Christian History for Kids: Why You’ll Love the Who What Why Series
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Growing up and going through public education, history was never one of my favorite subjects. However, now as a homeschooling mom? I’m loving “re-learning” history with my kids!
And one aspect of history I am truly enjoying — that I was never taught in public school — is Christian history.
You’ll probably agree with me that giving our kids a comprehensive understanding of history, ethics, and values is incredibly important. Yet Christian history, although significantly relevant and impactful, is often overlooked.
It’s a history that spans two millennia, filled with stories of faith, courage, and the pursuit of justice. Teaching our kids about Christian history not only provides them with an essential context for understanding the world, but also equips them with tools to engage with diverse perspectives and foster empathy.
I just love finding resources I can use in our homeschool to help my kids understand both history and the Bible (and sharing them with you!). One of my recent favorite finds I think you should know about is a book series from an author and curriculum publisher, Danika Cooley: The Abolition Bundle, which is part of her popular Who What Why Christian History series.
Let’s take a look at a few more reasons why you should be teaching Christian history to your children (if you aren’t already), and why this book series and the resources from Thinking Kids Press would be great additions to your homeschool.
Why Teach Christian History?
I think Christian history is pretty hard to ignore in the grand scheme of things.
Christianity has played a significant role in shaping Western civilization, including its culture, art, politics, and ethics. Studying Christian history with our kids helps them understand the historical roots of many Western ideas and institutions, which is important for understanding the broader historical and cultural context.
Christians have also played a significant role over time in shaping ethical and moral frameworks in our societies. Many moral and ethical principles that are widely held today have their roots in Christian teachings and history, and this is important for our kids to be aware of.
Finally, Christian history has absolutely influenced social and political movements throughout history, including the abolition of slavery, civil rights, and various humanitarian initiatives.
And honestly? I didn’t understand just quite how much this was true until I dug into the Abolition Bundle from Danika!
What is the Who What Why Series?
Christian history isn’t merely a study of the past; it’s a journey through the stories of individuals and movements that have shaped societies and influenced our moral compasses.
The Who What Why Series are fun narratives that aim to help kids see God’s sovereign hand over history. To share how Scripture has impacted Christians to change the world as they applied their Biblical Worldview.
The books are all short, easy reads (typically less than 100 pages — and illustrated!), geared towards 9-11 year olds. However…I really enjoyed them myself, and I’m sure older kids would still get something out of them!
The Who What Why Series initially launched with the Reformation Bundle:
Who is Martin Luther?
What Was the Gutenberg Bible?
Why Did the Reformation Happen?
The most recent release is the Abolition Bundle, which includes the following books:
Why Did Slavery End?
Who Were the Abolitionists?
What Was the Underground Railroad?
Danika Cooley, the author and also the creative mind behind the Bible Road Trip curriculum (which we have used and loved!), created these books to enable our children to not only grasp the essence of Christian history, but also to foster their spiritual growth, connection with God, and inspire their own future impact on this world.
Her genuine enthusiasm for instructing and guiding the next generation shines through her work, offering parents wonderful tools for this important calling!
…RELATED POST…
Who Was Martin Luther? A Christian History Biography Review
As homeschooling parents, we have a unique opportunity and responsibility to ensure our kids develop a clear understanding of history and its influence on contemporary society.
Through her abolition series, Danika Cooley has provided an accessible and enriching way to introduce Christian history, ethics, and the pursuit of justice to our young kids.
Teaching Our Kids About Abolition
The narratives of abolition, social reform, and the fight for justice are intricately intertwined with Christian faith. Danika Cooley’s books in this series do a great job teaching kids about the pivotal role played by Christian abolitionists in the fight against slavery and discrimination.
With her engaging storytelling and historical accuracy, these resources are not only informative, but easy and captivating to read!
Here’s a little bit about each of the books in the series, and what I loved about them.
Why Did Slavery End?
From the beginning, Danika notes that slavery has been around for a long time, and sadly, it still continues today. Sin always has and always will be a problem, which is why we all need Jesus. Even Christians — many whom forgot God’s command in Mark 12 to love their neighbors and began enslaving people in the first place.
In this book, your kids will learn the history of slavery and why global slavery ended (broken up into short-easy-to-read sections). They’ll learn about what the Bible says about slavery, and how the nature of slavery changed over time.
I love how Danika spotlights how all people are made in the image of God, and how we are called to love one another as Jesus loves us — which means a sacrificial love, as many abolitionists remembered and began to live out. It was really interesting to read about the many different ways Christians played a part in the steps taken to end slavery, and how the gospel ended up changing many lives along the way.
Who Were the Abolitionists?
In this book, the lives of 10 abolitionists who loved Jesus and stood for what was right are spotlighted:
- Granville Sharp
- Phillis Wheatley
- Olaudah Equiano
- Thomas Clarkson
- William Wilberforce
- Zachary Macaulay
- William Knibb
- Sojourner Truth
- Frederick Douglass
- Harriet Tubman
I loved reading about each of these people, and how they used the gifts God gave them to glorify Him and serve His people.
Just like the other books, each section is a short, illustrated easy (yet interesting!) read. I love how Danika also shares the story of Esther in the Bible, and teaches about the sovereignty of God and the gifts He gives each of us to impact those He has placed in our lives.
What Was the Underground Railroad
In this book, your kids will learn all about what the Underground Railroad was, about some of the people who escaped using it, and some of the people who ran it.
One of the things I loved about this book was how Danika addresses the moral question about whether or not disobeying the law to help people escape was the right thing to do (and she points to the Bible to do so!).
Over and over it’s clear that while most abolitionists were Christians who loved the Lord and their neighbors, there were also people claiming to be Christians who were doing the exact opposite in their practice of slavery. We see how clearly sin splatters and destroys God’s good gifts for people made in His image. But we also see how our extraordinary God worked through ordinary people to change the course of history.
Using the Who What Why Series in Your Homeschool
Each of these books are very easy to incorporate into your homeschooling, whether or not you are studying this period of history. You can use them as a family read-aloud, or assign them for silent reading each day. Or you might consider doing a unit study on abolition and including these books as your main spine.
On her blog, Danika also provides some more great resources for you to use as you read through these book, one of them being these FREE Abolition Lapbooks.
You’ll definitely want to grab this to help your kids solidify their learning (and provide a great tool for your hands-on learners).
As mentioned earlier, I think even your middle-grade kids will enjoy this series if you study it together in your homeschool. And reading them aloud would be my top choice, as there are way too many great discussion points you won’t want to miss with your kids.
Where to Grab Your Copies
It’s so comforting to me to know that while what we know about history can change over time as we uncover more information, God’s Word never changes. Which is why I love using resources that teach a Biblical worldview, and use Scripture to impart important lessons to my kids.
I think you’ll love that about the Who What Why Series.
All history is truly God’s history, as He is sovereign over it all! And I truly love how that truth and His Word is used to teach history through the narratives in this series.
If you’d like to grab a copy of any of the books in this series, they’re available on the Thinking Kids Press website or Amazon.
I know you and your kids will love them as much as I did!
I’d love to hear from you in the comments below: what other resources have you loved using in your homeschool to teach about Christian history or abolition?
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