Monday, March 28, 2011

Free "Beginnings" DVD Worth $24.95!

Whether you are currently studying creation or want to be, this freebie sounds fantastic!
This curriculum comes complete with
2 DVDs and a Leader Guide so it would be fantastic for homeschool, small group study, traditional brick and mortar school, Sunday School, outreach to enlighten people about God and Christianity, you name it! I'm really excited about it because if Eric is related to Mr. Hovind who presents the "Creation Series" shows on Christian Television, this DVD will be super! Both educational and entertaining at the same time!
Here's how Eric Hovind describes it:

"It's time to start your journey through Beginnings, the curriculum that will educate, entertain, and prepare you for the most pressing topic of our day—creation versus evolution!"

Eric Hovind

Beginnings is a creation experience for small groups, churches, and individuals from all walks of life. Creation speaker, Eric Hovind, explores the age-old questions of life, the evidence for a young earth, and how dinosaurs fit with the Bible.

The Beginnings curriculum aims to help answer the following questions:

  • What is the meaning of life?
  • Where did we come from?
  • Why are we here?
Click the following link to get yours too! I can't wait for ours to arrive! Woohoo! http://www.beginningsdvd.com/


Free The Home Educator's Tutor Sampler Edition (PDF ebook)


The Home Educator's Tutor (also known as "The Tutor") is a nine-volume resource library in the Classical Education / Charlotte Mason tradition that is designed to give your students an understanding about the things that make civilization, knowledge about the world and the arts, and the ability to express oneself. It starts where the "Three R's" leave off.
this terrific 100 page PDF Sampler Edition of meaty excerpts from the series, including nature studies & activities, stories from American history, art appreciation, elocution exercises, literature, copywork, a bit of Shakespeare & Plutarch, character building stories and much more.
To download THE HOME EDUCATOR'S TUTOR SAMPLER EDITION, go "see" the Erskine family's: Freebie of the Day

Thursday, March 17, 2011

build your own kaleidoscope :: zefrank.com

build your own kaleidoscope :: zefrank.com

Free Plant & Insect Ebook, part of Nature Study Series mentioned below

The Erskines have added another Freebie of the Day: "In Part V of THE BIG HANDBOOK OF NATURE STUDY – PLANTS & TREES we focus on plant life in all its many forms in the fields and forest around us. Wonderful lessons and activities fill this section of the book.

Again, each study begins with a great Teacher's talk, and includes activities and discussion questions. Be sure to download all of these and keep in your permanent homeschool library. This is a keeper that you'll use many time throughout your homeschooling years!"

Wednesday, March 16, 2011

Free Nature Study Ebook Series This Week!

Woohoo for nature and animal lovers!
This week the Erskines are offering a great free set of ebooks all homeschoolers, students, and all nature lovers alike will love to have in their library: the several editions of: "THE BIG HANDBOOK OF NATURE STUDY"
Make sure to go down the page and download all the books from the series this week while you can! We did and we're very happy about them. :) Thanks again Erskines!
PART I – TEACHER'S GUIDE & OVERVIEW (PDF ebook) – In PART ONE, you get a very helpful and practical teacher's guide, including an overview of the purpose, scope and style of the handbook… how each lesson is set up… what nature study should do for your children… how to to tie math, art, geography, gardening, agriculture & science into your nature study, and more. Each lesson begins with a "teacher's story" which can be read to students along with suggested activities & methods, followed by great discussion questions.

PART II – BIRDS & FISH (PDF ebook) – In PART TWO, we jump into the actual lessons, this time devoted to birds & fish. As you'll quickly see, these lessons are wonderfully written, blending history, humor, a bit of poetry, and a delightful sense of wonder into these nature studies.

THE BIG HANDBOOK OF NATURE STUDY, part III

In this section of the book, we study toads, frogs, snakes, lizards & turtles … and then practically every fuzzy animal you can think of that lives on farm or forest.

Again, each study begins with a great Teacher's talk, and includes activities and discussion questions. Be sure to download all of these and keep in your permanent homeschool library. This is a keeper that you'll use many time throughout your homeschooling years!

In Part IV of THE BIG HANDBOOK OF NATURE STUDY – INSECTS & INVERTEBRATES we focus on all the creepy-crawlies of life around us: flies, ants, butterflies, grasshoppers, bees, spiders, snails, worms, and more. "Oooooo!" "Ahhhhh!" "Eeeekk! Get it away from me!"

Again, each study begins with a great Teacher's talk, and includes activities and discussion questions. Be sure to download all of these and keep in your permanent homeschool library. This is a keeper that you'll use many time throughout your homeschooling years!

Wednesday, March 9, 2011

Wow!! Right Now You Can Get 19 Great Free Gifts When You Subscribe Or Renew to The Old Schoolhouse Magazine!

TOS 2011 Spring Bouquet  
  I just renewed my subscription, myself, and this is the time for you to try it out or renew too. With all these free goodies it's like TOS is paying YOU to subscribe! lol. 
      I've told you all before how much I enjoy TOS magazine. It's full-color, glossy, and terrific: I'm always so happy when it comes to my mailbox. It's plump full of great articles, inspiratios, how-to's, resources, and you name it to do with homeschooling. Plus now as part of being a subscriber you get free access to their brand new Teacher's Toolbox website, which offers additional cool resources like "This Day in History" activities, free ebooks, etc. I've visited it and it's great!
     So, consider this, my friends. If you renew or subscribe to TOS Magazine for two years, you get all 19 gifts Of the 19 gifts they have free for people when they subscribe, one of them is Library & Ed. They are gifting $25 in free (print!) books to the next 5000 subscribers who participate. People get to actually go to their site and choose what they want according to age group from a list. LOTS of educational books – all free.I can't wait to do that! What a deal!
      And that’s just ONE of 19 gifts! The rest are great, too.
     Remember, the 19 free gifts are just for the first 5,000, and I hear they're going pretty fast, so if you want to join me and get in on this deal, please see the link below.

http://thehomeschoolmagazine.com/TOSSpring19Gifts/index.html

Monday, March 7, 2011

Free The Fight Against Fire / The King of Ice MP3s

Homeschool Freebie of the Day has 2 great classic "Living History for the Ears" programs for you today,

The Fight Against Fire – Firefighting is the act of extinguishing destructive fires. Firefighters battle fires to prevent destruction of life, property and the environment. Firefighting is a highly technical profession which requires years of training and education in order to become proficient — but it wasn't always so. In this excellent episode of the classic series "Adventures in Research", we hear how firefighting has changed and developed through the centuries. (15 minute audio)

The King of Ice – In the 1700s, one man claimed to have "invented" ice! What was the story behind this outlandish claim, and why did he make a fortune with a cargo of plain ordinary ice? Listen to this fascinating program and find out! (15 minute audio)
Click here to get your free mp3s: Freebie of the Day

Saturday, March 5, 2011

Check out My Review of the New Crystal Light PureFi!ness On The Go Packets!


I'm so glad I'm partcipating in the Crystal LightPure blogger campaign with One2One Network! I recently received my boxes of it to try out, and I'm really surprised: I actually really really like it! And yes, I recommend it!
I've got to admit that I was skeptical whether I'd enjoy something that's supposed to make my water yummy. I'm generally a water purist, lol. Plus I have a huge aversion to artificial sweeteners and artificial colors, so I couldn't wait to see how PURE and Natural this product really was.
But I read the "Nutrition Facts" Label first thing, and besides being happy NOT seeing all those chemicals usually found in fake beverages, I was intrigued at how they color the "Grape" flavor I received. Wow! They actually use
Dried Purple Carrot
& Dried Hibiscus Flower extracts!
Cool, huh?
Kraft says that "Crystal Light has made a sweet breakthrough in beverages with new, naturally sweetened Crystal Light Pure." I was afraid it would still taste too sweet to me, but it was just right: not too sweet and it also did NOT taste chemically like Grape medicine etc.:)
Crystal Light Pure is also promoted as "It gives women a new way to add delicious flavor to their water. In fact, women who drink Crystal Light drink 20 percent more water. (Based on consumption of tap, bottled, flavored water and prepared powdered beverages from Kantar Worldpanel Beverage Panel data): (I personally don't need an excuse to drink water, but I might drink extra since this could help if my blood sugar gets too low as a quick pickmeup!)



Crystal Light Pure contains no artificial sweeteners, flavors or preservatives. It is sweetened with sugar and TruviaTM, an all-natural, no-calorie sweetener derived from the stevia plant, and it is colored and flavored with natural ingredients.
Since I really don't need any extra calories (yes, I'm large, lol) I'm also glad "It offers a naturally sweetened, great-tasting way for women to enjoy drinking the water they need and contains just 15 calories per 8 fl. oz. serving (one/half stick), compared to other leading fitness beverages which contain 10 to 50 calories for a similar serving size. (Compared to 10 calories in Propel, 20 calories in G2 and 50 calories in Gatorade per 8 fl. oz. serving)
Each Crystal Light Pure packet will transform a 16.9-ounce bottle or glass of water into a light, refreshing beverage.
  • It is available in five delicious flavors: Grape(I can vouch that this is yummy :) ) Strawberry Kiwi, Tropical Blend, Mixed Berry and Lemonade.
  • Two flavors (Grape and Strawberry Kiwi) contain electrolytes to help aid hydration during light physical activity when you consume one packet (two servings). This makes it a perfect partner to add to your healthy, active lifestyle.I think this is a way cool benefit! The benefit of electrolytes is often touted in the media.)
  • Crystal Light Pure flavors contain 4 grams of sugar per serving.
Crystal Light Pure comes in convenient On The Go packages.
I plan to put some in my purses, backpack, you name it! Plus I'm going to give samples to friends and family (my 18 year old college student daughter who's always way busy and active will love it, for instance) and my blog readers when I can :)


Cool Gardening Nature Free Ebook This Week

Creatively Simple - How to Start Garden SeedsPennyRaine.com is offering a nice freebie this week: "Creatively Simple 00 How to Start Garden Seeds" Ebook.

Here's how Penny describes the goodie: "There is something so satisfying about growing your own plants, and it is even better when you start the seeds yourself. Starting your own seeds is really simple and very economical. In no time at all you will be walking through your own garden reaping the rewards of your efforts while communing with God.
Come along and join me on my porch as I show you how to do it.
This book covers starting seeds to plant in garden. It touches on sprouting but if you want to sprout your seeds before planting you need the Creatively Simple – How to Grow Sprouts in a Jar ebook."

Free March Monthly E-book « Free | Teacher Created Resources

December 2010 E-book Sampler
Contents
This e-book sampler includes ten activities from some of their popular titles:
Dr. Seuss' Birthday: March 2, 1904
For Grades K-3:
0450 Favorite Authors: Dr. Seuss
Pages 10-15, 112 And to Think That I Saw It On Mulberry Street
For Grades 4-8:
3050 Take Five Minutes: Fascinating Facts and Stories for Reading and Critical Thinking
Page 46: Dr. Seuss
St. Patrick's Day
For Grades 1-2
3890 Reading, Language & Math Activities: Spring
Page 21: St. Patrick's Day
For Grades 4-6
8237 Read-Write-Respond (January through June)
Pages 83, 203: St. Patrick's Day
First Day of Spring
For Grades 1-2
3706 Cut & Paste Science
Page 35 A Tree in All Seasons
For Grades 2-6
0676 Art for All Seasons
Pages 110, 111 Spring Mobile
World Water Day: March 22
For Grades 1-2
0167 Beginning Map Skills
Page 46 Continents and Oceans
For Grades 2-3
0273 Thematic Unit: Weather
Page 45 The Water Cycle"
Click here to get yours too:

Order Living the Country Life Magazine


Since I live in the country, I can't wait. This is a wonderful, legitimite deal. Three years, 12 issues free and I love that you don't have to buy anything or give financial info etc.
Look at all you get ... ABSOLUTELY FREE!
• Inspiration for your lawn and garden
• Ideas for landscape projects
• How-to’s for working on fences and barns
• Tool and equipment reviews
• Maintenance tips to keep your tractors running their best
• Help to attract and control wildlife
• Sizzling backyard barbecues ... and more!

Free Discovery Rocket & Cloud Lesson Plan

"With this NASA-inspired activity, your students will conduct atmospheric research as they draw and identify different types of clouds.

As the teacher who created it says, "By drawing the clouds, my students get to have some fun with studying the sky."
Click here to get yours. It's free if you sign up for Teacher's Hub free. I did.

Thursday, March 3, 2011

Free Alphabet Flashcards

"Homemade By Jill has created this adorable set of alphabet flashcards that you can print out for free!"

Free Printable St. Patrick's Day Greeting Cards

stpats (26K)Free Printable St. Patrick's Day Greeting Cards: "Vintage fine art prints adorn these two free printable St. Patrick's Day cards."

Free METHODS OF MIND TRAINING + EXERCISES IN MIND TRAINING (PDF ebooks)

"Two short, classic books (from way back in 1895!) offering specific methods of teaching students to focus attention and develop memory & concentration - skills which are sorely lacking in this day of computers, videogames, multi-tasking, ipods, and media-soaked everything. The author's method seems quite simple and old fashioned, but the results she reports are quite impressive! With a little creative thinking on your part (for instance, instead of blackboards use a simple sheet of cardstock, or a quick erase board and marker) these tried and true techniques can easily be adapted to modern students. Excellent material!"
Just click here to get yours: Freebie of the Day:

Tuesday, March 1, 2011

Spring Clean with Fellowes: Some Handy Tips To Prevent Identity Theft

Spring Cleaning Tips to Protect from Identity Theft

Thanks to the OnetoOne Network, I have some great hints and tips to share with you:
The Identity Theft Resource Center recommends their
Top 5 Tips for spring cleaning the home office: I know mine can always use some organizing. These tips should help with your homeschool too!

Begin with the Basics: Sort through the piles of paperwork on your desk and in your office drawers.  Place them into two categories: ‘save’ and ‘shred.’
Proper Storage: Organize the "save" pile into labeled folders (I personally suggest the Dymo Labelwriter Pro (see another of my earlier blog entries for more info on that.) 

Be sure to put anything confidential into a fire-proof lock box. My dad gave me one a few years ago and it gives me a nice sense of comfort knowing at least important documents will be safe :)

 The "shred" pile should be properly disposed of with a Cross-Cut shredder, such as a Fellowes P-12C
Cross-Cut technology is an important feature for a shredder because it provides high security, destroying confidential information into unidentifiable pieces.  Equally important are enhanced safety features, such as Fellowes' SafeSense technology, which shuts the machine down when hands come too close to the paper opening, which is so important if you have children. Doesn't that sound cool? Wish I had one. :)
The Fellowes P-12C paper shredder is a durable, innovativeand affordable machine. With Fellowes’ industry-leading technologies, the P-12C provides high-security and is safe for family environments
* To ensure high-security against identity thieves, the P-12C features Cross-Cut technology, which destroys a single sheet of paper into nearly 399 particles. 

The P-12C also includes Fellowes’ patented SafeSense technology, which disables the shredder when it senses hands or large pets come too close to the paper opening.

The P-12C can also shred staples, credit cards and paper clips to help speed up your spring cleaning process.

Its slim profile design allows the P-12C to fit in any officeenvironment, including under desks or in kitchens and other rooms.

Hey! After you shred all that paper, you can maybe use it to make your own recycled paper in a blender (I'll find some how-to's and share in a later post) 

Get a Digital Makeover: Refresh your home office computer bydeleting files you no longer use and backing-up important data onto an external hard drive.  Clean out your inbox and change all passwords.  Refreshing your computer is a good practice to follow throughout the year as well.
 (I just personally had to do all of this, especially change my passwords etc., because Facebook notified me that someone on a mobile phone across the country from me (they even knew the location) had tried to access my account. Then I found out (after installing a couple free virus protection and malware identifying and removal softwares for free that my brilliant computer genius 14-year old found for me), that I had 48 files infected with Malware and Trojans (the worst ones.) Not to mention the many high and low risk viruses that the virus protection software had found earlier. Jeepers. So many days without my computer drove me nuts. :) Hopefully it's all better now though. ...I still have file cleaning up to do like they suggest here.

Make Life Easier: Plan ahead by purchasing organizational tools for your desk, such as computer risers or file folder holders.  This will help clear clutter from your desk top while keeping things within arms reach.
Freshen Up: Get rid of dust and germs that easily build up on office equipment such as keyboards, telephones and cabinets.  You'll feel instantly more productive with a clean workspace.

Cool Free Online Smithsonian Event for Educators!

Shout Online Conference Series

Dear Education Professional: 
We are pleased to pass on this information about the next live online program from the Smithsonian Institution. Join live and lively online discussions with experts, network with people around the world, discover new resources, and enrich your students. Register now for this FREE program:
Wednesday, March 16, 2011, 11:00 am to 4:00 pm EST
The Art of Science: Complementary Ways of Understanding Our World 
Session One: 11:00 – 11:50am EST
How can a work of art add to our understanding of evolutionary biology, deforestation, and climate change? Museum educators Suzannah Niepold and Sally Otis of the Smithsonian American Art Museum will introduce you to artwork that does just that as they model writing prompts, optics experiments, art activities, and other strategies to connect art and science in your classroom.
Educating for Global Competence: Why does it matter today? What does it look like in student work?
Session Two: 1:00 – 1:50pm EST
How can we best prepare students for the global, economic, technological, and environmental challenges they will face in today’s increasingly interdependent world? Verónica Boix Mansilla, chair of the Future of Learning Institute at the Harvard Graduate School of Education, will explore what it means to be a globally competent person and how global competence is reflected in student work. 
Inspiring Students about Living, Breathing, Changing Soils 
Session Three: 2:00 – 2:50pm EST
Kids like to play in the dirt but may not recognize the amazing ways it enters into our daily lives and why soil conservation is crucial to the health of all land ecosystems. Meet Pat Megonigal, an ecosystem ecologist at the Smithsonian Environmental Research Center, who will show you how a remarkable exhibition with fun and engaging online tools reveals the secrets of soil. 
UPDATE on the Smithsonian Tree Banding project will immediately follow this Session Three. Hear about the schools across the world that are joining Smithsonian researchers in this citizen science project. You can join too!
All events are free of charge. More information and registration: 
This conference is part of SHOUT, a collaboration between the Smithsonian Institution, Microsoft Partners in Learning, and TakingITGlobal. www.shoutlearning.org

Freebie "SPRING NATURE STUDY (PDF ebook)

Here's something great for the coming season! In this vintage lesson guide for primary age students, you'll find poems and short stories about Spring, studies on seed germination, soil, rocks, earthworms, flowers, birds, Easter lessons, outdoor activities and much more. If you want to stir your child's imagination and give them a sense of wonder about this change of seasons, don't miss this. Tons of great ideas and lessons in this lovely, gentle compilation!"
Click here to get yours from the Erskines too! Freebie of the Day: –