Home School in the Woods Time Travelers: New World Explorers Review

Disclaimer: I received a complimentary 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.

My family had the privilege of trying the Time Travelers U.S. History Studies New World Explorers from Home School in the Woods for this review to use in conjunction with our own curriculum at home. This is a Homeschool Review Crew Review. All opinions expressed are my own or those of my family.

Home School in the Woods is a family run business that creates Christian based history curriculum for homeschooling. This curriculum immerses your student in the topic. It is very hands-on with lapbooks, timelines, recipes, art, creative writing, notebook projects, dramatized audio theater, maps, crafts, projects, re-enactments, file-folder games, vocabulary to learn, etc.

The Time Traveler American History Studies are a seven part series that starts with the New World Explorers and concludes at the end of World War II. These are recommended for grades 3-8. There are two different versions you can purchase, a CD version or a digital download version. With the CD version everything that you access and print is on the CD. With the digital download version you download a zipped file, place all of the contents into a folder on your computer, and access it by the start.htm file that is in that folder. We received the digital download version.

 

Left: Main Menu, Right: Lessons 1-5

 

We found that there was a lot of preparation that needed to happen before getting started. There is a lot of things needing printed, items needing prepared for crafts and other projects, and general preparation of materials before one can begin the travel. The Beginning of the main menu includes: Acknowledgements / Copyrights and Usage / Bibliography, Introduction, Tips to Consider Before Starting..., and Teacher Helps which gives you a great foundation. Teacher Helps guides you with preparation and organization, gives you a Lesson Planner schedule to help you see an overview of the things being taught and Additional Resources to pull from. It also includes the printables for the 3-Ring Binder Covers and the Teacher Keys for the timeline.

Each study has twenty-five lessons and is supposed to last roughly 5-10 weeks depending upon how quickly everything is completed. These lessons have reading Text Pages and an activity that go with them. Project Pages accompany these to give directions, list of supplies needed, printing instructions, and illustrations for each project and activity. Masters are provided for all printables.

In the Other Resources section at the end of the main menu there are some visuals and directions to help you with the projects, activities, and lapbook. These include: All Master Pages in numerical order, A Gallery of Project Photos (final photos of what projects should look like at the end), and Lap Book Instructions. You can also have your student catch up with the five Project Days that are included in the schedule. The student will compile a lapbook in the 24th lesson. This lapbook is pieced together throughout the studies. The final lesson is a party with a theme that goes along with the series to celebrate the end of the study. These are very flexible and you can pick and choose what projects work best for your family.

You will need a few items to get you through the lessons:

• Working Printer
• Color and Black Ink for the printer to cover all the printing that will be happening
• White and Colored Printer Paper
• White and Colored Cardstock (this is best, but admittedly we didn't have any of this and used only white printer paper and it worked OK)
• One 3-Ring Binder for the Teacher's Binder (reading text, project direction pages, the "Guide-at-a-Glance," teacher keys, and any of the other teacher helps)
• One 3-Ring Binder for the Scrapbook of Sights (student binder for all notebook projects including)
• Colored File Folders or Colored Pocket Folders with Fasteners
• Scissors and/or an X-acto Knife (when using an X-acto Knife you will need a thick piece of cardboard or self healing mat to use as a cutting surface)
• Crayons, Markers, or Colored Pencils to color the pictures, if desired
• Glue
• Other Craft supplies specified for each of the different projects that your student wants to do

 

Lessons for Time Travelers American History Study: New World Explorers:

1. What is an Explorer?
2. The Life of an Explorer - Pt. 1
3. The Life of an Explorer - Pt. 2
4. Ship Ahoy!
5. PROJECT DAY - 1
6. Navigation
7. Brendan, Eriksson, & Columbus
8. Cabot & Vespucci
9. Ponce de León & Balboa
10. PROJECT DAY - 2
11. Pizarro & Magellan
12. Verrazano & Cortés
13. Cartier & de Soto
14. Coronado & Drake
15. PROJECT DAY - 3
16. Cabrillo & Ribaut
17. Raleigh & Smith
18. Oñate, Champlain, & Hudson
19. Bering & Cook
20. PROJECT DAY - 4
21. Pirates! - Pt. 1
22. Pirates! - Pt. 2
23. PROJECT DAY - 5
24. Pulling Together the Lap Book™
25. Exploration Celebration

Zari coloring the binder cover and spine.

 

How We Used This and Our Thoughts:
I enlisted my daughter Zari, who was in 4th grade this past school year, to learn about New World Explorers. She has loved doing Home School in the Woods in the past. This is supposed to be for 3rd through 8th graders so most of the projects she did very well on. She did need my help with some of the more advanced projects and writing assignments and it took her a lot longer to get through some of the written assignments than it might have taken for my older kids. I learned quite a bit too while helping her with this study.

We have been learning about an explorer and ship that is tied to the history out here. The Columbia Rediviva was under the command of John Kendrick and Captain Robert Grey. They sailed in the Pacific Northwest for the maritime fur trade. They used the Columbia River as a key transportation route. This ship is said to have been the model for the local high school being "The Columbians". The Home School in the Woods Time Travelers: New World Explorers goes hand-in-hand with what we have been studying.

 

My girls with a chainsaw carved sea captain sculpture at Rainier Jr Sr High in Dec. 2017.

 

This study was jam packed with information. This is all about early U.S. History. It is about the explorers that discovered the new world. In the weeks we had before this review we learned about explorers, their life, and ships, etc. There are creative writing, recipes of the era, notebook timeline, factfile cards, file folder games, penmanship pages, notebooking activities, three-dimensional projects, arts and crafts, lapbooking, and a Exploration Celebration to bring the whole unit to a close. We still have not gotten through all the lessons, but we have enjoyed everything that we have done thus far.

 

Zari coloring the ship and learning about ship's anatomy.

This was differently laid out than the Project Passports I was used to. There were no stops or pretending to be on a trip and these did not have any audio files to listen to. Like Project Passport though, the instructions are not hard, but there is a lot of things to set up and print out initially and throughout the program....so be aware of that and set some time aside to begin with to get things done so you are not overwhelmed.

Zari really liked our project time together the most. She loves art and making things. She especially loved tying nautical knots, making dried apples, making flags, learning about the ship's anatomy, making and drinking lime juice, and singing sea shanties. We can't wait to make the ship out of a large box that we acquired, dress up like pirates or seaman, find constellations in the night sky for navigation, making navigational tools, and make some of the recipes, etc. We are learning a lot and are enjoying every moment. These are so much fun!

Dried fruit was a main staple of food on a ship while exploring.

 

I highly recommend the Time Travelers American History Study: New World Explorers from Home School in the Woods. This is great for anyone homeschooling who might need some help with teaching about explorers in the new world in a highly educational, fun, and very hands-on way. This is a great stand-alone unit study or can be used to supplement something already being taught. This would also be perfect for those wanting something fun to do with their kids in the summer time. I am looking forward to reviewing more from Home School in the Woods in the future and learning more about United States history with this study!

 

BUY IT
You can purchase the download version of the Time Travelers U.S. History Studies New World Explorers from Home School in the Woods for $27.95 and CD version for $28.95.

Download the scope and sequence, look at a sample lesson, see photo examples of projects, and watch a video of "What is a Time Traveler" when you click the link above, to get more of an idea about the program.

Follow Them on Social Media:

• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/homeschoolinthewoods 
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/HSintheWoods 
• Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/hsinthewoods/ 
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/homeschoolinthewoods/ 
• Hashtags: #hsreviews #HomeSchoolintheWoods #HSitW #TimeTravelers #NewWorldExplorers #history #unitstudies #lapbooks #lapbooking #HistoryUnitStudies #HomeschoolHistory #handsonhistory #historyforkids #historycurriculum #ushistory #americanhistory #americanhistorystudies #americanhistorycurriculum 

 

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YWAM Publishing Heroes of History George Washington Carver: From Slave to Scientist and Unit Study Curriculum Guide Review

 

Disclaimer: I received a complimentary 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.

My family had the privilege of reading the Heroes of History - George Washington Carver from YWAM Publishing for this review to use in conjunction with our own curriculum at home. This is a Homeschool Review Crew Review. All opinions expressed are my own or those of my family.

YWAM (YOUTH WITH A MISSION) Publishing is a nonprofit organization that produces and distributes books that help Christians make a difference in the world by giving a portion of every dollar spent to buy books through YWAM Publishing to children and adults in other countries that are in need. Their books focus on evangelism, educational training, prayer, discipleship, and mercy ministries.

YWAM Publishing has two popular book series; one called Heroes of History and the other called Christian Heroes: Then & Now; in which true stories are told of real people that lived in our history. In the Heroes of History series we learn about great men and woman who changed the course of history. In the Christian Heroes: Then & Now series we learn about ordinary people who have put their trust in God and in doing so accomplish extraordinary things. Both of these book series help us as: parents, teachers, and caretakers; give our children wholesome biographies to read or be read to that teach good character traits, values, and virtues.

 

George Washington Carver: From Slave to Scientist

 

George Washington Carver: From Slave to Scientist by Janet & Geoff Benge is part of a series of 29 biography books called Heroes of History by YWAM Publishing. This series covers the years 1451 to 1951. This book tells the true life story of George Washington Carver who was a brilliant American agricultural scientist, inventor, and professor. This Christian biography book from YWAM Publishing about George Washington Carver teaches great character traits, values, and virtues too. This book covers the years 1864 to 1943. It chronicles his life from a baby to his death in 1943. It is a total of 16 chapters and 189 pages long.

 

George Washington Carver Unit Study download page tab.

The Unit Study Curriculum Guide that is paired with the George Washington Carver: From Slave to Scientist book that I received was in the digital downloadable format and opened as an executable file. The digital version is downloadable in a zipped format, so you will have to unzip before you use it. After selecting where it will go on your computer, unzip it, and find the folder it placed it all into. Find the file version you need: __MACOSX for Macintosh and the other for PC. Click on the file that has START HERE in its title and it will open in a new window in your browser. You can then read a very short synopsis of the biography under the George Washington Carver tab, download the unit study under the Unit Study tab, etc.

The Unit Study downloads in PDF format. It also has a 25 page guide for classroom and homeschool as well as a 12 page guide for a small group that tells you how to best use the unit study. This shows how flexible you can be with the unit study. You can do the whole study or just parts of it. It is all up to you how you use it. The unit study goes in depth to help you go above and beyond the book and explore other areas that pertain to the material like: crafts, cooking, art, and writing assignments; has questions to ask your children to see if they comprehended the reading, and quotes to use as copywork to enhance handwriting or memorization. The unit study is broken into two parts.

Here is the Unit Study Curriculum Guide Contents:
Part 1 -
Introduction (how to use the study)

1. Key Quotes (great for copywork, memorization, theatrical presentation, or art display)
2. Display Corner (an area designated for hands on display of items relating to the reading)
3. Chapter Questions (questions that enhance the reading: 1 vocabulary, 1 factual, 2 comprehension, and 2 open-ended)
4. Student Explorations (essay questions, creative writing, hands-on projects, audio/visual projects, arts & crafts)
5. Community Links (field trip ideas)
6. Social Studies (places, journeys, terms/vocabulary, geographical characteristics: mapping, timeline: plotting historical events, conceptual questions)
7. Related Themes to Explore (cultures, math, literature, history, current events, science & medicine)
8. Culminating Event (sort of a show and tell ending, ideas include: invitations, clothing, competitions, presentations, food, displays)

Appendix A: Books and Resources
Appendix B: Answers to Chapter Questions

Part 2 -
Appendix C: Social Studies Reproducibles

 

Zari reading YWAM Publishing Heroes of History George Washington Carver: From Slave to Scientist.

How We Used This and Our Thoughts:

My 11 year old daughter Zari and my 13 year old daughter Teela read the book. Both have been doing the study guide with me. We learned more about George Washington Carver's life from reading this book than any textbook we had read or movie we had watched previously. It was quite refreshing to learn more about this important man.

After each chapter Zari and I did the first three questions from the study guide which are geared toward the younger students. They include a vocabulary question, a factual question coming from the reading, and the first comprehension question. The study guide is geared toward ages 10+. Zari and I would look up the words in a dictionary and thesaurus as well, for more understanding. My daughter, Teela, had no problem with the reading and vocabulary, but that is because she is a voracious reader. I had Teela do all of the chapter questions. Besides the chapter questions I had Zari do copywork from the key quotes and I had Teela memorize them and say them back to me. I will have Teela do an essay as suggested in the study guide under the student explorations and essays. She will also be doing some creative writing.

We also tried to go to the websites in the books and resources section of the study guide to learn more about George Washington Carver, but most of them were unfortunately broken. We looked up our own and found some pictures of his paintings of flowers and explored the George Washington Carver National Monument Park in Missouri by virtual tour and multimedia. We didn't know he was an artist as well as a botanist and inventor until this study. He was a very well accomplished man.

There was so much to learn and explore in this unit study. We were amazed at the very complexity of it all. We are going to check out some more books and biographies that they recommend in the study guide later. We didn't even begin to scratch the surface and were still very engaged in this lengthy unit study. This would be a great study to incorporate for Black History Month.

The YWAM Publishing biographies are historical and true. These true stories along with the unit studies are great for homeschooling families. We hope to get to read about Theodore Roosevelt next in their extensive biography list. I highly recommend these!

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• Website - https://www.ywampublishing.com/
• Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/YWAM-Publishing-482973445102/
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• Pinterest - http://www.pinterest.com/YWAMpublishing
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• YWAM Publishing Blog - http://www.ywampublishingblog.com/
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YWAM Publishing Heroes of History - George Washington Carver book:
Regular Price: $9.99 YWAM Price: $7.50

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Figures In Motion Famous Figures of Ancient Times Review

 

Disclaimer: I received this complimentary 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.

My family had the privilege of trying Famous Figures of Ancient Times from Figures In Motion for this review to use in conjunction with our own curriculum at home. This is a Homeschool Review Crew Review. All opinions expressed are my own or those of my family.

Figures In Motion was created by Cathy Diez-Luckie an award-winning illustrator and homeschooler. One Thanksgiving she came up with the idea of making articulated puppets for her children of Pilgrims. Her children loved them so much she decided to make more historical figures and the company was born. Now Figures In Motion has 8 books dedicated to movable paper figures throughout history, including a book on dinosaurs! They also have 6 different coloring eBooks as well. 

The Figures In Motion paper puppets for kids consumable books make up different time periods. They have Famous Figures of Ancient Times, Famous Figures of Medieval Times, Famous Figures of the Middle Ages & Renaissance, Famous Figures of the Early Modern Era, Famous Figures of the American Revolution, Famous Figures of the Civil War, Footsteps in Faith Queen Esther, and Dinosaurs on the Move. Each book is softcover with perforated pages to tear out for easy access to each paper doll. The pages are made of card stock material. In the front of the books are short descriptions of each historical figure. Then it has a reading list for each paper puppet to further learning. Each historical figure has a full color version and a black and white lined version to color. The costume illustrations are historically accurate. On the back of each paper puppet's articulated pieces are how they are put together with the help of a letter key. After they are cut out, these pieces are hole punched with a ⅛" hole punch where indicated and put together with mini brads so that they are moveable at the joints. You may purchase the hole punch and brads separately at most craft stores (Hobby Lobby, Michaels, etc.) or on the Figures In Motion website. They allow moms to copy the line art pages to use with more than one child in your family. They do not allow them being shared at coops, or between other families or school settings. They have licenses for coops, church groups, and classrooms.

Figures In Motion Famous Figures of Ancient Times

 

How We Used This and Our Thoughts:

We received the Famous Figures of Ancient Times physical book from Figures In Motion. Figures In Motion was very generous as they also gave us a hole punch and brads in the correct size for the review. This particular book had 21 historical men and women (19 men and 2 women). Figures include Jesus, Moses, David, Julius Cesar, Alexander the Great, Aristotle, and more! We will be studying more on each figure as we read about them with our ancient history lessons at home. The included book list will be a great teaching resource so that we can further our learning. We love learning about history especially if it is hands-on. These books make history incredibly interactive.

 

Zari assembling Leizu.

 

Zari looked through the Famous Figures of Ancient Times book to pick out a figure to articulate. She was very surprised to find there were only two women in the book. She picked Leizu, a Chinese empress, to learn about, cut out, and put together. We read the blurb about Leizu first. Then, Zari chose the full color version of her because she wasn't in a coloring mood. We pulled the page out with the perforated edge and she cut out all the pieces. Besides letters to match up we noticed that the back of each piece had either back or front on them so you could place them in the correct position on the articulated doll. I showed Zari how to line up the hole punch correctly and punch out the holes where the dots where located on the doll. She placed each body part on the doll correctly and lined up the holes to place the tiny brads. After she was finished putting the doll together she danced her around the table saying, "Oh no! A cocoon dropped into my tea!".

 

Zari holding the articulated movable paper doll, Leizu.

 

We highly recommend Figures In Motion Famous Figures of Ancient Times. These are great for kids to have a hands-on tactile experience learning history. Because they are moveable they are more fun than your standard paper doll and they are super easy to assemble. This is a great arts and craft to enjoy along with the learning. Kids can put on a puppet show to reenact historical events with these. They are great educational play and the imagination. The historical paper dolls are wonderful to be used with biographies, with lap books, as a unit study, with a timeline, or with any ancient history curriculum.

 

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• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/figuresinmotionbooks/ 
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/FiguresInMotion 
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/figuresinmotionbooks/ 
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• Hashtags: #hsreviews #figuresinmotion #homeschooling #learningthroughplay #playbasedlearning #kidsactivities #learningathome #montessori #homeeducation #paperdoll

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Home School in the Woods Time Travelers: Colonial Life Review #ComplimentaryProductReceived

Disclaimer: I received a complimentary 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.

My family had the privilege of trying the Time Travelers U.S. History Studies Colonial Life from Home School in the Woods for this review to use in conjunction with our own curriculum at home. This is a Homeschool Review Crew Review. All opinions expressed are my own or those of my family.

Home School in the Woods is a family run business that creates Christian based history curriculum for homeschooling. This curriculum immerses your student in the topic. It is very hands-on with lapbooks, timelines, recipes, art, creative writing, notebook projects, dramatized audio theater, maps, crafts, projects, re-enactments, file-folder games, vocabulary to learn, etc.

The Time Traveler American History Studies are a seven part series that starts with the New World Explorers and concludes at the end of World War II. These are recommended for grades 3-8. There are two different versions you can purchase, a CD version or a digital download version. With the CD version everything that you access and print is on the CD. With the digital download version you download a zipped file, place all of the contents into a folder on your computer, and access it by the start.htm file that is in that folder. We received the digital download version.

Left: Main Menu, Right: Lessons

We found that there was a lot of preparation that needed to happen before getting started. There is a lot of things needing printed, items needing prepared for crafts and other projects, and general preparation of materials before one can begin the travel. The Beginning of the main menu includes: Acknowledgements / Copyrights and Usage / Bibliography, Introduction, Tips to Consider Before Starting..., and Teacher Helps which gives you a great foundation. Teacher Helps guides you with preparation and organization, gives you a Lesson Planner schedule to help you see an overview of the things being taught and Additional Resources to pull from. It also includes the printables for the 3-Ring Binder Covers and the Teacher Keys for the timeline.

Each study has twenty-five lessons and is supposed to last roughly 5-10 weeks depending upon how quickly everything is completed. These lessons have reading Text Pages and an activity that go with them. Project Pages accompany these to give directions, list of supplies needed, printing instructions, and illustrations for each project and activity. Masters are provided for all printables.

In the Other Resources section at the end of the main menu there are some visuals and directions to help you with the projects, activities, and lapbook. These include: All Master Pages in numerical order, A Gallery of Project Photos (final photos of what projects should look like at the end), and Lap Book Instructions. You can also have your student catch up with the five Project Days that are included in the schedule. The student will compile a lapbook in the 24th lesson. This lapbook is pieced together throughout the studies. The final lesson is a party with a theme that goes along with the series to celebrate the end of the study. These are very flexible and you can pick and choose what projects work best for your family.

You will need a few items to get you through the lessons:

• Working Printer
• Color and Black Ink for the printer to cover all the printing that will be happening
• White and Colored Printer Paper
• White and Colored Cardstock (this is best, but admittedly we didn't have any of this and used only white printer paper and it worked OK)
• One 3-Ring Binder for the Teacher's Binder (reading text, project direction pages, the "Guide-at-a-Glance," teacher keys, and any of the other teacher helps)
• One 3-Ring Binder for the Scrapbook of Sights (student binder for all notebook projects including)
• Colored File Folders or Colored Pocket Folders with Fasteners
• Scissors and/or an X-acto Knife (when using an X-acto Knife you will need a thick piece of cardboard or self healing mat to use as a cutting surface)
• Crayons, Markers, or Colored Pencils to color the pictures, if desired
• Glue
• Other Craft supplies specified for each of the different projects that your student wants to do

Lessons for Time Travelers American History Study: Colonial Life:

1. America's Colonies Begin
2. The Colonial Home Pt. 1
3. The Colonial Home Pt. 2
4. The Colonial Home Pt. 3
5. PROJECT DAY - 1
6. Colonial Clothing
7. Colonial Food
8. Family Life
9. The Colonial School
10. PROJECT DAY - 2
11. Faith in the Colonies Pt. 1
12. Faith in the Colonies Pt. 2
13. Colonial Pleasures & Pastimes
14. Villages & Cities
15. PROJECT DAY - 3
16. Health & Medicine
17. Colonial Artisans Pt. 1
18. Colonial Artisans Pt. 2
19. Holidays in the Colonies
20. PROJECT DAY - 4
21. Crime & Punishment
22. Plantations & Slavery
23. PROJECT DAY - 5
24. Pulling the Lap Book™ Together
25. Colonial Spree!

How We Used This and Our Thoughts:
I enlisted my daughter Zari, who was in 3rd grade this past school year, to learn about Colonial Life. She has loved doing Home School in the Woods in the past. This is supposed to be for 3rd through 8th graders so most of the projects she did very well on. She did need my help with some of the more advanced projects and writing assignments and it took her a lot longer to get through some of the written assignments than it might have taken for my older kids. I learned quite a bit too while helping her with this study.

Zari coloring the Colonial Farm pages.

This study was jam packed with information. This is all about early U.S. History. It is about the growth of this nation and the people that left their mark on it. In the weeks we had before this review we learned about The Lost Colony & Jamestown, The First Thirteen Colonies, Indentured Servants and Slaves, etc. There are creative writing, recipes of the era,  notebook timeline, factfile cards, file folder games,  penmanship pages, notebooking activities, three-dimensional projects, arts and crafts, lapbooking, and a Colonial Spree to bring the whole unit to a close. We still have not gotten through all the lessons, but we have enjoyed everything that we have done thus far.

This was differently laid out than the Project Passports I was used to. There were no stops or pretending to be on a trip and these did not have any audio files to listen to. Like Project Passport though, the instructions are not hard, but there is a lot of things to set up and print out initially and throughout the program....so be aware of that and set some time aside to begin with to get things done so you are not overwhelmed.

Old-Peas Soup

Zari really liked our project time together the most. She loves art and making things. She especially loved making the yummy Old-Peas Soup from one of the A Book of Goode Cookery Colonial cookbook recipes. This was like split pea soup in my opinion. She also loved learning and playing the games. We can't wait to make the Rope Bed, Colonial attire to dress up, a loom to weave on, an apple head doll, an embroidery sampler, silhouette art, quilling, a punch tin candle holder, and the other recipes etc. We are learning a lot and are enjoying every moment. These are so much fun!

I highly recommend the Time Travelers American History Study: Colonial Life from Home School in the Woods. This is great for anyone homeschooling who might need some help with teaching Colonial Life in a highly educational, fun, and very hands-on way. This is a great stand-alone unit study or can be used to supplement something already being taught. This would also be perfect for those wanting something fun to do with their kids in the summer time. I am looking forward to reviewing more from Home School in the Woods in the future and learning more about United States history with this study! There is also a U.S. Elections Lap-Pak that is relevant now because of the presidential election coming up this year.

BUY IT
You can purchase the download version of the Time Travelers U.S. History Studies Colonial Life from Home School in the Woods for $27.95 and CD version for $28.95.

Download the scope and sequence, look at a sample lesson, see photo examples of projects, and watch a video of "What is a Time Traveler" when you click the link above, to get more of an idea about the program.

Follow Them on Social Media:

• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/homeschoolinthewoods 
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/HSintheWoods 
• Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/hsinthewoods/ 
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/homeschoolinthewoods/ 
• Hashtags: #hsreviews #HomeSchoolintheWoods #HSitW #TimeTravelers #ColonialLife #history #unitstudies #lapbooking #HistoryUnitStudies #HomeschoolHistory #handson #ushistory #americanhistory

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Home School in the Woods Project Passport World History Studies: Renaissance & Reformation Review #ComplimentaryProductReceived

Disclaimer: I received a complimentary 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.

My family had the privilege of trying the Project Passport World History Studies Renaissance & Reformation from Home School in the Woods for this review to use in conjunction with our own curriculum at home. This is a Homeschool Review Crew Review. All opinions expressed are my own or those of my family.

Home School in the Woods is a family run business that creates Christian based history curriculum for homeschooling. This curriculum immerses your student in the topic. It is very hands-on with lapbooks, timelines, recipes, art, creative writing, notebook projects, dramatized audio theater, maps, crafts, projects, re-enactments, file-folder games, vocabulary to learn, etc.

There are icons that help along one side and buttons that link to nice clear photos of the finished projects.

The Project Passport World History Studies are a virtual trip through history. These are recommended for grades 3-8. There are two different versions you can purchase, a CD version or a digital download version. With the CD version everything that you access and print is on the CD. With the digital download version you download a zipped file, place all of the contents into a folder on your computer, and access it by the start.htm file that is in that folder. We received the digital download version. This "trip" is supposed to last roughly 8-12 weeks depending upon how quickly everything is completed. For Each Project Passport World History Study you make a passport and "luggage" folder to hold some of the stuff you print off and make along the journey. Each "trip" has 25 chapters called "stops", where you observe action-packed events and meet fascinating people along the way. At each stop you come to there will be "Guide Book Text" which is information for the student to read about a certain topic explored and a "Travel Itinerary" that covers the project choices and directions. There are also helpful icons that let you know what you will be doing and color photos of all the completed projects so you know how they are supposed to look like when finished. There are a lot of printables of information and projects to do. Masters are available for all printables. There are so many things to do on the trip, for example: creating a "Scrapbook of Sights" (notebook for storing the notebook projects), dining on local cuisine with the "Dining out Guide" (recipes to create food and drink that was popular in the area at the time), taking pictures ("Snapshot Moments in History" scrapbook timeline), reporting on important people and happenings (a newspaper creative writing assignment - In the Renaissance & Reformation study it is called "The Renaissance Reporter"), making "souvenirs" to remember your stay (craft/art projects), dressing like the locals (clothing of the era: fun dress up craft), making a lapbook, playing games (file-folder games), collecting postcards, listening to tour guides (dramatized audio theater - there are 8 of these), and so much more!

We found that there was a lot of preparation that needed to happen before getting started. There is a lot of things needing printed, items needing prepared for crafts and other projects, and general preparation of materials before one can begin the journey. The Travel Itinerary and Travel Planner: Quick Stop Itinerary helps with this a lot!

You will need a few items to get you through the lessons:

• Working Printer
• Color and Black Ink for the printer to cover all the printing that will be happening
• White and Colored Printer Paper
• White and Colored Cardstock (this is best, but admittedly we didn't have any of this and used only white printer paper and it worked OK)
• One 3-Ring Binder for the Guide Book (teacher binder for Introduction, Travel Tips, Travel Planner: Quick Stop Itinerary, Travel Itinerary, Guide Book Text, and Additional Resources)
• One 3-Ring Binder for the Scrapbook of Sights (student binder for all notebook projects)
• Colored File Folders or Colored Pocket Folders with Fasteners
• Scissors and/or an X-acto Knife (when using an X-acto Knife you will need a thick piece of cardboard or self healing mat to use as a cutting surface)
• Crayons, Markers, or Colored Pencils to color the pictures, if desired
• Glue
• Other Craft supplies specified for each of the different projects that your student wants to do

This is what the Project Passport World History Studies: Renaissance & Reformation covers:

1. Laying the Foundation (Packing for the Trip)
2. Italy & Da Vinci
3. Everyday Life - Part I
   
4. Everyday Life - Part II
5. Renaissance Art
6. Famous Artists of the Renaissance
7. Music of the Renaissance
8. Literature, Drama, and Shakespeare
9. Science, Math, and Astronomy
10. Inventions
11. Exploration - Part I: The Americas
12. Exploration - Part II: Africa, Asia, and Around the World
13. The Early Reformers
14. Martin Luther
15. The Thirty Years' War
16. Zwingli and Switzerland
17. John Calvin
18. France and the Wars of Religion
19. Henry VIII
20. Henry's Children
21. Civil War
22. Knox and Scotland
23. The Counter-Reformation - Part I
24. The Counter-Reformation - Part II
25. The Final Stop - Packing Up!

Zari coloring the Scrapbook of Sights Cover.

How We Used This and Our Thoughts:

I have reviewed many products from Home School in the Woods before. Each product was a lot of fun to do with my kids and they enjoyed learning with them. Renaissance & Reformation is part of a series called Project Passport. The Project Passport world history studies we have done reviews for are: Ancient Rome, Ancient Greece, The Middle Ages, Ancient Egypt and now this one.

I enlisted my daughter Zari who is in 3rd grade this school year to learn about  Renaissance & Reformation, a Project Passport Study from Home School in the Woods, since she loved listening to and helping out with the other studies before. This is for 3rd through 8th graders so she did need my help with some of the more advanced projects and writing assignments and it took her a lot longer to get through some of the stops than it might have taken for my older kids. I learned quite a bit too while helping her with this study.

This study, like all the other ones we did, was jam packed with information. I am glad that I already had experience doing this type of program because everything seemed to go faster. The instructions are not hard, but there is a lot of things to set up and print out initially and throughout the program....so be aware of that and set some time aside initially to get things done so you are not overwhelmed. We still have not gotten through all the stops, but we have enjoyed everything that we have done thus far. I love that it is from a biblical Christian perspective too.

Zari enjoying the rice Pudding we made from "A Booklet of Renaissance Feasting".

Zari really liked our project time together. She loved trying some of the recipes in the "A Booklet of Renaissance Feasting" cookbook. We loved the Rice Pudding! It is great to add interest to history with recipes. She loves art and making things. She had fun making the circlet for her head. Dressing up in period clothing is a great way to learn history. We used beads and wire we had and it turned out fairly well. She learned a lot about: everyday life, music, art, literature and drama of the Renaissance, science and invention, Reformers and their influence across Europe, wars and conflicts, Henry VIII, exploration, the Counter-Reformation, and much more! There were so many projects to do to go with all the reading, creative writing, and listening to the audio tours. We did so many fun things and learned so much about the culture so far. I can't wait to get all the way through the whole program with my daughter. We are looking forward to learning more about the Renaissance & Reformation.

Zari making braiding the circlet together and finished project.

I highly recommend the Project Passport World History Studies:  Renaissance & Reformation from Home School in the Woods. This is great for anyone homeschooling who might need some help with teaching about Renaissance & Reformation in a highly educational, fun, and very hands-on way. This would also be perfect for those wanting something fun to do with their kids in the summer time. I am looking forward to reviewing more from Home School in the Woods in the future. There is also a U.S. Elections Lap-Pak that is relevant now because of the presidential election coming up this year.

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You can purchase the download version of the Project Passport World History Studies: Renaissance & Reformation for $33.95 and CD version for $34.95.

Download the scope and sequence, look at a sample lesson, listen to a sample audio tour, see photo examples of projects, and watch a video of "What is a Project Passport" when you click the link above, to get more of an idea about the program.

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YWAM Publishing Heroes of History Clara Barton: Courage Under Fire and Unit Study Curriculum Guide Review #ComplimentaryProductReceived

Disclaimer: I received a complimentary 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.

My family had the privilege of reading the Heroes of History - Clara Barton from YWAM Publishing for this review to use in conjunction with our own curriculum at home. This is a Homeschool Review Crew Review. All opinions expressed are my own or those of my family.

YWAM (YOUTH WITH A MISSION) Publishing is a nonprofit organization that produces and distributes books that help Christians make a difference in the world by giving a portion of every dollar spent to buy books through YWAM Publishing to children and adults in other countries that are in need. Their books focus on evangelism, educational training, prayer, discipleship, and mercy ministries.

YWAM Publishing has two popular book series; one called Heroes of History and the other called Christian Heroes: Then & Now; in which true stories are told of real people that lived in our history. In the Heroes of History series we learn about great men and woman who changed the course of history. In the Christian Heroes: Then & Now series we learn about ordinary people who have put their trust in God and in doing so accomplish extraordinary things. Both of these book series help us as: parents, teachers, and caretakers; give our children wholesome biographies to read or be read to that teach good character traits, values, and virtues.

Clara Barton: Courage Under Fire Book

 

Clara Barton: Courage Under Fire by Janet & Geoff Benge is part of a series of 29 biography books called Heroes of History by YWAM Publishing. This series covers the years 1451 to 1951. This book tells the true life story of Clara Barton who was a nurse on the front-lines of the Civil War and the founder of the American Red Cross. This Christian biography book from YWAM Publishing about Clara Barton teaches great character traits, values, and virtues too. This book covers the years 1821 to 1912. It chronicles her life from the age of 4 to her death in 1912. It is a total of 17 chapters and 191 pages long.

Clara Barton Unit Study download page tab.

 

The Unit Study Curriculum Guide that is paired with the Clara Barton: Courage Under Fire book that I received was in the digital downloadable format and opened as an executable file. The digital version is downloadable in a zipped format, so you will have to unzip before you use it. After selecting where it will go on your computer, unzip it, and find the folder it placed it all into. Find the file version you need: __MACOSX for Macintosh and the other for PC. Click on the file that has START HERE in its title and it will open in a new window in your browser. You can then read a very short synopsis of the biography under the Clara Barton tab, download the unit study under the Unit Study tab, etc.

The Unit Study downloads in PDF format. It also has a 25 page guide for classroom and homeschool as well as a 12 page guide for a small group that tells you how to best use the unit study. This shows how flexible you can be with the unit study. You can do the whole study or just parts of it. It is all up to you how you use it. The unit study goes in depth to help you go above and beyond the book and explore other areas that pertain to the material like: crafts, cooking, art, and writing assignments; has questions to ask your children to see if they comprehended the reading, and quotes to use as copywork to enhance handwriting or memorization. The unit study is broken into two parts.

Here is the Unit Study Curriculum Guide Contents:
Part 1 -
Introduction (how to use the study)

1. Key Quotes (great for copywork, memorization, theatrical presentation, or art display)
2. Display Corner (an area designated for hands on display of items relating to the reading)
3. Chapter Questions (questions that enhance the reading: 1 vocabulary, 1 factual, 2 comprehension, and 2 open-ended)
4. Student Explorations (essay questions, creative writing, hands-on projects, audio/visual projects, arts & crafts)
5. Community Links (field trip ideas)
6. Social Studies (places, journeys, terms/vocabulary, geographical characteristics: mapping, timeline: plotting historical events, conceptual questions)
7. Related Themes to Explore (cultures, math, literature, history, current events, science & medicine)
8. Culminating Event (sort of a show and tell ending, ideas include: invitations, clothing, competitions, presentations, food, displays)

Appendix A: Books and Resources
Appendix B: Answers to Chapter Questions
Appendix C: Social Studies Reproducibles

Part 2 -
Appendix C: Social Studies Reproducibles (continued)

Teela reading YWAM Publishing Heroes of History Clara Barton: Courage Under Fire.

 

How We Used This and Our Thoughts:

I read the book to my 9 year old daughter Zari so we could have time to get through some of the study guide too. My daughter Teela who is 11 and my sons who are 17 and 19 have been reading it to themselves and doing some of the projects from the study guide on their own time. Zari enjoyed listening to me read about Clara Barton. We learned more about Clara Barton's life from reading this book than any textbook we had read or movie we had watched previously. It was quite refreshing to learn more about this important woman.

After each chapter my girls and I did the first three questions from the study guide which are geared toward the younger students. They include a vocabulary question, a factual question coming from the reading, and the first comprehension question. The study guide is geared toward ages 10+. So I had to help Zari with the some of the vocabulary because of its advanced nature. We would look up the words in a dictionary and thesaurus as well, for more understanding. My boys, Jaedan and Delbin, who are 17 and 19, had no problem with the reading and vocabulary, but that is because they are voracious readers. I had my boys do all of the chapter questions. Besides the chapter questions I had my girls do copywork from the key quotes and I had my boys memorize them and say them back to me. I will have my sons do an essay as suggested in the study guide under the student explorations and essays. They also will be doing some creative writing.

We also went to other websites in the books and resources section of the study guide to learn more about Clara Barton, Civil War, Spanish-American War, Red Cross, nursing, etc. We also loved learning about how to dress like Clara Barton and what women wore back then. We also loved learning about the Red Cross more from their website. My sister-in-law, Amy, is in the Red Cross as a volunteer, so this was very cool to learn about.

There was so much to learn and explore in this unit study. We were amazed at the very complexity of it all. We didn't even begin to scratch the surface and were still very engaged in the lengthy unit study.

The YWAM Publishing biographies are historical and true. These true stories along with the unit studies are great for homeschooling families. We hope to get to read about George Washington Carver next in their extensive biography list. I highly recommend these!

 

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YWAM Publishing Heroes of History Clara Barton: Courage Under Fire book:
Regular Price: $9.99 YWAM Price: $7.50

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Carole P. Roman Books Review #ComplimentaryProductReceived

Disclaimer: I received a complimentary 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.

My family had the privilege of trying the Carole P. Roman's assorted series from Carole P. Roman for this review to use in conjunction with our own curriculum at home. This is a Homeschool Review Crew Review. All opinions expressed are my own or those of my family.

The four books we received are:

• If You Were Me and Lived in...Ancient China: The Han Dynasty (An Introduction to Civilizations Throughout Time/History)
• If You Were Me and Lived in...Israel (A Child's Introduction to Cultures Around the World)
• If You Were Me and Lived in... France (A Child's Introduction to Cultures Around the World)
• If You Were Me and Lived in...Greece (A Child's Introduction to Cultures Around the World)

Carole P. Roman is the author of many books including the Captain No Beard series, Oh Susannah series, If You Were Me and Lived in... Cultures Around the World series, and the If You Were Me and Lived in... Civilizations Throughout History series. She loves combining her teaching past with her love of exploration and interest in the grand world all around us. She also loves sharing history and culture with her readers.

If You Were Me and Lived in... Civilizations Throughout History Series currently consists of 11 books with more to come later. These softcover books take you back through time to visit different civilizations throughout history. Discover Ancient Greece, Renaissance Italy, Elizabethan England, Colonial America, Ancient China: The Han Dynasty, Middle Ages, American West, Viking Europe, Mayan Empire, Ancient Mali Empire and Mars. These follow what it would have been like to live and grow up in these places through the eyes of a young person. This makes the books more relatable to children who read them. These physical books cover occupations, food, clothing, recreation, important people, etc. Recommended for ages 8 to 15.

If You Were Me and Lived in... Cultures Around the World Series currently consists of 22 books with more to come later. These softcover books take you to explore different cultures. Discover Mexico, Australia, Turkey, Hungary, Poland, France, India, Portugal, Scotland, Italy, South Korea, Peru, Kenya, China, Russia, Norway, Greece, Egypt, Brazil, Israel, Germany, and Cuba. These give you an inside look into what culture is like in these countries. You can become a "world traveler" in the comfort of your own home. Recommended for ages 4 to 9.

Zari enjoying the Carole P. Roman books.

How We Used This and Our Thoughts:

We were given four books from the ones we didn't currently have. We have reviewed for Carole P. Roman before and we love her books! The books we received were: If You Were Me and Lived in...Ancient China, If You Were Me and Lived in...Israel, If You Were Me and Lived in...France, and If You Were Me and Lived in...Greece.

If You Were Me and Lived in...Ancient China is a softcover book by Carole P. Roman. The illustrations are fun and done in pastel colors by Mateya Arkova. This book has 76 pages with Important People in Ancient China and a glossary in the back. We learned about: when you would be born, what a city in China looks like now, what it might have looked like back then and a bit about it, the Han Dynasty, what you would be named, where you might have lived, about the capital back then, the Silk Road, how the city was laid out, what job your father held, the farmers and poor, how homes were built, parts of the home, what people ate and drank, what was inside the home, Kang beds, hierarchy of the home, arranged marriage, about Confucianism, what you and others wore, Silk, makeup, hairstyles, slaves, professions, school and education, religion, recreation, music and arts, holidays and celebrations, numbers and colors, Chinese Calendar, etc. My son, Jaedan, got to go to China as an exchange student March of last year. He got to see all sorts of things including: The Great Wall of China, Forbidden City, Terracotta Warriors, Temple of Heaven, Tiananmen Square, etc. We are going to be using this with our unit study of The Han Dynasty and China.

If You Were Me and Lived in...Greece is a softcover book by Carole P. Roman. The illustrations are fun and done in dark classic colors. This book has 28 pages with a pronunciation guide in the back. We learned about: where the country was, what the country looks like and a bit about it, about its capital, what the popular names for boys and girls there are, what you would call your mom and dad and grandma and grandpa there, what money is called, places to see there, what food you would enjoy there, what things you would see there, what sports you would enjoy playing, holidays you would celebrate, and where they go to school. I love Greek food; especially with Tzatziki, and I would love to visit the Parthenon someday. The Feast of St. Basil also sounds like fun. I remember when I was little my grandparents on my mothers side going to Greece and coming back with gifts for us from the region. We are going to be using this with our unit study of Hellas, Greece, Grecian culture, and Greek people.

If You Were Me and Lived in...France is a softcover book by Carole P. Roman. The illustrations are fun and done in dark classic colors. This book has 23 pages with a pronunciation guide in the back. We learned about: where the country was on a globe, about its capital, what the popular names for boys and girls there are, what you would call your mom and dad there, what money is called, places to see there, what food you would enjoy there, what sports you would enjoy playing, things you would enjoy doing, holidays you would celebrate, and where they go to school. I love crepes and I would love to visit the Eiffel Tower someday. We are going to be using this with our unit study of France and French people.

If You Were Me and Lived in...Israel is a softcover book by Carole P. Roman. The illustrations are fun and done in dark classic colors. This book has 32 pages with a pronunciation guide in the back. We learned about: where the country was on a globe, what the country looks like and a bit about it, about its capital, what the popular names for boys and girls there are, what you would call your mom and dad there, where you would shop, what money is called, places to see there, what you would call your grandma and grandpa there, what food you would enjoy there, what sports you would enjoy playing, holidays you would celebrate, why you write the way you do, and where they go to school. I would love to visit the Israel someday and see the Holy Land. Some of my husband's family is Jewish and we were invited to our Orthodox Jewish nephew's wedding ceremony in October of 2017. The food was so different, but very good. I already love humus and baklava, but they had so many other things to try there too. We are going to be using this with our unit study of Israel, The Holy Land, and Israeli people.

The If You Were Me and Lived in... series is a wonderful supplement for history lessons in homeschool. These are great to be used with unit studies and wonderful even just by themselves. My children loved reading these and learning so much more about these times and civilizations. I love how these cultural books teach a huge amount of children's history because they are through the eyes of a child. They are great for children's education!


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You can purchase these on amazon with the links above.

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