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Some things don't change, some things spark new
ideas, some remind of old ideas, some just mark a place in time worth
remembering. For that reason I have kept so many of these old
newsletters. I have weeded out a few things, especially if I found the
link no longer available.
Shortcuts to Newsletters:
- January 6, 2005
- December 7, 2004
- November 21, 2004
- November 2, 2004
- October 13, 2004
- Mount St. Helens 10/4/04
- October 5, 2004
- September News Part 2
- September News '04
- September '04 Cool Web Sites
- Goodbye Summer 2004
- August 27, 2004
- Aug. 11, 2004
- Summer Catch-up 7/29/04
- May 28, 2004
- Civic Notes
- April 19, 2004
- March 31, 2004
- February 10, 2004
- Testing Information, 2004
- January 2004
January 6, 2005 (back
to index)
HOMESCHOOL ARTICLES
1.)
"Homeschooling Gives Mason Honors Students Unique
Perspective"
2.) "Spelling: The Alphabetic Code"
4.) Online Homeschooling Book: "Okay Kids, Time for
Bedlam"
5.) Online Excerpt: "Easy Homeschooling Techniques and Easy
Homeschooling Companion"
GENERAL INTEREST ITEMS
8.) Online Teacher Resources: Learner.org
9.) Make Your Own Snowflake Online
10.) Timeline Resources
11.)"Great Books of the Western World" List Starting -
January 2005
12.) National Homeschool Olympics - Cocoa Beach, FL
- May 19-26, 2005
13.) Home Educators Resource Directory
14.) Online History Resources
15.) Online Math Resource
16.) Patuxent Research Refuge, National Wildlife
Visitor Center
17.) New Testament One Year Challenge
FOR
SALE
18.) Prayer Journals
19.)Christian
French curriculum
NEEDS
20.) Help for Chris Klicka
21.) Source for Used A Beka Books Sought
22.) Cell Phone Donations
QUOTE
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HOMESCHOOL ARTICLES
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1.) "Homeschooling Gives Mason Honors Students
Unique Perspective"
"While
dorm life might give many Mason students a home at school for the
first time, eight General Honors Program students are used to
taking tests
and learning subjects at home. With various degrees of
homeschooling under
their belts, Margaret Giragosian, Anna Maurer, Julie Moscato,
Eleni Vagias,
Mary Gamble, Angela Panayotopulos, Stephen Smith, and Heather
Thompson have
learned that sometimes parents are the best teachers.
Now
freshmen at George Mason, these students have a little hindsight
on
their home-school educations and say they appreciate the choices
their
parents made. With hometowns from Fairfax, Va., to Las Cruces,
N.M., several
of the students were educated at home their entire lives, others
for a year
or two. Many have brothers and sisters who were also homeschooled,
and
family life and education intermingled so much that it was hard to
tell when
the learning stopped."
Read
the entire article by Tara Laskowski online at
http://gazette.gmu.edu/articles/index.php?id=6244
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2.) "Spelling: The Alphabetic Code"
This article follows the previous
column regarding the spelling rules. In
this you will learn: the simple Code; the advanced Code; and the
six
syllable types to assist you in improving reading, spelling, and
writing.
Too
often schools, if they teach any Code at all, teach only an
incidental
version of the simple Code. But to be a skilled speller, writer,
and reader,
one needs to methodically learn the entire Code and the rules for
its usage.
We use the letters of the alphabet, often alone; often in two's:
in some
instances in groups of three or four, to represent the speech
sounds. These
pieces of the Code are called phonograms - a word containing the
Greek roots
for 'sound' and 'written down'. So...we use phonograms to record
sound...i.e., to spell. When a phonogram represents two or more
sounds, the
sounds are in the descending order of frequency in the English
language
Read the entire article by Linda Schrock Taylor at
http://www.lewrockwell.com/taylor/taylor81.html
[Our thanks to Phil K.]
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4.) Online
Homeschooling Book: "Okay Kids, Time for Bedlam"
Debbie
Harbeson, a homeschool mom in Indiana, has written a short humor
book about her family's early homeschooling experiences and wants
to share it freely with other homeschoolers and anyone else
interested.
Read it at http://bedlam.ihen.org/
[Our thanks to Ann Lahrson,
Home Education Magazine http://www.homeedmag.com.]
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5.) Online Excerpt: "Easy Homeschooling Techniques
and Easy Homeschooling Companion"
Lorraine
Curry is offering a 7-page online excerpt of her "Easy
Homeschooling Techniques and Easy Homeschooling Companion"
book. This is in PDF format, so you will need the free Adobe
Acrobat Reader in order to view.
Web site: http://www.easyhomeschooling.net/ebook-easy-tips.pdf
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GENERAL
INTEREST ITEMS
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6.) Engineering Day for Girls - Nationwide - February
24, 2005
The goal for 2005, the fifth year for the National Engineers Week
"Introduce a Girl to Engineering Day," is to have 125
organizations mobilize as many women in engineering as possible -
a target of 11,000 - who, along with their male colleagues, will
reach more than one million girls.
Visit their Web site for information on local opportunities: http://www.eweek.org/site/News/Eweek/girlsday.shtml
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7.) National Poetry Contest for Grades 5-12 - Deadline:
March 1, 2005
Students in grades 5-12 during the
2004-2005 academic year are invited to
submit up to three poems to the Love-A-Teen Day National Poetry
Contest.
Awards for the national winners will be $50 U.S. Savings Bonds.
Deadline is
March 1, 2005.
Last
year's contest winners included at least one Virginia homeschooler.
Poetry winners from last year have now been published in a book
available
for purchase on the Web site.
Web site: http://www.loveateenday.com
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8.) Online Teacher Resources: Learner.org
Annenberg/CPB uses media and
telecommunications to advance excellent
teaching in American schools. This mandate is carried out chiefly
by the
funding and broad distribution of educational video programs with
coordinated Web and print materials for the professional
development of K-12
teachers. It is part of the Annenberg Foundation and advances the
Foundation's goal of encouraging the development of more effective
ways to
share ideas and knowledge.
Among
the offerings are Amusement Park Physics
(http://www.learner.org/exhibits/parkphysics),
The Mechanical Universe
(http://www.learner.org/resources/series42.html),
and more.
Main Web site: http://www.learner.org
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9.) Make Your Own Snowflake
Design
your own snowflake online, or look at what others have made.
Requires
free Macromedia Flash player.
Web site: http://snowflakes.lookandfeel.com/
[Our thanks to the HEART
newsletter, Mary Blunt, editor.]
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10.) Timeline
Resources
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11.)"Great Books of the Western World" List
Starting - January 2005
If you are interested in the Britannica Great
Books of the Western World (GBWW), or if you want to enhance
your education through history, philosophy, literature, and
science, free membership in the Great Conversation Yahoo group
may be for you. This page is designed to help you decide whether
you want to join, and to give you a mechanism by which to join.
The Great Conversation group is devoted to
following the 10-year course of reading as outlined in volume 1
of the GBWW. It is intended for members who are committed to
following the plan, though occasional additional reading may be
requested. Members should have access to the GBWW 54-volume
first edition, though the required texts are generally available
in libraries or online.
Web site: http://www.angelfire.com/art/megathink/greatbooks/join.html
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12.) National Homeschool Olympics -
Cocoa Beach, FL - May 19-26, 2005
All Sports and Event Management
announces the first-ever National Homeschool Olympics. This
event will take place May 19, through May 26, 2005, in Cocoa
Beach, Florida. The purpose of this event is to provide a
national platform for the homeschool student/athlete to compete.
The events that have been selected will allow
the student/athletes from three age divisions to compete. The
ages will be determined by a September 1, 2004, cut-off date.
The three age divisions are 12-under, 15-under, and 18-under. No
participant who turns 19 before September 1, 2004, will be
eligible to compete.
For more information, visit http://www.asem16.com
(click on the "Nat. Homeschool Olympics" navigation
link on the left-hand side of the page).
[Our thanks to Rose M.]
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13.) Home Educators Resource Directory
Home Educators Resource Directory offers a comprehensive listing
of resources for the Home Educator, including international and
national resources, homeschool classes, services, individual
homeschool directories, homeschool suppliers, homeschool support
groups and much more. Homeschool resources are listed by
subject, geographical location, and by search. The directory is
updated monthly with subscribers receiving updates and timely
information via e-mail. A CD version is available any time of
the year, with an easy-to-use format that includes print
capabilities. Bulk purchase discounts are available for support
groups and qualifying organizations.
To use this resource, visit http://www.homeeddirectory.com.
[Our thanks to Mindy L.]
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14.) Online History Resources
The United States' National Archives Web site
offers many resources for teachers. One, which shows how to use
source documents for teaching, is available at http://www.archives.gov/publications/teaching_aids.html.
The Avalon Project at Yale Law School offers
online documents in law, history and diplomacy at http://www.yale.edu/lawweb/avalon/avalon.htm.
[Our thanks to Sherry G.]
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15.) Online Math Resource
Includes pre-made fact sheets and discussion forum.
Web site: http://www.mathfactcafe.com
[Our thanks to Caroline B.]
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16.) Patuxent Research Refuge, National
Wildlife Visitor Center
>Water Cycle Resources - For a new
and updated information about water
cycles, contact the U.S. Geological Survey
(USGS) at http://ga.water.usgs.gove/edu/watercycle.html
> Fish and Wildlife Educational Resources - For EE resources
including
teacher and student activities dealing with endangered species,
go to
www.fws.gov and link on to kids
or endangered species.
If you have any questions about workshops or
programs offered at the
Patuxent Research Refuge,.
National Wildlife Visitor Center, please contact
Dennis Hartnett
Acting Environmental Education Coordinator
Patuxent Research Refuge
dennis_hartnett@fws.gov
or call 301-497-5898
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17.) New Testament One Year Challenge
Dear homeschool friends,
I trust you had a wonderful, blessed
Christmas with family and friends,
I would like to invite you to an
exhilarating challenge with eternal benefits: the New
Testament
One Year Challenge
A group of us from around the world are
committing to memorizing one key verse from each chapter of
the New Testament. (260 in all) in one year. This
works out to about one a day with a few review days at the end
of each month.
The first 10 key verses (Matthew 1-10) have
been chosen, however if you join us, you can be involved in
nominating the key verses from other chapters that our group
will memorize.
For more information please check out our
website www.scripturememorychallenge.org
or contact Phil Walker at (845)416-8010 or philjohn1558@yahoo.com
Those interested in the Old Testament can
join HAKOTS - Hearts After Key Old Testament Scripture. (We
are doing Psalms through Lamentations this year.)
Have a glorious God honoring 2005! In Christ, Phil
Walker
********************
Tips for Memorizing
********************
1) Pray - Ask God (the Author) to impress deep into your heart
what He thinks you should do with His Word!
- Ask God (the Creator of your mind) to enable you to memorize
and keep His Word in your heart. ( I recently met a 62
year old man who was memorizing and keeping new Scripture!!
What an encouragement to me! "With God all things
are possible!")
2) Find a friend - Even though I am thrilled with
the opportunity to link thousands worldwide in a Scripture
Memory program, and am committed to encouraging and enabling
each and every one as best as I can over the internet, there
is still no substiture for face-to-face encouragement.
Try to find a friend who is willing to join you in your
Scripture Memory projects, or at least will enjoy quizzing
you, and discussing Scriptural insights with you.
3) Review- Realize the treasure you have in memorized
Scripture and commit to keeping it. I once heard of
brothers who memorized several entire books of Scripture for a
Bible quizzing program, but within a few years forgot every
word and didn't think that was strange or sad. My heart
was broken! To be given $1,000,000 and then misplace the
entire amount would be a less significant event.
There are many Scripture review programs out there.
The one I like is:
A) Learn the verse word
perfect.
B) Say it once a day for 7 days, and then
once a week for 7 weeks, and then once a month for 7 months.
It should be yours for life!
4) Experiment to find which learning style is best for you.
Many find it helpful always reading the Scripture from the
same Bible, seeing the words on the page in their minds.
For myself, Scripture Memory
took off when I started listening to the Bible on tape.
Others find it helpful to write the verse out several times.
May God bless you, as you commit to knowing
Him through His Word, in whatever way He leads you.
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FOR SALE
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18.) Prayer Journals
If you find it hard or impossible to have the intimate and
rewarding prayer life you've always longed for, give the new
Month-by-Month Prayer Journal a try. Created by a busy
Richmond homeschooling mom, this journal is filled with lots
of helpful hints to get you started, and an easy-to-use plan
to keep you going. You can come to know the joy of asking, as
well as the relief of receiving.
Unfortunately, there are no online images available for
viewing. But if you send Debra Broughear an e-mail (Broughearc@aol.com)
she can probably send you some images. It looks beautiful.
These beautiful and functional Prayer Journals are available
for $15. A companion Sermon Journal, with pages designed for
note taking each Sunday and Wednesday, is also available for
$10. Or select one of each for $20. Shipping is $3.50 each set
or single book.
Make checks payable to:
Debra Broughear
923 Glenhaven Road
Richmond, VA 23236
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++++++++++++++++++ ++++++++++++++++++
19.)Christian French curriculum
I have developed a new and innovative Christian French
curriculum. The
following link (www.theeasyfrench.com/article.htm)
has an
article that I prepared for another homeschooling organization. I
hope that it will help you to understand how much research and
preparation went into the development of Le Francais Facile. I
would like you to consider including the article in your next
newsletter. Looking
forward to hearing from you in the New Year.
It is also flexible enough to be taught in a co-op or Christian
school environment. Please
contact me for details.
Marie Filion
www.theeasyfrench.com PS
I am also offering a 20% discount for your subscribers for the
month of Febuary. Please
contact me for details.
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QUOTE
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"Education without values, as useful as it is, seems rather
to make man a more clever devil."
-- C.S. Lewis (1898-1963, English author)
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The items listed in this Update are for informational purposes
and are to be utilized at the discretion of the recipient. Many
thanks to HEAV for many things listed here.
December 7, 2004 (back
to index)
GENERAL INTEREST
1. Update on Duby Fire (Tobin's Lab)
2. "Homeschooling's Best" Nominees Wanted -
Deadline: December 3, 2004
3. Talent Search Programs - February 15, 2005
4. Wildlife Essay Contest - Deadline: February 18, 2005
5. U.S. Department of Education Homeschooling
Study
6. Foreign Exchange Student Host Family Needed
7. Community Service Project Resources
8. Have a Creative Way of Spending Time With Your
Spouse?
9. Group Ideas
ONLINE RESOURCES
10. Paris Review
11.Textbook Resource
12. Ask the Everyday Scientist
13. Civics and History
14. the Solar System
15. Virtual Heart Surgery
GOOD READING
16. Article: PREJUDICE IN BLACK AND WHITE
17. PARTING THOUGHT: "Thanksgiving
Turkeys"
WORTH REPEATING
- Pres. Abraham Lincoln
- C.S. Lewis
GENERAL INTEREST
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1. Update on Duby Fire (Tobin's Lab)
This updated information comes via Stephen E. Mouring.
We will keep you
posted as we learn more.
This e-mail comes as a result of a three-hour meeting with
Tammy Duby (November 19), and supercedes previous instructions
and suggestions about
ways to help.
Dear Friends,
Mike and Tammy Duby lost their home and
business, Tobin's Lab (supplying
science and history resources to the homeschooling community
and beyond for
10 years) in a fire this week. There was no loss of human life
nor injury,
and the Dubys are glorifying God with their steadfast and
faithful
attitudes, words, and actions during this time. Megan, age 11,
and Tobin (a
freshman at Patrick Henry College in Purcellville, VA) are
doing well and
are grateful for all the emotional and prayer support they
have been shown.
There was, however, a complete devastation
of Tobin's Lab, and most of their
personal belongings are gone as well. A few special things
were preserved,
but most were lost, including some 40-50 boxes of unit study
materials and a
wealth of lapbooks collected over Tammy's 20+ years of
teaching. The family
dog has not yet been found. The salvage project has not yet
been completed,
but it would appear that most of the Tobin's Lab records were
lost, with the
exception of one computer hard-drive that is in the process of
possible data
retrieval efforts. Although there is some insurance money
available, there
is a significant need for capital to rebuild the Tobin's Lab
inventory and
to replace equipment.
We have outlined below some ways that you
may help, should God so burden you
to do so. The Dubys have been deeply appreciative of and
touched by the
outpouring of love and prayer on their behalf, and they feel
very sustained
by the community of Christians and homeschoolers. Please
continue your
prayers, as God guides you. Ministering to this family has
been a joy,
especially in light of the countless ways they have given of
themselves to
the homeschooling community throughout the years at
conventions, on the
phone, with their writings and tapes, and by their daily
example of
godliness.
Financial contributions, including gift cards to Wal-Mart,
Lowes, or Best
Buy, may be sent to:
David Dark
7487 Kirtley Trail
Culpeper, VA 22701-7436
Checks may be made out to "Mike Duby." If you wish
to remain anonymous in
your giving, please make the check payable to "David
Dark," and indicate in
the memo line your wish to have the gift anonymous. If you are
giving a gift
card and wish to remain anonymous, please indicate this
somehow in your
correspondence
If you wish to send an e-mail of encouragement, please send
them to Stephen
E. Mouring ( mourings@erols.com)
who will print them off and pass them along
to the Dubys.
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2. "Homeschooling's Best" Nominees Wanted -
Deadline: December 3, 2004
Calvert School is seeking nominations for its Third Annual
"Homeschooling's
Best Awards," which recognize people whose efforts have
improved
homeschooling.
In its first two years, Homeschooling's Best recipients were
honored for
starting a homeschool honor society, providing homeschoolers
with curriculum
after wildfires, establishing regional homeschooling
organizations, and
promoting homeschooling to and through the media.
Calvert School welcomes suggestions of people who you think
are
Homeschooling's Best. To learn more about the awards and to
submit nominees,
visit http://www.calvertschool.org/best.
The deadline for nominations is
Friday, December 3, 2004.
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3. Talent Search Programs - February 15, 2005
Enrollment deadlines are imminent for the Talent
Search programs offered for
highly gifted young people by Johns Hopkins, Northwestern,
Duke, and the
University of Denver.
Taking the tests through the Talent Searches gives families
additional
information about a child's math and verbal reasoning
abilities, leads to
recognition, and links gifted students to special programs
that help them
develop their special abilities.
Program: Johns Hopkins University Center for Talented Youth (CTY)
For students in AK, AZ, CA, CT, DE, HI, ME, MD, MA, NH, NJ,
NY, OR, PA, RI,
VA, VT, WA, WV, DC
Web site: http://www.cty.jhu.edu
Second through 4th graders: no deadline, but test before
February 15 for
summer courses
Online application at http://cty.jhu.edu/ts/registeronline.html
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4. Wildlife Essay Contest - Deadline: February
18, 2005
Mutual of Omaha is now accepting one-page entries to its 2005
Kids' Summit
essay contest. The contest is open to children ages 9-12. One
child from
each state and the District of Columbia will win an
all-expense-paid trip
for two to Los Angeles to participate in Mutual of Omaha's
Kids' Summit, and
get "up close and personal" with animals at the Los
Angeles Zoo. The
deadline for submissions is February 18, 2005.
For contest details and more information, visit http://www.wildkingdom.com
.
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5. U.S. Department of Education Homeschooling
Study
In July 2004, the National Center for Education
Statistics released their
three-page summary report on homeschooling. It is available
for reading
online at http://www.nces.ed.gov/pubs2004/2004115.pdf
.
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6. Foreign Exchange Student Host Family Needed
Forte International Exchange Association is an independent
non-profit
organization designated by the State Department as an
"Exchange Visitor
Program." They have a group of five teenagers from
Mongolia coming to the
United States to study during the second semester (late
December 2004
through June 2005).
For more information, contact Vanessa Xiao at Forte (Group)
International
(202-628-8226 or vanessa@forteintl.com)
or visit their Web site at
http://www.forteexchange.org.
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7. Community Service Project Resources
Many homeschooling parents like to find community service
projects for their
children to participate in for a variety of reasons, including
educational
purposes. At this time of year, homeless shelters, food banks,
church
projects, and many others are very popular.
If you are interested in a community service project for your
children, but
do not know where to start, some online resources include:
Discussion Groups
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Homeschoolersfightinghunger/
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/AHA-HEARTS/
Website
http://www.h-e-a-r-t-s.org
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8. Have a Creative Way of Spending Time With Your
Spouse?
Do you and your spouse have a creative way of making time to
be together?
"Marriage Connection" would like to hear about it.
E-mail your idea to
marriage@christianitytoday.com
for a chance to have your idea published in
Marriage Partnership. Be sure to include your full name and
state.
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9. Group Ideas
Whether you need ideas for how to stimulate interaction in a
small group of
homeschoolers, or a Sunday School class, or a social event at
home, Group
Publishing offers a wide assortment of ideas and resources to
help
facilitate group interaction.
Web site: http://www.grouppublishing.com
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ONLINE RESOURCES
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10. Paris Review
Welcome to the DNA of literature--over 50 years of literary
wisdom rolled up
in 300+ Writers-at-Work interviews, now available online
for free. Founder
and former Editor George Plimpton dreamed of a day when
anyone--a struggling
writer in Texas, an English teacher in Amsterdam, even a
subscriber in
Central Asia--could easily access this vast literary resource;
with the
establishment of this online archive that day has finally
come. Now, for the
first time, you can read, search and download any or all of
over three
hundred in-depth interviews with poets, novelists,
playwrights, essayists,
critics, musicians, and more, whose work set the compass of
twentieth-century writing, and continues to do so into the
twenty-first
century. Web site: http://www.parisreview.org/literature.php
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11.Textbook Resource
The goal of this non-profit service provided by
INSIGHTS is to collect all
out-of-adoption curriculum no longer needed by area school
systems and make
it available, free of charge, to those that support
home-taught students,
tutoring programs, children's shelters, etc.
By offering this recycling service, they hope to provide
quality educational
material to our children and eliminate space ordinarily taken
up in
landfills.
Web site: http://www.emcd.net
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12. Ask the Everyday Scientist
Ask the Everyday Scientist – This
item comes from our good friend, Tom, who has a Ph.D. in
physics from MIT. “For over a year now, I’ve been
writing a column for my weekly newspaper called ‘Ask the
Everyday Scientist’, where people write in to the paper with
questions they have about science, and I then answer selected
questions. It occurs to me that children in the
home-schooling community could well have lots of such
questions. So I invite you to send them along to me.”
Be sure to include in your email subject line something like
“Homeschool science question.” Tom Sheahen, tsheahen@alum.mit.edu,
301 387 2522.
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13. Civics and History
CHOICES for the 21st Century is an educational program of
the Watson
Institute for International Studies at Brown University.
Through its
curricular resources, professional development workshops, and
special
projects, CHOICES engages secondary level students in
international issues
and contributes to a renewal of civic engagement among young
people in the
United States. Web site: http://www.choices.edu/index.cfm
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14. the Solar System
You are looking at a view of the solar system from a distance
of 4,560
million miles (7,950 million kilometers). Your tour of the
solar system
begins with this dramatic overview. The sun, which contains
99.85 percent of
all matter in the solar system, dominates the planets, which
are seen
rotating precisely in proportion to one another—Jupiter
fastest, Venus
slowest. Their relative orbital speeds are also accurately
reproduced, with
Mercury—closest to the sun—rounding that star every 14.5
seconds,
corresponding with its actual 88-day orbit.
You might start by clicking the sun and working outward or you
can create
your own planet-skipping itinerary. With each planetary visit
-- and on side
trips to the asteroids or a passing comet -- you will discover
the latest
information about our cosmic neighbors.
Note: This Web site utilizes Active-X, so you need to use a
browser that
supports Active-X, such as Microsoft Internet Explorer.
Web site: http://www.nationalgeographic.com/solarsystem/ax/high.html
.... ..... ..... ..... ..... ..... ..... ..... ..... .....
15. Virtual Heart Surgery
Virtual open heart surgery: http://www.abc.net.au/science/lcs/heart.htm
Heart transplant: http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/eheart/transplantwave.html
... ..... ..... ..... ..... ..... ..... ..... ..... .....
GOOD READING
..................... .....................
..........................
........................ ....................
PREJUDICE IN BLACK AND WHITE
Remembering what it was like when we first
began teaching our children at
home 13 years ago, I sometimes think things are easier.
Thirteen years ago,
when you saw someone in a public setting during the day and
they asked why
your children were not in school, you had to give a
five-minute explanation
as to what homeschooling was. Now, people either don't ask, or
you can give
a two-second answer, "We homeschool!" and then use
the other four minutes
and 58 seconds to talk about more important things.
But every once in a while, prejudice--and
let us call it by its rightful
name--raises its ugly head again and you begin to doubt that
anything has
been accomplished in the past dozen years at all.
Such is the case in the recent round of
print articles in the Akron (Ohio)
Beacon Journal (ABJ) where homeschoolers have been accused of
being white
supremacists, child kidnappers, slackers, and religious nuts.
We overstate
test results, lie to ourselves about socialization, chain our
children to
their beds so they can die in house fires, distrust
government, and have no
interest in our children's education. Sigh.
Of course, the main and direct impact of
this attack goes more to the
homeschoolers in Ohio and Pennsylvania, since that is the
geographic region
of their coverage. But, when the Associated Press, or someone
else, picks it
up it can reach much further. As the Akron Beacon Journal
reminds us,
prejudice is always a hydra.
So gird your loins and sharpen your
pencils, homeschooling is once more in
the crosshairs of the American press. Begin to prepare now to
wage the war
of words in defense of homeschooling. Because the first shot
has been fired.
[Addendum: On a bright note, the gun may have misfired! The
ABJ Public
Editor Mike Needs, questions whether anyone has actually read
the entire
series (it took him 63 minutes to read just one day's
segment).
http://www.ohio.com/mld/ohio/news/columnists/mike_needs/10237937.htm].
And Vox Day of WorldNet Daily offers the perfect antidote in
his
well-reasoned (and researched) rebuttal to the series.
http://wnd.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=41577
PARTING THOUGHT: "Thanksgiving Turkeys"
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.....
An elderly man in Phoenix calls his son in New York and says,
"I hate to
ruin your day, but I have to tell you that your mother and I
are divorcing;
forty-five years of misery is enough."
"Pop, what are you talking about?" the son screams.
"We can't stand the sight of each other any longer,"
the old man says.
"We're sick and tired of each other, and I'm sick of
talking about this, so
you call your sister in Chicago and tell her." And he
hangs up.
Frantic, the son calls his sister, who explodes on the phone.
"Like heck
they're getting a divorce," she shouts. "I'll
take care of this." She calls
Phoenix immediately, and screams at the old man, "You are
NOT getting
divorced! Don't do a single thing until I get there. I'm
calling my brother
back and we'll both be there tomorrow. Until then don't do a
thing, DO YOU
HEAR ME?" And she hangs up.
The old man hangs up his phone and turns to his wife.
"They're coming for Thanksgiving and paying their own
way."
.... ..... ..... ..... ..... ..... ..... ..... ..... .....
WORTH REPEATING
- Pres. Abraham Lincoln
"The year that is drawing towards its close, has been
filled with the
blessings of fruitful fields and healthful skies. To these
bounties, which
are so constantly enjoyed that we are prone to forget the
source from which
they come, others have been added, which are of so
extraordinary a nature,
that they cannot fail to penetrate and soften even the heart
which is
habitually insensible to the ever watchful providence of
Almighty God."
-- 1863 Thanksgiving Proclamation by President Abraham Lincoln
(1809-1865,
16th President of the United States: 1861-1865)
- C.S. Lewis
"It's she that makes it always winter. Always
winter and never Christmas;
think of that!"
-- Mr. Tumnus, explaining the White Witch to Lucy (from
"The Lion, The Witch
and The Wardrobe" by C.S. Lewis, 1898-1963, English
author)
November 21, 2004 (back
to index)
HOMESCHOOL ITEMS
1. Credit
Where Credit Is Due
2. Article: "In Beslan's Wake, Eastern Europeans Consider
Home Schooling"
3. TOYchallenge Contest - Registration Deadline:
December 15, 2004
4. Christian Classical Blog
5. Extending Homeschool Into Home College
6. Free Online Video Resource
7. Free Project for Your Homeschool Teen
8. Free Stuff!
9. High School Graduation Ceremony - Purcellville - May or
June, 2005
10. Online Resource for Dolch Words
11. Online Resource for Geography
12. Wounded Soldiers Project
13. Ravi Zacharias: "For All The Saints"
14. Washington National Cathedral
15. Subject: Electronic Field Trip About Bats!
16.
Model Railroad Show in Richmond
(included because I wish I could go)
17. Scholastic Book Fairs - December 2004
18. Programming Contest
19. Cool Web Site: Children's Books Online
UNITED STATES of
AMERICA
20. Online
Resource for American History
21. "Roanoke Colony: America's First Mystery"
22. The President Who Wasn't
23. Online American History Resource: Restoring America Project
24. Three
Branches of Government
25.
American Presidents: Life Portraits
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HOMESCHOOL ITEMS
.... ..... ..... ..... ..... ..... ..... ..... .....
.....
1. Credit Where Credit Is Due
In our October 4, 2004, HEAV Update, we included an item
entitled "Timeline
Resources" (item 2.11). We gave what we thought was proper
attribution for
this item. As it turned out this information originated from a
different
source: Paula's Archives.
HEAV regrets this error and is grateful to Paula for letting us
know of this
oversight so we may correct it. You may view her Timelines page
at
http://www.redshift.com/~bonajo/timeline.htm#links
and her Web site at
http://www.PaulasArchives.com.
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2. Article: "In Beslan's Wake, Eastern Europeans
Consider Home Schooling"
"More Russian families are turning to home
schooling in the wake of the
three-day Beslan school hostage crisis, during which armed
attackers stormed
a middle school and took more than a thousand parents, teachers,
and
children captive. The violent end to that siege left hundreds of
hostages
dead, and a devastated public desperate to ensure their own
children's
safety."
Read the full article, by Jim Brown and Jenni Parker, at
http://www.crosswalk.com/family/home_school/1292843.html.
.... ..... ..... ..... ..... ..... ..... ..... ..... .....
3. TOYchallenge Contest - Registration Deadline:
December 15, 2004
This contest is open to girls and boys in grades 5 through 8.
The program is
flexible enough that it can be used in school, after school, in
a
homeschool, with a neighborhood group, or as part of any
youth-based
organization. A team consists of a three to eight members; at
least half
must be girls. One adult is the team coach.
The deadline to register your team is December 15, 2004.
For more information, including prize details, visit
http://www.toychallenge.com/index.shtml.
------------------------------------------------------
4. Christian Classical Blog
Read of the daily meanderings of another Christian
classical home-learning
family in this sacred pilgrimage. Think of it as a cup of daily
encouragement and inspiration on the holy journey of educating
God's next
actors in the drama of His Story.
Web site: http://holyexperience.blogspot.com
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5. Extending Homeschool Into Home College
As one component of the Family University Network, a Christian
business
incubator with Family Business Network (FBN) is being
developed in the
Turtle Mountains of North Dakota. In order to help to prosper
families and
improve the culture, this business incubator offers local and
Web-based
seminars, courses, curriculum, experiences, and peer groups to
support the
development of businesses based on biblical principles.
Is Manufacturing Engineering--the first full curriculum
available --learners
develop their own manufacturing enterprise. Faculty are being
recruited to
develop other Bible-based entrepreneurial curriculum for the
various trades,
liberal arts, business, economics, science, mathematics,
engineering,
technology, and legal and medical fields. All teachers operate
as
independent free agents.
Interested homeschool families, groups, Christian school
groups, church
groups, and others can learn more about the Family University
Network at
http://www.bartlettuniversity.com.
Questions may be addressed to Dr. James Bartlett (800-477-8626
or
info@bartlettuniversity.com).
The first 100 families to join will be given
free membership in exchange for helping prime the network for
operation.
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6. Free Online Video Resource
YourOtherTeacher.com has online video tutoring for various
subjects that
they want to adapt for homeschoolers. If you would be willing
to take a look
at some of their lessons and answer a 10-minute survey, they
will give you
two months of free tutoring as a thank you. In the Member
Login area on the
top left, enter [homeschoolers@Homeschool.com] (without the
brackets) for
the e-mail address. For the passcode enter [free] (without the
brackets).
Web site: http://www.YourOtherTeacher.com
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7. Free Project for Your Homeschool Teen
It is just a matter of time before your teen falls out of love
with driving
the family van and in love with a car he has no idea he can't
afford. Be
ready for that day with this free project from Cardamom
Publishers.
Web site: http://www.cardamompublishers.com/free-life-prep-project-01.htm.
Requires Adobe Acrobat Reader.
-----------------------------------------------------
8. Free Stuff!
This is the website that Leslie D. was talking about in
the last
meeting. It is really a neat place to grab a worksheet here
and there, also
free CD's and Fun Kits !
http://www.homeschoolfreestuff.com/issues/45/45.html
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9. High School Graduation Ceremony - Purcellville
- May or June, 2005
Kathy Weitz and Jeanne Domenech are planning a high
school graduation
ceremony for their homeschool seniors this spring, to be held
in
Purcellville, Virginia (Western Loudoun County), in late May
or early June
of 2005. This would be a Christ-honoring, formal ceremony.
They want to get
a feel for the level of interest and how many participants
they could count
on. Contact them as soon as possible (by November 15) at
greengables@weitz.us,
with the following information: name (parents), name
(student), e-mail address, county and state of residence,
level of interest
(maybe, interested, definitely), plus any comments.
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10. Online Resource for Dolch Words
The Dolch words are the 220 most frequently found words.
Students who learn
these words have a good base for beginning reading. Many of
these words
cannot be sounded out because they do not follow decoding
rules. These words
must be learned as sight words.
One such online resource for these words may be found at
http://www.janbrett.com/games/jan_brett_dolch_word_list_main.htm.
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11. Online Resource for Geography
The Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) publishes an
annual World Factbook,
which includes, among other things, geographic information on
each country.
While the book is printed only once per year, the information
is available
online and updated regularly. You may find this to be a good
source of
supplemental information for geography or other subjects.
Web site: http://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/geos/re.html
.... ..... ..... ..... ..... ..... ..... ..... ..... .....
12. Wounded Soldiers Project
The Azalea Charities Aid to Wounded Soldiers project provides
comfort and
relief items for soldiers and Marines who are sick, injured,
or wounded from
service in Iraq and Afghanistan. Donated items are distributed
to soldiers
and Marines at Walter Reed Army Medical Center and the
National Naval
Medical Center, Bethesda, each week. Many of the soldiers and
Marines are
grievously wounded and will require long hospitalization and
rehabilitation.
The purpose of the program is to enhance the morale and
welfare of the
wounded by contributing quality-of-life items. All donations
are tax
deductible.
Their Web site lists all current needs, plus drop-off
locations in the
northern Virginia area. If you are unable to donate specific
items, you may
also make an online donation for this relief effort.
Web site: http://www.azaleacharities.org.
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13. Ravi Zacharias: "For All The Saints"
(This man's writings are incredible, full of
understanding. I've just begun reading "Can Man
Live Without God?")
Ravi Zacharias, noted Christian apologist, offers a daily
e-mail newsletter
that I have found to be consistently challenging and
encouraging. In honor
of All Saints Day (November 1), they offered a series of
biographical
portraits. You may read these entries online, as well as
subscribe to the
newsletter or hear audio streaming of some of his talks on
college campuses.
For All The Saints:
http://www.rzim.org/publications/slicetran.php?sliceid=757
William Wilberforce (Faith and the Public Life):
http://www.rzim.org/publications/slicetran.php?sliceid=758
Susanna Wesley (A Faith Unobscured):
http://www.rzim.org/publications/slicetran.php?sliceid=759
John Chrysostom (An Unavoidable Calling):
http://www.rzim.org/publications/slicetran.php?sliceid=760
Augustine of Hippo (The Restless Heart):
http://www.rzim.org/publications/slicetran.php?sliceid=761
Hien Pham (A Man Set Apart):
http://www.rzim.org/publications/slicetran.php?sliceid=762
Main Web site: http://www.rzim.org
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14. Washington National Cathedral
Washington National Cathedral would like to extend an
invitation
to the families involved in HERITAGE to come and participate
in our school
programs. We have four different programs to meet
different needs and
interests of home schoolers; and our goal is to provide
interactive and
exciting learning opportunities for elementary and middle
school aged
children. Washington National Cathedral is an ideal
setting to come and
explore architecture, math, art, and history, and our staff
and corps of
volunteers makes it possible for us to work with visiting
children in small
groups.
Allison Elder
Manager of School and Family Programs
Washington National Cathedral
(202) 537-2184
www.cathedral.org
++++++++ +++++++++++++++
++++++++
15. Subject: Electronic Field Trip About
Bats!
Why are bats classified as mammals? What do
bats eat? Do bats migrate?
Are bats beneficial to people? Would you like to take your
class on a field
trip to visit Carlsbad Caverns National Park and get the
answers to these
questions? You may not be able to physically go there,
but Carlsbad
Caverns National Park is sponsoring a FREE electronic field
trip,
eFieldTrip, that your class can participate in.
During November through December 2004, Carlsbad Caverns
National Park will
offer schools nationwide the opportunity to participate in an
eFieldTrip
titled, "Bats! Fantastic Mammals of Flight."
The eFieldTrip has four major components -
1. Virtual Visit. An interactive multi-media web
experience that your
students can complete at their own pace anytime. The
Virtual Visit will
premiere November 8, 2004 and will be available through the
end of the
school year.
2. Trip Journal. A short worksheet that students
fill-in as they complete
the Virtual Visit.
3. Ask the Experts. Students may post questions
via the eFieldTrips web
site. Within 1-2 days, the experts at Carlsbad Caverns
National Park will
post the answers to their questions.
4. Live Web Chat. A live web chat will allow your
students to ask
questions of the experts at Carlsbad Caverns National Park and
receive
their answers during the chat.
What do you need to participate? If you have access to
the Internet at
your school or in your classroom, you can participate!
The students access
the eFieldTrip using a web browser such as Internet Explorer
or Netscape
Navigator.
There is no cost for your school or students to participate.
This program
is offered as an educational outreach opportunity by Carlsbad
Caverns
National Park.
For more information, or to register your school to
participate, please go
to www.eFieldTrips.org
and click on the banner "Bats! Fantastic Mammals of
Flight." We look forward to having your students
join us on this amazing
eFieldTrip!
----------------------------------------------------------------------
16. Model Railroad Show in Richmond
- November 26-28, 2004
Virginia Science Museum
2500 West Broad Street
Richmond, VA 23219
Friday, November 26, 2004, through Sunday, November 28, 2004.
Relive your favorite childhood hobby at the 27th Annual Model
Railroad Show.
Z, N, HO, S, Lionel and Standard gauge trains travel through
elaborate
layouts. Sponsored by the Richmond Freelance and Prototype
Model Railroaders
Club.
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17. Scholastic Book Fairs - December 2004
Scholastic Warehouse sales are exclusive to book-fair
chairmen and
volunteers; registered homeschoolers; and school personnel
(principals,
administrators, faculty, teachers, librarians, and media
specialists).
Visit their Web site for locations, dates, and times:
http://teacher.scholastic.com/fairs/warehouse/states/va.htm
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18. Programming Contest
USACO (USA Computing Olympiad) has announced the schedule for
their
2004-2005 Internet contests. The first round was this past
weekend. The most
noticeable change from last year is that there are now four
divisions, so
everyone from novice to expert programmer can compete.
Languages include
C/C++, Pascal, and Java. They have also recently expanded the
interactive
training pages to support all three languages.
For high school or junior high school student interested
in competing in the USA Computing
Olympiad. It's easy to get involved; you only need
to do these two things:
- sign up for the email
list; every 2-3 months throughout the school year we run
competitions which are announced and distributed over this
list
- register for the training
pages and start working through the material to hone
your competition computing skills
When a contest starts you will receive the
tasks by email; to participate all you need to do is write
programs to solve any of the tasks and submit it over the
Internet; there are no registration fees. It's that easy!
Link to Contest: http://ace.delos.com/contestgate
Web site: http://www.usaco.org
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19. Cool Web Site: Children's Books Online
This children's library is a volunteer-driven project offering the
largest
collection of illustrated antique children's books online. It has
grown
slowly over an eight-year period, from the work of a single man
and a
handful of books, to a vibrant volunteer-powered organization and
a growing
library of books and translations, and now contains well over
10,000 pages.
Web site: http://www.childrensbooksonline.org
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America
.... ..... ..... ..... ..... ..... ..... ..... ..... .....
20. Online
Resource for American History
This American History Web site is a free, non-commercial site for
students
from grade seven and up. It provides over 500 entries for events
from
Columbus' voyage through the 1950's Cold War. The site gives
accurate
history, original quotes, and a chance for Christian values to be
applied to
everyday life. Teachers can use this site for lesson preparation
and short
essays. http://www.4america.com
.... ..... ..... ..... ..... ..... ..... ..... ..... .....
21. "Roanoke Colony: America's First Mystery,"
I am a special education teacher in Gloucester, Va, and recently
had a book
published in August. It's entitled, "Roanoke Colony:
America's First
Mystery," and tells the story of the Roanoke Colony. This
is a subject that
has slowly been lost in our curriculums, both in the classroom
and in the
home. The book is written with word choice suitable for an
adolescent, but
content suitable for a child and up. I have found that many
teachers agree
this short book is a great supplement for any teaching
environment. I am
very interested in getting information out regarding this book.
The book can be purchased through your local bookstore,
Barnes&Noble.com,
Amazon.com, or PublishAmerica.com.
Thanks,
Tracey Esplin
4288 Cato Drive
Gloucester, VA 23061
vpoobear@aol.com
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22. The
President Who Wasn't
"Living Books for the Ears" offers the
fascinating, true story of the
President who decided -- right smack in the middle of his
re-election
campaign -- to resign from office because the United States
faced a war.
Which Mr. President was it? Well, you will have to listen to the
story (part
history, part civics lesson, and part mystery) and see if you
can figure out
who he was -- his identity isn't revealed until the end of the
program. This
first-rate episode of "Mr. President" was first
broadcast July 17, 1947.
.... ..... ..... ..... ..... ..... ..... ..... ..... .....
23. Online American History Resource: Restoring America
Project
The vision of the Restoring America Project involves
reaching young
Americans and helping them to discover the core values on which
this nation
was founded. Designed as a tool to aid junior and senior high
school
teachers, students, and homeschooling parents, the Restoring
America Project
features a daily incident from the lives of the men and women
who formed
America. Web site: http://www.4america.com
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24. Three
Branches of Government
This C-span site has lesson plans and activities for covering
the three branches of government and other points on US history.
It has video clips as well and is very up to date/
.... ..... ..... ..... ..... ..... ..... ..... ..... .....
25. American
Presidents: Life Portraits
This web site, created for the television series, contains
a complete video archive of all American Presidents: Life
Portraits programming, plus these additional resources:
• Biographical facts
• Key events of each presidency
• Presidential places
• Reference material
.... ..... ..... ..... ....
----------------------------------------------------------------------
November 2, 2004 (back
to index)
HOMESCHOOL ITEMS
1. Colonial Williamsburg Homeschoolers
Discount
2.Total Lunar Eclipse - Look Up - October 27, 2004
3. World's Largest Model Rocket Contest - Deadline:
November 30, 2004
ONLINE
4. PBS: Interactive Electoral College
Map
5. Scientific Calculators and the SAT
6. Highschool at Home
7. Online Resource: Test Preparation
8. Cool Radio Programs Web Site #1: Mercury Theatre On The
Air
9. Cool Radio Programs Web Site #2: RadioLovers.com
10. Electronic Field Trip to the Wetlands of
Watsonville, CA
11. Election magazine for the younger
grades?
WORTH REPEATING
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1) HOMESCHOOL ITEMS
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.....
1. Colonial Williamsburg Homeschoolers Discount
Visit Colonial Williamsburg from now until November 1, 2004, or
January 1 through March 15, 2005, or July 1 through September 30,
2005, at the reduced cost of just $5 per person (excludes
Governor's Palace or museums). Minimum group requirements is 15
people.
.... ..... ..... ..... ..... ..... ..... ..... ..... .....
2.Total Lunar Eclipse - Look Up - October 27, 2004
October 27, 2004, from 9:00 p.m. to 1:00 a.m.
(approximate). Peak viewing is at 11:04pm
The last eclipse of 2004 occurs on the evening of Wednesday,
October 27 (in Europe, the eclipse occurs during the early morning
hours of Thursday, October 28). This event is a total eclipse of
the moon, which will be visible from North and South America as
well as Europe, Africa, and Antarctica. During such an eclipse,
the moon's disk can take on a dramatically colorful appearance
from bright orange to blood red to dark brown and (rarely) very
dark gray.
An eclipse of the moon can only take place at full moon, and only
if the moon passes through some portion of earth's shadow. The
shadow is actually composed of two cone-shaped parts, one nested
inside the other. The outer shadow or penumbra is a zone where
earth blocks some (but not all) of the sun's rays. In contrast,
the inner shadow or umbra is a region where earth blocks all
direct sunlight from reaching the moon.
If the moon passes through only part on the umbra, a partial
eclipse is seen. However, if the entire moon passes through the
umbral shadow, then a total eclipse of the moon occurs.
Please contact local resources in your area (museums, schools,
amateur astronomy clubs, etc.) for group watching opportunities.
Web site: http://sunearth.gsfc.nasa.gov/eclipse/LEmono/TLE2004Oct28/TLE2004Oct28.html
.... ..... ..... ..... ..... ..... ..... ..... ..... .....
3. World's Largest Model Rocket Contest - Deadline:
November 30, 2004
The Team America Rocketry Challenge is open to all students in
grades 7-12 (homeschooler requirements appear below).
Requires students to design, build, and fly a model rocket
carrying a raw egg and return it safely to the ground while
staying aloft for exactly 60 seconds. This gives students
experience in designing a flying aerospace vehicle that meets a
specified set of mission and performance requirements.
Sponsored by AIA, the National Association of Rocketry (NAR),
NASA, the American Association of Physics Teachers, and Honeywell.
Rules and application are available at http://www.rocketcontest.org.
Deadline is November 30, 2004.
Note for homeschoolers from the Web site's FAQ: Homeschoolers can
enter as part of a school team with permission of that school's
principal, or they can enter by being part of a local chapter of a
non-profit organization (Scouts, etc., but not an NAR or TRA club)
outside of the school context. If there is a local organization
specifically for homeschoolers (which is true in some regions, not
all), and the kids are members of this, this counts as a
"non-profit organization" as well. We are not looking
for ways to exclude homeschoolers, we just want entries to be
under the name of an incorporated organization of some kind, and
not entered as the "Smith Family Team."
.... ..... ..... ..... ..... ..... ..... ..... ..... .....
2) ONLINE
.... ..... ..... ..... ..... ..... ..... ..... ..... .....
4. PBS: Interactive Electoral College Map
Use the interactive map to chart a winning strategy for
President George W. Bush or Senator John Kerry.
The map begins with state-by-state results from the 2000 election.
Red states indicate a win by the Republican candidate, while blue
states indicate a win by the Democratic candidate.
The number of electoral votes indicated for each state, and in the
tally boxes below the map, reflect the re-allocation that took
place after the 2000 census.
Click on each state to see how a win or loss there will affect the
overall outcome of the 2004 election and to formulate winning
combinations.
Web site: http://www.pbs.org/newshour/vote2004/politics101/politics101_ecmap.html
.... ..... ..... ..... ..... ..... ..... ..... ..... .....
5. Scientific Calculators and the SAT
Scientific calculators can be used when taking the SAT, but Saxon
and some other curriculums do not teach the use of the calculator
to the extent the public schools do. This puts homeschool students
at a disadvantage. Although they can manually work the problems,
using the calculator is much faster for testing. The scientific
calculator most used is Texas Instruments T1-83 Calculator.
WatchMeWare has a downloadable application that explains all the
uses of this scientific calculator in advanced math. You can
download this information at http://www.WatchMeWare.com
for $14.95. The support address is csterner1@adelphia.net
if you have any questions. The developer is very helpful and
considerate of the needs of homeschoolers.
[Our thanks to Karen M.]
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6. Highschool at Home
www.everydayeducation.com
is a helpful website about doing high school at home, high school
transcripts and essay writing. Check it out!
(Thanks to Karen
T)
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7. Online Resource: Test Preparation
TestPrepReview.com is a free service of a nonprofit group of
educators. Their Web site was created to provide free practice
test questions for students in a variety of career situations. The
site contains a modular approach to learning the content on these
exams. They include information that will help you get maximum
value from your testing experience. Web site: http://www.testprepreview.com
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8. Cool Radio Programs Web Site #1: Mercury Theatre
On The Air
The finest radio drama of the 1930s was the "Mercury
Theatre on the Air," a show featuring the acclaimed New York
drama company founded by Orson Welles and John Houseman. In its
brief run, it featured an impressive array of talents, including
Agnes Moorehead, Bernard Herrmann, and George Coulouris. The show
is famous for its notorious "War of the Worlds"
broadcast, but the other shows in the series are relatively
unknown. This site has many of the surviving shows, and will
eventually have all of them.
The show first broadcast on CBS and CBC in July 1938. It ran
without a sponsor until December of that year, when it was picked
up by Campbell's Soup and renamed "The Campbell
Playhouse." All of the surviving Mercury Theatre shows are
available from this page in RealAudio format (some are also in MP3
format). There are several Campbell Playhouse episodes available
here as well, in both RealAudio and MP3 formats. The rest are
being added gradually.
Web site: http://www.unknown.nu/mercury/
Note: If you would rather not install Real Player on your
computer, you can install Real Alternative, allowing you to play
RealMedia files without having to install RealPlayer/RealOne
Player. Visit http://www.free-codecs.com/download/Real_Alternative.htm
for the free download.
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9. Cool Radio Programs Web Site #2: RadioLovers.com
RadioLovers.com offers hundreds of vintage radio shows for you to
listen to online in MP3 format--all for free. Before the days of
video games, shopping malls, MTV, and the Internet, families used
to sit in their living room each night to listen to radio shows
such as Abbott and Costello, Superman, Groucho Marx, The Avenger,
Gunsmoke, Sherlock Homes, and many others. When TV become popular
in the 1950s, most of these shows went off the air, but they now
live on at Web sites such as this one and on weekly nostalgia
radio broadcasts worldwide.
Web site: http://www.radiolovers.com
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10. Electronic Field Trip to the Wetlands of
Watsonville, CA
Would you like to take your class on a field trip to visit the
wetlands in
Watsonville, California? You may not be able to physically
go there, but
the City of Watsonville is sponsoring a FREE electronic field
trip,
eFieldTrip, that your class can participate in.
During October through December 2004, the City of Watsonville will
offer
schools nationwide the opportunity to participate in an eFieldTrip
titled,
"WOW! The Wetlands of Watsonville." The trip is
designed to help students
learn about the importance of wetlands and what they can do to
help protect
the wetlands.
The eFieldTrip has four major components -
1. Virtual Visit. An interactive multi-media web
experience that your
students can complete at their own pace anytime. The Virtual
Visit will
premiere October 18, 2004 and will be available through the end of
the
school year.
2. Trip Journal. A short worksheet that students
fill-in as they complete
the Virtual Visit.
3. Ask the Experts. Students may post questions via
the eFieldTrips web
site. Within 1-2 days, the experts at the Watsonville Nature
Center will
post the answers to their questions.
4. Live Web Chat. A live web chat will allow your
students to ask
questions of the experts at the Watsonville Nature Center and
receive their
answers during the chat.
What do you need to participate? If you have access to the
Internet at
your school or in your classroom, you can participate! The
students access
the eFieldTrip using a web browser such as Internet Explorer or
Netscape
Navigator.
There is no cost for your school or students to participate.
This program
is offered as an educational outreach opportunity by the City of
Watsonville.
For more information, or to register your school to participate,
please go
to www.eFieldTrips.org
and click on the banner "WOW! The Wetlands of
Watsonville." We look forward to having your students
join us on this
amazing eFieldTrip!
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WORTH REPEATING
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"Education commences at the mother's knee, and every word
spoken within the hearing of little children tends towards the
formation of character."
-- Hosea Ballou (1771-1852, American clergyman)
Many thanks to HEAV for much of this information.
1. Online Article
Links Wanted
2. Yorktown Victory Celebration - Yorktown - October 16, 17 &
19, 2004 (in case anyone is traveling)
3. Barnes and Noble Educator Days - Thurs., October
21,
4. Online Newsletter Starting
5. IMAX Movies For Rent
WEB SITES TO SEE
6. Christian
Homeschooling Resource
7.
HomeSchoolFreeStuff.com
8. Astronomy Resource: ClassicalAstronomy.com
9. Cultural Learning
Resource: Explore-Books.com
10. Math Resources
11. BrainPOP.com
12. ThePhonicsPage.org
13. Cool Web Site Links Posted
CONTESTS
14. Craftsman/NSTA "Best Young Inventors"
Contest - Deadline: March 15,
2005
15. National History Day Contest - Open
Enrollment
LETTERS TO HERITAGE
16. Skycroft Home School Outdoor Adventure
17. Work with International Students / Work Mostly
from Home
THINGS TO DO
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1. Online Article Links Wanted
Have you read something pertaining to homeschooling recently
that interested
or educated you? Why not share it with your fellow homeschoolers
by sending
it to HEAV. We may include it in a future HEAV Weekly Update or
even post it
on the HEAV Web site. Whether a news article, opinion piece,
article of
encouragement, homeschooling success stories--whatever it is--we
would like
to hear about it. Just send an e-mail to webmaster@heav.org
with the link
you found and maybe a quick note about why it caught your eye.
Thank you!
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2.
Yorktown Victory Celebration - Yorktown - October 16, 17 & 19,
2004
Yorktown Victory Center
Route 1020
Yorktown, VA
757-253-4838 or 888-593-4682
To mark the 223rd anniversary of America's decisive Revolutionary
War
victory at Yorktown, the Yorktown Victory Center, a state-operated
museum of
the American Revolution, will host an encampment of Revolutionary
War
re-enactors for its "Yorktown Victory Celebration" on
Saturday and Sunday,
October 16 and 17, 2004.
America's evolution from colonial status to nationhood is
chronicled at the
Yorktown Victory Center through a blend of timeline, film,
thematic
exhibits, and outdoor living history. Weekend programs are a
prelude to
Yorktown Day on Tuesday, October 19, the actual anniversary of the
1781
British surrender to the allied American and French forces led by
General
George Washington. Events on October 19th include a parade,
patriotic
exercises and wreath-laying ceremonies at the Yorktown Victory
Monument.
Web site: http://www.historyisfun.org/yorktown/yvc_calendar.cfm
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3. Barnes and Noble
Educator Days Thurs., October 21,
4:30
- 7:00 pm. Educator Reception!
25% discount - raffle prizes - publisher give-aways- food -
Smithsonian educator materials
sign up for your new Educator Discount Card (current card valid
only until 10/31) and enter to win a $500 Barnes &
Noble Gift Card for Classroom Purchases!
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4. Online
Newsletter Starting
Growing Together Family Learning Newsletter will be a
tri-weekly on-line
publication for families of preschool or elementary aged children.
It was
created primarily for homeschoolers. It is designed to be
eclectic,
non-denominational, and non-partisan, with a focus on living books
& ideas
and hands-on learning.
For more information, or to subscribe, visit
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/GTFL_Newsletter
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5. IMAX Movies For Rent
PlanetDVDnow ( http://www.planetDVDnow.com)
currently has more than 30 IMAX
movies in their inventory of "free" DVDs. Although the
DVDs themselves are
considered free, the shipping/handling is $4.99 or $5.99 each,
depending on
how many you order. Just type "IMAX" in as the title,
and the list of
available IMAX movies will come up.... ..... ..... ..... .....
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WEB SITES TO SEE
....
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6. Christian Homeschooling Resource
HomeSchoolEnrichment.com, an online community for
Christian homeschoolers,
offers several resources, including "Home School Enrichment
Magazine," a
bi-monthly print publication.
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7. HomeSchoolFreeStuff.com
Join 40,000 other homeschoolers every week for fun,
topical homeschool
curriculum, homeschool lesson plans, homeschool resources
homeschool unit
studies, and more!
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8. Astronomy Resource: ClassicalAstronomy.com
Just in time for the total eclipse of the Moon on
Wednesday, October 27,
2004, you can sign up to receive the free monthly e-mail
newsletter. Just
send an e-mail to subscribe@classicalastronomy.com
with "Subscribe" in the
subject line.
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9. Cultural Learning Resource: Explore-Books.com
Explorer Headquarters! was created for kids to learn
about different
cultures while having fun! "Playful Learning" is the
Key. You can play 50+
educational travel activities in our Games & Activities
section, plus a lot
more.
Web site: http://www.explore-books.com
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10. Math Resources:
MegaMathematics
This Web site, hosted by the Los Alamos National
Laboratory, offers
mathematical topics such as "Untangling the Mathematics
of Knots,"
"Algorithms and Ice Cream for All," and
"Machines that Eat Your Words."
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Nick's Mathematical Puzzles
Nick Hobson's Web site presents mathematical puzzles selected
for the
deceptive simplicity of their statement, or the elegance of
their solution.
They range over geometry, probability, number theory, algebra,
calculus,
trigonometry, and logic. All require a certain ingenuity, but
usually only
pre-college math. Some puzzles are original.
Explaining how an answer is arrived at is more important than
the answer
itself. To this end, hints, answers, and fully worked
solutions are
provided, together with links to related mathematical topics.
Further
references are provided with many of the solutions. The
puzzles are intended
to be fun, with an educational element.
Web site: http://www.qbyte.org/puzzles/
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MyMathTutor.com
MyMathTutor.com was created to provide struggling
math students with
resources to help improve their skills. MyMathTutor is a
web-based learning
or eLearning program designed to supplement traditional course
materials and
classroom instruction. The system is centered around video
tutorials that
show how to solve various math problems in an easy to follow
teaching style.
MyMathTutor has partnered with best-selling textbook author
Charles P.
McKeague to bring you experienced instruction in the form of
digital video.
Mr. McKeague is the featured instructor in all of their math
video
tutorials. His video lessons have accompanied his many college
textbooks for
more 20 years. Over the years, thousands of students have
studied and
learned algebra from his books. Now, his clear, step-by-step
approach is
finally available to everyone through the power of the
Internet.
Web site: http://www.mymathtutor.com
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High School Math Online Resource
Those with an interest in materials for high school
mathematics are offered
a complete, free online course in Beginning Algebra at
http://www.homeschool-math.com/course/
This is intended to introduce homeschoolers to a full
curriculum of college
preparatory math courses, arithmetic through pre-calculus.
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11. BrainPOP.com
BrainPOP is a Web site that features hundreds of
educational topics covering
English, Math, Science, Social Studies, Health, and
Technology, all
correlated to National Education Standards for Grades 5-8. A
subscription
costs $79 per year, but anyone can participate in two
activities a day at no
charge.
Web site: http://www.brainpop.com
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12. ThePhonicsPage.org
This Web site offers resources and information about
improving reading and
spelling with phonics. Free phonics lessons for adults and
children in the
2nd grade and older are provided in QuickTime movie format. A
movie
explaining phonics, literacy statistics, and the need for
phonics is also
provided, along with written instructions for teaching young
children to
read.
Web site: http://www.thephonicspage.org
[Our thanks to Trivium Pursuit, Harvey and Laurie Bluedorn.
Web site:
http://www.triviumpursuit.com]
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13. Cool Web Site Links Posted
Ever try to remember back to one of the Cool Web sites
we have listed in
past HEAV Weekly Updates? Have you spent minutes (or more)
digging through
old e-mail trying to find it? Well, now you don't have to! We
have compiled
all of our published resources in one page on the HEAV Web
site. As we add
more cool Web sites we will continue to add to this list. Just
visit
http://www.heav.org
and click on "Resources."
And if you come across some cool Web sites that others
would benefit from,
please drop us an e-mail ( update@heav.org)
with the link(s). We may just
include them in future Updates or post them directly on our
Web site.
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CONTESTS
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14. Craftsman/NSTA "Best Young Inventors"
Contest - Deadline: March 15,
2005
The Craftsman/NSTA Young Inventors Awards Program is a
national competition
that challenges your students to use their best creativity and
boundless
imagination--along with science, technology, and mechanical
ability--to
invent or modify a tool. Nicolette Mann, a fourth-grader from
Christiansburg, Virginia, won this year's contest, out of more
than 9,000
entries, and walked away with the $10,000 scholarship.
The 2005 competition poster is now available and contains
pictures and brief
descriptions of the top 12 winning inventions from the 2004
competition. On
the backside are the official rules plus an entry form that
may be
photocopied for distribution and multiple entries.
For those seeking more detailed information, teacher's guides
are also
available with complete competition information, classroom
activities, and
tips on facilitating invention and brainstorming creative
ideas.
Contest Web site: http://www.nsta.org/programs/craftsman.
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15. National History Day Contest - Open
Enrollment
The National History Day program is a yearlong
education program that
culminates in a national contest every June.
Students in grades 6-12 produce dramatic performances,
imaginative exhibits,
multimedia documentaries, and research papers based on
research related to
an annual theme. These projects are then evaluated at
local, state, and
national competitions.
For more information, visit
http://nationalhistoryday.org/02_contest/02.html.
Click on 'Contact State Coordinator' for more Md. links
and information.
For Maryland information visit
LETTERS TO HERITAGE
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16. Skycroft Home School Outdoor Adventure
My name is Grace Schofield and I am from Skycroft
Conference Center, located on South Mountain near Frederick,
MD. It has been a goal of Skycroft to reach out to the
home-school community for many years, and we have recently
succeeded in reaching our goal by coming up with a program
geared towards educating students and giving them an
opportunity to learn among nature. I would like to invite you
to our first Home School Outdoor Adventure.
During this event your student will be offered time to play
sports, learn Civil War history, participate in nature and GPS
(Global Positioning System)
Tracking hikes and enjoy time with other students their ages
during Field Games and Bible Study.
Skycroft would like to offer this program as either a one or
two day event. Families are encouraged to stay overnight to
get the full experience of what Skycroft can offer, but it is
not a requirement. Included in this letter is a schedule of
events for the program, a registration form, my contact
information and prices. (Ask me for more info)
!Students
and Parents attending 1-Day event: $10, which
covers all meals and activities.
!Students
attending 2-Day event: $25, which covers all
meals, activities, lodging and extra activities on the second
day. !Parents
attending 2-Day event: $20, which covers all
meals and lodging
We
know that field trips and programs like this can become
expensive for families that home school, so it is our goal to
keep these costs as low as possible. I ask that you pass along
this information to your families so that they can be a part
of the first of many events geared towards home-educated
students. The registration form should be filled out and sent
to Skycroft by Friday, November 5, 2004.
If this program does not fit within your Association's
schedule of events,
but you are interested in planning a field trip or retreat for
a later date,
please contact me at any time so that I can assist in planning
an event
specific for your group.
If you have any questions or would like further information on
the Skycroft
Home School Outdoor Adventure program, you may call our office
or visit
www.skycroft.org.
I am looking forward to hearing from you and seeing you in
November!
Respectfully yours,
Grace Schofield
Program Director
Skycroft Conference Center
Office- (301)293-3640 X 12
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17. Work with International Students / Work Mostly
from Home
Hello,
My name is Mindy Thomason. I am a Senior
Regional Director for CompassUSA, working with international
students. I am wondering if you would be willing to
assist me in my search for coordinators for your area.
Work with International Students / Work Mostly
from Home
Looking for confident, well-organized, established
people to hire and supervise 2 - 4 coordinators in
the local area.
Looking for Coordinators to work with
international students during SHORT 2 - 6 week homestays.
Groups as well as individual students.
For more information contact
Mindy
Thomason
Regional Director
Compass
USA
Toll Free 1-877-397-7191
760-745-1686
MindyL121@aol.com
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Many thanks as always to HEAV
Web site: http://www.heav.org
E-mail: info@heav.org
The HEAV Update is produced by Anne Miller (executive
editor), Michael Grice
(editor), and Wanda Hayes (Update coordinator).
Mount St. Helens 10/4/04 (back
to index)
This is just too cool a find.
Even if you aren't studying geology right now, with an active
volcano event going on now you might want to give it a little
current events time. Right now on the volcano cam web page I
can see dawn over Mt. St. Helens. This particular volcano is also
very important to us as Bible believers because so much was
learned from the eruption 20 some years ago. What has been
seen with this volcano is very supportive of a Biblical
creationist understanding. The changes that occurred so
quickly bolster the catastrophic understanding of creation as
opposed to the uniformitarian view of gradual changes over long
periods of time. The name of this mt. should be appearing in
the newer science books. Make your aquaintance now.
Today the warning has been
raised to Level III and Mt. St. Helens is being cleared of all
personel and visitors. The magma has raised 50ft. but is
still a half mile down. 70% chance of blowing soon. (my mom heard
the magma info on Fox, I don't see where those updates can be
found - but watching the changes of morning light over this mt. is
beautiful, and I don't feel so late getting moving here when it is
3 hours earlier where I'm looking.)
October 5, 2004 (back
to index)
HOMESCHOOL ITEMS
1. Gifted Online Conference -
October 6-9, 2004
2. A Beka Book and Pensacola Christian College Could Use a
"Thank You"
3. Oak Brook College of Law Alumni Association Formed
4. Harvard Review Article on Homeschooling
5. Amsterdam World War II Field Trip - March 2005
6. Article: "How to 'Bee' a Spelling Winner"
7. Opinion: Saxon Math Changes
8. Three Cool Experiments at Home
9. Cool Resource: ACMEanimation.org
10. Periodic Table of Elements Resources
11. Cool Web Site: SpellCheck.net
12.
Homeschool Day at the Maryland Historical Society
13. National Museum of Civil War Medicine
PARTING THOUGHT: "Gene Pool"
WORTH REPEATING
English!!
(this is so good!)
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.....
HOMESCHOOL ITEMS
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1. Gifted Online Conference - October
6-9, 2004
Dr Deborah L. Ruf, Ph.D., Educational Options, from the
Minneapolis/St. Paul
area of Minnesota, will discuss and take questions concerning how to
recognize different levels of giftedness. Dr. Ruf will help parents
explore
what really matters, what not to worry about, and how to maintain a
flexible
approach to meeting the needs of their differently talented
children.
For instructions on how to join, visit
http://www.neiu.edu/~ourgift/pages/HowTo.htm
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2. A Beka Book and Pensacola
Christian College Could Use a "Thank You"
Sharon Grimes, of Heir-Raising Ministries (Moravia, NY) shared with
us some
information about the devastation by Hurricane Ivan on the
Pensacola,
Florida, community. She also offers a challenge to the homeschool
community:
"I can remember the very first homeschool conference we ever
put on. I
didn't have any list of vendors, but started contacting the few
homeschool
suppliers and other companies that I could think of. The first
company to
respond was A Beka.
"PCC (Pensacola Christian College) has a high percentage of
homeschool
graduates, and give $1,000,000 in scholarship money to its students
every
year. This is how the Hortons chose to reinvest A Beka Book money,
so they
could offer an affordable college education (still just $5,300 for
room,
board, board, and tuition).
"I have been burdened that perhaps it is time for the
homeschool community
to say THANK YOU by giving something back? I would LOVE to see Dr.
and Mrs.
Horton flooded with cards of thanks for their many years of service
to us.
How about sending a love offering to help offset the incredible
expenses
they have sustained from the hurricane’s damage? I keep thinking
about how
much that bottled water has to be costing!! We could really be a
blessing to
those who have lost their homes and belongings.
The college address: Dr. and Mrs. Arlin Horton, Pensacola Christian
College,
250 Brent Lane, Pensacola, FL 32503.
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3. Oak Brook College of Law Alumni
Association Formed
On September 18, 2004, alumni of OBCL gathered in Sacramento,
California, to
form the association. The organizational committee adopted a mission
statement and bylaws, and appointed a board. The committee also
established
several mandates for the alumni association to pursue in its first
year.
Founded in 1994, Oak Brook College of Law takes an innovative
approach to
legal education employing new technology and educational
methodology.
Consisting of both distance courses and campus-based review and
advocacy
courses, the College's juris doctor program prepares students
through
rigorous academics and practical experience.
The law school's bar examination pass rate consistently outscores
the
state-wide average. On California's February 2004 bar exam, OBCL
first-time
bar applicants had a 73% pass rate, the third highest first-time
pass rate
among in-state law schools with more than one applicant sitting for
the bar.
Over 120 students have graduated from OBCL, many of whom are engaged
in the
practice of law. Practice areas include criminal prosecution, public
defense, immigration law, federal public interest litigation, state
legal
aid, corporate law, bankruptcy, civil litigation, administrative
law, estate
planning, and family law. OBCL graduates are admitted in California,
Washington, Wisconsin, Idaho and various federal jurisdictions.
Oak Brook College of Law Web site: http://www.obcl.edu
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4. Harvard Review Article on
Homeschooling
A July 19, 2004, article at "Harvard Political Review
Online" has a fairly
positive write up about homeschooling.
http://www.hpronline.org/news/2004/07/19/UnitedStates/All-Work.Is.Homework-692886.shtml
[Our thanks to Dr. Martha Shuping, M.D.]
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5. Amsterdam World War II Field Trip
- March 2005
This eight-day trip includes visits to Anne Frank's Secret Annexe;
Corrie
ten Boom's house; several museums related to World War II, including
a
Resistance Museum in Amsterdam; the camp to which the Franks were
first
taken after their arrest; a windmill; a cheese maker; a clog maker;
a
diamond cutter; a canal boat cruise in Amsterdam; and the Keukenhof
tulip
gardens. There will be free time for you to visit Rembrandt’s
house if you
choose, or some other "must see" places.
If you sign up now, the total cost until the end of November is
$1,515. Go
http://www.explorica.com and,
where it says "join a tour," enter
[Shuping-3034] (without the brackets).
If you have a question about this trip, please send an e-mail to
mshuping01@sprynet.com.
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6. Article: "How to 'Bee' a
Spelling Winner"
"The most significant ingredients you need in
order to spell effectively are
diligence, memory, concentration, and a coach. Diligence means that
you
study every day - rain or shine. Even when you miss every word that
you're
asked to spell, you don't give up. It is hard, but the more you
practice the
easier it becomes."
Read the article by Naomi Nattress online at
http://www.home-school.com/Articles/phs13-naominattress.html
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7. Opinion: Saxon Math Changes
Linda Schrock Taylor, a free-lance writer and the
owner of "The Learning
Clinic," has been writing about possible changes ahead for
Saxon Math, now
that they have been bought by Harcourt Press.Some information she
included in a previous article contained some incorrect
information. This latest posting contains corrections. Read more of
her
opinion here: http://www.lewrockwell.com/taylor/taylor76.html
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8. Three Cool Experiments at Home
The Genetic Science Learning Center at the Eccles Institute of Human
Genetics (University of Utah) offers three experiments online that
you can
try at home:
"How to Extract DNA From Anything Living" - How to get DNA
from anything
using common household items.
"DNA Extraction From Wheat Germ" - This protocol yields
large quantities of
DNA that can easily be spooled and collected.
"Put an Enzyme to Work!" - A simple experiment to show how
enzymes work.
Web site: http://gslc.genetics.utah.edu/units/activities/
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9. Cool Resource: ACMEanimation.org
The ACME Network connects learners and educators
with experts in a range of
fields. This access helps educators engage their students'
interests,
enliven their classroom environments, and connect to peers and
experts in
their disciplinary focus. Show your work and get some feedback--from
peers
or field professionals. Reflect on the feedback, make revisions, and
post it
for more feedback. It's just like the real world! Individual
students or
entire classes can take on a challenge suggested by a professional,
or show
their own projects to peers or professionals from around the globe.
ACME OnLine (acmeanimation.org) is a web-based community where a
wide
variety of professionals from around the world provide engaging
challenges
in animation, storyboarding, book illustration, comic art and life
drawing
to a wide-open community of learners and visual arts enthusiasts.
This is
where you can gain perspectives on your art and animation from peers
and
professionals from six continents.
Web site: http://www.acmeanimation.org
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10. Periodic Table of Elements Resources
They may not be able to keep track of laptop
computers or nuclear secrets.
But the Los Alamos National Laboratory does offer a great resource
on the
Periodic Table of the Elements for elementary, middle school and
high school
students.
Web site: http://pearl1.lanl.gov/periodic/default.htm
And there is this resource - the elements put to music--it is GREAT:
http://www.privatehand.com/flash/elements.html
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11. Cool Web Site: SpellCheck.net (from
HEAV - Ann Miller I think)
SpellCheck.net offers an online spell checker. It limits you to only
20,000
characters, but you can cut sections at a time if need be. There
were
several things that were cool about this site. One is it is free.
But then
the other cool thing is that questionable words have a pull-down
selection
so you can see other words. It was amazingly accurate.
Links at the top of the page include other language resource links
(encyclopedia, dictionary, thesaurus, and more) and math and units
links
(calculator, kitchen math, periodic tables, and more).
http://www.spellcheck.net/
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
12.
Homeschool Day at the Maryland Historical Society
Tuesday,
November 2, 2004
9:30 a.m.–1:00 p.m.
- History
Workshops for students of all ages.
- Introduction
to MdHS Student Research Center, and Outreach Programs.
- 10%
discount on Museum Shop purchases.
- $5
per person for adults and students age 6–18 payable in advance.
School
Days History Workshop (Ages 6–9)
— Museum tour about childhood in the 19th century and
hands-on activities focusing on school long ago.
Maryland
Bound History Workshop (Ages 8–12)
— Museum tour about colonial Maryland, and hands-on activities
exploring the social circumstances and economic decisions that faced
Maryland's earliest colonists.
Historical
Investigation (Ages 13–18)
— Introduction to using primary sources in the MdHS Student Research
Center for History, and analyzing primary documents relating to
Maryland's position on the eve of the Civil War.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
.... ..... ..... ..... ..... ..... ..... ..... .....
.....
PARTING THOUGHT: "Gene Pool"
.... ..... ..... ..... ..... ..... ..... ..... ..... .....
The next-door neighbor's dog, Cleo, was about to have pups. Thinking
it
would be a good learning experience for several of the youngsters,
it was
agreed that when delivery time came the children would have a
ringside seat
around a child's small inflated rubber pool that was now Cleo's bed.
When Cleo's time arrived, the youngsters were herded into the
playroom to
witness the miracle of birth. Each child was impressed as Cleo began
bringing forth her litter. One woman casually remarked to the group
of
children, and in particular to her four-year-old son, that this was
how she
brought her two children into the world.
Visibly impressed, the boy blurted in amazement, "You had me
like this? In a
swimming pool?"
.... ..... ..... ..... ..... ..... ..... ..... ..... .....
WORTH REPEATING
.... ..... ..... ..... ..... ..... ..... ..... ..... .....
"When I examine myself and my methods of thought, I come close
to the
conclusion that the gift of fantasy has meant more to me than my
talent for
absorbing positive knowledge."
-- Albert Einstein (1879–1955, American theoretical physicist,
known for the
formulation of the relativity theory)
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
English!!
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Something cute I thought you might enjoy.  (from
Suzy Q)
-
We'll begin with a box, and the plural is boxes; but the plural of ox
became oxen not oxes.
One fowl is a goose, but two are called geese, yet the plural of moose
should never be meese.
You may find a lone mouse or a nest full of mice;
yet the plural of house is houses, not hice.
If the plural of man is always called men, why shouldn't the plural of
pan be called pen?
If I spoke of my foot and show you my feet, and I give you a boot,
would a pair be called beet?
If one is a tooth and a whole set are teeth,
why shouldn't the plural of booth be called beeth?
Then one may be that, and three would be those,
yet hat in the plural would never be hose,
and the plural of cat is cats, not cose.
We speak of a brother and also of brethren,
but though we say mother, we never say methren.
Then the masculine pronouns are he, his and him,
but imagine the feminine, she, shis and shim.
Some other reasons to be grateful if you grew up
speaking English:
1) The bandage was wound around the wound.
2) The farm was used to produce produce.
3) The dump was so full that it had to refuse more refuse.
4) We must polish the Polish furniture.
5) He could lead if he would get the lead out.
6) The soldier decided to desert his dessert in the desert.
7) Since there is no time like the present, he thought it
was time to present the present.
8) At the Army base, a bass was ! painted on the head of a
bass drum.
9) When shot at, the dove dove into the bushes.
10) I did not object to the object.
11) The insurance was invalid for the invalid.
12) There was a row among the oarsmen about how to row.
13) They were too close to the door to close it.
14) The buck does funny things when the does are present.
15) A seamstress and a sewer fell down into a sewer line.
16) To help with planting, the farmer taught his sow to sow.
17) The wind was too strong to wind the sail.
18) After a number of Novocain injections, my jaw got number.
19) Upon seeing the tear in the painting I shed a tear.
20) I had to subject the subject to a series of tests.
21) How can I intimate this to my most intimate friend?
22) I spent last evening evening out a pile of dirt.
Screwy pronunciations can mess up your mind! For example...If you
have a rough cough, climbing can be tough when going through the bough
on a tree!
Let's face it - English is a crazy language. There is no egg in
eggplant nor ham in hamburger; neither apple nor pine in pineapple.
English muffins weren't invented in England. We take English for
granted.
But if we explore its paradoxes, we find that quicksand can work
slowly, boxing rings are square and a guinea pig is neither from Guinea
nor is it a pig.
And why is it that writers write but fingers don't fing, grocers
don't groce and hammers don't ham?
Doesn't it seem crazy that you can make amends but not one amend?
If you have a bunch of odds and ends and get rid of all but one of
them, what do you call it?
If teachers taught, why didn't preachers praught?
If a vegetarian eats vegetables, what does a humanitarian eat?
Sometimes I think all the folks who grew up speaking English should
be committed to an asylum for the verbally insane.
In what other language do people recite at a play and play at a
recital?
Ship by truck and send cargo by ship?
Have noses that run and feet that smell?
How can a slim chance and a fat chance be the same, while a
wise man and a wise guy are opposites?
You have to marvel at the unique lunacy of a language in which your
house can burn up as it burns down, in which you fill in a form by
filling it out and in which an alarm goes off by going on.
September News Part 2 (back
to index)
1. Science Center Homeschooler Days -
Baltimore, MD - September 21-24, 2004
2. Family Fun Day on the Bay - Chesapeake Bay
Bridge Tunnel - October 2, 2004
3. "Under Your Nose" - Washington, DC - October 2, 2004
4. Baltimore Ablaze - Fri., Oct. 15, 2004 Md.
History Workshops - Tues., Nov. 2, 2004
5. Festival of Freedom - Manassas - October 16 & 17,
2004
6. Women in Math Contest - Deadline: October 29, 2004
7. Coca-Cola Scholarship Contest - Deadline: October 31, 2004
8. Art Contest - 2nd to 4th graders - Deadline: November 8, 2004
9. Free Educational Computer Games
10. Get Organized With The Fly Lady
11. Online Map Resources
12. Cool Web Site: HistoryForKids.org
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..... .....
1. Science Center Homeschooler Days - Baltimore,
MD - September 21-24, 2004
Maryland Science Center
601 Light Street
Baltimore, MD 21230
410-685-5225
Tuesday, September 21, 2004, through Friday, September 24, 2004,
from 10:00
a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Free for homeschool students and their parents.
IMAX and
other events have reduced fees.
This is the last chance for homeschoolers to attend this museum for
FREE.
Some programs have reduced fees, and others have size restrictions.
Visit
their Web site for complete information, including registration for
classes:
http://www.mdsci.org/resource/homeschool/
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2. Family Fun Day on the Bay - Chesapeake Bay
Bridge Tunnel - October 2,
2004
Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel
Route 60 (Shore Drive) and Route 13
Eastern Shore, VA
A 3.5-mile walk (7-miles round-trip) along a portion of the
Chesapeake Bay
Bridge-Tunnel is open to bikers and walkers. Participants are asked
to
donate goods to the Foodbank of Southeastern Virginia and the
Eastern Shore
Foodbank.
Web site: http://www.cbbt.com/cbbtevent.html
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3. "Under Your Nose" - Washington,
DC - October 2, 2004
The National Theatre
1321 Pennsylvania Ave NW
Washington, DC 20004
"Under Your Nose - Exploring The Obvious" - Saturday,
October 2, 2004, at
9:30 a.m. and 11:00 a.m., in the Helen Hayes Gallery. Free. Tickets
are
available 30 minutes before show on a first-some, first-served
basis.
The Goza Family Players (mom, dad, and son), are a homeschooling
family who
make their home “on the road” 365 days a year, as they travel
from coast to
coast presenting multi-cultural folk tales. These ACT!VATED
STORYTELLERS and
vaudevillians combine dramatization, slapstick, mime, music, dance
acrobatics, sign language, and imaginative props made from recycled
objects
in a dynamic performance style uniquely their own.
For more information about the "Saturday Morning at the
National" series,
visit http://www.nationaltheatre.org/saturday/saturday.htm
.
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4. Baltimore Ablaze - Fri., Oct. 15, 2004
Md. History Workshops - Tues., Nov. 2, 2004
The Maryland Historical Society's Homeschool Day at Baltimore Ablaze
is fast approaching. Don't miss this opportunity for guided
tours of the exhibition, interactive activities for all ages, and a
living history performance. Please visit our website, www.mdhs.org
for details and registration information.
Robin Atwood Fidler -
Tour Coordinator/Visitor Services
Maryland Historical Society 201 W. Monument St. Baltimore, MD
21201
410-685-3750 Ex. 334
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.....
5. Festival of Freedom - Manassas - October
16 & 17, 2004
Manassas Regional Airport
10400 Terminal Road
Manassas, VA 20110
October 16 & 17, 2004, from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Cost: $10
adult, $6 for
children 10 and under.
Freedom Museum’s 6th Annual Festival of Freedom welcomes the
Collings
Foundation "Wings of Freedom Tour." Reserve your ride on a
B-17 or B-24 WWII
bomber, vintage aircraft and military vehicles. Patriotic
activities, live
music, re-enactors, living history units, and fun for the whole
family.
Visit http://www.freedommuseum.org
or call 703-393-0660.
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6. Women in Math Contest - Deadline: October 29, 2004
To increase awareness of women's ongoing contributions to the
mathematical
sciences, the Association for Women in Mathematics (AWM) is
sponsoring an
essay contest for biographies of contemporary women mathematicians
and
statisticians in academic, industrial, and government careers.
The essays will be based primarily on an interview with a woman
currently
working in a mathematical sciences career. This contest is open to
students
in the following categories: grades 6-8, grades 9-12, and college
undergraduate. At least one winning submission will be chosen from
each
category. Winners will receive a prize, and their essays will be
published
online at the AWM web site. Additionally, a grand-prize winner will
have his
or her submission published in the AWM Newsletter.
Web site: http://awm-math.org/biographies/contest.html
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7. Coca-Cola Scholarship Contest - Deadline:
October 31, 2004
Coca-Cola Scholarships are awarded based on character, personal
merit, and commitment. Merit is demonstrated through leadership in
school, civic and extracurricular activities, academic achievement,
and motivation to serve and succeed.
Selection of each class occurs in three phases, beginning each fall
and
culminating the following spring with the announcement of the award
recipients.
The first application seeks a record of the student's overall
involvement in
school and community affairs, as well as academic success and
employment.
This application is due October 31, and culminates in the selection
of 1,500 to 2,000 semifinalists in December. National Scholars
receive $20,000 each, and Regional Scholars $4,000, over a period of
four years.
Students may apply online (http://www.coca-colascholars.org)
after Labor Day each academic year.
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8. Art Contest - 2nd to 4th graders - Deadline:
November 8, 2004
The contest is sponsored annually by the Institute for Global
Environmental
Strategies (IGES). This contest is limited to U.S. students in
grades 2–4.
The winning entry will be printed - along with the artist’s name,
age,
school name, and hometown - as the 2004 IGES greeting card. The
winning
artist will also receive a $250 savings bond. The second-place
winner will
receive a $100 savings bond, with a $50 savings bond awarded to the
third-place winner.
Entries must be received by November 8, 2004. Details are available
at
http://www.strategies.org/ArtContest/2004Announcement.html
.
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9. Free Educational Computer Games
Sheppard Software makes educational computer games. They offer
registered
versions of the games for free to homeschoolers, teachers, and
tutors. Visit
their Web site for information on each of the programs they offer:
http://www.sheppardsoftware.com
. To receive the registered versions, click
on the "Free for Teachers" link at the top.
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10. Get Organized With The Fly Lady
As school ramps up, your time becomes more valuable. Remember to
stop by the
Fly Lady's Web site for organizational and tidying help.
Web site: http://www.flylady.net
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11. Online Map Resources
The U.S. Geologic Survey's Web page explains how different maps tell
us
different things. There are also links to several teacher resources.
Web
site: http://interactive2.usgs.gov/learningweb/teachers/mapsshow.htm
The Perry-Castaneda Library Map Collection at the University of
Texas at
Austin holds more than 230,000 maps, many of which have been
scanned. This
extensive online collection includes hundreds of high quality,
copyright-free maps of nations and cities, as well as many
historical maps.
A special "Electronic Maps of Current Interest" section
highlights maps of
places in the news. This site also hosts a variety of links to other
map-related sites. Web site:
http://www.lib.utexas.edu/Libs/PCL/Map_collection/Map_collection.html
[Our thanks to DELMARVAHomeschoolers.]
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12. Cool Web Site: HistoryForKids.org
"History for Kids" began in 1995 as a community service
learning project for
sophomores at Portland State University in Portland, Oregon. Since
2000, it
has been entirely organized and run by Karen Carr. Dr. Carr holds a
PhD in
Classical Art and Archaeology from the University of Michigan, Ann
Arbor,
and is an associate professor of History at Portland State
University. Her
interests lie especially in the Greek and Roman worlds, which is
where this
site began. They have been gradually expanding into other periods in
response to audience demand.
In addition to content, resources on the site include Lesson Plans,
a
Parents' Corner and a Crafts and Projects section.
Web site: http://www.historyforkids.org
[Our thanks to Kati G]
And to HEAV for this info.
September
News 2004
Welcome to September. Welcome to a sunny day. Here is some
of the pile that has been getting deeper in my pc of the good things
that have come my way. The list is so long that I want to point
out #'s 24, 29, and 31 (in case it seems too long to go to
the bottom). It's worth the scroll.
Two scriptures come to mind and here they are together; "train up
your child in the way he should go", and "for the joy that
is set before [you] endure..." Now that last one
is about Christ enduring the cross, but if he can endure that by
keeping his eyes on the goal, then we can endure training up our
children for the joy that is before us in this arena.
Here I am at the beginning of the year thinking about my weak knees
needing strengthening (as in Hebrews) but things can seem overwhelming
at any time and it is by keeping my eyes on the goal that I can keep
on with this race, or crawl. I only lose if I stop moving.
...focus...focus...
Here is something that hit me today while teaching geometry. A
plane extends infinitely. Does that make any point on it at the
center? That would explain how each of us can be centered in
God's care, under His eye, each cared for by Him as if we are at the
center of the universe. Or you could say there is no center,...
but I think you can as easily say we are each at the center.
Being the apple of His eye is amazing love given to the undeserving.
Infinite, eternal love.
Blessing on your year!
Eppie
Letters to Heritage
1. Imagination Stage in
Bethesda
,
MD
2. Group "TEACHING TOTS TO TEENS"
3. Maryland Family Values Alliance
4. ARTaFacts Magazine
5. New Music for Homeschool Groups
6. Rainbow Page of the Washington Times
7. Critical Thinking
8. Explore Books
HEAV Update **September 14, 2004 & a few others
9. Well-Trained Mind Resources
10. Homeschool.com Classes Available on CD
11. Field Trip Article and "The Virginia Home
Educator" Magazine
12. Earth Science Week (October 10-16) Resource
13. WorldandIHomeschool.com Sneak Preview
14. Multiplication Facts Helper
15. Lyndsey's Mania, A Fun & Quiz Online Resource
16. Safety Resources for Kids
17. WORTH REPEATING
18. Civil Air Patrol
19. "My Own Books"
20. Christian Homeschool Authors and Editors Resource List
21. HEAV Convention Tapes
22 .AARP: How a $2 Pen Could Save Your Bank Account
23. Horse Lovers Magazine
24. Free Sign Language Resource
25. Resource for Virginia State Study
26. Nostalgic Radio Show - TheVoiceRadio.com
27. Crosswalk.com Commentary: "America's Educational Crisis--How
Did it Happen?"
28. Online: "The Underground History of American Education"
29. Three Ways To Support Our Troops in the Middle East
30. HEAV Information
31. What's In Your Child's Wallet?
Letters
to Heritage
1. Imagination Stage in
Bethesda
,
MD
I would like to introduce
you and your colleagues in the home schooling community to the arts
education programs available at Imagination Stage in
Bethesda
,
MD.
Imagination Stage offers programs throughout the year, bringing a unique
multidisciplinary approach to teaching the arts. We open doors for children
of all ages to express themselves through the arts in their own individual
way by integrating music, movement, drama and the visual arts. The
curriculum is grounded in research-based models and based upon literacy rich
materials.
The classes for home schoolers that we will be offering this
fall are listed below for you. In addition to these classes, if you have 8
or more students for a class, we will create a class for you, and your child
will get the class for free. Please let me know if you have any questions.
We appreciate your help in getting the word out to the home school
community.
Hope to see you this fall,
Sara
Imagination Stage Courses for
Home Schoolers
Register Online at: http://www.imaginationstage.org/bapa/index.cfm/fuseaction/education.classes.fall2004
Sara LoSchiavo
Education Marketing Manager
Imagination Stage 301-280-1652
sloschiavo@imaginationstage.org
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2. Group "TEACHING TOTS TO TEENS"
My name is Dianna, I
am a homeschooling mom and member of CHEF. I am writing to make
available the following resource to homeschooling members and I
would appreciate you posting the information via the newsletter
and/or website.
The name of the group is
"TEACHING TOTS TO TEENS" of which I am the list owner and
moderator; this is a yahoo group of over *1000* members and is for
public, private, and homeschool teachers to post their "For
Sale" and/or "Wanted to Buy" ads for schooling materials,
new or used, for Grades PreK - 12.
We have been reviewed by
and now appear on the websites of: The Homeschool Portal, The
Christian Home Educators Bookstore, The Military Homeschoolers
Headquarters, the Good Seed Homeschool Group, The Arizona Homeschool
HeartBeat group and Quincy Public Schools--Early Childhood Teachers links .
There are other homeschooling communities that are now in the process of
linking us on their sites.
Below
is the rest of the description as it appears on the homepage.
Teaching resource texts,
curriculum, living books, the classics, chapter books, readers, children's
story books, manipulatives, audios, videos, CDs, CD-Roms, art supplies,
and supplies in general may be posted.
Fiction that may be posted: Children's storybooks, a story that
"teaches", historical fiction, classic literature, or chapter
books.
Books and items that may *not* be posted: Fiction and
non-fiction adult and/or teenage romance books, occultic, new age,
Hollywood movie stars, fashion, self-help, antiques, collectibles, home
improvements, clothing (except for costumes that fit teaching situations),
household items, furniture, cosmetics, cookbooks. And NO
spam.
All transactions are between the
buyers and sellers personally. The list owner/moderator assumes no
responsiblity for any sales transactions.
The group is closely
monitored to make sure that only wholesome materials are posted
and offense people do not enter the group.
Thank you.
Dianna
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3. Maryland Family Values Alliance
(We were invited to a rally in Annapolis, but that is past.)
We must restore family values to Maryland!
Seriously consider attending the Christian Coalition Road to Victory
(Sept 24-26) or the Concerned Women of America convention.
Also consider joining the Christian Coalition to facilitate
getting voter guides into churches.
Check out the MDFVA web site at www.MDFVA.ORG
for details and links.
God bless you and yours,
Bill Devens
Director
Maryland Family Values Alliance
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4. ARTaFacts Magazine
Homeschooling Your Child in Art Need be
Intimidating Anymore!
Include ART EDUCATION in your home school curriculum
with ARTaFacts Magazine. Visit our website for
more information, lesson plans and a FREE sample
copy. Please share with your homeschool group members.
For more information visit www.artafactsmagazine.com
READ about ARTaFacts Magazine in the
Vo. 6 Issue 5 of the The Link Homeschool Newspaper.
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5. New Music for Homeschool Groups
Hello
This is Dr. Tim Waters, Director of Bands here at ORU in Tulsa, OK.
I saw your info on the web and wanted to touch base.
In order to help build our network, I am offering homeschool teachers
and
families some of my printed music for free on my website. (there are
free blank music pages to print off too)
I would appreciate your help in passing this along to anyone you feel
might
be interested.
The link below will take you to my personal site and you can
view/download
the music.
http://www.drtimwaters.com/freemusiclinks.htm
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6. Rainbow Page of the Washington Times
Here is an opportunity for students to submit reviews for potential
publication in the Rainbow Page of the Washington Times .
From: NinaOMay@aol.com
Date: Mon, 6 Sep 2004 21:30:20 EDT
Subject: Re: Middle and High School Kennedy Center Group
If any of the
kids who attend these events would like to review them for the
Washington Times Rainbow Page, that would be great. The kids get $25 for
each review. And, if you tell the Kennedy Center, or other organizations
you are reviewing it for the Rainbow page, you actually get free
tickets.
The requirements and directions to be a reviewer . . .
Anyone from 5 to 17
Submit title of event, book, movie, video, etc. with
review along with publisher, where event is, how long it is playing,
cost of ticket, length and cost of book . . . basically any information
about what is being reviewed that would be helpful to others wanting to
read, see, visit, or experience what is being reviewed.
We need a photo of the reviewer, preferably with someone they have
interviewed (for example someone in a play they have just seen), but it
is not necessary. We need their name, age, school and area they live in.
(Homeschoolers make our best reviewers).
The reviews and photos can be e-mailed to me at this e-mail address and
we will let you know when they will appear in the paper. NinaOMay@aol.com
Let me know if you have anyone who might be interested in doing this.
Thanks,
Nina May
Editor, Rainbow Page, Washington Times
PS. have them put in the subject line that it is about the Rainbow Page
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7. Critical Thinking
Remember Rosetta Kelley who visited us once and showed us so
many good things?
Host a Bright Minds party and get Critical Thinking products for FREE!
Email me, or check out my website at brightminds.us/web/rosettak.
.... ..... ..... ..... ..... ..... ..... ..... ..... .....
8. Explore Books
Hello from Explorer Headquarters!
Explore Books has a great new website teaching kids
all
about the world through downloadable activities and pictures
from around the world! Playful Learning at its best!
Lots of great things have been happening since the
Summer
past (and Winter in Australia!). And here at Explore Books,
we are happy to announce the New "Pics From The Road"
Feature: Antwerp, Belgium! Check it out exclusively at:
http://www.explore-books.com/
There's a great big world out there, EXPLORE it!
Contact the Explore Books Staff:
http://www.explore-books.com/
staff@explore-books.com
.... ..... ..... ..... ..... ..... ..... ..... ..... .....
HEAV Update **September 14, 2004
.... ..... ..... ..... ..... ..... ..... ..... ..... .....
9. Well-Trained Mind Resources
The folks behind the Well-Trained Mind book offer a
variety of support resources. An online Forum Boards section ( http://www.welltrainedmind.com/activeboards.php)
provides a way to interact with other homeschoolers. And a monthly
e-mail newsletter is available by sending a blank e-mail to news-subscribe@welltrainedmind.com,
with "Subscribe" in the subject line.
Well-Trained Mind Web site: http://www.welltrainedmind.com
.... ..... ..... ..... ..... ..... ..... ..... ..... .....
10. Homeschool.com Classes Available on CD
Last month, Homeschool.com hosted a series of
homeschooling how-to classes. These are now available on CD for
purchase. Visit http://www.homeschool.com/audio/ordercds.asp
for details.
.... ..... ..... ..... ..... ..... ..... ..... ..... .....
11. Field Trip Article and "The Virginia
Home Educator" Magazine
In our summer issue of "The Virginia Home
Educator" Magazine, we featured a multi-page article by Joy Hayden
about field trips in Virginia. If you do not yet receive this free
quarterly print magazine, you may view past issues on our Web site ( http://www.heav.org
and click on the "Free Magazine" link at the top).
On page 13 of this issue, we mentioned the Museum of the Confederacy in
Richmond. What we did not mention was that the museum store carries the
music CD "1865" by homeschool graduates Heather and Raquelle
Sheen (Joyful Harps)!
And if you are not receiving "The Virginia Home Educator"
Magazine yet, be sure to sign up at our Web site. It is advertiser
supported so it is free to subscribers. We hope you enjoy our print
publication and help support the advertisers who help support
homeschooling in Virginia.
.... ..... ..... ..... ..... ..... ..... ..... ..... .....
12. Earth Science Week (October 10-16) Resource
Earth Science Week is October 10-16, 2004. The focus
this year is on the science of natural hazards (earthquakes, volcanoes,
etc.) and their effects on society.
You can order an Educator's kit from the American Geological Institute,
containing a teacher's guide, an Earth Science Week poster and bookmark,
a compact disk of North America data and accompanying classroom
activities, and additional earth science educational materials
appropriate for classroom or home use. This kit is just $4.95.
Web site: http://www.agiweb.org/pubs/pubdetail.html?item=609612
There is also a lot of good information at this Web site, and a free
newsletter.
.... ..... ..... ..... ..... ..... ..... ..... ..... .....
13. WorldandIHomeschool.com Sneak Preview
For the past few months, they have been busy preparing
The Arts section with over 1,000 articles in the areas of art, music,
theater, dance, architecture, and craft & design. Here you and your
students can enjoy not only insightful reviews and commentaries on past
and present works worldwide, but also engaging paintings and images, as
well as snapshots of stage performances.
>From now until September 21, 2004, you may preview the site ( http://www.worldandihomeschool.com)
for free: Username = homeschool and Password = resource .
.... ..... ..... ..... ..... ..... ..... ..... ..... .....
14. Multiplication Facts Helper
Trigger Memory Systems is a partnership comprised of
three homeschooling moms who have a total of thirteen children.
While teaching her two boys multiplication facts, one mom noticed they
were consistently struggling with certain problems. Answers for the
lower facts came easily since they could quickly add them in their head
when they got stuck. However, the higher facts, such as the 6s, 7s, 8s,
and 9s, were much more difficult to process mentally. To overcome this
problem, she turned these higher facts into memorable stories, enabling
her boys to memorize the facts quickly and with little effort. With very
little review, they could recall the facts even months later. She was so
impressed with the success of this method that years later, she joined
with the other two moms to fully develop the program. Times Tales is the
outcome of that endeavor.
Web site: http://www.triggermemorysystem.com
Note: Another, free resource is available at http://www.multiplication.com/teach.htm
.
.... ..... ..... ..... ..... ..... ..... ..... ..... .....
15. Lyndsey's Mania, A Fun & Quiz Online
Resource
This Web site offers a few games for fun, plus a Quiz section on
geography and math worksheet.
Web site: http://www.lizardpoint.com/fun/index.html
Note: Some pages require the Java engine be installed on your computer
in order for the applet to run properly. This is a free download, if you
don't already have it.
.... ..... ..... ..... ..... ..... ..... ..... ..... .....
16. Safety Resources for Kids
The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) offers a
wide range of materials for children, teachers, and parents, including
Lesson Plans and Fire Prevention Test, Disaster Resources, Terrorism
Related Resources and a whole lot more.
Web site: http://www.fema.gov/kids/
.... ..... ..... ..... ..... ..... ..... ..... ..... .....
17. WORTH REPEATING
.... ..... ..... ..... ..... ..... ..... ..... ..... .....
"Knowledge comes, but wisdom lingers."
-- Alfred Lord Tennyson (1809–92, English poet, from "Locksley
Hall," line 141, published in "The Poetic and Dramatic Works
of Alfred Lord Tennyson", 1899)
.... ..... ..... ..... ..... ..... ..... ..... ..... .....
18. Civil Air Patrol
The Civil Air Patrol (CAP) cadet program offers:
> Structured learning for leadership, moral education, and aerospace
education,
> CAP has a very well-defined program that Cadets progress through,
earning
> advancement opportunities within pre-defined modules.
> Physical Fitness
> Cadets are encouraged in physical fitness and offered testing
opportunities to earn advancement and awards.
> Science program and scholarship opportunities
> The CAP has an extremely well-designed aerospace education program
that is
> standards based and can be incorporated into science programs. CAP
also
> offers scholarship opportunities for cadets that progress within
the
> program. Cadets are also offered first-hand experience in flight
through
> orientation flights in CAP aircraft and gliders.
> Community involvement
> Cadets are also encouraged to support their local community through
> involvement in the CAP Emergency Services program. Cadets and
senior
> members work together to learn proper methods of disaster recovery
> assistance, search and rescue, and CPR/first-aid assistance.
> Fun
> Through local area camping trips, museum visits, and the annual
Cadet Encampment, CAP Cadets get out and meet other cadets, have
fun, and work on various projects together.
To find the squadron nearest to you, visit the Maryland Wing CAP Web
site: http://12.183.10.138/
.... ..... ..... ..... ..... ..... ..... ..... ..... .....
19. "My Own Books"
Retired teacher Anne Pemberton has launched "My Own
Books" with five new stories and more to follow.
There are two series: The History series, in which your student or child
> interacts with persons and events in history. The first two of
these are
> "The American Flag" in which the reader helps Betsy Ross
and George
> Washington design the first American flag, and "The Battle of
Trenton" in
> which the reader joins George Washington to cross the Delaware and
surprise
> the Hessians at Trenton.
The second series, the Alphabet Stories: Find "A"
Things, Find "B" Things and Find "C" Things,
is complete. In these stories the reader and a teacher (mother,
grandmother, whatever name you choose to insert) goes on a field trip
to find things that begin with the letter they are learning. The reader
works on a Pictionary, and there will soon be a version of a
Pictionary available on the site.
All the stories feature the name of the child in the story, with
correct
> gender pronouns. The stories are illustrated, and can be either
viewed
> online, or printed out and made into booklets. Be sure to set the
"Page
> Setup" in your browser for "Landscape" so that they
come out right.
Web site: http://www.educationalsynthesis.org/books
*******************************************
20. Christian Homeschool Authors and Editors Resource List
ExCHANGE ( http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ExCHANGE-board)
is a new resource
for connecting Christian homeschool authors with newsletter, e-zine and
magazine editors.
Qualified homeschool editors can see articles specifically addressing
the
issues they are trying to cover in their newsletters.
Authors can join and post their articles, bio, by-line, and reprint
restrictions. Editors can join and get fresh content as it is posted, or
look in the archives for good, timeless stuff.
Only authors post. And only qualified editors (showing proof of their
editorship) can read the articles posted. Also, they must submit
information
about their publications so that authors can spot-check to see if
something
was used without their permission.
.... ..... ..... ..... ..... ..... ..... ..... ..... .....
21. HEAV Convention Tapes
Although the 2004 HEAV Convention is over, through the technology of the
Internet and digital recording, you can still enjoy the sessions over
and
over again. As those who attended will tell you, we had some really
great
speakers and topics this past year: David Barton, Mike Farris, Gregg
Harris,
Dr. Jay Wile, and many, many more.
Be sure to visit the HEAV Convention page, and click on the "Order
Convention Workshop Cassettes" at the bottom. You can order CDs or
cassettes
and be enjoying these seminars in just a few days. What a great way to
jump-start the new homeschool year!
HEAV Web site: http://www.heav.org
.... ..... ..... ..... ..... ..... ..... ..... ..... .....
22 .AARP: How a $2 Pen Could Save Your Bank
Account
In their April-May 2004 magazine, American Association of Retired People
(AARP) lists several things you can do to protect yourself from identity
thieves, ripoff artists, hospital overcharges, and more. Well worth the
read. Be sure to check out pointer #10 which tells how a $2 gel pen (and
only gel pens) can protect you from bank account thieves.
Online at
http://www.aarpmagazine.org/money/Articles/a2004-06-28-mag-ripoff.html
.... ..... ..... ..... ..... ..... ..... ..... ..... .....
23. Horse Lovers Magazine
"Bit And Bridle" is a bi-monthly publication packed with
devotions,
interviews, horse tips and treats, stories, poems, crafts, and articles
among many other things, published by homeschooler Emily Echols.
To subscribe, mail a $10 check to Emily Echols, 503 Raford Wilson Road,
Commerce, GA 30529.
.... ..... ..... ..... ..... ..... ..... ..... ..... .....
24. Free Sign Language Resource
Deaf Video Communications offers the video version of
"The Joy of Signing"
for free to both deaf and hearing users. All they ask is that you return
them promptly so that others may use them. This ministry also has other
tapes of signed praise songs for children, music for the whole family in
sign, and also Christian videos and lessons and sermons.
Web site: http://www.deafvideo.com
.... ..... ..... ..... ..... ..... ..... ..... ..... .....
25. Resource for Virginia State Study
Looking for resources to help your student study
Virginia state history? The
Virginia Chamber of Commerce has a "Study Scrapbook of
Virginia" available
to aid in history reports and projects. The scrapbook contains pictures,
photographs, and maps of historical figures and places throughout the
Commonwealth. Best of all, the pages are printed only on one side so
that
the pictures can be cut out for use in reports. The scrapbook is $11.95
per
copy. Shipping varies according to the number of books ordered.
For more information visit the chamber's Web site:
http://www.vachamber.com/pubs/study_scrapbook.htm
For those wishing to practice business letter writing, send your
requests
to: Virginia Chamber of Commerce
9 S. 5th St.
Richmond, VA 23219-3823
.... ..... ..... ..... ..... ..... ..... ..... ..... .....
26. Nostalgic Radio Show -
TheVoiceRadio.com
Bryant Harmon is the host of The Voice ( http://www.thevoiceradio.com
), an
online radio show that returns to the nostalgic story time of
yesteryear. He
is also the homeschooling father of three.
Subscription price is currently $2.99 a month. If you enroll now, your
monthly rate will not go up. In addition, 10% of your subscription cost
will
go to HSLDA.
.... ..... ..... ..... ..... ..... ..... ..... ..... .....
27. Crosswalk.com Commentary: "America's
Educational Crisis--How Did it
Happen?"
Millions of American children are headed back to school
even as a legion of
students now descend on America's college and university campuses. The
"back-to-school" season is now a familiar part of family life
and an
important marker in the business cycle. By any measure, education is big
business, employing millions of teachers and administrators and
representing
a large segment of America's public investment. But, even as the new
academic year begins, the edifice of American public education is
showing
its cracks all over again. In reality, the system is largely in
shambles.
How did this happen?
You may read this entire commentary, by R. Albert Mohler, Jr., author,
speaker and president of the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary
online at
http://www.crosswalk.com/news/weblogs/mohler/?adate=8/16/2004#1279376
.
.... ..... ..... ..... ..... ..... ..... ..... ..... .....
28. Online: "The Underground History of
American Education"
If you are having doubts about homeschooling, how about a shot of
> encouragement? Read John Gatto's "The Underground History of
American
> Education" to erase all doubts and gain confidence that you
are doing the
> right thing!
The entire book is available online for free
> ( http://www.johntaylorgatto.com/chapters/),
or may be purchased from HEAV
> ( https://www.readysecure3.com/users/heavorg/heavstore/mall/books1.asp).
.... ..... ..... ..... ..... ..... ..... ..... ..... .....
29. Three Ways To Support Our Troops in the
Middle East
SPIRIT OF AMERICA
>From their Web site:
Mission and Objectives
Our mission is to expand the abilities of Americans serving abroad to
improve the quality of life of people at the grass-roots level. Our
objectives are to:
- Increase the reach, scale, and impact of the informal humanitarian
activities that take place on the front lines in troubled regions.
- Contribute charitable goods that can have a positive, practical, and
timely impact in the local communities where American personnel are
involved.
- Improve foreign perceptions of the American people and our presence
abroad.
Spirit of America is a not-for-profit organization supported through
private
sector contributions and in-kind support. It is being launched under the
auspices of the Cyber Century Forum, a 501c3 public foundation.
Donations to
Spirit of America and the requests they feature are tax deductible. 100%
of
your tax-deductible donation goes to requests made by Americans serving
abroad. Web site: http://www.spiritofamerica.net
SOLDIERS' ANGELS FOUNDATION
>From their Web site:
Soldiers' Angels is a Web site founded by Patti Patton-Bader, mother of
Spc.
Brandon Varn, who has recently returned from a year's deployment to
Iraq.
Soldiers' Angels is a volunteer run, 501c3 non-profit organization,
incorporated in the state of Nevada. Soldiers' Angels started in June of
2003. The Soldiers' Angels mission is to provide aide and comfort to any
of
the armed forces and their families.
More importantly, the slogan describes the motivation behind Soldiers'
Angels. By working together and sharing a common vision of service, the
volunteers of Soldiers' Angels send care to deployed soldiers and their
loved ones at home.
To date they have sent thousands of care packages to deployed soldiers,
helped the wounded at three major military hospitals, and aided many
military families.
On this Web site, you can contribute to buying supplies for the troops
through "Hero Packs," "Wounded Packs," and more.
Web site: http://www.soldiersangelsfoundation.com/
ADOPTAPLATOON
>From their Web site:
The AdoptaPlatoon Soldier Support Effort founded in 1998 is a nonprofit
501c3 organization managed nationwide by volunteer mothers to ensure
that
deployed United States service members in all branches of the military
are
not forgotten by providing needed mail support and promoting patriotism
in
our schools and communities. To provide a better deployment quality of
life,
lift morale, and assist military families, the AAP created projects that
meet the needs of military requests, established special projects for
holidays, and assigns individual morale lifting mail support to service
members of all branches of the U.S. military serving their Nation around
the
world. Web site: http://www.adoptaplatoon.org
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30. HEAV Information:
CONVENTION ALERT!
>
> We recently discovered that five homeschool conventions were all
scheduled
> for the same weekend in June! Rather than having to vie for the
best
> speakers and exhibitors, we sought the Lord and He has amazingly
opened
the doors for us to change our dates with the Richmond Center, Marriott
Hotel,
> taping company, and ALL our confirmed speakers.
So get out your erasers and move the 22nd Annual HEAV Convention &
> Educational Fair to June 16-18, 2005, at the Greater Richmond
Convention
> Center, where we will all celebrate "Joy in the Journey!"
with Jeff Myers,
> Chris and Tracy Klicka, Susan Wise Bauer, Andrew Pudewa, Vicki
Caruana,
and many others!
>
----------------------------------------------------------------------
The items listed in this Update are for informational purposes and are
to be utilized at the discretion of the recipient.
HEAV does not necessarily endorse the above-mentioned resources.
We diligently research each link prior to publication, and recommend
that you, the parent, fully examine Web sites before allowing your
children unsupervised surfing privileges.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
HEAV - Serving the homeschoolers of Virginia through information,
legislation, and resources since 1983! Be sure to sign up to receive the
FREE Virginia Home Educator magazine at http://www.heav.org
.
HOME EDUCATION: JOY IN THE JOURNEY
Mark your calendar for the 22nd Annual HEAV State Convention &
Education Fair on June 16, 17, & 18, 2005--you won't want to miss
it!
Gary Chapman, author of The Five Love Languages, will be one of our
keynote speakers. We'll also have Jeff Myers, Chris and Tracy Klicka,
Vicki Caruana, Debra Bell, Susan Wise Bauer, Andrew Pudewa, and many
others!
HEAV (Home Educators Association of Virginia)
2248-G Dabney Road
Richmond, VA 23230-0745
Phone: (804) 278-9200
Fax: (804) 278-9202
Web site: http://www.heav.org
E-mail: info@heav.org
The HEAV Update is produced by Anne Miller (executive editor), Michael
Grice (editor), and Wanda Hayes (Update coordinator).
> .... ..... ..... ..... ..... ..... ..... ..... .....
31. What's In Your Child's Wallet?
>
> My two older boys are at an age where they often do things with
each other
> since the oldest drives. My second oldest son had a medical
situation just
> before Christmas last year while they were at a movie theatre with
friends.
> My oldest son was with him and was able to get in touch with us
plus
provide information to the attending EMS crew.
But now they sometimes go out separately with friends and are not
together.
> Recently, it occurred to me, that if either one ran into a problem,
their
> friends may not know how to reach us. They know our home phone
number. But
> they don't know our cell or pager numbers, or even aunts, uncles,
and
> grandparents phone numbers, even though all are nearby.
I am going to draw up a list of all possible contact numbers and medical
> information, laminate it, and make the boys carry the cards with
them.
> Though we cannot always be with our children, part of us can go
with them.
With the vivid memory of Hurricane Isabel last year, and the active
> hurricane season this year, disaster preparedness should also be on
our
> minds. Not to mention the reported threats of terrorist activities
in
> advance of our elections this year. Parts of Virginia are in
potential
areas of harm, whether it be natural or man-made disasters.
Consumer Reports devoted an entire issue recently to emergency
preparedness.
> The material is now online at their Web site:
http://www.consumerreports.org/main/detailv3.jsp?CONTENT%3C%3Ecnt_id=110083&FOLDER%3C%3Efolder_id=110003&bmUID=1093825680073
> or via this TinyUrl link http://tinyurl.com/3keuy
.
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security also offers good information at
> their Web site: http://www.ready.gov
.
And the American Red Cross offers online resources at
> http://www.redcross.org/pubs/
.
>Our children are the valuables we all want to protect. Whether it is
information you are pouring into their head, or placing in their
wallet, are your children prepared?
.... ..... ..... ..... ..... ..... ..... ..... .....
September 3, 2004
Cool Web Sites (back
to index)
1. New York Times: Daily Lesson Plans
2. American Association of Physics Teachers
3. HowToons
4. Naval-History.net
4.5 Cool Web Site: Free Sheet Music
5. WordCount.org
6. Physics Songs Online
7. Virtual Round the World Flight
8. Web Site For New SAT
9. ACT Test Statistics Released
10. Two Piano Lesson Related Web Sites
11. Free Daily Grammar Lessons
12. Learning Sign Language
13. Maryland Historical Society
14. REPUBLICAN NATIONAL CONVENTION Re-airs
*******************************************
1. New York Times: Daily Lesson Plans
The archive contains hundreds of free lesson plans for
grades 6-12. You
may perform a keyword search to retrieve a lesson, browse the archive by
subject, or scroll down the page to view the most recently published
lessons. Web site: http://www.nytimes.com/learning/teachers/lessons/archive.html
*******************************************
2. American
Association of Physics Teachers
American Association of Physics Teachers (AAPT) was established
in 1930 with the fundamental goal of ensuring the "dissemination of
knowledge of physics, particularly by way of teaching." In addition
to helping you learn more about traditional teaching methods, they can
help you learn new teaching methods and use modern technology to entice
your students with the wonders of science.
In addition to the resources at this Web site, the physics team in
particular has had a smattering of homeschoolers over the years.
Web site: http://www.aapt.org
*******************************************
3. HowToons
Howtoons are one-page cartoons showing five-to-15 year-old kids
how to build things. Each illustrated episode is a stand-alone fun
adventure accessible to all, including the pre-literate. Howtoons are
designed to encourage children to be active participants in discovering
the world through fun, creative, inventive play-that-matters , and to
rely a lot less on mass-consumable entertainment.
Saul Griffith and Joost Bonsen started and incubated the Howtoons
Project while graduate students at MIT, working in close concert with
professional illustrator Nick Dragotta, as well as hundreds of fellow
students, alumni, faculty, friends, and their kids.
I have reviewed several of the cartoons and videos and found nothing
objectionable. As with all recommendations, HEAV urges you to review the
materials before passing them along to your children.
Web site: http://www.howtoons.org
*******************************************
4. Naval-History.net
This Web site is researched, written and designed by
Gordon Smith, who dedicates the Web site to the memory of his
father, Ordnance Artificer George Smith, who was lost in the sinking
of HMS Charybdis off the Brittany coast on October 23, 1943.
Because he is in the UK, he has a British perspective of naval
history. He covers the areas of Pax Britannica, World War I and II,
the Falkland's War, and the times between war.
He covers the Navies and Fleets of the time, the Campaigns
during the war (by year and by theatre of operations), and he offers
other sources for naval history. If your student is interested in
specific, detailed information on aspects of naval warfare, this is
a good place to start.
4.5 Cool Web Site: Free Sheet Music
*******************************************
5. WordCount.org
WordCount (TM) is an artistic experiment in the way we use
language. It presents the 86,800 most frequently used English
words, ranked in order of commonality. Each word is scaled to
reflect its frequency relative to the words that precede and
follow it, giving a visual barometer of relevance.
WordCount data currently comes from the British National
Corpus (R), a 100 million word collection of samples of written
and spoken language from a wide range of sources, designed to
represent an accurate cross-section of current English usage.
WordCount includes all words that occur at least twice in the BNC.
*******************************************
6. Physics Songs Online
*******************************************
7. Virtual Round the World Flight
Mounting a round-the-world flight for charity takes
organization, up-front funding, pilots and, of course, an
airplane. Or does it? Some enterprising do-gooders in Sutton,
England, have been circling the globe without ever leaving the
ground. Using a homebuilt flight simulator, World Flight ( http://www.world-flight.org/mambo/
), volunteers take the controls over a period of about a week in
a virtual circumnavigation that raises money for Dreamflight, a
group that takes seriously ill children to Florida theme parks
for vacations. The next "trip" (flown by virtual
pilots from all walks of life) leaves England November 8, for a
35,000-mile journey that ends November 14. One of the great
things about World Flight is that there's no need to have a
pilot certificate to take part. Volunteer "pilots"
include truck drivers and business managers, even airline
pilots.
**************************************
8. Web Site For New SAT
This Web site has lots of material about the new SAT
verbal section created
for homeschoolers (starting April 2005 the SAT will be 2/3
verbal, 1/3 math,
and will have a composition section).
It is a book site, but there are lots of free resources: vocab
lists,
grammar references, writing styles, lists of books on the New
SAT, and a
vast annotated list of online SAT resources.
Web site: http://www.abacus-es.com/sat/
*******************************************
9. ACT Test Statistics Released
This week, the ACT publisher released a report on the scores of
the 2004
graduating class. ACT says (on its Web site) that the ACT test
is "America's
most widely accepted college entrance exam."
Among the many groups of statistics that ACT provided, the
average composite
score for all students was 20.9, for those who were homeschooled
the average
was 22.6, and for those who had "earned a GED" the
average was 18.9.
Homeschool leaders may be interested in these two resources:
Home Educated and Now Adults: Their Community and Civic
Involvement, Views
About Homeschooling, and Other Traits
http://www.nheri.org/modules.php?name=Content&pa=showpage&pid=27
Worldwide Guide to Homeschooling: Facts and Stats on the
Benefits of Home
School
http://www.nheri.org/modules.php?name=Content&pa=showpage&pid=22
*******************************************
10. Two Piano Lesson Related Web Sites
http://www.ptg.org/findtch.htm
Published by the Music Teachers National Association (MTNA),
offers info on
choosing a music teacher.
http://www.pianoeducation.org
The Piano Education Page: Lots of good information for parents,
students,
and teachers.
*******************************************
When you subscribe to this free service you are sent daily
lessons, complete answers. They are pretty good. :)
*******************************************
12. Learning Sign Language
Good
Morning!
My
name is Lisa Hollis. I am the program director and one
of the instructors at Learning Sign, LLC located in
Millersville
,
Maryland
. We have highly qualified hearing and deaf
instructors that teach American Sign Language to children
and adults of all ages. Currently we are working with
homeschooling groups in Anne Arundel, Howard, and Montgomery counties.
We have developed an age-appropriate cirriculum that can be
tailored to meet the needs of your homeschooling students. We
offer various programs to teach toddlers (ages 3-4),
children (ages 5-7), school aged children and adults.
Please contact us if there is an interest amongst your
homeschoolers to learn sign language.
WEBSITE: http://www.learningsign.org/
EMAIL: learningsign@yahoo.com
PHONE: 410-421-9080
*******************************************
13. Maryland Historical Society
Please check our website, www.mdhs.org,
for up-to-date info on our on-site and outreach programs for
students and teachers, including two days this fall especially
for homeschoolers, the Student Research Center for older
students to do research with primary sources, teacher workshops
to give you ideas for teaching history with your children, and
outreach materials to use at home.
Robin Atwood Fidler
Tour Coordinator/Visitor Services
Maryland Historical Society
201 W. Monument St.
Baltimore, MD 21201
410-685-3750 Ex. 334 Visit our website at www.mdhs.org
*******************************************
14. REPUBLICAN NATIONAL CONVENTION Re-airs
Saturday, September 4th on C-SPAN
Beginning at 10:00am ET
**C-SPAN in the Classroom's CONVENTIONS RESOURCE for educators**
http://www.c-span.org/classroom/elections/conventions.asp
**Complete video archive of the Republican National Convention**
http://www.c-span.org/2004vote/convention.asp?Cat=Special_Topic&Code=GOP&Rot_Cat_CD=GOP
**TEACHERS: Remember to videotape Saturday's re-airs of the
convention speeches to bring into your classroom this fall.**
***********2004 REPUBLICAN NATIONAL CONVENTION
Re-airs************
Watch C-SPAN's re-airing of the 2004 REPUBLICAN NATIONAL
CONVENTION in New York, NY.
Speakers include:
10:00am SEN. JOHN McCAIN
10:30am 9/11 FAMILIES
10:40am RUDY GIULIANI, former Mayor of New York City
11:25am GEORGE P. BUSH, nephew of President George W. Bush
11:35am LT. GOV. MICHAEL STEELE (R-MD)
11:50am GOV. ARNOLD SCHWARZENEGGER (R-CA)
12:25pm FIRST LADY LAURA BUSH
12:45pm SEN. ZELL MILLER (D-GA)
1:05pm LYNNE AND DICK CHENEY
...plus PRESIDENT GEORGE W. BUSH and more speakers from the
final night of the Convention
**Complete video archive of the Republican National
Convention**
http://www.c-span.org/2004vote/convention.asp?Cat=Special_Topic&Code=GOP&Rot_Cat_CD=GOP
***********TEACH ABOUT THE 2004 REPUBLICAN NATIONAL
CONVENTION************
Convention season is here, and C-SPAN in the Classroom is ready
to help you teach your students about each party's official
campaign "kickoff" to the general election campaign.
Use video, classroom activities and graphic organizers from the
CONVENTIONS RESOURCE to highlight the 2004 conventions as each
party gathers to nominate its presidential and vice presidential
candidate.
http://www.c-span.org/classroom/elections/conventions.asp
1. SETTING THE STAGE--Learn about the behind-the-scenes planning
of conventions and how the settings of conventions have played a
role in political history.
2. MEMORABLE MOMENTS--View archived video to study
"classic" moments in convention history and the effect
those moments had on future elections.
3. SURVEYING SPEECHES--Analyze clips of significant speeches
from past and present conventions and analyze how their tone,
atmosphere and expression contributed to the success of the
convention...and the election.
http://www.c-span.org/classroom/elections/conventions.asp
If you have any questions about C-SPAN in the Classroom's
CONVENTIONS RESOURCE or about other campaigns and elections
teaching tools, please call the C-SPAN Educators' Hotline at
1-800-523-7586 or email educate@c-span.org.________________________________________________________________
All C-SPAN-produced programs are copyright clear for educators
to videotape and use in the classroom.
Reply to this e-mail with questions or comments about teaching
with C-SPAN.
GoodBye Summer '04 (back
to index)
HOMESCHOOL ITEMS
1. CrossWalk Article: "Planning the New School Year - Part 1"
2. Homeschool Book Swap Web Site
3. Conservative Homeschoolers Discussion Board
4. Homeschool Astronomy & Science Chat - Tuesdays
5. Conservative E-Mail Newsletters
6. Free Ancient Greek Online Group Starting
7. Smithsonian Education E-Newsletter
> .... ..... ..... ..... ..... ..... ..... ..... .....
.....
1. CrossWalk Article: "Planning the New School Year - Part
1">
> Whether you are new to homeschooling or a seasoned veteran, there are
> several things you can do to prepare for the upcoming year. Firming up
> discipline, establishing routines, and academic preparation are some of
the
> areas discussed in this article by Marsha Washburn, from the
July/August
> 2004 issue of "Home School Enrichment Magazine," published
online at
> CrossWalk.
>Article: http://www.crosswalk.com/family/home_school/1277543.html
> .... ..... ..... ..... ..... ..... ..... ..... ..... .....
2. Homeschool Book Swap Web Site>
> Homeschool Book Swap was developed to create an easily used and
SEARCHABLE
> database to quickly find what you were looking for.
> Web site: http://www.homeschoolbookswap.com
> .... ..... ..... ..... ..... ..... ..... ..... ..... .....
3. Conservative Homeschoolers Discussion Board
>
> http://freedomtoschool.proboards29.com/index.cgi
>
> .... ..... ..... ..... ..... ..... ..... ..... ..... .....
4. Homeschool Astronomy & Science Chat - Tuesdays
....... ..... ..... ..... ..... ..... ..... ..... .....
.....
5. Conservative E-Mail Newsletters
The Federalist Patriot is an instrument for the
dissemination of current and historic conservative thought for the
plurality of Americans who uphold the most basic tenet of our Republic,
" ... that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their
Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life,
Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness."
You may subscribe to any of the four different weekly
e-mail newsletters they offer: Monday Brief (14 feature sections with
short excerpts from commentary and essays covering a wide range of topics
of interest to constitutional conservatives); Wednesday Chronicle (an
informative and entertaining selection of one-line historic quotes,
current commentary and humor in 8 feature sections); Friday Digest (a
comprehensive narrative summary and analysis of the week's most important
news, policy and opinion); and Founders Quote Daily (start your day with
words of wisdom from The Federalist Patriot).
> .... ..... ..... ..... ..... ..... ..... ..... .....
.....
6. Free Ancient Greek Online Group Starting>
> A free, online Athenaze group is starting in September. You can sign
up for
> the Greek list shared by many groups, for more information.
>
> http://www.quasillum.com/greek/greekstudy.html
.... ..... ..... ..... ..... ..... ..... ..... ..... .....
7. Smithsonian Education E-Newsletter>
> The Smithsonian Center for Education and Museum Studies introduces a
new
> quarterly e-newsletter for educators, "Smithsonian Education
News.">
> Smithsonian Education News delivers the best Smithsonian educational
> resources to your desktop. As a subscriber, you will be the first to
know
> about the Smithsonian's latest exhibitions, events, and teaching
resources,
> including lesson plans, field trip scheduling, customized tours,
exhibit
> openings, educator discounts, online educational resources, special
events
> for educators, and more.>
> The e-newsletter promises to bring subscribers "the most
up-to-date
> information about Smithsonian art, history, science, and cultural
resources
> for teachers.">
> Web site: www.SmithsonianEducation.org/Educators
>
.... ..... ..... ..... ..... ..... ..... ..... ..... .....
August 27, 2004 (back
to index)
NEWS ITEMS:
1. Horizon Homeschool
Coop
2. Home and School Connection in Frederick
HOMESCHOOL DAYS:
3. Baltimore Ablaze Day at the
Maryland Historical Society
4. Baltimore Museum of Industry
5. National Museum of
Dentistry’s Home
School Days
6. Home School
Appreciation Days - Six Flags America - August 30 and
September 3, 2004
7. Homeschool History
Programs - Williamsburg/Yorktown - September 27-29, 2004
MORE GOOD THINGS:
8.
"Spirit of America" - Washington, DC - Tickets Now
Available
9. TREEmendous TREEhouses - Norfolk - Now through
October 3, 2004
10. Recycle Your
Technology Hardware - Office Depot Stores - Now Through Labor Day
2004
11. AAUW Used Book Sale - McLean - September 17-19, 2004
12. Online English classes - Enrollment Deadline: September 6,
2004
13. Reader's Digest Vocabulary Contest
14. Doctoral Student
Request for Homeschoolers with ADD/ADHD Disorders
15. Towson University class "Teaching Science in Early
Childhood"
16. Web Address for Umbrellas
*******************************************************************************************
1.
I have an update on the Horizon Homeschool Coop.
The person heading it
up is Jamie Firnhaber [mailto:jmefirn@yahoo.com] and the website
address
is http://groups.yahoo.com/group/horizonsco_op.
2. Also, the store, Home and School
Connection in Frederick and Hagerstown
has a 4 1/2 hour seminar on Saturday, 9/11, starting at 6 PM.
The first
1 1/2 covers general homeschool questions/issues and the remainder
of
the time does into detail about the various curriculum options and
how
to teach children with all types of learning styles. One has
to
register and there is a $10 fee but there is a $10 store certificate
one
gets in return, as I understand it. The phone # is
1-877-766-0699. Maybe
a group of us could carpool.
Irene B (thank you)
************************************************
HOMESCHOOL DAYS!
3. Baltimore Ablaze Day at the Maryland
Historical Society Friday,
October 15, 2004 9:30 a.m.–1:30 p.m.
- Guided Tours of Baltimore Ablaze, the
Great Baltimore Fire of 1904
- Interactive living history performance
with "Elizabeth Chandler Sinclair", a modern lady
living in the "Roaring 20's" with childhood memories
of the Baltimore fire.
- Hands-on history activities for students
ages 6 to 18.
- Lunch break in our student lunchroom
(bring a bag lunch)
- Introduction to MdHS Student Research
Center, Traveling Trunks, Primary Source Kits, and Outreach
Programs.
- 10% discount on Museum Shop purchases.
- 5$ per person for adults and students
age 6–18 payable in advance
(Parents need to register and accompany the
children in their family. Children under 6 may accompany parents,
but no age-appropriate programs are available. Sorry, no strollers
or baby backpacks.)Space is limited for all homeschool days.
Registrations will be accepted AFTER SEPTEMBER 1. To register,
e-mail the following information: Date of program, Parent's Name,
Mailing address, telephone, and names and ages of children to: bcihan@mdhs.org
You will receive a written confirmation and invoice. Once payment is
received, your place will be guaranteed.
(thanks to Shauna who says "My children and I
participated last year and it was FANTASTIC. .... I
would encourage others to go if they have not been before.
Getting there was not hard and it was well planned and
executed.")
*************************************************************************
4.
The Baltimore Museum of Industry is
offering three Home School Days during the 2004-2005 school year!
These days are set aside just for home school parents and their
children to take part in the Museum’s hands-on programs.
Activities will be available for children ages 6-12, and
children will be split into groups based on age.
Home
School Days run from
10:00 a.m.
–
noon
and are offered on the following days:
Friday, September 10, 2004
Friday, February 4, 2005
Friday, April 29, 2005
Each
day will have a different focus.
Come to all three and learn all about
Maryland
’s rich industrial past!
Parents
must pre-register their children for the Home School Days.
The cost is $5.00/child; parents and children under age 6
get in free! Registration
must be pre-paid. Call
to register your children today – 410.727.4808
x117.
**************************************************************
5.
The Dr. Samuel D. Harris National Museum of
Dentistry’s Home
School Days
Honoring and
Celebrating Maryland’s Home Schools
10am-11:30am
Wednesday, September 15, 2004
10am-11:30am
Wednesday, December 8, 2004
10am-11:30am
Wednesday, February 9, 2005
10am-11:30am Friday,
May 6, 2005
Two Unique
Programs Terrific Tooth Tales: Ages 5-8
Dental Posters
and Stamps from Around the World: Ages 9-12
*Art
Activities**Museum Shop Discounts**Free Toothbrushes**Chat with a
Dentist*
Register: Janis
Goldman Director of Education and
Public Programs 410.706.0810
The
National Museum of Dentistry
31
South Greene Street
Baltimore, MD
21201
Cost:$5.00 per
person Parking: Metered spaces , Baltimore
Grand Garage
For More
information: 410.706.0810 jgoldman@dentalmuseum.umaryland.edu Must
Call or Email to Register!
No
age-appropriate programs are available for infants and toddlers.
Sorry - no strollers or backpacks in the galleries
*******************************************************************************
6. Home School Appreciation Days - Six Flags America
- August 30, and September 3, 2004
We first mentioned this terrific opportunity in our July 26, 2004,
HEAV Update. Unfortunately, not too many people have responded
thus far. This is a great opportunity to have some fun, and to
show appreciation to a large corporation for making this available
to homeschoolers. If we wish to see opportunities like this in the
future, it is important that we support current efforts.
Six Flags America
13710 Central Ave. (Route 214)
Mitchellville, MD 20721
Phone: 301-249-1500, ext. 3275
Monday, August 30, 2004, or Friday, September 3, 2004.
Special discounted price offered to homeschooling families
is $15.54 per person (includes tax)--a $21.00 savings per person.
These tickets may only be ordered online.
Visit their Web site: http://www.sixflags.com/parks/america/TicketInfo/index.html
and click on the "Buy Tickets Now" button. At the very
top right of the page you will see a box that says "Enter
Promo Code." Enter promotional code [hschool] (without the
brackets) and click on the "Go" button just to the
right.
The deadline to order tickets and have them mailed to you is three
days prior to the date you plan to attend. However, you may order
up through the date of each event via the Print-N-Go option.
Note: You will need to have Adobe Acrobat Reader installed on your
computer in order to purchase these tickets, either online or via
a mailed-in form.[Our thanks to Brian Davis, special events
account executive, Six Flags America.]
.... ..... ..... ..... ..... ..... ..... ..... ..... .....
7. Homeschool History Programs -
Williamsburg/Yorktown - September 27-29, 2004
Jamestown Settlement
Rout 31
Williamsburg, Virginia 23185
Yorktown Victory Center
Route 1020
Yorktown, Virginia 23692
Hands-on history programs for home-educated students will be
offered September 27-29, 2004, on an advance-reservation basis at
Jamestown Settlement, a museum of 17th-century Virginia, and the
Yorktown Victory Center, a museum of the American Revolution. The
two museums are administered by the Jamestown-Yorktown Foundation,
an agency of the Commonwealth of Virginia.
The programs are taught by trained museum educators and address
Virginia and United States history curriculum objectives. Each
consists of a one-hour classroom component for students followed
by a guided tour for students and their families of the museums'
outdoor interpretive areas including the re-created Powhatan
Indian village, 1607 ships, the colonial fort and riverfront
discovery area at Jamestown Settlement, and the re-created
Continental Army encampment and 1780s farm at the Yorktown Victory
Center.
Students can enroll in one of three programs at each museum,
according to grade level. The programs repeat at 9:15 a.m., 10:30
a.m., 1:15 p.m., and 2:30 p.m. on all three days.
Pre-Kindergarten - 12
The program fee of $6.75 per family member (youth or adult) for
one museum and $9.75 for both museums includes general museum
admission. The registration deadline for these fall programs is
5:00 p.m., Tuesday, September 21, 2004.
For more information about the programs for home-educated students
or to register, call (888) 868-7593 toll-free or (757) 253-4939,
or e-mail group.reservations@jyf.virginia.gov
.
Jamestown Settlement is located on State Route 31 southwest of
Williamsburg. The Yorktown Victory Center is located on Route 1020
near the Colonial Parkway in Yorktown. To learn more about the
museums, visit http://www.historyisfun.org
.
****************************************************************************
8. "Spirit
of America" - Washington, DC - Tickets Now Available
MCI Center
601 F St NW
Washington, DC 20004
Friday, September 17, 2004, at 10:30 a.m.
and 7:30 p.m.
Saturday, September 18, 2004, at 2:00 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.
"Spirit of America" is a free,
patriotic, live-action show presented by the U.S. Army Military
District of Washington. Performed by more than 400 soldiers of the
U.S. Army's elite ceremonial units, the 3rd U.S. Infantry Regiment
(The Old Guard) and The U.S. Army Band "Pershing's Own,"
this free show features traditional and modern music, disciplined
drill and historical narrative as Soldiers recap the heritage of
our country in an inspiring and entertaining performance.
Even though this is a free event,
you still must have tickets for admission. Ticket orders began
last Thursday (July 15). For more information, or to request your
tickets, visit the "Spirit of America" Web site: http://spiritofamerica.mdw.army.mil/
.... ..... ..... ..... ..... ..... ..... .....
..... .....
9. TREEmendous TREEhouses - Norfolk - Now through October
3, 2004
Norfolk Botanical Gardens
6700 Azalea Garden Road
Norfolk, VA 23518
Phone: 757-441-5830
Now through October 3, 2004.
Norfolk Botanical Garden is hosting a
major regional exhibit featuring unique structures created by some
of the top builders, architects, and designers in Hampton Roads.
It is estimated that more than 20,000 families, children, members
and tourists will visit the Garden to see TREEmendous TREEhouses.
Eleven designers have created and built
structures that showcase their talents, invite children to play,
and feature fantasy and whimsy.
2.5 Recycle Your Technology Hardware -
Office Depot Stores - Now Through Labor Day 2004
Now through Labor Day, bring your
unwanted PC, laptop, printer, handheld, cell phone – or any
other qualifying product – to your nearest Office Depot. They
will send them to HP’s recycling plants where they will be
processed into material that will be used to make new products.
Bring in products made by any vendor – not just HP. Best of
all, this service is provided absolutely FREE of charge.
.... ..... ..... ..... ..... ..... .....
..... ..... .....
10. AAUW Used Book Sale - McLean - September
17-19, 2004
McLean Community Center
1234 Ingleside Avenue
McLean, VA 22101
Friday, September 17, 2004, from 10:00
a.m. to 8:00 p.m.
Saturday, September 18, 2004, from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.
Sunday, September 20, 2004, from 12:30 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.
Hardbacks, paperbacks, rare books,
CD's, tapes, and software. Proceeds support the American
Association of University Women's Educational Foundation and
local scholarships. For more information, contact Ruth Powers
(703-726-6470 or ruthpowers@starpower.net
).
.... ..... ..... ..... ..... ..... .....
..... ..... .....
11. Online English Classes -
Enrollment Deadline: September 6, 2004
There are still a few openings for
Janice Campbell's literature-based, high-school level English
classes, including English I & II, as well as American,
British, and World Literature. Enrollment deadline is September
6, 2004, and classes begin September 13, 2004.
.... ..... ..... ..... ..... ..... .....
..... ..... .....
12. Reader's Digest Vocabulary Contest
The Reader's Digest National Word Power
Challenge is a vocabulary contest designed for schools
nationwide with any or all of grades, four through eight.
English-speaking students in eligible grades who have not
reached their sixteenth birthday by the time of the school-level
competition may participate. The Reader's Digest National Word
Power Challenge is an educational outreach program of Reader's
Digest magazine.
Students from all 50 states, the
District of Columbia, Guam, Puerto Rico, American Samoa, the
Northern Mariana Islands, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and the
Department of Defense Dependent Schools, as well as
home-schooled students, are invited to participate in the
2004-2005 Reader's Digest National Word Power Challenge.
Cost is $50 to register, so
homeschoolers are encouraged to band together with others in an
area. Registration deadline is January 7, 2005. Registration is
not open to individual students; only registered schools/homeschools
can participate, and only principals/homeschool administrators
can register schools. Also, to hold a competition, there is a
minimum participation requirement of six (6) students per
eligible grade.
First place: A $25,000 college
scholarship, plus Reader's Digest products for the student's
school.
Second Place: A $15,000 college
scholarship, plus Reader's Digest products for the student's
school.
Third Place: A $10,000 college
scholarship, plus Reader's Digest products for the student's
school.
.... ..... ..... ..... ..... ..... .....
..... ..... .....
13. Doctoral Student Request for Homeschoolers with
ADD/ADHD Disorders
I am a doctoral student at the Boston University School of
Education in the department of Special Education. I am doing a
pilot study this summer as a precursor to my dissertation. The
title of my pilot study, as well as my dissertation is:
"Parents' Engagements in the Social Skills Training of
their Homeschooled Children who have Attention-Deficit/
Hyperactivity Disorder-Inattentive Type and Comorbid Social
Phobia."
I am looking for parents who homeschool their children who fit
into this diagnostic criteria. I realize that I may have to
travel in order to locate and research this specific population.
Please advise me if you know any families who fit the parameters
of my research and would be willing to participate.
Esta M. Rapoport
61 Cowdin Circle
Chappaqua, NY 10514
Phone: 914-241-3147
E-mail: Erapoport1@aol.com
**************************************************************
14. Towson
University class "Teaching Science in Early Childhood"
In Search of Homeschooling
Families seeking to enhance their science experiences!
The Towson University class "Teaching Science in
Early Childhood" is seeking young students (ages 3-8) to
participate in student practicums held on the TU campus on the
following Tuesdays: Sept. 14, Oct. 12, and Nov. 9. Classes
will be held from 12:20 pm - 2:20 pm on campus in Hawkins Hall
Rm 110. Parking passes will be provided. The purpose
of the practicum is to allow undergraduate teachers to practice
carefully constructed science lesson plans before they student
teach. Parents may stay to observe class or have coffee in
the building's cafe. Please contact Martha Martin,
TU Adjunct Faculty, via email at martha.martin@gmail.com
for more information. Please pass this message on to other
families.
****************************************************************
15. Web Address for
Umbrellas
Aug. 11,
2004 (back
to index)
.... ..... ..... ..... ..... ..... ..... ..... .....
1) HOMESCHOOL ITEMS
1. Montgomery County Agricultural Fair
2. Homeschool Virginia State Fair Tickets Go On Sale
August 15, 2004
3. NEA Says Nyet To Homeschoolers
4. College at Home Resources
5. Book: "Homeschooling Only One"
6. Ask A Librarian
2) GENERAL INTEREST ITEMS
1. Perseid Meteor Shower To Peak On August 12, 2004
2.Civil War Story Time For Kids - Arlington - August 18,
2004
3. "Twelfth Night" - Purcellville - August 25-29,
2004
4. College Prep Resources
5. Internet Hoaxes
6. Electronic/Electrical Devices And Lightning Storms
7. Insuring the College-Bound Student
8. Examination for Credit
9. Cool Web site: EcoTrekker.com
10. Cool Web site: The Newton Project
11. History Resource - Gettysburg, PA
12. Online German Study Group Forming
13. Worldview Weekends Of America
14. Cool Web site: ConfusingWords.com
3) PARTING THOUGHT: "Kid Wisdom"
4) WORTH REPEATING
.... ..... ..... ..... ..... ..... ..... ..... ..... .....
1) HOMESCHOOL ITEMS
.... ..... ..... ..... ..... ..... ..... ..... ..... .....
1. Montgomery County Agricultural Fair
August 13 - 21, 2004
Time: First Fri, 3pm-12M; Sat-Sat, 8am-12M
Description: Come visit the largest agricultural fair in Maryland;
animals, commercial exhibits, competitive displays to see.
Hours of Operation: First Fri, 3pm-12M; Sat-Sat, 8am-12M
General Phone Nbr: 301-926-3100
Monday August 16~ Children's Day
Free admission to youth ages 18 and under until 4pm.
And it is Homeschool Day Mon.
- Please bring in
your things early to the Garden Room. We can set up at 2.
Make arrangements ahead of time if you have any problems coming back
for the pick up.
Location: Montgomery County Agricultural Center
16 Chestnut St
Gaithersburg, MD 20877
URL: www.mcagfair.com
****************************************************************************************
2. Homeschool Virginia State Fair Tickets Go On Sale
August 15, 2004
(Okay, this is far, but I had the best time ever there when Rob was 2
so it gets to stay on the list.)
Fairgrounds at Richmond Raceway Complex
600 E. Laburnum Avenue
Richmond, VA 23222
Homeschool Day is Monday, September 27, 2004, from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00
p.m.
Student tickets: $7.50 each, preschool through grade 12; children 2
and under admitted free.
Adult tickets: $12.99 in advance, or $17.99 at Gate. Adult tickets may
be purchased by mail directly from the Fair at http://www.statefair.com.
One complimentary chaperone ticket is allowed for every eight student
tickets ordered on ONE order form (check with your support group for
group order information). Only student and complimentary chaperone
tickets are available through HEAV.
The special homeschool ticket is good for entry only on Monday,
September 27, between the hours of 10:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m. Tickets
are non-refundable. Homeschool tickets cannot be used any other day,
regardless of weather. Admission includes exhibits and most midway
rides. Check the State Fair Web site for a preview!
Student tickets may be purchased online at the HEAV website, or by
mail or fax between August 15, and September 1, 2004. We encourage you
to collect orders from your support group, and homeschooling friends
and family members now!
Orders must be placed between August 15, and September 1, 2004, to
allow adequate time for processing and shipping. Orders must be
received (not postmarked) no later than September 1, 2004, for
processing.
Homeschool Day Ticket Order Form: http://www.heav.org/Luanne/events/statefair/StateFairForm2004.pdf
.... ..... ..... ..... ..... ..... ..... ..... ..... .....
.... ..... ..... ..... ..... ..... ..... ..... ..... .....
3. NEA Says Nyet To Homeschoolers
Delegates to the 2004 convention of the National Education Association
in Washington, DC, went on record against allowing homeschoolers to
use public school facilities.
The resolution, B-69, originally read: "The Association also
believes that unfunded home-schooled students should not participate
in any extracurricular activities in the public schools." After
debate, the word "unfunded" was removed and the resolution
adopted. In essence, they do not want homeschoolers, with or without
money, on public school grounds.
.... ..... ..... ..... ..... ..... ..... ..... ..... .....
4. College at Home Resources
Books on Distance Learning
Bears' Guide to Earning Degrees by Distance Learning (ISBN:
1580084311)
Bears' Guide to College Degrees by Mail & Internet (ISBN:
1580084591)
Peterson's Guide to Distance Learning Programs, 2005 (ISBN:
0768913985)
Other Resources
"College At Home - A Step-by-Step Explanation"
A home-school family explains how their son completed college in 21
months for $3,100. Web site: http://www.collegeathome.org
"Accelerated Distance Learning: The New Way To Earn Your College
Degree in the 21st Century"
Brad Voeller earned his college degree in less than six months, for
less than $5,000, by applying these techniques. Web site: http://www.GlobalLearningStrategies.org/dt-0001.asp
Christian Colleges Offering Distance Learning
The following Christian colleges offer distance learning, either for a
limited number of credits or for the entire degree. Some allow early
entry.
Accelerated Christian Education: http://www.schooloftomorrow.com/acead.htm
Bob Jones University: http://www.bju.edu
Oak Brook College of Law and Government Policy: http://www.obcl.edu
Moody Bible Institute: http://www.moody.edu
Patrick Henry College: http://www.phc.edu
Whitefield College: http://www.whitefieldcollege.org
Taylor University" http://www.taylor.edu
Trinity College of the Bible: http://www.trinitysem.edu
Regent University: http://www.regentundergrad.com
LeTourneau University: http://www.letu.edu
[Our thanks to The Teaching Home E-Mail Newsletter #83
For information, inspiration, and encouragement, sign up for their
free newsletter subscription at:
http://www.TeachingHome.com/custserve/e-mail/signup2.cfm.]
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5. Book: "Homeschooling Only One"
As the title suggests, this book is for families who are home
educating only one child. It covers various philosophies and
approaches to homeschooling. Both the first-time and the veteran
homeschooler will find encouragement and specific help in
homeschooling only one child.
Cost is $10.00, plus $3.00 shipping and handling. For more
information, or to order online, visit http://www.donnac.com
.
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6. Ask A Librarian
With the school year about to get underway, this would be a good time
to contact your local librarian(s) to inquire about upcoming programs.
Although they have limited resources, they often rely on public input
for presenting community programs. Most librarians are extremely
supportive of homeschoolers - especially because they see so many of
us now. There may also be volunteer opportunities for your children.
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2) GENERAL INTEREST ITEMS
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1. Perseid Meteor Shower To Peak On August 12, 2004
Laurentius, a Christian deacon, is said to have been martyred by the
Romans in A.D. 258, on an iron outdoor stove. It was in the midst of
this torture that Laurentius cried out: "I am already roasted on
one side and, if thou wouldst have me well-cooked, it is time to turn
me on the other."
The saint's death was commemorated on his feast day, August 10. The
abundant shooting stars seen annually between approximately August 8
and 14, have come to be known as St. Lawrence's "fiery
tears."
We know today that these meteors are actually the dross of Comet
Swift-Tuttle. Discovered back in 1862, this comet takes approximately
130 years to circle the sun. With each pass, it leaves fresh debris -
mostly the size of sand grains with a few peas and marbles tossed in.
Every year during mid-August, when Earth passes close to the orbit of
Swift-Tuttle, the bits and pieces ram into our atmosphere at
approximately 37 miles per second (60 kilometers per second) and
create bright streaks of light.
According to the best estimates, in 2004, Earth is predicted to cut
through the densest part of the Perseid stream sometime around 7 a.m.
ET on Thursday. Activity could be high for a few hours on either side
of that time.
Read more, including tips on watching meteors, at http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/5623823/
.
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2.Civil War Story Time For Kids - Arlington - August 18, 2004
Fort C.F. Smith Park
2411 24th St. N.
Arlington, VA 22201
Wednesday, August 18, 2004, from 2:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. For children,
ages 6-11. Cost: $3 per child.
"Sheridan's Ride" is a contemporary account of the famous
Civil War general, his legendary steed Rienzi, and their dramatic ride
from Winchester to Cedar Creek, Virginia. Children will make a craft
to take home. Reservations may be made for all programs listed in this
publication beginning on Tuesday, May 11, at 8 a.m. On the opening day
of registration, registration will only be accepted from Arlington
residents. Thereafter, registration is open to the general public.
This event is open to everyone, even non-residents of Arlington
County, however pre-registration is required. Call 703-228-4747 to
register or for more information.
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3. "Twelfth Night" - Purcellville - August
25-29, 2004
Event Field
Franklin Park
Purcellville, VA
Wednesday, August 25, 2004, through Saturday, August 28, 2004, at 7:00
p.m.; and
Sunday, August 29, 2004, at 5:00 p.m.
Tickets are $10 for adults, and $8 for Seniors and Students 18 and
under.
Directed by Diana Denley, founder and Artistic Director of the
Shakespeare Globe Center (Australia), with a cast of talented
international, regional and local professional actors.
Tickets are available at the gate or by calling 540-338-7973. Bring a
picnic and enjoy a night of fun, music, and theatrical magic with your
friends and family.
[Our thanks to HomeSchoolNet - homeschoolnet@verizon.net.]
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4. College Prep Resources
Even if your student is just going into the ninth grade, it is not too
early to begin researching and planning for college. Three resources
you may wish to use include:
College Board: http://www.collegeboard.com
Wired Scholar: http://www.wiredscholar.com
Princeton Review: http://www.princetonreview.com
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5. Internet Hoaxes
As the saying goes, "If it sounds too good to be true, it
probably is." A lot of misinformation flows over the Internet. If
you get an e-mail, and it sounds preposterous, it pays to take a few
minutes and check it out, before hitting the forward button.
Three resources that I have gone to first, for many years are:
ABOUT: http://urbanlegends.about.com/
CIAC (Computer Incident Advisory Capability - U.S. Department of
Energy): http://hoaxbusters.ciac.org/
SNOPES: http://www.snopes.com
Other online resources include HoaxBusters ( http://www.hoaxbusters.org),
HoaxInfo ( http://www.hoaxinfo.com),
Truth Or Fiction ( http://www.truthorfiction.com)
and Ship Of Fools ( http://www.ship-of-fools.com/Myths/index.html),
which often looks at religious-based hoaxes.
And if you are interested in the history of the most forwarded hoax in
Internet history, WIRED magazine tracked it down in an article last
month. You can read it online ( http://www.wired.com/wired/archive/12.07/hoax.html).
Well worth the read if you are into this sort of thing.
[Our thanks to Kathy Kuhl for suggesting this topic.]
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6. Electronic/Electrical Devices And Lightning Storms
Last year, 44 people were killed by lightning in the United States. A
15-year-old Iowa boy recently made national news when he was struck by
lightning while using the family's personal computer in their
basement.
Some electronic devices, such as computers, telephones, and
televisions, are connected to your house or lines outside your home.
Electrical storms are a great way to not only teach your children
about science, but also a way to teach storm safety tips. NOAA
(National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration) has some great
safety tips and teacher tools at http://www.lightningsafety.noaa.gov/overview.htm
.
Iowa teen's story: http://www.zwire.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=12624413&BRD=2554&PAG=461&dept_id=507134&rfi=6
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7. Insuring the College-Bound Student
There are usually 101 things that need to be taken care of for the
student going to college. This task can be especially daunting for you
when you send your first student.
Among the things you need to do, we remind you to look into insuring
your college student's belongings. There are a lot more expensive
items, such as electronics, that college students take with them than
when you and I went away to school.
One option is to add them to your homeowner's/renter's policy. Such a
rider usually costs little, if anything. However, because it is part
of your policy, any claims made go against your policy. And with most
people carrying a high deductible, if your student has a laptop
computer stolen, you may be out a significant amount to replace it. As
a result, some may prefer a separate "renter's policy" for
their college student.
You can call your insurance agent, or use your favorite online Search
resource, to get information to help you decide. One place you might
want to start is here: http://www.bankrate.com/brm/news/insur/20030109a.asp
. Now, don't you feel better knowing you have one more thing to do?
[Credit to the Homeschool2College list, http://groups.yahoo.com/group/homeschool2college/.]
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8. Examination for Credit
College credit can be earned by studying a subject at home and passing
an exam such as the following.
College-Level Examination Program (CLEP)
There are 37 exams in undergraduate college courses accepted at 2,900
colleges.
Study materials and sample questions are available from the College
Board, producers of the CLEP tests, as well as many other sources.
For complete information on the exams, preparation, testing locations,
and costs, visit http://www.collegeboard.com/student/testing/clep/about.html
.
Free online CLEP practice tests are available at http://www.petersons.com/offers/clep_offer.asp?cid=dl_cool_pick
.
Advanced Placement (AP)
Offers 31 courses and 34 exams across 19 subject areas. Visit http://www.collegeboard.com/student/testing/ap/about.html
.
[This item, and item 1.6, courtesy of The Teaching Home, http://www.TeachingHome.com.]
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9. Cool Web site: EcoTrekker.com
Shaun Murphy, an Australian explorer and TV host, has gone where no
American has gone before: Driving 16,000 miles around the United
States on two dozen vehicles powered, not by fossil fuel, but by
alternative energy -- from solar power to cow pies.
Murphy's "eco-trek" took him from San Francisco to the
Canadian border, across the Rockies to the Great Lakes, on to New
York, south to Florida, then across the South and back to San
Francisco. It took nine months and covered 30 states. He has a Web
site chronicling his journey, which includes images, video clips,
lesson plans, games, and projects.
Web site: http://www.ecotrekker.com
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10. Cool Web site: The Newton Project
Isaac Newton (1642-1727) is universally acknowledged as one of the two
or three most influential scientists in history. In his
"Principia Mathematica" of 1687, he announced the three
fundamental laws of motion and the concepts of mass, force, and
Universal Gravitation. In his brilliant letter to the Royal Society of
February 1672, and later in his "Opticks" of 1704, he showed
that white light was heterogeneously composed of more basic, primary
rays, each with its own specific color and index of refraction. Apart
from these achievements in physics, Newton's mathematical prowess was
extraordinary, and with Gottfried Leibniz, he was one of the two
independent inventors of the calculus.
In addition to science, Newton was interested in, and wrote much
about, theology, and alchemy. The Project, hosted and developed by
Imperial College (London), aims to create a printed edition of
Newton's theological, alchemical, and administrative writings, and an
electronic edition of all his writings, including his correspondence.
Now at the end of the first five-year period, the Project has produced
the first-ever comprehensive catalogue of Newton's theological,
alchemical, and administrative manuscripts, transcribed some 40 per
cent of the 2.7 million words Newton devoted to the subject of
theology, while also making considerable inroads into scientific and
biographical material.
Web site: http://www.newtonproject.ic.ac.uk/index.html
***********************************************************************************
11. History Resource - Gettysburg, PA
Open March through December. Free.
Through interactive exhibits that use sight, sound, touch, and even
smell, Rupp House guests will be able to immerse themselves in
19th-century culture and learn about the civilians and the soldiers
who struggled here, and the preservation work that is critical to
understanding the Battle of Gettysburg.
Through the Rupp House History Center, Friends of the National Parks
at Gettysburg hope to encourage among visitors a greater use of the
battlefield and an appreciation for Gettysburg National Military
Park's preservation needs, while at the same time kindling a curiosity
and a fascination for the events of July 1863.
Exhibit Highlights include:
- "Roads to Gettysburg" video introduction: Discover how two
powerful armies ended up in Gettysburg and learn what the citizens of
this small town went through as the battle loomed.
- "What Would You Pack?" computer interactive: It's July
1863, and you have only minutes to leave your home as the fighting
rages around you. What do you take on your journey? Make your
selections and see how your choices rate.
- "The View from Cemetery Hill": Friends of the National
Parks at Gettysburg is committed to preserving the resources
associated with Gettysburg National Military Park and the Battle of
Gettysburg. View some of the organization's projects and see for
yourself the dramatic difference these projects have made in the
preservation some of our nation's most hallowed ground.
- "Build Your Own Monument" computer interactive: Add your
own monumental creation to a virtual Gettysburg battlefield and
discover what happened in July 1863 on certain sections of the field.
You can preserve your own monument by printing a copy at the Rupp
House, or by e-mailing it to yourself.
[Our thanks to Barbi Shirvani.]
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12. Online German Study Group Forming
The beginners' level group will use a college-level textbook, and then
work through it via self-study, with everybody using the same syllabus
and timetable. Each week's assignments will be submitted to the
group's moderator via email. Rather than have somebody grade them,
everybody's answers will be "collated" and e-mailed back to
the study group.
Other kinds of texts may be used for other groups, like literature or
cultural studies.
If you are interested in participating, please send a blank e-mail to join_german@lavitanuova.com.
This will put you on a mailing list used to discuss the startup issues
(what textbook to use for the beginners' group, etc.).
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13. Worldview Weekends Of America
The weekly national radio program, Christian Worldview This Week,
hosted by Brannon Howse and Tim Wildmon, is now available online. Each
program is archived on their Web site. The Web site also includes
weekly syndicated columns by people such as Dennis Prager, Walter
Williams, Thomas Sowell, and others. Visit http://www.worldviewweekend.com
for the radio broadcasts or columns.
Their Christian Worldview Conference is coming up September 24-25,
2004, at:
Immanuel Bible Church
6911 Braddock Road
Springfield, VA 22151
Guest speakers include Kirk Cameron, Ray Comfort, Al Denson, and Norm
Geisler.
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14. Cool Web site: ConfusingWords.com
Confusing Words is a collection of 3,210 words that are troublesome to
readers and writers. Words are grouped according to the way they are
most often confused or misused.
Some of these words are homonyms (words that sound alike but are
spelled differently), and some are just commonly confused.
Web site: http://www.confusingwords.com/
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3) PARTING THOUGHT: "Kid
Wisdom"
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.....
1. It's more fun to color outside the lines.
2. If you are going to draw on the wall, do it behind the couch.
3. Ask "Why?", until you understand.
4. Even if you have been fishing for three hours and haven't gotten
anything except poison ivy and sunburn, you're still better off than
the worm.
5. It's okay to make up the rules as you go along.
6. Ask for sprinkles.
7. If the horse you're drawing looks more like a dog, make it a dog.
8. Save a place in line for your friends.
9. If you want a kitten, start out asking for a horse.
10. Keep banging until someone opens the door.
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4) WORTH REPEATING
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"When you were born, you cried and the world rejoiced. Live your
life so that when you die, the world cries and you rejoice."
-- Cherokee Expression
HEAV - Serving the homeschoolers of Virginia through information,
legislation, and resources since 1983! Be sure to sign up to receive
the FREE Virginia Home Educator magazine at http://www.heav.org
.
Summer
Catch-up 7/29/04
(back
to index)
There haven't been many moments to spare this summer but I suddenly
have a few now and so here is a "catch -up" of all that
has passed through my mail box. I hope you've been blessed
this summer. We started one new thing that I am pretty pleased
with. Our boys are getting so old that the parent's bed
time is almost preceding theirs; so, realizing we still needed to
make contact before turning off our lights we are taking 5 minutes
to gather the whole family. We just say one thing we are
thankful about from the day and perhaps any concern we want to
place before the Father. It is a pretty quick prayer time and
I don't know about the kids, but Tom and I are blessed by it.
Eppie
HOMESCHOOL
ITEMS
1. Archaeological
Education Programs - Cortez, CO - Oct. 2004 to March 2005
2. Disney Educational Production
3. Radio Show Distributors Wanted
4. Book: "Boyhood and Beyond"
5. a new coop
6. Online Video-on-Demand Resource
7. US Map on Polar Fleece
8. Free Daily Devotional
9. a GREAT Guitar course (and a free downloadable
guitar tuner)
10. Home School Appreciation Days - Six Flags America - August 30
and September 3, 2004
11. Educator Resources From NASA
Cool Web Sites:
12. Lincoln Bicentennial
13. Virtual Field Trips
14. ClassicalAstronomy.com Expands
15. Take a FREE practice PSAT test
HOMESCHOOL ITEMS
1. Archaeological Education Programs - Cortez, CO - October
2004 to March
2005
Crow Canyon Archaeological Center - Cortez, Colorado
The Crow Canyon Archaeological Center is noted worldwide for its
archaeological research and education programs designed to expand
awareness,
knowledge, and understanding of the ancestral Pueblo (Anasazi)
cultures of
the Mesa Verde region.
Every year, more than 2,500 students from across the country spend
up to
five days on Crow Canyon's beautiful 170-acre campus, participating
in a
variety of programs and learning firsthand about prehistoric
lifestyles.
They have dedicated four weeks of their 2004-2005 calendar
especially for
homeschool students to take advantage of their programs: October
17-23,
2004; November 7-13, 2004; February 27-March 5, 2005; and March
6-12, 2005.
Three-day program information:
http://www.crowcanyon.org/Programs/school_group_3d_elem.html
Five-day program details:
http://www.crowcanyon.org/Programs/school_group_5d_all.html
2.
Disney Educational Production
Good afternoon. I
am an educational representative for Disney Educational Production.
Over the past few years, I have received orders from parents
who are homeschooling their children.
Just within the past couple of months many of the
homeschoolers are stating that they want our “Bill Nye the Science
Guy” videos and DVDs. We
also carry many other educational videos and DVDs. You can find
information on those at our website at www.edustation.com.
Angela
Peruzzi
Disney
Educational Productions/ABC News Classroom
105 Terry Drive, Suite 120
Newtown, PA 18940
aperuzzi@edumedia.com
(800) 295-5010
(215) 579-8589 fax
www.edustation.com
www.abcnewsclassroom.com
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3. Radio Show Distributors Wanted
"Home Education This Week" is a weekly radio show geared
specifically for
homeschoolers featuring teaching tips, services, and organizations
available
to help parents provide the very best education for their children
at home.
They are looking for distributors to deliver the taped programs to
the radio
station and also contacting different businesses in the area who
would be
interested in sponsoring (providing ads) for the show.
This is a great part-time, home-based business opportunity,
requiring only a
small investment. A potential distributor must be self-motivated and
have
people skills. Contact Sue Merriam (SueMerriam@att.net)
or Bud Griffin
(405-627-3433) for more information.
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4. Book: "Boyhood and Beyond"
Boys who are on the road to becoming men of honor, courage, and
faith will
greatly benefit from the heartfelt encouragement and sound advice
offered in
"Boyhood and Beyond."
Bob Schultz, a carpenter by trade, has written a timeless book for
boys.
Wisdom and common sense are gleaned from short chapters covering
topics such
as authority, inventiveness, and honesty as well as learning to
overcome
things like fear, laziness, and temptation. Boyhood and Beyond
motivates
boys to build their lives on a foundation of strong moral
principles. Most
importantly, these chapters will encourage boys to become the men
God wants
them to be as they develop a relationship with Him. This is a
"life" book
designed to be read and lived out in a boy's life, thus becoming one
of his
building blocks to godly character and, ultimately, manhood.
Boyhood and Beyond can be read alone, used with a journal, or read
aloud in
a group. There are discussion questions at the end of each chapter.
Web site: http://www.gebconline.com/main.php
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5.
a new coop
HorizonsCo-op is forming in the fall. It will meet on
Thursdays, it will
cater to kids from preschool to high school with moms teaching
classes.
Contact Heritage
(thanks to Carol C)
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6. Online Video-on-Demand Resource
UnitedStreaming, a division of Discovery
Communications, is a digital
video-on-demand service brought to you by United Learning. Used by
25,000
schools and over 10 million students and teachers, it features over
2,200
educational videos.
Cost is as low as $299 annually. They offer a 30-day free trial.
Web site: http://www.unitedstreaming.com
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7. US Map
on Polar Fleece
I was over at the Joann Fabrics in Gaithersburg
yesterday. Just inside
the front door they have a large roll of polar fleece with a
colorful map
of the United States on a panel. The cost was $5 per
panel./map. My
kids thinks this will be a grand way to visualize our readings on US
history...and they say it is warm and snuggly too. Just
thought I would
pass this along to anyone who may be interested.
Carol C.
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8. Daily Devotional
Hoping to find a daily devotional for your child
on-line?
Try www.yoroom.org Not
only are the
devotionals well written and fascinating, there is a
full color illustration each day and a
printable coloring page for a budding artist. During
the summer months the devotionals are about
true-to-life experiences of missionaries from around
the world.
Go to www.yoroom.org and see for
yourself!
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9. a GREAT Guitar course (and a free downloadable
guitar tuner)
Hello to all the Homeschoolers!
How about spicing up your summer with a GREAT guitar
course, designed specifically with you in mind!!
-know over 100 guitar chords in just 6 lessons
-play in every key, sharp or flat across the board!
-specialized finger exercises build strength and independence
into each finger - makes playing easier!!
-learn to create strumming patterns
-and much, much more!!
All lessons are fully animated - with great sound.
The course is highly accelerated!
You have the potential of playing your favorite songs in a
very short time!!
Here's how to get started!
Fill in the registration form. You will receive your login and
you're ready to begin!
If you wish to go over the lesson again, push the 'repeat'
button, and you can work through all the material again!!
Upon completion, you will receive a complete set of notes in
your e-mial, of the material covered, plus an assignment
Let us build the foundation from which you can soar!!
Evelyn Hohn
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.....
10. Home School Appreciation Days - Six Flags
America - August 30 and September 3, 2004
Six Flags America
13710 Central Ave. (Route 214)
Mitchellville, MD 20721
Phone: (301) 249-1500, ext. 3275
Monday, August 30, 2004, or Friday, September 3, 2004.
Special discounted price offered to homeschooling families is
$15.54 per person (includes tax)--a $21.00 savings per person.
These tickets may only be ordered online.
Visit their Web site ( http://www.sixflags.com/parks/america/TicketInfo/index.html)
and click on the "Buy Tickets Now" button. At the very
top right of the page you will see a box that says "Enter
Promo Code." Enter promotional code [hschool] (without the
brackets) and click on the "Go" button just to the
right.
The deadline to order tickets and have them mailed to you is
three days prior to the date you plan to attend. However, you
may order up through the date of each event via the Print-N-Go
option.
Note: You will need to have Adobe Acrobat Reader installed on
your computer in order to purchase these tickets, either online
or via a mailed-in form.
[Our thanks to Brian Davis, special events account executive,
Six Flags America.]
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11. Educator Resources From NASA
NASA's Center for Distance Learning produces
standards-based math, science, and technology programs that use
NASA research to demonstrate how concepts taught in school
relate to the real world. Their program suite targets
kindergarten through adult education and is available free to
educators.
More information can be found at: http://dlcenter.larc.nasa.gov/
.
[Our thanks to Matt Lambert, Program Evaluator, NASA Langley
Research Center.]
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12. Cool Web Site: Lincoln Bicentennial
"The fifteen members of the Abraham Lincoln Bicentennial
Commission were appointed by the President, the Senate and the
House of Representatives following the passage of the Abraham
Lincoln Bicentennial Commission Act in 2000 (Public Law No:
106-173). This diverse and accomplished group was chosen based
on their knowledge and study of President Lincoln and their
dedication to educating others about Lincoln and that time in
our history. In addition, two of the commissioners are U.S.
senators and two are from the U.S. House of Representatives who
represent states where Lincoln lived, practiced law, and served
in the legislature. The Commissioners are focused on informing
the public about the impact Abraham Lincoln had on the
development of our nation, and finding the best possible ways to
honor his accomplishments."
In addition to preparing the public for this birthday
celebration five years from now, this Web site offers many fine
links with teaching resources about Abraham Lincoln that are
well worth the look.
Web site: http://www.lincolnbicentennial.gov
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13. Cool Web Site: Virtual Field Trips
Oregon Trail
Web site: http://www.field-trips.org/tours/ss/otrail/_tourlaunch1.htm
This offers a great selection of full-text diaries, memoirs, and
period books about the Oregon Trail. There is also a Word-format
printable timeline of the Oregon Trail.
Field Guides
Web site: http://www.field-guides.com/index.htm
When you click on "the field trips" it shows you a
list (scroll down).
Some of the topics are: Antarctica, Aquifers, Baking Bread,
Deserts, Dinosaurs, Endangered Species, Fierce Creatures,
Getting Green, Hurricanes, Shakespeare, and more.
Note: Some sections may reference subject matter you do not wish
your children to explore. As with all Web sites we suggest,
please review for suitability before passing along to your
student(s).
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14. ClassicalAstronomy.com Expands
In addition to a re-design of the Web site, new content
has been added,
including:
The "Learning the Sky" section is a rotating archive
of astronomy articles
relevant for the current month. On this page, you will
find articles about
the constellations that can be seen this month, and any
interesting seasonal
articles about the Sun, Moon and planets. In the near
future, we hope to
add star maps that will give the readers a visual tool for
observing the
constellations.
"Book Reviews" and "Product Reviews" include
evaluations and recommendations
of astronomy products and more. They also have review pages for
sundials, a
useful yet neglected tool for observing the Sun's motion.
Web site: http://www.ClassicalAstronomy.com
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.....
15. Take a FREE practice PSAT test:
May
28, 2004 (back
to index)
Tuesday, June 1st will be our next meeting. If waiting for the
year to slow down doesn't work, should we run forward to meet the
slowing? Or am I just not good at waiting? Maybe I was
just hiding from time and it rushes even more hectically then.
I could try a bolder approach, more confrontational. Whatever
you do, hold on to peace, the kind that passes understanding, and
remember that all things are possible with God, even managing time.
<G>
(It has just come to me that hugs are a way of catching people
hurtling through time and holding them still long enough for them to
catch their breath. Release gently since you too will re-enter
the time flow.)
So, here we are, our last meeting of the year. Bring all the
curriculum you'd like to pass on, bring money for all the stuff
you'd like to take home. Think about what you'd like the
meetings next year to give you; the speakers, what works,
workshops, the position you might participate in ...
So many possibilities are before us. I hope you can enjoy
knowing good stuff is out there and use the numbering system of the
items below to quickly sort what is here that you might be
interested in.
Blessings on you all, Eppie
Here is a note from HEAV. They are the source for the majority
of this information and we owe them many thanks.
Sent: Monday, May 24, 2004 10:19 PM
Subject: HEAV Update **May 24, 2004
Send us your ideas, observations, tips, tricks, and other things you
have learned over the years so we can include them in future Updates.
It can be as simple as "Get husband to bulk up on steroids prior
to Convention so he can carry more things," or cunning, like,
"Save money by getting into the Used Curriculum Sale before
everyone else" (which we just happen to tell you how to do
in item 1.13 of this issue).
Please send your wisdom to update@heav.org
. If it does not all fit in one e-mail, just flip your computer screen
over and use the other side. THANK YOU in advance!
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1) HOMESCHOOL ITEMS
1.0 Vision Forum Internship - Deadline: May 31, 2004
1.1Home School Seminar - College Park, MD - June 5, 2004
1.2 Ninth Annual Homeschool Day - Ocean City, MD - June 28, 2004
1.3 Resource Web Site and Support Group: Ambleside Online
1.4 Resource: Home-Schooled Students & PSAT/NMSQT
1.5 Homeschool pre-College Discussion Group Started
1.6 Scholarship Resource: National Merit Scholarship Corporation
1.7 PhysicsEndeavor.- 10 lessons free
2) ARTICLES
2.0 Washington Times Op-ed "The Right Incentives
Matter"
2.1 News Article: "Southern Baptists eye exiting public
schools"
3) GENERAL INTEREST ITEMS
3.0 Coupon For Children's Books at Target - Offer Ends May 30,
2004
3.1 Free "Children of Struggle" Performance - Washington, DC
- June 3, 2004
3.2 World War II Show - Reading, PA - June 4-6, 2004
3.3 "Deaf Awareness Day" - Kings Dominion - June 5, 2004
3.4 French & Indian War Encampment - Cook Forest, PA - June 19-20,
2004
3.5 National Story Project
3.6 FIRST LEGO League Registration Now Open
3.7 100-Day Tribute to the WWII Generation - Washington, DC - May
through September, 2004
3.8 Help Wanted: "Writing Coaches"
3.9 Ladek Zdroj Summer Dance Festival in Poland
July 8th through July 18th 2004
4) WEBSITES
4.0 Cool Web site: WxDude.com
4.1 Cool Web site: StarFall.com
4.2 Once Every Seventeen Years
4.3 PCS Edventures Learning Labs
4.4 Cool Web site: FactoryTourUSA.com
4.5 Cool Web site: AmericanJourneys.org
4.6 University of Exeter (England) Online Resources
4.7Free Learning Materials From The National Gallery of Art
4.8 Cool Web site: "Sightseer's Guide to Engineering"
4.9 Cool Web Site: "ReadPrint.com"
4.10 Online Art Resource: "Scribbles Kids Arts Place"
5) WORTH REPEATING
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1) HOMESCHOOL ITEMS
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1.0 Vision Forum Internship - Deadline: May 31, 2004
Vision Forum is offering a special internship program for Christian
home educators to last from July 15 to December 17, 2004. The
internship, which emphasizes biblical manhood, practical business
skills, and preparation for Christian leadership, is available to
young men, ages 18 to 24, who possess a servant's spirit, a teachable
heart, and a desire to work hard serving a ministry devoted to the
restoration of the Christian family.
Internship Web site: http://www.visionforum.com/aboutvf/internship/
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1.1 Home School Seminar - College Park, MD - June 5, 2004
Nyumburu Cultural Center
University of Maryland
Bldg. 232, Northwest Quad
College Park, MD 20742
Saturday, June 5, 2004, from 9:00 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. A continental
breakfast is provided.
This power-packed seminar, sponsored by Fruit Of Our Labor
Ministries, is perfect for new homeschooling families, veteran
homeschoolers, and inquiring parents.
The keynote speaker is Cynthia Price, a homeschool mother of two
homeschool graduates. Cynthia will share her 20 years of knowledge and
expertise about homeschooling with you and your family. Seminar topics
include: "Getting Off To The Right Start,"
"Organization: A Key Component," "Homeschool
Priorities," and "Simplify Your Life."
The registration fee is $20 per person until May 22, 2004. To
register by phone, call (301) 499-6348. The first 10 registrants will
receive a free homeschool gift bag!
To register electronically, send an e-mail to fruitofourlabor@onebox.com
before May 31, 2004. The cost for online registration is $25. On-site
registration is $30 per person.
For more information, call (800) 852-0840.
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1.2 Ninth Annual Homeschool Day - Ocean City, MD - June 28,
2004
Jolly Roger Amusement Park
30th Street and Coastal Highway
Ocean City, MD 21842
Telephone: (410) 289-3477
Web site: http://www.jollyrogerpark.com
Monday, June 28, 2004, from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. Special
Homeschooler Pre-Purchase Cost: 12.50 per person.
More than 700 people attended last year. At least 100 people are
needed to secure this special rate. Send an e-mail to Barbi Shirvani ( Shirvani@juno.com)
for information on ordering or other information.
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1.3 Resource Web Site and Support Group: Ambleside Online
This is an incredible free resource! The booklists and links for
online books are superb--no matter what curriculum you are using!
Based on the Charlotte Mason approach, Ambleside Online offers free
curriculum and a free support group and was formed by a group of
international Christian homeschooling mothers who have joined together
to study and propose an educational plan of excellence 'for the
children's sake.'
Ambleside is named for the area surrounding Charlotte Mason's
schools in England, and the Ambleside curriculum is designed to
provide as close a modern approximation as possible of the curriculum
designed by Charlotte Mason for her PNEU Schools. The curriculum is a
work-in-progress, which is continually revised and polished. The
Ambleside Online curriculum is provided free for the private use of
homeschoolers worldwide.
Web site: http://www.amblesideonline.org
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1.4 Resource: Homeschooled Students & PSAT/NMSQT
The PSAT/NMSQT is a standardized test that gives students
practice for the SAT I: Reasoning Test and the multiple-choice section
of the SAT II: Writing Test. It also gives your child a chance to
qualify for the National Merit Scholarship Corporation's scholarship
programs.
The College Board Web site has a special page devoted to the
"Why, When, and Where" for homeschooling students.
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1.5 Homeschool pre-College Discussion Group Started
Donna Nimey has created a new homeschool group in the yahoo groups
called homeschoolTHRUcollege, designed to be a discussion group for
families who are not planning to follow the traditional path of
college after high school for whatever reason. This open discussion
list is not moderated, is open to everyone, and is designed to allow
the sharing of ideas.
Send a blank e-mail to homeschoolTHRUcollege@yahoogroups.com,
with "Subscribe" in the subject line.
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1.6 Scholarship Resource: National Merit Scholarship
Corporation
Currently in its 49th year, National Merit Scholarship Corporation (NMSC)
is a not-for-profit organization that conducts two academic
competitions for recognition and undergraduate scholarships:
- the National Merit Scholarship Program, the larger and older
competition that was initiated in 1955 when NMSC was established.
- the National Achievement Scholarship Program, a smaller competition
begun in 1964.
Each year some 55,000 high school students are honored in NMSC
programs and more than 10,500 of the most outstanding participants
receive scholarships worth a total of $50 million for college
undergraduate study.
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1.7 PhysicsEndeavor - 10 lessons free
A video-based high school physics curriculum would
like to offer you the opportunity to try the first ten lessons free
and discover how straightforward and interesting it is to learn
Physics with PhysicsEndeavor. http://www.physics-book.com/index.html
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( 2) ARTICLES
.... ..... ..... ..... ..... ..... ..... ..... .....
.....
2.0 Washington Times Op-ed "The Right Incentives
Matter"
The homeschool method offers parents the right incentives to produce
high-quality citizens, while other systems fall short of this ideal.
This opinion piece, written by J. Michael Smith, HSLDA president,
appeared in the Washington Times on April 30, 2004.
Read more about it at: http://www.hslda.org/elink.asp?id=1517
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2.1 News Article: "Southern Baptists eye exiting public
schools"
A resolution urging Southern Baptists to remove their children
from public schools has been proposed by an Alexandria man for the
denomination's annual convention in Indianapolis next month.
Thomas C. Pinckney, a retired Air Force brigadier general and
former second vice president of the Southern Baptist Convention, and
Bruce Shortt, a Houston lawyer, co-submitted the resolution on April
29.
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3) GENERAL INTEREST ITEMS
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3.0 Coupon For Children's Books at Target - Offer Ends
May 30, 2004
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3.1 Free "Children of Struggle" Performance -
Washington, DC - June 3, 2004
Coolidge Auditorium
Library of Congress
101 Independence Avenue SE
Washington, DC 20540
Thursday, June 3, 2004, at 10:00 a.m.
A Discovery Theater performance about the youngest heroes of the Civil
Rights Movement, and their inspiring, important struggle for equal
rights. Meet Ruby Bridges, Ernest Green, and Claudette Colvin through
this warm and powerful story of their courage, strength, and hope.
Part of "The Greatest Stories Never Told" series, this
original musical is written and directed by local playwright Raquis
Petree with music by Marion Johnson.
This performance is FREE but reservations for groups of ten or more
are required. Get more out of your field trip and ask to arrange a
special tour of the exhibit "With an Even Hand: Brown v. Board of
Education at Fifty" when you call.
For free reservations and Learning Guides, call (202) 707-1071.
Web site: www.loc.gov/kidslc
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3.2 World War II Show - Reading, PA - June 4-6, 2004
Mid Atlantic Air Museum
Reading Army Airfield
11 Museum Drive
Reading, PA 19605
Telephone: (610) 372-7333
Web site: http://www.maam.org/maamwwii.html
June 4-6, 2004. Gates open at 9:00 a.m. Tickets are available for one,
two, or all three days. Children's tickets available for those 6-12.
Under 6 is free.
Since 1990, the Mid Atlantic Air Museum's World War II Weekend has
become the largest and best attended nationally known WWII
Commemoration. It started as a re-created airfield during the WWII
50th anniversary celebrations and now, as on the 60th anniversary of
D-Day, it has grown exponentially into a WWII "Renaissance
Fair." With encampments and displays that represent the European,
Pacific, and Mediterranean Theaters, and the Great American Home
Front, 70 aircraft, 200 period vehicles and over 1100 period living
history interpreters and entertainers, it all adds up to what
Militaria International Magazine calls the "Best WWII Show in the
U.S., Bar None."
Witness the struggle when a G.I. patrol takes fire from Germans
barricaded in a French village. View an assault across open ground as
U.S. armor and infantry attack an enemy position. See British
Commonwealth and Axis Mediterranean forces battle it out in a small
unit action. Witness a battle casualty go from being stabilized by a
combat medic to being operated on in a complete field hospital. Get a
feel for the Island Hopping Campaign in the Pacific Theater of
Operation encampment. Experience the Great American Home Front,
including a Civil Defense Air Raid Wardens, a 1940's House, Radio
Station, Cottage Style Gas Station, and a Department Store where you
can buy the displays and vintage clothing.
And a WHOLE LOT MORE!
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3.3 "Deaf Awareness Day" - Kings Dominion - June 5,
2004
Saturday June 5, 2004. Tickets are $24.00 in advance, $27.00 at
the door.
Special events are planned, along with spectacular
entertainment, educational exhibits, interpreters for many of the
parks shows, and the Street Grande Bandstand "HARMONY".
For more information, or to pre-order tickets, contact Debbie
Smith (540-825-0175).
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3.4 French & Indian War Encampment - Cook Forest, PA
- June 19-20, 2004
June 19-20, 2004
Cook Forest (Pennsylvania) State Park, company LeBoeuf, and the
Pennsylvania Bureau of Forestry will host a series of living history
events depicting life during the French & Indian War. Highlights
of this two-day encampment include children's programs, woodland
natives, cannon and musket firing demonstrations, sutler camp, Clarion
River canoe landing and trading event, live tactical engagements, and
nationally renowned living historians and French & Indian War Era
painters. Take a walk back in time along the Black Bear Trail during
open camp hours to view over 250+ British, Colonial, French, and
Native American re-enactors as they portray lifestyles of the 18th
century. This event is being held for public education and is free.
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3.5 National Story Project
On the first Saturday of each month, National Public Radio broadcasts
stories written by the listening audience on WEEKEND ALL THINGS
CONSIDERED. Paul Auster, host of the National Story Project, seeks
material for this program.
Your story can "be anywhere from two paragraphs to two
pages" in length, "cover any topic," "be funny or
sad or ironic," "be a family story or one a friend told
you." The only absolute criteria is that the story be true. You
don't even need to type the story, as "long-hand will do,"
and grammar and spelling are not problems. If Paul chooses to use your
story, he will work with you to polish it until it is ready for
broadcast. If you would prefer that your name not be used when the
story is read on the air, that's fine.
Send your true story, along with your name, address, and telephone
number, to:
Paul Auster at The National Story Project
PMB 206
123 7th Avenue,
Brooklyn, NY 11215
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3.6 FIRST LEGO League Registration Now Open
The FIRST LEGO League (FLL), considered the "little league"
of the FIRST Robotics Competition, is the result of a partnership
between FIRST and the LEGO Company. FLL extends the FIRST concept of
inspiring and celebrating science and technology to children aged 9
through 14, using real-world context and hands-on experimentation.
With the help of LEGO(r) MINDSTORMS(tm) Robotics Invention System(tm)
technology, young participants can build a robot and compete in a
friendly, FIRST-style robotics event specially designed for their age
group. Using LEGO bricks and other elements such as sensors, motors,
and gears, teams gain hands-on experience in engineering and computer
programming principles as they construct and program their unique
robot inventions.
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3.7 100-Day Tribute to the WWII Generation - Washington, DC -
May through September, 2004
"America Celebrates the Greatest Generation" is a 100-day
tribute to the heroism of the World War II generation. At the heart of
the celebration is the long-awaited dedication of the National World
War II Memorial on Saturday, May 29, 2004.
>From Memorial Day through Labor Day, more than 140 WWII-themed
exhibitions, performances, walking tours and more pay tribute to the
men and women who served in World War II and on the home front. Music,
art, dance, theatre, film and literature will all play a part in the
summer-long salute.
"America Celebrates the Greatest Generation" expands the
tribute beyond the official events and invites visitors from around
the world to come to the nation's capital during the summer to visit
the new memorial and take advantage of themed programming. Each of the
140 WWII-themed events are listed by date as well as by category. Be
sure to reference the "Ongoing" section for those events
that take place each day throughout the celebration.
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3.8 Help Wanted: "Writing Coaches"
Write At Home, a company providing online writing classes to
homeschoolers, is looking for Writing Coaches. Coaches work from their
home computers providing feedback and assessment on student writing.
Coaches work as independent contractors for $12-18 per hour, and
determine the grade level (6th-12th) and number of students they serve
(minimum 10). Applicants must have at least an undergraduate degree in
English, education, or a related field, and must have experience as a
teacher, editor, or freelance writer. They are looking for dependable,
encouraging people with a love for kids and words. For more
information, visit the Coaches page of their Web site ( http://www.writeathome.net)
or contact Don Myhill ( WriteAtHome@cox.net).
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3.9 Ladek Zdroj Summer Dance Festival in Poland
July 8th through July 18th 2004
Dear Dancer,
We know you are always looking for ways to improve your skills
and perform
for a new audience. This year, American's will have their first
opportunity to
participate in the Ladek Zdroj Summer Dance Festival in Poland through
Cultural Interchanges. Cultural Interchanges is an organization based
in the
USA and is devoted to creating opportunities for people to experience
other
cultures through the performing arts.
You are being invited to participate in a very special opportunity to
travel
to Europe for dance classes and performances at the Ladek Zdroj Summer
Dance
Festival. Ladek Zdroj is a 700-year-old village, in the southern
mountain
region of Poland famous for its beautiful scenery, therapeutic health
spas and
dance festivals. Participants will advance their skills by immersion
in master
classes and performances in Europe. You'll experience the traditional
European
ballet training and also have an opportunity to take classes in Jazz,
Tap,
Modern, Hip Hop, Pantomime and various ethnic dance styles. Each
participant
selects their classes, which are taught by professional dancers and
choreographers. Dancers perform in shows at the end of the festival.
There is
even a special performance for your own choreography.
Ladek Zdroj offers many other activities like swimming or hiking and
biking
to explore the natural beauty of the region's forests, caves plus a
world-
class arboretum. The spa is available to members of our group at no
extra
charge; so, take advantage of the therapeutic massages and baths.
This is an excellent opportunity for you, your family and friends to
explore
the rich culture and history of Europe. The Ladek Zdroj Dance Festival
will
occur July 8th through July 18th. We are now taking reservations for
our
summer program.
Please review the information and photos on our web site:
www.culturalinterchanges.com
and call 610-960-7362 with any questions.
I look forward to sharing this unique experience with you.
Sincerely,
Jerzy Golek Director of Cultural Interchanges
People can register online. Our details are:
Ladek Zdroj Summer Dance Festival in Poland
July 8th through July 18th 2004
Cost: Consists of festival fees and airfare
Total fees are approximately
$1950 per person
The price includes:
® Participation in all dance classes or access to watch all classes
® Hotel accommodations
® Three meals a day at your hotel
® Transportation to and from the airport in Europe
® A day trip to Wroclaw
® A visit to Klodzko
The fees may vary depending on the number of attendees, the
point of departure
and potential airline rate increases or fluctuations in the value of
the
dollar.
Registration is Still Open:
Participants must be at least 10 years old, college students and
adults are
welcome
Payment in full is expected at the time of registration.
There are NO refunds.
We recommend insurance from a private source for; Foreign Health
Insurance,
Baggage Insurance and Trip Cancellation Insurance.
Medical Insurance as well as trip cancellation insurance and baggage
insurance
are recommended from a private source.
Sign up for our exciting trip to the Ladek Zdroj Festival in Poland,
register online at: www.culturalinterchanges.com
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4) WEBSITES
... ..... ..... ..... ..... ..... ..... ..... .....
.....
4.0 Cool Web Site: WxDude.com
This weather education site is designed especially for kids, parents,
and teachers from national TV meteorologist Nick Walker. Nick Walker
is an on-camera meteorologist for The Weather Channel and co-anchor of
"First Outlook" with meteorologists Kim Perez and Jen
Carfagno. He is also a regular correspondent for The Weather Channel's
"Forecast Earth" programs and has hosted several special
reports including "Storms of the Century," "Vulnerable
Cities," "After the Storm," and the global warming
documentary "Hot Planet."
He is the author of "Sing Along with the Weather Dude", a
book and CD for children. Nick's magazine articles have appeared in
local and national publications, and he is active as a speaker for
schools and community groups. A singer and songwriter, Nick has
recorded several albums of original music.
This Web site offers an online book, "Weather Basics";
"Weather Songs"; "Stuff for Teachers/Parents";
"Stuff for Kids"; "Weather Topics"; "Ask a
Question or Take a Quiz" section, and more.
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4.1Cool Web site: StarFall.com
At age nine, young Stephen Schutz was still struggling to read. What
came easily for some children required many more hours of Stephen's
work, and he was consistently towards the bottom of his class in
reading. Now with a PhD in physics and a successful publisher and
artist, Dr. Schutz wanted to make sure that children in his situation
today have a resource that can help them. He turned to the Internet
and conceived a program that would be available on-line, across the
world, for free to all children who are learning to read.
The Starfall learn-to-read Web site is offered free as a public
service. They also provide writing journals and books at a very low
cost that can be used with the Web site or separately. Teachers around
the country are using Starfall materials as an inexpensive way to make
the classroom more fun and to inspire a love of reading and writing.
Primarily designed for first grade, Starfall.com is also useful for
pre-kindergarten, kindergarten and second grade.
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4.2 Once Every Seventeen Years
Cicadas only come around every 17 years, and this is the BIG year for
them.
At the CicadaMania Web site ( http://www.cicadamania.com),
you can learn about the cicadas; pet's reactions to these insects;
what to do if you have young trees, and a lot more.
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4.3 PCS Edventures Learning Labs
PCS Edventures has developed ten hands-on learning labs for
students in grades pre-K through 12 that teach math, science,
engineering, technology literacy, architecture, robotics, and more, by
integrating with LEGO(R) manipulatives. Already in use throughout the
world, these learning labs include thousands of hands-on elements
along with curriculum, storage units, summer camps, Web services,
training, career resource information, support, and much more.
Web site: http://www.edventures.com/index2.html
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4.4 Cool Web site: FactoryTourUSA.com
Celebrating American Imagination and Industry!
Factory Tours USA - 455 tours and counting! This site celebrates
American imagination and industry. What better way to appreciate those
qualities than to visit and tour America at work. The information on
this site is maintained by many people throughout the United States
who enjoy visiting American industry.
Web site: http://www.factorytoursusa.com
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4.5 Cool Web site: AmericanJourneys.org
American Journeys contains more than 18,000 pages of eyewitness
accounts of North American exploration, from the sagas of Vikings in
Canada in AD1000 to the diaries of mountain men in the Rockies 800
years later.
Read the words of explorers, Indians, missionaries, traders, and
settlers as they lived through the founding moments of American
history. View, search, print, or download more than 150 rare books,
original manuscripts, and classic travel narratives from the library
and archives of the Wisconsin Historical Society.
Funded by the U.S. Institute of Museum & Library Services and by
private donors, American Journeys is a collaborative project of the
Wisconsin Historical Society and National History Day.
Web site: http://www.americanjourneys.org
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4.6 University of Exeter (England) Online Resources
The University of Exeter (England) offers several online teacher
resources through Cleave Books. Among them:
TRoL (Teacher Resources on Line)
The purpose of these resources is to provide material that teachers of
mathematics can use in their classrooms. All of the material can be
viewed and assessed as to its suitability on the screen and, when
something suitable has been found, can be printed out to serve as a
master from which the necessary classroom copies can be made. The
material is very wide-ranging in content and it will require the
teacher to decide where, when, and how any of it is to be used. It
might be as homework, a revision, a test, a discussion point, a
routine exercise, an information sheet, a math club activity, a
diversionary pastime or serve any other purpose which individual
teachers might have. The material does NOT constitute a course, and
nor is it designed to support or supplement any particular course.
SCoL (Specialist Calculators on Line)
Each of the 80 calculators listed here is dedicated to a specific
task.
Dictionary of Units
This dictionary provides an account of the principal units of
measurement to be found in use around the world today, and the
conversion factors often needed to change them into 'standard' units
of the SI system.
A Mathematics Formulary Study Guide and other resources are also
available.
.... ..... ..... ..... ..... ..... ..... ..... ..... .....
4.7 Free Learning Materials From The National Gallery of Art
Connect art and curriculum by borrowing free learning materials from
the National Gallery of Art's Division of Education! Resources include
slide teaching programs, multimedia programs, videocassettes, CD ROMs,
DVDs, and videodiscs. These programs are intended to foster awareness
of the visual arts and make Gallery collections accessible to a broad
audience beyond the Gallery's walls. They are circulated
free-of-charge to educational institutions, community groups, and
individuals throughout the United States.
The Loan Programs meet national standards in the visual arts for
kindergarten through grade 12. A variety of artists, subjects,
techniques, and styles are examined. Many programs contain suggestions
for related activities and questions designed to stimulate discussion
of the art and artists, of cultural and historical issues.
You can even search by curriculum, subject or specific artist.
.... ..... ..... ..... ..... ..... ..... ..... ..... .....
4.8 Cool Web site: "Sightseer's Guide to
Engineering"
Did you realize that nearly everything around you that makes your life
easier and more fun, that nearly everything that makes our economy go,
has been created by an engineer? So when you take a trip - either
around your neck-of-the-woods or around the country - you will find
countless sights that help tell the engineering story.
This Web site, sponsored by the National Society of Professional
Engineers and National Engineers Week, offers a breakdown by all 50
states, and offers a search by category, engineering discipline or
keyword.
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4.9 Cool Web Site: "ReadPrint.com"
Read Print.com is a free online library offering thousands of free
books for students, teachers, and the classic enthusiast. To find the
book you desire to read, start by looking through the author index. Or
use the Search function to search by book title. Many poems and short
stories are also available at this Web site.
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4.10 Online Art Resource: "Scribbles Kids Arts Place"
This is a place for children of all ages who love to create art. Learn
about different artists and their artwork, do simple art projects,
enter contests, taking a short art quiz, solve Mystery Art, have fun
with the interactive Coloring Book, or try art games on line such as
Etch-A-Sketch, Kaleidoscope and other fun stuff.
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5) WORTH REPEATING
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"You know that children are growing up when they start asking
questions that have answers."
-- John J. Plomp
"If evolution is for real, how come Mothers only have two
hands?"
-- Unknown
"Human beings are the only creatures that allow their children to
come back home."
-- Bill Cosby (William Henry Cosby, Jr., 1937-, American actor,
comedian)
----------------------------------------------------------------------
The items listed in this Update are for informational purposes and are
to be utilized at the discretion of the recipient.
Civics Notes (back
to index)
Dear Heritage Members and Friends,
Here are the notes on the civics portion
of our May meeting. There is the rational and a suggested place
to start; there are web sites, a few have a grade level note,
places for primary sources, national and state standards, free lessons,
books, field trip sites, and lots of these are links to other links.
So have fun, just pick as many or as few as you have time for, and keep
the book titles tucked away for the next time you shop. You can buy
a book to go through or just play with the free lesson plans. We are
so blessed in the system we live in. Don't take it for granted,
don't be too comfortable, but do rejoice!- Eppie
Why?
I know of no safe depository of the ultimate powers
of the society but the people themselves; and if we think them not
enlightened enough to exercise their control with a wholesome
discretion, the remedy is not to take it from them, but to inform
their discretion.
Thomas Jefferson (1820)
http://www.civicsandpolitics.com/
News and
Commentary for Conservative Folks ... Innovative Teaching-- The Best Civics
Resources Online. The Institute for American Liberty ...
Why Study Civics? by
Donald A. Tevault
From Webster's New World Dictionary:
- civics--the study of civic affairs and the duties and rights of
citizenship
- civic--of a city, citizens, or citizenship
"the study of civic affairs. . . "--By studying
civics, you will learn how our government, economic system and political
system are supposed to operate. You will, for example, be better able to
determine who is right in controversies over "big, active
government" vs. "small, limited government". You'll
understand why the founding fathers wanted the colonies to break away
from the British crown, and why they set up the United States government
as a republic instead of as a democracy. ...
". . . the duties and rights of citizenship"--Most
citizens of the United States are at least vaguely aware that they have
certain rights. But, there is a certain amount of confusion over what
those rights are. Take, for example, the First Amendment rights of free
speech. In modern times, this amendment has been interpreted to also
mean "free expression". So, when Congress tries to pass a law
against burning the United States flag, the courts say, "No, you
can't do that. You'll be violating the people's right to 'free
expression'". ... others will argue that the First Amendment was
never meant to protect these kinds of activities, but was meant instead
to protect a person who feels the need to criticize members of
government. By studying civics, you'll be better able to determine who's
right in these sorts of arguments. ...
... know just what your rights are as a U. S. citizen. Suppose, for
example, that a pair of city or county social workers were to come to
your door, and tell you that they'd heard reports that you and your
spouse have been abusing your children. They don't have a search
warrant, but they demand that you let them in so that they can undress
your children and examine them for bruises. ...
... there are also duties of citizenship. That doesn't mean
that you have to exert yourself to become a great political leader,
although you can if you want. But, if you're familiar with the basic
principles of civics, you'll be a better informed voter. You'll be able
to examine politicians' positions, and determine whether or not they'll
be good for the country, or for the cause of liberty. You'll be able to
determine if the candidates' positions are in line with the
Constitution. As a result, you'll not only be helping to protect your
own freedom, but also that of your fellow citizens. ...
"Now", you ask, "how does one get started in
the studies of basic civics?" It's actually quite easy.
Resources are readily available.
The Declaration
of Independence is probably the best thing to start with. It's
short, written in plain language and is easy to understand. It outlines
the grievances that the early Americans had against the British king. By
reading this document first, you'll gain an understanding of why the
founding fathers chose to risk their lives and well-being by defying the
king and army of Great Britain. Then, you might want to read a book
about early American history. That way, you'll have a better explanation
of what the colonists' grievances were, and about their struggle to
obtain liberty. You'll also get an idea of what to look out for with our
own government, just in case our modern politicians try to emulate King
George.
Next, you'll want to study The
United States Constitution, The
Federalist Papers and a book on basic
economics. The Constitution will tell you how the government is set
up, and what your rights are. The Federalist will explain to you why the
government was designed as it was. And, of course, a good book about
economics will help you understand arguments over what should be the
government's role in the economy.
Most of all, though, an understanding of basic civics will help you
learn to think for yourself. That way, you'll know if someone is trying
to pull the wool over your eyes.
Check out the teacher resources.
Primary
Sources and Content Materials
Ben's Guide to US Government for Kids - http://bensguide.gpo.gov/ (Includes
elementary levels)
Ben's Guide to U. S. Government for kids is a service of the US
Government Printing Office that provides electronic access to
information about U. S. history and government. This site is organized
by grade levels: K-2, 3-5, 6-8, 9-12, and a link for parents and
teachers.
My History is America's
History - http://www.myhistory.org/
-
An initiative of the National Endowment for the Humanities designed
to encourage users to explore their personal histories. This site
provides a place for sharing family stories and for users getting
help in their historical discoveries.
State
and National Civics and Curriculum Standards
National
Standards for Civics and Government
- http://www.civiced.org/stds.html
Sponsored by the Center for Civic Education (Center) this site
develops voluntary National Standards for Civics and Government for
students in kindergarten through grade twelve (K-12).
Supported by the Office of Educational Research and Improvement (OERI)
of the U.S. Department of Education and The Pew Charitable Trusts,
this site outlines National Standards for Civic and Government that
are intended to help schools develop competent and responsible
citizens who possess a reasoned commitment to the fundamental values
and principles that are essential to the preservation and improvement
of American constitutional democracy.
National
Standards for Social Studies Teachers
- http://www.ncss.org/standards/teachers/home.html
Sponsored by the Center for Civic Education (Center) this site
develops voluntary National Standards for Civics and Government for
students in kindergarten through grade twelve (K-12).
Supported by the Office of Educational Research and Improvement (OERI)
of the U.S. Department of Education and The Pew Charitable Trusts,
this site outlines National Standards for Civic and Government that
are intended to help schools develop competent and responsible
citizens who possess a reasoned commitment to the fundamental values
and principles that are essential to the preservation and improvement
of American constitutional democracy.
The
Current State of Civic Education
- http://www.nwrel.org/scpd/sirs/10/c019.html
This site features a detailed report of the "current state of
civic education." It also links to additional school improvement
resources and programs.
The
Role of Civic Education
- http://www.civiced.org/whpaper.html
This site was prepared by the Center for Civic Education and includes
a report called "The Role Of Civic Education: A Report Of The
Task Force On Civic Education." This report came from the Second
Annual White House Conference On Character Building For A Democratic,
Civil SocietyWashington, D.C., May 19 - 20, 1995.
Teaching
Resources for Civics
Civitas
- A Framework for Civic Education - http://www.civnet.org/resoures/teach/basic/civitas/exe.htm
This site provides a curriculum framework to revitalize civic
education in schools throughout the nation. It sets forth a set of
national goals to be achieved in a civic education curriculum,
primarily for K-12 public and private schools, but with extended
applications in communities and in higher education, specifying the
knowledge and skills needed by citizens to perform their roles in
American democracy. The intended audience for CIVITAS is educators at
state and local levels concerned with the development of civic
education curriculums in the schools. Teachers may also find the
framework a useful resource and reference book. It is designed to
improve textbooks, instructional materials, methods of teaching,
assessment and testing, and the preparation of teachers.
CivNet
Teaching Resources
- http://www.civnet.org/resoures/teach.htm
This site features resources for CIVISTA’s goals for civic
education. This resource provides links to a comprehensive
bibliography of civics information and lesson plans for classroom
application. Resources are available in English, Spanish and French.
Comparative
Lessons for Democracy
- http://www.civiced.org/compless_intro.html
Comparative Lessons for Democracy is designed to strengthen education
for democracy in the United States through the use of curricular
materials about the history and government of several Central and
Eastern European nations. Analyzing issues and events related to these
emerging democracies encourages students in the United States to
clarify assumptions and principles upon which democracies rest. The
content of the lessons are divided into four major sections including,
Historical Connections, Transitions: Comparative Trends,
Constitutionalism and Democracy and Citizens' Rights and Civil
Society. Comparative Lessons is designed to raise questions, not only
about countries in Central and Eastern Europe, but also how these same
issues relate to American society and politics. In this manner,
students are able to identify the elements common to democracies
everywhere and those dimensions that are unique to the United States.
Constitution Society
http://www.constitution.org/ This
site aims to eventually provide almost everything one needs to
accurately decide what is and is not constitutional in most situations,
and what applicable constitutions require one to do. ... They have a
great "Liberty Library of Constitutional Classics".
The American Presidency
http://ap.grolier.com/ The
American Presidency uses material from 5 Grolier encyclopedias to look
at the presidents and presidential elections past and present. It
also uses Scholastic materials and current events.
The National Archives and
Records Administration http://www.archives.gov/digital_classroom/index.html impressive
, lessons are on specific documents but general info on using documents, Document
Analysis, (http://www.archives.gov/digital_classroom/lessons/d_day_memo/teaching_activities.html )
is useful anywhere. See this page, http://www.archives.gov/digital_classroom/teaching_with_documents.html ,
for a full list of documents and lessons available.
Lesson Plans
CongressLink:
Know your Congress
...nonpartisan research and educational organization, designed the site
as a service for teachers of American government, history, and civics.
For lesson plans go here http://www.congresslink.org/LessonPlanIntro.htm
http://www.congresslink.org/
CyberSleuth
Kids - Civics
Offers a collection of lesson plans and
activities for kids that will assist them with the study of civics
and government.
http://cybersleuth-kids.com/sleuth/Education/Lessons/Social_...
Constitutional
Rights Foundation
Publisher of U.S. Constitution curriculum
materials. Also provides free lesson plans and newsletters online.
http://www.crf-usa.org/
Civics
and Public Information Division
CIVICS 101 is a
three-unit high school curriculum.
http://www.rules.state.ri.us/civics_101
Bill of Rights Institute - www.billofrightsinstitute.org
Another favorite! free lesson plans, Read breaking news
related to the Bill of Rights - gathered daily from major news
sources across the country and chosen for ease of use in the classroom,
more curriculum available 1-800-350-4223 (Includes elementary
through high school levels)
The Capitol, http://www.house.gov/house/tour_services.html
Virtual tours; http://www.house.gov/house/Visitor.html
The White House, http://www.whitehouse.gov/history/tours/
Other
Peroutka for President, the Constitution Party. He
raises interesting questions that are worth answering. (Please do
not construe my inclusion of his site as an endorsement.) http://www.peroutka2004.com/index.php
April 19, 2004
(back to index)
Dear Family and Friends,
The Talent and Art Show at the April meeting was really
super and had great variety. It was so impressive! Many thanks
to everyone.
Please be thinking what leadership positions you might take for next
year (or who you'd like to nominate:) More people are needed in these
categories; steering commitee, hospitality, devotions, and library.
Here is the Heritage web address if the links didn't come through; http://www.hisdomain.net/heritagehomeschool/
There is a new page on our site too called "Newsletters".
You can find past letters there, minus the phone numbers.
In May our "What Works" will be centered
around American Government. That would include civics, democracy,
the Constitution, government ... Please call Cara H. if you
have something to share.
Hope to see you in May.-Eppie
General Interest
1. Civil War lectures
2. Homeschool Mom's Out for a chat
3. Home School Day at National Museum of Dentistry -
Baltimore, MD - May 7, 2004
4. Eclectic Homeschool Online Seeks Young Writer
5. Homeschool Tour of Amsterdam - Easter Week of 2005
6. 25th Annual Free Scoop Night - Ben & Jerry's Nationwide
- April 27, 2004
7. Fifth Annual Free Scoop Night - Baskin-Robbins Nationwide -
April 28, 2004
8. International Migratory Bird Celebration - Chincoteague -
May 8-9, 2004
9. ABEKA Offers Free Shipping in April
10. CCHE Curriculum Fair - Fredericksburg - May 1, 2004
11. REACH/CCHE Used Book Sale June 5
12. HomeSchool@Sea
Adventures 2005
13. E-group for Single Homeschool Parents
14. E-group for Working Homeschool Parents
15. Celebrating Wildflowers!
Film
Contests
16. C-SPAN
Student Documentary Contest - Entry Deadline: May 17, 2004
17. Independent Christian Film Short Contest - Nationwide -
Deadline: September 1, 2004
18. First Annual San Antonio Independent Christian
Film Contest - Deadline: September 15, 2004
Web Sites
19. Cool Web site: Learning Treasures
20. Cool Web site: "4-H Virtual
Farm Project"
Articles
21.
Phonics Article and Resources
22. Research Article: "Early TV
Exposure Affects Attentiveness"
23. Home Educator's Family
History
24. "Today in
History" Links
25. National History Day -
State Competition
Government:
Congress, Constitution, ...
26. Congress for
Kids
27. Three Branches of Government Teaching
28. Great Student Resources: Students.gov
29. Civics Education Newsletter and Congress for Kids
College Bound
30. Free
Harvard Tuition
31. Here's Help in Writing Your High School Students Course
Descriptions
32. Regent University Open House - Alexandria - April 22, 2004
33. "College Talk"
34. Summer College Programs for High School and Middle School
Students
PARTING THOUGHT: "Prodigal
Son" from HEAV 3/9/04
General Interest
1. Civil War lectures at the
Civil War Medical Museum in Frederick
Here is another opportunity I'd like
to share with our group.
These Civil War lectures are twice monthly and mostly address the
medical issues of the war. I would like to not only let interested
folks know so they can take advantage of the opportunity, but also
encourage organizations that consider homeschoolers in their
programming. We have been going to these, but some were sparsely
attended. Once, we were the only participants, another time only one
other family came.
There is a small cost, but I decided that we get into so many free
programs downtown that paying once in awhile sort of evens out the cost
overall. In addition, if anyone wants to attend numerous times there
is
the option of a membership. We purchased a membership which cut the
cost of entry 1/2 for us. Plus, with the membership we can attend
any
other programs they host free of charge as well as visit the museum
free all year.
These occur the second and fourth
Wednesdays of the month.
This link will give the details of the lecture topics. http://www.civilwarmed.org/ed_resources.cfm
Hope to see some familiar faces in the weeks ahead.
Cathy K.
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2. Homeschool Mom's Out for a chat
There has been some chatter about
starting a homeschool mom's
coffee...are you interested? It could meet monthly, bimonthly
whatever...be informal, come and go as you need to, and meet someplace
like Panera or elsewhere (anyone have a favorite place?) for a cup of
coffee with your friends. Saturday morning...say 9:30?
If you have a favorite place let me know as soon as possible...we may
have moms coming from Olney, Damascus, Rockville and Gaithersburg
areas...let your homeschool friends know too.
Let me know. Any questions, either write me back or give me a
call .
Carol Cornell
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3.
Home School Day at National Museum of Dentistry - Baltimore, MD - May 7,
2004
National Museum of Dentistry
31 South Greene Street
Baltimore, Maryland 21201-1504
The National Museum of Dentistry, a Smithsonian Institution Affiliate
and the nation's official museum of dentistry as recognized by Congress,
is a culturally rich and lively center offering visitors the opportunity
to learn the power of a healthy smile.
On Friday May 7, 2004, from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m., the museum will host
Home School Day, offering two age-appropriate programs: Terrific Tooth
Tales: Ages 4-8; and George Washington in the Springtime: Ages 9-12.
The programs include gallery tours, light snacks, art activities, museum
shop discounts, 'chat with the dentist,' and free smile kits that
include take-home activities and oral health products.
The programs have limited space, so register today! Cost is only $2 per
person.
To register, or for more information, contact Janis Goldman, director of
education (410.706.0810 or jgoldman@dentalmuseum.umaryland.edu).
Web site: http://www.dentalmuseum.org
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4.
Eclectic Homeschool Online Seeks Young Writer
Eclectic Homeschool Online is seeking a writer to do an ongoing column
profiling homeschoolers who are already making their marks in the world.
The goal is to show that one advantage homeschoolers have is the freedom
not to wait until graduation to do things that are REAL. Profiles might
include those who started their own businesses, written books, gone into
apprenticeships and already entered professions while most kids are still
hanging out in public school hallways.
To apply for the position, or submit possible profile subjects, send an
e-mail to tammyc@eho.org.
Eclectic Homeschool Online Web site: http://www.eho.org
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5. Homeschool Tour of Amsterdam - Easter Week of 2005
The tour will visit WWII sites including Anne Frank's Secret Annexe,
Corrie ten Boom's house, the transit camp to which the Franks were sent
after their arrest, and the Amsterdam Resistance Museum. Also, Rembrandt's
house and the Riijksmuseum where many of his paintings can be found, plus
Dutch windmills, a tulip farm where acres of tulips will be in bloom,
beautiful Dutch countryside, and a canal boat ride. Lots more is listed at
the website. Students 10 and older would probably enjoy the trip. Every
activity, every breakfast and dinner, and hotel, airfare and ground
transportation are included.
To take a look at this trip, Go to Explorica at http://www.explorica.com.
Click to join a trip; then type in Shuping-3034.
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6. 25th Annual Free Scoop Night - Ben & Jerry's Nationwide -
April 27, 2004
Tuesday, April 27, 2004, from Noon to 8:00 p.m. Visit their
Web site for participating locations.
Web site: http://www.benjerry.com
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7. Fifth Annual Free Scoop Night - Baskin-Robbins Nationwide -
April 28, 2004
Baskin-Robbins ice-cream stores are offering their fifth annual "Free
Scoop Night" event, to be held on Wednesday, April 28, 2004, from
6:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. More than 200 scoops per second are expected to be
given away as an anticipated 3 million consumers stop by participating
Baskin-Robbins ice-cream stores nationwide to treat themselves to a free
scoop of their favorite flavor of ice cream.
In celebration of Free Scoop Night, Baskin-Robbins will give back to the
community by making a donation to First Book, a national nonprofit
organization that provides free, new books to children from low-income
families. To date, Baskin-Robbins' donations have allowed First Book to
distribute more than a million new books to children across the country.
Visit their Web site for participating locations.
Web site: http://www.baskinrobbins.com
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8. International Migratory
Bird Celebration - Chincoteague - May 8-9, 2004
Celebrate the peak of the spring waterfowl migration on the
Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge with programs, walks, a 5K run,
special activities for the children, lighthouse tours, and much more. Call
(757) 336-6122 for more information.
Web site: http://chinco.fws.gov/
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9. ABEKA Offers Free Shipping
All A Beka Book textbook orders over $100.00 placed online in April 2004
will receive free shipping.
Visit www.abeka.com and click on
"A Beka Online Ordering."
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10.
CCHE Curriculum Fair - Fredericksburg - May 1, 2004
New Life in Christ Church (right behind the Spotsylvania Mall off I95
exit #130)
11925 Burgess Lane
Fredericksburg, Virginia
Saturday, May 1, 2004, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Thirty companies will be displaying their materials in the exhibit
hall, and they will have homeschool workshops throughout the day to
assist and encourage homeschool moms and dads. This event is free to
the public.
email her at family@themayberrys.com
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11. REACH/CCHE Used Book
Sale June 5
New Life in Christ Church
Fredericksburg, Virginia
Saturday, June 5, 2004, from 9 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.
Come and fill all of your curriculum needs in one place. There will be
curriculum, games, puzzles, computers, unit studies, readers, art and
so much more. This is a CASH-only sale.
For more information, contact Wanda Sloper at sloper4@adelphia.net.
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12. HomeSchool@Sea
Adventures 2005
Homeschool Adventures presents the HomeSchool@Sea
Adventures in Learning
Program, a five-day Caribbean cruise vacation that includes a
homeschool convention with nationally recognized speakers Dinah Zike,
Dinah-Might Adventures; Jim Weiss, Great Hall Productions; Cathy
Duffy, Christian Home Educators Manual; and Maggie Hogan, Bright Ideas
Press. Plenty of learning experiences for the kids are also offered.
The cruise begins when you depart the Port of New Orleans and sail
down the Mississippi River, through the delta and out to the Gulf of
Mexico. You'll then spend the next five days enjoying 5-star dining,
luxury surroundings, nightly entertainment, and more with fellow
homeschool families. Special rates and incentives are offered--book
early and save even more.
Visit www.homeschooladventures.com
for details.
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13. E-group for Single
Homeschool Parents
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/hs1mom
This list is open to all single
moms, no matter what type of curriculum they choose to use. It is
predominantly a Christian list -- though others are welcome. To allow
for free conversation and protect the privacy of the list members, it
is a restricted list: new members will have to be admitted by the list
owner.
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14. E-group for Working Homeschool Parents
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/workandhomeschool/
Work and homeschool: It can be
done! This is a support group for working parents who have chosen to
homeschool their children or who are considering homeschooling,
as well as for homeschooling parents who are thinking of returning to
work. Whether you are working or thinking of working, inside or
outside your home, this list is for you. Please join us as we discuss
our unique challenges and concerns.
...
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16. C-SPAN
Student Documentary Contest - Entry Deadline: May 17, 2004
Enter your short video and compete for a chance to win one of
45awards and prizes totaling $50,000 that include cash and video
equipment for students and schools. Students express what they
think about an issue that matters to them as our country
approaches the 2004 elections. Top winners air on the C-SPAN
networks.
• Documentaries must be no longer than 10 minutes.
• Teams or individuals may enter.
• Prizes awarded in middle and high school categories.
For complete guidelines, rules, and entry form, visit:
http://thsc.c.topica.com/maab6Gkaa5Glba3BglQe/
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17.
Independent Christian Film Short Contest - Nationwide -
Deadline: September 1, 2004
Film shorts can be from five to fifty-five minutes in length.
There are no restrictions on who may submit an entry, and
applicants are allowed to make multiple submissions. The first
prize is $10,000. Runner-up and special category prizes will
also be awarded. Submissions must be received no later than
September 1, 2004. Winners will be announced at the 2004 San
Antonio Independent Christian Film Festival, to be held November
11-13, 2004.
Keep checking the Vision Forum Web site (http://www.visionforum.com)
for information concerning the Jubilee Award for Christian Film
Shorts, including film categories and contest terms.
.... ..... ..... ..... ..... ..... ..... ..... .....
.....
18. First Annual San Antonio
Independent Christian Film Contest - Deadline: September 15,
2004
Film shorts can be from five to fifty-five minutes in length.
There are no restrictions on who may submit an entry, and
applicants are allowed to make multiple submissions. The first
prize is $10,000. Runner-up and special category prizes will
also be awarded. Submissions must be received no later than
September 15, 2004. Winners will be announced at the 2004 San
Antonio Independent Christian Film Festival, to be held in San
Antonio (Texas) on November 11-13, 2004.
For complete information about the contest and film festival
visit the Film Festival Web site.
Web site: http://www.independentchristianfilms.com
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Web Sites
.... .....
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19.
Cool Web site: Learning Treasures
Learning Treasures has new coloring sheets and more. Includes Lion
Coloring Page, several Cowboy Coloring Sheets, Horse Coloring
Page, a page with pictures and things for notebooks/lapbooks on
cowboys, plus WWI coloring page.
Web site: http://www.learningtreasures.familyclassroom.net/
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20. Cool Web site: "4-H
Virtual Farm Project"
In our March 8, 2004, HEAV Update (item 2.7) we mentioned this
resource on a Virginia Tech Web site. If you did not explore
the site, you may have overlooked this gem.
Virginia Cooperative Extension produces this Web site, in
association with Virginia Tech and Virginia State University.
The U.S. continues to become a more urbanized society, and youth
growing up today have little knowledge about farming or how food
products are produced and processed. With only two percent of our
population participating in agricultural production, the average
American is five generations away from "firsthand"
experience with farming. The objective of the 4-H Virtual Farm is
to provide youth with an opportunity to learn basic agricultural
concepts.
The scope of the 4-H Virtual Farm project is specifically mirrored
in the Standards of Learning for Virginia Public Schools.
Web site: http://www.ext.vt.edu/resources/4h/
(click on the link for 4-H Virtual Farm)
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Articles
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21. Phonics Article and Resources
The April 2004 issue of the Educators Publishing Service' online
newsletter includes an article about "Phonics, Phonological
Awareness, and the Alphabet," plus some Phonological Awareness
Materials. The article and materials are available online.
Web site: http://www.epsbooks.com/flat/newsletter/vol05iss02/
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22. Research Article: "Early TV Exposure Affects
Attentiveness"
Research study makes recommendation that parents of preschoolers
should consider. A study by the American Academy of Pediatrics links
the trouble some children have in paying attention to watching
television too early in life.
The study, in the April issue of the journal Pediatrics,
reinforces earlier recommendations that children under two should
not watch television at all. Dr. Dimitri Christakis of Children's'
Hospital in Seattle, co-authored the report.
"A child that watched two hours of television a day, before the
age of three, would be 20 percent more likely to have attentional
problems at age seven, compared to a child who didn't watch any
television during that period," Christakis said.
Article (with links): http://www.family.org/cforum/fnif/news/a0031567.cfm
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23. Home Educator's
Family
This online publication offers some really great articles. This
month's features include:
When Children Don't Learn As Well As They Should by Suzanne Stevens;
I Can Breathe Again - My Children Finally Learned to Read! by Carol
Rice; and American History on the Web.
http://www.homeeducator.com/FamilyTimes/treasures.htm
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.History
25. National
History Day - State Competition
good straight forward information on Md. dates , etc.
the 'essentials' gives much info, its a
good place to start
go down to 'research roadmap' also
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Government:
Congress, Constitution, ...
....
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26.
Congress for Kids
With a constitutional amendment currently being considered, the U.S.
Constitution is in the news. Congress for Kids has a complete tutorial
on the Constitution at: http://www.congressforkids.net/Constitution_index.htm
. Students can "Review," "Learn More," and click
the red star to try "Show what You Know" quizzes!
Some other related sites:
http://www.constitutioncenter.org/explore/ForKids/index.shtml
http://www.archives.gov/national_archives_experience/constitution.html
http://bensguide.gpo.gov/
[ thanks to Homeschool Hotline: homeschool_hotline-subscribe@yahoogroups.com.]
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27. Three Branches of Government
Teaching
Take students "behind-the-scenes" of the judicial branch
with C-SPAN in the Classroom's Three Branches of Government resource.
With the Judicial Branch resource you can:
--Watch interviews of the Supreme Court justices as they discuss their
personal and professional stories;
--Learn about the daily routines and functions within the Court;
--Listen to oral arguments before the Supreme Court and weigh in on
the cases (i.e. "George W. Bush v. Albert Gore");
--Examine historic landmark Supreme Court cases and the legislation
that followed; and
--Investigate the decision-making process in a case's ruling.
If you have any questions about using the Judicial Branch Resource or
other C-SPAN in the Classroom resources, please call the C-SPAN
Educators' Hotline at 1-800-523-7586.
http://www.c-span.org/classroom/govt/3branches.asp
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28. Great Student Resources:
Students.gov
Students.gov InfoSource is published by students.gov and sponsored by
the U.S. Department of Education's Federal Student Aid office. To
subscribe to their free e-newsletter, send an e-mail to listproc@inet.ed.gov
and include "subscribe students-gov" (without the quotes) in
the subject line and as the first line of text.
Their most recent e-newsletter contained great tax and internship
links and information, such as:
Tax Information for Students (IRS): http://www.irs.gov/individuals/students/
Scholarships and Fellowships (IRS): http://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/p520.pdf
(PDF format)
Educational Expenses (IRS): http://www.irs.gov/taxtopics/tc513.html
Plus: Studentjobs.gov is OPM's official job site for students, and
it's filled with great resources, tools, and links to helpful
information. Search for federal jobs and apply online, create and
store a resume, assess your skills and interests in the Career
Interests Center, learn about specific federal agencies or the federal
hiring process, and more!
Web site: http://www.studentjobs.gov
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29. Civics Education Newsletter and
Congress for Kids
The Dirksen Congressional Center's Communicator is a web-based
e-newsletter providing educators with news and ideas to enhance civic
education and improve students' understanding of Congress.
http://www.webcommunicator.org
Congress for Kids gives you access to interactive, fun-filled
experiences designed to help students learn about the foundation of
our federal government and how its actions affect them. Designed for
students in grades four through high school.
http://www.congressforkids.net
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College
Bound
...
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30.
Free Harvard Tuition
Harvard is offering free tuition for students that have a family
income below $40,000.
If you know a family earning less than $40K with a brilliant child
near ready for college, please pass this along.
Read the article at: : http://adm-is.fas.harvard.edu/FAO/index.htm
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31.
Here's Help in Writing Your High School Students Course Descriptions
This site is a terrific resource for naming your high school courses
and describing them in proper educationalese. The Classification of
Secondary School Courses (CSSC) was designed to describe course
offerings in secondary education and to provide a coherent means for
classifying these courses.
http://nces.ed.gov/surveys/hst/courses.asp
[Our thanks to the
homeschool2college list: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/homeschool2college
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32. Regent University Open House -
Alexandria - April 22, 2004
Regent University
1650 Diagonal Road
Alexandria, VA 22314
Thursday, April 22, from 6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.
Is Regent University the
right place for you? We offer frequent information sessions --
on both our Main Campus in Virginia Beach, Virginia and our
Washington, D.C. Campus -- to introduce Regent to you, and to find out
more about your needs. The Information Sessions below are
campus-wide, meaning that all nine schools participate.
Additionally, each school hosts frequent information sessions (on
campus and online), with a schedule available on each school's
website.
33. "College Talk"
http://www.college-scholarships.com
Campus Crime and Security
Information
Want information on campus security and crime statistics on college
campuses? Visit
http://www.securityoncampus.org/.
ACT/SAT Tips
Taking the ACT or SAT soon? Get test tips, for free, at http://www.number2.com/.
Taking a Year "Off" before College?
Want a "gap" year between high school and college. Take a look
at some "gap" year options at: http://nnhscareercenter.home.comcast.net/gap-year.html.
Interested in Online Degrees?
Get information on some of the best, accredited, online degree programs
at all levels at:
http://www.college-scholarships.com/ssac.htm.
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34.
Summer College Programs for High School and Middle School
Students
Early College Programs is the first book to profile every summer
college program in the United States. Find out where and why over
30,000 students attend early college programs every year. More than
250 college programs profiled, plus, early college strategies for over
80 leading careers.
Supplies are limited. Cost: $19.95, plus $5 shipping & handling.
To order: visit www.earlycollege.com;
or send $24.95 to:
Early College Programs
Nautilus Press
426 S. Lamar Blvd., Suite 18
Oxford, MS 38655
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PARTING THOUGHT:
"Prodigal Son" from HEAV 3/9/04
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A man scolded his son for being so unruly and the child rebelled against
his father. He got some of his clothes, his teddy bear and his piggy
bank and proudly announced, "I'm running away from home!"
The father calmly decided to look at the matter logically. "What if
you get hungry?" he said.
"Then I'll come home and eat!" bravely declared the child.
"And what if you run out of money?"
"I will come home and get some!" readily replied the child.
The man then made a final attempt, "What if your clothes get
dirty?"
"Then I'll come home and let mommy wash them," was the reply.
"This kid is not running away from home," the man muttered to
himself, "he's going off to college!"
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.....
( http://www.heav.org
).
Dear
Friends and Members,
Our
next meeting will be our HERITAGE Art and
Talent Show ,Tuesday, April 6th at 7:30pm. May
we encourage your whole family to attend?!
Many
thanks to HEAV for much of the
following.
"Daylight
Savings Time
Remember to set your clocks FORWARD one hour this coming Saturday, April 3,
as we adjust to Daylight Savings Time (DST). Under legislation enacted in
1986 (Public Law 99-359), DST in the United States now begins at 2 a.m. on
the first Sunday of April and ends at 2 a.m. on the last Sunday of October
for those states observing DST. Prior to this change, DST used to go
into effect on the last Sunday in April. One of the reasons for
enacting DST is to save energy. By adding the entire month of April to
DST it is estimated to save nationwide about 300,000 barrels of oil each
year.
Easter
Prior to A.D. 325, Easter was variously celebrated on different days of the
week, including Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. In that year, the Council of
Nicaea was convened by emperor Constantine. It issued the Easter Rule which
states that Easter shall be celebrated on the first Sunday that occurs after
the first full moon on or after the vernal equinox. The "full
moon" referred to in the rule is the "ecclesiastical full
moon", which is defined as the fourteenth day of a tabular lunation,
where day 1 corresponds to the ecclesiastical New Moon. This full moon does
not always occur on the same date as the astronomical full moon. Therefore,
the ecclesiastical "vernal equinox" is always on March 21. Thus,
Easter must be celebrated on a Sunday between the dates of March 22 and
April 25. This year, it is April 11."
Blessings on you all, Eppie
General
Interest:
1.
Teen Leadership Camps - Summer 2004
2. Marine Biology Pilot Course Offered by
Apologia
3. Community Service Opportunities
4.
BookIt Reading Program - Deadline: June 11, 2004
5. Rare Astronomical Appearance -Now!
6.
Homeschool Day - Hersheypark, PA - May 26, 2004
7. Pre-Collegiate Summer Program in Science and Mathematics - 2004
8. Conversational Spanish Lessons Available
9. "Heart of Wisdom" Unit Studies
10. "Historic Maps in K-12 Classrooms"
International:
11.
Show Support for Spain
Web
Sites:
12.
Emerging Web Site: TheEducationMall.com
13.
Edu-speak: The Dictionary
14. Great Books for Parents Course
15. Cool Web Site: PolyMorf.net
16.
Snowflakes Website
17.
Online Translator
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