bible timeline

Timelines are straight lines, right? I have to admit, I am still figuring out the complexities of the Amazing Bible Timeline that TOS Crew members were asked to review. I find something new every time I look at and I suspect that won’t change in the near future. This is truly unlike any timeline I have ever seen and it takes a great deal of time just to begin to take it in. That is not a criticism, just an observation about how incredibly detailed it is.

This timeline has a unique layout that makes sense once you figure it out. (You must look at it online to understand what I am talking about. Trust me.) The coolest thing about the layout is that it correlates the Bible to what was happening elsewhere in the world, providing a grounding and historical placement for stories that can seem abstract in the study of history. The marketers of the timeline say it “gives a whole world view of God’s plan.” I can see that. :)

More information: The original chart was complied in 1931 and was updated in 1971 and 2000. This company sells both the version I received and an LDS version and it appears there may be some overlap. I am not going to dissect that issue here, but if it is an issue for you, you may want to read the authors’ take on the subject. As with everything else in our homeschool, I use what fits and I disregard what doesn’t. The timeline sells for $29.97 and on a practical note, this thing is huge, about 3’ x 4’. We have ours on the wall, but you should consider the size when purchasing. (But I imagine it’s hard to put the history of the world in a condensed format, so there you go.) The timeline includes some additional items available via download, including interactive maps of the Holy Land, a digital timeline and the genealogy of Jesus (very cool).

The best way to know if this works for your family is to go take a look. I think it’s an interesting addition to our world history study.

back from the woods

Our family served at Cub Scout camp this weekend. Spending the weekend at camp kind of gets me over the knowledge that winter follows fall. Kind of.

(Pardon the unmade bed.)

The trees were more beautiful than I have ever seen. 

I found this hot guy on the trail.

sue patrick’s workbox system

Unless you homeschool in a cave (do you homeschool in a cave?), you have probably heard of Sue Patrick’s Workbox System – a structured method for parceling out the school day in plastic shoeboxes. Actually, that’s just a small part of it, but it is at the core of the system. It’s as hot as Cabbage Patch Kids circa 1986, but with less dolls and more math and science.

Patrick asked the TOS Crew to review her e-book which details the process. I was skeptical because I thought the system was for young and/or special needs children, but it really has helped our school day run smoother. I can only speak to how this works in my situation – one child, who can work fairly independently – but the system was developed to help Patrick’s son who is on the autism spectrum. As such, it implements several techniques used in therapies for kids with autism spectrum disorders. However, those techniques can apply quite handily to other children as well.

Patrick is fairly adamant that her system of plastic shoeboxes on a rack works best. I don’t know many homeschoolers who use anything straight out of the box (no pun intended) without tweaking it to suit their family. We’re crazy rebels that way, you know. Obviously, the system Patrick details in her book works best for her family and many others who follow it precisely. We use our own method based on Patrick’s system which works beautifully for us. I encourage you to read the book and not just rely on the information available online – but after doing so, you may find that some elements of the system are adaptable depending upon your needs. Some elements (clocking in and out of the school day, for instance) have been entirely unnecessary for us. (Our homeschool is more home-like than school-like, but it works well for us.) But dividing the day into manageable chunks? For that, Patrick has my thanks. The system has given us more organization and has given my son personal satisfaction and encouragement.

This system can be used with any curriculum choice and any grade level. Patrick sells the book alone, supplies or complete starter kits. For details about the system, this presentation says it best – in Patrick’s own words. Sample pages are available here. The books itself is a quick read, but really does explain Patrick’s methods and the reasoning behind them. Patrick’s site also includes pictures that will give you a good idea of the physical structure she recommends. A terrific interview with Patrick is online at Love to Know.

If you choose to buy Patrick’s book and give the system a try, there are many online communities that offer “workboxing” suggestions, including units adapted to the system. If you need more organization in your school day, I encourage you to give it a try. As with most everything else in our homeschool, we have implemented the parts that work best for us and chosen not to use other elements, but I am pleased with the results.

If you’re curious, here’s a look at part of our workbox corner which sits atop a bookshelf. (We use a combination of plastic drawers and boxes to accommodate materials of various sizes. And we use Star Wars box numbers courtesy of the workboxes Yahoo group. Awesomeness.) My son brings completed materials to a plastic tub near my desk. He is free to work at a desk, on the floor, on the couch, at the computer, etc. It works for us. :)

vintage swap 2009

A package from sweet Anie:

Many thanks to Heather at Shivaya Naturals for hosting Vintage Swaps 2009.

And a sneak peek:

 

 

a little thing I call “the payoff”

sarah’s wish

 

If there’s a nicer person out there than Jim Baumgardner, please let me know. My son is reading Jim B.’s first book, Sarah’s Wish, and listening to the MP3 of the audio book as well. The book was written for Jim’s grandchildren, but has turned into an ongoing passion as well as a ministry. Jim looks like a Wild West movie grandpa. He is – but without the movie (so far). A fan of “High Noon” and Zane Grey novels, he lives near the old Chisholm Trail in Wichita, Kansas, and volunteers at the Old Cowtown Museum, playing the part of the town’s barber. Very cool.

But his book goes back a few generations – quite a few – to the days of his Great, Great Grandfather, a time when young people faced the trials of their time (a peck of troubles), including dangers unheard of today and challenges far beyond their years. Saving lives by moving “packages” along the Underground Railroad? Uh, huh.

The dialect in the book may be difficult for some young readers and I do believe it should be discussed with children in the context of the abhorrence of slavery, but Jim B. interweaves history lessons that should not be forgotten with a subtext of God’s hand in the lives of every child.

I get a good report from the boy on this one and he isn’t easy to please. This is the first in a series. So far, Jim has published three “Sarah” books, with a fourth coming soon. I believe we will be back for a second helping.

 

Sarah’s Wish includes a free download of the audio book.

If you homeschool, Mr. Baumgardner has a special site just for you. Also, he sent us a copy of Sarah’s Wish as part of the TOS Crew. If you want to order books at a discounted rate, just email him at JBaumgardner3@cox.net and ask. He will send you a special order form for TOS Crew readers. Enjoy!

big light

(Gary Fan 6/15/92 - 1 0/19/09. Photo “borrowed” from some kid on Facebook – sorry about that, but really, it’s a perfect photo. Taken on tacky day, hence the outfit, a few days before Gary’s accident.)

Southside High School (Greenville, SC) students, teachers and parents are mourning a wonderful young man. Please remember his family and friends in your prayers. Here’s a terrific story about the team of which Gary was, and my daughter is, a part.

(This story is no longer online but originally appeared at greenvilleonline.com.)

Southside High's forensic team uniquely unified

Published: Wednesday, August 26, 2009 - 2:00 am

By Katherine Dyer
City People Writer

Spend an hour with core members of the Southside High School Forensics team, and ready or not, aware of it or not, you'll inevitably encounter the source of the team's strength.

It's the reason behind the confidence they have as individuals and competitors, the reason they say other teams are drawn to them during down-time at tournaments, and the reason they endured weather “hot enough to boil Oodles of Noodles” in un-airconditioned Birmingham, Ala., classrooms for a weekend in June.

It's also the reason for their incessant, tag-team banter and how they know each others' favorite songs and whose dance moves would – could – should? – be retooled as torture techniques.

Simply stated, they're a family.

“I mean,” Andre Sullivan, a rising senior, tosses out slyly, “I think you can tell we all look alike.”

(They don't.)

Ultimately, though, this bond is also the reason for the large silver trophy sitting triumphantly on the focal fold-out table between them. (It should be noted here that the trophy was also safety-buckled in the front seat of Coach Erickson Bynum's car en route to the meeting.)

By no means the team's first honor, this National School of Excellence Award from the 2009 National Speech and Debate Tournament in Birmingham distinguishes Southside as one of only 25 of the 900 participating teams nationwide to demonstrate specific, high levels of performance at the competition.

It's no surprise. This year, the team also claimed the Overall State Championship award for the first time in five years, defeating schools from A-AAAA classifications, and was named the 2009 National Forensic League S.C. District Sweepstakes Champions at the district tournament for the second year in a row.

“This may honestly be the most talented group of people not only in the Southeast, but also across the nation,” admits 2009-grad Rickey Pulley of his teammates.

“We're kind of like the TV show ‘Diff'rent Strokes,” he offers. “We've got people from every different nationality, but we all found a common ground.”

That ground is speaking as a form of art.

And while they each have unique specialties, Coach Erickson Bynum, himself a Southside Forensics team alumnus, fosters the team's unique unity by encouraging the students to participate in events outside their realms of talent. He also provides them a high level of self-governance, which promotes mentoring amongst teammates.

“I love the fact that they're constantly trying to make themselves better,” Bynum says.

“I think that what makes our team so successful,” explains Blair Brewer, a rising sophomore specializing in public forum debate, “is the fact that we have different people from different backgrounds and different walks of life, and that Mr. Bynum is able to unite us all. It creates this sort of unity of ideas.”

“Other teams act as corporations,” reveals 2009-grad Jared Marr, “whereas with us, it's family and self-betterment first.”

“And if we win a trophy along the way,” he adds (they have a whole display case full), “that's great, that's wonderful. But the primary thing is to encourage each other, which usually results in us doing better anyway.”