Have you or your student ever struggled with understanding which century is the 15th century? (It’s the one when Columbus sailed the ocean blue.) Have you ever wondered why the Western calendar does not contain the year zero? (We can blame the Romans.) Did you know that the majority of the world celebrated the new […]
An Accordion Timeline Notebook
Throughout our history studies, we’ve enjoyed keeping a timeline – on the wall and in a notebook. Our first experience with using an accordion-style timeline was when we completed two Homeschool in the Woods Time Travelers History Studies three years ago. Since then, our timeline-and-history-obsessed son has wanted to use an accordion timeline for his entire […]
Our Timeline Wall: What We Learned
We bid farewell to our timeline wall this past weekend. We had to take it down to make room for something we’ve been patiently awaiting for the past decade… …custom-built bookshelves! But if you’ve ever wanted to see what a timeline (such as Veritas Press or Classical Conversations) looks like when it’s posted on a […]
Timelines, Shoe Classification, and My Calendar Craze
In our lives this week… We played a Ten Commandments File Folder Game. (Do you know what it’s like when you picture something in your mind, and then when you implement it, it just seems utterly ridiculous? Our Ten Commandments game ended up that way, mainly because my oldest is starting to mature beyond my […]
Keeping a Timeline: Timeline Resources
Keeping a visual timeline has been one of our favorite history learning activities. It has provided a way for us to understand circumstances leading up to and surrounding historical events. It has provided a context for us to connect the various things going on across the world at the same time through history. And it’s […]
Our Classical Notebook
As we’ve taken baby steps toward a more classical approach to learning, our breakfast notebook has transformed into a tool that contains the core of our grammar work. The advantage of a notebook is the routine and simplicity it provides. Routine establishes discipline and predictability. The notebook is also a beautiful portfolio of a child’s own original work. Before […]
The Breakfast Notebook
The problem: When our fourth grader (a memory master x 2, just to point out the irony here) did not know his address and phone number at a 4-H meeting, I realized I had dropped the ball. So many times, I’ve said that we’re going to practice and memorize our address and phone number, only to […]
The U.S. Presidents: Resources & Activities
As we approach the last quarter of this school year, we will once again be studying the U.S. Presidents. Though this list is definitely not exhaustive, maybe it will be a starting point for anyone looking for something to do as they study the Presidents (or to celebrate Presidents Day!). Use this song to memorize […]
Great Empires Overview: Hands-On History Study
Over the years, our family has often enjoyed digging into history using an activity-based unit study approach. Our boys have remembered so much more history when we reinforce those lessons with crafty, hands-on messes history projects. Because we didn’t complete these while we were reading through The Story of the World (as I had originally […]