Graphic Science Biographies

Do you want your kids to be interested in scientists from the past?  Looking for a way to make them read on the discoveries made long time ago?   Search no longer as Graphic Science Biographies introduces scientists from the past in a fun way - by reading comics.

I have received three of the titles released by Lerner Publishing Group to review.   The titles are Isaac Newton and the Laws of Motion, Marie Curie and Radioactivity, as well as Albert Eisntein and the Theory of Relativity.

Isaac Newton's youth was marked by constant curiosity.  As he began a life of research and experiments, he turned this curiosity into major insights about the working of Earth and the universe.  He even developed three laws to explain the motions of objects.  This graphic biography moves from Newton's childhood inventions to the breakthrough theories of his adult life.   It also spotlight his time at England's Royal Mint, where he combated counterfeiting, and Newton's gift of knighthood from Queen Anne.

At the start of the twentieth century, Marie Curie, a Polish physicist and chemist, stunned the scientific world.  Her research led to the discovery of two elements, polonium and radium.  She also examined the most unusual property of these elements: radioactivity.  This graphic biography follow Curie from her early life in Poland to her scientific education in France.  It also spotlights her work with Pierre Curie and her efforts to treat wounded soldiers during World War I.

Albert Einstein's restless intelligence drove him to ponder the biggest topics the universe has to offer: light, time, mass, energy, and more.   His conclusions changed the way people thought about the laws of physics.  But first, he had to pass his university entrance exams.  This graphic biography traces Einstein's path from his home country of Germany to his studies in Switzerland to his time in the United States.  It also follows his life as an international scientific celebrity and his refusal to stay silent in the face of anti-Semitism.

These books are fun to read and will allow you to discover more about scientists from the past.   I have enjoyed the drawings and the colorful panels through the pages of these books.  I personally found that it is an ingenious way to present the life of scientists in order for kids to learn more about them. At the end of the books, you will also find a timeline, a glossary as well as a list of further resources to expand your knowledge.

These books are available at amazon.ca or any other bookstore.  

         

Disclaimer: Thanks to Thomas Allen and Lerner Publishing Group for sending me these books 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 opinion expressed here are only my own.

Eyewitness DVDs

Through the years I had the privilege to present a wide variety of Eyewitness DVDs on this blog. The Eyewitness DVDs would be great in this time of social distancing to allow your kids to learn on specific subjects like plant, insect, ocean, birds and so on.

I have two other ones that I would like to present this morning. 

EYEWITNESS DVD INSECT

Like it or not during our spring, summer and fall seasons (at least in Canada anyways) we are surrounded but a wide range of insects.   Discover a world of creatures that are industrious, sociable, and environmentally useful.   Unfortunately for some of them, we do not have the patience to have them around us buzzing constantly in our ears.

But there is much to learn on these creatures.  This DVD will allow you to explore the wonders of the insect world through macro photography and 3-D graphics.  You will observe a queen wasp building her nest, a caterpillar devouring a leaf, a damselfly nympho emerging as an adult and so much more.

EYEWITNESS DVD WEATHER

Weather is something we experience day after day in life. Sunshine. Rain. Snow. These are only a sample of what weather is.   Sometimes it can be deadly like lighting, extreme winds, hail... 

This DVD takes you on a tour of Earth's turbulent atmosphere and reveals the forces that make our day a nice one or a disastrous one. 

Conclusion

Both of these DVD can make a wonderful unit study for your kids when learning from home - whether you are a veteran homeschooler or a new one (voluntarily or not due to Covid-19).

Each DVD are about 25 minutes in length and are packed with information that is interesting and educative at the same time. 

Disclaimer: Thanks to DK Canada for sending me these DVD 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 opinion expressed here are only my own.

Smithsonian The Elements Book

Smithsonian The Elements Book – A Visual Encyclopedia of the Periodic Table
Published at DK Canada

About the book

Kids can go on a visual tour of the 118 chemical elements of the periodic table, from argon to zinc, in this one awesome volume packed with incredible images and fascinating facts.

Cataloged by type, each element's properties and atomic structure is explained. More than 1,000 full-color photographs showcase the natural forms of each element, as well as a wide range of unexpected everyday objects in which it is found, to make them relevant to a child's world. How does a motorcycle utilize nitrogen? Which element can absorb harmful chemicals in water? Which famous landmark is made of copper? From hydrogen to sodium to nickel, kids will learn fun facts and be amazed.

My Thoughts

As our homeschool year is wrapping up slowly but surely, you cannot help to start planning for the next year – especially if you attended a homeschool conference in the previous month.   Our homeschool coop has been in planning mode for quite some time because some moms are writing the units we will cover during the year.  One of these units will be “Introduction to Chemistry” for kids ages 9-15.  I have three kids participating in that group age and honestly I am excited about introducing them to the world of chemistry (even though I struggle in that subject in high school).  

One of my goal in our homeschool is to provide amazing books for them to explore ahead of the units in coop.  Sometimes these books are historical novels that we read together, other times it is books that will provide information on a specific subject- like the one today!   The Elements Book is essentially a visual encyclopedia of the periodic table.   What I mean by this is that for each element found in the periodic table (known at the time of printing this book), you will be visualize the form and uses of the element as well as discover its position in the period table.

Through the pages of this book, you will be amaze of how certain elements are used in life today.  For example, let’s take potassium.  Did you know that it was first found in the dust of burnt plant by Sir Humphry Davy?  Potassium can be found in bananas, root vegetables, and avocados.   But potassium is found in fertilizer, carbonated water, saline drip, gunpowder, liquid soap and even a rebreather which is a machine used by expert divers so they can stay underwater for long period of times.

This book is definitively a great reference to go to when you want to learn more about the elements of the periodic table.

Smithsonian The Elements Book 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.

The Bible Explorer’s Guide

The Bible Explorer’s Guide
Published at ZonderKids

About the book

The Bible Explorer’s Guide lets children come up close and personal with everyday life during Bible times through photos, maps, and illustrations illuminating, people, places, objects, and buildings of the Bible. What did Noah’s Ark really look like? Who was David and whom did he fight? How did 1st century citizens of Jerusalem live? Each two-page spread is filled with images that bring history alive and drawings that help bring life to people and places that we can only read about. With fascinating, brief text and full-color captivating images, this is a reference that kids will come back to again and again. A great addition to any home or school library.

My Thoughts

It is always nice to find a book that will help your kids to visualize the Bible from cover to cover.  The Bible Explorer’s Guide is exactly that book… With over 1000 facts and photos within the pages of this book, your kids can visit and explore the history written in the Bible from the comfort of your home.  At the end of the book you will also find a timeline as well as a glossary of who’s who in the Old Testament and the New Testament.

The pages are packed with information on various time during the historical events mentioned in the Bible.   It is refreshing to see images of the area today mixed with maps, painting, drawing as well as models of what places looked like during the biblical times.

The book is definitively a great resource to own in your personal library where you can use it for research, reading or to supplement your Bible curriculum.   Churches could also use it for Sunday school or Awana program.      Personally, it makes me want to go on one of those trips where you go visit biblical places with a group.  Maybe one day I will be able to do so… in the meantime, I will enjoy explore history through the pages of this book.

The Bible Explorer’s Guide is available for purchase at your favorite bookstore, even on 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.

Everything You Need to Ace…

Back in August last year, I had the opportunity to review three titles in the series Everything You Need to Ace.   I had received the English Language Arts, the World History and the Science titles.

My husband was so impressed with these books that he asked if there were other titles in the series.  “Yes – Math and American History.” , I answered.  “Try to get them as well.”

It is pretty rare that my husband will take the time to check out some books I receive to review so for him to suggest that I get the other two titles is pretty meaningful.

The BIG FAT NOTEBOOK™ series is built on a simple and irresistible conceit—borrowing the notes from the smartest kid in class.  Inside each of the title you will find every subject’s key concepts summarize in small chunks of information so that you can digest that your own rhythm.   And to make things a bit easier on everyone the critical ideas are highlighted in neon colors, the definitions are explained, doodles illustrates the tricky concepts and mnemonics helps to memorize.  Finally you will also find some quizzes at the end of each chapters to help you cement the information in your brain.

Math

Everything You Need to Ace Math . . . covers everything to get a student over any math hump: fractions, decimals, and how to multiply and divide them; ratios, proportions, and percentages; geometry; statistics and probability; expressions and equations; and the coordinate plane and functions.

The math book has been a great reference for us – especially in the pre-algebra lessons when my son forgets how to do a calculation like the Pythagorean theorem.

American History

Everything You Need to Ace American History . . . covers Native Americans to the war in Iraq. There are units on Colonial America; the Revolutionary War and the founding of a new nation; Jefferson and the expansion west; the Civil War and Reconstruction; and all of the notable events of the 20th century—World Wars, the Depression, the Civil Rights movement, and much more.

I was hesitating about this specific title because we are Canadians.  But come to think of it, this book is a perfect summary to discover what happened during the history of America.   And since they are our closest neighbors why not learn a bit about them.  

My Thoughts

This series of book is amazing.  Each title is a great addition to your personal library whether you homeschool or not.   Right at the tips of your fingers you can get information about English Language Arts, Math, World History, American History, as well as Science.  

I would like to suggest some other titles to Workman for future publications: Geography and Canadian History.   I am sure that these two subjects would be popular as well.

I give my two thumbs-up for the titles in the Everything You Need to Ace series.  They are great resources to have at hand when you desire to verify some concepts, learn new facts or simply read for the fun.

Everything you Need to Ace books are available on amazon.ca and amazon.com.

   
  
  
  
  

 

Disclaimer: Thanks to Thomas Allen for sending me the above mentioned books 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.

100 Women Who Made History

100 Women Who Made History – Remarkable Women Who Shaped Our World
Published at DK Canada

About the book

There are many ladies in history who have left their mark. 100 Women Who Made History takes kids on a tour of the past and uncovers the stories of the women and girls who have shaped the modern world.

From super scientists like Marie Curie and Rosalind Franklin to clued-up creatives like Emily Dickinson and J.K. Rowling to leading ladies like Joan of Arc and Eleanor Roosevelt, profiles explore the lives of each woman in detail, and photography and quirky "bobble-head" illustrations present history in a new and fun way. Kids can put each woman's story into context with "what came before…" and "what came after…" panels showing the things that influenced and were influenced by each woman. Special features highlight contemporaneous women and women in similar fields to paint a more complete picture for young readers.

A wonderful inspiration for young girls and a great learning tool for all children, 100 Women Who Made History proves that this isn't just a man's world.

My Thoughts

I was delighted to realized that DK had published a book about 100 women who made history.   A couple of years ago, I have the privilege to review their book 100 People Who Made History and I was looking forward to discover this new title.   I was not disappointed.   The book contains great women who made a mark in history whether with creativity, science, leadership, entrepreneurship and more.   

Each woman will be presented in a one or two pages presentation and will highlights her accomplishments in life.  Some of the women in this book are well know like Joan of Arc, Sacagawea, or Rosa Parks.  However, there are names which are less familiar like Peggy Guggenheim, Althea Gibson, or Emmeline Pankhurst.    Still whether well known or not, these women have shaped history and could be interesting in discovering.

When we received this book to review, it didn’t take long for my nine years old daughter to pick it up in order to read it.   As she read some of the women’s name in the book, she stumble onto Josephine Baker.   Turns out that we had just watched the episode in which she appeared in the television show Timeless.  The show is about time travel and cross the path of famous people through history.   Nevertheless, Jasmine was happy to see that Josephine was part of the book.   But what I particularly find interesting is that she had an interest in reading the journal of Anne Frank after reading the information on the young Jewish girl.   Mind you, I recognize that the journal present some historical information that could be disturbing for a young girl like my Jasmine.  Fortunately I also had a junior version of the journal.   I also told her that it was a difficult subject to read about and that I would understand if she puts it aside for a time.   She has started it and after a week she has put it aside.   I will encourage her to continue reading it as I think it is important for her to realize that life is not always easy.

This book is packed with interesting women at different time in history.   It is a great book to peruse when you desire to learn more about historical events or historical people.

100 Women Who Made History 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.

Oh, Ick!

Oh, Ick! – 114 Science Experiments Guaranteed to Gross You Out!
Written by: Joy Masoff
Published at Workman

About the book

From the bestselling author of Oh, Yuck! and Oh, Yikes!, with over 1.25 million copies in print, here is an A-Z compendium of hands-on grossness.

Featuring 114 interactive experiments and ick-tivities, Oh, Ick! delves into the science behind everything disgusting.

Stage an Ooze Olympics to demonstrate viscosity and the nature of slime. Observe how fungi grow by making a Mold Zoo. Embark on an Insect Safari to get to know the creepy crawlies around your home. And learn what causes that embarrassing acne on your face by baking a Pimple Cake to pop—and eat. Eww!

My Thoughts

Ok.  Before I even start to talk about this book I do realize that it will not be the kind of book that many homeschoolers would desire to have in their bookshelves.  But It is actually packed with very interesting information even if some of the chapters will cover some things like flatulence, boogers, vomit, poop and urine.  Like it or not these things are part of our lives and we can learn a lot about the words that gross us out.

First let’s look at the table of contents.  There are thirty-seven chapters which covers the following themes: arachnids, acids and bases, bacteria, blood, boogers, burps, crimes, dirt, earwax and ear hair, eyeballs, farts, fossils, fungi, garbage, guts, hair horrors, halitosis, icky ice cream, insects, lava, mummies, noxious noises, odious odors, offal and other awful eats, poop, quakes and sinkholes, scabs and stitches, slime, spit, toilets, urine, vile viruses, vomit, worms, yucky yolks, zaps, and zits.   Each of these chapters is packed with information about the subject as well activities to do in order to better grasp the learning experience.

One thing that I am a bit disappointed with would be the fact that all photos and images are in black and white.   I like seeing colors and it would be nice to have more colors in the book.  But the book is very interesting and present fascinating information on the subjects covered in it.  Let me give you some examples.  Did you know that kangaroos can unleash environmentally friendly farts?   Apparently Australia possesses numerous cows and sheep which are farting quite a lot.  These animals pass so much gas that they are supposedly responsible for about 15 percent of the greenhouse gas emission on that island continent.   Cows and sheep produce methane which is a gas that is detrimental to the environment.  However, kangaroos possesses a unique bacteria in their stomach that get rid of the methane.   So a researcher, Dr. Klieve is studying the possibility of adding kangaroo gut bacteria to cattle feed to see if it will help the cattle in reducing the warming gases that they pass.    At another section of the book, you can find a detailed graph that will help you identified the type of animals who has left some malodorant pile of poo in your backyard.   I think it is interesting that you can identify the culprit based on how their scat look like.

This book will allow your child to become an expert on interesting subjects and permit him/her to do fun experiment on subjects that you wouldn’t cover in school more than likely.    This book allows you to cover lessons on chemistry, biology, and physics by using themes that might gross you out.  It is a book that could keep your kids busy learning science during the summer months or just keep them busy when you need a day to catch your breath. 

Oh, Ick! is available for purchase at your favorite bookstore, even amazon.ca and amazon.com.

  

Disclaimer: Thanks to Thomas Allen for sending me the above mentioned books 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.

The Lego Animation Book

The Lego Animation Book – Make Your Own Lego Movies!
Written by David Pagano and David Pickett
Published at No Starch Press

About the book

Have you ever wondered what your LEGO creations would look like on the big screen? The LEGO Animation Book will show you how to bring your models to life with stop-motion animation--no experience required! Follow step-by-step instructions to make your first animation, and then explore the entire filmmaking process, from storyboards to post-production.

Along the way, you'll learn how to:

• Create special effects like explosions and flying minifigures
• Convey action and emotion with your minifigure actors
• Design sets for animation--make three buildings look like an entire city!
• Light, frame, and capture consistent photos
• Add detail and scope to your films by building in different scales
• Build camera dollies and rigs out of LEGO bricks
• Choose cameras, software, and other essential animation tools

Dive into the world of animation and discover a whole new way to play!

My Thoughts

I was really excited when I saw this title available for review.  Why?  Well I have kids who uses the Lego Movie app on their iPad to create little movies.  However, they do not know all the techniques needed to make really good movies.   My second son is the creative child who will design his own Lego machines and initiate most of the idea of making a movie.  So I think he will enjoy this book quite a bit when it gets in his hands.

The book will definitely show the reader how to bring Lego models to life with producing a stop-motion animation.   With clear step-by-step instructions to make your first animation and exploring the entire filmmaking process, I suspect that kids who possess a keen interest in creating animation with Lego will enjoy this book.

The table of contents is very well presented:

The Basics: what you’ll need and all the steps to start.

Animating the minifigure: know your minifigure, body language, walking, facial animation, jumping, flying, floating, thinking outside the joints, practice, people-watch, experiment.

Animation principles: exaggeration, squash and stretch, timing and spacing, easing, anticipation, follow-through, recovery, arcs, ovelapping action, secondary action, staging and blocking, trial and error.

Building for brickfilms: building stable sets, building for movement, building for versatility with modular sets, bruick-built special effects, build what the camera sees.

Working in different scales: microscale, minifigure scale, miniland scale, paganopuppets, puppet building instructions, little guys scale, other scales.

Tools of the trade: cameras, tripods and camera mounts, lighting, odds and ends, microphones, computers, software and hardware compatibility, stop-motion software, your animation toolkit.

The creative process: brainstorming (what if?, play approach, plan approach), writing a script, storyboarding, animatics, organizing your work with spreadsheets.

Cinematography and production: aspect ratio, frame rate, take your shot (types, movement, composition), light (everything you need to know about lighting), get into focus, set the exposure, action.

Post-production: Sound (types of sound, recording sound, using other people’s sounds), Editing (8 steps to follow through), Advanced post-production (compositing, lip-sync prep work, digital facial animation), sharing your film.

Conclusion: giving and receiving feedback, what next?, have fun!

The book contains plenty of images which allow the reader to visualize the explanation read.   It is so much easier to grasp a concept when you have colorful images showing what it looks like.   Honestly, I can already picture my son trying out all the examples found in this book while reading it.

When you take the time to explore this book, you get a feel on how much a child who is interested in making Lego animation movies would learn using it.   I mean this can be a great book to use for a subject in homeschool as it contains all the steps and training necessary to create their own animation using Lego.  The book also contain exercises within the chapters in order to better understand what you have read by simply doing it yourself.   Every once in a while the authors (in a minifigure format) will pass comments on what is presented in the pages by suggesting some tips and hints on how to do animation.   It is very clever and original to see them in the pages that way.

As I mentioned this book is perfect for kids who have shown an interest in making their own stop-motion animation already.   It is a great gift for anyone who desire to explore movie making with Lego.  It is particularly well written and contains a ton of instructions and numerous exercises in order to develop the skill of making stop-motion movie with Lego.   I can’t wait to see what my kids will be doing with it. 

The Lego Animation Book is available for purchase at your favorite bookstore, even on amazon.ca and amazon.com.

  

It is also available in the Kindle format.

 

Disclaimer: Thanks to no starch press 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.

The Mystery of History Volume III–Renaissance, Reformation and Growth of Nations

I am delighted to present you a fabulous history curriculum which I know will not only introduce you to historical events but will also give you some information about the growth of the Christian faith through the years.

The Mystery of History curriculum is for all ages – younger students (K-3rd), middle students (4th-8th), and Older students (9th – 12th).  Depending of the age of your child you will find fun hands-on crafts, games as well as research projects for them. 

This is the third volume of a series of four.   The first book covered from the Creation to the Resurrection.  The second book concentrated to the history of the Early Church and the Middles Ages.  This book covers the Renaissance, Reformation and the Growth of Nations.   Finally the fourth book specifically presents the Wars of Independence to the Modern Times.

The purpose of this blog post is to present what you can expect to discover while using the Mystery of History Volume III curriculum.   At the end of January, I will write another blog post to present how we have used the curriculum during the months of August 2016 to January 2017.   What is particularly interesting for us is that our homeschool coop will also cover the Renaissance period this year as one of our units.   So receiving these items in time for us to discover and learn about Renaissance is definitively a blessing. 

This specific volume will cover the people and the events from 1455 to 1707.  Not only will you learn about the Inquisition, Christopher Columbus, Michelangelo, Martin Luther, and many more but you will also see how Renaissance and the Reformation influenced Europe, which empires became wealthy in West Africa, learn about the Mogul dynasty in India among other things. 

As you can already realize this historical curriculum covers so much that you can’t help to anticipate what will be in the pages you read as you use it.  

Volume III of The Mystery of History has been divided into two books – a student reader which contains 84 lessons with colorful pictures, and the Companion Guide which includes the pretests, hands-on and research activities for younger, middle, and older students, memory card ideas, biweekly quizzes and exercises, timeline helps, maps, and supplemental books list.

The reader is also available as an audio book (which we also received and you could use with the text in hand or simply take notes or color while you listen to it).   The author herself is reading the text and background music adds life, drama and more meaning to the lessons. 

Volume II also offers a Super Supplemental Collection (in CD or PDGF format) which offers you challenge cards, coloring pages,  notebooking pages, and a complete folderbook set. From what I have looked at right now, I particularly like the notebooking pages that contains questions that the student have to answer.   I will be using this particular set of notebooking pages in the months to come.

Other items we also received that will be included in the review  are:

Rand McNally’s Historical Atlas of the World will provide information on all time periods and help the students to complete the mapping exercises in the series.   It contains over 75 colorful, thematic maps which also include literacy, languages, religions and more.

Rand McNally’s The Atlas of World Geography provides 65 physical and political maps of our present world which includes all nations and continents.   You will be able to quickly see information about population, land use, climate, all presented with charts, graphs, and tables. 

The Mystery of History Tote Bag could become an essential item in your homeschool journey.  This canvas bag display The Mystery of History logo and possess strong handles, a pen/glasses holder and a vinyl inner lining which gives it strength, durability, and protection for what you can carry in it.   My first impression of this bag is highly positive.  The bag is sturdy and is beautifully made.   I personally plan to use it to bring my journaling bible things at the RV (on a regular basis until mid-October) as well as carry much needed books at coop in the fall.  

Please note that even if it is recommended that you have gone through volumes I and II before tackling this one, it is not necessary at all to do so.  You can see example of activities with this book at the Mystery of History website.

Needless to say that I am looking forward to explore what all these products have in store in the months to come as we embark on a journey of discovery with Mystery of History Volume 3 – Renaissance, Reformation, and Growth of Nations. 

If you are interested in getting Mystery of History Volume III – Renaissance, Reformation, and Growth of Nations, you can get these at your favorite homeschool suppliers. Prices are as follow:  The Reader 59.95$, The Companion Guide  Paperback 39.95$  CD 29.95$  PDF 29.95$, the MP3  CDs 52.95$   Downloads 12$ for each quarter (there are four quarters) with or without music, the Super Supplemental Collection CD 64.95$ PDF 59.95$, the Rand McNally’s Historical Atlas of the World 14.95$, the Rand McNally’s The Atlas of Word Geography 16.99$, and the Mystery of History Tote Bag 10.00$.  Note that all prices are all in US dollars.

As I mentioned above, I will be using this curriculum for our history this year and plan to write a more detailed post on how Mystery of History Volume III was used in our homeschool. This blog post will be written sometime at the end of January 2017.

Disclaimer: Thanks to the author of Mystery of History for sending me the above mentioned products 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.

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.

Amazing Quiz Books

Summer is finally here and with it a brand new boutique that is just in time to celebrate all things Canadian.   The Oh Canada Boutique from DK Canada put the emphasis on books that highlights Canadian contents of all sort.   As a for post to celebrate the Oh Canada Boutique, I will be reviewing three amazing books that contain fun quizzes for your kids; Amazing Animal Quiz Book, Amazing Space Quiz Book and the Amazing Earth Book.

Each of these books is jam-packed with incredible facts and eye-catching images .   Inside the books you will find over 1000 brain-straining questions that can become as addictive as  they are fun. Covering a vast range of subjects from creepy crawlies to our home planet and beyond these books can become a lifesaver when waiting for an appointment, travelling to visit family, or just to keep the kids busy at the campground.  

You will find three different levels of difficulty for the quiz - easy (green), medium (blue) and hard (red).   Each question will have a multiple choice answers where the child has to choose from.   Also throughout the book you will discover fun facts about the subject of the book.    For example, in the animal book you will learn that a housefly’s feet are 10 million times more sensitive than a human tongue.   In the Space book you will learn that the first record of a meteorite fall is in an Ancient Egyptian papyrus.   In the Earth book you will learn that coral reefs are home to 25 percent of all marine fish species.  Also at the end of each book you will also discover more about the subject in hand with fast facts. And to top it off, all answers are found at the end of the book. 

Wondering what kind of questions you will find for each level?   Here’s a sample (answers will be at the end of this blog post).

EASY

Frog spawn is laid in clumps.  How do toads lay their eggs?
a) individually   b) like frogs   c) in strings  d) in circles

 

MEDIUM

Which of these animals can propel itself through the water by clapping the two halves of its shell together? 
a)swan mussel   b)scallop   c)oyster   d)giant clm

 

HARD

What do ghost knifefish use to communicate? 
a) bubbles   b) color Changes  c) electrical signals   d) chemical signals

 

I find these books to be great to quiz your kids on specific subjects.  Like I mentioned I have received the Animal, Space, and Earth books.   A fourth title is also available which covers dinosaurs.   These books would make a great addition to a personal library whether you homeschool or not.  They are packed with great questions that you can challenge your kids to find the answer whether by digging in books or do a search on the internet.  I think these books are great to pack for a long trip, to bring along in the car, to discover at the dentist, or simply use in the backyard.   They are perfect in many ways and can be a source of learning where your kids learn something while having fun at the same time.

The Oh Canada Boutique contains numerous other titles that could be interesting for you.

The Amazing Quiz Books are available at your favourite 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.

ANSWERS:   Easy: C  -  Medium: B  -  Hard: C