Archive for the ‘Home Educational Supplies’ Category
In search of a unit study
My unit studies are a way to combine education plus fun. They start with an interesting topic, then as the child learns more about the topic they will also learn aspects of English, Art, Math, Geography, Science and more. The idea is to get kids interested in learning by making learning fun.
I started writing unit studies when homeschooling my youngest son. He was not the type of child who like to sit and read. It was a bit more of a challenge teaching him as his attention span was not long. So at first I created a unit study about Pirates. He was thrilled to learn about pirates, to read about Blackbeard, figure out weights according to cannon ball size, draw a wanted poster and even learn map and compass skills. And so, we continued with Soldiers Through Time which was a seven module unit study that ranged in history from Ancient Roman Soldiers to Soldiers of World War II.
After helping my son get interested in learning I thought maybe the unit studies could help others enjoy learning too! And so came a unit study on Spies, one on Cowboys and Superheroes as well as a three part unit study on Forts Across Canada. These unit studies became known as Education with a Bang series to help add excitement to education, specifically for boys.
Fashion Through Textiles, a four part unit study featuring wool, silk, cotton and linen as well as the unit study on Herbolgy are part of the new line of unit studies which would be more appealing to girls but equally combine fun with education.
I continue to create unit studies and have many ideas in my head for new ones but sometimes I am not sure which one to start next. Constellations and the Mythology behind them sounds very interesting. What about the History of Pets and how they became domesticated? Or what about Biomimicry – technology inspired by nature?
I just love to research the various topics and put them into a fun and interesting unit study that will help inspire children to learn. One 11 year-old boy who was reviewing Science Inspired by Superheroes was blown away by the fact that you could learn science from superheroes and chose to do the unit study instead of play on the Wii! What a great reward!
And so I continue, finding interesting topics to put into fun and educational unit studies – always on the look out for new ideas!
Sandra Wilson is an experience home educator that is dedicated to putting the fun back into education!
You can view the full list of completed unit studies at http://www.homeeducationresourceemporium.com/unit-studies!
Two great new unit studies – just released
In an effort to help boys enjoy learning I have created Unit Studies with a Bang! These unit studies combine subjects like English, History, Science, Art, Geography and Math with topics that boys will find interesting!
Cowboys of the Old West combines Geography, History, Art, English, Math and more in a fun unit study that teaches about the Old West and the cowboys that lived there! There is a preview of the unit study which can be downloaded as a supplement to a lesson plan, or even just for a fun learning experience! So grab your cowboy hat and set of on a journey to learn about the Long Drive, the history of horses, lawmen, outlaws and more!
Science Inspired by Superheroes looks at the superpowers of our favorite superheroes and describes the scientific principles behind these powers. With Science, English, Math and Art this unit study combines fun and learning with an exciting topic. Preview the unit study or download it and start learning right away!
These two unit studies have just been released and will be on sale all month! If you like these you may also be interested in some other unit studies with a bang including Soldiers Through Time; Spies, Secrets and Suspense and Pirates!
When my children were younger we belonged to a local homeschool group that had a weekly meet up in a church hall. It was just a drop in to give kids a chance to play with each other, and parents a chance to compare notes and get advice. To give the older children in the group some challenging activities, we created some clubs. We had a drama club, a book club, a rock club and a junior reporter club.
The aim of the junior reporter club was to encourage creative writing, collaboration and to show non-writers how they could also get involved. We had a couple of boys work together on creating the comics page, another little group worked on the puzzle page. A few of the kids wrote articles about topics they enjoyed and one child even took photos. All the kids collected ads and announcements for the classified page. (we even had a birth announcement for kittens!) After all the articles were collected and completed the whole group worked together to create the newspaper. They decided which article was to appear on which page and designed the layout.
This club involved all the kids in a variety of jobs to successfully create a finished project. No one noticed if a child had trouble reading or writing and no one was told that there was something they could not do. It was a great club that encouraged creativity, cooperation, self-esteem and achievement!
Online Educational Thrift Store
Save a buck on a book, but there is more!
Customers of the Home Education Resource Emporium online educational thrift store have thousands of resources both new and used to browse and purchase. Customers can also sign up their children for the free book on their birthday program, at no extra cost. Special deals, new additions to inventory and other important announcements are sent to customers first! Customers have access to even more downloadable books and resources through the book stores affiliate ebook store. There is also access to the Usborne book catalogue for even more great books.
You may be surprised with the wide array of unique resources available. Take some time to have a look. Become a customer and reap even more benefits!
Home Education Online Educational Thrift Store – http://books.transplanted.ca
Education + Fun = #1: Unit Studies
“The big thinkers in education emphasize customized or individualized learning as the wave of the future.”
This is not a new concept to homeschoolers who teach individualized learning every day. One of the great methods to customize this individual learning is through unit studies. With a unit study, the concepts of English, Math, Science, Geography, History and Art can be reinforced, while the student is learning about a subject they really enjoy. If the subject is interesting and enjoyable, it will be easier to learn and the student will be more willing to learn. Unit studies focus on a specific topic, they can create an introduction to that topic and inspire further study. They can supplement other educational resources to provide a bit of learning on their own, or even on the go. Unit studies are adaptable to a child, you can use only the activities/lessons that fit your child’s learning level or interest level rather than using everything and possibly causing a student to not have fun while learning. You can create your own unit study about a topic that interests that child right now. Maybe your son wants a pirate birthday party – why not spend the week before on a pirate unit study that teaches as well as adds some fun. In the spring you can start a garden, keep a garden journal, learn about plants etc in a unit study based on the wonders of the garden. There are so many unit studies available for download, or in magazines and books that you could find one for almost any topic of interest to your child. Why not try your hand at putting one together. Search for worksheets, reading comprehension, crafts and science experiments that fit in to that theme!
If you need some help, check out all the great ideas on squidoo.
The Importance of Education – Home or School
Educational importance before the industrial revolution was tied to:
1) learning,
2) preparation for wise leadership and personal achievement,
3) opening your mind to new ideas.
These are the requirements we can assume from all education. If these steps are not being achieved than a change in how children are taught is required.
When a child does not want a particular food then we suggest they just try a bit to taste it before they decide. So can be said for educational subjects. Instead of assuming a child won’t like a subject, or need a subject, we should let them try it – he/she may just like it.
I have always wondered how we can determine the career that will carry us through our life with only a few courses of introduction. I was very excited about studying Archaeology, then I took the first course and found that the preliminary work, gridding and such was not something I would enjoy doing endlessly. But I went in with an open mind, and learned that that was not the path for me.
I am not a fan of the variety of requirements needed in order to receive enough credits for a high school diploma. Something from this group, two from that group etc. Although it offers choice to the student, it also limits choices and opportunities for them to excel at the subjects they enjoy the most. Often, courses that are not suited to the student, but are required for a diploma can discourage learning and create avoidance of that class, or school all together. As a homeschooler, I have been able to offer my children a variety of lessons, determined the ones that are not suitable, and finish them up early so as not to prolong the agony of an unwanted subject.
Students with choice, variety and the ability to switch out of a lesson that is not working for them are learning, opening their mind to new ideas and preparing the best base for personal achievement. Fulfilling all steps in the importance of education helps fulfill the student as well!
Sneak Peek – Soldiers Through Time unit study
Education with a BANG suggests that when teaching active boys, incorporate a subject they love and develop it into a lesson that will help them learn the basics.
The Soldiers Through Time unit study has 7 modules – each module covers soldiers in one particular time period.
Each module can be downloaded separately so you can enhance you unit of study.
Here is what is being said about this exclusive unit study!
The American Civil War
When the Kansas territory had the opportunity to join the Union as either a free state (no slavery) or a slave state many people from both sides of the debate rushed to Kansas to try to influence the vote. As a result there were violent clashes.
Then, when Abraham Lincoln, who was against slavery, won the election in November 1860 making him president of the Union, the southern states decided they no longer wanted to be part of the Union. A month after the election South Carolina seceded (broke away from the Union). Soon after Florida, Mississippi, Alabama, Louisiana. Georgia and Texas also split from the Union. These colonies formed their own country – The Confederate States of America. Eventually they were joined by Virginia (eastern half), Tennessee, Missouri and Kentucky.
On the next page – colour the map of the United States to show the Confederate States (red) and the Union States (blue)
Brainy Bundles allow you to give the gift of learning
As the holiday season approaches we start to think about gift giving. What better gift to give than the gift of learning. Brainy Bundles are educational gift baskets that combine fun and education all wrapped up in one. Each bundle encompasses a specific theme then offers books. puzzles, games and other learning activities to compliment that theme. The bundles range from infant to about age 13. There is a large variety of themes available like princesses and fairies, dragons and knights, animals, characters, vehicles and more!
Any child in your life deserves a thoughtful gift that will encourage learning. Sometimes, you have to go from store to store just the find the right gift. A Brainy Bundle saves you the shopping time, and provides a thoughtful, educational gift that will benefit the child.
A Lesson in Falling Leaves
The changing seasons provide a great learning lesson opportunity.
What makes the seasons change? The answer to this question will start a great topic of study. You could also include what happens to various aspects of nature when seasons change – like the leaves on trees change and fall to the ground putting the tree into a hibernation of sorts. Walk through the woods and try to identify trees by their bark, once their leaves are gone it is a lot harder to know what tree it is.
Fall can also create other learning opportunities besides the obvious nature studies. Leaves fall off trees can inspire a lesson on Gravity. Leaves change colour can produce an art lesson on colour mixing. Animals gathering food for winter storage can lead to a variety of lessons on animal behaviour, which animals hibernate, what animals eat and more. Even the changing temperature can allow for math lessons and a graphing exercise.
The leaves on the ground can also be great use for lessons. They can be used in crafts to make various tree fairies. They can be used for rubbings or shapes and they can be put into a tree journal to help remember what leaves match each tree.
Autumn is a great time of year, with lots of inspiring lessons to fall into!
Snips and snails and puppy dog tails – that’s what little boys are made of. It is true boys and girls are different. The same can be said for how they learn.
While many girls enjoy the audio-visual aspects of learning including reading, writing and storytelling, many boys prefer the kinesthetic, hands-on aspects of learning. Anyone who has been around an active little boy understands the struggle any teacher would have with making that boy sit still for lessons. Keeping them still and focused is a challenge for most of their education.
These boys (and sometimes girls) need to be offered education that keeps them moving, having fun and learning, all rolled into one. This can be accomplished through use of manipulatives, learning games, field trips and experiments. Making it a more enjoyable learning environment will help these boys learn better, and achieve higher results. Creating lessons around topics they enjoy can also add to a beneficial learning experience. Dirt and mud and gross things are often inspiring to little boys and can keep their attention through a lesson. Superheroes are characters of interest to many little boys (and big boys too) and so can be used to inspire creative writing, science experiments and even math problems.
Education with a BANG suggests that when teaching active boys, incorporate a subject they love and develop it into a lesson that will help them learn the basics of education like math, science, history, english and geography. Not only will it ease the stress on the teacher, but it will benefit the child who will then love to learn!
Exclusive Education with a Bang unit studies are available right now at www.homeeducationresourceemporium.com/unit-studies
Look for the unit studies on soldiers, pirates, spies and more and put some BANG into your lessons.