Bigger Hearts for His Glory
American History Curriculum
For Ages 7-9, Extending to Ages 10-11
Embark on a faith-filled quest for freedom along with the courageous men and women who built America in Bigger Hearts for His Glory. Discover the New World with Columbus, save Jamestown with Pocahontas, fight for freedom with General Washington, head West with Louis and Clark, travel the Underground Railway with Harriet Tubman, mine for gold in California, celebrate innovation at the World’s Fair, play jazz with Louis Armstrong, and welcome immigrants seeking to live the American dream! Through 34 exciting weeks of Bigger Hearts for His Glory, your child will step into the shoes of American heroes, discover character qualities in the Word of God, and learn to love and fear the Lord while eagerly awaiting His return.
Overview
Designed for ages 7-9, with extensions for ages 10-11, Bigger Hearts for His Glory makes teaching quick and easy by bringing together engaging daily lessons, captivating books, and memorable projects – all from a solid biblical perspective. This unique combination makes our Christian homeschool curriculum enjoyable to teach and fosters a love for learning and a love for the Lord. Take a look at the delightful array of literature and subjects your child will get to experience in Bigger Hearts for His Glory.
Books and Subjects
At a Glance
NOTE: Not all subjects are pictured (math, grammar, Emerging Reader’s Set 1, Drawn into the Heart of Reading, and options for older students are excluded).
Need help with placement?
Visit our “Guide Placement” page!
Features
Bigger Hearts for His Glory integrates a wide range of subjects with a unit study feel, giving your child a chronological and narrative overview of American history from the 1500’s to the 1970’s. This Christian homeschool curriculum also teaches essential skills, while giving you the option to customize key individual subjects like grammar, handwriting, and math. To learn more about what Bigger Hearts for His Glory includes, have a look below!
What's Included in
My Guide?
A Snapshot of History
Bigger Hearts for His Glory uses inspiring stories of hard-working, courageous Americans to provide an overview of American history from the 1500’s to the 1970’s. With a unique blend of living books, engaging activities, and a biblical perspective, our American history homeschool curriculum will help students experience the past in a whole new way.
American History Reading
- Read about famous American heroes and the history of our nation in Stories of Great Americans and A First Book in American History. Discover the heritage of the United States and learn from the lives of historic figures – from their faults as well as their virtues.
- Hear how two brothers unlocked the secrets of flight in The Story of the Wright Brothers and Their Sister, and feel the thrill of overcoming trials through faith and determination.
- Drag cannons across the icy Hudson for George Washington, discover the West with Lewis and Clark, and herd cattle on the Chisholm Trail in Journeys in Time! Through detailed maps and colorful illustrations, this book showcases twenty harrowing journeys that have shaped our national past.
- Connect with the text and develop retelling skills through oral narration, and study Godly character traits in historical figures.
- Include older students by using our optional Extension Package. This set of living books adds a fascinating layer to the history study and was chosen for older, independent readers.
American History Activities
- Keep a basic timeline of major historic events studied throughout the year, and see the big picture of how these events fit together.
- Train students to use alphabetization, dictionary skills, and contextual clues to complete weekly vocabulary activities using assigned words from the history stories.
- Bring history to life with fun activities like following a path of torn cloth to rescue Jemima Boone, using pennies as “fireballs” to sink the Philadelphia, staking a mining claim and using “gold” to buy a meal, testing airplanes with the Wright brothers, and more!
- Build artistic skills with history-themed art projects like crafting a Wampanoag wigwam out of clay, painting with berry juice like Benjamin West, making Andrew Jackson’s bicorn hat, sketching portraits like Samuel Morse, replicating your state license plate, designing a box kite, and more!
- Complete a beautiful history notebook filled with colorful pictures, engaging maps, historic facts, copywork, and sketches – a keepsake to treasure for years to come! At this age, notebook entries are mainly limited to copying, listing, and drawing from a model, with an emphasis on accuracy and attention to detail.
A Collection of Read-Alouds
If you’re inspired by Charlotte Mason curriculum, you’ll love what our read-alouds have to offer! Experience stirring historical fiction, eye-opening realistic fiction, thought-provoking biographies, inspiring nonfiction, witty works of humor, thrilling adventures, captivating mysteries, tantalizing fantasy, and wise folk tales as read-alouds. Enjoy reading to your child each day as you make connections with nine different genres in a heartfelt way.
- Take a trip through nine different genres with one of our three exciting book sets: Boy, Girl or Classic Interest. No matter which set you choose, you can rest assured knowing all three sets use living books that have stood the test of time.
- Explore the west with George Rogers Clark, save hidden treasure by outwitting the Nazis, discover clues in Scripture to solve mysteries, and rush to California in search of gold – all just a sampling of the stories that await you in our Boy Interest Set!
- Pen poetry with Phillis Wheatley, survive being shipwrecked with a group of babies on a desert island, discover mysterious footprints in the barn, and let your imagination run wild with humorous consequences – all just a sampling of the stories that await you in our Girl Interest Set!
- Meet Benjamin Franklin through his mouse Amos, witness Seabiscuit’s famous race, solve mysteries with Encyclopedia Brown, and fly over San Francisco in a hot air balloon – all just a sampling of the stories that await you in our Classic Interest Set!
- Become familiar with different types of literature, foster comprehension with guided oral narrations, identify and analyze story elements keyed to match each genre, weigh examples of “Godly character traits” in each story, and set personal goals based on Scripture.
A Trek Through Geography
Bigger Hearts for His Glory includes weekly geography exercises that directly relate to the history stories. As students use a globe or world map and a map of the United States to find and recognize historic places, they will learn how geography has impacted American history.
- Discover locations from long ago, trace the routes of famous explorers, and examine the geographical backdrop behind America’s history.
- Complete short activities to build basic geography skills, become familiar with geographical terms, and learn how to read maps and follow directions.
- Learn about continents, oceans, mountains, valleys, glaciers, rivers, plains, peninsulas, bays, sounds, inlets, isthmuses, cardinal directions, hemispheres, and geographical zones (tropical, temperate, and polar).
- Learn about transportation, rural and urban areas, state abbreviations and boundaries, coastal and interior state locations, the Continental Divide, map coordinates, map scale, calculating mileage, wind directions, air pressure and more!
A Foundation of Scripture
Our Christian homeschool curriculum strives to keep God’s Word at the heart of everything your children are learning. The Bible study in Bigger Hearts for His Glory takes a biblical look at the people studied in history, encouraging students to recognize Godly character qualities highlighted in Proverbs. As students study valuable traits, they will reflect on key verses from Proverbs, complete fun memorization exercises, read heartfelt devotionals, sing classic hymns, and take Scripture to heart.
- Identify a new Godly character quality from Proverbs each week. Study qualities such as diligence, patience, honesty, responsibility, courage, humility, self-control, leadership, and more! Students will connect these traits with biblical passages, look for the traits in historical figures, and learn how to apply the traits in daily life.
- Memorize a verse from Proverbs each week by using a variety of enjoyable techniques and activities. Each memory verse has a practical meaning for young students and also matches the Godly character quality being studied.
- Enjoy gentle, time-honored devotions from Little Pillows by Frances Ridley Havergal. Each devotion is linked to the history theme and also emphasizes biblical lessons in a conversational way. A related narrative, corresponding Scripture verse, and a quote from a poem or hymn are part of every devotion.
- Learn 12 of the greatest hymns ever composed with Hymns for a Kid’s Heart: Volume One. This beautiful full-color book and fully orchestrated CD set includes richly orchestrated music, hymn writers’ stories, heartfelt prayers, Scripture verses, and printed sheet music.
A Journey Through Literature
If you’re looking for Charlotte Mason curriculum, we’ve got you covered! Bigger Hearts for His Glory offers a choice of three options for literature study, based on the ability and reading level of your child. Use either Emerging Reader’s Set 1 or Set 2 to systematically build your child’s emerging reading skills, or choose our Drawn into the Heart of Reading program for your newly independent reader who is ready for more formal literature study.
Emerging Readers
- Build reading skills with our options for “Emerging Readers.” Our Emerging Reader’s Set 1 is recommended if you have completed most of your phonics instruction and feel that your child needs a year to strengthen his/her reading ability. Our Emerging Reader’s Set 2 is recommended if your child is reading beginning chapter books.
- Introduce your child to a wide variety of fun and engaging stories with our Emerging Reader’s Set 1! Hear classic Bible stories, laugh at the adventures of Frog and Toad, witness the chaos of misunderstood directions with Amelia Bedelia, stow away in a hot-air balloon, discover insects and animals in God’s Creation, live on the prairie with Laura Wilder, dig deep inside to find courage with Sarah Noble – and more!
- Enjoy a host of engaging stories with our Emerging Reader’s Set 2! Meet Buddy the first seeing eye dog, race against time to rescue a baby dolphin, solve the mystery of a runaway racehorse, fight a prairie fire with Cora Frear, deliver a secret message to Paul Revere, and pull together to save the family farm – all just a sampling of what awaits you!
- Discuss brief questions to check comprehension and get your child thinking about the day’s reading, as well as using short narration prompts to retell the story. As students discuss and engage with each reading, they will build retelling skills and make meaningful connections with the text.
- Encourage students to track their progress with our vibrantly-colored progress charts! After finishing each book, children get to place a provided sticker on the matching pathway space. Book by book, children will fill out the trail on their chart, adding stickers one by one until they triumphantly reach the end!
- Supplement your reading schedule with additional book recommendations that your child will enjoy reading again and again. Each week of plans for the Emerging Reader’s Set 1 includes one extra library title your child can read in addition to the core books. These titles are considered optional, but fit seamlessly into the reading level progression provided in the main study.
Drawn into the Heart of Reading
- Jump straight into the heart of reading with Drawn into the Heart of Reading, our literature program designed to help readers enjoy and evaluate great literature from a Christian perspective.
- Savor a wide scale of engaging literature while learning about different genres, story elements, and literary concepts. Choose books to read from your own library, or pick one of our amazing literature packages filled with character-building selections and time-tested classics that fit perfectly.
- Weigh characters by their actions and measure their decisions against the standard provided in the Bible. As students analyze literature from a biblical perspective, they will learn to recognize Godly character traits and apply them in daily life.
- Enjoy thought-provoking discussions and exciting projects tied to fascinating literature. As students dig beneath the surface of what they read, they’ll complete graphic-organizer style pages to solidify what they’ve learned.
Note: If you’d like to learn more about Drawn into the Heart of Reading, you can find more information here.
A Look at Grammar, Writing, and Spelling
Heart of Dakota teaches foundational language arts skills through a unique combination of Charlotte Mason style spelling and dictation exercises, a choice of grammar options, and a variety of handwriting approaches. You can use your own resources for grammar and handwriting, or use our time-tested selections as planned in Bigger Hearts for His Glory.
- Enjoy thorough grammar and writing lessons with a choice of either Preparing to Build: English 2 or Beginning Wisely: English 3. These comprehensive, God-honoring texts are easy-to-use and teach key concepts of grammar, mechanics, and writing. No matter which option you choose, both texts are scheduled in Bigger Hearts for His Glory.
- Learn creative writing skills and become familiar with sentence and paragraph structure, describing sights and sounds, conveying thoughts and emotions, using sentence variety, writing poetry, and more!
- Learn to write in cursive using either Cheerful Cursive, Getty & Dubay Italic: Book ‘D,’ or your own handwriting program. Short daily practice sessions guide students to form letters correctly as they copy from a model. Children who are not ready for cursive, will complete copywork of classic poetry within Bigger Hearts for His Glory for handwriting instead.
- Practice spelling with Charlotte Mason’s methods as you use either our spelling lists or studied dictation passages. Our spelling list option uses a multisensory approach that emphasizes picturing words mentally. Through weekly word lists grouped according to spelling patterns, students will learn high-frequency words necessary for writing and daily use. In our studied dictation option, your child will study a passage and then reproduce it as you dictate the passage aloud. This process builds writing skills while teaching spelling, capitalization, and punctuation. Both spelling lists and dictation passages are provided for you in Bigger Hearts for His Glory.
A Peek at Poetry
Bigger Hearts for His Glory introduces students to a new classic poem each week, representing a host of famous poets. Through shared poetry readings, thoughtful discussions, rotating activities, and copywork, students will discover the enduring qualities that make each poem timeless.
- Enjoy poetry study with our Charlotte Mason curriculum! By using Charlotte Mason’s methods, Bigger Hearts for His Glory helps students love and appreciate poetry in a whole new way.
- Read classic poems that reinforce the history theme. Learn about poetic devices, gain exposure to unfamiliar vocabulary, and discover the meaning beneath the text as you discuss questions related to each poem.
- Learn about rhyming patterns, stanzas, verses, couplets, similes, metaphors, imagery, personification, alliteration, rhythm, mood, repetition, meter, onomatopoeia, sensory words, free verse and more!
- Practice choral reading skills by reading the poem aloud, hone memorization skills by reciting as much of the poem as possible from memory, and build handwriting skills by copying excerpts from each poem.
- Appreciate poetry by choosing favorite poems from past lessons to read again for enjoyment.
A Structure for Mathematics
Bigger Hearts for His Glory allows you to choose a level from the well-known Singapore Primary Math Series, use Math with Confidence, or pick Apologia’s Exploring Creation with Mathematics. Or, you can use your own math. For your convenience, daily schedules for two different Singapore Math levels are provided in the Bigger Hearts for His Glory guide. Math with Confidence and Apologia Math each have their own daily schedule, four-days a week, in their instructor guides.
Singapore Primary Math Series
- A choice of two Singapore levels is scheduled in Bigger Hearts for His Glory: Level 2A/2B or Level 3A/3B. Each level provides a full year of math, with the ‘A’ and ‘B’ books each equaling a semester.
- Utilize Singapore’s concise math texts to build problem-solving and critical thinking skills. By featuring an approach that moves from concrete to pictorial to abstract, Singapore math teaches advanced concepts in a way that leaves children feeling math can be understood.
- Enjoy our easy hands-on activities that coordinate with the lessons in Singapore Level 2A/2B. These activities use concrete objects to illustrate mathematical concepts and are provided in Bigger Hearts for His Glory. Students in Level 3A/3B will not need to complete these activities.
- Visualize and solve problems quickly and efficiently by following the methods modeled in the text. Speech and thought bubbles appear throughout the text to demonstrate the thought process of problem solving, making even the most challenging problems accessible.
- Learn new mathematical concepts through a spiral progression that builds on concepts already taught. If a child doesn’t get a concept the first time around, rest easy knowing the concept will come around again in later levels.
- Use the placement tests available at www.singaporemath.com/placement-tests to find the right placement for your child. Be sure to select the Primary Mathematics edition of the placement test to match the Primary Math U.S. edition used in the Bigger Hearts for His Glory guide. It helps to note that Singapore Math is considered advanced as children move through the program.
Math with Confidence Series
- Enjoy Math with Confidence! This easy-to-use program features short, daily lessons 4 days each week. Scripted, open-and-go lessons are both friendly and approachable with hands-on games, activities, real-life context, and helpful tips. Straightforward, colorful worksheets help students practice new concepts and review previously-learned material.
- Focus on one concept at a time for several weeks to build deep, connected knowledge (known as the mastery approach). Math with Confidence also provides continual, ongoing review so your child fully grasps core grade-level skills by the end of the year (known as the spiral approach). Optional enrichment lessons are included along with suggestions for math picture books to enjoy together.
- Teach each level of Math with Confidence using an Instructor Guide, a Student Workbook, and common household materials (like coins, a ruler, crayons, a clock, small toys/stuffed animals, etc). Math with Confidence is currently available for grades K-4 with a new level planned to release each year through grade 6.
Apologia Math Series
- Enjoy Apologia’s hands-on, interactive approach to math, filled with activities, projects, and games that help students comprehend new concepts. See connections between math, our world, and our Creator as students dive deep into the beauty of mathematics.
- Introduce concepts through a similar format as each lesson is presented in a 4-step progression: hands-on activity, pictorial presentation, abstract presentation, and application. Practice sections reinforce learning, while hands-on projects make learning stick! Mastery is encouraged with built-in review.
- Follow a weekly schedule, 4 days a week, that reflects a systematic progression from one skill to the next. Each level requires the Teaching Guide and an All-in-One Student Text (as well as a selection of household objects). Colorful and age-appropriate lesson layouts make learning exciting!
- Use the placement tests available at www.apologia.com to find the right placement for your child.
An Exploration of Science
Bigger Hearts for His Glory features a unique, living books approach to science that integrates notebooking, narration, relevant Scriptures, and hands-on experiments. As students delve into life science, physical science, and earth science, they will discover what they learn matches up with the Bible.
- Use the visually stunning One Small Square books to explore the diverse ecosystems of the woods and the seashore up close. These books provide an unforgettable look at the rich variety of plant and animal life in each habitat, while also illustrating the impact of changing seasons and tides.
- Explore the practical innovations of early American scientists with Science in Colonial America, and open a window into science at work within daily life in A Pioneer Sampler.
- Discover the childhood of one of the most famous inventors of all time in Thomas A. Edison – Young Inventor, and read about the artist who created the greatest wildlife drawings in the world in John Audubon – Young Naturalist.
- Create science notebook entries, give oral narrations, become familiar with science-related vocabulary, and make biblical connections.
- Conduct quick, hands-on experiments and activities related to the science readings and log the results in a science notebook. Each experiment is easy to complete, uses the scientific method, and is guaranteed to make each day’s discoveries memorable.
- Draw connections between science and history as topics, people, and events overlap between the two subjects. As students read about seafaring explorers, they will study the seashore habitat in science. When reading about colonial history, students will study science topics from the colonial era. As students read about John Audubon and Thomas Edison in history, they will also study their contributions in science.
Can I Tailor This to
Fit My Child?
Yes! We’ve provided plenty of opportunities to customize in the form of different read-aloud choices and cursive handwriting options. You can choose between various levels of math and language arts, or use your own resources. A choice of reading options is available to suit your child’s reading level, as we provide sets for Emerging Readers and for our flexible Drawn into the Heart of Reading program. Finally, we’ve provided you with an Extension Package to add an extra layer to our American history homeschool curriculum for older students. No matter what you choose, Bigger Hearts for His Glory pulls it all together for you!
What Do Other
People Have to Say?
“The key to our happy days is the balance that Bigger Hearts for His Glory provides. Heart of Dakota’s curriculum is helping us train our kids’ hearts using the Word of God. It is also very solid academically."
Kathleen in Marysville, Kansas
Look Inside
Bigger Hearts for His Glory includes 34 engaging units with open-and-go daily plans that pull everything together. Units include plans for five days a week, taking 3 to 3 ½ hours a day for students to complete all subjects. Each day is conveniently displayed on a two-page spread, making it easy to organize your day at a glance. Let’s have a better look inside, so you can see what using Bigger Hearts for His Glory is like.
See the Video
In this video, Julie gives a brief overview of Bigger Hearts for His Glory including a quick peek into the daily plans. After watching this video, you’ll have a clear picture of how each day is organized and a better understanding of what to expect from our complete, Christ-centered, Charlotte Mason inspired curriculum.
Daily Format
Each day of Bigger Hearts for His Glory is organized on a simple two-page spread divided into “Learning Through History” and “Learning the Basics.” This two-page spread organizes information through a box system, with each subject contained in its own box. Boxes can be done in any order, and subjects are seamlessly rotated to cover everything you need. Once you complete each box on the two-page spread, you are done!
Notebook Pages
Our stunning, full-color Student Notebook becomes a special portfolio showcasing what students have learned on their journey through American history. As students work through Bigger Hearts for His Glory, they’ll complete beautiful pages filled with colorful pictures, engaging maps, historic facts, copywork, sketches, and a creative timeline – a keepsake to treasure for years to come!
Teacher's Guide
Bigger Hearts for His Glory features open-and-go daily plans with an appealing mix of oral, written, hands-on, and academic activities. Daily lessons incorporate a variety of learning styles and a perfect blend of teacher and child. Step-by-step directions, a careful balance of skills, and helpful key ideas bring everything together. By keeping our Christian homeschool curriculum both constant and coherent, we have created a strong foundation you can rely on year after year.
NOW IN COLOR
NOW IN COLOR
Shop
Now that you’ve seen a little bit about Bigger Hearts for His Glory, are you ready to shop? We can’t wait for you to see what’s in store!
Not sure you’re in the right place? If your child is too young or too old for Bigger Hearts for His Glory, we’ve got you covered.
Need something younger?
Have a look at Beyond Little Hearts for His Glory. It might be just right for your child.
Need something older?
Have a look at Preparing Hearts for His Glory. It might be just the fit you need.
Need something younger?
Have a look at Beyond Little Hearts for His Glory. It might be just right for your child.
Need something older?
Have a look at Preparing Hearts for His Glory. It might be just the fit you need.
Dig Deeper
Still want to know more about Bigger Hearts for His Glory? Have no fear – there’s more here! See the following excellent resources for more in-depth information about this Charlotte Mason curriculum.