We love to read books. If those books help us learn, I am all for it! My son has fallen in love with the I Survived Series, and I was happy to see that these can be a part of our history lessons with the Historical Studies of Survival. For this review, we had the chance to check out Unit 3 Surviving the Civil War 1863.

This unit study was given to us in a PDF Digital Format. I was quickly able to find I Survived - The Battle of Gettysburg, 1863 at my local library and the rest was history!

Within this unit study, you will find a resource list first. The only required resource is I Survived - The Battle of Gettysburg, 1863, however, there is an excellent list of other books and websites that will help to further your child’s learning of this time. These resources cover everything from Civil War recipes, books on the civil war, African American Soldiers, Women of War, Morse Code and information on the Underground Railroad. There are also ideas for field trips that go along with this time.

After we go over the resource list, we find a weekly schedule. This schedule is great for moms like me. I love having someone tell when and what to do. They even have a Before Week One section that helps me get prepared before I get ready to start this unit study with my son. After that, we get into the book. The first week is spent reading the book while getting started on the lapbook. What we need to read each day is written down for us on each day of the week.

The rest of the time is spent learning about different aspects of the Civil War. This is where the extra resources come into play. While they are not needed, you can add to your child’s learning by including them. Whether or not you decide to use the extra resources, you will have lapbook pieces to work on as you learn about the different parts of the Civil War.

I love the way this unit study is set up. There is a lot of hands-on work with the lapbook, which is just what my son needs. The lapbook pieces cover all the necessary details that a child needs to learn about the time of the Civil War.

My son has had a fascination with the I Survived Series. He read all the books as fast as I can get them from the library. Finding a program that allows us to use these books for his history lessons has made me happy. He is satisfied that I found something that works with the books that he loves. He doesn’t fight me when it comes to learning about history anymore. For this, I am thankful!

If you have a child who loves to read and is a hands-on learner, you will want to check out these Historical Unit Studies that go along with the I Survived Series.

—Product review by Amanda Hopkins, The Old Schoolhouse® Magazine, LLC, June, 2018