The middle school student will see history come to life no matter what their pace or ability. Developed by James Stobaugh the courses grow in difficulty with each year, preparing students for high school work. This is a comprehensive examination of history, geography, economics, and government systems. This educational set meets national social studies curriculum standards.

A well-crafted presentation of whole-book or whole-work selections from the major genres of classic literature (prose, poetry, and drama), each course has 34 chapters representing 34 weeks of study, with an overview of narrative background material on the writers, their historical settings, and worldview.

An easy-to-use teacher's guide outlines student objectives with each chapter, providing the answers to the assignments and weekly exercises. The final lesson of the week includes both the exam, covering insights on the week's chapter, as well as essays developed through the course of that week's study, chosen by the educator and student to personalize the coursework for the individual learner.