Memoria Press The Book of Trees Review

My family had the privilege of trying The Book of Trees from Memoria Press for this review to use in conjunction with our own homeschool curriculum. This is a Homeschool Review Crew Review. All opinions expressed are my own or those of my family.

Memoria Press is a family-run publishing company that produces simple and easy-to-use classical Christian education materials for home and private schools. It was founded by a woman named Cheryl Lowe in 1994. They currently have preschool through ninth grade in most of their curriculum and some through twelfth grade. They also cover subjects in: Classical Core Curriculum, Latin, Classical Studies, Christian Studies, Logic & Rhetoric, Phonics & Early Reading, Penmanship, Literature & Poetry, American & Modern Studies, Writing & English Grammar, Science & Math, Greek, Modern Languages, Educational Resources, eBooks, Special-Needs, and Art & Music. I have also heard very good things about their Latin Curriculum.

For this review Memoria Press sent us a set of their three books for The Book of Trees: The Book of Trees Reader: An Introduction to Botany Through the Study of Trees, The Book of Trees Student Book, and The Book of Trees Teacher Guide. These are geared towards 6-8th graders. We purchased the other two books, that are recommended by the vendor as reference materials for the main 3, separately that usually comes in the complete set of The Book of Trees: The Tree Book For Kids and Their Grown-ups and the Peterson First Guide to Trees of North America. You can purchase all of these books separately as well, but the first three are necessary as a set for doing this unit study. The last two are up to you to purchase as they are referred to in the main 3 books, but you can find all of the information that you need online on the internet for researching the topics.

The Book of Trees Reader is a softcover book that teaches about botany through trees. It contains 83 pages and 9 chapters total, with the last two being for advanced work. These are all short and thorough. The chapters cover: The Beauty of Trees, The Root System, The Stem, The Leaves, Flowers, Fruits, Observing Trees, Photosynthesis, and Respiration. This has black and white drawings and photos throughout to show things in more detail.

The Book of Trees Student Book is a softcover consumable workbook that teaches about botany through trees that is to be used by one student. The prologue of the workbook goes through and tells goals that should be learned by completing this workbook and a Model Lesson Plan that shows what should be done by the teacher and student. It goes by unit rather than by chapter and contains five units, the last being the advanced work unit. Each unit has two to five lessons each with a total of 21 lessons including the advanced work.  Each lesson under each unit has these sections: Reading and Questions, Diagrams and Labeling, & Activities. In between lesson 15 and lesson 16 there is a Tree Observation section that has you pick a tree and observe it, collecting specimens and studying it by answering questions, identifying it, doing some research about it, and sketching its parts. You can do this up to 15 times in the workbook. At the end of each unit is a review of that unit. Unit four has the final exam at the end.

The Book of Trees Teacher Guide is a softcover guide that helps the teacher. It is basically an answer key for the Student Book and follows the same outline as it as well. It has all the completed pages of the Student Book filled out, as well as answers for quizzes, tests, and exams.

How We Used This and Our Thoughts:

We love Memoria Press and their classical christian curriculum for our homeschooling! We have a bunch of their other studies and have found them all wonderful. We've been very blessed to have been able to also receive a number of their curriculum to review here.

The Book of Trees from Memoria Press is a great set for exploring botany with trees. My family loves trees and nature studies! This classical christian homeschool curriculum is fantastic! I love the content myself and enjoyed doing this with my third grader, Teela.

Teela is advanced in her studies and works on a 6th grade level on reading and writing so I picked her for this study. We had a lot of fun together doing this and did a lesson a week. Although the lessons are short and each lesson could probably be done in one day, we have other studies as well we are trying to get through and I didn't want to overwhelm her.

Even though we were sent just the mandatory products in the set I thought purchasing the two reference books would be a good idea. Not only would we have them when we hit a place where it told us to look up something on a certain page of each book, we would have them in our extensive homeschool library. Also, we found the Peterson First Guide to Trees of North America a great sized pocket field guide to take with us when we did nature studies on trees, went on road trips other places, or were out hiking. The Tree Book For Kids and Their Grown-ups is a wonderful tree book with lots of beautiful hand drawn illustrations in color. In fact it has been awarded the Garden Writers Association Award for Best Illustration. I am very glad I purchased these to accompany the main books. If you purchase the complete set of The Book of Trees from Memoria Press it will come with these books as well.

Teela reading The Book of Trees Reader.

We started out with the reading and would read the corresponding chapter for the lesson. Then she would answer the questions individually and ask for help if needed. I would check her answers that she had written down. Then she would do the diagrams and labeling later in the week after we had done some review. After that we would do the activities together and do additional external research. Then for last part of the week we would review again and have the quizzes/tests.

Memoria Press The Book of Trees Student Book

During our studies so far of trees and botany we learned about Plant Systems & Organs, The Root System, External and Internal Structure of the Stem, & the first section on Leaves. There is a lot of workbook work for this study with an abundance of writing and charts/diagrams to label. We like this because the reading seems to stick better if discussed and then written down.

One of the hands-on activities about roots

We, however; loved the hands on activities the best and wish there were more of these with the book work. We love going out into the field to study nature. Teela and I have been enjoying this study so far. There are so many trees we do not know about yet. We cannot wait to delve deeper and do the Tree Observations so that we can identify and learn more of the tree species right in and around our own neighborhood as well as many trees at Lake Sacagawea Park in Longview Washington.

We highly recommend The Book of Trees by Memoria Press! It is a great science curriculum that is fabulous to use for learning about botany and trees. I look forward to using other curriculum books from Memoria Press with my children in the future!

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Wordless Wednesday Cowlitz County Rocks

Zari and Teela found a Cowlitz County Rocks Happy rock at Lake Sacajawea.

The Cowlitz County Rocks we have found so far.

YWAM Publishing Heroes of History Meriwether Lewis: Off the Edge of the Map Review

My family had the privilege of trying the Heroes of History - Meriwether Lewis from YWAM Publishing for this review to use in conjunction with our own homeschool curriculum. This is a Homeschool Review Crew Review. All opinions expressed are my own or those of my family.

YWAM (YOUTH WITH A MISSION) Publishing is a nonprofit organization that produces and distributes books that help Christians make a difference in the world by giving a portion of every dollar spent to buy books through YWAM Publishing to children and adults in other countries that are in need. Their books focus on evangelism, educational training, prayer, discipleship, and mercy ministries.

YWAM Publishing has two popular book series; one called Heroes of History and the other called Christian Heroes: Then & Now; in which true stories are told of real people that lived in our history. In the Heroes of History series we learn about great men and woman who changed the course of history. In the Christian Heroes: Then & Now series we learn about ordinary people who have put their trust in God and in doing so accomplish extraordinary things. Both of these book series help us as: parents, teachers, and caretakers; give our children wholesome biographies to read or be read to that teach good character traits, values, and virtues.You can read more about them at: http://www.heroesthenandnow.com/.

Meriwether Lewis: Off the Edge of the Map Book

Meriwether Lewis: Off the Edge of the Map by Janet & Geoff Benge is part of a series of 28 biography books called Heroes of History by YWAM Publishing. This series covers the years 1451 to 1951. This book tells the true life story of Meriwether Lewis, President Thomas Jefferson's private secretary that was sent by him to be the leader and Captain of the Corps of Discovery (The famous Lewis and Clark Expedition of about 33 men) to explore the lands West of the Mississippi. With the help of his friend William Clark and later Sacagawea/Sacajawea and Sacagawea's husband, Touissant Charbonneau, they made the journey to the Pacific Ocean. This Christian biography book from YWAM Publishing about Meriwether Lewis teaches great character traits, values, and virtues too. This book covers the years 1774-1809. It chronicles his life from his birth to his death in 1809. It is a total of 18 chapters and 231 pages long. I had previously heard bits and pieces of his life and the expedition in history class at school while growing up, when I was visiting the Louisville Kentucky Frazier History Museum "The Lewis and Clark Experience" with my son, Jaedan; and reading about the history of Oregon and Washington before I read this biography book.

Meriwether Lewis Unit Study download page tab.

The Unit Study Curriculum Guide that is paired with the Meriwether Lewis: Off the Edge of the Map book that I received was in the digital downloadable format and opened as an executable file. The digital version is downloadable in a zipped format, so you will have to unzip before you use it. After selecting where it will go on your computer, unzip it, and find the folder it placed it all into. Find the file version you need: __MACOSX for Macintosh and the other for PC. Click on the file that has START HERE in its title and it will open in a new window in your browser. You can then read a very short synopsis of the biography under the Meriwether Lewis tab, download the unit study under the Unit Study tab, etc.

The Unit Study downloads in PDF format. It also has a 12 page guide for classroom and homeschool as well as one for a small group that tells you how to best use the unit study. This shows how flexible you can be with the unit study. You can do the whole study or just parts of it. It is all up to you how you use it. The unit study goes in depth to help you go above and beyond the book and explore other areas that pertain to the material like: crafts, cooking, art, and writing assignments; has questions to ask your children to see if they comprehended the reading, and quotes to use as copywork to enhance handwriting or memorization. The unit study is broken into two parts.

Here is the Unit Study Curriculum Guide Contents:
Part 1 -
Introduction (how to use the study)

1. Key Quotes (great for copywork, memorization, theatrical presentation, or art display)
2. Display Corner (an area designated for hands on display of items relating to the reading)
3. Chapter Questions (questions that enhance the reading: vocabulary, factual, 2 comprehension, and 2 open-ended)
4. Student Explorations (essay questions, creative writing, hands-on projects, audio/visual projects, arts & crafts)
5. Community Links (field trip ideas)
6. Social Studies (places, journeys, terms/vocabulary, geographical characteristics: mapping, timeline: plotting historical events, conceptual questions)
7. Related Themes to Explore (science, literature, folk culture, geography, history)
8. Culminating Event (sort of a show and tell ending, ideas include: literary, clothing, music, food, oral presentations, displays)

Appendix A: Books and Resources
Appendix B: Answers to Chapter Questions

Part 2 -
Appendix C: Social Studies Reproducibles


How We Used This and Our Thoughts:

I read the book to my daughters who are 6 and 9. Teela, my 9 year old wanted to read it herself, but we needed time to get through some of the study guide too. My sons who are 15 and 16 are reading it to themselves on their own time and have been doing some of the projects from the study guide. My girls enjoyed listening to me read about Meriwether Lewis.

After each chapter my girls and I did the first three questions from the study guide which are geared toward the younger students. They include a vocabulary question, a factual question coming from the reading, and the first comprehension question. The study guide is geared toward ages 10+. So I had to help them with the some of the vocabulary because of its advanced nature. We would look up the words in a dictionary and thesaurus as well, for more understanding. My boys, Jaedan and Delbin, who are 15 and 16, had no problem with the reading and vocabulary, but that is because they are voracious readers. I had my boys do all of the chapter questions. Besides the chapter questions I had my girls do copywork from the key quotes and I had my boys memorize them and say them back to me. I will have my sons do an essay as suggested in the study guide under the student explorations and essays. They also will be doing some creative writing.

We also went to other websites in the books and resources section of the study guide to learn more about the Indians, places the expedition traveled, food, etc. I loved especially learning about Meriwether's journal entries about plants and animals from these other resources. I love botany and this was great to see pictures and read about the first specimens of these plants preserved within the pages of his journal.

Sunrise Over Lewis and Clark Bridge, taken on March 13, 2015.

The town of Rainier Oregon, where I live, is across the Columbia River from Longview Washington. The bridge that connects our two cities is called the Lewis and Clark Bridge. It is of course named after the two explorers. In Longview there is a Lake Sacajawea Park which has a very nice statue of Sacajawea and Pomp. We visited there to learn more and have a homeschooling field trip.

Lake Sacajawea Park in Longview Washington

There was so much to learn and explore in this unit study. We were amazed at the very complexity of it all. We didn't even begin to scratch the surface and were still very engaged in the lengthy unit study.

The YWAM Publishing biographies are historical and true. These true stories along with the unit studies are great for homeschooling families. I highly recommend them!


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YWAM Publishing Heroes of History - Meriwether Lewis: Off the Edge of the Map book:
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NOW Women’s Probiotic 20 Billion Review & Giveaway #momsmeet

I received this product for free from Moms Meet (momsmeet.com) to use and post my honest opinions. Compensation for this post was provided. Affiliate links can be found in this post. Thank you for your support of this blog!

We received NOW® Women’s Probiotic 20 Billion, along with additional products: BerryDophilus™ Kids Probiotic, Super Enzymes, and brochures to try and review.

  
NOW® Women’s Probiotic 20 Billion is a dietary supplement that supports women's vaginal health, reduces occasional bloating, and supports a healthy immune system promoting feminine flora balance in every stage of a woman's life.* This probiotic is called 20 Billion because it has 20 billion Colony Forming Units or CFU. It has a blend of probiotic bacteria, good bacteria, that consists of these strands: Bifidobacterium lactis (HN019), Lactobacillus acidophilus (La-14), and Lactobacillus rhamnosus (HN001).

These are in smaller gel capsules for easy swallowing.  Women’s Probiotic 20 Billion are vegan, vegetarian, and gluten free. It is recommended to take one capsule daily. The bottle contains 50 veg capsules that should be refrigerated upon opening to help keep the ingredients fresh.

My Thoughts:
The Women’s Probiotic 20 Billion are easy to swallow. I took them when I was on my period and they seemed to alleviate the bloating. My friend tried these for her recurring UTI and she had good success. I like that these are especially formulated to support women's health.

NOW® BerryDophilus™ Kids Probiotic is a dietary supplement for children (age 2 & up) and adults that supports gastrointestinal health and a healthy immune system. It has a blend of probiotic bacteria, good bacteria, that consists of 10 strands: Lactobacillus acidophilus (La-14), Lactobacillus plantarum (Lp-115), Lactobacillus rhamnosus (Lr-32), Lactobacillus paracasei (Lpc-37), Lactobacillus salivarius (Ls-33), Bifidobacterium lactis (Bl-04), Bifidobacterium longum (Bl-05), Streptococcus thermophilus (St-21), Bifidobacterium breve (Bb-03), and Lactobacillus casei (Lc-11). This has 2 Billion CFU.

These chewable tablets are vegan and vegetarian friendly. They are sweetened with Xylitol, so they won't harm teeth and have a pleasant berry taste to them. It is recommended to take 1 tablet 1 to 3 times daily between meals or on an empty stomach. The bottle contains 60 chewables that should be refrigerated upon opening to help keep the ingredients fresh.

Our Thoughts:
The BerryDophilus™ Kids Probiotic is nice tasting and the chewables come in fun animal shapes of a hippo, lions, and elephant. My daughter's who are 9 and 6 especially liked the berry flavor. I thought they had a sweet zing to them. I love that they have Xylitol instead of sugar.

NOW® Super Enzymes is a dietary supplement for adults that supports healthy digestion; breaks down fats, carbohydrates, & protein, and improves efficiency of obtaining and absorbing nutrients. This is a combination of super enzymes including: Bromelain (from pineapple), Ox Bile, Pancreatin and Papain (from papaya).

These come in large gel capsules. It is recommended to take one capsule with a meal and to not have these if you are allergic to fresh pineapple or papaya. The bottle contains 180 capsules that should be stored in a cool, dry place after opening to help keep the ingredients fresh.

My Thoughts:
My oldest son is one that cannot take these because he is allergic to enzymes in fresh pineapple and papaya. I however; tried these and this solves a lot of digestive issues that I have had...especially with spicy foods and foods like broccoli which causes me gas. I like the idea that these also break down fats and carbs better.

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Suggested retail price for the Women’s Probiotic 20 Billion: $33.99

Women’s Probiotic 20 Billion is available to purchase at natural health food stores nationwide, and at amazon.com, iherb.com, and now-2-u.com. To find Women’s Probiotic 20 Billion in your area, visit: nowfoods.com/store-locator for the full list of locations.

Check out NOW’s probiotic chooser tool to help you pick the probiotic or gut health product that best fits your wellness needs: https://www.nowfoods.com/supplements/probiotic-gut-health-product-finder

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Prize: One bottle of NOW Women’s Probiotic 20 Billion

This giveaway is open to continental U.S. residents only! Only one entrant per mailing address, per giveaway. Winner is subject to eligibility verification.

Please click on this post link if you do not see the script for Rafflecopter below. Also, if there is anything that is wrong with it let me know by emailing me: finamoon AT gmail DOT com I will try my best at fixing it. Thanks for being awesome readers!

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DISCLOSURE/DISCLAIMER: I received this product for free from Moms Meet (momsmeet.com) to use and post my honest opinions. This post is sponsored. Compensation for this post was provided. Choice of winners and opinions are 100% my own and NOT influenced by monetary compensation. Affiliate links can be found in this post. Thank you for your support of this blog!

These statements have not been evaluated by the Food & Drug Administration. These products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.