Animated Lessons
Welcome to TheHomeSchoolMom's Free Homeschool Resources Newsletter! I hope you all had a lovely holiday season and are renewed for the new year. We are working on time management in our household, particularly not letting our computer and TV time get away from us. It does seem to be helping attitudes tremendously. One thing that has helped is allowing the children to only watch tapes. They can watch the same shows that they always have, but they must tell me in advance so I can tape them. That way, the shows are seen on *our* schedule, not the network's schedule, and we don't get sucked into leaving the television on all day and losing track of time. Also, by some fluke that I had not planned for, our VCR marks the commercials and fast forwards through them during playback. No more unadulterated materialism polluting their minds - Yea! Those of you who have been with me for awhile know that one reason I am working on time management this year is because my time management skills are not the best, which is often reflected in the frequency (or infrequency!) of the newsletter.
Since moving out to the country and trying to get started homesteading, I have found it impossible to continue the website and newsletter while building outbuildings, keeping a (relatively) clean house, driving to outside activities, and homeschooling. Because of that, I will be only sending out newsletters when I have something of particular interest to you instead of sending them weekly. If I find freebies, great educational sites, academic contests, etc., I will pass them on to you, but it will be sporadic and based on the quality of the content that I find. I also will be adding some content from other authors in each newsletter. I recently discovered a couple of resources for homeschoolers that Chicago Review Press has published. These two new history books are great for unit studies or simply for adding to your history studies. I believe you will love these books!
World War II for Kids: A History with 21 Activities by Richard Panchyk "is the ideal tool to teach children about the war that insured the freedom they enjoy today... The activities in World War II for Kids provide hands-on opportunities to explore the era of the war through projects and games. Children will learn how soldiers communicated with their families by writing their own v-mail messages, discover the language of war by creating a code for friends to crack and experience how soldiers lived by making their own field rations and care packages from home." My favorite parts of the book were the interview and eyewitness accounts excerpted from actual letters written by soldiers or civilians between 1939 and 1945. The book also contains graphics and timelines that are helpful in giving an simple overview of a complex historical event. World War II for Kids is endorsed by veteran and former senator John McCain, whose father and grandfather were both combat commanders during WWII. Similarly, The American Revolution for Kids: A History with 21 Activities by Jane Herbert "brings the country's struggle for independence to life by helping kids share in the hardships, pride, and triumphs the colonists experienced as they fought for their freedom... Kids will love the 21 activities that teach them first-hand about the lives of distinguished officers, wise delegates, rugged riflemen and hard-working farm wives and children who created our young nation." The American Revolution for Kids is filled with short biographies, activities, famous quotes, military guides, and a typed copy of the Declaration of Independence. It would make a great unit study when combined with the children's literature of Jean Fritz or the American Girl Felicity books. This week's newsletter features a food safety curriculum freebie, a resource for beautifully made homeschool diplomas, and more. If someone forwarded this newsletter to you, you can get your own subscription here:
If you need unsubscribe and address change information you will find it at the bottom of the newsletter. Have a great week. Enjoy this week's resources...
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| SEARCH for your favorite books right here! |
Sites for Teachers is regularly featured in TheHomeSchoolMom Newsletter because it is one stop shopping for lesson plans, activity sheets, unit studies, and more. Over 500 of the best teacher sites! At number 12 is the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Scavenger Hunt, a timely resource for MLK, Jr. day.
Top Teacher Sites
Teach-nology.com has put together a list with the top 200 teacher sites that they have found on the web. Great resources! I love the fact that these resources always have new sites on them. At number 38, the Teacher's Guide has a long list of lesson plans, thematic units, songs, and activities.
This exciting introductory package from the Magic School Bus includes everything your child needs to join Ms. Frizzle’s class on the most magical, fantastical field trip! Based on the best-selling books and award-winning Magic School Bus TV series is a great way for children in grades K-3 to explore how things work -from the inside out. Order today because this is not available in any store! |
by Martha Matthews
It's the beginning of another new year. What better time to get organized? Try these helpful tips to get your New Year started in the right direction.
1. Schedule it. Schedule all annual appointments for you and your family -doctor, dentist and veterinarian (for the animals of course!)
2. Calendar it. Get a new calendar and transfer over all birthdays, anniversaries and other important events. Don't forget to add appointments that you have already scheduled for this year. Color-code each event by category using highlighters in different colors so that you can see what's coming up at a glance. Purchase a calendar wall hanger and hang up your calendar for daily viewing.
3. Get it on Sale Purchase Christmas cards, wrapping paper, tissue, bows, ribbon and decorations for next year while they are on sale now.
4. Make a List and Check it Twice Make a list of all the people you mailed cards to. Put each name and address into Word's label feature (under tools, letters/mailings, envelopes/labels) so that next year you so you can save time by printing out address labels. Print them on festive label stock. Make a list of those you purchased gifts for and make another list to keep as master lists for next year. You might want to consider drawing names among the adults instead of buying something for everyone.
5. Write It Down Write out your New Year's Resolutions/Goals. See our article "Making Successful New Year's Resolutions" at http://www.christian-homemaking.com/resolutions.html
6. Perfectly Put Away Organize your Christmas ornaments, lights and decorating items as you store them away. Try using a cardboard wine case for your ornaments. They can be picked up for free from the grocery store and have dividers that are just the right size for most ornaments. Label your boxes as you go so you know what is in them. Try combining all the ornaments that you use on a regular basis. That way you can pull out that box to use right away and then go on to the others as needed. You can also apply this strategy to all your holiday decorations. Group each season or holiday and mark each box accordingly. Purchase organizing containers on sale at home improvement warehouses for organizing throughout the year. Home Depot has some really great boxes that fold down to a compact size when not in use. They can be stacked and stored for later use. Buy as many as you think you will need for the year.
7. Budget for Next Christmas Take a look at your Christmas receipts from last year and plan a budget for next Christmas.
8. Hidden Agenda Find a hiding place for Christmas gifts that you purchase on sale throughout the year. Make sure it is "child proof". Make a list of each gift and who it is for. Keep that list in your wallet so that you can note each purchase. By doing this you will keep tract of what you have purchased and avoid spending too much.
9. Filing for the Future Start getting your files and records in order. See the article "The Benefits of a Filing System" on our web site at http://www.christian- homemaking.com/filingsystem.html for how to set up a system that works.
For more organizing and homemaking resources, subscribe to our free ezine called Wives of Excellence. Happy organizing!
About the Author:
Martha Matthews is the Editor of Christian-Homemaking.com, a web site with resources dedicated to Christian homemaking. She also has a free monthly newsletter for Christian wives called The Wives of Excellence Newsletter. To subscribe send a blank email to wivesofexcellence@yahoogroups.com or visit http://www.christian-homemaking.com.
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