BJU Press English: Grade 4 and 6 Review

After trying multiple writing curricula, I decided to try BJU Press English, and I'm so glad I did. It's the answer to my prayer, and I couldn't be more pleased.

We use the "DVD and Books" Distance Learning Kits.

My 4th and 6th graders have learned a tremendous amount of grammar and have quickly grasped and embraced the writing process thanks to Mrs. Overly's engaging, thorough and effective teaching. I love how the grammar lessons are directly applied in the writing lessons that follow them. This method clearly demonstrates why grammar is so important and how the two (grammar and writing) go together. I will never teach grammar and writing separately again!

Mrs. Overly is such a kind, godly woman. She's extremely knowledgeable and enthusiastic. I am so impressed with her expertise. Also, unlike myself, since she is a teacher on DVD, she is always perfectly prepared and never moody! ;-)

I love the flexibility of DVD's because we can watch the lessons anywhere in the house on any t.v. or computer.

I think it's wonderful that the DVD teacher teaches directly to the homeschool student as opposed to teaching a classroom full of children with a video camera set up in the back of the room as some curriculum providers do it. The bjupress teacher is able to focus all of her instruction on the homeschool student, and no time is wasted.

We have really enjoyed the themes, game shows and the "virtual field trips' as we call them. This adds some fun to the mix.

The video lessons are 15 minutes in length, so it takes us approximately 30 -45 minutes to complete a lesson. In the 4th grade course, completing a lesson usually takes 30 minutes. In the 6th grade course, it usually takes a little longer, more like 30 - 45 minutes.

I feel certain that my children are receiving the best education possible. I would highly recommend the English DVD with Books Distance Learning Kit. It's definitely worth every penny...and then some!

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English 4 Student (2nd ed.) places an emphasis on traditional English grammar as well as practice with vital reference skills and step-by-step use of the Writing Process for eight different types of writing assignments, such as personal narrative, tall tale, persuasive essay, and more. The student worktext provides guided practice, independent practice, chapter reviews, and cumulative reviews. Located at the back of the worktext, the Writing Handbook contains a thesaurus and writing models, and the Grammar Handbook contains a list of abbreviations, prepositions, homophones, and diagramming models.

English 6 emphasizes traditional grammar as well as practice with essential reference skills. The elementary English curriculum provides a step-by-step introduction to the Writing Process for eight different types of writing assignments, such as personal narratives, newspaper editorials, historical fiction, and limericks. The student worktext provides guided practice, independent practice, chapter reviews, and cumulative reviews to reinforce key grammar concepts. Located at the back of the worktext, the Writing Handbook contains a thesaurus and writing models, and the Grammar Handbook contains a list of abbreviations, prepositions, homophones, and sentence diagramming models.

For more information about homeschool products from BJU Press, Check out the BJU Press website.

Ten Commandments and Ten Fingers

Several years ago, I found this wonderful resource for teaching my children and myself The Ten Commandments. I highly recommend learning the commandments in this multi-sensory way. It's effective, and it works!

I found the following information from Carolyn's Hymns.

The Ten Commandments are important as guides for faithful daily living, yet many people cannot remember all ten when asked. Here is a way that children as well as adults can learn the Ten Commandments (Exodus 20:1-17), using their ten fingers. The points made can be adapted to the age of the listeners — from children to adults.

Start with your hands together in prayer. This reminds us that God heard the prayers of the Hebrew people when they were in slavery in Egypt and freed them (Exodus 3:7, 20:2). The commandments are a way for us to show our gratitude for God's love in our lives and to further just and peaceful relationships in God's world.

1. "I am the Lord your God; you shall have no other gods before me."
   Hold up one index finger for the number one. We worship one God.
2. "You shall not worship idols."
   Idols, false gods, are not only things like statues, but anything in which we place our ultimate trust and allegiance — for example, money, possessions or weapons. Hold up two fingers. Should we worship more than one God? No, two is too many! One of them must be an idol, and we should not worship it!
3. "You shall not take the Lord's name in vain."
   Use three fingers to form the letter "W" which stands for "words." Watch your words! God wants us to use his name in loving, caring ways, as we pray and as we talk about him, not in swearing or in anger.
4. "Remember the Sabbath day, and keep it holy."
   Hold up four fingers, and fold your thumb under to let it rest. The thumb has the right idea. It's the Sabbath, and the thumb is following the commandment to take a day of rest. God does not want anyone to overwork or be stressed, so we need a day to rest, to be at peace, and to worship with others. God also gave us the Sabbath so that working people would not be taken advantage of by their employers (Deut. 5:14)
5. "Honor your father and your mother."
   Hold up all five fingers on one hand as if you are taking a pledge, to honor your parents. God wants there to be peace and love in all our family relationships.
6. "You shall not kill."
   Pretend the index finger on your second hand is a gun, shooting at the first five fingers. God's sixth commandment teaches us not to do anything that would hurt another person unfairly.
7. "You shall not commit adultery."
   Hold one hand out flat. The five fingers and hand becomes the floor of the church. Two fingers on the other hand are the man and woman to be married, standing in the church, making promises to each other. This seventh commandment calls for couples to keep the marriage promises they make.
8. "You shall not steal."
   Hold up four fingers on each hand, for the eighth commandment. If you stretch out your fingers slightly, these become the prison bars, which hold someone who was been arrested for stealing. Our Presbyterian Church (USA)'s Study Catechism says "God forbids all theft and robbery, including schemes, tricks or systems that unjustly take what belongs to someone else." (Question # 112)
9. "You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor."
   Hold up all five fingers on one hand and four on the other. Fold your second thumb under and turn your hand around, so the thumb is hiding. It is secretly going around telling the other four fingers on that hand lies and rumors about the five fingers on the other hand. It is "bearing false witness," as it talks behind people's backs, spreading gossip, criticizing others without talking directly to the people involved. Again, our Study Catechism teaches us "Negative stereotyping is a form of falsehood that invites actions of humiliation, abuse, and violence as forbidden by the commandment against murder." (Question # 115)
10. "Do not covet what belongs to your neighbor."
    Hold out your hands, palms up, and wiggle all ten fingers to show that they've got the "gimmies." Your fingers are saying, "Gimmie what belongs to my neighbor. I want all those things my neighbor has." This is not the way God wants us to live.

Together may we remember the Ten Commandments' teachings in the light of Jesus' teaching — that the love of God and neighbor are the two greatest commandments (Mark 12:28-34). John Calvin encouraged Christians in his day to sing the Ten Commandments followed by "Lord, have mercy" after each commandment. End with your hands together in prayer, asking that, by God's grace, we may live out these teachings in our everyday lives and expressing thanks that the God of peace is with us all (Philippians 4:9).

This resource was prepared by Bruce and Carolyn Gillette (co-pastors of Limestone Presbyterian Church in Wilmington, DE) for the Presbyterian Peacemaking Program's packet for World Communion Sunday 2002. This educational resource for remembering the Ten Commandments was adapted with permission from the March 26, 2000 issue of Homiletics; it was originally shared by David Sauer. This resource can be formatted to fit on one side of a letter size paper to give to everyone.

Biology: Plant and Animal Cell Models!

The children and I thoroughly enjoyed making these edible cell models for biology class! Basically, we used cookie dough to make the cookie cakes and then decorated them with icing and candies such as Twizzlers, Skittles, and Nerds, etc. Taking the time to do this really reinforced learning the parts of the cells. It was a fun learning experience.

Cookie Cake Plant Cell

Cookie Cake Animal Cell
 

The two cookie cakes together! Yummy! Yummy!

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All of my students were instructed to make a cell model, so I'll share a few of the extraordinary ones...

One of my students made this model on the inside of a file folder, so it was kind of like a lapbook. She used felt, cloth, buttons and puffy glitter glue. How creative is this?

And check this one out! This student sewed hers together! It's beautiful!

Another student made his cell model out of duct tape! How cool is that!?

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We studied, Exploring Creation with Human Anatomy and Physiology, by Jeannie Fulbright during our 2011 - 2012 school year. We had an absolutely fantastic year of science!

At the end of Lesson 1, we completed the Edible Cell Project as a class. It was a big hit! I used round plastic containers with lids, so the children could take their jello cells home and show them to their parents before they ate them.

Gainesville State College Now University of North Georgia

Gainesville State College was a state college of the University System of Georgia serving northeast Georgia. The Gainesville State College Gainesville Campus, located 45 miles northeast of Atlanta and six miles southwest of downtown Gainesville in Oakwood, was on Georgia State Route 53 less than a mile from I-985 exit 16. The Gainesville State College Oconee Campus was located on Bishop Farms Parkway in Watkinsville, Georgia. Students were drawn primarily from the increasingly diverse northeast Georgia area.

On January 10, 2012, the Board of Regents of the University System of Georgia approved the merger of the school with North Georgia College and State University, which took effect in January 2013. The new combined school is called the University of North Georgia.

Here is a link to the Gainesville Campus.

High School and Beyond by Ruth Martin

Who: RUTH MARTIN with you

What: High School Home Education Seminar (info whether your child has yet to begun high school, will this fall or is almost done!)

When: 2/16/13, 9am - 1pm

Where: The Praise Center, 1857 Hwy 78, Monroe
Sorry, but no childcare provided (although nursing babies allowed)

Cost: $20/family early bird registration (by 2/11/13) and $25/family after that

Some topics you'll hear:
* You CAN do this! Encouragement for the long haul
* Record Keeping/Transcripts /Portfolios
* Dual Enrollment
* Accreditation
There will be a *67 page High School and Beyond workbook available at the seminar for $15.

TO REGISTER: Please make your check out to Ruth Martin and mail it to:
(Contact me for mailing address)

Contact info:
Vicki or Mary Ellen
(Contact me for email address)

"The Boy of Mount Rhigi" Dramatic Audio by Lamplighter Theatre

We listened to, The Boy of Mount Rhigi by Lamplighter Theatre, and we absolutely loved it and were hanging on every word. It's a great story for everyone, but especially boys as the two main characters are boys. 

Here is a summary from the Lamplighter website:

"Clapham has an unusual father - a father who forces him to steal. He also has an uncommon friend named Harry, whose friendship meets the ultimate test when Clapham is forced to steal from Harry's family. Now Clapham must confront his father - and his own sin - and come face to face with an amazing past he never knew existed. You'll experience never-ending drama in this story of heartbreaking betrayal, a friend's loyalty, and God's ultimate redemption in The Boy of Mount Rhigi."

I'd say this is for 10 years old and up because it's a drama that deals with some serious issues such as alcohol abuse, stealing, etc.

It's approximately 2 hours long.

Our Solar System!

I added Christmas lights to our solar system. They're supposed to represent stars. I also added a big question mark next to Pluto! I turn the lights on every morning before school starts. I love it! The glistening stars seem to add a special touch and uniqueness to the homeschool room making it more inviting and even cozy.