Exploring America-History Curriculum For Homeschoolers — High School

Finding a good history curriculum for high school was one of the greatest challenges I faced when I was being homeschooled. It seemed to like most of the good history books stop at the Civil War or World War II. What about modern history? It's hard to find a history book from a Christian perspective about modern history. Have you run into this problem, too? This difficulty has been organization connected with a high school history curriculum from Notgrass Company. By Ray Notgrass Exploring America is an amazing curriculum that is exciting as well as educational. It begins with Christopher Columbus and ends at the present time. Each day is broken up into short, concise lessons.

Sometimes history books seem to make the exciting events sound like nothing more than boring facts, Mr. Notgrass has an engaging writing style that makes the events come to life. There are also daily assignments that encourage the students to dig deeper. Sometimes they will read a document, speech, or hymn from American Voices, which is a 400 + page companion book that comes with the curriculum. Other times they will look up relevant Bible verses and also memorize verses. Writing assignments (including writing a research paper) are also part of the assignments. Students who finish the course will have three credits, one in history, one in English, and one in the Bible. How's that for hitting 3 birds with one stone?

This book is essential for every high school student and will give them the tools to take an in depth look at American history from a Biblical perspective. If you are looking for a really good American history high school curriculum look no further. Exploring America has filled a big gap in the history curriculum for homeschoolers —. Exploring America is the best high school curriculum for American history I have ever seen! I wish it had been around when I was in high school.

By Ray Notgrass Exploring America

Reviewed by Amy Puetz

Do you want the really exciting history with accurate facts presented in an interesting way? Uncover Exciting History: Revealing America's Christian Heritage in Short, Easy-to-Read the Nuggets by Amy Puetz offers a snapshot view of America's history from Columbus to World War II. Each chapter is short and easy to read. Find out more at http://www.amypuetz.com/

Amy Puetz is a homeschool graduate, a self-taught by, and a servant of Jesus Christ. History has been a passion for her since childhood. Years of in-depth study (both in modern and old sources) have equipped her to write a historical books. She especially loves to dig for little-known stories that show God's providential hand.

Why Short Lessons Work in a Charlotte Mason Education

How many times during a home schooling day, have you found yourself still trying to plug along to get every subject done that you feel "has" to be done before you can end your school day? Before you know it, it is 3:30 ... 04:00 ... 05:00 ... And suddenly you realize that not only is your spouse on the way home, and supper is not done, but you never even remembered to get it out of the freezer it, let alone start it?!

Plus, added to this, your house has PokerRoom.com become an upheaval in the meantime, the laundry you started before school this morning is still waiting to be thrown in the dryer, or hung on the clothesline. Your kids are grouchy and just want to go outside to play. You have a headache and can't wait to just sit and do absolutely nothing but stare at the television. But, in your spouse drives, honking cheerfully as he sees his children playing outside. He has had a long, hard, hectic day at the office, and he is so looking forward to a nice home cooked meal. He walks in, looks around, sees the upheaval of things and then has the nerve to ask, "So what's for dinner?" At this point, all you can do is sit down and cry. Your husband is at a loss as to what is wrong, let alone what he can do, or should do, to help in your situation. To top it off, he is afraid of saying or doing the wrong thing, no matter how carefully he tries to word things. Did ' school ' get done today? Yes, it did. Thank God for that! But it was done cheerfully, with anticipation, looking forward to what tomorrow will bring? Sadly, your answer would have to be an emphatic "NO!"

Well there are specific reasons why Charlotte Mason felt strongly that it was imperative that children be given ' short lessons "in a variety of subjects throughout each day. Not only is it a ENORMOUS help to the parent in not becoming overwhelmed, but it also helps you, the parent, to be able to maintain a calm, peaceful learning environment, giving you ample time to get your daily household necessities accomplished. However, ultimately, it is for the sake of your children.

Miss Mason has three simple, basic reasons for short lessons where children are concerned. Firstly, the idea that there is only so much time to get the math lesson done, or his reading finished, keeps the child's comprehension levels fixed and alert. Secondly, your child has only so much of an attention span for any one subject that he can absorb, without going in to overload. And thirdly, your child gets through his morning routine without getting bored or tired, feel exasperated by.

Now, what better reasons are there than these to continue to learn and follow more of Charlotte Mason's wonderful, yet simple lessons, that can be used in our personal, every day lives? Go to Charlotte Mason Made Easy website to see more about simple and short lessons.

Article by Kelly Benedict, the longtime homeschooler of 17 + years, wife, Mama of 9 and grandmother of 6 (so far), dog breeder and writer.

Creative Home Schooling for Gifted Children by Lisa Rivero

"We home school, in the words of Annemarie Roeper, to-for life rather than simply to-for success."

In the response of the 911 bombings, when Lisa Rivero was finishing writing this book, the realization came to her of exactly how profound of a statement this actually was. She says, "I began to understand on a new level. We don't learn about architecture or read great books or study world countries in order "to home school." We home school so that we're free to learn about life in its unpredictable complexity. We home school to ask questions and to seek answers for ourselves, to put ourselves in the place another's, to begin to forge new connections and relationships for a new global community, to do our small part as citizens of the world. "

Says the author, David h. Albert, author of "And the Skylark Sings with Me: Adventures in Homeschooling and Community-Based Education," Giftedness, whether of the intellectual or other varieties, exists on a continuum like most other characteristics. "

Parents of gifted children face unique challenges that are seldom discussed or taken seriously by other parents or school personnel, "says Lisa. While parents should not PokerRoom.com become preoccupied with a child's potential nor should they organize the entire family around the gifted child, it is extremely beneficial for parents to be aware of:

(1) why their children seem different, and
(2) that the difference is real and necessitates a unique parenting and educational approaches.

I cannot adequately describe the relief I felt when I finally met other parents who, like me, were accused of being pushy when their young children taught themselves to read before school age, or who felt helpless as they watched their child's extreme sensitivity, or from and who struggled to keep up with the reasoning powers of a six-year-old asking a question a minute. "

This book and its 400 pages is a wealth of information! Chapters cover subjects such as: Traits of Giftedness, Which Needs, Social and Intellectual Needs, Learning Styles-Learning With a Difference, Creating Your Home School Approach, Your Creative Home School Toolbox, and chapters on the Paperwork, Documentation, & Testing, Special Topics, plus so much, much more.

In her book are also sections on Resources for Gifted Children, References, publishers who offer a full curriculum for gifted students, websites to help parents of gifted children, software companies, and more. If you think your child is gifted, or you are looking for support in educating your gifted child, then I would seriously recommend that you check into owning this book. I believe that you can glean a lot from it!

Article by Kelly Benedict, the longtime homeschooler of 17 + years, wife, Mama of 9 and grandmother of 6 (so far).

An Introducing Technological Change Through History With Mike Mulligan

The story of Mike Mulligan and his steam shovel, dedicated fondly known as Mary Anne, are a great conversation opener for so many topics. In a bid for a contract Mike needed to prove that Mary Anne in one day was capable of doing the work of 100 hundred men in a week. As a testimony to good old hard work, Mike and Mary Anne did exactly that but created a dilemma in the process, one that has a beautiful outcome.

One of my favourite ways to use this book is to introduce the topic of technological change over time, This book speaks into the history of engines and is a great starter book as you look into the industrial age right through to today's technology, particularly the development of modern communications technology. Poor Mary Anne was in direct competition with her more modern counterparts and had to prove her worth as an engine that appeared to have been superseded by.

Visits to historical Museum, are a must for home educators using this title. Of course, no museum is the same and each has their own key that exhibits. From the ' cheese ' Museum, that show the items that were used in historical cheese manufacture to ' transport ' Museum that look at changes in travel through to ' pastoral ' Museum that look at a historical farming equipment you can choose any one to explore technological change over time or even look at several. Then, it would be complemented by a visit to a modern equivalent. Plan into your program a trip to a cheese maker, car dealer or mechanic, or a modern farm. It would make for a great research project that compares not just the technology of each era but also the impact that this technology has on daily life for those who use it.

Another great project is to get a ' classic ' car and a late model vehicle side-by-side with their's hoods open. Then, using someone with mechanical knowledge, explore the different components of each vehicle and discuss all the extra parts in newer vehicles and design changes that have occurred in parts such as the engine. As a spin off topic, through the exploration of accessories, there could be learning directed to safety in cars. This would include discussing how seat belts, air bags, brake assistance and stability control work in a vehicle, the purpose that they serve, their effectiveness and that they as a user of transportation can keep themselves safe.

Alternate Educational Uses

This amazing book by Virginia Lee Burton opens up so many more conversations, pages.though, then just conversation over technological change, consider the following ideas.

An interesting retrospective study for older children that can come from this is on consumerism, disposable lifestyles and the waste of resources by first world nations. It can then provide a very interesting critical thinking exercise on whether it is important to care for and preserve of our possessions. This can lead to some really great hands on exercises on how to preserve different possessions. Safe storage of the products of photography, preserving timber surfaces, reupholstering and repairing furniture rather than replacing it, and researching alternate sources of household goods that are pre-loved.

Tied to this you can pull in excursions to antique stores and businesses was published by "the day in spending, tuition from an upholsterer, and learning where one can source pre-loved goods both within budget, within the house's era and how to care for them. From there, some home or communication based projects can be initiated using the skills learned through these excursions. Polishing silver, timber, restoring repairing goods. Just imagine what your child could do in aid of an elderly neighbour!

Another fantastic idea is to discuss the importance of our history, not just national history, but also that of communities and that of families. Studying one's own family history and learning lessons from our elders can bring a child's life into perspective. As a teenager, many home educated children can explain why their parents are the way they are through study of the lives of their parents parent's. This opens a door to genealogy and the lives of familial ancestors a process that will reinforce learning about national and local history for those family members.

Another totally separate thread that learning could take from this wonderful book is grounded on the dilemma that Mike Mulligan and Mary Anne faced after they completed their task. (You'll need to read the book to find out what that dilemma was). Of course, this speaks into a skill that is highly sought in workplaces and is essential to the operation of a family home-planning! This brings the opportunity to discuss the importance of planning, types of planning, how to plan, communicating your plan to others and how planning can assist in preventing dilemmas like the one that needed to be resolved in this book.

This book is a great book for a child of any age and is a great resource in the library of any parent. It's my own five star rating and I would recommend you check it out for yourself! This book crosses many societal barriers that many other titles introduce and creates a safe base to enter the topic of history with an open mind.

You can find out more about the Mike Mulligan and His Steam Shovel and view a range of activities that complement the learning from this book at [http://readplaylearn.com.au/mike-mulligan-and-his-steam-shovel]. Organic Learning's Read, Play, Learn web site has been developed on the basis that ' where there is fun learning's '. The goal of the website is to equip parents and teachers to demonstrate that reading books is fun and that there are plenty of stimulating activities that can complement them. Making reading enjoyable takes 99% of the sweat out of teaching literacy.

Organic Learning is a web based community dedicated to supporting the journey of life long learners with a special focus on the home education community. You can read the blogs of home educators, find articles on home education and find a range of other resources all on http://organiclearning.com.au/.

The Real Life Home School Mom by Virgina Knowles

"The opportunity to-our own children at home is a tremendous blessing and an exciting challenge. However, despite the fact that hundreds of thousands of families have blazed the trail before us, our journey can still be fraught with difficulties and discouragement. "

Author Virginia Knowles is the wife of Thad, and veteran home school educator of eight children ages ' teen down to baby. She doesn't pretend to be a super mom, or to even have extra ordinary children. She doesnt claim to be an expert on education or psychology. Her qualification is simply that she is a Real Life Home School Mom, just like you and I. That, in itself, can be a very comforting thought to those of us out there who tend to compare ourselves to others and think that we must be doing something wrong.

In her 141-page book, she offers encouragement and Scriptural advice for your which practical and spiritual life, family relationships, support groups, educational philosophy, and success in academics have, home management, and much more.

In the chapter titled alien blobs pits, "The Hallmarks of a Gentle Spirit", she talks of "a woman of dignity, in her own home, does not give in to the selfish demands of her children. She has the firmness to say, "NO!" and to stick with her decision, no matter how bad the whining gets. She makes sure that they do their school work and me, even when they would rather play. She does not allow her children to treat her with disrespect. She knows that a parent's job is to train them to obey quickly, quietly, cheerfully, and completely, so "" instruction is on her tongue (Proverbs 31: 25). "

If you aren't a perfect home school mom, then this book is for you! Why not sit back this holiday season and be fed and ministered to to? What better way to prepare for the New Year?!

Article by Kelly Benedict, the longtime homeschooler of 17 + years, wife, Mama of 9 and grandmother of 6 (so far).

Answers to Questions Parents Most Often Ask-HOMESCHOOLING by Deborah McIntire & Robert Windham

Deborah McIntire has over 18 years of experience as a teacher and administrator. She has spent many years working with home-school parents as an administrator, consultant and supervising teacher.

Robert Windham has a B.A. in Psychology and M.S. in counseling '. He has taught in the parochial and public school systems and has served as a private school director. He is also a supervising teacher and has worked closely.sure-go with home-schooling parents over the years. Together, these two authors have worked with over 500 home-schooled children and their parents in the role of supervising teachers.

Over the years they have noticed a commonality of questions and concerns affecting home-schooling families. They wrote this book in hopes of addressing some of these concerns.

Have you ever asked yourself, or been asked by someone else, "How do I know if my child is learning? What factors should I consider if my child isnt reading as well as other children? How well do children adjust to the transition from a home-school setting, to a traditional school setting? What types of common learning difficulties might my child encounter? How do I match my instructional approach to the required curriculum? AND, how do I balance the demands of home schooling with the rest of my life? " Well these two authors have terms these issues and offered suggestions and help for many others. Covered here are also the legal requirements, organizational tools, evaluation procedures, and ready-to-use reproducibles.

One appealing section in this book is the scope-and-sequence charts. Many parents often have doubts as to what exactly their children need to know at each grade level. In this book you will find a broad overview of the basic concepts generally suggested or required for grades K-8 in language arts, math, social studies, and science.

As their closing remarks they say, Home educating your children is indeed a unique privilege-one that allows you to not only impart academic knowledge but wisdom the and values. Day by day as you teach math, English, and geography, you also shape attitudes that reinforce beliefs.what, and provide a safe haven in which your children can grow, question, and explore. We strongly believe that your investment in this educational process will provide lifelong dividends for you and your children, which will strengthen the family as well as the community at large. Our best wishes to you and your family in all your educational endeavors. "

"Article by Kelly Benedict, the longtime homeschooler of 17 + years, wife, Mama of 9 and grandmother of 6 (so far).

Teaching Online-Home Schooling Book Review

If you are considering teaching online, or if you are a parent and would like homeschooling to have your kids learn online while at home ... then maybe you need to do a little bit of research. Maybe you need to consider what's out there, and the various hybrid courses and technology issues which surround the world of Internet courses and online teaching.

The other day, there was a very interesting article in the Wall Street Journal that discussed why there never needed to be any poor weather days that prevented school. If the inclement weather was so bad that the school buses couldn't run, or the blizzard made it impossible to get to school, then each student could learn at home on their own computer. The article made some compelling arguments, and I found similar points of contention in a book on the subject.

In fact, I'd like to go out of my way right now to recommend this book to you, and it is a book that I do own of my personal library. The name of this book is; "Teaching Online-A Practical Guide" (College Teaching Series-Second Edition) by Susan Ho and Steve Houghton Mifflin Company, Rossen, Boston, MA, (2004), 339 pages, ISBN: 0-618-29848-7.

There is a great overview of online teaching and what it's about, and although it is written from the perspective of the institutional educator, it surely a helps parents understand what they are dealing with when they choose which courses, online syllabuses, and information they wish their children to read and learn. Teaching in an online classroom is not easy, but those that have the skill and talent to pull it off, are the most desired and sought after instructors.

Why not pick up a copy of this book so you can familiarize yourself with low tech and high-tech solutions used in Internet education. You can also find discussion forums where you can interact shop with teachers, and how they use whiteboards, chatting and instant messaging features to make the online classroom feel at home. Why not learn what the teachers go through when they put together their training programs, and how they prepare themselves for their students.

It seems to me as a parent, I want to know how the online teaching system works, what type of software and hardware works the best, and how the teachers are going to interact shop with my kids. You need to know these things up front, it's very important, and that's why a recommend this book to you. Indeed I hope you will please consider all this and think on it.

Lance Winslow is an Online Author, his latest eBook about Boat Detailing is now available in the "Lance Winslow Small Business Series titled alien blobs pits; "How to Start a Boat Cleaning Business" (a Nook Book available at the Barnes and Noble Website). Lance Winslow is semi-retired and Co-founder of the Online Think Tank http://www.worldthinktank.net/-You may contact Lance Winslow by email for dialogue, discourse, discussion, or debate on interesting topics.