My oldest son, Chad, decided he wanted to see how much salt was in sea water. What is cool about this is that Chad has never been too interested in science - he's a history/music guy. So, of course, I took him down to the beach and let him brave the wind and rain to gather two gallons of sea water. One thing I love about Oregon beaches is how desolate they are on days like that. It was just Chad down by the water with nothing but the shipwrecked Peter Iredale (the iron remains of a ship that ran aground about 100 years ago) for company. Of course, as soon as he left the car, my Prius decided to flash an unfamiliar warning light at me. While he was enjoying the surf, I was frantically thumbing through my owner's manual, trying to decipher this strange symbol lit up on my dashboard. The bad thing about Oregon beaches on days like this is that they are desolate - just me and my Prius and possibly in need of a tow home. Todd was at home asleep (he had to work later) and the younger two were home but they would be of little use. I did have my cell phone but, fortunately, I figured out what that dang light meant. I had put my cell phone on the car charger for the first time and this light was to politely tell me that my phone was fully charged. AS IF I NEEDED TO BE TOLD! The symbol was of a key with an exclamation point through it. I ask you, does that mean "cell phone fully charged" to you? And the owner's manual showed the symbol but conveniently forgot to say what it meant. I discovered on my own by unplugging the cell phone charger, thinking that it might have something to do with the light. It's a good thing I have a few wits about me. Anyway ... We got home with the water but waited until the following day to start boiling. We were thinking it would take all day. We have been discussing Lewis & Clark for the last month or so, since we just went through some of the places that they traveled. And the Salt Works where the Corps of Discovery made their salt during their winter stay here on the coast is down south of us in Seaside, about 17 miles away. We have visited this place in Seaside and during the summer, there is a Salt Work reinactment down on the beach where the actors immerse themselves in the roles of the Corps. If you ask them about anything modern, they don't understand but they'll tell you all about the Lewis & Clark expedition and the making of salt from sea water. So, now, Chad wanted to make his own salt. It actually didn't take that long. We got it boiling pretty good and after about 45 minutes, salt started boiling over onto the stove top. I think it took about an hour for the water to boil away. Chad ended up with nearly a cup of salt. It was pretty amazing to me. He spread the salt out on a cookie sheet to let it dry out thoroughly. We are not going to consume this salt as it has a lot of impurities in it but the boys will be using it for further science experiments. I think they want to figure out some kind of fuel source involving salt, something like that. So I think the experiment was a success. Chad enjoyed the process and we all learned something. Fortunately, we don't need this salt to season rotting elk meat, as I believe that was the reason Lewis & Clark needed their men to make salt. The next time you use your salt shaker, be thankful you don't have to work too hard for it. I know I am.

My New Little Guy
I'm In Love Little Samuel

Isn't he the CUTEST?!

©AmandaDixon2009

Recently I was provided a CD-Rom from AHEF for review purposes. I did not receive any monetary compensation in exchange for providing my honest review, and the opinions expressed represent my own and my family's experiences with this product. To read more about this product and many more exciting homeschooling products, please visit the Homeschool Crew web page.


At first, I was not quite sure how to approach this product. After all, this non-profit educational foundation writes history curricula for public schools. So, first how was I going to adapt curricula which is written for a public school classroom to work with my own 8th grader, 5th grader, and 2nd graders while still using my own perfectly good homeschool history curriculum? Second, was it really worth that effort? What were this company's foundational principles--their philosophical bias, if you will? Was that really going to be compatible with my own? Initially, I had my doubts.

So, just what was this company's mission? I found this right on the AHEF home page:

AHEF is a non-profit, non-partisan educational foundation dedicated to the understanding and teaching of America's factual and philosophical heritage to promote constructive citizenship and Freedom, Unity, Progress, and Responsibility among our students and citizens.

AHEF accomplishes this patriotic mission by writing, producing, and distributing FREE K-12 lesson plans to teachers, students, and families in all 50 states and through additional initiatives, programs, and partnerships.

Right below this company's mission I found this quote:

"Effective, cohesive, and positive self-government in a free democratic republic such as America requires an informed and educated citizenry for the survival of our participatory democracy. ...We are in danger of forgetting this lesson." "...[A] nation that does not know why it exists, or what it stands for, cannot be expected to long endure."
--Dr. Bruce Cole, President, American Revolution Center
Former Chairman, National Endowment for the Humanities

Well, I really like this statement. I agree with it. I want my children to know the foundations upon which our government was founded--principles of Freedom. Unity. Progress. Responsibility. I read further on AHEF's "The Problem" page. As they assert, these themes are founded in not only our Judeo-Christian and Western Civilization heritage, but also in our Declaration of Independence, our Constitution and other founding documents of our nation's history. You can read more here about this company's desire to prevent the further erosion of our country's values and freedoms.

So, how do I feel about this curriculum now? In short,  I want my children to learn the principles upon which our nation was founded and this organization provides some educational activities to meet some of these same goals which our family already supports. Therefore, I decided I would just use some portions of this supplementary curriculum as a supplement to our history studies.

My children and I have engaged in some of the learning activities included in the Colonial America section--including reading and discussing the principles upon which America was founded and some great information about our Founders, playing the Independence game (which we had attempted somewhat unsuccessfully to adapt for a smaller group), reading a radio script ("We Got to Get Independence!"), and studying the Declaration of Independence, answering some questions about it and completing a crossword puzzle. We have only progressed about a third of our way through this curriculum, simply using it to supplement our other history studies. Other topics (usually assigned a "month" in which to study and tying back into those main key character themes I mentioned earlier: unity, freedom, responsibility and progress) I might use later in the year. Clearly not a complete curriculum and probably not as good a choice as our regular history curriculum's activities, but perhaps suitable for history supplementation for many families.

Sections included on the FREE CD-Rom include Elementary, Middle, High School, and an Elementary Spanish edition. The Elementary and Middle School lesson plans include 182-184 pages of lessons, worksheets, activities, crossword puzzles and even coloring pages. The lessons--although devoid of Christian content, being crafted for the public schools--are still adaptable for use by Christian families. These lessons, though needing some adaptation in many cases for the homeschool setting, contain some good information and extra activities you may wish to use to supplement your schoolwork. Many homeschools may benefit from the FREE download of this material. If you do not have high speed internet, you may also order a free CD-Rom from AHEF.  

I am so excited and very proud to say I am now officially the oldest of 9 children! :) Samuel Ira was born today! We are 20 years and 12 days apart.  He is just precious and sweet! A true gift from God! I'm tickled there is another newborn in the house! :D Altho... there are so many people to share him with. LOL! Trying to snatch him anytime I can! ;) Will get some more up about him and pictures soon! :D I am just soo happy he's here!
I am so blessed by God to have another sibling to love, to watch grow up and to TRY to be an example of how to live as our Messiah did!
Thank you God for the blessing of this precious babe! Such an awesome Shabbat this has been!

©AmandaDixon2009

 

Kaira was a very excited princess when the big day finally arrived.  We were were joined by Lady Beverly, Sir Richard, the Bowman James, Lady Lorelle, the beautiful princess Kaitlyn, and the delightful jester Sirhc!  The games were underway when the Royal executioner showed up, escorting a servant girl he had found fleeing the Manor of Lord S and Lady K. 

The servant girl threw herself to the ground and begged the princess for mercy, and the executioner inquired what should be done with the servant, who was no doubt an accomplice in helping the Lord and Lady escape.  Kaira looked upon the groveling servant girl in mercy and answered the executioner emphatically, "Let her have fun!" 

And so, have fun we did.  The games included a quest for the grail, tests of archery, musical chairs, and tiara and shield making.  James the Bowman provided a demonstration of his skill, putting arrows through our bales with such force that we found broken shafts the next day!  The Lady Lorelle even brought along her pet draglet, whom Kaira took to immediately. 

Kaira's cousins attempted to present her with her very own prince, (who had journeyed all the way from Prague) but alas, her mischievous cousin, the wee jester Sirhc had enchanted the poor fellow and turned the Prague Prince into a Frog Prince.  The counter enchantment required she recite "Prairie Frog Fairy Prince" seven times in succession before kissing him three times.  (Seven plus three adding up to ten--her age, of course!)  Poor Kaira failed to recite it properly each time, and he remained amphibious.  Fortunately the fellow seems content to remain a pet.  (She's too young for a real prince anyway, so I'm secretly relieved.)

"Kenneth O'Laughlan" read the Fools Prayer, and the wee jester Sirhc did a Sirhcus act for us!  We feasted on shish kabob and raspberry cream filled cake. 

I should have required a few guests stand still for a quick photo op.  I didn't manage to capture my niece and nephew's beautiful costumes as fully as I'd like, and somehow the Lady Beverly managed to avoid the camera lens.  I also neglected to capture my own wee knights, Sir Keegan and Sir Kieran before they shed their armor.  (And, I was behind the camera instead of in front of it.  Which is all very good and well.)

A good time was had by all!  Huzzah!