Review - Box of I.D.E.As - WWII Pearl Harbor

Box of I.D.E.As
WWII Pearl Harbor

Web site:  http://www.boxofideas.us/home.php

Cost:  $49.00 pdf, $79.00 physical box, $4.00 additional modules

Ages: 9-16

 “Box of IDEAs is a company dedicated to creating delightful interactive learning modules centered around random sub-ject areas. Explorers will be irresistibly drawn into critical thinking & knowledge building activities through an amazing variety of fun topics.”

My older son is a WWII enthusiast, so we offered to review the WWII Pearl Harbor box.  There are ten modules each engaging in a different aspect of the events of WWII. 

Since we received the PDF – we had to print out each module.  I appreciated that each module provided clear instructions about what needed to be printed and on what type of paper. 

 

All of the modules come with information about each event, extensions and links for further discussion and activities including portfolio pieces that the students can complete.  In each of the ten modules there was a card game of some sort.  For example, the Day of Infamy module has each player trying to accumulate the timeline of the events of the attack on Pearl Harbor.  This gives each student a better idea of the moment by moment events that occurred. 

I have to say that my boys enjoyed the first couple card games, but then they got tired of them.  While the card games differ in purpose, I think they would have appreciated other activities like a craft.  Additionally, card games force the parent to have at least two students doing the activities at any given time.  Individual students would either have to play with the parent or not be able to play the game.

The Portfolio pieces are meant to aid understanding by having the students deal hand’s on with the material in a fun way.  Each portfolio piece asks questions from the provided content and has the student record that knowledge so that it becomes memorable. 

I appreciated that Box of I.D.E.As created a answer key for their box upon request.  While we parents love to do activities with our children, there are times when we want them working independently and just have a solution key so that we can ensure they are understanding the content.

Personally, while I like the idea of activities that students can grab and do, I felt like the limitations of having to have two or more students and the high price make this a product I wouldn’t seek out.  $49 plus a lot of ink for a PDF or $79 for a complete set is out of my price range for supplemental material.  If a student is passionate about the topic, it may be worth the expense. 

To see what other members of the Schoolhouse Review Crew have to say – click here.

 *** Disclaimer - I received a PDF of this product as a member of the Schoolhouse Review Crew in exchange for my honest review.