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Inspector Gadget Series: Florida

Jan25

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For those days when everyone is wanting to get out of the house and explore, but the weather is stopping you, I have a solution! How about a travel video for Social Studies?

Inspector Gadget, the   quirky, half-human, half-robot detective who [inadvertently] solves crime has another video, this time he is investigating Florida! Disney Educational Productions has  produced a series for children ages 6-12 that are 59 minutes long that show you various fun places to visit. Here is a sneak peek of the points of interest that can be seen in this video: St. Augustine, The Keys, and the Space Coast – NASA and Cape Canaveral.

(The sun wall hanging in the picture was made by my oldest son in an art co-op class. It makes me think of warm summer days! The shells were made by God; I must give Him all the credit. 🙂 )

Inspector Gadget’s Field Trip Series

Jan18

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The Inspector Gadget cartoon was a favorite of my younger sister when we were growing up. Who is this man? Well, he is a quirky, half-human, half-robot detective who [inadvertently] solves crime.

I found this  “treasure” at my local library that stars the famous cartoon sleuth. Disney Educational Productions has  created a series for children ages 6-12 that are 59 minutes long that show you various fun places to visit. In this video, Inspector Gadget investigates the famous landmarks and museums of Washington D.C. as well as Colonial Williamsburg, Virginia.

FREE Homeschool Full Curriculums

Jan4

imagesBeing good stewards of our money is important, especially when many homeschool families are living on single incomes. One way you can do this is by using free online curriculum; here are some to check out:

Easy Peasy All in One Homeschool this Christian curriculum website is for all grades from preschool through high school. The subjects that are studied include English, math, computer and logic and includes lesson plans as well.

Lesson Pathways is a free online curriculum site that offers weekly lessons for students Pre K- 5th grade.  Areas of study are: Language Arts, Phonics, Science, Math, and Life Skills.

Ambleside Online created for families who are interested in the Charlotte Mason approach of education. Here is a description of what they have to offer taken from their website,”is a free homeschool curriculum that uses Charlotte Mason’s classically-based principles to prepare children for a life of rich relationships with everything around them: God, humanity, and the natural world. AO’s detailed schedules, time-tested methods, and extensive teacher resources allow parents to focus effectively on the unique needs of each child.” Grades K-12 are available on the website.

Project Gutenberg has free textbooks that are public domain. While it is not a stand-alone curriculum site, you can use many of the books to create your own curriculum.

Hippo Campus offers teachers and students from middle school through college thousands of educational videos, as well as lesson plans, and blogs with ideas for using these videos in your studies. Areas of study include: Mathematics, Natural Science, Social Science, and Humanities.

 

Midwest Home School Convention

Dec21

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The Midwest Homeschool Convention will be here soon! If you have never been, plan on going because you can investigate, peruse, handle, and shop for curriculum you have read about, attend workshops on a variety of homeschool topics, and hang out with several thousand homeschoolers. 🙂 There is a Teen Track as well that my sons attended and found helpful.

Date: March 31- April 2, 2016

Location: Duke Energy Convention Center, 525 Elm St., Cincinnati, OH 45202

Cost: Prices range from $45.00-$60.00

Here is a description from the website: With hundreds of information-packed workshops that are presented by a truly unparalleled group of featured speakers, attendees are able to choose sessions that are most applicable to their own homeschooling efforts.

These sessions will include topics such as Math, Reading, Science, Spelling, Writing, Classical Home Education, Charlotte Mason Methods, Unit Studies, Beginning Homeschooling, Homeschooling through High School, Special Needs, Homeschool Transcripts, Homeschool Legal Questions, Gifted Homeschooling, Successful Parenting, Christian Worldview, Creation Apologetics, and much more!

In addition to an outstanding featured speaker line-up, you will have access to a huge exhibit hall filled with hundreds of booths that offer a great variety of homeschooling products and services.

For More Information: CLICK HERE

 

 

Online Read Aloud Books

Nov30

imagesDo you have a student that is an auditory learner? What about a child who wants you to read to them more than you have time in your schedule? Can’t get to the library or just want an audio book?  There is a free public domain auditory library whose mission is “to make all books in the public domain available, for free, in audio format on the internet. ”

LibriVox audiobooks are free for anyone to listen to, on their computers, iPods or other mobile device, or to burn onto a CD. Note, you should go to the site yourself if you want to see what content there is available. Everyone has different parameters for your family and some material is not suitable for young readers. I did listen to the beginning of a George McDonald book and I enjoyed the female reader’s voice. I also listened to a story about an East Indian tale about a turtle that couldn’t stop talking and found it to be entertaining.

So, how can you use this great resource for your school?

  • While your student is listening they could draw a picture of what is being read.
  • Write any unfamiliar words down and use them as vocabulary for your language arts program.
  • Audio books can help a child who needs more practice with listening skills.
  • Have your pupil summarize the story that they just heard, whether that be orally or written.
  • Discuss the story and have your scholar make connections, whether to another story you have read, or an experience that they have had previously.