Famous Men of Rome- Schoolhouse Review

I may have mentioned it once or twice in the past, but I have some History buffs in my house.  I am not even sure how it happened, as history was really not my thing in school.  But somehow, my kids caught the history bug at a young age and all four of them know more random-but-interesting history facts than you would believe.  So when they saw the Memoria Press book Famous Men of Rome  had been delivered to our doorstep, you could say that they were a bit excited.


So here is what came in the Famous Men of Rome Set-
Famous Men of Rome
Famous Men of Rome Teacher's Guide
Famous Men of Rome Student Guide
Famous Men of Rome Flashcards

Famous Men of Rome contains 30 chapters devoted to telling the stories of historical men of Ancient Rome, from Romulus and Horatio to Augusta and Nero.  Each story, several pages in length, is a biography written in an easy to read and entertaining manner.  Within each story is at least one beautiful, full colored picture as well as several black and white drawings.  The stories are geared for grades 4-8, but are suitable for most ages.

The Famous Men of Rome Student Guide has a corresponding lesson for each chapter in the book.  Each lesson contains four parts - Facts to Know, Vocabulary, Comprehension Questions and Activities.

•      The Facts to Know section reiterates the most important facts presented in the Famous Men of Rome book, and is a good review after each chapter has been read.
•      The Vocabulary section highlights new or more challenging vocabulary used and has a place for your child to define the word.
•      The Comprehensive Questions section contains 6-7 questions about the reading, and children are encouraged to answer them in compete sentences in a notebook.  
•     The final section, Activities, is a conglomeration of things like timeline activities, mapping, further discussion questions beyond just the facts, drawing and research.

After every 5 lessons there is a more comprehensive review lesson that involves mapping, fill in the blanks, vocabulary and comprehension questions.  Timelines, maps, and pronunciation guides are also provided at the end of the student guide.

The Famous Men of Rome Teacher's Guide is an exact replica of the student workbook, but with all the answers provided.  There is also a test for every five lessons you can copy and give to your student if desired, as well as an answer key for each.

The Famous Men of Rome Flashcards each contain a fact that is learned in the stories and can be used for test review or as a game.

What we like about this program-

• This really is an enjoyable book for all ages.  Though our younger child does not get everything and cannot answer every question, he really does enjoy the stories.
• You can use this program for a student to work through alone, or it can be easily used for multiple children or as a family.  It is just that interesting and entertaining.
• There are activities geared for all ages.  While my youngest son cannot write a paper on the history of Rome, he loves to draw pictures about what he learns.
• The tests contain a word bank that can be used for slightly younger students or that can be not used to challenge your older students.
• The program is flexible.  If you want to cover it in a year you can do one chapter a week.  If your child works more quickly you could easily cover a few chapters a week.  The timing is up to you.
• The flashcards can be used in multiple ways, from games to test review.  

While I had one of our older children in mind to work through this set, it thrills me that instead it is a program my whole group, ages 7-21, can enjoy.  Family learning is so much more fun!  Famous Men of Greece and Famous Men of the Middle Ages are next on our wish list!