CrossTimber Name Products- A Review

Disclaimer: I received a FREE copy of this product through the HOMESCHOOL REVIEW CREW in exchange for my honest review. I was not required to write a positive review nor was I compensated in any other way.

If you are looking for personalized gifts for this holiday season, be sure to check out CrossTimber’s 8×10 Plaque print; and AmazingName Print Activity Sheets. With so many options to choose from, deciding what to order may be the hardest part of the process. It excited me to determine what plaque to order.

CrossTimber offers a variety of products and choices to select from including their 8×10 Plaque prints, bookmarks, Activity sheets, music boxes, mugs, NameCards™ and more. Once you decide on what type of product want, a variety of choices face you.

For this review, we received an 8×10 Plaque print with one of the new, printable activity sets.  For the print, we could select from one, two, or three names. Because our children are all 18 and up now, I ordered a print for my husband and myself. I thought it would go along beautifully with a crocheted piece with our last name on it that my sister-in-law made several years ago. Eventually, when we get our “forever” home, this print could find a prominent place in our living room.

The website provides detailed instruction on the options available and the steps for ordering. As a military family, I appreciated how they included instructions for shipping to military addresses overseas besides the instructions for ordering in the United States.

Once I determined I wanted to order a plaque with two names, I easily located the tab for “Multi-Name” plaques. Once there, I browsed the different options available for specifically for couples. A variety of backgrounds including ones for Faith & Encouragement, Castles & Lighthouses, Butterflies, and more are available.Finally, I determined I wanted the print with two hands. I easily input our names, checked to make sure it was correct, and then placed my order. Options are available to simply have them send a PDF of the plaque, a printed copy of just the plaque (which we received), or to have it framed. A variety of frames are available if you elect to order your print framed.

You also can elect to pay for them to send you a preview to make sure everything appears correctly before printing. In the rare instance something goes wrong, they also provide step-by-step instructions for dealing with the various issues that may arise, such as receiving the wrong item, damage during shipping and so forth.

When we received the plaque, it included our names, the meaning of our names along with the origins of our name. Two verses of Scripture appear on the bottom. The colors are rich and vibrant. I look forward to framing it and displaying it in our home.

For the AmazingName Print Activity Sheets, I elected to use our daughter’s name. We received a variety of pages including printing sheets, cursive sheets, mazes, crossword puzzles, word searches and more. The pages appear to be on quality paper with color and more. I definitely could see our daughter loving these pages when she was younger.

You can find CrossTimber on social media on Facebook and Pinterest.

For me, I find the company seems to do everything possible to provide an excellent customer experience. I found the site easy to navigate and the company a pleasure to order from with the items arriving on time and as expected.

So if you are looking for personalized gifts including name meaning gifts, framed name meaning prints, bookmarks, and more, check out CrossTimber‘s 8×10 Plaque print; and AmazingName Print Activity Sheets. With so many options to choose from, I am sure you will find something to satisfy your shopping needs.

Other members of the Home School Review share about the plaques, bookmarks, and their experiences with this company this week. So click here or on the graphic below to read more of their reviews.

#hsreviews #personalizedgifts #namemeaninggifts #amazingname #crosstimber #meaningfulgifts

Faith Journeys Bible Study Series: Romans bundle and Faith Journey Bible Study Series: Philippians from Julie Naturally – A Review

Disclaimer: I received a FREE copy of this product through the HOMESCHOOL REVIEW CREW in exchange for my honest review. I was not required to write a positive review nor was I compensated in any other way.

Julie Polanco of Julie Naturally has two new bible studies for women: Faith Journeys Bible Study Series: Romans bundle and Faith Journeys Bible Study Series: Philippians.  I elected to start by using the Romans study for my personal Bible time.  For quite a while, I have followed Julie Polanco’s blog and am pleased to take part in this review. For this review, I received access to the Romans’ Study Bundle, which included a downloadable stud of the PDF, Memory verse cards, coloring pages, and videos Julie Polanco created to go with the study.  For my purposes, I primarily elected to complete the pages on my iPad.  Here is an example.  I love being able to just take my tablet and Bible rather than having to take more things with me.  

Julie Polanco grew up in the Lutheran church, but she gave her life to Christ while in college.  Throughout the years, she has served in various areas and roles including  Children’s Ministries, VBS, worship leader, deaconess, small group leader, and as a Titus 2 mentor.

Throughout the pages of these studies, her heart for God shines through every word.  These studies are perfect for older students and homeschooling mothers.  The Romans study takes 8 weeks to complete with 6 days of lesson per week.  I elected to begin each week watching the video for the lesson.  From there I began doing a lesson a day, including studying the memory work for the week.  Then on Sundays, I completed the coloring page for the lesson.

The studies require reading passages of Scripture in the Bible, along with answering open-ended questions.  I feel this study would be perfect for the moms who attend a homeschooling group together to complete.  I also think it would be perfect for moms with older daughters to complete together. Having three sons and a daughter, I easily would have used this with my sons before they graduated.  I even think husbands and wives could complete the studies together.  Although I am not sure if all men would want to complete the coloring pages.

These lessons require thought and meditation rather than just filling in blanks.  I appreciate this.  However, I wish she provided some insight into how she would answer the questions personally.  Sometimes I struggled with a desire to know my answers were correct.

While I enjoyed the messages of the video, those individuals who require perfect or professionally done videos may have some problems with these videos.

I think the coloring pages provided an excellent feature in this study.  Some coloring pages included designs and patterns while other pages included words.

Families may complete the Philippians study in 4 weeks.  Again, the study material includes daily sections to complete.  Coloring pages, memory verses, and open-ended questions need to complete.  On the first day, the first requirement involves watching the video.  Then comes reading the passage of Scripture along with answering questions.   Again,  hide God’s Word in your heart using the included memory verses.  You can decide for yourself how to go about memorizing those passages.        

You can find Julie Polanco on social media at the following links:

Facebook: facebook.com/julienaturally
Instagram: instagram.com/successful.unschooler
Pinterest: pinterest.com/julienaturally
YouTube: youtube.com/c/julienaturally

So if you are looking for a Bible Study for women, I suggest exploring Julie Polanco’s Faith Journeys Bible Study Series: Romans bundle and Faith Journeys Bible Study Series: Philippians for yourself.

Other members of the Home School Review Crew share their experiences with these studies this week. So click here or on the graphic below to read more of their reviews.

#hsreviews #julienaturally, #juliepolanco, #faithjourneys

Economics Online Course Bundle from Boundary Stone – A Review

Disclaimer: I received a FREE copy of this product through the HOMESCHOOL REVIEW CREW in exchange for my honest review. I was not required to write a positive review nor was I compensated in any other way.

If you are looking for a self-paced homeschool economics course, I suggest checking out Boundary Stone’s Economics Online Course Bundle. Our youngest son has been looking at college requirements for the degree he wants to pursue and discovered economics provides credit for one of his choices. So we decided this course bundle would provide an excellent taste of what economics looks like as a course. This Christian economics course deserves your exploration. Families have access to the hardback textbook Basic Economics, A Natural Law Approach to Economics, four edition along with online access or 12 months to the course, a PDF of the 128 page Teacher’s Guide and access to a Budget Mini Course.

Boundary Stone provides a Christian based view of economics, which pleased my husband myself. Having a Christian viewpoint provides one of the first requirements we have for most curriculum. Having a Scriptural backed view of economics serves as something we wanted our son to experience.

This course includes lessons online, reading assignments, and quizzes. Students may repeat the quizzes as needed, except for the very first diagnostic quiz. The textbook includes reading assignments and study guides that provide identification (words to define essentially), review questions, activities, along with suggestions for activities for further study.

Topics covered in the course include: 

• The Framework of Economics
• The Production and Distribution of Goods
• Politico-Economic Systems

Within those topics, students examine subjects such as Government, Society and Morality, Property, Scarcity and Economy, How We Get What We Want, Failed Attempts to Control the Prices, and more.  Having experienced the Coronavirus and its effects on the world’s economy and the availability of goods and services, I feel this course provides an excellent examination of our experiences since March.

Having gone through two economics courses in college–macroeconomics, and microeconomics, I knew what he could expect. However, I have to say these two courses provided two of the worst experiences of my college career. So I prayed his experience would be better. Because most of this course occurs online, a high-speed Internet connection along with a copy of the textbook fills the largest requirements.

Dr. Paul Cleveland founded Boundary Stone.  Having worked as a professor for over 35 years, he studied and pondered the issues of political economy.  Using ways that even include story-telling to make the elusive concepts of economics to students. His background also includes writing and travels extensively lecturing about political economics along with many other activities.

I appreciate the self-pacing of this course. Families can adapt the schedule to fit their needs. As my son began the class, he felt like too much Biblical content overshadowed the actual economics portion. But he also felt like the textbook did an excellent job of explaining the material. In fact, the textbook provided his favorite part of the course. Written by Clarence Carson and Paul Cleveland, the textbook provides reading assignments, quotes, points of emphasis, a summary, a glossary of terms, and more.

Students watch videos, whose length seems reasonable.  The quality of these videos appears to be excellent.  The quality of the sound is excellent.  Few distractions appear to be present.

An optional budget project provides students with excellent instruction, information, and experience with constructing a budget.  My husband and I find this optional section to be valuable.  Families may elect to work on the budget project one day a week.

You can find Boundary Stone on Social Media at the following links:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DrPaulCleveland
Twitter:https://twitter.com/DrPaulCleveland
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCf4qWz28QJO80oB-aanH9Sw

I feel compelled to say how much I appreciate how this course examines the political effects on the economy in the United States.  I fervently wish for my children to stand for Biblical and conservative values along with fiscal responsibility.  I feel this course provides an excellent framework for those ideas.

So if you are looking for a Christian high school economics course, I suggest exploring the self-paced homeschool economics course, I suggest checking out Boundary Stone’s Economics Online Course Bundle.

Other members of the Home School Review Crew share their thoughts over on the blog this week. So click here or on the graphic below to read their reviews.

#hsreviews #boundarystone #basiceconomics

Bible Unearthed from Drive Thru History® Adventures – A Review

Disclaimer: I received a FREE copy of this product through the HOMESCHOOL REVIEW CREW in exchange for my honest review. I was not required to write a positive review nor was I compensated in any other way.

Because we love Dave Stotts and Drive Thru History® Adventures, we were super excited to receive Bible Unearthed to review. Over the past several years, our family reviewed several courses and products from Drive Thru History® Adventures. Dave Stotts brings history to life, especially in how it relates to the Bible. While the Drive Thru History® takes viewers on a journey through history, Bible Unearthed goes. behind the scenes and involves Dave Stotts, his friend, and expert, Titus Kennedy, PhD, along with longtime travel companion and Drive Thru History® writer, Randall Niles, to explore archaeology, the Bible, and History. Our family appreciates how finds in the Holy Land and archaeology weave together to illustrate proof for the teachings in the Bible.

When you log into the course, a series of background items appear including the Course Guide, an explanation of how to use the worksheets and answer guides that accompany each lesson, and how to use the community and additional articles that are available. Families may use the course guide to create a schedule for the course that works best for individual needs.  So this means if your family has a busy week, you could just watch the videos.  If you have more time, you could become more involved in the additional material.  Adjust requirements based on the ages and abilities involved to create the perfect course for your family.

The videos take approximately 15 minutes to watch. The quality of the picture and the sound provide an excellent viewing experience. We loved how the three men interacted. It seemed like they really enjoyed working and talking together.  We also appreciated how we learned about the life of an archaeologist and how they approach doing their jobs.

The videos weave together Biblical references, archaeological discoveries, archaeological processes, and scenes from episodes of Drive Thru History®. After each episode, reading material appears under the video along with downloads for the worksheets and answer keys. 

For those families with younger children, your family could watch the video together.  For families with slightly older children, elect to fill out some questions on the worksheets or discuss them together. For older students and adults in the family like ours, watching the videos together and then reading the material on the screen along with the additional articles plus reading the worksheets and answering the questions on the worksheets provide the perfect level of involvement.

For our family,  we elected to watch the videos together and then discuss them.  I allowed everyone to decide whether to answer the questions and read the extra articles for themselves.  I elected to add the worksheets to my tablet so I could work on them while at appointments or other places.  Plus, it eliminates paper clutter around our home.

You can find Drive Thru History® on social media at the following links: 

Facebook

Instagram

YouTube

This course resonated with our family because it combines the Bible, History, and archaeology together into a meaningful, informative, and interesting package.  So if your family desires to learn more about how the Bible intersects with archaeology and history, check out Bible Unearthed from Dave Stotts and Drive Thru History® Adventures.  This course provides information and entertainment while potentially creating an interest in archaeology at the same time.

Other members of the Home School Review Crew share their thoughts and experiences on this program this week on the Home School Review Crew blog, so click here or on the graphic below to read more reviews.

#hsreviews #bibleunearthed

THINKWELL’S INSTRUCTOR-LED GEOMETRY – A Review

Disclaimer: I received a FREE copy of this product through the HOMESCHOOL REVIEW CREW in exchange for my honest review. I was not required to write a positive review, nor was I compensated in any other way.

Thinkwell Homeschool overs online courses such as Thinkwell’s Instructor-Led Geometry . As a student, I loved math and excelled at it. However, the math genes appear to have skipped my children. So I am always on the look-out for math programs for our children. Our daughter especially seems to struggle with math. So I wanted her to try an instructor-led program for Geometry from Thinkwell Homeschool. However, our daughter was not ready mentally for this program. Plus, I felt it best to go through the program myself first to see if I believed she could handle the pace and activities of this online course.

Thinkwell Homeschool offers a variety of instructor-led courses including THINKWELL’S INSTRUCTOR-LED ALGEBRA 1, and THINKWELL’S INSTRUCTOR-LED ALGEBRA 2.  Placement tests are provided to ensure students enroll in the correct class for them.  Another advantage of these courses rests in the fact the courses are NCAA approved. 

With this program families get:

• An 18-week, online subscription to our 1st semester Geometry course
• Emails weekly that contain courses assignments as well as lesson plans
• Regular student progress reports
• Instructional videos that are detailed
• Automatically graded assignments with step-by-step answer feedback
• Downloadable and printable course worksheets, and answer keys
• Illustrated course study notes – great for referring back to
• Section quizzes that are automatically graded
• Chapter and Practices Tests, a Midterm, and a Final Exam
• Animated interactive activities and more

HOW IT WORKS:

Families purchase the course through their online store. Then you create an account username and password in order to gain access to the online course on the start date. Students then follow the assignments, which are emailed out weekly. The work is automatically graded and tracked in real-time. Virtual office hours provide additional help and interaction. Upon request, transcripts, grade reports, and certificates of completion may be provided.

Each week we receive an email telling us what the requirements were for each week. Here is an image of an email.

Each week, a warm-up is the first activity students complete. I found the warm-ups to be reasonable in scope and detail. Here is a completed warm-up.

Dr. Edward Berger provides the actual instruction in videos. We aimed to complete videos, worksheets, and warm-ups, and quizzes and tests three days a week with the other two days geared towards the office hours provided for additional help. Here is a sample of a Course Notes page.

Students may take part in office hours twice a week. They conduct these sessions on Zoom. Instructor Julie Welch & T.A. Sarah Flood provide ample opportunities to check on students’ progress, answer questions, and provide time to interact and even to play games.

Because the end of the grading period is Friday, October 23, this week we received an email telling us that they would send progress reports out next week. As a parent, I can see the grades for tests and quizzes on the website for those activities which have been completed. I appreciate how immediately after completing a worksheet, quiz, or test, the course provides immediate feedback on the submitted work. Students see what questions they answered correctly or incorrectly, but also the explanations for the answers. Another feature I love is they may repeat how most if not all activities multiple times. Because I believe students need to master mathematics to move forward, this feature resonated positively with me.

I firmly believe students should have a firm foundation in math before attempting this course.  I also believe students struggle with math may or may not be successful with this course.  I think it depends on the dedication of the student.  I definitely feel like the instructors will provide all help needed for students to thrive in these courses.

You can find Thinkwell Homeschool on Social media at the following links:  Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube.

So if you are looking for an instructor-led math course for your high school students, check out Thinkwell’s Instructor-Led Geometry for yourself.

Other members of the Home School Review Crew are sharing their thoughts and experiences with this course as well as THINKWELL’S INSTRUCTOR-LED ALGEBRA 1, THINKWELL’S INSTRUCTOR-LED ALGEBRA 2, So click here or on the graphic below to read their reviews.

#hsreviews #thinkwellhomeschool #mathonline #onlinehomeschooling #homeschoolalgebra #homeschoolgeometry #onlinemath #algebrahelp

NatureGlo’s eScience MathArt & Science Course Bundle – A Review

Disclaimer: I received a FREE copy of this product through the HOMESCHOOL REVIEW CREW in exchange for my honest review. I was not required to write a positive review nor was I compensated in any other way.

If you favor a relaxed homeschool science approach, you’ll want to check out NatureGlo’s eScience MathArt & Science Course Bundle from NatureGlo’s eScience. With selections covering topics ranging from math in Art to Marine Biology to sharks to geology and more families should find everything they desire for Science. Combing short unit studies with only one to a few lessons, 3 week courses, and 6 week courses, selections suit every family’s needs.  Because the learning occurs online a reliable, fast Internet connection must be available.

Gloria Brooks started teaching/facilitating numerous homeschool and unschooled students around the world.  She holds a bachelors’ degree in K-12 education along with certifications from the Wilderness Awareness school.  She also has over 20 years of eclectic teaching and student self-directected learning experiences in both private schools as well as online courses through NatureGlo’s eScience (which provides a one-stop e-learning center for students ages 10 and up that is nature-based)

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My daughter and I appreciate the flexibility of being able to pick and choose from a variety of courses to create the perfect learning experience.  We have the flexibility to select from courses with only a few lessons to ones that are 6 weeks in length.  Because we elected to take a relaxes approach to science, she found this site perfect for her needs.

All lessons include a mixture of instructional videos, activities, additional resources including downloads, online quizzes, websites to visit and more. As students move through the courses, they mark the lessons as complete. Once families log in to the site, tabs are available to select the dashboard, their courses, their grades, achievements, certificates, notifications and more.

On the grade page, students can track their progress and see their grades.

For this review, our high school daughter elected to begin with courses on Leonardo da Vinici.  She has studied him in the past and wanted to learn more about him, considering she loves art.  The Life and Mathematical Art of Leonardo da Vinci consists of two lessons. The lessons focus on a pre-lesson about The Mona Lisa, a main lesson that includes videos, websites to visit, and suggested activities, along with a second lesson focused on da Vinci’s Platonic Solids and his notebooks.  Given that our daughter has accumulated a number of notebooks filled with her drawings and artistic endeavors, she appreciated this course.  She completed an online quiz about what items da Vinci drew actually became.  Some of the answers included a tank, which she liked since her dad serves in the military.

Another course we elected to review consisted of a 3-week course on snowflakes.  This course includes the examination of types of mathematics found in snowflakes such as symmetry, types of lines, hexagonal prisms and more.  Our daughter appreciated the pace of the videos, the depth of the explanations as well as the printouts and slides available to download. The lesson explores geometry in snowflakes such as angles including right angles with an activity to complete.

With journaling activities, art activities, short answer questions and more the downloads in these courses provide connections and opportunities to branch off on rabbit trails to allow students to explore what interests them.

Other courses available include a 6-week Marine Biology course that examines Oceanography, Marine Plants, & Invertebrates.  The course explores the 5 major oceans, the ocean zones, waves and currents, Marine Algae and plants, Marine Diatoms and more.

Another course students may study is MathArt: Polygons and Patterns in Nature Online Course.  This course explores topics such as finding polygons and polyhedra in your own backyard, Interactive Polygons, Art connections, literature connections, the 13 Archimedean Solids, among other topics. Our daughter desires to draw manga and works consistently on this endeavor, so she was excited that one of the activities was a comic version of the story of Archimedes.

You can find NatureGlo’s eScience on Social Media at the following links.

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/natureglo1
Twitter: https://twitter.com/@natureglo
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/natureglosescience/
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/nesschool/
YouTube: youtube.com/user/1hasc

So if you are looking for a relaxed homeschool science approach, you’ll want to check out NatureGlo’s eScience MathArt & Science Course Bundle from NatureGlo’s eScience.

Other members of the Home School Review Crew are sharing their thoughts on this bundle this week. So click here or on the graphic below and read more of their reviews.

#hsreviews #homeschoolscience #homeschoolmath #homeschoolmarinebiology #homeschoolunitstudies #unitstudies
#onlineunitstudies #hs

Coding For Kids Annual Membership from Simply Coding – A Review

Disclaimer: I received a FREE copy of this product through the HOMESCHOOL REVIEW CREW in exchange for my honest review. I was not required to write a positive review nor was I compensated in any other way.

If you are looking for a homeschool computer science curriculum, I recommend checking out Coding for Kids Annual Membership from Simply Coding. As a blogger, I recognize the importance of learning how to code, so when I saw the opportunity to review this product, I was excited. I wanted to review this product myself.

According to their website, Simply Coding provides, “A self-paced interactive online curriculum that teaches youth how to code their own computer games, websites, and apps through the correct structure and environment.” However, it is not a drag and drop formula. Instead, the site teaches coding through games and code in an actual text editor and how to host their creations online through github.

The site provides four different learning pathways including Simply Coding, Simply Media, Simply Tech Essentials, and Simply Tech4Kids. The Simply Coding pathway includes courses for: Intro to Websites, JavaScript Game Design, and Minecraft Mods in Java. Although more courses are available for purchase. Simply Tech Essential includes courses for Microsoft Excel, Microsoft OneNote, how to build your own computer and more. Simply Media includes courses for Digital Photography, Adobe Lightroom, Adobe Photoshop, Gimp, Camtasia, and more. Simply Tech4Kids inlcudes courses in Intro to Programming: Scratch, Google Applications 4Kids, Tux Paint 4Kids, and more.

Each pathway then includes a variety of courses the student can elect to complete in whatever order they wish. Each course contains a syllabus that lays out the additional items that are required, such as Adobe Photoshop and Adobe Lightroom for the media pathway. Students select the course they wish to begin with by clicking on it. Then, they complete the lessons in order using videos and text on the screen.

I began my journey with the Simply Coding pathway and elected to begin with “Intro to Websites”. The one caution I have about using this site concerns having two different ways of navigating through the sections. Grey arrows allow students to move to the next page in a section, while a gray button at the bottom allows students to move onto the next section. It is important to recognize these differences. At the end of each section/module students must pass each quiz with at least 80 percent to move onto the next section. These quizzes allow the students to retake them.

As a mother of four, I strongly urge watching the videos first and then reading the xt. I know personally I would need the notes to answer the questions. When the students complete all the portions of a course, they have a test to take. My concern about this test results from it being timed and students having only one opportunity to pass it.

I have to say I found the videos to be engaging and worth watching. While I can read the text fine, listening to the instructor made it easier to follow the steps. I love how hints are provided for each action I had to take in the coding. Some parts of coding are complex, making them difficult to determine exactly what steps I needed to take. But with he hints, I could do what was necessary. Here is a sample of coding I did and what that coding turned into for me.

My next pathway I am working on the Adobe Photoshop CC: Part 1 course in the Simply Media pathway. As a blogger I recognize the importance of images, so I feel this is an excellent path to go through now. I also plan on going through part 2 of the Photoshop course and the Lightroom course. From there, I plan on starting the Simply Tech4Kids section.

Even though I am an adult, I find the information presented valuable and definitely understandable. So whether someone is just starting out or trying to improve their skills, this online computer science program has a lot to offer.

You can find Simply Coding on Social Media at the following links:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/simplycoding/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/SimplycodingOrg/featured

So if you are looking for a homeschool computer science curriculum, I recommend checking out Coding for Kids Annual Membership from Simply Coding.

Other members of the Home School Review Crew are sharing their thoughts about this online product, so click here or on the graphic below.

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Disclaimer: I received a FREE copy of this product through the HOMESCHOOL REVIEW CREW in exchange for my honest review. I was not required to write a positive review nor was I compensated in any other way.

I am so thankful that there are online courses for homeschool biology such as Experience Biology: Upper Level from Journey Homeschool Academy.  When our three sons completed Biology, they used a normal textbook.  However, I knew I wanted something different for our daughter.  So I was excited to review this online product with our daughter.  For this review, we received the Advanced Mastery Program which includes:

• 35 weeks of lessons
• Student Guidebook that contains outlines for the student to complete
• Research Questions
• Weekly Quizzes
• Quarterly Exams
• Course Guide
• Lab Manual and Videos
• Certificate of Completion

Parents have the option to either print out the materials from PDF files or to order the Student Guidebook and Lab book as spiral-bound books in color.  We elected to print the materials ourselves.  The Riot and the Dance is an optional textbook families can purchase.  We elected to not purchase the textbook.

For several years, I have enjoyed reading posts by Luke and Tricia Gilkerson.  It excited me when they introduced their science materials.  For this course, Luke does the videos and Tricia does the labs.  The videos are of top quality and very engaging.  This course is a college-prep course.  They give families a full year to complete the materials, even though the course is only 35 weeks.  As homeschooling families, things do not always go as we plan, so having that extra time allotted is helpful.

When I was in high school, one part of Biology I despised and had difficulty with was the dissections. The smells just about did me in, so I was glad the videos provide step-by-step instructions on how to complete the dissection, so our daughter will complete those on her own. I also appreciate how a sample lab report is available in the Resource Section of the Parent site, so our daughter could see what a lab report should look like.

This course covers the following topics:

• Introduction to Biology
• The Chemistry of Life
• Cytology
• Cellular Metabolism Part I, II, III
• Life Cycle of a Cell
• Genetics Parts I and II
• Living Organisms
• Microbiology
• Kingdom Protista, Fungi, Plantae, Animalia
• The Worms
• Creatures in the Sea
• Phylum Mollusca, Arthropoda, Chordata,
• Human Anatomy
• Introduction to Ecology

Students complete note-taking activities, research questions, labs, quizzes, and exams.   The exams come after lesson 9, lesson 17, lesson 26, and lesson 34.

Parents can monitor their student’s progress from the parental dashboard.  They require students to have their own unique email address to log in.  My one wish for this program is for the parental dashboard to provide everything the student sees and receives.  But that is a minor detail for me.
You can Journey Homeschool Academy on Social Media at the following links:

Facebook: facebook.com/intoxicatedonlife
Instagram: @intoxicatedonlifeblog

So if you are looking for a homeschool biology course for elementary school, a homeschool astronomy course, or a high school homeschool biology check out Experience Biology: Upper Level from Journey Homeschool Academy.  I am sure you will be glad you did.

Other members of the Home School Review Crew are sharing their thoughts on Experience Biology: Upper Level and Experience Astronomy: Elementary and Experience Biology: Elementary this week.  So check out their reviews by click here or on the graphic below.

 

#hsreviews #ExperienceAstronomy or #ExperienceBiology

CTCMath 12-Month Family Membership – A Review

 

Disclaimer: I received a FREE copy of this product through the HOMESCHOOL REVIEW CREW in exchange for my honest review. I was not required to write a positive review nor was I compensated in any other way.

 

My son loves the math lessons in CTCMath’s full math curriculum and I love that he has access to all grade levels with the 12-month Family membership.  Several years ago, we decided to explore the option of using CTCMath for our math curriculum for our youngest two.   I love how we have access to all grade levels, limited work or effort is required on my part.  The videos and exercises are relatively self-explanatory at the high school level.  Plus, all grades are essentially collected for me.  For this review, our son was completing his Geometry course and beginning Algebra II.

The Algebra II course begins with:

• Linear Sentences with One Variable
• Segments, Lines, and Regions
• Linear Sentences with Two Variables
• Polynomials
• Factoring Polynomials
• Rational Expressions
• Relations and Functions
• Polynomial Functions
• Radicals
• Quadratic Equations and Systems
• Conic Sections
• Exponential and Logarithmic Functions
• Sequence and Series
• Matrices
• Extensions

Some of the key benefits of this online curriculum is that it is for children in grades kindergarten to twelfth grade.  It goes all the way through Calculus, so for students who require higher level math it is the perfect fit.  It is perfect for students who need to catch up, or need to just keep up, and even for those who want to move ahead.  As a former math teacher, I love how students are allowed to learn at the their own pace rather than someone else’s pace.

Each lesson contains a video that includes sample problems, online problems to complete as well as a worksheet.  The material is broken up into units, which is then broken down into lessons.  Our son appreciates having the ability to go through lessons multiple times since I require mastery rather than speed to move through the lessons.  As a former math teacher, I know math builds upon itself, so it is important to ensure understanding.  As students work through the online problems, once they press the enter button they know immediately if they got the question right or wrong.

Another feature I love about this program is that it shows the students step-by-step how to work out the problems.  I require our children to work out their problems on paper so they can easily find where they made any mistakes at if they get the problem wrong.

Parents have their own login information and can monitor what their children are doing.  Each week, I receive a detailed report that shows what my children have done during that week.  Depending on the child’s scores, they can earn award certificates that they can print off to keep.  Also, notification of these awards are able to be emailed to the parent when the award is earned.

Here are the Social Media Links for CTCMath:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ctcmath/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/ctcmathofficial
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ctcmath/?hl=en
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com.au/ctcmath/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCWn5e6974bpIEAe46VnovZw

So if you are looking for an inclusive Homeschool Math curriculum for your family, I suggest checking out CTCMath’s full math curriculum and their 12-month Family membership.  It is definitely worth looking at for an online Homeschool Math program.

Other members of the Home School Review Crew are sharing their thoughts and experiences with this program this week.  So click here or on the graphic below to read their reviews.

#hsreviews #CTCMath #Homeschool #Math #Curriculum

Review of the High School STEM Innovator Pack from Pitsco Education

Disclaimer: I received a FREE copy of this product through the HOMESCHOOL REVIEW CREW in exchange for my honest review. I was not required to write a positive review nor was I compensated in any other way.

If you are looking for a homeschool STEM project, you’ll want to check out the High School STEM Innovator Pack from Pitsco Education. This pack is designed for grades Grades 9-12.  The kit comes with all the necessary materials and printed instructions for five kits your student can create.  The instructions are designed for the student and limited involvement from the parents are to be expected.  According to their website, “Our scalable resources enable students to practice the future-ready skills they’ll need no matter their path after school – all while integrating STEM disciplines in real-life, practical scenarios.”

This kit contains supplies for making catapult, a Trebuchets, a Kite kit and a solar car. Perhaps if her oldest brother still lived at home and she could have made these projects with him, she would have been more interested.  I have to say these projects are perfect for those with patience for doing sometimes tedious work or work that requires hand strength.  Hand strength is something my daughter and I do not have.  In addition to the supplies to make the items, pamphlets are included to provide additional instructions, information, and activities for the students to complete.

I also must admit we had to look up the definition of a “trebuchets”.  From the picture, I could tell it was some kind of catapult, but I was not sure exactly what it was used for. When we did a Google search, here is what we discovered.  A Trebuchet is a type of catapult utilizes a long arm to throw a projectile. It was commonly used as a weapon until gunpowder came to be.  When we tried making this project, again a lack of hand strength coupled with the thin string we were supposed to use prevented us from completing this project.  The goal is for her father to help her with this later this week.

As I said before this kit would have been perfect for our oldest son when he was in high school.  he would have taken the kit and gone off and built everything in it.  However, my daughter was not so inclined.

However, I must say from our family’s experience, our daughter required assistance from her father.  I wish I could say she loved this product, but I can not.  When building the solar car, her dad had to basically build the car because he had the strength to put pieces together that she and I were unable to do. Here are some pictures while making the car.

My husband enjoyed building the car for the most part and was excited to see it run.  He appreciated how the instructions could be downloaded if the instructions became lost or damaged.  We also appreciated how all of the kits came in one box that allowed everything to be kept together until we were ready to use it.

Here is a video of the car going on our driveway.

 

You can find Pitsco Education on Social Media at the following links:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PitscoEducation/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/pitscoed
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/pitscoed/
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/pitscoeducation/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/PitscoEd

You can enter here for your chance to win your own High School STEM Innovator Pack

So if you are looking for hands-on learning opportunities check out Pitsco Education and their homeschool STEM projects for your family.

Other members of the Home School Review Crew are sharing their thoughts on this product as well as other products from Pitsco Education this week, so click here or on the graphic below to read their reviews.

 

#hsreviews #handsonmindson #PitscoSTEMatHome #ThePitscoExperience #BuiltwithPitsco