Notgrass (Revised American History) Literature Selections In the Public Domain

In addition to revising their World History texts last year, the Notgrass company also revised their American History textbooks and brought them up to date. 

Even though the text has been updated, only one of the literature selections has been changed. This means, if you already own this program and decide to update, you will only need to buy one additional literature books in addition to the new textbooks. The new list substitutes Miracle In the Hills by Mary Sloop for Christy. 

1 new book and 1 removed

Exploring America, Updated Edition -- Curriculum Package By Ray Notgrass / Notgrass Company Updated Literature Titles:

The Scarlet Letter    EPUB   Audio Narrative of the Life of Davy Crockett   Kindle   EPUB  Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass    EPUB   Audio Uncle Tom's Cabin   Kindle   EPUB   Audio Co. Aytch  Kindle   EPUB   Audio Little Women   EPUB   Audio Humorous Stories & Sketches (not available for free online) Up From Slavery    EPUB   Audio In His Steps   Kindle   EPUB   Audio Mama's Bank Account  (not available for free online) Miracle In the Hills (not available for free online) To Kill a Mockingbird  (not available for free online) The Giver (not available for free online)

*This post contains affiliate links.

Remember to check your local library for print or audio versions of the books not available in the public domain. You can also purchase used versions of the literature books through sites like Amazon, Ebay, or Thriftbooks. 

Shoebox Diorama Literature Project

9 year old's  Wizard of Oz diorama

10 year old's Wizard of Oz  diorama

Skip Counting Worksheets For 2's and 5's

Skip Counting By Two.pdf

Skip Counting By Five.pdf

Changing Focus

It seems that each year our homeschooling takes a particular focus. One year may be heavily influenced by our history studies. Another year everything revolves around what we are doing in geography. The next year we might do more science.  This year, our focus has been language arts.

When my three oldest children began their formal studies, their first year was spent solely in the study of phonics and reading.  The next two started out by sitting in on their older brothers and sister's lessons.  They got a great background in science, history, and such, but there never seemed to be much time to practice their phonics skills. At ages seven and eight, they were still sounding out every word and struggling with that. Meanwhile, my four-year-old had also begun learning her letter sounds and was anxious to start reading. I knew this year had to be different.

At the same time, I realized I needed to start focusing more on what the younger children were learning, I also began to realize that the older ones were needing a change. They had mostly outgrown the need for hands-on activities and were wanting to exercise more control over their own schedules.  The timing was perfect! 

I am pleased to report that my seven 1/2 and eight (almost nine) year old are now reading fluently, with little sister hot on their heels. Their older siblings have enjoyed having the ability to finish an entire week's worth of work by Tuesday, if they so desire, and not being tied to MY schedule. They also have learned what happens when they waste time and don't get their work done. Lots of great learning taking place!

Maybe next year we can focus on something a little more exciting . . . like math.

Hands-On Homeschooling

There is an ongoing debate in the homeschool community as to the value of projects to the learning process. Some feel these types of activities should be viewed as extras which can be done if their is time after the "regular" lessons are finished. Others view them as time and money wasters, to be avoided at all costs. And still others, such as myself, view them as absolutely indispensable for teaching important life skills and for cementing knowledge in young minds. This quote by Richard Maybury, author of the Uncle Eric Series, does an excellent job of summarizing my beliefs as to why hands-on education is so important:

Experience creates models automatically . . .This is why classroom instruction via lecture is the least effective way to teach and hands-on learning by doing is the most effective. We are made in such a way that we build models automatically by doing. Typically, classroom instruction is like teaching someone to play Monopoly just by making him memorize the rules and then giving him a test on those rules. . . Unfortunately, some models are impossible to learn using hands-on process, so one method humans use to substitute for real world experience is telling stories. Stories are used to demonstrate and illustrate ideas.

Book knowledge is necessary, but it is useless if a child cannot remember it or has not been taught how to apply it. Hands-on activities can be used to enhance lessons, but some hands-on activities ARE the lessons. Stories are a good substitute when we can't experience something for ourselves, but we really learn best by doing. Hands-on projects turn abstract facts into learning that is relevant to your child. Details of a particular project are usually remembered much longer than details learned through rote memorization because the child has something concrete to attach the facts to, a memory of an EVENT that they personally participated in. 

Hands-on projects not only reinforce lessons, but they also teach a child skills which can be used in other areas. Hands-on learning accesses a different area of the brain than classroom lectures, making it possible to teach things that otherwise might not be learned. Studies done on memory disorder patient Henry Molaison provide an interesting insight into the way that our brain stores different types of learning. For instance, though Molaison was unable to retain any short term memory or convert those experiences to long term memories, he was able to retain and improve upon motor skills he had practiced, even though he couldn't remember having practiced them. Hands-on learning takes advantage of the full learning capabilities of our wonderful brains and gives equal opportunity to students who are gifted in other types of learning.

Rediscovering Our Creative Sides
The idea of adding hands-on projects to our normal educational routines can sometimes seem overwhelming, especially for those who have convinced themselves that they aren't "creative." But humans were made in the image of a creative God, and each one of us reflects that creativity in a unique way. Hands-on education is just a matter of rediscovering our own personal form of creativity, while also allowing our children to express their own creativity. The most effective form of learning will be one that feels natural and is painless to implement. This doesn't mean that it won't be messy or time consuming, but the satisfaction we receive from it will be worth the sacrifice.

Creating is good theology.  In the beginning God created. ~Ann Voskamp

All these projects are a lot of work, but the kids remember and enjoy them so much more than all the book work. And in the words of Edith Schaffer, "time can be made to have double value by recognizing that what is done today will be tomorrow's memory." and "Many times you are not choosing what to do with the two or three hours for the immediate results, but you are choosing a memory (or not to have that memory) for a lifetime." (from What Is A Family)

How hands-on is you homeschool?

Please share your ideas, or feel free to ask questions.

Notgrass (Revised World History) Literature Selections In the Public Domain

First, the good news: The Notgrass company has revised their World History textbooks and brought them up to date. The new version is currently at the printer, and they expect to start shipping the first week of April. 

Now, the bad news: As might be expected with an update like this, several of the literature selections have been changed. This means, if you already own this program and decide to update, you will need to buy some additional literature books in addition to the new textbooks. Actually, it really isn't that bad. The new list consists of just four new books, and two of these are available in the public domain. Five books which were previously included have been dropped from the list, including: Mere Christianity (this is still recommended as additional reading), Pilgrim's Progress, Pride and Prejudice, Heart of Darkness (my daughter was very pleased with this as she HATED this book), and Eric Liddell: Pure Gold. 

4 new books and 5 removed

Exploring World History
By Ray Notgrass / Notgrass Company

Updated Literature Titles:

The Cat of Bubastes   Kindle   EPUB   Audio

The Art of War Kindle  EPUB  Audio

Julius Caesar   Kindle  EPUB  Audio

The Imitation of Christ   Kindle  EPUB   Audio

Here I Stand   Kindle  EPUB   

A Tale of Two Cities  Kindle   EPUB   Audio

North and South  Kindle  EPUB  Audio

The Hiding Place (not available for free online)

Animal Farm (not available for free online)

Bridge To The Sun (not available for free online)

Cry, the Beloved Country (not available for free online)

The Abolition of Man  Kindle  EPUB   

 

*This post contains affiliate links.

Remember to check your local library for print or audio versions of the books not available in the public domain. You can also purchase used versions of the literature books through sites like Amazon, Ebay, or Thriftbooks.

A Homeschool Co-op Lesson On Nutrition

A few years ago I was in charge of teaching an anatomy class for children ages 5-9 at our homeschool co-op. One of the topics we covered was nutrition. After searching for several months for some type of curriculum to use, I finally ended up doing some research and writing something myself. While I am not a nutrition expert, It is my hope that someone might still find something helpful here.

Drink Enough Water

Our bodies are mostly water, so drinking plenty of water is important if we want to keep our bodies healthy. Some symptoms of not drinking enough are fatigue, dry skin, headaches, and constipation. Over a long period of time, a shortage of water will cause your body functions to stop working properly. Drinking enough water will keep you healthier and may allow you to live longer.

What is enough water? You've may have heard that you should drink at least eight 8-ounce glasses of water per day, but a better rule to remember is to drink one quart for every 50 pounds of body weight. So, if you weigh 100 pounds, you need to drink two quarts, if you weigh 150 pounds, you need to drink three quarts, and so on.

You also want to make sure that the water you are drinking is good water. Most tap water should be avoided because it may contain chlorine and fluoride, toxic substances that are bad for your body. Distilled water should also be avoided because it can drain your body of necessary minerals. It is best to drink water at room temperature because ice-cold water can harm the lining of your stomach.

Can you give me some reasons why it is important to drink enough water?

Eat Lots of Fruits and Veggies

The National Cancer Institute and the Food Guide Pyramid recommend five to nine servings of fruits and vegetables per day to protect against cancer and other diseases. A serving of vegetables means 1/2 cup of cooked vegetables or 1 cup of raw salad vegetables. A serving of fruit is one medium piece, like apple or an orange.

You should eat fruits and vegetables at every meal. Make veggies the main course. Plan your meals around a "main" vegetable, instead of a meat or starch. When you fill your plate, vegetables should take up half the plate, with meat and starches filling smaller areas. And try to plan at least one vegetarian meal a week. But don't replace the meat with pasta and rice, instead use beans and whole grains.

Try something new. There are lots of different fruits and vegetables. If you try something and don't like it, move on to something different until you find a few you like. Or, try a different way of preparing the same old vegetables. If you don't like cooked peas, try them raw. If you don't like steamed zucchini, maybe you will like it grilled.

Use color to "please the eye and inspire the appetite". The most nutritious fruits and vegetables are the ones with the brightest and deepest colors, so paint your plate with color.

Choose fresh fruits and vegetables whenever possible. Because food looses vitamins and deteriorates in quality as it sits on store shelves, your produce will be more nutritious (and better tasting) if you grow it yourself or buy it locally. Eat vegetables that are in season. If something is not currently being harvested in your area, you know that it was either grown and shipped in from somewhere else, or it has been in storage. Either way, it isn't going to be fresh.

If you can't get something fresh, then buy frozen. Food that has been harvested and frozen quickly actually has more vitamins than most of the foods you will find in the produce section of the grocery store.

Veggie ABC's worksheet

Veggie ABC's for younger children

What are some things to remember that will help you to start eating more fruits and vegetables?

Eat Natural

Eat as few over-processed and over-cooked foods as possible. Once food is cut or processed, it begins to lose its nutritional value. The heat of cooking also depletes vitamins, damages proteins and fats, and destroys enzymes. The closer your foods are to their whole, natural state, the more vitamins, minerals, and fiber they will have, and the better they will be for you.

Eat as many raw foods as possible. Most raw foods contain enzymes which help us to digest our foods. Once enzymes are exposed to heat, they are no longer able to do what they were designed to do. When the natural enzymes in food are destroyed, our body must make its own enzymes to process the food. Eating enzyme-dead foods places an extra burden on your pancreas and other organs, causing them to wear out faster. Lack of digestive enzymes can also be a factor in food allergies. Symptoms of digestive enzymes depletion are bloating, belching, gas, bowel disorders, abdominal cramping, heartburn and food allergies. If you do cook your food, the best way is to lightly steam, stew, or use a slow cooker.

Can you give me some examples of whole, unprocessed foods?

Know What's In Your Food

Another problem with processed foods is that they don't taste or look as good as whole foods. Your body will have a very hard time digesting over-processed and over-cooked foods because of all the sugar, salt, fat, and chemicals which are added to them to improve their quality. These kinds of foods are usually found in boxes, bags, cans, or jars.

The worst offenders are those foods which have been refined (such as white flour and white rice), pasteurized (things that have been flash-heated to high temperatures to kill bacteria), homogenized (a process which is used to keep milk and other foods from separating), or preserved (chemicals are added to keep the food from going bad or to improve the texture or taste). Make sure to read the labels of any canned foods that you do purchase. Even things like tomato sauce, beef broth, or vegetable soup may have added sugar or other unhealthy ingredients. Also, if you don't recognize what is in the food you're eating, it probably isn't very good for you.

What are some over-processed foods that you should avoid?