The Cook Family Homestead

Binding Our Own Books

1/14/2024

One thing that we do a lot of in our homeschooling program is the printing off of worksheets, activity pages, and e-books. Sometimes we make our own and sometimes we purchase them.

I used to hole punch and put them into notebooking binders, but I have since started binding them myself instead. This way the books are more secure, easy to turn all the pages, I can add protective cover pages, and they stay neat and tidy. The kiddos love them. Sometimes we even take a year's worth of worksheets and BIND THEM TOGETHER at the end of the year, too. We can look back year-to-year and see all the fun activities from the past.

Since I do teach at a local homeschool co-op, I also enjoy making fun books and binding various projects for class as well. This machine is also perfect for printing off other e-books on gardening, baking & cooking, essential oils, you name it! This helps keep all those pages I print off organized and easily accessible.

Here is the machine that we purchased and so far, it has been perfect!
I purchased the MAKEASY Binding Machine.

Check out this video showing the machine in action! We were binding all the e-books for our current school year. So easy and quick!

Here are some of the various comb sizes that we used for various projects. The larger the comb, the more pages you can bind with ease!

MAKEasy Binding Machine

I like the Fellowes Brand of binding combs:
1/4 inch - up to a 20-sheet capacity
1/2 inch - up to a 90-sheet capacity
3/4 inch - up to 150 sheet capacity
1 inch - up to 200 sheet capacity
1.5 inch - up to 340 sheet capacity

Other great accessories:
Transparent Binding Covers

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Apologia Zoology 3: Land Animals Modules 8 - 14

1/8/2023

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Welcome back! To repeat the layout of our Research Binders, we used a different colored file folder for each module. Most of the modules were spread over 2 week lessons (but a few were only 1 week). Because of this, most of the modules have 2 notebooking research pages and atleast 2 folder activities. We did do some activities and experiments from the textbook that used the speculation sheets included in our bundle.

Feel free to use some or all of what is included in the Science Bundles and I will do my best to include instructions on each one. You can find these printouts for the Notebook Research Journal at our Teachers Pay Teachers Store!

If you already checked out our blog for the first 7 Modules, thanks for coming back! This section will continue in the same format showing what we did for the last Modules 8 - 14. We also had less items in our folders towards the end since we did do a few culminating activities at the end of the year, leaving less classroom time.

Let me know if you have any questions!

MODULES 1 - 7 Notebooking Pages and Activities can be found here on our TpayT page.

MODULES 8 - 14 Notebooking Pages and Activities can be found here on our TpayT page.

You can also find all 14 Modules in our TpT store HERE.

Module 8: Ungulates

Vocabulary - Module 8

This lesson began our 2nd Semester. These lessons and activities in our co-op were for grades 1-6. I was teaching grade 4 during this year and we did have assessments and games during some down time.

We like to have fun and enjoy this study so the more we can switch it up the better. The kids also LOVED doing some of the crafts and experiments so feel free to use some of our ideas and add them into your study. The textbook has some amazing activities that we also used.

Folder Activity Pages - Module 8

Left Side: This timeline is a cut and paste activity to help the students see steps and events that took place that caused this.
Right Side: Since our 2nd week was on the Horse family, we labeled the parts of a horse.

Here is a great, and concise video from Answers in Genesis that is also a wonderful resource for this module. You can check it out at their website HERE.

Module 9: Other Artiodactyla

Vocabulary - Module 9

During our first week studying this module, we did have some changes to our Research Notepage regarding the camel. So NOTE that on our Notebooking Research worksheet (Lesson 9, pages 151-160) for number 8, we changed a few of the answers to say this:
"The humps are filled with 'fat' so they go a long time between 'meals'. This is helpful as they live in the desert. They can drink up to 20 gallons of water at one time, too!"

You can find these printouts for the Notebook Research Journal at our Teachers Pay Teachers Store!

Folder Activity Pages - Module 9

Left Side (above): This diagram shows students the inner anatomy of a ungulate. The cow is in a group called a ruminant. They chew their food, swallow it, and it comes back up (in the form of a small ball called the cud), then they chew it again.
Right Side: Here the students will put the pictures into the correct labeled box on the worksheet. The organizes the different groups from the chapter reading.

Module 10: Squamata and Rhynchocephalia

Vocabulary - Module 10

The word reptile comes from the Latin word meaning "to creep". So this module includes animals such as the lizard, turtle, and snake.

Some of these chapters have animals that are easily accessible to our area. So field trips or classes where live animals can be brought in are super cool! We had a baby turtle for one of these weeks so the students could have a live presentation going over all the turtle's characteristics while being able to see and hold the cute animal.

Folder Activity Pages - Module 10

Left Side (above): We try to make sure the activity pages for our Research Journal have a variety of things. This Module we used a learning wheel on the left side and a line graph on the other. So make sure you have some brads on hand for the 1st week.
The wheel was showing the four snake motions (lateral undulation, concertina motion, rectilinear motion, and sidewinding motion on pages 176-177 in the textbook. The kids thought it was fun to slither these ways down the hallway.

Right Side: This week we did an experiment. The purpose is to answer this hypothesis question:
"Where would be the best place for a snake to lay to get to the right body temperature?"
Most species prefer to maintain body heat at about 86 degrees F...but the temperatures can range from 50 - 104 degrees F.
-Set a Thermometer in 3 different locations.
1. In the direct sun
2. In the shade
3. Under a bush
-Record the temperature, and again at the 10, 20, 30 minute marks. Then based on your findings, decide which spot would help the snake get to the proper temperature or if they would need to move between locations.
-You need 3 thermometers, 3 colored pencils (red, blue, green), a ruler, scientific speculation sheet, and a graph.

Module 11: Reptiles and Amphibians

Vocabulary - Module 11

The Crocodile was the animals of the week! It is fascinating to learn the difference between a crocodile and alligator. See the Venn Diagram below!

Folder Activity Pages - Module 11

Right Side: We see a lot of frogs around our part of the country. The kids even remembered growing tadpoles into frogs during our Sea Creatures study.

Left Side: This Venn diagram shows students the differences and similarities of the crocodile and alligator. We live in an area where neither can be found so it was eye opening for the younger kids to learn that there are some of these animals found in our country.

Module 12: Dinosaurs

Vocabulary - Module 12

Folder Activity Pages - Module 12

Left Side: PUZZLES...Who doesn't like a puzzle?! We cut out the dinosaur puzzle pieces and put each set into baggies. So each kid had a baggie with 1 puzzle worth of puzzle pieces. They could glue the final picture on the bottom of their file folder, and they were to math the picture by putting their pieces together at the top. Once they got it right, they could glue it down.
Right Side (below): We cut out dinosaur bone images and the dinosaur image and students were to match them next to the correct descriptions.
I usually have the kids lay it out and try it first and we go over the answers all together before they glue them down. :)
Who doesn't like studying dinosaurs! We even added an extra week for this lesson. Check out our bonus activity below! Also, you can get some amazing videos, books, and information from Answers in Genesis about dinosaurs!!!

Bonus Activity - Fossil Dig Module 12

This was such a fun activity that the kids enjoyed doing. Each kiddo had a container that we filled with sand and hit different fossils, gems, shark teeth, etc. This was for the younger kiddos classes. They LOVED it!

Module 13: Arthropods of the Land

Vocabulary - Module 13

Tarantulas are found in the rainforests and jungles of South and Central America, in Africa and in the Souther part of North America. We are very thankful they are not found up north here where we live! haha!

Folder Activity Pages - Module 13

For this module, we only were able to fit in one folder activity so we decided on this Spider diagram. The students matched the parts to the correct number on the spider. We didn't officially have a 2nd folder activity, but we did glue this printout from Enchanted Learning of the Millipede.

Another activity for Week 2 would be to make Millipedes out of cut up pool noodles. Each body segment got two sets of pipe cleaner legs as well. Great for the younger kids.

For our 2nd week, we actually had our local Traveling Zoo bring in some animals and do a hands-on presentation for all the kids at the co-op. It was amazing and the staff had such great information to share with the group.

We LOVED the Traveling Zoo Presentation!

Module 14: Arthropods of the Land

Vocabulary - Module 14

Here is the LAST Module of the book! We didn't spend a ton of time on this one since we had a lot of end-of-the-year activities but we had fun doing our Science Fair project on Worms!

Have fun customizing your class and we hope you can enjoy using some of our resources in your class!

Folder Activity Pages - Module 14

With the short time we had, we spent most of class talking about and researching these two animals, the Earth Worm and Snail. The kids had to label their anatomy on these diagrams for our first folder activity.

We brought in Snails and Earth Worms to class for the kids to touch and observe. Some of the classes also made worm farms and then donated them to a local farm or took them home.

My class was working on a Science Fair project on Worms so they were busy getting books and writing down all the information for our Research Board. They had fun proving their hypothesis for their project.

Bonus Activity - Science Fair

We had a Homeschool Co-op Science Fair and the kids all jumped in! Some kiddos did individual projects and presentations, and some classes did a group project.

Our class did a research project on Worms!!! They even got creative during our research and studied different environments that worms can survice in and others that they cannot. The kids even decorated our research board with gummy worms. So fun!

Check our Zoology 3 Page for other fun FREE ideas, games, or printables to help make your Science class the BEST ever.

CHECK OUT OUR STORE on Teachers Pay Teachers to find all of our Research Notebooking Activities, Activity Pages, and Binder Cover Pages for our Science Zoology Journals.

MODULES 1 - 7 Notebooking Pages and Activities can be found here on our TpayT page.

MODULES 8 - 14 Notebooking Pages and Activities can be found here on our TpayT page.

You can also find all 14 Modules in our TpT store HERE.

Happy Homeschooling!!!

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Apologia Zoology 3: Land Animals Modules 1 - 7

1/7/2023

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It has been a few school years since we have used the Land Animals curriculum, but we have been reviewing some of the lessons as we decide on the science we want to use next school year. These Zoology topics are a favorite in our home. We can't decide if the Sea Creatures or Land Animals is our favorite. They both were such fun topics to learn about.

When we used this particular one, we paired up with a few other teachers at our local homeschool co-op to design these notepages and activities. We used a different colored file folder for each module. Most of the modules were spread over 2 week lessons (but a few were only 1 week). Because of this, most of the modules have 2 notebooking research pages and atleast 2 folder activities. We did do some activities and experiments from the textbook that used the speculation sheets included in our bundle.

Feel free to use some or all of what is included in the Science Bundles and I will do my best to include instructions on each one. You can find these printouts for the Notebook Research Journal at our Teachers Pay Teachers Store!

MODULES 1 - 7 Notebooking Pages and Activities can be found here on our TpayT page.

You can also find all 14 Modules in our TpT store HERE.

Module 1: Caniforms

Each Module, like I mentioned before, has a colored file folder, research notepages, and 1-2 folder activites. We also added vocabulary pages for this zoology study as well. Here are some photo examples to show you how our binders look by module.

**Our Research Notebooking Pages, as well as our activity pages, can be found on our Teachers Pay Teachers store.**

Vocabulary - Module 1

Here is the Lesson 1 Vocabulary page. The kids enjoyed putting them together, matching the definitions, and folding the flaps.

The bottom half of the pages shows an amimal track for this lesson. The students are encouraged to try drawing this track on their sheet and then placing it into their Module 1 folder in the Research Binder.

Folder Activity Pages - Module 1

Left Side: This activity is pretty self explanatory. The students can sort the animals based on "kinds". There are 3 sections for "cat kind", "cow kind", and "Lizard kind". The younger kids really loved this activity.
Right Side: This activity was a tad more difficult but the older kids like the challenge. The students would place checkmarks in the categories for each animal to match each ones specific characteristics. Using stickers would also be fun!

Module 2: Carnivorous Mammals

This module was fun and the kids loved learning about carnivores. There are some great videos (depending on age group) and great activities in the textbook to add to your study if you needed more in your lesson. We always begin with the vocabulary page and week 1 notebooking page. Here is the vocabulary sheet for Module 2.

Vocabulary - Module 2

These vocabulary pages have the same layout for each module. The terms are picked randomly by our team of teachers, but feel free to change them up if you would like. These terms will be the ones included on our Teachers Pay Teachers worksheets.

Folder Activity Pages - Module 2

Left Side: This matching page helps students understand the difference between meat eaters and plant eaters. It also shows the teeth we use since we are also meat eaters!
Right Side: This page goes over canines and students can glue on the matching descriptions.

**Module 2 Bonus Activity - Wild Canine Kind Booklet**

Some of our lessons have extra activities we liked to fit in. Some we would send home as an added homework assignment or project. Sometimes even to fit in during class.

This one was for the kiddos to do a little bit of research on a Wild Canine and share it with the class. As students shared their animal, they would also write down what they learned about each of the others as well. Then we would hole punch it and place it in our Module 2 Folder.

Module 3: Caniforms

Vocabulary - Module 3

For Module 3, the Polar Bear was our focus animal for the Animal Tracks. Have your students continue adding words, pictures and descriptions to their vocabulary pages.

Some of these words can be fun to add additional extension throughout the class either by research, watching a video, or even acting out certain terms.

Folder Activity Pages - Module 3

Check out our Teachers Pay Teachers page to get your copies of our Activity Pages and Research Journal Notebooking Pages. :)

Left Side: This first activity was to review safety rules "If I See a Bear" with matching descriptions.
Right Side (below): Usually the 2nd activity is a bit more challening. This fan books has a back side so students can write a description for each bear. Attach them all together by brad, string, ring, or chain. Store the book in the pocket that you can attach to the folder.
Bear Descriptions
Brown Bears: Includes Grizzly Bears & Kodiak Bears. Extremely aggressive. Will eat meat. Have a hump on their back.
American Black Bear: The inspiration for the original teddy bear. Live in North America in abundant numbers. Excellent climbers.
Polar Bear: Have black skin which helps keep them warm. Largest carnivorous land mammal in the world.
Sun Bears: The size of a large dog making them the smallenst bear on earth. Live is southeast Asia. Eat bees and their honey.
Giant Pandas: Have Opposable thumb. Live mostlyon bamboo. Slow moving. Don't have predators in the forest of China. Still endangered because of loss of habitat.

Module 4: Feliform Carnivores

Vocabulary - Module 4

This weeks animal Tracks is the Tiger! This would be a fun opportunity to show the different size Tiger paws as well.

There are so many beautiful Tigers and showing the different sized paws and comparing them would be a great activity (maybe the size difference between a lynx, lion, leopard, jaguar, tiger, cheetah).

Folder Activity Pages - Module 4

Left Side: This page shows pictures and characterics between these 5 Feliforms (Lion, Tiger, Leopard, Jaguar, and Cheetah).
Right Side: Symbiosis is a relationship between two creatures where both benefit. So this page, students need to place a checkmark next to the animal picture where a symbiotic relationship is taking place.

This week has some great activities in the textbook too. We did the blindfold stalking activity found on page 58. We also watched a Mongoose video and discussed mutation during our Week 2 class.

Module 5: Marsupials

Vocabulary - Module 5

This module is very interesting. I love that Apologia gave some great information to support Creation and explained how animals were able to spread out over the Earth.

The students loved learning about Marsupials because many of these animals are not found where we live in the United States.

Folder Activity Pages - Module 5

We also measured the length of a Kangaroo jump and compared it to how far each kid could jump.

Left Side: Here is a fun Pangea activity on how the Earth could have been connected at one time. This is like a puzzle activity and the kids thought it was cool.

Right Side: Here the students cut out the pictures of the various Marsupials and glued to near their home continent.

If you have time, watching a birth of a baby kangaroo is a great extension. The kids loved seeing the baby joey crawling and emerging from the mother's pouch.

Here is a great, and concise video from Answers in Genesis that is also a great resource for this module. You can check it out at their website HERE. You can also incorporate this video into Module 8 when we do an Ice Age Timeline.

Module 6: Primarily Primates

Vocabulary - Module 6

Primates were a great lesson to reinforce Creation and God's design for us. Humans were made special! We were created in God's image.

There are many differences that makes it impossible for people to be related to primates.

Folder Activity Pages - Module 6

Left Side: This page is pretty self explanatory. Students glue the characteristics that line up with each category.

Right Side (above): This activity shows how the continents are categorized into Old World (Asia, Europe, and Africa) and New World (North/South America and Australia). The correst Primates are glued according to this map and continent.

Module 6 Bonus Activity -
Primate Chart

Here is an extra activity for in-class or homework or even extra credit. Fill in this primate chart. This is probably best for the older students as it is a little difficult...and a lot of writing for the younger grades.

But, it is very interesting to see all the different categories and subcategories of Primates.

Module 7: Rodentia and the Rest

Vocabulary - Module 7

Module 7 is our last chapter before our semester break. This one was a favorite by all the students.

We began with our vocabulary and research notepage. Learning about the Beaver and researching beaver dam's was so interesting. One fun hands-on project would be to make your own beaver dam.

Folder Activity Pages - Module 7

Left Side: The left side of this week's folder, we made a flap booklet as shown here. We talked about each of the Rodent Groups and wrote down facts on each one.

The easiest way to attach this activity is to line the 3 pages up and staple them into the folder page.

Right Side: This activity shown here is just a glued in diagram for a visual. We used our 2nd week's class time to dissect OWL PELLETS. These barn owl pellets have the bones from a rodent and the students are trying to piece the bones back together using this diagram.

Even though some thought it was gross, they talked about it for weeks as one of their favorite class activities.

**Using paper plates is very helpful for this activity**

Check out our Blog with Photos and Descriptions for
Modules 8 - 14!

All of these pages are available to be purchased and printed from our TpT Store.

Happy Homeschooling!

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New School Year Curriculum Choices

8/24/2022

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So you've decided to homeschool. This is a huge and yet such a rewarding step. If you have already read the homeschooling page on how to get started, turned in the required paperwork for your state's laws, then you are ready to decide the program and curriculum. The choices can be so overwhelming. The best way to start is to ask other homeschoolers, look on-line at programs that fit your schedule, and then see what fits your budget.

Here on the homestead, we have tried many different curriculums, online programs, workbooks, and even units that are meant to be done by all the kiddos. We have some favorites and programs that we keep coming back to again and again. We love that we can do some subjects together and some independently. Both are important.

Once you decide which type of homeschooling you'd like to do, then choosing curriculum will be easier. Here on the homestead, we like to use different styles. We have a blend of traditional, Charlotte-Mason, and a Classical approach. Don't worry if you haven't figured it all out just yet...just try things and change things to make your homeschool program successful and enjoyable. It'll be great!

Having a plan before beginning just works best for us. We have tried just jumping into the year and winging it with curriculum we've had on hand but this route doesn't always end pretty, ha! I like to have forms that show my plan, books we are using, credits earned for the high school kiddos, and even some fun options or field trips that we would like to add throughout the year.

I designed this form to write out our plan. I have kiddos in various grades so seeing everything written down on paper just helps me see it all. I added our homeschool plan for y'all to see. I will add the blank form for you to print out below.

Here are our top curriculum picks:

Elementary:

1. Language Arts -

Switched on Schoolhouse (I know this has been discontinued but you can still purchase it on CBD. We already owned a bunch of their classes so we planned to use them a few more years.)
BJU (Bob Jones University)
Building Spelling Skills 4 & 6 (Evan Moor)

2. Math -

Teaching Textbooks Grades 4 & 6

3. History -

History Pockets

4. Science -

Click on the link for your FREE copy of this plan:

HOMESCHOOL YEAR CURRICULULM PLAN

High School:

1. Language Arts -

Switched on Schoolhouse
Abeka English 12
Keyboarding

2. Math - Teaching Textbooks
3. History -

4. Science -

Apologia Health and Nutrition

Happy Homeschooling!!

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Homeschooling Fact Sheet - How to get started!

9/9/2021

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What does homeschooling mean to you?
There are so many reasons why a family may choose to homeschool. Maybe you want more control over the curriculum, or want the freedom to design your own program. Some families choose to homeschool for religious reasons or due to medical issues.
Whatever your reason, enjoy this time with your children. The Lord gave us our children to raise them and nurture them.

I often hear moms say, “I can’t teach my children. They would never learn if they stayed home.”

Let me ask this. How did they learn to talk, eat, walk, dance, or even sing songs? They learned from YOU!

Make YOUR school day Different.

One word of advice since we’ve often been programmed to think every school day should be like what happens in the public school system.

Make your school day different. Individualize your program to meet the needs of your children. If this means going on a field trip once a week, singing songs to remember concepts, reading books out in the sun, baking to learn math concepts, hiking in the woods, then do it!

School does NOT need to be 4-6 hours a day at the table in front of the computer or reading a textbook.

Read a chapter book as a family after dinner, or
watch a documentary together and talk about it afterwards.
Raising a pet and journaling about it.
Watch a YouTube Video and have a fun gym class in the living room!

  Make this program your own.

I’ve attached a FACT SHEET to help you get started. Remember, I live in Pennsylvania. My state is one of the most restrictive states as far as the homeschool laws and stipulations go. This is not everything about the current homeschool laws. The best thing is to read the law, and then read it again.

A great resource that has helped me get started was this website:  www.askpauline.com
This is an excellent compilation of everything from getting started, finding an evaluator, special education,…you name it. If it is about homeschooling, she’ll have it in there.

I have been homeschooling for over 16 years.  We just graduated our 1st homeschool kiddo through the local Diploma Association. I am definitely NOT an expert but I do know that we have been blessed in many ways with the freedom of homeschooling in this country.

I have talked with other moms from places in other countries where homeschooling is not an option. They would LOVE the freedom we have. Don't take this for granted.

Before ending today, I want to share our reasons for homeschooling. This will be different for everyone you ask but I want to share with you our reasons why we think schooling our kids at home is THE BEST option.

This is the #1 reason we homeschool our kids:

God makes it clear in His Word that it is our job as parents to teach and train our children, according to His commandments. We should do this in every area of their upbringing, not just with homeschooling.
This should be our goal in life as parents.

Parenting, disciplining, guiding our children and being with them every day, interacting with them, talking with them, teaching them, training them, being an example in all ways.

To me and my family, this is THE main reason we choose to homeschool.

There are many other benefits that follow.

Some great verses that God’s Word gives us on how, as Christian parents, we are to raise up our kids.

Wherever HE puts us in life, our children are our responsibility
and this is one of our callings as parents.

"These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates." --Deuteronomy 6:6-9

"Listen, my son, to your father’s instruction and do not forsake your mother’s teaching. They are a garland to grace your head and a chain to adorn your neck." --Proverbs 1:8-9

"Train up a child in the way he should go; and when he is old, he will not depart from it." --Proverbs 22:6

Thanks for reading!

Keep coming back and check out our other informative posts on homeschooling. We will be offering advice for both Elementary and High School programs, tips for graduation, printable homeschool forms, and curriculum reviews.

Click HERE to go to our printables page for forms to help you get started today!

We are here to help anyone and everyone on this homeschooling journey! Let us encourage each other up in the teaching of the LORD!

Happy Homeschooling!

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Teaching Textbooks...such a lifesaver!

2/16/2019

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When you have multiple kids doing different subjects, keeping track and helping each one can be a struggle. A few years ago we switched from using Abeka arithmetic to using Teaching Textbooks and let me tell ya, it was a lifesaver!

I had 3 kids needing help with their math books each day and 2 younger kids to tend to. It became hard and frustrating. I LOVE math but the struggle was real to keep up. We switched to Teaching Textbooks after a friend recommended it to me. My kids loved becoming more independent with their math and enjoyed beginning and finishing without asking for help.

Teaching Textbooks begins at the 3rd grade level and goes up to high school math. The newest version has the wonderful automated grading option. It keeps track of their grades and you can edit the lessons by either deleting problems you want your kids to try again or even deleting a whole lesson to retry again. I really liked that option. There is a teacher login as well so we can keep an eye on their daily grades. One option I wish it had was a cumulative grade (or weighted grade option). It only has each individual lesson grade. Multiple students in your home can use the program too! :) So helpful when you have kiddos so close together.

The lessons begin with a lecture and it is very visual, showing step-by-step instructions on how to complete a problem. It was even great to see fun icons to praise the student when they correctly answer a problem and even has tips to help them solve harder questions.

One of my favorite features is the one that will show the student how to solve problems they answer incorrectly so they can see what they did wrong.

This year, I have my 3 older kids taking these 4 math programs through Teaching Textbooks. My 10th grader is doing Algebra 2 and Geometry. My 9th grader is taking Algebra 1 and my 6th grader is using Math 6. :)

You can get a workbook and answer key to go along with any of the math programs. I do have a few of them and they are nice if you need the extra practice. They are basically the same math lessons you would find on the cd program. We do not use them often...my kids find the lessons on the cd sufficient enough. :)

I do know that Teaching Textbooks has come out with a new 3.0 version eliminating the need for cds. It is an on-line version. This is great for those who have fast and reliable internet services. They even offer a large-family plan. :)

As we are more remote and have slower internet, I will continue to use the cds. :)

I have friends who have children who are really math-focused and find this program a bit easy. One great advantage is that on Teaching Textbooks' website, you can take a placement test to see which math level is best for your child. :)

If you have any more questions, please feel free to ask! We love Teaching Textbooks in our family. It was such a lifesaver in time management with our large family. :) We plan to use this program through graduation! :)

Happy Teaching!!!!

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2019 Homeschooling Updates Coming Soon....

1/1/2019

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With the busyness of life in full effect at the Homestead, I haven't been posting regular updates to the Homeschooling page. I will start putting together some video updates as well as some project updates. I apologize for the long delay in between posts! Looking forward to 2019 and the second half of the home school year! God bless and happy homeschooling!

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Week 3: The Angels and the Stars

12/27/2016

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WEEK 3 of our Christmas lessons for our Sunday School class was centered around the

Angels and the Star of David!

"And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, 'Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the town of David a Saviour has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.'
Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, 'Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favour rests.'
When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, 'Let's go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.'
So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart. The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told."
Luke 2:8-20

An angel appeared followed by a group of angels to the shepherds, so this proved that they had a very important message to give to them. YES! Our Savior's Birth is TRULY a VERY Important MESSAGE! We don't know the names of the angels or how many there were of them, but in the Bible it says that it was a great company (which would mean A LOT) - so it would have been an amazing experience!

OPENING:

As the kids entered into the room, I put out another coloring page to start.

This is what they colored:

SONG AND STORY TIME:

The kids LOVE singing time...so like last week, we sang the songs that were our favorites. Check out last week's lesson on the Magi HERE!

We reviewed the past 2 weeks of stories and then moved on to the Angels and the importance of the Star. It is sometimes referred to as the Star of Bethlehem or the Star of David. We know that Astronomy and using the stars for mapping was important for navigation and many other things in those times. God showed us in the Old Testament Prophesies about the importance of the coming birth of the Savior. Even the STARS were involved!

The Wise Men had seen an unusual new star in the sky, and knew that it told of the birth of a special King in Israel. But what did they see? The Bible says they 'saw it in the east' and then when they were in Jerusalem that it 'went ahead of them until it stopped over the place where the child was'. AMAZING!

We even talked about what we thought the Shepherds were feeling when the sky lit up with all those Angels! It was in the middle of the night but the LIGHT that filled the sky was probably brighter than the SUN!

God went all out with making sure everyone knew how truly Magnificent and Magestic this GOOD NEWS was! HIS SON was born and it was TRULY an important message...lifesaving!

CRAFT TIME:

We moved over to the table to start some messy fun! You'll need Blue (or any color really) Construction Paper, Glitter, Coffee Filters, and Glue Sticks. The kids were making Angel Christmas Cards to share the Good News with someone.

First, Fold the Blue Paper in half and give one to each child.
To make the Body and Wings, you just cut a Coffee Filter in half, then cut the halves in half. This would give you 6 triangles. Each child should be given 3 triangles. One for the body and 2 for the wings.
Cut out Tan circles for each
The last step is to help the kids put a ring of glitter over the circles once they were glued on to the paper.

We then moved on to making STARS!

So after the Cards, I gave each child a pre-made popsicle stick star. I had made them at home to make sure the glue was dry for the kids to decorate. I found that the Craft Glue was the best to use for these.

Each kiddo was able to pick out their own glitter and decorate. It is easiest to do this over paper plates (and having a few helpers).

The last step is to add a piece of curling ribbon through the top loop so the kids can hang their star on their Christmas tree! Perfecto...a cute, easy, and colorful Star Ornament!

SNACK TIME:

We kept snack simple...first, washing hands, then saying a prayer thanking God for our food. The kids enjoyed Pretzels and Cheeze Crackers. The kids could make stars out of their pretzels. :) They have fun being given a challenge as they snack away.

CLOSING:

With the little time we had left, the kids played a game of "Duck, Duck, Goose" over in the story time area. We modified it to be "Sheep, Sheep, Star" just to spice the game up a bit. :)

I hope your preschoolers have as much fun as mine did!

Merry Christmas
&
God Bless!

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Shepherd's Treasure

12/27/2016

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This is just so incredibly cute!

I see so many families doing the ELF ON THE SHELF each year during the months of December. I've never given it a try but if I wanted to do anything, I'd do this with the kids...this is just too cute!

I recently heard about this from our Aunt and also read a super review on one of my favoriteBLOGS.

Laura from HeavenlyHomemakers describes it perfectly on her site...check out her review!

How amazing is it to find a fun way to point your kids towards JESUS this holiday season? It comes with a beautiful picture book you can read and daily advent reading cards along with the Shepherds Doll.

You can buy them at www.sleepingbaby.com! Check out the video down below!

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Week 2: Preschool Sunday School Christmas Lesson-Wise Men

12/16/2016

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WEEK 2 of our Christmas lessons for our Sunday School class was centered around the Wise Men! These men were truly wise as they sought to honor God with their lives. They were obedient to the Lord's message to not report to Herod about the born Messiah.
It would have been so amazing to be there at the time when the Magi came to visit Joseph, Mary, and Jesus.

OPENING:

As the kids entered into the room, we had these coloring sheets out for them to use. My preschoolers LOVE to color so it is nice to always have this option...plus, they do like routine. When I don't have a coloring sheet laying out for them, they look at me cross-eyed and ask, "Where is our picture, Mrs. Cook!?" Ha...so I better stick with what they like.

SONG AND STORY TIME:

Once all the kids have been checked into class and they've had enough time to color, we moved over to the reading area for our singing and story time. We usually spend a little more time on the singing since this is one of their favorite things to do. We keep it pretty simple but I do try to sneak in a new song from time to time.

Here are their all-time favorites (classics but still just as popular):
"Jesus Loves Me" - We do the sign language movements with this one
"This Little Light of Mine" - Their favorite verse is about "Hiding It Uunder a Bushel, NO". Haha!
"The Lord's Army" - We sing this atleast 3-4 times through. If I forget this song, they always remind me.

365 Bibe Stories for Young Hearts is a GREAT Children's Bible. I love using this Children's Bible for our Story Time. It is our personal Bible from home and I love using it for class too.

We read through last week's story and added the next part on the Wise Men. This is a great way to review from the previous week and add a little bit of newer information.

We talked briefly about why the Wise Men (they were commonly referred to as the Magi) may have given Jesus these 3 gifts and what they actually were. Gold-because it is valuable and Jesus was a King, Frankincense-because it was a highly valued oil and used in priestly roles of the church, and Myrrh-this was a common and important incense for funerals and burials. They may have been familiar with the important prophesies of the Old Testament about Jesus' eventual death and resurrection.
(This is the condensed preschool version)

These Wise Men were obviously well versed in both the Scriptures and in Astronomy. They knew when the Star of David was in position to signal Christ's birth and understood how to follow it through the night sky towards Bethlehem. Their names were thought to have been Melchior (he brought the Gold), Caspar (he brought the Frankincense), and Balthasar (he brought the myrrh).

CRAFT TIME:

We then moved over to the table to make our Wise Men Picture. I had pre-cut different colored triangles, Light Tan Circles, and 3 varying shaped crowns. The kids were given these to glue onto their paper to form the 3 Magi. I even gave them the verse Luke 2:11 "For Unto You is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, who is Christ the Lord". They could glue this on their page as well. The kids added faces and stars in the sky with crayons.

SNACK TIME:

We kept snack simple...first, washing hands, then saying a prayer thanking God for our food. The kids enjoyed animal crackers this week and had to count how many camels they could find out of all their crackers. They had fun finding and counting them.

CLOSING:

We ended by giving each kiddo a set of the 3 Magi Gift Ornaments. We didn't finish these up but they were sent home for the kids to complete at home. I printed out the black and white version of the FREE Printable from the sundayschoolcrafts website. There is a color version you can print out for FREE too. Once the kids color them, laminating them would be a super nice touch!

Click on the picture of the ornaments to print out your FREE copy!

Hope you have a VERY Merry Preschool Christmas!

Hallelujah, A Savior is Born!

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Module 8: Ungulates

Vocabulary - Module 8

Module 9: Other Artiodactyla

Vocabulary - Module 9

Module 10: Squamata and Rhynchocephalia

Vocabulary - Module 10

Folder Activity Pages - Module 10

Module 11: Reptiles and Amphibians

Vocabulary - Module 11

Folder Activity Pages - Module 11

Module 12: Dinosaurs

Vocabulary - Module 12

Folder Activity Pages - Module 12

Module 13: Arthropods of the Land

Vocabulary - Module 13

Folder Activity Pages - Module 13

Module 14: Arthropods of the Land

Vocabulary - Module 14

Folder Activity Pages - Module 14

Vocabulary - Module 2

**Module 2 Bonus Activity - Wild Canine Kind Booklet**

Vocabulary - Module 3

Folder Activity Pages - Module 3

Module 4: Feliform Carnivores

Vocabulary - Module 4

Folder Activity Pages - Module 4

Module 5: Marsupials

Vocabulary - Module 5

Folder Activity Pages - Module 5

Module 6: Primarily Primates

Vocabulary - Module 6

Folder Activity Pages - Module 6

Module 6 Bonus Activity -
Primate Chart

Module 7: Rodentia and the Rest

Vocabulary - Module 7

Folder Activity Pages - Module 7

Check out our Blog with Photos and Descriptions for
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