Apologia - Exploring Creation with Chemistry and Physics - A Review

You know, when I think of homeschool science programs, particularly those that are aimed at the early elementary age, I don't typically think of Chemistry or Physics. However, that is exactly the kind of science that we have had the privilege to introduce to our daughters this month. Thanks to a very favorite company of mine, Apologia Educational Ministries , we have had a blast reviewing both the physical book, Exploring Creation with Chemistry and Physics , and it's companion, the Exploring Creation with Chemistry and Physics Junior Notebooking Journal .

Honestly, when I excitedly told the girls what we would be receiving and studying, their initial response was, "Chemistry?!" in a somewhat apprehensive tone. It sounded complicated and grown up to them. Then we got the awaited package in the mail, and I unveiled these beautiful books. The girls looked through the notebooking jornal, and quickly decided that this would be pretty cool after all.

We kind of jumped right in, but I will mention that it is a good idea to peruse the first few lessons before you actually begin, as of course you're doing all the time anyway, right homeschool parents? ;) Because, there are a LOT of science experiments and activities throughout the lessons, which is so very totally great! However, you'll want to make sure that you have any and all necessary materials to complete these. But I'm getting ahead of myself. Let me go back a little and start by telling you what you'll find in this wonderful homeschool science curriculum .

This course is designed to take you through the school year, with 14 lessons that will be divided so that you work on them 2 days a week. Of course, this is just the schedule as suggested in the notebooking journal. You can work at your own pace to adjust to your needs. We usually do twice a week, but there is a lot of reading and activities, so occasionally, we add an extra day of it in our schedule.
The text book is lovely, hardcover, brightly colored and generally high in quality. Built to last. :) These are the lessons you'll cover:

*Chemistry and Physics Matter
*Moving Matter
*Building Blocks of Creation
*Compound Chemistry
*Multitude of Mixtures
*Mechanics in Motion
*Dynamics of Motion
*Work in the World
*Sound of Energy
*Light of the World
*Thermal Energy
*Electrifying Our World
*Mysterious Magnetism
*Simple Machines

I love the text, because it speaks right to the child, in easy to understand vocabulary. The beginning of a lesson starts with reading, for our family it is me reading aloud. When we finish a specified section, the kids "narrate" what they learned from the text. I can see if they're tracking by doing this, and explain any parts that were confusing for them. Then we'll do the "Try This!" that is featured frequently throughout a lesson. These are games, activities, and/or experiments that are a hands on way to get the lesson across. This book has a lot of these to do, and they are fun! The girls love them!
Sometimes what we'll do is wait until after my husband gets home from work, and do these activities in the evening, so he can do them with us, as he gets a kick out of them too.
Let me show you a few of our experiments:


These pictures show what happens when you place an egg in fresh water versus salty water- a lesson in buoyancy. As you can see, they enjoyed themselves :)

Here, we fashioned boats out of aluminum foil, and floated them in water. The girls took turns placing as many pennies as they could without sinking them. We got up to 40 pennies on one of them.

This one was so cool- we made lava lamps! The effect is kind of lost with the picture, but it was cool!

Your students will be working through their journal along with the textbook. The beautiful thing about  Apologia is, they are so organized, and the scheduling is done for you. There is a schedule at the beginning of the journal, and lists the activities for each day.  The journal is the hands on part of the curriculum, and this one is filled with coloring pages, crossword puzzles, fun fact pages, where your child will write out what they are learning, mini books to cut out and paste in the pages, copywork, and I know I'm leaving out some things. By the end of the year, you have a science portfolio. And the book is just so nice- a thick, spiral bound notebook, very colorful and inviting.

How about a look inside?

 

 

 

 

We've used Apologia before, and have always been pleased with the quality, the text, the activities, and the teacher's suggestions that they provide. In my opinion, the price is well worth all that you receive. And most importantly, my girls are learning, and enjoying the process as well. When my daughter and I are just having a random conversation, and she compares an experience that she has had when swimming, and then compares it with the concept of buoyancy, and does so accurately, from the lesson we recently completed, I know she gets it, and that is just a great feeling.

This is a fabulous resource, and I really hope you check out the links below, and explore your options!



Apologia Educational Ministries


Exploring Creation with Chemistry and Physics - Book
Price: $39.00
Ages: K-6th Grade


Exploring Creation with Chemistry and Physics Junior Notebooking Journal
Price: $24.00
Ages: Early Elementary



Click to read more reviews from the Schoolhouse Review Crew

November Thanks - Days 7&8

Day 7
I am thankful for the end of the week, when we can take a break from the day to day routine and often the stress it brings. I'm thankful for the chance to take that time to do something different with the family, whether it's simple errands, or a day at the mall.

Day 8
I'm thankful for new beginnings every morning. I seem to blow it way too often as a wife and mother, and it gets me down. Each day brings a clean slate, and a fresh opportunity. And I sure need them.

IXL.com (Math and Language Arts) - A Review

My girls have been keeping their Math and Language Arts skills fresh this month thanks to IXL.com
Our family was given a  free Online Math Membership , and Online Language Arts Membership in exchange for a review. We were very happy to participate in that agreement :) The ladies always benefit from extra Math practice, and I was interested in seeing what the Language Arts had to offer.

I didn't have any particular expectations regarding this review, but when I began exploring the Math program, I was very impressed with the huge amount of material that they offer. First of all, grades Pre-K through 12th are covered, so this appealed to me since we teach several grades. When you get to the Math page , all of the grades are there, along with a sample of some of the skills. Just click on the grade you're working on. Then, prepare to be amazed ;) Why? Because you have the option of clicking to see ALL of the possible skills for any particular grade, and it has them all!

You should have no problem finding that area that your student needs to practice. We're working through 3rd and 4th grades, and both sections have well over 200 skills available. I will just note here that this is a supplemental program, not a curriculum in and of itself. Just click on the skill you want, and it will take you there. That's a feature that I like. It doesn't start and stop at a specific point, so you can use this at any point throughout the year, with whatever curriculum you might be using.

There are two ways to log in, one for the parents, and one for the student. This makes it easy to keep track of how your child is doing, but IXL.com goes further than that. They email progress reports for every amount of time spent working through a skill. They're all personalized, very colorful, and cheer your child on. Included in those are printable certificates that can spur them on, if you happen to have a child that is motivated that way. My girls get pumped up about those, so they're effective for us.
In addition to the reports, they also send reports about the percentage of proficiency in the grade your child currently has in the program. So, you might find that handy as well for your school records.

Now, a little about what a lesson looks like.
Your child logs in, and chooses a skill. It only made sense for us to select one that related to what they're learning in their main Math curriculum, so that's what they did. As they work through a set number of problems, they accumulate points that are visible on the right side of the screen. It also displays how many more points/problems are required to finish that section. When an answer is correct, they get points and move closer to the goal, which is a virtual prize- I'll talk about that shortly. If they answer incorrectly, they lose a couple of points, and then get a mini lesson on what they did wrong, what the correct answer is, and how to get to the correct answer. Then they have to click a button that says "Got it!" to move on.  I like that! Just make sure that you're close by as your student is working, because you may have one or two problems where the child is tempted to skip the lesson when that happens, and move on, without necessarily having learned why they answered wrong. My oldest tried that a couple of times ;)
Of course, as we have found with many computer programs in general, sometimes they do know the answer, but either don't click all the way, or click to fast, and get it wrong unintentionally. But I'm still close by just to make sure they're on the straight and narrow.

When they successfully complete the set of problems, they get to visit a virtual game board for their grade level. It kind of looks like a Bingo board, with lots of squares to uncover. Each board has a different theme. The board will show which squares can be uncovered after receiving a reward. The rest of the squares have question marks on them, to be uncovered at another time. You can find out what skill is required to master, by hovering over any of the squares with your mouse. My girls love to visit the rewards page :)

I think the Math is the favorite page, but they've done well with Language Arts too.
You know, we've never referred to the subject by that title- not for any particular reason- it's just been, spelling, grammar, writing. So, I think that at first they were scared off by the name. I assured them it would be familiar to them, and when they saw for themselves that they did, they were relieved and ready to get on with it.

Language Arts works like the Math. Choose your grade level and the skill you want to work on. There are a limited number of grades for LA at this point - 2nd-4th grade- but we're told that more are on the way soon. Fortunately for us, we have two girls right in that range, so both were able to benefit from the over 100 skills available in this subject. Again, as with the Math, we chose skills that related to our current Grammar lessons, and used this to supplement. The nice thing with the questions, is that they automatically adjust to your child's progress, and increase in difficulty as appropriate.

You'll work on all the things that you would expect:

Types of sentences
Pronouns
Subject and Predicate
Homophones
Irregular Tense
Verbs
Titles

And on and on.
Hover over any of the skills, and you'll get sample sentence to see what will be covered.
And like Math, there are progress reports, awards,  and help for incorrect answers.

As I wrap all of this up, I would say that my girls and I are new fans of this online program. It's exceeded anything that I would hope a program as this would include. It's a great supplement to our main studies, and has already improved their understanding in several skill areas, particularly Math. I have no hesitance in recommending this for any family to add to their homeschool. For those that don't homeschool, it's still a great addition for extra practice. Click on the links below to see more for yourself and read what other crew members had to say.



IXL.com

Online Math Membership (Pre-K- 12)

Online Language Arts Membership - (2nd - 4th)

Price:  $9.95/monthly $79.00 for either program, or $15.95/monthly $129.00 yearly for both
                                                                                                                            



Click to read more reviews from the Schoolhouse Review Crew

November Thanks - Days 5&6

Aack. I missed yesterday's post. So today I'll cover two. First, I am thankful for hot tea. There's something that is soothing to body and soul about a hot cup and a quiet room. If it's an overcast Fall day, and I'm warm and cozy inside, with a child napping, and the others quietly busy, it's all the more calming.

I am also thankful for the end of the day. Some days are good, some are not, but they all have a conclusion. I'm thankful to have that time to recoup and hopefully relax. Every morning provides a clean slate. As the Scripture says, "His mercies are new every morning"
I'm all too aware of my shortcomings, and I'm glad there's always a fresh start.

King's Faith - A Review

About the film:
Eighteen foster homes. Nine arrests. One life-changing moment.
After Brendan King's life spiraled to rock bottom, the teen found hope in a new relationship with Christ while serving time in a juvenile penitentiary. Recently released from prison, Brendan finds solace in the foster home of a couple struggling with suppressed grief.
As the city-bred teen enrolls at a suburban high school, he finds support from a group of believers. Yet the bonds of his old way of life- and the gang that wants to know where he hid their stash on a long-ago night- are strong. In his darkest moment, Brendan found faith. Now he must decide if it's worth the price to hold on to it.

Release date: October 22, 2013
Run Time: 108 minutes
MPAA Rating: PG-13
Suggested retail price: $14.99
Special Features: A 10-minute behind-the-scene feature, commentary, discussion guide, Bible study clips affiliated with the LIVE IT OUT Bible Study


Watch the trailer:

There's nothing like a good movie review to jazz up an evening with the family. I was looking forward to this one in particular, as the theme centers around foster care, and we are foster parents ourselves. Just to mention up front, this is a family movie, but not for the younger kids, as there is some mild violence, and mature themes , as they say.

This was anything but a lighthearted movie, but good and quite powerful. I'm always happy to see a faith based movie that can hold its own, and not come across as corny or stuffy.

The movie begins with scenes from the main character, Brendan's past. As is the case with several other story lines throughout the film, we don't see all of the past events. Some are suggested, through the dialogue, and some are viewed as flashbacks. I like that actually. I don't think a movie needs violence for the sake of violence, a good story can stand on its own.

We meet Brendan after his prison sentence, and after his conversion  to Christ. He is a sympathetic character, his intentions are honorable, and he just wants to take a different road. He's close to aging out of the foster care system, when he 's taken in by his next foster parents, Mike and Vanessa. Mike is a solid and positive influence in Brendan's life, encouraging him in his faith walk, and willing to gamble on him. Vanessa, on the other hand, is very cautious, even wary, and you can feel her mistrust and reticence. Through certain inferences, we find out that Mike and Vanessa are still dealing with their own personal tragedy.

Then there's the family friend of Mike and Vanessa, who also happens to be a detective. He is definitely not thinking that taking in this kid with such a troubled past is worth the trouble. He makes it clear that he believes Brendan will fail.

The battle is uphill all the way, but Brendan keeps going. He is doing everything he can to break from his past, and finds love and support through fellow believers at his high school. But then his old "friends" find him and begin intimidating him, trying to pull him back into his old life. The question is whether Brendan will stand for Christ, or throw it away.

I don't want to give the whole story away, so you'll have to trust me and check out this DVD for yourself. It's a sobering depiction of what many kids in foster care face as they age out, with no one to offer  a better way, a secure family, the hope of a good future. Mike and Vanessa present a great picture of the impact that we can have as parents, foster parents, teachers, whatever you are, on someone who is in desperate need. A great example of being the hands and feet of Christ to those in need.

As foster parents, it's always encouraging to find a movie, a book, a story that shares about this life. It's a world that most people know next to nothing about, and I don't say that to judge, it just is what it is. I know that for us, it opened up the door to a completely different way that people are hurting. The impact of a good foster family can have a huge and lasting impact on the life of the foster child, and possibly their biological family. We often see foster parents portrayed in a negative light for wrongs they commit against the child, or are accused of being in it for the money. I love to see them instead as real people seeking to offer a child/teen a place to hopefully thrive, heal, and succeed.

Those are my thoughts, check it out for yourself :)


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"Disclosure of Material Connection: I received one or more of the products or services mentioned above for free in the hope that I would mention it on my blog. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."

Carole P. Roman - A Review

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 Geography, anyone? My girls and I had the chance to review a set of books by Carole P. Roman .

This set of  books takes readers around the world with four different destinations:

If You Were Me And Lived In...Mexico

 If You Were Me And Lived In...South Korea

 If You Were Me And Lived In...France

If You Were Me And Lived In...Norway

We were blessed to receive  all four titles, an inflatable globe, a couple of paper "passports", and two cute pencils with an international design. I knew that my curious girls would be very happy to read a little bit about a few different cultures, and they were :)

 

 

 

 

This is what we received. The inflatable globe was a hit!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Each paperback book is between 20-26 pages long. All have pleasant, brightly colored illustrations. The format is about the same in all of them. The book begins with a picture of the country, and where it is located on the globe (which you can then show to your child on the inflatable globe :) ). Then, you'll learn what the capital is for that specific country and get some basic information about it.

Then, you'll read examples of people's names that are common to that culture, as well as how one would address their parents.

You'll read about popular destinations, and activities that are available there. Then, it's time to learn about the food! Is it spicy, sweet, or savory? Do they use forks and spoons, or chopsticks?

 

What about holidays? Do other cultures celebrate Christmas, or New Year's? What kinds of traditions are included? Are there any presents? You'll find out all about it.

And school. Do children in other countries attend school? What is it called in the different languages?

These books are a quick and concise resource to provide an overview for young children about these four cultures. And to aid you in your pronunciation skills for those words that are a little tough to sound out, there is a guide in the back of each book to help you out.  

 

 

 

 

 This was the first one that we read. We have a bit of Spanish under our belts-just a bit-and the kids had fun testing what they knew.

 

 

 

 The girls enjoyed learning about South Korea's currency, and the fact that chopsticks are the eating utensil of choice. They tried it themselves - with limited success. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

In this book, the girls liked the names of people. They liked that they recognize some of the words, as we've been studying a bit of French in our studies.

The favorite fact from this book for my oldest, was learning that there are times where the sun never sets. She enthusiastically talked about never having to go to bed, and playing outside non stop with her friends, no matter the time of day ;)

 

 

 

 

 

 

These books are great for anyone looking for resources to enhance a geography study for the younger ages especially. They provide the basic facts, and are an easy read. The age range is pre-k to 8 years. I think that's a pretty accurate target. Our kids range in age from toddler to 9, and all enjoyed what they learned, although I would not have necessarily thought to purchase this for my 8 and 9 year old.

 

We didn't use these along with a specific study, but as a fun, general read aloud that also happened to teach geography. I had the older girls read them aloud, and stayed close by to assist with some of the hard to pronounce words. Not that I was always a help there, until I discovered the guide in the back ;)

 

Overall, we all liked these books, although I do think the price is a bit on the high side. As we discovered, they span a broad range of ages, which is helpful in households with a variety of grade levels. I would recommend these to anyone.

 

 

 

 

Carole P. Roman

 

If You Were Me And Lived In...Mexico

 

 

If You Were Me And Lived In...South Korea

 

 

If You Were Me And Lived In...France

 

 

If You Were Me And Lived In...Norway

 

 

Ages:  Suitable for all ages

 

Price: Right now, you can find the books available for under $9.00  

 

 

 

 

Click to read more reviews from the Schoolhouse Review Crew

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

November Thanks - Day 4

Today, on Day 4 of giving thanks, I am thankful for my daughters. It is a privilege to watch them grow from tiny little things, into the young ladies they are quickly becoming.

They are funny, zany, compassionate, caring, passionate and fun. They feel deeply, and love freely. I am frequently amazed at their intelligence and understanding. They make me want to be a better human being. Love, love , love my girls.