Social Studies Curriculum

Early Elementary

Recommended!

What could be more exciting than a treasure-hunting curriculum full of stunning illustrations and photos?!

The students will go on four “quests”: Quest 1 begins with the student’s family, community, city, state, and country. Quest 2 travels around the Americas, Antarctica, and Africa. Quest 3 explores Canada, Russia, China, India, Indonesia, and Australia and Oceania. Quest 4 begins again in the USA, then goes to Greenland, Iceland, around Europe, and back “home” to the USA.

As students travel around the world, they will explore modes of transportation, cultures, languages, foods, wildlife, land features and habitats, traditions and responsibilities, weather, jobs/careers, water safety, time zones, continents, directions, and many other aspects of community, geography, and culture.

Students begin each quest with a clue card of questions to search for throughout the journey. The activities range from coloring, short answer, puzzles, copywork, oral discussion questions, vocab/spelling words, reading and drawing maps, and journaling. The curriculum is also biblically grounded, with Bible verses and stories throughout.

I most love the colorful pictures—this is a beautiful book (worth students having their own consumable copies)! I also appreciate the lighthearted adventure of learning, the age appropriateness, the strong faith element, and the honor of other cultures. Plus, everything is included within the single book (lesson plans, quizzes, answer key, etc.). And there are some great suggestions of (optional) field trips, for exploring aspects of community. I anticipate we will have a lot of fun with this!!

Level:

The worksheet sections are written for students who can write on manuscript ruled paper (K-2). Writing full sentences is not a requirement. Most questions could be answered in a single word or short statement. There is also copywork in every chapter to practice writing new words. This would be perfect for 1st-2nd grade, depending on the ability and interest of the student.

I’ll be using this with a kindergartener and a 3rd grader. The youngest will love it as is, and the writing will be a little easy for my 3rd grader, but I think he will be engaged by the subject matter.

Methodology:

We homeschool with a mix of Charlotte Mason and Classical methodologies (with Classical Conversations), and will be adding this as a supplement to CC Foundations Cycle 1 this coming year, which I expect will be a great complement considering its world-wide focus.

My Story 1 is a fun-loving curriculum, with lots of hands on exploration, and activity suggestions, which would fit well with Montessori, or other kinesthetic approaches. It has a large emphasis on oral and written narration, and story-telling, reminiscent of Charlotte Mason or other literature-based methodologies. It is also very comprehensive, without the heaviness of some Traditional programs.

Explore Master Books’ website here.

I received a complimentary copy of this curriculum from Master Books.

Genre: Study Bible/Bible Resources

Recommended!

Lately it’s been on my heart to begin memorizing full chapters of Scripture, so I jumped at the opportunity to review this new Memorization Study Bible. My translation preference is not the KJV, so I debated about whether to consider this Bible. If you love the KJV I highly recommend this! If, like me, you have another favorite translation, this may not be much help. Although, I have to say, I’m so impressed with this Bible, I may decide to memorize from the KJV for the New Testament.

Memorization is still a lot of work, even with a special Bible! The author (who has memorized 20+ full books of the Bible without having a photographic memory!) suggests repetition in speaking and writing one verse at a time, while isolating it on the page. What makes this Bible unique is its special format. Words are specifically aligned on the page in a way that aids the memory process, and numbers are used to specify how many words per each line. This arrangement would be difficult to self-replicate with another version of the Bible unless you understood the pattern and had extra energy toward custom formatting.

I also appreciate that popular Scriptures are highlighted throughout, and enjoyed reading the appendices, which includes lists of short memory verses, sin to salvation verses, significant verses, popular NT chapters, memorizing techniques in Judaism and Christianity, and (my favorite) a fascinating summary of the historical development of Bible memorization, depicting the practices of many believers and scholars throughout history who memorized large portions of Scriptures.

Explore Master Books’ website here.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Master Books.

 

 

Genre: Ancient History Curriculum/Christian Worldview

Highly Recommended!

I love everything about this curriculum. The student book is filled with photos, illustrations, and maps that are as stunning as they are helpful and informative. The lessons are engaging, without being overwhelming. And the material of the Student Book is written in an accessible narrative form that could easily be used with multiple age groups or a full-family study. I also love the narration breaks and connection points within the text, which provide helpful markers for the parent-teacher (or independently working student) to pause and reflect before moving onward.

While many textbooks covering ancient civilization include a focus on mythology, this one is awesomely biblical-centric. It more-or-less follows the biblical timeline from Creation through the Roman Empire, with an emphasis on the Hebrew people and their neighbors (Sumer, Babylon, Egypt, Persia, Greece, Rome, and others in between). I love the addition of apologetics and archaeology, and the emphasis on a relational/Hebraic worldview of Scripture. Every chapter goes back to Scripture in some way—even ancient cultures that are not directly tied to biblical accounts (like China, the Celts, and tribes in the Americas) have a mission-focus, and/or demonstrate humanity’s need for God in a direct manner. I really appreciate this perspective, and the way faith and Scripture are woven throughout the lessons.

My kids are going to have so much fun with this. I can’t wait for volumes 2 and 3 to be released!

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Master Books.

 

PS: Those interested in using this as a homeschool curriculum should consider purchasing with the corresponding Teacher’s Guide, which includes a suggested 180 day schedule, assignments (aimed at 5th-8th grade), and supplementary ideas.

You don’t have to homeschool to enjoy this! Read the Student Guide alone as an engaging devotional resource on ancient history from a biblical perspective.

Explore Master Books website here.

Genre: Christian Parenting/Discipleship

Loosely Recommended.

Written in concise, encouraging chapters for the busy parent, Leslie Nunnery uses the illustration of Moses’ exhortation to Israel in Deuteronomy 6:1-8 to encourage parents in discipling their children in the ways of God. This passage expresses the transference of faith within everyday events, as parents continuously model and speak about the glory of God within the household, through symbols, actions, holiday observance, and intentional discipleship.

This resource begins slowly—first only hinting at the significance of the passage—then eventually bringing out some practical ways of discipleship (e.g. being vulnerable with your children, making space for two-way conversation, sharing your own stories of God’s goodness, and so forth). Many parents will be motivated and refreshed by the call to raise up their children, and encouraged by the practical examples.

However, Nunnery barely touches the surface of this significant passage, which is at the heart of both Judaism and the New Testament. Moses is reminding Israel of God’s heart and law, as was received on Mt. Sinai (celebrated as Shavuot—the receiving of Torah). The beginning of Acts opens to a parallel passage as the followers of Jesus gather in Jerusalem for Shavuot (known to Christians as Pentecost), to receive the Holy Spirit. It is the marriage of the Word and Spirit together that allows us to be fully activated in faith, in personal relationship with God, in the ability to love fully, to bear each other’s burdens, to forgive, and to walk worthy of our callings in Christ. I think this resource would be even stronger if parents were encouraged in the Scriptural foundation of the Holy Spirit, which is a needed aspect of drawing together as a family (in fact, unity within the Body was one of the primary signs of the nascent church!). If we want to fully disciple our children, both teaching the Word and living in the Spirit are vital, and there are so many stories and practical applications on both sides of this picture that could be expounded upon!

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Master Books.

Genre: Homeschooling/Christian Life

Recommended.

This is a great resource for Christian families considering homeschooling, who are unsure about certain aspects or capability, as well as for those actively homeschooling who don’t know how to respond to critical comments. It is written in a conversational manner, and includes references to other beneficial resources for new homeschool families.

I appreciated learning the history of homeschooling, and the great risks of many homeschool pioneers in gaining this freedom. This foundation was a great way to begin the book, as it left me with a deeper awareness and gratitude of this privilege.

I am also especially impacted by Israel Wayne’s commentary on socialization, which comes up frequently in my own experience. He lays a persuasive biblical foundation of the quality of companionship within the social experience, and the necessity of having proper relationships in place for learning to be possible. The argument of being “salt and light” in the world (public/private schools) is similarly addressed in a compelling manner.

Some sections caused me to think differently about certain aspects of homeschooling (e.g. whether or not to accept government funding—I hadn’t considered some of the negative implications). Other areas were less relevant to me (e.g. I’m not concerned about my teaching/academic capability, although many readers may find this very encouraging; and my husband and I have a system in place regarding our educational roles, which is different from the author’s suggestion, but works for us personally).

Overall, I was surprised by the helpfulness of this resource in addressing issues I would not have considered to ask, and providing new information interwoven with spiritual encouragement and a biblical precedent for homeschooling. I am more inspired than ever by our commitment to this form of schooling, and found the book freshly edifying.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Master Books.

 

Genre: Children’s Story Bible

Recommended.

Our family has several favorite children’s Bibles that we rotate through, and this is the one my kids are currently most excited about. The illustrations are perfect for young children, and the stories are simple enough that my seven-year-old can easily read them, and the perfect length to keep my five-year old’s attention.

Each Bible story is connected to a positive attribute (diligence, honesty, service, praise) or theme (peer pressure, salvation, Easter, Holy Spirit). The first two-page spread of each story includes a full-page illustration and concise biblical narrative, and the following two-pages provide the definition of the character trait or theme and a comic-style layout showing how the theme is relevant to children in daily life.

For instance, the story of Samuel hearing God’s voice is connected with “attentiveness,” with the everyday life illustration showing how to set aside quiet devotional time to hear God. The story of the friends carrying the paralyzed man to receive healing from Jesus emphasizes “friendship,” with the real life illustration portraying four examples of healthy friendship. And the story of Zacchaeus demonstrates an example of repentance: feeling sorry, asking for forgiveness, attempting to make it right, not repeating the wrong.

Some of the stories could be better connected with their theme, but have nevertheless provided opportunities for family discussion. Also, the emphasis of this book is on character-building through Bible stories, so this is probably not the best “Bible” for readers desiring a cohesive narrative of Scripture. Although there is a strong evangelical focus, with the basic details of the Gospel message presented in impressive directness and simplicity.

I most love the discussions that have come out of this book, especially of the various character traits. I also appreciate how it introduces new vocabulary, and enjoy that 43% of the stories (26 out of 60) come from the New Testament, as our family tends to spend more time in the Hebrew Bible.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Tyndale Kids.

 

Genre: Family Devotional Bible

Highly Recommended!

I’ve been asked several times recently whether I have a favorite Bible devotional for homeschooling, and can tell that this is going to be our new favorite. It goes through the Bible from Creation to “Forever” in 52 stories of the biblical accounts, plus an additional 8 bonus sections on select topics, and a 2.5 foot fold-out timeline.

Each devotional can be realistically completed within 10 minutes (I timed myself reading a few of them, with an average of about 6 minutes each in my “mom” voice). They also include enough depth and detail to draw out into an extended conversation if preferred.

I most love: 1) the fantastic illustrations, 2) the Creationist/apologetics perspective, which even includes commentary on related issues such as the Ice Age, 3) the narrations and details within each story line (date ranges based on Ussher’s calculations, ages of characters at the times of each event, etc.) bring the accounts to life, 4) the historical chronology is thoroughly presented, even including the division of the Kingdom of Israel, 400 years of silence, and other stories that are often omitted from children’s Bibles like Isaiah’s ministry in the nude, King Josiah’s reign, and the stoning of Stephen, 5) controversial areas of theology such as the charismatic gifts, and eschatological perspectives are neutrally presented—everything follows the Bible pretty closely without adding to the story, and 6) reading the Bible itself is encouraged with a plan of daily Scripture reading, as well as footnotes for further study, and suggestions for using this devotional within a small group environment (including discussion questions).

I do have minor constructive feedback from a Messianic Jewish perspective: I do not love the word “convert” as used in the account of “The Conversion of Saul,” considering that his spiritual revelation opened him up to a born again experience, but not a new religion. He was more in line with the intentions of Judaism after recognizing Jesus as Messiah than beforehand in his legalism. Similarly, there is a negative widespread implication regarding the Pharisees. However, Paul considers himself a “Pharisee” even after becoming a Christian (Acts 23:6, Phil. 3:5), so the Pharisees are not “bad” in and of themselves, rather it was their hypocrisy and legalism that were problematic, leading them away from recognizing the Lord, rather than toward Him.

Overall, I’m very excited about this resource! You can find it at Master Books.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from New Leaf Publishing.

Genre: Christian Living/Women’s Issues/Motivational

Recommended.

This easy-to-read devotional style book encourages women to recognize and value the distinct calling God has placed on their lives, and to be grounded in the Lord, rather than pursuing comparison, jealousy, competition, and weighty personal expectations. The author shares candidly, in succinct chapters, from her own experiences in the areas of relationships (dating, marriage, and divorce), college and career pursuits, failures, and trusting God through every season.

This would be perfect reading material for young women undergoing a life transition (like high school or college graduation), for someone delayed in a desired transition (like the pursuit of marriage, or job), or for someone looking to build self esteem while connecting with God.

The content was engaging and Christ-focused throughout, although I did find myself loosing interest toward the end, partly because I am not currently in the situation of needing inspiration in these areas.

I enjoyed the way that Scripture was integrated alongside personal stories, and found the length of each devotional chapter ideal for quick, reflective reading, while the devotional questions were thoughtful and introspective.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Bethany House.

Genre: Memoir/Grief

Recommended!

September Vaudrey writes a beautiful memoir of the vibrant life of her daughter, Katie, who joined Jesus unexpectedly at age 19. She gracefully and honestly captures the depths and intersections of grief, joy, death, life, pain and love. There were also unexpected moments of suspense in seeing how God may have been working behind the scenes of this tragedy—His showing up in the most unconventional ways.

Katie was an artist, and some of her paintings/artwork are scattered throughout the book (including the front cover design, which is a rough draft of her newest work, shortly before her death). The book sections are also appropriately titled by meaningful paint colors, carrying on the depth of Katie’s artistic passion. The art and family pictures brought an added sense of connectedness to the Vaudrey family, and the treasure of Katie’s life.

This is a touching memoir. I love how September shows her grieving process within the perspective of the community, including how each family member needed to grieve differently, and how their extended family, church family, and community surrounded them in a manner that soothed them within their pain. This book is inspiring, hopeful, and life-giving.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Tyndale Momentum.

Genre: Bible/Graphic Novel/Children/Teens

Highly Recommended!

This storybook Bible is written as a graphic novel, which is so appropriate for the younger generation (including many Millennial adults)! The stylistic illustrations are set with succinct captions, allowing the Bible to cover large spans (even whole books of the Bible) in few pages.

I was especially impressed with how this Bible captures the overall history of the Bible so thoroughly. There are many stories and details that are missing (as one would expect with a children’s Bible), but the historical outline is comprehensively presented in a linear format. This may be the best “big picture” storybook Bible I have encountered.

The transition between the Old and New Testaments is particularly well explained, and the 400 years of silence has its own full page. There is also a difference in the OT and NT illustrations (from dark and sketchy, to brighter and more defined), which presents a nice metaphor on the changing spiritual atmosphere with the incarnation of Jesus. The Bible even ends with (a heavily abridged version of) Revelation, which surprised me; but it is done quite well considering the difficulty of capturing such a complex vision. I would have liked a picture of the throne room and/or a more vibrant New Jerusalem (there is a small one)—but even so, I am impressed with how much is illustrated!

It is also fun that each of the character’s is given a “superhero” name (e.g. Adam is Earthman; Deborah is The Iron Maiden; Elijah is Rainmaker; Nehemiah is The Governor; John the Baptist is The Voice; some of the major characters receive more than one name). But as creative as the superhero names were, it might be less confusing to stick with the real ones, at least for practical purposes.

After reading the entire Hero Bible alone, I have now been reading it with my almost-six year old, and he is glued to the stories. We collect Bible storybooks and rotate through them, and this is one of his favorites right now. It is a bit dark—but then so is much of the biblical content!! Some of the stories (especially in the OT) have pretty graphic “bad guys”, war scenes, and violence. I like that the narrative does not glaze over the difficult parts of biblical history, and it makes for good discussion. But, this really is aimed more for teens than younger kids, and some parents/teachers may still be uncomfortable with parts of it.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Kregel Publications.

 

Genre: Children’s Games

Recommended.

Bible Dominoes is similar to “regular” dominoes except that it uses thick cardboard cards, which have colors, patterns, numbers, and Bible story characters/animals drawn on each card half. There is consistency between the images. For instance, purple with a circle pattern could be zero, 0, or a blank; orange with a tear drop pattern is one, 1, or a single Bible story image; violet/blue with a wave pattern is two, 2, or two Bible images, and so forth. One at a time the players place down a new domino to match the ends of the images together.

There is also a little booklet that came with the game of quick summaries of some of the Bible stories. Our family was not too excited by this. The kids were already familiar with the stories, and just wanted to play the game. But the pictures on the cards do match the pamphlet, so it is helpful to read it to tell apart the different renditions of the characters. This also creates the connection between pictorial dominoes and Bible-specific dominoes. That is, how much the game reflects the Bible is in the parenting/teaching style of involvement. There could be more depth to this, but I like the open-endedness of being able to share the Bible stories in my own way with this as a prop.

My kids do like playing with the dominoes. My five year old (who was four when we received the game a few months ago) said, “Mom, I think this game is a little easy for me.” But he asks to play it nevertheless, and has a good time helping his younger brother, as well as asking many questions about the various characters and pictures.

My two and a half year old enjoys playing this even more. He is at the perfect age to find the game both fun and challenging. He is great at matching by color, but sometimes confused with recognizing the matching numbers as well, which provides a great learning opportunity. The cards are also big enough and sturdy enough not to be easily bent or broken by toddlers.

I received a complimentary copy of this game from Kregel Publications.

Genre: Autobiography/Social Issues

Highly Recommended!

This is one of the most moving biographical testimonies I have read!

Abby Johnson’s passion for helping women prompted her to volunteer with Planned Parenthood, where she eventually became the director of a clinic in Bryan, Texas, counseling and aiding hurting women—and yes, aiding in abortions as well. She even had a couple abortions herself.

It is an exciting miracle, then, when God progressively transforms her heart to recognize the harm and injustice of abortion, despite her good intentions, and to confront the lies she had believed about abortion being a helpful and viable option when God has better plans to make all things good—even in the most difficult situations.

Her testimony is powerful, vivid, and emotional; sharing honestly from both sides of the pro-choice/pro-life conflict. This is a difficult topic, but I felt the story was balanced in revealing the good and the bad from both sides of the “fence” (e.g. the pro-choice love for women that may be unexpected from a pro-lifer, or some of the hate-filled methods of protest by the pro-life crowd). In eventually partnering with the “enemy” (the Coalition for Life), Abby finds God’s love, and begins partnering for social justice in God’s way. It is truly a remarkable story; and the new ending in this revised version is exciting for the pro-life camp!

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Tyndale House Publishers (it is co-published with Focus on the Family).

Genre: Contemporary Fiction/Parenting

Highly Recommended!

This is my new favorite book of the season! I was drawn it because I am a big fan of Rene Gutteridge. I was a little hesitant of the book itself, because I don’t tend to read fiction about family life; but I loved it!! It made me laugh out loud in one scene, get teary-eyed in another, and overall encouraged, inspired, motivated, and heightened the love I have for my own young children and parenting endeavors.

I am not sure I would have been so wrapped up in the characters were I not a mother, but it really pulled on my heartstrings. I immediately connected and/or empathized with each character and situation, and I think other parents and grandparents will be moved likewise.

The premise is that four very different families are facing unique parenting challenges. There is a single dad raising a daughter after his wife’s recent death, a couple pregnant with their first child, a family trying to have a “summer of fun” as their two eldest are leaving the “nest”—one to marriage, and the other to college, and another family prioritizing their outward appearances and opportunities while neglecting to spend quality time together. The lives of these families entwine with each other in a humorous and often emotional way.

The story was inspired during a baby dedication as Michelle Cox was touched by the pastor’s sentiment that the couple would have only 18 summers with their little one, so to make them all count. This was the birth of the 18 Summers brand, and this story which Cox first made into a screenplay, and which has now been novelized by Gutteridge. A film is in the works, and I am excited for its release.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Tyndale House Publishers.

Genre: Marriage and Family

Highly Recommended.

Deb DeArmond uses the biblical foundation of marriage to provide a helpful guide to navigating and improving the women-in-law (women-in-love) relationship. Some of the topics included are: love versus law, the biblical precedent of leaving and cleaving, strengthening communication, developing trust, setting boundaries, and helping the man-in-the-middle. Each chapter is engaging, succinct, and includes a self-assessment quiz, journal questions, and a Scripture-based prayer. The “workbook” area is especially good!

I was attracted to this book because I have been wanting to improve on demonstrating love to my MIL. We have a pretty good relationship, but I am a bit reserved and do not always know how to open up to show her the love I feel for her. This book did more than that for me—it has completely changed my perspective of the MIL/DIL dynamic. I feel I understand and love my MIL on an even deeper level after hearing DeArmond’s stories, wisdom, and completing the workbook sections at the end of each chapter. I only wish this had been a resource to me before or earlier on in our marriage!

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Kregel Publications.

Genre: Spiritual Growth, Gender Studies, Family Ministry

Not Recommended.

Trained in the Fear of God began so well I was reading it with a highlighter. I was excited by statements like: “Christian households and churches are not shelters from the conflict; they are gospel-empowered training bases for the conflict” (14); such a strong case was made for the importance of family ministry that I was excited to learn how to apply it within our household and congregation. Unfortunately, I really felt the book fell short of it’s introduction. It was “okay” and certainly informative, but it didn’t engage me or offer anything new or exciting to make seeking out this particular book worthwhile. Actually, I found the tone of the writing to be negative in several places, rather than encouraging and edifying to the body at large.

Structurally, this book is actually a collection of shorter, academically written, articles arranged into three topical sections: 1) the theological basis of family/church structure (especially in regard to gender roles), 2) the historical views of family discipleship within church history, and 3) the practical application of bringing a strong spiritual tradition into our homes. The articles themselves are completely independent from each other and written from a variety of authors. I read each article with various degrees of interest and enjoyment. A few of the articles I really enjoyed, many I found informative but didn’t personally connect with, and many others I just really didn’t like for various reasons. The advantage of this structure is that it can be read in any order or amount and used as a reference book. However, this is a surprisingly small book to be an anthology, and most of the articles were not very thorough, so in general I felt the structure hindered the message of the text. I think it would have been more powerful for the authors to focus in on the most important issues (say, the biblical framework of family ministry) and to write cohesive chapters with a climatic build of information and a direct application of the principles being taught. I felt instead that the book was trying to cover too much with little success.

I also want to mention that the book focuses heavily on the family and church being led by men and supported by women as a definite secondary role. I actually do agree that men and women are created distinctly, with unique purposes. But the emphasis, I felt, was inappropriately exaggerated as there is much more depth and beauty to how God created us than what I felt this text implied. Just as there is both a distinction and a unity between Jewish and Gentile believers, so is there an appropriate balance between the roles and partnership of male and female believers. The upset of how this balance was described in this book really hinders the message of family ministry, and, despite its intention to reinstate a positive family structure, was discouraging to that mission.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Kregel Publications.