Exploring America (2019)
If you want to compare how we cover U.S. history in our elementary, middle school, and high school courses, check out this chart:
Comparison Chart of Notgrass U.S. History Courses
Bonus Downloads
You can download and print these PDF files for use within your family.
Guide for Parents / Answer Key (2019)
If needed for your recordkeeping, download a description of what is covered in this curriculum: PDF / Text
Mobile Web App
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Suggested Supplements
Notgrass History curriculum is self-contained. You don't need to add anything else unless you want to. However, if you are looking for videos, virtual field trips, interactive websites, and other resources to supplement your studies, check out the resources we have listed at Homeschool History. The Notgrass History team is creating this ever-growing database.
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Editions
For the 2019 printing, we made minor corrections and updates to the curriculum, primarily in Lesson 150. We made some significant changes to the Exploring America Student Review Book to address concerns some parents had expressed about the difficulty level. We also updated the Answer Key to match.
The 2019 components are essentially compatible with the 2014 components. However, if you have a 2014 Student Review Book or Quiz and Exam Book, you need the 2014 Answer Key. If you have a 2019 Student Review Book or Quiz and Exam Book, you need the 2019 Answer Key. All of our answer keys are available as free downloads.
Look for the red bar that says "2019 Edition" on the cover of your books to distinguish between the 2014 and 2019 editions. American Voices did not change, so it does not have a red bar on the cover.
Released in 2014, this edition covers essentially the same material as the second edition with some changes to Unit 30 to cover events up to the date of publication. It has a completely new page layout with full-color photographs and illustrations and a hardcover binding. We modified the literature list, dropping Little Women and Christy and adding Miracle in the Hills. The new Student Review Pack, which replaces the former Quiz & Exam Pack, also includes literary analysis.
For the 2007 edition, we reformatted the entire curriculum with some modifications to the table of contents and published it in a paperback binding. We created our own one-volume book of speeches, documents, poetry, and short stories called American Voices. The Quiz & Exam Pack for the second edition is available for purchase as a digital download.
You can also download the Guide for Parents and Teachers at no charge.
2007 Guide for Parents and Teachers
This lesson is a special addition to the 2007 edition of Exploring America. There are no questions in the Quiz and Exam Book, no activities related to it, and no quiz that includes it. It is simply a way to extend the curriculum package to include events in 2008 and 2009.
The first edition of Exploring America was published in 2002. It had a plastic coil binding and used three supplemental document books (World's Great Speeches, Documentary History of the United States, and 101 Great American Poems). The Quiz & Exam Book for the first edition is available for purchase as a digital download.
Corrections (2019 Edition)
Bible Exam on Units 1-5
The questions on the first Bible Exam should be numbered from 1-25 instead of from 5-29. The answers in the answer key are correctly numbered.
Unit 3, Lesson 15
In the answer key for the Student Review questions on The Scarlet Letter, the answers for questions #7 and #8 were combined, which threw off the numbering for subsequent answers.
Unit 6, Lesson 26
On page 137, we discussed George Washington adding the words "So help me God" to his first presidential oath. Further research shows that this story is not clearly substantiated by the evidence. Here is our revised text: "On April 30, 1789, Washington took the oath of office in New York City, the first capital of the new nation. A traditional story states that Washington added the words 'so help me God' after he finished the Constitutional oath. Many Presidents have added these words, but the evidence that Washington did so is not clear. However, the new President did lean over and kiss the Bible on which he had placed his hand during the oath. Following the ceremonies, he attended a religious service in honor of the event."
Unit 8, Lesson 36
The last full paragraph on page 192 stated that the "Missouri Territory" was divided. This should say the "Louisiana Territory".
Unit 10, Lesson 47
Question #5 in the Student Review asked "What slaved plotted rebellions..." Since Denmark Vesey was free, not enslaved, when he led a rebellion, the question should be "What two persons planned rebellions by enslaved persons prior to 1831?"
Unit 13, Lesson 61
In the description of the Battle of Shiloh at the bottom left of page 340, we say that General Sherman led Union reinforcements to the battle. Sherman was already at the battle on April 6. General Don Carlos Buell led the reinforcements.
Question #8 in the Student Review was confusing because the text does not clearly state that Antietam was a Union victory, which is the answer given in the Answer Key. We have modified the question in more recent printings to ask "In which states did these battles take place?"
Unit 18, Lesson 88
On page 503, the text refers incorrectly to Hull House in Chicago as a "tenement house." The correct term is "settlement house."
Unit 18 Quiz
Question #3 should say "Democratic" instead of "Republican" presidential candidate.
Unit 20, Lesson 96
Page 554 incorrectly states that Woodrow Wilson earned a law degree from the University of Virginia. Wilson attended law school there, but he did not complete a degree.
Unit 26, Lesson 129
Page 760 incorrectly states that North Korea released both the crew of the USS Pueblo and the ship. The crew were released after 11 months on December 23, 1968, but North Korea kept the ship. (It was December 22 in the United States because of the time difference.)
Corrections (2014 Edition)
Unit 6 Quiz Answers
The page numbers for the first three answers in the Answer Key are incorrect. Here are the corrected answers and page numbers: 1. N (146-148); 2. H (142); 3. O (149-150)
Bible Assignment for Lesson 36
The Bible Assignment at the end of Lesson 36 was vague. Here is an updated assignment: The Bible study lesson this week looks at religious activity in America in the first half of the 1800s. One feature of this activity was the rise of several movements or groups that claimed to have a deeper insight into truth than what traditional Christianity offered. Read Colossians 2:16-23. List three things outside of Christ that people mistake for true spiritual fulfillment.
History Exam for Units 16-20
The answers for questions #6 and #7 should be switched. #6 should be Populism and #7 should be Progressivism.
Unit 24, Lesson 120
In the caption on page 708, we incorrectly identified the author of the Pledge of Allegiance as Edward Bellamy. The correct name is Francis Bellamy. Francis and Edward happened to be cousins.
Additional Links
Notgrass History does not control the content accessed through outside links, and a link to any site does not imply endorsement. Please use care and discretion while browsing the Internet, and let us know if any of these links are outdated or inappropriate.
Links
Institute for Excellence in Writing
National Assessment of Educational Progress Writing Assessment
Unit 2 - Lesson 9
Unit 27 - Lesson 135
The Feminist Case Against Abortion