Solving Science, Naturally! (One Minute at a Time)

 If you’re like me, science was a bit of a mystery in school.  I’d rather read a good book.  Then, along came Science Naturally!  This independent press is dedicated to providing books that support math and the sciences.  The highly-acclaimed series has even become eligible for STEM grants.  Because their products are aligned to state and national standards, teachers can be confident that they are meeting the Common Core Standards (if need be), but what is even more exciting is the FUN this brings to science lessons!

I was pleased to receive my review copy of  65 More Short Mysteries You Solve with Science to sample.  When I was a kid, I loved to read those “mini-mystery” books like “Five Minute Mysteries”.  Like a puzzle on paper, I was anxious to find the flaw in the description or someone’s statement to solve the crime before I turned the page!  I’m thrilled to have found a similar style, but with a scientific twist.

Science, Naturally! has been winning awards and snagging national attention on programs like NPR’s Science Friday.  Written by the father/daughter team of Eric and Natalie Yoder, these quickie quizzes are just the ticket for setting up your science lessons, closing a study period, or just squeezing in a few extra minutes of critical thinking skills.  Designed to be read in just one minute, each story challenges your knowledge of various science principles.  We found the brief passages ideal for read-aloud (even in the car!), yet easy enough that my 9-year-old could enjoy them on his own.

Just a few of the highlights of Science, Naturally!:

• Self-study, family, or class use
• Affordable - $9.95  for print book (paperback, 185 pgs.), also on Kindle, Nook, and iPad
• Flexible - Go at your own pace, skip around, or read straight through
• Multi-Age – Recommended for ages 8-12 (but Dad thought it was pretty cool, too!)
• Time Extender- Boost a lesson or use on-the-go
• Fun - Uses real-life situations with a variety of cultural characters and settings

• Sample Stories - Click HERE for an excerpt of “Tanks A Lot” (see…even the titles are funny)
• Free Monthly Mystery – online – visit the website for more monthly minute mysteries!

This book was such a great addition to our science learning that we kept a permanent place for it on our homeschool shelf.  I’m interested to read the original, 65 Short Mysteries You Solve With Science! and 65 Short Mysteries You Solve With Math!

You can read more experiences right HERE,at SchoolhouseReviewCrew.com, and in the words of Reading Rainbow’s Levar Burton, “Don’t just take my word for it!”  Read these other great reviews by parent educators like me!

DISCLAIMER

The Golden Goblet Study Guide – Review for Progeny Press

I’ve been reading to my kids since before birth (thank you Jim Trelease for the Read-Aloud Handbook!), and now that they read on their own as well, it was time to try a traditional literature study unit.  Progeny Press has a great selection of quality books for all ages, and when the opportunity arose to review one of their products, I was happy to oblige.

To be honest, I had never heard of The Golden Goblet – an ancient Egyptian-period mystery – but we had already read The Hobbit together, the Little House books, and were just getting started on an Ancient Civilizations unit, so I figured a who-dunnit with lots of options for learning Egyptian culture would be perfect.

From the website… Ranofer dreams of following in his father’s footsteps as a goldsmith, but when he is suddenly orphaned, he struggles under the abusive control of a half-brother. When he discovers tomb robbers, Ranofer is swept into danger, mystery, and intrigue, but he never loses sight of his dreams. This exciting coming-of-age tale brings Ancient Egypt to life.

The book itself is an exciting tale of a young boy who must come into his own, solving problems along the way and discovering who he really is. Author Eloise Jarvis McGraw is a 3-time Newberry Award winner, and even contributed to L. Frank Baum’s Wizard of Oz series.  Her classic tale is as timely today as when it was first printed.

The study guide, written by Carol Clark, is available as a printed booklet for $18.99, or on CD or downloadable for $16.99, contains reproducible lessons on vocabulary and literary terms, comprehension questions, story element analysis, critical thinking, and activities, plus a complete answer key.  Additional readings and activities are suggested to enhance your studies.  Her years as an educator contribute to making this a quality publication.

Parents will be able to relax with the study guide, as it provides a synopsis of the book, author information, and guided reading questions and activities for key sections of the book.  The overview can be used as a final test.  I especially appreciated the thoughtful questions for each selection – so different from the mindless regurgitation of facts that some guides produce.  My students really had to understand the content and respond to it in order to answer the questions completely.

The vocabulary and literary terms exercises are very good.  I would have liked to have more graphics and hands-on activities included, but these were easy to add on our own.  There are a few pages that correlate sections of the book with biblical scriptures.  These are reinforcing moral and character traits, and can be used as desired whether you teach from a Christian viewpoint or not.  Because these are reproducible, this guide can be used in future years with other students (and getting it on CD or as a download means I can print just what I need for that day!)

We used The Golden Goblet as an introduction to our Ancient Cultures study, and decided to lengthen our study of Egypt for several more weeks!

Just a few of the highlights of The Golden Goblet from Progeny Press:

• Vocabulary specific to the novel
• Literary terms and devices explained and analyzed
• Critical Thinking activities
• Story synopsis
• Author biography
• Answer Key
• Additional Activities and Reading Suggestions

You can read more experiences right HERE,at SchoolhouseReviewCrew.com, and in the words of Reading Rainbow’s Levar Burton, “Don’t just take my word for it!”  Read these other great reviews by parent educators like me!

DISCLAIMER

Q is for Quote

The April Blogging from A to Z Challenge continues!

Q (Photo credit: chrisinplymouth)

People have important things to say.  I love listening to others’ words for the gem of an idea, the jewel that perfectly expresses an emotion.  That’s why I wrote Quotes for Creative Minds, a collection of my favorite quotes from celebrities great and small.  Here’s a few of my faves:

It is a known condition that when you begin to pay attention to something you’ve never really looked at before, you will begin to see it everywhere.  You eventually begin to feel as if the thing is out to find you, instead of the other way around.   –Keri Smith

When anyone becomes an authority, that is the end of him as far as development is concerned. (Frank Lloyd Wright, 1948)

Education, of course, is always based on what was. Education shows you what has been and leaves you to make the deduction as to what may be. Education as we pursue it cannot prophesy, and does not. (Frank Lloyd Wright, 1955)

“I don’t have space in my head to put up with harmless old gits trying to make me feel bad,” said Amina, folding her arms.  “I’ve learned to tell the difference between the people who can really hurt you and those who just want to look down their noses.” – Helen Simonson, Major Pettigrew’ Last Stand

“Only sometimes when we pick and choose among the rules we discover later that we have set aside something precious in the process.” – Helen Simonson, Major Pettigrew’ Last Stand

“Life does often get in the way of one’s reading.” – Helen Simonson, Major Pettigrew’ Last Stand

Leave a comment for me, if you please.  Writing is a lonely business.

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