The Greenleaf history series is based on a series of classic children's history texts by John H. Haaren and A. B. Poland. The original texts have been revised and updated by Robert and Cyndi Shearer, who have also composed supplementary student guides. This is a similar effort to that of Memoria Press (both publishers used the same texts as their basis), with a significantly more Protestant bias. In fact, whereas Memoria Press used a Haaren-Poland text for their Modern Times segment, Robert Shearer penned his own volume to more thoroughly address the Protestant Reformers. There are also two introductory texts that cover the Old Testament and Egypt, but these are significantly different in style and approach from the rest of the series.
How Do These Work?
The Greenleaf Guide to Ancient Egypt is more or less a unit study guide. Ten lessons take students from Egyptian geography and the Two Kingdoms to Rameses II. A variety of texts are suggested for study, though you could as easily find your own. If you choose your own texts, however, you will need to make sure the information in the guide is covered in them as the exercises (which include fun hands-on activities) and study questions are specific for each lesson. This is also a sort of informal introduction to the study of history for young students. This isn't a stand-alone text; it is merely a guide to direct you through study of other primary or secondary texts.
The Greenleaf Guide to the Old Testament is less unit study-oriented than the ancient Egypt text. The only supplementary book you will need is the Old Testament. Study questions both teach and illuminate, and by the end students will be intimately acquainted with the figures and events of the Old Testament. This is neither a doctrinal study nor a technically historical study, but rather a survey of the story of Israel and the nations around it. Ethical and moral conclusions are drawn in some of the lessons, but these are general to Christianity and not specific to a certain theological or denominational background.
The next three texts are more uniform in approach. There are just two elements for each—the student text (by Haaren and Poland, with revisions), and the non-consumable guide which includes study questions, vocabulary, and suggestions for further reading and study. (These are merely suggestions; each level is easily completed independently, though the outside resources add perspective and nuance.) Thereare also laminated, fold-up timecharts available for the Famous Men texts. The student books are illustrated with famous paintings in black and white, and the text is clear and readable. The guides aren't really teacher editions as there isn't much support material; they are mainly intended to reinforce the material students are reading in the primary text.
The titles and order for these three texts are Famous Men of Greece, Famous Men of Rome, and Famous Men of the Middle Ages. Each one is divided into short, manageable chapters that correspond to the lessons in the guide. The chapters are all devoted to famous figures in Greek, Roman and European history, but they aren't just biographies—important events and trends associated with them are also discussed. Students will not gain a comprehensive view of any period of history from these texts, but when they go on to more serious history study they will already be familiar (at least on a cursory level) with much of the material.
Famous Men of the Reformation and Renaissance follows the same format as the previous three volumes, but the student text was written by Robert Shearer. As mentioned above, this text deals more (and more sympathetically) with Protestants than the corresponding Modern Times text from Memoria Press. Shearer writes in a similar style to Haaren and Poland, so students won't be shocked by a radically different kind of text.
This series is intended for younger students. Don't use this with high schoolers—not only are they prepared for more information, they will be uncomfortable with the style which was intended for elementary students. This is introductory history: students (grades 3-8, ideally) will be introduced to some of the more prominent points of history, and be prepared to tackle each topic more thoroughly in high school.
Our Honest Opinion:
For introductory history, this is a good choice. Young students won't be put off by an overpowering textbooky approach; instead, they will be drawn in by engaging text that doesn't speak over their heads or to a vague audience. The course isn't overly rigorous, but at the same time it is as thorough as it needs to be. Many parents will appreciate the distinctly Christian tone of the guides designed to show kids the hand of God throughout history. Fortunately there isn't a preachy or moralistic tone, just an unashamed biblical worldview that provides the context for a study of history in the first place. Though it is more textbooky and dry, a good place to go from here might be the Streams of Civilization books from Christian Liberty Press. If your student likes history, you might also simply have him read books about important periods and people, or history topics he's particularly interested in.
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