Drive Thru History ~ A Review

My children and I have been navigating our way through another great adventure from Drive Thru History®. This is not our first time traveling with Dave Stotts, via video field trips exploring history or the Bible. This time we enter into the world of the first Christians as we study Drive Thru History® "Acts to Revelation". Drive Thru History offers multiple courses for students - Ancient History, American History, The Holy Land, The Gospels, and Acts to Revelation. Unlike most history curriculums Drive Thru History takes students on adventures as they travel with Dave Stotts, via video field trips exploring history. This curriculum is geared for students 6th grade and above. Younger students can glean from the curriculum from watching the episodes and answering the more simple questions with their parents. Older students can be challenged more by doing research outside of the curriculum on topics of interest, writing research papers, completing projects, and digging deeper into subject matter of interest from within the episodes. Acts to Revelation consists of 3 disks. The total running time is 495 minutes. The 124-page study guide is bound, like a book, in between the discs. This hardback like book fits nicely in the sleeve and will look nice on your bookshelf. 

So what exactly will your student be doing during their "adventure with Dave Stotts" each week or however often you choose to watch episodes? Well, here is a short run down list of what they can expect:

1. Students will watch an episode adventure - each episode has short written summary 
2. Answer Discussion Questions
3. Side Road

There are a total of 18 30-minute episodes in the Drive Thru History "Acts to Revelation" study. Here is the breakdown of the study by episode:

1. The Gospel Shared at Pentecost
2. The Church Grows in Jerusalem
3. The Gospel Spreads to the Gentiles
4. Saul of Tarsus & the Road to Damascus
5. Paul's First Missionary Journey: The Island of Cyprus
6. The Journey Continues: Pamphylia, Galatia & Asia Minor
7. The Jerusalem Council & Paul's Second Missionary Journey 
8. The Second Journey Continues: Philippi and Thessalonica
9. A Road Trip to Athens
10. Ancient Corinth
11. Paul's Third Missionary Journey: Ephesus
12. Paul's Final Trip to Jerusalem & Caesarea
13. Adventures at Sea: the Island of Malta
14. A Final Journey to Rome
15. The Martyrdom of Paul & Peter
16. John and the Island of Patmos
17. The Seven Churches of Revelation
18. The Book Closes on the New Testament Period

What draws me into Dave's way of teaching history is the fact that he takes his students on REAL adventures to the actual places where history took place. Unlike history books that only give its readers visual pictures and LOTS of words to be read, Dave brings an intimacy to history, a relatability. He describes the events of history at the actual sights describing in detail the historical significance, the background, while bringing it all together. In each episode not only do you get to see the sights of where history took place but Dave uses maps, historical pictures, and captivating background music to draw the viewer in. After watching an episode of Drive Thru History you cannot help but want to watch more. It it truly a fantastic way to learn history. 

Here are a few of the episodes that we watched. 

The Gospel Spreads to the Gentiles (episode 3)

Philip proclaiming the Word of God. Philip and the Ethiopian Eunuch. First record of an African being baptized. St. George the Dragon Slayer of Lydda, follower of Jesus. Beheaded for his faith. Dragon Slayer - the dragon he slayed was satan, legend. Peter went to Lydda and performed a miracle, lame man, Anayas. Peter raised Tabitha from the dead in Joppa. Acts 8, wild vision, Peter. 

Discussion Question
How long was an ancient Roman mile? 
Answer - The Roman mile was supposed to be 1,000 paces. This is where we get, mile, or mille, which is Latin for 1,000. The old Roman measurement of a mile is estimated to have been around 4,860 feet, which is 420 feet shorter than today's American mile of 5,280 feet. 

A Road Trip to Athens (episode 9)

Summary

"Paul, Silas, and Timothy escaped Thessalonica and set-up shop in the remote city of Berea, where they preached the Gospel. Once again, the mobs got violent, and Paul want sent ahead to Athens for his safety. Dave takes a 300-mile road trip from Berea to Athens in present-day Greece, visiting ancient sites such as Mount Olympus and Thermopylae along the way. In the epic city of Athens, Dave investigates the accounts of Paul, including his work as a tentmaker in the Agora and his preaching of the Gospel at the Areopagus."

Various screenshots from throughout the episode. These shots do not do justice to

the actual footage at all. 

One of the places that Dave Stotts visited was Mars Hill. This was a small mountain, not sure why they called it a hill, where men would gather to discuss and debate ideas. Wow, if only that mountain could talk. The wealth of information it saw over the years! Some of the greatest philosophers, scholars, and officials of Athens spoke on that mountain. Can you imagine? 

The Seven Churches of Revelation (episode 17)

1.Ephesus. The choice to follow Christ comes at a great cost, even today in some places. 2.Smyrna, once a thriving port city, known for its wealth and prestige fell. The Christians, warned by John, would in Revelation 2, would more than likely be presecuted and be imprisoned. They would greatly suffer for their faith. 3.Pergamum, worshipped idols, had the largest open are theater. 4.Thyatira, hometown of Lydia. Part of the Roman Road has been found there. Pagen city. Jezebel, false prophet. 5. Sardis, stronghold city. Military strength. Gymnasium and bath complex. John said that the Christians were alive but dead. Revelation 3. Great earthquake. 6. Philadelphia, brotherly love. One emperor military route. The only church that was not criticized for anything. 7. Laodicea, neither cold nor hot. Rev 3:14-20. 

Discussion Question
What city had the steepest theater in the Roman Empire?
Answer - Pergamum had the largest open air theater. It was told that if one fell from the higher seats to the bottom that you pretty much would be dead. 

Look at this amazing picture of the theater in the study guide. 

Can you imagine being in the crowd?

My children said, "Acts to Revelation was great just like the other Drive Thru History Adventures that we have watched. It is really cool to hear about the historical background of Scripture. I love seeing the places that Dave visits and how they make you understand history and the Bible so much more."

I would definitely recommend Drive Thru History to families and educators. 

To read more reviews click here.

Social Media
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/drivethruhistory/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drivethruhistory/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/drivethruhistory/

ARTistic Pursuits ~ A Review

Over the past weeks my daughter has been enjoying creating art with the K-3rd Grade Level, Volumes 1-8 by ARTistic Pursuits Inc.. We reviewed Art in America, K-3, Volume 8 (pencil drawing instruction using graphite and colored pencils). This book is geared specifically for 8-10 year olds who want to learn how to draw better. Book eight has drawings and paintings by American artists from the 18th through the 20th century, with a focus on Modern Art. The book is hardcover and includes two disks. One disk is Blu-ray and the other is a DVD. There are 18 lessons included in the curriculum, the equivalent of one semester. 

Art in America, K-3, Volume 8

Here is a list of the lessons and what is covered in Book 8.

 A list of materials that is needed for all lessons it listed at the front of the book. 

This drawing is from Lesson 1 ~ Drawing is Moving. 

This is from Lesson 13 ~ Layered Colors. 

This drawing is from Lesson 3 ~ Drawing a Good Line. 

This drawing is from Lesson 6 which features Arthur Davies (1862-1928). 

Drawing an animal from real life. 

This drawing is from Lesson 9 which features John James Audubon (1785-1851).

Searching the internet or books for birds to draw. 

Unlike most drawing curriculum that takes the student step-by-step through a drawing project, this particular book requires the student to branch out and use the techniques taught in the video lesson and then apply those techniques as they draw their own unique drawings. This is a bit like jumping off of a zip line for the first time. You are scared, have no confidence in your ability to do it, and wonder what will happen once you take the leap of faith in your ability to do it. Yes, you may not look like an expert but that is not what matters. It is the same with art. Yes, your artwork is not going to look like what is found in the book. That is okay! It takes years to develop a skill. Some people have natural talent. It is more about having fun and trying your best. 

Here are some of the things your student will learn how to do:

• Draw lines that show edge
• Draw features like face, hair, wrinkles on clothing
• Draw good lines
• Using big shapes to start your drawing
• Using light and dark
• Using lines to show the edges of an object
• Making light and dark areas by changing pressure with the pencil
• Using stand out colors
• Using layering 
• Draw shadows
• Fill light and dark spaces
• Using patterns
• Layering colors
• Overlapping objects
• Shading and light
• Drawing with a ruler and compass

My 10-year-old found some of the lessons to be not too hard while some of the lessons were quite challenging. My 12-year-old daughter jumped in and did some of the lessons because she absolutely loves to draw. In my opinion, I would say that this book would be quite challenging and maybe even a bit frustrating for the average 8-10 year old student. Why do I say that, because if something is too challenging or above a child's ability level they tend to either refuse to try, or they get extremely frustrated when their finished product does not turn out. If I were to put an age range on this book it would be more around 10-13 years old. With that said, this is just my opinion.

I love how ARTistic Pursuits has included famous artists along with short narratives about them and then incorporates them into the lessons. Students get a chance to be artists too as they explore each artist and the various art mediums as they work their way through this book. 

Be sure to check out the other 7 books in the series: 

Art for Children, Building a Visual Vocabulary, K-3 Vol. 1 (an introduction to watercolor painting methods, color application, paper cutting and folding for beginners)

Art of the Ancients, K-3 Vol. 2 (strong use of chalk pastels and clay)

Art of the Middle Ages, K-3 Vol. 3 (a variety of paper construction methods, textiles, and collage)

Artists that Shaped the Italian Renaissance, K-3 Vol. 4 (strong emphasis on a variety of watercolor painting methods including resist and fresco, scratch art)

Art of the Northern Countries, Renaissance to Realism, K-3 Vol. 5 (monoprint and relief printmaking methods, plus watercolor and charcoal)

Art of the Impressionists, K-3 Vol. 6 (gouache painting, plus carving, modeling, and constructing methods of sculpting)

Art of the Modern Age, K-3 Vol. 7 (acrylic paint methods, foil and plaster sculpting) 

To read more reviews click HERE.

Social Media
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ArtisticPursuitsInc/
Twitter: @ARTisticPursui1  
Instagram: @artisticpursuitsinc

Fun Figures of Speech Challenge!

Challenge of the Day!

How many Figures of Speech can you find

in this picture?

A list of answers is included below.

If you find more feel free to leave a comment.

I found a few more than 27. Maybe you will be able to add to my list.
Here is the list I came up with so far:

1. Time Flies When You are Having Fun
2. Don't Put All of Your Eggs In One Basket
3. Kicked The Bucket
4. Cards Close to the Chest
5. Walking on Egg Shells
6. Ace Up My Sleeve
7. Shoe on the Other Foot
8. Hit the Nail on the Head
9. Put a Bug in the Ear
10. Don't Spill the Beans
11. Silver Platter
12. Wear One's Heart on One's Sleeve
13. Born with a Silver Spoon in the Mouth
14. Cat Got Your Tongue
15. Piece of Cake
16. A Red Herring
17. Tongue Tied
18. Holding the Cat by the Tail
19. Held By an Arm's Length
20. Getting Cold Feet
21. Cast a Shadow Over
22. Pull up Your Socks
23. The Cherry of Top
24. Rags to Riches
25. Half a Brain
26. More Holes than Swiss Cheese
27. Hole in Your Head
28. Screw Loose
29. Put Your Best Foot Forward
30. In a Nutshell
31. Bird's Eye View
32. Turn Over a New Leaf
33. Bad Egg/Break an Egg
34. Living in the Shadow/To Cast a Shadow
35. Make Ends Meet
36. End of My Tether
37. In Tatters
38. Bald as a Cue Ball
39. As the Crow Flies
40. Stomach in Knots
41. Fish out of Water
42. Cat Got Your Tongue
43. Can't Make an Omelet without Breaking a Few Eggs
44. You Cannot Worm Your Way Out
45. Don't Trust Your Own Shadow
46. Riding On a Coat-tail

Wonder Park

Today my daughter and I went to see the pre-screening of Wonder Park.

The movie was wonderful. It is definitely a must see film.

I cannot wait to see it again when it comes out on March 15th!

I will also be purchasing it when it comes out on DVD/Blue Ray. 

We both would give it ★★★★★. 

Here is the trailer.

Remember the Alamo

Remember the Alamo: Texians, Tejanos, and Mexicans Tell Their Stories

What Was The Alamo?

Boogie Board Fun

We have a Boogie Board similar to this one, actually we have two. This device comes in handy for working out simple math problems, making spelling tests more fun, for use when on the go, in the car, at doctor's appointments, in church, for quiet time, for playing games like hang-man, and the list goes on. Recently, I decided to try and make learning figures of speech more fun by playing hang-man with my youngest daughter. She had never played hang-man before and absolutely LOVED it! After finding the solution then we talked about what the figure of speech meant and then listed examples of when each figure of speech was used in everyday conversation and use. This was so much more fun!

Worthy Kids ~ A Video Review

The Secret of the Hidden Scrolls

https://www.secretofthehiddenscrolls.com

published by 

WorthyKids, an imprint of Hachette Book Group.

https://www.worthykidsworld.com

REVIEW of Books 3 & 4

To read what other have said:

http://schoolhousereviewcrew.com/the-great-escape-journey-to-jericho-worthykids-reviews/

Social Media

Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/WorthyKidsBooks/
Instagram:   https://www.instagram.com/worthypub
Twitter:   https://twitter.com/worthypub

IXL ~ A Review

Over the past weeks my two daughters have been working through the various subjects contained in IXL Learning by IXL. IXL Learning is an online learning tool designed to enhance your child's learning experience. There are lessons in Math, English/Language Arts, Science, Social Studies, and Spanish. The material covers lessons for levels Pre-K through 12th grade. Your child will be able to explore over 7,500+ topics in the above areas of academics. 

I started out this review with only my 5th grader working on IXL Learning. Over the course of the first week my 7th grader was constantly looking over the shoulder of her younger sister asking about what she was doing and asking if she could do it too. She was so disappointed and asked if there was a way to sign her up too. I messaged the program help and asked if I could add my daughter on for the review period. I got a quick response back. She was added on and my daughter was so excited! She spent over two hours the first day on IXL Learning. Both my 5th grader and my 7th grader have enjoyed working through the various subjects in IXL  Learning. As a mother and educator this is very exciting when you find something that your kiddos like that is both educational and you don't have to beg your kiddos to work on. Score!!

Very quickly my daughters got quite competitive and set out to see who could spend more time and get the most rewards. Talk about some healthy competition. Neither of them saw IXL as boring or as schoolwork. Rather, they saw it more as a learning game, a challenge, a test of "what did they know" if that makes sense. They loved the freedom of being able to choose what subjects they worked on and then within each subject what topics they wanted to test their knowledge on. 

Each subject and topic will start by telling the student what they will need to do in order to

earn a reward. In this case the student has to answer 4 questions in a row correctly.

This particular topic is the Properties in Science, 5th Grade. 

If the student gets a problem incorrect the correct answer is highlighted and then 

an explanation is given so that the student can understand the reasoning behind

the correct answer. I really liked this! Instead of the answer just being check marked wrong

 and moving on the student actually gets a thorough understanding of what the correct 

answer is and why. Awesome!!

As your child moves up in the stages of challenges on their way to earning a 

reward/certificate, a timer is also keeping track of the time it is taking them

to complete each step. A counter is also keeping track of how many questions 

it takes the student to answer the questions in the challenge, example: 4 correct 

question in a row. It may take a student a total of answering 18 questions before they

correctly answer 4 question correctly in a row. 

Each subject is broken down in subtopics. 

My 5th grader has had no prior Spanish but thought she would try and 

work through the beginning parts of the Spanish to learn some Spanish. Even 

though the purpose of IXL is to test your knowledge of current subject matter and build

upon what you already know I thought why not. I was surprised at how quickly she

picked up on the basics of Spanish. 

As a parent you will receive e-mails each time your student receives a certificate

or hits a significant milestone. 

You will also receive e-mail recommendations for your student to try. 

There is also an area called Diagnostic where the student can answer questions and

figure out what their diagnostic level is and then get recommendations as to 

what they should work on and start with. 

Within the program you will find a Certificate Center which is where

you will find a running list of all of your child's cumulative earned certificates.

You can view the certificates and also print them out. 

For Language Art the kids are rewarded with really cool nesting dolls. 

For Math students get to uncover what is under squares. 

Under Analytics the parent can look to see in the last 30 days how many hours their child has spent in the program, how many questions they have answered, and how many skills they have mastered. There are several graphs that break down your students progress so that you can more easily see visually how they are doing. The parent is also able to click on each day that their student has logged in and worked and get examples of what they have worked on. The Analytics section is full of very useful information for the parent. 

I would most definitely recommend IXL Learning to others. The program is simple to use and with its reward system students feel motivated to level up to get their next reward and certificate. With the over 7,500+ topics to choose from students have plenty of choices. 

To read more reviews click here.

Social Media
Facebook: facebook.com/IXL
Twitter: twitter.com/IXLLearning
Pinterest: pinterest.com/IXL
YouTube: youtube.com/IXL