NatureGlo's eScience MathArt and Science Course Bundle Review

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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.


We had the chance to review the NatureGlo's eScience MathArt & Science Course Bundle from online education provider NatureGlo's eScience. While it did take us some time to become familiar with all of the options (and there were many!), we were quite happy with what the site offered and how it added some fun and whimsy to traditional "hard" core courses like math and science.


NatureGlo's eScience Review



First, to understand what's offered, you have to know about MathArt. What a term! First, you may not even realize that math and art are so interconnected, but within a few days of using this online resource, it will become quite apparent to you and your kids that they are. Some of the topics covered in these courses include:

  • Leonardo Davinci
  • Polygons in nature
  • The Fibonacci sequence
  • The geometry of snowflakes
and so much more!

My sons have a natural curiosity for art, but they are also geared toward the sciences and engineering. This made the course bundle a perfect fit for them, but it's also a great way to get less eager science and math students attracted to these courses through art -- which everyone seems to enjoy.

How the courses work


When you log into your dashboard, you'll see some of the featured courses. Click on the My Courses tab to see everything you can access. If you scroll down to the very bottom, you'll also see a Science Courses Roadmap. This is the best way to get through all of the courses in an organized manner, assuming you want to cover everything. If not, you can pick and choose the courses that would appeal to your child, like we did with the MathArt: Patterns and Shapes in Nature course.

Once you select a course, click on it, and it will give you lots of instructions on how to proceed, including:
  • How to start a virtual class or pre-recorded session
  • How to access slideshows and external videos
  • How to save your progress and earn digital rewards
  • How to submit a project or comment on the class 
You can use this class in any way you see fit, including just watching the pre-recorded sessions and having your child show you the work they come up with. If you want to be more interactive, however, there is comment section for each course. And, you are always welcome to share your kids' projects with the instructor through the methods mentioned in each course outline. 


(Note: You can watch just the slideshow, which is covered in the recorded "main lesson videos." You'll miss out on the teacher commentary, however. If you do watch the main lesson video, you'll see recordings of students going through the courses, including their questions, tech issues, etc. If you're pressed on time, you can skip through some of the additional video to get to the "core" lesson.)





What the lessons are like


What can you expect when using a course? First, be prepared to be amazed a how science and math and art intersect. Even if you are using one of the many animal courses (such as the Herps Zoology I and II courses), you'll see the way nature has presented so many amazing art lessons to us in the things we see and hear.


Some courses are just one lesson. Others require weeks of study. There's even a unit study or two for very flexible, self-contained learning. I really like that there's so much variety, but it will take a little time to look through all of the courses and figure out which ones are suited to your child's skill level, interest, and time allotment. I can see some of these, like the Herps courses, taking up more time for older kids, while the shorter "Intro" classes being more appropriate for a day course for younger kids. 


Whatever you chooose, however, this is a very collaborative learning experience. If you have little ones and older ones in the same room, they can easily work together to watch the videos, chat about the things learned, and create a project as a team.



Here's an example of a 6-week course offered in the bundle:


Additional details about these courses

I've already shared that these classes can be as structured or as casual as you want, depending on your family's needs. While some of the one-lesson courses may require you to assign a grade based on your child's understanding or enthusiasm, the higher-level classes, such as the Marine Biology course showed above, do allow for some formal grading. This class, for example, takes kids through several video lessons and review exercises before giving them access to some premade Quizlets. These Quizlet windows are embedded right into the course content, so you don't have to leave the site to access them. (If' you're not familiar with Quizlets, they are a neat app that tests for comprehension, and it's thoughtful of the course creator to be using this tool within the course program.)




You can, of course, not count your child's Quizlet scores, but if you're using this for high school science, it's a great way to gauge what your kid is learning.


There are also quite a few videos, resources, and activities that are not created by NatureGlo's eScience but that are necessary to complete the courses. These are provided in a way that kids can either view the content as an embedded window or file on the course page, or will be told when they will navigate away from the site. Parents should allow new browser windows or files to be opened while the kids are working on their courses so that they can get to the information they need. If you have browser monitoring software on your computer, this may need to be tweaked during the course use.





NatureGlo's eScience Review Summary

If you're looking for something different for science this year, you may have one of the best options out there with NatureGlo's eScience. It takes a bit to get used to at first, but once you figure out how to navigate within the site -- as well as access external documents and videos -- you can get your pacing and really learn some cool things in a short period of time.


I like that they include both traditional core "science' courses such as marine biology and Herps, but there are some just-for-fun things like an M.C. Escher course that's fun and enlightening and still ties into math and science. If you're looking for a neat way to break up the monotony of science, this collection of courses may be for you. Membership gets you access for an entire year for the courses in the bundle. 


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