Who is Homeschool Legacy, and What is We The People: Getting To Know Your Constitution?
I received my 76-page, 8-week course in digital format. It is intended for students in 4th Grade and up. The lessons are presented in a week-by-week format consisting of between 4-9 pages each and packed full of information and teaching suggestions. The first few pages explain how the book can be used with Boy Scouts or American Heritage Girls to earn Merit badges. Obviously, we are a homeschool and not a troupe of girls or boys. However, there is also a page filled with a suggested schedule for using it with your children in a homeschool or family setting.
Each lesson begins with a list of books to find at the library, buy, or pull from your own home library if you already have the books. Even though the study is presented for 4th graders and up, there is also a suggested list of non-reader books.
I will tell you that if you are like me and want to cover every book suggestion and not miss a thing - This study will take longer than 8 weeks, which to me is fabulous to spend more time on each individual recommendation rather than to rush through or to simply put the Constitution to memory. I love all of the book lists throughout this study.
Each lesson begins with a list of books to find at the library, buy, or pull from your own home library if you already have the books. Even though the study is presented for 4th graders and up, there is also a suggested list of non-reader books.
I will tell you that if you are like me and want to cover every book suggestion and not miss a thing - This study will take longer than 8 weeks, which to me is fabulous to spend more time on each individual recommendation rather than to rush through or to simply put the Constitution to memory. I love all of the book lists throughout this study.
It's wonderful how the studies are built upon "living" books instead of textbooks. Every lesson begins with selected reading.
From there, the lessons each have a family devotion, which is very in-depth and gets you thinking and talking as a family, and other activities suggestions. There are links to virtual field trips, hands-on activities, fill-in-the-blank questions, coloring, cutting out and putting together the Constitution words, making study cards, making hoecakes (sort of like a cornmeal pancake), video suggestions, website suggestions, and studies that take you to the Encyclopedia - Like reading about Shays' Rebellion.
How Did We Use It?
I was asked to use it at least 3 times a week. I downloaded the pdf document to my computer to read and print as needed but ended up preferring to access it from my iPhone, and I printed some of the pages to take to the library for book reference as well as cut-out, color, or fill-in-the-blank activity sheets.
I decided that since it is intended for children in grades 4-12 that it would be appropriate to use with the entire family, who range in grades from 3-9, ages 8, 13, and 14. On top of that, my son is now in high school, so he is required to have a unit on the Constitution. I knew this would be somewhat of a challenge because while my youngest is usually on board with just about anything I throw at her in terms of curriculum, my oldest is not and sort of groans at the idea of a unit study. My middle child is very set in her ways of her workbook texts but still willing to give something new a try every now and then. With this mix of learning needs and styles, I feared the worse but was excited about the material being presented.
What I discovered was that this unit study is extremely comprehensive, and so using it every school day is more fitting to our schedule.
I knew right away that the once-a-week family devotion would not be a problem and that my husband would be more than willing to read this devotion instead of his usual devotion for the duration of the eight weeks.
I decided that since it is intended for children in grades 4-12 that it would be appropriate to use with the entire family, who range in grades from 3-9, ages 8, 13, and 14. On top of that, my son is now in high school, so he is required to have a unit on the Constitution. I knew this would be somewhat of a challenge because while my youngest is usually on board with just about anything I throw at her in terms of curriculum, my oldest is not and sort of groans at the idea of a unit study. My middle child is very set in her ways of her workbook texts but still willing to give something new a try every now and then. With this mix of learning needs and styles, I feared the worse but was excited about the material being presented.
What I discovered was that this unit study is extremely comprehensive, and so using it every school day is more fitting to our schedule.
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What Did We Think?
This is a really great way to learn about the Constitution - So much better than simply handing a student the Constitution to memorize. This study really makes it come alive to make it memorable and uses several books and learning styles to spark a real interest. I really appreciate all of the huge plethora of links and books and other learning tool suggestions. Don't be surprised if you get caught up in one book or video or website or activity for hours just exploring one book or one recommended site. This study does more than just present factual information. It gets students interested in learning more.
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Read what other members of the TOS Review Crew thought by clicking on the picture below:
This sounds great! I am definitely keeping this in mind for our next time around American Government, when we need to cover the Constitution again. You made it sound very interesting!
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