I'm pretty excited to share this review of a pdf unit study about Pine Trees that the girls and I have been thoroughly enjoying, developed by the founders of the magazine, Creation Illustrated . Before I jump into the material, allow me to share a bit about this publication. First of all, I LOVE THIS MAGAZINE. Interestingly enough, before the opportunity for this review came about, I was thinking that I need to order a subscription. There are many magazines available, but I have yet to find one that is as beautiful as this one. Flip through the pages, and you'll find one incredible photo after another of some of God's most amazing animals, birds, plants, flowers...one is lovelier than the next. Tom and Jennifer Ish, and their daughter Melissa, are the family behind this magazine/ministry. Their desire is to share the truth of God's Word through the beauty of His creation, and the wonderful lessons found in this breathtaking quarterly. Their mission statement is beautiful, I hope you'll head over and read it.
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| The Ish Family |
On to the focus here, which is our unit study - Pine Trees and correlates with the Fall 2017 issue. This is a pdf study, which is convenient because- no waiting! Download it, and get started with the lessons. The suggested age range for this study is grades 5-8, but many parts of the lessons can be adapted for younger or older students - and adults as well! The study is organized well, and includes the following:
* Reading Resources
* Educational Videos
* Vocabulary and Spelling
* Bible Study
* Geography
*Science
*Math
*Writing/Penmanship
*Art
*Puzzle
* Teacher Answer Keys
Doesn't that look like a thorough study? There is no set way to work through the study, as far as which lesson to complete and when. We actually began with the vocabulary and spelling exercises. These two pages have 20 challenging words to define, and learn to spell. The first page begins with the history of the word "Pine". It is also the page that has the vocabulary words. The second page has 20 definitions that your student will match with the correct word. I really appreciated the words that were selected. They were not terribly easy, and even so, I was impressed that my girls had no problem with most of them, and we enjoyed talking about several of the meanings.
We then dug into the Fall 2017 edition of Creation Illustrated , where we read about the wonder of the Pine Tree. It is a few pages long, and a fascinating read. Both my 12 and 13 year old read it without any problems, and they found it interesting as well.
The educational video links provided more great information. So many resources to choose from!
Now for my favorite part of this study- the Bible study featuring, you guessed it, pine trees! I love this, and I never realized the way that the two collide. We read a collection of Bible verses - mostly in the King James Version -and discovered what pine trees were used for in Biblical times. It was fascinating, and I confess that I would not have thought about looking for pine in the Bible. There are also extra questions that can be used for older students, or anyone curious enough to do some deeper searching in the bible.
The geography pages provided more fun facts that we had never known before. There are 9 different varieties of Pine trees given. You will look up those trees using the handy links provided, and label where they are originate, as well as all kinds of cool information. The math pages brought a gasp of "Oh no" from my girls, lol, but only because they're not natural math fans. The problems on that page are interesting, for example, learning about the Fibonacci numbers, and other practical math applications that are relatable in real life - expanding recipes, and and measuring.
For students that have a creative bent, there is an art study, where you choose a pine tree and draw a picture of it. Or write a short essay about the pine tree of your choice. Wrap up the study with a crossword puzzle, which is a family favorite over here.
The girls and I have really enjoyed this study. We took about three days to work through it, but you can stretch it out if you like. Every day while working on it, my 12 year old asked if we were going to be doing it that day. She really liked it, and was thrilled to learn that there are other studies that she can do. That's the enthusiasm that you hope to see in your students. I enjoyed it as much as the girls have, as there are so many aspects of God's creation to learn about.
We also took a quick peek into the Snow Unit Study which correlates with the Winter 2018 edition of Creation Illustrated . Most people have a strong reaction to snow, they either love it, or hate it. But this study will show in amazing detail the wonder of God through these frozen ice particles. Have you ever examined a snowflake up close? Have you seen the fragile, gorgeous detail within a single flake? You'll do just that in this study, and you can chart the many variations that exist in what may, at first glance, seem to be just a pile of white ice.
You will be encouraged by the Word of God as you do a study from the Bible on snow, and where it's talked about, and what snow symbolizes. You'll enjoy "Snow Science", and create ice crystals with a few household items. There are lovely photos, a poem, and vocabulary words, all taking you into the wonder of snow. There are fun (yes, I said fun) math problems to work through. As with the other study there are plenty of links to educational videos and articles to watch and read. If you live in an area that is still snowy, perhaps this study will encourage you as you wait for warmer days. Even if that's not the case, I have no doubt that this study will bless you and bring you closer to God, as you study.
Some great offers for you below, don't miss these!
Print subscriptions are available for Creation Illustrated at 25% off. Take advantage of that by clicking here .
You can also download some wonderful Creation Studies at 30% off by clicking here .
How about a sneak peek at the Spring 2018 cover? This issue will feature beautiful butterflies, and include more of their biblically based lessons. Can't wait!
Well, I'm off to order a print subscription for myself, as well as a few Mother's Day gifts for family members. I hope you'll check out this magazine. I bet you'll love it too. This is the day that the Lord has made, let us rejoice in it!
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