History

History CurriculumHistory Resources

As with most things, C.S. Lewis had a unique view of history. For him, the really important bits were the stories—he makes a distinction between actual historical realities and the idealized versions of them handed down which make heroes and villains of mere men and women. It's not that the stories are completely false, but their value is for character-building, not as factual data.

The tales of George Washington's bravery in battle, coolness under pressure, rigorous truthfulness, and unflagging piety may accurately preserve the essence of his temperament and nobility, but not all of them are strictly historical. The point of these stories isn't to impart facts, however, it's to offer an example of goodness for the rest of us to emulate.

Getting the facts right is still important, though. As Christians, we can't afford to have a false understanding of "the old days." Mankind is fallen, and the story of his sojourn on Earth is filled with war, suffering, disease, unfaithfulness, pride and envy; a study of history that omits those elements is both false and useless. False, because it is incomplete, and useless, because it tells us nothing of the human condition or our current situation.

It's a bit of a mystery to us why non-Christians are motivated to study the past. For believers, the end goal isn't just acquisition of facts about events and cultures, it's the instillation of a thoroughly Christian worldview, an understanding of the course of the human endeavour as decreed and guided by God Himself.

The story of Jesus Christ is central. It is the only history story that fulfills the character-building element Lewis looked for, while remaining absolutely true in every detail. Man is fallen and he does struggle against God, but through Christ there is hope of redemption, a chance to connect heaven and earth through the Atonement. Christ is the ultimate example of God's providence.

In the Reformed tradition, God's sovereignty is a very big deal. According to the doctrine of divine decree, God has ordered all things that were, are and will come to be for His own good pleasure and glory. His hand is thus present everywhere, in the privatest private life and the most public and widespread crisis. God is in control, providentially guiding nations, men, and the entire cosmos.

This very doctrine is perhaps what best explains the humanist's interest in history (whether he be atheist, agnostic, pagan). Man's natural bent is to make himself the hero of the story, to show how people can sway the trajectory of all things. God's version is quite different, and the two are naturally in conflict. Resolution may only be found in Christ.

For, while God decrees and guides all things, He has also (paradoxically) decreed man's free will and personal responsibility. Men do change the course of kingdoms, but it is only through God's agency. A proper Christian study of history takes both truths into account, and tells the stories of good guys and bad guys through the light of everything God's Word says about human nature and divine control.

We encourage you to take great comfort and joy in your study of history. Read books, watch movies (carefully noting that a lot of the story is likely to be inaccurate in detail), go on fieldtrips to forts and battlefields and birthplaces. Most of all, talk about these things. The end goal, after all, isn't to know a bunch of trivia, but to understand what God has done and continues to do.

No one knows for sure what the end of history will look like, except that every knee in heaven and on earth will bow to the returned glorious Christ, who comes to judge the living and the dead. What we believe about Him will determine whether that culmination will be filled with joy or loathing (everyone will be terrified). He is the author of history, and its centerpiece; honor Him in your study of it.

Review by C. Hollis Crossman
C. Hollis Crossman used to be a child. Now he's a husband and father who loves church, good food, and weird stuff. He might be a mythical creature, but he's definitely not a centaur. Read more of his reviews here.
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159 Items found Print
Active Filters: 2nd grade (Ages 7-8), Perfectbound
ABC Book of Early Americana
by Eric Sloane
2012 Dover from Dover Publications
for Kindergarten-4th grade
in Pioneer & Frontier Life (Location: HISA-19PIO)
$10.95
Abe Lincoln: The Boy Who Loved Books
by Kay Winters, illustrated by Nancy Carpenter
from Simon and Schuster
for Kindergarten-2nd grade
in Biographies (Location: BIO)
$7.64
Abe's Honest Words
by Doreen Rappaport, illustrated by Kadir Nelson
from Disney-Hyperion
for Kindergarten-3rd grade
in Biographies (Location: BIO)
$3.60 (1 in stock)
Abraham Lincoln
A Rookie Biography
by Carol Greene
from Children's Press
for Kindergarten-2nd grade
in Biographies (Location: BIO)
$2.40 (1 in stock)
African-Americans in the Thirteen Colonies
by Deborah Kent
from Children's Press
for 2nd-6th grade
in Cornerstones of Freedom (Location: VIN-CORN)
Alvin Ailey
by Andrea Davis Pinkney; illustrated by Brian Pinkney
from Hyperion Books for Children
for Preschool-3rd grade
in Biographies (Location: BIO)
$3.60 (1 in stock)
America - with CD
from Diana Waring Presents
for 1st-6th grade
in Diana Waring History Revealed (Location: OHIS-DWHR)
America in the Time of Lewis and Clark
by Sally Senzel Isaacs
from Heinemann-Raintree
for 2nd-5th grade
in 19th Century America (Location: HISA-19C)
$6.00 (1 in stock)
Ancient Egyptians
History Opens Windows
by Jane Shuter
Revised and Updated from Heinemann-Raintree
for 1st-3rd grade
in Ancient Egypt (Location: HISW-ANEG)
$4.00 (2 in stock)
Anne of Jamestown
by Anne Price-Hardister, illustrated by Ruby Gardner
from Jamestown-Yorktown Foundation
for 2nd-6th grade
in Jamestown Colony (Location: HISA-17JA)
Anno's China
by Anno
from Beautiful Feet Books
for 1st-4th grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$12.71
Anno's U.S.A.
by Mitsumasa Anno
from Philomel Books
for Preschool-3rd grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
Beyond the Ridge
by Paul Goble
from Aladdin Books
for Preschool-2nd grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$2.00 (1 in stock)
Bible Lands Series - 2 volumes
by Martha Fisher, illustrated by Josephine Beachy, Rhoda Shenk, Christy Collins, Arlene Martin
from Rod & Staff Publishers, Inc.
for 1st-3rd grade
in Bible Study & Reference for Kids (Location: BIBR-STU)
$10.50 (1 in stock)
Big Picture Bible Time Line
by Carol Eide - compiled
from Gospel Light Publications
for Grades 1st-6th
in Bible Study & Reference for Kids (Location: BIBR-STU)
$12.00 (1 in stock)
Big Quiet House
by Heather Forest, illustrated by Susan Greenstein
from August House
for Preschool-2nd grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$7.61
Birrarung Wilam
by Aunty Joy Murphy & Andrew Kelly, illustrated by Lisa Kennedy
from Candlewick Press
for Preschool-2nd grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$6.79
Bold Composer
Creative Minds Biographies
by Judith P. Josephson, illustrated by Barbara Kiwak
from Lerner Publishing Group
for 2nd-4th grade
in Biographies (Location: BIO)
Boy Who Loved Bugs
by Molly Sanchez, illustrated by Larissa Sharina
from The Good and the Beautiful
for Preschool-2nd grade
in GATB Science & Health (Location: CUR-GABSc)
Brooklyn Bridge
by Elizabeth Mann
from Mikaya Press
for 2nd-5th grade
in U.S. Monuments & Symbols (Location: HISV-LANUS)
$7.50 (1 in stock)
Brother Eagle, Sister Sky
by Chief Seattle, illustrated by Susan Jeffers
from Puffin Books
for Preschool- 3rd Grade
in Oversized Picture Books (Location: PIC-OVER)
$8.99
Buffalo Bird Girl
by S. D. Nelson
from Abrams Books for Young Readers
for Kindergarten-3rd grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$8.46 $4.80 (4 in stock)
Calamity Jane
by Doris Faber
from Houghton Mifflin
for 1st-4th grade
in Biographies (Location: BIO)
Can't You Make Them Behave, King George?
by Jean Fritz, illustrated by Tomie dePaola
from Coward McCann
for 2nd-4th grade
in American Revolution (1765-1783) (Location: HISA-18REV)
$2.50 (1 in stock)
Central Pacific Railroad
Cornerstones of Freedom Second Series
by Clark J. Evans
from Children's Press
for 2nd-5th grade
in Cornerstones of Freedom (Location: VIN-CORN)
Changing Weather
by Ashlee Klemm, illustrated by Vanessa Toye
from The Good and the Beautiful
for 1st-3rd grade
in GATB Science & Health (Location: CUR-GABSc)
$6.00 (2 in stock)
Charlotte Mason
by Lanaya Gore, illustrated by Twila Farmer
from Blue Sky Daisies
for Kindergarten-3rd grade
in Charlotte Mason Education (Location: HSR-METCM)
$16.11
Cherokee: The Past and Present of a Proud Nation
American Indian Life
by Danielle Smith-Llera
from Capstone Press
for 2nd-4th grade
in Native American History (Location: HISA-19NAT)
$4.50 (1 in stock)
Child's History of the World
by Virgil M. Hillyer
from Sonlight Curriculum, Ltd.
World History Reference for 2nd-6th grade
in History Spines & Surveys (Location: HISRF-SPINE)
Civil Rights Movement in America
Cornerstones of Freedom
by Elaine Landau
Reprint from Children's Press
for 2nd-5th grade
in Cornerstones of Freedom (Location: VIN-CORN)
Claude Monet: Sunshine and Waterlilies by Steven Packard
Smart About Art
by True Kelley
from Grosset & Dunlap
for 1st-3rd grade
in Artists & Illustrators (Location: ELE-ARTISTS)
$3.00 (1 in stock)
Colors of the Wind
by J L Powers, illustrated by George Mendoza & Hayley Morgan-Sanders
from Purple House Press
for Kindergarten-2nd grade
in Biographies (Location: BIO)
$12.74
Countries Around the World: New Zealand
by Mary Colson
from Heinemann-Raintree
for 2nd-5th grade
in Australia & Oceania (Location: HISMC-AU)
$3.00 (1 in stock)
Dear Benjamin Banneker
by Andrea Davis Pinkney, illustrated by Brian Pinkney
from Houghton Mifflin
for 2nd-4th grade
in Biographies (Location: BIO)
$8.49 $4.00 (1 in stock)
Declaration of Independence
Documenting U.S. History
by Elizabeth Raum
from Heinemann-Raintree
for 2nd-5th grade
in American Revolution (1765-1783) (Location: HISA-18REV)
$4.50 (1 in stock)
Discovering Mars
by Melvin Berger, revised and updated by Mary Kay Carson
from Scholastic Inc.
for 2nd-5th grade
in Our Solar System (Location: SCI-AST)
$3.00 (1 in stock)
Draw the Titanic
by Andrew Staiano, illustrated by Jason Pederson
from Scholastic Inc.
for All ages
in Drawing for Beginners (Location: ELE-ARTDRAW)
$3.00 (1 in stock)
Early Settler Storybook
from Crabtree Publishing
for 1st-4th grade
in Pioneer & Frontier Life (Location: HISA-19PIO)
$4.00 (1 in stock)
Emperor's Egg
by Martin Jenkins, illustrated by Jane Chapman
from Candlewick Press
for Kindergarten-2nd grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$7.64 $4.00 (1 in stock)
Etcher's Studio
by Arthur Geisert
from Houghton Mifflin
for Preschool-2nd grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$2.40 (1 in stock)
Explore Asia
Explore the Continents
by Bobbie Kalman and Rebecca Sjonger
from Crabtree Publishing
for Kindergarten-3rd grade
in Asia (Location: HISMC-ASIA)
$5.00 (1 in stock)
Explore Greek Myths!
by Anita Yasuda, illustrated by Mike Crosier
from Nomad Press
for 1st-4th grade
in Ancient Greece (Location: HISW-ANGR)
$7.50 (1 in stock)
Explore Native American Cultures!
by Anita Yasuda, illustrated by Jennifer K. Keller
from Nomad Press
for 1st-3rd grade
in Native American History (Location: HISA-19NAT)
$6.50 (1 in stock)
Extraordinary Mark Twain (According to Susy)
by Barbara Kerley, illustrated by Edwin Fotheringham
from Scholastic Inc.
for 1st-4th grade
in Biographies (Location: BIO)
$3.60 (1 in stock)
Fa Mulan
by Robert D. San Souci, illustrated by Jean & Mou-Sien Tseng
from Hyperion Books for Children
for Kindergarten-2nd grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
Famous Children: Picasso
by Tony Hart, illustrated by Susan Hellard
from Barron's
for 1st-3rd grade
in Artists & Illustrators (Location: ELE-ARTISTS)
$4.00 (1 in stock)
Famous Figures of the Renaissance
from Figures in Motion
for Kindergarten-6th grade
in Renaissance & Reformation (Location: HISW-REN)
$12.00 (1 in stock)
Famous Presidents
Eyes on America
by Philip Koslow
from KidsBooks, Inc.
for 2nd-4th grade
in American Presidency (Location: HISV-PRE)
$2.00 (3 in stock)
Farmland Innovator
Creative Minds Biographies
by Catherine A. Welch, illustrated by Jan Naimo Jones
from Lerner Publishing Group
for 2nd-4th grade
in Biographies (Location: BIO)
$3.60 (1 in stock)
Flag We Love
by Pam Munoz Ryan, illustrated by Ralph Masiello
from Charlesbridge
for Kindergarten-3rd grade
in U.S. Monuments & Symbols (Location: HISV-LANUS)
$4.00 (1 in stock)
Frog Girl
by Paul Owen Lewis
from Tricycle Press
for Kindergarten-2nd grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$3.60 (1 in stock)
Girl Who Thought in Pictures
by Julia Finley Mosca, illustrated by Daniel Rieley
from The Innovation Press
for Kindergarten-3rd grade
in Biographies (Location: BIO)
$4.00 (1 in stock)
Great East Japan Earthquake and Tsunami
from kahoku Shimpo Publishing Co
for 1st-Adult
in Japan (Location: HISMC-JAP)
$10.00 (1 in stock)
Greece: The Land
The Lands, Peoples, and Cultures Series
by Bobbie Kalman, Sierra Adare
from Crabtree Publishing
for 2nd-5th grade
in Europe (Location: HISMC-EUR)
$3.00 (1 in stock)
Greenleaf Ancient Egypt Study Package
by Cynthia Shearer
from Greenleaf Press
for 2nd-5th grade
in Ancient Egypt (Location: HISW-ANEG)
Handa's Noisy Night
by Eileen Browne
from Candlewick Press
for Preschool-2nd grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$3.20 (1 in stock)
Happy Birthday, Dr. King!
by Kathryn Jones, Illustrated by Floyd Cooper
from Modern Curriculum Press
for Kindergarten-3rd grade
in Biographies (Location: BIO)
$1.60 (1 in stock)
Hero Over Here
by Kathleen V. Kudlinski
from Sonlight Curriculum, Ltd.
for 2nd-5th grade
in Historical Fiction (Location: FIC-HIF)
Hieroglyphs
by Joyce Milton, illustrated by Charles Micucci
from Grosset & Dunlap
for 1st-4th grade
in Ancient Egypt (Location: HISW-ANEG)
$4.00 (1 in stock)
How a House is Built
by Gail Gibbons
from Holiday House
for Kindergarten-2nd grade
in Houses & Homes (Location: HISMC-HH)
How People Learned to Fly
Let's-Read-and-Find-Out Science Stage 2
by Fran Hodgkins, illustrated by True Kelley
from HarperCollins
for Kindergarten-4th grade
in Inventions & Discoveries (Location: SCI-INV)
I Just Want to Say Good Night
by Rachel Isadora
from Nancy Paulsen Books
for Preschool-2nd grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$2.40 (1 in stock)
I Survived the Sinking of the Titanic, 1912 - Graphic Novel
by Lauren Tarshis, art by Haus Studio
from Scholastic Inc.
for 3rd-5th grade
in Comic Books & Graphic Novels (Location: FIC-COMIC)
$4.40 (1 in stock)
I Wonder Why Greeks Built Temples
by Fiona Macdonald
from Kingfisher
for 1st-4th grade
in Ancient Greece (Location: HISW-ANGR)
$3.50 (1 in stock)
I'm In Charge of Celebrations
by Byrd Baylor, illustrated by Peter Parnall
from Aladdin Paperbacks
for 2nd-6th grade
in Poetry for Children (Location: POET-CHIL)
$3.60 (1 in stock)
If You Grew Up With George Washington
If You Were There
by Ruth Belov Gross
from Scholastic Inc.
for 2nd-5th grade
in Colonial America (1690-1765) (Location: HISA-17COL)
$3.50 (1 in stock)
If You Were a Kid in a Medieval Castle
by Josh Gregory, illustrated by Sebastian Gomez
from Scholastic Inc.
for Kindergarten-3rd grade
in Middle Ages (Location: HISW-MID)
$4.00 (1 in stock)
If You Were a Kid in the Thirteen Colonies
by Wil Mara, illustrated by Lluis Farre
from Scholastic Inc.
for Kindergarten-3rd grade
in Colonial America (1690-1765) (Location: HISA-17COL)
$4.00 (1 in stock)
Indians Knew
by Tillie S. Pine, illustrated by Ezra Jack Keats
from Scholastic Inc.
for Kindergarten-2nd grade
in Native American History (Location: HISA-19NAT)
$2.50 (1 in stock)
Jackie Robinson
Photo-Illustrated Biography
by Barbara Knox
from Capstone Press
for 2nd-4th grade
in Biographies (Location: BIO)
$2.00 (1 in stock)
John Hancock
by Candice Ransom
from Barnes & Noble
for 2nd-4th grade
in Biographies (Location: BIO)
$2.40 (1 in stock)
Johnny Appleseed
A Step into Reading Book Level 3
by David L. Harrison, Illustrated by Mike Wohnoutka
from Random House
for 1st-3rd grade
in Step into Reading (Location: EAR-STEP)
$3.00 (1 in stock)
Knights & Castles
by Avery Hart, Paul Mantell
from Williamson Publishing Company
for 2nd-8th grade
in Middle Ages (Location: HISW-MID)
$7.50 (1 in stock)
Lady Liberty: A Biography
by Doreen Rappaport, illustrated by Matt Tavares
from Candlewick Press
for 1st-4th grade
in U.S. Monuments & Symbols (Location: HISV-LANUS)
$4.50 (1 in stock)
Learn About Pyramids
by Peter Mellett
from Hermes House
for 1st-3rd grade
in Ancient Egypt (Location: HISW-ANEG)
$8.00 (2 in stock)
Learn About Pyramids
by Peter Mellett
from My Father's World
for 2nd-5th grade
in Ancient Egypt (Location: HISW-ANEG)
$8.00 (4 in stock)
Let's Find Out About the United Nations
by Martha and Charles Shapp, illustrated by Angela Conner
from Franklin Watts
for 1st-3rd grade
in Vintage Nonfiction (Location: VIN-NFIC)
$3.00 (1 in stock)
Life in a Fishing Community
Learn About Rural Life
by Helene Boudreau
from Crabtree Publishing
for 2nd-4th grade
in Everyday Life in History (Location: HISV-EVERY)
$5.00 (1 in stock)
Life in Early America
by Jeanne S. Chall, selections
from Andrews McMeel
for 2nd-3rd grade
in McGuffey's Readers & Other Primers (Location: REA-MCG)
$6.00 (1 in stock)
Life on a Plantation
Historic Communities
by Bobbie Kalman
from Crabtree Publishing
for 2nd-6th grade
in Everyday Life in History (Location: HISV-EVERY)
$5.00 (1 in stock)
Lion Dancer
by Kate Waters & Madeline Slovenz-Low, photographs by Martha Cooper
from Scholastic Inc.
for Preschool-2nd grade
in China (Location: HISMC-CHI)
$3.50 (1 in stock)
Living in Space
by Katie Daynes, illustrated by Zoe Wray
from Usborne
for Kindergarten-2nd grade
in Usborne Beginners (Location: SCI-USBREA)
$3.00 (1 in stock)
Louis Armstrong and the Jazz Age
Cornerstones of Freedom
by Dan Elish
Reprint from Children's Press
for 2nd-5th grade
in Cornerstones of Freedom (Location: VIN-CORN)
MapTrek - Atlas
by Terri Johnson
from Master Books
for 1st-10th grade
in Historical & Cultural Atlases (Location: HISRF-ATLAS)
$34.39
MapTrek - Atlas & Outlines
by Terri Johnson
from Master Books
for 1st-10th grade
in Historical & Cultural Atlases (Location: HISRF-ATLAS)
MapTrek - Outlines
by Terri Johnson
from Master Books
for 1st-10th grade
in Historical & Cultural Atlases (Location: HISRF-ATLAS)
$34.39
Mars Exploration 1960-2016
by Megan Noel
from The Good and the Beautiful
for 2nd-3rd grade
in Space Race & Exploration (Location: HISA-20SPR)
$4.00 (1 in stock)
Mesmerized
by Mara Rockliff, illustrated by Iacopo Bruno
from Candlewick Press
for Preschool-2nd grade
in Colonial America (1690-1765) (Location: HISA-17COL)
$4.00 (1 in stock)
More Than Meets the Eye
by Bob Raczka
from Millbrook Press
for Preschool-2nd grade
in Art History & Appreciation (Location: ELE-ARTHIS)
$3.20 (1 in stock)
Mr. Lincoln's Whiskers
by Karen Winnick
from Boyds Mill Press
for Kindergarten-2nd grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
Ms. Frizzle's Adventures: Ancient Egypt
by Joanna Cole, Bruce Degen (Illustrator)
from Scholastic Inc.
for 1st-3rd grade
in Oversized History Books (Location: HISW-OVER)
$4.50 (1 in stock)
Mush!
from Millbrook Press
for Preschool-2nd grade
in Dog Books (Location: SCI-MAMDOG)
$4.00 (1 in stock)
Music Appreciation Family Study Teacher Guide
by Rebecca Manor
from Beautiful Feet Books
for 2nd-12th grade
in Beautiful Feet Books (Location: HISCUR-BFB)
$28.00 (1 in stock)
Musical Memories of Laura Ingalls Wilder - with CD
Experience History Through Music
by Diana Waring
from Diana Waring Presents
for 1st-6th grade
in Diana Waring History Revealed (Location: OHIS-DWHR)
My Name is York
by Elizabeth Van Steenwyk, illustrated by Bill Farnsworth
from Rising Moon Books
for Kindergarten-2nd grade
in Biographies (Location: BIO)
$3.20 (1 in stock)
Mystery of the Maya
by Peter Lourie
from Boyds Mill Press
for 2nd-5th grade
in Ancient America (Location: HISW-ANAM)
$6.00 (1 in stock)
N.C. Wyeth's Pilgrims
by Robert San Souci, illustrated by N.C. Wyeth
from Chronicle Books
for Kindergarten-5th grade
in Pilgrims at Plymouth (Location: HISA-17PIL)
Nathan Hale
Hidden History: Spies
by Aaron Derr, Illustrated by Tami Wicinas
from Red Chair Press
for 2nd-5th grade
in American Revolution (1765-1783) (Location: HISA-18REV)
$3.20 (1 in stock)
National Parks Coloring Book
by Sophie Tivona
from Harper Design
for 2nd-Adult
in Nature / Geography Coloring Books (Location: COL-NAT)
$6.00 (1 in stock)
National Parks of the USA - Activity Book
by Claire Grace; inspired by the book by Kate Siber, illustrated by Chris Turnham
from Quarto Publishing
for 2nd-6th grade
in U.S. Monuments & Symbols (Location: HISV-LANUS)
$10.99
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