The Good and the Beautiful History
The Good and the Beautiful · Grades K-8
Conservative Christian families (LDS or compatible) wanting beautiful, low-prep, multi-grade open-and-go curriculum; younger grades K-5; families prioritizing character formation alongside content
$75-90/year
Overview
The Good and the Beautiful's history curriculum is part of Jenny Phillips's broader Christian curriculum suite, organized as multi-age unit studies that all children in a family can work through together. The aesthetic is the brand's signature: clean, beautiful, religiously gentle. Free PDFs of older versions are available; new editions are paid. Loved by families inside the TGTB ecosystem who already use the language arts and math programs; less compelling as a standalone history program if you're not already in the TGTB world.
Strengths
- •Open-and-go with clear lesson plans and built-in materials
- •beautiful production quality
- •affordable by design (many components free downloads)
- •multi-grade ease (single course works grades 3-8 simultaneously)
- •audio dramatizations embedded
- •students move toward independent learning naturally
Limitations
- •LDS authorship controversy. Jenny Phillips is Mormon with LDS leader quotes in materials (evangelical communities actively debate disqualification)
- •US history coverage described as 'white-washed' and not presented fairly
- •Western-centric framing
- •conservative/gentle presentation of difficult history may feel sanitized
- •still incomplete (rolling out over multiple years)
Best fit for
Conservative Christian families (LDS or compatible) wanting beautiful, low-prep, multi-grade open-and-go curriculum; younger grades K-5; families prioritizing character formation alongside content
The honest read
One of the fastest-growing and most polarizing curricula. Enthusiasts describe it as open-and-go, gorgeous, and easy for multi-grade households. Critics split: (1) evangelical Christians concerned about LDS authorship (LDS leader quotes documented in materials), (2) historians finding US history Western-centric and uncritical. The LDS controversy is the single loudest noise in community discourse.
Get The Good and the Beautiful History
Conservative Christian families (LDS or compatible) wanting beautiful, low-prep, multi-grade open-and-go curriculum; younger grades K-5; families prioritizing character formation alongside content
SHOPRelated in History
The Good and the Beautiful History
$75-90/year