Aug. 30, 2008

I Will Survive...Homeschooling 2008-2009

Aug. 28, 2008

The Term 'Retard' Is a Big Deal to People Like Me

Aug. 21, 2008

Enter To Win AOP's Homeschool Giveaway

Would you spend two minutes to win an entire year's worth of curriculum? That's all the time it took Rebecca Day from Amarillo, Texas, to register in last year's spectacular homeschool giveaway at Alpha Omega Publications? (AOP). After winning the grand prize of $500 in homeschool curriculum, Rebecca wrote, "It was such a blessing to get your phone call about the prize! This is going to help our family out tremendously!" Now, here's your opportunity! Register to win in this year's giveaway at AOP. From now until February 28, 2009, enter for your shot at the grand prize of $500 in award-winning homeschool curriculum, or other prizes like a complete, 5-subject set of Switched-On Schoolhouse® computer-based curriculum, the fully animated Character Builders™ 8-DVD set, or a complimentary copy of the uplifting and encouraging Daily Focus® devotional book. Don't miss this one-of-a-kind opportunity to gain outstanding curriculum and products for your homeschooling family. It's easy. Simply click REGISTER NOW below and fill in your information. Entrants must be at least 18 years of age, and there is a limit of one entry per household. For more details, check out AOP's contest rules when you enter and remember that no purchase is necessary. Don't delay. Register to win today! Who should enter AOP's Homeschool Giveaway? EVERYONE! AOP's Giveaway Prizes: Grand Prize: $500 in Homeschool Curriculum 1st Prize: Switched-On 5-Subject Set 2nd Prize: Character Builders 8 DVD Set 3rd Prize: Daily Focus Devotional Book

. Comments (0) . Post A Comment! . Permanent Link

Aug. 21, 2008

Public Employees Safety Awareness and Preparedness Fair, Olympia, WA

Aug. 19, 2008

Declaration of Intent to Homeschool Form Information, All of Washington State

Aug. 15, 2008

Homeschool Freebies for Home Economics

Aug. 14, 2008

Teacher's Toolbox: American History and Government

Dear Homeschool Teacher, Welcome to the August edition of the Teacher's Toolbox. It's a busy time, as we prepare to begin a new school year. The next few weeks and months bring several educational opportunities. The Olympics are bringing together the nations of the world for fellowship and excitement. Plus, those of us living in the United States are preparing for the last few months leading up to the presidential election. This month's freebie is a perfect tie-in to the upcoming elections. We hope you enjoy the free E-Book, links, and resources we've put together to make a fun American government study for your family! p.s. If you didn't receive your Olympics companion E-Book from the Teacher's Toolbox last week, let us know, and we'll send you a copy. It's free just for subscribers! Teaching Tools Rockets have been a part of American symbolism since the Star Spangled Banner was penned by Francis Scott Key. (Check out the lyrics here.) This month's activity is a pop rocket. It's not only fun, it's an activity full of chemistry and physics lessons. Pop Rocket Fun! Note: Adult supervision is required. What you'll need to gather: Empty cardboard toilet tissue roll. You can also use an empty paper towel tube, cut to length. An empty film canister. It is important to use the type of canister where the lid fits over the top of the canister. Typically, these are black canisters with gray lids. If the top fits snugly "into" the top of the canister, the lid may not easily pop off. A packet of antacid "seltzer" tablets Water Safety glasses Scissors and tape Optional decorations for the rocket: streamers, a circle with a slit to make a cone shape, 3 paper triangles to use as fins. Directions: Cut a small slit in the tissue roll by cutting up from one end of the tube one to two inches. This will allow you to bend the roll in enough to tightly fit around the film canister. Tape the film canister inside the bottom of the tissue roll. Make sure that the  opening of the film canister does NOT go up into the roll. The lid should come off and snap on without difficulty. After the canister is taped firmly into place, decorate your "rocket". You can use a paper circle, with a cut made from one edge to the center, so it can be shaped into a cone. Cut three triangles to make fins. Attach short streamers to the bottom of the roll to add extra color and effect! Once your rocket is complete and dry, it is ready to launch! To launch your rocket, hold it upside down and remove the canister top. Add water until the canister is about 1/3 full. Quickly drop a piece of the antacid tablet into the water, close the lid completely, point away from any people, animals, buildings, and objects. Place on a flat surface. Move away from the rocket! The antacid should produce enough gas bubbles to send your rocket flying. If it does not, you may need to adjust the amount of water or use a bigger piece of antacid tablet. What's Going On? When the tablet dissolves in the water, a chemical reaction occurs and carbon dioxide is produced. The build up of this gas causes the pressure inside the film canister to increase, and the lid pops off. Why does the canister fly upwards? To understand this, let's look at Newton's Third Law of Motion which states: "For every action there is an equal and opposite reaction." Sir Isaac Newton discovered that actions and reactions are always equal. This means that an action and a reaction will have the same force. He also said that the action and reaction are opposite. When the carbon dioxide gas builds up inside the film canister, the pressure pushes the lid off towards the ground (action) and the canister itself lifts into the air (reaction). Related Resources: Do you have a middle or high school student who loves to build things or is interested in rockets? Check out all of the rocket projects in the sidebar of this site. For more information on Sir Isaac Newton and the Three Laws of Motion, visit this site. Here is a good site where your family can learn more about chemistry and chemical reactions. ______________ Field Trip Tools If you live in the Washington, D.C. area, field trips for an American government study are plentiful! However, regardless of your geographic location, there are some fun online field trips to key government sights. Enjoy a  tour of the U.S. Capitol. Our next stop is a virtual tour of the U.S. Supreme Court. Of course, an American government unit wouldn't be complete without an online tour of the White House. There are twelve Presidential Libraries. Actually, they are more like museums than libraries. Visit the presidential libraries online or in person. The John F. Kennedy Presidential Library offers a virtual tour. Visit their homepage and click on the virtual tour ink in the top toolbar. Visiting your state legislature is a great way to learn about our governmental processes. Visit your state legislature site and call about a tour. Here is a list of state legislature sites by state. You might want to arrange a visit to a courthouse. Here is a list of state court sites, listed by state. _______________ Enrichment Tools A fun addition to a study of American government is a unit on American presidents. Below are some sites of interest. The Harry S. Truman Library site has newly released worksheets. Also, explore their kids page (Check out the Truman Jeopardy link on the right side!) Visit the Presidential Library sites for student activity pages. Many of the Presidential libraries have video lending libraries. Check out some of these links directly to video lending information: Franklin D. Roosevelt Presidential Library and Museum Harry S. Truman Library and Museum The Vincent Voice Library at the Michigan State University has voice recordings of presidents, including William McKinley, Woodrow Wilson, William Howard Taft, and more! Americarhetoric.com has audio and/or video of 100 speeches, many made by former American presidents. It's also fun to see the old television advertisements included on some of the footage! Jamin' from Freebie Fridays and Homeschoolblogger shares her son's report on presidents. It's packed full of interesting facts. ____________________ A study of American government is a great segue into a state study. Listed below are  links to various state legislature sites, plus additional state resources. Check out these links thoroughly. There are activities for all ages, including coloring books, video and audio clips, research links, and wonderful photos. Arizona Check the links on the left side for a tour of the capitol. Connecticut Florida Take a virtual tour of the state legislature Kentucky Louisiana Maine Michigan Minnesota New York North Carolina Oregon Texas Utah Vermont West Virginia Here are two sites that list relevant sites by state: From the Connecticut state government, a list of sites by state. More state sites from FirstGov.org. Check out the new series of state books in the Schoolhouse Store. If you don't see your state listed, check back in the next few days. These are brand new and currently being added to the store.   ____________________ A study of the United States flag and our national anthem is another fun enhancement to an American government study. Find out how to display the flag both indoors and out. Do you know when it is acceptable to fly the American flag upside down? Get the answer, plus learn more flag etiquette. ______________ Power Tools Round out your American government study with some fun supplements and hands-on activities. You can see a wide variety of related products on our Teacher's Toolbox page in the Schoolhouse Store. Pssst...we're having a fun contest in the Schoolhouse Store. Check it out HERE. God's Plan for Civil Government What does the Bible say about civil government? What should the state be permitted to do? What should the state not be permitted to do? The average public official cannot answer these questions. Worse than that, the average Christian cannot answer these questions. This book is concise, precise, and easy to understand. It's ideal for time-challenged Christians who want a basic understanding of Biblical teachings on civil government.

. Comments (0) . Post A Comment! . Permanent Link

Aug. 14, 2008

Study the Stars with Signs & Seasons

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Today we are talking with Jay Ryan, the author of Signs & Seasons. Signs & Seasons is an evolution-free Christian homeschool astronomy curriculum that teaches a traditional, Biblical basis for timekeeping and navigation. Signs & Seasons sets the record straight about supposed "pagan influences" in astronomy and offers challenging Biblical and historical explanations that distinguish the legitimate science of astronomy from the ancient superstition of astrology. Signs & Seasons also includes an extensive glossary, a Biographia of Quoted Authors, and astronomical tables to assist the reader in finding the constellations and planets. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ TOS: First, let's start off the conversation with Mr. Ryan giving us a little background about himself and how he came to love astronomy so much. Jay, please share a brief "resume" about yourself!   RYAN: I've been interested in astronomy since I was a kid in the 1960's during the Apollo Moon missions. Like other public school students, most of the astronomy I learned was in the form of "astro-facts" such as the size, distances and composition of the sun, moon, and planets. However, like many others, I wanted to understand what there was to see in the night sky, but found nothing available in the schools, on TV, or in magazines. I only knew three constellations growing up - the Big Dipper, Orion, and Taurus.   A breakthrough came in the winter of 1989 when I was nearly 30. A TV weather report announced a close passing of Jupiter and Mars in Taurus, which was one of the few constellations that I could find. It was very exciting to actually identify these planets. From there, I became involved with amateur astronomy. I made three telescopes, learned all of the constellations, and discovered how to locate the visible classical planets. In the following years, I studied the great works of astronomy, from Plato and Aristotle through Kopernik and Galileo, and I came to appreciate the large role that astronomy has always played throughout history prior to the 20th century.   TOS: Where did you get the idea for Signs & Seasons?   RYAN: Since 1995, I have been involved with creating educational astronomy cartoons for secular astronomy education and popularization. I created an illustrated astronomy book in 1993 that was rejected by just about every secular publisher in Manhattan and beyond. In the hopes of providing that content to Christian homeschoolers, this unpublished manuscript was rewritten from a Biblical perspective and self-published in 2007 as Signs & Seasons.   TOS: How is it different from other astronomy curriculum currently available?   RYAN: For one thing, Signs & Seasons is heavily illustrated with over 400 illustrations, with at least two or three illustrations on each page. Observational astronomy is a visual subject, and therefore a visual medium is required to depict to the reader what one can expect to see in the sky. The illustrations are not for decoration, as is the case with most other books, but are actually an important part of the lesson.   TOS: What subject matter is covered in Signs & Seasons?   RYAN: Signs & Seasons covers "Classical Astronomy," the traditional, historic method of visually observing the sky for timekeeping and navigation. This is the Biblical purpose for which the LORD created the sun, moon, and stars - "for signs and for seasons, and for days and years." (Genesis 1:14) Nearly every other astronomy textbook, popular writing, and homeschool curriculum dwells on "modern astronomy," presenting factoid-type information about "space," such as "black holes," "exo-planets," and the same old weary "tour of the solar system."   Classical Astronomy was a very important subject throughout history. In pre-industrial times, the sun, moon, and stars were required to measure the time of day, the day of the month, and the month of the year. The sky was used by farmers to know the times of planting and harvesting so that everyone could eat. The old navigators, from Columbus to those that came over on the Mayflower, used the sky to explore the world and find their way home again. Classical Astronomy was part of the traditional Quadrivium of a classical liberal arts education, and was studied by the early Americans, from the Puritans of Massachusetts to the Founding Fathers.   Many Christian homeschoolers today follow the "classical" approach, which emphasizes the "Trivium." And, although no homeschool parent neglects to teach their kids the other Quadrivium subjects (Arithmetic, Geometry, and Music), Classical Astronomy is usually deemed a very optional, non-essential elective. With the introduction of Signs & Seasons, we hope to change this misperception and restore an understanding and appreciation of this long-neglected subject.   TOS: Was Signs & Seasons written for a specific age group or grade level?   RYAN: Signs & Seasons was created specifically as a high school curriculum. The 40 pages of field activities are designed to help teens learn the principles of scientific observation. However, as a heavily illustrated, "user friendly" curriculum, Signs & Seasons can be used by students 10 and over, as well as with younger kids under parental guidance.   TOS: What can a child (or parent!) gain from studying astronomy?   RYAN: There isn't much for a child or parent to gain from studying modern astronomy. However, the study of Classical Astronomy will help the child and parent understand the remarkable clockwork of the sky that the Lord has placed over our heads. They will also learn the historical basis for our system of timekeeping and navigation as well as the great role that these skills have played in the development of western civilization. They will also be better equipped to understand classic literature, since many writers from the Greeks and Romans to Dante and Shakespeare include numerous astronomical references in their writings. Also, Signs & Seasons will help its readers learn the elements of authentic scientific methodology, from observation to conclusion. The book will also help them learn to distinguish authentic science from pre-packaged scientific conclusions handed down on the authority of the mainstream scientific community, such as the arguments commonly presented to support evolution.   TOS: Do you have plans to produce more astronomy curriculum?   RYAN: At this time, a high school workbook has been prepared, and we expect it to be ready in September 2008. There are also two sequels in development. The first will teach the mathematics of Classical Astronomy. It will be presented as a math elective in applied geometry and trigonometry. The second sequel will feature the relationships between astronomy and geography and will be presented as a high school historical geography elective.   TOS: Please share anything else you'd like us to know about Signs & Seasons, your website, and newsletter.   RYAN: Our website, www.ClassicalAstronomy.com, includes animations depicting sights in the evening sky for the current month. Also included are articles about current topics in Classical Astronomy, including the monthly stars, the current motions of the planets, the seasonal motions of the sun, and a number of astronomical articles discussing the history of astronomy and tips for observing the sky. The archives contain nearly 300 articles. Visitors to the site can also sign up for our free newsletter, which will help them stay informed of all upcoming events in the night sky, including planetary conjunctions, eclipses, and meteor showers.   TOS: We sure are happy to help spread the word about this very unique book! For more information about Signs & Seasons, please take a Look Inside for a detailed description of each chapter, including sample illustrations. Also, you can download some Sample Pages (in PDF format). Signs & Seasons has received endorsements from homeschool authors Harvey & Laurie Bluedorn and Paul & Gena Suarez, and also creation astronomy authors Jeannie Fulbright and Dr. Donald B. DeYoung. Thank you, Jay Ryan, for taking the time to share Signs & Seasons with us today! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Don't forget there's always free shipping at the Schoolhouse Store! Astronomy is the most ancient science. Throughout all history, people have told time and found direction from the Sun, Moon and stars. This is the purpose for which the LORD created the celestial bodies - for signs and seasons, and days and years (Genesis 1:14). Signs & Seasons is an evolution-free Christian homeschool astronomy curriculum that teaches the traditional, Biblical basis for timekeeping and navigation. Topics include: The Phases of the Moon and the Passage of the Seasons; Finding the Traditional Constellations and identifying the Visible Planets; How our Calendar is based on the Sun and Moon, and how the times of Passover and Easter are derived from their cycles. Signs & Seasons is lavishly illustrated, with images that depict the appearances of the night sky, to prepare you for what you will see. Learn astronomy through the quoted words of Scripture and many authors - ancient, medieval, and modern, Christian and secular alike - from Aristotle and Cicero, Augustine and Basil the Great, Martin Luther and John Calvin, to Shakespeare and Leonardo da Vinci. Click Here for More Details ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ We're having a fun contest in the Schoolhouse Store! The TOS E-Book Express has arrived. Hundreds of E-Books are being loaded into the Schoolhouse Store. We're celebrating by giving away TWO Sony E-Book Readers. Check out the details here. Not sure about E-Books? Check out our E-Book FAQ. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Sincerely, Your Friends at The Old Schoolhouse® Magazine

. Comments (0) . Post A Comment! . Permanent Link

Aug. 14, 2008

KVI Talk Show on Homeschooling, Sunday, August 17, 2008

Aug. 12, 2008

First Class Homeschool Ministries Newsletter, "Connections"