American Math Challenge - Begins TODAY!!!

American Math Challenge STARTS TODAY!!! Hope you have been practicing!!!!

You Tube Monday - Fat Albert Halloween

Something Better Than School - Don't Do Drugs Stay Out of School

Here is the link to my full review of this incredible book!

Visit the official site - HERE - and be here are some discount codes to use to help spread the word:
Discount code:  EBSANE  -1/2 off the eBook.  
Discount code:  BKSANE - 10% off paperback

The offer is good until 10/31/12

Rocket Launching

So it was well over 2 years later, but we FINALLY got to launch the rockets that KM and CJ built!!!

This was not one of ours, but I got a great shot....

It was a fantastic day, with a great group of people!!! 

American Math Challenge - Practice Begins TODAY!!!

American Math Challenge practice opens today!!! Be sure to register to get as much practice in before the games begin on Oct. 16!!!

You Tube Monday - Annoying Orange - Frankenfruit

MATHCOUNTS Club and Competition Registration - MATHCOUNTS

Once again we have registered for the MathCounts Club Program and received another incredible kit to supplement KM's math program. Not only do you get access to an incredible amount of word problems, a new weekly problem, the math arcade and logic building exercises, this year's kit also includes a really cool build your own board game kit. 

Participants in the Mathcounts Club Program will also be eligible to compete in the Chocolate Blitz Competition that will be running from Nov. 26 - Dec 21 - more info to come on this great opportunity!


MATHCOUNTS Club and Competition Registration - MATHCOUNTS:

Eureka! Animated Science Series

Eureka! is a series of humorous, and information-packed programs that bring "boring" physics concepts to vibrant, vigorous life. Each program takes a
simple and direct approach to the subject matter; while the basic concepts are explained in a voice-over, cartoon characters and a variety of animated
objects demonstrate the principles on the screen. Constant review and reinforcement make the message clear; as a result, the study of physics
becomes easier and accessible - even to viewers without a solid background in the subject.







You can find nearly all of them on You Tube, but the entire series is also HERE with episode descriptions.
KM has found these really helpful in clarifying some of the chemistry concepts we are covering!!! 

FREE Election 2012 Resources from iCivics - Repost

As the election grows closer I wanted to repost this information in case anyone missed it the first time through -

Election 2012! | iCivics:


Teachers, register for a free account and choose from a variety of specially-designed materials including games, lesson plans, and more to bring this year's election into your classroom!

The primaries, the conventions, the campaign trail... November 6th, 2012 is growing ever closer so iCivics has put together special election-focused curriculum packages to bring the presidential election into your classroom. Choose from a three or five day approach, or even run your own mock election using iCivics' proven lesson plans and games. We've also put together a selection of one-day activities and additional resources for you and your students.

Three Day Election Curriculum
Day One: The Electoral Process
Take a peek into the electoral process- from party primaries to the general election. Students will learn the distinctions between the popular vote and the Electoral College, and exercise their critical reasoning skills to analyze the differences between the presidential and congressional elections. Students will also contrast the various nomination processes and learn about the role of party conventions in American politics.

Day Two: Candidate Evaluation
Students evaluate hypothetical candidates by establishing and applying their own criteria for selecting public officials. Through a variety of activities, students assess candidates based on their qualifications, experience, campaign speeches and campaign materials. Students track campaign promises, explore voting records and evaluate the legitimacy of information resources. The role of the media, fundraising and opinion polls in the electoral process are also discussed.
Day Three: Win the White House (game)
In Win the White House, you get to manage your very own presidential campaign by strategically raising funds, polling voters, launching media campaigns, and making personal appearances. Keep a close eye on the map as you battle over electoral votes and popular support. 



Five Day Election Curriculum

Day One: The Electoral Process
Take a peek into the electoral process- from party primaries to the general election. Students will learn the distinctions between the popular vote and the Electoral College, and exercise their critical reasoning skills to analyze the differences between the presidential and congressional elections. Students will also contrast the various nomination processes and learn about the role of party conventions in American politics.
Day Two: Candidate Evaluation
Students evaluate hypothetical candidates by establishing and applying their own criteria for selecting public officials. Through a variety of activities, students assess candidates based on their qualifications, experience, campaign speeches and campaign materials. Students track campaign promises, explore voting records and evaluate the legitimacy of information resources. The role of the media, fundraising and opinion polls in the electoral process are also discussed.
Days Three and Four: One Big Party
After taking a broad picture look at the different hats parties wear, students take a quick look at the impact of political party systems. On day two, guide students through the impact of the two major political parties in the United States. From examining the political spectrum to analyzing their own stances on several current issues, students will walk away understanding the complexity of the two-party system. 
Day 5: Win the White House (game)
 In Win the White House, you get to manage your very own presidential campaign by strategically raising funds, polling voters, launching media campaigns, and making personal appearances. Keep a close eye on the map as you battle over electoral votes and popular support. 


Mock Election (Three Days)
Overview
Day 1: Party Formation and Nominations
Assign students to a party and hold a primary election.
Day 2: Campaigning
Students create campaign materials for their party and nominee.
Day 3: Rules, Election and Reflection
Students create election rules, review ballot options, vote, and reflect on the election process.



One Day Activities
Voting Rights 
Explore the evolution of voting rights in the Unites States through an interactive PowerPoint presentation highlighting landmark changes. Following the presentation and class discussion, students apply the new knowledge of voting legislation to individual scenarios through a class activity. 
Cast Your Vote (game)
What issues do you want to ask candidates about? In Cast Your Vote, choose the questions in a debate, rate responses, and vote for the candidate of your choice.

Additional Resources
Election Glossary
A glossary of election-related terms ranging from acceptance speech to voting age.
Election Resources
Resources including nonpartisan candidate evaluation and information, the presidential debate calendar, and a compendium of political advertisements from the 1950s onward.

'via Blog this'

You Tube Monday - Homeschool: Propaganda Vs. Reality (Shattering the myths)

I stuck to a NOT Back to School theme for September and had one more I wanted to share, so here are some of my newest finds on home education clips from You Tube!
Enjoy!

New Bedford Whaling Museum

Thanks to the Smithsonian Museum Day  and the town of New Bedford promoting tourism by not charging for parking on weekends, we got to visit the New Bedford Whaling Museum for just the cost of gas - which was less than an a 1/4 of a tank!!! Gotta love a deal like that!

I had been to this museum in elementary school and it is actually one of the only field trips that I remember from school - ironically the other was to the New England Aquarium, guess I had teachers that liked marine biology! 

We had a great time and learned a lot about our local and cultural history, along with the seeing some incredible art work and enjoying this historic downtown area.

 

My favorite was the 18th Century Peep-Show ~~~ which is not what you might think!!! 

When you look in you see....

GIFT to THE NATION - Free resource from Colonial Williamsburg

~~~ Just a few days left to access this great resource!!!

We used it earlier in the month and learned a lot! There are also all sorts of free games and activities available in the kids section - HERE!

The Will of the People

from the Electronic Field Trip Series

One of the most bitter presidential campaigns in U. S. history is part of a surprising lesson for a 21st-century student. Thomas Jefferson explains how negative campaigning, partisan politics, and contested elections have been part of our political system since the earliest days of the republic. Read more

Complimentary access from Sept. 1–30, 2012

Colonial Williamsburg’s Gift to the Nation in this election year of 2012 offers students an opportunity to interact virtually with historical characters and provides teachers with unique resources to engage students in the study of citizenship and our founding democratic principles.

Statistics from the 2010 National Assessment of Educational Progress indicate that academic performance in history for grades 4-8 (the targeted group for Electronic Field Trips) has declined substantially over the past few years. By providing this electronic field trip without charge to schools and home school families, Colonial Williamsburg demonstrates its commitment to halt that decline.

The Electronic Field Trip, “The Will of the People,” examines the presidential election of 1800, one of the most bitter in U.S. history, and provides a surprising lesson for a 21st-century student. Thomas Jefferson explains how negative campaigning, partisan politics, and contested elections have been a part of our political system since the earliest days of the republic.

• Available online 24/7 from September 1 to September 30, 2012
• On-demand video streaming over the Web
• Email Thomas Jefferson
• Interactive online games
• Downloadable resources, such as the teacher guide and program script (PDF)
• Comprehensive lesson plans

We hope you’ll take advantage of this unique opportunity to bring this exciting, relevant program into your school or home!

~~~~You are required to register in order to view these, but the form is simple and quick and I think will be well worth it!

 Gift to the Nation | Colonial Williamsburg's Gift to the Nation:

Look Inside the Teenage Brain - TED Talk

Sarah-Jayne Blakemore: The mysterious workings of the adolescent brain | Video on TED.com:

American Math Challenge - Register TODAY

Registration for the American Math Challenge, which will run Oct 16 - 17, begins today! Be sure to register early so that you can begin practicing on Oct. 8th!!! - HERE

You Tube Monday - "The Harms of Homeschooling" - My "Ignorant" Response

Thought I would stick to a NOT Back to School theme for September so here are some of my newest finds on home education clips from You Tube!
Enjoy!