Curriculum and Resources

Overview Programs How to Use

Resources More Info

Heritage History offers a curriculum and study aids designed for homeschoolers and independent learners. These resources can be used for general reference, or as an organized course of study.

Curriculum Overview

The Heritage Classical Curriculum is a free, fully digitized program of study based on classical, public-domain student histories. In addition to books, it offers reading recommendations, timelines, maps, study questions, and other resources to help students choose reading selections and review what they have learned. The program can be used as a 'turnkey' curriculum, but it was designed to be flexible enough to be useful to students with a wide range of interests and learning styles.

Most students enjoy reading story-based histories and the Heritage Curriculum guides their reading choices and helps them learn at their own pace without busywork. Instead of rushing through a superficial overview of world history presented in a condensed survey course, the Heritage program allows students to enjoy an in depth study of history at a leisurely pace. It generally takes three or more years to work through the entire curriculum, but it is not necessary to complete all sections. Topics of most relevance can be learned first, and the curriculum can be adapted to almost any schedule.

Everything needed to study World History from ancient times to the 20th century is available on the Heritage website. Hundreds of classical student histories can be downloaded for free so there is no need to track down hard-to-find titles. Easy-to-read selections are available for novice readers, and advanced students have a nearly limitless selection of books to choose from.

[* Note: This page provides a brief overview of the Heritage Classical Curriculum. More information about the advantages of using a traditional program and the Heritage educational philosophy can be found on the Curriculum and FAQs pages.]

Study Programs

The Heritage Classical Curriculum consists of nine Study Programs, each of which can be completed in approximately one semester. Each program includes dozens of texts relating to a particular historical topic, but only a few selections are "required reading". In this way the same study program can be customized to satisfy the needs of a broad range of students. Introductory students can focus on the essentials while advanced students have a variety of more in depth texts to choose from.

One important way the Heritage program differs from other World History courses is that most books in the Heritage library focus on a single historical topic (Britain, Spain, China, etc.) while most World History texts cover events chronologically (Ancient, Medieval, Modern, etc.). In chronological courses, students sometimes jump from topic to topic without really getting acquainted with any particular culture.

We believe programs that focus on a specific historical topic are easier to understand and more conducive to in depth learning than survey courses. Our preferred sequence recommends an initial emphasis on Greek, Roman, and Anglo-American history, followed by a closer look at Europe, Latin America, and other advanced topics. But as a practical matter, we have adapted our curriculum to make it compatible with conventional 'period-based' programs since this is the approach generally expected of modern students. This organization gives students the option of using Heritage History resources in a way that aligns with the demands of most conventional World History programs.

Heritage courses can be studied in any order or used to supplement a conventional program. Click on course title to view details.

Ancient History (to 500 A.D.)

Ancient Greece — Heroic Age to Conquests of Alexander, includes mythology

— Heroic Age to Conquests of Alexander, includes mythology Ancient Rome — Kingdom of Rome to fall of the Western Empire

Middle Ages (500 to 1650)

British Middle Ages — Roman Britain to Glorious Revolution

— Roman Britain to Glorious Revolution Spanish Empire — Medieval Spain, Exploration, Latin America

— Medieval Spain, Exploration, Latin America Christian Europe — Medieval France/Germany/Italy

Modern History (1650 to 1900)

British Empire — Glorious Revolution to the Great War

— Glorious Revolution to the Great War Early America — Exploration to Early 20th century

— Exploration to Early 20th century Modern Europe — Modern France/Germany/Italy

The Study Programs listed above are intended for mature students. Grammar level students may benefit from Heritage History's Young Readers program. It consists of age-appropriate, easy-to-read history stories covering a broad range of topics.

[* Note: The following Study Programs are under development, and at present consist only of booklists.

Biblical Kingdoms — Egypt, Assyria, Judea, Phoenicia, Persia

— Egypt, Assyria, Judea, Phoenicia, Persia Eastern Empires — China, Japan, Mongol Empire, India, Islam ]

Using Heritage Study Programs

The Heritage Curriculum is simple to use and can be adapted to many situations. Each Study Program consists of a booklist, reading assignments, and study aids. Everything needed can be easily accessed from the Heritage History website. There is nothing to purchase and students can either follow the recommended sequence or study courses in any order. The books, printable study aids, and quiz game associated with each program can be used together or independently.

Download Books and Study aids—All books and study aids can be downloaded to a tablet or laptop in either EPUB or PDF format. The EPUB versions can be read on device with an e-reader program, and the PDF versions are presented in compact, two column format so they can be printed and read efficiently.

Note:Once all required books and resources have been printed or downloaded, there is no need for internet access . This is an important concern of many homeschooling families.

Historical Divisions—Each Program is divided into approximately eight study units so students can progress on a predictable schedule. Students working on a semester basis are typically assigned one unit every two weeks.

Each division includes reading assignments, an era summary, a timeline, and short biographies. These Study Aids help students recall important characters and events associated with each period. They are especially helpful for review before using the History Quest quiz game to earn knowledge medals.

Supplemental Reading—Introductory students need only read the 'core' assignments to learn the essential points of each unit. Advanced students, however, are likely to be interested in additional reading options. All Study Programs include exceptional supplementary texts that are well worth reading and there are excellent options for students of all abilities.

In addition to advanced texts, there are many easy-to-read selections suitable for younger students. These include biographies, legends, historical fiction, and adapted literature that entertain as well as inform.

—In order to make Heritage resources as accessible as possible, we created History Quest , a quiz game app based on the Heritage Classical Curriculum. The Quiz game is organized along the same divisions as the curriculum and most Study aids are included. The Quiz game contains hundreds of multiple choice review questions so students who have completed their reading assignments can review what they have learned and earn medals to demonstrate mastery.

At this time four Study programs are incorporated into the Quiz game. History Quest is still under development but it is already available from the Google play store. Like all other Heritage History resources, it is free.

Study Resources

Direct links to study aids associated the Heritage Curriculum are provided below. The complete Study Program pages include additional information.

Greece Rome Britain I America I Britain II Europe II Spain

Ancient Greece Resources

Ancient Rome Resources

British Middle Ages Resources

British Empire Resources

Early America Resources

Spanish Empire Resources

Modern Europe Resources