In the Storm

Homeschool 101: Alaska, the Last Frontier

 
I decided to add a bit of Geography to our lessons. I didn't want it to be rigorous but informational and fun. There is so much to offer on the internet that I took advantage of to get us started. Then off to the library we went. We checked out book after book. Some turned out to be duds (like those travel guides with restaurants and hotels, etc.) but others cover things like the great earthquake, the Idatarod, Alaskan King Salmon, the Alaskan pipeline, etc. Hopefully, in two weeks the Georgia Boys will have become pretty familiar with the Last Frontier. I've already read Shopping for Porcupines about life in Arctic Alaska is part autobiography about Kantner's dad and mom and his own childhood and life but it also recounts much of history during those times in Alaska. Anyways, the boys will also cover the general things like state flag, fish, bird, tree, when Alaska became a state and why, etc. All good stuff.

 

Homeschool 101: The Iron Peacock

 
We finished The Iron Peacock yesterday. My two 13-year old boys, 7th graders loved this book. Although it may be deemed a 'romance' novel by some because there is some of that intertwined with in the story it is even more so a story of courage. This novel delves into the life of a older teenager girl who, after the death of her father faces a life of indentured servitude to a family of the Massachusetts Bay colony. Joanna, along with the many Scotsman aboard the boat bound for the New World sell themselves into indentured service to the Iron Master, the owner of the Iron Works. This book is also rich in Puritan history, history of the Iron Works, Indian-White Man relations, some Scottish history, and Christianity.

I would recommend this book be added to any homeschool library. What an awesome why to learn history! This is just one of many books that came with our Sonlight, Core H curriculum for history/literature. We are happily continuing our learning.

Homeschooling with Saxon Math 8/7 with Pre-Algebra

 
Saxon Math 8/7 with Pre-Algebra (Purchased at Christian Books because of the price)

After several months of working with Saxon Math 8/7 my Georgia Boys are very happy with it. Reviews I read when seeking out a math curriculum when we began homeschooling all centered around the repetitive nature of Saxon Math. This seemed like a good idea to me. I really didn't know what we were getting into. I ordered everything, the textbook (which really isn't like a textbook), the solutions manual for me, and the practice sheets and tests manual as well as the Saxon Teacher. We use all but the Saxon Teacher.

Likes: We like the repetition. Each new concept offers practices on those new concepts then offers mixed practice on all concepts up to that point. Thus, the repitition - or reinforcement!! In other reviews I've read some homeschool students do all the practice problems but only every other one of the mixed practice. I have assigned all 30 problems each math day. My Georgia Boys have no problem with completing 30 problems and after checking their work I know what they know and what they don't.

Dislikes: 1) Saxon Teacher! Oh my, this is the worst. It goes word for word from the text book - what's the point! We've never used it. I will not subject my boys to that. 2) Not enough varied new concept instrutions (Note: at this point this isn't an issue because I can handle the concepts but I'm concerned when we move into heavier algebra. While I've taken Algebra and Calculus for that matter teaching it is a different story).

If you want to know your child is learning the concepts and they don't mind the repetitive nature of the problem sets this is an outstanding Math curriculum. I have noted that my boys have already had some of the concepts (although not all of them prior to beginning homeschooling) so overall the Math 8/7 with Pre-Algebra seems to be in line with a 7th grader.

 

Homeschooling - Logic and Reasoning (A Review of the Fallacy Detective)

It isn't taught in public schools. But because we are now homeschooling we can add wonderful little nuggets to our curriculum - like Logic and Reasoning.

 
The Fallacy Detective is a wonderful little book of lessons on identifying bad reasoning. The authors of the curriculum write with a Christian worldview and I've read nothing but rave reviews. In my research for curriculum from other homeschoolers I noticed many adding logic and reasoning and I must say that 'I had no idea'! When the world looks at everything from a secular worldview I want the boys to look at the world from God's spy glass and be able to pick out fallacy's - errors in logic.

We all like this curriculum so far. I will probably add The Thinking Toolbox by the same authors to our curriculum for next year. To enhance their thinking skills we have already been using Mind Benders

 
There are many of these little books and I'll definitely keep the boys working in these. They don't take very long but certainly excersize the mind.

Bananagrams - A Review

 
How can anyone not love a game with a bunch of letter tiles (similar to Scrabble tiles but no points)? I love Bananagrams. I bought the deluxe edition with double set of tiles (although we haven't used them yet. We've played several times and the boys are thankful for the approval to use the dictionary to make words. Obviously, the idea is to learn enough not to use the dictionary and make words without it but at this point I love the fact that John and Jarrod are pulling out the dictionary and searching out words to match their tiles.

The idea is to make a 'crossward puzzle-like' or 'scrabble-like' arrangement of words of your letter tiles. You begin with as many tiles (depending on the amount of people playing). We've started with 21 tiles that we've picked from a pile of tiles that the letters are hidden. 'Banana' words like split, peel, dump are used throughout the game and directs the players to action. The idea is to use all your tiles and all the tiles in the pile to make words before someone calls BANANAS.

For homeschoolers this is a must-have game. The dictionary gets used. And their spelling is improved. Once someone calls BANANAS they don't win until their spelling is checked. The first time we played and I called BANANAS the boys checked my spelling. I had a word spelled wrong! Say it isn't so! Because I had a word spelled wrong the game proceeded - without me!

Fun, and educational game.

The Iron Peacock

 
Our history lesson is taking us to the beginnings of our country, to the times of the Puritans, and the Indians, and to the beginnings of slavery. Our novel this week is The Iron Peacock which we have just begun to read aloud. We visited the library and I searched for a ton of books to supplement our reading and history. All this week we will dig into the books in hopes of finding more nuggets of knowledge and truth (from books of old when authors were still writing truth and not changing history to suit the times). The boys will be reading The Sacrifice on the own with a report to follow. I'm very excited about this lesson and this week of learning.

Proof

 
This came in the mail. So did my transcripts. I cried. A 3.83GPA just isn't too shabby!

Two days left

I have two days left until it is final. I will have my MBA. This last class is a bear. Each week I finish a paper I think I've done horribly. Thankfully, each week my instructor hasn't thought so. I just got my week 5 paper back (one of the longest and most important aside from the final). Out of 10 total points I got 9.8. My grade going into my last week, my last paper, my last final is a 97.01. But the final paper is a bear too. I feel so much better about it now that I did so well on week 5.

Can I say though, I can't wait until I wake up Tuesday morning and know that I have no more papers due - ever. Well, unless someone pays me to get a Masters in Meteorology.

Anyway, I have to finish my paper and take my final and I'm done. MBA. A master's. WOW!