by Deborah Hanyon, MPH, RDN, ACE-CHC | Jun 5, 2019 | Education Materials
Sara Bean's MLK Jr K-12 History Curriculum provided me with some surprises. I actually thought all of this time that MLK Jr. was a Christian. Now, I'm not so sure. (Post may contain affiliate links)
For example, a little internet digging will uncover that he didn't hold to the same beliefs about Jesus and the virgin birth. In fact, it appears he denied much of what most Christians believe about the gospel. Also, many sources claim that he was unfaithful to his wife numerous times, including the night before he died.
Another thing I had never heard was that MLK Jr. was beaten by his dad because he didn't believe his son was studious or hard working as he thought he should be. It turns out that MLK Jr. never wanted to be a preacher, though he did eventually receive his doctorate in theological studies.
The first thing to remember when purchasing this MLK Jr K-12 History Curriculum, is that it's meant to be a supplement, as opposed to full-blown curriculum
So, for example, this would be a perfect short unit study to use for MLK Jr.'s birthday or some other time when you want your children to remember MLK Jr. The MLK Jr K-12 history curriculum is not too complicated, so if your kids don't like school, this might even be a great way to break up the “monotony” of school and give your kids a chance to just have some fun.
In other words, you can sneak in some new vocabulary words and reinforce history with this curriculum without bogging down your school day.
As far as activities for the kiddos to learn about Dr. King. There are many. For example,
Lists of facts
Including details about his college experiences, and how he got involved in the Civil Rights Movement. Also, some of his favorite quotes are included. Information about his boycotts, marches, and movements is also part of the curriculum package. You will learn about some of the things MLK Jr. struggled with as well.
Vocabulary
For Elementary through 12th grade is included, and I learned some new words!
The number and complexity of the words increases by age. However, all kids can learn all words, if you want. It's up to you as the teacher what words and how many you choose to assign to your kids.
Creative Writing Projects
Opportunities to write. For example,
- School Life – The creation of a school.
- Learning and Writing about Rosa Parks.
- Your children's opinion on various subjects related to boycotts, Rosa Parks, and civil rights in general.
- An opportunity (towards the end of the curriculum) to envision something the student can change, with the inspirational quote, “I Have a Dream” as a backdrop for unique ideas.
- An organizational diagram is included to help with brainstorming.
Research and Writing
- Writing Prompts – Children are given the opportunity to choose a topic of their own, do their own research. They can choose the internet or books.
- Students have an opportunity to discuss their own opinions about segregation, for example.
- Students can express verbally through a speech, drawing (perfect for right-brain thinkers), or traditional writing.
Arts and crafts Activities
For example, the curriculum pack includes suggestions for researching MLK Jr. quotes and creating bookmarks. Children can make their own unique bookmarks. Here are a couple of examples of what they can do:
Also, a page with blank books so that the child can write the names and authors of books they have read on MLK Jr. They can also decorate and color these books.
Cooking
Martin Luther King Jr.'s favorite meal is mentioned in the MLK Jr K-12 History Curriculum, with a suggestion to cook and eat it. Yummy!
And last, but not least, supplemental links are provided to give children even more ideas.
Good Job Sara!
Click here for Sara's K-12 Heart Unit Study Curriculum
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by Deborah Hanyon, MPH, RDN, ACE-CHC | May 9, 2019 | Education Materials
The heart is an extremely complicated organ. No matter how many times I have studied it, including in college, and while teaching my son, I have had difficulty remembering the details. Sara Bean's Heart Unit Study simplifies many of the difficult-to-grasp concepts. This complete curriculum set is for all ages, kindergarten through 12th. (Post contains affiliate links).
Three examples of science based unit studies: Sara Bean's Heart Unit Study, Penguin Unit Study and Plant Unit Study.
Adding color and fun to the process of learning always makes learning more fun. with Sara Bean's Heart Unit Study, your children can learn about the heart while having fun.
Sara Bean, from “Love at Home Education” designed this curriculum for kindergarten through 12th grade.
Regardless of Your Child's Age, Kindergarten through 12th grade, they will benefit from the Heart Unit Study.
Also, like I said before, remembering the facts of the heart is not as easy as it sounds. So, even if your child has already studied the heart, this cute little study will be perfect for a review.
Also, since the unit study pack provides activities for all school-age levels, if you have several kids at different ages. They can all work on the unit together. This would be an awesome opportunity to practice collaborative learning.
What's Included in the K-12 Heart Unit Study
- Heart Sight Words for younger kids with directions on how to use them
- Two Heart Words to Learn for Kindergarten through second grade, complete with definitions. Cards can be printed and have a pretty red border.
- A total of four words for 3-4 grade (the two previous plus two added).
- Two additional for 5-6, another two for 7-8, and two more for 9-12. This may not sound like a lot of words, but the heart is a complex organ and the definitions of these words are hard to remember.
- Super interesting heart trivia facts, for example, how many times does a heart beat, how much blood does it pump, and more.
- Parts of a heart diagrams – for K-6, for coloring and labeling, with beautiful color pictures and cut and paste labels.
- For 7-12, more advanced labeling, learning and memorizing
- A black and white diagram for coloring and labeling
- Questions on “How Does it Work?”
- Memorization exercises for all grade levels
- Research assignments for 7-12 grades
- Copy writing practice for Kindergarten through 1st
- Three Writing prompts for K-1; Three writing prompts for 3-6, with more advanced requirements. For example, sentences to paragraphs. Specific questions are provided.
- More advanced writing prompts for 7-12 grade
K-6 Parts of Heart – Coloring and Labeling Activity – Sara Bean's Heart Unit Study
And the price for Sarah Bean's Heart Unit Study is right. If you want a digital-only copy, it's just $6.00. She even offers the option to purchase a digital and printed copy as a set, for only $10 plus shipping (which is very reasonably priced).
One thing I want to mention, since I have a son with learning challenges.
Just because a curriculum is set up for specific grade levels doesn't mean you have to stick strictly to each grade level.
For example, if your child is in third grade but is still struggling to form letters with a pencil. In this situation, I would strongly suggest to use the copy work exercises in the heart study, even if he or she is older than the stated age.
Writing stuff down helps everyone learn better.
And don't forget something important. Typing can be a form of copy work as well. If you have a child like mine, who is now 14, and has too many writing assignments to do, for example. It would not be time-efficient to make them write everything down. Instead, have him or her type some of the work. It's okay to allow your child to type instead of handwrite everything.
Never Forget: The Goal is Learning
So, if your child is in 1st grade, is brilliant, and can handle the 7-12 grade activities, then give it to them! Whatever is developmentally appropriate is, well, appropriate. 🙂
I have discovered that kids never really outgrow the “hands-on” stage despite that most traditional schools stop hands-on work for most subjects. So, no matter how old your kids are, they're not to old for some hands-on work! All of Sarah's unit studies, including the heart study, will give your children plenty of opportunities to do hands-on activities.
To check out this awesome heart unit study, and to grab a copy for yourself, click here.
About Homeschooling Dietitian Mom
For other k-12 curriculum reviews, click here.
For Sara's MLK Jr. K-12 History Curriculum, click here.
For a book review on a cute book about what snow teaches us about God, click here.
by Deborah Hanyon, MPH, RDN, ACE-CHC | Apr 25, 2019 | Careers for Stay-at-Home Moms, Education Materials, Homeschooling High School
Etsy Master Class for Teens
(Post contains affiliate links).
I realize I am not a teen, though sometimes I feel like one. 🙂 However, when I had the opportunity to try the Etsy Master Class for Teens in exchange for a review, I jumped at the chance.
I have been trying to get going on Etsy for a few months now. And I had tried previously with no success.
This was why I was excited to learn that I could take an Etsy Master Class to help me do better on Etsy.
I must say that this class will most definitely help your teen (and you if you are creative) get started on Etsy.
And if your teen has beautiful handmade products, she (or he) will be successful at selling them.
All of the tools and directions are included in the Etsy Master Class for Teens. Your teen will not only have their store up and running by the end of class, but will have a better handle on the business side of things.
A full 70 plus page workbook is included with the class. This workbook will help your teen sort out new ideas, brainstorm, plan, and glide easily through the process. The workbook complements the videos.
If your teens have never set up a store before, they can use Abby's link and get 40 free listings. That alone is worth 8 bucks. Which reminds me. Of course, the class can be used by more than one person. So, every separate store set up by a unique individual, as long as you use Abby's link, will get 40 free listings.
Some Highlights:
- In the first module – Abby gives you a background of where Etsy came from, how long they've been around, how it works, etc.
- She recommends several excellent books, one of which I read and found enormous value in. The book, “My Story Brand,” helped me to sharpen my focus and to gain further insight into how to reach my readers and better assist them.
- She provides an outline for how to set up your Etsy store as well as 40 free listings, like I mentioned before.
- Abby provides guidance and worksheets (click here for a sample) to help with keyword and tag research (as well as defining what these terms mean).
- There is help on how to determine the best price for your products; how to create profit margins, etc.
- You will receive extensive advice on creating better photos, including where to go to get the best lighting, the best tools to use for great photos, and more.
- Help with creating a logo (which I used and now am very happy with).
- A log sheet for keeping track of time spent and work on class.
- And Much More.
Up to 1 full unit of high school credit can be obtained, depending on your state's laws, and how much time your teen spends on the class. There are forms to fill out to help with recording keeping for this.
Direction on how to use keywords, tags, and how to determine price is included, and will provide valuable insight on how to market your product so that people actually see it on Etsy.
Abby also provides assistance with creating logos. I found this section particularly helpful because I had been struggling with finding the right look. After going through the section on logos, I actually found a logo I like and will probably stick with. That was very satisfying to me!
Another helpful topic was her section on photos, lighting and photography.
As you know, I take a lot of pictures. However, many of the pictures are not up to the best standards. This is because my husband and I lack experience. After gaining wisdom from Abby's experience with photography, my husband, especially, is well on his way to making outstanding pictures.
After going through this awesome class, I decided Etsy is not the right platform for my products because they are all digital.* However, I most certainly did not waste my time. I learned many valuable skills and insights that I am applying to my blog and other areas of my life. My husband also completed parts of the master class and learned as well.
*UPDATE 5/4/2020 – Abby updated her course to help with selling digital products. YAY!
Also, when my son is in high school. I plan to have him work through this class for high school credit. So that's three people taking the class for the price of one. When you consider the fact that an unlimited number of people in your household can take the course, the value seems even greater.
To give you a little tiny taste of the course, here is a brainstorming sheet to get your teen started. AND last but not least, here is a 20% off coupon available through me only.
The code is homeschooldietmom and will only be available for a limited time.
Not ready for Etsy? Want to try to make some extra cash selling on Ebay? Well Abby also has a mini-course that you can take (or your teen can take) to learn how to sell on Ebay. Click here to check out the EBay mini-course now.
For other k-12 curriculum reviews, click here.
Click here for awesome Ready for Reading Phonics curriculum review.
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