Thematic Pathfinders - search engine for students

"Why start with a search engine, when you can find a pathfinder to fit your needs at 42eXplore? When learning something new, it's nice to have more than one resource to explore. This web project provides "four to eXplore" for each topic. On each page you'll find definitions, activities, the 4 good starting points, and many more links and resources for the thematic topic.

We now have over 200 themes in this topic archive! We frequently update projects in our Topic Index as well as each of the subject areas above. Go to What's New? to learn about recent changes."

http://www.42explore.com

LessonPathways - over 900 resources

Lesson Pathways

According to LessonPathways, they have "over 900 weekly topic units containing the BEST free educational resources found on the web. And don't forget to use our handy Planning Tool!"

It is secular and geared toward the average government school family, but you may find some very usable materials. Swing by and check it out.

http://www.lessonpathways.com/

FREE educational software programs

 

COREPlus is an exciting collection of FREE educational software programs that makes it easy to learn all about history, geography, science, fine art, and more.

DownloadLearning

Winter Scene Shoebox Craft and writer's workshop

 

Winter Scene Shoebox Craft and writer's workshop

Students will love creating their own winter scenes and stories.

First, they make a winter scene in a shoebox. Then, they can use the free templates (under “To Create a Book”) for a story web, draft, and finished book explaining their winter scene.

 

Winter Scene Shoebox Craft & writer's workshop

Kings & Queens unit study

KINGS & QUEENS unit

European culture dominated the Middle Ages. We think of Medieval England when we think of the Middle Ages--and that is mostly what is covered in this Funschool Unit. While the practices were varied from place to place, the Middle Ages--as a whole--is characterized by a specific set of values and institutions that reflect the three dominant influences that have come before: Roman, Christian, and Barbarian. This unit is predominantly intended to introduce you and your child to the High Middle Ages in a fun, hands-on way that will peak their interest in further study.

HISTORY UNIT Kings & Queens

Books of the Bible Lapbook and Game

 

This one is really neat!

 

Books of the Bible Lapbook and Game

 

This is a file folder game or lapbook game to learn the books of the Bible. It includes 84 Bible trivia questions (easy and medium levels) and blank cards to make your own questions. Availble to download and assemble.

 

http://heartofwisdom.com/blog/books-of-the-bible-lapbook/

 

 

Free analogies, critical thinking

 

Free printable analogies and online games or online quizzes with analogies to increase analytical and critical thinking.

http://www.superteacherworksheets.com/analogies.html

http://www.funtrivia.com/trivia-quiz/ForChildren/Analogies-for-Kids-194435.html

http://www.rhlschool.com/eng3n24.htm

http://edhelper.com/Back_to_School_analogies.htm

http://www.edhelper.com/language/Analogies.htm

http://www.geocities.com/tonyswebquests/print_analogy

http://www.geocities.com/tonyswebquests/print_analogy2

http://edhelper.com/language/analogies6601.html

http://www.quia.com/cb/7146.html

http://sat.saab.org/satenglish.cgi

 

 

Free biblical creation science videos

 

 

Here is a large online library of biblical creation science and history videos. These are all free! What a wonderful gift!

"Educational documentaries may be the best witnessing tool available to combat evolution indoctrination. People have become more accustomed to multimedia education than any other type, and new and exciting creation science programs are becoming available each year."

http://www.nwcreation.net/videos/index.html

 

 

 

Teaching to your child's strengths

Teaching To Your Child's Strengths

by Kajsa Huckaba

You will spend a ton of money and everyone in your home will be frustrated until you learn specifically what makes your children each tick. Maximize your student's learning and time spent learning by teaching to their personality and strengths.

If you do not know what those are, spend some time in prayer regarding each one of your children. Ask the Lord to reveal these things to you and for you to have your eyes open to see them.

Keep a notebook for you of each child and make notes, revelations and relevant scriptures that will help you better understand your child's learning styles, strengths and weaknesses and character issues.

If your child really likes to hear audio CDs of history but hates to read it, write that down when you notice it. Where are the character strengths and weaknesses. You may be surprised! If your child is creative, how is she or he creative? With creating music melodies or rhythm? With planning out how a project should lay or color usage? Think outside the box and pay attention. Soon a picture will start to form of all your child's strengths and loves. In the same way, watch what your child loathes or struggles with and jot it down. This will help you to see where the weaknesses are and hopefully you will pray and ask the Lord how to strengthen those areas. He is always faithful!

Important to note, when you see a strength, be sure to share that with your child to encourage them! And if you see even a small improvement in an area of weakness, be sure to mention it and give praise to them! Record these improvements! With younger children, you may want to make some kind of award or medal that you made to give out periodically. Take their picture wearing it!

Timelines for history

Timelines For History

by Kajsa Huckaba

One of the coolest things you can take advantage of as a homeschooler is using timeline. It can be added to every year or a fresh one made. If you add to it every year, it becomes this wonderful living history project that will both cement learning and inspire learning. Discoveries/landmarks in science and family history are great additions to any time line.

Each student could have their own timeline or the whole family might share one. The benefit of each student having one is that your children may be studying different time periods and if they are making their own timeline figures it will be entirely their own creation, instead of a shared project. Each student's timeline would be a cool keepsake, too.

The whole family may decide to have one! It is possible to have a family time line and each student to have their own. What ever your family decides, it will be a project you all will benefit from and enjoy.

Styles of timelines can be mounted to the wall like a hallway, a folding accordian style, or as pages in a binder that you flip through. The binder style is more difficult to grasp the layout as it is not laid out in a linear fashion. If you want to use butcher paper, keep in mind that it may roll up on the edges. There is always the option to laminate it before you add the time line figures and that may help with the rolling edges. Another option is to tape pages together end to end on the back (with strong tape such as packing tape). You may opt for cardstock for a more sturdy project, which I recommend. The heavier, the better. The benefits of this page to page style is that it can be added to if need be on the end, can be folded, can be mounted on the wall, and is small enough to go into a folder or on a shelf.

Your student may create their own artwork for timeline figures, do no art and just write what happened when or use premade artwork for it. Many families enjoy the Homeschool In The Woods products for premade figures and you can reproduce them to save big money. Then all your figures "match" if that is important or you have a child who is not comfortable with their craft skills. I have included some links for free or nearly free timeline figures here below.

http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/ClassicalEducation4Me/9726/

http://www.squidoo.com/homeschooltimelines

http://www.abookintime.com/timelines.html

http://isaiah5413.blogspot.com/2007/01/free-or-almost-free-time-line-figures.html

http://www.welltrainedmind.com/forums/showthread.php?p=296481

(A topic thread here gives an address to a yahoogroup with 850+ members that share timeline help. I am a member myself.)

http://www.angelfire.com/or/mtdewbydo/timelines.html

http://www.biblioplan.net/timeline.htm

http://www.phillipmartin.info/clipart/socialsciences_ancientcivilizations.htm

37 Weeks of American History

 

This is a new site that offers up a complete homeschool curriculum, "People of America".
This is a 37-week schedule of scripted American History lessons, geared to kids ages 6-8, and includes units focusing on Native Americans, European Americans, African Americans, Latin Americans & Asian American History. It's a very large site. These are interesting, easy-to-use lessons for primary students. Check it out and see if this is a resource you can use in your homeschool.

http://www.prontolessons.com/

 

Tired of art messes?

 

 

Does a big mess keep you from doing art projects? Here is an idea I came up with recently as I am beginning to implement the "Workbox System" into my home.

You can make up a workbox (plastic tote) for a particular kind of craft or art method.
Like watercolor painting, coloring in colorbooks, stencils, scrapbooking, lapbooking, etc.

One craft per workbox.

If you do this then all the supplies needed for that activity are there. Make sure the scissors, glue sticks, colored pencils or whatever are all in there- whatever is required to that art activity! The child just goes to retrieve the workbox and will not need to search for this and that! The bonus is that it makes it really easy to clean up and put away too!

Bible: Huge portal - Middle school, high school, adult

 

This site is not particularly exciting to the eye, but it has an incredible amount of information and files!!!

There are surveys of the Old & New Testaments, geography, interactive lessons, games & quizzes, Sunday school lessons, articles, entire classes, entire ebooks, just a ton of rich good material that you don't want to miss. I am so delighted to have found it!

We will be using one of the in depth surveys for high school this year.

BIBLE STUDY GUIDE .org

 

 

More free math

 

Ray's Arithmetic

 

CSMP Materials. Grades k-6.

 

First Lessons in Arithmetic

Math

NC Public Schools

DPI Instructional Services: Mathematics: Grades K-2 Resources (2003 SCS)

Centre for Innovation (UK)

Centre for Innovation in Mathematics Teaching - Mathematics Enhancement Programme

Living Math History (Lesson Plans on Right side of Page)

C1 Outline and Booklists

(Online) Math Magician

Oswego City School District Math Games

Printable Math Sheets

Free Math Worksheets

(online) Math U See

Math·U·See Drill Page

Math Worksheets to create and print (generator)

http://themathworksheetsite.com/

 

CSMP MaterialsRay's Arithmetic - Google Book Search

Spine Book teaching - making your own curriculum the easy way

In this post I have some "overviews" that can be used as a guide for you to use to teach from. Like a spine. See my other post on teaching from a spine (HERE). These are just guides, as all curricula and teacher manuals are only a tool for us to use.

The one from Heart Of Wisdom is very good. I say that because it also incorporates science and integrates Bible & Theology heavily. Which in itself should be a top priority in teaching our children at home. (See Deuteronomy 6)

All overviews and especially chronological teaching should, in my opinion, use a timeline. Some families will post one along their hallway or make a big long fold up one (accordian style).

These are mostly based on a four year rotation, as is popular in current education.

Four Year plan

http://heartofwisdom.com/homeschoollinks/four-year-plan/

Four Year plan

http://www.highlanddove.org/history.htm

http://myhomeschool101.blogspot.com/2007/11/rc-history.html

Four year plan

http://www.pennywiselearning.com/The-Weaver-Curriculum-Scope-and-Sequence.html

Four Year plan for high school

http://www.janice-campbell.com/2008/09/09/high-school-a-four-year-plan-for-homeschoolers/

Four Year living book list sequence

http://homescool-ed.blogspot.com/2007/04/sonlight-books-arranged-by-well-trained.html

Overview plan 1

http://www.konos.com/quickoverview/scope.htm

Overview plan 2

http://www.sonlight.com/scope-and-sequence.html

Overview plan 3

http://www.triviumpursuit.com/articles/suggested_course_of_study.htm

Overview plan 4 - year by year

http://www.bjupress.com/catalog_pdfs/scope_sequence09.pdf

Overview 5

http://www.anchorchurchresources.com/scope_sequence.pdf

Overview  6 – editable

http://www.bjupress.com/resources/christian-school/curriculum-guides/word-format.php