It Came from the Search Terms: September
I’ve seen other bloggers round this up, and I always enjoy it, so I thought we might do it, too. Here’s what people have searched for that brought them to HSL in September — with comments that may point them in the right direction!
Hero’s Journey movies
So maybe people are finding what they’re looking for in this post, but there are lots more movies that reflect the stages of the hero’s journey. The Hobbit (even though it didn’t need to be split into three movies!) is a good one; see also:
The Lion King (which manages to be a hero’s journey narrative even though Hamlet — on which it’s loosely based — ISN’T really a hero’s journey narrative, which would totally be a fun thing to discuss with a high schooler)
O Brother Where Art Thou (which may be cheating a little since it’s based on The Odyssey, arguably the original hero’s journey)
Buffy the Vampire Slayer (the 1992 movie)
Geography books for middle school
In fact, I’m not sure books are the best tools for middle school geography. Books can be a great way to introduce geography to younger students — the Sleeping Press state books are really delightful, for example — and for digging into the nuances of geography with older students (How to Lie with Maps and The Map the Changed the World are fascinating options), but for middle school, I think doing trumps reading for studying geography. Obviously mapping places is part of this, but I love hands-on projects like clothesline geography, landscape in a box, and role-playing geography adventures like planning a climbing trip to Mount Everest.
Nature study curriculum
I’ve been reading a lot of Emerson and Thoreau lately, and I feel like they’ve illuminated a problem for me of secular homeschooling: Really nature-y nature study curricula get all religious about nature. I feel like some of that comes from this Emersonian notion that spending time in Nature (with a capital N) is necessarily a spiritual experience. So it’s maybe not surprising that a 100% secular nature study curriculum is hard to find. So here’s what I’d do — unless you just want to grab a copy of The Nature Connection, which isn’t a curriculum, but which has served as one for us for many years: Pick a topic each year, and dig into it together. One year, you might study bugs — hit the library for books, sign up for any bug-related classes at your local nature center, curate a collection of bug photos from your neighborhood, watch documentaries about bugs, build an ant farm, go on a bug hunt in your nearest green space every day — basically make thinking about bugs part of your regular routine. The next year you could tackle trees (and make a big leaf book, take bark rubbings, etc) or weather (build a barometer, measure your backyard rainfall, keep a sky chart, etc.). Instead of a curriculum, work on making nature study part of your routine, and develop in the directions that follow your child’s interest.
What did Vikings give each other as gifts?
I’m guessing people end up here because of our Norse mythology gift guide, but the answer to this question (which I had to research a little) proves to be pretty interesting. We think of Vikings as pillagers and plunderers, but gift-giving and hospitality were an important part of Viking culture, too. In The Tale of Audun from the West Fjords (an Icelandic saga that dates back to the 1200s C.E. in written form), Audun is given generous gifts by King Svien of Denmark, including the gold bracelet from his own arm. In Njáls saga (c.1280), King Harald of Denmark gives the warrior Gunnar some of his own clothes, a pair of embroidered gloves, and a “Russian hat.” What’s interesting is that in both these cases, we see two ideas that recur in Viking gift-giving: First up, gifts definitely come with strings attached — gifts are repayments for favors given or down payments on future favors. And second, the most meaningful gifts aren’t things you go out and procure, but things you own and love, making giving them to someone else a little bit of a sacrifice. That’s why so many gifts involve clothing and ornaments. So there you go.
(We’re Amazon affiliates, so if you purchase something through an Amazon link, we may receive a small percentage of the sale. Obviously this doesn’t influence what we recommend, and we link to places other than Amazon.)
Don’t dread higher math! Get inspired with these resources that will give you confidence and ideas for middle and high school math in your secular homeschool.
Looking for a middle grades fantasy for your next homeschool readaloud? We review three of our newer faves: The Time of Green Magic, Amari and the Night Brothers, and The Language of Ghosts.
Three action-packed YA novels that might just scratch your homeschool reading sweet spot.
Celebrate the birthday of the renowned physicist, mathematician, astronomer, natural philosopher, alchemist, and theologian on January 4 with an Isaac Newton homeschool unit study.
Need a new series for winter readaloud season? We have a few ideas.
In this funny, old-fashioned story, two Dalmatian parents set off to rescue their kidnapped puppies. It's so much more fun than the movie!
A wintry middle grades mystery that may remind you a little of The Westing Game.
Rebecca loves the nerdy grammar fun of Michael Clay Thompson’s Language Arts. It may not be for everyone, but it’s definitely for word lovers.
Celebrate the shortest day of the year by exploring the science of the seasons.
If you’ve got a reader who’s always ready for an excuse to hang with the gang from River Heights, one of these gifts might be a fun addition to your holiday wish list.
In this sweet winter story, a friendly troll reminds a farm full of creatures that spring is coming.
Our homeschool gift guide for A Wrinkle in Time readers features gifts inspired by classic literature, from t-shirts to kitchen tools and everything in-between.
Homemade gifts you can actually make with your kids that your friends will actually be happy to get.
What makes a great gift for your favorite Mysterious Benedict Society fan? Puzzling puzzles, in-case-of-emergency-supplies, and — of course — books.
Our favorite homeschool books from this year’s reading lists.
Here’s our annual roundup of all the books we want to give and get this holiday season.
Thanksgiving gets weird when a butcher mishap leads a kid to a 266-pound chicken.
Be a magical librarian, choose your own adventure, get your Shakespeare on, and more games we want to give and get and (mostly) play this holiday season. These are our favorite homeschool board games.
If you’ve got a kid who finds the humor in this hilarious apocalyptic tale, these gifts may be just the ticket.
Why is it so easy to hate England's notorious King John? Oh, let us count the ways in this trash-talking unit study.
“A Community Conversation to Understand the U.S. Constitution” was a profound and powerful experience for Carrie’s homeschool.
Book or movie? With so many Christie adaptations and books to choose from, we’ve rounded up the cinematic cream of the crop and the stories that give the most mystery mileage.
It’s the end of the world as we know it — and sometimes that’s not as bad as it seems. These 10 books about the end of the world are great for starting big conversations with your high school homeschooler.
If you’re looking for a twisty turner teen thriller, these recent YA books about teens in dangerous situations may be just what you’re looking for.
It's that time again! We've rounded up some great ways to celebrate your first day of the new homeschool year, whether you want to keep it simple at home or take a big adventure together.
Modern Gothic, hopeful speculative YA, classic kids lit mash-up, and one of my favorite new book discoveries made May an awesome reading month.
Nature time is one of the best parts of homeschooling — and a weekend camping trip is the ultimate homeschool nature adventure. Here’s how to make your homeschool camping trip a fun experience for the whole family.
A book with a homeschooling scientist as the main character and lots of cool geology facts? We love to see it.
If you have a kid who dreams of starting a business, these readalouds will help inspire them.
Amy Sharony is the founder and editor-in-chief of home | school | life magazine. She's a pretty nice person until someone starts pluralizing things with apostrophes, but then all bets are off.
Covid cases are spiking, and lots of secular homeschool families are still navigating social activities with extra caution. Having clear policies for homeschool co-ops and get-togethers can help all the folks in your community make the best choices for their families.