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These are two DVDs in a series that encompasses all 50 states.
Each DVD takes on an individual state and tells all the unique
things about it. Each one is approximately 30 minutes in length,
and the producers pack a lot of information and beautiful film
footage into that time.
I enjoyed the Michigan DVD because of the diversity
in the state of Michigan. It covered many different locations in
Michigan--from the Motor City, Detroit, which is as modern as any
city in the U.S., to Mackinac Island, where the only modes of transportation
are horses, horse-drawn vehicles, and bicycles. One fact that was
presented was that there are 3,000 miles of freshwater shoreline
in Michigan (think Great Lakes), making this state the boating
capital of the world. Along some of this shoreline are some huge
sand dunes that provide a recreation area for locals and tourists
alike. In addition, the filmmakers made stops at the birthplace
of Lionel toy trains, the Greenfield Village historical site (which
contains Thomas Edison's lab), the Henry Ford museum (another place
to find living history), the cherry-producing area of Michigan,
and more.
The Wyoming DVD showed a vastly different part of the
country. This one made me want to live there or at least visit!
The Grand Tetons provide some of the most beautiful scenery in
the country, and Yellowstone Park (the 1 st National Park in the
U.S., est. 1872) provides some of the most unique phenomena in
the world (geysers, mud pots, etc.). The lifestyle is definitely
along the lines of the state's cowboy heritage, which was made
famous by native son Buffalo Bill Cody. Rodeo is still the sport
of choice in Wyoming, and tourists love the cowboy experience.
Wyoming also boasts Devil's Tower in the Black Hills, which was
the first National Monument in the U.S. (Wyoming is proud of its "firsts.")
Wyoming was the first state to let women vote, and it granted that
privilege 50 years before any other state caught up - 1870. They
also can claim the first woman governor and several other "firsts" for
women in public office. One fact that I was not aware of is that
Wyoming is one of the biggest coal producers in the world. It was
encouraging to see that they were restoring the land as they finished
mining it.
Theses DVDs are $24.95 each, and therefore it may be too costly
for the average homeschool family to own all 50. But they are definitely
worth owning if you are studying your own home state or other states
of interest. I would recommend them for public libraries and homeschool
co-ops so that homeschoolers could take advantage of this rich
source of information when studying U.S. geography. I have enjoyed
the ones I have reviewed and will continue to enjoy them. They
make the study of geography much more interesting than just reading
from a textbook.
Product review by Christine Hindle, The Old Schoolhouse® Magazine,
LLC, September 2010
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