By
Carylee Gressman
CPR
Publishing
http://drawandwrite.com
740 13th St.
Fennimore,
WI 53809
608-822-7787
Pilgrims, Pirates, and
Patriots
is the fourth book in the Draw and Write Through History series. This
title includes cursive practice in the form of copywork, art (in the
form of step-by-step drawing instructions), and brief history lessons
(presented in chronological order). The topics in this book consist of
Christopher Columbus, Australia, Pilgrims, Pirates, and the American
Revolution (including Paul Revere and George Washington praying at
Valley Forge).
Each section begins with instruction for creating a
beautiful illustration. Drawings are provided for each step,
progressively becoming more detailed. New steps are drawn in red so
children can easily see what to do. Historical facts are peppered
throughout the drawing instructions. These are usually a paragraph of
interesting information about the subject being illustrated. Each
section ends with a copywork page in Zaner Bloser font. This page is
comprised of about 18 to 20 lines and is an overview of the time period
studied (except the last section, which is an excerpt of the
Declaration of Independence and is about 37 lines long).
The book is
non-consumable and does not contain any pages to write on. Drawings
need to be completed on paper or in a notebook. Lined paper for
copywork is also necessary. I feel this book would be a useful
supplement to any history curriculum. It is not a book that would be
used from cover to cover within a matter of weeks, but rather something
that needs to be perused and scheduled in advance.
At first glance, I
felt the drawings would be too difficult for my children (who are 6 and
9 years old), but they actually produced very good illustrations. I
found that they mostly copied the step-by-step pictures and relied very
little on the written instructions (if at all).
Draw and
Write Through History, Pilgrims, Pirates, and Patriots, is
intended for ages eight and up. I feel this book would be challenging
for eight-year-olds, and those who are not artistically inclined might
become frustrated with it.
The written instructions are not extremely
detailed. For example, the direction to draw a kangaroo’s
face simply says “draw the kangaroo’s
face.” No further information on how to draw it is mentioned.
This is where the detailed illustrations are very helpful. The final
instructions for shading and coloring often include more information,
such as which colors to use and so on. I tried drawing a few of the
items myself and was surprised at how well they turned out. Much better
than if I had tried to draw them without the book. (Art is not my
strong suit.)
Draw and
Write Through History, Pilgrims, Pirates, and Patriots: A.D.
1492 – A.D. 1781 would be a beneficial history supplement
for
any curriculum and all homeschool styles and methods.
Product review by
Stacy Kalisz, The Old Schoolhouse® Magazine,
LLC, October 2010
|
|
|
|
