Student Atlas

Student Atlas – Essential reference for students of all ages  8th Edition
Published at DK Canada

About the book

The fully revised 8th edition of Student Atlas includes all current border, place, name, and flag changes around the world. Designed with middle and high school students in mind, this reference guide includes a detailed introductory section on map skills, along with balanced coverage of each continent. The Student Atlas maps have accurate computer-generated terrain models with a key, scale bar, and locator map for every region in the world, and a country fact file shows key statistical data for each country and lets the reader easily compare nations.

Integrated text, illustrations, and exercises complement the maps, encouraging students to learn more about each topic, making Student Atlas the perfect reference book to stimulate an interest in the world, geography, and maps.

My thoughts

A good atlas is always good to have when studying geography.   The Student Atlas published at DK is regularly updated to highlight the changes happening in the world.   The 8th edition of the atlas has recently being published and I had the opportunity to take a good look at it.

As soon as you open the book, you can immediately jump into a specific area of our beloved planet.  From the main map of the world, you will obtain the pages where North America, South America, Europ, Africa, Asia, Antarctica and Australasia & Oceania are located in the book.   You can also find a more detailed table of contents where you will be able to identify specific items you wish to find.

The table of contents is like this:

Learning Map Skills:  amazing earth, mapping the world, How maps are made, reading maps, using the atlas.

The World Around Us: physical world, earth’s structure, climate and life zones, world population, world economy, borders and boundaries.

The World Atlas: nations of the world.

North America: Continental North America, North American geography, Western Canada, Eastern Canada, USA: The Northeastern States, USA: The Southern States, USA: The Great Lakes States, USA: The Central States, USA: The Southwestern States, USA: The Mountain States, USA: The Pacific States, Alaska, Hawaii, US Overseas Territories, Mexico, Central America, The Caribbean.

South America: Continental South America, South American geography, Northern South America, Southern South America.

Africa: Continental Africa, African geography, North Africa, West Africa, East Africa, Southern Africa.

Europe: Continental Europe, European geography, Northern Europe, the low countries, the British Isles, Ireland, Scotland, Northern England & Wales, Southern England,France, Germany and the Alpine states, Italy, Central Europe, Southeast Europe, Eastern Europe, European Russia, the Mediterranean.

Asia: Continental Asia, Asian geography, Russia and Kazakhstan, Turkey and the Caucasus, Southwest Asia, Central Asia, South Asia, East Asia, Southeast Asia, Japan and Korea.

Australasia & Oceania: Australasia & Oceania, Australia, New Zealand, Southwest Pacific.

Polar Regions: Antarctic, Arctic.

The maps included in this book are very colorful and packed with information.  For examples, you will be able to read about the physical geography and the political geography of a country as well as learn about the industry and the land use of the country.   When you select a specific area to study, you will learn more detailed information about the industry in that area, the landscape, the farming and land use, the population, the climate, as well as the environmental issues.

Like I said this book is packed with information that can be used in your geography studies whether you are a student at school or homeschooler.

The Student Atlas is part of the Back to School Boutique of DK Canada.  This special boutique is offering numerous titles that can help your child in many subjects.   Check out the titles available in the Back to School Boutique to see what else DK Canada has to offer to help your child to obtain amazing grades.

The Student Atlas 8th Edition is available for purchase at your favorite bookstore, even on amazon.ca and amazon.com.

  

Disclaimer: Thanks to DK Canada for allowing me to promote these books. I was not monetarily compensated for this post . Please note that the post was not influenced by the Sponsor in any way. All opinions expressed here are only my own.

Give Your Child the World

Give Your Child the World – Raising Globally Minded Kids One Book at a Time
Written by Jamie C. Martin
Published  at Zondervan

About the book

Young children live with awe and wonder as their daily companions. But as they grow, worries often crowd out wonder. Knowing this, how can parents strengthen their kids’ love for the world so it sticks around for the long haul?

Thankfully, parents have at their fingertips a miracle vaccine—one that can boost their kids' immunity to the world’s distractions. Well-chosen stories connect us with others, even those on the other side of the globe. Build your kids’ lives on a story-solid foundation and you’ll give them armor to shield themselves from the world’s cynicism. You’ll give them confidence to persevere in the face of life’s conflicts. You’ll give them a reservoir of compassion that spills over into a lifetime of love in action.

Give Your Child the World features inspiring stories, practical suggestions, and carefully curated reading lists of the best children’s literature for each area of the globe. Reading lists are organized by region, country, and age range (ages 4-12). Each listing includes a brief description of the book, its themes, and any content of which parents should be aware.

Parents can introduce their children to the world from the comfort of home by simply opening a book together. Give Your Child the World is poised to become a bestselling family reading treasury that promotes literacy, develops a global perspective, and strengthens family bonds while increasing faith and compassion.

My Thoughts

I will honestly tell  you I did not know what to expect…  actually I thought that this book was about teaching your kids how to think globally.   But after receiving the book and taking some time to explore the pages in it, I have in awe and impressed by what I have found in  it.   Let me tell you why the book is interesting for homeschoolers.  By the way the author of this book blogs at simplehomeschool.net,  has three children with two of them being adopted and that her own home life represent four countries – England, India, Liberia, and USA.  

First of all the book is divided into two parts – one contains three chapters on Falling in Love with the World while the second section is more specifically titled Read the World.   The first chapter is essentially the life story of the author and her family – how they came to be together.  The second chapter of the book will give you some ideas on how to bring the world in your home with décor, meals, maps, study and many more ideas that will encourage you to discover the world from your home.  The third chapter of the book (and last one for the first section of the book) explains how the author has developed the story-solid foundation and how you can use books of all genre to expand your global experience of studying the world.

The second part of the book offers books ideas based on ages (4-6, 6-8, 8-10, and 10-12) on specific themes like multicultural books, Africa, Europe, Asia, Middle East, North America, Latin America, and finally Australia, Oceania, and the Polar Regions.  I am beyond ecstatic with the list of books provided within the pages of this resource.  As part of our homeschool coop we cover various units throughout the year.  For example the units we will do next year are New France, Light & Sound, Christmas in France, Renaissance, Astronomy and Oceania.   This book will allow me to select specific titles for the Christmas in France and for the Oceania units.  I couldn’t ask for a better resource in my hands.

My only disappointment is that there are no suggestions for teens in this book.   I would have liked to see books suggested for this group age.  It would have made it even more interesting for me as I have a teenager that has decided to pursue homeschool during the high school years.  Apart from that small disappointment, I find the book to be a wonderful resources for families who want to discover the world from the comfort of their home and with books that will allow them to explore specific regions of the world.

Give Your Child the World is available at your favourite bookstore, even amazon.ca and amazon.com.

  

Disclaimer: Thanks to Thomas Nelson for sending me the above mentioned product for review purposes . I was not monetarily compensated for this review. Please note that the review was not influenced by the Sponsor in any way. All opinions expressed here are only my own.

Creatures Great and Small Boutique

DK Canada is having a wonderful boutique for all creatures great and small.   From the tiny insect to the biggest animal on the planet, DK Canada has the book to spike the interest of your child in discovering everything about animals.  

 

Smithsonian Wildlife of the World

Wildlife of the World takes you on a journey through some of the most scenic and rich animal habitats — from the Amazon rain forests to the Himalayas, the Sahara to the South Pole — meeting the most important animals in each ecosystem along the way.

In Wildlife of the World truly spectacular portrait-style photography brings you "face-to-face" with individual animals in up-close and engrossing profiles on how the animals interact with their environments, mate, survive, and even play.

From the shaggy musk ox foraging in the Canadian high arctic to the angered Scottish wildcat prowling the Highlands to the rock-climbing gelada monkey of Ethiopia, each animal featured in Wildlife of the World plays a key role in its environment. An additional eighty-page illustrated reference section on the animal kingdom explains the animal groups and profiles additional species.

This book is impressive by the quantity and quality of the information within the pages.   The information in this book is divided into eight sections:

Animal habitats: forest, grasslands, extreme environments, aquatic environments.

North America: peaks and prairies, Canadian arctic, Yellowstone, central great plains, Sierra Nevada, Mojave desert, Florida Everglades.

Central and South America: land of the jaguar, Costa Rican rainforest, Andean Yungas, Amazon rainforests, the Pantanal, Andean altiplano, Argentine pampas, Galapagos islands.

Europe: plains and peninsulas, Norwegian fjords, Scottish highlands, the Camargue, Tagus valley, the Alps, Bavarian forest.

Africa: a sunbaked land, Ethiopian highlands, great rift valley lakes, Serengeti savannas, Congo basin, Okavango delta, Kalahari desert, Madagascan dry forest.

Asia: land of extremes, Arabian highlands, Terai-Duar savannas, Eastern Himalayas, upper Yangtze forests, Gobi desert, Nihonkai Montane forests, Bornean rainforests, Sulu-Sulawesi seas.

Australasia: the red continent, New Guinea Montane forest, North Australia savannas, great Sandy-Tanami desert, East Australian forests, great barrier reef, New Zealand mixed forests.

Antarctica: land of ice and snow, southern ocean islands, Antarctic peninsula.

Already I have plenty of use for this book.   The Olympics being in Rio this summer I will discover the animals of the Amazon rainforest with the kids.  I also plan to use this book next year for our Oceania unit with our homeschool coop.   I will also direct our readings toward the China habitats since we covered this region as part of our coop last year.

The pages are packed with stunning photos and informative data on the animals found throughout the world.   The fact that it is divided into regions of the world is interesting because you can tie the reading of the pages with your study in geography.   It is always nice to have a book that is a bit different than other ones you might have and this book is definitively unique by the fact that the information is classified based on a specific habitat found somewhere on a specific continent.   I really think this is a great book to own in your personal library.

Smithsonian Eyewitness Explorer Bird Watcher

In Eyewitness Explorers: Bird Watcher, young bird lovers can discover all they need to know about these winged wonders. In the book you will find over 30 hands on activities that allow budding ornithologists to build a birdfeeder, make a nest box, birdbath, and bird garden; plus uncover tracks and trails, study nests, explore different kinds of bird feathers and eggs, and learn migration patterns.

This book encourage hands-on learning with 30 easy activities that help children observe, explore, and learn about the natural world. The book explains the science behind the activities, laying the essential groundwork for contextualizing the experience to come. But at the heart of the books are the activities themselves — a chance to learn by doing with experiments that can be carried out right at home. Most can even be completed with materials already on hand, so there's no complicated preparation or specialized equipment needed. Simply choose one of the projects and follow the step-by-step photographically illustrated instructions.  It will be really simple to do with your kids.  Besides, in the end you will have the opportunity to observe fabulous creatures – the birds.

 

I truly believe that bird watching is an activity that can be enjoyed by every one in a family.   Once you learn more about birds, you will enjoy the observations even more as you try to identify the birds.   Then you can venture your family in the forest or fields around your house in order to see which birds live in your area.  Bird watching is a great homeschool activity that can be done throughout the year.

Smithsonian Everything you need to know about birds

Have you ever wondered how birds fly or what's inside an egg? You can find out the answers to these questions and more in Everything You Need to Know About Birds.

From nocturnal owls to flightless penguins, learn about the different evolution and habitats of birds from around the world. Discover how almost everything about a bird's anatomy is designed for flight, yet how its skeleton is also similar to that of a human. See how golden eagles are used for fox hunting in Kazakhstan, and try to find the differences and similarities between an ostrich and the dinosaur Eoraptor.  This book is definitively packed with information about different types of birds all across the world, their habitats, breeding habits, anatomy, and oddities. You will also read about shocking trivia.  The book is perfect to learn more about everything that is bird related.   For example through the pages of this book you will discover the different types of birds that hunt, dive, swim, run, and dig, including vultures, crows, parrots, chickens, and more. 

   

The book contains numerous close-ups, an engaging text, as well as an innovative, high-quality design.   It could be the tool to have for in-depth research or a quick dip for fast facts on these amazing creatures that fly above our heads. 

 Smithsonian Super Bug Encyclopedia

Following on the success of Super Nature Encyclopedia and Super Human Encyclopedia comes Super Bug Encyclopedia — a look at the 100 most amazing insects on the planet!

Using macro photography and brand-new CGI artworks, Super Bug zooms right in to reveal the secrets of the most successful creatures on our planet. With incredible facts and stats for every bug, Super Bug showcases the superstars of the insect world. Find out which insect can snap a pencil in half, how a tiny moth can fly up to 70 miles an hour, and meet a dung beetle that can pull over 1,100 times its own body weight. Young readers will be wowed by what goes on inside the tiny world of ants, spiders, butterflies, moths, crickets, and other creepy crawlies.

Lively, informative, easy-to-access text based on the latest discoveries and scientific research showcases incredible feats of endurance, defense, strength, and speed while graphic, dashboard-style panels provides information at a glance.  You will be able to visualized with incredible 3-D models with cross-sections and strip layers.  It is the perfect book to explore every essential detail of the world of insects.

 

The book is divided into five sections: Amazing Anatomy, Animal Athletes, Fearsome Hunters, Tiny Terrors, and Life Stories.   Each of these sections will highlight a specific bug that can be found around the world.  For example, on the two pages about the emperor scorpion you will get a quick overview of the bug, see its cross-section with advance graphic, meet its deadly relative, learn  more about it and get all the stats and facts on the bug.   Did you know that a female scorpion may give birth to as many as 100 live young and that she will carry them on her back.   Impressive!  If your child desire to learn more about bugs, this is definitively a book to discover with him or her.

If these titles do not grab your interest or if you are looking for something more specific, head over to the Creatures Great & Small Boutique at DK Canada to discover other titles like The Bee Book or Everything You Need to Know About Sharks for example.   All the titles I have seen in the boutique would make a great addition for your personal library when you homeschool or for a quick reference for a school project.

Each of these four books can be found at your favorite bookstore, even on amazon.ca and amazon.com.

 

 

 

 

Disclaimer: Thanks to DK Canada for allowing me to promote this book. I was not monetarily compensated for this post . Please note that the post was not influenced by the Sponsor in any way. All opinions expressed here are only my own.

Introducing DKfindout

About a week ago, DK has launched an exciting new online learning resource for kids, parents, teachers and educators of all kinds.    Personally, I think it is a fabulous website for homeschoolers.   The site is called DKfindout   and between you and I, I think the name fits perfectly.    This website took nearly two years in the making.   DKfindout is a global education website that brings together DK's unrivalled collection of amazing images and expertly researched text to create a safe - and useful - online learning environment!   It caters to visual learners of all ages – and is perfect to learn more without the kids realizing…   This amazing free website allows people to create their own journey of discovery and learn remarkable facts along the way.

The best part is that it is accessible on all devices, iPad, phone, laptop and computer!  So no matter where you are, you can easily swing by DKfindout and learn (assuming that you are in a free wifi area or you have coverage on your device). 

When you get to the website you will see this screen.  You can either select a theme or type in what you are looking for. 

  Further down the page, you can go to videos, answer questions on quizzes, what galleries of photos, discover what’s new on the site, learn fun facts and even have your own folder of stuff to read about.

Since we are going to study China with our coop at the end of March, I thought it would be interesting to do a search on China.   Here’s the different subjects we can explore on China on this website – The Great Wall today, Kingdom of Ancient China, more Chinese inventions, Ancient China, The Great Wall of China, Chinese printing, more Chinese pottery, Chinese farming, Chinese trade, what the Chinese traded, the First Emperor, Chinese pottery, the Terra-cotta Army, Chinese junk, Confucius, Chinese writing, Chinese paper-making, Chinese Dress, Chinese family life, Chinese inventions, giant panda, and Chinese medicine.     The search also brought up Richard Nixon, measuring earthquakes, parts of a flower, what is a fish?, what is a mammal? and leaves.  I suspect that China is mentioned in these articles. 

Below is an example of my search on China – more specifically how the Great Wall of China was built.   On the image, you can see labels which allows the person navigating the site to discover more about specific words related to the search.

I am very impressed with this site and I think it is a wonderful site to explore with your kids when studying a specific theme.    I highly recommend DKfindout to anyone who love to learn.

CONTEST TIME…

One of my readers will be able to get a DKfindout tote bag.  

a Rafflecopter giveaway

 

 

Disclaimer: Thanks to DK Canada for the opportunity of having a giveaway. I was not monetarily compensated for this review. Please note that the review was not influenced by the Sponsor in any way. All opinions expressed here are only my own.

All About Our Home: Earth

My kids and I are part of a Coop with other homeschoolers this year.  It’s the first time we are participating to one.  What I particularly like about this coop is the fact that we study a specific theme for three weeks and then take a break for a little while.  This year, we explored the following themes so far: Pioneers, Weather, Winter Olympics and Canadian Government.   We have one more theme to cover this year with the theme of Earth coming up at the end of April.

So imagine my delight when DK Canada asked me if I wanted to review some titles on their Earthly Pleasures Boutique.

Smithsonian Earth   

About the book

Earth: The Definitive Visual Guide is an extraordinary survey of our planet produced in collaboration with the Smithsonian Institution.

This stunning reference includes detailed, illustrated information about everything that makes up our planet, from Mount Kilimanjaro to the Antarctic ice sheet, as well as descriptions of more than four hundred of the Earth's most significant, unusual, greatest, and most dangerous features.

Specially commissioned new 3-D digital artwork provides a striking, informative guide to the features of our planet, explains the scientific processes that govern our world, and looks at the complex relationship between humans and the natural environment while providing a thought-provoking assessment on the state of the planet.

My Thoughts

This book is gigantic if you are wondering. With over 500 pages of detailed information on Earth no wonder that this book have a subtitled saying that it is the definitive visual guide.   Produced by the Smithsonian, the book contains thorough information on Earth and all that makes it so special to us.  From glaciers to deserts, you will find information on specific places on the planet like Gibson Desert for example.    Each section on a specific place found around the world will present the location, type, size, rainfall and temperature and sometimes show some photos from that place.  

The book is literally packed with illustrations, photos, graphs and much more on the planet, the land, the oceans, the atmosphere and the tectonic plates.

Here’s a quick view of the table of contents:

• Planet Earth – The history of Earth, the anatomy of Earth with a view of its structure including the core, mantle, crust and more, the changing Earth
• Land – mountains and volcanoes, rivers and lakes, glaciers, deserts, forests, wetlands, grasslands and tundra, agricultural areas, urban areas and industrial areas.
• Ocean – Oceans and seas, coasts
• Atmosphere – climate and weather (air masses and weather systems as well as precipitations, clouds and wind).
• Tectonic Earth – North American, South American, Eurasian, African, Australian, Pacific and Antarctic.

While going through this book, I had great visual illustration of the surface currents in the oceans as well as the conveyor belt which we have learned in a recent lesson of geography.  I find the book is a marvelous book to own when you study Earth with your kids.   It is packed with detailed illustration which are fabulous to have when you read about a something like the different layers of the atmosphere or the circulation of air around the world.   These illustrations are very helpful to visualize the concept that is learned at the moment of the lesson.   Though I find the information contained in this book would be more for children in upper grades of school I also think that the illustrations can be use for all ages.  This is a great book to have when homeschooling multi-levels of school.

Smithsonian Geography a Visual Encyclopedia  

About the book

Created in conjunction with the Smithsonian Institution, Geography: A Visual Encyclopedia explores every aspect of our world, from the North to the South Pole, and from the outer atmosphere to the fiery core and from natural processes to human impact.

Discover terrifying earthquakes, priceless gemstones, and storms that can destroy buildings. Understand how weather works, what causes the seasons, and the power of water to shape the landscape. Explore life on Earth, and countries and cultures from all around the world. Packed with facts, maps, explanations, illustrations, and photographs, Geography: A Visual Encyclopedia is the ultimate guide to our planet.

My Thoughts

This book is a great visual encyclopedia on everything related to geography on Earth.  

Table of contents:

• Planet Earth – the solar system, the planets, how earth formed, the moon, scarred surface, inside our planet, magnetic Earth, Northern Lights, Earth’s crust, impact craters, moving plates, plate boundaries, earthquakes, ground shift, tsunamis, making mountains, volcanoes, eruption, cataclysm, hot springs and geysers.
• Rocks and Minerals – elements and minerals, crystals, crystal types, crystal cave, igneous rocks, igneous intrusions, weathering, dynamic landscape, Coyote Buttes, sedimentary rocks, fossils, ancient life, rock strata, Grand Canyon, metamorphic rocks, rock cycle, and soil.
• Water – water cycle, rivers and valleys, glaciers and ice sheets, iceberg, rivers of ice, ice ages, underground water, caves, sculpted in stone, lakes, lakes of the world, oceans and seas, world oceans, waves and currents, making waves, tides, coasts
• Climate and Weather – atmosphere, air currents, climate zones, seasons, oceans and continents, cold desert, climate types, weather systems, cloud and fog, cloud types, rain and snow, storms and hail, tornado and hurricanes.
• Life on Earth – a living planet, kingdoms of life, ecosystems, freshwater life, tropical forest, temperate forest, autumn color, northern forest, moorland and heath, temperate grassland, tropical grassland, desert, living deserts, desert in bloom, life in the mountains, arctic tundra, icy oceans, winter chill, life beneath the waves, deep ocean, coral reef, vital light, and on the shore.
• The Human World – population, farming, transformed landscape, mining, industry, transportation, cities, modern cities, city lights, pollution, climate change, and conservation.
• Mapping the World – the physical world, the political world, population density, North America, South America, Europe, Africa, Asia, Oceania, and Antarctica.
• Country Factfile – North America, South America, Europe, Africa, Asia and Oceania.

Essentially, this book would be perfect for kids in grades 3-6 as it contains just enough information on each subject for them to retain.   It presents various aspects of the Earth’s geography throughout the book and put emphasis on specific places like for example the important lakes found around the world including the Lake Nakuru in East Central Africa where flamingos gather every year to have their babies or Lake Titicaca found at the border of Bolivia and Peru which is considered as the highest large lake in the world.   Each subject covered in this book is beautifully illustrated and accompanied with stunning photos.    I have just gone through the notions of seasons with my kids and the image included in this book is pretty self-explanatory.   The book not only present the geography of our planet but also the different kind of weather, precipitations, water cycle and so on.    A whole section of the book is about life on Earth and will present the kinds of plants and animals we can find on it.   Another section will highlights how humans can affect the planet and you can also get interesting facts about countries through the world.   I find this book is a great addition for your personal study of Earth’s geography.

What’s that Rock or Mineral?  

About the book

Compact and portable, What's That Rock, Mineral or Gem? is an indispensable beginner's pocket guide to identifying the 150 most common North American rocks and minerals.

My Thoughts

I love the What’s That books from DK because it forces the kids and I to open our eyes and explore our surrounding during the warmer months.    This new book from the series that DK has will provide a beginner introduction about rocks and minerals.   This particular book will be easy to slide in your backpack while going on an expedition with your family if you want to go find some special rocks or minerals.   To be honest, there is a possible trip to Northern Ontario for the family if my husband gets a contract with a former client.  If it happens, chances are we might go with the RV and bring the kids as well.  The town is a former mining town and I am sure we could find some gems in the outdoors while my husband is at his contract.   Though we will have to be careful not to encounter any bears while doing so.  

The book will introduce you to the world of rocks and minerals while guiding you in identifying the ones you might find in your outings.    Four main sections will concentrate on specific types of rocks and minerals:  Coarse-grained rocks, medium-grained rocks, fine-grained rocks, and minerals.   A rock gallery as well as a mineral gallery complete the book and would help you to find quickly the ones you have discovered. 

In a nutshell, this book is perfect for the amateur and those who love to learn more about things you can find in nature.

Smithsonian Nature Guide Rocks and Minerals 

About the book

The new DK Nature Guides form a comprehensive, accessible, and informative series of illustrated reference books that tackle key natural history subjects in DK's uniquely visual style. Produced in collaboration with expert consultants at the Smithsonian Institution, each guide is expertly written and will give you knowledge of the natural world at your fingertips.

From blue schist to blue granite, malachite to meteorites, and taconite to travertine, Nature Guide Rocks and Minerals is packed full of stunning images that reveal intricate details and unique characteristics of each rock and mineral.  Using close-up photographs of every specimen and profiles containing examples from all over the world,Nature Guide Rocks and Minerals brings revealing key facets and details perfect for quick identification.

My Thoughts

This book is a little more complete than the one previously shown.   It contains more example on how to identify the rocks and minerals you might find in your explorations in nature.   There is definitively more information about rocks and minerals in this book as well.   Each rock and mineral presented in this book will have its own profile which provide information on the hardness, specific gravity, cleavage, fracture, streak, luster, type, origin, temperature of formation, pressure of formation, structure, grain size, major minerals, minor minerals, color, precursor rock and fossils.   It will also present the chemical formula of the mineral, and example of the rock or mineral application, variants panel containing named varieties and additional specimens, the name or the mineral or rock group, as well as detailed information about it.   Fabulous pictures about the rocks and minerals found in this book are also included.

Essentially, the table on contents is divided into three mains sections:

• Introduction -  what is a mineral?,  mineral groups and associations, classifying minerals, identifying minerals, what are crystals?, crystal habits, crystal systems, gems, what is a rock?, collecting rocks and minerals, equipment, organization, storage and cleaning.
• Minerals – native elements, sulfides, solfosalts, oxides, hydroxides, halides, carbonates, borates, sulfates, molybdates, chromates, tungstates, phosphates, vanadates, arsenates, silicates, and organics.
• Rocks – igneous rocks, metamorphic rocks, sedimentary rocks, meteorites.

The book is packed with detailed information on a specific rock or mineral like the one showed below.

In all, you will find over 270 pages of full profile of various rocks and minerals that you can found around the world.  This book is great to have in hand, easy to carry around and could provide much information to someone who would like to learn more about rocks and minerals.

Eyewitness Earth  

About the book

The most trusted nonfiction series on the market, Eyewitness Books provide an in-depth, comprehensive look at their subjects with a unique integration of words and pictures.

How are earthquakes recorded? How was the Grand Canyon formed? How much of the Earth's surface is covered by water? Where do icebergs originate? With full-color photography and 3-D models of geological equipment, rocks, and minerals, Eyewitness: Earth is the perfect guide for gaining a better understanding of the secrets of life on our planet and how animals, plants, and the environment coexist.

My Thoughts

Earth is a marvelous planet.  Of all the planets included in the solar system, it is the only one who can sustain life.   This book contains a clip art CD that you can use in presentation as well as a poster that you can use to emphasize the lessons on planet Earth to your kids.  

Below is the table of contents:

• What make up the Earth?
• Early ideas about the Earth
• A cocoon of gas
• Climate in the past
• Watery planet
• The properties of water
• Realms of ice
• The building blocks
• Investigating rocks
• Igneous rocks
• Sedimentary rocks
• Metamorphic rocks
• The challenge of the ocean
• Modern oceanography
• Continental drift
• Plate tectonics
• The formation of the ocean floor
• Exploring the interior
• Earthquakes and seismology
• Volcanology
• Mountain Building
• Plateaux and rifts
• Weathering processes
• Life from rock
• Deposition
• Glaciation
• The age of Earth
• Naming the Earth
• Did you know?
• Geoscientists at work

The book is packed with photos, illustrations, explanation as well as information about our beautiful planet.   I love seeing the image of what an iceberg looks like as well as detailed pages on the different types of rocks.  This specific book has a marvelous image representing the tectonic plates around the world.  The book will definitively help you discover the secrets of life on our planet and learn how animals, plants, and the environment interact with each other.

Eyewitness Endangered Animals 

About the book

Eyewitness: Endangered Animals takes a look at creatures around the world that are currently threatened with extinction, along with the ways that we can help them survive. Starting with an overview of biodiversity and the web of life, the book then examines the threats facing a wide range of species, including polar bears, sea turtles, tree frogs, river dolphins, jaguars, pandas, gibbons, and the California condor.

My Thoughts

This marvelous book will allow you to discover why some of the world’s amazing creatures are dying out – and what you can do to protect them.  The book comes with a clip-art CD as well as a poster that you can use as part of your lesson on endangered animals.    This book is packed with stunning photos , illustrations and information about the various aspects of endangered animals.    Here’s a quick view of the table of content.

• Wildlife under threat
• What is a species?
• Adapting and Survival
• The Variety of life
• Links in the chain
• Measuring risk
• Watching animals in action
• Going, going, gone
• Lost and found
• Boom and bust
• The rise of humans
• The impact of farming
• A world without bees?
• Crowded out
• Damaged landscapes
• Climate change
• Global amphibian decline
• Rivers in crisis
• Polluted world
• Wildlife for sale
• Sharks in peril
• Alien invaders
• Fighting back
• Saving habitats
• Captive breeding
• California condor
• Grassroots conservation
• Living with the relatives
• The future
• Species at risk

This book can give your kids a good understanding on why some species disappeared, why some are in danger of being gone forever and how we could protect the rest of the species throughout the world.   Mind you, not everyone would agree with some of the content of the book but I think it could be useful to have at home when you consider how humans have impacted the biomes of some of the animals presented in this book.

In conclusion, I am very grateful of DK for sending me these books.  As I am preparing my presentation for the first session of the coop on Earth, I know that I will have enough references to check out in order to present the continents, the oceans, the globe and the tectonic plates.   I am confident that these books will help me to bring the lesson on a visual level for the kids attending.    Mind you some of these books also cover some aspects of the theory of evolution which we don’t really believe in this household.  But I do believe strongly in exposing my kids to both side of the coin – evolution vs creationism – in order to prepare them for higher level of school and to be able to defend their faith.  

If these books do not interest you, don’t forget that there are many more books available on the Earthly Pleasures Boutique.  Swing by their website to discover other titles that could encourage you to garden more or simply discover our planet in a more in-depth way.

 

Each of these books are available at your favourite bookstore, even on amazon.ca and amazon.com

Disclaimer: Thanks to DK Canada for sending me the above mentioned title for review purposes. I was not monetarily compensated for this review. Please note that the review was not influenced by the Sponsor in any way. All opinions expressed here are only my own.

Asia: It’s People and History

Asia: It’s People and History
Written by Bonnie Rose Hudson
Available at

About the book

Welcome to Asia: Its People and History!  Is the land of Asia a mystery to your kids?  Do they know who lives there?  Do they know how to pray for them?  Asia is home to more than fifty countries and territories and roughly three-fifths of the world’s population.  Could you use some help introducing your family to this vast land?  This sixteen-week course presents a brief picture of six nations.  It is by no means all encompassing.  Its purpose is to introduce your students to the people of Asia, share their stories, and spark curiosity.

I pray that the course does much more than that, however. I pray that through meeting just a few of our brothers and sisters who live in cities and villages with names that are hard to pronounce that your children feel more connected with those who are suffering for their faith in Christ. Through stories and activities, we’ll meet the people of Laos, Bangladesh, Nepal, China, Iran, and Vietnam. We’ll get to know the children of these lands and hear about their experiences. Most of all, we’ll pray for them and their families. Won’t you join us?

Who is Bonnie Rose Hudson?

Bonnie Rose Hudson works with both SchoolhouseTeachers.com and The Old Schoolhouse Magazine® as a curriculum creator and editorial assistant. Her heart’s desire is for every child to feel the love of God and know how special they are to Him. She would love for you to stop by and meet the star of her children’s series at Exploring with Jake , look through the 10/40 window of the world and join others in prayer at Looking Out the 10/40 Window, or stop by her author’s blog WriteBonnieRose.com for fun printables and discover how you can write for the homeschool market.

Our Thoughts

In the midst of the February blues, the Olympics, the running around to get 2nd and 3rd opinion for orthodontic treatment for my oldest son, we sat down numerous time in our living room to learn more about Laos in the pdf version of Asia: Its People and History.    The main reason why I decided to embark on this review team is that I knew it would introduce something different to our kids during what I consider the toughest month of the year when you homeschool and we have friends who are missionaries in a country in Asia – Thailand.  

The countries you will visit with this book are Laos, Bangladesh, Nepal, China, Iran, Vietnam. Each country is divided into 2-4 weeks of study which includes stories, discussion questions, history as well as fun activities.

So what do you know about Laos?   Well, I sure didn’t know much about that country so the kids and I embarked on a journey to discover more about it.  The first week, we learned about how Jesus came to Laos and how it impacted a specific village in one of the areas.   It was a moving story about how it is illegal to own a Bible in that country and how Jesus provided for a specific need for the main character.   The following week, you learn more about Laos itself and discover its history.   During the reading of that week, we got introduced at a map of the part of Asia where Laos is located.   Well, it turns out that it is one of the northern border of Thailand (the other one being Myanmar where our friends are the closest as they live near Chiang Mai).  Realizing that Laos was so close to Thailand was interesting.  The first part of that week, was a mini history lessons and the second part of the chapter was providing more information on what life as a Christian is in Laos.  At the end of the chapter, you are directed toward two downloadable free book from Kids of Courage in which you can learn more about the people of Laos: Bold Believers of the Hmong People and Bold Believers Among the Khmu of Southeast Asia.  There is also a crossword activity included for the kids to do.

During the third week, we read another story about a family of believers who were rejected by the villagers because of their faith.   The family was split in two because a brother at stayed in fear of standing up on his faith.  Though circumstances will reunite them in the end.  Reading this story, helped the kids and I realize the struggles that believers in many countries have to face on a daily basis.  Sometimes I think that we have it easy in North America and that it would be a great way to gleaned the true believers from the flaky ones if you see what I mean…  Again discussion questions are following this chapter in order to allow you and your kids to talk about what you have read.   Finally, this past week, we learned more about who lived in Laos by discover two of the hundred people groups that can be found there.   We also read some stories of Christians living in two provinces of Laos – Laos contains sixteen provinces.   And then at the end of that week, there is a printable puzzle that you can do with the kids.

During the weeks were we read and learned more about Laos, my daughter who is six years old and is a Sparkie at Awana was working on her Wing Runner Frequent Flyer Extra Credit Cards.  She had recently completed the Book Review verses and was finishing up the TakeOff section when she entered in the Passport section of the book.   This specific section introduce the importance of sharing the Gospel in other countries and how you need a passport to travel.  Anyhow, each pages of this book contains activities in the back of them – like coloring, find the image by following numbers and so on.   Well, she came to me one day last week all excited because at the back on the first thing she had to do in the Passport section there was a map of Asia and she learned fun facts about the country of Laos – People who live in Laos speak Lao and People eat a lot of rice in Laos.   She was trilled to show me the map and pointing at the country of Laos which was marked as well.  She decided that she would color the country just because we have learned more about it.     She was so proud to have Laos mentioned in her Awana book that it was simple priceless to see her excitement.  All I can say is thank you Bonnie for writing about Laos in this book.

My only disappointment is that there isn’t more countries of Asia included in this book.  But it’s a great introduction of Asia, the people living there and the history linked to the countries.   I would also have included some recipes in order to make the experience of visiting a country via this book more interesting and introduce the kids to different flavors from Asia.   On the other hand, I guess you could expand the exploration of a country on your own if you want to do that.

Needless to say, the kids are already looking forward to explore Bangladesh the next few weeks.   February being what it is I think this book is a great way to do something different while we wait for spring to come.   We enjoyed learning more about Laos and look forward to learn more about the other countries in this book in the weeks to come.

To make the study even more interesting, the author has put together a variety of bonus content linked to the countries found in the book.  You can find them on her website at Asia It’s People and History Bonus Content.

GREAT NEWS!

Two of my readers can get the DDF copy of the book

a Rafflecopter giveaway

 

Asia: It’s People and History is available on  The Schoolhouse Store, SmashWords as well as Amazon.ca and Amazon.com.

  

A Child’s Geography Volume III Explore the Classical World

I always wanted to do the two books from A Child’s Geography – Explore His Earth and Explore the Holy Land – written by Ann Voskamp.  But it never happened.   But when the third volume in the series – Explore the Classical World  – this time written by Terri Johnson from Knowledge Quest became available for review, I jumped on the opportunity both curious about it and eager to discover something new for our geography. 

“The World is a book, and those who do not travel read only a page.” Saint Augustine

This book will allow you to travel to far-off lands with your children as you discover the lands of Greece, Macedonia, Albania, Montenegro, Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Slovenia, Italy, San Marino, the Vatican and Malta – countries all situated around the Mediterranean Sea.  In all, this gem of a book contains twelve countries to explore as a family and experience as well.

This series is geared toward grades one to six but it is also attractive to middle school students as well.  I know because my oldest son, who is in grade seven this year, is always eager to learn more about the countries where we travel – so far we have explore Greece and enjoyed it.   Terri is keeping the lively style introduced by Ann Voskamp in the previous two volumes – which by the way is making me wanting to get these titles as soon as we have finished this one because the style is engaging, fun, and allows you to interact with the writer. 

This specific volume – Explore the Classical World – will allow you to use your imagination in order to to walk in the footsteps of Socrates, Alexander the Great, the Apostle Paul... You will experience and understand ancient civilizations as well as great empires from what has been left behind and carefully preserved.   You will hear stories that were passed down from generation to generation, before the advent of paper and printing presses.  You can even do hands-on activities in order to allow you to taste and explore more the classic world.  Taste?  Yes, the book also includes fun recipes from the countries you will be visiting in order for you and your family to taste some of their delicacies. 

Fifteen chapters will provide engagin text,amazing photos, narration prompts which will allow your kids to cement the things learned, notebooking/timeline/mapping activities, helpful pronunciations for the mom as well as a glossary at the end of the book.   A CD is also included at the end of the book which is packed with activities on art, music, poetry and delicious food from each countries.  You can also pray for these countries with prayers provided for you. 

As homeschoolers, I am always hoping to find books that will attract the attention of my kids.  So far while exploring Greece together, I am impressed with the interaction of the kids when I read the text.  They are eager to look at the photos, to find specific places on the map and to answer the comprehension questions after I finish reading a section.   We also had the opportunity to discover a submersible bridge, see an Olympic vaulter in action which allowed us to imagine how the Minoans youth would jump over charging bulls (not to try at home!), and watched windmills running.   For chapter tree, I know that I want to try out a specific recipe – making homemade baklava.   I look forward to try something new in my kitchen!   Also included with this curriculum is a list of extra reading selections that you can used on top of reading this book.   My only small disappointment is that there isn’t more videos suggested in this section – like for example the Drive Thru History video on Greece which would be a great supplemental video to watch.   This specific video often comes in our discussions because we had watched it last spring and the kids remember some part of it like the Oracle of Delphi and the Diolkos road.   Reviewing these places with this book is fabulous because they know exactly what the author is talking about.  

Are you intrigued by this new title in the series A Child’s Geography?  You can download the first 3 chapters to read and try for yourself!  I am encouraging you to do so and discover on your own what this great book has in store for you and your kids.   I am very impressed with the way it is written to the point that I am putting the previous two titles on my curriculum to buy list.  (hint hint for whoever reading this that desire to bless our family!)

A Child’s Geography Explore the Classical World is available for purchase at Knowledge Quest for the price of 34.95$  US for the soft cover or 24.95$ US for the ebook version.     It is also available at amazon.com.

GIVEAWAY

I am authorized to give away one digital copy of A Child's Geography: Explore the Classical World!  Follow the instructions below!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

But wait, it’s not enough – if you live in the USA, you can win a mega giveaway as well.  Check out the information below!

MEGA-GIVEAWAY

Here is the final Prize LIST:  A Child's Geography Volume 3 with Wonders of Old Timeline Book ($34.95 + $24.95), Writeshop Primary Level (winners choice of A, B, or C) $29.95 + 4.95 + $16.95, NotebookingPages.com Treasury Membership ($99.95), Philosophy Adventure Physical set ($89.95), Raising Real Men prize package ($50), See The Light (2 DVDs) ($30), King Alfred's English and Baktar (Laurie White) ($13.89 + $10.95), A Journey Through Learning $50 Gift Certificate, Romans, Reformers, Revolutionaries Intro Pack from Diana Waring ($64.95), Lilla Rose (2 Flexi Clips) ($32.00), and 3 Months A+ Tutorsoft ($49.95).

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Disclaimer: Thanks to Knowledge Quest for sending me the above mentioned product for review purposes as part of the Bow of Bronze Launch Team. I was not monetarily compensated for this review. Please note that the review was not influenced by the Sponsor in any way. All opinions expressed here are only my own.

Back to School with DK Canada Part 5–Where on Earth?

To celebrate the Back to School event in our lives, DK Canada is having a special limited time offer (30% off) on selected titles in their Back to School Boutique.  Consequently, to celebrate the Back to School time of the year, I will present you some of the titles found in the DK Canada Boutique in the week to come. 

Where on Earth? is a great book to explore with your kids when you want to know something specific about things found around the world.  The pages inside this book will take you on a geographical tour around the world with special maps that will illustrated a specific thing like power stations, nature, history, technology and so on.     You will definitively see the world with a whole new perspective while flipping through these pages.

From volcanoes to the Seven Wonders of the World, you will be in awe with some of the results of your world map on a specific subject.   You want to know where the world’s tallest buildings are located?  No problem.   I was very surprised by some of the heights of these buildings.    Do you know where earthquakes are most likely to occur?  Or where to find animals that glow?  This book will give you the answer you are looking for.  In all, there are seventy-five 3-D maps that will highlight something specific from around the world.

 

The book is divided into six chapters:

• Land, sea, and air: Earth’s crust, earthquakes, mountains, volcanoes, ocean floor, ocean in motion, rivers, craters and meteorites, hot and cold, rain and snow, hurricanes, biomes, forests, deserts, ice and time zones.
• Living world: Dinosaur fossils, predators, deadly creatures, alien invasion, bird migrations, whales, sharks, river monsters, insects, world of plants, biodiversity, unique wildlife, endangered animals, and extinct animals.
• People and planet: Where people live, nomads, young and old, health, pandemics, poverty, world’s gold billionaires, food production, food intake, literacy, pollution, garbage and waste, clean water, fossil fuels, alternative energy, climate change and wilderness.
• Engineering and technology: Air traffic, shipping, railroads, roads, tallest buildings, internet connections, satellites and space junk, and armed forces.
• History: Fossil humans, prehistoric culture, Ancient empires, Ancient wonders, mummies, Medieval wonders, Medieval empires, castles, battlegrounds, last empires, revolutions, shipwrecks, and industrial wonders.
• Culture: Languages, holy places, tourism, art, statues, festivals, television, stadium, car racing, roller coasters, and national flags.

You will get instantaneous information on all these subjects.  From physical geography, habitats of big cats, the Seven Wonders of the World, Olympic cities, shipwreck sites, and more, every map contains fact panels that provide additional information and useful statistics, while focus features pull out and explain the most interesting facets for an even richer experience.  It is definitively a great resource to have when studying geography with your kids.   I consider this book as a reference book that will help them to understand better the different between the countries around the world.

If you want to find these titles and many more that could be interesting to supplement school works/studies as well as inform your kids on specific themes, I would suggest that you check out the Back to School Boutique at DK Canada.  Don’t forget that they offer 30% off on titles listed in this specific promotion. Click on the image below to discover the various titles found in the Back To School Boutique at DK Canada!

The titles presented in this review are available for purchase at your favourite bookstore, even amazon.ca and amazon.com.

  

Disclaimer: Thanks to DK Canada for sending me the above mentioned product for review purposes. I was not monetarily compensated for this review. Please note that the review was not influenced by the Sponsor in any way. All opinions expressed here are only my own.