Disclaimer- I received this complimentary product through the Homeschool Review Crew.
Reviewing Christian missionary Lottie Moon’s biography and unit study from the Heroes Now and Then Series, Lottie Moon: Giving Her All for China from YWAM Publishing was a meaningful experience for all of us. Lottie Moon was already a hero to us–this gentle southern belle who gave up everything to follow the Lord’s calling to China!
It was so exciting to read her biography and see how the events of the history like the Civil War and Boxer Rebellion impacted her life the lives of her family and friends!
What’s Included?
I received the following items to use with my family and review:
- Lottie Moon: Giving Her All for China by Janet & Geoff Benge book.
- Overview Guide for Sunday School and Small Group Use I’m saving this for future use!
- Overview Guide for Classroom and Homeschool Use
- Overview Guide for Unit Study Curriculum Guides (Christian Heroes: Then & Now Series) This is a listing of all the books and their time frame and geography locations–great resource!
- Lottie Moon Unit Study Curriculum Guide
How to Use the Book & Unit Study (Curriculum Guide)
The unit study/curriculum guide provides all kinds of activities to go along with the book chapter by chapter. These activities can be done at home with your family, in a homeschool co-op setting, or in a classroom setting. I think these could work in a small group setting or Sunday school class for church. However, there is a separate Overview Guide for Sunday School and Small Group Use.
Everything except the book is downloadable and I just opened up all the files on my computer at once to use them, printing only what I needed.
The unit study/curriculum guide suggests setting up a display table before you begin reading the book or doing any other activities. The display table would have a map of China and Chinese food items and artifacts. Books on China and the Civil War, photographs, clothing, an empty trunk, sugar cookies, and other items give the children a foretaste of what is coming in the biography!
Key verses are also included: Psalm 37:3, Proverbs 17:9, Luke 12:15, and II Corinthians 9:7. These would be great for memory verses or family Bible discussions.
There are 17 chapters in the book and for each chapter, the unit study/curriculum guide contains several questions to answer in writing or in conversation. Some of them would make great questions for a book club.
There are several writing prompts and research prompts for students to explore. For example, one essay suggestion is “How do you think Lottie’s life may have been different if the Civil War had not taken place.” A creative writing project was to write and illustrate a children’s book about Lottie Moon. I loved that idea! There were lots more!
One of the hands-on-projects was to “Make a large red scroll and write the words of your favorite children’s chorus on it. Use the scroll to teach a group of children the words to the song.” That was one of my favorite parts of the book–to see how Lottie taught the children to sing Christian hymns and choruses and how much they loved it!
Maps of China and the US are also included, as well as fact sheets.
How We Used It
After each chapter, we enjoyed a chosen activity based on the chapter. We also talked about ways the Lord prepared Lottie through her life circumstances: losing family members, financial difficulty after the Civil War, education, and teaching at a girls school. This really helped us see that God has us in training school for the call on our life. We are always growing and learning.
We also pulled out an atlas at the end of every chapter and looked for the places mentioned in the chapter. This helped us get a better perspective of her travels. Also, we talked about transportation and how much harder it was to travel in her day.
We explored places more thoroughly that Lottie Moon traveled through on her journey like San Francisco; Yokohama, Japan; Kobe, Japan: Shanghai, China; Chefoo, China; and Tengehow, China.
We made 20 little timeline cards, printed them on cardstock, and put them in order on the table. This gave us a visual of what was going on in Lottie’s Moon’s life, her native USA, and her beloved China. We love history! You can see a few of them here.
More Ideas For Incorporating Lottie Moon Into Your Homeschool Day
- Go to a Chinese restaurant.
- Meet some international students from China or Taiwan.
- Watch a movie set in China.
- Learn about other missionaries to China like Eric Liddell and Hudson Taylor.
- Visit a Chinese church in your area.
- Buy a copy of the book for another homeschool family who has a heart for missions.
Our Thoughts & Feelings About the Book & Unit Study
Lottie Moon: Giving Her All for China by Janet & Geoff Benge is an amazing book! I loved it! Everyone who read it loved it! The children loved hearing it read aloud. Well-written and informative, it went beyond the typical biography. We got a glimpse into Lottie’s heart before and after giving her heart to Christ. We were privy to her feelings about things on the mission field both good and bad. The authors tied in historical events like the Civil War,
There is so much to learn from this book and unit study about history, geography, missions, the Bible, church history, homemaking, and life skills. I loved this book! So did my family!
YWAM Publishing
I have been shopping at YWAM Publishing for years. They have great products on missions, missionaries, history, and geography. And I like their sales!
You can check out YWAM Publishing on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Pinterest.
Review More Heroes: Then & Now Reviews
Would you like to learn more about Lottie Moon: Giving Her All for China and other books in the Christian Heroes: Then & Now series? You can read more reviews from the TOS Review Crew HERE.
Read the Review Crew’s Blog
I also encourage you to check out The Old Schoolhouse’s Review Crew Blog. You can read reviews on all kinds of homeschooling products for all ages.
I highly recommend this book! You will be inspired by Lottie Moon’s life and faith! In fact, I recommend you collect all the books in the series!
Until next time, Happy Homeschooling!
Meredith Curtis
