I received this complimentary product through the Homeschool Review Crew

My son has been learning some important skills to help him be more successful in college with his study skills. He has had an opportunity to use another fantastic resource from Greg Landry's Homeschool Science. This time around he is using Study Skills / Measurement / Lab Reports/ Graphing - Self-paced 7th-12th grade. I received a 12-month subscription to the course.

This online Self-Paced course is intended for 7th-12th grade homeschooled students. You will find other courses and grades available for your family.

Greg Landry is a former college professor turned homeschool dad. This is taught from a Biblical Christian Worldview. The sessions start with Mr. Landry praying and he teaches students to think Biblically - I love his statement above.

You will need a Canvas account to use all of Greg Landry's Homeschool Science courses that are online. I would also recommend a printer to print out the PDFs however, you can view the worksheets via computer if needed. Everyone in your immediate family will have access to the material as long as it is within the timeframe of your subscription.

Navigating the site is easy. If you have multiple courses you just click on the course and it will take you into your course. On the site it is self-explanatory. You have a link to download your PDF file. Each of the video lessons has its unique link. Once you click on the link you are ready to go.

As the course name implies you will learn about study skills, measurements, lab reports, and graphing. One thing that Greg Landry noticed was that students struggled with some essential areas. That is why he felt that digging into measurements, metric systems, graphing, and how to write a solid lab report would benefit learning these topics. All the classes weave together in this course.

After you have logged into your account you will have access to the PDF and the videos. It is suggested to have a 3-ring binder, or a notebook, and coloring pencils. I immediately downloaded the PDF and put it in a binder for my son. This let him just open his notebook where he left off.

Classes covered are both online videos and a companion PDF file.

There are eight videos. The first one is for the parent and the student to watch. It doesn’t matter if you watch Intro: Instructions and Introduction for Parents and Students together or separately. This lesson will give you an overview of the course, the importance of these essential skills, and how to best utilize the information in your homeschool. This video is less than 6 minutes.

All the videos will have Greg Landry teaching the course. The videos are no longer than 30 minutes each. You will have a video of him explaining the concepts. He is very concise and clear in what he is explaining. He doesn’t move too fast nor does he drag a topic into boredom. He also doesn’t dumb down a topic as he gets straight to the point without the fluff. He is a pleasure to listen to. My son thinks he would be a very approachable and down-to-earth individual from his teaching style. While you are listening to him you will see the PDFs being shown and discussed throughout the video.

Intro: Instructions and Introduction for Parents and Students

Taking Notes, Note-Sketching, & Studying

Test Taking

Measurement & the Metric (SI) System

Temperature & Graphing

The Scientific Method & Lab Reports

Scientific Notation & Magnitude Perspective

Statistics, Probability, Accuracy, and Precision

The PDF for Study Skills / Measurement / Lab Reports / Graphing - Self-paced 7th-12th grade is broken up into seven chapters for each of the topics. You can easily follow along with the PDFs as you are listening to the videos. My son typically will work on his PDFs while listening to Greg Landry and pausing occasionally if needed. The PDFs are illustrated and the worksheets give you enough space to write in or you could use a notebook if you prefer.

This being a self-paced course you can schedule this to fit your schedule. You could do one class each week and finish the course up in less than 2 months. You could do it bi-weekly or finish it up quickly.

My son decided to do this in two weeks. It was good timing for him with him starting dual credit classes this semester. He went into those classes this year with the mindset of not needing to take good notes or study skills. I don’t think my homeschool environment prepared him for that. Maybe because when he got stuck we would go back over it until he got it. Now the pace of the classes he has to keep up with the pace of the other students. Thankfully the subjects are ones that he knows well. He does see the need to be more diligent in his notes and study skills. Which will be needed next semester.

His favorite topic was Measurement & the Metric (SI) System, Test Taking, and surprisingly Statistics, Probability, Accuracy, and Precision. He has always found the Metric system interesting and wishes it was the standard in America. He liked the way he stressed to think metric. That is an area that sometimes frustrated him with science. The last one surprised me. I didn’t realize that he sometimes gets mixed up on some of the terminology used in the basic statistics. He told me, “that he felt this was a good use of his time and that he learned a lot more than he expected in this course.”

I loved all the skills he learned throughout the course. These are skills that will help him beyond high school and college. He may not be writing a lab report in 10 years but details matter!

Other members of the Homeschool Review Crew have been doing different classes with Greg Landry's Homeschool Science, click on the graphic below to read other reviews, and don’t forget to check out all the options on Greg Landry's Homeschool  Science website.

 

 

I received this complimentary product through the Homeschool Review Crew

When I started homeschooling I had no idea how I was going to manage certain subjects when my kids got into high school. I figured I’d cross that road when I needed it. Throughout the years I have learned that there are resources out there for just about every subject and grade. Science labs seem to be one of those areas that homeschool parents struggle with. I excelled in science when I was in school and couldn’t wait to teach my kids science at all levels. My kids loved science that is until my son reached high school and his passion waned in science.

I heard about Greg Landry's Homeschool Science and his in-person labs from friends that attended the labs. The lab intrigued me and I signed up to receive his emails. I was thrilled to see a virtual version with a Virtual, interactive homeschool laboratory. We are doing Chemistry (only basic math). I have 12 months of access to the course. You have an option to do Biology/Anatomy & Physiology (only basic math), or Physics (conceptual-only basic math). There are other resources available through Greg Landry's Homeschool Science to meet your family's needs. This is geared for grades 7-12th grade.

Greg Landry is a homeschool dad and a former college professor. This is taught from a Christian Worldview. I love finding solid science taught from a Biblical viewpoint.

Your student will use and learn scientific inquiry, forming a hypothesis, data collection, graphing, creating a competent lab report, critical thinking, and all necessary skills for a science lab. The virtual lab can be used for your transcript and is a complete year of labs for your subject.

For each subject, there are 10 experiments. According to the website, two semesters for science and labs should have at the most 6 lab experiments with a full lab report. This has you covered for meeting the lab requirements. All the lab equipment you need is included!

You will need to create a Canvas account. We already had one and didn’t need to set one up. Everyone in your family can access the account. You will need a notebook or a graph notebook for your lab notebook. All your recorded work will be done in the notebook that you make for your lab reports. You don’t have to worry about supplies as everything you need is included in the lab. All the equipment and experiments are done virtually.

After you log in will begin with the Introduction to the Virtual Lab, the Scientific Method, and Lab Reports. After they have done this they can choose from the 10 experiments.

Chemistry labs:

Introduction to the Virtual Lab, the Scientific Method, and Lab Reports

Lab 1: Measurement in Science

Lab 2: pH Determination

Lab 3: Elements, Moles & Molar Mass

Lab 4: Viscosity

Lab 5: Density Determination

Lab 6: Diffusion and Osmosis

Lab 7: Quantifying Surface Area

Lab 8: Colligative Properties & Freezing Point Depression

Lab 9: Determination of Molarity

Lab 10: Determination of Relative Atomic Mass & Number of Neutrons

Your first lesson will give you an overview of the lab area and how to work the different sections in the lab. He walks you through opening the drawers and putting objects into an area on the counter and then the lab area. You have a light switch that you turn off and on and a working sink. A lab coat and goggles to take off the hooks like you are putting them on. The labs are interactive so if you put a scale in your lab area you can get measurements by adding one of the objects on it. When you open a drawer you have a drop-down menu and you will drag it to your designated area.

On the left side of the screen, you will see a box that has all the experiments. Once you click on your experiment you will see step-by-step instructions. All the steps are easy to understand and broken down step-by-step. The lab and website are very easy to navigate.

You will also learn in this section how to write a good lab report and what information is vital to your lab report. There is a PDF that has an example of a lab report that you can refer to.

The video also has information on how to grade and assess the lab reports. This is by far the longest video at around 45 minutes. All the other labs are around 5 to 10 minutes long.

Each lesson starts with you watching a video lesson. Professor Landry will talk about the experiments in detail and give you any vital information needed for the experiments. He recommends that you take notes in your lab book while watching the video lesson.

After you have watched the video you will click on a link to view your virtual lab. The lab area has its log-in password. You will follow the steps for each experiment while recording any necessary information in your lab book. At the end of each experiment, you complete your lab report. My son liked working on his lab report while watching the videos and taking notes. He also recorded information after each step if needed. Then when he was done with the experiment he completed any other task that needed to be done.

My son working on a lab and a few of his lab notes for different experiments.

We have had a bit of a hectic house the last few weeks with my house being a construction zone and the house in disarray. I couldn’t imagine trying to do a physical lab around all the chaos going on in my house. We planned on one or two labs a week. My son can easily jump on the site and watch the videos and then do the labs. He has done a great job with his lab reports that he put in a spiral notebook. My son said, “I liked the ease of the labs virtually” “There is no gathering supplies and clean up” He also said, “Another great benefit is that you are guaranteed that the labs won’t fail”.  

There are several ways you can do this. One is doing them in a few weeks or spaced out throughout the year. If I was doing this with a chemistry curriculum I would schedule the experiments to coincide with his topics in chemistry. My son on the other hand would prefer to get all the labs done in a week or two and then read his science curriculum. Either way will work to complete your lab requirements. This is great for kids who don’t like to get their hands dirty. This is also a great alternative to not having to go out and buy supplies for science. The cost of lab materials can add up fast.

I personally prefer hands-on lab experiments and having failures and all the stuff that goes with labs. That isn't a negative for this program as I am impressed with the virtual labs. It has also been a perfect fit for my son. The labs are interactive and provide the required labs for high school. I know several families who have kids that don’t like labs especially the biology portion of it. This is a great way to accommodate those kids. The cost is good compared to buying all the needed lab equipment.

One thing I would like to see is a combination of biology and chemistry bundle with a bit of a cost break for purchasing both. Another option I would love is the ability to have a PDF lab workbook for those who need a more structured format that they can fiil in the blanks and need a bit more direction. My son had no issues doing his own lab reports. I could see this being an issue with my special needs daughter and can think of a few other families who would need something more to guide their kids with lab reports. Even if the PDF was an optional add-on for the labs reports I feel this would be a nice feature. My son would have probably preferred the easy way out with labs and having that option to deny him the option of a printed PDF lab report would be a nice feature. He is capable of doing a lab report as my daughter isn't without some assistance.

I was showing a friend  Virtual, interactive homeschool laboratory and she balked at the cost. I showed her the cost in a chemistry curriculum she wants to do. The cost was higher for her to purchase the equipment. The cost is actually a great value. I think it comes down to a few things. Does your student like doing hands-on experiments? Do you have a student special needs, sensory issues, queasy, or would prefer to do the labs virtually? Are you willing to pay the price for lab equipment and actually do the experiments. I know lots of people who buy the equipment but don't make the time to do the experiments. I think the value is comparable and worth it depending on your homeschool. 

Greg Landry's Homeschool Science is impressive. I plan on having him finish up a Self-Paced 1 Year Family Subscription with chemistry this year. I may have him redo the labs with chemistry topics this coming year or at least fine-tune his lab reports.

Other members of the Homeschool Review Crew have been doing different classes with Greg Landry's Homeschool Science, click on the graphic below to read other reviews, and don’t forget to check out all the options on Greg Landry's Homeschool Science website.

 

 

Build your own amazing robots―20 STEAM projects you’ll love!

Get ready to build all kinds of incredible robots―right in your own home! Designed for young robot builders (ages 5 – 10), these do-it-yourself robotics for kids projects will teach you about science, technology, engineering, art, and math (STEAM) as you assemble an amazing collection of real working robots!

From scribblebots to two-legged walkers, this book walks you through robotics for kids, one beautifully-photographed project at a time. The robots start out simple and get more advanced as you go, helping you boost your skills (and your confidence) at the same time. Get started today!

This exciting guide to robotics for kids includes:

• 20 awesome projects―Rock the world of robotics for kids with nearly two-dozen different designs for bots that glow, draw, walk, climb, and more.
• Full-color photos―Construction is easy thanks to clear directions and 200 step-by-step pictures that help you build your robot right.
• Robots in the world―Chapters are divided based on the functions of robots, showing you how they can be used to help in your day-to-day life.
•  

Discover one of the most fun ways to get into robotics for kids!

My Thoughts:

This is an amazing book for STEAM Projects. This would be great addition in a homeschool, homeschool co-op, or in a classroom setting. Of course you can just work with this one on one with a child.

I like how it introduces robotics and explaining some of the history with it. Then it goes into explaining what a robot is and isn’t. It’s told in a way that you can understand and feel confident explaining to kids.

It covers safety when doing the projects. The supply list is broken down nicely and separates where you can find the material needed both in a local store and online. If you plan on doing every project you could do just one big order or just pick out a few projects. That makes it super easy for planning.

The first chapter has some pretty simple projects like building a simple circuit, LED light, robot night light, and a few other projects. The Chapters then are divided by: Robots at Home, Robots for Entertaining, Robots in Space, Robots on the Job, Robots in the Operating Room, and Robotics and the Future.

Each project has step-by-step instructions with lots of colored pictures. Safety for each project is in a pink color to stand out. Also the projects have a “STEAM Connection” for better understanding.

There is a nice glossary in the back if you aren’t familiar with certain words. Also there is a list of websites for additional resources.

This is a neat and will inspire young minds who are interested in robotics.

I received a free copy of this product from Callisto Publisher's 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.

I have a budding entomologist in my home. My 15 year old daughter is obsessed with insects. I have to confess that I know way more about insects than I would like to admit thanks to my daughter. We are even beekeepers thanks to her love of insects.

                                            Bug with her entomology boxes at the State Fair.

                                                             Bug with her beehives.
 

I often get asked about resources I use in my homeschool to teach her about insects. One resource I have used is Orkin. They have a nice assortment of free resources to teach your kids educational science lessons on insects.

Orkin’s educational science lessons offer different grade levels from Kindergarten to 6^th grade. They met the National Science Standards. Orkin has fun learning activities to enhance your homeschool. They have coloring pages, games, crafts, and even a fun page to listen to the different sounds that insects make.

I know most homeschoolers like to go beyond when teaching our children and Orkin has some other items online that can be helpful in your homeschool. Orkin has some articles outside of their educational science lessons you can download like a Research a Pest and a Pest ID Guide. Take a look around as you might find other interesting information for your homeschool. My daughter likes having an assortment of guides. Even with all bookshelf full of insect field guides she can’t get enough.

If your looking for a free resource to teach about insects Orkin is a great resource for your homeschool.

Find out more about Using Pesticides Safely in your Home here.

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.