Monday 26 May 2014

Folk Tales - The Little Red Hen {Poppins Book Nook}

This months theme for the Poppins Book Nook is Folk Tales.  My first thought was what is a folk tale ? It took a little bit of searching but I finally discovered the answer.  I really liked the definition over at wiseGEEK: "A folktale is a type of traditional story that tries to explain something, or which is meant to help people behave well in the world. Such stories usually are fiction-based with magical or supernatural elements, and they often are woven around talking animals, royalty, peasants or mythical creatures. Initially passed down through oral tradition, they were a major means of educating and entertaining prior to the development of printed materials and modern technologies, and they remain instrumental in preserving aspects of the culture in which they develop."

I also discovered a wonderful folk tale resource called World of Tales which shares a multitude of tales but my favorite page is all the Folktales arranged by country.


 With this in mind I went looking for some books and settled on The Little Red Hen.

From the Library
We took out a variety of versions to read and enjoy.
 On the www

On YouTube we found
History of Bread
  • Part 1 The process of baking Wonder Bread.
  • Part 2 This episode shows from farm and gives a detailed break down of wheat. Milling wheat etc.
  • Part 3 Baking Traditions and unique breads. Famous San Fransico sour dough is from 1846!
  • Part 4 Corn the specialty bread. Wafer bread making.
  • Part 5 Flat and unleavened bread. Pita bread. Kosher breads. Jewish Breads.
  • Part 6 Bread in space, tortilla breads. Bagel. 
Bread on YouTube



Your Poppins Book Nook Co-hosts

Enchanted Homeschooling Mom ~ 3 Dinosaurs ~ To the Moon and Back ~ Planet Smarty Pants ~ Farm Fresh Adventures ~ Growing in God's Grace ~ Chestnut Grove AcademyLearning and Growing the Piwi Way ~ The Usual Mayhem~ Preschool Powol Packets ~ Monsters Ed Homeschool Academy ~ Adventures in Mommydom ~ Teach Beside Me ~ Life with Moore Babies ~ Kathy's Cluttered Mind ~ Are We There Yet? ~ Our Crafts N Things ~ Hopkins Homeschool ~ ABC Creative Learning ~ Joy Focused Learning ~ P is for Preschooler ~ Laugh and Learn ~ A Mommy's Adventures ~ Inspiring 2 New Hampshire Children ~ World for LearningEver After in the Woods ~ Golden Grasses ~ Our Simple Kinda Life ~ A glimpse of our life ~ Journey to Excellence ~ Happy Little Homemaker ~ Little Homeschool Blessings ~ Simplicity Breeds Happiness ~ Raventhreads ~ Water on the Floor ~ Learning Fundamentals ~ Tots and Me ~ As We Walk Along The Road ~ Stir the Wonder ~ For This Season ~ Where Imagination Grows ~ Lextin Academy ~ The Canadian Homeschooler ~ School Time Snippets ~ Peakle Pie ~ Mom's Heart ~ A Moment in our WorldFinchnwren ~ At Home Where Life Happens ~ Suncoast Momma ~ The Library Adventure ~ Embracing Destiny ~ Day by Day in our World ~ Our Homeschool Studio ~ A "Peace" of Mind ~ Thou Shall Not Whine ~ SAHM I am ~ eLeMeNo-P Kids ~ Simple Living Mama

Poppins Book Nook Clip Art by Melon Headz

Connect with the Poppins Book Nook at
  1. Enchanted Homeschooling
  2. Facebook
  3. Pinterest


Saturday 24 May 2014

A Photographic Week with the Masters {HSMJ}

In my life this week…

I have started back into my photography class.  This weeks assignment is hard I have to work on spot metering ... Any tips would be greatly appreciated.

I feel so very blessed too.  On Tuesday evening I had the opportunity to join a Canon Masters Workshop here in Melbourne courtesy of the Canon Collective.  Be sure to sign up if there is a Collective near you as they arrange many opportunities throughout the year to learn more about different types of photography.  In June they are playing with science in Melbourne.  

There were two classes held. We explored wedding photography without the use of flash or touching up in any way.


The first session was hosted by Canon Master Yervant. You can view more photo's from this session on my Facebook.


The second session was hosted by Canon Master Jonas Peterson. You can view more photo's from this session on my Facebook.

In our home school this week…
  • Sir N has been really sick this week.  As a result we have done very little written work but still learned a lot.
  • We are loving Veritas History.  Some days we watch two or three classes.
  • We attempted to draw a kitten.
Helpful homeschooling tips or advice to share…
Places we’re going and people we’re seeing…
 My favourite thing this week was…
Things I’m working on…
  • We continued with our Graham Braddock DVD art class and this week attempted to draw a kitten.
In Bloggy world I’m reading…
On Pinterest I found...
I’m grateful for…
A photo, video, link, or quote to share…
Met a new member of the Werribee Open Range Zoo today.  Her name is Kulinda.


Blessings

Chareen

Homegrown Learners

Photo collages made with: Photoscape a FREE photo editor

Friday 23 May 2014

Victorian Police Museum {Field Trip}

When I first started blogging one of my goals was to record our trips.  I have been looking over my blog and realised that it's been a long time since I have done this.  I have decided to join in on Field Trip Friday and start recording our trips again.

This past Monday we took a field trip into Melbourne to the Victorian Police Museum. They are open Monday to Friday and entry is via gold coin donation. The Museum is located on the Mezzanine Level of the World Trade Centre.

You are allowed to take photographs inside this museum as long as it's without a flash.
 
The sky was a beautiful deep autumn blue, it was wonderfully warm and we got to see a lot of the old architecture in the city. My Mom joined us for the trip.

They had two of the armour shields the Ned Kelly gang used on display.  The piece of metal that Sir N is touching is an example of mould board.  This piece weights nine kilograms.  The armour Ned Kelly wore weighed a total of 45 kg.

Women in the Victoria Police
Top L - Hat with badge for women Bottom
Left Madge O'Conner one of the first police women.
Right Christine Nixon First Police
  • About the hat and badge: "When Alma Aldersea joined the Police Force in March 1945 women were issued special 'PW' badge numbers rather than the unique individual numbers given to male officers. These numbers could be re-issued to other females when the original owner left the Force as was routinely expected. Alma's badge, PW9, can be seen on this cap. After Alma married and resigned her badge was issued to three more policewomen - the last in 1975." Interestingly if a woman got married she had to resign from the police Force.
  • Madge O'Conner joined the Victoria Police as an agent in 1917 and became a fully sworn in police officer in 1924. It took her seven years.
  • Christine Nixon became the first woman to be appointed as the Chief Commissioner in Victoria.
  • Women had been in the police force since 1917 but it was only in 19743 that the first one was promoted one rank.
Each of the glass cases contain different uniforms and interesting documentation and information about the Police Force over the decades.

 Here Sir N takes a look at 'ERIC'.  He was built in 1989 and became the first bomb disposal robot used by the Victorian Police.  He spent 18 years serving the force and went into honourable retirement in 2007.


In the rear of the museum there is an area dedicated to the history of fighting crime in Australia.
  • The first detectives were introduced into the police force in 1844. They wore plain clothes, and operated independently of any uniformed police.
  • Detectives were issued an identification medallion on a  fob-chain.
  • In 1925 three detectives were charged and found guilty of asking for money in exchange for protection.  The presiding judge in handing down his verdict expressed great shock that "a guilty person can buy the silence of the guardians of the law."
  • From the Victorian Police Manual: "A good detective should know the suspects in particular classes of crime, their haunts and associates, especially their intimate male and female associates."
  • "Science is the most efficient and most effective member of the Victorian Police Force ... the one unimpeachable witness." - John Morris, The Argus Weekend Magazine 11 May 1940
  • The Australian Police were slow to adopt forensic investigation. It was pioneered by individual detectives.  Today it is standard practice.
  • You can read all about DNA proofing, fingerprinting, ballistics, etc along the walls.
  • The identification kit called Photo-FIT was developed by Jacques Penry.

Last but not least we were able to try on a police uniform.


It was a lovely day out building memories and exploring together.  I hope to revisit this museum with Sir N when he is in high school so that he can better enjoy all the displays and reading all the interesting historical information.

Blessings
Chareen



Thursday 22 May 2014

Kitten Still Life {Virtual Fridge}

This Week
Last week I shared our teddy bear still life drawing.  This week we continued working our way through a Graham Braddock DVD art class.  This picture took us just over two hours to complete.  I am really pleased with the outcome. I think we may try this one again using the outline that is available for download.  The next class is drawing a face.  You can also purchase these as a download or as a DVD set of four DVD's over at Graham Braddock.

 Here is Sir N's drawing.  This weeks lesson was a little harder than last weeks.


There are five of us working through the dvd together.  Top row is mine and Sir N's.  Bottom is Mr E who is 8, Miss L who is 9 and Mrs T's drawing.

Featured This Week
Nikki over at Angels of Heart shares a tutorial on how they created some Sunshine Art.



Your Turn

I invite you to take some photo's of your children's artistic pursuits put them in a post and link up with me I would love to come over and see the wonderful art your children have enjoyed doing.
Virtual Fridge Link Up

Blessings
Chareen


The Virtual Fridge a weekly art meme where we can hang our children's art on a virtual fridge. This meme was started by Jennifer over at A Glimpse of our Life who kindly invited three other bloggers to co-host this weekly meme.

Your hosts are




Tuesday 20 May 2014

Joy of Zentangle {Tuesday's Treasures}


  • Format: Paper back
  • Number of Pages: 144
  • Publisher: 
  • ISBN 10: 1574214276
  • ISBN 13: 9781574214277
  • Author  Suzanne McNeill, Sandy Steen Bartholomew
  • Illustrator
  • Available from The Book Depository , Kindle, Amazon
Two weeks ago on the Virtual Fridge I shared that we had begun drawing tangles.  I also shared that we had found some FREE online resources.

I continued looking for a book and discovered The Joy of Zentangle.  In this book you will find out what Zentangle is and what it is not, some of the uses,  basics, resources followed by step by step instructions on how to draw 101 tangles. 

If you or anyone you know is keen to learn how to tangle this is an excellent beginners resource.

Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication
 - Leonardo da Vinci -

Blessings
Chareen
*********************************************************************** 


Welcome to Tuesdays Treasures. I started these posts as a way of sharing great books in honour of my friend in New Zealand who would arrive with the treasures she had unearthed at her weekly trip to the library!

There are so many wonderful books and Resources out there out there hiding on shelves and somewhere on the internet.

I invite you to blog about

  • a book on your shelf, one you're reading or one you found at the library,
  •  a great homeschool item you have found and
  •  any new resources you are enjoying. 
Grab the button for your post and add a link to your post below. I would love to read about your treasures. 
Every bed of Roses

Please Grab the button add it to your post
Add your link below


Sunday 18 May 2014

The 100th Edition {HSMJ}

In my life this week…
Wow I can't believe that I have been writing these for a while now.  This is my 100th edition of the HSMJ (Home School Mother's Journal)


I wrote my very first Home School Mother's Journal on the 18 November 2011. Way back then it was hosted by The Homeschool Chick. She sells Homeschool Mother's clothing etc. One day I would really really love to own a I Homeschool! What's your Superpower t-shirt.

From there it was then hosted over at iHomeschool Network.  Last year it moved to So You Call Yourself a Homeschooler and has since been renamed Managing Your Blessings. If you're a homeschool blogger and do a weekly diary I encourage you to link up and share your journey.

I discovered that my most viewed edition was titled HSMJ Being sick is no fun ...  followed closely by HSMJ - Having to Eat My Words.

It's been fun looking over my journey and seeing the things that Sir N and I get up to each week.

In our home school this week…


Helpful homeschooling tips or advice to share…
Places we’re going and people we’re seeing…
  • It's been a quiet week we have stayed home much of the time.
My favourite thing this week was…
  • Was watching Sir N discover the pleasures of accomplishing his first loom band bracelet.
Things I’m working on…
  • This week I shared about The Logic of English.  If you are reading this post via email please be sure to read the full review online as the complete review did not mail out earlier this week. I am very impressed with this curriculum. 
In Bloggy world I’m reading…
I’m grateful for…
  • being able to write this blog and for wonderful friends who encourage me on this journey.

Thank you for sharing the journey with me 



Blessings

Chareen

Homegrown Learners

Photo collages made with: Photoscape a FREE photo editor

Friday 16 May 2014

Teddy Bear Still Life {Virtual Fridge}

This Week
We've been working our way through a Graham Braddock DVD art class.  This picture took us just over two hours to complete.  I am really pleased with the outcome. We are looking forward to the next class.  You can also purchase these as a download or as a DVD set of four DVD's over at Graham Braddock.




Featured This Week
Nikki's daughter over at Angels of Heart has some beautiful photography on show.  Be sure to see the world through her eyes.


I loved looking at some science notebook drawing over at Homeschool Coffee Break.





Your Turn

I invite you to take some photo's of your children's artistic pursuits put them in a post and link up with me I would love to come over and see the wonderful art your children have enjoyed doing.
Virtual Fridge Link Up

Blessings
Chareen


The Virtual Fridge a weekly art meme where we can hang our children's art on a virtual fridge. This meme was started by Jennifer over at A Glimpse of our Life who kindly invited three other bloggers to co-host this weekly meme.

Your hosts are