When we came home to trashed carpet and a house in need of paint, we made what seemed like a good decision: we went green. We’ve repainted 75% of the house with low VOC paint and the carpet we chose to undo the damage is made from plastic bottles. We’ve also wrestled our way into a new hybrid vehicle.
When I spotted the Consumer Consequences quiz on Larramie’s site, I thought surely I’d do well. Um, not so. My impact on the earth? It would take 2.5 earths to sustain all the people in the world if they lived like me. Color me amazed. In watching my score, I did well - .7 earths - until I hit the travel and food portions of the test. Flying between here and Hawaii is not so helpful to the environment, nor is my consumption of coffee and wine. I wonder how many homegrown […]
Original post by paradisefound
Here’s pics of Anna’s finished lapbook. I think it’s beautiful! We learned a ton too. She taught the family lots about roses and presented it to us this afternoon, too.
Original post by Alicia
In an e-mail correspondence with Steph following her post about high-school transcripts and grading contracts (I can’t seem to link to her post right now), she asked for specific examples of how one might assess skills as well as content. I came up with a few in my reply to her but I thought that perhaps others would be interested. One thing that came to mind was teaching history. As our children get older, how do our expectations of their learning about history change? And what kinds of skills and conceptual knowledge might colleges and universities be looking for in a high-school portfolio?
I have blogged before about Myra Zarnowski’s book Making Sense of History, which sets out a conceptual approach to the teaching of history in elementary school. The concepts and general skills she outlines would be a good foundation for high-school level teaching as well. The three elements […]
Original post by jove
Our newest Child, another rescue, his name is Silver (he’s a Pied Cockatiel)…
Tweety and Silver checking each other out:
Silver, up close.
So, that brings our entire house up to:
2 cockatiels
2 Yellow Bellied Turtles
3 hermit crabs
20 fish
2 Basset Hounds
and mom sitting here going Cra—aa—zzyyy!!
~~Toni
Original post by electricbarbarella
There is nothing better than a weekend with lots of reading time, especially when the books you spend your time reading turn out to be terrific. I don’t give out 5 stars to books very often. I’ve read 54 books this year, and Tigerheart by Peter David is the 5th book I consider a 5-star read. It is based on Barrie’s Peter Pan, but it’s not a sequel or a prequel - more of Peter Pan in an alternate universe. A re-telling of the story. David was gutsy to take on one of the most beloved children’s stories of all time - it could have failed in a big, big way. Fotunately for him, it works, and works brilliantly.
This book is everything you could possibly want in a novel: adventure, magic, love, danger, truth, tragedy, and triumph. The best thing is that this is a children’s novel in the same […]
Original post by carrie
If you can’t find anything to read (when does that ever happen?) go check out this month’s Carnival of Children’s Literature, hosted by Melissa at Here in the Bonny Glen.
Original post by learningumbrella
Parade magazine is showing its ignorance when it comes to HSing, featuring a poll that asks if parents should be required to have teaching credentials to homeschool their children.
They also include a quote saying that the California case “pits those who believe parental rights are paramount against those who place a premium on well-educated citizens.”
Oh, I forgot! Only those of us with teaching degrees can produce well educated citizens!
Care to cast your vote?
Original post by Alicia
It’s the end of the school year for us … things are wrapping up. I do still have testing to do, but apart from that, things are coming to a close. The last of our classes finished up this week. Visions of the pool and relaxing loom large. And I was wondering what I was going to blog about. I do have two posts partially written, but I’ll save those for another time now.
Why? Because Bonnie had her first real-world physics lesson today. She learned:
1) Gravity. It’s the law.
2) An object in motion, tends to stay in motion.
3) For each action, there’s an equal and opposite reaction.
Bonnie, Clyde, and a neighbor’s kid (let’s call him Austin) were out playing in the front yard, while Dad and I tried to hawk our possessions in the suburban sale event known as the “yard sale”. They decided upon a game […]
Original post by bonnieandclyde
Anna and I are taking a break from her lapbook. She is having an ice cream bar outside and I’m having caffeine upstairs! Daddy took the other kids to the lake to give us some one-on-one time.
The lapbook is turning into a really neat project. We’ve talked lots about everything from history (like how the Peace rose was smuggled out of Europe during WWII and more about WWII) to how to cross rose types to make a new breed to the petals generally being in multiples of 5.
Enchantedlearning.com has some neat flower parts with labels to explain how the seeds are formed and such. I’ve already lost the link but it was very helpful when we were talking about how the pollen gets on the ovules to develop seeds and so on.
Annalee is so good for making me a better mother. Victoria and […]
Original post by Alicia
~My brother’s friends are still here and will be here until tomorrow! I am still surviving!
~I am going to a Bible Camp (sleep over camp) in July. I am really excited! I am going with one of my friends, Kari. I am saving up money to spend. I so far have $8! Please pray that I at least make about $20, $25!
~I also finished school for the year. I finished it on Wednsday. We are suposed to have 1 more week but I got done early. When do you get done with your school?
~ NEW HAIRCUT! Yep, I have got a new haircut! If you want to see a pic of it post a coment and tell me your email and I will email you! (Let me first make sure it is ok with my mom but I’m sure it is ok)
That is all, some of the things […]
Original post by natalie
I officially have all 8 halves and the back cover DONE.. Just all waiting final check from my MIL..then once I get the graphic for the cover they will go off to the printer!!! I am so glad that most of the work is finally OVER..rofl
Original post by justakrazymom
Anna chose roses for the theme for her new lapbook so I’ve been printing her out information and handouts.
If anybody is looking for neat stuff to include in their own rose lapbooks, here’s some of what we used…
I cut and pasted info from this page and put it in a fancy font to glue various bits in.
Here’s a lesson plan about countries that cut flowers come from.
Here’s lots of cool facts about roses and ideas for extensions. Neat stuff!
I also printed out a coloring page of a rose and am looking for ways to say rose in various languages to make a shape book.
I’ll post the finished book when we’re done!
Original post by Alicia
The Parks and Rec magazine came out a while ago and the kids wanted to take some sort of class. We went through the options and at first they chose ice skating. Then they changed their minds to swimming.
So I was going to sign them up but then we got the idea that Jamie could teach them. We can use the neighborhood pool as much as we want for free and figured they could set a day of the week and time and have their regular lessons all summer long.
Ani thought the idea was great. She likes the idea of anything that means more time spent with Daddy. Cameron thought it was a terrible idea. Then I told him that Jamie had been a lifeguard and a competitive swimmer. All of a sudden, in Cameron’s eyes, his father was qualified to teach swimming […]
Original post by CamianAcademy
(Gone was provided to me by Special Ops Media for the purpose of review.)
In the blink of an eye, everyone disappears. Gone. Except for anyone young. Teens. Middle schoolers. Toddlers. But not a single adult. No teachers, no cops, no doctors, no parents. Just as suddenly, there are no phones, no internet, no television. No way to get help. And no way to figure out what’s happened.
Hunger threatens. Bullies rule. A sinister creature lurks. Animals are mutating. And the teens themselves are changing, developing new talents - unimaginable, dangerous, deadly powers - that grow stronger by the day.
It’s a terrifying new world. Sides are being chosen, a fight is shaping up. Townies against rich kids. Bullies against the weak. Powerful against powerless. And time is running out: on your birthday, you disappear just like everyone else did.
When I agreed to read and review an Advanced Reader’s Copy of Michael Grant’s […]
Original post by carrie
What would I be doing if I never had kids?
This is my entry for the Thinking Homeschoolers Essay. Since I’m usually too busy to think, I haven’t participated yet, but today is different.
This subject came up on the day my oldest child turned 11.
My parenting journey has been a difficult one, but I cannot imagine life without my children.
Parenting was not something I always imagined doing. In fact, one of my sisters and I had a little “no kids” pact. We had a bond between us. She held on to her no kids ideal. I did not. And I can’t even say why I changed my mind. I was 33 when I had my first child. I wasn’t driven to have children, but I was also afraid NOT to have them. I guess I felt like the regret of not having […]
Original post by Not June Cleaver
My bil sent me the link for this cool eagle cam by Hancock’s Wildlife Foundation. It is in British Columbia, Canada. The nest is literally right on a road, with the tree only a few feet from the road’s edge. And you can hear the cars go whizzing by. It’s really cool because they’ve had cameras set up to observe this nest for two years with no eagle action, and now they’ve finally got two baby chicks. GB and I have sat enthralled today. I hope you enjoy it, too.
Original post by Robin
I have been spending some time thinking about teaching math. I’ve also been spending time reading other folks’ thoughts about teaching math. So much debate and deliberation about various curricula, scope and sequences, methods, problem solving, drill, etc, etc, etc…
I’ve come to one conclusion:
How hard can it be, really???
Now, I don’t mean to sound flippant. But honestly, I think all this hullabaloo over math is nuts. What is all the fuss about?
There are really only a limited number of concepts a child has to learn, and soooooo much time to do it in.
Here are the concepts for the elementary/middle school years:
counting up to 100
place value (count to 100, rinse and repeat)
time
money
adding
subtracting
multiplying
dividing (learn those 4 functions up to 3 digits, the rest is repeats)
decimals (just more place value, really)
percents (just decimals)
fractions (just division)
basic geometry (2d-shape names, perimeter, area, Pythagorean theorem;3d-surface area, volume)
probability
graphing
basic algebra
I may have missed a minor thing […]
Original post by lapazfarm
(from one of my listservs. I went and participated in the survey)
Hello breastfeeding supporters and educators,
As you well know, the best food for a new child is breast milk. You also know that not everyone believes that fact. The formula companies have successfully “separated” today’s woman from herbreast, at least mentally. The leaders of the Le Leche League aretrying to undue this unfortunate shift of culture, and we thank youfor it.
As you may also know, many of these same “Big Corp” interests areattacking the Family Bed saying it can’t be done safely. They, forall intensive purposes, have a firm grasp on America’s idea aboutthe ONLY safe place that a child should sleep, a safety approvedcrib.
Co-sleeping or bed-sharing can be an integral part of mostbreastfeeding situations. It makes it easier, which helps extend theduration. However, there is a very real movement to officially label co-sleeping as NEGLECT. This would be a […]
Original post by happychildhood
As some of you know my MIL owns a Dance Studio and I do all her schedule typing, letter’s and programs for her recital.. we have 4 shows..2 halves each..LOTS of kids, LOTS of typing etc.. It’s program season and every spare ( ha ha ha) moment I have I have been working on them..well as of 3:15 I have 6 of 8 halves done..3 of them are all double proofed and as perfect as they will get , 1 is almost all double proofed and 2 are waiting to be proofed for the 1st time! All i know is I can see the light at the end of the tunnel..LOL
Original post by justakrazymom
My brother’s friends are coming over for the weekend so their parents can have some time to theirselves. So….that means………….5 BOYS! I will be OK if you are wondering. If you go to http://www.reviewsbynatalie.blogspot.com and http://www.reviewsforyouth.blogspot.com I reviewed Minute Men the new Disney’s movie! Check it out!
Natalie
P.S. The exact same reveiw is on both sites!
Original post by natalie
Here is some very cute artwork by claire belton! Queen of dorks Here is her online shop:Cute Plush
Original post by chicagolo
Tonight is also Allie’s recital! Like I’ve said before, she has two recitals this year, five dances each. One tap, one jazz, one ballet, and two competition(jazz) dances. (Sorry, I like to brag about her being on team. I’m very proud of her) Last night was her rehearsal. I’m not going tonight, since I’ll be at the sleepover. But I’m going tomorrow, of course! Can’t wait to see her dance!
Original post by taekwondochick
Here’s Victoria’s answers for the best list.
Best books read: Molly Moon series
Best math game or activity: Running the lemonade stand
Best reading/spelling/grammar game or activity: Blogging and emailing (with spell check)
Best field trip: Maine
Best science experiment: The mold comparison experiment
Best science activity: Collecting different kinds of seaweed at the ocean, pouring seawater on the acorn barnacles to make them open
Best read-aloud or chapter book: Hoot
Best movie: Surf’s Up
Best educational DVD: Rough Science (reality TV challenges for scientists stranded somewhere!)
Best educational web site: Scratch, Science News for Kids
Best educational computer game: Timez Attack or Pet Vet
Best art activity: altered books & artist trading cards
Best PE activity: playing wiffle ball with the kids after Japanese class, tree climbing, HS swimming, HS ice skating
Best history book, project or activity: Playing Carrie in the Wilder Pageant, The History Fest
Best social studies/geography book, project or […]
Original post by Alicia
Tonight I’m going to a slumber party/sleepover at my friend Savannah’s house. My friends Alex and Lindsay will be there too. It will be Savannah’s second sleepover, and I’m sure it’ll be fun. They live out in the country, so the theme (we like to have a theme; last time it was spa night) is something like that. I hope it doesn’t rain on us. = ( That would be horrible. Either way, it’ll be so much fun. Later!
Original post by taekwondochick
As Free Range Kids recently posted, skateboarding can seem way too dangerous to us adults. Even when we want to give our kids a free and adventerous childhood, I think it’s easier to picture “old-fashioned” adventures. Much easier to accept building a raft and floating it out on the pond, climbing trees, or even racing homemade go-carts. But are those things any safer or better than skateboarding? Does skateboarding just have a bad image because we automatically picture delinquents and graffitti going with it?
Well, while I was in the hospital, DH purchased a skateboard for Carbon’s birthday. We had discussed this idea, and decided to wait a year and give him a fishing pole this year instead. The plan changed when he went shopping by himself. It’s OK, though, because he also got all the safety gear and a fishing pole also! (I am not the only one who can […]
Original post by learningumbrella
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