Drive Thru History Adventures (Homeschool Review Crew)

One of the great things about the composition of the Homeschool Review Crew is families, learning styles, and needs are incredibly varied.  Each time a new product comes up for review, Crew Members are asked to submit a form that includes an evaluation of how much we feel a program would suit our child(ren)'s needs.  When Drive Thru History Adventures came up for review, in the "What else should we know?" section, I included a note:

I'm not too proud to beg for this one! Three videos into The Gospels from last year's review, Matthew was begging "Are there any more Dave videos?" We absolutely LOVE LOVE LOVE his delivery. I think we'd rank him tied for our top three "teachers" [for any program we've used].  We even have a trip back to Washington DC for the Museum of the Bible in the works. It's something that would probably be on our "eh, doesn't sound exciting" list, and Matthew looked at me like I had three heads when I said it was opening and we should go. When he found out Dave & Co. did the video presentations for it, suddenly, a Bible museum sounded cool to my teen! Matthew's bugging me at least twice a week, "When are we going, when are we going??" 

THAT is how impressive Dave Stotts is.  I knew this was going to be a good one.

Our one-year subscription to Drive Thru History Adventures comes with access to three core programs: an 18-week course on Bible History (The Gospels), a 12-week course on early American History, and a 12-week course of Ancient History that focuses on early Greece, Rome, and Asia Minor.  These programs are fantastic for several age/grade ranges.  Simply watching the videos provides an excellent overview for younger students (kindergarten through middle school), but combining the videos with discussion guide questions and provided further reading and discussion sections creates a well-rounded course for older students.  Our house focused on the Ancient History course for this review period.

Now, I could tell you all about the variety of topics Dave discusses in the course, and how they've affected our world's history, society, government, and theology.  You could probably guess that much, considering the Ancient History course is subtitled "Christianity and the Birth of Western Civilization."  It starts with the founding of Rome and covers through to the fall of Constantinople.  Along the way, you'll discover Romans, the Greeks, and to some degree, the Muslims, Arabs, and Jews.  We studied The Gospels with Drive Thru History last year, and that approaches history from a Biblical perspective, using historical events to underscore the Bible as both a religious and historical book, and not a work of abject fiction. While this course approaches history from a Christian viewpoint, it is more secular history, weaving  Biblical/Christian events and Scripture passages into the story for timeline purposes.  Maps, art, and photographs provide visual explanations that help clarify audio voice-overs.

The presentation isn't just "here's this town, here's what happened."  Dave explores a lot of the culture of the places and really helps to put the civilizations in context of themselves.  One thing that really annoys me is many history courses tend to look at history through today's society and conscience.  We may realize today that the Oracle at Delphi's trance was probably induced by mind-altering substances that today either the courts or the FDA heavily regulate and not by a communique with the gods. However, that doesn't mean that the peasant-ish folks of back then (who wouldn't have had access to these substances) were fools.  It was just a different time and philosophy, and Dave takes pains to make sure we understand when things happened, not just what things happened. He also shows us where places have been abandoned, and where they continue to thrive.

I liked that there were two options for learning. One was the content filled "regular site," where students could access the videos and all of the related accompaniments.  With the Adventures TV app, viewers can take the videos with them on tablets and smartphones.  There were times where we needed to be away from home, and he could work with his phone and earbuds, then come home and finish assignments.  However, even if you think, "I don't want or need all of that, I'm just interested in the topic and would like to watch videos," a subscription is still worth the investment (the app is free, but a subscription is required to access content).  You will have access to the same video content as the full site, including all of the formal programs plus additional content such as "Side Roads" that tie into the programs but wander down less formal garden paths, "Dave's Adventures", and "Behind the Scenes" videos about the building of the Museum of the Bible in Washington, DC and how Drive Thru History has been involved.  (Dave has mentioned in his Dave's Adventures videos that he will be there on March 15, 2018. I almost considered making the trip just for the chance to shake his hand, but it's also my hubby's birthday, so Dave is safe from this crazy mama going all fangirl on him.)  I was delighted to find out that this indeed is a family membership - I could be logged in watching one thing while Matthew was logged in watching his next lesson!

However, Mom going on and on about how well produced the videos are, how much content the lessons contain, and how Dave is so engaging that he reels you in and leaves you disappointed when an episode is over really doesn't mean much if you're thinking, "Ok, you like it, but you're not the one who actually has to study the stuff. You're doing it for fun."  So, I asked Matthew to sit down and write three paragraphs:  one about the content, one about the benefits of the Drive Thru History Adventures subscription program versus the stack of DVDs he's been using, and one about Dave.

--from Matthew---

In the course, I learned way more about events compared to reading about them. For instance, if I were to just read about the underground tunnels and cross-shaped church, located in Cappadocia, Turkey, I most likely wouldn’t give it much thought. A textbook would have pictures, but there would only be one or two, and wouldn’t show the most important aspects. Mr. Stotts explained how the Hittites built the top layers of the cave system, and then the Christians dug to eight stories down. Watching Mr. Stotts explore the cave, I saw just how difficult the tunnels were to navigate.

Passages get smaller, making it impossible for Romans with shields to get through. He showed how a giant doughnut-shaped rock would seal the passageway shut. A center hole was in the rock, and Christians on the defensive could poke a spear or shoot an arrow through the hole, causing deadly harm.

 At the very bottom was a cross-shaped church. Because Mr. Stotts had a cameraman scanning the entire area, I could see all of it, not just a small section that was in a single frame. He even pointed out where the early Christians carved a cross into the rock wall of their church.

When I started the Drive Thru History Ancient History course, I was watching them on DVDs. I was really happy to use a streaming option. The website is much easier to use with all the lessons being in one place and being easier to access.  It is hard to watch the lesson video if you can’t find the right DVD that you put away somewhere and forgot exactly where you put it for next time, or if you put it away in a hurry and scratch it. With the streaming option, they were always on the same website. The website also expanded on documents in the video, while the DVDs did not. I liked that there were pre-written discussion questions because it meant I could work by myself, rather than having to wait for Mom to watch with me and write questions out herself.  We actually had watched a few, and the website's questions were almost the same as what she wrote for me to answer.

Mr. Stotts is funny most of the time but is serious at the right time. I loved the addition of the bloopers in the Ancient History Adventures course. My favorite bloopers were the ones from the Laodicea ruins involving the rubber duck, and how he managed to still have it in his hand every single time he tried to continue filming.

If it wasn't in the one hand, it was in the other one (or on his head) until finally he jokingly ate the duck in frustration (which I found hilarious because I can understand how he felt when you keep messing up by accident).

 I didn’t feel bad laughing when struggled to find his way around Rome because he was sarcastic and poking fun at his frustration. I’ve studied both Ancient History and the Gospels from Drive Thru History and really enjoyed learning. It would be great if there were courses on other cultures mentioned but not expanded on in the courses, like the effects of the Muslims taking over the Holy Roman Empire, or even later eras like the Renaissance.

-----

Mom again.  I think that if you leave a teenager wanting more history, you've got a good thing going.

To celebrate their launch, Drive Thru History Adventures has two specials for new subscribers. First, they are offering a copy of the DVD set The Gospels as a gift with a subscription.  Click the Drive thru History logo below to claim this offer.

Second, they are offering readers of The Old Schoolhouse® Magazine (the parent company of the Homeschool Review Crew) a 20% discount.  The promotion code can be found on page 19 of the Winter Edition.  You can access the digital issue by clicking the magazine image below.

We love Drive Thru History Adventures.  Dave has mentioned that there is another Bible-based series launching soon, and we can't wait!  In the meantime, we'll be over in the corner, glued to our laptops and phones, watching Drive Thru American History!  If you'd like to read more about Drive Thru History Adventures, including specifics on the other history programs offered, click the banner below. 

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Heirloom Audio Productions: Wulf the Saxon (Homeschool Review Crew)

Wulf the Saxon is the ninth audio theater presentation from Heirloom Audio Productions' The Extraordinary Adventures of G.A. Henty series from that we have received for review.  This 2 1/2 hour long installment, available both as 2 CD set and digital download, focuses Wulf, who at the start is a sixteen-year-old Saxon page.  Wulf's dream is to someday become a Thane and rule his family’s lands.  The position and title of Thane predate what we commonly call "Knight," and is awarded to a man who holds himself to the highest standards as both a warrior and honorable man.  Wulf learns that meeting the standards of only one isn't enough; Wulf must learn how to behave in a manner worthy of his position.  Why? Because how he lives when he's not fighting still reflects upon Earl Harold, and ultimately, the King. This audio drama follows Wulf through the time leading up to the Battle of Hastings in 1066, as Wulf learns the value of friendship, loyalty, and sacrifice.  There is most definitely war involved in the story, but the glory does not hide the despair and gruesomeness that is equally involved.  There is also a sweet, chaste romance between Harold and Agnes. In a time when most marriages were arranged for security or advancement, without friendship or even merely tolerance between the couple required, this a plot choice for both the 11th-century setting or the 19th century storyteller highlights Wulf's journey to manhood. One could argue that his good fortune to marry for love, rather than for mercenary reasons, was a result of his character's growth.

When Heirloom first began releasing their productions, audio dramas were re-emerging from their status as a "lost art."  It has enjoyed a resurgence in the "podcast" market, and we've listened to many in search of productions that are as expertly done, and unfortunately, have failed to find anything that captures our attention like these.  Some that have been pretty good, but nothing has reached the same standard of enjoyment that Wulf the Saxon and its predecessors consistently have.  I really wondered, "What is it that sets these apart?"

We've listened to several audio books - one of our favorites is The Wizard of Oz narrated by Anne Hathaway.  She reads in an emotive voice, changing her volume, tempo, and even tone as she tells the story.  But even the most well-read narration doesn't approach the same excitement as a dramatic reading, where individuals bring the characters to life without all of the extra "notes" about what characters are doing or thinking. Heirloom Audio brings the story to life with multiple actors and a dedicated script, so it far surpasses the "read aloud" category.

There are plenty of "real life" actors that have voice over careers that begin to eclipse their face roles - there's an entire generation of folks who know Mark Hamill as the voice of the Joker, not as Luke Skywalker.  (Heresy, but I digress.)  In our house, Heirloom Audio has helped another eclipse his Star Wars role: one of my kids watched "Star Wars: The Phantom Menace" and immediately recognized the voice of Boss Nass, saying, "Hey, he sounds like Mr. George in those CDs."  Well, that's because he is. Casting is both consistent and high quality.  Blessed has portrayed G. A. Henty in each production, providing continuity within the series, and Heirloom has chosen experienced actors who are established in their fields for other roles.  I'm not naive enough to think that name recognition isn't a plus, but the actors chosen are recognized names for a reason -- they're excellent at their craft. 

The actors embody their roles, even though we only hear their voices. Their voices convey excitement, despair, and everything between.  Ideally, you begin to feel the story through vocal inflections. However, I think this is where most of the "audio dramas" we have tried to listen to stop. Many that have billed themselves as "audio dramas" really are better classified as "dramatic readings."

Some recordings go further and add music. A new original score for the music is provided by John Campbell for Wulf the Saxon. With an extensive repertoire of audio dramas, including multiple Heirloom productions, on his résumé, Campbell is more than capable of using music to help bring a story to life.  Again, the music provides yet another voice in the story, conveying the emotion when words alone aren't sufficient.  But anybody wanting to record a story could find some good music to enhance the retelling.  I may not have wanted to listen to the music by itself (I always do for Campbell's compositions), but it's still there.

So I'm back to my original question: What sets Heirloom stories apart from even a stellar dramatic reading?  Like I said, we've now listened to nine productions in the series.  Why do we keep coming back to them? What sets them apart so that they've become the standard we use to judge everything else by?

 It finally became clear after we had listened to this production and then started on another non-Heirloom production that billed itself as an audio drama.  It had good voice acting, with actors who stayed "in character" throughout the recording.  There was even music to enhance the emotions.  But after struggling to keep myself invested in the story when as the story naturally ebbed, I noticed something distinct about the production.  There was no Foley. 

Foley art is the type of thing you don't notice...until you don't notice it.  Foley is the "extra" sounds that help propel a story. Imagine watching a door violently thrown shut, but you don't hear it slam.  Imagine seeing a horde of swordsmen battling, but you don't hear the clanging metal. Even with somebody narrating "The battle raged on!  Arrows flying, swords clanging..." you get the idea, but with well-crafted foley, the listener feels immersed in the action.  It invests them in the characters. When there are no visual cues, the Foley becomes critical, painting the pictures in the listener's mind. Todd Busteed is the Foley editor, and I'm convinced he's the unsung hero of the cast.  It's the sounds of battle that make Jude shrink back and cover his ears; it's soft footsteps that make Celia lean forward and hold her breath.  The narrated, "The ship was again driven against a submerged rock," propels the story, but the sounds of crashing waves and terrified men made me start to shiver nervously.  With the added Foley, the listener is drawn in and become emotionally invested, rather than remaining a passive listener.

Speaking of active listening, Heirloom Audio has created a special members-only group called "Live the Adventure! Club"  Features include a Listen & Learn Audio Library, teaching tools, an online community and several exclusive resources and discounts.

When a company produces a series of things, there always seems to be installments that aren't "as good."  I will freely admit that Wulf the Saxon, as a story, ultimately wasn't our cup of tea. We have a few Heirloom Audio Productions that are always requested, and a couple that get put aside until we're studying that era again.  This will probably be one that is shelved until we next study the Middle Ages. It's fast-paced and requires active listening (vs. having it on in the car on a long ride). Jude really wanted to listen to the CD but struggled because of his audio processing issues.  He loved the production value but became overwhelmed with the plot. I found myself having to say, "Wait, who's doing what where?" a few times - but there were parts I had to focus more on driving than listening.  However, Heirloom Audio Productions has once again come up with a fantastic production, and it's one that I would recommend.  We are already looking forward to the next production!   If you'd like to find out more about previous The Adventures of G. A. Henty releases, click the links to find individual reviews.  If you're interested in more Crew reviews about Wulf the Saxon, click the banner below.

Under Drake's Flag
In Freedom's Cause
With Lee in Virginia
The Dragon and the Raven
Beric the Briton
The Cat of Bubastes
In the Reign of Terror
Captain Bayley's Heir

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Let's go Geography (Homeschool Review Crew)

Damien is at an awkward stage.  He's only seven, but he has taken to learning like a navigator to the sea.  He's very proud of the fact that he's ready for "not-little-kid" work already (he's working on a 3rd to 4th-grade level) and has decided that since Jude has a geography program, he needs one too. However, he's still only seven, so he has the skills but not necessarily the maturity for programs aimed for older students.  Let's Go Geography is filling that "want" for us.  Because it is aimed at students in Kindergarten through Fourth Grade, it is a nice balance of big kid work without overwhelming a still-little kid.

Because this homeschool geography curriculum is intended for a broad range of abilities, it adapts to how much time your child is willing to invest. We received Year One of a three-year program to review.  The program's plan is to visit one country a week, focusing on a few weeks in each region, and then moving on to another section.  By the end of Year One, you'll have been around the world; if you continue through with the entire three years, you'll have visited nearly all of the countries of the world.

Each lesson in the 36-week, "One Year" program took us under an hour to complete in one sitting. It could easily be broken down into five or ten-minute lessons across the span of a week.  We found that breaking it up too much was actually harder because Damien never found a good rhythm; he'd get everything out, do one activity for five minutes, and have to pack it up.  We decided that it was easier for us to spend an hour (sometimes taking a five-minute break in the middle), and just finish the lesson in one go.

Despite the original plan of "one a week," that wasn't cutting it for Damien. He wanted to do one a day. I can't complain about him wanting to learn -- I'm just hoping that the next year's plans are available by about Christmas! I finally cut him back to a lesson every two or three days by pushing off the day's craft activity, and adding more resources when we were in an area.

We also quickly found ways to add on more opportunities to learn.  For example, Damien is named for St. Damien of Molokai, so our study of Hawaii included a detour to Kamalo' to learn about his namesake's mission.  We also included side trips to virtual tours of Hawaii's National Parks and a quick lesson on Pearl Harbor.

On the maps, we also added in locations of places where our friends live or where we had visited.  When we studied Canada, we looked up where our friends lived outside of Regina, Saskatchewan.  We met up with them on our big 2016 summer trip and visited several National Parks with them.  (This photo is Damien and Miss E. at Theodore Roosevelt National Park.)

A study of the geography of the Caribbean, combined with a map of Irma, helped Damien locate the "big hurricane" that we had recently been talking about.  We added in where our family lives and where Disney World is located to show both "they both are in Florida, and not really close to each other, but you can see the path and how both were in it because the storm was so big."  We also added in the National Parks we visited, to give him an idea of where they were located.  When we visited Dry Tortugas NP a few years ago,  it was a nearly three-hour ferry ride from Key West.  Seeing it on the map made him realize just how far off the mainland and keys we were.

I think this program has helped Damien to learn about where things are "relative" to others.  I even learned something new: the "Greater Antilles" is less a location than the grouping of the larger Caribbean islands, including Hispaniola, while the "Lesser Antilles" are the smaller ones.  I've heard these islands mentioned in the news -- usually when a hurricane is approaching -- but had a rather nebulous idea of them and their locations.

However, as much as Damien loved the lessons, in the end, I wasn't quite as impressed. I think he liked how they followed the same pattern each week.  He knew what was coming next, from the beginning map to the craft at the end of the day.  I liked the routine as well (it sure saved me having to say "We need to find..." because he was ready to go), but I found the execution of the program uneven.

First, while the student can make a travel journal, it's a lot of either single page printing, or printing a lot of excess paper.  I can appreciate the cover pages, copyright pages, etc. being part of each lesson because they are available a la carte instead of as a year-long package, but printing the whole lesson left us with a lot of scrap paper.  However, you can't just download the PDF file and call it good -- much of the information/presentation is hyperlinked in the document.  You need to have access to the original and the internet to actually complete the activities.

The first week, the New England region, I was blown away by the variety of resources included in the lessons.  While the YouTube videos linked were obviously older (judging by the peoples' clothing and skylines, I'm estimating around the early 1990s),  much of it was still pertinent information -- whether it's 2017 or 1990, the Pilgrims still landed at Provincetown in 1620.  I was looking forward to the next lesson, Hawaii.

I was a little disappointed when we got to it.  As we worked through later countries, we've learned that the "music" of the country is its national anthem.  I can appreciate that we had already seen a video of the United States National Anthem.  (For the record, it was an excellent rendition from Super Bowl XXXIX.  You can't get more American and Patriotic than choirs from four United States military academies, two presidents (Presidents Bush (41) and Clinton), the USA Herald Trumpets, an excellent sign language interpreter, and a "missing man" flyover. (I'll even forgive that this is from the year where my home team, the Philadelphia Eagles, fell heartbreakingly short of the trophy.)

However, while I appreciate God Bless America is an American patriotic song,  and Hawaii is part of the United States, I would have liked to learn about the music of Hawaii. Truthfully, when I saw "Enjoy the Music" as an activity, I was expecting it to be more "music of that place's culture." Hawaii does have an official state song, Hawai'i Pono'i .  As both the state song and the former anthem of the Kingdom of Hawaii, I think that would have been a better choice.  I also feel some of the linked samples for other countries were poor examples; while it was cute to see young students singing their national anthem in Haiti, the audio quality made tough to understand them.  Adding the music from countries was easy, and did help me bulk it up to accommodate Damien's voraciousness, but it just made me a little disappointed in the core program because I was expecting it as the music link.

We also struggled with opening links.  I was trying to work with the programs online, rather than downloading them to my laptop.  (I am in the process of moving photos around, and my disk space is extremely limited at the moment.)  You have to be really careful to open the links in a new tab/window; if you mis-clicked and then hit the back button in your browser, you got an error page.

 Often it meant logging out and then back into the program, then re-starting the page.  With at least six to eight links per lesson, it quickly became frustrating.

I would also have loved a "You'll need this for the craft activities," cover sheet for the entire program.  The New England craft was a signature of the coast: the lighthouse.  While we had large plastic cups in the garage, we didn't have any smaller ones.  Luke ran to the dollar store and picked up a package (I think it was easier to just go than listen to Damien bug!), but I wouldn't have even presented Damien - my "never met a craft he didn't like and insisted MOM subscribe to Crafty Carol's YouTube channel in case he ever gets accidentally unsubscribed" child - with a potential craft option unless I had every item ready and waiting.  Since I don't know what's coming ahead without opening every single activity, I'm now hoarding plastic cups and paper lunch bags.  (They take up space, but it's cheaper to hold on to them than buying more Oreos to bribe the big brother with the drivers' license.)

He had to wait an extra day to make his Hawaiian lei -- Luke was at school for a meeting, and by the time he got home with the bead kit, it was too late to start that day. This actually worked out well for timing - as I said, doing the craft the "next day" extends the life of the lesson for us - but it didn't make for a happy Damien.

Back on the plus side of the balance sheet, I feel that while geography is the basis for the program, there is enough of an overview of each location's history and culture to count as a minimalist social studies instruction.  There is also a notebooking page provided, for the student to write a bit about what he learned.

While I think, generally speaking, this would be a good supplement to a stronger social studies/history program for a third or fourth grader, I believe that it has sufficient information and activity to be a complete program for the K-2 set.  There is also a review/tie-together every twelfth week, to finish one section of the world, introduce some general concepts, and then move on to another area of the world.  Instead of being just an overview of a lot of places, it reinforces what was learned.

Overall,  I like this program. I can't say I love it, because there are a number of things that kept it from going smoothly for us, and that I would have liked to be different.  However, I like it enough that we will likely at least finish this year, and possibly continue with the Year Two and Year Three curriculums, at an accelerated pace.  It's a cute program, and it suits Damien's current needs, so that cancels out a bit of the drawbacks for me.  I think it would be a good choice for a family with multiple age students, who wanted a more formal program for older elementary children but also had younger folks who wanted to be "just like the big kids."

Learn about how others use Let's Go Geography by clicking the banner below!

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A Journey Through Learning: Inventors (Homeschool Review Crew)

We've used a lot of lapbooks in our homeschool, from a wide variety of sources.  However, one company I always come back to is A Journey Through Learning Lapbooks.  Their directions for use and assembly are clear, the designs are simple for less-steady hands to cut out (or for Mom to cut out in bulk), and they leave lots of space for filling in what kiddo has learned.  Ever a history buff, Jude was excited to work on AJTL's The Greatest Inventors Lapbook with Study Guide.

I love how simple it is to get started with this lapbook.  We've done some lapbooks where just getting started took an entire afternoon!  One we did required six colors, four weights of paper, printing on two sides...what a chore! All I needed to do was shove plain cheapie copy paper in the printer, hit "print," and we were ready to go in about six minutes.  Sweet!

Despite having made several lapbooks, I always have to stop and re-figure how to put them together.  It's not difficult...but I guess my brain is too full of other useless information to retain it.  Every lapbook comes with printed instructions and photos.  YAY!!  I appreciate the step-by-step directions because often I don't really "get" written directions.  I can't always "see" things in my mind,  so I appreciate when directions don't assume you know to line things in the center.  However, AJTL has gone even further....they've produced a how-to video!  On behalf of all the over-filled brain Mamas, thank you!




Once you have your folders created, the lapbook packet includes a "where to put things" diagram.  They don't always go "top left to bottom right" -- it depends on the shape of the activity. Having this to refer to always helps in our house.  I have a bunch of rule-followers, and if the directions say "put it <here>," then there it must go!

However, if you don't want to create a file-folder lapbook, you don't have to! While it does make sense that you could just glue the projects to cardstock and store in a binder, sometimes when you get so focused on "It's a lapbook!" you lose sight of any adaptability.  (I can't be the only person who gets stuck on an idea and needs the obvious pointed out to me, right?) This option works well if your kiddo really wants to DIY the layout. You can just add an extra page if you need more space, rather than trying to jigsaw-puzzle into a finite space.  Since this leads to less stress for Jude, we opted for this method.

AJTL lapbooks are meant to be started at the beginning and worked to the end. There's no skipping around, no hunting for pages.  The start-up instructions are at the front of the packet, and then the directions you need as you go are in where you need them.  Once you start, the only "backtracking" you ever need to do is looking to see where your current project goes -- but you can avoid that by just bringing the page forward with every completed project and leaving it on top of the next one.

The Greatest Inventors is probably one of the most versatile lapbooks I have ever seen.  It's intended for students in grades 2 through 8, and my experience with the wide-age-ranging curriculum is that when it tries to be for all ages, it's really for none.  This lapbook is the rare gem that actually delivers across the entire elementary spectrum.

First, it is a combination lapbook and study guide, so it's entirely self-contained, if you choose for it to be.  Start with the first pages, "What is an Invention?" and keep on going.  You could do one inventor a day, and complete the activities in about a month.  The information in the study guide gives a glimpse into the life of the inventor, providing a highlight of their "claims to fame." There's  wide variety of people studied, from the original Renaissance man Leonardo da Vinci to the 20th Century hero Jonas Salk.  It creates an excellent self-contained history/science study for students at the early end of the age range.

However, it's almost effortless to turn this into the spine of a semester (or longer) program for older students.  Jude and I have been working on this, adding in books and YouTube videos to delve deeper into the background of many of these inventors.  The Magic Tree House and Who Was (Is)? series are some of his favorites, and they make a great add-on for kids in the mid-elementary range.  We worked on the lapbook part for a particular inventor, and then switched to books and videos for the rest of a week's time, to create a larger study-within-a-study.

I actually think this could even extend beyond 8th grade into high school with adding age-appropriate biographies.  Some of our favorite books that I'd recommend to expand the program are The Bishop's Boys (Tom Crouch) and/or The Wright Brothers (David McCullough) for the Wright Brothers, and The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin and Thomas Jefferson: Man on a Mountain (Natalie S. Bober) for our Founding Fathers that were also renowned inventors.  While the almost twenty inventors in the program do not create an exhaustive list, there is still enough variety of era and contribution to create a great semester-long program that explores some of the world's greatest inventors.

On the one hand, the list doesn't seem to have any rhyme or reason.  It's not grouped by type of invention, nor by the epoch each man lived in.  At first, it seemed to be, with a fair number of inventors overlapping in time, but then Leonardo DaVinci is tossed in the middle.

However, this seeming lack of cohesiveness actually can be an advantage! It's simple to rearrange the order of study if you wish to, making it a project you can do not just as an independent assignment but as an addition to any other history curriculum.  As he read the list, Jude realized that his hero Ben Franklin was at the beginning, but then wanted to jump over to a name he recognized -- Guglielmo Marconi.

We recently visited Cape Cod National Seashore and learned about this Nobel-Prize winning inventor who erected towers on the Massachusetts coastline. Strike while the iron is hot, right? Jude was excited to recount about how work here and in England allowed the first trans-Atlantic wireless telegram.  (He even remembered a little bit of the transmission between President Roosevelt and King Edward!) It was easy for us to skip over to Marconi because each subject was contained within his pages.

Once again, A Journey Through Learning has reminded us why it is one of our favorite homeschool resources.  The variety of programs, both stand-alone and supplemental to other curricula (i.e., Apologia, Classical Conversations, etc.) makes this a company I'm happy to use and recommend!

The Crew has been working on many lapbooks from A Journey Through Learning. Click the banner below to read their reviews.

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©2012- 2017 Adventures with Jude. All rights reserved. All text, photographs, artwork, and other content may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form without the written consent of the author. http://adventureswithjude.com

Heirloom Audio Productions: In the Reign of Terror (Homeschool Review Crew)

When we last left off our listening to Heirloom Audio Productions, "Henty" hinted at returning to "London on the 14th of July, which is a date that has significance in quite another story..." our guess was it would have something to do with the French Revolution.  We were excited to learn that we were right, and he was hinting at Heirloom Audio's newest offering,  In the Reign of Terror. This adaptation of Henty's retelling of the French Revolution is a 2-disc set plus a study guide that continues to impress. Henty's stories are not just entertainment, but also an engaging way for learning about history. Their commitment to quality production values has made them an excellent choice for "car schooling."  This installment is no different, and when we popped the CD into the car player, we were transported back to late 18th Century France and the chaos that marked the time.

You might think, "Oh...another audiobook."  Nope.  We do enjoy audiobooks - in fact, I often put one on at lunch time, or when my voice can't handle any more but we want to listen to a read-aloud.  However, an audio drama is an entirely different thing. A combination of creative storytelling, gifted voice actors, clever sound effects, and beautifully composed music kept everyone on the edge of their seats. (Well, as close to the edge of his seat as the seatbelts allow.)

It's no surprise that Brian Blessed again reprises his headlining role as G.A. Henty.  His long career as a West End, Shakespeare, film, and voice actor has garnered him numerous awards; in 2016, Mr. Blessed was named an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) for his contribution to arts and charity.   John Rhys-Davies, another renowned actor, appears again, this time voicing The Marquis de St Caux.  While each of the stories is a stand-alone volume, I enjoy hearing these gentlemen's voices in the new releases, providing continuity to the series.

As for the "audio drama" perspective, there is plenty of drama.  The actors bring their characters to life, and one really doesn't miss the lack of visual.  Their retelling brings to life the far-left radicalism that many in the Revolution espoused, including the execution of entire families.  For being a British writer, Henty's tale eagerly points out the difference between the American's fight for freedom and the French Revolution.  I admit that I've had a long-standing fascination with the French Revolution, thanks to a passionate high school history teacher, and the older boys' curiosity has been piqued by playing Assasin's Creed (Unity).  We enjoyed listening to this 2-disc set as we drove from New Jersey to Massachusetts - on our agenda was Lexington and Concord, the towns where the American War for Independence began.  I say "War for Independence" because the Revolution truly began long before, with the Boston Tea Party and other refusals to pay taxes levied without Parliamentary representation.  Herein lies a large difference between the American and French revolutions, and this is the base for Henty's story.

The story begins with Mr. George meeting a young man on the grounds of Arlington National Cemetery. I admit my skepticism concerning young Harry's long-deceased Revolutionary War-era ancestor buried at Arlington; after all, it didn't become a military cemetery until 1864, and the remains Unknown Soldier representing all the American slain from then is buried at Washington Square in Philadephia.  Thanks to the internet, I've discovered that there really are Revolution vets buried at Arlington!

Back to the story, Henty points out a significant difference between the Americans and the French: in America, violence against the Crown is the last resort, and men are judged by their politics and words, not their bloodlines.  While I'm not naive enough to think there weren't any atrocities committed (by either side),  I would agree that there has never been any reason to consider there ever had been a mass extermination of Tories, with parents and children being cut down because of their genealogy. Henty's story focuses on the right that a few men could accomplish, even in the face of all of this killing.  The author points out that ideals of "Liberty, Equality, Fraternity" are nothing if poor execution (rather literally) follows.

As we toured Lexington and Concord and viewed a fantastic National Parks-produced film, The Road to Revolution, I couldn't help but consider Henty's teachings.  Yes, shots were fired at Lexington Green, and the first battle was waged at the North Bridge in Concord, but they are arguably defensive fights and come after a several years' of relatively peaceful resistance.  The fighting comes to the colonists; they don't go looking for a battle. While In the Reign of Terror can't possibly present every political activity in two hours, it became clear that there is no rhyme or reason to the almost mob rule.  The French Revolution, while perhaps inspired by the success of the Americans, quickly devolved into a bloodbath, and the Jefferson administration found itself distancing America from her former political ally.

While the focus of the story is on France, it's an excellent tool for promoting critical thinking and discussion, especially with older students.  Luke, Matthew, and I, spurred on by a need to distract ourselves the slow pace of our travels (yes, I'm looking at you, traffic on the Tappan Zee Bridge), found ourselves having some interesting dicussions, especially since we are coming from different levels of study. As Matthew is currently studying the early administrations, he was comparing and discussing from an almost "in real time" perspective, while Luke had the ability to also think forward to later political effects and even similarities in thinking in today's culture.

When I downloaded the Study Guide that was made available to us, I hadn't actually considered using it -- we tend to enjoy just listening to and discussing the presentations.  However, I'm beginning to rethink my plans.  This is probably the best guide that Heirloom Audio has produced!  Not only is it a list of questions for discussion, but there are also plenty of added topics that turn this from just an audio drama with a few questions to see if kiddo was listening into a full study of the French Revolution.

Once again, Heirloom Audio Productions has created a new masterpiece.  They've brought a new historical event to life in a way that engages young children like Jude and Damien in an epic tale and yet nudges young adults to consider the ways that that history leaves an enduring mark on the future.

You can read our reviews of past Heirloom Audio titles:

The Cat of Bubastes
Beric The Briton
The Dragon and the Raven
With Lee in Virginia
In Freedom's Cause
Under Drake's Flag

Read other reviews of In the Reign of Terror from the Crew by clicking the banner below:

©2012- 2017 Adventures with Jude. All rights reserved. All text, photographs, artwork, and other content may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form without the written consent of the author. http://adventureswithjude.com