Frequently Asked Questions

1. Is state history required?
2. In what grade level should state history be taught?
3. In grades 3-12, how do I adjust the difficulty level and course depth to meet my preferences?
4. What difference does a “Christian Perspective” make?
5. Must every student have his own copy of the materials?
6. How many lessons are there and how long does each lesson take?
7. Do the Student Booklet and the Funbook Activity Pages provide all the material needed by the student to make his notebook?
8. Does the material give suggestions for field trips?
9. Can I teach the course without the Lesson Plans?
10. Is it possible to obtain an exam copy?

1. Is state history required?

It is required in most states in public and accredited private schools. Homeschool laws differ from state to state. Even in states that do not list specific requirements for homeschoolers, it is generally agreed that homeschoolers and non-accredited private schools should cover the subjects required for schools.

2. In what grade level should state history be taught?

It is often taught in 4th grade but in some states is taught or repeated in 7th grade or above. Unless your state requires it in a particular grade, you may cover it at any time. State History from a Christian Perspective will provide you with a solid overview of your state’s history. It is our opinion that a detailed history study is too difficult for students younger than third grade. Younger students will enjoy an introductory study of their state using our Funbook, but they will still need to do our history course in an older grade in order to satisfy the state history study requirement.

3. In grades 3-12, how do I adjust the difficulty level and course depth to meet my preferences?

For younger grades or for a lighter course, do only what is required and limit the student’s activities to “cut and paste” whenever possible. Skip all optional research. For older grades or for a more challenging course, incorporate research and projects as suggested in the lesson plans and in the Expansion Suggestions at the end of each lesson. Because it is easy to individually adjust the difficulty level, the course adapts easily to teaching varied grade levels together. The material that will appear on quizzes and tests is underlined, making it easy to help even the younger students prepare.

4. What difference does a “Christian Perspective” make?
It makes a difference in what is covered and how it is covered. The description of events and the choice of historical figures to set forth as examples reflect an emphasis on patriotism, character, and Biblical truth. You will not have to be on guard for overtones of evolution, humanism, socialism, or atheism. We do quote Bible verses (KJV) in some of our books. 

5. Must every student have his own copy of the materials?

Yes. The materials are copyrighted and may not be duplicated. Each student will need his own copy of either the Funbook (which includes the Activity Pages) or the Student Booklet. If you choose the My State Notebook option, each student will also need his own copy of My State Notebook. All of these materials are consumable (the Activity Pages will be cut apart and pasted into the Funbook; the Student Booklet will be cut apart and pasted into My State Notebook or the student's 3-ring binder.) It is possible for several students to make one notebook as a group project; however, the distinction of a personalized notebook is lost when the book becomes a group project.

6. How many lessons are there and how long does each lesson take?

The one-semester independent study course for grades 7-12 (included in the Appendix of the Master Lesson Plans) has 90 lessons. All other course options have 30 lessons. Each Funbook lesson takes 15 to 30 minutes, depending on the student. For grades 3-12, each lesson takes 20-45 minutes, depending on the difficulty level you choose and any optional research or activities you assign. The basic 30-lesson course may easily be expanded to a full year or longer using expansion suggestions and scheduling suggestions given in the Master Lesson Plans.

7. Do the Student Booklet and the Funbook Activity Pages provide all the material needed by the student to make his notebook?

No. There are some things you and/or your student must collect, such as free tourist literature, information about your home city, names of your current government officials, etc. The materials needed for each course are listed in the course instructions, along with suggestions as to how and where the materials can be obtained. The materials needed for the basic 30-lesson course are minimal and can usually be obtained with one or two phone calls, one trip to the library, or one internet session.

8. Does the material give suggestions for field trips?

There are general suggestions throughout the material, such as “visit a historical landmark” or “visit a geographical location known for its scenic beauty.” For specific suggestions, or to find locations near you, you may refer to the tourist literature you will obtain, to literature from your library or a travel agency, or to the “Places to Visit” section in the World Book Encyclopedia article on your state.

9. Can I teach the course without the Lesson Plans?

No. The Master Lesson Plans instruct you to do things in My State Notebook or in the binder notebook that are not covered in the Student Booklet. For this reason, there will not be a page in the Student Booklet for each lesson.  Even if you have lesson plans for Abeka, we suggest you use our Master Lesson Plan Book and substitute ours for theirs for the state history part of these 30 lessons.  Our daily plans will guide you through filling in the notebook with the material in our Student Booklet.  The process will be slightly different from the Abeka lesson plans, but you will accomplish the same goals.

10. Is it possible to obtain an exam copy?

We provide an exam copy only to an incorporated Christian school with a valid tax I.D. number. For information, please contact us.