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 

 

Read other homeschool curriculum reviews for Home School in the Woods...

Emily Lex Watercolor Package and Classes Review and May Flowers Giveaway #EmilyLex #Watercolors #WatercolorClass #MayFlowers #favoritethings #emilylexstudio

 

Disclaimer: I received complimentary product through FrontGate Media in exchange for my honest review. I was not required to write a positive review nor was I compensated in any other way.

Emily Lex is an artist that makes pretty watercolor art and words of encouragement. Her work has been featured on HGTV, Better Homes & Gardens, Magnolia Journal and more. She also has a shop full of lovely things that she has created: watercolor workbooks, art prints, Truth for Today cards, Kids Truth for Today cards, Freely and Lightly book, Twirl children's book and stands for the cards. She also teaches online classes on how to paint with watercolor and do fancy penmanship.

 

Emily Lex package of products.

 

We received a very generous package for this review:

• A watercolor flowers workbook
• A watercolor animals workbook
  
• Truth for Today cards
• Kids Truth for Today cards
• A brass stand
• PLUS free registration for all 3 of her online, go at your own pace watercolor classes including one for kids! 

 

Emily Lex Watercolor Workbooks: Animal (above) and Flower (below).

 

There are two watercolor workbooks: Watercolor Workbook Flowers and Watercolor Workbook Animals. Each watercolor workbook has you create 10 watercolor pictures with the help of a reference page, instructions, and a faint sketch. They have forty-two 7" x 9" spiral bound lay flat pages professionally printed on slightly textured paper. Each workbook has original watercolor artwork + sketches by Emily Lex. The reference page has a picture of the completed art, paint palette of colors, and simple instructions to help you. The sketch page has a light sketch outline that gets you started with the art. This sketch page can be painted directly onto it because it is made of watercolor paper.

 

Examples of Emily Lex Truth for Today Cards (left) and Kids Truth for Today Cards (right)

 

There are two different packs of Truth for Today cards: one regular version and one for kids. Each card set has 31 cards with original watercolor artwork by Emily Lex and a scripture verse. These are 4" x 4" cards made out of 120lb cotton texture eggshell paper. There are also two different types of holders for the cards to sit in: brass and gold card stand. They are both sold separately from the cards. We received brass card holder. It is solid brass with a brushed finish. Emily Lex has three courses you can take: Simplified Penmanship, Simplified Watercolor, and Watercolor for Kids. These classes are online and you can watch them on any device. After purchase you get instant unlimited access to the video course chosen. You can work at your own pace and can pause and replay any lesson at your leisure. Each course has 8-10 video lessons. Supply lists, project templates, and guides are included. Simplified Penmanship is a course to learn better handwriting skills. You can use this to write notes, letters, address envelopes, create artwork, write on a chalkboard, and write legibly and beautifully. Simplified Watercolor is a course that teaches watercolor basics and then helps you create lovely watercolor paintings that you can be proud to display. Watercolor for Kids is a course for kids of all ages. These lessons will teach your young aspiring artist techniques for mixing paint, caring for a brush, and stroke-making, then practice making fun watercolor art cute enough to proudly display.

 

My Thoughts:

I have not done very much watercolor painting on my own, except for the "Paint With Water" books I did as a child. These were fun, but did not really teach me the fundamentals of how to paint with watercolor. I have always wanted to learn those basics, but never took the time or had the chance. When I received the opportunity of reviewing the Emily Lex Watercolor Package and Classes I jumped at the chance. 

I first received the package of watercolor goodies in the mail and opened it up. There were so many fantastic things inside. I cannot wait to thoroughly dive into everything offered.

I looked through the watercolor booklets and am very excited especially to do the whale in the animals workbook and the sunflower in the flowers workbook...2 of my favorite things! There are so many other pages that look like fun also! The instructions on the reference pages look fairly simple to follow and you can paint directly onto the page with the outlined sketch, so no need for buying a watercolor pad of paper. The sketch makes it very easy to know the outline of the painting and you do not need to know how to draw to do these. There are also blank pages to practice what you have learned with watercolor or just do your own thing. I also love that they are perfect for taking with you on trips or outdoors when the weather is nice and they don't need any screen time to do.

The Truth for Today and Kids Truth for Today cards are just lovely. I love the illustrations from Emily Lex and bible verses on each one. These are gentle reminders of scripture truths. They are a wonderful way to start the morning with and would be great as gifts for someone that needs uplifting. Both sets of cards are great for anyone, regardless of age.

I love how the Truth for Today cards can be displayed in the brass holder that we also received. Make sure to place the cards in it the correct way so that the card angles slightly back not forward this way you can read the bible chapter and verse number. This sleek and stylish brass holder can also hold other things as well...like a recipe card.

Here are my finished art from some of the Emily Lex Simplified Watercolor lessons.

There were three different courses that we were also given: Simplified Penmanship, Simplified Watercolor, and Watercolor for Kids. I have been doing the Simplified Watercolor class. It is a great step-by-step watercolor class for a beginner like me or artists who would like the practice. You can go at your own pace watching the videos, pause at anytime, go back if you missed something, and skip over the parts you already know if you want. In this she begins describing the supplies. I only had a cheap set of crayola watercolors, a nice paintbrush set I got as a gift, and a watercolor pad from my kids using our watercolor crayon set. She said that using the cheap paints would be fine, but as you get better with the art then you might want to purchase a better set and she listed a few. She went over some techniques in the third and forth lessons and then we started painting actual pictures of things. There are also bonus lessons at the end as well. I loved how it also checked off the lessons I had done so that I would know where I was the next time I logged in. I could also still go back through the finished lessons if I needed to. I loved painting the Seascape the most so far, but the Dot Project was fun too. I know that my kids are going to enjoy the Watercolor for Kids class. I looked it over and I might even do the lessons right along with them. The Simplified Penmanship class is going to be very good for me. My penmanship is not too bad, but I would love to do better with my writing and learn some fancy lettering too. I cannot wait to get all the way through these. I have learned so much already and there is so much more to go.

I highly recommend all that Emily Lex has to offer. Her products and classes are so much fun and would make great gifts. I am very pleased with everything we received and want to thank her for being so generous so that we could try a bunch of things. Everything here is fabulous! I encourage you to check Emily Lex out for yourself.

 

 

WIN IT

• Prize: Win the May Flowers Giveaway
  
• Host: Emily Lex.
• Who Can Enter: Open to US and Canadian residents 13 years or older.
• Selection Process: 3 Winners will be selected on 05/30/2021.
  
• Where to Enter: Go to this link https://emilylex.com/may-flowers-ga and fill out the form to enter.

 

BUY IT

Purchase products and classes from Emily Lex's Shop.

Learn more about Emily here: https://emilylex.com/about/ and on IG: https://www.instagram.com/emilylexstudio/ and on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/emilylexstudio/

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.


Follow Them on Social Media:

• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mathusee 
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/mathusee 
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• Hashtags: #hsreview #MathUSee #HomeschoolMath #AcceleratedIndividualizedMastery #Multiplication #MultiplicationFacts

Read other homeschool curriculum reviews for Math-U-See Accelerated Individualized Mastery (AIM) for Multiplication with a Bridge to Division...

SchoolhouseTeachers.com Ultimate PreK-12 Annual Membership 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. Affiliate links are in this posting. Thanks for supporting my blog.

My family had the privilege of trying the Ultimate PreK-12 Annual Membership from SchoolhouseTeachers.com 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.

SchoolhouseTeachers.com is a wonderful homeschooling website for wholesome Christian worldview based courses which saves time, resources, and money. They are self-paced and flexible for you and your children and once you start the membership you have all their Christian homeschool curriculum right at your fingertips. They have courses in many subject, including: Bible, Language Arts, Math, History, Geography, Social Studies, Science, Art, Computer, Drama/Speech, Languages, Music, Health/Fitness, Electives, Unit Studies, Literacy Center, Preschool, Learning Center. The curriculum is very flexible. You can build your own curriculum or use the information found in the Scope & Sequence to put a subject or grade together. Parents can easily build a customized curriculum that matches the specific needs of their children. This is an online membership with downloadable, printable elements as well as online classes and video components. Interactive courses are also being added as well so that the parent or guardian doesn't have to directly teach the student. All updates and enhancements to courses are included in the membership, so as more interactive courses become available, they are automatically added to your membership. Once you have your membership you can browse by grade: learning together, elementary, middle school, and high school or by subject.

Subjects Included in Membership

 

There are also School Boxes at no extra cost. These are like boxed curriculum, but are in digital format in SchoolhouseTeachers for your convenience. They come with your membership and include all you need to teach your student at home. Included is a curriculum guide for each subject that correlates with the Scope and Sequence, weekly checklists to keep you on track, daily checklists that guide you and your student through each activity, direct links to the SchoolhouseTeachers courses and resources you need by the week, all the additional suggested materials for the year listed in one place, and links to additional SchoolhouseTeachers resources for those days you want to spend more time on a topic your kids love.

 

SchoolhouseTeachers School Boxes

 

Under resources you can also find back issues of the The Old Schoolhouse Trade Magazine in digital format. With your subscription you will be able to read so many awesome articles on homeschooling. I love that they have this as well because I can read articles that I might have missed in the previous years.

There is also a Literacy Center that helps teach your child how to read in 101 simple steps. The Literacy Center covers pre-reading and reading from a preschool-2nd grade level and reading comprehension through a 3rd-4th grade level. In this center they have downloadable books for Kindergarten, 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and 4th grades. There are also other series and classics as well to read. 

The Focused Learning Centers are also included in the membership. These are resources available when your student needs help in a particular area. They have resources for math, reading, special needs, foreign language, high school, college planning, or science.

A SchoolhouseTeachers membership is one price for the entire family with courses for all ages. From preschool through the last high school year, SchoolhouseTeachers has it covered, and the price is locked-in for as long as you keep your membership!
 

How We Used This and Our Thoughts: 

During our review period we checked out SchoolhouseTeachers and their "Christmas Corner" since Christmas was coming up. You can find it under the resources tab in the Holiday and Seasonal Content. We downloaded the Finding Christ in Christmas Activities PDF. It was basically a advent calendar for the month of December. Each day had an activity and a related scripture. All activities focused around Christ and his teachings about love for others. December 30th was make a food pine cone for the birds and we found out that we were doing this for both these lessons and a lesson in the "Let's Do Science Outside" that we were also going through this year. In the "Christmas Corner they also had Christmas themed videos for both kids and the rest of the family and other Christmas themed lessons that spanned subjects, for example: learning about the animals of the nativity, building a gingerbread house, copywork and lapbooking, learning about what Christmas was like in the renaissance, and learning to play Joy to the World on a violin, etc.

 

SchoolhouseTeachers Let's Do Science Outside Overview

 

We checked out the 4th grade science out because my daughter, Zari, loves science and this would be age appropriate for her. We looked at all the curriculum and settled on the "Let's Do Science Outside" lessons. We had previously done the "Let's Do Art Outside" lessons last year and thought this would be fun to do as well. The "Let's Do Science" has a lesson plan and 20+ lessons that you can download and print in PDF format. The Lesson Plan is a PDF and has the class length, schedule, resources needed, instructions, lessons completed (you check the box by each lesson as soon as they are finished), and a table with date, lesson, materials required, and notes that you can fill in yourself. Each activity has fun things to do with science outside. We love being outdoors in nature and doing lessons outside is a big plus because it gets the wiggles out and lets minds explore. I thought that overall the lessons all looked like fun and so we picked one to do that my daughter was interested in doing. She picked the one called "Natural Pine Cone Bird Feeder". Since it is winter birds need the extra food and fat that these give them. We had a lot of great pine cones from an evergreen tree that drop them in our backyard, so she went out and found a good one to use. We didn't have lard like it said in the recipe to use so instead we used peanut butter because that is a great alternative. She had a lot of fun with this lesson and definitely will want to do more of the lessons when it isn't as wet outside.

 

Zari Making the Natural Pine Cone Bird Seed Feeder.

 

Lessons of Let's Do Science Outside... 

1. Make Your Own Wormery
2. Making a Wormery Step-by-Step Instructions 
3. What to Feed Worms in Your Wormery 
4. All About the Worms in Your Wormery 
5. Wormery Sequencing Sheets
6. Build a Boat 
7. Butterfly Life Cycle Windsock Craft
8. Carrot Family
9. Design Your Own Flower Activity
10. Design Your Own Flower Activity - My Flower Design Sheet
11. Five Sense Scavenger Hunt 
12. Flower Finder Mini Book
13. Hotel Fit for Some Bugs Activity
14. Hotel Fit for Some Bugs Activity Recording Sheet
15. Hotel Fit for Some Bugs Activity (Advanced)
16. Leaf Perimeter Problem
17. Make Your Own Butterfly Garden 
18. Make Your Own Butterfly Garden Activity - Butterfly Checklist
19. Make Your Own Butterfly Garden Activity-Butterfly Shape Cut Outs
20. Make Your Own Worm Hotel Activity with Questions
21. Making Bubbles
22. Natural Pine Cone Bird Feeder
23. Nature Walk Bug Hunt
24. Nature Walk Observation Checklist
25. Nature Walk Plants and Flowers Hunt
26. Sycamore Seed Helicopter Activity
27. Sycamore Seed Helicopter Fantastic Flight Challenge 
28. Tree ID Activity
29. Tree Tally Chart
    

 

There is also a great video library that you get access to with the membership of SchoolhouseTeachers. This has 450+ videos across several academic areas, as well as kids’ entertainment, marriage and parenting, apologetics, Bible study, and holidays. There are some videos in this library that are hosted on RightNow Media. You will need to have an account with RightNow Media in order to view these videos. These videos are noted by the orange banner in the upper right hand corner of the image. The videos that are strictly North American are noted by the red banner in the upper right hand corner of the image. There are videos that are only included in the Ultimate membership and these are noted by the blue banner in the upper right hand corner of the image. Some of the videos in the library are parts of the many classes on the SchoolhouseTeachers site. The video page is a library with all the videos rounded up in one place so that you can find them easily and all together. If you click on the images then it goes directly to the lessons they go with or the streaming video on their site. We absolutely love the Drive Thru History videos and Violin and Guitar lesson videos.

I love that with this membership you have the flexibility and ability to build a customized complete curriculum. You can create a schedule for each of your children using their Schedule Builder. You can choose a weekly schedule or a 9 week schedule. The scope and sequence will help you build you schedule and know what needs to be taught depending upon the grade or subject. You can build a whole curriculum for your child or pick and choose courses to use as a supplement to your child's education.

There are so many pockets on the SchoolhouseTeachers that I have not even gotten a chance to see yet and they keep on adding more things. I definitely haven't mentioned everything. I am going to love exploring more and expanding both mine and my children's learning. I know I can count on SchoolhouseTeachers to have wholesome Christian based lessons which save me time, resources, and money.

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Home School in the Woods Time Travelers: Colonial Life 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 Time Travelers U.S. History Studies Colonial Life 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

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: Colonial Life:

1. America's Colonies Begin
2. The Colonial Home Pt. 1
3. The Colonial Home Pt. 2
4. The Colonial Home Pt. 3
5. PROJECT DAY - 1
6. Colonial Clothing
7. Colonial Food
8. Family Life
9. The Colonial School
10. PROJECT DAY - 2
11. Faith in the Colonies Pt. 1
12. Faith in the Colonies Pt. 2
13. Colonial Pleasures & Pastimes
14. Villages & Cities
15. PROJECT DAY - 3
16. Health & Medicine
17. Colonial Artisans Pt. 1
18. Colonial Artisans Pt. 2
19. Holidays in the Colonies
20. PROJECT DAY - 4
21. Crime & Punishment
22. Plantations & Slavery
23. PROJECT DAY - 5
24. Pulling the Lap Book™ Together
25. Colonial Spree!

How We Used This and Our Thoughts:
I enlisted my daughter Zari, who was in 3rd grade this past school year, to learn about Colonial Life. 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.

Zari coloring the Colonial Farm pages.

This study was jam packed with information. This is all about early U.S. History. It is about the growth of this nation and the people that left their mark on it. In the weeks we had before this review we learned about The Lost Colony & Jamestown, The First Thirteen Colonies, Indentured Servants and Slaves, 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 Colonial Spree 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.

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.

Old-Peas Soup

Zari really liked our project time together the most. She loves art and making things. She especially loved making the yummy Old-Peas Soup from one of the A Book of Goode Cookery Colonial cookbook recipes. This was like split pea soup in my opinion. She also loved learning and playing the games. We can't wait to make the Rope Bed, Colonial attire to dress up, a loom to weave on, an apple head doll, an embroidery sampler, silhouette art, quilling, a punch tin candle holder, and the other recipes etc. We are learning a lot and are enjoying every moment. These are so much fun!

I highly recommend the Time Travelers American History Study: Colonial Life from Home School in the Woods. This is great for anyone homeschooling who might need some help with teaching Colonial Life 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! There is also a U.S. Elections Lap-Pak that is relevant now because of the presidential election coming up this year.

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You can purchase the download version of the Time Travelers U.S. History Studies Colonial Life 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 #ColonialLife #history #unitstudies #lapbooking #HistoryUnitStudies #HomeschoolHistory #handson #ushistory #americanhistory

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Math Shed/Spelling Shed 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 a one-year subscription to both Math Shed and Spelling Shed by EdShed 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.

Math Shed and Spelling Shed is an online subscription from EdShed a.k.a. Education Shed Inc.. Besides Math Shed and Spelling Shed they also have Literacy Shed and Literacy Shed Plus. These are programs for first through fifth graders. They teach in a interactive online game format so your little one stays engaged. The subscription gives you a whole year access to the Teacher Hub and Web Game for up to 5 students. The Teachers Hub allows simple management of student records, student groups called leagues, assignments and student achievement data, teachers and classes. The Web Game works on all current desktop, laptop, tablet and mobile devices. Each user/student gets to create their own individual login.

You can switch easily between Spelling Shed & Math Shed by clicking the three lines at the top.

Spelling Shed includes a whole-school spelling curriculum. This covers 100% of the Common Core and state ELA spelling standards. You can create your own unlimited spelling lists and also search for others' lists within the program. With subscription you have the ability to set and monitor homework assignments for example; weekly spelling lists. Besides the online game there is an iOS app for students to use to practise spelling at an additional cost. Whole-class Hive Games that allow all students to play alongside each other instead of doing a weekly spelling test. This can be used as a whole-school curriculum or as a supplement with other spelling programs.

Math Shed works in conjunction with Spelling Shed to help develop learners retention and recall of number facts. This includes mastery teaching slides that follow a whole-school approach and White Rose math without worksheets. Math Shed covers a broad set of math skills including number-bonds and times-tables. With subscription you have the ability to set and monitor homework assignments for example; weekly multiplication tables practice. Besides the online game there is an iOS app for students to use to practise math at an additional cost. Includes a Year 4 multiplication tables check simulator to help students practise for the assessment. Math Shed can be used with a small group to improve a specific skill or across an entire school with different number skills that are targeted across many year groups.


Who This Would Be a Good Fit For and Our Thoughts:

Spelling Shed and Math Shed are great online programs for 1st to fifth grader or kids that need to brush up on their spelling and/or math. My daughter Zari who is in 3rd grade and I tried these platforms out. She was right in the age bracket for these.

After I created an account for my daughter in the Teachers Hub and created my avatar, I logged out and she logged in. She had her own account with user name and password that I set up for her. The first thing my daughter Zari did was create her personalized avatar. We noticed that some of the things that they had to pick from were locked because she didn't have any points yet, so we went with the basic free stuff. We learned that to upgrade the avatar with some of the more costly accessories you would need to earn Honeypots by answering questions correctly within the game.

 My and Zari's Personalized Avatars.

If I log back in it will automatically go to the Account Home. From there you can find additional resources. The Quick Start Guide is very helpful and is a great starting point. You can also watch a Training video, but this is very long and is geared towards classrooms with larger numbers of students. The Teacher Hub and Web Game can be accessed from here. The Resources at the bottom are very helpful as well. For Spelling Shed there is Spelling Curriculum and Spelling Lists. We downloaded the Stage 3 spelling curriculum because Zari is in grade 3 and this pertained to her. These can be downloaded in PDF or PowerPoint format. Each curriculum has 36 weekly spelling lists based on state standards and is downloadable. For each spelling list, they include a 20-30 minute lesson plan, resources to aid in giving the lesson, one spelling practice sheet, and one homework sheet. Under Spelling Lists you can view the lists that pertain to your student's stage. I wish you could download and print these out within the program. For Math Shed there is teaching resources from reception (pre-k) to year 6 (grade 5). Each year has an Autumn term, a Spring term, and a Summer term. These terms further break up into different blocks (usually 4-5 of them) of narrowed math topics, like place value or addition & subtraction. When you pick a block it will give you a list of around 4-13 teaching slides for the subject to be narrowed down further. These slides are in PowerPoint for each concept in math that is taught for that term. Since Zari is in 3rd grade this would be the equivalent of year 4. There are also additional resources for Literacy Shed, but since that platform is something we didn't get I am not going to go into those.

Account Home page with Guides at the top and Resources at the bottom.

Spelling Shed Spelling Curriculum and Spelling Lists for Stage 3.

Math Shed Teaching Resources, Year 4 Autumn Term Block 3 (clockwise).

In the Teachers Hub you can make assignments for your student. You can pick what day the assignment is available from and when the assignment (game) expires. You can choose from Spelling or Math. Both spelling and math had where you can pick lists from the curriculum or make your own. For Spelling if you picked curriculum you could pick Spelling Shed, Dolch, Fry, UIL Grades 3-4, UIL Grades 5-6, and UIL Grades 7-8. From there you can select drop down menus to pick a stage or list to have them play in the game. For math you can pick from Number Bonds, Times Tables, Powers of 10, Add & Subtract, and More. From there you can select drop down menus to pick the game to have the student play.

Assignment creator for Spelling Shed (top) and Math Shed (bottom).

The Spelling Shed game has several different stages and difficulty levels that you can pick from within the game. Make sure your sound is on and working before your student plays. First you choose from Stages 1 and 2, Stage 3, and Stages 4 and 5. After you pick play it will ask you what difficulty you would like to play in. You can also choose from easy, medium, hard, or extreme levels within those stages. The easy level says a word out loud with an audio file and shows it to you with the part of speech and definition. When you click go you have to unscramble the letters to spell the word correctly. In the medium level you have to unscramble letters without word shown, but it does have the audio file. The hard level has a audio file of the word with extra letters that you don't use when you are unscrambling the word. The extreme version has all the letters and some punctuation in order of a keyboard to choose from with an audio file of the word. There are also Bonus Games: Bee Keeper (hangman with bees) and Missing Word (spell the missing word in the sentence).

In the Spelling Shed game pick your Stage, hit play, and pick your level.

Spelling Shed game Easy level (clockwise).

Spelling Shed game Medium level.

Spelling Shed game Hard level.

Spelling Shed game Extreme level.

The Math Shed game has several different sections and math practice that you can pick from within the game.  Make sure your sound is on and working before your student plays. First you choose from Number Bonds, Times Tables, Powers of 10, Add & Subtract, and More. After choosing one of these there will be different math topics to choose from within each of these. Most of the Math Shed games have the problem to solve at the top and multiple choice answers to pick from.You have 60 seconds to complete as many problems correctly as you can. The Math Shed games have a fun outer space theme.

Math Shed Game.

For using Spelling Shed with homeschooling I would suggest parents give their students weekly spelling lists and do the lesson in the curriculum that is provided for that week. After that students can play the games that relate to the lessons for that week.

For using Math Shed with homeschooling I would suggest parents have the student watch the PowerPoint lesson of the week and do the activities to practice the new skills. At the end of each lesson there is an assessment to see if the skills were learned. After this students can play the games that relate to the lessons for that week.

We liked both Spelling Shed and Math Shed. I like that there is a curriculum for roughly a whole school year for both spelling and math. This program is not only great for teachers in a public classroom setting, but also great for homeschooling or after schooling as well. I really liked the flexibility and how I can monitor the student's progress. Since we are going into our summer vacation I can see it helping Zari make sure she does not forget the spelling words, vocabulary, literacy, and math facts / problems that we have worked on all year.

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You can try Spelling Shed or Math Shed free for 30 days - no credit card required! If you do want a subscription, it's only $24.95 for an entire year for each program. If you buy them both you get a 15% discount!

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