From 1948, the Homemade Homeschoolers Podcast Network presents this episode of Mr. President: George Washington.

Mr. President was a radio series that ran from 1947 to 1953 and starred Edward Arnold as a different U.S. president each week. The episodes focused on an event in the life of a particular President. A research staff made certain that the stories were accurate, but the script was constructed in such a way that the identity of the President was not revealed until the very end of the show. The challenge was to guess which President was being presented.

This episode is about George Washington, but we propose that parents play this for their children without revealing who it is about and see if they can identify which President is featured.

Just click the play button in the convenient player below, or use the subscription and download options to add these podcasts to your personal library or MP3 player.

*Note – we have also begun to upload all the episodes of Vintage Video to our new YouTube channel for added viewing and sharing options. Please visit the HMHS Podcast page. If you have an account on YouTube, be our friend!

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From 1965, The Homemade Homeschoolers Podcast Network presents We Learn About The Telephone.

This amazing film about Jimmy and Susie’s visit to their Uncle Bill’s home will certainly be a joy to viewers of all ages.

Uncle Bill is an illustrator, and he uses his talent to teach the children about man’s need for communication throughout history and up to the age of the telephone. Live action and animation mix to form a wonderfully fun educational movie. Produced by American Telephone and Telegraph.

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We officially embarked on another glorious year in the Hansen Homeschool on Monday!  I was ready, as were the kids (in my opinion).  They were desperately needing something to DO…know what I mean?  So, after a couple weeks of planning and messing with schedules, I have come up with a loose plan.

Social Studies: We are finishing up Time Travelers: The American Revolution by Homeschool in the Woods.  This is a wonderful unit study that I would highly recommend.  We supplement with lots of library books, episodes of Liberty’s Kids from Netflix, and Lessons from History-Art Part.  I also throw in the study of various countries related to whichever artist or musician we are currently studying, plenty of map work, and GeoScribe lessons.  My son has also specifically requested a unit study on Vikings, so we may fit that in before we advance to the 19th century.

Science: We have been using (for the last year plus) Considering God’s Creation.  I like it very much, but do supplement quite extensively.  This is MY subject, so it is easy for me to add to the lessons on the fly.  We are studying scientific classification, which is a bit of review from our previous study of Carolus Linnaeus last year.  After a couple more classes of vertebrates, we will delve into anatomy and physiology.  This will be interesting since it is my absolute favorite subject, but my son has bemoaned “I’m going to faint a lot this year!”  I will have to be wary of how in depth I get with him around!

Art: All three of my kids are avid artists.  They spend a good amount of their own free time every day drawing.  This being so, my art instruction is pretty relaxed.  What we spend our time in school doing is biographies of famous artists and studies of their major works of art.  This can and does spill over into other subjects as we study their countries and cultures as well.  A great book that kick started us on this is Discovering Great Artists.  You learn about the artist, his techniques, and try to imitate their style.  Great book.  Next up will be Thomas Gainsborough.

Music: Since daddy is a musician, it will fall to him to teach piano, guitar, harmonica, and/or drums as needed.  We also use our church songbook and learn a new song each week, singing it nightly as a family.  Since daddy is also a recording engineer, I have been nudging (strongly) to have him record the girls singing and work with them to perfect the songs.  Finally, we study classical musicians in the same way that we study artists, getting in about one each month (sometimes more).  We listen to their music throughout the month, learn about their lives, countries, cultures, and influences.  Next up is Franz Schubert.

Bible:  We read the bible every morning.  It is a good time to have the kids stand individually and read aloud as well.  I have found this helps them greatly with public speaking.  We have been reading through the New Testament.  This year we have joined a Community Bible Study group that meets once a week with homework to be completed through the week.  They have a class specifically for the homeschool kids and one for me as well!  The kids have also joined AWANAS for the first time and have started their own prayer journals.

Life Skills: My goal is to have each of the older kids be able to prepare one of our common weekly meals on their own by the end of the semester.  Micah is working on tacos and Hailey on spaghetti.  This will include planning, shopping, prep, cooking, and serving.  This is, of course, in addition to their standard chores and everyday helping/learning that comes with being a homeschooled kid!

Math: We use Math U See.  Although I have come close to considering a different curriculum in the past, I am now seeing the benefits of a strong foundation.  We will be sticking with MUS.  I have them in Beta, Gamma, and Delta this year.  We will also supplement with online drills, Addition the Fun Way, Times Alive, Mathmania, Calculadder, Math Mammoth, wrap ups, and lots of games.

Language Arts

Grammar: We use Easy Grammarand love it.  Simple to use, easy to understand, and the kids are doing well.

Spelling: We have struggled a LOT with this subject and although we do address it in their daily writing, I was not seeing improvement.  We tried several different programs with no great success.  I am currently using Sequential Spelling and feel it is the best fit.  No more tears and frustration!  I am seeing slow but steady improvement in their free writing with this program as well, so we’ll keep with it this year.  We also have a vocabulary word of the week with periodic review of these words in crosswords and flashcards.  These are words they come across in their reading and wonder what they mean; big words like portentous and epiphany.

Foreign Language: We will continue to use Rosetta Stone for Latin American Spanish and English from the Roots Up for Latin and Greek root words.

Reading: We will read, read, read, and read!  Each kid has a novel they are working on at all times.  We take 30 minutes during schooltime, but they also read in their free time and always at bedtime.  I always have a book I read aloud to them while they illustrate pictures for it as I read.  I am currently reading Redwall.  The older two read aloud during bible time and my youngest reads library books aloud to me as well as books from the online resource Reading A-Z which has evaluations available.

Writing: We will write whenever we can.  I incorporate it into all our other studies.  For example, if we are studying the Revolutionary War, I will read aloud about Nathan Hale then ask them to write me a paragraph about him.  They always know they will write a rough draft, I will correct it with editing notation, and then they will write a final draft.  We do this for anything I want them to write about:  reptiles, Mozart, Japan, etc.  Each of them has a reading log in which they write about whatever book they finish during their individual reading.  On days that I do not have a writing plan, they write in journals.  Usually these are fictional stories.  I also have them write book reports on stories I read aloud.  I try to make these fun.  For example:  after The Tale of Despereaux they wrote different sections of their book reports on the arms, legs, and body of their favorite character, then decorated the face to look like them.  Finally, we do plenty of copywork along with our various unit studies.

And of course we will do each and every one of these planned activities every single day….HA!!  In reality, I will allow it to be very fluid, with group work in the morning hours and individual work following that.  If we can get even a decent percentage of what I have planned done within a month, I will be happy.

This is a great find! Homemade Homeschoolers Podcast Network presents the first episode of Horizons West:  Mr. Jefferson’s Dream. This amazing radio Docu-Drama cir. 1962 or 1963 dramatizes the story of the Lewis and Clark Expedition; one of the greatest feats of exploration in history.

The series consisted of 13 episodes, and were produced for, and broadcasted on Armed Forces Radio and Television Service. We are offering the remaining 12 episodes in our products catalog as a package so that you and your family can continue the adventure with Lewis and Clark for just $0.99. These radio shows are a great supplement for your children when studying American History in your Homeschool this year, or just for the sheer excitement of listening to this wonderful radio program as a family.

If you are planning to study about the Lewis and Clark expedition this year, we have found some additional resources for you: Christianbooks.com has two versions of the diaries kept by Lewis and Clark on their extraordinary journeys; the 1st is Journals of Lewis and Clark, which corrects the spelling and grammatical errors made by the men writing in haste, as well as being edited for presentation in modern English; and The Journals of Lewis and Clark, which is pretty much presented the way it was written. Also available is the Lewis & Clark and the Louisiana Purchase Wall Map that you and your children can refer to as you listen and read about what President Jefferson referred to as “The Corps of Discovery”.

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From 1965, the HMHS Podcast Network presents Jay Can Do It, showing how an 11-year old boy and his brothers share each others interests and activities. This film suggests that experimenting, creating and doing a job well has real value in character-building. It includes projects such as building a tree house, baking cookies and coloring Easter eggs.

Now a little editorializing, if I may. Of course I believe that the benefits of homeshooling are myriad, but to keep on the subject and theme of this episode of Vintage Video I would like to share a couple here – keeping in mind that not only are our children home educated, but also live in a home devoid of television. While I understand that the majority of adults, young-adults, and even many children would view this video with a mocking eye; noting how “campy” or “corny” a film such as this is, our kids aren’t aware of that. Though they, as all of us, are capable of deriding such things, they don’t know to look scornfully on them. They take things at face value and make their own judgments. They see, hear and process things based simply on “Is this good, or is this bad?”

Our children aren’t influenced (what the homeschool detractors call socialization) by kids at public school – teaching them words and concepts that kids have no business even knowing about – or things on television programs and commercials that, again, children should not be exposed to. Those things are not socialization; they are indoctrination. Learning what clothes, hair styles, music and media, etc. are acceptable in a peer setting, or being taught how to look on those who are different as inferior or “un-cool” isn’t cool, nor is it socialization. Socialization is learning to apply the Golden Rule to everybody, and our kids get plenty of that; although they are still learning. Socialization is learning to speak in an appropriate manner, and saying words that are good. We have taught a simple axiom about proper speech: If the word sounds ugly it probably is ugly.

What does all that have to do with this video? Simple; our kids watch a video like this and like it… a lot.  We’ll ask what they like about it and they’ll each tell us what was neat to them: the tree-house, the Easter Eggs, the Policeman. When asked what they didn’t like they’ll answer with “We wish they showed more of the kitty!” There is no “It was totally lame, dad. Like, totally!” In fact, the little secret about the HomemadeHomeschoolers Podcasts is that they are for our kids. They love them. We listen to the radio shows while driving in the car, and the kids listen attentively. It allows for great discussions about life while traveling to our destination. They watch all the videos on the computer – and for special treats on daddy’s iPod! We always have a conversation about what they’ve watched, and they usually have wonderful questions. These podcasts have really opened up great learning opportunities even though my kids don’t know that they shouldn’t enjoy them.

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Here is our sweet little Jackson (who is now a whopping 95 pounds!).

I am getting on my soapbox for this post.  I had a bad weekend at work and am officially  tired of euthanizing cute little puppies when their ailments are completely preventable.  I had to euthanize SIX puppies over three days due to Parvovirus infections alone.  That is on top of the one that died and the two that were hospitalized!  And although this is , sadly, a very common disease, it is also very avoidable with normal vaccine protocol.  Kitties have their own diseases to be vaccinated against (like Leukemia and Feline Infectious Virus) and I urge you to have those vaccines administered.  However, in this post I am focusing on puppies due to the alarming number I have seen recently.  The owners, more often than not, reluctantly admit that they simply overlooked or were downright lazy about getting vaccines.  Then they have to make the decision to treat (at a cost of $500 for less agressive home therapy to between $800 -$1200 for hospitalization with only a 50% chance of survival) or to euthanize.  At those costs, you can see why a majority will need to opt for euthanasia.  However, the total cost of adequate preventative vaccinations is around $200 over 3 to 4 months.  It is very disheartening to someone working in the field.

What do vaccines do?

When puppies are born, their immune systems (the system within their bodies that fight infection) are not yet fully developed.  However, they have immunity (maternal antibodies) passed on from their mother while in the womb.  They receive antibodies in the first few days of nursing as well from a special milk called colostrum.  How long these antibodies last within the puppies is not exactly known and dependent upon many factors.  We do know they are gone completey by 16 weeks.  The decrease follows the latter half of a bell curve.  They are increasingly susceptible to infections during this time and if no vaccines are given, end up wide open for disease at a very young age.

When are vaccines given?

Check with your veterinarian for their recommended vaccine protocol, since each one will be slightly different.  For the purposes of this post, I will relay the protocol I am familiar with using.  Vaccines are given as the maternal antibodies are fading from the puppies’ systems and work to boost their immunities for short periods until their own immune systems have matured.  The first booster is given between 6 to 8 weeks of age.  Subsequent boosters follow the initial at 3 to 4 week intervals until the puppy has had a series of 4 vaccines.  For example, if starting at 8 weeks of age, vaccines would be given at 8, 11, 14, and 17 weeks (with the first Rabies vaccine also given at this time).  From that time on, vaccines are given yearly to booster immunity.  But, frankly, the puppy boosters are by far the most critical time especially for Parvovirus.

What are you vaccinating against?

The initial puppy boosters given are commonly referred to as the 7-in-1 or specifically DHLPP-Cv.  These are vaccinating against:  Distemper, Hepatitis/Adenovirus, Leptospirosis, Parvovirus, Parainfluenza, and Coronavirus.  You can read up on each of these by following the links.  The vaccines can be either a killed virus or a modified live virus.  The live virus is by far the better choice to stimulate the puppies’ immune system against the particular disease.  The live virus is “modified” by either mutating the DNA within a virus, or injecting harmless virus with the stimulatory proteins (those proteins that would  cause the immune system to respond to that particular virus) of the desired harmful virus.

All in all, my message is simply:  PLEASE vaccinate your puppies!  If  cost is a concern, some veterinarians will give the vaccines without an exam fee if requested, or most will hold vaccine clinics where they vaccinate at greatly discounted prices.  Since vaccines are extremely susceptible to temperature, I would not reccommend getting them yourself at a CO-OP unless you are absolutely certain that adequate refrigeration is provided when delivered and stored.  If cost is still a concern, even using these options, may I gently but strongly suggest that it is not a good time for you to have a new puppy?

Here is a great easy to understand graphic chart on the immune system.

For the older kids, here is Microbiology Coloring Book including the immune response cascade.  I love this series and already have the kids starting on Anatomy Coloring Book, The (3rd Edition).

If you have any questions or comments regarding vaccines, pets, and veterinary care, please use our commenting system and I will respond!

From 1937, the Homemade Homeschoolers Podcast Network presents the first episode of Jerry of The Circus: Letter for Sam Randall.

Jerry of The Circus, a 15 minute series for children, follows the adventures Of Jerry and his dog Rags who joins Sam Randall’s Circus after the death of his Family. It was followed by the series Jerry at Fair Oaks.

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Now, you and your family can continue the adventure! We are offering the complete series – of 130 episodes, 128 are known to exist – in our product shop as a download. The 1st album is available now and contains 43 episodes for $0.99. That is over 10 hours of audio! It picks up with episode 2 and continues this classic children’s serial from the Golden Age of Radio. Practically everyone has dreamt of joining the Circus!

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From 1949, the HMHS Podcast Network presents the second part of this excellent film: Your Fire Department.

Make sure you have watched the first part with your little firefighter on the HMHS Podcast Network. Our kids really enjoyed it, and so will yours!

Remember, we’ve made it very convenient and easy to share these posts with your friends and family. Use the “Share/Save” tab below this post for options to share on your favorite social sites like Facebook, Twitter, and many more. Chances are you know a firefighter; use the email option to send a link to this video. It would be great for them to watch and explain the similarities and differences in the Fire Department of 1949 compared to now with your children.

Of course, the simplest way to personally enjoy the HMHS Podcast Network  is to subscribe. Use the options below this post to subscribe in your favorite podcatcher or RSS reader, and have each new episode delivered right to you when they are available.

We’re very pleased with the number of people subscribing! If you enjoy these podcasts please share them. Stay tuned for more shows in the works – including a real “live” show with us at Homemade Homeschoolers.

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My mom sent me this little sayaing the other day.  It was told to her by my great aunt in the 1960’s.  I thought it was fun.  I’m going to see if my kids can come up with some as well.  See what your kids can do!

Where can a man find a cap for his knee,

Or a key for the lock of his hair?

Can his eyes be called an academy,

Because there are pupils there?

In the crown of his head, what gems are found?

Who travels the bridge of his nose?

Can he use, when shingling the roof of his mouth,

The nails on the end of his toes?

Can the crook of his arm be sent to jail?

If so, what did it do?

How does he sharpen his shoulder blades?

I’ll be hanged if I know, do you?

The Adventures of Jungle Jim, True Friend to all good men, relentless enemy of all bad ones no matter what their race or creed may be.

Jungle Jim began as a newspaper comic strip chronicling the adventures of hunter Jim Bradley, who was nicknamed Jungle Jim. The Adventures of Jungle Jim radio series premiered November 2, 1935 with this episode titled The Bat Woman.

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