Expedition Ireland Download N Go Review

Our daughter will be studying abroad this spring in England, Ireland, and Scotland so we jumped at the chance to learn more about one of the places she will be visiting. We have really enjoyed all the Expedition DNGs that we have done.


Let me tell you a little bit about Download N Go in general. Each Download N Go is a comprehensive unit geared to K-4 students but could be easily modified to older or younger students. Everything you need is included –websites, videos, activity pages, lapbook components. Planning and Preparation is so easy because all the work is done for you. There is also an extensive book list included on each topic. Each unit is very reasonably priced and available for immediate download.

Now on to the beautiful emerald isle!

Each unit is broken down into 5 days/objectives. Here are just a few of the things you will be learning with the Expedition Ireland Download N Go.

Day 1: Where on Earth is Ireland?
Day 2: The Places of Ireland
Day 3: A Bit of History
Day 4: Cool Things to Know about Ireland
Day 5: Fun and Games in Ireland

These are a some of the books we used to go along with our studies. Click on the picture below to take a look at some samples from Expedition Ireland.

As I have said before, these units have so much meat in them that they can easily be spread out over a longer period of time. So we decided to dig in and spend a few weeks in Ireland.

Every day there are beautiful videos that really give you a feel for the country (and a deep desire to visit!!) This week we have spent time learning about some of Ireland’s major cities, animals unique to the country, geographical features, St. Patrick, and of course the little green guys! *smile* History, Geography, Science, Vocabulary…it’s all here!

I have to tell you I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE these units!! They really have changed our homeschool in a very positive way!

Check out the Expedition Ireland Blog Tour to see what other reviews have to say.

If you want to learn more about Amanda Bennett Units Studies, check out her website here.

Check out the $5 Dollar Deals going on right now through Feb 21st.

***Disclaimer Statement: We were provided a copy of this product, free of charge, for the purpose of writing an honest review here on my blog. The opinions expressed here are those of my children or myself.***

Homeschool Mothers Journal 2-13-11

In my life this week...lots going on, and hubby is on a trip to Germany.

In our homeschool this week...the little boys are continuing their study of Medieval times, birds and we are reviewing DNG’s Expedition Ireland. Josh is spending time learning about the events that were going on during Abe Lincolns life time.

Places we're going and people we're seeing...We've been to the orthodonist’s office two different times, big grocery shopping trip, lunch and movies for Valentine's Day, piano and guitar lessons, skating for Noah, and a sleepover.

My favorite thing this week was...playing games with the boys.

What's working/not working for us... I really need to work on our school schedule for Mondays. We have to be out for several hours in the afternoon for music lessons and so we are always running behind or rushing.

Homeschool questions/thoughts I have...I am already making plans, thinking about next year. I try to be careful about that because I don’t want to miss the rest of this year.

A photo, video, link, or quote to share...
“Life is not an emergency” ~Ann Voskamp from One Thousand Gifts

George Washington DNG Review

If you read my review of the Ben Franklin DNG, you know how much I love anything history. So once again I was extremely excited to have the opportunity for our family to review the new George Washington Download N Go.

What an interesting man and a wonderful role model!



Download N Go is a comprehensive unit study geared to K-4 students but could be easily modified to older or younger students. Everything you need is included –websites, videos, activity pages, lapbook components. Planning and Preparation is so easy because all the work is done for you. There is also an extensive book list included on each topic. Each unit is very reasonably priced and available for immediate download.




These are a few of the books/videos we used this week.

This unit was jam packed with information, as well as, some beautiful activity pages filled with quotes and pictures from George’s life. I printed every single page to be included in our lapbook/notebook! Click on the picture below to view some sample pages.




Each unit is broken down into 5 days/objectives. Here are just a few of the things you will be learning with the George Washington Download N Go.

Who was George Washington?
People & Places in George Washington’s Life
The Accomplishments of George Washington
Lessons to Learn from George Washington
Remembering George Washington

We spent time this week learning about our nation’s capital, what our president does, finding out more about several national monuments. While this unit covers a lot of history, we also talked about character traits and leadership skills. Math, Geography, and Art Appreciation are a few of the other topics that are included.





We even took time to throw George Washington a little birthday party!

Here are a few shots of our completed lapbook. It turned out so nice and we had a great day of review when we put it all together.

If you want to learn more about Download N Go units or any of Amanda Bennett's other unit studies (which are fabulous by the way) Check them out here.

See what other bloggers have to say about this unit at the DNG George Washington Blog Tour.

***Disclaimer Statement: We were provided a copy of this product, free of charge, for the purpose of writing an honest review her on my blog. The opinions expressed here are those of my children or myself.***

DNG's Magnificent Moon Review

This week we have been learning all about the Magnificent Moon. True to form, this Download N Go is just packed with information. You could easily use this unit for several weeks. That is one of my favorite things about Download N Go. You can absolutely expand on the topics or use it just as it is and have a wonderful week of learning.



If you remember my other reviews, you know that these Download N Go units are geared to children K-4 but could easily be expanded to use with older children. Planning and Preparation is so easy because all the work is done for you. Everything you need is included – websites, videos, fun activities, and lapbook pieces. I spend about 30 minutes over the weekend looking over the unit, printing, putting books on hold, and cutting lapbook pieces. (I always cut them out ahead of time and sort them by day.) Some might think there is a lot of printing but you can print as much or little of the materials as you decide. Just as the name implies- you just download and go!

Click on the images below to see some samples from Magnificent Moon.

Here are some of the topics covered in Magnificent Moon.

What Exactly is the Moon?
Getting to Know the Moon
The Story of the Moon
Science Secrets of the Moon
Cool Things about the Moon

Geography, History, Art, Science, Vocabulary…it’s all in there! We spent time learning about the Apollo missions, spacesuits, gravity, Issac Newton and Galileo and so much more. Each day you will learn about an astronaut as well. There are also lots of games and recipes to try! One of our favorite parts of this study was the art study of Astronaut Alan Bean. Fascinating!

We also took some time to learn about moon phases and how the moon controls the tides.

I loved the video of the lunar astronauts as they began to read....In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. Mom got a bit choked up *smile*

My future astronauts!!!

Here are a few shots of our completed lapbook.

Front & Back Cover



Inside front

Inside Back

There are some great specials and contests going on over at the Download N Go Blog.

Magnificent Moon Blog Tour

The Cabin Fever Fun Pack- which includes Magnificent Moon, Winter Wonders, Hoppin Popcorn, & Expedition Canada is on sale until 1/31/11 for only $20. (reg. $28)

There will be a Moon Map Giveaway beginning on Jan 24th. Enter for you chance to win!

Check out all of Amanda Bennet’s Unit Studies here!

***Disclaimer Statement: We were provided a copy of this product, free of charge, for the purpose of writing an honest review her on my blog. The opinions expressed here are those of my children or myself.***

One Thousand Gifts by Ann Voskamp

You have to read this book!

Winter Wonders Download N Go Review

We have enjoyed spending this week enjoying all of God’s Winter Wonders! One of the greatest things we’ve learned this week was to enjoy the small things. We knew this of course, but this week has been a wonderful reminder!



In case you are not familiar with Amanda Bennett’s Download N Go series, they are a comprehensive unit study geared toward K-4th grade students but could easily be used with older children as well. Everything is organized and prepared for you. It includes videos, websites, activities, and lapbook components. You don’t have to spend a lot of time doing research, all the work is done for you. There is a comprehensive book list included for each unit. I usually spend 30 minutes to an hour reading over the material, printing, and putting books on hold. Some might think there is a lot of printing but you can print as much or little of the materials as you decide. I print all the lapbook pieces and some activity pages and the rest we work on orally together. It works out perfectly for our family.


Here are some of the books we used for this study.

Take a look at what is included in Winter Wonders. Each day is broken down into 5 days/Objectives:

1. What is Winter?
2. Science Secrets of Winter
3. People and Places of Winter
4. Time for Tips and Treasures of Winter
5. Goodies and Gadgets of Winter

Click on the picture below to take a look at some sample pages.




Each day is filled with plenty of interesting videos and activities as you learn all about winter, snowflakes, hibernation, winter safety, the Iditarod Race, “Snowflake Bentley”, and so much more. There were also lots of fun recipes to try and the favorite around here…science experiments!


Here are a few that we tried this week:




"When Does Water Float? " We learned about density and how water becomes less dense when it freezes.

This experiment helped us to understand why we use salt on our sidewalks and roads during the winter.

Their hypothesis was correct. The ice cube with the salt melted much more quickly.

Almost on queue, the snow begin to fall and we were able to catch some snow crystals to examine. I love it when a plan comes together! *smile*

Snowflake Bentley we are not but we were able to get a pretty good look at some individual flakes.

We made some Hot Chocolate with one of the recipes included in the unit. Noah said, and I quote, "It was the best hot chocolate in the world!" and thats saying alot coming from him!

So we decided that Snowflake Tortillas would be the perfect snack to go along with our hot chocolate.

And it would be even better served on our snowman dishes.

We were right!!!! YUM! A perfect way to spend a winter afternoon.

We also made lots of snowflakes to decorate the windows.

One of the days, we were studying about an artist that does winter paintings named Robert Duncan. Imagine the kids surprise (and moms) when we discovered on our very own wall some of his art work!!! Love his stuff by the way, combines some of my favorite things- kids, animals, and snow.

After looking at alot of his winter scenes, we thought we would give it a try.

Micah hard at work.

This is Noah's. It's a little abstract but if you look closely you can see row upon row of bare trees.

I was very impressed!

We had such a great time with this study. So many different things to try. I love the opportunity to have this quality time with my kids and these units make it so fun and easy.


Here is a shot of the outside of our lapbook.

I would gladly recommend these Download & Go Units to anyone. You can order Winter Wonders here. Great product for a great price!

You can learn more about the Download N Go Series and all the titles they offer here.



You can also check out the DNG Blog for all the latest information and specials.

Check out the Winter Wonders Blog Tour and see what other reviewers are saying.

***Disclaimer Statement: We were provided a copy of this product, free of charge, for the purpose of writing an honest review her on my blog. The opinions expressed here are those of my children or myself.***