My Father's World Combined with Beautiful Feet High School

I mentioned in a former post that I added literature from Beautiful Feet to our My Father's World World History study for 10th grade.  Here is the plan I created.  It will not make as much sense without the MFW and BF Instructor Guides.  I do not recommend using this plan exclusively.  The Beautiful Feet supplements are in red.  I supplemented from the BF Ancient History and BF Medieval guides.  Let me know what you think or if you have questions.  

Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday
Augustus Caesar’s World  BF 1	ACW BF 2	ACW BF 3	ACW BF 4	ACW BF 5
ACW BF 6	ACW BF 7	ACW BF 8	ACW BF 9	ACW BF 10
Usborne Pompeii/Early Rome ACW BF 11/12 Julius Caesar	Usborne Roman Republic Julius Caesar	Usborne Everyday Life Julius Caesar	Usborne Everyday Life Julius Caesar	Service Project
Usborne Everyday Life Julius Caesar	Usborne Everyday Life Julius Caesar	Usborne Everyday Life Julius Caesar	Usborne Everyday Life Caesar’s Gallic Wars BF 13	Service Project CGW BF 14
Notgrass 46 Rise & Fall of Rome  CGW BF 15	Notgrass 47 Augustus Caesar CGW BF 16	Notgrass 48 Roman Law ITW pg 13 CGW BF 17	Notgrass 49 Everyday Life Rome CGW BF 18	Service Project CGW BF 19
Notgrass 50 The Kingdom of God CGW BF 20	Notgrass 51 Intro to Gospel of Luke CGW BF 21	Notgrass 52 The Revolution of Jesus CGW BF 22	Notgrass 53 Unlikely Heroes CGW BF 23	Service Project The Bronze Bow BF 25
Notgrass 54 Spiritual Topics in Luke  TBB BF 26	Notgrass 55 Jerusalem TBB BF 27	Notgrass 56 Church Begins TBB BF 28	Notgrass 57 Conversion of Cornelius TBB BF 29	Service Project TBB BF 30
Notgrass 45 God’s Wisdom vs. Man’s TBB BF 31	Notgrass 58 Paul TBB BF 32	Notgrass 59 Daily Life in the 1st Century TBB BF 33	Notgrass 60 How to Study New Test. Letter City BF 34	Service Project City BF 34
Usborne Quo Vadis? BF 35	Usborne QV BF 36	Usborne QV BF 37	Usborne QV BF 38	Service Project QV BF 39
Usborne QV BF 40	Notgrass 61 Decline of Rome QV BF 41	Notgrass 62 Changing Face of Church ITW pg 26-27; 28 QV BF 42	Notgrass 63 Develop.  in Church Practice ITW pg 29 QV BF 43	Service Project QV BF 44
Notgrass 64 Constantine ITW pg 30-31; 32 QV BF 45	Notgrass 65 What Happened to Church? ITW pg 33 QV BF 46	Notgrass 66 Factors in the Middle Ages – DK ITW pg 34 QV BF 47	Notgrass pg 207 text box about Bede – DK ITW pg 36-39 QV BF 48	Service Project QV BF 49
Notgrass 67 Rise of Islam - DK ITW pg 35 QV BF 50	Write letter to share God’s truth – DK QV BF 51/BF Test	Notgrass 68 Alfred the Great - DK ITW pg 41	Notgrass 69 Everyday Life among the Vikings – DK	Service Project Story of Liberty BF 1
Notgrass 70 Evangelism ITW pg 40  Beowulf The Magna Charta BF 2	Notgrass 71 A Changing World – DK ITW pg 44-49 Beowulf The Magna Charta BF 2	Notgrass 72 Everyday Life in Middle Ages – DK ITW pg 42-43 Beowulf The Magna Charta BF 2	DK  Castle BF                     Beowulf      The Magna Charta BF 2	Service Project The Magna Charta BF 2
Notgrass 73 The Crusades – DK ITW pg 50 Cathedral  BF	Notgrass 74 Thomas Aquinas  - DK ITW pg 51;52-71 BF Roger Bacon	Notgrass 75 Obeying God, Obeying Men – DK ITW pg 52-71 Morning Star of the Reformation	D K British Literature Story of Liberty BF 2 Canterbury Tales BF	Service Project Story of Liberty BF 3
British Literature Adam of the Road	British Literature	Notgrass 76 Different Focus - DK ITW pg 74 British Literature BF Shakespeare	Notgrass 77 Movable Printing – DK ITW pg 88-90 British Literature Fine Print	Service Project Story of Liberty BF 4
Notgrass 78 Leonardo da Vinci – DK British Literature Trumpeter of Krakow	Notgrass 79 History of Music – DK British Literature	Notgrass 80 Worldliness vs. Godliness  - DK ITW pg 920  British Literature	British Literature	Service Project Story of Liberty BF 10-12; 16
Notgrass 81 Martin Luther – DK ITW pg 75-83; 85 PHP	Notgrass 82 John Calvin – DK ITW pg 86-87 PHP Story of Liberty BF 19	Notgrass 83 Anabaptists PHP Hawk That Dare Not Hunt by Day	Notgrass 84 History of English Bible ITW pg 84 PHP	Service Project Story of Liberty BF 6
Notgrass 85 Grace Pilgrim’s Progress Story of Liberty BF 7	Notgrass 86 Discover New Worlds – DK Pilgrim’s Progress Marco Polo	Notgrass 87 Christopher  Columbus ITW pg 72-73 Pilgrim’s Progress	Pilgrim’s Progress Story of Liberty BF 8	Service Project Story of Liberty BF 13-15
Story of Liberty BF 5	Story of Liberty BF 17	Story of Liberty BF 18	Story of Liberty BF 20-23	Story of Liberty BF 24-25
Notgrass 88 Spanish Armada Pilgrim’s Progress Story of Liberty BF 26-27	Notgrass 89 Homes in  Everyday Life Pilgrim’s Progress	Notgrass 90 Exploring the Promised Land ITW pg 91 Pilgrim’s Progress	Pilgrim’s Progress	Service Project Story of Liberty BF 28
Notgrass 91 New View – DK ITW pg 102 British Literature	Notgrass 92 Heresy Trial of Galileo – DK ITW pg 92-94 British Literature	Notgrass 93 Isaac Newton – DK ITW pg 95-96 British Literature	DK ITW pg 107 British Literature	Service Project Story of Liberty BF 29-30
Notgrass 94 Clothing  - DK A Tale of Two Cities	Notgrass 95 Authority of Scripture – DK ITW pg 104-106 A Tale of Two Cities	Notgrass 96 Revolutions – DK ITW pg 97-98; 113-114 A Tale of Two Cities	DK A Tale of Two Cities	Service Project Story of Liberty BF 31
Notgrass 98 John Locke – DK ITW pg 99-101 A Tale of Two Cities	Notgrass 97 French Revolution – DK ITW pg 118-119 A Tale of Two Cities	Notgrass 99 Eating thru Centuries – DK A Tale of Two Cities	DK A Tale of Two Cities	Service Project
Notgrass 100 Galatians – DK ITW pg 103 Pride an d Prejudice	Notgrass 101 Napoleon – DK ITW pg 136-138 Pride an d Prejudice	Notgrass 102 Revolution, Reaction, Reorganization – DK ITW pg 154-162 Pride and Prejudice	DK ITW pg 154-162	Service Project
Notgrass 103 Unify Italy & Germany –DK ITW pg 133-134 Pride and Prejudice	Notgrass 104 History of Art – DK ITW pg 146-152 Pride and Prejudice	Notgrass 105 Honesty ITW pg 115 Pride and Prejudice	ITW pg 107-112	Service Project
Notgrass 106 Britain 19th Century  ITW pg 135; 163 Pride and Prejudice	Notgrass 107 Irish Question ITW pg 116-17; 120-121 Pride and Prejudice	Notgrass 108 George Muller ITW pg 143-145 Pride and Prejudice	ITW pg 132; 164-166	Service Project
Notgrass 109 History of Transportation – DK Silas Marner	Notgrass 110 Kindness – DK Silas Marner	Notgrass 111Karl Marx – DK Silas Marner	DK Silas Marner	Service Project
Notgrass 112 Charles Darwin ITW pg 167 Silas Marner	Notgrass 113 Sigmund Freud Silas Marner	Notgrass 114 John Dewey – Education Silas Marner	Notgrass 115 Higher Criticism ITW pg 153	Service Project
Notgrass 116 Europe Colonization ITW pg 122-124 Cry , the Beloved Country	Notgrass 117 Ethiopia ITW pg 139-142 Cry , the Beloved Country	Notgrass 118 The Culture of the Masai: Traditional African Tribe Cry , the Beloved Country	Notgrass 119 South Africa Cry , the Beloved Country	Service Project Cry , the Beloved Country
Notgrass 120 Africa in the Bible Cry , the Beloved Country	Notgrass 124 Mission to Asia ITW pg 125 Cry , the Beloved Country	Notgrass 122 India: Clash of Cultures Cry , the Beloved Country	Notgrass 123 Other Nations in Asia Cry , the Beloved Country	Service Project
Notgrass 121 China: Dynasty to Communism Hudson Taylor’s S S	Notgrass 125 Helping the Poor ITW pg 126-131 Hudson Taylor’s S S	Notgrass 126 Many Countries, One Goal Hudson Taylor’s S S	Notgrass 127 Mexico’s Story Hudson Taylor’s S S	Service Project
Notgrass 128 Simon Bolivar Hudson Taylor’s S S	Notgrass 129 People of Latin America – DK Hudson Taylor’s S S	Notgrass 130 Justice – DK Hudson Taylor’s S S	DK Hudson Taylor’s S S	Service Project Hudson Taylor’s S S
DK The Hiding Place	DK The Hiding Place	DK The Hiding Place	Notgrass 131 Twice in 25 Years  DK The Hiding Place	Service Project
Notgrass 132 America in WWII-DK The Hiding Place	Notgrass 133 Winston Churchill – DK The Hiding Place	Notgrass 134 Cultural History of Japan – DK The Hiding Place	The Hiding Place	Service Project
Notgrass 135 Peace – DK Animal Farm	Notgrass 136 Freedom vs. Communism – DK ITW pg 168-177 Animal Farm	Notgrass 137 Space Race – DK Animal Farm	DK Animal Farm	Service Project
Notgrass 138 Ronald Reagan – DK ITW pg 178-191 Animal Farm	Notgrass 139 Everyday Life in the US & USSR during 50’s & 60’s –DK Animal Farm	Notgrass 140 Fighting the Good Fight - DK		Service Project
Notgrass 141 Reign of Terror – DK In His Steps	Notgrass 142 Advances in Technology In His Steps	Notgrass 143 Homeschooling Family In His Steps	In His Steps	Service Project
Notgrass 144 History of Timekeeping  In His Steps	Notgrass 145 Value of Life In His Steps	Notgrass 146 Lessons from World History In His Steps	Notgrass 147 Sense of History In His Steps	Service Project
Notgrass 148 Living in the Modern World	Notgrass 149 Becoming a World Christian	Notgrass 150 Eternity After this World		Service Project

Disclaimer:  I am in no way affiliated with My Father's World or Beautiful Feet.  I received no compensation for the above plan.  I'm just a homeschool mom looking to share what has or has not worked in our family :)

My Father's World High School

We have used MFW for high school for two years now, 9th and 10th grade.  I was very impressed with the 9th grade Ancient History and Lit.  However, this year, the 10th grade World History was a little disappointing for me.  I guess it depends on what you're looking to get out of it.  Angel is an avid reader and we were disappointed with some of the literature choices for 10th grade.  There are so many great living books for world history and I just felt the program was a little light.  I did supplement with some suggested Beautiful Feet Literature and I feel that strengthened the program.   Angel is enjoying it. 

Here are some reasons for our MFW choice along with my perceived strengths and weaknesses:

The high school level is written to the student and allows for independent work.  I had a kindergartener and 1st grader last year that consumed much of my teaching time.  So being able to allow Angel that independence was a plus for me, not only last year, but this year as well. She is learning to take ownership in her education.  We do touch base on a weekly basis as recommended.  I correct her papers and have the final say in grading.  

MFW provides a Biblical worldview and the 4 high school levels provide a complete history rotation.


9th grade Ancient History and Literature
10th grade World History and LIterature
11th grade U.S. History to 1877 with Government, American Literature, and Biblical Worldview
12th grade U.S. History 1877 to present with Economics, English/Speech, and Bible


We pulled Angel out of public school at the beginning of 6th grade and did a 3 year overview of history in 6, 7, & 8.  But we really wanted her to have another go around before graduating.  And I love how MFW went through the entire New Testament in 9th grade and the entire Old Testament in 10th grade!  Also, the Bible study mixes with the history study, which makes perfect sense in our world.  

MFW satisfies 3 full credits, one each for English, History, and Bible for 9th and 10th grade.  You really only need to add math, science/health, foreign language, and fine arts and/or any other electives you choose.   

I feel MFW has a strong English/literature program in 9th grade.   Angel learned how to write an argumentative paper the 1st or 2nd week of the year and then followed up on various essays throughout the year.  MFW also provided a grading rubric for scoring the essays, which I thought was wonderful!  The literature included great classics such as The Epic of Gilgamesh, The Cat of Bubastes, The Iliad, The Odyssey, etc.  

As mentioned above, I didn't feel the literature was as strong this year in 10th grade, primarily in the beginning, during the study of Rome, but it was certainly adequate.  There are just so many great books for that time period.  MFW does state there is a means behind their madness.  "In weeks 3-10, 'Literature' is optional because students will be writing a research paper.  Some students may find that researching and writing a thorough research paper will require all of their time. However, strong readers should add literature to these weeks as well....", which is what we did.  The lesson plan does provide book lists if you choose to add.  And as I mentioned, BF has some great resources for this time period as well.  

MFW also includes geography/map work in their high school programs.  As well as requiring the student to complete a timeline.  Typically Fridays are a lighter day to allow the student time for a service project.  Angel had a regular volunteer position at our local historical museum last school year.  This year we opted to add more reading and do other things.  The program allows for this flexibility. 

At this point, I don't think we are going to continue with the complete MFW program for 11th and 12th grade.  However, I do plan to use several of the MFW recommended resources such as the BJU U.S. History as a spine.  Though we are not super fond of textbooks, I think this one looks excellent and we've used BJU in the past with good results.  Again I plan to supplement with BF literature because we already own it and Angel enjoys it.  I also plan to add Government this fall for 11th grade and Economics the following year for 12th grade, much like MFW does.  I'm looking at Lightning Lit and Comp by Hewitt Homeschool for English and I'm working on a Biblical worldview choice to meet our needs as well.  

Overall, MFW high school is a very solid program and I would recommend it for many of the reasons listed above.  I saw much improvement in Angel's writing skills over the past two years.  Some of the literature was quite challenging.  The lesson plans are wonderful!  Most of the work is done for you so it's basically an open and go program.  Also, the Bible integration was exactly what we were looking for.  

I'm looking forward to upcoming book sales and conventions as I start to plan for next school year!

Disclaimer:  I am in no way affiliated with My Father's World.  I received no compensation for the above review.  I'm just a homeschool mom looking to share what has or has not worked in our family :)

Update (2-2-2013).... We decided to go with Beautiful Feet U.S. and World History rather than BJU U.S. History to keep on with the literature base rather than textbook.  So far, it's been wonderful!  The Lightning Lit & Comp is also great.  It's a good supplement that compliments the literature from BF.  

We used Exploring Government by Ray Notgrass.   Angel is currently reading through Never Before in History, which is a MFW and Sonlight recommendation.  She's enjoying it.  

We did go with the MFW worldview study for 11th grade and I'm so glad we did.  Angel finished Thinking Like a Christian and is currently reading Assumptions that Affect our Lives by Dr. Christian Overman.

A Miracle in Pictures

Our baby boy...

The long awaited day came a couple of weeks ago.  I underwent an ultrasound, to get a clearer picture of our child growing in my womb.  I am now 6 months along.  It's been a long haul after 4 miscarriages, but this little "miracle baby", as my doctor calls him, is alive and growing.  The kids are ecstatic and I'm starting to let myself savor the moments more and more each day.  I truly believe this miracle baby has been sent from God.

In the beginning it was very overwhelming to think of all the appointments, medications, and supplements I would need to take to sustain this pregnancy.  I switched from a single pill to insulin injections four times a day with additional blood glucose checks four times a day.  Being poked eight times daily, I felt like a human pin cushion until one day, I stopped to think how Jesus suffered on the cross with spikes driven in his hands and feet and a sword piercing his side just for me.  Then I realized how shallow I was being.  And really, is there anything I wouldn't do as a mother to save the life of any one of my children?  Absolutely not!!  I feel like we are doing everything humanly possible to give this child a chance at survival.  I have since totally submitted and given this pregnancy up to God.

Riley and Ruben ask me multiple times each day, "What's the baby doing now mom?"  They love looking at the ultrasound pictures, feeling his movement, and can't wait to meet him in person.  Riley's been picking out names.  Ruben's concerned about bedroom arrangements.  It's very precious!

"You made all the delicate, inner parts of my body and knit me together in my mother's womb." 
     - Psalm 139:13