Jump to content

Menu
Giving You and Your Child a Road Map to the Best Possible Education
The Well-Trained Mind Community

A home for their hearts

Members
 View Profile  See their activity

  • Posts

    2,751

  • Joined

  • Last visited

 Content Type 

Posts posted by A home for their hearts

    Oh Canada...Help this american w/ book selections for geography

    in High School and Self-Education Board

    Posted

    Ouch, sorry my Canadian pride is pinching my big girl panties.  Imagine if someone said to you.

    "We need books that have more of a broad sweep of culture, history, etc.  We will only be studying United States of America for 2-3 weeks."

    That being said, I'm so glad you are actually spending any time on the history of Canada.

     

    Ok,  my son has these as part of his Grade 9 Geography course this year.

     

    David Thompson by Elle Andra-Warner ISBN-13: 978-1926613321

    The Backwoods of Canada by Catharine Parr ISBN-13: 978-1489567086

    Canada: A Portrait in Letters, 1800-2000 by Charlotte Gray ISBN-13: 978-0385658744

     

    Also, I hope these links will inspire you and help you out:

    1. Canadian Parliament lesson plans: http://thecanadianhomeschooler.com/canadian-parliament/
    2. This product was recommended: http://www.currclick.com/product/21166/Canada-Unit-Study?affiliate_id=42072
    3. This youtube playlist looks interesting:
    4. I frequently use this website: http://www.canadahistory.com/
    5. Canada: A People's History - This video series is wonderful!  I highly recommend it for anyone wanting to learn about North America History  you can find teacher resources here: http://www.cbc.ca/history/GENCONTSE4EP99CH8PA1LE.html
    6. and the videos are available on youtube.  Here is the first episode.
    7. This is probably more geography than you want but here's the link and it's a digital download so you could start on it quickly. http://www.christianbook.com/digital-critical-thinking-geography-canada-greenland/9780825168635/pd/3455DF?event=EBRN
    8. Here's a free Kindle book (well it's free as of right now): http://www.amazon.com/History-Canadian-Settlement-Present-Dummies-ebook/dp/B014WIJYOI/ref=sr_1_14?ie=UTF8&qid=1443120989&sr=8-14&keywords=Canadian+History

    I hope this helps, eh because I think most people believe the history of Canada and the United States are two separate things when really without one you wouldn't have the other.

     

    Thank you sooo much!  This is very helpful.  I would feel the same as you if someone asked me for books covering US history/geography in only 2 weeks.  Unfortunately that is the only amount of time we have if we want to cover the whole world in one year.  Maybe my dd's interest will be peaked and she'll want to study Canada in her free time!   

    • Like 1

    Oh Canada...Help this american w/ book selections for geography

    in High School and Self-Education Board

    Posted

    My dd15 is study geography this year and we are nearing the chapter on Canada.  I am ashamed to say that I don't know much about our neighbor to the north.  Please forgive my ignorance.  I am looking for some books to enhance our study.  We need books that have more of a broad sweep of culture, history, etc.  We will only be studying Canada for 2-3 weeks.  She will be expected to read 30 minutes a day of outside sources.

     

    ETA:  Although I am looking primarily for fact based books, I welcome suggestions for fiction set in Canada.

    Books by State?

    in K-8 Curriculum Board

    Posted

    We are doing a USA state study this year so I'm looking for literature based on state.  Books can be picture or chapter books.  I have a 2nd grader and a 6th grader doing the study.  Our library has plenty of non-fiction books for each state.  What I really want is non-fiction.  

    Well-Trained Mind Online Conference Series!

    in The Chat Board

    Posted

    I'm not sure if this is the right place to ask this - but I missed Session 1 of Julie Bogart's Writing webinar and Fantasy Homeschool webinar because we were on vacation last week.  Is there any chance that the Session 1 webinars will be posted before the Session 2s happen live next week?  It would be nice to watch them in order if that is humanly possible.  This is the first time I've missed a session I signed up for, so I don't know if you get an email when the recordings are uploaded, or if I should just check back (repeatedly!) between now and the next session date.

     

    I missed the session to as well as Julie Bogarts writing session that was on the 14th.  Neither have shown up on my recordings page.  I emailed them a couple of days ago but am still waiting on a response.  I know they are swamped so it will probably be awhile.  I was also hoping I would be able to watch the first sessions before the second, but this may not be possible.  

    RS math level B ?

    in K-8 Curriculum Board

    Posted

    It sounds like your daughter is really thinking through the place value--I love it that she wrote the numbers in expanded form without prompting. My guess is it's just an intermediate phase. She clearly understands what the digits mean and how they connect to the cards, but it might just take her a little longer to become fully automatic at writing standard form numbers. Does she tend to be a careful kid who doesn't like to make mistakes?

     

    My suggestion would be to move on. I bet you're right; either it will click, or it will become obvious that she's just not quite ready for more. Level B really makes a big jump in the level of abstraction it requires of kids at this point in the book, and there's no harm camping out and doing some math games and work on the single-digit facts for a while if the big numbers are just too much for now.

     

    You are right, she does not like to make mistakes!  She is very meticulous, so much so that sometimes I hate to correct her for fear she will feel bad!  She is the first of my children that I really feel I am able to teach math conceptually.  With my older kids I feared math too much and unfortunately, passed that fear unto them.  I have learned from my mistakes and am trying a more exploration approach with her.  My fear still creeps up  from time to time and I've learned to back off when that happens.  A lot of the fear I'm having now is because she will be going to public school this year so I'm trying to get her prepared for what lies ahead!  I want to make sure she is ready.  We won't finish RS before school starts so I am tempted to skip over a few lessons and just hit the ones that I think she will need.   Do you think that is possible?

     

     

     

     

     

    I would just show her that she is writing in expanded form, and that you can write number compactly as with the cards.  Maybe make a chart like:

     

    (thousands, hundreds, tens, ones)

    TH   H   T   O 

     

    Then ask, "How many thousands are there?"  3 (write 3 in the TH column)

    How many hundreds are there?  5 (write 5 in the H column)

    etc.  

     

    Love this idea!  I did find a place value chart that goes up to the thousands so I will get this out next time.  I think the base-10 cards may be a little too abstract for her, I'm going to get our base 10 blocks on for our next lesson.

    RS math level B ?

    in K-8 Curriculum Board

    Posted

    I am using RS level B with my 7 year old daughter.  She has been doing very well with it but we have come to a halt on Lesson 53 which begins using the base-10 picture cards to teach place value up to the thousands place.  We've been on this lesson for about 3 days because I don't believe she is fully understanding the concept.  I don't know if we should just move on or stay here awhile until she gets it.  My main concern in that the next lesson deals with trading with base-10 cards and then adding with base-10 cards.  I think either 2 things can happen if we move on.  She will become more confused, or something will click and she'll get it.

     

    The first 2 days we worked on this lesson, I would write a number, i.e. 3452, I would have her show me the number with the base-10 cards and then have her build the number with the place value cards.  She did pretty well on with these, and would always place the place value cards on top of each other when building the number.  For some reason I felt she really wasn't getting it because of her attitude so I decided to go over the lesson with her again today.  This time I would say the number instead of writing it because I wanted to see if she could write the number.  So I gave her a number, 3512, I showed her the number with the base-10 cards and asked her to write it.  She wrote, 3000 500 12.  I told her that was very good, then asked her if she could make the number with the place value cards.  She did so with the numbers stacked on top of each other so it looked like 3512.  Each number I told her so would do the same thing, write it in expanded form, (something we've never really gone over with writing numbers) then she would proceed to stack the place value cards in standard form.  So how should I correct this, or is it ok what she is doing?  Also, should we move on or stay put for awhile?  Thanks!
     

    Help with meal planning (large family)

    in The Chat Board

    Posted

    That.

     

    I have a couple of picky eaters, but that doesn't change whether I plan in advance or scramble last minute. 

     

    I've never made a menu but I have one in my head that I use all the time.  We eat the same 5-7 meals all the time, which is getting boring, and monotonous I think this is part of my problem!  

    Help with meal planning (large family)

    in The Chat Board

    Posted

    Here's my dilemma, I hate cooking, I have picky eaters, I'm tired of grocery shopping every 2-3 days, I'm tired of spending astronomical amounts of money on food.  I need an easy system of meal planning that includes budgeting and grocery shopping (ideas including shopping for toiletries would be great too).  That's it in a nut shell, I'm a woman of few words!  And even fewer brain cells!  LOL  I think I've finally lost it!

    • Like 1

    Moms of 6+ tell me it's almost the same as 5

    in The Chat Board

    Posted

    No, OP asked to please be told that 6 is just like 5. Which sounded like a JAWM kind of thing. I don't have anywhere near 6, so I can't answer that, but it did not sound like OP wanted honest feedback.

     

    Sorry, I read the post yesterday and decided not to reply, that I should keep my mouth shut.  But it nagged at me all night.  I just couldn't keep quite.  She may not even be pregnant so in hindsight OP I am sorry.  I should have kept my opinions to myself.

     

    I stand corrected. Yes, OP does want people to tell her that six is as easy as five. My apologies.

     

    (I still admire the person who spoke and said it wasn't easy. I think this is hard to admit.)

     

    Thanks, I appreciate your kindness. 

    • Like 1

    Moms of 6+ tell me it's almost the same as 5

    in The Chat Board

    Posted

    I haven't read through all the replies but I'll be the odd one and say no it's not almost the same as 5.  It's not just another PB&J sandwich.  For me it was extremely hard adding another baby/child to our family.  Maybe it's because it was an unexpected pregnancy, or because my 3rd trimester of my 6th pregnancy was extremely difficult leaving me unable to do much of anything.  Or maybe it was because I've never been good at doing this mother thing and having one more needy person needing me was just too much for me.  So I'll  say there is a HUGE difference from having 5 and having 6.  For me it was harder than going from 1 to 2, which, looking back on it was peanuts from going from 3 to 4, from 4 to 5, from 5 to 6.  Going from 1 to 2 was the easiest it doesn't even compare.  I don't get people who say it's nothing it's just another PB&J.  It is hard. I just don't want people painting you a beautiful picture, painting anyone a beautiful picture and then when reality hits and it's not so beautiful then you feel like something is wrong with you because it's not all sunshine and roses.  

     

    Sorry, don't mean to rain on everyone's parade.  Sometimes you really need to see every side of things to really be prepared for what's to come.  

    • Like 4

    Need recs for sappy, sad love stories

    in The Chat Board

    Posted

    Well, this is old, so you've probably read it, but The Notebook is the sappiest sad love story I can think of.

     

    Actually, everything I've ever read by Nicholas Sparks would qualify as a sappy sad love story...

     

    Which begs the question: Why do I keep reading Nicholas Sparks?? :ack2:

     

    Yes, I've read all of his novels.  The Notebook was my favorite.  They became very predictable a long time ago and I'm ready for a different author!

    • Like 1

    Needs suggestions for new reading/phonics curriculum

    in The Learning Challenges Board

    Posted

     My ds11 is probably dyslexic but he's never been tested.  We found out a couple of months ago that he needed vision therapy and he's been doing that for about a month.   He is still at the very beginning stages of reading.  He can only read cvc words and does so laboriously.  I bought Preventing Academic Failure because it is Orton-Gillingham based and it has a very slow progression which is what I though my son needed.  Before that we used AAR which moved way too fast.  PAF uses the Merrill Readers which my son and I have come to hate.  The stories are so contrived and boring.  Here's an example of one:

     

    "A man had pins for caps.  The man sees Dad. Can Dad win a pin for Jan's cap?  Dad wins a pin.  He pins it on her cap.  Jan had a pin on her cap."

     

    There are no pictures, which I understand the reason for that, but when the stories are so horrible, not having pictures makes them even worse.  I cannot stand another lesson with these books!  I need suggestions on using the curriculum without the books or suggestions for a new curriculum.

     

    Thanks

     

×
×
  • Create New...