Wednesday, July 10, 2013

Get Ready For an Eruption of FUN With Volatile Volcanoes!




From the first signs of ash and steam erupting from the peak, to the lava flow and the explosive sounds that accompany an erupting volcano, these are astounding geographical wonders to behold for kids of all ages. As the rivers of molten rock run down the sides of the volcano, kids ooohhh and aaaaahh and stare with wonder. They are fascinated with these fiery mountains!

Volcanoes make a perfect unit study topic and provide a wonderful learning tool. From the parts of a volcano, to the flow of lava, Volatile Volcanoes is going to take your child on a new and exciting learning adventure!


on sale now through 7/13/13 for just $5!

Monday, July 8, 2013

Teaching is EASY When You...


Get ready to capture their curiosity with some fun summer titles on sale this week!  In addition, we have 3 ways to save and FREE planner download that will help you prepare for the next school year!

1st way to save:
Buy 5, Save $5 - purchase 5 titles of your choice at one time, and we will give you $5 off your order - this includes sale items!  There is no limit and no codes required. It's really that easy to save, and we are getting the sale started with 5 fun titles - check it out below!

2nd way to save:
Purchase 10 units in July and you earn a FREE unit in August. Purchase 15 units and we’ll give you 2 FREE units in August! To qualify, the 10 unit studies can be purchased at anytime during the month and we keep track of them for you. Take advantage of the "buy 5, save $5" deal and you are half way there! There is no limit and it includes sale items!

3rd way to save:
To help make school time feel like play time, we have some great deals lined up on our specials page! Check them out!


Sale ends 7/13/13.

For more fun, follow us on Facebook, Pinterest, and Twitter!



Don't forget to grab your FREE Build a Year Planner! It makes planning so very simple AND you save big in the process. We'll be offering weekly savings this month on a huge variety of titles to help you fill in the planner for a year of exciting learning adventures!

Friday, July 5, 2013

Building Blocks, Toolboxes, and Go-Carts . . .

It all began with their fascination with LEGO building blocks, and both daughter and sons were hooked. From princess castles to space alien destroyers, they created and built all kinds of wonders. Their imaginations were in full gear, and I learned to wear slippers at night to avoid the pain of the sharp edges of stray pieces. :)

From there they moved to slot car sets, and their dad taught them all about modifying race cars to get maximum speed. They learned about racing strategy and how to distract their siblings at critical moments in a race. The challenge of creating a track layout that was all their own was huge, and they had a blast with the possibilities.

As they grew older, my husband made sure that they each had their own toolbox. He included the basic tools, and made sure that they knew how to use them. The days of toys were over as he moved the boys on to taking apart real engines and reassembling them. They tinkered with boat motors, lawn mower engines, go-cart motors, and tractor engines. The kitchen table was typically covered with newspaper and something in a state of disassembly and discovery.

My job during all of this? I took them from Henry Ford to Rudolf Diesel and beyond using a unit study approach. Turning their interests into a tangible path of learning, they learned all about the parts of cars and engines, and there was plenty of hands-on learning along the way. They will never forget our day at the Corvette factory!

Build on your child’s curiosity to open new areas of unforgettable learning. The Auto Racing Unit Study is a great place to start for the builders, tinkerers, take-everything-aparters, and gearheads in your house. It’s only $6 this week, and it offers a 4-week unit study adventure!

Enjoying the journey,
Amanda B.

PS. Check out my Auto Racing Pinterest board for fun!

Thursday, July 4, 2013

Tell Your Stories for Generations to Come!

Do you have boxes of pictures and mementos, loosely stuffed baby books, and photo envelopes with the negatives sliding all over in the back of the closet? 

These bits and pieces of the past are part of your family legacy, and you can use this four-week unit study to assemble scrapbooks that will help tell your stories for generations to come. From your mother's cheerleading picture to the tassel from your own high school graduation, all of these have a story to tell. Use this study to prepare a lasting library of the history of your family!

What a fun summer project for the whole family! 

  • Did you know that Thomas Jefferson and Mark Twain were avid scrapbookers? 
  • Did you know that girls would include hair weavings in their scrapbooks of the 1800s? 
  • Did you know that Mark Twain probably made more money from a scrapbooking invention than he did from royalties on his books?
Even as you read this, I am pulling out pile after pile of pictures and memorabilia—assembling the piles in a corner of the family room. Using this unit study, we will organize and assemble records of our adventures. After 20+ years of marriage and three children, I have a LOT to organize, and so much to share with our children! Come along and join me—we will tackle this project together!

Scrapbooking is on sale now through 7/6/13 for just $6!

Wednesday, July 3, 2013

A Gift From the Astronauts

When I first married, right after graduation from college with a degree in engineering, I received some mail from NASA. They were looking for candidates for the shuttle program—for "shuttle specialists." Wow! I had always dreamed of space travel and star-watching from above the earth! However, I was newly married and moving in a different direction with my life, and I was happy to be where I was. But the fascination with space and space travel was never far from my mind.

Years later, we began homeschooling, and we were blessed to be living on the Space Coast of Florida, just south of Cape Canaveral. One of the first unit studies that I wrote for our crew was Space; I figured that even if I really messed up, NASA was right up the road and they could fill in the blanks! ☺

We spent ten years there and loved every launch and every moment of space news and space talk. The kids grew up thinking that the swing set was MADE for watching space shuttle launches, and that everyone in the world watched launches with the same enthusiasm and excitement. Whenever we could, we would get launch passes to go wait with the crowds for the launches, bringing blankets and picnic baskets and binoculars.

One of the best blessings from our frequent visits to the Cape came from the astronauts themselves—yes, the men and women who live, breathe, eat, and sleep their dreams of going to space. They devote much of their time to their space training and their own families, but they do make a special effort to share their stories and dreams with children of all ages. They always take time to reach out to children, and what a legacy of influence they have left us!

We met many of the astronauts, attended their presentations, watched home movies of their childhoods, and heard them share some of their own experiences of growing up. We always came away so fired up about space and each child's opportunity to follow his or her dreams. These astronauts demonstrated their commitment and love of their work in all that they did, and I am so thankful that they shared this with children.

You see, they very carefully shared their own stories, with the emphasis on "whatever your dream is—follow it!" They stressed the importance of doing your best, studying hard, and not giving up, demonstrating the meaning of commitment by their own efforts. Our children have autographs of many astronauts, but what they hold in their hearts are the astronauts' stories, hopes, and words of encouragement.

I thank God for our astronauts—for those that we have lost and for those that will now carry on the adventure. They will motivate unknown numbers of children (and many adults) to follow their dreams and strive to do their best, and somehow, coming from these people who know what it means to do just this—it is a priceless gift, indeed.

Blessings,
Amanda B.

Tuesday, July 2, 2013

Picture This, Mom…




Have some fun and see the world through your child’s eyes! Hand him a digital camera or phone (an old phone or camera might be a good idea), and ask him to go take five pictures of things that he likes. He gets to choose the items and how they are framed, and then he gets to show off his works of art.

Put the pictures on your computer or phone as a screensaver, and show them off to family and friends. Then, watch your child bask in the limelight, and want to know when he gets to do this again. You can ask him to take pictures of five rocks, five trees, five blue things, and on and on.

Enjoy the view as they see it, and know that you are encouraging their creativity and curiosity!

Blessings,
Amanda B.

Monday, July 1, 2013

We're giving away a Kindle Fire!


Win a Kindle Fire 
and take USAB Unit Studies on the go!

This week, we have some super fun topics on sale that will help you make school time feel like play time. AND, last month's promos were so popular that we are continuing them again this month!  Read on to find out about one one of our biggest sales of the year, and then don't forget to scroll down for a chance to win a Kindle Fire! 

1st way to save:
Buy 5, Save $5 - purchase 5 titles of your choice at one time, and we will give you $5 off your order - this includes sale items!  There is no limit and no codes required. It's really that easy to save, and we are getting the sale started with 5 fun titles - check it out below!

2nd way to save:
Purchase 10 units in July and you earn a FREE unit in August. Purchase 15 units and we’ll give you 2 FREE units in August! To qualify, the 10 unit studies can be purchased at anytime during the month and we keep track of them for you. Take advantage of the "buy 5, save $5" deal and you are half way there! There is no limit and it includes sale items!

3rd way to save:
To help make school time feel like play time, we have some great deals lined up on our specials page! Check them out!

Space - $6

Sale ends 7/06/13.

For more fun, follow us on Facebook, Pinterest, and Twitter!




Don't forget to grab your FREE Build a Year Planner! It makes planning so very simple AND you save big in the process. We'll be offering weekly savings this month on a huge variety of titles to help you fill in the planner for a year of exciting learning adventures!



This giveaway is over and we have chosen a winner!
Congratulations to Elizabeth B. of Ashland, NY
!