Wordless Wednesday First Day of School

Today was Teela and Zari's first day of school. Teela is in 11th and Zari is in 8th.

Home School in the Woods Time Travelers: New World Explorers Review

Disclaimer: I received a complimentary copy of this product through the HOMESCHOOL REVIEW CREW in exchange for my honest review. I was not required to write a positive review nor was I compensated in any other way.

My family had the privilege of trying the Time Travelers U.S. History Studies New World Explorers from Home School in the Woods for this review to use in conjunction with our own curriculum at home. This is a Homeschool Review Crew Review. All opinions expressed are my own or those of my family.

Home School in the Woods is a family run business that creates Christian based history curriculum for homeschooling. This curriculum immerses your student in the topic. It is very hands-on with lapbooks, timelines, recipes, art, creative writing, notebook projects, dramatized audio theater, maps, crafts, projects, re-enactments, file-folder games, vocabulary to learn, etc.

The Time Traveler American History Studies are a seven part series that starts with the New World Explorers and concludes at the end of World War II. These are recommended for grades 3-8. There are two different versions you can purchase, a CD version or a digital download version. With the CD version everything that you access and print is on the CD. With the digital download version you download a zipped file, place all of the contents into a folder on your computer, and access it by the start.htm file that is in that folder. We received the digital download version.

 

Left: Main Menu, Right: Lessons 1-5

 

We found that there was a lot of preparation that needed to happen before getting started. There is a lot of things needing printed, items needing prepared for crafts and other projects, and general preparation of materials before one can begin the travel. The Beginning of the main menu includes: Acknowledgements / Copyrights and Usage / Bibliography, Introduction, Tips to Consider Before Starting..., and Teacher Helps which gives you a great foundation. Teacher Helps guides you with preparation and organization, gives you a Lesson Planner schedule to help you see an overview of the things being taught and Additional Resources to pull from. It also includes the printables for the 3-Ring Binder Covers and the Teacher Keys for the timeline.

Each study has twenty-five lessons and is supposed to last roughly 5-10 weeks depending upon how quickly everything is completed. These lessons have reading Text Pages and an activity that go with them. Project Pages accompany these to give directions, list of supplies needed, printing instructions, and illustrations for each project and activity. Masters are provided for all printables.

In the Other Resources section at the end of the main menu there are some visuals and directions to help you with the projects, activities, and lapbook. These include: All Master Pages in numerical order, A Gallery of Project Photos (final photos of what projects should look like at the end), and Lap Book Instructions. You can also have your student catch up with the five Project Days that are included in the schedule. The student will compile a lapbook in the 24th lesson. This lapbook is pieced together throughout the studies. The final lesson is a party with a theme that goes along with the series to celebrate the end of the study. These are very flexible and you can pick and choose what projects work best for your family.

You will need a few items to get you through the lessons:

• Working Printer
• Color and Black Ink for the printer to cover all the printing that will be happening
• White and Colored Printer Paper
• White and Colored Cardstock (this is best, but admittedly we didn't have any of this and used only white printer paper and it worked OK)
• One 3-Ring Binder for the Teacher's Binder (reading text, project direction pages, the "Guide-at-a-Glance," teacher keys, and any of the other teacher helps)
• One 3-Ring Binder for the Scrapbook of Sights (student binder for all notebook projects including)
• Colored File Folders or Colored Pocket Folders with Fasteners
• Scissors and/or an X-acto Knife (when using an X-acto Knife you will need a thick piece of cardboard or self healing mat to use as a cutting surface)
• Crayons, Markers, or Colored Pencils to color the pictures, if desired
• Glue
• Other Craft supplies specified for each of the different projects that your student wants to do

 

Lessons for Time Travelers American History Study: New World Explorers:

1. What is an Explorer?
2. The Life of an Explorer - Pt. 1
3. The Life of an Explorer - Pt. 2
4. Ship Ahoy!
5. PROJECT DAY - 1
6. Navigation
7. Brendan, Eriksson, & Columbus
8. Cabot & Vespucci
9. Ponce de León & Balboa
10. PROJECT DAY - 2
11. Pizarro & Magellan
12. Verrazano & Cortés
13. Cartier & de Soto
14. Coronado & Drake
15. PROJECT DAY - 3
16. Cabrillo & Ribaut
17. Raleigh & Smith
18. Oñate, Champlain, & Hudson
19. Bering & Cook
20. PROJECT DAY - 4
21. Pirates! - Pt. 1
22. Pirates! - Pt. 2
23. PROJECT DAY - 5
24. Pulling Together the Lap Book™
25. Exploration Celebration

Zari coloring the binder cover and spine.

 

How We Used This and Our Thoughts:
I enlisted my daughter Zari, who was in 4th grade this past school year, to learn about New World Explorers. She has loved doing Home School in the Woods in the past. This is supposed to be for 3rd through 8th graders so most of the projects she did very well on. She did need my help with some of the more advanced projects and writing assignments and it took her a lot longer to get through some of the written assignments than it might have taken for my older kids. I learned quite a bit too while helping her with this study.

We have been learning about an explorer and ship that is tied to the history out here. The Columbia Rediviva was under the command of John Kendrick and Captain Robert Grey. They sailed in the Pacific Northwest for the maritime fur trade. They used the Columbia River as a key transportation route. This ship is said to have been the model for the local high school being "The Columbians". The Home School in the Woods Time Travelers: New World Explorers goes hand-in-hand with what we have been studying.

 

My girls with a chainsaw carved sea captain sculpture at Rainier Jr Sr High in Dec. 2017.

 

This study was jam packed with information. This is all about early U.S. History. It is about the explorers that discovered the new world. In the weeks we had before this review we learned about explorers, their life, and ships, etc. There are creative writing, recipes of the era, notebook timeline, factfile cards, file folder games, penmanship pages, notebooking activities, three-dimensional projects, arts and crafts, lapbooking, and a Exploration Celebration to bring the whole unit to a close. We still have not gotten through all the lessons, but we have enjoyed everything that we have done thus far.

 

Zari coloring the ship and learning about ship's anatomy.

This was differently laid out than the Project Passports I was used to. There were no stops or pretending to be on a trip and these did not have any audio files to listen to. Like Project Passport though, the instructions are not hard, but there is a lot of things to set up and print out initially and throughout the program....so be aware of that and set some time aside to begin with to get things done so you are not overwhelmed.

Zari really liked our project time together the most. She loves art and making things. She especially loved tying nautical knots, making dried apples, making flags, learning about the ship's anatomy, making and drinking lime juice, and singing sea shanties. We can't wait to make the ship out of a large box that we acquired, dress up like pirates or seaman, find constellations in the night sky for navigation, making navigational tools, and make some of the recipes, etc. We are learning a lot and are enjoying every moment. These are so much fun!

Dried fruit was a main staple of food on a ship while exploring.

 

I highly recommend the Time Travelers American History Study: New World Explorers from Home School in the Woods. This is great for anyone homeschooling who might need some help with teaching about explorers in the new world in a highly educational, fun, and very hands-on way. This is a great stand-alone unit study or can be used to supplement something already being taught. This would also be perfect for those wanting something fun to do with their kids in the summer time. I am looking forward to reviewing more from Home School in the Woods in the future and learning more about United States history with this study!

 

BUY IT
You can purchase the download version of the Time Travelers U.S. History Studies New World Explorers from Home School in the Woods for $27.95 and CD version for $28.95.

Download the scope and sequence, look at a sample lesson, see photo examples of projects, and watch a video of "What is a Time Traveler" when you click the link above, to get more of an idea about the program.

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• Hashtags: #hsreviews #HomeSchoolintheWoods #HSitW #TimeTravelers #NewWorldExplorers #history #unitstudies #lapbooks #lapbooking #HistoryUnitStudies #HomeschoolHistory #handsonhistory #historyforkids #historycurriculum #ushistory #americanhistory #americanhistorystudies #americanhistorycurriculum 

 

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Figures In Motion Famous Figures of Ancient Times Review

 

Disclaimer: I received this complimentary product through the Homeschool Review Crew in exchange for my honest review. I was not required to write a positive review nor was I compensated in any other way.

My family had the privilege of trying Famous Figures of Ancient Times from Figures In Motion for this review to use in conjunction with our own curriculum at home. This is a Homeschool Review Crew Review. All opinions expressed are my own or those of my family.

Figures In Motion was created by Cathy Diez-Luckie an award-winning illustrator and homeschooler. One Thanksgiving she came up with the idea of making articulated puppets for her children of Pilgrims. Her children loved them so much she decided to make more historical figures and the company was born. Now Figures In Motion has 8 books dedicated to movable paper figures throughout history, including a book on dinosaurs! They also have 6 different coloring eBooks as well. 

The Figures In Motion paper puppets for kids consumable books make up different time periods. They have Famous Figures of Ancient Times, Famous Figures of Medieval Times, Famous Figures of the Middle Ages & Renaissance, Famous Figures of the Early Modern Era, Famous Figures of the American Revolution, Famous Figures of the Civil War, Footsteps in Faith Queen Esther, and Dinosaurs on the Move. Each book is softcover with perforated pages to tear out for easy access to each paper doll. The pages are made of card stock material. In the front of the books are short descriptions of each historical figure. Then it has a reading list for each paper puppet to further learning. Each historical figure has a full color version and a black and white lined version to color. The costume illustrations are historically accurate. On the back of each paper puppet's articulated pieces are how they are put together with the help of a letter key. After they are cut out, these pieces are hole punched with a ⅛" hole punch where indicated and put together with mini brads so that they are moveable at the joints. You may purchase the hole punch and brads separately at most craft stores (Hobby Lobby, Michaels, etc.) or on the Figures In Motion website. They allow moms to copy the line art pages to use with more than one child in your family. They do not allow them being shared at coops, or between other families or school settings. They have licenses for coops, church groups, and classrooms.

Figures In Motion Famous Figures of Ancient Times

 

How We Used This and Our Thoughts:

We received the Famous Figures of Ancient Times physical book from Figures In Motion. Figures In Motion was very generous as they also gave us a hole punch and brads in the correct size for the review. This particular book had 21 historical men and women (19 men and 2 women). Figures include Jesus, Moses, David, Julius Cesar, Alexander the Great, Aristotle, and more! We will be studying more on each figure as we read about them with our ancient history lessons at home. The included book list will be a great teaching resource so that we can further our learning. We love learning about history especially if it is hands-on. These books make history incredibly interactive.

 

Zari assembling Leizu.

 

Zari looked through the Famous Figures of Ancient Times book to pick out a figure to articulate. She was very surprised to find there were only two women in the book. She picked Leizu, a Chinese empress, to learn about, cut out, and put together. We read the blurb about Leizu first. Then, Zari chose the full color version of her because she wasn't in a coloring mood. We pulled the page out with the perforated edge and she cut out all the pieces. Besides letters to match up we noticed that the back of each piece had either back or front on them so you could place them in the correct position on the articulated doll. I showed Zari how to line up the hole punch correctly and punch out the holes where the dots where located on the doll. She placed each body part on the doll correctly and lined up the holes to place the tiny brads. After she was finished putting the doll together she danced her around the table saying, "Oh no! A cocoon dropped into my tea!".

 

Zari holding the articulated movable paper doll, Leizu.

 

We highly recommend Figures In Motion Famous Figures of Ancient Times. These are great for kids to have a hands-on tactile experience learning history. Because they are moveable they are more fun than your standard paper doll and they are super easy to assemble. This is a great arts and craft to enjoy along with the learning. Kids can put on a puppet show to reenact historical events with these. They are great educational play and the imagination. The historical paper dolls are wonderful to be used with biographies, with lap books, as a unit study, with a timeline, or with any ancient history curriculum.

 

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ARTistic Pursuits Inc. Art of the Northern Countries Review #ComplimentaryProductReceived

 

Disclaimer: I received this complimentary product through the Homeschool Review Crew in exchange for my honest review. I was not required to write a positive review nor was I compensated in any other way.

My family had the privilege of trying the Art of the Northern Countries from Artistic Pursuits Inc. for this review to use in conjunction with our own curriculum at home. This is a Homeschool Review Crew Review. All opinions expressed are my own or those of my family.

ARTistic Pursuits Inc. creates art curriculum for children. This full-color curriculum helps children to grow their skills of observation and critical thinking. It teaches all components of fine art, including creativity, art history, art appreciation, and art techniques. This unique homeschool art program permits the student to be expressive and make up their own decision about what and how they will draw, paint, or sculpt.

ARTistic Pursuits Art Instruction Books with DVD and Blu-Ray by Brenda Ellis are brand new hardcover books for kindergarten and elementary students. These have art history and art instruction lessons in text with pictures to study and video lessons on how to use the art materials. There are a total of 8 volumes currently:

• K-3 Vol. 1 ART FOR CHILDREN, Building a Visual Vocabulary
• K-3 Vol. 2 ART OF THE ANCIENTS
• K-3 Vol. 3 ART OF THE MIDDLE AGES
• K-3 Vol. 4 ARTISTS THAT SHAPED THE ITALIAN RENAISSANCE
• K-3 Vol. 5 ART OF THE NORTHERN COUNTRIES, RENAISSANCE TO REALISM
• K-3 Vol. 6 ART OF THE IMPRESSIONISTS
• K-3 Vol. 7 ART OF THE MODERN AGE
• K-3 Vol. 8 ART IN AMERICA

Each book covers one whole semester of art if you have your student do one lesson a week. You can do these lessons chronologically starting with volume 1 and follow the history volumes in order or do volume 1 and then skip to the volume of choice after that. It is all up to you.

Art of the Northern Countries is the fifth volume of the series. It is a hardcover book with both Blu-ray and DVD. It has 64 pages, 18 lessons (12 text lessons featuring artworks by ancient artists and 6 video lessons featuring art instruction on materials), and 86 illustrations. This art curriculum book and videos takes a look at of the Northern Countries of Europe from renaissance to realism. The book covers monoprints, observation drawing, relief prints, and more. Young learners will discover where the long lasting tradition of Realism in Western art began as they create and respond to art of the Northern Countries of Europe. They will experience art from famous artists like: Durer, Tuner, Millet, and Carot. Children will work with printmaking, watercolor, charcoal, and oil pastel.

K-3 Vol.5 Art Supply Pack | ARTistic Pursuits

K-3 Vol. 2 Art Supply Pack (can be purchased separately or with the book for additional cost) Includes:

• Prang Pan Watercolors, set of 8
• Blick Vine Charcoal sticks
• Watercolor Paper Pad, 30 sheets
  
• Sketch Paper Pad, 30 sheets
• Speedball Hard Rubber Brayer
• Water Soluble Printing Ink in teal, yellow, and black
• Foam Printing Sheets, set of 12, 9" x 12"
  
• 15" x 15" cotton fabric burnt orange cotton tote bag

You will also need these materials from K-3 Vol. 1 Starter Pack Materials list:

• Ebony pencil
• Watercolor brush, #8 round
• Watercolor paper pad
• Drawing paper pad
• Construction paper
• Scissors
• Elmer's Glue-All

ARTistic Pursuits Inc. Art of the Northern Countries Lessons 1-4.

 

How We Used This and Our Thoughts:

I did this art instruction for kids with my daughters Zari and Teela who are in 4th and 7th grade this school year. We did one lesson a week and completed 4 lessons. We did what we could with what we had at home and I also bought some supplies as well. My kids love art so they enjoyed these activities and learning about the art and history very much.

The lessons without videos have prep notes with tips and information about the type of art. It also has notes on how to instruct a larger group. Then there is the art history lesson on the next page with pictures of an art piece and questions at the end in bold. After the history lesson the book has a page of how to do the art. Each art lesson has a box of text that will list the materials needed for that art project, an example picture of the art made by a student, pictures of the art being assembled and instructions with more insight into the history. The lessons that have videos are truncated in the book and have a minimal amount of information to show you what art will be created and what materials are needed to make the art. These are used with the DVD or Blu-ray.

 

ARTistic Pursuits Inc. Art of the Northern Countries Online Course.

We also received access to the Online Course for the Art of the Northern Countries. When you login you get to a page that says "My Art Courses". This lets you click on view product and sends you to that course page. This page lets you start the course online with some bonuses. First it has a "Course Introduction" which has "Welcome to the Course", "Your Instructor", and "Course Book and Contents" in video format. The next category in the Online Course is "The Art of Seeing". This section has 2 bonus video lessons: "First Landscapes" and "Discovering Light". The next section is called, "The Fundamentals" and it has all of the same video lessons online as the DVD to follow along with the book lessons. The next category is called "Advanced Tips" and has a video on "Why Light and Dark Need Each Other". Last is a "Course Wrap Up" and has a video called, "What's Next". It will automatically mark these video lessons as complete once they are watched or you can mark as complete yourself. After they are completed they will have a check mark show up beside them in the course menu. We loved having the option to watch these videos online.

 

ARTistic Pursuits Inc. Art of the Northern Countries, K-3 Vol. 5: Lesson 1 (monoprint).

 

The first lesson we had an introduction of art in Europe around the Northern Renaissance and learned how to use a brayer roller and black water-soluble printing ink to make a monoprint using plants and stencils. This lesson was accompanied by a video (video #1) on the DVD or Blu-ray. This gave us very visual step-by-step instruction of the process. We liked the videos and thought they were very thorough, educational, and nicely done. The video had the art history and art instruction to show how to use the brayer roller and black water-soluble printing ink. Teela did this lesson and she did a butterfly as her stencil. She found plants in our yard to use as well. Hers didn't quite come out as crisp as the one shown in the video and book, but she at least got to understand monoprints and how they work.

 

ARTistic Pursuits Inc. Art of the Northern Countries, K-3 Vol. 5: Lesson 2 (observation drawing with oil pastels).

The second lesson in the book we learned about Durer and his painting, "The Large Piece of Turf". We read in the art book how Durer was inspired by art that looked like the real world and how he choose to paint plants when others were painting people. There are questions at the end in bold of this art history lesson about the "The Large Piece of Turf" painting in the book to make sure the children are paying attention to the art. Then we are told with words and shown with color pictures in the book how to make a frame out of construction paper and draw plants with oil pastels. Teela did this art outside and picked plants in our "fairy garden" to draw.

 

ARTistic Pursuits Inc. Art of the Northern Countries, K-3 Vol. 5: Lesson 3 (oil pastel drawing, snow scene).

The third lesson we learned about Bruegel's painting, "Hunters in the Snow". There are questions at the end in bold of the this art history lesson in the book to make sure the children are paying attention to the art. Then we are told with words and shown with color pictures in the book how to make an oil pastel drawing of a winter scene. Zari made a snowy cabin in the woods with snow falling and a moon.

 

ARTistic Pursuits Inc. Art of the Northern Countries, K-3 Vol. 5: Lesson 4 (relief print).

The forth lesson we learned more about relief prints. This lesson was accompanied by a video (video #2) on the DVD or Blu-ray. This gave us very visual step-by-step instruction of the process. In this lesson you make a white figure of a pet on a dark background. The video had the art and art instruction to show how to prepare the wax paper surface with the registration sheet, make a printing plate with foam printing sheets, and use the brayer. Zari decided she wanted to do our bunny, Norman, who had passed away. I helped make the printing plate. It asked us to use a picture of a light colored pet. We have a white horse, but Zari wanted to do Norman instead, so even though he was a black and white rabbit I think she did a good job as the correct areas of him were white and black.

There was only one thing that I would change if I was the author. My daughters and I wished that all the lessons had videos because we are very visual and the videos made the instruction so much easier, but we would also have liked those that did have videos to have the whole instruction and art history lesson in the book as well. This would make it easier to use with those children that are too young to read and those that learn better by reading than by visual and audio as well would benefit if both were used for all lessons. This would help our learners of all types.

So far ARTistic Pursuits Art Instruction Books with DVD and Blu-Ray Art of the Northern Countries has been very educational and fun. We have learned so much about the art of the time. I highly recommend this art for children. ARTistic Pursuits Inc. Art Instruction Books with DVD and Blu-Ray Art of the Northern Countries would be a great art curriculum for use with art history lessons and unit studies of Renaissance, Realism, and Europe.

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BUY IT
You can purchase ARTistic Pursuits Art Instruction Books with DVD and Blu-Ray. They are each $39.99. If you would like to purchase the art kits with these it is more and depends on the kit.

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Math-U-See Accelerated Individualized Mastery (AIM) for Multiplication with a Bridge to Division Review #ComplimentaryProductReceived

 

Disclaimer: I received this complimentary product through the Homeschool Review Crew in exchange for my honest review. I was not required to write a positive review nor was I compensated in any other way.

My family had the privilege of trying the Accelerated Individualized Mastery (AIM) for Multiplication with a Bridge to Division from Math-U-See for this review to use in conjunction with our own curriculum at home. This is a Homeschool Review Crew Review. All opinions expressed are my own or those of my family.

The Accelerated Individualized Mastery (AIM) for Multiplication with a Bridge to Division Set has everything to teach older students who are struggling with math, specifically with a mastery of multiplication facts. This instructor-guided intervention program is generally targeting students age 10+. With the use of proven methods and manipulatives from Math-U-See, AIM strives to give students the confidence to learn better methods to succeed in multiplication and thus excel in more complex math continuing on in their education. Accelerated Individualized Mastery (AIM) for Multiplication with a Bridge to Division has 10 lessons for multiplication learning and 2 lessons with a bridge to division.

• Accelerated – The opportunity for students to move quickly through a skill set they have not yet mastered, without extra distractions.
• Individualized – Each student is different, as are their learning preferences. Using as many approaches as possible, the program creates an environment for a student to master the skills they still need at their own pace.
• Mastery – In this program, mastery means that a student can recall all the math facts using as little mental energy as possible to remain engaged in the process of problem solving.

 

Accelerated Individualized Mastery (AIM) for Multiplication with a Bridge to Division Kit

 

Accelerated Individualized Mastery (AIM) Contents:

• Resource Guide Step-by-step guide that includes the techniques, components, and instruction for presenting fact strategies and practicing for mastery. Includes 10 lesson plans for multiplication and 2 with a bridge to division.
• Integer Blocks Proven Math-U-See manipulatives illustrate strategies and are integrated within the instructional materials.
• Fact Check Cards Set of cards used for planning instruction and assessing mastery.
• Math Facts Strategy Posters Individual posters illustrating the Math-U-See multiplication fact strategies.
• Digital Pack Set includes code to redeem access to the AIM for Multiplication with a Bridge to Division Digital Pack. The Digital Pack includes lesson videos, instructions, solutions, and
  printable resources required for successful implementation of the AIM for Multiplication
  program. This gives you access to all the online and downloadable activities and resources. Internet access is required to utilize the Digital Pack. 

 

Lesson 2 in the Digital Tool-Box.

Getting to and using the Digital Pack that comes with the kit after it has been purchased is easy. Once you have purchased the Accelerated Individualized Mastery (AIM) for Multiplication with a Bridge to Division and it has arrived at your home you will receive a Digital Access card inside the box. This will give you access to the Digital Tool-Box online, just follow the directions to sign up. There is a pull down menu to select a product on the left. Pick Accelerated Individualized Mastery (AIM). On the right hand pull down menu select Multiplication. Once you select a lesson you can play the Streaming Instruction Video and/or click on the pull down menus underneath each video with printable PDF links for a Lesson Summary and Lesson Solutions. There are also Additional Activities and Resources that you can also print out.


How We Used This and Our Thoughts:

I used this program with my daughter Zari, who is 11 years old. She takes a long time with solving multiplication facts. Zari and I are familiar with Math-U-See and how the program works because we had used the Primer kit when Zari was in preschool and the AIM for Addition and Subtraction last year. Now that she is in 4th grade I believe the Accelerated Individualized Mastery (AIM) for Multiplication with a Bridge to Division will get her back on the right track for math and help her become more positive in her skills.

First Zari did the Before-AIM Assessment so that we could see where she was with her multiplication facts. This assessment is an important step to evaluate your student's progress and mastery. There will also be a After-AIM Assessment that will show you if your student achieved the goals. In this assessment 81 multiplication facts are asked verbally to the student in a stress free environment. Make a slash through the facts they answer correctly. Students being assessed can take a break after 1-2 minutes. You will then tally up the number of correct answers at the end.

This is what I did before most lessons:

• Watch lesson video
• Read lesson instructions
• Study example problems
• Gather lesson materials

These are the sessions of most lessons:

• Session A: Present Lesson Instruction
• Session B: Demonstrate Understanding
• Session C: Transition Math Facts to Visual Memory
• Session D: Assess for Mastery

 

Color by Block Value Activity

Lesson 1 was all about the integer blocks. This was review from last year. Zari loved the activities and resources parts of the instruction the most. In Lesson 1 her favorite was the color by block value activity. I thought she did very well with the activity sheets too in getting to learn the colors that went with each integer block. After mastering them again we moved onto lesson 2.

 

Zari watching Lesson 2 in the Digital Tool-Box.

Lesson 2 was all about rectangles, factors, and product. This lesson only has a session A. This lesson was also review for her. She also reviewed about area of a rectangle. After this we went onto the Digital Tool-Box and did the activity sheet that went along with the lesson. She did the Build, Write, Say method with the sheet. There are activities A-C on this sheet. Zari did very well with this lesson and knew how to solve for the area of a rectangle, and so we moved onto the next lesson.

I think that Zari is having fun doing these lessons and learning multiplication without taking so long. The instruction of the Math-U-See Accelerated Individualized Mastery (AIM) for Multiplication with a Bridge to Division is outstanding and well put together. I highly recommend it if your student needs this to succeed in math.


BUY IT
You can purchase AIM for Multiplication with a Bridge to Division for $45.


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ARTistic Pursuits Inc. Art of the Ancients Review #ComplimentaryProductReceived

Disclaimer: I received a complimentary copy of this product through the HOMESCHOOL REVIEW CREW in exchange for my honest review. I was not required to write a positive review nor was I compensated in any other way.

My family had the privilege of trying the Art of the Ancients from Artistic Pursuits Inc. for this review to use in conjunction with our own curriculum at home. This is a Homeschool Review Crew Review. All opinions expressed are my own or those of my family.

ARTistic Pursuits Inc. creates art curriculum for children. This full-color curriculum helps children to grow their skills of observation and critical thinking. It teaches all components of fine art, including creativity, art history, art appreciation, and art techniques. This unique homeschool art program permits the student to be expressive and make up their own decision about what and how they will draw, paint, or sculpt.

ARTistic Pursuits Art Instruction Books with DVD and Blu-Ray by Brenda Ellis are brand new hardcover books for kindergarten and elementary students. These have art history and art instruction lessons in text with pictures to study and video lessons on how to use the art materials. There are a total of 8 volumes currently:

• K-3 Vol. 1 ART FOR CHILDREN, Building a Visual Vocabulary
• K-3 Vol. 2 ART OF THE ANCIENTS
• K-3 Vol. 3 ART OF THE MIDDLE AGES
• K-3 Vol. 4 ARTISTS THAT SHAPED THE ITALIAN RENAISSANCE
• K-3 Vol. 5 ART OF THE NORTHERN COUNTRIES, RENAISSANCE TO REALISM
• K-3 Vol. 6 ART OF THE IMPRESSIONISTS
• K-3 Vol. 7 ART OF THE MODERN AGE
• K-3 Vol. 8 ART IN AMERICA

Each book covers one whole semester of art if you have your student do one lesson a week. You can do these lessons chronologically starting with volume 1 and follow the history volumes in order or do volume 1 and then skip to the volume of choice after that. It is all up to you.

Art of the Ancients is the second volume of the series. It is a hardcover book with both Blu-ray and DVD. It has 64 pages, 18 lessons (12 text lessons featuring artworks by ancient artists and 6 video lessons featuring art instruction on materials), and 106 illustrations. This art curriculum book and videos takes a look at art found in caves to the classical art of the Roman Empire. The book covers Near Eastern figures and relief carvings, Minoan fresco painting, Etruscan and Egyptian wall painting, Greek pillars and pottery, as well as the many methods of making art in Rome. Young learners will create and respond to art of the ancient cultures as they express themselves and see the world in new ways. They also learn about the period and how the people then made art. Children will work with pastels and clay.

K-3 Vol.2 Art Supply Pack | ARTistic Pursuits

K-3 Vol. 2 Art Supply Pack (can be purchased separately or with the book for additional cost) Includes:

• Wire clay cutter
• Amaco Air-dry clay
• NuPastel hard pastel color sticks, set of 12
• 15 x 15" cotton fabric Blue Cotton Tote Bag

You will also need these materials from K-3 Vol. 1 Starter Pack Materials list:

• Watercolor crayons
• Oil pastels
• Ebony pencil
• Vinyl eraser
• Watercolor brush, #8 round
• Watercolor paper pad
• Drawing paper pad
• Construction paper
• Scissors
• Elmer's Glue-All
• Glue stick

How We Used This and Our Thoughts:

I did this art instruction for kids with my daughters Teela and Zari who are in 3rd and 6th grade this school year. We tried to do one lesson a week, but our clay did not come to us in the mail because of back-orders and delays with COVID-19. We did what we could with what we had at home. My kids love art so they enjoyed these activities and learning about the art and history very much.

The lessons without videos have prep notes with tips and information about the type of art. It also has notes on how to instruct a larger group. Then there is the art history lesson on the next page with pictures of an art piece and questions at the end in bold. After the history lesson the book has a page of how to do the art. Each art lesson has a box of text that will list the materials needed for that art project, an example picture of the art made by a student, pictures of the art being assembled and instructions with more insight into the history. The lessons that have videos are truncated in the book and have a minimal amount of information to show you what art will be created and what materials are needed to make the art. These are used with the DVD or Blu-ray.

ARTistic Pursuits Inc. Art of the Ancients, K-3 Vol. 2: Lesson 1 (something with wheels with pastels).

The first lesson we had an introduction of art in the ancient world and learned how to use soft pastels to make a picture of something with wheels. This lesson was accompanied by a video (video #1) on the DVD or Blu-ray. This gave us very visual step-by-step instruction of the process. We liked the videos and thought they were very thorough, educational, and nicely done. The video had the art history and art instruction to show how to use the pastels. Zari did the Fire Truck.

ARTistic Pursuits Inc. Art of the Ancients, K-3 Vol. 2: Lesson 2 (cave art).

The second lesson in the book we learned about European cave drawings. We read in the art book of 4 boys in France that discovered some cave art. There are questions at the end in bold of the this art history lesson about the bull and horse cave painting in the book to make sure the children are paying attention to the art. Then we are told with words and shown with color pictures in the book how to do cave art on brown paper with earth colored pastels. I did the zebra and Teela did the panda bear.

The third lesson we learned about clay slab building. This lesson was accompanied by a video (video #2) on the DVD or Blu-ray. This gave us very visual step-by-step instruction of the process. In this lesson you build a clay figure out of slabs. The video had the art and art instruction to show how to use and care for the clay and other items to make the figure. Since we didn't have the clay we just watched the video for the instructions for future reference.

The forth lesson we learned about the city of Jericho and the Human Statue found there. There are questions at the end in bold of the this art history lesson in the book to make sure the children are paying attention to the art. Then we are told with words and shown with color pictures in the book how to do a human figure in clay. Since we didn't have the clay we just read the book and looked at the pictures for future reference.

ARTistic Pursuits Inc. Art of the Ancients, K-3 Vol. 2: Lesson 5 (animal art with pastels).

In the fifth lesson we learned about art in Minoan palaces. In this lesson we learned about a painting called Bull Jumping that was found in the Island of Crete. There are questions at the end in bold of the this art history lesson about the painting in the book to make sure the children are paying attention to the art. We were instructed to make an animal painting with pastels. I did the hedgehog and Zari did the Toucan.

There was only one thing that I would change if I was the author. My daughters and I wished that all the lessons had videos because we are very visual and the videos made the instruction so much easier, but we would also have liked those that did have videos to have the whole instruction and art history lesson in the book as well. This would make it easier to use with those children that are too young to read and those that learn better by reading than by visual and audio as well would benefit if both were used for all lessons. This would help our learners of all types.

So far ARTistic Pursuits Art Instruction Books with DVD and Blu-Ray Art of the Middle Ages has been very educational and fun. We have learned so much about the art of the time. I highly recommend this art for children. ARTistic Pursuits Inc. Art Instruction Books with DVD and Blu-Ray Art of the Ancients would be a great art curriculum for use with art history lessons and unit studies of the Early Europeans, Minoans, Ancient Egyptians, Ancient Greeks, Etruscans, and Ancient Romans.

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BUY IT
You can purchase ARTistic Pursuits Art Instruction Books with DVD and Blu-Ray. They are each $39.99. If you would like to purchase the art kits with these it is more and depends on the kit.

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Beyond the Stick Figure Art School Complete Drawing Course PLUS 3 Bonus Courses Review #ComplimentaryProductReceived

Disclaimer: I received a complimentary copy of this product through the HOMESCHOOL REVIEW CREW in exchange for my honest review. I was not required to write a positive review nor was I compensated in any other way.

My family had the privilege of trying the Beyond the Stick Figure Complete Drawing Course PLUS 3 Bonus Courses from Beyond the Stick Figure Art School for this review to use in conjunction with our own curriculum at home. This is a Homeschool Review Crew Review. All opinions expressed are my own or those of my family.

Beyond the Stick Figure Art School is a online art school taught by Sally, a homeschooler of 8 and graduate of Loughborough College of Art and Design in England. She has multiple courses to pick from in her shop from making a bouquet for Mother's Day to the Complete Drawing Course Plus 3 Bonuses! These are great do at your own pace art courses that you can have a lifetime membership to.

Beyond the Stick Figure Art School Complete Drawing Course PLUS 3 Bonus Courses are art instruction courses online. These step-by-step lessons will take you from drawing stick figures to making realistic art.  These are a total of 55 drawing lessons, 15 pen and ink lessons, 52 water color lessons, 24 Acrylic lessons, and 30 bonus lessons in 3D Design. These courses will teach you techniques and skill that masters of art know and practice. By the time you are done you will be drawing, painting, and sculpting with confidence. These art classes are easy to use and great for the whole family! This program is designed to be used as a daily program for one year, however it is very flexible and can be used to fit your own schedule.

 Here is the basic layout of the courses:

Drawing

• Drawing Part 1
• Drawing Part 2
• Drawing Part 3
• How Am I Doing?

Pen & Ink

• Pen & Ink Part 1
• Pen & Ink Part 2
• How Am I Doing?

 Watercolor

• Watercolor Part 1
• Watercolor Part 2
• Watercolor Part 3
• How Am I Doing?

 Acrylic

• Acrylic Part 1
• Acrylic Part 2
• Acrylic Part 3
• How Am I Doing?

3D Design

• 3D Design Part 1
• 3D Design Part 2
• 3D Design Part 3
• How Am I Doing? 

Zari drawing circles and circles in back of circles.

How We Used This and Our Thoughts:

The Beyond the Stick Figure Art School Complete Drawing Course PLUS 3 Bonus Courses series of courses are incremental. Each lesson builds on the last and each course builds on the course before. So you have to begin at the beginning and work your way through. Each lesson needs to be marked done by a checkbox after it is completed so that the site will know exactly where you have left off at if you need to leave and come back. Otherwise the site will give you an exclamation point with a message saying, "Please go back and complete the previous topic." and won't allow you to move on. These courses can be done at your own pace and you can come back to sections and repeat them if you like. Each lesson has a video to watch that explain the art you will be doing in more detail and what supplies you will need. Some have files to download as well that make up a workbook. In my opinion the workbook is optional, but might have some ideas if you get stuck. There is also a supply list at the very beginning to let you know everything you will need for all the courses all at once. I just wish the supply list was broken into separate lists for each course.

Click to see the materials list better.

We started with the Drawing Courses and worked our way through the lessons. Even though these lessons are for one per day, we worked through a few in one day because I knew we wouldn't have time otherwise, even then we only got done with Part one of drawing. I have been super busy with the FFA teacher planning and implementing an online plant sale for the high school because I am on the Alumni and Supporters board as the Vice President. Anyway, the drawing courses that we did get through was very easy and basic. We loved that we could use copy paper and cut it into fourths so it wouldn't be too much white space to fill. In part one we learned: how to see like an artist, about shapes that artists use and finding them in real life, to practice the shapes on paper in different ways, about primary and secondary colors, and about perspective and overlap.

How finished lessons look online. The Next Topic button used to be the yellow Mark Complete button.

Looking ahead at the other courses was difficult because you have to mark each lesson as completed to do so, even when they are not. Also, there are no written descriptions of each lesson. You instead have to watch the videos to see what they are all about. This is a huge downside to these courses...especially when trying to review them. The titles of the lessons like, Drawing Part 1 Day 1, etc., in each course leave something to be desired as well.

Yellow "Mark Complete" button and how it changes.

Unless the previous lesson/topic has been marked as complete you cannot move on.

I did; however, find short descriptions on website to help tell you more about the other courses and so I put them into my own words. The drawing course goes from learning to draw shapes to drawing realistically. The pen & ink course will teach pen and ink techniques that are inspired by the art of E. H. Shepard in the classic Winnie the Pooh books. This course will have you doodling realistic scenes, etc. The watercolor course will build upon the pen and ink lessons to give them color. This course will have you go from total beginner to painting with watercolor like a pro. The acrylic course will let you learn how to paint with acrylics to create gorgeous paintings. The 3D design course teaches how to make things with clay. You will learn how to sculpt and build a real slab pot too.

Here is the art we did for Drawing Part 1.

This is an amazing jam packed homeschool art curriculum. It is very well rounded and covers a lot of ground. I am excited to do more lessons with my kids. I recommend this for ages 8 and up as the lessons get progressively more difficult and I do not believe younger kids will be able to keep up. This would be great for kids that want to learn to draw, learn to paint, or learn to sculpt.

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• Hashtags: #hsreviews #stickfigurefriends #artforhomeschoolers #artgenius #everyoneisanartist

BUY IT
Purchase the Beyond the Stick Figure Complete Drawing Course PLUS 3 Bonus Courses for only 10 easy payments of $37!

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Math-U-See Accelerated Individualized Mastery (AIM) for Addition and Subtraction Review #ComplimentaryProductReceived

Disclaimer: I received a complimentary copy of this product through the HOMESCHOOL REVIEW CREW in exchange for my honest review. I was not required to write a positive review nor was I compensated in any other way.

My family had the privilege of trying the Accelerated Individualized Mastery (AIM) for Addition and Subtraction from Math-U-See for this review to use in conjunction with our own curriculum at home. This is a Homeschool Review Crew Review. All opinions expressed are my own or those of my family.

The Accelerated Individualized Mastery (AIM) for Addition and Subtraction Set has everything to teach older students who are struggling with math because they have gaps in their foundational skill set, specifically with single-digit addition and subtraction facts. This is generally targeting students age 8-16. With the use of proven methods and manipulatives from Math-U-See, AIM strives to give students the confidence to learn better methods to succeed in addition and subtraction and thus excel in more complex math continuing on in their education. Accelerated Individualized Mastery (AIM) for Addition and Subtraction has 22 lessons.

• Accelerated – The opportunity for students to move quickly through a skill set they have not yet mastered, without extra distractions.
• Individualized – Each student is different, as are their learning preferences. Using as many approaches as possible, the program creates an environment for a student to master the skills they still need at their own pace.
• Mastery – In this program, mastery means that a student can recall all the math facts using as little mental energy as possible to remain engaged in the process of problem solving.

Accelerated Individualized Mastery (AIM) for Addition and Subtraction Kit

Accelerated Individualized Mastery (AIM) Contents:

• Resource Guide Step-by-step guide that includes the techniques, components, and instruction for presenting fact strategies and practicing for mastery. Includes 22 lesson plans.
• Integer Blocks Proven Math-U-See manipulatives illustrate strategies and are integrated within the instructional materials.
• Colored Pencils Pencils aligned to the color of the integer blocks to help students transition from using the manipulatives.
• Fact Check Cards Set of cards used for planning instruction and assessing mastery.
• Math Facts Strategy Posters Individual posters illustrating the Math-U-See addition fact strategies.
• Digital Pack Set includes code to redeem 12-months access to the AIM for Addition and Subtraction Digital Pack. This gives you access to all the online and downloadable activities and resources. This includes the AIM for Success Videos that highlight the key concepts and components that make up the AIM program.

Lesson 1 and 2 in the Digital Tool-Box.

Getting to and using the Digital Pack that comes with the kit after it has been purchased is easy. Once you have purchased the Accelerated Individualized Mastery (AIM) for Addition and Subtraction and it has arrived at your home you will receive a Digital Access card inside the box. This will give you access to the Digital Tool-Box online, just follow the directions to sign up. This gives you access to lesson videos, instruction, solutions, and printable resources. There is a pull down menu for Math-U-See and Accelerated Individualized Mastery on the left. Pick Accelerated Individualized Mastery. On the right hand pull down menu select Addition and Subtraction. Once you select a lesson you can play the Streaming Instruction Video and/or click on the pull down menus underneath each video with printable PDF links for a Lesson Summary and Lesson Solutions. There are also Additional Activities and Resources that you can also print out.


How We Used This and Our Thoughts:

I used this program with my daughter Zari, who is 9 years old. She uses her fingers and tallying to add and subtract and I would like to get her away from these ineffective strategies so that it doesn't become a stumbling block later. Zari and I are familiar with Math-U-See and how the program works because we had tried the Primer kit when Zari was in preschool. Now that she is in 3rd grade I believe the Accelerated Individualized Mastery (AIM) for Addition and Subtraction will get her back on the right track for math and help her become more positive in her skills.

First Zari did the Before AIM Assessment so that we could see where she was with her single-digit addition and subtraction facts. This assessment is an important step to know whether or not your student will need the Accelerated Individualized Mastery (AIM) for Addition and Subtraction kit. It is something I recommend doing with your child before purchasing. In this assessment 64 addition and 64 subtraction facts are asked verbally to the student in a stress free environment. Students being assessed can take a break after 2 minutes. If the student scores higher than 109 then AIM probably isn't for your student.  However, if the student scores below 108 then AIM will help the student with their math fluency. Zari was assessed as needing this instruction so we proceeded onto the lessons.

This is what I did before most lessons:

• Watch lesson video
• Read lesson instructions
• Study example problems
• Gather lesson materials

These are the sessions of most lessons:

• Session A: Present Lesson Instruction (Lesson 1 only has this)
• Session B: Demonstrate Understanding
• Session C: Transition Math Facts to Visual Memory
• Session D: Assess for Mastery

Zari doing the activities and resources in Lesson 1.

Zari loved the activities and resources parts of the instruction the most. In Lesson 1 her favorite was the matching game where we matched up pairs of numerals to integer block after she colored them the correct colors to match the real blocks with the colored pencils that came with the kit. I thought she did very well with the activity sheets too in getting to learn the colors that went with each block and numeral, 1-10. After mastering them we moved onto lesson 2.

Lesson 2 was all about addition with 2. In Session A Zari practiced counting by twos to ten. Then she practiced counting by odd numbers to 9 and took a break. Then in Session B we used the Build, Write, Say method to solve problems. She builds the equation with the manipulatives, writes it out in numerals and signs, and then says the equation out loud. After doing these we took another break. In Session C I assess whether she can draw, write, and say the math facts from this lesson and if not we work on those. Last, in Session D we use the fact check cards to see whether Zari can recall the facts covered in this lesson. If she can I color one star for each fact known and repeat until all 3 stars are filled in. After this we went onto the Digital Tool-Box and did one of the activities, Sum Solitaire. Zari did very well with this lesson, mastered all the facts, and so we moved onto the next one.

I think that Zari is having fun doing these lessons and learning addition and subtraction without counting on her fingers. The instruction of the Math-U-See Accelerated Individualized Mastery (AIM) for Addition and Subtraction is outstanding and well put together. I highly recommend it if your student needs this to succeed in math. Have them take the Before AIM Assessment to find out.


BUY IT
You can purchase AIM for Addition and Subtraction for $39. Please have your student take the assessment to see if they need this before purchasing.


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