Exploring Government
From the Constitution to current events, this student-led course shows how federal, state, and local systems work—and why that matters—helping teens think clearly and grow into informed, responsible adults.
$85
Quantity:
2026 Eleventh-Grade Curriculum Kit
Exploring Government (4th Edition)
Government affects nearly every aspect of daily life, yet many teens reach adulthood with only a limited understanding of how it actually works. Exploring Government, Fourth Edition helps bridge that gap with a clear, Bible-based introduction to American government, political systems, civic responsibility, and current issues.
Designed as a Christian homeschool government curriculum for high school students, this one-semester course walks teens through the structure and function of federal, state, and local government while helping them understand the principles behind the U.S. Constitution and the responsibilities of informed citizenship. For students who will soon be voting, serving on juries, signing contracts, or simply trying to make sense of the world around them, these are practical life skills—not just academic requirements.
The course is organized into 75 daily lessons across 15 units, making it manageable to complete in a single semester. Written directly to the student, the lessons are easy to follow and well suited for independent learners. The reading is substantial without feeling overwhelming, allowing teens to engage with important ideas without getting buried in endless pages of government jargon.
The companion volume, We Hold These Truths, adds depth through speeches, essays, historical writings, and founding documents that allow students to engage directly with influential voices and primary-source material. Together, the two books help students move beyond memorizing facts and begin understanding how government functions in the real world.
Students seeking additional challenge can complete optional writing and discussion assignments throughout the course. These assignments provide opportunities to develop communication and analytical skills while earning an additional one-half credit in English alongside the one-half credit in U.S. Government. They also tend to spark the kinds of conversations that continue long after the assignment is finished.
The optional Student Review Pack offers lesson reviews, literary analysis, and assessments for families who want additional accountability, reinforcement, or grading support.
Whether a teen plans to attend college, enter the workforce, pursue a trade, or simply become a more informed citizen, Exploring Government, Fourth Edition provides a solid foundation for understanding American government and civic responsibility. It's the kind of course that helps students not only learn how government works, but also why that knowledge matters long after graduation.
Find answers to the most frequently asked questions about this product below:
We consider the literature component of the Notgrass history courses to be optional. You can have your student complete the Notgrass literature, with related assignments, instead of the Implications of Literature course if you like. We would not recommend trying to do both unless your student is highly motivated. Alternatively, if your student is an avid reader he might enjoy simply reading any or all of the suggested books as a supplement to the history.
- February 11, 2022
Great information
Michelle J.
Great for a government textbook. It’s a little easy for kids to find the answers to the question online, so watch out for that. But other than that, great curriculum.
- October 28, 2021
Awesome Govt. Curriculum
Rachel
This is one of the best curriculums I've seen on our Government and how it works. Highly recommend!
- May 24, 2020
I like it!
Amy
I am happy with this product. I chose it for my incoming 9th grader to complete his Civics/American Govt. requirement for graduation. I like that it was recently updated and from a Christian perspective.
- January 9, 2020
A Well-Written and Thorough Introduction American Government
Kristen H.
Wanting to provide our teenage son with a firm understanding of the American Government to prepare him for his civic responsibilities as a future voter I sought out a curriculum for him. After looking through several options, I settled upon this program by Notgrass and I am so happy! The textbooks themselves are quite beautiful and laid out in a very easy to understand manner. The supplemental materials (the student review questions, quiz booklet, and answer key) are also fantastic and easy to use. The quality of the books is also great. I have enjoyed going through the lessons and reading myself to be able to discuss the information with our son. I feel confident that our son will walk about from this course with a good understanding of American Government. I look forward to using more products from Notgrass.
- November 21, 2019
Great introduction to American government
Brittany F.
This curriculum is well laid out, easy to understand, and covers all of the basic information about government that you expect from a high school class. The units are broken down into daily lessons with multiple options for reviewing information and for expanding on what is learned. I liked the optional literature aspect; however, it is quite a bit of extra reading! If you have a student that struggles with reading, I would not do the government and literature portion at the same time. The material doesn't go into the tiny details, but a student who completes the course should understand how our government was formed, why it was designed the way it is, the roles of the various parts of government, how it applies to them, and develop knowledge of the Constitution. The best part, in my opinion, was reading the primary documents (like the entire Constitution over six or eight weeks), and then the lesson breaking down and explaining each reading assignment. It made it much easier to understand and remember! Some possibly controversial subjects were brought up, and were handled in a respectful and well thought out way.
- November 21, 2019
Son: "I'm keeping it"
crissy
Before we stopped homeschooling 9th grade because of life changes, he was using this. He found the content interesting and easy to understand. He was never overwhelmed with it. I liked that the review questions served as a study tool for the tests and quizzes. We didn't use the literature component because I thought it would be too much work for him. Recently I set it aside to sell but when he saw what I was planning, he emphatically told me he wanted to keep it and removed it from the pile.
