Shmoop - Digital Curriculum

When I first heard about an educational resource called Shmoop, I just had to check it out.  Afterall, with a name like that... you've got to be curious.  What I found with Shmoop was a really cool website that provides middle/high school students with a modern look at history and literature.

Shmoop is a homeschool parent's dream.  It presents literary works, historic information, and other educational resources in a way that is very engaging.  The digital curriculum gives hungry minds information that is both educational and entertaining.  At Shmoop, the developers believe that learning doesn't have to be a dull and boring chore, but instead, can be fun and relevant.  I agree.

Many subjects are covered on the Shmoop website - Literature, Poetry, Shakespeare, Mythology, Bestsellers, US History, Civics, Economics, Music, Pre-Algebra, and Biology.  The site offers a wide variety of resources, ranging from learning guides to multimedia.  Best of all, the majority of content on the website is free.  From what I could tell, the only "premium paid subscription" was for teachers who were interested in creating exams for their classrooms.

I was very impressed to see all the modern content on Shmoop.  For instance, under music, they include such songs as Pink Floyd's "Another Brick in the Wall" (homeschooling's national anthem?), Queen's "Bohemian Rhapsody", and Bruce Springsteen's "Born in the USA".  There is even a feature to listen to the song and Shoop commentary online, however I wasn't able to get this to work on my laptop.  It is a listed as a "beta feature", so perhaps they are still trying to work out all the bugs. 

I also like that the "Bestseller" category referred to books, which includes such popular books as:  Hunger Games, The Help, and Little Bee.  Each of the bestseller entries includes a: summary, theme, quotes, summary questions, characters, analysis, facts, and related websites.  Access to information like this is excellent for any homeschool parents who facilitate book groups or want to be be more aware of what books their kids are reading.

History lovers will be happy to know that Shmoop covers both the old and the new.  You can read about Spanish Colonization (back in 1492), or more modern topics like the History of Rock & Roll.  Being that I am a big history fan, I was very happy to discover that each topic includes a section entitled "Why Should I Care?".   I have always thought that the real lesson is learning history is not about memorizing names and dates, but instead really understanding the significance of what happened.



As a bonus, they even include related movies for each history topic.  My family has always enjoyed watching movies as a complement to our history studies.  After we learn about historical events... we like to see if Hollywood got it right or wrong.

Lastly, Shmoop offers lots of resources for the college bound.  There are test prep courses for the ACT, SAT, PSAT, and AP Exams.  There is even a College 101 section that includes articles about:  College Applications, Entrance Exams, Financial Aid, Scholarships, etc. 

So if you are looking for great resource that offers digital curriculum and test preparation, I suggest you check out Shmoop.