Life Sciences Task Cards (Creek Edge Press)

Recently I learned of a new company that has created an interesting new product. The company is Creek Edge Press, and the product is Task Cards for various academic subjects.

The concept of task cards apparently originates from the Montessori Approach to schooling, where the goal is to encourage the students to own their education by making their own choices as to what they will study, and making choices as to which aspects they want to focus on and how they will pursue information, etc. The approach is new to me, but is very compatible with the way that we homeschool. The creator, Amy Kate Hillsman, developed these cards to use in her own homeschool. As friends learned of them they began asking for sets, and it became clear that there was potential to create a small business for her family, and Creek Edge Press was born. 

You can learn more about Creek Edge Press, the card system and the author at THIS LINK, and there are actually more articles here that you can read to learn more. You can also go here to see snapshot photos of many of the Task Cards as samples.

I was delighted to be offered the opportunity to review this company's products. I received a set of Task Cards and an accompanying introduction booklet with my package from this company. I received one set of cards for free in exchange for my honest review (I received no other compensation). I was happy that we were offered a selection to choose from, and since we have been studying Life Sciences this year I chose that set.

Now, looking at these cards, first reaction on first glance was, "I could have done this...!" But the point was, I didn't. And Ms. Hillsman did. And they are good!

These task cards even get my creative juices flowing. The particular topic my son selected to learn more about was spiders. Selecting card #9, Spiders, Mites, Scorpions, he dug in to learn more. The first possible choice was to do some encyclopedia research, so for the first time (with this son) we pulled out the encyclopedia, and he read the selection on spiders.

Other tasks choices for his further interest including reading books about spiders, learning how to classify spiders, sketch and label the parts of a spider, name two kinds of poisonous spiders, find a web to observe and sketch, and research and map places where poisonous spiders live.  Now, just having those ideas my brain began to come up with additional ideas, like do some research on the common orb spider (one we often see around our home), or get a field guide and (attempt to) identify some of the spiders we commonly see. Then my mind began brainstorming ways other topics could be tackled using similar research ideas. (My son has an interest in snakes. "Learn names of two poisonous snakes." "Learn poisonous snakes that live in our country, and make a map showing their regions.")

These products look adaptable to all age levels. Younger kids can use them with parental help (parent reads; parent writes down what child wants written down  for pre-readers; requirement of more detail for high schoolers).


So, I really, really like this product.  In addition to the Life Sciences Task Cards, Creek Edge Press also has the following task card choices:

• Science Task Cards ($18.00 per set or $65 for all Science sets): Chemistry and Great Scientists; Earth and Space; Physics and Digital Science;
• History and Culture Task Cards ($20.00 per set or $90 for all sets): American History; Ancient World; Early Modern World; Geography and Culture (only $18 for this one); Medieval World; and Modern World;
• Art and Artist Task Card Sets I, II and III ($32.00), and
• Music and Composer Task Card Sets I, II and III ($32.00)

 You can see more samples here: GALLERY

This has been a TOS Homeschool Crew Review.

 

To see more reviews of this product, go to the TOS Crew Review page.Throw me a bone! Leave me a comment! I love comments!