June 2006

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Amanda's Corner
Going Digital
Our Legacy - Telling the Stories
Favorite Family Book Picks for June
From My Summer Book Pile
Lots of Learning Links

Look out - here comes summer! I hope this finds you and your clan well and enjoying this beautiful June weather. The magnolia blossoms are whiter than ever and smell heavenly, and the geraniums are in full red bloom here on the porch. The garden is growing right along with the deer and rabbit that are feeding on it. With the change in season, we are moving to a slower pace of life in some ways – less time indoors with books, and more time outdoors with farm life, baseball, and enjoying friends and family.

Have you had a chance yet to see how far you have come over this past year of homeschooling? June is the month for that around here, and I look forward to analyzing our forward progress. Did we accomplish what we had planned this year, and what other lessons were learned along the way? Over the years, I have learned to take a “big picture” view of these things, instead of focusing on the minute items on a check-off list. It is too easy to fall into measuring failures as opposed to lessons learned.

As I have traveled this past month, I met some amazing people and learned several important lessons. The most important was a reminder that life is not a dress rehearsal – and I tend to forget this sometimes. Live today as if there were no tomorrow. We don’t get a second chance to say “good job” or “I am so proud of you” at the most important moment of accomplishment. Words of encouragement last a lifetime, and then some. Share your legacy – your life – with your children. Speaking as one who lost her father at an early age, I can assure you that what you share today, about your faith, hopes and dreams – will live on in the hearts of your children long after you have gone on to heaven.

This month, go outside and play, taking plenty of photos of the family adventures. Remember to fly your flag on Flag Day! Later in the newsletter, you will see my announcement about the exciting new unit study that is perfect for a summer of fun. I will be adding several new titles over the summer, and look forward to introducing them. Enjoy these days, for they are gifts!

Flag Day is next week, on June 14th -- don't let it go by without learning about this special holiday as well as the American flag. Spend a week learning about Flag Day in the Patriotic Holidays Unit Study, and enjoy the relaxed pace of summertime family learning. You can purchase the Patriotic Holidays Unit Study in the CDROM format or the Download Format. Learn about American history together this year -- Patriotic Holidays includes one-week studies on Flag Day, Independence Day, Veterans Day, and Memorial Day

You know those boxes of pictures and tubs of mementos, along with the loosely stuffed baby books and photo envelopes with the negatives sliding all over in the back of the closet? These bits and pieces of the past are part of your family legacy, and you can use this summer and assemble some wonderful scrapbooks that will help tell your stories for generations yet to come. From your mother's cheerleading picture to the tassel from your own high school graduation, all of these have a story to tell. Join me in my move from procrastination to preparation of a lasting library of the history of our family.

I am so excited to announce this new unit study --
perfect for a summer project and good for the whole family!

What a perfect topic for a unit study for the whole family. We'll all be learning while we gather and organize. I have learned so much while writing this book -- did you know that Thomas Jefferson and Mark Twain were avid scrapbookers? Did you know that girls would include hair weavings in their scrapbooks of the 1800s? I was amazed to find out that Mark Twain probably made more money from a scrapbooking invention than he did from royalties on his books! It is a fun project study, and I can't wait to share it!

Even as you read this, I am pulling out pile after pile of pictures and memorabilia -- assembling the piles in a corner of the family room. Using this unit study, we will organize and assemble records of our adventures. After 20+ years of marriage and three children, I have a LOT to organize, and so much to share with our children! Come along and join me - let's tackle this project together...

We are happy to announce that we’ve teamed up with HomeschoolEStore.com and now offer the LOTS of unit studies as secure eBooks on a new website that specializes in digital homeschool curriculum. We are adding new downloadable titles all the time, so bookmark the site and check the selection!

NEWS FLASH - they now have a special HELP section that walks you through the download process AND tells you how to save your study on CD! Great for folks who need techno-geek help! :-)

The Swiss Family Robinson, Unabridged
By Johann Wyss
After days of being tossed and battered by a raging storm, the ship on which the narrator, his wife, and their four sons are passengers smashes against a reef - and the last lifeboat pulls away without them. Next morning, the intrepid, loving little family finds itself cast away on an uninhabited island. Never losing hope, they retrieve what they can from the ship and construct a life for themselves through their own resourcefulness - building a tree house, finding such food as coconuts, sugarcane, honey and potatoes, and securing themselves against danger. Adventure follows adventure as they explore the island, encounter wild birds and terrifying animals, plant crops, build sturdier shelters, and settle in for a long stay. Although there are many hardships, the family lives in peace and harmony, and even rescues a girl who herself is a castaway on a nearby island. Recommended for ages 8 to 12. So much better than the movie!

Christy
By Catherine Marshall
Inspired by the fervent idealism of a missionary speaker, Christy Huddleston abandons her prospects for a comfortable, conventional life in her North Carolina hometown to teach penniless, barefoot children in the Smoky Mountains to read. Young and naive, Christy is ill-prepared for the hardships, superstition, and lawlessness of this isolated village. But she's determined to see God change hearts---even if one of them is hers! This book touched my heart when I was a young teenager, and now that I am living in Christy's world, it has so much more meaning.

My Side Of The Mountain
By Jean Craighead George
Sam Gribley is terribly unhappy living in his family's crowded New York City apartment. So, armed with just the bare necessities--a penknife, a ball of cord, some flint and steel, and the clothes on his back--he runs away to the mountains. There, Sam must rely on his own ingenuity and the resources of the great outdoors to survive--and he discovers a side of himself he never knew existed. Recommended for ages 10 and up. A 1960 Newbery Honor book.

The Sign of the Beaver
By Elizabeth George Speare
Now that twelve-year-old Matt and his father have finished building a comfortable cabin for their family in the Maine wilderness, Matt's father must leave to bring the rest of the family to the new settlement. Until the day his father returns, Matt must try to survive on his own. Matt is brave, but he's not prepared for an attack by swarming bees, and he's astonished when he's rescued by an Indian chief and his grandson, Attean. As the boys come to know each other, Attean learns to speak English, while Matt becomes a skilled hunter. Many months pass with no sign of Matt's family. Then Attean asks Matt to join the Beaver tribe and move north. Should Matt abandon his hopes of ever seeing his family again and go on to a new life? Recommended for ages 10 to 14. A 1984 Newbery Honor book.

Because of Winn-Dixie
By Kate DiCamillo
When ten-year-old India Opal Buloni moves to Naomi, Florida, with her father, she doesn't know what to expect--least of all, that she'll adopt Winn-Dixie, a dog she names after the supermarket where they meet. Right away, Opal knows she can tell Winn-Dixie anything--like the fact that lately she's been thinking a lot about her mother, who left when Opal was three. And that her father, the preacher, won't talk about her mother at all. And that she's lonely. But with such an unusually friendly dog at her side, Opal soon finds herself making more than a few unusual friends. And ultimately, Opal and the preacher realize--with a little help from Winn-Dixie, of course--that while they've both tasted a bit of melancholy in their lives, they still have a whole lot to be thankful for. Recommended for ages 8 and up, 192 pages. A 2003 Newbery Honor book.

The Cooper Kids Adventure Series #4: Trapped at the Bottom of the Sea
By Frank E. Peretti
Time is running out on a desperate rescue mission...
After an argument with her father, a sullen Lila Cooper boards an Air Force flight from Japan to the U.S.. Her brooding is interrupted when a sudden hijacking leads to a scuffle and an explosion, causing the plane to plummet toward the Pacific Ocean. Trapped inside a secret weapons pod on the ocean floor, Lila can do nothing but pray that rescuers will find her before her oxygen supply runs out. Meanwhile, Joy Cooper and his father team up with journalist Meaghan Flaherty in a frantic struggle to beat a group of angry terrorists to the pod. You will be holding your breath to find out what happens next. Recommended for ages 10 to 14.

I am often asked about tips to make homeschooling better and easier, and I have to say that my top response is to stay informed of what is available to homeschoolers, the latest ideas and concepts about learning, along with helpful information for us as we continue this great adventure . One of the easiest and best ways to do this is to invest in the teacher (YOU!) by subscribing to a solid homeschool magazine. My top pick is The Old Schoolhouse. And now, the publisher is offering a great promotional package for both current AND new subscribers:

Collection of 19 Gifts for Homeschoolers - Limited Time Offer!
Subscribe Online (click here)
or call in your order to 1-888-718-HOME.

What are the gifts? There is a huge list and great items for all homeschoolers -- click here.

Whether you are new to the magazine or a long-time subscriber, The Old Schoolhouse Magazine has an incredible offer that you won't want to pass up! In the past, renewing subscribers were NOT allowed to receive the 19 gifts - it was only for new customers. But for a limited time only, RENEWING subscribers get all 19 gifts (over $200 value), too!

Blink
By Ted Dekker
Seth Borders isn't your average graduate student. For starters, he has one of the world's highest IQs. Now he has the ability to see multiple potential futures. But with no sleep, a fugitive princess by his side, hit men an heartbeat away, and a massive manhunt steadily closing in, evasion becomes impossible. This book engages issues as ancient as the earth itself...and as current as today's headlines.

90 Minutes in Heaven: A True Story of Death & Life
By Don Piper with Cecil Murphey
After a devastating car accident, Baptist minister Don Piper is pronounced dead at the scene. During the next 90 minutes, he remembers hearing beautiful music, meeting those who had a spiritual impact in his life, and experiences deep peace--until suddenly he is brought back to "real life" through another minister's prayer in this amazing true story.

Farmer's Market Cooking
This useful directory features an ingredient-by-ingredient guide to the foods found at your local farmer's market, including vegetables, fruits, grains, herbs, breads, dairy, fish, meat and poultry. The book features full-color photographs throughout, with more than 100 recipes keyed to the ingredients.

Look What You Can Make With Paper Bags
Look What You Can Make With Paper Bags is an activity book with over 90 pictured crafts and dozens of other ideas children ages 4-12 will enjoy making. Puppets and pinatas, scrapbooks and scarecrows, mobiles and maracas, banners an baskets all made from paper bags! Large full-color photographs, simple step-by-step instructions, and a wealth of idea sparkers provide hours of craft-making fun. With the addition of some easy-to-find household items and craft supplies, paper bags can be transformed into a vast array of toys, games, decorations, and gifts.

Last Light, Restoration Series #1
By Terri Blackstock
Terror reigns when electrical power is cut off across the world-creating a global crisis that reveals even deeper darkness within human hearts. What would you do? Whom could you and your family trust, especially if there was a killer in the neighborhood?

FLAG DAY -- June 14th!

Stars and Stripes Cake

Angel Food Flag Cake

Safety Pin and Seed Bead American Flag Craft

American Flag Online Jigsaw Puzzle

American National Anthem

USA Mobile Craft Project

American Flag Cake

FATHER'S DAY June 18th!

Father's Day Coloring Pages

More Father's Day Coloring Pages

Father's Day Coupon Book and Printables

Father's Day Crafts and Activities

Father's Day Crafts

TREE HOUSES (Remember the Swiss Family Robinson?)

Tree House and Play House Plans Online

Tree House Plans

Tree House Plans Online

Frontier Pioneer Playhouse Plans

Lighthouse Tree House

Pirate Tree House for Dreamers

GOOD OLD SUMMERTIME

Summer Survival Tips with a Purpose

Summer Printables

Travel Activity Printable Books

Until Next Time,

Amanda B.
www.unitstudy.com