Dive into World War II with Time Travelers U.S. History Studies {A Home School in the Woods Review} + a FREE PRODUCT CODE!

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.

It really is a wonderfully well-thought-out, flexible, and timely study.

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.

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:

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When the Saints Speak to You about Your Mornings...

Do you ever sense that God is giving you a little nudge to re-examine a part of your day and to reflect on what tweaks to it might bring you closer to Him?

I recently had such a nudge. It came in four parts.

First, after slogging through some mornings and sighing with little inner joy and gratitude as I went to bed over a series of nights, I realized something needed to change in me and recalled words that I heard in a talk years ago:

"Wake up every day excited and go to be every day fulfilled."

Simple words, but good ones.

Words that, when put into practice, have carried me through earlier portions of my life and which, I sensed, might be headed better at present.

So, with these words in mind, I began to ask myself shortly after waking each day, "What am I enthused about today?" Then, with a grateful heart and something to look forward to, living the day in such a way that by its end I could reflect and answer the question, "Where did I fulfill my vocation today and at what moments did I find peace and joy?"

This was the start of God's nudge to me about tweaking my moments to bring me closer to Him.

Then, I recalled the Heroic Minute St. Josemaría Escrivá, wrote about in his book, The Way:

“Conquer yourself each day from the very first moment, getting up on the dot, at a fixed time, without yielding a single minute to laziness. If, with God’s help, you conquer yourself, you will be well ahead for the rest of the day. … The heroic minute. It is the time fixed for getting up. Without hesitation: a supernatural reflection and… up! The heroic minute: here you have a mortification that strengthens your will and does no harm to your body.”

As I recalled this concept, I realized how unheroic my mornings had become.

All too often in recent days, weeks, and months, I have been beginning my day with a groggy prayer, then, rolling over, falling back asleep, beginning again, drifting again, and so forth... Sometimes never even finishing the prayer before finally getting up and stumbling or dashing headlong into the day depending on what urgency the clock and the calendar prompted.

Not good.

Not a way to grow with God.

St. Josemaría Escrivá reminded me I can do better!

Then, St. Francis de Sales and St. Teresa Benedicta of the Cross (Edith Stein) (whose feast day is coming up on August 9) reminded me that perhaps I need longer than a simple Heroic Minute each day.

In a homily I listened to, words attributed to St. Francis de Sales struck me:

"Everyone of us needs half an hour of prayer every day, except when we are busy—then we need an hour."

Then, I stumbled across a quote I wrote down last year when looking for resources and ideas for sharing more about St. Teresa Benedicta of the Cross with my children: 

“The duties and cares of the day crowd about us when we awake each day – if they have not already dispelled our night’s rest. How can everything be accommodated in one day? When will I do this, when that? How will it all be accomplished? Thus agitated, we are tempted to run and rush. And so we must take the reins in hand and remind ourselves, “Let go of your plans. The first hour of your morning belongs to God. Tackle the day’s work that he charges you with, and he will give you the power to accomplish it.”

Finally, during Confession today, a priest spoke to me about how St. Therese of the Child Jesus talked about a stairway... I later looked it up and found this:

"You make me think of a little child that is learning to stand but does not yet know how to walk. In his desire to reach the top of the stairs to find his mother, he lifts his little foot to climb the first step. It is all in vain, and at each renewed effort he falls. Well, be like that little child. Always keep lifting your foot to climb the ladder of holiness, and do not imagine that you can mount even the first step. All God asks of you is good will. From the top of the ladder He looks lovingly upon you, and soon, touched by your fruitless efforts, He will Himself come down, and, taking you in His Arms, will carry you to His Kingdom never again to leave Him. But should you cease to raise your foot, you will be left for long on the earth."

And so it all came together in my head...

Getting busier and busier of late? Yep!

Waking all to often with my mind caught up in the cares of each day and tempted to run and rush in an agitated state? Mm hmm.

Stumbling often and getting discouraged?  Aboslutely.

Needing to re-examine my morning routines and to keep lifting my foot - and my heart - towards Him?  Without a doubt.

Thus, as I go to bed tonight, I am grateful for the words of saints that God has used to nudge me into a plan for tomorrow...

A plan to wake heroically, then spend some extra time renewing morning habits of prayer before tackling the day's work.

How about you? How have the saints been speaking to you?

Are you starting your day heroically? 

Are you busying out prayer or rushing headlong into the cares of the day without pausing to hand the plans for it over to Our Lord?

Are you getting discouraged by your own stumbling or trusting that God has got you and asks you only to lift your foot with good will?

Wherever your are, may you be open to His nudges.

CTCMath Is Our "Easy Button" for Math Success!

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.

"Mom, can I do some more math?"

These are words that I hear often from my 10-year-old who has fallen in love with CTCMath and was psyched when we received another 12-month family membership for review. They are also the words that come to mind whenever I find myself recommending CTCMath to other homeschoolers.

Why?

Because CTCMath has proven itself easy and enjoyable here and has driven my youngest to want to do math regularly even during his free time while also becoming his big brother's go-to math curricula and remaining a resource that my daughter occasionally goes to practice Speed Skills and Times Tables.

Seriously, our 12-month family membership is one of few math resources that has consistently stood the test of time in our home and has required very little from me.

So, if you are looking for a mainly an online math program that your children can progress through with success and independence - and one that you can also easily check in on, print things from, and even make assignments with if you wish - I highly recommend a 12-month family membership from CTCMath!

It works beautifully here - and is 1/2 off for homeschoolers!

What is CTCMath

CTCMath is an online, subscription-based math program for grades K-12 that is used by over 200,000 students worldwide to learn math from Kindy to Calculus. Created by Pat Murray, a math teacher and homeschool Dad of 10, the program aims to help students progress easily through math with short, interactive lessons that speak to a variety of learning styles.  

Courses within the program include ones for grades K-6, plus:

1. Basic Math and Pre-Algebra
2. Elementary Measurement
3. Elementary Geometry
4. Algebra I
5. Geometry
6. Algebra II
7. Triginometry
8. Pre-Calculus
9. Calculus

Each course is delivered through brief video tutorials, interactive online questions, printable worksheets and solutions, diagnostic tests, and reports of progress.

Families have separate student pages for each child and a separate parent/teacher page, too, all of which are easy to navigate.

The teacher pages gives access to tracking information, scores, tasks to be assigned, tools, and more.  It also allows you to easily switch to student view pages, which is quite handy when checking in with a child side-by-side or on your own.

Student pages allow students to easily jump back and forth between grade levels and skills as they need to or to progress on a more linear track. This works fabulously well in our home and makes this math program stand out among others we have tried as one that offers the ultimate in family and student-friendly flexibility.

I am so grateful for how all the features of CTCMath come easily together so that students can work independently with some freedom as to what they wish to work on while parent/teachers can also assign specific tasks.

All you need to use the program is an internet connection and a device with a web browser, plus, if you like printed material, a printer, ink, a pencil, and paper, are good, too, since there are optional printable portions to lessons.

Our CTCMath Experience

We began using CTCMath with all three of my children about a year ago and, it quickly became the go-to curricula for my oldest and a surprise success with my youngest.

Surprise, indeed!

When I posted a review about the program a year ago, my then 9-year-old has the least enthusiastic words to share about it, saying:

CTCMath is good. I like the time tables and speeds skills games. They help me enjoy practicing, and I think I am getting faster.

The regular lessons are okay. I don't like how long some of the tests are, but it's easy to use. I'd like to keep using it as a supplement.

Then, something changed and my now 10-year-old began liking the main lessons more and more, whipping through his 4th grade math and moving onto 5th grade lessons even after I told him he could take a math break for the late spring and summer since he'd completed 4th grade skills.

Indeed, my boy did not want a break, had already complete 1/3 of the 5th grade lessons, and regularly asks, "Mom, can I do more math?"  

Wow!  That is success!

Here is what he has to say about CTCMath now:

CTCMath is a great program. It is easy to access, and kids can do it by themselves.

It is perfect for me, because I can do as many lessons or as few lessons as I want a day, and I am already 1/3 of the way through 5th grade before I even start my 5th grade year. 

When I use it, I ask Mom if I can get online (sometimes. Sometimes, I just get on.) Then, I look at the first question in a lesson. If it is hard for me, I go back and watch the video. Then, I do the lessons.

If I get stuck, I do it again and again until I get it. Very occasionally, I ask Mom or Dad for help. 

The way the program teaches is good. There are examples, they explain what they are doing, and it moves step by step.

I would recommend it to everybody! 

 

I am pleased with how CTCMath has gone from being something my son was not as enthused to give commentary about a year ago to something he recommends to everyone today. I am even more pleased that he is succeeding to well with the program!

My 14-year-old is also succeeding, and had this to say:

I like CTCMath, because it is easy to use and helped me get through Algebra 1.

 

 

While I was doing that, I also worked on Geometry, because I wanted a break from Algebra, but still wanted to work on my high school math credits.

 

 

In the year or so I have used CTCMath, I worked regularly and ended up finishing Algebra and am about 75% done with Geometry.  

 

 

To do the lessons, I log in, click on the next lesson, and usually just jump right into the questions.

 

If I get stuck, I watch the video or use the pdf lesson summary. (An example of one is below.)

 

 

If I am still stuck, I keep working through it or jump to a lesson in a different category. I appreciate how easy CTCMath is to navigate.

 

I was happy to get another year subscription and hope to finish Geometry, Algebra II, and Trigonometry this year. I am ambitious!

 
Yep!  You heard that right. My 14-year old has big plans for his math progress using our current 12-month family membership! That delights me!

I just love how the program allows my oldest son to meet his goals for independent learning and working through his high school credits. I also appreciate that the program allows me to easily check in on how he is doing.

Truly, since beginning with CTCMath when we reviewed it previously, I have come to depend on the program as the "easy button" it has become for us.

It works wonderfully for my boys and has stood the test of time as an easy-to-use, helpful, and expedient way for them to successfully progress in their homeschool math studies!

All I have had to do for my boys' main math studies in the past year is provide them with online access, check in via the parent access occasionally (typically when an email prompts me about their progress), and offer them some quick help on one or two lessons when they got stuck.

That's it!

Learn More

You can learn more about 12-month family membership from CTCMath by watching this video:

I wholeheartedly recommend the program since we get a lot of us out of our 12-month family membership with two children working independently at their own pace and another logging on for Speed Skills and Times Tables at times.

I appreciate the ease and effectiveness of CTCMath and can attest that is has become a staple in our homeschool.

If you and yours seek a straightforward, clear, easy-to-use independent math resource that can be used by children at various grade levels with Mom or Dad easily checking in on progress and occasionally helping, this is it!

As we continue to use CTCMath, I have witnessed:

• my 10-year-old become a bit of a math lesson "addict" (in a good way) asking to get online to do lessons even in his free time.  
• my 14-year-old appreciating the short, to-the-point lessons as a way to progress with necessary math skills so he can earn high school credits in more than one course concurrently.
• my 13-year-old supplementing her math studies with CTCMath Speed Skills and Times Tables.
• my children learning at their own paces, sometimes with the video tutorials and sometimes just jumping right into the problems.
• only "healthy" frustration during math time - you know, the kind where a kid gets "stuck" for a bit, takes a break, then, comes back and has the "click" happen, which gets the endorphins going, and spurns more math progress
• stress-free math learning and easy check-ins on progress.

Great stuff!

Find the reviews.

See what 60 families that reviewed CTCMath though about the program by clicking through to find video, blog, and social media reviews.

You can also connect on social media: 

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Pinterest | YouTube

Get FREE Solemn Act of Consecration - According to St. Maximilian Kolbe Copywork

Next month is the Month of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, so today I put together a simple Solemn Act of Consecration - According to St. Maximilian Kolbe Copywork Set using the words of the prayer as found on  the official website of the Franciscans of the Immaculate in the United States.

My family is blessed to have some of these wonderful faithful friars within driving distance and so appreciate their ministry. You can find them on Youtube and on Facebook, too. (They often post their daily homilies on Facebook and those are well worth a listen!)

But, back to the FREE Solemn Act of Consecration - According to St. Maximilian Kolbe Copywork Set... 

As with most of the free copywork sets I share here, this set includes a cursive model...

...a print model...

...and blank line sheets.

That way, your children can choose to practice their printing, cursive, or both.

Also as I typically do, I used a double thick line at the bottom of each line on the blank sheets to help children remember to ground their letters and have used spaces between each word on the models to help children remember to leave spaces between words as they copy.

I hope this copywork set is helpful for your children as they work on practicing prayers and handwriting. I also pray it encourages your family to learn more about Marian consecration.

You can find more free, printable prayer copywork and journaling pages here!

Celebrate St. Martha with a Cook Off!

Want to have some fun this July 29th? How about enjoying a St. Martha's Day Cook Off?

July 29th is the Memorial Day of St. Martha, who is patron to butlers, dietitians, domestic servants, homemakers, hotel-keepers, housemaids, housewives, innkeepers, laundry workers, maids, manservants, servants, servers, single laywomen, travelers, and, of course, cooks.

That's right: cooks!

So, it is an ideal day to get your kids into the kitchen - or around a camp stove - for a Chopped-style cook off.

My children have enjoyed such cook offs for years and have been itching to do one again.

We've learned from experience not to do a full "Chopped" with an appetizer, main course, and dessert round, because it takes a long time and results in a huge mess to clean up. So, typically, we do just one course.

For St. Martha's day, I think I might do a main dish cook off with the following basket ingredients:

•  bread, since St. Martha is sometimes depicted serving bread
• a small bowl of fruit, since a bowl of fruit is one of her symbols
• lentils, said to have been common in Biblical times
• onions, chives, or leeks, since such things were also said to be a part of Biblical diets
• garden herbs mix, since herbs were also part of Biblical cooking.

You could do similarly or pick basket ingredients from whatever you have in your fridge, pantry and garden.

Then, enjoy your family cook off.

If you've never done one, here are some pictures of a recent Sweet Crunch Dessert cook off two of my children enjoyed recently so that you can an idea of how things roll.

I secretly set up two baskets with five ingredients each. 

The kids were called for the big reveal to see what they'd have to include in their dessert dish.

We announced each ingredient as they took it out of the baskets.

 

Thirty minutes was set on the clock and they began to cook using their basket ingredients and pantry/fridge items.

Each had their own portion of the table as a prep area.

They dashed about some, being mindful of safety and the clock.

They created different batters and concoctions.

Sweetness was added.

They know their way around out kitchen and easily shared space.

Each took one side of the stove to cook on.

Different strategies were tried.

 

Some worked better than others.

When one thing failed, another thing was tried.

Sometimes, mistakes had to be cleaned before pans could be used again.

The clean up of other mistakes was left until later.

A beautiful dish was created.

Plating went right down to the wire!

In case a Plan B dish did not bake in time after Plan A failed on the stove, a Plan C dish was created.

Dishes were presented to the judges - Mom and Big Brother.

Some plating could have been better (but flavor was great!)

Unity could have been considered, too, when Plan B and Plan C were both presented to the judges.

Our sibling contestants were asked to leave the room while Big Bro and Mom judges conferred, then hid the plate from the polished off winner's dish and put the other dishes under a large pan cover.

It was a close match, but the happier looking contestant in this photo actually lost due to lack of unity and not featuring the basket ingredients as much as the pantry apple, while the winning child was puzzled, thinking she has surely lost even though she won.

Clean up and requests for another cook off soon commenced. (The requests will be granted on St. Martha's feast day.)

Of course, before or after your cook off, I'd encourage you to read from the Bible, the Daily Readings, or another source about St. Martha, to highlight that there is both active and contemplative work in life, to take a few moments of quiet to contemplate and pray, and to chat about ways your family might serve Christ is by serving others.
I'd love to hear how your cook off goes and also to hear other ideas and resources you use for celebrating St. Martha. Enjoy the feast day!

Almighty ever-living God, whose Son was pleased to be welcomed in Saint Martha's house as a guest, grant, we pray, that through her intercession, serving Christ faithfully in our brothers and sisters, we may merit to be received by you in the halls of heaven. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.

~The Collect 

Get a FREE St Bonaventure Copywork or Journaling Prompt Set

July 15 is the feast day of St. Bonaventure, the saint after which my childhood parish church was named. Thus, I decided to create another FREE PRINTABLE copywork/journaling set with a quote from this Franciscan saint on it.

You might use the quote as simply copywork in cursive...

... or in printing.

Or, if your children are beyond the copywork stage or just like to journal, you could use the quote as a journal prompt, having your child fill blank lines with thoughts that come to mind after reading the quot
Either way, I pray this simple FREE Printable St. Bonaventure Copywork or Journaling Prompt Set encourages your children to write beautifully and think deeply.

You can find more free, printable copywork here. Also, feel free to make requests for any copywork or journaling sets you'd like me to share or any saint day you'd like ideas for.   

Grant, we pray, almighty God, that, just as we celebrate the heavenly birthday of the Bishop Saint Bonaventure, we may benefit from his great learning and constantly imitate the ardor of his charity. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.

~The Collect