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Memorial Day Online Unit Study

“Memorial Day”…what thoughts enter your mind when you hear those words? The beginning of summer? A 3-day weekend? End of school? Yeah, I’m with you there, along with the feeling of guilt that we don’t remember the true purpose of Memorial Day. Honestly, I had a rude awakening as I started planning this unit study. I told my husband that I was considering writing a unit study about Memorial Day, and my 9-year-old chimed in, “What’s that?” Mom fail! My daughters need to learn about the honor due for our heroes. So here you have it, my homeschoolin’ momma friend…the … [Read on, my friend]

Create a Klimt-Inspired Portrait in Gold

Austrian Gustav Klimt, an Art Nouveau artist, is most known for the decorative style of his artwork. Oddly, Gustav stated, “There is nothing that special to see when looking at me. I’m a painter who paints day in day out, from morning till evening – figure pictures and landscapes, more rarely portraits. However, if you examine his work, especially the paintings of his Golden Phase, you will notice many special things. The scroll work, geometric shapes and golden leaf overlays in Klimt’s paintings set his work apart from other artists of his time. In the Famous Artists (Vol. 1) Online … [Read on, my friend]

Online Learning Sites Our Family Uses

When people hear that we do most of our learning online, they are curious about which resources we use. These are the websites that we have liked best. Khan Academy Mango Languages Dreambox Learning Starfall Typing.com Math Aids Handwriting Practice Online Unit Studies Skrafty Creative Live Coursera Udemy DIY.org Code.org We watch lots of shows and movies to learn about things. These are our favorite streaming sites. VidAngel Netflix Amazon Prime Video How about you, my friend? What online resources do you use for your homeschooling? For more online homeschool resources, follow my Homeschool Learning Online Pinterest board.

How Our Digital Homeschool Evolved

I recently discovered this video by BestReviews trending on social media, and it caught my attention. This “Evolution of the Desk” got me thinking about the evolution of our homeschool room and resources over the past 12 years. I considered all the materials I had when we started homeschooling my now 17-year-old. We had a whole bookshelf dedicated to curriculum, workbooks and activity idea books. Two shelves were reserved for the 100+ books that we’d have checked out at the library at a time. We dedicated half of our family room as the “school area”. Now that we’ve embraced … [Read on, my friend]

Stars Online Unit Study

Without a doubt, your kiddos have asked questions about the stars. All throughout history, man has been intrigued and captivated by the night sky. I’ve created a stellar Stars Online Unit Study to satisfy the curiosity (or maybe spark a deeper interest) of your young astronomers. With the Stars Online Unit Study, your family will learn about the different types of stars and view stars close up. You will explore the night sky and discover constellations, then make models of those constellations. This homeschool curriculum integrates multiple subjects. Students access websites and videos and complete hands-on and digital projects, all within … [Read on, my friend]

The Homeschool Mom’s Guide: Using Social Media as a Learning Tool

Have you ever considered social media sites as learning tools? Is social media a part of your homeschool lesson plans? You probably haven’t considered this because we are the first generation of digital immigrants raising digital natives. So it isn’t very natural for us to consider the multiple uses of online tools. But, it is second nature to our kids. And they learn differently than we did when we were their age. [Related Post: What Homeschoolers Don’t Know (& what they need)] I am one of those who believes that social media isn’t all that bad…if it is used properly. … [Read on, my friend]

Solar System Online Unit Study

Have an outer space fan in your family? Then the Solar System Online Unit Study is a great choice for your homeschool plans. This homeschool curriculum integrates science, history, art, language arts, math and tech ed as your family travels the solar system. Students access websites and videos and complete hands-on and digital projects, all within Online Unit Studies’ easy-to-use format. Lessons Include: Solar System Overview The Sun Planetary Orbits Gravity Order of planets The Rocky Planets The Gas Planets Comets, Asteroids and Meteoroids CLICK here to preview a lesson from the Solar System Online Unit Study. (Click the “Complete … [Read on, my friend]

Create a Mona Lisa Parody

Google “most famous paintings”, and you’ll find the Mona Lisa at the top of most lists. It’s also at the top of “the most parodied paintings” list. Creating your own Mona Lisa parody is a memorable art project for your whole family (that includes you, my homeschoolin’ momma friend). Start by searching online for “Mona Lisa Parody”. Then gather a few simple supplies and start creating. Supplies Needed: Printed Mona Lisa coloring page. CLICK HERE to print White paper Pencil Markers or colored pencils Tracing pad or window Instructions: Decide the theme of your Mona Lisa. How will you change … [Read on, my friend]

Why I Stopped Managing My Kids’ Screen Time

Let’s face it, moms. We (or at least most of us) don’t know the best way to handle our kids’ screen time. We are the first generation of moms raising digital natives. Our kids have the wide world web in their back pockets and can navigate on the computer and mobile devices like it’s nobody’s business. All this while we’re standing back, silently rationalizing whether they should spend so much time in front of a screen. [Related Post: A Mom’s Greatest Struggle in This Tech-Driven World] I’ve been through the gamut trying to come up with win-win tech rules for … [Read on, my friend]

Famous Artists Online Unit Study

Want to add more art to your life and homeschool? Yes? Then you are going to love me for creating the Famous Artists Online Unit Study. This phenomenal homeschool curriculum integrates art, history, science, math, writing and tech education to learn about 10 famous artists. Yep, all that in Online Unit Studies‘ easy-to-use format. In my 12+ years as a homeschoolin’ momma, I’ve never come across another art study like this. Sure, there are great books and curricula about famous artists, but something that has the kids creating a virtual art gallery? Come on…how cool is that? After exploring … [Read on, my friend]