TOS Crew Review: Zeezok Z-Guide to the Movies

Do your history lessons include curling up on the couch with a bowl of popcorn and a movie? I know that my history classes were never like that in school! Thanks to the flexibility of homeschooling and a Z-Guide to the Movies from Zeezok Publishing, quality family movie time can also be learning time.

I've mentioned many times that we're classic movie fans. If we're going to spend family time watching a movie, it's got to be something worthwhile without too much senseless violence or otherwise offensive material, if you know what I mean. That's why Mr. Smith Goes to Washington is one of our favorites. It's wholesome, safe for the whole family, and actually has a moral lesson. Using a Z-Guide to the Movie has now made it educational, as well.

What is a Z-Guide you ask?  It's like a mini-unit study based on classic and/or family movies.  It turns a passive movie-watching experience into an active lesson.  With questions covering history, character, research skills, critical thinking skills, and more, you can use an entertaining movie like Mr. Smith Goes to Washington to really learn in a memorable way.


Here is what each guide contains:
Each guide starts out with a topic overview. This overview provides the student with more information regarding the specific time period in which the movie is based. Next is a movie synopsis. The synopsis will assist the student in understanding what is going on in the movie and how relationships, situations, and events all relate together.


The first set of questions is answered while watching the movie, so you'll need to print those out and have a pencil handy.  The next group of questions, involving the historical time period, have to be researched after the movie is over.  It's a lesson in "don't believe everything Hollywood tells you" since historical details aren't always accurate in the movies.  Each guide also contains a section called The Filmmaker's Art, which helps students to recognize devices being used by the director to create a certain mood, impression, or worldview.

We really loved the hands-on activities included with the Mr. Smith Goes to Washington guide.  Not only did we learn about Abraham Lincoln and Washington D.C., Big Sis got to write a newspaper article, do a Lincoln art project, and learn how a bill becomes law.  All of this was included in the Z-Guide!  I think this title in particular would be great for President's Day next month.

I've actually done similar things in the past with our studies.  We may watch a classic movie about a certain time period in history like WWII that opens up a dialogue with Big Sis so we research more on our own.  When we watched Fiddler on the Roof, it prompted a study on Russia, for instance.  I'm sure as homeschool parents, you can relate to the fact that in some way, almost everything ends up being a lesson.  I appreciate the fact that Zeezok has created these guides to help do some of the work of planning and creating my own lesson outline.  It's simple to just print the guide and sit down to watch the movie anytime you're ready.

Zeezok offers many different movie guides for ages ranging from elementary to high school.  The cost is $12.99.  Most, if not all, of the movies are easily found on Netflix or your local library.  I highly recommend checking out the website to view the list of available titles.

Don't forget to visit the Crew blog to read more reviews!

Disclaimer: I received a Z-Guide to the Movies at no cost for the purpose of review.  No other compensation was given for my honest opinion.