History

Moving Beyond The Page {Crew Review}

July 10, 2014 by Dana

Have you ever found a curriculum that simply blows you away and makes you reconsider everything you’ve ever used for homeschooling? For me that curriculum company is Moving Beyond the Page. Their unit studies are so thorough, so simple to use and yet so much fun!

For this review, we were given access to our choice of products. Trust me, this was NOT an easy decision to make. Since we have been studying the Revolutionary War in relation to our Hometown of Georgetown, SC, I choose two units that I thought we best fit to our current lessons. For our Language Arts Package, I chose Abigail Adams and for our History Package, I chose Revolution.

{Language Arts – Abigail Adams, History – Revolution}

As soon as I saw Moving Beyond the Page listed as one of our vendors, I knew I didn’t want to miss out. I reviewed another set of packaged programs for this company with the Schoolhouse Team last year and we absolutely LOVED it. I wanted to see if we’d feel the same way this year and I’m happy to say we still LOVE them.
Our Language Arts Package provided us with an online guidebook to use and a physical book to read to learn all about the life of Abigail Adams. The book we received is Abigail Adams Witness to a Revolution by Natalie S. Bober. It is filled with information on Mrs. Adams life and the things she saw during this important time in the early beginning of America.

The online guide for Abigail Adams provides a wonderful lesson plan which is simple to follow. You simply log into the website and follow the links. There are activity pages that can be printed out to use with the lessons being learned. There are also bonus suggestions from others to help you extend your lessons even farther. I really enjoy the formatting of the online guide and the extra content that helps to bring the lessons to life.

I must admit though, my children found the book on Mrs. Adams lengthy and slightly boring and so did I since I was reading it to them. I think this book and lesson package would be better suited for a more structured homeschool setting than ours. I was able to find readings from various websites and books from the library to help us make our lessons more interesting. There were some areas where reading the information provided in the book Abigail Adams Witness to a Revolution could not be avoided and we read through and did learn a lot from the reading.

For our History Package, we were sent a physical copy of the Revolution Guidebook, along with the hands-on book Great Colonial America Projects You Can Build Yourself by Kris Bordessa and We Were There, Too! Young People in US History by Phillip Hoose. I will admit this package was immediately a favorite of both myself and the kiddos. Both these books are amazing and they add so much to the lesson itself.

Great Colonial America Projects contains so many interesting facts and super-fun projects to complete! It includes words to know which can be used for Vocabulary exercises and also for copywork. It features different persons from the time period throughout the book, providing a better look at those important historical figures and their influence on American History. This book also gives timeline tidbits would could easily be used to create a physical timeline in your lessons. There are so many things we learned from this one little book!

We Were There, Too! is a beautiful book itself. It’s a glossy covered, hardback book that is sturdily made. It reads like a textbook but the stories are so interesting. They really draw the reader in and the students as well. Beginning with the discovery of America, this book takes you on a long walk through History. One that you won’t soon forget.

We Were There, Too! also contains new words that can be used for Vocabulary, Spelling, Copywork and more. Lessons on the specific people who made History happen can be easily expanded upon though the book is pretty thorough in examining these people and is historically accurate in it’s information. This book is a wonderful addition to our lessons and our homeschooling.

The Revolution Guidebook is approximately 168 pages long. It begins with covering history from the settling of America which did surprise me, as I was expecting it to only cover the actual Revolutionary period and the War itself. I was thrilled to discover it began with America’s settlement and covered some information that we had already been discussing in our homeschooling over the weeks before we began this study.

The guidebooks for both of these packages are written so that the teacher can jump right in and begin right away. The packages come with the books and some packages come with extra activities that may otherwise be hard to locate so that you can easily begin the study. These packages are set up as unit studies and as most unit studies do, they cover the information being learned thoroughly both by providing excellent reading selections with the chosen books and by providing a thorough and completely planned guidebook to direct the teacher through the lesson.

We used these unit studies together in conjuction as much as possible. They fit well together, since Abigail Adams was a witness to the Revolution which we were discussing in the Revolution study. We used these lessons almost daily over the review period and we learned a lot from them. We also learned a lot about the history of our hometown, and nearby Charleston in the process. We enjoyed how the lessons brought so much of our home’s past to life for us.
The guidebooks provide lessons activities, extensions, suggestions for extra books to read and so much more. Best yet, they are so so so easy to follow. We have learned so much with these lesson packages in such a short time because of the simple and easy layout which makes it easy to jump right in and learn. I’m really considering switching other parts of our learning program to Moving Beyond the Page because of the ease of using the program and it’s completeness.

The packaging prices aren’t bad either. The Language Arts Package for Abigail Adams with the Online Guidebook is priced as $26.88 at time of this review. This includes access to the guidebook online and the physical book Abigail Adams: Witness to a Revolution. This package is designed for use with students ages 12-14 or who have a reading level of 8-9th grade.

The History Package for Revolution with a printed copy of the guidebook is $65.93. It comes with the guidebook in print copy, a copy of Great Colonial American Projects You Can Build Yourself and We Were There, Too!: Young People in US History. This package is designed for use with students age 12-14 or who have a reading level of 8-9th grade.

You can also find Moving Beyond the Page on Facebook:

www.facebook.com/movingbeyondthepage

To read more reviews of Moving Beyond the Page and see other curriculum packages available, please click on the banner below!

Veritas Press Self-Paced History: Old Testament and Ancient Egypt {Crew Review}

July 2, 2014 by Dana

Veritas Press is an amazing company with amazing curriculum that we truly love. For this review, we used their Self-Paced History program. I chose the Old Testament and Ancient Egypt for Emmalee to work through.

Emmalee is 11 and is an exceptional student. She bores easily when she learns because she absorbs knowledge in lessons so quickly and most programs do not teach enough factual information for her, so I knew this program would be perfect for her to use. She’s great using a computer and had no issues learning to maneuver through the program. The fact that it is self-paced was perfect for her since it allowed her to work without having to wait on me to teach her or wait for my other children to reach her next lesson.

Veritas Press courses begin with thorough lessons in how to use their programming. This section of the lesson really teaches the student how to use every single aspect of the program so they get the best results in learning. They cover everything from how to move forward and back with the browser buttons, to how to complete online tests and everything in between. I liked the thoroughness because it alleviated the need for me to be right beside Emmalee as she learned with the Self-Paced History course.

I chose the Old Testament and Ancient Egypt course for Emmalee because she has a recent interest in learning about the old world and way of life. Her current interest is actually Dinosaurs and Pre-Historic creatures but I knew that this section of history would be of interest to her as well. She loves learning about the long-ago past and what better way than through a study of the Old Testament and of Ancient Egypt’s life and culture.

Since the course is self-paced, Emmalee was able to work on as many lessons as she wished in a day and take as long as needed to complete them. In our home, we do not focus on “grades” but we do focus on learning. The information provided in this program was wonderful for her and she learned so much.

The program does give a grade, as it does test the student in the lessons being covered as the student works through the program. These tests are done directly on the computer and the student often has multiple choice answers to choose from. Emma did well with her test but not quite as well as I would have liked because she didn’t have all the needed components for the review until the review period was almost past. She was missing the very important History Cards that are covered within each part of the lesson. Once these cards arrived in the mail, her learning increased. Like me, Emma is a person who needs everything together and ready to go in order to work and missing even one thing will throw her lessons completely off kilter.

The Veritas Press History Cards are beautiful designed flashcards created to go along with the lessons in the program. They are an important part of the program as they contain lots of information about the lesson being learned. They are also great for lesson reviewing and reminders between the lessons being learned. Each section of the program focuses on a different card but some cards are reviewed as the lessons are worked through.

Veritas Press Self-Paced History: Old Testament and Ancient Egypt covers 32 important historical events from this time period. The course has 160 class periods to learn in, giving a student a full year of History to learn. It is expected that lessons range from 30 – 50 minutes each and will depend on the pace of your child. It is recommended that 5 lessons per week be completed to be able to finish the program in a year’s time.

The program is interactive and includes videos, games, and more. Some memorization is expected and your child should be independant enough to follow along with the programs instructions before using this program. Also material testing is a part of the lessons for this program.

Veritas Press Self-Paced History: Old Testament and Ancient Egypt is for students in 2nd – 6th grades. The website recommends the program for children older than age 7. Additional literature packages can be purchased to go along with this program as well.

The cost for Veritas Press Self-Paced History: Old Testament and Ancient Egypt is $199 for a year. There is a sibling discount available if you have more than one child working through the program. The Veritas Press History Cards for the Old Testament and Ancient Egypt are available for $19.95.

You can find Veritas Press online in the following places:

Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/veritaspress

Twitter — https://twitter.com/veritaspress

Pinterest – https://www.pinterest.com/source/veritaspress.com/

Google+ — https://plus.google.com/100404634762414542020/about

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C is for Charles Towne Landing {Blogging Through The Alphabet}

May 22, 2014 by Dana

C is for Charles Towne Landing

Last week we had another doctor appointment in Charleston. Since we were in the area, we decided to take a field trip as well. One of our favorite places to visit is Charles Towne Landing, a South Carolina State Park.

Viewing and listening to the first exhibit in the park museum.

My first visit to Charles Towne Landing was in 4th grade with my public school class. That one visit stuck with me for my entire life, so when my children were born, I knew Charles Towne Landing would be one place that I wanted my children to see with me. Charles Towne is also a childhood favorite of Josh’s, so it’s a place he enjoys visiting as well.

Charles Towne Landing is located in beautiful Charleston, South Carolina right on a marsh off the Ashley River. This park represents the establishment of the birthplace of the first Carolina Colony at Charleston, where a group of English Settlers first landed in 1670. The park is filled with historical representations of the original Carolina Colony.

This was Jackson’s very first field trip!

You begin your visit to Charles Towne Landing with a stop at the Visitor’s Center, where you can pay for entrance to the park. The fees are low at $10 per adult, $6.50 per Senior Citizen, $6 for Youth ages 6-15 and children under 5 get in free. If you purchase a South Carolina State Park Passport Plus, then who ever is in your vehicle while you visit gets in free of charge. The park is open daily from 9am-5pm, closed on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. Audio tours are also available for $5 a person.

Reading the map, that is free with entrance, to decide where we will head first.

At the Visitor’s Center, you can pick up a paper map of the park. The map shows every wonderful place to visit in the park and is free to visitors. It helps you to not get lost and not miss a single fun part of the park. To view a map of the park click here!

While you are at the visitor’s center, you can take a look around at the wonderful trinkets, stuffed animals, books and more related to the early days of South Carolina’s settlement. There are tons of replica pieces of the past available for purchase that help support South Carolina’s State Parks. We recently picked up some beautiful natural stone bracelets, Indian drum toys, and a set of stones to sort and learn more about.

Colonial man trading with a local American Indian.

In the back of the Visitor’s Center, is a small museum filled with so much interesting information about the early English settlers and the first Carolina Colony. There are examples of the ships’ storage, the early Indians found here in SC, portraits of early founders and specific people who were important to early SC history. This entire section of the building is filled with beautiful examples of our state’s history.

Exploration and examples of what the ships carried.

There are two paths into the park: one leads to the gardens through the back of the Visitor’s center and the other leads to the Animal park and main center of Charles Towne Landing. We usually go through the park gardens first.

These gardens are absolutely gorgeous, especially in the spring when they are in bloom. In the gardens, you will find a picnic area, as well as a picnic area outside the main entrance to the park. You will also find Christopher’s Garden which states Christopher’s age as 10. It is a small area intended for prayer.

The paths of the garden cross over the many beautiful ponds throughout the property where you can view turtles, Egret, Blue Herring, large fish and even alligator. There are many other beautiful, wild animals found within the park as well. Benches are appropriately placed throughout to stop and view the wildlife and flowers.

A white Egret and a Blue Herring in one of the many ponds at Charles Towne Landing.

Also in the gardens, you will find the Wedding Garden. This beautiful space is perfectly designed to celebrate your wonderful day, if you choose. It also makes a great backdrop for photographs. There are small benches and a large white arbor in the garden in front of the beautiful ponds.

The gorgeous Wedding Garden behind the Legare-Waring House.

The gardens lead to the Legare-Waring House. The home was built in the 1840’s for the Waring family. The house is in the same pristine style and condition as when built and is a wonderful representation of life and style in the 1800’s. The home can also be rented for weddings.

The beautifully designed, wrought iron gates that lead to the Legare-Waring House.

Cobblestones in front of the Legare-Waring House. So beautiful to see!

Facing the Legare – Waring House is the beautiful Avenue of Oaks. The beauty of this particular sector of the park is indescribable. It is set exactly as you see on those old southern plantation style movies. The trees themselves are steeped in Spanish Moss. Walking across this beautifully designed path, beneath the gorgeous oak trees is liking taking a step back into the past. This is one of my favorites in the park.

Three photos of the beautiful Avenue of Oaks in front of the Legare-Waring House.

Past the Avenue of Oaks, you will find a replication of the original excavation of the Charles Towne Landing site, as well as a small cabin, complete with a small garden that shows how the Colonists lived upon first settling the area. The building’s roof is thatched and the timbers are tarred to keep them long lasting. The garden is just enough to support a family coming to America for the first time.

Example of an early settlement at Charles Towne Landing.

Thatched roof and siding on building.

Inside the small cabin at the settlement.

Further down the path is a bridge to view the beautiful natural marsh that surrounds Charles Towne Landing. There we see small crabs, the footprints of deer, raccoon, and many other wild animals. It’s truly a gorgeous thing to see and a great way to compare various natural habits for animals.

As you continue on this path, you come to my children’s favorite part of the park: The Adventure. The Adventure is a 17th Century replica trading vessel from Colonial times. It is water-worthy and has been out to Sea to test it’s accuracy.

We always spend time exploring the Adventure. My children love to climb down the steps into the ships hull and view the captains quarters, as well as into the beds to see what it was like to sleep in such a tiny space. They help pump water from the ship and to lower the anchor using the old-fashioned mechanisms found on the Adventure. It’s truly a lot of fun to see.

Outside the ship during low tide, you can see minnow, oyster beds laying against the sides of the dock and shore, turtles, and so much more. There is also a replica of a ship being built to view and a rope tying area to practice your roping skills.

Further down this path is another replica building that is much larger than the previous tiny cabin. This represents the servants quarters and includes a wooden broom, a large working fire pit, examples of furniture and other things used in Colonial times. There is even a bowling pit outside of this building to play, just like children would have who lived in the 1700’s.

Across from this building is the Gun platform. Here you can find large mounds with various Cannon in place, ready to protect the fort of Charles Towne Landing. You can also see a replica tent that early soldiers would have used to sleep and stay in.

A bit further down the path are the Stocks, where thieves and prisoners were kept. This is another favorite of our family. We love to lock each other up (there aren’t locks, just replicas). The kids always get a good laugh out of this part of the park.

Lock used on the small cabin mentioned above.

Through the Palisades, you come to the Horry-Lucas site. This is a excavation of a home that once stood on this site in the park. There you will find a brick chimney remnant, a stone bathtub that was built into the home and other interesting tidbits.

Further up the paths, you will find large, beautifully erected statues representing the American Indians that once lived in this area. The ceremonial center showcases the history of these tribes and helps to bring America’s heritage to life. This area also contains a true African-American cemetery where generations of slaves were laid to rest.

Our final favorite place in the park is the Animal Zoo. This 22 acre natural habitat is home to black bear, bison, raccoon, local birds, otter, and many other beautiful creatures who were natural to the area at the time of settlement. It always amazes us to see these beautiful animals and think they once roamed freely throughout our home.

Charles Towne Landing is a true sight to see and a wonderful field trip for anyone in the Charleston area. If you are visiting or planing a visit to South Carolina, add this state park to your must visit list! If you’re a local, invest in a state park pass and start visiting today. With South Carolina’s State Park Passport Plus, you can visit this park as many times a year as you wish.

We hope you have enjoyed this tour of one of our favorite places to visit. Where is your favorite place to go for local field trips?

God’s World News: God’s Big World {Crew Review}

October 21, 2013 by Dana

Have you been looking for a way to teach World News in your home? How about a way to teach Current Events? Would you like a Christian perspective to help teach these subjects? God’s World News is a great source for all of these things.

World News Group, the company that publishes God’s World News, has been around for over thirty years. This wonderful company provides the news from a Christian perspective for children and adults of all ages. For our review, we were given a free subscription to God’s Big World, a magazine for children who are in grade Pre-K to Kindergarten.

I chose this subscription particularly for Laycie, who I knew would enjoy having something just for her coming in the mail. I also knew she would enjoy learning about Earth’s creatures, how the world works, simple current events and much more through this magazine. Not only was Laycie able to learn so much, her brother and sister, who are ages 10 and 12, also enjoyed looking through the magazines and reading them to her. This subscription is perfect in so many ways for our entire family!

The magazines are short. The months that I received for review contained around 25 pages each, give or take. The paper is like newspaper print but full of color. The images are crisp and clear and the writing is simple yet jam-packed with so much information! Each time the kids would read through, it seems they would learn something new which is very important to me and something I look for in every magazine subscription we use.

Each article is fairly short and not overwhelming for Laycie at age 5. Topics vary throughout the magazine and coincide with events and seasons for the time of year. Since God’s Big World shares articles covering the entire world, these topics provided lessons for other countries that we may have otherwise missed.

We were sent a large map to go along with our magazines. This map is titled Map-It in the News and allows Laycie and the big kids to follow along and “see” where things are happening in the world. We can write on the map or pin it, or put on stickers we obtain as it is ours to keep to help support the stories we read in the magazine. I thought this was a great bonus to the lessons provide and if you can have the map laminated, it would probably be a wonderful tool for years to come.

We were also given access to the World News website online with our subscription. Here you can view back issues of the magazine, as well as current events happening in the world daily. Provided online is also a digital version of the print Map-It in the News map.

There are also lessons online that can be completed. The lessons include a story, a comparison of the bible into life and a quiz to see what the child has learned. This is a great way to further lessons learned from the actual print magazine.

There are also biographies provided which go along with sections from the magazines and help to expand those lessons. The biographies discuss important persons from around the world. There are quizzes listed at the end of these online articles as well.

You can also download PDF files of the magazines to view straight on the computer. The PDF copies contain the same information as the print copies and is a great digital way to keep up with the lessons. You can use these if something happens to your print copy or if you have another child who’d like to read the stories but can’t because a sibling doesn’t want to share. I found this to be a great extra.

God’s World News and God’s Big World has been such a blessing for us! We have really enjoyed reading the articles. I loved the photos shared in the article on the Civil War in the August edition and both Emma and Laycie enjoyed the one about Wild Ponies in the September edition of our subscription. There were so many more that we also enjoyed looking at, reading together and sharing in what we read and learned.

I allowed each of the kids to take one magazine to look over, then switch. I let them read at will and peruse the images and articles. I allowed them to discuss them with one another. We also looked over and discussed them together. Even though these articles are relatively short, they pack a lot of learning into each section and page which provided so much knowledge for my children. We really enjoyed that.

You can order a subscription to God’s World News by visiting their website. God’s Big World is written for young children in grade Pre-K through Kindergarten. It is available for $28 for a Home subscription but can also be ordered for a group or a school. This includes 10 full-color issues for the year, a weekly email and access to the children’s website.

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YWAM Publishing – George Washington: True Patriot and Unit Study {Crew Review}

October 11, 2013 by Dana

George Washington is the first President of the United States and one of the most well-known names of U.S. History. He is a favorite in our household and a person that we each truly look up to. So when I heard that YWAM Publishing was offering to allow the Schoolhouse Review Crew review their book George Washington: True Patriot from the Heroes of History series, I was excited!

For this review, I received a PDF download of George Washington: True Patriot, the book. This book is 224 pages in length and includes 19 chapters each focusing a different aspect of Washington’s life. Washington was destined for Great Purpose and George Washington: True Patriot shares his story with us.

We always enjoy reading books on George Washington. Washington traveled here, to Georgetown, SC in 1791 and visited several nearby places. He was greeted here by cannon fire and uniformed Infantry before moving on to his next destination.

Living in Georgetown, in close proximity to Charleston, SC, we are able to personally visit the places where President Washington walked, attended balls, had a meal and even lodged for the night. Washington saved a tree on a nearby plantation that we have seen first hand and he left behind a legacy that myself and my children can look up to. George Washington: True Patriot only proved that to us even more.

To go along with the book, we were given a PDF download of the George Washington: Unit Study Curriculum Guide in two parts. Part one is 64 pages long and begins with sharing a photo of George Washington himself with birth and death date below. The entire PDF is in black and white, making printing more efficient.

There are 9 sections and 2 appendices in the George Washington: Unit Study and it was specifically created to go along with the book, George Washington: True Patriot. The unit study reinforces creative writing, critiquing, History and Geography concepts and so much more. The entire guide is set up to allow the teacher to pick and choose activities that will work with their student’s learning style and abilities. The unit study can also be easily adapted for group studies which worked great for us!

The guide begins by teaching the student about Key Quotes speaking of Washington’s life and related to the United States personally. There are suggestions for setting up a display corner to focus on certain aspects about George Washington which will be covered during the reading and study of the book. Chapter questions are provided to further expand on the lessons and to check comprehension of the readings during this study.

The 4th Chapter is called Explorations and provides the meat of the study in suggesting Essay topics, audio, visual and art projects which bring the study to life. These explorations show what the reader is learning and bring Washington to life. Combined with Chapter 5’s community links, this really challenges the student to expand lessons past the book itself.

In the section labeled Social Studies, the student will focus on Vocabulary, Geography, time line events and similar lessons. Connecting into the lessons in Exploration, these build a thorough lesson for the story of George Washington’s life. They can be expanded further through the suggestions in the Related Themes section of the unit study. There is also a section on resources that shares other books to read and movies to watch which help to expand lessons even farther.

Part two of the George Washington: Unit Study provides a fact sheet on George Washington, complete with photograph. It also includes a map of the Eastern United States and a map of Virginia and West Virginia to use along with the study. A timeline finishes up this 4 page section of the Unit Study.

My family and I greatly enjoyed reading about President Washington’s life and his belief in the United States, as well as his belief in God. His Biblical foundation was apparent in every section of the story and showed the values that he wished for all Americans. It was nice to read of the man who began the country and projected his faith onto the new nations beginnings.

We learned so much from George Washington: True Patriot and the accompanying George Washington: Unit Study and you will too! Purchase your copy of George Washington: True Patriot for $6.99 in either print or e-book form. The George Washington: Unit Study is also available for purchase for $7.49 and is the perfect complement to the book creating a full study of the First American President and this True Patriot, George Washington.

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Alone, Yet Not Alone {Propeller Review}

August 27, 2013 by Dana

I received Alone, Yet Not Alone by Tracy Leininger Craven a few weeks ago from FlyBy Promotions (Propeller Reviews). I was completely expecting this book to be like any other tale from the past and I had little knowledge about the story that it held inside. A few days after receiving the book, I began reading it and could not put it down.

Alone, Yet Not Alone tells the story of Barbara Leininger and her family. Barbara is a great ancestor of the book’s author and her story has been passed down until it was written into this book. This true story will leave you on edge and captivated as you read through it.

Barbara and her family live in a Valley bordering Penn’s Creek. They are hard working settlers, who don’t bother a soul. They have a kinship with the local Indian tribes and have no fear of harm despite the recent wars going on around them.

That is, until a rogue Indian tribe visits their home, killing Barbara’s father and brother, killing friends and neighbors and taking Barbara, her sister and other women and children hostage. Barbara has no idea of what will happen in her future, only that she must try to remain alive, have faith in God to keep her and her sister safe. She must lean on her faith and remember God’s Word until she finds a way to escape and return home.

Alone, Yet Not Alone is an amazing story of triumph, God’s Will and Faith. The journey you are taken on within the pages of this story are unimaginable, yet they happened to many not so long ago. This book leaves you wanting to know what happens and if Barbara and her sister will make it through.

This book is written for ages 8 and up. It would make a great addition to any home library. It’s a great story to add into your homeschooling history program as a read-aloud or as a personal story to read. It is one we will be reading together in the future ourselves.

Alone, Yet Not Alone is being made into a motion picture, set to release September 27, 2013. This amazing story will be available to see and I, personally, can hardly wait! As soon as I finished the book, I knew this was a movie I would not want to miss!

Alone, Yet Not Alone is available for purchase for $9.99 from ZonderKids and Zondervan.

*Disclaimer – I received a free paperback copy of Alone, Yet Not Alone from FlyBy Promotions and Propeller Reviews in exchange for my honest opinion shared in a blog post. I’m including this disclaimer in accordance with FTC Guidelines and Regulations.