My kids have fond memories of an art history class they took when they were younger. We learned so much from the class and found it extremely interesting. Now that my daughter is in highschool I was intrigued at the ideal of being able to teach my daughter more with The Master and His Apprentices: Art History from a Christian Perspective from The Master and His Apprentices.

I received a Digital Edition of the Textbook and Teacher Guide, and the print rights for additional students. There is a physical hardcover book of the Textbook and a soft cover Teacher Guide available also.

The author is a former homeschooler, Gina Ferguson. She earned her degree in art and English. She ended up being approached about teaching the homeschool community art history class. They wanted to class approached with no nudity in the art, which proved to require a lot of creativity on her end. There wasn’t any resources from a Christian perspective available, and this ultimately led her to writing this Christian art history textbook. That is me paraphrasing a lot. You can read her story here.

The Master and His Apprentices: Art History from a Christian Perspective is intended for highschool and can be used as a full credit for high school.  There is enough information for over 120 hours with 3-4 hours a week to meet the requirements for a full Elective credit.

Over the 36 weeks (instructions for a shorter course of 17 weeks provided also) for The Master and His Apprentices study you will write up 4 papers on different artist and time periods and each paper they will focus on a different piece and art style. To make it easier for you as a parent there is an “Art History Paper Instructions” that explains each of the 4 papers and what the requirements are. I love it you have it all neatly printed out and don’t need to figure out what your student should write.  

There are 4 exams throughout the course as well as questions after each chapter.

It is recommended that you have a Bible to pursue some of the questions asked and have the “Terms to Describe Art” handout from the Teachers Guide to refer to often.

The Teachers Guide

This has 116 pages and has everything you need to teach this course. 

There is an attendance and grade sheet, syllabus (it’s also available as a downloadable editable worksheet on the website), handouts needed for the student, all of your weekly discussion questions and exams. The answer key to all the discussions and exams. Along with several helpful tips in teaching the course. There is also a week by week reminder for the teacher.

Printing Rights

The printing rights if for one student. For additional students in your home is $2.00 per student. Copying the student worksheets and exams is not permitted without purchasing the reproducible rights.

The Master and His Apprentices: Art History from a Christian Perspective Textbook

The course has 19 Chapters with 380 pages. If you’re wanting to look at the art pieces by location in the book there are several of the pieces listed in the “Pieces by Location.” an 8 page timeline is also included in the Appendix as well as a downloadable one on the website.

There are over 600 full colored art from sculptures, architecture, pottery, jewelry, mosaics, paintings, and so much more within the pages of this Christian art history textbook. Every page has some kind of stunning photo related to the history era you are learning about. I love that art history is taught from a Biblical Worldview!

The text starts out with Creation and goes into the following studies:

 Ancient Cultures from Near East, Egyptians, and Aegean

Classical Antiquity, Early Greek, Etruscan, and Roman

Middle Ages, Early Christian and Byzantine, Medieval and Islamic, Romanesque, and Gothic

Renaissance, Early Italian Renaissance, High Italian Renaissance, and the Northern Renaissance

Baroque Era and Beyond, Baroque, Rococo to Today, Global Highlights

The lessons are taught in a chronological order of history. Throughout the chapter there are timelines of the section you’re learning about and a full time line in the appendix. The timelines are broken up showing Major Biblical Events, Famous Art from the era you are reading about. The last part shows Important World Events of during the era.

The majority of the text does spend more time on Ancient Cultures and the Renaissance art history. The section on the Baroque and Global Highlights which is Non-Western Art only has a few pages dedicated to them. I would love to see more in this era and even more modern art history personally. Maybe a future textbook-hint hint! I found the Baroque era fascinating when I was looking over that chapter.

How did I use The Master and His Apprentices: Art History from a Christian Perspective?

I have to admit that I’m not much of a digit download person and prefer a physical book in my hands. I just love being able to flip back and forth in a book. I decided to print several chapters of the textbook and Teacher Guide and bound them in a comb binder.

 I have been using this with my 10 grade daughter over the last several weeks. I have been reading the majority of the lessons to her but, she likes to read a paragraph or two to me (which is huge as reading is difficult for her). I have a unique situation with my daughter with her special needs and her abilities in several areas. She loves art and history and can comprehend the topic at her level. Writing and being able to put her thoughts on paper is difficult. The physical aspect is that she has severe Rheumatoid Arthritis and writing has to be modified. We do a lot of oral work or I write down her words for her if it requires a lot of writing. We discussed the questions orally. As far as the exams and her writing 4 papers it’s not going to happen. That doesn’t mean I’ll let it slide by! We haven’t reached the first exam yet. My plan is dictate her exam. I don’t think I’ll get several pages out of her. It will give me a chance to evaluate her comprehension of what she is learning. The most important thing is that Bug enjoys it. She likes the curriculum. She really likes all the amazing photos. Bug informed me, “that everything is so interesting!”

I plan on using this as a full credit for high school. We have been going at a faster pace during this review period so we could finish several chapters. However starting next fall I’m going to slow down the pace and break it up for 2 years for her.

I’m really impressed with The Master and His Apprentices. I have put it on my wish list to purchase a physical copy by next fall. I’m really excited to use this with her and with my son in the future.

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Other members of the Homeschool Review Crew have been using The Master and His Apprentices: Art History from a Christian Perspective also. Stop by their blogs and see what they have to say.

I have been using a brand new product recently released - Hake/Saxon Grammar and Writing 3 with my daughter the last few weeks. I have always wanted to explore Hake Publishing for my homeschool grammar program in the past but, I just never took the plunge.

I received a physical product: Student Textbook, Writing Workbook, and the Teacher Guide. All of the books are a softcover book with perforated pages and 3 holes punched for adding to a 3 ring folder.

Teacher Guide

A suggested schedule for 146 days is included that includes both the Student Textbook, test,  and the Writing Workbook. 

The Introduction section is very helpful getting started and breaks down the components clearly. All your answers for each lesson, test, additional practice pages are included in the Teacher Guide. Also the test and practice pages for the student is in the back of the book. They recommend you teach the lesson in order as they really do build upon one another. It also stresses to keep a consistent schedule for your student.

The lessons are scripted for you and are highlighted in bold. Each lesson states that they average around 40-45 minutes in length.  I like that each step has an estimated time frame it should take to help with planning. So far we have spent around 30 minutes on each lesson and the lessons may get longer the further we get into the lessons. Underneath the time frame it says optional or required activity. I found that the optional activity didn’t really need my attention as it was more of a classroom activity. I really liked that as it helped me move along in the lessons without any hiccups. 

Student Text

This is a consumable workbook. There are 111 lessons in all. It’s in black and white and a few illustrations in the workbook.

 The format is basically the same for each lesson. Grammar Meeting, Vocabulary, Read the Grammar Lesson, Practice Problems, and Review Set. The first test starts on Day 11 and after that it’s every 5th day which is included in the Student Text.

Writing Workbook

This is also a consumable workbook with a total of 21 writing lessons. The Writing Workbook is scheduled for the same day you do the test. This includes writing paragraphs, filling in a short answer,  number the sentences in order, and other writing activities that go along with the lessons in the Student Textbook. 

They recommend a 3 ring binders, notebook, and encourage your student to make a writing journal.

How did I use Hake/Saxon Grammar and Writing 3 in my homeschool?

I used this with my 15 year old 9^th grader with special needs. She is typically around a 3^rd to 4^th grade level in language arts. She varies in topics as some areas she has mastered and would be closer to her grade. My daughter regresses for unknown reasons and I find I need to teach the grammar skills she had previously mastered often with her. We typically did 3-4 days a week for summer school. In the fall we will do Hake/Saxon Grammar and Writing 3 five days in a week.

A typical lesson looks like this: The first part is the “Grammar Meeting” which is highlighted in both the teacher and student book by a box at the top of the lesson.  The “Grammar Meeting”   basically is a question for your student to think about and answer the question orally. An example from lesson 21 is, “What kind of person would make a good firefighter?” The intent is to enhance listening skills and to model correct grammar verbally which should help them to practice those skills when they need to put it in print. Also included in the box are vocabulary words. The vocabulary words are Latin roots/prefixes and some Greek words in this portion. The “Grammar Meeting” box is indicated as optional. I personally felt that it was a good overview to start with. I really liked the vocabulary portions taught in the box area.

The Grammar Lesson portion I would read out loud to Bug. It has several examples on the topic you are learning about. Then we would go over the Practice Problems together. This is a variety of circle the correct word, fill in the blank, and so on.

The Review Set is reviewing other concepts you learned in previous lessons. This portion we spent the longest amount of time on. I really liked how each lesson went over previously learned concepts. I found this very beneficial to review the concepts.

I followed the schedule and did the test and Writing Workbook when it was assigned. 

Final Thoughts:

I really liked Hake/Saxon Grammar and Writing 3. I was impressed  with this homeschool language arts curriculum. I felt this was a perfect amount of work. The lessons are concise and to the point. I didn’t think it had an overboard of questions or review in each lesson. Trust me this is crucial to me with a special needs daughter who tends to get overwhelmed. It's an open and go curriculum. I could look over the lesson the night or even the morning before and it required no prep on my end. 

My daughter had a hard time writing in the provided space in both books. She has hard time writing due to arthritis and she is not able to physically write smaller. She got a bit frustrated in that aspect of the curriculum. The space felt smaller than some other programs I have used. This may not be an issue for many students. 

Overall, my daughter told me that she enjoyed using this homeschool grammar program. We will continue with this next year for her 9^th grade year.

Other members of the Homeschool Review Crew have been using Hake/Saxon Grammar and Writing 3 in their homeschool. See what they think. Don't forget to stop by Hake Publishing and see their other programs.

About the Book

Title: Tremors of Doubt  
Author: Lael Harrelson  
Genre: Contemporary Amish Alternative  
Release Date: March 19, 2018

Would the will of God ever lead a young woman against the counsel of family and church? For a young Mennonite woman who wants to make a difference in the world, growing up on the mission field in Haiti should be the perfect fit. But not for Callie Zimmerman. Raised by her aunt and uncle after the death of her parents, Callie works beside her aunt cooking, cleaning and sewing each day as the men head off to serve the community. She longs to do more to alleviate the poverty and sickness that surrounds her, but tradition and her uncle forbid it. On the eve of her twenty-third birthday, struggling with hopelessness as another year passes, Callie pleads with God to open a door for her. The prayer has barely left her mouth when she finds a stack of letters with secrets about her parent’s deaths and their excommunication from the Mennonite church. Devastated, Callie cries herself to sleep, only to be awakened a few hours later by her uncle with the startling news the Noah Koehn has asked permission to court her. Is one of these the answer to her prayer? Would exploring her parents past mean losing a future with Noah? Is it worth the risk? 

Click here to purchase your copy!

My Thoughts: 

I’m excited to tell you about my recent read from a
new author to me! I look forward to reading more books from Lael Harrelson in
the future. 

I always like to read books that make you see the
story in your mind. I felt like I could see Haiti and the people through the
author’s words. The story is beautifully crafted and I had a hard time putting
the book down. 

I love the Amish/Mennonite genre and read a lot of
them. This story had a different plot and location than any of this genre I
have read. It wasn’t predicable and I enjoyed the surprises in the story. 

I loved the characters especially Callie. There are a lot of characters at first and I had to flip back once or twice to keep myself informed with who’s who at first. Callie especially pulled at your heart strings. She was searching for God’s plan in her life. She felt so much restriction being able to help the Haitian people due to the boundaries of her religion. She really struggles with aspects of her faith set upon her. Callie loves the Lord with all of her heart but something was missing in her life. Her heart aches and she calls out to God for answers. Callie finds herself on a journey of self discovery for her future and into her parents past. A lot is at stake with her choices.

What a captivating story that made me sad to see the story end. I hope to see a second book to this story. 

I received a free copy of this product from Celebrate Lit Bloggers in exchange for my honest review. I was not required to write a positive review nor was I compensated in any other way. All opinions I have expressed are my own or those of my family. I am disclosing this information accordance with the FTC Regulations.

About the Author

Raised by a fun loving, atheist single mom who struggled with depression and mental illness I spent my childhood backpacking around Europe, visiting yoga communes, eating vegan, living on a houseboat, then an old pony express outpost in the backwoods of Montana. My teen years took a drastic turn when my mom got saved, got married, and joined an ultra-conservative Mennonite church. Faith, step parents and unquestioning obedience is a dangerous combination when mixed with mental illness, legalism, and heavy handed physical correction. I became a confused believer with a heart for Jesus but drowning under a sea of rules, regulations, and legalism. I became a missionary teacher and then a nurse and escaped to the mission field, the one avenue open to single women. I taught VBS on Indian reservations, led school for missionary children in Haiti and Africa. All around me was heartache and disease and glaring need. I longed to make a difference but was limited to working on the mission compound – teaching, cooking, cleaning. Work outside the walls of the compound was reserved for the men. On a furlough, I met my future husband – a new believer who wasn’t looking for a door mat in a wife but a partner. As he grew in his faith, I reexamined mine and what Biblical womanhood looked like. Timidly at first, but then eagerly, as I discovered a new relationship with Jesus Christ based on grace and not performance. I left the Mennonite church and married the love of my life twenty years ago. We have five beautiful teenagers, two by birth and three through adoption from Haiti. My husband is adopted and God used my time in Haiti to prepare me to understand my children’s culture and language and ease their transitions home. Two people in my family have mild Asperger’s and one has Reactive Attachment disorder, PTSD, and ODD. Our house is not a quiet, well greased machine but a chaotic, happy, crazy, nerve racking, love filled oasis where we all try to help each other grow and thrive. I am so thankful for my life – the good and the bad. I feel blessed to have experienced so many unique situations and to love and be loved by so many wonderful and eccentric people. It is from these experiences I draw the fiction stories I write. I like to think of them as fiction with grit – fast paced and entertaining stories that make you want to read till the very last page while at the same time tackling real life issues – legalism, abuse, divorce, adoption, Asperger syndrome, mental illness, etc. 

Guest Post from Lael Harrelson

 

To the casual observer, Haiti is a magical island of swaying palms, laughing children, and azure blue oceans, but for one who takes the time to look deeper, a darker truth emerges. Starvation. Desperation. Darkness. Hopelessness. Callie’s church is a shining beacon of family values, sincere faith, and simple living but, again, for one who takes the time to dive deeper, there is a hidden trail of broken spirits, crushed dreams, and oppressed women and girls. Drawing inspiration from my experiences as a Haitian missionary and former Mennonite, I hope you will find Tremors of Doubt not only entertaining but life changing as you follow Callie’s journey through self-doubt, crushed dreams, love triangles, life changing secrets, and fragile hope as she navigates being the daughter of Haitian missionaries on an exotic Caribbean Island where danger is lurking just below the surface. 

Blog Stops

 

Quiet Quilter, June 12

Among the Reads, June 12

Blossoms and Blessings, June 13

Mommynificent, June 13

Bigreadersite, June 13

The Avid Reader, June 14

Blogging With Carol, June 14

Carpe Diem, June 15

The Power of Words, June 15

A Baker’s Perspective, June 16

Random Thoughts From a Bookworm, June 16

D’S QUILTS & BOOKS, June 17

Mary Hake, June 17

margaret kazmierczak, June 17 (Interview)

Jen Around the World, June 18

Inklings and notions, June 18

Maureen’s Musings, June 19

Two Points of Interest, June 19

Texas Book-aholic, June 20

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, June 20

Janices book reviews, June 21

Little Homeschool on the Prairie, June 21

Have A Wonderful Day, June 22

ansel book blog, June 22

Because I said so – adventures in Parenting, June 23

cherylbbookblog, June 23

Bibliophile Reviews, June 24

Red Headed Book Lady, June 24

A Reader’s Brain, June 25

Jeanette’s Thoughts, June 25

Giveaway

Click on the graphic for the giveaway.

To celebrate her tour, Lael is giving away a grand prize of an autographed copy of Tremors of Doubt, an adorable set of Amish dolls, a set of handwritten recipe cards with mouthwatering Amish recipes, a handmade Haitian bracelet made by Haitian students, a pound of nationally acclaimed Haitian coffee, a bar of rich Haitian chocolate, and a $25 Amazon gift card!!

Click below to enter. Be sure to comment on this post before you enter to claim 9 extra entries! https://promosimple.com/ps/d06c/tremors-of-doubt-celebration-tour-giveaway