How would you like to take a field trip to South Carolina--sitting on the sofa right in your living room? With this DVD from the Discoveries . . . America series, you can! Produced by Bennett-Watt HD Productions, Inc., Discoveries . . . America: South Carolina is a 60-minute essay-style video that provides an educational and entertaining overview about the eighth state to ratify our country's constitution.

With 187 miles of coastline, South Carolina, also known as the Palmetto State, is one of the south's favorite vacation destinations. So tourism is obviously the #1 source of economy there. This DVD covers several of the most well-known and popular attractions, areas, and products in the state including:

•  Charleston
•  Sweetgrass Baskets
•  The Magnolia Singers
•  Myrtle Beach
•  Hilton Head
•  Dolphins and Shrimping
•  Upcountry/Edgefield

My favorite segment was about Charleston, one of my absolute favorite places to visit. I enjoyed the historical and architectural information, and the lovely footage made me want to return to the "Holy City," thus named because of the numerous church steeples that dot the city's skyline. Charleston's historical significance, especially during the Civil War, is especially interesting. The information on the history and method of producing sweetgrass baskets is fascinating as well.

My children enjoyed the segments about the dolphins near Hilton Head and the shrimping industry best, and they expressed a desire to visit the area after seeing this video. I see some educational spring-boarding into these topics happening in our homeschooling very soon! Be aware that there is one mild expletive during the shrimping segment that might be offensive to some families. However, I appreciated the fact that the shrimp boat captain emphasized hard work and determination when describing his job--an attitude I feel is missing in so many ways in today's society.

According to the company's product description, this series is meant to be "an 'on-the-road' style program where viewers meet real people and places that are part of the core of American character. Interviews with local residents, historians, farmers, park rangers and professionals give insight on subjects unique to each state."

For more information about this video and the series (and to play clips), visit www.bennet-watt.com. The cost for each individual video is $24.95, but there are also six-DVD regional sets available (such as South Atlantic states, New England states, etc.) for $142.22. At the end of the video, a list of resources and contact information is displayed. Overall, I found the video Discoveries . . . America: South Carolina to be enjoyable and educational, although I would've liked to see other parts of the state as well.

Product review by Amy M. O'Quinn, The Old Schoolhouse® Magazine, LLC, November 2010