Disclosure (in accordance with the FTC’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising”): The following is a review. Opinions are 100% my own and NOT influenced by monetary compensation. I received a copy of this product and was compensated for my review. Even so, all opinions are my own and a positive review was NOT required.
Disclosure: I did receive a complimentary copy of this unit study / curriculum, in exchange for an honest review.
We are a homeschooling family consisting of Mama, Papa, 4th-almost-5th grade boy (Jeremiah/Jerem/JT/J1), 2nd-almost-3rd grade boy (Josiah/Joe/JB/J2), Kindergartner (Jamin/J-bug/JZ/J3), and preschooler (Jace/Jacey/JIP/J4). The big boys and I have recently been using the first Homeschool Unit Study in the Friends & Heroes series. It’s designed for kids ages 7-11, so perfect for my guys.
You should know in advance that the study is based upon the animated dvd/television series called Friends & Heroes. It’s a little under a half hour long, and even my youngers (almost 7 and 4) watched with interest.
Fictional characters set in New Testament times (in 69 AD) recount the true stories of the Old Testament heroes, of Jesus, of the disciples, of Paul and other New Testament heroes. While both the fictional and the Biblical sections are animated, there is an obvious difference between the styles of animation, so kids know instinctively there is a distinction between them.
I have to admit up front that I really didn’t think there would be a lot of meat to this study. I thought it would just be supplemental, fluffy, or fun stuff included. I was pleasantly surprised that there was so much involved!
Since the term “unit study” has come to mean all-encompassing subjects, it shouldn’t be a surprise that history, science, a bit of math and some grammar are included. That’s not all though; geography, composition/creative writing, art/crafts, character traits and Bible are also covered.
The rich study is designed to take about two weeks, but you could stretch it out and spend a month on it if you’d prefer. Depending on how detailed your children are, the crafts could take up a large amount of time. They aren’t little toddler crafts that can be done in a couple seconds, though they can be suited to a younger crowd with different tools.
The boys and I really liked how we actually learned new things in this study. Too often, I hear “I already knew that!” from one or both of them, but that didn’t happen much throughout our time in this. I also like learning new things. 😉
A few notes:
There are three options to purchase: 1) The entire package with a dvd and a cd-rom with the unit study on it. 2) The cd-rom only (if you already have the dvd). 3) The download only (if you already have the dvd).
You can print the teacher’s manual and multiple student workbooks (for as many children as you need). I just read the TM off the computer and printed the pages that were required to print for the boys. I really prefer web-based products, so I can download myself. Only one of our computers has a working cd-rom drive, and it’s the old, slow computer, so that makes it trickier for us. I do realize other families prefer cd-roms, so it’s great that they offer us options.
For Bible, they do use the New Living Translation, which is not our favorite, but we are used to looking things up in King James when necessary.
I really think this unit study is a great supplemental or summer-time program for a homeschooling family (or any Christian family, for that matter!).
Check out the study before August 15 to get it at their lowest price. Actually, the whole site is set at the lowest price!
-20% off all Friends and Heroes Homeschool Curriculum (code HOMESCHOOL20)
-10% off all other Friends and Heroes resources with curriculum (code PROMO10)
-10% off all Friends and Heroes Home and Family DVD Collections (code PROMO10 )
If you’d like to check out a video clip (about 12 minutes long), watch below:
If you’d like to take a peek at the teacher’s guide, here’s a preview.
If you’d like to view the student’s workbook, here’s a preview.
In closing, I’d like to share that my only problem with this product is the Biblical accuracy of it. I do not like when companies make shows based on the Bible but don’t go all out in proclaiming the gospel, or twist scripture just a tickle here or there. It almost always feels as if they don’t want to ruffle feathers too badly or something. I don’t quite know how to explain it. It was good, I just thought it could have been better in this area.
Thanks for looking with me!
Be blessed!
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About Jenn: I’m a Christian wife to an amazing man (since 1998) and a stay-at-home-teaching mom to four special & incredible boys (born in 2004, 2005, 2007, & 2009). I’m messy and cluttered, but working on that (really, I am!). I’m a discouraged perfectionist and a classic procrastinator who probably has both ADD & Autism, so I tend to jump from topic to topic (and activity to activity) without notice. My Love Languages are Words of Affirmation and Physical Touch. I’m an INFP who enjoys friends but loves to be alone. I love getting and giving hugs, and encouragement is a Spiritual gift of mine that can too-easily be turned into the weapon of discouragement, if I’m not careful. I enjoy writing, singing, words, drawing, photography, digital creations, and reading. Oh, and pizza, tacos, and steak. Now I’m hungry. That reminds me; I eat gluten free and try to eat organic and avoid white sugar and GMOs as much as possible. Find me on Facebook (Writer/Editor page) (Fan page), Twitter, Pinterest, or Instagram.
