NatureGlo's eScience Review

For myself, as a homeschooling mom, if life gets busy and academic subjects get short changed, it is usually math that suffers first. Despite having wonderful resources available, it is so easy for us to let slide the needed ongoing regular practice that is so important for maintaining the fundamental skills of math. So when we were offered access to NatureGlo's eScience curriculum of MathArt Online Class Bundle for reviewing it was an excellent opportunity. It provided added incentive to keep the math study going.

Math Connections with the Real World 6-week class

Math Art in Ancient Cultures 6-week class

Mathematics in the Arts and Sciences 6-week live or recorded class 

MathArt Patterns in Nature 6-week live or recorded class

For the review we focused on the course Math Connections with the Real World. Like the other courses available in the Bundle, it is laid out in lessons, for a six week class. Each class has between 5 and 9 lessons within. The lessons are divided into sections and consist of slide show power point lectures and videos from a variety of sources. There are downloadable and printable pages with questions encouraging interaction with the material presented in each lecture. Each class includes an online quiz at the end of the series of lessons. Each class also includes achievement awards for students to keep track of progress. A certificate of completion is also provided following the completion of the entire course.

A pyramid photo accompanys a
lesson achievement award.

MathArt Online includes a substantial amount of varied resources that reinforce the subject matter being presented. I went through the lessons of Math Connections with the Real World with my teen daughter. I was amazed to see all of the related video sources that Gloria Brooks has pulled together in one place to describe specific concepts. We were (o.k., I was) even delighted to view, as supplemental material, a 1957 Disney film featuring Donald Duck, explaining in quack speak, the magic of mathematics. There is so much information available to all of us online these days that finding the best and narrowing it down can be time consuming.

Connecting math and art.

I truly appreciate having someone else pull together this great variety of information into a lesson format. It reinforces the subject matter. Different videos or activities are useful for different people. Art activity suggestions aid in understanding the concepts. Including many videos from different sources also increases the chances of each student understanding the material. However, my daughter felt there were actually too many videos to view for completing each class. For her, for the presentation of certain concepts, less would have been more.

Gloria Brooks, the creator of NatureGlo's eScience, offers live online classes classes as well as the recorded lectures. The option to take a live class online has many benefits. And would certainly be a preference for some homeschooling families. For us, at this time in our homeschooling journey, adding a predetermined time to our schedule would have been difficult. The slide show lectures we viewed had previously been recorded from an online class. These recordings included the added interaction of students from the live class. The student voices increased the feeling of being in a class with others even though we were listening to a recording.


Initially getting started with the online course structure was a bit confusing but after following through a few times we had it down. After each activity, in each of the lessons, there is a mark complete button. It's a simple thing but because we thought we might return to review a section we didn't initially make use of the button. The general lesson on that was - follow directions - it made viewing through the sections much easier to navigate.

Overall NatureGlo's eScience courses are thorough, interactive and very well researched. We will continue to work through the series of classes and broaden our appreciation of and understanding of math connections in the real world. Thanks, Gloria for creating this comprehensive program!

Movie Night

Movie night was revived in our house to review Princess Cut from Watchman Pictures. Our currently full and busy schedule doesn't allow much time for family movie nights. The age range of teen through independent young adult to my husband and I, as well, (let's leave out the age reference here) parents of these, it has become increasingly difficult to find movies of interest to all of us.


Delighted to have something appropriate to view, my husband and I watched Princess Cut with our sixteen year old daughter. The subject matter of finding love and making plans for marriage is relevant to a teens interest and important for a family's conversations. Important considerations regarding choosing marriage partners are overlooked in our current culture, leaving the topic vague in discussions and leaving young people open to relationships of trial and error.


With a Christian perspective, Princess Cut presents the topic of marriage. It addresses considerations important in choosing a life partner in a warm and sweet way. It presents an approach not widely found currently in our dominate culture but one that deserves thoughtful attention. In the film, these considerations are all shared within the context of a family. A family actively transmitting values to younger members as they grapple with life transitions. The life phase of parenting young adults, in my experience, is not a frequently addressed parenting stage and is conveyed in this movie in a believable and welcome way. Most importantly, this film opens the door for and encourages viewers to continue the conversation within their own families about love and marriage. This movie is worth the viewing. Pop up some popcorn!

A Review of A Product That Acknowledges Achievement

This post is a review of a standard but high quality product that is available for recognizing a high school graduate from Homeschool Diploma. As we move into the spring, celebrations of accomplishments fill our calendar. For homeschool students and their families creating unique celebrations for completing academic studies based on grade levels is often part of the plan. Those ceremonies are as unique as each family. They may or may not include items typically associated with academic achievement. Acknowledging the completion of high school is worth noting though and in preparation, we ordered and received, a beautiful standard diploma in anticipation of our youngest's high school graduation in 2019.  Homeschool Diploma offers more products for acknowledging achievement at different grade levels. Review Crew members have posted their reviews for products for Kindergarten and eighth grade as well. You can find links to those reviews at Homeschool Review Crew.

Celebrations, certificates, ceremonies and awards all potentially acknowledge achievement. As a family we are coming to a place of many transitions for each of our young adult children. Our oldest is graduating from college this June. For this accomplishment he will be participating in his first formal convocation. His completion of high school was as a home school student and our celebration was small and informal. We did little more than a family dinner. He moved on to this academic adventure without much pomp or circumstance. We will be attending with pride and much joy, as he  is acknowledged for his dedication to his course of study and presented with a diploma for a Bachelors degree.

An official certificate recognizes academic accomplishment.

Our second son attended a public high school. He successfully completed his high school requirements there. His attending classes at the local high school was a new experience for our family. Any events surrounding his achievement there were organized by the school and we attended. He participated in the large graduation ceremony with the usual stroll across the stage as his name was announced and he was given a diploma.

As we move toward our youngest completing high school as a homeschool student next year, we have begun to make plans for her next steps in study and life. She, like our oldest has continued as a home school student through high school so the and built in activities and ceremonies are not a part of the planned acknowledgement. 

Before enrolling in a college course of study, we plan to set aside some days of celebration for her as a family. Our celebration will include presenting her with a copy of this official and beautiful diploma. We allowed her a glimpse, of the as yet, unsigned document. It is worth admiring and might provide at least a touch more of motivation for her senior year. The cover of the diploma is embossed with gold lettering. It includes an official seal. We will be honored to present it to her upon completion of her high school studies and to display it during family festivities. She is also planning some activities for herself with some of her closest friends. Displaying an official diploma during that time will add a nice touch as she receives congratulations from all.

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.

Djembe Drumming Course

My husband, Avo, has been studying percussion for as long as I have know him. His degree in ethnomusicolgy was only the beginning. As a musician, he has continued to explore world music and specifically to study, in depth, African and Brazilian percussion styles. Living in Chicagoland has given him opportunities to learn more, perform and to teach the understanding of these styles he has acquired. He loves sharing and teaching those skills to others.

As a way to document some of those skills and to share them, Avo created an online intro to Djembe drumming class on the Course Craft platform. That online course is being offered to students of his this spring at a reduced fee. The wonderful thing is that because of how he set it up, it is also available to anyone for that price this spring. Check it out and see if it's a spring or summer learning option for you or anyone you know.

Traveling the World Together Through Reading - Book Review

One of the wonderful things about reading, known to all readers, is the ability of books, whether fact or fiction, to transport the reader to other times and places. I have long enjoyed the ability of a good written description to take me somewhere I have never been. The author, Carole P. Roman does that with young readers in her books describing countries of the world. She has written a series of children's books that present interesting, relate-able information to young ones about different countries and cultures around the world. All of her many children's books can be found in Carole P. books and collections, on amazon. 

This post is a review of three books from her award winning If You Were Me and Lived In... series that were provided to me to read and review. Introducing young readers to the travel without leaving home aspect of reading, the children's paperback books are large, bright and colorful. In each of these books, Carole focuses on giving children an opportunity to learn about a location and a culture from around the world. With simple and bold images she uses simple language to share what it is like to be a child living in another part of the world.

With the three, If You were Me and Lived in...titles, I shared and "traveled" to Australia, Russia and Mexico with a young friend who is a beginning reader. The reading level of the series is above his early reading level so we read and enjoyed the three titles together. Each narration is presented from the perspective of a child living in his or her home country. The basic format of each is the same, introducing a few new words, food, places and cultural activities that are similar to or different from that of the reader. The differences are presented through the description of a common or universal activity such as a family meal, a religious celebration or a well known sport played world wide.

These three bright and simply illustrated books captured my young reader friend's attention. He was was fascinated by the differences he was introduced to. A favorite fact he learned regarding Australia, he shared with his parents, was the one of an Australian child calling his mother "Mummy"(muh-mee). (The books include a pronunciation guide for the new culturally specific words.) His connection was to his knowledge of ancient Egypt. He was delighted by the choice of the word. Reading about Mexico led us into a discussion of sports popularity and his own interest in soccer and about the different names of the same sport in two countries. Trying to clarify that with a six year old can lead to an interesting circular conversation! It is easy to imagine that any child could find something to relate to in the life of a child in a far distant place as their lives are presented in these delightful paperbacks.

All of the books in Carol's children series can be found on amazon at Carole P. Roman books and collections.

A La Carte Projects from Home School in the Woods - A Review

Home School in the Woods is an award winning publisher of a variety of educational materials for the study of history. Their products are suitable for classroom or home school use. They have created visually appealing timeline materials, lap books, maps and games to encourage and enhance the study of history.

As a Review Crew member, I was given the opportunity to download two A La Carte projects published by Home School in the Woods to use and review. Each project is an easy to use supplemental activity. Complete with detailed instructions, including reminders about the optimal use of the art tools needed, these products are excellent for self directed completion for older students or together with an adult for the younger ones. The down load-able projects each contain valuable factual information that can be added as a supplemental activity to a history or geography curriculum for a wide range of ages. Each of the two projects I downloaded add a slightly different activity and approach to the learning.

I downloaded one project on the Erie Canal and another on Route 66. The Erie Canal Lap Book project was easy and quick to to complete. The information presented would add to a wide age range of curriculum.

Route 66 Folder Game

Despite the content being valuable for many ages, the lap book activities were not of high interest to my teen aged daughter, fortunately, I spend a significant amount of time with a couple of younger children that I can try products and activities with.

So my six year old friend and I colored and cut and learned a bit of history and geography related to the Erie Canal together. We made a wonderful little lap book with information and drawings. He has a project to display and share.

The second project I downloaded is a folder game. Using the pages provided, we created a dice and question card board game with the theme of Route 66. Living just a few miles from that historic hi-way made that an interesting activity and one we can relate to as we travel in our own community. The theme made this game fun and creating it essentially from scratch it is possible to make it unique and colorful.

Though I found the concept appealing and the questions to move through the game interesting, it was a challenge to bridge the gap of the ages needed for creating the game and playing the game. To put it all together, dexterity is needed. While playing the game may be directed at someone younger with less fine motor skill. My younger friend who colored the Erie canal lap book found cutting and folding the game pieces difficult. It's not a big deal, but we lost a couple of the game pieces in the process of their creation.With my teen the questions about the places along Route 66 were interesting, playing the game not so much. This download is attractive, complete with directions and fun questions for a game but probably not the most age appropriate for the students I used it with (my young six year old friend and my teen). Both projects seem best suited to use with students in 8 - 12 year old range to be the most effective. With younger ones be prepared to help with the making of the game.