Take a group photo – consider starting a homeschool year book. We make ours scrapbook style, but you could have yours printed and bound if you desire.

Back to School Survival Kit – Surprise your students with these fun back to school survival kits.

No Homework Coupons

Establishing a School Identity

Back to School Party

Annie’s Back to School Symbols Page – This page is useful for expanding the back to school theme – it covers briefly various topics including the pencil, glue, and 3R’s.

Summer Vacation Writing Project (also here)

Time Capsule Activity

Pass Out your Homeschool Rules. Make a list of rules that will guide your homeschool. There can be as many or as few as you like, but it will be easier for the children to remember if you keep them simple and limited. Here are some examples to help you forumulate your own Homeschool Rules

• Classroom Rules (near the bottom of the page)
• Rules (scroll to find)
• TRAIN (A few short rules under the title TRAIN)
• Classroom Rules (for public schools)
• Making Classroom Rules (lesson plan for older students)

Books:

• Summer Mystery by Meg Roop – This was a very cute story about a girl whose parents want to begin home schooling her. She spends the summer getting used to the idea, while solving a mystery with her friend.
• What Would Joey Do? by Jack Gantos
• Kandoo Kangaroo Hops Into Homeschool by Susan Ratner – When a young kangaroo asks a lot of questions, her parents know it’s time to homeschool. The little ‘roo thinks there’s too much to learn, but her doubt turns into delight when she uses her driveway for a blackboard and learns she “Kandoo” all things throught Christ who gives her strength.
• Ready, Set, Cooperate by Marlene Barron- This book includes activities that are great to help children learn to cooperate. Often times we preach to children to do this or that but this book offers practical things to do that are fun and non-academic. The activities cover social studies, art, music, and drama. The limitation of the book is that activities are for children up to age 7. Oh, be sure to check out the other title “Ready, Set, Count” which includes great activities to help your child learn math. Up to age 7 also although the activities in both books can be modified for older children.
• I Am a Home Schooler by Julie Voetberg – What’s it like to be a home schooler? Is it sometimes lonely to be the only child in your “classroom”? Do home schoolers learn as much as kids in regular school? This book answers those questions and others, as it follows nine-year-old Teigen on her home-schooling activities.
• Allison’s Story: A Book About Homeschooling (Meeting the Challenge) by Jon Lurie - “I learn from everything I do,” says eight-year-old Allison, who narrates this appealing photo-essay about her homeschool experiences.

Make a School ID Badge for your child. A suggested format is below. (No – this is not my child – it’s a purchased photo. ) – Related: Personal ID Badge

Julie Smith Grade 2 Acorn Academy (555) 555-1234

---

Bible

My son, hear the instruction of thy father, and forsake not the law of thy mother: (Proverbs 1:8)

Only take heed to thyself, and keep thy soul diligently, lest thou forget the things which thine eyes have seen, and lest they depart from thy heart all the days of thy life: but teach them thy sons, and thy sons’ sons; (Deuteronomy 4:9)

And, ye fathers, provoke not your children to wrath: but bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord. (Ephesians 6:4)

Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith. But after that faith is come, we are no longer under a schoolmaster. (Galatians 3:24,25)

And if it seem evil unto you to serve the LORD, choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD. (Joshua 24:15)

And that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. (2 Timothy 3:15)

Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth. (2 Timothy 2:15)

Back to School List: Essentials for This School Year

Supply List for Back to School

---

Why Do You Homeschool?

Have each child make a book titled Why I Don’t Go To School and/or you make a book titled Mommy, Why Don’t We Go To School? to read to your children when they ask that all important question. Make sure you add lots of artwork to your book, or if you are “artistic” add clipart to your books from the internet. Writing these books will give your family an opportunity to discuss your philosophy on education, homeschooling, and refresh why you chose to homeschool in the first place. This book will be very useful in times to come when burn-out rears it’s ugly head or frustration starts to set in. See below for bookmaking links:

• My Special Cloth Book
• Easy Bookmaking in the Classroom
• Clickbook (commercial software)
• Bookmaking Lesson Plans
• Hand Bookbinding: A Manual of Instruction by Aldren A. Watson
• Basic Bookbinding by Arthur William Lewis
• Cover To Cover: Creative Techniques For Making Beautiful Books, Journals & Albums by Shereen LaPlantz

These links will help you and your family develop a philosophy of education if you have not already.

Research links

• AtHomeSchool’s Philosophy of Education
• Why Homeschool? Why Not?
• Home2Teach (a short list is on the right side of the page)
• Ten Good Reasons To Homeschool

Back to School Graphics

• School Related Graphics
• Educational Clipart
• School Clipart
• Clipart & Pictures of School, College and University
• School Clipart
• Back To School Icons
• School Icons Club
• Pics4Learning
• Discovery School Clipart
• Original Clipart
• BryBack Manor’s Back To School Clipart
• Kids Domain School Clipart

---

Supplies

Divide a sheet of paper into 4 columns. Label the columns: Item – Estimated Cost – Actual Cost – Difference. Make a shopping list of the items needed for a fresh school year. (books, pencils, notebooks, papers, journals, bookbags, etc.) Have the children estimate (guess) the cost of each item on the sheet. When you have finished shopping, the child should write the actual cost of each item on the sheet and subtract it from the estimated cost – this total should go in the Difference column. Total up the columns, and you will see how close your estimate came to the actual cost. An example sheet is below.

Item	Estimated Cost	Actual Cost	Difference
pencils	$3.00	$.98	$2.02
paper notebooks	$1.00	$.12	$.88
ruler	$.25	$1.20	-$.95
Total	$4.25	$2.30	$1.95

Make a decorated notebook.

Crafts:

• Felt Bookmarks
• Homemade Stickers
• Make a personalized magnet (from felt or card stock) to hang special papers on the fridge.
• Parent’s Back to School Kit (printables)
• Printable Bookmarks (print on card stock and let the children color!)

Some of you may want to consider sending the children to a Not Back to School Camp

Back to School Shopping Math Problem

School Supplies Word Search

---

Organizing

Organizing the Home (for School)

Home’s Cool! Get Organized for Homeschool

Get Organized for Back to School – written for schooled families, there is still a lot of useful information for the homeschool family here.

Starting the Year off Right – Setting Up a School Area

Homeschool Furniture

Schedules and Planners

Setting Up a Schedule

Teaching Kids the Planner Habit – OrganizedHome.com

Back to School with Billy Bear – This page has to do lists, planners, and more for the child to print out and use.

Homeschool Study Plan – Homework is an important part of your learning. Planning ahead can make homework easier. Fill out the form below to help you plan your homework study time and space.

Portfolios & Record Keeping

Portfolio Printables

---

Books:

[amtap book:isbn=]

Beatrix Potter was born and raised in England, and the areas surrounding it. She led a sheltered childhood, which often lent itself to the exploration and study of nature. These passions stayed with her throughout her life, and helped her in her ambitions as an author, artist, scientist, and countrywoman. Explore the life and times of Beatrix Potter with this Unit Study Guide.

Objectives

At the completion of this unit the child will be able to:

1. Define characters, title, author, biography, plot, climax,
2. List some basic information about Beatrix Potter, such as where and when she was born, some of the Titles she wrote, etc.
3. Draw a map of their room, home, neighborhood, or city, depending on prior level of child.
4. Find England on a globe or map.
5. Describe the basic parts of a street map.
6. Recite basic facts about the child labor laws.

Vocabulary List

tale; tail; characters; plot; climax; title; author; biography

Introduction

1. Define biography. Have the child make a short biography about someone he or she knows. Older children can research an author who interests them and write a biography about them.
2. Discuss how the Gospels were a biography of Jesus, four books with four different viewpoints on the life of Jesus. Compare a passage that is found in all four.
   1. The Feeding of the Five Thousand (Matthew 14:3-2; Mark 6:30-44; Luke 9:10-17; John 6:1-14)

Her Childhood

1. Read the biography Beatrix Potter by Alexandra Wallner aloud. (Another good biography is The Country Artist by David R. Collins. You may want to have older children read this book silently, or read it aloud over a series of days.)
2. Finish the story problem:
   1. Beatrix Potter was born in England on July 28, 1866. She died on December 22, 1943. How old was Beatrix when she died? (You may want to adjust the problem to the level of your child.)
3. Born in South Kensington, Middlesex, England. Find England on a globe or European map.
4. She spent her childhood in No. 2 Bolton Gardens Square in London, England. Find this address on a map. Discuss the various parts of a street map.
5. Read Jeremiah 1:5 and Revelation 21:4.
6. Read excerpts from The Journal of Beatrix Potter 1881-1897 by Leslie Linder “”Some of Beatrix’s journal is exciting and interesting. Many times it is funny. Sometimes it shows her great imagination. Often, it is poignant a and rather sad. Reading between the lines, you can imagine a lonely life, the kind of life that encouraged Beatrix to develop her own imagination and learn to write children’s stories that have endured to this day.”" (Storey, “”The Secret Journal of Beatrix Potter”")
7. Read about Child Labor, which was prevalent during Beatrix’s childhood. Describe how her childhood was different from some of the less fortunate children of that time. (United States: Read about our child labor laws, which protect our children.)
8. Beatrix and her brother Bertram loved to collect animal specimens as children and study them. Her artwork is a reflection of this study. Have the child start a nature notebook, if they haven’t already, and in particular draw a still life of a live animal or insect. (This is a good project to do with a pet, or at the park, or even on a trip to the zoo.)
9. Mark 10:13-16 and Proverbs 20:11.

The Setting

1. She spent a lot of time in Cumbria and The Lake District. View some pictures of the places she may have seen.
2. See Beatrix Potter’s Cottage. (There are also some beautiful pictures of her home in the Introduction in the book The History of the Writings of Beatrix Potter by Leslie Linder.) “”At a time when many house museums have difficulty keeping their doors open, a small cottage in the English Lake District can barely manage to close its doors at all. Hill Top (Pl. VII), the two-hundred-acre farm where Beatrix Potter lived for the last thirty-eight years of her life, is so overwhelmed with visitors each summer that the National Trust, which has owned and operated the property since Potter’s death in 1943, has imposed a limit of eight hundred visitors a day to avoid overcrowding.”" (McCracken Peck, “”Beatrix Potter, Scientific Illustrator.”")
3. Beatrix Potter loved the Lake District so much that this poem, believed to be one of the last things written by her hand, was found in her papers at her death. Have the child read the poem, with good prose, and rewrite it their own hand, decorating the page with artwork as well. Younger children can simply illustrate.
4. On page xxiii of A History of the Writings of Beatrix Potter by Leslie Linder, there is a map of the village of Near Sawrey showing Hill Top and other places associated with Beatrix Potter’s books. Point out the various parts of the map, i.e. the compass, and have the children draw a map of a place familiar to them. Each map should have the appropriate parts, i.e. key, compass, mile indicators, etc.
   1. (grade K) Draw a map of your bedroom.
   2. (grades 1-3) Draw a map of your home.
   3. (grades 4-6) Draw a map of your neighborhood.
   4. (grades 7+) Draw a map of your city, or state.
5. Read about Creation, Genesis 1

The Scientist

1. In 1896 Beatrix Potter was working on the preparation of a paper ‘On the Germination of the Spores of Agaricineae,’ developing her own theories, which were well in advance of her time. The paper was read at a Meeting of the Linnean Society of London on April 1, 1987 (National Book League, 1966, p.11) (The Illustrators Project: Helen Beatrix Potter)
   1. “”SORRY, BEATRIX Agnes Sieger A century later, the Linnean Society of London has finally apologized to Beatrix Potter for scorning her paper on the germination of mushroom spores, which she tried to submit to the Society in 1897. Largely known today for her children’s stories, Beatrix Potter was also an enthusiastic and knowledgeable amateur mycologist. In another time, she would have been a respected scientist, but intellectual women of her day were considered dilettantes. Her watercolors of fungi had superb taxonomic detail, but were dismissed as too artistic to have scientific value. She was the first person in England to realize that lichens are symbiotic relationships between algae and fungi, but her idea was ridiculed by an esteemed botanist. Learning that mycologists didn’t know how to culture fungal spores, she studied spore growth through the microscope for long hours, and in April 1897 submitted a paper, “”The Germination of the Spore of Agaricineae,”" to the Linnean Society. According to John Marsden, present executive secretary of the Society, “”Her paper had to be refereed by two people, one of whom was Sir William Thistleton-Dyer. Although he apparently knew next to nothing about botany, he became the director of Kew Gardens, so was highly respected.”" He scorned her ideas and suggested she should go back to school before trying to teach experts. She withdrew the paper, and it was burned with other papers after her death in 1943. One-hundred years later, a booklet, Flora for Fauna, illustrated with her drawings is being published by the Linnean Society, and their Program of Events for April features a talk by Dr. Roy Watling, FLS, on “”Beatrix Potter as a Mycologist—The Period Before Peter Rabbit and Friends.”" (BULLETIN OF THE PUGET SOUND MYCOLOGICAL SOCIETY)
2. Look at some of the sketches she drew of mushrooms in her experience on pages 42 and 43 of The Magic Years of Beatrix Potter by Margaret Lane.

The Author

1. Discuss the parts of a story. i.e. characters, plot, climax.. etc
   1. Begin keeping a notebook on the characters in Beatrix Potter’s stories. (Pages should include characters names, descriptions, which book it was found in, and child’s notes/feelings about the character.)
2. Discuss the parts of a book. i.e. author, title, dedication, copyright
3. (grades 5+) What was the political climate when she wrote The Tale of Peter Rabbit? Do you think it influenced her writing? See timeline for general information. Have the child do some brief research and write a short essay.
4. The Tale of Peter Rabbit began as a letter to a little boy. Teach the parts of a friendly letter. Write a friendly letter to a relative and be sure to mail it!.
5. Jesus was the Master Storyteller (Luke 8:10) Read one of his parables:
   1. Mustard Seed: Mark 4:30-32
   2. Hidden Treasure: Matthew 13:44
   3. Good Samaritan: Luke 10:25-37
   4. Lost Sheep/Coin: Luke 15:4-10
   5. Payment of Workers: Matthew 20:1-16

The Artist

1. “”As a small child Beatrix discovered she could draw, and used her pencil and paintbox to help her cope with her extreme loneliness. By the time Beatrix was eight her parents recognized that her drawings demonstrated unusual talent and began to encourage her artistic talents. Her earliest drawings were of birds and animals copied from plates in books on natural history. The earliest of Potter’s drawings to have survived go back to the summer of 1875 when Beatrix was nine years old. When Beatrix was twelve, Miss Cameron was hired as her drawing teacher and remained for five years. While the pupil and teacher did not always get along, Beatrix credited Miss Cameron with teaching her freehand, model, perspective and a little water-color flower painting (Taylor, 1986, p.20). In late 1883, Beatrix took twelve expensive painting lessons with an unidentified ‘Mrs. A’ recommended to her parents by Lady Eastlake. The lessons were in oil and figure painting, and she disliked them for she said they were spoiling her for watercolors. Beatrix announced, “”I don’t want lessons, I want practice”" (Hobbs, 1989, p.9). By the end on 1884 the painting question was dropped. From this time on drawing was indulged and not always supervised. Beatrix once said, “”thank goodness my education was neglected and the originality was not rubbed off”" (Hobbs, 1989, p. 8). “” (The Illustrators Project: Helen Beatrix Potter)
2. Do some watercolor paintings of plants, animals, etc.
3. Research the painting the Last Supper. Read passages on the actual last supper:
   1. Matthew 26: 26-29
   2. Mark 4:22-25
   3. Luke: 22:15-20

Countrywoman

1. In 1913 she married William Heelis, stopped writing, and spent the rest of her life raising Herdwick sheep. Read about Herdwick Sheep here. You can see another picture here.
   1. “”They built up a celebrated flock of Herdwick sheep, a breed of small hardy sheep with course dark wool which is indiginous to the Lake District. Even in the 1920’s they were a breed under threat as more and more farmers bred other breads of sheep with softer fleeces and more productive lambs.”" (Troutbeck Park Farm)
   2. “”Herdwick sheep yield one of the tenderest, leanest and most distinctively flavoured meats. A free life on the high Lakeland fells and a diet of ling, heather and blaeberry gives Herdwick a taste said to be much different from generic lamb.”" (Herdwick & Lakeland Lamb)
   3. Do the worksheet Can You Count 10 Sheep? and color.
   4. Read Revelation 5:12-14. Have the children illustrate the passage.
      1. And they sang in a mighty chorus: “”The Lamb is worthy – the Lamb who was killed. He is worthy to receive power and riches and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and blessing.”" And then I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and in the sea. They also sang: “”Blessing and honor and glory and power belong to the one sitting on the throne and to the Lamb forever and ever.”" And the four living beings said, “”Amen!”" And the twenty-four elders fell down and worshiped God and the Lamb.
      2. Ask the children if they know who the Lamb is. [Jesus] If they are confused, research the topic with the study helps on Bible Study Tools.

The Stories

1. The Tale of Peter Rabbit
   1. Read The Tale of Peter Rabbit by Beatrix Potter.
   2. Read What Time Is It Peter Rabbit? by Beatrix Potter.
   3. Began as a letter to Noel Moore on September 4, 1893. It was first published by Beatrix Potter in 1902.
2. The Tale of Benjamin Bunny
   1. Retell the story in your own words and illustrate.
3. The Tale of Jemima Puddle-duck
   1. Look at a map of areas associated with Beatrix Potter’s stories.
4. The Tale of Mrs. Tiggy-Winkle
   1. Each child chooses to plant one type of vegetable, such as carrot, radish, cucumber, tomato or bean. Keep a journal stating what happens to your plant each day.
5. The Tale of Squirrel Nutkin
6. The Tailor of Gloucester
7. The Fierce Bad Rabbit
8. The Tale of Tom Kitten
   1. Watch the clip The Tale of Jemima Puddle-Duck and Tom Kitten.
9. Visit The World of Peter Rabbit for more activities.
10. Read Revelation 1:3

Where Does God fit in?

1. Very little is said of Beatrix Potter’s religious beliefs. While we do not know for certain her place with God, a quote by Beatrix Potter herself seems to sum up her attitude toward God and religion “”All outward forms of religion are almost useless, and are the causes of endless strife. . . . Believe there is a great power silently working all things for good, behave yourself and never mind the rest.“”
   1. Research what the Bible has to say about “”outward forms of religion”", i.e. the church, pagan religions, etc. (A good Topical reference is necessary for this, or you can visit the website Bible Study Tools.)
   2. Characteristics of a worthwhile religion: James 1:26-27
   3. Revelation 2-3 speaks of the conditions of different types of churches. Although they actually existed, these seven are believed to be representations of church conditions throughout the ages, partly due to the fact they were singled out from many churches of their time.

Culmination and Field Trip Ideas

1. Character Day!
   1. Have child choose a character, and dress up as that character.
      1. Make “”ear headbands”"
      2. Face Painting: paint a pink nose and some whiskers, or other distinguishing features
   2. Make a carrot cake.
   3. Read our Bunny Stories aloud.
2. The World of Beatrix Potter Attraction is situated in Bowness-on-Windermere, in the heart of the Lake District in England. For more information ring or fax (015394) 88444
3. Get a small notebook for each child and go to a place where you are fairly sure you will see some wildlife. A quiet park or a clearing in a wood is ideal. Let them draw the nature around them. You may also want to let them experiment with watercolor paints, sketches, etc.
4. Find a park or beach that needs cleaned up. Clean up the area, separating the aluminum cans from the rest of the trash. Take the cans to a recycling center and donate the monies earned to Beatrix Potter’s favorite charity: The National Trust.

---

“Thank goodness I was never sent to school; it would have rubbed off some of the originality.” Quote by Beatrix Potter

---

Books

• Beatrix Potter by Alexandra Wallner
• The Country Artist: A Story About Beatrix Potter by David Collins
• Peter Rabbit’s Big Book of Fun Water-Painting, Puzzles, Games, Recipes (World of Peter Rabbit and Friends) by Beatrix Potter, Elizabeth Law
• Beatrix Potter The Complete Tales The 23 Original Peter Rabbit Books & 4 Unpublished Works by Beatrix Potter
• Peter Rabbit’s Natural Foods Cookbook by Arnold Dobrin
• Beatrix Potter What Time Is It Peter Rabbit? by Beatrix Potter
• The Journal of Beatrix Potter by Leslie Linder
• A History of The Writings of Beatrix Potter by Leslie Linder
• The Story of Child Labor Laws by Conrad Stein
• The Gate in The Wall by Ellen Howard
• What Makes a Leonardo a Leonardo? by Richard Muhlberger

---

Magazine Articles

• Storey, Betsy. “”The secret journal of Beatrix Potter.”" Hopscotch (Bluffton News Publishing & Printing Company), April-May 1998, 20.
• Golden, Catherine, Pam Golden, and Rita Speroni. “”Following in Beatrix Potter’s footsteps.”" School Arts, April, 1996, 24. McCracken
• Peck, Robert. “”Beatrix Potter, Scientific Illustrator.”" The Magazine Antiques, June 1996, 868.

---

A clean, neat home is a pleasant place to live. Keeping a home safe, clean and in good shape is the responsibility of the entire family.

Objectives:

At the completion of this unit the child will be able to:

1. Identify why keeping your environment tidy and clean is important.
2. Describe the process of decluttering.
3. Describe measures that can be used to prevent clutter from accumulating.
4. Demonstrate cooperation in completing an assigned task.
5. Classify chores according to daily, weekly, monthly, or yearly.
6. Complete assigned chores without assistance.
7. Help in establishing the division of housework among family members.

Read the rest of this entry »