Blog Archives

Using Freebies in Homeschooling

6/30/2014

Using freebies in homeschooling is one of my delights. It is... who doesn't like getting good stuff for free that you can make use out of?
When looking at freebies one needs to consider it's usefulness. :)

You see, one of the most important lessons I needed to learn when looking at freebies is this: they are NOT all created equal. They really aren't.
Why is that?

1. Some are just samplers, trying to get you to buy something that may or may not have significantly more value.
2. Some are for an age level higher or lower than your children are at, so unless it is something special no point in getting it.
3. Some are things you can honestly buy in a book and not have to print off for CHEAPER then printing off a few "free" samplers.
4. Some freebies simply aren't worth the page they are offered on (granted, my opinion, but some things are so basic why are they being offered?)

Now there are some freebies out there that are good, and even better than that, are offered by people that are consistently good.     These can be things like free lesson plans for learning things, or actual free PDF's for teaching, and so forth.

Here are a few of the bloggers that I enjoy for their materials.

HIghhill Homeschool.   Good experiments and practical know-how here.

Practical pages.   I go here mostly for art ideas.

I got introduced to Write Bonnie Rose through a book called Asia, it's people and History.   And an gradually becoming a fan.     She's is not shy about sharing resources or opportunities. :)

Boyschooling.   Homeschooling boys... it takes a certain skill set. :)

3dinosaurs frequently puts together good stuff.

Homeschool Share has put things together more than once that I have found useful.

That's all I have time for now, I'll add more things later as I can. :)

Five Minute Friday: Lost

6/27/2014

Every Friday (well okay ALMOST every Friday) folks gather together centred around a single word that Lisa-Jo Baker provides.

The rules are simple. Write for five minutes on a one word prompt. Just five. Don't edit, just write. Don't expect perfection, don't expect lack of perfection. Just write.

Then go link up atLisa-Jo's and take the time to encourage the person who linked up before you. I often do 2-3 before me cause sometimes link-ups are funny in how the process things. :) Just be an encouragement.

How hard can it be really? Lots of us join up there, it's fun to do! Seriously. Relax and come on over. Please!

Today's word is LOST.

Definition of the word lost.

1. unable to find one's way; not knowing one's whereabouts."Help! We're lost!"synonyms:off course, off track, disorientated, having lost one's bearings, going around in circles, adrift, at sea, astray More"I think we're lost"
- unable to be found."he turned up with my lost golf clubs"synonyms:missing, mislaid, misplaced, vanished, disappeared, gone missing, gone astray, forgotten, nowhere to be found; Moreabsent, not present, strayed; irretrievable, unrecoverable "her lost keys"
- (of a person) very confused or insecure or in great difficulties."she stood there clutching a drink, feeling completely lost"
2. denoting something that has been taken away or cannot be recovered."if only one could recapture one's lost youth!"

Three
Two
One 819

As I lay in bed pondering the word lost this morning, wondering what on earth to write about this simple word, I asked hubby what the word Lost meant to him.   Lost?   Give me a context. I said "five minute friday, the word is lost".   He said "keys, wallet".
I laughed!

This darling man of mine is ALWAYS losing them.    And lately he's been losing them alot so we talked about that a bit.   His convenient go to places have been blocked off by one thing or the other lately and he's been getting a bit stymied lately.

So there yah got it. Sometimes things are lost due to circumstances beyond their control.    Not able to be found. Just lost.

Consider for a minute if you would.   People who have a hard heart toward God.   These are folks who are lost. Sometimes it's a steadfast desire to not even consider God (and then one needs to consider what happened in their life to make them that way) and sometimes it's just.. I don't know... But often I think people are lost to God because of circumstances beyond their immediate control and they aren't aware of those circumstances.   And once they become aware of it, and sometimes be taught a thing or two about God that draws them in.

That's the trick right?   Well not trick. That's our duty as believers. To help people find a small way to be open to things of God so they are no longer lost due to circumstances beyond their control.

oh.. it's 824 and time to stop.

Cheers!

So come on, be brave. Join us! Really, it's fun to think on one word for a few minutes each Friday. you never know what it will bring out of you. :)

Review: Go Science

6/26/2014

You know what I love about Go Science DVD's? I love that it inspires my son to try things out on his own. To attempt, to fail, to try again and then to hear that hollered "YES!" (brief pause. "MOM! Come see it works!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

The thing that I don't like.... when he tells me something works and I don't have my camera on hand to prove it to you all! :) I know... I know...I'm being silly there. :)

Library and Educational Services has put together a series of seven videos and I had the distinct pleasure of watching them with my eight year old for a review. Ben Roy does an excellent job with these science demonstrations connecting science with the things of God for children. The series of DVD's is called Go Science.

Here is a list of the videos available. The ones in bold are the Go Science DVD's that we watched.
Volume 1: Sound, Gravity, Space
Volume 2: Life Science, Weather
Volume 3: Air
Volume 4: Motion, Friction, Electricity, Light
Volume 5: States of Matter, Water
Volume 6: Chemistry
Volume 7: Engineering, Design, Flight

The videos follow a basic set up.
Ben Roy has a table or experiment set up. He calls up three children up out of the audience, sometimes this is at a studio type set up and other times at a Vacation Bible School type set up. He explains a bit about what they are going to do and has the children do as much of the experiment as is safe for them to do. He has a helper for the more difficult experiments (such as one where they needed to lift heavy weights to set up a pendulum). He has an emphasis on being safe (safety glasses, be aware and careful about what you are doing etc). The children do the experiment and then he explains why it works. He then finds a way to connect that experiment with the word of God. Each lesson ends with the statement "when we learn more about science, we learn about our creator,... God".

One of the things I appreciated in the video was the pop rocket (with vinegar and baking soda). As you can tell from these three videos this totally inspired my son. IN the video, the experiments didn't work out as well as anticipated AND they left those "failures" in. This totally intrigued my lad. They didn't work in the video.. could he make it work? He tried a variety of ways to make it work and it did. :) He was so pleased with himself. :)

In this last video he's trying to teach other people how to do it when he finally had it all figured out! :) He was SO very pleased... and that is what I like to see. :)

Okay, so what did each video teach us? First.. let me explain something. We were supposed to do two. We said which ones we wanted to do but then I couldn't remember which two I said. It's was like ACK.. what do I do???? So I got three (I ended up paying for one which is totally fine) The three are picked are the ones I had a hard time choosing between so I figured I simply couldn't go wrong doing that. :) And it benefits you my reader, since you get to learn a bit more than you thought you might. :)

Volume 2: Life Science, Weather included: (Running time 1.02)

Life Science:

Flashlight-Animal Eyes
Animal Skulls
Bobby Pins
What Are You Looking At?
How Much Do Your Lungs Hold?
Eating Nails for Breakfast
Naked Eggs

Weather:

Fire Tornado
Ping Pong Cannon
Liquid Nitrogen Cloud
Cloud in a Bottle .
Garbage Can Vortex

Volume 4: Motion, Friction, Electricity, Light (running time: 55:03)

Motion:

tablecloth trick
high-bounce balls
marble gravitron
yo-yo-big spool
bowling ball

Friction

Friction
Floating Rice

Electricity

Simple motor
nail magnet
jumping rings

Light

Food coloring and bubbles

Vol. 7: Engineering, Design, Flight (Running time 56:09)

Engineering/Design

How much will it hold?
Leaning tower of lyra
Nail balance
Trebuchet
Centrifuge
Walking on eggs
Bed of nails-small

Flight

Rocket balloons
Vinegar rocket
Toilet paper on paint roller
Film canister rocket

How we used it.
We would sit down and watch it as a family.. 3-5 episodes at a time. Any that my lad was intrigued over we'd watch again so he could set it in his mind for later thinking and experimenting with.

One DVD he took with him to gramma's house on a rainy afternoon and they watched the whole thing. That one he was unwilling to share with me as that was "for gramma's and she wants to see it again mom".
"OH?" was my response?
"Yes, she wants to do it with me sometime". I have orders to get magnets!
So I do have to admit, I have not seen Volume 4 myself. That's gramma's DVD and that's just the way it is. :) Gramma told me that she thoroughly enjoyed watching them with my son, "Good lessons. Teaches the children. Shows more of God. Good that. And the lad likes them, that's a good thing".

In a nutshell.

Library and Educational Services, provided me with some Go Science DVD's to watch for free and then to review.   You can them on facebook.   The videos are geared for ages 4-12 (as per the videos).

They retail for $14.95, but is available on their site for $8.97. The full set of 7 DVDs retails for $99.70, but is available through the Library and Educational Services site for $59.82. Good deal eh?   We've enjoyed them so much I may be getting the rest of the series down the road.

Would I recommend them?   For sure I would. My eight year old enjoyed them. He had fun recreating the ones that he could, and using his imagination to expand upon them.

Please do go and see what others of the crew had to say about the Go Science DVD's. You can find those reviews by clicking on the image below. Each of us reviewed a slightly different combination...

Product details:

Vendor: Library and Educational Services
Product: NEW (Series 2) Go Science DVDs.
Received: Volumes 2, 4 and 7.
Age Range: Per DVD, age 4-12.
Price: On their website: $8.97 each or $59.82 for the series.

I words an ABC blogging post

6/25/2014

I mentioned to my boy that I need a good "I" word.

He immediately, (woot woot) began spouting off I words for me. I love that he's so helpful.

His words

Intelligence
Insects
Insane.

My I word would be Intensity.

So here I have a lad who is intelligent, intense, insane and likes insects.   :)

This lad makes games up based on playing a game with lad on the computer using cards. It was a fascinating game to play with lots of rules and easy to play against yourself or with someone else.

AND This morning (Thursday)   I can ad... irritating... two cats in my room. A cat meowing. Way earlier than what I anticipated.... and then I hear it.... giggles.   Throw the groggy haze of sleep I'm hearing giggles... So I get up 'cause the cats are meowing.. and to I get a YES!   As I get dressed i have a boy saying "Mom, did that work well?    I didn't want to wake you up in the traditional way.   Did that work well mom?"

"Yes" I mumbled back.
"Come on mom!   I want to get my homeschooling done.   Come on mom!"

I know I should be delighted he wants to get his homeschooling done.... but oh my.. NOT THIS EARLY!!!   :)

Anyways, so there we have my "I" post for this round of blogging through the alphabet.

Won't you join us this week? Perhaps read some other blogs with VERY interesting "I" words. Leave some comments, let people know you stopped by (it's always an encouragement).   Thanks eh! :) You can find all sorts of interesting content over at BenandMe. Marcy does a great job of drawing people in. :)

Review: Life Behind the Wall

6/24/2014

Wow. I enjoyed this book and I'll be keeping it for my boy to read. Wow... Does it ever make the story of the the wall between east and west Berlin come to life. Stories of a family and how it was affected before, during and after. I am so glad that I picked Life Behind the Wall to review.

Product Details:
Author: Robert Elmer
Title: Life Behind the Wall. Three books in one: Candy Bombers, Beetle Bunker and Smuggler's Treasure.
Pages: 516
Format: Story based on true life, directed at young adult
Published by: Zonderkidz.com
Price: $13.99

Life affected by the Iron Curtain. Have you ever wondered what it was like for the families in Berlin when the wall went up and how it was for them when it came down? Do you have young people studying this time in history?

Well.. Make history come alive for them. Help them and yourself to understand what it meant for the Berliners as you walk through history with the Becker family. View difficult decisions, see how life affected people and observe the desperation and the hope held.
Take a glimpse at the challenges to people to faith and be challenged in your own faith.

In Candy Bombers learn what a simple act of tossing candy out of a aircraft meant for the children. Male lead character: Eric.
In Beetle Bunker learn of hard choices made. Female lead character: Sabine.
Smuggler's Treasure see the results of decisions made and freedoms hoped for. Female lead character: Liesl.

After each book is finished there are discussion questions and write up on how it really happened. Fascinating book I learned so much. :) Heartily recommend it.

Disclosure : I received this book free from the publisher through the BookLook Bloggers book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Social Media Links
Welcome to Robert Elmer Books.
Facebook.

Recipe: Rhubarb Bread

6/24/2014

Ingredients:
1 cup milk
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 1/2 cups brown sugar
2/3 cup vegetable oil
1 egg

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda

1 1/2 cups chopped rhubarb
1/2 cup chopped walnuts (optional)

1/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 tablespoon butter, melted

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Lightly grease two 9x5 inch loaf pans. In a small bowl, stir together milk, lemon juice and vanilla; let stand for 10 minutes.

2. In a large bowl, mix together 1 1/2 cups brown sugar, oil and egg. Combine the flour, salt and baking soda, stir into sugar mixture alternately with the milk mixture just until combined. Fold in rhubarb and nuts. Pour batter into prepared loaf pans.

3. In a small bowl, combine 1/4 cup brown sugar, cinnamon and butter. Sprinkle this mixture over the unbaked loaves. 4. Bake in preheated oven for 40 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into center of a loaf comes out clean.

Open in my browser

6/23/2014

How to make refrigerator pickles!   I actually hope to do this during the week

25 at home science experiments. Some of these sound fun. ;)   The bottle rocket sounds like a neat thing to do on vacation......

Visual Prayer Circles. The concept intrigued me...

Happy Kids Songs.   This is a review we might get, still waiting to see.

Folding salvation Lessons. free

Gregor Mendel.   Just found this post inspiring and wanted to look back on it.

Someone asked to give my opinion on this website, and I thought the resources looked interesting and kept meaning to go back to it. Bridgeway Academy.

Curricula Hoarder by Lextin Academy. Right Start mathematics sounds like a good program, as does Beast academy. :)

Lemonade Pie... doesn't that just sound lovely?   I want to make sometime when I can eat acidic foods again.

Kids of Integrity. Lessons on building character. Free. Sounds fair good from what I can tell thus far.

Simblissity is doing a blog beautification thing this summer that I've been following along with.

Geology Resources. It's a fanstastic list.   Free.

GCSE Bitesize.   Watch videos, take quizzes, play games. Make your brain work as you learn bitesized pieces of information about a whole lot of things.

Want to link your blog up?   Check out this blog link list over at My Joy-filled Life.

So what windows do you have open in YOUR browser?

Five Minute Friday: Release

6/20/2014

Release

It's the word for today and since I literally only have seven minutes to sit here before I have to scoot to have a shower and run out the door. Which means I won't be adding an eye-catching image, at least not until later today (should I find one). :)

Anyways, five minutes to write on a one word prompt, courtesy ofLisa-Jo Baker.

Three
Two
One
Go 1033

Release.   I asked the two males in my life what the word release meant to them.

The eight year old said "releasing something I caught."
The 48 year old said "capture".

And there you have it. Release.
To be released is to be let go of something that has captured you.

So one can be released of a bondage to sin or a life pattern or a way of thinking or from imprisonment.
One can be released to a new idea, a new mode of doing things, to a freedom never before experienced.

Release is so life freeing.
Imagine... this... God sent his son to die so that we can ultimately be released from our bondage to sin.   He did you know. He told us so in his most holy word.

Release.
Freedom from something.   Freedom to go to something better..

That is what release is you know.... freedom to live the life that God has called us to.

Are you released?

Hot Tea, Iced Tea, Cold Tea? an abc Blogging post.

6/20/2014

It is funny I think the twists and turns a child's mind can take. I love following the ones I am able to.

The other day my son asked me about iced tea. What makes it iced tea and not just cold tea?   What is the difference?    He still doesn't really understand as using ice to make tea cold still just makes it cold tea.   He gets that "persnickity-ness for words" from both his father and I.   And in his eight year old brain it makes no sense to him.

Anyways, since he was asking about iced tea I asked him if he wanted to learn the old way of making iced tea.   "There's an old way mom"? was his started response.   I told him there's always old ways for doing things, but would he like to learn.

And so he learned.

We took some tea leaves and mix.   This is a pineapple, berry fruit mix.   We like it. :) My hubby is an official tea snob...no bagged teas around here. :)

We put that tea into a glass pitcher of cold water and then set it out in the sun.   We let the sun do its work on the tea. My son was amazed!   This very cold water, set in a glass pitcher out in the sun with some tea and in four hours we got this delightful tea.
"BUT MOM!   It's not iced tea, it's not cold! it's warm!"
"So", I asked, "how do you suppose we make it cold?"
"I don't want ice it" was his frowned response.
So we compromised and stuck it in the fridge.
I wish I could have gotten a picture of the delight on his face when he tried it.   It was like the newest best thing.    WOOT WOOT.. I have made a tea drinker!!!! :)

We have since made it a few times. Often we put the pitcher outside before we head off to do something for an afternoon, then the tea is ready for us to drink with supper.   He took some along to soccer practice the other day wondering what the children might think if they knew he was drinking tea that he had made.

So Hot tea, Cold tea, Iced tea.... just have fun making tea and drinking it too! :)

This is H for Hot tea, Iced Tea, Cold Tea, part of the abc blogging through Marcy at Ben and Me.

Biannual Blogathon Bash

6/20/2014

The Biannual Blogathon Bash is going on this weekend. 24 hours of blogging activity.
This is my introductory post.
What do I hope to accomplish this weekend?
Well..
1. It won't be 24 hours of blogging. :)
2. Most of it will be brain work.
3. I hope to write a couple evergreen posts.
4. I do some work on my different blogs (At Home Pets, Fish and Cans and this my main blog).
5. I will get some posts started and save them as drafts for posting whenever.
6. Figure out if I can somehow do a newsletter....Don't know if it's possible with a weebly blog or not. Would be good to know eh?

Anyways, those are my goals. I'll fill in more as I get to them.

If you want to join in, go here. You can apparently win prizes, but what they are I haven't a clue. :)