Albert Einstein

 Albert Einstein was not only one of the most influential scientists ever to have lived, but also a fascinating individual.  In my experience, young people are eager to learn more about Einstein.  When I asked a Year 9 student what she would like to research (with no limitations), she said that she would like to learn more about Einstein.

A research project on Einstein is a great cross-curricular project.  It develops research and organizational skills, can be used to teach English and essay writing abilities, is obviously applicable to science, and can also be tied in to religious studies and history.  I also required students to give a presentation on their research to develop public speaking skills.

Here is my research assignment on Albert Einstein (could be used for middle and/or high school students): Albert Einstein Research Assignment.

To make expectations clear to the students and grading easier for the parents/teachers, here's a Grade Sheet for the Albert Einstein Research Assignment.

Free Homeschooling Resources

I can not tell you how many times I have found teaching resources on the internet only to discover that you have to pay to use them.  In some cases you have to pay to even join the site or view the resources, so you're not even sure how useful they're going to be.

The good news is that there are lots of good free homeschooling resources on the internet.

If you homeschool, here's a writer who might be of interest to you.  A. Hermitt is a freelance writer who homeschools her kids.  She's written a lot of articles on Associated Content about homeschooling.  I think that her articles about homeschooling high schoolers are the most useful, but she has articles about teaching different age groups from kindergarten to college admission.

To view Hermitt's articles, click here.

Reasons for Homeschooling

I would really be interested to find out why all of you have made the decision to homeschool.  Please comment and share your story.

Gardening For Science

Gardening can be a great tool for homeschoolers.  Increasing amounts of schools are including gardening projects, and families can enjoy gardening together (and learn while they're doing it). 

Gardening is beneficial in a lot of ways, but is especially good for teaching science.  It can be used for students of any age and level and adapted to their needs.  It's a great way to include hands-on and outdoor elements to lessons.

Here's a handout I created for a gardening project that I did with a homeschooled Year 9 student.  Click here for the assignment.

Here's another cool site about science and gardening.