Below is a list of frequently asked questions:
What is considered Pacific Northwest for this curriculum?
This curriculum covers the history of Washington, Oregon, and Idaho.
Will this curriculum work for Washington State History?
Yes. Washington State requirements are that students take Washington State or Pacific Northwest History around 7th grade. It is a non-credit requirement for high school graduation for public and private schools. For this curriculum, I meticulously reviewed the Since Time Immemorial curriculum that is used in public schools, and this curriculum covers all topics in that curriculum plus about 90% more. Washington State also requires 90 (45-minute) classes for schools. Since this curriculum has 120 lessons, it more than adequately fulfills this requirement.
Is Washington State History required if I plan to homeschool all the way through high school?
No. You do not have this requirement if you plan to homeschool through your child graduating. However, if your child plans to attend colleges, colleges will be looking for this subject on high school transcripts.
Will this curriculum work for Idaho and Oregon State History?
While there is not a state requirement for Idaho State History, this subject is typically taught around 4th grade in Idaho. We recommend waiting until at least 5th grade to begin this curriculum, but it will cover Idaho State History thoroughly and in an interesting manner. Oregon does not have a particular grade or requirement for Oregon State History.
Can I get this curriculum just for my state, not the other two?
No, this curriculum weaves the history of all three states together along with world events.
What ages is this curriculum for?
This curriculum was written for children in grades 6-8. However, it works for all ages K-12. My pilot group consisted of 12 kids ages 6-14, and they all enjoyed it. It is recommended that you begin this curriculum when your oldest child is at least 5th grade, and then your younger children can listen in family-style as you read the lesson out loud together. Younger children also enjoy the Hands-on Activities.
Which books do I need for this curriculum?
It depends on what you would like. The two-part Lesson Books are the core of the curriculum. They are bound as two books because they are over 500 pages (450 pages of chapter content), and that was too thick for one book. The Basic Kit is the two Lesson Books plus a Workbook. The Full Kit also includes a Hands-on Activity Book that has at least 1 hands-on activity per chapter. The Deluxe Kit also includes a beautiful Lesson Tracker Wooden Wall Map with pins that can be inserted on the map at the completion of each chapter.
How many lessons are in this curriculum?
There are 24 chapters with a total of 120 lessons.
Why are there 24 chapters?
I intentionally kept this curriculum at 24 chapters so that it would work well for groups and Co-ops. If you meet 12 weeks in the Fall and 12 weeks in the Winter/Spring, you will have 24 weeks total.
How would this curriculum work for a group or Co-op?
Families will read the Lesson Book and complete the Workbook at home, and then children get together once a week at Co-op to do the hands-on activities. When I taught this for a Co-op, I spent 45-60 minutes giving the kids an overview of the chapter and highlighting specific things. Then we did the hands-on activities for the chapter. I assigned the reading of the chapter and completing the worksheets at home.
Is there a lesson schedule?
Yes, there is a detailed lesson schedule at the beginning of the Student Workbook. This schedule tells you which pages to read each day, which questions to answer in the Workbook, and when to do the activities in the Hands-on Activities Book. The detailed lesson schedule was added after the 2024 Conventions, so if you purchased a kit at a convention, you can find the detailed lesson schedule on the Extras tab of this website.
Do I need the Hands-on Activities Book?
The Hands-on Activities Books is not required for this curriculum. However, if you are using the detailed schedule, the 5th lesson each week is set aside for a hands-on activity. There are two additional days (other than the 5th day) that only use the Activities Book. Several weeks, especially in the early chapters, have additional activities from the Activities Book sprinkled throughout the curriculum. If you do not own the Hands-on Activities Book, you can skip these lessons or activities.
What subjects are included in this curriculum?
The Lesson Books include history, geology/earth science, and art history. The Hands-on Activities Book also adds additional STEAM subjects. There are a lot of earth science activities, some technology and engineering, some geography, and a lot of art.
What kinds of activities are in the Hands-on Activities Book?
There are a variety of activities in the Hands-on Activities Book, including sketching, watercolor, acrylic painting, popsicle engineering, weaving, and experiments.
Is there a materials list for the Hands-on Activities Book?
Yes, you can find it at the beginning of the Hands-on Activities Book. The materials lists were added after the 2024 Conventions, so if you purchased a kit at a convention, you can find the materials list on the Extras tab of this website.
Does this curriculum work for high school credit?
There is enough content and it is in-depth enough to count for high school credit. However, you will probably want to add about 4 essays to bring it up to a high school level. Essay suggestions will be added to our Extras page Fall 2024.
Will my high schooler be interested in the Hands-on Activities Book?
It depends on your high schooler and the particular activities. There are a lot of art projects that older children will enjoy if they like art. Some older children might not prefer the popsicle engineering activities. Most of the experiments will likely appeal to children of all ages.
Can I use this curriculum with my group or classroom?
Yes! This curriculum works well for groups. A Sparrow Classrooms tab will be added to our website soon with licensing options.
Can I share the PDF with a friend who wants to do the curriculum with me?
No. Each family needs to have their own copy of this curriculum. However, there are group discounts if you want to get together with 5 friends to purchase curriculum.
Should I buy the digital PDF or printed version?
It depends on your printer. The Lesson Books are over 500 full-color pages with pictures on nearly every page. If you also want the Workbook and Hands-on Activities Books, the total number of pages is over 800 full color pages. You might find that it is more economical to purchase printed copies of the curriculum. It is printed on quality 28 lb paper with beautiful glossy pages. Every printed copy of the curriculum also comes with the digital PDF.