Homonyms from Acts to Affect

by Lisa Binion

Homonyms are a source of confusion for many people. These words sound exactly alike, but each one has its own way of being spelled and its own meaning. I never realized how many homonyms there were until I began to search for them. This article covers only a few of the many homonyms I have discovered.

Acts, besides being a book in the New Testament of the Bible, are deeds that people have done. Acts are also divisions in a play.
The book of Acts was written by the apostle Paul.
The ruler's noble acts were recorded for his historians.
The play has five acts.
An ax is a sharp instrument used to chop down a tree or some other object.
The farmer practiced chopping with his new ax.

Ad is short for advertisement, an announcement of goods or products for sale.
The ad for the new tennis shoes ran every five minutes.
Add is short for addition, the process of finding the total of two or more numbers.
Lakeisha is learning how to add in math class.

Adds - When one adds, one says or writes more, one finds the totals of two or more numbers. Or one may increase the number of something.
She continually adds more words to the script.
Ads is more than one advertisement.
Several ads for the new movie appeared all over town.
An adze is an axelike tool used for chopping.
He went to the hardware store to buy a new adze.

When someone drinks an ade, they are drinking a fruit beverage.
Beverly sold an ade made from peaches and bananas to raise money for her project.
When you help someone do some work, you aid them.
Mother needs some aid with her housework.
An aide is an assistant.
Mr. Hodgins hired a new aide.

An aerie, or an eagle’s nest, is something that most of us will never have the pleasure of viewing.
The arduous climb up the cliff was well worth the view of the aerie that Joseph now beheld.
Airy means breezy.
The airy day was perfect for hanging laundry outside on the clothesline.

Aero has to do with aircraft.
The aero engine was difficult to work on.
An arrow is a slender, straight pointed missile or weapon made to be shot from a bow.
Timothy aimed the bow and arrow at the approaching deer.

Affect means to change.
Not studying for the test will affect your grade in a negative way.
Effect means result.
As an effect of studying for the test, Jerri scored 100%.

Advantages of Reading More Advanced Books

Reading books can be fun. Children love to get into the stories. Yet, there comes a time when they might need to be reading more advanced books. Why? There are several advantages to reading books more advanced that what your child typically reads.

By reading more advanced books, children get to see that there is more to reading. They can get excited about more words and deeper adventures. If a child thinks that what they have before them is all there is, the thrill of reading might diminish. Keep the thrill alive by letting them look over more advanced books and even trying them.

A child gets pushed academically and mentally when they are exposed to more advanced books. They are not hounded to do better or expected to be prodigies. They do get out of the rut they might themselves in. Advanced books keep children from being complacent. When a child is pushed, they are challenged. Research has shown that when the brain is challenged, it grows stronger (as seen in older patients). Pushing the brain to think harder gives your child the ability to think further and deeper.

When a child is exposed to books above their reading level they begin to expand how their brain thinks. Too many times, children get into classes that they find hard. They cannot “think outside the box”. They might get used to having things “fed” to them or answers being found quickly and easily. By having a child look to more advanced books, it has the mind find new ways to think. Cells and pathways are opened up and more parts of the brain begin to challenged and used. Many times children will begin to find that they have a larger vocabulary or can reason situations out much quicker. The brain can get its exercise.

The critical thinking skills of a child improve when they are challenged with more advanced reading. This is done mainly by more complex sentence structure, new words, and scenarios that require more thinking. Add more advanced reading with discussion, and the child’s mind learns to think in three dimensions. They begin to look for other reasons a character might act a certain way. They will begin to anticipate more complicated scenes.

When children are using more advanced reading material, there are effects on other subjects. They begin to see vocabulary words in other subjects. They begin to use those critical thinking skills on math and science. The light bulb comes on. The reasoning and problem solving that is used in more advanced reading can be used anywhere in life. You could see a mass improvement in other areas.

Exposing your child to more advanced reading material is a great way to challenge them and get them even more excited about reading. The key is to not give them material that is too advanced which can actually discourage them from reading. Making reading exciting and not scary.

Want to help your children learn to read more and enjoy it? Check out All About Reading. You won't be disappointed.

Geography Books for Lower Elementary Ages

Geography can be fun. Learning about your state, country, and the world exposes you to new cultures. Here is a list of fun books about geography designed for lower elementary children. You can find projects, crafts, and other activities as you learn about geography. You will notice that not all fifty states of the United States are listed. This is because the list is only a starting point for your geography discoveries.

Alaska Geography Projects: 30 Cool, Activities, Crafts, Experiments & More for Kids to Do to Learn About Your State (Alaska Experience)  by Carole Marsh
Alfred Visits Minnesota (Alfred Visits...)  by Elizabeth O'Neil
Alfred Visits Virginia  by Elizabeth Oneal
Arizona Geography Projects: 30 Cool, Activities, Crafts, Experiments & More for Kids to Do to Learn About Your State (Arizona Experience)  by Carole Marsh
Around the World Coloring Book  by Winky Adam
California Geography Projects: 30 Cool, Activities, Crafts, Experiments & More for Kids to Do to Learn About Your State (California Experience)  by Carole Marsh
Colorado Geography Projects: 30 Cool, Activities, Crafts, Experiments & More for Kids to Do to Learn About Your State (Colorado Experience)  by Carole Marsh
Connecticut Geography Projects: 30 Cool Activities, Crafts, Experiments & More for Kids to Do! (Connecticut Experience)  by Carole Marsh
Discovering Geography of North America with Books Kids Love  by Carol J. Fuhler
First Atlas (Rand Mcnally for Kids)  by Claire Henley
Florida Geography Projects: 30 Cool, Activities, Crafts, Experiments & More for Kids to Do (Florida Experience)  by Carole Marsh
Food and Recipes of China (Kids in the Kitchen.)  by Theresa M. Beatty
Food and Recipes of the Caribbean (Beatty, Theresa M. Kids in the Kitchen.)  by Theresa M. Beatty
Geography Crafts for Kids: 50 Cool Projects & Activities for Exploring the World  by Joe Rhatigan
Geography from A to Z: A Picture Glossary (Trophy Picture Books)  by Jack Knowlton
Geography Wizardry for Kids  by Margaret Kenda
Georgia Geography Projects: 30 Cool, Activities, Crafts, Experiments & More for Kids to Do to Learn About Your State (Georgia Experience)  by Carole Marsh
Hawaii Geography Projects: 30 Cool, Activities, Crafts, Experiments & More for Kids to Do to Learn About Your State (Hawaii Experience)  by Carole Marsh
Idaho Geography Projects: 30 Cool, Activities, Crafts, Experiments & More for Kids to Do to Learn About Your State (Idaho Experience)  by Carole Marsh
Illinois Geography Projects: 30 Cool Activities, Crafts, Experiments & More for Kids to Do  by Carole Marsh
Indiana Geography Projects: 30 Cool, Activities, Crafts, Experiments & More for Kids to Do to Learn About Your State (Indiana Experience)  by Carole Marsh
Iowa Geography Projects: 30 Cool, Activities, Crafts, Experiments & More for Kids to Do! (Iowa Experience)  by Carole Marsh
Kansas Geography Projects: 30 Cool, Activities, Crafts, Experiments & More for Kids to Do (Kansas Experience)  by Carole Marsh
Kentucky Geography Projects: 30 Cool, Activities, Crafts, Experiments & More for Kids to Do to Learn About Your State (Kentucky Experience)  by Carole Marsh
Kids Almanac of Geography  by Jenny E. Tesar
Kids in Ancient Rome (Wroble, Lisa a. Kids Throughout History.)  by Lisa A. Wroble
Louisiana Geography Projects: 30 Cool, Activities, Crafts, Experiments & More for Kids to Do to Learn About Your State (Louisiana Experience)  by Carole Marsh
Maine Geography Projects: 30 Cool, Activities, Crafts, Experiments & More for Kids to Do to Learn About Your State (Maine Experience)  by Carole Marsh
Maps and Mapping (Science Kids)  by Deborah Chancellor
Massachusetts Geography Projects: 30 Cool, Activities, Crafts, Experiments & More for Kids to Do to Learn About Your State (Massachusetts Experience)  by Carole Marsh
Me on the Map (Dragonfly Books)  by Joan Sweeney
Michigan Geography Projects: 30 Cool, Activities, Crafts, Experiments & More for Kids to Do (Michigan Experience)  by Carole Marsh
Mississippi Geography Projects: 30 Cool, Activities, Crafts, Experiments & More for Kids to Do to Learn About Your State (Mississippi Experience)  by Carole Marsh
Montana Geography Projects: 30 Cool, Activities, Crafts, Experiments & More for Kids to Do to Learn About Your State (Montana Experience)  by Carole Marsh
National Geographic Beginner's United States Atlas (National Geographic Kids)  by National Geographic
Nevada Geography Projects: 30 Cool, Activities, Crafts, Experiments & More for Kids to Do to Learn About Your State (Nevada Experience)  by Carole Marsh
New Jersey Geography Projects: 30 Cool, Activities, Crafts, Experiments & More for Kids to Do to Learn About Your State (New Jersey Experience)  by Carole Marsh
New Mexico Geography Projects: 30 Cool, Activities, Crafts, Experiments & More for Kids to Do to Learn About Your State (New Mexico Experience)  by Carole Marsh
New York Geography Projects: 30 Cool, Activities, Crafts, Experiments & More for Kids to Do to Learn About Your State (New York Experience)  by Carole Marsh
North Dakota Geography Projects: 30 Cool, Activities, Crafts, Experiments & More for Kids to Do to Learn About Your State (North Dakota Experience)  by Carole Marsh
O Is for Oregon: Written by Kids for Kids (See My State)  by Winterhaven School
Ohio Geography Projects: 30 Cool, Activities, Crafts, Experiments & More for Kids to Do! (Ohio Experience)  by Carole Marsh
Pennsylvania Geography Projects: 30 Cool, Activities, Crafts, Experiments & More for Kids to Do!  by Carole Marsh
Rhode Island Geography Projects: 30 Cool, Activities, Crafts, Experiments & More for Kids to Do to Learn About Your State (Rhode Island Experience)  by Carole Marsh
Scholastic Success With Maps Workbook Grade 2 (Grades 2)  by Linda Beech
Smart Kids Picture Atlas  by Roger Priddy
South Carolina Geography Projects: 30 Cool, Activities, Crafts, Experiments & More for Kids to Do to Learn About Your State (South Carolina Experience)  by Carole Marsh
Tennessee Geography Projects: 30 Cool, Activities, Crafts, Experiments & More for Kids to Do to Learn About Your State (Tennessee Experience)  by Carole Marsh
Texas Geography Projects: 30 Cool, Activities, Crafts, Experiments & More for Kids to Do to Learn About Your State (Texas Experience)  by Carole Marsh
The Everything Kids' States Book: Wind Your Way Across Our Great Nation (Everything Kids Series)  by Brian Thornton
The Scrambled States of America book & CD set  by Laurie Keller
The World Almanac for Kids Puzzler Deck: Geography & the 50 States, Ages 7-9, Grades 2-3  by Lynn Brunelle
THE WORLD IS FLAT: NOT! Cool New World Maps for Kids  by W. Frederick Zimmerman
Utah Geography Projects: 30 Cool, Activities, Crafts, Experiments & More for Kids to Do to Learn About Your State (Utah Experience)  by Carole Marsh
Virginia Geography Projects: 30 Cool, Activities, Crafts, Experiments & More for Kids to Do to Learn About Your State (Virginia Experience)  by Carole Marsh
W Is for Washington: Written by Kids for Kids (See My State)  by Wenatchee High School
Walking the Bible CD: An Illustrated Journey for Kids Through the Greatest Stories Ever Told  by Bruce Feiler
Washington Geography Projects: 30 Cool, Activities, Crafts, Experiments & More for Kids to Do to Learn About Your State (Washington Experience)  by Carole Marsh
Where In The World?  by Renee Jablow
Wisconsin Geography Projects: 30 Cool, Activities, Crafts, Experiments & More for Kids to Do! (Wisconsin Experience)  by Carole Marsh
Wyoming Geography Projects: 30 Cool, Activities, Crafts, Experiments & More for Kids to Do to Learn About Your State (Wyoming Experience)  by Carole Marsh

Want to help your child improve in reading? Click on the Amazon books on the side bar to purchase these geography books. Also, check out the award winning curriculum All About Reading. Click on the banner at the top of the page and see what they can do to help your child become a better reader.

Do We Have Free Will?

Do we have free will? That is a question for the ages. It has kept mankind busy for centuries and has even brought about violence and bloodshed. Yet, it is a question that every believer will be faced with at one time or another.

Maybe we should start out defining free will. The definition of free will is the ability to make your own decisions that are not directed by a higher power. Already this has opened the door to be a discussion that could fill volumes.

Do we have the ability to make our own choices? Depends on where you life and who you are. Here in America, we would typically say yes. Yet, we could also answer no because many of our decisions are directed by a higher power. I am not even talking as high as God yet. We have our own governments that we have to answer to. They direct many of our decision making paths and even take some of our choices away from us. In that aspect, we have no free will.

We are already struggling with this idea without even having to bring God into the picture. Then why do we only focus on Him and fighting the subject of free will? We’ll come back to that in a little bit.

Free will in our family? Not really. Yes, we have the ability, but our choices are limited by the fact that we have responsibilities. If we take on the responsibility, then we give up some of our free will. I don’t want to go out on Thursday night to the soccer game. I want to get my work done. Free will is not there for me as I have taken on the responsibility of having a child and allowing him to be a part of the sport. Though, now I can argue that free will allowed me to make that choice. Boy, what a semantic vortex we find ourselves in.

See how this cannot be cut and dry? We do have the freedom of choice. We do many decisions that are not forced on us by others, but the vast majority of our decisions are heavily influenced. Now, we can turn to the area of religion and God.

If you believe that God is in control, then free will begins to fall to the wayside. If you believe that God is distant and hands off, then free will reigns. Yet, the Bible has a little to say on this, if you believe that it is the Word of God. It says that His will be and that the tapestry has been laid out.

It all comes down to how you view God and your relationship with Him. If He is the God of the universe and the Alpha and Omega, then free will is limited to the choices that do not have eternal consequences. Do we have free will? Yes and no. 

What did you expect? We need something to argue about. :)

Snapshots in Time: Ancient Egypt, Greco-Roman Period

Contributed by: Vicki Gardner

Welcome back to Ancient Egypt! This chapter looks into the last great chapter of Ancient Egypt history – the Ptolemaic Period, 332 BC to 30 BC.

After Alexander the Great defeated the Persians he was quickly accepted as the son of Amun and ensconced as Egypt’s new King. He then constructed a new city, Alexandria, and began to rebuild and restore the rest of Egypt, which had suffered greatly under the Persians. However Alexander did not tarry in Egypt long, leaving control of the area to his agent, Ptolemy.

In 323 BC Alexander died suddenly and, following battles over control of the Empire, Ptolemy Lagus became the satrap of Egypt. In 305 BC, Ptolemy became the king of Egypt and succeeded in including Syria and Palestine under his control. Laws and other administrative duties became more akin to the Greek style of organization and Greek became the official language, supplanting Egyptian and bringing an end to hieroglyphs as the formal written language. Also affected were the arts and the structure of the military forces. Traditional Egyptian art with its stylized depictions became more realistic and the military was refocused to a Macedonian administrative structure to improve its efficiency.

While Ptolemaic Greeks introduced their gods into the existing religious structure they also built new temples to traditional Egyptian gods in order to maintain the Egyptian traditions and ensure the continuing support of the local people. During the Ptolemaic Period commerce was expanded and they built new ports and established contacts with Asia. The library of Alexandria was constructed and became the premier hub of learning.

During the reign of Ptolemy V (205-180 BC), there was political upheaval when an Egyptian Dynasty tried to seize power. The Ptolemy Dynasty regained control, however the ensuing pharaohs did not have long reigns and some monarchs had reigns that were interrupted by interim monarchs as control was jostled between disparate Ptolemaic groups. The dynastic rivalry of the later Ptolemies finally resulted in an intervention of the Romans to put Ptolemy XII back into power. From then on, the Romans began to play an important part in Egyptian history. They again intervened, this time in favor of the daughter of Ptolemy XII, Cleopatra. Cleopatra became involved in the power struggle of the Romans Octavius and Antony, ending with the defeat of her and Antony’ fleets at Actium and she committed suicide. Egypt became a Roman province.

So ends the long, proud, triumphant, and turbulent history of Ancient Egypt. There is probably more historical documentation about Ancient Egypt than any other ancient civilization and its impact on our current 21st century is seen around us every day. From stylized art, to movie scripts, to the archeological research which has been ongoing since the time of Napoleon. You can buy everything from copies of the bust of Nefertiri, to a trip down the Nile on a Cleopatra-type barge. The fascination with Ancient Egypt has gripped world explorers and history buffs since the death of Cleopatra. We hope you have enjoyed this brief snapshot in time into the true history of Ancient Egypt.

Is Curiosity a Good Thing?

Every great discovery in history has one common element, curiosity. Curiosity is the seed from which every great adventure grows. Each new discovery, each new idea was born from curiosity. Wikipedia defines curiosity as an emotion related to natural inquisitive behavior such as exploration, investigation, and learning. The word is derived from the Latin curious meaning careful, diligent, and curious. Curiosity is the beginning of every new discovery, every new idea, and of higher learning itself.

In 1492 Christopher Columbus was curious about the trade routes to the Indies. This curiosity led him to seek a route from Iberia to the Indies that would be shorter than the overland trade route through Arabia. Columbus questioned the conventional trade routes and had a need to explore an alternate route. The seed of curiosity was planted and this great adventure led to the discovery of the New World.

Galileo Galilei is known as the father of modern physics and played a major role in the Scientific Revolution. His curiosity led him to challenge the conventional wisdom of his time and the notion that the Earth was at the center of the universe. Galilei had a need to question conventional thinking. The seed of curiosity planted in Galilei’s mind revolutionized modern science and led to an entire new scientific philosophy.

Exceptional people seem to have a common trait. They seem to possess the need to explore, question, and learn. One might say that exceptional people are curios. Is curiosity a good thing? Well, curiosity fosters learning. Curiosity springs from a need to explore and challenge convention. Curiosity promotes independent thinking and advances learning.

Curiosity is the corner stone of every political movement. Karl Marx believed that Capitalism was based on socioeconomic struggles, thus doomed to fail. Marx was curious about the notion of a classless society. This curiosity led to Marxism. It can be argued that every political movement throughout history was born from curiosity. Looking back over history, it is when a political movement forbids free thinking, exploration, investigation, and learning that most great atrocities occur.
Curiosity needs free thinking, social awareness, and cooperation to thrive.

Curiosity must be allowed to grow freely and must not be inhibited by closed minds or bigotry. When curiosity is allowed to flow freely and celebrated good things are born and society advances. When curiosity is stifled and snuffed out society is kept in the dark and time stands still. Curiosity is the life breath of modern invention, modern thinking, and is essential to a modern society. Is curiosity a good thing? You tell me, I am curious.

by Leigh Davis

Old Testament Punishments for Today's Crimes?

Um. Interesting question.  Should we apply Old Testament laws and punishments to the crimes of today such as theft, adultery, or murder?  What are acceptable punishments for these crimes?

To many, the Old Testament laws were extremely harsh.  There was no mercy in them.  Crime committed.  Punishment dealt out.  Everyone go home.  But with the New Testament and with the world the way it is today, should we still be following the same thought process or throw them out the window?

There is no question that the world of the Old Testament is not the world of today.  So much has changed.  So many cultures have intermingled.  Technology has taken where no one could even dream of such things thousands of years ago.  But we still have people stealing.  Husbands and wives still cheat on each other.  One human being still takes the life of another.  In that aspect, it has not changed.  The way it is carried out might have, and the way culture approaches has for sure.

Let us look at the governing authority in Israel during Old Testament times.  Israel was ruled by Judges who settled disputes and led the nation against invaders.  These were religious men and women who followed God and were faithful to Him.  Eventually, kings appeared on the scene, but the nation still clung to its religious roots.  The religion might not always have been Hebrew, but a religion dictated many of the laws of the land.  This means that the nation of Israel was a theocracy.  The law was governed by the religion.

Look closer at the times when Israel was following God and listening to Him.  These religious leaders were not exacting judgment out on people arbitrarily.  The innocent were not punished.  Why?  Because God was directing their judgments.  He was imparting wisdom on them.  They were listening to Him and not to man-made laws or to their own desires and goals.  This is one of the differences from Old Testament times to that of today.  Our leaders are not following religious laws and not consulting God.  Most rulings are self-serving.  If the laws of the Old Testament (OT), were used today, how many innocent people would be killed?  Today, God is usually not allowed in the courtroom.

Someone caught in adultery was to be stoned.  Today that would take out 99.9% of the entertainment business and 99.99999% of our leaders in the political, social, and even religious worlds.  That would take care of the population problem, eh?  Seriously, what would be the implications of today if we stoned those caught in adultery?


What was the reason for such a painful way to die?  Marriage was a sacred institution.  If you would take your body which was God’s and your spouse’s and soil it by giving it away to another, what promise could you really keep?  Willing breaking a marriage was horrible.  The statistics even today show that if a person commits adultery once, they will more than likely do it again.  In the OT, that repeated offense was eliminated by stoning. 

Sounds harsh doesn’t it?  That was a time when the law had to be laid down and the people of Israel had to know that God would not accept lies and deceit.  He wanted purity. 

Fast forward to the New Testament (NT) times.  Jesus is going about His business of teaching and miracles.  Several of the high and mighty religious leaders dragged forth a woman who was caught in the act of adultery.  They toss her before Him and asked Him what should be done about her.  They picked up their stones to administer the punishment as soon as He gave the word.  What did He do?  He began scribbling in the sand.
We have no idea what He wrote, but whatever it was made those religious leaders stop and think on what they were doing.  They waited with bated breath as He continued writing.  Some have proposed that He was writing their sins down.  Maybe He was even listing their names.  Whatever it was caused the stoning to pause.

He then asked that if any of them could publically say that they had no sin on their hands, then they could begin throwing the stones that would beat the woman into a bloody death.  Their hands dropped the stones slowly as what He had written and said sunk in.  Yes, the woman was an adulterer.  Yes, stoning should have been administered, but by who?  These men were not directed by God to punish the guilty.  They were doing it out their own selfish hearts to keep their power and prestige.

Did Jesus abolish stoning?  Not really.  He abolished the act of punishment by those who were unworthy to inflict it.  How could those men who probably were guilty of adultery themselves physically and/or spiritually dare to condemn this woman?  If the truth be told, they should have been right there with her and awaited their own stoning.

Should the OT punishments be delivered today for crimes?  Are we worthy to administer them?  Maybe the original question should be asking if we are in a position to biblically deal out the punishment in accordance to God’s will and not our own.

If you hadn’t guessed, I feel like those punishments should not be done in today’s world only because there is too much corruption in our legal systems.  There would be no justice, because there is no God in our legal systems.