It is an honor to be part of the Parent Training Center launch team. I am thrilled about sharing more information about this resource with you over the next couple weeks. Today, however, I would like you to check out this AWESOME giveaway!

A Parent Training Center is a church that intentionally trains parents, providing resources and tools both for discipleship of believers and for evangelism to families in the community.

The National Center for Biblical Parenting offers resources, and practical support to help you become the Parent Training Center God designed. The Equipping Program contains a number of mobilization tools to help you advance to the next level in your parent discipleship ministry.

With this program you'll interact with experts as well as other pastors and church leaders. Receive personalized guidance for your unique church situations. Use resources that will equip your parents to reach their children's hearts.

To introduce your church to the Parent Training Center concept, we are hosting an awesome giveaway that includes some of our best church and parent training resources, along with a $100 gift certificate to the National Center for Biblical Parenting store. Here's what your church could win:

Parenting Is Heart Work DVD Church Kit ($199.95 value)

Equip parents to touch the hearts of their kids with this biblically-based, practical training program. Parents and teachers of children 2-18 years will benefit from this life-changing curriculum.

The Parenting is Heart Work Church Kit Includes:
• Eight 35-minute video sessions
• A Leader's Guide with reproducible pages for attendees
• A copy of the 256 page book Parenting is Heart Work

The videos were filmed before a live audience of parents and children. Using drama, Bible stories, and lots of illustrations, Dr. Scott Turansky and Joanne Miller, RN, BSN will energize you and provide you with tools you need to strengthen your family. Use this eight-part video series in your church, small group, or even in your own family. Many times parents have to change the way they parent in order for children to change the way they live.

The Family Toolbox DVD Church Kit ($179.95 value)

The Family Toolbox has 8 lessons for parents, teens, or both in a small group setting. Each one has a 1-2 minute scene of a family living life and experiencing common challenges in their relationships. A discussion guide prompts dialogue among parents and a 10-minute teaching session featuring Dr. Scott Turansky and Joanne Miller, RN, BSN gives practical tools to use right away.

As the Group Works Through the Lessons Parents Learn:

• How to focus on the heart instead of just behavior

• The cues you give that tell your children when you mean business

• Practical ways to remove conflict from the problems of family life

• How to end correction times with impact

• A tool for maximizing heart change in the correction process

• The value of teaching kids to accept no as an answer

• Ways to reduce anger episodes in children

The Family Toolbox is designed for families with children ten years old and up and is an excellent resource for small groups. Each lesson can be done in 20-30 minutes, but could also lead to discussion and dialogue lasting an hour or more.

Coupon to purchase resources in the NCBP Store ($100 value)

Visit the NCBP store to discover a plethora of church and parent training resources.

***

To enter, please use the Rafflecopter below. It'll take some time to load. If you don't see the giveaway, then click on the link below. Good luck!

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Terms and Conditions
This giveaway is open to residents of the U. S. only. Void where prohibited by law. Must be at least 18 years of age. This giveaway is in no away associated with Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, or Pinterest. No purchase necessary for entry. Odds are determined by the number of entries. Selected winner will have 48 hours to respond to email notification to claim their prize or another winner will be drawn. Entrants to this giveaway will be added to the email list for the National Center of Biblical Parenting.

Home School in the Woods sent me a digital download of their Project Passport World History Study: The Middle Ages to review. You'll find an assortment of activities and projects to complete including recipes, lapbook pieces, notebooking assignments, creative writing, games, crafts, coloring, and more. Project Passport World History Study: The Middle Ages consisted of 25 numbered stops with over 50 suggested projects to pick-n-choose from each day. This unit study contains the Guided Book Texts, Master Printables, and the Project Travel Itinerary. Amy Pak and her family have done a magnificent job creating this history unit.

It is an awesome hands-on world history unit study which is suitable for children in grades 3-8, but you can easily adapt the activities for lower grade levels to be involved in the process. The unit study will take you approximately 8-12 weeks to complete without additional rabbit trail detours.

Topics Addressed (400 AD to 1500 AD)

Barbarian Invasions, Groups, and Territories
Crime, Punishment, and Entertainment
Battles, Wars and Conflicts: Weaponry, Muslim Invasions, Eastern Europe, and England
Viking Life and Era
Merchants, Trade, and Exploration
Crusades and Famous People
The Feudal System: Structure of Classes
Medieval Culture and Everyday Life: Clothing, Food, Family, and Community
Villages and Castles
Towns and Guilds
Knights and Chivalry
Education
Science and Invention
Medicine: Nasty Diseases and Black Death
The Arts
Church History: Pilgrimages, Tales, Religious Events, Rise of Islam, and Monastic Life
Relevant People

How We Used It
I used Project Passport World History Study: The Middle Ages with Alyssa (Age 7 1/2) who works at a 3rd-5th grade level. We took a break from our world history curriculum to try something new and to give us a break from the routine schedule. Home School in the Woods was utilized as a standalone world history summer curriculum.

My goal was to complete one stop each day working at least 3-5 times per week. However, I quickly realized some projects required much more time. The schedule is extremely flexible allowing you to choose how many projects and stops you want to complete in a given amount of time. We basically completed as many stops and projects as desired during each sitting and stretched out the project over several days if necessary. I wanted her to enjoy the study, not feel rushed, and retain the information better so we slowed things down a bit.

First, I downloaded and opened the digital file on my MAC computer using Safari as my browser. Adobe Reader is needed to open PDF files. My initial reaction when I first opened the file was that I felt a bit overwhelmed. I immediately started printing without reading anything, because I was anxious to begin, but I quickly realized that I should have read the directions. There was an "Important! Please Read First" note! After reading this note, I noticed specific printing directions for each project. The file indicated which type of paper to use. It also stated whether the paper should be colored or white. This information was extremely helpful. The more I explored the contents of the file and became more familiar with the material, the overwhelming feeling disappeared.

It was time to organize our binders. Two cover choices were available: Color and black and white. I asked Alyssa to color the black and white cover of her binder. The student binder holds all of her completed projects. I printed the black and white version for my teacher binder to save on ink cost and chose not to color it. Then, I hole punched the reading texts and placed them in the teacher binder in numerical order.

I read the Introduction section which contained printing tips and other helpful information about the organization of the study. My intention was to print as we worked through the unit study. However, my plans changed. It was easier to print items in batches or groups. I ended up printing out all the timeline pages, 3 pages of timeline figures, 2 newspaper pages, 2 postcard sets, and the components for several stops at a time.

I skimmed over the Travel Tips which explained the format of the lessons and indicated which supplies were needed on hand. There was a moderate amount of prep required prior to beginning the unit. This section also included a list of icons seen on the Travel Itinerary which represent the type of project to be completed.

I kept the 3-page Travel Planner or Quick Stop Itinerary at the front of my binder. The icons appeared at the bottom of each page as a reference. This Travel Planner gives you an overall glance of all the lessons enabling you to plan ahead.

Travel Planner Quick Stop Itinerary

Stops 9-16

There is also a Travel Itinerary which describes the projects with detailed directions for each stop and the materials required. Household items were frequently used. I also added the "Travel Itineraries" and teacher helps to my binder.

Each stop began with a fact-filled read aloud "Guide Book Text" which focused on a specific topic. It discussed the background history and culture, historical dates, information about relevant people, and significant events in history. Some stops required additional research. We took turns reading the material in the Guide Book so that I could keep her attention and encourage participation.

Stop 6: Everyday Life Part 3

Life in a Castle, Village, and Town

The "Additional Resources" list was placed at the back of the binder. I highlighted the titles of books available at my library.

Additional Resources

Items To Have On Hand
I started gathering supplies as soon as I found out I was going to be reviewing this product. It would be helpful if you had the following list of items on hand prior to beginning the study.

Two 3-Ring Binders with Clear Vinyl Front for Cover (2" and larger)
Colored and Black Ink
White and Colored Cardstock
White and Colored Paper
Colored File Folder with Pocket
Easel Knife and Cutting Surface (Self-Healing Mat)
Scissors, Glue Stick, Liquid Glue, Double-Sided Tape
Writing Tools and Colored Pencils
Pencil Sharpener
Ruler and Paper Clip (optional for Scoring Thick paper)

Note: This is NOT a complete list of supplies, but it'll get you started. The frequently used items are listed in the study. Each project also contains an individual supply list you'll want to preview before the lesson.

Ongoing Projects

Let's take a look at the ongoing projects. Several projects continued throughout the entire unit study such as the Snapshot Moments in History Timeline, the Medieval Times Newspaper, and the Postcards.

The "Snapshot Moments in History Timeline" gave Alyssa a visual record of the historical events that occurred during the time period. She decided not to color the images so that we could clearly see the details. The graphic with the caption was cut and glued down in the appropriate area of the timeline. Alyssa checked her work using the teacher key of the timeline which was viewed on the computer. This made placement easier.

In the screenshot below, you can see a few articles Alyssa wrote and illustrations she drew. All of the Medieval Times Newspaper articles will be eventually be assembled together to form a newspaper.

Newspaper Articles

Each "Wish You Were Here Postcard Greeting" was added to the postcard rack once the illustration was drawn to accompany the greeting message.

A conglomeration of projects were included in the study. Several projects were offered for each stop. You can pick and choose which ones your children will like most or you can do them all. I want to share with you a few featured projects from the stops we completed to show you the variety of activities offered, but I'd like to talk about the audio tours first.

Audio Tours
We listened to three of the seven dramatized short audio tours led by Agatha, the tour guide, including "Interview Among the Classes," "Visiting a Village, Town, and Castle," and "Trade Festival on the Holy Day." The informative audios really helped Alyssa and I understand what life was like during the Medieval Times and they brought history to life. They contained useful and relevant information that made the study more meaningful. The audio tour also helped Alyssa retain the information better. She listened to the audio tours while working on projects. The audio tours were played several times for repetitive listening. Alyssa was given a choice as to which ones she wanted to hear each day.

Stop 1: Time to Pack for the Trip!
Luggage Folder, Passport, and Postcard Rack
The unit is based around a vacation or trip theme. We created a luggage folder and a passport. Alyssa chose a purple pocketed folder and pink yarn for the tie. I did the easel knife cutting for safety reasons, because folder was thick and difficult to cut. Alyssa was surprised when she saw the end results of the project. The rest will be filled out at a later time.

She was fascinated with the idea of the passport. We discussed the purpose of a passport. I found and printed an up close image for her to cut out. Below is a picture of her creating her passport.

Passport Completed

She also assembled the "Postcard Rack" for her binder which will store all the completed postcards during the unit study. I suggest using a paperclip to hold the cards in the pocket and to keep them from falling out.

Postcard Rack and Postcard (Front)

Alyssa colored her "Scrapbook of Sights" cover of her student binder.

Stop 2: Barbarians in the South and East
"Wish You Were Here" Postcard Greeting
Alyssa created her postcard greeting. The front side reveals a friendly letter from a famous historical figure (King Genseric) written and directed to his fellow countrymen also known as the Vandal People. I think this activity is a great way to help children see the different perspectives of individuals from history. The front of this postcard can be seen in collage pictures above.

Postcard Back Colored and Not Colored

Stop 3: Barbarians in the North and West
Mapping the Barbarian Invasions
Two maps were provided. Alyssa used the teacher keys to copy the maps. Red lines divided the regions on the teacher map. She chose not to color the regions.

Stop 4: Family
Structure of Classes Notebooking and Lapbooking Projects
Alyssa learned about the feudal system which is the structure of the classes during the Medieval Times. She cut out the images and descriptions. She glued the images on top of the descriptions and then folded them over. Next, she glued those mini books on the pyramid. The pyramid lines were shaded light gray which offered assistance with placement.

The Feudal System

Structure of Classes Lapbook

Stop 5: Clothing and Food
Puppets, Cooking, and Crafts Oh My!
We read information about the clothing worn by specific classes. Alyssa also learned about the Sumptuary Laws. She couldn't believe that people were fined and even punished for dressing above their class. We added the notebooking pages to her binder. She wanted to color the puppets instead of the pages. We used popsicle sticks instead of skewers for the handles. She colored the characters over several days coloring 3-5 puppets per day. Alyssa reread the clothing information before coloring the puppets. She created a little "King and Queen" romantic skit and played with them behind her puppet theater.

Puppet Characters and Clothing

One of our favorite mother-daughter activities is to work in the kitchen together. The Booklet of Medieval Cookry (lapbook piece) included a table of contents menu, a short historical description for each listed recipe, a list of ingredients for each dish, and step-by-step simplified directions. We went to the store to purchase missing ingredients.

Alyssa did most of the cutting, measuring, mixing, kneading, and so forth while I supervised. Our favorite recipes to make were the Beef and Barley Soup and the Herb Bread. The Herb Bread is absolutely delicious! Alyssa enjoyed punching the air out of the dough after rising. We liked it so much that we made two extra loaves with the soup so that we could freeze the leftovers.

Making the Bread

Herb Bread

Tasting the Bread and Soup Prep

Beef Barley Soup

We made a chicken and rice meal called "Blawmanger." We added cinnamon and dried fruit. It was a plain meal with a hint of sweetness and almonds.

Also Known as Blankmanger

The Souvenir Craft Cards in the pocket so far include Robin Hood Cap, the Flower Wreath Circlet, and Sculpt with Marzipan. The materials for these projects usually had to be purchased rather than found in the home.

One of our favorite and least favorite projects was the flower wreath circlet. We had a love/hate relationship with this project. We absolutely LOVE how it turned out! We both agreed that this project is very time consuming, but well worth it if you put forth a consistent effort. My daughter and I took turns twisting floral tape while watching a unit movie. We had the white flowers on hand and purchased the yellow ones 40% off at our local craft store. We also only purchased the beaded and green ribbon, because we had the other ribbon colors on hand.

Flower Wreath Circlet

My Beautiful Baby Girl

Doesn't this look like fun?

Stop 5 was our favorite all-time stop! The fun-filled adventures engaged our full attention and interest. The memories will be cherished forever.

Stop 6: Community
Castle Life
We did not get to create the sugar cube castle, but we want to in the near future. Alyssa colored in the castle picture below. This project is incomplete. She will actually glue numbered room descriptions on clear acetate. This will enable the child to view the rooms and their purpose within a castle. An information sheet describing the rooms of the castle was provided.

Castle Project

Life in a Castle Lapbook

"Life in a Castle" is a research notebooking activity. My daughter utilized the Internet, library books, and the Guide Book to fill out the page. She assembled the lapbook piece. There are several other similar projects in this series.

Stop 7: Crime, Punishment, and Entertainment
Jousting, Fox and Geese Game, and Justinian Code Booklet
I cut the slits for the figurines. Alyssa colored and cut everything else. She had to be very careful when poking a hole for the brad because the lance was thin. The lances and characters can be moved for active jousting play.

I am not sure we played this game correctly. The geese could never pen in the fox! There's a possibility that we misunderstood the directions.

Fox and Geese Game

My daughter created a mini book replica of the Justinian Code created by Byzantium emperor, Justinian I. It's a collection and reorganization of old and new laws which were divided into four main parts.

Stop 8: Towns and Guilds
Life in a Town
This activity consists of mini blurb books glued around the castle. She quickly learned information about each topic. A description discussing the importance of the Medieval Town is on the back side. It was three-hole punched and placed in her binder.

Stop 9: Merchants, Trade, Explorations
Merchant Trade Good Booklet and Occupation Game
The trade goods booklet is incomplete. We need magazine pictures of goods for the inside flap. You can always have your child draw and color the images. She chose six origin areas for her booklet. We printed a list of various trade good items and their country origins. She also learned about the Hanseatic League alliance which offered protection from thieves and promoted commerce.

We enjoyed playing the Occupations Concentration game! The green sheet lists the jobs and their descriptions. We used it as a reference during the game in the very beginning until we became more familiarized with the descriptions. We learned the occupations quicker without any added pressure. I split the cards into two smaller sets. We played two games which made it easier to learn the occupations, because there were fewer cards.

Occupations Concentration Game

Visit the Free Reso urces and Samples section to give their products a try! You won't regret it!

What We LOVED

Flexible Scheduling Options
Abundant Selection of Hands-On Projects
Integration of Other Subjects Such As Reading, Writing, Art, and History
History is Memorable and Fun with Added Games, Crafts, and Recipes
Finished Project Photos are Included
Background Informational Text Provided
Clearly Stated Numerical Instructions with Bulleted Supply or Ingredient List

Comprehensive and Complete for Its Purpose
Easily Adaptable to All Ages
Instantly Accessible and Available as a Digital Download
Detailed Handdrawn Images
Project Materials Easily Found Around the House
Interesting Fact-Filled Audio MP3's
A List of Additional Resources Including Books, Audio Books, and Movies is Available

Family Movie Night
Quest for Camelot is Another Good Movie to Add to the List!

Literature Selections

Possible Vendor Suggestions

Larger lines and spacing for younger writers
Beautiful images but younger learners may have a difficult time coloring them
The timeline figure topics weren't always related to the information covered. I also felt like we were jumping around at times.
Create leveled, differentiated maps for children who may not be able to label the entire map.
The "Fox and Geese" game directions may need clarification.

Price
There are two formats or versions available for purchase.

You can purchase the digital download for $33.95.
The CD will cost you $34.95.

Note: All prices are subject to change without notice.

Recommendations
I would definitely, without a doubt, HIGHLY recommend Project Passport World History Study: The Middle Ages to homeschool families searching for a hands-on approach to studying world history. If your children are hands-on learners or enjoy projects, notebooking and lapbooking then you should consider purchasing this product if the topic is of interest. My daughter just couldn't get enough of it and always wanted to start the day with it. It can supplement any world history curricula.

Other Products in the Series
Project Passport World History Study: Ancient Egypt
Project Passport World History Study: Renaissance and Reformation

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The Schoolhouse Review Crew blog more Project Passport reviews from Home School in the Woods covering the Middle Ages, Ancient Egypt, and the Renaissance and Reformation time periods. Head on over to read those reviews now before you forget.