Suggestions for What to Teach

  • Use these modules to teach the same historical time period, geography, and Bible to all your children together.
  • Simply select a time period module and use the book suggestions for the grades of your children. Click on a “details” link to see our book suggestions.
  • Read aloud the history spine and books for the youngest child, then assign the older children’s books as independent reading. Complete the geography and Bible readings together as a family.
  • Modules 1–3 lay the foundation by emphasizing Bible history and how it fits into world history.
  • One time period module per year is a good pace.

This blog post on How to Use the SCM History Modules may also be helpful.

[Hide Instructions] [Back to main Curriculum Guide]

Module Description Comments
1 [details]

History: Genesis—Deuteronomy; Ancient Egypt

Geography: Egypt and Africa

Bible: Genesis—Deuteronomy

History: Older students begin Book of Centuries. We wait until students are old enough to appreciate and meet the responsibility of a personal Book of Centuries. For younger children, we recommend using broad wall timelines or a family Book of Centuries.

Bible: Older students begin a Doctrine notebook, in which they will record verses they find throughout their studies over the next few years that relate to ten basic doctrines. They also complete a study of the Law.

Daily lesson plans for this module are available in our Genesis through Deuteronomy & Ancient Egypt: A Family Study Handbook.
2 [details]

History: Joshua—Malachi; Ancient Greece

Geography: Middle East and Asia; A Child’s Geography, Vol. 2

Bible: Joshua—Malachi

History: Older students do Book of Centuries.

Geography: A Child’s Geography, Vol. 2 is written for students in Grades 2–6, but your older students would learn a lot from it as well. We recommend that your older students guide your younger students through it.

Bible: Older students add a study of Proverbs and continue the Doctrine notebook.

Daily lesson plans for this module are available in our Joshua through Malachi & Ancient Greece: A Family Study Handbook.
3 [details]

History: Matthew—Acts; Ancient Rome

Geography: Mediterranean Coastline

Bible: Matthew—Acts; Romans

History: Older students do Book of Centuries.

Bible: Older students add a study of Romans and continue the Doctrine notebook.

Daily lesson plans for this module are available in our Matthew through Acts & Ancient Rome: A Family Study Handbook.
4 [details]

History: Middle Ages; Renaissance; Reformation

Geography: Europe and Asia

Bible: James; Galatians; 1, 2 Thessalonians; 1, 2 Corinthians

History: Older students do Book of Centuries.

Bible: Older students add a study of Bible Study principles and methods, and continue the Doctrine notebook.

Daily lesson plans for this module are available in our Middle Ages, Renaissance, Reformation & Epistles: A Family Study Handbook.
5 [details]

History: Early Modern Times (1550 to 1850)

Geography: South America, Central America, and Australia

Bible: Ephesians; Philippians; Colossians; Philemon; Hebrews; 1, 2 Timothy; Titus

History: Module 5 covers American History two days per week and World History two days per week. If you are not from America, you can easily substitute your country’s history on those days. Older students continue Book of Centuries.

Bible: Older students dig more deeply into Hebrews and continue the Doctrine notebook.

Daily lesson plans for this module are available in our Early Modern & Epistles: A Family Study Handbook.
6 [details]

History: Modern Times (1850 to present)

Geography: North America and United States

Bible: 1, 2 Peter; Jude; 1, 2, 3 John; Revelation

History: Module 6 covers American History two days per week and World History two days per week. If you are not from America, you can easily substitute your country’s history on those days. Older students continue Book of Centuries.

Bible: Older students complete the Doctrine notebook and write a personal doctrinal statement that summarizes the findings.

Daily lesson plans for this module are available in our Modern Times, Epistles & Revelation: A Family Study Handbook.

How to Teach

In Charlotte’s philosophy of education, history is the study of people’s lives, not just dates and events. And geography, by extension, is where these people lived their lives.

Read living history and geography books, have the children narrate them, and find on a map or globe any locations mentioned in the books. The same applies to Bible, since the Bible is “living.” Read it and narrate it. Give the children direct access to God’s Word, not a watered-down retelling of it.

In addition, record your history studies in a Book of Centuries, which is like a timeline in a book. The book format helps the children make connections between people and events from the same time period.

A once-a-week map drill can also supplement your geography readings. Give each child a blank map of the region you are studying and provide a detailed and labeled map of the same region. Instruct the child to label a few areas of the region, being careful to copy the names correctly from the detailed map. The next week, give the child another blank map of the same region and instruct her to label as many areas as she can remember. Once she has labeled all that she knows, display the detailed map and check for accuracy, then have her label a few more areas carefully. Continue this routine each week, and over the course of the year she will become quite familiar with the regions studied using this gentle method.