Children's ATLAS of the U.S.A. - Master Books curriculum

And here it is - hot off the press. A new Geography and Social Studies by MasterBooks. This colorful curriculum reminds me so much of Passports, a curriculum in which children learn about other countries. The Children's Atlas could be used as part of the curriculum set but it could just as easily be used as a stand alone book to explore the United States with your children. The copy I reviewed was digital, I found that when it came to printing the pages were too large to fit a standard 8.5x12 and left the center and outer edges cut off by a fair bit. This is just enough to make printing in this form not useful. However, I reviewed this, after a failed printing attempt or two, online with my grade 1 and grade 3 sons and found it to be so much fun. I highly recommend purchasing the hard copy of this resource unless you are using it on your digital device. The colorful pictures make this so much fun! Some things I loved about this book: (1) Every state has the preamble to their constitution printed. This is interesting because children are often not familiar with their state constitutions and because children can see first hand that the founders of the states had a Christian foundation for the constitutions. (2) I like the inserts that show all the state statistics at a glance: Year of statehood, population ranking in the US, state capitol, state bird, nick-name and the highest point. (3) The historical events and memorials are set in inserts, making it easy to highlight these things. (4) The abundance of historical photos that enhance learning. Though the book is not all inclusive as far as the history of each state it is unique in that it gives children a glimpse of each state. Every state has a unique story that should be told. This story has influenced the culture and sub-cultures of that state and sometimes of several connecting states. It is great for children to be able to see the major historical events that happened in individual states that had ripple effects into others states, some of which changed the face of our nation. I found that this book is a good springboard for discussions and for further investigation into certain events or movements. We are from Texas, and Texans tend to have a great pride for our state and our heritage. It was interesting to read about our state and to mark off the places we have seen or visited (or lived in) that were highlighted in the study. The diversity of our nation is quite extraordinary. It is a nation that has unique and diverse stories that make for a grand heritage. It is important that children see how God helped the early people and how our experiences, though unique, are not isolated - our experiences shape others and have an impact on the world around us. This is a worthwhile resource!! I can not wait to purchase the entire curriculum and dive into it with my children. Like Passports around the World this one is sure to be captivating enough to make kids excited to study!!