I’m switching up what we are using for elementary American history in our homeschool this year and I’m pretty excited about it.
We’ve used a few different history curriculums over the past decade. As the seasons of our lives have changed (babies, moving, etc.), so has what we require and like in a history curriculum.
So here is what we currently want, and need, this year in a history curriculum for our elementary-age kids (for our 3rd and 5th grade girls). And we have found all of these requirements in the Time Travelers unit studies from Home School in the Woods.
The kids love it
I know, you might think this would be a requirement for all curriculum, but honestly, for us, it’s not. When you have 8 kids, sometimes you just need something easy and basic, regardless of whether or not the kids love it and ask for more. But this year, I have more time that I can dedicate to teaching a curriculum and doing more hands-on activities. We’ve already started using our new curriculum and my girls look forward to it and actually ask to do it! Homeschool mom score!!
Easy to use
This is pretty much a must for all the curriculum I choose for our large family. As I mentioned, with 8 kids, I don’t have tons of time to figure out a curriculum, do lots of prep work, and use something that requires a lot of my time to teach. While Time Travelers is more hands-on and interactive than just a textbook or reading living books, and has lapbook and notebooking components that require printing and getting ready in advance, Home School in the Woods has made it super easy to use and implement. Everything is laid out so nicely – easy to follow instructions, a sample schedule (that we do use), briefly written text for each lesson (no more scrounging up the books you need, although you can if you want because they also provide an additional resources list if you want to expand your studies).
It’s digital
This has become more and more important to me over the past few years. By using digital curriculum, I save money and space. When a curriculum or resource is digital, I can use it again and again; I don’t have to buy it again when I want to reuse it with another child.
My bookshelf space is limited. Plus, I’m trying to reduce the physical clutter in our home, so if I don’t have to purchase a physical product, that is a plus for me.
Time Travlers is available in both a digital version and a CD version.
Fun projects
I know. I said I don’t have a lot of time to do projects, especially if they require a lot of prep work. Well, the Time Travelers unit studies have a variety of projects, allowing you to pick and choose which ones you want to do and which ones fit into your schedule. I have finally given myself permission to NOT do every single project or assignment that is in a curriculum or resource. I used to have this blanket of guilt over me whenever we would skip or miss a lesson or project, but I’ve finally been able to let that go and embrace the things we DO do.
Plus, there is a built-in project day in the lesson plan schedule so you can have dedicated time to do a project you may not have had time for earlier in the week or if you want to do any additional projects.
We are currently working through the New World Explorers unit study and some of the projects we have done, or plan to do are –
- making spice ornaments
- knot tying
- create a captain’s log
- make an Incan artifact
- create glow-in-the-dark constellations
Other things I like about the Time Travelers series –
- Lapbooking and notebooking components – I love that when we are done with a unit that the kids will have a nice record of what they have learned and what they have done.
- Short unit studies – I like that each study only takes us 5-10 weeks to complete. That way I don’t feel bound to a curriculum for an entire year. Plus we can take a break between units and we can pick and choose which ones to do based on our interests (although if you are Type A like me, you can obviously do them in order too).
- Superb quality – this actually goes for all of Home School in the Woods products. The master pages are absolutely beautiful and provide so much detail. They are gorgeous – Amy Pak has an amazing gift. And the attention to detail, along with the tips and suggestions they offer, when it comes to the instructions and directions are so appreciated. They really have thought of everything.
- Photo gallery – this may seem like a strange thing to like about a curriculum, but I am a visual person. So having an image of what the final project should look like is a huge help to me.
There are currently 7 Time Travelers unit studies available –
- New World Explorers
- Colonial Life
- The American Revolution
- The Early 19th Century
- The Civil War
- The Industrial Revolution Through the Great Depression
- World War II
Each unit study includes –
- lesson text followed by activity choices to reinforce the topic
- project pages with directions, supply list, and illustrations for each project, along with a photo gallery of the final outcome of the projects
- beautifully detailed masters for all printable projects, with printing instructions provided on the project pages
- built-in project days to help allow for time to complete outstanding or additional projects
- teacher helps for preparing and organizing
- resource list of books, videos, audios, and websites for further study
- a one-page lesson plan schedule so you can see the whole unit at a glance
- fun, engaging activities like – lap book projects (maps, pop-ups, layered books, etc.), recipes, file folder games, creative writing, science experiments, creative writing, 3D projects, and lots more!
Head over to the Home School in the Woods website to see all the fun projects, review the scope and sequence, and even download a sample lesson from each unit study to try out for yourself (go to the product page of the unit you’d like to try, scroll down; a little more than half way down you’ll see a tab that says Download Sample).
Each Time Travelers unit study is available for $28.95 for the CD version and $27.95 for the download version. They are recommended for grades 3rd-8th (which I feel is quite accurate).
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I think my children and I would really enjoy studying the Civil War together.
I think they’d enjoy the WWII study, both of my boys have a huge interest in that time period.
I think right now that my kids would enjoy the WWII pack most. Thanks for the chance!
I think my daughter would enjoy Colonial Life the most, and my son World War II (and my husband XD).
They all look exiting I can’t pick yet.
I love hands-on learning! I think my kids would enjoy The American Revolution unit.
My boys would love any era from this series, but I think New World Explorers would really be great.
My kids would love to learn all of these, but I believe the civil war would be their favorite!
The New World Explorers would be a brilliant starting point for getting into this series. I know my son would love it.
My kids would enjoy Colonial life or New World Explorers.
My boys would love the Civil War one. I know my 8yrold girl would love the Colonial one!
I’m teaching several age groups and I believe they’d be interested in many of the options. But I think the Colonial and The American Revolution sounds fun for them all! Thank you so much for this opportunity!
This whole series looks so excellent!
I think we would like the industrial revolution to the depression
Colonial life
My kids would love the WWII time traveler unit study.
explorers or american revolution
I’d love to try these with my younger kids.
My boys would love this curriculum! Especially the explorers issue!
I know my son would love to study WW2. We have it on our list to get. Thanks
I think they’d like the new world explorers curriculum
New World Explorers would be our favorite, but I’d love to eventually read all of them.
We LOVE these in our homeschool! I’d love to have the Civil War volume to use this year!
My son would really enjoy either the Revolutionary War or Civil War studies.
We would absolutely love the Early 19th century book. That is what we are focusing on this semester.
I think my children would like the Industrial Revolution through the Great Depression the most.
My boys would love colonial life….
I think we’d enjoy colonial life right now
We love anything about History!!
The Civil War
I think my daughter would enjoy the WWII unit!
We adore history and this looks great!
My kid is all about WWII and the Civil War so either of those would be a win. 🙂
This looks like fun
This looks amazing! I would start with new world explorers!
New World Explorers would be a perfect fit with our studies this year! Thank you for the opportunity 🙂
This looks like such a neat program and all the programs look so awesome! So much better than the traditional way that schools teach it. great reason to homeschool and use programs like this!!
oh and they would enjoy the colonial life or new explorer unit the most….that’s the phase of life and learning we are in!!!!
I’m sure my family would enjoy any of the series they all seem very intriguing.
My two would definitely dig the Civil War unit. Looks cool.
I think they would enjoy all of them, but I think that the industrial revolution to the depression would probably be their favorite because they would be able to really see how our world has changed
The Civil War and/or The Industrial Revolution to the Depression would both be great for us!
I think they would enjoy the Explorers one. This is my first year to try to incorporate unit study’s .
I am excited to do something different after 23 years of schooling ! : )