Z Guide to the Movie- TOS Review

    I love, love, love movies and when I heard there was an opportunity to review a product that taught by using movies I was thrilled! Zeezok creates wonderful curriculum guides called Z Guides for elementary, middle and high schoolers.  They are meant to be used as a supplement to your studies, not a core curriculum.  I say, pop some popcorn and let's get to it!

   My girls and I were given the Kit Kittredge Z Guide to the Movies to review.  We are huge American Girl fans so this was a real treat!  First we watched the movie and then we took a week to do the activities.  You have the freedom to do as many or as little of the activities as you like and take as long as you like. 
   The Z Guide begins with a Topic Overview ,to give you background on the subject which is quite helpful.  We were studying The Depression and there was a lot of information  provided that was new to me.  There is also a movie synopsis.  Here is how our week went:


Activity 1- Movie Review Questions- This really helped my girls (and me!) to pay attention.  Even the  opening credits provided information about the Depression.  


Activity 2- Research the Great Depression- Questions are provided for further investigation.  My girls, and myself, discovered quite a bit about the Dust Bowl, influenza during the Depression and True Story magazine.  There were other suggestions but those are the areas I chose for them to research.  Once again, you can do as little or as much as you like.


Activity 3- Learning about Hobo Codes- Interesting and fun!  My girls decoded messages in Hobo Code (secret codes that hoboes used to communicate with each other)and also made their own codes.


Activity 4- Vocabulary that had to do with the Depression- ex. bonds, foreclosure and deadbeat.


Activity 5- Writing a Newspaper Article- My girls both chose a topic and wrote an article about it.  They had to just use facts, like Kit, in the manner that would printed in a newspaper.  My older daughter wrote about our dinner menu and our younger daughter wrote about the new playhouse that was in our backyard.


Activity 6- Fashion During the Depression- My girls worked together on a Powerpoint presentation of fashions for both men and women worn during the Depression.  This was a first for them- and me!


Activity 7- Who Am I?- Identifying characters in the movie with clues provided.


Activity 8- Foreshadowing and Irony- Using parts of the movie as examples, my daughters identified foreshadowing and irony.


Activity 9- Prejudice during the Depression- We talked about the evidence of or lack of prejudice in parts of the Kit movie.  Questions provided.


Activity 10- The Filmmaker's Art and Dramatic License- Examining why the director chose certain lighting, music, etc. to tell the story.


   There were also family discussion questions and answers to all the activities provided.  A very thorough and enjoyable study!  We look forward to purchasing more Z Guides in the near future!  To see a sample of a Z Guide click here.


  Z Guides are $12.99 for a single use or $49.99 as a classroom license.  You can purchase an ebook or a CD.  To see the list of available Z Guides click here.


   Zeezok has items in categories such as American Government, Character Building, Curriculum, Great Musician Series, as well as Z Guide to the Movies.  


   Click here to see what other TOS members thought about Z Guides.


*I received a complimentary copy of the Kit Kittredge Z Guide in exchange for my honest opinion.  No other compensation was received.*