From Adam to Us is a one-year curriculum that combines world history, geography, and literature for students ages 10-14. We recommend it for 5th grade, 6th grade, 7th grade, or 8th grade. You can use it with multiple children in that age range at the same time.
Watch this video walkthrough with author Charlene Notgrass to see how it works.
From Adam to Us is divided into 30 chronological units with five lessons each. You can complete the curriculum in one year by doing one lesson per day for 150 days during your school year. While this course is designed for middle school students, younger children can listen to the lessons and participate in suggested family activities.
Your child can read the daily lessons independently, or you can read them aloud. The lessons are filled with color and black-and-white historical photographs, illustrations, and artwork.
At the end of each lesson is a list of about four to six activities. Students do not have to complete all of these. You know your child best, so you can choose which activities work well for the age and ability of your student. For example, you might expect an 8th grader to do all of the suggested assignments while a 5th grader might only complete a few. The choice is yours.
Depending on how many activities you assign, most students will need 45-90 minutes to complete one lesson. The exact activities vary from day to day, but they include:
- Readings in Our Creative World
- Map activities in the From Adam to Us Map Book
- Adding a sentence to the From Adam to Us Timeline Book
- Assignments in the Student Workbook or Lesson Review
- Thinking Biblically
- Vocabulary
- Creative writing
- Reading chapters in the recommended literature titles
Each unit has one special family activity. These include crafts, art projects, recipes, and other multi-age activities. Allow extra time for history on the day you do the family activity, or enjoy it as a family night or weekend project.
We recommend ten works of literature that complement the lessons in From Adam to Us. These books are not essential for understanding the lessons, but each one adds a valuable perspective on a different time period.
Middle-school students can read the books on their own, or you can use them as family read alouds. Five books go along with From Adam to Us Part 1 and five books with Part 2.
- The Golden Goblet by Eloise McGraw (Units 3-5)
- The Fables of Aesop by Joseph Jacobs, editor (Units 6-7)
- The Bronze Bow by Elizabeth George Speare (Units 9-11)
- A Single Shard by Linda Sue Park (Units 13-14)
- Otto of the Silver Hand by Howard Pyle (Units 15-16)
- The King's Fifth by Scott O'Dell (Units 18-21)
- Madeleine Takes Command by Ethel C. Brill (Units 22-23)
- The Switherby Pilgrims by Eleanor Spence (Units 24-25)
- The Chestry Oak by Kate Seredy (Units 26-28)
- Children of the Storm by Natasha Vins (Units 29-30)
If you already have the curriculum, our Quick Start Guide will launch you to success in using the literature, suggested supplements, and bonus downloads.