Christian Kids Explore Chemistry

Chemistry.  Does this word strike fear in your heart?  :)  Chemistry is the only subject I ever failed in high school.  Perhaps if I had been introduced to chemistry with Christian Kids Explore Chemistry in my younger years it wouldn't have seemed so foreign to me. Christian Kids Explore Chemistry is a science curriculum for grades 4-8 in the Christian Kids Explore Series from Bright Ideas Press and I am thrilled to have the opportunity to review it.

There are four books in this series written for elementary and junior high students.  Christian Kids Explore Chemistry, now in its 2nd edition, comes with a brand new resource CD that includes daily lesson plans, materials lists, all the reproducibles you need and even a bonus literature study guide for the book, Piece of the Mountain, a story about the life of Blaise Pascal.  Reproducibles include coloring pages, unit reviews, follow-up questions for each lesson and activity charts.

Christian Kids Explore Chemistry is a 385 page, black and white, paperback textbook that provides 30 lessons in 5 units.  Read the Table of Contents or view Sample Pages.  You will find hands on activities such as making model atoms, breaking covalent bonds and making gas expand.  There are Chemistry terms, notations and rules, unit reviews, coloring pages and a supplemental book list.

a sample page showing clear, easy to read text with bold vocabulary words
within the text and definitions in the margin

We were introduced to this series this year and completed Christian Kids Explore Biology a few weeks ago.  I am really enjoying the series and plan to purchase the other 2 books that I don't have when we are done with Chemistry.

Each lesson is not too long making it easy to teach and not overwhelming to the student.  I read it aloud to my children but older students could certainly do this by themselves.  The vocabulary words are defined within the text AND in the margins of the lessons making it easy for students to find the words they need to define with each lesson. There is a glossary as well that students can use if they prefer. The detailed lesson plans give you 2 days of work for each week making it easy to double up for the week if you wish to cover 2 books in a year (which is my plan for next year.)  We will finish Chemistry and move on the Physics.

Lesson plans include memory work including a scripture verse (which can also be used as copy work), review, reading, discussion, vocabulary, hands on activities and supplemental reading.

Vocabulary words are placed on index cards for easy review or you can use a notebook.  We are using blank notebooking pages for vocabulary at this time.

In the supplemental reading section, you will find a list of books by unit that you can purchase or order from your library.  I have had no problem getting the books through our library system.  The lessons also have a weekly reading from the Kingfisher Science Encyclopedia.  I have enjoyed using this beautiful book for the Chemistry lessons but be warned it is full of evolutionary content which I did not like when using the Biology book.

By the end of the first unit my reluctant 12 year old son told me he likes this.  High praise from him indeed!

Ryan and Emma learning the difference between mixtures and compounds.

Getting it all down on paper

You can purchase Christian Kids Explore Chemistry for $39.95 at Bright Ideas Press.  This includes the Bright Ideas Press also carries Illuminations full curriculum, history and geography resources and more.  I LOVE Bright Ideas Press and highly recommend them!

Information on the other CKE books:
Christian Kids Explore Earth and Space (grades 3-6) $34.95
Christian Kids Explore Biology (grades 3-6) $34.95
Christian Kids Explore Physics (grades 4-8) $39.95 (new 2nd edition)

Read what others are saying about the Christian Kids Explore series on the TOS crew blog. All 4 books in this series are being reviewed.  Feel free to ask questions if you have any.

disclaimer: I received a free pdf copy of Christian Kids Explore Chemistry along with a digital copy of CKEC supplements in exchange for an honest review.

Write with WORLD

Write with WORLD is a brand new writing curriculum for middle school students from the publishers of God's World News and WORLD magazine.  I'm sure many would agree that writing is one of the hardest subjects to teach (and to learn).  I was thrilled to have the opportunity to review this curriculum for the TOS crew. Write with WORLD is for students in grades 6-9 but could also be used with high school students without a lot of writing experience.

Write with WORLD aims to produce young writers who love writing, can write effectively, and intelligently share ideas, beliefs, and their worldview. We hope to support a generation of young believers who aspire to use their writing skills in the service of God's Kingdom and explain effectively the reasons for their beliefs.  -from the website

On the website, the publishers answer the question, "Why a different writing curriculum?" with these 5 reasons:

1) Persistent poor writing among those entering college
2) Existing curricula are often focused on mechanics and remediation
3) Christians need to be heard in this era of conflicting worldviews
4) Profusion of new media, in which anyone can be a content creator
5) Today's sophisticated media and messages demand that students be discerning message consumers

Click here to read more on each of the 5 reasons.

Write with WORLD is divided into 4 Units of 4 Lessons each. Each lesson is divided into 5 Capsules.  I thought the lessons provided just enough work for each day so that the student is learning and not feeling completely overwhelmed.   I wish there was a timeline of how to space out the lessons to make this a 1 year curriculum.  There are 16 lessons (5 days each).  In my mind when I see 5 sections I figure one per day but at that rate the book will be finished in 16 weeks.  I hadn't really paid attention to the total number of lessons so I guess we can slow the pace down and spend more time on each lesson.  I plan to continue using Write with WORLD.  Our school year is winding down and I'd like to save this to do next year so we will probably pick it up again full force in the fall.

This is what is covered in Year One:

INTRODUCTION

UNIT #1: DEVELOPING CRITICAL READERS

Lesson 1: Reading Images and Advertisements
Lesson 2: Comparative Reading: Sentences
Lesson 3: Comparative and Critical Reading: Paragraphs
Lesson 4: Critical Reading: Essays

UNIT#2: DEVELOPING WRITERS: BUILDING BLOCKS AND BIOGRAPHY

Lesson 1: The Paragraph
Lesson 2: Composing and Linking Sentences
Lesson 3: Creating Focus and Arranging Ideas
Lesson 4: Linking Paragraphs: Transitions and Logic

UNIT #3: WRITING AUTOBIOGRAPHY

Lesson 1: Reporting Facts
Lesson 2: Creating Character
Lesson 3: Developing Ideas with Specificity
Lesson 4: Writing Autobiography

UNIT #4: CRAFTING NARRATIVES

Lesson 1: Developing a Point of View
Lesson 2: Showing vs. Telling
Lesson 3: Narrative with a Purpose
Lesson 4: Writing a Fictional Narrative

Click here and scroll down to see year 2.

The teacher's book is identical to the student book only it has wide margins with teaching tips throughout and plenty for space for your own notes. The text is NON-consumable. Students keep their work in a notebook.  With a large family, I love non-consumable curriculum.  See this sample of the first lesson. (In this first chapter there are pictures that pertain to the lesson.  Future lessons do not contain any photographs.)

The Teacher edition is on top.
You can see the  wide margin and teacher's notes.

Write with WORLD also incorporates the top 20 grammar errors made by U.S. college students. You can see what these are here. (again scroll down)  I love "whole" learning where grammar is incorporated into writing. (Spend 5 minutes on Facebook or message boards and you will see these errors over and over again.) Students also learn vocabulary and then at the end of the lesson take those vocabulary words and have to choose an appropriate synonym using a thesaurus.  

Note that this curriculum is loosely connected to WORLD magazine and God's World News which are referenced in the book but not necessary for use.  I plan to order them though.  I meant to this year and somehow forgot.  

This curriculum is decidedly Christian and teaches children to write with a purpose and to write with a worldview.  Of course we all have a worldview. I want my children to write to the glory of God and I think this curriculum will help them to do that.

You can pre-order Write with WORLD for $95 per year, or $165 when both years are purchased together.  Year one will be available to ship this summer. Purchase will include access to a user website coming this fall that will "provide online publishing opportunities, as well as additional writing subjects to constantly freshen and augment what is in the textbooks."

Read what others are saying about Write with WORLD on the TOS crew blog.


disclaimer: I received a free copy of  year one of Write with World  in exchange for an honest review.

Truth Quest History

Ever since I first heard about Truth Quest History I wanted to give it a try. I was so excited when I received this to review as a part of the TOS crew.

TruthQuest History is a deep and rich literature-based history study…but with a difference. You will not learn the story of mankind; you will learn the lovestory of mankind. You will not focus on the rise and fall of human civilizations; you will focus on the arrow-straight line of God's unchanging existence, power, love, truth, and plan for civilization. You will not simply 'meet the culture' or 'get the facts;' you will probe the truths of history so deeply that your students will be equipped to change their world!

-from the website 

TruthQuest History is unlike most history curriculum.  It is written from an unashamed Christian viewpoint; the perspective that history is first about what God does and says, and secondly about what people believe and do in response.  Throughout the guide, commentaries are given as an introduction to each topic and thoroughly discuss the consequences of mankind's Big 2 Beliefs which are 1)Who is God? and 2) Who, then, is mankind?

For a book lover like me, TruthQuest History is a dream come true.  You will find extensive book lists for every topic you can imagine in chronological order.  We reviewed the Age of Revolution I: America/Europe 1600-1800.

In addition to the commentaries and book lists you will find ThinkWrite exercises (13 in this guide) to help students internalize and express the history lessons they are learning through literature.

One thing I really appreciate about TruthQuest History is you do not have to buy a certain set of books.  You can use what is listed or what you can find.  Read more here:

It is not intended that you purchase, find, or even read all the books cited in this guide! You can see how impossible that would be! TruthQuest History is completely different from curricula which depend on certain books, so users must think differently about it! Here, the goal is not to guide you through books, but through history...using books...whichever books are readily available! That’s why so many are listed here–to give you the utmost opportunity to harness your public or church librarywithout missing a gem!
When you (wisely!) decide to homeschool using real books, no matter what curriculum guide you choose, you’re only able to use what’s available. Therefore, this large booklist is not a burden, it’s a benefit! It vastly increases the chances of finding the best available books on every topic!

                                                                       -quote from TruthQuest history

So the layout of TruthQuest is that you first read a commentary by the author, followed by a list of reading from the "spines" of the curriculum, then there is an extensive list of books to choose from.  I did not have any trouble finding books in our library system.  Almost everything I searched for was available through our fabulous state ILL program.  Each book also lists a grade level (love that!). The Think/Write sections are placed throughout the guide.  Click here for a sample from Age of Revolution I and here to see the Table of Contents.

While I love TruthQuest for the book list, I am not at a point in my homeschool where I want a curriculum that isn't really laid out for me day to day.  There have been times when this would have been perfect for us and I suppose with a large family we could all study the same topic using this.

We ended up using this to study state history because we are studying ancient history this year but we're still required to study state history and we happen to live in one of the original 13 colonies so there was plenty to choose from in that section.  I am very impressed with the books that we found and even learned about a place in my state that I'd never heard of even though I've lived here for 44 years (all my life).

We reveiwed the pdf version of Age of Revolution I.  I would recommend spending the few extra dollars to order a book version. This guide is 378 pages long which is just too overwhelming as a pdf in my experience.  Also, the page numbers of the pdf do not match the pages in the book.  For instance, Maryland history is listed on page 64 in the Table of Contents but you will actually find it on page 81 of the pdf.  The Table of Contents is not linked though there are bookmarks that will get you where you want to go if you are using this on a computer.  I did load this on my Kindle (just a regular Kindle) and on my iPod touch but pdfs really aren't great on either of those anyway.  I read the commentaries to my kids on my Kindle but the font was very small and as I said pdf's just aren't that great on the regular Kindle.  I also used my laptop for reading and that was better but reading from the computer is not my favorite thing either.  I think I would have liked this a lot better if I had a hard copy.

You can see samples of each of the eleven guides, read How to Choose, read about long range planning using TruthQuest or listen to audio presentations.

Click to enlarge

Guides include:

Level 1 for Grades 1-5
American History for Young Students  I
American History for Young Students II
American History for Young Students III

Level  2 for Grades 5-12
Beginnings
Ancient Greece
Ancient Rome
Middle Ages
Renaissance/Reformation/Exploration
Age of Revolution I
Age of Revolution II
Age of Revolution III

You can see more detailed information about these here.

So as you can tell, I have mixed feelings about this curriculum.  Though it could be used a complete curriculum if this is your style, I prefer it as a rich resource for finding historical literature.  I do have to say that I enjoyed the perspective of the commentaries and view my state history a bit differently now than I did before.

You can purchase TruthQuest History guides for $24.95-$34.95 or ($19.95-29.95 for a pdf version) (Prices vary according to the guide you choose).  Visit the website to see other companion products available for purchase including A Journey Through Learning binder builders, notebooking pages and a map/timeline/report package.

See what others are saying about TruthQuest History on the TOS crew blog.

disclaimer: I received a free pdf version of Truth Quest Age of Revolution I in exchange for an honest review.

Amazing Animals by Design

I was recently given the opportunity to review Amazing Animals by Design. This children's book is an adorable yet educational story by homeschooling mom Debra Haagen.  Debra is a military wife and mom of 4 and fellow TOS crew member!

This story follows children John and Sarah and their parents as they visit the zoo.  This is not just about  typical zoo animals with  elephants, giraffes and zebras. It also has other animals you may have never even heard of.  (Visit Debra's website for actual pictures of the animals used in the story.) Amazing Animals by Design includes lots of facts about each of the animals and how they are designed.  For instance, we learn why an elephant has a trunk, why a zebra has stripes and much more.

Do you know what animal this is?

Sarah

John

The illustrations in Amazing Animals by Design are soft and inviting. They seem well suited to younger children (pre-school to maybe 4th grade depending on your child.)








It is refreshing to have a book about animals that acknowledges that God is the creator and designer of animals and that he also made us (in His image.) While the book introduces the idea of intelligent design, it clearly points the reader to God as the creator. 

I received the pdf version of this book to review.  We read it on a laptop and an iPod Touch.  I think we would prefer a "real" book because the text and animal illustrations are not on the same page therefore when I was reading it the kids, they couldn't see the picture the text was referring to. (Maybe there is a way to do that but I couldn't figure it out.)

You can purchase Amazing Animals by Design at Tate Publishing as a paperback for $8.99 or a digital version for $7.99.

 I received the pdf version of this book to review.  We read it on a laptop and an iPod Touch.  I think we would prefer the actual book because the text and animal illustrations are not on the same page so when I was reading it, the kids couldn't see the picture the text was referring to (maybe there was a way to do that but I couldn't figure it out.) There is a way!  If you purchase the digital version you can view the book in a two page format by clicking on view and choosing that as an option. (Thanks Debra for the tip!)

author Debra Haagen

You can find Debra on the web, on facebook, on her blog or her review blog.

Read what others are saying about Amazing Animals by Design on the TOS crew blog.

disclaimer: I received a free pdf copy of Amazing Animals by Design in exchange for an honest review.

Action Alert

Do you worry about what your kids are doing on the internet?  I might be the biggest fan of the internet but there are so many dangers especially for our children who might not be very discerning.  A bit of inquisitiveness can turn ugly fast!  And along comes Action Alert to help you protect your children and monitor their computer activity.

Action Alert comes in two versions. There is a free version that you can get started with right now with a quick download or you can purchase the Maximum Protection plan.

One of coolest features of this program is the activity video recording.  You can literally see everything that your children have looked at minute by minute. You also can also be alerted if certain words or phrases are typed. You create the list and as soon as that word is typed you receive instant notification via email or text. You can even shut down internet access remotely if you are concerned by the notification you have received.

Action Alert also offers site blocking, time restrictions and content filtering among other things. Visit the FAQ page for more information.   

You might wonder what the difference is between the Free Action Alert and the Maximum Protection.  Here are the differences.

Free Version - Includes a web filter to ensure safe searches, website blocking that prevents access to a constantly updated list of websites, time use controls – it even sends texts or e-mail alerts when dangers are detected. All of this PLUS free tech support where calls are taken at their Arizona based support center.


Maximum Protection – Action Alert sends a message to your cell phone or e-mail when an event occurs that you should be aware of. This message lets parents know they should take a look at the computer and probably have a talk with their young computer user.

Through the Action Alert Manager you can block certain hours of access by
clicking on the squares in the grid, you can also set a daily time limit and shut down internet access.
If your computer is set up with multiple users you can apply different settings for each person
 or you can use the same for all.

"Action Alert is an easy to use, patent pending, award winning computer safety solution that gives parents everything they need to create a "kid safe" computing environment. Simply installing Action Alert onto the family or kids PC gives parents an easy way to filter and block unwanted content, control when the computer is used and for how long and be informed when dangers or suspicious activity occurs. (like if a child gives out personal information online) Action Alert maximum protection allows parents to review all computer activity as easy as watching a DVR. This unique feature provides an easy way to create the environment that is constantly recommended by experts - an environment where kids know that their parents are not shut out of their “online world”. " -from Action Alert

I think Action Alert is an excellent way to keep my children safe online and for my husband and I to monitor their computer activity.  I previewed this on a PC but intend to download this onto all of the computers the children use in the near future.  I did have an issue that I needed to contact Action Alert with (a forgotten code) and they got back to me right away with the information I needed.

One thing I did not like was that when you install Action Alert it automatically changes your home page to Action Alert.  I am not computer savvy enough to know if computer smart kids can figure out ways to get around Action Alert.

Action Alert has received significant national media, including a feature on NBC's The Today Show and along with many others; Disney Family.com's iParenting has awarded our technology as one of its best safety products for kids. And Action Alert is the only product recommended by the Child Safety Network www.csn.org

As mentioned you can download a free version of Action Alert or purchase the Maximum Protection version for $29.99.  (If you download the free version you will be offered to upgrade for just $19.99.) Note that Action Alert is only for Windows based computers.

I recommend that you read what others are saying about Action Alert on the TOS crew blog then check it out for yourself.


disclaimer: I received a free Maximum Protection subscription to Action Alert in exchange for an honest review.

Progeny Press

We were recently given the opportunity to review two different Progeny Press study guides.  Both guides were in an interactive pdf format. I received the student interactive guide as well as the answer keys.

Progeny Press has over 100 study guides for literature, covering kindergarten through high school. Progeny Press study guides concentrate on critical thinking, comprehension, literary analysis, and Christian application. Our goal is to teach our children to think clearly, to understand literature, and to rely on scripture for truth and values, and enjoy themselves while they do it. -from website





Each guide begins with a synopsis of the story and a short biography of the author followed by background information.  It is recommended that the student read the entire book and complete some pre-reading activities to go along with this such as mapping and short research projects.  Once the student has read through the entire book they begin to go through the guide chapter by chapter.  The sections begin with vocabulary...sometimes there is matching, sometimes students will write out definitions type them), other times there are fun activities like crossword puzzles.  Then there are a variety of questions to be answered.  Click here for an interactive sampling of a variety of studies where you can get a feel for it.

Sample of drop down boxes for entering answers.

As I mentioned, they recommend you read through the whole book first but I think that it can cause confusion when answering some of the questions. For instance, one question in the first section asks the student, "What questions do you have about Daniel that the author has not yet answered after two chapters of reading?" I think after reading the whole book it makes it more difficult to answer questions like this because you already do know much more about the character because you have read the entire book.  I'm not sure that I see the benefit in reading it all ahead.  Also, if you have a student that doesn't love reading they probably will not want to read the story twice.  (I like to read and I don't usually like to read the same book twice...especially fiction.)  I recognize the idea behind it I just don't necessarily think it's practical.

The Bronze Bow guide is 60 pages long while the answer key is only 8 pages making it ideal to print out for easy correcting without switching back and forth between two pdf documents.



The interactive feature on these make these a great tool especially for older students.  My daughter was able to complete her assignments and e-mail them to me for correcting.  I can't say that she was as thrilled with it as I am but it IS schoolwork. :)  I know that she didn't like the way the vocabulary word bank was on one page and the page where you put the answers in on another so she had to flip back and forth and found that frustrating but you could easily print out the word bank page to eliminate that problem.  One study should take about 8-12 weeks.  So for a high school student you would probably want to choose 4 studies for a year of English literature.  This seems to be an appropriate amount to me.

I especially like how these guides incorporate the Bible.  I think we will be using more of these studies in the future.

If you have questions please visit the FAQ page or ask here and I'll answer if I can.

The Bronze Bow study guide is available as a pdf interactive document for $16.99.   Pride and Prejudice is also available as a pdf interactive document for $18.99.  CD and booklet versions are also available at varying prices. There is a $3 processing fee for each pdf order so if you plan to order more than one you will want to take that into consideration and order at one time to save money. The company manually sends the studies so note that it may take a day or two to get your study.

 Go to Progeny Press to see their extensive line of study guides. You can search by genre or grade level.

Read what others are saying about Progeny Press guides on the TOS crew blog.


disclaimer: I received a free copy of The Bronze Bow Study Guide and The Pride and Prejudice Study Guide in exchange for an honest review.

The Art of Argument

We've recently been given the opportunity to review The Art of Argument by Classical Academic Press, an introduction to the informal fallacies written for junior high students. Learning the informal fallacies in our culture (not to mention an election year!) is a valuable skill all students ought to learn.







A description from the website:

Junior high aged students will argue (and sometimes quarrel), but they won't argue well without good training. Young teens are also targeted by advertisers with a vengeance. From billboards to commercials to a walk down the mall, fallacious arguments are everywhere you look. The Art of Argument was designed to teach the argumentative adolescent how to reason with clarity, relevance and purpose at a time when he has a penchant for the "why" and "how". It is designed to equip and sharpen young minds as they live, play, and grow in this highly commercial culture. This course teaches students to recognize and identify twenty-eight informal fallacies, and the eye-catching text includes over sixty slick and clever, “phony advertisements” for items from blue jeans to pick-up trucks, which apply the fallacies to a myriad of real life situations.

This text comes in a workbook format with clear explanations and many updated illustrations and examples to insure understanding and mastery. The text aims at the practical application of the informal fallacies through an analysis of current social, commercial and political issues, which are discussed and evaluated. This practical application should insure that students continue to evaluate arguments, detect fallacies and reason well long after the course is completed.

Students master 28 fallacies (such as begging the question, the straw man, ad hominen, et al) by studying many pertinent examples. The text features a variety of:
Dialogues
Worksheets
Real-World Applications
Phony Advertisements
Dialectic Discussion Questions
Tests
Fun extras such as a humorous skit for students to perform, and the famous short story, Love is a Fallacy by Max Shulman

The Art of Argument DVD Set, a DVD video series featuring three experienced logic teachers and four capable, enthusiastic students discussing the 28 fallacies presented in The Art of Argument. This video series will be a valuable resource for every student using The Art of Argument.


The Art of Argument DVD Set contains:

5 DVDs containing a total of more than 8 hours of video
28 videos—one for each fallacy contained in The Art of Argument text
Fun outtakes, extras, and “logical” humor

View a sample chapter from the book and a sample of the Teacher's manual. THEN
Watch a sample video from the series of the straw man fallacy.



We are not really big fans of the videos but you can be the judge of what you think by watching the sample I posted above. That being said I think it's nice to see them discussing each of the fallacies and would help students that prefer a video to reading the book (though you need the book too). The Teacher's book contains the student text with answers to all of the exercises, and has the tests and answer keys.  I would say that you need the Teacher's edition in order to teach this properly (unless you are an expert on fallacies) but there would also be value in just reading through the student text together.

I would recommend this course for anyone wishing to teach informal fallacies and logical argument to their students. This is recommended for junior high students but you can easily use this with older students which is what I did.

You can purchase  The Art of Argument Basic Bundle for $88.95. This includes the student book ($21.95), teacher's edition ($24.95) and full DVD set ($54.95).   Visit Classical Academic Press for other classical subject curriculum including Latin, French and other languages, Bible, poetry and more.




See what others are saying about The Art of Argument on the TOS crew blog.




disclaimer: I received The Art of Argument book and first DVD in exchange for an honest review.