Super Teacher Worksheets ~ A Homeschool Crew Review

Super Teacher Worksheets' supplemental printables added a nice variety of activities to our school day and enabled me to shake things up a bit for boys who are bored of the same old thing.  The Individual Membership, which is valid for one year of access to the entire website, allows family use of thousands of worksheets, with new ones added weekly.  I've used several of the free worksheets available on the Super Teacher website previously.  I knew I would be able to find things to enhance learning for all three punks.  There is just a little bit of everything to try on this site!

The section headings include

• Math
• Reading & Writing
• Phonics & Early Literacy
• Handwriting
• Grammar
• Spelling Lists
• Chapter Books
• Science
• Social Studies
• Holidays
• Puzzles & Brain Teasers
• Pre-K & Kindergarten
• Teacher's Helpers
• and Worksheet Generators

Most of the available content is for Kindergarten to 5th or 6th grade.  There are some sheets for older students as well.  Many of the lessons cover a grade range rather than one specific grade (i.e., 2nd-4th or 5th-7th)

I had some fun finding ways to use the Super Teacher worksheets.

• Anything that fit in with our studies in some area.
• Reading comprehension for books we had on hand or had recently read.
• Finding activities to accompany songs from Schoolhouse Rock.
• Using pages that dovetail with current events.

I worked with Merrick on CVC words and the D word wheel.  This one was pretty easy for him and he didn't even need help cutting out these circles.

He also had some fun building sentences for Grandpa.  This activity was a little difficult for him, but once he had figured out the bulk of the words, he seemed to really enjoy building sentences.  At first, he was serious, but after a while he became quite silly.  This one was definitely an enjoyable project.

Xav was excited to answer some questions I found on the book Bunnicula, which he has read several times.  I also printed some assignments for comparing a book with its movie, and a comprehension file for The Boxcar Children.

We would watch an episode of Schoolhouse Rock, which takes only a few short minutes.   After that, the boys would work on a printable which coincides with the song.  There are grammar worksheets galore, for various ages.  Merrick was excited to complete this fun activity.  All through it, he sang, "A noun is a person, place, or thingamabob."

At the beginning of our time as Super Teacher Worksheets members, I found hurricane printables to help the punks understand exactly what was happening in Texas, then Florida and Puerto Rico.

I used the calendar generator to create something I could use for morning time.  I used to have that nearly every day with the bigger littles, but until this year, Merrick has been left out of that sort of thing.  The generator offers a few different options.  You can have small numbers in the upper right corner of each day's box.  I did that, but I remembered after making them for September and October that I need to leave the boxes blank for Merrick to fill in himself each day.  The dropdown selector allows for that.  You can choose the full word for each day, or the abbreviated name.  Weekends can be shaded or not, and you can list US or Canadian holidays, or no holidays.  I entered US holidays, but there were a few that were not important to me.  It is as simple to delete a marked holiday as it is to enter new content into the calendar.  Even though while entering the data, it looked like the top line wouldn't fit, when I printed it I had three full rows of typing available in each square,.  Unfortunately, the top and sides of the calendar are right at the edge of the print area and the tip top of the month/year were cut off.  That might just be a setting issue, but I never did get to look into it.

Though I haven't used the Worksheet Generators yet, they look great.  I will definitely be diving into those in the near future.  The set up is similar to the calendar generator.  Using dropdown menus, you answer questions to create the worksheet format, number of questions, and other things.  The three types of worksheets are word search, fill in the blanks, and multiple choice.

I found a few things I couldn't use or didn't need that may be useful to some homeschoolers, but I'm guessing only public educators would have the required equipment or specific need.  A Promethean Whiteboard isn't something you would typically find in a home.  I admit to being curious *and* a bit disappointed that I couldn't access those files myself.

I also found an elementary level gradebook which can be used in Excel (or OpenOfficeCalc).  All you need to do is enter students' names and grades.  The cells are formatted to average everything for you.  Pretty nifty, actually.  A similar PDF gradebook is available in the Teaching Tools section for those who would rather just track grades.

I have a virtual "file cabinet" on the website which I *really* like.  If I find something I think I can use down the road while I'm looking for this week's worksheets, I simply put it in my file cabinet for later.  I can also save any worksheets that I generate in the file cabinet.  Each worksheet shows a blue bar under the description.  That bar has an icon to see the common core connections, a preview of the file, and your file cabinet.  Just one click files it away.

There is so very much available for a low yearly fee, especially if you have elementary children.  I was pleasantly surprised (and maybe a bit overwhelmed at first) with the *many* options on Super Teacher Worksheets.  I do wish that I could easily search for a specific grade, though.  Be sure to take a look at the assignments the rest of The Crew handed out to their children, by clicking the banner below.

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Heirloom Audio Captain Bayley's Heir ~ A Homeschool Crew Review

Heirloom Audio Productions has done it again!  I love to say that.  Their audio dramas are spectacular and we {bigfatpuffyheart} listening to them all.  Again and again.  This time, a young, British gentleman travels to America and experiences the gold rush and the old west.  In Captain Bayley's Heir, Frank is accused of a theft at school.  He is about to be publicly expelled and humiliated.  Unless he confesses.  Well, you know how kids are.  Be falsely accused of a crime and decide to go to America to clear your name!

This installment of The Extraordinary Adventures of G.A.Henty actually has a bit of a slow seeming start, as it isn't until track 8 when Frank finally heads to America.  When I say "slow start" I don't mean the beginning is boring, only that it seems somewhat unrelated to the whole traveling to America thing.  Only it wasn't unrelated.  We have to meet all those important characters in Frank's life and understand their relationships with him and the kind of young man he is.  And though the story is about Frank's coming of age in America, we never leave behind his British family and friends as they struggle to understand *why* Frank ran away and just *where* might he be. 

There seemed to be a lot of foreshadowing in this installment.  Maybe there always is and I just never noticed it before.  I kept thinking, "Ah-ha!  I knew it!"  It made me feel very smart.  Although, I didn't tell the boys certain things, sometimes when we'd pause the CD I'd mention something and ask them why they thought it was included in the story and what they thought it could mean in the future.  It was kind of fun to see them thinking through all those hints.

Of course, in a series of amazing coincidences, we do find out just *who* is Captain Bayley's heir.  This is where there was a bit of that foreshadowing, because you know all these seemingly unrelated incidents have to tie into the story in some way.  Once you figure it out, you just keep waiting for the players to finally piece it all together.

All through the audio, Frank would interact with new people and my "stranger danger" alarms would be triggered.  Someone had to be the antagonist, right?  Thankfully, most of the people he happened across were good people, even some godly people, and were helpful in ways that it seemed they were put together by providence.  At one point, Frank receives $200 for something helpful he did.  The boys were shocked to know that was nearly a year's pay for the employment he had at that time.  Aside from Frank, my favorite characters (and were they ever characters!), were the trio of Abe, Rube, and Dickens.  Abe becomes a wonderful good friend to Frank after he and his friends take him under their wings.  They teach him all he needs to know about survival in the west, and surviving the trip to get them there!  Their colloquialisms had us rolling!

Mal was very disappointed that they were in the old west, but there were no trains.  The timing for that was just a wee bit off, but he quickly decided he could enjoy the amazing adventure even without a steam locomotive!

There was relatively little death in Captain Bayley's Heir (mostly characters we don't actually know), which was a nice change after In the Reign of Terror!  But near the end, someone important is said to be dead and the punks and I were all wracked with grief.  I may have felt a flash of anger at Henty at that moment.

I promise it all turns out alright in the end!

Brian Blessed, as GA Henty, has become the voice of Heirloom Audio Productions for me.  Every time I read one of their Facebook posts, I "hear" it in that voice.  The cast, as always, is phenomenal.  There are always a few regulars in these Heirloom audio theater productions.  Some of the voices, I recognize in each drama.  Some actors portray more than one character and they are so incredibly talented, that I never confuse their characters by voice.

This particular Christian audio focuses very much on God's grace and forgiveness and we are treated to listening a bit to Amazing Grace a couple of times.  It is hands down one of my favorite hymns.  I always prefer it with bagpipes, but any singable version will do.  Now that I've heard it on a solo violin, though, bagpipes might have some serious competition.

The bonus content for Captain Bayey's Heir includes

• A study guide
• Captain Bayley's Heir e-book
• A printable cast poster
• The official soundtrack
• The quote poster, which this time features a line from the hymn "Amazing Grace."
• Desktop wallpaper download
• Access to the actual script on Live the Adventure Club.

The bonus material is part of the new Live the Adventure Club that Heirloom Audio Productions now offers.  While there is a fee to join this community, it includes three physical CDs each year, shipped to your home, as they are released.  The club is much more than that, though.  My Library at the Live the Adventure Club includes access to all the extras for each CD that I own, either through reviews or personal purchases.  I am also able to purchase access to the remaining two audio dramas at a discount right through that library, if I decide to do that.  I also have the ability to listen to the Old Time Radio Vault which houses hundreds of historical radio broadcasts.

A Constitution course, a recipe for Hangtown Fry that miners ate (they had me until oysters!), Kids' activities (coloring pages, crosswords, and more, all related to the audio dramas), inspiring stories and devotionals, and an active forum all round out the Live the Adventure Club content.

I highly recommend using the study guide as your children are able.  There is so much more to them than just the Listening Well comprehension segment for each track.  Some of the things we accomplished because of the study guide

• John Newton and Amazing Grace (Newton was a slave trader for decades, who many years after becoming a Christian, was greatly grieved by his prior career.)
• Important names from the Gold Rush era (These included John Sutter and Wells & Fargo.)
• How the men lived on the gold fields (Miners staked claims and lived in tents or shanties
• The Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882 (Interestingly enough, it became federal law under Vermont's own Chester A Arthur.  Something we can all be proud of.  *eyeroll*)

Firstly, the study guide has a credits page, a bit about GA Henty for those who are unfamiliar, then the main study guide begins.  Generally, we listen through the entire recording over several sittings.  This usually happens in the car because the punks focus so much better than they do at home where there are so many distractions.  The next time we listen, we employ much of the study guide.  Each of the 20 tracks on Captain Bayley's Heir has a page or two spread.

The first section is Listening Well, which is the comprehension segment.  While older kids might have no trouble pausing the CD after each track and answering the questions, we still have a bit of trouble with this.  I often give the boys an idea of the topics they should be listening for before we listen to the track, then we pause it and answer the queries.  The Listening Well segment, is fact based and is mostly not up to interpretation.

Next is Thinking Further.  Here, some more abstract questions might be asked that require a deeper kind of thinking and making inferences.  The Vocabulary includes words like "incorrigible," "oblige," and "affirmation."  Normally, I have the punks put at least a couple words in their ongoing, personal dictionaries after looking them up.  This time I was much too slacky for vocabulary.  Nobody wants summer to end.  The randomly placed boxes for Expand Your Learning have some great topics to research or discuss: such as manifest destiny, money in Victorian England, and mining camps  There's also a great book list to learn more about Victorian England and the American West.

Usually, there is a recipe in the study guide, but there was none in Captain Bayley's Heir.  It's just as well, I guess.  None of the punks would eat beans and I have not found a cornbread recipe I really have liked, though I have eaten good cornbread.  I'm not sure campfire food would be a hit here!  *smile*

You can even read along with the script and complete the Listening Well section online as a graded quiz.

God's Grace was a major theme throughout Captain Bayley's Heir.  The first Bible study in this study guide focused narrowly on the topic of grace.  The second study was about becoming a Christian and the third directs children to honor their parents.  An abundance of verses is at the heart of each study, making it very sound.

The one thing about the study guide I do not like, and I say this every time, is that the pages are not black on white.  You will use a considerable amount of ink if you want to print it, because the pages are a dusty, kind of brownish color this time.  I prefer to have paper in hand, not try to juggle the computer while pausing and starting the CDs.  I might could try to think up a better way to handle it, but the CD player is in a different area from our school stuff.


The two compact disc set runs for about 2 hours and 40 minutes total.  The actors, sound effects, and musical score complement each other so perfectly.  Captain Bayley's Heir and the other Heirloom Audio Productions audio dramas are a super fun way to get in some history.  Malachi recently told a friend that history is his favorite subject.  I'm pretty sure that is, at least in part, due to Heirloom Audio Productions and the immersive style of audio dramas.

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Let's Go Geography ~ A Homeschool Crew Review

I've always admired kids who participate in "bees" for spelling, Bible, or geography.  In grade school, I was a decent speller, but I was not a spelling bee level speller.  And Bible or geography?  Not a chance!  Our world is getting smaller and smaller all the time and geographic literacy is more important than ever.  Unfortunately, most young Americans have very little knowledge of the world outside of their very small local area.  Many do not even know the United States well.

That's why a homeschool geography curriculum like Let’s Go Geography is such a valuable tool. 

I received a subscription to Year One of Let's Go Geography, created by Carol E. Henderson.  It is all online, but it is easy to download the PDFs to save on your computer for use wherever and when ever you like.  If you're worried about the space, you can just access the weekly curriculum right from the website by logging in and selecting Account from the navigation bar.  From there, you can manage your log in information, payments, and subscriptions.  A click on subscriptions takes you to a list of products available for use.  In my case, that is the geography passport and the year one membership.  The curriculum can be used by one teacher for an entire family or co-op classes.



This is year one of a planned three year curriculum for grades K-4th.  Each year will cover two US regions and 26 foreign countries, visiting each continent.  Obviously, there are more countries than that, but this curriculum will provide an excellent overview of the entire world.  This year, at least, the bigger punks are joining Merrick and me.  They haven't complained once in five weeks!  It's a great jumping off point for the older two (grades 5 and 6).

Year one can also be purchased in a two semester option.  This would work great for a semester of a co-op or year of a co-op that meets every other week.  You could even use this option to study geography in the summers.

With about an hour each week, the lessons consist of the following sections:

• Are You Ready? ~ This is a sort of cover page with the capital, largest city, language spoken, population, and area in miles.  The next page lists all the things you may need to complete the assignments (books to read, a craft, and a travel journal).  One nice thing is that the author lists the Dewey Decimal call number for books that would be appropriate for the country or region you are studying.  There are definitely books available in other sections, but these will get you off to a very good start. 

• Map It! ~ There is a link to a map (or maps) to print, instructions for coloring and labeling, and especially learning to read ("Explore") the map.  The punks did things like label oceans, identify neighboring countries, and marking capitals.
• The Flag ~ Several flags are on a page to print.  You will be directed to color (although the flags are actually outlined in color), cut out, and attach the flags either to the included continent's flag page or to the available "passport."
• The Music ~ This lists the lyrics of the national anthem and has a link to listen to it on youtube.
• Let's Explore ~ Trivia!  A few facts about the country or region, photos, and links to videos to "tour" the area.  Some links are especially for kids a bit older.  You'll find those on these pages, along with a reminder to check the printables section for notebooking pages.
• Create ~ Here's the craft!  Some kids, especially those in early elementary, live for this section (actually, Xav loved this part, too!).  There is also a coloring page of the area (also in the printables section).
• and Printables ~ Yippee!  The part mom likes.  *grin*  The notebooking pages, the coloring pages, and the extra flags.

The 36 weeks of lessons include four break weeks: weeks 9, 18, 27, and 36 (which actually doesn't count because the program finishes up on week 35, but if you schedule your school out into 36 weeks, you might need to know that).  There are three regional review weeks for North and South America (week 12), Europe and Africa (week 24), and Asia and Oceania (week 34).  Week 35 is a
Final Review week which includes games and the end of year project, which is a "memory suitcase."

We were going to take a look at week 12's review lesson this week, even though we're actually only on week six, but I have some miserable sickies right now and so I'll just tell you about it from looking at the lesson.  The sections are the same as the regular lesson, minus the music.  First, the map is for North and South America together.  A list of the countries that have been taught to that point are on the next page and students are advised to color and/or label each country as best they can from memory.

Better than that, though, they are now learning about maps.  This review section has activities about the compass rose, cardinal directions, and latitude and longitude.  There is a flag matching activity for each of the eight countries, some more trivia, and a match the country to a picture.  The answers are included for all the questions.  The printables section contains a coloring sheet of animals and a notebooking page for each *continent*.

I really appreciate the weekly email reminder which arrives in my inbox to tell me HEY!  Go download your pages, print the maps, and gather your supplies.  It doesn't actually say that, but it's a nice reminder, so in the every day hoopla, you don't let the geography go by the wayside.

The "color the flag" sections are outlined in color.  I'd rather they were black ink only so children can compare the actual flag and figure out how to color it.  Children in this age group are generally capable of doing that and I don't have a color printer, so that would be a great option.  I'd love to see all the flags for the year on one or two pages with the black line only or color options.  This would make it so easy to print the number of copies needed for each student.  Stickers would be a great alternate option, if you have someone who wouldn't want to color more than the maps.

Merrick is so excited to be doing school more often with the bigger punks this year.  He loves having his own pages to do the same things they are doing.  He's almost offended when I print him a coloring page and they get a notebooking page! 

Let's Go Geography has been a really fun way to study our world.  I'm looking forward to continuing this curriculum with all three punks.

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Carole P. Roman, Author ~ A Homeschool Crew Review

It's fun when a vendor I enjoyed comes back to The Crew another time.  Carole P. Roman
 is one of those well loved authors in this house and the punks were happy to read more of her If You Were Me and Lived In... Historical series.  They received two surprise books as well and one of them has also been added to the "well loved" bookshelf.

The four paperback books we received are:

• Oh Susannah: It's in the Bag
• Can a Princess Be a Firefighter?
• If You Were Me and Lived in... Elizabethan England
• If You Were Me and Lived in... Viking Europe

Oh Susannah: It's in the Bag
7-12 years old, 34 pages, illustrated by Mateya Arkova.


Poor Susannah has an awful day.  It starts with *oatmeal* for breakfast and ends with a terrible nightmare about a giant, stinky backpack.  When Susannah's parents comfort her and give her practical help getting through all that *stuff,* she finds out that taking care of the small things when they are small saves us from a stressful mess later.

The punks really enjoyed this story.  I read it aloud, even though it's a very short book (a nice change of pace for a read aloud).  I felt so bad for Susannah, as I read about her day, especially her interactions with her parents.  I self-consciously worried that the boys were comparing our sometimes busy days to Susannah's.  Just when I was feeling terribly guilty, one of the punks mentioned how lucky he was that our family isn't like that.  *whews*

Don't worry.  They work it all out in the end.  And there is a sequel.  Xav was very disappointed that the book ended in somewhat of a cliffhanger.  "That," she explained to her mother with a sleepy yawn, "is another story."   I guess I'll be getting part two, Oh Susannah: Things That Go Bump, soon.

Winner of:

NABE Pinnacle Award 2017 - Best Book in the category of Children's Chapter Book

2017 Reader's Favorite  Children's 4th-6th Grade  Bronze

Can a Princess Be a Firefighter?
5-8 years old, 36 pages, illustrated by Mateya Arkova.


I didn't expect much interest in this very girly tale, what with a houseful of punks.  Mal picked it up, after I placed it strategically on top of a book pile.  He glanced through it.  Xav asked where it came from.  Then they said, "Please finish reading It's in the Bag."
Winner of:

Back to Homeschool Resource Award winner
2017 Independent Press Award Distinguished Favorites - Children's Inspirational
2017 International Book Awards Finalist - Children's Picture Book: Hardcover Fiction
2017  Gold Medal Reader's Favorite Children Concept

Now, a few things about the If You Were Me and Lived in... series.  The illustrations are by various artists throughout the series.  We really get a lot out of the books.  The books answer pretty much every question you might have about each time period: how families lived, what people wore, what they ate, and how they made a living.  Each book has a sort of main character, who is a young boy or girl.  Unfamiliar words are shown somewhat phonetically.  "Your name might have been Knut (Kah-noot) or Ulf (Ul-uff) if you were a boy, and Sigrid (Seeg-freed) or Hilde (Hill-da) if you were a girl."  The book after that is specifically about this boy or girl and their family.

This series is suggested for ages 8-15.  I don't think that children much over 12 will really get a lot out of them, if the time or place is at all familiar to them.  The writing is large and covers, at most, 1/2 of a two page spread.  These are *great* books for the younger end of the range, though, and are packed with a ton of topics.

If You Were Me and Lived in... Elizabethan England
8-15 years old, 50 pages, illustrated by Paula Tabor.


I was really excited to receive this edition of the If You Were Me... series.  We attend a renaissance faire every summer and I share a birthday with Good Queen Bess.  Not the same year, obviously!  Suffice it to say, this specific book was high on my list last year as well as this year.

In this installment of the If You Were Me and Lived In... series, we meet the child of a busy baker.  You learn how she lives in the city, how her grandmama lives in the country, and how the wealthy sometimes built their houses into an E shape in the queen's honor.  She attend a St. Bartholomew's Fair (which really reminds me of the Sterling festival), you learn about the currency of Elizabethan England, and there's a certain scandal about her brother!  Shakespeare's Globe Theater gets a brief mention as does the changeability of religious denomination, depending on the current ruler of England's beliefs.

At the end of the book there is a brief biography of eight important people of the time, including Francis Bacon, Sir Francis Drake, and Sir Walter Raleigh.  It finishes with a glossary with over six pages of important people, events, places, and items of import mentioned in the book and pertaining to the Elizabethan Era of 1588-1603.

Winner of:
Back to Homeschool Resource Award winner
2016 Homeschool Review Crew Blue Ribbon Awards - Favorite History Supplement
Shelf Unbound 2016 Contest winner for Best Series
2016 Foreword INDIES Finalist

If You Were Me and Lived in... Viking Europe  
8-15 years old, 76 pages, illustrated by Mateya Arkova


You've heard of vikings having a surname after their father (Ericson - son of Eric), apparently, daughters were also similarly named (Ericdottir - daughter of Eric).  I had no idea.  In this book, Carole talks about the travels of Vikings, to start new settlements, to trade with other civilizations, and to conquer new areas.  There are three classes in Viking Europe, you'd really not want to be a thrall.  The boy in this book can't wait to be old enough to go on an adventure on the seas upon his father's ship.

The foods were *very* different from anything I am used to eating, especially the meats.  Men and boys hunted and fished, and girls gathered and grew some food.  Then the women would put up the food for the very long winter.  Looms and spinning wheels were an important part of every household.  Older boys were fostered out to other families to create bonds with allies.  Girls married in their teens, and though they had no say in the matter, it seems they could divorce their husbands if he was abusive.  Six of the Norse gods are mentioned, and a grandmother who makes potions and casts spells.  It's all very matter of fact and limited to a few sentences, so didn't bother me, but I did want to give a heads up about it.

The book finishes up with a bit about eight important Viking men and women, followed by the nearly seven page glossary.


Winner of:
2016 Homeschool Review Crew Blue Ribbon Awards - Favorite History Supplement
Back to Homeschool Resource Award winner
Shelf Unbound 2016 Contest winner for Best Series
NABE Fall 2016 Pinnacle Book Achievement Best Books in the Category of Writing Winner
2016 Foreword INDIES Finalist
2017 Reader's Favorite Silver Medal Nonfiction Historical

I previously reviewed If You Were Me and Lived in Ancient Greece and three other If You Were Me... books.


A nice bonus for these books is included on Carole's blog.  Some of the books in this series have a set of questions for discussion and even writing prompts for deeper thinking.  I found these very helpful on the second read through of the books.  I don't consider them worksheets, per se, but you could use them in that way, if you wanted to.  I LOVE this book series.  I think it is a fun way to pack a lot of information into a small package and could be used for a jumping off point for many, many rabbit trails for curious learners.

Carole P. Roman has authored more than 35 children's books and series.  Carole's books have, collectively, won over 100 awards.  She started writing on a dare and began the Captain No Beard series, in which the captain and his crew learn to navigate relationship issues like patience and bullying. 

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The rest of the Crew read some of Carole's other books.  You can check them out through the banner below.

Heirloom Audio's In the Reign of Terror ~ A Homeschool Crew Review

We love the Heirloom Audio Productions audio theater here. I have all but two. For now. This time, we were whisked away to France during the French Revolution. In the Reign of Terror actually begins in America, with Mr. George in Arlington Cemetary. As usual, our boisterous story teller has found a willing listener to one of his many amazing tales. Young American Harry is about to be treated to the telling of young British Harry and his time abroad. We head to France along with Harry as he is sent to spend some time with a Marquee and his family.

Harry knows there is a troubling time ahead, as Paris is in turmoil, but his father is confidant that things will soon settle down. Through several harrowing minor adventures, Harry earns a place in the hearts of the Marquee's family members. But the real adventure hasn't even yet begun.

As I researched this G.A. Henty title, I was a little concerned about the amount of death that would be taking place in this story. My middle little punk is so tenderhearted and the French Revolution was a very dark time. The death is terrible and even some major characters lose their lives, but through it all, they are more likely a second hand mention, and we are not privy to the actual acts. That isn't to say there are no disturbing passages. No one skirts around the horrible ways many of the deaths happen, it just isn't highlighted. It is just mentioned in as sensitive a manner as possible. We've listened to In the Reign of Terror several times in the past few weeks. I've had to answer some questions with sad answers. Unfortunately, 1790s France isn't the only time in history with sad answers.

One thing I really liked was the juxtaposition of the French Revolution and America's Revolution (or War of Independence). Henty repeatedly contrasts the two events. While they took place closely together in time, the differences were startling. God was generally foremost in the hearts and thoughts of the colonists, while Europe was experiencing the Age of Enlightenment, in which man did not need a god to attain perfection. While researching more about the Enlightenment period, I saw the two revolutions lumped together, rather than different. I liked hearing and reading Henty's opinions on the relationships and differences. One thing I think was most important is that *in general* the American war was fought as soldiers against soldiers, while the French war was largely a people (the common people) pitted against a people (the wealthy nobility and the clergy). Age, guilty involvement, treatment of the poor in general were not taken into consideration.

Admittedly, most of my knowledge of the French Revolution and Reign of Terror actually comes from viewing The Scarlet Pimpernel (1982). Let's just say, funny as it is, it may have left some gaps in my knowledge. While I still don't know everything about this period, Henty and Heirloom Audio Productions has helped me round out that knowledge.

As always, the actors are stellar, the screen play is phoenomenal, and the sound track and audio effects stir something in our very hearts. Brian Blessed, as G.A. Henty (Mr. George) is so memorable and imposing. I confess, his story telling is one of my favorite parts of every one of Heirloom Audio's productions. When I read Heirloom Audio's Facebook updates, I read them in his booming voice. They might (or might not) have a tiny little 20 year old woman on their social media, but she sure sounds like Brian Blessed to me!

Some things about Heirloom Audio Productions have changed since I last wrote a review for them. The helpful study guide is no longer included as a download bonus when you purchase the CDs or MP3s. Those are now part of the Live the Adventure Club. The club is a subscription to the online service and the bonuses are included in that. With club membership, you receive several bonuses which include the study guide, lots of unique resources, a forum, and soundtracks and ebooks for the Heirloom Audio adventures you own. Club membership also includes THREE physical CDs sent out yearly. YIPPEE! More for listening on those long car rides.

Anyway, about that study guide. My one problem with the guide is that the beautiful pages are not printer friendly. I will say this every time I review it until there is a black ink on white paper only option. The guide is broken down into questions for each track of the audio. Each set of questions is divided into three types: Listening Well – a sort of comprehension section, Thinking Farther – which requires the student to consider motives of the characters and use other critical thinking skills, and The Defining Words – or vocabulary.  I really like the Thinking Further section, though it's the hardest part for my punks.  It asks questions like "The Bible forbids rulers and judges from taking bribes (cites verses)...  Do you think it is wrong to bribe an official in order to get real justice?  Explain your answer."

One thing we like about the study guides, which really make a nice unit, is that there is generally a recipe in them. The study guide for In the Reign of Terror has a brioche recipe. I want to make it! But it's summer. I will probably have to take the toaster oven out on the porch so I can bake some bread soon. Otherwise, it's going to have to wait a month or two.

The guide also includes short biographies of G.A. Henty, Robespierre, and Marie Antoinette, and further information about the Age of Enlightenment and the French Revolution. Expand Your Learning segments and photographs are inset on several pages throughout it. Further study suggestions are listed, including the book the script writers were asked to read. Bible studies follow, with the topics “When God Means Evil for Good,” “Resisting Tyranny,” and “True Manliness.”

Heirloom Audio Productions' CDs are well loved in our homeschool.  Check out the Live the Adventure Club and receive Captain Bayley's Heir.  Get to know some of the Heirloom Audio folks and chat with other parents.  You'll find unique resources and plenty of fun activities for your punks, too.




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Animal Adventure Park ~ Field Trip Friday {AKA Z is for Zoo}

This week, Dad surprised us all with a little three day trip.  One of our stops was Animal Adventure Park in Harpursville, NY.  Yep.  Home of the infamous giraffe, April, who gave birth live online this spring.  All Malachi wanted to do was get a drink, see April, and go.  He was a bit disappointed that we saved April for nearly the very last stop.  That was intentional on my part.  If we saw April first, I'd have to hear, "Can we go now?' the whole time.  As it was, once he was able to get a drink, I only intermittently was reminded we needed to hurry over to the giraffe barn.  Only slightly less annoying, but less annoying all the same.

So, we avoided the giraffe barn by heading right once we went through the gate.  There we checked out the many other exotic and not as exotic animals.  Most of them had signage on the fences telling all about each critter and it's conservation status.  Quite a few of these first animals were members of the bovine and a couple of the equine families, goats, sheep, deer, and some kind of short cattle I didn't see a sign for.  One of my favorite enclosures housed the tortoises.  If you watched many of the April videos this spring, you may have seen the tortoises overwintering in the loft in her barn.  Some were quite large and we loved watching them nosh on lettuce leaves.

We watched Alyssa (April's keeper) and a friend go fishin' for a gator.  There were two in the tub and the water was fairly clear, but the second the keepers entered the pen, under the water they went, stirring up the murk.  (I was afraid this young man might be trying to lose some fingers.)

Jordan records a Tuesday/Thursday educational video and we watched live as the American Alligator segment was filmed.  Standing in the tortoise enclosure is apparently dangerous, as Jordan was nearly tripped by a pair of the shelled critters fighting over some romaine.  Don't worry, Alyssa separated them off camera so the littler guy got to keep his treat.

We were able to see lots of little monkeys, lemurs, a honey badger, wolves, bears, hyenas, and a ton of other critters.  The boys asked lots of questions.  Xav decided if he was a bear, he would spend all day in their "pool."  It was pretty warm Thursday.  Pretty birds were everywhere, on the grounds and in enclosures. 

We did, indeed, eventually get around to the giraffe barn.  Oliver's door was closed and as we came around to the side of the barn, we saw that outer door was open and April and "little" Tajiri were also coming in.  We all popped in there and fed April and Oliver some of the carrot sticks we had purchased onsite for them.  Every time I saw Merrick, a different woman was handing him a carrot stick and lifting him up so he could feed one of the giraffes.  He and I even received one of April's famous "hay showers."

The following morning, we got the sad news that Maxx the Camel had died in his sleep that night.  I am so terribly sad for the AAP family.  I'm not even telling the boys.  They fed Maxx some nibbles while we were there and Xav and I had a photo with him. (While I sang Alice the Camel Had One Hump and Dad looked at me like it was an odd thing to do.)

I wish they had sold postcards and souvenir spoons (I'm up to 33 or so right now).  I think a giraffe spoon where the handle was a neck would have been perfect.  (Patent pending?  LOL)  Maybe they did, but the shop was pretty chaotic and I didn't see either item there.  I think they're experiencing some growing pains, but they're doing a great job and I was very happy to get to see our famous giraffe friend.

They have a couple of small buildings set up to accommodate nursing moms, diaper changes, and kiddos with sensory issues, which was very thoughtful.

Homeschool Discount - Only during the traditional school year or as a group of 20 or more.
Educational - Absotootly. - Zoology, geography, ecology.
Family Oriented - Yes.
Duration of Visit - About two hours.  (I could have stayed longer, but it was hot and Malachi was *done*.)

Home School Adventure Co. ~ A Homeschool Crew Review

I'm pretty familiar with Home School Adventure Co. and have won, purchased, and reviewed several of author Stacy Farrell's products.  I was very intrigued to see what her new unit study would entail.  I received a PDF of Walking with the Waodani.  It is, conveniently, one single download file.  As with most of the other merchandise offered, it will be available as a download or a physical book.

Walking with the Waodani: Adventures in Ecuador begins with an introduction to two very interesting men, 70 year old Gary and 18 year old homeschool graduate Russell Winter.  Gary has invited Russell to travel Ecuador with him, including a trip to Shell Mera where I-TEC is located.  I-TEC is a ministry founded by Steve Saint, son of Nate Saint one of the five missionaries killed by a Waodani raiding party in 1956.

This brand new unit study contains gorgeous photography and consists of five lessons.

1. Introduction
2. Shell Mera Then
3. Shell Mera Now
4. Ecuador
5. Quito 

Complete a unit either weekly or monthly.  There are plenty of things to do to round out a fairly full unit.  An included recommended resources list of links, books, and videos contains so many options, it would be difficult to make use of all of them as a weekly study.  I really debated about showing the films End of the Spear and Beyond the Gates of Splendor to the boys.  Yes, they've seen some violence in videos before, though not anything graphic.  And while nudity and partial nudity are a part of life in this situation, I just wasn't able to bring myself to show these movies at this time.  The Torchlighter film about Jim Elliot and the four other missionaries killed by the Waodani tribe in 1956 was plenty accurate enough for me.

The last four segments consist of a lesson and a "travel journal."

The lesson components are

• an Introduction.
• People & Places.
• Meals & Markets.
• Animal & Agriculture.
• and Worlds & Worldview.

There is a significant amount of reading to do (about eight pages), so we broke that down over several days.  The boys have difficulty listening to long segments, so that worked well for us.

The components of the travel journal are

• Travel Journal Notebooking Pages.  Q&A about the reading, 
• Mark Your Map.  Mapping a specific location and recording data related to the lesson.
• Rate the Recipe.  Critique a "recipe" from the lesson.  Piranha?  Grubs?  Anyone?
• Draw an Animal.  Draw an animal and tell what you think is interesting about it.
• Creativity Unleashed.  A freewriting assignment with an exciting prompt.

In the travel journal section, there is also quite a bit of writing for my boys. They loved the drawing and mapping segments.  They even wrote answers for the Q&A.  However, we completed much of the other assignments through conversation and oral story telling.

At the end you'll find a vocabulary section.  The Wonderful World of Words lists words alphabetically by unit with reference to the section and page where you can read the words in context.  There is space to write the definitions directly into the unit study page, or you can do what we do with new vocabulary.  Mal and Xav each have an ongoing dictionary where they can record all of the new words from various unit and literature studies.

Some things we did included imagining eating bugs and learning about animals!

These are Mal's recipe reviews.  The piranha is wearing a magician hat and carrying a wand.  "Watch my friends and I make this cow disappear!"

Xav drew the two toed sloth, greeting you very slowly.  His piranha picture (not shown) has grill marks X'ed across it.

Stacy has written an introductory post about first meeting Russell.


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Other members of the Crew were able to review various Homeschool Adventure Co. products, including Creative Freewriting Adventure, I'd Rather Be Your Mommy, Celebrating Manhood: a rite of passage guide, and more reviews for Walking With the Waodani.  Click the banner below to see those reviews.