Description

Illuminations is in transition. In order to better serve our customers, Bright Ideas Press has decided to sunset the scheduling software and instead focus on better ways to deliver the rich content of Illuminations’ schedules and lesson plans.​ Illuminations scheduling software will remain available for purchase up through 9/1/18, however the software will not receive any further updates and we may be limited in providing technical support.

On the plus side, we plan to distribute the best of our signature lesson plans, schedules, and literature study guides outside of the ILM software. Our hope is that a new À la carte ​ model will be more accessible and even easier for families​ to use. If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to contact us.​

Illuminations Year 1: Creation to the Resurrection

Immerse your family in the history of the Bible, starting with Creation, then moving through Noah’s flood, the Ice Age, and the Hebrews, and culminating in the resurrection of Jesus Christ (Creation – A.D. 33). Along the way, you will engage with the cultures and stories of the ancient civilizations that made their mark on the world: Sumerians, Phoenicians, Egyptians, Greeks, Romans, and more.

History becomes the favorite time of your homeschool day with detailed study guides that lead you through great literature scheduled throughout the year, such as The Golden Goblet (ancient Egypt), God King (ancient Israel), and The Bronze Bow (ancient Rome).

All of your children in grades 3–-12 can learn together how the history of the Old and New Testaments fits into the span of world history through the timeline activities and hands-on projects such as building a model of the floating bridge constructed by King Xerxes and going on a library scavenger hunt like King Darius.

Illuminations Year 1 also has special teaching ideas and subjects created just for grades K–-2 so your entire family can enjoy the ancient civilization theme together.

Using The Mystery of History Volume I as a history spine, your Illuminations Year 1 plan connects your literature, copywork, spelling, and Bible studies to the historical period you are enjoying. Illuminations Year 1 also includes a full year’’s plan for your choice of five science fields, geography, vocabulary, several writing and grammar options, and life skills studies for high school students. (See the book lists tab for a full curriculum list.) Every purchase of Illuminations includes the powerful scheduler software that allows you to create customized weekly guides based on the Illuminations plan plus any modifications you desire.

Illuminations is a comprehensive*, chronological, customizable guide to a Christian education designed to complement The Mystery of History or All American History series. Each year covers everything you need for grades 3-12 for these subjects:

• history
• Bible
• literature
• grammar
• writing
• vocabulary
• geography
• copywork (grades 3–8 only)
• spelling (grades 3–8 only)
• science (grades 3–8 only)
• life skills (high school only)

*Note: Illuminations does not include math.

If you have younger children, they can join in with the older students thanks to the additional teaching ideas for grades K–2 that are included in Illuminations.

For a detailed list of the scheduled resources and printable checklists, see the book lists tab.

For each year of Illuminations, we’ve chosen curriculum you can pick up and use without a lot of advance preparation. Purchase the novels, textbooks, and resources on our book lists, and all of the planning for the entire year is done for you! While high school students are scheduled for five days per week, the lesson plans for grades 3–8 have four-day schedules to provide a day for field trips, other studies, or just catching up.

Our scheduler software is unique and powerful. The best way for you to understand it is to see it in action, so please watch the tutorial video below.

 

As you can see, the weekly scheduler is completely customizable, so you can insert your own assignments and notes, rearrange the order, change colors, save your schedules, and more. Whether you want to tweak the lessons given, use a different curriculum than what we suggest, add in your own math program, or even include a chore chart or meal plan, the unique schedule grid of Illuminations keeps all of your plans in one place. The weekly schedule provides a concise overview of assignments for each subject; the lesson plans provide details.

Simply load the scheduler program onto your computer, and you’ are ready to go!

If you have questions about Illuminations, please call us at 877.492.8081 or email contact@brightideaspress.com.

This sample is a .zip file — if you’re on a mobile device or tablet, click here to learn how to open it.

Illuminations Year 1 Grades 3-8 Curriculum List
History The Mystery of History volume I (Ancient Civilizations and the Bible)Bible Bible version of your choiceLanguage Arts: Copywork Selections from the literature list, the Bible, and The Mystery of History ILanguage Arts: Spelling Natural Speller (all-inclusive lesson plans provided)Language Arts: Writing Choose from: Foundations to Writing WriteShop Primary and Junior WriteShop I The Write Stuff Adventure Language Arts: Vocabulary Choose from: English from the Roots Up, volume I or IILanguage Arts: Grammar Choose from: Winston Grammar, basic level Winston Word Works Winston Grammar, advanced level Easy Grammar 3, 4, 5, or 6 Easy Grammar Plus		Science Choose from: Christian Kids Explore Creation Science Christian Kids Explore Biology Christian Kids Explore Earth & Space Christian Kids Explore Chemistry Christian Kids Explore Physics Optional for all CKE volumes: The Kingfisher Science Encyclopedia (2006 or 2011 edition)Geography The Ultimate Geography and Timeline Guide (grades 3-8) Hands-On Geography  (Early Learners only) Supplemental Resources (optional) Movies available from Netflix (DVD rental option only) Selected audios by Diana Waring and Jim Weiss Drive Thru History with Dave Stotts Ancient History Series Holy Land Series Schedule for Craft Pack by Jean Heinrichs Early Learners schedules for Literature Bible Writing Science Geography Illuminations Also Includes Dozens of graphic organizers Completely prescheduled lesson plans Evaluation/grading tools and rubrics Notebooking tips and covers/spines
Illuminations Year 1 Grades 3-8 Literature List
Family Study Guides Adara by Beatrice Gormley + Aesop’s Fables ‡ Ancient China (DK Eyewitness) by E.J. Opik and Laura Buller Ancient Greece and the Olympics by Mary Pope Osborne and Natalie Pope Boyce Archimedes and the Door of Science by Jeanne Bendick The Bible The book of Esther ‡ The book of Ruth ‡ The Bronze Bow by Elizabeth George Speare + City by David Macaulay Classic Myths to Read Aloud by William F. Russell God King by Joanne Williamson + The Golden Goblet by Eloise Jarvis McGraw Secret of the Scribe by Jennifer Johnson Garrity (Brimwood Press) + Tirzah by Lucille Travis Victory on the Walls by Frieda C. Hyman + Summer Study Guides Last Quest of Gilgamesh by Ludmila Zeman Matilda Bone by Karen Cushman Redwall by Brian Jacques + Selection is used for both levels 3-8 and high school. ‡ Selection is included as an e-book or is free online. No purchase is necessary. Magic Treehouse Fact Tracker title		Read-Alone Guides Aesop’s Fables ‡ Ancient China (DK Eyewitness) by E.J. Opik and Laura Buller Ancient Rome and Pompeii by Mary Pope Osborne and Natalie Pope Boyce* The Bible 2 Kings 4–5 ‡ The book of Jonah ‡ A Chinese Wonder Book by Norman Hinsdale Pitman ‡ Cleopatra by Diane Stanley & Peter Vennema Do-It-Yourself Read-Alone Guides ‡ Fiction, Non-fiction Creation ABC Book A Grain of Rice by Helena Clare Pittman Haiku ‡ The Great Wall of China by Leonard Everett Fisher The Librarian Who Measured the Earth by Kathryn Lasky More Jataka Tales by Ellen C. Babbitt ‡ More Russian Picture Tales by Valery Carrick ‡ More Stories to Solve by George Shannon The Mythological Zoo by Oliver Herford ‡ Mummies and Pyramids by Will Osborne and Mary Pope Osborne Nonsense Verse by Edward Lear ‡ Pyramid by David Macaulay Riddle of the Rosetta Stone by James Cross Giblin Robert Louis Stevenson and Poetry ‡ Theras and His Town by Caroline Dale Snedeker Trojan Horse by David Clement-Davies What’s Your Angle, Pythagoras? by Julie Ellis Why Snails Have Shells by Carolyn Han Early Learners Literature A is for Adam by Ken Ham A Family of Poems by Caroline Kennedy A Place in the Sun by Jill Rubalcaba Archaeologists Dig for Clues by Kate Duke DK Readers: The Big Dinosaur Dig, Level 3 Celebrate: A Book of Jewish Holidays by Judith Gross OR Walk with Y’Shua Through the Jewish Year by Janie-Sue Wertheim Cleopatra and the King’s Enemies by Joan Holub Creatures of Earth, Sea, and Sky: Poems by Georgia Heard D is for Dancing Dragon: A China Alphabet (Hardover) by Carole Crane The Empty Pot by Demi Fireflies by Julie Brinckoloe Is Your Mama a Llama? By Deborah Guarino The Librarian Who Measured the Earth by Kathryn Lasky** More Goops and How Not to Be Them by Gelett Burgess (e-book included) Stellaluna by Janell Cannon Temple Cat by Andrew Clements and Kate Kidler AND/OR Bill and Pete Go Down the Nile by Tomie dePaola Terra Cotta Soldiers: Army of Stone by Arlan Dean Tikki Tikki Tembo by Arlene Mosel Tower of Babel by Alison Greengard and Carol Racklin-Siegel** DK Readers: Trojan Horse (Level 4: Proficient Readers) by David Clement-Davies** The True Story of Noah’s Ark by Tom Dooley Tut’s Mummy: Lost…And Found (Step-Into-Reading, Step 4) by Judy Donnelly The 20th Century Children’s Book Treasury by Schulman The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle What’s Your Angle, Pythagoras? By Julie Ellis** Where in the Wild?: Camouflaged Creatures Concealed…and Revealed by David Schwartz **Title is also used as Read Alone Guide selection
Illuminations Year 1 High School Curriculum List
History The Mystery of History volume I (Ancient Civilizations and the Bible)Bible Bible version of your choiceLanguage Arts: Writing Choose from: WriteShop 1 The Write Stuff AdventureLanguage Arts: Vocabulary Choose from: English from the Roots Up, vol. I or IILanguage Arts: Grammar Choose from: Easy Grammar Ultimate Series for grades 8-12 Winston Grammar, basic level Winston Word Works Winston Grammar, advanced level Life 101 Schedules Life skills reading assignments and hands-on studies. Create your own credit from 4 years of prescheduled books covering topics such as these: Bible College Preparation Finances Life Skills Media & Culture Life 101 Books Auto Upkeep: Basic Car Care, Maintenance and Repair by Michael E. Gray Boy Meets Girl by Joshua Harris Covenant: Knowing God’s Covenant by Precepts Ministries Cracking the SAT Discovering God’s Way of Handling Money: A Financial Study for Teens Do Hard Things by Alex and Brett Harris Dug Down Deep by Joshua Harris Hollywood Worldviews by Brian Godawa Homeschool, High School, and Beyond by Beverly L. Adams-Gordon How to Study Your Bible by Kay Arthur How Your House Works by Charlie Wing Manners Made Easy for Teens by Junes Hine Moore Money and Possessions: The Quest for Contentment by Kay Arthur 1,000 Things Every Teen Should Know Before They Leave Home by Harry H. Harrison Jr. The America’s Test Kitchen Family Cookbook The Reason for God: Belief in an Age of Skepticism by Timothy Keller What Color is Your Parachute? by Richard Nelson Bolles Who Needs a Superhero? by H. Michael Brewer		Geography The Ultimate Geography and Timeline Guide Atlas of your choice Supplemental Resources (optional) Movies available from Netflix (DVD rental option only) Selected audios by Diana Waring and Jim Weiss Drive Thru History with Dave Stotts Ancient History Series Holy Land Series Schedule for Craft Pack by Jean Heinrichs Illuminations Also Includes Dozens of graphic organizers Completely prescheduled lesson plans Evaluation/grading tools and rubrics Notebooking tips and covers/spines
Illuminations Year 1 High School Literature List
High School Study Guides Antigone by Sophocles ‡ The Bible The book of Haggai ‡ The book of Malachi ‡ Genesis: Finding Our Roots by Ruth Beechick The Iliad by Homer ‡ More Than a Carpenter by Josh McDowell Out of the Silent Planet by C. S. Lewis The Phantom Tollbooth by Norton Juster Poetics by Aristotle ‡ Poetry by various authors ‡ Roverandom by J. R. R. Tolkien Till We Have Faces by C. S. Lewis The Trial of Socrates by Plato ‡ Through the Looking-Glass by Lewis Carroll		+ Family Study Guides Adara by Beatrice Gormley The Bronze Bow by Elizabeth George Speare God King by Joanne Williamson The Golden Goblet by Eloise McGraw Secret of the Scribe by J. Garrity Victory on the Walls by Frieda C. Hyman Summer Study Guide The Hobbit by J. R. R. Tolkien Mere Christianity by C. S. Lewis + Selection is used for both levels 3-8 and high school. ‡ Selection is included as an e-book or is free online. No purchase is necessary.

What exactly is Illuminations?
Illuminations is a year-long homeschool curriculum guide based on The Mystery of History and All American History series. Options for teaching all ages from grades K–12 make Illuminations a budget friendly curriculum choice for families of all sizes.

Illuminations lays out a plan for the whole family to enjoy the same quality living books, a common history theme, and fun, hands-on projects. The Illuminations scheduler, which is preloaded with all of the lesson plans for the year, make it easy to choose what you will study, rearrange as necessary, and sort out what each student has to complete.

Detailed literature guides are a cornerstone of Illuminations. Going far beyond a mere book list and reading schedule, llluminations’ literature guides make teaching the carefully selected novels and non-fiction books an easy task.

What comes with my purchase of Illuminations?

Illuminations is a digital product. Your download includes:

• the Illuminations module for your year, which contains all of the lesson plans and literature guides for grades 3–12 with additional resources for incorporating grades K–2
• the Illuminations scheduler program, in which you can create, customize, and print your weekly schedules
• access to free unlimited updates of the module and program

With a few exceptions, Illuminations does not include the books prescribed in the lesson plans. This means that you have the option to purchase new or used, borrow from the library, or substitute materials you already have on hand.

Is there an Illuminations bundle that I can purchase with all of the books for a certain year?
No, there is not because Illuminations is so customizable. There is more than one option for some subjects, and some families might choose to read some literature books while skipping others. Many of the literature books can also be found at your local library. If you need to purchase a book scheduled in Illuminations, we publish a lot of the curriculum here at Bright Ideas Press. For other items, look to your favorite book retailer who should carry most, if not all, of the books we do not have.

How Much Does it Cost to Use Illuminations?
The cost of Illuminations is an affordable $125 for a full year of all grade levels 3–12 (plus early learners resources). Where you purchase the additional resources from the book lists affects the total cost. Buying used books or borrowing from the library makes Illuminations less expensive than buying all of the scheduled materials new or at full price.

What age ranges are appropriate for Illuminations?
Illuminations is broken down into three segments: early learners (K–2), grades 3–8, and high school. Each segment shares the same history plan, which binds them all together, but has a unique literature plan with titles that are appropriate for that age range. Some subjects span more than one age segment, while others were chosen for a specific age group. See the book list tab for a complete list of curriculum that is preplanned for each age range.

Do I need to start at Year 1?
One beautiful thing about Illuminations is its flexibility! You can start with any year you prefer. Because history is the spine of the curriculum, you can choose Illuminations based on whatever era from history you would like to study. The curriculum does get progressively more difficult though, so we do recommend starting at the beginning if you have the option.

Illuminations	Title	Spine
Illuminations Year 1	Creation to the Resurrection	MOH 1
Illuminations Year 2	The Early Church and the Middle Ages	MOH 2
Illuminations Year 3	The Renaissance, Reformation, and Growth of Nations	MOH 3
Illuminations Year 4	Exploration to Expansion	AAH 1
Illuminations Year 5	The Civil War to the Cold War	AAH 2
Illuminations Year 6	Wars of Independence to Modern Times	MOH 4

 

Can I use Illuminations for more than one child?
Yes! Each year is designed to adapt to multiple grade levels so that all the children in your family can use it at once, even if they are in different grades.

Is a math curriculum scheduled within Illuminations?
No. Math must be purchased separately. Illuminations is very flexible so that you may add or remove whatever subjects you prefer for your family.

Does Illuminations for high school cover all of the required subjects for high school graduation?
No. The high school segment of Illuminations is designed to cover history, Bible, literature, writing, grammar, vocabulary, geography, and life skills. Subjects such as science, economics, math, etc., will need to be found separately.

Can I purchase Illuminations for just one subject? Can I purchase just the subject scheduler program?
No. Illuminations comes in one package and cannot be divided. However, you can purchase individual literature study guides in the Bright Ideas Press store.

Can I use my purchase of Illuminations on more than one computer?
Yes, you certainly can. Our store allows only three downloads per purchase. If you need more than that, please contact us for assistance toll-free at 877.492.8081 or contact@brightideaspress.com.

May I reuse Illuminations?
Illuminations is a downloadable curriculum that you can use with as many of your children as you would like for as long as you like. Software updates are included in your purchase for as long as you own Illuminations.

Can I sell Illuminations when I am finished?
No. When you purchase Illuminations, you are purchasing a license to use the product for your family. This license may not be resold or transferred.

How does Illuminations handle grading?
Depending on your goals, your philosophy of home education, and your students, you may or may not prefer to assign grades. If you wish to (or are required to), you will find that several Illuminations elements have built-in quizzes, tests, or rubrics for grading.

May I use Illuminations in a homeschool co-op setting?
For co-op usage, please contact us for information. Call us toll free at 877.492.8081 or e-mail us at contact@brightideaspress.com.

Want to know even more?
Follow our Illuminations Pinterest board.  Read testimonials from homeschool moms.
Is your question missing?
If you still have questions, always feel free to contact us toll-free at 877.492.8081 or at contact@brightideaspress.com.

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Additional information

Manufacturer	Bright Ideas Press
Operating System	Mac, PC