By Julianna Dotten
Wondering how to best organize Colorado Civics to fit into your family’s school year? I’ve put together a Scope and Sequence with an easy, week-by-week schedule. (And find out more about purchasing the book here).
While I hope this schedule is helpful, the book is written in more of a unit study style, so please take it as a suggestion and use the book to best fit your family’s needs! While you certainly won’t be able to fit all the activities and readings into a given week, I would suggest picking topics your students have been interested in to read further.
If you are planning to count this course for high school credit, you will need to ensure that it takes 120-180 hours for one credit and 60-90 for a half credit. So ensure that you’ve chosen enough of the supplementary materials to fit
Most importantly, I highly recommend reading aloud one of the recommended read-aloud books alongside the textbook. This will help the history come alive for your students!
While the following scope and sequence does not include all of the supplementary materials and activities mentioned in the book, it gives a sample of what each week might look like and points out the highlights.
Key:
High School Readings (HS)
Elementary/Middle School (EL/MI)
| Week | Topic | Readings | Activities/Supplemental |
|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | American Foundations | Introduction 1.1 The English Common Law 1.2 The Beginnings of American | HS: excerpts from Sir William Blackstone and the Common Law EL/MI: A Light Kindled, Stories of the Pilgrims, Sarah's Morton's Day Learning Journal Questions Hands-on: Draw a picture of the Lex/Rex Pilgrim Day ideas/Succotash |
| Week 2 | Revolutionary War | 1.3 The War for Independence 1.4 The Articles of Confederation | Start read-aloud: Reb HS: 1776 or EL/MI: Mary Geddy's Day Learning Journal Questions Hands-on Activity: Watch this video of Patrick |
| Week 3 | The Constitutional Convention | 1.5 Our First President 1.6 The Constitutional Convention | Continue read-aloud HS: Read this article. EL/MI: We The Kids: The Preamble to the Constitution of the United States Learning Journal Questions Hands-on Activity: Matching Watch the Preamble Song |
| Week 4 | Federal Principles | 1.7 Checks and Balances 1.8 Separation of Powers | Continue read-aloud HS: consider watching Constitutional Literacy or reading Original EL/MI: A Balancing Learning Journal Questions Hands-on Activity: Checks and Balances Act of the Three Branches |
| Week 5 | Federal Principles | 1.9 Mixed Government 1.10 The Three Jurisdictions | Continue read-aloud HS: The American Covenant Consider watching Monumental Learning Journal Questions Hands-on Activity: Jurisdictions skit |
| Week 6 | Principles of Freedom | 1.11 Enumerated Powers 1.12 Representational Republic | Continue read-aloud Learning Journal Question Hands-on Activity: City and government types role-playing |
| Week 7 | Principles of Freedom | 1.13 Religious Liberty 1.14 Economic Freedom
| Continue read-aloud or start Freedom (Swanson) HS: Economics in One Lesson or The Law EL/MI: Nancy Loewon Learning Journal Question Hands-on Activity: Separation Watch this video on supply and demand. Review Questions |
| Week 8 | The Legislative Branch | 2.1 The House of Representatives 2.2 The Senate 2.3 The Life of a Bill | Continue read-aloud HS: The Constitution Made Easy EL/MI: Cappy Tall's Capitol Tales, Washington DC ABCs, How Congress Works: A Look at the Legislative Branch Learning Journal Questions Hands-on Activity: Find your representative Watch some congressional proceedings on C-SPAN Watch I'm |
| Week 9 | The Executive Branch | 2.4 The President 2.5 The President's Cabinet
| Continue read-aloud EL/MI: Smart About the Presidents, Woodrow: The White House Mouse, The Camping Trip that Changed America, and Meet the President's Cabinet Learning Journal Questions Hands-on Activity: Watch FDR's Fireside Chat 19 |
| Week 10 | The Judicial Branch | 2.6 The Court System | Continue read-aloud El/MI: Marshall, the Learning Journal Questions Review Questions |
| Week 11 | The Bill of Rights | 3.1 The Bill of Rights 3.2 The First Amendment: | Continue read-aloud HS: From Parchment to Power, Original Intent EL/MI: The Bill of Rights in Translation Learning Journals Questions Hands-on Activity: Research and sign a petition |
| Week 12 | The Bill of Rights | 3.3 The Second Amendment 3.4 The Third and Fourth Amendments | Continue read-aloud HS: Read this article from the Blaze EL/MI: With My Rifle Learning Journal Questions |
| Week 13 | The Bill of Rights | 3.5 Amendments Five Through Eight 3.6 The Ninth and Tenth | Continue read-aloud Learning Journals Questions Hands-on Activity: Field trip to judicial center or Questions for Review |
| Week 14 | Voting and Parties | 4.1 The Importance of Voting 4.2 Political Parties | Continue read-aloud El/MI: Woodrow for Learning Journal Questions Hands-on Activity: Mock election and parties |
| Week 15 | Elections | 4.3 The Presidential Race 4.4 Primary vs. Caucus | Continue read-aloud EL/MI: Presidential Elections and Other Cool Facts, Duck for President, America Votes Learning Journal Questions Hands-on Activity: Watch this summary Continue to work on your election simulation |
| Week 16 | Elections | 4.5 The Electoral College | Continue your read-aloud HS: The Importance of the Electoral College EL/MI: Today is Election Day, Our White House Learning Journals Questions Hands-on Activity: Look at a map of Review Questions |
| Week 17 | Patriotic Holidays | Note: you may want to consider
5.1 Memorial Day 5.2 Independence Day
| Read-aloud "In Our Youth Our EL/MI: Memorial Day Hands-on Activity: Make your own Founders charades |
| Week 18 | Patriotic Holidays | 5.3 Labor Day 5.4 Veterans Day 5.5 Thanksgiving Day | Continue read-aloud or begin Johnny Tremain or The Landing of the Pilgrims EL/MI: Tuesday Tucks Learning Journal Questions Hands-on Activity: Labor day picture or Veteran's Day Poster Review Questions |
| Week 19 | Patriotic Symbols | 6.1 The Liberty Bell 6.2 The Great Seal | Continue read-aloud HS: The Story of the Liberty Bell El/MI: The Bald Eagle Learning Journal Questions Hands-on Activity: Make your own Liberty Bell |
| Week 20 | Patriotic Symbols | 6.3 Stars and Stripes 6.4 The Statue of Liberty 6.5 Mount Rushmore | Continue read-aloud HS: What So Proudly EL/MI: Betsy Ross Learning Journal Questions Hands-on Activity: Flag-designing or Statue of Liberty Review Questions |
| Week 21 | Colorado History | 7.1 Colorful Colorado 7.2 The Indian Days | Begin In the Heart of the Rockies read-aloud EL/MI: Godl Nuggegs of Colorado History, C is for Learning Journal Questions Field Trip: visit a history Make some Native American food |
| Week 22 | Colorado History | 7.3 Early Expeditions 7.4 The Long Expedition | Continue read-aloud EL/MI: The Lewis and Learning Journal Questions Field trip: Fort Garland Museum and Pike's Stockade Hands-on Activity: Natural history museum in a shoebox |
| Week 23 | Colorado History | 7.5 Mountain Men and the Santa Fe 7.6 Mining Comes to Colorado | Begin Kit Carson and the Wild Frontier read-aloud EL/MI: Jed Smith Field Trip: Visit Bent's Old Or Tour a mine or visit the National |
| Week 24 | Colorado History | 7.7 Father Dyer 7.8 Conflicts on the Prairie | Continue read-aloud or begin The Snow-Show Itinerant Learning Journal Questions |
| Week 25 | Colorado History | 7.9 The Leadville Silver Bonanza 7.10 Government Develops | Continue read-aloud Learning Journal Question Field trip: Visit the Matchless Hands-on (HS): Summarize the |
| Week 26 | Colorado History | 7.11 The War of the Railroads 7.12 Agriculture, Cowboys, & Farmers | Continue read-aloud or begin Little Britches EL/MI: General William Learning Journal Question Field Trip: Visit the Museum of the Colorado Railroads, |
| Week 27 | Colorado History | 7.13 Hispanic Influence in 7.14 Homeschooling in Colorado 7.15 Colorado Symbols | Continue read-aloud or begin Ten Peas in a Pod or Home School Heroes El/MI: The Future Statesman's Handbook for Godly Government and U.S. Constitution (available from CHEC), How to Draw Colorado's Sights and Symbols Learning Journal Questions Hands-on Activity: Learn about a famous homeschooler or create a flag Review Questions |
| Week 28 | Godly Citizenship | 8.1 What the Bible Says 8.2 What the Founders Said | Continue read-aloud Learning Journal Questions Hands-on Activity: Make prayer cards Find a reliable public commentary source (like The Worldview in 5 Minutes) |
| Week 29 | Godly Citizenship | 8.3 Self-Government 8.4 Writing a Letter to the | Continue read-aloud HS: The Changing of the Guard Learning Journal Question Hands-on Activity: Word-find Write a letter to the editor |
| Week 30 | Godly Citizenship | 8.5 Campaigning 8.6 Talking with Your Legislators | Continue read-aloud EL/MI How Political Campaigns and Elections Work Learning Journal Questions Hands-on Activity: Look into helping with a campaign or make an appointment with your legislator (find out more here). |
| Week 31 | Review | Unit 8 Conclusion | Finish read-alouds Questions for review Consider taking some extra field Hands-on Activity: Look into some of the political |
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Hello, We are considering using this curriculum in a new startup co-op this fall. We wanted to know if there is any price break for any certain number of books. Thank you for your help.
Yes! Please email office@chec.org and they’ll work it out with you. 🙂
Is there a way to print the Scope & Sequence? I already have the text book which I purchased last year at the CHEC convention.
Hello Michelle! So sorry if you never received an answer to your question! You can find the Scope and Sequence here: https://chec.org/chec-blog/scope-and-sequence-for-civics/. I was able to copy it from the webpage into a Word doc, and you could print it from there. Let us know if that works! Otherwise I can try to get you a printable version!
Blessings!
Julianna
Is there a copy of the scope and sequence included in the curriculum?
Hi Beth! So sorry if we didn’t reply to your question until now! You can view the Scope and Sequence here: https://chec.org/chec-blog/scope-and-sequence-for-civics/