Our Great Big World

The curriculum strongly emphasizes geographic knowledge through systematic continent-by-continent study. Students engage with maps, globes, and cultural information about different regions worldwide.

Units are organized by continents and geographical areas, includes Atlas Workbook with map work for all 90 lessons, and each lesson includes globe or map location activities

The curriculum does not appear to incorporate primary source documents in its approach. The content relies on illustrated lessons, folktales, and contemporary literature rather than historical documents.

Review describes content as story-oriented lessons about people and places, folktales, and modern literature books, with no mention of primary source materials

The curriculum relies heavily on story-based learning rather than direct instruction methodology. Parents read illustrated lessons to students, but systematic explicit instruction is not the primary pedagogical approach.

Course works 'like a unit study' with story-oriented lessons requiring 'parental involvement since the reading level...is often beyond that of children,' suggesting guided reading rather than direct instruction

The curriculum focuses on contemporary geography and cultures rather than building chronological historical knowledge. While some historical elements appear in folktales and grandfather's stories, systematic chronological development is not emphasized.

Lessons are organized by geographical regions rather than time periods, with content described as 'stories more than data' and focusing on present-day people, places, and cultures

The curriculum provides guidance for parents through the main lesson book and answer key, but lacks comprehensive teacher training materials. Support is primarily procedural rather than pedagogical.

Main book provides 'directions for using the components' and includes an Answer Key and Literature Guide with basic guidance, but no mention of professional development or detailed pedagogical support

Limited retrieval practice is included through the Lesson Review booklet with five questions per lesson. However, spaced review and systematic retrieval across units is not clearly structured.

Lesson Review booklet provides 'five questions per lesson, mostly multiple choice but at least one fill-in-the-blank,' but no mention of cumulative or spaced review practices

Explicit vocabulary instruction is not clearly addressed in the curriculum structure. While students encounter cultural and geographic terms through stories and activities, systematic vocabulary development is not evident.

Review does not mention vocabulary instruction components, and the story-based approach suggests informal rather than explicit vocabulary teaching