In “Backyard Archaeology Dig,” Episode, #194, Meredith Curtis invites you to dig a big hole in the backyard for educational purposes. Hosting an archaeology dig for your family and a few friends is a great way to experience archaeology and its investigation into history. If you’re willing to make and break artifacts, dig a hole, string it into sections, and let kids dig with a small trowel and brush, you can go on an amazing educational adventure! Meredith explains how to prepare the artifacts, set up the dig, and “clean” the finds.

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What is archaeology and what do archaeologists do?

Archaeology always fascinated my kids but just for a moment. I could never pass on how fascinating the work could be. Worksheets didn’t help. Until….

We decided to have our own dig! Wow! It sounded exciting to the boys to dig in the dirt.

Lessons from our first dig

Prepare artifacts in Ancient History Homeschool Co-op.

First Layer: Minoan Mosaics; Second: Egyptian Clay Pots; Top Layer: Greek Plates

Dig Large Rectangle

Break and Layer Artifacts carefully with a layer of dirt between

Stakes every 12 feet around the hole. Tie strings to make a checkerboard. Number sections.

Wear loose modest comfortable clothing. Hyrdate, hydrate, hydrate. Snack table with fruit and granola bars.

Open in prayer.

Dig with small plastic beach toy shovels (gentle – won’t destroy artifact) and brushes. Shout and cheer whenever someone finds an artifact or piece of artifact.

Take a photo, measure depth, record all information, brush off dirt, another photo, clean artifact at Research tent.

Researchers keep log.

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In “Backyard Ancient Greek Olympics,” Episode, #193, Meredith Curtis invites you to have your own Ancient Greek Olympics in the backyard. Don’t worry! We’ll wear clothes and dedicate the games to Jesus instead of the idol/gods of Greece. We will of course update all the games to make them fun and easy for all athletic abilities. Are you ready for a fun way to explore Ancient Greek history? Let Meredith give you a blueprint to have your own Olympics and make memories at the same time.

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What is unique about the Ancient Greek city-states and their Olympic competition each year? Olympic Truce

Why these games will help build a love for history in your children and teens.

Ancient Olympic Games: Stade Foot Race, Diaulos Foot Race, Hippicus Foot Race, Chariot Race, Discus Throw, Jumping Event, Hoplite Races, Boxing, Wrestling, Javelin Throw, Pentathlon (Wrestling, Stade Foot Race, Long Jump, Javelin Throw, Discus Throw).

Itinerary:

Venue: Backyard, field, or park

Just family or friends, too

Each city-state team wears a different color (Athens, Sparta, Rhodes, Marathon, Crete, Smyrna, etc.)

Gather supplies and prepare what will happen when and where.

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In “Organize Your Home School,” Episode, #192, Meredith Curtis tackles organization. Don’t panic! It is possible to organize the year ahead, schedule, and the stuff you use to teach with – books, papers, assignments. Meredith even walks through setting up the homeschool room for easy storage and clean up each day after school. And how do you eat an elephant-or get organized? One step at a time. So let’s do this!

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No one ever warned me that homeschooling creates piles of papers, stacks of books, and a myriad of simple choices – like how many pages to read this week or where should I store my stuff or “Mom, what should I do today?”

So, let’s tackle organization step by step.

Organize the Homeschool Room

Start first or if not enough time, work on slowly thru year and move on to lesson planning & scheduling.

Storage, book shelves, school year book shelf, place for children to store all their stuff together

Stuff Use most, easiest to access and put away

Places for piles- shelf, children’s tote

Lesson Planning

Subjects, classes, books, projects

Mapping the Year/ Leave Catch Up Weeks

Handy-Dandy Folder Method

Scheduling

Family Calendar, Mom Schedule, Kid’s Schedules

Flexible Block Scheduling

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In “Throw a Luau to Learn about Hawaii,” Episode, #191, Meredith Curtis inspires you to plan and host a Luau to learn all about Hawaii the fun way. shares the educational benefits of hosting a luau with all the how-tos. Learn about venue, food, costumes, decorations, music, and party fun.  She shares funny and poignant memories of past luaus and how it impacted learning about our 50th state. Teach history and geography the fun way with a luau!

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Nothing is boring when you throw a party! How planning, hosting, and participating in history parties is educational as well as fun!

Near Water (pool, ocean, lake) good!

Decorations make it! Tropical flowers, shells, fishnets, surfboards

Play Hawaiian/Beach music in the background

Greet guests with leis

Encourage everyone to dress Hawaiian

Hawaiian Shirts, Mumus, Modest Bathing Suits with Grass Skirts

Leis, Flowered Wristlets & Anklets

Flowers in Hair

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In “Host Your Own Medieval Banquet for Middle Ages History Fun,” Episode, #190, Meredith Curtis inspires you to host a Medieval Banquet to culminate your Middle Ages History studies. She shares the educational benefits of hosting the feast, along with all the how-tos. Learn about venue, food, costumes, jousting with pool noodles, pageantry, and remembering the rank and file.  She shares funny and poignant memories of their Middle Ages Feast along with some of the bloopers like the roasted pig that looked like Alf. Teach history the fun way with a medieval banquet!

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Nothing is boring when you throw a party! How planning, hosting, and participating in history parties is educational as well as fun!

Choose a venue.

Herald announces. Priest in front. Process in by Rank.

Robin Hood, fairy tale prince & princesses, monks, peasants, executioner, hunchback

Let’s Have Our Own Medieval Banquet by Meredith Curtis & Laura Nolette

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In “Free Speech gave us the Constitution & Bill of Rights,” Episode, #189, Meredith Curtis introduces you to the men and women who fought just as hard after the American Revolution about the Constitution. Meet the Federalists: George Washington, James Madison, Alexander Hamilton, and John Jay. Meet the Anti-Federalists: Patrick Henry, Thomas Jefferson, Richard Henry Lee, John Randolph. The battle raged in newspapers and public squares across the country – free speech in action. What were the men so passionate about? Who won the battle? What did the losers do?

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When 13 little colonies won the Revolutionary War, the Great Experiment began. Was it working? Some thought the Articles of Confederation needed tweaking and others thought they needed overhauling.

A Constitutional Convention was called, but some refused to go.

Believed the Federal government was too weak and were concerned about the debt and possible invasions.

Believed a powerful federal government could become corrupt leading to tyranny.

They battled in the newspapers of America writing letters back and forth, for and against the Constitution.

Federalist letters were written to defend the new Constitution. Alexander Hamilton, John Jay, and James Madison wrote most of them. Now called Federalist Papers.

Anti-federalist letters were written to defend the Articles of Confederation. Thomas Jefferson, John Randolph, Richard Henry Lee, Patrick Henry, and Robert Yates were some of the Anti-Federalist writers.

Need for a federal government strong enough to pay off debt & protect the nation.

When a federal government has too much power it is out of touch, corrupt, and tyrannical.

Trying to rewrite the Articles of Confederation – a brand new Consitution was written by a group who argued and compromised and argued some more.

The Federalists won, but the Anti-Federalists didn’t give up. The Constitution divided power into three branches: executive, judicial, and legislative. Written in 1787, it was ratified in 1788 and became effective in 1789.

Ran for office. Added the Bill of Rights to the Constitution.

His first cabinet was polarized – federalist and antifederalist. President Washington’s Farewell Address (1797)urged Americans to trust in God, live moral lives, and avoid entanglement with other nations. He urged Americans to stay neutral. He also encouraged Americans to avoid sectionalism that would splinter Americans from one another.

When you lose, don’t take your marbles & go home. Adjust and continue to fight for what you believe in. In order to protect individual and states’ rights, the Bill of Rights, the first 10 Amendments, was added in 1789 and ratified in 1791.

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In this short little podcast “Geography Just Around the Corner,” Episode, #188, Meredith Curtis shows you how to take a walk around your neighborhood to notice all the geography there – landforms, flora, fauna, climate, and more. Children will open their eyes to new things and geography will become simple to understand.

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Whether you are teaching geography or not this year, whet your children’s appetite for geography by observing and exploring the geography all around you – right in your neighborhood!

What landforms are in your neighborhood?

Start with your backyard

Elevation

Photo Scavenger Hunt

Plants & Animals are everywhere! Don’t’ forget the birds!

Binoculars

Photo Scavenger Hunt

Keep a weather chart

Find patterns

Extreme Weather

How does it all fit together?

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Jr High US Geography

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In “Mapping God’s World the Fun Way,” Episode, #187, Meredith Curtis shares out-of-the-box creative ways to map God’s amazing world. From using large outline maps and cooking/coloring in to map contests and mapping on the bathroom wall, who says mapping can’t be fun? Get back to basic mapping the world and have a blast!

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God’s Word tells us that the earth belongs to Him and all the people who live in it (Psalm 24:1) and Jesus told us to make disciples of all nations starting right where we are and moving across the entire world (Matthew 28:19 and Acts 1:8). Best of all, He loves all the people in the entire world so much that He sent Jesus so anyone who believes in Him will have everlasting life! (John 3:16). That’s exciting!

As a homeschool mom, I want to teach my children about the world God made and loves. If God calls them to go to Calcutta to share the Gospel, I want them to know where it is!

Start with blank outline maps of the entire world. Give children crayons or let them dictate names of the continents and the oceans.

Puzzles

Here are some of the Basic Landforms Children Should be able to Map by the time they are starting high school:

Continue with Outline Maps – Filling in

Map Contests

Compare Political Maps from Different Time Periods – Overlay maps are great for this

Geography Cookbook & An Outline Map

Geographical Fiction

Seterra Online Quiz Game

Mapping the Bathroom Wall

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Jr High US Geography

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In “Math Success in High School,” Episode, #186, Meredith Curtis talks about that subject that many homeschool moms dread – MATH! High school success is easier than you think. You need confidence, a game plan, good study habits, and sometimes help from outside the home. You will be encouraged from this podcast and have a workable plan to move forward.

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If you don’t like Math, don’t tune me out.

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In “Travel to Learn US Geography,” Episode, #185, Meredith Curtis shares ways to teach US geography as if you were on a road trip through each US state and territory highlighting natural wonders, historic landmarks, and interesting people and places. Learn to use mapping, road mapping,  sightseeing, drone videos, cooking, baking, and research to discover our beautiful country. Grab your road map, pack your suitcase, and don’t forget your camera—we’ll see lots of beautiful places! Traveling, even from your family room, is a great way to learn geography the fun way!

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Hi! I love to travel. If only I could pack up the minivan and travel from state to state for a year or two.

US Geography course at True North Homeschool Academy

Use God Bless the USA Exploring States & Territories

God Bless the USA State Capitals & Abbreviations

Jr High US Geography

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