High School Biology In Your Home by Bridget Ardoin - A Review

Sometimes, when your children get older, you start to wonder whether the methods and styles you have used to help them learn can be carried on through High School. I had been wondering about Emily’s High School Science courses, and how difficult it would be to continue using our Charlotte Mason methods, yet still give her solid courses that would prepare her for College and her career choice. (Part of her still wants to be an astronaut, but realizing that may never happen, she has decided on pursuing a career in nursing, with plans to one day be a Forensic Nurse.) Then along came the answer to my questioning in the form of a product to review from Science For High School: High School Biology In Your Home, by Bridget Ardoin.

We are both enjoying this curriculum...probably because it’s so much like what we’ve been doing at our home for years. The box we received included 3 things: 1- The Student Manual, 2- The Parent's Guide, and 3- The Quizzes and Final Exams. These 3 resources work together to provide both the student, and the parent-teacher  the necessary information for a student-led, in-depth, lab-based High School level Biology course. This set retails for $79.99, and is SO worth every penny!

First, I’ll describe the Student Manual. This is actually NOT a book, but a shrink-wrapped package of possibilities.  (If you have 2 student working on this at the same time, you can order an additional student manual for $24.99.) The student’s sheets come three-hole punched and ready to put in a binder which will become both their science notes, and their Dissecting Manual. (Can I just insert here how ecstatic Emily was when her box of  things to dissect arrived?) Some students may balk at doing dissections, but not ours. Because of Emily’s desire to go into the medical field, we knew it was necessary to choose a Biology course full of hands on dissecting and microscope work. This one has both. We live in Indiana, where for Biology to be considered a ‘Lab Course’ carries  specific requirements: A laboratory course, identified by (L) in these course descriptions, is one in which a “minimum of twenty-five percent (25%) of the total instructional time is devoted to laboratory activities. Laboratory activities are those activities in which the pupil personally uses appropriate procedures and equipment in accomplishing that learning task.” This course provides that, and the opportunity for a whole lot more!

This is a researched-based, lab intensive course. Each week the students are presented with a list of questions, which they need to research answers to. The students will spend 3-4 days’ worth of ‘class time’ researching the answers and taking notes. Then, they organize what they have learned to present to their parent-teacher. It is up to the parent to specify how they want the information presented; orally, written, and/or with illustrations. This could be a key benefit to students who have processing issues or a learning challenge like dyslexia. The student is free to research in the way that best fits their learning style and available resources. Mrs. Ardoin suggests that they use a variety of resources. Emily has used both books we already owned, and ones she checked out from our local library. When Emily started the unit on the Integumentary System (skin, hair, & teeth), she watched the DVD of Dr. David Menton from his "Body of Evidence" set. The fifth day of each week is set aside for lab work. It is up to the parent to decide where to fit in each week's quiz, there are good suggestions in the Parent's Guide.

I made Em's spelling list from her notes :)

I love, love, love this aspect of this course. While Mrs. Ardoin includes basic answers in the Parent's Guide (more on this later), she allows the student to get as in-depth as they want (or their parents require.) Let's ponder some scenarios here...1. Your student has problems reading for comprehension, and does not plan to go into the science field. With your help, they find videos, either online, at the Library, or from a service like Netflix, and learn about each week's topic. Then they report back to you either orally or written. 2. Your student is good at reading for comprehension, but not strong in writing. They read about the topics for the week, then they make a presentation for you. Perhaps they make a powerpoint, or re-create the answer in a drawing, modeling clay, or food-stuff based creation. 3. Your student is science-oriented. They research, report, and draw their findings, they end up with a notebook worthy of a college-level class. Make sure they keep it to review & help them test out of their Freshman level college science courses. Because you can customize HOW your student studies, and how they report it from day one, I can see this fitting with a whole lot of learning styles and teaching methods. Since this also includes microscope and dissection work, any student should be able to use this curriculum (with appropriate help when needed) and get a year's worth of  Biology w/Lab credit for High School. I find Mrs. Ardoin's comments in the Parent's Guide encouraging. "The student will be drawing all of his observations in this(student) manual. He is to be thorough to the best of his ability." (pg 188)

Now, to the Parent's Guide. This includes everything you HAVE to know for your student to complete their course, and your life to continue on at the same time. I don't know about you...but it's been 20 years since I last cracked open my High School Biology book. I just *might* have forgotten something-LOL! After the introduction on how to use the curriculum, this book has a syllabus for the course, and a detailed supply list. If you need to order supplies, you can choose from the various kits available on the Science For High School website, or follow the recommendations printed in your Parent's Guide. Since we already owned several of the necessary  supplies, like a microscope, and several of the required slides, we just ordered the remaining items (including the critters to dissect) from our favorite online science source. The total of supplies Emily required for the year ended up being just over $80. This made me thankful for all those science-based Christmas gifts!!!


The answers provided in the Parent's Guide help you know what your student should be learning every week, without you needing to be there with them every minute. If they have learned everything listed in the Parent's Guide, they are ready for the Unit quiz, if not, you may need to point them back to what they missed. The first two large sections of the guide are the answers for the weekly questions for first and second semester. The third section gives answers to the quizzes and exams, and the fourth large section show what your student should be putting in their Dissecting Manual, from their weekly microscope or dissecting time. This course is quite adaptable for both the student and the parent. Follow the level of parent involvement you feel comfortable with.

The quizzes and exams come 3-hole punched and shrink-wrapped. I suggest you keep these with your Parent's Guide, but make sure you look them over before giving each one to your student.  I have found the answers provided in the Parent's Guide to be a great timesaver...especially as both girls have been working on their 4-H sewing projects during the time of this review. I DID remember that RNA paired up with DNA in the cell-replication process, but I didn't remember any of the names... The different quizzes vary and include the types of question and answer styles your student might find at college: short answer, matching, diagram labeling, and even an occasional bonus question.

The reality is, this is an in-depth course, and it may take a few weeks for your student to get used to doing this much research on their own. If you have other students, I would suggest you start the Biology student a week or two before you jump into your normal school schedule with your younger students. This will give you time to devote to helping them understand both how to research, and what is expected of them each week.

We have been reviewing this for the past 8 weeks. Emily is almost to the end of the 3rd unit. Several things have come into play with this. First, it's summer, and Emily has other responsibilities, so she's only been working on it 4 days a week instead of the usual 5. Secondly, even though Emily has done research before, using the many resources, and gleaning what she needed to from them, taking notes, and formulating her answers took some getting used to. I'm also requiring her to keep a weekly list of the resources she has used, so she can go back and find the sources again if and when she wants. Thirdly, when Emily got to the Integumentary system, she went all in. For the past 5 years, Emily has struggled with psoriasis, so instead of just researching the 8 questions on her list for that unit, she also read 3 different books on the skin that dealt specifically with her issue. Even though I had researched her condition, she took ownership of her challenge and studied it for herself. She now understands her condition, without having to take my word for it, and is prepared to deal with her flareups better than she was before. Nothing like finding your child reading an EXTRA science book to cheer a Mom's heart.

A few final thoughts... I would wait until your student is at least a Freshman, but preferably a Sophomore before starting this Biology curriculum. It IS a lot of work, but SO worth it! Science for High School has a Physical Science In Your Home course that might be a better fit for your Freshman. One of the freedoms of home educating is getting to choose what works best for your student.

I also want you to be aware, your child is going to be dissecting that frog for quite a few weeks. Even though it's preserved, you might want to check those weeks up against your family's calendar for possible hiccups...like a visit from the Grandparents...or a sewing project for the 4-H fair. Emily's frog is patiently waiting in the box, because he could NOT come out while there were sewing projects on every available surface last week. :)

I feel like Emily is getting more out of this than a typical Biology textbook might provide. Since she is doing the digging, she is getting further into each topic. Since we started in the summer, she should still be able to continue this level of research and finish by next May, in time for me to add it to her transcript. If it takes up part of next summer too, it will still be worth it! Here is a picture of the resources Emily used for the first two units.

Other Crew families reviewed all 3 of the available topics from Science For High School, Physical Science, Biology, and Chemistry. Click the link below to read all the reviews!

"Hero Tales" CD set- a review

Heard any good stories lately? We’ve been listening to some new ones in the car. We recently received the CD set “Hero Tales” from Raising Real Men to review. This set has  contains 3 CD’s with the stories from the book “Hero Tales” written by Theodore Roosevelt and Henry Cabot Lodge, originally published in 1895.

The stories from the book cover both people and events that directed or influenced America’s history beginning at George Washington and continuing through the War between the states. The CD’s are read by Hal Young, one of the founders of Raising Real Men. 

Raising Real Men

Surviving, Teaching, and Appreciating Boys

I enjoyed listening to the stories, and our girls enjoyed them too. The one drawback we found, was that the background sound effects, which are a nice addition, are at times almost too loud and make it difficult to hear Hal telling the stories. We adjusted the settings on our car stereo and that helped a lot. Keep this in mind when listening to them.

Some of the people and events were familiar to us, like Daniel Boone and George Rogers Clark, while others were new discoveries, such as the Privateer George Armstrong from the War of 1812. Even thought we all like to read, listening to CD’s in the car is a way for us to be learning the same thing, without needing 3 copies of a book. I know a lot of families take turns reading aloud on a family book, but that doesn’t usually work with my husband and my work schedules, so CD’s allow us to use the travel time in the car for the same purpose.

If it’s been a few years since YOU studied early American History, I think you would also enjoy listening to the CD’s with your children or grandchildren. These stories are an easy way to digest people and events, and then discuss them as a family. I would recommend these for ages 10 and up. Younger children can definitely listen and learn, but may not be able to discuss or understand the implications of the underlying themes...like war.

Because the original book was written in the late 1800’s, you will notice that some of the stories presented are laden with “Manifest Destiny” ideals or viewpoints. While this was the prevailing idea at the time, (and for 100 years afterwards,) I hope that listening to the stories, and discussing them as a family, can help you understand and explain to your children both the positive and negative aspects of our history. My hope is that this leads to a better recognition of the facts surrounding when 'New' Americans chose unwisely in their dealings with the Native Americans. By teaching our children to value all life, we can inspire them to live with values like courage and determination, as well as compassion.

Don’t be turned away by the name, Raising Real Men, as they have many resources suitable for both boys and girls. You can click here to read our review of a book from Raising Real Men, “A Cry From Egypt.”

The Hero Tales CD set normally retails for $21, but is currently available for $15. That gives you three hours of entertainment and learning to share with your family. I really think you’ll enjoy listening to the stories, and maybe you’ll be inspired to study further the lives of these amazing people.

Thankful Thursdays -7/11/13 4-H Judging

I know I've mentioned before how thankful we are for the 4-H program in our county, but today is where it really shines. Today, 4-H judging for our local county fair begins...with sewing judging!

Why am I thankful for the judging? First off, it teaches our girls that real deadlines DO matter. Sometimes in life it's not important if you complete a task today or tomorrow...but sometimes it is! By learning how to be properly prepared, with their projects done on time, we are trying to walk them towards being responsible adults. You know, the ones who pay their light bill on time & remember to take out the trash the night before? That's what we're aiming for.

Secondly, the judging process allows our girls the opportunity to extend grace to others in real-life. Understanding that the judge may have a different opinion than they do, but still maintaining their composure, and not speaking ill of others are valuable life skills. I've worked with a few adults over the years who had not learned these lessons. They are also learning how to let others go first, and how to give a sincere compliment.

Thirdly, I like seeing my friends, the other Moms who are busy most of the time, just like me. Some days we just sit in the "parents' corner" and chat. Sometimes we work on goals or lesson plans for fall. Tomorrow, I plan to be working on some more reviews...we've got a lot of them posting in the next week!

Fourth, our girls learn about the joy of patience. Some years, it takes a loooooong time for it to be their turn. (Especially now that they're in the upper divisions.) They learn how to talk quietly with both friends and acquaintances, and how to wait without feeling rushed.

So if you wonder why the backgrounds on my pictures look different next week...it's probably because I took them on the kitchen floor. It seems to be the only surface in the house not covered by part of a 4-H project-LOL!

Enjoy the week with your kids! Tell them how happy you are to see them doing a job well done!

These are the girls' 4-H sewing projects for this year!

Mayan Mysteries iPad App- a Review

How often do your kids bug you to let them play on the iPad? Let’s be honest here, technology can be a great thing, but we need to be choosing wisely how we spend our time. At our house, everyone likes to play a game on the iPad, but I often feel like we need some educational apps to balance out the silly ones. So of course I said “yes” when an educational app came up for review for the Crew! We have been reviewing the “Mayan Mysteries” app from Dig-It Games for the past few weeks.

 

Here is what we found out: this app is part one of a continuing saga. At first, Emily (age 15) was a little disappointed that the app’s game gets ‘completed’ without you solving all of the ‘who-dunnit’ mystery...then she realized that meant there would be a second part eventually, so she’s hoping it is available soon. Arlene (age 13) was happy that Emily finished it in a little over a week (about 8 hours of playing time), so she could restart it and play the game. There were a few times where Arlene struggled with some of the conversions (Mayans used base 20, whereas we use base 10), but Emily helped her understand, and the game progressed.

The Mayan Mysteries App retails for $9.99 on iTunes. That is considerably more than we usually are willing to pay for an app. I know that this one is a history lesson, with a game-like setting, but I’m not too sure if I will be willing to pay another $9.99 for the second part. Now, I’m sure some of you have a bigger iTunes budget than we do, so the price may not be a factor for your family. I'm hoping the second part is a little less... maybe $7?

If you’re wondering about ages, it is rated for ages 9 and up, but I think it is more appropriate for ages 11 or 12 and up. There is a lot of information your children can learn from this app/ game. While not all of it is necessary to ‘solve’ each section and move forward, I did find it cool that there are clickable links under ‘unusual’ terms (think vocabulary words!) Look at the pictures below for a better explanation!

Open the app

I clicked "resume game", then I selected the pyramid in the 'Belize' area, then I clicked "travel now"

When I clicked the blue pyramid in the right corner, I got this screen...see the options?

I clicked "Culture" then "Art"

Right above the picture of the woman, there is an arrow to see the next or previous page

See the linked (in blue) words?

When you click on "quetzel bird" this opens and you can learn about the quetzel & see a picture... Cool Huh ?

If the girls were here, I'd show you even more cool shots of the game...but they're off volunteering tonight, and I don't want to be accused of ruining their game.

The graphics, and the way the story is laid out, remind me of the graphic novels the girls sometimes get from the Library. It is animated, without being little-kid cartoonish. One of the things about iPad apps, as opposed to phone apps, is that you see the details, and whether they have been skipped. The attention to detail in the graphics, and all of the 'extras' that are available to the player through the clickable links, makes it mush easier to stay focused on the game aspect while playing. Even if you begin with no knowledge of the Mayans at all, you will have a decent understanding of what Archaeologists have discovered about this culture. One of the reasons I'm recommending it for slightly older ages is that is shared the bad parts of Mayan culture too.

Overall, if you view this app as a history/ social studies book on your iPad, it has more value for the price. I guess the true test will be whether the girls forget about it next month, or ask to go back and play it again. I do know they have learned more about the Mayans, which is the purpose of the game. If I were the type to assign grades...which I’m not... I would probably give the Mayan Mysteries app a B. It seems solid enough to use for learning, but I’m wondering about the retention rate. If you’re looking for an easy way to learn more about the Mayans, this would be worth your time and money, but remember it is more learning than game, and some kids may balk at the idea. My girls? They were happy for a chance to play on the iPad, and they learned something...so I'm happy too!

PreScripts Cursive Passages and Illuminations - a Review

Most Moms and Dads realize that their children need practice with handwriting in order to improve. While there are many, many options out there for beginning handwriting, there are not nearly as many available for older students. (I have also found that my older students don't necessarily think they need practice, even when they do!) Thus, I was excited to be able to review the new PreScripts Cursive Passages and Illuminations  book from Classical Conversations.



This new book includes more than 130 pages of cursive practice, and lessons on making Illuminated letters (think Medieval texts.) While Classical Conversations (CC) recommends this copybook for students aged 9 thru High School, I would recommend it for students 12 and up. The cursive style presented in the book is not difficult to copy, but I think most younger students would struggle with the Illuminated letters exercises.

In our house, Emily (age 15) was the tester. I gave her the book and told her to work in it every morning we were at home (about 4 days a week.) She usually worked for about 45 minutes a day. That was usually enough time to either copy a page of text, or do an illuminated letter, but not both. The point of the book is to improve your handwriting, not hurry through just to check off a box.

The text sources for this level of PreScript are American Documents, so Emily has copied sections from  Christopher Columbus's 'Apologia,' the 'Mayflower Compact,' and several sections from 'The Declaration of Independence." At a retail price of $12.99, this book should last Emily most of the school year. She will have principals of American history reinforced as she copies sections from John C. Calhoun, Abraham Lincoln, Theodore Roosevelt, and even Ronald Reagan's 'Speech at Brandenburg Gate.' I am hoping that we will have discussions along the way about what was happening during each time period as she writes. How many of us parents remember Reagan's statement: "Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall!!"?

Emily has enjoyed the illuminated letters, although she admits, some styles are rather difficult to replicate. But, she has soldiered on, and attempted them...she just didn't want me to show you the ones she struggled with. The ones she found most difficult look more like a fancy typeface, while she enjoyed the ones that look more like a work of art. She even got out her own drawing book and Illuminated the first line to some of her favorite books!

If your student is struggling with cursive... or they attend a school where cursive is no longer being taught... you will want to make a careful study of the earlier levels of PreScripts. There are 4 levels in all, each progressing in difficulty. The Passages and Illuminations text we reviewed is the most difficult. If your student is capable of cursive, but just needs more practice, than this might be the book for you. 

The book has the documents printed out on every other line, so the students can copy directly under the text. I think if I had given this book to our 13 year old, she would have struggled, because her fine motor skills in handwriting have always been slower than normal. She would probably do well with the third book, "Cursive Sentences and Art Lessons." If you go to CC's website, you can view sample pages and choose the correct level for your student.

Families from the Crew reviewed all 4 levels, so click the banner below to read all about them!

Thankful Thursdays - 7/4/13 - Reasons For Hope Ministry

This post contains an affiliate link, which helps support the blog! :)


It's Thursday again! I'm sure many of you are thankful today to live in the USA and be able to celebrate your freedoms. (I know, some of you live elsewhere and have other days that you celebrate!) If you haven't figured out yet just how thankful we are to live and worship here, read some of our other blog posts!


So today, for my thankful thing, I would like to introduce you to a Ministry that is near and dear to our hearts: Reasons for Hope (rforh*). You may have seen their logo before, it looks like this:

Carl Kerby, the founder of rforh* has been a family friend for more than a decade. We first met Carl when the girls were both still little and Carl was speaking with Answers in Genesis. Carl, and his sweet wife, Masami, became mainstays in our study of Apologetics, as we often saw Carl speak every year at different venues. Fast forward a decade, Carl's kids are married and have kids, and our girls are teenagers. (Wow, that was fast! I must have blinked!)

As much as we loved Carl's past work, we really appreciate what he is doing now. Sometimes, as Christians, we learn a lot about God, but we struggle with living out our faith, and sharing it with others. 

Look back up at the logo, yup, "Know it, Live it, Share it!" Carl's messages are to the point, and entertaining all at the same time. That could have something to do with his background. His Dad was a professional wrestler, and Carl spent many years as an air traffic controller. The two combine for some great life-application stories!

I often wear my rforh* t-shirt. It is a great reminder to me to be sharing the love of Jesus, and what He has done in my life with those around me.  It also lets strangers know that they can ask me if they have questions. One day, I had the sweetest little old janitor come up to me in a store while I was shopping, and tell me that he liked my shirt, the Bible verse on the back reminded him that he had HOPE!  It reminds me to be thankful that I have hope in Jesus! I also talk a lot about Carl's book: Reasons for Hope in the Mosaic of Your Life that we reviewed last year.

This October, rforh* is presenting the first ever "Hope Conference." There will be two locations over two separate weekends, the one we're helping with is in Cicero, IN on October 18th & 19th, 2013. I'll let you know now... you'll want to come, so write it on your calendar now! The conference is geared for your whole family, as there will be special programs for the kids, and great speakers for the teens and adults, including one of our other great friends, Diana Waring.

We are SO thankful to be able to help rforh* with this conference. If you'd like to find out more right now, click over here: http://www.thehope2013.com If you already know you want to attend, you can get your ticket here. (You'll see a spot to buy your ticket from Home Sweet Life Blog, any affiliate rewards from your purchase help support the blog- Thank you!)

We'll be sharing more about rforh* in the coming weeks, and hosting some great giveaways they are sponsoring! In the meantime, so you won't miss out on anything, sign up to receive our blog posts by email, and sign up for the rforh* newsletter here!

We are thankful today for Reasons for Hope Ministry, leave a comment below and let us know about one of your favorite ministries! We love finding out about your 'thankful things' too!

For You They Signed by Marilyn Boyer (A Review)

Tomorrow we will celebrate the Anniversary of the Signing of the Declaration of Independence. Many of us as US citizens are painfully unaware of the history and turmoil that surrounded the signing of that great document. Although the Declaration was unanimously approved for July 4, 1776, the actual signing of the calligraphic copy (the one we all see reproduced and/or photographed)  did not occur until August 2nd.

To learn more about the signers, and what they were placing into God's hands with their decisions, please join me on this review of Marilyn Boyer's book, "For You They Signed, The Spiritual Heritage of Those Who Shaped Our Nation." Boyer's insightful book is available from Master Books, a division of New Leaf Publishing for $39.99 as a printed hard-bound copy, or $9.99 as a digital download (EPUB and MOBI versions.)

The Preface of the book begins with a quote from Woodrow Wilson: "A nation which does not remember what it was yesterday does not know what it is today, nor what it is trying to do. We are trying to do a futile thing if we do not know where we have come from, or what we have been about."

This hefty book, at 342 pages, contains detailed biographical sketches of all the 56 signers. These sections include not just when and where the signers were born and died, but they tell the stories of the men. The stories of their families, and how they served in their local communities. Many of them were local businessmen, state delegates or church leaders before signing, and most went on to serve in both state and national legislatures in our new government.

While reading through the book, you will find a variety of educational backgrounds, self-taught, educated at home, common schooled, Academy trained, and even John Witherspoon, from New Jersey, who originally hailed from Scotland, and received both  Master's and Divinity degrees from the University of Edinburgh.

I would first recommend For You They Signed as a family read-aloud, whatever you family's size of make-up. It is a study in character, the characteristics of the signers, and their families. You can learn a lot, not only about their belief in God, but about the sentiments of their towns and neighbors. Secondly, it would also be acceptable for High School-aged students to read independently, and then discuss.

Yes, this book talks about God, a lot. Because He was a central part of the lives of almost every signer. The more you search out the true history of the lives of the Declaration's signers, and the farther away you get from today's 'politically correct' answers, the better you can understand these men. You will see that their service to country was an overflowing of their service to men on behalf of God.

It has taken me many months to write this review. My words seem so inadequate to express to you all that I have learned by reading this book. In a day when I struggle to understand so much of what our currently elected officials choose to do and endorse, I found so much refreshment and encouragement by learning how these 56 men truly pledged their lives, fortunes, and sacred honor into God's hands to guide and protect them.

As you celebrate our country's Independence, join me in celebrating our personal dependence on God.

I leave you with a quote from John Quincy Adams that inspires me. "You will never know how much it has cost my generation to preserve your freedom. I hope you will make good use of it."


I received a printed copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are mine. I am disclosing this in accordance with FTC regulations.