Comm. Central Creatively

U.S. History Coloring Pages

2012-03-06T07:38:00.001-06:00

...can be found here, including those of the Revolution.

Picture Study...The Charlotte Mason Way

2012-03-05T20:49:00.000-06:00

This was a very helpful post on how to do picture study (or artist study). Simple and non-stressful. Just the way I like it. Charlotte Mason recommends one day a week to spend 15 minutes on a picture study.

-Julie

Matthew 6:19-29 Review Crossword

2012-03-05T13:16:00.000-06:00

Matthew 6:19 -29 Review Crossword

Free Wilberforce Bio in PDF by Piper

2012-03-01T11:15:00.000-06:00

John Piper's downloadable biography on the one and only, William Wilberforce. Amazing man, amazing story. 76 pages long.

PDF here.

Thanks to Holly Bertram for the tip!

Fill-in-the-blank review: Preamble to the Constitution

2012-02-29T13:08:00.002-06:00

Preamble to the Constitution

Homeschool Convention in Searcy, AR

2012-02-22T21:56:00.000-06:00

Just the messenger here. I have not been to this convention, nor do I know anything about it other than what it says on the website.

Well, I take that back. I know some about the convention.

I know that :
1. My friend, Lisa Lipe, will be speaking on Nutrition and Optimal Learning.
2. I will be representing the Weston A. Price Foundation and Real Food in Little Rock at a vendor's table.
3. I think a lot of people go to this homeschool convention. A lot being more than 10 people.
4. It is in Searcy (about an hour northeast for the non-native Arkansans out there.)

Anyone else going? Have more details that I should share?
-Julie

Napoleon Site

2012-02-17T23:26:00.000-06:00

I googled "Napoleon for Kids" and found this site, Napoleon.org. I haven't had much time to really explore but it seems engaging and full of great info. Have fun!
Amy

Historic Arkansas Museum

2012-02-17T15:39:00.000-06:00

Originally posted on my personal blog - but wanted to encourage other families to go, if you've not been already. - Julie

+++++++

My mom is here for a few more days. Today we took her on a Friday Field Trip with us to the Historic Arkansas Museum. I'm embarrassed to admit I've lived in Little Rock for so long and this was our first visit. This museum was chosen because I thought Mom would enjoy the Gone With the Wind exhibit, which is only there until April 30, and is worth the time to see.

A few things stand out about this museum:

1. The admission fee was reasonable ($6 total for 2 adults and 2 children. A part of today's math lesson was for JI to figure out how much money I need to take to pay for admission.)

2. Yesterday I called and said, "I homeschool and have never been to your museum, when should I come?" I found out the museum is trying something new: docents in costume on Fridays in January (the days will change in March - so call to ask.) Having people in costume to give tours was a huge benefit to keep our attention!

3. We were there about 2 hours; if we'd been able to get out of the house before 10:30 I think we could have stayed longer. I packed snacks but little children get hungry and cranky past noon regardless.

Our tour started with the blacksmith shop.

These guys LOVED their jobs.

For at least 30 minutes we stood and talked with these guys; not many tourists were on the grounds. At the end of our chat, the guy in the hat made a nail for John Isaac.

And then he got to pump the billows! The guy in the orange shirt loved history and had just returned from Colonial Williamsburg. He told me that the architect, mason and builder of this blacksmith shop (all the same guy) also built the same blacksmith shop at Mt. Vernon, President Washington's home.

The shop is built accurately, using tools and techniques of the time...just like Noah Blake's family built in Diary of an Early American Boy. (A must read boy book, by the way.) The orange shirted man also told me of author Brinton Turkle and said I should check out some of his Obadiah books for John Isaac. Anyone read them?

Next we visited other houses on the grounds of the museum.

The lady below was washing her clothes, and working wool.

She showed us where the phrase, "sleep tight; don't let the bed bugs bite" originated. The beds of that time often used rope to hold the mattress. Over time the rope would loosen and you would need to tighten the rope...and you probably know about bed bugs. Ick.

We learned about the value of a bit ($0.125); two bits was a quarter and eight bits a dollar.

Finally we made it back inside the modern part of the museum. This is where the Gone with the Wind paraphernalia is located. Lots of costumes and even the typewriter that was used by the screenwriter.

Also a part of the museum is a collection of Bowie knives (this kind of knife originated in Arkansas.) Wikipedia says, "it's not a single design but a series of knives improved several times by Jim Bowie." And wow - what a character that man was.

The bowie knife collection was viewed about 12:15 and it was really time for us to leave the museum. I think we will return again another day.

French Revolution

2012-02-06T21:04:00.002-06:00

This page had some cute Marie Antoinette crafts (mostly for girls):

The Story of the World Activity Book has a great idea for making a red prisoner's cap, which was one of the French Revolution's most powerful symbols for freedom. Go here to see the pages with easy to follow instructions.

Here are some simple coloring page of France if you'd like to focus on France as a country instead of all the bloodiness of the guillotine and the storming of the French Bastille.

For the Littles

2012-02-04T16:28:00.000-06:00

We keep Connect 4 near our homeschooling area for little sister to play by herself. It helps to strengthen fine motor skills, no? Bonus: everyone wins!

double bonus: we scored this game at a garage sale!

Government for Kids

2012-02-01T12:21:00.001-06:00

Just found this site. It's not flashy but the slides are very informative and hey, it's Benjamin Franklin as the "host". Gotta love it.
Ben's Guide to Government

FREE Audio Books

2012-01-30T21:40:00.000-06:00

Tons of audio books for children - FREE - found here.

Listen on demand or download.

Random

2012-01-27T14:19:00.002-06:00

1. Today is Mozart's birthday.

2. Here's a simple activity for the littles (and bigs):

Liberty Bell

2012-01-23T20:57:00.003-06:00

Make your own Liberty Bell, but don't forget the crack.

Read as little or as much as you would like about the Liberty Bell here.

-Thanks Holly Bertram for the links.

Songs for Comm. Central

2012-01-23T20:50:00.001-06:00

I apologize for not posting this last week (when we were reviewing helping verbs). Better late than never, eh? If viewing in email, click to the blog to watch.

And for kicks and grins...
John Isaac (two years ago!!) sings the first part of The Beginnings of Time:
spoiler alert: he butchers the pronunciation of Cuneiform.

Last week's portion:

This week's:

The entire song:

Betsy Ross

2012-01-23T15:48:00.001-06:00

Kristi McFarland passed this along:

Here is a site I found on Betsy Ross--seems best for younger kids. Since I have a little girl I thought she might enjoy learning about the important role a woman played during the American Revolution.

And here is a site that shows you how to make a 5-pointed star, perhaps the same method Betsy used.

EASY Kinetic Theory Experiment

2012-01-20T10:11:00.001-06:00

Watch John Isaac here. All you need is water and food coloring.

We liked this one, too - that explains kinetic and atomic theories.

Minutemen and Soldiers

2012-01-16T20:52:00.000-06:00

Battle of Bunker Hill PDF with great info and interesting bios on soldiers.

Minutemen info can be found here.

I know of a few little boys who would definitely like this fun idea:

The minutemen had to be dressed and armed very quickly. Have your child pretend that he (or she) is a minute man and time them putting on clothes or outerwear and grabbing weapons.

Thanks Holly Bertram for the ideas!

Easy and Fun Math Game

2012-01-11T08:23:00.002-06:00

The following was originally posted at What Do We Do All Day. Mom & Kiddo graciously allowed us to re-post it here.

As soon as Kiddo found the book, Games for Math, in the library bag he dove for it. Really. I love that I have not even had to look at the book, he has been reading it cover to cover and detailing instructions for the math games he would like to play with me.

Here are the instructions for a simple game we played last night called "Make 10":

After removing the face cards from a deck of playing cards, each player chooses 5 cards. Using the 5 cards create as many equations as you can in which the sum equals 10.

For example using the cards in my hand you see above:

9+4-3=10

9+3-2=10

Once I was able to use all five cards at once: 8+5+3-5-1=10. Kiddo thought that was terrific. You don't necessarily have to write the equations down but Kiddo enjoyed doing that as part of the exercise.

Keep a deck of cards stashed in your purse and this would be a great travel/waiting/restaurant game.

This is probably not the last time you will see games from this book on this blog!

Forge: Revolutionary War Book Recommendation

2012-01-08T22:11:00.004-06:00

My husband and second grade son recently listened to Forge by Laurie Anderson while on a long road trip. Both adult and child were enthralled by the story.

(I have been reading Chernow's Washington: A Life and read aloud an interesting section one night. My husband said he already knew the fact because of listening to Forge.)

Below are details about the audio book from the CALS website the book is also available in print which is recommended for ages 10 and up.
-Julie

Details

Descript	7 sound discs (7 hrs., 51 min.) : digital ; 4 3/4 in.
Narrator	Tim Cain.
Note	Unabridged.
Target Audience	Ages 9 and up.
Summary	Separated from his friend Isabel after their daring escape from slavery, fifteen-year-old Curzon serves as a free man in the Continental Army at Valley Forge until he and Isabel are thrown together again, as slaves once more.

Here's a video interview with the author that I found on this blogger's book review of Forge. At the end of her 3.5 minute interview, she says something like, "My job as an author is to keep younger readers so enthralled that their parents have to yell at them to turn off the light at night. To which the children reply, 'Please one more chapter!'"

Boston Tea Party Art Project

2012-01-08T20:50:00.000-06:00

Here's an art project about the Boston Tea Party for the whole family. From youngest to oldest, all should enjoy.

Thanks Holly Bertram for passing along the link.

In Thursday's Dem. Gazette

2012-01-05T21:02:00.000-06:00

I saw this in the paper today and thought some might be interested:

And two just for fun.

-Julie

Homeschooling Priorities - Reminders

2012-01-03T14:23:00.000-06:00

This was a great post from Simple Homeschool. Good reminders for the new year.
-Julie

American Revolution Lapbook and more

2012-01-03T11:18:00.000-06:00

Wow! It's hard to get back into the swing of things again, isn't it? I have to admit that I'm ready for a routine again, though. I'm excited about our upcoming history - the American Revolution! I didn't learn this well when I was younger so it's almost brand new to me. Even though Baker is only in 2nd grade, we are going to read Johnny Tremain and he is going to independently ready The Magic Tree House, Revolutionary War on Wednesday.

There is an abundance of FREE (love that) resources on the internet to make this section so hands on and interesting. (Don't you just love the wonders of the internet? What a blessing to our generation when used wisely.) I'm probably going to make a lapbook / 3-d notebooking pages right alongside Baker. He loves it when I do that and it's F-U-N for me but then I'm a geek and it's only the two of us for school.

The most resource rich site I found that is easy to use is the Dynamic 2 Moms blog. Downloads and pix and links - oh, my! Have fun! Remember that you don't have to do it all since we'll come back to it again and can go deeper. (I just love this aspect of the classical method.)

Thanksgiving Prep

2011-11-21T16:20:00.000-06:00

If you haven't already, this week would be the perfect time to measure out the Mayflower in your street - like we did in August.

Bible memory review

2011-11-16T22:46:00.000-06:00

Click here for a review crossword of Acts 17:24-28. You can also click the image below for a fill-in-the-blank on Matthew 6:19-27.

Boston Massacre for kids

2011-11-14T13:49:00.001-06:00

Here are a few options this week:

Watch the History Channel's video portraying the Boston Massacre from their series America: The Story of Us. More video links can be found scrolling down here.
Watch the Liberty's Kids episode (#1) on Netflix that speaks of the Boston Massacre, and check out a site by the same name here with a good summary of the Massacre for easy research.
Older kids may be able to watch the version on HBO's John Adams miniseries.
Visit the Boston Massacre website, this site of lesson plans, or any of the links for kids on this page. Here's some more links to maps, Paul Revere's engraving of the massacre, and more.
Check out the Discovery Channel's photo gallery on the Massacre.
Ivivia has a sample of a computer game developed to teach high school kids about the Massacre.
I also found plenty of links with a simple Google search on Boston Massacre activities, including a play, a "CSI"-type primary sources activity, and more.

Declaration fill-in-the-blank, week 14

2011-11-11T10:31:00.000-06:00

Click on the image to enlarge and print.

Weeks 11-14 Review Crossword

2011-11-07T15:12:00.000-06:00

Click here.

James Cook for kids

2011-11-07T11:51:00.001-06:00

To help you this week:

A 3 minute video to learn about Captain Cook
A cartoonish video made specifically for kids
pages of links for kids and teachers from cybersleuth-kids!
lesson plans

Replicas of Nina and Pinta in Little Rock

2011-11-02T08:07:00.000-05:00

Only until early Tuesday morning (Nov 8.) the Nina and Pinta will be in Little Rock. See more details here.
-Julie

Thanksgiving Resources

2011-11-01T10:32:00.000-05:00

I know we have covered Thanksgiving in our history already but it's such a great holiday that we are going to spending some time on it again over the next few weeks here at Loften Academy. Scholastic has a content rich site that includes virtual field trips. Enjoy!

Reformation Day & Costumes

2011-10-31T22:06:00.000-05:00

Quick Quiz:
Q: What happened on this day (Oct. 31) in 1517?
{We gave extra candy to trick-or-treaters who correctly responded. Only one got it right}
A: Martin Luther hammered his 95 theses to the church door in Wittenburg.

And, the mark of a Comm. Central kid - he's wearing the Declaration of Independence as his Halloween costume.

He had people sign the back -

The idea was original when he was in kindergarten. But he was waaaay more excited about it this year.

-Julie

James Watt for kids

2011-10-31T21:20:00.000-05:00

Howstuffworks.com has this video demonstrating James Watt's steam engine, and this 02:44 video describes his contribution to the time period. Here's an animation of the engine, but there's no description. This is a clip of an actual antique engine by Watt; you can find a "high points" bio here. This 2:23 video briefly talks about the background and impact of the English Industrial Revolution.

India photos

2011-10-25T23:32:00.000-05:00

Here are a few user-generated photos from NationalGeographic.com, as well as a photo gallery from the site and a video, Destination: India. Here, too, is an amazing photo of a street in modern-day Kolkata (Calcutta), and a photo of a rickshaw there. (Though National Geographic can sometimes have conflicting worldviews, you may want to check out their new beta site for educators, www.education.nationalgeographic.com.)

Weekly Checklist

2011-10-25T10:36:00.000-05:00

Something that helps my second grader feel in control of his day is this checklist. I make one each week. As he finishes his work, he checks off his work. This way we both know what is expected of him. The last two years we used the workbox system and it worked well, too.

On the list are specific things, like reviewing the Weekly Wisdom. Other things on the list work more as a reminder for me. "Cinderella in 3-D this weekend" means to read different versions of Cinderella as well as use the Activity Guide from the Children's Theatre because we're going to see the play on Saturday.

The checklist works for me.
-Julie

Can you help?

2011-10-24T20:59:00.000-05:00

On a note of Comm. Central Creatively housekeeping--at the end of January, my family and I (Janel)are going to be moving to Uganda, Africa as missionaries. We are excited (and a bit overwhelmed). Though we'll continue homeschooling there, as I focus on our family's adjustments, I will be stepping out of regular contributions to Comm. Central Creatively. (I reserve the right to come back and give you yet another corny song or weird project idea.)

Here's where I'm trusting that God will care for all of us. If you've been helped by the blog--or think you know what could make it more helpful!--would you prayerfully consider pitching in with your ideas on the blog?

Maybe one of you would be interested in researching activities and videos that help other moms flesh out the week's curriculum. Maybe you wouldn't mind using theteacherscorner.net to construct a review crossword once a week. Maybe you're just brimming with creative ideas or internet savvy that could help the rest of us out. I hope to slowly transition out in the next month as our preparations to leave are ramping up.

If you're interested, would you please leave a comment on the blog? Someone will be in touch with you. Thanks for helping all of us.

Easy craft for this week: Jar O'Lanterns

2011-10-24T15:22:00.002-05:00

My five-year-old had a lot of fun with this easy craft from Disney's Family Fun magazine, using orange tempera paint, masking tape, and a glass jar to make a jack-o-lantern candle holder.

History for this week: Robert Clive and the British East India Company

2011-10-24T11:09:00.000-05:00

Here's an 8:06 documentary on our history fact this week; here's a more full version of the episode, starting with part one (10 min.) of six. BBC also has several videos regarding Robert Clive's life if you scroll down on this page. PBS also had a lesson plan complete with video resources.

Week 11 Declaration of Independence

2011-10-20T15:21:00.000-05:00

Click here, and then click "download" in the bottom right corner.

Week 11 Review Crossword

2011-10-20T15:01:00.000-05:00

Click here, and then on the "download" button in the bottom right-hand corner.

Best educational apps for kids

2011-10-20T11:03:00.001-05:00

Someone recommended Math Ninja to me recently, and we tried it yesterday. My oldest LOVES it. As in, was shouting "Yeah!" in the middle of his math practice, and telling me twice he loves it. (Strangely, this is not a frequent reaction to math practic in my home.) So I did a little research today; hopefully it will be helpful for all you techies out there.

Here are some lists of the top apps.

http://imaginationsoup.net/2011/04/10-best-educational-ipad-apps-for-elementary-kids/

http://www.eschoolnews.com/2011/01/07/10-of-the-best-apps-for-education/

http://www.appannie.com/top/ipad/united-states/education/

http://sonoma.patch.com/articles/teaching-technology-the-ipads-best-educational-apps

http://www.appolicious.com/education/articles/9492-top-20-must-have-educational-iphone-ipad-apps-used-by-real-teachers-in-the-classroom

These are solely devoted to educational apps for kids.

http://www.funeducationalapps.com/

http://www.bestkidsapps.com/ages-0-4/the-best-educational-iphone-apps-for-kids/

May they lead to a few more shouts during your math (or whatever) practice. Help us out: What educational apps do your kids love?

Arkansas State Fair discounted admission/rides tomorrow

2011-10-20T10:30:00.000-05:00

Friday, October 21, children ages 6 and under can ride the Kiddie Rides free from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m.. Free gate admission 9 a.m. to Noon for adults bringing kids.
All children through 12th grade get $3 gate admission.

Science Review Crossword, week 11

2011-10-18T22:21:00.002-05:00

Click here, and download using the button on the lower right.

American Revolution lapbook

2011-10-18T14:10:00.000-05:00

I received notice about this page today from one of my FB groups. I am so excited! Baker enjoys lapbooks and I love ready-to-go projects!

American Revolution unit/lapbook

CurrClick - great site, great sale plus freebies!

2011-10-18T14:02:00.000-05:00

I love CurrClick. If you haven't discovered this site yet, now is a great time to check it out. You can snag some great freebies and discover lots of great downloadable resources plus live classes and online learning clubs.

Trunk or Treat Sale

Acid/Base Neutralization

2011-10-17T18:19:00.000-05:00

This video is not especially kid friendly (as most chemistry videos aren't), but your kids can see a base change to an acid with color change and a bunch of dry ice making it look cool :). Related videos will appear on the right of your screen.

You can also watch this home video of a minilab experiment--a neutralization using the always-present vinegar and baking soda. Not earth-shattering, but a good demonstration of what we're memorizing this week.

History Review Crossword, Week 11

2011-10-17T17:55:00.001-05:00

Here's a review of our history facts up to this week, created with theteacherscorner.net. If you can, only print the first page; the second page is blank.

Note: I've been having a few problems with Scribd lately, so I'm trying a new format. Click on the "download" button in the lower right-hand corner, and you should be good to go. Otherwise, feel free to leave a comment, and I'll fix it as soon as I'm able.

Nouns: Grammar House Rock video

2011-10-17T15:01:00.002-05:00

Click here.

French and Indian War for kids

2011-10-17T14:39:00.000-05:00

You can find a few videos on the French and Indian war this week as follows (I have not previewed these completely):

an explanation from an old educational film
a clip from PBS on "The War that Made America Battle in the Wilderness"
The longer version, part 1 of 7, of the PBS documentary above; note that due to graphic images, viewer discretion is advised
A simple explanation of the war appearing as a debate between two Duplo- or Lego-style characters from each side talking about the war, and a different, slightly shorter version

PPST.com also has a number of online activities for kids based on the war, along with Power Point presentations, etc.; it includes a link to teacher/student resources for "The War that Made America Battle in the Wilderness."

At the risk of reusing a song two weeks in a row, my house will be singing this week's history fact to "This Land is Your Land":

In seventeen fifty-four
the French and Indian War
which began in North Amer-ica
between Britain and France over
ownership of North American
territory
was won by the English when they captured
(repeat last line of melody) Quebec, and Mo-o-ontreal!

Help with Scripture memory

2011-10-17T08:20:00.000-05:00

Desiring God's Fighter Verse Songs disc E, available from FamilyLife.com for $7 (and elsewhere), has the entire Sermon on the Mount put to music--not as catchy as Seeds at all, but good for easy memory (for moms and dads, too!). It helped us a lot with this weeks' memory verse.

Peter the Great (too late?)

2011-10-14T13:44:00.000-05:00

National Geographic has a series of beautiful photos of St. Petersburg, and YouTube also has a five-part video series from Biography.

Week 10 Review Crossword

2011-10-13T23:54:00.003-05:00

So--for being an educator of young minds, it seems that I need help counting. Last week was week 9, not week 8, so that makes this week 10. Oops.

If you still trust me, click here for your week 10 review crossword.

(I've been having issues with Scribd, but if you have trouble printing this, try downloading the document using the button in the bottom right corner.)

Handwriting Practice Ideas

2011-10-11T22:20:00.000-05:00

You can use the Paragraph Worksheet Maker of the Amazing Handwriting Worksheet Maker for a number of fun ideas!

1) Put the names of some of their favorite characters or of some family members on the sheet, then print out clip art or photographs of the names, with a border around the image. Your child traces the name, reads the name, and cuts and pastes the appropriate photo on its name. This is great for reluctant writers; I used Lego Star Wars character names last week, and my son keeps asking me when we'll get to do it again! (You can find clip art pictures by Googling the character's name, then clicking on the "Images" tab of Google. Cut and past the image.)

2) Ask your child to make up a short story. Type it in and print out the worksheet so they can copy their story. They can illustrate the story on a separate page.

3) Write letters to grandparents or other relatives using the same method: Your child dictates their letter (I write "Dear Grandma and Grandpa", etc. as the title), you print it out, and they can trace their words.

4) Write worksheets about their personal information: Their favorite color, birthday, phone number, address, etc.

As separate handwriting practice, we use a handful of fun, tactile options:

forming letters in a cookie tray of cornmeal or salt (I keep it in containers and reuse the cornmeal; if you can find a small rectangle container, it can serve as your HWT "slate")
Ziploc freezer bags full of hair gel (keeping them in the fridge is even better!); press the letters in to the bag
copying words from flashcards onto dry erase boards
Aqua Doodle mats
Magna Doodles
making letters in shaving cream or finger paint

Fill in the blank: Introduction to the Declaration

2011-10-11T22:04:00.004-05:00

Click here.

Acids and bases activities to do at home

2011-10-10T22:55:00.000-05:00

This blog post was very helpful--it showed how to create your own cabbage juice, make your own litmus paper, and communicate with M & M's how acids and bases become neutrals.

Peter the Czar for kids

2011-10-10T22:26:00.000-05:00

At my house, we'll be singing our history fact to the tune of "This Land is Your Land":

In seventeen-twelve
Peter the Great, the
Czar of Russia
built his capital ci-ty
of Sa-int Petersburg
on the Baltic Sea in
an effort to obtain
a warm-water port
(repeat last line of melody:) giving Russia
a "Window to the West"!

Because my computer is malfunctioning this week I'm not able to access YouTube, but it seems there are a number of videos on Peter the Great; following the first YouTube video link will suggest a number of additional videos on the side panel.

The Story of the World Activity Book has a number of ideas for this week's history starting on page 104. Starting on page 52 of the Student Pages, there's a coloring page and other craft pages.

Week 8 Review Crossword

2011-10-06T22:30:00.003-05:00

Click here.

The Critical Thinking Company book sale

2011-10-05T13:56:00.000-05:00

On zuliliy.com there is a sale on some great items from The Critical Thinking Company. Click on the referral link, sign up for free and check it out...

John Locke for kids

2011-10-03T23:16:00.000-05:00

Links to help this week:

A brief video from HowStuffWorks.com
A biography constructed by students

And...that's about all I got.

Gravity

2011-10-03T15:39:00.000-05:00

One homeschooling mom spent a week discovering gravity with her son. The excellent post is here. I'm thinking we will copy most, if not all, of it.

-Julie

Week 8 Review Crossword

2011-09-29T20:39:00.002-05:00

Click here.

Notebooking and Lapbooking Pages

2011-09-29T17:35:00.000-05:00

HomeschoolHelperOnline.com
I just found this site today that has notebooking pages to correspond to each chapter of Story of the World! And, best of all, it's free! I've printed a couple of notebooking pages already but one caveat, there is a header and footer so check your print preview. I'm still going to have to trim the page since there is a header that I can't remove but I'm o.k. with that. These can be mounted on cardstock and will look very nice.
Keep calm and homeschool on.
Amy

Lapbook

2011-09-27T16:05:00.000-05:00

Until today I was a lapbook virgin. This was my first time.

I was scared just thinking about how much work it would be. But really it was quite fun. I am not qualified to tell you how to make a lapbook.

I can show you how we made ours. By the way, he really got into this and even asked if we could do this for next week's history fact. Woah.

We started by asking the 5W's and a H.

Then we printed a bunch of pictures from the Internet.

The hand drawn picture on the blue page represents the financial decline of France when the Huguenots fled. If you click on the images (from the blog) they will become larger.

My reluctant writer wrote a lot today. It made me very happy.

We both learned much about King Louis XIV, Versailles, and the Edict of Nantes.

Sister just sat at the table and drew. Isn't she cute? Well, I wish she just sat at the table and drew...this picture was too cute not to post for your viewing pleasure.

HT: Living and Learning does lapbooks. Check out her blog for more great ideas.

A Chance to Win $500

2011-09-27T11:59:00.000-05:00

Home School Legal Defense Association needs your input to help them better serve you and the homeschooling community! Click on this link to their short, six-question survey and you’ll be entered in a drawing to win a $500 Visa gift card.

Survey and drawing entries must be submitted by October 9. Winner will be drawn on Tuesday, October 11, 2011, and will be contacted by email. If we do not receive a response within 72 hours, a new winning name will be drawn. Must be age 18 or older to participate. By entering this contest, you agree to have your email address added to HSLDA’s email list. You may unsubscribe at any time.

-Julie

Acids and bases for kids

2011-09-26T21:56:00.000-05:00

NeoK12 has a number of videos on acids and bases, and here's a video presentation for kids by kidsknowit.com. Here's an entire page of links for kids, flash player/interactive links, and links for teachers (scroll down here) including video clips, powerpoint presentations, and science games.

Louis XIV for kids

2011-09-26T21:44:00.000-05:00

Biography.com has some helpful videos on Louis XIV to add to our history this week. Here's a photo of Versailles, his home.

You can try putting this week's memory work to the tune of the Hokey Pokey:
In sixteen eight-y five
The Sun King of France
Loui-is the four-teenth
revoked the e-edict of Nantes
causing the-e Fre-ench Huguenots
to flee the co-untry
beginning the finan-cial decline
(shout) of France!

"Give me Liberty" fill-in-the-blank

2011-09-26T20:39:00.000-05:00

Here's a fill-in-the-blank with a few phrases from our Patrick Henry memory work.

Week 7 "Midnight Ride" Fill-in-the-Blank

2011-09-22T21:36:00.002-05:00

Here's a fill-in-the-blank worksheet for our Midnight Ride memory work this week.

Week 7 review crossword

2011-09-22T21:05:00.001-05:00

Here's a week 7 review crossword.

Diet Coke & Mentos

2011-09-21T09:24:00.002-05:00

This week's science fact caused my mind to jump to Diet Coke & Mentos.

The key is to get all the Mentos in the Diet Coke - quickly.

Because the eruption is quite spontaneous.

He wanted it to keep going, so when he found a Mentos on the ground he shoved it back in.

Over half the 2-liter spilled onto the concrete. That's what I call bubbles!!

More fun: check out all the YouTube Mentos/Diet Coke experiments.

Endothermic and exothermic reactions that will get a reaction

2011-09-19T21:58:00.001-05:00

Here's an interesting video for kids on an endothermic reaction being used in an Air Force lab to create fuel from aluminum and water!

If you're looking for an experiment this week, you can use the old baking-soda-and-vinegar experiment, but first, test the temperature of the vinegar first. Ask your kids to form a hypothesis of what they think will happen to the temperature when the baking soda is added, then measure the temp after. You can even do the experiment in a plastic bag and see if you can feel the temperature difference. (No, this is not my idea; credit belongs here.)

And this one offers definite "I love homeschooling" points: Use this experiment to make ice cream in a plastic bag and demonstrate an exothermic reaction! The reaction of the salt with the ice lowers the freezing point of the ice. Anyone else a fan of experiments you can eat? (Tip: They use milk in this experiment, but I've heard half-and-half recommended elsewhere.)

Here's one other exothermic reaction experiment using steel wool and vinegar.

Founding of Pennsylvania for kids

2011-09-19T21:40:00.000-05:00

History.com has a photo gallery of Pennsylvania for kids. This site from USHistory.org has a landing page on William Penn with a lot of links: Did your kids know that Penn did hard time in the Tower of London? This site also had a lot of printables and information on Pennsylvania as a state, as did this page from apples4theteacher. Page 48 in the STOW Activity Book has a coloring page of William Penn's statue that stands on top of Philadelphia's City Hall; FYI, the city was founded by Quakers.

If your kids are interested in the Quakers, here's an article written to a late elementary level that would be good for research purposes.

Note: Here you'll find more than a week's worth of elementary-level lesson plans on colonial America.

Fun with Bleach

2011-09-19T15:16:00.000-05:00

My neighbor asked me to take pictures of the process, so I decided to turn it into a tutorial. For a birthday present, we bleached a t-shirt. On purpose. (How many have I ruined on accident with bleach?)

First, start with freezer paper. It has plastic on one side, paper on the other. We used the number 7 as our stencil, but you could use anything!

Cut out a piece of freezer paper the size of your stencil. Put them both on a lighted table. What? No lighted artist's table? Me either. I just held them up to a window to trace.

Cut out your stencil then iron it onto your fabric. Dry heat for about 20 seconds, until the plastic is fused to the fabric.

Because the shirt was ringed, and I wanted the color to stay true around the neck and sleeves, I covered the rings with tape. Then give a spray bottle of full-strength bleach to your child and let them squirt away.

Once the shirt is drenched with bleach, pull off the freezer paper. Toss the shirt in the washer.

Last year for John Isaac's 6th birthday we made a bleached shirt. A few years ago, I used freezer paper to make some art for John Isaac's room. It's a fun, cheap way to decorate - or make a shirt.

-Julie

Freely Educate

2011-09-16T10:34:00.000-05:00

Thank Cheryl Wagaman for this tip:

freelyeducate.com just posted a special from scholastic that is a $1 special this week on ebooks, and freelyeducate has a coupon for $10 off. Lots of ebooks to choose from. Enjoy!

It appears that you do not have to purchase anything to take advantage of the offer.

Week 6 review crossword #2

2011-09-15T20:13:00.002-05:00

Week 6 review crossword #2

Chemical reactions

2011-09-15T20:03:00.000-05:00

If your kids are hungry for more chemical reactions, this page from TLC has a list of chemical reaction science experiments for families. This brief video also demonstrates an exothermic chemical reaction, as in one that actually creates heat--a fire!

Elephant Toothpaste

2011-09-14T16:12:00.000-05:00

I show you this experiment with a bit of a warning. If you choose to do it, be sure to have enough supplies on hand to do it again. If you choose not to have enough supplies on hand to do it twice, your kid will be severely disappointed and pester you until you get more. Don't say I didn't warn you. (Yes, this is a home school blog and I just used a double negative.)

It's a really fun experiment that exhibits this week's science fact, particularly exothermal reactions.

Start with an empty water bottle, add a big squeeze of dish soap, a ~~few~~ lot drops of food coloring (we should have used more color). Then pour 1/2 cup or so of hydrogen peroxide.

In a smaller container mix about 1teaspoon or more yeast to about 2 tablespoons of water. Then pour the water/yeast into the hydrogen peroxide.

Observe. Kid is saying, "cool!!!"

Oh yeah baby. Mom is scoring points.

all you need now is an elephant - to brush its teeth.

He was happy until he realized we were out of peroxide. Boo. At this point be sure to feel the bottle. It is warm. Exothermal reactions at work.

Related and a couple of fun videos within - It's a Boy's Life: Chemistry and Lines. This video in particular is worth watching.

-Julie

Norman Rockwell Exhibit

2011-09-14T15:55:00.000-05:00

Tours of the exhibition In Search of Norman Rockwell's America will be held Tuesday - Sunday at 1:30 p.m., until Sunday, September 18 at the Arkansas Art Center. However, it is perfectly fine to view the art without the tour. Sometimes I am hesitant to go downtown because of fear of the unknown. Let me reassure you that it was easy to access and parking was also easy.

We went today and listened to the docent. Of course all docents have something different to say, ours was average at best. The (free) exhibit was definitely worth the trip downtown. In the gift shop you can buy the book that inspired the exhibit. I think it would be a great gift for a Norman Rockwell lover. I was really tempted to buy it for my dad; I still might.

These pictures were taken with my phone (and were totally against the rules)...but below you can see an example of the art exhibit. On the left is a modern day photograph of a mother sending her daughters to school. On the right is a Rockwell painting of a boy coming home from camp. Kevin Rivoli's photojournalism was captured spur of the moment, none were staged. Whereas Rockwell often staged his portraits, then painted from a picture. Some of the images were quite patriotic and moving.

Rockwell wanted to preserve images of "every day America" and Rivoli wanted to prove that Americans are still very much the same. I noticed though, the modern mother was not wearing a dress, apron, or a wedding ring (left hand not shown).

As you may be well aware, Rockwell was commissioned for several pieces for the Saturday Evening Post. The below picture was considered "too scandalous" for print. The son expected his father to curse after hitting the golf ball so he was covering his ears. My how times have changed. :) The accompanying photographs were of little boys golfing. I was impressed at the detail of expression on both figures' faces.

If memory serves me rightly, this exhibit will be traveling around America for ten years.

The children's favorite part? The waterfall outside.

-Julie

Oops...

2011-09-09T09:58:00.002-05:00

I was very graciously told this morning that I am a week ahead on our memory work. Which, you know, is good, because here at home I was behind on being ahead. :) If I have led you astray, enjoy a week off a week late!

Week 6 review crossword

2011-09-08T23:21:00.002-05:00

Week 6 review crossword for you!

One more explanation of the English Civil War

2011-09-06T11:24:00.002-05:00

This video with pictures and text was a good explanation of the causes of the English Civil War, and certainly helped my student's teacher understand.

Memory work help: English Civil War

2011-09-06T09:14:00.000-05:00

This week's history fact may be helped with the tune of O Christmas Tree:

In 164-2
the English Civil Wa-ar
was fought be-tween
King Charles the First
and Pa-a-arliame-ent
ending with the execution of
the king and es-tablishment of
the Commonwealth led by
Oli-ve-er Crom-well.

English Civil War for Kids

2011-09-05T18:03:00.000-05:00

YouTube has this two-part video series (about 9 minutes each) on the English Civil War,some selected portions of the movie Oliver Cromwell put together, and also a four-part compilation of David Starkey's documentary on the British monarchy, focusing on Oliver Cromwell and the Civil War (more well-done, in my opinion, than the two-part series above, but only slightly more interesting). Here's a page by the BBC to explore various aspects of the war.

If you're wanting to renact the warring sides with army men or, well, your kids, here's some basic info to help as well as a fun word find and some maps.

Scripture memory songs

2011-09-05T16:50:00.000-05:00

There are a number of mp3s that may help with our memory work: From Steve Green's Hide 'Em in Your Heart Vol. 2, there's Matthew 6:19-21 and 6:25,26,34a. Seeds Family Worship also has Matthew 6:20-21 ("Treasure" from Seeds of Purpose) and 6:31-34 ("Seek first," also from Seeds of Purpose). If I'm doing my math correctly, that doesn't leave many verses left without music! Nice.

More helpful resources

2011-09-05T16:35:00.001-05:00

Amazon has a few periodic table placemats that may be helpful for the memory work coming our way.

I haven't tried the board game Periodic Quest, but it seems to have high reviews. Of course, you can always get the Periodic Table shower curtain on Amazon. Nothing says "I'm a homeschooler" like a Periodic Table shower curtain, now, does it?

Also, for Netflix subscribers, I'd personally recommend America: The Story of Us produced by the History Channel and Liberty's Kids: The Complete Series, both available to Watch Instantly. The former is a twelve-episode live-action reenactment of American History (PG level violence, for the most part). Liberty's Kids (rated TV Y7) is an animated cartoon that used to air on FOX and tells, through 40 24-minute episodes, the story of the Revolution. My kids love it, and have never role played American history so frequently!

Silence by Endo (Japanese Historical Fiction)

2011-09-02T21:25:00.001-05:00

Thinking about Japan this week caused my mind to venture back about four years ago when I was in a book club. We read Silence by Shusaku Endo. It was a book that really made me think - on many levels - intellectually, spiritually, and emotionally.

To keep from reinventing the wheel, here's an exerpt from Amazon's webpage (that says it's from Wikipedia). I've bolded the main part.

Silence (沈黙, Chinmoku?) is a 1966 novel of historical fiction by Japanese author Shusaku Endo. It is the story of a Jesuit missionary sent to seventeenth century Japan, who endured persecution in the time of Kakure Kirishitan ("Hidden Christians") that followed the defeat of the Shimabara Rebellion. The recipient of the 1966 Tanizaki Prize, it has been called "Endo’s supreme achievement" and "one of the twentieth century’s finest novels". Written partly in the form of a letter by its central character, the theme of a silent God who accompanies a believer in adversity was greatly influenced by the Catholic Endo's experience of religious discrimination in Japan, racism in France and debilitating tuberculosis.

-Julie

Seeds Family Worship aides

2011-09-02T10:47:00.002-05:00

Totally Tots has quite a few printables to go along with the Seeds Family Worship CDs. I haven't compared what she has with the CC memory work but thought it would be a wonderful resource no matter what.

In September

2011-09-02T09:39:00.000-05:00

At the library:

The first and third Mondays at Thompson: Chess Club for ages 5-18 from 4-5pm (race home from Comm. Central. :)

Starting this Tuesday, Sept., 6 at 2:30 at Terry - just for homeschooled elementary students - Book a Trip with Dewey. They ask that you register to reserve your spot.

Arkansas Skatium homeschool skate day:
Starting THIS Tuesday, Sept., 6 from 2-5pm. Ice skating from 2-3:30 then roller skating until 5. It's the first Tuesday of the month, through May.

-Julie

Week 5 review crossword

2011-09-01T22:45:00.000-05:00

Week 5 Crossword

K4 and K5: Big Bird in Japan

2011-09-01T13:52:00.002-05:00

Younger students may enjoy the breadth of Japanese culture they find in Big Bird in Japan (it's a YouTube video, so plan accordingly :).

Entertaining Baby

2011-08-31T19:05:00.001-05:00

We used this contraption on a recent car trip to entertain Baby. It continues to be a great toy, especially during school hours.

It's a Parmesan cheese shaker and milk jug tops. She also loves putting them in and pulling them out of the gallon bag.

Japanese culture for kids

2011-08-29T21:14:00.000-05:00

Kids Web Japan, especially the Virtual Culture portion, is a site designed specifically to help kids learn about Japan! This page has the culture links pretty well covered; if you're looking for anything on culture, I'd wager you can find it. Activity Village also has a fun page on Japanese culture for kids, as well as some crafts. Here are more crafts from Enchanted Learning, and some from the Crafty Classroom. DLTK Kids also had some fun links, like counting to ten in Japanese and other interesting crafts (although the karate kid made out of a toilet-paper roll may not count as "preserved Japanese culture"). I like the coffee-filter fan and the Dessert Sushi here.

Comm. Central mom Jennifer Sathianathan is running with the Activity Book's idea of a Japanese meal, complete with rice with chopsticks, fish (sticks), and tea, followed by a round of sumo wrestling! How fun is that?!

(Note: I told Jenn I would need to tell all you moms about the pool-noodle-and-duct-tape light sabers she fabulously constructed, like these--but somehow, I cannot find a true link to history. So Yoda and a dotted line to Japan are about as close as I will get, just in time for pool noodle clearance sales.)

This week in Comm. Central: 08.29.11

2011-08-29T18:34:00.000-05:00

Although Tokugawa Iemitsu (whom I'm sure you've all heard of time and time again) mysteriously has his own Facebook page (?!), I haven't found much for students with the exception of this 55-minute PBS program, The Will of the Shogun, part of a series on Japan: The Secret Empire. Sadly, I did not take the hour while the kids were in co-op to sit down with a good bowl of popcorn and watch this, so you are on your own.

At our house, we will be putting our Bible verse to the tune of "This Old Man" (or for you Barney lovers, "I Love You, You Love Me"):

for "'In him we live and move
and have our being,'
as even some of your own
poets have said
"'For we are indeed his o-o-o-offspring.'
Acts 17, verse 28!

If you're really desperate, you can put the History fact to the tune of "Itsy-bitsy Spider":
In 1633 the Japanese sho-o-gu-un,
Tokugawa Iemitsu, established a clo-osed door
policy isolating Japa-an from the rest of the world
to preven disruptive fo-reign influence
allowing them to retain
(repeat last line's tune) their unique culture.

I warned you. It's a stretch. :)

Lamplighter 25% Off Sale

2011-08-26T14:44:00.000-05:00

Lamplighter is a publisher that gives new life to really old classics. Rich literature.

Now until August 31 they're running a 25% off sale on select titles, which includes some Lamplighter Theatre (audio).

FYI: The same folks that did Focus of the Family's Adventure in Odyssey are doing the Lamplighter audio. It is excellent.

-Julie

Books We're Loving

2011-08-26T13:14:00.000-05:00

The Many Rides of Paul Revere is children's book that gives a broad sweep of Paul's life - from before birth to his death. I read this aloud in short segments in the span of a couple weeks. The are pictures on every other page (or so), and the language is (probably) easy enough for a third grader to read himself. But, after reading the first chapter aloud, I wanted to read the rest!

After reading the children's book, my husband recommended Paul Revere and the World He Lived In, a very interesting biography. (and just $0.45 from Amazon)

Skippyjon Jones is a silly siamese cat who thinks he is (or wants to be a chihuahua). There's alliteration, rhyme, Spanish interspersed, audience participation and a bit of mischief in each book. The best part? I found some at the library this week that had CDs included! (read by the author). Very cute books indeed. You will find yourself chuckling aloud.

Because we focused on the Netherlands this week, I found Boxes for Katje at the library. Katje is a Dutch girl who received boxes from an American girl after World War Two. I will just warn you, grab a tissue when you sit down to read it. At times, the generosity and gratitude was overwhelming to me. I think we will read this book again - especially nearer to the consumer driven holiday of Christmas.

-Julie

Memory work rebus

2011-08-23T23:01:00.000-05:00

My son had fun making a rebus out of our existing stanzas of "The Midnight Ride of Paul Revere." I pasted the lyrics into a Word document in this all-purpose school font, took out some good words to illustrate, and let him go to town drawing in the blanks. All in all, it was a hit--and it was successful on the memory front, too.

Hands-on math: Ice Cream Shoppe

2011-08-23T22:39:00.000-05:00

My kids have liked playing Ice Cream Shoppe for math lately--and it has a lot of variations for different skill levels. I cut out a variety of construction paper ice cream "scoops" and a handful of brown "cones." (If you need a pattern, this link may help.)

(Our Ice Cream Shoppe is casual: No shirts, no shoes, who cares?)

The kids get to make their own ice cream cones with whatever and how many flavors they like. We can practice

1) addition: how many of each color; how many scoops on two or three cones

2) counting money: one cent for each scoop, ten cents per scoop (for counting by tens), etc. Somehow using real money makes it feel more fun for us!

3) colors, for pre-K students

4) role playing

5) number writing: we keep a dry erase board nearby to write our addition problems, number of scoops, etc.

6) making patterns using scoop colors

For a little more variety, we switch places and I buy the ice cream from them!

My daughter, paying for her ice cream

Hands-on early readers' activity: Body outline

2011-08-23T21:46:00.000-05:00

For this activity today, I

1) outlined the kids' bodies on freezer paper. (I use freezer paper because it's cheaper and wider than art paper, and lined so it doesn't seep through.)

2) Then they filled in the outline with paint. In theory it was supposed to look like them, but, well, you can see how that turned out.

3) Later on as a reading exercise, they read the names of body parts I'd printed on index cards, gluing them in the right place.

New Amsterdam colony, Henry Hudson for kids

2011-08-22T23:05:00.000-05:00

For those kids who can't get enough of this week's topic, there's a whole 56-minute video on Dutch New York and Henry Hudson. Wowsers. Or, you could watch this two-and-a-half minute clip that covers Hudson's trip and a little beyond. National Geographic had this 1m39s segment on what Henry Hudson would have seen in 1609. There's also a 28-minute drama filmed in 1964 of Hudson's life: "realistically portrays the conflict Henry Hudson experienced when he went in search of an open water route to the Orient, and no one would follow him. What he discovered instead was an inland sea, a discovery that ended in tragedy." (No, I have not watched these.) This clip from Videopedia world is a good short overview.

I'm most excited about this site from the New York State Education department, which has a lot of classroom activities about Hudson, including journal notes, illustrations, and maps. Scholastic also has this page on Hudson. New York also had this pdf chock-full of 70 pages worth of information, "On the Half-Moon [Hudson's boat] with Henry Hudson."