We are living in a time where STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Math) education is gaining in popularity.

Many exciting and innovative career choices will centre around STEM subject areas which, as homeschoolers, we have an opportunity to provide our children with in a more real life way.

I am excited to share a new user friendly CAD (Computer Aided Design) program that we can teach our kids!

Learn Onshape is a company dedicated to teaching online 3D design projects to anyone interested with a special interest in also helping families and kids learn this real life program application!

It is one thing to learn STEM projects, but as homeschoolers we understand the amazing and magical growth which can happen when we teach from real life experiences; and Learn Onshape knows this too!

Learn Onshape has released the first in many videos on “How to Set Up Your Free Onshape Account” which you will need in order to learn and complete the exciting project he has lined up for us very soon!

Or download this Getting Started pdf to help you set up your Free Onshape Account.

Here’s a sneak peak of the first project!

To stay informed of all the inspiring content Learn Onshape will be offering, you will definitely want to sign up for their newsletter!

What kind of 3D designs do your kids want to build?

The post Effective How To STEM Projects Your Kids Will Love appeared first on Home School Innovation.

We have often kept up some sort of study throughout summer.  We are a family who embraces learning as a way of life v.s. something more institutional and dry.  Not to mention we live in Canada, so studying botany or entomology in the dead of winter (and -35 Celsius) just isn’t practical or rewarding.  Until this year however, our summer homeschooling has been quite unstructured.

This year I made the decision to truly embrace a year round homeschool schedule. We still make time for fun and lazy days, but we are not tossing every subject overboard for two and half months.

Why Now?

Seeing as we have a child entering high school (yes, I blinked!), one finishing up middle school and the other in elementary we have hit a stage where I am needed in many different ways.  While they are all quite independent and good students, it doesn’t change the fact that I need to be there to guide, encourage and motivate them.  I can see that we will all benefit from a bit more structure, more acquired skills and even more fun.

My eldest is discerning possible career paths and has the foresight to know he will need advanced Science, Math, English and Social Studies (History/Geography) to achieve his goals for his high school diploma.

With this realization, I knew we would need to change up our homeschool routine and some of our curriculum.  At our spring homeschool convention I was able to purchase a new science curriculum from Apologia and shortly thereafter I found a great high school level geography curriculum from Bright Ideas Press called “North Star Geography”.

Looking at Our Year

As my kids get older, their interests in sports and music lessons take up more time, not to mention some volunteer commitments and part time jobs.  With this in mind, I can see that following a typical school year of  September to June is crammed full with very little white space. 

We need white space!

I will admit this past year there were days where no one wanted to do anything.  No chores, no school work, not even fun read alouds, which is always my “go to” when things are upside down and we need a break.  When I witnessed this I knew I needed to make some changes.

Not only are we continuing to homeschool through the summer, but everyone is taking a good look at their extra-curricular activities.  We are committing to only participating in the activities which bring the most joy and the most beneficial.

By spreading the academics out, we can make more room for down time to replenish, book appointments, go to sporting events and competitions as well as our musical recitals.

The beauty of homeschooling is the flexibility it affords each family to embrace their calling and vocation and give them the time to address any needs which may arise.

This summer my family is having fun exploring Geography, History and Science mixed with a good dose of lazy summer days and great books.

The Math and Writing will be sprinkled in a pinch at a time, but don’t tell my kids; it’s a secret!

Besides, if summers are completely unstructured it can take a toll on mom.  Keeping some kind of routine is always beneficial.

More Ideas About Summer Homeschooling

• Summer Circle Time by Kendra Fletcher over at Preschoolers and Peace.  
• Summer Road Trip blog posts over at Bright Ideas Press.

The post Adopting Year Round Homeschooling, New Curriculum and Loving It appeared first on Home School Innovation.

Ever feel like you have just got this homeschooling thing on a roll and then all of a sudden it is time to change things up again?

You have finally found your rhythm and groove with your toddlers, 1st grade, 3rd grade, 5th grade, and 8th grade kiddos; then spring comes, homeschool conferences start up and you realize something.  

It suddenly hits you that you are a mom/dad to kids who will be entering the Middle School and/or High School years!

Whoa! How did that happen?  

You also find all your friends and family are throwing a whole new set of questions at you.

Questions like:  “How will you homeschool high school…especially Math and Science”?

My basic answer:  One lesson at a time!

How do any of us teach anything?

We do our homework and then we make a plan.

Yes, high school can be more complex, but we live in a time where we have more information at our finger tips than ever before!

We are able to be in the comfort of our own homes and use the internet to research v.s. the going to the library and looking books up in the old card catalogue system. (Remember that?)

As well, we are able to make some amazing connections with others via social media and on-line community forums.

Curriculum companies know this too!

I often see them offering webinars, on-line co-op classes as well as keeping in touch with and encouraging homeschoolers via social media channels like Pinterest, Twitter, Facebook and Google+. 

We don’t need to be the experts to teach a subject, we just need to know how to find the experts. 

My Plan

• Lay the foundation to help my kids become independent learners
• Research different curriculum along side of my children; find something we both feel confident in
• Look for on-line classes, co-ops, webinars, and possibly tutors to fill any gaps and to assist us
• Be involved with other homeschoolers, both in real life and on-line
• Form study groups
• Explore the multitude of free on-line academies like Khan Academy, Coursera, Google Science Fair, Discovery Education, etc.
• Always be willing to ask for help
• Take the time to recall why you started homeschooling in the first place (See my reasons: 23 Reasons Why We Homeschool)
• Be brave enough to continue the journey

We are very lucky to have friends who are engineers – mechanical – civil and aeronautical, some who are lab technicians, medical doctors/nurses; as well as highly trained, talented and successful musicians, artists, writers and dancers.

Everyone has someone in their life who can be a helpful resource when exploring new subjects and projects.

Reach out to them and add a dose of some real life, hands on learning to your day!

As for being brave enough?  Sometimes we can let fear sneak in when we are faced with the next new step.  

Rather than letting that happen to you, stop and take a look at where you have been, then look at where you can go!

Where can your homeschool story end up?

Picture it, write it down then go back and start to make your plan for the highschool years.

I bet you will find the next few chapters really aren’t that scary at all; in fact, I bet they will be full of excitement!

My plan is far from complete, it is just a start.

What are some of your ideas and goals as you plan to take on the high school years?

The post Homeschooling Middle School and High School appeared first on Home School Innovation.

Critical Thinking is an essential part of learning.  In order for us to be resilient and successful in life we need to be able to gather facts, process through them, know if we require any more information or help, and then make a decision to move forward.

Learning how to “Think it Through” helps us in all areas of life:

• Academics
• Relationships
• Business

Not to mention all the other little bits of life which happen in between the above three areas.  It is because of this I try my best to implement as much Critical Learning into our day as possible.  Although you do want to be careful not to overdo it, sometimes it is worth disguising it into the natural rhythm of your day v.s. always trying to make  a point of  “thinking it through” with your children.

This is a big topic, so I am going to give you a basic peek into what critical thinking is as well as how go about teaching it everyday in our home.

Critical Thinking…What is It?

Critical thinking is a way of deciding whether a claim is true, partially true, or false. Critical Thinking is a process that leads to skills that can be learned, mastered and used. Critical Thinking is a tool by which one can come about reasoned conclusions based on a reasoned process. This process incorporates passion and creativity, but guides it with discipline, practicality and common sense. It can be traced in the West to ancient Greece with its Socratic method and in the East to ancient India with the Buddhist kalama sutta and abhidharma literature. Critical thinking is an important component of education, politics, business, and science.   https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Critical_thinking

When we learn critical thinking, we are learning to think about things more skillfully as well as always reaching for a higher quality of thought.  Once we develop our own questions to dig deeper into a subject we can then develop and support our own conclusions.

How I Teach Critical Thinking

I ask my kids lots of questions, good process questions; some of these are in very obvious ways and sometimes it is as natural as a basic conversation.

If you are new to this concept of teaching/parenting you will have to make a conscious effort to implement some of these process questions.  After a while you will find it will start to flow as a natural teaching method.

What are Process Questions?

Process questions are questions you can ask which will:

• Focus Attention
• Force Comparison
• Seek Clarification
• Invite Further Inquiry
• Seek Reason or Explanation

Now that you see what process questions are think of the academic subjects we learn/teach.

1.  All subjects and conversations we have require us to also know how to give focused attention.
2. What subjects do you think require us to compare data? How can we then clarify that data?
3. Can you dig deeper into said data and come up with some more questions about it?
4. Now that you have dug deeper and thought about more questions and answers, what conclusion have you come to?

Breaking Critical Thinking Down in our Homeschool

You can use critical thinking in every subject area, here are some examples of questions I ask my kids while teaching certain subjects.

Math:

• Do you notice a pattern here? (Focus)
• When have you used addition other than in your Math book? (Further Inquiry and Real Life application)
• Tell me how you did that? (Seek Reason/Explanation)

Spelling:

• What other words do you know which have a “tion” ending (Further Inquiry)
• What does that ‘e’ do at the end of the word? (Seek Clarification)
• Do you notice there are letters you cannot hear when you say this word? (Focus)

Science:

• How can we find out the mass? (Further Inquiry)
• How is _____different/same as _______ (Comparison)
• What is your evidence? (Seek Reason/Explanation)

Reading Comprehension/Family Read-a-Louds

• Look at this picture, what do you think the story is about? (Focus)
• What do you think “Johnny” will do to help his friend? (Further Inquiry)
• Why do you think that? (Seek Reason/Explanation)

As you can see with some of the process questions I ask, you really can include elements of critical thinking in all that you do, don’t forget to incorporate it into your Art and Music study as well.  In fact, we often ask these types of questions in the conversations we are having with each other and don’t always recognize it as a lesson in critical thinking.

What Else Can You Use?

Every once in a while the kids and I pull out these “Mind Benders” books from Critical Thinking Co.

We get out some scrap paper, pencil and eraser and get started on solving some of these mind benders.  They can be lots of fun, but also gives us as parents a chance to guide our children through a problem.

How to Teach Mind Benders:

1. Use process questions
2. Give your child time to think, don’t rush
3. Have them support their train of thought
4. Mistakes happen, ask more questions to get back on track
5. Have fun

Like anything new, the first time you try something it isn’t always going to work or go according to plan.  Give yourself and your children time to adapt to critical thinking exercises.

End on the Positive

I also like to end anything we tackle on a positive note.  Whenever you hit a wall, do not let yourselves stop there.  Turn it around and go over 1 item you know your child will be confident in.  If it is Math, go back and do an exercise they will get correct, let them execute that, end on the positive and then close the book.  You now know where your child will need further instruction  the next day, but both you and the child end at a spot of success!

I am always reading and learning about ways to develop good thinking skills, so this post is just and example of  How I Teach Critical Thinking based on the information I have learned so far in my journey.  We have had some great conversations and I always look forward to listening to my kids point of view on a subject.

So go ahead and start to ask more questions!

After all, when we ask someone a question it shows we have faith in them and that we respect them enough to listen!

This post is part of a “How I Teach”  link up at iHomeschool Network

Click on the picture below to find other “How I Teach” posts:

The post How I Teach Critical Thinking in Our Homeschool appeared first on Home School Innovation.

Once some broke out of the chrysalis, we added a small cup of diluted honey and a slice of watermelon for the butterflies to eat.

Have you had the opportunity to raise butterflies?  We would love to hear from you!

If you don’t want to make your own habitat, check out this one from Amazon.  

The post Butterflies…Our Hands on Nature Study! appeared first on Home School Innovation.

A week later I discovered this video called “Powering the Cell:  Mitochondria”.  Although my children are all under 12 years old at this point, they were amazed by this amazing video journey inside a cell.

I am sharing this with you because all too often we don’t challenge ourselves or our children.  Do not forget to  open doors for your children to feed their curiosity.  My kids are now all in awe of cellular biology and have flooded me with enough questions to keep us learning more about cells for quite a while.

Take a look at this amazing video “Powering the Cell:  Mitochondria”

Isn’t this amazing?

My kids now want to know more about the mitochondria, as well as  the technical side of how scientists can look inside a cell.   Their minds have been opened and another new seed of knowledge has been planted!

The post Biology-Discovering Cells: What is Mitochondria? appeared first on Home School Innovation.

This is one of our favourite snow activities!

My kids love to play in the snow and build forts (ok sometimes it’s me too   ).   We also love to go out and colour the snow!

Snow Art

Supplies Needed:

• Spray bottles
• Water
• Food Colouring
• Snow

This is also a great activity to incorporate learning about Primary, Secondary and Tertiary Colours!  Learn the colour wheel and play in the snow!

The only caution needed for this activity is to be sure the food colouring doesn’t stain your clothing.

Ice Castles!

Why not take your building blocks outside?

Freeze water into different sizes and shapes and colours!

Supplies Needed:

• Different containers or milk cartons
• Food colouring
• Water
• Freezer

Fill containers with coloured water and freeze.

Once frozen remove from the freezer and let them warm enough that ice will slide out easily.  Take them outside and build coloured ice castles!

You can also add in berries for more fun!

Make it Science Day!

Freezing water is science too!

• Time how long it takes all the different containers to freeze, use all different sizes!
• Do the containers with items in the water like pine cones or cranberries take longer to freeze?
• Make sure you have containers which are similar sizes with different contents so you can have a good comparison
• Don’t forget to use some small containers too so the kids can see some fast results 

Then go out and PLAY!

Let me know…what colours did you make your snow?

Also check out “Homeschool Science with Snow”

The post More Snow Fun! appeared first on Home School Innovation.

How to teach project based engineering to kids:

The post How to teach project based engineering to kids appeared first on Home School Innovation.

With each child I have done this simple experiment to show why we don’t eat

snow!

All you need is a coffee filter, a cup and some snow.

Include All Your Children

• Place a handful of snow in the filter and wait for it to melt.
• Ask:
• What temperature is the snow?
• How long did it take for snow to melt?
• What properties of matter did you see?  Did it change at all?
• How does the paper filter work?
• What temperature is the melted snow?
• What is left in the filter (if you have microscope you could make a slide)
• Should you eat snow?

The little ones are always AMAZED at what is in our seemingly  sparkly white snow.   I should add they were amazed with scrunched up noses…Yuck!

 Fast – Easy -Fun !

Get out there to do this, if you have snow, and have some fun!

Don’t forget to write in and let me know 1 (or more) reaction your child(ren) had.

Want more ideas to have fun out in the snow?  “More Snow Fun” covers more of our favourite winter activities!

The post Homeschool Science with Snow appeared first on Home School Innovation.

So lets get into how lenses work, and we dont want to be frying up a little ant farm with the sun and potentially lighting the house on fire…. What can one do… Let Dave and Brody at MechanicalMashup show us how to turn our house into a camera… wait what?!?!?! Yes your read that correctly how to turn a house into a camera. In the end it cost him a few sheets of posterboard and a donation from a local optician. Now how many of your kids can tell us what a ‘diopter’ is and how to calculate the focal length of a lens….

Enjoy and go out and have some fun with your kids. Listen in the video how excited Brody got when they got it working. Now that is cool science! 

In the words of Brody:

That is… That’s MAGNIFICENT! 

What are you going to do now? How about take this tutorial and build it. Get a big sheet of paper and put it on the wall that the camera projects on to and trace the scene and color it….

If you do tackle the project send us pictures, video, anything and we will feature you at our site. But most of all go and enjoy science it does not have to be boring.

~Ben

The post Science, does not have to be geeky or boring… appeared first on Home School Innovation.