The History of Science: A Literature Approach

"The History of Science curriculum box was like opening a present on Christmas: a box full of gorgeous books!"

Rebecca from Line upon Line Learning

"This set works equally as well with the science geared kids and the non-science type. All four of my kids have engaged well with the variety of books and experiments suggested in the guide. My now college-aged kids still refer back to their time in this study as the primary reason for their success in recognizing various scientists in their coursework. I highly recommend this lit pack."

-Mileshouse

"I feel so blessed to have stumbled across this lovely curriculum this summer. This is our first year of homeschool and my daughter is in 4th grade. She is extremely into science so this was a natural fit. I have a complete curriculum crush." 

-Trisha

A History of Science: A Literature Approach to Scientific Principles and their Discoverers combines your science and history requirements in one! Great biographies are coupled with hands-on experiments, lab reports, discussion questions, research projects, and mapping to create a thought-provoking exploration of this incredible world we inhabit. As one reviewer, The Homeschool Scientist, says in her write up on our program, "Studying the history of science allows us to see how scientific knowledge has been growing and building over the centuries. We learn about the men and women who were curious enough about the natural world that they observed, hypothesized, and experimented to find answers. We gain appreciation for their dedication, their intellect, and their findings. We become inspired by them and all they have discovered and created."

That's the whole philosophy beyond this award-winning study! A Cathy Duffy "Top Pick for Home School",  Rebecca's course uses biographies to tell the life stories of famous scientists like Archimedes, Galileo, Leonardo da Vinci, Marie Curie, George Washington Carver, Einstein, and others as well as hands-on experiments to prove the scientists' theories and test their discoveries. An enriching way to introduce biology, chemistry, and physics. For grades 3-7, this one-year study will cover basic scientific principles and the history of scientific study beginning in ancient Greece and continuing through the 1990s. Contains 85 lessons, dozens of experiments, lab reports, and much more. Introduce the fascinating world of science to your child and spark their curiosity and desire to understand the world.

To learn more about the study be sure to check out the detailed review from Line upon Line Learning. Rebecca outlines the study guide, talks about the experiments (even provides a video of one!) and share excerpts from the guide. It's a great look at the fundamentals of the course. Also check out The Homeschool Scientist's review for a scientist's perspective. Also, check out Cathy Duffy's detailed review. 

Click on each thumbnail to see sample pages from the study guide:

The study also utilizes our History of Science Timeline, providing a visual structure to the chronological progress of science and discovery. And everything is available in a discounted pack that ships for free! 

We hope you find this helpful. Please never hesitate to contact us with any questions. We can be reached at 800.889.1978, letters@bfbooks.com, on Facebook, and Instagram.

History of the Horse

"I bought History of the Horse for my fourth grade daughter, and I am so pleased with my choice! It was a huge hit with her! She mostly loved the great stories and the drawing assignments integrated into the lessons. I felt it was a great curriculum for introducing her to more independent learning and research skills." 

-Jimmie from Curriculum Choice

"This wonderful study covers science and history as well, but I've assigned it primarily for the literature piece. It uses the Marguerite Henry horse books in addition to other great literature like The Black Stallion and Black Beauty. [My daughter] is really enjoying the study."
-Melissa from Reflections from Drywood Creek

"My son loved this program!" 

-Jess M.

"I got this program for my daughter who is a horse fanatic. She loved learning so much about horses. She was so excited to do this study because she could not believe learning about horses actually counted as "school". She still cherishes these books several years later and will not part with them."

-Shelley

Looking to branch out from more traditional history programs? Or maybe you have a horse lover in the family who needs something to spark an interest in history? Want to combine great literature, fascinating history and geography, and some equine science? This is the program for you. It's such a fun take on history and has been popular since it we first published it twenty years ago!

Hilary Berg Severson, the author, is a home school grad who studied history in college and she brought her life-long love of horses to every page of this study. It utilizes the wonderful Marguerite Henry books and includes drawing and mapping assignments, great research projects, and much more. To read reviews from families who have used this popular program, check out Jimmie's from Curriculum Choice, and Melissa's from Reflections from Drywood Creek.Beginning in the 1700's with the Godolphin Arabian and continuing through the early 1900's, students will learn of the Lipizzaner stallions, wild mustangs, the American bred Morgan horse, the Chincoteague ponies and other breeds. Course utilizes the Marguerite Henry award-winning books, Walter Farley's Black Stallion and Anna Sewell's Black Beauty. Learn horse anatomy, breed identification, basic sketching of horses, charting blood lines and Bible memory verses regarding the horse! 3rd-7th grade level. Contains 92 lessons and it is suggested that three lessons be completed each week.

Click on the thumbnails below to view sample pages:

And everything is available in a discounted pack that ships for free!

We hope you find this helpful. Please never hesitate to contact us with any questions. We can be reached at 800.889.1978, letters@bfbooks.com, on Facebook, and Instagram.

Happy Independence Day.....and our 3rd Annual D'Aulaire Sale!

3nd Annual D'Aulaire Special JUST $10 EACH FOR A LIMITED TIME! We have had the privilege of publishing the beloved works of Ingri and Edgar Parin D'Aulaire for over twenty years. Last year we offered these amazing children's books for just $10 each and we're doing it again! For those that missed out or have yet to discover these classics here's your chance. From July 4th to July 15th you can get one or all seven D'Aulaire biographies for just $10 each. Here's what our customers have to say: "The D'Aulaire books are a no-brainer for any family, even if you aren't homeschooling." "Every family should own this set of books!" "Love the D'Aulaire's books! Not only are they great stories, but the pictures are beautiful." "I'm thrilled to have my kids reading them." "So well written that the line between learning and enjoying a fascinating book becomes, as it should be, happily blurred." "The D'Aulaire books are hands down the best biographies for young students." "They capture my kids attention (and mine too!)" "Engaging stories woven together with rich words and beautiful illustrations." "These books are these most beautifully illustrated children's biographies to be found!" "We love them and will read them over and over." See the recent feature on Abraham Lincoln in Publishers Weekly. (Limited time offer. Not to be combined with other discounts or offers.) We hope you find this helpful. Please never hesitate to contact us with any questions. We can be reached at 800.889.1978, letters@bfbooks.com, on Facebook, and Instagram.

Early American History Intermediate

"This has easily been the most natural and relaxed curriculum I’ve used in my entire eight years of homeschooling. Ever." - Shelly, homeschooling mom of 11

"Our family thoroughly enjoyed the Early American Intermediate study this year. History comes alive with this wonderful collection of books!" - Stacia 

"We just finished up the early American package and loved it! The kids looked forward to the stories and retained so much info. I was surprised how much they learned!" - Tamara

Next up in our blog series featuring each of the history studies we offer is our Early American History: A Literature Approach for Intermediate Grades. Using our award-winning approach to teaching history using literature, this study takes you and your 4th-6th grader from the Vikings in 1000AD through the Civil War. This course features literature from beloved authors like Esther Forbes, Elizabeth Yates, James Daugherty, Jeri Ferris, Carl Sandburg and more! You'll study the lives of historical figures throughout the early years of our nation's history: Leif Erikson, Christopher Columbus, George Washington, Benjamin Franklin, Benjamin West, Amos Fortune, Sacagawea,

Sojourner Truth, and so many others! You'll read the wonderfully researched and beautifully illustrated A Child's First Book of American History by Earl Schenck Miers who paints a portrait of the struggles faced by the first settlers, the challenges of creating a new nation, and the the dynamic and complex events that formed our American consciousness. 

The study guide contains 101 lessons and it is suggested that 3 lessons be completed each week. Other features include: 

*Beautiful full color layout including historic art, paintings, charts, and maps.

*Internet links throughout guide for further interest and enhanced study.

*Guide includes an Answer Key.

*Many optional activities listed, especially having to do with geography.

*Expanded comprehension questions.

*Biblical principles.

Click on the images below to see sample pages:

To read about one mom's experience using this program, check out this review here. Shelly used it with three children at three different levels and say "This has easily been the most natural and relaxed curriculum I’ve used in my entire eight years of homeschooling. Ever." We strive to make teaching history easy and inspiring. Our guides are open and go, all you need are the books and a notebook for your student! And everything is available in a discounted pack that ships for free! 

We hope you find this helpful. Please never hesitate to contact us with any questions. We can be reached at 800.889.1978, letters@bfbooks.com, on Facebook, and Instagram.

Early American History for Primary Grades

"The teacher's guide from Beautiful Feet Books is open and go."

"I loved the Early American History Primary Study Guide and how it was laid out. Unlike other guides there isn’t a lot of extra *fluff* or wording. Each lesson is laid out in a simple fashion that takes no prep time, which for this busy momma was really nice!"

"Just opening up the package of books over the summer got me excited to start this curriculum. "

Photo: Joy for the Journey

One of our best-selling and most popular programs has always been our Early American History for Primary Grades. The books are by best-loved authors like Ingri and Edgar D'Aulaire, Jean Fritz, Margaret Pumphrey, Walter Edmonds, and Alice Dalgliesh. The Charlotte Mason-inspired study guide could not be easier to follow as the above testimonials attest, and the activities are designed to help students develop skills to research, reason, relate, and record. But the heart of the program is the time spent curled up on a couch reading aloud the tales of our nation's earliest days.

We've intentionally made our programs easy-to-follow and flexible so that they are assets to every type of home schooling parent. We don't want them to become task-masters. All of our studies stand on their own, or can be incorporated into another program that you are using. For instance, Aurie from Our Good Life used our Early American study along with Classical Conversations Cycle 3! She writes all about it here.

Photo: Joy in the Journey

Misty from Joy in the Journey is a book-lover and appreciated the emphasis on literature as well as the activities that helped a fidgety child focus on the readings:

 

"The lessons are short and to the point. This means that my fidgety kid doesn’t bore easily from the lessons. He actually has asked to read MORE than what is assigned. This is a win/win for us! The coloring sheets keep him busy, which means he is more engaged in what he is hearing. With kids who love to move, you NEED to keep them doing just that. Otherwise, they just aren’t learning. I love that most of the lessons have a coloring sheet assigned also." 

You can read Misty's detailed review here.  For those of you wanting to know more, here's some basic info. This guide will take you and your K-3 students from the year 1000 AD with the Viking discovery of North America to the exploration, colonization, Revolution and Western Expansion of the mid-1800's with the Civil War. Used as a one or two year study, parents will read aloud award-winning literature from great authors such as the D'Aulaires, Walter Edmonds, Alice Dalgliesh, Clyde Robert Bulla and others. Organized into easily followed lessons, students (and parents!) will learn the history of our nation along with corresponding biblical principles, poetry, geography, character studies and much more! There are 97 lessons in the study guide which can be used for 1-2 years. Click on the images below to see some sample pages. And everything is available in a discounted pack that ships for free! 

 

We hope this helps you get a good idea of what this pack is all about. Feel free to ask questions in the comments section below. If you have a question, chances are others do to, so please ask away! And thank you to our reviewers!

We hope you find this helpful. Please never hesitate to contact us with any questions. We can be reached at 800.889.1978, letters@bfbooks.com, on Facebook, and Instagram.

Review: Geography Through Literature

How does one teach geography using literature? Perhaps this question has popped in your head while browsing through the programs we offer or seeing friends post about it on Instagram. It's a completely valid question. After all, most geography is taught by studying and memorizing maps, capitals, elevations, etc. We believe that there is a lot more to geography than stats and facts, we believe that geography has a way of shaping us and what better way to understand this than by reading great stories?

The geography around us determines so much of our behavior as human beings. We don't often think of it, but the history of humanity cannot be separated from geography and ecology. Civilizations cropped up around water sources. Mountains divided cultures back when traveling over them presented insurmountable challenges. Droughts, floods, natural disasters shaped geographical landscapes and therefore human behavior. We cannot be separated from our surroundings and our geography program helps us understand how geography shaped mankind and mankind has been trying to return the favor since the beginning of time. Our Geography: A Literature Approach for Intermediate Grades opens student's minds to the amazing study of this science in a whole new way. One of our most popular programs, this combines great books with detailed mapping assignments so students understand the history, ecology, biology, and humanity of the places they're studying. 

Here are excerpts from a couple of reviews we just received of our Geography: A Literature Approach study. 

 "I cannot wait to gush about the literature-rich geography curriculum we’ve been using!" writes Caitlin from My Little Poppies. 

I believe that you could homeschool the elementary years with your library card alone...And yet, this is easier said than done...I’ll be honest: I love when someone does all that work for me. I love an incredible book list or a literature-rich curriculum.

And that’s where Beautiful Feet Books comes into play...I knew this curriculum would be a win for our family before it even arrived on our doorstep. Our family adores Holling Clancy Holling, winner of the Newbery Honor, the Caldecott Honor, and the Lewis Carroll Shelf Award. Holling’s amazing stories which are filled with fantastic illustrations and geographical and scientific facts." To read more of this review and see pictures of the maps and books that are included in this study, click here. 

Ami from Walking by the Way wrote about using this study with her active, nature-loving son: 
"I have this kid who wants to live outside. When he's not outside, he's inside–learning about wild edible plants or how to build a survival shelter or maybe finishing his math so he can go back outside. 

I asked him if he wanted to try some history, and he looked through a few things. He settled on a geography program from Beautiful Feet. I admit I was a bit nervous. Was my bird-calling, plant-loving, waterfall-chasing boy going to enjoy this geography program? We started on the first book, Paddle-to-the-Sea, and he was hooked: a boy building a miniature boat, the Great Lakes, a pond, a marsh, birds. Yes, he was hooked. And he learned a ton. And I learned I love this program for many reasons."

As alluded to above, this study uses Holling C. Holling's wonderful books and focuses on North American geography with an introduction to world geography. We've published custom maps to go with each of the books and students work on coloring, illustration, and marking those maps throughout the course of the study. 

Photos: My Little Poppies

Photo: Walking by the Way

The Study Guide provides lesson plans with reading assignments, research projects, activities, mapping projects, and much more. 

We offer everything is an affordable discounted package (that ships for free!) and you can buy additional maps for each of your students! 


We hope this helps you get a good idea of what this pack is all about. Feel free to ask questions in the comments section below. If you have a question, chances are others do to, so please ask away! And thank you to our reviewers, Ami and Caitlin!

We hope you find this helpful. Please never hesitate to contact us with any questions. We can be reached at 800.889.1978, letters@bfbooks.com, on Facebook, and Instagram.

Testimonial

"We used Early American History last year with our 3rd and 1st graders...and a toddler! It was our best year yet! Rich conversations and deep connections--that's why we're homeschooling. These books became the heart of our days."
—Kortney G

Check us out at bfbooks.com

We hope you find this helpful. Please never hesitate to contact us with any questions. We can be reached at 800.889.1978, letters@bfbooks.com, on Facebook, and Instagram.