Weekly Wrap Up - Return of the Campers

The girls were away at youth camp all week.   You'd think this would have been a productive week for me, but in reality I didn't get much done other than a few lunches with family members, and a trip to the book fair.    My husband took vacation days on Thursday and Friday and we spent some time together....talking about the kids, too funny.

There's not a lot to share really, but I did grab a couple of photos from the youth group to show some of the fun the kids had.

 

It's a short wrap up, but I'm going to go enjoy having my kids home.    Have a great weekend!

Linking up with the Weekly Wrap Up.

Lightning Literature and Composition Pack: American Literature - Early-Mid 19th Century (Review)

Today's review features Lightning Literature and Composition Pack  American Early-Mid 19th Century from Hewitt Homeschooling.   This is a one semester (18 week) literature and composition curriculum.   We received both the student and teachers guide for this review.

The student guide is softback, but with a lovely glossy cover, and it includes 176 pages.  The student guide starts off with 21 pages of how and why to use this product, followed by 4 units, broken into 8 lessons.   There is also an 18 week schedule, and 36 week schedule as well (if you decide to go that route).  Students will need the unabridged copies of the following books:  The Autobiography and Other Writings (Benjamin Franklin); Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass: An American Slave Written by Himself (Frederick Douglas); The Scarlet Letter (Nathaniel Hawthorne); Moby-Dick (Herman Melville).

The teachers guide is a simple 3-hole punched, stapled together, 56 page document.  It  contains answers to all the discussion questions, grading tips and checklists, and grading rubrics.   Also included in the teachers guide is the writing exercises and project suggestions so that you can see what your student is supposed to be doing without having to take their guide away, grins.

There are four units in the student book, and each unit contains 2 lessons.   Each lesson consists of the weeks reading assignment, comprehension question and writing assignments.   There are typically several (7-10) writing assignments that allows the student some control as they pick the one or ones to do.  Obviously, the parent can assign more or different assignments if a student leans towards always picking the "easy" work.

There are also three Appendices included in the student book.   The first contains discussion questions (different from the ones in the lessons) and project suggestions,  additional reading by unit and then the semester and full year schedules.

Olivia loved the first book about Benjamin Franklin.   She also liked the fact that the comprehension questions were broken down into sections so she could focus on the each section instead of having to remember every single thing at the end of the book.   The writing assignments that went along with this unit were great, and since she had to write about herself (studying the autobiography) it allowed her to write about something that she obviously knew a lot about, alleviating the need for research right at the beginning of the class.

I had planned to work this product into Olivia's fall curriculum stack.  However, after working through the first book, I felt like the reading was going to be too heavy if we did the 18 weeks, and didn't feel it would be enough if I stretched it out to the 36 weeks.   That is not meant as a jab at the curriculum, I really like the layout and the style, but with all the other heavy courses we had going on this year I didn't feel like it would be wise to add anything else.

To read other Review Crew reviews of products from this vendor, click here.

Weekly Wrap Up - Summer Break Week 4

Before I go into our week, be sure to check out my Watch Ya Mouth Review and Give Away!   Your family will have a blast playing this game!   The give away closes at midnight on June 25, so pop over and enter right away!

This has been another busy week.  That whole "slow days of summer" thing is a farce, much like "stay at home mom", ahem, moving on.  

Lindsey has spent her time at the community college again this week learning how to build computers.  She has realized that she really does like gadgets and electronics, and likes working on these projects.   Her classes are from 1-4pm, so today is her final class, and she'll be doing a presentation, so I'll have photos for you next week, hopefully.

Olivia has been working on UnLock Algebra I all week.  She's really liking this program, well as much as one can like Algebra.   She'll be completing this program during the summer/early fall before moving into Algebra II, to make sure she has a really good understanding of the basic concepts.

She also worked on some World War II studies this week and made a garrison cap from felt.  I think it turned out pretty well.

Olivia also had volleyball and basketball practice this week.   She will be the new setter for the JV volleyball team and they'll be getting uniforms sized in the next few weeks.   Her first game w August 23.  Basketball is still iffy.   The division the school is in only allows 3 homeschooled students per team, and they have 4, so she'll have to try out and see if she makes the cut or not.

We went to a few baseball games in the evenings.  It's fun sitting in the stands and watching the games and the fans.   It takes so much pressure off when your kid isn't on the team, no worries if there's a strike out or bad play, grins.   The league we go to is all college players who are hoping to make it big.  It's nice when you do see one of them get drafted by a major league team.

How has your week been?  Anything exciting going on for the weekend?

Linking up with the Weekly Wrap Up.

UnLock Math - UnLock Algebra I (Review)

Can I be honest?  My 9th grader struggled with Algebra I this year.  Please don't revoke my good homeschool mom membership, grins. The good news, is we were given an opportunity to review UnLock Algebra I from UnLock Math as we began wrapping up the academic year.

UnLock Math is an online math program that currently offers UnLock Pre-Algebra, UnLock Algebra I, UnLock Algebra II, and UnLock Geometry.  UnLock Pre-Calculus will be offered later this year and UnLock Calculus will be following in 2018.  Account set up is quick and easy to understand.   There is a printable pacing guide (useful in scheduling) as well as progress reports and an online grade book to help the parent see exactly what the student has done, and how well they've completed the work.

UnLock Algebra I has a 19 lesson Pre-Algebra review followed by 12 units of Algebra.   Each unit has several lessons and each lesson contains a video, Warm Up, Practice Problems, Stay Sharps, Challenge Questions and Quizzes.  There are also Unit Tests and a Midterm Exam and Final Exam.

For a student who didn't like, or excel in Algebra, finding out that she was doing MORE of it, and probably working on it all summer was not a huge thrill for her.   I totally understood that, however I felt like she really needed stronger skills and understanding before moving on.    Day 1 she started with a bit of an attitude (just keeping it real).   After completing a couple of the Pre-Algebra review lessons, she was actually liking the program.  (HUGE SCORE)

At the end of the first week, I asked Olivia her overall opinion.   She said she really enjoys the videos, and likes that the instructor teaches in a way that is fun but not silly.  She also liked that the instructor uses words that she can understand and explains and shows hows how to do problems as she goes.

Several weeks into the review, and Olivia is actually enjoying doing Algebra. She's doing several days worth of work each day, which literally means she's working a couple of hours a day on Algebra.   Remember, this is being used as a remedial/strengthening skills class, so I don't necessarily recommend that pace for a student new to higher math.

One thing that we've both been frustrated by is that there have been several occasions where she knows the answer, but doesn't know how to enter it the way they want it. For example, there was nowhere in the instructions that explained to her how to make an exponent show up little and where it's supposed to go, so she got those wrong.  Nor did she know that for showing something is to be multiplied she is supposed to use an * between the two numbers...again, she had the right answer but got those wrong.    However, a quick email and they fixed her score.

Another HUGE plus for this program is their customer service.   We have had a few small glitches, and I've emailed the company (directly through our UnLock Math account web page), and not only have they responded in record time, they've taken the time to CALL me when the issue has been something on their end.  That's almost unheard of!  I also contacted them about  the not knowing how to enter the answers, and within minutes they sent back full instructions, and have since added those to the site.

To read more Crew member reviews of this and other UnLock Math products, click here.

Adventures of Rush Revere (Review)

My teen history lover was excited to see  Adventures of Rush Revere #1 New York Times Bestselling Book Series by Rush and Kathryn Adams Limbaugh show up on our review list.   We received all five books in the Rush Revere book series.  Titles included in this series area as follows.

Rush Revere and the Brave Pilgrims
Rush Revere and the First Patriots
Rush Revere and the American Revolution
Rush Revere and the Star Spangled Banner
Rush Revere and the Presidency

The books themselves are hardback, and the pages have an "aged" look.   There are colorful graphics and artwork strewn throughout the book, as well as actual photos of historic locations.   You'll also find images of "Rush Revere" throughout...it's basically the authors actual photo placed on a graphic. It reminds both Olivia and I of the little bobble heads from back in the day.  (No disrespect meant towards the author at all.)

Since we like to study history chronologically, Olivia, age 14, started off  reading the Brave Pilgrims.  She really enjoyed the writing style and the quirkiness of the book and said that it was entertaining. I on the other hand found the quirkiness to be a bit too silly.   The basic premise of the books is that American history teacher, Rush Revere and his talking horse Liberty (yes, talking horse) and a couple of students manage to travel back in time to historical events.    Cell phones still work in the 1600's and taking selfies during the signing of the Mayflower Compact were a must.

Moving onto the 2nd book in the series, Rush Revere and the Brave Patriots, the whimsy of the cuteness wore off for Olivia.  While she still found the book entertaining, she felt like it made actual history look a bit...fictitious.  She said she felt like younger readers, would be confused at to what parts of the story were actual history and what parts were just creative writing.

Since Olivia's opinion varied from book 1 to book 2, I opted to read the next book in the series, Rush Revere and the American Revolution.   From an educational standpoint, there were a few things I really loved.  First off, dates and places are mentioned, and reviewed often.  Even a student who isn't big into memorizing history facts will pick up on those without the tediousness of having to memorize.  Lesser known heroes are brought to light as well.   I also like that the teacher, Rush Revere, reviews a great deal with his time traveling students, again, helping students to pick up and retain facts that are brought out in the story.   I also like that the author works themes from history into the modern lives of students.

The final two books in the series, Rush Revere and the Star Spangled Banner and Rush Revere and the Presidency follow the same pattern with traveling in time to the events, followed by discussion and application of what was learned during the time traveling trips.

Truthfully, I didn't think I'd like these books at first.  However, I really enjoy the author's writing style, and his descriptions of places, battle scenes and events really are engaging.    I especially think boys would like the battle scenes, as it describes the sights, sounds and smells of battle without painting vividly gruesome pictures for young readers.

To read other Crew member reviews, click here.

Watch Ya Mouth Game Review and a GIVEAWAY!!

We typically have family game night each weekend, and we love the chance to play new games.  When the folks at Watch Ya Mouth contacted me about doing a review, I had no idea what I was getting myself into!  We were given a copy of  Watch Ya Mouth Throwdown, and their brand new Bible Expansion Pack.

The premise of the game is you insert a plastic mouth piece into your mouth (they come in adult and child size) and then challenge another player, as you both attempt to do or say whatever goofy thing is on the card you draw.   You will be amazed at how challenging, and hysterically funny this game is!

So, let me warn you, the photos I'm going to share are in NO WAY flattering.   But that makes the game even funnier!   We laughed so hard playing this game, I literally had tears running down my face (and slobber running down my chin).   Here's the whole family, in all our glory.  Lindsey is modeling the child size mouth piece, the rest of us have the adult mouthpiece in.

 

Now that you're traumatized by our candid photos, lets show you a challenge in the works.  One cup has water, one does not.  The object is to move the most water from one cup to the other, and beat your opponent before the time runs out.   Olivia did really good at this, oddly enough.

 My husband (who is all but in hysterics at this point) is not as gifted as the child who challenged him.

The Bible Expansion Pack comes with 200 phrase cards (5 blank cards included).   You can't begin to imagine how difficult, and funny it is to try to say "Breastplate of Righteousness" with a mouth piece inserted!   This game would be a total scream for teen events!

A few words to the wise, first if you're going to have a lot of people playing, buy extra mouth guards, because really you don't want to be sharing during the game!  After the game, wash with soap and water, then either place in boiling water or in the top rack of your dishwasher to sanitize.   Also, extended use can make your gums sore, so be sure to take those guards out intermittently so your mouth can have a rest.   Lastly, the pieces are sturdy, but like anything else they can break so be sure to supervise children to prevent possible choking hazards.

Watch Ya Mouth was included in the 2017 Amazon Summer Toys List, it's listed under the Rainy Day Fun section.    This would make a great addition to your family game stash!!

Give Away!!!

The folks at Watch Ya Mouth have generously offered to give one free game to one of my lucky readers!   To win, simply leave me a message and let me know what phrase (KEEP IT CLEAN) would be hard to say while wearing a mouth piece!    You may enter to win more than once (one entry per comment), and the give away will end at midnight on June 25, 2017.  

I'll announce a random winner on June 26, 2017.    Please make sure you include a way for me to contact you in your comment!  Winner will have 24 hours to respond with shipping information, or another winner will be picked.   Open to those with a U.S. shipping address only.

Good luck!!

I received a free copy of this product(s) for review purposes only.   I was not required to write a positive review, nor was I compensated in any way other than the free product.  The thoughts and opinions here are strictly my own.

Weekly Wrap Up - Summer Break Week 3

Our local community college offers various classes for kids and youth during the summer.   This week, they hosted three electronics/robotics classes for girls only, and they were completely free!   Surprisingly enough, they almost had to cancel due to lack of enrollment.    

Lindsey spent her week learning to build and program Boe Bot Robots.  She was beyond thrilled to learn that she also got to keep her robot. 

Olivia's class learned about coding and animation using the ALICE 3 software.  She did a couple of really funny clips, but all I have is two lame photos to share.

 

All the girls in the camp got this really cool t-shirt too.  I love the color, but the saying is what really caught my eye.

In other news, Olivia had both volleyball and basketball practice this week.   This was her first time practicing with the basketball team.   This whole high school sports thing is going to take some getting used to.

I've spent my free time getting in some extra long workouts at the gym.   I've also spent time in the garden and have been working on co-op planning.   It was a good week, but the running back and forth was tiring.

How did your week go?

Linking up with the Weekly Wrap Up.

End of Year Co-op Art Show

Our first co-op year has come to a close.  We celebrated with an end of the year family night that consisted of an ASL presentation by the students and an art show.   We had a few grandparents come, and it was nice to have the dads get to be involved for a change.  I grouped the artwork by month/country and then had each family pick one country and bring an authentic snack.  The "thinking outside the box" award went to the family who picked Japan and made "sushi" out of rice crispy treats wrapped in fruit leather and topped with gummy fish.
 
I taught both the art and cultures class this year. Each month I'd teach about a country including some map work, language, religions, games and historical & cultural information.  I also provided a snack from each country.  Once we finished that part of the class, we moved into art and did a project based on the country we'd just studied. Our students ranged in age from 5 to 14, all in one class.  As you can see, that did skew the art lessons somewhat.  We worked with chalk pastels, water colors, acrylics and just plain old markers too.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The ASL presentations were done in pairs, with one student signing and the other interpreting.   I have a couple of photos of my girls signing.  I didn't take any of the pairs working together, as they all stood pretty far apart each time.

 

 

Does your group or co-op do any fun year end event?

Weekly Wrap Up - Summer Break Week 2

The things to do list is getting shorter!   This week I did the spring cleaning in the kitchen and the master bedroom, and the girls did the spring cleaning in their rooms.   We also got our end of year testing completed this week!   Lots of new check marks were added to my list!   Before I get on to the rest of my week, check out my black holly hock and little purple bell flower, too pretty!

Tuesday the girls and I met friends at the pool for an afternoon of swimming.  Either my sunblock  (level 50) failed terribly, or the chlorine level in the pool was too much for my skin.  Either way, the front, inside part of my legs, from ankle to above the knee burned almost to the point of blistering.  The inside of my left ankle was almost purple (and honestly a bit concerning).  My legs have been swollen and painful all week, but have finally started to ease up some.   I've been using coconut oil several times a day and that seems to have helped a great deal.

Wednesday the girls and I traveled out to see family and celebrate a birthday.  It was nice to have an afternoon with family with no rushing around.  Momma (who has dementia) noticed my legs right off and made a big to-do over it, in her own little gibberish language.  Funny how even in her current mental state, she knows when something's not right with her kids.

Thursday Olivia had volleyball practice.   Afterward I took the girls to get their new, short summer hair cuts.  Here are some before and after photos for each.  First up is Lindsey, she loves her sassy cut.

  

Next up is Olivia.  She has a fun cut, and there's just a hint of the pale green left on the bottom in the back.  The cut got all the old color, dead ends and frizz out, and gave life to her natural curl in the back.

 

Today (Friday) we have chiropractor appointments in the morning, then later this evening we're having our end of year co-op event.  It's a combination art show/foods of the nations we've studied event.  We thought it would be nice for grandparents to get invited to come see what the kids have worked on this year.  Hopefully I'll have photos to share next week, hopefully, ahem.


Linking up with the Weekly Wrap Up.

MarshMedia (Review)

Have you ever wished you had just a little something extra to add to your health and hygiene studies?   Today's review of MarshMedia may be just the thing you're looking for.   This online product offers 54 health education videos geared towards student K-8.  If you wish to take advantage of the opportunity to introduce the MarshMedia curriculum to your homeschooler(s) go to their Homeschool Special page for details.

For this product, you don't buy the video, but rather you rent the videos for a 24 hour period.   The 24 hours begins when you start watching the video for the first time.   You can watch the video more than once in that time frame, but after 24 hours your rental expires.   If you are planning to preview the video prior to showing it to your students, you need to make sure you get your timing right.   The videos are, in my opinion, quite pricey so you need to make sure you don't lose your window of opportunity.

I watched several of the videos without my kids, prior to letting them watch.   The content in the videos is explained  clearly and in kid friendly terms.  Usually there are either real people or animated characters, or a mixture thereof depending on the subject matter, as well as a catchy song to help your student remember some of the key points.   In watching the videos, I found nothing that was objectionable as far as any questionable agenda being pushed. There is no religious slant, nor anti religious sentiments contained that I could spot.

I will suggest that you do preview the videos to make sure the content is what you had in mind and that it is appropriate for your child's maturity level.  For example one of the videos I picked was "A Girls Guide to Puberty and Personal Safety".   The video was done in animation, but I was surprised that it started out with Chapter 1 - Boys Bodies and then went on to cover the changes in male bodies during puberty (with graphics), all the way through procreation before getting to girls and puberty and the safety aspect.   The majority of the information covered was in fact about procreation and the how's thereof.   While it was done tastefully and clinically, it wasn't what I was expecting and I'm glad I watched it before showing it to my eleven year old.   There was "stranger danger" coverage and how to tell what is inappropriate touch, but still it wasn't what I was expecting based on the title.

The videos cover a wide range of topics including hygiene, health, puberty education, safety, immune system disorders, head lice (eeewww), nutrition and special needs.   In the safety area, there's a helpful video for teachers/parents on what to do in an active shooter on campus situation.   Granted, as homeschoolers, we don't typically have that as an issue.   However, if you are part of a co-op, or even do a lot of group field trips the information is still very valuable.  It always better to be educated an not need the knowledge than to be clueless and in need.

If you wish to take advantage of the opportunity to introduce the MarshMedia curriculum to your homeschooler(s) click here for details.

If you would like to read other Crew member reviews of this product, click here.