As I sit down and write this, my oldest son is writing his last exam for high school. The past year he was full time with an online school called Virtual Learning Center (VLC for short).
He had done it part time during his grade 11 and went full time for his grade 12. Through this year he also went through the process of applying for university.
This particular semester was a bit heavy for him since he had four classes - Advanced Functions, Chemistry, Biology and Calculus and Vectors. But he did amazingly well...
He applied in three different programs for university:
Choice #1 - Bachelor of Sciences in Biomedical at UOttawa
Choice #2 - Bachelor in Health Science option Biomedical at Carleton University
Choice #3 - Bachelor in Health Science.
He was accepted in all three with scholarship. So proud of him...
So next September he embark on a journey of learning in Biomedical. He is looking forward to it.
We started homeschooling him officially when he was going to be in grade 1. It was worth it in many ways and I would encourage parents to seriously consider homeschooling your kids during the high school.
One has finished. I still have three at home... but somehow I have a feeling of accomplishment when I know that he is pursuing his dream to work in the medical field. He hopes to be able to go into Medical School but he already has backup plans.
Congrats Alex! So proud of you!
Showing posts with label Homeschooling my kids. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Homeschooling my kids. Show all posts
Monday, June 24, 2019
Tuesday, May 16, 2017
Smithsonian The Elements Book
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.
Monday, May 15, 2017
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.
Monday, January 9, 2017
Oh, Ick!
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.
Tuesday, August 16, 2016
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
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.
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. 
Other items we also received that will be included in the review are:
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.
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.
Friday, July 8, 2016
Student Atlas
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.
Thursday, June 23, 2016
Give Your Child the World
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 Рone 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 Рhow 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 d̩cor, 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.
Science in the Beginning
Science in the Beginning 
Written by Dr. Jay Wile
Published at Berean Builders
Many homeschool mom sometimes panic when it comes time to teach science. I think that these moments of panic often comes because we sometimes don't know where to start and how to make it interesting. Fear not anymore because now there is a new elementary science curriculum that has been written by none other than Dr. Jay Wile (best known for his science courses for high school). The series currently offers four titles at this point in time but a fifth one will be published in the future.
The series is essentially a hands-on, multilevel elementary science series that introduce scientific concepts using history as its guide. The first book of the series is Science in the Beginning. And today I am presenting you this beautiful book that I have received. When the author started to write this elementary level science series he decided to stat at the beginning of history which is given in the Bible's creation account. It made sense to start with the days of creation. The book will introduce concepts like the nature of light, energy conservation, properties of air and water, introduce botany, explore the solar system, discover basic zoology as well as aspects of the human anatomy and physiology. And let me tell you that this book is very different from another popular days of creation science series that many homeschoolers use. Why you might ask? Well, each lesson offers a hands-on activity that will help to cement the concept learned and concludes with three different levels of review depending of the age of the students – youngest students (grades 1-2), older students (grades 3-4), and oldest students (grades 5-6).
In all the book contains 90 lessons that you will be able to read and do with your children. Essentially there are fifteen lessons for each of the creation days mentioned in the book of Genesis. The first twelve lessons are considered "normal" lessons and the last three lessons are considered "challenge" lessons. So you have the choice of doing all the lessons or just simply doing the normal ones. There are two ways to schedule the lessons – you can choose to do a lesson every 
The book also has a Helps & Hints booklet which is a great help for the mom doing the teaching. This booklet contains the lesson reviews answers for each lesson included in the book. You will see clearly which answers apply for the youngest students, the older students and the oldest students. Inside this booklet there are also tests provided as well as the answers for these tests. However, Dr. Wile do mention that he do not think that the tests are important for the elementary years. He has included these for parents who desire to test their kids. Personally, I think it was nice of him to include the tests and answers because I strongly believe that the oldest children could practice taking tests before getting in upper grades like middle school and high school. Also, a free notebook is available for your students to fill in at the Berean Builders website.
Needless to say I am very impressed with the Science in the Beginning. Not only does it introduce you to science based on the days of creation with fun experiments to explore but your children will have the opportunity to slowly learn how to review material learned and possibly practice doing tests if you choose to do so. The fact that each lessons are short and offers experiments which are useful to understand the concept learned. My kids and I were able to better visualize and understand the concept we have learned during lessons we have done. The fact that this particular science book is designed for all elementary levels maybe be interesting for families with multiple children. Bottom line, this book is complete to cover science lessons for a complete year for children grades 1-6. It is a fabulous book that homeschool families should seriously consider when it comes to teaching science to your kids because it contains numerous experiments which allow them to better understand the scientific concept taught each time.
To conclude let me tell you a bit more about things that are linked to this specific book. Nature’s Workshop offers a kit of supplies to help you do the experiments. However, you do not have to purchase this kit necessarily. It is easy to collect the items to do the experiment at home or at a store near you. I suspect that this kit was made available to make it easier on moms who might be overwhelmed with teaching science or dislike shopping. A lapbook is also available for families who prefer to take this route through A Journey of Learning. Finally, the author also has made available a series of downloads for the book including three very useful documents which align his science series with some of the history curriculum available: Mystery of History, Story of the World, and Tapestry of Grace.
Science in the Beginning is available at your favourite homeschool store, even on amazon.com.
Disclaimer: Thanks to Berean Builders for sending me the above mentioned curriculum 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.
Saturday, June 11, 2016
Spelunking at Bonnechere Caves
This past week, we celebrated our 18th wedding anniversary. Since we were at our campground located near Eganville, we were trying to figure out what we could do with the kids on our special day. I approached Bonnechere Caves to see if it could be possible to visit and an agreement was made. I will be honest is telling you that I always wanted to check out these caves since we were camping at Logos Land Resort for over 10 years but it never happened. Originally we had the idea of visiting Bonnechere Caves on the day of our anniversary which is June 6th but the rainy day on June 5th ended up the day we took the tour. It was perfect in many ways and we had a blast exploring the caves.
Bonnechere Caves is located near Eganville next to the Fourth Chute Falls.
The caves were discovered in the late 1800s by a guy while he saw these holes near the chutes.
Looking for adventures, he explore the area and found this hole in the ground which he decided to explore by simply attaching rope on a tree and slide through it.
And he entered the cave to explore it… but before I give you too much on his explorations – which is after all the story you will learn while visiting Bonnechere Caves – let me tell you more about the tour itself.
The first part of the tour will introduce you to fossils found in the area (not only in the cave). We somewhat arrive a bit late for this part of the tour but we got a private presentation at the end of the tour which was very thoughtful from the tour guide.
After this presentation, we are guided toward the area where you can see the caves via the river nearby and to the entrance of the Bonnechere Caves. The entrance is easy to access and wooden stairs have been made for visitors.
Throughout the tour, you will hear the story of the first explorer of these caves. I will not tell the story as it wouldn’t make it interesting for you if you decide to visit Bonnechere Caves. However, we found the story fascinating and very interesting to follow. Now only do you get the history of the caves but you also get the snapshot of the person who explore the caves. You will also learn how to be more secure when spelunking and how it is important to never be alone when doing so.
At one point, our tour guide needed a volunteer. Our son, Dominic, stepped up to the place and inserted his hand in the hole found on the wall. There is a story linked to this hole in the wall but again it is part of the tour so I won’t spoil the mystery surrounding this particular place.
At some point during the tour we arrived in the bat cave. Unfortunately at this time of the year the bats have left the cave for the spring/summer so there was no little brown furry friends to observe. If you want to be able to see the little brown bats, it is suggested to go in the fall which is when they come back to nest for the winter. This is where they would be found. When the first person to explore the caves arrived at that point there was over a thousand bats hanging there. Nowadays, there are about a hundred of them coming in the fall.
The next thing that you can do if you are not claustrophobic is to go through the path that was taken by the original spelunker of the caves. The area is not too bad to walk though you might get your shoes wet at some places due to water accumulating in some areas. There is one section that get very tight and can be frightening for some. But it was fun to retrace the steps of the person who first visited the caves.
At one point, we stopped and we could see a rope crossing the path. I thought that it was an area not opened to visitors but we learned that at some point pumps were used to remove the water from the area further in order to explore more of the caves. So in the spring, the pumps remove the water and in the falls the pumps are stopped. It would take about three days for this section to be filled with water. At this point in the story, the tour guide will warn everyone to stay together and will demonstrate how dark the caves can be without light. Let me tell you that it was pitched dark…
Finally at the end of the tour before exiting the caves through another entrance, you have the opportunity to take a picture.
Once the tour is finished, you can get back out in the woods. Be aware that you will have a bit of climbing to do with the help of a staircase that has been added to help the visitors. The area is almost magical and reminded me of scenes in the Lord of the Rings, the Hobbit or the Narnia movies.
The tour for the Bonnechere Caves starts daily (rain or shine) and happens every 20-30 minutes. Plan to spend about one hour for the tour alone. However, you can explore the above ground site to see the original hole where the first explorer went through or the falls nearby. By aware that it is extremely recommended to stay on the paths due to the presence of poison ivy.
In case you are wondering how easy it is to walk in the caves, I can assure you that it is beautifully setup for anyone who desires to explore. The paths are sturdy with wooden trails (except for the excursion to retrace the path of the first explorer which has patch of water here and there…) and the lighting is making the exploration easier to do.
We were extremely blessed to have been able to visit the Bonnechere Caves in exchange of a review. However, for a family of six like ours the fees would have been almost 90$ which is expensive for us. And I know numerous homeschool families with many children who would enjoy doing a tour and spelunk as well. It is a great way to discover caves in the area. It would be interesting if a special family fee would be put in place in order to facilitate large families to come and visit. However, they do special pricing for homeschool groups if you desire to organize a field trip. Homeschool groups qualify for school rate which can be seen by going at the Teacher’s Info section on their website.
Nevertheless, exploring Bonnechere Caves will cover history, spelunking, security, and learn a bit about the bats that live in the caves and the beavers that were found in the caves at some point. It is a great field trip to do with your kids. Bring a picnic and explore the area afterward. There are beautiful falls close by and many other things to discover in the Ottawa Valley.
Bonnechere Caves is located at 1247 Fourth Chute Rd in Eganville, ON. If you desire directions please visit their page which listed directions from Ottawa, Toronto, Algonquin Park, and NorthBay-Petawawa-Pembroke.
Disclaimer: Thanks to Chris for allowing us to visit Bonnechere Caves in exchange of a review. 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. All pictures posted on this blog post were taken with our own cameras.
Friday, May 20, 2016
Dr. Jay Wile’s Elementary Science Curriculum
As a homeschool parent, I always want the best for my kids no matter what is the subject. Though we have explore science in the elementary years with products from another well known publisher, I was somewhat dissatisfied with the way things were going using that curriculum. There was much reading but not enough hands-on I found. I knew I wasn’t the only one with this sentiment and I was delighted when I learned that Dr. Jay Wile had decided to write a science curriculum for elementary ages – a five book series that will encourage younger students to explore and experience science following the historical timeline we are so familiar when we cover history.
The first book of the series is titled Science in the Beginning. This book uses the days of creation as a way of introducing a wide range of scientific concepts including the nature of light, energy conservation, the properties of air and water, introductory botany, our solar system, basic zoology, and some aspects of human anatomy and physiology.
The second book of the series is titled Science in the Ancient World. The course covers the scientific work of natural philosophers who lived from about 600 BC to the early AD 1500s. It concentrates mostly on what these ancient scientists got right, but it does spend some time discussing what they got wrong, because even the mistakes that scientists make can sometimes advance our understanding of the natural world.
The third book of the series is titled Science in the Scientific Revolution. The book covers the scientific works of natural philosophers from 1543 to the end of the 1600s and discusses a wide range of topics including astronomy, human anatomy, medicine, botany, zoology, heliocentrism, geocentrism, gases, pressure, electricity, fossils, microbiology, binary numbers, gravity, conservation laws, and the laws of motion.
The fourth book of the series is titled Science in the Age of Reason. The book covers the scientific works of natural philosophers from the early 1600s to the early 1800s and discusses a wide range of topics including astronomy, medicine, botany, zoology, chemistry, geology, human physiology, electricity, conservation laws, and weather.
Finally, the fifth book of the series is not yet published as the book is probably being written at this point in time. However, the book is expected to be titled Science in the Industrial Age and will cover from the end of the book of the Age of Reason to present day.
I really like the fact that these books are written with the perspective of history. You can easily intertwine them with either Story of the World, Mystery of History, or Tapestry of Grace. As a matter of fact, Dr. While has provided a comprehensive guide on how to use his books with each of these history curriculum which is very handy to have. Once all the elementary books are done by a student, it is expected for him/her to be well prepared for junior high school science.
Over the next few months, I will present each of these books in more details. In the meantime, if you would like to learn more about the series written by Dr. Jay Wile for the elementary levels, please visit his blog to read more about them.
Disclaimer: Thanks to Berean Builders 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.
Tuesday, May 17, 2016
Dr. Eureka
Blue Orange Games
About the game
The brilliant Dr. Eureka has important experiments for you to complete! Pick a challenge card, 3 test tubes and 6 colorful balls to solve his scientific formula. Carefully move your materials from tube to tube without dropping them, and position them as illustrated on the challenge card. This brain teasing party game can be played solitary or competitively.
What we thought
First and foremost, the game reminded me of the Tower of Hanoi challenge. Let’s face it – it is a challenge that can be stressful in a competition mode. Nevertheless I like the originality of the game as it is a great way to explore the Tower of Hanoi concepts.
The game is for one to four players (a bit disappointing for a family of six but it’s okay because we could always do a mini tournament of three people at a time and compete that way against each other).
I will admit that my kids were a bit stressed at first – going to fast in trying to complete the challenge. Balls were rolling on the table and so on. The game is quite simple to be honest. You pick a card which illustrate the challenge to complete. Using your skills you replicate the tubes but moving the balls from one tubes to another. You can flip the tubes upside down to make it quicker in order to complete a challenge. Once a challenge is won the card goes to the winner. The first person who win five points (cards) is the winner. So the game can be quite fast – about 15-20 minutes of play time. When you come to think of it, I find this is the perfect game to allow the kids to switch mode between two subjects while homeschooling. For example, if doing their mathematics has been difficult, this game would allow them to change their thinking a bit before doing something else that might require some attentiveness.
So we setup the game to play and the kids decided to pose before starting the challenges.
There was lots of errors at first but after a while, the kids were able to get the hang of it. We played on the table which made the balls bounce when it slipped out of the test tubes. A fellow blogger suggested to play on a carpet on their review but when you house doesn’t have any carpet it is kind of difficult. Besides, I personally prefer to play at a table where you can be sitting comfortably. You just have to slowly speed up your technique and make sure you know how to handle the test tubes and the balls to finish first and yell “EUREKA!”
Here’s a close up of the technique of switching the balls from one test tube to another.
Challenge complete!
The game will help you to develop fine motor skills, visual perception, focus and attention as well as processing speed. And I have seen these being developed the more the kids were playing the game. For example, the visual perception is essential to make sure you have the same thing as the card… a slight difference came make you loose the challenge and the card.
When my husband came back from work, the kids proceeded to tell him about the game. He sat down with them and looked at it. He concluded that the game would be good for dyslexics like himself and two of my kids because it would help them to concentrate and make sure the balls and tubes are place properly in order to win the challenge.
As parents we were impressed with the game as it helps to develop visual perception, focus, attention, and processing speed. The younger two really enjoyed it but my second born wasn’t too thrilled at first. However, with time he warmed up to the game and now I think he can see the benefits of playing it especially if it can help him with the attention he needs while doing school.
Dr. Eureka is available for purchase at your favorite gaming store – even on amazon.ca and amazon.com.
Disclaimer: Thanks to Blue Orange Games for sending me the game. 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.
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