Inside the New Good and Beautiful State Studies and Electives A Complete Flip‑Through and Review
A Beautiful New Way to Explore the United States
Every homeschool year, I look for ways to bring more depth, beauty, and meaning into our learning. This year, I had a personal goal to help my children study different places around the United States. I originally thought I would need to search online for resources, gather books, and create my own research guides. I assumed it would require a lot of planning and preparation. But then The Good and the Beautiful released their brand‑new State Studies series, and everything changed. These consumable, full‑color workbooks allow children to dive into the geography, history, culture, government, landforms, and unique features of individual states in a way that feels structured, engaging, and screen‑free. Whether your child is homeschooled or attends public or private school, these studies offer a meaningful way to explore the United States. I just published a full YouTube flip‑through video where I show every detail inside these books and share my honest thoughts.
Texas State Study A Deep Look at the Lone Star State
The Texas State Study is beautifully designed and incredibly rich in content. Students learn about natural geography such as the Guadalupe Mountains, Great Plains, Gulf Coast, and Pineywoods. They explore early peoples including the Tonkawa, Lipan Apache, and Karankawa. They study early settlers, Spanish explorers, Tejanos, and Anglo‑Americans. They walk through changing times such as the Texas Revolution, the Civil War, westward expansion, the Dust Bowl, and both world wars. The study also highlights notable figures including Sam Houston, Stephen Austin, and José Antonio Navarro. Students learn about cultural favorites such as rodeos, roundups, the Alamo, NASA’s space center, and Texas beaches. The lessons are short, meaningful, and easy to complete independently. The pages are perforated, the reading passages are clear, and the activities encourage reflection and hands‑on learning.
As a mom of six, I love that the structure is consistent and predictable. My children can read, annotate, interact with maps, color regions, and complete short activities that reinforce what they learned. The study ends with a meaningful introduction to state and federal government, civic responsibility, and how government works.
Arizona, California, Florida, and Utah State Studies
The other State Studies follow the same structure while offering state‑specific content. Arizona includes lessons on indigenous peoples, natural resources, canyons, and cultural traditions. California explores landforms, early settlers, agriculture, industry, and iconic landmarks. Florida highlights battles, the Space Coast, agriculture, entrepreneurs, and recreation. Utah includes natural geography, indigenous cultures, landforms, and state government.
Each study feels like a beautifully curated textbook that children can interact with. They read, annotate, color, reflect, and complete meaningful activities. The consistency across the series makes it easy to assign different states to different children without needing to learn a new format each time.
New Elective Computer Skills A Future‑Ready Course for Grades Five and Up
The Good and the Beautiful also released a brand‑new Computer Skills elective for grades five and up. This course teaches essential computer skills that every child needs for the future. Students learn how to navigate a computer, understand memory and storage, use word processing tools, create spreadsheets, and build slideshow presentations. They also learn internet basics, online safety, research skills, email etiquette, and digital communication.
One of my favorite features is that the course includes color‑coded instructions for Windows, Mac, and Chromebook. This means your child learns how to navigate the exact system they use at home. The lessons are independent, structured, and easy to follow. As a former public school teacher, I cannot emphasize enough how valuable these skills are. This elective is perfect for homeschool families and for parents whose children attend public or private school. It offers a structured, screen‑guided way to teach digital literacy without overwhelming your child.
New Elective Learn to Illustrate A Creative Journey for Young Artists
The Learn to Illustrate elective is one of the most beautiful courses I have ever seen. Designed for grades five and up, this course teaches students how to illustrate a children’s book. Shannon, the artist behind many Good and Beautiful books, guides students through twelve step‑by‑step lessons. Students learn how to imagine characters, develop settings, map out a story, and create a full‑spread illustration that looks like it belongs in a real children’s book.
This elective is perfect for aspiring artists, creative children, and any child who loves storytelling. The lessons are manageable, structured, and deeply inspiring. As a mom, I love that this course encourages creativity while teaching real artistic skills. Both electives come with sticker badges that students can add to their My Electives Badge Book once they complete the course.
Shop Learn to Illustrate Elective
Limited‑Time Free Shipping Promotion
From October sixth through October sixteenth, The Good and the Beautiful is offering free shipping on domestic orders over seventy‑five dollars. International customers will receive fifteen dollars off shipping on orders over seventy‑five dollars. No coupon code is required. This is the perfect time to stock up on curriculum, add new electives, or purchase multiple State Studies for your children.
Final Thoughts
These State Studies and electives are some of the most meaningful resources I have added to our homeschool this year. They are beautifully designed, structured, and easy to use. They offer depth, hands‑on learning, and opportunities for children to explore history, geography, art, and digital literacy in a way that feels joyful and engaging. If you want to see every detail inside these books, be sure to watch my full YouTube flip‑through video linked above. And if you plan to purchase, do not forget to take advantage of the free‑shipping promotion. Thank you for joining me on this journey. I hope these resources bless your homeschool as much as they have blessed ours.
Gervase Ware is a homeschool mom of six, educator, and motherhood and lifestyle creator who shares real‑life homeschool routines, curriculum reviews, family systems, and trusted resources for intentional living at GervaseWare.com.
(I love being able to share the curriculum, resources, and tools that truly support our homeschool. I am an affiliate for several brands, including Like to Know It, Shop My, and Amazon. This means that when you use my links or codes and make a purchase right after clicking, I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. Your support directly helps our homeschool and allows me to continue creating content for families like yours. Thank you for choosing to shop through my links and for being part of our community.)
