Veritas Press is the History Curriculum Publisher of our choice.  One of the reasons we like them is for the way they structure the study of history.  When I was growing up (and the method used in the majority of schools today), Social Studies and History began with me and my family.  After that I learned about my neighborhood and my city.  Once I became more familiar with my state and country, then I started to travel back in time to study the history of America and after that, the history of the world.

Veritas Press changes the starting point, though.  Instead of starting with the learner at the center, it starts with God.  “In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth” is the first lesson you learn.  Then you slowly (over the years) make your way chronologically through all the great civilizations and historical events in history.  By the time you come to America and yourself, I believe you have a more accurate picture of the greatness of God, the power of His hand to sway the nations, and where exactly you fit into that picture (HINT: we’re kind of small after studying 6,000 years of history).

Nehemiah is in his first year, which covers Creation and a lot of Ancient Egypt.  Our time in Egypt was really enjoyable for he and Evangeline to be able to connect some of the things he is reading with what they saw and toured firsthand.  Below they posed for a picture after dressing up as King Khufu (the builder of the Great Pyramid) and Queen Nefertiti during one of Nehemiah’s lessons (Sonja likes to make it enjoyable):

Speaking of the Great Pyramid, here is a picture of it (the one on the right) from the apartment window where we stayed during our time in Egypt: