Homeschool Zoo Annex

Beauty fades

2011-11-28T07:57:00.001-06:00

I know beauty isn't everything, that it's only skin deep, and that it's in the eye of the beholder. However, I had thought to present to you a lesson on how to make your eyelashes grow and perhaps include some skin health tips as well.

Something has happened with the site I planned to share with you, though, and there's nothing there anymore!

I'll keep researching, though, until I find something more suitable than a blank blog...lol.

Technorati Tags: beauty

Selling at conventions

2011-11-28T06:52:00.001-06:00

I have known a few homeschool families who make at least part of their living by selling books, both old and new. Doing this means carefully scheduling trips to homeschool conventions. With children, this can take no small amount of effort but it can be done.

It also means you need to have equipment for both hauling and displaying books, curriculum, and educational games and accessories. One dear friend used to have an enclosed trailer along with quite a few covered totes plus tables and a few chairs. The totes contained all the books and accessories she had for sale. The trailer was pretty large and she had to find a hitch through a source like curt trailer hitches in order to hook it up to her Suburban.

She and her husband were able to ride comfortably, along with her daughter, in the truck and had lots of room for luggage. Probably the only drawback was that they did have to find a motel for out-of-town conventions. Still, by selling some of the top rated curricula and manipulatives, they were able to add quite a bit to their income.

Technorati Tags: homeschool,conventions,books

Shopping

2011-11-13T20:59:00.001-06:00

Along with Thanksgiving comes Black Friday and the many sales that begin almost at sunrise. I have to work this year on Black Friday which means I won't be able to actually visit any stores around here. However, there is always online shopping, should I choose to do so on that day.

This would be a good time to make use of coupon codes such as armani exchange coupons at dropdowndeals to get the best possible price for some really high quality goods. It's been my experience that the Black Friday deals are just things that are shipped in expressly for that day. After all, I haven't seen those items in the stores before! However, with online shopping and the use of coupon codes, I could actually get a better deal on better products and not have to stand out in the cold in long lines to achieve that.

Sounds like the way to go, to me!

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Thanksgiving lessons

2011-11-13T20:52:00.001-06:00

Thanksgiving is just around the corner. I thought now might be a good time to incorporate some Thanksgiving lessons and activities into your curriculum for social studies This site also gives you unit studies.

Most of the lessons and activities are geared toward younger learners so this could be a way of introducing history to them in a very fun way. There are teacher helps plus coloring and activity pages enough to delight any child. After all, shouldn't learning be delightful?

Technorati Tags: Thanksgiving,lesson plans,activities

Hospitality and tourism

2011-11-07T04:19:00.001-06:00

I work in the hospitality field. I am a restaurant manager. I learned my position through working at my position and through the various classes my company offers us. We even get paid to attend the classes plus they count toward college credits in business if one chooses to go further in their college education.

You may have a child who is interested in a similar field and who would benefit from the lessons for Hospitality and Tourism. These lesson plans are available in Microsoft Word, Publisher, PowerPoint, and Adobe Acrobat free of charge.

Using these lessons may help your child (or you, for that matter) decide to seek Travel Agent Jobs or jobs in other parts of the hospitality industry. These jobs are challenging and exciting.

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Spine damage

2011-11-06T22:17:00.001-06:00

Drink your milk! I wish someone had told my dear mother that. Or, maybe they did and she just didn't listen. I don't know. I do know she has severe osteoporosis. She fell a couple of weeks ago and wound up with a compression fracture in her back that has caused her a lot of pain.

She has other issues as well, so the doctor is trying to alleviate those first. Then, the doctor will see if she is a candidate for laser spine surgery to correct the fracture, or if it's something they are just going to allow to heal on its own.

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Skeleton unit study

2011-11-06T22:12:00.001-06:00

Our body framework is the skeleton. It protects our internal organs, gives us shape and the ability to move, and supports our entire body. It needs special nourishment and exercise to keep it healthy and functioning properly. The Skeleton Unit Study will help your child learn so much about the skeleton.

It includes online lesson ideas, crafts, activities, games, and suggested reading resources. You can build a really nice skeleton unit study around these resources.

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Art supplies

2011-11-02T20:33:00.001-05:00

Art supplies don't have to be expensive, if you are creative about what to use. Simple water colors will work great for painted art work. Use junk mail, old newspapers, old packaging, box cutters, pencils, sharp tipped markers, glue, and crayons to stock your arts and crafts stash.

Learn about using flour and water to make a paste to decoupage with or to make paper mache sculptures and molds for masks. When using sharp tools like scissors or the aforementioned box cutters, be ready to carefully supervise so that creative energies don't extend to the living room curtains or the flesh of others!

Try using natural materials such as wild berries to make dyes for paper or fabric. Flowers also work well for dyes, as do various nuts and bark from trees. Just experiment to see what you come up with in the way of colors.

Technorati Tags: art,art supplies

Art lessons

2011-11-02T20:27:00.001-05:00

While there is a great need for children to be learning in the areas of science, math, and language arts, there is also a great need for them to learn the arts. The arts give our lives dimension and depth. The arts satisfy the soul's longing for things beautiful and expressive.

Look through all the wonderful things that are available at Incredibleart.org. Find lesson plans, activities, games, and free printables to use in your homeschool setting. Art helped my children with math because of the measurements I included in various lessons.

Technorati Tags: art,free lessons

Our Daughter

2011-10-25T23:43:00.001-05:00

Thanks to Darwin Barton

My husband and I have been trying to figure out for three years now exactly how old our daughter should be before she gets to stay at home by herself. We’ve asked around to several of our friends how old their children were when they started letting them stay at home, and it’s such a wide variety of answers. Some parents feel comfortable leaving their kids at home as young as 1st grade. Now I don’t think that I could have left Sarah alone that young, but now she’s in 5th grade. So we went to a website to install a home security system ( click here), got her a key, and let her try it out. We only let her stay for a couple of hours right after school gets out.She’s such a great kid- and she seems to be doing fine! It makes me nervous, but it’s much cheaper than a babysitter!

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Babysitting unit study

2011-10-25T23:41:00.001-05:00

For the young teen, making a little spending money can be important. But, the choices may be limited. Many teens venture into babysitting for some money before they are old enough to get a regular job anywhere else.

However, not just anyone is cut out for this. It takes a very special, patient teen to be able to take care of younger children. That's where this Babysitting Unit Study can really be helpful.

This is a true unit study and not just a bunch of worksheets. This tells you resources from the library and the web that can be used to complete the study. It also gives you a comprehensive list of activities you can develop plus a few books to read that are fiction and non-fiction.

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Renewable energy lesson plans

2011-10-17T01:47:00.001-05:00

I'm pretty excited about this. I found Renewable Energy Lesson Plans for elementary, middle, and high school aged kids all on one site. In fact, I might even work through these lessons myself, in order to learn more.

It seems to me that these are the energy systems of the future and we should all become more familiar with them. I have a solar panel, two deep cycle batteries, and a generator in order to set up at least part of my home off-grid. This will reduce my dependence on the power company while saving me some money on utilities.

My TV is fairly low wattage, so I can eliminate my sound system to further reduce the wattage and simply run hdmi video cables from a small DVD player and a game console for movie watching or streaming.

I am switching over to LED lighting, and reducing my electrical needs not only to save money but also to further reduce my carbon footprint on this planet we call home.

Technorati Tags: off-grid,renewable energy

Raising rabbits

2011-10-11T14:10:00.001-05:00

One of the easiest animals to raise at home is a rabbit. Maybe even a couple of rabbits! I've got 5 already and we plan to breed them and sell a few of the offspring to offset feed costs. Here is a pre-school rabbits lesson plan for you to look at and enjoy with your youngsters.

I will say that our rabbits are housed in hutches we've built from materials that were essentially free to us. Used lumber and used tin make up the framework and roof, while purchased hardware cloth became the walls and bottom. We used an old 2x4 framed bunk bed that had seen better days for part of our framework. Some folks have used bar equipment, pallets, and shipping crates to frame up their hutches.

Rabbits aren't real particular as long as they have good shade in the summer and a wind barrier in the coldest months.

Technorati Tags: rabbits,hutch,hutches,lesson plans

Fake fire for heat

2011-09-16T12:08:00.001-05:00

The weather here has gotten suddenly very chilly! We went from temperatures in the 100s to temperatures in the low 50s. Now, I know that's not exactly frigid, unless you're like me and don't like cool weather!

So, this has got me to thinking about what I need to do to get ready for really cold weather. I can only use electric heat in this house, although my Sis is giving me a kerosene heater for backup in case the power goes out.

The next best thing to a fireplace in this little house is a DVD I have of fireplaces. Maybe I should be looking at mantel designs, too? That way, I can put a mantel around my TV screen! Yeah, ok, so I might not exactly do that, but it could make me feel warmer if I watch a fire, right?

Technorati Tags: weather,fireplace

Quitting smoking now...

2011-09-16T11:50:00.001-05:00

Smoking is dangerous. We all know that. It affects not only your health but the health of those around you. It's just so darned hard to quit!

Smokers know all the facts. They know they can save money. They know they can improve their health. They know they can smell better. They know food tastes better. They know all this already. Nagging them about it is not help at all.

But, when a smoker quits smoking, what's the payoff, other than the obvious? Well, for one thing, there is life insurance for smokers who have quit. Smokers get a bad rap; they probably deserve most of it. But once they've quit this addictive habit, they should receive some rewards, don't you think?

Technorati Tags: health

Birthday question

2011-09-02T02:31:00.001-05:00

I have 5 children, none of whom were born in the same month. In fact, none were born in the same month as I was, either. That makes for a lot of birthdays over the course of a year. Add to that, my grandchildren were also born all across the calendar.

One of my kids was born in September and will be having a birthday this month. Does anyone know what the birthstone is for this month? This child is a grown man but he might like birthstone jewelry for those born in september. Or, he might prefer tools or a hunting item.

I always have trouble figuring out what anyone might want for a birthday or for Christmas.

Technorati Tags: shopping,birthday

New school year begun

2011-08-27T13:12:00.001-05:00

I'm sure by now everyone has begun their school year. Maybe not. Maybe you're like me and plan to go the old fashioned route of starting it after Labor Day, which is what we did when we homeschooled.

In any case, you are probably still looking at curriculum, worksheets, printables, and lesson plans. A lot of these things can be found free on the Internet. You may live in a remote area where you include a conference call price into your school budget so you can speak with other home educators. Chatting on the web or posting to forums are also good ways to get ideas, learn of new educational products, and find out what's working for others.

Technorati Tags: homeschool,curriculum

Enter the fall garden

2011-08-27T11:37:00.001-05:00

It's August, which is technically still a summer month. However, if you are using gardening in your curriculum, then you probably also know that it's the time for planting the fall garden. This will be produce that sprouts quickly and comes to maturity before heavy frost sets in. You can also create a cold frame or put up a small greenhouse to further extend the gardening season.

There are other things you can do to accomplish fall gardening in the south. Clean out garden beds, add to your compost heap, and move some plants inside. It's never too early or too late to enrich garden beds and the soil of potted plants. I do this organically using rabbit manure and my own compost.

Technorati Tags: gardening

Appropriate wear

2011-08-15T23:38:00.001-05:00

It seems like there is always a pregnant girl or two on the shift where I work. I'm past all that, at my age, but it's often difficult for us to find uniform maternity clothes for these girls. (I call them "girls"...they are young women.)

I am responsible for ordering uniforms when people need them, but maternity wear seems pretty elusive and takes weeks to come in, if it even does. When those uniforms don't arrive, the only option we have is to allow the young lady to go purchase her own black maternity pants and let us reimburse her for them. This is where it can get sticky. I've had some girls buy the most expensive pants they can find, which is not what we're aiming for. They still have to be cost-conscious and try to find pants that can be used at work but which are a reasonable price.

I was so glad to see one of our newer employees buy them actually from a clearance rack at a local department store where they have sales every weekend and they always have tons of clearance items. I told her thank you for saving us a little money and still following guidelines about what to wear.

Technorati Tags: shopping

Internet outage

2011-08-13T22:43:00.001-05:00

I guess the strong storms we've had lately have really done some damage, even though you can't see it around here. My internet has been out since Friday night (August 12, 2011). As I sit here, I wonder how I really managed without it!

Oh, I know. I used real books and real magazines. I interacted with friends and family face-to-face instead of on a social networking site. I did cooking and crafts and other projects, and actually got them completed. I didn't have the internet to burn my days up and occupy my nights.

It might not be a bad idea to actually turn it off a few days a week so I can get more done. Today, I've taken care of the animals (which I would do anyway), baked a loaf of white bread and a loaf of cornbread, put beans on to cook, and done some writing. Last night, I read completely through my most recent issue of Mother Earth News.

When is the last time you turned off your internet, or it went out due to weather? How did you occupy yourself?

Technorati Tags: internet,weather

Service jobs

2011-08-10T23:09:00.001-05:00

You know, I really think the time has come for more people to learn service jobs. I know -- it's not PC not to tell kids to be doctors or lawyers or Indian chiefs. But really, I get so tired of not being able to have simple things repaired. I wonder if the push toward higher education hasn't robbed us of some very basic skills?

I'm not saying no one should have a college education. By all means, do pursue higher learning. But it would be great if someone would become educated and then move into a service field, such as fixing lawnmowers or toasters, or motorhome repair. Around here, either you are forced to replace an item that isn't functioning correctly, or you have to ship it off -- at your own expense -- to have it repaired for a cost that is higher than the item was when it was new!

Kicking my soapbox back under my coffee table now.

Technorati Tags: repair

Class of 2012

2011-08-07T12:34:00.001-05:00

The time for the new school year is just around the corner. If your kids are in traditional school, it's also the time for pre-ordering yearbooks and maybe even class rings.

Our kids graduated homeschool, but we still got them class rings. We let them determine what emblems they wanted on their rings, and what color the stones would be. Probably the most frequently asked question, though, was how to find my ring size. Fortunately, where we ordered the rings had a tool on hand for that.

If you're ordering from a local jeweler, they probably have the tool, too. Online ordering can be almost as easy if you follow the vendor's instructions.

Technorati Tags: class ring,jewelry

Quitting smoking

2011-08-04T23:15:00.001-05:00

There are still a lot of folks who smoke cigarettes, even with all the health issues. It's not easy to stop, regardless of health concerns or even budget issues. However, at least there is a little help in that area now.

While many have stopped smoking by sheer will, use of gums or patches, or prescription medicines, many places are now offering e cigarettes to help those who want to quit smoking. They wind up being less expensive than cigarettes, can be "smoked" anywhere -- even indoors -- and offer an alternative choice.

I truly hope you don't smoke, but if you do, then do yourself a favor (and your family) and check these out for yourself.

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Map reading

2011-07-23T23:07:00.001-05:00

There comes a time when you are going to want to teach map reading to your children. This can be a very valuable skill at some point in their life. Of course, it helps if you yourself know how to read a map. The site I've linked will give you lots of printables to aid in teaching this skill. It can be included in your Social Studies and Geography lessons.

Eventually, you may want to take a drive and either use a paper map as part of your lesson plan, or use your dezl 560LT GPS unit. Because of modern technology, a GPS is a pretty common item, but you still have to understand how to use it and how to input information. That could be a lesson by itself.

Technorati Tags: maps,lesson plans

2011 tornadoes

2011-07-23T21:54:00.001-05:00

I wanted to share with you that our lives were personally touched by the tornadoes that ripped through a small town not far from us in central Arkansas. Relatives lived in the path of that destruction, which nearly wiped their small town from the map. They didn't entirely lose their home, but there was considerable damage.

Many homes in their neighborhood were totally destroyed, and some people suffered injuries that had to be covered by disability insurance. Others lost their lives.

The very frightening reality of this is that we never know when that sort of storm may strike. While there is a "tornado season", we have, in fact, had these destructive storms all throughout the year.

I suppose that no matter where you live, there is some kind of destructive force of nature to contend with.

Technorati Tags: storms,tornado

El Nino Lessons

2011-07-23T21:47:00.001-05:00

It has really been a crazy spring and summer, weather-wise. April started with severe weather that included tornadoes and massive flooding. That continued until June, when the weather seemed to flip straight to hot, dry summer.

NOAA provides a comprehensive NOAA El Nino lesson site that may help your child better understand just what's going on. It takes you through various weather related sites and offers a free PDF activity sheet to help guide your child.

Technorati Tags: El Nino,NOAA,lesson plans

Coupon shopping

2011-07-21T23:27:00.001-05:00

If you've done any shopping at all lately, then I'm sure you've noticed a marked increase in the cost of even the most common items. It's the time in which we live, I think. So, in order to hold the line on spending, you might want to think about using kmart coupons and other coupon sites.

I've seen a lot online about extreme couponing, and while you may not be able to achieve that level of success, it's a wise steward who uses coupons, both print and online, to save money. With the new school year right around the corner, saving money on clothes and shoes is something everyone is looking for. Those savings can be found at K-mart through their coupons for either in-store savings or online shopping. A deal is a deal, and folks like you and me should be alert to them!

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Crazy spring and summer

2011-07-21T23:16:00.001-05:00

It has been awhile since I've posted anything, I know. Well, it's been a crazy spring around here -- tornadoes, floods, chilly weather, then blistering heat. It's been about enough to do anyone in. But, I just want to say I'm back and will be posting more regularly from now on.

In light of that, let me share some things with you all. We got some rabbits and quails that we are raising now. They are doing well and growing. The quails are even laying eggs. We use them just like regular eggs, except they are tiny so it takes more of them. I think it takes 4 quail eggs to equal one chicken egg. We are getting about 35 eggs a week from them, so that's really working out pretty good.

They are interesting birds. We have three kinds -- Jumbo Brown Couturnix, Manchurian Gold, and Texas A&M White. The Jumbo Brown lay larger eggs and have very calm dispositions. I'll probably eventually switch to only raising those kind since the others behave like wild birds every time you approach the cages.

Later on, we'll hatch quail eggs and raise more so we can have more egg production plus meat for the freezer.

The rabbits are New Zealand variety with one being the familiar white with pink eyes, one brown with brown eyes, and one black with brown eyes. We'll begin breeding them soon. Then we'll sell the bunnies for pets and have some for meat for ourselves. I know some of you are cringing now.

Technorati Tags: quail,rabbits

Father's Day soon

2011-04-03T18:11:00.001-05:00

I realize Mother's Day hasn't arrived yet, but it seems to me that sometimes the fathers are dropped to the bottom of the list when it comes to gifts for their day. So, just what are the top fathers day gifts?

Up to now, they seem to be new socks, new ties, or a wallet. I'm thinking you can do better than that. Really put some thought into it. Think about what Dad likes to do, not what he has to do.

Unless he's a hobby gardener, I don't think lawn and garden tools are good enough. It might be more thoughtful to give him things he can use for his recreation time. Things like new fishing equipment or sports memorabilia. Maybe he loves woodworking. How about a turning lathe or a tool that creates beautiful scrollwork?

It's up to you, of course, because you know what that special man in your life would really want for Father's Day.

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Great web resources

2011-03-31T02:16:00.001-05:00

Wow. It's amazing how many learning websites are available these days. When we were new to homeschooling, our primary source was miningco.com (aka Mining Company) and encyclopedia sites. Real homeschool sites were rare and offered little.

Soon, we discovered sites such as Redwood Academy, RHLschool.com, Donna Young's website, and others that offered free worksheets and short lessons. We began receiving language arts lessons by email, free of course, from dailygrammar.com. Those were very good and they fulfilled everything we needed for grammar, punctuation, and spelling including a weekly quiz.

We used the President's Council on Physical Fitness workbooks and activity suggestions, along with another homeschool family, for our PE one year. We also learned that not every click here led us to exactly what we wanted, but I spent many hours at night browsing the web in search of lesson plans, printables, and free downloads of programs and worksheets we could use.

The fact is, I found so much and got so printer happy that I could have educated a large classroom of children instead of just the two I had at home!

Technorati Tags: homeschool,lesson plans,printables

Poor reception

2011-03-31T01:31:00.001-05:00

I love living in the country. One drawback, though, is the lack of cellular towers and the fact that hills and trees often inhibit my cell phone signal. Those of you who live way out probably understand this, too.

I use my cell phone instead of a land line. In fact, I use it a lot. I talk to my kids who are grown. I text them. I even use it for my clock and alarm clock so I can get up for work in time in the mornings.

However, my sister, who lives in another city, complains that she is never able to reach me by phone. I'm not really sure why, but this bothers me since our elderly mother lives next door to her and I wouldn't be able to learn quickly if something is wrong with her.

It might be well worth it for me to get a cell booster antenna to make sure I don't miss any calls from Sis. She knows my work number, so she can call it if anything happened while I'm there. But I don't want to miss a call or message from her because of some technology glitch between her service and mine.

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Radio waves lesson

2011-03-31T01:16:00.001-05:00

If it hadn't been for pioneers and scientists, much of what we take for granted today wouldn't even exist. One of the most groundbreaking discoveries was that of radio waves. In this Discovery radio waves lesson plan, your student will learn the science behind the waves.

Designed for children in grades 6 through 12, this lesson plan is designed to be completed in two or three days and fills a gap in their science curriculum. It centers on electromagnetic radiation and how it is used and found in our everyday lives.

This is a complete lesson plan and takes minimal materials to accomplish. It includes resources and extensions, plus evaluation objectives.

Technorati Tags: science,radio

Money and currencies

2011-03-29T11:05:00.001-05:00

Microsoft has put out a pretty nice lesson plan on Current Currencies. With this, your middle school to high school age student will learn about exchange rates and the various forms of currency throughout history.

This lesson plan takes 3 days of 45 minute classes to complete and they have provided several good resources from online sources. The plan does say that you need Microsoft Office OneNote. I have this in my Office Suite but there could be a free application online that will work similarly.

This course may help your child not only in history, but also if they ever travel to another country, decide to buy gold online, or look at a career in currency exchange.

Technorati Tags: money,currency

Economics games

2011-03-29T10:57:00.001-05:00

Every child needs to learn about money matters. It's important whether they have a lot of money or just a little. It may be more important in they only have a little!

One way to learn is through Economics games. These games guide them through budgeting, monetary decision making, setting goals, and career planning. The website guides you to what age range and grade range these are appropriate for so you can better decide which child will do what.

Sometimes, playing games like this help to instill valuable information even better than regular curricula.

Technorati Tags: finances,economy

Job responsibility

2011-03-02T12:44:00.001-06:00

Where I work, a fast food place, actually does some very good training for teens who might be interested in moving on to other jobs. In fact, it's not beyond the realm of possibility for those kids to graduate high school and go on to banking jobs. I know this because one of the girls who used to work for us now works for the bank where I do business.

What many may consider a dead-end job (fast food) can be the very training ground for kids to learn responsibility, time management, and even budgeting skills. They do have to show up for work or they don't make money, which means they have to prioritize. Those who fail at this job are likely to fail at others.

I've seen some very promising young people begin work where I am a manager, but for some reason their social life seems to get in the way. Either they call in just shortly before their shift or they simply don't show up at all. Our only recourse is to write them up, eventually suspend them, and then terminate them if they don't improve. See, we count on them being there to fill a position, and when they aren't there it makes it doubly hard on everyone else.

We are actually more lenient since we don't fire them on the spot for not showing up. We give them several chances to set their priorities. Other jobs, they won't be as fortunate. Here, they do learn that irresponsibility has consequences and that responsibility has rewards. Rewards such as positive write ups and raises are nothing to be scoffed at. Also, we really can't give the no-shows a good work reference if they apply elsewhere, so that behavior does follow them.

Technorati Tags: job,work

I have seedlings!

2011-03-02T12:13:00.001-06:00

It's pretty exciting to grow your own plants from seeds. So far, about 95% of my seeds have sprouted and they include several varieties of heirloom tomatoes, cucumbers, squash (I think zucchini but I couldn't make out the writing on the paper bag they were in), and even tobacco seeds.

I have more seeds being shipped now, all heirloom, non-gmo varieties of good vegetables. The seedlings that have started are ready to put into larger containers so they can really take off. Then, I'll have room in the table-top greenhouses for the new seeds that need a head start.

I've planted two kinds of lettuce straight into one of the raised beds -- buttercrunch and black seeded simpson. Because they are outdoors, it will be a bit longer before they sprout, I have also planted onion sets in various places around the yard, in beds. They are so easy to just poke in the ground. Both lettuce and onions enjoy cooler weather so they should all do very well until it gets hot later in the spring.

Planting seeds is a great way to learn a plant lifecycle, and there are lessons in the link to help you begin and log results in your classroom. There are also little movies to watch and activities for classes and for families.

Technorati Tags: gardening,seeds,seedlings

Nutrition lessons

2011-02-27T01:53:00.001-06:00

It has been a long winter, and I bet a lot of kids (and adults) have been inside doing not much of anything these past few months. Well, PBS can help you get your nutritional start with Nutrition Lesson Plans.

These are fun plans that could lead you away from diet pills and toward a more healthful lifestyle. These are on the elementary school level and incorporate cross-curricular activities such as the human body, cooking, literacy, math, and writing.

Most of them are fairly short and include downloadable printable worksheets and a full PDF of the lesson plan. They are organized for you so you can simply download, print, and implement.

Technorati Tags: health

Compost Challenge

2011-02-27T01:42:00.001-06:00

I was browsing the web, looking for garden related content, and came across this Compost Challenge. This is a really nice unit for students in grades 6 to 8, and covers a science base.

My own thought is that "compost happens", even if we don't help it along. This unit, however, will help your child or class discover exactly what composting is, the microorganisms involved in the process, and how we can reduce the amount of waste going to landfills by using composting techniques.

While the complete project would take more time that indicated on the lesson guide, it doesn't have to be done every single day. In other words, the "Day 1" and "Day 2", etc. can be accomplished over a longer period of time. Those are just days when certain parts of the project are done.

The site offers a printable version so that the lesson and the worksheets are available to you.

Technorati Tags: composting,science,gardening

Container gardens and soil

2011-02-26T23:13:00.001-06:00

I have brought home 400 pounds of topsoil in bags, 160 pounds of potting soil in bags, and 80 pounds of cow manure in bags. Why? For use in my gardens and containers.

I will be mixing the three components and adding my own compost, then putting the mixture into the beds. I have a kit to build one new bed, so it needs filling. I am going to use discarded 5 gallon vegetable oil jugs for my container gardening. I can line them up quite neatly since they are square shaped and grow a lot of veggies in them.

I'm figuring to lay them on their sides since they are about 12 inches deep that way, which is sufficient for most things. I'll cut the sides out of them so that they become containers.

Our ground is pretty rocky, so it's really difficult to get a good spot for a garden here. Although digging in rocky ground constitutes great ab workouts, it also means finding and tossing a lot of small and large stones out of the way. As soon as you think you've got them all, you find more. So, containers and raised beds are really the only way to make gardening work here.

Technorati Tags: gardening

USGS videos

2011-02-26T23:00:00.001-06:00

To further enhance your school curriculum in geology and other sciences, you can tap into the USGS videos and animations. These are offered in a variety of formats including .wmv, QuikTime, and mp4.

Use these videos to illustrate what's being learned in the teaching modules you're using. They include lectures and videos covering topics such as careers, astrogeology, biology, climate change, environments, earthquakes, geology, geomagnetism, and much more.

These are, for the most part, public domain presentations and maybe be downloaded and copied free of charge.

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Mosaic art project

2011-02-25T16:13:00.001-06:00

Hooray for art! When I was in school, I had a passion for art. I firmly believe there is creativity inside everyone, and that children especially know how to tap that font of imagination and be creative.

Is everyone destined to be a great artist? Probably not, but that doesn't diminish the fact that everyone can enjoy being artistic. Too many times, I think, we squash the creativity within ourselves, or maybe within others, because it doesn't seem utilitarian enough to be worthwhile. But that very artistic bent we are born with is exactly what the world needs more of in order to discover new frontiers of technology and to help create around us a world where dimension and beauty become a functional part of everyday living.

When the weather is nicer, a wonderful outdoor activity is the stepping stone art project, which uses premade cement pavers and incorporates mosaic glass cuts for an interesting yet still fully functional part of a garden. Of course, you can also make your own garden pavers from a mix that is poured into a mold. We've done this ourselves and they come out very nice. We added our own embellishments of sea shells, broken glass, glass beads, and florists glass marbles to make interesting glass mosaic tiles that were durable and beautiful.

We laid them between the garden beds and used them as part of the paths. We also used them in flower beds to add to the beauty in a whimsical way, along with little ceramic statues and interesting driftwood.

The wonderful thing about mosaics is that you can really just follow your own heart as far as colors and design go. Set yourself free with them!

Technorati Tags: homeschool,art

Gardening modules

2011-02-25T11:57:00.001-06:00

For now, because spring is quickly approaching, I'm going to skip the next USGS offering and direct your attention to spring gardening. I found a really nice unit on gardening which includes .pdf activity sheets you can download and print, It's called Integrating Horticulture into Elementary School Curriculum.

The course covers

container gardening
fun with plants
garden ecology
garden pests and problems
growing fruit
growing seeds indoors
help sheets
herb gardening
kitchen garbage
nutrients for plants and people
windowsill gardening

Using the resources provided, your class can learn about a wide variety of topics including feeding plants, soil, composting, whether lipozene is a soil nutrient, and many more things related to gardening. Having a class or school garden spot reinforces what's being taught in gardening theory, and could even encourage budding gardeners (pardon the pun) to grow more of their how food and be more self-sufficient.

For sure, it teaches children that food doesn't have its genesis at the grocery store!

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USGS secondary level modules

2011-02-25T11:46:00.001-06:00

We are still being plagued with minor earthquakes in our part of the country. None are really large and damaging, but they are pretty well startling those of us who aren't used to this kind of earth activity. Last night, we experienced a 3.6 magnitude quake that startled a number of people from a sound sleep. A friend of mine lives less than a mile from the epicenter of that one, so it really shook her house.

I heard a muffled boom from a distance away before friends began reporting on a social networking site that they'd felt the shaking. It seems that always precedes these quakes and it's rare that I hear it from where I live. However, the quake wasn't too far from me so the sound did carry, although I didn't feel the shaking.

This prompted me to continue offering USGS teaching modules for your homeschool classroom. Perhaps, there are those of you who teach in private or public schools who can also use the USGS secondary level teaching modules. They cover a lot of information, and not just about earthquakes and seismology.

Ecosystems
Biology
Geography
Geology
Water

As you can see, they can be easily incorporated into a science curriculum. Most resources are free, but there may be a few that require a small fee for joining an online learning course.

Technorati Tags: earthquake,science

Family garden

2011-02-20T22:25:00.001-06:00

I am really hoping we don't get another round of extremely cold weather, but it is only February and I figure we'll get possibly another ice event and another hard freeze before spring fully settles in.

In the meantime, I can get some early gardening done with plants that don't mind cold weather, such as onions. I'll be trying to grow as many vegetables and herbs as possible this summer so I can add to my pantry and stop hemo rageing so much money on groceries!

I'm waiting now for delivery of non-GMO/non-Hybrid seeds for my garden. This way, I can actually save seeds during the summer harvests to use in coming years. If you can garden at all, even in containers, I strongly suggest you do so. Gardening is a great learning activity for kids, as they watch seeds burst forth from the soil as tiny plants, tend to them, and watch them grow and produce. My kids actually started eating veggies they had previously shunned when they grew them themselves!

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USGS teaching modules

2011-02-20T22:01:00.001-06:00

Due to the fact that our area has been inundated with earthquakes lately, I thought it might be timely to share the USGS primary lessons. There are a lot of lessons and resources to be had at the USGS site. The folks there have gone the extra mile when it comes to assembling this information and giving you resource symbols to tell you if the resource is free, if it contains classroom activities, if it utilizes the web, and if it is a complete teaching module.

They cover ecosystems, biology, geography, geology, and water.

My thought is that using these resources, a homeschool parent/teacher can create a pretty complete science curriculum for students up to the sixth grade. They include coloring pages, games, and outdoor activities, as well.

Technorati Tags: earthquake,geology,USGS

Giving games

2011-02-18T23:11:00.001-06:00

Christmas may be past, but it's never too late to give or to teach your children to give. Heifer points to a children's site called Molly Moccasins, where your kids can play interactive games, view stories, and overall learn ways they can give to help the hungry people of the world learn to be self-sufficient.

Gifts of this nature help people by supplying them with animals they can raise, breed, sell the offspring, use the animal products, or sell the surplus products. Yarns of all kinds, eggs, milk, cosmetics, wrinkle creams that work, jewelry are just a few of the ways the less fortunate can earn money for buying necessities and education. Won't you help, and teach your children to help, too?

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Rewarding hard work

2011-02-11T11:55:00.001-06:00

Even if there is snow on the ground in your area, as there is in mine, Springtime is on the way. With spring comes the teams of summer sports and the busy-ness that accompanies taking kids to and from practice, attending events, and picture taking.

Even homeschoolers can participate in local sports. Many communities allow kids from any school situation to join teams. There are also many homeschool and church teams organized around the country so homeschool kids have an opportunity to participate that way and even play against other local teams.

Naturally, along with the uniforms and sports equipment teams may provide at a reasonable cost, there are sport trophies to think about for end-of-season playoffs. Everyone works for rewards. My reward is my paycheck and regular pay raises. A kid's reward is a trophy or plaque when his team wins or places highly.

There is nothing wrong with rewarding hard work.

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Teen drivers revisited

2011-02-11T11:05:00.001-06:00

When my kids were teens, I taught them to drive defensively. I rode with them for many months until I felt secure in the knowledge that they could be trusted on their own. I set limits about things such as where they went, driving at night (a big no-no), and friends in the vehicle with them (another big no-no). I instructed them on a basic premise to always be in control of the vehicle no matter what.

You are probably scratching your head over the last point. "Always be in control of the vehicle"...well, duh! That's easier said than done when a dog or other animal dashes across the road in front of you. My instruction to them was to never swerve or brake hard. Slow down to give the animal a chance, but under no circumstances were they to swerve into the path of oncoming traffic or into a ditch, tree, or fence on the right. Braking hard might cause them to skid and lose control. Hit the animal in their lane if they must, sad as it is to do that. Their lives are a million times more valuable than a loose dog's.

There were even times when I was with them that they had opportunities to practice that particular skill. It's hard to not swerve or brake hard when someone's pet or even wildlife is in the road, but they practiced and rarely hit any animal because they let off the gas and would brake lightly to slow down. Usually, the animal would have time to scurry off. Occasionally, a squirrel or rabbit would be run over. Sad, yes, but no person was in danger, at least.

They have now been driving, accident free and ticket free, for 6 years. This means their insurance gets lower each year, so the rewards are good. You can look at carinsurancelist.com to find insurance companies that are a good fit, but you can also find quite a few great articles there with driving tips, insurance tips, and explanations about various types of car insurance that would add to your knowledge as a parent, and to your teen driver's knowledge as well. Definitely worth a lingering visit!

Technorati Tags: insurance,teen,automobile

Easy to clean

2011-02-10T11:58:00.001-06:00

This time of the year, when we have a lot of snow being tracked in, I am reminded of years past when tracking in gunk from outside was a daily occurrence while homeschooling. We had outside animals that needed to be tended -- goats, chickens, rabbits, and dogs. Year 'round animal tending means that even if it's snowy or rainy, those chores must be done.

We never had carpeting on the floor because of the muck that would be dragged in on shoes and boots. Now, as then, I really wish for pergo flooring for a more durable and easy-to-clean floor. I don't have all the outside animals anymore, but I do still go outside for gardening and taking my dog for walks.

I'm also considering getting more chickens, which will mean spending more time outside to tend to them and gather eggs. I have a good pair of muck boots which I leave just inside my front door, but it would be nice to be confident in cleaning the floor in an easier fashion!

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Free educational site

2011-02-02T10:37:00.001-06:00

I know I've touted the site before, but I just can't say enough good things about Free-ed.net. Using this site, anyone can increase their knowledge in particular fields including hospitality, business, management, and even skills trades and basic high school courses.

I am about to embark on the Excel course to boost my computer skills. Eventually, I hope to include other business courses including those on scanner software, marketing, entrepreneurship, and sales. Maybe this way, I can become self-employed and more productive at home.

Technorati Tags: business,courses

Safe work environment

2011-02-02T10:22:00.001-06:00

No matter where your child decides to work, even if it's just a part time job at a burger joint, he will no doubt see a number of osha signs on the premises. Where I work, we have them for everything you can imagine.

We have them on the CO2 tank, warning of the dangers of a leak. (We also have a CO2 sensor.) We have them above every fire extinguisher. We have them on the entry doors, announcing no smoking. We have them around the various cleaning chemicals.

It's important to heed these signs. They were developed over time to keep workers and customers safe.

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Winter weather preparedness

2011-02-02T10:12:00.001-06:00

I really do hope you are all set with your family to withstand some severe winter storms. The news is full of this last storm which swept across middle America. Power outages, travel worries, flight cancellations, and stranded motorists fill the news media now.

It would be wiser, I think, to stay home and stay warm. However, if you haven't already, you really might want to look into winter preparedness. You will find an excellent list of what a family needs to survive in the worst conditions, which may include power outages.

This list includes words and definitions which could fit nicely into a winter unit study on preparedness. There are also lists of supplies and ways to survive before and during a heavy winter storm.

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Nasty cold weather

2011-01-21T20:07:00.002-06:00

Hasn't the weather been crazy lately? It has in our part of the country. we have gotten a few rounds of snow and ice, none of which has been blizzard-like, but still more than normal for us. Our average winter temperature hangs around 45 to 50 degrees (F) so all the cold precipitation has really thrown us for a loop!

I watched the weather online to see the upper east coast also buried in snow, with flight delays, traffic snarls, and even lives lost due to ambulances not being able to reach the sick and injured. That's when you know that the weather really is dangerous.

In that kind of weather, it doesn't matter if you live in a small house or one of the luxury new york city hotels, everything comes to a standstill.

So, what are you doing this winter to be prepared for really bad weather?

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Homeschool family business

2010-12-26T15:18:00.001-06:00

There are a lot of homeschool families who operate small businesses, either at home or in a shop. These small businesses make it possible for the children to learn a lot of valuable skills in both business and personal finance. They also give the children a good example of how to run an honest business.

It may or may not be that you need a small business phone system. If you operate from your home in an online enterprise, you might merely put in a second phone line or use a cell phone extension for business. If you operate a small shop away from your home, though, then a system may be exactly what you need to field calls and take orders.

Either way, communication with customers is vital. You can teach your children good phone skills, handling customer complaints, and order taking.

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Lunar eclipse lesson plan

2010-12-26T14:46:00.001-06:00

On December 21, 2010, the day of the Winter Solstice, there was also a total lunar eclipse. This is a rare occurrence, and the last time was 382 years ago. It's not that the eclipse was rare, but that it occurred on the shortest day of the year.

It might make an interesting science unit, using the Lunar Eclipse Lesson Plan. This lesson plan takes 3 weeks plus 45 minutes to pull all the lessons together for a summary. The student will learn the phases of the moon, what a lunar eclipse is, and new vocabulary words. They will use language arts in their writing.

Technorati Tags: lunar eclipse,lesson plans,science

Proper reading light

2010-12-26T13:43:00.001-06:00

With the days being shorter and darker this time of the year, it is very important that there be good lighting in place for your young learners. Eye strain causes headaches and can very easily discourage your kids from reading or studying as long as they should.

While I use CFL bulbs almost exclusively in my home, there are still good choices for reading that don't include incandescent bulbs. For instance, a good fluorescent desk lamp, carefully positioned over the pages to be read, works wonders without having to light up the whole room.

Opening curtains to allow daylight in will not only help your lighting situation but also add solar warmth to the room. South facing windows are the best choice for this. Using north facing windows may cause you to actually lose heat from the room.

Planning the school day around the best lighting will also help your student to take advantage of winter sun and economical lighting options.

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Virtual tours and learning

2010-12-26T13:36:00.001-06:00

It will soon be a new year, and with it come new learning adventures. It's winter now, which for some of you means not too many outdoor activities or learning opportunities there. Still, that doesn't mean it's always books and worksheets.

On days when the weather really is too bad to go out, use the internet to visit places like museums and parks. There are tons of great sites that take you on virtual tours, at places you might never be able to visit in real life. Use these sites as assignments relating to your current curriculum in history, science, and language arts.

A good place to start is Virtual Free Sites, which has hundreds of free virtual tours of museums and exhibits.

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New year new drivers

2010-12-25T23:29:00.001-06:00

We are about to enter a new year. This may mean a new driver in your home if someone is having a birthday soon.

Driver's education lessons are generally not free, but are well worth the cost. The one thing that most new drivers are fearful about is parallel parking their vehicle. With a little practice using a free parking lesson game, your student may be able to put their skill to the test successfully in a real life situation.

Of course, the next thing you'll be looking at is car insurance quotes so that when your new driver gets his or her license, they are covered in your automobile. It's imperative that you have the insurance in place before they begin driving at all.

Eventually, your child may want his or her own car in order to go to a part time job or activities. This is an important step toward their independence and also toward their responsibilities. You will need to have a good plan in place for this, well-though-out and agreed upon by parents and the child.

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Gift making - adults

2010-12-15T12:37:00.001-06:00

While your kids are making their hand made gifts, keep in mind it's not just a child's activity. You can be making gifts to put into lovely gift baskets.

Baking comes to mind first, of course, but there are other ways to show family members you care about them. For example, you can use your skills in crochet or knitting by creating some simple wearables, such as scarves and hats.

You can also gather inexpensive ingredients, purchased from the dollar store, to make skin creams, bath salts, and foot scrubs. While your home made product may never be seen on www.wrinklecream-reviews.net, you can be satisfied knowing you've created something yourself, put it into a spa basket, and given it with love to a family member or friend.

Believe me, hand made gifts are very much appreciated and welcomed!

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Gift making

2010-12-15T12:33:00.001-06:00

I think every parent and grandparent loves gifts that kids have made themselves. I always have, and they become treasured keepsakes.

Letting your kids make gifts for family members can give them a real sense of giving and it can be very economical as well. Take a look at Gifts Kids Can Make for a wide variety of ideas.

Use these crafting sessions as part of your Art curriculum, if you're homeschooling. In the midst of it, retell the story of the First Christmas and the greatest gift we have ever received -- God's Son.

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Stocking stuffer

2010-12-13T14:11:00.001-06:00

In our home, we have had at least one computer in place. As time went by, we wound up with more than one and now have a PC and 3 laptops. This can be pretty confusing if more than one computer is being operated by family members. There may be programs running where we need the sound on, but the noise gets to be too much.

That's where headphones come in pretty handy. Homeschoolers would probably find them to be very helpful when one child is learning how to pronounce foreign language words while another one is listening to musical scores or educational games.

These might be good stocking stuffers for the kids, you know!

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Learning foreign language

2010-12-13T13:10:00.001-06:00

Learning foreign languages can sometimes be challenging but also very rewarding. Where I work there are several Spanish speaking employees who have been kind enough to help me learn some simple phrases and words. My supervisor was raised in Canada and speaks French.

I thought it might be interesting to learn a little French. Learning what phrases like Bell Télé mean, and learning some simple greetings. I found a site called bonjour.com that offers free lessons.

After looking it over, I thought maybe some of you might like to try your hand at it or incorporate it into your language curriculum for your kids.

Have fun!

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Halloween Unit Study

2010-12-01T12:45:00.001-06:00

I realize it's late for this, but you may want to save this and use it next year. For right now, you can look over this unit study while you're storing your halloween costumes until next year.

Halloween Unit Study

Objective: To assess the true history of Halloween and learn the Christian view of it. This report will be completed in lieu of whatever language arts, history and math you are currently working on. Web Resources:

__http://www.apbonline.com/newscenter/breakingnews/1999/10/29/halloween1029_01.html

__http://www.michaelh.com/thoughts/messages/halloween.shtml

__http://www.apbonline.com/newscenter/internetcrime/1999/10/29/halloweensex1029_01.html

__http://www.tantramar.com/trib/1998/10/28/front_page.html

__http://www.heavenlywebs.net/Holidays/halloween/halloweenfct.htm

__http://archive.abcnews.go.com/sections/business/halloween/

__http://www.findarticles.com/cf_dls/m3196/n3_v96/20540760/p1/article.jhtml

Day 1: Using the encyclopedia, the internet, or the Compton's, locate articles about Halloween and read them.

· What is the origin of Halloween?

· Who first celebrated it?

· What does it honor?

· How is it celebrated today?

Day 2: Using a Bible, the dictionary, and a concordance, look up the following words and write their definitions. You may also use God's Word for Windows and Bible Database. (Bible Database is a downloadable program.)

· witch

· ghost

· familiar spirit

· witchcraft

· idolatry

· vain traditions

· Baal

· sheol

· demon

· superstition

· curse

· magic

· possession

Day 3: Do a search on the internet to find the Christian view of Halloween

· Is it appropriate for Christians to celebrate Halloween?

· What are we honoring when we celebrate it?

· Who are we honoring when we celebrate it?

· Does Halloween have any place in a Christian's life? Why?

Day 4: Write a report about Halloween and the Christian. Include your sources of information in a bibliography. Report must be complete and inclusive. Include the following:

· Find out statistics about the incidents of injuries related to Halloween over the last few years.

· Make a bar graph to depict those incidents.

· Find out statistics about candy sales during the weeks preceding Halloween. How do those sales compare with the rest of the year?

· Make a line graph to illustrate those statistics.

· What do the common symbols of Halloween represent?

· Where does the phrase "trick or treat" come from?

· Where and did the custom of wearing masks and costumes originate?

· What is the purpose of masks and costumes?

· What does the Bible have to say about witches, demons, or psychics (familiar spirits)?

· What is the Christian worldview of this celebration?

· What are your conclusions?

Report will be due the day before Halloween. Use note taking, outlining, research, rough draft, and proper completed report format including cover page.

Use the Word Processor or Word on the computer for your final draft.

You will be graded on accuracy, spelling, grammar, sentence structure, proper format, graphing skills, depth of the report, use of resources, and proper bibliography.

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Photography Unit Study

2010-12-01T12:12:00.001-06:00

Photography Unit

Objectives: To learn how to take a variety of digital photographs; using photography as an art form; creating animated gifs from digital photos; using photographs to document events; the history of photography; mechanics of conventional photography.

Weeks 1 and 2: Using the encyclopedia and other resources, study the history of cameras and photography. Find when photography was invented, the tools used, who invented it, what it was used for.

Web resources:

· http://www.rleggat.com/photohistory/

· http://www.rleggat.com/photohistory/history/daguerr.htm

· http://www.rleggat.com/photohistory/history/bayard.htm

· http://www.spress.de/foto/history/

· http://www.rleggat.com/photohistory/history/stereosc.htm

· http://www.midleykent.fsnet.co.uk/

1. Make a timeline showing the beginnings of photography, advances, and people involved.

2. Write a one page biography of an early inventor involved in photography.

Weeks 3 and 4: Using the encyclopedia and other resources, including the web, study the mechanics of photography. Learn the papers, chemicals, lenses, camera types.

1. Using instructions supplied in your packet, make a pinhole camera and produce 3 pictures using a pinhole camera.

2. Study the handouts in the packet. Be prepared to tell in writing what the various F-stops represent.

Web resources:

· http://www.fotoinfo.com/

· http://www.users.globalnet.co.uk/~tkemp/

Weeks 5 and 6: Learn tips about what makes a photograph good or bad. Learn how to arrange subjects, lighting, proper equipment, digital photography.

Web resources:

· http://home.netcom.com/~nikonman/phototips1.html

· http://www.fotoinfo.com/

· http://www.channel1.com/workingphotos/wp.html

· http://www.internetbrothers.com/phototips.htm

· http://members.home.net/jonespm/PJDigPhot.htm

Weeks 7 and 8: Picture taking project - using a digital camera, take enough pictures of one object to create an animated gif.

· Locate a plant or group of trees that will be changing over time. Even a seedling will work.

· Find a spot for your camera that you can return to at each visit

· Making sure your camera rests in the same location each time, take one photo of the object at different times. If observing a flower, take your pictures at 30 minute intervals throughout the day. If observing the trees changing colors, take your pictures at the same time each day for at least two weeks.

· When all the needed pictures are taken, load them into the computer. Find them in the files and save them to a separate file to acquire them from.

Open the gif animator program of your computer and load the pictures in to create an animation which will display the changes in a time lapsed style.

Weeks 9 and 10: Portrait project - using a digital camera take portraits of a family member.

· Use different lighting, backgrounds, and settings on the camera.

· Load these into the computer and move them into a new file.

· Using the photo programs in your computer, adjust or enhance one portrait. Each time you make enhancements, save it under a new file name.

Weeks 11 and 12: Interview a photographer.

· Find out where he/she learned photography.

· How have they used their skill?

· Do they have any tips for better photos?

· Do they use photography as an art form?

· Can they make a living using their photography?

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Christmas Unit Study

2010-11-28T23:03:00.001-06:00

CHRISTMAS UNIT STUDY

This was originally written to be a four day unit study, so it may be intense but it can be done. However, you may wish to incorporate this into your curriculum in a different way. The vocabulary will be comprised solely of words related to the subject, so you won't find anything like phentermine or other modern or chemical terms.

OBJECTIVE: From Genesis on, the birth of the Messiah was prophesied. The goal of this unit is to discover those prophecies and to learn about the fulfillment of them - the birth of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, what we as Christians believe, and what we should share with others about it. This unit will not include math or science. Those subjects will need to be supplemented.

WEB RESOURCES:

__http://members.tripod.com/~lemmondrops/advent.html#TEXT

__http://www.execpc.com/~tmuth/st_john/xmas/advent.htm

__http://www.christiantech.com/ (Noah Webster 1828 online searchable

dictionary)

OTHER RESOURCES:

You may use your dictionary, encyclopedia, computer encyclopedia, Bible,

concordance, the web, or any other resources available to you.

VOCABULARY: Write the definitions for the following words.

__Prophecy

__Immanuel

__Census

__Messiah

__Christ

__Bethlehem

__Carol

__Advent

DAY 1:

1. What is an Advent wreath? Look this up on the internet or in an encyclopedia to learn its history and purpose. Find out if there are any traditional activities during Advent.

2. Make an Advent wreath, using natural materials you find in your yard. In place of real candles, use paper tubes, construction paper, and other craft items to make “candles”. Each week have a devotional and use the wreath you have made as the centerpiece.

DAY 2:

1. Using a Concordance or computer Bible software, look up verses which tell of a prophesied Messiah. Key words: a child, a son, virgin, son of God, redeemer, Bethlehem. You might think of others as well.

2. Re-write the verses in your own words, making sure to tell the address of the verses.

3. Using a printable map, locate and color the area around Bethlehem and Nazareth. Follow the trail of Joseph and Mary from Nazareth to Bethlehem, then on to Egypt. Then, retrace their journey from Egypt back to their home, as told in the Bible. (Matthew and Luke) Use a different color for each activity and note them in the map’s legend.

4. Determine how many miles each trip was, and how many miles total they had to travel.

5. How far might they have traveled in one day? How long could each trip have taken?

DAY 3: Answer the following questions. You may use your Bible, the internet, the encyclopedia, or any other resources necessary to learn the answers. Write in complete sentences, making note of proper spelling, punctuation, and grammar.

1. Why was there a need for a Messiah?

2. What sort of Savior did the Jews expect?

3. We know that Jesus was born in Bethlehem. Where did the Pharisees think He came from?

4. Who was the Roman ruler when Jesus was born?

5. What government even preceded the birth of Jesus?

6. What did Herod have done after he learned of the birth?

7. Find the Old Testament verse that is referred to in the passage about this deed.

8. How is it that Jesus, born of a woman, could have pure blood with no sinful nature? (See Luke’s gospel.)

DAY 4:

1. Read the account of Jesus’ birth in Matthew 2. According to what you have read, try to determine how old Jesus might have been when the wise men visited Him. Citing verses, give reasons why you have come to this conclusion.

2. While the secular world sees Santa Claus in Christmas, what one thing that affects our daily lives is impacted by the birth of Christ?

While I have copyrighted this material, please feel free to print it out for your own use. Please, do not pass this around on the internet as your own work. Thank you, and Merry Christmas!

Technorati Tags: Christmas,unit studies

Dealing with holiday foods

2010-11-28T22:21:00.001-06:00

After so many food related holidays, some of you are probably going to start looking for diets that work to add to your New Year's Resolutions.

Thanksgiving, Christmas, and even New Year's are well known for the feasts that accompany the celebrations. Of course, not overindulging would be the easiest way to prevent weight gain. But, when you are part of a lot of family gatherings, work related dinners, and outings with friends, even the most careful eater may find themselves consuming more than they intended.

One thing you can do is pace yourself. Also, maintain good portion control. If you have more than one event to attend, perhaps eating a small main course at one then eating only a small dessert at another would be an option.

Make sure you are keeping up with an exercise program, even if all you are doing is walking 30 minutes a day. Regular exercise, even when it's moderate exercise, works wonders toward burning calories.

Technorati Tags: food,exercise

Skin health lesson

2010-11-15T09:43:00.001-06:00

I'm sure you all know how important it is to keep skin clean and avoid prolonged exposure to the sun. To help your homeschooled child understand the reasons behind these precautions, a Skin Lesson might be in order. This short lesson will focus on the functions of the skin and how to keep skin and hair healthy.

It includes a Power Point presentation as well as a worksheet to help your student better understand skin health. Using it will help your child learn the importance of cleanliness, products such as the best acne face wash, and gives vocabulary words to be studied. It's geared toward children in grade 6 and can be completed in one class period.

Technorati Tags: skin,health

Cuba-US history

2010-11-11T09:52:00.001-06:00

Fidel Castro has been in the news lately. He's quite elderly now and not in the best health. The U.S. has a long history with Cuba, dating way back. After all, Cuba is only 90 miles from Florida, which means that if it's an enemy, it's pretty close.

Discovery has a lesson plan about our history with Cuba which is pretty interesting. US-Cuba relations covers a time from 1492 to about 1999, giving resource sites, teaching plans, extension plans, discussion topics, further reading suggestions, timeline, and vocabulary.

Now your students can learn about trade relations, or lack thereof, with Cuba, the people and culture of Cuba, whether Mr. Castro smokes cheap cigar brands, and why their economy may struggle even more than ours does.

I found two interesting, though contradictory, quotes from Fidel Castro:

I find capitalism repugnant. It is filthy, it is gross, it is alienating... because it causes war, hypocrisy and competition.

Capitalism is using its money; we socialists throw it away.

Technorati Tags: Cuba,Fidel Castro

Mummify a chicken

2010-11-06T21:52:00.001-05:00

Want your kids to have some gross fun studying history? How about studying Egyptian Mummification! With this lesson plan, your 5th to 8th graders will mummify a Chicken Pharaoh. This is actually a cross-curricular study covering math, science, social studies, and language arts, so it covers a lot of territory.

It comes with printable handouts to give to your students and a complete outline of how to implement the unit in the classroom, with individual instructions for each subject area.

It also gives you a list of materials needed to accomplish the mummification of King Chicken and guidelines to see if the bird loses weight during the process or if he should have been on Lipofuze during his feeding program.

Web resources also accompany this unit, giving your children all kinds of opportunities for research and discussion.

Come on! You know it will be fun!!

Technorati Tags: mummification,unit studies

Dry winter air

2010-11-06T18:31:00.001-05:00

It's the time of the year when we are going to start seeing a lot more sick folks. Do germs migrate in with colder weather? I don't think so.

I think the germs are here all along, but because we are staying inside more with not enough fresh air, the germs have a chance to really incubate. Add the heated air and humidifiers that help make breathing easier in the dry winter months, and you've got a recipe for illness.

Skin suffers, too. Heated air in the winter is drier than summer air. This is why we keep some kind of apparatus for humidity going. Too bad it's not as easy as click here to get the right balance of moisture in the air. Sometimes I put coffee can of water on my heater to help bring up the moisture levels in my home.

Seems that no matter what, though, either we are incubating bacteria or we are suffering from dry skin and nasal passages. Where's the balance?

Technorati Tags: health

Word games

2010-11-04T20:49:00.001-05:00

Language arts, grammar, and spelling don't have to always be dull and boring to your child. Using the Merriam-Webster word games, your child can sharpen his skills and have fun doing so.

I browsed through the games and there are actually a few that I have played before on a social networking site. These games will test your child's spelling and definition skills. Games like Word Drop and Scrabble are included in the mix, and it's a long list of games. If your child gets tired of one game, it's no big deal to go to another game, thereby keeping everything fresh.

Technorati Tags: language

Learning to research

2010-11-04T20:38:00.001-05:00

The time will come when you will want your child to research a particular topic and garner all the information she can in order to write a theme paper on it. This is where research lessons can really come in handy. Here, you will find all kinds of resources and lessons to help your child learn, firstly, just exactly how to go about researching a topic.

The topic you select for your child might be as easy and fun as horses and ponies, or as complicated as phentermine reviews. My daughter actually did research and wrote a paper on food, while my son did the same for race cars.

Select a topic your child is already interested in, but hasn't really studied yet. Use the research lessons and suggestions to begin with, then let your child use those new skills to research the topic.
Set a deadline. You don't want this to carry on for weeks or months, and if your child is keenly interested in the topic, it could very well consume all her time and thought.
Help her narrow down what's being researched so that not too many lengthy rabbit trails are followed.

Using these tips should help her produce as well-written paper that she can be proud of.

Technorati Tags: research

Free education resource

2010-10-30T23:37:00.001-05:00

Those of you with high school age homeschool children may be very interested in visiting Free-Ed.Net. We used these courses when my children were in high school at home, and they've improved and extended so many of them since then.

You can't earn a degree by using these courses, but they certainly can be used to prepare for further education in a chosen field. Some of the lessons are provided directly by the website, while others are provided from outside sources. Still, they are all free and very helpful, covering a range of subjects from basic arithmetic to higher math, sciences, arts and humanities, and so much more. It's one of the most widely diverse educational sites for nearly-grown children. I've even used it myself to help me in my job!

When my younger daughter was taking courses at a local beauty school, she found that supplementing with these courses helped her learn even more about topics in her field of study, from anti wrinkle lotion to skin to massage therapy, as she studied for her license in Esthetology.

Technorati Tags: education

Healthy skin

2010-10-30T23:14:00.001-05:00

There is so much information out there about keeping your skin safe from the harmful effects of the sun, that I won't go into that here. However, there are lessons and posters about The Skin You're In which teach not only about protecting your skin from the sun but also about acne and other skin problems. These materials are provided free online as PDFs so you can download and use them in your homeschool classroom.

Besides the lesson themselves, which may cover everything from the structure of the skin to eye creams that work, there is also a poster to be downloaded that you can post in your learning area.

There is also a contest you can enter and a Family Quiz your family can take to see just how knowledgeable you are.

Technorati Tags: health,skin,science

Budgeting lessons

2010-10-30T22:59:00.001-05:00

Good financial stewardship is a must, especially in today's economy. My opinion is that it's really never too early to begin teaching children about budgeting and wise money choices. With Budgeting Lessons, you can teach your child using worksheets and lesson plans that cover a lot of good topics.

Teach your child about his own expenses, shopping, using local or online coupons, differentiating between wants and needs, calculating savings, and living within a budget that he has set up for himself.

Technorati Tags: finances

Winter weather lessons

2010-10-30T22:53:00.001-05:00

While it may still be officially fall, winter isn't far behind this chilly weather and with it, the very good possibility of wintry precipitation. Some of my online friends have already declared they have snow and it's been sticking! Of course, they are in more northern climates than I am. Nonetheless, we always wind up with at least a little snow and some icy roads every year.

Lately, the mornings have been a frigid 32 degrees, which really is unusually cold for us this time of the year. it reminds me, though, that some of you may want to begin some Winter Weather Lessons.

Scholastic provides free lessons for children from Kindergarten to grade 8, and they cover a lot, including winter animals and weather. They are engaging lessons geared toward children, helping them to have fun while they are learning. My thought is that you, the homeschool teacher, could make good use of these not only at home, but on road trips if you use the coloring or activity sheets. The games and other lesson activities can be used in a home setting or as part of your own unit study.

Technorati Tags: weather

Bird watching

2010-10-30T22:44:00.001-05:00

While this may not be the best time of the year to begin, Bird Watching Lessons can still be planned and some activities carried out through the winter and into the spring. This site linked will give you lots of wonderful ideas and resources for building a cross-curricular unit study with the central theme of bird watching. This is a unit that could stay with your child for years to come, creating in him a love of bird watching and conservation.

A few weeks ago, I took a vacation in a mountainous area of our state. While there, a park interpreter took us on a bird watching outing and supplied us not only with information, but with small bushnell binoculars. She taught us how to focus the binoculars, which was something certainly new for me. She then led us on a trek to identify bird calls and birds we saw as we went along.

The one thing that impressed me the most was something she said: Bird watching isn't so much about the birds, but about the people you are with and the memories you create for yourself on each outing.

Wise woman, indeed.

Technorati Tags: bird watching

Lessons - auto repair

2010-10-27T13:11:00.001-05:00

At some point in time, your child, whether boy or girl, will need Auto Repair lessons. It's a good idea to have these so that he can fix small problems and understand how a vehicle works, from the motor to the brake system, from the electrical system to the drive train.

With these free lessons, your child can begin to have a good idea how it all works and what is entailed when it comes time to repair or replace worn car parts. Having this knowledge can save hundreds of dollars spent at mechanics shops. There will be times when a real mechanic is needed, of course, but with the knowledge of good maintenance habits and minor repairs, those times could be almost eliminated entirely.

Technorati Tags: auto repair

Physical education - weight loss

2010-10-27T13:03:00.001-05:00

There are those of us who need to drop a few pounds. Sometimes, even our children would benefit from a good weight management program. This site gives you all the support you need including PowerPoint presentations, student manual, lessons, instructor's guide, facilitator's guide, and fat burner exercises to do.

This plan also teaches about nutrition and offers posters and other support materials to help you be successful. Even if you or your child don't have a weight problem, this could be very useful as a wellness and fitness study for the homeschool family.

Technorati Tags: health,physical education

Unit study resource - physical education

2010-10-27T12:14:00.001-05:00

Even though cold weather is upon us, the need for good resources for physical fitness has not ended for the school year. Upon looking, I found that the Physical Education resources page of Teacher Vision gives an ample list of cross-curricular resources. I imagine it would be hard to even use all of them, there are so many!

These resources would be wonderful compiled into a unit study that covers not only the health aspect, but also History, Science, Social Studies, Math, and Language Arts. The child who is very active in sports of any kind would be highly engaged by a unit of this kind.

It even includes resources about the Olympic Games, hgh releaser issues, famous athletes who inspire others, and lesson plans, quizzes, and printables.

What more can you ask of a unit study resource site?

Technorati Tags: heal.physical education

Dermatology

2010-10-25T13:02:00.001-05:00

A child, perhaps a teen, who is interested in Esthetology may also be interested in learning about anti wrinkle creams that work. You can begin lessons by teaching about dermatology.

You can find a few free lessons about dermatology across the web, of course. Use them as a base for your skin care curriculum. This gives your child an opportunity to get a head start in her career. My own daughter went to beauty school for Esthetology a few years ago, got her license, and learned enough so that she can take a job in any beauty shop or even in a dermatologists office, helping people with all kinds of skin problems.

Technorati Tags: science,dermatology

Composting lessons

2010-10-25T12:54:00.001-05:00

This is really a good time of the year to institute compost lessons. Letting your child experiment with worm and worm-free composting can be accomplished with just a few supplies.

Small bins, about 5 gallons each
A few earthworms, no more than a dozen or so
Materials suitable for composting - shredded paper, leaves, soil, kitchen vegetable scraps

Following the instructions in the linked lesson plans, your child will learn the advantages and disadvantages of composting with worms and without worms. The lesson will give you printables and resources you can use as well as a good base for beginning the lessons.

Technorati Tags: composting,science

Lessons about law

2010-10-24T16:34:00.001-05:00

If you are homeschooling high school students, then you already know there are studies they need that they probably never needed before. They are getting ready to enter the "real world" and as such may need a course in the introduction to law. Moneyinstructor.com offers valuable and free courses about basic knowledge of the law. It won't make your child a lawyer, but it will help her understand some basics. The course includes worksheets and lesson plans. All you have to do is register and login.

Of course, your child may be interested in further studies in this area. Perhaps she wants to become part of a business law firm or pat of the Texas Maritime lawyers. This will give her a small taste of this kind of study and let her know if she'd like to continue it in college.

Technorati Tags: homeschool,law

Free money skills courses

2010-10-24T16:04:00.002-05:00

I wanted to share another money skills course with you. It's the free AFSA Money Skill course. You do have to register and login, but it's a free course for educators and students that covers so many areas of money skills that I believe it can be used as the full curriculum course for economics, income, assets, and other areas of finances your child will deal with when he grows up.

Getting these skills fully trained now will help your child later to make good decisions about money. It is a cross-curriculum as well for social studies and math.Using this course will help your child understand what goes into such things as Outer Banks foreclosures, investments, risks, and personal money management. It includes interactive modules and quizzes, keeps a record of grades and scores, retaking modules where the child has not done so well, and a pre-test to learn what level your child is already.

Technorati Tags: finances

Sports

2010-10-15T15:44:00.001-05:00

If you don't already belong to a homeschool support group, I suggest you seek one out in your area. These groups can offer you inroads to a lot of activities your family might not be able to access otherwise.

For instance, sports. Your child might be very interested in sports and athletics, but without a team it's pretty hard to play. Homeschool groups often offer an opportunity to be a part of a sports team that plays against other homeschool teams or even public school teams.

If your child is undersized, you may be introduced to hgh sprays. It's up to you, of course, whether you allow your child to use them.

Technorati Tags: homeschool,sports

Using technology for social studies

2010-10-11T16:41:00.001-05:00

I stumbled across a new experience with mrdonn.org. They now have powerpoint Social Studies lessons and activities your child can participate in from your computer. These files can be saved and played later or played as soon as you download them -- it's your choice.

After running the slideshow, there are activities your child can participate in to help solidify the lessons learned along with games to be played and clip art you can use in your printed materials.

The illustrations for the slides are charming and the lessons are simply written and easy to understand.

Advantage of unit studies

2010-10-10T14:35:00.001-05:00

Who knows what your young child may grow up to be? I bet you don't even know, although you may think you have a good idea. Will your child be interested in airport jobs? Maybe she will want to be an animal doctor or a language or sign interpreter.

Well, since you don't really know yet, this is the time to be introducing them to a variety of career choices by offering subjects in those areas. Your child's interest may be piqued along one path or another, and she will begin to dig more deeply into those courses of study.

Keeping it all well-balanced is important, of course, so you don't want to leave out the basic studies. But using unit studies might fulfill both purposes.

For instance, you might want to incorporate lessons about the airport with subjects such as language arts, math, and even science or history. When it's all rolled together under one topic - Airports - you child might be more engaged in the study and stand more chance of success in accomplishing the unit study tasks.

Technorati Tags: unit studies

Costume time of year

2010-09-18T23:47:00.001-05:00

Ok, I already know that not everyone gets into Halloween or other events that require costumes. However, some of you do, so this post is aimed at you.

When my children were small, I rarely ever bought a costume for them for anything. However, that doesn't mean that they were singled out as costumeless. On the contrary, I would find clothes in thrift store that made great costumes for them. I used special makeup instead of masks.

Why makeup? Because I learned early on that masks cause blind spots for kids. they block a child's peripheral vision to the point that he or she may fall over curbs, into ditches, or even step out into traffic. Of course, you keep a close eye on your children, but you already know that a child can zip away pretty quickly when he's excited about something. And, he never thinks of the consequences. This is how accidents happen. Not from parental neglect but due to the Ninja like speed with which a child can escape your grasp!

Technorati Tags: costume,Halloween

Free wifi access

2010-09-18T23:46:00.001-05:00

Even after the school year begins, you may be planning some trips to historic locations or just fun trips for the family. Homeschoolers have a lot of freedom where this is concerned. On those trips, though, you might want to stay in touch with other homeschoolers, friends, or family via the internet.

It's not always easy to know where you can do that if you don't have internet access service with your laptop or through your phone company. If you're like me, you look for places you can connect for free, and free is always good. In that case, you might want to try the free wifi finder at jwire.com. I learned of this through my AARP newsletter, so I'm sharing it here with you.

They offer other stuff, too, of course. But the free wifi locations are a big bonus. I do a little traveling from time to time and I never know where I can connect, so this is going to be a really useful tool for me to use.

With free wifi, you may be able to continue using educational sites while you're traveling with your children, download free educational software and games, or just log your trip to your blog on a daily basis. It's certainly worth a try!

Technorati Tags: wifi,internet

Helping myself to better health

2010-09-17T11:10:00.001-05:00

I have been sick a couple of days and am self-treating the illness. It's really just a fall bug that's been going around at work and in the schools. Nothing too serious but it takes you out for a couple of days.

I've been resting and drinking lots of water. I've also been taking my cold-fighting vitamins - C, echinacea, and zinc. Every so often I fix myself a cup of hot tea made with a regular tea bag plus some dried mint. I sweeten it with honey, a known antibacterial agent.

No, I'm not a doctor. I just believe that God put things in the earth and in our bodies to help us, and that we don't need a lot of artificial stuff in our systems in order to get better. Sure, if I developed a serious illness like pneumonia or cancer, I'd want a doctor to help me. But this other stuff, I can take care of on my own.

The key is to encourage your own body to heal itself. For instance carnitine fumarate is produced by the body to help with weight loss and energy levels. But, you may need to ingest something to get it kick started. Also, if you have seasonal allergies, maybe taking some locally produced honey will help with that. The bees use local flowers of all kinds and pass along a little immunity for us in the process.

Another way to help with allergies is to use locally produced goat milk. Goats eat all kinds of vegetation, even poison ivy! Drinking that milk can help relieve you of some of the worries associated with allergic reactions to plants.

Technorati Tags: health

Heroes

2010-09-17T10:46:00.001-05:00

I heard some rather bothersome news from a co-worker. Her son is in peewee football and the other night they played a scrimmage game. Her son, and over a dozen other kids, were left benched for that game and told they might as well get used to it because they wouldn't be playing much during the regular season.

Am I wrong, or does this seem grossly out of place for a peewee team? I responded that it's not the NFL and that every child should have some play time at this level. How would a coach know if a kid might have some potential that's just waiting to be brought out? How can he predict that those dozen or so kids can't play at all? I don't think he can.

So, I started thinking about sports legends and other people who made a difference in the world, even after a rocky start in life. These people teach us that heroes aren't heroes until the time comes to be one. They also teach us that perseverance pays off in the end and that being a human is part of the equation.

I looked around the web and found a site that has some great stories about "heroes" and even some lesson plans you can use in your language arts, social studies, art, and media courses. The site is called My Hero, simply enough, and it's full of stories, pictures, and the above-mentioned resources to inspire and encourage children and young people to greater accomplishments.

Technorati Tags: sports,heroes

Flu season

2010-09-17T08:58:00.001-05:00

Is it already flu season, or is it just me? I saw in the local paper that they are giving flu shots to the kids in the public schools. Last year, they had so much absenteeism due to the illness that I guess this year, they are trying to head that off. I truly hope this is done only with parental agreement. Nothing was mentioned in the article about that.

Even where I work, there have been a lot of call-ins already because of flu-like symptoms ranging from head and chest difficulties to gut problems, if you get my drift. While we don't want sick people showing up at work, it sure makes it hard on the rest of us when we are operating with a short crew.

So now, I'm thinking, I already take vitamins to help ward off illnesses that come around this time of the year. Even when I get feeling a bit puny, the vitamins help me recuperate a lot faster. I wonder if there are any additional benefits of flax seed as far as the immune system is concerned? As I get older, I find I need more nutritional support to keep from catching everything I'm exposed to at work!

Technorati Tags: illness,flu,vitamins

Drug dependency

2010-08-31T00:10:00.001-05:00

This is a difficult topic to talk about, but it really needs to be talked about with your children at some point. Someday, someone is going to offer your child hard drugs, and without the proper information and plenty of education, even your child could succumb to the temptation. Hiding this knowledge from them does them no service.

Recently, two friends of mine passed away. One due directly to her drug use. The other, indirectly. Her "boyfriend" killed her while they were both under the influence of hard drugs. Both these women had gone beyond the point where anyone could talk them out of their drug habits or help them even to submit themselves to a detox program.

Both women left children and loved ones behind who grieved the loss greatly. If they would have submitted to a rapid opiate detox program, perhaps both of them would still be alive now. This procedure could be the answer for those who sincerely desire to rid themselves of addictions. Perhaps they've tried other programs and slipped back into drug dependency, or they just don't have the personal fortitude to go through the withdrawals and other issues associated with cessation of drugs.

Whatever the reason, had my friends gone through a program such as this one, we might still have them among us. Rapid detox is usually performed under sedation to ease the withdrawals. It blocks the part of the brain where opiate dependency resides. This method is done under a doctor's care while vital signs are watched. What does it cost? What does it matter? How much is a life worth?

Technorati Tags: detox

Free resources from Heifer

2010-08-30T23:52:00.001-05:00

I gave you a link a couple of posts ago for the educational games Heifer International offers, But I really should have given you a link for Heifer's classroom resources, which are by educational level, which include grade level activities, lesson plans, videos, maps, and posters.

Heifer also offers you a way to order the kits for these for free. I am assuming homeschoolers may order these as well as traditional schools, since it doesn't say they can't.

You can also download and print certificates of completion either for the class or for individual students.

I encourage you all to include these resources in your current curriculum for your children. They can teach your children that worldwide and in this country as well, there are people in need require more than a bowl of gruel handed to them on occasion. They need real education so that they can make their own life more significant and spread that education to entire communities.

Technorati Tags: Heifer International

Going online with a game machine

2010-08-30T22:19:00.001-05:00

As I was typing the previous post, I was reminded that my Son access the internet through his xbox 360. At least, I think that's the machine he has. Not being a gamer myself puts me at a disadvantage where these things are concerned, but I'm thinking he can use it on wifi and hook it up to the TV to view it.

I also think there is an on-screen keyboard he can use, but again, I'm not that savvy about such things. I digress.

My original point was that if you don't have enough computers in your home for your kids to access the Heifer site for the games and puzzles, or even for the classroom tools, you might be able to use some game machines to do so. if you have a TV that isn't being used throughout the day, hook the machine up to that. You can use the RGB cables or a VGA cable, if the TV is new enough and has the port.

I don't know. It's worth a try to get more people able to access the knowledge games. I'll have to talk to Son again and find out more details.

Technorati Tags: internet,games

Heifer.org games and puzzles

2010-08-30T21:50:00.001-05:00

Those who have been reading my blogs for awhile have probably noticed the Heifer International ad at the top. I don't get paid for that, but it's an organization that is truly close to my heart.

A couple of years ago I was privileged to be able to visit their headquarters in Little Rock, AR. It was an amazing place to visit. The building itself was designed to make a very small environmental impact and uses the natural resources around it to the fullest extent. Having been built on a low-lying area, it's a natural wetland and they kept that aspect of it. The displays in the public building are awesome and children's groups can learn so much from them. Even their gift shop offers only organic and fair market items from around the world.

A few years before that I visited their farm about 40 miles from me where they teach sustainable agriculture. They give people the opportunity to study over a several weeks period just how organic farming works around the world and they learn true sustainable agriculture. These skills can be taken home and put to use, or the people can go to areas of the world where these teachings are needed and show indigenous peoples how to better their lives through these methods. The only requirement for those people is to pass the teachings and part of the products of their farms to others so that it can continue through the whole community.

Your children may benefit from the games and puzzles at the Heifer site, learning how important it is to give in a sustainable way instead of just giving temporary handouts that don't last. Check it out for yourself, and while you're there browse the site for ways you can help this very worthwhile project.

Technorati Tags: Heifer International

Lighting the work area

2010-08-28T22:45:00.001-05:00

The days are already getting shorter. Soon, it will be dark by around 5 PM and you may still not be finished with your day. if your kids have had other activities during the day, such as chores or field trips, you may need some good Kichler lighting to make sure they can finish their school work!

Those of you who send your children to traditional schools know exactly what I'm talking about. By the time they get home, have supper, do a chore or two, it's dark and they still need to do their homework. Good lighting is a must to prevent them from straining their young eyes.

It is best if the light isn't glaring but still shines on their workplace. The light bulb itself should be shielded so that it isn't shining in the child's eyes. Best if it's off to one side, but make sure the child's hands, arms, or body don't create shadows on the work area.

Technorati Tags: light

Online classroom help

2010-08-28T22:34:00.001-05:00

'The first days of school are over and I'm sure you're into the classroom scene in full swing now. Well, at least you want to be. But what happened to everything your kids learned last year? It's still in there -- still in their brains. You just have to help them access it and use it again.

I found a site I haven't been to before, that I recall, which could really help in getting your kids, whether homeschooled or traditionally schooled, back into the swing of learning. It could also help throughout the year reinforcing what they've learned and "testing" them. The site is called Internet4Classrooms. It includes skill builders, online tutorials, grade level help, and assessment assistance.

This site is easy to navigate and safe for your children to use.

Technorati Tags: education,homeschool

Pursuing individual interests

2010-08-23T01:43:00.001-05:00

I read a comment on a popular social networking site the other day from a homeschooled boy. He said that since school started back, he's lonely at home. No friends to socialize with - they are all in school. I replied to him that this gave him the perfect time to really learn some things that aren't included in regular school classrooms. This is the perfect time to explore his world and pursue his dreams uninterrupted.

That is how we homeschooled. We did our academics but then the kids were able to "run down rabbit trails" of their own particular interests. Daughter loved all things Egypt, so she would look up anything about Egyptian history at the library or online. Son was a science aficionado and we helped him get ingredients for all kinds of experiments to do on his own time.

Your children probably have interests that they can further delve into when the basic school work is done. (And we all know that when you homeschool, that work can be accomplished in about 4 hours.) Maybe your child is artistic and loves to create art or study about the masters. Perhaps your child is good at crafts and wants to create beautiful jewelry or diamond engagement rings. Your child might even have a mechanical bent and love to learn about working on cars or appliances.

Letting your child pursue his or her natural interests builds confidence and helps them decide their future vocations as well.

Technorati Tags: homeschool,education

School start up

2010-08-23T01:23:00.001-05:00

Are your kids beginning to settle into school days now? Our local school systems began classes last Friday. I must be honest and tell you this really seems early. Here, we've been under terrible heat advisories which means those kids who ride the bus will suffer in the afternoons, and maybe even in the mornings.

School years seem to get longer each year while summer breaks seem to get shorter. Schedules are crammed full of all kinds of studies but not necessarily academics or culture. Apparently it's now up to the schools to educate vocationally now, too.

The news shows upset parents in a county south of us whose children may be attending different schools. The schedules for those schools are so varied that I would think it impossible for a parent to get every child to every school at the right time. Some schools begin at 7:30 or so, while others begin at 8:30, and others somewhere in between. That's an hour difference in start-up time leaving parents with the task of getting different age children to these schools at these widely different times.

What were school officials thinking when they put these crazy schedules into effect? The schools let out at the end of the day at equally crazy times. Parents who work must be going nuts already trying to juggle work schedules plus these school start and end schedules.

Technorati Tags: school