History, Geography and Cultural Studies Curriculum Reviews

In this post, I will be reviewing 14 different programs that teach History, Geography, or Cultural Studies. I chose each option because I was already familiar with the program (either because I have used all or part of the program or I have considered it myself) or because it is popular among Christian homeschoolers. All of the curricula presented below are written by Christian authors or publishing companies.

Even though I am including a lot of options, there are still countless social studies curricula out there. For more curriculum reviews, I recommend checking out Cathy Duffy Reviews for professional reviews or The Homeschool Mom for parent reviews.

A Child’s Geography

A Child’s Geography series is a set of five books based on V.M Hillyer’s works A Child’s History of the World and A Child’s Geography of the World. Each book contains 11-16 chapters. There is a scheduling guide at the beginning of each book, but it took our family two weeks to fully walk through one chapter. The series is geared towards students in grades 1-8; however, our family found the content to be a bit much for our first grader. I would probably recommend starting book 1 in third grade and working through one guide per year.

This series views the world from a Christian worldview and there is a lot of overtly Christian language, especially in the first two texts, which have a different author from the remaining four volumes.

The First book, Explore His Earth contains eleven chapters. Each chapter has text for the parent to read aloud to the student followed by a “Too-Fun-to Resist Excursion,” narration prompts, a “Reaching Out to His World” activity, and a list of resources for further study. In the “Too-Fun-to-Resist Excursions,” you will be doing hands-on activities that correlate to the lesson such as building a model of Earth using edible materials or conducting a short science activity. The “Reaching Out to His World activity” discuss how people and other cultures might be affected by the concept being taught and occassionally suggests prayer or service opportunities. While this is a “geography course,” we found the book to be more of an Earth Science course, studying topics such as the atmosphere, seasons and climate, and the composition of the Earth.

Book 2, Explore the Holy Land contains sixteen chapters that cover the culture of Turkey, Israel, Egypt, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, and Jordan. For each chapter, there are “Bringing it Home” ideas with suggestion for art, music, and books to further your study and a “Go into all the world” prayer about for the people you have just read about. This book becomes more academic in nature and instead of hands-on activities, this volume focusses more on map work and drawing activities.

Explore the Classical World contains 15 chapters and studies 12 countries around the Mediterranean sea. It follows a the same format of book 2 with “Bringing it Home” activities and a prayer for each country at the end of each lesson. Explore Medieval Kingdoms contains 15 chapters and studies 12 countries in Western Europe Explore Viking Realms contains 16 chapters and covers 13 countries in Northern Europe.

The books contain CDs with printable files for student work. They are non-consumable and you will not need a teacher’s manual.

Each Guide (Print): $27.37

These books are available through a number of online retailers. I like Master Books.

A Gentle Feast

A Gentle Feast is a homeschool curriculum written by Julie Ross. It is deeply rooted in the ideas of Charlotte Mason and uses a lot of living books. The program is laid out into three terms. Each term is twelve weeks for a total of 36 weeks. Each weekly lesson plan is organized into an editable chart showing daily assignments.

History and Geography are included in the family cycle, which also covers Literature, Science, Natural History, Citizenship, Modern Language, Latin, Math, Nature Study, Shakespeare, Singing, and Art. Although this seems like a lot of subjects to cover, you will not spend a lot of time on each subject and you will not cover each subject every day. If you were purchasing the program specifically for History and Geography, you could chose to leave off the other subjects.

The program is centered on a four year chronological history cycle with four different grade ranges. Each time you complete the cycle, you start over again. Your students will all have moved up a grade range and will cover the material in more depth.

In Cycle one, your students will all study American History from 1000-1650 AD. Students in Upper Elementary grades and higher will also study British and World History for the same time periods as well as early civilizations, Egypt, and Biblical times.

In Cycle two, all grades will study American History from 1650-1803. Students in Upper Elementary grades and higher will add on British and World History for the same time period as well as a study of the Greeks.

In Cycle three, all grades will study American History from 1800-1900. Students in Upper Elementary grades and higher will add on British and World History for the same time period as well as a study of Ancient Rome.

In Cycle four, all grades will study American History from 1900 to the present. Students in Upper Elementary grades and higher will add on British and World History for the same time period as well as a study of the Greeks.

For our Canadian friends, there is a Canadian supplement available for each cycle that cover Canadian History and Geography.

Parent involvement and prep are very high for this program. While all of your lessons are planned out for you, you will need to read through your supply list and book list each week and make sure that you have the appropriate materials. As is the case with all Charlotte Mason curricula, the parent is learning alongside the child. You will spend your days reading and completing assignments together as a family. While there is some independent work (copywork for example), most lessons are parent led or child led with the parent acting as a facilitator.

A Gentle Feast is available as a digital download or there is a print option. You will receive lesson plans, daily schedules, explanations of each subject, and lots of online resources.

PDF Version: $85

Digital+ Print Version: $110

Materials may be purchased through the Gentle Feast website.

Abeka History

Abeka has been a leader in homeschool curriculum for over thirty years! Abeka is the largest Christian textbook publisher in the world and publishes materials for many Christian schools. It is a traditional homeschool program that looks like school at home.

Abeka has history programs for grades K-12 that use a spiraling approach, where topics are brought up again and again, each time in more depth. Abeka’s History programs definitely reflect their conservative Christian worldview. They also have a very patriotic viewpoint that can come across as a little biased and they have a tendency to gloss over historical figures and events.

Each program is grade leveled, as follows:

Social Studies (Kindergarten)

My America and My World (Grade 1)

Our America (Grade 2)

Our American Heritage (Grade 3)

The History of Our United States (Grade 4)

Old World History and Geography (Grade 5)

New World History and Geography (Grade 6)

History of the World (Grade 7)

America, Land I Love (Grade 8)

World Geography (Grade 9)

World History and Cultures (Grade 10)

United States History: Heritage of Freedom (Grade 11)

American Government in Christian Perspective (Grade 12)

Economics (Grade 12)

Each grade contains a colorful student text that will be necessary to the program. You may purchase a full subject kit that includes answer keys, tests, quizzes, and lesson plans. These materials are great additional resources.

History Child Kit (Each): $42.85-$80.80

History Parent Kit (Each): $72.85-$102.05

You can order materials through the Abeka website.

AOP Lifepacs

Alpha Omega Publications have created grade-leveled history plans that are great for a parent that does not have a lot of time to spend directly teaching. The workbooks cover a survey of history, covering a lot of material but not going in to depth on any topic. A Biblical worldview is incorporated into the program.

Lifepacs come in subject sets that contain ten workbooks and a teacher’s guide with an answer key and suggestions for discussion and extra projects.

Students will read the materials, work through a few workbook pages, and take a test. There are no hands-on activities. Students will work through the books at their own pace. Ten workbooks are included in the set, which means they should average one per month in order to finish in one school year. Lifepacs can also be used by students that need remedial work because they can move through workbooks quickly to catch up.

History and Geography Sets (Each): $71.96

You can purchase materials through the AOP website.

BJU Press Heritage Studies

BJU Press has been publishing Christian textbooks for over thirty years. They publish textbooks for many Christian schools and have adapted those materials for use homeschool settings. These books are very traditional in approach and look a lot like school at home with a lot of reading from a textbook, filling out workbooks, and taking quizzes and tests.

BJU is a conservative Christian program. Throughout Heritage studies, students will study the lives of various historical figures and study how they succeeded in or failed to follow God’s standards. There is also a sense of patriotism and perhaps an overemphasis on American History.

This program will work well for visual and auditory learners. There are not any hands-on activities.

Everything you need to teach history is contained within the student and teacher’s manuals. One level of curriculum is designed to be used over the course of one school year. Courses offered are as follows:

Heritage Studies (Grades 1-6)

World Studies (7th Grade)

American Republic (8th Grade)

Cultural Geography (9th Grade)

World History (10th Grade)

United State History (11th Grade)

American Government (12th Grade)

Economics (12th Grade)

BJU also offers an online course for each subject.

Heritage Studies 1: $126.40

Heritage Studies 2-6 (Each): $140.35

Grades 7-11 (Each): $185.85

American Government (12th Grade): $179.20

Economics (12th Grade): $179.20

Materials may be purchased through the BJU website.

Eat Your Way Around the World and Eat Your Way Through the USA

These two cookbooks are a fun way to study geography and world cultures. Eat Your Way Around the World features recipes from over 30 countries. Countries are divided into continent groups. Each country profile includes three recipes that use ingredients found in most grocery stores. You will not be hunting for exotic ingredients. While the author tries to remain authentic, the recipes are geared more towards a child’s palate than typical ethnic cookbooks. The author includes facts and tidbits about the culture of each country with a focus on etiquette and food.

Eat Your Way Through the USA is a terrific follow up to it’s global counterpart. The author has included three recipes and food facts for each of the fifty states. You will be cooking everything from Chicken and Dumplings, Fried Green Tomatoes, and Mississippi Mud Pie to Chicken Fried Steak, Texas Ranger Soup, and Pecan Pie.

I based my first grade geography and culture studies around Eat You Way Around the World. Each week we would cook a meal using the cookbook, we would find the country on our world map, and we would read through the fun facts included within the book. We plan to cook our way through the USA this year as we study U.S. geography.

Each book: $14.95

Both books are available through Amazon and various other online retailers.

Master Books (My Story and America’s Story

The Master Books line of History programs use an engaging Charlotte Mason inspired approach to teach History through the lens of Christianity.

The books are written in a very conversational tone. There are lots of full color pictures and throughout the text, there are breaks with guided narration questions. Each lesson has a set of review questions and activities. There are occasional suggestions for hands-on activities but most activities involve sketching (or coloring in younger grades), journaling, crossword puzzles, and word searches. Each book comes with a schedule and pacing guide.

For most courses, a grade level set includes a Teacher’s Guide and student text. Student worksheets are included in the Teacher’s guide along with a weekly lesson schedule, critical thinking and short-essay questions, review sheets, exams, and answer keys. All pages are perforated and 3-hole punched for ease of use.

Masterbooks has multiple options for history in each grade range. The following course of study would take an average student from 1st through 12th grade:

My Story 1 and 2

America’s Story 1, 2, and 3

Elementary Geography and Cultures

The World’s Story 1, 2, and 3

Stobaugh’s American History

Stobaugh’s World History

History of Religious Liberty

Civics and the Constitution

Intro to Economics

My Story is an introduction to history, politics, economics, world cultures, and geography for first and second grade students. Lessons should take 30 minutes, five days per week. My Story 1 helps students learn about their community and the world around them. My Story 2 focuses on learning about the culture, government, and basic economic principles of other countries. There is only one book for each lesson that includes all of the text, lesson schedule, and student worksheets. All pages are perforated and 3-hole punched for ease of use.

America’s Story is a three part series designed for grades 3-6. It takes children through a chronological study of the History of the United States with a full color student textbook. Lessons will take 45 minutes, five days per week.

Elementary Geography and Cultures is a program for grades 4-6 that studies continents and 26 countries around the world. Students will learn about biomes, history, and government systems around the world. Students will cook traditional food, learn greetings from 26 language groups, and do other hands on activities. Lessons take 30 minutes, 5 days per week.

The World’s Story is a three part series designed for grades 6-8. Book one studies history from Creation thought the Early Church. Book two covers the Middle Ages through the Renaissance. Book three studies the Age of Exploration through the present. Lessons will take up to one hour, five days per week. Books are arranged into 28 units that will take one year to complete.

Stobaugh’s American and World History are comprehensive surveys of American and World History designed for high school students. The books begin by examining different worldviews. Students read pages in the student text and then complete worksheets in the teacher’s manual. Lessons will take 30 minutes, five days per week. These can be combined with Stobaugh’s Literature courses also published by Masterbooks.

History of Religious Liberty is a one-year civics curriculum for high school students. Students will gain an understanding of Religious Liberty. They will look at persecution of the Church and explore how ordinary people who knew Jesus fought for freedom for all. Lessons will take 30 minutes, 5 days per week.

Civics and the Constitution is a three times per week course for high school juniors and seniors. Students will learn about the history and meaning of the Constitution. Lessons take 30 minutes to complete.

Intro to Economics: Money, History, and Fiscal Faith is designed to be a twice per week course for high school junior or senior. The course covers personal finance from a Biblical perspective, the origin of currencies, and the historical impact of the Federal Reserve.

My Story 1 or 2 (Each): $31.81

America’s Story Sets (Each): $51.79

Elementary Geography and Cultures: $37.72

The World’s Story (Each): $51.79

Stobaugh’s Histories (Each): $50.31

History of Religious Liberty: $37.73

Civics and the Constitution: $68.06

Intro to Economics: $43.64

Products may be purchased at Masterbooks.

My Father’s World

My Father’s World is an eclectic Christian curriculum that combines a Charlotte Mason and Classical methodology with a unit study approach. This program is very Scripture, Literature, and History based.

In grades 2-12, History and Geography are included as a part of the My Father’s World core curriculum along with Bible, Science, Literature, some Language Arts, Reading, and Handwriting. All of the subjects tie into the History lessons.

All students between 2nd and 8th grade learn together on what MFW refers to as the family cycle. MFW has a great interactive model on their website demonstrating how this cycle works. Many families choose to have all students below 8th grade follow the family cycle to simplify the school day. The family cycle as well as the high school courses organize unit studies into a chronological sequence. If your oldest child is in 2nd grade, MFW has produced a separate curriculum called Adventures in U.S. History, which is a survey of U.S. History. You would not use this with any younger siblings (unless there is more than a six year gap between your children), because they would join older siblings in the family cycle. Students in 9th-12th grades would use grade leveled materials.

Programs offered by My Father’s World include:

Adventures in U.S. History (2nd Grade)

Exploring Countries and Cultures (3rd- 8th Grade)

Creation to the Greeks (3rd- 8th Grade)

Rome to Reformation (3rd- 8th Grade)

Exploration to 1850 (3rd- 8th Grade)

1850 to Modern Times (3rd- 8th Grade)

Ancient History and Literature (9th Grade)

World History and Literature (10th Grade)

U.S. History to 1877 (11th Grade)

U.S. History 1877 to Present (12th Grade)

Each weekly lesson plan is laid out in an easy to read grid followed by supply lists and teaching notes. The lesson plan guides parents on exactly what to say or read for each subject. Daily lessons are a mixture of read alouds, oral and written narrations, hands-on learning activities, crafts, and notebooking. The entire family learns together for all subjects except for Math and Language Arts.

Each day begins with a Bible lesson and throughout the curriculum, the Bible is integrated into every subject. MFW has a strong focus on missionaries and a portion of their proceeds go towards God’s Word for the Nations to fund Bible translations for every nation.

Students develop a love for reading through read alouds and thematic independent reading using a BookBasket filled with “living books.” MFW provides a list of recommended books and DVDs for each unit. These books can be checked out at your local library or purchased. If you cannot find the specific titles, you may use any similar books.

There is very little need for parent prep other than collecting books for the BookBasket and collecting supplies from each week’s supply list. As is the case with all Charlotte Mason curricula, the parent is learning alongside the child. During the elementary grades, you will spend your days reading and completing assignments together as a family. While there is some independent work (copywork for example), most lessons are parent led or child led with the parent acting as a facilitator. High school is more independent.

Prepare to spend 2 hours on average for lower elementary and 4 hours on average after third grade. High school may take longer depending on how motivated your student is. Fridays typically have less than 1 hour of scheduled work so that you may participate in co-ops, take field trips, or go on nature walks.

We are using MFW as our core curriculum this year, and one thing I have greatly appreciated about this company is their heart for their homeschool families. The company has a representative call each homeschool family to pray for them a few times throughout the year.

Most materials are non-consumable. For most grades you will only need to buy an additional set of student sheets and a few miscellaneous materials for each child. Because materials are non-consumable, you may be able to find used copies easily.

Adventures in U.S. History: $313.51

Exploring Countries and Cultures: $397.43

Creation to the Greeks: $376.41

Rome to Reformation: $348.71

Exploration to 1850: $381.42

1850 to Modern Times: $343.34

Ancient History and Literature: $538.26

World History and Literature: $517.96

U.S. History to 1877: $604.53

U.S. History 1877 to Present: $461.43

Order through the My Father's World website.

Notgrass

The Notgrass company has eight History and social studies programs that span from 1st to 12th grades. This is a Charlotte mason inspired program that is very literature based. The books are written in a narrative style and contain lots of discussion questions and some hands-on activities.

All courses are stand alone and can be studied in any order.

The current courses offered by Notgrass include:

Our 50 States (1st to 4th Grade)

Our Star-Spangled Story (1st to 4th Grade)

America the Beautiful (5th to 8th Grade)

From Adam to Us (5th to 8th Grade)

Uncle Sam and You (5th to 8th Grade)

Exploring World History (9th to 12th Grade)

Exploring America (9th to 12th Grade)

Exploring World Geography (9th to 12th Grade)

Exploring Government (9th to 12th Grade)

Exploring Economics (9th to 12th Grade)

The company has announced plans for two additional courses for the elementary grades, one covering world geography and one covering world history.

Curricula can be purchased in bundles that include everything you need for a complete course. Bundles components may vary by course, but include items such as a student text, a guide for parents, student review guides, quiz and exam books, answer keys, and a selection of assigned literature.

Our 50 States Bundle: $110

Our Star-Spangled Story Bundle: $135

America the Beautiful: PLANNED UPDATE 2020

From Adam to Us Bundle: $209

Uncle Sam and You Bundle: $184

Exploring World History: $222

Exploring America: $217

Exploring World Geography: PLANNED RELEASE IN 2020

Exploring Government: $127

Exploring Economics: $107

Materials may be purchased through Notgrass.

Simply Charlotte Mason

Simply Charlotte Mason combines History, Geography, and Bible lesson plans into six lovely guides available in PDF and Print versions. This program is designed for the entire family to study together with the parent guiding the study. Each guide contains 180 daily lessons and is designed to last one year. Expect to spend 20-30 minutes on each lesson.

Inside the Lesson Plans guide, you will find scripture passages and living books to read, ideas for narration and geography studies, Book of Centuries (timeline) entries, optional hands-on activities, and assignments for older children. There are lots of teaching tips and while the guides are not completely scripted, they will give recommendations on things to discuss with children.

There are booklists inside the guide for the entire family and separate booklists for each grade range. The parent will be tasked with obtaining these books either by purchasing them or checking them out from a library. The guide gives tips on where to source book and some are available online through the public domain.

Combining all three subjects, helps children connect geography to the people who have lived there and connect Biblical events to their place in history.

You may start in any of the six books and cycle through the series in chronological order. The Six Guides are as follows:

Genesis through Deuteronomy and Ancient Egypt

Joshua through Malachi and Ancient Greece

Matthew through Acts and Ancient Rome

Middle Ages, Renaissance, Reformation, and Epistles

Early Modern and Epistles

Modern Times and Epistles, Revelation

PDFs (Each Guide): $13.95

Print Version (Each): $19.95

Guides can be purchased through the Simply Charlotte Mason bookstore.

Sonlight

Sonlight is a curriculum for people who LOVE books. All of their programs are book centered with a child reading up to forty books per year! This Literature-based program features classic literature, award winning books, and a lot of historical fiction. The Sonlight core curriculum features History, Bible and Literature.

Sonlight may not be a good fit for families with sensitive children. Sonlight strives to introduce children to real life problems. Some of their books deal with natural disasters, Christian persecution, war, and pains and sufferings of this world. Their book selections may also include books that present evolution and other religious worldviews; however, they do offer teaching notes for these books so that you may present different perspectives to your children while retaining a Christian worldview. This helps children think critically about the teachings of the Bible. Although many of the books used by the Sonlight program are secular, the program as a whole was written from a Biblical worldview.

The instructor’s guide includes a 180-day schedule. The guide gives a detailed outline of what the child should do and in some cases what the parent may say. This level of detail may seem overwhelming to some parents. The instructor’s guide is designed to be just that: a guide. You as the parent must decide which activities to do and which to skip. Sonlight is a very structured program, but it is still very flexible.

Parent involvement is moderate and planning is low for this program. While lessons are open and go, parents will spend a lot of time reading to and directly teaching their children. In a Sonlight homeschool, you will spend your days reading and having discussions with your child. While there is some independent work (copywork for example), most lessons require a lot of parental involvement.

Most lessons are discussion based and encourage critical thinking.

There are some worksheets and hands-on activities; however, these are not the basis of the curriculum. This program may not work well for kinesthetic or visual learners.

Core Programs Offered by Sonlight Include:

Core K: American History (Ages 5-6)

Core A: World Cultures (Ages 6-8)

Core B: World History 1 (Ages 7-9)

Core C: World History 2 (Ages 8-10)

Core D: American History 1 (Ages 9-12)

Core E: American History 2 (Ages 10-13

Core F: Eastern Hemisphere (Ages 11-14)

Core G: World History 1 (Ages 12-14)

Core H: World History 2 (Ages 13-15)

Core J: History of Science (Ages 13-15)

Core 100: American History (Ages 13-15)

Core 200: Church History (Ages 14-17)

Core 300: 20th Century (Ages 16-18)

Core 400: American Government (Ages 17-18)

Core 500: World History (Ages 17-18)

There are also three condensed cores that combine a few levels

You can combine close age ranges (within about three years of each other). So if your children are more spread out, you will need to purchase multiple core curricula. This may get expensive and time consuming. However, because a lot of the material is non-consumable you may pass down materials to younger siblings. Because so many books are included, you will not have to purchase many (if any) additional books or resources or check out additional books from the library. They also have an amazing one year guarantee. You can receive a full refund if you decide Sonlight is not the right choice for your family.

Sonlight homeschool advisors are available to help you decide what programs and resources you need for your family. I strongly encourage you to use this resource for your first time ordering.

Core K: American History: $327.70

Core A: World Cultures: $341.38

Core B: World History 1: $419.91

Core C: World History 2: $351.14

Core D: American History 1: $411.93

Core E: American History 2: $431.32

Core F: Eastern Hemisphere: $513.25

Core G: World History 1: $400.21

Core H: World History 2: $425.44

Core J: History of Science: $633.36

Core 100: American History: $744.40

Core 200: Church History: $498.57

Core 300: 20th Century: $648.87

Core 400: American Government: $832.59

Core 500: World History: $546.40

Order through the Sonlight website.

Story of the World

This is a four year chronological history cycle written in a story based format. Written for children in grades 1-8, this program is designed to make history engaging for young students. While there are a few black-and-white pictures and maps, these are more chapter book than traditional history text.

This program seems to have parents that either love or hate the course content. Some critics believe that the program does not have enough detail, but this could be remedied by adding supplemental materials. Others have also stated that the curriculum presents too much, too soon for some of their youngest learners.

Each book contains 42 chapters, each covering a specific time period. Titles are as follows:

Ancient Times

The Middle Ages

Early Modern Times

The Modern Ages

Activity Guides are available that offer review questions, narration ideas, mapwork, coloring pages, suggestions for additional reading, and some hands-on activities. These books allow the user to make copies for family use. You may also purchase student pages that are loose-leaf, 3-hole punched copies of all of the consumable pages from the Activity Guide.

Audiobooks are also available, so that the parent does not have to read the 10-15 page chapters aloud.

A Story of the World Bundle includes the text, activity guide, audiobook, and one copy of the student pages for one volume.

Single Volume bundles (Each): $78.61-$85.31

Single Volume Text Only (Each): $17.95

Audiobook set (all four volumes): $169.82

You may purchase products at the Well Trained Mind store.

Truth Quest

TruthQuest is a classical and Charlotte Mason based Literature based program that teaches children to study "HIS story" through the lens of Christianity. Students will continually focus on the "two big beliefs" of each group of people they study: “Who is God, and who, then, is mankind?”

Although the bulk of the TruthQuest guides are lists of book (many with excellent short reviews), these guides are more than a booklist. TruthQuest guides families through History with commentaries, book and film lists, and discussion questions that make students think critically about History within the context of a Biblical framework.

TruthQuest is a complete History program, although parents will be tasked with acquiring all of the living books necessary to implement the program. This can get costly if the parent ends up purchasing the majority of the books or time consuming if the parent has to make frequent trips to the library.TruthQuest does recommend choosing a spine book to use in case your library does not have a book on a particular topic.

Each topic in the TruthQuest guide begins with a commentary written in a conversational tone. The parent should read this commentary aloud to the students. The students will then read one or more living books on the topic to broaden their understanding.

ThinkWrite assignments are found within the guide to be used as writing prompts or questions for oral discussion.

The guides offered by TruthQuest include:

American History for Young Students 1 (Exploration-1800)

American History for Young Students 2 (1800-1865)

American History for Young Students 3 (1865-Present)

Beginning (Creation/Old Testament/Ancients/Egypt)

Ancient Greece

Ancient Rome

Middle Ages

Renaissance/Reformation

Age of Revolution 1 (Exploration-1800)

Age of Revolution II (1800-1865)

Age of Revolution III (1865-Present)

The American History for Young Students series is designed for grades 1-5. These guides are designed with a more gentle commentary and positive tone. The guides focus only on American History because the Charlotte Mason approach recommends starting with the history of one’s own country and then moving outward. You may use these guides with any age child, as a lot of the reading included for fifth grades will be appropriate for older students as well.

All of the other guides are designed for grades 5-12. Younger students can tag along with older siblings through these guides. It is important to remember that the emphasis of TruthQuest is on the spiritual belief system of each culture. Therefore, younger siblings may not be ready to dive into the study of pagan cultures studied in the ancient history volumes.

There is not a pacing guide, so the parent will have to decide how many guides or topics to cover per year. You will work your way through each guide

Time line activities, notebooking pages, and lap booking activities are available for purchase through A Journey Through Learning.

American History for Young Students 1: $24.95

American History for Young Students 2: $24.95

American History for Young Students 3: $29.95

Beginning: $29.95

Ancient Greece: $24.95

Ancient Rome: $24.95

Middle Ages: $24.95

Renaissance/Reformation: $24.95

Age of Revolution 1 (Exploration-1800): $29.95

Age of Revolution II (1800-1865): $29.95

Age of Revolution III (1865-Present): $29.95

You may purchase both the TruthQuest guides and A Journey Through Learning supplements on the TruthQuest Site.

Winter Promise

Winter Promise products use a Charlotte Mason and Unit Study approach. These programs take a very hands-on approach with lots of crafting, games, and mapping and timeline building activities. Your family will read through a lot of “living books” as you study various historical events and characters. Narration is used as the main method of assessment throughout the programs.

Students will complete journaling pages and work through lots of hands-on activities. The program also gives suggestions for ministry and service opportunities. Activities are designed to be open and go and the entire program is very adaptable.

Each year, you will pick one of their themed programs that combine History, Culture Studies, and Geography. Programs also include some science. Themes currently available include:

Hideaways in History (A World History program for K-1)

American Story 1 (Early American History and culture for grades 1-7)

American Story 2 (Later American History and culture for grades 2-8)

Children Around the World (A study of 30 countries and world cultures for grades 2-6)

Adventures in the Sea and Sky (The History of sailing, flight, and space travel for grades 3-8)

Quest for the Ancient World (A History program from Creation to Rome for grades 4-8)

Quest for the Middle Ages (A History program from Rome to the Renaissance for grades 4-8)

As you can see, most themes are adaptable for a wide range of ages. This means you could combine most or all of your children. This will save you time and money!

The main component of each package is the guidebook, that provides a detailed list of supplies, lesson plans, and basic instructions on how to use the materials in the packages.

There will be minimal prep work but the entire program is teacher led.

Hideaways in History: $129 Ebook; $229 Print

American Story 1: $199 Ebook; $349 Print

American Story 2: $199 Ebook; $349 Print

Children Around the World:$119 Ebook; $219 Print

Adventures in the Sea and Sky: $119 Ebook; $229 Print

Quest for the Ancient World: $89 Ebook; $109 Print

Quest for the Middle Ages: $89 Ebook; $105 Print

Winter Promise kits only include the materials that they publish. Each level will have a list of books that the parent must obtain either by purchasing them or checking them out at the library. Many of these books will be used over the course of the program and will likely need to be purchased.

You can order print or pdf downloads of each themed program at the Winter Promise website.