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Friday, April 1, 2011

Zeezok Publishing Review




Zeezok is a company that's been around since 2003. They offer several items including High School government curriculum, Great Composers Series, various lapbooks and ebook guides. There newest product is the ZGuide. These movie guides are a great way to incorporate media (a powerful teaching tool in our increasingly electronic society) into any curriculum.


Each ZGuide contains a topic overview, movie synopsis, and ten learning activities for an in-depth study of the film. The topic overview puts the film in historical context, giving a student with no prior knowledge of the topic important background information. The one-page movie synopsis provides a more detailed explanation of the movie's storyline than typically found on the back cover of the video case or on movie review websites. While watching the film the first time through, students answer the movie review questions. This assignment forces the viewer to become an active learner rather than a passive observer. Nine additional activities provide interdisciplinary educational opportunities built around the movie's themes. Certain activities require the student to use outside resources (library, internet, etc.) to learn more about the topic. Several of the guides contain related memorization selections, combined with a public performance option, to develop the student's mental powers and public speaking abilities. Creative and critical writing assignments nurture the student's confidence in putting their thoughts on paper. Every guide contains a "hands-on" activity for the kinesthetic learner, designed to develop the student's artistic talents. The "Worldview Activity" goes to the heart of critical thinking by asking the student to evaluate the actors' attitudes and actions. "The Filmmaker's Art" activity focuses on movie-making techniques and their effect on the viewer. Parents and siblings can contribute their thoughts with the "For Family Discussion" section at the end of each guide. Many of these discussion questions relate to moral or philosophical dilemmas present in the movie.


For my review, Zeezok and TOS provided us with the movie guide for One Night with the King (which is a movie I highly recommend). The topics included in our guide were: Ancient Persian History, Ancient Jewish History, Loyalty, Results of Excessive Pride and Desire for Revenge , God's Providence.


The age level for this guide is High School.


Price- $12.99/ CD


My opinion- this is an incredible way to get the most out of quality movies. So many times we sit and watch but don't retain. Using this guide will allow you and your child/student to thoroughly discuss the topics of the movie. I highly recommend it.


The goal of ZGuide is not just supplemental educational activities but to teach the viewer to think critically. This is an important concept for any age.


If you'd like to read more reviews about Zeezok check out the Crew blog.



*For the purpose of this review I was given a free movie guide from Zeezok. No other compensation was received. This review is based on my personal opinion only.

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