Search Results for: history

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The Art of Movie Magic (Secular Homeschool Unit Study)

The Art of Movie Magic A Secular Homeschool Unit Study Art can take many forms, and as a young secular homeschool parent it was easy to get caught in the “paint on a canvas” loop of art education; coloring recreations of the painting masters or learning to identify some of the great works. But art is vastly broader than simply studying Picasso or Rembrandt. Art is the expression of creative skill and imagination. It can be so many things, including movies. That’s right, I’m talking about films, cinema, motion pictures. The art of storytelling on the big (and little) screen. …

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Teaching the Science of Climate Change to Middle Schoolers

Q & A on (Almost) Everything You Want to Know about Teaching the Science of Climate Change to Middle Schoolers*   *don’t be afraid to ask! When I was asked to teach a course on the science of climate change to the middle schoolers in our science group, believe me, I had some questions! As I worked to answer those questions, I gained a deeper appreciation for how interconnected everything (and I do mean everything) really is. And I got excited thinking about the many ways this course could challenge and inspire the kids with all kinds of learning…and dare I say …

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Serious Learning, Serious Fun: How Brainteasers, Games, and Puzzles Help Kids Learn

Serious Learning, Serious Fun: How Brainteasers, Games, and Puzzles Help Kids Learn By Hannah Thelen Building an engaging lesson that will capture a child’s attention and fight off boredom is a constant struggle for every educator. The solution to this problem may be found nestled at the intersection between play and learning: Puzzles. Puzzles come in many forms. Traditional jigsaw puzzles and other physical assembly puzzles, word puzzles, math puzzles, and logic puzzles have been enjoyed for generations, and exist all over the world. Regardless of what form they come in, puzzles and other thinking games offer extensive cognitive benefits …

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Science, Naturally! Review

Science, Naturally! Review Clever STEM books for secular homeschooling families. Are you looking for a fresh new addition to your secular homeschool toolbox? Look no further than Science, Naturally! With award-winning, National Science Teacher Association recommended books for preschool through middle school, available in multiple languages (and bilingual books too), Science, Naturally! connects kids with STEM education through brainteasers, puzzles, fiction, and nonfiction by merging facts and fun. Though written for elementary students, my preschooler loves If My Mom Were A Platypus: Mammal Babies and Their Mothers by Dia Michels. It’s filled with information about how 14 different mammals are …

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Passionately Engaged: A Scientist’s Journey

Passionately Engaged: A Scientist's Journey Women in Science: Why I Became A Scientist by Blair Lee, M.S. My journey to becoming a scientist is one a homeschooler can appreciate. I became a scientist by falling down a rabbit hole while pursuing an interest that grew into a passion. I come from an entrepreneurial family. One that, for the most part, thinks the only reason to get a science degree is to become a medical doctor. I have always loved to read and write and if you'd asked my family what I was going to be when I grew up most …

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International Day of Women and Girls in Science: There’s Still Work To Be Done

International Women and Girls in Science Day International Women and Girls in Science Day is upon us, and it’s interesting to think that we need a day to recognize the female interest in and contributions to science, but here we are. We absolutely need to celebrate it. And while I hope this is an inspirational piece of writing, I also believe that the time for well crafted words has passed and now, more than ever, is a time for action. Women have always been involved in science, from the ancient wisdom of healers who used the natural world for observation, …

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Sensory Processing Basics

Sensory Processing Basics This talk focuses on sensory processing basics. I look at the major sensory systems and how they can affect our learning, specifically through the lens of Neurodiversity and the natural expression of Human Variability. In other words, we're all different, so we encounter, process, and express to the world differently - and it drives our behavior! This presentation will help you tie all that stuff the Occupational Therapist has been talking about with some deep insights into effective learning (teaching). The goal is always Self Advocacy, and that starts with Self Knowledge. Lorilei's Bio Lorilei taught in …

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Meet Secular Homeschooler Julianna Speers

Julianna Speers : Service-Oriented Nature Lover and Secular Homeschooler I had the pleasure of meeting secular homeschooler Julianna at the Secular Eclectic Homeschoolers Conference in West Virginia 2017. She did a lot of volunteering at the conference. Secular homeschooler Julianna and her mother, Karen, have already signed up to volunteer at the 2018 conference!  She is the type of person who sees a need and jumps in to help. Secular Eclectic Homeschoolers is lucky to have such a committed and caring teen as a part of our community. How long have you been homeschooling? Ever since I was born. What is …

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Kate Laird: Homeschooling 101

Kate Laird: Homeschooling 101 Kate Laird's talk will cover the basics of beginning homeschooling. 1. Who homeschools? 2. Is it legal? 3. How much will it cost? 4. What about socialization? 5. What about high school? 6. How do I begin? 7. Types of homeschooling 1. Deschooling 2. Unschooling 3. Eclectic 4. Classical 5. Afterschooling 6. Emergency Homeschooling 8. Should I buy a boxed curriculum? 9. Where can I find help? 10. Where can I find guidelines about what to study when?   Kate Laird is the author of Homeschool Teacher: A Practical Guide to Inspiring Academic Excellence. She graduated …

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Jill Hummer Swap Your Cereal Box for a Newspaper: Why and How to Cover Current Events in Your Homeschool

Why and How to Cover Current Events in Your Homeschool Think you can raise a knowledgeable child without covering current events in your homeschool? Think again! Young citizens today know astonishing little about national and world affairs. This puts them at a disadvantage in work and life. In this session, homeschool-mom-by-day and history-and-government-professor-by-night Jill Hummer will give you practical tips and resources for how to cover current events in your homeschool. Her methods are guaranteed to make your homeschooling journey easier, more memorable, unique, and enriching. Leave your comments below for Jill’s talk By day, Jill Hummer is a homeschooling …

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Valerie Grosso Teaching Scientific Concepts to Younger Kids

Valerie Grosso: Teaching Scientific Concepts to Younger Kids Valerie will highlight some tips and strategies for teaching real (and super cool) scientific concepts to young kids. We are often told that certain concepts are “too tough for kids to understand,” but that is often because they are not being taught the right way. If a variety of visual, tactile, kinetic, and exploratory strategies are used to introduce concepts, there is no limit to the number of “higher level” concepts our kids can understand. Learn how to show kids that real science is about the joy of understanding how something beautiful …

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Secular Homeschool Recommended Book List

On any given day you will find multiple conversations focused on books in our online community. Rich discussions of authors and subject matter, innovative ideas for related lessons, and always a plethora of recommendations for more books. Reading back through hundreds of threads in various SEA Homeschoolers Facebook groups these 25 books have been recommended time and time again. Having read nearly every book on this list I can certainly understand why. This book list is secular homeschool approved. Secular Homeschool Reading & Book List Red: A Crayon’s Story by Michael Hall – A funny, insightful, and colorful story about being …

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The Science of Climate Change Explained

The world is in the middle of an environmental crisis. The first step to solving this crisis is to understand the science explaining it. Climate change, Global warming, The greenhouse effect: You hear these terms a lot, but what do they mean? Are they the same thing? Do they somehow relate to each other? If you are wondering about this, you are not alone. And you might be surprised to learn that the science is actually fairly simple. The real issue is there are several pieces that need to be brought together. Understanding global warming and climate change starts with …

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Helping to Save the World: Choosing a Service Project

Choosing a Service Project I think I came out of the womb as a save the world type. I was known early on as the family idealist. My mother would tell the story of me at 2 years of age out in the driveway on a rainy day picking worms off the pavement to put back in the grass, something I still do today. At the age of 11, I volunteered for the first time, canvassing door to door for George McGovern’s presidential campaign. I have volunteered for most of my 44 years since then, working on service projects ranging …

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Colin Harden: Magic Loving Musician with an Entrepreneurial Spirit

Colin Harden  is a homeschooled 14-year-old who enjoys Magic the Gathering, music, and school work (much less so than the other two). How long have you been homeschooling? 6 years What is your favorite part of being homeschooled? Learning at my own pace. What are your passions? Musical Theatre and card games How has homeschooling affected your ability to work on those? It has increased my options and ability to enjoy both.  I don't have homework and all my school work is homework...get it.. lol. I can also take time off if I am in the middle of a production, …

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