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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 is a husband and father, teaches adult Sunday school in his Presbyterian congregation, and likes 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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13 Colonies: Georgia
by Roberta Wiener and James R. Arnold
from Raintree
for 6th-8th grade
in Colonial America (1690-1765) (Location: HISA-17COL)
$7.00 (1 in stock)
Airplane
Inventions that Shaped the World
by Nancy Robinson Masters
from Franklin Watts
for 4th-7th grade
in Things That Go (Location: SCI-TTGO)
$3.00 (1 in stock)
America's God and Country
by William J. Federer
from Amerisearch
for 7th-12th grade
in America's Christian Heritage (Location: HISA-CH)
$6.00 (1 in stock)
American Indian Prayer Guide
by Danette Maloof, Dean Cozzens
from Sonlight Curriculum, Ltd.
for 4th-7th grade
in Native Americans (Location: HISA-19NAT)
$4.50 (3 in stock)
Ancient Israelites and Their Neighbors
by Marian Broida
from Chicago Review Press
for 4th-8th grade
in Ancient Israel (Location: HISW-ANIS)
$18.95
Aztec and Maya Myths
by Karl Taube
from British Museum Press
for 6th-12th grade
in Ancient America (Location: HISW-ANAM)
$4.00 (1 in stock)
Big Book of the Civil War
by Joanne Mattern
from Courage Books
for 4th-7th grade
in Oversized History Books (Location: HISW-OVER)
$7.00 (1 in stock)
Boys' War
by Jim Murphy
from Scholastic Inc.
for 4th-8th grade
in American Civil War (1860-1865) (Location: HISA-19CW)
$4.00 (1 in stock)
Celtic Saints
from Cassell
for 3rd-Adult
in Church History (Location: XCH-HIS)
Champions of Mathematics
by John Hudson Tiner
from Master Books
for 4th-8th grade
in History of Science & Mathematics (Location: SCI-HIS)
$4.79 $3.50 (3 in stock)
Chuck Yeager Breaks the Sound Barrier
by R. Conrad Stein
from Children's Press
for 4th-8th grade
in Cornerstones of Freedom (Location: VIN-CORN)
Classical Kids
by Laurie Carlson
from Chicago Review Press
for 5th-8th grade
in Ancient Greece (Location: HISW-ANGR)
$10.00 (1 in stock)
Codes of Hammurabi and Moses
by W. W. Davies
from Book Jungle
Primary Source Document for 7th-Adult
in Ancient Literature (Location: LIT1-ANC)
$20.00
Colter's Run
by Judith Edwards, illustrated by John Potter
from Falcon Press Publishing
for 5th-8th grade
in Western Expansion (1800-1898) (Location: HISA-19WES)
$3.00 (1 in stock)
Constitutional Puzzlers
by Jeanne & Arnold Cheyney
from Mark Twain Media
for 4th-8th grade
in Miscellaneous History Curriculum (Location: HISCUR-MISC)
$5.00 (1 in stock)
Creative God Colorful Us
by Trillia Newbell, Paintings by Chase Williamson
from Moody Press
for 3rd-7th grade
in Diversity & Multicultural Books (Location: HISMC-MUL)
$12.99
Cut & Assemble the Mayflower
by A. G. Smith
2020 Reprint from Dover Publications
for 6th-Adult
in Oversized History Books (Location: HISW-OVER)
$9.00 (1 in stock)
Day Pearl Harbor was Bombed
by George Sullivan
from Scholastic Inc.
for 6th-Adult
in World War II (1939-1945) (Location: HISA-20WW2)
Declaration of Independence
History Speaks
by Douglas M. Rife
from Teaching & Learning Company
for 4th - 8th Grade
in American Revolution (1765-1783) (Location: HISA-18REV)
$4.00 (1 in stock)
Discovery of the Titanic
by Robert Ballard
from Warner/Madison Press
for 6th-12th grade
in Titanic & 20th Century Disasters (Location: HISW-20DIS)
DK Eyewitness: Ancient Greece
DK Eyewitness Series
by Anne Pearson
from DK Publishing
Greek History Reference for 4th-8th grade
in Ancient Greece (Location: HISW-ANGR)
$9.99
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)
Drummer Boy's Battle
TrailBlazer Books
by Dave & Neta Jackson
from Bethany House
for 3rd-7th grade
in Trailblazer Books (Location: SER-TRAIL)
Drummer Boy's Battle
TrailBlazer Books
by Dave & Neta Jackson
from Castle Rock Creative
for 3rd-7th grade
in Trailblazer Books (Location: SER-TRAIL)
$8.99
Drums
by James Boyd
from Atheneum
for 5th-10th grade
in Historical Fiction (Location: FIC-HIF)
$5.00 (1 in stock)
Epic
by Tim Challies
from Zondervan
for 7th-Adult
in Church History Overviews (Location: XCH-OVE)
$19.99
Explore Medieval Kingdoms
by Terry Johnson
Revised from Master Books
for 6th-7th grade
in Geography Curriculum (Location: GEO-CUR)
$39.19
For You They Signed
by Marilyn Boyer
All-in-One Edition from Master Books
for 7th-9th grade
in U.S. History Curriculum (Location: HISCUR-US)
$39.19
Frank Lloyd Wright for Kids
by Kathleen Thorne-Thomsen
2nd edition from Chicago Review Press
for 4th-7th grade
in Architecture and Sculpture (Location: ELE-ARC)
$9.00 (1 in stock)
Full-Color Knights & Armour - Book and CD-Rom
Dover Electronic Clip Art
from Dover Publications
for 3rd-Adult
in Middle Ages (Location: HISW-MID)
$6.00 (1 in stock)
General Washington's Army
by Marko Zlatich, Illustrated by Peter F. Copeland
2003 Printing from Osprey Publishing
for 6th-Adult
in American Revolution (1765-1783) (Location: HISA-18REV)
$7.50 (1 in stock)
George Washington Carver: Botanist
Black Americans of Achievement
by Gene Adair, introduction by Coretta Scott King
from Chelsea House Publishing
for 4th-8th grade
in Biographies (Location: BIO)
$4.00 (1 in stock)
Gettysburg Address
History Speaks
by Douglas M. Rife
from Teaching & Learning Company
for 4th-8th grade
in American Civil War (1860-1865) (Location: HISA-19CW)
$3.00 (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)
Greek Armies
by Peter Connolly
from Silver Burdett Press
for 5th-8th grade
in Ancient Greece (Location: HISW-ANGR)
Hear that Train Whistle Blow!
by Milton Meltzer
from Random House
for 5th-7th grade
in Transcontinental Railroad (Location: HISA-19TRR)
History of Pirates
by Angus Konstam
from Lyons Press
for 5th-8th grade
in Pirates (Location: HISV-PIRATE)
$6.00 (1 in stock)
Icons of Invention: American Patent Models
from Smithsonian Books
for 7th-Adult
in Inventions & Discoveries (Location: SCI-INV)
$8.00 (1 in stock)
Imitation in Writing: Greek Heroes
Imitation in Writing Series
by Matt Whitling
2nd edition from Logos School
Writing Curriculum for 4th-9th grade
in Imitation in Writing (Location: WRI-LSIW)
$15.00
Indian Winter
by Russell Freedman
from Scholastic Inc.
for 5th-8th grade
in Native Americans (Location: HISA-19NAT)
James Herriot's Yorkshire
by James Herriot, photography by Derry Brabbs
1996 Printing from Mermaid Books
for 7th-Adult
in Animal Stories (Location: FIC-ANI)
$8.00 (1 in stock)
Joseph, Chief of the Nez Perce
by Dean Pollock
from Binford & Mort Publishing
Picture Book Biography for 5th-7th grade
in Biographies (Location: BIO)
Kinderlager
by Milton J. Nieuwsma
from Scholastic Inc.
for 6th-Adult
in Holocaust (Location: HISW-20WW2H)
$5.00 (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)
Leonardo da Vinci
by Emily Hahn
from Sonlight Curriculum, Ltd.
for 5th-8th grade
in Biographies (Location: BIO)
Looking at Painting: Families
by Peggy Roalf
from Hyperion/Madison Press
for 3rd-7th grade
in Art History & Appreciation (Location: ELE-ARTHIS)
$4.00 (1 in stock)
Machines, Buildings, Weaponry of Biblical Times
by Max Schwartz
from Fleming H Revell Co.
for 5th-8th grade
in Ancient Israel (Location: HISW-ANIS)
$5.00 (1 in stock)
Magellan and the Exploration of South America
by Colin Hynson
from Barron's
Non-fiction for 4th-8th grade
in Age of Exploration (1450-1700) (Location: HISA-16EXP)
$4.00 (2 in stock)
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
Material World
by Peter Menzel
from Sierra Club Books
for 7th-Adult
in Diversity & Multicultural Books (Location: HISMC-MUL)
$32.00
Mayflower II
from Plimoth Plantation Publication
for 6th-12th grade
in Ships, Boats & Submarines (Location: HISV-SHIP)
$4.00 (1 in stock)
Medieval History - Intermediate Guide
by Rebecca Manor & Rebecca Allen
Revised & Expanded from Beautiful Feet Books
for 5th-8th grade
in Beautiful Feet Books (Location: HISCUR-BFB)
$39.95
Oregon History - Student Workbook
by Georgia Sligar
Revised Edition from Oregon History Book
for 4th-8th grade
in Pacific States (Location: HISV-PNW)
Otters
by Bobby Tulloch
from Colin Baxter Photography Ltd.
for 6th-12th grade
in Mammals (Location: SCI-MAM)
$6.00 (1 in stock)
Our Northwest Heritage
by Richard M. Hannula
2nd edition from Sound Summit Books
for 7th-12th grades
in Pacific States (Location: HISV-PNW)
$36.95
Our Northwest Heritage - Teacher's Supplement CD-ROM
by Richard M. Hannula
from Sound Summit Books
for 7th-12th grades
in Pacific States (Location: HISV-PNW)
$22.95
People Could Fly
by Virginia Hamilton, illustrated by Leo and Diane Dillon
from Scholastic Inc.
for 4th-8th grade
in Short Story Anthologies for Kids (Location: FIC-ANTH)
$4.50 (1 in stock)
Preamble to the U.S. Constitution
History Speaks
by Douglas M. Rife
from Teaching & Learning Company
for 4th-8th grade
in New Nation (1783-1800) (Location: HISA-18NN)
$1.50 (1 in stock)
Raids and Retaliations
by Gwendolyn Harmon
from Learning Ladyhood Press
for 7th-12th grade
in Pacific States (Location: HISV-PNW)
$7.00 (1 in stock)
Rare and Endangered Plants of Oregon
by Donald C. Eastman
from Beautiful America Publishing
for 6th-Adult
in Field Guides & Nature Handbooks (Location: NAT-FIELD)
Remember the Alamo
from National Geographic
for 4th-8th grade
in Mexican-American War (Location: HISA-19TEX)
Remembering God's Awesome Acts - Student Worktext
by Susan Mortimer
from Eagle's Wings
for 5th-8th grade
in Clearance: History & Geography (Location: ZCLE-HIS)
$8.00 (2 in stock)
Roman News
by Andrew Langley, Philip De Souza
from Candlewick Press
for 4th-8th grade
in Ancient Rome (Location: HISW-ANRO)
$7.99
Roman Provence
by Marc Guitteny, photos by Marc and Denis Guitteny, translated by Lorenzo Prieto
English Edition from Unknown Publisher
for 5th-Adult
in France (Location: HISMC-FRA)
$3.00 (1 in stock)
Romans
Usborne Internet-Linked
from Usborne
Roman History Reference for 4th-8th grade
in Ancient Rome (Location: HISW-ANRO)
$8.10 (1 in stock)
Seaman's Journal
by Patricia Reeder Eubank
from Ideals Children's Books
Historical Fiction for 5th-8th grade
in Lewis & Clark (Location: HISA-19L&C)
$5.00 (1 in stock)
Secrets in Stone
by Laurie Coulter, illustrated by Sarah Jane English
from Hyperion/Madison Press
for 3rd-8th grade
in Ancient America (Location: HISW-ANAM)
$4.50 (1 in stock)
Smithsonian American History
by David C. King
from DK Publishing
for 4th-8th grade
in American History Reference (Location: HISA-REF)
$10.00 (1 in stock)
Step Into Ancient Japan
by Fiona Macdonald
from Hermes House
for 3rd-7th grade
in Japan (Location: HISMC-JAP)
Step Into Mesopotamia
by Lorna Oakes
from Hermes House
for 3rd-7th grade
in Ancient Mesopotamia & Persia (Location: HISW-ANME)
$4.50 (1 in stock)
Step Into the Aztec & Maya Worlds
by Fiona Macdonald
from Hermes House
for 3rd-7th grade
in Ancient America (Location: HISW-ANAM)
$4.50 (1 in stock)
Step Into the Inca World
by Philip Steele
from Hermes House
for 3rd-7th grade
in Ancient America (Location: HISW-ANAM)
$4.50 (1 in stock)
Story of California
by May McNeer, illustrated by C. H. DeWitt
from Beautiful Feet Books
for 5th-8th grade
in California State (Location: HISA-19CGR)
$15.95
Story of Fort Sumter
by Eugenia Burney
from Children's Press
for 4th-8th grade
in Cornerstones of Freedom (Location: VIN-CORN)
Story of the Great Republic
by Helene Guerber
from Nothing New Press
History Reference for 4th-8th grade
Cathy Duffy's 100 Top Picks
in U.S. History Curriculum (Location: HISCUR-US)
Story of the Greeks
by Helene Guerber
4th edition from Nothing New Press
Ancient Greece Reference for 3rd-8th grade
Cathy Duffy's 100 Top Picks
in Ancient Greece (Location: HISW-ANGR)
Story of the Middle Ages
by Christine Miller & Helene Guerber
from Nothing New Press
for 3rd-8th grade
Cathy Duffy's 100 Top Picks
in Middle Ages (Location: HISW-MID)
Story of the Renaissance and Reformation
by Christine Miller & Helene Guerber
2nd edition from Nothing New Press
History Reference for 3rd-8th grade
Cathy Duffy's 100 Top Picks
in Renaissance & Reformation (Location: HISW-REN)
Story of the Romans
by Helene Guerber
3rd edition from Nothing New Press
Roman History Reference for 3rd-8th grade
Cathy Duffy's 100 Top Picks
in Ancient Rome (Location: HISW-ANRO)
Story of the Romans
by Helene Guerber
2nd edition from Nothing New Press
Roman History Reference for 3rd-8th grade
Cathy Duffy's 100 Top Picks
in Ancient Rome (Location: HISW-ANRO)
Story of the Thirteen Colonies
by Helene Guerber
from Nothing New Press
History Reference for 3rd-8th grade
Cathy Duffy's 100 Top Picks
in Colonial America (1690-1765) (Location: HISA-17COL)
Story of the Titanic
Cornerstones of Freedom series
by Deborah Kent
from Children's Press
for 4th-7th grade
in Cornerstones of Freedom (Location: VIN-CORN)
Surviving Hitler
by Andrea Warren
from HarperTrophy
for 4th-8th grade
in Holocaust (Location: HISW-20WW2H)
They Called Us Enemy
by George Takei, Justin Eisinger, Steven Scott, illustrated by Harmony Becker
from Top Shelf Productions
for 6th-12th grade
in Comic Books & Graphic Novels (Location: FIC-COMIC)
$8.00 (2 in stock)
Understanding Modern Art
by Monica Bohm-Duchen and Janet Cook, illustrated by David Gillingwater
from Usborne
for 4th-8th grade
in Art History & Appreciation (Location: ELE-ARTHIS)
$3.60 (1 in stock)
Usborne Ancient World
Usborne Internet-Linked
by Fiona Chandler & Anne Millard
from Usborne
Ancient History Reference for 4th-8th grade
in Ancient History (Location: HISW-ANC)
$13.49 $8.10 (2 in stock)
Usborne Book of the Ancient World
by Jane Chisholm & Anne Millard
from Usborne
for 5th-12th grade
in Ancient History (Location: HISW-ANC)
$8.00 (2 in stock)
Usborne Encyclopedia of Ancient Egypt
Usborne Internet-Linked
by Gill Harvey, et al.
from Scholastic Inc.
Ancient Egypt Reference for 4th-8th grade
in Ancient Egypt (Location: HISW-ANEG)
$6.00 (2 in stock)
Usborne Encyclopedia of World History
Usborne Internet-Linked
from Usborne
World History Reference for 3rd-12th grade
in History Encyclopedias & Fact Books (Location: HISRF-ENC)
Usborne Greeks
Usborne Internet-Linked
from Usborne
Ancient Greek History Reference for 4th-8th grade
in Ancient Greece (Location: HISW-ANGR)
$6.75 (1 in stock)
Usborne Greeks
Usborne Internet-Linked
from Usborne
Ancient Greek History Reference for 4th-8th grade
in Ancient Greece (Location: HISW-ANGR)
$8.10 (1 in stock)
Usborne History of the Twentieth Century
by Christina Hopkinson
from Usborne
Reference for 4th-8th grade
in 20th Century (Location: HISW-20)
$4.00 (5 in stock)
Usborne Medieval World
Usborne Internet-Linked
from Usborne
History Reference for 4th-8th grade
in Middle Ages (Location: HISW-MID)
$8.10 (3 in stock)
Usborne Romans
Usborne Internet-Linked
from Usborne
Roman History Reference for 4th-8th grade
in Ancient Rome (Location: HISW-ANRO)
$8.10 (2 in stock)
Usborne World History: Ancient World
by Fiona Chandler
from Scholastic Inc.
for 5th-8th grade
in Ancient History (Location: HISW-ANC)
$6.00 (1 in stock)
Viking World
Usborne Internet-Linked
by Philippa Wingate, Anne Millard
from Usborne
for 5th-7th grade
in Middle Ages (Location: HISW-MID)
$7.20 (1 in stock)
Vikings
People of the Ancient World
by Virginia Schomp
from Scholastic Inc.
for 4th-8th grade
in Middle Ages (Location: HISW-MID)
$5.00 (1 in stock)
Voice That Challenged a Nation
by Russell Freedman
from Clarion Books
for 5th-9th grade
2005 Newbery Honor Book, NCTE Orbis Pictus Honor Book, 2005 Robert F. Sibert Medal winner
in Civil Rights Movement (1955-1968) (Location: HISA-20CIV)
$11.99
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