Thursday, December 16, 2010
Want reading ideas for your kids?
a friend just showed me this blog, that might be helpful for parents who are wondering what else is out there to satisfy their child's particular reading tastes. You would still want to read them first, as the site does not seem to discuss the content, but this could be a great place to start making a list of titles to try!
Thursday, December 9, 2010
fascinating stats, awesome presentation!
(Double click on the video to view it at youtube, where you can see the entire screen)
Tuesday, December 7, 2010
Hostess needed for next Old School Monday!
Hello Vintage Moms!
We had scheduled our December OSM to be one week earlier than usual because of the Christmas week, so it is on the calendar for NEXT MONDAY, December 13. But I will not be able to attend after all, so I am checking to see if anyone else is interested in hosting. You would just need to get there a little early and make sure you can get in (Sharon is usually around, and there is usually someone in the office at that time) and then what you do during the time together is completely up to you! I was planning on teaching everyone a Christmas carol and doing an easy bit of holiday art, but you could just make it a party if you want!
If no one feels up to hosting this time, that is understandable at this time of year. We can just make our next one in Jan. Either way, would you all please leave a comment so we know everyone is getting the information? Thanks, and Merry Christmas everyone!
lisa c.
We had scheduled our December OSM to be one week earlier than usual because of the Christmas week, so it is on the calendar for NEXT MONDAY, December 13. But I will not be able to attend after all, so I am checking to see if anyone else is interested in hosting. You would just need to get there a little early and make sure you can get in (Sharon is usually around, and there is usually someone in the office at that time) and then what you do during the time together is completely up to you! I was planning on teaching everyone a Christmas carol and doing an easy bit of holiday art, but you could just make it a party if you want!
If no one feels up to hosting this time, that is understandable at this time of year. We can just make our next one in Jan. Either way, would you all please leave a comment so we know everyone is getting the information? Thanks, and Merry Christmas everyone!
lisa c.
print out your own owl art calendar
Here is a link to a simple but beautiful craft project--older kids could even do this as presents for people for Christmas!
Sunday, November 21, 2010
Old School Monday TOMORROW!
Hello Vintage Moms!
Tomorrow, OSM, rain or shine! Lots of gym time for kids to run off the past rainy days, and a couple of fun activities for everyone!
12:30 - 2
Hope to see you there!
lisa
Tomorrow, OSM, rain or shine! Lots of gym time for kids to run off the past rainy days, and a couple of fun activities for everyone!
12:30 - 2
Hope to see you there!
lisa
Grammar Resources
While stopping by the blog of an old friend I found that some of her commenters were recommending grammar resources--and what better way to research such tools than to start with recommendations by other homeschool parents! This first one, called Shurley English sounds really good. The second is called Winston Grammar and also got good reviews.
(Be sure to read the Shurley English review for a mind-blowing tip on math--I am going to start that ASAP!)
I have been feeling the need to start formal grammar lessons, and so these two resource tips are very timely!
Let me know if any of you are currently using something you love.
lisa c.
(Be sure to read the Shurley English review for a mind-blowing tip on math--I am going to start that ASAP!)
I have been feeling the need to start formal grammar lessons, and so these two resource tips are very timely!
Let me know if any of you are currently using something you love.
lisa c.
Thursday, November 11, 2010
Hi everyone,
Wanted to post this link to a 3 minute video about the Shoebox Ministry that I found at another homeschool blog. The kids and I watched the other day before getting our boxes ready and it softened our hearts even more. This is so worth watching with your kids, but just a heads up that you may want a tissue handy (at least I did for my teary eyes). You'll see what I mean...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_LGGtWC528I
Hope you all are having a GREAT month!
Sarah
Tuesday, November 2, 2010
About Swagbucks, with which you need to get on board
Hello all you homeschool moms!
Ok, I have been having this conversation with some of you, but figure it is time to actual post about it, so everyone is in the loop.
Swagbucks. A search engine, like google, that rewards your use with "swagbucks" that you can then redeem for prizes. Like amazon.com. Which means that just for using the search engine like you would any other, you get stuff. I have cashed in my accumulated swagbucks for FORTY DOLLARS worth of books on amazon. I already have another $5 waiting to be spent next time I place an order.
You can now also use it for PayPal. Which means you can have PayPal credit waiting to be used for almost anything you can buy online.
This is serious, ladies. Now, I am not advocating anyone get sucked into the special marketing things you can do with SB, because I am sure it would be easy to waste time (and even money, on some of their special offers) with too little compensation. BUT I am telling you that ALL homeschool moms should be in on the search engine use--NO GIMMICKS, just FREE STUFF for doing what you already spend time doing every day.
I posted previously about SB on my personal blog here and here, in case any of you want to find out more about it.I have also put a Swagbucks widget on this blog's sidebar, so if you want to check out SB, please do so through that link and I will get some SB as rewards. Becky and Sara Crompton already use SB, so if you two want to put your own widgets on the sidebar, we can all share! : ) Same goes for anyone who signs up now.
One final note--if any of you are thinking about trying Netflix (they have a 2 week trial period) do so through Swagbucks, because then you get a little SB kickback. : )
lisa c.
Ok, I have been having this conversation with some of you, but figure it is time to actual post about it, so everyone is in the loop.
Swagbucks. A search engine, like google, that rewards your use with "swagbucks" that you can then redeem for prizes. Like amazon.com. Which means that just for using the search engine like you would any other, you get stuff. I have cashed in my accumulated swagbucks for FORTY DOLLARS worth of books on amazon. I already have another $5 waiting to be spent next time I place an order.
You can now also use it for PayPal. Which means you can have PayPal credit waiting to be used for almost anything you can buy online.
This is serious, ladies. Now, I am not advocating anyone get sucked into the special marketing things you can do with SB, because I am sure it would be easy to waste time (and even money, on some of their special offers) with too little compensation. BUT I am telling you that ALL homeschool moms should be in on the search engine use--NO GIMMICKS, just FREE STUFF for doing what you already spend time doing every day.
I posted previously about SB on my personal blog here and here, in case any of you want to find out more about it.
One final note--if any of you are thinking about trying Netflix (they have a 2 week trial period) do so through Swagbucks, because then you get a little SB kickback. : )
lisa c.
Monday, November 1, 2010
Spooky Brew
Something we did for fun this past weekend. : ) It is very fun and easy--let me know next year if you want to try it and I'll give you the scoop.
FREE passes to the Monterey Bay Aquarium Nov. 15!
Hello everyone!
We signed up for the Homeschool Day at the Aquarium on Nov. 15, and now we can't go, because our girls have a play performance that night! (This is what happens when you are asked to sign up before the Fall semester even begins) ALSO, we got tickets for the McNabbs, but then they realized they would not be back in CA quite that soon. Bummer! The good news for you is that we now have two families worth of tickets available for anyone who had not signed up previously! PLEASE let me know if you are interested ASAP. Otherwise I will post this on another homeschool forum that is county wide, or worst case will just let the aquarium know we can't come.
The program sounds GREAT too. : ( Hope someone out there can take our place!
Lisa C.
We signed up for the Homeschool Day at the Aquarium on Nov. 15, and now we can't go, because our girls have a play performance that night! (This is what happens when you are asked to sign up before the Fall semester even begins) ALSO, we got tickets for the McNabbs, but then they realized they would not be back in CA quite that soon. Bummer! The good news for you is that we now have two families worth of tickets available for anyone who had not signed up previously! PLEASE let me know if you are interested ASAP. Otherwise I will post this on another homeschool forum that is county wide, or worst case will just let the aquarium know we can't come.
The program sounds GREAT too. : ( Hope someone out there can take our place!
Lisa C.
Saturday, October 30, 2010
Boys & Girls' Club Holiday Gift and Food Fair
Lisa here:
This event is just too much fun. The sellers are all kids, mostly homeschoolers. The crafts are typically impressive. We traditionally get each of our kids a Christmas ornament every year, so when they are ready to have Christmas on their own they will have a little collection already. : ) There were so many adorable ornaments there--a great place to pick up a few presents while supporting local kids!
If anyone wants to particpate, I'll just say that the food tables always seem to have a brisk business underway! : )
---------------------------------------------------------
ATTENTION: Parents, Teachers & Club Leaders:
Join in the fun of this Great Community Event & Fundraising Opportunity for Groups & Junior Entrepreneurs
The Boys & Girls Club of Santa Cruz is hosting the Annual Children’s International Holiday Gift and Food Fair Saturday, December 4, 11 to 2 pm
The Boys & Girls Club of Santa Cruz invites all Creative and Entrepreneurial Children who enjoy crafts, cooking, or selling and have a need to raise money, and all who appreciate youthful creativity and originality.
The gymnasium of the Boys & Girls Club (located downtown, at 543 Center St.) will be transformed into an international marketplace, offering hand-made items to customers. Decorated table displays will be laden with homemade products including sweet treats to hand-knit scarves, jewelry to freshly-made burritos, and hot-baked breads to ornate wreathes. Everything offered for sale is made entirely by participating youth under the age of 18. Local bands, choirs and performers will provide music during the Fair. Customer admission is free!
The scheduling of this event coincides with a very busy day downtown, with masses of parade attendees adding to the bustle of holiday shoppers. To bring in customers, our event will be publicized and postered throughout Santa Cruz. Vendors are encouraged to promote this event, too!
Table space is limited, so please reserve yours early by sending $15 per table (can be shared to save $, limit 2 per participant).
Hand-made Items that have sold well in the past include:
Homemade Jams Decoratively Wrapped Baked Goods & Cookies
Beaded Earrings & Jewelry Cards & Photos
Knitted Hats & Scarves Quilted Potholders
Custom Stitched Pillowcases Candies & Treats
Scented Decorative Candles Bird and Bat Houses
Holiday Wreaths & Swags Dog Biscuits & Pet Items
Let your child’s creativity flow……….
Interested in participating in this year’s Children’s International Gift and Food Fair ? Please complete the bottom portion of this letter, enclose $15 per table, and send to:
Julie Penniman, Boys & Girls Club of Santa Cruz
Attn: Craft Fair
P.O. Box 873
Santa Cruz, CA 95061
(831) 423-3138 ext. 29
julie@boysandgirlsclub.info
Children’s International Gift and Food Fair
____ I am interested in participating this year
Child’s Name or Organization: ________________________________________
Contact person: __________________________________________________
Address: _________________________________________________________
Child’s Home Phone #: ______________ Parent’s Work #:_________________
Attached is my $ _______ table fee. Please reserve me a table. Maximum two tables
per person or organization.
This event is just too much fun. The sellers are all kids, mostly homeschoolers. The crafts are typically impressive. We traditionally get each of our kids a Christmas ornament every year, so when they are ready to have Christmas on their own they will have a little collection already. : ) There were so many adorable ornaments there--a great place to pick up a few presents while supporting local kids!
If anyone wants to particpate, I'll just say that the food tables always seem to have a brisk business underway! : )
---------------------------------------------------------
ATTENTION: Parents, Teachers & Club Leaders:
Join in the fun of this Great Community Event & Fundraising Opportunity for Groups & Junior Entrepreneurs
The Boys & Girls Club of Santa Cruz is hosting the Annual Children’s International Holiday Gift and Food Fair Saturday, December 4, 11 to 2 pm
The Boys & Girls Club of Santa Cruz invites all Creative and Entrepreneurial Children who enjoy crafts, cooking, or selling and have a need to raise money, and all who appreciate youthful creativity and originality.
The gymnasium of the Boys & Girls Club (located downtown, at 543 Center St.) will be transformed into an international marketplace, offering hand-made items to customers. Decorated table displays will be laden with homemade products including sweet treats to hand-knit scarves, jewelry to freshly-made burritos, and hot-baked breads to ornate wreathes. Everything offered for sale is made entirely by participating youth under the age of 18. Local bands, choirs and performers will provide music during the Fair. Customer admission is free!
The scheduling of this event coincides with a very busy day downtown, with masses of parade attendees adding to the bustle of holiday shoppers. To bring in customers, our event will be publicized and postered throughout Santa Cruz. Vendors are encouraged to promote this event, too!
Table space is limited, so please reserve yours early by sending $15 per table (can be shared to save $, limit 2 per participant).
Hand-made Items that have sold well in the past include:
Homemade Jams Decoratively Wrapped Baked Goods & Cookies
Beaded Earrings & Jewelry Cards & Photos
Knitted Hats & Scarves Quilted Potholders
Custom Stitched Pillowcases Candies & Treats
Scented Decorative Candles Bird and Bat Houses
Holiday Wreaths & Swags Dog Biscuits & Pet Items
Let your child’s creativity flow……….
Interested in participating in this year’s Children’s International Gift and Food Fair ? Please complete the bottom portion of this letter, enclose $15 per table, and send to:
Julie Penniman, Boys & Girls Club of Santa Cruz
Attn: Craft Fair
P.O. Box 873
Santa Cruz, CA 95061
(831) 423-3138 ext. 29
julie@boysandgirlsclub.info
Children’s International Gift and Food Fair
____ I am interested in participating this year
Child’s Name or Organization: ________________________________________
Contact person: __________________________________________________
Address: _________________________________________________________
Child’s Home Phone #: ______________ Parent’s Work #:_________________
Attached is my $ _______ table fee. Please reserve me a table. Maximum two tables
per person or organization.
Saturday, October 23, 2010
Need costuming help!
Hi Vintage Moms!
Ok, my local friends, I have to outfit my girls for Halloween and their roles in the Annie musical next month. I have a list of the things we need, and am hoping some of you might be able to loan us some of them. : )
For Halloween, my girls were inspired by their LitWits Workshop on The Secret Garden, and so Gwynneth wants to be Dickon, Meredith wants to be Martha, and Bronwyn wants to be Mary in her nightclothes (like when she first meets Colin). I am so pleased with their ideas, and yet realized I should have set about finding their outfit pieces sooner. But this is the first year they did not just go to the dress-up box and make something from that, so I am unused to the need to plan ahead!
And then Gwynneth and Meredith will be Miss Farrell and an orphan/White House butler for the play.
So if any of you have the following, I would be greatly appreciative:
*White apron/pinafore (approx size 6-8)
*newsboy or other tweed cap (not contemporary styled--think Yorkshire)
*boy's tan or brown or green vest
*brown well-worn boy boots (approx size 1? too big is fine)
*boy's jacket/blazer/sportcoat with pockets--can be tweed or wool, or any tannish/brown color, as long as it is not too nice looking (think old-fashioned outdoorsy boy)
*white or beige boy button-down shirt, old is great!
*heeled dress shoes approx size 1-2
*girl leather (or faux) boots, preferrably brown but black ok too, size 10-11
*old-fashioned candle holder (the kind you carry, brass maybe--Mother Goose looking)
Can anyone help with any of these? Thank you!
Ok, my local friends, I have to outfit my girls for Halloween and their roles in the Annie musical next month. I have a list of the things we need, and am hoping some of you might be able to loan us some of them. : )
For Halloween, my girls were inspired by their LitWits Workshop on The Secret Garden, and so Gwynneth wants to be Dickon, Meredith wants to be Martha, and Bronwyn wants to be Mary in her nightclothes (like when she first meets Colin). I am so pleased with their ideas, and yet realized I should have set about finding their outfit pieces sooner. But this is the first year they did not just go to the dress-up box and make something from that, so I am unused to the need to plan ahead!
And then Gwynneth and Meredith will be Miss Farrell and an orphan/White House butler for the play.
So if any of you have the following, I would be greatly appreciative:
*White apron/pinafore (approx size 6-8)
*newsboy or other tweed cap (not contemporary styled--think Yorkshire)
*boy's tan or brown or green vest
*brown well-worn boy boots (approx size 1? too big is fine)
*boy's jacket/blazer/sportcoat with pockets--can be tweed or wool, or any tannish/brown color, as long as it is not too nice looking (think old-fashioned outdoorsy boy)
*white or beige boy button-down shirt, old is great!
*heeled dress shoes approx size 1-2
*girl leather (or faux) boots, preferrably brown but black ok too, size 10-11
*old-fashioned candle holder (the kind you carry, brass maybe--Mother Goose looking)
Can anyone help with any of these? Thank you!
Wednesday, October 20, 2010
FREE screening of new documentary!
Hi All,
The Rio Theatre will be showing the new, award-winning documentary Race to Nowhere on Nov. 4 and it sounds like you can reserve free tickets!
Here is the link to the theatre: http://www.racetonowhere.com/screenings/rio-theater
Here is the link to info about the movie: http://www.racetonowhere.com/
(too lazy to make it look all nice with html tonight ; )
Out of towners--check the second link to see if there is a free screening near you!
The Rio Theatre will be showing the new, award-winning documentary Race to Nowhere on Nov. 4 and it sounds like you can reserve free tickets!
Here is the link to the theatre: http://www.racetonowhere.com/screenings/rio-theater
Here is the link to info about the movie: http://www.racetonowhere.com/
(too lazy to make it look all nice with html tonight ; )
Out of towners--check the second link to see if there is a free screening near you!
Saturday, October 16, 2010
Old School Monday Calendar for the rest of the year!
Hi Vintage Moms!
First of all, I want to give a big hand to the couragous moms who came to our Back-to-Old-School adventure, braving temperatures up to 103 degrees to go get some good, locally-made ice cream. (sound of me clapping vigorously.) Seriously, Moms, we knew it was hot, but I never imagined it was THAT hot. And we survived. Special mention goes to the moms who pushed babies in strollers over a hill in that heat. You rock.
I hope you can now look back and chuckle!
We are coming up on our next OSM, and I hope to see you all there! Do you like the new time? Sara Greco, Lisa Lebowitz, are you able to come at the new time? Please let me know and we can continue to adjust the time until it seems to work the best for everyone.
So here are the dates for the upcoming OSMs:
Oct. 25
Nov. 22
Dec. 20 (1 week earlier than usual because of Christmas)
Jan. 24
I'll try to post more later about my plans for this Oct. OSM, but I do have two things to say in advance:
1) If anyone has a great Fall/Harvest idea for us to study/make that day, please share it! (I have this nagging feeling in the back of my mind that one of you mentioned a great fallish idea, but of course I don't remember who you were or what it was!)
2) Next time we are definitely going to have our curriculum swap! Anything the least bit schoolish you have at home that you don't want anymore--bring it to share! You can post here in advance if there are books you would like to sell, to see if anyone is interested. But this is mainly for cleaning out the cupboards and passing along what you don't need--because one homeschool mom's clutter is another mom's next unit study! ; )
Hope you are all doing well!
Lisa C.
First of all, I want to give a big hand to the couragous moms who came to our Back-to-Old-School adventure, braving temperatures up to 103 degrees to go get some good, locally-made ice cream. (sound of me clapping vigorously.) Seriously, Moms, we knew it was hot, but I never imagined it was THAT hot. And we survived. Special mention goes to the moms who pushed babies in strollers over a hill in that heat. You rock.
I hope you can now look back and chuckle!
We are coming up on our next OSM, and I hope to see you all there! Do you like the new time? Sara Greco, Lisa Lebowitz, are you able to come at the new time? Please let me know and we can continue to adjust the time until it seems to work the best for everyone.
So here are the dates for the upcoming OSMs:
Oct. 25
Nov. 22
Dec. 20 (1 week earlier than usual because of Christmas)
Jan. 24
I'll try to post more later about my plans for this Oct. OSM, but I do have two things to say in advance:
1) If anyone has a great Fall/Harvest idea for us to study/make that day, please share it! (I have this nagging feeling in the back of my mind that one of you mentioned a great fallish idea, but of course I don't remember who you were or what it was!)
2) Next time we are definitely going to have our curriculum swap! Anything the least bit schoolish you have at home that you don't want anymore--bring it to share! You can post here in advance if there are books you would like to sell, to see if anyone is interested. But this is mainly for cleaning out the cupboards and passing along what you don't need--because one homeschool mom's clutter is another mom's next unit study! ; )
Hope you are all doing well!
Lisa C.
JOHNSON FARM HARVEST TOUR
*Lucy sent this in and said it was not too late to sign up--but I imagine the sooner the better, if you want to participate! This is a fun tour that the young ones enjoy, and is considered a public-school kindergarten staple here in Aptos. : )
Come join Farmer Rob at Johnson's Farm for a Harvest Tour. The Johnson Farm abounds in a festival of fall colors and activities. It is time to gather in the bounty of the farm. Visitors will enjoy shucking and shelling corn, an old-fashioned harvest demonstration, and gathering pumpkins. The tour lasts one hour and includes a hayride, a time to feed the animals, a lesson on harvesting, and a choice of a pumpkin you pick from the field.
Date: Tuesday, October 19, 2010
Time: 12:45 PM (Please arrive by 12:15 so that money may be collected)
Cost: $7.00 per person (anyone attending that is 2 or older is $7.00, under 2 years old is free)
Location: Johnson Farm, 16385 Two Bar Road, Boulder Creek, CA
If you are interested in attending please email me, Kathy Newman, k_newman@sbcglobal.net by October 10th (the earlier the better as we are limited to the number attending). Please send your name and the number of children that will be attending. If you have any questions please contact me.
See you at the harvest!
Come join Farmer Rob at Johnson's Farm for a Harvest Tour. The Johnson Farm abounds in a festival of fall colors and activities. It is time to gather in the bounty of the farm. Visitors will enjoy shucking and shelling corn, an old-fashioned harvest demonstration, and gathering pumpkins. The tour lasts one hour and includes a hayride, a time to feed the animals, a lesson on harvesting, and a choice of a pumpkin you pick from the field.
Date: Tuesday, October 19, 2010
Time: 12:45 PM (Please arrive by 12:15 so that money may be collected)
Cost: $7.00 per person (anyone attending that is 2 or older is $7.00, under 2 years old is free)
Location: Johnson Farm, 16385 Two Bar Road, Boulder Creek, CA
If you are interested in attending please email me, Kathy Newman, k_newman@sbcglobal.net by October 10th (the earlier the better as we are limited to the number attending). Please send your name and the number of children that will be attending. If you have any questions please contact me.
See you at the harvest!
Local history FREE field trip
From a homeschool email group:
I have a confirmed fieldtrip to the Scotts Valley Scott House. The website is http://www.svchamber.org/svhistory/ Virginia Hooper will be our guide as we tour the house, find out about Hiram D. Scott and his family, Scotts Valley, and the archaeological find on the property.
3 PM, Friday, October 22, 2010
Civic Center Drive, Scotts Valley 95066
This tour will be directed toward early elementary aged children. Anyone interested in joining our group for this free fieldtrip should contact me at cat_on_2_wheels @ yahoo.com by this Thursday.
Thanks,
Julie Moore
I have a confirmed fieldtrip to the Scotts Valley Scott House. The website is http://www.svchamber.org/svhistory/ Virginia Hooper will be our guide as we tour the house, find out about Hiram D. Scott and his family, Scotts Valley, and the archaeological find on the property.
3 PM, Friday, October 22, 2010
Civic Center Drive, Scotts Valley 95066
This tour will be directed toward early elementary aged children. Anyone interested in joining our group for this free fieldtrip should contact me at cat_on_2_wheels @ yahoo.com by this Thursday.
Thanks,
Julie Moore
FREE Science Fun!
**My out of town readers--there are other locations for these science events all over the US, so please click on the last link to get to the national site, and look at the "satellite" section to see if there is anything taking place near you.
Cal Science & Engineering Festival
A community celebration of Science@Cal!
Explore the wonders of science with activities for the whole family at the first-ever Cal Science & Engineering Festival.
This free event will take place at UC Berkeley, on Spieker Plaza (located next to Haas Pavilion) http://www.berkeley.edu/map/maps/DE23.html on *Saturday, October 23 *from 10am to 2pm.
It's all about science in action! You'll put solar power to the test, get hands-on with ancient fossils, discover the "science" of unicycling and basketball, make your own earthquake, journey to the stars—and more!
The Cal festival is hosted by Science@Cal, an initiative of the UC BerkeleyOffice of the Vice Chancellor for Research, and is presented in conjunction with the inaugural USA Science & Engineering Festival http://usasciencefestival.org/
It sounds GREAT--hope we can go. : )
Cal Science & Engineering Festival
A community celebration of Science@Cal!
Explore the wonders of science with activities for the whole family at the first-ever Cal Science & Engineering Festival.
This free event will take place at UC Berkeley, on Spieker Plaza (located next to Haas Pavilion) http://www.berkeley.edu/map/maps/DE23.html on *Saturday, October 23 *from 10am to 2pm.
It's all about science in action! You'll put solar power to the test, get hands-on with ancient fossils, discover the "science" of unicycling and basketball, make your own earthquake, journey to the stars—and more!
The Cal festival is hosted by Science@Cal, an initiative of the UC BerkeleyOffice of the Vice Chancellor for Research, and is presented in conjunction with the inaugural USA Science & Engineering Festival http://usasciencefestival.org/
It sounds GREAT--hope we can go. : )
Friday, October 8, 2010
Free online textbooks!
From an email I received earlier from one of our local homeschool groups:
This group won an award from TheTech: They have open source textbooks. Free. Wow. http://www.ck12.org/flexr/
This group won an award from TheTech: They have open source textbooks. Free. Wow. http://www.ck12.org/flexr/
Wednesday, September 29, 2010
LitWits Launched Today!
Hello All!
Just wanted to tell you that we held our first LitWits Workshop today, jumping into The Secret Garden with both feet and had such a fantastic time! Some of my favorite parts?
Just wanted to tell you that we held our first LitWits Workshop today, jumping into The Secret Garden with both feet and had such a fantastic time! Some of my favorite parts?
- Hearing the kids express obvious delight over the book and it's characters; their enjoyment of Dickon's gregarious personality and love of animals, their empathy for sour, unhappy Mary Lennox when she first comes to England from India.
- Seeing them make connections between the struggles and events of the author's life and those she created for her characters. So that's where stories come from!
- Watching each one close their eyes tight to better imagine themselves cold, tired and lonely in a horsedrawn carriage as we listened to an mp3 of the wind howling over the Yorkshire moor.
- All of us straining to understand the broad dialect of an elderly Yorkshire woman as she described how to make brown bread (thank you BBC sound files!)
- Being caught up in the moment of discovery as collages were assembled from my sister's old English Home magazines and my mom's Better Homes and Gardens. Each child seemed to find just the right images to capture the essence of the book--so fun!
- Watching the kids just try to keep their hands out of the bucket of dirt reserved for tomorrow's planting project. Why is a trowel in a big copper bin of earth so tempting? It even smells tempting!
- English Breakfast tea and crumpets with orange marmelade? Are you kidding me?
Anyway, just wanted to share. I feel so grateful to be part of this!
Becky
Saturday, September 25, 2010
Old School Monday--MONDAY! ; )
Hi Moms!
It's here: Our first Old School Monday of the new school year! We are meeting this Monday, Sept. 27 at a new time: 12:30. There were people who could not come last year when we had it in the morning, and then some people who could not come in the afternoon, so let's try this and see what we think. Here is the agenda for this Monday:
*Meet at 12:30 there at the usual classroom at Vintage. You can choose to eat lunch before you come or bring a sack lunch for your family.
*At the beginning of the summer, I told you all that our first OSM we would do the "What I Did With My Summer Vacations" booths again--well, because of the timing of things this year, we are not going to do that after all. BUT if your child has something to share, esp. something he/she has written or made over the summer or here at the start of the school year, please bring it! We will start off with a little Show and Tell for anyone who wants to participate. : )
*We will hang out and chat until 1:00, when we will head out on a little field trip/adventure to celebrate the start of our new school year. We will be walking down to the little path that leads over to Harvey West, and on our way, we will stop for ice cream cones! So bring $ for ice cream, if you want to partake, and if you don't want to, or if you come late, just meet us at Harvey West.
*While the kids play, we moms will get to hang out! In particular, be thinking about what you would love to see happen during our monthly OSM gatherings, and think about if there is any activity/lesson you and/or your kids would like to "host" anytime this fall.
*We'll hang out there at the park until about 2, and then we will walk back and end about 2:30 (perfect timing for those who are going on to Musical Mondays).
So this Fall Old School Mondays will meet the 4th Monday of every month, at 12:30. Go ahead and mark your calendars for Oct. 25 and Nov. 22. In December, because of the holidays, we will meet on the 20th.
***If you have any curriculum or school/art supplies you no longer want hanging around your house, bring them on Monday! We will have a homeschool stuff swap in the adjoining classroom and make sure all interested moms get to look through (without the kids hanging on you).
****And please invite friends!
It's here: Our first Old School Monday of the new school year! We are meeting this Monday, Sept. 27 at a new time: 12:30. There were people who could not come last year when we had it in the morning, and then some people who could not come in the afternoon, so let's try this and see what we think. Here is the agenda for this Monday:
*Meet at 12:30 there at the usual classroom at Vintage. You can choose to eat lunch before you come or bring a sack lunch for your family.
*At the beginning of the summer, I told you all that our first OSM we would do the "What I Did With My Summer Vacations" booths again--well, because of the timing of things this year, we are not going to do that after all. BUT if your child has something to share, esp. something he/she has written or made over the summer or here at the start of the school year, please bring it! We will start off with a little Show and Tell for anyone who wants to participate. : )
*We will hang out and chat until 1:00, when we will head out on a little field trip/adventure to celebrate the start of our new school year. We will be walking down to the little path that leads over to Harvey West, and on our way, we will stop for ice cream cones! So bring $ for ice cream, if you want to partake, and if you don't want to, or if you come late, just meet us at Harvey West.
*While the kids play, we moms will get to hang out! In particular, be thinking about what you would love to see happen during our monthly OSM gatherings, and think about if there is any activity/lesson you and/or your kids would like to "host" anytime this fall.
*We'll hang out there at the park until about 2, and then we will walk back and end about 2:30 (perfect timing for those who are going on to Musical Mondays).
So this Fall Old School Mondays will meet the 4th Monday of every month, at 12:30. Go ahead and mark your calendars for Oct. 25 and Nov. 22. In December, because of the holidays, we will meet on the 20th.
***If you have any curriculum or school/art supplies you no longer want hanging around your house, bring them on Monday! We will have a homeschool stuff swap in the adjoining classroom and make sure all interested moms get to look through (without the kids hanging on you).
****And please invite friends!
Tuesday, September 21, 2010
cool space science websites
here is the link to an article that references several good sites for space studies:
http://www.freetech4teachers.com/2010/09/eight-good-resources-for-space-science.html
http://www.freetech4teachers.com/2010/09/eight-good-resources-for-space-science.html
free piano!
another one that came to my inbox today:
-----------------------------------------------
I am helping my friend, Ingrid, to find a home for their old piano. It is a Con console upright piano (I understand it is a lower height) that is in good condition but will probably need to be tuned. Her ideal situation is to find a good home to loan it to for a up to a year or longer, but if no one wants it as a loan, she is willing to give it away. She just needs to have it out of their old home soon. It is currently in Aptos but we might be able to move it to to be picked up in Santa Cruz.
Interested families should contact me: Nancy Winans at whynansy@yahoo.com and I will let Ingrid know. Let me know if you have any other questions. If you want it, please tell me your name, phone number and when you would be able to pick it up or receive it.
Thanks! - Nancy
-----------------------------------------------
I am helping my friend, Ingrid, to find a home for their old piano. It is a Con console upright piano (I understand it is a lower height) that is in good condition but will probably need to be tuned. Her ideal situation is to find a good home to loan it to for a up to a year or longer, but if no one wants it as a loan, she is willing to give it away. She just needs to have it out of their old home soon. It is currently in Aptos but we might be able to move it to to be picked up in Santa Cruz.
Interested families should contact me: Nancy Winans at whynansy@yahoo.com and I will let Ingrid know. Let me know if you have any other questions. If you want it, please tell me your name, phone number and when you would be able to pick it up or receive it.
Thanks! - Nancy
homeschool and technology
Just an article bit that was forwarded on to me today:
---------------------------------------------
Hi all,
The NY Times Magazine has several nice articles and especially one by Kevin Kelly, founder of Wired, his article about home schooling his 8th grader has a list of tips about dealing with Technology.
Here’s the article.
Achieving Techno-Literacy
By KEVIN KELLY
Published: September 16, 2010
This past year my wife and I home-schooled our eighth-grade son. One school day, he and I decided we would make fire the old way — out of nothing but plant materials and our own hustle. Our son watched a seemingly endless series of instructional survival videos onYouTube as part of his research. He chose the bow method based on our physics class about friction. He then constructed a bow from a branch in the woods, carved a stick for the spindle and added a fiber string. It was mighty tough going. We spent hours refining the apparatus. He was surprised by the enormous amount of bodily energy required to focus onto a very small spot, and how a minuscule, nearly invisible bit of fuel, once sparked, can quickly amplify into a flame and then a fire. Chemistry, physics, history and gym all in one lesson. And, man, when you are 13 years old and Prometheus, it’s exhilarating!
One day our student would dissect and diagram the inside organs of flowers; the next he’d write short stories or poems and then revise them; and the next day we’d solve logic problems with algebra, then he’d work on plans for a chicken coop and maybe we’d do a field trip to a car factory. He also went through eighth-grade textbooks in history, grammar, geometry and the like. This type of home-schooling is really nothing special. Our son was merely one of more than a million students home-schooled in the United States last year. Our reasons for home-schooling were not uncommon, either. We wanted to create an ideal learning environment. For the previous seven years, our son was enrolled in challenging schools. His grades were excellent, but the amount of homework was grinding him down. The intense high school he was planning to attend promised even more work. He asked if he could be home-schooled for his last year before high school, and by a quirk of life, this was a year our schedules would permit our role as home-school teachers.
Now that the year is done, I am struck that the fancy technology supposedly crucial to an up-to-the-minute education was not a major factor in its success. Of course, technology in the broadest sense was everywhere in our classroom. There was an inexpensive microscope on the kitchen table and an old digital camera to record experiments. There was a PC always on for research. Our son was also a big user of online tutorials. Of particular note is Kahn Academy, which offers nearly 1,600 short high-quality tutorials on algebra, chemistry, history, economics and other subjects — all created by one guy, and all free. The Internet was also essential for my wife and me as we researched the best textbooks, the best projects, the best approaches.
But the computer was only one tool of many. Technology helped us learn, but it was not the medium of learning. It was summoned when needed. Technology is strange that way. Education, at least in the K-12 range, is more about child rearing than knowledge acquisition. And since child rearing is primarily about forming character, instilling values and cultivating habits, it may be the last area to be directly augmented by technology.
Even so, as technology floods the rest of our lives, one of the chief habits a student needs to acquire is technological literacy — and we made sure it was part of our curriculum. By technological literacy, I mean the latest in a series of proficiencies children should accumulate in school. Students begin with mastering the alphabet and numbers, then transition into critical thinking, logic and absorption of the scientific method. Technological literacy is something different: proficiency with the larger system of our invented world. It is close to an intuitive sense of how you add up, or parse, the manufactured realm. We don’t need expertise with every invention; that is not only impossible, it’s not very useful. Rather, we need to be literate in the complexities of technology in general, as if it were a second nature.
Technology will change faster than we can teach it. My son studied the popular programming language C++ in his home-school year; that knowledge could be economically useless soon. The accelerating pace of technology means his eventual adult career does not exist yet. Of course it won’t be taught in school. But technological smartness can be. Here is the kind of literacy that we tried to impart:
• Every new technology will bite back. The more powerful its gifts, the more powerfully it can be abused. Look for its costs.
• Technologies improve so fast you should postpone getting anything you need until the last second. Get comfortable with the fact that anything you buy is already obsolete.
• Before you can master a device, program or invention, it will be superseded; you will always be a beginner. Get good at it.
• Be suspicious of any technology that requires walls. If you can fix it, modify it or hack it yourself, that is a good sign.
• The proper response to a stupid technology is to make a better one, just as the proper response to a stupid idea is not to outlaw it but to replace it with a better idea.
• Every technology is biased by its embedded defaults: what does it assume?
• Nobody has any idea of what a new invention will really be good for. The crucial question is, what happens when everyone has one?
• The older the technology, the more likely it will continue to be useful.
• Find the minimum amount of technology that will maximize your options.
I don’t think my son mastered all those principles in one year, but he got a start. For the most part, learning at home is more demanding than learning in a classroom because it requires more self-direction. On one particularly long day, with books piled up and papers spread out, my son was slumped in his chair.
“Is everything O.K.?” I asked.
“It’s hard,” he said. “I not only have to be the student, I also have to be the teacher.”
“Yes! So what have you learned about being a teacher?”
“You have to teach the student — that’s me — not only to learn stuff but to learn how to learn.”
“And have you?”
“I think I am doing better as the student than the teacher. I’m learning how to learn, but I can’t wait till next year when I have some real good teachers — better than me.”
He had learned the most critical thing: how to keep learning. A month ago he entered high school eager to be taught — not facts, or even skills, but a lifelong process that would keep pace with technology’s rapid, ceaseless teaching.
If we listen to technology, and learn to be proficient in its ways, then we’ll be able to harness this most powerful force in the world. If not, we’ll be stuck at the bottom of the class.
---------------------------------------------
Hi all,
The NY Times Magazine has several nice articles and especially one by Kevin Kelly, founder of Wired, his article about home schooling his 8th grader has a list of tips about dealing with Technology.
Here’s the article.
Achieving Techno-Literacy
By KEVIN KELLY
Published: September 16, 2010
This past year my wife and I home-schooled our eighth-grade son. One school day, he and I decided we would make fire the old way — out of nothing but plant materials and our own hustle. Our son watched a seemingly endless series of instructional survival videos onYouTube as part of his research. He chose the bow method based on our physics class about friction. He then constructed a bow from a branch in the woods, carved a stick for the spindle and added a fiber string. It was mighty tough going. We spent hours refining the apparatus. He was surprised by the enormous amount of bodily energy required to focus onto a very small spot, and how a minuscule, nearly invisible bit of fuel, once sparked, can quickly amplify into a flame and then a fire. Chemistry, physics, history and gym all in one lesson. And, man, when you are 13 years old and Prometheus, it’s exhilarating!
One day our student would dissect and diagram the inside organs of flowers; the next he’d write short stories or poems and then revise them; and the next day we’d solve logic problems with algebra, then he’d work on plans for a chicken coop and maybe we’d do a field trip to a car factory. He also went through eighth-grade textbooks in history, grammar, geometry and the like. This type of home-schooling is really nothing special. Our son was merely one of more than a million students home-schooled in the United States last year. Our reasons for home-schooling were not uncommon, either. We wanted to create an ideal learning environment. For the previous seven years, our son was enrolled in challenging schools. His grades were excellent, but the amount of homework was grinding him down. The intense high school he was planning to attend promised even more work. He asked if he could be home-schooled for his last year before high school, and by a quirk of life, this was a year our schedules would permit our role as home-school teachers.
Now that the year is done, I am struck that the fancy technology supposedly crucial to an up-to-the-minute education was not a major factor in its success. Of course, technology in the broadest sense was everywhere in our classroom. There was an inexpensive microscope on the kitchen table and an old digital camera to record experiments. There was a PC always on for research. Our son was also a big user of online tutorials. Of particular note is Kahn Academy, which offers nearly 1,600 short high-quality tutorials on algebra, chemistry, history, economics and other subjects — all created by one guy, and all free. The Internet was also essential for my wife and me as we researched the best textbooks, the best projects, the best approaches.
But the computer was only one tool of many. Technology helped us learn, but it was not the medium of learning. It was summoned when needed. Technology is strange that way. Education, at least in the K-12 range, is more about child rearing than knowledge acquisition. And since child rearing is primarily about forming character, instilling values and cultivating habits, it may be the last area to be directly augmented by technology.
Even so, as technology floods the rest of our lives, one of the chief habits a student needs to acquire is technological literacy — and we made sure it was part of our curriculum. By technological literacy, I mean the latest in a series of proficiencies children should accumulate in school. Students begin with mastering the alphabet and numbers, then transition into critical thinking, logic and absorption of the scientific method. Technological literacy is something different: proficiency with the larger system of our invented world. It is close to an intuitive sense of how you add up, or parse, the manufactured realm. We don’t need expertise with every invention; that is not only impossible, it’s not very useful. Rather, we need to be literate in the complexities of technology in general, as if it were a second nature.
Technology will change faster than we can teach it. My son studied the popular programming language C++ in his home-school year; that knowledge could be economically useless soon. The accelerating pace of technology means his eventual adult career does not exist yet. Of course it won’t be taught in school. But technological smartness can be. Here is the kind of literacy that we tried to impart:
• Every new technology will bite back. The more powerful its gifts, the more powerfully it can be abused. Look for its costs.
• Technologies improve so fast you should postpone getting anything you need until the last second. Get comfortable with the fact that anything you buy is already obsolete.
• Before you can master a device, program or invention, it will be superseded; you will always be a beginner. Get good at it.
• Be suspicious of any technology that requires walls. If you can fix it, modify it or hack it yourself, that is a good sign.
• The proper response to a stupid technology is to make a better one, just as the proper response to a stupid idea is not to outlaw it but to replace it with a better idea.
• Every technology is biased by its embedded defaults: what does it assume?
• Nobody has any idea of what a new invention will really be good for. The crucial question is, what happens when everyone has one?
• The older the technology, the more likely it will continue to be useful.
• Find the minimum amount of technology that will maximize your options.
I don’t think my son mastered all those principles in one year, but he got a start. For the most part, learning at home is more demanding than learning in a classroom because it requires more self-direction. On one particularly long day, with books piled up and papers spread out, my son was slumped in his chair.
“Is everything O.K.?” I asked.
“It’s hard,” he said. “I not only have to be the student, I also have to be the teacher.”
“Yes! So what have you learned about being a teacher?”
“You have to teach the student — that’s me — not only to learn stuff but to learn how to learn.”
“And have you?”
“I think I am doing better as the student than the teacher. I’m learning how to learn, but I can’t wait till next year when I have some real good teachers — better than me.”
He had learned the most critical thing: how to keep learning. A month ago he entered high school eager to be taught — not facts, or even skills, but a lifelong process that would keep pace with technology’s rapid, ceaseless teaching.
If we listen to technology, and learn to be proficient in its ways, then we’ll be able to harness this most powerful force in the world. If not, we’ll be stuck at the bottom of the class.
Wednesday, September 15, 2010
our very own Becky is offering (amazing sounding) classes!
Hi local homeschool Moms--
Becky Kimball and her sister Jenny have started a new venture together: LitWits! Please check out their beautiful website to see what I am SO excited about. The fall semester workshops are on such great but often overlooked classics--we are really looking forward to seeing how Becky and Jenny bring them alive. (Knowing Becky, it will be magical. ; )
And best of all, LitWits Workshops is an Ocean Grove vendor-whoo-hoo!!!!
The workshops begin Sept 29, so don't wait to look at what they are offering--esp. because they are doing The Secret Garden first!
Becky Kimball and her sister Jenny have started a new venture together: LitWits! Please check out their beautiful website to see what I am SO excited about. The fall semester workshops are on such great but often overlooked classics--we are really looking forward to seeing how Becky and Jenny bring them alive. (Knowing Becky, it will be magical. ; )
And best of all, LitWits Workshops is an Ocean Grove vendor-whoo-hoo!!!!
The workshops begin Sept 29, so don't wait to look at what they are offering--esp. because they are doing The Secret Garden first!
Tuesday, September 14, 2010
Must. Read.
If you have ever considered sponsoring a Compassion child, if you already do, or *if you are looking for a motivation for your child to practice writing*--please read this blog entry I stumbled upon this evening. It is so, so, so good. And important.
Maybe I should have titled this post Must. Write.
love,
lisa
Maybe I should have titled this post Must. Write.
love,
lisa
Friday, September 3, 2010
swagbucks--getting a little something for what you do all the time!
Hey Moms, I wrote something on my personal blog the other day that I realized most of you would not have seen, so I'll link it here so you can check it out if you want. Basically, I just got $30 of books for free on Amazon.com by routinely using the Swagbucks search engine. So little by little I am earning free stuff just for doing the kinds of searches us homeschool moms do all the time! Just thought you all might like to know! : )
I am all about the free.
lisa
I am all about the free.
lisa
FREE teacher membership at the San Jse Tech Museum!
Lisa C. here! I am still trying to figure out what this means, exacly--what the concrete benefits would be for our family and our homeschool studies--but look what I just came across on the Tech Museum of San Jose website:
Free Teacher Membership Program for California Educators!
Use us as your year-round 2nd Classroom!
Teacher memberships are available to all K-12 public, private, home school teachers, principals, district and county certificated employees, currently working in a California school district.
We invite you to become a member of our learning community and find a professional "home" here at The Tech Museum. Ultimately, we hope you join us in promoting learning through design and innovation as part of your professional practice.
Here is the page that gives the details. Does anyone else already know about this? Please comment if you have any insight or experience with this program!
Free Teacher Membership Program for California Educators!
Use us as your year-round 2nd Classroom!
Teacher memberships are available to all K-12 public, private, home school teachers, principals, district and county certificated employees, currently working in a California school district.
We invite you to become a member of our learning community and find a professional "home" here at The Tech Museum. Ultimately, we hope you join us in promoting learning through design and innovation as part of your professional practice.
Here is the page that gives the details. Does anyone else already know about this? Please comment if you have any insight or experience with this program!
Monday, August 30, 2010
Storytelling with Jim Weiss!
Hello Moms!
I am here tosell you on tell you about an amazing upcoming event! I am sure a lot of you are familiar with Jim Weiss, who is one of the top story tellers in America today and is the voice behind The Story of the World books.
Well, from what I have learned from my wonderful E.S. Terry Cleary:
Diane Bokulich and Mary Ann Shapiro worked to bring Jim Weiss to Capitola to teach your kids about storytelling!
Here is the info from the database:
Classes will take place on Monday, Nov 8 from 9Am to 3PM. at ST. JOSEPH'S CATHOLIC COMMUNITY- CAPITOLA, CALIFORNIA, 435 Monterey Avenue, Capitola CA 95010, 831-475-8211.
There will be no "drop-off" and there is no area for small children to play. Students should bring a sack lunch if they are staying for the whole day.
I interpret this last part to mean that there must be a parent attending the event with his/her child, and this will not be a good venue for little ones. But think about it this way--YOU get to attend the event for FREE! ; )
Cost is $95/student. BUT it turns out that the price will drop as more students sign up! If we have 10 students, the cost is $95 each. With 20 students it drops to $47.50. This event is covered fully by your Ocean Grove funds, BUT let's still see if we can't get enough interested parents/kids to bring the cost down!
Sarah Frank will be taking Hannah while her husband watches the boys. She has generously offered to "parent" Gwynneth so she can attend and I can be here with my little ones! I am sure us Vintage Ocean Grove moms can together work out child care help for those of us who could not do it otherwise, so if you are interested, leave a comment below and we will see what we can do!
And be sure to sign-up for the event with your Ocean Grove E.S.!
I am here to
Well, from what I have learned from my wonderful E.S. Terry Cleary:
Diane Bokulich and Mary Ann Shapiro worked to bring Jim Weiss to Capitola to teach your kids about storytelling!
Here is the info from the database:
Classes will take place on Monday, Nov 8 from 9Am to 3PM. at ST. JOSEPH'S CATHOLIC COMMUNITY- CAPITOLA, CALIFORNIA, 435 Monterey Avenue, Capitola CA 95010, 831-475-8211.
There will be no "drop-off" and there is no area for small children to play. Students should bring a sack lunch if they are staying for the whole day.
I interpret this last part to mean that there must be a parent attending the event with his/her child, and this will not be a good venue for little ones. But think about it this way--YOU get to attend the event for FREE! ; )
Cost is $95/student. BUT it turns out that the price will drop as more students sign up! If we have 10 students, the cost is $95 each. With 20 students it drops to $47.50. This event is covered fully by your Ocean Grove funds, BUT let's still see if we can't get enough interested parents/kids to bring the cost down!
Sarah Frank will be taking Hannah while her husband watches the boys. She has generously offered to "parent" Gwynneth so she can attend and I can be here with my little ones! I am sure us Vintage Ocean Grove moms can together work out child care help for those of us who could not do it otherwise, so if you are interested, leave a comment below and we will see what we can do!
And be sure to sign-up for the event with your Ocean Grove E.S.!
Free Open House at Discovery Learning Center in S.C.
From their website:
Open HouseSeptember 8th 1-4pm. Come celebrate the Discovery Learning Center at our Open House. We'll be offering games and crafts for the kids while parents learn about our lending library, classes, clubs and parent activities. Come find out how your family will benefit from this new community resource.
Address, etc. on website too. Also at the site you can sign up for their newsletter, which I assume will give info on classes to be held, etc.
If any of you were familiar with the recently closed Educational Resource Center, this is where its inventory has relocated.
Open HouseSeptember 8th 1-4pm. Come celebrate the Discovery Learning Center at our Open House. We'll be offering games and crafts for the kids while parents learn about our lending library, classes, clubs and parent activities. Come find out how your family will benefit from this new community resource.
Address, etc. on website too. Also at the site you can sign up for their newsletter, which I assume will give info on classes to be held, etc.
If any of you were familiar with the recently closed Educational Resource Center, this is where its inventory has relocated.
Wednesday, August 25, 2010
Oh, those of you with girls should consider this. . .
There is a program we have done for 3 years now, called Musical Mondays. It is basically a musical production every semester, with a free performance open to the community. The woman in charge, Candace, is AWESOME. The kids all get pizza and lemonade every week when they first arrive, which is included in the cost. The quality of story and music chosen are excellent. I love that kids get to choose if they want a speaking role or not, and ALL the kids sing ALL the songs together--no solos--and they all stay on stage the entire production, so they get to really feel like they are all in the production equally.
This fall the selected musical is. . Annie!!! Oh, my girls are in for a treat!
I think the youngest allowed is 7, so Bronwyn will not be participating, but that is ok--I think she is a bit young for it anyway. But Meredith and Gwynneth are SO going to be in this--and Musical Mondays are an Ocean Grove vendor!!! AND it is held at a church right near Vintage, so we always go on over to catch the 6 pm martial arts class at Laird's afterwards, and make the most of being on that end of town. . .
Can I sell you any more on this? boys are of course welcome too, but those of you with older girls--THINK ABOUT IT. : )
Here is the email I received tonight:
Hello Everyone,
Musical Mondays is about to begin. This fall semester we will perform Annie. I chose this play for many reasons first and foremost because I love it! There are so many parts, such fun songs and great chances to show our best acting from the clown, Mrs Hannigan to President Roosevelt. The first class is September 13, 3-5pm. We will meet every Monday from 3-5 and perform our play on Monday, November 15, at 5pm and Sunday, November 21, at 3pm. Please check/reserve these dates now. The fee for the class is $125.00/semester. Invite your friends to join the fun. No need to preregister, just join us for pizza on the 13th.
Candy, Cheryl, and Jenny
This fall the selected musical is. . Annie!!! Oh, my girls are in for a treat!
I think the youngest allowed is 7, so Bronwyn will not be participating, but that is ok--I think she is a bit young for it anyway. But Meredith and Gwynneth are SO going to be in this--and Musical Mondays are an Ocean Grove vendor!!! AND it is held at a church right near Vintage, so we always go on over to catch the 6 pm martial arts class at Laird's afterwards, and make the most of being on that end of town. . .
Can I sell you any more on this? boys are of course welcome too, but those of you with older girls--THINK ABOUT IT. : )
Here is the email I received tonight:
Hello Everyone,
Musical Mondays is about to begin. This fall semester we will perform Annie. I chose this play for many reasons first and foremost because I love it! There are so many parts, such fun songs and great chances to show our best acting from the clown, Mrs Hannigan to President Roosevelt. The first class is September 13, 3-5pm. We will meet every Monday from 3-5 and perform our play on Monday, November 15, at 5pm and Sunday, November 21, at 3pm. Please check/reserve these dates now. The fee for the class is $125.00/semester. Invite your friends to join the fun. No need to preregister, just join us for pizza on the 13th.
Candy, Cheryl, and Jenny
Tuesday, August 24, 2010
Geometry Playground--last chance to play for free!
Hey everyone! Lisa here again. Most of you know the Exploratorium in San Francisco is free the first Weds. of each month. But while researching online today, I realized that they are having what looks like a really cool geometry exhibit that will only be around until the 6th--so Weds. the 1st of Sept. is the last chance to see it for free. And any exhibit that is considered worth the expense of touring must be pretty cool! So we are going that day--another good reason is that we try to choose months to attend the free days when there will not be as many school groups attending, as they make the exhibits crowded (although they also tend to leave at lunchtime).
When Ongoing through Monday, September 6, 2010
Where Exploratorium
Event Type Art Event, Special Program
Museum Area Skylight area - Please note that during this time, the Playlab will be closed and will reopen in the Fall.
Cost Included in the price of general admission
Website www.exploratorium.edu…
Geometry Playground Opens June 25
Through September 6, 2010
And Then Travels Nationally
The word “geometry” might dredge up sweaty-palm memories of classrooms, textbooks, and trying to calculate the volume of a cube. But what if geometry instead meant climbing inside cool, giant 3D shapes, or watching yourself in a big curved mirror as you try to play hopscotch? It turns out that seeing things, moving things, and fitting things together are all ways of exploring geometry. And since we’re talking Exploratorium, this exhibition is one where geometry is based on action! Sometimes you’ll use your hands, other times your entire body. And always your brain. Geometry Playground, developed by the Exploratorium over the past three years, includes over twenty exhibits and specially commissioned artworks. It travels to Minneapolis, San Diego, and to other cities nationally. Geometry Playground is made possible by the National Science Foundation and the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation. The exhibition is included in the price of admission.
When Ongoing through Monday, September 6, 2010
Where Exploratorium
Event Type Art Event, Special Program
Museum Area Skylight area - Please note that during this time, the Playlab will be closed and will reopen in the Fall.
Cost Included in the price of general admission
Website www.exploratorium.edu…
Geometry Playground Opens June 25
Through September 6, 2010
And Then Travels Nationally
The word “geometry” might dredge up sweaty-palm memories of classrooms, textbooks, and trying to calculate the volume of a cube. But what if geometry instead meant climbing inside cool, giant 3D shapes, or watching yourself in a big curved mirror as you try to play hopscotch? It turns out that seeing things, moving things, and fitting things together are all ways of exploring geometry. And since we’re talking Exploratorium, this exhibition is one where geometry is based on action! Sometimes you’ll use your hands, other times your entire body. And always your brain. Geometry Playground, developed by the Exploratorium over the past three years, includes over twenty exhibits and specially commissioned artworks. It travels to Minneapolis, San Diego, and to other cities nationally. Geometry Playground is made possible by the National Science Foundation and the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation. The exhibition is included in the price of admission.
Discover Your Child's Learning Style--FREE Teleconference!
(Lisa here--Becky just sent this to me, which someone had sent to her. . . and it sounds great, so we are passing it along to you!)
DISCOVER YOUR CHILD's LEARNING STYLE. Authors and Learning Success Coaches Mariaemma Pellulo-Willis & Victoria Kindle Hodson will be featured in a FREE Teleconference on 8/26. Info about how to register and take part is below!
For those of you who are not familiar with Mariaemma Pellulo-Willis and Victoria Kindle-Hodson, their work combines all the learning styles work (Armstrong, Briggs & Myers, Dunn, etc) into one super robust, indespensible and accessible model which you can put to work today -- no matter what your homeschooling philosophy/style. Not only do they dispense with the one-size fits all educational model, but their book and the included assessments will help you to customize an annual plan individualized for you and your child(ren)that will BEST suit the needs of the student(s) and parent.
Hope you find this info helpful ....
_______________________________________________________________________________
Dear ClickScholar,
Please join me THURSDAY, August 26th, for this FREE Teleconference. ..
"DISCOVER YOUR CHILD'S LEARNING STYLE"
with Special Guests...
Mariaemma Pellulo-Willis and Victoria Kindle-Hodson
Authors of Discover Your Child's Learning Style
4-5 PM (PDT), 6-7 PM (central), 7-8 PM (EST)
In this teleconference discover why students (and adults) sometimes just don't "get it" and why a one-size-fits- all model doesn't work.
Find out the 5 aspects of learning - and how knowing what they are can forever change the way you homeschool your child.
Get an understanding of how having a blueprint of your child's unique learning style will ensure success!
The live teleconference is free and registration is required. Once you have registered, please submit your questions for Mariaemma and Victoria by email to: dianeflynnkeith@ homefires. com
Register today at: http://www.homefire%20s.com/Teleconfer%20ence
Diane Flynn Keith
for ClickSchooling
DISCOVER YOUR CHILD's LEARNING STYLE. Authors and Learning Success Coaches Mariaemma Pellulo-Willis & Victoria Kindle Hodson will be featured in a FREE Teleconference on 8/26. Info about how to register and take part is below!
For those of you who are not familiar with Mariaemma Pellulo-Willis and Victoria Kindle-Hodson, their work combines all the learning styles work (Armstrong, Briggs & Myers, Dunn, etc) into one super robust, indespensible and accessible model which you can put to work today -- no matter what your homeschooling philosophy/style. Not only do they dispense with the one-size fits all educational model, but their book and the included assessments will help you to customize an annual plan individualized for you and your child(ren)that will BEST suit the needs of the student(s) and parent.
Hope you find this info helpful ....
_______________________________________________________________________________
Dear ClickScholar,
Please join me THURSDAY, August 26th, for this FREE Teleconference. ..
"DISCOVER YOUR CHILD'S LEARNING STYLE"
with Special Guests...
Mariaemma Pellulo-Willis and Victoria Kindle-Hodson
Authors of Discover Your Child's Learning Style
4-5 PM (PDT), 6-7 PM (central), 7-8 PM (EST)
In this teleconference discover why students (and adults) sometimes just don't "get it" and why a one-size-fits- all model doesn't work.
Find out the 5 aspects of learning - and how knowing what they are can forever change the way you homeschool your child.
Get an understanding of how having a blueprint of your child's unique learning style will ensure success!
The live teleconference is free and registration is required. Once you have registered, please submit your questions for Mariaemma and Victoria by email to: dianeflynnkeith@ homefires. com
Register today at: http://www.homefire%20s.com/Teleconfer%20ence
Diane Flynn Keith
for ClickSchooling
Monday, August 23, 2010
New local science vendors!
My Ocan Grove E.S. just sent out a list of new approved vendors, and on it are two I have been hoping for:
1) The Mad Molecule science store here in Aptos, in the Rio Del Mar shopping center (where Safeway is).
2) Science classes at Quail Hollow Ranch! Whoo-hoo!
And speaking of Quail Hollow, I just now realized that they offer FREE field trips, if we schedule them in advance! Check out this brochure for the possibilities--I think this year we are going to have to schedule a few for Vintage Homeschool Adventures. : )
1) The Mad Molecule science store here in Aptos, in the Rio Del Mar shopping center (where Safeway is).
2) Science classes at Quail Hollow Ranch! Whoo-hoo!
And speaking of Quail Hollow, I just now realized that they offer FREE field trips, if we schedule them in advance! Check out this brochure for the possibilities--I think this year we are going to have to schedule a few for Vintage Homeschool Adventures. : )
Sunday, August 22, 2010
EDUCATION DAYS AT SANTA CRUZ COUNTY FAIR
From the Coast & Valley homeschool newsletter:
As homeschoolers, you can get into the fair free on Wednesday, Sep 15 & Thursday, Sep 16th. You have to apply and get special tickets. See http://www.santacruzcountyfair.com/ for general info about the fair. Go to http://santacruzcountyfair.com/pdf/2010/education_dept/app_education_days.pdf to download the application for your tickets.
Be sure to check out the Harvest Building Youth Department and the Livestock area for the many homeschoolers in 4-H that have projects displayed. Many Coast & Valley members also have items in the Crosetti Building (home arts) as well as the Fine Arts building.
As homeschoolers, you can get into the fair free on Wednesday, Sep 15 & Thursday, Sep 16th. You have to apply and get special tickets. See http://www.santacruzcountyfair.com/ for general info about the fair. Go to http://santacruzcountyfair.com/pdf/2010/education_dept/app_education_days.pdf to download the application for your tickets.
Be sure to check out the Harvest Building Youth Department and the Livestock area for the many homeschoolers in 4-H that have projects displayed. Many Coast & Valley members also have items in the Crosetti Building (home arts) as well as the Fine Arts building.
Thursday, August 19, 2010
FYI: Free photos!
Just in case any of you have photos from your summer adventures you would like to develop, or any your kids want to use to "illustrate" a homeschool book, Shutterfly is offering a great deal:
We’ve got 101 great reasons for you to come back to Shutterfly: 101 free 4x6 prints.
You’ve got just ONE MORE WEEK to get them.
Promo code: PTSF822
Offer ends August 22, 2010
From my past experience, you just pay for shipping and tax.
We’ve got 101 great reasons for you to come back to Shutterfly: 101 free 4x6 prints.
You’ve got just ONE MORE WEEK to get them.
Promo code: PTSF822
Offer ends August 22, 2010
From my past experience, you just pay for shipping and tax.
reminder--teacher discount at Palace Arts
From one of the homeschool networks I am on:
Hi everybody,
I just did this for the first time this year, and it was easy! If you go to the register at Palace Arts in Capitola and tell them you're a teacher (they're fine with homeschoolers), they sign you up for a discount card, give you a bag of free goodies, and sell you an enormous quantity of pencils for dirt cheap. And not only are they OK with homeschoolers, but the discount always applies for all teachers, even if they're buying something personal. So no need to feel like you're cheating anyone by buying a gift there as well.
And Ocean Grove moms, I am almost positive Palace Arts is an OG vendor, too!
Hi everybody,
I just did this for the first time this year, and it was easy! If you go to the register at Palace Arts in Capitola and tell them you're a teacher (they're fine with homeschoolers), they sign you up for a discount card, give you a bag of free goodies, and sell you an enormous quantity of pencils for dirt cheap. And not only are they OK with homeschoolers, but the discount always applies for all teachers, even if they're buying something personal. So no need to feel like you're cheating anyone by buying a gift there as well.
And Ocean Grove moms, I am almost positive Palace Arts is an OG vendor, too!
Wednesday, August 18, 2010
book reports??
I am not sure if this is really old school, demanding, or anything you gals might be interested in doing - but I made a short book report page for Asia to complete after reading a book. I think it helps her to think thru some of the details, practice writing, and summarize her thoughts too. Anyhow, here's the page in JPG format! Enjoy! Just double click - and it should bring up a new page to print from. If it doesn't work, please let me know - and I can email you the attachment.
Also, if you have any other ideas for book summaries - I would love to hear/see your ideas!!
And while we are talking about books -- does anyone have some recommendations?? We are always craving new good books! love Ali & clan
Also, if you have any other ideas for book summaries - I would love to hear/see your ideas!!
And while we are talking about books -- does anyone have some recommendations?? We are always craving new good books! love Ali & clan
Eggs recall--FYI
228M eggs recalled following salmonella outbreakBy MARY CLARE JALONICK, Associated Press Writer Mary Clare Jalonick, Associated Press Writer Tue Aug 17, 11:55 pm ET
WASHINGTON – An Iowa egg producer is recalling 228 million eggs after being linked to an outbreak of salmonella poisoning. The federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said eggs from Wright County Egg in Galt, Iowa, were linked to several illnesses in Colorado, California and Minnesota. The CDC said about 200 cases of the strain of salmonella linked to the eggs were reported weekly during June and July, four times the normal number of such occurrences. State health officials say tainted eggs have sickened at least 266 Californians and seven in Minnesota.
The eggs were distributed around the country and packaged under the names Lucerne, Albertson, Mountain Dairy, Ralph's, Boomsma's, Sunshine, Hillandale, Trafficanda, Farm Fresh, Shoreland, Lund, Dutch Farms and Kemp.
The Food and Drug Administration is investigating. In a statement, company officials said the FDA is "on-site to review records and inspect our barns." The officials said they began the recall Aug. 13. The most common symptoms of salmonella are diarrhea, abdominal cramps and fever within eight hours to 72 hours of eating a contaminated product. It can be life-threatening, especially to those with weakened immune systems.
WASHINGTON – An Iowa egg producer is recalling 228 million eggs after being linked to an outbreak of salmonella poisoning. The federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said eggs from Wright County Egg in Galt, Iowa, were linked to several illnesses in Colorado, California and Minnesota. The CDC said about 200 cases of the strain of salmonella linked to the eggs were reported weekly during June and July, four times the normal number of such occurrences. State health officials say tainted eggs have sickened at least 266 Californians and seven in Minnesota.
The eggs were distributed around the country and packaged under the names Lucerne, Albertson, Mountain Dairy, Ralph's, Boomsma's, Sunshine, Hillandale, Trafficanda, Farm Fresh, Shoreland, Lund, Dutch Farms and Kemp.
The Food and Drug Administration is investigating. In a statement, company officials said the FDA is "on-site to review records and inspect our barns." The officials said they began the recall Aug. 13. The most common symptoms of salmonella are diarrhea, abdominal cramps and fever within eight hours to 72 hours of eating a contaminated product. It can be life-threatening, especially to those with weakened immune systems.
Tuesday, August 3, 2010
Act quickly--FREE entrance to the Impressionist Exhibit in SF
Hi everybody: I set up a free fieldtrip to the Impressionists exhibit at the deYoung in San Francisco for next week for Ocean Alternative families, and we still have 4 or 5 tickets available. (I'm waiting to hear on one person's headcount.) If you would like to come, please e-mail me directly. First come, first served. Let me know how many people. Here's the info:
Thursday, August 12
Promptly at 10:30 (if you're not there you don't get in!)
There are oodles of don'ts and don'ts for this exhibit (what you can bring in, wear, etc.) so make sure to look that up if you're going (with us or separately). No backpacks, pencils, food, strollers………………………
Suki
Susana (Suki) Wessling
Blog: sukiwessling.parentclickblogs.com
Suki's Parenting and Education Facebook Page on Facebook
Thursday, August 12
Promptly at 10:30 (if you're not there you don't get in!)
There are oodles of don'ts and don'ts for this exhibit (what you can bring in, wear, etc.) so make sure to look that up if you're going (with us or separately). No backpacks, pencils, food, strollers………………………
Suki
Susana (Suki) Wessling
Blog: sukiwessling.parentclickblogs.com
Suki's Parenting and Education Facebook Page on Facebook
Monday, August 2, 2010
CA Academy of Sciences Homeschool Day!
Join us for the next Homeschool Day!
Wednesday, September 1, 2010
9:30 am - 5:00 pm
Join us on this special day of presentations, demonstrations, and hands-on programs, when we invite homeschooling families to explore the Academy at reduced admission prices.
Download and print the FAQ and Registration Guide, which includes everything you need for planning your experience and reserving a spot for your family.
The information in this packet is also published in the Teachers' Lounge, where you can post comments or questions helpful to anyone in the homeschool community.
Registration by phone begins Tuesday, August 10, 2010.
Don't hesitate to forward this message along to others!
Admission for homeschool families within San Francisco:Two adults and their children aged 4-17 may attend for free.
Admission for homeschool families outside San Francisco:
Two adults and their children aged 4-17 may attend for only $4.95 per person.
Note: Children aged 0-3 always receive free admission to the museum. Tickets for additional adult chaperones may be reserved at general admission prices ($24.95 for adults; $19.95 for college students and seniors).
As always, the price of admission includes access to all of our exhibits!
*Rainforest Dome
*Living Roof
*Kimball Natural History Museum
*Steinhart Aquarium
Program Schedule
Planetarium Shows:
Every hour on the half-hour, visitors will leave our planet to take a Journey to the Stars. Just pick up free passes from the Planetarium kiosk for the show time of your choosing.
Public Presentations:
Watch a penguin feeding, meet our albino alligator, get up close with live raptors, dive into the coral reef, and explore extreme life. Question and answer sessions follow many presentations.
Docent-led Discovery:
Depart on an impromptu tour, touch real specimens, watch as comets and volcanoes are constructed, touch a tidepool creature, and be on the lookout for live animal ambassadors.
Hands-on Programs:
Dissect an owl pellet, build a dollhouse using sustainable design principles, learn about the process of natural selection with real specimens, or challenge yourself with waste and water relays.
At the Naturalist Center:
Receive one-on-one help from Academy naturalists, visit with other families, or attend a Specimen Spotlight talk. Also, come here to collect a prize for completing a scavenger hunt!
Scavenger Hunts:
Print a museum worksheet at home and complete it with your family within the exhibits. See the FAQ for a helpful list, or browse the activity database.
.................................................................
Meet your relatives in Extreme MammalsExhibition ends September 12, 2010, so we scheduled Homeschool Day accordingly!
Featuring spectacular fossils and other specimens from the Museum’s collections, vivid reconstructions, and live animals, this exhibition examines the ancestry and evolution of numerous species, ranging from huge to tiny, from speedy to sloth-like, and displays animals with oversized claws, fangs, snouts, and horns.
Through the use of dynamic media displays, hands-on activities, touchable fossils, taxidermy specimens, and live tree shrews, the exhibition will highlight distinctive mammalian qualities and illuminate the shared ancestry that unites these diverse creatures.
Extreme Mammals is organized by the American Museum of Natural History, New York, in collaboration with the California Academy of Sciences, San Francisco; Canadian Museum of Nature, Ottawa, Canada; and Cleveland Museum of Natural History. Photo: © AMNH/D. Finnin
Visit the exhibit website here.
Sunday, August 1, 2010
another science video
At least this one is explained by the experts. But very cool, and an oddity from right here in our backyard! (Well, globally speaking, that is.)
Science!!! I think.
Just found a cache of fascinating videos, including this one.
Go see it! And if you have any clue what is actually taking place (you know, the whole science part) please do enlighten me with a comment.
Simeon and Caleb, are you up to the challenge? ; )
Go see it! And if you have any clue what is actually taking place (you know, the whole science part) please do enlighten me with a comment.
Simeon and Caleb, are you up to the challenge? ; )
Monday, July 12, 2010
No Old School Monday until Sept!
Hello Moms!
Summer business and travel are upon most of us, so I think we will suspend our official OSM for the rest of the summer. BUT if anyone wants to gather for any other reason, please feel free to suggest something!
AND when we have our first OSM in Sept--on the 27th, by my calendar--we will have a Back to School party, with our "annual" Summer Adventures Show and Tell. So as you have family adventures this summer, keep in the back of your mind how you could get your kids interested in some schoolish way to share it later, like a picture book, a travel journal, a collage, etc. I strongly recommend making writing be a requirement! Each interested family can make a table display. See our last year's write up for ideas.
Have a great summer, everyone!
P.S. I want to talk with all of you more this next fall about making times that are good for everyone. So if you were not able to come with the switch to afternoon, let's talk about that! I care about all of you, and miss those who we have not seen for a while. : )
Summer business and travel are upon most of us, so I think we will suspend our official OSM for the rest of the summer. BUT if anyone wants to gather for any other reason, please feel free to suggest something!
AND when we have our first OSM in Sept--on the 27th, by my calendar--we will have a Back to School party, with our "annual" Summer Adventures Show and Tell. So as you have family adventures this summer, keep in the back of your mind how you could get your kids interested in some schoolish way to share it later, like a picture book, a travel journal, a collage, etc. I strongly recommend making writing be a requirement! Each interested family can make a table display. See our last year's write up for ideas.
Have a great summer, everyone!
P.S. I want to talk with all of you more this next fall about making times that are good for everyone. So if you were not able to come with the switch to afternoon, let's talk about that! I care about all of you, and miss those who we have not seen for a while. : )
Wednesday, July 7, 2010
2010 Monterey Bay Aquarium Home School Days Sign Up OPEN NOW
Hello Moms! As of yesterday, you can sign up for the FREE Monterey Bay Aquarium Home School Days program.We signed up our family and the McNabbs for the Nov 15th slot, just in case any of you want to try for the same day. : )
Thursday, July 1, 2010
Friday, June 25, 2010
Educational Games/Toys Closeout SALE--TOMORROW
As many of you know, the Educational Resource Center is closing at the
end of this month. If you haven't heard, you can read about the
complete details in the right hand column here:
http://www.edcentersantacruz.com/
The good news is that we will be sharing a majority of the lending
library to a new homeschool co-op that is forming on the eastside of
Santa Cruz. It's not going to open until the fall and we are still
working out the details of how it will look, but I am excited to keep
the lending library accessible.
However, their space is smaller, so we are having a toy sale tomorrow--
Saturday, June 26th. Here's the information, please come and buy a few
things to help us pay our rent!
----
Toys for kids 18 months to 12 years old including: board games, puzzles,
building toys, toddler toys, dress up clothes, teacher resource books,
beginning readers, and more
We also have larger items including a train table with trains,
bookshelves, loveseat, Varde base cabinet from IKEA, and industrial wire
shelving from Costco
Educational Resource Center of Santa Cruz
224 Walnut Ave, Santa Cruz
Saturday, June 26, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. (no early birds)
-----
Thanks!
Heddi Craft
end of this month. If you haven't heard, you can read about the
complete details in the right hand column here:
http://www.edcentersantacruz.com/
The good news is that we will be sharing a majority of the lending
library to a new homeschool co-op that is forming on the eastside of
Santa Cruz. It's not going to open until the fall and we are still
working out the details of how it will look, but I am excited to keep
the lending library accessible.
However, their space is smaller, so we are having a toy sale tomorrow--
Saturday, June 26th. Here's the information, please come and buy a few
things to help us pay our rent!
----
Toys for kids 18 months to 12 years old including: board games, puzzles,
building toys, toddler toys, dress up clothes, teacher resource books,
beginning readers, and more
We also have larger items including a train table with trains,
bookshelves, loveseat, Varde base cabinet from IKEA, and industrial wire
shelving from Costco
Educational Resource Center of Santa Cruz
224 Walnut Ave, Santa Cruz
Saturday, June 26, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. (no early birds)
-----
Thanks!
Heddi Craft
Thursday, June 24, 2010
Anyone Up for Camping this Weekend?
A bunch of families from Vintage are camping--they have the sites reserved and there is still PLENTY of room for people to join in the fun. Tomorrow and Sat. nights (sure someone could come for just Sat. night if they wanted), Lake Nacimiento. Email me (or post a comment here--it will come to my inbox) if your family wants to join us!
Old School Monday--NEXT week!
Hello Moms!
Our next OSM is scheduled to happen this next Monday. June 28 at 2:00 p.m. there at Vintage.
We are going to have a patriotic theme, and teach the kids some old-time songs (like "Yankee Doodle Dandy" and "God Bless America") and have some kind of craft--I was thinking making flags to wave at a parade, but have not thought through to the supply aspect and it turns out we are going on the Vintage family camping trip and so I will not have time to spend this weekend figuring out a craft. Anyone want to host this part of our gathering?
Then we will also have a game where kids run and point to states on our map of the U.S. (for the younger) and countries of the world (for the older).
And we will read together some proud-to-be-an-American story.
Please use OSM as a show and tell for any special projects you have completed or are working on! I might do a little plastic lesson for the kids--we shall see. : )
Hope you are all having a great week so far, and hope to see you Monday!
Our next OSM is scheduled to happen this next Monday. June 28 at 2:00 p.m. there at Vintage.
We are going to have a patriotic theme, and teach the kids some old-time songs (like "Yankee Doodle Dandy" and "God Bless America") and have some kind of craft--I was thinking making flags to wave at a parade, but have not thought through to the supply aspect and it turns out we are going on the Vintage family camping trip and so I will not have time to spend this weekend figuring out a craft. Anyone want to host this part of our gathering?
Then we will also have a game where kids run and point to states on our map of the U.S. (for the younger) and countries of the world (for the older).
And we will read together some proud-to-be-an-American story.
Please use OSM as a show and tell for any special projects you have completed or are working on! I might do a little plastic lesson for the kids--we shall see. : )
Hope you are all having a great week so far, and hope to see you Monday!
Monday, June 21, 2010
some neat sites for homeschool
hey friends! I am SO enjoying the internet once again! Here are a bunch of neat sites that would be wonderful if you were to be studying weather, geography, and more!Weather! awesome lesson plans, print outs, links to more info, songs, even lots about clouds, forecasting or meteorology!
This lady (from The Education Cafe) has a long list of links for free lesson plans, print outs and unit studies, if you are into that kind of stuff. I haven't personally checked these out, but they came with great recommendation!
I especially like the National Geographic Xpeditions site!! Everything is geography based, with some science, health and history mixed in there. I also LOVE the link for maps!!
Especially this one :)
If any of you like these links - we can add them to the sidebar, for easier access. If you have other links too = please share! Hope you are enjoying the summer weather!Love Ali Mc
Wednesday, June 16, 2010
*Free online documentaries
Received this suggestion from another homeschool group and thought I'd share..
I know most of the world already has Netflix, but this site has tons of free online documentaries on all kinds of subjects:
http://www.snagfilms.com/films/browse/topic/
It looks like there are a wide range of topics and many interesting and educational films. Not all are appropriate, but they do seem to be fairly clearly labeled with warnings if they have "adult content." As with most of the internet, browsing discretion for kids is advised though.
http://www.snagfilms.com/
It looks like there are a wide range of topics and many interesting and educational films. Not all are appropriate, but they do seem to be fairly clearly labeled with warnings if they have "adult content." As with most of the internet, browsing discretion for kids is advised though.
**We especially enjoyed watching "Sustainable Dave" as he talks about variety of environmental issues, including plastics! My kids were inspired to start assembling their own backpacks for use when on trips whether across country or even when we're just out and about. Our family goal is to completely avoid using plastic water bottles, utensils, etc. I'll post pic's when available :)
FYI-- just checked YouTube and there are *several* short clips of "Sustainable Dave" there as well!
Enjoy!
Monday, June 14, 2010
Plastic in Our World: Day 8
Welcome to our second and final week of our Plastics Unit. This week we will learn about what happens to our plastic when we are done with it. And we will spend a few minutes talking about hands on, practical and positive things we can do to improve our cultural relationship with plastic.
With your kids
1. Watch the short video, The Story of Bottled Water.
2. Talk about the idea of marketing: how companies try to persuade us to buy their products. Then watch these bottled water commercials (here and here) and discuss them as marketing strategies. (If your kids are like mine, they will think the commercials are fantastic. Which makes the discussion all the more interesting!)
If you like, compare those with this commercial, that shows a very different kind of bottled water. Excellent fodder for discussion about luxury versus necessity; wise, just, and compassionate ways to use money; and human rights.
3. Find a couple of magazines and have your kids look through them to see if they can find any bottled water ads. If you can, talk about the imagery, words, implied fears, desires, etc. in the ad. If you don't find any bottled water ads, speculate about why you didn't--what does that tell you about how the bottled water industry sees the audience of that particular magazine?
(My kids looked through Parenting magazine, and did not see any bottled water ads, which suggests moms are wise to those scare tactics by now. ; ) But we did find an ad for a new product--tablets of sugar, artificial color, and artificial flavor that your kid can drop into his/her glass of tap water so that he/she will then want to drink it. We talked about the subtle implications in the ads--that plain old tap water tastes bad, that your kids won't drink water without incentive, that artificial flavored and colored sugar water is just as good for you as plain water--that tried to create a need for their product.
Studying advertizing is always fascinating, and I don't think we can start educating our kids soon enough on the lies culture often tells us--esp. when someone wants something from us.)
Your kids might get really into this whole reading the messages in advertizing game--a fun thing to do when out and about!
With your kids
1. Watch the short video, The Story of Bottled Water.
2. Talk about the idea of marketing: how companies try to persuade us to buy their products. Then watch these bottled water commercials (here and here) and discuss them as marketing strategies. (If your kids are like mine, they will think the commercials are fantastic. Which makes the discussion all the more interesting!)
If you like, compare those with this commercial, that shows a very different kind of bottled water. Excellent fodder for discussion about luxury versus necessity; wise, just, and compassionate ways to use money; and human rights.
3. Find a couple of magazines and have your kids look through them to see if they can find any bottled water ads. If you can, talk about the imagery, words, implied fears, desires, etc. in the ad. If you don't find any bottled water ads, speculate about why you didn't--what does that tell you about how the bottled water industry sees the audience of that particular magazine?
(My kids looked through Parenting magazine, and did not see any bottled water ads, which suggests moms are wise to those scare tactics by now. ; ) But we did find an ad for a new product--tablets of sugar, artificial color, and artificial flavor that your kid can drop into his/her glass of tap water so that he/she will then want to drink it. We talked about the subtle implications in the ads--that plain old tap water tastes bad, that your kids won't drink water without incentive, that artificial flavored and colored sugar water is just as good for you as plain water--that tried to create a need for their product.
Studying advertizing is always fascinating, and I don't think we can start educating our kids soon enough on the lies culture often tells us--esp. when someone wants something from us.)
Your kids might get really into this whole reading the messages in advertizing game--a fun thing to do when out and about!
Quoting The Bard All the Live Long Day
Have you used any of these words recently?
Check out this amazing article for other words Shakespeare "invented" that are still commonly used today--and this article for common phrases.
The whole site looks like an amazing resource for all things Shakespeare.
- bump
- control (as a noun)
- critical
- eventful
- frugal
- hurry
- lonely
- road
Check out this amazing article for other words Shakespeare "invented" that are still commonly used today--and this article for common phrases.
The whole site looks like an amazing resource for all things Shakespeare.
crafty idea for Father's Day
hey friends - we just made an easy-peasy gift for Baba (Dad 爸爸) and it took very little time or money - so I wanted to share. All you need is a frame and some rocks, etc.!! You have to visit our blog though, since all the pictures are there. Hope someone might be inspired to get crafty too. Love you! Ali McNabbhttp://globalgal1040.blogspot.com/2010/06/feeling-crafty-fathers-day-gifts.html
Sunday, June 13, 2010
Week 1 "Growing Greener Challenge": Eliminating Microbeads
For those of you who might like to hear one practical, easy, but important idea for re-thinking plastic use in your home:
Take a look at this article and consider eliminating any products you use that might contain plastic microbeads. These microbeads are so tiny they are even worse for our world than those durn nurdles--the microbeads are ingested by creatures so small that they work their way up the whole food chain. And to make matters more directly harmful to humans, the microbeads even manage to get through municipal water treatment systems--ending up in tap water.
Scary, no?
The good news is that there are plenty of more natural products that can be used instead--this article lists some, and gives resources for further investigation. And if you choose to up the Greenness and try an alternative that comes without a plastic container, you still have options! For example, baking soda is awesome for scouring when cleaning. And you can buy all kinds of beautiful, natural exfoliating facial soap bars online if you can't find them locally.
Anyone up for the challenge? Please post a comment to let us know what products you are using or plan to use instead of microbeads, to encourage others. : )
Take a look at this article and consider eliminating any products you use that might contain plastic microbeads. These microbeads are so tiny they are even worse for our world than those durn nurdles--the microbeads are ingested by creatures so small that they work their way up the whole food chain. And to make matters more directly harmful to humans, the microbeads even manage to get through municipal water treatment systems--ending up in tap water.
Scary, no?
The good news is that there are plenty of more natural products that can be used instead--this article lists some, and gives resources for further investigation. And if you choose to up the Greenness and try an alternative that comes without a plastic container, you still have options! For example, baking soda is awesome for scouring when cleaning. And you can buy all kinds of beautiful, natural exfoliating facial soap bars online if you can't find them locally.
Anyone up for the challenge? Please post a comment to let us know what products you are using or plan to use instead of microbeads, to encourage others. : )
Plastic in Our World: Week 1 Reflection and Action
Here at the end of our first week, let's take a few minutes to reflect upon what we have learned about plastic.
The key ideas for our family were that there are positive and negative things about plastic--plastic itself is not necessarily bad, but it is good for some applications, and not good for others. Also, some characteristics of plastic, like its long life, can be both good and bad. Similarily, all the ways we use plastic are not necessarily bad--but can be wise or unwise.
With your kids
1. Summarize some of the negative qualities and/or applications you have learned about plastic. Older kids can do this in their Plastic Research Journal (see Day 4).
Then summarize some of the positive.
To help brainstorm, use the list at the bottom of this article as a starting point. Or go back to Day 1's observations about how you use plastic in your own home. A couple of the things my family talked about were the ways doctors use plastics to help repair people's bodies--like hearts and joints. And in places in the world where the local water is not safe to drink, plastic bottles or bags of purified water can be a necessity of life (albeit not a permanent solution!).
2. When your one week of plastic collection is up, take the box/bag to the driveway or someplace where you can dump it all out and take a good look at what you have accumulated (don't dump in on grass, as you might lose small pieces). Observe the kinds of plastic your family seems to be using up and throwing out. Consider if these reflect wise or unwise use of plastic. If you determine together that some of your plastic waste is unnecessary, brainstorm alternative solutions.
3. Discuss as a family how you can together make one positive change in how you use plastic, and then start doing it. (See our family's list below, or check out Fake Plastic Fish for LOTS of ideas.)
Be sure to re-bag your Week 1 plastic trash collection--you will want to save it for one more week. But this is the time to start a second collection for Week 2, in a separate bag/box.
The guy who made the documentary "Addicted to Plastic" said it well; let's not demonize plastic, but instead treat it as the amazingly versatile, valuable product that it is. It comes down to being wise in our understanding and use of it. Wise is not making it just to throw away (as in all single-use applications, like disposable dinnerware). And some plastics are not as safe as we would like to think, and should not be used in some of the ways we routinely use them. And if everybody just made one small change in how we use plastic unwisely, it would add up big time.
Thanks for being a part of our first week's study! Please keep coming back for the second week, and lots more info and ideas. : )
The key ideas for our family were that there are positive and negative things about plastic--plastic itself is not necessarily bad, but it is good for some applications, and not good for others. Also, some characteristics of plastic, like its long life, can be both good and bad. Similarily, all the ways we use plastic are not necessarily bad--but can be wise or unwise.
With your kids
1. Summarize some of the negative qualities and/or applications you have learned about plastic. Older kids can do this in their Plastic Research Journal (see Day 4).
Then summarize some of the positive.
To help brainstorm, use the list at the bottom of this article as a starting point. Or go back to Day 1's observations about how you use plastic in your own home. A couple of the things my family talked about were the ways doctors use plastics to help repair people's bodies--like hearts and joints. And in places in the world where the local water is not safe to drink, plastic bottles or bags of purified water can be a necessity of life (albeit not a permanent solution!).
2. When your one week of plastic collection is up, take the box/bag to the driveway or someplace where you can dump it all out and take a good look at what you have accumulated (don't dump in on grass, as you might lose small pieces). Observe the kinds of plastic your family seems to be using up and throwing out. Consider if these reflect wise or unwise use of plastic. If you determine together that some of your plastic waste is unnecessary, brainstorm alternative solutions.
3. Discuss as a family how you can together make one positive change in how you use plastic, and then start doing it. (See our family's list below, or check out Fake Plastic Fish for LOTS of ideas.)
Be sure to re-bag your Week 1 plastic trash collection--you will want to save it for one more week. But this is the time to start a second collection for Week 2, in a separate bag/box.
The guy who made the documentary "Addicted to Plastic" said it well; let's not demonize plastic, but instead treat it as the amazingly versatile, valuable product that it is. It comes down to being wise in our understanding and use of it. Wise is not making it just to throw away (as in all single-use applications, like disposable dinnerware). And some plastics are not as safe as we would like to think, and should not be used in some of the ways we routinely use them. And if everybody just made one small change in how we use plastic unwisely, it would add up big time.
Thanks for being a part of our first week's study! Please keep coming back for the second week, and lots more info and ideas. : )
Website of the day
Watch this free PBS documentary to see how scientists can use all that trash floating in the ocean (bad) to learn more about the ocean's currents (good)!*
Five ways our family is changing our plastic lifestyle, for the better:
--Choosing not to use plastic for storing food, whenever possible.
--Now that it is summer, using fresh tomatoes in all recipes, instead of plastic-lined cans of tomatoes.
--Buying produce at places where we can take our own bags for it, like the farmer's market or places that have bulk food.
--Being very careful when shopping at places that overpackage produce, like Trader Joe's.
--Choosing to go without personal items that come in plastic packaging (like shampoo and facial scrub) whenever possible.
*Thanks for the timely link, Suki! : )
Friday, June 11, 2010
Plastic in Our World: Day 5
Parents, this one is geared for you. With what is going on in the news recently, it seemed like a good opportunity to point out the connection between plastics in our lives and oil in the Gulf. Read the information and links, and share the ideas with your kids as you see fit.
There is one more way in which plastic affects our world and the creatures that live in it:
There is one more way in which plastic affects our world and the creatures that live in it:
Okay, so that is not plastic. But it is natural oil, from which much of the world's plastic is made. It can be found deep under the ground, in enormous deposits. Oil has been an amazing resource for humankind for a long time, and is used for everything from fueling our cars and airplanes to making plastic. But when people dig to get the oil out, sometimes they make mistakes, and oil gets out into the natural world.
This article is one journalist's perspective of what it is like to be in the water with the oil, and helps the reader imagine what it would be like for the animals who live in the water.
This article gives an excellent overview of the details of an oil spill--and is clearly enough written that older (high school) kids will be able to follow it.
This article talks about all the kinds of things we use oil to make--a fascinating list!--and a few of the ways we can be wise about our dependence upon petroleum products.
Thursday, June 10, 2010
Plastics in Our World: Day 4
So, we have learned what happens to plastic trash that finds its way to the ocean. But what happens to the plastic trash that stays on land?
With your kids
1. Start a journal or research folder to record some of the things you are learning about plastics. On one page start a vocabulary list of words you are learning. (For example, the words our family has come up with so far: marine debris, nurdles, gyre, food chain)
2. Add a couple of new words to the list, look them up, and discuss:
biodegrade
outgas
leach
phalates (I suggest you visit this wikipedia link, and jump to the section called "Health Effects--Exposure")
3. Start a science experiment to observe how plastics biodegrade in comparison with organic materials:
--Make a space outside where you can set up some containers. Use whatever you have on hand--yogurt tubs, flower pots, etc. A great way to repurpose some of your unwanted plastic! ; )
--With your kids, select a variety of things natural and plastic to bury in dirt, one item in each pot. You can also bury the items directly into the ground, if you prefer, but be sure to mark what is buried where. Our family buried one plastic candy wrapper, eggshell, a pine cone, a stick, a watermelon rind, a piece of old towel, a piece of paperboard, a fresh tree leaf. (It would be ideal to include a supposedly biodegradable plastic, which I am going to add to our collection when I can.)
--Water your "garden" and then sit back and see what happens! Ideally this project you would keep going all summer--or as long as your kids are still interested. You can dig up the items whenever you and the kids think a reasonable time has passed to see what is going on. Consider with your kids how conditions like dry or wet soil, heat or cold might contribute to the biodegrading.
(If you are composting, an alternate project could be throwing one or two plastic items into the mix for easy comparison.)
For further investigation
Watch Pt. 5 of "Addicted to Plastic" on youtube--let it buffer and then jump ahead to 1:56--and Pt 6.
And then read this article, and be sure to check out the related photo gallery.
Website of the day
Gumdrop Bin (Be sure to have your sound turned on! : )
With your kids
1. Start a journal or research folder to record some of the things you are learning about plastics. On one page start a vocabulary list of words you are learning. (For example, the words our family has come up with so far: marine debris, nurdles, gyre, food chain)
2. Add a couple of new words to the list, look them up, and discuss:
biodegrade
outgas
leach
phalates (I suggest you visit this wikipedia link, and jump to the section called "Health Effects--Exposure")
3. Start a science experiment to observe how plastics biodegrade in comparison with organic materials:
--Make a space outside where you can set up some containers. Use whatever you have on hand--yogurt tubs, flower pots, etc. A great way to repurpose some of your unwanted plastic! ; )
--With your kids, select a variety of things natural and plastic to bury in dirt, one item in each pot. You can also bury the items directly into the ground, if you prefer, but be sure to mark what is buried where. Our family buried one plastic candy wrapper, eggshell, a pine cone, a stick, a watermelon rind, a piece of old towel, a piece of paperboard, a fresh tree leaf. (It would be ideal to include a supposedly biodegradable plastic, which I am going to add to our collection when I can.)
--Water your "garden" and then sit back and see what happens! Ideally this project you would keep going all summer--or as long as your kids are still interested. You can dig up the items whenever you and the kids think a reasonable time has passed to see what is going on. Consider with your kids how conditions like dry or wet soil, heat or cold might contribute to the biodegrading.
(If you are composting, an alternate project could be throwing one or two plastic items into the mix for easy comparison.)
For further investigation
Watch Pt. 5 of "Addicted to Plastic" on youtube--let it buffer and then jump ahead to 1:56--and Pt 6.
And then read this article, and be sure to check out the related photo gallery.
Website of the day
Gumdrop Bin (Be sure to have your sound turned on! : )
Tuesday, June 8, 2010
Plastic in Our World: Day 3
With your kids
1. Review what you learned in Day 2 about the ocean gyres and marine debris.
2. Speculate together what all that plastic in the ocean might be doing to the different kinds of animals that live in the ocean. Then watch this solemn youtube video. It is appropriate for all ages, but I recommend you watch it with your kids, because it is sad. (Can you recognize any of the plastic bits?)
3. Look at the other images below, and talk about them.
Cape fur seal lying on rock, dead of suffocation from a plastic wire wound around its neck, South Africa. Image from Pollution Issues ©Martin Harvey; Gallo Images/Corbis.
The sea turtles often get the plastic bags stuck in their throats and they choke to death.
A turtle named "Mae West" who you can see more of here.
According to its source, "This whale swam into clear plastic sheeting that it could not see in the water - the whale died soon after this picture was taken."
This Cuvier’s beaked whale was recently found dead washed up on a British beach. Its stomach was clogged with plastic bags.
4. Read together this article about the three (mainly plastic) bits of your trash that are most dangerous to wildlife
5. Read together this article about how one woman took what she had learned about plastic and sea life and helped her community find ways to be part of a solution.
1. Review what you learned in Day 2 about the ocean gyres and marine debris.
2. Speculate together what all that plastic in the ocean might be doing to the different kinds of animals that live in the ocean. Then watch this solemn youtube video. It is appropriate for all ages, but I recommend you watch it with your kids, because it is sad. (Can you recognize any of the plastic bits?)
3. Look at the other images below, and talk about them.
Cape fur seal lying on rock, dead of suffocation from a plastic wire wound around its neck, South Africa. Image from Pollution Issues ©Martin Harvey; Gallo Images/Corbis.
The sea turtles often get the plastic bags stuck in their throats and they choke to death.
According to its source, "This whale swam into clear plastic sheeting that it could not see in the water - the whale died soon after this picture was taken."
This Cuvier’s beaked whale was recently found dead washed up on a British beach. Its stomach was clogged with plastic bags.4. Read together this article about the three (mainly plastic) bits of your trash that are most dangerous to wildlife
5. Read together this article about how one woman took what she had learned about plastic and sea life and helped her community find ways to be part of a solution.
It is sad to know this is happening to our world's amazing, wonderful creatures. But it is good that we are learning about the problem now, and can make choices--and encourage others to make choices--that will help make things better for marine animals in the future. What is one specific thing your family can do differently that will help?
If you are interested in learning more
--a great website for research into marine debris.
--more photos and information about this issue of plastics in the ocean
Website of the day: Hawaii: Message in the Waves, the website of a new BBC documentary.
--a great website for research into marine debris.
--more photos and information about this issue of plastics in the ocean
Website of the day: Hawaii: Message in the Waves, the website of a new BBC documentary.
Note from Lisa--Today's lesson was a downer, that's for sure. The truth is often ugly. But we can't hide from it, as we are learning! If this post was too graphic for your taste, don't worry--we are moving on to other aspects of plastics tomorrow, and in upcoming days will discuss the good things about plastic as well as the bad. : )
Plastic in Our World: Day Two
For DAY TWO:
(So sorry this post is coming so late. I was planning out the lessons this morning, and then the day had its way with me! Also, I was going to post this assignment tomorrow, but found out today is World Oceans Day AND No Plastics Day, so switched things around accordingly.)
On your own
1. Visit Fake Plastic Fish, peruse today's entry, and share with your kids what you want. *The art exhibit at the San Francisco Academy of Sciences to which she refers is one of the planned field trips at the end of this plastics unit! Stay tuned for more details.
2. Read about the Ocean Garbage Patches on wikipedia, and this article.
With your kids
3. Introduce the ideas you think are important from what you read.
4. Watch this clip on youtube.
If you want to learn more
--Check out the documentary Addicted to Plastic, parts One and Two on youtube.
Website of the day: Mindfully.org
Loads of helpful and interesting articles in this section on plastics.
(Please remember, I am making these little lessons super easy and accessible so that everyone feels like they can join in and get the basics. Once you get exploring, esp. online, there are loads more things to learn. Please build the fun and educational opportunity by sharing the things you and your family find in the comments section!)
(So sorry this post is coming so late. I was planning out the lessons this morning, and then the day had its way with me! Also, I was going to post this assignment tomorrow, but found out today is World Oceans Day AND No Plastics Day, so switched things around accordingly.)
On your own
1. Visit Fake Plastic Fish, peruse today's entry, and share with your kids what you want. *The art exhibit at the San Francisco Academy of Sciences to which she refers is one of the planned field trips at the end of this plastics unit! Stay tuned for more details.
2. Read about the Ocean Garbage Patches on wikipedia, and this article.
With your kids
3. Introduce the ideas you think are important from what you read.
4. Watch this clip on youtube.
If you want to learn more
--Check out the documentary Addicted to Plastic, parts One and Two on youtube.
Website of the day: Mindfully.org
Loads of helpful and interesting articles in this section on plastics.
(Please remember, I am making these little lessons super easy and accessible so that everyone feels like they can join in and get the basics. Once you get exploring, esp. online, there are loads more things to learn. Please build the fun and educational opportunity by sharing the things you and your family find in the comments section!)
Monday, June 7, 2010
Free DVD from NASA
NASA Science News for June 7, 2010
It's immersive, it's explosive, and best of all it's free. On June 7th, NASA will begin sending complimentary DVDs of the smash-hit planetarium show "Journey to the Stars" to teachers and students around the country. Today's story from Science@NASA reviews the show and tells educators how to request their copies.
FULL STORY at
http://science.nasa.gov/science-news/science-at-nasa/2010/07jun_journeytothestars/
It's immersive, it's explosive, and best of all it's free. On June 7th, NASA will begin sending complimentary DVDs of the smash-hit planetarium show "Journey to the Stars" to teachers and students around the country. Today's story from Science@NASA reviews the show and tells educators how to request their copies.
FULL STORY at
http://science.nasa.gov/
Plastic in Our World: Day One
Thanks for stopping by and checking out this first day of our science unit studying plastic!
I will be keeping each day's assignment short and sweet, and it is up to you parents to decide how much or how little you want to invest in each day's exploration--but might I encourage you to consider comitting to 15 minutes a day for the next two weeks? You can learn a LOT in 15 minutes, and some of what you learn might positively impact your family and your world forever!
For DAY ONE:
With your kids
1. Briefly explain what plastic is. Of course a quick Google search will give you lots of fodder, but those speaking in generalities, the key ideas are that:
--the term plastic means it can be molded
--all plastics are man-made (compare to natural materials)
2. Go on a plastics hunt. If you have several children, have them each pick a different room of the house to explore. They can list or just point for you out all the different objects made of plastic. Talk briefly about how/why plastic is used in some of the examples, esp. compared to natural materials. (For example, is your milk jug plastic? Why or why not? Why might plastic be serving your family well in this example? Is there anything else that could be used to hold your milk? How does it compare to the plastic jug in its service?)
3. Start saving your plastic. Dedicate a big (plastic! ; ) trash bag or box to collecting all the plastic you will throw out this week. Every time you would throw out or recycle a piece of plastic, instead add it to your collection. (I recommend rinsing out sticky food items, so your collection does not get gross!) Collect in the same bag for one week. Then start a new bag/box for week 2. Our family saved our plastic for one month, and it was really eye-opening, so consider doing that. But 2 weeks is still plenty to get you and your family aware of how you use/consume plastic.
Website of the day: Fake Plastic Fish
This is the site from which I got the inspiration and much of my information for this unit--peruse at will!
I will be keeping each day's assignment short and sweet, and it is up to you parents to decide how much or how little you want to invest in each day's exploration--but might I encourage you to consider comitting to 15 minutes a day for the next two weeks? You can learn a LOT in 15 minutes, and some of what you learn might positively impact your family and your world forever!
For DAY ONE:
With your kids
1. Briefly explain what plastic is. Of course a quick Google search will give you lots of fodder, but those speaking in generalities, the key ideas are that:
--the term plastic means it can be molded
--all plastics are man-made (compare to natural materials)
2. Go on a plastics hunt. If you have several children, have them each pick a different room of the house to explore. They can list or just point for you out all the different objects made of plastic. Talk briefly about how/why plastic is used in some of the examples, esp. compared to natural materials. (For example, is your milk jug plastic? Why or why not? Why might plastic be serving your family well in this example? Is there anything else that could be used to hold your milk? How does it compare to the plastic jug in its service?)
3. Start saving your plastic. Dedicate a big (plastic! ; ) trash bag or box to collecting all the plastic you will throw out this week. Every time you would throw out or recycle a piece of plastic, instead add it to your collection. (I recommend rinsing out sticky food items, so your collection does not get gross!) Collect in the same bag for one week. Then start a new bag/box for week 2. Our family saved our plastic for one month, and it was really eye-opening, so consider doing that. But 2 weeks is still plenty to get you and your family aware of how you use/consume plastic.
Website of the day: Fake Plastic Fish
This is the site from which I got the inspiration and much of my information for this unit--peruse at will!
Please join us in studying Plastic in our World!
Hello moms!
Our family has been learning about plastics for over a month now, and it is truly eye-opening and fascinating. So much of what we study and learn in our homeschooling is interesting and useful--but how often does what we learn have impact on our home, our health, and our world? This unit of study has been one of the most important we have done all year.
So, I have decided to create an EASY online unit for anyone interested, to help anyone jump in on the learning! I will make it a two week course, but you can of course delve deeper, or just touch on the basic elements. Each day here on TWIOC I will post one new lesson--expect it to be easy and short and not require special materials.
Our unit will culminate in one--potentially two--field trips, and a student art show!
So please pass the word around, and share the website link with anyone who might be intersted in joining us. This is not just for homeschoolers, of course! With school out for the summer, some public-school parents might be interested in channeling their kids towards something productive for a few minutes each day. : )
Questions? Post them here in the comments.
I hope you all consider joining us!
Lisa C.
P.S. I am not by any means an expert on this subject--so informational comments, resource suggestions, etc. will be more than welcome from any participants!
image from madeinchina.com
Thursday, June 3, 2010
Sharing a book we love
Hi there, just wanted to pass along a recommendation for a book we are really enjoying: TumTum and Nutmeg, Adventures Beyond Nutmouse Hall. Anyone else read this? It was only written last year but seems to have come from a long time ago. Two sweet little anthropomorphized mice who live a grand life in the broom closet of a shabby cottage and secretly care for the cottage's shabby but sweet human children. We haven't finished it yet, so I can't speak for the ending, but so far the girls are begging me to read around the clock and there are some great words and storylines here.
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