What: A Creation Science Workshop in Your Home!
When: Mondays, September 22 - October 27
Where: Talk-a-Latte Conference Room Online
Time: 10CST-11:30CST
Who: K-8th grade or anyone interested in the wonders of God's awesome creation!
Click Here:
First: If you did not read yesterdays post the majority of the information for the Creation Science Class for Kids is there... read yesterdays blog post.
Second: I was asked some very good questions and I did answer them in an e-mail to the person who asked but thought I would post them here also in case anyone else had the same questions. So here goes:
Q: Do I need to be on the computer sitting with my kids to watch a live video or is it via words that are typed?
A: Yes, you need to be sitting at the computer with your kids. At least in the room with them. My boys are 11 and 14 and I will let them be at the computer and I will be behind them listening and guiding them as to what to do. The software you need will be on Cindy Rushton's site and she will send an e-mail to you with details of what to do if you buy a ticket.
No, there is no video, it will be an audio class taught by Felice. The kids (and you) can type in questions like a big IM party with all the other class members.
Q: Also is the cost $29.95 for all 6 weeks or one week?
A: The cost is $29.95 for all 6 weeks and covers all the kids in your family and all the stuff (e-books, audios to download later so you can listen to the classes over again, experiments to do at home, and other free gifts. You will not believe what you get for your $29.95.
Q: Do I set up the science experiments on my own and they just give me the details??
A. The science experiments are supposed to be done by each family at home during the class, so that everyone is doing them at the same time. I do not know if that will be feasible for us since my computer is in my bedroom. We may do them before class so that we know what they will be doing during class and can still follow along... it depends on what the experiment consists of.
If you have any other questions just ask. If you sign up for the class and have questions about how to log on or anything else just ask, I keep a good eye on my comments. Also if you sign up for the classes and have trouble check the e-mail Cindy Rushton will send you. She has a website for technical problems.
Third:
Here is the article for today:
The Art of Expressing What You Believe
By Christina Gerwitz Moss
http://tinyurl.com/47vvv9
Write about what you know and where you have been. This is a common strategy—and I must admit a good one for those who teach writing basics. Yet, as you may expect, it is not the only way. In our first novel, The Missing Link: Found, this is exactly what my mother and I did; we wrote about a campsite we knew well and a fossil float in which we participated. This was a great way to begin writing as it allowed us to easily recall and dot our book with information we had personally observed and experienced. Well-known landmarks, and familiar sights and smells, added to the real-life element we strive to bring into our books. Yet, as the series progressed we gradually turned away from writing about only what we had experienced, and turned instead to that which we did not know.
We made this transition with the aid and support of research.
In Dinosaur Quest at: Diamond Peak we chose to set the second novel in Colorado on a dinos
aur dig—a somewhat risky move since neither my mother nor I had ever been there—or on a dinosaur dig for that matter. (It was not until a year after the book had been published, that I had the opportunity to travel to Colorado on a dinosaur dig!) In this novel we could no longer rely on what we knew about a place, instead we had to build on what other people wrote about the location. Everything from what kind of trees where found in Colorado to how they smelled and the effects the weather had on fossilized remains were all researched in great detail. Describing a place we had never been was not an easy endeavor, yet the library, information on national parks, and especially the internet were great aids in writing this book. Colorado was only a small part of all the research and investigation we did for this novel.
We, not only researched the location, but we also spent a lot of time pouring over Creation Science material and excavation practices in Colorado (which are very different than those carried out in Florida). In this book we decided to focus on controversial issues that dealt with the mountainous terrain of the book. We had the opportunity to touch on Polystrate fossils, the second law of thermodynamics, and spent a lot of time on the fossil record—as well as the written record of the flood. These aspects of creation science were woven into the story as the Tyrannosaurs remains were excavated.
So much can be gained from writing a novel—regardless of whether or not you know about the subject or have traveled to the location of your book. Research is often an awesome gateway into learning new information. It can broaden your understanding of a topic or lead you and possibly even your book into a completely new direction. When I began researching skydiving for novel two, I learned so much through books and the internet. Through research, I discovered the daring rescue we had Christian perform. I read that not only had it been attempted, but the skydiving move has also been successfully implemented by other real-life individuals. (To find out what happens you’ll have to read book #2 in the Truth Seekers Mystery Series!) Research, though a good method when you are unfamiliar about a topic it is not the only method used.
Observation and participation is another way to aid in writing; and one that we utilize often. It offers the authors an opportunity to analyze what we think is important and what we want the reader to extract from their reading experience. For example, when describing how Anna and Christian repelled down the mountain we were less focused on detailing the mechanics of the act (though we did add some information) but rather we focused more on the characters themselves. We attempted to capture how they felt about the experience (as Christians) and how they handled the pressure, which to us was the important part—and so we researched with that in mind. I have also been repelling with some friends (In Florida, and then after we wrote the book, in Colorado) and so I was able to bring not only my interpretation of the experience, but also that of my friends. At the time I was repelling, I was not thinking I would use the experience in a book. Yet, by being aware of my surroundings, and recalling how my friends talked about repelling this experience offered me wonderful information to use later in this novel.
I never know where another great story line is hidden or what information I will store in the back of my mind to use—but this is part of the adventure. Many times I’ve heard people say their life is boring or mundane. Pick up a pen and notepad or use a computer to write your own book. If this doesn’t sound fun—why don’t you instead select a good book—which can change your life—if only through its pages.
About Christina Gerwitz Moss...
Christina Gerwitz Moss was homeschooled K-12 and attended Florida Gulf Coast University. She graduated with a degree in Communication and a minor in Anthropology. She is married and has two children. Christina continues to write and is working on several manuscripts. Let Christina and her mom Felice help you teach Creation Science to your children each Monday morning from September 22-October 28. Learn more here:
http://tinyurl.com/47vvv9
Fourth: Here is a look at the schedule for the classes:
Creation Science
September 22-October 28
Class One:
The Creation Week
Class Two:
Flood Geology, Noah and the Fossil Record
Class Three:
Evidence for a Young Earth and the Big Bang
Class Four:
Thermodynamics, Problems with Darwin's Theory, False Concepts
Class Five:
DNA and Protein, Ernst Haeckel, Human Senses
Class Six:
What Scientists Believe, Bad Science, and Hoaxes
Have a Great Day!!
Debbie
I thought since this post was about preparing for Christmas I would start it off with one of my favorite family photos of us getting ready for Christmas! Nathan is a HAM! LOL and I am sure he will love me in spite of the fact that I am putting this on my blog. LOL :-)
