Trust Fund

We enjoy watching good movies and have a wide collection so when the Homeschool Review Crew

was offered the opportunity to receive the movie "Trust Fund" I quickly signed up. In exchange for

watching and reviewing Trust Fund we received the dvd free of charge.

Mapelle Films offers this movie which is  produced by an early homeschool graduate, Isaac Alongi

who has worked for 15 years with Sandra Martin writer/director of Trust Fund. This movie received

the dove seal for age 12+ and younger children when watched as a family. Trust Fund is a modern

day story of  the Prodigal Daughter and very well put together so it can be enjoyed while learning

what many experience today. There's a free downloadable study guide and movie clips that can be

used in conjunction with the movie for families to dig deeper or use in small study groups.

Reese is one of two daughters and seems to get away with anything and everything she wants with

her dad. Eventually some of the things she has gotten into catch up with her and she almost looses

everything. Her sister, Audrey is the one who is more level-headed, working with her dad at the

successful company, earning her way in life unlike her sister. She is very resentful of Reese which

causes turmoil in the family but.........you'll have to watch Trust Fund to see what happens.

I had planned to watch this with Jacob but he's been doing mission work and had his wisdom teeth

taken out so I enjoyed just some me time with this one. Once things settle down I know he will watch

this and hopefully learn something from it. He's got two older brothers and struggles with "why do

you still do for them when they have done bad things?" I've told him that's how God is with ALL

people and we as Christians are trying to be like Christ.

I would highly recommend this movie to families and even youth group movie night would be great.

I was so happy I got to review this movie because we always need reminders in life.

Don't forget to follow Trust Fund Movie on social media:

Facebook

Twitter

Pinterest

Instagram

To see what other Crew Members had to say click the box below.

Today's Wisdom

Today Jacob is having his wisdom teeth taken out.Not a fun thing to have done but after a week of working in Kentucky with our mission team he'll get some much needed rest. He's been a little nervous and asked if he got to keep his teeth so I reminded him to ask the nurse. She told him as long as they could get it out intact he could keep it.I think that made him happy....plus the medicine he took an hour before surgery didn't hurt .LOL!!!
About an hour later and he's all done with the souvenir of one wisdom tooth to take home. When I asked him earlier why he wanted to keep his teeth his response was  "I gotta keep my wisdom". Too funny. When I went back after surgery I asked if he was expecting the Tooth Fairy to visit. With a head-shake of no I could mentally hear him say."Really?"That's his "word" and yes it dopes make a momma go bonkers sometimes but I thank God everyday for allowing me to be his "bonkers mom".
After Grandma and I got him in the car we headed for the closest drugstore because we live about an hour and a half from where we were and we wanted to make sure to keep him from hurting. Poor guy hadn't eaten since midnight and it was now noon so while Grandma was in getting his medicine I get this text. "Can I get some mashed potatoes and mac-n-cheese from KFC?"So yes we stopped and he got maybe 2 bites in before taking medicine and going to sleep.
We made it home, iced his face, removed his hearing aides and back to sleep. Needless to say my house is so quite I may try to sneak a nap in too.
  

Fascinating Education/Fascinating Biology

In June we were offered the opportunity to receive a course for a year free to review

Fascinating Education. This is an online course featuring various Science Education such

as Chemistry, Biology and Physics for high school homeschool students. This program

was developed by Dr. Margulies, a retired neurologist, author and an expert witness in

the field of neurology. We chose to explore Fascinating Biology first but the suggested

course of study is to start with Chemistry and then Biology. If you, like us do choose to

complete Biology first, there is Chemistry Pre-Course for Biology that contains six

lessons that can be completed first, at an extra cost. There’s also a Chemistry Review

included in Fascinating Biology as Lesson 2.Ok so we do things out of order sometimes

 but that makes life interesting.

What is Fascinating Biology?

Fascinating Biology is an online homeschool science curriculum for high school students.

It is an 18 lesson video course complete with written downloadable script of the video

and a test at the end of every lesson. The video/slide presentations are approximately 45

minutes each lesson. The test may be taken online multiple times to learn the correct

answer and pass. The test is set up to let you review what you missed before attempting it

 again.

  

Lessons in Fascinating Biology:

Lesson 1:  What Is Life

Lesson 2:  Chemistry Review

Lesson 3:  The Cell Membrane

Lesson 4:  Take in Nutrients

Lesson 5:  Take in Energy - Part 1

Lesson 6:  Take in Energy - Part 2

Lesson 7:  Take in Energy - Part 3

Lesson 8:  Take in Energy - Part 4

Lesson 9:  Grow

Lesson 10: Reproduce - Part 1

Lesson 11: Reproduce - Part 2

Lesson 12: Reproduce - Part 3

Lesson 13: Homeostasis - Part 1

Lesson 14: Homeostasis - Part 2

Lesson 15: Adapt - Part 1

Lesson 16: Adapt - Part 2

Lesson 17: Prokaryotes, Protists, Animals, Fungi

Lesson 18: Plants

How We Used It

Once logged in I sat with my son and watched the video then discussed the test questions

with him while he was taking the test. The first lesson was pretty easy to get him to do

but the following lessons were a little harder to get him to watch. There’s a menu tab with

the video that shows what is covered in that lesson and the next few lessons overwhelmed

him before he started. He’s a special needs child and to see the menu look like it fills the

whole screen makes him automatically turn his brain off. Tried watching a little at a time

and that worked pretty well. Maybe the option of hiding the menu bar would be

beneficial to special need as well as typical kiddos.

Would I Recommend Fascinating Biology?

Yes I would recommend it to others but more typical kiddos and not special needs. I

would have liked to have seen a few experiments thrown in on a couple of lessons. I did

like that the last few slides in the video was kind of like a review of each lesson, The

videos were bright and eye catching, not boring and along with the menu tab there is a

glossary tab giving the definitions of certain words.

Read what other members of the Homeschool Review Crew

thought by clicking on the picture below:

Internship for High School Credit Review

We were recently given the opportunity to receive Internship for High School Credit from

Apologia Educational Ministries for use to review. Even though Jacob graduated from high school

this year I thought it would be very beneficial to him as well as me to review this. He won't receive

high school credits towards his education but this book will definitely help him in his next steps of

life.

What is Internship for High School Credit?

Internship for High School Credit is a 99 - page spiral-bound workbook for high school students and

their parents to learn the process of interning for high school credits. First thing when you open the

book is the Introduction which gives you answers as to what an internship is and how it's beneficial 

to a high school student. There's also a How to Use This Workbook which explains the bulk of the

workbook contains worksheets to document experiences during internship.

There are five divisions in this book to take you step by step through the internship process.

 Part 1 : Getting Started

             Explains how to determine type of internship and choose which field of work interest you.

             This section also teaches how to receive high school credit, write a Student Resume (sample

             Resume), write a Letter of  Introduction (sample letter),Interview tips, after the interview

             and getting ready for the first day.

Part 2 : Information for Parents

             How to choose an Internship location, Child Labor, Transcript Documentation, course title

             and number, number of credits and grades.

Part 3 : First Semester

            This section will teach you how to use the worksheets, help figure out the semester goals.

            There are weekly worksheets to keep track of the days and hours worked and Questions and

            Activities for each week that the intern will answer. There's also a Midterm Work Performance

            and an End-of-Semester Work Performance sheet for the supervisor to fill out about your

            work. At the end of this part there's a worksheet to write skills gained during this internship.

Part 4 : Second Semester 

            This section is for a person who has completed the first semester and starts a second semester

            of internship. Instead of weekly worksheets this section has Biweekly worksheets.

Part 5 : Course Wrap-Up

            This section is for completing the internship with a final writing assignment, Thank - You

            notes, Letter of Recommendation and updating your Resume.

How Did We Use It?

When we first received it I thought about how we could use it to benefit Jacob and I hit a brick wall

at first. He enjoys doing yard work so we thought about contacting a landscape company but our

answer was right in front of our face the whole time. Jacob volunteers at one of our local soup

kitchens where there's a chapel and he talks with different people sharing about God. A couple from

our church has a counseling service they operate at the same location and have taken Jacob under

their wings. Jacob feels a calling into the ministry so what better way to use this internship program.

He has been filling out the worksheets along and we are working on a Resume.

I really liked the Tips that were found throughout the book like How To Dress. The author, Sherri

Selgson added quotes from famous people through out the book that made me feel like a dose of

encouragement for the student and the parent. I would recommend this to anyone who has children

going into high school or wanting help deciding what field of work they may be interested in.

Follow Apologia on Social Media

Facebook

Twitter

Pinterest

Instagram

Google+

 YouTube

To read more reviews from the crew click the box below

            

    

SUMMER!!!!

🌞
Well we finally made it to summer and oh the possibilities of what we will get into. There's so much "catch up "work to do around our house since we were concentrating on  graduation 🎓.Great graduation party this weekend for Jacob. He REALLY had a great time even though it can't be seen in the pictures. I have even gotten multiple "Thanks for the party Mom" from him all weekend. It makes my heart SMILE when I see him happy and proud. Friends and family coming from Florida was a special thing for him.

Now we prepare for a mission trip to Kentucky for a week with church. This is Jacob's second time going to Kentucky so still a little nervous(me more than him) about the trip.
My uncle from Florida has been here almost a week and Jacob loves it. He learns a lot from Uncle Raymond and really listens to what he says. They've worked on yards, building a shelter for lawn mower and planting tips. Blessed beyond words!!
Our church is doing Summer of Psalm Bible Study which we will read through the book of Psalm. We start that today and Jacob read his this morning while I slept.Yep I guess I'm a slacker.LOL!!!With that being said I hope everyone has a blessed day and I'm off to read.

Heros of History Billy Graham

I gave Jacob the choice of which book he wanted to review from YWAM Publishing and  their

Heroes of History Series. He chose Billy Graham: America's Pastor which was no surprise to me

since we live in the foothills of North Carolina. We are close to Charlotte, Mr. Graham's

hometown and Montreat, his residence since 1945 so we feel like we have ties with the Graham's.

Jacob started reading the book and he would stop to discuss events

and tidbits of what he had read. Well after several days of him

pealing my interest I picked the book up and started reading

it.This book is great because it combines history and social studies

while it is fun to read and not boring. I have to admit I'm not much

of a reader. I never seem to have "enough time" but

Billy Graham America's Pastor kept me wanting to make time to

read. When Jacob realized I was reading it too he always made

sure he was a couple of chapters ahead of me. He's not a reader

either but when it got quite I'd look in the living room to see his

nose in the book.                             

Before this review I'd never heard of YWAM Publishing or Heroes of History but they have really

got my attention and recommendation to other people.

In the Heroes of History series there are 28 books that can be purchased individually or in the set.

The great thing about these books beside being well written is they all come with study guides. The

study guides are an awesome addition to reading the book. These guides include:

1. Key Quotes

 2. Display Corners

3. Chapter Questions

4. Student Explorations

5. Community Links

6. Social Studies

7. Related Themes to Explore

8. Culminating Event

There are also pages of books and resources to help with more exploration of Billy Graham and his

life as America's Pastor. On the YWAM Publishing website there's also a bonus section with

crossword puzzels,search words and coloring pages just to mention a few.

So how did we use it?

Jacob is more of a verbal learner so not only did he tell me about the book as he was reading I asked

him the questions at the end of each chapter. These questions are great because the first four want

specific answers while the final two questions of each chapter are the opinion of your child. I also

printed out the Billy Graham Fact Sheet ,timeline and maps for Jacob to fill in. The maps are to mark

where all Mr. Graham has traveled, preached and held crusades.

What Did We Think?

We both loved it and plan on purchasing more of The Heroes of History and probably will also buy

from Christian Heroes: Then and Now series. Loved that the writers/publishers recognize everyone

has different learning styles and accommodate this. This book is suggested for 10+ but I feel younger

may be able to have it read to them. Great to do as a family reading time.

Follow YWAM Publishing on social media Facebook Twitter Pinterest BLOG

The Typing Coach Online Typing Course

When I was in junior high school my counselor signed me up for typing classes as my elective. I was

excited about taking typing because it was something new and challenging. That was quickly

squashed by my dad when I got home with, "That's a wasted class and you're not taking it." Many

years later and many papers typed by slowly pecking the words out and I'm still pecking the words

out. So when we were recently given the opportunity to receive a subscription to

The Typing Coach Online Typing Course to review I jumped at it. This course is offered by

The Typing Coach. With Jacob getting ready to start college in the fall and myself writing reviews

and blog post I thought this practice would better prepare us for faster and more accurate typing.

Jacob has worked on a couple other typing programs over the past few years but nothing like

The Typing Coach Online Typing Course.

What Is The Typing Coach Online Typing Course?

The Typing Coach Online Typing Course is a computer-based course taught by David Kimball,

The Typing Coach. He guides you through seven lessons in this course to teach you how to type

proficiently and accurate all without looking at your keyboard. The seven lessons are (1) Having

Good Posture (2) Home Row (3) Top Row (4) Bottom Row (5) Shift Keys (6) Typing Practices (7)

Number Row. Included in the course is a Teachers Resource Center with extra helps for slower paced

learners, younger children and Special Needs, Typing Coach Tickets to give students for a job well

done. There are also some informative videos available in the resource center to watch along with

print outs ( Student Checklist, Progress Reports,etc.)

There are videos, audios and written instructions throughout this course and it is self-paced so you

can work at the area you're on till you've mastered it. There are assessments that have to be taken and

passed before the program will let you move on. This course can also be guided by parents for

younger children or Special Needs.

Price/Length

This online typing course can be purchased for $17 per person for a year. They offer a free trial to try

before you buy. This is a good deal and it will pay off when you can type quickly and accurately.


Age Suggestion

It is suggested that the program is good for the young and old. The slower paced lessons can be used

for children aged 8 - 11 who are not ready for the regular paced lessons or even us adults that aren't

too good at typing. The regular lessons can be used for those 12 and up.


How We Used The Program

I did the program because Jacob being my 18 year old Special Need child couldn't focus on the

lessons. At first I felt a little overwhelmed but gradually got used to what I needed to do. I have

noticed an improvement in my typing, not as many mistakes and a little faster, Still a work in

progress but not sure I'll ever achieve the 45+ words per minute. Being reminded about good posture

has helped eliminate the sore neck and aching back. I would recommend

The Typing Coach Online Typing Course for older children and adults.

Be sure to follow The Typing Coach on Social Media   Twitter And to read what other reviewers wrote click the box below