Disclaimer: I received a FREE copy of this product through the HOMESCHOOL REVIEW CREW in exchange for my honest review. I was not required to write a positive review nor was I compensated in any other way.
If you’re looking for a non-religious, relaxed, homeschool science and math curriculum, NatureGlo’s eScience is an excellent choice. I included the non-religious term up front, but even as a family of faith we found this to be a great addition to our homeschool. Founder and instructor Gloria Brooks created nature-based science and math unit studies that engage and delight learners without feeling tedious and boring. For the Review Crew, we received one-year access to NatureGlo’s eScience MathArt and Science Course Bundle so that we could experience the wide variety of material covered. Prerecorded courses can be purchased individually, and Gloria offers live interactive options as well.
She also offers a FREE Sharks Online Unit Study Sample if you’re interested in getting a feel for how the studies work.
The courses are designed for ages 10 and up, but younger students can benefit from the videos and lessons, too. Some of the courses have a pre-lesson activity before beginning the main study. The main lesson(s) is a prerecorded video where Gloria covers the topic of the unit. These videos are recordings of live classes she’s done, so there are students actively engaged in the class as its happening.
Each lesson has a study guide that you can print off as well as projects, activities, and links to additional videos on the topic. Students progress through the course at their own pace and can click the “mark complete” button after each lesson to earn certificates.
Some of the studies available include:
*Giant Redwoods
*Bubbleology
*Intro into Rockhounding
*The Komodo Dragon
*Herps Explorers (multiple courses)
*Herps Zoology (multiple courses)
*Herps Reptiles and Amphibians
*Introduction to MathArt
*MathArt (multiple courses)
*Invertebrates
*Mammals
*Marine Biology (multiple courses)
*Marine Reptiles (multiple courses)
*Tide Pool Communities
*Marine Zoology (multiple courses)
*Life and Mathematical Art of Leonardo da Vinci
*Life and Mathematical Art of M.C. Escher
There’s also a RoadMap Course that helps you navigate through all the courses, so you don’t have to figure it out for yourself.
How we used the courses
Unfortunately, this review happened at the time when I was diagnosed and had surgery for malignant melanoma and our son who was most eligible to use this course was hospitalized for five days in a pediatric ward. He was sick nearly all of this review period, having had one surgery and still awaiting another, and I am still recovering from mine. I only include this to acknowledge that we didn’t get to maximize our access to this course during the review period as I wish we could have! However, I have watched multiple videos and checked out as many of the courses as I could AND our ENITRE family participated in and LOVED the Intro to Rockhounding course!
We dug a hole in our back yard to search for different rocks.
We had so much fun we decided to take rockhounding on as a new family hobby!
We had some basic equipment on hand and ordered additional equipment so that we could really get into finding and identifying rocks and minerals.
We feel like just this one course has set us on a path to new wonder, amazement, and family togetherness that will last for years and lifetimes. I know from reading through Gloria’s site that this is exactly the goal for her courses, to cultivate a natural excitement and engagement for learning!
After watching Bubbleology and some of the MathArt and patterns in nature studies, I can’t wait to continue using the courses with our students. I’m believing they will inspire more interest and ingenuity just as the rockhounding course did. I love the flexibility and casual approach, but what they learn and how they engage is anything but casual. Thank you, Gloria, for filling a niche in our homeschool that had previously been missing. We’re so grateful!
Other families also reviewed NatureGlo’s eScience and shared their experiences of different courses offered. Please check them out by clicking on the image below!
The Harlow Hearth 