$10 Off Coupons - Educents and Kiwi Crate

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I wanted to let you in on two amazing deals that I just stumbled across.

Head over to Educents, create a FREE account and receive a $10 off coupon to use on anything you would like. Educents is an educational deal website where you can save up to 90% off curriculum, toys, and more. The $10 coupon expires and 6 months and can be used towards any purchase. I already snagged a great Christmas present for my children and save over 30%! New deals are posted weekly!

Image courtesy of Kiwi Crate!

Have you heard of Kiwi Crate, Tinker Crate, Koala Crate and Doodle Crate? Right now you can get $10 off a crate subscription! Give it a try, you have nothing to loose and can cancel at anytime. There are crate options for every age group from age 3 - 16. Crates are monthly subscription service that deliver delightful, creative kid projects right to your door. 

Callie's Contest of Courage Review and Giveaway

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Jan May is a homeschool publisher, author and freelance writer and contributor to The Old Schoolhouse, Thriving Family and Clubhouse Jr. Magazines. Jan has over 20 years of teaching experience, a love for creative writing and a passion for well-educated children with godly character which is why she created the New Millennium Girl book series. Did I mention Jan is a veteran homeschool mom too?

A moms review:

I am always on the search for good literature for my daughter. She is 8 years old and not quite reading chapter books on her own yet so we utilized Callie's Contest of Courage as a read aloud. This is the second book in the New Millennium Girl series. 
Who are the New Millennium Girls? They are girls who are growing up in this generation who believe their God is bigger than all the giants in the land; girls with the faith of Joshua and Caleb; girls with a different spirit. New Millennium Girl Books, was birthed from a desire to write fun and engaging books for girls that would encourage vibrant faith and build Christian character. The Millennium Girl series was written with 8-12 year old girls in mind, though slightly younger and older will enjoy it too. 
The Book: When I read the synopsis for the book I just knew my animal, nature loving daughter would love this book:

"Eleven-year-old Callie Fleming is a passionate animal lover! She’s been waiting all year to enter photos in theI Love Nature Photo Contest. Her dad, who is the coolest dad in the world, is an award winning photographer and Marine Corps Reserves Sergeant. She is leaning on his help to win. But when her father is untimely deployed overseas and becomes strangely silent to her emails, she finds her whole world crashing down on her. Can she muster up the courage to step out on a journey that whisks her away from all the things she loves? Join Callie on a journey of hope, trust and the power of prayer!"

As I mentioned above I read the book to my daughter. The paperback book is 148 pages long and contains 12 chapters. The chapters are a very reasonable length and keep even the youngest of readers attention. In the back of the book are additional activities and projects to help you dig even deeper. The book was filled with adventure, obstacles to overcome, lovable animals, inspiration and faith! After I finished a chapter my daughter would beg for me to read more...any book that does that gets an A+ rating from me!

We thoroughly enjoyed this wholesome book and it is definitely a book I would recommend to others.

The Literature Study Guide:
Jan just completed an amazing 74 page literature study guide which complements Callie's Contest of Courage. Included in the fun literature study guide are faith building discussion questions, vocabulary exercises, language arts and fun activities. It is perfect for book clubs or individual studies. We haven't had a chance to dive into the literature study guide yet, but I can tell you that it is really impressive. Some of the things you will find in the literature guide include fill in the blank activities, crosswords, word searches, recipes, games, mapping activities and more! The study guide sections are broken up to correspond with each chapter. Each sections contains about 6-10 pages of activities.

The accompanying literature guide will be available on the website soon for $8.95, but you can get it FREE for a limited time when you sign up for the newsletter at the New Millennium Girls website

Links to follow:
-New Millennium Girls Website
-New Millennium Girls Facebook
-New Millennium Girls Twitter
-New Millennium Girls Pinterest

Gwyns review (8 yrs old):
I really liked the book about Callie. It was so sad when her daddy had to leave for the military but I am happy he returned safely home. Callie and I are a lot alike. I also love animals, and want to volunteer at a zoo when I am older. I also like to take pictures. This was a great book for me.

Where to buy:
You can purchase Callie’s Contest of Courage by Jan May through the New Millenium Girls Books Bookstore for $7.95. It is also available on Amazon in paperback and Kindle eBook versions.

The accompanying literature guide will be available on the website soon for $8.95, but you can get it FREE for a limited time when you sign up for the newsletter at the New Millennium Girls website

Now time for the giveaway: 
Jan has graciously offered to giveaway a copy of Callie's Contest of Courage to one lucky reader. Only the first entry is mandatory. Other entries are optional and give you extra chances. This giveaway is not affiliated with Facebook in any way. The winner will be posted on the blog and will be emailed. Winner must reply within 48 hrs with their contact information or another winner will be chosen. Prize will be mailed via the author.

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Explore The Wild West - Davy Crockett and Conestoga Wagons

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We had tons of fun with the Poppins Book Nook blog series last year and we will be continuing that fun all throughout 2014. This month's theme was, "The Wild West!" Keep reading to learn more about the books we read and crafts we made. There is also a giveaway is at the end of the post! To check out all of our past Poppins Book Nook posts click here.

Books:
As I was racking my brain trying to think of which book we could read for this months theme, I couldn't stop humming the Davy Crockett theme song.  You know the one I am talking about right? If not check it out below...

So guess which book we chose? Davy Crockett: Ever Westward of course. This book is one of the many books in the YWAM Heroes of History series which our family absolutely loves. You can read our review on the George Washington book and study guide here.

Davy Crockett was a fabulous read aloud for our entire family...including me. The book is very engaging and kept us on the edge of our seats the entire time.

Davy Crockett is one of America's best-known folk heroes. He served as a frontiersman, a scout, a soldier, and a politician in the U.S. Congress. He died defending the Alamo, a steadfast citizen and heroic leader to the very end.

Davy Crockett grew up in Greene County TN and his education came from the toil of hard labor. He worked as a farm hand and wagon driver, he learned about the people and the land of the West -- and he was captivated. His destiny was the untamed wilderness, the sound of wild animals, and the roar of the river!

As I read the book many questions began to be asked. Isn't that awesome? I love that questions arise when we are reading literary works. The first question to come up was, "Mom, Tennessee is not a western state!" After getting over my excitement for such a great question being asked, we did some research. We learned that the Old West, often referred to as the Wild West encompasses the period after the Civil War...the late 1800's and early part of the 20th century. During this time period, thousands of pioneers pushed westward in search of land, better lives, gold and silver and to escape the law. Geographically the "Old West" was any state west of the Mississippi River, even though that is no longer the case today.

Craft Project: 

Here is the fun project we did to go along with this months theme.

Conestoga Wagon:

Teaching Preschoolers The Fun Way (Guest Post)

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Image from FreeDigitalPhotos.net

My little preschooler detests doing anything that’s remotely associated with her studies in an ordinary way. She’s forever in the mood to experiment! She loves to write with her fingers dipped into non-toxic colors instead of using pencils, sit on the dining table instead of the desk, count with cereals instead of her fingers, and the like! Instead of discouraging her and ‘bringing her back to routine’, I am constantly on the lookout to complement her little adventures with cool and innovative preschool activities and games that will add to her joy. If you have similar fun-loving preschoolers at home or a bunch of them at school, then you must try these fun, clever, and budget ideas to help the little ones learn the fun way and make the most of their eagerness to explore! 

123 floor mat

Photo Courtesy: Tony and Debbie

Get a large but inexpensive yoga mat that complements the color of your preschooler’s room. You will need a number of skin-tested and non-toxic acrylic paints for this preschool activity as you’re going to put the colors on the little one’s skin. Wipe the yoga mat clean with a dry cloth. Paint the little one’s foot (any) with a color and ask her to print it on the yoga mat. Next, wipe off the color from her foot and paint both her feet with another color. Now, ask her to print both her feet on the mat. Next, you will have to help her print 3 footprints on the mat with a different color, then 4 with another color, and so on, till there isn’t any space left for the prints! Continue counting with your preschooler as she carries out this activity and feel free to sneak in a little color recognition exercise too!

Mason jar activity

Photo Courtesy: Patrick Q

Fold squares of different colored construction papers and write an activity each on them. Some activity examples could be face painting (coloring), counting with cereals (counting), playing with cars (hand-eye coordination, understanding cause and effect), making cardboard box crafts (art and crafts), making up a story (narration, oral skills), reading a poem (reading), etc. Fill up a mason jar with these folded chits and keep the jar aside for rainy or snow days. Have your child take out a random chit from the jar and do the activity that’s on it! Soon, your preschooler will be praying for a snow or rainy day almost every day! Depending on what the activity is, you can choose the topic that you want to teach your little preschooler. From colors to physics and other science concepts, you’ll be surprised how easily you can add an educational twist to these activities.

Cube of physical activities

Photo Courtesy: Little Family Fun

I stumbled upon the idea of a physical activity cube while looking for educational activity ideas for my preschooler. Cut out 6 squares from large card stocks and write an activity on each side. I write the following physical activities – touch your toes with your fingertips thrice and try not to bend your knees, hop on one foot across the length of the living room, dance, flap your arms like a bird, play throw ball (with a soft ball) with mom for 10 minutes – and an ‘as you wish’ to the cube! Tape the squares together using clear tape and stuff in old newspapers or foam into the cube before taping the last square for the cube to be stable. Toss the cube in the air and the child will have to do the activity that appears on the side that’s up. Add a little more fun by making it a game between you two – take turns to roll the cube and do the activities!

Note – You can write the activities on colorful construction papers and tape them to the sides with double sided tape so that you can replace them with new ones as soon as your child is bored with the existing ones, which might happen often!

Toy stories

Photo Courtesy: david

Almost every child is fond of collecting her favorite comic toy character that comes from fast food cafes or that come free with her favorite packet of chips. In our case, I am the one who is more interested in collecting the toys! Just seeing my little one play with it gives me immense pleasure. Use these toy figures to narrate stories and encourage your child to weave one to. With animated actions and descriptive words, teach your preschooler with this activity to be both creative as well as clear with her communication and storytelling skills.

Shapes with colorful tapes

Photo Courtesy: cutetape

Agreed, preschoolers do this activity in their schools almost every week, but my little one seems to have an inexplicable affinity for this particular shape recognition exercise which is why I can freely do this at home too! The simplicity and repeat-ability of the activity makes it a favorite with me too! Cut out small squares of colorful tapes and challenge your little one to make specified shapes with them. While rectangle and triangles will be easier to make, they might struggle with ovals and circles. My little one struggles with the roundish shapes and I help her by starting out to make the shapes but avoid doing it for her and leave it to her to complete.

I truly believe that nothing is as effective as hands-on activities and games when it comes to inculcating a love for learning in your tiny tots. What activities or games do you play with your little ones?

Author Bio: Catherine Ross is a full-time stay-at-home-mum who believes learning should be enjoyable for young minds. An erstwhile elementary school teacher, Catherine loves coming up with creative ways through which kids can grasp the seemingly difficult concepts of learning easily. She believes that a ‘fun factor’ can go a long way in enhancing kids’ understanding and blogs at http://kidslearninggames.weebly.com/

What Living Beautifully Means To Our Family #SuaveFamilySelfie

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Beautiful - adj. having beauty; possessing qualities that give great pleasure or satisfaction to see, hear, thnk about, etc.; delighting the senses or mind. interj. wonderful; fantastic

What does "living beautifully" mean to you? Do you feel that your family is "living beautifully?" These are really important questions that you should ask yourself on a regular basis. Everyone's answer to these questions will be different, because one persons thoughts on "living beautifully" will not be the same as another's! Here is what it means for our family...

Our family is definitely "living beautifully"! However there are times that I don't always think that. Our family deals with struggles on a daily basis and I swear for every step forward we take, we take two back. I am not always the greatest mom and say things to my children that I later regret. I compare myself and even my children to others way to often. And I doubt some of the decisions my husband and I have made throughout the last 14 years.

But when the going gets tough and I start doubting whether or not we are "living beautifully" I try to focus my thoughts on the positive rather than the negative. Over the years I have gotten much better at this and I have also gotten better at not micro managing the future. On those tough days I remind myself why we are "living beautifully!" We have a house over our heads and the basic necessities to live comfortably. My husband has a secure job. I am able to be a stay at home/homeschool mom. My children and I are able to get out of the house every week for fun learning adventures. And I have the greatest kids and husband ever! Sure there are things I want to improve in our family and our lives, but it takes baby steps and it doesn't mean we aren't already "living beautifully".

Recently I found this quote on living which really inspired me on our journey...

“Living is a form of not being sure, not knowing what next or how. The moment you know how, you begin to die a little. The artist never entirely knows. We guess. We may be wrong, but we take leap after leap in the dark. —AGNES DE MILLE”  

Here are 25 things I do to help our family with "living beautifully":

1. Define what "living beautifully" means to you and start taking the steps to get there.
2. Spend time with family and friends on a weekly basis.
3. Take a hike...literally get out and go exploring. Did you know that being in the outdoors can do wonders for stress?
4. Appreciate the little things in life. 
5. Live your own life and don't compare yourself to others. We are all special and individuals and do not fit in the same mold or box.
6. Do something special for yourself. Go get a new hairdo, perhaps do something drastic like change your hair color. Go get a manicure or pedicure. Buy a new shirt. Whatever makes you happy!
7. Discover your dreams and passions and go for them. You are never too old to make a change and do what you love.
8. Remember that the road to living beautifully can be a long one and there will be ups, and downs. Take a look at where you are and the progress you have made and feel good at what you have accomplished. Make adjustments as needed, chances are your thought's on living beautifully will change over the years. 
9. Count your blessings each and everyday and be happy with what you have. Sometimes the worst things can turn out to be blessings. I often talk about our foreclosure and bankruptcy as being a blessing. We found out our home had black mold and was causing a couple of us to have health issues. So we made the decision to leave immediately. We found an apartment to rent and moved what we could and sold the rest. The home was foreclosed on and we ended up having to file bankruptcy as well to make sure we were completely absolved from any mortgage debt. It ended up being a blessing because we were once again completely debt free which meant I was able to become a stay at home mom. 
10. Smile. My son has an amazing way of making me smile even on the worst days. 
11. Express yourself. Writing posts for my blog has done wonders for my self esteem!
12. Hug and/or kiss someone you love. Even us non-physical touchers need a hug sometimes!
13. Learn something new every day. Because of my amazing, inquisitive children I am always learning something new.
14. Remember the 3 L's - Live, laugh, love and learn! 
15. Embrace your imperfections. Guess what no one is perfect in this world. 
16. Help others. Helping others in need and volunteering can do wonders for the soul!
17. Don't dwell on the past, do not dream of the future, concentrate on the present.
18. Be forgiving. I cannot tell you how many times a day our family asks each other for forgiveness.
19. Have perspective, but don't be afraid to be flexible on your point of view. It is important to explore multiple perspectives and adapt to new situations.
20. Expect the best not the worst. This is a hard one for me because well every week something bad seems to happen.
21. Travel whenever you can.
22. Create a beautiful living space.
23. Look and feel beautiful by taking care of your health and appearance. If you are anything like me you live more beautifully when you look and feel beautiful. Who doesn't love a new amazing hair cut and outfit?
24. Have a purpose and direction in life!
25. And lastly enjoy and capture the moments. You can start by taking a family selfie, then follow the instructions below to enter the #SuaveFamilySelfie - Living Beautifully To Live Better Sweepstakes.
    
    

Suave wants to see how is your family living beautifully? Take a photo of your family living beautifully and enter the Living Beautifully To Live Better Sweepstakes.

Entering is easy and your family will be entered to win a Suave Friday Family Selfie prize pack.

Step 1: Take a family selfie (or use a recent one!)
Step 2: Post it on Instagram using these 3 hashtags: #suavefamilyselfie #LB2LB #Walmart
Step 3: Fill out this form and submit your Instagram link.

*To get your Instagram link visit instagram.com, log in, and find the link to your photo. It will be in the format of http://instagram.com/p/YOURPHOTOID.

*To retrieve the link from your Instagram mobile app, go to your profile picture on the app, click the "..." in the bottom right hand corner, and then select "Copy Share URL".

Enter the sweepstakes weekly to increase your chance of winning. Each week 6 new winners will be drawn to receive a $175 Walmart prize pack. Once you have submitted your image you will receive a coupon via email for $1 off Suave at Walmart. Sweepstakes ends  October 21, 2014.

Good Luck!

Z Is For Zoo

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Recently I wrote a post called, Z is for Zoo, for my blog friend My Joy Filled Life. It was a fairly short post, but it did included two great FREE zoo journal pages.

 

We love trips to the zoo because you can learn and have tons of fun at the same time. Geography, history, reading, math and more can easily be covered during a trip to the zoo! We have visited several zoos in Georgia and Tennessee over the past several years with the kids. But the closest zoo to us is Zoo Atlanta..... Read the entire post here.

Sweetwater Creek State Park - 2,549 Acres of Nature and History

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A few weeks ago we visited Sweetwater Creek State Park located in Northwest Georgia. That now brings the total of GA State Parks we have visited to 15. I know we have many more to go considering there are 65 State Parks in Georgia. Gwyn and I visited this beautiful state park a couple months ago, but since we were attending the GO Day event we didn't have any spare time to check out all the beautiful trails and historical sites this 2,549 acre State Park offers.

Sweetwater Creek State Park is a beautiful oasis of wilderness only minutes from downtown Atlanta. There are numerous trails, but the most popular is the wooded trail (red) that follows the stream to the ruins of New Manchester Manufacturing Company, a textile ill that was burned during the Civil War. 

We spent the majority of our day exploring the interpretive visitor center and the red and white trails. We met a couple of friends around 10 am and explored the park until about 3:30.

Check out all of the fun things this amazing Georgia State Park offers nature lovers and history buffs. 

Activities:

• Hiking – 9 miles of trails, closed at dark 
• Lake and Creek Fishing
• Canoe and Kayak Rental (seasonal) 
• SUP (Stand Up Paddle) board rental (seasonal) 
• Fishing Boat Rental (seasonal) 
• Pedal Boat Rental (seasonal) 
• Picnicking 
• GeoCaching 
• Ranger Guided Interpretive Programs 
• Bird-watching
• Playgrounds Fun
• Jr. Ranger and 150th Civil War Program

Before you start your trek down the riparian forest, red trail make sure you pick up the informational flora/fauna brochure and historical fast fact sheet at the interpretive center. There are also many placards along the red trail to provide you with additional information. During our visit we splashed in the river, caught frogs and lizards, went geocaching, climbed rocks, smelled hickory and pine, discovered really awesome fungus, picked up litter and soaked in the beautiful history and views! 

**Note the ruins are fenced off to visitors, however you can arrange a Ranger led tour for a small fee. As you can see in the photos there are many spots that provide a terrific, unobstructed view of them.

The History:
In 1845 Colonial James Rogers and former Georgia Governor Charles MacDonald purchased land along Sweetwater Creek for a textile mill. In 1849 the Sweetwater Factory opened its doors for business. The factory which ran off the waters off Sweetwater Creek produced cotton yarns and cloth. In 1857 Sweetwater Manufacturing Company sold the property to New Manchester Manufacturing Company. The mill was 5 stories and large enough to support a town of 200 people with 60-70 employees working in the factory. In 1861 when the Civil War began the mill was contracted to provide cotton osnaburg and muslin cloth for the Confederate Army. During the war the factory was operated mostly by women. So to protect the goods from robbers a local militia called "Alexander's Company" was created. On July 2, 1864, Union Cavalry, the 1st and 11th Kentucky Cavalry, under the command of Lt. Col Silas Adams and the 14th Illinois Cavalry under Maj. Haviland Thompkins, arrived and occupied the town of Manchester. And sadly on July 9, 1864 the factory buildings and the company store were burned to the ground. Men, Women and Children were imprisoned for treason and transported out of Georgia. Years later some citizens returned to Georgia but since the mill was gone they had no work and did not resettle on Sweetwater Creek. 

What is your favorite State Park either in Georgia or your home state?

Raising Bearded Dragons Course Review

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If you follow us on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and/or Google +  you may know we have a small petting zoo forming at our home. We currently own a ferret, a rat, two guinea pigs, 4 Madagascar hissing cockroaches and a bearded dragon.

We adopted our bearded dragon Spike from a friend earlier this year and despite all our online research and chats with the local pet store employees, we were not properly prepared to raise him correctly. About 3-4 months after having him in our care he became ill, thankfully we were able to rectify the issue before it was too late.

Recently we reviewed a fabulous resource called Raising Bearded Dragons and are now completely and properly informed on what we need to do to give Spike a happy, healthy life. If you are considering a bearded dragon for a pet or recently became a beardie owner, I highly recommend purchasing this comprehensive course.


Raising Bearded Dragons: The Ultimate Care Guide to Raising a Healthy Bearded Dragon, is a complete care course for Beardie owners. This comprehensive course is an 11 module video series created by Abigail Kessler and Gabriel Valo, and is presented by Bay Guthrie. The course teaches you all of the do’s and don’ts of raising a healthy Beardie. Also included are a Bearded Dragon Food list PDF, Care Sheet PDF and access to the Raising Bearded Dragons exclusive Facebook community.....

Read our full review on Raising Bearded Dragons as well as 2 other reviews on The Old Schoolhouse Magazine website. 

Lessons From The Grave PLUS A List of Georgia Cemeteries

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Have you ever taken your children on a fieldtrip to a cemetery? I know what your thinking...and yes I am crazy. But bare with me for a few minutes and you will find out exactly what a cemetery can teach you and your children. We have been visiting local cemeteries for the last 4 years and you may be surprised to find out that there are many lessons that can be learned by a visit to a local cemetery, especially a historic one.

Cemeteries are fabulous teaching tools which are easily accessible and FREE to visit. They are an outdoor history museum, a wildlife sanctuary, a botanical garden and an art gallery all rolled into one. They exist in every single community all over the world and provide many educational opportunities for families. Children and adults can learn about history, science, math, social studies, language arts and more on a cemetery fieldtrip. Did you know that many cemeteries even provide FREE tours?

Cemeteries "bring history to life" and drive children and adults to appreciate its unique historical significance. There is no better lesson in life than digging into the past and learning how the people who came before you lived and the impacts they in their community during their life.

Make sure you follow these important rules: ask permission if it's a privately owned cemetery, provide adult supervision, dress appropriately, never move a gravestone, never lean or sit on gravestones, use only water to clean off a gravestone, use caution when doing rubbings, be quiet and respectful.

10 Lessons A Cemetery Can Teach Children:

1. Science - Discuss the different types of stones that were used to create the gravestone and how the various stone types hold up against the weather over the years. Discuss the topography of the cemetery. Discuss why gravestones begin to tilt over time. Discuss flora and fauna that you can find at a cemetery.
2. Geography - Draw an aerial view of the cemetery and label various gravestones (famous, oldest, newest etc). Discuss why that particular location may have been chosen for the cemetery.
3. Math - Calculate the age at the time of death. Find the oldest and most recent grave. Find the geometric shapes of stones (spheres, cylinders, pyramids, etc). Discuss the cost of an average funeral. Gather specific data (such as date of birth, names) and graph findings. Find the perimeter of gravestones.
4. Art - Make gravestone rubbings (be very careful not to knock over gravestones or get crayon/chalk on them). Sketch or photograph gravestones/monuments/sculptures and discuss the designs, etc. Discuss symmetry.  Discuss how monuments and sculptures are made. Discuss  the importance of cemetery restoration. Discuss the iconography of the gravestone symbols, statues and monuments. Design your own gravestone using clay or plaster. 
5. History - Research famous people you discover at the cemetery. Research various time periods that you discover at the cemetery. Find the graves of veterans and discuss the wars they fought in. Make a family tree of persons buried in a family plot. Discuss the types of gravestones used throughout history (such as Slot-and-tab, Gothic, Tablet, etc)
6. Language Arts - Discuss epitaphs...what is their significance, unusual ones, famous ones, etc. Write a story about a whose family plot you select in the cemetery. Discuss vocab words like epitaph, casket, crypt, engraving, obituary, etc).
7. Health - Discuss average lifespans through the years and how they have changed over time. Walking around a cemetery is great exercise for your body and soul. Sit down, relax and just contemplate and/or pray.
8. Social Studies - Discuss burial customs both local and other cultures. Discuss the community where the cemetery is located. Discuss social classes (rich, poor middle) and how you can possible tell a persons class by their gravestone. Discuss the community's ethnic, cultural, religious and historical background by examining ages, names, symbols and epitaphs . 
9. Technology - Before or after the trip research the history of the cemetery, burial records for the cemetery,gravestone types, etc. Gather names of people that are buried in the cemetery and try to find their obituaries online.
10. Civics - Discuss how you can be a responsible citizen in the community. Discuss respect for beliefs and feelings. Clean up litter around the cemetery. Adopt a plot (with permission). 

Cemetery Journal Page:

Here is a FREE cemetery fieldtrip journal page I created to assist you with your cemetery fieldtrip.

Cemetery lesson resources:

• Tombstone type resources - Fieldstones and Tombstones, Anatomy of a Tombstone, Types of Gravestones, Slot-and-Tab tombs
• Cemetery Studies
• Teaching From The Grave Lesson
• 100 Things To Do In A Cemetery
• New Hampshire Historical Society Cemetery Lesson Plan
• Mount Auburn Cemetery lesson plan - can be adapted to other cemeteries too
• History Written in Stone lesson plan
• Historic Cemeteries - Where Stones Talk
• Burial Customs and Cemeteries in American History
• Cemetery Lesson Plans - Venn Diagrams, Gravestone Motifs and more
• Legacy.com - national obituary search
• Find a Grave - see the graves of thousands of famous people from around the world
• Stories in Stone: A Field Guide to Cemetery Symbolism and Iconography (book)
• Cemetery Walk: Journey into the Art, History and Society of the Cemetery and Beyond (book)
• The American Resting Place: 400 Years of History Through Our Cemeteries and Burial Grounds (books)
• "SILENT STORYTELLERS" - Cemetery Preservation Documentary (YouTube)   
• The Joy of Cemeteries (YouTube)

Georgia Cemeteries:
(As we discover more cemeteries I will add them to the list)

Georgia cemeteries provide you with a look into the past especially the Civil War and slavery.You can also learn about the lives of many notable Americans.

Oakland Cemetery

1. Oakview Cemetery - Albany
2. Andersonville National Cemetery - Andersonville
3. Oconee Hill - Athens 
4. Historic Oakland Cemetery - Atlanta - City Cemetery with the graves of Margaret Mitchell, Bobby Jones, and many Atlanta notables.
5. King Center - Atlanta - Martin Luther King's resting place.
6. Westview Cemetery - Atlanta
7. Sardis Church & Cemetery - Atlanta
8. Sylvester Cemetery - Atlanta
9. The Gilbert Memorial Cemetery - Atlanta - the final resting place for African Americans before the beginning of the Civil War.
10. Historic Utoy Cemetery - Atlanta
11. Magnolia Cemetery - Augusta
12. Cedar Grove Cemetery - Augusta 
13. Georgia National Cemetery - Canton
14. Oak Hill Cemetery - Cartersville
15. Cassville Cemetery - Cassville - Confederate Cemetery home to 300 Unknown soldiers.
16. Linwood Cemetery - Columbus
17. Honey Creek Woodlands - Conyers - I am not 100% sure if you can actually visit call ahead - however this cemetery certainly makes for great discussion.
18. Mount Hope Cemetery - Dahlonega - Pre-Civil War cemetery. There is even a marker for two Revolutionary War soldiers. Also Contains rare slot-and-tab tombstones.
19. Trahlyta's Grave - Dahlonega - This pile of stones marks the grave of a Cherokee Indian named, Trahlyta.
20. West Hill Cemetery - Dalton
21. Cedar Hill Cemetery - Dawson
22. Decatur Cemetery - Decatur -  resting place of three veterans of the American Revolution, a monument standing over a field where numerous orphans are buried, and the final resting place of Dr. Thomas Holley Chivers, who abandoned his medical training for poetry and was described by Edgar Allen Poe as “one of the best and one of the worst poets in America.”
23. Crestlawn Memorial Gardens - Eatonton 
24. Evergreen Cemetery - Fitzgerald
25. Forsyth Cemetery - Forsyth
26. Old Pioneer Cemetery - Fort Gaines
27. New Park Cemetery - Fort Gaines
28. Alta Vista Cemetery - Gainesville - cemetery with James Longstreet, Astronaut Sonny Carter, and 2 governors.
29. Memorial Park - Gainesville 
30. Georgia Veterans Memorial Cemetery - Glennville
31. Gordon City Cemetery - Gordon
32. Greensboro Cemetery - Greensboro
33. Stonewall Cemetery - Griffin
34. Hamilton City Cemetery - Hamilton - there is a very interesting article regarding the upkeep of the slave side of this cemetery 
35. Orange Hill - Hawkinsville          
36. Woodbine Cemetery - Jefferson
37. Jonesboro Confederate Cemetery - Jonesboro - small Confederate Cemetery with the grave of a Confederate Medal of Honor recipient.
38. Flat Rock Cemetery - Lithonia
39. Rose Hill Cemetery - Macon
40. Riverside Cemetery - Macon - It is the final resting place of over 18,000 people including Civil War veterans, esteemed civic and business leaders, renowned educators, religious leaders of several faiths, members of the Military, and prominent Macon families.
41. Old Madison Cemetery - Madison
42. Marietta National Cemetery - Marietta
43. Marietta Confederate Cemetery - Marietta
44. Midway Cemetery - Midway - cemetery dating all the way back to 1754.
45. Georgia Veterans Memorial Cemetery - Milledgeville 
46. Memory Hill - Milledgeville
47. Rest Haven Cemetery - Monroe
48. Wahoo Baptist - Murrayville
49. Oak Hill - Newnan
50. Farmer Street Cemetery - Newnan
51. Lebanon Cemetery - Plains - Carter family is buried here.
52. Resaca Cemetery - Resaca - Confederate Cemetery begun by two young girls after the Battle of Resaca.
53. Myrtle Hill Cemetery - Rome - Rome’s Historic Myrtle Hill Cemetery has become the permanent home of more than 20,000 Romans since 1857 (App of cemetery available on the website)
54. Founders’ Cemetery - Roswell
55. Presbyterian Cemetery - Roswell
56. Old Roswell Cemetery - Roswell
57. Bonaventure Cemetery - Savannah - final resting place for many of Georgia's founders and politicians.
58. Colonial Park Cemetery - Savannah
59. Laurel Grove Cemetery - Savannah
60. Christ Church (Christ Episcopal Church) - St. Simons Island
61. Toccoa City Cemetery - Toccoa
62. Sunset Hill Cemetery - Valdosta
63. Resthaven Cemetery - Washington 
64. Rose Hill Cemetery - Winder

Mount Hope Cemetery

If you know of a great Georgia cemetery that I did not include please leave a comment below so I can add it to the list.

Civil War Films and Apps For Children

*This post may contain affiliate links. Please see my Disclosure Page for details.

The Civil War is a huge part of Georgia history and it is almost a guarantee that we will learn something new about the Civil War during our fieldtrip adventures. And it is inevitable that my children will have questions and will want to learn even more afterwards. Thankfully there are amazing films and apps to help us out.

Here is a list of Civil War films (movies and documentaries) that are child friendly (PG-13 and below ratings). As well as several great Civil War Apps.

War is always a very sensitive subject and can be a very tricky one to discuss with children due to the horrific nature of the events. Civil War films tend to be very bloody and gory, since it was one of the bloodiest battles in our history. These are documentaries and movies that we have allowed our children to watch with parental supervision. However children's maturity levels and parent views are all different so before letting your children watch these I encourage you to preview them first!

Civil War films for children:

- Dog Jack - Redbox - During the Civil War, a slave boy and his dog escape from a plantation, join the Union army and eventually face their former master on the battlefield.
-Ken Burns: The Civil War - Netflix - a documentary depicting the action of famous Civil War battles. Includes stories of soldiers and generals and the president.
-Death and the Civil War - Netflix - A film that explores how the American Civil War created a "republic of suffering" and charts the war's far reaching social, political and social impact.
-National Geographic: Civil War Gold - Netflix - Excavators and explorers uncover the mysteries of the SS Republic, a steamship that sank in 1865.
-Fields of Valor - Netflix - The miniseries brings to life the intimate accounts of brave men on both sides of the Civil War, the bloodiest conflict the U.S has ever know.
-Gettysburg - Amazon Prime - The epic story of the three day battle that forever changed the course of the American Civil War, this sweeping drama is compassionately recounted through the eyes of soldiers.
-Gods and Generals - Amazon Prime - The rise and fall of legendary war hero Thomas "Stonewall" Jackson as he leads the Confederacy to great success against the Union from 1861 to 1863. Prequel to the 1993 classic "Gettysburg".
-The Red Badge of Courage - Amazon Prime - Truncated adaptation of Stephen Crane's novel about a Civil War Union soldier who struggles to find the courage to fight in the heat of battle.
-Warriors of Honor - Amazon Prime - The Revolutionary War united America. Less than one hundred years later, a bloody Civil War divided it. Most Americans believe that Southerners fought to preserve slavery; however, a much deeper divide existed between the North and South. Two drastically different cultures had emerged on the American landscape.
-How the West Was Won - Amazon Prime - A family saga covering several decades of Westward expansion in the nineteenth century--including the Gold Rush, the Civil War, and the building of the railroads.
-The Civil War, Part I: Crash Course US History - YouTube

-The Civil War Trust - YouTube - has tons of awesome videos (I love their 4 minute videos)
-Conflict in the South (2 part) Liberty Kids - YouTube
-Causes Of The American Civil War  - YouTube
-A Summary of The Civil War - YouTube
-Johnny Shilo - YouTube
-History.com Civil War videos

Civil War Apps (FREE):
-Civil War Battles - Android - Civil War Battles is a detailed turn-based simulation of combat from the American Civil War. Unit types include infantry, cavalry, artillery, gunboats, and supply wagons as well as leaders which can significantly determine the outcome of a battle just based on their own personal leadership and command abilities.
-American Civil War Gazette - Android - With the advent of the 150th anniversary of the American Civil War (ACW) upon us, this is a simple app + widget that will unfold the news headlines and events of the ACW in real-time as they occurred.
-Atlanta Campaign Battle App - IOS and Android - The Atlanta Campaign Battle App™ is the perfect touring partner for your visits to North Georgia’s Civil War battlefields. Our GPS-enabled tour application allows you to discover the great historical sites associated with this pivotal 1864 campaign.
-Civil War Interactive Tour - IOS and Android - Sandy Springs has a rich, complex Civil War history.  This app is a wonderful new asset that residents and visitors to the area can utilize to learn more of the pivotal role the area played during the turbulent summer of 1864, when Union General William T. Sherman unleashed his Army to cross the Chattahoochee River and take the City of Atlanta.
-Marietta's Cannonball Trail -  IOS and Android - Download this app for a voice narrated, guided tour of Marietta’s Cannonball Trail. Stops include: Cheatham Hill and the Illinois Monument, Kennesaw Mountain Battlefield Park, Kolb’s Farm, The Marietta Confederate Cemetery and many antebellum homes.
-History Here - IOS and Android -  an interactive travel guide to thousands of historic locations across the United States.

A few months ago The Civil War in Four Minutes was available to watch online but was removed for copyright infringement. It was absolutely amazing though and I highly recommend purchasing The Civil War In Four Minutes DVD. Here is the trailer.

I will continue adding more films and apps to this list as I come across them so be sure to pin or bookmark the post for future reference.

More suggestions:
-FREE Civil War resources
-Your Story Hour - General Lee Hero of the South

*We may let our children watch things other parents may not approve of. So before you let your children watch any of these I encourage you to preview them first.

Documentary printable:

This journal page is great for any documentary, get yours here for FREE or click the photo below.

What are some of your favorite child friendly Civil War films or apps?

Under Drakes Flag Review - Bring History To Life

*This post may contain affiliate links. Please see my Disclosure Page for details.

Under Drake's Flag is an amazing audio drama from Heirloom Audio Productions. Under Drake's Flag is based on the novel by G.A Henty. 

A moms review:

We roadschool more than we homeschool so I am always on the search for educational music and audio stories for my children. The entire family enjoyed going on an adventure with Under Drake's Flag on our most recent trip to Myrtle Beach. What better way to start off a beach vacation than with a story about the sea!

The set we received included 2 CDs, a study guide booklet and a pdf study guide curriculum. If you listen to both CDs straight through (which is what we did) you will enjoy 2 hours of exciting, engaging entertainment. Under Drake's Flag is great for entire family and is recommended for children ages 6 years old and up, though I could see slightly younger children enjoying it too.

Under Drake's Flag is not an audio story, or an audio drama it is an active listening audio adventure! Audio theatre is a little different because it is, "fun, entertaining and engaging and allows children to tap into, exercise and build their imagination by letting them create their own self-generated visual images and mental movies."

You will be on the edge of your seat as you set out on an adventure aboard The Golden Hinde with Ned Hawkshaw, Gerald and Sir Francis Drake, one of the most celebrated heroes in history. There are shark attacks, shipwrecks, fierce land and sea battles and more. My favorite thing about the Under Drake's Flag besides the fact that it based on true events is that it teaches children many important lessons, values and morals. Children will learn about history, bravery, selflessness, courage, valor and more. The shark attack was the children's favorite part. My favorite part was escape from the Spanish Inquisition.

Are you ready for an adventure on the high seas with one of the earliest pirates?

Henty's stories do have a Christian focus, but even secular families will enjoy listening to Under Drake's Flag and will be able to take away lots of great historical information and important morals.

The production quality is magnificent. The fast-paced dramatization was recorded in London and features fantastic actors, including Brian Bless an acclaimed British actor. The musical score was written by Emmy-award winning composer John Campbell (Lamplighter Theatre®, Focus on the Family Radio Theatre®, Adventures in Odyssey®) .  The face-paced script is very engaging and both of my children (ages 8 and 7) were completely captivated by the story. The sound effects and music really enhanced the story and made it feel as though we were watching a movie. 

Trailer:

Study Guides:
To further enhance the audio theater production each CD set comes with an abridged study guide booklet. In the booklet is a link to the complete study guide curriculum which includes even more information for helping your children understand the storyline and principles it teaches.

This booklet and study guide curriculum contain questions for discussion, vocabulary and a Bible study linked to the story. Under each chapter there are three sections, "Listening Well", "Thinking Further", and "Defining Words". Since each chapter in the story is numbered on the CD it is very easy to stop at your convenience to utilize the study guide.

Example of study guide curriculum.

"Listening Well" contains questions to make sure children are listening to the story. They will be asked questions to see what they have heard or what they remember. "Thinking Further" questions help your child utilize their critical thinking skills. Children will be asked to look up something they heard in the story, draw conclusions from characters' actions, or to speculate about intentions, mindset and character. "Defining Words" provides a list of vocabulary words that children may not be familiar with. At the very end of the study guide are 3 brief Bible studies to help your children understand godly character traits.

In the back of the pdf study guide curriculum there are also recommended resources for further exploring on Francis Drake.

Since we were traveling we listened to the entire story straight through and later when we arrived home discussed the questions and vocabulary. The children inevitably forgot parts of the story (or so they said) so we had to listen to it again at home on a rainy day. We snuggled up on the sofa and went through the story slowly pausing for the discussions. 

Wrap up:

This audio drama set is a great way to liven up history lessons and really bring them to life. Under Drake's Flag is one of the best audio dramas we have ever listened to. It is fun, engaging and great for the entire family. It is definitely one that we will listen to multiple times. The accompanying resources further extend the amazing audio story helping you create a fantastic mini history unit study on Sir Francis Drake (a 1500's explorer), the Spanish Inquisition and even slavery.

Links to follow:
-Under Drakes Flag Facebook.

Where to buy:
The Under Drake’s Flag, 2 CD set is $29.95 (physical CD set) there are other pricing options are available. 

Update:
In November Heirloom Audio Productions will be releasing a new audio theater production called In Freedom's Cause. This audio drama will cover the story behind the life and legacy of William Wallace and Robert the Bruce. Visit the In Freedom's Cause website or Facebook page for more information.

Click here for more Under Drakes Flag reviews (many different products were reviewed) from the The Schoolhouse Review Crew.