Diving into the Victorian Era with Homeschool Legacy : a Homeschool Review
Victoria and Her World is a Micro Study of the reign of Queen Victoria. The time period from 1839 to 1901. The Micro Studies from Homeschool Legacy are mini Unit Studies designed to be done in 3, 30 minute sessions per week.
The Micro Studies are offered as downloadable ebooks so you can have instant access. And get started right away!
Homeschool Legacy also has the following Micro Studies available….
- Pirates or Privateers: You Decide
- Cooking up History with the Founding Presidents
- Victoria and Her World
- Thanksgiving with the Pilgrims
- Many Nations
And also a Once a Week Unit Study.
Delving into Victoria and Her World
Our Victoria and Her World Micro Study focuses the reign of Queen Victoria and the world and time period she lived in. It’s a dip into a very popular time in history and I freely admit to it being one of my favorite.
It is divided up into 4 weekly sessions. Each week provides an outline of a certain aspect of the Victorian Era, important notes, creative activities, and hands-on assignments.
There is also a suggested read aloud (actually several for our Victorian unit) and included links for any needed printables and some of the suggested activities.
How We Used Victoria and Her World Unit Study
We dove right with Week 1 which was an introduction to the time period and focused on Great Britain the country. We learned of a few famous authors of the time, a little bit about the geography of Great Britain, and an introduction to the type of government.
We listened to God Save the Queen and noted what familiar song it sounds just like (a little research for you).
This first week also had a list of needed supplies for the Micro Study and gave us a great outline for the Victorian era and a great starting point.
Our classic of choice was/is Rudyard Kipling’s Jungle Books. We happened to be studying that exact book in Reading class so it made perfect sense to continue on (and then we watched Rikki Tikki Tavi a favorite from my own childhood).
The next week was introduced with a small essay on Queen Victoria herself. I had the Sweet Peanut read this aloud. We also talked about the current reigning queen and who stands to reign after her.
This was also the week to start our timeline (link provided in the ebook) and research a few other things.
In the last two weeks of the Micro Study we focused on the Royal family and some not so good times of the Victorian era.
There were more crafts, activities and even one in the kitchen which we always enjoy. A nice recipe is included.
There were also some movie and viewing suggestions which we haven’t partaken of…yet (I have to preview the movie first).
How We Liked Victoria and Her World Micro Study
I particularly love reading about the Victorian Era and I think I’ve passed on this joy to my daughter. The time when the home became seen as a haven, as a place of love and security for the family. Queen Victoria wasn’t perfect but it was under her reign that Great Britain became a great power.
This unit study is very quick and kind of glosses over her reign. This wasn’t a bad thing for us because it was a detour from our regular studies.
You can do this Micro Study in a flash or take it as deeply as you wish. I felt that each topic covered could be taken further with this links and the resources recommended.
Since we already have a very full curriculum a quick dip into an area of interest like this fits our homeschool style.
We haven’t studied the Victorian Era yet in our homeschool and I find when we do a quick study like this and it comes up later in our curriculum we find we have a better understanding of it and much more interest in the topic
Alternately sometimes when we do a quick study of something we have previously studied I find that my daughter has an aha! moment when the topic finally makes sense or comes full circle for her.
If you’re looking for a full study of the Victorian Era this isn’t it but it can be a jumping point to creating a larger curriculum.
Knowing your homeschool style will help you to know if the Victoria and Her World Micro Study can work in your lessons.
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