Creation Illustrated Unit Studies Review

Creation Illustrated is a published print and digital periodical. Produced with outstanding quality and beauty, the family produced magazine is true to the family's publishing mission "...to share the wonders of God's creation." 

Review Crew members were offered access to two Creation Illustrated editions and the additional materials of one corresponding unit study for each to use and review. Downloadable unit studies focusing on Pine Trees and Intricacies of Snow were made available along with the Fall '17 Digital Edition and the Winter '18 Digital Edition. 

The publishers of Creation Illustrated take the appreciation and learning possibilities a step, (or two) further, with these additional educational materials. The educational materials are compiled into thorough unit study packages for students and teachers to increase understanding and appreciation of the natural world. The unit studies are suitable for home or classroom. They include a complete range of lessons incorporating an approach from many disciplines from language arts, to geography, to bible study and math. Compiled for Grades 5-8, I agree with the Unit Study tagline, "Primarily for Grades 5-8, but valuable lessons can be gained by everyone!"

My home school student and I chose to focus on the Creation Unit Study of Pine Trees. Given that we live on a suburban property that includes many evergreen trees, it seemed an ideal opportunity to learn more about the ever present evergreens that surround our home. Each Unit Study package begins with a useful list of reading and educational resources to use. The list begins with a link to The Creation Illustrated edition that relates to the subject matter but also includes other resources to augment the study. As a homeschooling parent, I appreciate having a list that someone has taken the time to create. Finding the right resources can take a lot of time. The resource list of reading and video resources alone is a valuable addition to the study of the topic of Pine Trees. All of the suggested activities presented an interesting approach to the study. The vocabulary was extensive enough to increase a students word usage and also, in our case, offer some validation of already understood language. As a family that appreciates and creates art and crafts, the addition of a drawing suggestion is also welcome.

The "Intricacies of Snow" Unit Study package follows the same format as that of "Pine Trees" with a resource list and activities based on different disciplines. The Snow Science page, while condensed includes many science concepts. In this unit study the vocabulary is also an important component. And including two art activities brings it all back around to the joy of learning for us.


Creation Illustrated periodicals include photographs that are stunning. The articles include fascinating information that improve one's understanding and appreciation of God's creation. The unit studies are thoughtful resources that add further to that comprehension. These resources are beautiful and comprehensive. They have presented ideas for approaching a given topic and have added value to our home school learning this season.

Second Language Learning - Family Unit Study

As a homeschooling mom, I kind of think of our whole life, as a family, as one big unit study.
A few of the ongoing study questions for the (not)quiz are;
How do we best live our lives?
How do we contribute to the well being of the lives of others?
How do we provide for ourselves?
What is the next set of skills I need to develop to accomplish?..... whatever the next goal is.

Yes, I'm a big picture person, but the big picture often leads into very interesting nooks and crannies. For example, like many others, one of my big picture ideas is that it is important to be aware of other cultures and understand that there are many countries, languages, customs to experience and understand to some degree. That idea has led us to hosting an exchange student this year.

Our exchange student is from Mexico and is the same age as my home schooled daughter. She attends school, but her presence in our family is influencing my homeschooling choices with my daughter. Her presence is also influencing my daughter's personal study choices. She has, as a result of more personal and direct exposure to the Spanish language, been more diligent about her own daily study and practice of Spanish.

For a teen, there's nothing quite like seeing someone of your own age be proficient in two languages to shine a little light on your own deficiency. My children are seeing first hand the usefulness of being bi-lingual. They are also becoming acutely aware of the need to use and speak a second language on a daily basis to become a master of it. Observing our student's process and progress in the English language is enlightening.

We are all adjusting to our new situation and learning not to take for granted what someone else experiences or understands or needs. We are all experiencing first hand the differences in how we each see things and how each of our view points have developed out of different cultural backgrounds. My children are seeing how our culture and life circumstances influence how we see things, what we expect and what we assume. We are all learning not to take too much for granted in our expectations. We are developing a deeper sense of the importance of communication between individuals, how cultural assumptions can lead to misunderstandings and also how reaching out to understand our differences can enrich our lives.