Taking A Sunday Drive Thru The Gospels – A Review of Drive Thru History® – “The Gospels” from Drive Thru History®
What Is It?
Will It Enhance Your Homeschool?
If you just simply watch the episodes, your children will learn all those things as well, without the hands-on activities you could add.
And if you watch the episodes and use the study guide, your discussion-friendly children will be engaged for long and thought-provoking post-episode discussions.
No matter how you use Drive Thru History® – “The Gospels”, your children will learn and enjoy the content.
What Comes With This Product?
Drive Thru History® – “The Gospels” comes with
• DVDs that contain 18 episodes covering the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John.
• A study guide which enhances each episode by providing discussion questions, extra information, and suggested Bible readings.
Suggested Use
You can either watch the episodes as you would a documentary, or you can expand them with the included study guide.
Each episode of Drive Thru History® – “The Gospels” runs in a familiar format, for those of you who have seen any of the previous Drive Thru History® products. Dave Stotts, the narrator, takes you and your children on an adventure back in time and to the actual locations in the Bible.
Each episode is filled with historical and Biblical information as well as geography lessons and, yes, details about the particular cars that Dave Stotts drives in each episode, and a bit of humor to boot.
No matter how well you know the scriptures, you are guaranteed to learn something as an adult and the information is presented in a way that engages and sticks in the mind of children.
The study guide is flexible and can be used, as we did, orally in a discussion format, or you could also assign writing tasks to your children using the included comprehension questions for each episode.
As we used the study guide along with the episodes and spaced them out to once a week, we only got through the first six episodes with the children.
I did jump ahead myself and watch the episode about the Crucifixion. This episode is perhaps something you should watch yourself before showing to young children. It is an honest and real discussion about what happened to Jesus in his final days on earth.
With all the Bible reading and other information I have picked up in my life, this was the first time I understood the depth of of what He went through. I think that my reaction is probably because I am an adult, but I am sure that when we get to that episode in our homeschool study, my children will be deeply influenced and definitely understand the sacrifice He made.
Time Required To Teach This
Preparation Time: 10-15 minutes (read material in the study guide, and review the relevant sections of the Bible if you need to)
Teaching Time: 25-90 minutes (The time here depends on whether you simply watch the episode, which is about 25 minutes each, or if you add a discussion afterwards using the study guide which can add as much as an hour to the time if your kids are really interested in the topic.)
How We Used It
We sat down every Sunday evening after dinner as a family to watch a new episode followed by a discussion and a Bible reading.
Spacing the episodes out so that we did one each week was difficult as the kids really wanted to sit down for a 9-hour marathon and watch all 18, but taking the extra time was the right choice for us. We are able to carry the primary topic from each episode with us through the week and continue to discuss and remind our children as the week progresses.
And, perhaps best of all, the whole family looks forward to Bible reading and Drive Thru History® – “The Gospels” with Dave Stotts after dinner on Sundays. This has become our special time.
Did We Like It?
Oh, boy howdy – did we ever!
My kids have always loved Dave Stotts and his travels on Drive Thru History®.
Reviewing this product is the key that brought my husband in as a full-fledged teacher in our little homeschool. He is no longer just “the principal” on the paperwork we file each year. He now looks forward to teaching. And that is a blessing to me.
The result? Everyone is happier. Life is more balanced. The children are learning more since they can now benefit from the guidance of two parents in our homeschool.
And.
Every Sunday evening, we pile into the living room after dinner for another session of Drive Thru History® – “The Gospels” followed by a lively discussion and a Bible reading led by my husband – a real family activity.
The DoodleMom Scoresheet
General Features
X Adapts to Teach Multiple Children (Multiple Ages)
X Accessible to Children with Dylsexia / Dysgraphia
X Works with Gifted Children
Works with these Age Ranges
X Middle Years (6-8)
X High School (9-12)
Good For These Educational Styles
X Classical
X Traditional (like public school)
X Eclectic
X Unschooling
X Unit Study
X Charlotte Mason
Subjects Covered
X Art
X Religion
X Social Studies / History
For Kids Who Like
X Video Instruction
X Face it – I do not know anyone who does enjoy Drive Thru History®!
