Similac's Campaign Against the Mommy Wars

Talk about pulling on the heart strings!

The whole concept of my first leaving home (emotionally if not physically) must be getting to me more than I realized.  I was totally tearing up by the end of this ad.

More Animated Classic Novels - From Dickens to Verne to Doyle and on.

Between all the crazy snow fall, and T being accepted into college - leaving the rest of us to carry on with regular schooling without him, we've been a little off-kilter (anyone know what a kilter is anyway?).  The younger children, and I have been spending a more than usual amount of time snuggled up watching cartoons.

Thankfully, the animated Hobbit and Lord of the Rings movies we watched to mark Tolkien's birthday, led us on to a number of other animated classics.  Apparently the 70's, 80's, and early '90s were a time for highbrow cartoon classics, because there are lot of them to choose from.

We've been on a Jules Verne kick, thanks mainly to the fact, that the movie we watched together while building our geodesic dome was Journey 2: The Mysterious Island.

The girls were curious about the book it was based on, and so we followed it up with an animated version of The Mysterious Island we found on YouTube in four parts (here, here, here and here).

From there we back to Verne's Journey to the Center of the Earth (found on YouTube in 5 parts - here, here, here, here and here)...

...and from there onto a strange, animal filled, version of Around the World in 80 Days (in two parts here and here).

Then, this morning we left Verne behind, and watched an animated version of Frances Hodgson Burnett's The Secret Garden (found all in one part, here) while we munched on our muffins at breakfast.

All of the cartoons are truncated versions of the novels, and take some liberties with original stories, but from Moby Dick, to Sherlock Holmes, to Treasure Island, to David Copperfield, to...well you get the idea, they're a great way for children to become familiar with, and hopefully fall in love with some of the classic stories, before they wade into the vocabulary heavy, and let's face it, often wordy writing of the 19th and early 20th century authors.

One Free College Credit Online - Theology 100

If you're a regular reader here, and have been wondering if we fell off the face the of the earth - we haven't. It's been more a matter of falling down the rabbit hole of SAT studies, as I've expanded my resume from homeschool Mom, to SAT tutor, and school guidance counselor.

Not that it's been all study, study, study. I've found some simple ways to keep the younger children in fall craftiness, while still engaging the teens in serious studies. I'm hoping to get around to posting one or two of our crafty bits of elementary aged, fall, fun before Christmas crafting season begins.  But, first I have to finish up a final assignment for a free online theology course (one credit of a three credit course is offered in an open access format) I found while scouting potential colleges for my oldest, in preparation for the whole guidance counselor thing.

When I noticed, that Prairie Bible Institute was offering a college credit - for free, I just couldn't resist giving it a try.  Really, I don't think anyone who's been pricing college tuition could turn down a free credit.


 


The summer before last I took an online math course from Stanford's free online offerings - it was challenging, and good for expanding some of my concepts for teaching math. It came with a certificate of completion, rather than college credit. It's no longer offered for free, but Stanford does offer others from time to time, as well.

I think it's always good for children to see their parents engaging in both formal and informal learning opportunities. And, taking the Prairie class has given my oldest an opportunity to peek over my shoulder, and see what an online college class looks like, to gauge the difficulties of the tests, and assignments, as he considers whether he might like to try out an online class or two, this spring.

As Henry Ford liked to say, "Anyone who stops learning is old, whether at twenty or eighty."
I'll let you guess who T has chosen for his historical fall back figure for the essay portion of the SAT.

It's great to be a homeschooler.

Virtual Owl Pellet Options

For those of you studying owls this fall, and contemplating the pros and cons of real verses artificial owl pellets, before you clear the kitchen table, and prep your oven for sanitizing the regurgitated remains of an owl's lunch, you might want to consider your virtual options.

We tried out a couple this evening, and found them fun, informative, and mess free.

Kidwings.com offers a free virtual owl pellet.  As you move, and click the mouse, you dismantle the pellet, and can move the bones inside to a labeled, or unlabeled bone chart to fill in a small skeleton, while interesting facts about owls flash across the screen.  D (age 11) worked happily through the site this evening, and gave it a positive review.

We also tried out an Owl Pellet Adventure app on the Kindle from Frogguts.com.  

The Owl Pellet Adventure is the first in what is supposed to be a series of K-6, interactive science apps.  It provides information about owls in a short story form, allows children to virtually dissect three pellets, and put together three different skeletons - a vole, a shrew, and a mole, as well as fill in a food web, and take a short, self-grading quiz.

We found the video story a little hokey, and a bit glitchy, but the dissection portion was interesting, the bone charts, and food webs informative, and I appreciated the short quiz at the end.  We paid $1.99 for the app on Amazon.  It was worth it for my younger two (ages 8 and 9), but for older children I'd probably stick with the free options available online.

Knowledge is Power - Thoughts on Math

Love2learn2day posted a video for thought, this afternoon...



...and it really did get me thinking.  In the short TED talk, math teacher John Bennett seeks to answer the question of whether higher level math classes should be required in middle and high school years, or not.

When asked the inevitable question by his students - "Why do we need to know this stuff anyway?"  Mr. Bennett moved through a progression of answers.

• Math is all around us. Which is true, but doesn't necessarily answer the question.  Fibonacci numbers and golden ratios are cool, but useful?  Maybe not.
• Math is helpful and necessary for technological advancements.  That's great if you want to be an engineer, but what about for the rest of us?
•  You might need math in a future career.  How many people do you know, apart from math teachers, who actually use higher math in their work?  I know one - my nephew.  He's a rocket scientist (or something along that line).  Mind you, he was a high school drop out, too.  But, really the majority of working Americans do not need higher math to carry out the tasks of their employment.
• You need math to do well on the SATs.  You need to do well on the SATs to get into a good university.  You need a university degree to land a high paying, fulfilling career.  The first two statements might be true, but the last one, especially in light of the recent economic turmoil, is open for debate.

Finally, Bennett settles on the fact, that higher math, algebra and beyond, teach inductive and deductive reasoning skills.  Skills, which Bennett feels could be learned through educational, strategy games.  He suggests then, making middle school and high school math classes elective courses, for those interested in math based careers, or with a general interest in math. 

I've gone through all the progressions above already, both in answering the question for myself, in debate with my husband (who is not a lover of math), and with my children, especially now that my oldest are moving into algebra, geometry and beyond.  Like Bennett I've come to the point that when the children ask when they are ever going to need the math they are learning, I answer - probably never.

So, why do I keep teaching it?  

That's the question I've been pondering all afternoon.  Strangely enough, as I considered the thought, my mind kept wandering to "The Feeling of Power", Isaac Asimov's short story about a future where people have lost the ability to perform even simple arithmetic without a computer. 

While the children were eating dinner, I found a copy of it online to read to them, and in the very last lines of the story, as Programmer Schuman considers his newly acquired ability to multiply sums, I found the answer for which I'd been grasping.

Nine times seven, thought Shuman with deep satisfaction, is sixty-three, and I don't need

a computer to tell me so. The computer is in my own head.

And it was amazing the feeling of power that gave him.

Why did I study algebra, geometry, trigonometry and calculus in high school and college, when I suspected I'd never use any of it?  Why do I insist my own children learn it, even though my suspicions have now been confirmed?

Because, it's knowledge, and knowledge is power, right?  Francis Bacon said it, or if he didn't, every teacher I ever had, did.  In fact, if I remember right, that phrase was usually used along with a patriotic speech, about it being our duty as good citizens to become educated, because knowledge is power, and an educated population means a powerful nation.

Of course, those same teachers also taught, usually during a Shakespeare unit, "power corrupts, and absolute power corrupts absolutely."

And, 1 Corinthians 8:1 warns knowledge puffs us up.

So then, if knowledge is power and power corrupts and knowledge makes us proud, an educated nation might be powerful, corrupt and proud.  Hmmm...that might be deductive reasoning, but I'm pretty sure it belongs more in freshman philosophy, than algebra II.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not ready to jump on the "ignorance is bliss" bandwagon.  I still think math is important.  I just think we've got to come up with some better reasons for teaching it, or maybe, just maybe, start using it.

It's great to be a homeschooler.

Nest Cams

Brimful Curiosity turned us on to the joy of the nest cam, last spring when tuned in to watched the Decorah Eagles care for three eaglets.

They have three again this year, but the "babies" are already fairly old, so we switched over to a couple of web cams from the Hancock Wildlife Foundation live streaming the White Rock Eagles - a nest in White Rock, BC overlooking Boundary Bay, with two eaglets just hatched.  In fact, we got to watch on, as one hatched, this morning.  You can tell Mom from Dad by size. Mom is a good deal bigger.  But, both are very active in the care and feeding of the young.

We are also watching two nest cams from Cornell Universities All About Birds site, a Red-Tailed Hawk nest with three eggs, and a Great Blue Heron Nest with five.  There is information on the site as to how to tell the parents apart, and footage of a very exciting owl attack on the heron nest..

Eagles, hawks and heron are all birds we can spot nesting right here in our own area, though we can only view our local birds' nests from a distance.

We also have a large number of osprey nests in town, so we thought it would be fun to watch the Earth Cam osprey nest in Longmont, CO, with two eggs, as well. The female osprey has brown feathers across her chest, that the male does not have.

It's quite a few nests to keep track of, especially since you never know when the action is going to happen, but it has been interesting watching the birds coming and going, and comparing their behavior, eggs, and nesting styles.  Watching birds from all over the countryside, live as they take care of their nests, right from our living room - is truly amazing.

It's great to be a homeschooler.

Valentine's Hand Sewing

I worked with the older girls (ages 10 and 12) and one of their friends, this weekend, on a simple Valentine's sewing project from Holiday Crafts and Creations. The site offers a free printable template for felt heart bookmarks like those above (I thought it was a little big, and eyeballed the pattern instead).

To keep things simple, I cut out the felt pieces ahead of time...


...a laid them out with needles, embroidery floss, and paper clips for each girl.


Then, we sat down with the computer in front of us, to show the girls what we were making, and so we could follow the step-by-step instructions together.


It's an excellent tutorial with instructions for the backstitch, running stitch, and French knot (it was the first time I've been able to master that one). The length of the project is perfect for the 10-12 year old crowd...


...and as a bonus, the bookmarks are beautiful, and just the right size for slipping into a Valentine's Day card, or mailing off to cross-country friends.


It's great to be a homeschooler.

Free Educational Game Websites Worth A Look

I don't know if we're all fighting off a bug of some sort, or if the time change this weekend just thoroughly wiped us out, but we've been dragging all day. Actually, now that I type that, using up almost all of my remaining strength - I'm pretty sure it's a bug, and not the time change.

We are definitely not out jumping in leaf piles, but it's a nicer picture than the one of us all laying around on the couch in front of the computer all day. Although, we did come across a couple of educational game websites worth sharing:

ABCya! - has educational games and apps for children in grades K-5. We've enjoyed their tangram puzzles, United States puzzle, and a number of their math games. They also have an excellent Thanksgiving logic puzzle, I'm pretty sure we tried out last year, and then forgot about.

And, the Kids Know It Network - The Totally Free Children's Learning Network. This site is very large, and we've only just begun to explore it, but I can tell you there are some very good, entertaining, and challenging (even for adults) geography games, just waiting to be played on your next, can't-muster-the-energy-to-move-but-still-have-to-have-school kind of day.

It's great to be a homeschooler.

Turkey Time

I can't believe we're already at the end of October. I realized with a start this week, it's time to start working on hand print turkeys for our thankful turkey tree, to count down to Thanksgiving. The ones pictured below are last year's, this year's flock is still a work in progress. In fact, I have a feeling we'll but cutting, tracing, and gluing them for most of today.


In the meantime, feel free to take a look back at some of our other turkey themed crafts and snacks from last year and the year before. I was a little flabbergasted at the sheer number of them, starting off with a pattern for a Crochet Turkey Finger Puppet. You can also find the pattern for his pale pilgrim pal, here, and a pretty pilgrim partner for him (the pilgrim not the turkey) here. But today, we're all about turkeys...


... like these poor beakless Hand print Turkey Window Glue-Clings. They were one of our early attempts at window glue-clings. I was concentrating on the glue, and totally forgot the beaks. I'm pretty sure I went back and added them, as soon as the Man of the House pointed out their absence though, so it was all good.


Don't forget the Homemade Candy Corn Turkeys. You better believe they're on my to-do list for tomorrow. What better way to transition from National Candy Corn Day on into November, than with candy corn turkeys...


...or maybe Paper Candy Corn Turkeys to match...


...Pillsbury inspired Candy Corn Turkey Cookies?


For some non-candy corn themed fun how about a Circle Turkey Craft, or maybe...


... a few Turkey Bean Bags? This guy's still being tossed around the house, as are the finger puppets from above.


Needless to say, the Turkey Sandwiches didn't last quite as long. Though I have a feeling they might be making another appearance this fall along with their friends...


... the Rice Krispies Turkey...


...Turkey Bread, and possibly even...


... the Turkey Toast.


Looking at the national forecast, I'd have to say some of you are likely to see Snowflake Turkeys before us this year. You never can tell about the weather.


If you're starting to feel overwhelmed don't worry, you're not alone.


Linda White's delightful sequel to Too Many Pumpkins is not a Thanksgiving story, but rather the tale of how one rural resident deals with the problem of too many turkeys in a way that not only saves his wife's garden, but beautifies his entire community. We'll be reading it today, if the Lord is willing, to go along with our flock of thankful turkeys.

Find out what other families have been reading by clicking over to the What My Child is Reading link-up hosted by Mouse Grows Mouse Learns.

It's great to be a homeschooler.

Summer Soiree Craft Camp For Kids

Looking for some great craft, or summer boredom buster ideas for your children? Be sure to check out the Summer Soiree going on over at HomeSpun Threads. Every day in May will feature a different craft from a different guest blogger.

You'll find us there, with a ladybug basket craft - perfect for gathering summer flowers in, this coming Friday, May 6th.


Hope to see you there!

It's great to be a homeschooler.

Happy Birthday Beverly Cleary!

Tomorrow is a big day. Not only does it mark the 50th anniversary of the first manned flight into space, it's also Beverly Cleary's 95th birthday. Which means, of course, it's time to Drop Everything And Read.

So, if you don't hear from us tomorrow, you'll know it's because we're lost somewhere on Klickitat Street with our good friends Henry, Beezus, and Ramona.

It's great to be a homeschooler.

Free Scripture Memory Song Downloads

I know not everyone has the same taste in music, but on the off chance you share mine, let me encourage you to check out Mark Altrogge's Hide The Word series of CDs. This is the intro to the series from Forever Grateful Music, with which I totally agree:

Hide the Word combines the power of music with the power of repetition to make memorizing God's Word easy. Each Scripture, including its reference, is made into a song. Each Scripture is repeated at least 3 times per song. As you play the music while driving, doing dishes, or any other time throughout your day, you will find yourself quickly picking up the verses and recalling them from memory.

And, here is a link to a page where you can listen to, and download nine or ten of the songs for free, to listen to, enjoy, and memorize.

It's great to be a homeschooler.

Birding Flashcards - Beginning Birding For Children

In case you stopped by looking for craft, or cookie ideas, don't worry - more are on the way. But, this morning we're busily cutting, and gluing pictures of some of the most common, and abundant birds in our area, onto note sized flashcards. We had so much fun looking for nests on Sunday, and we spotted a number of birds in the process, but realized pretty quickly how few of them we could actually identify.

There are 800 species of birds in North America, and according to Stan Tekiela, in the introduction to Birds of Montana (a guide we've found useful enough to purchase), there are 350 species in Montana alone. 136 of the most common are included in his field guide.

That's a lot of birds to get to know. Too many really for beginning birders. We needed to narrow down the list.

First, we started by finding a checklist of local birds, local as in those found in our county, from The Northern Prairie Wildlife Center online. They seem to have regional lists for all fifty states, so you might want to check them out, if you're planning any bird watching in the States.

Secondly, I highlighted all the birds marked as common, or abundant on the list. That narrowed our list of birds to seventy-five, which isn't too bad, when you consider many of them are birds of prey, or water birds, we probably won't be seeing in our backyard.

Then, I went through the list, searching for, and copying pictures online, mainly from Wikipedia, to make a personal database of pictures, that we can print out as wallet sized photos, for flashcards, or to cutout, and glue to construction paper for place mats, or posters...

...or as smaller thumbprint sized photos, to make jello-backed stickers, to add to our nature notebooks, as we spot the various birds this summer.

It's great to be a homeschooler.

Nest Spotting Drive and Nature Mapping - Beginning Birding For Children

The snow stopped, and melted, turning from a blizzard-like flurry, into a beautiful spring evening, in a matter of minutes, yesterday. You've got to love the spring! So, while we had clear roads, and fairly clear skies, we gathered the children, binoculars in hand, into the van, and headed out on a nest spotting drive (with the younger children anyway, because we had to drop the two oldest at youth group, on the way).

The Man of the House took us by a cavity nest, he'd spotted earlier in the week, on a business call.

But, for the most part we were looking for nests in trees...

...and on platforms.

Some, like this hawk's nest, even had a mother bird in residence. We kept our distance, but even so, she gave us a nice loud hawk scream of greeting/warning.

Of course, we had to stop to take a quick picture of a neighbor's domestic Bison, for you non-Montanans, just to prove we are in Montana (in case the mountains in the backgrounds of our photos aren't proof enough).

And, we spent quite a bit of time trying to count a herd of elk, grazing near the road. We lost count somewhere around fifty-nine.

On the way to take a look at an osprey nest, we caught sight of this little guy, fleeing the scene.

It was a good thing too, because near the osprey nest (which also had a bird in residence), we spotted a hawk's(?) nest, and while we were watching it, a large hawk (so large in fact it may have been a golden eagle) popped up, and soared off for some evening hunting. Needless to say, we'll be returning to that spot with a spotting scope, to get a better look at the gorgeous raptors.

We'll also be returning to our church with a tape recorder (or some modern equivalent), because while we were waiting to pick up the older children, after youth group, we could hear an owl calling from a group of large trees, and being answered by what we assumed was a mate, from somewhere further away. We spent quite a bit of time listening to owl vocalizations from the online Montana field guide, but would like a recording of "our" owl, for comparison.

Taking an idea from the online resources of Carol L. Malnor and Sandy F. Fuller's The Blues Go Birding Across America, we made started a habitat map...

...first, outlining our drive on a mapquest map...

...then sketching it out larger, so we could glue on thumbprint photos from our drive...

...and finally, taking a look at the satellite images on mapquest to add in some details, like the large pond to the east of the osprey, and hawk/eagle nest, and the river, and our favorite fishing hole, to the west.

We also spent some time reading Dean T. Spaulding's Housing Our Feathered Friends, a nest themed, nonfiction book, probably best for ages 8-12...

...Yvonne Winer's Birds Build Nests, a very simple, poetic, beautifully illustrated, picture book, about all different kinds of nests, including an identification guide at the back.

And, we watched a number of the "Inside Birding" tip videos from Cornell Lab's "All About Birds" site, which proved extremely helpful on our drive.

It's great to be a homeschooler.