Zeezok Publishing has a variety of curriculum that work wonderfully in the homeschool setting, particularly if unit studies are your primary learning method. The product I received (free of charge for review purposes) is the Z-Guide to the Movies, My Side of the Mountain e-book.
My Side of the Mountain (by Jean Craighead George) is one of my family's favorite books; and while the 1969 movie differs quite a bit from the book, we were excited about utilizing this Z-Guide.
Basically, the way a Z-Guide works is it takes a particular film (often the movies are based on good books) and draws lessons from the movie. First the student watches the movie in it's entirety; then they follow the Z-Guide's instructions, complete the activities, and learn a whole lot. And yes, all this stems from watching a movie. What homeschooler wouldn't like that?!
Z-Guide, My Side of the Mountain follows the 1969 film version of "My Side of the Mountain". This movie is available for purchase at the Zeezok website (www.Zeezok.com), for purchase at Amazon.com (www.Amazon.com) where it can be viewed as a digital download right on your PC, or rented from places like Netflix or Blockbuster. Most of the other films that correspond with Z-Guides can be found easily - so don't let the idea of a snipe-like movie hunt deter you from considering using Z-Guides!
The Z-Guide, My Side of the Mountain e-book is 32 pages long and covers topics such as Natural Science, Henry David Thoreau, and Survival Skills. Activities include Worldview, Hands-On Activities, Review Questions, Filmmaker's Art, and a How To Use section. This Z-Guide is organized into an Overview, 10 Activities (and a Bonus Activity), Family Discussion, Additional Resources, and the Answer Key.
The Day 1 - Day 5 Activity Breakdown allows the student to complete the unit in one school week. You can pick and choose certain activities or alter the lesson plans to fit the student's course objectives, areas of interest, or time schedule. As an e-book, this resource is non-consumable. Just print out the pages you'll need for each day's work and next time you want to use a Z-Guide, simply open that file on your computer and print what you need!
One thing I'd like to make mention of is that the 1969 film is different than the book, and while that's not a bad thing, it does mean students need to pay close attention to the film so as not to confuse the book with the movie.
The cost of this Z-Guide is $12.99 (which seems to be the cost of all the Z-Guides)
Feel free to check out their website for more information, and if you have a particular movie you simply love, why not use a Z-Guide to the Movies as a springboard for learning? Sharing things you enjoy with your children, and turning those moments into learning experiences is something only homeschool families can do. Make the most of the time you have with your children. It really does pass by in the blink of an eye!
To read what my fellow Crew Mates had to say, click HERE. (By the way, we didn't all review the same Z-Guide, so check out their reviews to see what movie guides they reviewed.)
And don't forget to visit the website ~ www.Zeezok.com
Day 147 done :)
Jan L. Burt
www.HomeschoolingMothersBibleStudy.com
www.SavanasClayCreations.com
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