Looking for a little BrainFood, check out this fun Mammals DVD

 We recently received a fun DVD from BrainFood Learning to review and share our thoughts here.  The boys selected The Fascinating World of Mammals as their first choice. The day we received it in the mail, the boys immediately put it in the DVD.
The DVD retails for $14.99 on BrainFood's website and is for all ages which made it fun when Papa arrived for a visit and watched it along with the boys. (at that viewing we covered ages 7-82, not too bad for a educational DVD)
The boys enjoyed watching the DVD even though much of it was review from previous unit studies and along with our various studies of the creation story. Each of the boys did a very good job with the quizzing in the movie. It was a nice break for Mommy, as I was able to work in the kitchen (fixing lunch and cleaning up breakfast) while the boys and their Papa enjoyed some very relaxed school time.  The easy going style of the review questions on screen and the vivid cinematography kept the boys attention so well, they even watched the credits go by.

BrainFood Learning was started by parents looking for educational programs that would keep the attention of little ones and when they didn't find it, they decided to create the content themselves. As a parent I really appreciate that aspect as well as the style of the videos. Seeing the animals in their native habitat helped my boys see the animals as real, I can't really explain it , but with the various cartoon movies portrayal of animals, my boys often times forget that animals are part of God's amazing creation and have their own homes and families.
BrainFood Learning is also a Pacific Northwest company out of Bellevue, Washington, I love when my kids get excited about a program and it is what I consider local.

Another feature of the DVD that I really appreciated, a lesson plan, while I didn't incorporate the extra goodies into their summer viewings, I am creating a notebook with these activities as an option on our Science shelf.  There are 3 lesson plan pdfs to download on their website (free is even better), 1 set for each of the 3 Fascinating World of DVDs. We are also heading to the zoo for a summer concert series but will also be looking for some of the mammals seen in the video and talk about their habitats in the wild versus in captivity.

Below is a short preview (including the credits that caught my boys' eyes) so you can check out this wonderful DVD. After watching the preview again, myself, I am considering offering it as an option for our Auntie School sessions if the little boys would like, maybe let them play with some of the animal toys I have stashed while we watch it together.


Other crew mates reviewed this DVD along with 2 other DVDs from BrainFood including  Fascinating World of Insects  and Fascinating World of Birds. Your can check out previews of their DVDs on their YouTube Channel and be sure to check out what the rest of the crew thought by clicking on the graphic below.

Engaging Science with Supercharged Science

Science isn't my strong point , it just isn't something I like studying or teaching. I took 2 years in high school (Biology and Chemistry) and then Computer Sciences in college so I understand it, just am not a huge fan, especially when the boys are younger. That is where Supercharged Science comes into play. We were given the opportunity to review the program and share our thoughts with our readers.

What is Supercharged Science?  An online video and audio based program to help making teaching science easy. The program is a subscription based program where each month you will gain access to new units in everything from Mechanics to Biology to Thermodynamics and all points in between.
How much does it cost? For $37 a month you will receive access to the k-8 e-science program complete with video lessons, experiments, audio lessons, worksheets, parent/ teacher guides, shopping lists for each unit and online support from what my boys call the Red headed Rocket Scientist.
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Not only is this a great program to use as a stand alone science program. It is also a great supplemental program for an array of science curriculms

We did a couple of units over the review period. First we did sound which seemed natural especially for my youngest who loves anything Daddy does and Daddy does sound gear and speaker building. The boys made tin can telephones and took it a step farther by trying different size tin cans (Soup cans versus Coffee cans). Nathan has also been playing with glass bottles filled with various amounts of liquid creating various pitches. (it really has become a game for him)

We also have been enjoying the mechanics unit focusing on friction. Today at lunch they even experimented with moving something with straws (it was a stretch, but they kept talking about concepts they learned watching some of the videos)

Speaking of the videos , both boys have been watching the videos (together and separate). They have really enjoyed listening and watching Miss Aurora (as Nathan calls her). We have been alternating when and how they watch the videos (one day it will be separately the next time it will be together). This method seems to work best, especially if one of the boys wants to study something different.
Nathan also enjoyed listening to the audio lessons with the headset, he was able to listen without worrying about what everyone else in the room was doing and could listen even when Mommy was working on something else. He is my mostly motivated learner and if there is a subject he wants to know more about it is Science, this way he can watch and listen whenever he wants to as "extra-credit'. It fills the space he wants to fill in learning and gives him something to do that I don't worry about.
I love the extras with the program as well. including the math section, where they can learn different math skills in a very different environment.
I am not worried about what is being taught and am thankful for this product and the use we will continue to get from it. I am even looking forward to watching and doing a couple of the units when things settle down a bit in early summer. The boys have already asked when we can look at the Alternative Energy and Electronics units. They have gone through and made a list of units they want to work on over the summer when we relax a little and they can do more fun school.

We received a 1 year subscription to the program and I am looking forward to using this program more and more over the next 10 months. The Schoolhouse Review Crew mates share their opinions of this program HERE , where you can see how other moms and kids are using the program.

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.

Activity Bags , fun and educational options for Science and Math #hsreviews

We were so excited to learn we were going to be reviewing a sampling of the Activity Bags series of e-books. If you aren't familiar with the Activity Bags series it is an amazing collection of e-books filled with predesigned activities for Science, Math, Reading, Preschool, and Travel. The pages of the e-books are printed and arranged into Gallon sized zipper style plastic bags for storage and plastic page protectors and binders for travel.
If you aren't sure what you want to teach or how you are going to prepare your hands on science activiites or Math acitivites that your children can grab and go, this is probably one of the very best solutions around.
With some prep work that the kids can help with, Activitiy Bags will become a treasure in your homeschool.
We reviewed Science 1,  , and Science 3 as well as Math.

Science 1 contains 25 activities covering Biology, General Science, and even Nature studies.
The boys were excited to be able to "do" science and once they realized that all the work building the bags meant hands on science activities where Mom didn't have to do a ton of work ahead of time, they were even more excited. 
We started off with a trip to Walmart to pick up some colored printer paper and card-stock along with some gallon ziplock style bags. Most of the remaining items we found around the house.  I also stocked up on a few snack size and sandwich size bags to store some of the miscellaneious supplies in.
To make my life a little easier, I started out by printing the cover of each of the 4 e-books we would be using and the table of contents for each one as well.
Our next step was to select the activities we would be building for this round. (I wanted to build a good sampling for the boys with the goal of eventually have all 75 science bags built)
We started out with Catch a Web, Bird Seed, Balloon Skewer, and Feasting Yeast. A nice collection of easy to understand and fun to do experiments. These also led to exploring other nature and Biology elements around our house during the harvest season. (We talked about bugs a lot, we watched the birds eat having a better understand of the 'bird seed' and we explored yeast and cultures that are all around us since Mommy is experimenting with Lacto Fermentation in foods)
Next we worked on Science 2  and explored Chemistry, the Human Body and some more General Science studies. I again printed the Cover and Table of Contents and went through the list with the boys and selected a few activities to build. We decided to go with Calling Long Distance, Color Confusion, Cork it, and Taste Test. I have already selected 5 more to create for them for the holiday break when we do more fun stuff and not so much traditional school.
The boys love that they can do the experiments over and over again and actually play science with activities like Calling Long Distance where they built a "phone" to learn about sound waves but also pretend to call people even each other.






Our final , Science 3 explores Chemistry alone and is Nathan's favorite from the 3. (I think he is going to become a Chemist or something in that line of work.).
Same drill, printed the Cover and Table of Contents,  this time I looked over upcoming lessons a bit more and found a couple of overlaps so made sure to include those activities, the first was easy Green Copper as Cameron was going to be doing that same experiment with his co-op class when they studied the Statue of Liberty and the copper turning green. Lots of Lava, Seltzer Rocket, and Soda Blaster where next on the list as Nathan kept asking if we could blow things up so I found things that would "blow up". I ended this first set with Wheres the Water as I was working on another blog article and happen to have a few diapers (not something we keep around much anymore). So far, we have made messes, learned lots, and found out how much the boys love science. Mommy thinks we will end up with a complete set of 75 science activities before the end of the year.
I did decide I am going to sort the activities and store them in either drawers or milk crates. One photo on the website shows a laundry basket and I think that would work but would take up a lot of space. I am temporarily storing the science bags in 12 x 12 scrapbook file boxes in our cubbies  since I have less than 20 so far.

Stepping away from Science a bit, we also received the Math. activities Bags e-book.  The Math Games in a Bag has 33 activities covering a nice range of math skills. I printed the activities list and the Cover and began selecting the activities. This one posed a different challenge, with 2 boys at slightly different math levels I had to decide which activities to focus on and which skills needed the most work. To make it more economical I decided to pick a couple that I had pieces either already made or things I can use instead of printing. The first bag to get built , Math Blocks. This one I didn't have to print the colored pieces as I just pulled out our real math blocks and incorporated some into the bags. I also went through and picked out ones that could be bagged together with like pieces (the dice activities made sense so I could put all the masters in page protectors and just 1 set of dice). Double Digits, How Many Dots, Multiplication Toss, and Stacks of Money ended up in one bag with just a single pair of dice. The boys' favorites for the Math Games have to be Dot to Dots and Family Menu. I think I actually need to reprint Dot to Dots and have it laminated for wear as they love this one the most.  Who knew a little challenge between brothers could be so much fun. Actually Mommy gets in on this one as often as she can. I did find have 2 different colored dry erase makers or crayons comes in handy with this one.
One activity got a slight modification just because that is the way I roll, I loved the idea of Turn of the Card, but didn't want the boring card-stock numbers, so I included a deck of cards with just the A-9s.That gave them 4 sets (actually I used 2 sets of cards so we could all play).

I have the Travel and Reading e-books as well but will be showing those as part of our upcoming road trip travel binders, Homeschooling on the Road with Daddy.

Each of the Activity Bags e-books can be purchased for $15.00 or in bundles for the Science and Preschool  for $27.00. If you aren't sure about if your children will like them, you can take a survey and receive a sample file with a nice variety of samples for free.
You can also rest in knowing that this product was created by a couple of Homeschool Moms who created this to fill that need of what to do with the little ones while you school your older ones.
I have fallen in love with the Activity Bags e-books and can't wait to see the upcoming Craft Bags, but you really don't have to take my word for it, the Schoolhouse Review Crew shares their thoughts on the program as well.

disclaimer: I received the above mentioned ebooks as I member of the Schoolhouse Review crew in exchange for our honest review of the product. No monetary compensation was received.

Go Science: Christian based Science DVDs

With a Science Guy wanna be in the house I am always looking for new videos for him to watch. I was excited to find a series of videos from Library & Educational Services  called Go Science.  Nathan was crazy excited about the DVDs even before they arrived.

 
Library & Education Services is an online education products website that has a wide variety of books and media to purchase. You can shop online or request a catalog and sales flyers. I was impressed with their prices and selection. I have already created a huge wish list of things I want to get for our homeschool library

We received Volume 2 Go Science Simple Machines, Sound , and Weather,  a 59 minute creation science focused DVD that teaches things like incline planes and making a cloud.
Nathan enjoyed watching the DVD but didn't feel like he could easily do the activities at home.  He did enjoy the feel of the videos and the kids involved in the DVDs.
We also received Volume 3 GO Science Magnetism, Electricity and Engineering Design where we learned about Static Electricity, Jacobs Ladder, and a Heat Engine. While Nathan watched this one , Mommy learned it is going to be hard to keep up with this kid. He was excited and inspired with each video.
As we were talking about the DVDs getting ready to write this review, Nathan brought up the message I think really hits home for me in our homeschool  ' God is the only creator' and 'Everything we are comes from God'.  Some days my little guy blows my mind with his grasp of God's awesomeness.
I am very grateful to find DVDs that not only inspire the boys' desire to learn more but also support the underlying theme of God in our world. So often the things we watch chip away at that message and theme.
Mr. Roy does an amazing job reminding us at the end of each video lesson

 “Every time we learn something about SCIENCE, we learn something about our CREATOR GOD!”

So , are these DVDs a value?

They are regularly listed for $14.95 each – or $79.95 for the set of 6 and honestly I think they are worth every penny. However, you know I love a deal especially when it is an educational product that the boys like so I am over the top excited that  Library & Educational Services has  the Go Science DVD’s available for just $8.97 each, or $47.95 for the set of 7 DVDs.  I am even considering purchasing the other 5 DVDs for our library to be used over the next year. 

Be sure to check out what the rest of the Crew thought about these DVDs HERE

Disclaimer: We received 2 Go Science DVDs as members of the TOS Homeschool Crew in exchange for our honest opinions. All opinions are that of the students and staff and Unionvale Homeschool.

S is for Amazing Science DVDs that make science fun!

Nathan is my science guy, he loves creating new experiments and learning why things happen. I was very excited to introduce him to the Amazing Science DVD set from ScienceandMath.com. The 2 DVD set contains 23science experiment videos and retails for $19.95.  
The  videos are engaging and explain the how and why of each experiment in a fun environment.  Nathan watched both DVDs through 3 times and still watches them just for fun.  The DVD set is worth the cost if even if only for the entertainment value….
Seriously though, after watching the set through twice, Nathan was eager to start working on the experiments. One thing I noticed was although the supplies needed for the experiments are listed on the screen, there wasn’t a printable list on the website or on the discs, thankfully though a fellow crew member created one with the publisher’s permission.This homeschool Mommy is very thankful to Walking by the Way for saving my sanity..


We picked 2 experiments to focus on… #1 and #6. Nathan found all the needed supplies around the house and eagerly jumped in.
Color Changing Milk
Well, the idea that he could draw in milk intrigued.. We used a small Styrofoam plate and 2% milk that is what we had on hand.



We used a gel based food coloring so it wasn’t as vibrant as on the video, but Nathan was still excited enough about it that he drug Daddy in to show him and explained the why to Daddy as well.


Next up Candle Suction Power.

We actually had to do this experiment a couple of times to find a glass that was large enough for the candle.


Again Nathan was glued to the actual experiment and had Mommy do it again so he could show Daddy.


It was actually fascinating to watch the water rise inside the glass.







The smile on my little guy’s face was worth all of it to this Mommy, but  don’t take my word for it , check out what the rest of the Crew thought of it HERE

disclaimer: We received a copy of the above DVD as a member of the TOS homeschool Crew in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are that of the blog’s author, no monetary compensation was received.

G is for Geology with AIMS

Earth Rocks! Well as my boys like to say God Rocks Earth Mom. With that in mind we jumped into a geology unit with AIMS Education Foundation  Earth Rocks book.

The book is set up to integrates Math and Science activities on a 4th or 5th grade level. Since my boys aren't 4th and 5th grade I knew I would be doing some modifications to the units but figured it wouldn't be a problem.
The book came with a CD that has all the handouts in a pdf format which is very helpful. Each lesson has detailed plans and instructions. We did a few of the units but realized a couple of things. First being a secular publication I had to be careful as I read through various sections to keep the evolutionary vocabulary out of the conversation. I have chosen to not teach evolutionary theory to the boys until they are older and can make up their own minds.  We use a young earth, Creation based Biblical view in our history and science lessons.
The other issue I had was adjusting the supplies and materials to 2 students instead of a classroom full.  The activities are a lot of fun and the boys enjoyed the lessons we did do, which told me that I can add more hands on geology and geography activities as we move forward.
The book with the CD retails for $29.95, there is also a .pdf version available from the publisher which also retails for $29.95

So based on the price and the full array of activities I can say there is value in the book if you are OK with evolutionary timeline or if you are willing to adjust the conversation as you go.
AIMS has a variety of books available online as well as a selection of lab kits to complement their programs.  The fun characters also add value to the programs as the characters caught my boys' attention.


The TOS crew reviewed several of the AIMS products, you can find the crew reviews HERE
Disclaimer: We received a copy of Earth Rocks as a member of the TOS homeschool crew in exchange for our honest opinion of the product, no monetary compensation was received.

F is for Free Fun #educational

Local Free Fun ideas!!! Especially with summer coming, I thought I would share a Free Fun activity we enjoy locally.

The local Aviation and Space Museum has an awesome outdoor play structure for the kids to play on.  It is convenient to most other activities we enjoy. The cell signal is strong so Mommy can get some work done while the boys climb, slide, explore, and generally have a fun time playing on the various structures.

Cameron enjoys the short slide

and climbing up and down the ladder pieces

Nathan enjoys the tubes 

and climbing the chain ladder

Now if you are interested in the educational museums on the same grounds, there is a fee but it is worth the money to take the kids to the air museum or the space museum. There is also an awesome IMAX theater as well as a great water park which have separate fees.

Classical Astronomy Almanack, a little gem to view the night sky #hsreviews

Do you have a Astronomy enthusiast in your family or are you looking to learn more about the vast stars in the sky?  The TOS crew was asked to review The Classical Astonomy Celestial Almanack February. Like many of the other members of the Crew I was unsure of  the book because of the low low price, but I have to say it is amazing. This little book is 21 pages packed full of sky maps, constellation maps and dates to show you what the sky will look like on a particular evening.
The big event for February 2012 is alignment of Venus and Jupiter that can be seen in the night sky.  We did take the boys out a couple nights this month to look at the night sky and find various constellations and explain the planetary alignment. Both boys are very excited for February 15th  and 29th  so they will be able to really see the planets. This is a rare occasion and a great opportunity to talk about how perfect God's creation really is.
As an artist and history fan, I was immediately attracted to the design elements in line with Benjamin Franklin's Poor Richard's Almanack and saw the opportunity to bring in the math (roman numerals) and language (old English) into our lesson.
There is still plenty time this month to get a lot out of this unit, while there are no really worksheets or questions to answer, there are plenty of opportunities to discuss astronomy and creation.
This is just the beginning too as this is a monthly publication. You can pick up this awesome Astronomy product HERE.

Be sure to check out what the rest of the Crew thought about this little gem HERE
We were provided with a copy of this product as a member of the TOS Homeschool Crew in exchange for our honest opinion of the product.

***edited to add some news after the fact**** We decided we need to take a field trip soon as we haven't gone camping lately... We decided to work this unit into a camping weekend to a local state park that has amazing night sky views. We will be sure to post a follow up after the camping field trip.

First day of #homeschool (posted on day 2)

It started out pretty rough. Folders 1 and 2 were a struggle, but by folder 3 we found our groove. Cameron loves to color and had a cat coloring page to go with his animals unit.. Both boys are making a memory card game as part of their phonics folder. Nathan had 5 words today,Cameron had 12. They write each word on 2 blank playing cards. By the end of the week they will have a set to play with.
Nathan did a science activity outside where he learned about evaporation but water painting the cement.. When we walked back into the house his response was  "even though we didn't blow anything up that was still fun Mommy".  I'm glad he had fun and look forward to more activities that are fun without blowing anything up.