Our family was thrilled to once again review for Drive Thru History Adventures! These homeschool videos are a fantastic way to learn history and a favorite in our house.
Dave Stotts, the host of the award-winning television series Drive Thru History, has been involved in professional video and media production for two decades. In 2004, he began driving "thru history" to bring the past to life in a fun and unique way. Using storytelling as the driving force behind his work, he creates engaging videos that are full of content. Our family is learning while being entertained.
The company is not simply about entertainment though. Through Drive Thru History Adventures, you can take that learning much deeper. There are full curriculum courses for Bible history, American history, and ancient history. We have access to all three, but we've been focusing on the American history content, which covers "Columbus to the Constitution." There are twelve episodes in the course:
- The Discovery
- Pilgrim Search for Freedom
- Beginnings of Revolution
- Whitefield & Boston's Freedom Trail
- William Penn & Early Philadelphia
- Founding Fathers of Philadelphia
- Fighters of the Revolution
- Early Colonial Virginia
- Founding Fathers of Virginia
- Revolution in New York
- New York and the First President
- New Jersey and Epilogue
Each video is right around a half an hour long. Dave teaches facts as he travels to the historical sites. You'll see graves of famous people, the oldest surviving public building in Boston, Independence Hall, America's "smallest national park," Fort Mifflin, Jamestown, Monmouth Battlefield, and much more. Dave weaves the stories with humor and wit. He wears various costumes and isn't afraid to make himself look comical. His humorous tactics do more than make us laugh though; they help to solidify the information to recall later. I think my kids will always remember now why the American flag is shown with five-pointed stars instead of six. And though it's not historically relevant, the kids often reference how much Dave likes cheese, ha.
Dave's commentary is complemented with reenactments, pictures, paintings, and documents. He incorporates famous quotes and excerpts from important writings. He teaches about many influential people including Washington, Jefferson, Franklin, Betsy Ross, Paul Revere, Pocahontas, Peter Muhlenberg, and Molly Pitcher, to name a few. You'll learn how these stories come together to shape the course of our nation and pick up facts along the way, like the story of when the lightning rod was created, how the Liberty Bell was cracked, why Valley Forge was "a blessing in disguise," and the "most brutal bombardment in American history."
Full curriculum plans accompany each lesson video. There are additional quotes and pictures, a summary, and suggested readings. There are "side road" sections that teach further about certain aspects that are briefly mentioned. Discussion questions, worksheets, and dig deeper readings are also included. You could easily spend much time studying the topics with the given information.
To say that our family loves Drive Thru History Adventures is an understatement. My kids love the videos and Dave's style of teaching. His energetic personality, storytelling approach, and silly antics make this series a joy to watch. I appreciate all the extras that are included in the curriculum, along with the articles, expert papers, and links. There is also a whole community of resources that you can access, including a private Facebook group that is filled with additional videos and interaction from Dave himself. From being a member of that group, I've learned just how great of a company it is, too, as I've seen them respond to questions and suggestions from members. They've created a coloring page to keep the littles busy, added captions to some of their content, and more. They truly have a heart for their viewers.
One final aspect that puts this membership over the top is the addition of Adventures TV. Instead of just watching the episodes on our computer, we can utilize the courses through apps when we're on the go, or, as we do every time we watch as a family, through Chromecast on our television. It is so convenient to pull up the videos on the large screen rather than trying to all watch on a computer.
Currently you can take advantage of one of a couple specials that are being offered. First, you can get a DVD of The Gospels for FREE when you purchase an annual subscription to Drive Thru History Adventures. Or second, you can receive 20% off an annual subscription with a code in The Old Schoolhouse® Magazine (just look for the full-page ad). You can hear Dave's description about the membership and passion behind it here:
There is so much to offer and enjoy with a membership to Drive Thru History Adventures. They also offer DVD sets. You can read my review of The Gospels for an example.) I highly recommend it, for not just homeschoolers, but anyone who would like to delve into history in a fun and exciting way.
You can connect with Drive Thru History Adventures on the following social media sites:
If you'd like to read more reviews of this course or of the Bible or Ancient History options, please visit the Homeschool Review Crew blog.
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