Reviews

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Reviews of Our Government Curriculum

Summary

Basic American Government is one of the books I would put on my must-read list. Its combination of theory and practical application draws students into the age-old conversation about the proper structure of government and the challenge of balancing the government’s power with freedom for its citizens. The new course materials now make it much more usable for students and more practical for parents and teachers to administer.

Cathy Duffy

Cathy Duffy Reviews

This is not your public school’s government curriculum.

Remember how I said that my high school government class was dull? Well, the first sentence of the preface of the book that’s used in this curriculum, Basic American Government by Clarence B. Carson, says:

“It would be a considerable fraud to do a book on American government which talked as if the constitution were still being substantially observed, that pretended that when Presidents took the oath of office they intended to observe the bounds set by the Constitution, that Congressmen recited their pledges with the same intent, and that Federal judges were still construing the Constitution as it was written.”

 Let’s just say that that one sentence sets the stage for a unique and interesting look at American Government and how it is run today versus how it was intended in the Constitution.

 

MAKE HIGH SCHOOL CREDITS EASY!

Take the stress out of finding the right high school classes and enroll in the Basic American Government Course this school year! It’s eye-opening, engaging, and will get your kids thinking.

Brandi Jordon

Mama Teaches

I’m a child of Haitian immigrants and the first-born. Many times after school, I remember sharing my newfound knowledge of America with my parents. They came to earn degrees in Chemistry and Engineering and to offer their children new choices. Those goals were met! But everything from this country’s language, its customs, culture, and yes its government, was a brand new experience. . . .

 

In general, our homeschool focuses on American government from early on. . . . By the time my kids reach high school, we have covered basic facts. In this phase I feel they are ready for thought-provoking reading and ideas about America’s government. I’d like them to think about their place in society. I want them to learn to live their citizen role rather than being an observer. Worse yet, simply a consumer!

 

It feels like a tall order at timesbut also important.Boundary Stone’s American Government feels a good way to meet this tall order of mine. I’m excited to share the curriculum with my 12th grader!

Daniele Evans

The Curriculum Choice

Another thing I love is that students will learn to discuss how our U.S. government has grown to what it is today and how that impacts us as citizens. They will also learn about policy issues, policy proposals, and how those decisions impact us as well.

 

Politics can be a very heated area of discussion, but this course will teach students how to keep up on current events: federal, state, and local and be able to discuss them in a civil and courteous manner. Boundary Stone recognizes the varying opinions of these topics and how students [can] have these varied opinions and still discuss them civilly.

Alicia Hutchinson

Living Well + Learning Well

This is a self-paced course, and they could complete it completely without my input aside from grading the study guide.

 

I wanted to talk this through with the kids. We’re in the middle of an election year, and in case you aren’t aware, the world has gone crazy. I’m typing on August 2 [2020], currently, there is rioting in several cities over Black Lives Matter. There are protests over the measures for the Coronavirus, either it’s going too far, or not far enough. There are political ads popping up everywhere. EVERYWHERE!

 

But, the reality is, if I was busy and wasn’t able to work through this material, they could do it completely on their own.

Ticia Messing

Adventures in Mommydom

If we as US citizens don’t learn the reasoning behind our Federal Government and why we have the documents, rules, and restrictions we do, we as a nation run the risk of losing what was left to us. This idea seems to be at the core of the Basic American Government course from Boundary Stone.

 

With this US Government course, high school students can easily work through the material independently at a pace that works for their busy schedules. The built-in checks (vocabulary and review questions) automatically check for both retention and understanding of the material presented before adding additional information.

 

So even though this course initially appeared to be more than we would normally use as semi-relaxed homeschoolers, over the last several weeks we have seen that even an in-depth study of basic American government can be done in a way that works for us. Which is good, because with two in high school, I need a course that offers both accuracy and dependability, along with flexibility and ease. Basic American Government from Boundary Stone appears to offer all of that, and then some!

Kelly Warner

Hope in the Chaos

I am sure, like many of you, the last thing you want to do is allow your children to leave home without an understanding of how our government should operate. My oldest is in 10th grade this year, and I felt like we needed to cover the American Government in depth. The meaty parts.

 

Luckily Boundary Stone has created an in-depth self-paced online course to help your teen learn all about American Government. I recently came upon this course, and I couldn’t be more impressed with the curriculum’s quality. Basic American Government is one that I feel incredibly confident recommending to you as a fellow Christian family.

 

After looking over the course, I decided to take it right alongside my daughter. I too, want to brush up on my knowledge of historical politics, our history’s valuable documents, and the context in which it was all designed for us the American people. I am so glad that we made a choice to take it together, we have had some wonderful discussions stemming from this course.

Courtney Messick

Grace, Grow, Edify

The Basic American Government Course is easy for students to use independently. Parents should plan to be available to discuss topics with their teens and to determine grades, but otherwise students can work through the course on their own. Great timesaver for busy homeschool moms!

Judy Hoch

Meaningful Homeschooling

An Overview of Boundary Stone’s Basic American Government

Okay! I have to be very honest with you. When I received this book in the mail, I was not at all impressed. It is over 475 pages of just text. . . .  But, when I logged onto the online portion of the program, WOW! I was pleasantly surprised. This could actually be something we could work with. With the book as our core text and the online features we could make a go of this. Here are some highlights of the self-paced online program:

  • Engaging Photos
  • Videos (great explanations)
  • Discussions Questions
  • Study Guides
  • Online Fill in the Blank Questions
Tonya Nolan

TonyaNolan.com

Reviews of Our Economics Curriculum

Basic Economics: A Natural Law Approach to Economics is great for students (as well as adults) who want to understand economics at a deeper level and from a Christian perspective. This textbook covers the economics topics that you find in most high school texts such as markets, supply and demand, scarcity, monopoly and competition, and the stock market. It also teaches more personally-applicable topics such as rent, wages, savings, investments, interest, and home-based businesses that are sometimes not covered in economics textbooks.

 

Where this textbook goes deeper is in the amount of attention given to the history of economics, the different economic schools of thought, government actions and their effects, the morality of economics, and international economics. An entire chapter addresses “Society and Morality,” examining the Judeo-Christian roots of free markets, moral absolutes versus moral positivism, and utilitarianism.

Cathy Duffy

Cathy Duffy Reviews

Easy to Use:

By the time your kiddo is in high school, they should basically be teaching themselves. Basic Economics open-and-go approach makes it a breeze for me and easy to use for the kids. No need to plan out activities, assign reading material or do any of the dirty work: Boundary Stone has already done that for me! I just need to provide the textbook and login information and my kiddos can complete the curriculum on their own.

Tiffany Jordon

Homeschool Hideout

Whether you are an adult or a high school student, this is a fantastic course! I never would have expected to get excited about an economics course, but this resource is amazing. I’m confident that my 16 year old will finish it with a well rounded understanding of the fundamentals. Next year, I’ll have my 15 year old take it as well. As far as I’m concerned, this is a must have in your homeschool curriculum.

Laurie Gauger

School Days

I love economics. It’s what I majored in. But let’s face it, economics taught straight from a textbook, regardless of the text, is usually dry and boring. A surefire way to kill what I think is a rather interesting subject.

 

Boundary Stone’s homeschool Economics curriculum is more than your bland textbook. Incorporating online lessons, videosand outside reading, in addition to the use of the Basic Economics, 4th ed. textbook by Clarence B. Carson, students get a more engaging experience.

My daughter found the inclusion of videos, such as those from EconPop, added an element of entertainment which made her lessons more enjoyable. I even found her sharing the video explaining economic principles in the Lego Movie with her sister.

 

I have enjoyed being able to have economic discussions with my daughter as she works through the material. Allie confessed the class is more interesting than she was expecting. In fact, it’s become her favorite subject! She has also found working through the lessons has helped her to have a better understanding of the current issues plaguing the news. She has been able to see how a firm foundation and understanding of economics could curb many of the issues being faced. And more importantly why it’s vital to protect the rights of individuals.

 

She found the section which discusses The Law by Frederic Bastiat to be enlightening and was excited when she received a perfect score on the quiz. The Law is just one of the assigned readings in the course. Later on, she will also read, “Whatever Happened to Penny Candy?” by Richard Maybury. She also discovered she isn’t looking forward to doing taxes for real after working on the mini-budget project for the course.

Destiny Mawson

Some Call it Destiny

This is a thorough homeschool economics curriculum course surrounding a subject that many people know very little about. Because of the limited knowledge we have found ourselves in quite a predicament. Teachers instruct our children based on faulty knowledge repeating the cycle. As less and less of our children are raised to fully understand the purpose of government, where our laws come from, and how we are to govern ourselves, we move further from the true meaning of government and how to handle society’s problems.

 

You see, before we can have a just government, we need to have a people that understand where the power to create laws comes from, and before we have a people that understand that, we need to raise up that generation.

 

For these reasons, not only do I recommend this homeschool economics curriculum, but I think if you are trying to raise moral children who will someday vote, run for public office, and raise another generation of godly children, this course is necessary.

Patty Moliterno

A Mother's Random Thoughts

Boundary Stone takes a serious approach toward economics, and I consider it to be appropriate for older teens in their Junior and Senior year of high school. It’s on par with any college-level course I’ve seen, and the self-paced approach make it a very flexible option for parents who want to give their kids a rigorous look at our economy, the forces that drive it, and how it must be preserved. While you do not need to purchase the course to get access to the fine printed textbook, I recommend it as the best way to get every bit of wisdom from the authors. Limited-government advocates may find no finer option on the homeschool market today. 

Linsey Knerl

Little Punkin' Homeschool and Life with Linsey Knerl

Personally, I love the ease of this program and how in-depth it goes. I think my son will benefit from learning about economy in this format and why certain ideals for society really aren’t that great. We plan to continue using this program for his Economy course. They also have a Government course that we may try next!

Erin

Mommy Octopus

A Different Kind of Economics Class

Boundary Stone’s Economics Online Course Bundle is not your typical economics class. In fact, there are absolutely no math problems included in this economics course! Instead, they focus on ideas. They teach your student to stop and think. And, isn’t that our major goal?!? We need to teach our children to stop and think. This course is also rich in history too….

 

The Foote Family Homeschool gives Boundary Stone – a Different Kind of Economics Online Course a big thumbs up! This is an excellent economics homeschool curriculum!

Candy Foote

Candy Foote Club

Let’s focus for a moment on the textbook. First, let me say that this is a gorgeous high-quality textbook. It has the soft feel hardcover and glossy pages. I love a good quality book! Each chapter begins with an overview of the chapter and thought-provoking quotes and scriptures that relate to the content of the chapter. The book itself is printed in black and white. There aren’t a lot of fancy distractions, but the pages are laid out in a way that is visually appealing with pull quotes and other breaks in the text. 

Mrs. Nerfer

Life in the Nerdom

A Budget Project Mini Course is included.  It’s a wonderful way to introduce your students to the practical implications of economics.  They use the tools and resources provided to create working budgets…. This was completely fascinating to us!  The section on college loans and budgeting was something I think every college bound high school student should watch.

 

I think this is the most engaging and well-done economics course I have ever seen!  It’s a fresh approach that brings economics to life and makes it relevant for today’s students.

 

Don’t miss this one!

Renita Bentz

Mom of Many

The real-life budget project, offered as a free mini-course, is a great balance to the faith-based textbook. It can be used as a stand-alone project. However, using it alongside the online course you will need to account for one day per week in your schedule.

 

I also like that the course includes a hardbound book. He gets so much screen time as it is. I appreciate that he can read the assigned chapters the “old fashioned” way, in print. I encouraged him to take notes as he read and to use the Getting the Point questions to ensure he understood the concepts. We also went through the review questions at the end of each chapter together so I could stay abreast of his progress.

Eva Varga

Homeschooling Naturally. Traveling Globally.

Easy to Use:

This is a meaty course. This isn’t one of those courses where the student reads a watered down chapter in a dumbed down book and then answers ten multiple choice questions at the end of each chapter. This course will require effort and time as it contains solid content at a higher reading level.

 

That’s a good thing because our kids need to be thoroughly educated in these topics. The textbook is Basic Economics – A Natural Law Approach to Economics (Fourth Edition) by Clarence Carson and Paul Cleveland. (It is super high quality!)

Sallie Borrink

A Quiet Simple Life

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