What Is an “Inspired Homeschooler”?

Amelia Harper

Our new writing column is titled “The Inspired Homeschooler.” But what do we mean by “inspired”? When we speak of the “inspiration” of the Scriptures, we mean that God Himself led certain men to write documents that became part of the Biblical canon that we use today. The ancient Greeks believed that artists, writers, and musicians were “inspired” by nine demi-gods called “muses” who spurred them on to creative efforts. Today, when we use the term “to inspire,” we generally mean that someone influences a creative effort or motivates someone to creative excellence. This is exactly what Susan Spann and I wish to do in this “Inspired Homeschooler” column.

As I travel throughout the country meeting homeschooling families, many of them talk to me about their desire to write. Parents often come to me because they don’t know how to teach writing; others come because they simply want to motivate or “inspire” their children to write at all. Still others come because they are already inspired to write and have begun to create works of their own.

These “inspired” writers span a broad range of homeschoolers. Most are teens, both male and female, who are working on short stories, poems, or entire novels. However, many are adults who are homeschooling parents or former homeschooled students. Those who fall in this category are mainly interested in improving their craft or in learning how to submit works for publication. This really is an attainable goal, for I know of several homeschooled students who have already had books published.

Some people think of writing as simply a means to communicate, but in reality, writing has a much greater power. Thoughts expressed in speech are ephemeral: unless they are captured by audio or video, they disappear as quickly as they are spoken. Even an avid listener may have trouble later recalling the exact expression of the idea. However, written ideas live longer, whether in print or electronically, and become part of the greater archive of mankind’s accumulated creativity, wisdom, and knowledge.

The power of the written word can entertain, enlighten, or even change hearts and minds. Think of a book you have read that held that sway over you. Have you ever had a day made brighter by an encounter with the written word? Have you ever learned something new or have you seen the world through another’s eyes? Have you ever embraced an idea or philosophy (perhaps even homeschooling your family) because of the impact of the written ideas of another? Have you ever been inspired to write something of your own in response to that power?

Reading the work of another is one of the most common methods of “inspiration.” Have you ever read a story and thought: “But what if it didn’t happen this way? What if the circumstances or setting, or characters were changed? How would that affect the plot and outcome of the story?” If you can answer these questions within your own creative consciousness, you may be inspired to write a totally different story.

But inspiration does not only apply to creative projects. Perhaps you find yourself interested in a topic and begin to research it. As you do, you discover an approach to the topic that no one else has seen. You may be inspired to write a report, paper, or entire book that explains this subject in a whole new light. Or your own passion for an idea may inspire you to write persuasively in order to encourage others to accept this idea as well.

Inspiration can come in many forms. In the past, artists, musicians, and writers have been inspired by nature, by the plight of mortal man, by Scripture, by mythology, by their own joys and tragedies—even by their own dreams. But often, it is the written word of one author that inspires the writings of another.

That is what we hope to accomplish here. We hope to provide you with fodder for your own muse—whatever that muse might be. During the coming year, Susan and I plan to alternate writing concepts in order to help educate you concerning the written word in the current age. Susan, with her experience as an attorney who also speaks at writing conferences, plans to focus on the steps and strategies involved in bringing a creative work from idea to publication. In my columns, I plan to focus more on the wide range of genres available to the writer in modern society.

However, the goal of this column is far more than education about the written word. Our goal is to inspire you and your children to develop your creativity and achieve written excellence. All ideas have influence, but well-worded ideas possess an even greater power. Through this column, we hope that you will be inspired to develop and use that power for good.

Amelia Harper is a homeschooling mother of five and a pastor’s wife. She is also the author of Literary Lessons from the Lord of the Rings, a complete one-year literature curriculum designed for secondary-level homeschooled students. In addition, she is an English tutor and a freelance writer who contributes regularly to newspapers and magazines. For more information, go to www.homescholarbooks.com.

Copyright 2012, used with permission. All rights reserved by author. Originally appeared in the January 2012 issue of The Old Schoolhouse® Magazine, the trade magazine for homeschool families. Read the magazine free atwww.TOSMagazine.com or read it on the go and download the free apps atwww.TOSApps.com to read the magazine on your mobile devices.

Guidelines for Success

By Kay Camenisch

Do your children occasionally shock you with antics that are entirely outside their training? Most homeschool families take seriously the admonition to “train up a child in the way he should go.” When a child’s behaviour is outside acceptable boundaries, conscientious parents notice.

I experienced one such occasion when I took our youngest children to the mall. Daniel was almost 2 and Jonathan was barely 3 years old. My normally calm, obedient children squealed and chased each other around counters and wrapped themselves in hanging garments. They then played Hide and Seek among clothing racks. I was horrified and couldn’t shop because I was too busy correcting and corralling.

Finally, I realized that the boys had never been in a mall. To them the store was a stimulating playground. They weren’t going outside their boundaries—I’d never given them guidelines for behaviour in clothing stores.

I called them to me, squatted down to their level, and looked them in the eye. I told them I needed them to stay close to me, keep their voices quiet, keep their hands by their sides, and so forth. I then asked questions to check their understanding.

After our chat, the boys became perfect little shopping companions. They did exactly what I had asked. We all enjoyed the excursion, and I found what I was looking for. As we walked to another store, a little hop-skip in Daniel’s step mirrored the joy in my heart.

I thought about my impatience in the past. In how many of those instances had I been the problem because I failed to set boundaries or tell my children what kind of behaviour would be appropriate? Because other responsibilities demand attention, it’s easy to overlook preparing children for what lies ahead. How can they succeed if they don’t know what is expected of them?

Children Need Guidelines

Even in everyday activities, children need to know what is acceptable behaviour. For example, do your children know what you want from them when:

· They have a question or important need while you’re talking with someone?

· They are asked by a peer to do something they know won’t please you—or God?

· They have to wait for you in a public gathering, like after church?

· They are overwhelmed by a task or a situation?

If our children don’t know what is expected, their disruptions lead to frustration, misunderstandings, wasted time, and possibly missed goals. Even in familiar settings, such as church, we’ll get better cooperation if we explain what we expect during the service and why, rather than constantly whispering, “Shhhh!” and “Be still!”

In new situations, it’s even more important. How could Jonathan and Daniel have known how to act in a mall when they had never been to one? If it is something that is unusual to us—like end-of-the-year testing—we’re likely to prepare them. However, what about things that are familiar to us, but not to them?

Knowing what is expected will help children succeed in strange situations, such as these:

· A visit to the doctor

· An encounter with strangers or a relative they tend to pull back from

· A trip to a nursing home, a museum, or a field trip

· A first birthday party when the other child gets all the presents

·

When possible, we need to make time to tell our sons and daughters what to expect, how to act, or what to say in a new situation. When appropriate, we can build internal character by explaining whys of an expectation. It takes very little time and can save embarrassment, conflict, and/or lost time later.

Social grace is a learned skill. For the shy child—or the hyper one—it’s especially helpful to have a strategy ahead of time. They will learn more quickly if we teach them how to be polite and appropriate rather than expect them to know intuitively or to absorb training by osmosis.

We home educate our children because we want them to adopt our faith and values as well as succeed in life. Taking time to give specific guidelines builds toward that goal. If a child doesn’t follow instructions, there’s an additional benefit.

An Added Bonus

We tend to confront disobedience with reprimand or ask, “Why did you do that?” Either approach immediately puts a child on the defensive. However, if we’ve given instructions, we can say, “What did I ask you to do?” Answers to that simple question can reveal lack of understanding.

A friend, Paul, had bedtime prayers with his young daughter. One night after Susannah prayed, he instructed her to begin her prayers with thanksgiving instead of making requests. The next day, he went on a trip. When he returned, just as in the past, she began with, “Dear God, bless Mommy, and Daddy, and . . .”

He said, “Susannah, how did I ask you to start your prayers?”

“Oh, yeah,” she said. “Ummm. Was it with Halloween?”

Susannah heard her father’s request, but she didn’t know “thanksgiving” was an expression of gratitude. She thought it was a vacation!

The question “What did I ask you to do?” gave opportunity to hear her lack of understanding.

Further Bonuses

If a child understands but does not obey, rather than reprimand, ask, “Can you help me understand why you didn’t do what I asked?” The question puts responsibility for obedience on the child without placing blame.

The question gives opportunity to learn if there is a legitimate reason for noncompliance. If your spouse had told him to do something different, it is good to have shown trust, rather than having blamed. However, if the child is guilty of wilful disobedience, he/she will indict him/herself if answers show noncompliance without a reason.

If we constantly correct our children and rein them in, we focus on negative behaviour and tend to address only external actions. It instils negative self-image and doesn’t build character or relationship. In time, the child will resist.

On the other hand, if day by day we take time to prepare our children for things they face, it will build confidence to embrace life. If we correct them without judgment and blame, they will not be as quick to resist us. If we consistently communicate a desire to help them succeed, they’ll learn to welcome our input, and it will also build our relationship with them.

Train Up Your Child

One of the definitions for train in Proverbs 22:6 is “to initiate.” As we train our children, we initiate them for life. It is quicker, easier, and more productive to initiate correct performance than to change unacceptable behaviour. Instruction and guidelines help children start on the right path—thus helping them succeed in the situation at hand and in the life ahead of them. The initial investment of time and attention is well worth the reward.

As we communicate expectations, we join our children in anticipation of coming events. It helps them be successful in new or difficult situations, thus preparing them for success in life.

When we seek activities to teach Godly character, we tend to get complicated and think of a planned activity or program. However, we can encourage character and relationship if we simply look from our children’s perspective and give guidelines to help them be successful in daily situations.

Kay Camenisch, a pastor’s wife, has four children and eleven grandchildren. She began to homeschool in 1989. Besides articles and dramas, she also writes devotions for cbn.com. Her search to help couples find freedom from anger led to the publication of Uprooting Anger: Destroying the Monster Within, a transformational Bible study that addresses the roots of anger (uprootinganger.com).

Copyright 2012, used with permission. All rights reserved by author. Originally appeared in the November 2012 issue of The Old Schoolhouse® Magazine, the family education magazine. Read the magazine free at www.TOSMagazine.com or read it on the go and download the free apps at www.TOSApps.com to read the magazine on your mobile devices.

Learning Facts the Easy Way

By Nancy Radke

“Rejoice, young man, during your childhood, and let your heart be pleasant . . .” (Ecclesiastes 11:9, NASB). Only one student? Students of all ages and abilities? No problem. Use teaching games! Games fulfill the need for motivation, repetition, discipline, and reward and enable your kids to remember facts they would otherwise consider too dull or difficult to learn.

How to Use Teaching Games

1. Always prepare your questions in advance. Write down what you want each child to learn, i.e., identify a clear objective. Next, write these out in question form on separate slips of 1" x 3" paper, one question per slip of paper. Beneath each question, write down the answer. This establishes consistency and also allows kids to play the game together without your direct supervision.

Now look at your questions. Are they simple yes-no questions, or do some ask for a fact—or better, an application of a fact?

2. Using a different box for each child, put the questions into a “question box” along with any questions that arise during the lesson. Don’t neglect this step and later wonder why the game didn’t work! Question boxes keep the game moving. Here’s where you accommodate different ages, abilities, and subject matter. Whatever that child needs to learn goes into the box. Tom can be answering math questions while Dick works on first-grade spelling words. Leave challenging questions in the box over several game sessions, and add new questions as needed.

3. Establish rules, which include these: (1) Only the child whose turn it is to answer the question may do so. (2) No remarks, such as “Oh, I knew that!” or “That’s easy” are to be made about an answer. If either rule is disobeyed, assign penalties immediately by taking away points.

4. Ask the questions in a style that teaches the student as he plays the game. If the correct answer is given, the player is rewarded by advancing on the game board or making similar progress. If an incorrect answer is given, the next player takes a turn after the teacher gives the correct answer. This is extremely important. The child must hear the correct answer immediately instead of hearing several wrong answers. If an answer is almost correct, award a point if you want to, but the teacher should say the correct answer.

If a child doesn’t seem to understand the question, rephrase it and see if he can then answer it. Do not leave a wrong answer hanging out there. Once the correct answer is given by you or the child, put the question back in the box.

5. Ask the same question several times during the course of the game. This accomplishes three goals:

1. It teaches a child to listen to the answers. This happens only when a question box is used properly. A listening class is a learning class.

2. It calls attention to the things being taught; students realize that they must know the lesson to play the game.

3. It lets them hear the correct information several times. Ask your advanced student the same question several times, and then ask it to the other students. Even if they are younger or not advanced, they should know the answer if they’ve been listening.

Games

Before you play any of these games, be sure to carefully read and gain an understanding of the previous section. Feel free to change rules to adapt the game to suit your class’s needs. If you have only one child, ask the question. If he gets it, he gets the point. If not, you answer it, and you get the point. Play long enough so that the child can get most of the answers correct. Don’t cheat and deliberately throw the game; the child needs to earn the victory.

1. Basketball: A favorite because it is an effective equalizer. Anyone has a chance to win, not just the “smart” kid. This game requires a basket (wastepaper basket, cardboard box) and a ball (Nerf ball, wadded-up paper). Lay a pencil or ruler on the floor; each child must stand behind it to shoot. If working with a wide age range, identify several free-throw lines. If just you and your child are playing, you have to shoot for your team. You can also go outside and play HORSE.

• Team #1 is asked a question. If the correct answer is given, that player takes a shot. If he makes a basket, he scores two points. If he misses, he scores one point for his correct answer. (Variation: No points given unless the basket is made.)

• If a player needs to be disciplined during the game, give the other team a “free” (no questions asked first) foul shot, worth one point. If you and your child are the only participants, you get the free throw.

2. Tower of Babel: You need a set of wooden blocks of equal size to play this game. Assign one or two students to each tower. Students will build a tower by stacking the blocks, and the highest tower left standing wins. For each correct answer, each player gets to place one block on the stack; for each incorrect answer, each player adds two blocks. (If necessary, add a block each time a student misbehaves.)

If you have only one child, you should build a tower too. Blocks may be stacked various ways to add a challenge. With rectangular blocks, very young children can stack their blocks using the flat side, young children can stack using the long side of the block, and older children can stack the blocks end to end. Kids love the noise when a tower falls, and a swaying tower is very dramatic!

3. Clean the Teeth (Memory Verses): On the blackboard draw a face; include one large tooth per child (in the drawn face’s mouth). Each student is asked to say his memory verse. If it is quoted accurately, the student cleans “his” tooth with white chalk. Incorrect answers stay dark. If you use a whiteboard, start with dark teeth and erase. A dragon provides lots of teeth; a buck-toothed rabbit has two.

4. Hit the Target: A target is drawn. After a correct answer is given, throw bean bags or Nerf balls at the target, or fire rubber suction darts at the target.

5. Hang Man: Each time that an incorrect answer is given, an additional main body part is added to a stick-figure man. The loser is the one whose stick figure is completed first (and consequently is the first man to “be hanged”). Before starting the game, identify which body parts should be drawn in sequence. For example, you could include these each time: head, torso, two arms, two legs.

6. Construction: Draw ovals on the board, one for each child. The students add a feature to the face each time they give the correct answer. There is no winner in this game, but the kids like to do it. This is a good to play when you have a group representing a wide variety of abilities, as there is no pressure involved. Everyone enjoys seeing the funny faces that develop.

7. Stand Up; Sit Down: This is a good game to play when you want your students to move. All stand. Teacher begins asking questions, going around the class. If a child doesn’t know the answer, he has to sit down. The next time around, he tries to answer correctly so that he can stand up again. It is especially important to use (and repeat) questions from the question box; otherwise, the students sitting down will “drop out” of the game mentally.

8. Round Robin: This game is used to review memorized facts, especially memorized lists of facts. Each person repeats what was just said and adds one word. Dick says Matthew; Ann says Matthew, Mark; and Jim says Matthew, Mark, Luke. Variation: Dick says Matthew, Ann adds Mark, and Jim adds Luke. Use this with Stand Up; Sit Down.

9. 20 Questions: Give three clues: “I was a king, I chose wisdom, and God gave me riches also. Who am I?”

10. To the Rescue: Draw a picture of Paul or another appropriate Christian character tied to a post with five to ten ropes. Next to it, draw a lion or a soldier with a sword. Between the lion/soldier and the “Christian,” draw a wall, using the same number of stones as there are ropes on the Christian. Correct answers enable one rope to be taken off. Wrong answers cause one stone to be removed from the wall. Game continues until the Christian is freed or the wall is removed.

11. Purchased Games of Skill: Skill-type games, in which, for example, a monkey is added to a balancing tree, a tower is built, pegs are pulled out, or sticks are removed, can all be used as educational games. With some games, you will need rules such as those given for Tower of Babel; with others, use the rules for Hit the Target. Play these first and write down the rules you’ll want to use. Ker-Plunk, Toss Across, Pick Up Sticks, Tumbling Tower, and Tiddlywinks can be adapted easily for use as educational games.

12. Board Games: Chutes and Ladders, Parcheesi, and Sorry can be used for educational purposes as well. The student must answer the question correctly before rolling the dice and moving the game pieces. If playing time must be shortened, modify the rules or add more dice.

Enjoy your game time. Don’t be amazed when your first-grader learns multiplication (which is simply putting together groups) from listening to your fourth-grader’s questions/answers. Games just do that.

Nancy Radke taught public school and homeschooled, working with dyslexic children. This article is condensed from First Aid for Bible Classes (how to write your own units, lesson plans, visuals, object lessons, etc., for sale at Amazon.com). Currently producing the Show & Tell Bible series, a nondenominational picture Bible on DVD. Kids beg to watch . . . and learn! Five hours, 1500 pictures, coloring books. www.showandtellbible.com

Copyright 2012, used with permission. All rights reserved by author. Originally appeared in the April 2012 issue of The Old Schoolhouse® Magazine, the family education magazine. Read the magazine free atwww.TOSMagazine.com or read it on the go and download the free apps atwww.TOSApps.com to read the magazine on your mobile devices.

Kitchen Lab: Edible Experiments and Other Mad Scientist Recipes

by Tamara Christine Van Hooser

“Who—me? Teach science? You must be joking! I barely passed science when I was in school. I’m certainly not qualified to teach it now!” The prospect of teaching science brings to mind names such as Einstein, Newton, and Bernoulli, along with the complex equations and scientific theories they espouse. Thus, it is easy for a homeschool parent with no science degree to view science as a daunting challenge and to shy away from teaching science. It’s easy to become even more discouraged by the price tags found on numerous materials required for science experiments, especially if you have a limited budget.

The truth is that science is all around us, and it takes no special training, knowledge, or extra expense to introduce your elementary-aged children to basic scientific principles right in your very own kitchen with common household ingredients. As The Magic Schoolbus’s Miss Frizzle likes to say, the key to making science come alive for kids is to “take chances, make mistakes, get messy.” Conducting science in your kitchen lab is an excellent vehicle for tying in cross-curricular skills such as measurement, nutrition, responsibility, and following directions, as well as kitchen safety and the scientific process. Select recipe experiments that end in an edible treat to motivate your kids’ scientific curiosity, and reward the junior mad scientists for a project well done.

Homemade Root Beer

Combining root beer and science will be an instant hit for all root beer lovers.¹ While many recipes call for ingredients that the average family does not have handy, a simple recipe of brewer’s yeast, root beer extract, sugar, and warm water is enough to teach kids about fermentation and carbonation.

Mix ¼ teaspoon yeast in a cup of warm water. Dissolve 1 pound of sugar in ½ gallon of water heated to 180 degrees F. Stir in 4 to 6 teaspoons of root beer extract and let cool.

Mix in the yeast solution and carefully pour the mixture into a plastic gallon-sized jug. Pour in enough warm water to fill the jug, leaving 2 inches empty at the top, and twist the lids on securely. Keep the bottles at room temperature for three to four days, and then refrigerate for an additional four to seven days.

For young children, a quick version of this experiment substitutes dry ice for yeast. Simply place the dry ice in the root beer liquid in an airtight container, such as a portable cooler. It should be carbonated and ready to drink in one to four hours. Add ice cream for a root beer float celebration, or hold a taste test to compare commercial brands to your homemade version.

Ziplock Ice Cream

For a completely scientific treat, make your own ice cream to go with your homemade root beer.² In addition to being a tasty project, making ice cream is a good way to learn about freezing, melting, and changing states of matter. In a quart-size ziplock bag, mix ½ cup milk, ½ cup heavy cream, ¼ cup sugar, and ¼ teaspoon vanilla. Seal the bag securely and place it within a 1-gallon size ziplock bag filled with 2 cups of ice and ¾ cup rock salt.

Seal the gallon bag and let the child squeeze and shake the bag vigorously until the mixture thickens like ice cream. Spoon the ice cream into your float or a bowl, and enjoy your tasty treat. Optionally you may substitute other flavors for vanilla, such as adding mashed berries, chocolate syrup, peppermint extract, or food coloring for a colorful snack.

Pizza Science

Kids love pizza, so tell them they get to make pizza for science and they’ll want to repeat the experiment over and over again.³ Most people are familiar with baking a pizza in the oven, but can you cook one on the stovetop or over a barbecue or campfire? This experiment will answer that question and take care of lunch or dinner for the day.

Using frozen pizzas, try cooking them in a dry skillet and a lightly oiled skillet. Do you get better crust results from a covered or uncovered skillet? Light up the barbecue and bake your pizza on the grill with and without foil underneath. Build a campfire and wrap the pizza in tin foil. Place it in the hot coals and see how long it takes to cook.

Which method produces the crispiest crust? Experiment with different cooking methods until you find the one that works best.

Science Art

Young children can learn about the art and science of mixing colors with an edible rainbow cupcake color wheel craft.⁴ Mix up a batch of your child’s favorite cake mix and bake some cupcakes.

Put out six small dishes of white frosting and food coloring. Stir colors into each cup, making red, orange, yellow, green, blue, and purple, letting your kids discover that red and blue make purple, red and yellow make orange, and yellow and blue make green. Frost each cupcake in a single color and demonstrate how to place them in a ring to make a color wheel that mimics the order of colors in a rainbow.

Edible Cell Model

Learning the parts of a cell can have a numbing effect on kids who do not like memorizing or are intimidated by all the long scientific names, but an edible model turns it into a fun project.⁵ Cell models can be made out of Jello, cake, pie, or any other treat that appeals to your child. Each part of the cell is represented by a different type of candy, so ask your child to create a key that tells which candy stands for which cell part. It should include the cytoplasm, Golgi bodies, lysosomes, mitochondria, nuclear membrane, nucleolus, nucleus, ribosomes, rough and smooth endoplasmic reticulum, and vacuole.

Place each part in its correct location on the body of the cell. Take pictures or make a video of your child explaining the project, and . . . enjoy the dessert!

Rice Krispy Skin

In the same vein as the cell model, mix up a batch of rice krispy treat mix to mold a model of the skin.⁶ Use licorice vines or strips of fruit leather in different colors to represent the veins, arteries, sweat glands, and nerves. Paint a strip of food coloring or frosting along the top to represent the epidermis. Rows of round chocolates represent hair. Make a photographic record of the masterpiece for posterity’s sake before devouring.

Plant Part Salad

So many plants are edible or have edible parts that turning the study of plant parts into a kitchen science project is a natural fit.⁷ Have your child select at least one salad ingredient from each part of the plant: leaves, flower, fruit, root, stem, and seed. Mix it all together and top with your favorite dressing, or make your own dressing. Include the salad on the dinner menu, and let your child bask in the rave reviews of her culinary talents.

Taste Test

A taste test experiment is a yummy way for kids to explore what makes a good (fill in the blank).⁸ Select a product that is available in several brands or varieties, for example, strawberries, apples, chocolate chip cookies, or potato chips. Make a list of the criteria that each sample will be graded on, such as sweetness, tartness, texture, crunchiness, or color, as well as how it will be graded.

Dole out the samples without letting the children know which is which, to avoid predetermined bias. Have them grade each sample on the criteria chosen. When all tests are done, reveal which brand or variety corresponds to each test and determine each child’s favorite in a blind taste test.

Edible Crystals

Growing crystals is a classic earth science project, but if a kit and chemicals with unpronounceable scientific names are not within your budget, try using sugar and water or maple syrup to create your edible crystals.⁹

Heat sugar and water in a 3:1 ratio and stir until sugar is dissolved completely. Add any coloring or flavor that suits your taste, let the mixture cool in the refrigerator, and then pour it into a clean, clear jar.

Coat a long piece of string with the sugar liquid and suspend over the jar opening so that it hangs to the bottom of the jar. Store the jar where it won’t be disturbed, and over the next several days watch the crystals form on the string.

Maple syrup crystals grow even more quickly. Heat the pure maple syrup until it thickens, and then pour it over a bed of ice or a chilled plate to see crystals form in minutes. When the candy crystals have grown large enough to suit your child, let him try his homemade candy.

PBJ Earth

If you have ever been a kid, you know that peanut butter and jelly sandwiches are an indispensable feature of childhood. What you may not know is that if you can put aside your mom’s admonitions for a moment and let your kids play with their food, you can turn PB and J into a science lesson about the layers of the earth’s crust.¹⁰

Lay out bread, peanut butter, jelly, and honey, and give each child a blunt dinner knife or plastic knife. The bottom layer of bread represents the rock of the inner solid core. Spread with honey, which represents the outer liquid core, and add a second layer of bread to represent the lower mantle. Spread a layer of peanut butter to represent the asthenosphere, spread jelly to represent the upper mantle, and the top bread layer will represent the earth’s crust.

You may also choose to cut the sandwich diagonally and push, pull, and slide the pieces to demonstrate divergent, transform, and convergent boundaries in plate movements. Once the science demonstration is over, lunch is on!

Endnotes:

1. Homemade Root Beer. (June 30, 2012) Retrieved from All Recipes: allrecipes.com/recipe/homemade-root-beer/ Making Root Beer. (June 30, 2012) Retrieved from Learning Zone Express: www.learningzonexpress.com/Documents/Worksheets/3519_Food_Science_Worksheet.pdf.
2. Anne Marie Helmenstine, P. (June 30, 2012) Make Ice Cream in a Baggie. Retrieved from About.com Chemistry: chemistry.about.com/cs/howtos/a/aa020404a.htm.
3. Helmenstine, Anne Marie, Ph.D. (June 30, 2012). Stove Top Frozen Pizza Science Experiment. Retrieved from About.com Chemistry: chemistry.about.com/od/foodscienceprojects/ss/Stove-Top-Frozen-Pizza-Science-Experiment_2.htm.
4. Lipoff, Sarah. (June 30, 2012). Edible Color Wheel. Retrieved from Education.com: www.education.com/activity/article/edible-color-wheel/?coliid=805.
5. Howard, Todd and Nick Hoffman. (June 30, 2012). The Incredible, Edible Cell. Retrieved from Access Excellence at the National Health Museum: www.accessexcellence.org/AE/ATG/data/released/0251-NickHoffman. Jello 3-D Animal Cell Craft. (June 30, 2012). Retrieved from Enchanted Learning: www.enchantedlearning.com/subjects/animals/cell/jello.
6. Fun Biology Science Project for Kids—An edible skin model that is made with Rice Krispie Treats and candy. (June 30, 2012). Retrieved from Hub Pages: hteacher.hubpages.com/hub/Fun-Biology-Science-Project-for-Kids-An-edible-skin-model-that-is-made-with-Rice-Krispie-Treats-and-candy.
7. Van Hooser, Tessa. ((June 30, 2012). Tessa’s Plant Part Salad. Retrieved from All Recipes: allrecipes.com/personalrecipe/62739062/tessas-plant-part-salad/detail.aspx.
8. Bilgrami, Shaheen. (June 30, 2012). Test Your Tongue: Are Strawberries Sweet or Sour? Retrieved from Education.com: www.education.com/activity/article/fool-tongue-strawberries-sweet-sour/?coliid=801.
9. Helmenstine, Anne Marie, Ph.D. (June 30, 2012). Maple Syrup Crystals. Retrieved from About.com Chemistry: chemistry.about.com/od/sugarcrystalsrockcandy/a/Maple-Syrup-Crystals.htm. Helmenstine, Anne Marie, Ph.D. (June 30, 2012). Rock Candy—How to Make Rock Candy. Retrieved from About.com Chemistry: chemistry.about.com/od/foodcookingchemistry/a/rockcandy.htm.
10. “Peanut Butter and Jelly” Earth Layers. (June 30, 2012). Retrieved from Montana State University Dept. of Mathematical Sciences: www.math.montana.edu/~nmp/materials/ess/geosphere/inter/activities/application/index.html. Edible Geology. (June 30, 2012). Retrieved from Nevada Commission of Mineral Resources: minerals.state.nv.us/forms/educ/EdibleGeology.pdf.

Tamara lives in western Oregon with her husband, Christopher, and homeschools William and Tessa. She taught elementary grades in public school settings for seven years. When she is not teaching or writing, she enjoys reading and volunteering at church. She considers teaching her children to “love the Lord their God with all their heart, soul, mind and strength and their neighbor as themselves” as their most important educational goal. To connect with her, please visit her Facebook page at www.facebook.com/teachingisFUN.

Copyright, 2012. Used with permission. All rights reserved by author. Originally appeared in The Old Schoolhouse^® Magazine, the family education magazine, October 2012. Read the magazine free at www.TOSMagazine.com or read it on the go and download the free apps at www.TOSApps.com to read the magazine on your mobile devices.

Gifts of Gratitude

by Kendra Fletcher

In our home, gratitude is not a natural trait any of us possess. Complaining? Oh, yes, we’ve got that one down cold. I’ve never had to teach a toddler how to throw a tantrum when they haven’t gotten what they wanted or remind a teen to stew over the weekend’s change of plans that didn’t go her way. Complaining, it seems, is organic. Gratitude is not.

As in every area of our lives, we try to re-orient ourselves to the Gospel. When we realize what a feast God has for us, what grace He’s poured out over us, what Jesus has done so that we don’t have to, it tends to make at least this mom humble and repentant and grateful. I can’t muster up within myself gratitude at all times; many times the Holy Spirit has to bop me on the head with it! I’m so thankful for Him.

While my children’s sensitivity to the Holy Spirit often takes me by surprise, I do see a need to tangibly remind us of ways we can show our gratitude to others. When we show our thankfulness for what other people have done for us, we are in turn thanking God for His provision through them.

Of course, November and Thanksgiving offer a perfect environment in which to voice our gratitude, and I find that it’s a natural time to turn our hearts toward God and the gifts He’s given. You, too? Okay, then, let’s get going!

• Several years ago a friend and I took our combined sixteen children to a make-your-own pottery place and had the kids make Thanksgiving turkey plates. These have been great fun for us—we display them on the dining room sideboard and get a kick out of the uniqueness of each one. A platter with every child’s turkey made from a handprint could be a wonderful way to celebrate Thanksgiving as it holds your turkey each year.
• Garlands are always festive and very much in vogue right now. Your kids could make a garland out of anything: leaves, fabric, beads, or handprints traced on brown grocery bags. We had our kids write something they were thankful for on their handprints and hung their “handiwork” in the kitchen, year-round.
• Similarly, a thankfulness tree can hold the thanks of each person written on paper leaves in autumnal colors, but like our thankfulness garland, a thankfulness tree certainly doesn’t need to be limited to just the Thanksgiving season.
• I know of a family who used the same special tablecloth each year, adding their thanks to it in washable marker. During Thanksgiving dinner, they’d write something they were thankful for on the tablecloth, and after the festivities were over, the mom would embroider their words and then wash the cloth. Permanently stitched into the tablecloth, they have an amazing testament to the grace of God when they pull out their Thanksgiving tablecloth each year.
• Jolanthe from Homeschool Creations.  (www.homeschoolcreations.com/ThanksgivingPrintables.html) has produced a free Thanksgiving preschool pack that is a nice little time-filler for your little ones. You can mash the potatoes, and they can trace a cute turkey!
• Of course there is the happy habit of simply learning to show our gratitude to those who have blessed us in some way. Your grateful heart will spill over onto your family and model thankfulness in a world that is sorely in need of an attitude adjustment. A thank-you note, a bouquet of flowers picked from the yard or roadside, a plate of cookies—these are wonderful, small acts of gratitude that can turn the day around for someone else.

I’ll never forget the morning I received an email that simply said, “Go check your mailbox.” I followed the instructions and discovered in my mailbox a sweet bouquet of roses placed there by two young women in my church who were thanking our family for hosting a large church event on our property. After the work and excitement of the weekend, I was exhausted that Monday morning and was still picking up after people; those flowers blessed me immeasurably.

One last special word, especially for type-A moms who like things just so (me too!): Raising kids has helped me realize when my self-imposed quality standards can be reduced to reality. If the paint dries quicker than you were expecting, let it go. If the ink smears as your little one applies her handprint, it’s really, truly okay. We want them to understand that showing gratitude is the point here, and that their simple act of kindness will bless both them and the recipient, even if the handprint looks like a sea creature instead!

Resources:

• Growing Together in Gratitude, Barbara Rainey
• Give Thanks to the Lord, Karma Wilson, Amy June Bates
• Grateful: A Story of Giving Thanks, John Bucchino, Anna-Lisa Hakkarainen
• Thank You, God, for Blessing Me, Max Lucado
• Thank You, God, for Loving Me, Max Lucado
• Thank You, God, P. K. Hallinan
• Thank You, God: A Year of Blessings and Prayers for Little Ones, Sophie Allsopp
• Selections From One Thousand Gifts: Finding Joy in What Really Matters, Ann Voskamp

Kendra Fletcher is the homeschooling mother of eight, aged 19 down to 4. She has never known what it means to homeschool without the presence of preschoolers and loves to encourage other moms who are beginning their homeschool journeys with little ones underfoot. Kendra reviews for the TOS Homeschool Crew and is the author of a popular E-Book about creating a Circle Time for your homeschool. Her website and blog can be found at www.preschoolersandpeace.com.

Copyright 2012, used with permission. All rights reserved by author. Originally appeared in the November 2012 issue of The Old Schoolhouse® Magazine, the family education magazine. Read the magazine free at www.TOSMagazine.com or read it on the go and download the free apps at www.TOSApps.com to read the magazine on your mobile devices

How to Have a Homeschool Awards Ceremony

by: Christina Parker Brown

You can have an award ceremony for practically anyone—a homeschool group, a play group, or several moms who want to honour their kids. The size of your group will depend on how you can incorporate these ideas. It is a group effort. As the children get older, they can help with putting on the ceremony.

The aim is to keep it simple but thorough, focusing on the end of the year, accomplishments, achievements, and awards. This is a great way for family members and friends to see what you have been up to during the year, to be involved, to celebrate your children, and to better understand the homeschool experience.

Jobs

Below is a list of various duties that are carried out by parents; some parents assume responsibility for more than one duty, as needed:

• Facility Coordinator—secures a facility for the event
• Master of Ceremonies (MC)—introduces speakers and makes the evening’s events flow smoothly.
• Microphone Coordinator—brings and sets up the microphone and speaker(s). We use a karaoke machine and microphone that were acquired at a yard sale.
• Program Coordinator—develops the program (coordinates what each child/family will be doing), creates the programs, and sees that the programs are printed.
• Door Hosts—It is nice to have students greet all the guests as they come through the door.
• Introducer—welcomes everyone, explains the theme (if you have one), and tells the audience what the group has been up to during the year.
• Procession Coordinator—supervises children walking down the aisle, with or without flags, in a procession
• Food/Refreshment Coordinator—keeps track of all RSVPs and updates the group on how many people are coming, as of a couple of weeks before the ceremony. This helps with setup too, as we know how many chairs to provide.
• Decoration Coordinator—We all help with the decorations; keep it simple.
• Setup—We all help with setup, but it helps to have someone in charge, and it is good to enlist the help of kids and husbands as well.
• Clean-up—Everyone, with the exception of guests, helps with clean-up.

Things to Think About

• Location: Think sanctuary, fellowship hall, or even a recreation center of some type. If you can set up the day before, that is always a plus.
• Invitations: One mom came up with the idea of having the kids send the invitations. I love this idea, because then it becomes more than just “another thing” we (moms) are asking grandparents and friends to do. Each family sends out their own invitations. You can do this via email or go all out and make professional invites, or the kids can make them.
• Achievement Tables: We allot one table (6-ft) per family. Two to a table is best if you can pull it off space-wise and if you have easy access to tables. Otherwise, just bring card tables or use chairs—make it work. See the sidebar for suggestions about what types of items to display, as well as ideas for student performances.
• Picture Tables: If your kids don’t have many tangible things to display, take pictures of their work/projects and display them.
• It is a good idea to include a family picture or display the family’s name on each table in order to identify the child and family. Guests are encouraged to look at the tables before and/or after the ceremony.
• Theme and Decorations: We have had a Luau theme (leis carry a blessing, represent children, and traditionally express love, reverence, respect, and welcome), focusing on our support systems: family, friends, and fathers, and our gratefulness for them. Simple leis were used, in addition to some tropical lights, an “Aloha” sign, green Hawaiian grass to wrap around the tables, colorful plastic tablecloths, flowers, and candles (on the tables). Another year, we had a “Follow Your Dreams” theme with rainbow-colored crepe paper, Skittles arranged on tables, and a display of kids’ pictures designating what they wanted to be when they grow up. (Selection of a theme is totally optional.)
• Set Up: It is best when you can set up the night before (it is less stressful to just show up with the food); however, setup took only about thirty minutes. You do not need to do decorations, but it is neat to see the program, introduction, decorations, and theme all mesh. We usually have simple, modest, handmade decorations; flower centerpieces for the food tables; small pictures of kids; etc. Keep it simple, inexpensive, and uncluttered.
• Refreshments: We found it worked better to eat before the program. Everyone is hungry and it seems to settle stomachs and open ears if we eat first. Each family brings one or two dishes plus paper products and ice. We like to provide ice water and coffee for drinks. You could just do desserts or not do any refreshments at all.
• Program: This can be as simple as a Word document printed on colored paper and folded in half or as professional as you want it to be.

The Program

The commencement program could include these components: procession, opening prayer, Pledge of Allegiance, Pledge to the Bible, group Bible verse, welcome, introduction/explanation of theme (if you decide to have one), performances/presentations, awards, slide show, and closing prayer.

• Procession: We start with a procession of kids down the aisle between the audience. One member carries the American flag, one carries the Christian flag, and two carry our group flag (decorated with our kids’ handprints.) The person coordinating this keeps the children quiet, supervises the lineup, and makes sure they start walking when the music starts.
• All of the audience is asked to stand.
• Individual children lead us in an opening prayer, The Pledge of Allegiance, the Pledge to the Bible, and the group Bible verse.
• Welcome to Guests and Introduction: When our theme was about our gratefulness for our families and for dads who support the choice to homeschool, I spoke about this subject. This is also the time to mention what we have been doing as a group: field trips/events for the year, updates about our group ministry, missions, our monthly prayer meeting, our Keepers of Their Home Club, and the pins earned this year. We have also had older children report about these things.
• Special Performances: Giving a special presentation is not mandatory but is encouraged. It offers a great opportunity for the kids to get up in front of a real audience and share about something they love or share a talent. It is a great asset to be able to express themselves, and the ideas and possibilities are endless. We consider even the saying of a Bible verse a great contribution to the success of the night. As the kids get older, they are able to do more to help put on the ceremony.
• Award Presentations: We all create our own awards. Some families hand out certificates; one family gives charms for a bracelet; other families give gifts or award medals.
• Each family, headed by the Mom and/or Dad and joined by their children, gets up and speaks for a few minutes about their children’s accomplishments during the year. Behavioral or character achievements can be described as well. The main thing is to build up our children. Encourage them. Praise them. Admire them. Edify them. (I try to write things down during the year as it can be hard to think of everything they did all year in May.)
• I cannot tell you how awesome it is to see these children beam, to be built up this way in front of their peers.
• “Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear” (Ephesians 4:29, ESV).
• Slide Show Presentation: Our group’s aspiring photographer compiles a professional slide show of all of the homeschool families who participate in the Awards Ceremony, and it is really amazing. We send her our own homeschool pictures throughout the year and she decides what makes the cut and gets it down to twenty to thirty minutes. It is an awesome way to end the night and a real labor of love. The kids love seeing pictures of themselves and their friends from throughout the year, and the people we celebrated this year (dads, family, and friends who support our homeschool journey) were especially honored.
• Closing Prayer

Our Awards Night is always a fabulous night and lasts about three and a half hours, including setup and cleanup.

I cannot express in words what this night has done for my children. It is my hope that these ideas will help you build up your own children. It is worth it.

Achievement Tables (Sidebar)

What to include: favorite books, crafts, projects, lapbooks, notebooks, scrapbooks, artwork, Boy Scout badges and awards, projects, papier-maché, posters, science projects/experiments, musical instruments, Keeper At Home pins, etc.

Out of the box ideas: One mom used a Barbie car to symbolize her daughter’s driving lessons and a piano music box to symbolize her daughter’s piano lessons. One time I printed photographs of my daughter demonstrating various ballet positions and attached the photographs to a piece of poster board. Several of our kids were in a play and I took a photo of them “in character.” The photograph was made into a poster print, and I framed it with a frame I found at a yard sale. One child made an Eiffel Tower out of Popsicle sticks. Favorite captured bugs or small, caged pets can be displayed as well. Anything goes. You want your kids to be proud of their table, so get them involved. Creativity is key.

I really encourage my kids to be in charge of this. They are mindful of the things they do during the year, and we designate a box they can put their stuff in as the year progresses. Some things do not make the cut in the end. This year we did not have as many projects as we had in previous years, and I thought it would be hard to get much together, but they always seem to run out of room!

Performance Ideas (Sidebar)

We have enjoyed performances by a trombone player, pianists, and a flute player. One child created a digital picture show to music in which she honored her mom and dad’s anniversary (very touching). Children have sung songs, played musical instruments, presented interpretive dance routines, recited The Gettysburg Address (a 4-year-old did this!), and recited passages from stories such as The Lord of the Rings. Children also have recited the Lord’s Prayer and the books of the Bible.

Children can present demonstration speeches or highlight something from their achievement tables or just tell about something interesting. They could also read a Bible verse, a poem, or a short story they wrote. Be creative.

 

Christina Parker Brown is a writer who has homeschooled since 2001 when her first of three children was in preschool. In 1998 she founded a play group that has evolved into a Homeschool Adventure Group. She loves to write about her faith, family, and adventures and considers herself as much of a student as she is a teacher. Contact her on her blog at www.akahomeschoolmom.blogspot.com.

Copyright 2012, used with permission. All rights reserved by author. Originally appeared in the February 2012 issue of The Old Schoolhouse® Magazine, the trade magazine for homeschool families. Read the magazine free atwww.TOSMagazine.com or read it on the go and download the free apps atwww.TOSApps.com to read the magazine on your mobile devices.

10 Great Ways to Encourage Your Gifted Young Artist

by Heather Idoni

My husband is a gifted artist who never had formal training or even a single art class. He is known locally for his magnificent large-scale reproductions of works by Renoir, Monet, John Singer Sargent, and Gustave Caillebotte. For him, painting has been a relaxing hobby for more than thirty years. One of my five sons is very similar to his father, so when I began to see his talent blooming at an early age, I enrolled him in some ongoing art classes that had become quite popular with local homeschooling families. He went to one class and absolutely hated it! While other kids were pleased to be told what to do, he rejected this method of instruction. Based on the experiences I have had with my artistic husband and son, I began to explore other ways to encourage and provide resources for my gifted, independent artists.

A few years ago, our Homeschooling Gifted Email Group received a question from a mom asking for suggestions about ways she could assist her young son, who was showing an exceptional and natural talent for drawing. I thought the answers given were excellent, so from them I have compiled ten great ways to encourage your young gifted artist!

1. Provide your child with a quiet, well-lit area and room in which to work privately. Give him space to organize his supplies in a cabinet or stack of drawers. Find an artist’s desk that can be tilted, or provide a small easel, as desired. A desk with shelves above is handy for organizing paper supplies—and a lamp can be mounted beneath a shelf to provide extra light.
2. Furnish your budding young artist with a variety of drawing tools, colored pencils, charcoals, and other media to explore. Purchase good quality supplies and avoid materials that are marketed particularly toward children. For example, invest in Prismacolor pencils instead of Crayola pencils, a sketch pencil set instead of the typical yellow pencil, and artist-quality watercolors, papers, etc. Child-oriented materials can be discouraging when the level of detail and vibrancy of color that the artist is envisioning cannot be achieved. Many websites that offer quality materials for artists are available, so shop around for the best prices.
• Purchase inexpensive kneading erasers of various sizes, as well as a vinyl eraser. Both types erase much more thoroughly without leaving bits of residue behind, and the kneading eraser can be rolled into tiny tips to erase even in very small areas without damaging nearby details.
• Get top-quality paints by Artemis or Lyra and excellent brushes—sable hair if you are using oil or acrylic paints. Buy beeswax crayons if the student likes crayons—they’re a lot of fun to work with.
• A flower/leaf press is also a good investment. Collect things in the natural world and preserve them in the flower press for later work, to accompany decoupage or painting or for use with other artwork. Get some clay and beeswax modeling wax for sculpting projects.
• Tempera paints are also easy to work with and are completely suitable for use by young students. Provide your student with a ream of white paper (the appropriate weight for use with paints).
3. Provide inspiration by gathering age-appropriate art magazines, as well as picture books that incorporate art by award-winning illustrators. Have friends save old magazines that might have interesting photographs to inspire artwork. Purchase high-quality art posters featuring work by the student’s favorite artists for him to display in his workspace.
4. Plan trips to art museums—or visit virtual art museums online! Take the young artist to museums to see the masters’ works; whatever towns you travel to, go to their museums. Take along sketchpads so that your student can sketch drawings of the work he views in the museum; it is a common art practice to learn from the masters by “copying” work in the museum. With a pad and a charcoal or pencil, the student should be left to do his work for as long as is possible—undisturbed. Do call and request permission ahead of time for your child to sketch his representations of the artwork he views; some museums have special policies about this—a few do not permit it.
• Many art museums now have virtual exhibits you can view online. Recently a few museums have added an extraordinary amount of visual detail to these images, and it is possible to zoom in more closely than ever to see brush strokes and textures. In fact, these days you can get closer to many famous paintings online than you can by actually viewing the piece in a museum!
5. Let your artist follow his natural inclinations as he draws—if he is doing it naturally, just let him keep creating. If you put your child in lots of classes or over-encourage his talent, he may lose interest. Just let your artist enjoy doing what he loves best, and he will find his own passion.
6. Expose your young artist to a variety of styles and media. Some gifted students have the ability to stay extremely focused, which can be a good thing, but as they get older they will tend to stick with one thing almost to the point of obsession (which actually can be a good thing if you are raising the next Picasso, Degas, or Mary Cassatt!).
7. Give verbal encouragement that goes beyond simple admiration. Communicate interest in your child’s choices of colors or techniques that are especially pleasing to the eye. Encourage him to articulate his reasoning for choosing a certain color, using a certain brush stroke technique, etc. Taking a genuine interest in your child’s artistic process lets him know that he has an attentive audience and also encourages him to go deeper and wider in his own artistic explorations. Communicating your interest in his love of creating artwork is perhaps the most important thing you can do as a parent.
8. Find a mentor. Ask around at local art clubs to find out whether there might be a retired person willing to mentor your child. Artists often enjoy the company of other artists, and your child may enjoy having a companion to paint or draw with—and learn from.
9. Consider investing in video lessons. There is a DVD program called Atelier (www.homeschoolart.com) that introduces the student to a variety of painting and drawing styles. Something like this is more useful than a video series that showcases only one particular artist; those should be avoided. You will want your young artist to see and practice an array of styles, not learn merely to copy a single artist’s style. If he is talented, this will come easily, but it may mask the development of his own style.
10. Publicly showcase your child’s work! If you want to attract some attention for your young artist, contact local libraries, city halls, civic centers, and even restaurants to see if they showcase the work of particular artists. Usually it involves you doing all the matting, hanging, etc., but this type of encouragement goes a long way for most gifted children.

There are also 4-H fairs and seasonal art fairs to be considered. Find out early about what events are scheduled in the future, as well as requirements for entry. This will give your child plenty of time to prepare his displays and even decide if he wants to offer pieces for sale.

If you feel a need to downplay your child’s work, to keep him from becoming too “prideful,” remember that gifted children are often extremely self-critical. What looks great to you may seem lacking to him. Honest praise and encouragement can help build the confidence your child is looking for. Offering to help him share his work with the community goes beyond a desire to gather fleeting compliments; it can give a child a real reason for producing his art—an audience.

These practical suggestions are a compilation of ideas offered by parents who share the hopes, joys, and concerns that come with raising gifted children in our email group, which has more than seven hundred members. If you would like to join a safe-haven group for Christian parents of gifted children, you are welcome to join us! Click here for more information.

Heather Idoni lives in Michigan, where she is married to her husband of twenty-five years. They have graduated two of their five sons, aged 11 to 21, all home educated from birth. Her business/ministry is Beloved Books, best known for reviving the Christ-centered Sugar Creek Gang audio series. Go to www.familyclassroom.net to sign up for her free E-Newsletter, The Homeschooler’s Notebook.

Copyright, 2013. Used with permission. All rights reserved by author. Originally appeared in The Old Schoolhouse^® Magazine, the family education magazine, TOS Annual Print 2013. Read the magazine free at www.TOSMagazine.com or read it on the go and download the free apps at www.TOSApps.com to read the magazine on your mobile devices.

Learn to Program With Hackety Hack!

by: Andy Harris

There are many great things you can do with computers: play music, view websites, do research, interact with people, and much more. Of course, computing gets more interesting when it is about creating things: writing your own songs, building virtual worlds, modifying images, and so on. Whenever possible, I like computing to be about making stuff. I love toys that let you build things. I often wonder if computers could be considered a building toy for the brain.

The ultimate expression of making things with a computer is programming. Back in ancient times—in the early 1980s—virtually all computer owners were programmers, and we expected that eventually all students would learn to write computer programs as a matter of course. That never really happened in the U.S. In fact, the current perception seems to be that programming is too difficult a skill to teach to most people. Computer programming is not taught in most public school programs at all, and when it is, it is taught only to the older students.

This is unfortunate. Today’s computers are more powerful than ever, and there are more choices for programming environments than we’ve had in history. Some of these environments are so easy that they allow a talented youngster to explore programming even without adult help, but bringing an adult along is part of the fun.

Hacking Away with Hackety Hack!

Hackety Hack! is a programming environment designed for beginning programmers. While it is a full-blown programming language, the emphasis is on having fun and writing interesting code. The website (hackety.com) contains versions of Hackety Hack! available free for all major operating systems: Windows, Mac, and Linux. The site also has additional tutorials and sample programs, as well as a community area that lets you add your own code.

When you install Hackety Hack! and run it, you’re immediately immersed in an environment that feels more like a gaming environment than a programming tool. Click on the “Lessons” tab, and you’ll immediately be taken to an interactive tutorial that walks you through the editor but then takes you through building your own programs. I tried it with my 10-year-old, and within a half-hour, he was writing a program. Without any input from me, he learned to write programs that draw shapes on the screen! I had to make him give up the computer so I could finish writing this column.

Hackety Hack! uses Ruby, which is a real programming language often used in web development and gaming. Ruby is an extremely friendly language, and the parts of it that are exposed by the Hackety Hack! environment are especially friendly. The program comes with four tutorials. The first just explains the environment: the various buttons, tabs, and doo-hickeys on the screen. The next tutorial explains what programming is and illustrates by gently teaching how to build a program that draws squares. The third tutorial explains some features of the Ruby language that are common to all programming languages, and the fourth walks you through the process of building a graphic interface for interactive programs using the intuitive “Shoes” library.

If you follow all the tutorials, you’ll be able to build a reasonably complex interactive computer program. Along the way, you’ll learn the basic concepts of programming taught in most computer science classes: variables, loops, conditions, input/output, debugging, and basic algorithms. Unlike a traditional programming class, the tutorials pretty much hold your hand throughout the entire process, helping you learn to think like a programmer.

The tutorials are solid enough that a careful reader will be able to learn essential programming with this tool even if she has no programming experience. Adult help is useful, but mainly for typing and proofreading. The adult helper does not need to already understand programming. In fact, experienced programmers will be alternately impressed and bewildered by Ruby’s syntax.

Note: The term Hack is used in the title of this environment, but there is absolutely no emphasis on the kinds of notorious programming sometimes called “hacking” in popular press. Among programming circles, the term hacking actually has positive connotation; illegal or unethical programming is called “cracking.” The tutorials stay far away from the types of skills that would be used by an illicit programmer.

Should We Do This? With Whom?

Not every child will want to learn how to program. I picked the one in my family who I thought would enjoy this. I’m not sure programming should be taught to everyone, and Hackety Hack! is not always the best method for learning this skill. I’ll review many other fascinating tools for teaching programming in later columns. Some, such as Scratch, are even more visual than Hackety Hack!, and some are more closely tied to a traditional language (Greenfoot and Alice both help to teach Java programming).

Hackety Hack! certainly deserves some attention. It’s powerful, fun, and free. It can be especially fun if a parent and kid want to learn something together. If you are a programmer, you’ll find this a much better teaching environment than professional tools such as C++ (We give kids tricycles before we expect them to drive pickup trucks). I found the system to be reasonably stable, but we did have an occasional crash. That would bother me if it was a commercial program, but I don’t mind so much when the program is free.

The real question is whether this is a worthwhile thing to do in the first place. If traditional schools are not teaching computer programming, why should we include it in a homeschool program? That’s a great question. First, computing is a very practical form of mathematics. In the lesson with my son, we extended the basic lesson to turn a square into a cool flower shape. As we did the project together, we had to think through the makings of a square, how angles are measured, how many corners are in a square, how many degrees each angle should be, and how to determine the number of sides and angles for other shapes. The math geek in me loved that he noticed how a shape with a large number of sides and small angles begins to look like a circle. This is a concept normally taught in calculus, yet my son and I discovered it together while munching on sweet rolls and wearing slippers. Programming is a great way to reinforce math and science. Secondly, programming is an outstanding skill to have. Most of the top jobs in the U.S. Department of Labor Statistics involve some form of computer programming. Third, programming can be pretty fun. It’s a geeky kind of fun, to be sure, but it is a viable hobby.

If you have a kid who loves to build things and who is interested in computing, consider challenging her to step away from the gaming console for a while and actually learn the skills to write a game or other application. With the right skills, and with an application like Hackety Hack!, the computer can be a great educational tool and perhaps the greatest building toy ever made.

As always, stop by my site to see a video and some of the programs my son and I wrote. If you make something cool, post it on the forum. Can’t wait to see what you learn together!

Blessings!

Andy Harris is a homeschool dad, father of four great kids, and husband to the greatest homeschool teacher ever. He has taught all ages of students, from kindergarten to university level. Andy is the author of a number of well-known books, including HTML/XHTML/CSS: All in One for Dummies, Game Programming--The L Line, PHP6/MySQL Programming for the Absolute Beginner, and Beginning Flash Game Programming for Dummies. For more information about his books, to see where he is speaking next, or to just say hi, please stop by his website: www.aharrisbooks.net.

Copyright 2012, used with permission. All rights reserved by author. Originally appeared in the April 2012 issue of The Old Schoolhouse® Magazine, the family education magazine. Read the magazine free atwww.TOSMagazine.com or read it on the go and download the free apps atwww.TOSApps.com to read the magazine on your mobile devices.

Conflict ~ The Heart of Every Story

by: Adam Andrews

“Write me a story,” I said to the girls in my junior high composition class. “It is due next Wednesday.”

That was the extent of the assignment I gave them. No limits, no rules, no guidance—nothing. Admittedly, I was new—as a first-year teacher, I had no way of knowing what I was in for or how grave an error I had just made. If I had been more experienced, I would have been alarmed by the eager light coming on in the students’ eyes. These were aspiring writers, after all. They had always wanted to change the world with the great American novel, and I had just promised to edit it for them.

Each of them.

When Wednesday finally came, the students marched proudly to the front of the room and placed their stories on my desk. As the stack mounted, my heart sank into my shoes. The overwhelming mass of paper in front of me would take three weeks to read. Then and there, I firmly resolved never to make such a foolish assignment again.

It turns out I needn’t have worried. The task was much easier than I had feared, primarily because all of the stories were more or less identical. The main storyline of each and every one of them went something like this:

Once upon a time, there was a beautiful princess. She lived in a beautiful kingdom far away, where she was the beautiful daughter of a beautiful king and his beautiful queen. She grew up with every possible advantage and lived a beautiful life of delirious happiness, eventually growing up to be a beautiful young woman. And just when her beauty was at its most beautiful, a handsome prince came along on a beautiful white steed and swept her up into his strong arms. He made her his queen and carried her off to an even more beautiful kingdom, where she lived in Elysian rapture to a ripe old age and finally died of bliss. The End.

Though I just about died of an overdose of Elysian rapture before the job was done, I managed to read all the papers. The next day the students and I had an important conversation, not only about writing stories but also about reading them.

The stories, I explained, all suffered from the same problem: lack of a problem. The protagonist princesses, bless their hearts, didn’t face difficulties or obstacles of any kind. You left out the cruel stepmother, I said, and the omission was fatal. Since nothing bad ever happens to the princess her story fails to arouse even the mildest interest on the part of the reader. Nothing improves a story like a good disaster, I told them. Remember that.

It turns out, of course, that the lesson my students learned that day is as powerful a tool for reading stories as it is for writing them. As readers, our most important task is to identify and understand the central problem—the conflict—in a story. This is the first step toward understanding the story as a whole.

The conflict of any story is the disagreement at the root of things: the competition for the prize, the obstacle between the protagonist and his goal, the misunderstanding that must be worked out. As my students learned, conflict is the most essential ingredient in any story; without it, there’s really no story to tell.

Though there are as many specific conflicts as there are stories in the world, they may be grouped into five simple categories:

1. First, there is a “man against man” conflict. This conflict exists when the main character, or protagonist, struggles against another character, the antagonist, in pursuit of his goal. We might also say that a “man against man” conflict exists when the primary antagonist is a person. Just about every fairy tale with a wicked stepmother or a cruel sorcerer has a “man against man” conflict, as do stories like Stevenson’s Treasure Island (Jim Hawkins vs. Long John Silver) and Richard Adams’ Watership Down (Hazel vs. Woundwort).

2. Second, there is a “man against nature” conflict. This conflict exists when the protagonist finds himself pitted against the elements in some kind of struggle for survival. When the primary antagonist is the physical world, including animals, weather, geographical obstacles, darkness, distance, time or the like, the story has a “man against nature” conflict. Jack London’s chilling short story “To Build a Fire” provides an excellent example of this kind of conflict.

3. A third type of conflict pits the protagonist against God, the gods, or Fate. This “man against God” conflict obviously exists in mythological or legendary stories that involve actual gods or fates, such as Homer’s Odyssey. However, it is also present in stories about people fighting against their destinies or dealing with unforeseen circumstances beyond their control, such as Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings. Whenever we readers wonder whether a character is doomed to follow the path he takes, our story includes a “man against god” conflict.

4. Fourth, there is a “man against society” conflict. This conflict exists in stories such as Mark Twain’s Huckleberry Finn, where the protagonist struggles against the social customs or norms of the world he lives in. When tension in a story comes from the difference between a character’s views or actions and the collective expectations of the people around him, the story has a “man against society” conflict.

5. The final category of conflict involves no one but the protagonist himself. In this “man against himself” conflict, the story’s tension develops as a character undergoes a mental, emotional, or spiritual change or arrives at a momentous decision or overcomes a fear or fails to overcome it. Sometimes stories with this type of conflict have very little external action, but the conflict may nevertheless be quite intense. Dostoyevsky’s Crime and Punishment and Shakespeare’s Hamlet are good examples of stories with strong “man against himself” conflicts.

It turns out that every story in the world represents one of these five conflicts, though the best stories may deal with several types simultaneously. The ability to identify and categorize conflict can therefore help the reader a great deal, because it effectively reduces to five the number of things an author might be saying.

It also increases—to one—the number of things an aspiring writer is required to say. This can be a pretty big help to first year composition teachers too.

Adam Andrews is the director of the Center for Literary Education and a homeschooling father of six. Adam earned his B.A. from Hillsdale College and is a Ph.D. candidate at the University of Washington. He and his wife Missy are the authors of Teaching the Classics, the popular reading and lit curriculum. They teach their children at home in Rice, Washington. For more information, visit www.centerforlit.com.

Copyright 2012, used with permission. All rights reserved by author. Originally appeared in the April 2012 issue of The Old Schoolhouse® Magazine, the family education magazine. Read the magazine free at http://www.TOSMagazine.com or read it on the go and download the free apps at http://www.TOSApps.com to read the magazine on your mobile