Homeschool World Forum

If you and Cheyanneis are willing to build a small toy boat cheaply, simply, and using a new and untried method, I would be willing to answer your science questions for free. I am a math/physics prof, currently at Valparaiso University, attempting to promote original student-research

You should be able to find find my web address under my profile. See the link called STIFFNESS OF AN ADVANCED SHARPIE.

we are studying the states one at a time. we have anotebook and with a picture of the US on the front and when we study a new state we color it in. we learn about how each state was started, go on field trips that talk about how the history, and keep a log for each state in the notebook. I hope this helps. My science is a lot less organized so i can't help with that area.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_park_passport_stamps

http://www.eparks.com/store/

http://www.geocities.com/parkpassport/index.html

Here are some of the links I found on the National Park Passports. Hope this helps And many national parks have the JR Ranger Activites there, here are a few sites I found today on the idea

http://www.nps.gov/webrangers/

http://www.nps.gov/learn/juniorranger.htm

Kids love it when they fill like they are apart of something bigger then themselves. Even better when they think they are helping protect a National Park

I just purchased a new computer-based science CD set for my 4th grader called blue bengal learning labs online. She stays pretty engaged and interested when she uses the program. It covers all the essential science areas - physics, earth/space, and life. Content is thorough, and there are some fun activities that incorporate the lessons. I hadn't really seen a program like this, and it seems to be working great. I'd be interested to see if anyone else has had the same success using it.

Sorry, I edited the link out of her post. Here it is.

We are very "laid back" about history and science in the elementary years. We basically just study what ever interests us at the moment. We read biographies, textbooks, historical fiction, do science experiments and things like that. I have started using a timeline with the children to help them understand the concept of a lot of things happening in the world at the same time.

I was a little nervous when my oldest started using a formal curriculum in those subjects when he reached 7th grade but he adapted with little trouble.

I personally think one of the best ways to study, history, social studies and geography is to do it country by country integrating all of those things!

I LOVE this book for the younger grades: Travel the Globe: Multicultural Story Times by Desiree Webber. I'd have used it if we had homeschooled back then. It has stories, crafts, songs, language and more for each country or area of the world. I'd supplement with library books, the web, living museums and doing such things as cooking dishes from that country.

For science we've used the library and web extensively, doing experiments of different sorts at home and they've done in depth reports on topics or experiments of their choosing. What they've really enjoyed best so far have been the home school classes at the science museum and/or zoo.

They've loved ancient history the best btw. Mandated state and US history are mostly boring for them. They've been having that stuff pushed into their brains since elementary school when they were public schooled.

We've used time lines, historical novels and movies for history too. A few years ago I had them watch Colonial Village on PBS as part of American History. That really made it easier to relate to for them. I loved that whole series about different time period home life.

The PBS website had some great stuff on it too for those shows and for the warrior shows they did that taught some historical facts with games.

Stellar