Understanding history is important! History is NOT a bag of yesterday's leftovers thrown into a basket and eaten with French Fries! It is the record of living, breathing human beings struggling through life, facing and sometimes suffering from their encounters along the road. Their victories and defeats, their joys and sorrows, are highly relevant to us today and tomorrow.

As our youth become evermore dependent on their daily fix of video games, i-pods, and junk food, we must do all we can to remind them - no, inform them - that they are not a product of their own being, but builders on a foundation of those who have gone before. The lives they make for themselves are only possible because they stand on the shoulders of those who preceded.

At Our Land Publications we strive to accomplish this by making the study of history interesting and relevant to the student. Our approach to this study can be broken down into several themes

Cause and Effect

The Chronological Chain - History is a chain reaction!

Cause and effect is demonstrated through chronological arrangement of events and their presentation. Concurrency is also explained and demonstrated in many applications. Where one event is influenced by another, students see how a chronological chain can result. They also learn to distinguish such events from those which are coincidental.

Topical Chains & Thematic Interaction

Themes of history parallel events of history

A unique advantage of the chronological (newspaper) structure is that important topics and themes are naturally introduced as they become relevant and may be studied concurrent to their influence on society. For example, civil rights elements develop naturally throughout the study in association with slavery, abolition, the Civil War, Reconstruction, segregation, desegregation, and the modern emphasis on equality of rights and opportunity.

Student, teacher, & parent friendliness

It does not have to intimidate

Student, teacher, and parent friendliness results from the unintimidating style. This is a vital element in developing student acceptance of history and interest in its study. But it also attracts better parental support and involvement because they are not intimidated either!

Grade Level vs. Learning Aptitude

Everyone should be included

Because they are studied chapter-by-chapter and page-by-page, textbooks are written to a single grade level generally representing the lowest common denominator of the intended students. By using the periodical format and differentiating lessons by student aptitude, Our Land Publications address a much wider grade range. In fact, state studies are written to an average 4th grade level but are suitable to and include 7th grade and even higher!

Testing & Assessment

We must be able to measure success

By having students immediately respond to questions incorporated in the text, teachers are able to assess comprehension by observing their responses. Then using Reaction Time (discussion topics) as multi-purposed exercises, teachers may assess comprehension in greater depth. Formal testing at mid-term and conclusion assess student knowledge of facts as well as comprehension.

Language Arts & Reading Skills

Social studies can support language arts and vice-versa

By making the study friendlier and more personal to the students, they become naturally more aware of and interested in newspapers and magazines. This is an important feature in today's entertainment driven society. Many Our Land lessons may be used as language arts activities with or without their primary social studies emphasis. Most provide opportunities for parallel reading of biographies, primary sources, references, etc.

Local, Regional, and Personal Adaptability

Social studies should be adapted to primary needs of local schools and communities

One of the biggest challenges in teaching social studies is making the subject relevant to specific events and circumstances of a state, community, or school. The newspaper format makes adaptability a far more attainable goal. Students may readily develop articles and features relating broad studies to local ones thereby expanding the lesson content. Lessons may be easily supplemented with local biographies, geography, personal accounts, etc. without losing overall continuity or falling hopelessly behind schedule.

Lesson Scheduling and Continuity

It is important to keep moving and complete the course

Another of every teacher's greatest challenges is maintaining the study calendar. Teachers simply do not finish the course in the time allotted. Very few ever teach the last chapter of their textbooks! The periodical format and lesson structure included enable teachers to select the most important topics and move on without breaking continuity. (No one ever reads ALL of a newspaper.) Breaking continuity in a textbook invariably creates confusion.