I don't know about anyone else, but I had a devil of a time finding a good Biology text to use. Every time I thought I found something, it ended up being a 'short attention-span theatre' book (where all around the necessary information on Biology, you're inundated with pictures and puzzles and blurbs and colors - until your brain can't focus on what's important) or it was filled with environmentalist tracts on global warming and the evils of mankind.
You wouldn't think it would be that hard.
Anyway, with the dearth of good texts out there, and me on a shoe-string budget, I decided to utilize the free information available on the net. For one thing, it's easier to skip over the splotches of enviro propanganda when you're on a website, and for another it's free. (I'm big on free.) What I ended up with was mix-and-match coursework, but as long as the student is getting the necessary information without getting their brains scrambled in the process, it works.
To that end, these are some of the links we used (and will continue to use until they're no longer useful):
An On-Line Biology Book - this was our main resource for 9th grade biology
The National Biological Information Infrastructure - has some enviromentally stuff, but it's easily ignored
Biology 4 Kids
The USDA Plants Database
KidInfo - The Human Body
Exploratorium - All branches of science.
Nature's Best: The Human Body
And for a little higher education (that your kids may or may not be ready for - depending on their skill level):
Marietta University: Invertebrate Zoology
The Franklin Institute: Living Things
(Unfortunately, I lost a lot of my biology links when my computer crashed in 2006, and we were past those enough that I never went looking for them again. When in doubt, use Google to find the particular topic you're interested in, and find something that works for you and your children.)
In addition to information on the web, we also have a few books to back things up. Now most of the books we have are old college Biology texts. I recognize some of them are way over my daughter's head, but she reads them anyway, and I explain in layman's terms what she can't figure out on her own. We also use non-textbooks on certain subjects - like Anatomy - to give her a better idea of how things are put together.
One last thing. If you can afford it, I would highly recommend buying a microscope for home use. We got ours from Home Science Tools and it was less than $200. Not a cheap investment, but well worth the price. Plus that company also has kits for growing plants, hatching critters, dissecting things. You can set up your own Biology lab without breaking the bank. (We set up a Chemistry Lab last year.)
If you have any Biology resources you'd like to share, please leave them in the comments. (And as always, I reserve the right to post them or not.)
Thursday, August 28, 2008
Saturday, August 23, 2008
Scholarships, Contests, Etc.
The other day, Janime asked about advice on how to find legitimate scholarships, and I said I'd do a post about it. Well, here it is. (And this is written for the laymen, so if some of the stuff I say seems a little obvious, ignore me.)
I tend to approach scholarship contests the same way I've learned to approach writing contests. There's a lot of possibility for scammers and other dishonest people to schist you out of your money, but there are actual legitimate places to enter. The quickest way to tell the schisters from the honest folks is whether they ask for money up front, or they try to sell you something in order for you to enter. Most (but not all) poetry contests are like that. Anyone can enter, and most everyone wins because the only way you can see your winning entry in a book is to buy the book. (I know. I still have the one I bought when I was 15, and looking at the 'winning' entries now is like a trip through the land of bad writing - even my own.)
Now, I can't say that I've run across any scholarship contests like that. I think for the most part, people running scholarship contests are actually trying to do something good. Even so, some of them can be little more than a pain in the behind. For instance, we investigated something called the Common Knowledge scholarship contests. I didn't get it. Neither did my daughter. So we went in search of something a little more rational.
Another way of telling if a contest is legit is whether it's backed by a name you know. The VFW is immediately recognizable as a real organization, as is Target - who backs a lot of scholarship contests, btw. Of course, the scholarship contest put on by the AFSA isn't any less legit because you've never heard of the American Fire Sprinkler Association, but it's always good to be careful until you've researched the organization. Another one is the American Backflow Prevention Association, but they seem like a real organization who just wants to promote safe drinking water by asking kids to write essays. Works for me.
Anyway, scholarship contests are easy enough to find - especially if you belong to a homeschooling organization. But even if you don't, they're usually posted online somewhere. The best place to start is: Contests and Scholarships. It's a list posted by a homeschool organization. In most cases, they give links to the scholarships themselves and I assume they've already vetted the organizations to make sure they aren't scammers.
Otherwise, here is a short list of the links we've saved in our Favorites (even though some of them are for students above my daughter's current age):
Academic Services - Signet Essay Contest - Penguin Publishers - this is only for high school seniors and juniors, but the essay topics are good practice (and good assignments for English class)
The VFW 'Voice of Democracy' Contest - grades 9-12
The VFW 'Patriot's Pen' Contest - grade 6-8
The Letters About Literature Contest - all grade levels - put on by the Library of Congress in conjunction with the State Centers for the Book. (She took third at the state level last year in this one.) The prizes aren't much, but the practice value is well worth the time. And if you place, it looks good on a college application.
Circle of Neihardt Juried Contest - I don't know much about this one, but it looked interesting and it's through Wayne State University in Detroit, MI.
NRA Civil Rights Defense Fund Youth Essay Contest - K through 12.
The Ayn Rand Institute: Anthem Essay Contest - for grade 8, 9 & 10. (She entered this last year but didn't place. She'll try again this year.) There were 13000 entries last year, so the competition is fierce, but it's definitely worth the effort. I just noticed they added 8th grade to their list! Wow. Wish they'd done that two years ago.
The Ayn Rand Institute: The Fountainhead Essay Contest
US Institute of Peace - grade 9-12
The JFK Profile in Courage Essay Contest - grade 9-12
The Holocaust Remembrance Project Essay Contest - this year's contest guidelines will be announced after October 1st
Voice of the Future Scholarship - EL Publishers - grades 11-12
Society for Professional Journalists High School Essay Contest - grades 9-12
Optimist International Scholarship Opportunities
'A Day in Black History' Scholarship Contest - any ethnicity and any grade level
ABPA Annual Scholarship - high school age (13-20 years old)
AFSA Scholarship Contest - high school seniors only. Entrants are required to read an essay and answer questions. Each correct answer equals one entry into the contest.
Create-A-Greeting-Card $10,000 Scholarship Contest - all high school, college and university students may enter (no younger than 14)
The DaVinci Scholarship - age 16-25
'Freedom in Academia' Scholarship Contest - high school seniors
Oxy 'Cash for College' Sweepstakes - child must be between 13 and 19
The Elie Wiesel Foundation Prize in Ethics Essay Contest - This year's contest opens on Sept. 1st.
The FFRF Student Essay Competitions - closed for 2008. Check back next year.
I'm sure there are more out there. I just haven't found them yet. If you know of any, please leave them in the comments, and I'll add them in here.
Remember folks, this is just my short list. Please research every contest thoroughly before entering (or allowing your child to enter).
Good luck. =o)
(Please understand that some of these contests may not adhere to your beliefs or even mine. When thinking about the expense of sending a child to college - especially when they're talking about MIT, Stanford, Princeton, etc. - remember, everyone's money spends the same.)
I tend to approach scholarship contests the same way I've learned to approach writing contests. There's a lot of possibility for scammers and other dishonest people to schist you out of your money, but there are actual legitimate places to enter. The quickest way to tell the schisters from the honest folks is whether they ask for money up front, or they try to sell you something in order for you to enter. Most (but not all) poetry contests are like that. Anyone can enter, and most everyone wins because the only way you can see your winning entry in a book is to buy the book. (I know. I still have the one I bought when I was 15, and looking at the 'winning' entries now is like a trip through the land of bad writing - even my own.)
Now, I can't say that I've run across any scholarship contests like that. I think for the most part, people running scholarship contests are actually trying to do something good. Even so, some of them can be little more than a pain in the behind. For instance, we investigated something called the Common Knowledge scholarship contests. I didn't get it. Neither did my daughter. So we went in search of something a little more rational.
Another way of telling if a contest is legit is whether it's backed by a name you know. The VFW is immediately recognizable as a real organization, as is Target - who backs a lot of scholarship contests, btw. Of course, the scholarship contest put on by the AFSA isn't any less legit because you've never heard of the American Fire Sprinkler Association, but it's always good to be careful until you've researched the organization. Another one is the American Backflow Prevention Association, but they seem like a real organization who just wants to promote safe drinking water by asking kids to write essays. Works for me.
Anyway, scholarship contests are easy enough to find - especially if you belong to a homeschooling organization. But even if you don't, they're usually posted online somewhere. The best place to start is: Contests and Scholarships. It's a list posted by a homeschool organization. In most cases, they give links to the scholarships themselves and I assume they've already vetted the organizations to make sure they aren't scammers.
Otherwise, here is a short list of the links we've saved in our Favorites (even though some of them are for students above my daughter's current age):
Academic Services - Signet Essay Contest - Penguin Publishers - this is only for high school seniors and juniors, but the essay topics are good practice (and good assignments for English class)
The VFW 'Voice of Democracy' Contest - grades 9-12
The VFW 'Patriot's Pen' Contest - grade 6-8
The Letters About Literature Contest - all grade levels - put on by the Library of Congress in conjunction with the State Centers for the Book. (She took third at the state level last year in this one.) The prizes aren't much, but the practice value is well worth the time. And if you place, it looks good on a college application.
Circle of Neihardt Juried Contest - I don't know much about this one, but it looked interesting and it's through Wayne State University in Detroit, MI.
NRA Civil Rights Defense Fund Youth Essay Contest - K through 12.
The Ayn Rand Institute: Anthem Essay Contest - for grade 8, 9 & 10. (She entered this last year but didn't place. She'll try again this year.) There were 13000 entries last year, so the competition is fierce, but it's definitely worth the effort. I just noticed they added 8th grade to their list! Wow. Wish they'd done that two years ago.
The Ayn Rand Institute: The Fountainhead Essay Contest
US Institute of Peace - grade 9-12
The JFK Profile in Courage Essay Contest - grade 9-12
The Holocaust Remembrance Project Essay Contest - this year's contest guidelines will be announced after October 1st
Voice of the Future Scholarship - EL Publishers - grades 11-12
Society for Professional Journalists High School Essay Contest - grades 9-12
Optimist International Scholarship Opportunities
'A Day in Black History' Scholarship Contest - any ethnicity and any grade level
ABPA Annual Scholarship - high school age (13-20 years old)
AFSA Scholarship Contest - high school seniors only. Entrants are required to read an essay and answer questions. Each correct answer equals one entry into the contest.
Create-A-Greeting-Card $10,000 Scholarship Contest - all high school, college and university students may enter (no younger than 14)
The DaVinci Scholarship - age 16-25
'Freedom in Academia' Scholarship Contest - high school seniors
Oxy 'Cash for College' Sweepstakes - child must be between 13 and 19
The Elie Wiesel Foundation Prize in Ethics Essay Contest - This year's contest opens on Sept. 1st.
The FFRF Student Essay Competitions - closed for 2008. Check back next year.
I'm sure there are more out there. I just haven't found them yet. If you know of any, please leave them in the comments, and I'll add them in here.
Remember folks, this is just my short list. Please research every contest thoroughly before entering (or allowing your child to enter).
Good luck. =o)
(Please understand that some of these contests may not adhere to your beliefs or even mine. When thinking about the expense of sending a child to college - especially when they're talking about MIT, Stanford, Princeton, etc. - remember, everyone's money spends the same.)
Monday, August 18, 2008
Sophomore Year - Day One
Today began our sophomore year, and I must say it went very well. This year I decided to go with a more structured school day to help maintain focus (both on her part and on mine). She was raring to go, and while it took a bit for me to get back into the swing of things, by midday I was fine.
Now, we do things a little different than a traditional school - other than the usual homeschool experience. Even though her alarm is set for 7:30, we don't start classes until 10:00. This leaves us plenty of time for breakfast, exercise and errands. (You'd be surprised how much quicker we get through the library and store while no one else is there.) Then we have classes until noon, an hour for lunch, then classes until 5:00. Today the schedule went well, but that's one of the beauties of homeschool. If the schedule doesn't work, we can adapt. As long as we're getting in the required number of hours in the required classes, we can be flexible within our structure.
Since we just got back the results from last spring's standardized tests, I tailored this semester to addressing those issues she didn't do as well on. So, with that in mind, one of the things I'll be focusing on is what Colorado likes to call Extended Writing. To that end, today I took a prompt from last year's SAT test (which is available online if anyone is interested) and gave her an hour to write a short essay on her choice of the three prompts. Another thing that she got lower scores on was Algebra. I'm not too worried about this since last year we devoted our attention to Geometry, and didn't do much Algebra until the end of the year (after the tests were administered). This year, to avoid that problem, I'll probably do switch off from one discipline to the other each term. That will give her two terms of Algebra and one of Geometry before the tests in March. =o)
One slight change from the stated course list I gave in my last post. After some discussion we decided to double up on the Geology this term, and switch to double Physics next term. Two hours straight of one science, I think, will be easier to retain than switching from one to the other. As long as we get them both in during this semester, we'll be fine for the spring science tests. (And the SATs she'll be taking in a couple years.)
So far, so good. I'll try and update this more often as things arise. How is your school experience going this year? If you haven't started yet, what do you have planned for this year?
Now, we do things a little different than a traditional school - other than the usual homeschool experience. Even though her alarm is set for 7:30, we don't start classes until 10:00. This leaves us plenty of time for breakfast, exercise and errands. (You'd be surprised how much quicker we get through the library and store while no one else is there.) Then we have classes until noon, an hour for lunch, then classes until 5:00. Today the schedule went well, but that's one of the beauties of homeschool. If the schedule doesn't work, we can adapt. As long as we're getting in the required number of hours in the required classes, we can be flexible within our structure.
Since we just got back the results from last spring's standardized tests, I tailored this semester to addressing those issues she didn't do as well on. So, with that in mind, one of the things I'll be focusing on is what Colorado likes to call Extended Writing. To that end, today I took a prompt from last year's SAT test (which is available online if anyone is interested) and gave her an hour to write a short essay on her choice of the three prompts. Another thing that she got lower scores on was Algebra. I'm not too worried about this since last year we devoted our attention to Geometry, and didn't do much Algebra until the end of the year (after the tests were administered). This year, to avoid that problem, I'll probably do switch off from one discipline to the other each term. That will give her two terms of Algebra and one of Geometry before the tests in March. =o)
One slight change from the stated course list I gave in my last post. After some discussion we decided to double up on the Geology this term, and switch to double Physics next term. Two hours straight of one science, I think, will be easier to retain than switching from one to the other. As long as we get them both in during this semester, we'll be fine for the spring science tests. (And the SATs she'll be taking in a couple years.)
So far, so good. I'll try and update this more often as things arise. How is your school experience going this year? If you haven't started yet, what do you have planned for this year?
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