Virtual Interactive Homeschool Laboratory Course for Biology from Greg Landry's Homeschool Science Review

Disclosure:  I received this complimentary product through the HOMESCHOOL REVIEW CREW.

Today, I am sharing about the Virtual, interactive homeschool laboratory course from Greg Landry's Homeschool Science.  This is an online, self-paced course available in Biology / Anatomy and Physiology, Chemistry and Physics.  C has been using it this year as an add-on to his current Biology program and it has been super fun!

Above you can see our dashboard.  D previously completed the YS Earth Science course and C is working through the Virtual Biology Lab right now.

 

Above you can see the lab videos that the students will watch before performing the experiment in the online lab.

 

The topics for these videos include

• Measurement in Science
• Diffusion and Osmosis
• Blood Type
• Protein Synthesis - mRNA Codons
• Cell Mitosis
• Urinalysis
• Cellular Respiration
• Frog Dissection
• Bacterial Inhibition
• Muscular Work, Power and Caloric Expenditure &
• Density Determination. 
  

Above you can see into C's virtual Biology Lab.

 

 

C watching the video  on blood typing prior to the lab.

C working through the blood typing lab, which is Experiment or Lab #3.

 

In this lab, C had to run tests to mix the antibody, blood and water on slides to determine 50 different blood types.  After recording his results, he then had to determine the percentages for the various blood types he attained.

C's DATA

C's DATA including percentages

Frog Dissection Virtual Lab, which is Experiment or Lab #8

This virtual, interactive Biology lab contains eleven realistic experiments that students can perform from the convenience of their home (perfect for homeschoolers).  Students can move along at their own pace (only basic math skills are needed) and no specific lab supplies are needed as everything is done online.  These online labs are structured to build critical thinking skills and deep thinkers.  I think Greg Landry's classes and labs are a fabulous resource and help make science engaging and fun.  You should definitely check them out.

Greg Landry's Homeschool Science offers a plethora of science courses including the Young Scientist Earth & Space Science class that D completed over the summer.  There are a number of live or self-paced online courses for 3rd-12th grade.  Be sure to click on the banner below to visit the Homeschool Review Crew blog to read more reviews of Greg Landry's Homeschool Science and the many options you can choose from.

You can engage and learn more by heading over to Greg Landry's Homeschool Science.

My 44th Birthday {Pumpkin Party}

My Pumpkin themed birthday cake!

I got to celebrate my birthday over the weekend.  David and the kids made me a pumpkin themed chocolate birthday cake and it was delicious.

Top view, isn't it cute?

And this is what 44 candles looks like 😮.

I'm so thankful for all of my family and friends.  Hoping this year is the best.

Roar Like a Lion: 90 Devotions to a Courageous Faith from Tommy Nelson Books Review

Disclosure:  I received this complimentary product through the HOMESCHOOL REVIEW CREW.

If you are looking for a children's devotional, I want to share with you Roar Like a Lion: 90 Devotions to a Courageous Faith from Tommy Nelson Books.

Our 192 page hard-back devotional by Levi Lusko is bright and fun with fascinating content and art.  It contains 90 days of devotions.

F and G with our devotional!

A peek inside

I have been using this devotional with the younger boys and we are all enjoying it!  Each of the 90 devotions includes a devotional, illustration, Bible verse and  prayer within a two-page spread.  You can easily see the format in the photo above.

Why are kids encouraged to roar like lions?  Well, lions roar to inform others where they are, to emphasize their power and to scare away enemies.  Children are encourage to "roar" for the same reasons - let others know where they are, show the power of God and to scare away the evil one.  I love this!

As I previously mentioned, the younger boys and I are working through this book.  Sometimes I read to them and sometimes F reads it to us.  It works well as a read-aloud, older kids could also read it independently.  I really like working through it together because it brings up great conversations and I love hearing what the boys think.  I appreciate that this devotional helps children build a strong Biblical foundation.  It has been easy to implement in our home as the lessons are not terribly long and we definitely recommend it.

What topics are found within out devotional?

• facing fears about school and friendships
• dealing with peer pressure and bullying
• handling new challenges, disappointments and grief
• having courage to try something new
• understanding how we all fit into God's story

 

Want to know more?  Be sure to click on the banner below to visit the Homeschool Review Crew blog to read more reviews of Roar Like a Lion: 90 Devotions to a Courageous Faith from Tommy Nelson Books.

You can engage with Tommy Nelson Books on social media @:

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YouTube for Teens Review

I have another product to share with you from Timberdoodle, YouTube for Teens!  YouTube for Teens is a 12-week interactive course that equates to a 1-semester elective credit from Film School 4 Teens.

In this course, teens will learn about choosing a content area, shooting and editing quality footage as well as optimizing their channel in a safe way.  Basically everything they need to know to create and get a YouTube channel running.  I appreciate that it challenges them to think about if their channel has intrinsic value and helps improve people's lives 😉.

This online course is geared for ages 12 and up or 7th grade and beyond.

I printed the PDF workbook and put it in a binder for the kids to use as they work through this course.

Inside our binder, including the Table of Contents

As mentioned previously this is a 12-week course so it is broken into 12 sections.

Damon Evans is the director of YouTube 4 Teens and he walks you through the lessons.

Above you can see YouTube channel examples found in Section 1.  Also notice on our dashboard that there is a progress bar in the top left hand corner that tracks your completion of this course.  Above it shows 8%.

Working through Section 1 of our binder.

Each of the 12 sections includes videos with lessons and interviews with established YouTubers.  I love that it lays out tasks and assignments clearly.  I also like that as you progress through the course you follow a case study of a few teens establishing their own channel.

Okay, there are 12 sections, how are they broken down?

• Section 1 covers the introduction and overview of this course and has you determine your why.
• Section 2 encourages you to choose your topic and write a purpose statement.
• Section 3 is about planning your videos and organizing your ideas.
• Section 4 is about choosing your tech and selecting your gear.
• Section 5 is about editing your videos and choosing your software.
• Section 6 is about shooting a VLOG and taking a video for your channel.
• Section 7 is about editing 4 YouTube and editing the video you took.
• Section 8 is about starting your own channel.
• Section 9 is about optimizing your videos.
• Section 10 is about creating revenue streams.
• Section 11 is about marketing your channel and choosing your marketing strategy.
• Section 12 contains final instructions for launching your channel!

This course is straightforward.  You watch the video lectures (which are fun and engaging), complete your assignment questions and work through the deep thought questions for every section.  These action steps need to be completed before moving onto the next section.  And at the end of it all, you will have your own YouTube channel or understand how to create one if you desire.  I love that this course is fresh, fun and emphasizes safety on a platform that is not always safe.  And while this is a 12-week course, I don't see any problem with taking it a little slower if you need to.  We are going a little slower mainly because the oldest 3 have such varying schedules and I really wanted them to work on this course together.  I have since decided to have them work through it individually when they have time and then they can confer together as needed.  On a side note, I have enjoyed working through this course as well.  My YouTube channel is in dire need of help and revamping and this is a great opportunity for me to do that so stay tuned for more on that in the near future 😉.

 

YouTube for Teens is currently a part of Timberdoodle's 10th Grade Curriculum Kit.  This is such a fun elective and we highly recommend it!  I'm looking forward to seeing my teenagers final creation.

Disclosure:  Huge shout out to Timberdoodle for selecting me as a Timberdoodle Blogger.  I received YouTube for Teens in exchange for my honest review.  All opinions are my own.

Cheers to 44!

Here's to 44!  I plan to celebrate with David and the kids over the weekend 😉.

LightSail for Homeschoolers Premium Subscription Review

Disclosure:  I received this complimentary product through the HOMESCHOOL REVIEW CREW.

 

We were blessed to receive a one-year online membership to LightSail for Homeschoolers and we have been using it to improve reading comprehension in our homeschool!  So far, D and E have used this program the most in our homeschool.  LightSail for Homeschoolers focuses on four main areas - reading, writing, vocabulary and fluency.

There is a great introductory video that you will want to watch as you get started with LightSail.  Plan accordingly, this video is 86 minutes long.

LightSail is an incredible deep and wide platform so it takes time to learn the ins and outs.  Honestly, we are still learning!  The introductory video will help familiarize you and your children with the platform so your kids can get started reading on it right away.

One of the first things the students will do is take a Power Challenge to help the program hone into their appropriate level.

Above you can see some of the questions that were within D's Power Challenge.

Above you can see D's dashboard.  There is so much available within this site!

 

I had her work through one of the LightSail Unit Studies, World Animal Day: Animals of the Ocean.

Working on her unit study.

 

 After she read the first book on Humpback whales, she took a spelling bee.

D read about Vincent Van Gogh for fun.

After reading about Vincent Van Gogh, she took a spelling bee.  You can see one of the questions above.

With our premium subscription, the kids have access to over 12,000 books in the online library.  I like that everything is color coded - within books everything is red, within audiobooks everything is orange, etc.  Students can browse books by author or subjects.

 

My parent dashboard above shows D's request for me to approve books.

 

I love that I can manage the content in D's library and that I can set parameters as I see fit.  Above you can see that she requested me to approve a few books for her to read.

 

I can easily go into the requests and approve or deny it.

 

There is so much to use on this reading-centric, adaptive language arts program!  LightSail literally has dozens of modules, a plethora of features and so much content that works together to improve your child's literacy skills.  I really appreciate that it customizes to your individual student and meets their unique needs.

 

I also want to note, that while there is so much content already available for you to use, there is so much you can do to customize as well.  You can provide memory work lists, create your own unit study, choose your own words for a spelling bee, etc.  You have control over what your child will see and read as you see fit.

This complete language arts platform is a great way to invest in your children's literacy future!  Want to know more?  Be sure to click on the banner below to visit the Homeschool Review Crew blog to read more reviews of LightSail for Homeschoolers.

You can engage with LightSail for Homeschoolers on social media @:

Facebook

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Awesome Clouds

The sky is absolutely amazing today!  When I was out this morning, I couldn't help but notice the variety of clouds throughout the sky.  It just reminded me to pause, look around and admire God's beauty.  Hope you are having a wonderful day!

Gymnastics Fundraiser - Wreaths

Fundraising time! D's gymnastics team (Team AcroTex) is having a wreath fundraiser to help provide funding for competition-related expenses.  For anyone interested, there are a couple of ways to order.  You can order through https://giftitforward.com/.  Just use Fundraising Code (TEAMACTX001) and Referring Member (Dorothy Cummins) or you can order directly with us (if local).  Dorothy has a goal of selling 8 items. Orders are due by November 4th, 2021.  All donations are going to a GREAT cause and we thank you in advance for your support!  Let me know if you have any questions.

Clumsy Thief Junior Review

I have a fun card game to share with you today from Timberdoodle, Clumsy Thief Junior.  Clumsy Thief Junior is manufactured by Melon Rind and is a 2-4 player game geared for ages 5 and up.

What's included in our game?  Our game contains 76 cards - 70 of them are food cards, 4 of them are thief cards and 2 of them are trap cards.  And there is also a small pamphlet of game rules.

 

Above you can see the food cards.

And above you can see the thief cards on top and the trap cards on the bottom.  The sneaky raccoon will try and steal your food while the buckets can trap him or keep him from taking it.

 

Game Rules

What's the object of this game?  Basically all players add two numbers together to make 10 in order to collect food cards.  The player that ends up with the most food cards wins, that's it!

How do you play?  Each player is dealt 7 cards with the remaining cards placed in a deck face down.  All players look at their cards looking for two food cards that add together to make 10 (9 and 1, 6 and 4, 2 and 8, etc.).  They place these cards face up in front of them.  After everyone has made their own stacks, players can get more stacks from other players.  They can do this if they have a card that when added to the top card of a stack will make 10.  So if another player has a stack with a 2 and 8 on top, you can take that stack by placing a 2 on top of the 8 to make 10.  After all the stacks are made and taken, players replentish their hands by drawing from the draw pile until they have 5 cards for the next round.  There are special thief cards that can be used to take any stack.  A trap card can be used to take a stack with a thief on top.  When the deck is gone, the game is over!

I love that young players use mental math in this game.  Cards are constantly switching hands so you never know how things will end up and who will win 😉.  I like that all players are playing at the same time so there is never a lull.  This is a fairly fast paced game and it generally takes ~ 10 minutes for us to finish a complete game.  Clumsy Thief Junior is currently included in Timberdoodle's Kindergarten Curriculum Kit and we definitely recommend it.  Just watch out for that sneaky raccoon 🦝.

 

Disclosure:  Huge shout out to Timberdoodle for selecting me as a Timberdoodle Blogger.  I received Clumsy Thief Junior in exchange for my honest review.  All opinions are my own.