Marsha Edminsten

Alongside Book-raiser Information​
Message me if you would like to join on the FaceBook party or click here to shop https://l13058.myubam.com/2472301
Or donate directly at https://www.paypal.com/donate/
All proceeds will be put toward books to be distributed to mentee's children enrolled in the Alongside program.
www.alongsideabq.com for more information on this fabulous ministry.

Spring registration is open!
Lessons From Little House 
​Immerse yourselves into the life of an American pioneer family! We will study their way of life in this time period, planting, harvesting, creating, preserving and eating period foods (maybe even a dutch oven cooking lesson), weapons, clothing, bonnets, aprons, dipping candles, creating toys and household goods.  From the Little House Series by Laura Ingalls Wilder. A 10 Unit Study
Scalpels and Needles and Pins! Oh My!
Dissection can be fun! Our focus will be on the animal kingdom. Earthworms, Owl Pellet, Grasshopper, Sea Star, Snake, Frog, Heart, Brain & Eye will keep us busy. We will utilize the microscope. In this approach to the science lab, we will work in teams or lab groups. Extra materials will be uploaded into Google Classroom if you desire extended work at home. I will provide gloves.  
Eye protection is required - students may wear glasses/goggles or a face shield, but they must have eye protection to participate. Students also MUST wear close-toed shoes - no sandals or open toes.
Students: We will be working in teams/groups, and everyone will have a role to play.  IF you do NOT want to actively dissect the specimens, you will be able to be involved! Team members will share responsibilities, dissecting is only a portion of this class.  We will be learning about and building models, life cycles, habitats and food webs. I promise education and fun!
For ages 8+

Fall 2022 Classes:
Journey Through Ancient Egypt - Tuesday section 
A hand's-on 10 week unit study filled with information for all ages. K +   We will investigate geography/maps, timeline of rulers/dynasties, Biblical references, Egyptian society, beliefs & ideas, Hieroglyphics, papyrus, mummification, art & pyramids, Pharaoh of the Exodus, Archaeological discoveries culminating in a (modern) Egyptian Feast.
Considering God's Creation 2nd - 7th grade
"Meet the Creator through His creation using games, experiments, poems, songs, arts and crafts projects, and notebook pages. We will carefully observe and investigate God's creation, while learning to question and test materials against the truth of scripture. Topics include: Creation, Universe, Stars, Solar System, Earth, Light, Sound, Wind, Weather, Clouds, Rocks, Plants, Insects, Mammals, Reptiles, Birds, Fish, Amphibians, Food Chains, Reproduction and Genetics, Human & Animal Anatomy/Physiology."
All Things Fun & Fascinating IEW - 3rd - 5th grades 
Humorous characters, cunning creatures, and meritorious men of history will captivate 3rd–5th graders as they learn to write with structure and style. Register before Aug 15 and book is included in price.
Medieval History Based Writing Lessons IEW 6th +
From the Anglo-Saxons to the Renaissance, from chivalrous knights to Genghis Khan, students will improve their knowledge of medieval times while learning to write with structure and style. In this theme-based writing curriculum, students learn to take notes, retell narrative stories, summarize references, write from pictures, compose essays, and more. Register before Aug 15 and book is included in price.
Following Narnia: The Lion's Song IEW 6th +
Using the first three novels of The Chronicles of Narnia® (The Magician's Nephew, The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, and The Horse and His Boy), this series of 30 lessons (with two bonus lessons) beckons students to experience the enchanted land of Narnia through the IEW writing method. The reading is required and students must have access to books 1-3. Register before Aug 15 and book is included in price.
         
My mission, which I wrote over twenty years ago, is to enrich the lives of others. Growing up in Oklahoma, in a farming & dairy farming family, gardening, canning, sewing, 4-H, I enrolled in college and declared Landscape Architecture as my major. Two years in, I changed to Agriculture Communications for a hot second, the when I realized I had to count my words, made another change! After graduating from Oklahoma State University with Bachelor of Science in Animal Science, with a Food Industry emphasis, I was employed with the USDA Milk Market Administrator’s office for several years before  becoming  a stay-at-home (well some of the time) homeschooling mom for the next twenty five years. Enjoying all things science and history, (not especially math however) I began teaching at co-ops, which led to teaching hundreds of students everywhere we have lived in four different states. 
         Deciding what I wanted to be when I grew up had to be determined, since eventually all our kids would graduate high school. Teaching was the obvious path! Unafraid to tackle weird subjects with lots of students (up to 50 at a time) of all age groups mixed together, I have taught Archaeology & the Bible, Biology/Dissection, Plants , Simple Chemistry, Sherlock Science, The Murders of Lyle & Louise, Crime Scene Investigations, Geology, Picturing America, Oceans/Marine Life, How Viruses Spread, Ancient Cultures: Egypt, Greece & Rome, World & Medieval History, American History and probably a few more in between. Working in fascinating field trips always makes it all the more fun. Immersive and hands on are how I learn, and light the fires of learning for many students. The ability for students to work collaboratively together in groups, creates a dynamic environment with opportunities for leadership.
​         Last summer I worked through the difficult process of becoming a registered Institute for Excellence in Writing instructor – and I passed!  IEW is a method of writing where students learn how to dress up their writing, working through nine units. In Fall 2021, I offered two IEW classes, one for 3-5th grade and another for 6th grade & up.  Enriching my own life was not what I expected when I set out to teach our own kids and others as a part of those co-ops and groups, but luckily I have been blessed more!