Strengths:
Like Bob Jones Heritage Studies 2 and 3, Bob Jones Heritage Studies 4th grade history is full of colorful pictures and is presented in a way that is interesting and enjoyable for elementary age students.  Bob Jones Heritage Studies 4 takes the next step though, into longer, more in depth lessons than Heritage Studies 2 and 3.

The opening lessons of Bob Jones Heritage Studies 4th grade history expands the horizons beyond our new nation to lay a wonderful foundation of the earth and its seven continents.  Students learn about the north and south poles, the hemispheres, parallels and meridians, oceans, altitudes, climates, and natural resources and how all of these affect where people do and don’t live on … Read the rest of this post…

A thorough search for the right history textbook takes a great deal of time and effort, but the work pays off.  Not only has the teacher made a thoroughly informed decision (with the side effect of an excellent refresher on the historical periods discussed), but the textbook chosen as the best of the best will an investment able to be reused for many years.  The most important areas to look at when investigating a history textbook are the accuracy of the facts presented; the breadth and depth of facts presented; the use of primary source material; and the point of view of the author.

Begin by checking the book for basic accuracy.  Flipping through the book, take notes of a … Read the rest of this post…

In 1904, Drs. John Haaren and A.B. Poland, the authors of Famous Men of the Middle Ages, wrote that elementary-aged children should be fed the stories of famous men.  This, they felt, would help them sympathize with and even identify themselves with those they study. (Preface, p. v)  How effective to teach history around the lives of of real people instead of details of battles and marriages and reigns!

Rob and Cyndy Shearer of Greenleaf Press somehow got a hold of this book and revised, edited, and updated it for modern readers.  They achieved their personal family goal of making history interesting for their children, and wanted to pass on their findings with others.  I am so glad they did!… Read the rest of this post…

Teaching American history is a great way to foster patriotism and the values that make us who we are as Americans.  It is fun history to teach, for there is always some sort of field trip the class can take to get first hand experience of historical sites.  American revolutionary history sites on the East Coast, Spanish missions, Gold Rush on the west coast and Westward Expansion, Silver Rush, and Bleeding Kansas in between.  In the South, there is the Civil War.  In the North, the Industrial Revolution, throughout the country are there are one room school houses, Indian missions, terrible forest fire, fur trapping sites, and more.

Teaching American history has a different quality to world history or European … Read the rest of this post…

Many people nowadays have finished school with only hazy, shadowy notions of ancient Greece and ancient Rome—they are lucky if they even know what Julius Caesar meant by “Veni, vidi, vici” or if they have some idea who Socrates was.  A good history program teaches the fundamentals of classical history with lots of the interesting details.  All history courses should include a diet of interesting, real books to read in addition to any textbooks being used to provide the course’s structure.  A good program should also include plenty of history activities that bring the study out of the books and into students’ lives and imaginations.

Classical history is the grounding for many interesting and absorbing history activities.  Children love the … Read the rest of this post…

One of the more readable American history textbook out there is All American History, published by Bright Ideas Press.  The author has done a great job of telling the story of history as a story.  She’s researched scholarly and primary sources and quotes interesting passages directly from time to time.  The assignments are designed to truly get a student involved.

These aren’t just quizzes and research papers.  Students are encouraged to keep a history notebook where they collect interesting maps and illustrations from the time period studied; notes about controversies and little known facts; and their own opinions of the ideas or events current at that time.  There is a lot of freedom with the notebook; it’s meant to be … Read the rest of this post…

The most effective study guides are the ones a student makes himself.  And the easiest way to make a world history study guide is to draw up a timeline.  This works best in MS Excel, since it is easy to sort.

Begin by formatting the spreadsheet.  In the first cell, first column, type “Year.”  Call the second column, “Event.”  Drag that column out to about four times as wide as the first.  Leave it selected.  Click Format.  From the drop down list, select Cells.  Select the Alignment tab.  Under Text Control, check the box next to Wrap Text.  Click Okay.  Now click the second cell in the first column (immediately below the word, “Year”).  Click Window.  From the dropdown list, … Read the rest of this post…

To make great grades on your next history test, make yourself a history study guide.  It will make study much more efficient and thorough and help the material to stick in your mind for the test.  You will be amazed at the difference constructing a good history study guide can make!

There are three steps: gathering material, formatting, and memorizing.  The better each step is performed, the easier the next one is.  In a pinch, all three steps can be performed in one long intense session (depending on how much material the test is covering).  Ideally, they would be spread out across at least three days.

To get started on the first step, gathering material, assemble your class notes, … Read the rest of this post…

To write a successful history lesson plan from scratch is not too hard.  Many homeschooling parents prefer it this way so that they can customize to fit their family.  A good high school history lesson plan requires just five things, a main textbook, supplementary reading, hands on activities, tests, and a research paper.

Start is by selecting a good high school level textbook for the time period you’d like to cover.  This will provide the framework to organize the schedule for the rest of the course.  Take your time choosing a good one – carefully look through several before making a selection.  Look for extensive quotes from primary sources, factual correctness/inclusion of all major events, and balance (giving both sides … Read the rest of this post…

Field trips, reading historical fiction, and other history activities can really make the past come alive for kids.  Every locality has its little museums and showplaces about local history.  These are the easiest starting point for history field trips.  More planning is required for field trips involving the history of locations that are not close by – 17th century England for example.  Generally the best opportunities to experience artifacts or the “feel” of the time period are in reenactments provided by historical societies or collections displayed at large museums.

Field trips to historic sites make great history activities.  There is nothing quite like the experience of standing on the very ground where fill-in-the-blank happened so many years ago.  To help … Read the rest of this post…