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You are here: Home > 2020 > January

Archives for January 2020

๐Ÿฆ‰ FRIDAY BIRD FAMILIES: Barn Owls and Typical Owls

31 January 2020 by Horace the Otter ๐Ÿฆฆ

Join our year-long homeschool tour of North American bird families and teach some great little science and natural history lessons along the way. This week: the Barn Owls and the Typical Owls.

Filed Under: ARCHIVES

๐ŸŒ ๐Ÿ‡ฏ๐Ÿ‡ต WEEKLY WORLD HERITAGE: The Monuments of Ancient Nara in Japan

29 January 2020 by Bob O'Hara

Pay a visit to a World Heritage Site from one of our countries-of-the-week and learn some great homeschool history and geography along the way. This week: the Historic Monuments of Ancient Nara in Japan.

Filed Under: Homeschool States & Countries, Weekly World Heritage

๐Ÿ–‹ ๐Ÿš€ REMEMBERING CHALLENGER

27 January 2020 by Bob O'Hara

“And all I ask is a merry yarn from a laughing fellow-rover, / And quiet sleep and a sweet dream when the long trickโ€™s over.” (Our homeschool poem-of-the-week, from John Masefield, for the Challenger Seven.)

Filed Under: ARCHIVES

๐ŸŽต HOMESCHOOL MUSIC: Happy Birthday Mozart!

27 January 2020 by Bob O'Hara

Happy birthday to one of the greatest musical composers of all time, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, born on this day in 1756. Here are some little Mozart lessons you can share with your homeschool students this week.

Filed Under: Homeschool Arts & Music, Homeschool Holidays & History

๐Ÿ—“ QUICK FRESHES for Homeschool Families โ€“ Week of 26 January 2020

26 January 2020 by Bob O'Hara

Great homeschool teaching ideas and little lessons for the week ahead, including: tall ships, classical composers, wise owls, baseball pioneers, Asian rivers, city fathers, a toast to peace and plenty, and more!

Filed Under: ARCHIVES

๐ŸŒŽ ๐Ÿ‡บ๐Ÿ‡ธ SUNDAY STATES: Alabama, Japan, Kenya, and More

26 January 2020 by Bob O'Hara

Take a homeschool tour of the U.S. states and the countries of the world with the River Houses. This week: Alabama, Japan, Jordan, Kazakhstan, and Kenya.

Filed Under: ARCHIVES

๐Ÿฆ NATURE NOTES: Cornell University Summer Program, June 2020

24 January 2020 by Horace the Otter ๐Ÿฆฆ

Cornell University is hosting a summer program for high school students interested in careers in natural history โ€” it might be just the thing to start a clever homeschool naturalist on a bright future path.

Filed Under: Homeschool Natural History

๐Ÿฆ… FRIDAY BIRD FAMILIES: New World Vultures, Ospreys, Hawks, Kites, and Eagles

24 January 2020 by Horace the Otter ๐Ÿฆฆ

Join our year-long homeschool tour of North American bird families and teach some great little science and natural history lessons along the way. This week: the New World Vultures, the Ospreys, and the Hawks, Kites, and Eagles.

Filed Under: ARCHIVES

๐ŸŒ ๐Ÿ‡ฎ๐Ÿ‡ช WEEKLY WORLD HERITAGE: Sceilg Mhichรญl in Ireland

22 January 2020 by Bob O'Hara

Pay a visit to a World Heritage Site from one of our countries-of-the-week and learn some great homeschool history and geography along the way. This week: Sceilg Mhichรญl in Ireland โ€” and its mysterious inhabitant revealed!

Filed Under: Homeschool States & Countries, Weekly World Heritage

๐Ÿ”Ž HOMESCHOOL RESEARCH & NEWS โ€“ January 2020

21 January 2020 by Bob O'Hara

A January 2020 roundup of some recent academic research and news about homeschooling worldwide, with links to sources. We have six items this month: Baker (2018), Dennison et al. (2020), DeRish et al. (2020), Donovan (2020), Kliewer (2019), and Wang & Lanager (2019).

Filed Under: Homeschool Research & News

๐Ÿ—“ QUICK FRESHES for Homeschool Families โ€“ Week of 19 January 2020

19 January 2020 by Bob O'Hara

Great homeschool teaching ideas and little lessons for the week ahead, including: declaratory signatures, giant diamonds, famous poets, teenage dreams, lunar birthdays, Israeli rivers, a toast to discovery, and more!

Filed Under: ARCHIVES

๐ŸŒŽ ๐Ÿ‡บ๐Ÿ‡ธ SUNDAY STATES: Illinois, Ireland, Jamaica, and More

19 January 2020 by Bob O'Hara

Take a homeschool tour of the U.S. states and the countries of the world with the River Houses. This week: Illinois, Ireland, Israel, Italy, and Jamaica.

Filed Under: ARCHIVES

๐Ÿฆ… FRIDAY BIRD FAMILIES: Herons, Bitterns, Ibises, and Spoonbills

17 January 2020 by Horace the Otter ๐Ÿฆฆ

Join our year-long homeschool tour of North American bird families and teach some great little science and natural history lessons along the way. This week: the Herons and Bitterns, and the Ibises and Spoonbills, all long-legged wading birds.

Filed Under: ARCHIVES

๐Ÿ“š ๐Ÿฆฆ HORACE THE OTTER Has a New 2020 Almanac โ€“ Do You Have Yours?

16 January 2020 by Bob O'Hara

The annual World Almanac and Book of Facts is one of the six reference books we recommend to every homeschool family. Our mascot Horace the River Otter recently got his 2020 edition โ€“ have you gotten yours?

Filed Under: Homeschool Books & Libraries, Our River Houses Mascots

๐Ÿ–‹ ๐ŸŽต WONDERFUL WORDS (and Music!): Lift Every Voice and Sing

15 January 2020 by Bob O'Hara

“Let our rejoicing rise / High as the listening skies, / Let it resound loud as the rolling sea.” (Our homeschool poem-of-the-week, from James Weldon Johnson, for Martin Luther King’s birthday.)

Filed Under: ARCHIVES

๐Ÿ—“ ๐Ÿ—ก HAPPY CROSS-QUARTER DAY of Orion Term 2019โ€“2020

15 January 2020 by Bob O'Hara

We divide the homeschool year into four three-month terms, and the midpoint of each term (following old calendrical tradition) is called the cross-quarter day. Today, January 15th, is the cross-quarter day of Orion Term, our winter term. How are things going in your homeschool?

Filed Under: ARCHIVES

๐ŸŒ ๐Ÿ‡ฎ๐Ÿ‡ณ WEEKLY WORLD HERITAGE: The Elephanta Caves in India

15 January 2020 by Bob O'Hara

Pay a visit to a World Heritage Site from one of our countries-of-the-week and learn some great homeschool history and geography along the way. This week: the ancient Elephanta Caves in India.

Filed Under: Homeschool States & Countries, Weekly World Heritage

๐Ÿฆ… NATURE NOTES: The Great Backyard Bird Count is Coming!

13 January 2020 by Horace the Otter ๐Ÿฆฆ

Get your homeschool naturalists involved next month in the Great Backyard Bird Count, an annual international survey that will let you and your students make a real contribution to science.

Filed Under: ARCHIVES

๐Ÿ—“ QUICK FRESHES for Homeschool Families โ€“ Week of 12 January 2020

12 January 2020 by Bob O'Hara

Great homeschool teaching ideas and little lessons for the week ahead, including: fairy-tale authors, peaceful ratifications, patriotic printers, freedom philosophers, joyous songs, Indonesian rivers, a toast to Dame Fortune, and more!

Filed Under: ARCHIVES

๐ŸŒŽ ๐Ÿ‡บ๐Ÿ‡ธ SUNDAY STATES: Mississippi, India, Iraq, and More

12 January 2020 by Bob O'Hara

Take a homeschool tour of the U.S. states and the countries of the world with the River Houses. This week: Mississippi, India, Indonesia, Iran, and Iraq.

Filed Under: ARCHIVES

๐ŸŒŸ STAR BRIGHT: Capella for January

11 January 2020 by Bob O'Hara

Make the acquaintance of Capella in the constellation Auriga this month โ€” a nearby four-star system and one of the brightest lights in the northern hemisphere night sky โ€” and make it your homeschool friend for life.

Filed Under: ARCHIVES

๐ŸŒ• RESEARCH PROJECTS for Homeschool Students โ€“ January 2020

10 January 2020 by Bob O'Hara

Our January 2020 full-moon report on the real scientific and scholarly research projects around the world that you and your students can participate in and contribute to in your little home academy.

Filed Under: ARCHIVES

๐Ÿฆ… FRIDAY BIRD FAMILIES: Storks, Frigatebirds, Boobies, Cormorants, and Pelicans

10 January 2020 by Horace the Otter ๐Ÿฆฆ

Join our year-long homeschool tour of North American bird families and teach some great little science and natural history lessons along the way. This week: the Storks, Frigatebirds, Boobies, Gannets, Cormorants, Darters, and Pelicans.

Filed Under: ARCHIVES

๐Ÿ–‹ โ›ธ WONDERFUL WORDS: A Winter Poem for Homeschool Dads

8 January 2020 by Bob O'Hara

“She thinks she’ll never / be so happy, for who else will find her graceful, / find her perfect, skate with her / in circles outside the emptied rink forever?” (Our homeschool poem-of-the-week, from Gail Mazur, for all homeschool fathers.)

Filed Under: ARCHIVES

๐ŸŒŽ ๐Ÿ‡ญ๐Ÿ‡น WEEKLY WORLD HERITAGE: Haitiโ€™s National History Park and Sans-Souci Palace

8 January 2020 by Bob O'Hara

Pay a homeschool visit to a World Heritage Site from one of our countries-of-the-week. This week: the National History Park in Haiti.

Filed Under: Homeschool States & Countries, Weekly World Heritage

๐Ÿ“š LEARNING THE LIBRARY: The Social 300s

7 January 2020 by Bob O'Hara

It’s Homeschool Library Day! This week: exploring “The Social 300s” in the Dewey Decimal Classification, part of our year-long survey of the whole of knowledge. (Really!)

Filed Under: ARCHIVES

๐Ÿฆ NATURE NOTES: Get Started With Bird Study in the New Year

6 January 2020 by Horace the Otter ๐Ÿฆฆ

Get the new year off to a great start with a free online bird study course, sponsored by Cornell University โ€” and get a chance to win a top-notch pair of binoculars, too.

Filed Under: Homeschool Natural History

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