Tag Archives: school

IndoctriNation Review

We were recently sent the IndoctriNation DVD by Great Commission Films to review in our home.

IndoctriNation

IndoctiNation
For Christian Parents, Grandparents, Teachers, Church Leaders
DVD retails $19.99
102 Minute DVD
Other versions available (book, download, English, Spanish, other languages available soon, etc) check out the web site for more information.

This film is for every Christian parent. Not every Christian parent is going to want to watch it. The scriptures, interviews, and facts presented will challenge your faith. I watched this movie with my husband. We were both quite shocked at how much has changed since we attended public school in our youth in the 1970’s – 1980’s, yet also how much has stayed the same. This movie has helped to strengthen our convictions about why we chose to homeschool. We plan to watch this movie again with our older children at a later date. There are several mature topics discussed in the movie that require pre-screening and open discussions you may need to be prepared for when sharing it with your children.

I wasn’t sure what to expect from this movie at first. The cover shows a guy driving a school bus, and the caption reads: “A family field trip exposes the shocking truth behind your child’s public school!”. Since we homeschool, and have personal convictions why we choose to do so, I wasn’t really sure if we needed to know more about the public school system. But after seeing this film, I am convinced everyone needs to see it.

I was quite pleased to see a homeschool dad of seven kids (now 8) from Texas driving the bus and leading the way to help Christian parents take back the control of their children’s education. Colin Gunn, is a homeschool dad, and a film maker. More about him is posted at the bottom of this story. He made this film to document his journey with his family riding in a yellow school bus around the country to interview country leaders, law makers, church leaders, teachers, parents, students, and many more to understand the moral decay of the American public education system.

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I am a Christian. I am in the minority in this country. My family and I choose to homeschool. I am thankful that I live in America and have the freedom to choose and practice my faith to be a Christian. I am able to raise my children according to my faith. However, if I were to place my children in the government ran public education system, my children would not be free to learn or practice their faith during school hours. They would be indoctrinated to believe to question and doubt their faith, and trained to accept the government’s moral or immoral values.

Though we choose to homeschool, 90% of Christian families in America choose to public school. WHY? Do they know they are making a choice? Do they believe they have a choice? The question poised by this movie to every Christian parent and Christian pastor, Christian teacher, and Christian community leader is “WHY” choose public government education for your children when it clearly goes against the very foundation of being a Christian? Why send them to gain a pagan worldview?

The scriptures clearly instruct parents to raise children in the way of the Lord. If that is true, then why do so many Christian parents put the lives of their children into the hands of the “godless government” vaccume to train them for 8 hours a day? How can you expect them to remain Christian?

The answer is complicated, but there are at least five reasons I have heard my Christian friends say why they choose public education instead of homeschool education:

One: Cultural Assimilation. Parents don’t want to be singled out as different. They want their kids to be “normal” and accepted by the main culture. They think by sending their kids to school they will be socialized by their peers and fit in. This is even more expressed by families who immigrated to this country. By sending their children to school, they believe they can become Americanized.

Two: Parents trust the government. Parents no longer play the leading role in their kids lives. They trust the government and government trained teachers to make wise decisions for the child’s education, and also for the family. However, the government’s recommendations go far beyond the classroom and are implemented in the homes (as well as after-school programs, health care centers and agendas, and local community classes) across the nation. This is a huge error to trust the government system to make these kinds of decisions. Government will make decisions based on its agenda, in every area, not based on what is best for families.

Three: Lack of an intimate support system to help raise their children in the way of the Lord. So many families feel alone and do not have a close connection to other Godly families in their local community who can support one another and help meet each other’s needs. Many churches do not understand this need and do not offer this support because most churches in America, support the idea of Public Government Education.

Four: Economics. The movie points out that families are required to pay $12,000-$13,000 a year in education taxes, regardless if they choose public school or not. Since they have already paid for it with their tax dollars, most families choose this option rather than having to come up with extra money to educate their children a different way.

Five: For many families, allowing the school to educate their children allows them lifestyle freedoms and personal gain they do not think they could have if they homeschooled them. It allows them their career of choice. I have heard this time and time again. I have even heard pastors and pastor’s wives state these things. With having their kids in school, they have the time to pursue their own interests, perhaps have dual incomes, many families can afford to live in just the right subdivision, or the perfect house, own two and three vehicles, have extra program activities and sports their kids can participate in, and other extras they want that they would not be able to have if one parent stayed home to raise the kids. I heard a pastor’s wife not long ago say, “someday we hope to homeschool, but just not right now. Our life is so busy.” While saying this, she also said how her daughter is bullied daily and comes home from school crying, and the many ungodly things they see and experience at the school.

IndoctriNation points out the root cause of the moral and social decay of society is the American Public Education System. It is guiding the American culture. The second half of the movie takes you on a journey through time from the 1600’s to today to understand how Godly education came to be and how it was lost. The majority of great leaders in America up till the mid 1800’s were homeschooled. The bible was the origional moral foundation of this country. The movie take us along the time frame of educational change and who the players involved were in it’s moral and social decay over the past 200 years with the implementation of government run schools that teach socialism, humanism, paganism to our kids. It is important for Christian families to know who is creating and who is teaching the curriculum, what their agenda is, and how this is impacting our youth and our culture. The state run government education is a socialist system. As the government indoctrinates each generation, we are becoming more and more a socialist nation.

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During one interview in the movie, the term “Indoctrination Academy” is used. Children in the public school are being educated with a curriculum called Value Clarification. This curriculum teaches them it is ok to choose their own right and wrong despite what their parents believe or what the bible says. It teaches them to choose a life style and personal choices that are against God. It teaches them relativism and humanism and its own moral code that is anti-Christ. A direct question is asked for parents: Do you want your children to belong to you and respect your faith, your culture, your history? Or do you want them to belong to the state?

I think if more families knew the truth about what is taught in public school, that their kids were being indoctrinatated to become dependent on the state, and the outcome of learning in this environment, they would not choose to place their children in public school. According to the film, 88% of kids will leave the Christian faith forever after graduating from public highschool. Matthew 10:32-33: “Whoever acknowledges me before men, I will also acknowledge him before my Father in Heaven. But whoever disowns me before men, I will disown him before my Father in Heaven.” How will we as Christian Parents answer the Lord?
How will we answer the Lord when we stand before him on judgement day? Will having had a dual income lifestyle really be so important when we weigh that decision with sending our kids out into the world to be indoctrinated by godless schools who teach them to turn away from God and God’s principles? Proverbs 1:8: “Listen, my son, to your father’s instruction and do not forsake your mother’s teaching.” Fathers and mothers are charged with the responsibility of teaching of their children. Neither schools, churches, tutors, etc, no one else is mentioned in Scripture as having that role other than the parents.

I encourage all Christian parents to watch this video. It’s not to late to turn things around. Pray and ask God to help you educate your kids for his glory. I hope you will also take a minute to review the Christian Education Manifesto sponsored by the IndorctiNation movie and pray for God to help you reach these biblical standards in your family’s life. There is also a place on the web site to upload your two minute personal story about education or education of your kids. In exchange for sharing your story with IndoctriNation, they will share with you some great perks and a back stage pass downloadable package with regards to the making of the film and all of the research and full length interviews.

Check out a short clip of the movie.
Video Trailer:

Follow on Social Media for the latest product news and updates:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/IndoctriNationMovie
Twitter: https://twitter.com/indocmovie
Vimeo: http://vimeo.com/indoctrination
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/IndoctriNationMovie

Colin Dunn

More about Homeschool Dad Colin Dunn: Colin is an award-winning screen writer, director, producer and animator. In addition to “IndoctriNation”, some of his film productions include “Shaky Town”, “The Monstrous Regiment of Women”, “Captivated”, and “Act Like Men”. He working on an upcoming movie called “Wait Till It’s Free!” He is originally from Hamilton, Scotland and immigrated to the USA. He lives in Waco, Texas, with his wife and eight children, and his family homeschools.

IndoctriNation DVD Review

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Hewitt Homeschooling Review

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Hewitt Homeschooling has some great products for homeschool families. We are reviewing My First Reports: Bugs and Worms by Hewitt Homeschooling, and we are learning lots of great information and having fun at the same time.  If you are in the process of putting your curriculum choices together, I would encourage you to add products from Hewitt Homeschooling to the list.

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My First Reports

One unique product Hewitt Homeschooling offers is a curriculum supplement called My First Reports.  My first reports uses a step by step approach to help elementary age children learn about a subject they are interested in and write a report about it.

Skills used in My First Reports include:

Research
Organizing
Sorting
Writing
Penmanship
Vocabulary
Reading
Critical Thinking

There are several My First Reports to choose from and they are geared for different ages, but all are flexible and can be used for grades 1 – 8 depending on the skill level of your student.

My First Report: Music
My First Report: Transportation
My First Report: Weather
My First Report: Me
My First Report: Famous People
My First Report: Wild Animals / Large Mammals
My First Report: Wild Animals / Small Mammals
My First Report: Pets/Farm Animals
My First Report: Bugs and Worms
My First Report: Birds
My First Report: Reptiles/Amphibians
My First Report: Plants
My First Report: Solar System
My First Report: Marine Life
My First Report: Olympics
My First Report: Outdoor Activities
My First Report: Sports
My First Report: My State
My First Report: Eastern United States
My First Report: Western United States
My First Report: Middle United States
My First Report: Southern United States
My First Report: Lewis and Clark Expedition
My First Report: Focus On The World

You can purchase My First Reports individually for $8.95 , or buy 14 titles as a bundle for $69.95 and save nearly 40% off retail.

 

Our Experience:

Bugs and Worms

We chose My First Reports: Bugs and Worms for this review.  It is designed for kids in 3rd – 4th grades, but can be used for younger students in 1st-2nd grades or older students in 5th-8th grades too.  My First Reports: Bugs and Worms contains 52 pages including reproducible forms, worksheets, suggested reading and resources, and a unit study.

When we received the packet from Hewitt Homeschooling, I placed the pages into a binder.   The pages come already hole punched so you can put it into a three ring binder for convenience, or into your students completed notebook if you desire.  I am a unit study “collector”, or perhaps a unit study nerd might describe me better.   I guess and I love being able to insert them into a binder and keep them for future use.  If someday I pass along our schoolroom to my own grown kids, or to another family, hopefully all the unit studies we have acquired or created over the years will be easy to just grab and go because they are arranged neatly in their own binders.  You could fill a whole book shelf with them.  Ooohhh Awwhhhh.  Yep, I am a unit study nerd!

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We were very excited about this curriculum.  This package covers information about 12 different bugs and worms:

Grasshoppers
Flies
Ants
Bees
Fireflies
Crickets
Ladybugs
Spiders
Caterpillars
Butterflies / Moths
Dragonflies
Worms

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Unit Study Approach

This set is designed to used for 12 weeks, in a unit study method, covering one bug or worm and corresponding worksheets and suggested activities per week.  Being a unit study, many different ages of kids can enjoy it, and it is cross curricular for many different subjects and covers:

Math
Reading
Social Studies
Music
Art
Language
History
Science
Health
P.E.
Bible
Suggested Field Trips

DSC01754 (Picture my son took of hundreds of new born baby spiders emerging from their nest on a tiger lily).

During the process of learning about a bug or worm you will also do many activities mentioned in the accompanying unit study.  For example, various activities to choose from might include:  geography you will take a map of your state or a region and list bugs found there.  Younger students might cut out pictures and paste them on the map and older students would likely create a map and write a list of various insects identifying  them and their locations or to add in an art aspect, they might sketch them too.  In the bible they would learn about insects mentioned in various verses.  For reading and literature they would read various books, magazines, news articles, and poems about bugs.   For Language you would learn insect vocabulary words and spelling of each insect, as well as answer the report questions on the worksheets. You might create word puzzles and give an oral report too.  For Math, you put the insects in order based on a category such as length or color or weight ect.  Perhaps you could make a graph for comparisons.  You might calculate speeds and distance traveled or the amount of food they eat.  For Science you will make comparison graphs for body characteristics, learn about habitats and how to classify, catch-observe-release different insects when you are studying each one, etc.  One suggestion is to build a wormery when you study the worms section.  For art and science you might make a kite and then for P.E. you would go outside and fly it.  Also for P.E. you would take a hike through your neighborhood or a park to look for insects and study where they are found, what they sound like, etc.  For music you might study and recreate the sound of various insects, sing songs about insects and songs about creation including songs and praises to God.  Art has so many suggestions like making a spider web, visiting an art museum, making collages or mosaics, sculptures, and various crafts.  Field tips ideas include hikes or nature walks in various locations like parks, nature preserves, zoos, museums, the insect section of the library, a honey farm, or other farms where insects are used in some way, nature store, etc.

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While learning about each “critter”, my 3rd grader completed a worksheet for each bug we learned about.  The worksheet includes a picture of the bug, its class and scientific order, vocabulary words, and several questions to research further.   He is encouraged to write complete sentences when answering the questions.  When the week of learning about the insect is complete, and he has answered all the questions, he can transfer that information into a finished report by using his answers to help create paragraphs for a report about the insect he is writing about.

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I have always loved the hands on aspect of Field Trips.  My kids love the adventure and learning outside the classroom / house.  We took a field trip two weeks ago to the Creation Museum to learn more about the history of insects and see various species in their collections.

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This is a great curriculum resource and I would encourage other homeschool families to work it into their learning adventures this school year.  My First Reports would also be a great adventure for summer school, Sunday School, or afterschool learning adventures too.

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