Trying Sushi

Alaina loves crab & while her sisters were away at camp she wanted to go out to eat where they have crab legs. While we were there she decided she would try some sushi. The first one she tried she didn't really like, but she loved the second one.
 

Circle C Ranch Review #hsreviews

We read a lot of books at our house and we have our favorite authors. One of them being Susan K. Marlow. Alaina just finished reading Tales from the Circle C Ranch from Circle C Adventures series and completing the lapbook that goes along with it titled Andrea Carter's Tales from the Circle C Ranch. 
Tails from the Circle C Ranch is a short story collection about a young girl named Andrea Carter. Andi is a tomboy and you can follow her life growing up in California in the 1800s on the Circle C Ranch through books in the Circle C Adventures series. Susan K. Marlow first introduces 6-year-old Andi in the Circle C Beginnings books written for children ages 6-9. In the Circle C Adventures series written for ages 9-14 Andi is 12 years old, and Andi is growing up in her teen years in Circle C Milestones written for ages 12 and up. 
The short stories in the Tails from the Circle C Ranch were inspired from fan's questions. Andi always has something exciting going on in her life. She is a sweet little girl who loves adventure. In this book we get to meet her father & learn what thoughtful gift she gives her mother on her birthday. Going out to look for the perfect Christmas tree with her brothers turns into an adventure, and she has to be quick thinking when she is out fishing with her friends. 
Andrea Carter's Tales from the Circle C Ranch Learning Lapbook with study guide makes a wonderful addition to the book. This 39 page PDF makes a beautiful lapbook when it is finished. There are 17 activities to be completed and glued into the lapbook. There are coloring pages, questions to answer, song lyrics to write, and visiting cards to make. The study sheets in the lapbook included the history of photography & fireworks, information about the general store, apothecary, children's clothes, and more.
I like to read review books out loud to my girls because that makes it easier for me to write the review. I know everything that goes on in the book & we can discuss things as we go. So my original intent was to read the book out loud and have all three of my girls work on the lapbook. Alaina (age 10) had other plans. As soon as the book arrived she claimed it for herself & when I told her there was a lapbook to go along with it she was overjoyed.  She read the book and completed the lapbook on her own. She loved the book & didn't have any trouble understanding the direction for assembling the lapbook. Her favorite short story in the book is White Christmas & her favorite activity in the lapbook was the one for the mercantile. She loved choosing what she would buy from the list with her $2.00. She also thought it was pretty fascinating to learn about overalls, maybe because she loves her pair. 
We love reading historical fiction in our house and this book along with the lapbook has a lot of US History, California history, and ranching history from the 1800s. This would make a great addition if you are studying US History or to use just for fun like Alaina did.  Circle C Adventures Social Media Facebook Twitter We have enjoyed all of the books that we have read from Susan K. Marlow and we look forward to reading more in the future. 

SmartKidz Media Review #hsreviews

We have a pretty good sized library at our house and we use our local library a lot for books, reference, and DVDs. Lately we have been accessing the SmartKidz Media Library for Homeschoolers from SmartKidz Media.  The SmartKidz Media Library for Homeschoolers is an online subscription for $10 a month or $99 a year, they also offer a 14 day free trial. There are over 1000 educational videos, flash-animated eBooks, study guides, fine arts music, baby sign language and more. The content can be viewed on a computer, mobile device, or anything that can access the internet. All content is free from advertising of any kind. All content in the library are divided into two sections. The Family Media, and the Reading and Learning Center. 

• The Family Media section contains the World of Discovery and Music & Fine Arts. The World of Discovery contains video content of nature, history, documentaries, travel, health & fitness. We watched videos of the smartest animal, the fastest animal, World War II, exercises, aerobics, and cuisine from around the world. The Music & Fine Arts section offers recordings of classical, cultural, jazz, and relaxation music. Some big name people like Benny Goodman, Glenn Miller, Mozart, Handel, along with sounds of nature, and music from other countries. 
• The Reading and Learning Center is where you will find the Mighty eBook Collection, Baby Signs Program, My Animal Family, Quick Find Study Guides, Learning Special Needs, Living Skills Program, Ready Set Sing, and the Fun Zone. There are classic stories, song stories, karaoke, fun facts about animals, and study guides for math, science, social studies, and language arts. 

The study guides are available in elementary & high school math, science, language arts, and social studies with foreign language and accounting coming soon. After selecting a subject there is a list of topics that can be chosen to see the rules, definitions, and examples.  I used this with all three of my girls, and they accessed the library primarily on their iPad mini. I let them browse the content and choose what they wanted to watch. I had a guess at what they would watch first and I was right. They chose Animals & Wildlife, Nature's Soap Operas, Exercises for Children, Cuisine, and World War II. This ever growing media library can be used just for fun or along with other things going on in your life & school.  I have been reading the book Unbroken to my family. The World War II video content was a great addition to the book. These selections show actual video footage from the war while history is told. Watching this video series makes the war seem more real to my girls. Alaina & Delaney worked out with Exercises for Children. During this video the girls did what they were doing on the screen. It was very easy for them to follow along and know what they should be doing. I was in the other room when they both burst into fits of giggles because they were hopping like a rabbit, wagging their tail like a dog, and catching mice like a cat. They had a lot of fun during their exercise class. Alaina is my comedian, and she really likes the talking animals on Nature's Soap Operas. These videos are of real animals, but their talking makes this a comedy that she found very funny.   SmartKidz has something for children of all ages & mom. The eBooks, sing alongs, and the puzzles look like so much fun for younger kids. Baby sign looks good if you have a baby & there are exercises classes for kids, expectant moms, and moms with babies. My girls are looking forward to the action sports & U.S. History videos that are coming soon. SmartKidz Social Media Facebook Twitter

Baby Shower Cake & Cookies @lisacay #babyshowercake

Baby showers have been very popular this June. Here are a few pictures from the past couple of weeks.

Pirate's Code Review & Giveaway #PiratesCode #FlyBy

I love when we find a good movie that the whole family enjoys. The Pirate's Code is the newest movie that we have been enjoying. We always watch the special features & deleted scenes. In the deleted scenes of this Mickey Matson movie two prisoners, Bobby Lee & Jeremiah, sing the Prison Song. It is actually Oh When the Saints Go Marching In. She has watched it probably 100 times and laughs and laughs every time.  She has even put the DVD in just to watch the song again. 

Pirate's Code is the follow up to Mickey Matson and the Copperhead Treasure. We haven't seen the first movie, but after watching the Pirate's Code we want to see it too.  We liked the mix of comedy and adventure. 

About the Movie:
In this follow up to Mickey Matson and the Copperhead Treasure, Mickey Matson is at it again; this time pitted against the evil Admiral Ironsides and his gang of pirates who are intent on destroying civilization.  They're new invention, the Tesla Coil, is a weapon of mass destruction that will send an electromagnetic pulse throughout the world, destroying every electronic device in existence.  With the help of a secret organization, Mickey and his best friend Sully embark on a mission to stop the pirates from taking over a submarine and stealing the last part needed to complete their devastating weapon.  If Admiral Ironsides succeeds in his plan, civilization will be sent back to the Stone Age.  It's a race against time, and the fate of the world hangs in the balance.  

Mickey Matson Social Media

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~~~Giveaway~~~

I have an additional copy of Pirate's Code to giveaway. Just enter the Rafflecopter below.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

"Disclosure (in accordance with the FTC’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising”): Many thanks to Propeller Consulting, LLC for providing this prize for the giveaway. Choice of winners and opinions are 100% my own and NOT influenced by monetary compensation. I did receive a sample of the product in exchange for this review and post.

 Only one entrant per mailing address, per giveaway. If you have won a prize from our sponsor Propeller / FlyBy Promotions in the last 30 days, you are not eligible to win. If you have won the same prize on another blog, you are not eligible to win it again. Winner is subject to eligibility verification.

CTC Math Review #hsreviews

Math doesn't always come easy for my kids. I have a couple of kids that numbers just click with them and then I have a couple that work hard to learn new concepts. Once in awhile they just need a new perspective or a different teacher. Several weeks ago we received access to the 12 Month Family Plan from CTC Math Your Online Maths Tutor.   CTC Math is an online program that offers 57,000 questions in over 1300 video lessons for grades K-12 including algebra, geometry, trigonometry, and more. Children can work at their own pace independently. There are diagnostic tests that help pinpoint exactly what each child needs to work on. Each grade level or subject is divided into parts with each part divided into topics. The student can choose to work through the topics in order or choose one that they need to work on. 

Each topic lesson includes a video and a worksheet. The student is shown the problem, manipulative are shown to illustrate the problem as the lesson is described by Pat Murray. The original problem is written in black and any work that is completed during the video is written in red. The video can be rewound if the student needs more help or fast forwarded through if the child already knows what is being taught. The lesson summary can also be printed for easy review. The worksheet can be printed so the student can answer the problems with pen and paper and then enter their answers in an online version to be graded. If the problem is missed it will be highlighted yellow and the student can answer the problem again until they get 100%. If the student doesn't know where their error was on their written worksheet they can look at the solutions guide to figure out where they went wrong. The solutions guide is not available until the worksheet has been completed. 

Online worksheet the answers are typed in on a separate window from the lessons. 

Students are awarded with certificates for their hard work. There are several level that the student can achieve. There are also 4 levels of Speed Skills that cover addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division There is also a Parents Area. In this section the parent can see when the student logged in, what work was completed with the score. You can also generate progress reports, and see the level of certificates that have been achieved.  The 12 Month Family Plan for homeschoolers is available for $118. This gives the family access to every grade level for up to 10 students for a year.  Amber has been using CTC Math. She's not the best student when it comes to math, so I wanted some extra work for her this summer. She worked on order of operations, multiplication & division with powers, and more. She would watch the lesson video and then she would answer the questions that she knew directly on the computer instead of printing out the worksheet. There were some that she couldn't do in her head, so she would just work that problem on a piece of paper. She completed some lessons on the computer and others she worked on from the iPad, they both work great. Amber said she loves Pat Murray's accent and he explains things in a very easy to understand way. I really like that it is all independent. I'm sure the younger grades may need more help, but the high school level is very easy for Amber to figure out on her own.  CTC Math 12 Month Family Access CTC Math Facebook

Old Fashioned Review and Giveaway #OLDFASHIONEDMOVIE #FLYBY

I don't usually go to the movies and I'm not really one to sit and watch a lot of DVDs, but I just watched Old Fashioned. This romantic-drama was in theaters over Valentine's Day weekend & was just released on DVD today. I also received the novel and the devotional that goes along with the movie. 

Trying to have a relationship that pleases God in the world can be hard for anyone. Everyone must set their own convitions and stick to them. Old Fashioned deals with not only trying to honor God in an old fashioned courtship but also forgiving ourselves from the mistakes we have made in the past. I would say this movie is not family friendly. There is drinking, talking about the characters checkered pasts, and a radio talk show that is derogatory to women. 

About the movie:

 A romantic-drama, OLD FASHIONED centers on Clay Walsh, a former frat boy who gives up his reckless carousing and now runs an antique shop in a small Midwestern college town. There, he has become notorious for his lofty and outdated theories on love and romance as well as for his devout belief in God. When Amber Hewson, a free-spirited young woman with a restless soul, drifts into the area and rents the apartment above his shop, she finds herself surprisingly drawn to his strong faith and noble ideas, which are new and intriguing to her. And Clay, though he tries to fight and deny it, simply cannot resist being attracted to her spontaneous and passionate embrace of life. Ultimately, Clay must step out from behind his relational theories and Amber must overcome her own fears and deep wounds as the two of them, together, attempt the impossible: an "old-fashioned" and God-honoring courtship in contemporary America. 

Rene Gutteridge wrote the 303 page novelization of the movie, and it is published by Tynale Fiction. As with most movies I enjoy the book more than the movie. Normally I like to read the book first and then watch the movie. In this case I watched the movie first. I feel I get to know the characters better while reading the book, it makes me feel more than when I watch the movie. 

  

About the Novel:

Turning his back on his reckless lifestyle, former frat boy Clay Walsh has settled down to turn an antique shop in a small Midwestern college town....and to purse lofty and outdated theories on love and romance.  But when Amber Hewson, a free-spirited woman with a gypsy soul, rents the apartment above his shop, Clay can't help being attracted to her spontaneous and passionate embrace of life.  Amber also finds herself surprisingly drawn to Clay, but his ideas about relationships are unusual to say the least, and they bring to light her own deep wounds and fears about love.  They say opposites attract, but can Clay and Amber move beyond their differences and their pasts to attempt an "old fashioned" courtship?

The 222 page devotional, The Old Fashioned Way was written by Ginger Kolbaba. It is a 40 day devotional that deals with respecting yourself, dating life, chivalry, chastity, habits the purpose of marriage, and more. There are stories of real people and the things they have gone through with bible verses for each topic. It deals with the things that Amber & Clay go through in their relationship. There is a section on each day that gives suggestions of what to write in a journal.  

About the Devotional:
Contrary to popular opinion, being "old fashioned" doesn't mean you're dull or unromantic.  In fact, a true old fashioned relationship can be more exciting and romantic than anything you've ever experienced!  So what does it mean to do things the old fashioned way?  Sure, it means opening doors, holding out chairs, and taking things slow.  But a true old fashioned romance goes much, much deeper than that.  Inspired by the motion picture Old Fashioned, this book will show you how to reclaim the lost art of romance by introducing you to romantic love as God intended it.  Regardless of your past mistakes, where you've been, what you've done, or where you are now, you can find and create a love that will last a lifetime!  As you work your way through this forty-day journey of inspiring readings and questions for reflection, you'll discover all the unique and amazing benefits of doing things the old fashioned way.  And before you know it, you'll be well on your way to creating a love story for the ages.   

Old Fashioned Social Media

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~~~Giveaway~~~

I have a great giveaway. One lucky reader will win the complete Old Fashioned set. The DVD, the book, and the devotional. Enter the Rafflecopter below.

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"Disclosure (in accordance with the FTC’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising”): Many thanks to Propeller Consulting, LLC for providing this prize for the giveaway. Choice of winners and opinions are 100% my own and NOT influenced by monetary compensation. I did receive a sample of the product in exchange for this review and post.

 Only one entrant per mailing address, per giveaway. If you have won a prize from our sponsor Propeller / FlyBy Promotions in the last 30 days, you are not eligible to win. If you have won the same prize on another blog, you are not eligible to win it again. Winner is subject to eligibility verification.”

WordBuild Review #hsreviews

Delaney loves words. She loves learning new vocabulary words & spelling just comes natural to her which is kind of nice, because I often have to ask how to spell something. When products from Dynamic Literacy came up as a Crew review I knew she would want to use it. We received the WordBuild: Level 1 Set, (Includes WordBuild the Game). WordBuild: Level 1 Set includes WordBuild: A Better Way To Teach Vocabulary Element Level 1 Teacher Edition, the Student Activity Book, and WordBuild the Game. You also receive bonus content with a free account to the Dynamic Literacy website. The $99.99 Elements Level 1 Set is recommended for 6th-10th grades or 7th-12th grade students who need remedial work.  WordBuild teaches new vocabulary by learning meanings of Latin and Greek roots, prefixes, and suffixes in 28 units. There are 3 Levels available and the weekly units should last a year and only take 15 minutes a day. Each week is set up the same way. Day 1 uses a Root Squares activity to show how words are put together. Day 2 has the Magic Squares activity to show how words are made up to match their definitions. On day 3 the Stair Steps activity reviews affixes and how word definitions match the pieces of the word. Day 4 the student uses the words in context, and day 5 is a check-up on each root.

The Teacher Edition is a 336 page softcover book. There is an overview of each root, word fun facts, step-by-step procedure to teach activities. There are weekly, semester and year end tests, and an answer key to student activity book. A prefix and suffix reference along with common words using those are included in the appendix.  The 156 softcover Student Activity Book covers the 25 Latin & Greek root families. There are 4 activities for each root, practice activities, and root bingo game boards. Each week the activities are the same.

WordBuild the Game is computer software that can be used on Window or Mac computer (computer requirements). On this game you build words using Greek or Latin roots and adding prefixes and suffixes to them. Once you create a word the student can check the word & they are told they are correct or incorrect. 

This program uses I do, you do, we do approach by using morphemes. The teacher edition has so much information. The objectives are very clear to understand and the teaching segment can be read directly to the student or read by the teacher and retold to the student. There is a dialog that gives exact questions to ask the student and answers that they my have. Each root family is taught with prefixes and suffixes, using the vocabulary in context, and word fun facts. 

I used WordBuild with Delaney. She is a very easy student when it comes to vocabulary. We discussed the information in the teacher book and then she completed her worksheets. She had no problem with any of the work and she actually already knew a lot of what was being taught. She is learning some new words and she likes the activities that are included. He favorite part is the Word Fun Facts because she likes to know where words come from. This program makes a wonderful addition to Delaney's vocabulary studies.  Members of the Schoolhouse ReviewCrew also received WordBuildOnline and WordBuild Foundations, Level 1. You can read those review on the Crew Blog.  Dynamic Literacy Social Media Facebook Twitter Pinterest

Institute for Excellence in Writing (IEW) Teaching Writing Review #hsreviews

I like having two of my girls close together in age. There are so many things in school that they can work on together, but when it comes to writing they are very different. Amber will write when she needs to, but she is usually short & sweet and gets straight to the point. Delaney can write all day and she does. She writes in her journal every day and takes it with her any time she is going any where for any length of time. She likes to write short stories and she is currently trying to write a chapter book. Sometimes I struggle with how to help them both. We have been using the Deluxe Combo Teacher/Student Writing Package Level C [FIX-3 & 4] from Institute for Excellence in Writing and it is working for them both.  

The Deluxe Combo Teacher/Student Writing Package Level C [FIX 3 &4] comes with a lot and can be very overwhelming at first. The Teacher part of the package is Teaching Writing:Structure and Style, Second Edition [DVD Seminar, Workbook, Premium Subscription]. The Student part includes Student Writing Intensive Level C, FIX IT! Grammar Frog Prince, or Just Deserts Teacher's Manual Book 3 with the Fix-It! Student Book 3 e-book PDF, Fix-It! Grammar Little Mermaid Teacher's Manual Book 4 with Student Book 4 e-book PDF, A Word Write Now, and the Portable Walls.

Teaching Writing: Structure and Style, Second Edition [DVD Seminar, Workbook, Premium Subscription] is given to the teachers. It includes 12 DVD for over 14 hours of instruction, the Seminar and Practicum Workbook, and a Premium Subscription for one year. Nine of the DVDs teach the Structural Models and Stylistic Techniques, the other 3 are student workshops given at four different levels. The Premium Subscription includes streaming videos of the DVDs, audio MP3 files of Andrew Pudewa's most popular talks, PDF download, and free access to monthly training given during the school year. 

Student Writing Intensive Level C comes with four instructional DVDs for the student, the Structure & Style Overview DVD for the parents or teacher, a three-ring binder with dividers, and a student packet with the scope & sequence, teacher's notes, and student handouts for one student. Level C is recommended for students in the 9-12 grade, but they do not need any experience using a previous level. 

The Structure and Style Overview DVD is an introduction to the Structure & Style method of teaching writing. In this overview Andrew Pudewa tells us why this method works for even a reluctant writer. There are free handouts available for this 2 hour and 20 minute presentation available with the link included on the DVD. 

The Student Intensive Writing DVDs are used along with the student notebook. In each lesson the Teacher's Notes indicate exactly what should be watched on the DVDs. & there is also a list of what will be taught in that segment. There are also board notes, story handouts, and composition checklist for each lesson. 

Fix It! Grammar Frog Prince, or Just Deserts Book 3 & Fix It! Grammar Little Mermaid Book 4 both work on grammar by using and copying a story. In these books the suggested schedule is the same. The student will read the sentence, look up the bold words and write a brief definition in their notebook. Day 1 the student will mark and fix the passage with the teacher & then the rest of the week they will use their grammar cards to help them. Once they are finished with this, the passage is written in their notebook and they will have a complete handwritten copy of the story when they are finished with the book. The grammar cards are in the back of the book and the glossary includes definitions to the parts of speech, clauses, phrases and punctuation. This grammar series works by learning the concept, fixing it, discussing it, and then copying the passage in a notebook.

A Word Write Now: A Thematic Thesaurus for Stylized Writing is an 108 page spiral bound book. There are four sections that cover Character Traits, Descriptive Words, Words for Movement and the Senses, and the Appendix. The Character Trait section is divided by parts of speech to help the students find appropriate IEW dress-ups. Words to Describe include appearance, color, size, time, temperature, texture, and shape. Section C has word lists for the actions of the feet, hands, hearing, seeing, smelling, speaking, and thinking. There are games, transition words, and literary genres & devises in the Appendix. 

The Portable Walls is a tri-fold one pocket folder that includes lists and charts that you would like to hang on the wall, but can't because you don't have the wall space. The lists include words that will help your student write better, charts for critique writing, essay model, library research, and more. 

I have been using this package with both Amber & Delaney and of course I have been watching Teaching Writing with Structure and Style (TWSS) myself. I have never had the pleasure of hearing Andrew Pudewa speak in person, but I have had the pleasure of listening to some of his lectures and I was very impressed with what he had to say. The way he teaches the TWSS seminar makes teaching writing so much easier than any other program we have tried. Not only does he make teaching so much easier he also makes it easier for my girls to articulate what they want to say.  

I was so excited when we received our package. I immediately started watching the TWSS DVDs and set up our notebooks. After watching the first disc we started with the SWI-C. We have been watching one segment of the DVD a week and we spent the rest of the week practicing what we had learned. One thing I really love about this program is that you do not have to watch the entire set of TWSS or SWI-C DVDs before starting the students. I am making sure I am ahead of them in the TWSS and we watch the SWI-C DVD together as they are working through it. 

Amber & Delaney started using Fix It! Grammar this past year and they had already started book 3 & Alaina just finished book 1. They all three love it & they said it is easier to remember what they are learning. It really helps that they get into the story while they are working and they can't wait to read more (I don't let them read ahead).  This grammar program is also helping Delaney edit her own stories because learning grammar using a real story is something she wants to do. 

A Word Write Now is a great resource to go along with SWI-C. It makes it so easy for the girls to dress-up their stories and not be so repetitive. There are even black pages to make your own word lists. 

The Portable Walls is a great tool to have. We already owned one and it has come in very handy. Two of my girls like to write stories and they use the Story Sequence Model and the Creative Writing charts often. Whenever they use the word "said" too many times in their stories they pull the Portable Walls out to look for a good synonym.  

I think this package goes so well together and I think it works because it is easy to get the hang of it and it is realistic.  By watching and learning with TWSS I am able to help my girls better understand writing while they are going through SWI-C. Andrew Pudewa does an excellent job teaching this program and my girls really enjoy learning from him.  

You don't have to use the entire package. Each item can be purchased individually and are good on their own. The Teaching Writing with Structure and Style teaches the parent how to teach, and the Student Writing Intensive teaches the student. Fix It! Grammar is a stand alone grammar book & both the Portable Walls and A Word Write Now are great resources that can be used by anyone. 

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Apologia Exploring Creation Field Trip Journal Review #hsreviews @apologiaworld #fieldtrip

My girls love field trips. There are so many things you can learn while you are out exploring or on vacation. Now we have a great way to keep track of the field trips we go on by using the Exploring Creation Field Trip Journal from Apologia Educational Ministries.    The Field Trip Journal is a colorful spiral bound notebook that has the look of a scrapbook. It is divided into 9 sections that help you prepare for and record the field trips you take. There is a checklist for preparation, lists of ideas from your backyard to around the world, maps to record and see where you are going, and prompts to help you record information and draw pictures.  With the Journal you also gain access to book extras at the Apologia website. The list of extras for this book is amazing. It tells you why field trips are important, there are links to virtual field trips, state maps, information about art journaling, field guides and identification resources.   We love the list of field trip suggestions in the book. There are so many things listed that we hadn't thought of or my younger kids have never been to. We looked through the list to chose places we want to go.  I knew as soon as we received our Field Trip Journal in the mail that Alaina would be the one to fill this in. She loves things like this and she was overjoyed to start filling it in. It actually came at a perfect time. We went to CO to play soccer and visit our oldest daughter that lives there. We had originally planned on going to Trail Ridge Road in the Rocky Mountain National Park, but there was still too much snow so it wasn't open. We decided to take a drive in the mountains and decided to stop at the ARGO Gold Mine & Mill in Idaho Springs, CO. As soon as we were back at our daughter's apartment Alaina wanted to write in her journal. She was especially excited about panning for gold. 

She used some of the Specific Trip pages and an As I See It page for this trip. She wrote about what she wanted to see, what we did for the day & something she will never forget. On her As I See It page she drew a picture of herself panning for gold and actually finding a large nugget.  There is a section in the journal called My Special Spot that is an ongoing project that covers all four seasons. Alaina was excited to chose a special spot & she can't wait for the next season to fill in another page.  I think this journal is a great way for a student to record the field trips the take. Not only is it educational to record information, the final journal will be a beautiful keepsake that Alaina will never want to get rid of and I can see her pulling it out to show her family members when they come to visit. We will keep this with our scrapbooks and picture albums once it is finished instead of storing it with the finished school work. 

Apologia has so much to offer a homeschool family. We have had the privilege of using their products for years. We have used their science, the Who is God series, along with numerous other items and we will continue to use them in the future.  Apologia Social Media Facebook Twitter Pinterest Google+

Wordless Wednesday

Famous Men of Rome Review #hsreviews

 History is our favorite subject to study. We love learning about people and events from the past. When the Crew was offered items to review from Memoria Press I knew we wanted one. I had trouble deciding on Famous Men of Rome or The Book of Ancient Romans Set. We received Famous Men of Rome & I'll be reading the reviews of Ancient Romans Set to learn more about it. Famous Men of Rome is written for grades 4-8. It is intended to be an introduction into Roman History. The authors John H. Haaren & A. B. Poland know that when kids read about interesting people they will actually see themselves in the story. That way children have a hunger to learn more about history that revolves around these characters they have envisioned themselves to be. 

This three book set includes Famous Men of Rome textbook, the Teacher Guide, and the Student Guide. There are stories of 29 men of Rome in this book including Romulus, Junius Brutus, Julius Caesar, Augustus, Nero and other men, some of which we have never studied. 

Famous Men of Rome is a 157 page softcover book that contains the stories of these famous men. There are pictures throughout the book some of the are in color and some are black and white. At the back of the book there is a glossary and colored maps of the Roman Empire, Ancient Rome & Ancient Italia. 

The Student Guide was written by Cheryl Lowe & Leigh Lowe. There are 120 pages in this softcover workbook. An introduction on how to use this book is in the front and there are two pages for each famous man. After five chapters there is a review & there are blank drawing pages throughout. In the back of the book there are supplemental pages that include maps, timelines, quotes, pronunciation guide, and excerpts from Horatius at the Bridge. Each lesson contains four parts; Facts to Know, Vocabulary, Comprehension Questions, and Activities. The Activities include adding dates to the timeline, map skills, research, drawing, memorizing, and more. 

The Teacher Guide is 172 page softcover book. It contains the exact copy of the Student Guide pages except the answers are included. There are also five lesson tests, a European Geography test and a final test included. 
In our school my kids all study the same thing for history with each girl having their own reading assignments and work that need to be completed. Famous Men of Rome makes a great addition to our history. I chose to read the textbook out loud to my girls during the review period to get a good feel for the content. Even though this is like a textbook the stories are written in a very engaging way that we all enjoyed and look forward to reading more. I used the comprehension questions orally to include all the girls and then Amber completed vocabulary, and facts you know questions, and then some of the activities she did on her own and others they worked on together. Although these are famous men there are some included that we had not heard of and some that we hadn't read much about, and of course there are some very familiar men.

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