This is just a quick list of some recently discovered resources:
WRITING
8 100-Year-Old Tips for Writing About Controversial Topics is a short list of quotes by G. K. Chesterton with a lesson summary of what to take from his words, as interpreted by the article’s author, Brad Shorr. The list is simple, but poignant, and still relevant to today’s writers, especially in an age where blogs and social media networks provide the greatest forums for discussing controversial topics. The tips are (see article for original quotes):
1. Humor
2. Penetrating Insight
3. Reframing the Issue
4. Uplifting Point of View
5. Finding the Center
6. Putting Opponents in a Positive Light
7. Identifying Yourself with Your Opponents
8. Focusing on the Big Picture
BusyTeacher.org’s How to Teach Writing: 7 Steps for Elaboration is a succinct list of methods to help you or your children increase their descriptive narratives in creative writing.
SCIENCE
On the Seattle Homeschooling Group Facebook page, a discussion came up about Biology resources online. Included in the discussion were the two following links:
Biology Corner, which offers worksheets, online labs, and even course materials for various levels of Biology.
ASU School of Life Sciences’ “Ask a Biologist” offers free printable biology coloring pages good for elementary and middle school students (some are more detailed and intricate than others), which can pair well with any of the lower-level course materials from Biology Corner.
I’m still on the hunt for comparable sites to assist my daughter in exploring Chemistry, which is her preferred form of science at present, though she’s already discovered that to go very far in the subject (beyond atoms, molecules, and the table of elements), she needs to improve her understanding of higher levels of math than she’s yet achieved. My math-obsessed partner has taken over much of that portion of her education to help give her a boost, and we’re moving her into Algebra now.
EVERYTHING ELSE
I stumbled across Storm the Castle a couple of months ago, set it aside, and hadn’t spent much time looking through it precisely because it offered so much! From tutorials on bee-keeping to sword-making to classic guitar to yes, even writing help, it boasts a wealth of eclectic interests and the means to put one’s creative ideas into practice.
You can find these and other great resources at the Willow & Birch Pinterest page and my Homeschooling tag on Delicious, links to both available always on the right hand sidebar.
Willow and Birch 