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Trail Guide to Learning

Publisher: Geography Matters
Author: Debbie Strayer and Linda Fowler
Review last updated: July 2011		 Instant KeyPublishers InfoPricing

Trail Guide to Learning

Trail Guide to Learning is projected to be a complete program for students in grades K through 12, although only three years of the program are available thus far. The methodology is a combination of both Ruth Beechick's and Charlotte Mason's ideas, which overlap and complement each other very well. It uses a unit study approach built around geography in the context of historical events. Science, art, and language arts are also covered with language arts receiving a great deal of attention in a manner somewhat like that used in Learning Language Arts through Literature.

The first year, titled Paths of Exploration, targets grades 3 through 5, although it can be easily adapted for use with second and sixth graders. The second year course, Paths of Settlement, aims for a slightly older audience in grades 4 through 6. Paths of Progress, the third course, shifts up to grades 5 through 7. World History will be the focus of the next group of volumes that will target middle school. High school and K-2 courses will follow after that. While the layout remains the same, the level of difficulty gradually increases as you move up through the courses.

Each course is divided into six units, with each unit focused on a single theme that reflects a tight integration of geography and history. This approach covers fewer topics but in greater depth than do traditional textbooks. The six themes in Paths of Exploration are Columbus, Jamestown, Pilgrims, Daniel Boone, Lewis and Clark, and Trails West. In Paths of Settlement, the themes are Growing Pains, Freedom Decided, Nation Building, House Divided, Unity Restored, and Sea to Shining Sea. The six units in Paths of Progress are Great Leaps, Making Connections, Perseverance Pays Off, Cultivating Greatness, Success Takes Flight, and Reach for the Stars; these cover from the Industrial Revolution into the beginning of the twentieth century.

You can discern the natural thread of the study of U.S. History reflected in these themes. Paths of Settlement includes study of the individual states as well as a "home state project" which should satisfy any requirement for state study you might have.

Lessons are laid out in detail for each day in two large hard-cover volumes (sold as a set). Each volume should take a semester to complete. At the back of the first volume of each course is a computer Student Resources CD-ROM (runs on Windows or Mac) with PDF files—more than 2000 printable pages! These are primarily forms that students will use as they create their own notebooks, but they also include games and maps students use for assignments. Student worksheets often include check boxes at the bottom for students to check off as they complete other assignments for which there are no student notebook pages. This helps children take on personal responsibility for completing all assignments.

I first found it curious that at the beginning of each lesson there is a boxed list of "Steps for Thinking" where you would normally find the lesson objectives. The Steps for Thinking are more abstract and general than objectives. For example, for Lesson 3, Part 1 in Paths of Exploration, the Steps are "1. When you learn about people, it helps you learn about things. 2. Observation is a key skill needed for learning about things in our world. It is the basis for success in science. 3. The goal of reading is to gain understanding. Hopefully it is also a source of enjoyment." The book explains that these Steps are the main ideas in the topics presented in the lessons. Parents are to introduce these "big ideas" at the beginning of each lesson, then make connections to them as they work through the various lesson activities. The Steps for Thinking are revisited at the end of the lesson, at which point children should have a better understanding and ability to discuss what they mean.

The objectives one normally finds at the beginning are located in Appendix A in a section titled "Lesson at a Glance." This is actually a record keeping chart where you can see and check off objectives as they are completed. Viewing all of this in one place and being able to keep track of it there certainly has its advantages, and I suspect it works better than simply having a list of objectives at the beginning of the lesson.

Copywork and dictation are important techniques used in this program. Some student pages with models to copy as well as lined space to do the copying are found on the CD-ROM but most copywork is done from assigned literature. Parents should adjust the amount of copywork as needed for each child. Complete directions for copywork are in the main books.

Worksheets are not only for copywork. Many others are for word studies, dictation, drawing, writing assignments, word searches, map work, scientific observation, spelling, etc. The CD-ROM groups the pages by grade level so you can print out worksheets that are appropriate for each level.

Instructions in the main books are written to the student. For example, "Carefully read and then copy, or write as your teacher dictates...." This seems a little odd since a parent might be teaching more than one child from the same book, but it actually is quite useful as students become self-instructors. A parent can teach directly from the book, telling children what to do, reading to them, and leading discussions—adapting the language as needed. As children become more independent, they can check on their next assignments and move ahead without requiring direction or interaction from parents except for those activities where it is necessary. A significant amount of course content is included within the main books.

Many assignments are marked with icons for third, fourth, or fifth grade level in the first volume, for fourth, fifth, and sixth grades in the second volume, and for fifth, sixth, and seventh grades in the third. Assign the appropriate level to each child or show them how to select those with their icon. You will need to provide more direction if you are including a older or younger student. For all courses there are optional Middle School Supplements (available on either CD-ROM or downloadable ebook) with more challenging assignments on the same topics. These are terrific resources for keeping a broader span of children working in the same course.

Real books are used throughout the courses. A list of required resources is at the front of the first book, divided into lists for volume 1 and volume 2 so you can purchase what you a need a semester at a time. Examples of about half of the required resources for the first volume of Paths of Exploration are Meet Christopher Columbus, Stories of the Pilgrims, Profiles from History Volume 1 , Handbook of Nature Study, 1911 Boy Scout Handbook, North American Wildlife Guide, Eat Your Way Around the World, and Intermediate World Atlas. Some of the resources used with Paths of Settlement are DK Pockets: Weather Facts, Klutz Watercolor Book, Wee Sing America, The Courage of Sarah Noble, Matchlock Gun, Justin Morgan Had a Horse, Profiles from History Volume 2, and Abraham Lincoln (by David Collins).

Children do quite a bit of reading, even though some of the resources are used for reading aloud and reference. Students are assigned independent reading time each day, encouraged to read something they enjoy, and keep track of their reading in a reading log in the student notebook. Biographies are prominent among the selected resources, and there is a strong emphasis on character building through study of exemplary characters. Narration—children retelling to you what they have read or heard in their own words—is another commonly used method used by Trail Guides that provides parents with feedback as to how well children comprehend their reading or books read aloud to them.

Language arts coverage is quite comprehensive including spelling, vocabulary, composition, grammar (informal rather than formal), public speaking/oral presentation, and reading comprehension. Some of these assignments focus on skill coverage, but as often as possible they tie to the lesson theme.

As mentioned at the beginning, geography is a critical part of each theme, so each lesson features map work and other geographical activity or learning that ties to the books and theme of that lesson. For example, those coming to Jamestown started from London. Thus, students locate London on a map, expand to tracing a map of the United Kingdom and identifying its countries, then expand further to neighboring countries across bodies of water.

Science takes a naturalist approach as children learn to observe and record nature through drawing and writing in the first course. The North American Wildlife Guide and Handbook of Nature Study are the primary science resources for the first year. Art lessons are often (but not always) connected to science as children sketch what they observe. Basic drawing lessons by Barry Stebbing and Sharon Jeffus are at the back of the first book. Additional art lessons are in Lewis and Clark Hands On , one of the required resources for the second half of the first course. The second course teaches earth science. Two DK Pocket science books and a Rock Study Kit are used with the Handbook of Nature Study (also used with Paths of Exploration). Students do more reading, research, and discussion—more challenging work than for the first course. During the second course students learn watercolor techniques whcih are then applied as they paint features of regions or states they are studying. Science in Paths of Progress (PoP) teaches the scientific process and broadens out to both life and physical sciences, teaching about friction, machines, tools, and anatomy. Art activities connect with other topics studied in PoP as students learn sculpting and model creation. Under fine arts in PoP, children also learn about musicians and different types of music, orchestras, musical instruments, and listening along with learning to play a recorder.

Enrichment activities are included for students who complete their work very quickly or are more advanced. Students at the top of the grade range for both courses would likely fit this category. Enrichment activities might be a recommended book to read or a more elaborate project such as researching related topics or historical characters or an activity like researching and sampling different types of cheese.

Hands-on learning methods are built into lessons as drawing assignments, games (e.g, Bingo, Newcomers Game, Mechanics Tool Kit Game), art projects, experiments, demonstrations, cooking, and organizing student-made cards. Frequent discussions are a required element of all lessons. Students create a notebook of their work that does double duty by providing a means of documenting what they have learned. In addition to creating their notebooks, students also do presentations that demonstrate what they have learned.

Lapbooks are available for both courses in print or CD-ROM versions. Lapbook activities might sometimes replace other activities. Paths of Settlement shows a lapbook icon next to an activity when this is the case.

There is a good amount of reading and writing in the program, but parents are instructed to adjust the amount and methods to suit the child. Both reading and writing are often taught in relation to the lesson theme or a meaningful context to help children understand why they need those skills. Also, these assignments are interspersed with discussion, narration, and other interactive activities to keep children engaged.

Notes to the parent/teacher are in the margins of the books. These are frequently valuable tips or insights regarding teaching methods. The layout of the manual actually makes it very easy for any parent to use. You really just walk through each lesson in order, selecting from choices for activities only when they are offered for the different levels. Some advance prep work is required to acquire books, print out student notebook pages, and obtain materials needed (shown on a list at the beginning of each week). Answer keys are provided at the end of each lesson for those questions where it is appropriate.

The Trail Guide to Learning series is not overtly Christian but is premised on a Christian worldview. Those who want to incorporate an overt Christian worldview should purchase the Light for the Trail Bible Study Supplement CD-ROM for each course. Lessons tie directly to the lesson themes of each course with suggestions for prayer and worship time, and weekly memory verses in addition to connections between faith and the topics being studied.

While the student notebook/portfolio is the best way to document student accomplishments, some states require more traditional assessments. The optional Assessments CD-ROM for each course might prove very helpful in such situations.

The Trail Guide series looks like a promising solution for families looking for book-based unit study that takes the guess work out of the process and is easy for parents to use.

Note: Geography Matters also sells preprinted packages of student pages if you do not want to print them yourself from the CD. They also sell packages of all the required resources. Check their website for prices.

Pricing

  • All prices are provided for comparison only and are subject to change. Click on prices to verify their accuracy.

      • All prices are provided for comparison only and are subject to change. Click on prices to verify their accuracy.

        • Trail Guide to Learning: Paths of Settlement Set

        Trail Guide to Learning: Paths of Settlement Set

        Debbie Strayer

          Instant Key

          • Learning Styles: best for Perfect Paula and Sociable Sue. Good for Competent Carl if he can work independently. Good for Wiggly Willy if reading and writing assignments are kept brief and balanced with more active learning.
            Suitable for:             family or one-on-one instruction
            Audience: for grades 2-6+
            Need for parent/teacher instruction: moderate to high
            Prep time needed: moderate
            Presentation time needed: varies by age of student but some discussion/interaction always required; should take about 3-4 hours per day.
            Teacher's manual: the book is your manual
            Religious perspective: Christian supplement available

          Publisher's Info