Computers and the Internet For Your Homeschool (Unschool) Curriculum - Continued
Karen M. Gibson
Science - Researching scientific theories and discoveries is made much easier by using the Internet. I have seen my children become interested in particular television shows and then research the science (light waves, biology, chemistry, and neurology) behind the shows, i.e. The Invisible Man and The Pretender.
If space is the interest, there are several sites that are invaluable, including the NASA website. You can find out when the next shuttle is launching and what their payload will include, when you can see the space station go overhead, read information about NASA’s current explorations and areas of experimentation, view daily Hubble pictures, and also sign up to receive daily emails containing space news.
http://www.nasa.gov/
http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/
Another interesting website that will also send you daily emails of new discoveries in space is Space.Com.
3D Star Maps
If your child desires to create images in 3D, MilkShape 3D is an excellent modeling program. My thirteen-year-old was creating recognizable designs within just a very short time.
Two television shows broadcast on PBS are always favorites in our home: Scientific American Frontiers and Nova. PBS has excellent web sites that allow further exploration.
http://www.pbs.org/saf/
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/
Writing – The computer and the Internet have provided many avenues for expression of my children’s written creativity. The oldest two children chat with their online friends, correspond by email, join email fan groups, and engage in online role playing games. All of these provide daily reasons for writing and communicating with others. They also write fanfic (fan fiction, i.e. short stories, plot lines, character developments revolving around and concerning the characters of the show/movie) for their favorite television shows and movies. The fanfic is posted up to the email list groups and the members critique it, make suggestions, allowing the writer to receive immediate feedback from his/her readers. David, whom I never thought would ever want to write, hating it intensely when he was younger, has been writing fanfic for the past several months based upon one of his favorite computer games, Homeworld.
Almost all computer games, movies, television shows, musicians and authors now have extensive web sites where you can learn more about the characters, the plots, the games, and also “meet” with other fans. Depending upon the age of your child and the type of site he wants to visit, you may wish to preview the site yourself or visit it with him.
Some sites my children frequent are:
If you have a budding writer in your family, there are many ways to give that child an outlet for his/her writings. Creating their own web page is fun, if they are interested in putting their work on the Internet. There are also magazines and web sites that encourage writers to submit their work for publication. One such is Stone Soup Magazine.
Another avenue is creating your own family Newsletter. This is something we have done in the past and is an effective way of keeping grandparents and other extended family in touch. Besides just writing about your own family, another variation is to have extended family members send a letter about their daily lives and add that to your newsletter.
Guide to Grammar and Writing
Community Resources – Another way of using the Internet, which we have found invaluable, is to locate groups, activities, and events in our community. When an interest comes along and we want to find a local group pertaining to that interest, we turn to a search engine and begin looking. This is the way we located our local astronomical society, the Civil Air Patrol Cadet program, and the Huntsville L5 Society (a division of the National Space Society). We keep tabs on upcoming events, like Renaissance Festivals, Air Shows, and museum exhibitions. We can quickly and easily find meeting places, dates and times, and topics.
Our family is definitely ‘plugged in’ and likely to stay that way.
Copyright August 2001
Originally published in the September/October 2001 issue of HELM (Home Education Learning Magazine)
