Highlights

Can you find these hidden pictures?

One of the things I loved as a child was Highlights magazine. My mother kept a subscription for awhile and I kept the old copies for years.

Some of my favorite memories are of curling up on the couch with Highlights. I would compare my own drawing skills with the ones of the kids who were lucky enough to get their pictures published, read the poems they wrote and try a few of my own. Goofus and Gallant never failed to teach me that manners always matter.

My favorite had to be the hidden pictures. I loved it because they made it hard enough that it was a challenge. Yes, there is a lot to be said for paper in hand when it comes to learning. But isn't it wonderful that almost anything you want can be found today through the wonders of the internet? I found one of my old favorites to share. Do me a favor, if you ever find those scissors, or that megaphone, let me know.

Free Online Math Course

I found this online math course, MEP, I thought I would share. There is an answer section for each text. The trick is figuring out what level to use with your child. The course is based out of the UK and their grade levels are a little different. This course seems to have materials available for all grade levels so can be used throughout homeschooling. Best of all it's free. Check out Crystal's site for more Frugal Friday tips.

Journey North

I wonder when the hummingbirds will be back at my feeder this year.

Do you wonder if the Monarchs, the Robins,hummingbirds or whooping cranes, or any of the signs of spring have shown up yet?

Then check out the Maps and Sights at Journey North.

A great resource for teaching your kids about migration or maybe learning a little something yourself.

A Few Homeschool Links

School is back in swing. Pencils are sharpened. Notebooks lined up. Curriculum purchased and lesson plans ready to go. I thought I would share a few links (a baker's dozen) to freebies that I have found on the net. I hope you find them useful.

For those who are studying Geography here is a Map which can be customized. This is a page that has a check list sheet and other geography links.

If you are doing a unit study on Egypt this might be of some interest.

Of course the National Geographic website is always interesting.

Grammar Girl offers quick tips on perplexing grammar questions to help clean up you writing. Wish I could download her brain.

Enchanted Learning has great worksheets suitable for use with many grade levels. Here is a link to printouts associated with Human Anatomy. The head bone is connected to the neck bone...

Someday I will have the time to try my hand at one of the MIT Open courses that are offered free online. For now I'll share the link for anyone who may have the time or a highschooler who would be interested.

If you have an MP3 player that will play book files you can download books to listen to here. You may also listen on your PC or laptop if you have Media Player. There is a registration process. I am not certain whether your local library must be part of their system or not. Here is another site which has classic books to download for free.

Many times you need pictures for reports or web pages that students may be working on. This site has a wide selection of photographs that are free to use. Please remember to use caution when looking through a website such as this. I have not viewed every image on this site.

Math. Errrrrrrr.

Here is a great site if you are reading Jane Eyre . Check out this page if you are studying the Bronte Sisters. (I will count these as one since they are connected)

Almost finished. Having the Eastern band of the Cherokee's reservation near by has made us very interested in their culture. Here is a link to additional information on their language, culture and alphabet.

Finally, PDF files to help keep up with all those little details such as booklists etc.

I hope everyone has a great school year. If anyone is interested let me know and I will post additional links as I can.

Check out Crystal's page for more tips.

Picture: UT Vet School Field Trip

Homeschool Links

Here is a site put up by the Florida Department of Education. It contains over 25,000 pieces of clipart, photographs, maps, links, and backgrounds for presentations, free for use by students and teachers. There are some great graphics and photos that would work very well for reports and projects. Enjoy and check out Crystal's blog for other tips.

Teaching Kids about Money: Some Great Videos

(Note: This post was intended for last week Frugal Friday. Since it wasn't put up I'm connecting to it for this week.) Teaching kids about money is a long drawn out process. Some lessons are only learned by experience.

As soon as our children were old enough to understand we taught them how to evaluate their purchases and determine the best buy for their money. Allowing them to make financial decisions for themselves and then discussing those decisions with them, was the best teaching method I know.

We were never parents to purchase every toy that came along that our kids wanted. When the kids were old enough to start asking for expensive items we worked out a plan with them.

We stated the dollar figure we were willing to contribute, then we worked out a list of jobs the child could complete to earn the rest of the money needed. After the money was earned we taught them how to comparison shop and look for sales. We encouraged them to look for second hand items if possible.

I'm proud to say that my children all handle their money very well. They are savers and live within their means. None of my grown children have credit cards and operate on a cash only basis.

I found these great videos on YouTube that teach kids about budgets and money management. They are wonderful. I think they would be great supplements to any lesson on money management. Enjoy.

Pioneer Homestead

Just outside of Cherokee, North Carolina , in the Great Smoky Mountain National Park,is the Oconalufee visitor center.

They have preserved a pioneer homestead there. I believe that the home was moved there and restored. It was built by John E.Davis and his two oldest sons.

The boys, who were very young at the time gathered all the stones used in the chimney and fireplace. The other 3 children were born in the house. .

The homestead there is in a very peaceful setting near an Elk crossing. People often come there in the evenings watching for the Elk to come out and feed. There is a Ranger on duty there to answer any questions. They have activities there and a list can be obtained by contacting the Park Service. .

John E. Davis and family.

.

.

How would you like to cook in this kitchen?

A Good Read or Listen

If you have never read any books by Kenneth Davis I would highly recommend them to you.

The Don't Know Much About series is well written and most importantly far from boring. I'm an huge fan and include his books in my permanent collection. This is my 3rd time through the book but my first listen. It makes interesting listening while doing housework or other busy work.

If you had asked me back in high school if I would voluntarily crack a book about geography I would have laughed in your face. Davis treats the subject with wit and an enthusiasm that is very apparent to the reader, thus inspiring you about the subject all while being enormously informative. Good for adults and older teens (As always parents might want to preview)

Where in the World...

I like Geography. I'm not nearly as good at it as I would like to be. National Geographic has conducted a survey that is very eye opening as to how little we know about our world. "Young Americans answer about half (54 percent) of all the survey questions correctly. But by and large, majorities of young adults fail at a range of questions testing their basic geographic literacy. Only 37% of young Americans can find Iraq on a map—though U.S. troops have been there since 2003. 6 in 10 young Americans don't speak a foreign language fluently. 20% of young Americans think Sudan is in Asia. (It's the largest country in Africa.) 48% of young Americans believe the majority population in India is Muslim. (It's Hindu—by a landslide.) Half of young Americans can't find New York on a map. These results suggest that young people in the United States—the most recent graduates of our educational system—are unprepared for an increasingly global future. Far too many lack even the most basic skills for navigating the international economy or understanding the relationships among people and places that provide critical context for world events." They have launched a campaign called My Wonderful World . You can test how much you really know about geography. There are links to teaching resources to help in teaching and learning for ourselves more about our planet. Wonderfully interesting stuff.