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Description
For years, James Stobaugh has written homeschool curriculum, focusing primarily on the study of literature from a Christian perspective and SAT test preparation. Mr. Stobaugh has now turned his attention to history. These courses focus on general themes in a given time period and require the student to use his research, analysis, discussion and essay writing skills rather than his memorization skills. Another feature of the courses is good incorporation and discussion of Christian beliefs and ethics (particularly evident in the World History course) compared to the prevailing philosophy of the people group and time period.
Each course has a student book and a teacher book and is divided into 34 chapters. Each chapter contains 8-15 pages in the student book, and is divided into four lessons. In the revised editions, photos and artwork are full-color. The text reads more like Mr. Stobaugh is telling the reader a story. Because of the good readability and short chapters, the course could be used for a middle school student who is an excellent reader and history enthusiast. However, Mr. Stobaugh presumes that the student will be doing outside research, not just reading the assigned pages. Daily assignments are purposely left open-ended; the student should have the time to pursue the research wherever it leads.
As an example, Chapter 8 of the American History course covers the years from 1800 to 1820 in 8 pages of text. The first page contains a brief overview of the era, and learning objectives for the chapter. The four lessons are "A Peaceful Revolution", "An Era of Good Feelings", "History Maker: John Quincy Adams", and "Historical Debate: National Period". Assignments for each lesson are one to five research/essay questions.
This philosophy carries over into the chapter tests; while there are some single-answer questions, the majority of the points given on the test are for answers to essay questions.
Where possible, the Teacher Guide contains answers to the lesson assignments and chapter tests. On many essay questions, the Guide gives information which may or should be included in the student's essay. However, some questions are opinion questions; the teacher must gauge whether the student has adequately supported his answer with facts and reasons.
To use this course successfully would require a motivated student who enjoys researching topics on his own. This is not a history book full of times, places and dates, but rather a framework from which to build a knowledge of history. ~ Bob
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Teaching Method
Traditional
Teacher-centered curriculum commonly used in classrooms that may include a text, teacher manual, tests, etc.
Charlotte Mason
A methodology based on the work of a 19th century educator who maintained that children learn best from literature (Living Books), not textbooks.
Classical
A methodology based on the Latin Trivium (three stages of learning), including the grammar stage (memorization and facts), logic stage (critical thinking), and rhetoric stage (developing/defending ideas).
Unit Study
A thematic or topical approach centered around one topic that integrates multiple subject areas.
Montessori (Discovery)
A methodology based on the work of a 20th century educator that emphasizes student and sensory-driven discovery learning and real-life applications.
Other
Other methodologies
Religious Content
Secular
Contains content contrary to common Christian beliefs (i.e. evolution).
Neutral
Avoids religious or theoretical topics or presents multiple viewpoints without preference.
Christian/Religious
Faith-based or including instructional religious content.
Learning Modality
Auditory
Learns through listening, talking out loud or reading out loud.
Visual
Learns through seeing, prefers written instructions and visual materials.
Kinesthetic/Tactile (Hands-On)
Learns through moving, doing and touching.
Multi-Sensory
Curriculum that employ a variety of activities/components.
Presentation
Sequential
Curriculum progresses through well-defined learning objectives. Emphasizes mastery before moving to the next topic.
Spiral
Topics and concepts are repeated from level to level, adding more depth at each pass and connecting with review.
Conceptual/Topical
Focus is on the “why,” often with a unifying concept as well as specific skills; coverage may be broader.
Teacher Involvement
Low Teacher Involvement
Student-led materials; parent acts as a facilitator.
Medium Teacher Involvement
A mix of teacher-led time and independent student work.
High Teacher Involvement
Teacher-led lessons; may utilize discussions, hands-on activities and working together.
Additional Materials Required
No other materials needed
Everything you need is included.
Other Materials Required
There are additional required resources that are a separate purchase.
Other Materials Optional
There are additional resources mentioned or recommended but are not absolutely necessary.
Consumable
Consumable
Designed to be written in; not reusable.
Non-Consumable
Not designed to be written in; reusable.