"My eleven yr old daughter and I used this curriculum with a group of other homeschooling families last year. The group ranged in ages from 6-11, boys and girls, and we absolutely LOVED this!
It is very well organized, which made this portion of homeschooling easy. We enjoyed learning about the girls and the time periods in which they lived. I believe it helped my daughter understand, from a personal perspective, the experiences of life in each time by doing the projects. It also made her appreciate the time period that she is living in and the conveniences this time period brings!
It was a GREAT experience for my daughter and I!" - Jennifer Jaggers |
"As a home-schooling mom of two young girls, history has never been the favorite
subject in our house. I’ve watched the looks on my girls’ faces as they listen with
confusion to the different dates and cultures that we have studied and tried to figure out
how it all really fits together. They would always sigh when the history books would
come out…that was until this year. Now, they are begging me each day to do history.
This year we have begun a real life journey walking with the American Girls
through American history. Starting with Kaya in the Pacific Northwest, my girls watched
the Lewis and Clark expedition unfold and saw first hand the effects of this expedition
on the Native Americans inhabiting the land. They enjoyed the sights and sounds of life
around the campfire and listened as the men returned to camp after hunting for dinner.
They began to grasp what life must have been like for those early Americans.
They walked the streets of Virginia with Felicity and saw the American
Revolutionary War begin and witnessed how lives were interrupted by fierce fighting.
They understood more clearly the price that was paid for the freedom they enjoy today.
Continuing on through the years, they witnessed battles during the War of 1812 along
with Caroline; they walked American frontier with Kirsten and entered a one room
school room. They imagined writing on slates and working hard on the farm. Then they
encountered the atrocities of slavery as they narrowly escaped life on the plantation with
Addy. They, too, celebrated when Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation.
We are just now entering the 20th Century and experiencing what life was like
with the invention of the light bulb, the automobile and experiencing “progress” right
along with Samantha. We look forward to continuing our journey into the summer as my
girls cannot imagine taking a break from living history. If you want to make history come
alive for your children, read living books with them. As they watch history unfold in the
lives of the characters, they will better understand and remember the important facts.
What better way to do this than through the lives of the American Girls with Girls of
American History." - Ashley Lewis Smith |