Trail Guide to Learning Curriculum

The award-winning Trail Guide to Learning series is a complete K-8th grade curriculum that teaches every subject except for math, using an integrated approach to develop thinking skills. It weaves together aspects from Charlotte Mason’s methods of natural education, and incorporates the ideas of Dr. Benjamin Bloom’s research on thinking skills, while fully utilizing the time-tested approach developed by noted author and educator, Dr. Ruth Beechick.

This curriculum covers each subject, and every subject in the Trail Guide relates. It is a natural way of learning as topics flow from one to the other. Children learn best when subjects overlap and build upon a main concept.

For example, in Exploration, your students learn the history of how our country was discovered and explored. While studying the life and explorations of Christopher Columbus, students learn about his travels, read about his life in their literature, map out his treks in their geography, learn how he used the stars for navigation in their science lessons, and tie in activities like making a model ship out of a milk carton. When your child is able to make all these connections, he will have better retention and a deeper understanding of the subject matter.

The more sensory involvement you have with one topic, the more likely you are to remember and use that information. As children learn, they will share their experiences through notebooking, presentations and hands-on activities. Art, cooking, music and games combine to give children a taste of the times and a personal connection with the content that is unmatched by reading alone.

Exploration

Follow famous explorers and pioneers across America and let geography be your guide to science, history, language skills, and the arts. Grades 3-5 (extensions available for K-6).

Settlement

Key events studied include the Colonial Period, the Revolutionary War, the War of 1812, the Civil War, and Westward Expansion. Grades 4-6, but the lessons can easily be adapted for 3rd and 7th grades.

Progress

To grow as a country, another group of leaders had to step forward during our history—scientists and inventors. Grades 5-7, but the lessons can easily be adapted for 4th and 8th grades.

Ancient World

This level of the curriculum will transport your students into four important early civilizations—Egypt, Israel, Greece, and Rome. Grades 6-8.

Trail Guide to United States and World Geography Curriculum and Resources

The Trail Guide to Geography books are family-friendly, multi-level, homeschool curriculum guides for students in grades 3-12.

With its trail markers directed at three different grade levels, each book (United States, World, and Bible) can be used for more than one academic school year and works well with a number of different student abilities learning together. The books were designed with flexibility in mind to better meet various objectives when teaching geography.

The Primary level (2nd-4th grades) is suitable for most third and fourth graders and for second graders who are reading to learn, not still learning to read. Use the Intermediate level for students in 5th-7th grades, and the Secondary level 8th-12th grades.

Each of the three Trail Guide to Geography books provide lesson plans for a 36-week school year, daily atlas drills with answer key, weekly mapping list for students to label on outline maps and an interesting assortment of other assignments spanning all learning styles.