A Complete Middle School Curriculum

Notgrass History has homeschoolers covered when it comes to teaching middle school. These years are not as intimidating as it may seem. Those of us who were public schooled and are now homeschooling moms and dads may remember middle school in a negative light—I do. Why is this? Middle school is the time when children are figuring out who they are. What their interests are. Who their real friends are. In previous years many friendships are created because of forced playdates that parents create. Hobbies are generally guided by the parents. Middle school is an important time in our children's lives because they begin seeing the bigger picture and they begin asking the hard questions about life. Trust me. If they are not asking them at home then they are asking them with their peers whether it is at school, youth group, or online. Middle schoolers are curious. 

Homeschooling gives us a beautiful opportunity to guide these conversations while we are reading with our children, teaching them, enjoy a meal with them, on a car ride, or playing a board game with them in the evening. Some of the harder questions of our day is how do we deal with our past in America. Monuments are being torn down, history books are being rewritten, and parents and educators are attempting to change the narrative. They are attempting to rewrite history. 

What makes America beautiful is its history—because it was created by ordinary men and women with divine influence. The creation of any nation isn't pretty in the beginning anywhere. The Bible is filled with imperfect people and situations—but God uses them in spite of their shortcomings. 

Using America the Beautiful in your homeschool gives you the opportunity to have raw conversations with your middle schooler. Tackle the hard questions while filtering them through the gospel message. We are all sinners but God uses sinners, even Paul who referred to himself as the chief of sinners. 

If you are like me and appreciate incorporating literature into your history, you will love the literature add-on option!

America the Beautiful by Charlene Notgrass is a one-year American history, geography, and literature course designed for students in grades 5–8. If you love unit studies but still want to have the structure of a textbook education, your homeschool will thrive with the flexibility of these in-depth lessons. Use the daily lessons to teach your child American history in an organized fashion. Your child will walk away knowing key events, people, and places from American history. Work through the program with them or with siblings to encourage thought-provoking conversations. 

America has such a rich history and it does not need to be boring to teach. How many of us remember sitting in a classroom surrounded by concrete walls forced to memorize dates, facts, and names with no reference to reality. America the Beautiful is just the opposite. While surrounded by the ones you love (family or pets!) you can find yourself on a couch, around the dining room table, or at the park while learning about the history of one nation under God. 

Experiencing the mid-school year blues? It's not too late to switch out your history curriculum. Order today and plan to work on it at your own pace. Just do whatever works best for you and your family!

Disclaimer: This post is brought to you by Thrift Schooling Platinum Sponsor Notgrass History.