The Home School Support Network (HSSN) Online Academy has been educating and equipping students to participate in cyber defense competitions since 2014. Two of the most prestigious competitions that our students have participated in are: US CyberPatriot the National Youth Cyber Education Program and the Palmetto Cyber Defense Competition (PCDC).

The US CyberPatriot program runs online competition events for middle school and high school students that focus on operating and defending individual computer operating systems like Microsoft Windows, Ubuntu Linux, as well as Cisco network appliances. Cyber security is a strong focus area. HSSN has fielded multiple teams per year since 2014 in the US Cyber Patriot program with students from around the lowcountry of South Carolina ranging in age from those in 6th through 12th grade.

The Palmetto Cyber Defense Competition is a three day event hosted by Space and Naval Warfare Systems Center (SPAWAR) Atlantic in collaboration with the South Carolina Lowcountry Chapter of the Armed Forces Communications and Electronics Association (AFCEA). The first day of PCDC is when High school teams are invited to compete based on their performance in the US Cyber Patriot Program’s state round. These PCDC events are very competitive and result in head-to-head between some of the best trained high school teams from around the state of SC. The format of these events are red-on-blue live competition and require teams to operate and defend a complex set of networked computers while defending against live attackers. The event attackers are professionally trained penetration testers and red team members primarily from within the Department of Defense (DoD).

The Home School Support Network Online Academy provides students with basic system administration knowledge and skills training at HomeSchoolSTEM.com. Local Charleston area students have an opportunity to join a HSSN Cyber Team that meets regularly to receive more advanced training and preparation for events like those hosted by US CyberPatriot and PCDC. Our HSSN Cyber Teams regularly finish in the top five teams in SC in the US Cyber patriot events.

Leave a comment below or join or Cyber Team Info Mailing Lists to learn more about how to get home school students in these competitions.

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Podcast Episode 8 show notes:

We want to use this Christmas time to introduce the concept of Lapbooks as a “curriculum” or as a supplement teaching method to what you may already be using.

Simply put Lapbooks are a type of homemade fold out “book” created out of file folders that have been taped together. Included on the foldouts are mini books or folded pockets of things that have been learned about a thing, literature book, time period, or even math concept.

PROS:
Great for children who like to “create”. Makes learning fun!
Children are like authors creating their own books and take ownership in the learning process.
Allows children to guide their learning to subject areas of interest. NOTE: Not that our children get to avoid learning things that they don’t like – the basics are still necessary!
Many use “real” literature books.
Uses a “thematic” or “unit” approach which ties all subject areas to one topic or example.
Can be used to “skim” a subject or historical period (as in colonial period). Lapbooks can also be used as a very in depth study on something like trains for example. With a broad history of trains or study of a specific type of trains.
Very little cost. (more details below)

CONS:
Lapbooks often involve moderate to much handwriting depending on the level. However many have sections with tracing options.
This method may not be fun for some children.
Requires assembly, but you do have the benefit of deciding how many pages to include.
There may not be a Lapbook on the topic you/child wants to study which will require more labor and research.

MATERIALS
Library books can be used. You may need a computer with Internet access and a printer (preferably color). You will need file folders, sissors,  glue/tape, colors, and possibly a map and/or a dictionary.
Laminating the folders before attaching all the mini books can help make them more durable but it does increase cost.
You can laminate over the pockets too, you just need a razor knife to cut them open afterwards.
One resource that is helpful to have especially if you are using this approach as a primary means of curriculum is the Enchanted Learning website subscription. The cost is $20 per year.

LAPBOOK RESOURCES
Homeschool Share – a great lapbook resource site. (free Lapbooks- just click and print!) Master Lapbook List
Enchanted Learning Some free lapbook resources. The yearly subscription to this site is a must if you use lapbooks often.
Christian Preschool Printables – We sometimes include these mini books by making a pocket out of construction paper & gluing/stapling to the Lapbook.
DLTK WEBSITE – a great minibook resource, but this site has a ton more to offer. We will mention it again I am sure.

CHRISTMAS LAPBOOKS

The Legend of the Candy Cane Lapbook Instructions – Full downloadable lapbook instructions from Homeschool Share.

Hands of a Child “Symbols of Christmas” Lapbook

Example of a finished product 12 page PDF preview of a finished product from Currclick. They have lapbook instructions for purchase for less than $10.

Video of how to create a basic lapbook that we found on YouTube: