Google Friend Connect

By now most people know that Google Friend Connect is being retired for blogs that are not hosted by Blogger.  You might have noticed that I have two GFC widgets in the sidebar.
                                                                                                                              
One of them (the one that has something like 61 members right now and is titled "Follow with Google Friend Connect") is the one that was imported from a blog hosted elsewhere so unfortunately, that will be going away.  I wish I'd figured that out sooner, and that I had arranged those widgets a little differently. 


Please - if you are one of those 60 or so followers, and are NOT following me another way, I would love for you to join using the Google Friend Connect widget titled "Followers", Linky Followers, or subscribe using the RSS feed or Networked Blogs.

I don't want to miss a coffee break with any of you!

Physics Week Five

We started our week five class time by taking a brief look at the history of catapult use in warfare, and a discussion of how they work.

Alexander the Great is famous for being a brilliant general and strategist, and he was the first the make great use of catapults as siege weapons.  Later the Romans, and also the Chinese used catapults and trebuchets during war.  The technology reached Europe during the middle ages, and by around 800AD, the catapult was in widespread usage throughout Europe.  Their use continued during the Crusades and in siege warfare in Europe until the 1400s, when gunpowder and cannons became the weapon technology of choice.  The last recorded use of catapults in a siege was the unsuccessful attempt of Cortez's soldiers in the conquest of Mexico in 1521.  In modern times, catapults are used more for entertainment than for warfare - they are featured in movies like Lord of the Rings and provide the "fire power" for the annual Punkin Chunkin in Delaware.

There are two basic types of catapult - those that use tension as the force, and those that use torsion.  Ancient and medieval engineers used a long, flexible arm that wouldn't break when bent backward.  When the arm was released from that position, it flung forward and released the ammunition.  Torsion (strain developed by twisting) was also used as the operating force.  Operators twisted ropes very tightly around the catapult arm and then released them.  When the twisted ropes were released, the catapult's arm would react by springing up and releasing the ammunition.  Both types are a demonstration of Newton's Third Law of Motion - for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction.  They also are a good example of the difference between potential energy and kinetic energy.  Potential energy is being stored, related to an object's position or condition.  A stretched spring or rubber band has potential energy because it is stretched beyond its natural resting position and when released, it will move back, converting the potential energy into kinetic energy - energy that is being used.

This diagram and lots of other interesting material about catapults and trebuchets (and lots of other physics subjects too!) comes from the website: Real World Physics Problems.

At last!! It was time to add the rubber bands to our catapults and try them out!

I used a roll of giftwrap paper as the shooting range, so we could mark the distances that ammunition was thrown.  And naturally, the competition was fierce!  It didn't take more than a few seconds for some of the boys to realize that they could amp up their catapult's throwing power by twisting the rubber band, or applying some extra stretch.  This was a good thing, because they were applying what we learned - increasing the amount of tension and/or torsion would also increase the energy generated.  However, there's also a downside to the increased force... it also stresses the catapult frame.  By the time class was over, most of the catapults showed some definite wear and tear, and a couple of them couldn't take the stress.  But we had a lot of fun!

I asked the kids to please promise me that if they used their catapults at home they would not:

• aim projectiles at their little sisters
• shoot dad while he was watching TV
• shoot mom while she was making dinner
• shoot projectiles towards the family's china cabinet or other delicate breakables

However, I have received reports that at least one student was firing cheese curls and trying to get them in his dad's mouth.  In his defense, I am pretty sure that it was the dad's idea, and I did make mention in class of the fact that crunchy cheetohs make great projectiles.  I just hope the mom didn't have to clean up the resulting orange splats on the wall and floor.

This is the fifth post in a series -

• Physics Week One (gravity and friction)
• Physics Week Two (structural engineering)
• Physics Week Three (suspension bridges)
• Physics Week Four (constructing catapults)

 Don't miss a coffee break! Subscribe to Homeschool Coffee Break by Email! 

 ©2006-2015 Homeschool Coffee Break. All rights reserved. All text, photographs, artwork, and other content may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form without the written consent of the author.http://kympossibleblog.blogspot.com/

A is for... Around the World in 180 Days

I decided to write about this resource for "Blogging through the Alphabet" with Marcy at "Ben and Me" because it's been so well-used in our homeschool.  This school year is the fourth time we've used it as the spine for our Social Studies. It's so versatile and adaptable that I don't mind using it over and over. 



Around the World in 180 Days is sort of like a huge unit study, using a notebook approach to learning geography, history, world religions, world cultures, and current events by continent.  Several years ago, I used it with all four kids and focused mostly on history.  Then a few years later, I used it with three of the kids and looked at geography and history.  When lesson planning at the end of the 2009-2010 school year, I decided to go around the world in 360 days, and take two years to use the guide.  We had spent the previous two years on US History and I thought we should take a break from North America for awhile.  So last year, we (Landon and Kennady) studied the history and cultures of Africa, Australia and Asia.  This year we are studying Europe and the Americas.  We will only do a very brief overview of American history. 

I love this guide because it gives me a spine to build a social studies course around, and each time I can focus on different aspects, or do things a little differently so it doesn't seem like we are repeating the same information that we've covered before.  I assign different research assignments, reading, and artwork to go along with it each time.


Blogging through the Alphabet is a weekly link-up hosted by "Ben and Me".  Please visit to join in and to see what thoughts this week's letter has prompted for other bloggers.

Goal Planning Monday - February 27, 2012

I can't say I'm pleased with my progress this week, because I really didn't get much done.  I spent more time than I'd expected running errands during the days, and our evenings were full as well. 

1. Keep up with grading. Start planning next year's courses with Spencer. Progress.   I started out well with grading, but didn't get it all done.  I did start looking at some ideas for Spencer's coursework for next year, and I do have plenty of time to look after that.
2. Taxes.  Not done.
3. Sewing and mending. Not done.  But I did start tidying up the sewing area.  That counts, right?!
4. Reading...Done!
5. Blog Goals...Progress.  I got a couple of posts up, did some commenting (although not as much as I would have liked), but I still have the book blog post to finish.
6. Meal planning...Done, I guess.  I think I had a plan for every night last week, even though I had to make a couple of changes when our schedule didn't allow enough time for what I'd originally planned.
7. Decluttering...Very little progress.

For the coming week...

1. Grading.  Finish building the trebuchet for co-op.
2. Taxes.  Still needs to be done!
3. Finish tidying the sewing area and making it workable.  I think I need to break this down.  If I can organize that space and make it less chaotic to look at, it should be easier and more pleasant to sit down and work on the projects that need my attention. 
4. Reading...  Still working through A House for My Name.  Finish one of my two novels this week.  And I have been reading Mark Twain's Humorous Stories and Sketches aloud to the kids - I meant to finish it on the weekend, but did not.  So I need to finish that in the first half of this week, preferably tomorrow.
5. Blog Goals... I have several reviews I'm working on, one is due this week.  I am trying to get into a routine of five posts each week.  I also want to read and comment on more of the Homeschool Mother's Journal participants' blogs.  Since that happens on the weekend, when I spend less time on the computer, I comment on far fewer of them than I'd like to.
6. Meal planning.  A meal plan and a grocery list to shop from, and more that's made from scratch.
7. Decluttering...  as always!

This post is linked up at Mama Manuscripts.

Celestial Almanack Update

The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands. Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they display knowledge. There is no speech or language where their voice is not heard. Their voice goes out into all the earth, their words to the ends of the world. ~Psalm 19:1-4

This weekend we had some great opportunities to see the planets Venus and Jupiter approach a conjunction (the conjunction itself will occur in March) near the moon.  I grabbed my copy of the February Celestial Almanack and carried it around with me in the evenings so we knew exactly what we were looking at, and I figured this was a good time to update on the review I did at the beginning of the month. 

The Celestial Almanack explained the conjunction, when to see it, and why this particular conjunction is pretty special.  It's unusual because although Venus and Jupiter often come together in the sky, we don't often get to see it.  Either they are too close to the Sun, or the conjunction happens at a time of year when they are too low on the horizon.  This is just one example of the many things we learned from the Celestial Almanack. 

My camera is just a simple point-and-shoot model, and really not intended for good night photos.  But I tried anyway, and have this not-great shot of what we saw from our house this evening.

Kennady is still pointing out Orion and any other constellations she recognizes every time we are out in the evening.  I came home this evening and decided I wanted to share this on Facebook and on my blog and give some more props to Jay Ryan for this great product, and encourage readers to check out the March edition, which I will be purchasing shortly.  And as I got started with posting, I found an email from Fourth Day Press, part of which appears below:

The NEW edition for March, 2012 is finally uploaded.  This is a SPECIAL EXPANDED EDITION that includes a whopping 24 pages of content!  And for the same low price of only $3.00!
March is a VERY EXCITING month for the sky!  Jupiter and Venus finally meet in the evening sky in a rare planetary conjunction!  An event this spectacular only happens every 24 years!  Make sure you and your kids do not miss this beautiful alignment of these brightest planets!
Also, learn about vernal equinox, and how the orientation of the sky in this season places the waxing crescent Moon, and the planets Venus and Mercury for their best evening viewing.  The planet Mars is at its brightest and most visible during March, 2012.  Learn how to find this body in the night sky.  Also, this edition includes important background information for the upcoming Transit of Venus in June!
I want everyone to see these beautiful events in the sky, rather than just sitting inside, like every other night.  99% of Americans will be indoors, watching “Dancing With The Stars,” rather than being outdoors, watching the dance of the stars! This is a tragedy, in my opinion. 350 million Americans, and 6 billion people on the Earth, will have the opportunity to see these sky event for free, if only they will trouble themselves to go outside and look. So join the 1%!

God bless and clear skies!  - jay ryan

Right now the March edition of the Celestial Almanack is available for download at CurrClick for only $3.00.  These Alamacks are absolutely loaded with information, and in my opinion, they are not just for homeschoolers, but would be great for anybody interested in classical astronomy or just in stargazing as a hobby.

You might also want to check out other products at the Classical Astronomy website.

This entry at the TOS Homeschool Crew blog will connect you to other reviews of the February edition.   My original review is here.


Note:  We received a complimentary copy of the February edition of Celestial Almanack in exchange for our honest opinions given in my original review.  I offer this update post as my personal recommendation of this product and received no compensation for it.

Homeschool Mother's Journal: In Which We Change Things Up

In our homeschool...  our days were interrupted and disjointed this week, or at least that's the impression I have as I look back.  We squeezed in our science and social studies and composer study as we were able, but didn't spend as much time as I would have liked on any of them. 

Spencer is supposed to be reading Humorous Stories and Sketches by Mark Twain for American Lit right now, so I offered to read most of it aloud and include the younger kids, and he agreed to that.  (Good choice, Spencer!)  So we spent some time reading that, and I'd like to finish it over the weekend. 

Landon and Kennady began learning about the Scandinavian countries in social studies, and we learned about Johannes Brahms in music.

At co-op, we spent more than half our class time playing with the catapults we built last week.  I spent some time on Wednesday night doing a few repairs and finishing up the students' catapults so they would be ready for class - and then after a few test throws, most of the students started making modifications to their catapults which eventually resulted in most of them being a bit damaged from the increased tension and torsion!  Hopefully the parents that paid for those catapult kits will understand! We had lots of fun, and the kids demonstrated that they understood how to use tension and torsion to maximize the throwing power of their catapult, and learned that there are limits to how much force can be applied before the structural integrity is compromised. 

In other news... Landon attended his first Civil Air Patrol meeting this week.  He was reluctant to go but once we got him there, I don't think he suffered too badly. ;-) We are making him go a couple more times for sure before making a decision, but I don't see a reason not to join!

This weekend is our annual Missions Conference at church, so we will be very busy with that.  We have already been busy practicing with the musician team that will be leading worship all weekend.

My favorite thing this week...  getting Landon to Civil Air Patrol and then realizing that although he wouldn't admit it, I think he liked it.
What's working/not working for us...  I am having a hard time sticking to my schedule - as in staying home on days when I don't have to go anywhere.  I will have to plan my errands better in the weeks to come so that we can maximize our schooldays on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays - the days when we typically can stay home during the day.
Questions/thoughts I have...  do we need to renew our kids' passports this year?  I think we do. Which leads me to question how much time and money that involves.  Guess I'd better find the answers before we start making vacation plans.
A photo/video/quote or link to share...

We came across this ragtime variation on Brahms' Hungarian Dance No. 5, and thought it was great!  I even printed out the score so I can try to learn it!

On the bookshelf...

• The Betrayed by Lisa T. Bergren
• A House for My Name by Peter J. Leithart
• The Ultimate Guide to Homeschooling Teens by Debra Bell
• The Bone House by Stephen R. Lawhead
• A Fatal Waltz by Tasha Alexander

A parting shot...

This guy was pulled over to talk on his cell phone! LOL

This post is linked to The Homeschool Chick - see how other homeschoolers might be changing it up this week!

Not Just Lullabies!

This week our study of the composers focused on the life and work of Johannes Brahms.  Is there anybody that is not familiar with Brahms' Lullaby?  But of course, Brahms is remembered for more than just this well-known melody.  He also composed beautiful symphonies, concertos, and choral works.  Although he composed during the height of the Romantic period, his style was much more like the great Classical composers, and he was a great admirer of Beethoven and Schumann.

Brahms had the honor, during his lifetime, of becoming known as one of the "Three B's" - Bach, Beethoven, and Brahms - so he was acknowledged along with two of the composers he admired most.

There's not much to see in this YouTube (just two stills in the first 7 seconds and then blank); but it is an incredible recording of another very recognizable Brahms composition, Hungarian Dance No. 5.  Enjoy!

This post is linked at ~a teaching heart~ where we are keeping each other accountable for making time for music in our homeschooling!

Don't miss a coffee break! Subscribe to Homeschool Coffee Break by Email! 

©2006-2014 Homeschool Coffee Break. All rights reserved. All text, photographs, artwork, and other content may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form without the written consent of the author.http://kympossibleblog.blogspot.com/

Physics Week Four

There wasn't really a lesson in our class during Week Four, as we spent the class time constructing working model catapults.  We purchased the kits from Pitsco Education.  (I found out about Pitsco's great products when members of the TOS Review Crew reviewed these catapult and trebuchet kits.  You can get more info, and read their reviews at the TOS Homeschool Crew blog.)  As it turned out, we were missing a couple of adult helpers in class, so I was a little busier than I expected helping everyone out and I didn't take any pictures during class at all!

Of course, I had previously put together a catapult at home to test it.

This is our finished product -

In class, the students worked in pairs to construct the catapults.  For the most part, it went well, but there were a couple of places in the instructions where it seemed like everyone got confused.  Fortunately, in all but one case, we were able to fix the imperfectly aligned pieces before the glue set.  Also, we had a couple of broken pieces - the trigger pieces too, and those are kind of important!  I am working on those little details at home, and if all goes well, we will have every one of those catapults in working order so that we can play with them in class this week!

For Week Five, we will test the firepower of our catapults and learn more about how they work.

This is the fourth post in a series - Physics Week One (gravity and friction), Physics Week Two (structural engineering), Physics Week Three (suspension bridges)

 Don't miss a coffee break! Subscribe to Homeschool Coffee Break by Email! 

 ©2006-2015 Homeschool Coffee Break. All rights reserved. All text, photographs, artwork, and other content may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form without the written consent of the author.http://kympossibleblog.blogspot.com/

Ode to My Library

Every week - sometimes multiple times during a week - I say (or think) the following:  "I love our library system."  I really do believe we have one of The. Best. anywhere.  I'm not good at writing songs or poetry, but if I could I would write a sonnet explaining why I believe the library is one of the best things ever for homeschooling on a budget.  (You know you're a homeschooler when your kids memorize your library card's barcode before their own address!)

I've heard it said that it's possible to homeschool successfully with a Bible and a library card.  I'm not sure I'd be good at it without purchasing any curriculum at all, but making use of the library gives us access to amazing resources at no cost.  Some resources that I couldn't afford even if I wanted to own them.  Some resources that I want to preview before deciding to purchase.  And most often, we use the library to get our hands on books and CDs and DVDs that we only need for one research project or unit.  I love that our library carries a lot of television on DVD sets, for shows like MythBusters and Cities of the Underworld, and educational DVD series like The Science of Disney Imagineering and the many offerings of Schlessinger Media.  When we study ancient Rome or medieval Scotland or WWII Berlin and then can watch a Cities of the Underworld episode that takes us to those locations, it really makes it come to life.  And is so much cheaper than travelling there on a field trip!

One of the greatest things about our library system is being able to access so much of it online.  We don't live in town, so getting to the library isn't something we want to do every day.  Usually a library visit is something that happens - quickly - on our way to or from something else.  But I'm able to browse the library catalog online, and request the books I'm interested in to be sent to my local branch and then I can pick them up from the hold shelf when it's convenient.  It makes stopping at the library really quick.  I have my library account set up so that the system emails me a reminder that books are coming due on the next business day, and I can renew things online.  (The reminder emails alone have saved me BIG BUCKS in fines!  That said, I rarely complain about paying fines when I deserve them, because the library saves me money in so many other ways.) 

There's also an account feature that lets me put books on my own custom "reading lists" so when I come across a title that I don't want now, but I'm sure will be useful in a couple of months when we study Gershwin in music, I put it on my list so I can request it then.  I can also keep track of books already read, books in a series, my own personal to-read list, etc this way.

Sometimes I hear from friends in other parts of the country that their library staff seem resistant to having homeschoolers in the library.  Thankfully, we have never had that problem.  Our library system is very helpful to homeschoolers, in my experience.  Homeschooling parents can even get an educator's library card.  I've never bothered because I think the regular library card account is so fantastic!

We don't make much use of it now that my kids are getting older, but a couple of the library branches in our county offer occasional homeschooler's science programs.  A hands-on science class that takes place during the day, and is specifically for homeschool kids.  They have even contacted some of the homeschool groups for our input on what we'd like to see in those programs and how they could make it more useful to us.   We've made use of some of their kids programs that are not specifically for homeschoolers too.  Kennady has especially liked the junior gardeners program.

Don't overlook what the library might have to offer when trying to homeschool on a budget!

It's the obvious choice for free homeschooling resources!

What are your favorites for free or cheap homeschool resources?  Leave a comment and let me know, and visit the TOS Crew Blog Cruise (February 2012 edition) to get ideas from other homeschoolers.

This post has been added to the Homeschool for Free Round-up on the Schoolhouse Review Crew blog. Visit this NEW round-up to get even more ideas from other homeschool bloggers!

Goal Planning Monday - February 20, 2012

Well, how did I do last week?  Not bad.  Always room for improvement!

1. Get the grading caught up. Build the catapult and trebuchet in preparation for co-op classes.  Done - almost! ;-)  I have a couple of assignments sitting on my desk that haven't been entered in the Tracker yet, but I'm doing them this morning.  So almost all the grading was done last week.  I built the catapult and confirmed my decision to do that one first in co-op, which meant I could put off building the trebuchet to this week.
2. Taxes.  Progress.  Have worked on it, but it's not finished yet.
3. Clean my fridge.  Done!  Although I did only a quick job of it, didn't pull everything out and scrub the shelves.
4. Reading... Done!  Finished the novel, and read from A House For My Name every day.
5. Blog Goals... Done!  I didn't make the blog button though, because I didn't finish the taxes. I wish I had more time for commenting on other blogs!
6. Meal planning... Progress!  Didn't do a great job of having a balanced, well-planned meal on the table every night, but at least I had a plan.
7. Decluttering... Some progress.  Not much.  Two steps forward and one step back?! 

Plans for this week include:

1. Keep up with grading.  Start planning next year's courses with Spencer.   It's still a couple of months until I go to the curriculum fairs, but I want to start talking with Spencer now about which credits he still needs and then start researching so I know what I'm looking for.
2. Taxes.  'Nuff said.
3. Sewing and mending.  I have neglected the mending pile for way too long, and still have a couple of partially finished sewing projects that I need to finish.  If I can tidy up and organize my sewing area this week and work on that, I will be happy.
4. Reading... Still working through A House For My Name. 
5. Blog Goals... a slow week for reviews, so I will try to get more commenting done!  And finish moving old posts over here.  I haven't blogged anything about the novel I read last week so I need to do that.
6. Meal planning...  I already have Friday's meal planned, since we'll be at a church dinner!  And I even have a couple other dinners already planned, so I'd better be able to do this!
7. Decluttering...  a little bit every week, better yet - every day.  Or at least most days.

This post is linked up at Mama Manuscripts.

Homeschool Mother's Journal: In Which We Stick With the Program

In our homeschool...  we've been working hard to get and stay on schedule, and it seems that we're doing okay.  We had something going on, or somebody not feeling completely well, or something pretty much every day, which presented some challenges.  But - everyone did math every day this week, and I count that a victory.   Spencer is using mostly the ALEKS program for math at this point, and that is working out well for us right now.  I've been meaner to Kennady - making sure she completes an entire math lesson every day.  She and Landon are both a bit ahead in Language Arts, so I didn't push that this week.

We've been working a little on Science, with the book Exploring the World Around You. 

At the beginning of the week, Landon and Kennady completed a couple of mini-reports to wrap up our study of France.  Then we shifted our focus to Spain and Portugal.  We ended that by baking a Portuguese sweet bread this evening.

This week we learned about the American composer Stephen Foster.  That was lots of fun because the tunes we listened to were almost all familiar, and we enjoyed his humour.

In co-op this week, my class built their catapults.  I was kept busy checking (and fixing!) everyone's work and didn't take any pictures in class, but this is how our test catapult at home turned out.

Oh, and I did get that suspension bridge we brought home last week put back together again.  (by myself.  Possibly a sign that I am taking this homeschool mom thing WAY too seriously...)

In other news... there really wasn't much other news this week! Just the usual stuff. 

My favorite thing this week... Kennady likes to draw a huge happy face of some kind at the end of each of her Language Arts workbooks as she finishes.  This is the one she drew this week.  I thought it was really cute! 

What's working/not working for us... I have to say that ALEKS is working well for us. (I reviewed ALEKS for TOS earlier this week.) Spencer is making good progress with it, and seems to like using it.  And Landon was rather put out with me today because I was "letting" Spencer do math on the computer, and he wanted to do ALEKS math too.  LOL

Questions/thoughts I have... where does the time go?  Kids grow up too fast, and the days go by faster than I think they should.  I can't seem to get even half the stuff done that I want to.  I am not a very good time manager.

A photo/video/quote or link to share...

Artwork from Kennady -

and from Spencer -

On the bookshelf...

• A House For My Name by Peter J. Leithart
• The Ultimate Guide to Homeschooling Teens by Debra Bell
• The Betrayed by Lisa T. Bergren

Finished and wrote about A Poisoned Season by Tasha Alexander.  Finished, but still need to write about, The Skin Map by Stephen R. Lawhead.

A Parting shot...

This post is linked to The Homeschool Chick - see what programs other homeschoolers are sticking with this week!

An American Composer

We had a real change of pace in our composer study this week.  The first American composer in the study, and a very different style of composition as well.  Stephen C. Foster wrote songs that are usually considered folk music rather than romantic, but that was certainly a reflection of the United States at that time.  Foster grew up in a large family where the arts were considered to be an interesting hobby, but not something at which one could make a living.  He had obvious talent though, and tried his hand at composing.  His songs were not always well-received during his lifetime, but some became very popular, including "Oh Susanna!" which was much-loved by the forty-niners during the Gold Rush, and "Old Folks at Home" which became the state song of Florida.

I was a little surprised that Landon and Kennady claimed not to be familiar with either of those tunes before we listened to them! Turns out they did know Oh! Susanna! - of course!  At first, they weren't sure they knew Camptown Races either, but as soon as I sang the first line, they realized they knew the tune well.  (Probably courtesy of Looney Toons - I'm not gonna lie! LOL)  We found out that the song was a humorous tale of life in the "camp towns" - tent communities of workers, often on the railroads - where the men might pass leisure time by organizing races between the motley assortment of horses and mules.

We watched three different versions of Camptown Races on YouTube, but Kennady claimed to like this one the best.  Al Jolson plays the part of E.P. Christy, the minstrel singer that had somewhat of a partnership with Foster and made many of his songs popular.

Foster's life was not always happy or easy, and he died at only 38 years of age.  The songs he wrote are among the most memorable tunes in American folk music, and I can testify that we've been humming and singing Camptown Races and Oh! Susanna! all week after having learned a little about the man that wrote them.

This post is linked at ~a teaching heart~ where we are keeping each other accountable for making time for music in our homeschooling!

Don't miss a coffee break! Subscribe to Homeschool Coffee Break by Email! 

©2006-2014 Homeschool Coffee Break. All rights reserved. All text, photographs, artwork, and other content may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form without the written consent of the author.http://kympossibleblog.blogspot.com/

TOS Review - ALEKS

A lot of homeschoolers are just a bit nervous about needing to teach math, especially at a high school level.  After all, for the average parent, it's been a long time since we took high school math and the methods of teaching have changed since then. When I started looking for high school level math help, I needed to find math resources and teaching tools that work for our students, and fill in the gaps.  And I still look for those kinds of resources!

Please meet our new math tutor, ALEKS.  We really appreciate being introduced to ALEKS through The TOS Review Crew, and even though we've met only recently, I'd like to introduce you to ALEKS as well. 





Rather than try to explain 'who' ALEKS is, I'll just quote from the website:

Assessment and LEarning in Knowledge Spaces is a Web-based, artificially intelligent assessment and learning system. ALEKS uses adaptive questioning to quickly and accurately determine exactly what a student knows and doesn't know in a course. ALEKS then instructs the student on the topics she is most ready to learn. As a student works through a course, ALEKS periodically reassesses the student to ensure that topics learned are also retained. ALEKS courses are very complete in their topic coverage and ALEKS avoids multiple-choice questions. A student who shows a high level of mastery of an ALEKS course will be successful in the actual course she is taking.

ALEKS also provides the advantages of one-on-one instruction, 24/7, from virtually any Web-based computer for a fraction of the cost of a human tutor.

ALEKS (Assessment and LEarning in Knowledge Spaces) can provide you with the instruction and support you need to homeschool your children in mathematics for grades 3-12. ALEKS is accessible from virtually any computer with Internet access, making it a flexible and mobile educational solution for your children.

ALEKS is a Research-Based Online Math Program:

• Complete Curriculum Solution for Math with Access to Full Course Library
• No Textbook Required
• Artificial Intelligence Targets Gaps in Student Knowledge
• Assessment and Individualized Learning for Grades 3-12
• Master Account - Monitor and Direct Learning Progress
• Unlimited Online Access - PC & Mac Compatible

Now, I'll be honest - at first I thought that it was likely that my kids would balk at yet another math project to do.  I asked Landon to try first, because he is well on his way through seventh grade math and I thought it would be a great way to check how much he has learned already. (He's in fairly good shape! Whew!)  I hesitated in having Spencer use it because I worried that it would be "one more thing" on his plate and slow him down even more.  I'm glad I finally decided to make him try it as well.  He is using it for high school geometry.  More about that later... First, the student does an assessment test that determines what he already knows at the chosen level and also familiarizes him with how the questions are answered.


The student always has the option to say "I haven't learned this yet" instead of having to blindly guess at an answer when they don't have a clue. I think that takes some pressure off.  After completing the assessment, the student gets their "pie" to show them what they've already mastered, and which areas they can work on.

The student's Pie makes recommendations for further study, and helps the student figure out what they can work on based on what they already know.  Some sections of the pie are pre-requisites for other sections, so they do have to master those in order.  Clicking on a section of the pie immediately switches the student to the Learning Mode, where ALEKS provides practice problems and explanations of new concepts.  ALEKS avoids multiple choice answers, so students can't "lucky guess" their way through.




The student gets immediate feedback as they work through the Learning Mode, so they know right away if they've answered correctly or not, and sometimes ALEKS will even give a suggestion for
correcting mistakes.  The student can review any topic they've already mastered if they wish, and going back to the Pie chart will show them the progress they've made in each section.
ALEKS also offers the ability to print out worksheets, and the master account (for the parent) gives detailed information about what each student enrolled has mastered, what they are working on, their progress, and the time spent.  I receive emails that detail all this information too.

I mentioned that I'm glad I had Spencer try it - here's why.  Turns out he prefers ALEKS to his traditional workbook, and in my opinion, he is learning the material faster.  And both boys have told me that they really like knowing instantly whether they have given a correct answer to a problem. (And I like that I don't have to grade it!) We've decided that Spencer will probably continue using ALEKS along with his current math program to finish the school year.

What we liked best...

• instant feedback! The student is told immediately whether their answer is right or wrong.  No waiting around for Mom to have time to grade the work and hope that she can decipher the answers.
• at-a-glance pie chart showing what the student has already mastered, and their progress.
• detailed progress reports available for the parent/teacher. 
• when the student gets an answer wrong, or doesn't understand, there is an "explain" option that will instantly bring up a teaching section for that type of problem, and allow the student to practice.  Landon mentioned this because he doesn't like paging back through a textbook looking for a review on something he needs to refresh his memory, and Spencer heartily agreed.

What we weren't crazy about...

• both boys mentioned that it was difficult to be accurate with the protractor and ruler tools.  For instance, when told to draw a 70* angle, Landon thought he had done so, but the program said it was 71* and told him it was wrong.  Not that there was a penalty for getting it wrong, but he got impatient when this happened.
• I was glad that a friend who had already used ALEKS cautioned us that the original assessment test might seem long, and that students tended to like the program itself a LOT better than the assessment.  That made sense, so I offer that same advice to others who may want to try it.  The assessment test will not give the instant feedback of right or wrong answers, and may seem a bit long - I just encouraged the boys to keep going through that and they did indeed find the program to be very useful.

We think ALEKS is a great program - I started the review period worried that my boys would balk at trying it, and hoping that they wouldn't complain about "having to do it."  And now they are both asking to work on it, liking it, making progress, and Spencer has said quite firmly that he prefers it to a workbook and wants to use it for the rest of the year!  What a difference a few weeks of the trial have made!  So yes, we will be continuing with ALEKS for Spencer for sure!

Would you like to meet our friend ALEKS? Here's what you need to know...

ALEKS courses are available for grades 3-12, and beyond.  They are designed for independent and individualized learning.  Each course comes with unlimited online access.  It is an online program, not a download, so it can be accessed from more than one computer, and is compatible with both PC and MAC systems. 

Subscription pricing is as follows:  $19.95 per month; $99.95 for six months, or $179.95 for 12 months.   Family discount plans are also available.  ALEKS is offering a free two-month trial for homeschoolers who haven't used it before.

Visit the TOS Homeschool Crew blog for more information, and to read other Crew member reviews.

Note: As a part of the TOS Homeschool Crew, we received a complimentary two-month subscription to this website in exchange for our honest opinions.

Physics Week Three

Week Three of our co-op physics class focused on bridges - specifically, suspension bridges.  The class was divided into two teams, and each team was given a kit to construct a model suspension bridge. 

Naturally, the kids managed to turn it into something of a race, even though that wasn't exactly the intent.  Here is the "winning" team with their bridge:

When the models were completed, we talked about how the suspension bridge works.  What is being "suspended," and why?  In very simple terms, the bridge deck is suspended from the cables and supported by the towers and anchorages.  By using suspension cables, the load can be distributed more effectively, making the bridge more durable than one where the load is carried only by supports underneath the bridge deck.

Gravity pulls down on the bridge deck and everything on it.  This downward pull is balanced by the upward pull of the suspender cables, which in turn tug downward on the main cables.  The main cables run over the towers and are anchored in huge solid anchorages on shore.  The downward pull of the main cables generates a horizontal force, which would shear the towers if they had to resist it alone.  That's why the cables run over and past the towers to the anchorages.  The bridge deck is often reinforced by trusses underneath to prevent oscillation caused by the wind.

The basic forces at work are:

• compression - a force that crushes something together
• tension - a force that pulls something apart
• shear - forces in opposite directions, but offset, not pushing at the same spot.  When two forces are pushing past each other, what's between them tends to be cut or broken.

For fun, we also looked at some pictures of suspension bridges, from the famous Golden Gate Bridge

(image from Wikipedia)

to the footbridge in Capilano, British Columbia (which I chose to show them, because I've been there).

I also found some fascinating pictures of bridges that would truly scare the living daylights out of me, given the fact that I have a fear of bridges anyway.  These come from the website Travelet, on a page titled "Most Dangerous Bridges in the World" - check out the website for all the pictures, and ask yourself if you'd be brave enough to cross some of those bridges.

This one isn't too bad, I guess - Carrick-a-Rede Rope Bridge in Ireland:

But less likely to inspire my confidence were these...

An Inca rope bridge

Better yet, this engineering masterpiece over Borit Lake in Pakistan.  I love how they left the broken "unsafe" bridge there right beside the brand-spanking-new-and-improved model.  Hmmm...

Still, I think I'd prefer the relative safety of the warped slats of wood and randomly strung handrail fence to the Glen Nevis Wire Rope Bridge in Scotland...

Are those people in the picture smiling???  How far is the drop???

I thought it was very interesting to find out that the very simple principles of that wire rope bridge, and the Inca bridges that had been long in use by the time the conquistadors arrived in South America, are the same physics behind the modern engineering of the incredible Akashi Kaikyo Bridge in Japan (with a total length of almost 13,000 feet, and the longest suspension span in the world at 6532 feet)

(image from Wikipedia)

Although personally, I'm still scared of bridges. 

The information for this lesson came from the instruction booklet with the bridge kits, and from the website How Stuff Works.

This is the third post in a series - Physics Week One (gravity and friction), Physics Week Two (structural engineering)

Does knowing how suspension bridges work make you feel better about their safety? Let me know in the comments!

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This post was added to the Throwback Thursday Blog-Style link-up hosted by Tots and Me... Growing Up Together! on February 18, 2016.

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