This last summer we finished our final unit of Year 3 History from The Good and the Beautiful. This is a bit of a somber unit – but I kind of feel like it should be given the topic. This unit was focused on World War II. As hard as some of these topics were to share with Jacob, I am so grateful we get to have these discussions in our home. They were tender and led to a lot of reflection.
Topics
Subjects covered in this unit include:
- The Rise of Nazism
- Dangers and Destruction of Communism
- Stories of Faith and Survival in Stalin’s Russia
- Causes of World War II
- Pearl Harbor
- Faith and Resistance in World War II
- The Holocaust
- The United States Home Front
- Stories of Bravery
- Winston Churchill
- D-Day: The Invasion of Normandy
- The War in the Pacific
- World War II Ends
Supplies
None
Student Explorers
The Good and the Beautiful history curriculum includes student explorers for the lessons. There is a different set of student explorers for Grades 1-3, Grades 4-6, Grades 7-9, and Grades 10-12. Jacob is my only kiddo doing history and he is working through the explorers for Grades 1-3.
Included in this unit were:
- World Map showing Allied Nations, Allied Occupied Territory, Axis Nations, and Axis Conquests
- Coloring Page of the Battle at Normandy
- Map of the War in the Pacific
Big Book of History Stories
The Big Book of History Stories is one of my favorite parts of history! It contains fabulous stories and illustrations that bring history to life. This unit we read:
- Boris and His Brave Babushka
- The Story of Corrie ten Boom
- Tessa and the Tulip Farm
Read Aloud
This unit we read The Winged Watchman by Hilda van Stockum. We loved this book! This is a story about a Dutch family during the Nazi occupation. They live in a windmill and help with the Resistance and hide a downed air pilot as well as other refugees. I loved how it told one of my many untold stories about regular people and how it very much affected their every day lives. It was inspiring and I would highly recommend it.
Independent Reading
Every unit I encourage Jacob to do some additional reading about the time period. This is a bit of a difficult time period to find age appropriate books for, but luckily for us, Imagination Station has a book for that! Jacob read Escape to the Hiding Place by Marianne Hering and Marshall Younger. Here is a quote from the book:
"God doesn't always protect us from danger. But He's always with us when we face danger. And that's enough."
Isn’t that so good?! I love these books.
Field Trips
This can be a little tricky unless you live in the right place. But you can always check to see if there are exhibits in your local museums. Other ideas would include:
- World War II Memorial, located in Washington DC
- Pearl Harbor National Memorial, located in Hawaii
- Aleutian Islands World War II National Historic Area, located in Alaska
- Eisenhower National Historic Site, located in Pennsylvania
- Holocaust Memorial Museum, there are actually several locations where you can find these (most popular would be Washington DC, but there are others in New Mexico, California, Colorado, Illinois, Missouri, Texas, Michigan, Oregon, Wisconsin, Iowa, Washington, Indiana, Virginia, New York, Florida, Ohio, Tennessee, Georgia, North Carolina, Louisiana, and Arizona)
Final Thoughts
We learned a lot. Not just dates and facts, but about people. About what happens when the adversary gets a hold of men’s hearts. But also about good in people. People that go above their fears to show bravery rarely seen. People that sacrificed their lives for others because wrongs were being done. It’s humbling and inspiring. And I was grateful to share these learning moments with Jacob.
Additional History Reviews
The Good and the Beautiful Year 3
- Unit 1: Ancient Mesopotamia & Ancient Israel
- Unit 2: Ancient Africa & Native North Americans
- Unit 3: Westward Expansion and Industrialization
The Good and the Beautiful Year 2 (FULL REVIEW of the entire year)
- Unit 1: Ancient Greece and Ancient Asia
- Unit 2: Vikings, Exploration, and Pre-Columbian America
- Unit 3: Colonial America and the U.S. Constitution
- Unit 4: History of U.S. Education and World War I through the Great Depression
We DID complete Year 1 of the Good and the Beautiful History, however, I have not written a formal review of it. If you have any questions, feel free to ask!
