Books of the Bible At-a-Glance - A TOS Homeschool Crew Review

At the end of the summer I learned I would have the opportunity to review an amazing product by a company called Teach Sunday School.
The product I received is Books of the Bible At-a-Glance.


I received this as a digital product. It includes 74 pages, which includes one page for each of the 66 books of the bible, with a cover page and introductory pages at the beginning.

When I received Bible At-a-Glance, my personal studies were in the book of John. Thinking it through, "Matthew", "Mark", "Luke", "John", I decided to print the first four books of the New Testament using double-sided print. I also needed a look at 3 John, so I printed that as well. I tried using color print, but my printer wasn't up to snuff, so I switched to black and white. I figured I would 3-hole punch the paper and start a 3-ring binder for my Books of the Bible At-A-Glance.

So that you can see what the printouts should look like, here is a snapshot of the John page from the PDF:

See how vibrant the colors should be? My printer is disappointing me greatly.

So now that you see the page for John, let me zoom in and highlight it for you section by section (larger, easier to see).

At the top of each page, the name of the Bible book is at the top. Next you see what number book it is in the Old or New Testament,


who the author is thought to be, when it is thought to have been written, and the time period it covers. John is thought to have been written 80-90 AD, but it is a history of the period from approximately 7 to 26 AD.

The next line reminds you that there are 39 Old Testament books and 27 New Testament books, with a numeral 4 reminding you that John is book 4 in the New Testament. Each book has a "Claims to Fame" section. There is a reminder of famous stories included in the book, as well as the books "most famous verses".

The bottom of each page lists important points about the Bible book.

After working with John and 3 John, I worked in Philippians. I was getting into a groove. Then I was reading in Psalms, and I had forgotten Bible At-a-Glance was the entire Bible! I got excited all over again.

Not liking how my printer was working I decided to put my document PDF onto a thumb drive and head to Kinko's to get an estimate on printing and binding the product as a spiral.

Boy was I surprised at the price they wanted to charge. I scrapped the idea and headed home. I discussed it with my hubby. I'll just print out pages as I need them and go with my initial plan of having a printout in a 3-ring notebook that I build as I go along.

I can also just work from the PDF document, but I'm a real paper-in-hand (book-in-hand) kind of girl, so I like to have a print out. Eventually I will probably be highlighting sections and taking notes like I do in my Bible. That's hard to do on a PDF.

I am not a major theologian. I did not attend seminary. When I read my Bible and am curious about who wrote what or when it was written, I am not majorly concerned about exact accuracy, so I was not looking at that type of question as I was reviewing my Bible At-a-Glance, so I cannot speak to accuracy. All I can say is that for a lay-reader of the Bible this is a wonderful product. I found it incredibly helpful. I love it.

So consider adding this product to your collection of personal Bible study tools. Or, before you do that, maybe you want to read a few more reviews and see what other reviewers thought. Maybe someone else was/is "more objective" than I am or saw different perspectives that they brought out that might interest you. To read additional reviews of this product, click on the button below.

Drive Thru History® - A TOS Homeschool Crew Review

In March I learned we had a review product coming up by Drive Thru History®. 

The product was perfect for my upcoming needs: Drive Thru History® – “The Gospels”

In the state of Maryland, home school law gives us two options: 

1. Have our home school program reviewed each year (multiple times) by a public school representative, or
2. Pay to be under an "umbrella" home school program and be reviewed (once a year, with our umbrella) by another home school mom in the program.

Guess which one I prefer? (#2, of course!) The umbrella we are with is affiliated with a Maryland Christian school and requires that "Bible" be one of the subjects covered each year.

The idea of a New Testament History class for my son, using “The Gospels” video program was totally appealing to me! This is something that will capture my son's attention and teach him new stuff in a painless, nay, appealing and engaging way! “The Gospels” program is actually a one semester program, so it is in my plans to follow it up with a second program to count it as a full year program.

Reviewers of this product received a fabulous DVD package in a faux-leather book binding, 

with course study-guide between the DVDs.

“The Gospels” contains 18 video lessons, 30 minutes each, so a full nine hours of video viewing. The style, music and narration of the content is totally engaging. We all love the narrator/travel guide, Dave Stotts!

Each lesson ends with suggested Bible reading assignments to enrich your study. Each lesson has a chapter in the Study Guide with an information section and Discussion Questions.

The Study Guide is printed on high-quality glossy paper, so thus the reflections and glare on my photos... The illustrations and photos in the Study Guide are wonderful!

The program has three DVDs with six lessons per DVD. It is designed to cover one lesson per week for 18 weeks, which is half of a 36-week school year.

I have learned something each week, and have thoroughly enjoyed myself. I even laughed out loud.

Dave Stotts calls his Land Rover "Steve McQueen".

He is so hysterical! In one episode he took ribs and barbecue sauce, wrapped it in aluminum foil, wired it to the engine and drove through throughout the desert of the Holy Lands in the episode. At the end of the episode the ribs were cooked and he ate them. I'm hoping my son won't want to try that. After all, we don't live in the desert...

I really love “The Gospels”, and I think you will too. I think this series works from upper grammar through high school (and many lower grammar kids will like it, too!). For the older kids, I recommend watching the DVD episode of the lesson on Monday, work on the Bible readings Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, and then do the Study Guide reading and discussion questions on Friday. Maybe you'll disagree. You could do the Study Guide on Tuesday and read Bible Wednesday through Friday as an alternative.

I really like Drive Thru History® – “The Gospels” and I think you will too. Other members of the Old Schoolhouse Homeschool Review Crew also reviewed this product. To see other product reviews, please click the button below.

Church Guest Speaker

There was a guest speaker at church today named Frank Turek. He was fabulous! He is devoted to apologetics - defending the position of faith in Jesus Christ as the Son of God.  As he spoke, I learned he is co-author of a book that was, as I recalled, recently reviewed by The Old Schoolhouse Review Crew, I Don't Have Enough Faith to be an Athiest, a review for Apologia. Frank Turek is ex-military (Navy), which gives him extra points where my teen-aged son is concerned, and Dr. Turek's son is in the Air Force, which counts even more points with my son! So I came home and searched for the book review to link it here. It took place in August of 2012.
What?! August of 2012? That's crazy! It just happened! How could four years have passed since that review? I have no idea! Well, I wasn't on the review, so I bought the book as well as a 2nd book, Stealing from God, which talks about how athiests have to steal ideas from God's creation just to argue against Him. I am looking forward to both books.
The website he is affiliated with, CrossExamined.org, is a great resource. It has links to his television show (which airs Wednesday nights on Direct TV channel 378), radio and podcasts, videos, and a free app.
Three-fourths of the children in evangelical homes, 75%, walk away from the faith when they leave home as adults. Dr. Turek has a heart to help parents prepare their students to defend their faith so that when they encounter opposition as adults they do not cave, but actually stand strong in defense of their faith.
I am so excited to have learned about this ministry as the parent of a teen-aged son. I have two years left til high school graduation. I plan to work to integrate our Bible studies with strengthening apologetics to ground my son in my faith. I hope you'll join me!
You can also find CrossExamined.org on Twitter and Facebook ("Twit-faced"). Join me, and let's prepare the next generation so we can pass the baton!

Grapevine Studies - A Schoolhouse Crew Review

In late September, the Schoolhouse Crew Reviewers learned there would be Bible studies available for review by Grapevine Studies. I looked over the available studies, discussed the products with my son, and indicated my interest. 

The following studies were being offered for review:

Birth of Jesus: Beginner
Birth of Jesus: Multi-Level
Old Testament 1: Level 1 Creation to Jacob
Old Testament 1: Level 2 Creation to Jacob
Old Testament 1: Level 3 Creation to Jacob
Old Testament 1: Level 4 Creation to Jacob

In early October I learned that we would be receiving Old Testament 1: Level 4 Creation to Jacob to review. I received a PDF download of Level 3 Student, Level 4 Student, and Levels 3-4 Teacher's Manual. I was not required to download and use Level 3 -- it is for a younger student than my son.

I was not previously familiar with Grapevine Studies, so I had carefully looked over there website before requesting the review.The levels being offered to the Crew for review ranged in age from 5 to 12+. I asked my son if he wanted to try one of these studies, and he was okay with giving it a try. My son is significantly 12+, so we asked for the only study advertising that age range. You can look at Information About the Levels,  or look below, to see which products might be most suitable for use in your family.

Grapevine Studies are Bible studies that focus on a timeline while you work your way through scripture. You are taught in the Teacher's Manual, and thus teach your student(s), how to fill in the timeline using symbols and stick figures as you work your way through the lessons. 

Grapevine Studies Old Testament 1: Creation to Jacob Teacher's Manual covers both Levels 3 and 4, and is 98 pages long. The Level 4 Student Book is a digital download 65 pages long. The Student Book Table of Contents lists the following lessons:

• Timeline;
• Creation;
• Adam and Eve;
• The Fall;
• Noah and the Flood;
• The Tower of Babel;
• Section Review;
• Job;
• Abraham;
• Isaac;
• Jacob;
• Final Review.

Ideally the lessons are covered one per week and the entire study takes 12 weeks to complete. The Teacher's Manual also has the following sections for the parent/teacher to read through before beginning the study:

• The Grapevine Mission;
• The Grapevine Teaching Method;
• Statement of Faith;
• Grapevine Teacher and Student Goals;
• Teacher and Student Supply List;
• Teaching Multi-Level Books;
• Timeline Narrative; and
• Lesson Goals and Keys.

It is explained that the week's teaching will follow this schedule:

• Day 1: Timeline Review Page (5-10 minutes);
• Day 2: Lesson Page 1 (lesson days take 30-35 days);
• Day 3: Lesson Page 2;
• Day 4: Student Drawing Page (5-15 minutes). 

The content of the study material is good. I particularly like that the material and timeline help the student understand and remember that all these Bible personalities (even Job) lived between Creation and Joseph. The format of the daily lessons is teacher intensive, instructing the student, then giving the student time to complete their work.

As if I were an inexperienced home schooler, with anticipation I opened the PDF of my study on Monday morning to begin our day with our Bible study time. Don't do this, please! You need to prepare yourself before you begin.

I thought I had prepared myself. The study calls for:

Teacher supplies: Bible, Grapevine Studies Teacher Book, dry erase board & markers (8 colors), and Bible dictionary.

Student supplies: Bible, Grapevine Studies Student Book, and colored pencils. Level 4 students will need a Bible Dictionary, Topical Bible, and Concordance.

I was trying to print out as little as possible. I had both the student book and the teacher book in PDF only.

First of all, there was material I needed to read before I started. I had skimmed the material Monday morning before we started, and I had skimmed too quickly. Second, there were pages I needed to print out for the student that I needed to have in hand to start. I hadn't done it. I wasn't ready. So, on "day 1" we resumed our previous Bible reading schedule.

I tried again. I pre-read the teacher materials. I printed out papers. I put my markers by the white board. We started again.

The beginning lesson has the teacher introduce the student to the time line of history for the story of Creation to Joseph. I was working my way through the lesson only to find that my dry-erase markers didn't include purple for the rainbow. Also, I had forgotten to find the colored pencils. I did that quickly, but my son was already disliking what we were doing.

• He doesn't like time lines.
• He doesn't like being told what to do when.
• He doesn't like to draw.
• He felt that the stick-figure concept was too juvenile for his age.

 I was hitting my own struggles with the program from the teacher's position.

• The instructions said I needed dry erase markers but did not specify colors.
• The materials list called for a Topical Bible. I thought I had one only to find it was a Study Bible. I was able to borrow a Topical Bible from my pastor. I also later found Naves Topical Bible free online.
• I've owned Vine's Expository Bible Dictionary for 40 years. When I needed it for this study, I could not find it. I later found Vine's Expository Bible Dictionary free on line only to learn that it is an Expository Dictionary of the New Testament. We had to limp our way through with Google searches.
• I got to Lesson "Preparation Before Class" only to find ANOTHER list of needed resources. This list called for a Bible Atlas, which I own but had not located because I was assuming the first resource list would include everything I needed to have in order to go through the lessons.

My son's opinion of the program did not change. The material and format do not suit him. Basically, this program is not a good fit for him, and he is my only student.

I myself had come to Creation to Jacob not knowing their format and not knowing what to expect. What I myself had been hoping for was a program that would teach my son how to study scripture independently. Grapevine is a good program, but it is not a program that quickly teaches the student how to study scripture on their own. Grapevine is a program that relies heavily on the parent/teacher for the daily lessons. At this point in our home school this is not what I was looking for, so Grapevine is not a good fit for me either.

That is not to say that the Grapevine Studies would not be a good fit for you and your family, so before you dismiss them based on my experience, please click through the button below to check out other reviews.

Other members of the Review Crew also Grapevine Studies. To see other product reviews, please click the button below.
 

Apologia: iWitness - A Schoolhouse Crew Review

In late August, the Crew learned that Apologia Educational Ministries was going to have the Schoolhouse Review Crew do reviews of three of their iWitness books: iWitness Biblical Archaeology, New Testament iWitness, Old Testament iWitness. In light of what we were going to be studying in our other courses, this was a great fit for our home school, so I "raised my hand" and asked our Crew leaders to "Pick me! Pick me!" And they did!

I want to preface this review with the statement that I have still never met an Apologia book that I did not like. This review period is complete, and my statement still stands!

The books in the iWitness series are written and designed by Doug Powell. Mr. Powell had a degree in graphic design, but who was making a living as a professional musician. He found, however, that he could not make an adequate living at this. He went back to college and studied apologetics. He was asked to write an overview of apologetics for Biola University and was also a contributor to the Apologetics Study Bible. Then he got the idea to combine his understanding of apologetics with his skills at graphic design, and the iWitness book series was the result.

Our school year actually began the last week in August, so we had started before these books arrived. When we received the package, I began our work in them the very next day. I knew that these books were laid out in a format similar to books my son has read in a genre called a "graphic novel" (not that these are novels), so I was hopeful the style would pull my son in.

I started our studies with iWitness Biblical Archaeology, because I thought this would have the most appeal with my son. I quickly saw

100 Verses in 2003

So I am doing this challenge.  But I forgot to do it last week, so I am already behind. ::sigh::

100 Verses in 2013 Week 3

Romans 3:23 (NASB) - ²³ for all ^[a]have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,

Romans6:23  -
²³ For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Playing catch up, Week 2 was:

100 verses week 2

John 1:14
¹⁴ And the Word became flesh, and ^[a]dwelt among us, and we saw His glory, glory as of ^[b]the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth.

John 3:16
¹⁶ “For God so loved the world, that He gave His ^[a]only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.