The Boston Massacre on March 5th, 1770, was one of the key events leading up to the American Revolution. Every American history student should know something about it.
Archives for February 2020
π π WONDERFUL WORDS: Happy Dord Day!
“LexicΓ³grapher. n.s. [λΡξικὸν and Ξ³ΟΞ¬ΟΟ; lexicographe, French.] A writer of dictionaries; a harmless drudge, that busies himself in tracing the original, and detailing the signification of words.” (A humorous homeschool holiday, for all lovers of words and dictionaries.)
π¦ FRIDAY BIRD FAMILIES: Parrots
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 Old World Parrots, and the African and New World Parrots.
π π±πΉ WEEKLY WORLD HERITAGE: The KernavΔ Archaeological Site in Lithuania
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 KernavΔ Archaeological Site in Lithuania.
π π¨βπ©βπ§βπ¦ A FREE CENSUS LESSON from the Library of Congress
In this federal census year, why not invite your homescholars to learn about how the U.S. Census has kept count of our country over the decades with this ready-made unit study from the Library of Congress.
π π WONDERFUL WORDS: Watchers of the Skies
“Or like stout Cortez when with eagle eyes / He star’d at the Pacific β and all his men / Look’d at each other with a wild surmise β / Silent, upon a peak in Darien.” (Our homeschool poem-of-the-week, from John Keats, for all homeschool astronomers.)
π QUICK FRESHES for Homeschool Families β Week of 23 February 2020
Great homeschool teaching ideas and little lessons for the week ahead, including: new moons, intercalary days, brassy music, blue jeans, funny words, talkative birds, Lithuanian rivers, a toast to homecoming, and more!
π πΊπΈ SUNDAY STATES: Michigan, Liechtenstein, Macedonia, and More
Take a homeschool tour of the U.S. states and the countries of the world with the River Houses. This week: Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, and (North) Macedonia.
π¦ FRIDAY BIRD FAMILIES: Caracaras and Falcons
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 Caracaras and Falcons, fast-flying birds of prey.
βοΈ π COPERNICUS and His Revolutions (on his birthday!)
On Copernicus’ birthday, introduce your homeschool students to one of the most important books ever published: “On the Revolutions of the Celestial Spheres” (1543).
π π±π§ WEEKLY WORLD HERITAGE: The Forest of the Cedars of God in Lebanon
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: Ouadi Qadisha (the Holy Valley) and the Forest of the Cedars of God in Lebanon.
π HOMESCHOOL RESEARCH & NEWS β February 2020
A February 2020 roundup of some recent academic research and news about homeschooling worldwide, with links to sources. We have five items this month: Cohen (2020), Gaither (2020), Purwaningsih &Β Fauziah (2020), Willis (2020), and Willsky-Ciollo (2020).
π π WONDERFUL WORDS: The Truly Great
“Born of the sun, they travelled a short while toward the sun / And left the vivid air signed with their honour.” (Our homeschool poem-of-the-week, from Stephen Spender, for the great birthdays of February.)
π QUICK FRESHES for Homeschool Families β Week of 16 February 2020
Great homeschool teaching ideas and little lessons for the week ahead, including: backyard bird counts, presidential birthdays, ancient tombs, Liberian rivers, celestial scientists, glowing glass, a toast to Washington, and more!
π πΊπΈ SUNDAY STATES: Arkansas, Lebanon, Lesotho, Liberia, and Libya
Take a homeschool tour of the U.S. states and the countries of the world with the River Houses. This week: Arkansas, Lebanon, Lesotho, Liberia, and Libya.
π¦ FRIDAY BIRD FAMILIES: Woodpeckers
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 Woodpeckers!
π πΊπΈ π¦ LINCOLN and DARWIN (and Horace)
Our recommended homeschool history encyclopedia is just the thing you need on a notable anniversary like today: the birthday of both Abraham Lincoln and Charles Darwin (in the same year, 1809).
π π°π¬ WEEKLY WORLD HERITAGE: Sulaiman-Too Sacred Mountain in Kyrgyzstan
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: Sulaiman-Too Sacred Mountain in Kyrgyzstan.
π HISTORY STUDENTS: The National Archives Wants Your Help
The National Archives wants you to be a “Citizen Archivist” and help document materials in U.S. presidential libraries (from the comfort of your home computer). This is a great cooperative project for homeschool history students.
π β€οΈ WONDERFUL WORDS: βUnwind the solemn twine, and tie my Valentine!β
“Awake ye muses nine, sing me a strain divine!” (Our homeschool poem-of-the-week, from Emily Dickinson, for Valentine Week.) β€οΈ
π RESEARCH PROJECTS for Homeschool Students β February 2020
Our February 2020 full-moon report on the real scientific and scholarly research projects around the world that you and your students can join and contribute to from the comfort of your little home academy.
π QUICK FRESHES for Homeschool Families β Week of 9 February 2020
Great homeschool teaching ideas and little lessons for the week ahead, including: Valentinian toasts, backyard bird counts, processing meteors, naturalistical nativities, fast fliers, inventive Americans, Laotian rivers, and more!
π πΊπΈ SUNDAY STATES: Missouri, Kuwait, Latvia, and More
Take a homeschool tour of the U.S. states and the countries of the world with the River Houses. This week: Missouri, Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan, Laos, and Latvia.
βοΈ HAPPY BIRTHDAY, DMITRI! (Mendeleev, that is)
The father of the periodic table, the great Russian chemist Dmitri Mendeleev, was born on this day in 1834. Here are two clever educational ways to remember him.
π STAR BRIGHT: Betelgeuse for February
Make the acquaintance of the red giant Betelgeuse in the constellation Orion the Hunter this month β a star that’s been exhibiting some puzzling astronomical behavior lately β and make it your homeschool friend for life. (Unless it happens to explode this week.)
π¦ FRIDAY BIRD FAMILIES: Trogons and Kingfishers
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 Trogons and the Kingfishers.
πΈ PHOTO CHALLENGE β February 2020: βMotorsportsβ and βPublic Parksβ
Calling all homeschool photographers! The Wikimedia Commons Photo Challenge is a great way for serious homeschool photography students to develop their talents and gain some recognition. This month’s themes are “Motorsports” and “Public Parks.”