My Top Education Apps Set 1

I have educational apps on both the smart phone, yes I finally got one, and my tablet which I got at an awesome price last year on Pre Black Friday sales. Anyway I love them for school, riding in the car, or just waiting somewhere like the doctor's office. I use both apps and internet games, especially over the summer to reinforce things they have learned. This is my first set of favorites, and trust me I have tried a lot. I am not sure why I can't find Duolingo in the app store, but trust me it is worth getting, and I believe it was free. Of this set, only two are .99 and the rest are free, but they are worth the 0.99. The fraction calculator and Droid Math we use all the time. We don't use the calculator to cheat, just as a tool, if we are stuck and then figure out from there what we did wrong. Most schools let kids use calculators now a days anyway. We love Brain Pop but did not like Brain Pop Jr. We use it every during regular school. It is quick and gives them a test you can record in your book.

2013/2014 Science Curriculum

By far our favorite subject is Science.  Between 4H, Earth Kids and all the other Science we do with school, we got tons of it.  So, I have saved the best for last.  DJ and our Earth Kids group will be doing Marine Biology, using a 4H project book.  If anyone is interested in it, it is in pdf form, and I can send it to you.  I think for 4H they will be studying water conservation, and we still work on Wetlands with Earth Kids.  Caitlin will be doing all that as well, plus her own Science unit studies, there are 20 total.  Below is the full curriculum for each, with the extra resources at the bottom.

8th Grade Science Curriculum:

Scientific method
Ecology and environment
Conservation
Composition of the earth
Ocean and atmosphere
Weather
Water and its uses
Weathering and erosion
Recycling of resources
Magnetism and electricity
Heat and light
Forces in liquids and gases
Wave, mechanical, electrical and nuclear energy
The earth's movement
Newtons laws of motion
Machines
The atom
Periodic table of elements
Compounds and mixtures
Chemical changes
Astronomy
They universe and milky way
Space and space travel

4th Grade Science Curriculum

Environment of the local region
The insect world
The reptilian world
Plants and animals of the past
Structure of plants
Seeds Ecosystems
Balance of nature
Weather's influences
Weather instruments
Climate
Cause of seasons
Oceans and the hydrosphere
Light and Color

Extra Resources for Science:

http://wwweequalsmcq.com
http://biokids.umich.edu
http://www.pmel.noaa.gov
http://www.sciencemuseum.org.uk
http://www.outdoorbiology.com
http://www.adventuresinmommydom.org
http://www.oceanfutures.org
http://www.nhptv.org
http://www.teacherspayteachers.com
http://www.oceanexplorer.noaa.gov
http://www.seasky.org
http://www.lawrencehallofscience.org
http://www.naturediscoverycenter.org

2013/2014 Language Arts Curriculum

This is the Language Arts curriculum for my 8th grader and 4th grader, for the 2013/2014 school year.  Extra resources are listed at the bottom.  Caitlin will be using Easy Peasy for most of her Reading and Grammar, while DJ will be doing 8th grade FLVS Language Arts.

8th Grade Language Arts:

Independent reading
Literal, inferential and evaluative reading skills
Literary terms
Novel, short story and narrative poetry
Nonfiction
Biographies of great americans
Listening and speech activities
Advanced dictionary work
Extended vocabulary
Figures of speech
Spelling
Kinds of sentences and their parts
Functions of sentence elements
Report writing skills
Improving skills in using basic reference sources
Inductive and deductive reasoning

4th Grade Language Arts:

Silent and oral reading
Listening skills
Telephone skills
Making and accepting simple social introductions
Summarizing simple information
Critical reading
Short stories, chapter books, poetry and plays
Spelling
Increasing dictionary skills
Writing letters and informal notes
Written and oral book reports
Developing skills in locating information
Developing encyclopedia skills by using internet
Utilizing parts of a newspaper

Extra Resources for Language Arts:

http://www/bbcskillswise.com
http://www.abcya.com
http://www.dailygrammar.com
http://www.roythezebra.com
http://www.gsc.amdsb.ca
http://www.AAAspell.com
http://www.ezschool.com
http://www.wordgames.com
http://www.funenglishgames.com
http://www.readwritethink.org
http://www.busyteacher.org

2013/2014 History Curriculum

Continuing with my curriculum posts.  We are now up to History.  DJ will be doing American History through FLVS for 8th grade.  Caitlin will be doing several different unit studies, 19 so far, plus using the extra homeschool resources at the end of this post. 

8th Grade History Curriculum

Exploration and Discovery
US History
Meaning of Democracy
Our American culture
US political system
US economic system
US government
US geography
Advanced map and globe skills

4th Grade History Curriculum

Types of community life
History and development of Florida
World cultures
Reasons for our laws
Regions of the world
Earth's resources
Climatic regions of the world
Map skills
Using a globe
Knowing my place in the world


Extra Resources To Be Used With History Curriculum:

http://www.mission-us.org
http://www.digitalhistory.uh.edu
http://www.seterra.net
http://www.mrnussbaum.com
http://www.funbrain.com
http://www.icivics.org
http://www.youtube.com
http://www.50states.com
http://www.nationalgeographic.com
http://www.ushistory.org
http://www.egsc.usgs.gov

Brainpop free app for android tablets and phones.

Earth Kids for 2013/2014

Today was the official end of our first year of Earth Kids. We made our butterfly feeders, made butterfly cookies and then voted and decided on next year. The kids decided they want to study oceans and ocean animals. I already have a project book on Marine Biology from 4H, so that works out awesome. Plus, I found this website, with tons of great ocean themed items.  She has put a lot of time into her ocean themed unit study.  It incorporates Math and Geography, not just the Science of oceans.  Love it.  We switched up our meeting times.  The 5 PM time slot just was not working well, and definitely will be very hard on me in the very near future.  So we decided we would meet at 11 AM on one Tuesday, and then a Friday, so twice a month.  The kids want to do some hiking, nature walks, visit a pond, visit a zoo and aquarium, visit the springs some more, crafts, painting and photography.  So, I think they decided on some pretty fun activities.  We are taking August off, and will start back up in September.  I can't wait!

2013/2014 Health Curriculum

This is the Health Curriculum, for both kids, for the 2013/2014 school year. The resources that will be used, are at the bottom of the post. Health is the easiest curriculum to make. PE is included under Health, and we will be doing the Run group again, and DJ will be doing Outdoor Education through FLVS. Again, I get my baseline curriculum at About.com then I adapt, add, change, and delete things as I see fit. I then have to find the resources to cover the material they need to learn.

8th Grade Health:

Grooming
Functions of the body
The bodies utilization of food
Types and functions of food
Environmental Hazards
Community sanitation and health
Health care services
STD's
Accident prevention, safety and first aid
Mental hygiene
Substance Abuse

4th Grade Health:

Personal and mental hygiene
Dental Health
The body and its functions
Skeletal and muscular systems
Care and proper use of the body
Principles of digestion
Basic food groups
Good nutrition habits
Safety
Basics of substance abuse

Health Resources

http://www.kidshealth.org
http://wwww.elearningforkids.org
http://www.askabiologisty.edu/activities/coloring

2013/2014 Mathematics Curriculum

OK, so normally every year I document on this blog my curriculum specifics, for both kids, for the year. Last year I didn't do it. Guess I just didn't want to take the time. So, now that I need it to do our portfolios it is literally no where to be found. So, I had to find and print it again, and fill it all in for what we did and did not do. What a pain. So, this year I am doing it again here on the blog. I am doing it a bit different though. I am breaking it down by subject for each child. There will be supplemental websites at the bottom of each post. These are websites we already use, or I have tested and will be using. Since I adapt a curriculum from a typical course of study, it really does not cost me anything, except time. I use a baseline curriculum found at about.com/homeschool and adapt it to suit my needs. This curriculum is only what we will cover, not how it will be covered.  DJ will be doing FLVS for Math, but not until January, and will be doing other Math exercises until then.  Caitlin will be finishing Saxon 3, using EP and a variety of other Math websites and games.

Caitlin- 4th Grade Mathematics:

Reading and writing numbers
Numeration systems
Subsets
Decimals and fraction equivalents
Addition and subtraction facts to 7 places
Multiplication and division to 144
1 and 2 number multiplication problems
2 and 3 digit dividend and 1 digit divisor problems
Meaning of mixed numbers
Finding simple averages
Geometric concepts
Customary and metric measurements
Time to second
Problem solving methods
Charts and graphs

these are maybes
Prime numbers less than 100
Prime factoring

DJ- 8th Grade Mathematics:

Maintain skills and fundamental operations
Fractions and products
Sets and simple sentences
Numeration systems
Ratio proportions and percent
Inequalities and equalities
Simple formulas and equations
Graphing an equation
Powers and roots of rational numbers
Polynomials
Metric and non metric geometry
Probability and statistics
Statistical terms
Mathematical of insurance banking and taxes

these are maybes
Pythagorean Theorem
Scale drawing
Right triangle trigonometry
Permutations


Extra Math Resources:
http://www.purplemath.com this website is a personal favorite of mine for Math
http://easypeasyhomeschool.com
http://funbrain.com
http://www.coolmathgames.com
http://www.factmonster.com
http://wwwmathplayground.com
http://www.mathdrills.com this is another personal favorite

Weather Station

In the coming up blog posts, I will be sharing some fun Summer Science experiments we have been doing, as well as items and websites we will be using in the upcoming school year. I have found tons of new sites that I love and can not wait to use. This year, I am going to be even more specific when I make our curriculum as to what website or activity will go specifically to that item. That way, I don't have to wonder why I checked something off as to wanting to complete but then can't remember what I was going to use with it. This will save me a ton of time in the long run, though time consuming to do.

We are doing a series of weather learning experiences over the summer.  Today, we did an activity on learning about Photosynthesis. Of course Photosynthesis is the process by which plants take in carbon dioxide, make food, then give off oxygen into the atmosphere for all of us to use and breathe. So to do this, it is real easy, first ask the kids if they know what photosynthesis is. Then in glass quart jar fill it with water, add some leaves, set outside in the sun, and ask the kids to hypothesize what they think will happen in one hour. After they have answered, set the timer, and in one hour go back to check the leaves. What do they see?

My Little Man Turns 13!

OH NO say it isn't so!!!! My little man is 13 today~! I really do find it hard to believe that I now have a teenager in the house. I am not sure I have been prepared properly for this momentous occasion. He has already asked for a FB page. Ugh! While I love Facebook I really don't think it is for kids. I will have to think long and hard, though I knew this was coming.

We continue with our math lessons, and our evaluations are set for August 6th. So, now I really have to buckle down and start making portfolios. DJ's should be quite easy because I get to print the transcript from the FLVS classes he took. Caitlin's will take a little more time.

I have tons of cool things I want to share with you. I think next week will be a bit quieter and can get some of them in. I finally finished the one butterfly feeder we did, and it is hanging quite nicely. I have not seen butterflies, but it has rained every day for the past two weeks. Not real happy about that either.

Last night, we took the kids to see Despicable Me 2. My husband does not care for kids movies, but he actually wanted to see this one. It was definitely worth the 62 dollars. Yes 62 dollars for 4 people to go to the movies and have a little popcorn and soda. I love Redbox!!!!! I also have Netflix, but that is streaming live, and you get tons of options but not really new movies. I use it a lot for school with the kids. I wish I could convince my husband we don't need DTV, I am so tired of their ridiculous prices. Do they really think they are worth all that? But, he won't budge. Then we went to fireworks. Sorry only one good picture. I get distracted too easy, lol!

Fun With Clouds

Yesterday morning, on my way home from work, I saw some interesting things in the clouds. I know it could have been from sleep deprivation, but I am not thinking so. I often see things in the clouds, and ask my kids what they see. They are even more imaganitive than me. I stopped to snap these two cloud pictures. There was a rainbow and some deer also but I couldn't pull over fast enough to catch them. Anyway the first image looks like a woman praying to me. I asked Caitlin what she saw and she said you, LOL! The second one also got a vote for me, LOL! That one looks like a woman with really wild hair. Do you see things in the clouds?