A Net in Time

Curriculum and book reviews, faith, homeschooling and more!

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Ancient Wonders: Then & Now

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Imagine that you could see a building from the past as it was meant to be… taking you back to the then.  Now that you see that… see the now.   Can you see that old building more clearly now?  Ancient Wonders: Then & Now is a lift the flap book by Lonely Planet kids that helps us to understand these ancient wonders better. Let us delve into this review hmm?

Ancient Wonders: Then & Now Book Cover

From the cover?

From the Colosseum and the Great Pyramid of Giza, to Machu Picchu and Stonehenge, take an interactive our through the world’s greatest ancient wonders.

Discover what remains of them today, then open gatefolds and lift flaps to see what they once looked like and learn about the ancient civilizations who built them. 

What do you get?

12 Ancient wonders from around the world. Easter Island, the Colesseum, the Great Pyramid of Giza and more.. walk into the lives of those building these wonders, and into the glory days of each build. 

Two large fold out pages, combined with relevant text and lift the flap elements is sure to keep the reader engaged with what they are seeing and learning about. 

I love how books like this always spur me on to learn more, so like always I took to youtube where I learned this about Easter Island. 

My Thoughts:

I really like this book, those huge fold out pages and the well-written text help me to make the connection between the place now and the place it would have been in its heyday. Did you know the huge colesseum had 76 doors and now-a-days you can find actors roaming the outskirts?

The book is printed on a heavy cardstock almost board book quality paper. This hardcover book is well made and the pages easily lie flat.  This book would be an excellent book to supplement a study on the Ancient Wonders of the world. I really like how it brings what you see now into the history of the past, bringing the past to life. 

ancient wonders: then and now

 

Ancient Wonders: Then & Now
Stuart Hill Author
Lindsey Spinks Illustrator
Lonely Planet Kids
Hardcover, 24 pages,
History, Architecture, Geography
Lift the flap, hands-on
Reviewed for Raincoast Books.

 

disclosure

Fear Not the Long Sentence

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All my life I’ve been told to be mindful of long sentences, that it’s important to keep them short.  Imagine my shock when in Writing Tools I’m told the following:

“Write what you fear.  Until the writer tries to master the long sentence, she is no writer at all, for while length makes a bad sentence worse, it can make a good sentence better.” (p.36)

The author then proceeded to quote a few passages from Tom Wolfe which showcased the beauty of a long sentence.  I have to admit, if I had read it for myself I wouldn’t have thought it was all one sentence, but OH what a glorious sentence!   Very much showcased the beauty of a well-written of a long sentence.

fear not the long sentence

Long Sentence Attributes:

What helps make a long sentence good?

a. makes sure the subject and verb of the main clause come early in the sentence
b. use the long sentence to describe something long. Let form follow function
c. Chronological order, use it.
d. use the long sentence in a mix with short and medium length sentences.
e. use the long sentence as a list, or catalogue of products, names, images etc
f. Edit carefully, long sentences need to make every word matter.

Using long sentences go against the grain, the best writers aren’t afraid of them, so learn how to use them well. Sometimes you just have to take the chance, after all, writing is an act of faith, not just a matter of grammar.

Writing is an act of faith, not a trick of grammar. E.B.White. Click To Tweet

Break out of the trap of thinking that all sentences must have 18 words or less.  Mix up your sentences, have some short, have others long.  Consider that Elizabethan sentences often ran to 45 words, Victorian to 29, and today we average 20 or less.   It’s not a bad thing to use a long sentence, word it well, use it well and become a better writer.

How to improve:

How can you become better?

You can become better at writer longer sentences by keeping an eye out for them, examine them, see if they meet the criteria listed above.

You can also practice.  Take some shorter sentences and see if you can put them together to make a well-crafted longer sentence.

You don’t have to make a complex sentence, even a simple sentence can be long.  Try describing your table top, contents of your garbage can, or a painting on the wall.  Take whatever you have and practice.  It’s the practice that will help you improve.

What am I thankful for?

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Today is Thankful Thursday, what are YOU thankful for?

Well.. right off the top of my head?  I’m glad this is the last one of the five day blog hop posts I need to write!   GAH, I got so far behind!   Anyways, you all will forgive me right?  Even if I wrote them out of order who cares eh?

But seriously what I am thankful for?

what are you thankful for

Friends

This week I desperately wanted to be able to tackle two-three weeks of the lads chosen course of study for this coming year.  The World Wars.   I’ve felt like I’ve had ZERO time over this summer to work on this so was starting to feel pretty desperate. Was talking to a friend and she said “the lad can come here for a couple days”. I did a double take and ask “are you sure?”  Answering in the affirmative I felt my heart grow lighter.   I sent him along to her house Monday night and he came home Wednesday and we had a lovely meal together.  

I am thankful for moms who take a chance to help another mom out in the quest to make new friendships. I am thankful for boys who are willing to expand their circle of friendship.  I am thankful for the internet that broadens my world.   I am thankful for volunteer jobs that help me to see deeper into the lives of others. 

Family:

Then my mom-in-law said “I’ll take the lad, he can come here til Sunday.” My heart grew lighter still.  MORE TIME!  YES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!   Isn’t it marvellous?

But then here I sit, Friday night and you know what?   I miss my boy, his chatter and presence, his “can we play _____ together?” questions.  His help with chores and life.   I”m such a silly goob eh?  Good reminder I have to feed the birds!  Be right back.

And this week I was talking with my sis-in-law about concerns I had about mom and she gave me a different perspective to take and a small sorrow in my heart was lifted.   Changes in perspective are such as amazing thing.  Taking the time to explain, to show a different side, it’s a matter I deeply appreciate.  

Faith

It’s an integral part of my life you know?  Even though I often forget to pray and I often forget to bring God into conversations, when it comes right down to it, I wouldn’t give God up for nothing.  He gives me heart hugs, and reminders, and pushes me to be more than I am.   He melts my heart at unexpected times and helps me see a bigger world beyond my walls. Daily I find myself aware of my foibles and wishing I didn’t have them.  That I could remember daily to think of him first, instead of myself.

But take this week for instance.  I HAD PLANS I was going to work diligently at the lad’s schooling.  Getting six weeks organized and I’d be on top of the world.  I’d have all my reviews done and life would be at ease.

Then… Monday was a horrible no-good rotten sort of day.  I got a review done that I’ve been dreading doing (funny how when you are in a rotten mood it makes hard jobs easier).   

Tuesday.. I went to the library and I made progress!  Worked hard for five hours!

Wednesday… didn’t run the way I expected it to.  Didn’t get to the library   Wednesday… the lad was coming home again, and I really can’t remember the day very well other than I made supper for friends and muddled about.  Didn’t get much done (the toilet was my friend I remember that much).   

Thursday came and I thought YES!  I can get things done.. more work on schooling this afternoon.  Well… after taking the lad to Gramma’s and putting groceries away and kissing hubby off to work my body went into “NO you can’t sit still. NO, move move move.”  So nothing good came of that day except at night I had a long overdue chat with a friend.   I shouldn’t say NOTHING good came of the day: I got two loads laundry done, lawn mowed front and back, two old trees removed, downstairs bathroom cleaned and something else. OH.. most of my HOPE class organized (but not completely).

Friday..that’s today eh!   London happened.  Needed to get some stuff for hubby, sold a bunny on the way there, picked up some supplies, and came home hoping to get some posts written and I DID!!!!   YEAH!!!!!  Sold another bunny at supper time.  

So you see, even though the week didn’t go as I wanted it to, God was good eh?   He helped me get a grip on the schooling stuff (three weeks ahead is probably better than six weeks ahead as it gives flexibility), I have some posts written, albeit late, I sold some bunnies who were starting to squabble with each other, and I had good conversations with two different friends this week.  It’s good.  I’ve been able to support hubby in his career shift, and give my boy time with people that he dearly loves.  God is SO AWESOME!

What are you thankful for?  I’d be delighted to hear.

 

back to school blog hop

Follow the links for the series total!

Dear Frantic One.
Exploring Canadian History through Field Trips.
Easy and Hard how-to’s of homeschooling.

Here are those of us taking part.

Jennifer @ Dear Homeschooler
Joelle @ Homeschooling for His Glory
Karen @ Tots and Me…Growing Up Together
Kelly @ Hope in the Chaos
Kellyann @ Walking Home …
Kimberley @ Vintage Blue Suitcase
Kristen @ A Mom’s Quest to Teach
Kym @ Homeschool Coffee Break
Laura @ Four Little Penguins
Linda @ Apron Strings & other things
Amanda @ Hopkins Homeschool
Angie @ Run Ran Family Adventures & Learning
Annette @ A Net in Time
Ashley @ Gift of Chaos
Betty @ Let’s Get Real
Brenda @ Counting Pinecones
Carol @ Home Sweet Life
Chareen @ Every Bed of Roses
Christine @ Christine Howard
Christy @ The Simple Homemaker
Dawn @ Schoolin’ Swag
Debra @ Footprints in the Butter
Diana @ Homeschool Review
Felicia @ Homeschool 4 Life
Jacquelin @ A Stable Beginning
Jeniffer @ Thou Shall Not Whine
Jennifer @ A Glimpse of Our Life
Nicole @ Bless Their Hearts Mom
Patti @ Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy
Rebekah @ There Will Be a $5 Charge For Whining
Rodna @ Training Children up for Christ
Stacy @ A Homemakers Heart
Tess @ Circling Through This Life
Wendy @ Life at Rossmont
Yvie @ Gypsy Road
Lisa @ Farm Fresh Adventures
Lori @ At Home: where life happens
Margaret @ Creative Madness Mama
Marla @ Jump Into Genius
Meredith @ Powerline Productions: Being World Changers/Raising World Changers
Michele @ Family, Faith and Fridays
Missica @ Through The Open Window
Monique @ Mountain of Grace Homeschooling



Easy and hard how-to’s of homeschooling

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The topic for today’s Blog Hop post is Work it Wednesday, the question facing is us this: How do we make it work?  Whether it’s electives or finding what our children want to learn about, to finding inexpensive school supplies, figuring out high school or whatever.  The bottom line is this: How do we make it work?

The how to's of homeschooling easy and hard text.

Well, quite frankly, one day at a time.  There’s no other way to do it. 

Friendships

This summer I made a goal that I didn’t tell my fellows about.  I wanted my lad to be able to spend every week with a friend, or a perhaps hoped to be friend.    Other than two weeks of summer I succeeded (and I’ve only next week to figure out if I can yet and if so.. it will only be ONE week of summer)!   One friend a week since the middle of June.  I was delighted.  And SO was the lad!   Good eh?    Sometimes the lad doesn’t get to see his friends as much as he would like since we are generally about 40-60 minutes away from anyone!

The side-advantage that I hadn’t thought about was… every week this summer bar one, every time the lad visited with a friend, so did I!  🙂   WOOT WOOT!  Friendships are good, in person is cool and has the benefits of shared laughter the rings across a room.    On-line friendships are good too as they bring out another side of a person eh?

Electives:

I don’t really know how we add these in to be honest, they just seem to pop in.  I think part of it is, is that we don’t have the same schedule every single day.   I give the lad a schedule at the beginning of the month saying “this needs to be done three days a week, this twice, this once, this everyday” and let him run with it.  If he sees something he wants to learn it just kinda happens.  He’s a huge youtube lad and he’s been teaching himself physics lately so life happens.  When something pops up that he really wants to learn and something can be replaced that we do and it’s no biggie, we replace.  My goal is.. is he learning?  Does he know how to learn?   Can he learn from more than videos?  Does he know how to double check facts if needed?  Then what does it matter what he’s learning, as long as he’s learning!

If he needs help he needs to ask for it.  Sometimes we start something and it’s a bust, so I have him persevere until everyone knows it a bust OR I find something better.   And other times we start something and it’s such an inspiration it takes over our world for a while.  It’s all good as it’s all just learning. 

School Supplies?

Well frankly  this is SO not an issue.  When my mom’s church closed down about 7 years now????  Anyways, they had a TON of paper, pencils, scissors and stuff that needed to be moved out.  Guess where it moved to?  In fact we had so much stuff given to us that the town day care, other churches and some homeschooling friends benefitted.  We still have paper, pencil crayons and scissors.   Last year I finally said to a gal “you need stickers for your Sunday School?  SURE I have tons.. and now I have WAY less stickers and her Sunday School saved money.  I LOVE THAT STUFF.  I’ve also benefited from people throwing out stuff and I just happen to be in the right place at the right time. It’s nice to get stuff for free and then keeping what we need (or sometimes just covet) and then passing the rest on…it’s a great thing to do.  🙂

What is most difficult?

I think the hardest thing I have at being consistent with is devotions together with the lad.  I’m doing pretty good on my own (YAY GOD), but with the lad it’s harder.  Part of it is that we eat when we’re hungry in this house.  This means that just because I’m hungry and have made a meal doesn’t mean that anyone else is hungry.  We don’t always eat together so having “meal-time devotions” like how I grew up doesn’t happen all that often.  I’m starting to, at 730, to draw the lad aside and say “let’s do our Heidelberg”.  It’s end of the day, usually we’ve all eaten by then and we’re starting to wind down for the day.  This doesn’t always happen, as I said, we’re starting this.  I think once summer is over and we get a student in for the semester this will add some regularity to our day and then devotions will happen more frequently eh?  At least I hope so.  🙂   I know I don’t want to do what some homeschooling families do and add it as a requirement to homeschooling days/lessons.  I want it to be a natural part of life. 

back to school blog hop

Some names to start you off

Jennifer @ Dear Homeschooler
Joelle @ Homeschooling for His Glory
Karen @ Tots and Me…Growing Up Together
Kelly @ Hope in the Chaos
Kellyann @ Walking Home …
Kimberley @ Vintage Blue Suitcase
Kristen @ A Mom’s Quest to Teach
Kym @ Homeschool Coffee Break
Laura @ Four Little Penguins
Linda @ Apron Strings & other things
Nicole @ Bless Their Hearts Mom
Patti @ Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy
Rebekah @ There Will Be a $5 Charge For Whining
Rodna @ Training Children up for Christ
Stacy @ A Homemakers Heart
Tess @ Circling Through This Life
Wendy @ Life at Rossmont
Yvie @ Gypsy Road



Dear Frantic One

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Welcome to the Homeschool Review Crew’s Summer Blog hop.  In this blog hop you will find five days of encouragement as we head back to school.  You’ll see our overall topics posted in the image.  I’m going to be working this day by day so it will be a surprise eh!  🙂   Some of the topics I have no clear leading on and others I have an idea in the works but sometimes, those ideas go in directions different than what I plan.   Let’s walk through this week together, do some good reading, and be encouraged.  Day One is about encouragement for the school year.

back to school blog hop

I write today’s post quite honestly with me in mind.  My thinking is that if I am feeling a certain way, others will be as well as God’s word tells us that there is nothing new under the sun.

Right now I am feeling a bit frantic.  My son has a goal in mind for what he wants to learn about with this schooling this year.  He wants to learn about the great wars and he wants to make it as all inclusive as he can.  So he will learn geography, science, art, music etc all around the idea of the the wars and their time periods. Not only that, he’d very much like to study how Canada was involved in the wars.  So that’s where I am at, and here’s what I want someone who’s been there done that to say to me.

woman looking over lake, text dear frantic one

Dear Frantic One

Calm yourself.  This is your child you are schooling.  Do you think he’s going to freak out if you don’t have everything organized or if you have to delay for a day or two as you catch your breath before you dig in?  Did you raise your child to fret or to think schooling is more important than people?

Calm yourself, talk to your child.  Do they envision a certain way for their schooling to happen?  For instance, do they want research projects or papers to write?   Does he envision art projects or science experiments?  Would videos and making a report on them fill their desire to know more?   Can you work around the desire to not have to write things down by focusing on narration or hands-on efforts?

Calm yourself, think about what you have. Do you have create a whole program?  Are there things you have at hand that will do the job?   Can you tweak what others have done to make something that will suit your child better?

Calm yourself, do you have to have all the answers for September  4th (or whatever day you start)?   Are you going to go all in right from the start or will you ease your way slowly in?  Is a delay going to ruin your entire year or can you work a bit more five days throughout the year if you aren’t quite ready yet?

Calm yourself, if you are a person of faith, have you taken the time to talk to God?  Have you committed your day and year to him?  Have you discussed your plans with him?

Calm yourself, have you talked with your partner   Have you talked about your  worries?   Have you listened to advice?  Sought his/her help?

Calm yourself and remind yourself, this is something YOU can do.  Just take your time, grab your moments, and figure it out.  You can do it!   One small step at a time and before you know the whole year will be over.  A child to teach, experiences to share, and life to live well.  🙂 

Some of the participants:

Amanda @ Hopkins Homeschool
Angie @ Run Ran Family Adventures & Learning
Annette @ A Net in Time
Ashley @ Gift of Chaos
Brenda @ Counting Pinecones
Carol @ Home Sweet Life
Chareen @ Every Bed of Roses
Christine @ Christine Howard

Nicole @ Bless Their Hearts Mom
Patti @ Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy
Rebekah @ There Will Be a $5 Charge For Whining
Rodna @ Training Children up for Christ
Stacy @ A Homemakers Heart
Wendy @ Life at Rossmont
Yvie @ Gypsy Road



Watch the “ings”

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Have you ever thought about your “ings”?    How do you use them?   Do they strengthen or weaken the verbs that you are using?  Do you use the right amount or do you need to modify them?

write better, watch the ING words

English is a language of inflection.  Adding an -s or -es to a noun makes a plural, whereas adding an -s or -ed to a verb distinguishes present action from past.  Adding -ing changes the verb to progressive as in they began shooting the film, the wave washing across the pavement, etc.

Consider this passage: 

Wilting under the strain of weeks of blistering heat, the children set about complaining to family members that their was nothing to do and would school ever start again, and rallying their moms and dads to send them off to summer camp or letting their friends come and visit. 

How many ING words do you count?   Are they making the sentence better or weaker?

Are they weakening the verb or strengthening it?

Consider these problems: 

  1. Adding “ing” adds an extra syllable to the word, this can change the sound of the word, almost making it different than what it really is.
  2. After a while all those ING words start to look and sound the same.  They lose their punch. 

What happens in you change that sentence?

The children wilted under the strain of blistering heat.  With no energy to run around and discover their own activities, they have complained to their family members that they needed more to do.  They rally to their parents for summer camps, visits with friends or other activities to do. 

Which sound better or makes more impact?  Don’t you find the second cleaner and more precise?

This isn’t to say you can’t use -ing words, just play around with them a bit, see what fits better.  Use them judiciously, use them when needed to make your words more precise, clean and definitive. To call attention to action when it’s needed, not just for the sake of using them.  🙂

 

Want to practice?   Check out my free printable won’t you?

 

 

Big List of Unit Studies

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Next year my son wants to study the world wars. He wants it to be an all encompassing study for history, geography, spelling and what not. I have to admit, I find the idea a bit mind-boggling. I know I can do it, I just struggle with knowing where to start and what to do. I was talking with a fellow homeschool mom and she said “just plan six week unit studies”.

Although I feel overwhelmed by the whole idea yet, partly because I haven’t found the time to adequately start planning and coming up with good work and ideas for the lad, breaking it up into six week segments is doable you know?  Or even two week segments.

To that end I thought I’d do some research into unit studies and working with them, to share with you some places to go for free unit studies, and to understand the benefits of using them.

picture of four books, words big list of unit studies

What is a unit study?

A unit study is a collection of learning activities tied to a theme.  I used to do them when my lad is younger… we’d study, for instance, George Washington and end up learning math, science, history, geography and then do some art.   It was fantastic!  It’s a hands-on, filled with rabbit trails way of learning and can work really well.  In fact, my son still remembers the Terrific Tigers study that we did. 

How do you make a unit study?

Good question!  This is where research comes in and talking to your child and knowing what will and will not work for them comes into play.  For instance I won’t plan wordsearches as a way to help my lad learn vocabulary since he hates them.  You can find some good methodology at All the Homeschool Things has a good plan for doing unit studies as well as Lisa at Canadian Homeschooler has put together a unit study planner.  Proverbial Homemaker and All the Homeschool Things have planners as well. 

But seriously, how does one make a unit study?

  1. Decide on a topic or theme. …
  2. Select a starting date and length of time for the unit. …
  3. Choose books, DVDs, and other media resources. …
  4. Plan activities for your children’s ability levels. …
  5. Decide how you’ll record your unit.
  6. Plan a final activity. 

What subjects can you include and how?

Sometimes you need to think outside the box to include everything you want in a unit study, sometimes you just can’t.  Consider your students, what they need to learn and how you can help them connect pieces together.  Teach Beside Me gives some hints. 

  • Math: Create math problems at your child’s level. 
  • Language Arts: Reading, comprehension, grammar, writing skills.  Although you don’t need to include all of this in every unit study that you write, most units do ask students to write a little bit about the topic. 
  • Science: Sometimes a unit study shines in science. Other times you may need to work a little. 
  • Social Studies or Geography: Much like science, social studies may be your main topic, or you may need to work some information into the topic at hand. Some questions you may keep in mind as you work: Where was your topic first seen or invented? What culture surrounded the time or event? Where did this take place? What are the residents associated with your topic used to?
  • Art: Draw. Build. Act. Design. Create. Make. Sculpt.
  • Music: Can be easy or hard to fit into a study.  Fit it in if you can. 
  • History: Can be complicated or easy, depends on the study you are doing. 
  • Physical Education: This may need some creative work. Like I’m thinking for our world studies to get the lad on an exercise program just like the soldiers would have had to be on. That actually might be good for both of us. 🙂
people moving in front of free sign
Photo by William White on Unsplash

Look for something that might already be out there.

Seriously, if someone has already done the work, why replicate it?  You can always adapt if you need to, for instance, currently we are reviewing Home School in the Woods World War 2 timeline.  I want to spend more time exploring what caused the start of world war two than they devoted to it.  So when we look at this study again, I can add to it.

Places to look for FREE unit studies.

Some paid options would be

Some Randoms

I mustn’t forget to tell you about a really cool unit study I’m reviewing right now. The Canadian Homeschoolers Time Capsule of Canadian History. Making Canadian interesting and exciting.  Combine on-line learning with hands on fun.  Never has Canadian History been so interesting.

The Canadian Homeschooler Learning Centre