Friday, December 3, 2010

Christmas Day - Holiday Study Series


The Fifty States Volume 6

In The Fifty States Copywork & Fun! Volume 6 you can copy & learn a little bit about five different states. These are the five included in this unit:

Montana
Nebraska
Nevada
New Hampshire
New Jersey


This is much more than just a copywork unit!

This copywork was created to be simple, fun, and not overwhelming.These could be used to start off the school day, or to fill the time while the parent/teacher is busy with something else.
Print, DN Manuscript, and Cursive pages included. Suggested for grades K-5 but is very flexible for higher grades. 80 pages.

TWO FREEBIES! Multiplication & New Year...


A homeschool bits Freebie!

I created these simple worksheets to help my children with memorizing multiplication facts. Just copy the facts, then complete the multiplication wheel. No graphics make this light on printer ink. This is a good lesson to start off the school day!

Thank you for any past and/or future purchases of our units!


New Year Acrostic Poem - Mini Cards

FREE!

A simple, fun resource to go along with your New Year studies. These New Year Acrostic Poem Mini Cards are geared for lower grades but can be adapted for other grades as well, and almost any teaching style. The beginning contains instructions and a short lesson on what an acrostic poem is. One set of cards includes the letter and word or sentence that makes the acrostic poem. The next set includes blank cards to create your own acrostic poem using the words NEW YEAR. 13 pages.

Thursday, December 2, 2010

MORE Free Copywork & Fun Samples!


These sample pages are just a few taken from 19 of our "Fun Study" units by homeschool bits. Only THREE pages were taken from each of the 19 units. Most are at least 30-40 pages or more. The full units contain fact and information pages, comprehension questions, diagrams, coloring pages, facts copywork, suggested websites, lapbook folds & flaps, lapbook cover pages, and clipart for creating a simple lapbook. Included in this pdf are sample pages of the following:

All Turtles! A Fun Study! - All Owls! A Fun Study! - All Apples! A Fun Study! - All Chocolate! A Fun Study! - All Christmas! A Fun Study! - All Deer! A Fun Study! - All Frogs! A Fun Study! - All Snakes! A Fun Study! - All Squash! A Fun Study! - All Sunflowers! A Fun Study! - All Turkeys! A Fun Study! - All Whales! A Fun Study! - All Winter! A Fun Study! - All Wolves! A Fun Study! - American Lobsters! A Fun Study! - Elephants! A Fun Study! - Knights & Armor! A Fun Study! - Motorcycles! A Fun Study! - Thanksgiving Dinner! A Fun Study!


 
These sample pages are just a few taken from the first volume of "The Fifty States Copywork & Fun" by homeschool bits. This sample unit only contains Arkansas and California. The full version of the unit has three more states included. There are currently FIVE volumes with a total of 398 pages. If you decided that you would like to purchase this series of units, you can buy the five-volume. The last five volumes will be available over the next few months. This copywork was created to be simple, fun, and not overwhelming. Copy amazing facts and information, do a few fun activities, and visit website links to learn more about the fifty states. In "The Fifty States Copywork & Fun!" you can copy & learn a little bit about the following:

Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia,, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri



Wednesday, November 10, 2010

FREE Copywork & Fun Samples!


These 40 sample pages are just a few taken from each volume of "Human Body Copywork & Fun" by homeschool bits. There are THREE volumes with a total of 242 pages. This copywork was created to be simple, fun, and not overwhelming. Copy amazing facts and information, do a few fun activities, and visit website links to learn more about the human body. In Human Body Copywork & Fun! you can copy & learn a little bit about the following:

skeleton, joints, muscles, brain, heart, lungs, sight - eyes, hearing - ears, taste - tongue, smell - nose, touch -skin, stomach, intestines, cells, body systems, circulatory, respiratory, immune, skeletal, excretory, urinary, muscular, endocrine, digestive, nervous, reproductive

If you decided that you would like to purchase this series of units, you can find the three-volume bundle HERE.

 
These sample pages are just a few taken from each volume of "America's Monuments, Symbols, & National Parks Copywork & Fun" by homeschool bits. There are FIVE volumes with a total of 395 pages. This copywork was created to be simple, fun, and not overwhelming. Copy & learn a little bit about 25 different monuments, symbols, or national parks including the following:

The Statue of Liberty, Yellowstone National Park, The Bald Eagle, Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, The United States Flag, The Liberty Bell, Vietnam Veterans Memorial, Grand Canyon National Park, Uncle Sam, The White House, Arlington National Cemetery, Independence Hall, National Flower - Rose, U.S. Capitol, Yosemite National Park, World War II Memorial, The Great Seal, Supreme Court, Acadia National Park, Valley Forge National Historic Park, Lincoln Memorial, Washington Memorial, The Founding Fathers, Thomas Jefferson Memorial, Saratoga National Historical Park

If you decided that you would like to purchase this series of units, you can find the five-volume bundle HERE.

Christmas Fun Study...

***This is a revised edition of the 2009 unit All Christmas! A Fun Study! If you purchased the previous edition, you will receive this revised unit free of charge in an email.***

This unit leans more towards the secular events of Christmas. This unit is suggested for grades K-3 but is very flexible for lower & higher grades. All Christmas! A Fun Study! is intended to be read by the parent/teacher. It is a lesson that speaks directly to the child. It was created to be fun and not overwhelming. The child will feel involved in the lesson, while learning about Christmas. Some of the topics covered include a little of each:

information and activities about the Christmas holiday, Christmas symbols, the Christmas tree, varieties of trees, decorating the tree, Santa Claus, gifts, being thankful, family & friends, Christmas dinner, reindeer, poinsettia, animal crackers (yep, animal crackers!), and more.

Also included are word searches, mazes, comprehension worksheets, coloring pages, facts cards, game cards, and lapbook folds and flaps for creating a simple lapbook.

Click HERE to preview on Currclick.

Thanksgiving & Christmas Poem Cards

A simple, fun resource to go along with your Thanksgiving studies. These Thanksgiving Acrostic Poem Mini Cards are geared for lower grades but can be adapted for other grades as well, and almost any teaching style. The beginning contains instructions and a short lesson on what an acrostic poem is. One set of cards includes the letter and word or sentence that makes the acrostic poem. The next set includes blank cards to create your own acrostic poem using the word THANKSGIVING. 19 pages.

Click HERE to preview on Currclick.

A simple, fun resource to go along with your Christmas studies. These Christmas Acrostic Poem Mini Cards are geared for lower grades but can be adapted for other grades as well, and almost any teaching style. The beginning contains instructions and a short lesson on what an acrostic poem is. One set of cards includes the letter and word or sentence that makes the acrostic poem. The next set includes blank cards to create your own acrostic poem using the word CHRISTMAS. 16 pages.

Click HERE to preview on Currclick.



Wednesday, November 3, 2010

Thanksgiving Day - Holiday Study Series

Do something different for Thanksgiving Day (fourth Thursday in November) or any other time of the year! This is a brief, but informative study about Thanksgiving Day.

Click HERE to view it on Currclick.

This is part of the new Holiday Study Series by homeschool bits. You can easily adapt this study to last one day, or several days. Website links will be provided in case you decide to continue on.

Included within this unit are the following: information and fact pages about Thanksgiving Day, illustration/coloring pages, questions worksheet, facts copywork, basic blank copywork page with photo/illustration, suggested vocabulary words including definitions, blank vocabulary cards, vocabulary word search, and suggested websites.

As with all units by homeschool bits, this was created to be simple and not overwhelming. The suggested grade level is 1-5, but depending on how you use the study, it could be used for lower or higher grades. 18 pages.

The Holiday Study Series should be fun, interesting, and a change from the usual for your child/student. It could be used many ways. Here are just a few:

- start off the school day with an interesting topic
- end the school day with an interesting topic
- a supplement to your regular curriculum
- to fulfill an interest that your child/student has
- to improve skills
... and many others!

Thursday, October 28, 2010

Bat & Spider Freebies!



Facts about the only mammals able to fly... and the arachnid that you're usually never more than 10 feet away from!



 

Economics Grdes 5 & Up - Volume 2

"Economics - Grades 5 & Up" will be released one at a time, in volumes. This is volume 2. It is being done this way to help keep the cost low for each volume.

Very flexible for lower or higher grade levels.

This unit was created to teach economics concepts in a way that will be fun and not overwhelming. Volume 2 is an introduction to some concepts taught in the later elementary and middle grades. Many of these concepts will be taught in more detail throughout future volumes in this series. Economics Grades 5 & Up has been presented in a way that will appeal to older children.

In this volume:

DIVISION OF LABOR
PRODUCERS & CONSUMERS
INTERDEPENDENCE
SPECIALIZATION
PRODUCTIVE RESOURCES
MARKETS

Monday, October 18, 2010

Economics Grades 5 & Up - Volume 1

Economics - Grades 5 & Up will be released one at a time, in volumes. This is volume 1. It is being done this way to help keep the cost low for each volume.
Economics - Grades 5 & Up.

Very flexible for lower or higher grade levels.

This unit was created to teach economics concepts in a way that will be fun and not overwhelming. Volume 1 is a review of some concepts taught in the elementary grades, but has been presented in a way that will appeal to older children.

In this volume:

NEEDS & WANTS
SCARCITY & CHOICE
GOODS & SERVICES
OPPORTUNITY COST
TRADE & BARTER
MONEY (Medium of Exchange)

Sunday, October 17, 2010

How You Teach Science...

This week marks the 131st anniversary of Thomas Edison's invention of the light bulb...

AND...

Currclick is having a blog hop and giveaway! Everyone who submits a related post will be entered. If you don't want to write a blog post but still want to be entered, just leave a comment on their blog.

Thomas Edison was a brilliant scientist, inventor, and businessman. Do you have a budding scientist living in your house who would gladly take apart a light bulb (or a computer or TV) to see how it works? Do you enjoy teaching this sometimes messy subject? Do you use a curriculum or just learn science through everyday experiments? Blog about this, then drop by the Currclick blog, leave a comment or a link to your blog post.

:-)

I have three boys and three girls. I would have to say that my three boys DO like taking apart anything. My oldest boy sometimes takes things apart to study how it was made, then he makes his own out of things he finds around the house. He's made his own crossbows, catapults, etc. If a game controller breaks, he takes it apart and fixes it. I find it pretty amazing since he was never taught to do it, and it is quite a tedious process.

When I teach science, I always try to include a project of some kind. We've made cells out of clay, paperclips, cotton, and other household items. We've made catapults, compasses, rainbows, clouds in a jar, and some of the other typical home science experiments. Although, there are times when we just do a few worksheets relating to science, or watch a video. Almost all life science didn't have to be 'taught' to my children. We live in the country, and life science seems to be everywhere here. We grow a huge vegetable garden every year, along with hunting, fishing, etc.

I teach science as we go. Right now, we don't use any one curriculum. In the past, I've tried almost every science curriculum out there. Most were pretty good, but we soon grew tired of it, and would move on to something else. That's ok though. In the process of switching curriculum, there was still learning going on.

Don't forget to stop by Currclick's blog, and give some of your thoughts on how you teach science. You might win one of the great prizes they are offering!

:-)

Wednesday, October 13, 2010

Timeline Add-Ons: Wars

Timeline Add-Ons: Wars

Click HERE to see the full preview on Currclick.

I hope you enjoy Timeline Add-Ons: Wars. It can be used by itself, or along with our My History Timeline Journal - Volume 1. This add-on includes 90 wars, starting with The Trojan War, Troy (1194 BC - 1184 BC) to the Iraq War (2003)


Instructions for History Timeline...

We now have a set of instructions for putting together My History Timeline Journal Volume 1 by homeschool bits.

You can get the instructions free of charge HERE on Currclick!


October Daily Assignments Freebie!

A homeschool bits Freebie!


I hope you enjoy this October Daily Assignments Mini Helper. I use these assignment sheets to give my children a starting point each day. I attach them with a paper clip to their notebook or folder.


Thursday, October 7, 2010

The Fifty States Copywork & Fun! Volume 4

Click HERE to preview this unit on Currclick.



In The Fifty States Copywork & Fun! Volume 4 you can copy & learn a little bit about five different states.

These are the five included in this unit:

Kansas
Kentucky
Louisiana
Maine
Maryland

This is much more than just a copywork unit!

This copywork was created to be simple, fun, and not overwhelming.These could be used to start off the school day, or to fill the time while the parent/teacher is busy with something else.

Print, DN Manuscript, and Cursive pages included. Suggested for grades K-5 but is very flexible for higher grades. 82 pages.

Monday, October 4, 2010

Zappos

This is way off topic, nothing to do with homeschool... but... I can't help it. :-)

I found a place called Zappos.com last month. This place just amazes me. They carry some very expensive brands, and a ton of stuff that I personally would never buy. But, they carry a bunch of stuff I would buy... and they carry Levis. We don't have any stores in our town that carry the Levis brand, so until now, hubby has been settling for jeans from Walmart. At Zappos, I can order his Levis for $34.99. That's it. There's NO shipping charges, no other additional charges, and THEY SHIP OVERNIGHT! I receive my package the next day. I've placed several orders, and the package arrived the next day, every time. I haven't had to return anything, but they also provide a FREE return label the minute you place your order, just in case. You also have 365 days to return any item!?!? Geez.

I will absolutely be shopping for Christmas and birthdays on Zappos.com. I love knowing what my cost will be, without having to calculate additional charges. The whole shopping experience on this website is easy & fun. This company deserves more praise than I can give them. If you get a chance, check them out! :-)

(Oh, and they don't just sell clothing... there's housewares, gifts, sporting goods, etc too!)

(They even accept Paypal.)

:-)

Wednesday, September 29, 2010

The Fifty States Copywork & Fun! Volume 3

In "The Fifty States Copywork & Fun! Volume 3" you can copy & learn a little bit about five different states. These are the five included in this unit:

Hawaii
Idaho
Illinois
Indiana
Iowa

This is much more than just a copywork unit!

This copywork was created to be simple, fun, and not overwhelming.These could be used to start off the school day, or to fill the time while the parent/teacher is busy with something else.

Print, DN Manuscript, and Cursive pages included. Suggested for grades K-5 but is very flexible for higher grades. 78 pages.

Click HERE to view ths unit on Currclick.




Wednesday, September 15, 2010

Talk Like a Pirate Day!

Beginning this Friday, September 17th and running through September 22nd, Currclick be celebrating Talk Like a Pirate Day! You will discover fantastic SALES on tons of pirate resources. You will be able to embark on a grand adventure as you search for 20 hidden treasure chests, containing all sorts of fantastic and TOTALLLY FREE eBooks! Don't forget to visit Currclick this Friday!

Click the banner this Friday...

CurrClick

Thursday, September 9, 2010

facebook and twitter

Just a quick note to say...




If you are on facebook or twitter, you can follow me at:

 

http://www.facebook.com/pages/homeschool-bits/126476610697582







I'll be posting about upcoming units and freebies too ;-)




 





THANKS!





Some of our Language Arts & Reading...

This is a continuation of my previous post...

For reading, we're still using Headsprout for my 7 & 8 year old from last year. The program is pretty expensive, but they do offer payment plans, so I was able to do it. We are a little more than half way through the program, and my son is reading at what would be his second-third grade level. :o) Before starting Headsprout, he was behind in reading (due to lack on my part, not his.) I really think it has worked so well, that he doesn't even need the program anymore, but he likes it, so we'll keep going. I would recommend Headsprout to anyone that can afford to go through the program. They provide everything you need, along with a very detailed progress record. My kids love the small reader books that are included, along with a wall chart and stickers.



A friend of mine told me about THESE free language arts Literacy Place resources by Scholastic. I wanted to pass it on to anyone who might be struggling to come up with some decent worksheets for LA. The “Skill Builder Black Line Masters” for grades 1-6 are just terrific! These seem to be pdf files that go along with something else, but I’ve been using them stand-alone with my kids for three weeks now, and everything is moving along smoothly. Here are some screen shots of the 3rd and 4th grade pages. :o)



When I have some extra time, I will post some more pics, and write some more posts about what we are using, projects we are doing, and so on. Thanks for reading!

Tuesday, September 7, 2010

Some of our Math, Science, and History...

I decided to dedicate my extra time to this blog only. So, if you already read some of this on my other blogs, I apologize.

I thought I'd write a little about what we are using this year for math, science, and history for school. Somehow, I managed to slip away from the schedule I had planned since our first day of this school year (August 9th.) Last week was a little hectic, and then Labor Day this week has sort of set things off to the side. But, that's ok. We'll be back on track soon. We started our school year off really great. I recently changed a few things up. I wanted to try MEP math this year. We used it for the first couple of weeks, but yesterday, I decided we would go back to Advantage Math workbooks. They worked really well last year. We'll still use MEP on the side, but for now, the Advantage Math seems to be working better. I purchased them on Currclick HERE. I have them printed, hole-punched, and placed into a prong-style folder.




These are the MEP books that we had started, and will continue to work in about once a week. I bound the student workbooks with my comb binding machine. It was a cheap one (about $35) but works great. The one I bought is no longer available, but it’s similar to THIS one on Amazon.

These are a few of the student workbooks:





For science, we are absolutely enjoying a free curriculum called MSNucleus, along with various science unit studies that I create or purchase on Currclick. A friend of mine insisted I try the curriculum. She bothered me the entire summer about it. (She’s extremely persistent!) I finally decided to give it a try. The printable student workbooks and teacher guides are a little hard to find on the MSNucleus site, but once I found them, I was able to print this curriculum and teach it with ease. Once a topic is chosen, there’s a little section that says “Printable version and workbooks can be downloaded by clicking here.” That section brings up all the printable stuff. :-) We started with the “Applied Science.” I like this because it’s really touching on a lot of measuring, weight, math stuff, etc, along with lots of easy science experiments. There is a pre, lab, and post for each lesson. It’s very well organized. Most of the materials I already had around my house, and the rest I ordered from a place called Online Science Mall on eBay. What I really like about this place, is that they offered a plastic version of almost everything, which cut costs for me. Instead of spending $10-$15 on glass graduated cylinders, I was able to find plastic ones for a quarter of the cost. This store has them available in both glass and plastic.

Anyway, here are my student notebooks, and my teacher information for the msnucleus curriculum. I'll post more pics as we get further into the curriculum.





About a month ago, I won a gift certificate for $25. I used it to buy “New World Explorers” by Homeschool in the Woods. This is what I’m starting with this year for history. We just finished up the first week, so I don’t have a lot of pics yet, but it has been such a fun unit! Here are a few pics of the binders my kids put together, and also my binder with the information pages, etc.


Parts of a ship, labeled and colored.


The knot tying activity was neat. We used some white rope we had in the shed.


My kids painted the flags, rather than coloring them.




My two younger kids needed something a little more at their level for history, so they are working on “Ancient Civilization History Pockets” by Evan Moor. You can see it on Amazon HERE. Here’s a few pics of what they completed so far.



When I get some extra time, I'll blog about what we're using for language arts, health, etc. Thanks for taking the time to read my post!