The Filthy Beast and Goody-Two-Shoes. No, it's not the title of a new fairy tale. Those are the nicknames of two characters in one of my favorite movies - Father Goose. So, when I found out that Zeezok Publishing had created a Z-Guide To the Movies study of Father Goose, I was eager to review it. How could I pass up the chance to do a study based on this World War II romantic comedy with Cary Grant and Leslie Caron?
I love movies, and I enjoy incorporating them into our homeschool when possible. Zeezok has taken excellent historical movies (Flyboys, Sergeant York, Mr. Smith Goes to Washington, The Hiding Place, etc.) and created educational Z-guides to go along with them. You can view those currently available HERE, though more are being developed. We received the Father Goose Z-Guide e-book for review purposes.
So what does a Z-Guide contain?
Each Z-Guide is a printable PDF document that you receive either on a CD-rom, or via instant download. The Z-guides are priced at $12.99 each for the downloads, or on CD for $12.99 plus shipping. Zeezok also sells the DVD of the movie to go along with each study, if you don't already own the movie.
Once you open the document, each z-guide contains:
- a suggested 5-day schedule
- a topic overview
- a one-page movie synopsis
- questions for the student to answer while viewing the movie
- 9 other multi-subject learning activities
- bonus activities
- family discussion questions
- answer keys
These activities not only teach history, but also provide critical thinking and evaluation skills. Though the guides are directed toward either middle school or high school students, some of the activities can be used with younger children, including coloring pages and family discussion questions.
The Z-Guides are licensed to the original purchaser and can not be resold. They are intended for single-family or single classroom use only. Zeezok has a satisfaction guarantee, which you can read HERE.
ElCloud Thoughts
Father Goose is a family movie in our home, and a long-time favorite. Even though this study is designed for high school students, the movie can be viewed as a family, and there are discussion questions and activities the whole family can participate in.
The Father Goose Z-Guide covers the themes of World War II in the Pacific Arena, Interpersonal Relationships, and Honesty. Though I have watched this movie countless times, I have to admit that I hadn't really given thought to the fact that the verbal humor of the characters in the film was often unkind, mean-spirited, argumentative, and even dishonest. I also hadn't considered the relational habits that the two main characters were developing, or how that would affect them in the future. These were lessons I hadn't expected to encounter in this Z-Guide, but I was thankful for them. They really did inspire thought and discussion for my teenage daughter.
I really appreciated the variety of activities included in this Z-Guide. The activities were thought-provoking, fun, and challenging. My daughter was excited to work on the activities, and it provided a fun break from our regular routine. I would love to use more Z-Guide studies in the future, as they fit into our history studies.
The $12.99 price of this re-usable, non-consumable product is reasonable. I may not be able to re-sell it, but I can use it within my own family as often as I like.
I definitely recommend the Father Goose Z-Guide!
This item was provided free for our review as a member of the TOS Homeschool Crew. We received no other compensation, and this review is our honest opinion. Visit the TOS Homeschool Crew blog to read more reviews on this product by other Homeschool Crew members.
Trusting In Him,
April
