If workbooks are getting boring, and cabin fever is setting in, it might just be the right time for you to add some fun to your homeschool. Games, contests, and more can break up any monotony you are facing. You'll find ideas for field trips and extracurricular activities. And you may find that your kids think "doing school" is funner than anything else they can imagine!
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ExploraVision |
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ExploraVision is a competition for all students in grades K-12 attending a school in the U.S., Canada, U.S. Territory or a Department of Defense school. Homeschooled students are eligible to enter. It is designed to encourage students to combine their imagination with their knowledge of science and technology to explore visions of the future. Teams of students select a technology, research how it works and why it was invented, and then project how that technology may change in the future. They must then identify what breakthroughs are required for their vision to become a reality and describe the positive and negative consequences of their technology on society. Winning ideas have focused on things as simple as ballpoint pens and as complex as satellite communications. The student teams write a paper and draw a series of Web page graphics to describe their idea. Regional winners make a Web site and a prototype of their future vision. |
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UCTheFuture - Life in the Year 2047 |
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This contest involves electronically or manually submitting a graphic depiction (drawing, photo or other image) along with a 50 to 100-word description of what an aspect of the world will look like in the year 2047.
A $1,000 prize will be awarded to the winning entry chosen from the first 50 entries submitted and selected for viewing on the UCTheFuture web site.
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USA Computing Olympiad /International Olympiad in Informatics (IOI) |
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The IOI is the premier world wide high school computer programming competition. The USACO supports pre-college computing around the world through computer programming competitions and training materials.
The USACO holds six Internet Contests during the academic year, and in the late Spring conducts the US Open, a proctored exam. Based on the results of these contests, 16 students are invited to an all-expense-paid training camp in the early summer, where 4 students are selected to be the US Team at the International Olympiad in Informatics (IOI). To access the current year's information, click on the link on the left-hand menu.
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A Successful Field Trip is Just Four "P's" Away |
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Beth Ann Erickson |
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There are some basic steps to take to ensure that a field trip is well planned, well attended, and useful, interesting, fun, and relevant to those participating. Learn what the four "P's" are and how to get the most out of your next homeschool group field trip. |
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Homeschool Pen Pals |
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As more homeschoolers go online, more sites will be developed to help homeschoolers use the Internet. This section of the Homeschool Internet Yellow Pages was developed to encourage homeschoolers to develop good online friendships. Parents and their children can browse through this database and contact any pen pal with whom they'd like to correspond. |
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