Where Does the Time Go?

I realized tonight it has been over a month since I last wrote. I had no idea it had been that long. My how time flies.

Briefly (and the best I can remember) these are some of the things we have been up to.

In both November and December we went to the Homeschool class at our library. November was all about the election process. The children had the opportunity to make a button to wear proclaiming they are future voters, they made a lapbook and even had the opportunity to vote in a election for best dessert. Th elibrarian had chosen the two candidates; cookies and brownies earlier. The children were then given the opportunity to decide which one they wanted to campaign for. Then in small groups they had to come up with several reasons to vote for their candidate and share them with the whole group. As a special treat the children were given a brownie or cookie snack.

 
Decembers' theme was optical illusions. After a brief discussion defining optical illusions the children experimented with several illusions at various stations. Among the projects they experienced were making a flip book, arrows with the ends pointing the opposite direction to prove the center part is the same length, taking to similar pictures, cutting them into strips and reassembling them by interspersing the strips with each other. Then by tilting is sideways they would only see one picture at a time.


At home in December we  kept up or regular schedule for several weeks, then spent more time on Christmas themed activities. One of these was completing the Christmas Around the World lapbook. This project pack had a lot of information and activities in it, but we also read several books along with it. These are pictures of the completed lapbook.
 

I discovered several Little House on The Prairie Christmas Anthologies at our library so we enjoyed stories from them for a read aloud throughout the month.

December was also very busy with music. Both children had the opportunity to play Christmas piano music in public settings on several occasions throughout the month.  They each played several pieces as prelude music for our church's children's Christmas program. Daughter also had the honor and privilege of accompanying the children when they sang "Away in a Manger" during the program. Even though I am biased, I do have to say she did a good job.

Both of the children decorated these mini gingerbread houses from a kit. After I made the icing Daughter put the houses together herself before decorating them. She was generous and let her brother decorate two of them.

I guess that is about all the news from our house for this month. See you in 2013.

Hands of a Child Christmas Giveaway

For a few more days In the Hands of a Child is hosting their first Sprint of Christmas giveaway!!

So what does this mean?

If you help publicize this event, in various types of social media and leave a comment on their blog about what you did on, you are entered into their giveaway for $100 worth of their lapbooks and notebook sets. You even get to choose which ones you would like!

My children and I really enjoy the Hands of a Child lapbook project packs. Right now we are using their Christmas Around the World set. It is an interesting look at several Christmas customs from 8 different countries around the world.

We have completed a number of lapbooks but some of my children's other have been Multiplication Pizza Party, Operation English Grammar, Exploring Nearby Space and American Girls. It seems we always have at least one or two lapboks in progress. We use them to complement a topic already being studied, to explore an interest, briefly study a topic I feel in important at the time or just for fun.  I have plans for several more in the new year as well.

If you're interested in lapbooks, check out In the Hands of a Child.

Easy Thanksgiving Crafts

My children informed me today Thanksgiving is next week, so I guess it is time to share some of the thanksgiving crafts we have made in the past. We haven't done anything Thanksgiving-ish this year,and I am not sure we will get to it, so I think we will just enjoy these items from past years.



Fall Wreath

16 craft sticks
brown paint
craft glue
decorative items  - We used precut fun foam leaf shapes


Paint sticks and let dry.
Glue 2 sticks together in a flattened x shape. Make 8 or 9  pairs.
Place X's together to form a wreath or circular shape. This may take a little trail and error to get the shape you want. Glue together where pieces intersect.  Only move one or two x's at a time. It is much easier that way.
After wreath is dry, finish by adding decorative items.


Mini Native Americans

toilet tissue rolls
assorted construction paper
yarn
pony beads
feathers
markers glue

Cover top half of tube with cream or flesh colored paper.

Cover middle third with light brown paper.

Cover bottom of roll with dark paper. Make sure this is even with the bottom of the roll, so the roll can stand. If you would like you attach this paper only in the back and then cut fringe in the front and sides.

Thread two or three pony beads onto piece of colored yarn and tie around middle to top of middle section of tube. You may secure it in the back with a dot of glue if you wish.

Cut a narrow strip of colored paper for a head band and glue at the very top of the tube. Glue a small feather to the inside of the roll.

Draw on facial features using markers. You may also decorate the clothing and headband if you wish.



Turkey

1 inch styrofoam ball
2 inch teardrop or egg styrofoam shape
Brown paint
Fun Foam is assorted fall colors
decorative edged scissors if available
Small google eyes (if desired)


Using slight hand pressure, slightly flatten one side of round ball. Flatten one end of the egg styrofoam shape so it will stand. Slightly flatten other end so it meshes well with round piece.Glue round ball on top of egg shape. Paint both pieces brown.

Cut 3 -6 large circles in assorted colors and sizes of foam for the feathers. These can be cut with decorative edged scissors if you like to add a little detail. Stack on top of each other with one edge of all the circles matching. The other edges will resemble stair steps. Glue together. Be careful not to use too much glue so the feathers don't become to heavy.

Cut out two oval shaped wings.

Cut a beak and wattle out of fun foam.

When paint is dry, attach wings to body at intersection of head and body.

When body and feathers are dry attach them, making sure the bottoms are even on both pieces so the turkey will stand. The bottom of the stack of feathers can be trimmed so it is slightly flat, rather than round. Lay turkey down and hold body until glue begins to dry. Keep flat until totally dry.

Add beak and wattle.

Glue on small google eyes if you wish.  I just noticed they have fallen off my turkeys. I will have to put some new ones on, but I don't think I will retake the pictures.



Happy Crafting and Happy Thanksgiving.

Cinnamon Sugar Pecans

Cinnamon Sugar Pecans

1 lb. pecan halves
1 whipped egg white

1/2 c. sugar
1/4 tsp salt
1 Tbsp cinnamon  (May use more, up to 1/4 cup)

Mix pecans in egg white coating thoroughly.

Mix sugar, salt, and cinnamon in large plastic bag. Add pecans and shake until coated.

Butter large cookie sheet with sides. Place pecans on cookie sheet.

Bake at 325 for 1 hour, turning every 15 minutes.

Cool before storing in airtight container.



These pecans are yummy and addictive! They also make a nice gift in a pretty container or as part of a gift basket.

Cookie Bark

This is a super easy treat recipe which children can even help make. It is also versatile, you can change the type of cookies and chips to use what every you have available or to suit different tastes. I have never tried different flavorings, but I think they could be changes as well. These are also great on holiday cookie plates, something different, but still a treat.


Cookie Bark


20 creme filled chocolate sandwich cookies
2 2/3 cups chocolate chips
1 teaspoon vanilla extract


Line a 9 inch square pan with waxed paper. Coat waxed paper with non stick spray.

Break cookies into pieces. Set aside.

Melt the chips in a large microwave safe bowl on medium power stirring every minute until just melted. Add vanilla extract. Quickly stir in cookie bits.

Pour into prepared pan and spread evenly. Refrigerate until solid, about 1 hour.

Remove bark from pan and peel off waxed paper. Place bark on cutting board and use sharp knife to cut into pieces.

Store in airtight container.

Chicken Cordon Bleu Casserole

This is a recipe I developed my self when I really wanted chicken cordon bleu, but it is out of our price range. I studied what ingredients were used in it and decided to put them together in casserole form. This not only stretched the main ingredients, but I wasn't paying for the prep work. I was also able to find everything I used at home; I didn't need to but anything different.

The amounts are approximate; I just put in a little of each of the three spices and added a little more at a time until I had a visually pleasing balance between the other ingredients and spices.

I didn't have shredded swiss cheese so I just shredded some of the sliced variety I already had using a microplane grater. This did take some effort, but turned out alright.

Chicken Cordon Bleu Casserole

2 chicken breasts
2 cups cubed ham (precooked)
1/2 - 1 stick of butter or margaine
1 can Cream of Chicken soup
Parsley
Basil
Thyme
1 1/2 cups bread crumbs (aprox)
Shredded Swiss Cheese

Bake in 325-350 degree oven


Cut ham into 11/2 - 2 inch cubes.
Cut chicken into cubes approximately 11/2 - 2 inches.
Melt 1/2 stick margarine in skillet and add chicken pieces. Cook until no pink is visible, moving around in pan frequently.
Meanwhile in casserole dish mix Cream of Chicken casserole soup, parsley, basil, and thyme. If it seems thick you can add some melted margarine to thin it.
Add both ham and chicken cubes. Mix well.
Sprinkle bread crumbs on top.
Bake for 25-30 minutes until bubbly. ( I used a glass casserole so I could easily look at the side and tell if it was hot.)
Add swiss cheese on top and additional parsley if desired. Continue heating until cheese is melted.


My family enjoyed it and has asked for it again. It easily served 2 adults and 2 children with some left for the children to share.I have served it with broccoli, but we've felt something is missing and aren't quite sure what it is. I had thought about adding rice or crusty bread on the side, but I am not sure. I am still trying to figure out what would go best.

What Have We Been Up To?

It has been a LONG time since I wrote anything here. We haven't been overly busy, but I just haven't been motivated to write. Since I finally put the pictures from my phone on the computer, I thought I would share those along with some of the highlights since we started school in early August.

We usually start the first week of August, but it takes some time to get into the swing of things after summer, so we usually go a little slower. Last year I tried something different,  instead of diving into each subject right away or even just a couple, we spent a week reviewing one topic or subject. This year we only had two theme weeks, one of which we spent learning about the Olympics, London, and England as those were in the news.

These are lapbooks about Buckingham Palace and the Royal family. While they were designed by In The Hands of a Child, they are only available to subscribers of Schoolhouse Teachers.

These are the Olympics lapbooks. They are a compilation of mini books from different sources. Some of them are from a set I bought, others I found for free online.

Another of our topics this year was geography. Geography seems to be something we don't get to on a regular basis during the rest of our year, so I wanted to get some basics in. We examined the differences between globes and maps, types of maps, map features, and map reading.  I wanted to keep things interesting so we used some library books, read and looked at websites, played some geography and map games, solved geography related mysteries, and made a scale drawing of our property. A couple of the books we used were Great Map Mysteries, Great Map Games, and Comic Strip Map Skills. We also read Around the World in 80 days by Jules Verne.

We have also been able to attend the monthly homeschool class at our library again this year. The topics this year have been drawing with perspective and personal finance.

We also had a field trip to the local history museum continues for their monthly homeschool event. The theme in September was Olympics.

We have also had fun playing this game which I one this fall. I submitted a made up word and definition when OUT OF THE BOX was having a contest and I won. This is an expansion pack to go with the original game. We don't have the full game so we have just made up our own way of playing. It has been a lot of fun to make up our own wacky words to match definitions.

Piano lessons have also continued throughout the summer and this fall. A couple weeks ago daughter had the privilege of playing in the competition at the local teachers music conference. She did a good job and even exceeded her expectations by receiving a score of 1. Now she is eligible to play at the teachers' state conference next month. 

 

So here are just a few highlights of the last few months.

Peanut Butter and Jelly Muffins

One activity I generally find relaxing is baking, not cooking, but baking. However, I tend not to do much during the summer as having the oven makes the house extra warm and who needs that when it is already near 100 degrees outside. So thinking ahead towards fall I am remembering the goodies I like to bake. Some of the baked goodies I really enjoy are muffins. Many of my favorite muffins feature chocolate, but since I don't have any I thought I would share another of my favorites.

I really am not sure where this recipe came from. I have been making it for over 7 years and I have it in a notebook. I do not know and can not find the original source.

Peanut Butter and Jelly Muffins

Batter
1 3/4 c flour

2/3 c brown sugar
2 1/2 t baking powder
1/4 t salt

3/4 c milk
2/3 cup peanut butter
1/4 c oil
1 egg
1 1/2 t vanilla

1/4 c favorite jelly


Topping
1/3 c flour
3 T packed brown sugar
1/8 t cinnamon
3 T butter chilled

Place paper liners in a 12 hole cupcake pan. Preheat oven to 350.

Stir together dry ingredients. In a seperate bowl mix together remaining batter ingredients except jelly. Make well in dry ingredients and add liquid mixture. Stir to combine.

Spoon approximately 2 1/2 Tablespoons batter into muffin cups. Add 1 Tablespoon jelly in center of batter, being carefully to keep jelly from sides. Spoon remaining batter over jelly.

To make topping:
Stir together flour, sugar, and cinnamon. Cut butter into 1/2 inch cubes and put on top of mixture. Mix into dry ingredients until it resembles course crumbs. Sprinkle topping mixture over muffins.

Bake 25-30 minutes or until lightly browned.

Cool on wire rack 5 minutes before removing from pan. Store airtight at room temperature.


The one problem I have with these muffins is that they do not cut well. As the topping bakes crunchy, it tends to crumble when cut.

Why Is A Super Membership Super?

 You may already be familiar with In the Hands Of A Child, a company which produces lapbook curriculum sets and notebooking pages.  But did you know they offer a special Membership program called Super Membership?

A Super Membership is a paid subscription type service in which a user receives 2 complete lapbook curricula in ebook format each month. These two lapbooks feature the same topic or general theme, but for different grade levels. Usually there is one for early elementary and another for upper elementary or junior high ages. They are available for download the middle of each month in a special members only section of the website where they remain available for two months from the time they were posted when they are replaced by new ones. After they are removed from the Super Member area, these lapbooks will be available for purchase sometime in the future. So Super Members essentially get a sneak peak at new project packs.

Another perk of a Super Membership are the Unit Extenders, which are also ebook format available for download. These are collections are additional activities which correlate with other lapbook which Hands of a Child has previously published.

What Do I Love about the Super Membership?

• Knowing I have at least one complete study each month that requires very little prep work on my part. Even though the mini books need to be cut, that is a much simpler task than preparing my own study.
• Having lapbooks written on two levels which cover a similar enough topic than I could use both of them at the same time with my children. I could check out books on the same topic at the library, have discussions, and do other activities relating to the topic and not have to do two separate topics for a subject.
• Access to additional exciting ideas for other project packs from Hands of a Child. If my children want to know more about a topic after we have finished a lapbook set I may be able to find additional resources on the topic with just a couple clicks. The tone and layout of the Unit Extenders is very similar to the original unit so they are easy to transition into. 
• The unit extenders also provide substitute ideas if I am trying to tweak an upper level project pack for my youngest. Age wise he falls at the top of the cutoff for the early elementary units, so sometimes unit extender ideas work to swap out a challenging concept of a higher level project pack for an easier one. 
• Unit extenders are also a great resource for simple "Mom, I want to know more about..." activities. Many of the activities in the unit extenders are active, not paper and pencil activities. Thus unit extender ideas are perfect for doing something different and hopefully fun. There are also a number of web links included which are a wonderful resource for integrating technology into your curriculum.
• The economic value of a Super Membership can't be beat. While the initial cost is more than the equivalent cost of one or two lapbooks,  after several months you will have received lapbook packs which have a value of more than what you paid.

 Most homeschool moms know the term 'curriculum junkie' refers to someone who loves to look at and often purchase new curriculum. While I don't deny I am one of them, I think I am also a 'lapbook junkie' as I can't wait to see,explore, and then guide my children through the new lapbooks each month from my Super Membership.

Disclaimer: I currently have a Super Membership at HOAC which I personally purchased. All opinions expressed in this piece are solely my own.  I have not been monetarily compensated for this piece, but maybe compensated with product.

What is Homeschool Mosaics and Why Am I Writing About It?

I'm not sure if I have mentioned it here, but I have the great privilege of being a writer for the blog Homeschool Mosaics. All of the wonderful women who make Homeschool Mosaics possible and write for the blog are homeschooling moms. We all bring our unique talents, perspectives and experiences to the blog and share once or twice a month in a personal column. Not only are they a great group of ladies, whom I am privileged to call friends, the collective wisdom is phenomenal.

Each month, usually on the 22nd, I write a column on budget/ frugal homeschooling. Today my column for July is posted and I share some local and state freebies which have been useful for my family. I would invite you to take a peek.

Also while you are at Homeschool Mosaics, click on the Giveaway tab to learn about this months great giveaway. A pedal car from BERG Toys! This looks like a wonderful exploration vehicle. Check it out for yourself.

Since my post on Homeschool Mosaics is monthly, I try to focus on a different theme each time. I would be interested in learning if any of my personal blog readers have any ideas frugal or budget homeschooling they would like to read about. Feel free to leave me a comment.

Home Made Air Show

Yesterday, the 4th of July, my son heard about an air show occurring in our area later in the day. 

He really wanted to go, but due to the extreme heat, (over 100 degrees) that just wasn't a safe activity.

So he disappeared into his room. I figured he went there to sulk. No, he was being productive. 

I found out later he was making his own paper airplanes. 

Not only did he fold them, but he also colored two of them. 

Then standing at the end of the hallway which goes into our living room and dining room, he flew his plans. One after the other. 

He created his own air show.

Since, the sign is not legible, it says Happy Fourth of July. He had it attached to the tail of one of the planes, like you often see banners on a plane.

Just for the record, the days high temperature was 105. The seventh day in a row over 100 degrees.

I think I like our own personal air show better.

Grammar Lapbook Makes Reviewing Grammar Fun

I was going through pictures on my computer the other day and found these. It has been a while since I wrote anything new here, so I decided I would write a short post and share the pictures.

Last fall my then 10 year old made a grammar lapbook.She had a pretty good grasp of the parts of speech and their usage and I really didn't want to bore her by going through them again, so I had her work through In the Hands of a Childs' Operation: English Grammar curriculum and lapbook. I simply wanted her to refresh her memory on them and at the same time introduce a couple new concepts

She generally enjoys lapbook projects, but I think she particularly enjoyed this one as the story line involves helping a fictional nation learn English. She also thought the story was partly a mystery because she needed to search for various clues and information and many of the mini books follow a detective theme.

The study guide and directions were simple enough that she was able to do most of the work and research on her own after I provided her with a couple of resources. In addition the hunt aspect made it interesting to her. This unique format also helped her to retain the new information she learned as well as provide another perspective on what she already knew.

The Old Schoolhouse Crew Year End Awards

The last two academic years I have had the privilege of being a member of the TOS Homeschool Crew. This group has the opportunity to use and review many exciting products. Some of these are new and some are old favorites, some are winners for a family, others are not loved quite as much. 

One of the unique activities of the crew is the opportunity to vote for our favorite products at the end of a year. This is fun, but it can also be a challenge to decide which category best represents a product. The black text and listing of products is information provided to me from the Crew and represents the votes of many people on the Crew. Some of the products listed I have had the opportunity to review; others I have not. Reviews for the products I have reviewed are here on my blog.

The asterisk denotes products I reviewed and is linked (hopefully) to my review here on my blog. The highlighted product names should take you to the company website.

As the 2011-2012 Crew year comes to a close, we are once again presenting awards to our vendors. The awards are known as the TOS Homeschool Crew Blue Ribbon Awards.

The following vendors are the recipients of the award this year. Click on their name to check out the Crew reviews!

*Favorite Reading Instruction Product: Reading Eggs 

*Favorite Writing Product: Write Shop 

*Favorite Language Arts Product: Progeny Press 

Favorite Social Studies Product: TruthQuest History 

*Favorite Science Product: Amazing Science 

*Favorite Math Product: Math Mammoth 

Favorite Online Math Product: Math Rider 

*Favorite Foreign Language Product: Visual Latin 

*Favorite Fine Arts Product: Artistic Pursuits 

Favorite Christian Education Product: Apologia: Who Am I? 

Favorite Preschool Product: Before Five in a Row 

Favorite Elementary Product: All About Reading  

*Favorite Middle School Product: Write with WORLD 

Favorite High School Product: Excellence in Literature 

Favorite College or College-Prep Product: Excellence in Literature 

*Best Online Resource: Reading Eggs 

*Best e-Product: Heritage History  

Best Homeschool Resource: Apologia: Educating the Wholehearted Child 

Best Book, Novel, or Magazine: Apologia: How to Have a HEART for Your Kids 

Best Children's Book: Amazing Animals by Design 

*Best Game or Toy: Northstar Games: Wits and Wagers and Say Anything 

*Best Hands-On Resource: Pitsco Education

*Best Resource I Didn't Know I Needed: eMeals 

*Best Customer Service: K5 Learning  

*Most Adaptable Resource: Creek Edge Press 

*Most Family-Oriented Resource: Northstar Games: Wits and Wagers and Say Anything 

*Kids' Choice (favorite of CHILDREN ages 0-12): Reading Eggs 

*Teens' Choice (favorite per the TEENAGERS): Pitsco Education 

*All Around Crew Favorite: Visual Latin  

 Each winning vendor has received this wonderful award to display with pride:

Many other Crew Members are blogging about these awards as well. Visit the Crew Blog to find a listing of links to other blog posts about these awards.

The two years I have been a member of the TOS Crew have been a learning experience for me. I have learned more about the myriad of homeschool products available, more about my children's learning abilities and needs, and meet many other homeschool parents  through their blogs and crew connections. However, due to changes for my family, I will not be continuing to review with the TOS Homeschool Crew. I will miss the opportunity I was blessed to have.

I plan to continue adding to my blog, but just not with as many product reviews.

Who Lives in the Sea? DVD and Educator guide TOS Review

 Who Lives in the Sea? DVD

 Who Lives in the Sea? blends breathtaking underwater pictures, enjoyable music,  and facts about the animals which make the ocean their home. The marine life you'll meet and learn about in this DVD includes
blue footed booby, marine turtles, iguanas, dolphins, eight armed animals, coral reefs, nudibranches, whale sharks, and sea lions. There is also a bonus feature, Underwater Alphabet, which highlights additional water life.A personality trait or quality is associated with each marine animal and mentioned in the movie.
The Dive into your Imagination series was created by Annie Crawly, aka Ocean Annie to help children learn about and explore the wonderful world found in the ocean.  Annie grew up far from the ocean, but as an adult had the opportunity to travel to and explore the worlds' oceans, exploring them and photographing ocean life. As a result of her experience she has become passionate about teaching children about oceans. It is her hope that children will grow to love the ocean and want to help protect it, because " we protect what we love".

While the DVD's are engaging and full of information, the Educators guides created to go with them are packed full of exciting activities and experiences, with chapters that correspond to those on the DVD. Inside the guides you'll find activities in the language arts, math, science, social studies, and arts subjects. There are 6-10 pages of printable activities and several pages of teacher notes and ideas for hands on or active activities as well. There are also activities which discuss the personality or character trait in each unit. Tying in the series title, Dive into your Imagination, viewers are encouraged to use their imagination to pretend they are marine life or live under the sea. Each chapter may vary by a couple pages, but they are close to the same length. The guides are available in two levels: PreK/K and 1st -3rd grades.

In addition to the website, Dive into your Imagination, Annie also has several YouTube channels.
www.Youtube.com/AnnieCrawley

www.Youtube.com/OceanAnnieTV

Who Lives in the Sea? is one of three DVD's in the Dive into Your Imagination series. The other two volumes are What Makes a Fish a Fish? and Dive into Diversity. Each of these DVD's is $19.95. Available at anniecrawley.com 

Print copies of the Educator Guide are available for $299.99. Mention you are a homeschooler in the notes on your order and Annie will give you a free pdf copy of the guide which goes with the DVD you purchase..

As a special, during May and June, Annie is offering free shipping to my blog readers for orders placed at her store.


My Thoughts

We enjoyed watching the DVD multiple times. The photography is simply stunning and the music is enjoyable.

Both my 8 and 11 year old participated in the activities found in the Educator guide. However, I knew some of them (mainly math) were quite simple for my older student, so I did not have her do them. We also did not do most of the role play or movement activities as my 8 year old son is not excited about that type of activity and my daughter is beyond them. To supplement the activities for my 11 year I had her look up definitions for the vocabulary words rather than using the included definitions list. I also required her to read additional resources and write more for the unit summaries of what she learned.

While we did not use every activity in the guide I think they are very well written and easily adaptable to the homeschool setting. (They are written for a classroom teacher). There is so much in them that the DVD and guide could easily be a unit study lasting several days for young scholars. The PreK/K guide contains many group activities and coloring pages, while the the guide for older students does have individual written activities in addition.

One thing I noted was a lot of information encouraging children to take care of the environment and how that impacts the ocean. While that kind of encouragement is important, I feel there was a lot in the guides. Some of my children tuned out as we do not live near the ocean and they didn't feel it was relevant to them. However, that does not keep me from using all the other wonderful resources in the DVD and guide.

Other members of the TOS Crew reviewed the other DVD's in the series as well this one. See what they had to say at the Crew Blog.

Disclaimer: I received a gratis copy of the mentioned DVD and download copies of the educator guide in order to write this review. I have not been compensated in any other manner and all opinions expressed here are solely my own.Information is accurate at time of posting.

Beef and Veggie Ramen

I stumbled across this recipe several years ago and decided to try it for my family. I was pleasantly surprised how much they enjoyed it. It really isn't hard, but there is some prep work to it. I do have to warn you that I really don't measure much of anything. I just kind of eyeball things as I put them in so that there is a good balance.

Beef and Veggie Ramen

3/4 - 1 lb. Ground beef
1 medium onion chopped into desired size pieces
Broccoli florets,  cut  (Instead of measuring, I usually use about a cereal bowl full)
3 medium Carrots, shredded
4 Cups water
3 packages ramen noodles
Seasoning packets from Beef flavored ramen or 2 bullion cubes
1 tsp. Dried red pepper flakes


Shredded carrots.
Cut broccoli into managable pieces. I usually cut most of the stem off each piece, so my bits are small. but cut according to your families preference.


Brown ground beef and onion in large skillet. Drain.

Add water and seasoning packets or bullion.  After water is hot add broccoli, ramen noodles, and red peppers.
Bring to a boil so both cook through.

Just before all water has cooked off, add carrots. They don't take long to cook since they are small.

After adding carrots continue to mix so it doesn't stick to the pan. Serve immediately.


Part of what I like about this recipe is its versatility. You can leave the onion out, I often forget to cut one up. I have also used cauliflower instead of broccoli.  When I used cauliflower I didn't add it with the noodles as I didn't want it to get mushy. I waited until they were fairly soft before adding the cauliflower.

I also plan to try it with a bag of frozen mixed veggies, but don't know how that will work yet.

Heritage History TOS Review

Heritage History Ancient Greece CD
http://www.heritage-history.com/www/heritage.php

A CD collection of 46 classic stories about Greece, mythology, and life in Ancient Greece. These books are categorized as Comprehensive History, Military History,Biography, Mythology and Hero Stories, Adapted Literature, and Historical Fiction.

The mission of Heritage History is to promote a traditional narrative history curriculum for homeschools. To achieve this they provide numerous complete, with text and illustrations, classic books covering a wide range of historical eras and locales. These books are available in e-reader formats as well as CD.

Both on the CD and the Heritage History website, book titles are color coded for approximate age and interest appropriateness. The purpose behind this it to make it easier to find books for students at different levels.

Study Guide

The CD also features a comprehensive study guide with tips and ideas to use the story resources, timelines of Greek History, maps, and reading records. These can all be printed and assembled into a companion guide for a student to use while reading these books independently.

The Heritage History store also offers CD collections of Roman, British, European, Norse, Asian, African, Christian, Moslem, Hispanic, and American books in addition to this Greek history CD. They also have a special collection deigned just for young readers. Each CD sells for $24.99.

Individual book titles may also be purchased from Heritage History.



The study guide is included on the CD's but it is also available in printed format ($ 24.99) or an individual download($12.99) for selected courses.

My Thoughts

 
Quite honestly, I have mixed feelings about this book collection. I was hoping for books which would supplement and flush out the stories and information in our primary history text. I had hoped to supplement my existing history curriculum with additional 'meatier' sources for my 11 year old. This was very hard to do as so much of these books are not of actual historical events, but are mainly literary resources, not studies of events. The events and incidents in the stories do not correspond to the history in our textbook. Thus I was not able to assign to assign her a specific book to read that would enrich what was already being studied.

I asked my 11 year old to read one of the books to herself following the advice in the study guide. She attempted this on several occasions. She read them, but was not overly enthusiastic. My 8 year old showed some interest in the stories when they were read aloud.

What I did do was to read from several of the books out loud to my children. This way they learned about some of the characters and events in Greek mythology. It also gave the opportunity for discussion which added to the experience. We also enjoyed several of the historical fiction titles. They were especially thrilled to hear The Spartan Twins by Lucy Perkins. We have read some of her other works and greatly enjoy them.

When using the CD on the computer it is very easy to navigate to the books and read them. They are in an e-pub format which opens and functions just like a web page.

The CD also contains a lot of user information, notes, and recommendations. In fact I found so much information it was overwhelming. I had difficulty remembering where I found specific notes when I wanted to go back to it. I would recommend printing these pages at the very beginning of organizing the course so they are handy.


The overwhelming majority of these books tend to be trade books, not particularly scholarly works, thus I probably would not use them as the basis of a history program much past junior high level. I do find this to be an excellent collection of Greek literature to complement Greek history, these are great stories which are a part of the Ancient Greek culture, but not history per se.

As to approximate level for various books the color coding maybe helpful, but I could not find information with concrete grade/ age recommendations. However, after reading through many of the texts, I have to question how many of the books were leveled.  It seems to me that Heritage History may haven taken the original target audience of many of these books and rearranged them for today's students. For example, labeling those which were intended for or used in upper elementary or middle school classes when they were written as current high school level books today. This can be misleading. Back in the time when the majority of these books were written most formal education did not continue past the 8th grade, thus these books would not have been used in high school. The upper limit on them would have been 8th grade. Thus the idea of many of the resources being appropriate for high school is not accurate.

I also found the classifications on the website to be very scattered. I don't think there is much of a pattern for placing books in a particular collection over against another collection. It was also difficult to determine what collection may contain a particular book as well.

Other members of the TOS Crew had the opportunity to use other volumes from the Heritage History collection. Read what they had to say at the Crew Blog.

 Disclaimer: I received a gratis copy of this CD to enable me to write this review. I have not been compensated in any other manner and all opinions expressed here are solely my own.

CapJaxMathFax TOS Review

CapJaxMathFacts

www.capjax.com

CapJaxMathFax drills math facts in all four operations. It works on facts from digits 0-9 in addition and subtraction and 0-10 in multiplication and division. It can be customized for the number of problems in a set and length of time in which to figure each fact. When a student can correctly answer a fact in 3 seconds it is considered to be mastered and becomes a 'Super' fact. When each set is completed the student sees their new score and often a quote from a famous personality.

As the student uses CapJaxMathFacts they are given a cumulative score based on number of problems answered correctly. These are then plotted on a graph so there is a visual showing their progress. Progress in each of the operations in shown on the chart, but in different colors. A bar graph is also used to show how close the student is to mastering an operation. In addition to showing separate progress for all four operations, a cumulative score is shown near the bar graph.

Facts are presented to students in both horizontal and vertical positions.  Both a dot and an 'x' are used to signify multiplication. I presume both of these are done so children realize they problem is the same no matter the layout.

There is also review of facts built into CapJaxMathFacts. At the end of a set the student is given several  problems previously mastered to answer again.

Certificates are issued and can be printed when all the facts in an operation are mastered and continue to be available in the future.

CapJaxMathFacts is available for $29.95. There is a free evaluation program download and if you like what you have experienced a license key will be emailed after purchase. This will unlock the full program. It is also available as a CD for $29.95 plus and additional $5.95. To learn more about the trial or purchase visit, CapJaxMathFacts.




My Thoughts

My child who loves math enjoyed CapJaxMathFacts, but my child who doesn't like math didn't really care for it. The one who enjoyed the program spent a fair amount of time with it and was able to make good progress.

Both of my children liked seeing what the new quote would be and it often triggered discussions of who someone is/was. They also liked to see their scores and ratings climb. I think this gave them encouragement and motivation to continue.

There is a time element to the program, but it can be set to suit the needs of the student. This time applies to working an individual problem, the user is not racing against the clock to complete a group of problems. I think this takes some of the stress out of the timing aspect.


Read what other TOS Crew members had to say at the Crew Blog.

 
Disclaimer: I received a free trial of this product in order to enable me to write this review. I have not been compensated in any other manner and all opinions expressed here are solely my own.

Write Shop TOS Review

Write Shop
http://www.writeshop.com/

Writing Instruction for my children has been something I have struggled with for my children. I can teach them the steps of writing or the elements of a paragraph or composition, but the how to get there is the tough part. Write Shop has provided this crucial bridge in writing instruction.

I have had the opportunity to use and review Write Shop Level B, designed for  1st and 2nd grade, but also suitable for 3rd grade. Level B contains 10 lessons with each lesson studied for 2 weeks. The lessons can also be stretched for use over 3 weeks if the child needs more writing practice.

Write Shop Level B teaches the following writing skills: letter writing, standard spelling, acrostic poems, nursery rhymes, fairy tales, in the news, problem solving, humor, characters and settings, and using graphic organizers. We have used the first three lessons with topics of Grandparents, holidays, and space. Additional topics in the curriculum are neighborhood and community, dinosaurs, ocean animals, nursery rhymes, fairy tales, animal homes, and neighborhood helpers.


Each lesson focuses on a specific theme or event, such as holidays, birthdays, trips. All the topics chosen for the lessons are exciting to children and something most children are already familiar with. Thus they are aren't faced with writing about something which they don't know about, a major hurdle in the whole writing process. The major elements of writing; brainstorming, pre-writing, writing, revising and editing are practiced several times over the course of each lesson.

The lessons are designed to be done in approximately 30 minutes a day, with several different, yet related activities accomplished during this time.

In addition to performing the various steps of actual writing, students using Write Shop also are exposed to spelling and word families as they relate to the writing projects. Throughout the course students are encouraged to make a spelling notebook containing words which are related to the subjects of their writing projects. Students also review word families and make diagrams of them in preparation of poetry projects.


Write Shop requires a lot of parent/ teacher preparation and participation. This adult needs to gather various materials for the course and have them easily accessible for each lesson. It is also necessary to prepare some papers or cutout items for each days lessons. Much of the teaching in the Write Shop program is done interactively between the student and teacher. The adult is encouraged to do the physical act of writing for the student so they may focus on the thoughts involved. The teacher carries on a conversation with the student while he is engaged in the writing process to him him remember details and mechanics of writing. This conversation is also designed to help prompt the student to remember details to include in their writing.

The teacher helps include a detailed schedule for one, two, or three weeks per lesson on a grid format and show which parts of the lesson are to be completed each day. There is also a grading rubric or checklist for each of the 10 lessons. This is on two pages, but clearly shows what the teacher should be looking for as they work with the child to master the various styles of writing presented.

Write Shop level B also uses an Activity Set. This is a collection of pre designed pages which are used with the lessons to introduce the topic, peak interest and give a nice form to the culminating writing activity of each lesson.

Write Shop B is $26.95 e-book format, $29.95 book. Activity pages Level B are $4.95 print, $4.50 e book. All of these products are available from the Write Shop store. Now through June 15th 2012 Write Shop is offering a discount to readers of the TOS Crew Reviews a 15% discount at checkout with the code CREW15 This includes all Write Shop Primary and Junior books and e-books.

Write Shop also has additional levels of writing programs for kindergarten thorough high school.



My Thoughts

Both my 8 year old son and I love this program. Using the Write Shop program has changed writing from a subject which is dreaded to one eagerly anticipated. My son has gone from "No, Do I have to write?, I don't want to write" to "Mom, we can't forget to do today's writing assignment." He has been interested in all three of the topics we have completed, but especially space.

The first lesson features a little ditty to help students remember the parts and order of  a letter. They learn a letter has a heading, greeting, body, and closer and associate them with parts of their head, hands to greet, body, and feet to sign their letter. My 8 year old enjoyed acting this out and my 11 year old thought it was so fun that she joined in.

One of the components of the program is making a 'Super Speller' notebook containing words the student has difficulty spelling. I think this is a great idea and one which I had started in a different format. I had set up an index card box with letter dividers and wrote words on individual cards. That way we are able to update the word collection as his vocabulary grows and interests change.

Another component involves making a flower garden featuring word family flowers. The flowers contain a word ending in the center and words made with that ending for the petals. The flowers didn't not appeal to my 8 year old son so he decided to make a vegetable garden. He thought it would be more interesting to have a variety of vegetables, rather than just one kind.

The pictures above feature lettuce and red potatoes; to the left corn and tomatoes.






I received a pdf copy of the Write Shop text and activity pages for this review. It was convenient to have the activity pages on my computer and print when I needed them, however I did not find the electronic copy of the text as convenient. Because teaching the course requires some much parent preparation and participation I found it challenging to have an electronic format. It was not easy to go back and forth on each page to see what needed to be prepared or try to follow the directions while teaching the lesson. I had to print out a number of pagers as well as the schedule before I could really get a handle on how to present the program to my son. My personal preference would be to have a hard copy of the book available for preparation and next to me while working with my child.

Other members of the TOS Crew reviewed this level and other Write Shop levels. See what they had to say at the Crew Blog.



 Disclaimer: I received a gratis pdf copy of this program to enable me to write this review. I have not been compensated in any other manner. All opinions expressed here are solely my own.

Library and Ed Go Science DVD TOS Review

  Go Science is a 6 volume DVD collection demonstrating and explaining scientific concepts. Physics, Chemistry, and Life science concepts are the focus of the set. Running time varies per disc: the ones I reviewed were 45 and 60 minutes.

As a TOS Crew member we reviewed DVD's 3 and 4. Disc 3 features experiments relating to Magnetism, Electricity, Engineering, and Design. Disc 4 features Chemistry, States of Matter, and Life Science experiments.

The host, Ben Roy, demonstrates numerous scientific principles in front of a live audience of children of all ages. Many of the experiments he demonstrates require materials often not found in a home, so its likely viewers have not seen many of them or tried them for themselves. Not only does he interact with the audience, some of his questions are addressed to his viewers.

There is a definite religious influence in these episodes. God and Creation are mentioned at the closing of each segment as well as some references are also made throughout the episodes.

Each DVD is available from Library and Educational Services for$8.97.




Library and Educational Services is a small family wholesale distributor offering a variety of books and educational materials at discounted prices to homeschools, schools, churches, libraries, missionaries, and licensed day cares.  They are located in Michigan.



My Thoughts

Both of my children enjoy science and can't get enough. So they were very excited to watch these experiment demonstrations. The explanations of what is being done, results, and the science behind it is very through.

Both my 8 and 11 enjoyed watching the demonstrations. They both enjoyed the demonstrations because they were able to see experiments they wouldn't normally be able to do. They also saw a new perspective to some demonstrations they had seen or done previously.

While each DVD has limited topics, the experiments and demonstrations featured are varied and demonstrate numerous principles.

However, I was very disappointed in one of the demonstrations with chemical changes in Volume 4. Mr. Roy asked what Bible story tells about a chemical change and his student helper answered with "Jesus turning water into wine". He replied, "Jesus turned water into sparkling grape juice". This is an error as the Biblical text clearly states "turned water into wine".


We also experienced some frustration with the audio quality on both discs. The volume varied from demonstration to demonstration and many had quite loud feedback.

Other TOS Crew members had the opportunity to view these and other Go Science DVD's. See what they had to say at the Crew Blog.

 Disclaimer: I received gratis copies of the above mentioned DVDs for the purpose of writing this review. I have not been compensated in any other manner. All opinions expressed here are solely mine or my family's.

Elementary Economics

One of the unpredictable things about children is what will catch their interest and when. Sometimes it is the least expected topic which is most interesting to them. Then what is even more amazing is when both of them agree on one single topic. My most resent experience in this regard was when both my 8 and 11 year olds decided they wanted to learn about economics.

Since they were both extremely interested I didn't want to pass up the opportunity, but I was left scratching my head about how and what to share with them. I figured this would be in addition to my current plans and  we wouldn't spend more than a couple weeks on it. So my first stop was the library website. I was able to find a couple books that looked to be on their level so maybe I would be able to pull something together. I also did some research online, but didn't find a whole lot to start with.

After studying the books from the library, I decided I would be able to use two of them. I also found one of my resource books had several hands on ideas for teaching economic principles. After further thought I decided to have them put together a lapbook to record what they learned. I started looking for lapbook sets, but couldn't find one on their level which addressed economics, not money. I purchased one, but it turned out to be too in depth. So now, I was making my own lapbook. This was getting to be a bigger project all the time. Some of the templates were fro sets I purchased, but I also made my own.

In the end the economics study consisted of activities learning about scarcity and value, wants and needs, and making value assessments. The lapbook contains mini books examining:

• What an Economic System is and the major types
• Wants and Needs
• What makes up the Economy
• The Government's Role in the Economy
• Goods and Services
• What Economics is
• Scarcity
• Taxes
• The Stock Market
• Which Government Agencies Influence the Economy

 This is what the finished lapbook looks like. We have to glue the two books together yet, but it was easier to take pictures first.

Mega Prize Package Giveaway from Homeschool Freebie of Day

I don't usually post about giveaways or contests here, but this time I am making an exception.  I discovered a great site a couple years ago, Homeschool Freebie of the Day. Each week day they have a link to a great web site or a pdf book to download. Many of the books are older classics which can not be found other places but are a great resource and often just plain fun. The book resources have so much to offer and are a great supplement to any homeschooling plan. But, the resources offered are useable by anyone,not just homeschoolers. Since I found Homeschool Freebie of the day they have offered comic books, handicraft books, stories from history, nature studies, and many, many links to fascinating websites. If you just visit their site for the web links they share you will have a treasure trove of information at your fingertips.

This week they have a great giveaway going on. They are taking entries for a HUGE package of resources. Some of the products included are two foreign language curriculum, American History titles, a Fairy Tale collection, a collection of dog stories and so much more. While many of the resources included in the package are designed for homescholing families, many of them would be interesting to those families who don't homeschool too.

Using this link with take you to the form to register for your chance to win this amazing set of resources.


amhttp://homeschool.greenthumbfily.com/?cdr=4f9b705600861

By using this link, you will also give me several more entries, so if you are interested I would be grateful if you used this link.

Balance Math Teaches Algebra TOS Review

Balance Math Teaches Algebra
The Critical Thinking Company
www.criticalthinking.com/
1-800-458-4849

Balance Math Teaches Algebra is an introduction to solving equations and the processes of algebra. In solving the equations students are introduced to the skills of filling in proofs, simplifying equations, and substitution.



Rather than employing just a straight row of symbols and numbers, Balance Math uses a balance scale to represent the equation and geometric shapes for variables. In some of the equations the shapes have numbers in them, others are blank inside. The pages of the book are non distracting black print with no extraneous decorations, with 3-8 scales to solve on each page. Students are given several equations to solve with proofs to fill in to acquaint them with the type of equations they will be working with then they move on to several pages on which they practice those skills and types of problems. This practice may include activities such as matching equations which are equal or determining which equations are equal to a simplified balance scale shown at the top of a page. There are also several pages where the student matches equations to the mini word problems which are missing their variables.

 While the equations progress in difficulty throughout the book, the types of activities generally remain the same.

The book contains 52 pages of student work, a tip sheet for the student with guidance and ideas to solve different types of equations, and an answer key. It is recommended for 4th through 12 grade.

Balance Math Teaches Algebra is $14.99 from the Critical Thinking Company.  Samples are available by clicking the cover on the product page.

Critical Thinking Company has core and supplemental books in the subject areas of  language arts, math, science, social studies, and logic for preschool through high school. Some subject material is also available on CD format for use on the computer.


My Thoughts

My 11 year old is eager to start learning algebra, so when I had the opportunity to review this book. I thought this would be the perfect opportunity for her.

Balance Math starts out fairly easy and my daughter found it enjoyable. However, by the time she was about a third of the way through she started having difficulty as many of the problems require multiplying and dividing by fractions and she is not comfortable with that operation yet. This is not a problem with the curriculum, but simply her level of knowledge at the present.

I liked the simplicity of the book, there was nothing there to distract her from work as is often the case with other materials. It is also small enough not to be overwhelming to the user.  Another great aspect of the book is user are presented equations with the geometric shapes rather than a long string of variables. This helps students to focus on the skill and process rather than the letter otherwise used.

Despite the challenge my daughter enjoyed working through Balance Math Teaches Algebra and getting a taste of algebra. Using this book has opened one of the secrets of upper grade work to her.


Other members of the TOS Crew had the opportunity to review this book as well as other publications from the Critical Thinking Company. See what they had to say at the Crew Blog.



Disclaimer: I received a gratis copy of the above reviewed books through the TOS Crew to enable me to write this review. I have not been compensated in any other manner and all opinions expressed here are solely my own.