Disclaimer: I received a FREE copy of this product through the HOMESCHOOL REVIEW CREW in exchange for my honest review. I was not required to write a positive review nor was I compensated in any other way.
Even though my oldest child at 14 is no-longer a huge fan of hands-on learning, he does enjoy history and, as a family, we have appreciated resources from Home School in the Woods in the past. Thus, we decided to have him use their Time Travelers U.S. History Studies on WWII this summer as a part of his overall U.S. History studies.
This study is meant to be a hands-on, 5-10 week study with 25 lessons for grades 3-8, but we opted to make it less hands-on for my son (with intentions of going through it in a more hands-on way with my younger children later.) That way, my son could have some worthwhile and acceptable-to-both-him-and-me offscreen learning and my younger children - who still like hands-on learning - can dive into the greater array of goodies that the study has to offer later on.
As always with products by Home School in the Woods, I was impressed with how easy and flexible the WWII study has been to use.
To use the resource, I clicked on a link, unzipped a file, saved it on my computer, then went to handy, easy-to-navigate page.
From there, since I am already familiar with how Homechool in the Woods products work, I was able to quickly get to what I knew would work for my son in order to print out select pages.
If you are not familiar with the vendor and products though, do not worry. There first in the menu are an introduction, tips, teacher helps, etc. Home School in the Woods truly designs its products for ease and adaptability of use!
What is Included and Covered?
This World War II study includes plenty to read, do, and learn about the history and people of WWII, including:- the rise of Hitler and the Nazi regime
- German, Italian and Japanese occupations
- conflicts and battles between the Aix and the Allies
- what the American homefront was like
- the Holocaust
- VF and VJ Days
- events immediately following the war.
As you work your way through the study, you will learn about such things as how dictators have risen to power and leaders have led, how people can be led down a path towards destruction before they even realize what is happening (quite apropos to the times we are living in now), and how people react during times of stress, war and uncertainty. (Again, history informs the present, right?)
To use this study, you will need an internet-connected device, a printer, paper, and pencils/pens/highlighters if you are going a less hand-on route like my son has.
If you are going more hands-on, as we have done with past studies, you will also want to have the following supplies on hand:
- white printer paper
- transparency film or acetate
- colored printer paper
- colored file folders
- white card stock
- lamination sheets (optional—for protection of projects/game boards)
- colored card stock
- a 1- 1/2“ or 2”, 3-ring binder (per child)
- glue sticks and liquid glue
- a larger binder for the teacher
- double-sided sticky tape
- colored pencils
- corrugated cardboard (a discarded shipping box will do)
With such supplies you can take full advantage of all the the study has to offer, which includes creative writing, factfile cards, penmanship pages, ration cooking recipes, file folder games, notebooking activities, a notebooking timeline, authentic documents, 3-D project, lapbook projects, and a Victory Day Celebration at the end of the unit.
Or, blend some of the fabulous activities and projects with the more low-key route my son went, just enjoying well-written text pages, thought-provoking quotes, helpful illustration, timelining, etc.
The beauty of the resource is that it is flexible. You can choose what works for each of your children, picking the projects and activities that best suit their needs and yours.
Oo. Speaking of your needs, Home School in the Woods makes things easy for you with teacher helps, resource, lists, teacher keys, and helpful images that let you see what finished products may look like.
Or, blend some of the fabulous activities and projects with the more low-key route my son went, just enjoying well-written text pages, thought-provoking quotes, helpful illustration, timelining, etc.
The beauty of the resource is that it is flexible. You can choose what works for each of your children, picking the projects and activities that best suit their needs and yours.
Oo. Speaking of your needs, Home School in the Woods makes things easy for you with teacher helps, resource, lists, teacher keys, and helpful images that let you see what finished products may look like.
It really is a wonderfully well-thought-out, flexible, and timely study.
How We Approached the Study
Learn More
... Ancient Greece studies...
Also, wonderful news: For the time being, Home School in the Woods is giving away a free copy of their Greek Life! File Folder Game when you use the code TOSGameNight at checkout. No purchase necessary! Gotta love a freebie! And got to love a curriculum provider that hits the mark time and time again.
Through the years, we have been impressed with the quality of Home School in the Woods timelines, printable games, lapbooks, studies, and more. We think you will be, too!
Find Home School in the Woods on social media:
How We Approached the Study
As I already made clear, my oldest child is no longer a hands-on lover. In fact, he typically prefers online learning. However, since I still want him to utilize some offline resources, we compromise at times with excellent resources for topics of interest to him , such as this history study.
This time, our compromise was a win. My son was satisfied enough to spend time working independently on a subject of interest to him in a clear and easy-to-use format with extra plusses like engaging illustrations and design,well-written text, and thought-provoking quotes, while I was pleased to have something offline for him to work with and to spur some interesting discussions between us.
When my son and I chatted about this the resource preparation for me writing this review, he shared these thoughts:
The printable text information is well written and explains history well and succinctly.
There is also copywork. I find copywork annoying, but my mother required me to do some because she wants me to improve my handwriting. So, I looked at lists of quotes and chose one to copy.
My mom also had me read some other quotes and write a paragraph about what I thought.
One quote that struck me was by Hitler. Hitler is known as a maniacal, tyrannical dictator who had many innocents slaughtered. We don't typically think of him as brilliant in any way. However both of the quotes I read showed his genius. It is true that a person who controls and influences the youth can change the future in dramatic ways. It is also true that if you "Make the lie big, make it simple, keep saying it, and eventually they will believe it." I can see how some people and politicians are utilizing this theory today, and it is terrifying.
I also worked on timelines. Because I don't like to cut, color, and paste, my mother printed out the keys and had me simply write notes on them. I like the style of the barbed wire and chains on the timelines. They are well-designed to help me picture time and take notes.
This resource is an effective one that can teach World War II history to students in multiple ways. I chose to use it in a non-hands on way, mostly just reading, writing, thinking,and discussing. Others could use it much more creatively. I would recommend it to families who like adaptable resources.
I whole-heartedly agree that the study is a wonderful one for families that like flexibility. It has something for every type of learner and is truly well-written and designed.
The study has been a worthwhile supplement to my eldest's existing studies - and one he can use offline! I also foresee it being a great hands-on resource for my younger ones when I have time to work on it with them. It also is a timely study: with current events moving the way they are, this particular time period is an excellent one to dive into and the study opens doors for quality conversations.
The study has been a worthwhile supplement to my eldest's existing studies - and one he can use offline! I also foresee it being a great hands-on resource for my younger ones when I have time to work on it with them. It also is a timely study: with current events moving the way they are, this particular time period is an excellent one to dive into and the study opens doors for quality conversations.
Learn More
The WWII study is part of a series. Several years ago, we used another title from this Home School in the Woods series - the Civil War Time Traveler American study. You can check out our prior review to see how that experience was with younger children and some more hands-on things.
We also reviewed the U.S. Elections Lap-Pak some years ago, enjoyed it, and may revisit soon since we are in an important time of our election cycle. I'd encourage you to check that Elections Lap-Pak out, too.
Beyond that, we've appreciated timeline figures...
... Ancient Greece studies...
...Art, History, and More A La Carte from Home School in the Woods {A Review}...
...and Flexible, Fun, Hands-On History for Every Learner { A Project Passport: Renaissance & Reformation Review}...
All these and more are quality products offered by Home School in the Woods and some have recently been reviewed by fellow Review Crew families. In fact, you can click through to find links to 60 recent Homeschool Review Crew blog and social media reviews!
Also, wonderful news: For the time being, Home School in the Woods is giving away a free copy of their Greek Life! File Folder Game when you use the code TOSGameNight at checkout. No purchase necessary! Gotta love a freebie! And got to love a curriculum provider that hits the mark time and time again.
Through the years, we have been impressed with the quality of Home School in the Woods timelines, printable games, lapbooks, studies, and more. We think you will be, too!
Find Home School in the Woods on social media:
