  • Usborne Encyclopedia of World Geography
  • Everything You Need to Know About American History
  • Legends & Leagues Mr Tardy goes from here to there
  • Legends & Leagues Workbook
  • The World Reference Maps & Forms (Evan Moor)
  • The Ultimate Geography and Timeline Guide
  • A Trip Around the World
  • Another Trip Around the World
  • Maps & Globes
  • Geography from A to Z
  • The Getting to Know the U.S. Presidents (book series by Mike Venezia)

You can certainly teach MOH as it is laid out in the textbook utilizing all supplementals from the companion guide and the notebooking pages, which we did use and are quite helpful for teaching note-taking (an essential skill to teach your children). However, I didn't like the pretest, quizzes or tests that were included, so I created my own curriculum(daily worksheets for each lesson, quizzes and tests) to go along with each volume of MOH. There are a number of sites that offer free downloads as well. BibleStoryPrintables.com has a entire set of notebooking pages and timeline printables that coincide with Volume 1 AND there is a an incredible set of downloadable notebooking pages at The Notebooking Nook.

BEST MIDDLE SCHOOL HOMESCHOOL HISTORY CURRICULUM

Since both MOH and SOTW are recommended through grade 8, I would say, these two are my top favorite picks for teaching History to Middle School students. I have also used another curriculum, but this is a rigorous curriculum. If you do not enjoy history or your child does not enjoy history, I would not recommend using Omnibus by Veritas Press until high school. It is recommend to begin Omnibus I Primary in grade 7, but can be started in 9th grade. 

Omnibus is truly taught combining history, theology and literature. These particular texts really help students grow in appreciation of the unity of all knowledge. Each year offers two courses; the primary books course and the secondary books course. They can be taken separately, but taken together, students earn three credits—history, theology and literature.

Omnibus I and Omnibus II Primary texts are taught from a Biblical viewpoint, so keep this in mind. Completing Omnibus I will provide full high school credit in Ancient World History I, one in Doctrine and Theology I, and one in Ancient Literature I.  Diploma students completing the course will be given a credit in English: World Ancient Literature I. When combined with Omnibus I Primary Books, Diploma students will be given three credits, History: World Ancient History I, English: World Ancient Literature I, and Religion: Doctrine and Theology I. The text assigns the readings in the primary and secondary books for each semester. Homework will average 4 - 5 hours per week, depending on reading speed.

This daily approach includes lesson plans and will make teaching and interacting with the greatest works of Western Civilization both enjoyable and profitable. Students will also apply and further develop their skills in composition, logic, and aesthetics. Students completing all six years of Omnibus will have carefully studied every book of the Bible too.

Omnibus I is a unique course covering topics in literature, history, and theology from the Reformation to the Present.  The goal of this course is to help students think both critically and biblically about the events and ideas presented in the reading material.  Students should learn to see how ideas that have shaped the past continue to influence the present.  In other words, ancient ideas, philosophies, and religious beliefs are not isolated in history.  The consequences of these ideologies continue to exist in contemporary thought.  Students will also be expected to evaluate the Great Works of literature in light of God’s Word, learning to defend the truths of Christianity against false thinking.  Additionally, students will apply and hone their skills in composition, logic, and aesthetics.

The recommend reading books to go along with the Omnibus text for Omnibus I and II are available at Veritas Press. I did not assign all this reading to my middle school students. As the parent, I knew the challenges of this course and I also knew my children's strengths. If you have veracious readers, enjoy the full reading list. 

I read with or to or listened to my children read or pre-read these books. Your kids may fall in love with some of the books, dislike others, and discover favorites – this is all part of learning great classic books. Middle School students may find themselves struggling to understand some of the books – this is very normal. Just like learning a foreign language, comprehending historical works takes time and self-discipline. Reading skills are like a muscle and will get stronger as they are used. Have your middle schoolers focus on grabbing the big ideas, and to ask loads of questions.

Here are the books I assigned for Omnibus I:

  • Till We Have Faces by CS Lewis
  • Epic of Gilgamesh by David Ferry
  • Codes of Hammurabi and Moses by Davies
  • Odyssey of Homer by R. Lattimore
  • The Landmark Herodotus by Strassler
  • Plutarch's Lives Vol. 1 by Arthur Clough
  • Screwtape Letters by C.S. Lewis
  • Chronicles of Narnia: Magician's Nephew
  • Voyage of the Dawn Treader or The Last Battle
  • Theban Plays by Sophocles
  • Last Days of Socrates by Plato
  • Early History of Rome by Livy
  • Aeneid by Virgil
  • Twelve Caesars by Suetonius
  • Julius Caesar by William Shakespeare

Here are the books I assigned for Omnibus II:

  • The Church History by Eusebius
  • Confessions by St. Augustine
  • The Nine Tailors by Dorothy Sayers
  • On the Incarnation by Athanasius
  • The Ecclesiastical History of the English Peoples by Bede
  • The Rule of St. Benedict
  • Beowulf
  • Song of Roland
  • Macbeth by Shakespeare
  • Sir Gawain and the Green Knight
  • Divine Comedy – Inferno by Dante Alighieri
  • Canterbury Tales by Geoffrey Chaucer
  • Bondage of the Will by Martin Luther
  • Merry Adventures of Robin Hood by Howard Pyle
  • Henry V by Shakespeare OR Midsummer Night's Dream by Shakespeare

BEST HIGH SCHOOL HOMESCHOOL HISTORY CURRICULUM

If you continue with the Omnibus curriculum through high school for History, the next class is Omnibus III. Given the nature of some mature content in these works, it is important for parents to have an open dialogue in the home about the readings. Families may have differing perspectives on what is age appropriate for their students. As parents, we know out children best and can select to edit a reading if needed. Again, I do not have my children read every single recommended reading book. 

Image Courtesty of Veritas Press

Image Courtesty of Veritas Press

Omnibus

  • Omnibus I: Biblical and Classical Civilizations (7th Grade)
  • Omnibus II: Church Fathers Through Reformation (8th Grade)
  • Omnibus III: Reformation to the Present (9th Grade)
  • Omnibus IV: The Ancient World (10th Grade)
  • Omnibus V: The Medieval World (11th Grade)
  • Omnibus VI: The Modern World (12th Grade)

Omnibus I: Biblical and Classical Civilizations: The student text leads the student through the study of the great works from the dawn of time to the fall of Rome; teaching with the emphasis on ideas, not simply information.

Omnibus II: Church Fathers Through Reformation: The student text leads the student through the study of the great works from the medieval world beginning with Eusiebius and ending with Luther; teaching with the emphasis on ideas, not simply information. 

Omnibus III: Reformation to the Present: The student text leads the student through the study of the great works from just after the Reformation and covers significant works of modern Western culture; teaching with the emphasis on ideas, not simply information.

Omnibus IV: The Ancient World: The student text leads the student through the study of the great works focusing on great works of the ancient world, culminating in the first century; teaching with the emphasis on ideas, not simply information.

Omnibus V: The Medieval World: The student text leads the student through the study of the great works focusing on great works of theology, history and literature of the medieval world beginning with the works of St. Augustine and ending in the Reformation era; teaching with the emphasis on ideas, not simply information.

Omnibus VI: The Modern World: The student text focuses on great works beginning just after the Reformation and covers significant works of modern Western culture; teaching with the emphasis on ideas, not simply information.

Here are the books I recommend for Omnibus III:

  • Pilgrim's Progress by John Bunyan
  •  Westminster Confession of Faith
  • Of Plymouth Plantation
  • Frankenstein by Mary Shelley
  • The Social Contract by Jean-Jacques Rousseau
  • Foundational American Documents
  • Federalist Papers by Alexander Hamilton
  • Anti-Federalist Papers by Ralph Ketcham
  • Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens
  • Uncle Tom's Cabin by Harriet Beacher Stowe
  • Slave Narratives
  • Lincoln's Speeches
  • Communist Manifesto by Karl Marx
  • Animal Farm by George Orwell
  • The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald
  • Mein Kampf by Adolf Hitler
  •  Nineteen Eighty-Four by George Orwell

Omnibus IV is the next level class in this series and by this time, students will have mastery of the following objectives. 

  1. Think biblically about ideas
  2. Understand and recognize the consequences of ideas
  3. Be able to evaluate a work of literature or art within its historical context
  4. Be able to evaluate a work of literature or art in light of Scriptural truth.
  5. Demonstrate clear and logical thinking both orally and in writing
  6. Recognize God’s sovereign hand in history
  7. Gain confidence in defending Christianity against false thinking
  • Iliad 
  • Landmark Thucydides 
  • Bacchae 
  • Republic 
  • Nichomachean Ethics
  • Rhetoric and Poetics of Aristotle
  • Euclid’s Elements 
  • The War with Hannibal 
  • On the Nature of Things 
  • Cicero: Selected Works 
  • Annals of Imperial Rome
  • Metamorphoses 
  • Josephus: The Essential Writings
  • Meditations, Marcus Aurelius
  • Desiring God 
  • Turabian: The Easy Way

Omnibus V: Student Text + Primary Book Set: First Semester and Second Semester: This will be the final text in the Omnibus series that I recommend. There is one more level, Omnibus VI.

If the Omnibus Series gets to be too much reading or it just doesn't fit with your home educating plan or student, here are some other recommendations.  

Constitution (11th Grade)

  •  The United States Constitution Study Guide

American Studies (11th Grade) 

We live in a young country, but a country with a rich and impactful history. Understanding that history—its themes, conflicts, and the questions it raises—is fundamental to understanding our place in God’s story. The goal of this course is to give an overview of American history from start to current day, focusing on the major themes and issues, in order to better understand where we are and where we are going.

  • Exploring America: History, Literature, and Faith Volume 1, Ray Notgrass
  • Exploring America: History, Literature, and Faith Volume 2, Ray Notgrass
  • American Voices: A Collection of Documents, Speeches, Essays, Hymns, Poems, and Short Stories from American History 

 World History (12th Grade)

  • World History Grade 10 Student Book
  • AP World History Crash Course

A homeschool history curriculum that works well in elementary school may not meet your needs as your children move on to middle school or even high school. I recommend sticking with a history curriculum that works for your family throughout the elementary grades and then evaluate if the middle school level curriculum will also meet your needs. I also suggest doing the same when your child moves on to high school.

This post may contain affiliate links. Please see my full disclosure policy. 

Viewing all 165 articles
Browse latest View live




Latest Images