Category: Special Events

Jump into the Civil War in Rockford

Civil War Hands-On History

Midway Village Museum – Rockford, IL- History Museum

April 30, May 1, 2 and 3, 2013
9:30 am – 2 pm each day

This award-winning educational event is specially designed to meet the curriculum standards for students in grades 5th through 8th. Midway Village Museum’s campus makes this an exceptional field trip destination with more than 25 historic buildings and from 40 to 50 different living history sites offered each day. Groups will visit the sites that they choose.

The program is open to public, private or home schools from northern Illinois and southern Wisconsin. In 2012, approximately 5,000 students participated in this program, but space is limited and advance registration is required.

Examples of sites that students can visit:

  • Meet famous people – President & Mrs. Lincoln, Frederick Douglass, Clara Barton, General U. S. Grant and many others
  • Experience being a soldier, including marching and drilling
  • Learn how to operate Civil War era artillery
  • Talk to soldiers from both the North and the South
  • Learn about lady’s fashion of the 1860s
  • Square dance in a barn hayloft
  • Sing along to popular music of the times
  • Visit the 1850s Barn to learn about the Underground Railroad
  • Experience school lessons in a one room schoolhouse
  • Learn about the art of blacksmithing
  • Learn the early rules of base ball and how the sport became popular because of the war
  • Meet lady spies for both the North and the South
  • Learn about Civil War doctors and medicine
  • Meet women soldiers
  • Learn about Civil War era photography
  • Show your knowledge of the times by playing Civil War Jeopardy

Cost is $7 per student and $1 per adult chaperone.

Download our reservation form for the Civil War Hands-on History Program in PDF format »

For registration information, contact Jessica MacDonald, Special Events Coordinator at 815 397-9112, ext. 104 or jessica.macdonald@midwayvillage.com.

For all the details and to register, check out the Midway Village’s website.

If you are unable to make this event, you might still be interested in some of the other opportunities for homeschoolers in particular to enjoy the museum.

Pirates of Penzance at Wheaton College

What an amazing opportunity from Wheaton College just for homeschoolers. Check this out and be sure to share this event information with others! Spread the word. 🙂

We’d like to share a special invitation to the homeschooling community to attend a preview of “The Pirates of Penzance” at pre-performance prices.

Wheaton College’s Opera Music Theater will perform popular Gilbert and Sullivan comic opera January 16-19 at 7:30 p.m. On Tuesday, January 15 at 7:30 p.m. the dress rehearsal is open to our homeschooling friends at the half price cost of $5 a ticket.

All performances, directed by Andy Mangin, will take place in Pierce Memorial Chapel, located on the southeast corner of Washington and Franklin streets in Wheaton. Tickets may be purchased at the door.  For more information, call the Conservatory of Music at 630.752.5098.

Sincerely

LaTonya Taylor, Director of Media Relations

Lori Hart, Media Relations Assistant
Wheaton College
501 College Ave. | Illinois, 60187
Office: 630.752.5015
Wheaton Experts
www.wheaton.edu
For Christ and His Kingdom

Home Depot kids’ workshop

It’s the first Saturday of the month, which means take your little builders to Home Depot!

JANUARY WORKSHOP

Diamond Birdhouse

(Finished painted example)

Dates:
Saturday, January 5, 2012

Time:
9 a.m. – 12 p.m.

Be sure to call to verify. I took a few of my kids last month to make picture frames and they had a blast. My son especially loves being able to really hammer and produce something.

They also had pins and certificates for all the kids when they finished their projects. They were out of the little orange aprons when we went, but there is supposed to one of those at most of the events as well. Great, free fun!

Free STEM workshop in Dekalb

SciGirls Professional Development Training

Date:  Tuesday, February 12, 2013 – 8:30am – 4:00pm

Location:  Holmes Student Center – Skyroom 340 Carroll Avenue Dekalb, IL 60115

Thank you for your interest in the SciGirls Professional Development Training.

SciGirls is a PBS Kids television series out to change how tweens think about science, technology, engineering and math, or STEM! In each episode, join bright, curious real girls in putting STEM to work. Then check out the website to play games, watch episodes, share projects, and connect with other SciGirls in a totally safe social networking environment!

SciGirls Trainings integrate inquiry-based STEM instruction with a commitment to gender equity. Educators attending SciGirls Trainings will learn the latest research for exciting and engaging girls (and boys) in STEM; experience hands-on STEM activities; and gain access to free materials for hands-on, video-enhanced activities that put a creative twist on teaching STEM.

There is no fee to attend this training.

For more information and to register: http://www.ngcproject.org/scigirls-professional-development-training-3

Advent service for children at Wheaton College

Children’s Worship: Interactive Advent Meditations Saturday

December 15, 2012, 10 – 11am

Location: Billy Graham Museum Rotunda

The Billy Graham Center Museum at Wheaton College is hosting a series of one-hour worship services designed to engage children with the wonder and anticipation of the Advent season. Through a unique storytelling format and multi-sensory materials, visitors of all ages are invited to explore stories from the Bible about the birth of Jesus. Participants will have opportunity to respond to the presentations with simple arts and crafts, prayer, journaling, reading, visual arts, and hands-on materials for retelling their own story.

Services will be held Saturday December 15 at 10 a.m. and 4 p.m., and Sunday December 16 at 4 p.m. The events are free and open to the public and take place in the Billy Graham Center Museum Rotunda area. Stories in the same weekend are identical. Children must be accompanied by an adult.

The Billy Graham Center Museum, located at 500 College Avenue in Wheaton, offers free parking and is wheelchair accessible. For more information, call 630.752.5909.

Free Polar Adventure Days in Chicago

This will happen a few times this winter, but this weekend is the first one:
Polar Adventure Days at Northerly Island

Have fun while enjoying all the wonders of nature at the eighth annual
POLAR ADVENTURE DAYS at NORTHERLY ISLAND

First 500 visitors receive a Polar Adventure Day mug filled with hot chocolate.

Dress for the outdoors. Call to confirm scheduled activities (phone number below).  These events are free and no registration is required.

  • See Siberian huskies, wolves and other live animals
  • Enjoy music from the Old Town School of Folk Music
  • Explore the island on snowshoes (if there’s snow)
  • Make a nature-inspired winter craft
  • Encounter birds of prey from Flint Creek Wildlife Rehabilitation
  • Sip hot cocoa while strolling across the prairie
  • Take a bird hike led by Wendy Paulson, co-sponsored by Audubon Chicago, Openlands & The Field Museum

Date: December 8, 2012 along with January 19, 2013 and February 16, 2012

Start Time: 12:00 PM – 4:00 PM

Cost: FREE

Location : Northerly Island is located at 1521 S. Linn White Drive, on the Museum Campus

312.745.2910

Free Admission

It’s winter in Chicago – come out and enjoy it!

Live Nativity in Bartlett

When: Dec. 21-22
7-9pm
Where: Faith World Outreach Church
Directions: Rte 59 Bartlett, just 1 mile north of Army Trail Rd.
Cost: It’s free!

Expierence the Nativity from the warmth of your car. You get a cd with the
Christmas Story, some cookies , and hot cider. Then you drive around and see
live actors and animals while listening to the story of Jesus’ birth from your
car.
The church has done this for six years now and many have enjoyed making it part of their holiday tradition.

Monkey Joe’s Peanut Free Night

A fan on Facebook, Heather, shared this:

My daughter has  such severe peanut allergies that she is unable to go to school so is homeschooled.

Monkey Joe’s in Wheaton is having peanut free nights.

February 5th and February 28th.

Kids 2 and under are $5.00

Kids 3 and over are $9.99.
The address is 286 E. Geneva rd. Wheaton, IL
630 653-5867 for comments or questions.

I’m sure there are others around in the same situation that would enjoy this type of event. Please share with others.

Midwest Creation Fellowship presentation

Received via email:

Midwest Creation Fellowship talk, “The Heavens Declare the Glory of GOD – And a Young Solar System!” by Helmut Welke, M.S. on Tuesday, December 4, 2012 at 6:45 p.m. at 25W560 Geneva Road in Carol Stream, IL 60188.

The Heavens Declare the Glory of GOD – And a Young Solar System!  Join the Midwest Creation Fellowship (MCF) at its next meeting on December 4, where Helmut Welke will review the scientific evidence from astronomy that debunks the Big Bang Theory of origins.  He will also reveal the current evidence from observations and NASA space probes that indicate our solar system cannot be billions of years old!

Helmut Welke is the President of the Quad-City Creation Science Association; a 4-year old group in western Illinois dedicated to truth in science education.  He is a certified engineering manager with a Fortune 100 company and, in 2006, was elected as a Fellow and to the Board of Trustees of the Institute of Industrial Engineers (IIE), an international society serving the Industrial and Systems Engineering profession.  Mr. Welke holds B.S. and M.S. degrees in Industrial Engineering from the University of Illinois.

Meet us for free coffee and refreshments at 6:45 p.m. on Tuesday, December 4. The talk will be from 7:00 to 8:30 p.m., including Q&A. Admission is free, but donations are welcome. We meet at: 25W560 Geneva Road in Carol Stream, IL. The entryway is just west of Gary Avenue on Geneva Road, on the north side of the street. Enter the drive just east of the sign (next to Slide Chart Company), and park behind the building. Enter through the rear door. Handicapped parking is in front, with entrance through the front door.

Please Note:  Helmut will be bringing a number of new books and DVDs from Answers in Genesis for sale at good prices.  There will be a wide variety for you to consider for yourself or as Christmas presents.  So plan ahead, as there will be a good selection of material on astronomy as well as children’s books, DVDs and coloring books.  Credit cards accepted.

For more information, visit: www.midwestcreationfellowship.org, email: wscmcf@hotmail.com, or call: (847) 223-4730.