Category: Homeschool Den

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Giveaway of Molecules to the MAX! — IMAX Film Newly Release onto DVD (Now Closed)

Just as we were finishing up our Chemistry Unit on the periodic table, the team at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute got in touch with me to see if I would be interested in reviewing and/or hosting a giveaway of their  Giant Screen animated film, Molecules to the MAX! This film has just been released on DVD and Blu-Ray. I talked with the kids (and we watched the trailer www.moleculestothemax.com) and decided...

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Challenging and Inspiring Students without the Overwhelm or Fear of Failure

We all want those things in our homeschool or classroom, right?! In this series, Thoughts on Teaching, I’ve been diving into some of the deeper issues we have as educators. How do we create an environment that helps students blossom and reach their full potential? Today I’m going to talk about the fear of failure and the struggle that can create for some students. In some ways, I notice that...

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Holiday Dishes to Share: Coconut Yummy Bars

This is another recipe our family has made for a long time. My Mom got it from a colleague at work years ago.  It was in our old tattered family recipe box as “Coconut Yummy Bars.” The kids love these and they are really quick to make.  Again, this is something a bring only if I know that it is acceptable to bring desserts with nuts in them. Melt 1...

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Oil and Water Fireworks Activity

Oil and Water Fireworks! This is such a fun and simple science activity!  This has impressed the kids since they were toddlers… and is helpful for kids studying chemistry to understand the different densities of liquids. Just take a clear glass, fill it with water. Add some vegetable oil.  Carefully, have the kids place a few drops of food dye in various spots around the oil.  Wait for a few...

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Rosa Parks and the Effort to End Segregation (Free Notebook Pages)

Today I wanted to share some of the books, movies, and worksheets we used when we studied the Civil Rights Movement. Exactly sixty years ago, Dec. 1st, 1955,  Rosa Parks refused to give her seat on a bus in Montgomery, Alabama. This led to the Montgomery Bus Boycott and other efforts to end segregation in the South.  These are some of the resources we used when learning about Rosa Parks...

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15 Family Favorite Board and Card Games

We play a lot of games and with the holidays coming up, I thought I would highlight some of our favorites.  DD absolutely *loves* board games so we have a huge selection of card games and board games in our cabinets! I’m going to start with a couple of games that we use regularly in our homeschool, then will highlight some of the games we love pulling out for family...

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Getting Organized for the Holidays and Beyond: Free Winter/Spring 2015 Calendar

The holiday season is here!  This time of year, I really have to keep a close eye on our calendar and plan things out in advance to help keep the stress (and extra errands/shopping) to a minimum. At the same time, I want to make sure we schedule in the fun traditions that make this season special for our family. That takes some planning and organization, especially since we continue...

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What We’re Up to in Our Homeschool (Gr. 2, 5, 7)

This week I’m changing our “Thoughts on Teaching” series up a bit to write about how our homeschool days flow in general.  Each day is pretty different from the one before and is usually a result of what we didn’t get to (or got to only minimally) the day before.  But I keep a general running tab (mentally if not by checklist!) of what we’re doing in each subject. So...

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Chemistry Unit: The Periodic Table

This semester we did a new unit on chemistry and focused on the Periodic Table. We typically use secular resources, but I previewed Chemistry 101: An Overview of God’s Chemical World over the summer on the recommendation of a close friend. It is a wonderful resource. I found the video to be really well done (the kids really enjoyed it) and while there were a few references religion (especially in...

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Thanksgiving Preschool Printables (free)

This packet has various Thanksgiving printables for preschoolers including clothes pin letter matching and counting cards. It also has a 2-letter word file folder game for kids who are a little older. For the counting cards and upper and lower case letter matching, be sure to print the pages out on card stock. Have your child place a clothes pin on the correct answer.  (This is also really good for...

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ow ou oy oi aw au Word Sort Activities

This is a set of word sort activities to reinforce the “ow” and “ou” vowel team; the “oy” and “oi” patterns;  and the “au” and “aw” vowel patterns.  ED is finishing up volume 2 of All About Spelling (affiliate link), the spelling program I’ve used with all 3 kids, and she wanted some fun games again to go over these various vowel teams. Since we are diving into a new...

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8 Things to Remember about Homeschooling

I spend a lot of time thinking about homeschooling, do you?  I find myself mulling over what we have planned or what units we’ll be doing down the road or what didn’t get done or things we did do, but didn’t go as planned… and on and on!  But here are some things I probably need to hear a bit more often! Believe in yourself – You can do this!...

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American Revolution Play (For 3 or More Actors)

As many of you know, we spent the past six or eight weeks learning about the events leading up to the American Revolution.  One of the best ways for kids to learn is for them to actively engage with the material.  I used to teach American History classes overseas and at the end of each unit we would put on a play for the parents.  I would always write the...

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Chemistry Experiments for Kids (Grade 2) – Mixtures, Chromatography, DNA Kit

Today, I want to share the three more chemistry activities we did during our unit on chemistry for my youngest, who is currently 7. Mixtures Un-Mixing: Chromatography DNA Kit Earlier this week, I shared the first two science experiments we did, and you can find those here (and in the free pdf printable at the bottom of this post): Matter is Neither Created Nor Destroyed (Molecules switch atoms) – Chapter...