Cantering the Country

"Cantering the Country" is a unit study curriculum for children in Grades 1-6 which introduces students to the fifty states and The District of Columbia. The unit study is divided into the following categories: geography, history and biographies, science, literature, language arts, Bible, activities, and internet resources.Included with the teacher's guide is an activities cd-rom which contains printables, activities and maps. The weaknesses of this curriculum are: 1. The curriculum has no set schedule, you will have to create your own. 2. The science section focuses on the animal, flower and tree for each state along with science topics related to each state. If your child loves science you will have to supplement with additional materials/experiments. The strengths of this curriculum are: 1. There is a wealth of information in this unit study, which can be a bit overwhelming at first. However you can pick and choose what you would like to cover and what resources to utilize. 3. The curriculum is extremely affordable. 4. The Yahoo Group which is owned by the author is a great place to meet other families who are utilizing this curriculum. To round out your year of cantering I would recommend the following resources: How to Make a Cherry Pie and See the USA by Marjorie Priceman, Eat Your Way Across the USA cookbook by Loree' Pettit, Atlas of the United States by David Rubel, Geography from A to Z by Jack Knowlton, Earth Science for Every Kid by Janice Van Cleave, and In God We Trust by Timothy Crater (This book is still being printed by "My Father's World" homeschooling curriculum company.), The Rainbow Book of American History by Earl Schenck Miers with illustrations by James Daugherty, The Children's Book of America and The Children's Book of Heroes both by William J. Bennett.

This is a good cross curriculum reference book. It is not a complete text in itself, but suggests outside reading and activities. It is useful for all grades and can be used over and over to expand the curriculum as children advance in grades k-12