Unit Study: History: Grades 3 - 6
America
Author: Chris Roe
Publisher: Christian Novel Studies
For more information or to order: www.christiannovelstudies.com

If you love to study history with literature and long to be able to integrate all your subjects together in unit study fashion, then take a look at America from Christian Novel Studies.  Homeschool mom Chris Roe, has done a phenomenal job putting together this program!  She has given moms a day-by-day lesson format, covering every subject area except math.  Written for grades 3 - 6, America is easily adapted to include your younger or older students.  While most unit studies give you lots of ideas for each subject area but leave you to plan your days and pull together resources, America supplies you with exact lessons, teaching notes, weekly supply lists and a small list of required books.  Most of the core titles are available at the library, but a few may need to be purchased.  For convenience, Christian Novel Studies sells the books in sets to go along with the curriculum.  Want to dig deeper or read more?  Chris also includes an extensive reading list, which she connects to the various topics covered each week.

America is designed to be completed in one year and comes in three spiral-bound volumes (you may also choose to purchase the curriculum in three-hole punch format).  Part One: 1492-1789, Land of the Pilgrims' Pride; Part Two: 1787-1837, From Every Mountainside; and Part Three: 1837-1860, Let Freedom Ring.  The author has chosen to build this curriculum using the children's version of The Light and The Glory, From Sea to Shining Sea, and Sounding Forth the Trumpet by Peter Marshall and David Manuel.  Written from a Christian perspective, these books - and the entire America study - emphasize God's providential hand in the history of our country. (Year Two of America has recently been released - also put together in three volumes, it covers the years 1861 - 2001)

The hallmark of this program is the complete integration of ALL subject areas to the time period, person or event being studied that week.  Subject areas covered include: history, geography, English, vocabulary, spelling, Bible, science, health, safety, and manners.
 
Each student needs a notebook where they will place their daily assignments.  The author has provided several reproducible forms, maps and templates in the appendix.  If you'd rather not create your own notebook, Christian Novel Studies now offers a pack of worksheets that you can purchase for each student.  The worksheets can then be placed in a binder as they are completed.  As you progress through the 3 volumes, students will also make a State book, a book of Presidents, a poetry booklet and a Nature notebook.  The only subject area that is not included in the daily lessons is Science.  Instead, at the beginning of each week there are two science lessons complete with teaching notes and activity suggestions.  The author suggests that you choose which days of the week you will do science and then refer to the lessons as needed. 

My favorite part of America is how she has put together the language arts lessons - they are extremely well done!  Chris teaches all grade appropriate language arts concepts from punctuation and grammar to spelling and vocabulary - and she does it all by utilizing the books you are reading as you study the time period.  Even the spelling words are taken from that week's topic.  On Day 1 of each week, five spelling words are provided for Levels 3 and 4 and five more challenging words are listed for Levels 5 and 6.  If you'd like to add more spelling words, Chris has given us a list of Dolch site words in the appendix.  She also explains a proven strategy that students can follow to learn their spelling words.   For English, students keep a list of punctuation and grammar rules, adding to the list as they move through the course.  Vocabulary words are also taken directly from the daily read aloud, but instead of having the student copy definitions, Chris uses several different methods to teach kids how to discover and explore the meaning of words for themselves.  America utilizes the narration method of study and provides questions for mom to use to guide your discussions of the literature reading.  The curriculum uses a variety of activities to reinforce the material being studied and answers to all questions and activities are provided in the appendix. 

Of course, above all, America is a History curriculum!  That means you'll find lots of great information, quality books, arts and crafts ideas for the time period and more.  Chris guides you and your children through thoughtful discussions about what is read, often challenging you to dig below the surface and really think about what motivated the people who built our country to do what they did.  She does an excellent job of integrating Biblical principles/character traits throughout and also provides plenty of map work.  Not only do children learn about the people who make up our great heritage, they also learn the history behind many of our nation's great patriotic songs.  No history study would be complete without a timeline, so Chris has provided us with instructions for assembling a timeline and all the timeline figures you'll need to refer to throughout the study.

Chris Roe has put so much thought into this curriculum AND she seems to have thought of everything!  She has planned every detail, even the supplies needed for the daily lessons.  Each week, Chris provides you with a list of needed supplies by subject area.  She also lets you know which day of the week you'll be using them.  If something out of the ordinary is needed, she is sure to let you know several weeks ahead of time so you can be prepared.

America is a well-prepared curriculum that is destined to be a favorite homeschool resource for years to come.

Making the Grade: A++
Cost: $99
Value for your homeschool dollar: 10
Review provided by Cindy Prechtel, Editor