Category Archives: Helpful Resources

TimeMaps is historical maps software, just unveiled today, by our friends at KnowledgeQuest Maps! These interactive, animated maps are so informative and so user-friendly. I’m having fun playing with them tonight, since our children are all at various practices.

Since we are studying Rome currently and nearing its Fall, that is the first map set I opened. The first map in the sequence outlines the Roman Empire at its height, in 182 A.D., with plenty of key locations labeled. Several information buttons scattered across the map (when you click the main ‘I’ button,) provide pop-up historical data on the key places and peoples of the time, as you click each. To check your attentiveness to the information and the map, you can click another button to ask you questions about that map.

Another click and the map shows the next stop in history for this map, in this case 225 A.D. Animation shows invasions, and loss of territory, (or progress, travels, and other movement on other maps). You don’t just have a new different map, but you actually see the changes that happen between the two! Try that on your paper maps. 🙂

These 3 factors make these maps very engaging – historical information at a click, animation when you change maps to show you what is changing, and the questions to ensure you “got it”.

The map program itself is very intuitive, and only after I’d already gone through the whole map set for the Fall of the Roman Empire, did I open the included Notes pdf file, which includes instructions for using the maps. But this document includes more than just that.

In addition to the instructions, several suggested activities for further learning about the time period are included. These activities encourage deeper critical thinking, requiring the student to reason out the answers. You can pick and choose which ones will be appropriate for which of your children.

Also included in the Notes document is a Commentary on the Map, giving background information and details for each map in the sequence, at 2 levels. You decide how deep you want to share about each map with your students, a short overview or more in-depth information with further questions for your students.

But that still isn’t all. You can print out a Timeline for the Student to fill in, a Student’s map for them to label/color, and a Teacher’s Map (filled out correctly.)

And just when I thought I was done, I realized there were still 2 buttons I hadn’t clicked on at the beginning of the maps. In addition to the Start button, which takes you through the map sequence, there is a button called Worksheets will show you the activities (that are also included in the notes, that you could print out). The other button takes you to the TimeMaps of World History website, where you can explore an online Atlas of World History.

TimeMaps is much more than just a historical sequence of maps for your students to view on a computer, it provides the information, activities and questions needed to get your students thinking about what they are seeing on the maps, and what really happened in HisStory. TimeMaps is jam packed full of value! I look forward to sharing the Rise of the Roman Empire set with my children in tomorrow’s lessons. The other map sets currently available are: Ancient China, Rise of Islam, The Black Death, European Exploration, and Atlantic Slave Trade. Introductory price is 7.95 each. Available for both Windows and Mac computers.

WonderMaps are truly Wonderful! In just a few clicks I can bring up any map I want, at any level–and print it out, if I desire. I love the convenience.

The maps work in levels and layers. For example, I click on the picture of North America on the World Map, and I get a map of just North America. On it, I click on United States and a USA map pops up. On it I click on Nebraska. Once I get to the map I want (whether it be Nebraska, North America, USA, or World–or anything else) I can view or hide various layers of labeling and features. Say I want city locations shown, but not names. Or rivers, capital, State names (including those surrounding,) and much more depending on the map. I just hide or view exactly what I want, including color overlay, black and white overlay, or plain blank background. Once I have the exact map with the information I want, I can print it for the children to view or label.

In addition to maps for all over the World, WonderMaps also includes maps from whenever in the World. Historical maps for time periods and events help us with not only geography studies, but also our HisStory studies, as we see where things happened, where people traveled to, and who possessed what land when. These maps are also listed Thematically, to help you find them that way.

Tyler Hogen has done a great job, on a great interactive resource, that will be used much in our home. You can pick up your own copy at Bright Ideas Press. Thanks Tyler for the review copy of WonderMaps.

Terri Johnson, my friend from Knowledge Quest maps and Apps-school.com has released 3 new mobile apps that are perfect for home educating techno families.

Nothing puts history in context like a timeline. And nothing makes a timeline more helpful than awesome visuals. Wonders of Old is a beautiful, new Timeline Book of World History. This timeline in colorful pictures is divided into streams for the different areas of the world. Wonders of Old:Ancient Timeline, that I received for review, covers time from Creation to the end of the Roman Empire. Tapping on a label (event with date) will bring up additional information about it. Tapping on a picture will bring up the wikipedia page for it. Swiping will move you down the timeline horizontally (forward in time), or to another part of the world (at the same time,) vertically. This is a thorough, informative and gorgeous timeline app. Whether you are using it along with your history studies, or you’re just swiping and tapping around to learn a variety of new things, you’ll enjoy this app. Even my dad said, “Now this is the kind of app I’d like.” It will provide hours of fun learning. The second app in this series, Wonders of Old:Medieval Timeline, was just released. It continues where Ancient leaves off and goes through the 16th century. There will be 4 apps in this series, when they are completed.

Geography should be studied right alongside of history, so you can see where things happened and get a better understanding of them. The Map Trek app is the perfect companion to Wonders of Old to do just that, and it works in much the same way. It too is divided into 4 timeperiods—with just the first, Ancient, currently available. Along the (more simplified) timeline are labels (and some map pics) of key happenings. Tap the label and a map of the event opens up. The maps are clearly labeled and have drop pins at points of interest. Tap a pin and information about the location, related to the event, opens up. You can pinch and spread to zoom in and out. These interactive maps can be used along with your pen and paper mapwork you do for your journals, or as a standalone enrichment activity.

These apps provide a fun, interactive way to enrich your studies of history and geography. They can be purchased (inexpensively) through Apps-school.com or directly at the iTunes App Store.

“Finally you can explore human anatomy & physiology in a Creator-honoring way!”

I just ordered the new human body study by Answers in Genesis, Body of Evidence. I’m especially excited about this because it is in DVD format. We also own Biology 101, another DVD science study from a Biblical perspective, and really like it, but I’ve wanted to add something deeper on the Human Body, in DVD format. This looks like it’s that.

Here’s what our friends have to say about Body of Evidence:

Do you understand how your body works and why God designed it that way? How do you respond when modern “science” says there is no connection between mankind and our Creator?

To answer these questions and more, our friends at Answers in Genesis just released a new 8-DVD study course that teaches human anatomy and physiology from a Christian worldview. It’s called called Body of Evidence, and it is designed to equip Christians with a biblical understanding of our bodies and to help students defend their faith and combat the lies of evolution.

Body of Evidence is insightful, biblical, and hosted by former medical university professor Dr. David Menton. Dr. Menton is an excellent teacher loved worldwide for his humorous and insightful talks that leave audiences in hushed awe at the Creator’s wisdom. In this series, Dr. Menton employs anatomical props, models, and microscopic images to teach students about God’s amazing designs as he takes students on a fascinating teaching-tour through the major systems of the body.

Topics covered in Body of Evidence include:

• Cells & Tissue
• Skeletal System
• Integumentary System (Skin)
• Cardiovascular System (Heart)
• Respiratory System (Lungs)
• Digestive System
• Urinary System
• Hearing Ear & The Seeing Eye

Geared for teens and adults, Body of Evidence is a 16-part series on 8 DVDs and comes with a study guide containing more than 600 questions. As a curriculum, this course is designed for a junior high/high school audience. This course is also excellent for anyone studying the human body, and is a tremendous outreach tool for declaring a biblical view of the handiwork of God.

Also available through our CBD affiliate links.

Body of Evidence 8-DVD SetBy Dr. David Menton / Answers In Genesis Explore the amazing evidence for design in human anatomy and physiology! This 16-part, 8 DVD series is taught by Dr. David Menton; employing anatomical props, models, and microscopic images, his humorous and insightful talks will take students through the major systems of the body. A self-test book will help viewers to learn even more! DVDs cover: cells & tissues, the skeletal system, the integumentary system, the cardiovascular system, the respiratory system, the digestive system, the urinary system, the hearing ear and seeing eye. Teens & Adults. Eight DVDs with two 40-45 minute sessions each and 1 64-page self-test booklet.

iMindMap 5 was released today. Below are just a few quotes from the CEO of  iMindMap on this innovative rebuild of this awesome brainstorming, organizing, notetaking, outlining, planning, … software, that I love and use all the time. One aspect you’re sure to love is that iMindMap 5 Basic is FREE.

Why should you care? Learning Maps™ are an integral part of Lifestyle Education through Discipleship™, and using a mind mapping app to make them makes it convenient, fun, and fast – not to mention neater.

Click here for more details about iMindMap 5 – and to take it for a test drive.

More on why you’ll love having a mind mapping app for your home education (and what we use them for) here.

The ThinkBuzan team has worked extremely hard to rebuild iMindMap completely from the ground up, and I would like to thank them all for their commitment and dedication – I feel very lucky to work with such a great team. Also, a big thank you goes to all of our Beta Testers, Trainers and Users, who provided invaluable feedback in developing iMindMap 5.

iMindMap 5 has lots of new features and a brand new interface, so there is plenty to explore. My favourite features include 3D View, which I love presenting with, and MultiMaps, as I find that I often have related Mind Maps which deserve their own space, but belong on the same page. If you have trialled iMindMap V4 in the past, you can start afresh and take iMindMap 5 for a test drive – come back and tell us your first reactions! Plus our cloud application, iMindMap Online, is also released today. I look forward to hearing your feedback!
And remember, it doesn’t end here. iMindMap 5 will offer our most aggressive update plan yet, and we expect to make improvements and enhancements regularly, so you will literally see the software evolve in front of your eyes.

As part of the iMindMap 5 launch, we have also released a brand new edition, iMindMap Basic, which is totally free! This is our way of getting everyone around the world to think and work differently for better results. It something we have wanted to do for a long time and are delighted that it is finally possible.

– Chris Griffiths
read the rest of the article

Available in 4 editions: Basic – Elements – Pro – Ultimate

Amazon has over 60 Free eBooks by G.A. Henty that you can read not only on your Kindle device, but also on Kindle for iPhone, iPod and iPad, Android, Blackberry and Windows phones, Mac or PC computers.

What does King Alfred have to do with the English we speak today? Plenty and we should all be thankful for this King of 11 centuries ago.

I thoroughly enjoyed reading King Alfred’s English: A History of the Language We Speak and Why We Should Be Glad We Do. It was a fun, quick and easy-to-read book, but one that packed a punch. I think teens will wish all their required subject reading was this enjoyable. Laurie White presents this subject, not in a dry, boring way, but as a living story that easily explains how we got from point A to point B. She does a great job of bringing understanding to basic historical events, just in case your not familiar with them. In other words, you don’t have to have your history down pat ahead of time to understand the flow.

This book about the English Language really gives a great concise history of England itself. The invasions, the literature, and all that shaped the conglomeration we speak today. It also includes a good overview history of the English Bible, and the role it played in developing the language we all, Christian or not, speak. Laurie does a good job of showing the leading causes that led to the consequences that developed our language.

This book will be added to our children’s required reading list, and I don’t think they will mind at all. I suggest you add it to your high schooler’s English course – and that you read it too. Not only will you learn some great useful information about the history of our language, those things will help you teach English also. You’ll know why, things are the way they are. And you’ll enjoy your reading time along the way. So will your students.

The author’s website also includes free supplemental material for students working through this book. (I haven’t had a chance to check that out yet.)

Order King Alfred’s English today to give your youth a great overview of the History of the English Language.

King Alfred’s English: A History of the Language We Speak and Why We Should Be Glad We DoBy Laurie J. White / The Shorter Word Press One needs only to glance at Chaucer, or even further back at Beowulf, to see that English has not always what we call English. Divided into the major epochs of the language–Pre-English Britain, Old English (which was formed from an invasion of Latin & Old Norse), The Transition from Middle to Modern English, and finally Modern English–this casual re-telling of history will engross you. Mingling history, religion, famous people, and linguistics, the story of English is integrated into the story of Western History. 150 pages, softcover. Supplemental material is available online (website in book) for chapter worksheets, unit tests, links, and suggested movies.

The author graciously gave me a review copy of this book to read. Thank you Laurie. I loved it.

I’ve been wanting this book for quite a while, but it hadn’t made it to my order list yet, since we are currently in our Ancient World studies, and won’t return to the Founding of America studies for a while. But when my dh said he’d heard of a book, on one of his political talk shows or websites, that he wanted to get, I was excited to tell him it was on its way. Teaching our children of the Spiritual heritage we have in this nation is important to us, and knowing the Boyer’s and their writings, we knew this book would be another to help us toward that goal.

For You They Signed is a book about the Signers of the Declaration of Independence. Each Signer is devoted a short chapter that gives general information about him and his life, as well as his role in the Founding of our nation. Through first hand stories about them and their own quotes, we are able to clearly see the importance of Christianity as the foundation of our nation.  In addition to these primary source quotes and stories, the author has included a timeline overview of the life of each Signer and follow-up questions which encompass general factual questions as well as spiritual application in their lives, and ours. She has identified a character quality each Signer possessed and a Scripture representative of their life, making this book not just a factual informative book, but also a character instructing book also.

We are loosely following the author’s recommendation and using the book as a year long character, family devotional. Each day we read a bit of the Signer’s story, and narrate it, then review with the questions after completing the chapter. We are utilizing the downloadable Family Activity Guide, available free to each purchaser, which contains pictures of each of the men, as well as the character definitions and Scriptures for each. With the pictures, our children are recording the basic facts of their lives and copying the Character Definition and Scripture,  and a quote when available, for each Signer.

We are on our third Signer, and even though we have read and studied much about America’s Founding, and our Christian Heritage, we are learning even more about each individual Signer and their faith, and how God used each one’s unique individuality to forge our nation. We are really enjoying this book and think if you are interested in learning more about the Spiritual Heritage of America, you will too.

For You They Signed is by Marilyn Boyer. Marilyn and her husband Rick are home educating parents of 14 children, owners of The Learning Parent, and have been long time leaders and authors in the homeschool community. For You They Signed is newly republished by Master Books. You can follow Marilyn on Facebook here, and Master Books here.

This review was done in conjunction with America’s Christian Heritage Event sponsored by Christian HomeSchool Hub. You can purchase For You They Signed through their Amazon link, (or our catalog.)