Yes! Many Gather 'Round families use this curriculum on its own for all their children and all their subjects—right through high school! We have testimonies of many grad students who have successfully made the leap to college or university, fully equipped to think for themselves and read the subtext of what is being presented. That being said, we also have some families who choose to supplement based on their student's needs or because they have a curriculum that they just love and don't want to give up.While there are some reviews online that question whether we are enough, it is important to note that those were often done in the early years when we were still a startup. We have created many more resources to help close gaps, beef up our content, and find the elusive balance between "enough" and "too much". Our style is different, we focus on less quantity and more contextual learning—which can feel too simple especially if you are coming from a more traditional curriculum. However, many of our parents say that their students actually remember what they are learning and the results speak for themselves over time.

Choose a unit/topic that either interests you or meets a need (such as if you are working toward certain credits).Purchase either the digital full family bundle (which includes both the Teacher's Guide and all levels of student books), the one student bundle (which includes the Teacher's Guide and one level of your choice), or the printed books. If you decide to go with our beautiful, high-end printed books . . . you will need the Teacher's Guide and one book for each student.

What do I need to add?

The units cover all of your subjects but math. Our Modular Math program is available to cover K-grade 9 math, but high school math is not yet available on our site (though we do have plans to create it). Currently, you will need to get about 8 units per year along with about 8 math units per student in order to create a full curriculum year. Some families choose to add seatwork or our other Language Arts add-ons, fun holiday mini-units, and more . . . but these are not required.

How do I choose levels for multiple kids?

Our main units are designed to be used with the whole family. We have individual student books available in the following levels.Pre-Reader: recommended for younger students who are not ready to read/write (preschool/kindergarten age)Early Reader: recommended for emerging readers/writers (6-8 years old)Early Elementary: recommended for students who are comfortable using a word bank to write some of their answers (8-10 years old)Upper Elementary: recommended for students who are ready to write a sentence response (10-13 years old)Middle School: recommended for students who are ready for paragraph responses and more personal application/light research (13-16 years old)High School: prepares students to ask big questions, think for themselves, and apply topics to their own lives. This level is recommended for 16-18 years old and includes papers, essays, and more research.Some of our units are shorter or more simplified into levels 1, 2, and 3. For these, Level 3 is designed for Middle and High, level 2 for Early Elementary and Upper Elementary, and Level 1 for Pre-Reader and Early Reader.

How Long does it take?

Each unit is designed to take about a month—which means you will never get bored! You get to create your year based on your students' interests, covering all your subjects for all your grades, through one cohesive program that all points to Jesus! Each lesson is designed to take about 2-4 hours (depending on how many students you have, their ages, and whether you are completing the option rabbit trails or watching the resource videos available on our app). You will read the Teacher's Guide first to all students (which takes about 40 minutes to an hour depending on how many videos you show or the discussions you have) and then students will move to their student workbooks and complete their pages there. Units that have 20 lessons can be done 5 days a week and therefore being completed in 4 weeks. Or they can be done 4 days a week and take a bit longer. Because of this, most families work through about 8 units in a year with breaks and co-op days mixed in.

All of our units come with answer keys to help you mark your student's work. We have tried a bit of everything: including the answers in the Teacher's Guide, having them in the back of student notebooks, and eventually settling on including them in your downloads immediately after your order. You can use the answer key to help assign grades, but we recommend using a rubric for more accurate grading. To do this, you would assign points based on things like understanding (30%), completion (50%), effort (15%), and neatness (5%).

What is Modular Math?

Modular Math is our brand new math curriculum that covers K-grade 9 math—taking students all the way through Algebra 1. The units are topical and each step takes about 1 month. This means they can be used in either a mastery approach (staying on a topic and working on it through multiple levels) or spiral approach (completing one step of each topic throughout the year). This program was created with steps instead of grades, allowing you to custom-tailor the program to your student without discouraging them with where they are at. It can be used as a remedial program or for gifted students who want to move faster. Each day includes 2 pages. Day 1 teaches a new concept (and includes a devotional) and day 2 has practice that builds throughout the unit in a spiral approach. All you have to do is take a placement test on a topic and jump in! It is open and go with no teacher's guide, no manipulatives or resources required, and written directly to the student so that they can work independently. Yes, math can be this easy!

Curriculum itself cannot be accredited, only schools can. Accreditation means a school with qualified teachers, reporting, and grading that is following the government requirements for each grade. That being said, Gather 'Round Homeschool curriculum can absolutely be used all the way through High School by you, the parent! Most schools use the Carnegie method to assign credits, this means that 120 hours of instruction in a topic = 1 credit. We've made it super easy to you by training our very own Gather bot! All of our units cover such a wide variety of subjects that you can use the bot to help figure out how many credits have been covered (or will be covered) based on the units you have done or are planning on. We also have access to full high school plans, transcripts, and unit credit breakdowns on our high school page here.

What is the Online Academy?

The Gather ‘Round Academy is our online school, designed to fit into your home with the support your family needs. Our teachers offer school-year planning assistance, grading, report cards, transcripts, and tutoring. We also offer online courses to accompany several of our Gather ‘Round units. You can choose to enroll for a full year of support, subscribe for access to our complete video library, or join as a member for a 15% discount on video courses and stand-alone services. Memberships are just $39 USD a month and are included with Independent Enrollment or an Insider Subscription, with access to our student community and parent hub with monthly summits.Live ClassesWe have about 600 students who tune in online to watch a lesson being taught live by a teacher - complete with polls, comments, reactions and resources. Replays are also available for 10 weeks for families who miss a class. Homework is assigned and families complete their student notebooks together. Classes run daily from Monday-Thursday at 10:00 am EST or 2:00 pm EST, with scheduled breaks between units and during holidays.On-Demand Video Courses Currently available is Modular Math Number Sense, Ready to Read 1, Music, Botany, US History 4 and Entrepreneurship. Each of our live classes will also be available on demand, with additional Modular Math and Ready to Read videos in production! Eventually we hope to have video lessons available for all Gather ‘Round Units.Learn more

Can I use it in a group?

Gather 'Round is licensed for individual family use only (which means to a parent/guardian and the children they are legal guardians of). If you want to use this in a small group (with your sister, friend, or a few friends), you will need to make sure that each person owns their own materials, as file sharing and copying (or teaching to student's outside your home) is not allowed. If you want to use this in a co-op or hybrid model to a large group of students, we do require that you purchase print and sign an agreement stating that you will not photocopy or share. With this option, we also do have a group discount available. Learn more here.

Welcome to Mississippi

Buy Now

Let’s head on down to the good ol’ South, where the tea is sweet and the chairs are a-rockin’! Mississippi is the nation’s 20th state, the namesake of the country’s biggest river, the birthplace of Elvis, and home to farmland that grows many American food staples. Travel through Clarksdale, Natchez, Biloxi, and Vicksburg National Military Park while exploring petrification, Mississippi’s natural resources, the birth of spirituals, the history of segregation and civil rights, and the creativity of Jim Henson. Student Book activities include alliteration, natural dyeing, siege warfare, gardening hardiness zones, and ventriloquism.

Subject Cards

Science

Discover how Mississippi's natural world is shaped by learning how deltas form and exploring marshes and wetlands, ecosystems, climate, humidity, and growing seasons. Students also study state plants, animals, and minerals while completing activities such as delta and petrification experiments, growing indigo, starting seeds, and exploring sustainable logging.

Geography

Travel across Mississippi by exploring the Mississippi River, major regions, the Pearl River, the state capital, the Gulf Coast, and notable locations including Clarksdale, Tupelo, Biloxi, Natchez, Oxford, Greenville, and the Mississippi Petrified Forest. Students also learn about hardiness zones and practice map labeling.

Language Arts

Language arts lessons build around Mississippi-themed vocabulary, reading comprehension, storytelling, summaries, news writing, poetry, riddles, and alliteration. Throughout the unit, students add information such as state facts, symbols, industries, and notable people to a cumulative unit project.

History

Follow Mississippi's history from early European exploration and statehood through the birth of the blues, the Siege of Vicksburg, the historical importance of the Mississippi River, the cotton and timber industries, segregation, Freedom Summer, the Vietnam War, Project Dribble, and Jim Henson's connection to the state.

Social Studies

Learn about Mississippi's state facts, Indigenous peoples, state symbols, industries, cost of living, cultural foods, religion, sports culture, current events, Hurricane Katrina, Vietnamese culture, and how elected positions differ from other states. Students also explore fun facts, unusual laws, and aspects of Mississippi's government and people.

Art

Explore Mississippi's musical heritage by comparing blues and rock and roll and learning about blues, spirituals, gospel, and jazz. Students also create their own state symbol, experiment with homemade natural dyes, and participate in performing arts activities including puppet shows and ventriloquism.

Bible

Bible lessons focus on themes of being planted in good soil, becoming a new creation in Christ, building a firm foundation, finding contentment, and being rooted and established in Christ.

Resources

Access helpful materials, guides, and downloads that support your learning journey with Gather ’Round. Explore our growing library of resources designed to make teaching simple and engaging.

Explore Resources

Resources

Access helpful materials, guides, and downloads that support your learning journey with Gather ’Round. Explore our growing library of resources designed to make teaching simple and engaging.

Explore Resources

Booklist

Meet Mississippi

The Mighty Mississippi: Ready-to-Read Level 1 (Wonders of America)

by Marion Dane Bauer

Rising Waters: Surviving the Great Mississippi Flood (Young and Brave)

by Margaret Ellison

The Siege of Vicksburg: A Captivating Guide to the Final Battle of Ulysses S. Grant’s Vicksburg Campaign during the American Civil War (Battles of the Civil War)

by Mary Captivating History

Nature and Weather

Animals of Mississippi!: A My Incredible World Picture Book for Children

by Hope Aicher

I Survived Hurricane Katrina, 2005

by Lauren Tarshis

Mississippi's Natural Heritage

by Wesley L. Shoop

Industry and Economy

From Seed to Plant

by Gail Gibbons

The Biography of Cotton (How Did That Get Here?)

by Carrie Gleason

Who Really Invented the Cotton Gin?: Unraveling the Mystery and Folklore of a Critical Agricultural Innovation

by Wesley F. Buchele and William B. Mayfield

People and Governance

Jim Henson: A Little Golden Book Biography

by Luke Flowers

Who Was Jim Henson?

by Joan Holub

Atomic Testing in Mississippi: Project Dribble and the Quest for Nuclear Weapons Treaty Verification in the Cold War Era

by David Allen Burke

Supplies

Meet Mississippi

Student Notebooks

Science: Deltas (Page 2)

1 shallow tray or bin
sand or fine soil
1 pitcher of water
a stack of books to prop up the tray

Nature And Weather

Student Notebooks

Science: Petrification (Page 2)

a piece of sponge
1 cup of warm water
about a cup of salt, sugar, or baking soda
a glass cup or jar
a spoon
a bottle of food coloring (optional)

Science: Petrification (Page 2)

a sponge or a few pieces of sponge
another material of your choice (such as cork, cardboard, or a shower loofah)
1 cup of warm water
about a cup of salt, sugar, or baking soda
2 glass cups or jars
a spoon
a bottle of food coloring (optional)

Science: Petrification (Page 2)

3 different-sized pieces of sponge
1 cup of warm water
about a cup of salt, sugar, or baking soda
3 glass cups or jars
a spoon
a bottle of food coloring (optional)

Industry and Economy

Teacher's Guide

Hands-on Activity

wooden craft sticks or toothpicks

Student Notebooks

Science + Geography: Hardiness Zones (Optional Extension Activity) (Page 2)

seeds and supplies to grow them

History + Art: Natural Dyes (Page 3)

cotton balls
warm water
bowls, trays, or cups
natural materials of differing colors (such as berries, flower petals, leaves, grass, coffee grounds, spices, or tea bags)

History + Art: Natural Dyes (Page 3)

1 cotton ball
1 piece of white fabric
2 cups of hot water
2 bowls or trays
natural materials of differing colors (such as berries, flower petals, leaves, grass, coffee grounds, spices, or tea bags)

People and Governance

Teacher's Guide

Hands-on Activity

stuffed animals or materials to make sock puppets

Student Notebooks

Art: Ventriloquism (Page 2)

paper lunch sack
scissors
glue
cutouts from the appendix

Art: Ventriloquism (Page 2)

2 paper lunch sacks
scissors
glue
cutouts from the appendix

Art: Ventriloquism (Page 2)

2 socks
4 googly eyes
hot glue
scissors
4 pom-poms
cardboard
red felt

Scope and Sequence

Check out the scope and sequence for this unit.

Fifity States: Mississippi

Level 1

Geography

Mississippi River
Clarksdale
Crossroads
Tupelo: Elvis Presley's birthplace
Vicksburg National Military Park
Natchez
Biloxi
Pinckneyville
Hot Coffee, Mississippi
Label a map with places from the lesson
Mississippi Petrified Forest
Gulf of America (Gulf of Mexico)
Hardiness zones of the US
Temperance
Oxford
Greenville

Science

How deltas form
Delta experiment
Magnolia tree and flower
White-tailed deer
Red fox
Largemouth bass
Mississippi opal
Marshes and wetlands
Humidity
Climate and weather of Mississippi
Growing seasons
Petrification experiment
Growing indigo for natural dyes
Sustainable logging
Gardening in different zones
Start a seed

Language Arts

Vocabulary: drape, lifeline
Begin unit project: add flag and quick facts
Vocabulary: waterlogged, glossy
Answer comprehension questions about state symbols
Alliteration
Add state symbols to the unit project
Solve riddles about the state symbols
Vocabulary: sow, raw
Answer comprehension questions about the industries of Mississippi
Add industries to the unit project
Vocabulary: linger, expressive
Speaking skills: storytelling
Answer comprehension questions about the people of Mississippi
Write or dictate a breaking news story
Add a spotlight on Jim Henson to the unit project

History

European explorers arrived (1500s)
Blues was born (1800s)
Grant seized Vicksburg (1863)
USS Cairo
Siege weaponry and gunboats
Draw your own siege weaponry
Historical uses of the Mississippi River
Trade and farming among Indigenous peoples
Invention of the cotton gin
Role of the cotton industry in slavery
Booming timber industry (1800s)
Expansion of the manufacturing industry: sawmills, textiles, food processing
Historic uses of indigo in Mississippi
Vietnam War (1970s)
Jim Henson, creator of the Muppets

Social Studies

Quick facts: state motto, nickname, size, population
Mississippian Culture
Indigenous peoples: Choctaw, Chickasaw, Natchez
Fun facts
State symbols: magnolia tree, whilte-tailed deer, red fox, largemouth bass, Mississippi opal
Important industries of Mississippi
Cost of living in Mississippi
Importance of church and religion in Mississippi
How food brings people together
Weird laws
Cultural foods of Mississippi
Current events in Mississippi
Vietnamese culture

Art

Music appreciation: blues vs. rock and roll
Create your own state symbol
Experiment with homemade natural dyes
Music culture of Mississippi: blues, spirituals, gospel, jazz
Performing arts: puppet show
Ventriloquism

Bible

Matthew 13:23: a seed planted in good soil
2 Corinthians 5:17: Jesus transforms your life
Matthew 7:25: Jesus is the rock
Philippians 4:11–13: be content in all circumstances
Proverbs 22:7b
Colossians 2:6–7: be rooted in Christ

Math

Importance of budgeting
Debt

Level 2

Geography

Mississippi River
Regions: Delta, Hills, Pines, Capital/River, Coastal
Pearl River
State capital: Jackson
Gulf of America (Gulf of Mexico)
Forty-four miles of coastline
Clarksdale
Crossroads
Tupelo: Elvis Presley's birthplace
Vicksburg National Military Park
Natchez
Biloxi
Pinckneyville
Hot Coffee, Mississippi
Label a map with places from the lesson
Mississippi Petrified Forest
Hardiness zones of the US
Temperance
Oxford
Greenville

Science

How deltas form
Delta experiment
Magnolia tree and flower
White-tailed deer
Red fox
Largemouth bass
Mississippi opal
Marshes and wetlands
Ecosystems of Mississippi
Humidity
Climate and weather of Mississippi
Growing seasons
Petrification experiment
Growing indigo for natural dyes
Sustainable logging
Gardening in different zones
Start a seed

Language Arts

Vocabulary: delta, siege
Begin unit project: add flag and quick facts
Vocabulary: characteristic, subtle
Answer comprehension questions about state symbols
Alliteration
Add state symbols to the unit project
Solve riddles about the state symbols
Vocabulary: abolished, contributor
Answer comprehension questions about the industries of Mississippi
Explain an important industry to the state
Add industries to the unit project
Vocabulary: toiling, authority
Speaking skills: storytelling
Answer comprehension questions about the people and government of Mississippi
Write about a current event
Add a spotlight on Jim Henson to the unit project

History

European explorers arrived (1500s)
Mississippi Territory established (1798)
Became 20th state (1817)
Blues was born (1800s)
Grant seized Vicksburg (1863)
USS Cairo
Siege weaponry and gunboats
Draw your own siege weaponry
Historical uses of the Mississippi River
Trade and farming among Indigenous peoples
Invention of the cotton gin
Role of the cotton industry in slavery
Impact of the Civil War on industries
Agricultural advances: tractors, railroads, manufacturing companies
Booming timber industry (1800s)
Expansion of the manufacturing industry: sawmills, textiles, food processing
Historic uses of indigo in Mississippi
Segregation
Freedom Summer (1960s)
Vietnam War (1970s)
Jim Henson, creator of the Muppets

Social Studies

Quick facts: state motto, nickname, size, population
Mississippian Culture
Indigenous peoples: Choctaw, Chickasaw, Natchez
Fun facts
State symbols: magnolia tree, whilte-tailed deer, red fox, largemouth bass, Mississippi opal
Hurricane Katrina (early 2000s)
Cost of living in Mississippi
Important industries of Mississippi
Importance of church and religion in Mississippi
How food brings people together
Sport culture
Which elected positions differ from other states
Weird laws
Cultural foods of Mississippi
Current events in Mississippi
Vietnamese culture

Art

Music appreciation: blues vs. rock and roll
Create your own state symbol
Experiment with homemade natural dyes
Music culture of Mississippi: blues, spirituals, gospel, jazz
Performing arts: puppet show
Ventriloquism

Bible

Matthew 13:23: a seed planted in good soil
2 Corinthians 5:17: Jesus transforms your life
Matthew 7:25: Jesus is the rock
Philippians 4:11–13: be content in all circumstances
Proverbs 22:7b
Colossians 2:6–7: be rooted in Christ

Math

Importance of budgeting
Debt

Level 3

Geography

Mississippi River
Regions: Delta, Hills, Pines, Capital/River, Coastal
Pearl River
State capital: Jackson
Gulf of America (Gulf of Mexico)
Forty-four miles of coastline
Clarksdale
Crossroads
Tupelo: Elvis Presley's birthplace
Vicksburg National Military Park
Natchez
Biloxi
Pinckneyville
Hot Coffee, Mississippi
Label a map with places from the lesson
Mississippi Petrified Forest
Hardiness zones of the US
Hattiesburg
Temperance
Oxford
Greenville

Science

How deltas form
Delta experiments
Magnolia tree and flower
White-tailed deer
Red fox
Largemouth bass
Mississippi opal
Marshes and wetlands
Ecosystems of Mississippi
Humidity
Climate and weather of Mississippi
Growing seasons
Petrification experiment
Growing indigo for natural dyes
Sustainable logging
Gardening in different zones
Impacts of nuclear testing on the environment

Language Arts

Vocabulary: topography, signature
Comprehension questions about blues and rock and roll music
Choose and begin work on the unit project
Vocabulary: silica, humidity
Comprehension questions about the lesson
Write a summary paragraph of the lesson
Research a gem or stone that is made through petrification
Alliteration
Create a product with an alliterative name
Write riddles for the state symbols
Write a poem using state stymbols
Vocabulary: lucrative, prominent
Answer comprehension questions about the industries of Mississippi
Write a summary about the lesson
Research plants that grow well in specific zones
Write about an important industry in the state and add to the unit project
Vocabulary: accountability, contamination
Speaking skills: storytelling
Write a summary about the people and government of Mississippi
Write a news article about a current event
Choose an idea to write about and add it to the unit project
Use the rubric to grade the unit project

History

European explorers arrived (1500s)
Mississippi Territory established (1798)
Became 20th state (1817)
Blues was born (1800s)
Grant seized Vicksburg (1863)
USS Cairo
Siege weaponry and gunboats
Draw your own siege weaponry
Historical uses of the Mississippi River
Trade and farming among Indigenous peoples
Invention of the cotton gin
Role of the cotton industry in slavery
Impact of the Civil War on industries
Agricultural advances: tractors, railroads, manufacturing companies
Booming timber industry (1800s)
Expansion of the manufacturing industry: sawmills, textiles, food processing
Historic uses of indigo in Mississippi
Segregation
Freedom Summer (1960s)
Vietnam War (1970s)
Project Dribble (1960s)
Jim Henson, creator of the Muppets

Social Studies

Quick facts: state motto, nickname, size, population
Mississippian Culture
Indigenous peoples: Choctaw, Chickasaw, Natchez
Fun facts
State symbols: magnolia tree, whilte-tailed deer, red fox, largemouth bass, Mississippi opal
Hurricane Katrina (early 2000s)
Cost of living in Mississippi
Importance of church and religion in Mississippi
How food brings people together
Sport culture
Which elected positions differ from other states
Weird laws
Comprehension questions about the people and government of Mississippi
Current events in Mississippi
Vietnamese culture