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Wednesday’s Around the World ~ Aesop’s Fables, Tortoise and the Hare

Written by Joy
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Wednesday’s Around the World ~ Aesop’s Fables, Tortoise and the Hare

I was so excited about this week’s Wednesday’s Around the World. We read about Aesop’s Fables and talked about the story of Tortoise and the Hare, for our Mystery of History lesson.   So who is Aesop?  Aesop was a slave in Greece during the Archaic period.  However, his skill, he was so good at it, bought him his freedom.  What was Aesop’s Skill?  He was a master storyteller.  The type of stories that Aesop told were called fables.  Fables are stories that have a moral to them.  

Claire working on her Tortoise.

Claire working on her Tortoise.

Aesop also used animals a lot in his stories.  He would use the animals to represent people in different positions in the society.  For example, the story about the Tortoise and Hare.

The activity for today’s lesson was to read a story from Aesop’s Fables and make puppets of the characters from that story.  Then have the kids renact the story using  their puppets.  I chose the fable about the Tortoise and the Hare.

Samuel working on his Tortoise.

Samuel working on his Tortoise.

While the Mystery of History book suggested using paper sacks or socks, we just used what materials we had on hand.  We used felt for the Tortoise and the Hare.  Then the kids used jewels and other craft supplies to decorate the puppets.

Samuel and Claire with their Tortoise and Hare.

Samuel and Claire with their Tortoise and Hare.

The kids also used popsicle sticks to put on the puppets to hold them up.  I think they did a very good job making them.  The kids really enjoyed this fable.

When I had posted a picture of the kids on A Journey of Joy Facebook page, a friend mentioned that Jim Weiss had told the story for Home Educating Family Association.  You can listen to Jim Weiss tell there story, HERE.  He is an amazing story teller!

So what have you been learning about in History?  Have you done any fun projects or activities lately?  Please link up and share with us all!

Disclaimer: This post contains an affiliate link.


2013, homeschooling, Wednesdays Around The World, , , , ,

Dew Learning Online Christian Curriculum

Written by Joy
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Dew Learning Online Christian Curriculum

Just released this year is a new online curriculum.  It is Dew Learning, an online Christian curriculum.  They released the Kindergarten – Fourth Grade at the beginning of the year and will release Fifth-Twelfth grade in the Summer of 2014.  This online curriculum was made for the iPad.  However, you can use it on a computer as well.  Word is, that they are working on an android version for those who do not own an iPad.

Some of the features of this new curriculum include Daily Lessons.  They have 8 different subjects;

  • Art – 72 lessons or two days a week
  • Bible – 180 lessons or 5 days a week
  • Language Arts – 180 lessons or 5 days a week
  • Math – 180 lessons for 5 days a week
  • Music – 72 lessons or two days a week
  • PE/Health – 72 lessons or two days a week
  • Science – 108 lessons or three days a week
  • Social Studies – 108 lessons or three days week

Other features include:

  • Interactive Games and Quizzes
  • PDF Worksheets
  • Lectures
  • Teachers
  • 24/7 access to the iPad and Computer
  • Back up and Storage

What are the prices for this online Christian curriculum?  You can buy the curriculum by individual subjects for $65 each or you can buy all 8 subjects for $295.  You can pre-order by calling them at 770-240-1005.

You can also register to win an iPad or a full year of curriculum by filling out this form.

Be sure to stop by Dew Learning to learn more about their Statement of Faith and their Philosophy of a Christian Education.  You can also find them on Facebook and Twitter.

Disclaimer: This is a sponsored post that I was compensated for.

2013, homeschooling, , , , ,

Wednesday’s Around the World ~ Daniel and the Lion’s Den

Written by Joy
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Wednesday’s Around the World ~ Daniel and the Lion’s Den

 

This week, for Wednesday’s Around the World, I am sharing with you the lesson from Mystery of History, Daniel and the Lion’s Den.   Daniel was a young man, when he was taken during the first invasion that Nebuchadnezzar made on Judah.  When Daniel first arrived to Babylon, Nebuchadnezzar offered food and wine to Daniel.  Daniel refused and trusted God.  By trusting God, Daniel grew in all ways, including in wisdom and understanding.

The second year Daniel was in Babylon, Nebuchadnezzar had a dream.  Daniel was the only one who could interpret what the dream meant.  Everything that Daniel prophesied about came true!  Years after the rise and fall of the empires that Daniel had said would happen, he was thrown into a den of Lion’s!  Daniel trusted God to protect him and he continued to pray and serve God!  Daniel had the faith like no other.

The activity for this lesson was making a lion out of pasta.  I figured it would be easier to find a print out of a lion and have the kids glue pasta on for the mane and his tail.

Samuel's Lion

Samuel’s Lion

The kids had a fun time doing this little project.  It was also easy for us to do.  We eat a lot of pasta for lunch in our house, so we always have pasta on hand.  As homeschoolers, we always have glue on had as well.  I told the kids to color the lions first and then to glue the pasta on.  I think they did a pretty good job.

Claire's Lion.

Claire’s Lion.

We had a couple of people link up last week so I thought I would share with you what they did.

Ticia from Adventures in Mommydom has been teaching her kids about World War II.  She gave a list of movies, that are children friendly in this post.  I am excited about this.  I am always on the lookout for educational and child friendly movies for my children.

All Things Bright and Beautiful was teaching her children about World War I.  This is part 2 of her lesson and she is teaching her children about weapons and warfare.

Be sure to stop by both of these ladies blogs.  They have a lot of wonderful suggestions that you can use to teach your children about these important wars.

Now on to the link-up!  I would love to see what all you and your children have been learning in history and geography!


2013, homeschooling, Wednesdays Around The World, , ,

The Ultimate Homeschool Planner from Apologia

Written by Joy
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The Ultimate Homeschool Planner from Apologia

When it comes to homeschooling, I think to help make it a success and something I need to be more diligent about is organizing your homeschooling. This is an area that I have struggled in a lot. I was thrilled when I found out I had the chance to review The Ultimate Homeschool Planner  and The Ultimate Weekly Planner for Teens, that Debra Bell created.

The Ultimate Homeschool Planner.

The Ultimate Homeschool Planner.

Just how “ultimate” is this planner?  It is a huge book, with 263 pages.  What do you ask that takes up so many pages in this huge planner?  Let me give you a littl run down of everything that Debra Bell covers in this amazing planner.

  • A User’s Guide (which is extremely helpful!)
  • A One Year Planning Grid
  • Student Goal Setter
  • Pre-Planning Guides
  • Monthly Planner
  • Weekly Planner
  • Records
  • Teaching Tips
  • High School Planning Guide and a High School Planning Guide Example
  • Year in Review
  • and a Notes section

As you can tell, Mrs. Bell did not forget anything in this planner.  She has been homeschooling for many many years and used her experience to put together this planner to help others. One of the things I enjoy as I am filling out the different sections is the little sayings and scriptures that she puts on the pages.  The really brighten my day and give e the encouragement and hope to continue on what I am doing.  Not only for my family, but to glorify God as well.

Inside the Ultimate Homeschool Planner.

Inside the Ultimate Homeschool Planner.

Another thing I really love about this planner, is I can not only use it for my homeschooling plans, but I find the spaces big enough to allow me to put other information there as well.  I can make notes of appointments for all of us in our family, I can make notes about any reviews or posts that I have due.  There is even room for me to write down ideas that I have pop into my head.

I had chosen The Ultimate Weekly Planner for Teens for my oldest daughter.  She is in 9th grade this year and while she has been doing all of her work on her own, I knew it was past time for her to be keeping track of everything for herself.  I think helping and teaching kids to be more organized will help them in the future.  Mrs. Bell did an excellent job creating this weekly planner for teens.  Like with the Ultimate Homeschool Planner, she really did think of everything, even fun things that are important for teens. What all does Mrs. Bell include in this amazing 168 page planner?

  • All About Me section (their favorites)
  • 1st and 2nd semester schedules
  • Monthly planner
  • Weekly planner
  • Grade pages
  • Reading List pages
  • Activities Log
  • Credit and High School Records page

Mrs. Bell also includes wonderful sayings, quotes and scriptures throughout the pages of the planner.  She als has several pages dedicated to a list of books that she recommends to the teens to read.  There is a Guide to Punctuation, Italics and Capitalization,  Cite Right, Fractions, Decimals, Percent Equivalency Chart, Periodic Table, Measurement Equivalency Chart, Algebra and Physics Review, a Map of the World and the USA, as well as a Timeline.  She also gives a lot of high school and college admissions help, with several pages to just write down any notes that you may need to keep track of.

My daughter and I are really enjoying our planners.  I think it will help both of us become more organized as the year continues on.  We both need to be more diligent about keeping track of all sorts of information as we make plans for the rest of our homeschooling years.  Both of these planners have given us the tools we need to do this.

2013, homeschooling, review, , , , ,

Wednesday’s Around the World ~ Nebuchadnezzar II and puppet kings

Written by Joy
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Wednesday’s Around the World ~ Nebuchadnezzar II and puppet kings

After a couple of weeks off of Wednesday’s Around the World, we are back with a lesson and activity about Nebuchadnezzar II and puppet kings.  So what does Nebuchadnezzar have to do with puppet kings?  Nebuchadnezzar invaded Judah and imprisoned their king, Jehoiakim.  When he did that, they didn’t have anyone to rule over them, so Nebuchadnezzar appointed  someone.  The first king he appointed was Jehoiakin, the some of Jehoiakim.  Why did he do this?  So that he could still control the kingdom.  Jehoioakin was only on the throne three months though.  Just like his father, Jehoiakim, he was taken prisoner by Nebuchadnezzar.

The next king that Nebuchadnezzar II chose was Zedekiah.  He was Jehoiakim’s brother and Jehoiakin’s uncle.  The final invasion of Judah did not happen until 11 years later.  Nebuchadnezzar II had Zedekiah’s sons killed right in front of him and then gouged his eyes out!  Nebuchadnezzae and the Babylonian Army fulfilled the prophecy that Ezekiel has said would happen.  They took everything valuable that had been left after the first and second invasions and burned the city to the ground.  They were warned ro repend and never did, so they suffered the wrath brought on by God.

The activity for this lesson was to make puppets from small brown lunch bags.  I did not have any of those, but had a lot of other crafting material, so we made our kids with what we had on hand.

making kings.

I cut out robes with the purple felt we had.  Then the kids decorated the robes and glued them on to popsicle sticks.  I loved how each one made their own king.

Finished puppet kings.

 

Now for your turn?  What have you learned or what kind of project or activity have you done for history in the last couple of weeks?  I can’t wait to read all about it!  Link up and share with us!!

**Disclaimer: There are affiliate links in this post.  I am a huge fan of Bright Ideas Press and Mystery of History.  That is why I do this link-up. 🙂


2013, homeschooling, Wednesdays Around The World, , , ,