Giveaway Archives - Page 2 of 3

Like many homeschool families and educators, I have spent a fair amount of time browsing the internet and making wish lists of books and curriculum I would like to have for the new school year. There are so great products and resources available that adhering to a budget can be troublesome if not near impossible.

“If only we could get curriculum for free!” I have often heard my friends proclaim. I am delighted to take part once again in the annual Back to School Toolkit Giveaway.

This post contains affiliate links for resources we absolutely love and truly depend on.

Back to School Giveaway

This year, I am giving away a geography themed basket loaded with resources that will provide you and your children with activities and lesson plans to keep you busy all year long.

Bright Ideas Press has donated their popular WonderMaps CD. Designed with easy-to-use layers that allow you to enjoy great customizable features with just a click, WonderMaps is the perfect addition to your geography resource library. WonderMaps was created not only with hundreds of world maps but also a large selection of historical maps that cover everything you need for The Mystery of History vols. IIII and All American History vols. I & II.

Also included in the Travel Around the World basket are the following resources:

Discovering China (Multicultural Education Series), by Dianna J. Sullivan, was written for grades 4-8. This paperback guide provides a great start to a unit study on the culture of China. It includes many printables and activities to learn a few Chinese phrases and to explore the Chinese calendar, holidays, folktales, and cultural traditions. It even includes recipes for popular stir fry! 48 page paperback

Australia: An Interdisciplinary Unit by Merle Davenport was developed for grades 6-8. It covers the physical geography of Australia as well as the cultural geography. Some of the activities include making your own Boomerang, creating a timeline of historical events, graphing natural resource exports, making a star projector to learn about the constellations to compare how navigation differs in the southern hemisphere, and learning the strike (slang) of Oz (Australia). 48 page paperback

The Galápagos islands were originally called the “Enchanted Isles” because the capricious meandering of the Humboldt Current had the effect of making the islands disappear and reappear to passing ships. The Galápagos Across the Curriculum is a fun, hands-on life science unit study that provides ample opportunity for kids to explore the diversity and remarkable history of the islands. This unit study is full of inquiry-based activities and lesson plans that can be easily integrated into a larger life science curriculum. 12 page eBook (PDF)

The perfect accompaniment to your Galápagos unit, Galapagos Bedtime Stories by Paula Tagle Saad is charming book with many watercolor depictions of the animals in the archipelago. As the protagonists of the tales, most of the tales are told from the perspective of the featured animal. Factual information about life cycle, habitat, feeding, etc. are woven throughout. It also includes a glossary of terms in the appendix.

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Find more giveaway baskets at the iHomeschool Network’s annual Back to School Toolkit Giveaway – Giveaways Galore! There are over 34 baskets!!

There are so many wonderful products in these baskets, I encourage you to enter them all.

You won’t want to miss Barb’s Handbook of Nature Study basket or Brenda’s Essential STEM Supplies.

This post contains Amazon affiliate links.

Over the past few weeks, I have written three distinct posts in honor of Earth Day. There are so many resources that you’ll surely find inspiration and ideas to incorporate Earth Day activities into your home or school curriculum.

In Honor of Dr Jane: Every Individual Matters

My children and I have had the opportunity to meet Dr. Jane on several occasions. Her quiet demeanor and the strength of her conviction always inspire us to do more. Come learn more about the grassroots service learning branch of the Jane Goodall Institute.

It’s Our Turn to Lead: Earth Day 2015

Earth Day is a reminder of what we should be doing all year long. As adults, it’s our job to teach our youth, to lead by example. Kids will follow in our footsteps once they understand the value in what they’re doing. In this post, I share a number of great volunteer opportunities for people of all ages.

Celebrate Earth Day with Dover Publications

Utilizing a number of Dover Publications resources, I have put together a soil ecology unit study and I am delighted to share with you lesson plans and resources to celebrate Earth Day as well as incorporate soil science into your curriculum.

Earth Day Books and Music Giveaway

To inspire earth-friendly practices with your family, I’ve teamed up with several kid bloggers to bring you this awesome Earth Day giveaway. Several publishers have offered earth-themed books and music prizes for your Earth Day celebrations. Hopefully, these wonderful resources will inspire a love of nature in your children and motivate them to make a difference in the world. Amazon affiliate links are below for your convenience.

The Earth Day Giveaway co-hosts are:
Kids Yoga Stories, Mama Smiles, Spanish Playground, Creative World of Varya, Crafty Moms Share, The Piri Piri Lexicon, All Done Monkey, and Eva Varga

EARTH DAY GIVEAWAY PRIZE PACK #1

Water Rolls, Water Rises, by Pat Mora
Celebrate the wonders of the water on planet Earth with this poetic and illustrative bilingual book.

Call Me Tree, by Maya Christina Gonzalez
Act out this beautiful bilingual story following a young child mimicking the growth of a tree.

Kings & Queens of the Forest CD, by Kira Willey
Act out a journey to the forest with Kira Willey’s enchanting yoga-inspired music.

Imaginations 2, by Carolyn Clarke
Use guided imagery to explore nature while learning to calm the mind and body with these relaxation stories.

Sophia’s Jungle Adventure, by Giselle Shardlow
Join Sophia and her family on a jungle adventure while learning to appreciate jungle life and doing yoga along the way.

Every Day is Earth Day Kids Yoga Lesson Plan PDF, by Next Generation Yoga
Create an earth-themed yoga session with this kids yoga lesson plan.

Compost Stew, by Mary McKenna Siddals
Dig into composting with this engaging rhyming text.

Too Much Junk song, by Elska
Get inspired to enjoy nature and simplify your life with this new musical adventure.

Backyard Garden CD, by Earthworm Ensemble
Celebrate nature, green living, and gardening with this uplifting new music.

Earth Day Giveaway | Kids Yoga Stories

EARTH DAY GIVEAWAY PRIZE PACK #2

Change the World Before Bedtime, by Mark Kimball Moulton, Josh Chalmers, and Karen Good
Find out how the simple things in life that can inspire huge differences that change the world.

Picture a Tree, by Barbara Reid
Discover new ways to experience trees in this book with stunning imagery.

This Tree Counts, by Alison Formento and Sarah Snow
Practice counting with animals that live in trees.

Miss Fox’s Class Goes Green, by Eileen Spinelli and Anne Kennedy
Join Miss Fox as she teaches her forest animal students how to go green.

In the Garden with Dr. Carver, by Susan Grigsby and Nicole Tadgell
Step into the historical world of Dr. Carver as he teaches children about gardening.

What’s So Special About Planet Earth?, by Robert E. Wells
Learn how planet Earth is different from other planets.

Polar Bear, Why is Your World Melting?, by Robert E. Wells
Learn why and how the world is getting warmer and what we can do about it.

Earth Day Giveaway | Kids Yoga Stories

EARTH DAY GIVEAWAY PRIZE PACK #3

Earth Day CD and Recycled Musical Activities eBook, by Daria Marmaluk Hajioannou
Sing and dance to catchy folk music to celebrate our beautiful rainbow world.

Nature Anatomy, by Julia Rothman
Take a look at nature in a new way with this book that explains all about the nature with sketches.

Catch the Wind, Harness the Sun, by Michael J. Caduto
Learn about renewable energy with 22 activities on producing and using it.

Ecology eBook – Ecology Explorations, by Eva Varga
Explore your local ecosystems with this hands-on ten-week life science curriculum.

When the Animals Saved Earth, by Alexis York Lumbard
Read a tale about how animals teach humans to restore balance in nature.

Just Like Me, Climbing a Tree, by Durga Yael Bernhard
Explore trees all over the world and see what a child sees when climbing those trees

EARTH DAY GIVEAWAY
FREE DOWNLOAD FOR EVERYONE

The Garden Classroom Journal, by Nurture Store
Download this free Garden Classroom journal to record your gardening experiences.

Some of the resources above were given to us bloggers free for review, but the decision to include them in the giveaway was entirely our own. Please read the full Contest Rules below for details.

We look forward to your entries. Thank you for taking the time to participate in our giveaway. Please let me know if you have any questions or problems with the Rafflecopter tool below by sending me an e-mail at giselle at kidsyogastories dot com.

Earth Day Giveaway

To enter the contest, sign in using your Facebook or e-mail account and click on the different ways to enter. You can enter every day, using this Rafflecopter online giveaway tool.

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Contest Rules:

Entries are open worldwide.
You can be any age to enter.
Participation in the contest constitutes that you agree to the Contest Rules.
Please enter using the Rafflecopter tool above, obtaining points as follow the different options.
You can enter every day.
No purchase is necessary.
You must enter the contest giveaway with a valid e-mail address. The winner will be notified by e-mail, and at that time, we will request a mailing address. The winner must respond within 72 hours, or we will pick a different winner. The shipping of the books and CDs can take some time, depending on the winner’s location. Each publisher will ship the books separately and will cover the shipping costs.
If you have any questions, e-mail Giselle directly at giselle at kidsyogastories dot com.
The contest closes on Tuesday, April 15th, 2015, midnight EST.

I have always enjoyed classic literature – especially historical fiction. However, as a child I didn’t have the opportunity to study Shakespeare. The school counselors – in their infinite wisdom – hadn’t set me on the college tract. I thereby listened in envy to my peers talk about the Shakespeare play they were learning about in Honors English.

When I began homeschooling, I knew that I wanted to make Shakespeare accessible to my children. I wanted them to be familiar with his works – regardless of what they chose to do in later life.

As I began to sprinkle Shakespeare into our studies, was a little apprehensive. I had to admit I didn’t know much about this man of many words, but for their sake I was determined to figure it out. We have tried a number of activities and strategies over the years. Essentially, building a middle school Shakespeare unit takes just five steps.

Admin Note: This photo is from the Oregon Shakespeare Festival’s “Much Ado About Nothing”. We will be seeing this play next month.

1. Introduce the Play

First, take a few minutes to familiarize yourself with the plot and story line. You can then freely enjoy the details without having to keep track of who is who. One of our newest additions to our library is The Shakespeare Book (Big Ideas Simply Explained). {Many thanks to DK Publishing for providing the book to us for review. Please see my full Disclosure Policy for more details.}

What a valuable resource! This easy to use but very comprehensive book offers background on the characters, a timeline of events throughout the performance, themes, and plot summary, along with an overview of the legacy of each show.

There is also a nice biography of Shakespeare’s life in the beginning of the book and a timeline of each play written during the various phases of his career: when he was a freelance writer, as a shareholder in Lord’s Chamberlain’s theater company, and when his company was given a royal patent by by King James. Throughout the book, you really get to know Shakespeare as well as his plays. I know we will be referencing this book for many years to come.

Enter the giveaway below for a chance to win a copy of this book for yourself.

Biographies

If you haven’t studied Shakespeare in the past, it is a good idea to begin with a biography. There are many to choose from – for all levels of readers.

A few that we have enjoyed in the past are:

Biographies by Diane Stanley are sooo wonderful they transport you; Bard of Avon: The Story of William Shakespeare is no exception. The information is concise and clear yet is not watered down. This is someone that really understands writing books for children that adults can enjoy using as teachers or parents. The text provides a great picture of who Shakespeare was and how the political and popular culture of his day reacted to his plays.

The “Who Was” series of books are wonderful. They are very informative and include a few illustrations which make learning about historical characters, scientists, writers, etc. fun for kids. Who Was William Shakespeare? even includes a great vocabulary list, which I appreciated for our homeschool lessons. Mannis creates many interesting asides in this short book, including words and phrases that were coined by the Bard, an explanation of blank verse, what school was like, the politics of the time, big city London, and how the Globe Theatre came about.

Picture Books

To introduce the basics of the plot, I begin by reading aloud from Tales from Shakespeare by Charles and Mary Lamb or Shakespeare’s Stories for Young Readers by Edith Nesbit.

Other favorites include:

2. Learn Some Lines

Copywork is the practice of copying someone else’s writing in your own hand. We keep a notebook specifically for copying noteworthy poems, prose, and quotes. When we are studying Shakespeare, we select lines of personal interest. I also utilize these same excerpts for dictation.

Shakespeare Monologues is the perfect site to find longer selections for memory work. Actors use this site to find selections for auditions. You can search for women’s or men’s monologues and then by play title.

Another great site for Shakespeare quotes is Absolute Shakespeare.

3. Watch the Play

We know that Shakespeare wrote drama to be performed in a theater not “literature” to be analyzed during language arts lessons. So reading his plays doesn’t achieve the same effect as watching a performance.

Enjoy a Movie

Many of the bard’s plays have also been adapted for film. This is a great way to prepare children for a live production – allowing them to see the full story as it unfolds on the television screen.

TIP :: Violence, profanity, and even nudity are all issues in many Shakespeare plays. Be sure to preview the movies yourself to decide if it is appropriate – and enjoyable – for your family.

Film adaptations we have enjoyed include:

Find a Live Production

The play we study in our homeschool is based on what will be performed locally – this year, we will see Much Ado About Nothing as well as Antony & Cleopatra – both are family productions (reduced price) at Oregon Shakespeare Festival. High schools, local theaters, and area acting companies are all likely places to find the occasional Shakespeare play. Ask around and see if there are groups you don’t know about yet.

If you attend plays regularly, you might be interested in Shakespeare Passport, a virtual ticket that gives you access to events and museums all over the world. It’s easy to use your mobile device as a virtual ticket or discount coupon. The website lists numerous venues all over the world where Shakespeare’s plays are staged.

Here are few highly esteemed venues in California and Oregon:

TIP :: You might inquire about volunteering as ushers in exchange for tickets. This is a great way to attend theater if the ticket price is not in your budget.

Scripts allow actors the opportunity to interpret their characters and reflect on different facets of humanity as they do so. Shakespeare’s plays and themes are complex, as life and people are. I absolutely love to watch multiple versions of a play and see how differences of inflection, of setting, and of context put completely different spins on the lines. This is the beauty of Shakespeare.

One of my favorite productions was Romeo & Juliet performed at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival several years ago. During the preface, the director stated that because Romeo & Juliet was a play of contrasts, he chose to highlight the contrasts. The most evident way he accomplished this was in his choice of costuming. The older generation – the parents and their employed – wore Elizabethan costumes whereas the young generation – the young lovers and their friends – wore modern day apparel including school team uniforms. He further emphasized the contrasts with their speech – taking liberty with the prose originally penned by Shakespeare for the youth.

A few years later we enjoyed another OSF production of Romeo & Juliet. This time, it was set in Northern California in the mid-17th century – a vibrant and conflicted time in our history. Romeo and Juliet – the son and daughter of two landed families (one Mexican & the other Spanish) locked in an old feud. Spanish was woven into the tapestry of the Victorian English much to my delight!

4. Read the Script

Though Shakespeare wrote to be performed, there is still great value in reading his plays with their beautiful use of English. However, there’s more than one way to read a text.

A great way to read Shakespeare is to give each student a copy and play an audiobook version while you all follow along. Hearing someone who knows how the lines flow read them aloud helps immensely with comprehension.

5. Perform the Play (optional)

You can actually bring the theater home by acting out Shakespearean plays in your living room. Dress up and be actors, or use puppets instead.

Although it would be valuable, you don’t have to have costuming and rehearsals in order to give your children the chance to act out Shakespeare. Here are some other low-key, low-commitment ways to add performance to your homeschool:

Create a LEGO iStop motion of your favorite scene complete with your own voices
Illustrate a graphic novel or comic book of selected scenes
Memorize a monologues and deliver it as though you are auditioning
Take a Shakespeare theater class – many of the venues I listed above have camps and workshops for children of all ages

Much Ado About Nothing

Shakespeare’s Much Ado About Nothing is a fun comedy about two couples—one in a “merry war” of words. It is one of two plays we will be seeing performed live this year. Below you will find a variety of free resources to help you put together a unit study on this delightful comedy.

Much Ado Quotes ~ With this worksheet, your teen will translate Shakespeare’s words into modern language, match up characters with their descriptions, and assign quotes from the play to who said them.

Call me Shakespeare ~ Review the hijinks of one of Shakespeare’s most famous comedies with song (accompanying worksheet on characterization is included).

Jimmie Lanley has a great collection of Hands-on Shakespeare activities on HubPages.

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naturestudycurrclick We had an amazing time in the Galápagos last month. We are still processing the images we captured (we took over 14,000 pictures and video clips). I know that the experiences we shared will be a part of our curriculum for months to come – there was just so much to take in. Undeniably, we will remember most the incredible wildlife of the islands.

We have been using nature journals in our homeschool from the very beginning and my children are both adept at recording their observations and sketching things of interest. As their skills have improved, I have been looking for something to instruct them on the finer points of art.

Art and Nature Study with CurrClick

Knowing of the vast resources available on CurrClick, I browsed the collection for materials specifically for instructional books or activities to help integrate art and nature study in our homeschool curriculum.

Creating Textures in Pen & Ink with Watercolor by Claudia Nice was the perfect tool. She does a wonderful job reviewing the tools of an artist (ink, watercolors, the color wheel, acrylics, brushes, etc.).

One chapter is devoted to the seven distinct texturing techniques: contour lines, parallel lines, crosshatching, dots or stippling, scribble lines, wavy grain lines and crisscross lines. This was the perfect lesson to connect our observations in islands with art techniques.

“Thick tangled foliage, flowing water, soft rabbit fur, weathered wood and the leathery folds of elephant skin could all be depicted with the stroke of a pen.” ~ Claudia Nice

The example illustrated in the text was a pelican; what luck! I thereby asked each of the kids to read the chapter independently, choose a bird from our trip Photostream, and then to practice each of the seven techniques in their nature journals.

currclicknaturestudy Another fun resource that I found on CurrClick was Cranberry Dissection from the Kitchen Science Nature Study series by Roots and Wings Homeschool. I grew up in Bandon, Oregon where cranberries are a major agricultural crop.

A few years ago, we had the opportunity to observe how cranberries are harvested. Cranberry Dissection is a fun and simple activity that guided us through the physiology of the fruit. What I loved best was the inquiry activity, “The Cranberry Bounce”.

For Thanksgiving, my dad had brought up a bag of fresh organic cranberries from the bogs we had visited previously (he volunteers each year to help harvest the cranberries). The kids and I thereby spent some time bouncing cranberries as we awaited our turkey dinner.

Sorting the berries by hand is a hard, tedious process. Most growers today use devices that tumble and bounce the berries. The freshest berries bounce along the conveyer, but the damaged, poor quality berries do not bounce and are left behind.

12 Days of Christmas CurrClick Giveaway

Christmas is right around the corner and I am delighted to share with you the wonderful giveaway happening at CurrClick. For the next 12 days, some friends and I are partnering with CurrClick with the 12 Days of Christmas Homeschool Freebies and Resources.

Each day will bring a new post with how we use CurrClick in our homeschool. Then, we’ll share the love with you by giving you a new freebie each day, plus an opportunity to win a CurrClick gift certificate!

Start with this freebie: Penguins

From December 1 through December 3, you can download this Penguins lapbook for FREE with the code CC12Days2.

Then visit each of the participating blogs for another wonderful freebie from CurrClick and register to win a $20 CurrClick gift card. There will be 12 freebies and 12 gift cards given away in all!
12daystext

The giveaway begins Dec 1st at 1:00 am and will end on Dec 16th at 10:00 pm.

Entry -Form

Enter here and at the end of the 12 Days Of Homeschool Freebies and Resources, we’ll draw 12 names for 12 $20 CurrClick.com gift certificates!

postagestamps

Welcome to the The Big Book of Homeschool Ideas Blog Tour where we’re going to be stopping in on the authors of The Big Book of Homeschool Ideas. I hope you have been enjoying the tour. 55 homeschool moms have contributed 103 chapters of homeschool goodness. My contributions were a chapter on How to Use Postage Stamps for Learning and Inquiry Science with Middle School Students. Read on to find out why I wrote these chapters and a glimpse at their content.

The Big Book of Homeschool Ideas Blog Tour

Everyday in the month of October, we’ll meet a new author of The Big Book of Homeschool Ideas. You’ll find out why they contributed their chapter or chapters to the book and why they feel passionate about that particular topic.

How it works:

Visit each author on the blog tour and participate in the giveaway they may be hosting.
Enter the giveaway for The Big Book of Homeschool Ideas & iHomeschool Studio Bundle below.
Purchase the bundle! Don’t worry. If you win the giveaway, you’ll get your money back. Buy now while you can!
Click the calendar to see the other authors on the tour and to see their giveaways.
Yesterday, Amy Stults from Milk and Cookies, author of the chapters Learning with Maps and Genealogy for Kids, gave away a copy of WonderMaps from Bright Ideas Press.
Tomorrow’s giveaway is from Colleen Kessler at Raising Lifelong Learners . Author of the chapter Hands-on Science. Colleen will be giving away Science for Smart Kids: Electricity.

The Bundle Blog Hop

There are so many wonderful contributors to this bundle – come along and get to know each of us a little better. Each day of October we will be highlighting one of the talented women who have helped make the iHomeschool Studio and Big Book of Homeschool Ideas such a success.

Inquiry Science for Middle School

I am so excited to be a contributing author to the Big Book of Homeschool Ideas. I love teaching science; my goal is to provide inspiration so you may engage your students in hands-on science and service learning experiences.

Sharing my passion for science reinvigorates me and I am delighted to have had the opportunity to contribute to The Big Book of Homeschool Ideas.

In the article, Inquiry Science with Middle School Students, I define inquiry science for you and break the process of scientific discovery down into smaller components – partial inquiry versus full inquiry.

Teaching science through inquiry is the cornerstone of good teaching. But what, exactly, is inquiry science?

inquiryscience Scientific inquiry refers to the activities through which students develop knowledge and understanding of scientific ideas, as well as an understanding of how scientists study the natural world. In many classrooms and homeschool families, students enjoy fun science demonstrations. These hands-on activities help bring the exciting world of science to life.

getting started cover I have written a series of posts, What is Scientific Inquiry, whereby I address the scientific method, science process skills, and science as inquiry. In the series, I address several key misconceptions about science and share with you examples of how to easily modify existing cook-book activities for a more inquiry based instructional approach.

As a special thank you, I have put together a Getting Started with Inquiry Science guidebook that will be available as a free download through the month of October. This bonus eBook is 18 pages providing detailed descriptions of the scientific inquiry process. The different levels are described to give you an idea of where to begin and how to do inquiry science with your students. It also includes many planning pages for student led or open inquiry as well as two guided inquiry labs.

Postage Stamps for Learning

Shortly after we began our homeschool journey, we discovered the joy of collecting postage stamps. In the beginning, we collected with no clear objective in mind. As our collections grew, I began to seek out activities that would provide opportunities to learn about the people featured on the stamps and the places from which they were issued. It wasn’t long thereafter that we were exhibiting at philatelic shows around the country.

I am excited to share with you how we use postage stamps in our homeschool. In the chapter, How to Use Postage Stamps for Learning, I explain some details and advice regarding using postage stamps for learning such as:

What to collect?
Where do I find stamps?
How do I soak and protect my stamps?
How do I display my stamps?
What are the educational opportunities available to me?

Postage stamps will be featured more regularly on my blog in the coming months as my kids and I work on developing our new exhibits. Follow along and find out how to use them with confidence in your homeschool.

The Big Book & Studio Bundle

For a limited time (Oct 1 – Nov 10), get the iHomeschool Studio and Big Book of Homeschool Ideas bundle for just $15! The bundle includes 23 MP3s from our spring 2014 webinar and a massive 560+ page eBook for only $15 (regular price $36). This offer won’t last long!

Whether you are new to homeschooling or a seasoned home educator, The Big Book of Homeschool Ideas and the recorded webinar sessions provide a library of resources you could turn to when you have a question in your homeschool. With this ginormous bundle, you can go beyond the basics of academics and delve into delightful methods like active learning, learning with postage stamps, using LEGOs for learning, teaching on the road, delving into inquiry science, loving living math, discovering your child’s personality type, and more. Studio and Big Book Bundle

A Giveaway, Too!

What is even more exciting is that we are giving away 10 copies of the bundle!! Don’t wait to see if you are a winner and risk losing out on this incredible sale! If you purchase the bundle and end up winning, we will immediately refund your money.

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My children and I love to collect stamps. We learn a lot about history, science, and even language through this dynamic hobby – suitable for nearly all ages.

To celebrate our love of country and philately, I’ve thereby put together a gift basket to help you discover the hobby of stamp collecting.

The Philatelic & Patriotic Giveaway Basket includes:

America: A Patriotic Primer is a succinct history of the United States, an ABC of the principles on which this country was founded, and a book for children and families to pore over, discuss, and cherish. Though it is written by Lynne Cheney (author and wife of Vice President Richard Cheney), no political viewpoint is taken. Instead, she professes the greatness of our history and the profundity of our nation’s ideals. (Value $15)

The Early America Library CD from The Heritage History Classical Curriculum includes a specialized library that features stories about explorers, settlers, inventors, military heroes, writers, presidents, and Indian leaders, as well as political developments. (Value $19)

A set of seven beautiful notecards from The Colonial Williamsburg Foundation featuring images from Williamsburg, the world’s largest living history museum in Williamsburg, Virginia—the restored 18th-century capital of Britain’s largest, wealthiest, and most populous outpost of empire in the New World.

The Civil War: 1863 commemorative collection from the United States Postal Service. A must for every collector and every Civil War enthusiast, this commemorative set includes narrative on the Battle of Gettysburg and the Battle of Vicksburg, two First Day Covers are the third pair to be issued as part of the ongoing five-year Civil War Sesquicentennial series, and a full souvenir sheet of 12 stamps. (Value $9)

A variety of additional philatelic ephemera to kickstart a new hobby of stamp collecting:

American history learning activities with accompanying stamps to introduce stamp collecting from the Postal History Foundation
A packet of United States stamps (mint and cancelled) commemorating various historical events
Stamp Collector’s Stamp Booklet to aide a young collector in organizing their stamps and planning a philatelic exhibit

So there you have it! Everything you need to get started using stamps in your curriculum this year and a delightful collection of patriotic stories! Make sure to enter the giveaway at the end of the post!

This gift basket was inspired by the chapter that I wrote for the new book Big Book of Homeschool Ideas. In my chapter, How to Use Postage Stamps for Learning, I share with readers ideas for using postage stamps for learning history, science, and art. My hope is that along with this philatelic and patriotic giveaway, you will discover an interest in the hobby of stamp collecting yourself.

Big Book of Homeschool Ideas

So do you want to know more about the Big Book of Homeschool Ideas? This is a massive (561 page) ebook written by 55 ladies of the iHomeschool Network. We cover 103 hmeschool topics to help and inspire you, no matter what stage of homeschooling you are at!

This book covers everything from academic topics, to fun learning ideas like using LEGOs and teaching handicrafts! I have contributed two chapters myself. One of which is a tutorial to stamp collecting – perfect for this of you interested in getting started in the hobby of philately! This is a book you will turn to time and time again. To learn more and see the full table of contents, check out the Big Book of Homeschool Ideas website.

What is neat is that when you purchase this book, you get three versions of it: pdf, mobi, and epub. That means that you can read it virtually anywhere! Pull it up on your computer, you iphone, table, or wherever!

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But that is not all! My giveaway is one of several back-to-school giveaways taking place this week. Be sure to check out the other gift baskets from the bloggers at iHomeschool Network. Take a minute and go enter as many as you’d like.

Newer Posts

Older Posts

Giveaway Archives - Page 2 of 3 - Eva Varga

Travel Around the World with a Back to School Giveaway

Back to School Giveaway

Earth Day Giveaway

In Honor of Dr Jane: Every Individual Matters

It’s Our Turn to Lead: Earth Day 2015

Celebrate Earth Day with Dover Publications

Earth Day Books and Music Giveaway

EARTH DAY GIVEAWAY PRIZE PACK #1

EARTH DAY GIVEAWAY PRIZE PACK #2

EARTH DAY GIVEAWAY PRIZE PACK #3

EARTH DAY GIVEAWAY
FREE DOWNLOAD FOR EVERYONE

Earth Day Giveaway

Much Ado About Shakespeare +Giveaway

1. Introduce the Play

Biographies

Picture Books

2. Learn Some Lines

3. Watch the Play

Enjoy a Movie

Find a Live Production

4. Read the Script

5. Perform the Play (optional)

Much Ado About Nothing

Art and Nature Study with CurrClick

Art and Nature Study with CurrClick

12 Days of Christmas CurrClick Giveaway

Inquiry Science & Postage Stamps: The Big Book & Studio Bundle

The Big Book of Homeschool Ideas Blog Tour

How it works:

The Bundle Blog Hop

Inquiry Science for Middle School

Postage Stamps for Learning

The Big Book & Studio Bundle

A Giveaway, Too!

Let Freedom Ring ~ A Patriotic & Philatelic Giveaway

The Philatelic & Patriotic Giveaway Basket includes:

Big Book of Homeschool Ideas

Back to School Giveaway

Earth Day Books and Music Giveaway

EARTH DAY GIVEAWAY PRIZE PACK #1

EARTH DAY GIVEAWAY PRIZE PACK #2

EARTH DAY GIVEAWAY PRIZE PACK #3

EARTH DAY GIVEAWAY FREE DOWNLOAD FOR EVERYONE

Earth Day Giveaway

1. Introduce the Play

Biographies

Picture Books

2. Learn Some Lines

3. Watch the Play

Enjoy a Movie

Find a Live Production

4. Read the Script

5. Perform the Play (optional)

Much Ado About Nothing

Art and Nature Study with CurrClick

12 Days of Christmas CurrClick Giveaway

The Big Book of Homeschool Ideas Blog Tour

How it works:

The Bundle Blog Hop

Inquiry Science for Middle School

Postage Stamps for Learning

The Big Book & Studio Bundle

A Giveaway, Too!

The Philatelic & Patriotic Giveaway Basket includes:

Big Book of Homeschool Ideas

EARTH DAY GIVEAWAY
FREE DOWNLOAD FOR EVERYONE