Learn the periodic table with science cupcakes

I saw this on a blog and I thought it would make a great project for homeschool chemistry -- lots of sticky fingers and fun. What do you think?

Image credit

No homework pays off

I think it's better to putt-off homework until college. And this is easy to do when you homeschool.  Your kids can do all their work at home in a shorter amount of time than the kids at public school. There is no such thing as homework when you homeschool. You make the most of your time. You get it done.

When I went to school we didn't have homework until 7th grade. We had some reports to do in elementary school, but we didn't have homework every night. We didn't carry back packs stuffed with books, we didn't have homework contracts that our parents had to sign. We left our books at school in our desks.

I came home from school and changed my clothes (because we had to wear dresses to school.) I put on my "play clothes" and I played. I ran around outside with my friends. When I got books and homework, I thought I was pretty grown-up. And I took it seriously and did my work.

My first two kids went through public school. I was fully involved with all the parent responsibilities and I knew the rules for homework. Twenty minutes in kindergarten, and adding more each year. When my third child started 5th grade, I was fed-up with some of the silly homework his teacher was sending home. (Please write an essay on how you figured out that 7 x 6 = 42.) I pulled him out and homeschooled him along with his older brother who was in 7th grade. It was my first year of homeschool.

Now this is what I've noticed. My 5th and last child is 17 and has started college. He loves his classes. He loves his homework and even reads the textbook for anthropology.

I think kids get too much homework in traditional school and then they burn-out.

Free Physics Videos -- How Things Work

This course just started and you can still enroll for free. It has great videos -- this week has skating examples, and a few parlor tricks too. You'll want to watch with your kids. Take a look, try it out. I would say kids from middle school through high school and up will enjoy these. But even younger kids can understand some of the visual examples.

It is called How Things Work

Class Dismissed -- Video

This explains how I chose to go outside the system of tradition school and homeschool my kids:

Free online U.S. History Course at Hillsdale College

Another free history course is just starting up -- online and superior content for your high school students. It's called History 102 -- American Heritage, from Colonial Settlement to the Reagan Revolution. Sign up at Hillsdale College for this online course here.

1. "Introduction: How to Think About American History"
   Larry P. Arnn
   Lecture Available February 25
   
2. "Colonial Settlement"
   Mark Kalthoff
   Lecture Available March 4
   
3. "Enlightenment and Natural Rights"
   Terrence Moore
   Lecture Available March 11
   
4. "The American Founding"
   Paul Rahe
   Lecture Available March 18
   
5. "Democracy: American Promise and its Dangers"
   Paul Rahe
   Lecture Available March 25
   
6. "The Crisis of the Union"
   David Raney
   Lecture Available April 1
   
7. "The Gilded Age and the Robber Barons"
   Burt Folsom
   Lecture Available April 8
   
8. "Progressivism"
   Paul Moreno
   Lecture Available April 15
   
9. "America as a World Power"
   Tom Conner
   Lecture Available April 22
   
10. "The Reagan Revolution"
    Terrence Moore
    Lecture Available April 29

Why leaves turn color in the Fall -- interactive lesson

I love collecting autumn leaves, but I didn't understand how photosynthesis contributes to the change in color until I did this lesson.

Here's an interactive teaching presentation to do with your kids:

Why Do Leaves Change Color?

Constitution 201 -- free course -- learn about progressivism

George Washington,  by James Peale, ca. 1787-1790

From Hillsdale College -- Happy Constitution Day -- and enjoy their newest online project, The Constitution Reader Online. It is perfect for teaching the Constitution. www.ConstitutionReader.com On September 17, 1787—225 years ago today—thirty-nine men signed the new  Constitution in Philadelphia. It is the most successful and enduring constitution in the world.  Learn more here. Here are some examples of what you can teach today: Read the original Constitution, passed on September 17, 1787. Learn about the separation of powers as established in the Constitution. Study the history of the Constitutional Convention. Read about the modern debate over natural rights. You can also show your students a beautiful painting of September 17, 1787 (The Signing of the American Constitution), by Hillsdale College Art Department Chairman Sam Knecht. You also find the site’s Study Resources useful: The Topics thare are most important to understanding American government. The key Debates between the Founders, the Progressives, and others. A database of Quotes drawn from the Reader. An illustrated Timeline of American constitutional history. Explore the meaning and history of the Constitution with your students today! www.ConstitutionReader.com

We completed the Constitution 101 course at Hillsdale College last year, now they have added a second course. This new 10-part online course taught by Hillsdale College professors examines American progressivism: its historical roots and principles; its rejection of America's founding principles and Constitution; its political successes in the New Deal, the Great Society, and in recent years; the ongoing political debate between progressives and conservatives; and the chance of a constitutional revival.

Register for the Constitution 201

Two courses are available, Constitution 101 and 201

101:  The Meaning and History of the Constitution
201:  The Progressive Rejection of the Founding and the Rise of Bureaucratic Despotism

Free courses for your high school student

My 17 year-old is taking a MOOC (massive open online course) at Coursera.org, and I am giving you an update on his progress. This is week 8, and he enjoys the class, the reading assignments and the writing assignments. He looks forward to peer reviews, writing them and reading those he receives. He is going to sign up for another class, and I have signed up for one too. Try one for yourself, or register for the same one as your son/daughter. Let me know what you think about it.

All the courses at Coursera are free, all taught on the campus of prestigious colleges, such as Princeton, Stanford and more. They have a start date and end date, homework, and most have a certificate of completion.  Read more here....

Free UC Berkeley Physics for your homeschool

I wanted a physics course that had less math and was more about understanding how things work. I found this course offered at UC Berkeley, called Physics for future Presidents. It's hugely popular and is now available online for free. The format is lecture, presented on youtube, but I found the syllabus and have purchased the book to go with it. I hesitated about buying the book, to save money, but decided to go for it and give it a try. The first class video was easy to understand and follow. I think it is important to understand the concepts of gravity, light, energy, and the laws of thermodynamics. This is especially true when you realize that helps you understand the universe and how God works within those structured laws.

Course Syllabus and home page

Course videos

Here is a sample of the course schedule, from which you can make your own:

Physics 10 class schedule for Spring 2011 (Last Updated 05-Feb-2011 1PM)

Date	Preparation	Topics	Homework
Tu Jan 18		Energy	Bio due
Th Jan 20	Read Ch 1	Energy
Tu Jan 25	Read Ch 2	Atoms Heat	HW news
Th Jan 27		Atoms Heat
Tu Feb 1	Read Ch 3	Gravity	HW news
Th Feb 3		Gravity
Tu Feb 8	Read Ch 4	Radioactivity	HW exam questions
Th Feb 10		Nuke Reactions
Tu Feb 15	Read Ch 5	Nukes	HW old exam
Th Feb 17		Nukes
Tu Feb 22	Read Ch 6	Electricity & Magnetism	HW old exam
Th Feb 24		Electricity & Magnetism
Tu Mar 1		Midterm I Ch 1-5
Th Mar 3	Read Ch 7	Waves
Tu Mar 8		Waves	HW news
Th Mar 10	Read Ch 8	Light
Tu Mar 15		Light	HW old exam
Th Mar 17	Read Ch 9	Invisible Light
Tu Mar 29		Invisible Light	HW exam questions
Th Mar 31	Read Ch 11	Quantum
Tu Apr 5		Midterm II Ch 6-10
Th Apr 7		Quantum
Tu Apr 12	Read Ch 10	Climate	HW news
Th Apr 14		Climate
Tu Apr 19	Read Ch 12	Relativity	HW news
Th Apr 21		Relativity
Tu Apr 26	Read Ch 13	Universe	HW old exam
Th Apr 28		Universe

Textbook:

Other sources for physics Khan Academy.

Featured Image: University of Nebraska Lincoln

Free Online Courses for High School and You

You have to try one of these free college courses at Coursera. I would say that ages 13 to 80 will enjoy them.  My 17-year old son is enrolled in Fantasy and Science Fiction: The Human Mind, the Modern World.

The courses start on a specific date, so stroll through the options and see if you find anything. So far, my son is enjoying the class. He has several videos to watch that are posted by the professor, then a reading assignment, then a writing assignment of 270-320 words. Next he reviews peers writings and a few of them review his work as well. That may be the one thing that has some negatives, although some pluses too. It depends who reviews and his level of understanding. But my son loves the videos, the readings, the assignments and reviewing other students.

There's 116 courses from 16 different universities. Its all free, so you won't lose a thing for trying it out.

This is the 10 week course set-up for Fantasy and Science Fiction:

1. Every Thursday, a new unit starts with an introductory video from the professor.
2. The student has five days to read a novel and then write a 270-320 word essay.
3. The essay is submitted on Tuesday and the student receives five random essays to grade and provide anonymous feedback.
4. On Thursday, feedback is received from the peer evaluations and the cycle starts over.

The students cover a global network, all ages. It is very interesting.