(Disclosure: I was given these products to review and compensated for my time. All opinions are my own. I was not required to write a favorable review.)
This year, we are working our way through American History. I’ve told you before how we use chain-link learning to make our lessons span the ages, and today I want to tell you about how Homeschool in the Woods has made our history-based chain-link learning hands on for all ages.
Homeschool in the Woods has a wonderful history series called Time Travelers. These activity-based history lessons offer fun and meaningful projects that follow United States history. Who doesn’t like the idea of traveling back in time to actually LIVE what you are learning? While it isn’t exactly time travel, the projects and activities make it come alive!
What I would like to do for you in this review is take one lesson we did from The American Revolution Time Travelers CD and show you how you can use Time Travelers in your homeschool to bring hands on learning to multiple ages.
Let’s just start at the beginning – Colonial Beginnings, that is!
Homeschool in the Woods Time Travelers Series
as a Stand-Alone History Curriculum
The Colonial Beginnings chapter starts with a short, 2 1/2 page lesson, covering the beginnings of colonization in the Americas. Supplements that go along with the lesson are copywork, the beginnings of a lapbook that the children will continue to work on throughout the series, a timeline (I really liked this timeline compared to many I have used in the past), and a hands-on project making a Jamestown replica.
The lessons in Time Travelers are twaddle-free. You can easily read through them without losing the kids in the process. While I would not recommend using this as a stand-alone curriculum for upper grades, I do believe it is sufficient for elementary ages. It would also make a nice review for older students needing a refresher course.
For teaching multiple ages and using the chain-link learning concept, have everyone sit in on the lesson part and then have Junior High and High School students dig deeper on their own using books and online resources. Your younger students can work through the penmanship/copywork lessons while your older children research and prepare and then present and work through the time line, lapbook, and hands on projects with their younger siblings. This offers a perfect example of how multi-level learning works!
Homeschool in the Woods Time Travelers Series
as a Supplemental History Curriculum
The Time Travelers series also works well as a supplement to any history program. I really love our history curriculum, but I have a difficult time incorporating the younger children. Homeschool in the Woods gave us great hands on projects that utilized chain-link learning to introduce lessons to my younger students and reinforce those same lessons with my older children. I matched up lessons from Time Travelers with lessons from the older children’s history and then let the older children prepare the Time Travelers lapbook pieces and hands on projects as a way to solidify what they were learning and give the younger children an introduction to this time period in an engaging way.
As we’ve worked our way through American history, we have taken a slow, solid pace where I work mainly with my older children and then take a few days a month to share coinciding hands on lessons from the Time Travelers series with my younger children. This has kept their history lessons living and fresh without being too tedious and arduous for them. We are looking forward to diving into the Early 19th Century Time Travelers lessons in the new year!
If you are looking to add a hands on aspect to your history in the coming year, definitely put Homeschool in the Woods on your list! And please, take a moment to peruse the website and their Pinterest page! You will be inspired!
I am pleased to be able to offer a giveaway of
Time Travelers: The American Revolution
See the giveaway below, or if reading via email, click here to enter!
Anita says
We are currently studying the civil war.
Ashley says
Sounds like a great teaching resource.
Kim Kopsaftis says
Always on the lookout for something to tie together the ages! Thanks for sharing. American Colonial at the moment…
Trisha says
We just finished the American Revolution and are planning on doing the Civil War Era next.
Susan M. says
This sounds wonderful! We are currently studying the Pilgrims.
Michelle S says
We are studying Colonial Life.
Jocelyn says
We are currently studying the Middle Ages!
lynne says
looks fun, I will check it out!
Becky B says
We are studying the Middle Ages. Just starting actually finishing up Rome Greece.
Becky
SarahMK says
We are currently studying early North American history.
Lisa M says
We use My Father’s World and their curriculum often includes things from Homeschool In the Woods. I’m always impressed with the quality, so I am exited about trying these too! Going to go check out their website and FB page now!
Kimberly Vogel says
American and world. and I need something for my youngest!
Amie Gardner says
We are preparing to work on Martin Luther King Jr. (We are currently doing a Unit Study on Alaska to talk about Winter, weather and polar animals.)
laura s. says
This looks like so much fun! We just finished up studying the American Revolution.
Brooke says
What history curriculum are you using with the older kids? Thanks!
Amy says
Tapestry of Grace 🙂
Karen says
We are currently studying Ancients
Keri says
Colonial period. Would this work with a kindergartener? Or would you wait until she’s older?
Amy says
I included my youngers, but you would definitely need to tweak.
Jen C. says
We are getting ready to study the pioneers.
Charis says
We’re studying ancient history.
tammy cordery says
we are studying the civil war.
Barb says
I have several children in different grades – studying different time periods. I need to get everyone on the same page. It would make “everything” so much easier. Something to plan next school year.
Tammy says
We are doing the Ancients right now, but we also bounce around in our free time because we just love history!
Pam says
This sounds like something that would be great for our school room!! Our kiddos would love the hands-on aspect of history!
elizabeth s says
We are studying modern history for this year. Thank you for offering this. They are on my list to buy for next year. It was good to hear another positive review!
Dawn says
We are currently in the middle ages so we will be in early modern times for next year’s history. Looking forward to that time period!
Olivia C says
I would love to win this. I struggle to get the littles involved too! I have six from the ages of eleven to one. This sounds like it might be the missing link.
Theresa says
Sounds like a great addition to our study of US History. We are up to learning about Jamestown right now.
Jessica says
Looks great! Thanks!
Jalynn Patterson says
We just finished studying world history–WWII era
Misty Whitehead says
We are studying ancient history with Mystery of History and using the timeline pieces from Home school in the Woods. We really like them. We have also casually spent some time on early U.S. history. The Time Travelers resources look just right for our style of learning!
KelLee says
I absolutely LOVE this curriculum. I am teaching high school down to pre-school and one of my students (DD) is severely handicapped. This program works for all of us together. I am a crafty person so these are fun and easy but even if you are not, these make you ‘crafty’. 🙂 The kids will love you and all of you will learn a lot.
Dyan Croushore says
We are currently studying from Creation to the Greeks. I feel like we have been in ancient history forever ;). We are surrounded by historical sites since we live in Virginia; I would love creative tools to study American history when we get there!
Sherri S says
We are currently studying the Revolutionary War time period with my 7 year old and Ancient Egypt with my 5 year old.
Stephanie says
We are currently studying the Middle Ages.
Heather says
This looks really cool! My kids would love it!
Heather Brandt says
Ancient Egypt & time of Moses.
Desirae says
Wow! This looks awesome, I would love to win this and check it out!
Kimberly R says
We are studying about about early American history, around the time of the first 13 colonies.
Nicole says
I would love this for my little homeschoolers 🙂
Erin says
We are jumping into American History next year. We’ll have 8 in pre-K through 10th grade. And they all love projects! (and their teachers like easy lessons).
Jamie says
We just finished up studying about the Civil War. We talked about Reconstruction this week.
Beth says
Looks like fun! I love projects that “bring history to life”.
Sharon says
We are currently studying Ancient Egypt.
Lesley Dubiel says
We are currently studying the American Revolution and getting ready to move into westward expansion soon.
Trish says
Looks like something our family would enjoy.
lynna says
My littles are starting right at the beginning with Creation and my oldest is studying the Civil War era….thanks so much for the chances to win.
DJ says
Since we’re in pre-preschool, we’re just concentrating on Bible stories and history right now. 🙂
Sarah says
This sounds a fun way to make history come alive!
Nancy says
Biblical
Amber says
Wow! This looks really fun. We love hands on learning. Thanks for the chance to win!!
Karyn Hostetter says
We are studying world history this year.
Sonja says
We are studying American history this year & are just past the Pilgrims arrival, so this would be great for my kids! One of my sons is very Kinesthetic, so he would love something like this! Thank you!
Chelsea Wipf says
we are beginning our first year of homeschooling and haven’t decided what to study quite yet!
Rhoda says
We are just finishing up the Romans, something my 10 year old daughter is glad to be free from while my 10 year old son could stay here the rest of his life.
Janey L. says
We are studying ancient times now.
Charlene says
Right now we are studying Early Modern ~ just starting the Revolutionary War.
Melissa N. says
We are doing early American History. This would be fun to do!
Jennifer says
I’ve been looking at these for a couple of years now and would love to win this, especially since we are studying the early part of U.S. history this year.
Charyti says
My children would to be able to do this 🙂
Tanya says
This sounds very interesting. I would love to win!
Nicole says
We are currently studying American History, during the time of the earliest English settlers. My second grader would love this!
Julie says
This looks like it would be a lot of fun. We just finished the American Revolution and will be working on the states and presidents. We currently use My Father’s World and really enjoy it!
Courtney says
Looks like a great way to learn history.
Tonia says
How fun! I love the Activity Paks from Homeschool in the Woods but we haven’t tried the Time Travelers yet. They look fun! We’re studying early modern history right now (finishing up Story of the World 3 and moving on to Story of the World 4).
Kim D. says
Middle Ages
kelly says
we are just finishing Washington as president and the constitution!!
amy s says
am not currently teaching history but thought i’d like to start when I got this blog post! Love the American West and Civil War times as well as Jamestown.
thanks
j gardner says
Wonderful! I’m always looking for ways to include all ages (8, 6, 4, 2, and 8 mo.)!
jennifer lebo says
We are studying the great depression.
Lindsey Baldwin says
I am just beginning my journey of homeschooling with our three young kiddos. I remember Homeschool in the Woods from the HS Convention my husband and I attended last year. We were interested, but it was too early to buy at that time. I’d like to learm more about them!
Shannon says
I’m going to look into this for us next year as we study american history.
Danielle F says
We are studying British History – 18th Century.
Amy says
We are studying Medieval Times this year.
Sally W says
We just finished studying the Civil War. We did it mostly with biographies and DVDs from the library. My 6th grade girls were not interested in the battles and bloodshed, so we skipped most of that kind of thing and focused on some of the main players.
Carissa in KS says
We are studying Early Modern history this year, currently in the 1600s
Amy Mac says
We just got to the turn of the 20th century.
Naomi S. says
We are currently studying the turn of the 19th century in US history.
Michelle W. says
We’re studying Medieval times right now.
Tammy Maddox says
This looks great, thanks for the chance to win,
Tammy
Mrs. Turro says
We are doing Ancient History this year, but will be doing American History next year.
Victoria says
Looks fun!
Judith Martinez says
My daughter is studying ancient history.
Monica says
My son is in Kindergarten and we haven’t gotten to much history yet!
Jennifer K. says
We are currently studying the American Revolution.
Brenda Saball says
We have been studying the Civil War
Christine says
We are studying the Middle Ages and have loved using Homeschool in the Woods Project Passport for the Middle Ages.
Jennifer says
I love Homeschool in the Woods! We just started using one of their timeline figures for history this year and these look great for when we get to american history! Thanks for the opportunity!
Fanchon says
This looks really interesting! I’m on the prowl for a good hands on history lesson- I’m definitely going to look into this!
Mona says
Since we’re new Florida residents, we’re studying Florida’s history.
Angela says
I have seen wonderful projects created from this and similar resources from the Time Travelers collection. Thanks for your review!
janice says
The Civil War
Sara Caldwell says
I have been wanting to try Time Travelers for quite awhile with my kids! 🙂
christina lopresti says
Wow this looks like a great teaching tool.
Becky says
We are studying the middle ages now but plan to focus on U.S. History next year. I looked at Homeschool in the Woods stand at our homeschool convention last year and already decided to use them. Love their stuff!
Michelle says
Exploration and discovery of America. 🙂
Nikki says
We are studying the Industrial Age right now in history, although since we do Classical Conversations, we move pretty quickly through history!
Julie says
We are studying The Middle Ages. Next year with be American history.
S Robbe says
Want to. Do more hands on with History, this sounds great.
Elisabeth says
We are trying to revise our homeschool this year and this looks like just the thing we need to give us a break and learn to enjoy history again!:)