Good Morning! I hope the sun is shining in your area this morning! It is here!
It's been a spell, since I was able to sit down and blog, but we're building right now and are planning on moving for July 1st! It's been absolutely crazy with delays because of rain and various other things! Have you ever watched those 'house flips' on t.v.? And the homeowner has to go out of town? We watch and tell each other, 'No way, would we let that happen!'. It really does happen! We finally get a weekend of no rain, only to have to leave, for my mother & father-in law's 50th wedding anniversary! Imagine 50 years...!
Just to say...in addition to neglecting this blog, I've also neglected checking my eMail and have actually put it off! Okay...I'm terrified to check my eMail! So...I don't know when I'll get another chance to share these links to these fabulous websites for History! The first site is about Canada's Unique Social History! This site will provide you with the opportunity to learn about Canada's unique history of social welfare and social work. It contains hundreds of pages of text, 12 audio lectures, as well as videos, and photographs. It's intended for the older high school or Cegep student!
The next site is about the Social History of the Circumpolar North! You'll find you have access to five learning modules! There is something here for every student who's Cegep bound! Information about the Boreal Ecosystem, to Plate Tectonics, to the Weather! If you seriously want to know about the life and times of Canada, this is the site!
What is Intellectual Property? Everyday, one of us are inadvertently stealing 'intellectual property' such as online music and videos, and don't even know it! I don't know about your family, but I have kids who like to create! But are they stealing someone's idea or just expanding on it? Today's sites will help us find out!
A great resource to start with is 'Detective IP'! It's a wonderful learning module that will explain intellectual property! At the end of the module, you'll find not one, but two assessments to ensure your child understands the laws surrounding intellectual property! You'll learn about copyright laws and once you are done with this module, visit the FACE Kids site for a copyright scavenger hunt!
In our home, we're study World History, along with our Canadian and Quebec History curriculum! So I get very excited when I find interactive or module type learning that makes this sometimes 'dull 'subject come alive! This morning, I wanted to share a few sites that I recently discovered that offer videos, images, lesson plans and fantastic interactives for mostly American History!
The first site, that I'm writing about, is about the history of Jamestown in Virginia! Jamestown, which is located on Jamestown Island in the Virginia Colony, was founded on May 13, 1607. It is commonly regarded as the first permanent English settlement in what is now the United States, following several earlier failed attempts! This site will painlessly walk you through the courageous journey of this incredible nation! It's called 'Discovering Jamestown'!
This next site is really exciting! It has everything you could possibly need to teach American History! You'll discover lesson plans, handouts, flash movies, interactive timeline, an online textbook and so very much more! It's all found at 'Digital History'! It's really your 'one stop shop' for American History!
And the last site, is intended for the high school student who is interested in World Cultures, but would be great refresher material for those of us who are a little rusty on our World History! It's called 'World Civilizations'! Some of the links will take you to Washington State University but keep trying! The links that are still active are really worth checking out! Like Ancient Africa and China! Fabulous stuff!
Are you trying to encourage your children to be aware of the world around them? Current events are a fantastic way to explore the world we live in! It encourages us to visit the countries and its peoples where these events are occurring. One of our family's favorite pastimes is discussing news events and checking the map to see where it happened or is happening!
A great site for current events, or past events as the site hasn't been updated for some time, is Literacy Works. They have a lively collection of online interactive lessons using past CNN news stories, that have been edited for students in Grades 6-12. The interactive lessons, for each news story, includes curriculum exercises that test the comprehension of the reported current events! You can choose to read the text, listen to the text, or view a short video clip of the story. Each module is designed for ease of use so the learner can use it independently.
Have you ever watched the 'Biography Channel' from A & E ? Did you know they have a 'Bio Classroom'? It's full of lessons and activities to accompany past shows! Many created just for kids! And if your kids like watching Nickelodeon, don't miss Nick News with Linda Ellerbee and Maniac Magee ! Afterwards, you can visit Nickelodeon's Teacher site for lessons and activities to encourage further comprehension!
Finally...I found an online resource for Canadian History that looks fun to use! And it's FREE! It's theHistorical Atlas of Canada! Originally, the project published three volumes, in French and English, which explored major themes and episodes in the history of Canada by using maps, text and graphics.
Now, the Online Learning Project makes many of the maps and much of the research data created for the Atlas available for FREE online. The interactive mapping lets one actively explore the data and themes presented. And the Map Tours help users navigate a number of these themes easily and effectively. Unfortunately, it's only available in English, but the maps would be of benefit anyway!
Looking at artistic voices represented across Canada, it becomes clear that our identity - who and what we are as individuals, communities, regions, and a country - can never be told in just one story. The cultures, histories, and relationships among Canadian communities have always been changing. The art that has come out of this ever-changing reality are all pieces of a broader dialogue, offering glimpses of the possibilities for many different identities. In Telling Stories: Narratives of Nationhood, a diversity of art by Canadian artists is the medium for the exploration of Canadian history and heritage, identity, culture, geography, and politics.
L'étude des voix artistiques qui se font entendre au Canada montre bien une chose : il n'y a pas une seule façon de présenter notre identité, c'est-à-dire qui nous sommes et ce que nous sommes comme individus, collectivités, régions et pays. Les cultures, les récits et les relations entre les collectivités canadiennes changent continuellement. Les œuvres d'art qui émanent de cette réalité changeante sont autant de phrases d'un dialogue plus grand, dont chacune dit un tout petit peu sur la possibilité de nombreuses identités différentes. C'est pourquoi Raconteurs d'histoires : Récits d'une nation réunit des œuvres diverses d'artistes canadiens pour explorer l'histoire et le patrimoine, l'identité, la culture, la géographie et la politique du Canada.
What is History Tellers? Fun! Canadian History has never been 'told' so well! Thanks to Kim, a member of our 'never dull' homeschool eGroup , for alerting us to this fabulous teaching aid!
Sounds Like Canada introduction...'How do you condense hundreds of years of Canadian history into 90 seconds? Deborah Kobza of Red Deer, Alberta has developed her own Cole's Notes version of Canada's past as part of History Tellers. She created History Tellers to try and get students more interested in the topic, after being bored by her own Canadian history lessons as a student.'
Starts with 48 Key people, places and events, which are used to accomplish a simplified overview.
All of the 48 events are designed to incorporate multi-sensory & multiple intelligence learning styles. The uniqueness of History Tellers is that it combines them all together. "History Tellers" will be a leader in this unique method of teaching and learning.
a multi-sensory and highly interactive learning method
a teachers' resource
a resource for the challenged or the gifted student
anyone's resource for a simplified overview of Canadian history
Kobza's dream is being realized as students of all learning abilities and ages are becoming confident Canadian "History Tellers " ! Come and explore this multi-sensory, highly interactive and dramatic teaching method for Canadian history, where.... NO ONE IS LEFT OUT OR LEFT BEHIND!
Of all the holidays that we have on the calendar, Easter has got to be the most symbolic and meaningful, event of the year. Here in Quebec, we have the choice of providing instruction for religion or morals, although, I think that both walk hand-in-hand! Holy week is celebrated by most Catholics, whether you are a practicing Catholic, or not!
Have you ever heard of Chalk Sunday? This day is celebrated on the first Sunday of Lent. Unmarried people are marked with chalk as they enter the church. Traditionally, Catholics were not allowed to marry during Lent, so they had to wait until after Easter. Marking them with chalk is a way of teasing them for not being married. Which makes you wonder... how's chalk made? Make your own sidewalk chalk with this recipe! Have you ever heard of the story about the Atheist and the dropped chalk?
I really enjoyed reading this next [pdf] simply called, 'Easter Egg', describing the history of the egg and its symbolic meaning! And why we decorate eggs! If you are looking for great book titles, songs, math activities, arts and crafts, check out this site! Every culture has a different tradition when it comes to the reasons they decorate eggs. Did you know that the Japanese decorate the eggs like children? The Ukrainian'spysanka and Russian eggs like jewels! A great site for decorating eggs is 'Decorate Easter Eggs with Nana'!
I don't think that our homes are all that different from each other...our teens are always online! In our home, we have a designated computer room, where all of the homes computers are set-up! That's right, computers don't belong in the bedrooms! No cyber creep is going to steal them away from us! What worries me...when it's free time all you see are three forms clacking away! That's all they want to do, so let's make sure they are safe! I received this in my inbox from FRONTLINE and had to share! It's called "Growing Up Online". You'll find a video to view together and lesson plans for directed conversations to help you deal with this very serious issue!
In "Growing Up Online," FRONTLINE peers inside the world of this cyber-savvy generation through the eyes of teens and their parents, who often find themselves on opposite sides of a new digital divide. A generation with a radically different notion of privacy and personal space, today's adolescents are grappling with issues their parents never had to deal with: from cyber bullying to instant "Internet fame," to the specter of online sexual predators.
FRONTLINE has developed downloadable viewing guides for parents and teachers that include a seven-part discussion question section, lesson plans for the classroom, resources for building parent-teen online engagement, and a quiz -- "What Kind of Cyber Guide are You?" -- that explores parents' media management styles.
FRONTLINE is produced by WGBH Boston and is broadcast nationwide on PBS. Funding for FRONTLINE is provided through the support of PBS viewers. FRONTLINE is closed-captioned for deaf and hard-of-hearing viewers. FRONTLINE is a registered trademark of WGBH Educational Foundation. The executive producer for FRONTLINE is David Fanning.
Don't you just love Saint Patrick's Day? Everyone's so jovial and dancing around with air in their step! In the past, Saint Patrick's Day was a day to don green and talk with an Irish lilt! Now it means spring! Living in Quebec, with her exceptionally long winters, has taught me to look for the signs of spring! With 2 to 3 meter high snow banks in the yard, it's hard to believe it'll ever arrive, but then the rich, beautiful sounds of Irish music fills the air...
The Leprechauns of Ireland
Bring this special gift your way
Its full of their shenanigans
On this St. Patrick's Day.
And along with all their mischief
From this grumpy little group
Comes a little something special
A bag of Shamrock Poop! ~ Irish Crafts & Blessings
I've thrown in a few links here and there for the kids, and you can visit last year's post for more goodies, but this year I wanted to explore Ireland! Lord willing, I will get there one day and I can hardly wait! The beauty of Ireland is breathtaking, with her incredible shorelines, stunning castles and lush country side! As for the history and culture?! Amazing! Vikings, royalty, and religion dominate this island's past!
May there always be work for your hands to do;
May your purse always hold a coin or two;
May the sun always shine on your windowpane;
May a rainbow be certain to follow each rain;
May the hand of a friend always be near you;
May God fill your heart with gladness to cheer you ~ Irish Crafts & Blessings
Do you like folklore? How about Leprechauns? Animal myths and legends? If so, Ireland has much for you to discover at Folklore! The Irish are known for their limericks and poetry, so I've found a few sites guaranteed to make your words rhyme! You'll love this poetry unit, here!
Of course, we can't forget the influence of the Irish on North America! It's amazing all the famous people who've made a mark in American and Canadian history! Like Andrew Jackson, Presidents Kennedy and Regan, and Daniel Boone! Learn about the Irish Potato Famine called the 'Forces of Hope'!
Good Afternoon! We recently started discussing Canadian Law in our home, (I'm courageously homeschooling 3 teens!), and a real debate has been raging ever since. To start at the beginning... We were discussing identity theft and the subsequent fraud that occurs afterwards. We were all able to agree, that it is 2 crimes that have been committed, but our question was this...
"It's your first offence: you committed identity theft/fraud; your sentence - probation. would you have a resulting criminal record after serving your probation period?"
I put this question to our eGroup, and here's their responses...
'Anything aside from misdemeanors (speeding and parking tickets, drinking in
public, style of things) anything that you are convicted of creates a
criminal record. A record, as it were, of the charges and court's findings.
Charges alone are recorded, but not disclosure on a criminal record or
background check.
Felony is 'can't be pardoned for a long time' whereas lesser convictions can
be pardoned almost immediately. So, yes, definitely a criminal record,
whether or not it could be struck from the record simply and quickly is a
question.' -- Linda
'I'm not sure what it's called, but there's a kind of sentence
(conditional?) where if you meet the conditions all the way through,
you end up with no record.' -- Tia
'From what I understand, if you are over 18, yes you would have a
criminal record. After 3 years from the end of the probation, you
could go through the process to get a pardon and have your criminal
record erased.
If you are under 18, you also have a criminal record, until you reach
the age of majority (18) and then it is sealed and you start your
adult life without a criminal record.
Source: a friend with a criminal record, for a minor offense and
sentenced to probation..
Criminal records can hinder job searches, vacations (you may not be
allowed into the United States) and applications for credit. '-- Sarah
What do you think? Do you agree? Let me know! If you and your kids are interested in Canadian Law and its many faucets, check out these resources available online:
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Studentawards.com – Visit Canada’s largest free scholarship search site – we match Canadian students directly with thousands of scholarships, awards and bursaries.
Boursetudes.com.com – Visitez boursetudes.com, le principal service de recherche de bourses gratuit au Canada – nous trouvons des milliers de bourses d’études, subventions et prix s’adressant aux étudiants canadiens.
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Welcome to Homeschool Nations - Quebec, Canada! Your page for information and links to help you navigate the world of homeschooling! Serving both the French and English Homeschooling Communities in the Region of Quebec!
Bienvenue aux Nations de Homeschool - Québec, Canada! Votre page pour information et les liens pour vous aider à diriger le monde de l'ecole a la maison! En service pour Familles Francophones de Homeschooling et Anglophones dans la région de Québec!
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