Is your high school student starting to wrestle with the big
questions about God, faith, and their place in the universe? Is he or she prepared and equipped to defend
their faith and apply it to their lives?
The Understanding the Times series will help high school students
develop a Biblical worldview as they explore the foundations of the Christian
faith.
The previous Understanding the Times series from Summit
Ministries (which is still available) was a three-volume set but this new
series has been revamped into a four-volume set and is written at a lower
reading level to make it more accessible to high schoolers. Both programs are
similar in content but have a different scope and sequence.
Book 1: Foundations is the first book in the
four-volume series. Students will study the core beliefs of the Christian
faith: the nature and authority of the Bible, the meta-narrative of the Bible,
the nature of God and humanity, and how to live as a Christian, both
individually and corporately. The second
book in the series is Book II: Apologetics.
In this course, students will learn about the importance of
evangelism and apologetics. The focus is on the trustworthiness of the Bible
and a how to form a biblical response to controversial topics of today. Then Book III: Worldviews helps
students to see how Christianity compares to other major worldviews. Summit Ministries will be releasing the final
volume, Book IV: Culture in Fall 2027.
For each course, there is a Teacher Manual thathas
the syllabus, teacher instructions, objectives, activities, and the answers
keys. The Teacher Manual also comes with a code to access extra resources from
the Summit Ministries online portal. Your student will need the Student Text
and the Student Manual which has activities, discussion questions,
notes, and a study guide. Although the
course is designed with a traditional classroom in mind, it could easily be adapted
to homeschool or co-op settings. ~Tara
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Teaching Method
Traditional
Teacher-centered curriculum commonly used in classrooms that may include a text, teacher manual, tests, etc.
Charlotte Mason
A methodology based on the work of a 19th century educator who maintained that children learn best from literature (Living Books), not textbooks.
Classical
A methodology based on the Latin Trivium (three stages of learning), including the grammar stage (memorization and facts), logic stage (critical thinking), and rhetoric stage (developing/defending ideas).
Unit Study
A thematic or topical approach centered around one topic that integrates multiple subject areas.
Montessori (Discovery)
A methodology based on the work of a 20th century educator that emphasizes student and sensory-driven discovery learning and real-life applications.
Other
Other methodologies
Religious Content
Secular
Contains content contrary to common Christian beliefs (i.e. evolution).
Neutral
Avoids religious or theoretical topics or presents multiple viewpoints without preference.
Christian/Religious
Faith-based or including instructional religious content.
Learning Modality
Auditory
Learns through listening, talking out loud or reading out loud.
Visual
Learns through seeing, prefers written instructions and visual materials.
Kinesthetic/Tactile (Hands-On)
Learns through moving, doing and touching.
Multi-Sensory
Curriculum that employ a variety of activities/components.
Presentation
Sequential
Curriculum progresses through well-defined learning objectives. Emphasizes mastery before moving to the next topic.
Spiral
Topics and concepts are repeated from level to level, adding more depth at each pass and connecting with review.
Conceptual/Topical
Focus is on the “why,” often with a unifying concept as well as specific skills; coverage may be broader.
Teacher Involvement
Low Teacher Involvement
Student-led materials; parent acts as a facilitator.
Medium Teacher Involvement
A mix of teacher-led time and independent student work.
High Teacher Involvement
Teacher-led lessons; may utilize discussions, hands-on activities and working together.
Additional Materials Required
No other materials needed
Everything you need is included.
Other Materials Required
There are additional required resources that are a separate purchase.
Other Materials Optional
There are additional resources mentioned or recommended but are not absolutely necessary.
