Washington: A True Patriot

Letter W is the focus for the Linky Blogging through the Alphabet this week. This is the perfect time for me to tell you about a book Alyssa and I are reading together. It is called George Washington: A True Patriot. It is one of many books in the Heroes of History series offered through YWAM Publishing. This 224-page book is jam-packed with fascinating facts about George Washington and his life beginning when he was just a child. The book consists of 19 chapters.

My daughter learns so much from these biographies. The corresponding study guide contains a variety of activities that enable your child to dig deeper into the story bringing History to life. After reading one of the books in this series, she feels like she knows and is friends with the historical figure. The book is suitable for children ages 10 and up, but you could read it aloud to younger children especially if they are History book lovers. 

I am currently reviewing this book and the accompanying study guide for the Homeschool Review Crew. Check back at the end of April to read about our thoughts and experiences with this book.

I will link this post up at Blogging Through the Alphabet Linky. W is the letter of the week so come join the fun and link up your post. I will also link this post up at the Homeschool Blog Link Up, Life at Rossmont's Wordless Wednesday, and Tots and Me Wordless Wednesday. Have a great day! 

Human Anatomy and Physiology Vocabulary

I'm blogging today about Vocabulary for my Blogging Through the Alphabet post. The focus this week is on Letter V. My 10-year-old daughter and I are currently using Apologia's Exploring Creation with Anatomy and Physiology for Science right now. It is designed to be used with children in K-6th grade.

There are several interactive vocabulary activities included in the Junior and Regular Notebooking Journals. I am currently using BOTH of the journals with Alyssa. The Regular Notebooking Journal which is intended for older children has awesome crossword puzzles to help your child learn relevant vocabulary and their definitions. Alyssa looks forward to these puzzles which can be found at the end of each lesson. The photo below covers terminology taught in Lesson 3. 

Muscular System Crossword Puzzle

The Junior Notebooking Journal has several cut and paste activities that enable the student to become familiar with the vocabulary words including but not limited to Life the Flap books and vocabulary puzzles. The following photos are from Lesson 1 and 3. These activities can be used to learn and review terminology. There are other helpful vocabulary activities and mini-books, but I just wanted to give you a sneak peek of what we've done so far.     

Anatomy Vocabulary Lesson 1

Muscular System Vocabulary Lesson 3

Be on the lookout for my review mid-April. 
This is such a fun curriculum! 

I wish we had started it earlier. We are truly enjoying it.

I will link this post up at Blogging Through the Alphabet Linky. V is the letter of the week so come join the fun and link up your post. I will also link this post up at the Homeschool Blog Link Up, Life at Rossmont's Wordless Wednesday, and Tots and Me Wordless Wednesday. Have a great day! 

Homeschool Review Crew: Á La Carte Products from Home School in the Woods

We've been learning about Music and Art using our two Á La Carte review products from Home School in the Woods. We are huge fans of Home School in the Woods! We've used several of their products in the past including the Project Passport World History: Middle Ages and Renaissance and Reformation studies. We also reviewed the Time Travelers: The American Revolution study.

Let me tell you about the new Á La Carte collection. The collections consists of individual downloadable digital items meant to enrich or enhance the learning process. The company offers a wide conglomeration of Á La Carte products covering various subjects, time periods, and topics. They are organized by Historical Eras and Project Types. This means that if you are wanting a file folder game for your children to play that's related to your studies, then you can look under Project Types and click on File Folder Game. You can easily find what you are looking for when browsing. There are items available to supplement your History, Geography, Science, Art, Music, Bible, and Language Arts curricula. Projects such as games, timelines, newspaper and creative writing activities, posters, lapbooking resources, and 3D authentic crafts are offered. Activities will vary for each Á La Carte item. They are continuously adding newly released Á La Carte products to their store.

What We Received
We received a family license for the Art Gallery File Folder Game and the Composers Through History Timeline which means we can only reproduce materials within our immediate family. Teacher and School licenses are also available to purchase.

The downloads were emailed to us in PDF format therefore an updated version of Adobe Reader is needed and highly recommended for printing ease. I downloaded and saved the files to my MAC computer using Chrome as my preferred browser. Both files are compatible with PC and MAC computers.

The timeline and game were used with my 10-year-old daughter who is in 4th grade. I wanted to add more Music and Art Appreciation into our homeschool day. These supplemental resources definitely enriched her studies. I also used the Composers Through History Timeline to review the Classical composers we previously studied. We started with Classical composers and then traveled back to the Middle Ages moving forward chronologically each day. The Art Gallery Game was used to help her identify and recognize artists and their major artworks. 

Both of the Á La Carte products provided a Licenses For Use information page in addition to an Introduction and Tips page which includes detailed printing and assembly instructions. I HIGHLY suggest reading the Tips page first before printing anything out. The specific instructions for each project follow the Introduction page. Both include a bulleted list of supplies and numbered step-by-step directions.

Art Gallery File Folder Game
The Art Gallery File Folder Game teaches children about popular artists and their well-known masterpieces. This multi-player game is suitable for children in 3rd-12th grade. You can have up to four players with the option of adding more players if desired. You just need to print more pawn pieces on different colored cardstock paper. It can also be found in the Artist Activity-Pak.

Markers or Pawn Pieces

The 70-page file consists of master printables, step-by-step instructions, and finished product photos for you to view while assembling the game. These printables enable you to create a gameboard, player pawns or markers, and game cards. The 60 Art game cards include beautifully detailed hand-drawn black and white or color images. This game is complete and includes everything you need to play.

As you travel around the gameboard your family will learn about 18 different artists by reading the mini biographies. The artist's name, a short 1-3 sentence biography, and birth and death dates are given for each artist. The artists taught on the gameboard and through the use of the cards are Monet, Rivera, Van Gogh, Da Vinci, Seurat, Rembrandt van Rijn, Renoir, Holbein, Michelangelo, El Greco, Manet, Goya, Remington, Copley, Beatrix Potter, Doré, Rubens, and Raphael.

Furthermore, you will learn about the different Art styles and eras during the Baroque, Renaissance, Impressionist, Modern, and Americana Art Movements.

How We Used It
We downloaded, saved, printed, and assembled the game and markers. I printed the first 7 Art cards in color and the rest in black and white. I really wanted my daughter to see the artwork in its true form when possible. The information to learn was printed on the back side of each card. We chose NOT to laminate the game, but you may want to for extended use.

Front

Back

You will need colored pencils, scissors, glue stick, colored and white cardstock paper, copy paper, clear packing tape, ink, printer, computer, and two file folders to create this game. It is imperative that you read the instructions before printing to avoid printing mistakes.   

My daughter colored the gameboard while I cut out the Art cards and assembled the pawns. It was a simple and quick process. We had fun listening to music or watching our favorite television shows as we completed this step.

I wanted my daughter to be successful so I assigned a sub-set of 5-15 Art cards per day for her to study before we attempted to play the game. She studied 2-5 times per week. The first time we played the game, we used half of the deck. I hung several Art Cards around the house for her to study too. She flipped them over to read the information on the back. At first, I only required her to memorize the artist and masterpiece title. However, over time she quickly learned the material so I asked her to study and memorize the dates and mediums for each Art card to make the game more challenging.

We played the game after she studied the cards for several days. Alyssa chose her marker and placed it on any work of Art on the gameboard. We started at the same location. The Art Gallery cards were stacked in a pile face up. The player would view the artwork at the top of the pile and answer one or more questions correctly in order to move ahead. I wanted my daughter to familiarize herself with the artists and the masterpiece title. Therefore, she had to answer the first two questions correctly before she could move ahead one space in a clockwise direction. An incorrect response simply meant that she could not move forward and it was my turn to view the next card. We took turns playing.

Questions Asked:

1. Who created the work?
2. What is the name of the work?
3. What year was it done?
4. What medium was it done in? 

We played the game at least 7 times during the review period and each time she retained the information better. The objective of the game is to be the first player to make it around the gallery in order to win the game. She really enjoyed playing this game. Personally, I think she liked the fact that she beat me every single time we played even though I tried my hardest. She told me she wants to continue playing the game even after the review is posted.

Composers Through History Timeline

The 9-page Composers Through History Timeline file consists of master templates, detailed directions, and finished project photos to help you assemble the timeline properly. The timeline is originally found in the Composers Activity-Pak. The file contains 2 pages consisting of 42 important black and white figures and three-pages of predated lines. Most of the composers are from the Romantic period. There are 22 figures in that era alone. Almost all of the figures were men. The blank timelines indicate the appropriate place for each well-known figure to be glued making it easier for children to assemble. The designer, Amy Pak, selected the composer names that were seen frequently in History programs.

This timeline is suitable for children in 3rd-12th grade. It covers seven musical eras beginning with Middle Ages (500 A.D.) and ending with the Modern 20th Century era. The musical era bars at the bottom of the printable can be color-coded. Each color represented a different era.

• Middle Ages (500-1400)
• Renaissance (1400-1600)
• Baroque (1600-1750)
• Classical (1750-1820)
• Romantic (1820-1900)
• Impressionist (1890-1940)
• Modern 20th Century (1900-Present)  

You'll need white cardstock, white copy paper, colored pencils, clear packing tape, and a glue stick to create this timeline. You might also want to borrow composer books and Cd's from the library and create a You Tube playlist of music for each composer ahead of time. 

The timeline was stored in a manila envelope with our tub of Music resources. It can easily fold-up accordion style. You can also hole-punch one side to place in a binder if desired.

How We Used It

First, I cut out the timeline sections and taped them together on the back side to form a chronological overview representing the seven eras of music. Alyssa colored the timeline era bars at the bottom of the page for me. We researched 2-7 composers each day during the review period. My daughter colored the images while I read a short biography I found online or in books we already owned at home. We also searched for composer music samples on You Tube or Google. Then, she pasted the colored figure in the appropriate place on the timeline. I might have her research her favorite composer and complete a notebooking sheet about him.

Coloring

Pasting Using Placement Guides

She also used the timeline to accompany our History studies so that she could see when certain events during the American Revolution took place in relation to the composers who lived at the same time.  

In my opinion, this is not a complete product. In order to get the most out of it, you'll need other resources to make the process more meaningful instead of just a cut-n-paste activity. You may want to read about the composers or hear samples of their music before gluing the figures on the timeline.   

Overall
Both of the products were wonderful additions to our homeschool day and outstanding ways to incorporate more Music and Art into our schedule. The clearly-stated assembly directions were easy-to-follow.

My daughter's favorite product was the Art Gallery File Folder Game. It was easier to use and made learning Art fun. She was completely engaged in the process and mastered the information shared. Repetition was key to mastering the information and building her knowledge base. Alyssa said that she liked learning about all of the different artists and their works of Art. She continues to challenge herself to learn all the information.

The Composers Through History Timeline is an excellent resource or visual reference to use at a later time. As we study historical events, I'll ask Alyssa to show me when they took place in relation to the musical eras. Her favorite musical eras were the Classical, Baroque, and Romantic time periods. The music she liked most was more upbeat or emotional. She enjoyed listening to Beethoven and Mozart the most.

Recommendations
I highly recommend the Á La Carte products from Home School in the Woods! These engaging products will appeal to individuals implementing a Unit Study, Delightful Learning, Eclectic, Activity-Based, or Thematic approach to learning. Classical and Charlotte Mason homeschoolers may also appreciate these activities. This is not the Traditional Textbook form of learning. 

What We Loved

• Variety of Artists and Movements Covered in the Art Gallery Game
• Art Gallery Teaches Art Mediums and Dates Not Just the Artists and Artwork Name  
• Clear Printing and Assembly Directions are Provided
• File Printables Easily Accessible
• Hands-On Learning, Multi-sensory Approach
• Makes Learning Fun and Interactive
• Easy to Store
• Contains Almost Everything We Need to Complete Projects 
• Professional High Quality Images
• Digital Downloads Means Immediate Use
• Number of Composers Covered

Possible Vendor Suggestions
The composer timeline does NOT include biographies or MP3 music clips therefore you must research it independently online or in books if this is the route you take. This can be very time-consuming unless you already have resources in your home. I wish that the company included at least one musical composition and a mini biography with several interesting facts for each composer to make the product even more useful.

Wishful Thinking
We wish we could see more historical time period recipe booklets, hands-on crafts, mapping resources, and possibly even mini thematic coloring books added to the Á La Carte product page.
 
Prices
Art Gallery File Folder Game $6.95

Composers Through History Timeline $2.95

Social Media
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Other Á La Carte Products of Interest
After viewing the Á La Carte collection, my daughter and I made a list of individual products we'd like to purchase and try in the future.

• The Art of Quilling (3D project)
• New World Explorers Timeline
• Name That State! File Folder Game
• Merchant Marauder File Folder Game
• Science, Invention, and Mathematicians Timeline
• A Trip to Town File Folder Game 

Visit the Homeschool Review Crew blog to read other reviews about many different Á La Carte products. Crew members reviewed a wide variety of resources.  

Umbrella Art from Thailand

My daughter finally completed her Level 1 ArtAchieve projects. We reviewed this curriculum last year in May. Thankfully, the projects were finished before our subscription expired but it was cutting it close. The Umbrella from Thailand project was one of the toughest projects in Level 1 for Alyssa. This lesson was meant for children in Grades 1 and up. We think it is more suitable for children in 3rd grade and up.

Children learn how to utilize paintbrush strokes to create many different textures. First, she practiced creating a texture chart on manila paper. Then, she chose her acrylic paint colors and watered them down. Next, she designed her umbrella and painted it.

She really enjoys hearing about other countries and their culture. She watched the video lesson instead of using the PowerPoint lesson. Alyssa completed this lesson in one sitting, but the teacher recommends breaking the lesson up over three days for younger children. Time was needed for the first coat to dry. This particular lesson also ties in Literature, Geography, and facts about Elephants.      

Umbrella from Thailand

I will link this post up at Blogging Through the Alphabet Linky. U is the letter of the week so come join the fun and link up your post. I will also link this post up at the Homeschool Blog Link Up, Life at Rossmont's Wordless Wednesday, and Tots and Me Wordless Wednesday. 

Iranian Date Palm Tree

I've been sharing my daughter's featured crafts from her Let's Go Geography curriculum. This week she created the Iranian Date Palm Tree. Did you know that one of the most important crops grown in Iran are dates? These dates grow on palm trees found in Iran.

For this project Alyssa painted a coffee filter with sunset colors. Then, we printed the palm tree template from printables section of the curriculum. She taped the template to the black construction paper so that she could cut out the sky area from both pieces of paper. Next, Alyssa flipped over the black paper and added glue to the rim and trees. She glued the colored coffee filter to the paper. Finally, she wrote Iran in the top left corner.

I will link this post up at Blogging Through the Alphabet Linky. T is the letter of the week so come join the fun and link up your post. T is for Trees. I will also link this post up at the Homeschool Blog Link Up, Life at Rossmont's Wordless Wednesday, and Tots and Me Wordless Wednesday. 

South African Big Cat Craft Project

Alyssa loves her Geography curriculum so much that she wants me to buy Level 2 next year. I already told her I would because it is VERY affordable! She is currently using Let's Go Geography. I wanted to share another one of featured craft projects with you today.

She was studying South Africa and the safari a couple weeks ago so the craft was centered around the South African "Big Cats" like the lioness, cheetah, or leopard. First, I printed the Big Cat outline from the printables section of our curriculum. She taped it on a piece of black construction paper. Then, she traced and cut out the black image. Next, she chose her sunset colors which were drawn on orange paper. She used crayons as her medium. The last step was to glue the Big Cat on the background and write South Africa at the bottom of the page. I love how the project turned out. This curriculum has so many neat featured craft projects. We always save the craft projects for the last day of the week.   

I will link this post up at Blogging Through the Alphabet Linky. S is the letter of the week so come join the fun and link up your post. I will also link this post up at the Homeschool Blog Link Up, Life at Rossmont's Wordless Wednesday, and Tots and Me Wordless Wednesday. 

Homeschool Review Crew: Drive Thru History Adventures Subscription Review

Our online subscription to Drive Thru History Adventures has been a blessing to review. If you are looking for a Homeschool Video Curriculum for American History, Bible History, or Ancient History, then Drive Thru History Adventures may have a program for you. It is designed to be used with the entire family and is intended for children ages 12 and up. It is suitable for younger children ages 5 and up with adaptations and guidance. Extensions can be made for older children as well which can include research, essays based on discussion questions, projects, or even looking further into primary resources.

Dave Stotts was our hilarious tour guide. He has two decades of professional video and media production experience. He's traveled to over 30 countries to document varies topics. He lives with his family in Dallas, Texas. My daughter is hoping one day we'll run into them.   

 

What We Received
We received a one-year online subscription to Drive Thru History Adventures. The subscription also includes access to the expanded curriculum components. We have access to the ENTIRE site for the ENTIRE family including the following three courses:

• American History Adventures: Early American History - 12 Weeks 
• Bible History Adventures: Life of Jesus Based on the Gospels - 18 Weeks
• Ancient History Adventures: Early Greece, Rome, and Asia Minor Empires - 12 Weeks 

Furthermore, we also had access to the Adventures TV app where you can stream the fast-paced shorter video shows, road trips, bloopers, and special content online on multiple devices such as an iPhone, iPad, Android Tablet, PC, MAC computers, and on your television using Chromecast. Click on the previous link for more specific tech requirements.

Adventures TV has two neat features that follow the 17 videos categorized under Dave's Adventures which are recorded in his Adventure Studio. These specific video segments offer video tutorials on how to use the curriculum and weekly updates. The two features I want to mention are the Continue Watching and My List section. The Continue Watching section includes videos that you have NOT yet finished but started. The My List are your saved videos. You can easily add videos you watch or want to watch to your list. I added and saved all of the holiday-themed videos we watched to my list so that we can refer to them later. This section also includes all of the videos for all three courses (with a paid subscription) in addition to short, scripted videos based on a variety of specific topics. We watched many of the holiday-themed videos listed under Side Roads using the Adventures TV app. A few of the videos we viewed are The History of Groundhog Day, The History of Presidents' Day, and The History of Saint Valentine's Day. Our favorite was the Valentine's Day video. He included many silly yet appropriate pick-up lines while still teaching the History behind the holiday. One of the funny statements he said was, "Love is in the air. No, actually it is Nitrogen, Oxygen, and Carbon Dioxide." There is some overlapping content and videos in certain areas at the top of the subscription dashboard and through the Adventures TV app. No discussion questions are available for the mini videos through Adventures TV. This is a great option when you want to take learning on the road. Alyssa watched an episode on my iPhone while I drove into town for an appointment.

Alyssa wanted to view the Uncle Davey's Christmas Treats video even though it wasn't Christmas, because she enjoys cooking and baking. Dave Stotts taught and gave viewers instructions on how to make Spam Sushi, a wheely treat, and a Christmas tree snack. I must say he made us laugh during this video. He was dressed in a Santa hat wearing fake hillbilly teeth. His cheese infatuation was revealed yet again when he made a gross Christmas tree snack in which he formed a tree using Wiz cheese on a gingersnap cookie topped with colorful candy sprinkles. I give him props for defining the vocabulary word, viscosity. He called this a delicate and exotic treat and before he devoured it he said, "Come to Papa." His unique personality intrigued my daughter.   

  

My focus for this review will be on the 12-week American History Adventures curriculum which covers Christopher Columbus to the Constitution. The goal was to learn about early American History and how the people, places, and events helped build the foundation of our nation and shape our faith. The course is organized into weekly family-friendly "adventures" as described by Dave. The informative yet entertaining video covers History, Geography, Archaeology, Architecture, Classic Art, and more. Dave Stotts was our enthusiastic tour guide. He thoroughly explained the content and presented the material based on a Christian Worldview. Stotts took us on a journey to visit battle grounds or other relevant locations, discuss historical events, and introduce us to influential people. This course tied in wonderfully with her core History curriculum.

There are 12 episodes included in this course. Each episode is approximately 27 minutes long.

• The Discovery
• Pilgrim Search for Freedom
• Beginnings of Revolution
• Whitefield and Boston's Freedom Trail
• William Penn and Early Philadelphia
• Fighters of the Revolution
• Early Colonial Virginia
• Founding Fathers of Virginia
• Revolution in New York
• New York and the First President
• New Jersey and Epilogue

Each weekly episode begins with the video which can be enlarged to fit your screen followed by a meaningful quote stated by an important historical figure mentioned in the episode. One of our favorite quotes mentioned in the curriculum resources as seen in Episode 1 was stated by Christopher Columbus "No one should fear to undertake any task in the name of our Savior, if it is just and if the intention is purely for His holy service."
 
The episode also included titled and dated artwork images. Many of the beautiful images were shared in full color or in black-and-white. A succinct video summary was provided. Additionally, each episode included suggested readings and Side Roads. For example, we took a Side Road and read about Columbus' Journey as part of Episode 1. Five thought-provoking discussion questions were listed based on the big ideas after the Side Roads. The questions were provided as a worksheet in PDF format with the accompanying answer guides, but they could easily be turned into daily journal questions. The worksheets, answer guides, and suggested readings could be downloaded and printed. The Dig Deeper section was the last stop before starting the next episode or returning to the dashboard. This is where updates and articles related to the topic can be found. For example, information about Amerigo Vespucci and Christopher Columbus was provided after viewing Episode 1.   

The are a variety of curriculum resources available to extend and enrich learning in addition to the videos such as articles, expert papers, suggested readings, artwork, discussion question worksheets, and answer guides.

How We Used Drive Thru History Adventures
I used Drive Thru History Adventures with my 10-year-old daughter, Alyssa, who is in 4th grade. We used Chrome version 64 as our main browser when viewing material on our Mac OS 10.13.3 High Sierra computer.

The first course that we explored was the American History Adventures curriculum. We followed the curriculum sequence in order beginning with Episode 1: The Discovery. The episodes watched so far review previously learned content or coincide with what she is currently studying. During the review period, we viewed half of the videos and utilized the curricula components to enrich learning. We are using this online curriculum as a supplement to Alyssa's American History core curriculum. The episodes were watched at the end of our homeschool day in the early evenings. This was intentional because I knew we would end up taking detours. 

Day 1
We watched one 27-minute episode each week. We worked through the curriculum components 2-5 days a week for up to 45 minutes a day if needed. On the first day, we read aloud the comprehension questions prior to watching the video so that my daughter could watch the video with a purpose. I wanted her to understand the bigger concepts or the main ideas for each episode. She also read and attempted to memorize the quote. One of us usually read the summary aloud giving us a head's up of what's to come.

Day 2
Alyssa and I discussed the questions verbally after watching the video on the second day. She would occasionally rewatch the fact-filled video in preparation for this discussion. I would often reread the video summary as a reminder and review of what was previously taught. She was not required to write out her responses in detail or in complete sentences. However, I did provide Alyssa with the discussion question worksheet to jot down her thoughts as she watched the video. She would pause the video to record her thoughts. I would listen to her responses and check for understanding. I didn't grade the worksheets. In the beginning, she was a little distracted by all the humorous content but the worksheets were helpful in redirecting her attention. I felt like learning wasn't as fun or adventurous when I required her to provide complete written responses for every question so I took a more relaxed approach since she was younger than the suggested age level. If she were older then my approach would differ.

Episode 3

Episode 5 Notes

Day 3
We checked out the primary resource documents and read aloud any articles or suggested readings together on the third day. We took turns reading each paragraph. You can read these documents online. You can also download and print the files in PDF format. Most of the time we read them online due to the file size and cost of ink. It was a simple process. There was always a View in Full purple tab to click on in order to read the documents online. We read aloud the document titled, Christopher Columbus 1493 Letter to Ferdinand and Isabella after watching Episode 1. We also read The Mayflower Compact after watching Episode 2. The suggested readings are jam-packed with related content and relevant historical facts that reinforced learning. Alyssa truly enjoyed reading the poem, "Paul Revere's Ride" by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow after viewing Episode 3. She was shocked when she saw the length of the poem.

Day 4
The fourth day was reserved for the Dig Deeper and Side Road resources. For example, we viewed The First Thanksgiving video after watching Episode 2: Pilgrim Search for Freedom. One aspect I love is that the video were scripted. I used the scripts to verbally summarize or paraphrase what was taught in the video after viewing it. We learned about Independence Day and the Boston Massacre in Episode 3. Alyssa learned about an African-American slave named Crispus Attucks who was killed during the Boston Massacre. She also learned about Paul Revere's Boston Massacre engraving that was published causing more anger against British rule.

Day 5 (Optional)
Alyssa was allowed to explore the website on any device freely on the fifth day if desired. She was allowed to pick-and-choose videos to watch. She loved having the freedom to independently choose topics and learn about information she was interested in learning. One day she chose The History of Cheese to watch. He made many references to cheese while teaching the History behind it. 

Overall Thoughts 
We both thought that the high-quality videos were entertaining and educational. The video segments were accurately presented in a clearly stated manner. Alyssa was captivated by Dave's humorous approach and remained fully engaged. She retained a decent amount of the information being taught. His humor will definitely catch your children off guard and help maintain their attention. Dave Stotts also presents the content with a serious tone. His passion for History is evident in his teaching approach. This video-based curriculum really made learning fun and brought a little more life to our History curriculum. We felt like were were taking a virtual field trip to historical sites as we traveled on location with Dave. For example, in Episode 3 we visited locations such as Old North Church, Bunker Hill, Dorchester Heights, Old North Bridge, Lexington, Concord, and Hancock Clark House. We had the opportunity to see places up close that we'd never be able to see in person. We also learned about people not mentioned in her History curriculum such as George Whitefield.

I truly appreciated that artwork was integrated into the curriculum resources. This is a great way to add in Art to your homeschool day and possibly extend learning by researching the artist. The colorful artwork below is from Episode 5 showing William Penn's relationship with the Native Americans.

The discussion question prompts helped Alyssa stay focused on the relevant points. I appreciated the fact that handy answer guides were provided for discussion questions. The website easy to navigate and the extra support materials complemented the content being taught. I was thoroughly impressed with the videos from Drive Thru History Adventures. It is an excellent History supplement. My daughter makes sure that I don't forget to watch our weekly episode and hasn't complained about the program at all.

One of our favorite features were the holiday-themed videos. We hope that there will be many more Side Road videos about holidays added to the resources section. We also heard in the most recent weekly update that the Acts to Revelation series that will be released this summer. We look forward to watching the video series. I love that Alyssa and I can visit the community Facebook page to ask questions. The responses to our questions may even be answered in Dave's Adventures videos where he shares weekly updates, makes announcements, and answers curricula questions.

We plan on using the Ancient History course over the summer and we may take a little detour through the Bible History videos this month. I will continue using the subscription but with a less structured approach. My daughter will utilize the components as part of her independent learning research. It was a blessing to review this product, because as a single homeschool mom I couldn't afford to purchase a subscription as a supplement on our limited budget. However, I have friends who have seen all the curriculum components and said they would consider investing in a subscription.

Alyssa's Thoughts
Dave is funny and the videos teach me a lot about American History. I love seeing all the places I'm reading about in my History book and learning about through Drive Thru History Adventures. I like that the videos are short. I really liked the surprise they sent me in the mail too! They sent me two patches, two stickers, and Dave autographed a photo by his jeep for me. 

Drive Thru History Goes the Extra Mile
by Sending Surprise Goodies Via Mail

Recommendations
My daughter and I highly recommend Drive Thru History Adventures as a supplement to your Homeschool History Curriculum especially if you have children who learn best using a video-based or computer learning approach. The courses are complete when accompanying resources are utilized in conjunction with the videos. The videos are very informative when used alone.

Price
There are two ways to pay for your Drive Thru History Adventures subscription. You can pay monthly or annually.

$124.99/year
$12.99/month

If you sign-up for an annual subscription the company is currently offering a FREE set of the Gospels DVD series. Click on the previous link for the discount code.

OR

Drive Thru History Adventures is offering readers of The Old Schoolhouse Magazine 20% off an annual subscription. Find the Drive Thru History ad found on page 17 of the print or digital edition of the Old Schoolhouse Magazine or check out the smaller ad on page 103. Use the previous link to access the discount code.

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Visit the Homeschool Review Crew blog to read reviews about all three curricula programs available through Drive Thru History Adventures.