Asia: Its People and History Review

I have had the privilege these past few weeks of reviewing a curriculum about Asia. It is more than a geography curriculum, though. It is social studies, language arts, worldview, and a prayer guide. Here is a description of the book:

"Welcome to Asia: Its People and History! Is the land of Asia a mystery to your kids? Do they know who lives there? Do they know how to pray for them? Asia is home to more than fifty countries and territories and roughly three-fifths of the world’s population. Could you use some help introducing your family to this vast land? This sixteen-week course presents a brief picture of six nations. It is by no means all encompassing. Its purpose is to introduce your students to the people of Asia, share their stories, and spark curiosity.

I pray that the course does much more than that, however. I pray that through meeting just a few of our brothers and sisters who live in cities and villages with names that are hard to pronounce that your children feel more connected with those who are suffering for their faith in Christ. Through stories and activities, we’ll meet the people of Laos, Bangladesh, Nepal, China, Iran, and Vietnam. We’ll get to know the children of these lands and hear about their experiences. Most of all, we’ll pray for them and their families. Won’t you join us?"

This fabulous curriculum was created by Bonnie Rose Hudson.

"Bonnie Rose Hudson lives in central Pennsylvania. Along with spending time with her family and writing, making kids smile is her favorite thing to do. Her heart’s desire is for every child to feel the love of God and know how special they are to Him. She loves creating curriculum as a member of The Old Schoolhouse Magazine’s Star Contributors Team. She works with both SchoolhouseTeachers.com (http://schoolhouseteachers.com) and The Old Schoolhouse Magazine® as an editorial assistant. At TOS, she found a place where her love of God and history combine with her love of writing to bring encouraging, educational, and entertaining material to students and their families.

She would love for you to stop by and meet the star of her children’s series at Exploring with Jake (http://writebonnierose.wordpress.com/), look through the 10/40 window of the world and join others in prayer at Looking Out the 10/40 Window (http://lookingoutthe1040window.wordpress.com/) , or stop by her author’s blogWriteBonnieRose.com (http://writebonnierose.com) for fun printables and discover how you can write for the homeschool market."

I have been reading through this book with my daughter who is in sixth grade. It is a sixteen-week curriculum that provides history, some geographical information, details about different people groups, and an explanation of what life is like for Christians in these countries, along with engaging stories of Christian children and the hardships they face. We have been enjoying the stories of the children in these Asian countries (my daughter says they are her favorite thing about the book). Not only do they give her an idea of what life is like in other countries, they help her to realize how she is blessed to live in America where we still have freedom of religion and persecution does not exist in the same form here as it does there. After each story, there are discussion questions that cause us both to think further about our own faith and what we would do if we were in similar situations.

Throughout the book, there are activities like word searches, cooking activities, matching games about animals, and maps. Links to other websites that aid in the understanding of the country being studied are also included throughout. A suggested reading list can be found at the end of the book. While there is not an extensive variety of activities in the book, there are many resources available to supplement the learning. Some can be found on Bonnie Rose’s blog, http://writebonnierose.com/asia-its-people-and-history-bonus-content/. You’ll find geography-themed copywork for each country and some word puzzles.

Asia: Its People and History is geared toward children who are between eight and 12 years old, but it can be enjoyed by all age ranges. The book is available today through the The Old Schoolhouse store for $6.95, but you can use the promo code, 02asia14!, to receive 25% off through March 15. The Kindle version is available today on Amazon for $6.95 as well.

What countries would you like to see in Bonnie's next book? Just reply to this post and let me know.