Geometry Notebook connect the lines and angles for learning fun

If you have been following our homeschool journey you know In the Hands of a Child is one of my favorite companies, so when they came up as a vendor with the Schoolhouse review crew I was happy to work with them to review a project pack.  It was actually a bit of a challenge to select a project to review that I didn't already own (I'm a little addicted). I decided to go with the Geometry Notepack (I already have the Lapbook project as well as the coordinating younger student lapbook so it made sense).

This was not our first In the Hands of a Child, if fact since we began homeschooling 5 years ago, the boys have completed more than 20 units. This time we used the laptop to read the research guide from (usually I either print it out or load it to my Nook). I also printed 2 copies of the notebook pages as Cameron's friend who is one summer break was spending a lot of time around the house and when asked to participate in school he was willing and eager.
We actually did the project in 5 sittings as I printed a couple days combined.  I love the lesson plan guide in the front of the pdf file, it makes it so easy for me to plan our sessions and gives the kids something to check off as we complete the activities.
This unit is geared to grades 4-8 (Cameron is going into 5th grade , and his friend is also a 5th grader so it was a perfect match)  While the older boys worked on the Intro to Geometry unit, Nathan also worked on the coordinator K-3rd grade unit Shapes: Simple and Solid and had fun adding his own style to the lapbook project.
The Intro to Geometry notepack retails for $12.00 is has everything you will need to read and complete the notebook as well as a reading list of books you can add to the unit.  During August and the Back to School sale this unit is on sale for only $5.00 (the sale ends August 20, 2013)
I love that I was able to teach Cameron and his buddy more than the basic geometry terms and shapes, we also talked about occupations that use geometry and even got hands of with teaching and understanding the Pythagorean theorem (I didn't understand it myself until my freshman year of high school). Making the learning fun and hands on and having a finished notebook made the whole project that much more fun for both boys. We even talked about angles and such incorporating the concepts into their bike jump building. Keeping 2 10 and 11 year old boys engaged can be a challenge but thanks to In the Hands of a Child we not only kept them engaged but also taught them something that they will use again before their school careers are over.
 In the Hands of a Child was founded in 2002 by 2 homeschool Moms, (Niki and Kim) in 2005 they brought Katie on board and since the first pack , Plants was published have published over 450 units in a variety of topics and a wide range of grade levels.  What makes  In the Hands of a Child  different is the research guides written for each unit. Everything you need to complete the unit is included, from lesson plan ideas to answer keys, from research guides to graphics (notebook pages or mini books for lapbooks). Many of the units come in a variety of types from basic lapbooks to lapboos with a type it in feature to Notebook packs all as pdf files and even printed materials; some of the units even have full kits where everything is printed and ready to put together.
The Schoolhouse Review Crew reviewed a variety of the  In the Hands of a Child  and share their thoughts on each product, check them out by clicking on the button below.

Aplogia: Anatomy Science Lessons appropriate for kids

On my wish list last summer as we headed out to our local Homeschool Conference was a science curriculum where we could study Anatomy and Physiology without the focus being on diseases so much but focused on God's amazing creation. At the conference I showed my husband a couple of different ones but he didn't feel at the time any one of the variety we looked at really stood out. He said we should wait and pray for direction.  So we started summer school without a science curriculum just doing a variety of experiments and videos going with what the boys showed interest in.
When the 2013 Schoolhouse Review Crew lists started coming up I was excited to see Apologia Science listed and when the review options came up I read the descriptions of each of the various products in the series to my husband. He had me read the Exploring Creation through Anatomy and Physiology twice to him.
I was elated to hear the energy in his questions about the program as I downloaded samples from the website. I was even more eager to introduced the boys to the program.  I knew we would be receiving the Notebook (4th -6th grade)  Textbook, and MP3 CD audio so I ordered a Junior Notebook (k-3rd grade) for Nathan to work on with us.

The boys have enjoyed the mix of Mom reading or listening to the MP3 CD audio. It is nice to have the option to listen the the MP3 if I need to do something. Also they can follow along in the book while the CD/MP3 track is playing on the computer. Listening to the author, Jeannie Fulbright read the book is a nice change of pace for the boys. They also thought it was neat that they were listening to the author read to them.

The book arrived and we dug in. Both boys have previously had a human body class in co-op so we decided to work through the book with our eyes open for new material. Both the boys were very excited about the skeletal system so we spent some extra time studying Lesson 2.  We found the easiest thing to do was have the boys coloring a picture or doing something like drawing pictures while the lesson is being read (either by Mom or listening to the CD).  Since this is our first experience with a science textbook in our homeschool journey I wasn't sure how they would handle this style learning for science.  With a variety of "Try This" activities in each lesson, we had plenty of time to stop and try something new and talk about what we learned.  This next week we will be finishing up Lesson 4 about the Digestive system and the boys are already planning what they want to do for their project: Design a Digestion Theme Park. The book has this as something inside with construction paper , but my boys are thinking obstacle course in the backyard., so I told them as long as Daddy gives them the ok, go for it.

One thing I really appreciate about this book is the Creation Confirmation; connecting what they are learning to God's perfect design. Hearing it from Mom and Dad or in church is one thing, but when you incorporate it into their daily learning it begins to really sink in. Also incorporating the Notebook journals into the textbook really helped the boys see value in their work. With the Personal Person Project they are piecing together a miniature example of themselves.

Since Cameron is older and using the regular Notebooking Journal (4th-6h grade appropriate) I printed off some coloring pages for him to add to his journal (he still really enjoys coloring pictures that coordinate with his lessons, I may even buy him a human anatomy coloring book to finish with this book)

Overall we could not be happier with this program. It is easy to use and incorporate into our schedule, the textbook lists all the supplies needed for the various activities in the book and except for a couple of experiments the supplies are usually something we have in the pantry or school room or can easily pick up at Walmart or similar store.
The Textbook retails for $39.00, the notebooks $24.00 and the MP3/CD $29.
For us this is a value in that both boys are learning from the textbook and CD and each has their own personalized Notebook.  I am actually planning on another Exploring Creation through.... set for next year , just haven't decided which one to do with the boys.  I will be reading the crew's reviews of the other books to see what my fellow crew mates think.
Click to read more reviews from the Schoolhouse Review Crew

disclosure: I received a free copy of this product through the Schoolhouse 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. All opinions I have expressed are my own or those of my family. I am disclosing this in accordance with the FTC Regulations.

Field Trip to the Oregon Gardens

This has become an annual event for us and I am so glad I decided to do it again this year.
This year I decided to add a more organized activity to the mix by giving the boys a scavenger hunt to notebook as they made stops at the various activity stations. I found a wonderful full color printable scavenger hunt at The Taylor House blog. I printed copies half sized so they would fit inside the boys' composition books and add a pencil and crayons to their backpacks and off we went.

Cameron was excited to take his backpack and add his Gtuzy Gear straps just for the occasion.
We headed into the garden knowing that we would have at least 8 or 9 stations with activities to try plus exploring the garden. I knew we would likely run into some of our homeschool friends as well. My plan was to be to the garden by 11:00 and heading home by 1:45 at the latest. The idea being, that we would be there when our friends were there and we would be done before the local school let out as to miss traffic.
Ready , Set , off we Go!

The boys found a larger map to look at the figure out their plan. Since this was our third year attending this activity we already knew where most of the stations were located. We decided to only do the upper level activities in an attempt to combine our scavenger hunt and keep our timeline.

Nathan was very excited about the scavenger hunt and made a point to stop and draw in his notebook often.

Cameron found one of his homeschool friends and they checked out the insect station taking on the sorting activity to test their knowledge.  Watching Cameron do this activity reminds me that I want to print and laminate some sorting cards for various activities.

Nathan couldn't help himself, he surveyed the crossing  for several minutes before deciding he had to jump it.

Nothing but air!
He is such a dare devil, no fear!

This is just one of the plants we decided we want to find and plant in our yard. I'm dreaming up a plants unit study for the boys and maybe a landscape design project for them.

If you would like to see the rest of the pictures I took on our field trip, check out my Google+ album

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Tools to knowing and learning History #blogboost

History isn’t a huge thing  for us, but we do have some things we love to help with History.
1. Hands of a Child Lapbooks and Notepacks.  We have used several History Lapbooks as well as our current project the Summary of Modern U.S. History Notepack.
2. Creek Edge Press cards. We are using the Geography and Culture program program currently and will be ordering the Ancient History cards for next year. I love the command cards that fit into Montessori style environment.
3. CurrClick teachable moments monthly calendar. We usually get an email near the end of the month for the next month. It is always full of unique facts that we can use to add some fun to our history lessons.
4. TruthQuest History, a wonderful tool to help with lesson planning , selecting books and movies, and lessons surrounding history and what we need to know.
5. The Bible, we are planning next year’s history program based on The Bible and Ancient History. I want the boys to have a strong foundation and understanding of History from a biblical perspective.
6. The flexibility of homeschooling allows us to also use resources like this day in history and significant anniversary events.
What are your favorite resources for history in your homeschool? Check out what some of my crewmates said HERE

Black Friday, Small Business Saturday, and Cyber Monday with Hands of a Child #HOAC

***This post was written by In the Hands of A Child and posted here because Unionvale Homeschool loves ln the Hands of a Child and supports this amazing Small Business*****

Our 5th Annual Black Friday Sale is Almost Here!

Are YOU Ready to save upto 45% discounts on Hands of a Child Products!

As always we will be offering a HUGE Black Friday Discount on Hands of a Child Products*

This year we will also be doing an additional discount on all products we offer during Cyber Monday*

and NEW This Year Small Business Saturday

Please join us in celebrating our success and endurance as a small business. On Saturday, November 26th we are offering 1-year Super Memberships for $50.00 (retail $75.00).   Purchase a Super Membership on Small Business Saturday and not only do you save $25.00, but you make a HUGE impact on our business.  Most importantly, a Super Membership at In the Hands of a Child will put laughter and learning into the hands of YOUR child all year long!

But WAIT are you already a Super Member?

Super Members can start saving TODAY, no need to wait until Black Friday to begin saving BIG!

Use the coupon code SuperThanks to get 45% off all Hands of a Child Products*

Use the coupon code SuperFun to save 30% on all non Hands of a Child Products**

Use the coupon code SuperMember to save $25 on your 1 year Super Member renewal
 

* Excludes Custom Designed Project Packs, already discounted products and Super Memberships
** Quantities are limited, backorders will not be excepted

N is for Notebooking

Our friends at Hands of a Child supplied this post with a freebie.

Have you checked out our newest product line…Note Packs??

We are sure once you’ve tried them you will love them and, in fact, for a limited time we are going to offer you a free download for one of our Note Packs.

Download the Note Pack for Single-Celled Organisms today

What Makes our Note Pages different from all the other Notebooking products out there today?

We’ve taken all the prep work out of using Note Packs for you the teacher!   Just like our Lapbook products, we have included ALL of the information needed to complete the Note Pages, as well as a detailed list of activities telling the students what to answer into each Note Page.

Download the free Note Pack Today!!  

Don’t forget to share this deal with your friends on FaceBook and Twitter too!

See a unit you are interested in purchasing in Note Pack format that does not yet have that option?  No problem!  Simply email Niki at sales@handsofachild.com and we will get started on it as soon as possible.  Bring Laughter and Learning into the Hands of a YOUR Child!

Note Pack (Same price as the Lapbook Version)

With our Note Packs your students are able to enjoy the same Research Guide and activities without the cutting and pasting. We provide students with fun, educational notebooking pages to answer all their activities into that can be simply 3-hole punched and added to any binder.  These are the same price as the eBook or Printed versions of our Lapbook Units.

Note Packs are:

• Perfect for older students who like to add more research and information into their studies.
• Perfect for family studies when all the kids want to work together on one project yet make it their own.
• Notebooking units that are available as eBooks format or in Printed Format.

Project Pack Plus ($10 more then the Lapbook Version)

Do you have both older and younger students? Then the Project Pack Plus (PP+) is a great option for you!   A PP+ unit  includes both the Lapbook graphics as well as the Notebook pages. PP+ units are $10 more than the Lapbook only option.

• PP+ units come in both  eBook format as well as  Printed Format.
• A PP+ unit includes both the complete Lapbook Project Pack  PLUS the Note Pack!

 ***This article and offer written by  Kimm Bellotto, co-owner of Hands of a Child********