Online Timeline

I was poking through my Favorites links (unfortunately, it's very big), when I came across this gem: Hyper History Online. I spent way too much playing with this one. It's an online timeline, but it's very well organized, and has breakdowns by region and topic, and it's loaded with hyperlinks. There's even an accompanying "Book Text" if you want a little more info (I have not, however, read this part for content so look that over before you set the kiddoes free on it). This would make a great visual reference for any history studies. You can also buy a hard copy of the timeline there, but all of that lovely history interaction is free. That's a nice word to hear this time of year, isn't it?

Math in a Box

When I returned home last night, there was a delivery box waiting for me and my oldest. I've been excitedly awaiting the delivery for about a week, and waiting to order it for about 1 1/2 weeks before. I haven't mentioned this before, because I thought I needed to wait until I had seen it in my hands before I reported on it. What is it? Teaching Textbooks Pre-Algebra.

Sparks is an 11-year-old 6th grader, and is about to polish off the 6th grade Primary Mathematics (Singapore) book. If you've looked up the series, or read about it in a previous post, you know that the Primary Mathematics series only goes up to 6th grade. There is another Singapore series that takes over at that point, but I've been looking for a subject that Sparx can do more independently, and this series change seems like the natural time to transition. Although the Singapore stuff is wonderful in so many ways, at the 6th grade level, Sparx was requiring much more explanation than he had in previous levels. To my knowledge, there is no online site, or dvd program to go with the the New Elementary Mathematics Series, so I went looking for something else.

Naturally, Saxon was my first thought, and there is a DIVE program available. I checked this out online, but to put it kindly, I didn't think the DIVE thing would hold his attention. I also checked out SOS, and finally a lovely homeschooling friend mentioned that she had heard good things about Teaching Textbooks. I hopped right over to the sight, and decided quite quickly that we had to try this. In my little world, it's expensive (~$180 for books and discs, but only the test booklet would need to be replaced for the next child--by comparison, ABeka DVDs run hundreds/course). Quite frankly, I need the time this will afford me with the other children, and after working through several of the sample lessons, Sparx thought it would accommodate him well. For us, if it works, it is well worth the investment.

So now the lovely box of goodies has arrived, and I've looked at it and I'm still excited and hopeful. I know that it is not reported to be as challenging as Singapore or Saxon, but I know it will cover the basics and let my son have some success independently. Did I mention he tested into Pre-Algebra, the TT 8th grade level ? Yes, he's excited about that because he thinks it validates all of his hard work. I'm excited because as a 6th grader, he has plenty of time to get through the Teaching Textbook series and still have time left over to shore up any areas we think need extra coverage.

He should begin it in about a week, and I'll keep you updated about how the series is working for us. Cross your fingers.

High School Level (and Up) Science Sites

It's sometimes hard to come by stuff geared towards teenagers in the homeschool department. Just so you know I'm thinking of them, here are a few interactive science sites I've come across which are pretty neat, but definitely over the heads of their younger brothers and sisters.

• Dr. Saul's Biology in Motion
• ice-albedo feedback, part of a site called Arctic Coastal Ice Processes
• BioInteractive Howard Hughes Medical Institute Tons of advanced biology topics. Be sure you visit the Virtual Labs tab while you're there.
• Computer Programming for Homeschool Students and Other Beginners
• Windows to the Universe (advanced tab)This site is heavy on astronomy and the solar system, but has added areas in "life and diversity," geology, and physics. It also levels information according to your selection of beginner, intermediate, or advanced levels, so you can use it with most age groups.
• Understanding Genetics from The Tech Museum of Innovation. This site includes some neat things likeUnderstanding Genetics-What Color Eyes Would Your Children Have? in the Online Exhibits area, and some at home experiments in the At Home Experiments tab. Genetics is riddled with moral questions however, so be aware that you may see some sticky topics listed on the home page. As a parent, I'd check it out first before setting the teenagers loose on this one."
• Illuminating Photosynthesis This is from Nova Online, and is associated with The Methuselah Tree
• The World's Biomes presented by the University of California Museum of Paleontology
• Interactive Physics Simulations and Biology, and Chemistry, and Math, and Earth Science. This is part of a site called Physics Education Technology from the University of Colorado at Boulder. Blast a Buick out of a cannon. You pick the angle, initial speed, etc. Definitely an enhancement to your science reading.

You are bound to find something here to make science class more interesting and more involving. Science class isn't fun for everyone, but it should be!

Add This to Your Christmas List!

My squirt received the most fabulous game for his birthday. I played it yesterday morning with my three oldest while the youngest one helped put the puzzle pieces together. It's called Planet Earth: The Interactive DVD Game, and yes, you guessed it, it's based on the much lauded BBC/Discovery Channel series.

All of the questions, in fact, are posed on the dvd, and are accompanied by footage from the series. The game is for 2-6 players and the recommended ages were 6 and up. I found this age suggestion to be right on target, since the 6-year-old was able to answer his own fair share of questions. The level of challenge, however, kept it competitive for everyone; and the footage on the dvd for questions held everyone's attention.

As a self-proclaimed science junky, I was taken aback by the range of animals on the game that I had never heard of. The questions ranged from biological diversity to geographical features, and of course, covered the globe. The multiple choice format was actually engaging, and since everyone can see the questions and answers, the facts are reinforced visually. We had lots of fun and learned tons. If you like this stuff at all, or if you want to pull in an informal science session for your homeschool, GET THIS GAME!

O¹B³S¹E¹S¹S¹I¹O¹N¹

Here's the dish. The Activities Coordinator over at Life on the Planet and I are old Scrabble buddies. The rivalry is intense. Suffice it to say that I win only on a rare occasion, but the board is always rife with words that would enhance any 12th graders vocabulary. Alas, my friend is in another state now, and our kitchen table games are few and far between. Undeterred by this, I set out to find a site to play Scrabble online. To borrow a Scrabble phrase: Bingo! I present to you my latest obsession, the Internet Scrabble Club.

Do not be fooled by the laim-o (not an official Scrabble word) graphics on the entrance page, my friend. On this site you can add buddies to play with while you chat online real time à la text messaging. The site has an international membership, and you are welcome to select your language of choice. You can even watch high-level players slug it out while you whisper comments to the other spectators. I have personally seen the U.S. National Champion play and I am embarrassed and humbled not only by his mastery of the Scrabble dictionary, but also by his strategies (double double word tiles?).

I prefer to play with the folks ranked around 500. It's still challenging, but at least I stand a chance of winning. Did I mention you get a ranking? And yeah, you know it's got to be free. Check it out.

"A thing of beauty is a joy forever"

Did someone besides Mary Poppins ever say that? Over here, we're more into the dance and music side of fine arts, but if you're interested in using art history or art appreciation in your studies, or if you just want to see some really neat sites, here are few of the best.

Check out ArtEdventures. Here you get interactive content about techniques, tools, and some history of art. A glossary of terms, introduction to artists, and timeline are available under the "Study" header. Lesson plans for different art projects are also included for grades K- 8.

Maybe you liked one of the artists you saw there. Do you just want to see more of what Leonardo da Vinci painted? Hop over to CGFA for an index of artwork sorted by the artists. It's like a ton of art museums at your fingertips. Short biographies of the artists are also included.

If you want to take a look at life and art in the Renaissance (why were those Medici's so into art anyway?), click to The Renaissance Connection . The content and interactivity are great. If you like that site, you might enjoy taking a glance at the whole portfolio of websites done by it's creators at eduweb's portfolio. It's a user-friendly site full of their educational designs.



UPDATE: My ever so resourceful cousin has recommended these books as a kid friendly way to learn about art. Cuddle on the couch with your kiddos as you solve mysteries and learn about great works of art.

Wacky things I heard this week

When studying American history, one usually starts off the school year learning about all the explorers who... you know, explored. I myself remember having a bit of trouble matching up the explorer to the accomplishment. My daughter, however, has taken the cake. While eating dinner at our map-covered table, I thought I'd take an impromptu moment to review with her. Tracing the route from Portugal, around Africa, all the way to the Indian Ocean with my finger, I asked her, "Which explorer is famous for finding this route?" Her reply, "Carmen Sandiego!"

Here's a great place to see how those crazy explorers found their ways around.
European Voyages of Exploration It illustrates quite clearly how these wonderful discoveries came about. When you look at these maps, it seems like these discoveries were building on one another, and bound to happen sooner or later, but isn't that the way of so many advances in technology and science?

Two Beautifully Done Literature Sites

I ran across this first website while researching castles for a literature group class. It's called The Knight with the Lion. It "comes from a poem written around the year 1177 A.D. by a Frenchman named Chrétien de Troyes" (quote from the intro to the site) and it retells stories based on King Arthur and his knights. Not only are the stories interesting on its own, but the pages are beautifully illustrated, and there are links all over the place that help you to understand what's being described in a historical context. What do they mean by chivalry? What part of the castle is that? I'd say this site would be best suited to junior high or high schoolers, since it's pretty big, but I'm sure younger students would also enjoy the story. It is a wonderful resource for literature or history studies of that time frame.

I was so impressed, I dug around for anything else that might be similar. The same team had also created a site for that World Literature staple, Beowulf. Granted, if you've got a good translation of it, the story is already enjoyable, but this site not only has a translation, it's got photos. Yes, you read me right. What does an Anglo-Saxon burial look like? What about armor? The adventures are peppered with links to archaeological photos, a glossary (thank you), illustrations, and even recordings. Check these out now for an interesting read, and bookmark them for later with your homeschool studies.

Have a great weekend!

Practice, practice, practice

If your kids are a little rusty on the language arts basics, or they just need some practice to reinforce what they are learning, http://www.iknowthat.com/ has a great game for punctuation practice called Punctuation Paintball. Basically an unpunctuated and uncapitalized sentence pops up on the screen and you have to choose the correct punctuation and shoot it at the sentence to correct it. There are 3 levels of difficulty, depending on how many punctuation elements you wish to include (Capitalization, periods, commas, question marks, exclamation marks, and quotation marks for the advanced level). You are led to a free registration screen, but you can proceed without registering.

The other gem on the site is Leon's Math Dojo, which is a fast-paced drill for addition, subtraction, multiplication, or division. The lowest level of multiplication drill (what we use it for) is factors through 12, but the answers are multiple choice. I like this drill better than the others I've found because there's no typing involved here. Why is this important? The drills can proceed as quickly as your child knows the answer, not as quickly as your child can type.

Of course you can upgrade to premium content, but the basics here are pretty good, and you can register for free to keep track of scores. Dig around by grade level on the main page. I stumbled upon a preposition drill that was quite addictive. Definitely worth checking out!

Painless U.S. Geography

It's our first day of school and this year we'll be working on U.S. Geography. Mo will be learning it for the first time, and the older one will get a quick review of those old states and capitals. That pretty much means we'll be visiting this site: Sheppard Software. I've linked you up to the page we use most. This was far and away the best site I found for learning where our states are when Sparx' curriculum called for it. He actually enjoyed practicing it (of course, he just enjoys any excuse to get on the computer). You can work on states, capitals, or geographical features for the U. S. and they have lots available for World Geography studies too.

Here's another way to sneak in the geography. I put a world map on our dining room table and covered it with a vinyl tablecloth. No, it's not elegant, although you could probably muster something a little nicer. The good thing about it is the kids are examining it all the time. Geography was something that we NEVER discussed outside of schooltime, and now they're asking questions about different places all the time. When the little ones pretend to fly in a plane, they head to Lilongwe. Yeah, it's really a place. Get the world map out and find it.

Make some time to take in the sites ;)

If you're a homeschooler or an educator of any kind, or you're just a little geaky with the cool stuff online, you have to check out skoool, Learning and Teaching Technology. Yes it's mispelled. I don't know why they do that. It's an Intel project that's been implemented in countries all over the world in several different languages. It's done in conjunction with each countries Ministry of Education but it's accessible worldwide for free. For some reason, there's no portal in the U.S., but we can still use it (insert a smiley face here).

Most sites are Science and Math based tutorials and interactive content. The best places to check it out are through the Irish portal at http://www.skoool.ie/, where it has the most available content for "junior cycle" or "senior cycle", that's the same as "key stage 2 and key stage 3" at the UK portal http://lgfl.skoool.co.uk/index.aspx and what we would call junior and senior high. If you head over to the Australian website, the presentation is not nearly as cool, but there is interactive content of the same caliber available for students as young as 4-9 (Hey that's the range they give). About 5 new portals have popped up since I first came across this stuff last year, so check it out now, then check back later at http://www.skoool.com/ to see how it's grown. This kind of content and availability is what I think the web is really all about.

Hands-on science, kind of..

There are lots of places on the net where you can read up on science topics. If you're looking for a science site that's engaging, well, those are few and far between. I've come across a couple of great sites that don't just tell you what's going on, they show you.

This site popped up on the BBC Science ticker a couple of days ago. Periodic Table of Videos from the University of Nottingham. It's a periodic table, but for every element you click on, you get a video explaining unique properties of the elements (okay that parts a little boring, but really the meat of the info), and then showing you cool experiments to illustrate those properties. This new project (there are still about 30 elements left to finish) really makes the elements memorable. Really, who would have thought Sodium (Na) could be such a big hit? Why else would my 5yo ask "Can you put it on Helium again, please?!"

Next is Aspire (it's an acronym). It's provided by University of Utah Physics Department (thank you) and is billed as "Interactive, Web-based Science Labs for 8th & 9th Grade Students", but it is actually quite cool. I came across it looking for a demo on simple machines, and let the kiddoes use it to experiment with the mechanical advantages of levers and pulleys. Sure they could do this a-la-real world, but these experiments work the way they're supposed to 100% of the time (I can't say that about mine). So, if you're not science minded, you could run through the experiments here first before you do your kitchen table version and then you'll know what to expect. How do pressure and temperature affect volume? You can see it at this site. Don't worry about the grade level thing. If you have younger ones, just bring them to the experiments after they cover the info in their own curriculum and skip the lab report forms.

This one's for the younger kids. It's a weather maker. Yes, mess with the temperature and pressure and see what happens here: Scholastic Interactive Weather Maker.

Have some fun with science!