Review and Giveaway ~ Skrafty Homeschool Minecraft

Welcome!

It's back to school time, and for homeschool families - that means gathering curriculum, planning and finding new ways to inspire kids in their studies. SKrafty Homeschool Minecraft is the perfect way to add the fun and inspiration you need. This fall, the class line up is spectacular! If you need homeschool math, science, bible, history, language arts or more . . . you are in for a treat. Using some of your favorite homeschool curriculum companies (including Apologia Science, Mystery of History, and A+ Interactive Math) you'll learn to incorporate Minecraft projects into your family homeschool.

See all the new classes SKrafty has to offer HERE

Find out more about the fully monitored SKrafty Minecraft server where it is safe for your family and children - and get whitelisted for FREE right HERE. SKrafty is specially designed and the rules are constructed to encourage good sportsmanship - with no griefing allowed, no bad language or ugly talk, and no sharing of outside links to protect your children. See a full list of rules HERE. What other parents are saying about SKrafty Homeschool Minecraft:

"Since starting Skrafty my son has blossomed. His typing has gotten a lot better. School work is not a chore any more I just give him the list of what needs to be done and he does it. He finds the lessons entertaining and engaging and he loves the activities that go along with them. We are all very grateful for Skrafty." ~ Cheryl J. "My son enjoys playing on Skrafty with other kids and I love that it is a safe, moderated Minecraft server! While playing on Skrafty he has learned creative building, developed critical thinking skills, made friends, and learned to be a team player. The classes have been fun and the reading program has encouraged him to read more than ever. Skrafty has been such a blessing to our family!" ~Julie B.

Special needs learning:

"Skrafty has been a huge blessing to our family! My son with dyslexia is not only learning but enjoying learning!!!! His reading and writing have developed more with Skrafty than any other program we have used. The classes are engaging because they are so hands on and truly turn learning into an adventure. I so highly recommend Skrafty!" ~ Caroline D.

  What we learned: 

My 11 year old son is in love with Minecraft, so naturally he was excited to try out a Skrafty class! He chose Animals and Their Habitats because he loves all animals and thought it would be fun to build them. 

Getting signed up was easy, he already had a minecraft account so we filled out the whitelist form and he was approved quickly. He is pretty new to minecraft on the PC, but there were many kind kids there who helped him when he needed it. 

I felt it was safe for him to chat on the Skrafty server because the forums are moderated, and not just anyone can join. They must be a member. 

I was so amazed by the intricate designs he came up with for his biomes and habitats, his animals were super cute even if they were squarish.  (Its all blocks in minecraft.) He enjoyed being on there and was eager to move to the next lesson once he finished one.

The lessons themselves were not too long, but full of information needed to complete his tasks. Links to youtube videos that have been pre-screened gave him a look at lots of different animals and their natural environment so he had plenty of inspiration to complete his building. 

I am really excited to see Mystery of History as a class option this fall. I bought Volume 1 a month ago and we start with it next week. I am hoping my younger girls will want to build history too! 

I just love Skrafty and so does my son! Learning really can be fun and Skrafty has given us an enjoyable way to supplement our homeschooling. Thanks Skrafty! 

Affordable: Extremely affordable classes (between $6.99 - $32.00) make it easy to add creativity and excitement into your education at home. Sign up HERE for live classes or self-paced classes and begin your journey into the world of homeschool Minecraft with SKrafty.

Giveaway Companies - Multiple Winners!

 

  Check out all the wonderful companies and prizes you can win for your family homeschool: 3 SKrafty Fall Classes - Value up to $32 each Mystery of History Volume 1,2, or 3 & Super Supplemental - Value $150 A+ Interactive Math - Family Package for 3 Students - Value $450 Adventures In ChildRearing - Wildlife Adventures bundle- Value $27.99 We Choose Virtues - Homeschool Kit - Value $98.99 Sidetracked Sarah - Crockpot Freezer Meals 3 pack - Value $8.97 Moore Family Films - ABC Say it With Me - Value $15.99 Not Consumed - Back to School 4 Pack - Value $12.50 Teach Them Diligently - Family Pass to 1 Convention - Value $65 Homeschool Adventure Co. - Philippians in 28 Weeks - Value $18.95 Media Angels - Homeschool Moms Rescue Set - Value $9.99 A Journey Through Learning - Math Lapbook - Value $15.00 Dave Ramsey - Financial Peace Jr. - Value $24.95  

Enter with 1 entry or enter with them all: Click the link below to enter.....

CLICK HERE!!!

Mystery of History, Dave Ramsey, and Moore Family Films are for US winners only. The other prizes are for everyone to enter, even internationally.

Disclaimer ~ We were not compensated for doing this review, we did it in exchange for trying out a class. All opinions are my own and were not influenced by receiving the class at no cost.

Review ~ Moving Beyond The Page ~ Poetry and The Fifty States ~ Age 9-11

There are two things that get my kids excited about learning every time, stories and hands on projects. Moving Beyond the Page has combined these two so perfectly! Last year after we reviewed  Poppy and Life Cycles, the kids asked me to get them more. We ended up getting the entire set for the 7-9 age group.

This year we were so blessed to review a Language Arts Package: Poetry and a Social Studies Package: The Fifty States. These are just two of the units available in the age 9-11 full year package. With this age level the curriculum is written to the student, so for the most part the child is expected to work independently. We did that as much as possible, but with some things my help was still needed. That's OK with me though.

You can use Moving Beyond the Page as a full year curriculum if you choose, or purchase individual units as your kids have interest. It is very flexible to use, and you have different options for purchasing as well. Online versions and physical copies of the curriculum are available. The literature books can be purchased, or you can borrow from the library. With the full year package, all you need to add is math and you are all set for the year.



Our Poetry unit ($61.86) included.....

The online version of the Poetry lesson plans and downloadable student sheets.

Physical literature books included.....

Love That Dog 
My America: A Poetry Atlas of the United States
R is for Rhyme: A Poetry Alphabet






The Fifty States ($49.62) unit includes.....

The Fifty States ~ spiral bound book

Smart About the 50 States : A Class Report
Original Sculpey Clay - Terra Cotta
The Scrambled States of America Card Game







These two units can be used independently, but were designed to be used together and the activities compliment each other very well. For instance, while we were learning about the different states and regions of the United States (social studies and science), we were also reading poetry from those places at the same time (literature) and we could see how the authors were inspired by what they saw, things they felt, and experiences they had while in that particular area of the country.

While learning about the Southwest the kids followed links online to learn about clay pottery and adobe homes. We used the Sculpey terra cotta clay included in the package to make our own clay pots, home and other creations. This hands on exploration really gets kids excited about learning and trying new things. They also went on Minecraft and built adobe homes there, complete with a desert scene and animals you would find there. THIS is the kind of learning I LOVE to see in our home!



In the Poetry unit we learned what poetry is, Parts of Speech and Rhymes in Poetry, Geography in Poetry, Haiku and Onomatopoeia, Figurative Language and Voice, Art and Poetry, Robert Frost, Writing About  What You Know, and Inspiration. There are lessons included for spelling, student activity pages to print, and reading and questions pages included.

Originally my 11 year old son was the one excited for this unit, and my 9 year old daughter claimed she had no interest at all in poems. By the end of the first week she was joining in and she surprised me one day by writing a poem herself! She said she felt inspired to write it after going outside and seeing beautiful things that not everyone in the world can see where they live. I was beaming with pride of course!

The final project for Poetry was to have a coffee house type of poetry reading, and make food and drinks and invite people over to hear either poems you like or ones you write yourself. This was what got my daughter really excited, she loves to cook and share with her friends. Our "reading" was very informal and didn't last very long before they had eaten all the food and were off to play outside, but the kids got a taste of culture they hadn't experienced before.

My kids all love maps, so the map work in The Fifty States unit was as fun as it was educational. "It didn't even feel like learning, it was just fun" is what they told me.Other lessons included learning state capitals, the Northeast, the Southwest, the Midwest, the Southwest, the West, Alaska and Hawaii, Relationships Among the States, People and the Environment, Analyzing State Data, and the final project is planning a region road trip.



 The first time we played The Scrambled States of America card game they didn't know many of the facts included on each state card, the Capitol and nickname or where every state was located on the map. After playing a few times though the competition really got rough as they wanted to learn more in order to win. This is a game I like playing with them too! At first I was easy on then and let them win but now they can beat me even when I try to win.





As you can tell we all LOVE Moving Beyond the Page around here! I have to say that I really do prefer having the physical version of the curriculum versus the online. There are many benefits to the online version, such as being able to print as many pages as you want. However the curriculum itself is not printable, so you have to use it online. Once you activate a unit is it only available to use for 3 months. You can re-activate it later for use with a younger sibling for half price. With the physical book you will need a curriculum book for each child as their copyright does not allow you to make copies. But I like having that book in hand to use in our portfolios at the end of the year. The kids like showing off their work too. We do not always work on school while at home where we have internet access. But cost wise you cant beat the online version!

Read more reviews of other units and ages by clicking the banner below. You can connect with Moving Beyond the Page via.....

Facebook – www.facebook.com/movingbeyondthepage

What is a Dinosaur Plant?

The Dinosaur Plant, also called a Resurrection Plant, is advertised in science catalogs we get in the mail, but I had never actually seen one. They claim they can lie dormant for up to 50 years and then suddenly spring back to life when you water them. Crazy huh? They are native to the desert regions of Africa. I couldn't justify the cost of ordering one though, just for the sake of curiosity. Shipping alone was too high.

 A few days ago my husband and I were in Tractor Supply (of all places) looking for some parts we needed and I saw some clearance bins. I looked down and saw this.....



I was so excited! My science loving kids were going to be excited too, so I bought it for $5.00.

It was super easy to get it started, just put the lava rocks in the bottom of the plastic bowl, which were both included in the box.

 


Then lay the dried up Dinosaur Plants on top. They really did look dead.




Add some water and then wait. This is what it looked like an hour later.....






And here it is 3 hours later.....





It never got any bigger than that, but it definitely was not dead! Now we are going to let it dry back out and shrivel up and do it again.

That was totally worth $5! Now my curiosity has been satisfied, and I can stop drooling on the science catalog. At least on that page. LOL

Review ~ Go Science Series 2 DVD's from Library and Educational Services

I first learned about Library and Educational Services last year when we reviewed 2 DVD's from Series 1 of Go Science. I love this website! As a home educator I can get anything they offer at the same prices that libraries and churches get, which is 30% to 70% off regular pricing. They offer so many things, and there are no fees to become a member.

Today I want to share with you about the new Series 2 DVD's from Go Science. There are 7 in all, and they are affordable priced at $8.97 per title through LES. The recommended age range is 6-10 years, but my 5 year old loves to watch even if she doesn't understand every concept. I personally love watching along with the kids too!  The topics in this series include.....

Volume 1: Sound, Gravity, Space

Volume 2: Life Science, Weather

Volume 3: Air

Volume 4: Motion, Friction, Electricity, Light

Volume 5: States of Matter, Water

Volume 6: Chemistry

Volume 7: Engineering, Design, Flight

Ben Roy is the host in each episode, and he performs demonstrations in front of a group of kids all for the purpose of showing how "Every time we learn more about science, we learn more about our creator..... God!" Some of his demonstrations were filmed at a summer VBS, and if you happen to be looking for some fun things for your VBS this summer I encourage you to check these out! Each lesson introduces a scientific concept, shows something amazing to see, and then becomes a mini sermon when Ben Roy tells about how the experiment relates to God and His amazing design for our world.

 Some of the experiments can be duplicated at home while others cannot without special equipment. The point isn't to repeat everything at home, just watching has so many benefits.


For our review we got to pick two DVD's, the kids chose Volume 2: Life Science and Weather, and Volume 7: Engineering, Design, and Flight. Both of these DVD's last about 1 hour but is broken up into 12 segments lasting just a few minutes each.


LIFE SCIENCE
Flashlight Animal Eyes Animal Skulls Bobby Pins What Are You Looking At? How Much Do Your Lungs Hold? Eating Nails For Breakfast Naked Eggs WEATHER
Fire Tornado Ping Pong Cannon Liquid Nitrogen Cloud Cloud in a Bottle Garbage Can Vortex




ENGINEERING / DESIGN
How much will it hold?
Leaning tower of Lyra
Nail Balance
Trebuchet
Centrifuge
Walking on eggs
Bed of nails
FLIGHT
Rocket balloons
Vinegar rocket
Toilet paper on paint roller
Film canister rocket




 I realize the titles do not tell you much about what actually happens in the demonstrations, but trust me they are all pretty cool! The kids loved making vinegar rockets, and are begging to try walking on eggs. I haven't agreed to this one yet because they want to use our precious free range chicken eggs that are in short supply right now as our chickens are moulting. Perhaps I should just buy some? LOL

I do want to point out that if you are looking for really in depth explanations of the "why" and "how" in each experiment you will not find that here. However, watching Ben Roy demonstrate something often led to many questions from the kids that we had to go and research for ourselves. To me that is a valuable tool. It encouraged them to dig deeper when they had an interest in knowing more. We strongly believe in self motivated learning around here!

The kids and I all give the Go Science DVD's a big thumbs up, and they want the others in the set too.

Watch a sample video from Volume 1 Gravity to get a feel for what an episode is like.....



Connect with Library and Educational Services via....

Facebook – http://www.facebook.com/libraryanded

Review ~ Supercharged Science

I have mentioned before that all of kids love anything science. They love learning about how and why things work and do what they do. They love experiments and trying new things. I had heard of Supercharged Science before, but because we didnt have high speed internet out here in the boonies yet it wasn't a good fit for us at that time.

We now have fast internet, so I was thrilled to be chosen to review their K-12 level e-science Premium Membership. This membership costs $57.00 per month. There is also a subscription for grades K-8 only that costs $37.00 per month.

Supercharged Science would like to give you a FREE SAMPLE of e-science just for Schoolhouse Review Crew readers! Its a complete mini program with samples of activities and projects from the e-science program. Try it out and see what your kids think! You can also get an entire month of e-science for just $1.00.

What is Supercharged Science? 

It is an online subscription site chock full of so many science topics it can be overwhelming to have so much information in one place. This program was started 10 years ago by a real life rocket scientist who used to work for NASA! Her name is Aurora Lipper, and my girls just LOVE that she is a girl. The boys like to tease and tell them that science is for boys but this is not true.

A subscription includes.....

• Self-guiding lessons
• Detailed video-based instruction taught by a real science teacher (Aurora)
• Step-by-step videos showing how to do each experiment, activity and project
• Comprehensive teacher guides
• Textbook readings
• Exercises & Quizzes
• Unlimited support
• A safe self-contained learning environment

Aurora does a fabulous job of explaining "how and why" in each of her videos. There are also printable lessons and quizzes for each topic. There are currently 20 different topics including.....

Mechanics

Motion 

Matter

Energy 1

Energy 2

Sound

Astrophysics

Chemistry 1 

Light

Electricity

Magnetism

Alternative Energy

Thermodynamics

Electronics

Chemistry 2

Life Science 1

Life Science 2

Biology 1

Biology 2

Earth Science

There are also sections for......

New to e-science?

Overview of e-science

The Scientific Method

Award Winning Science Fair Projects

Mathemagic

Teaching Resources

Science E Camp

You can choose to explore by topic or by grade level. Each month you are given access to 1-2 of these units with 60-80 experiments. However if you see a topic that interests you that isn't available to you yet, you can just email and ask for access to it. Aurora offers excellent customer service via email and even offers live Q and A sessions every Wednesday by phone.

How we used Supercharged Science.....

At first I let the kids go wild and watch videos and try things out. The kids all tell me their favorite experiment was microwaving soap. We went through a whole family size pack because every time someone came to visit, they had to do it again so our company could see it. Our microwave sure does smell clean!

Weeks later there are still a couple of these unlikely flying contraptions in use. They like to amaze friends with these also.It really flies!

So after several more random experiments I suggested we pick a topic to go deeper into and they chose magnetism. What kid (or adult for that matter) doesn't love playing with magnets? I learned quite a few things myself, like a compass actually works backwards. North points to the south pole of a magnet, because north and north are not attracted to each other. Aurora explains it better than I do!

 and magnets can make things fly! (force)

These may seem like simple experiments, but paired with the additional text readings, experiments and videos there is a lot of learning going on.

What did we think of Supercharged Science?

The kids have all informed me that they wish Aurora was their teacher and that science was the only subject. Well except art, they want to keep art too. LOL I told them that Aurora is their science teacher, she does a better job than me, she will have to stay on the computer though. Im sure there are lots of other kids out there who feel the same way about her. I love her gentle way of explaining things, and the way she makes everything seem so easy and fun. She has a real way with kids!

I like that I don't have to be a rocket scientist myself to have good solid science teaching in our homeschool. I like that if an experiment calls for things we do not have on hand, we can still watch the videos and understand the concepts. The readings are right there with the unit so no extra books are required. Our library is very small so this is MUCH appreciated! A shopping list is included for the experiments you do wish to do at home.

Is there anything we didn't like about Supercharged Science?

There is nothing I have found about the program itself that we did not like. As a mom of 8 in a single income family however, I feel like the price is a hindrance for a lot of families. Quite a few homeschool families are large and have to really stretch that dollar every way they can to make it. I hope in the future there is a more affordable option. I would like to mention though that there is a referral program where you can earn your subscription. I have not tried this, just saw a link for it, so in case you want to explore that option you can.

Connect with Supercharged Science via...

https://www.facebook.com/superchargedsci
http://www.twitter.com/aurora_lipper
https://www.youtube.com/user/auroram42
http://pinterest.com/superchargedsci/
https://plus.google.com/u/0/112193545312804826871/posts
http://www.superchargedscience.com/blog/

Review ~ ScienceAndMath.com ~ Amazing Science Volume 1

If you ask my kids what their favorite subject is, science will be the answer. It is a rare occasion when they don't want to do an experiment (somebody must be sick!) and anytime we have company over they are eager to show them something cool. We all jumped at the chance to review Amazing Science Volume 1 from ScienceandMath.com. The day it arrived here it was immediately taken out of my hands and put in the DVD player. A few minutes later we were doing this.....





This experiment is called color changing milk.  It made a beautiful tie dye look!


 This was a favorite for the kids and myself. They have enjoyed sharing this one with friends.










This 2 DVD set is full of fun and interesting science experiments as well as full explanations of why and how each experiment works.The website says it is for grades 1-3 but older children can benefit from it as well. My 5 year old has been loving all this "sciency" stuff.

There are 32 experiments in all including.....

Disk 1	Disk 2
1) Color Changing Milk	13) Floating Eggs
2) Egg in a Bottle	14) Keep Paper Dry Underwater
3) Exploring Air Pressure	15) Dry Ice Bubbles
4) Build a Lemon Battery	16) Balloon in a Candle Flame
5) Inverted Cup of Water	17) Ocean in a Bottle
6) Candle Suction Power	18) Build a Motor with Lights
7) Amazing Magnetic Force	19) Simple Lava Lamp
8) Lift an Ice Cube with String	20) Invisible Ink
9) Unburnable Money	21) Density Tower
10) Matchstick Speedboat	22) Soda Can Fizz
11) Reversing an Image with Water	23) Build a Motor #2
12) Cloud in a Bottle

My kids enjoyed watching Jason perform the experiments on the DVD as much as they liked trying some themselves.  Not every experiment turned out exactly like it did on the DVD. An example was this one.....

The experiment had us hold a balloon over a candle. It popped almost immediately.

Then we used a second balloon with some water inside it. The kids guessed that it wouldn't pop because of the water.

But it did! (It wasn't supposed to.) Guess we didn't use enough water inside? So some experiments got repeated a few times.

This was a great example about how different variables can create a different outcome. The kids got really involved in trying again to get a desired result.

Do you remember invisible ink when you were a kid? This DVD shows you how to make it!

The kids wrote invisible messages on paper and then had other people in the house discover them by using blueberry juice.

I see a lot of secret messages going out in the future. 

I love how almost every one of these experiments uses items found in the home already, or use inexpensive and mostly easy to find items. I love how Jason explains each concept thoroughly in an interesting way that is never boring or dry. I love how the kids will go and gather the needed items after watching the videos and then bring me to demonstrate what they saw and learned.

And I really love how all four of my kids could enjoy doing these activities together!

ScienceandMath.com has won some awards for this and other products they have on their website.



You can purchase this 2 DVD set at ScienceandMath.com for $17.95 or you can download it for $14.99.

Click the banner below to read reviews from other homeschooling families on this and other curriculum from ScienceandMath.com

Review ~ Science4Us.com ~ Online Science Lessons

After much prayer and searching we have decided to take a more relaxed approach in our homeschooling this year. I have let go of my old ways of thinking that included not using much technology like computer based learning in our homeschool. We are now using quite a few online websites. When I was offered the chance to review a science program online for grades K-2 I knew my science loving girl, Skye, would probably love it.

We received a Science4Us.com Online Subscription for 6 months. Because it is for younger grades I told her she could have this program all to herself. That didn't quite happen though. Every time she logged on her baby sister was right there watching too.

Science4Us.com is completely online, there is nothing to download. Setting up our account was easy and there were many videos to help us get stated and get the most use from the program.

This is the screen Skye sees when she logs on. I let her pick a topic that sounded interesting and she took off completely on her own after that. As the teacher I had the ability to assign certain lessons if I wanted to, but I preferred to let her choose what she wanted to learn. The freedom to choose led her to try out many different modules, and she could work at her own pace without any pressure from me.

 Now for those of you who like to have more control over what is being learned, or would like to customize lessons to coincide with another curriculum you can assign lessons, keep track of everything, and be totally connected through the parent/teacher page.

There are 4 main topics to choose from including Physical Science, Inquiry, Life Science, and Earth/ Space Science. There are many subtopics under each of those, over 350 lessons in all. They even managed to sneak in some language arts and math as well. There is enough material here to keep Skye busy for much longer than her subscription is for.

She asks nearly every day if she can do science. It is so refreshing to see her wanting to learn. She tells everyone that science is her favorite subject. There is no dry boring science here! She is interacting and learning hands on. Several times throughout this review she would say something during the day that I know I didn't teach her. Id ask her how she knew that, and Science4Us.com was the answer. I know she is learning because I see and hear the evidence.

During the lessons Skye could make notes using her virtual notebook feature. Her entries are so cute, phonetic spelling and all. She is proud of that notebook, and asked for a real one that she could carry around all the time. Now she is making entries in that as she discovers new things every day.

One feature I like is that I can get automated reports for Skye's annual portfolio I must have evaluated each year in our state. For those who choose to or have to test I can see this site being a big help in the science part. The lessons correlate to national and state standards. This site was created with homeschoolers in mind as well as for classroom use by the makers of VocabularySpellingCity.com.

I hope in the future this program is updated so older children can benefit from it also.

A subscription to Science4Us.com is $7.95 per student per month.Try an online demo and see what you think!

Connect with Science4Us.com via....

Twitter: https://twitter.com/Science4UsSays
Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/science4us/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Science4Us
G+: https://plus.google.com/u/0/b/112259351657747584252/

Review ~ Apologia Exploring Creation with Chemistry and Physics

Since we discovered the wonderful biblically based products offered by Apologia Educational Ministries my job as a homeschool mom has become much easier. I always recommend the Young Explorers Series when others ask about what to use for their homeschool science curriculum.

We have been blessed to review the newest book in this series titled Exploring Creation with Chemistry and Physics by Jeannie Fulbright and we also received the corresponding Junior Notebooking Journals.

The Exploring Creation with Chemistry and Physics text ($39.00) is a beautiful full color non-consumable hardback book. The recommended age range is K-6th grade, but I honestly feel that older children will benefit more than the younger ones for this subject. The information is presented in a way that makes sense, the experiments really make what you have learned stick in your mind. I can honestly say that I was learning all of this right along with the kids. While some of the concepts were familiar to me, the "why and how" was so much better explained!

I wish I had been taught this way!  Jeannie writes in a relaxed conversational tone, and uses words young children can understand. I love how she uses analogies to explain concepts. For instance she compares the states of matter to a typical child's day. When he is at rest, he is like a solid. When moving around slowly in the house with the family, he is like a liquid. When outside running and jumping all over the place he is like a gas.

In addition to the textbook, Apologia offers additional help if you need it via mail, email, fax and by phone. They also have a course website full of all kinds of extras. In fact all of the science titles have a special website. All of these resources are given in the beginning of the book.

Apologia makes science enjoyable, and I do not have to worry about any false teachings in any of their subjects. Every page is based on what the Bible teaches us about Creation. Kids are encouraged to explore Creation scientifically because God tells us that He created the world for us to enjoy and discover the wonders that He has created for us to find.

The book has 14 chapters including...

Introduction

1. Chemistry and Physics Matter

2. Moving Matter

3. Building Blocks of Creation

4. Compound Chemistry

5. Multitude of Mixtures

6. Mechanics in Motion

7. Dynamics of Motion

8. Work in the World

9. Sound of Energy

10. Light of the World

11. Thermal Energy

12. Electrifying Our World

13. Mysterious Magnetism

14. Simple Machines

Supply List

Answer Key

Photo and Illustration Credits

Index

The Junior Notebooking Journal ($24.00) is designed for younger students and those with limited writing abilities. It's full of pages to write thoughts and illustrate them, puzzles, coloring pages, vocabulary activities, copywork, little hands on activities and more experiments to try. It is suggested to do as many activities as your child can handle, but not every page needs to be done. If your child doesn't love to color, or do crossword puzzles its OK to skip those and do other pages instead.

Using a Notebooking Journal is not essential to use the textbook, but it really does keep everything looking nice, neat, organized, and I dont have to plan anything in advance except having the ingredients ready for experiments. Im so glad the book already has that listed out for me as well!

My kids have enjoyed having their own special book to complete and share with visiting friends and relatives.

A regular Notebooking Journal is also available for older kids. In the beginning of either version of the notebooking journal a schedule is given so you can complete a chapter in 2 weeks. We found this schedule to be a little much so we took our time and went slower than suggested. Do whatever works for your family to keep the learning fun and interesting.

Each chapter has several sections called "Try This!" Here is where the kids get involved hands on with activities and experiments. We do every one of these that we can, sometimes the ingredients are too expensive because we are unable to find something in our rural area. This is rare however as most of them use common household items or things easily found locally.

The book is divided up into mini sections so you can easily stop and start again whenever you like. We would read until we came to a "Try This" that we wanted to do, and sometimes they would ask to read more and some days were ready to move on to another subject. They have really enjoyed all the hands on science! They have each said at one point that this felt more like fun than learning. Music to my ears!

Showing off their homemade lava lamps, which demonstrated density.

Finding out which boat design can hole the most pennies before sinking, all while learning about buoyancy.

Learning about the states of matter including this tricky substance, called an amorphous solid or a non-Newtonian liquid.

Everyone loves edible science experiments! They made sorbet to demonstrate the freezing point of liquid and how it is affected by adding salt.

I had to make a video of the lava lamps, the kids were so excited! They are still talking about this weeks later.

I highly recommend all of Apologia's Young Explorer Series titles for those looking to teach Creation based science in a hands on fun way. Its not the boring dry textbook science we learned as kids, its 100 times better! Check out the first chapter of Exploring Creation with Chemistry and Physics for FREE (click on Chemistry and Physics sample) and see for yourself just how easy and enjoyable science can be.