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Black Friday Sales

Department and electronics stores aren’t the only ones with amazing deals this week.

If you find yourself with some extra money in your budget, or relatives asking what you would like for Christmas, or maybe you just want something a little educational to give your kids this Christmas season . . . you will want to check out the amazing sales taking place at various homeschool vendors.

I’m sure to miss some, but here are a few of the deals that I have come across recently:

First, a freebie from The Old Schoolhouse Magazine — a holiday planning guide. Free to download!

If you do some shopping in their store and spend more than $50 you also receive over $300 in bonus gifts for free. They have additional bonuses if your total increases. Check out their 4th annual Black Friday Special for details.

CurrClick always has great freebies everyweek, and this week they will also have a Black Friday giveaway. Be sure to check out their website during the day this Friday, November 27th. They are sure to have some great stuff both at great prices and free for the taking.

Notebookingpages.com also promises to have some great deals in honor of Black Friday. They will offer 35% off most of their products starting November 24 and continuing through the 30th. While at their site, make sure to check out their freebies also. Great inspiration that will cost you nothing.

Hands of a Child also has deals, especially for the Super Members. They have extended this, and I just got this email:

You’re in luck because we’ve extended the sale for everyone staring November 26th through midnight on November 29th (EST Zone)

All Project Packs in any format are 35% off

Everthing else on our site is 20% off

Visit our website at www.HandsofaChild.com to shop starting on November 26th!

Code: BlackFriday

Be sure to hit apply to see the discount in your cart during step 4 of checkout.

And, don’t forget the Scholastic Sale right here in the Chicago area.

Homeschool Blog Awards

This is a re-post of some earlier information. The earlier post did not contain the links needed to find the vote:

As important as voting in our regular elections may be, this post has nothing to do with those. Rather, I am referring to the annual Homeschool Blog Awards. Each year this group run website comes together to recognize homeschooling bloggers who make a difference in the bloggy community.

Whether you are a blogger or not, this contest can introduce you to some great bloggers, and can be a great source of encouragement, inspiration and ideas.

The blogs have already been nominated, and now the voting begins. I would encourage you to take some time to check out the blogs and vote for some of your favorites! If you are so inclined, I would love your vote for my blog as well. My blog, Delighting In His Richness, was nominated in the “Best Cyber Buddy” Category. ~Thank you!

Voting ends November 21.

TOS Crew Review — American Heritage Education Foundation

Last year we took a family trip to Washington DC and I found myself once again stunned at the richness of the heritage of our nation. The intentional faith of our founding fathers, the careful crafting of a new nation, the vision of hope and freedom.

American Heritage Education Foundation (AHEF) seeks to capture, build on, and pass along these virtues. AHEF is a “non-profit, non-partisan educational foundation dedicated to the understanding and teaching of America’s factual and philosophical heritage to promote constructive citizenship and Freedom, Unity, Progress, and Responsibility among our students and citizens.” They accomplish this through, “writing, producing, and distributing FREE K-12 lesson plans to teachers, students, and families in all 50 states and through additional initiatives, programs, and partnerships.”

Product: American Heritage Education Foundation’s lesson plan CD (national edition)
Details: This CD offers lesson plans for Kindergarten through high school. The lesson plans come complete with background information, goals, activities, estimated time, and other helpful resources.
Price: FREE! (You can order the complementing binder and materials for $19.50 per level)

What we loved . . .

The richness of our history undiminished.
Taking a vast topic and boiling it down to memorable themes — freedom, unity, responsibility, and progress.
Builds national pride. I feel this is important. Not that I am proud of where America is today, but recognizing what we could be, and what we have lost, renews my hope and my desire to pray for our nation as a whole, the individuals that compose it, and its leaders.
Focus on original documents.
Largely self contained. Lots of information and direction is contained right in the CD itself.
Not too time consuming, so that can fit in with whatever else you might already be doing. About an hour every other week will carry you from September to May.

Challenges we faced . . .

It is easy to get overwhelmed at first with the amount of information contained in the CD.
Working with wide range of ages is sometimes difficult, and we faced that a bit as well here. The younger kids may not have grasped as much, and the oldest one may have been a bit under challenged, but I think the principles taught were still beneficial to all.

Of course, there is no better price than free, and this CD has something for just about everyone. I would encourage you to take a look at the AHEF website, order yourself one of these free CDs (or download the material straight from their website if you prefer) and take some time to go through the material with your kids. They have some great quotes, inspirational writings, needed reminders and teaching tools, and lessons that will build character and patriotism.

For more TOS Crew reviews on this product, check out the TOS Crew blog .

Disclaimer: This CD was provided to me free of charge from The American Heritage Education Foundation as part of my participation in The Old Schoolhouse Homeschool Crew. I received no additional compensation and the opinions expressed here come from my personal experiences and sincere thoughts.

The Homeschool Blog Awards

Whether you are a blogger or not, this contest can introduce you to some great bloggers, and can be a great source of encouragement, inspiration and ideas.

The blogs have already been nominated, and now the voting begins. I would encourage you to take some time to check out the blogs and vote for some of your favorites!

abcteach review

Sometimes a child needs a little extra help in an area. Or, sometimes you need a fun activity to keep a few kids engaged while you work with an individual child. Or, maybe you just want something fresh that you haven’t already been through a few times.

abcteach can help with any one of those needs. You can choose from their ginormous file base, or you can make something that is uniquely you with their worksheet generator.

Aside from ordinary worksheets they also have file folder type games, reading comprehension exercises, craft projects, simple lesson plans and ideas, flash cards, units, and seasonal activities.

Product: abc teach membership (You can see their description of the benefits of membership including a video on the abcteach site)
Details:This website offers 5,000 printables free even to non-members, but another 30,000 sheets that are available only to members.
Price: $40/year or $70 for two years. Group pricing available also.

What we loved . . .

Lots of choices. Every subject, topic, writing style, etc. seems represented. And, they encourage you to let them know if you could use something they don’t already offer.
Always something new. This is not a “been there, done that” site. Every week you can find new material, and with the thousands they have available, it would take you quite a bit of time to work through it all.
A diversity of ages covered. We found something for everyone on this site. While those with preschool and early primary would probably find the most use for it, they have lots available for upper elementary and middle school as well.
Great search tool. If you can’t easily find what you are looking for in the myriad categories available, you can search and come up with lots of hits most of the time.
Making my own handwriting sheets. We use Handwriting Without Tears in the early years, and I LOVE the member’s only feature that enables you to print your own worksheets with whatever you want your child to practice, in the very format that they are learning in.

Challenges faced . . .

Finding uses for the site. We aren’t a big worksheet family, preferring lots of oral and group work, so I did not find an overwhelming amount of materials that grabbed my attention.
Some of the graphics are not the highest quality (after all, they are worksheets). Part of the reason I prefer real books is because I prefer real pictures. Just a little idiosyncrasy of mine, I suppose. Drawn graphics just kind of turn me off to a product. They were good, just not real.

Despite the many things we loved and the very few challenges we encountered, this is not something I would continue to subscribe to because it doesn’t fit easily within our homeschool.

However, if you constantly find yourself searching for extra activities or worksheets to teach or reteach a topic, abcteach probably has exactly what you are looking for. They have an excellent, easy to navigate site with unbelievable amounts of worksheets and activities.

For more TOS Crew reviews on this product, check out the TOS Crew blog .

Disclaimer: This website membership was provided to me free of charge from abcteach as part of my participation in The Old Schoolhouse Homeschool Crew. I received no additional compensation and the opinions expressed here come from my personal experiences and sincere thoughts.

Writing contest!

The following is from the HSLDA website:

This year, Patrick Henry College invites aspiring writers to answer the call – more specifically, A Call to Pens. PHC’s first short story competition for students ages 12-18 was set in motion last year by PHC student, Peter Forbes (now an alumnus of PHC) who wanted to support the college and give young writers an opportunity to create original works of fiction that thoughtfully reflected a Christian worldview. Over 250 students nationwide responded to the “call” with mature, well-written stories, and we eagerly await the response of participants this year.

A Call to Pens is a contest with a broader mission than winning prizes. If we wish to shape the culture, we must first engage it – in all aspects of life. Quality Christian literature engages the culture in a less direct manner than other vocations, but it is no less important.

For those interested in entering the contest, please visit www.phc.edu/acalltopens.php. There will be two separate divisions, each with a separate theme, based on age. Several cash prizes will be awarded to the top writers in each division. All proceeds of the competition will be given to PHC’s Annual Scholarship Fund. The entry deadline is December 30th, 2009; winners will be announced in March, 2010.

Esther’s Place Class information

About a year ago we took a field trip to a charming little shop called Esther’s Place in Big Rock. Many of you know how homeschooling and that entrepreneurial spirit go hand in hand and Esther’s Place provides another thriving example of this.


Natasha and Donna Lehrer, Esther’s Place, happy customers in front of drying dyed yarn, resident felted gnomes

Inside this shop we discovered far more than an abundant supply of wool and felting craft materials. We found a passion for tradition and wool as well as a faith and patriotism that gives them greater purpose in their work and craft. Natasha and Donna have lots of knowledge to share.

Browse their website for more details and background, and information on retreats and classes, or arranging for them to come to you to share with your group.

Just some of their upcoming highlights:

Sat. November 14th 10-4pm
Christmas at Esther’s
Join us as we celebrate the holidays with music, refreshments and lots of great fiber gifts…including our holiday boutique. We’d love to see you and celebrate the season!

Knitting 101
Cost: $45+ materials $15
Sat. Oct. 10th 4-6 pm
Come learn with us as we teach to cast on, knit, purl, cast off, and more as you start on a beautiful scarf.

Thrummed Mittens
Cost: $45 ; materials extra
Sat. Oct. 10, 24th 2-4 pm
Skill Level: Beginning knitter
Create the coziest pair of mittens you may ever have- they are lined in tufts of the fluffy roving. Pick out your colors of yarn and roving at the class.

Drop Spindling 101
Cost: $25 + materials: $20
Tues. Oct. 20th 2-4 pm
Get introduced to the wonderful art of spinning with a drop spindle. We make it fun to learn to make your own yarns! This is a great way to start.

Jump Start- 2 Day Workshop
$95 + materials $35
5 pm Fri. Oct. 30 – 4 pm Sat. Oct. 31st
Have you been wanting to learn to spin? This intensive two day workshop will cover basics, from drop spindling to wheels, fiber differences, and technique. Class fee includes overnight accommodations& meals for2 days.

Call for more information about upcoming Friends of Esther Classes and meetings — Goats Milk Soap, bath gifts, and more.

Holiday Classes (many of these are great for kids and homeschool families):

Felted Nativity Scene
$24
Sat. Nov 28th 9-noon OR Wed. Dec. 2nd 9-noon or Dec. 19th 9-noon
Make Mary, Joseph, Baby Jesus, a star and three sheep with needle felting techniques.

Santa’s Workshop for Kids!
$22
Fri. Nov. 28th 10-3
Ages: 5-13
Kids – come enjoy the holiday season and make and wrap special gifts for your family! Moms – take advantage of this for day-after-Thanksgiving shopping!

Cookie Cutter Ornaments
$8
Sat. Nov. 14th 1 pm OR Dec. 12th 1 pm OR Wed. Dec. 23rd 10 am
Create an array of cute little wool ornaments with needle felting.

Esther’s Place offers far more if you are interested in learning about spinning, felting, wool, or other related topics. They love to share and inspire others. Even I, who have very little natural craftiness, appreciated their great talent and creativity on display throughout the store. Feel free to give them a call with any questions or inquiries: 630-556-WOOL

Educator screening

Now Playing

Directions

What is IMAX®?

You and one (1) guest are invited to the Free Educator Screening of LEWIS & CLARK: THE GREAT JOURNEY WEST, plus see exclusive footage for upcoming IMAX movies, A Christmas Carol and Hubble 3D. Additional guests will be charged $5.00 for each for Lewis and Clark.

Date: Tuesday October 13, 2009

Time: 4:30pm – 20 minutes of footage from Hubble 3D and A Christmas Caro l
5:15pm – Lewis and Clark (please arrive a half hour prior to check-in and register)

Place: Randall 15 IMAX® 550 N. Randall Rd. Batavia, IL 60510

RSVP: Email or Call 630-659-6762. RSVP by noon on Monday Oct, 12th. Please leave us your first and last name, school name, theater, and number of people attending. If registering via email, you will receive an email confirmation. If registering via phone, you will not receive a phone call to confirm your space.

Lewis and Clark: The film chronicles a group of explorers — the Corps of Discovery — led by Meriwether Lewis and William Clark into uncharted territory to find a water passageway to the Pacific Ocean and describe for science the wonders of the west. The expedition encountered and conquered an endless series of physical challenges as they traveled through raging rivers, buffalo-filled prairies, sub-zero temperatures and rugged mountains on their 8,000-mile journey to the Pacific Ocean and back. The generosity of Native Americans in helping the explorers is detailed, including the story of Sacagawea, a teen-aged, Native American girl who accompanied the group and whose contributions were invaluable to the success of the expedition.Website Teacher’s Guide

Upcoming IMAX Moives:
A CHRISTMAS CAROL: AN IMAX 3D EXPERIENCE: November 6, 2009 – Disney’s A Chrstmas Carol: An IMAX 3D Experience will be digitally re-mastered into the unparalleled image and sound quality of The IMAX Experience® through proprietary IMAX DMR® technology. With crystal clear images, laser-aligned digital sound and maximized filed of view, IMAX provides the world’s most immersive movie experience. Starring Jim Carey. Website Activity Sheet

HUBBLE 3D: AN IMAX 3D EXPERIENCE: Spring 2010 – Experience the gripping story — full of hope, crushing disappointment, dazzling ingenuity, bravery, and triumph – in HUBBLE 3D, the seventh awe-inspiring film from the award-winning IMAX Space Team. Vividly captured in IMAX 3D, HUBBLE 3D recounts the amazing journey of the most important scientific instrument since Galileo’s original telescope and the greatest success in space since the Moon Landing — the Hubble Space Telescope. Audiences will accompany the space walking astronauts as they attempt some of the most difficult tasks ever undertaken in NASA’s history, and will experience up close the awesome power of the launches, the heartbreaking setbacks, and the dramatic rescues of this most powerful story, all in amazing IMAX 3D. Website Activity Sheet

Group Rates: For groups of 10 or more, $5.00 per person (Traditional 45 minute films) or $7.50 per person for IMAX DMR (Hollywood Feature Length). Groups of 20 or more receive one free admission for a teacher or chaperone.

Book a group and call Jeannette at 630-659-6762 or email jsmith@gqti.com

www.GQTIMAX.comLearning to the MAX online brochure

Our current IMAX Library: Click here

NOW PLAYING IN IMAX

LEWIS AND CLARK

Star Trek

COMING SOON IN IMAX

A CHRISTMAS CAROL

AVATAR

HUBBLE 3D

AVAILABLE FOR GROUPS

Dinosaurs

SPACE STATION 3D

BUGS 3D Bugs

LEWIS AND CLARK

TOS Crew Review — A Journey Through Learning

A couple years ago we discovered the fun of lapbooking. Having completed a couple lapbooks on our own, I was excited to get to review a few lapbooks from A Journey Through Learning.

The lapbooks are created in three seperate sections which get glued together for the final product.

They have many lapbooks available covering a variety of academic subjects and very reasonably priced. And, you don’t have to wait for them to ship in the mail as they are available for immediate download. With so many great topics to choose from we decided to use The Parables of Jesus for our Bible time for about a month.

What we loved . . .

Everything you need to know is right there. We have lapbooked before, but I lack any strong creative genes, so I struggled to lead my kids well in putting together creative lapbooks. We always found ourselves using the same templates. They came out looking a bit dry. Still fun, still capturing the knowledge, but not the works of art I had imagined filing away. With A Journey Through Learning’s lapbooks we each created our own lapbook that packed in the information while retaining our individual flavor in the process.

The ebook is easy to work with, print out the pages you need (however many copies you need), and then read through one section (or more) each day.

Kept our Bible time very hands on and interactive.

Got the kids excited about parables. Day two, both my older girls came with passages of Scripture they wanted to read with parables they had found on their own. Gotta love that!

Incredibly easy to use. They tell you where to cut, glue, staple, etc. They include a picture of the finished product as well as a placement diagram with each section to remind you where every piece belongs.

What we tweaked . . .

Not much. I did work more closely with my younger kids to help them write in the results of our discussions, but other than that, even my five year old had a fairly easy time participating.

We often got carried away in our discussions of the parables. I love that the authors encourage you to focus on the main point, and we did. We examined our lives and our home in light of what Jesus taught in each parable. I especially treasured our talk on storing up treasure in heaven, and what that really looks like. The month flew quickly by.

You could print the whole book if you prefer to read from paper. However, I found it easy enough to print what they needed to cut out for the day and then read the lessons from the computer screen while they began cutting.

They really know their parables now.

I would definitely recommend these lapbooks to someone wanting to try out a lapbook. I have heard from some experienced lapbookers that they don’t like being “locked in” to their template and format, so if you really enjoy putting together all your own material this might not be your thing. Or, it might be a great starting point for something a bit different than you would have done without the materials.

We will likely be checking out some of their other lapbooks as well. Most of them run $13 for the download, $14 for a CD of the material, or $21 to order a printed copy. They also have minilapbooks, copywork, and other materials available on their website.

Check out more reviews at the TOS Crew’s blog.

Interested in Local History?

If you would like more information on local history including events, museums, background information and resources, you may like to subscribe to a FREE quarterly magazine put out by the Illinois State Museum.

This colorful publication, entitled The Living Museum, packs information on the many historical monuments, museums, and sites available to you around our state. It also includes information on current exhibits at various museums so you can plan them into your schedule.

Living Museum Cover

For more information about this publication, or to subscribe, check out the Illinois State Museum website, or email them at: subscriptions@museum.state.il.us