Jun. 3, 2009 - Education Facts & Homeschool Report
Here is a "report" I print and pass out at our end of school party (which is mostly attended by my family...) I just thought it might be fun to read, but I can't figure out how to get the double spacing that I used in Word to show up on my post, so it all runs together. Sorry! If you suffer through reading it More Power to YOU! Education Facts & Homeschool Report for Huff’s Home Life Academy 2008-2009 Funding for public school comes from City taxes and Property taxes. Where does this funding get our nation in educational terms? "We're No. 1" honors go to Finland, Japan and Korea. Finland, Japan and Korea were the top finishers in a study that measured 265,000 15-year-olds' literacy in reading, mathematics and science. U.S. students finished 15th in reading, 19th in math and 14th in science - and in a study that only ranked 31 nations. Smartest State? TN ranks 30th among the 50 states, with Vermont being the smartest at #1. In 2008-2009 school year, Crossville public schools spent on average $4,316 per student. The average school expenditure in the U.S. is $6,058. Vermont spends in the $7-8,000 range. Funding for homeschooling comes from the parent’s paycheck (after they pay the taxes that pay for public school student’s education). If we spent what Crossville spends per student ($4,316 x 4 = $17,264) imagine what I could do! This figure doesn’t even include the fact that I teach two preschoolers, buy books and other educational supplies for them! What we spent last year on our homeschooling: (not including preschoolers) $442 Math (text books can be re-used year to year by other students) $160 Literature, History, Geography, Science (videos and text books can be reused) $1200 Field Trips: (one week in Colonial Williamsburg, groups and socialization ;o) $28 Vocabulary, Spelling $650 Spanish Curriculum (can be used with multiple students, forever, a one time expense) $150 Filing and Registration compliance with laws $220 Renting Educational materials & (25) Out of County (Knoxville) library card $200 supplies such as ink for printer, paper, notebooks, pencils, erasers, binders… This comes to about $762.50 per student for 2008-2009. (You could say that homeschoolers get a private education for less than the cost of a public school education couldn’t you? I penny pinched, scrimped, sold stuff, and heavily utilized the Crossville and Knoxville libraries to keep my expenses this low. (Basically a lot of extra work for the teacher (me), resulting in less time for teacher to student hands on learning time.) By the way, if you transported books back and forth to Knoxville library for me last year THANKS! Projected expense for 2009-2010 $ 250 Math (need higher ed. books, Calculus, Trigonometry) $1050 Literature, History, Geography, Science, Biology, Ecology $150 Filing and Registration $300 Textiles and Clothing (high school elective for Macey) $1000 Field Trip $500 Senior Year Expenses, testing, diploma, etc. $400 Music Related Expenses $200 supplies such as ink for printer, paper, notebooks, pencils, erasers, binders… $XXX ***wish list A new Computer, if things go well This would come to $962.50 per student this year (again, not including preschoolers). This is a “projected expense” in other words, the money has not been spent, but this is what I (the teacher) would like to have to spend on homeschooling this year. This is the basics of what I feel I will need to get by this year, with the only “frills” being the Field Trips. Field trips are not only for education and socialization, but also a time when we reconnect and talk about “big” topics, such as “what am I going to do with the rest of my life???” and “what are my goals for my future?” So, I could easily spend $1500 per student this year or more, but I do try to keep my projected expense in the realm of possibility based on what we are likely to have access to, financially. I am praying that this year money will appear and we will be able to go above the standard of what we have done previously and include a few more fun/educational items to the school day. Just an extra little bit of information here, just for kicks… Things I did this year to soften the financial blow: used the library as much as possible, purchased literature from The Book Cellar and other used bookstores, used an online resource called Paperback Swap, wrote product reviews for The Old Schoolhouse Magazine, sold/swapped used curriculum, purchased in bulk, made up my own lesson plans/curriculum for many subjects. School can be comprised of many things. Learning about food safety, nutrition, shopping and meal planning is considered home economics! Gardening is considered agriculture. Raising and breeding animals is educational. When educating teachers must think outside of the box, hands-on learning leaves more of a lasting impression than workbooks. Being creative is the key! Always finding a way to teach while we work makes learning natural. Field trips we have taken include many museums, studios, farms, tours and other places to see first hand “how it works” or “how it’s made.” Sometimes it’s been so much fun that “we” didn’t even realize we were in school… As for progress towards The Big Goal…graduation…Macey has earned all but 6 of her high school credits and that with a 4.0. If she continues and works this summer, she can graduate in December (that would be ½ year early)! Benton and Ivy are both a little behind in Math, so they will be having summer school, but they are also taking advanced classes like first year Spanish and typing. Since I hate to leave Haley out, she will be summer schooling too! Haley has tested out of some math levels. She is actually a year ahead of schedule and will be earning high school credits again this year. It is possible that Haley could graduate a year early, easily, and if she applies herself, she could possibly graduate even earlier. The requirement for a legal day of school is four hours, which we always surpass. It is mandatory for children to attend school for a minimum of 180 days per year. As of today, this year’s school end, the children have attended for approximately 198 days. This is even with our sporadic and often spontaneous schedule! As always, I would like to stick to a schedule, but it doesn’t always work out that way. Our plan for 2009-2010 (including summer school) is as follows: Monday School Tuesday School Wednesday Off/sometimes/Teachers In Service Day (Mimi) Thursday Off/Teacher’s In Service Day (see below) (Nana) Friday School Saturday School Sunday Off for Church/Family On school days the children will be completing formal lessons from 9:30-12:30 and finishing up from 1:30-3:30. During these hours the children will have assignments to complete as well as lecture/instruction, hands-on, etc. Occasionally, the children will need extra time during their day to complete assignments; they have quiet time and free time for this. Classes for Macey this year are as follows: English IV, Calculus, Church History, Ecology or Biology II, Textiles & Clothing, Interpersonal Communication, Family Dynamics, Visual Arts, Adult Living (6 credits) Macey will continue to study Spanish, although she has already earned the maximum credits allowed. Classes for Haley this year are as follows: English II, Literature, Algebra, Spanish II, Physical Education, Music, History, Church History, Economics, and Journalism, SAT/ACT prep class. Ben and Ivy will be continuing in Math, English/Language Arts, Literature, History/Geography, Church History, Vocabulary, Spelling, Art/Music, Computer skills and typing, and Spanish. Harmon and Shawna both have short pre-school lessons daily, either taught by the older children or myself. They both enjoy having books read to them, singing Bible songs, learning Nursery Rhymes, colors and doing their Five in a Row lessons! So, if you are hanging out with them, offer to read them a book or teach them a new song! Things I would like to do during Teacher’s In Service days this year (a new thing I am implementing) include, staying on top of grading papers, planning lessons, reserving/picking up books from the libraries, etc. Since the children usually spend at least one day per week away from home with either Mimi or Nana, I would like to start using that day as a Teacher’s In Service Day. By having one day alone (with just Shawna) at home at least every other week, I would be able to be a better teacher. Being a teacher requires a lot of work, but teaching 4-6 children on different grade levels requires even more work and planning ahead, something I didn’t always get to do this year. The children enjoyed the end of unit celebrations this year and we plan to continue them again for the upcoming school year. Because they do not go to a public school I do not often get to brag about their accomplishments, show off their grade cards, etc. Having end of unit celebrations gives us a chance to show what we are studying and have a good time at the same time. We hope you will continue to be a part of the journey…
Jan. 20, 2009 - Tapestry of Grace
This week we are gearing up for our Renaissance and Reformation Night to celebrate the end of Unit 2 of Year 2 Tapestry of Grace. I have learned SO much this year. How I wish I had heard of Tapestry a long time ago!
Some of the things we are planning to do on R&R Night:
- Sing a Martin Luther Hymn
- Feast on Renaissance Food...think Leonardo's Soup, Crusty Rolls, Aztec Hot Chocolate, Salai's Cookies....
- Do a Renaissance dance, to Renaissance music...think of the dance in A Knights Tale
- Show off our maps, reports, display boards and art work
- Have fun and be together!
I have truly enjoyed this unit and am so excited about the upcoming unit on the New World, Captain John Smith and a well known Native American Gal...
A friend recently asked me a million questions about Tapestry...Here are a few answers I would like to share with everyone.
First of all, I have to say that I LOVE Tapestry of Grace, ok, now that I have that out of the way...
- My children LOVE TOG
- It is very challenging, but the beauty of it is you can do as many or as few of the assignments as you want! It's up to you!
- It CAN be overwhelming...the first 3-4 weeks are the hardest. Once you have looked over the materials and decided what you want to do and just finally dive in ready or not, and start doing it you will feel better. The key is to Just Do It.... don't be intimidated by all the materials. Just start with one or two things the first week and add a couple of assignments each week until you are doing as much as you want...
- Prep work. Yes. There is prep work. But the time spent doing it is worth it. Right now here is what I do. On Monday I read "next week's lesson plan" (about 5 pages), I look up and reserve books online via library website. On Thursday I go to the library and pick up books, then that same afternoon, I write out the assignment charts, what pages are to be read, etc. Simple. On Monday we go over the new assignment chart for that week.
- The Plan I follow is Monday and Tuesday are heavy reading days. Wednesday is a map making day, vocabulary words and timelines. We take off Thursday from school for our Nana. Friday we finish up any reading assignments, have discussions, look at writing projects and work on those, getting the final drafts ready. Saturday is the Hands On day... we do all the craft work, art assignments, field trips, etc. on that day. It gives us something to look forward to.
- Getting the books. At the beginning of the unit, I purchase maybe 2-5 books, only the ones that will be used for the entire unit. I maybe spend $25 at Alibris or something like that (used.) The rest I find at the library. I live in a small town, so this is my thorn in the flesh, our library has very little to choose from, but I usually find what I am looking for. I also travel about 45 minutes to a different library and get books there. I never suffer for the lack of books :o)
- I would highly recommend the MapAids CD...it is essential if you want to do the geography assignments. And I would really like to do the overlay style next year, but this year we are just using paper to print them on.
- I like the writing assignments but I honestly haven't been doing them this year, because of the new baby, but definitely worth doing.
- I have the "Classic" version of Year 2 and I like it right well. I am searching for the redesigned version of Year 1 and Year 3. Now they are selling it Digitally, something I have not wrapped my mind around yet.
- The books are engaging and we all (my husband included) love to be together to read some of them aloud. However, when we can not do the read alouds, I'm ok with that, too. I just read the "teachers notes" and I'm fine.
- I like that I can be very involved or only a little involved. It is flexible. I can be flexible. I like that.
- The cost of the actual curriculum is worth every penny...even when you are pinching them :o)
- Oh, and I like that you can teach four levels (lower grammar, upper grammar, junior high, and high school) out of the same book and they are each challenged to their level. Not like some when you have to choose assignments that are below some children's level and above others. I have a 17, 13, 11, 9 all doing the same curriculum...now how's that for saving money? We do get different library books, but that is ok.
- AND you can use the same four years, over and over because after four years your child will be moving into the next level. For example Child A is doing Lower Grammar for Year 1 in 2009, so in 2012 they will be in Upper Grammar for Year 1 which is all new assignments, but out of the same curriculum. Hard to grasp, but it's true. You could actually purchase Four Years curriculum and use it for your entire schooling K-12 for every child....
Ok, maybe more later...I do recommend it, but if you are an All or Nothing type (like me) just tell yourself that you do NOT have to complete every assignment available. (Even the designer admits you couldn't do them all.) Hope this helps someone!
Dec. 30, 2008 - Updates
Wow! I can't believe how long it has been since I updated this blog. The library has taken a great stance in the homeschool situation and allowed homeschool teachers to hold a Teacher Library card. This is a great step in the right direction for our town... Whether or not a homeschool teacher has a certificate or degree, which some of us do, should not impact this decision. We check out around100 books per week from the libraries, some we need to keep for several weeks, some we only keep out for one week. Having a teacher card really cuts down on the numerous trips to the library as well as worrying about renewing books repeatedly when we are using them for a unit study. THANKS to our wonderful library staff!!!!
Things are going great with our second unit of Tapestry of Grace Year 2. We LOVE this curriculum. I don't know who enjoys reading the books and doing the maps more, the children or myself! We are also using Math U See for the first time this year and LOVE it as well. This has most definitely been our best year of homeschooling yet! I was thrilled when my husband bought us the RosettaStone Spanish levels 1,2,&3 homeschool edition! We are all enjoying the lessons and looking for local friends who speak Spanish so we can become friends and PRACTICE! Right now we are even preparing and planning for our next Unit End Celebration which will be the R & R Night, Renaissance and Reformation Night. I have finished two costumes and still have to make at least two more...
God has blessed us with a church we all dearly love. It has been so wonderful to finally be going to church again. Although, I did enjoy homechurch, going to church and worshipping there has also been nice for a change. We still continue to listen to "extra" sermons at home throughout the week and of course we still LOVE our Scripture Songs CD's.
For the new year we are planning a little family party where we plan to stay up all night playing games and exchanging gifts for the new year ahead. We are also planning to watch the first sunset of the New Year, a tradition I plan to start. I almost always see the sunrise (due to the fact that I am an early riser, and my children have followed suit).
Thankfully, we have had a few sunny days which has really gotten us moving around here. I even washed some of my grubby windows. (very long overdue)
I hope that all my buddies and friends out there are having a great last few days of 2008 and are gearing up for an even better 2009.
Oct. 9, 2008 - Local Library Does Not Recognize Homeschool Teacher As Such
Recently, I picked up a newsletter / bulletin from our local library here in Tennessee. I was pleasantly surprised to see that they were offering Teacher cards. The benefit? Longer check out time periods, etc. and I was thrilled, since we use Tapestry of Grace and I can't purchase all those literature books. I utilize our local library on a weekly basis. My husband, children and I collectively check out 50-85 books per week. Keeping track of due dates, books and such is a job! So you can imagine my joy at the thought of being able to keep out a book for 4 weeks!
Imagine my disappointment when they told my husband that homeschooling parents were not recognized as teachers by the Public Library! The public library that our tax money supports! We were told that it would be brought before the Board to see if they can change their stance on the program, so we are holding out hope that they will see the error of their ways!
I don't have to mention here that homeschoolers pay taxes on schooling they never use, right? Ok. Well, if you know me and you live where I do, you know that our library isn't top notch to begin with, so lets get together and sign a petition stating that homeschooling parents are just as much a Teacher, as someone who goes to public school to teach, right?
I'll keep everyone updated on happenings at the library! My husband fully intends on requesting a meeting with the board if we don't get a favorable response soon.
May. 9, 2008 - Endings and Beginnings
Well, I have filled out the final paperwork for the end of our official 2007-2008 school year. The next month will involve finishing our "yearbook" and doing unit studies on gardening, worm composting, animal husbandry, and other outdoor learning projects.
I have already gathered stacks of our gardening books, magazines, etc. for our prep work indoors. Of course, most of our summer learning will take place out doors. We are planning to build worm bins under the rabbit cages, the usual garden work, and a few new projects. One of which will be a new way of growing potatoes.
I always get so excited when it is the "growing season" and so sad when winter comes. This year, I am a little bummed out that right when our baby (#6) is born it will be harvesting time for some garden produce and I'm thinking I won't feel up to preserving much. Although, with grocery prices still on the rise, maybe I should endure! I know the girls can do a lot, and I am counting on that.
Speaking of baby #6...I have to spend a moment thinking back to how much fun it was to be YOUNG and pregnant. I know 37 isn't OLD, but it's not like having a baby at 25!!! I remember being 8 months pregnant and weighing about 135...ahhhhh, the good ole' days. Now, well, we won't talk about how much I weigh, but I'll just say I'd be happy to weigh 135 NOT PREGNANT!!!!! 
Yes, I know I started out this pregnancy with my weight from the last pregnancy. I'm not the first person this has happened to, am I??? Anyhow, with still 14 weeks left in my pregnancy, the inevitable has already started. Some caring person asks when am I due, and when I answer, they look SHOCKED 
and say THAT LONG? Oooookaaay. Then a seemingly friendly co-worker of my husband meets me and later asks him the same question, and when given the answer, replies, well, she's going to be really big by the time the baby is born isn't she??? Uh, yeah, that's nice. Or while I was shopping today, an elderly lady looks at me and whistle/sighs whew!!! like she just can't get over how GINORMOUS I am... Well, listen folks, I've been to the doctor and her chin didn't hit the floor when she measured me! 
But you know, I have been known to give birth to a toddler, so you never know. Anyhow, for my sake, the next time you see a GINORMOUS pregnant woman, just tell her how blessed she is, or tell her that babies are a gift from God above, but for crying out loud, don't comment on how HUGE she is, ok? You might regret it......
Apr. 22, 2008 - Last Bits and Pieces of our Pasover Unit Study
Our modem fell off the desk and broke, so I missed posting what all we did for the last several days. I'll just hit the highlights here, but scroll down to the Resurrection Rolls recipe to check it out. They are sooooo not healthy, but I think once a year, the wow factor overrides the health factor. We also read the Resurrection Story at this time for greater impact.
- Before we had our passover meal, I typed up various verses and explanations onto some index cards. Each child (and parent) had several parts to read out loud during the meal. I think the entire meal and reading took a little over 2 hours. It was great fun, the food was fantastic, and we learned a lot.
- Made matzah, matzah ball soup, lamb, potatonik, charoset, orange sponge cake with raspberry sauce, and meringue cookies
Discussed numbering Jewish years, and what that has to do with the Earth's rotation about it's axis, the revolution of the Earth about the sun, and the revolution of the moon about the earth - Looked at pictures of tombs
- Vocabulary words: resurrection, traditions, curcifixion, betrayal, denial
- Made resurrection cookies (kind of like divinity, kind of like meringue...empty inside...fun to make)
- Located Jerusalem on the map, discussed the Covenant City
- Discussed the Holy Land
This was a great object lesson for our Ressurection Day breakfast.
Resurrection Rolls:
3/4 cup warm water
1 large egg
3 cups flour
1 tsp salt
3 TBSP sugar
6 TBSP butter
3 TBSP dry milk
1 1/2 tsp yeast
1/2 cup butter
1 cup sugar
1 TBSP cinnamon
24 marshmallows
Directions:
1. Combine first 8 ingredients. Let rise until doubled. Divide into 24 balls and flatten.
2. Mix sugar and cinnamon together. Dip rolls into melted butter, then into sugar/cinnamon mixture.
3. Wrap roll around a marshmallow, covering completely. Dip once more into butter, and again into sugar. Place rolls in a large greased pan and allow to rise till double. (about 30-35 minutes)
4. Bake at 375 degrees for about 15 minutes, or until done.
When you let them cool, bite or break one open and SURPRISE...it will be completely empty...just like the empty tomb.
Apr. 18, 2008 - Passover starts tomorrow night
We are ready to prepare our Passover meal, finally, and if you hop over to Tavita's Purse, you can find out what to do with your leftover Matzah! Oh boy, I can't wait to make her recipe! She's planning to add 10 recipes, so you'll have to check back there to see what she has going on in her kitchen! Mostly, I am looking forward to our celebration I have planned for Resurrection Day. That's the BIG day for me.
I wish I had THIS resource a few weeks ago. Now I feel like I'll have to stay up till midnight tonight reading it all before Seder.
Did you know that the Feast of Unleavened bread are held in immediate sequence? Is God trying to tell us something about a connection between yeast and our health? Read more Here!
Here's what we were SUPPOSED to do today...unfortunately, we had a little unexpected chaos, so I never did get to school today. But I'm going to be playing catch up tomorrow...of course THAT'S never happened before!
- Bible lessons: Luke 23:39-46, Matthew 12:40, Luke 16:19-26, I Peter 3:18-20, 4:6
- Discuss and research revmoval of Chametz
- What's kosher?
- Read over The Four Questions
- Read book On Passover by CG Fishman
- Write: Why is Jesus called the Passover Lamb?
- What is an omer? What does it mean to begin counting the omer? Leviticus 23:15
- Keep lights off for a while (Plague of Darkness today)
- Preparations for Seder
Ho-hum. I wish things always went the way we plan them, but sometimes you just have to roll with the punches!
Apr. 17, 2008 - Unit Study Continues...
I am really starting to look forward to doing some lesson plans that SOMEONE else has prepared! I think I must be putting too much on our collective plate! I shouldn't complain though, the lesson is really sinking in with the children, and though exhausting, it has been fun. Today's run down:
- Review yesterday's Bible reading
- Recite memory verses
- Sing our resurrection songs
- Plague of Locusts...pictures of locusts everywhere!!!
- Label the body parts of locusts, discuss what they eat and why they are pests
- Look at Egyptian pyramids and ancient ruins (various library books)
- Write an report on what you discover about Ancient Egyptian Pyramids
- Discuss how bricks were made by slaves
- Try to make a brick
- Get grocery items for Seder
In addition to our lessons today, we had to pick up some plants for the garden plus a few flowers for the front deck. We also ran to the post office and recycle center and now the children are helping my parents with some tree work in their yard. So, it has been a very full day. Thankfully, we already have our evening meal prepared, all I have to do is pop it in the oven.
Apr. 16, 2008 - Today's Unit Study Progress
Today's lessons included:
- Practicing our memory verses I Corinthians 5:7 and Exodus 3:14
- Practicing our songs: When I See The Blood
- Reading our Bible lessons for today: Matthew 27:1-51 and 57-60, John 19:30, Isaiah 53:3-5, Hebrews 9:11-15, 2:9-18, 3:1-2
- Today'splague is Hailstorm and Fire, so we studied how sleet and hail happen (see previous post to find out for yourself)
- Writing assignment: Why is Jesus called the King of kings
- For art we are going to make some Seder plate placemats
- If I get the time we will be watching the video King of Kings...but I don't know that we will be able to squeeze that one in today.
- I also had the children prepare menu's and grocery lists yesterday for a Passover meal, today we plan to do the shopping...although, I may have to put that off till tomorrow, since it is nap time for the littles and I hate going to the grocery in the afternoon or evening...maybe I'll just do that tomorrow morning
- We are still looking at resurrection in nature such as the sand dollar, "easter" lily, dogwood trees, etc. Some of these are "legends" that have no real proof or meaning, others actually do seem to "point" to God, as does all nature really!
Steve Green said it best in his song All Across The Sky, didn't he?
All across the world
People everywhere
Ask "How can I believe in a God I cannot see?
If there really is a God, why is there so much pain?
If I could only see, then I'd believe."
If you could only see that His
For His Love is written all across the sky
As brilliantly the stars all testify
For the glory of the God Who reigns on high
Is displayed in the world He has made
And as all creation seems to shout and sing
In wonder of the one Almighty King
His signature can easily be seen on everything
Take a minute now and take a look around
Can you believe that everything you see
Took place by chance?
The intricate design
Down to the last detail
And what about the mystery that cuts us like a knife:
"What is the source of life?"
For His Love is written all across the sky
As brilliantly the stars all testify
For the glory of the God Who reigns on high
Is displayed in the world He has made
And as all creation seems to shout and sing
In wonder of the one Almighty King
His signature can easily be seen on everything
Apr. 15, 2008 - Sleet (not hail) comes early or late
Yesterday afternoon while the children and I were reading about the plagues it started sleeting. We actually didn't realize it was sleet, we thought it was hail...(what's the difference?) We all ran outside to have a look and started talking about how it was the cattle plague day, not the hailstorm and fire plague day 
Here's a peek at what all we have been doing today:
- Read our Bible verses: Mark 11:20-26, Matthew 26:17-19, Luke 22:13-20, Matthew 26:21-25, 30-75
- Practiced our memory verses
- Practiced our Resurrection songs
- Listened to Passover music on a Jewish website for kids
- Studied the map of modern day Egypt
- Wrote up a "prescription" for natural cures for boils
- Made a menu for a Passover meal and grocery list too
- Watched 1/2 of The Greatest Story Ever Told (available on Netflix)
- Copied a passage from our Bible lesson in our best handwriting
Today was not a real heavy work day. More to come.
Apr. 14, 2008 - Learning about the Passover is FUN
We are having a great time learning more about Passover and the Resurrection. So far we have gone through the first five plagues...this morning when the children woke up all the stuffed animals in the house were lying "feet up" so to speak... We talked about murrain and what that meant. Here are some other things we did over the weekend and today... (scroll down to see some of my Passover Props)
- Read several books about Jewish Culture, Customs, People, Synagogues
- Labeled and colored a map of Egypt
- Reviewed the Hebrew alphabet and wrote our names in Hebrew
- Read over some Yiddish phrases
- Looked at the anatomy of a frog, fly, and lice. (to dissect a frog online go HERE)
- Studied the genealogies of Jesus and Made a family tree for Jesus (Matthew and Luke)
- Wrote an essay on the symbols of passover and why signs are used in the Bible
- Talked about Nomadic people
- Continued to work on our timeline
- Read about what Jesus was doing x days before crucifixion
- Looked at some Passover cookbooks and recipes
- Made flash cards for our memory verses
- Practiced songs for the resurrection "When I See The Blood" (to listen click here then scroll down to the song and click on title) and "Are You Washed in the Blood?"
- Watched Via Dolorosa on youtube (not for young...)
Here are some of the FUN books we have been using. We really like the story of the run away Matzah and absolutely LOVE the cookbook!
Apr. 10, 2008 - Library Day and more unit study fun
Ok, I admit I am a few days behind getting to the library... but we got there today and the children came across some great books. We also got a huge pile of free magazines...one I really think we'll like called Victoria. There were stacks of those free for the taking...Macey is really into that type of thing right now.
I think I finally put the finishing touches on the entire unit study plan! Whew...it was a lot of work. We should wrap it all up by April 27th, with our big Field Day event as the Grande Finale!
For today's studies we:
- Put red food coloring in all the water (flower vases, water jugs and bottles, cups sitting out, etc.) to imitate the water turning to blood as in 1st plague, and discussed what else they could drink...
- Reviewed Exodus chapters 12-16
- Observed our molding yeast bread
- Located Midian, Sinai, and Arabian Desert on a map
- Discussed Bible Signs and named some
- Discussed what is meant by Authority, who has it and why
- Discussed the meaning of various numbers in the Bible
- Watched Genesis with Max McClean on Netflix Instant Viewing
- Looked for signs of the resurrection in Nature
- Decided on our Memory Verses I Corinthians 5:7 and Exodus 3:14
- Listened to some music about Passover
- Practiced our songs for Resurrection Day on piano and singing
So, that is what we managed to do for our schooling today. It looks like a lot, but it didn't take as long as I thought. We also did some fun stuff, like a passover word search, Exodus crossword puzzle, Elijah maze, and some art stuff just for fun. We also watched a video on Youtube of Mark Shultz's song I Am. I don't care for that type of music, but I really like the words.
Apr. 9, 2008 - Day 3 Passover Unit Study
I think this is the funnest study I've ever created. So far today, we have:
- Made more voabulary flash cards
- Listened to Hebrew Music
- Located Egypt and The Red Sea on a map
- Read Matthew 21:1-17, Luke 19:1-28, John 12:1
- Made a flash card for each of the ten plagues with the following information on each card:
1. Number of Plague
2. Name of Plague
3. Verses in Bible where plague is described
4. Our description of plague
5. On the back, each child drew a picture depicting that particular plague - Discussed Bible Genealogies as God goes into detail about these in the Bible, what is God's design for the family and what family structure looks like.
- More website's for fun and information
- Worked on creating a timeline starting with Abraham and ending with Moses' death
Later I am planning to run to the library with the children to pick up a few more books to fill in what I am missing. Right now, Harmon is taking a nap, the four older children are working on their zones, and I have only a few short minutes of computer time before we all begin our quiet time. So much I want to do, so little time to accomplish it all.
Apr. 9, 2008 - Passover Unit Study
I have been preparing a unit study to use for most of this month. We started it this week and so far this is what we have done. 
- Read Exodus 1-15
- Watched Charlton Heston's The Ten Commandments (Netflix has it)
- Went over passover vocabulary words and made flash cards
- Researched the Feast of Unleavened Bread and leaven, how it works, why God uses leaven as a symbol of sin.
- Baked some yeast bread (object lesson for previous) and left out one slice to see what would happen to it
- Watched three short videos about Matzah, Seder, and wine
- Looked at and discussed the Jewish Calendar and how it differs from ours
- Visited several Jewish websites
- Studied the Seder
- Did some notebooking about what we have learned so far
Today we will be continuing our study and I will post again later today about what all we went over today. Hopefully, I will get to add some neat links to this post as well. Tomorrow I will begin a study of the 10 plagues, in the order they occurred. I'll definitely add pictures of that! I have spent a lot of time preparing for this unit study and hope to share as many details on here as possible... although this does seem to be such a busy time of year, doesn't it? Garden prep, outdoor activities, finishing up the school year (so to speak), etc. 
If you are doing any special studies on Passover, or have any tips, ideas, good books, etc., please add them in the comments so we can all share and benefit. Thanks!
Mar. 10, 2008 - Tubtime Crayons
This is a fun project for children and it will make them WANT to stay in the bathtub longer!
What you will need: 1 cup grated Ivory Soap ®, 1/4 cup warm water, food coloring, plastic cookie cutters
- Mix water, soap and food coloring together in a medium bowl. Stir the crayon mixture until it begins to stiffen.
- Remove the mixture from the bowl and knead until it is the consistency of a very thick dough
- Spoon crayon mixture into plastic cookie cutters.
- Place the plastic cookie cutters in the freezer for 10 minutes.
- Pop the crayons out of the cookie cutters and allow them to dry overnight or until hard.
You could also use an ice cube tray instead of cookie cutters as a mold for your Tubtime Crayons. These can be used as bath soap! Super fun! With these crayons you can color on the side of the bathtub or on tile walls and floors. Children LOVE these! I got this recipe from a cool book called
The Ultimate Book of Kid Concoctions: More Than 65 Wacky, Wild & Crazy Concoctions (Ultimate Book of Kid Concoctions)
Mar. 7, 2008 - Rabbits and Flowers
Ivy took this picture of her rabbit Chester with a daffodil that just sprung up in our yard.
Mar. 5, 2008 - In My Garden
Spring is just around the corner and it is time to start thinking about our gardens. I can't wait to bite into a Green Zebra tomato! Raw corn on the cob delights my family! Last year we did the traditional HUGE garden with my parents and it was a great experience... it taught me to stick to managable size gardens! If you are still worried about the chance of frost, start some seeds in your sunniest window, but do something to get started! This is a great school project! Gardening can be lots of fun!
Some of our favorite help books are:
