Friday, August 3, 2012

Review: British History by James P. Stobaugh


My 15 year old daughter loves history so we were very excited to receive British History Observations and Assessments from Early Cultures to Today, a year long high school course that is part of a new history series by James P. Stobaugh.  The course is designed to be completed in 34 weeks and includes the following topics: Early England, Anglo-Saxon Invasions, the Norman Conquest, Elizabethan Age, the Early Stuarts, Whigs and Tories, the British Empire, the Age of Napolean, the Industrial Revolution, Victorian Age, Moderism, Causes of World War I, Totalitarianism, World War II and the Cold War, and the End of an Empire.  34 chapters include 5 daily lessons that take about 30 minutes to complete.  Every day there is a short reading then an assignment to follow.  On the 5th day there is a chapter exam.

Lessons contain the following components:


  • Critical thinking questions based on Bloom's Taxonomy
  • Examinations of historical theories surrounding a period or topic
  • Clarified terms, concepts, and theories to be learned
  • History makers who changed the course of history
  • Overviews and insights into world views


You can purchase the set which includes the 272 page paperback student book and 127 page Teacher's Guide here from Christianbook.com for $26.99.

I love that the book is very visually appealing.  Throughout the lessons there are beautiful black and white drawings, pictures, and photographs that go along with the lessons.  The format of the book makes it very easy for students to complete the lessons on their own.  Lessons are short and to the point.  The course is written from a Christian perspective.

The text is very brief.  That was disappointing to my history lover who wanted there to be more information on each topic.  Some of the questions require searching outside sources in order to find the answer.  The exam questions are not included in the Student book, but are found in the back of the Teacher's Guide. 

I received a complimentary student book and teacher's guide of British History from New Leaf Publishing Group for the purpose of writing a fair and honest review.  I received no other compensation.

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