Pirates or Privateers Review

Ahoy, me mateys! Me hearties and me be studying the pirate ways. Brushing up on our pirate code, we be. And what bet'er way be there than a study from Homeschool Legacy? Once-A-Week Micro-Study Pirates or Privateers: You Decide  be the study I used with me scallywag crew.

Homeschool Legacy is known for their Once-A-Week unit studies. Sharon Gibson, its founder and fellow homeschooler, wanted to provide "exciting, Biblically-centered educational materials that incorporate creative, hands-on assignments and activities." Focusing on God and America's Christian heritage, the unit studies help build a strong family legacy.

A unit study is a comprehensive way to learn about a topic. In order to fully understand all aspects about it, you immerse yourself in it and apply that topic to all subjects--science, language arts, literature, math, history, Bible, music, art, etc.. This method helps you learn more, retain it longer, and have fun while doing it. It's a great option for families teaching multiple ages at once.

The micro-studies are designed in the same fashion, but are completed in a fraction of the time. They use the same cross-curricular approach to learning, include hands-on assignments, and suggest classical award-winning read-alouds.   

My kids have always liked pirates. Sailing the open seas, searching for buried treasures, funny speech, and cool eye patches--it's the perfect make believe play. I thought it would be fun to use Privates or Privateers: You Decide to help us learn more about a topic that was already appealing to them. Because this is a micro-study, there are only three 30-minute assignments for each of the four weeks of study.

• Week 1: Early Pirataes 
• Week 2: The Era of Privateers
• week 3: Pirates of the Caribbean and The Age of Buccaneers
• Week 4: The Golden Age of Piracy

Each week's lesson lists the required supplies, describes the history of the period, and then includes all the suggestions for assignments and movie options. The study is written so that you can read it to your students exactly as it's written. Black Bart's Pirate Code is included, as well. Did you know that all lights and candles had to be put out by 8 o'clock or that the musicians had the Sabbath off? It's all part of the Code.

We learned many things throughout the study: the difference between pirates and privateers, which of the typical pirate attributes are actually inaccurate (or at least have no record of truth), about present day pirates, and more. The study suggests reading Robert Louis Stevenson's Treasure Island as the family read-aloud, but we chose the Great Illustrated Classic abridged version since it is a more appropriate read for my little ones.

We absolutely loved the other studies we've used from Homeschool Legacy. Both the Knights & Nobles unit study and the Birds of a Feather unit study were well-received by my kids. I would love to say that we've enjoyed this one, too. Unfortunately, it was not a good fit for our family. The study claims to be for students in 1st-8th grades. I used this with 6th, 3rd, and 1st, but it could not hold their attention. Much of the study was written for older students. I often read my kids books above their levels and they do wonderfully with them, but they were bored and disappointed with this one. Oh, they enjoyed certain aspects, like creating our own pirate story about Captain No Beard aboard the Avenger and seeing how the privateers fit into the Elizabethan Age that we recently studied and taking the pirate quiz. Their favorite part was reading Treasure Island, which really had nothing to do with the study at all. One thing that frustrated me specifically was all the mistakes throughout the study. There were letters missing (like ver instead of over), only a letter given (like p instead or piracy), and many instances were there was no word at all, just a blank space. Most of the time I could guess what word should have been there, but it was frustrating, nonetheless. It needs to be edited again.

Aside from our issues, I think this study would be much better for the older crowd. Junior high and even high school students would benefit as many of the assignments include reading extra articles, researching, and writing compositions. There simply isn't enough exercises for the little ones. I still love Homeschool Legacy and would gladly use another of their studies, but, sadly, Pirates or Privateers: You Decide was not a good fit for us.         


   

You can connect with Homeschool Legacy on their website and Facebook

Homeschool Legacy offers many Once-A-Week unit and micro studies, like Thanksgiving with the Pilgrims which would be perfect to study this month, Christmas Comes to America would would be great for December, and others that would be wonderful at any time. If you'd like to read more reviews of this study or some of the others, please visit the Homeschool Review Crew blog.

Birds of a Feather Review

My kids love watching the birds. We always feed them at home, but it's a real treat to watch them at my parents' house, where my mom has multiple feeders and dozens of birds at any given time. The kids can recognize a handful of birds and like using an app on the iPad to try to call the birds to our house and to learn more about them. I knew my little ones would appreciate reviewing the unit study Birds of a Feather.

Why has Sharon Gibson from Homeschool Legacy created a Once-A-Week unit study on birds and many other topics? Well,  a unit study is a comprehensive way to learn about a topic. In order to fully understand all aspects about it, you immerse yourself in it and apply that topic to all subjects--science, language arts, literature, math, history, Bible, music, art, etc.. This method helps you learn more, retain it longer, and have fun while doing it.

Since this is a once-a-week study, you study it--yep, you guessed it--once a week. All the planning has been done for you. There is a lengthy list of books and videos at the beginning of each week's plans that corresponds to that week's topic. The list is in numerical and alphabetical Dewey decimal order for you to easily find the books from the library. Also, even if your library doesn't have those certain books, you can use the Dewy Decimal numbers to find the proper section where like books can be found. The suggested study schedule is to read the chosen books daily, complete your regular studies 4 days a week, and only this unit study 1 day a week, along with another day for a complimenting field trip and family movie/game night. A typical unity study day will consist of a family devotional, the chosen reading material, and any accompanying activities.

The study is written in a way that makes it very easy to follow. Everything is listed out for you: the book and video selections, the supplies needed, simple illustrations, and all the directions and explanations for the activities. There are even clickable links in the study itself that take you directly to the listed videos and sites, making it as simple as possible to complete.

Each week is broken down into specific topics:

 
Week 1: Bird Basics and Your Backyard Habitat
Week 2: Bird Identification
Week 3: Ornithology
Week 4: Birds of Prey

The first week, we had so much fun expanding our habitat. We went to the store and picked out new seed and even some mealworms (gross!). Then we came home and got to work. Once we finished, we eagerly awaited the flock of birds that was sure to come. And then we watched squirrel after squirrel enjoy the feast. It was funny watching them balance and scurry to get to the food. Eventually we did get our birds. Yay!

The second week, the kids enjoyed working on their nature journals. We learned about the criteria for identifying birds, their parts, and specific types. This was also a big week for the bird app.

Week 3 had us learning about birds in more depth. Bones, feathers, eggs, and migration kept my kiddies interested and busy.

The final week taught them the difference between endangered, threatened, and extinct. It's also the week when the real fun happens: dissecting an owl pellet. Since we have done that before, we decided to skip it this time. That didn't stop us from reminiscing about how much fun it was and looking through the pictures though.

These unit studies are good for not only school, but for earning badges for Boy Scouts, American Heritage Girls, and 4H, as well. There are directions for a simple bird bath, a recipe for making bird cupcakes, and many other activities that can be completed for credit.

My kids greatly enjoy hands-on learning. I am determined to use unit studies more this year. These from Homeschool Legacy are fun, cover a wide-range of activities, can be used with multiple ages, and are meant for the entire family. Of course, this is only a 4 week study. If you want to dig even deeper into the topic, there are plenty of book titles listed that would easily help you find information. My kids would sit and listen to me read all day if we could. I especially appreciated the living book choices. Reading a book that is above their heads gives us the perfect opportunity to stop and explain and learn even more. Sure, it takes a lot longer to finish a book, but our goal is not to see how many books we can knock out in a year. Our desire is to teach our children and give them a well-rounded education.

We have thoroughly enjoying using this study. Even though it's geared for grades 2-12, it's worked well with my little ones (prek, 1 gr, 4 gr). I like when we can adapt something to be used by the whole family together. Even my 3-year-old has joined in on some of the fun. He's always pointing out "our state bird!" every time he sees a robin. When the kids start applying the information into every day life, you know that the curriculum has done its job.

You can connect with Homeschool Legacy on the following social media sites:

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You can read more reviews of this study or one of the other many options on the Schoolhouse Review Crew blog.

Knights & Nobles

I think my kids would live in Fairy Tale Land if they could. Kings, princesses, castles, knights, dragons, crowns, jewels - it's all just so exciting! That's why I knew they would find a study on knights and nobles intriguing.

Why has Sharon Gibson from Homeschool Legacy created a Once-A-Week unit study on knights and nobles and many other topics? Well,  a unit study is a comprehensive way to learn about a topic. In order to fully understand all aspects about it, you immerse yourself in it and apply that topic to all subjects - science, language arts, literature, math, history, Bible, music, art, etc.. This method helps you learn more, retain it longer, and have fun while doing it.

Since this is a once-a-week study, you study it - yep, you guessed it - once a week. All the planning has been done for you. There is a lengthy list of books and videos at the beginning of each week's plans that corresponds to that week's topic. The list is in numerical and alphabetical Dewey decimal order for you to easily find the books from the library. Also, even if your library doesn't have those certain books, you can use the Dewy Decimal numbers to find the proper section where like books can be found. The suggested study schedule is to read the chosen books daily, complete your regular studies 4 days a week, and only this unit study 1 day a week, along with another day for a complimenting field trip and family movie/game night. A typical unity study day will consist of a family devotional, the chosen reading material, and any accompanying activities. 

Each week is broken down into specific topic:
Week 1 - Castles
Week 2 - Kings & Queens
Week 3 - Knights
Week 4 - Life on a Manor

We didn't completely hold true to the once-a-week part. I admit it. We cheated. But I couldn't possibly tell my little ones (6, 4, 2) that they couldn't learn more. They very much enjoyed learning about castles, royalty, and life during medieval times. Jake (6 yr) has recently fallen in love with the game of chess. Not only did he learn that the game originated during the Middle Ages, but it was interesting to note the name of the pieces and compare them to the rank and power of those living during that time period. Another game that the kids have really taken to and is also from this age is marbles. It's interesting to learn just how far back some things date. We learned the meaning of the rhyme "Blackbird Pie." Have you ever wondered why 1) the cook baked birds in a pie for the king, and 2) why the birds didn't die? Yeah, me too. Now I know, but you'll have to get the study to find out! {grin} We even practiced juggling like a minstrel. (Oh, how I should have taken video, especially when my 4 year old attempted to juggle hotdogs. That was . . . interesting.)

It's really neat when our regular activities are supplemented by what we are learning. Jake learned about archery with his dad when they went hunting. He loves using his own toy bow and suction-cup arrow to shoot around the house, like Robin Hood. There is also a lesson on the armor of God in Ephesians 6. Our pastor just did a sermon on that last week, which complimented our study well. Using those times when life meets learning really helps cement the knowledge in your mind. To me, that's what homeschooling is about, incorporating learning into our every day life. I love when I can say, "Hey, this is just like what we talked about . . . " and delve into the subject more.

Of course, our absolute favorite activity was constructing our very own castle out of Legos. (I know, not surprising in the least.) You should have seen Jake's face when I suggested making one. That boy is obsessed with his Legos, and he was very excited to make it a family affair. As we were all sitting there, surrounded but thousands of pieces, laughing and having a good time, Alyssa (4 yr) said, "This is a family day for sure!" We're still adding to it, but it's already pretty cool with a working draw bridge, mote and crocodile, turrets, throne room, and dungeon. Oh, yeah. Any study that incorporates Legos is a winner.  

These unit studies are good for not only school, but for earning badges for Boy Scouts, American Heritage Girls, and 4H as well. There are directions for a working catapult (much simpler than this one we made) a recipe for making butter, and many other activities that can be completed for credit.

My kids greatly enjoy hands-on learning. I am determined to use unit studies more this year. These from Homeschool Legacy are fun, cover a wide-range of activities, can be used with multiple ages, and are meant for the entire family. Of course, this is only a 4 week study. If you want to dig even deeper into the topic, there are plenty of book titles listed that would easily help you find information. My kids would sit and listen to me read all day if we could. I especially appreciated the living book choices. Reading a book that is above their heads gives us the perfect opportunity to stop and explain and learn even more. We talked about the origin of last names, how Jesus is the King of kings, monks, the Plague, and so much more, just from reading. Sure, it takes a lot longer to finish a book, but our goal is not to see how many books we can knock out in a year. Our desire is to teach our children and give them a well-rounded education. One of my favorite discussions was about peasants and money. The children wanted to know if we are rich. At first, I had to chuckle. We are not rich. Or are we? We have a roof over our heads, drawers over-flowing with clothes, pantries full of food, way too many toys, gadgets and frivolities . . . a loving family, a merciful Saviour, a future in Heaven . . . We noted just how much we have and how many people in other countries have so little. Jake said, "We should go there and give them money. I would give them all my money!" Alyssa chimed in, "Well, I would give them a penny." Then Zac, my crazy energetic 2 year old quipped, "I would give them my hair."

I think we have some more teaching to do.


This specific study is best for grades 2-12 and costs $15.95. Remember, there are many other once-a-week studies available from Homeschool Leagacy as well. You can read reviews about Knights & Nobles and the other choices on the Schoolhouse Review Crew blog. 

* Disclaimer: I received this study in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.