Classical Academic Press has created a top-notch Bible resource called "God's Great Covenant". There are both Old and New Testament components available, and I was blessed to receive the New Testament 1 set to review.
If I were to give a one-word review of God's Great Covenant, it would simply be W-O-W!! I absolutely love this curriculum! And my 6th grade daughter absolutely loves it, too. It's good stuff. Strike that; it's fantastic stuff.
I received the Student Book (346 pages), the Teacher's Edition (346 pages), and Audio Files (as a download). Aimed at students in the 4th grade on up, God's Great Covenant is thorough enough to be used into the high school years. The text has 4 units which contain 36 weekly chapters, covers all 4 Gospels, and has a strong emphasis on the fulfillment of Old Testament prophecy in the life of Christ. The student book is consumable, which is something to keep in mind while planning where to spend your homeschool budget. (Prices are listed below)
The Teacher's Edition contains an introduction, historical/political introduction, chronological introduction, geographical introduction, religious introduction, and a daily life introduction that corresponds with the Student Book. These introductions lay a firm foundation for the lessons in the book, and my daughter and I spent a few days reading through all of them. She learned so much from the wealth of info in the first 32 pages, and I was surprised how much I learned. It was fascinating, and worth taking the time to study at a slower pace. There is a treasure to be found by digging into God's Great Covenant; don't miss any of that treasure by skipping over these introductions!
I love that the Teacher's Edition has plenty of room to take notes, which is terrific for someone like me who can hardly resist scrawling notes all over my books. The "Notes to Teachers and Parents" is very helpful, and the numbered footnotes make teaching a breeze. Pretty much any question my daughter had was answered via these footnotes. And one of my favorite features of God's Great Covenant is that the pages in the Teacher's Edition correspond exactly with the pages in the Student Book! When I am on page 37 comparing the Synoptic Gospels, so is my daughter. This is a feature that I truly appreciate after 14 years of using many curricula that don't have aligning page numbers in student & teacher books.
To provide you with an example of the kind of things covered in God's Great Covenant, let me share a little about the comparison of Pharisees to Sadducees (p. 27). This is something that believers will be blessed to understand as they study the New Testament, since a lack of understanding leaves the reader unclear on the meaning of many Bible passages. It's important, but not often taught. How cool is it that my 12-year-old now understands that the Pharisees were the largest and most influential group of religious leaders while the Sadducees were wealthy and politically prominent; or that the Pharisees regarded oral tradition very highly, while Sadducees had no regard for oral tradition! Yet these two opposing parties united as one "against" Roman rule to form the Council of the Sanhedrin. Reading the Gospels comes to life in new ways with this kind of understanding!
Each lesson has Theme, Scripture, Memory Passage, Key Facts Chart, and Prophecy Fulfilled segments, followed up with Review Worksheets. (The Key Facts are my favorite!)At the end of each unit are more Review Worksheets, and they are terrific. They aren't too easy, but also aren't too difficult. Thorough, but done in a way this isn't overwhelming. And the text is engaging, not boring and not babyish. God's Great Covenant is perfect for our homeschool family's Bible curriculum needs.
If you would like to explore all that Classical Academic Press has to offer, visit their website at www.ClassicalAcademicPress.com. If you would like to see some sample pages from God's Great Covenant, New Testament 1, click HERE.
The God's Great Covenant, New Testament 1 bundle (which contains the student and teacher books along with the audio files) sells for $56.95.
The student book alone is $26.95, while the teacher edition alone is $29.95, and the audio files are $9.95.
Also available are Old Testament 1, Old Testament 2, and other subjects commonly taught via the classical method.
To read what my Crew mates had to say about God's Great Covenant, click HERE.
Disclaimer ~ I received this product free of charge for review purposes. All opinions expressed here are solely my own.
May the Lord richly bless you as you study His Word for His glory!
Day 178 done :)
Jan L. Burt
www.HomeschoolingMothersBibleStudy.com
I stumbled across the review for your 6-week Bible study and it sounds just like what I am looking for. I am looking to do a 6-week study with some moms who will be new to homeschooling in the fall. I've tried finding it on your current blog to purchase, but I can't seem to find it anywhere. Wondering if it's still available? You can email me at johnstonhouse at gmail dot com. Thanks!
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