Ff is for . . . . FREE study includes bible, spelling, handwriting, history, science, geography

We Used our new Ff is for . . . Fishers of Men study to get started this week. 

You can download your own copy here - includes links for bible - geography (as listed in title) 

For our lapbook - we used pictures from sources listed at bottom of this post - with information provided (for personal use only.) I wish I could just share those pics for you to print - but I can tell you - that with the links I provided - it wouldn't be hard for you to print a few of your own. (personal use of course) 

Here again, is the link for our study - some more links and pics are provided there. 

After I gathered the pics and information I wanted to include in our lapbook

 (about location, wildlife, natural resources, economy, history, & heritage) 

We glued the file folders together and glued the pictures and information into the folders. 

We decorated the folders with a few extra touches (like a homemade clasp) 

Linking with: ABC blogging with Marcy @ Ben and Me  

Sources I used for our personal book: 

( Falkland Islands Government page, World Atlas.com, Wikipedia ,
Wildlife of Falklands, Living Natural Treasures, )

Homeschool - Letter of the week = Pp

In our life this week. . . 

We enjoyed a little family party for New Year's Eve. We went to the beach for the last 

sunset of 2012 and the boys issued in 2013 with sparklers and excitement. 

In our homeschool . . . 

Letter of the week - Pp 
     We used our World of Animals book from Master Books to find animals that begin 
with the letter Pp - How do fleas, lice, and ticks fit in? Why, they are Parasites, of course. 
The boys drew various animals and wrote special information about them in handmade 
books while I read out loud. We discussed interesting facts about each one. 

We used the new bug maker to create several parasites and a couple of predators. 

Our bible verse of the week, as always, was used for handwriting - cursive for the 6th 
grader and print for the other two in their spiral notebooks. We read about Perseverance
from our We Choose Virtues cards and information. Bible verse Psalms 100:4 

We found Pennsylvania and Poland on the map. We are studying Pennsylvania with 
our Paul Revere profile from Geo Matters - Profiles from History. Of course, as we 
read about his involvement with tea - we had to have some for our school snack! 

We have been learning about various countries all around Europe this year. We color
 it on the map, discuss culture and basic information, color a flag and cook food from
each region to help us connect and remember what we are learning. This week, we
made our own version of the Polish folk art of papercutting, with directions from our
Geography through Art book by GeoMatters: 

The time spent in the kitchen stirring and chopping, leaves for plenty of opportunity to 
review what we've read about each country and why a particular food is popular there. 
Two great resources we use consistently for these projects are: 
Passport to the World and also Eat Your Way Around the World  

We're cooking . . . 
Pennsylvania Dutch cooking - making 4 meals out of 1 chicken - see our 
Frugal Family 2013 - new link up series for recipes to save money. We use 
cooking as part of our homeschool each week. You can download the free Kindle
book Pennsylvania Dutch cooking at the bottom of this post. 

             

Read, Explore, Learn . . . 

 

We had plans to go and get fresh oysters (we LOVE to head out to the oyster
beds and gather fresh oysters) but, there is red tide in the area so it isn't 
safe to eat them right now! We talked about our previous experiences and 
drew pictures of Pearlie the amazing oyster. 
Our plan is to make our own Pearlie out of shells and clay on Friday! We will 
go for a nature walk and explore an oyster bed near shore to examine the 
habitat of some of our local oysters. 

Freebies . . . 
(these book were all free for your Kindle or computer this week
 - they are subject to change on Amazon ) 

Thank you Marcy Crabtree for sharing this Freebie: 

Linking with - Holy Spirit Led Homeschool , The Imagination Tree , Creative Family Fun ,
Sun Scholars  , Camera Phone Friday, Favorite Resources this Week, Homeschool Freebie Fridays, Weird Unsocialized Homeschoolers  ABC blogging, Collage Friday, Educating Laytons ihomeschoolnetwork Mommy Teaches   homeschool fridays  friday faves Read.Explore.Learn

Our Homeschool This Week - Nn is for . . . .

In my life this week. . . 


Nn is for New Jewelry - I've been on a roll - getting my creative juices flowing 
the one on the right is my creation "BEECH glass" - excited about BEECH Retreat  Jan 31 

Nn is also for 'No room in the Inn' - I'm not the only one around here being creative 
we used sticks from our nature walk to create small Nativities (yeah, Nn is also for Nativity) 

In our homeschool this week…

We use our wonderful The World of Animals book from Master Books to study new and 

exciting animals each week. 

Nn is for Nuthatch and Narwhal  also Nn is for Nautilus 

A few fun facts for ya- the Narwhal (pictured above in bottom left corner) is a whale included in the dolphin and porpoise family. It is a toothed whale that grows up to 16 feet long. The male has a tusk and may use it to fence with other males. 

The beautiful Nautilus shell shows the mathematical  Fibonacci sequence - read more facts about this incredible creature here.  (ahem. . . Nn is for Numbers) 

Nn is for Nathan Hale - whom we read about in Profiles from History 

Nn is for North American Indians - Timucua Indians and Calusa of Florida are on our list - we found the Timucua Indians in our Indian Tribes of North America coloring book (great way to keep kids busy while I read more info) 

Nn is for New Hampshire - from the United States coloring book - we are reading about New Hampshire in our GeoMatters Pathway to Settlement  curriculum - which uses living books and not just a text book for teaching. 

Helpful homeschooling tips or advice to share…

Nn is for Numbers -  If you have a child who struggles with dyslexia or dysgraphia 

make your own simple flash cards for them to put in order. Numbers need to be reviewed 

as well as letters. Spence is working on addition and subtraction, but needed to review recognizing his numbers 11 - 20 this week. This was a great way for him to do it. 

We are reading learning and exploring …

Nn is for Nigeria -  Our Heroes For Young Readers  books are a wonderful addition to our family homeschool. Each lesson provides a short reader with pictures to introduce the Hero and the tale of how they left their mark on the world - this week we were in Nigeria on the continent of Africa - Mary Slessor was an incredible woman and a peacemaker among the tribes of Africa. The activity guide provides everything from songs to bible verses to spelling words and art projects to go with the books. Pictured in bottom left corner is a simple hut like the one Mary lived in while in  Nigeria. 
We have studied Corrie Ten Boom  of the Netherlands - here is a link to the first 4 book set  
and the Activity Guide here.  Other books here and the activity guides here. 

We're cooking…

We're cooking Pinto beans - teaching the boys how to cook healthy dry beans 

See our Kids in the Kitchen post here. 

Favorite moments this week …

Nn is for Nostalgic- 

It's always fun getting out the Christmas stuff. I love that our tree is a fun mixture of sand dollars and shells we've found at the beach, antique ornaments that have seen many Christmas's and bring back countless memories, and handmade ornaments from my boys. This year we added small nests and birds and even a couple of little bird houses that I think are really fun. It's kind of our "Old Florida - Nature Tree" 

Starfish, and tiny gifts from the sea - each one found by me or the family at our beach - make my heart beat happy when I see them sparkling on the tree. The long spiral "ice sickle" shells came from our honeymoon in Costa Rica. The Santa Claus starfish I painted with Parker when he was only 3 years old. Such special memories make me smile inside and out.  I'm so thankful for each of them and what they represent. 

Freebies … 

             

Luke 2:11 - Notebooking 

      Print and Cursive 

 Basic info on Calusa Indians of SWFL :               Part 1                          Part 2 

    
  Pocahontas Unit Study 

  Alphabet Flashcards with animals: 

     Aa - Ff                                 Ss - Xx

   Gg - Ll                                  Yy- Zz       

     Mm-Rr                                        

          

*Disclosure- There are affiliate links in this post - I will make a profit if you purchase using them - thanking you in advance!

Linking with - Holy Spirit Led Homeschool , The Imagination Tree , Creative Family Fun , Sun Scholars  , Camera Phone Friday, Favorite Resources this Week, Homeschool Freebie Fridays, Weird Unsocialized Homeschoolers  ABC blogging, Collage Friday, Educating Laytons ihomeschoolnetwork Mommy Teaches   homeschool fridays  friday faves Read.Explore.Learn Quick Tips Hammock Tracks Christian Mommy Bloggers

Our homeschool week - Manger, Mantis and ancient Man

In my life this week…

The world's ugliest tree was rescued from certain death- 

I was told by my husband that this tree could not be repaired

 - so I became the queen of duct tape (determined is what I call it

 - Mark says stubborn)   

 po-tAe-do / po- ta-do 

I win. I mean - I managed to salvage it! 

In our homeschool this week…

Clockwise beginning in top right corner - Studying animals who defy evolution, 

Swimming Creatures from Apologia, Print and cursive bible verse copywork, 

Advent study - reading God's word. 

See our Wildlife Wednesday posts and join the group for free information, monthly prizes, 

and much more. Link up your nature posts old and new and they will be added to the 

Master Books - Wildlife Wednesday pinterest board! (get info here) 

M is for Mantis who prays - read that here    

M is for Manger - see picture above and free Silent Night printable below 

M is for Man - the ancient man and his intelligence 

M is for Miry Clay - Ps 40:2  - You brought me out of the pit of destruction, out of the

                                  miry clay,  you put my feet upon a rock, making my footsteps firm. 

          

              *although it may not seem like a Christmas verse - we are backing up to the reason

               He was born in the first place - He came so that we might live - He came to cleanse

               us and set our feet upon the rock. 

Helpful homeschooling tips or advice to share…

  

Adapt your homeschool to fit your needs. I am reading the Genius of Ancient Man aloud and although it is a bit advanced for my younger ones - they are understanding much of it because we have added this project pictured above. While I read - they are sketching and painting examples we discussed from the books historical timeline such as the tower of Babel, Great Pyramids, Stonehenge, and more - all examples of ancient cultures religions, organized government and architecture - ancient man's intelligence. They may not understand every word I read - but they understand the basics, will remember this project, and we are laying a foundation of truth in their lives. It's a wonderful resource! 

I am careful to teach them that many of the cultures had pagan roots and rituals - I have the 

ability to pic and choose how much of that I share with my children. The important thing is for 

them to understand why we choose to believe in Creation and that the bible is our ultimate 

go-to, the foundation of our faith. 

My favorite thing this week was…

Showing my husband the tree of course! (it's important to find everyday ways to play with your spouse - a little friendly competition is fun for us) 

The moments pictured in our weekly wrap-ups are many of my favorite moments - finding joy
in the everyday 

We're cooking…

Florida Snowman Cookies  recipe on link for our Kids in the Kitchen post 

I’m grateful for…

*Our ladies bible study group on Monday nights (IRL) and the volunteers who take care of the kiddos and teach them about Jesus during that time -  *Resources for our homeschool 

*The REAL gift of the season - *Friends who support and love -* husband who puts his family 

first and is a godly example for our boys - *wonderful homeschool companies such as Apologia, Master Books, and GeoMatters who are generous and supportive in the homeschool community - *grateful for reading improvement in little ones 

We're reading …

 exploring and learning about the intelligence of ancient man and our Creator

Also reading Swimming Creatures from Apologia for science (see whale pic above) 

And Geography through Art from Geo Matters 

Freebies …

                                     

                                                 

                       

Free bible study plans and reading plans Free copywork for Silent Night

includes cursive

Linking with - Holy Spirit Led Homeschool , The Imagination Tree , Creative Family Fun , Sun Scholars  , Camera Phone Friday, Favorite Resources this Week, Homeschool Freebie Fridays, Weird Unsocialized Homeschoolers  ABC blogging, Collage Friday, Educating Laytons ihomeschoolnetwork Mommy Teaches   homeschool fridays  friday faves Read.Explore.Learn Quick Tips Hammock Tracks Christian Mommy Bloggers