We have really enjoyed lapbooks and unit studies in our homeschool, so when we had the chance to use this Project Pack from In the Hands of a Child, we were thrilled! We were very pleasantly surprised at just how professional and thorough this book is. The authors take great care to explain their product and how to use it from the beginning. This is a spiral-bound book with 82 easily reproducible pages of lessons and activities concerning the War Between the States. It is intended for grades 4-12 and can be used for individual students or in a co-op setting.

I was most impressed with the Resource Guide. This company has done all of the work for the teacher by assembling an amazing amount of information in just 28 pages, saving countless hours of time in research! Beginning with a timeline of events, this guide covers the causes of the Civil War, political factors and figures, major battles and their outcomes, the Emancipation Proclamation, the Gettysburg Address, the Confederate and Union armies, and so much more. There is even a section on Civil War remedies, which is fascinating--though not recommended for modern use! The pages also contain various maps and high-quality black-and-white graphics.

The Activities and Instructions section gives step-by-step instructions for 25 different activities, including timelines, vocabulary, map skills, creative writing, poetry, and music. There is also a template for each activity that will be used in the final lapbook project. If you have never created a lapbook, the "Creating a Lapbook Base" section provides clear and easy-to-follow instructions as well as photos of completed books for reference. This is a wonderful stand-alone unit, or it may be used to complement another history curriculum. It is so well organized and yet flexible enough to suit the needs of multiple ages. In the end, you and your children have created a lovely keepsake that reflects what they've learned. I was very impressed with this Project Pack and look forward to using more of In the Hands of a Child Project Packs in the future. I happily recommend this product.

Product review by: Amy Christy, The Old Schoolhouse® Magazine, LLC, July 2008