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Canada Book: Symbols of Canada

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This is a fantastic book if you want to learn about the symbols of Canada.  Learn the history of our country as well as the provinces as you see each of the symbols laid out clearly. They are clearly textually and visually spelled out. 

This book is fantastic.  


 From the pull out clearly showing all the symbols, (one side english, the other french)

I thoroughly appreciated the good mix of text and image.  This book isn’t just about showing you the symbols, but also about teaching you about the provinces and country they represent and why.

The first 20 pages are dedicated to Canada as a country.   Talking about her history, the gradual change in her flag, how our land grew, initial flags of different areas as well as the symbols Canada holds to today.

Each province is given a two page spread showing you the location of the province, the history, coat of arms, flag and other symbols.  It does a thorough job of walking the reader through each province and it’s identity.

My Thoughts: 
If you can’t already tell.. this is a fantastic resource for anyone in the course of learning about Canada. An excellent resource for digging deeper into the whys of our symbols, how flags have changed over the course of time, and just watching the development of this beloved land of mine.

Symbols of Canada
Canadian Heritage
57 pages
Resource, Canada, history, symbols, heritage

Where can you find it?
Amazon.ca: symbols of Canada
Amazon.com: Symbols of Canada. 

This post may contain affiliate links – using affiliate links from A Net in Time helps fuel this blog and our homeschool – thank you!

©2006-2017 A Net In Time. All rights reserved. All text, photographs, artwork, and other content may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form without the written consent of the author. A Net In Time . We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites

Remembrance Day In Canada

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 Today I took part, well, actually the family took part in a Remembrance Day Service.   In small town Ontario, these days often happen on the Sunday before Remembrance Day.   I have to admit, we’d not been to one before as normally hubby is preaching!   But being off this year (due to job loss) meant we had the opportunity to go, my lad was well intrigued.

It was interesting listening to him and his dad talk on the way home about his thoughts about the soldiers, why we walked so slowly in the parade, if wars still happen and so forth.  I kept my mouth quiet as I was just enjoying listening to them chat. 

Anyways, what brings me to this topic?   Well.. remembrance day is coming up on November 11th, think it’s called Veterans Day in the states.   Regardless of the name, it’s a a time when we remember those who have gone on before. Those who fought for our freedom, who gave their lives, or sometimes their sanity, or body parts or …. So much blood and spirit and time given.   For what… so we could live lives according to our own wishes. Lives not encumbered with racism or genocide or hatred or dominance of a political ideology we abhor.   That’s what they fought for.    Do we really appreciate that?   Do your children appreciate that?

It’s a hard one you know?  To help children see this bigger picture when they often aren’t connected to anyone who fought in the great wars, or sometimes in the current wars being fought in our recent history?

I thought therefore I would search out some resources to help in the teaching of our children.  🙂  

You could go and visit some memorials.  Here’s a list of some of them. Some of the links include lesson plans, so seriously… go check out that Canadian Government page. 

Historica Canada has a lesson plan centered around Flanders Field and some addition activities you may want to use to teach your students.  Integrating the arts in the study of history is a very good thing to do. 

Hey…did you know this fact about poppies? 
Following the First World War a French woman, Madame E. Guérin,
suggested to British Field-Marshall Earl Haig that women and children in
devastated areas of France could produce poppies for sale to support
wounded Veterans. The first of these poppies were distributed in Canada
in November of 1921, and the tradition has continued ever since, both
here and in many parts of the world. (source)


Cubes for Teachers Blog, has put together a Remembrance Day list of activities.


Teaching Rocks has put together a list of art ideas for Remembrance Day.

Did you also know that the poppy is the symbol of Remembrance day?   Around here the scouts are often seen outside shopping centres and in stories, standing quietly, not loudly proclaiming their wares, just standing quietly while people come and go.  But you know what happens?   People stop, drop a dollar or five into the box and take a poppy or two.   It’s all done quietly, often with a thank you by the person buying.   It’s a good thing to do.  🙂

Veteran’s Affairs put together a list of Teacher’s activities for their students. 

Debbies Unit Factory has a whole list of activities to try. Learning about poppies, the poem of the unknown soldier, remembrance day and more.

Have you heard about the Blood Swept Lands and Seas of Red  Exhibit?  Done in England 888,246 ceramic poppies placed to commemorate British and Colonial lives lost during WW1.   Wikipedia has an article about it.

This post may contain affiliate links – using affiliate links from A Net in Time helps fuel this blog and our homeschool – thank you!

©2006-2017 A Net In Time. All rights reserved. All text, photographs, artwork, and other content may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form without the written consent of the author. A Net In Time . We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites

Hymn Study: Make Me a Channel of Your Peace

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I have to admit, I waffled a bit today on which hymn study to do.  O perfect love or this one, and thought this one better suited for this Remembrance Day Sunday.  The service we were at this morning changed some of the lyrics and played the song at an odd cadence, but it was good to sing a song I haven’t for a while.  

This song has been attributed to Francis of Assissi. He was an Italian Catholic friar and preacher.  He cared for the poor and sick, preached sermons to animals and considered all creatures brothers and sisters under God.  He is the patron saint of animals and ecology.

Lyrics
Make me a channel of your peace
Where there is hatred let me bring your love
Where there is injury, your pardon Lord
And where there’s doubt, true faith in you
Make me a channel of your peace
Where there’s despair in life let me bring hope
Where there is darkness, only light
And where there’s sadness ever joy
Oh, master grant that I may never seek
So much to be consoled as to console
To be understood as to understand
To be loved as to love with all my soul
Make me a channel of your peace
It isn’t pardoning that we are pardoned
In giving to all men let we receive
And in dying that we’re born to eternal life
Oh, master…

This post may contain affiliate links – using affiliate links from A Net in Time helps fuel this blog and our homeschool – thank you! ©2006-2017 A Net In Time. All rights reserved. All text, photographs, artwork, and other content may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form without the written consent of the author. A Net In Time . We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites

Review: The Animal Book

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When I was young I loved looking at pictures of animals, and I devoured books that told me about them. Today I have a book that my son devoured that I wanted to share with you called “The Animal Book”. 

animal nature conservation

 This is a a really neat book, just packed full with information about animals, telling us where they live, what they eat, endangered status (or not), more.  We learn about a variety of mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, insects and invertebrates.   Some of the animals we are very familiar with (like the horse), others are common (like the lion) and yet others are new like the indian pangolin, cat flea and the desert locust.

 Most pages are single pages, but the some animals are given a two page spread.   There is always an artistic drawing of the animals, combined with images of actual animals, and various facts about them. 

Each animal has a key facts section.  As you can see we learn pertinent facts, diet, name, and their status from a conservation aspect.

The facts in the Animal book at so interesting, did you know the brown bears can eat 40,000 moths for dinner, or that rattle snakes are born live, that pigeons can be trained to find cancer cells, or that scorpions glow under ultraviolet light?   Astounding isn’t it?

What else can I tell you about The Animal Book.  It covers 118 animals and contains a clearly laid out table of contents where the animals are divided into areas of the world. 

Each section opens with a map, giving a brief geography lesson.  A small map shows where in the world each area is found, and we learn such things as natural landmarks, general land qualities and such like.   It’s a brief look.

The book closes with the question “what happens next?”  Asking questions about the animals learned about and helping the reader ponder, what do we do now?   Included are some steps we can take to help take care of these animals that share the world with us.

The Animal Book
Author: Ruth Martin
Illustrator: Dawn Cooper
Lonely Planet Kids
164 pages
hardcover
Ages 8-12 years
Type: Geography, science, nature
 
Reviewed for: Raincoast Books. 

My thoughts:
 I like this book. 🙂  It is a fascinating look at a good selection of animals from all over the world, covering all the different animal groups (other than the microscopic).  Toss in some geography lessons, and some social studies.  This book could easily be start of a unit study on animals from around the world, added to a continent study or part of a presentation on taking care of the animals on this planet.
 
Where can you find it?
Amazon.ca: The Animal Book.
Amazon.com:  The Animal Book.

Raincoast is on facebook, twitter, and instagram.

This post may contain affiliate links – using affiliate links from A Net in Time helps fuel this blog and our homeschool – thank you!

©2006-2017 A Net In Time. All rights reserved. All text, photographs, artwork, and other content may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form without the written consent of the author. A Net In Time . We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites

I Need Thee O… I Need Thee

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I Need Thee O… I Need Thee
I Need Thee O… I Need Thee
Every Hour I need thee…
Oh bless me Now my Saviour
I come to thee.

I Need thee O.. I need thee
When I first wake up I need thee
My body stiff and sore, I need
Reminders of your care.
I Need Thee O… I Need Thee
At Breakfast Time I need thee
When  food choices they confound me
I am blessed, Remind me Lord of this.
I Need Thee O… I Need Thee
Homeschooling, oh it stretches
I need your patience and grace Lord
As sometimes tempers flare.
I Need Thee O… I Need Thee
When Rabbits thump, not happy
Help me to show they care Lord
When ungrateful though they seem.
I Need Thee O… I Need Thee
When the housework overwhelms me
This Household appears so helpless
Lord Let me loving be.
 I Need Thee O… I Need Thee
As review authors seem so careless
Help me Lord to honour,
The work that they put in.
I Need Thee O… I Need Thee
My bed, it seems to call me
I want to get more work done
Help me get the rest I need.
I Need Thee O… I Need Thee
Every Hour I need thee…
Oh bless me Now my Saviour
I come to thee.

 
—– 

This is a five minute Friday post. the word prompt is brought to us by Miss Kate over at Five Minute Friday.  What is Five Minute Friday? 
Well it’s a party of a group of like minded folks who gather on Friday
to do a five minute free write around a singular word.  AND THEN (and
this is the most important part) we take the time to offer up
encouragement to each other on this writing journey.  It’s fun, though
it’s not always easy, but it is always good.   Come join us won’t you? 
You are always welcome.

——
This post may contain affiliate links – using affiliate links from A Net in Time helps fuel this blog and our homeschool – thank you!

©2006-2017 A Net In Time. All rights reserved. All text, photographs, artwork, and other content may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form without the written consent of the author. A Net In Time . We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites

A Pearl Seeker: Seek to be Ready

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Women, help each other. The preamble to this chapter talked about the need for women to mentor each other.  To be willing to love each other, step into each other lives, to be to others what we would have them be to us. 

Matthew 25 reminds us to always be ready. To be ready for the Lord to return.   Seek always to be ready. 

It’s an active readiness you know…not one that counts on someone else to be ready, you need to be ready yourself.  No leaning on others readiness, it’s one of your own preparedness.

You need to be prepared for it taking longer than you expect, or coming sooner than you thought. 

So stay alert, be ready, don’t be sleeping.   The Bridegroom is a coming!

This post may contain affiliate links – using affiliate links from A Net in Time helps fuel this blog and our homeschool – thank you!

©2006-2017 A Net In Time. All rights reserved. All text, photographs, artwork, and other content may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form without the written consent of the author. A Net In Time . We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.

Art Book: Wild Garden

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 Do you remember A Hand Lettered Life from last week?   This is another in the Scratch and Create Series that I thought you might like to know about.   Wild Garden is a set of postcards, making them ideal work on anywhere you find yourself needing to wait around and the finished product makes an excellent quick thank you gift for those you meet along the way.

Scratch & Create is a neat little product where you use a stylus to create colour!   So instead of putting colour on to the page (and needing to think what colours go together), you are taking a silver coating off to reveal beauty underneath.

You use this stylus pen to do your creating.

I have to admit, I love the portability of Wild Garden, the fact that I can stick it in my purse and take along while my boy does his karate lessons…that works for me.  I don’t always want to read a book or play on the tablet while he is at practice.   So these little cards make the ideal way for me to spend time waiting.

At the end of it, I have a finished product that I can give as a thank you gift to his Sensei, or put in a envelope to tell a friend I was thinking of her.

Since the colours are already done for me I don’t have to haul along a bunch of markers or pencil crayons either.  Just a simple neat package that travels easily.

Just check out the bright colours!

I have to admit, it takes a bit of time to know how much pressure to exert and which end of the stylus to use for best results, so you might want to keep your first attempt for a family member gifting, but once you have the hang of it, the rest of the 20 postcards will prove to be an easy gift.

Do keep a cloth handy to wipe up the silver coating as it comes off, you don’t want to end up wearing it.  It does clean up real easily. 

This would be a great item for folks who like to scrapbook or doodle while they wait, or are just sitting back relaxing.  It’s a great way to keep the hands busy.

Wild Garden
Scratch & Create
Helen Hardik
20 postcards, One Stylus Pen
Rockport Publishing
Reviewed for: The Quarto Group

This post may contain affiliate links – using affiliate links from A Net in Time helps fuel this blog and our homeschool – thank you!

©2006-2017 A Net In Time. All rights reserved. All text, photographs, artwork, and other content may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form without the written consent of the author. A Net In Time . We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites