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There
are so many homeschool books and products out there
that it is impossible for me to evaluate them all. Therefore,
I only review relatively new and/or unique products
that work well with The Checklist and
multi-level teaching. Occasionally, I have other
experienced, currently-homeschooling moms who help me with
book reviews. I hope these reviews will help you choose homeschool
books and learning products that will meet your family's
needs. NOTE: I
do not put bad reviews on my website. If
it's not here, it's either because I don't like it or I
haven't seen it yet.
Note
to Publishers:
I do not accept advertisements. However, if you would like
your product to be considered for this Web site,
please email me at: cindy@oklahomahomeschool.com.
Cindy Downes
Listed
in Alphabetically by title:
- All
American History, Uniting America's Story, Piece by Piece by Celeste W. Rakes.
When
I first received Volume 1 of this curriculum, I thought
it was going to be just another history textbook. However,
I was pleasantly surprised! This one is unique and
worth considering for your children.
The
reader is excellent and the information is well presented.
I think students will enjoy the text. Each unit includes
easy-to-read text, illustrations of famous people and events,
maps, and a section on the impact of the unit's events
on our nation. The illustrations, however, are black and
white which makes it somewhat less interesting than a similar
book in color. Maybe a future edition will add color illustrations
What
I like the most is the activity book! Each unit includes
activity worksheets to accompany the text. The fun part
is that Celeste has included small images of famous people
and flags to cut out and paste on the worksheets. Visual
learners and your younger children will like this part
and it will help them to remember what they learned. The
worksheets also include a fill in the blank and multiple
choice quiz to check older student's memory, as well as
map work and additional ideas and resources for further
study.
This
curriculum comes in three parts: The Student Reader,
a Student Activity Book, and the Teacher Guide with Answer
Key. Normally, I don't like having to purchase a separate
teacher book, but in this case, it's not that expensive
($16.95) and it is well worth purchasing. It includes a
lot of background information as well as additional activities
that will make multi-level teaching a lot easier. For instance,
in the lesson on the Revolutionary War, students will make
invisible ink secret messages, create a newspaper, make
candles, go on a nature hike to identify trees and animals,
learn how to fly and store a flag, and much more.
I
particularly recommend this to parents who have visual
learners and who have to teach multiple grade levels at
one time. The author recommends it to be used for grades
5-8, but I would not be afraid to use parts of it with
younger children.
- American
History Teacher's Book of Lists by Fay R. Hansen:
This 500+ page book is a must for anyone teaching
American history. You'll find copies of many primary
sources such as the Mayflower Compact, Bill of Rights,
and Articles of Confederation; profiles of major people
in history and government; timelines of events; and
facts related to economics, politics, health, crime,
and public education. Also included are listings of
American authors, musicians, historians, craftspeople,
and much, much more.
Keep it on your desk and you'll have a handy reference
guide that can be used for lesson planning or to make quizzes,
handouts, unit studies, and vocabulary lists. For example,
if you are doing a study on World War II, there is a list
of major battles, major weapons used, military casualties,
military leaders, which countries participated in the war,
major events, and America's relative economic position.
There is also a copy of the Atlantic Charter of 1941, FDR's
Address to the Nation, and a chronology of the development
of the atomic bomb. More than enough to help you teach
this topic and provide handouts to your students.
- Ancient
China, To the Great Wall and Beyond by
Judy Wilcox.
I
am extremely impressed with Ancient China, To the
Great Wall and Beyond by Judy Wilcox. Judy has created
a resource that is fun, easy-to-use, and chock full of
information about China (from ancient time to modern
day). It was written to be used with K-6 grade, but
I believe it would make a terrific supplement for 7-12
also. There is enough "meat" in
this unit that your teens will learn as much or more
about China from this than from most junior or senior
level textbooks. The best part is that they will have
fun doing it!
The unit is scheduled for a twelve week
period and is divided into daily lesson plans. Each lesson
includes a reading in the book and timeline information.
Projects are included with each lesson that involve research,
reading, composition, map work, art, music, science,
hands-on activities (crafts, models, recipes, etc), and
field trip ideas.
The
lessons begin with the geography of China, then progress
through history by dynasty, and conclude with information
about modern China. At the end of the book, there is
a test for the unit as well as a glossary, a list of
books for further study, timeline figures, and maps.
From the
moment I picked up this book, I was "hooked." I
read the book cover to cover, wishing the whole time
that I was still homeschooling or that I had had a chance
to be exposed to this kind of learning when I was a young
student. The information is presented logically and simple
enough that anyone can understand it. I particularly
liked how Judy integrates Christianity into the curriculum
and includes projects that has students compare the religions
of China to that of Christianity.
I can't recommend this
unit enough. Ancient China has a fascinating history
and plays an important role in our world today. You will
be doing your children an injustice not to expose them
to the history of China. Now, there is a resource that
will help you do just that! And when you are done, you
can check this off your copy of The Checklist.
PS:
I have added an update to The
Checklist to incorporate
this unit. Those of you who already own The Checklist
can add it to your notebook. Those of you who don't
can view a sample here: Ancient China (updated September
2007): http://oklahomahomeschool.com/Cklist_Rev.html
- Ancient
History Portfolio & Timeline by Barbara
Shukin, Review.
During
the years I ran a support group, we would have portfolio
night, where everyone brought their portfolio to show
off. Of course, the winners were always the ones who
were scrapbookers! Their portfolios were beautiful,
colorful, and exciting while ours were dull, practical,
and boring. Oh, if I had only know about Barbara's
book, I could have given them a run for the money!
It may not be scrapbooking, but when finished, it
IS a work of art!
Barbara
has put together a mini portfolio for history. She
has designed each page so it's neat and orderly and
then gives you all the ideas you need to complete the
boxes. The assignments include reports, narration,
vocabulary, copy work, and timelines. You can look
at her website for color pictures of sample portfolios
(http://www.homeschooljourney.com/index.html).
Barbara
created these resources to be used "by
an individual, child or adult, and will become a unique
record of the student's "journey through history",
a beautiful history book of the student's own making,
something to refer to later as the student's interests
grow and expand, and above all, something to treasure."
I
recommend this resource for those of you who have
children who are Read/Write and Visual
Learner (especially
if they love to make booklets) and for moms who would
like help in creating a portfolio of your child's history
work.
- Anthony
and the Magic Picture Frame by Michael
S. Class.
This is
an innovative book that will stimulate your child's
interest in history. Although written for ages 12 and
up, this can easily be used as a family read-aloud
for younger children. Your child will be transported
back to the time of important historicbal events using
real photographs of "Anthony" superimposed
on historical photos of the people he visits including
Charles Lindbergh, Lou Gehrig, Thomas Edison, and Dr.
Jonas Salk. While on these "visits," Anthony
learns about the Apollo Moon Mission, The Great Depression,
Immigration, Polio Vaccine, WWII, the Holocaust, and
more. Real quotes from real people make the story come
so alive that you almost believe Anthony is there!
Included in the book is a
list of books, movies, museums, and music related to
each topic as well as footnotes that are lessons in themselves.
I also like that the author chose to include references
to God and Bible scripture rather than make this "politically" correct.
The
author, Michael Class, wrote the book to encourage "young
people to become productive, honest, thoughtful, moral
citizens—and to contribute in a positive way to
American society and the world." He has done an
excellent job of fulfilling this mission. I highly recommend
this book for everyone, even adults.
Balancing
the Sword.
I
made a great discovery at the OCHEC Homeschool Convention
- a Bible study resource called Balancing the Sword.
So many times, parents ask me what they should use
for Bible study and I usually tell them - the Bible!
I know that seems obvious but parents are so used
to doing curriculum for everything that they think
they need a curriculum for studying the Bible. Unfortunately,
Bible curriculums are usually structured around someone
else's theology or philosophy so it's hard to hear
what God is saying to you personally.
Balancing
the Sword is different. You simply read a chapter
in the Bible and then refer to Balancing the Sword
for questions about that chapter. You must also read
the cross references listed to find all the answers.
The cross references follow the theme of one verse
throughout the Bible. By time you get done reading
everything, you've learn so much more about the topic
and all through reading the Word, not someone's commentary.
it's amazing what you learn!
For
instance, in the first chapter of Genesis, I learned:
1.
God created light here on earth. There is no sun
in heaven - He is the light.
2. Night time is the beginning of the Jewish day.
We once walked in darkness but now we are in the
Light.
3. God gave stars as signs for seasons, days, and
years. These will remain as long as the earth remains,
but will disappear at the Day of the Lord. A star
was used to show the location of Jesus at His birth.
Man uses stars to interpret the weather, but most
are unable to interpret the signs of the times.
4. God wants us to be fruitful, multiply, fill the
earth, and subdue it using its vast resources in
the service of God and man. God gives dominion to
whom He chooses for His purposes.
There
are two volumes. Each of the two volumes cover all
66 books of the Bible but with different questions
so you can go through the Bible two times using the
two books. You can do it from Genesis to Revelation
or start anywhere in the Bible that you want to.
Although it is based on the KJV, it does not seem
to require that you use that version. I use the Amplified
and The Message and had no problem.
You
are given permission to make copies of the questions
for your own family so you can give each child a blank
sheet of questions to answer. (I would probably do
this orally as a family - maybe once in a while writing
the answers to keep in my portfolio as records.)
Check
it out. This might be just what you are looking for!
See some sample pages here: http://www.balancingthesword.com/PDF_Files/Samples_of_Both_Volumes.pdf
- Beyond
Numbers by Katherine A. Loop.
If
you want to know what homeschool graduates are doing,
just look at the number of books being published by
them! Beyond Numbers, written by homeschool graduate
Katherine Loop, is another one that I recommend.
Several years ago, I read a book called, Mathematics: Is God Silent? by James Nickel. It was so inspiring
and informative that I began recommending it to everyone
I could. However, it's not an easy read and most people
just couldn't take the time to digest it. When I learned
that Katherine had written a book which included a
simplified version of a portion of Nickel's book, I
was extremely anxious to read it.
She didn't disappoint me! Katherine's
excellent book is easy to read. It will not only help
you understand God's purpose for math and how math
testifies of God, but it will also give you some practical
suggestions for implementing what you learn into your
homeschool program. In addition, she rates current
math curriculums as to how well they present math in
the context of God's Word and includes a sample idea
notebook for using math in your daily lives. Congratulations,
Katherine, on a job well done! For more information
or to order, check her website.
- Biology
101 by Wes Olson.
Your visual
and auditory learners are going to LOVE this.
As a matter of fact, Biology 101: Biology
According to the Days of Creation, developed
by Wes Olson, is going to be enjoyed by the whole
family!
The
topics covered in this 4 disc set include Defining
Life and Life Classification, Plants, Aquatic Creatures,
Avian Creatures, Land Animals, Mankind and Genetics.
It also includes a printable 114-page guidebook
and a 12-page "Course Accreditation Program."
First,
what I liked: I loved the beautiful videos; the
animated graphs, charts and illustrations; the
background music was pleasant and added to the
learning experience. The host (also Wes Olson)
was an excellent speaker and kept my attention
with clearly defined definitions, anecdotes, and
interesting facts. During the plant segment, he
takes the viewer to a variety of places to study
plants: the bakery to learn about grains, a restaurant
to learn how algae is used to make ice cream and
salad dressing, and the forest to watch a forester
drill a tree ring sample to find out the age of
a tree. He also offers memory tips like learning
that stamen ends with "men" so it's the
male part of the plant, and he shows how plants
are used in scripture to illustrate spiritual truths.
The animations are excellent and easy to learn
from so everyone in the family will benefit from
watching the videos.
What
I didn't like: There is no real lab work included
to speak of, only a few simple projects. The "accreditation
program" is not adequate for students going
to college or entering any science-related field.
I recommend supplementing the curriculum with additional
research, composition, and lab work. The guidebook
did not include much more than what is included
on the videos, so it's not really that helpful.
Perhaps this is a feature they will improve in
the future.
However,
I liked the videos themselves so much, I highly
recommend them as the foundation for a biology
course or a unit study for all ages. You could
teach topic by topic as in a unit study and use
the videos as the
"meat." Simply add additional reading,
research, composition, and lab to suit, depending
on grade level, interests and abilities. Much of
the extras could be found on the Internet for free.
The cost of Biology 101 is only $69.95/set, a full
year's course that can be used by your entire family.
You can't beat that!
- Blackline Maps of World HIstory - Review
Blackline
Maps of World History by Terri Johnson (Knowledge
Quest). This resource will help you teach the geography
of the world to your children in grades 1-12. You can
use it as a stand-alone map study, along with a unit
study, or as a supplement to a textbook. There are four
books available: The Ancients (5000 BC - 400 AD), The
Middle Ages (400-1600), The New World (1600-1850), and
The Modern World (1850-2004). The complete set includes
lesson plans and maps that cover the time period from
5000 BC to 2004 and permission is given individual purchasers
to reproduce the maps for noncommercial, individual use.
The
lesson plans include instructions for completing the
map exercises and several questions to answer. Your children
may have to research the answers in an atlas, a history
book, or on the Internet. Doing so will help them learn
important information about the country or historical
event being studied. As Terri says in her book, "It
only makes sense to study geography alongside history.
In history, we learn about times, places, and people. Each
aspect of historical study is important in its own right,
but they cannot be studied exclusively of one another.
For example, when you study the Norman Conquests, you learn
that it took place between 1066 and 1087 AD and that it
was the Normans of France who crossed the English Channel
to conquer Britain. After reading about this event in history,
why not have the student look at a map or globe to find
out where it took place? Better yet, have him label and
color a map drawn specifically of that region and for that
time period in history. When children have visual cues,
it helps to cement fact into their minds."
I LOVE the CD version! It includes everything in the
book version, but is in pdf format. (You will need the
latest version of Acrobat Reader to use it. This is free
software that you can download off the Internet.) What
I love about the CD is that it is convenient and stores
easily. You simply insert the CD, open the file to the
Index, click on the chapter you want to study, and you're
instantly there! Now, you can print out the lesson plan
and the maps you need for the day's lesson and then put
the CD back on the shelf. How easy can it get?!
For those of you who like to put together your own course
of study, this resource is a must! It will go exceptionally
well with The
Checklist. It's in timeline sequence, as
is The Checklist. As you cover the history portion of The
Checklist, you can use this resource for your children's
map studies. After they complete their study, check it
off on The Checklist as a record of what your children
have covered.
I highly recommend this resource! Also available from
Knowledge Quest is Blackline
Maps of American History which
includes 80 maps of US history (America's founding and
development) as well as historical maps that depict battles
and expansion, etc. and state maps which include capital,
date of statehood, state bird and flower, and other important
facts. I haven't seen this one, but it should be just as
well done.
- Bootmaker
to the Nation by
Dr. John Slade.
A
few days ago, I received a 721 page book called, "Bootmaker
to the Nation" by Dr. John Slade, to review. My
first thought when looking at the enormous tome, was, "Fat
chance I'll get around to reading this." I dropped
it on my coffee table and forgot about it. Later that
evening, I picked it up and started ruffling through,
wondering who I could give it to to review for me! However,
having nothing pressing to do at the moment, I began
reading the first chapter. I was immediately hooked!
The book is historical
fiction set at the time of the American Revolution, 1763
to 1783. The story is told from the point of view of
a London boy named Benjamin and an American girl named
Genevieve. Dr. Slade begins the story in London where
Benjamin, an 18-year old cobbler's son, is kidnapped
and taken aboard the Lively, a British frigate, to be
pressed into His Majesty's navy. During the trip over
he is forced to become a topman where he must climb to
the top of the ship's mast to furl and set the sail.
This whole section kept me biting my nails! After he
lands, he is then forced to learn to become a soldier
for the Redcoats. His only goal, however, is to escape
and get back to London.
The story then takes us
from Benjamin's story to Genevieve's story. I don't want
to say much more about the plot because that's what kept
me hooked! And while I was hooked, I learned about each
of the battles of the Revolution, the weapons that were
used, the people involved, and why we fought the war.
This was much better than a history textbook!
Dr. Slade's goal
in writing the book is to teach us to "love
American history, understand our nation's first war,
meet our Founding Fathers as people, not as wooden heroes,
and look to the future with an educated eye." He
definitely fulfills this goal. I highly recommend this
for 9th graders and up. It's available at local bookstores.
- Cozy
Grammar Review.
Let
me proceed this review with some facts: My maiden name
is Edwards. My favorite movie is Pride and Prejudice.
I've read every Agatha Christie mystery written and
I love Earl Grey tea. So, how could I not love Cozy
Grammar! Cozy Grammar, produced by Splashes from the
River, is a video teaching resource. Splashes from
the River produces several video courses that teach
basic grammar, intermediate grammar, punctuation, and
essay writing. This review relates to the Basic Cozy
Grammar Course.
The main character in this video is the author,
Marie Rackham, an active, full-of-life, senior citizen
and retired school teacher who lives in British Columbia.
In her preface, the author says, "I wanted
to get out of the classroom - to present grammar in
an everyday setting. The coziness of a home, the familiarity
of a garden, the fascination of a beach, and the ever
changing moods of the Pacific Coast weather combined
to make a stimulating, but non-threatening, setting
for teaching a potentially dry and boring subject."
I can assure you that she did
exactly that. She used the beautiful setting of her home
in the Pacific-Northwest to teach basic grammar skills.
For instance, in the first lesson, she teaches about
the kinds of sentences while welcoming you into her home
and drinking tea. In the second lesson, she teaches about
subjects and predicates with a demonstration of chopping
firewood, building a fire, and then relaxing in front
of it. She illustrates nouns by having a dinner party
with friends. She uses name plates to teach personal
nouns; she sets the table to show common nouns; she serves
the meal while teaching collective nouns, indefinite
nouns, pronouns, etc.
I thoroughly enjoyed
her slightly English accent, her somewhat "stuffy" English
ways, the beautiful scenery, and the background music
consisting of piano compositions from composers such
as Bach, Chopin, and Beethoven. The experience was
pleasant and relaxing, as well as informative. After
viewing each segment, there is a worksheet to complete
that reinforces what has been taught, as well as tests
to be given as needed.
There are
a few segments that may bother some Christian homeschooling
families. One is the segment where Marie is having a
dinner party and she pours red and white wine in her
guests glasses. The other is when she uses a buddha and
yin/yang symbol to talk about adjectives. These incidents
are brief and I think so minor to the program that they
shouldn't present a problem for most families, no more
than seeing them in a TV ad or at the mall. I would use
these segments as talking points, if desired.
I highly recommend this series for children who
are visual and auditory
learners. I would begin the Basic
Grammar course with children who are reading fluently
and ready for formal grammar instruction. The course
is simple to use and is an enjoyable way to learn grammar,
especially for those who dislike the traditional textboook
approach.
Unfortunately,
I think most teenagers are will think this series is
a little too "cheesy" for them.
I don't believe you'll find many of them volunteering
to watch it. However, I have an idea! Why not assign
your older teen to watch it with your younger child to "help
him" learn grammar. That way your teen can save "face" and
it would give you time to work one-on-one with another
child or do housework while this is going on!
My suggestion
for this company is that they should create additional
sets of Cozy Grammar with new actors and call them, "Wild
West Grammar" for the western folks
and "Shopping Mall Grammar" for the metropolitan
type. That way everyone can enjoy watching them as
much as I did! For pricing and more information, log
onto to their website at: www.splashesfromtheriver.com.
- Creative
and Crafty Writing by
Karine Bauch and Jan May.
Creative
and Crafty Writing is just what you need to
help your visual and kinethetic students
learn to write. The Christian-based program offers
twelve, one-hour lessons that will teach your student
to write a fable, a news story, and a short story.
With each lesson, the student not only learns the
techniques of writing, but he or she also creates
a craft project to supplement the lesson. This
is where the curriculum shines!
For instance, the lessons on Writing a Narrative (short
story) begin with learning about theme and setting.
The students learn to describe the time and place for
their story by completing a worksheet that guides them
through the process. I particularly like the way the
author incorporates vivid adjectives into the lesson.
After completing this lesson on theme and setting,
the student creates a thematic pencil holder to further
emphasize the theme element. Subsequent lessons
work on creating characters, plot (conflict,
complications, climax, and conclusion), dialogue, great
beginnings, and title selection, each with additional
craft projects to make them really fun!
Other lessons in the book include creating a newspaper,
complete with clip art to cut out and use for illustrations
and writing a fable in a student-created My Treasure
notebook. Each lesson takes about one hour to
complete.
This curriculum makes a great summer project,
or use it to teach specific writing skills during the
year, such as those found in The
Checklist, page 130-131
(Writing Project Ideas). For more information or to
order, check their Web site.
- Drive
Thru History America with
Dave Stotts.
This
resource is
produced by David Barton and Nita Thomason. It describes
itself as "cutting
edge, entertaining, fast-paced curriculum that
teaches the history of our nation from a Christian
worldview" and it generally lives up to its
claim.
Included
in the curriculum is a DVD and a student workbook
that focus on eight historical figures: Benjamin
Franklin, Dr. Benjamin Rush, George Washington,
Benjamin Banneker, Haym Salomon, Abigail Adams,
Noah Webster, and John Quincy Adams.
Each
segment involves watching a color, video presentation
and then completing a section in the workbook. The
video presentation is hosted by Dave Stotts who drives
around in a Hummer as he teaches the subject. The
presentation transitions back and forth from the
host (sometimes dressed in historical costume and
filmed on location) to a narration over drawings,
artwork, or animated graphics. The host is witty
and interjects a bit of humor here and there, such
as wearing hideous-looking false teeth, to make
it more interesting for kids.
The
workbook includes information about each person's
life, as well as student activities which range
from research and writing assignments to mock simulations
and group discussions. Other activities include
puzzles and poetry memorization as well as questions
to be answered after each chapter.
I
recommend this resource for 6th grade and up, although
younger children may enjoy the video. In addition
to being a stand-alone curriculum in character
education, it will also make a great resource for
an American history unit study or to enrich a traditional
American History curriculum. It is not a stand-alone
American History curriculum.
This
curriculum will appeal to Visual, Auditory, and Read/Write
learner. There is not much here for the Kinesthetic
learner but it could certainly be used along with
hands-on projects that you add yourself.
The
best part of the curriculum is that it is Bible-based
and encourages good character development. The focus
is on each person's achievements and how each one
served because of his/her faith in God. The activities
encourage the students to analyze and imitate these
good character traits. There are not too many resources
out there that do this well, but here is one that
I recommend.
The
homeschool kit, which includes the DVD and the workbook,
is $49.99. You are given permission to copy the workbook
for classroom use so there is no need to buy a separate
workbook for each of your children. Contact: www.dthamerica.com for
more information or to order.
- The
Elements.
Most
homeschool moms that I know are not particularly fond
of teaching science. I guess it's a girl thing! But
today, there are so many great resources that make
teaching science easier that it should become more
and more "girl" friendly! Here's one of those
resources: The Elements published by EDGEucation Publishing.
This resource is a fun way to teach your children about
the 109 elements. Your children will be introduced
to each element through a funny character to color
and a short bio. The workbook includes test sheets
and stickers to reinforce what is learned. A great
introduction to the elements for all ages. Also available
is The Elements Flash Cards. Colorful flash cards help
children to memorize the names and facts about each
of the 109 elements. For more info, check out their
website.
-
Exploring
Creation with Astronomy by
Jeanne Fulbright.
You
are so blessed to have curriculum like this available
to you! As I read through this textbook, I got so
excited about teaching it that I forgot my kids were
grown! (No, I don’t want to teach someone else’s!)
This is the curriculum I dreamed about when my children
were young. It’s interesting, fun, easy-to-use,
and best of all, teaches so much more than traditional
textbooks!
I
like it because:
It
is Christian-based and accurate scientifically.
For instance, in the unit on Mars, I read that
giant meteors hit Mars, which sent pieces of Mars
flying into space. Some of these pieces actually
landed on earth. I knew this, but this I didn’t
know: In the same way that giant meteors sent pieces
of Mars to earth, there is a possibility that these
meteors sent pieces of earth to Mars. So if they
do find life on Mars, there is an explanation!
It
is interesting to read. This could be used as family
reading so all can enjoy or as independent reading
for upper elementary grades. The writing is not
full of jargon that makes many science textbooks
so dull and hard to understand. Jeanne writes so
that anyone can understand it. She even makes you
laugh now and then!
It
is fun! After you read the lesson, there are oral
questions to answer, writing assignments, and hands-on
projects such as making a rocket or a compass.
The projects are easy to do; the supplies needed
truly are “household products,” and
there is a complete listing of supplies needed
in the front that you can print out as a shopping
list.
The
only complaint I have is that it is out of date.
It was published in 2004. With science, you need
constant updates. However, she has remedied this
by including a Course Web site where you can get
updated information, corrections to the text, links
to other interesting Web sites that will enhance
learning, a printable notebook template for the kids
to complete (love this!), and even more activities
to do! Maybe out of date isn’t too bad!
The
Exploring Creation with. . . series currently includes Exploring
Creation with Botany, Exploring Creation
with Zoology (Volume 1 covers Flying Creatures,
Volume 2 covers Swimming Creatures, and Volume 3
covers Land Animals - all following the seven days
of creation.)
Exploring
Creation with Botany follows the same framework
as the others, but some of the unique features
are a focus on Latin words, an introduction to
careers in botany, and an introduction to taxonomy.
There is also a printable notebook template available
and many fun activities!
Exploring
Creation with Zoology again follows the same
format as above. There is also a printable notebook
template and a set of printable flash cards available
for Volume 1, which is the volume I have for review.
Volume 1 introduces the field of zoology and Binomial
Nomenclature. This course thoroughly covers birds
and insects. Some of the fun activities include
a Nature Scavenger Hunt, making your own field
guide, building a bird feeder, mapping bird migration,
making an ant farm, and raising butterflies.
For
those of you who like the work already done for
you, I can’t think of a better way to teach
science in the elementary grades than by using
this series of books. HIGHLY recommended.
- Exploring
the World of Mathematics by John Hudson Tiner.
Since
I was taking College Algebra last semester, I picked
up the book, Exploring the World of Mathematics,
to read in order to supplement my understanding of
math. Great choice! Not only did I learn more about
mathematic principles but I learned more about the
history of math, how math applies to everyday life,
and even how math is used in scriptures!
I suggest that sometime during your child's 5th-8th
grade years, you go through each chapter with him -
maybe as a summer course or one day a week on Friday.
Most kids will like the book, too, as it teaches them
how to solve logic problems that can fool their friends!
Like this one: Have your friend secretly choose a number
from one to ten. Tell him to add six to the number,
double the results, and divide his answer by four.
Next subtract half of the original number. When he
is done, you can tell him what his number is 100% of
the time. You'll have to read the book to find out
how!
- Exploring
World History and Exploring American History by Ray
Notgrass.
Exploring
World History comes in two volumes: Part I
- Creation through the Middle Ages and Part
II - The Renaissance to the Present. These are
huge, spiral-bound volumes (900+ pages) that are created
for use in high school but could be adapted for use
with all your children in a multi-level setting.
The
companion volume In Their Words,
Original Documents, Poetry, Stories, and Hymns from
World History is one
of my favorite parts of the Exploring World History
curriculum. In this volume, Mr. Notgrass has compiled
a selection of "original resources from world
history that range from the Code of Hammurabi around
1750 BC to speeches by Ronald Reagan in the 1980s.
It includes significant documents, speeches, excerpts
from books, poems, short stories, fables, and fairy
tales. A special feature are many hymns from 200 AD
to the twentieth century."
For
example, during the lesson on the French Revolution,
you'll be reading A Tale of Two
Cities as a family read-aloud
which you started at the beginning of the unit. During
this particular lesson, you will also read 'The French
Declaration of the Rights of Man and Citizen' from In
Their Words. I like the way Mr. Notgrass incorporates
historical documents with historical fiction, the best
of both worlds - your kids will enjoy learning!
Exploring
American History comes in two huge volumes
also (700+ pages): Volume I - Columbus to Reconstruction
and Volume II - Late 1800s to the Present. Again these
could be used for several years in a multi-level environment.
In addition to the American History textbooks, you
will also read from A Documentary History
of the United States which includes documents,
speeches, and letters from American history, The
World's Greatest Speeches, and
100 Great American Poems.
Another
feature I like in both curriculums is the writing
assignments. For example, during the lesson on The
New Deal in Exploring American History, you will
read the lesson in the textbook, read Franklin Roosevelt's
Inaugural Address in The World's Greatest
Speeches, begin To Kill
A Mockingbird, and work on a writing assignment
from a list of choices (example: Do some research and
write a two-page biography of Franklin and Eleanor
Roosevelt.) You would have to adapt this assignment
for younger children - perhaps using the "Famous
Person" form on
my website.
The World History curriculum also includes a Nation
Project assignment where your student chooses one
country on which to research and write throughout
the course of the study along with or instead of
the other assignments. Grammar points are also included
with each lesson, but this will not take the place
of a grammar curriculum. It is a good review, however.
The
text of both curriculums is written in a prose style
that is easy to read, similar to the Apologia Science
style. The World History text is easier on the eyes
as it is larger print; however, the print on the
American History is adequate for you younger folks!
Black and white photos and maps are interspersed
throughout the text to add interest. The only thing
that could make this better (however more expensive)
would be color.
For
those of you who use tests and quizzes, he offers an
optional Quiz & Exam Book for each
curriculum. I highly recommend purchasing these also,
even to those of you who do not use tests, as they
are wonderful resources for discussion questions after
each lesson.
The
literature list in both curriculums is excellent;
however, some of it is too difficult for primary-aged
children. If you are teaching all grade levels, you
may want to substitute something else for family
reading when the assigned book is not appropriate
for your younger children. Then have your older children
read the assigned reading on their own.
Scripture
lessons are also included, along with questions related
to the reading. This curriculum is written from a
Christian point of view which makes it especially
good for families who want to incorporate Bible with
their history studies.
For
those of you with high school students, this could
be used as a self-directed study for students who are
motivated to work on their own.
Each
of these curriculums would be excellent resources
to use along with my Multi-level
Planning Guide for History.
- Hands
of a Child.
Are
you looking for a quick, easy & fun
way to teach history and science? Then check out the
kits at Hands of a Child. Each kit becomes a colorful,
lap book made of file folders and construction paper
that illustrates what your child has learned during
the unit. Each kit comes with a lesson plan
and printable masters. You supply paper, file folders,
brads, and glue. All you have to do is copy
the masters, cut out, and then have your children
complete the lessons. You can even buy a kit already
printed - all you do is cut out and teach!
The lessons are written from a Christian perspective
and include biographies, literature, state history, science,
and history. Topics range from the Human Body to Wireless
Communication to the French Revolution. Each lesson is
multi-level so you can use it, as is, for several grade
levels or you can adapt it for PreK-12. All of the newer
kits come with a study guide which gives you all the
factual information you need to complete the lesson as
well. For the older kits, you will need to research the
factual information yourself using a textbook, encyclopedia,
or the internet.
For
example, In the North Carolina State history unit, your
child learns state facts, geography, climate, government,
economy, people, religion, important dates, major cities,
colleges and universities, wildlife, and vocabulary of
the state through reading of the text included. They
reinforce this learning by completing "projects" that
go with each lesson and are added to the folder as
they progress. When completed, the folder
is easy to store and makes great "memory
book" of your child's school years.
These kits are
perfect to use along with The
Checklist and highly recommended
for the Read/Write and Visual
Learner or any child who likes
to make booklets, color, cut out and paste. To see
samples, prices, and how to order, please check the
website.
History
Through the Ages by Amy Pak
I
love Timeline products and this one did NOT disappoint!
On a scale of 1 to 5, this is definitely a 5!
Amy has created a resource that can be used
throughout your homeschooling career that will
help you and your children make sense of history.
And if you've never used a timeline, this one
makes it very easy to get started. Everything
you need is available from one resource.
First,
the History Through the Ages Record of
Time notebook. This is georgeous! The timeline
pages are printed on heavy stock so they won't
tear out easily and your timeline pieces won't
see through the back of the page. These pages
are then inserted into a 3-ring notebook (about
13' wide by 9" high)
with a beautiful, full color, hard-bound cover,
making this easy to store and something that
will last a long, long time. Also, included are
17 maps of the ancient and modern worlds..
Second,
the Timeline Pieces. The timeline
pieces are purchased in sets (Creation to Christ,
Resurrection to Revolution, Napoleon to Now,
and America's History). They are printed on
white paper, complete with a picture and a
short description of the piece. Children who
like to color, can color the pieces which will
make your book even more colorful. The CD gives
you the option to print the pieces with or
without the descriptive text and in both wall
and notebook size!
Last,
the Suggested Placement Guide. One
of the most helpful features of this set is the
placement guide. This shows you where to place
your timeline pieces so that all of them will
fit in your notebook. Without this, you may
have trouble as you create your book. If you
place the timeline pieces in the wrong place,
then later when you go to add others, you may
find there is no space to squeeze in a piece
that needs to go between two previously placed
pieces.
Now
you may be thinking, "that's is a lot
of money to spend on a timeline" but let
me assure you that it will be money well spent.
How many textbooks do you buy that last for 12+
years? Or that will be used by the whole family?
And that will be a treasured memory book of your
homeschool days? This timeline is all that, as
well as a tool that will help you teach your
children the history of the world and demonstrate
how these historical events work together to
tell God's Story.
- Hold
That Thought
If
you have a child who is a visual and loves maps,
charts, and graphs or if you're looking for a
simple way to teach the US states, you'll love
this curriculum. It comes on a CD and is made
up of worksheets that are in pdf format (free
Acrobat Reader software is used to print them
out.) Simple print out the worksheets on your
printer, 3-hole punch, and place in a binder.
You can print the cover of a color cover stock
or have your child create his/her own cover.
The worksheets cover all 50 states. Students
have to do their own research to complete these
worksheets. When your child is done, he will have
learned where each state is located in the US,
and each state's major cities, abbreviations, state
symbols, average precipitation, highest and lowest
point, time zone, and population. He will also
learn about each state's natural resources, write
a timeline of major events for each state, and
discover what to see and do in each state.
After your child has learned about each state
individually, he will learn something about the
US as a whole. He will learn about the regions
of the US, the time zones, largest and smallest
state, largest city, longest river, largest lake,
largest desert, highest and lowest point, and hottest
and coldest temperatures. He will write the National
Anthem, color the US presidential seal, identify
and color the National bird and flower, write the
Pledge of Allegiance, write the incription from
the Liberty Bell and Statue of Liberty, color the
flag, and identify major landmarks in the US. A
vocabulary list is also included.
After he has learned about the states and the
US, your child will write down his perfect vacation
and map it on a US map. A great way to review!
Finally, there is a test at the end. (I normally
don't like tests but I love this one!) Your child
has to identify outlines of each state and write
in its capitol. Then he has to look at several
US maps where the boundary lines are messed up
and fix them. For example, the boundary between
Oklahoma and Texas may be missing so the child
has to draw the boundary back in.
I highly recommend this resource for grades 1-6.
I recommend teaching from this for two or three
weeks each year, selecting worksheets that would
be suitable for your child at that age. The next
year, review what you learned last year and add
a little more. If you did this each year from grades
1 through 6, they would be well educated in US
geography by time they reach 7th grade. The other
alternative would be to teach it one year. I would
recommend teaching a one-year course in 4th, 5th
or 6th grade.
For more information or to order: http://www.holdthatthought.com/
- Homeschool
Psych: Preparing Christian Homeschool Students for
Psych 101 by Dr. Tim Rice
As many of you know, I am currently in college
and also have a child in college. What I am
learning is not just academics, but also the
effect of college on our Christian students.
I've watched first-hand as MOST of our own
church kids go to college and then begin to
struggle with their faith. Many are leaving
it behind altogether. What I have learned from
this is that our kids not only need to have
an excellent academic and Biblical education,
but we must also equip them to live and work
in the secular world, as well. Don't shelter
your child from the theories of the world and
then send them to college (or work) where they
hear them for the first time. Instead, introduce
these theories while they are home with you
in the context of your Christian worldview.
Many of you already do that with history,
science, and literature. Now, there's a way
to do that for Psychology. If your child is
going to college, it is extremely likely that
they will have to take Psychology 101. Thanks
to Dr. Time Rice, there is now a way to prepare
them for it, while they are at home with you.
The goal of this textbook is to help prepare
Christian homeschool students for college-level,
introductory psychology. The course comprises
two parts. Part I teaches the history and background
of psychology and why it needs to be taught
in a Christian worldview. Dr. Rice also gives
examples of how the study of psychology can
be used to serve God in the world of mental
health care, business, child care, marriage
counseling, missions, and more.
Part II includes an overview of key concepts
commonly taught in an introductory psychology
class. This is the fun part! Your student will
learn all about the brain, the nervous system,
personality, and the theories of many famous
psychologists. Part of the lessons include
researching these psychologists to find out
about their worldview and how it affected their
theories - a real eye opener! A workbook is
included with excellent, thought-provoking
questions to answer that will lead the student
to an understanding of psychology from a Christian
worldview so that he or she will be prepared
to intelligently discuss psychology in a secular
classroom.
Dr.
Rice realizes that Christians have varying
views of psychology and is careful to avoid
pushing his opinion on the student. His goal
is only to introduce the student to what they
will learn in a college classroom. Therefore,
he keeps his opinions out and allows the parents
to teach it in the context of their own views.
As he says, " It is not the purpose of
this text to settle any arguments between Christians."
I
highly recommend this textbook for students
preparing for college. Document this course
on page 170 of The
Checklist. For more information
on Dr. Rice and Homeschool Psych, visit his
Web
site.
- It
Wasn't Much, Ten True Tales of Oklahoma Heroes by
Jana Hausburg.
Although It
Wasn't Much is recommended for juvenile
readers, I thoroughly enjoyed it myself.
It makes learning history as easy as eating
fudge! The stories are short and easy to
read, but they are packed with adventure,
heroic exploits, historical facts, and
inspiration. There are ten biographies
of not-so-well known Oklahoma heroes such
as Rosemary Hogan who was a nurse during
World War I in the Philippines and a POW,
Fern Holland, an Oklahoma Cherokee, who
joined the Peace Corp and was killed while
serving in Iraq; Rufino Rodrigues who rescued
150 miners at the risk of his own life;
and Robbie Risner, from Tulsa, who kept
up the morale of his fellow Vietnam POWs
from the time he was captured in 1965 until
the time he was released in 1973.
Included
in each chapter is more information about
the setting of the story, definitions of
difficult terms, suggestions for additional
reading, a list of Internet resources related
to the topic, and a list of places to visit
in Oklahoma that compliment the story. And
finally, on the Web site, there are additional
pages of study resources, discussion questions,
writing exercises, and teacher resources.
A lot for your money!
For
more information or to purchase, see the
publisher's Web site: Forty-Sixth
Star Press.
- KitBook:
Electric Circuits by Ed Basconi and David M. Jones
Calling
all Kinethetic learners! Here's a product that offers
hands-on fun as well as
thoughtful instruction. The kit contains everything
you need, including the batteries. The instruction
book is clear and easy to read. It contains nine
different lab experiments that are completed with
the attached "power Page" and included
components.
I had a terrific time building a lamp,
a buzzer, and a simple circuit. I then experimented
with conductors, insulators, switches, circuits in
a series, parallel circuits, and electromagnets.
The components were first class and I loved the way
you simply "snapped in" the components on
the "power
page." No wires to cut and no soldering. And, because
the components are snapped in, you can use the kit over
and over again!
The
Student Workbook contains eight chapter reviews
composed of multiple choice, fill in the blank,
and essay-type questions. I like the fact that the
students have to actually learn something to complete
the reviews. I
can see why this won a Parents' Choice Award!
I
recommend that you use this kit with page 163 of The
Checklist.
This kit would also make a wonderful Christmas or birthday
gift.
For
more info, visit their Web
site.
- Knowlege
Box Central Lapbooks
Astronomy
Lapbook. For
those who enjoy lapbooking, this resource is a
must! The completed lapbook is made up of file folder
covers and 27 booklets inside. Directions are
included for creating the lapbook and what information
each of the 27 booklets should contain. For example,
there are booklets for writing the definition
of a light year, what a sun spot is, biographical
information about Galileo, vocabulary words,
and moon phases. There is also a booklet for
illustrating the solar system and one on space
shuttle disasters. There's even a word search
template! Very thorough coverage of astronomy that
will work well with any astronomy curriculum.
Additonal
Lapbooks titles are available including topics in history,
Bible, geography, science, math, literature, and home
economics, as well as lapbooks that go along with the
American Girls series. In addition to the Astronomy lapbook,
I was sent an Egypt lapbook and the Exploring
Creation with Zoology, Swimming Creatures of the Fifth
Day to review.
In
the Swimming Creatures lapbook, the instructions
not only include what information to write on the booklets,
but also where to find the answers in the Apologia textbook
- nice feature for mom and dad! This lapbook was created
to go along with the Apologia series. Other titles in
this series are available.
The Egypt Lapbook
was my favorite. The instruction book not only included
instructions for putting the lapbook together, but detailed
information about Egypt to read. There is no need for
another textbook!
The
layout in both Swimming and Egypt were
better than the layout in the Astronomy booklet
- the colors were “happier,” the choice of
artwork was more interesting, and the layout looked more
professional.
Each
lapbook is sold in four different ways: (1) e-book -
everything is sent by e-mail. You download the templates
and guide book, print it out on your own paper, and provide
your own file folders; (2) CD - same as e-book except
on CD; (3) Do-it-Yourselfer - Purchaser received printed
templates, file folders, and a printed guidebook in mail,
purchaser must assemble; and (4) Pre-assembled - everything
cut out and assembled, ready to write in. Comes with
printed guide.
I
would heartily recommend these lapbooks for children
who love making booklets and enjoy writing. And
when you're done, you'll have wonderful memory-books
of your child's learning that you'll enjoy for
years to come!
NOTE:
I would not recommend these for children who do not
enjoy cutting, pasting and/or writing. (Although
a work-around would be for them to type on the little
booklets before gluing them in the folder. You would;
however, need a regular typewriting as the formatting
would be difficult on a computer.)
- Learning
with the Movies.
If
you do unit studies or just like to enrich your homeschool
program with videos, you have to have this book by
Beth Holland! This is another resource I discovered
at the OCHEC convention and immediately purchased.
Learning with
the Movies includes a listing of cinema movies and made-for-TV
movies. The beauty of this guide is that all the movies
are organized chronologically beginning with Bible Times
and Ancient Egypt through 1900's. If you are doing a
study on Rome, simple look through the section on Ancient
Rome! For instance, in the Rome section, she has included
Ben-Hur, Demetrius and the Gladiator, fall of the Roman
Empire, Julius Caesar, Jupiter's Darling, Quo Vadis?,
The Robe, Sign of the Pagan (about Attila the Hun), and
Spartacus. There is also some blank space for you to
list additional movies as you find them.
Finally, she has
also included movies related to the Music/Arts (example:
The Agony and the Ecstasy which is about Michelangelo),
Biographies (example: Abe Lincoln in Illinois), Sports
(example: Brian's Song), Science/Nature (example: Apollo
13), Horses (example: Miracle of the White Stallions),
Medicine (example: The Girl in White), Literature (example:
A Christmas Carol), Holidays (example: Miracle on 34th
Street), and Family Films (just plain fun).
Each movie listing
includes its production date, Beth's star rating, and
the parental guidance rating (PG, G, etc). An alphabetical
listing is in the back of the book. Highly recommended
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