This year we are officially homeschooling high school!

As we venture into this new chapter, we require curriculum which will both engage our children as well as helping them succeed in earning credits towards their high school diploma.

Where we live there is a Social Studies requirement for the high school diploma, which covers both History and Geography.

My research for a great Geography curriculum has lead me to Bright Ideas Press and North Star Geography written by Tyler Hogan.

North Star Geography covers:

Geography Skills (maps, navigation, etc.)

Physical Geography (lithosphere, hydrosphere, biosphere, atomosphere, etc.)

Human Geography (social structure, heritage, culture, interacting with environment, etc.)

 It is written from a Christian perspective and counts towards high school credits!

What Helped Me Decide to Use North Star Geography?

• Watching this Bright Ideas Press Hangout called All About Atlases for Homeschool  helped me to get to know more about Bright Ideas Press president and North Star Geography author Tyler Hogan.  It is evident that Tyler really loves Geography and Atlases!
• On the Bright Ideas Press website under the Geography tab, you will find North Star Geography. They have sample lessons available to download.  I took advantage of that and had my junior high and high school kids work through that sample lesson with me. We also watched the intro video where Tyler explains about North Star Geography.  While you are there be sure to check out other materials to accompany your geography curriculum like the North Star Geography Audiobook!
• The icing on the cake was this fun video called “Got Geography”.  Yes, we all should learn geography!

The Day North Star Geography Arrived

My first impression was how beautiful the book is! Yes, it is a text book, but it really is a beautiful, well laid out book.  It is obvious this curriculum was written by someone who truly loves and appreciates the importance of learning geography.

I promptly made a cup of tea, called my kids and we began reading! As I read I became excited because not only did I realize I made the right choice for our high school years, I am also excited to teach it! Although I have always loved maps, I didn’t particularly think I liked geography.

I was wrong.

After reading through and planning out our year with North Star Geography I realized I do, in fact, enjoy geography. As a homeschooling parent you look back at your own school experiences and my experience learning geography left a dry, apathetic taste in my mouth. 

Now, I am motivated to have fun bringing geography alive for my kids!  Only one lesson in and they have already realized how easily geography crosses into other subject areas; and they enjoy the atlas building exercises too!

North Star Geography is a win for us and for our high school goals!

The post Homeschool Geography Curriculum for Your High School Needs appeared first on Home School Innovation.

In doing so, I thought I would take the time to share with all of you the Top Ten of Home School Innovation for 2014.

Here are your favourite HSI Posts from 2014:

1. Tips For Homeschooling the Early Years …You Can Do It!
2. How To Rise Above the Negative
3. 8 Homeschooling Methods
4. Homeschooling Middle School and High School
5. How I Teach Critical Thinking in Our Homeschool
6. Spelling Help – Think Outside the Box and Have Fun!
7. Think You Can’t Homeschool Art? Think Again!
8. Choosing Homeschool Curriculum
9. Recovering From Homeschool Burnout
10. Traditional Homeschooling v.s. Blended

I wish you all the best in your 2015 Homeschooling Adventures

and

Thank you for being a part of HSI!

This post is part of a “My Top Ten Most Popular Posts from 20014”  link up at iHomeschool Network

Click on the picture below for more “Top Ten” posts from other iHomeschool Network Bloggers:

The post Your Favourite HSI Posts from 2014 appeared first on Home School Innovation.

Ok, I’ll fess up here and say Art has never been my strong suit.

Sure, we do crafts from time to time, I get books from the library filled with famous artists’ paintings for us to look at, or use some “how to” books where I try my best to help my kids grasp the techniques laid out before them; often leaving us all a tad frustrated.

Feeling frustrated and discouraged can make it easier for us to push Art aside.

Until Now!

I took the plunge and tried “A Seasonal Start in Fall Chalk Pastels – Art for All Ages” from Tricia Hodges and Lucia Hames (Nana) at Southern Hodgepodge  (in exchange for my honest review).

What made me decide to jump in and try it?

This demo on YouTube where they use chalk pastels to draw an apple in 1 minute (or less)!

I realized one thing…

I Can Do This! 

I Can Teach My Kids Real Art Techniques!

After watching this demonstration I literally went out the very next day to purchase our own set of chalk pastels and paper!

The first thing my kids wanted me to do (knowing how Art challenged I am) is to take the 1 minute apple challenge!

Guess what?

I did it, score 1 for Mom!

That was all they needed to dig into these tutorials and give it a shot!

“A Seasonal Start in Fall Chalk Pastels – Art for All Ages” is:

• Well laid out
• Includes tips to preserve your masterpiece
• Includes ideas for easy clean-up
• Glossary of terms
• Make sense
• Fun to do

Filling the Art Gap

After a week of not being completely prepared to start our Homeschool year, this has propelled us into our fall term with fresh enthusiasm! 

• My kids are excited to do Art again
• They have a new found confidence in their abilities
• They are going beyond the tutorials and creating on their own
• They are smiling as they work!

And Best of all I heard…

“Hey Mom! Look what I can do!”

Use chalk pastels to create real art. It is a forgiving medium which allows you to soften lines and experiment easily with blending colours.

No matter how old you are, whether you homeschool or not, these Chalk Pastel e-book tutorials are worth it!

Or Grab this bundle to save money!

The post Think You Can’t Homeschool Art? Think Again! appeared first on Home School Innovation.