Here is a great series of books written in 1898 -1901 by Clara Dillingham Pierson.  And as always, FREE to download.

My children were captivated by the characters in her book, Among the Farmyard People, Clara is very creative with the interaction between the different characters.  She introduced us to the wise Blind Horse, the proud Peacock, the geese who insist that they give their feathers to the farmer and do not have to work for their food and many other farm dwellers.  In each chapter, not only do we learn about the animals behavior, food, sounds, predators, etc; the characters also learn a valuable lesson about life, obedience, kindness, and more. I highly recommend her series.

Below is the introduction to her book titled Among the Meadow People:

"Many of these stories of field life were written for the little ones of my kindergarten, and they gave so much pleasure, and aroused such a new interest in "the meadow people," that it has seemed wise to collect and add to the original number and send them out to a larger circle of boys and girls."

"All mothers and teachers hear the cry for "just one more," and find that there are times when the bewitching tales of animals, fairies, and "really truly" children are all exhausted, and tired imagination will not supply another. In selecting the tiny creatures of field and garden for the characters in this book, I have remembered with pleasure the way in which my 6 loyal pupils befriended stray crickets and grasshoppers, their intense appreciation of the new realm of fancy and observation, and the eagerness and attention with which they sought Mother Nature, the most wonderful and tireless of all story-tellers."

~Clara Dillingham Pierson

• Among the Meadow People
• Among the Farmyard People
• Among the Pond People
• Among the Forest People
• Among the Night People

Albert Einstein? Marie Curie? Carl Sagan?

Who is your favourite scientist?

That's the question film-maker Brady Haran has posed to leading researchers at Nottingham Trent University.

The answers may be surprising, with an assortment of men and women from the past and present.

They range from household names to unsung heroes.

• Wikipage on the Elements
•  Science Geek Printables
• Download Chemistry Study Cards
• Online flashcards with audio
• Online Lessons

www.ThielAcademy.blogspot.com

A great science activity is to create weather logs. There are several ways to accomplish this, you could use a large calendar hung on the wall, a cheap day planner for each child from your local discount store or a notebook, you may have a few options laying around your house.

Here is a great resource for those of you who want to know what your children should be learning and when. It is a great resource if you would like to put your own curriculum together.

"Home Learning Year by Year" by Rebecca Rupp.
From the Publisher:

The integral subjects to be covered within each grade
Standards for knowledge that should be acquired by your child at each level
Recommended books to use as texts for every subject
Guidelines for the importance of each topic: which knowledge is essential and which is best for more expansive study based on your child's personal interests
Suggestions for how to sensitively approach less academic subjects, such as sex education and physical fitness