Drive Thru History Adventures® {Review}

Disclaimer: I received a FREE copy of this product through the HOMESCHOOL REVIEW CREW in exchange for my honest review. I was not required to write a positive review nor was I compensated in any other way.

Has your family ever watched Drive Thru History Adventures® videos?  Do you have boys?  Kids?  Teens?  Adults that act like kids?  😊  Then you’re going to love Dave Stotts and his videos!  

While we own all of the Drive Thru History DVD sets, we are also loving the accompanying curriculum for high school, called Drive Thru History Adventures®.  In this latest addition to the series, Bible Unearthed, the show's archaeologist (Titus Kennedy) leads Dave and his writer-friend, Raymond, through twelve lessons on Biblical Archaeology.

Bible Unearthed is designed to last twelve weeks, with each lesson taking a full week.  Each lesson includes the main video, informational text, worksheets, an answer guide, some hands-on activities, and a 'dig deeper' article.  Each worksheet includes 5 discussion questions, as well as the written exposition from each Adventure.  There is a sample weekly schedule in the course guide, but since this is a self-paced course, you can go as quickly or slowly as works for your family.

The course comes with lifetime access and can be used for any age student, but if you use the full curriculum, with all of its components, it is appropriate for the high schooler.  We watched the videos together as a family, and went through discussion questions with our younger son.  Then, our older son completed all of the other components on his own – including the extra readings (sample extra reading) and question and answer worksheets.

When you log into the course, you'll see some administration items first, including a tutorial on how to use the course and the course schedule.  Off to the side, you'll see a list of each lesson.  One thing I like about these lessons is that students can mark them complete as they go through each component.  That makes it really easy for mom to log in and see exactly where they're at in the course.  The printable worksheets help to keep students paying attention and accountable, but you won't really need to worry since - in true Dave Stotts fashion - there are enough goofy bits to keep them entertained and engaged!

Walk Through a Lesson

Let's walk through Lesson One - "What is Archaeology?"  The lesson begins with a fifteen minute video, where we are introduced to Titus, the Archaeology PhD, who has a lot of interesting first-hand stories to share!  The show's writer, Raymond, is sitting in on the class, as well as Dave, who keeps us entertained with witty one-liners such as "I lava that story" (talking about Pompeii).  My high schooler found the video to be a bit elementary, but my middle schooler enjoyed it.  It is an introductory video, but as you progress through the lessons, things pick up speed quickly!

Be sure to grab the accompanying lesson worksheet from the right-hand side of the screen!  Just below it is the answer key, which will make grading a bit easier.  After watching the video, we read over the informational text together.  In this lesson, we learn about Antiquarians and the process of an archaeological dig.

The lesson wraps up with a related scripture and an access link to further reading for deeper exploration.  You can see a the extra reading from lesson one here.  In lesson two, we got our first hands-on project.  Our kids chose to create an archaeological dig out in the playground.....not sure what they expected, but they did find some pennies!

One thing to note - especially if you're a long-time fan of DTH - is that this class is taught by Titus, rather than Dave.  It is a little more serious than some of classes you're accustomed to, and so if you're only attracted to DTH for it's 'goofy appeal,' this may not be the course for you.  Our boys thoroughly enjoyed it -- there are a few one-liners in each episode (such as "Glad you didn't get eaten, buddy" when talking about venturing across the Nile River), but overall it has a more solemn tone.  They appreciated the focus on the subject matter.    Venturing deeper into the course lessons, we learn more about the field of archaeology, including its history, scope, and how one gets into archaeology.  The lessons also include weird and accidental discoveries, current dig sites, and how archaeology helps us to understand the Bible better.   If you enjoy this adventure, you might also like to check out Drive Thru History: Gospels curriculum!

See what others are saying about Drive Thru History Adventures® at the Homeschool Review Crew!