Yes, you read that right!
Your child can make a notebook from paper bags and record what he has learned this week! Doesn’t that sound like fun???

All you have to do is choose the subject area you want to notebook and gather the materials. Then, your child can have fun “learning” and “recording”. He won’t even know he’s doing “school.

Click here to get the Paper Bag Notebook directions

Or, you can make the Waterfall Paper Bag Notebook right here

from scrapbook-crazy.com

“The farther backward you can look, the farther foward you can see.”

– Winston Churchill

With all of his time spent studying history, Churchill was able to see into the future and make predictions of what would happen. The ones we often remember are his predictions about Hitler and the Iron Curtain.

But look at these comments that Churchill made long before they became mainstream.

1901 - 8 hour work day
1917 - air power in the next world war
1917 - atomic bomb
1928 - energy crisis

“It is a mistake to look too far ahead. Only one link in the chain of destiny can be handled at a time.” -Winston Churchill

History is vital to our own liberties. Teach it well to your children so they can make wise decisions about the future.

Here are a few ideas:
Gileskirk
Ancient History
Medieval History
US History

http://www.brownielocks.com/superbowlsunday.html

more football history
http://www.brownielocks.com/football.html

Is it hard for your child to remember specific dates or other specific information?

Make fun “Dates to Remember” booklet. Actually, you can use this for any type of flashcard. The really cool thing about the booklet is it keeps all the card together in one place.

Whether you are trying to remember dates and dead people or Spanish words, this will be fun for you and your kids.

Click here for the directions to Dates to Remember (or whatever you want to remember)!!!

ps. idea from splitcoaststampers.com

This is a great project when you are studying a specific country or time period. Make a notebook (scrapbook) of all you learn.

Besides being a great way to record all your kids learn, it’s a wonderful way to show grandma and grandpa what you really do in homeschool (especially if you follow a leadership education approach and you’re developing a love of learning).

Without anymore rambling, check this out.

ps. all pics & ideas are from splitcoaststampers.com

Below are some answers about my favorite high school curriculum - Gileskirk Humanities. I usually prefer to choose my own curriculum, but not when I prepare my children to think Biblically before leaving home. Nothing compares to George Grant and Gileskirk.

First of all, I am very interested in knowing the average time to complete the Gileskirk daily assignments. I want to know how time consuming this program is and what other subjects we would still need to add to this.

Once we got into the groove of Gileskirk, it takes very little prep time for me, except listening to lectures and reading the books. My kids spend about 1 ½-2 hours each day working on Gileskirk. Two days they watch the lecture, two days they catch up on reading/reading journals. We review the week’s lessons on Thursday and they take the quiz/opportunity on Friday.

As far as literature goes, too, I think I heard that we would need to add to this to create a complete literature course.

This really depends on how you approach literature. I’ve used some study guides to help me through some titles we have read. Other than that, we have Socratic discussions about the literature we are reading. I can read the daily reading journals to see what the kids are learning from their readings. I often tie in a formal writing assignment with the readings. If you want something all laid out for your literature, you will need to get some supplements. I have not seen the updated versions of this course to know how many lit helps there are. When we used Modernity, there were lots of quizzes, journal starters and tests.

Is this course only for very bright students or can average students use this and get a good understanding of the Christian worldview as well? We really want to learn and teach the Christian worldview in a deep way to our children.

Average students can use this course. There may be an adjustment period at first and you may need to alter the assignments the first few months to ease into it, but we haven’t had a hard time after the initial few months.

In my opinion, Gileskirk is the best program for a Christian worldview in high school. It has answers to questions and helps for moms.

So, yes, it is worth the money in my opinion. Once you buy it, you can use it over & over again for all your kids.

Here’s my review of Gileskirk
If you use BECK in the shipping code, you can receive free &/or discounted shipping.  Order here

Kerry

Fun History Lessons…

http://www.chrisdunmire.com/articles/rockford-sock-monkey.shtml

I hope you have had a relaxing July 4th.  I actually got to read a novel I picked up at a used book store last weekend on our little getaway

We are getting ready for our friends’ annual July 4th party, but I wanted to zip this out to you. I love the 4th of July because it stands for liberty.

I told Steve last weekend we were so blessed to have freedoms in our lives and I wasn’t just talking about the freedoms the government allows us to have.

Our family is blessed to have the freedom to live where we want, work when we want, go to our kids’ activities in the middle of the day, leave town to go skiing or snowmobiling with our kids, take off for a LONG lunch out of town with my honey.  OK, you get the picture.  We are truly blessed to have these freedoms.

I don’t think freedom is self-serving.  The coolest thing about having freedom is the freedom to serve others.  Next week, the kids & I are doing a few things for our friends & neighbors.

Do you have these freedoms?  I surely hope so.  If not, are you preparing your children so they can enjoy the freedom to enjoy their families AND serve alongside their children to reach out to others?

Well, enough about freedom.  The real reason I wrote this note was to tell you about the special I promised last week.  You see, this Saturday is 7-7-07 and we have 7 products for sale at either $7 or $17 each.  So, you can grab some packages valued at $37, $57, $195 or even $356 and only pay a mere fraction of the cost ($7 OR $17).

Take a look here:
Christian Homeschool Curriculum Sale

There are packages for homeschoolers, parents, internet business families and those who want the freedoms I mentioned above.

Check it out right now because it only lasts until midnight on 7-7-07.
Christian Homeschool Curriculum Sale

Blessings,
Kerry

The shot heard round the world………

Paul Revere arrived just after midnight to warn the colonists the British were coming to Concord to destroy the munitions.  Sam Adams and John Hancock were staying at the parson’s home.  They already had a system to gather the men from nearby towns by ringing the church bells.

It was amazing to me to see the green where our war for independence began. The roads are in the same place and the green is quite small. The flagpole is in the middle - between the British and colonists.  The British soldiers got out of hand and many colonists were killed. I was also touched at the list of names who defended Lexington that day. Many looked like dads, sons, grandsons and grandfathers.

North Bridge where the British were sent back to Boston twenty miles away. The British quickly discovered the colonists meant business and were not going to be easily defeated. Thousands of men & sons came from the surrounding towns to defend their homes.

Although we are not Boston Red Sox fans, this was a very cool tour.  Fenway Park is the second oldest park that is still existing today.