Exploring America: American History, English, and Bible

Exploring America by Ray Notgrass is an integrated high school curriculum that combines American history, English composition, and Bible study into a single, cohesive course. Designed for 11th or 12th grade students, the program covers American history from the earliest European explorations through the 21st century while incorporating primary source readings, literature, and biblical reflection.

The curriculum is structured as a full-year course that can earn students up to three high school credits: one in American history, one in English, and one in Bible. Each week's lessons include historical narrative, primary source documents, literature selections, composition assignments, and Bible study related to the historical period being studied.

The two-volume student text is written in an engaging, narrative style that reads more like a well-crafted history book than a typical textbook. Historical photographs, maps, and artwork supplement the text. The companion review book provides daily review questions, vocabulary exercises, and unit exams.

The literature component includes classic American works such as speeches, letters, poems, and essays by figures like Benjamin Franklin, Frederick Douglass, Abraham Lincoln, and Martin Luther King Jr. A separate literature package includes five complete books that students read alongside their history studies.

For Christian homeschool families, the Bible component examines how faith has shaped American history and culture, with daily Scripture readings and reflection questions. The curriculum presents American history from a perspective that acknowledges God's role in the nation's story while providing honest coverage of both triumphs and failures.