Paddington Bear: A Branch Out World Review

My son (age 7) always gets extra chatty at bedtime.  So much so that I had to limit him to 2 or 3 questions so good night didn't last 30 minutes.  Lately, his questions have been a lot of 'How is this made?' or "What makes that work?' and honestly I don't know the answers without googling it or asking their dad.  The result is we both learn a lot together.  As they state on their website, my latest review, Paddington Bear from Branch Out World is designed For Families That Love Learning Together.  It is so easy to get caught up in the typical school paradigm where a teacher teaches the information they have already learned, but sooner or later real homeschooling involves learning with each other and from each other.  Curiosity breeds new questions and new questions bring new perspectives to consider and before you know it your adventure is quite different than you expected.  I am not an expert in all subjects that my children will learn so some days we will all learn who invented baseball or what a hydrapult is together. 

Branch Out World is a company based in the UK that was started by a homeschool family looking to share great literature with other families.  Not having any experience with a UK company, this curriculum was enjoyable and educational.  There were a few differences in the language that I had to explain, but nothing hindered us in any way.  Paddington Bear is a literature-based unit study from the Picture Book Explorers series that Branch Out World puts out.   It comes in digital format and includes instructions for over 30 activities, with 45 pages of printables like notebook pages, flags, maps, and minibooks.   There are also extra resources listed that could complement the study like various books on Peru and Paddington videos.  With so many possible activities, the study includes a lot of different subjects, including:

• History & Geography
• Creative Writing
• Art
• Science (Migration!)
• Grammar & Vocabulary
• Architecture & Design
• Math

The significant thing about reading stories together is that often there are multiple layers and several details that go unnoticed at first.  Upon the first reading of Paddington, no one remembered that the country of Peru was even mentioned!  This was a great opportunity to dive into places (England & Peru) we weren't very familiar with.  The study is divided into 5 sections:

• Day 1 – Exploring the Setting (History and Geography)
• Day 2 – Exploring the Words (Grammar & Writing) 
• Day 3 – Exploring the Pictures 
• Day 4 – Exploring Science (Animals & Experiments)
• Day 5 – Exploring Maths, Crafts and More

All activities are left open to exploring further if you choose and also stand alone for when you want to pick and choose certain ones and not others.  You are encouraged to record notes on your adventure in some way, like making a lap book or keeping a journal. It's a very flexible plan with multiple variations possible.  The intended age for this study is 5-10 years old.

When everything a child is learning reinforces or connects back together in some way, it really does stick with them much longer.  Branch Out World has done for us what many of us dream about doing, but don't get around to - beautifully weave subjects and lessons together where everyone is learning.  One of my favorite topics brought out in this study was migration and push/pull factors.  It was a subject we hadn't discussed together yet and taught me a few things I had never considered before.

Branch Out World did a great job with this study and we found it to be a perfect change of pace that proved to be very fruitful!  Check out all they have to offer by following them on social media.

Follow Branch Out World: 

Facebook: www.facebook.com/BranchOutWorld    @BranchOutWorld
Pinterest: www.pinterest.com/belzibow   @belzibow
Instagram: www.instagram.com/belzibow   @belzibow
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The Gospels: A Drive Thru History® Review

One of the major advantages to living in the digital age is how much knowledge we have access to.  Media definitely has its burdens and flaws, but it also has the power to embolden our faith!  Drive Thru History® – “The Gospels” is the latest project from Drive Thru History® with Dave Stotts and one of those tools that can be used to teach and build up our family and friends toward a better understanding of the Bible.  One of the first questions a person might ask when introduced to the gospel is usually about how we can trust the Bible to be true.  This entire series touches on many ways to answer that question.  This has certainly been one of those reviews that the adults benefit just as much as the kids!  Drive Thru History® – “The Gospels”  is a series of 18 30 minute episodes over 3 DVDs where Dave Stotts travels to all the locations mentioned in the gospels that housed Jesus' birth, life, death and ministry.  There are over 50 ancient sites he visits and utilizes history, archaeology, geography and art to bring the story to life.  As students of the Bible we all picture in our mind what events looked like, but at best come up short with a good visual because we just weren't there.  Visiting, albeit virtually, the places where these things really happened sets our understanding on a whole new level and certainly builds up our faith. 

Also included in this set is a study guide corresponding to each episode that can be used in a variety of ways.  The study guide provides a summary, recommended scripture reading, discussion questions, beautiful graphics and bonus information under the heading 'Side Road' for each episode.  The recommended age of this series is 5th grade to adult, but families are encouraged to watch them together too.  Since the children in our family are 6 and under, we simply watched episodes together and not as a specific study.  However, when using the study guide, this quickly turns into a massive bible study tool.  For homeschooling families, this could supplement a major history, geography or Bible study.  It could also be useful for church groups or even just studying with your friends and neighbors.   Drive Thru History® provides a great springboard opportunity to discuss all aspects of the gospel with others from a unique perspective.

As a parent and teacher of small children, I'm excited to have this in my library.  Almost like a digital encyclopedia, this set provides multiple layers of information to be dissected and used.  It's been fun to watch now, but it will also be useful to pull from as my kids get older and much of it becomes more relevant to their own understanding.  Drive Thru History® sure did a great job!
Follow Drive Thru History® on Social Media:

Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/drivethruhistory/

YouTube:  https://www.youtube.com/drivethruhistory

Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/drivethruhistory/

Check out what other Crew Members thought about Drive Thru History: