A Net in Time

Curriculum and book reviews, faith, homeschooling and more!

homeschool

Creation to Christ, flexible timeline

By 2 Comments

Disclosure: I received this complimentary product through the Homeschool Review Crew

Home School in the Woods creates these fantastic timelines I want to take a moment to tell you about.  Timelines that are NOT only good for your history and social studies lessons, but also good if you want to do character studies, or study people who exemplify certain traits you want your children to focus in on.   Characters from the bible are included, so using this set as you do biblical studies is an added bonus.   Today we’ll learn about the Timeline Set: Creation to Christ (Beginning – 100 AD).

Creation Through Christ

The Basic Facts about this Timeline Collection

It has been my privilege to review one of Home School in the Woods (HSitW) timelines before.  My son used the Historical Figures timeline.  Today I am happy to review the Timeline Set: Creation to Christ (Beginning – 100 AD).   This set encompasses history from when the world began through to 100 AD.  You will see such historical figures as Enoch, King Solomon, Pythagora, and Hannibal.  Both biblical and non-biblical figures are featured in this set. 

This set retails for $22.95 and as a digital product you will find yourself using it throughout your studies in the bible, history, character and more.   You will discover 250+ figures in black and white, in four formats.  Two are in wall size one with text description, and the other with just name and date.  You’ll find those same two formats in notebook size as well.     The wall size varies from 2.5 to 4 inches, with the notebook size ranging from1.5-2.75 inches.  BUT one of the things I love about digital products is once I cut and paste, I can make the size anything I want it to be.  🙂 

This set is geared for students in grades K through 12.  The Timeline series contains four sets: Creation to Christ, Resurrection to Revolution, Napoleon to Now,and  America’s History.  There is also the timeline collection and various add-ons you can do. This page will help you check out all those details. 

Home School in the Woods was started by Amy Pack as she searched for better ways to present history to her children.  Timelines seemed the perfect way to do that, and from then on the company has expanded their options. 

How does it work?

Once you download your timeline set it will look like this in your file once you unzip it.  Reading through the intro will give you a good idea how to use each of the file formats. 

History runs throughout the ages, timelines can done in a book format or on a wall, or as a notebook.  And Home School in the Woods has made it as easy for you to approach history how ever you want.  🙂  Size them to your needs, and teach history!

You’ll find the images come in two styles.  Titles and dates, or Titles and dates with a blurb. 

Home school in the woods Creation to Christ

Two sizes, small (wallet sized) or large (notebook size).   Use them at the size given, or copy and paste them and expand to whatever size you need them.   You might choose to do full page images and write on the back of them, in doing so you allow your students to see the name and the image and test their recall.  Over time you’ll have a full binder with interesting people from history, with facts that your students find important. 

I like how Home School in the Woods organizes their materials, making it easy for teachers and students to use.  The variation allows for so much flexibility it is fantastic.  Over the years I have reviewed a number of their products. 

Find Home School in the Woods on Social Media

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/homeschoolinthewoods/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/HSintheWoods
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/homeschoolinthewoods/
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/hsinthewoods/_saved/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCrKq6iLty2fpB6R6ZpcUb8A/videos

Should you get it?

YES!  I know, you’d expect me to say that eh?  But honestly, if you’ve ever followed my blog you should know that I don’t just blithely say “get this”.  I’m aware that everyone has different needs and different styles of homeschooling.  Some of us our faith based and others not.  One of the things I like about HSitW is that it is geared to all sorts of homeschoolers.  It includes historical figures from the bible and outside the bible.  While faith is behind the makers of this marvellous resource it isn’t the only thing going for it (if you know what I mean).   

These timelines can be used in so many different formats. 

Imagine a co-op that says “we’re going to study different figures of history”, and uses the depictions as colouring pages, notebook focal points, and/or a timeline on the wall.  Faith based or not, these depictions will work!

Or a mom who says, I want my children to have some heros (and maybe anti-heroes) so they can see what true character is like.  People of honour, honesty, faith, shrewdness in battle, or whatever you want to focus on.  

Imagine that you are doing a study on how the world began, use the images to help stimulate discussion and to set your explorations up better.  Or you are looking for truths of gospel revelation throughout history, studying the ancient peoples more indepth, you have the timeline pictures to act as a guide.   There are so many ways to use timeline sets from Home School in the Woods, I urge you to pick up the set that will serve you best today. 

Read the Reviews

You will need to check out the reviews of 47 members of the Schoolhouse Review Crew.  Home School in the Woods asked us to review the following products: 

Individual Timeline Sets (Grades K-12)

  • Creation to Christ  (Beginning – 100 AD)
  • Resurrection to Revolution (0 -1799 AD)
  • Napoleon to Now (1750 AD – Modern Day)
  • America’s History (Explorers to 21st Century)

Project Passport World History Studies (Grades 3-8)

  • Ancient Egypt
  • Ancient Greece
  • The Middle Ages
  • Ancient Rome
  • Renaissance & Reformation

Time Travelers U.S. History Studies (Grades 3- 8 )

  • New World Explorers
  • Colonial Life
  • The American Revolution
  • The Early 19th Century
  • The Civil War
  • The Industrial Revolution through the Great Depression
  • World War II

Maps Combo-Pak (US & World Maps)

Lap-Pak: Wonders of the World

Activity-Pak: The Old Testament

Activity-Pak: The New Testament

 

Hands On History with Homeschool in the Woods

Dads Teach Teens Important Skills

By 2 Comments

The TOS crew has given us a challenge to do a post about fathers.  I have to admit, this is a tough one for me.  Don’t misunderstand me, I loved my dad, but we didn’t have the easiest relationship.  Therefore when I think of dads, that relational difficulty sometimes gets in the way.   I got to thinking though about how my dad affected me as a teen, and what lessons he taught me in those important years.   Dads are so important in the lives of teens, we mustn’t forget that!  Dads teach teens important skills! 

Dad taught me

  • Devotion to God doesn’t have to be perfect.  My dad had a firm faith in the Lord but it wasn’t a perfect faith and he let his children know that.  He served the Lord faithfully, but admittedly was short-tempered, lacking in patience, and more.  YET through that… he served the Lord and taught us how to pray. 
  • To parent better than you were parented.  My dad did not have a good upbringing.  Some would call it abusive.  He made a CHOICE that he would not raise his children the way he was.  The older I got the more understand the choices he made. As I have parented my son I have shown him more grace and patience than I was shown as a child growing up.  In turn, I hope that my son will meld discipline and grace better than I did, with I hope, my eventual grandchildren.  This is a biblical principle as well as seen in Deuteronomy 5. 
  • Work hard!  At whatever it is that you do … do it well and work hard to accomplish the tasks set before you.   It doesn’t matter the job you do as long as you do it well. 
  • Be kind to the critters under your care.  Try to not be impatient with them, be careful with pregnant animals, be mindful of bulls as they can do serious damage, feed the best food you can, and don’t make your animals into soft pets or they will be useless as working animals. 
Dads teach teens important skills

You see, I saw my dad doing all this as a child, but as a teen is when it really started to impact me.  As I starting putting all the pieces together and seeing the choices he made, it made an impact.  Did it make our relationship easier?  No.  In fact we went through tough years, but in the end we came out okay. 

But you know what? 

Teens do this.  They look at their parents critically during their teens years.  They analyze how they were parented, they learn to ask questions, and formulate ideas for their future.  Teens examine, it seems, everything as they push toward being adults.  Dads help in this process as they answer their sons questions and show they how to be stand-up people.  How to live out their faith and how to care for those that surround you.  Even those men of few words!  🙂 

It got me to thinking, what things are there for dads teach their teens? 

Additional Dad taught Skills

  • How to fix things, or to jury-rig a solution, or simply how to use tools. 
  • Confidence in one’s abilities
  • Being fiscally responsible.
  • The importance of a firm handshake
  • Make plans, double-check them, follow through.  Be prepared for glitches along the way.
  • Have a reputation worth having.  If you say you’ll do something, follow through.  Be honest in your dealings. 
  • Learn the basics of taking care of your automobile.  Changing the oil, driving a stick shift and learning what different noises a car makes and what they mean.
  • Learn the fundamentals of math, it’ll serve you well in every aspect of life. 
  • Be willing to change your mind if the situation warrants it. 
June 2021 Social Media Challenge Graphic

NOW… Lest anyone take offense!  Moms have a big role in raising their teens as well and can teach all these skill sets as well… but dads do it in their own way don’t they?  And sometimes, we need each other to reinforce the behaviours needed right?  Two examples are better than one eh?  🙂   Besides… we don’t all have the same set of skills, so having help, broadens the horizons of these pre-adults and that’s not a bad thing right? 

Can you think of anything that I missed? Dads teach teens important skills… but I couldn’t possibly have thought of them all.  What skills did you learn from your Father?   What skills do you see your spouse teaching your teenagers? 

Decisions To Make in Homeschooling

By 2 Comments

Homeschooling has become a very popular option lately.  Some people make the decision spontaneously and others research and plan before taking the plunge.  REGARDLESS of which method dropped you into schooling your children at home there are ALWAYS decisions to make in homeschooling your youngsters. 

What decisions you ask?  Well there tons of things to consider as you consider the decisions to make in homeschooling.   

Decisions To Make in Homeschooling

Questions to ask

I won’t go into exhaustive detail here, I just want to prod you into some of questions you might wish to ask.  This list should get you started and possibly generate more for you. 

  • What style will you use and what curriculum will fit your style? 
  • How do your children learn and how will that influence your day and teaching methods?   
  • Are there books you should read to further your knowledge base? 
  • What around homeschool groups… do you join one or keep visiting homeshool groups on facebook? 
  • Where will you find your curriculla?
  • Will you go for purchased or free options?
  • Textbook or living book style?
  • Hands-on, get dirty and right into it?  Or videos, textbooks, online teaching? 
  • Will you make a vision or mission statement?
  • Self-taught, parent-taught, or teacher taught, or some combination thereof?
  • Will you combine grades and subjects?
  • Will you partake of any public school offerings? (dependent on your school board of course)
  • Faith-based, secular, or a meld?
  • Ebooks, physical books, online.
  • Will you embrace a methodology of teaching such as Charlotte Mason, Child-led, Eclectic, Classical etc. 
  • What type of scheduling will you lay out? 
  • Will you school year round?  Take regular breaks?  Do modified summer school?
  • Many homeschools are mom-led, but sometimes grandparents teach, or even dad.  How will it look for you?
  • How about co-ops?  Is there one close by or do you need to start your own? 
  • What about where you will do your schooling?   Designated room or use of your entire house? 
  • How will you manage younger and older siblings?  Keeping toddlers busy whilst helping older students grasp difficult concepts. 
June 2021 Social Media Challenge Graphic

Springtime in Small-Town Ontario

By 2 Comments

The crew has a challenge for us this week.  What are our Spring Routines?  Well… honestly I don’t know.   We work in the garden, go for long walks, enjoy the spring flowers… you know… springtime in small-town Ontario.  Nothing too fancy for us here.   As I sit here though I have to remember that not everyone lives in small-town Ontario. 🙂   So let’s talk a bit about my neck of the woods and what’s normal for us in the spring.   

You’ll find the odd affiliate link in this post. Costs you nothing, helps to support this blog. 

Teens Build!

I have a teen boy in the house.  Every year around this time he gets antsy to build and create.  He once again wants to build an air-propelled weapon.  Last year he modified his old marshmallow gun to create a weapon that could propel an arrow more than 100 feet.  He accidentally broke a piece on it so it no longer works ergo… the need to build a new one!  He’s on the hunt to find the parts.   It was rather quite impressive how far it would shoot. 

Springtime in Small-Town Ontario

Going for walks in the spring… soaking in the warmth of the sun, enjoying the light after a winter of dark.  I have to tell you, it’s one of my favourite things.   It’s wonderful to see the geese back in the park, to see the beauty of our local dam and waterways, and even to see the white squirrels running about. 

Being out in the sun is good for us.  Did you know it helps us to regulate our serotonin levels? It’s UV rays help us absorb chemicals and minerals.  The Vitamin D we gain from being out in the sun for even 15 minutes helps us to fight autoimmune diseases, and the exercise we get gains us a better night’s sleep. Early morning walks help to shrink fat cells which is rather cool!  🙂 Sunlight helps boost a chemical in your brain called serotonin which keeps us more balanced and happy over the course of a day.   Rather good to know the benefits of being outside eh? 

Since I have that teen… the spring is a great way to encourage him to get off his duff and out in the nice weather.  I have to admit, it’s not a hard sell in the spring.  It is probably the easiest time of the year for me to get him out and about.  I’ve noticed that the more he is outside the better his eczema is too! 

Running errands to the store, getting out with local friends, and just gadding about. It’s GOOD for a teen boy!   I love letting him use his muscles helping me in the garden, doing yard work, or even doing spring cleaning. 

If you’re looking for gardening or food production resources for your homeschool, you’ll find SchoolhouseTeachers a good place to start. 

Getting Out in the Gardens

Springtime is a great way for the enterprising teen in your life to make a few dollars.   Last year my son started some crabapple trees, helped me dig up extra gooseberry bush starters, and got some maple trees growing.
This spring he’s working with me to sell them.   Half for me, half for him.  He thinks it’s a good deal since he struggles yet with marketing.   As he helps with clean up he discovers other items we can put up on the marketplace as well, like our excess feedbags from the rabbits, flower pots we’re not using this year, and more.    It’s good to see him thinking about possibilities.  

If you are looking to encourage the entrepreneurial skills of your teens, these books (affiliate link) might help. 

Easy Food for the Road

By 4 Comments

The homeschool review crew does a weekly challenge and this week they chose the challenge of “the perfect picnic”.  And honestly… my thought was … I got NOTHING.  I don’t do “perfect picnics”. Now give me a quick lunch in the park… and that works for me.  Seems like less pressure and I don’t do pressure stuff too well.   ANYWAYS, it got me thinking about easy food for the road.  If I’m out travelling, what are my go to meals?

easy food for the road

Last week I talked a wee bit about food when we chatted about what to pack for a field trip.  In this household, we don’t do complicated meals when heading.  To be frank, I don’t understand why people do.

I’ve gone on a fair number of field trips over the years with other homeschool families.  Often I was surprised at the amount of food other moms brought along.  I wondered where they found the time to get it all ready on a field trip day.  🙂 I just think to myself… make it easy for yourselves mommas!  

So how can you make a lunch out easy? Particularly ones that are fairly nutritious!

Easy food for the road

All these with fruit and cheese work excellently.   Chips as well if you want.  Add in whatever you need for a drink.

  • Scones: a dry scone with jam, or a sweet scone with fruit cooked in.
  • Sandwiches: whatever suits your fancy
  • Wraps: so many options
  • Pizza or cheese buns
  • Muffins: ham/cheese, applesauce, high fibre, whatever works for you
  • Croissants: chocolate, as a sandwich, cheese-stuffed, etc.

Not as quick meals, or might take a bit of planning ahead.  You may need a freezer bag or a keep-it-hot thermos.

  • a lot of leftovers will travel well
  • Salads: potato, veggie, or pasta 
  • cut up veggies with hummus and/or dip, with cheese and crackers
  • chili with a bun

To make it easy, affiliate links to amazon.  No cost to you, helps to support my blog. 

Did I miss anything that you might use for easy food for the road?   

march2021

What to pack for a field trip

By 2 Comments

I think every homeschool mom plans to include field trips into her children’s learning times.   With every plan to travel comes a need of figuring what to pack for a field trip.   Things to pack include lunches, supplies, and extra resources. 

what to pack for a field trip

Food

Of course, depending on how long your field trip is for you might not need to pack a thing.   If it’s just an afternoon or a morning, really, you don’t need food.   You might want to pack along some water.  Our current favourite water bottles are the Contigo fit bottles.  We’ve tried a number of water bottles over the years and these ones don’t develop mold issues AND they don’t leak! 

But a day-long trip… you need some food.   Some places don’t have a food court, others do and generally are a bit pricey.   My lad and I are simple eaters when it comes to going out.  This makes it super easy for us to pack a sandwich, a bag of chips or some fruit, maybe a granola bar, and our drink.  Often we’ll pack a muffin along for the road home. 

For years we used these tupperware containers for our sandwiches, and they are nice.  I like them.  BUT sometimes you need to kinda squish your sandwich in… and well.. that’s not so great.   Our current favourites my hubby found someplace and they are a lot like these ones, except they are slightly more rectangular than square.  Fits our bread better.

Supplies

There are some things you need on almost every field trip.

A way to take notes.  I love my tablet for this, my son likes to pop a notepad into his pocket. 

A way to commemorate your visit.  I either use my phone or grab up my point and shoot camera.   My son was gifted a nice camera much like this one from his uncle that he uses.   He’s taken some stellar images with it. 

Tortoise

Extra Resources

Most field trips won’t require any special resources beyond the willingness of your student to participate.   Some won’t even require a notepad!   Others though, will encourage exploration, either as part of a group or on your own.

For instance, having a pocket microscope would be excellent when on a forest study, trail walk, or any botany, biology or zoology trip.  If you carry a smartphone you might want to bump up your pocket microscope into this small microscope. 

You might need a map, a geometry set, specific crafting materials, critical thinking tools, or even nice clothes to take in professional arts events.  Consider the event that you want to attend and take along what you need to help your students make the most of their opportunities. 

How about you?  What is important for you when you pack for a field trip? 

march2021

The Wanderer

By 2 Comments

Peter Van den Ende has put together a marvellous wordless storybook for us.  Black and white images flood the pages as we watch the adventures of a little paper boat exploring the oceans of the world.   The Wanderer is filled with imagination and stories.  A delight to behold. Come, be delighted.

Affiliate Links will be used. 

the Wanderer

Children 8 and up who like to explore or make up stories including boats and ships will find The Wanderer by Peter Van Den Erde to be a delight.  I love the imagination shown in this 96 page hardcover edition published by Levine Querido.   

Selling for $15.99 on Amazon, The Wanderer is a black and white journey around the world.  A little paper boat explores the ocean in a meandering voyage through the oceans most interesting places. 

the wanderer map

Wordless images = stories

Don’t you just love books that encourage children to make their own stories?   I would have no compunctions about sharing this book with children younger than 5, but I might skip over a couple of the illustrations.  Some very young children might be alarmed by dark sea monsters and gloomy buildings.  But children 8 and older should have no problems enjoying the possibilities presented. 

I would love to sit down with a group of children and youth and just open up the book and say “so, tell me a circle story, everyone… just one line” and just listen to what they come up with.  

You could use the images to talk about ocean life, pollution, northern lights, pirates, boats, ships, jobs at sea and so much more. A virtual springboard of ideas to delight and educate. 

sample page for the wanderer

There’s the fun of looking for the paper boat on every page, most being standalone two-page spreads.   On some pages the hunt is a bit of a challenge, on others, not at all. Throughout, details feast the mind. 

Should you get The Wanderer?

Yes!  Be delighted with the illustrations, be surprised by unexpected stories.   The Wanderer is fantastic just to look at and consider, and a lovely conversation and/or story-starter.   It has been my delight to review it for Raincoast Books. 

Other wordless books

Other wordless books that I have reviewed.