Review: Dave Raymond’s American History Curriculum Part 1

I admit that our family has enjoyed all of the products that we have used from Compass Classroom. Visual Latin turned my daughter into someone who absolutely loves Latin, and she thoroughly enjoyed the Economics for Everybody class which is not something most parents can say when it comes to a subject like Economics. When I heard they were going to be putting out an American History curriculum, I was rather excited as we were wrapping up our previous history studies and getting ready to start studying American History. The timing was perfect.

Like some of the other Compass Classroom products, the Dave Raymond’s American History curriculum is comprised of videos, reading materials, quizzes/tests, and assignments. Students will complete projects and a portfolio to round off the class. The daily videos are shorter in length (roughly 10 minutes each) and hold the student’s attention. The first lesson, which is introducing the student to the course, actually contains material on note taking as that is a key component to success in this class. I really like this aspect as it’s a critical skill for all students to know – especially if they are going on to higher learning.

As with other Compass Classroom classes, material is presented from a Biblical worldview which, to me, is refreshing. Because I’m in the room with Munchkin while she’s watching the videos, I find myself learning things about history that I didn’t know. She gets really excited about the information being presented and enjoys sharing her newly learned information with others. To me, this is a sign that the curriculum is interesting and engaging. The curriculum focuses on some aspects of history that aren’t, in my experience, covered by other curriculums as well as the traditional material.

The curriculum is available for immediate download or on dvd for $100. The downloads come in two formats – HD and mobile. (Note: you receive both formats with your downloaded files.) The mobile-friendly version isn’t as high quality, but you don’t really notice it as it’s being played on the smaller screen of your tablet or phone. I’m thankful for both of the versions. For the most part, Munchkin is watching the videos on her computer, but I put them on a sd card which allows her to use them on her tablet when needed. (If you have a tablet, like an iPad, that doesn’t have an SD card, you can just download them to the internal memory.)

In addition to the videos, you will receive a student book and teacher’s guide. These are in pdf and/or ebook format. I like the fact that I can either print out the materials or view them on my Kindle. Compass Classroom has really made this American History course mobile friendly which means it’s easy to take it with you on the road.

A special thanks to Compass Classroom for the sample curriculum to help facilitate the writing of this honest review. If you are going to make a purchase from Compass Classroom, would you consider clicking through my affiliate links in this post? The percentage we receive goes towards our homeschool fund. Thanks!