John Adams: Independence Forever A Homeschool Review Crew

We are a history loving family and what better way to learn about history through biographies. For the last several weeks we have been reading Heroes of History-John Adams  by YWAM Publishing. My family received a physical book and a Downloadable Unit Study Guide. 

The biographies are intended for 10 and up. I have been reading books from YWAM Publishing since my kids were in first grade. The Unit Study Curriculum is for 10 and up. I have found that my kids have loved these stories even when they were younger.

YWAM Publishing has two series Heroes of History and Christian Heroes:Then and Now. Over the years we have enjoyed an array of books about Ronald Reagan, Milton Hershey, Ben Carson, Corrie Ten Boom, and so many more amazing stories of men and women. I love that my kids are reading wholesome books.

YWAM stands for - Youth with a Mission and has created a large array of books from famous men and woman throughout history. All the books are an autobiography of men and women with strong moral and even Christian values that had an impact on individuals and history.

This is a paperback book with 224 pages.

The Study Guide is around 79 pages and is a digital downloadable PDF and an in-depth study guide to enhance the book. With the Study Guide this is a complete curriculum that covers several areas.  

Study Guide:

Key Quotes- quotes from the individual. This can be used as memorization or even copywork.

Display Corner-this is a selections of things about the individual that can be displayed. Like books or in my case a copy of the Declaration of Independence to portray the history.

Chapter Questions- this is a few comprehension questions about the chapter to see if they are retaining or learning from the biography. The questions are open ended for your student to express their thoughts. 

Student Explorations-hands on activities from craft projects, a something for every learning style, and also some opportunity for creative writing assignments. This could be audio or visual median.

Community Links- a resource for field-trips and service projects.

Related Themes to Explore- covers politics and law, current events, several magazine articles, and websites.

Social Studies -maps, vocabulary, timelines, critical thinking, and so much more.

Related Themes to Explore- this could point you to more information to find out about the topic for example other men who were involved in drafting the Declaration of Independence.

Culminating Events -resources for project displays, era music, food, and activities, and an oral presentation.

Appendix A: Book and Resources

Appendix B: Answers to the Chapter Questions

Appendix C: Social Studies Reproducible

The Study Guide is very informative and full of great resources. There is something for every learning style to build on.

I received the Study Guide first in my email box. It’s very easy to open up the files. This gave me time to prepare myself prior to reading the book with my kids. My main focus ended up being the chapter review questions. I used some of the social study and the Key Quotes. My kids love maps and we focused on some of the locations of John Adams life. We just had a lot of tragic life events the last few weeks that prevented me from being able to use the complete Study Guide. 

The download came with a brief summary of John Adams. The study is divided into two separate files: study plans and the other one have the printables.

The biography covers John Adams' life from his childhood in Massachusetts as a son of a farmer. He planned to follow in his father’s footsteps as a farmer. With the hard British rule and taxation of the colonies John Adams found himself paving the foundation of this great country. I enjoyed rediscovering facts about John Adams that I have forgotten since I was a child. The story covers him as a lawyer, diplomat, first vice president, and the second president of the United States. John Adams was essential in his role of drafting the Declarations of Independence in 1776.

I let Little Man choose which book he wanted to read. I was surprised at his selection and assumed he would have chosen another title. Little Man goes to the homeschool convention with me every year. He spends some time talking to the vendor at the booth and asking lots of questions. He also reads the back of the books. John Adams was a book he heard the vendor talking about in detail to another customer. It intrigued him and that is how he chose this title.

We went back and forth reading to each other so my 14 year old daughter with disabilities could also enjoy the book. After every chapter we would go over the chapter review questions. Like I mentioned earlier we didn’t do everything this time around due to a crazy unexpected schedule.

This is what Little Man has to say about Heroes of History-John Adams :

I’m always amazed at how much men and women had to do back in the early days of our country. They didn’t have the comforts or freedom that we enjoy today. John Adams went from being a farmer to a lawyer which is such a drastic difference in occupation. He had to work hard to get to that point. To have the wisdom and knowledge to draft the Declaration of Independence is amazing. How do you decide what to put on paper that effects generations to come?

I really enjoyed this book and want to read more books about those men and women who paved the way for the freedom that we enjoy today in America. I really like YWAM Publishing books they are full of adventures, interesting, and are books that I have a hard time putting down.

I agree this was another amazing story. I highly recommend YWAM Publishing.

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Other members of the Homeschool Review Crew team have been reading different titles. Stop by and see what amazing adventure they have been reading about.