The Old World and America

Name: The Old World and America
Brand: TAN Bookshttps://tanbooks.com/

by TAN Bookshttps://tanbooks.com/

Social_studiesGrades 5–8

About This Curriculum

A Catholic middle-school history text documenting Western civilization from ancient times through the discovery of the New World, emphasizing the Church's vital influence on both the Old World and the New.

What makes it unique: A distinctly Catholic perspective on world history from creation to the mid-1500s, originally written by Bishop Philip J. Furlong and widely used in Catholic schools for decades.

The Old World and America: Traditional Catholic History Text

The Old World and America is a 384-page Catholic history textbook originally published in 1940 that covers Western civilization from creation through the discovery of the New World. This traditional curriculum emphasizes the Church's influence on historical events and provides a foundational overview for grades 5-8.

Best for

Catholic homeschooling families and traditional schools seeking a faith-integrated overview of Western civilization for middle school students

Evaluation Criteria

4 strengths · 2 neutral · 1 insufficient evidence

Direct InstructionStrength

The curriculum supports direct instruction through its traditional textbook format and comprehensive teacher materials.

The text is described as giving 'an overview of history' with 'objective tests' and an available answer key, indicating a structured instructional approach

Retrieval PracticeStrength

The curriculum includes multiple types of assessment questions that support knowledge retention.

Reviews detail 'objective tests, questions that make you think, activities' and 'oral questions, written questions, discussion questions' at chapter ends

Vocabulary BuildingStrength

The curriculum explicitly addresses vocabulary development with dedicated word lists.

Reviews note that 'chapters end with...a vocabulary list' and mention 'word lists' as part of the end-of-chapter materials

Chronological KnowledgeStrength

The curriculum provides chronological coverage from creation to the mid-1500s, building a systematic timeline of Western civilization.

Reviews note it covers history 'from creation to the founding of the new world' and provides 'thorough coverage from primitive man to the mid-1500s' in chronological order

Teacher TrainingNeutral

Limited teacher support is available through an answer key, but no comprehensive professional development materials are mentioned.

Reviews mention 'an answer key, (written by Maureen McDewitt, a homeschooling mother) is available' but no additional teacher training resources

Geographic KnowledgeNeutral

The curriculum includes geographic elements through maps and visual aids.

Reviews mention that 'each chapter is illustrated with black and white photos, diagrams, and maps' and the text includes 'illustrations, maps'

Primary SourcesInsufficient Evidence

No evidence of primary source integration is mentioned in the available reviews.

Reviews focus on the narrative text approach but do not mention primary documents, letters, or historical sources

Sources: cathyduffyreviews.com, love2learn.net