Creation to Canaan [seventh grade, possible grades 5-6]

Rod and Staff Publishers

Although this book is designated for seventh grade level, the reading level is easy enough for many fifth and sixth graders. Black-and-white photos, maps, and illustrations help children visualize people, places, and events. The Rod and Staff catalog describes the intent of this text well: [to] “center on the place of God’s people in history, instead of idealizing military heroes and super-power nations. We want to guide our students to a better understanding of God’s unfolding plan for mankind rather than following man’s pursuits, achievements, and culture from a humanistic perspective.”

The text covers history from Creation through the conquest and settlement of Canaan. The time period overlaps that of most world history courses, but the emphasis is upon early Biblical history, a time period that is usually breezed over elsewhere. The philosophical approach taken by the authors helps children develop a “God’s eye” view of history—to begin to understand that history is the outworking of God’s plan rather than a collection of random events. Discussion/study questions follow each chapter.

The accompanying workbook has space for writing answers to discussion/study questions (assuming you want students to write rather than discuss), along with additional exercises. Many activities require Bible research. The Teacher’s Workbook Manual has the answers for all questions. Tests are available separately. The course requires a significant amount of written work, so you might choose to omit some for younger students.