One Minute's Silence by David Metzenthen

In a weeks time it will be Rememberance Day or sometimes locally known as Poppy Day in Australia and New Zealand.  Rememberance Day is observed on 11 November at 11 am through a minute of silence. This tradition was inaugurated by King George V in 1919.

Remembrance Day is observed to recall the end of First World War hostilities. Hostilities formally ended "at the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month", in accordance with the armistice signed by representatives of Germany and the Entente between 5:12 and 5:20 that morning. ("At the 11th hour" refers to the passing of the 11th hour, or 11:00 am.)

 

The First World War officially ended with the signing of the Treaty of Versailles on 28 June 1919.Remembrance Day evolved out of Armistice Day.  The initial Armistice Day was observed at Buckingham Palace, commencing with King George V hosting a "Banquet in Honour of the President of the French Republic" during the evening hours of 10 November 1919. The first official Armistice Day was subsequently held on the grounds of Buckingham Palace the following morning. Member states of the Commonwealth of Nations adopted Remembrance Day, while the US chose Veterans Day

 

 

One Minute's Silence

• Format Hardback | 48 pages
• Dimensions 228 x 282 x 10mm | 499.99g
• Publication date 01 Nov 2014
• Publisher MURDOCH BOOKS
• Publication City/Country Millers Point, Australia
• Language English
• ISBN10 1743316240
• ISBN13 9781743316245 

From Book Depository - "In one minute of silence you can imagine sprinting up the beach in Gallipoli in 1915 with the fierce fighting Diggers, but can you imagine standing beside the brave battling Turks as they defended their homeland from the cliffs above.

In the silence that follows a war long gone, you can see what the soldiers saw, you can feel what the soldiers felt. And if you try, you might be able to imagine the enemy, and see that he is not so different from you.

In One Minute's Silence, you are the story, and the story is yours - to imagine, remember and honour the brothers in arms on both sides of the conflict, heroes who shed their blood and lost their lives.

A moving and powerful reflection on the meaning of Remembrance Day." 

Awards

• WINNER: 2015 Prime Minister's Literary Award, 
• Children's Fiction WINNER: CBCA Book of the Year, 
• Crichton Award for New Illustrators, 
• 2015 HONOUR BOOK: CBCA Picture Book of the Year, 2015

My Thoughts - This is one of those books that speak to the heart.  That will bring your children to grasp and appreciate the gravity of a minutes silence and what it honours. 

What books do you recommend for Rememberance Day?

Number the Stars by Lois Lowry

Currently in our homeschooling we are covering the second World War from many different perspectives thanks to Sonlight Curriculum World History Year 2. 

Number the Stars

• Format Paperback | 137 pages 
• Dimensions 127 x 193.04 x 12.7mm | 113.4g 
• Publisher Cengage Learning, Inc 
• Language English Edition 
• ISBN10 0547577095 
• ISBN13 9780547577098  

From Book Depository -  "Ten-year-old Danish girl's bravery is tested when her best friend is threatened by Nazis in 1943. As the German troops begin their campaign to "relocate" all the Jews of Denmark, Annemarie Johansen's family takes in Annemarie's best friend, Ellen Rosen, and conceals her as part of the family.Through the eyes of ten-year-old Annemarie, we watch as the Danish Resistance smuggles almost the entire Jewish population of Denmark, nearly seven thousand people, across the sea to Sweden. The heroism of an entire nation reminds us that there was pride and human decency in the world even during a time of terror and war."

Buy the book - Book Depository (paperback, hardback or CD) and Sonlight 

My Thoughts - I enjoyed reading this to Nathaniel.  I was deeply touched by life in war torn Europe and life in Copenhagen, Denmark.  Food shortages, Nazi soldiers on every corner, the love of the people for their king and the courage of the Danish people and how they saved nearly 90% of the Jews.

About the Author -  LOIS LOWRY is the author of the popular Anastasia Krupnik books and was the recipient of the Newbery Medal for Number the Stars and for The Giver.

What is your favourite book for this historical time period?

Drive Thru History® Adventures {Review}

I'm so excited to share our latset review product with you. We have been driving through history with Dave Stotts from Drive Thru History, who recently launched Drive Thru History® Adventures .

For the last 15 years, I’ve traveled the world to share the unvarnished truth of history, on location, in the context of adventure. I’ve started calling it “Adventure Learning” – history education that’s Christ-centered, fact-filled, and super fun. - Dave Stotts

What we received

• A subscription to Drive Thru History® Adventures
• Watch a YouTube clip where Dave instroduces Drive Thru History® Adventures.

 
How we used it
Once you log intoyour account you will find an easy to use and comprehensive website. Along the top navigation you will find links to:

• Dashboard - 
• Latest Resources that have been uploaded
• Dave's Adventures - Dave explains how to use the curriculum and the site as well as his weekly updates.
• Side Roads - These are short detour history tidbit video's for example: The History of Cheese, King Herod's Building Projects, Roman Coins Related to the Gospels, Coins of Herod the Great, History of Groundhog Day, Parables in the Ancient World and the Gospels, The History of Saint Valentine's Day, to name a few.
• Featured Videos- five video's currently loaded. 
• Facebook - news feed.
• Curriculum - This page is divded into three areas
• Bible History Course - The Gospels: The Extraordinary Life of Jesus of Nazareth. Dave takes a tour through the gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John and travels to more than fifty ancient sites in Israel.
• American History Course - Dave explores early American history and the events that shaped the founding of the United States of America.
• Ancient History Course - This is the course we are currently using.  Dave takes us on a journey to explore ancient history that shaped the ancient world and the impact those civilizations had on our Christian faith and how these two ideals melded together to give us the rise of Western Civilization.

• Resources
• Featured - A list of resources which have been written by different contributors.  For example: A Clash of Kingdoms: Jesus Christ vs Herod Antipas, Herod Antipas at the time of Jesus, Dave's Adventures weekly Update, Evidence for the Mounth of Transfiguration, etc.
• Expert Papers
• Articles
• Side Roads
• Getting Started
• Behind the Scenes
• Worksheets
• Answer Guides
• Suggested Readings
• Dig Deeper
• Community - Here you will find Drive Thru History on Social Media
  
• Facebook Page
• Facebook Members Only Group
• YouTube
• Instagram
• Account - Details of your account - name, payments, password and a spot to ask questions.
• Adventures TV
• Chromecast
• iPhone iOS7.0+
• iPad iOS7.0+ iPad 3 and up
• Android 4.2+
• On Your PC 

There are currently three diferent history streams. We chose to work our way through Ancient History Adventures. There are twelve episodes in this adventure

1. The Rise of Western Civilization -  "I found Rome a city of bricks and left it a city of Marble." - Augustus
2. The Age of conflict -  "Hope is the pillar that holds up the world. Hope is the dream of a waking man." - Pliny the Elder
3. A Time of Challenges -  "Rome has grown since its humble beginnings that it is now overwhelmed by its own greatness - Titus Livius.
4. Roots of Democracy
5. Challenges of a New Religion
6. The Spread of Christianity
7. East Meets West
8. Ruins and Romans
9. The Advancement of Knowledge
10. Heart of Stone
11. Constantine and Constantinople
12. The Best of the Ancient World.

Within the tour we are covering Greece, Rome and Asia Minor.  The process each week is simple.  You start with watching the weeks video.  These average at around 45 minutes each. We split the watching some weeks as the content was so full of history we needed some time to absorbe what we had learned.

Upon completing the video you then have the option of using the expanded curriculum options.  These are readings from primary source documents by authors such as:  Virgil, Homer, Plato, Cicero, Pliney the younger and the Bible. Each week the readings are supplied and you have the option of using the online reader, downloading it and printing it or reading in a pdf.

Dave's goal is to take us on a journey through locations from Ancient History  in order to gain a new perspective on the Ancient Empires and their contextual role in the rise of Christianity and Western Civilization.

The Shepherd Faustulus bringing Romulus and Remus to his Wife
nicolas Mignard 1606-1668

Each and every post has beautiful photographs of historical artifacts of interest as well as a beautiful painting referencing the learning.

The side roads are interesting too.  Little tidbits of history.  For example in week 1we read a little bit about the Roman politician and general Mark Antony who served under the leadership of Julius Caesar.

For the Parent

• The curriculum has been writen for ages 12 and up.
• High School students have the opportunity to dig deeper via original source documents, expert papers and short articles which are provided.
• Old students are provided with research essay questions via outside research.
• Younger students (ages 5 to 11) are encouraged to watch the video's and narrate answers to the basic questions.
• The curriculum covers history geography, classic art, archaeology and apologetics. 
• Drive Thru History has been optomised to be used accross multiple platforms (PC, Apple, Google Play, smart phone or tv)
• Adventures TV is included.

Cost of Drive Thru History Adventures

• You have the choice of a monthly subscription OR annual payment.
• Drive Thru History Adventures has a number of promotions running at present:

• Be sure to look through The Old Schoolhouse® Magazine (winter edition) for a special coupon code.
• Drive Thru History® Adventures  is offering a set of The Gospels DVD to those who sign up for an annual subscription (USA residents only)

Recommended Age Range

• 5 to Adult

Connect withDrive Thru History Adventures


Dave shares some fabulous adventures on his YouTube Channel be sure to take a look at:

• Drive Thru Histoy The Gospels
• Drive Thru Histoy America Series
• Drive Thru History Drive Thru History Adventures

Over All We thought ...
Drive Thru History® Adventures is FABULOUS!  Nathaniel begs me to log in and watch each day. We are both looking forward to working our way through all of Dave's video's, seeing history where it took place and enjoying Dave's humour.

Blessings
Chareen

Wulf the Saxon Audio Drama {Review}

One of my favourite things about being a memeber of the Homeschool Review Crew is receiving new to the market products.  One of my all time favourite companies is Heirloom Audio Productions. As a family we have absolutely LOVED every single audio drama they have produced. Heirloom Productions specialise in producing quality audio productions bring history alive, their mission statement is

To engage our listener’s imagination by taking them back in time and immersing them in the story.

We have been collecting their Extraordinary Adventures of G.A. Henty and their latest addition to the series is AMAZING!!!

What we received

• A downloadable copy of Wulf the Saxon. (127 MB MP3 version)
• The music score is an original and written by Emmy Award Winning Composer John Campbell.
• Listening time: 2 1/2 hours
• Recommended ages: 6 to Adult. (IF listening with younger children please be aware that some scenes are intense listening!)
• Featuring: Brian Blessed, Chris Larkin, Helen George, Jack Farthing, Sian Phillips and Patrick Godfrey. 

The Story...
Wulf the Saxon was written by master story teller G.A. Henty and published in 1895. It is the story of the Norman Conquest.

Shipwrecked on the shores of Normandy in the year 1065, a desperate struggle for the throne of England begins.

Edward the Confessor is the King of England. Wulf is a young man and landholder (known as a Thane) who has the respect of everyone he serves through his devotion, courageous attitude and his reputation of honor.  Wulf and his friend Harold (a devout Christian) are ship wrecked on the shores of Normandy along with Earl Harold whom they serve.  Together they escape and report their capture to the local Baron and events are started which see their Lord released and tricked.
From here they are involved in the Battle with the Bretons and return to England.  Upon King Edwards death they return to Normandy where the king survives an assassination attempt.   Through many historic twists and turns, political manovoures they  survive the Viking Invasion and immediately find themselves outside the battle of Hastings.

Join them as they boldly capture a castle in the Welsh wars and climax's in the Battle of Hastings.  Join them as a nation is born. The story is based upon The Bayeux Tapestry. This tapestry will be displayed in the UK for the first time in 950 years.

This is a tale of courage and loyalty full of real life heroic deeds and inspirational characters from the medieval world.


How we used it
We have an account with Heirloom Audio's Live the Adventure Club.  This club has numerous benefits (Adventure Library, Kid Activities, Games, Educational Treasures, Resources and Articles) for it's members and is a great place to keep all your adventures in one plance.

We were gifted a copy of  Wulf the Saxon. Within the library section we were able to choose to download the audio drama or listen to it online. After downloading it weextracted it from it's zip file (127 MB) and extracted.

We burned it to two CD's in the mp3 format to listen to in our old car stereo.  We LOVE listening to audio drama's when we are traveling to our multiple weekly commitments OR on long holiday journey's.  It's become a family tradtion to take along our Henty Adventures!

Other Available Audio Drama's

• Captain Bayley's Heir
• In the Reign of Terror
• The Cat of Bubastes
• Beric The Briton
• The Dragon & The Raven
• With Lee In Virginia
• In Freedom's Cause
• Under Drakes Flag

Connect with Heirloom Adventures 


Over All I thought ...
We absolutley love every single one of our Extraordinary Adventures collection.  The music and drama are a sheer delight to the listening ear. Wulf the Saxon inspires and encourages and we are looking forward to listening to it on our cross country adventures. This audio drama is well worth adding to your library, it is a treasure you and your children will enjoy many times over.

 Blessings
Chareen

Bessie's Pillow {Strong Learning, Inc. Review}

During my high school years I developed a love of reading.  I enjoyed many many different types of genre's. Years later when I started home educating I was introduced to historical non-fiction books and it was love at first book.  Nathaniel and I have been reading Bessie's Pillow published by Strong Learning.Inc during our afternoon quiet school reading sessions.  What started out as a half hour an afternoon for me soon turned into a few midnight reading sessions.

About the Book

• Title: Bessie's Pillow - A Young Immigrant's Journey (Based on a true story)
• Author: Linda Bress Silbert
• Publisher: Strong Learning. Inc
• ISBN: 978-0-89544-201-7
• Copyright: 2014 
• Pages: 290
• Available in English and Spanish.
• Purchase as a paperback or kindle.

The Story
Journey with Bessie as she escapes persecution and departs from Vilna, Lithuania in 1906 to Hamburg, Germany by train.  Bessie courageously journeys across the sea on a ship spending the time learning to speak English as this will be the everyday language she needs to survive in America.  At the port of entry her name is changed as the passport officer says her own name will not be suitable any longer.

Bessie shares her struggles, her joys and her sorrows as she builds a brand new life in America. A beautiful love story unfolds as you discover life through the eyes of one immigrant who bravely came to America from Lithuania. She was only 18. A woman alone. An orthodox Jew. In the year of 1906.

Bessie's Pillow is written in the first person.  From her perspective, you will see the world through her eyes from the year 1906 to 1936.  It's a time of great change: new technologies,  the great depression, the Great War, World War II, cars, Suffragettes and medical technology. Bessie is courageous, she is independent, a business woman, she loaned people money to buy a homes, she paid kindness forward. 

The book is divided into five sections:

1. Prologue: New Rocelle 1950
2. Part One: Leaving Home 1906 - 1908
3. Part Two: New Rochelle 1908 - 1925
4. Part Three: Going On 1925 - 1936
5. Afterword

The book is written by Bessie's granddaughter, Linda Silbert and is her first novel. All the events in the book are true. The book contains actual family photo's from Bessie's photo albums.

One word of caution:  This book contains some confronting moments and may have your children asking you some questions.  It is honest and contains scenes of things that happened to immigrants in the early part of the century.  I do advise caution for younger readers and would encourage you to read the book before handing it over to your children.

Bessie's America on page 257 contains historical information about immigration and America.  In 1906 along 215,665 Russian Jews passed through Ellis Island on their way to America. This section contains a comprehensive insight into immigration resources, museums, TransAtlantic Steamships, Famous people of the time (with short biography's), Food and Recipes, Health, Movies of the day, Music and Dance, all about New Rochelle, News, Historical moments, Influential Presidents during Bessie's life, Radio and Social movements during her lifetime.


Extra's

• Hear the author talk about Bessie on YouTube. Beautiful photographs. 
• Immerse yourself in an interactive learning area about the America during the years of the book 1904 to 1936. Topics covered: European Immigration, Famous People,  Food, Recipes, Health, Housework, Movies, Music, Dancing, News, U.S. Presidents and Radio.
• Photo Gallery covering: Bessie's Family Album, Childhood in Lithuania, New York, New Rochelle, 
• Readers share their immigration stories/history.
• For Teachers: a pdf downloadable Teachers guide of 16 pages.  This guide contains: summary, Language Arts, Social Studies, historical timeline, glossary of Terms and Additional reading (49 book recommendations)

Connect on Social Media

• Facebook - @BessiesPillow 
• Twitter - @BessiesPillow

My thoughts
I have loved every word of this book.  I've cried, been heart broken, anxious, loved, smiled, laughed  and celebrated milestones with Bessie and her family.  I've been reminded that this was real life, and these are the realities of the forefathers of every family who have immigrated and gone before us to enable us to make a better life.

Bessie's Pillow is a beautiful book that every child should read.  It's a book of courage and love.  It's about life and paying forward goodness to all.

Blessings
Chareen

If You Were Me and Lived in... Series by Carole P.Roman {Review}

I am so excited to tell you about eight new children's history books  brought to you by Carole P. Roman and Awaywegomedia.com. The books we received to review are:

1. If You Were me and Lived In... Ancient Greece (Volume 1) 
2. If You Were me and Lived In... the Middle Ages (Volume 6)
3. If you were me and lived in... Ancient China 
4. If you were me and lived in... Viking Europe (Volume ) 
5. If you were me and lived in ... Renaissance Italy (Volume 2) 
6. If you were me and lived in ... Elizabethan England (Volume 3) 
7. If you were me and lived in ... Colonial America (Volume 4) 
8. If you were me and lived in ... the American West (Volume 7) 

Nathaniel and I both enjoy books which are twaddle free and beautifully illustrated. This series meets our every expectation of amazing books. We are very thankful to Carol and the Homeschool Review Crew for blessing us with these fabulous books.  We have been traveling through time and discovering how children lived in different times and cultures throughout history.

Inside the books

• The stories invite you the reader to come with a child to the country being explored.  There is a picture of what it looks like now followed by a picture of what it would have looked like in the era you are exploring.   The era is explored from the perspective of a child.
• You find out what sorts of names people had
• The work people did
• Names of people and places are followed by a pronunciation guide in brackets.  If a word had a special meaning this is explained too.
• Interesting facts pertaining to the culture are shared.  
• The money/trading systems used in the era / culture are explained.
• The children are introduced to the accommodation and clothing used by the different classes of people within the culture. 
• Education, government, spiritual beliefs and military are explained.
• The family structure and specific roles of each member within a family are explored.
• Important people from the time period within the culture are introduced
• The book contains a full glossary of terms.

You will find a great list of comprehension questions to copy and print for each of the books on Carole's blog.


The Details

If You Were me and Lived In... Ancient Greece (Volume 1)
Series: An Introduction to Civilizations Throughout Time
Paperback: 54 pages
Publisher: CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform (March 17, 2016)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1523234296
ISBN-13: 978-1523234295
Kindle $ 3.04
Paperback: $14.99


You will be taken back to 350 B.C and learn where Greece is located, it's capital city and a few other interesting cities from the era.  Discover that Greece is "the Cradle of Western Civilization" and the reasons why. Each of the Greek gods are introduced throughout the book (their names, appearance and traits).  Greek clothing (chiton, peplos and the toga) and culture from the ancient times.  You will learn about their governmental system, literature and philosophy.

If you were me and lived in... Ancient China
Paperback: 76 pages
Publisher: CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform (June 18, 2016)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 153287524X
ISBN-13: 978-1532875243
Kindle $ 2.03
Paperback: $15.99




Travel back to second century (150 A.D.) China during the Golden Age of China and discover one of the longest dynasty's of the time - the Han dynasty. Travel the Silk Road and learn about important trade. There were four majour professions during this time: Scholar, Doctor, Farmer and Merchant. Your father decided what you would do for a profession. Learn about the discovery of silk and paper and the impact this had on the whole world.

If you were me and lived in... Viking Europe (Volume )
Series: If You Were Me and Lived in...
Paperback: 76 pages
Publisher: CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform (August 27, 2016)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1532875304
ISBN-13: 978-1532875304
Kindle $ 3.06
Paperback: $13.59



Travel back to the year 870 AD northern Europe in Norway. Discover a brave exploring people.  You may have been called Knut or Ulf if you were a boy and Sigrid or Hilde if you were a girl. Your second name was your fathers. The only coins used were pennies. These strong well groomed people were known for their bravery, dependability and allegiance to one another.  Woman were well respected.  These people ate very well and looked after anyone in need.

If you were me and lived in ... Renaissance Italy (Volume 2)
Series: An Introduction to Civilizations Throughout Time
Paperback: 56 pages
Publisher: CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform (May 6, 2016)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 152323427X
ISBN-13: 978-1523234271
Kindle $ 2.04
Paperback: $14.99



Travel back in time to the year 1483 in Tuscany. Popular names were Lorenzo and Cosimo for boys and Dolce and Lisabetta for girls. This was an important period of rebirth and inspired many famous artists, like Da Vinci, Michelangelo, Raphael, and Donatello. Because Florence was the birthplace of the new movement and became known as "The Athens of the Middle Ages."   Common seasonings during that time were cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, saffron and pepper, along with oranges and lemons. It was a time of sporting events, festivals, and dances. 

If you were me and lived in ... Elizabethan England (Volume 3)
Series: An Introduction to Civilizations Throughout Time
Paperback: 52 pages
Publisher: CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform (March 21, 2016)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1523229365
ISBN-13: 978-1523229369 
Kindle $ 2.02
Paperback: $14.99


Discover what life was like in  1578 during the reign of Elizabeth I. This was the golden age for art and literature and saw an increase in exploration. The narrow, cobblestone streets were filthy as people threw dirt, garbage, and waste out the windows. Houses were half-timbered and made of wattle and daub and the floors were covered in straw. Middle class people ate mutton, sausage, cheese, stew, and bread. No one drank water, but chose ciders and ales instead. The clothing consisted of many layers, and laws stated what color each class of people could wear and your religion was determined by whomever was on the throne.

If You Were me and Lived In... the Middle Ages (Volume 6)
Series: If You Were Me and Lived in...
Paperback: 98 pages
Publisher: CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform (July 9, 2016)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1533673241
ISBN-13: 978-1533673244
Kindle $ 3.06
Paperback: $19.99


Travel further back in time to  1072 in a small town in London, England. Discover names, like Geoffrey, Roul, Melisende, and Aalis, and learn about how they determined surnames. It's written as if the reader is the daughter of a knight. It describes life in a castle with wealth, servants, a large family. It mentions the Crusades, the importance of the church, the classes of society and their occupations and how they lived.

If you were me and lived in ... Colonial America (Volume 4)
Series: An Introduction to Civilizations Throughout Time
Paperback: 64 pages
Publisher: CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform (April 28, 2016)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1523234075
ISBN-13: 978-1523234073 
Kindle $ 3.18
Paperback: $14.99



Travel back to England in 1620 and follow the journey of your family as you move to the Netherlands and from there join other families to travel to a new land upon the Mayflower.  Make a new friend from the Wampanoag tribe who will teach you to hunt and grow your own food.  Celebrate the day you were "breeched" and attend school at home with your mother. 

If you were me and lived in ... the American West (Volume 7)
Series:
Paperback: 58 pages
Publisher: CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform (June 18, 2016)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1532877846
ISBN-13: 978-1532877841
Kindle $ 2.04
Paperback: $14.99



The year is 1843 and you are growing up in a homestead in Oregan after moving here during "The Great Migration of 1843". As a young one of 12 you learned many valuable skills on that hard journey but they helped you grow stronger as a family and equipped you for the daily chores which were a part of your new life.  School came over winter and spring break meant working on the farm.  Many men died on the the journey over and the women continued on.  Everyone helped one another to build homes and barns.  

About the Author

We really enjoy all of the If You Were Me and Lived In ... book series by Carole P. Roman and I am pretty sure you will, too.  Carole is an award-winning author and mom who started writing because she was dared to by one of her sons and we are so pleased that she did! Her books are some of our favourites on the shelf. She's a former Social Studies teacher who fell in love with adventure and exploration and desires to share that love with us. You know that your children are getting factual information as they read for personal enjoyment when they pick up any of these books. She has been awarded numerous book awards and her entire cultural non-fiction series If You Were Me and Lived in... was named Best Series by Shelf Unbound.

You can connect with Carole on Social media here:

• Facebook,
• Pinterest,
• Good Reads
• Twitter.

We love all of these books and are looking forward to using them throughout our chronological history studies.

I'd also love for you to visit my earlier reviews of the cultural books in the original series. You can see what we thought of Mexico, France, South Korea and Norway AND check out the fun we had with Australia too.

Blessings
Chareen

MWorld {Review}

Over the last few years I've been pursuing a new direction in our home school, one that is built upon Charlotte Mason's ideals and sprinkled with delight directed opportunities.   In today's digital filled era I have found it difficult finding information that is enriching, twaddle free and reliable.  

Monash University have set out to meet this need and created an app to meet the criteria and today it is my pleasure to introduce you to MWorld.

Last week I had the privilege of a teleconference with Justin who shared with me his passion to grow and create an app that would use curiosity to unleash learning in our children.  Justin and his team have been working alongside the leading academics at Monash University to produce each unit on MWorld so you can trust the information you are accessing is up to date and correct. (You can watch a one minute overview on YouTube here.)


Did you know...

• Curiosity increases your brain function and leads to more engaged learning and better memory retention?
• Pre-school children ask an average of 26 questions an hour.

MWorld is constantly growing and being developed.  They are currently developing mini missions which will be available later this year.   These missions are there to equip parents to support their children's learning and encourage enquiring minds to learn more.


How Does MWorld Work?
There are a few different options available to use MWorld. (PC, Android app and Apple app).
We have been given MWorld to use for a full year and have access to the complete platform.

IF you sign up via the Home Education option the team at MWorld set up your account and send you an access code (MCode) and password.  You use this to log in and set up your account.

Once you log in, you have the option of either customizing your avatar or exploring the world we live in. As you explore the world through one of the apps you will collect points which allow you to purchase clothing for your Avatar.

You also collect experience points. These points show you where you are on the leader board.

The leader board is private unless you add your friends to it. Experience points also build your badge level.  You can see how many points are needed in order to graduate to the next level.

Points are awarded for: each screen you read, each game played (these reinforce learning) and each quiz which is answered.

By clicking on Explore the World you are taken to the app home screen. Here you will find the main ten learning areas. Each of these areas are divided into five apps each. After selecting the subject you are then taken to the app area.

 For example in the Natural World you will find: Deep Blue Sea, Volcanoes, Deserts, Extreme Weather and Protected Areas. Next you select your area of interest.  The app then downloads to the device and loads.  Each app is fairly large due to the beautiful rich graphics, text to speech,  videos and interactive pages.

Each module has an introductory video  (See all available module introductory clips on YouTube).

The center of the page is a list of questions to whet your appetite on the topic.   On the left and right margins you will find graphics which are links to learning areas.

Along the bottom of the page there are five buttons: back, home (takes you to the first screen), map, points page and text to speech. The text to speech function is a handy tool for younger students or students who are auditory learners.

 The map shows you where you are in the module and the total number of learning areas for the module.  As you can see each module is fairly extensive.

MWorld can be used off line. To access offline studies each of the 50+ apps can be found on the app store. You use your MCode to unlock the app which is then downloaded independently onto your device.

On the home screen you will find a credits button beneath the sign out button.  In this area you will find a complete list of the titles on MWorld linked to an information card.  Here you can meet the scientist who contributed to the production of the topic, a full list of the production team, a list of reference materials used in the unit and the names of the production team responsible for the unit app production.

Titles Available on MWorld
At present there are over 50 areas of learning on MWorld and it will be growing so be sure to check back to see what is new.
MWorld have supplied a summary, YouTube introduction and a free downloadable teacher guide for each title on the MWorld Title finder page.

1. Animals
   
   • Adapting to new Worlds
   • Fangs - How do animals eat ?
   • How do animals behave?
   • Long-distance Travellers
   • Sharks and Rays
2. Art&Music
   
   • Art Today
   • How to write a Song
   • Jammin'
   • Secrets of art: Drawing
   • World Beats
3. Early Civilizations
   
   • Ancient Greece
   • Angkor
   • Early Australians
   • Early China
   • Rome: The Early Days
4. The Human Body
   
   • Build Your Own Skeleton
   • Germs
   • The making of me
   • Peak performance
   • Sleep and Dreams
5. Language and Culture
   
   • Dragon boat festival
   • Fairy Tales - The untold story
   • Lost languages
   • Manga
   • Spain: Food, Football & Fiesta?
6. The Modern World
   
   • Challenges of our time
   • The digital age
   • Money
   • Super-fast Trains
   • Mega-cities
7. The Natural World
   
   • Deep Blue Sea
   • Deserts
   • Extreme Weather
   • Protected Areas
   • Volcanoes
8. People and Places
   
   • Asia Today
   • Changing Places
   • Designing Places
   • Europe Today
   • The Rises of Cities
9. Space
   
   • Black Holes
   • Comets, Asteroids and Meteors
   • Galaxies
   • Mission to Mars
   • Planets
10. The Wonders of Science
    
    • Chemistry:Let's Get Started
    • How does Life Work?
    • How to become a Scientist
    • Invisible World - Inside the Atom
    • Light

What platform is MWorld available on

• iPad (iPad 3 and later, All iPad Air and Mini models)
• Android (Android 4.4 and later)
• PC (Windows 7 and later)

Due to the size of each of the individual topics covered, (the beautiful photographs and interactive content of MWorld) you will need access to quality internet connectivity in order to download and use your chosen area of learning. The main MWorld app needs connectivity to run.

MWorld can be used off line on your chosen device. You will need to download your chosen topic as an independent app via the app store.

The Cost*

• Single topic apps for MWorld are available to purchase at $5.99 each.
• Home Education bundle is currently available for $59 for 54 apps (That is a saving of $317.47!). To access this special please email your request to team@discovermworld.com and they will do the rest.
• MWorld is available for school class use in student bundles. 
• FREE trial is available.  You will receive two credits to unlock two titles of your choice along with three units: Jammin, Planets and Volcanoes.

*Prices quoted are current as of July 2016 and subject to change at any time.  Please check the MWorld website for up to date pricing information.  
Connect with MWorld on Social Media

•  Facebook - Discover MWorld
• Twitter - @discovermworld
• Google+ -  +Discovermworld
• YouTube - MWorld  

I am very impressed with this app. The graphics are beautiful, the information is twaddle free and presented using excellent multimedia platforms.  The variety of topics covered is both broad and deep, we have  over a year of learning at our finger tips.

We are looking forward to learning more about the world around us using MWorld. Nathaniel enjoys following whatever path of curiosity he chooses, personally I like being able to use a professionally presented supplement to reinforce our current learning areas. 

Blessings
Chareen