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Tag Archives: Reviews

REVIEW: Apologia’s Anatomy and Physiology (and HEAV Giveaway!)

10 Tuesday Apr 2018

Posted by MP31W! in Homeschooling

≈ 4 Comments

Tags

Apologia, Convention, First Things First, HEAV, Homeschool, Reviews, Science

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Since I do not have high-school age students yet, this post is a guest post from a local friend, Ronda Everson. Thanks Ronda! PS. Apologia will be at HEAV this year!! Check out their sessions and speakers, and their booth in the Exhibit Hall!!

Based on a thorough review of the Apologia Anatomy and Physiology curriculum, I plan to use them next year with my 10th grader.  (These products were a gift free of charge, in exchange for an honest, personal review.)

The materials that are available for this curriculum are a textbook, student notebook which includes the labs, an anatomy coloring book (I did not have access to this for review), tests and solutions, a textbook on mp3 audio disc and DVD instructional guides.  The DVDs can be used on both PC and Mac computers.  Instructions for using the DVDs on both systems are provided.

The textbook is hefty at 576 pages and is divided into 16 modules with a lab assigned for each module.  A materials list/module are provided in the back, which is wonderful for planning purposes.

Overall, I liked the way the text is written and is definitely written at a higher level.  A student would need to have taken strong introductory biology and chemistry courses before delving into this curriculum.

There is a short review of most of the key concepts before the book moves to a deeper level.  However, the review is short, because the authors assume that the student has encountered and understood the review material previously.

The material covered is thorough but written in an easy to understand style.  There are adequate pictures and diagrams supplementing the text.

I love the way the student workbook is laid out.  There is a yearly schedule provided which includes lesson readings, study days, tests, and labs.  The schedule is based upon a five-day/week, 32-week school year, but could easily be adapted as needed.

The student notebook also has pages provided for note taking and even has a section on how to take notes which is a skill that all students need to develop.  In the back of the notebook are the lab experiment instructions and an area for recording their results.  However, they recommend that a student keep a separate lab notebook in the correct form and I would tend to agree with that recommendation.

There are additional sections of the student workbook that are awesome.  The appendix of Latin and Greek word parts are invaluable when learning all the vocabulary that is part of any science discipline.  Case studies are a fun exercise using the information that the student has learned, applying it as a ‘medical detective’ like a real physician.  Suggested solutions to these case studies are also provided.

The lab experiments/activities will require a microscope and some prepared slides.  The final project is a fetal pig dissection.  For those that are not willing to do ‘real’ dissections, as we are, there are life-like models and virtual options, which are just as acceptable.

Overall, I was very pleased with the materials and think that my student will respond well to them.  He is not especially drawn to the biological sciences, but I believe it is a valuable course to take.  It is well written and thorough.

I can see this curriculum being especially valuable for those students who plan on pursuing further education in a medical related field, but it is also excellent for all students who are ready for an upper-level science.  We all should have a thorough understanding of our own bodies to make wise choices in taking care of ourselves.

Young Explorers Voted #1

Sign up for my HEAV Convention Pass Giveaway!!

Yes, you can win a pass so you can attend HEAV’s convention for free! (Leaving more money to spend on stuff! WAHOO!) Optional Programs are not included. This giveaway ends May 10th at midnight, so sign up now!

Click on this Rafflecopter Giveaway Link to Sign Up Now!

Previous posts about HEAV Conventions that you might enjoy:
HEAV’s Used Curriculum Sale
Getting Dad Involved in Your Homeschool
Other Ways Homeschool Dads Can Be Involved
HEAV Convention Wish List Tip!
HEAV From the Dad Perspective
Lessons Learned from Past Conventions
My Biggest about the HEAV Convention!
Getting Ready for HEAV???
Last Minute HEAV Convention Survival Tips

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HEAV- Home Educators Association of Virginia – website
“I am excited to be a blogger for HEAV this year. In exchange for sharing my honest opinion about this convention, I was provided with a family registration at no charge.”
“The Apologia links above are affiliate links and I appreciate your support of my site! Please review my affiliate and review policy here.”

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Book Review! “American Rebirth”

25 Tuesday Aug 2015

Posted by MP31W! in Uncategorized

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Tags

American History, Girls, Homeschool, Homeschool Girl Power!, Reviews

While I was at HEAV this summer and discussing our “Homeschool Girl Power” theme, Good Steward Books recommended I check out a book called “American Rebirth.” It’s an anthology of four novels, with girls as the main characters. We loved it.

If you’ve liked the “American Girl” series, where the main character lives and deals with specific time period situations, you will love this book too. It’s a great way to help your daughter “experience” parts of American History. The writing is high quality, and on a slightly higher reading level than American Girl books. As an added bonus – each story shows the female protagonist having her faith tested and learning to endure in her struggles.

Personally, I really enjoyed the books. I think they would be a great addition as you are studying American History (covers 19th century – end of Civil war, labor strikes, etc.) My oldest, age 9, also read the books. She loved that the main character was a girl, and really related to the stories. Plus, the price is a great deal, and Good Steward Books offers free shipping on all orders over $25.

Good Steward Books
Good Steward Books on Facebook

I received a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. All opinions expressed here are solely my own.

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Review: Time4Learning.com

24 Tuesday Apr 2012

Posted by MP31W! in Uncategorized

≈ 4 Comments

Tags

Curriculum, Homeschool, Hotels, Reviews

I was very excited when I heard of the chance to review Time4Learning.com’s program. Being in a hotel makes trying to do any homeschool . . . interesting. And my resources are pretty limited. I am always looking for something to keep the girls occupied.

Time4Learning.com

In fact, when we first began the program, I went straight for the math addition facts exercises, as we had gotten a bit stuck on these, and I was a bit desperate – trying to figure out how to get these concepts through my oldest’s head.

But, surprisingly, my oldest didn’t really respond well to the program. And I’m not quite sure why.

I do know what a major part of our problem is – and it has nothing to do with the program. Being in a hotel, we are working off laptops, and our laptops do not have a mouse or even a “button.” We have the touchpad box. And most of the exercises we tried required a huge amount of dragging. And dragging on the laptops without a mouse needs a HUGE amount of physical coordination. I haven’t spent a lot of time doing computer “training” with my kindergartener so this is just beyond us right now.

And unfortunately, this frustration caused my daughter to refuse to even try the program again.

So, my best advice with the program is to make sure you have a mouse! I finally found one this weekend, and hope to try her out on the program again, maybe even at a lower level, so she can gain confidence and then move forward.

I will say that I liked the “lesson/explanation” part of the particular lesson we tried. They turned it into a story, and I liked how they made math “interesting.” So, while we didn’t get a lot of time with the program, I do recommend the program – as long as your child has at least some computer experience and ability. It is not really for a beginner computer user.

And having an online “school program” is very convenient in a lot of situations, whether you are using it as your full curriculum, or just enhancing what you are already working with. Or, if you don’t even homeschool and are looking for a bit of afterschool tutorial help, I think this would be AWESOME for that.

I received a short-term membership from Time4Learning.com, in exchange for an honest review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/cfr/waisidx_03/16cfr255_03.html> : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

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Review: Ballet Magnificat!

20 Tuesday Mar 2012

Posted by MP31W! in Uncategorized

≈ 2 Comments

Tags

Book Recommendation, Reviews

What It Is:

“Ballet Magnificat! was founded in 1986. Magnificat is Latin for “to magnify Him.” It’s derived from “Mary’s Song” of praise in the 1st Chapter of the Gospel of Luke when she first learned she was to be the mother of the Messiah. Ballet Magnificat! is an arts organization dedicated to presenting the good news of Jesus Christ to the whole world. Our professional touring companies perform nationally and internationally, ministering to audiences in the United States as well as Canada, Belgium, the Czech Republic, the Netherlands, Greece, Singapore, Costa Rica and Puerto Rico.” (from Facebook fan page)

My Review:

In short: I  LOVED it!

We happened upon a poster for Ballet Magnificat! recently, and I jumped at the chance to take my girls. First, they both love ballet and have not yet been to a professional performance. Second, they were performing “Deliver Us” the story of Exodus set to the music from the movie, “Prince of Egypt.” That will fit in with our homeschool curriculum, which is reviewing the major stories of the Bible this year. Third, Easter and Passover are in less than two weeks! What perfect timing!

I honestly had no idea what to expect, or if my girls would be able be still long enough to watch. But they were mesmerized, and thankfully there was a child-friendly audience and very patient people around us that put up with the sound of the million questions my girls asked during the show.

I expected to enjoy the dancing and the music. I did not expect to fall in love with the story all over again, or spend a night just praising God while watching these wonderful dancers worship through music. Really. Even the local groups, who performed two different preludes to the second act, filled the auditorium with just pure joy. 

And it wasn’t just that the Ballet Magnificat! troupe was technically proficient and did complicated and awe-inspiring dancing and lifts (though they did). It was that these performers FELT their performances. And they made you feel it too. Really, when was the last time you went to a ballet that wasn’t, well,  . . . cold? Ballet Magnificat wasn’t. Honestly, warmth and their love of performing just exuded from every fiber of their being.

Frankly, it made me wish I was younger, in better shape, and could just join them up onstage myself. I wish I had known about this fabulous group when I was younger and still performing (though, I honestly would never have been good enough to fit in with these extremely talented dancers).

With all that said, some parts were a little graphic for my crew, ages three and five. The scene with the slave-driver with a whip “beating” the Jewish slaves prompted a ton of questions from both, and my three-year-old is still asking, “But why were they beating the other? That was mean.” And I had no idea that the crucifixion was worked into the end of the story and would be so realistic. It’s not that I had a problem with either scene, but I do wish I had known and could have prepared my girls ahead of time. Nevertheless, we have been able to have very good discussions about it since. Which means the show left quite an impression, even beyond my daughters’ love of dance.

Here is their tour schedule, and if you’re one of my international buddies, be sure to check it out as well; they are touring internationally in the next few months!

Ballet Magnificat: Website, Facebook Page, and YouTube

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Review: Beyond Molasses Creek

13 Tuesday Mar 2012

Posted by MP31W! in Uncategorized

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Tags

Book Recommendation, Reviews

Book Description

“Having traveled to the ends of the earth as a flight attendant, Ally Green has finally returned to the Lowcountry to bury her father as well as the past. But Vesey Washington is still living across the creek, and theirs is a complicated relationship–he was once her best friend . . . and also part of the reason she’s stayed away so long. When Ally discovers a message her father left behind asking her to quit running, it seems her past isn’t through with her yet.

As Ally’s wandering spirit wrestles with a deep longing to flee again, a young woman on the other side of the world escapes her life of slavery in the rock quarries of Nepal. A mysterious sketchbook leads Sunila Kunari to believe there’s more to her story than she’s ever been told, and she’s determined to follow the truth wherever it leads her.

A deep current intertwines the lives of these three souls, and a destiny of freedom, faith, and friendship awaits them all on the banks of Molasses Creek.”

MY REVIEW:

At first I didn’t like this book at all. I couldn’t get into it, and honestly it didn’t even want to finish it. I only kept going because I had promised to write a review.

Here is what I didn’t like. First of all, the “voices” of the story. Most of the story is written in first-person. And I never felt like the voices were “real.” A large part of the story is set in the South, and the two major characters, Ally and Vesey, didn’t sound “authentic.” While this might be a small thing, as a Southerner, this is one of my biggest pet peeves. I also didn’t hear the difference as the characters aged throughout the story, as the times (from pre-segregation and Civil rights era South to modern-day) changed.

Then, slightly past halfway through the book, all of that changed.

And I couldn’t put the book down. 

I stayed up until 3 am to finish it.

Sunila has become my favorite character of the story. Her struggle to find the truth of her identity to her rebirth as her “new” self, I was extremely touched by her courage. Frankly, it didn’t matter to me that I couldn’t “hear” her “voice” in my head. Her emotional journey gave her the authenticity I needed to believe in her and feel for her.

And as Ally’s story was woven in, I began to fall in love with this character as well, truly understanding her emotional journey as well.

As for Vesey, while he was an extremely likable character, I do not feel like this part of the storyline really served the true message of the book. I can see where Ms. Seitz was going with this concept, it just didn’t connect well with me. It’s as if I was reading two completely different books at the same time, and the connection of all three characters at the end — well, I didn’t buy it. 

Vesey never felt very real to me. Even in his “inner monologue” parts of the story, he just spoke entirely too well for a black man who was a product of the pre-integration South, who ended up not finishing school and working his life on a farm. I really appreciate Ms. Seitz’s attempts to write about this period of history, it just didn’t feel real.

What I did love about this story: the ending. The love and the redemption and healing. The connection between the last three characters on the last few pages. That was the great emotional payoff that I needed, as a reader.

I would give this story three stars, and a recommendation to read it, with the caveat that you really have to get past the first have of the book to “get it.”

I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze®.com <http://BookSneeze®.com> book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 <http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/cfr/waisidx_03/16cfr255_03.html> : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

I review for BookSneeze®

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Review: 101 Bible Adventures: The Ultimate Quest for Truth

21 Tuesday Feb 2012

Posted by MP31W! in Uncategorized

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Book Recommendation, Reviews

101 Bible Adventures is an action-packed overview of the Bible (based on the New Living Translation). Just like the name, there are 101 different stories from both the Old and New Testaments. Each story is just two pages and includes a brief synopsis, a key verse from the related section of the Bible, and a “Now What?” section that helps a child learn and apply the lesson to their own life.

“101 Bible Adventures gives kids a great way to explore the Scriptures while highlighting concepts such as building good character; the importance of having good role models; and themes such as forgiveness, love, and God’s wonderful plan for our lives.”

My Opinion: We liked it!

This book would be especially awesome for active boys, and I admit I wondered how my girly-girly princess-loving girls would react to it.

But it worked out great! I introduced the book on our road trip during our move. I picked out stories that specifically talked about people in the Bible who had to make a big move: Abram and Moses and the Israelites. I think that especially the title “Abram’s Big Adventure” helped our girls see our move as a big adventure as well!

And last weekend, we had the opportunity to visit a Messianic Congregation Service. To help my oldest understand what we were about to see, I read her the story of “A Lost Twelve Year Old” to explain to her what Church was like for Jesus!

In short, this book helped me bring the Bible to life for my girls, and easily relatable. Obviously, I think the action-adventure style is perfect for boys, but can easily work for girls as well.

I give it two thumbs up!

Tyndale House Publishers provided me with a complimentary copy of this book. My opinions and review are my own!

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The Proverbs 31 Woman (nasb)

Description of a Worthy Woman

An excellent wife, who can find?
For her worth is far above jewels.
The heart of her husband trusts in her,
And he will have no lack of gain.
She does him good and not evil
All the days of her life.
She looks for wool and flax
And works with her hands in delight.
She is like merchant ships;
She brings her food from afar.
She rises also while it is still night
And gives food to her household
And portions to her maidens.
She considers a field and buys it;
From her earnings she plants a vineyard.
She girds herself with strength
And makes her arms strong.
She senses that her gain is good;
Her lamp does not go out at night.
She stretches out her hands to the distaff,
And her hands grasp the spindle.
She extends her hand to the poor,
And she stretches out her hands to the needy.
She is not afraid of the snow for her household,
For all her household are clothed with scarlet.
She makes coverings for herself;
Her clothing is fine linen and purple.
Her husband is known in the gates,
When he sits among the elders of the land.
She makes linen garments and sells them,
And supplies belts to the tradesmen.
Strength and dignity are her clothing,
And she smiles at the future.
She opens her mouth in wisdom,
And the teaching of kindness is on her tongue.
She looks well to the ways of her household,
And does not eat the bread of idleness.
Her children rise up and bless her;
Her husband also, and he praises her, saying:
"Many daughters have done nobly,
But you excel them all."
Charm is deceitful and beauty is vain,
But a woman who fears the LORD, she shall be praised.
Give her the product of her hands,
And let her works praise her in the gates.

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