A Noble Experiment: History & Nature of U.S. Government

A Noble Experiment: History and Nature of the American Government is a comprehensive, student-directed, one-semester high school government course. It covers all the national standards for both a high school civics and government course of study. Best of all, the information is presented from a conservative Judeo-Christian foundation. In this robust course, students will learn the foundational principles of government, survey the various types of government, and trace the significant people, events, and documents that lead to the creation of the United States. The U.S. Constitution is studied in-depth, article by article, with a lesson on Constitutional interpretation. Also explored are the United Nations Organization, U.S. Foreign Policy, and the impact of immigration and globalization on our nation. The final lessons promote responsible citizenship and include independent state-specific and local government-specific research projects. Students wrap up the study with a viewing of the classic movie Mr. Smith Goes to Washington, which is available to stream online from multiple sources.

The heart of the study lies in the nearly 7 hours of video teaching, which are subdivided into 24 lessons and available on the A Noble Experiment Video Lessons & Teacher Resource File USB.  Engaging lectures with graphics intermingled, the videos vary in length from 8-32 minutes. The student course syllabus is organized around a 3-lesson-per-week/16-week schedule. While it is flexible, the author suggests limiting the weekly lessons (especially during units 3-7) so students have ample time to complete the readings and assignments. While not specified, I would anticipate students needing 45 to 90 minutes to complete the lessons, with equal time on the “off days” for assigned homework. The USB drive also includes the Teacher Resource File, which contains printable copies of the course outline, course syllabus, complete course transcripts, and answer keys for all graded assignments. While supplies last, we also offer A Noble Experiment DVD Set and Teacher Resource CD for families who prefer to use a DVD/CD over the USB. The content is identical.

The Student Activity Book (sold separately) offers the breadth of the assignments. This vital part of the course contains all the primary source readings, required and optional student activities, and unit assessments in the form of quizzes, tests, and exams. Student activities are diverse and include fill-in-the-blank and short answer questions, plus test study guides. Research projects and critical thinking activities are also incorporated to solidify the student’s application of his valuable role in our government. Workbook pages are 3-hole-punched, making it easy to remove the test assessment pages and place them in a binder.

You may be wondering how this course compares to Notgrass Exploring Government. The essentials of a conservative government based on Judeo-Christian principles are at the heart of both of these student-directed courses. The main difference lies in the teaching modality. While the focal point of this program (A Noble Experiment) is the video lectures, Exploring Government is centered more around the highly readable, engaging textbook. Both offer high school–level activities and projects. Exploring Government provides more essay assignments and optional exams, while Noble Experiment uses quizzes and exams as vital assessment tools (along with the varied workbook assignments). If meeting national standards is important for your family, Noble Experiment meets the national standards for both a high school civics and government course of study. Both programs meet a stirring need for homeschooling families seeking to provide a foundational understanding of our government from a Biblical worldview. ~Deanne