The most engaging history books are the ones that teach us history through the stories of the people who lived it. The Mighty Works of God series accomplishes this beautifully. Written by Ruth J. Smith and published by the Pilgrim Institute in 2005, the series is comprised of three titles: Self Government, Liberty and Justice for All, and Divine Providence. The softcover student texts have corresponding teacher’s guides, and include a resource CD.

First in the series is Self-Government, for the primary age level. It gives younger children a good overview of the concept of biblical government and hits the major points of American history. Next up is Liberty and Justice for All, for elementary students. Included are stories of people from the Bible, and a number of early Americans. There seems to be a bit more emphasis on various explorers in this book. Last in the series is Divine Providence for middle elementary students. It covers some of the same points as the previous books, and spends a lot of time on the American War for Independence.

The teacher’s guides for The Mighty Works of God are geared for the Principle Approach. The guide suggests that each student keep a notebook to record what they have learned, including key ideas from each lesson. The CD contains a number of worksheets that may be used as well. There is no scripted lesson plan, but the guide includes discussion and project ideas to accompany each chapter. There are no tests or quizzes included in the curriculum.

What is great about The Mighty Works of God:

• History is taught through the stories of people who lived through it.
• Each book in the series includes the gospel and quite a bit of Biblical history.
• The series is written from a distinctly Christian worldview, and addresses the subject of Biblical government and divine providence.

What isn’t as great about The Mighty Works of God:

• The teacher’s guides, while helpful, still leave a lot of lesson planning up to the teacher.
• I was unimpressed with the quality of the worksheets on the CD.

Self-Government included a chapter about Abraham Lincoln. Much of his early life was included, which I found fascinating as most history books skim over it. However, the book also made this statement:

Finally, he [Lincoln] decided he must free the slaves. He declared the slaves free. At last, all men were to be free.

This is not entirely accurate. Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation did not apply to the slaves in the border states, Northern states, or certain areas of the Confederacy that had already come under the control of the Union army. Of course, the states that had seceded did not recognize President Lincoln’s Proclamation and free their slaves. Practically speaking, the Emancipation Proclamation did not free the slaves, but it did help the North gain more widespread public support during the war. It was, in fact, the 13^th amendment later ratified by Congress that abolished slavery at last.

However, my children and I enjoyed the student texts tremendously. I would probably not get the teacher’s guides myself, but there are definitely some good ideas in them. In my opinion, The Mighty Works of God is a truly interesting history series for elementary students!