No, all those zzzz don’t mean I’m sleeping. They are referring to the great movie guides from the folks at Zeezok. Z-guides can turn some of your favorite family friendly movies into an engaging unit study. We selected Ben Hur (1959) to check out the Z-guides and enjoy a movie with Daddy (and count it as school–even though it was the weekend–shh!)
The Z-guide is available as a CD or an E-book for $12.99. Each guide has an overview of the movie, 10 activities and answers. The activities can range from an art project–like the ancient Roman mosaic we did–to a research project–we learned more about the Senate, Governors and the Emperor. There is also an activity relating to world-view and the expected comprehension and vocabulary activities. At the end was a list of additional resources for further study.
All of the Z-guide movie selections are categorized by their historical setting. The Z-guides are made for high school with some selections also having a separate guide available for lower grades (elementary or junior high). There are selections for Ancient times through the Vietnam War with a multitude in between. Some of the movies with Z-guides currently available are Adventures of Robin Hood (1938), The Count of Monte Cristo (2002) and The Green Berets (1968). The movies can be viewed through Netflix, Amazon, checked out from your library or even purchased through the Zeezok site. This is extra and not included in the Z-guide.
The specific movie will be needed to complete the study. Some movies share the same name so Zeezok has made it clear which version is the one to use for the study. There is a sample guide you can download from the main Z-guide page. Perhaps you even have a movie on your shelf that fits the history era you are studying. Using a Z-guide, you can make the most of the movie and call it school.
The Crew members were able to select which Z-guide they wanted, so there are many reviewed. To read the reviews, check out the Crew blog.
As a member of the TOS Homeschool Crew, I received a copy of the Z-guide to review. I was not required to write a favorable review; all opinions expressed are my own. The comical French accent was unintentional, though fun.