Do you remember watching videos in school as a child? It was a time to look forward to – you either were able to sneak a nap or sat enrapt. Your teacher was likely grading papers or in some way making use of this “free” time. Our children enjoy watching videos in school, too. I am a bit picky on what we watch. I want things that support our worldview and studies. We use videos especially for exploring interests and introducing something new. My eldest son is interested in anything related to battles and soldiers. Warriors of Honor, one of the titles available on DVD ($19.95) from New Liberty Videos, grabbed his interest right away. When it arrived for our review, he wasted no time in putting it on.
The video loaded with a menu from which to select to play, choose chapters (1-20) or bonus segments (3 covering Slavery, Sam Davis and The Palmyra Incident). He started watching the main selection first. Soon after hearing it from other parts of the house, his sisters and younger brother were joining him on the sofa. Even though much of the beginning was old photos, they sat, eyes glued to the screen, not wanting to miss a moment. And we weren’t even to any of the battles yet. We were learning about Jackson’s and Lee’s lives prior to the War’s beginning. These were truly men of faith and honor, above what was the norm, in a time when faith and honor were much more common than they are now.
It was a nice, quiet eighty minutes. Well, maybe not so quiet. In addition to the pleasant music and soothing voice of the narrator, there was some sounds of battle. Guns, cannons, horses and noisy soldiers were heard. Out of my children? Not a peep. At least that first time. They were all snuggled together on the couch, warm and cozy, yet not one of them fell asleep. If I had known the free time I was going to have, I might have planned to cross some things of my to-do list. I didn’t though. I was just as drawn in to the video.
It begins laying out what the commonalities and differences were between “the North” and “the South”. Presented factually and going beyond slavery [Want a bit of a look at slavery? One of the bonus segments gives a nice overview in 9 minutes, clearing up the common misconceptions presented throughout history.], this southern-girl living in the north really appreciates how this was presented. The video is covering two well known generals for the South, Stonewall Jackson and Robert E. Lee. We are shown more depth to these men than is commonly covered in history texts. Learning about the depth of their faith – even on the battlefield – really made an impression on my children. They were able to see how scripture was part of their communication, a part of who they were. Their faith was not just in their foundation and something practiced at church but a part of who they were all the time, in all they did. The more my children see examples of this in all kinds of people, the more they grow in their own faith.
Throughout the video, there are still shots of actual, historic photos. There are videos of reenactments and of today’s views of those legendary battlefields. Some of the battles covered are the Battle(s) of Manassas (or Bull Run for the Yankees *grin*), the Seven Days Battles, Antietam, the Battle of Cold Harbor and of course, Gettysburg. When looking at places in history, I think it is very important to see what those places look like now. It is interesting to see what has changed and what has been preserved. It helps my children, especially at the younger elementary age, to see that these events really happened. These aren’t just exciting stories of battles and bravery and faith.
When we covered the Civil War, we just did an overview without digging deep into any one person or event. This would have been wonderful to watch then to add more to our understanding of the times surrounding the battles. It has also been enjoyable for us to watch just because it is interesting and not because it is tied to a lesson. I often forget to do these “just because” things.
There are other topics covered by New Liberty Videos – from Mysteries of the Dead Sea Scrolls to Teaching Origins Objectively to Anthem for a Nation and more. Consider picking up one or three (there is currently a special to buy 2 and get the 3rd free). They are presented from a solidly Christian worldview. You can find one to coordinate with your studies – or not. Take advantage of the opportunity for your children to be quietly occupied – or join them like I did.
