Frequently Asked Questions

If you are looking for solid secular curricula and resources that encourage critical thinking, inquisition, and investigation, you have come to the right place! Our publications are not written from any political or religious point of view and do not posit religious beliefs as factual.

History Odyssey and History Quest are secular-based. Various religions and their belief systems are discussed in detail in History Quest and in all of our History Study Guides as they had influence on the history of humankind. However, we do not assign any readings from books, such as Story of the World, that may appear to have a faith bias, or that overtly or subtly present historical events as divinely influenced.

Common Core Standards (CCS) are language arts and mathematics national standards created for public school. The “Next Generation Science Standards” are the public school standards for science. Pandia Press is independent of public education. However, History Odyssey, and History Quest exceed public school standards.

History Quest is our history series for students for grades 1st though 7th. It consists of a read aloud (or independent read for older students) chapter book for children. The accompanying study guide, when paired with the book, creates a complete one year history curriculum. The History Quest study guide is a multiple resource approach that combines history with geography, activities, and writing.  There is a history Travel Log activity with a timeline/geography exercise that pairs with the imaginary time travel in the History Hops from the chapter books along with activity ideas, literature readings, writing and comprehension exercise, map work.  At this time there is History Quest: Early Times, History Quest: Middle Times, and History Quest: United States.  Following this will be History Quest: Modern Times, which will pick up in world history where History Quest: Middle Times left off for a total of 3 year long book/study guides of world history. 

History Quest has gradually replaced our original History Odyssey Level 1 series for elementary students over the past few years. In September, 2019 we retired History Odyssey Ancients Level 1 and replaced it with History Quest: Early Times Study Guide. History Quest: Middle Times Study Guide replaced History Odyssey Middle Ages Level 1 in August, 2020. In August 2021, History Odyssey Early Modern Level 1 and History Odyssey Modern Level 1 were replaced with an updated and combined version in the form of Modern History Bridge.  Modern History Bridge is a one-year study guide that completes the three year cycle of world history of History Quest. It will eventually be retired when History Quest: Modern Times is released. 

History Odyssey (previously known as History Odyssey Level 2) is our history study guide series for middle school and high school. History Odyssey study guides will transition your student to independent learning with minimal assistance from a parent or teacher. Students learn information organization, literary analysis, research skills, and writing skills through reading some of the the greatest literature for each time period.  They learn outlining, timeline analysis, geography, and critical thinking through daily lessons with worksheets and backline maps included.  The History Odyssey series consists of 4 years of world history study including Ancients, Middle Ages, Early Modern, and Modern. 

History Quest has gradually replaced our original History Odyssey Level 1 series for elementary students over the past few years. In September, 2019 we retired History Odyssey Ancients Level 1 and replaced it with History Quest: Early Times Study Guide. History Quest: Middle Times Study Guide replaced History Odyssey Middle Ages Level 1 in August, 2020. In August 2021, History Odyssey Early Modern Level 1 and History Odyssey Modern Level 1 were replaced with an updated and combined version in the form of Modern History Bridge.  Modern History Bridge is a one-year study guide that completes the three year cycle of world history of History Quest. It will eventually be retired when History Quest Modern Times is released. 

After many months of research and listening to customer wants and needs, we made the decision to pull American History Odyssey from distribution so we could revamp the course. The revised edition will include expanded Native American and African American history and will offer additional resources from a range of American voices. These changes will add more diversity and more coverage of marginalized groups throughout US history. We are being diligent with this update and expansion and we don’t have a release date as of yet. 

You may have noticed, History Odyssey is different; different even than the textbook-style of our science courses. Our unique approach to history has to do with the subjective nature of history studies. History Odyssey courses are study guides that organize and carefully lead students through multiple resources that encourage critical thinking including literature, geography, encyclopedias, the classics, hands-on activities, artwork, poetry, music, primary source excerpts, etc. History Odyssey is anti-textbook by design and we’re happy you noticed!

Pandia Press is not an accrediting agency and does not offer high school credits. However, an accrediting institution has informed us that each level three course would count for at least one full history (social studies) credit, one full literature/writing (English) credit (if a formal writing course is added), and possibly a half credit for geography. Many customers have told us that their high school accredited institutions have approved HO courses.

We recommend courses that teach thesis writing, research papers, and how to write essays–literary, expository, descriptive, narrative, and persuasive.

Specifically, we recommend the following:

• Brave Writer
• Beyond the Book Report by Erin Karl and Robin Finley