Here's another one that came up with the ancient flute. Supposedly the first written musical composition (from Mesopotamia).

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/06/25/science/25flute.html?_r=0 Here's the link to the oldest instrument discovered yet. Start with that! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B_ihF6keN8s

Well, this is a post-visit idea not an at the museum idea, but you could have the kids draw (on poster board) the layout of their own museum and name it. They should organize the rooms by the taxonomic criteria you have been teaching (i.e. in the Hall of Vertebrates you have the Mammalia Room, Aves Room, Reptilia Room etc). Each room should have some "signage" explaining what is inside (the definition of the group something like: "These animals have hair, are endothermic, give birth to live babies, and nurse thier young.") Then provide them with baggies of cut out animal pics from all the classes/phyla you have covered and let them sort (glue) the specimens into the proper halls and rooms. Then they can have a grand opening and present their new exhibits.

Thank you for all the wonderful links in this thread. Poetry time, first thing in the morning, gets our homeschool off to a gentle start every day. And one of you reminded me that somewhere in my Word documents are the poems I planned to memorize myself! Better get on it.

I know it is expensive but I have had much more success from Proactive Solution than any combination of things (antibotics, Retin-A, a sulphur wash) the dermatologist gave me. When I was an older teen, the only thing that worked was The Pill. Girls' acne is often very closely connected to their cycle. Of course, not a solution for ds!

Fedco is where I get the bulk of my purchases. Very happy with them. Love their catalog (no photos!) all history and opinion and details about the varieties. Territorial for my Bolero carrots that Fedco doesn't carry. I am going to try a few from Baker Creek this year. On Amazon you can "look inside" their book and read a lot about how they started the company. http://www.amazon.com/Heirloom-Life-Gardener-Growing-Naturally/dp/1401324398/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1359153847&sr=1-2&keywords=bakers+creek+seeds

I am pretty sure Fedco has phased out most of their Seminis seeds. They have pledged (as of 1996) not to knowingly sell any transgenic varieties (as we have heard cross contamination can occur and they test their corn and beets for this), and I believe they are were party to the recent lawsuit against Monsanto. They include supplier codes for each seed variety (a number in a little circle in the listing: 5 is the only number that comes from multinationals that engage in genetic engineering, but the particular seed is not genetically engineered). They are inexpensive, and I have had great luck with all their seeds. They do not print a photo catalog but there are photos online. They DO give you a hint about how the taste of the varieties differs which I like.

The poll is making me answer both questions before it will post, even though I cannot both be from and not from the Commonwealth.

I am SURE that there was recently published a study that said just the opposite. That the more you shame an overweight person the less likely they are to listen. Hopefully, I can turn up the link to it later and post it. Here it is, from Yale no less: http://www.yaleruddc...ns_IJO_9.12.pdf People come in all shapes and sizes. Healthy eating is a good fit for all. Focus on the fun of cooking healthy food, not the shaming of a whole lot of smart, kind, silly, talented, peaceful, delightful people.

I agree with the previous posters that they can't sneak what isn't there. Plus, if it isn't there to sneak you don't get into a power struggle with them over food. You could read some of the following so you would have good arguments on hand as well (and they will strengthen your resolve. Fast food and snack food can be nasty!) For older kids (Amazon says 10 and up): Michael Pollen has a Young Reader's Edition of Omnivore's Dillemma: The Secrets Behind What You Eat. http://www.amazon.co...e's dilemma And Eric Schlosser has a youth edition (says 12 and up) of Fast Food Nation called Chew On This: Everything You Don't Want to Know About Fast Food http://www.amazon.co...ood Nation kids Michael Pollan also has: Food Rules which is very short, aimed at teens and adults, but you could pick and choose pages to share. http://www.amazon.co...pd_bxgy_b_img_z Finally, get the kids involved in growing their own veggies or at least being responsible for selecting them at the farmers' market.

Look! here is our WTM Kalamanak's review from Amazon: " Look! There is a Well-Trained-Minder's review on Amazon: 13 of 22 people found the following review helpful 2.0 out of 5 stars Later (Wiley and Son's version) preferred, December 7, 2007 By kalanamak (USA) - See all my reviews This review is from: McGuffey Series (McGuffeys Eclectic Readers Series) (Hardcover) I have a boxed set of the Mott Media version and the Wiley and Sons version. The Mott reprint is from th 1830's and it has really rough graphics compared to the version from the 1870's or so. The content in more doomsday as well. Still in the 19th century style, the Wiley reprint is not dreary and dark, not only in print, but in content. I showed the two sets to my K son and he said the Wiley was "grandpa's" (indeed his GF and GM used it in school!). Shown the Mott Media, he said "great-great-GREAT Grandpa" and turned back to the Wiley reprint.

Amazon has the Mott Media versions for $72.61 right now. When I was buying they were $99. The Amazon review says that the Mott version has the Christian content included. I assume some was edited out in the revised version.

I bought the cheaper set (published by John Wiley and Son) available on Amazon. They are considerably less expensive than the Mott set. I don't love the paper they are printed on. However, I can't tell if the more expensive set would be different. The Wiley ones are Revised.

Fiction: Here is a link to the first book in the Paleo Joe's Dinosaur Detective Club series my son enjoyed when he was in his dino phase. Don't know what reading level your child is at though. These books are listed at 8 years and up. http://www.amazon.com/Disappearance-Dinosaur-Sue-PaleoJoes-Detective/dp/1934133035/ref=sr_1_9?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1358991423&sr=1-9&keywords=dinosaur+detectives

Tracy, My kids are 7 and 13. I began SWR with my son in 3rd grade and switched to How to Teach Spelling by 4th or 5th, but continued to use the phonogram and rule cards from SWR for reinforcement. I started my daughter with How to Teach Spelling in K, but was not happy with it for a beginning learner. When I saw LOE for beginning 2nd with her, I knew it would be a good fit for the way she learns (loves workbooks). An additional difference: LOE is secular and the SWR version I have is Christian. I heard there was one version made for the school market that was secular, but could not find it when I was buying. Spalding, LOE and SWR are all excellent programs. You can't go wrong with any of them. Oh, and I think LOE Fundamentals is closing in on publication. They sent out the "rough draft" of their cover on FB today.

I have been using LOE with my youngest since September. I started with SWR and switched to How to Teach Spelling with my oldest (and continue to use HTTS with him). I like and will continue with LOE with my youngest until we advance past what they have published, then I will either switch to the lists in SWR or HTTS. Since LOE and SWR are both based on Orton-Gillingham methods (as is Spalding) the material they cover is the same, the methods differ slightly. Here are some things I noticed: 1. LOE: Open-and-go with scripted teacher's manual and workbook. It is so incredibly easy to use. SWR major learning curve. Long teacher's manual with tiny type must be read and digested to implement the program effectively. 2. The reverse of the LOE Spelling rules flashcards have examples of words that use the rules. The reverse of the SWR spelling rules flashcards have pictograms invented by the author to help you remember the rule. 3. LOE Essentials: Begins the study of the 1000 most common words. There will be a book before LOE Essentials (LOE Fundamentals) and I assume more advanced books after it eventually. SWR: Has lists for all the most common words and can be used from K-12 4. LOE much much more expensive than SWR. 5. LOE phonogram flash cards include more modern sounds such as long e for words that end in y. SWR holds true to the older pronunciation of this y as a short i. (So honey would not be hon-ee but hon-i). I wrote in the modern pronunciations on my SWR cards. 6. LOE phonogram cards split some of the phonogram sounds between the basic and advanced flash cards. So basic card has x saying /ks/ advanced card introduces x as /z/. I think both sounds are on the same card in SWR. I just wrote the /z/ in on my basic card. 7. LOE has all its teacher training videos free on YouTube. Extra training videos are available on their website for free (like Crazy Words). I don't know if there are any training videos for SWR. 8. LOE eventually includes root word study and talks a lot about the origin of words. I don't know if SWR does this or not. 9. The markings used in LOE are similar but not exactly the same. 10.There is an emphasis on syllabification in LOE. I don't know if this is true of SWR.

Image Grammar 2nd Edition by Harry R. Noden. (note: you must get the 2nd edition. It is twice as big as the first edition) http://www.amazon.co...mar 2nd Edition Noden as a whole section on how professional writers almost never use topic sentences. "From this experiment Stern concluded that the popular notion of the topic sentence paragraph was a myth, a fantasy that lacked validity when tested with professional writing samples and educated readers... Other scholars have noticed the same inconstancy... William Irmscher found that in paragraphs written by professionals, 50 to 80 percent did not contain a topic sentence (1979, 222)." The vintage book, Writing in English by William H. Maxwell and George J. Smith, minimizes the topic sentence in favor of skillful selection, unity, completeness, and plan. And it has the best examples from classic literature I have ever seen. http://books.google....ved=0CC0Q6AEwAA

He is young, but if his tastes go toward skinning deer, what about something like the reprint of this vintage book: The American Boy's Handy Book by Daniel Carter Beard. I think it is 100 years old, so there is some non-pc language as was common at that time and it is now illegal to collect bird's eggs and nests, so use your judgment. You can see it on Google Books: http://books.google.com/books?id=74cUAAAAYAAJ&printsec=frontcover&dq=The+AMerican+Boy's+Handy+Book&hl=en&sa=X&ei=k1b_UKK6Doa30QG_-oGQBw&ved=0CDgQ6AEwAA or The Field and Forest Handy Book http://books.google.com/books?id=TgA2AAAAMAAJ&printsec=frontcover&dq=The+Field+and+Forest+Handy+Book&hl=en&sa=X&ei=Vlf_UK-kNIrn0QHT0YD4Dg&ved=0CDgQ6AEwAA

When I was growing up and helping on my neighbors farm I thought feeding and caring for the animals was the definition of "chores." My parents never used the word chores for any household tasks, but my neighbor would call me up and ask if I'd like to come down and help her with chores. Anyway, I wish we had a farm or neighbors with a farm looking for a little help, because those chores certainly developed my work ethic better than sweeping or doing dishes at home ever did!

Star Walk. You hold the iPad up to the sky and it identifies the constellations, planets, etc.

These are not WRTR/Spaulding videos, they are Logic of English, but I think it will help to see an example of a teacher going through each word, breaking it into syllables, then phonograms, marking it for phonograms and rules, explaining root words, etc. There are at least 4 of these videos on The Logic of English site. She also has free teacher training videos on YouTube, but that is hours long and these are just a few minutes. http://www.logicofen...rds-explained-4 http://www.logicofen...rds-explained-3 http://www.logicofen...rds-explained-2 http://www.logicofen...rds-explained-1 Here is the link to the Logic of English channel on YouTube. Scroll down for the teacher training videos. http://www.youtube.com/user/logicofenglish

The Burgess Seashore Book for Children by Thornton W. Burgess (Stories of ocean creatures) http://www.amazon.co...s Seashore Book The Ocean Book by The Center for Marine Conservation (curriculum) http://www.amazon.co...=The Ocean Book The Seaside Naturalist (informative entries on sea creatures) http://www.amazon.co...side Naturalist And one of my favorites: Sea Searchers by the Monterey Bay Aquarium (curriculum) http://www.amazon.co...ey bay aquarium

Saddlemomma, Which spelling program are you using? I haven't seen this rule so detailed in the three I have. Thanks.

Double! Too many times my people fill the sink with dishes to "soak" and there isn't any room to fill a glass with water or rinse veggies in a strainer.

Geraldine McCoughrean has a nice one: http://www.amazon.com/Canterbury-Tales-Oxford-Illustrated-Classics/dp/0192741810/ref=la_B000APIV4C_1_20?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1358282214&sr=1-20