A Net in Time

Curriculum and book reviews, faith, homeschooling and more!

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The Apollo Missions for Kids

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Did you know that this year we are celebrating the 50 anniversary of the moon landing?   The Apollo Missions for Kids by Chicago Review Press helps us understand this fascinating piece of history. 

The Apollo Missions for Kids - Review

What I am Reviewing

Apollo Missions for Kids: the People and Engineering behind the race to the moon.
21 activities.
Jerome Pohlem
Chicago Review Press.
160 pages, softcover, grades 4-6.
Reviewed for Chicago Review Press.
Moon Landing, Outer space, astronomy, American History, science, geography, history, children’s non-fiction, upper elementary

In 1961, President Kennedy issued a challenge: before the end of the decade, the United States would land a person on the moon and return him safely to Earth—a bold proclamation at the time given that only one US astronaut had ever been to space, for just 15 minutes. To answer President Kennedy’s call, NASA embarked on the Apollo missions: a complicated, dangerous, and expensive adventure involving 400,000 people. Before the missions were over, NASA astronauts had made eleven Apollo flights, six of which landed on the moon, and eight astronauts had lost their lives. The Apollo Missions for Kids tells the story of this pivotal era in space exploration from the perspective of those who lived it—the astronauts and their families, the controllers and engineers, and the technicians and politicians who made the impossible possible.

The Apollo Missions for Kids

The Details of The Apollo Missions for Kids

One of the things I love about the 21 activities series by Chicago Review Press is how complete these books are.   

  • With experiments to help you understand the science behind the mission
  • Colour photos and  illustrations,
  • Highlighted learning
  • Resource lists
  • Timeline

Upper elementary children are drawn into deep understanding of the people, science and places behind important events.  The Apollo Missions for Kids is a well developed yet easy to understand manual. 

Let’s jump into the details shall we?

The Apollo Missions for Kids

Full colour images or photos dot every page of this 160 page book.  At 8 x 11.5 inches it’s an easy size to carry around.  I loved seeing all the different mission badges.  100 colour photos and 35 full colour illustrations.

The Apollo Missions for Kids

You will not only find photos of the mission and it’s people.  You will also drawings and labeled illustrations.  Be enabled to understand more fully the moon, the spaceships, the command modules and much more. 

21 Activities

The Apollo Missions for Kids

The 21 Activities have decent materials lists, and are varied in nature.  Sometimes you’ll be doing a science experiment but other times. you’ll be doing art projects or math.  Some of the activities include:

  • Determine your weight on the moon
  • Identify the moon’s features
  • Demonstrate orbital mechanics with a marble and a shallow bowl
  • Calculate how far away the moon is using sports equipment
  • Recreate the shape and size of the command module
  • Eat like an astronaut and make “space food”
  • Designing a mission patch

Highlighted Areas

The Apollo Missions for Kids

Yellow highlight boxes scatter the pages. These boxes teach about individuals, places, and other important details.   Some of the highlighted items are “The Command and Service Module”. “The Saturn V”, “The Lunar Roving Vehicle”, “Margaret Hamilton” and “Moon Suit”.

The Apollo Missions for Kids

My Thoughts and Recommendations

I love a book that is well-designed and thought out. One that works on feeding the fascination of students.  This book is great for upper elementary aged and older students.   With 21 activities, a timeline, resources for further study, and places to visit, this book brings this pivotal moment in history to life. The Apollo Missions for Kids manual helps us get to know the people and places important to the space race and American History. 

Other Space Books

disclosure

Want to learn keyboarding?

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Over the years I have looked at a number of keyboarding, or typing programs. Some free, some paid, all have their place.   I thought I’d work you through some of the options for who want to learn keyboarding, or have a student in need of these skills.

Want to Learn Keyboarding Skills?

Why Do I Care

You might be wondering why do I have this focus on keyboarding?  Why is it important that my son have excellent keyboarding skills?  

Did you know that I mark papers?  I KNOW .. funny eh?  I mark biology and physics papers for a high school. This very odd thing was learned!  I like papers that are typed out.  Typed papers mean I don’t have to fight with handwriting wondering if the penmanship is sloppy or if a word is spelled incorrectly.  It is quicker to read even writing and spacing.  It’s no small wonder to me that colleges and universities like their essays and papers typed out!

The elementary students of today will be tomorrow’s highschool and higher education students.   They will:

  • Write reports.
  • Argue papers, topics, put together presentations
  • Comment on discussion boards and blogs.
  • Journal in blogs and online tools like Penzu.
  • Research online (type addresses into a search bar).
  • Take digital notes (using Evernote, OneNote and similar).
  • Collaborate on Google Apps like docs, sheets, presentations.
  • Take online quizzes.
  • Use online tools for core classes (Wordle, Animoto, Story Creators).
  • And more

Having good keyboarding skills will make their jobs of learning easier.

Before we get too far in, let me talk about some of the products that I have actually used with my son. 

Keyboarding Reviews I have Done

We did UltraKey Online.   He pretty much liked this course, but found he didn’t really retain much of it when he was finished.   

Then came working through The Typing Coach.  This overall wasn’t a good fit for us long term.

This past year my son studiously engaged himself with Typing Instructor Platinum.  He really liked this program and found it also taught him to do the numbers, not just the letters.   It covered everything on the keyboard. 

Learn Keyboarding

Learn Keyboarding – free options

The benefits of free of course is that it is free.   Doesn’t cost you a dime beyond your internet fee.  Free programs can be really well done, or they can lacking in detail, practice time, tests or more.  Try them out, they are free, you will learn something and perhaps you can use one to build upon another.   Others it just requires using the full program and adding in drill time.

want to learn keyboarding

Learn Keyboarding – paid options

I have gone to thrift stores seeing keyboarding books there, the old flip style that I grew up with. 

Paid programs tend to be more complete than free, but not always.  Try before you buy so you can get a good feel for the program if you can.  

I found some options for you on amazon.  Note affiliate link.

Want to Learn Some Specifics?

Devotionals for Teens

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When my son was younger it was incredibly easy to find devotionals for him.  Easy worksheets on-line, whole curriculums, colouring sheets and more.  Now that he is getting older, it is more difficult to find free materials on-line for him.   This is what I have found when I looked for devotionals for teens.  

Devotionals for Teens

On-Line Free Resources

I am not going to say that every devotional on the sites below are good or have spot on teaching, but they do provide food for thought. They do provide fodder for good conversations. One needs to be careful in today’s religious clime to avoid encouraging false teaching, but we need to teach our teens to be discerning. They will need it to survive!

Josh McDowell Youth Ministries. 

Written for teenagers to use in their daily quiet time readings, this plan will make them laugh or cry. Some are fiction, some are stranger than fiction, but each will help you discover how to make right choices in the everyday ups and downs of life.

Student Devos.

A blog that posts a daily devotional geared at teens and young adults.  There is also a smaller section for youth and younger teens. 

Crosswalk

Posts a weekly devotional for teens on the theme Then and Now.

Wels.

Weekly devotionals geared at teens. 

DS2

Has a variety of topically based devotions.  

Youth4Him.

About 45 devotionals, I was unable to get the rest of the board to work. 

Devotionals for Teens

Now imagine my surprise when a link I was looking at took me to youtube.  I didn’t expect to find teen devotionals there.  I shouldn’t be surprised I gust in this digital age. 

What We have used

For the past year my son has been familiarizing himself with the books of the bible and their major passages and themes.   We’ve been using Teach Sunday School’s curriculum.  You can find my review here. He has been enjoying going through it, and though it isn’t free, it is well worth taking a look at. 

Devotionals for Teens Books of the Bible

Over this upcoming year we’ll doing working through Max Anders’ book 30 days to understanding the bible.  My review is here. 

Always Check for Error

Now remember… just like with anything.. read or watch or listen to what your teens might be listening to.  If only so you can talk with them, generating discussions to help them make their faith their own.  Thinking through issues, learning and discussing is the way to go eh?  🙂  You don’t want your teens believing things they shouldn’t about God’s word and the Christian faith.  Guide them.  Help them to seek after truth thoughtfully. 

Other Ideas?

I do love the idea of using a daily devotional to help encourage children and teens to dive into God’s word. It’s an easy way for them to interact with God’s word on a daily basis.  I sometimes struggle with the simplicity of most devotionals. Wanting to teach my son (and myself) how to just read God’s word for themselves.   This is a skill I hope to teach my son over the next year.  Different ways that he himself can explore God’s word on his own so he can more truly make it his own.

Want to Learn Some Specifics?

Want to Learn Art?

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Art, it’s a wonderful part of the life don’t you find?   Today I am focusing on visual arts like drawing, painting, sculpting and what not.   Things you look at and make with your hands, feet or mouth.  🙂   Not everyone does art the same way do they?   So if you want to learn art, here are some places to go.

Want to Learn Art?

Art for Elementary School

Created by A Net in Time
Want to Learn Art?
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Art for Middle School

 

Want to Learn Art?
Created by A Net in Time

Art For High School

Book Reviews you might want to check out

I adore the 642 Things to draw series.  I’ve reviewed a few of them and think they are fantastic for inspiring conversation and imagination over an art prompt idea. You will find one review here. And another here.  Grab up a couple of drawing pages, sit down and draw.  Talk about how an art prompt inspired you.  Laugh, be amazed, and just draw.

Want to Learn Art?

Draw, Print, Paint like the Great artists continues to be a favourite of mine.  And this Zentangles book made for a really fun class at HOPE days that I would happily do again.  I had a series of How to Draw books that we used for ideas when stuck.  Fine Art Adventures was a great book as well that we have used. You must check out this Doll Crafts book as well.  So many great ideas for making dolls!  Don’t fail to check out the Get into Art Places book.  These are just a few of the great books I’ve been honoured to review. 

If you want to learn art, there are so many ways to do so.  🙂

SchoolhouseTeachers has over 20 art classes as well as many art components mixed into her other courses. Some of the teachers are Art Achieve, Jan Bower, Everyday Easels, Inkscape and Studio for Teens. Do check out their amazing deal.  $5 for a month of art?  Videos and on-line lessons.  Access wherever you go. It’s a great deal eh?  Get all your school needs met in one place. 

And do some art!

Want to Learn Some Specifics?

How to Homeschool without Boxed Curriculum

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How can I homeschool if I can’t afford a boxed curriculum?  Are there options beyond it?  What if it’s all I know?  Is it hard to transition? But really, what are the options beyond the boxed curriculum? 

These are questions well worth asking. 

The fact is, if you want to learn just about anything, you can find the materials… much of it on-line.   But you can also use the library, real-life people, books purchased, classes taken, public schools (depending on where you live you can take one or two classes) and really, the sky’s the limit!

In today’s post we’ll talk about how you can use a free curriculum or piece together the curriculum that you need.

How to Homeschool without Boxed Curriculum

Free Curriculum up to grade 12

There is a whole world out there to explore and free curricula with which to do so.  Do note the free doesn’t always mean everything is free. You may need to purchase supplies like a microscope, books (novels), science materials, paper, writing implements, craft supplies and more. 

Free doesn’t mean you don’t have any sort of outlay, it’s just that your expenses might be different than if you buy an inclusive curriculum.

  • Easy Peasy All-In-One Homeschool  – EP seeks to free families from the burden of pursuing the “perfect” and encourages them to let it be “enough.”  
  • The Puritan’s Curriculum.  Promoting Puritan Reformation in Family, Church and State.
  • AmblesideOnline is a free homeschool curriculum that uses Charlotte Mason’s classically-based principles to prepare children for a life of rich relationships with everything around them.
  • CK-12- curriculum(K-12)– wanting students world-wide to have access to an education.
  • An Old-fashioned education links to curricula from days gone by to help you educate your child. 
  • Edhelper.com. worksheets and no prep resources. 
  • Free World U– Free flashcard curriculum (k-12)
  • Core Knowledge– (Pre-K-12) The mission of the Core Knowledge Foundation is to advance excellence and equity in education for all children…. offer detailed curricular guidance and materials.
  • Homeschool Share offers unit studies and lapbooks.  Perhaps not a complete curriculum but covers a large amount of information.
  • SAS Curriculum Pathways. Our resources are intended to supplement instruction to engage students in meaningful learning experiences that foster a deep, robust understanding of concepts.
  • Teachers Pay Teachers: Free Resources and Lessons (K-12)
  • School Express gives unit studies for a variety of topics. Multi-age unit studies. 
  • KHAN ACADEMY.  Math, Science, Computer science, art, and more.
  • Bitesize bits of information at BBC.   Even if you don’t have to prepare for national exams you’ll find much useful information. 
  • Charlotte Mason has a free history curriculum.  You can find that here.
  • Moby max-They have a free and paid option, their goal to help cover learning gaps. 
  • Connections Academy– if you live in the United States, check to see if there are options for education. 
  • Hippo Campus has a wide range of videos for middle school through high school. 
  • WatchKnowLearn.org– Thousands of free Educational Videos on a variety of topics.
  • GuestHollow.com– This isn’t completely free as the syllabus as cost and then there’s the question of buying the specific materials needed.  The Kitchen Chemistry course intrigues.  
  • Freedom Homeschooling maintains a list of free curriculum places. 
How to Homeschool without Boxed Curriculum

Piecing together what is needed

Recognize that regardless of what you will do there will be gaps.  It’s best to accept that fact.  My son the other day was upset with me that I never taught him the order of the months.  My response to him was that he refused to learn them when I tried to teach them.  He was stunned!   He didn’t remember being too stubborn to learn. Moments like that will happen. 

The advantage is that you can tailor your child’s education to the child.  You aren’t stuck with “this worked for child A ergo we’ll use it for child B even if child A and child B learn best in different style. Isn’t it great though if you have a hands-on learner and you can meet his needs though?  Or if you have a voracious reader who loves a literature based education?

The fun, yes, the fun of using different companies to educate your children.  Each company has their own philosophy or mind set.  So using different curricula exposes our children to that. One year my son and I read through different history encyclopedias.  It was so fascinating to see the viewpoint of the companies writing these books as they were quite different from each other in how they looked at history.  Because of that we learned so much in discussing, looking back, and comparing, see how the focus on.. say the art aspect of history compared with the militaristic viewpoint of another and how they meshed. 

It does take more work to piece together a curricula than it does to purchase a big box curricula.  To find just the right science, history, math or geography program.   It takes time to understand what should work best with each of children, and how to combine the learning if needed. 

Combining learning is advantageous if you have students close enough in abilities. Group learning adds a dimension that single learning doesn’t have.

Not using a boxed curriculum means you can use your children’s interests as a point of study.   Have a student who loves anatomy?   There’s a science credit there.  Another interested in oceanography?  Geography and science.   My son has a love of the middle ages and weaponry… we have used that so much over the years. 

Use what you can, research companies, spread your wings.  There is more out there than boxed curriculum. 

How to Homeschool without Boxed Curriculum

Want to Learn Some Specifics?

Four Considerations when combining work and homeschool

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As moms (and dads) we have to make choices in our daily activities.  What will we do on a given is influenced by a variety of factors in our lives. What our families are engaged in, the weather, commitments we have made, and more.  When we work as well as homeschool, sometimes making it all fit together relatively smoothly can be a challenge.  

Four Considerations when combining work and homeschool

I’ve talked in the past about how you balance work with homeschooling, giving you a snap shot of a week in my life. Today I would rather focus on how you make it work for you. Steps that you can take to cut out a life that is workable for you and your family.

Prioritize

Hubby often asks me “what are your plans for the day?”  That simple question helps me to prioritize my day.  It brings to mind the most important event of the day whether that be a dinner out, a mystery shop to do, a doctor’s appointment to keep or an afternoon at the library getting blog posts and/or reviews written. 

Not everyone has a helpful hubby though, or perhaps they’d rather not depend on their spouse that way.  🙂   That’s where planners and schedulers can be a person’s best friend.  Even with my hubby’s help, I rely on google calendar to help me track distant events.   

Once you know the main event you can then plan around it, making room for family and health concerns and allowing room for work and play. 

On SchoolhouseTeachers.com you can find a variety of planners to assist you.  Planners for highschool and mom, as well as schedule makers, calendars, record-keeping and more. 

may schoolhouseteachers.com ad

Remember that work is work

I know, it seems weird to say that.  One of things I’ve learned is, if I don’t remember that work is work I can put it off or not treat it with the importance that I should.  

Do you ever have that?  Especially if your work is home-based.  That need to remember you have a job that actually NEEDS to get done.  Yes, the freedom of working from home means you have that freedom to work around family needs.  BUT you still have a job right?  🙂

You are presumably being paid to do it, so you aught to therefore, treat it like it is important.  

Family time is important

Whether you work or out of the home spending with our families is important. Adding homeschooling to the mix, particularly if you have littles, and it can be difficult. I remember well the busyness of my lad, learning how to include him so that I could get my paid work done.

Yet it is ever so important to maintain your family time.   This time of bonding, and building bridges forms foundational skills for a lifetime of working with and living with others.  It also teaches your children that life isn’t just about work, but also about maintaining family connections as well.

Four Considerations when combining work and homeschool

Important items to remember

  • School at home doesn’t take as long as school at well… school. 🙂 Teaching smaller classes makes the teaching time shorter.
  • Work doesn’t have to happen 9-5. It can happen anytime, and get this… so can school!
  • Other people can teach your children as well. Tutors, online classes, in person classes, the sky’s the limit!
  • You can find your individual way to homeschool. There are many different ways to educate your children, so you don’t have to copy your neighbour. You can find your own effective way.
  • Creativity and good planning can make anything happen.
  • Remember, unless you are a single parent, you have a spouse who can help you educate your children as well. Use them! 🙂

Getting Feedback as a Writer

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I blog, I LOVE it when people comment, it gives me some validation as well as feedback as a writer. The question is, what type of feedback should I be looking for? Are comments on a blog truly the validation I need or are they just the fun candy of blogging? In Pep Talks for Writers, Grant Faulkner leads us to understand what type of feedback we should seek, and from whom to seek it.

Getting Feedback as a Writer

Critique is a part of writing. It shows us what we did right, and what needs tweaking. A good reader can point out how we can improve our writer whether it be a weakness in a character, or a line of poetry that just doesn’t read right, a fatal flaw in a story sequence, or an explanation that makes no sense. Critique also shows the good in a piece, such as excellent pacing, a good battle scene, humour at just the right moment, great explanation or an intriguing character. Sometimes, a readers enjoyment of a character can make that character take on a greater role. Those who critique help shape the work we do, either while we are still in the writing stage, or when we reached the editing stage.

Some questions to ask when submitting a work for oversight. This is not an exhaustive list, and it would change depending on the work being critiqued. You definitely don’t need to ask all of these questions either.

  • What is working well and what is not. Why?
  • What would you cut?
  • What needs to have more added? Why?
  • If you had written this, what would you edit?
  • Is anything confusing?
  • Is the work balanced?
  • Any word changes that need to be made?
  • Adjustments to subplots needed?
  • Does it read well?
  • What expectations were you left with?
“Do not let arrogance go to your head and despair to your heart; do not let compliments go to your head and criticisms to your heart; do not let success go to your head and failure to your heart.” ― Roy T. Bennett, The Light in the Heart

Where to find Readers to Critique

  • Writer’s Guild
  • Fellow authors
  • Professional reviewers
  • Professional editors
  • Writing workshops
  • Beta Readers who are members of your target audience

Don’t choose people who are close friends or family. It’s too easy for them to love everything that you write, and harder for them to say “this needs to be changed”. You want that impartial reader, who is reliable, who will honestly tell you the good and bad of your book.