Masada - Curriculum Giveaway

 

When 18-year-old Daniel is abducted by Sicarii assassins and taken to their walled fortress of Masada, he's forced to let go of the Jewish Law he's learned from his parents and adopt his kidnappers' code of violence and thievery to stay alive.

Wracked with guilt but determined to survive, Daniel becomes part of the Sicarii culture, even marrying one of their soldier's sisters. Between violent raids against neighboring settlements to prevent starvation and other challenges to his beliefs, Daniel is faced with choice after choice that tests his character, strength, and resolve and pushes him to discover the kind of man he wants to be.

Set against the backdrop of the last confrontation between the Jews and Romans during the Second Temple period, author Shimon Avish weaves together history and his real-life experiences in the army and as a kibbutznik, bringing to life a painful chapter in Jewish history through the eyes of young Daniel.

About the Author

My name is Shimon Avish (She-mone Ah-veesh), and I write novels about significant events in Jewish history. I plan to write a series of five novels on significant events in ancient Jewish history. The first novel is Masada: Thou Shalt Not Kill.

Forthcoming Books in the Significant Events in Ancient Jewish History Series:

Rome and the Jews: Prelude to War (First Jewish–Roman War – 6 BCE–70 CE)

Jerusalem: Siege and Destruction (First Jewish–Roman War – 70 CE)

Masada: Thou Shalt Not Kill (Siege of Masada – 66-73 CE)

The Second Jewish Rebellion Against Rome (Kitos War – 115–117 CE)

The Third Jewish Rebellion Against Rome (Bar Kokhba Revolt – 132–135 CE)

Enter Our Curriculum Giveaway!

Shimon Avish has partnered with My Happy Homeschool to giveaway their products for you to try! Visit My Happy Homeschool to email your name, mailing address, email address, and phone number. Email your entry by August 1, 2022 for a chance to win the Masada: Thou Shalt Not Kill novel.

Visit www.ShimonAvish to learn more about the Masada: Thou Shalt Not Kill novel by Shimon Avish.

Career Exploration: Being a Librarian

 

Choosing a career path can be extremely intimidating to a young person. In this Career Exploration series, I interview many different fields of study to help students explore the possibilities as they pursue a career path.

Meet Amanda Rodrigues, Director of the Lumberton Public Library located in Lumberton, Texas.

Why did you choose this career path?

I chose to be a librarian because I strongly believe in the power of books and self-education and enrichment. Books can expand minds, ideologies, and imaginations!

What kind of education, training, or background does your job require?

A librarian often wears many hats that expand beyond books. Librarians are managers, accountants, teachers, etc. Because of this, there are many different education and training paths librarians may take. Mostly, librarians obtain a Master’s Degree in Librarian Science, and are also required to have 10 hours of continuing education annually. I have a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration and Management and a Master’s Degree in Public Administration.

What skills, abilities, and personal attributes are essential to success in this field?

Librarians must be analytical and pay special attention to details, work well with all demographics and socio-economic backgrounds, and have an open-mind to embrace all ideologies, regardless if they personally align with your own!

What does a typical work day look like for you?

A typical work day will include managing budgets and employees, ordering books, keeping up with federal and state policies, notarizing documents, processing U.S. passports, and helping patrons with everything from government benefit signups, to tax forms, to voter’s registration.

What do you like most about your work?

I enjoy the changing dynamics and constant variety of duties and people we interact with on a daily basis.

What do you like least about your work?

Sometimes working with the public can be challenging!

What advice would you give someone who is considering a career in your field?

Despite some thinking that the technological world will be the library’s demise, I believe libraries will always be the backbone of communities. Modern libraries are not just about books anymore, and offer endless services to the public, often times for free! If you think becoming a librarian will ensure a career of quiet, uneventful days – think again – it is much more rewarding and adventurous than anyone can imagine!

Happy Homeschooling

Understanding Fractions, Percent, and Decimals - Crew Review

 

Disclaimer: I received this complimentary product through the Homeschool Review Crew.

The Critical Thinking Company provides award-winning products that help students of all abilities achieve better academic results with highly effective lessons that sharpen the mind as they teach standards-based reading, writing, mathematics, science, and social studies.  The Critical Thinking Company is committed to developing students’ critical thinking skills for better grades, higher test scores, and success in life. They do not teach through drill and memorization or teach to the test, they empower the mind.

Understanding Fractions, Percent, and Decimals for Grades 4-6 builds on the lessons learned in Understanding Fractions for Grades 2-4. Students learn multiplication and division of fractions and how to convert fractions to percent and decimals. The book includes cut-out fraction bars and grids to provide hands-on understanding. Students problem-solve their way through fun, structured lessons to develop a thorough mastery of computational skills. They learn how fractions and percent are related, including the meaning and use of percent as well as computing them. The book includes lessons and exercises to develop a solid understanding of how fractions are expressed using the decimal system.

In using this curriculum, it is important that the students attempt the initial three pages without parent help. If they struggle with a few problems, it is recommended that the student review the first book in this series, Understanding Fractions. Throughout the book, as new topics are introduced, both student and teacher read over the pages while using the provided cut-out fraction bars and grids. As students complete worksheets, ask them to explain their reasoning on a few problems as this will deepen their understand and enhance their ability to mentally manipulate fractions. What I like most about this curriculum is that most activities in this book end with a starred problem which provides a higher-level learning option for those up to a challenge.

The Critical Thinking Company put critical thinking into math lessons for students to carefully analyze what they are learning. Deeper analysis produces deeper understanding, which results in better grades and higher test scores. Over time, students who practice critical thinking learn to apply it throughout their education and lives.

Visit the Crew Blog to read more reviews from the Homeschool Review Crew.

Summer Reading Programs

 

Summer Reading Programs are a great way to keep your child learning, and not experience what’s known as summer slide or summer learning loss, where they forget what they learned. So I’ve compiled a list of Summer Reading Programs for your child this summer; and they are all free with great rewards!

ABC Mouse and Adventure Academy both offer your first month free. ABC Mouse encourages children to complete learning activities by rewarding them with tickets. Tickets can be used to purchase virtual items on the site. The rewards system makes learning a game, and also teaches important math skills as children keep track of tickets earned and spent.

Barefoot Books Global Summer Adventures Club offers fun activities this summer. Members have access to exclusive downloads: Official Club Membership Card, Travel Checklist (your guide for each destination), World Map (color it in and see where in the world you’re traveling), Reading Log (keep track of books you’ve read from each part of the world), and Activity Instructions (step-by-step instructions for activities from around the globe). Members also have access to activity videos, led by Michele Lepe, former host of the kids’ TV show, The Goodnight Show. Gather your materials ahead of time and then follow along!

Barnes & Noble Summer Reading Program is a fun and easy way for kids to earn free books. They simply read a designated number of books – library books, books borrowed from friends or books bought at Barnes & Noble – write about their favorite part in the Reading Journal, and bring a completed Reading Journal to a Barnes & Noble bookstore. Children then chose their free book from the books listed on the Reading Journal and collect their free book from a store near them during July and August.

Chuck E. Cheese Reading Rewards offers reading rewards for kids who keep their bookworm skills strong through the summer. The more they read, the more rewards they can earn. Download and print out Chuck E.’s Rewards certificates, then bring them to Chuck E. Cheese’s for 10 free points to use on games, pizza, and more!

H-E-Buddy Summer Reading Club is intended solely for children who are residents of Texas. All you have to do is read ten books and record them on your reading log from the form linked on website. One of the books must be a Read 3 Book (see choices on website). Each time you log a book, have an adult initial by the title so you get credit for reading. Once the log is complete, mail the form to the address on website, and you’ll be rewarded with a special prize. You have until October 1 to get in ten good reads.

Pizza Hut Camp BOOK IT! Program rewards reading accomplishments with praise, recognition, and pizza! All parents with students PreK through 6th grade (ages 4-12) can enroll in Camp BOOK IT!, a reading program created to stop the summer slide. In June, July, and August, parents can use the digital tools to track and reward their kids reading with a free one-topping Personal Pan Pizza.

Scholastic Summer Reading Program offers kids an exciting, free, and safe summer reading experience, while helping to provide books to kids with limited or no access over the summer, keeping every child reading. From May 9 through August 19, kids can visit the summer zone in Scholastic Home Base, a completely free digital destination which offers stories, characters, games, and a community of readers. Home Base is moderated for safety 24/7.

Your Local Public Library offers a fun-filled and exciting Summer Reading Program each year! Children can read books to earn reading certificates, custom-designed t-shirts, and any number of other prizes donated by generous local businesses.

Happy Homeschooling!

Homeschool Life Magazine Summer 2022 Publication

 

The Homeschool Life Magazine is an online publication to empower, enrich, and encourage homeschool families. Each publication will empower readers with homeschool help articles from preschool through high school, enrich readers with curriculum giveaways, and encourage readers using biblical truths to live out God's calling and stay the course. Homeschooling is more than an academic alternative - it's a way of life!

Inside the Summer 2022 Publication:

• Literature-Based Homeschooling
• Career Exploration: Being a Librarian
• Summer Reading Programs
• Raising Readers
• Masada
• Animal Farm
• Learn to Read
• Reading Comprehension Strategies
• Complete Literature-Based Curriculum
• Learning Begins at Birth
• Content in God
• Homeschooling Across America

Happy Homeschooling!