New Review! Drive Thru History (R)!!!

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About the product/service: As part of the Homeschool Review Crew, I received a free DVD set, Drive Thru History®- "The Gospels," from Drive Thru History®. The set includes three disks which contain 18, 30-minute episodes that tell about the life of Jesus and also comes with a study guide for each episode. I was impressed before I even put a DVD in the player. While the outside sleeve is cardboard, the DVDs case actually is very nice and looks like a book. The study guide is part of the case. For each episode, the are five discussion questions, a list of the pertinent scriptures, and a side road (which is actually a sidebar and just gives a little extra information about an aspect of that episode's topic.) The guide is full-color and also includes a lot of beautiful photos. 

Host Dave Stotts travels to 50 ancient sites in Israel as he brings the gospel to life in an adventurous, family-friendly way. You learn about the history, archaeology, art, and geography from the time that Jesus walked the earth. It's great for Bible studies, Sunday school, homeschool, or just family entertainment. 

Side note: There are other Drive Thru History® series, including those from American History, Ancient History, and the Holy Land. Just thought I'd mention that. :)

Here is a list of the episodes:

Episode 1: The Historical Landscape
Episode 2: The Announcements
Episode 3: Jesus is Born
Episode 4: Jesus Grows Up
Episode 5: Jesus Starts His Ministry
Episode 6: Jesus Returns to Galilee
Episode 7: Jesus Begins His Miracles
Episode 8: Jesus Teaches with Authority
Episode 9: The Sermon on the Mount
Episode 10: Jesus Travels the Sea of Galilee
Episode 11: Jesus Travels North
Episode 12: A Final Trip to Jerusalem
Episode 13: Jesus Arrives in Jerusalem
Episode 14: The Last Supper
Episode 15: The Trial of Jesus
Episode 16: The Crucifixion of Jesus
Episode 17: The Resurrection of Jesus
Episode 18: Who is Jesus?

What are the pros of this product?
Everything. LOL No, seriously, it's professionally done, informative, and entertaining. The host is great, the videography is great, the graphics are great. It's great.  LOL 



What's not to like?At $89.95, it's a little on the expensive side, but it is, after all, 18 episodes, so really you're only talking about $5 an episode. It's not your typical low budget Christian production, so I would say it's worth it. 

The Crazy Mom take:
We absolutely loved this video series! I now want to get everything from Drive Thru History®. Where do I start? First, the actual video quality is equal to anything on television. The host, Dave Stotts, is very informative, but also funny. He's the kind of guy you'd want to hang out with at a party. Most other documentaries have boring, old, gray-haired men sitting in a book-filled office very dryly telling about the subject at hand. This guy is far from old, gray-haired, or boring. To me, he looks and sounds like Booth from Bones. LOL 

We have learned so much from watching these videos, and it has really helped bring the gospels to life. At my ripe old age, I've probably read through the gospels dozens of times, but I honestly learned a ton from watching these DVDs. The next time I read through them, I will be able to really enjoy them at a much deeper level. 

I love learning about biblical history and archaeology. Now my kids are loving it, too. My youngest son, Baber, who is 13, is just not the academic type. School is something he does because he has to, not because he wants to. It's very rare for him to say he enjoys something. Well, he totally enjoys this series. 

We had been doing another Bible Study on Exodus before we took on this series to review, and while I really like the other study, I am going to miss this series when it's over. (We still have a few more episodes to watch.) I think I'm going to have to incorporate more Drive Thru History into next year's schedule. 

Dave Stotts

What's the bottom line? $89.95

I am going to give Drive Thru History (R) - "The Gospels 5 out of 5 smileys!!! :) :) :) :) :) 

Check it out! https://www.drivethruhistory.com/product/drive-thru-history-gospels/

See what my fellow TOS Crew members have to say @

http://schoolhousereviewcrew.com/the-gospels-drive-thru-history-reviews/




*The Smiley System:

:) I can't really recommend this product.

:)  :) I doubt this product would be helpful to many people.

:)  :)  :) This is a good product, but it isn't right for everyone.

:)  :)  :)  :) Most homeschool moms will find this useful.

:)  :)  :)  :)  :) This is great, and I would recommend it to anyone!!!

New Review! HISTORY Through the Ages Project Passport World History Study: Renaissance and Reformation

Well, hello there!!! I'm so glad you stopped by! :) I bet you'd like to get my posts delivered right to your inbox, now wouldn't you? So why not sign up for Feedburner? Check it out, it's right there in my sidebar! Thanks!!  :)

About the product/service:
As part of the Homeschool Review Crew I received a free download of HISTORY Through the Ages Project Passport World History Study: Renaissance and Reformation from Home School in the Woods. This is one of a series of unit studies that also includes Ancient Egypt, Ancient Greece, and the Middle Ages. Ancient Rome will be available in 2018. 

This download includes text to read, audio tours, a timeline that you create, a newspaper, postcards from Renaissance figures to their families, a lapbook, and instructions for over 50 projects and activities including art projects and baking, as well as information about additional resources which will add to your studies.


What are the pros of this product?
Since there are many different projects as part of this study, there is bound to be something to appeal to all students. I would think, though, that the hands-on aspect would be the most appealing to most. It's always nice to be able to create something to show that you've learned something. Because most of the work is organized into a three-ring binder, it will serve as a nice way to display all the hard work the student has done. I know many people really love lapbooks, but this includes even more. I think this is a perfect fit for families with kids who love to cut, paste, color, etc., instead of just sitting down with a book, reading, and testing.

What's not to like?
Here's where it gets tricky. Like I said in the pros, if you are one of those hands-on, lapbook-loving people, you'll likely love this! For the most part, it's hands-on all the way. Though there is some reading, and there are audio tours, it's basically a project-based study. True confessions here; I am not one of those people. I didn't love doing all the prep work that goes into this sort of thing, and my kids don't really like doing things like this enough to justify all the work. (When they were younger, they were more into these things, but now that they are older, they would rather do mostly reading.) Also, for me, I was totally overwhelmed by all there was to do! There are a lot of things to print out and organize that honestly had my head spinning for a bit. I am lost when things aren't totally laid out for me sequentially. I realize I am probably totally in the minority when it comes to this, though, so if you are a hands-on, organized type, you'll probably be just fine. :)

What I am trying to say is, for most people, I don't really see any cons. If you're like me, however, and prefer just to have a book in your hand and go one page after another, you might be a bit overwhelmed at first. If you have kids who love hands-on projects like lapbooking, it is probably worth the effort. If they aren't really into it, you might not want to use this resource. I suggest you really just check out the website before making your decision. The photos and descriptions will be a huge help to give you an idea of just what it's all about.

The Crazy Mom take:
Like I said above, it took me a while to get it all figured out. Once I had it all straight in my head, I realized that it's actually laid out in a totally organized fashion. It's all quite orderly; I'm just a little slow. :) It does take a bit of time upfront to get everything all printed out and organized. Maybe a couple hours, not a huge amount of time. I'm just glad I did it over the weekend and didn't wait until school time thinking I could just jump right in.

I decided to use this with my son as we needed something for history for the second semester. I chose this time period because my daughter is also doing the Renaissance period this year, so I thought we could coordinate. Since my son is more into just reading, I have been doing the reading with him, having him listen to the audio tours, and having him glue the figures on the timeline and help put together the laptop projects. My daughter is doing the coloring and drawing and writing for the newspaper. My daughter is also more interested in the other projects so she is doing most of those. I'm not sure if we'll continue to use this curriculum after the review period or not. At first, I was quite sure I wouldn't, but I have to admit it has grown on me since I have it all figured out now, and most of the prep work is behind me. We shall see!

Here's just a sample of what we've done so far:

What's the bottom line?
$33.95 Download/$34.95 for the CD


I am going to give HISTORY through the Ages Project Passport: Renaissance and Reformation 4 out of 5 smileys!!! :) :) :) :)

Check it out! 
http://www.homeschoolinthewoods.com/renaissanceandreformation.html

See what my fellow TOS Crew members have to say @
http://schoolhousereviewcrew.com/history-through-the-ages-project-passport-world-history-study-homeschool-in-the-woods/




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*The Smiley System:

:) I can't really recommend this product.

:) :) I doubt this product would be helpful to many people.

:) :) :) This is a good product, but isn't right for everyone.

:) :) :) :) Most homeschool moms will find this useful.

:) :) :) :) :) This is great, and I would recommend it to anyone!!!

New Review!!! Roman Town from Dig It!

Well, hello there!!!  I'm so glad you stopped by!  :)  I bet you'd like to get my posts delivered right to your inbox, now wouldn't you?  So why not sign up for Feedburner?  Check it out, it's right there in my sidebar!  Thanks!!  :)

About the product/service: As part of the TOS Homeschool Crew I received a free download of Roman Town from Dig It!  This game is targeted to kids in 5th through 8th grade, but can be enjoyed by just about anyone who wants to learn more about Roman history. 

In this game you are an archaeologist who is working to excavate Fossura, a town which was in 79 AD when Mt. Vesuvius erupted.  As you move along in the game you virtually uncover all kinds of exciting treasures that will help you learn all kinds of things about the ancient Romans!  Learn about their art, their language, their architecture and more.  You also learn about archaeology in general as you learn things like which tools you are best used for which projects.  Your guides are an archaeologist and two kids right from Roman times!

What are the pros of this product? This is a very clever and well thought out way to get kids interested in Roman history.  My experience is that kids prefer to do just about anything on the computer rather than in a book.  Well, other than simply reading for pleasure.  I like it that you can dig deeper (no pun intended) into the different topics if you want to, but it is not required to play the game.  That way kids who are not really huge on Roman history will still get something out of it and won't be bogged down with the details.

What's not to like?  If you are into flashy graphics, this will seem quite simple.  Also, I had a hard time getting it to work until I changed the screen resolution on the computer.  (Uh, I think that's what it's called.)  The end result was that my screen is not quite as sharp as it could be.  I am not that motivated to keep switching it back and forth, but Sane Man didn't even notice, so I guess I'll just keep it that way as long as the kids are interested in playing the game.


The Crazy Mom take:  When I first got the program I tried it out myself.  My first thought was that it wasn't nearly as good graphics wise as what my kids were into (when allowed to play games, which is rarely.)  I decided it was that it was a nice game, but more educational than fun.  Since I'm not really into Roman history or video games, and extremely short on time, I didn't really get into it.  I did, however, think the whole idea of the game was quite clever and well done, even though it is not exactly animated in the way most games are today. 

I had decided that for this review I would ask my son, Dode Man, 11, who is the resident history buff, to play it and give me his thoughts.  Now, I might add here that while Dode Man loves history, he is more of an American History guy.  However, he did spend quite a few hours playing this game, and he tells me to let my readers know that he did, in fact, like it!  He further stated that he still prefers American history, and he also agrees with me that it is more of a fun educational tool than it is a game.  However, he still gives it a thumbs up.  I do know that he learned a lot, because he started spouting facts about Roman history.  I can't complain about that!

Happy digging!


What's the bottom line? $39.95. SALE!!!  TOS Crew Readers can use a special code TOS2011 which gets them 20% off the 2010 price of $24.95. The code expires Feb 21, 2011.



I am going to give Roman Town 3 out of 5 smileys!!!

Check it out!  http://dig-itgames.com/


See what my fellow TOS Crew members have to say @

http://homeschoolblogger.com/homeschoolcrew/783744/





*The Smiley System:

I can't really recommend this product.

I doubt this product would be helpful to many people.

This is a good product, but isn't right for everyone.

Most homeschool moms will find this useful.

This is great, and I would recommend it to anyone!!!


Disclaimer!!! I reviewed this product because I am a member of The Old Schoolhouse Homeschool Crew. I was given the product by the vendor to use and evaluate in my home so that I might share my insights with others. Other than receiving the product, which I kinda have to to be able to assess the product, I am not compensated for my reviews in any way. I am in no way obligated to give a positive review. I do try to point out negatives when I see them, though I am admittedly a pretty easy going gal! What you read are my honest assessments of the products I receive.

As with all products, you must do the research before buying. Please visit the the other crew members' blogs, the vendor websites, and any other review sites you might find before buying. I can't guarantee that a product will work for you. You must decide what will fit with your teaching style, and your child(ren)'s learning style(s). I do not judge anything other than the educational value of the products I review. I am not qualified to make judgements as to the safely of any product, and I make no guarantee that the products I review are safe for you, your family, or anyone else. I am simply giving my opinion; only you know what is best for you and your family.

Don't use your blow dryer while you sleep or take a bath. Don't read my reviews in the tub either, and please do not read them when you are asleep, though I do not guarantee that you won't fall asleep reading them!

Copyright 2010 Ramblings from the Crazy House 2

New Review!!! Early Modern History Schedule from Easy Classical!

Well, hello there!!!  I'm so glad you stopped by!  :)  I bet you'd like to get my posts delivered right to your inbox, now wouldn't you?  So why not sign up for Feedburner?  Check it out, it's right there in my sidebar!  Thanks!!  :)

About the product/service: As part of the TOS Homeschool Crew I received a free download of the Early Modern History Schedule from Easy Classical.  In this case I did not actually use the schedule as I am not a classical educator, nor are we studying early modern history.  My job for this review was to simply review the schedule itself and let you know what I think!  :)

First I should tell you that this is not the only product available from Easy Classical.  Easy Classic not only sells complete schedules, main schedules, science schedules, and of course, history schedules, they also sell writing guides, copy books, and curricula that incorporate geography.  

As far as the schedules go, they basically take an entire year's worth of work and break it down into daily lessons for a 36 week period.  Sure you could do this yourself, but I imagine it would be quite time consuming if you had to try to pull from different resources and then somehow coordinate the subjects so that it all "gelled." 

The Early Modern History Schedule (Explorers to 1815) interconnects history with geography, art, writing and read-alouds.  It comes in both a download version and a hard copy version that comes in a 1" three-ring binder.  This schedule was developed for students in K-6 and includes over 45 pages of lesson plans, charts, and sheets to aid you in teaching.  There are projects, activities, and ideas that are included to compliment all learning styles.  There are also review questions and answers, quizzes, and even a handy shopping list for each lesson so that you can prepare ahead.  Check out a sample of the schedule here.  Check out sample lesson plans here.  Click here to see a page that not only lists all the required and supplemental resources, but actually has links to where they can be purchased.


What are the pros of this product? Well, if you are a schedule person, and are a classical educator, this would be a perfect fit for you!  Everything is laid out very clearly, and there are all sorts of extra helps built right into the schedule. 

Another plus is that Easy Classical Press is not one of those companies that claims to know the ONLY perfect way to homeschool.  The creator of the schedule, Sandra Williams, understands that you will want to tweak the schedule to fit your needs, and it's made to be quite "tweakable." 


What's not to like?  Honestly, if you are a classical kind of gal (or guy) you will most likely like this unless you are not a schedule person.  Somehow I think that most classical educators ARE schedule people.  I have no scientific backing for that, just my own hunch.  :) 

The only classical educator I can think of who might not like this is one who is totally into creating his or her own curriculum from scratch.  If you are one of those people, well, I am sorry for you.  Okay, just kidding, here. But seriously, I think most moms (or dads) would love to have some of the basic organization done for them.  :)

Now, though I'm only reviewing the schedule, I do think it bears mentioning that there are simply loads of resources that are required for this program.  Though many of them are available at the library, it could really get costly to have to buy all of these books.  This is a huge consideration for those who are on a tight budget (or are just frugal like me.) 


The Crazy Mom take: Like I stated above, this is a unique review in that we were not actually required to use the product.  (And, yes, we normally work very hard to actually USE each and every product we get with our children unless it is an absolutely wrong fit.  Even then, we will use it ourselves as thoroughly as possible so we can share our opinions with our readers.) 

Anyway, since we are probably on the complete opposite end of the spectrum as the classical homeschool, I am a bit out of my element.  I tend to use one book for history that my children read through on their own.  I then supplement with lots of biographies and other relevant material.  I don't test much, and to be honest, so far my kids have tested very well in social studies on standardized tests.  Anyway, I just wanted to give you an idea of where I am coming from here.  When I look at the classical way of education I am like, NO WAY!!!  LOL  It is just not my style.  However, if I were to go classical, I would have to have something like this to keep me sane.  (Wait a minute, I'm Crazy Mom, too late for that!  LOL)  OK, I would have to have something like this to keep me from going completely crazy.  I am very sequential and that is the main reason I can't do integrated studies.  I just get too overwhelmed pulling information from so many resources and trying to keep it all straight in my head.  A schedule like this would be a total must. 

So if you are totally not classical, you probably won't be interested.  (Though like I always say, you really ought to check it out yourself.)  However, if you are a classical educator, or would like to be, this might be the best thing to ever happen to your homeschool! 

Happy scheduling!


What's the bottom line? Digital $29.95/Notebook $25.95

I am going to give Early Modern History Schecule from Easy Classical 3 out of 5 smileys!!!

Check it out! http://www.easyclassical.com/index.html


See what my fellow TOS Crew members have to say @

http://homeschoolblogger.com/homeschoolcrew/782787/




*The Smiley System:

I can't really recommend this product.

I doubt this product would be helpful to many people.

This is a good product, but isn't right for everyone.

Most homeschool moms will find this useful.

This is great, and I would recommend it to anyone!!!


Disclaimer!!! I reviewed this product because I am a member of The Old Schoolhouse Homeschool Crew. I was given the product by the vendor to use and evaluate in my home so that I might share my insights with others. Other than receiving the product, which I kinda have to to be able to assess the product, I am not compensated for my reviews in any way. I am in no way obligated to give a positive review. I do try to point out negatives when I see them, though I am admittedly a pretty easy going gal! What you read are my honest assessments of the products I receive.

As with all products, you must do the research before buying. Please visit the the other crew members' blogs, the vendor websites, and any other review sites you might find before buying. I can't guarantee that a product will work for you. You must decide what will fit with your teaching style, and your child(ren)'s learning style(s). I do not judge anything other than the educational value of the products I review. I am not qualified to make judgements as to the safely of any product, and I make no guarantee that the products I review are safe for you, your family, or anyone else. I am simply giving my opinion; only you know what is best for you and your family.

Don't use your blow dryer while you sleep or take a bath. Don't read my reviews in the tub either, and please do not read them when you are asleep, though I do not guarantee that you won't fall asleep reading them!

Copyright 2010 Ramblings from the Crazy House 2