Tag Archives: Homeschool curriculum

Project Passport: The Middle Ages Review

Home School in the Woods offers top notch History based unit studies that kids and parents love!  They recently sent us HISTORY Through the Ages Project Passport World History Study: The Middle Ages for our family to review.

Kids love to go on trips.  Why not take the kids on “a trip back in time”?  With this unit study your kids can pretend to take a journey, pack their bags and board a “time machine” right in your home to travel back in history to the Middle Ages.   On this trip, you won’t even have to hear the usual “are we there yet?”  This unit study journey is so much fun!

 

HISTORY Through the Ages Project Passport World History Study: The Middle Ages

Format: CD or Download (Mac & PC Compatible)
ISBN: 9780984204144
Retail $33.95 Download
Retail $34.95 CD

Suggested grades: 3-8
25 Lessons, Go at your own pace.
Tons of Printables For Parent / Teacher and Students
50 Projects and Activities
Arts, Crafts, Recipes
7 Dramatized Audio Tours

Lessons and Printables

The CD includes directions and masters for over 50 projects and activities. There is a HUGE menu of files.  Also included are Travel Tips, teacher keys, Additional Resources (to enhance the learning), and a Quick-Stop Itinerary. Photos of completed projects, and a three-page travel planner to help the teacher plan the the schedule with upcoming topics and projects at a glance.

Dramatized Audio Tours

Also included with this study are 7 Dramatized Audio Tours.  These audio dramas are fun to listen to and take you right to the action!  What a great way to get your kids right in to the daily life of the past by listening to and take this journey with the “Knight in Shining Armor Tours”.  The tour guide is Agatha and the coach driver is Brian and they will take the kids on various errands and excursions.

Your kids will spend time at a town Festival Day, visit a monastery where they will hear the sounds of Gregorian Chant, or visit the Battlefield of Hastings, and they might catch a glimpse of Duke William of Normandy! Wow!

Topics

There is so much to do on this journey.  It is more than just learning HISTORY!  This trip is filled adventure, exciting events, fun people to learn about, and lots of facts about life from the past. Some of the topics in this unit study include:

Barbarian Invasions
Daily Medieval Life
Class Structure in Society
Towns & Guilds
Science & Invention
Education
The Arts
Church History
Castles
The Crusades
Knights
Vikings
Weapons
Battles
Wars
and a whole lot more!

Projects & Writing & Arts & Crafts & Life Skills

A “Scrapbook of Sights” for storing notebook projects
Creative Writing projects for Lapbook
Souvenir Craft Cards with a dozen 3-D projects to make
A Newspaper “The Medieval Times”
A “Snapshot Moments in History” Scrapbook Timeline
“Postcards from Famous Folks”
Viking Ship
Castle
Puppets
Catapult
Tapestry
Hat
Wreath
Mosaic
Stained Glass
Herb Salts
Rose Water
Coat of Arms
Cooking & Recipes
A “Dining Out Guide”
2 Board Games

And More…

What We Thought

One of the things we like most about homeschooling is the freedom to choose curriculum that interests us.  The curriculum style that interests us the most is unit studies.  It is our favorite method for learning.  Unit studies are our first choice because they are flexible, adaptable, and there is such a huge variety of projects and resources that make learning any and every subject fascinating.

The first step for me after we received our product download was printing the information.  This unit study comes with a huge amount of printables for the kids as well as instructions for activities and lessons.   The mom / teacher definitely needs to be organized and print the lessons out and put them in some sort of a binder or file so you can keep track of the journey and get the supplies and printables ready for the adventure.  Besides mom’s binder, a computer, printer, and lots of paper, each kid also need a binder and a couple of file folders, glue, colored pencils and crayons, scissors, etc.

Our trip back in time to the Middle Ages includes 25 “stops” (1 +/- hour lessons) at specific locations where my kids learn what life was like during this time in History.   We went at our own pace and did 2 lessons a week. We skipped around a bit in the lessons and are half way through at the time of writing this review.  This study should take us about 14+ weeks to complete at this pace, but I plan to stretch it out longer with some additional activities.

Here is a list of a few of the STOPS and PROJECTS we have made so far:

Stop 1: Laying the foundation / packing for the trip.

Create a “Luggage” Folder and Passport.

The next step is to help the kids make a luggage or a travel suitcase, and a passport for the journey.  They will re-use these items in future Project Passport studies you do.  The suitcase helps keep all their papers and projects organized on their trip so they don’t get lost.  Kids can use the completed printables they stored in their suitcase to create a Lapbook at the end of the journey that showcases what they have learned. Another step to prep was to print out the history timeline, news paper, and scrapbook of sights so we were ready to add in tidbits along the journey.

The “prep” work and the first “stop” (lesson) was the most challenging for me as I learned to print out everything and make the “storage” or “foundation” projects of the unit study.  After that, it was easy to look at the organized lesson plans for the day and follow the plan.  The rest of the lessons take about an hour or less to complete.  All of the lessons and project instructions, crafts, and recipes are provided in the unit study and are easy for the kids to follow.

Stop 4: Everyday Life – Family and Class Structure

Firewood & Fence & Farming:

While learning about Class Structure and the Feudal System of land tenants (Serfs and Peasants) working the land for the land owners (Lords), we found ourselves wanting to know more about the daily life of the Serfs and Peasants who raised food.  We have a long way to go yet, but a few of things we focused on so far was “fuel” to cook and heat with, tools, and fencing to hold animals in a designated area.

A two worksheets are provided as well as an audio tour for this section. Since we like homesteading and farming, we decided to add more hands on projects learning about how people farmed / homesteaded during the Middle Ages to our study. We will be adding in more learning in this section in the future.  We plan to learn how to build a replica of a dwelling, how to lash boards together, how they started fire with friction, fishing with nets, butchering, growing harvesting storing and grinding grain, growing a vegetable and herb garden, etc.  These are skills that will be invaluable to these kids in the years ahead and help them connect their learning about the lives of people who lived in the past.  Tweaking a lesson here or there is the great flexibility that we love about unit studies.

Since we have been using this study during the months of January and February we focused on homesteading projects from the Middle Ages that were done this time of year.   These projects fit right in perfect timing to our study.

Chopping and gathering firewood and building and repairing fence was a common practice in January and February for the Serfs and Peasants.

January and February was also spent repairing hunting nets and repairing and building traps, sharpening tools, making utensils etc.    So we worked with the kids on learning how to sharpen a pocket knife and we also took the kids to the lake and they made their own small bait traps and worked on their fishing poles when they got snagged and lost their lines.

While researching how the Serfs and Peasants farmed the land, we learned that the most common form of fence used in small scale farming in the Middle Ages was called a “hurdle”. It is built of a “waddle” or woven fence panel made of upright posts and willow (or other flexible wood or vines available) woven in between the posts.   The next kind of fence used the most was hedges and stone fences or walls were also common if enough stone was available.  All of these fences were used to keep livestock in a boundary, either a small pen or a small field that was on crop rotation with livestock.  The fence or hedge held livestock penned in, or it held them out of gardens, graveyards, and orchards.

We could of made a small replica of the waddle fence panels and may still do this, but one of my sons likes to “build big”. Since he did not have the flexible material on hand to weave in and out of his posts he tried another method to make a simple fence panel about 5 feet long made of upright posts.

Of course 5 feet of fence isn’t enough to keep animals in, so this panel would have been combined with several more panel sections to create an actual fence.   These paneled fences would have been joined together to create pens for milk cows, ox, chickens, pigs, and sheep.    He used a small ax to make the panel and it was very obvious to the kids that just creating one panel was a lot of work.  Folks who farmed or homesteaded in the middle ages had to work very hard to do even simple tasks.

Stop 5: Everyday Life – Clothing and Food

Herb Bread:

When making the recipes, you can cook these in your modern kitchen, fire place, or outdoors.   We did some of both. We wanted to try cooking over an open flame/hot coals for a more realistic experience.  It is a lot harder to cook outside, build a fire, prep and cook the meal, bake bread, etc than it is to make this in today’s modern kitchen.   It was fun to try it out both ways.

Pictures of our creating our Herb Bread:

This bread was so delicious!  Some of the kids ate it plain, some ate it with butter, and some ate it with strawberry jam.   My husband loved it too!

Everyone wanted second and third servings of this delicious bread.  The crust and texture of the bread came out amazing!

My son also wanted to try topping his slice of bread with honey.  Every way they tried it, they enjoyed it.

 

Barely Stew

For the stew, we changed the recipe to fit what we had on hand. That is how the people in the Middle Ages did it too.  If they had an ingredient they used it, if not they substituted.  This is a good exercise in helping people to be flexible, content, and make do with what you have on hand.  Here is a picture of what the kids put into their stew.

He ate several slices with butter and then wanted to try it out with strawberry jam.

Outdoor cooking with Herb Bread:

This was another “extra” we added into our hands on learning.  Folks cooked over a fireplace in the Middle Ages.  We decided to make our “Middle Ages fireplace” kitchen in the back yard with some old bricks laying around and cook a few meals listed in the “Dining Out Guide”.

We made the fire place big enough to accommodate two fires or two cooking areas.   Two of the boys made their fires to the best of their ability to see who could heat up their bricks and get their fire just right for cooking first.   These two are competitive.

It was well after dark before we could get the fires to die down enough to cook on.

The kids learned it takes a long time to build a hot fire, heat their bricks, then let the fire die down to hot coals to bake bread.

We did not have a dutch oven pot or any “Medieval pots” to cook the bread in so we improvised with foil and shaped the foil like a pot and a lid.   The kids used the same herb bread recipe we had made in the house, and this time they put it in the foil pot we made and placed it on bricks we put in the hot coals to bake.

This is the finished bread from the outdoor fire.  It tasted delicious, though it looks misshapen or funny!  With more practice, they will be able to shape it better.

We sliced it up and lathered it with butter and some of the kids had strawberry jam with it and it was delicious!  The outdoor fireplace bread tasted just as good as the bread we had baked in the house in our modern stove oven.

We would like to try to create some pots from the middle ages to cook food in again.  We might make some clay pots and try firing them in the fire in the future.

Porridge

This was a common food eaten by peasants and surfs during the Middle Ages.   This is also a common breakfast food my kids are familiar with.  We have it once or twice a week.  It is very nutritious!

Stop 6: Everyday Life : Community

Field Trip Castle:

One of the fun activities in this lesson is to build a replica of a castle. Included are directions to build a castle with sugar cubes.  But my kids wanted to build one that will last and they can actually play with when they are through building it, so we are budgeting out money to buy a hobby brick kit to build one.  We also have a wooden castle the kids have played with for years and the kids often build small castles with Legos.   We pulled out our pictures from a while back when we actually took a field trip to see a real castle.  The kids remember this well and talked about it as they learned about castles in this unit study.

Stop 7: Everyday Life – Crime, Punishement, Entertainment

Jousting and Fox and Goose Game

This section was really interesting to the kids because one of the suggestions is to play indoor and outdoor games: checkers, chess, horseshoes, marbles, dice, board games, capture the flag, tag, games with balls, and physical training activities to become a knight, etc.    They also learned about a competitive game knights and warriors played to prove themselves in a challenge called Jousting.

Stop 13:  Medicine and Disease

Herbal Salt:

“Medicinal” herb salt.

Herbs and super foods were “medicine” in ancient times.  Folks who knew how to use strong herbs and oils and salt survived some of the darkest diseases in history.  Nowadays, petrochemicals are used to make synthetic medicines.

Though it is sad how many people died of the plague during the Middle Ages, learning how to make your own herbal remedy was an interesting lesson to explore.  This is a subject we are very interested in.  We have spent some time in the past learning about herbs used for healing.  We have made elderberry extract, tinctures, various kinds of honey, teas, and several herbal remedies over the years.  This study gave simple instructions for creating an Herb Salt that is just salt and dried herb(s) of your choice that can be used both in cooking and health care.   We made an herbal remedy with oregano, basil, parsley, garlic, and sea salt for this project.  Whenever one is feeling down, you can stir a teaspoon of this into hot water and drink it to restore minerals and act as an antibiotic anti fungal.   You can add a touch of raw honey and lemon juice for even more benefits.  We also rub the herb salt mixture into meat before cooking, or use it to season broth or other foods or put some in your bath water too.

We would like to create an actual “Herbal Apothecary” someday.   We are in the process of learning how to do this.  We have a good start with herbs, salts, essential oils, and dried super foods that ancient people in history knew how to use to support the body.

Stop 22:  Battles, Wars, Conflicts

Catapult:

During this journey, the kids learned about ancient weapons that were used during warfare.  One of those weapons was a catapult.  We built our own catapult variation with the instructions supplied.  We substituted some of the supplies listed.  We built our catapult using twigs, a pocket knife, rubber banks, and hot glue.   It turned out fantastic and worked perfectly.

It is amazing how sturdy this catapult is and how well it works!

Now the boys want to build a big life size model.  Oh boy!

One of the boys also built a Lego catapult.  He had a battle with his Lego men.  This catapult worked very well too.  Do you know how hard it is to find a Lego that was flung across the room?

Swords:

Dad helped the kids make wooden swords a while back.  They had a lot of fun making them.

It was fun to have their own sword and compare it to the weapons used in the Middle Ages unit study.   The 12 year old made a paper hat for a king, draped a blanket on as a cape and pretended he was in a heated battle with the others to protect his kingdom.

Someday they would like to make an actual shield to go with their sword. They would also like to make a long bow and set up an archer range.  They have shot bows and cross bows before.  But they are interested in making their own primitive long bow now.  They have been researching how to make it, but we haven’t built it yet.  I just hope no-one gets hurt with all these battles they like to act out.

Stop 25: Final Stop – Packing Up

Lapbook

Lapbooks are one of our favorite projects.

The Lapbook is the last lesson #25 in the Project Passport Middle Ages, but we decided to put ours together as we went along for the purpose of this review so our reading audience could see it in action.

We are about half way through with the Lapbook at the time of writing this review.

We still have a ways to go to finish this study of the Middle Ages and in addition to the recommended activities, we are adding some “extras” into our study as we find the time.   These additional activities will add a few more weeks onto our hands on learning.  The kids are really enjoying this unit study.

Because this is a flexible unit study, you can go faster or slower and pick and choose which lessons you want to complete.  For example if you speed up to 3 lessons a week, and do all of the lessons, you can finish this study in 8 weeks, or if you slow down and do 1 lesson a week on the journey, this unit study will last a full 25 weeks.   We chose to go at our own pace, plug in the activities we were interested in, added in a few additional ideas we researched, and customized the study to fit best with our family’s interest and schedule.

Check out this video that explains even more about Project Passport unit studies.

Home School In The Woods offers free samples of audio dramas and lessons and much more.  Be sure to check out their free samples on their website.  We love their History Timelines too!  Home School In The Woods is a great resource for homeschool families.   We highly recommend all of the great products at Home School In The Woods.

Homeschool In The Woods

Be sure to check out all of the great products from Home School In The Woods.  And be sure to check out all of the HISTORY Through the Ages Project Passport World History Studies series including their latest “Ancient Greece”.  They will have “Ancient Rome” available soon and are adding new products all the time. 

Social Media:

Be sure to check out Home School In The Woods social media sites for all the latest news and product updates.

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/homeschoolinthewoods

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You Tube:  https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCrKq6iLty2fpB6R6ZpcUb8A

Homeschool Review Crew:

Be sure to check out what other families on the Homeschool Review Crew had to say about using Home School In the Woods HISTORY Through the Ages Project Passport Studies in their homeschool.

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Illuminating Literature: When Worlds Collide Review

Do you need an English Literature course for your homeschooled highschooler? Then you might want to check out Illuminating Literature: When Worlds Collide by Writing with Sharon Watson.

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This is a huge and fun Highschool Literature course.  It is designed to be used by students in the 9 grad and up.   It covers a full year (2 semesters) of learning.  You can earn 1 Highschool English or Language Arts credit for completing the course. Lots of humor is woven through out the lessons and lightens the normal mood of studying literature.   The course is made up of a Student Text, Teacher’s Guide, Quiz and Answer Manual, and the Novel Notebook and in addition there is 8 additional literature story books to buy or borrow to complete the course work.

Student Manual

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285 Page, Large Softback Book

70 Lessons divided into 8 chapters.

Self directed.

Retails for $39.49

Teacher’s Guide

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182 Page, Large Softback Book

All 70 Lesson Plans

Teaching Tips

Retails for $16.49

Quiz and Answer Manual

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101 Page, Softback Book

Retails for $8.49

Novel Notebook

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102 Page PDF Download

Has lots of comprehension activities related to each fictional novel the students read during this course.

FREE

Additional Reading

Students will read 1 literature book a month during the course.  The author says she chose the books based on their potential to help students apply moral, ethical, spiritual, and biblical Godly life choices.  These additional books are sold separately on the web site, or you can purchase them at online bookstores, or pick them up at the local library.

Pudd’nhead Wilson by Mark Twain
The War of the Worlds by H. G. Wells
The Friendly Persuasion by Jessamyn West
Peter Pan by Sir James Barrie
Warriors Don’t Cry by Melba Pattillo Beals
A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens
Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury
The Screwtape Letters by C. S. Lewis

What Is Covered In This Course?

  • Text and context
  • Pseudonym (nom de plume)
  • Foreshadowing
  • Conflict types (against self, against society, inner, outer, and so on)
  • Protagonist,  Antagonist
  • Satire,  Irony
  • Theme
  • Allusion
  • Genre
  • Mood,  Tone
  • Symbol, Motif
  • Memento mori
  • Tense
  • Narrative shift
  • Deus ex machina
  • Memoir
  • Hero’s journey
  • Voice
  • Style
  • Backstory
  • Christ figure
  • Plot
  • Ironic ending
  • Plot stages (exposition, inciting incident, and so on)
  • Connotation,  Denotation
  • Alliteration,  Assonance
  • Simile,  Metaphor, Analogy
  • Apostrophe
  • Authorial intrusion
  • Hyperbole
  • Euphemism
  • Empathetic character
  • Reaction
  • Prolepsis (flashforward)
  • Mirror scenes
  • Setup and payoff
  • Telling detail
  • Loose (cumulative) sentences
  • Periodic sentences

How we used this curriculum in our home:

We were sent the Student Text, Teacher’s Guide, Quiz and Answer Manual, the Novel Notebook PDF download, and two of the literature novels Pudd’nhead Wilson by Mark Twain
The War of the Worlds by H. G. Wells.

Illuminating Literature

The first thing I did when receiving this curriculum was to print off the FREE Novel Notebook, hole punch it and put it into a three ring binder to keep it organized.  Then we started reading the curriculum.

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There are 8 Chapters expected to last you 2 semesters or about 9 months, a full school year of study.  Each chapter contains between 7 and 10 lessons each.  Each chapter corresponds to one of the literary reading books.

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You have about a month to read each chapter, and the corresponding novel, and complete the learning assignments and quizzes.

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My son is really enjoying this course.  He has completed reading the first supplemental book Pudd’nhead Wilson, and the 1st chapter of his student workbook.   When you begin a chapter, there are several lessons to complete before reading the novel.  Then there is time allotted to read the novel. This is when to fill in answers and notes in your Novel Notebook.  Finally the student goes back to the Student Book and completes the final lessons in the chapter.  Then they take a quiz.  The quiz can be done in writing or online. The teacher can grade the comprehension of each chapter with a Grading Grid found in the Teacher’s manual.

The next book he will be working on reading and deciphering is The War of the Worlds.  He is so excited about these books.  Both of these literature novels were sent to us for the purpose of the review.  I will need to purchase the remaining books for him to complete the course.   It takes him about an hour each day to work on his Student Workbook and reading.  He could spend half that much time, but he really gets into it and loves to read.  He would rather read than write in the workbook.   But I am so glad to see him put in genuine effort into this curriculum.  We are both excited about this course and so thankful to be adding it to my son’s school year this year.  He will be able to receive 1 credit for English on his Highschool transcript.

You can do this course as an individual or as part of a larger Coop or Book Club or even an online Facebook Book Club specific for this course.  Sharon gives many examples in the Teacher’s Manual about how to do this and has a list of suggested questions you can ask and leadership and participation ideas for the group too.  We chose not to be in a larger book club at this time and my son is enjoying working through the curriculum independently.

You can TRY BEFORE YOU BUY with these FREE download samples.  Check them out and see what a great course this is for your teen.

Social Media

Be sure to follow Sharon Watson on her social media links for all the latest news and updates.

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/WritingWithSharonWatson
Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/writingwithshar

Writing with Sharon Watson Review

Check out what other Homeschool families on the TOS Review Crew had to say about using this curriculum in their home.

Crew Disclaimer

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Horizons Phonics and Reading Review

I have wanted to try Horizons by Alpha Omega Publications for years and our Horizons 1st Grade Phonics and Reading Set is finally here!  Oh happy day!

Horizons Phonics and Reading

Horizons 1st Grade
Phonics and Reading Set

Student Workbooks 1 & 2

Teacher’s Guide

Readers: The Fox In The Box & The Deer In The Woods

Retails $106.95

 

Horizon Curriculum Features:

  • Christian Workbook Curriculum
  • Reinforces Learning
  • Teacher-directed Curriculum
  • Hands-on Activities
  • Brightly Illustrated Pages
  • Fundamentals of Phonics
  • Letter Recognition
  • Memorization of Phonics / Spelling Rules
  • Word Relationships
  • Explore Phonetic Sounds
  • Practice Learned Concepts

Student Workbook 1

Lessons 1-80 plus 8 review tests.

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Student Workbook 2

Lessons 81-160 plus 8 review tests.

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Horizons helps kids learn to read with phonetic based word recognition. The curriculum contains 160 lessons dived between two student workbooks, and has a review test after every ten lessons.

Readers

The Fox In The Box & The Deer In The Woods

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There are corresponding stories to read together in the readers that go along with each lesson in the student workbook to expand the learning and reinforce the concepts.  The teacher assists with the reading until about lesson 40 when most students are able to read the stories on their own.  Then you are encouraged to have the students to go back and re-read the first 40 stories and practice the skills they have learned.

Teachers Guide

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The Teacher’s Guide is a huge 420 page book that contains all of the student lessons, teacher’s lesson plans, reproducibles, and answer keys.  There are flash cards in the back of the Teachers Guide as well as additional worksheets for the student.

Scope and Sequence:

Lessons 1-30
• Consonant and vowel sounds
• Silent “e”
• Consonant digraphs: th, ch, wh, bt, ph, gm, mn, ck, gh, gn, ch, tch, hn, kn, mb
• Vowel pairs: oa, ee, ie, ay, ai, ea, oe
• Consonant blends: cl, cr, bl, br, fl, gr, gl, sp, nd, nt, ng, nk, sk, mp, lp
• Suffixes: -ful, -ly, -less, -ness, -y, -en, -able
• Capitalization and punctuation

Lessons 31-60
• Consonant digraphs: mb, wh, wr, gn, hn, kn, ch
• Consonant blends: sc, scr, pl, sm, pr, tr, fr, sn, lk, lt, lf, ft, tw, sr
• Words with “x”
• Contractions: will plus not, have; am plus us, are, is
• Compound words
• Suffixes: -ing, -ed, -s, -es, -ful, – ness, -less, -ly, -y, -en, -able, -er, -est

Lessons 61-90
• Long vowels
• Writing lessons: story, letter, and personal narrative
• Vowel diphthongs
• Prefixes: re-, un-, dis-
• Beginning consonant blends with “r,” “l,” and “s”

Lessons 91-120
• “Y” as a vowel
• Consonant digraph checkups
• Writing lessons: report, thank-you note, and personal experience narrative
• Syllables: words with prefixes, suffixes, and compound words
• Synonyms, antonyms, and homonyms
• Alphabetical order to second letter

Lessons  121-160
• Words with the sounds “f” and “s”
• Writing lessons: imaginative story, poem, journal entry, and friendly letter
• Checkup: contractions, r-controlled vowels, prefixes, suffixes,
capitalization and punctuation, and plural words
• Irregular plurals
• Possessives

How we used Horizons 1st Grade Phonics and Reading in our home:

I have six kids and we have used Alpha Omega Life Pacs for part of our homeschool education. The Life Pac curriculum is awesome and worked great for some of my kids, but not great for all of them.  One of my kids who is a visual auditory learner, struggled with Life Pacs and would often resort to arguing if I asked him to work in his workbooks after I explained the lesson.   Over time I came to realize he needed more color and less information on a page than what Life Pacs offer.   I read on their website about Horizons and have had it on my wish list since.  His younger sister learns just like he did and this time around we can learn reading skills without the frustration and arguing which is a tremendous blessing!

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We have been using the Student Workbook 1 and the Reader Book 1 in the set everyday so far since they arrived, we have also taken it on trips in the van too.   She doesn’t leave the house without putting it in her backpack.  We put the diffuser with her favorite essential oils (Peppermint and Wild Orange) that promote focus close by her so she can enjoy it as she studies.  This has been a fun treat for her to set up as she gets ready to study and promotes her active participation and focus.  Then we sit side by side as she goes through her assignments. First she learns a grammatical rule and she practices applying it in fill in the blanks, sounding out words and circling the correct options that go with colorful pictures, word searches, crossword puzzles, and more.  She is doing great.

Since my daughter was struggling in her reading skills last year, I felt it would be best to go back to the 1st grade level and learn the basics with this curriculum instead of putting her in the 2nd grade level at this time. My hope is that she will really be excited about this and we can move ahead to the 2nd grade level half way through the year if all goes well.   What I am realizing is that I need to purchase another student workbook and have her and her younger brother go through this course together at the same time.  She learns better by observing.  He learns better by just having it explained and then he takes off and gets it done independently.  It would help her to watch him and learn with him together.

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I am thrilled!  More importantly my daughter is motivated to do her workbook.  She is making progress each day over the past several weeks and this course will help lay a solid foundation for reading, writing, and spelling for her this school year.  This curriculum is everything I had hoped it would be.

Social Media

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Latina Christiana Review

We are getting our curriculum for next fall ready, and took the opportunity to review Latina Christiana 1 Complete Set from Memoria Press.

Memoria Press

We are preparing classes and goals for my soon to be highschooler.  He studied Greek and Roman History and an introduction to the Greek Language this year.   As we set goals for his upcoming school year, we wanted to see if this introductory course to Latin might be a good fit for his Foreign Language requirement.

Three main reasons to Study Latin:

  • Helps kids master the English language.
  • Improves test scores.
  • Kids who study Latin score higher on SAT test than the average student.
  • Encourages mental discipline.
  • Encourages cultural understanding of the Greeks, Rome, and the Christian faith.

Latina Christiana

Latina Christiana 1 Complete Set

A beginning Latin Course
For students of all ages
Grade 3 and Above
Retails for $98.90

This Latin course is recommended if your student is:

  • In at least Grade 3 or higher, even if your child is in Highschool 12th Grade,
  • If they have had no prior experience learning the Latin Language.
  • It is also recommended for teachers who have no prior experience teaching Latin.

What We Received

With this program we received the complete set which includes:

Student Workbook:

  • 25 Lessons plus 5 Review Lessons.
  • Includes 10 vocabulary words, maps, song lyrics and exercises to go along with each lesson.
  • Sayings that teach Christian

Flashcards:

  • Includes card stock printed vocabulary cards with Latin and English to go along with each lesson.

Pronunciation CD:

  • Complete pronunciation of words in each lesson.
  • Also has performances of songs and prayers.

Instructional DVDs:

  • Includes 5 disks (18 hours of lessons)
  • Each disk contains  45+/-minute video instruction for each week’s lesson.
  • Comprehensive instruction
  • Grammar, Recitation, Review
  • Onscreen notes, illustrations, and diagrams
  • Self teaching format.  Complete virtual instruction so that motivated students can do this program independent of having a live teacher in the room.

Teacher Manual:

  • Notes on how to teach the lessons, incorporate the videos, cds, and flash cards.
  • Maps
  • History
  • Song lyrics
  • Copies of the student workbook pages with answer keys.
  • Recitation schedule.
  • Teaching tips for each lesson.
  • Questions for the optional history.
  • Reproducible drill practice pages.
  • Lesson quizzes
  • Review Tests that cover each set of five lessons.

Several supplemental materials are also available for additional purchase including Latin Work Wall Charts ($20), a Certificate of Completion ($.50), and National Exam Guides (3 guides: Introduction, Level 1, and Level 2 (prices vary)), Review Worksheets ($9.95), and additional Student Workbooks ($16).

How We Used This In Our Home

We received the Latina Christiana 1 Complete Set for the purpose of writing an honest review. This material covers 25 lessons, and each lesson is designed to be studied for 5 days or 1 week. For most students this course will provide a whole school year of Foreign language learning. An older student could complete this course in 1 semester if highly motivated and moved at a fast pace.

Latina Christiana by Memoria Press

We finished up our 2014-2015 school year several weeks ago, but jumped on this opportunity to review Latina Christiana 1 when it was offered through The Old Schoolhouse for review.  My son wants to study foreign languages, and started to really apply himself this past year in Spanish 1 and also learning Greek Morphemes.

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He took an awesome online class this school year on the History of the Greek and Roman Empire and New Testament Church History.  He loved it!  He let me know he wanted to learn even more about this period in history and learn to speak Greek and Latin.  This Latin Language course seemed like a good way to introduce him to the language and give him even more experience with learning about the early church.

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He is very smart, but I never in my wildest dreams thought my kids would want to learn how to read languages like Greek and Latin, or learn about early New Testament History.  Not many 8th grade boys think like that!  But he is fascinated with the formation of the Christian church, and comparing how different it is today.  If it is this fascinating to an 8th grader, perhaps everyone in modern day church could learn something from reviewing early church and the Greek and Roman culture in the beginning of it’s formation.   Thank God for the opportunity to write reviews with TOS, because they have provided our family with all of these opportunities to review and learn each of these classes my son has been interested in this year.

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When the material first arrived, we went through the materials together.  We read through and practiced pronouncing some of the letter combinations that would be used in the course.  These are found right in the beginning of both the Student Workbook and the Teachers Manual.   After this initial introduction, and he became more familiar with the materials, he took off like a rocket and my son has mostly worked on this class independently so far.   He always gets to it before I am ready since I have six kids to help.  He does most of his studies independently at this point.  But I hope to get him to slow down a bit and be able to get his brothers in on the fun too this fall.  Honestly I want to learn this too, as I believe I can understand the scriptures even more by learning this language.  I don’t want to be left out and this is my opportunity to learn it right along with the kids.

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Each day my son sits down to the video instruction from the DVD.   She does a very good job explaining things in simple easy to understand instructions.  He has the opportunity to pause the DVD and practice what he is learning and then move forward.  Next he listens to the pronunciations on the CD and uses his flash cards.  Then he completes the related assignment in his Student Workbook.

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He is a very motivated self learner.  He can search out any info on the internet and apply it before my head even grasps what button to push on my keyboard.  So in true fashion to his character, he took the lead on learning this material on his own.  He is thrilled with it, and finds it easy to navigate.  Our toughest challenge has been pronunciation of some of the words is different than they are written.  Some words sound the same as they are written.  So going back and forth and understanding when to use a different sound for the same letters has been the biggest challenge for him to wrap his brain around.

My son found this beginning Latin course challenging, and we are both excited for him to resume learning with it when our new school year 2015-2016 begins this fall.  I plan to purchase the wall charts and certificates and the additional student workbooks for the next two sons right behind him, and one for mom (and maybe Dad) too.  I hope to motivate all three of the older boys to learn this material together during our coming school year.   This class is definitely on our list of curriculum for this coming year.

I would encourage you to consider introducing your students to Latin.  I did not have this learning opportunity growing up and was a bit scared of it at first.   But once we got into the materials, I am excited my kids have this wonderful curriculum resource.

These course materials could be used in a variety of class settings and great for homeschoolers, coop classes, private schools, after school learning, and even bible study enrichment.  This is such a valuable resource and teaching tool so why not use it for Sunday School church classes too.  Think of the fun you will have to offer your students (young or old) a certificate of completion when they have finished! I am looking forward to both my kids and myself earning our certificates too!!

Social Media:

Be sure to check out Memorial Press on their social media for all the latest news and updates.

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SDA For Homeschoolers Review

Looking for a fun and challenging homeschool curriculum option for your students? Then you might want to check out Standard Deviants Accelerate for homeschoolers.

SDA

Standard Deviants Accelerate Homeschool Courses (SDAccellerate.com) are an easy to use, online, homeschool curriculum for students 8 and older. Courses are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week online (videos, interactive quizzes, writing, etc) and you can access them through your desktop computer, mobile laptop, and smart device like a tablet too. So this greatly increases your options of where and when you can find flexible time to work on your school work. They can be used as a supplemental program, but also may fit as your main learning program in a given subject too.

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Homeschool Courses:

 

Standard Deviants Accelerate is appropriate for students ages 8 through adult. They currently offer 14 different homeschool curriculum options for middle school and high school age students, and 2 curriculum options are also appropriate for elementary aged kids in 3rd and 4th grades and above.

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Each course offers a full year’s worth of learning materials including videos, note taking, quizzes, written work, review, and exams for your student. Each regular course costs $99.00 for a year subscription, or $24.95 for a month to month subscription. The AP courses cost $14.95 a month. They are currently running a special, and offering you to try out the program for free for 6 months and see if it is a good fit for your family.

Arithmetic – Grades 3+
Fundamental Math – Grades 4+

Nutrition – 6+
Earth Science – Grades 6+

Algebra – Grades 7+
Biology – Grades 7+

English Composition – Grades 9+
U.S. History – Grades 9+
Chemistry – Grades 9+

AP Biology – Grades 11+
AP Chemistry – Grades 11+
AP U.S. History – Grades 11+
AP U.S. Government & Politics – Grades 11+
AP English Composition – Grades 11+

 

How We Used Standard Deviants Accelerate In Our Home:

 

I am very grateful for this opportunity to review this homeschool program. I have taken time to explore all of the classes for grades 3 through 9 for the purpose of writing this review. I have not explored the AP classes yet, but hope to look through them too. I would encourage you to click the link at the bottom of this review to read what other TOS Crew members had to say about the regular and AP homeschool courses and see if this program would work for your homeschool.

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My kids and I each have our own seperate dashboards when we log in. I have the kids log in each day and view the video assignment, take notes as they watch the video and save their notes on the computer program. They complete any related written work and take the quiz. The notes they type are stored in their “locker” which is a filing system they can keep track of all of their notes for classes. On my dashboard, I can view their progress, what areas need more practice or review to improve their understanding. Check out this short Teacher Account Video that explains more how this works.

SDA_Lessons

Homeschool Algebra:

 
There are so many great features with the SDAccelerate.com Homeschool Alegebra curriculum that benefit the student and the teacher. Here are just a few:

220 minutes of video (with scrolling transcripts)
54 vocab words (with audio playback)
Note-taking
38 critical thinking questions
205 multiple choice questions
14 drag n’ drop graphic organizers
Re-teaching
Automatic grading
Progress reporting
Meets State and National Standards
RTI alerts
Differentiated Instruction
Editable rubrics
Student-to-teacher messaging

algebra

Below is a picture of my 8th grader working on Algebra. He is also working through the U.S. History, English Composition, Chemistry, and Biology courses. He is thrilled with these classes. He is not really a video oriented learner and prefers to read information for himself in most situations. I am very glad the classes include the written transcript of the video lessons. This fella loves to read and work independently and doesn’t need videos to grasp information though he does find it helpful at times. Over all though he loves the curriculum and is self motivated to work on it each day. He sets high standards for himself and strives to get good scores on his work. I feel like he is gaining a solid understanding of the information presented. We do disagree with some things regarding evolution in the biology course work. We believe the earth and all of creation was created by God and our faith plays a big role in our education. The course work is not written from a Christian perspective, but putting the evolution issue aside, the curriculum is done well and the kids like it.

Algebra

Homeschool U.S. History:

 
Some of the great features of the SDAccelerate.com Homeschool U.S. History curriculum include:

149 minutes of video (with scrolling transcripts)
144 vocab words (with audio playback)
160 multiple choice questions
Note-taking
29 critical thinking questions
14 drag n’ drop graphic organizers
Meets State and National Standards
Progress reporting, Editable rubrics, Re-teaching
Automatic grading, and Student-to-teacher messaging

US History

Below is a picture of my 6th grader on the computer working on the SDAccelerates U.S. History course. He is also working through the Nutrition and Earth Science courses too. Even though the U.S. History course is advanced for his grade level, he works exceptionally well with this style of learning. He is an audio-visual learner and works his best and excels when school work is presented in a combined audio video format. He does not like to read a lot of verbage, and will quickly become bored if expected to read all his school work. But he stays attentive to video presentations. His learning style is the complete opposite of his older brother, and I am thankful for SDAccelerate’s fun video style learning program for him to use.

US History

Standard Deviants Accelerate on Social Media


Be sure to follow Standard Deviants Accelerate on their social media links for all the latest news, courses, updates, and teaching ideas, and more:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SDAccelerate
Twitter: https://twitter.com/SDAccelerate
Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/SDAccelerate/
Google+: google.com/+Sdaccelerate
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/user/CerebellumCorp/videos

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Hewitt Homeschooling Review

logo

Hewitt Homeschooling has some great products for homeschool families. We are reviewing My First Reports: Bugs and Worms by Hewitt Homeschooling, and we are learning lots of great information and having fun at the same time.  If you are in the process of putting your curriculum choices together, I would encourage you to add products from Hewitt Homeschooling to the list.

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My First Reports

One unique product Hewitt Homeschooling offers is a curriculum supplement called My First Reports.  My first reports uses a step by step approach to help elementary age children learn about a subject they are interested in and write a report about it.

Skills used in My First Reports include:

Research
Organizing
Sorting
Writing
Penmanship
Vocabulary
Reading
Critical Thinking

There are several My First Reports to choose from and they are geared for different ages, but all are flexible and can be used for grades 1 – 8 depending on the skill level of your student.

My First Report: Music
My First Report: Transportation
My First Report: Weather
My First Report: Me
My First Report: Famous People
My First Report: Wild Animals / Large Mammals
My First Report: Wild Animals / Small Mammals
My First Report: Pets/Farm Animals
My First Report: Bugs and Worms
My First Report: Birds
My First Report: Reptiles/Amphibians
My First Report: Plants
My First Report: Solar System
My First Report: Marine Life
My First Report: Olympics
My First Report: Outdoor Activities
My First Report: Sports
My First Report: My State
My First Report: Eastern United States
My First Report: Western United States
My First Report: Middle United States
My First Report: Southern United States
My First Report: Lewis and Clark Expedition
My First Report: Focus On The World

You can purchase My First Reports individually for $8.95 , or buy 14 titles as a bundle for $69.95 and save nearly 40% off retail.

 

Our Experience:

Bugs and Worms

We chose My First Reports: Bugs and Worms for this review.  It is designed for kids in 3rd – 4th grades, but can be used for younger students in 1st-2nd grades or older students in 5th-8th grades too.  My First Reports: Bugs and Worms contains 52 pages including reproducible forms, worksheets, suggested reading and resources, and a unit study.

When we received the packet from Hewitt Homeschooling, I placed the pages into a binder.   The pages come already hole punched so you can put it into a three ring binder for convenience, or into your students completed notebook if you desire.  I am a unit study “collector”, or perhaps a unit study nerd might describe me better.   I guess and I love being able to insert them into a binder and keep them for future use.  If someday I pass along our schoolroom to my own grown kids, or to another family, hopefully all the unit studies we have acquired or created over the years will be easy to just grab and go because they are arranged neatly in their own binders.  You could fill a whole book shelf with them.  Ooohhh Awwhhhh.  Yep, I am a unit study nerd!

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We were very excited about this curriculum.  This package covers information about 12 different bugs and worms:

Grasshoppers
Flies
Ants
Bees
Fireflies
Crickets
Ladybugs
Spiders
Caterpillars
Butterflies / Moths
Dragonflies
Worms

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Unit Study Approach

This set is designed to used for 12 weeks, in a unit study method, covering one bug or worm and corresponding worksheets and suggested activities per week.  Being a unit study, many different ages of kids can enjoy it, and it is cross curricular for many different subjects and covers:

Math
Reading
Social Studies
Music
Art
Language
History
Science
Health
P.E.
Bible
Suggested Field Trips

DSC01754 (Picture my son took of hundreds of new born baby spiders emerging from their nest on a tiger lily).

During the process of learning about a bug or worm you will also do many activities mentioned in the accompanying unit study.  For example, various activities to choose from might include:  geography you will take a map of your state or a region and list bugs found there.  Younger students might cut out pictures and paste them on the map and older students would likely create a map and write a list of various insects identifying  them and their locations or to add in an art aspect, they might sketch them too.  In the bible they would learn about insects mentioned in various verses.  For reading and literature they would read various books, magazines, news articles, and poems about bugs.   For Language you would learn insect vocabulary words and spelling of each insect, as well as answer the report questions on the worksheets. You might create word puzzles and give an oral report too.  For Math, you put the insects in order based on a category such as length or color or weight ect.  Perhaps you could make a graph for comparisons.  You might calculate speeds and distance traveled or the amount of food they eat.  For Science you will make comparison graphs for body characteristics, learn about habitats and how to classify, catch-observe-release different insects when you are studying each one, etc.  One suggestion is to build a wormery when you study the worms section.  For art and science you might make a kite and then for P.E. you would go outside and fly it.  Also for P.E. you would take a hike through your neighborhood or a park to look for insects and study where they are found, what they sound like, etc.  For music you might study and recreate the sound of various insects, sing songs about insects and songs about creation including songs and praises to God.  Art has so many suggestions like making a spider web, visiting an art museum, making collages or mosaics, sculptures, and various crafts.  Field tips ideas include hikes or nature walks in various locations like parks, nature preserves, zoos, museums, the insect section of the library, a honey farm, or other farms where insects are used in some way, nature store, etc.

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While learning about each “critter”, my 3rd grader completed a worksheet for each bug we learned about.  The worksheet includes a picture of the bug, its class and scientific order, vocabulary words, and several questions to research further.   He is encouraged to write complete sentences when answering the questions.  When the week of learning about the insect is complete, and he has answered all the questions, he can transfer that information into a finished report by using his answers to help create paragraphs for a report about the insect he is writing about.

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I have always loved the hands on aspect of Field Trips.  My kids love the adventure and learning outside the classroom / house.  We took a field trip two weeks ago to the Creation Museum to learn more about the history of insects and see various species in their collections.

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This is a great curriculum resource and I would encourage other homeschool families to work it into their learning adventures this school year.  My First Reports would also be a great adventure for summer school, Sunday School, or afterschool learning adventures too.

Social Media Links:

You can follow Hewitt Homeschooling on their social media to keep up with all the latest news and updates.

Facebook
https://www.facebook.com/HewittHomeschooling

Twitter
https://twitter.com/HewittOnline

Pinterest
http://www.pinterest.com/hewittonline/

Google Plus
https://plus.google.com/b/115323246990194958229/+HewittHomeschoolingResources/posts

Hewitt Blog
http://hewitthomeschoolingresources.blogspot.com/

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Moving Beyond The Page Curriculum Review

Did you know that the first robot was invented in 1921? Did you know first knitting machine was invented in 1589, and the first golf balls were invented in 1400? Or did you know that the first computer game was invented in 1962, and the first artificial heart and liver was invented in 2001, or that the first DVD’s were invented in 1995? Can you believe the world-wide web was invented in 1990, or the iPhone was invented in 2007? I was really surprised to learn the actual dates of many inventions of everyday things we take for granted. They are so much a part of our everyday lives that we kind of forget the bigger picture that some where in time, someone invented them. That is some of the cool stuff my son is learning in his Moving Beyond The Page Language Arts and Science curriculum.

Moving Beyond The Page Logo

With Moving Beyond The Page you can order a complete age range curriculum for the whole year (ten Language Arts, ten Science, and ten Social Studies), or for a semester (five courses each in LA, Science, and Social Studies), or individual courses.

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Individual courses are made up of about 10 to 12 lessons and a final project, and each individual course takes about three to four weeks to complete if you work on them three or four days a week.

Semester and Lesson

Though the word “curriculum” is used, Moving Beyond The Page has a unique approach to education. They use RESEARCH-based educational STRATEGIES to CONNECT various subjects together through a common theme using literature, like a unit study approach, and connect information with real life, hands on, experience.

In my opinion, the cross curricular unit study approach is a wonderful method of learning, teaching, and retaining information.  I think every family can benefit from this method, because it makes these connections between information and real life, and helps a person be well rounded in their understanding.  It is not just a bunch of knowledge to be remembered, it is knowledge that manifests into real experience.

How Will Using Moving Beyond The Page Benefit Your Homeschool?

    • Help your child see connections in life.  Woven in the unit study approach are connections that your student will make between subjects of science and engineering, social and cultural studies, history, geography, language arts, and more.
    • The goal of this approach to education is to turn each child into a problem solver, an innovator, and challenge them through activities that involve critical and creative thinking.
    • The curriculum encourages real-world applications. It uses project-based instruction, and empowers each child in a way that meets his or her needs.
    • It supports various different learning styles, ages, and different skill levels.
    • It bridges and closes the gaps in each students learning as they meet and exceed state and national standards at each learning level.

We were sent 2 INDIVIDUAL COURSES from Moving Beyond The Page:

Science Package:Technological Design for ages 11-13 and retails for $31.94  This course contains a physical spiral bound consumable workbook, and a softcover textbook.  There are online options for the consumable workbook too, be sure you have a high-speed internet, Adobe reader software, and a printer if choosing the online version. Check the web site for pricing options:

Technological Design    Leonardo Da Vinci

This course covers:

  • What Is Technology?
  • Technological Innovator
  • Meaningful Technological Designs
  • Necessity vs. Luxury
  • Necessity Is the Mother of Invention
  • Da Vinci’s Inventions
  • Contemporary Design Approaches
  • Engineering
  • Modeling an Idea
  • Final Project: Final Exam and Model Bridge

Language Arts Package: Einstein Adds A New Dimension for ages 12-14 and retails for $39.98  This course contains an online printable workbook, and a large physical hardback cover textbook.  Be sure you have a high-speed internet, Adobe reader software, and a printer if choosing the online version. There is also a spiral bound softcover physical workbook option too, check out the web site for pricing options.

Einstein Workbook    Einstein Adds A New Dimension

This course covers the life of a famous scientist, Albert Einstein, and his contributions to science and the world through a Language Arts curriculum.  In this course, the student covers:

  • Expository Writing
  • Descriptive Writing
  • The Curies’ Discoveries
  • Process Writing
  • Envisioning Fission
  • Cause and Effect Writing
  • Relativity
  • Comparison and Contrast Writing
  • Avoiding Plagiarism
  • Problem and Solution Writing
  • Citing Sources
  • Final Project: Research Paper
  • Engineering
  • Modeling an Idea
  • Final Project: Final Exam and Model Bridge

 

How We Used This Curriculum

These courses are one part of a larger package of curriculum and are expected to take a student three to four weeks to complete.  The suggested syllabus has the student working in each subject area about an hour a day.

Einstein Adds A New Dimension

I found the Einstein Adds A New Dimension curriculum to be so fascinating!  The text-book is a 465 page full color textbook jam-packed with information and photos.  It is a learning buffet!  I have never seen a text-book quite like it before, except in college.  It is like Science 101 in college, and takes you on a journey of how science came to be, how it has changed, what is theory, what is proven, and how Albert Einstein had a significant role in science and our understanding of everything.  I can easily see this text being used in a science 101 course.

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My son was so interested in the textbook, he hardly ever sat it down.  Every time I turned around he was deep into the reading.  The workbook created by Moving Beyond The Page to correlate with the text, takes an informational text about science and scientists, and gives it a whole new twist in looking at it from a Language Arts perspective and learing hands on about writing, research, science, and engineering.  It challenges you to see the difference in theory and fact, and how to build a convincing argument in favor or against different scientific research.  This course receives a high score from my 13 year old!

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My son loved the Technological Design course and learning about inventions made by Leonardo Da Vinci.

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He is fascinated with science and design.  He wants to learn how things work and then build on that  knowledge to go even further.  He is a true engineer at heart.

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He found it fascinating that Leonardo Da Vinci was passionate about a wide variety of things including arts, theater and plays, engineering, inventions, practical jokes with family and friends, and so much more.

Mask

He made masks out of milk jugs.  He changed things a little bit from the manual to fit the supplies we had on hand and also his interests.  His sister also asked him to make a mask for her so he enlisted the help of his brother and they made a special butterfly mask per the colors she requested. He planed to turn his mask into a black cat.  He went outside and drew several cat faces using our kittens as his model and they all looked great.  He cut out his mask from a milk jug and then covered it in black paper and completed the eyes and ears, but got stumped at one point on making the mouth and decided to turn it into a Knight’s face mask instead.

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Both the Textbook and Workbook are hands on manuals filled with projects to do.  There are so many different projects to choose from your child will always look forward to their studies.

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I think my son’s favorite chapter about Leonardo Da Vinci Inventions was Leonardo’s War Inventions.  He took old ideas and tweaked them.  He problem solved.  He figured out a way to save lives on the “home team” and cause more devastation to the opposing team by reducing the human risk of injury, and making many weapons automated, or mechanized, or robotic if you will.   Leonardo “re-invented” many weapons of war.  He is most famous for the Trebuchet (automated catapult), the Armored Tank, a portable Safety Bridge, and his version of a Cannon.  The final project in the curriculum is to design and build a model bridge out of craft sticks that can support 5 lbs and this represents a full size bridge that can be positioned over a ravine for safe crossing and make a presentation about it describing the technological process involved. He has not made it to the end of the curriculum yet, but I am sure he will as excited as his is about each project he makes.

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He plans to build the Trebuchet project from the book later this week.  He built a Trebuchet from a pre-designed kit two years ago and loved playing with it and shooting clay balls all around the house.  For his birthday he bought a Leonardo De Vinci Catapult kit and decided to pare it up with this curriculum.  My son had a blast building this from the kit and likes it even better than the Trebuchet kit he built-in the past, because it is made from good quality wood and is large and sturdy.  Here is a picture of him with his Leonardo Da Vinci Catapult project.  He sanded each piece smooth before cutting to length, assembling, gluing pegs (wooden nails), etc. the various parts together.  This project has more power and shoots a lot further than his previous Trebuchet and he loves it!

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I definitely recommend Moving Beyond The Page curriculum.  There are tons of cross curricular subjects and they are all fascinating and hands on.  I am putting the whole year curriculum on my homeschool wish list!  I hope you will check them out and see how they can meet the needs of your family and homeschool.

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