Alphabets of the World: Letters from 78 Languages

World languages present an amazing array of fascinating, geometrically elaborate letters!  In "Alphabets of the World: Letters from 78 Languages," readers can discover the wonders of world alphabets.  Easy-to-read, big-print charts provide for comparison and contrast of letters from different geographical regions of the world!  

"Alphabets of the World: Letters from 78 Languages" is available from CreateSpace wholesale and retail, Amazon discount retail, and Kindle e-book editions. It can be integrated into lesson plans and homeschooling from elementary school onwards.

Sale on "The Legend of Peter Borka" until June 1, 2014!

From May 25 to June 1, 2014, "The Legend of Peter Borka" is on sale as an Amazon Kindle Countdown Deal for 99 Cents in the USA and 99 Pence in the UK!

Synopsis: 

When the mysterious foreign shipbuilder comes to town, even the wildest imaginations of the locals cannot conjure up the consequences . . . 

The Legend of Peter Borka book tells the story of English-speaking travelers who develop peculiar notions about a “Russian god” based on their misunderstanding a spoken Russian word. They travel around the world, learning about new religions and cultures and elaborating their false “Russian” religion into a cultural monstrosity, as they accumulate a dizzying array of contradictory beliefs and elaborate rituals. Elements of major world religions, including Christianity, Judaism, Islam, Hinduism, and Buddhism, as well as myth-based religions from Greece, Rome, Norway, and North America, appear in the beliefs and worship surrounding Peter Borka. A dialectical tension emerges between the fledgling Peter Borka religion and ideas from ethical humanism, rational humanism, and Communism. The book contains a surprising ending with a unique moral. 

The Legend of Peter Borka is a teaching story for youth and adults alike. As a fictional work, it concerns the origins (ontology) of religion and myth, the nature of logic and reason, and the difference between reality and fantasy. At the core is a fundamental question: How is information obtained? What is truly real? What really matters? The Legend of Peter Borka challenges the reader to think with new depth and breadth about the world and the humans who live in it. 

As a teaching piece, “The Legend of Peter Borka” contains rich academic themes pertaining to culture, history, religion, philosophy, psychology, and law. It also contains a geographic puzzle regarding the travel itinerary of the participants. It is appropriate for school-age children, as well as university-level classes and adults.

The Geometry of Cars: A New Kindle Book!

Just in time for Memorial Day Weekend, "The Geometry of Cars" by M. Schottenbauer, Ph.D. has arrived in Kindle Edition! This book features a selection of cars, trucks, SUVs, trailers, campers, and a bus, plus a few appearances from the cartoon character Blue Dude. Children can measure angles, calculate areas, and calculate proportion to scale in each drawing. In e-book form, "The Geometry of Cars" can keep kids occupied during travel for the long weekend! The book is for sale on Amazon Kindle at:
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00KHHX6MU/

"The Geometry of Cars" is part of a multivolume series which also includes other fun and exciting topics: Olympics, gymnastics, water sports, skating, ballet, gardens, architecture, and more! Additional information on the Adventures in Geometry Series by M. Schottenbauer, Ph.D. is available at: https://sites.google.com/site/schottenbauerpublishing/ under "Education: Math."

Multimedia Music Education! Conducting, Ear Training, & Chamber Music!

Multimedia from Schottenbauer Publishing provide refreshingly interesting products for music students everywhere!

The Big Print Conducting Method

Conducting is no longer a "mysterious art form," now that "The Big Print Conducting Method" has arrived! Available from MusicaNeo, this unique approach to teaching conducting contains big print instructional textbooks, plus follow-along video and simple musical samples for practice at home or school. Students are led through conducting skills one by one, from common time signatures through complex time signatures. 

The first installment of the method is divided into two parts, available for purchase separately: (1) Introductory Package and (2) Exercises. The Introductory Package includes two short textbooks plus the follow-along video. The video provides instruction, plus interactive activities in which students trace the beat patterns on the computer screen. The Expanded Exercises include drills on conducting basics, available with conductor's score and with transpositions for individual instruments. Instrumentation includes treble instruments in C, Bb, Eb, and F, plus alto and bass instruments in C. Exercises provide practice with all time signatures, plus cutoffs and cuing. The text and video are available for only $10, and the exercises corresponding to these books are available for only $12 from MusicaNeo.

Direct Link to Conducting Method


Identifying Musical Mistakes

A new series of interactive ear training materials by M. Schottenbauer, Ph.D., are available from MusicaNeo. "Identifying Musical Mistakes: Ear Training Level 1" provides practice with reconciling differences between auditory and written passages. This work provides an instruction page, a score with 20 short 4-measure melodies in duple time signatures, 20 wav audio files, and 20 pdf files with answer keys.  Students are instructed to listen to each wav file while watching the original score, and to circle all mistakes in pitch or rhythm. The answer keys provide the written form of the audio files, for comparison.

Level 1 focuses on a single line of music in treble clef, performed by piano. Future editions are planned to include additional instruments, including chamber music and symphony, in a stepwise progression of difficulty. Level 1 is available for only $1 from MusicaNeo.

Direct Link to Ear Training Exercises


Learning Chamber Music

A new series of training pieces for piano trio by M. Schottenbauer, Ph.D., are available from MusicaNeo. "Learning Chamber Music" and "Three Miniature Piano Trios" provide convenient and succinct practice for young students of violin, cello, and piano. 

"Learning Chamber Music" consists of 48 pages of exercises focusing on basic skills required of piano trios. Exercises are divided into 7 sections, each with a particular theme: 

• Part I: Tuning, Dynamic Balance, and Basic Rhythmic Exercises
• Part II: Entrance and Timing Exercises (Tempo Setting and Timing)
• Part III: Ending Exercises (Holding Notes Full Length and Fermatas) 
• Part IV: Tempo Change Exercises (Accel. and Rit.; Section Changes)
• Part V: Other Common Time Signatures (22, 24, 34, 68)
• Part VI: Advanced Rhythm (Duple vs. Triple)
• Part VII: Articulation and Stylistic Matching Exercises

The exercises are provided in a zip file, complete with instructions for practice and a MIDI file. The MIDI file can be opened with a computer notation program and used to practice at home, when only 1 or 2 instruments are available. 

Complementing these exercises, "Three Miniature Piano Trios" are a set of brief practice pieces in classical style. Students can learn one or more of these pieces to hone their new skills, with rapid progression and results. These chamber music selections are available from MusicaNeo for only $10 each.

Direct Link to Pedagogical Music


Additional Information

The products above are but a few of the quality music education products written by M. Schottenbauer, Ph.D.  Other books include:

• The Big Print Music Method (Band, Orchestra, Recorder, Guitar, & More!) 
• Bow Science & Exercises
• Books on The Science of Music and Music Performance

Books are available at one or more of the following: 

• E-Books on MusicaNeo
• Print editions on Amazon, CreateSpace Wholesale, & Other Internet Retailers

Additional information is available at the Schottenbauer Publishing website.

The Geometry of Gardens, Architecture, and Construction

Several new workbooks from Schottenbauer Publishing provide a refreshing set of worksheets for practicing geometry skills. 

"The Geometry of Gardens" celebrates summer with a unique set of teaching diagrams.  Leading from simple geometric shapes to fascinating landscaping and unusual garden plots, this books provides a range of skill practice in geometry.  Students can measure angles in the garden plots, calculate area, and calculate proportions pertaining to real-life scale.

"The Geometry of Architecture" contains a variety of architectural drawings for the practice of geometry.  Topics include houses, apartments, recreational buildings, agricultural facilities, commercial buildings, office buildings, educational buildings, and bridges. Students can measure angles in the architectural structures, calculate area, and calculate proportions pertaining to real-life scale.

"The Geometry of Home Construction" provides practice measuring the angles found in homes. Topics include roofs, dormers, roof trusses, windows, masonry, ladders, stairs, and carpentry joints. Students can measure angles in the homes and building components, calculate area, and calculate proportions pertaining to real-life scale.







All three geometry books are available in both English and German translation. These can be purchased as both printed books and Kindle e-books from Amazon. They are also available from CreateSpace Wholesale and other online vendors. 

Additional information is available on the Schottenbauer Publishing website.

Bow Science and Exercises for Violin and Viola

"Bow Science & Exercises for Violin & Viola" is a series which takes a systematic approach to understanding the most basic science which applies to the bow. The first volume, Basic Science, describes the physics of the bow.  Topics include the coordinate plane, types of motion, center of mass, force, and the bow as a lever.  The second volume, Preliminary Exercises, teaches specific exercises which which may be used by elementary violin and viola students rapidly accelerate control over the bow. Written for children and adults of all ages, the books feature big print and clear diagrams. 

Both books are normally available in both print and Kindle editions, from Amazon, CreateSpace Wholesale, and other vendors. Additional information is available on the Schottenbauer Publishing website.

New Arrival: "The Geometry of Summer Olympic Sports"!

Just in time for summer, the new geometry workbook series "The Geometry of Summer Olympic Sports" has arrived! Now, children can learn as Blue Dude ("Blue Person") participates in a variety of summer Olympic sports: archery, boxing, canoe/kayak, cycling, diving, fencing, football/soccer, golf, gymnastics, handball, high jump, hurdles, javelin, long jump, shooting, shot put, sprinting, swimming, synchronized swimming, trampoline, volleyball, weightlifting, and wrestling! Primarily intended to teach protractor skills in math class, the book can also be flexibly used for art and sports classes. This fun and exciting workbook is now available in CreateSpace Wholesale and Retail, Amazon Discount Retail, and Amazon Kindle e-Book editions, in English, German, French, Spanish, Portuguese, and Italian, plus print editions in Norwegian, Swedish, Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Russian, Ukrainian, Turkish, Arabic, Hebrew, and Hindi! 

Fans of the Olympics might also be interested in "The Geometry of Winter Olympic Sports," featuring Alpine skiing, biathlon, bobsleigh, cross country skiing, figure skating, freestyle skiing, ice hockey, luge, Nordic combined, speed skating, skeleton, ski jumping, and snowboard! This book is available in the same languages and editions (print and Kindle e-book) as above. Several other geometry books are also available on specific topics, including gymnastics, figure skating, water sports, yoga, and ballet.

Additional information on these and other books can be found at Schottenbauer Publishing under "Education: Math."

New Book Celebrating the Science of Football and Rugby!

The science and math of football and rugby are illustrated in accessible, colorful graphs in the new book, "Bounce, Roll, & Fly: The Science of Balls: Volume 7" by M. Schottenbauer, Ph.D. This book, seventh in a series on the science of balls, focuses on the motion of an official football and regulation-size rugby ball. Graphs show these two balls turning, spinning, rocking, rolling, falling, bouncing, and flying! This book can be purchased from Amazon and affiliates at discount retail, and CreateSpace at retail and wholesale prices, in both English and German translation.  Additional information is available at the Schottenbauer Publishing website.