Thanks Penny for another great week of lesson plans.

Welcome to another edition of the Lesson Theme of the Week. This
week's lesson theme is all about Birds and I hope you enjoy this
theme and pass it on to other homeschool families so they also may
use it to teach their children.

General Information
All About Birds
http://www.birds.cornell.edu/AllAboutBirds/BirdGuide/
American Birding Association
http://www.americanbirding.org
Anatomy, Behavior & Diseases of Caged Birds
http://www.peteducation.com/index.cfm?cls=15
Audubon: Birds & Science
http://www.audubon.org/bird/
Bird Flash Cards
http://www.renaesroom.com/Hotflashes/BirdFlash/BirdFlash.html
The Life of Birds
http://www.pbs.org/lifeofbirds/

Lesson Plans
Bird Biology Lesson Plan
http://www.kckpl.lib.ks.us/schlagle/lessons/Birds1.htm
Birds
http://web.utk.edu/~ctmelear/ossabaw/Collins/birds.html
Birds and their bird sounds
http://www.tacoma.washington.edu/education/intel/Projects/joan_hunn2.
htm
Birdwatching 101
http://sftrc.cas.psu.edu/LessonPlans/Wildlife/BirdsNest.html
Building a Bird's Nest Lesson Plan
http://www.lessonplanspage.com/ScienceLABirds-LearnAboutBody13.htm
Learning About a Bird's Body
http://www.inhs.uiuc.edu/chf/pub/virtualbird/educational.html
Virtual Birding
http://www.inhs.uiuc.edu/chf/pub/virtualbird/educational.html
What Makes a Bird a Bird?
http://www.inhs.uiuc.edu/chf/pub/virtualbird/teacher/lespl1.html

Multimedia
Bird sounds
http://www.bbc.co.uk/nature/programmes/radio/dawn_chorus/
Wild-Eyed Alaska
http://www.hhmi.org/alaska/
World Bird Guide
http://www.mangoverde.com/birdsound/

Crafts
A Variety of Bird Feeders
http://www.canteach.ca/elementary/life15.html
Bird Binoculars
http://www.kinderart.com/crafts/birdbinoculars.shtml
Bird Crafts
http://www.daniellesplace.com/html/birdcrafts.html
Bird Mobile Craft
http://www.dltk-kids.com/animals/mbirdmobile.htm
Curly Bird
http://members.aol.com/Sabbeth/Warmcraft.html
Egg Cup Bird
http://familycrafts.about.com/cs/birdprojects/a/blbirdcr2.htm
Nesting Supply Box For Birds
http://www.squiglysplayhouse.com/ArtsAndCrafts/Crafts/BirdSupplyBox.h
tml
Pinecone Bird Feeder
http://oldfashionedliving.com/birdfeeder2.html

Cooking
Bird Treats
http://www.robinsfyi.com/holidays/christmas/recipes/animals/birdtreat
.htm
Edible Bird's Nest
http://www.creativehomemaking.com/articles/030600c.shtml

Online Stories
A Bird Without a Song
http://www.marlo.com/wguy1.htm

Multimedia
Chick Hatchery
http://www.msichicago.org/online-science/videos/video-
detail/activities/the-hatchery/

Online Activities
Bird Migration Game
http://nationalzoo.si.edu/ConservationAndScience/MigratoryBirds/Educa
tion/Kids_Stuff/Woth_game/default.cfm
Fly like a bird, a 3D fly around
http://www.gamevial.com/flylikeabird.htm
Home of the Virtual Owl Pellet Dissection
http://www.kidwings.com/owlpellets/index.htm
Test your Memory Skills - Birds
http://www.bellaonline.com/code/memory/birds2.asp

Printouts
Bird Themed Coloring Pages
http://www.coloring.ws/birds.htm
How Many Colorful Birds Book for Early Readers
http://www.enchantedlearning.com/books/howmany/birds/
Mega Birdsearch
http://www.rspbliverpool.org.uk/birdsearch.htm
Word Search Puzzles: Birds
http://www.thepotters.com/puzzles/birds.html

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 Thank you Penny for a another great week of Lesson Plans!!

Welcome to another edition of the Lesson Theme of the Week this
week's lesson theme is on Spring. And I hope you enjoy this week's
theme and will pass it on to other homeschool families so they also
may use it to teach their children.

The Homeschool Network Internet Library News
http://homeschoolnetworklibrary.com
Please remember you can find additional materials in the member
section to go along with this week's lesson theme.

Lesson Plans
Integrating Math into a Spring Thematic Unit
http://www.eduref.org/cgi-
bin/printlessons.cgi/Virtual/Lessons/Mathematics/Measurement/MEA0004.
html
Soar Into Spring With Kites!
http://www.educationworld.com/a_lesson/lesson/lesson056.shtml
Splish, Splash, Spring Lesson Plan
http://content.scholastic.com/browse/collateral.jsp?
id=877&&DI=6244&IG=45bfe1f7c2714a7cb5359ab09b456aa0&POS=2&CM=WPU&CE=2
&CS=AWP&SR=2&sample=0
Spring Cleaning: Lesson plan based on Clifford The Big Red Dog
http://content.scholastic.com/browse/article.jsp?id=487
Spring Egg Art Lesson Plan
http://www.lessonplanspage.com/ArtMathPatternsEaster-SpringEgg15.htm
Spring Awakenings
http://www.cas.muohio.edu/scienceforohio/SprAwak/L.html
Spring/plants lesson plans for Head Start
http://www.lessonplanspage.com/MDMultidisciplinaryUnitOnSpringAndPlan
tsP.htm
Spring Time Flowers Math Lesson Plan
http://www.lessonplanspage.com/MathSciFavoriteFlowerGraph25.htm

Art
Baby-food Jar Gardens
http://crafts.kaboose.com/jgardens.html
Coffee Filter Butterflies
http://crafts.kaboose.com/butterfly1.html
Cross Stitch for Spring
http://www.dltk-holidays.com/spring/mcrossstitch.htm
Easy Spring Flowers
http://crafts.kaboose.com/flower1.html
Paper Bird House Craft
http://www.dltk-holidays.com/spring/mbirdhouse.htm
Spring Windsock
http://crafts.kaboose.com/windsock.html

Music
Spring Songs Ideas
http://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/curriculum/pep/teachingideas/sprin
gsongs.html

Cooking
Butterfly Cake
http://jas.familyfun.go.com/recipefinder/display?id=50107
Flower Power Cake
http://jas.familyfun.go.com/recipefinder/display?id=50138
Ladybug Cupcake
http://jas.familyfun.go.com/recipefinder/display?id=50162
N is For Nest Cupcake
http://jas.familyfun.go.com/recipefinder/display?id=50168

Online Activities
Spring Jigsaw Puzzle
http://www.primarygames.com/puzzles/jigsaw/spring/start.htm
Spring Match Game
http://www.primarygames.com/season_match/spring_match/start.htm
Spring Slide Puzzle
http://www.primarygames.com/seasons/spring/games/sliders/start.htm
Spring Word Search
http://www.primarygames.com/seasons/spring/word_search/start.htm
What is Spring?
http://www.northcanton.sparcc.org/~ptk1nc/spring2002/Cloze/whatisspri
ng5.htm

Printouts
DLTK's Custom Printable Coupons
http://www.dltk-cards.com/coupon/
Make Your Own Books - Spring
http://www.dltk-teach.com/minibooks/spring2/index.htm
Spring
http://abcteach.com/directory/seasonalseasons/spring/
Spring Anagram
http://www.dltk-holidays.com/spring/m-anagram.htm
Spring Coloring Pages
http://www.coloring.ws/spring1.htm
Spring Poem Printout
http://www.abcteach.com/spring/poem.htm
Spring Puzzle
http://www.abcteach.com/directory/fun_activities/crossword_puzzles/
Spring Themed Worksheets
http://www.kidzone.ws/thematic/spring.htm

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 Free Printables - This site is mainly for young learners and is for English. You can find free flash cards, make custom worksheets, games, forums, lesson plans, interactive site for kids, and links to resources. A very interesting site with lots of information and fun to add to your day.

Thanks Penny for another great week of lesson plans!!

Welcome to another edition of the Lesson Theme of the Week. This
week's topic  is on colors and I hope you enjoy this week's theme
and will pass it on to other homeschool families so they can use
this theme to teach their children.

If you would like to gain access to over 250 unit studies and lots
of other additional materials please visit The Homeschool  Network
Internet Library today.  http://www.homeschoolnetworklibrary.com

Lesson Plans
Colors
http://www.hummingbirded.com/lessonplan-colors.html
Colors: An Integrated Literature Approach
http://teacher.scholastic.com/grade/preK_K/oct_PreK_K_lesson2.htm
Colors Theme Preschool Activities and Crafts
http://www.first-school.ws/theme/colors.htm
Creating an Art Book - A Series of Portfolio Assessment Lessons for
the Primary Grades
http://www.kinderart.com/artbook/
Experimenting with Colors
http://atozteacherstuff.com/pages/213.shtml
Ice Cream Colors
http://atozteacherstuff.com/pages/342.shtml
Lesson 1: Primary Colors
http://www.thesolutionsite.com/lesson/818/lubeckelA1.html
Lesson 2: Secondary Colors
http://www.thesolutionsite.com/lesson/818/lubeckelA2.html
Lesson 3: Color Magic
http://www.thesolutionsite.com/lesson/818/lubeckelA3.html
Lesson 4: Brown Bear
http://www.thesolutionsite.com/lpnew/lesson/818/lubeckelA4.html
Teaching Colors to Preschoolers: Activities and Games that Help Them
Learn Color Recognition
http://kids-educational-
activities.suite101.com/article.cfm/teaching_colors_to_preschoolers

Online Stories
Color the Rainbow
http://www.storyplace.org/preschool/activities/colorstory.asp
My Colors
http://www.lil-fingers.com/colors/
My Many Colored Days by Dr Seuss
http://www.seussville.com/titles/days/yellow.html
Teletubbies  Colour Story
http://www.bbc.co.uk/cbeebies/teletubbies/funandgames/colourstory/ind
ex.shtml

Online Activities
A Rainbow of Frogs
http://www.meddybemps.com/9.500.html
Change the Color Activity for kids
http://www.kiddyhouse.com/Themes/colors/colorchange1.html
Colors
http://www.akidsheart.com/threer/lvl1/colorsrt.htm
Colors And Reading Game
http://www.liveandlearn.com/cgame/colors.html
Colour Mix Cottage
http://www.bbc.co.uk/cbeebies/fun/colourcottage.shtml
Little People
http://www.fisher-price.com/us/littlepeople/section.asp?
section=SHAPES
Mix & Match: The Exploratorium's Online Exhibits
http://www.exploratorium.edu/exhibits/mix_n_match/
What Color Is It?
http://www.storyplace.org/preschool/activities/coloractivity.asp

Music
Color Songs
http://www.perpetualpreschool.com/preschool_themes/colors/colors_song
s.htm
Eight Pretty Colors
http://www.songsforteaching.com/intellitunes/colors.htm
Primary Colors
http://www.songsforteaching.com/intellitunes/primarycolors.htm
The Colors
http://www.songsforteaching.com/singdancelaugh/thecolors.htm

Printouts
Color Printables
http://www.songs4teachers.com/colorprintables.htm
Colors Printable Activities for Preschool and Kindergarten
http://www.first-school.ws/theme/cp_colors.htm
DLTK's Coloring Pages
http://www.dltk-kids.com/coloring.htm
I Love Colors
http://www.enchantedlearning.com/colors/red.shtm
Rainbow Colors Flash Cards
http://www.first-
school.ws/activities/onlinestory/colors/fredafrogcolors.htm

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Welcome to another edition of the Lesson Theme of the Week. This
week's lesson theme is all about shapes and I hope you enjoy this
week's theme and will pass it on to other homeschool families so
they can also use it with their children.

Homeschool  Network Internet Library News
http://www.homeschoolnetworklibrary.com
The additional materials that goes along with each week's lesson
theme will not be updated until  tonight or tomorrow.  I have to
upload my cd of music, books and other materials that goes along
with this week's theme.  I will post to the groups as soon as I have
updated the members section.

Lesson Plans
Circles, Triangles, and Squares! Oh, My!
http://www.glc.k12.ga.us/BuilderV03/LPTools/LPShared/lpdisplay.asp?
LPID=14543
Fun With Shapes
http://www.atozteacherstuff.com/pages/508.shtml
Hokey Pokey with Shapes
http://www.lessonplanspage.com/MathMusicHokeyPokeyShapesIdeaPK.htm
Making Pictures Out Of Shapes
http://www.kamalii.k12.hi.us/EBC2000/shapes_lesson_plan.htm
Recognizing Shapes
http://www.education.gsw.edu/portfolio/hhp/pages/treed/teaching_shape
s.htm
Shapes
http://atozteacherstuff.com/pages/411.shtml
Shapes Preschool Activities and Crafts
http://www.first-school.ws/theme/shapes.htm
Treasure Hunt for Shapes
http://www.atozteacherstuff.com/pages/412.shtml

Crafts
Circle Bear Shapes Craft
http://www.dltk-kids.com/animals/mbear.html
Dashing Danny Diamond Shapes Craft
http://www.dltk-teach.com/shapes/mdiamond.htm
Make Shape Collage
http://www.bbc.co.uk/cbeebies/totstv/make_colour/makes/shape_collage/
index.shtml
Shape Mobile
http://www.storyplace.org/preschool/activities/shapestakehome.asp
Shapes Angel
http://www.dltk-holidays.com/xmas/mshapesangel.htm
Shapes Mobile for Kids
http://www.dltk-kids.com/crafts/miscellaneous/mstarmobile.html
The Shapes Buddies Crafts
http://www.dltk-teach.com/shapes/crafts-buddies.htm
Triangle Fish Shapes Craft
http://www.dltk-kids.com/animals/mfish.html

Music
Circles Go 'Round and 'Round
http://www.songsforteaching.com/jennyfixmanedutunes/circlesgoroundand
round.htm
Everyday Shapes
http://www.liveandlearn.com/barr.html
Preschool Education Music & Songs: Shapes
http://www.preschooleducation.com/sshape.shtml

Online Activities
Buzzing with Shapes
http://www.harcourtschool.com/activity/buzz/buzz.html
Colourful Shapes
http://www.bbc.co.uk/cbeebies/totstv/games_stories/shapes/
Matching Shapes
http://www.kidport.com/GradeK/Math/MeasureGeo/MathK_Shapes.htm
Sticker Shapes
http://www.billybear4kids.com/games/stickers/s-shapes/IEStickers.html
Storyplace Shapes Online Activity
http://www.storyplace.org/preschool/activities/shapesonact.asp
Teletubbies - Shape Game
http://www.bbc.co.uk/cbeebies/teletubbies/funandgames/shapes/

Online Stories
Draw Me Shapes
http://www.lil-fingers.com/shapes/by.html
Learning Shapes With Krog
http://www.paulysplayhouse.com/paulys_playhouse/games/krog.html
Sammy's Shapes
http://www.primarygames.com/storybooks/sammy/start.htm
Story of Shapes
http://www.storyplace.org/preschool/activities/shapesonstory.asp

Printouts
Shape Activities :: Printed Worksheet
http://www.senteacher.org/wk/shape1.php
Shape-Book Patterns
http://www.eduplace.com/rdg/hme/k_5/shapebook/toc.htm
Shapes
http://abcteach.com/directory/shape_books/patterns_and_coloring_pages
/shapes/
Shapes Buddies Coloring Book Pages
http://www.dltk-teach.com/shapes/poster/index.htm
Shapes Poster To Print
http://www.teacherview.com/ClassExtras/posters/shapes/index.htm
Shapes Recognition Practice Worksheets
http://www.kidzone.ws/prek_wrksht/shapes.htm
STEP 1 for Custom Bingo Cards
http://www.dltk-cards.com/bingo/bingo1.asp
The Shapes A Coloring Book to Print
http://www.enchantedlearning.com/crafts/books/shapes/

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I remember starting to post this before my son got sick. This weeks topic was Harriet Tubman. Thanks Penny for all your hard work in the research you did to put this together and thanks for allowing me to use it on my blogs!

Welcome to another edition of the Lesson Theme of the Week. I am
sorry for this week's theme going out late this week but due to my
health I couldn't help it. I hope you enjoy this week's theme and
will pass it on to other homeschool families. This week's lesson
theme is on Harriet Tubman and for those that are members of the
Homeschool Network website I have changed the additional materials
section for this week's theme. It now includes a movie and some
other materials to use along with this week's theme. Starting next
week for the month of March all themes will be for those
homeshooling preschoolers and Kindergarten ages.

This week's Lesson Theme is brought to you by the Homeschool Network
Internet Library. http://www.homeschoolnetworklibrary.com

General Information
Harriet Tubman
http://www.americaslibrary.gov/cgi-bin/page.cgi/aa/tubman
HARRIET TUBMAN
http://www.harriettubman.com/
Harriet Tubman timeline
http://www.math.buffalo.edu/~sww/0history/hwny-tubman.html
The Harriet Tubman Journal
http://www.harriettubmanjournal.com/
The Life of Harriet Tubman
http://www.nyhistory.com/harriettubman/life.htm



Lesson Plans
An American hero: Harriet Tubman
http://www.learnnc.org/lessons/FloannaLong2112003866
Harriet Tubman and the Underground Railroad
http://www.educationworld.com/a_tsl/archives/04-1/lesson005.shtml
Harriet Tubman- Grandma Moses
http://www.glc.k12.ga.us/BuilderV03/LPTools/LPShared/lpdisplay.asp?
LPID=51113
Harriet Tubman Integrated Unit: Lesson 2
http://artsedge.kennedy-center.org/content/2034/
Harriet Tubman Special Resource Study
http://www.harriettubmanstudy.org/
Lesson Plan - HARRIET TUBMAN
http://teacherlink.ed.usu.edu/tlresources/units/Byrnes-
famous/tubman.html


Online Activities
Harriet Tubman
http://www.educationalsynthesis.org/books/History/HTubman.html
Harriet Tubman Quiz
http://gvctemp01.virtualclassroom.org/games/tubmanquiz.html
Harriet Tubman Word Search
http://www.surfnetkids.com/games/harriet_tubman-ws.htm
Quiz: Harriet Tubman
http://library.thinkquest.org/10854/tubquiz.html
Tubman Seek and Find
http://middle.capemayschools.com/mt4/Tubman/TubmanSeek.htm


Printouts
Harriet Tubman Puzzle
http://chi.gospelcom.net/kids/puzzles/gfk011wordsearch.php
Harriet Tubman Printout/Coloring Page
http://www.enchantedlearning.com/history/us/aframer/tubman/coloring.s
html
Have Fun With Our Crossword Puzzles
http://www2.lhric.org/pocantico/tubman/puzzles.htm

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One of my dearest friends has a group on yahoo where she shares weekly lesson plans for a certain topic and this weeks topic was Valentines Day.  She does alot of research in putting these wonderful plans together and she allows them to be shared. She also has a wonderful website which you will find in the beginning part of the message. Some of the stuff on her website you need to be a paid member but for me I felt it was well wother it. The links in the lesson plan are to all free sites. I will share them weekly with you all. You can find her group at the bottom of this page. Enjoy as there are alot of links to enjoy and spend time with this particular theme!! Thanks Penny for all you do!!

Welcome to another edition of the Lesson Theme of the Week. This
week's topic is on Valentines Day and I hope you enjoy this week's
theme and will pass it on to other homescoolies so they also can use
it with their children.

I have  found a lot of different downloadable resources for you to
use with your children. Please click here to visit and view all of
these.  http://homeschoolnetworklibrary.com/valentines/valentines.htm

General Information
Howstuffworks "How Valentine's Day Works"
http://people.howstuffworks.com/valentine.htm
Valentine Exhibition-- Origins of the Valentine
http://www.americanantiquarian.org/Exhibitions/Valentines/origins.htm
Valentine's Day History
http://www.infoplease.com/spot/valentinesdayhistory.html

Lesson Plans
Candy Heart Sentences Language Arts Lesson Plan
http://www.lessonplanspage.com/LAArtCandyHeartSentences34.htm
Conversation Heart Candy Math Math Lesson Plan
http://www.lessonplanspage.com/MathConversationHeartCandyMathIdea23.h
tm
Detective Valentine
http://www.pecentral.org/lessonideas/ViewLesson.asp?ID=3028
Graphing Valentine Candies
http://www.beaconlearningcenter.com/Lessons/2563.htm
Mend My Broken Heart Math Lesson Plan
http://www.lessonplanspage.com/MathLAAdditionSubtractionMendBrokenHea
rtIdea23.htm
The Language of Love
http://www.nytimes.com/learning/teachers/lessons/20010214wednesday.ht
ml?searchpv=learning_lessons
Valentine Letter Writing
http://lesson-plans-
materials.suite101.com/article.cfm/valentine_letter_writing
Valentine Rap game Music Lesson Plan
http://www.lessonplanspage.com/MusicValentineRapGameIdeaP1.htm
Valentine's Day Language Arts Lesson Plan
http://www.lessonplanspage.com/LAValentinesDay6.html
Valentine's Day lesson plan
http://www.developingteachers.com/tips/valentine_plan1.htm
Why Celebrate Valentine's Day?
http://www.glc.k12.ga.us/BuilderV03/LPTools/LPShared/lpdisplay.asp?
LPID=55041

Crafts
Bear Box Craft for Valentine's Cards
http://www.dltk-holidays.com/valentines/mbearbox.htm
Chocolate Boxes Paper Crafts - Learning Colors
http://www.dltk-holidays.com/valentines/m-chocolates-colors.htm
Chocolate Boxes Paper Crafts - Learning Letters
http://www.dltk-holidays.com/valentines/m-chocolates-letters.htm
Chocolate Boxes Paper Crafts - Learning Numbers
http://www.dltk-holidays.com/valentines/m-chocolates-numbers.htm
Chocolate Boxes Paper Crafts - Learning Shapes
http://www.dltk-holidays.com/valentines/m-chocolates-shapes.htm
Easy Valentine's Day Kleenex Box Cover
http://www.dltk-holidays.com/valentines/mkleenex.html
Gum Guy Cupids
http://jas.familyfun.go.com/arts-and-crafts?
page=CraftDisplay&craftid=10788
Heart Pinwheels
http://www.homeschoolzone.com/craft/ripplepinwheels.htm
Heather the Heart Shapes Buddie
http://www.dltk-teach.com/shapes/mheart.htm
Love Bug
http://jas.familyfun.go.com/arts-and-crafts?
page=CraftDisplay&craftid=11597
Scented heart ornaments Valentines Day craft project
http://www.craftown.com/valentine/val3.htm
Stained-Glass Hearts
http://jas.familyfun.go.com/arts-and-crafts?
page=CraftDisplay&craftid=10556
Sweethearts Bookmark
http://www.sesameworkshop.org/parents/activity/article.php?
contentId=23482&categoryId[]=4473&contentId=23482
Valentine's Day Crown or Hat
http://www.dltk-holidays.com/valentines/mcrown.htm
Valentine's Day Wreath Craft
http://www.dltk-holidays.com/valentines/mwreath.htm


Cooking
Conversation Heart Fudge
http://jas.familyfun.go.com/recipefinder/display?id=40793
Cupid's Lemony Love Potion
http://jas.familyfun.go.com/recipefinder/display?id=40797
Lollipop Flowers
http://jas.familyfun.go.com/arts-and-crafts?
page=CraftDisplay&craftid=10520
Sweet Heart Krispy Treats
http://jas.familyfun.go.com/recipefinder/display?id=40795

Music
CanTeach: Songs & Poems - Valentine's Day
http://www.canteach.ca/elementary/songspoems13.html
Valentine's Day Songs: Lyrics for Children
http://www.songsforteaching.com/holiday/valentinesdaysongs.htm
MoJo's Musical Mouseum Song Lyrics - Valentine's Day Songs
http://www.kididdles.com/lyrics/valentines.html

Online Stories
Lil' Fingers Storybook: Hearts
http://www.lil-fingers.com/hearts/

Online Activities
Make a Valentine with a Connecting Word
http://www.starfall.com/n/holiday/valentine/play.htm?f
Seek-a-Word with Billy Bear
http://www.billybear4kids.com/games/online/search/valentines.html
Valentine's Day Heart Scrambler
http://www.surfnetkids.com/games/valentine-sc.htm
Valentine's Day On-Line Coloring Pages
http://www.dltk-kids.com/color/valentine3.htm
Valentine's Day Tic Tac Toe
http://www.dltk-holidays.com/valentines/tictactoe/index.htm
Valentine Concentration Game
http://www.bethanyroberts.com/ValentineConcentrationGame.htm
Valentine Dress Up Game
http://www.billybear4kids.com/paperdoll/OnlineFlash/Valentine/DressUp
.html
Valentine Online Word Puzzle
http://www.bethanyroberts.com/ValentineOnlineWordPuzzle.htm

Printouts
Chocolate Box Tic-Tac-Toe for Valentine's Day
http://familyfun.go.com/printables/coloring-pages/printable/tic-tac-
toe-valentine/
Custom Tracer Pages
http://www.kidzone.ws/tracers/valentine/index.asp
How Many Colorful Hearts Book
http://www.enchantedlearning.com/books/holiday/valentine/colorfulhear
ts/
Math Activity Worksheets
http://www.kidzone.ws/math/valentine/index.htm
Valentine Activity Book for Children
http://www.allfreeprintables.com/valentine/activity-book.shtml
Valentine's Day Anagram
http://www.dltk-holidays.com/valentines/m-anagram.htm
Valentine's Day Coupon Book
http://www.activitiesforkids.com/holiday/coupon.htm
Valentine's Day Crossword Puzzles
http://www.dltk-holidays.com/valentines/m-crossword.htm
Valentine's Day Memory Game
http://familyfun.go.com/printables/games/printable/memory-game-
valentines-day/memory-game-valentines-day.html

To Subscribe to the Lesson Theme of the Week use the links below
Lesson Theme of the Week
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/lessonthemeoftheweek/

Lesson Theme of the Week NoChat Version
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/lessonthemeoftheweeknochat/

I am not kidding you, my daughter (age 12) begged me to cut loose of the planned curriculum and instead watch another section of "The States" from the History Channel.  I don't mind, it is a really interesting and fun DVD series, that teaches me something new each time, actually a lot of new things.   We are in Vol. 1, pt 3, and the States in this section are: New York, Oregon, Louisiana, New Mexico and Vermont.

By the way, I love the way the DVD skips around the country, it's like getting a surprise each time!  We have come up with some great lesson plan ideas while viewing, and I will suggest some to you as we go through each State.

New York:  The New York segment touches on the Hudson Rivers' importance to the state.  It is also the largest producer of wine on the east coast, reveals how "Uncle Sam" came to be (surprised me!), and explained sky-scrapers and 9-11.  Future lesson plan? 9-11

Oregon:  Oregon the State of "thinkers"  Did you know that in Oregon you cannot pump your own gas?  Oregon is also the first state to okay assisted suicide (I wouldn't brag, but oh well..), and the only inland State attacked by a Japenese plane.  Future lesson plan? The Oregon Trail

Louisiana:  Terry Bradshaw was the celebrity speaker for Louisiana.  Louisiana has more bridges than any other state.  Learn where the Cajun really came from. History on Andrew Jackson and a touching view on Hurricane Katrina and other horrible natural disasters that have hit the State. Our pick for future lesson plan? Update on Katrina victims (my daughter's suggestion)

New Mexico:  Neil Patrick Harris was the celebrity spokesman for this state. New Mexico has more P.h.d.'s than anywhere else in the Country.  History of Billy the Kid and the Manhattan Project are both covered.  Also showcases New Mexico's art community, and a fascinating look at New Mexico's Zozobra, which we will study some time later (we never heard of it!)

Vermont:  The section on Vermont is so pleasant that it makes you want to move there.  Home of the very first patent and Ben and Jerry's ice cream.  Learn why their granite is rated grade A, and all about their maple syrup and snowboarding activities.  Future lesson plan?  Plan a trip to Vermont!!

That's it for this section.  I urge you to add this series to your home-school library, it is so full of history, geography, facts and fiction, and holds your interest the entire time!  Back in a few weeks with more!

Order "The States"

   The bitter cold temperatures in our area over the weekend provided me with an opportunity to make some old fashioned homemade "stained glass" hard candy. Every winter family and friends eagerly await the Arctic blast that drives our temperatures into single digits with low humidity knowing that the candy soon will be ready. The phone rings, the emails arrive, and notes placed mysteriously throughout the house appear as soon as the forecast is known, they all want to make sure I am aware the cold air is on the way. "Hurry up and get ready, the deep freeze is coming!" has to be one of my favorites. The weather is important because after the molten candy is poured from the kettle onto the tray I immediately (but carefully) rush it outside and place the tray in the snow. Between the very cold air on the top surface of the candy and the ice cold snow on the bottom of the tray, the candy instantly freezes and cracks into gorgeous pieces of old fashioned candy.
   I use a very old recipe that my neighbor just recently passed on to me from her great-grandmother. I grew up with her candy but it was always a "secret". It is a time consuming and labor intensive process but it creates some of the best tasting, most beautiful candy I've ever had.
   Over the 2 days I managed to make 10 different flavors, peppermint, spearmint, wintergreen, cinnamon, cherry, lemon, lime, orange, root beer, and red licorice. That certainly does not appear to be a lot, but it takes on average 2-3 hours per flavor. Of course I already have orders for second batches, but I am at the mercy of Mother Nature and the weather. 
   The boys help out a lot, they measure out the ingrediants, watch the kettles to make sure that the heat is just perfect, and most importantly remove the molten candy from the heat source when it reaches exactly 310 degrees. This experience of making candy actually is a science, chemistry and math lesson, all rolled into one delicious "class." Sometimes homeschooling teachs us all when we least expect it.

 

Music is important and children need to learn music to be well-rounded. You can teach your child music appreciation and music history or how to play an actual instrument or how to sing. Kids love to learn about music and teaching your child will foster a life long love of music. If you homeschool your child, then you need to take a look at some of the following music curriculum.

Stories of the Great Composers: This book and compact disc is appropriate for children in kindergarten through sixth grade. This series takes a look at 12 famous composers, their life, a story about the composer, a list of three important compositions and a question and answer page about each composer. This set can be used with all ages and is easy to read and follow.

Meet the Great Composers: There are two books in this series, which takes a look at famous composers throughout history. This set is appropriate for children in 3^rd through 9^th grade. The series shows students important facts about the composer, a story about the composer’s life, interesting facts and activity sheets. In addition, each set comes with a CD with music samples. All activity sheets are reproducible so you can use the set over and over again.

Silver Burdett - Making Music: This series has a book for each grade level. Each book has a complete list of activities and learning activities that will teach children about the history of music, music awareness and music literacy. Each set comes complete with several books, music CDs and other extras, such as hand puppets for the pre-k series. This curriculum series is a bit more expensive than other programs, but it offers a complete music learning experience for homeschoolers.

Pheiffer House Music: This is specially designed with homeschoolers in mind and for parents looking for a Christian approach to teaching music. Sets are available for kindergarten, first, second, third and fourth through sixth. You can even order the entire set for a discount price. The goal of this music curriculum is to enable anyone, even those without musical experience to teach children about music. Each set comes with a detailed booklet and a CD as well as worksheets and flashcards. The CD contains lessons to teach pitch, rhythm and fun songs appropriate for each age level.

Sing N Learn: This company has many books and instruction sets that can be used with homeschooled children of all ages and skill levels. One of the most popular choices if the Classical Kid’s Collection Pack that includes educational information on famous composers such as Bach, Vivaldi, Beethoven, and Mozart. Each unit features detailed information about each composer along with questions about each one and has integrated curriculum to combine music with social studies, creative writing and other subjects.

Essentials of Music Theory: This is a complete set where you can pick and choose the books and CDs you are interested in using. This set is perfect for children that want to not only learn about music appreciation, but also has a keen interest in learning musical theory as well. Choose from books, compact discs and even software that all work together to teach your child all about music. Even if you have very little music experience, you can use this series at home.

   Tomorrow is Michigan's primary and I must say that it has been years since I have seen so much interest in politics and the process of electing our public officials. Maybe it is due to the fact that Michigan is undergoing a one state recession and losing jobs and businesses at an alarming rate.
   Our oldest will be eligible to vote in this November's election and we have been learning a lot about politics and the process of electing our state and federal officials. There are many interesting articles and forums featuring information on all of the candidates, and of course since several of them are busy campaigning in the State there have been various occasions to participate in rallies.
   We are open to debating facts within our family regarding candidates but we have 3 rules we all agree to follow:
1) ALWAYS VOTE! This is a privilege, not an option.
2) No negative or smear remarks. Do your research and provide just the facts.
3) Vote your conscious, vote for who YOU feel would be the best for the position (whether it is a local school board election, or the Presidential election), do not be swayed by family or friends.
  It will be an interesting day tomorrow, we will be watching the polls closely to see how this primary stacks up against past primaries. Romney and McCain are in a statistical dead heat currently, but McCain won this state back in 2000 and still has a large group of followers and several big name endorsements.
   12 hours until the polls open, like the boys are so fond of saying: "Let the games begin!"

Martin Luther King Day Resources

 

Martin Luther King Day is on January 21, 2008.  Here are some resources that will help ensure that you have all of the tools needed to teach your children about this great man.  First, you will want to introduce the story of Martin Luther King to your children.  Here are some resources that you can use for reading about Martin Luther King.

 

The Story of Martin Luther King (grades 5-12)

Lesson Plan to Critique the Speech (grades 9-12)

 

Martin Luther King on Time for Kids

 

All About MLK

History of the Holiday

Biography of Martin Luther King

Here is a list of downloadable and printable Martin Luther King Lesson Plans and Teacher Guides

Dr. King's Life and Words Associated with Him [245 Kb PDF - Grades Pre-K-1]

Names, Names, Names [453 Kb PDF - Grades Pre-K - 1]

Dr. King's Leadership and Character [485 Kb PDF - Grades 2-3]

Picturing Nonviolence or Nonexistence [436 Kb PDF - Grades 4 -5]

People of Peace [398 Kb PDF - Grades 4-5]

If It Is To Be, It Is Up To Me [495 Kb PDF - Grades 4-5]

The March on Washington [188 Kb PDF - Grades 6-8]

Portraying the Dream [172 Kb PDF - Grades 6-8]

Peace Studies: Where in the World is Peace [288 Kb PDF - Grades 6-8]

A Time to Break the Silence [358 Kb PDF - Grades 6-8]

The Next Generation [363 Kb PDF - Grades 6-8]

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and Me [1,038 Kb PDF - Grade 8]

A Problem-Solving Project [723 Kb PDF - Grades 4-8]

Resources for the Classroom [139 Kb PDF - Grades Pre-K - 8]

 

There is also a five part curriculum that is complete with a teacher’s guide and lesson plans.  You can download them here:

The format of this curriculum is divided into 5 major sections:

Guidelines for Teachers (PDF 1,411 KB)

 Lessons Plans ( K-grade 8)

 Visitor Center Exhibits

 A Problem-Solution Project

 References

You can also bring your kids online and let them view some of the amazing photographs and slideshow presentations of Martin Luther King.  Here is a slideshow presentation that depicts photos of Martin Luther King during the last year of his life.

Martin Luther King slideshow

Martin Luther King Videos


Interactive Timeline

If you are looking for Martin Luther King Jr. printables you’ll like these resources. 

Martin Luther King Jr. Notebooking Papers and Printouts

One Inch Writing Lines - Martin Luther King, Jr. (1)

One Inch Writing Lines - Martin Luther King, Jr. (2)

One Inch Writing Lines - Martin Luther King, Jr. (3)

 Martin Luther King Worksheets

Martin Luther King Printables (including bookmarks)

Bookmarks

Color a Picture and Write a Poem

Matching Worksheet

Martin Luther King Printable Word Search

Martin Luther King Form for Report

Martin Luther King Book to Print for Young Children

 

Martin Luther King Crossword Puzzle

Timeline and Worksheets

Various Worksheets

Journal and Coloring Pages

When you are through with your lessons and studies, you can present several quizzes to your children.  Here are several online and interactive Martin Luther King Jr. quizzes.

Scholastic News: Martin Luther King Jr. Quiz

 
Martin Luther King Jr. will always be remembered for his infamous speeches.  He won the Nobel Peace prize and his speeches still inspire people to change and pursue equality and freedom today.  You can view the, “I Have a Dream” speech online.

 

Here is the video:

 

 

If you would like to download and print the text, or read it online, you can view the complete text of Martin Luther King’s “I Have a Dream” speech here:

Martin Luther King: I Have a Dream Complete Text

 

This video is about homeschooling and games and how it can help your child learn.

Granted, homeschooling takes something special. A lot of parents fear homeschooling their children because they "don't know" enough about Algebra, or Science, and are afraid of cheating their children. Let me tell you, what is most important is motivation. Parents, as teachers, do not need to know the quadratic formula or the Periodic Table in order for their kids to be successful. Motivation, either provided through parents or by the student him/herself, is the main component that is needed for homeschooling to be successful. Here is a link for an article published at the famous "How Stuff Works" website called "How Does Homeschooling Work" which describes how motivation is the key to making this work.

 

Many homeschoolers enjoy the benefits of using Microsoft Office.  Between Power Point, Excel, and Microsoft Word there are numerous activities, lessons, charts, graphs, and displays that can easily be created and used with your curriculum.  However, not everyone has Microsoft Office, or the featured word processor, Microsoft Word.

For those who feel that they have been missing out on numerous resources because they don’t have Microsoft Office, help is on the way.  There is a free word processor that is compatible with Microsoft Word documents and will even save your documents in PDF format if you choose.  The program is called, “Open Office.” You can download and install Open Office online and choose it as your main word processor.

 

When you want to open a Microsoft Word document, simply click on the file and Open Office will open it for you.  If you create a document in Open Office, you can choose to save it as a Word document, or even export it to a pdf file.  There are numerous formats available for saving your documents as well.

 

Open Office is “open source” software.  This enables it to be free of charge and also allows different programmers to create their own programs to enhance the software.  These programs are called “extensions” and can be downloaded free of charge as well.  A great place to find Open Office extensions can be found here: Open Office Extensions

You’ll find that once you download Open Office that it is very simple to use. 

This week's free download from the Homeschool Estore is Valentine Notebooking Pages. The set contains 33 valentine themed notebooking pages, which are great for copy work, letter writing and whatever else you can get creative and think up. This kit also contains 6 foldable valentine cards, 14 decorated envelopes, and 3 labels and recipe cards.  This set came out in plenty of time before Valentines Day. Have fun planning and using this set.

Objective

What kid doesn’t love learning about the solar system? The planets are interesting and when your child is ready to learn, there is a wealth of information out there to help you and your child. This lesson will help you teach your child about the different planets and interesting facts about each one. This is also a great time to teach your child about space exploration.

 

Materials

*Books about the Solar System

*Print out pictures of the planets

*Construction paper

*Glue
*Crayons
*Scissors

*Model magic
*Styrofoam
*Paint 

Fact File

*The sun takes up over 98% of the mass in the solar system.
*Pluto, which was the smallest planet, is no longer classified as a planet.
*Mars has a surface and atmosphere that most closely mirrors that of Earth.
*It takes 2-1/2 Earth centuries for the Sun to orbit around Pluto once.
*Some of the rocks found on Earth are actually pieces of Mars. 
 

Activities

Make a Solar System book: One of the best ways to reinforce a lesson is to allow your child to make their very own fact book about the solar system. You can print out pictures of the planets and have them color each picture. Gather books and find websites and have your child write down several facts about each planet. Make a cover out of construction paper and organize the pages into a useful book.

 

A Solar System model is also fun—just do not rely on the store bought kits. Have your child come up with a unique way to make the solar system on his or her own. For example, how about making the planets out if lightweight clay such as Model Magic, or making a mobile?

 

Field Trip Opportunity

There are many excellent places you can take your child to learn more about the exciting world of the solar system. Look for a space center near you. The Houston Space Center offers families an in-depth look at space travel, the planets and much more. Ticket prices are $14.95 for kids and $18.95 for adults. You can get discount rates when traveling with a group and you can even check into overnight stays and day camps that are specifically geared towards scouts and homeschooling families. Don’t forget to tour the nearby Johnson Space Center while you are here. It offers a look at space exploration that your kids will love.

 

Wrap-Up

The official website for NASA is an excellent website when you are looking for just about any information about the solar system and space travel. Your child can even write to NASA and request information by mail. This website features an interactive place for kids of all ages to go and explore space through the Internet.

 

Another fun site for kids is Kids Astronomy. This site is full of easy to read and understand information for kids, all of which pertains to space. Kids can go here to learn detailed information about each planet as well learn about deep space, space exploration and more.

Lapbooks are very popular with many homeschoolers these days, especially for preschoolers and early elementary-aged children.  What are lapbooks you ask?  Good question!

A lapbook is basically a learning tool that is interactive, made from a pocket folder or manila folder, and can be targeted for almost subject that you teach.  Another word for a lapbook might be a portfolio.  It is a fun way for younger children to remember lessons because the lapbook is fun to make and fun to play with after it is completed.

There is no secret that children learn best when they are able to delve into their projects.  Hands-on activities improve how a child remembers information.  What do you think...is it more fun to read a worksheet about volcanoes, or to build an actual working model?

How are lapbooks made?  Another good question!  Lapbooks are made from pocket folders or manila folders.  You can use other materials as well.  The contents are mini books and games/activities that you paste into the folder.  You use the pockets of a pocket folder as a way to make flaps that your child can flip out to find more information.  There are are endless ways you glue things into the folder.  You can add recipes, small worksheets, and other fun things to do, along with the mini books.

It does take effort on a parent's part to put one of these things together, but websites like Hands of a Child, have made it extremely easy by providing pre-made materials for lapbooks called project packs.  They have virtually any subject that you can imagine, and the site is continuing to grow.  If you want to give lapbooks a whirl, they offer quarterly freebies, so you can try your hand at making one!

Benefits of Lapbooks

**Encourages creativity in your child
**Can be used with a unit study or as a standalone learning tool
**Easy to store and use as review material

I strongly recommend that you visit Hands of a Child to see a lapbook in action.  You don't realize the wealth of material you can cover until you actually make one yourself.  Warning:  They are addicting!

   This year we have been trying very hard to create and stick to a regular schedule for lessons. This can be very challenging at times when you consider the fact that Jon has a part time job (a great benefit of homeschooling are the flexible hours that the student is available to work), and the extracurricular activities that at times overlap our schedule.
   I have found that the easiest way around scheduling issues is to do lessons around the jobs and extracurricular activities instead of vice versa. This allows our family a stressless approach to learning without playing beat the clock with their education. Some days require earlier start times, some evening lessons, and others require teaching twice a day to accommodate two separate planned activities.
   I know some homeschool parents that would find this to be a bit of an annoyance or exhausting, but it really has proven to be a calm and peaceful way to mix school with the opportunities that teens need to help build their self-esteem, confidence, and understanding of the real world. 
 

This weeks free download from the Homeschool Estore is Hands of a Child,  Project Pack Sled Dogs. Grades 3 - 8. Everything you need to make the lapbook is in this download. It is in pdf format so you will need adobe acrobat reader.