Escape to the Beach

We needed a change of scenery... so our annual beach weekend came early this year.

Of course... we had to keep tradition and take the family pic at our lunch stop...

 

The poles were great entertainment this time!

She has amazing balance...

 Walking along the beach at sunrise will always be my very favorite!

Look... she's got a beak!

My favorite beach bums!

The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; 

his mercies never come to an end;

they are new every morning;

great is your faithfulness.

Lamentations 3:22-23

New Family Pics

I love my belated "Mother's Day" present...updated family pics!

 I'm so glad we were able to capture these moments before everyone scatters off to their own paths. Sam has graduated college and is starting his job in just a few more weeks.

It was bittersweet... our first "official" pictures since Matt went to heaven.  I think he'd be proud of us - everyone is smiling and we even sorta coordinated.  We chose to do the photos on our walking paths, our favorite spot we discovered during corona. 

 I'm so grateful for these amazing humans that call me "mom".  What abundant blessings they are to me!

Thank you - Samantha for the amazing photography!

Exploring the U.S. Life-Saving Service 1878-1915: 17 Student Workshops with 120 Activities from Rebecca Locklear: A TOS Crew Review

Disclaimer: I received a FREE copy of this product through the HOMESCHOOL REVIEW CREW in exchange for my honest review. I was not required to write a positive review nor was I compensated in any other way

Exploring the U.S. Life-Saving Service 1878-1915: 17 Student Workshops with 120 Activities from Rebecca Locklear

I love it when we can dive into history and it comes alive in a new way. We've been captivated by Exploring the U.S. Life-Saving Service 1878-1915: 17 Student Workshops with 120 Activities from Rebecca Locklear.

This is a 120 page PDF download that makes the history of the US Life-Saving Service come alive.  It is broken into 5 sections with 17 workshop-style lessons, beginning with an Introduction to these brave men of the beaches that were part of the U.S. Life-Saving Service, a government organization that existed between 1878 and 1915. 

Sections cover: 

Life at the Station House

Working Together

The Culture and Character

Relevance Today

This is an engaging unit study on a topic we really had never explored before.  Having just been to the beach, we were all in the mood to learn more about anything to do with the magnificent ocean!

The information is all organized to make it easy to use, and perfect to teach in a Coop or group setting.  It's designed for grades 4-12.  It incorporates a wide variety of activities that you can pick and choose from for your students.

Art

Cooking

Drama

Music

Stories

Videos

Critical Thinking

Problem Solving

Group Work

Throughout the study, you will find old photos that really show the challenges of the Life-Saving Service. 

We really enjoyed Unit 2 - Working Together at the Station.  It began with learning to identify Ships & Signals, we read about the demanding Beach Patrol duty, watched videos about Rescues with boats, discussed Rescue Scenarios:Live or Die, and created our own First Aid Medicine Chest.

In the study you will find suggestions for resources to help you learn more.  We loved watching the recommended YouTube videos as we worked through the study.

There is an entire section with suggested art activities for your creative types.  My drama kids loved reading the skits, and I think they would be a huge hit in a coop class. There are recipes included so you can taste history (molasses muffins were super yummy!), and tons of great topics to get family discussion going!

The final section: Relevance Today - was another favorite.  It focused on survival skills.  It's filled with practical information, like 10 essentials for survival and real-lire scenarios of survival you can discuss.  We were fascinated by the Cold Water Survival section.  Did you know 68 degree is considered "cold water" and that you can actually survive about an hour in it?  

This is the perfect way to sneak in some summer learning!  The study was very well put together, offered great activities that appeal to all learning styles and was completely fascinating!   

Please visit Rebecca Locklear's Website and sign up for her newsletter! 

Are you drawn to an interactive, engaging, and multi-curricular teaching style?
"As a writer of educational materials, Rebecca Locklear's ideas radiate from a passion to present information in unusual and interactive ways. She draws on decades of experience teaching all levels of students. Whether writing historical reenactment productions in the mountains of Morocco, instructing international learners in Switzerland, or creating faculty training workshops at her Oregon home, her focus is on a dynamic learning environment.

So...if you find Rebecca learning to drive a team of horses, throwing water over beached pilot whales, biking in Italy, surveying the firing lines of bastion fortifications, or just crawling around a ship built in the 1600s, know that for her it's "fun with a purpose." In some way, her experiences find their way into her teaching and into her educational books."

Be sure to check out another title the Crew has been reviewing:

• The Mayflower at Cape Cod - Stories, activities, and research that connect 1620 with life today

Find Rebecca Locklear on Social Media:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RebeccaLocklearWriter/

Hashtags: #hsreviews #USLifeSavingService, #EarlyCoastGuard, #CoastalSearchandRescue, #CoastGuardHistory #maritimerescues #Mayflower, #CapeCod, #Pilgrims #Wampanoag

See what other members of the Crew thought here

HelpTeaching Pro Subscription from HelpTeaching.com: A TOS Crew Review

Disclaimer: I received a FREE copy of this product through the HOMESCHOOL REVIEW CREW in exchange for my honest review. I was not required to write a positive review nor was I compensated in any other way

HelpTeaching Pro Subscription from HelpTeaching.com

HelpTeaching Pro Subscription from HelpTeaching.com is a must-have resource!  The Pro Subscription gives you unlimited access to custom and pre-made tests, worksheets, lessons and games for grades K-12 for online or printable use.

This is a HUGE resource with so many options - it's kinda like being in a homeschool curriculum candy shop...lots and lots of goodies to choose from!

HelpTeaching Pro Subscription includes:

• unlimited custom tests and worksheets
• up to 100 Questions limit in custom tests & worksheets
• an Ad-free experience
• usage of their library of custom questions and images
• the ability to save as PDF for tests and worksheets
• the ability to create your own lessons with embedded videos
• an online test room to administer tests
• Pre-made Premium Common Core ELA & Math Content
• Access to their library of over 20,000 Common Core aligned ELA & math questions

Let me show you a few ways we use this amazing resource.  First, the subscription gives you access to Printable and Online Worksheets, Quizzes and Activities.

They are arranged either by grade level, or by subject, making it super easy to find what you are looking for.  Not just for basic subjects like English Language Arts, Math, Science, etc. They also have Vocational Education, Art & Music, Study Skills, PE, and Life Skills categories to pick and choose from.

One thing I love about this program is the ability to create worksheets/tests/quizzes and either print them (with answer keys!) have my student "take it now", or schedule it for my students to complete later.  It's so easy to use, all you need is their email and it will send it to your student!

 This program has hundreds of pre-made options for all grades and subjects, including high school options.

 But, sometimes you need a more specific test or quiz for your students.  HelpTeaching Pro Subscription allows you to create custom tests as well - with up to 100 questions.

The Test Maker makes it super easy to create your own using your own questions, or choosing from a vast library of standards aligned questions that you can easily search with a keyword.

There is plenty of help available with a simple click to get more information on how to create and customize your tests.  You can even add images from their extensive collection of maps and images.

 I created a quick Biology test for my student, covering cells.  It was so easy!  You can select what type of questions, how many and even specify the grade level.

In just a few clicks, I was able to print out a Biology exam to review what we had learned about cells.

A fun feature is that you can schedule tests for your students to take Online. This program allows you to create classes, schedule tests, and keep track of results.  

You can customize the options - like allowing students to change their answers, use practice mode and show the test results.  This would be a very useful tool for Coop classes as well!

 Another feature I love about this program are the Online Lessons for Self-Directed Learning.  This section is mainly for middle/high school level students and utilizes videos from a variety of sources like - Khan Academy, Educator.com, and Bozeman Science and links to other free online resources to help students understand the topic.

 We have been studying American history and government this year, so the lesson on The Constitution was a perfect complement.

They have dozens of lessons in Math, English Language Arts, Science, History and Social Studies.  This section would be worth the subscription alone!

There's more! Worksheet Generator lets you create you own math worksheets to practice math facts - you choose the function, number of questions, and factors you want to include. One click later - you can print all the worksheets you want.

Game and Puzzle Generators allow you to create bingo cards and word searches for any topic you want.  We love the bingo cards for summer road trips.

With so many resources to choose from, and the ability to customize to exactly what you need, this is definitely a MUST have resource for homeschooling!  

Find HelpTeaching.com on Social Media:

Facebook: facebook.com/helpteaching
Twitter: twitter.com/helpteaching
Instagram: instagram.com/helpteaching
Pinterest: pinterest.com/helpteaching
YouTube: youtube.com/helpteaching

Hashtags: #hsreviews #elearning #onlinelearning #teaching

See what other members of the Crew thought here

Who Is This Kid? Colleges Want to Know! from The Critical Thinking Co.™: A TOS Crew Review

Disclaimer: I received a FREE copy of this product through the HOMESCHOOL REVIEW CREW in exchange for my honest review. I was not required to write a positive review nor was I compensated in any other way

Who Is This Kid? Colleges Want to Know! from The Critical Thinking Co.™


Who Is This Kid? Colleges Want to Know! from The Critical Thinking Co.™ is a great resource for your high school students that are getting ready to explore college admissions.

My oldest just graduated college this spring! I have another 2 currently in college, so that leaves just 5 more to walk through the college admissions process 😊  I wish I had this resource earlier!

Who Is This Kid? Colleges Want to Know! is a softcover, 160 page book (also available in ebook format) designed for your 9-12th grade students.

The goal is to get your student thinking and writing about what kind of student they are and to prepare them to communicate it as they apply to college.

The book is broken into 5 parts:

• Student Self-Assessment
• Searching the Colleges - Building Your College List
• Communications
• College Admissions Calendar
• Glossary

The author, Joyce Slayton Mitchell has 17 years of experience as a college advisor.  She has written multiple books and articles offering college advice.

This book is designed for your student.  It has plenty of space for them to record information, practice essay writing, and keep detailed notes during their college search.

I have a Freshman and a Junior this year, so it was the perfect opportunity for us to explore some of the sections.

The Student Self Assessment section includes a Campus Culture Quiz.  My daughter was interested to see what type of college her interests would lead her toward.

She answered 10 quick multiple choice questions - many of the answer choices made her giggle...

"Your planning a Friday night with your friends. Where do you go?"

1. A Friend's Party
2. USA Exchange Student Program
3. High School Arts Festival
4. Science Fair Workshop
5. Climate-Change Film

or

"When you daydream about Saturday night at college, what will you be doing?"

1. Fund raising for a water purification group
2. Cheering for the basketball team
3. Attending a philosophy lecture
4. Attending a philharmonic concert
5. Attending an engineering internship program

We got a laugh imagining the type of students that spend Friday and Saturday nights watching climate-change films or attending philosophy lectures.  

But, it was a helpful tool to realize that there are different types of college cultures, and you want to know what type appeals to you.  The quiz is scored and broken into 5 different "colors" of college culture - collegiate, intellectual, creative, preprofessional and activist.

Each part in the book has a brief amount of description and advice.  The majority of the book is formatted in worksheet style for your student to have places to write and record information.

In the College Search section, students can use the worksheets to start evaluation different college options with questions about size, academics and extracurriculars along with personal impressions about what they like and don't like about the college.

The Communications section helps get your student practicing skills for applications, essays and interviews.

An Organizer will hep them keep track of deadlines and test scores.

A blank Common Application is included to let them know what to expect on applications.

Interview exercises are a way for them to prepare for types of interview questions they may encounter, and offers some practical tips for interviewing as well.

This book includes 5 practice essay exercises with a general essay question and plenty of space to write.

The final section - College Admissions Calendar gives a general schedule for your student, broken down by month.

 The Glossary is a useful tool for understanding all those college acronyms.

I feel like it's a great prep tool for high school students to use.  Be sure to check out other products the Crew has been reviewing:

• Creative Problem Solving Level 1 (Grades PreK-2) 
• Dare to Compare Math: Beginning (Grades 2-3) 
• Mastering Logic & Math Problem Solving (Grades 6-9) 

Find The Critical Thinking Co.™ on Social Media:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheCriticalThinkingCo
Twitter: www.twitter.com/criticalthinks
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thecriticalthinkingco/
Pinterest: www.pinterest.com/criticalthinks
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCsVEVNa6UpVqXxo_t5sbb7Q

Hashtags: #hsreviews #thecriticalthinkingco, #criticalthinking, #empowerthemind, #criticalthinkingskills, #criticalgiving

See what other members of the Crew thought here