Drawn To Discover # 3

My 11 year old daughter is TOTALLY OBSESSED with Drawn To Discover! She absolutely loves this program. She loves drawing. Here are some of her latest drawings.

Here are links to the previous two Drawn to Discover posts. First post and then the second post.
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NatureGlo's eScience ~ A Review

Over the past weeks my daughter has been working through Math Connections with the Real World through NatureGlo's eScience . Math Connections is part of the MathArt Online 4-Class Bundle . Imagine combining science with art, history, and math and that is what you get with NatureGlo's eScience. I was quite intrigued the first time I perused the website due to the unique methodology used at teaching science. NatureGlo offers both live and self-paced online courses. The curriculum is geared for ages 12 and older, middle/high school age students. With that said, Gloria Brooks, creator of NatureGlo's eScience encourages interested learners of any age to check it out. 

The lessons in Math Connections with the Real World 6 week course include:

1. Introduction & History of the Golden Ratio and the Fibonacci Numbers
2. The Golden Number & Fibonacci in Art, Architecture & Nature
3. The Fibonacci Numbers in Nature
4. The History & the Golden Ratio of the Great Pyramid
5. Phi & Quasicrystals
6. The Mathematics of Music

When my daughter first started the Math Connections with the Real World right away the first words out of her mouth were, "Mom, what exactly is The Golden Ratio and Fibonacci Numbers?" My daughter is in the 6th grade and so going into this I knew that she was on the younger side and that this was going to take a bit of team work! Before starting we sat down together and researched on the internet elementary explanations before diving in. She was fascinated. I will also state that very early on that I realized that it was going to take a lot longer than the six weeks to complete this course for my daughter. 

Lessons consist of slideshows and/or videos, activities, and quizzes. Gloria utilities sites outside of NatureGlo's eScience for activity resources, games, puzzles, etc. Students get to do hands-on activities such as cutting apples to see Fibonacci's pentagon pattern in an apple or make Fibonacci Sugar Cookies. 

As the student progresses through the course the students progress is traced on the sidebar. The course progress is given in regards to the percentage of the class completed. Also, as lessons are completed lines are drawn through the lessons to show completion. 

My daughter loved the story of the Forty Fortunes in Lesson 5 that was an introduction to quasicrystals. I really enjoyed the story as well. It really got both of us psyched up for Lesson 5. Again, my daughter had absolutely no idea what a quasicrystal was until she looked it up. Do you know what a quasicrystal is? Well, "A quasiperiodic crystal, or quasicrystal, is a structure that is ordered but not periodic. A quasicrystalline pattern can continuously fill all available space, but it lacks translational symmetry."

One of the fun activities that the students can do are to create their own quasicrystal designs!

Students are actually guided through a step-by-step process into making an intricate pattern. My daughter opted not to take up this challenge. I could have so seen myself doing this if I had, had more time on my hands. This is definitely a project that I want to do over the summer with my daughter. Time consuming but fun. 

The quizzes are lighthearted and fun. Nothing to stress about. This particular quiz was a matching quiz where you had to match the definition with the term. It did time you. You do take the quizlet over to score better. 

Explanations were given in terms that were easy to understand. 

In Lesson 4 my daughter got to make her own Lapbook about the Great Pyramids. She learned about geography, history, maps, a 3D look inside of a pyramid, stones used, Pi, Pythagerean Theorem, and the Kepler Triangle. My daughter has always loved lapbooks! 

I did find that my daughter was a bit too young to digest all of the material and some of it went over her head. I found that we had to kind of sift through the material and tailor it to fit her level a bit more. With that said, I was still surprised at how much she learned. I think that the overall concept of NatureGlo's eScience is a wonderful option for many homeschoolers looking for an out of the box curriculum. For us the self-paced probably isn't the best fit. NatureGlo's eScience does offer live classes too!! I think I would learn more towards the live classes. Why do I say that? Well, the videos are simply recordings of her live classes. Simply listening to the self-paced option, I feel like the student misses out on a huge part of what makes this curriculum so unique. That is just simply my opinion. I think that my daughter may have had a better understanding and focus if she would have been able to have been a part of a live class with interaction where she could have asked questions. 

During the review period we were given the opportunity to use the whole Class Bundle. While we focused on one course we did skip around through the other courses to check them out. There was so much interesting and fascinating material to learn and soak up. 

Included in the MathArt Online 4-Class Bundle are:

1. Math Connections with the Real World
2. MathArt in Ancient Cultures
3. Mathematics in the Arts & Sciences
4. MathArt - Patterns in Nature

During the review period we came across a very fascinating article about Fibonacci's Numbers and The Golden Ratio and my daughter was so excited to make the connection between what she had learned in this course and what she was reading in the article she was reading on Facebook! She could not wait to share it. 

This curriculum is very unique and fits the Charlotte Mason style of teaching. I would highly suggest checking it out. It may be a great fit for your family. 

To read more reviews click here.

Social Media
Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/natureglo1/  
Twitter: https://twitter.com/natureglo1       
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/nesschool/pins/          
Google+:  https://plus.google.com/u/2/110614921959731305213   
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/1hasc   

My Daughter the Artist ~ Art Class Projects

These are just a few of her art pieces done while in class. 

CursiveLogic ~ A Review

My 4th grader has been learning cursive using CursiveLogic Quick-Start Pack from CursiveLogic. The pack includes the workbook along with access to an instructional webinar that fully explains the CursiveLogic method step-by-step. The Art of Cursive is targeted to the adult learner who needs a quick, easy way to master cursive writing. In four easy lessons adult students can learn the lower case alphabet the CursiveLogic way and use a reference sheet for forming the upper case letters. Once the adult student has completed the four lesson they are then ready to color any of the 27 adult coloring pages. The Art of Cursive is not intended to be used by younger students until they have completed the entire CursiveLogic Quick-Start Pack in its entirety. 

So how exactly does CursiveLogic work? 

Normally students learn cursive like they do manuscript, in alphabetical order. Well, with CursiveLogic students learn letters based on their shape. Their are four shape patterns that teach the student the lower case alphabet. Now there is much more to it than this but I don't want to give away the whole program. Each shape has a corresponding color that just so happens to also rhythm with the shape. Students will learn Catch Phrases that will work the students memory to help them remember how to string letters together. 

Before getting started students will be reminded of the important 3 P's.

• Posture
• Paper
• Pencil

Did you know that CURSIVE comes from the Latin cursivus which means "running" 🏃 ? When someone runs they don't run standing straight up, they run at a slant. Well, with cursive, you write with a slant too. 

Students start out by looking at the entire lower case alphabet and identifying which of the four categories each letter falls into based on their shape. 

To give you an idea of what all of this shape stuff is all about I am going to introduce you to one of the shapes in this review. Let me introduce you to the Orange Oval Letters. So which letters make up the  Orange Oval Letters, a, c, d, g, q, and o. The first stroke - oval over. The catch phrase - "Over, back-trace [ letter name]." 

The first half of the workbook covers the LOWERCASE LETTERS and consists of FOUR LESSONS. Each lesson is broken down into FOUR DAYS. 

Here is a breakdown of Lesson 1

DAY ONE 
Students trace the letter string, that follow one of the four shape patterns, with their finger while saying the catch phrase. 

DAY TWO
Students begin by finger tracing the letter strings while saying the catch phrase and then with their pencils. Students then independently write the letter strings on their own. They also practice the letter pattern. 

DAY THREE
Students practice connections between letters

DAY FOUR
Students read and write words using the shape pattern in the lesson.

As Lessons progress students integrate the letter patterns learned in previous lessons into the new lessons. By the time they complete the first half the the workbook they are writing and using all of the lower case letters of the alphabet. 

She's looping letters together!!

In the second half of the workbook students will learn the UPPERCASE LETTERS in a total of SIX LESSONS. The uppercase letters are also introduced in groupings with catch phrases to help the student remember how to form the letters. At the top of each page in the second half of the workbook students will find the lowercase, color coded, shape alphabet with the catch phrase for reference. This is a huge help so that students do not have to keep up with a reference sheet or continually have to flip back in the workbook. 

When you purchase the CursiveLogic Quick-Start Pack you will also receive access to an instructional webinar that explains the CursiveLogic process step-by-step. I would highly recommend that you not skip watching this before starting your student in on the program. There is so much extra valuable information in this webinar to help you as a parent or educator help your student or child succeed in their cursive writing journey. The webinar is approximately 48 minutes in length. 

The Art Of Cursive

Like I stated in the introduction, this is intended for the adult who needs a refresher in cursive or needs to learn cursive. This can also be used for the younger student AFTER they have completed all of the CursiveLogic workbook. My 4th grader absolutely loves adult coloring books and so I have decided to keep this as an incentive for her to complete the CursiveLogic program! She cannot wait to claim it. With that said, this is a great way to quickly and easily give adults a way to refresh or learn cursive. In four very short lessons the adult student will learn the same shape, letter strings that are taught in the CursiveLogic workbook. An uppercase reference page is included with number and arrow guides directing the student on how to form the upper case letters. This all is covered in 9 pages. After that the fun begins! There are 27 adult coloring sheets which include cursive writing and letter looping. The pictures are pretty spectacular. Here is an example of a coloring sheet. 

I would highly recommend CursiveLogic to others looking for an effective and stress free way of teaching their students or child how to write cursive. The process makes sense and works! 

Though the end of March CursiveLogic is offering a 20% discount on their Quick-Start Pack, which includes the webinar + workbook combo. Simply use the code CREW2018 at checkout. 

To read more reviews click here.

Social Media
Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/ilovecursive/  

The Pencil Grip, Inc. ~ A Review

The Pencil Grip, Inc. has hundreds of innovative and unique products, one being their Magic Stix Washable Markers. Their 24-pack, no odor markers with vented safety caps come in bold colors and are guaranteed to not dry out even if you leave the caps off for 7 days! A wide variety of Magic Stix are available through The Pencil Grip, Inc. website and various online sites as well as stores in your area. 

TICK.. TOCK.. TICK.. tock..

So, we all know that kiddos are NOTORIOUS for not putting the caps back

on markers! Well, the makers of Magic Stix GUARANTEES that their

markers will not dry out with the cap off for 7 days!!! 

That is one tall order. I am always skeptical of companies saying that their 

products will do this or that so I put the markers to the test!

 For most markers one or maybe two days would be the DEATH of a marker. 

The results.........they continued to perform perfectly. 

In fact, they worked just as well as 

day ONE.

For the challenge I kept the marker in the case but with the lid off 
for the duration of the 7 days. Around our house things tend to 
get misplaced and I needed to make sure that it didn't come up missing.
 So here are our results. 

The case is perfect for taking the markers on the go. The markers snap in place so that they stay in place. These are perfect for travel, in the car, appointments, or anytime that you need to keep your little one occupied. And they are not just for the littles. The markers have a medium tip so they are great for older children or teens too. Maybe your teenager needs to make a banner for a pep rally or a sign for the next home game. Kids are always needing markers for school projects. I know we are already planning for this summer's VBS! What about all of the summer camps that you may be involved in? 

NOW FOR THE MASTERPIECES!

Puppies, Stars, and Rainbows!

My 9-year-old said, "They don't stink!"

You may be thinking, this is an odd comment. Well, for anyone with a kiddo

that has sensory issues this is a very BIG thing! Smells often are a huge turn off for

kiddos with sensory issues. The fact that these markers do not smell was 

a HUGE plus for my daughter!!

My 11-year-old said, "I like the color choices that they provided in pack."

I  SCREAM YOU  SCREAM WE ALL 
SCREAM FOR  ICE CREAM!

The colors are BOLD.

And in honor of St. Patrick's Day coming up
my 17-year-old daughter drew a leprechaun. 

Me name is Blarney McKnob. How do ya do?

I would definitely recommend these markers to others. When you check out these markers maker sure you also check out their amazing line of paint stix too. Here is a review I did on their Thin Stix Creativity Pack. 

To read more reviews click here.

Social Media

Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/thepencilgrip/    

Twitter:  https://twitter.com/thepencilgrip     
Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/kwikstixpaint            
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCLmKo4Es5M5VwzXuFKk7j6w