52 Totally Awesome Science Experiments You Can Do At Home!

This site is simply a wonderful resource for anyone looking for science experiments you can do at home!

Check it out:

Website

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Six for the Road ~ TLC Special About a Unique Homeschooing Family!

"SIX FOR THE ROAD"
The Learning Channel
a 2 part limited run series
October 29th & November 5th
10 PM ET/PT

This two-part special follows a homeschooling family of six as they explore America in a RV

One year ago on October 15, 2007 in Los Angeles, California, a unique six-member family moved out of their 3,400 square foot house into a 340 square foot RV and set out for an adventure that continues today. Capturing their time adjusting to life on the road as they crisscross the United States.

Having traveled more than 31,000 miles, the family, comprised of parents Vern & Kati, daughters Auvi (14) and Zoe (12), and sons Kelby (10) and Conner (7), along with three dogs, balances homeschooling, running an internet business, navigating the RV culture, and exploring America. Can they adjust to life as modern nomads, or will the limited privacy and increasing cost of gas drive them back to a more conventional lifestyle?

SIX FOR THE ROAD is produced for TLC by Figure 8 Films

For more information:
website

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Earth and Sky For Kids!

Why Leaves Change Color?

This is the latest podcast & article you can explore on the Earth and Sky for Kids website.

I first stumbled upon Earth and Sky as an astronomy radio broadcast, years and years ago. Now we use their website and podcasts to enrich our homeschool experience. Their approach to science leaves us with a sense of awe and wonder and an immense sense of stewardship for this unique and frail planet.

This is how they describe themselves:

"Since 1991, Earth & Sky has worked with thousands of scientists to produce more than 5,000 radio spots on night sky astronomy, and on sustainability needs and strategies for the 21st century.

Science is not perfect. It’s a process, not a body of facts. History tells us that some of today’s scientific “truths” will inevitably turn out to be wrong, or only partially true.

Still, science leads to profound insights about the natural world that are as true as anything can be here at the beginning of the 21st century.

Earth & Sky tries to build a bridge between scientists and you.

Earth & Sky is a joint project of Earth & Sky, Inc. and EarthSky Communications, Inc.

...committed to describing humanity’s work to understand itself and its relationship to the Earth."

Brandywine Battlefield: Revolutionary Times Event

On September 8-9 of this year Brandywine Battlefield will be hosting an event that they are calling Revolutionary Times. This is not simply a battle reenactment, this is a 2 day living history lesson!

Admission:

Adults	$8.00
Children (5–17)	$4.00
Seniors (60+)	$5.00

Saturday, September 8, 2007
10:00	Park Opens to the Public
10:30	British Infantry Drill Demonstration — Drill Field
10:30	Tour of the Military Camps including a discussion on various types of uniforms.
11:00	Artillery Demonstration — Drill Field
11:00	Field Hospital Discussion/Demonstration — adjacent to camps
11:30	Firing Demonstration — Drill Field
11:30	Children's Musket Drill — near Handicap Parking area
Noon	Tom McGuire lecture on Philadelphia Campaign — Museum
12:30	Ferguson Rifle Lecture/Demonstration — Drill Field
2:00	Battle Re-enactment — Knyphausen's Attack — Narrated by Tom McGuire
3:15	Field Hospital Discussion/Demo — adjacent to camps
3:30	Magnetic Map Program — Museum
3:30	Children's Musket Drill — near Handicap Parking
5:00	Park/Camps Close to the Public.
Sunday, September 9, 2007
10:00	Park/Camps Open to the Public
10:30	Continental Infantry Drill Demonstration — Drill Field
10:30	Tour of the Military Camps including a discussion on the various types of uniforms.
11:00	Artillery Demonstration — Drill Field
11:00	Cecil County Theatre Troup Performance — near Handicap Parking area
11:00	Presentation on 18th Century Women's Clothing or "Aren't you hot in those clothes?" — Museum
11:30	Firing Demonstration — Drill Field
11:30	Children's Musket Drill — near Handicap Parking area
Noon	Field Hospital Discussion/Demonstration — adjacent to camps
12:30	Ferguson Rifle Lecture Demonstration — Drill Field
1:10	General Washington address the citizens of Chadds Ford — Drill Field
1:30	Commemoration Ceremony — Drill Field
2:00	Public Battle (Sandy Hollow and Greene's Counter Attack) — Narrated by Tom McGuire
3:30	Children's Musket Drill — near Handicap Parking area
3:30	Magnetic Map Program — Museum
5:00	Park Closes/Event Ends

Parking for this event is at the corner of Routes 1 and 202. Look for the directional signs. Shuttle bus services is provided from the parking area to and from the Brandywine Battlefield Historic Site.

ABOUT BRANDYWINE BATTLEFIELD
Brandywine Battlefield is the site of the largest engagement of the Revolutionary War, fought on September 11, 1777, between the Continental Army led by General George Washington and the British forces headed by General William Howe. The park includes both Washington's headquarters and Lafayette's quarters.

When visiting you are welcome to bring a picnic and enjoy the grounds. But the true reason for your visit is to soak up all that history. There is both a visitors center and a museum and, of course, a gift shop!

Check out their KID'S CORNER for puzzles, coloring pages and activities.

FOR MORE INFORMATION:
Brandywine Battlefield Website

Zome: August Model of the Month

Queen Bee

This intriguing model was created by Ethan Smythe, a Davidson Institute Young Scholar. Queen Bee is made of 5 spirals of short yellows joined by 5 spirals of medium reds, Queen Bee echos a number of natural forms, like a bee hive or a pineapple.

Be sure to check it out. We highly recommend Zome. This product is a gem! There is curriculum support for using Zome in both math and science subject areas. Their web site contains tons of model plans and project ideas as well as frequent special price offerings. Most importantly, Zome is tons of building fun!

Pioneer kits for $13.95
The Pioneer kit is a great introduction to the power of Zometool: explore crazy bubbles, the tetra challenge, shadows from the 4th dimension, and much more. Includes a balanced inventory of 121 parts and a full-color 24-page manual. This special price offer expires 8/31/07.

"Homeschooling for Success" from Homeschool.com

Homeschooling for Success is a free e-newsletter from Homeschool.com addressing timely and potent homeschooling topics. The newsletter is published bi-weekly and is sent directly to your email box. The question raised in this week's issue is: "What Should You Do If Your Child Wants To Go To School?" Odd, I thought my homeschoolers were already in school? For an organization that claims to be "Your #1Homeschooling Resource" this question is pretty thoughtlessly constructed and is a potentially damaging characterization of the issue. However, if we overlook this slight for the moment, the article is worth the quick read. As you may have guessed, the topic is about parents responding to homeschooling students who express a desire to explore a more traditional schooling option. The topic is addressed by a number of homeschooling experts and authors including:

* David Albert, columnist for "Home Education Magazine."
* Susan Wise Bauer, author of "The Well Trained Mind."
* Dr. Matt James, author of "Homeschooling Odyssey."
* Pat Farenga, author of "Teach Your Own."
* Diane Flynn Keith, editor of "Homefires."
* Rebecca Kochenderfer, co-author of "Homeschooling for Success."
* Marilyn Mosley, executive director and founder of "Laurel Springs School."
* Win & Bill Sweet, authors of ""Living Joyfully With Children."

To subscribe

The Homeschool.com website is packed full of articiles, links to free stuff, advice, book reiviews, curriculm and class links, and more.

ZOME: Model of the Month & a Mid-Summer Special

Doughnut

We love Zome. This product is a gem. There is curriculum support for using Zome in both math and science subject areas. Their web site contains tons of model plans and project ideas as well as frequent special price offerings. For the kids, most importantly, Zome is just tons of building fun!

The above model Doughnut is a "torus" designed by Zome user, Brian Hall. You can build this model with the "Enhanced Naked Explorer Kit" which is specially bundled for this project and specially priced at just $40 through July 31st!

Zome

Carnival of Homeschooling: A Blog Carnival

Homeschool Happenings! has been invited to participate in a blog carnival entitled "Carnival of Homeschooling."

What is a blog Carnival?

A blog carnival exhibits a variety blog posts on a related topic. This offers a unique opportunity for readers to check out a number of blogs in an area of interest without doing an exhausting search and without wasting time slogging around a lot of blogs or blog posts which might not be of interest to the reader. The host blog gives a little capsulized introduction to each post along with the links.

Blog carnivals are hosted by the various participating blogs, so the blog host site travels around to different blog sites much like a carnival. These hosts can get pretty creative about how they offer up this information.

THE 78TH CARNIVAL OF HOMESCHOOLING,
"The Independence Edition" is hosted by The Homeschool Café

Be sure to check it out!

You can look up all the previous Homeschool Blog Carnivals and also take a peek at what is upcoming:
Carnival of Homeschooling archive
Upcoming homeschooling blog carnivals