If you are looking for a solid, truth-filled history curriculum, Mystery of History (MOH) fits the bill. We have used it for many years (even before all the editions came out). If you are new to MOH, this post gives an overview of the high points of the curriculum.
Jump to:
Chronological History Matters
Biblical Worldview
Multi-Age Friendly and Flexible
Learning Styles
Timeline Focus
Our Weekly Routine
Incorporating Other Subjects
To help support this blog and the resources shared, I may include Amazon and other affiliate links in my posts.
I would be so grateful if you click through my links to make a purchase. I earn a small commission at no additional cost to you. Thanks!
Basic information (taken from website):
- Overview: The four-volume series is designed for all ages, making it ideal for family-style learning. Each lesson includes reading, hands-on activities, timeline work, mapping, and review exercises.
- Author: Linda Lacour Hobar.
- Time periods covered in each volume:
Vol. 1: Creation to Resurrection
Vol. 2: Early Church to Middle Ages
Vol. 3: Renaissance to Early Modern Times
Vol. 4: Modern History
Each volume is designed for multiple ages, making it ideal for family-style learning. Lessons are structured to be read aloud or independently, followed by age-appropriate activities, timeline work, review exercises, and optional mapwork. Bible events are taught alongside world events, helping students see God’s hand throughout history. It’s a comprehensive yet flexible curriculum that works well with many homeschooling styles.
Chronological History Matters
One of our favorite things about this curriculum is that it is presented chronologically. Instead of learning random names and dates (as is common in most public school classrooms), children understand how events are connected.
- Historical Connections: It’s easier to see how one event led to another. Allows students to see how biblical events align with world history.
- Helps the Bible come alive as real history: not just stories. Using or making a timeline to go along with the lessons is a great visual to this.
- It builds a clearer “big picture” of God’s plan: Studying history in sequence reveals how God has worked through time—from Creation to Christ to modern times. It shows His sovereignty and helps students see history as His story, not just a list of facts and dates.
Biblical Worldview in Every Lesson
Our favorite aspect of this curriculum is that the lessons connect history to God’s Word. We know that any curriculum that leaves out the events in God’s Word is not the true history! Rather than separating secular and Biblical events, this curriculum weaves Scripture and biblical truth into the study of empires, rulers, and revolutions. You might learn about King David and what is happening in China at that same time period. This helps children really see the bigger connections. It shows how God’s truth stands firm through every era, and how we can trust Him to be faithful in our own lives just as He was in the past. The author also is not shy to tell about how to be saved!
Multi-Age Friendly and Flexible
MOH is designed to be used by the whole family, with lessons that can easily be adapted for different ages and learning levels. Whether you have young children or teens, you can adjust the reading, discussion, and activities to fit each child’s needs. This flexibility makes it perfect for homeschool families who teach multiple grades together. It’s also a timesaver: using one curriculum for everyone, while still providing meaningful learning experiences. Younger children may not pick up on everything right away. And that’s okay. They will be ready the next time around. Here are some options we have tried through the years.
- Read Aloud Together Read the main lesson aloud together. Younger kids listen and follow along while older kids take notes or read assigned sections themselves. This has been our go-to.
- Tiered Activities Younger children can do a simple coloring page or basic timeline, while older students do more detailed notebooking, research projects, or essays on the same topic.
- Discussion Time After reading, ask open-ended questions that work for all ages. Find out what they think, what they remember, and how they feel about it.
- Shared Timeline Creation Make a large family timeline on a wall or board. Younger children can add picture cards or stickers, while older kids write dates and descriptions. We have done a variety of timeline styles through the years.
- Use Audio Versions or Videos Supplement the reading with audio lessons or videos that appeal to different ages, giving younger children a more engaging way to absorb the material while older kids take notes. This is something we have done the last 2 years, and the kids love it!
Learning Styles
Mystery of History is a versatile curriculum that works well with a variety of learning styles, which ultimately helps your child thrive. Here’s how you can tailor the lessons to fit your child’s unique way of learning (my kids are a mix of all of these so we’ve done some of all 4):
- Visual Learners: Use the timeline cards, maps, and crafts to provide colorful, hands-on visuals. Drawing scenes or creating storyboards can help them remember key events.
- Auditory Learners: Read the lessons aloud together, listen to related audio stories or podcasts, and encourage discussion or storytelling to reinforce learning.
- Kinesthetic Learners: Incorporate movement through role-playing historical events, building models, cooking historical recipes, or doing hands-on science experiments linked to the lesson. We try to do this whenever applicable!
- Read/Write Learners: Assign notebooking, journaling, and written summaries or reports to deepen understanding through writing and reading. My girls do the notebooking pages that accompany the curriculum.
Timeline Focus
Using a timeline to teach history is important because it helps students see the flow of events in the order they happened, making it easier to understand cause and effect, historical context, and the connections between people and events. It helps students grasp the “big picture,” see how God’s plan unfolds over time, and develop a stronger memory of when and why things occurred. There are a multitude of timeline options out there. Here are a few that we have personally tried.
Timeline Board: With our oldest, we used a project board for our timeline. At that time, there was a Yahoo Group (I’m old) that had printable timeline figures that worked perfectly. We could fold up the board when we were done and place it behind the sofa out of the way.
Timeline Binder: We have also used a binder to keep up with our timeline. In this binder, they can add entries, pictures, timeline figures, and summaries after each lesson. This can be as simple or challenging as it needs to be. Students can add their own flair and make it their own.
Timeline Art Binder: This is a special binder I used for my daughter who LOVES being creative. I took plain white construction paper and accordion-folded it using tape. I drew a line across the middle (horizontal) to represent the timeline. She drew some beautiful pictures for each lesson.
Wall Timeline: In addition to the timelines mentioned above, I like to have a general wall timeline going so they can see at a glance how we are progressing in history. I printed out and laminated some colored paper strips using different colors for different sections of history. We put the more important and influential events and people on this timeline.
Timeline Notebook/binder: This is a new idea I came up with this year. This one is created by mom. I made the timeline pages ahead of time and put them into the binder. I have to say, I don’t think this is working out too well. I thinking my kids need to have some part making the timeline for it to really click.
*We are excited to add Adam’s Chronological History to our collection this year. It is a plethora of information and visuals!!!*
Our Weekly Routine
We always like to have a plan and it works out that we do MOH first thing in the morning.
- Monday – Wednesday:
- Read/listen to a lesson each day while working on notebooking page.
- Discuss/review lesson. Go over challenge cards.
- Watch corresponding video (I search YouTube)
- Choose an activity from the book to do (depending on grade level). These are usually research based for older kids.
- Thursday:
- Work on map activities
- Review challenge cards
- Work on timeline
- Friday
- Do the weekly quiz (or semester test)
- Finish any activities that are not finished
We do not really keep a big notebook/binder like it says in the book, divided by regions. My girls just have a basic binder that I print out and organize all the maps, quizzes, and tests (I’ll write more details in a future post). Any activities they complete can also be put in the binder. We also usually have a read-aloud going that corresponds with what we’re studying in history. We just read a little each morning at the end of our lesson.
Incorporating Other Subjects into Mystery of History
One of the great strengths of Mystery of History is how easily it blends with other subjects to create a rich learning experience. We use these history lessons as a springboard for other subjects.
- Literature: We incorporate literature by reading books that match up with our history timeline.
- Art: This past year we used the Draw and Write Through History books to accompany MOH 2. We would do these special things usually on Friday.
- Language Arts: fits naturally—older children write reports or narrations, while younger kids practice reading and storytelling by retelling lessons in their own words.
- Science: Explored by investigating inventions, natural phenomena, or ancient technologies mentioned in the lessons. (Berean Builders is a great match-up, although we have found it is not our cup of tea)
- Geography: We prefer a more natural incorporation of geography. MOH includes geography activities which we do. We study geography along with each area of the world we are reading about.
If you are new to MOH, I hope you give it a try. You will be surprised at how much your kids (and you) learn when following history through a timeline, instead of various dates and events here and there. It is truly a versatile curriculum, and I highly recommend you give it a try!
