Happy New Year!

 May your family have a joyful and bless3d New Year!

Add a bit of History to your travels!

 We’re visiting Okinawa.  We had to see Kakazu and Hacksaw Ridge.  It’s so important to add a bit of History to your curriculum.  Add a bit to your travels.  It’s the easiest way to learn more!  If you watched the movie Hacksaw Ridge, seeing the site brings home the courage the men had assaulting the ridge.  It made me want to know more about Desmond Doss.  Sometimes, kids are more interested in a topic after they see a site.  Although you may want to research and read before you visit.  By all means add a bit of History.

AI Answers

 I scour the internet frequently for new ideas.  Usually I ignore AI generated answers.  But, I decided to try to use AI intentionally to evaluate the response.  The results are interesting. Will I use AI preferentially?  Probably not.  However, I will glance at the results more often when I want to check for a new lab.  When I asked about homeschool history textbooks, I got top web results.

Next, I asked about the  Open Court program.  Here is the answer.  It didn’t include the history of  the Open Court curriculum; however, the description is accurate.

Finally, I teach science, too.  I’m always looking for new labs.  I asked about colorful chemical experiments, which the kids love.  

I had to refine my request to include experiments to do safely at home.

Go to the zoo!

 We love the zoo! Our family has visited zoos all over the world.  Yesterday we went to the zoo in Okinawa.  Every zoo is different.  The signs at the zoo here are hilarious!  Take a look!

Why should you teach Latin?

 Latin!  Why should anyone teach Latin?  Yes, many Catholic families incorporate Latin into their curriculum.  Even if you aren’t Catholic, you should consider teaching Latin.  Why?  The reason is vocabulary and grammar.  I took two years of Latin in high school.  Just the root words helped enormously in Biology classes in college.   Latin helps on the SAT, too.  Often strange words can be decoded based on Latin roots.  I like Henle Latin.  I’ve been using Henle to tutor a student the past three years.  You need the whole set; used copies abound.  We plow through the exercises together at our own pace because this is an elective.  If you have taken foreign languages, the one aspect of Latin which can be confusing is Declension.  Nouns are declined.  Eventually, Henle gets into verb conjugation.  Unlike French or Spanish, nouns are declined before verbs are conjugated.  Yes, I use the internet when there is some source of confusion.  I like Cactus 2000 when I need to check a declension or conjugation; this site has the accents.

A few of my favorite resources!

We are visiting our son, a priest chaplain, in Kadena AFB in Japan.  We’ve met several families, one who is considering home-schooling their family of seven children.  I made a list of my favorite resources.  Let me share them with you.  Here are some of my favorite home-school materials.  The family asked me to make a list for a seventh grade boy.  So the list skews a bit younger.  

For teens I would add Stobaugh Literature, Apologia High School Science,  Mavis Beacon Teaches Typing, Henley Latin,  and Dave Ramsay’s High School Homeschool. 

Military STEM Resources

 I had a ‘duh’ moment.  I’m visiting the AFB in Kadena, Japan; our son is a priest chaplain for the Air Force.  There is all kinds of education.  Duh!  I bet there are STEM resources. In fact there are!  Many resources are specific to individual bases.   The first one I found online is WPAFB Educational Outreach Office.  Look at Design Thinking (elementary ages).  The Wizards of Wright Lesson uses Pepsi’s Plastic Bottle School Project in the Philippines.  Yes, they include a map of the Philippines and videos for each lesson.  I looked at Straw Rockets, Reaction Chemistry, and Newton’s Third Law.  Not bad!  These lessons use simple materials and include videos.  

USAFA STEM Chemistry from the Air Force Academy has some demos: Can Crush, Whoosh Bottle, and Oscillating Reactions.  If you live near the Air Force Academy in Colorado, look at their Outreach page. The Civil Air Patrol has Aerospace/STEM Resources for Remote Education.  Contact your local Civil Air Patrol to see about ordering the free STEM kit and free books.  

Are you familiar with the National Air Guard or Army National Guard?  See if there is one near your home which sponsors STARBASE.   We live near Quantico, a Marine base.  The Navy and Marine bases often sponsor SeaPerch a competitive, robotics competition.  Some Army bases sponsor Junior Solar Sprint.   If you live near a military base, do a quick search.  For example, Martinsburg WV Air Guard STEM brought up their STARBASE program.    Many bases offer summer camps, too.  These are very popular.  The National Museum of the Marine Corps, near Quantico offers a summer camp. It is tough to get a slot in one of the camps, which are often free.  It’s definitely worth trying.   Hope you find even more resources!

Merry Christmas!

 Here’s hoping your family has a wonderful Christmas!

Buy books for Christmas—especially for reluctant readers!

Buy books for Christmas!  Chances are your children have loads and loads of stuff.  Our family gives used books as gifts all the time.  I scour used book sales and online book stores all the time for gifts.  Now, Dyslexia runs rampant in our family; consequently, reading is even more important for kids with learning differences.  What if they are reluctant readers?  Do you think my family is different from yours?  I’ve had that battle with teens who don’t want to read anymore for pleasure.  (Too often, they want to use Sparknotes instead of books for school work, too.)  I’m not a purist.  The key is to get your child to read a book, graphic novel, even a comic book.  I have purchased stacks of Calvin and Hobbes as gifts.

What is my secret?  I buy books to tantalizing to put on a shelf.  Figure out the kid’s main interest.  Paul is obsessed with shoes.  I’m buying him books about sneakers. Really!

Does your child like to bake?  Shop for cookbooks at the local library sale!  

Is your teen interested in building catapults or trebuchets?  Start here.  Take note!  These types of books often lead to an interest in learning more of the history of early warfare.  More reading!

Build on your kid’s interests: gift, soccer, horses, etc.  Give them a related book.  Introduce your child to the joy of reading!  Who knows where this Joy will lead?

Teach on a Budget: Smart Boards

  While I teach for the local homeschool Co-op, I taught at both private and public schools, in another life.  I’ve had some experience with Smart Boards.  The Catholic School at our church has Smart Boards in all of the classrooms.  I use one when I lead a Faith Camp in the summer. I find it handy to have a large screen for presentations.  I use my set-up for quick slide presentations, Classroom instructions, videos, and images.  For example, I can post a DNA graphic as I discuss how DNA transcribes and translates code into proteins.   I set up an old television and connected it to a laptop with an HDMI cable.  I use an adapter to connect the HDMI cable to an iPad.  

You can use Witeboard with a laptop, iPad, or touchscreen tablet.  It is hard to write with a mouse on a laptop or your finger on the iPad.  Use a stylus.

When I taught in a public, high school, I used Mimio Boards. These stick right on to any whiteboard.  However, you have to integrate Mimio with a computer with loads of hard drive space and an LCD projector.  You need to recalibrate them just about every time you use them.  Good Will and eBay both have listings

Since I have used both, I like the TV or iPad with an HDMI cable more than a Mimio.  Replacing an LCD bulb is expensive.  I found the least thing could make the Mimio connection stutter or freeze.  Chances are you already have a TV and an HDMI cable.  I bet you didn’t think about using it to teach—even for small groups, like your family.

Digital Story-Telling

 The Co-op Composition class has been experimenting with digital story-telling.  We are using Klecki, Google Slides, and Kapwing.  The teens did not have a lot of experience with Klecki or Slides.  A few have used Davinci Resolve.  My goal is help the kids write a story.  They were very enthusiastic about using the animation tools to add effects and sound.  Yes, this is writing!  They have to start with a basic story line.  My goal is to help the kids write, whether it takes the form of a presentation or animated video.

Make the most of your Christmas trip to the Zoo!

I  teach at a Co-op with kids from large families.  Every trip is a big deal.  Make the most of your trip to the Zoo!  Our plans include a trip to a zoo over the Christmas break.  Plan to create a family album and educational lapbook: Zoo Lapbook,  Zoo Unit Study, and Zoo Animals.  Include sketches.  Take loads and loads of pictures.  Let the kiddos complete worksheets: At the Zoo I Saw, My Day at the Zoo, San Diego Zoo Wildlife Explorers, or Zoo Tampa’s packet with loads of activities.  Download a zoo scavenger hunt: Zoo Tampa, National Zoo, and this generic Zoo Scavenger Hunt. The San Diego Zoo’s Curriculum has loads and loads of follow-up ideas: habitats, books to read, animals and their offspring, etc.  Zoos cost a fortune.  Make the most of this fun trip!  If grandparents are hosting your family, ask Nana and Pop-pop to work with the kids on their lapbook project.  Tell your kiddos to show their grandparents how much they learned.

Secret Code Christmas Gift Kit

  I had another idea.  Is it strictly science?  Not exactly.  But, any activity which gets kids to think dovetails well with STEM.  First, put in colorful Twizzlers for Learn Binary Code.  Use LEGOS for LEGO Secret Coding (Morse Code).  Here are Spy Codes to explore.  Add pony beads to make Morse Code Bracelets or Binary Bracelet.  (Instructables uses wire and fancy beads if you want a special kit.) Add a used book and you’ll have another outstanding gift kit.

Great Courses

 Did you know that Good Will online has The Great Courses?  Yes, loads! Before you bid or shop, see if your library has copies of The Great Courses.  If your library offers Hoopla, it has The Great Courses, too.  Try a few episodes before you subject your teen to these courses.   Below is one example.  There are more at Good Will. 

There are usually several listings of DVD set at Good Will. eBay, Bonanza, and Mercari sell DVD sets, too.  The Teaching Company has a sale, now, too.  I have tried the Chemistry Great Course.  I found it to be thorough, but dry. The Great Courses has high school versions for several subjects.