Thursday, May 23, 2013
Free audio downloads from SYNC
I don't know anything about SYNC but during the summer they offer two free audio books for download each week, the catch being they are only available that week. They tend to pair a classic with a more recently published book with some connection to the classic. The False Prince, which has been featured in a post here earlier and we also enjoyed listening to on a trip, is featured in late July. SYNC schedule
Monday, May 20, 2013
Nitrotype Typing Practice
I have found a awesome typing practice
website called nitrotype. It is a typing website that allows people
worldwide to race with words against each other It does not offer any
lessons but it does give lots of practice. Nitrotype also has a counterpart named typingweb.com. This gives structured lessons on typing. You can sign up for nitrotype
here, just so you know, I am boyawesome.
I find it fun because when you race you get money, and when you get money, you can buy cars ranging from jeeps to a NASA spaceship, but you have to level up to unlock more cars, and you have to get EXP to level up. But have no fear, you get EXP every time you race. You can also race against your friends, get achievements,buy nitros which skip words for you, but I don't use them often. They also have their own blog post on their website, and I like to look at it because they have some really interesting posts. You can put yourself up against top typists on the scoreboard. Hope you have fun!
I find it fun because when you race you get money, and when you get money, you can buy cars ranging from jeeps to a NASA spaceship, but you have to level up to unlock more cars, and you have to get EXP to level up. But have no fear, you get EXP every time you race. You can also race against your friends, get achievements,buy nitros which skip words for you, but I don't use them often. They also have their own blog post on their website, and I like to look at it because they have some really interesting posts. You can put yourself up against top typists on the scoreboard. Hope you have fun!
Book Review for The Familiars by Adam Jay Epstein and Andrew Jacobson
The
Familiars
The Familiars
is one of my favorite books, and I think it might be yours too. It
has creatures that you might recognize, such as a hydra, many cool
spells, and cool new monsters such as the “Gundabeast”. I highly
recommend this book because it's a book for any ages, if you have
little children in your family it's a good read aloud book, plus it has pictures, and if
you have a older child that wants to read it on his or her own, it's
a fun read for all ages.
The main
character in the Familiars is a alley cat that jumped into a Familiar
shop through a back window and is mistaken for a telekinetic cat, or
a cat that can make things move with his mind. Then he is chosen to
be a companion, or a Familiar, to a wizard in training, called a
Loyal, and taken to the Loyal's home, called the Stone Runlet. Then,
the Loyals get stolen by the evil queen, and I wondered for a while
if the queen was actually evil, but I'll leave the ending for you to
figure out. The Familiars have to go pretty much all over the Vastia
map, Vastia being the queendom that they are in, trying to find the
Loyals.
As I have said, it is one of my
favorite books and I am waiting to check out the next one at the
library.
Tuesday, May 14, 2013
Boy Scout Merit Badge Group
A group of scout age boys meet regularly to work on merit badges.
I was going to go into all the detail and ideology of merit badges, but I figure, if you might be interested in this, you already know about them.
Email me if you are interested in details. If you have a secret, or not so secret, talent, experience or interest in a topic that you'd like to share with some scouts, email me as well. :)
I was going to go into all the detail and ideology of merit badges, but I figure, if you might be interested in this, you already know about them.
Email me if you are interested in details. If you have a secret, or not so secret, talent, experience or interest in a topic that you'd like to share with some scouts, email me as well. :)
Tuesday, May 7, 2013
Learning about the Orchestra
I'm doing something I've never done before.
We are picking one thing and learning as much about the one thing as we can in 6 weeks.
We chose Stravinsky's "The Firebird." Along with learning about Stravinsky and ballet and Russia and Russian Fairy tales and "how to write a story" and Russian food, we are learning about the parts of the Orchestra.
The resources I found for learning about the orchestra is what I would like to share today.
Here are some things we have been doing:
WORKSHEETS ABOUT INSTRUMENT FAMILIES (printable - my kids like the crossword puzzle that goes along with the illustrated instruments.)
INSTRUMENTS OF THE ORCHESTRA (online, so fun!)
MORE Instruments of the OCHESTRA (online, also SOoooO fun!)
After we got familiar with the instrument families in the Orchestra we used this link to test our knowledge:
(Just follow the instructions.)
LISTEN TO MUSIC
And it you REALLY want to have fun, check out the PERFORMALATOR. You'll thank me later. ;-)
These sites are so full of fun ways to learn about music, we haven't even begun to scratch the surface, but we are having a great time.
Leave a comment if you find a fun thing on one of these sites that I should try with my family. THANKS!
We are picking one thing and learning as much about the one thing as we can in 6 weeks.
We chose Stravinsky's "The Firebird." Along with learning about Stravinsky and ballet and Russia and Russian Fairy tales and "how to write a story" and Russian food, we are learning about the parts of the Orchestra.
The resources I found for learning about the orchestra is what I would like to share today.
Here are some things we have been doing:
WORKSHEETS ABOUT INSTRUMENT FAMILIES (printable - my kids like the crossword puzzle that goes along with the illustrated instruments.)
INSTRUMENTS OF THE ORCHESTRA (online, so fun!)
MORE Instruments of the OCHESTRA (online, also SOoooO fun!)
After we got familiar with the instrument families in the Orchestra we used this link to test our knowledge:
(Just follow the instructions.)
LISTEN TO MUSIC
And it you REALLY want to have fun, check out the PERFORMALATOR. You'll thank me later. ;-)
These sites are so full of fun ways to learn about music, we haven't even begun to scratch the surface, but we are having a great time.
Leave a comment if you find a fun thing on one of these sites that I should try with my family. THANKS!
Monday, May 6, 2013
ATC - Artist Trading Cards
Have you made Artist Trading Cards with your family?
When I stumbled across this great idea in the "Family Fun" magazine I thought, "What a fun way for kids to do art!"
Artist Trading Cards are small, so it doesn't take a long time to produce one and because of their size, it's fun to try a variety of techniques, but the BEST part of Artist Trading Cards is TRADING THEM!
So how do you get started? Here are some ideas:
ATC
Artist Trading Cards
|
Rules:
1. Every card
must be 2 ½ x 3 ½ inches in size.
2. They can be
traded but never sold.
Suggestions:
1. Write your name on the back of every
card you make.
2. Think about giving it a title when
you are done.
3. Take your time.
4. Do your best work.
5. Use the whole card.
6. Remember, there is no such thing as
“wrong” in art.
Suggested Supplies:
Black pen
Black permanent marker
Stamps
(IE store bought stamps, potato stamps, foam stamps)
Ink to use with stamps.
Glitter
Markers
Colored pencils
Gel pens
Spin Art machine or Salad spinner (for
making spin art)
Your thumb or other fingers (fingerprints)
Glue stick
Tissue paper
White glue
Stencils
Half dollar or glass – for tracing circles
Crayons
Watercolor paint
Scissors
Magazine cutouts
Fortune cookie slips
Seeds
Thread
Fabric
Stickers
____________________ (There are sooo many more ways you can
decorate your cards, use your imagination.)
Suggested Techniques:
TESSELATION: Tessellation, a term used in art and science, refers
to a repeated pattern that fills a defined area (such as a wallpaper design, a
quilt, or many of M. C. Escher's artworks). To make a tessellation-inspired
design, use a black pen to draw a freehand shape with several closed spaces
(for example, a circle divided into pizza slices or a snowman). Fill each space
with a tiny repeating pattern, such as dots, squares, flowers, circles, or
triangles.
STAMPS: Store-bought or homemade stamps (such as a potato or
a foam stamp) are easy for the youngest artists to handle and can be the
centerpiece of a card embellished with markers, glitter, or other supplies. If
you are using various colored inks, clean the stamp with a wet rag or baby wipe
before switching shades.
LOOP-THE-LOOP: Loop a marker or gel pen around in a scribble,
finally rejoining the line to the starting point. The image should look like a
tangled piece of string with lots of loops. Fill each one with color, using
marker, colored pencil, or gel pen.
SPIN ART: Attach a card to the center of a Spin Art machine
with masking tape. Use tempera or acrylic paints and spin. For a variation, add
interesting lines by gently scraping the wooden or plastic end of a paintbrush
across the card as it turns. (If you don't have a Spin Art machine, try placing
the card in the bottom of an old salad spinner; set it spinning, then remove
the top and drip in the paint.)
FINGERPRINTS: Press your fingers onto an ink pad with washable
ink, then onto a card. Use a pen or marker to add to the design. Stumped for
ideas? Try drawing things that contain a circle or an oval: a spider, a ladybug,
a snowman, a flower, a sun, or a moon.
STAINED-GLASS TISSUE: Cut various colors of tissue paper into pieces the
size of a nickel or bigger. Using a glue stick, cover the whole card with the
pieces; you can overlap them to create new colors. When the glue is dry,
outline the edges of the pieces -- or "panes" -- with black permanent
marker. To finish, paint the card with a thin coating of white glue.
VENN DIAGRAM: In math and logic, a Venn diagram, with its
overlapping circles, is used to demonstrate shared qualities among different
sets of things. Create a Venn diagram card by drawing around a small glass or a
large coin with a black pen to form an overlapping pair of circles. Next, fill
in the circles with designs. To make a true Venn diagram, fill the area of
overlap with elements that appear on both sides.
RESIST: Create a simple design in light-colored crayon, then
use a watercolor paint to wash or paint over the design. The card will absorb
the watercolor paint, but the waxy crayon will resist it.
COLLAGE: The possibilities for a collage card are almost
endless -- you can use magazine cutouts, seeds, thread, even fortune cookie
slips. Adhere the materials to the card with a glue stick. If you're working
with friends, pick a theme like soccer, spring, or space and see how each of
you interprets it.
I am so glad I scanned in the actual article, because I was never ever to locate my magazine again, I've tried to find it online just to see ideas for cards, but there aren't as many pictures in the online version, so I am sharing the scanned images with you.
I hope you enjoy the ideas below as much as I have.
(If you want to read the text, open the photo in a new tab to see the image in it's larger size.)
Monday, April 29, 2013
Leadership Education Academy
http://leadershipeducationacademy.com/
This is an online source of LEMI scholar project classes. They also do other classes. We tried a spring term class last year (2012) and enjoyed it. Weekly 90 minute online discussions through Elluminate software: video conferencing, instant messaging, "board" for teacher notes and visuals. He got rigorous reading assignments, discussion based on literary topics and moral decision making, writing assignment and simulation. The live discussion was good for making friends. Not terribly cheap, but we didn't feel cheated: $70 for a six weeks. Their fall and winter classes are longer and therefore more expensive.
This is an online source of LEMI scholar project classes. They also do other classes. We tried a spring term class last year (2012) and enjoyed it. Weekly 90 minute online discussions through Elluminate software: video conferencing, instant messaging, "board" for teacher notes and visuals. He got rigorous reading assignments, discussion based on literary topics and moral decision making, writing assignment and simulation. The live discussion was good for making friends. Not terribly cheap, but we didn't feel cheated: $70 for a six weeks. Their fall and winter classes are longer and therefore more expensive.
Sunday, April 28, 2013
Education Station Rotation
At Park Day I was mentioning our Education Stations that we have been using and my kids have really enjoyed. I got the idea from our Sunday Stations that we would use on Sundays when we were waiting for 11:30 church to start. I set up 5 stations that the boys spend 15 minutes at each station. I do set a timer as I need the regular reminder. We always have a reading station,(usually McGuffy Readers and then other reading in the time we have left over) writing station (I give them a topic to write about or we write letters to family or Missionaries) and Math (usually Khan Academy)station. Then the other 2 stations change based on what we are learning. One of them is usually a music/ art station (they are learning to read music using hand bells or Artist Trading Cards) and the other can be anything from building marble runs, to learning about Volcanos, to reviewing with Brain Quest Cards.
I am always looking at the many resources I have and wishing I could incorporate more of them in our daily learning. Our Education Stations have helped bring peace an order to our learning as there is no fighting over Who's turn it is at the computer or everyone wanting my time at lunch or dinner time to focus on their reading assignment.
I am thankful for inspiration that makes my life and my home happier!
I am always looking at the many resources I have and wishing I could incorporate more of them in our daily learning. Our Education Stations have helped bring peace an order to our learning as there is no fighting over Who's turn it is at the computer or everyone wanting my time at lunch or dinner time to focus on their reading assignment.
I am thankful for inspiration that makes my life and my home happier!
Our Best Books
Here are a few of our favorite Audio books that we have enjoyed in the last month. They can all be found at DBRL.
-The Lost Prince and The Runaway King- both by Jennifer Nielson are the first 2 books in the Ascendance Trilogy. Join Sage, as he is coached with a few other orphans on pretending to be the Prince and Future King of Carthia.
-The Cay by Theodore Taylor is about Phillip who is lost at sea with a 70 year old Jamaican man named Timothy. They float to a small deserted island and learn to survive even through a hurricane.
Black Star-Bright Dawn by Scott O'Dell about an Alaskan girl named Bright Dawn who competes in the Iditarod Dog Race and her experience as she endures to finish the race.
The Story of Classical Music- Darren Henley. It introduces the many changes that have occured in classical music and introduces many of the famous and not so famous composers and some of their best known works.
Adventures in Odyssey. A Radio show put out by Focus on the Family. The stories teach Biblical messages and stories through modern experiences. There are about 20 different collections and my kids regularly check out 2-3 every time we visit the library.
The Magic Tree House Collection by Mary Pope Osborne- Siblings Jack and Annie travel to meet historic figures and witness memorable moments in history. They are very short books and are great for listening to at bedtime.
Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle Books by Betty MacDonald. Mrs. Piggle Wiggle is the friendly neighborhood Grandmother who helps to cure children of their character weaknesses such as being lazy, or a cry baby or a forgetter. These stories always make us laugh and help us recognize the areas where we could use a a visit from Mrs. Piggle Wiggle.
These are some of our favorites that we enjoy and listen to again and again!
We hope you will enjoy them too!
-The Lost Prince and The Runaway King- both by Jennifer Nielson are the first 2 books in the Ascendance Trilogy. Join Sage, as he is coached with a few other orphans on pretending to be the Prince and Future King of Carthia.
-The Cay by Theodore Taylor is about Phillip who is lost at sea with a 70 year old Jamaican man named Timothy. They float to a small deserted island and learn to survive even through a hurricane.
Black Star-Bright Dawn by Scott O'Dell about an Alaskan girl named Bright Dawn who competes in the Iditarod Dog Race and her experience as she endures to finish the race.
The Story of Classical Music- Darren Henley. It introduces the many changes that have occured in classical music and introduces many of the famous and not so famous composers and some of their best known works.
Adventures in Odyssey. A Radio show put out by Focus on the Family. The stories teach Biblical messages and stories through modern experiences. There are about 20 different collections and my kids regularly check out 2-3 every time we visit the library.
The Magic Tree House Collection by Mary Pope Osborne- Siblings Jack and Annie travel to meet historic figures and witness memorable moments in history. They are very short books and are great for listening to at bedtime.
Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle Books by Betty MacDonald. Mrs. Piggle Wiggle is the friendly neighborhood Grandmother who helps to cure children of their character weaknesses such as being lazy, or a cry baby or a forgetter. These stories always make us laugh and help us recognize the areas where we could use a a visit from Mrs. Piggle Wiggle.
These are some of our favorites that we enjoy and listen to again and again!
We hope you will enjoy them too!
Park Day Thursday
We will be discussing on principle from the book Simplify by Carolyn J. Rasmus. The book can be found on line for pretty inexpensive. The reading are only a few pages and we will spend one week introducing the Principle and then report the next week on how we implemented the principle in our daily lives in our busy homes.
Join us on Thursdays at 1:00 for some fresh air and breath life back into your busy schedule.
Here are the principles for Simplify-
Stillness
Integrity
Mercy
Prune
Let go
Impossible
Fortify
You
Join us on Thursdays at 1:00 for some fresh air and breath life back into your busy schedule.
Here are the principles for Simplify-
Stillness
Integrity
Mercy
Prune
Let go
Impossible
Fortify
You
2013 Book Club List
2013 Book Club- We have not been very consistent with our Book Club but here is the list of books we are reading this year!
We plan to meet on the fourth Sat of each month except Nov/Dec when we meet the first Sat in Dec.
Feb- Emma Jane Austen
Mar- The Invisible Heart- Russ Roberts
April- Till we had faces- C.S. Lewis -We plan to meet May 18th to discuss
May- Farmer Boy- Laura Ingalls Wilder
Jun- To Kill a Mockingbird-Harper Lee
Aug- Real Benjamin Franklin- Andrew M. Allison
Sept- The Princess Academy- Shannon Hale
Oct- Much ado About Nothing-Shakespeare
Nov/ Dec The Life of Our Lord- Charles Dickens
We plan to meet on the fourth Sat of each month except Nov/Dec when we meet the first Sat in Dec.
Feb- Emma Jane Austen
Mar- The Invisible Heart- Russ Roberts
April- Till we had faces- C.S. Lewis -We plan to meet May 18th to discuss
May- Farmer Boy- Laura Ingalls Wilder
Jun- To Kill a Mockingbird-Harper Lee
Aug- Real Benjamin Franklin- Andrew M. Allison
Sept- The Princess Academy- Shannon Hale
Oct- Much ado About Nothing-Shakespeare
Nov/ Dec The Life of Our Lord- Charles Dickens
Saturday, April 20, 2013
Welcome!
Welcome to our Home School Resources Sharing blog! In our lovely homeschooling community and in this age of technology and information, there are so many ideas, resources, and experiences out there, it's hard to keep track of them all. I hope this blog can help us, as group, share and remember these great finds.
Two boys scouts have lived the scout slogan, "Do a good turn daily!" and started this blog. I hope to hear from them again soon as they share their own ideas. Please see their welcome message. Their posts will be from "Minor" and any minor in our group is welcome to post under this user/profile to share book reviews or what-have-you. Just email me and I'll send you instructions.
If you would like to contribute to our soon-to-be wealth of information, I would be happy to invite you as an author on our blog.
I hope we can use Blogger's labeling system to organize our posts and search for what we need. Here are some categories I've brainstormed so far: Local, Online, at Library, Member Owned, Free, Book, Curriculum, Activity, Video, Science, Math, History, Biography, Penmanship, Spelling, Composition, Art, Review, Reading, Phonics, Questions, Chores, Scouts, Organization, Routines, Food. Please add more as you post resources and use as many as are applicable to what you are sharing. Blogger limits us to 20 labels per post.
Suzanne
Two boys scouts have lived the scout slogan, "Do a good turn daily!" and started this blog. I hope to hear from them again soon as they share their own ideas. Please see their welcome message. Their posts will be from "Minor" and any minor in our group is welcome to post under this user/profile to share book reviews or what-have-you. Just email me and I'll send you instructions.
If you would like to contribute to our soon-to-be wealth of information, I would be happy to invite you as an author on our blog.
I hope we can use Blogger's labeling system to organize our posts and search for what we need. Here are some categories I've brainstormed so far: Local, Online, at Library, Member Owned, Free, Book, Curriculum, Activity, Video, Science, Math, History, Biography, Penmanship, Spelling, Composition, Art, Review, Reading, Phonics, Questions, Chores, Scouts, Organization, Routines, Food. Please add more as you post resources and use as many as are applicable to what you are sharing. Blogger limits us to 20 labels per post.
Suzanne
Friday, April 19, 2013
KISS Grammar
http://home.pct.edu/~evavra/KISS.htm
The website won't wow you, but the explanations of everything grammar are straight forward, the exercises come from classic children's literature, and it's free! The lessons build on one another and the author frequently reminds you that you are expected to make mistakes and we're slowly getting better as we keep practicing the old while we learn the new.
The website won't wow you, but the explanations of everything grammar are straight forward, the exercises come from classic children's literature, and it's free! The lessons build on one another and the author frequently reminds you that you are expected to make mistakes and we're slowly getting better as we keep practicing the old while we learn the new.
Periodic Table of Videos
http://periodicvideos.com/
Put together by the University of Nottingham, we've enjoyed this Periodic Table of Videos. They are a combination of chemistry discussion that's over our heads by this wild-haired professor guy and experiments done by students that are very real science: sometimes they work and sometimes they don't. Ask my kids what happens to a sodium car (a car made of sodium) in the rain!
Put together by the University of Nottingham, we've enjoyed this Periodic Table of Videos. They are a combination of chemistry discussion that's over our heads by this wild-haired professor guy and experiments done by students that are very real science: sometimes they work and sometimes they don't. Ask my kids what happens to a sodium car (a car made of sodium) in the rain!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)