Exploring Economics (Notgrass)

Exploring Economics is a one-semester high school course from Notgrass History. The publisher lists its subjects as Economics and English and says the curriculum surveys Biblical teachings on money and finance, gives an overview of the economic history of the United States, explains the terms and concepts used in economics, and discusses current economic issues. The course consists of a lesson and assignment book, a companion volume of readings titled Making Choices, and four assigned books.

Last updated: 2026-10-06 · Every Homeschool Editorial Team

At a glance

Method	Lesson book with daily assignments, primary-source readings, assigned literature, and a weekly project
Worldview	Christian; the course page says it is written from a perspective of faith in God and trust in His Word and reasserts the importance of the free market system, and the publisher says it has no formal statement of faith and no denominational bias or agenda
Grades	High school; the publisher says the course can be used in 9th, 10th, 11th, or 12th grade
Formats	Books: the lesson book and Making Choices, a Student Review Pack, and a Literature Package; the 2016 edition was released in a hardcover binding
Cost tier	Standard
Parent intensity	3 (the publisher says the student can read the lessons and follow the instructions independently and that parents can be involved as much or as little as they wish)
ESA-common	The publisher's state funding page lists ordering instructions for programs in 15 states
Publication history	Exploring Economics first released in 2009; 2nd edition 2016; Notgrass History's About page gives 1999 as the year it began developing curriculum
Website	notgrass.com

Our scoreboard (1-5)

Criterion	Score	One-line reason
Academic rigor	3	The introduction describes a thorough survey of the basic terms and concepts of economics; the publisher says its courses are not officially designated AP or honors
Ease of teaching	4	The publisher says no separate teacher's manual is needed because each day's and week's work is outlined in the lessons
Content quality	4	Fifteen units from Biblical teaching on economics and U.S. economic history through markets, money, trade, labor, and current issues; Making Choices readings range from the Precepts of Ptah-Hotep (Egyptian, c. 2000 bc) to selections dated 2016
Flexibility	4	Each Notgrass course stands on its own; the English component can be dropped and assigned books substituted
Value for money	4	Curriculum Package $70.00; Bundle with review pack and literature $123.00 (shop prices, October 5, 2026)
Worldview scope	2	Written from a perspective of faith in God and trust in His Word; the introduction states a belief in the strengths of the capitalist free-market system
Visual/design	3	The 2016 edition was released in a hardcover binding; the publisher describes its curriculum as including full-color photographs and illustrations
Support resources	3	Guide for Parents and Answer Key and downloadable checklist, grading chart, project ideas, and literary analysis; a video walkthrough; phone and email contact

Who the publisher is

Notgrass History states that it exists to glorify God by producing materials centered in His Word that help parents train their children to honor God with heart, soul, and mind, per its About page. The same page gives 1999 as the year it began developing homeschool curriculum, and describes Ray Notgrass as the president of the publishing company and a lead curriculum author, and Charlene Notgrass as overseeing curriculum development and a lead curriculum author. The course description page credits the Exploring Economics text to Ray Notgrass, and the video walkthrough page names him as its author.

Notgrass lists five high school courses. Per its FAQ on course order, Exploring World History, Exploring America, and Exploring World Geography are year-long courses, while Exploring Government and Exploring Economics are half-year courses. The same page lists a suggested sequence for a student starting in 9th grade that ends with Exploring Government and then Exploring Economics, and says each course stands on its own. Per the credits FAQ, Exploring Economics provides one half-year of economics and one half-year of English.

On faith, Notgrass says all of its curriculum is written from a clearly Christian perspective. Its statement of faith FAQ says the company has no formal statement of faith and promotes no particular creed or confession, believes in the inspiration and authority of the Bible, has no denominational bias or agenda, and generally quotes the New American Standard Bible. On economics specifically, the course's introduction says the authors approach the subject from faith in God and reliance on the Bible, believe in the strengths of the capitalist free-market system, recognize its imperfections, and say some government regulation is necessary even in free-market economies.

The core pedagogy

Per the course page, Exploring Economics has 75 lessons in 15 units of five lessons each, designed to be completed in one semester at one lesson per day for 75 days. Each unit opens with an introduction page that gives an overview of the unit, the lessons in it, and suggestions for a project. The economics credit involves reading the lessons, reading the selections in Making Choices, and completing hands-on projects; the English credit involves several writing assignments and the assigned literature.

The course description says the student receives an introduction to Biblical teaching related to economics, economics in church history, and the economic history of the United States, then explores the basics of macroeconomics and microeconomics, learning about markets, money, trade, business organization, and labor, and how government is involved in the economy and modern economic challenges. The publisher's scope and sequence PDF says the course covers both, primarily macroeconomics, and lists topics including the Great Depression, the Great Recession of 2007-2009, and issues such as health care, energy, transportation, housing, agriculture, and the environment.

The table of contents lists the fifteen units: Getting a Grasp of Economics; God's Economics, Part 1; God's Economics, Part 2; A Brief Economic History of the United States; Choices; Markets; Money; Trade; Business; Labor; Government; Measuring the Economy; Economic Issues, Part 1; Economic Issues, Part 2; and ME-conomics: The Ultimate Microeconomy. The introduction describes the structure as a brief overview, a detailed discussion, and application to contemporary issues, with the final unit putting the material on a personal level.

Signature mechanics: (1) A lesson book that carries its own instructions. Each lesson lists that day's assignments. (2) Primary-source readings in Making Choices. The volume's introduction describes it as a compilation of historic documents, speeches, essays, and other writings assigned at the end of the appropriate lessons, and says Notgrass History does not endorse every person or idea included. (3) Assigned literature. The literature FAQ lists four books by unit: Silas Marner by George Eliot (Units 1-3), The Rise of Silas Lapham by William Dean Howells (Units 4-7), The Travels of a T-Shirt in the Global Economy by Pietra Rivoli (Units 8-11), and Mover of Men and Mountains by R. G. LeTourneau (Units 12-15). The course description calls these two novels, one book about the global economy, and one autobiography. (4) A weekly project. The course description says the student completes a project each week, either an essay or another creative project related to the study of economics.

How a week runs

The publisher says no separate teacher's manual is needed because what the student does each week and each day is outlined in the lessons, and that the student can read the daily lessons and follow the instructions independently, with parent involvement as much or as little as desired (course page). Its FAQ says each lesson includes the text to read and the assignments for that day. The course's introduction says the student should complete each day's assignments on that day and suggests allowing about one hour each day for economics and one hour for English. It describes one project per week, either a writing assignment or a hands-on project, and recommends at least six writing assignments during the semester for students earning the English credit. For the writing assignments, the publisher gives a target of two to three pages of typed, double-spaced text (500-750 words) for most of the writing assignments in its high school courses.

The Student Review Pack contains lesson review questions and literary analysis, a Quiz and Exam Book with weekly quizzes and three economics exams, and a Guide for Parents and Answer Key with grading suggestions, notes on the literature, and answers (course page). The introduction calls the Student Review Pack an optional supplement. The publisher says the high school Student Review books have no space for written answers, so students answer on separate paper. On testing, the publisher's FAQ says quizzes and tests should not be the only graded component and that families may use the test questions as conversation starters or writing prompts, or give open-book tests.

What they do exceptionally well

Biblical teaching and economic history alongside economic concepts. Two of the fifteen units are devoted to what the introduction calls God's Economics, one unit surveys the economic history of the United States, and eight units present economic ideas, terms, and realities in greater detail. The publisher's micro and macro FAQ says the course introduces both microeconomics (how individuals and businesses participate in the economy) and macroeconomics (government policy and national trends).

A range of readings. The Making Choices table of contents lists, among others, "I, Pencil" by Leonard Read (1958), an excerpt from The Wealth of Nations by Adam Smith (1776), "The Candlemakers' Petition" by Frederic Bastiat (1845), an excerpt from Principles of Economics by Alfred Marshall (1890), an interview with Milton Friedman (2006), Ronald Reagan's Program for Economic Recovery (1981), and "Finance and Society" by Janet Yellen (2015), along with John Winthrop's "A Model of Christian Charity" (1630) and John Wesley's "The Use of Money" (1744). The volume's introduction invites readers to engage with material that challenges their thinking.

A literature component tied to the subject. The English half-credit pairs two novels, a book about the global economy, and an autobiography with the economics lessons, and the publisher says another book can be substituted for an assigned title.

A personal-level final unit. The final unit, ME-conomics, includes lessons titled What Difference Can One Person Make?, What Should I Do?, Me and My Money, When I Grow Up, and "Seek Ye First . . .", per the table of contents.

What they do poorly

Stated economic perspective. The introduction says the authors believe in the strengths of the capitalist free-market system, and the course page says the curriculum reasserts the importance of the free market system. The introduction also acknowledges imperfections in capitalism and says some government regulation is necessary. Making Choices includes readings by authors with differing views, and its introduction says Notgrass History does not endorse every person or idea in the volume.

Faith is part of the course design. The publisher says the course is taught from a Christian worldview and, in its introduction, that the authors approach economics from faith in God and a reliance on the Bible. Notgrass has also stated that it has been encouraged to produce versions of its curriculum without the strong Bible emphasis for public schools and has not done so (standards FAQ).

Not a personal finance or business course. The introduction says the course is not a study of business administration or of personal finance, refers readers to a consumer math course for topics such as balancing a checkbook, and says it considers personal financial matters in the context of broader economic activity. The table of contents includes lessons titled Wise Investing and Me and My Money.

Not designated AP or honors. The publisher says its courses are not officially designated as honors or AP courses, though not necessarily incompatible with those designations, and that it did not design the curriculum to align with the College Board AP standards. On CLEP, it says families report that students frequently do well after using its curriculum with a typical CLEP preparation book, and that it did not tailor the curriculum to the exam. Families aiming at AP Microeconomics or Macroeconomics should confirm the exam requirements with the College Board, as the publisher advises.

Who it fits / who it doesn't

• Pick Exploring Economics if: the family wants a one-semester economics course taught from a Christian worldview that states a free-market perspective; wants a lesson book that carries its own daily instructions; wants primary-source readings assigned alongside the lessons; wants the option of an English half-credit built from two novels, a book about the global economy, and an autobiography; or is also using Exploring Government, which Notgrass lists as the other half-year course in its sequence.

• Skip Exploring Economics if: the family wants a course that is not taught from a Christian worldview; wants a course officially designated AP or honors; or wants a course devoted to personal finance, which the introduction says this course is not.

Cost honest assessment

Per the Notgrass shop as of October 5, 2026, the Exploring Economics Curriculum Package (the lesson book and Making Choices) is $70.00. The Student Review Pack is $15.00, and the Literature Package of four books is $44.00. The Exploring Economics Bundle, which the publisher recommends and which combines the three, is $123.00. The bundle page says all items are available individually. Prices change; check the product pages before ordering.

The Curriculum Package page says the package does not include review or test material or the recommended literature, so a family may want the Student Review Pack and the Literature Package. The publisher says families that already have an English curriculum can drop the English component. Students write in the Quiz and Exam Book, and the course page says extra copies can be bought as needed when more than one student uses the course.

ESA eligibility notes

Notgrass's state funding page lists ordering instructions for programs in Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Missouri, Montana, North Carolina, South Carolina, Texas, Utah, West Virginia, and Wyoming, and says the company takes no position for or against the existence of these programs. The state pages differ. The Arizona page says Notgrass is a registered vendor with orders placed through a separate ClassWallet store, the Florida page says orders are placed through the Step Up for Students website, the Utah page says orders go through the Odyssey Parent Portal Marketplace, and the West Virginia page directs families to a browser extension called TheoPay. The Idaho page says that program is closed to new applications. Because each program sets its own approved-purchase rules, ESA-funded families should confirm with their state program before ordering.

Alternatives

• Ron Paul Curriculum. Economics, a family would choose Ron Paul's video-based economics course over Notgrass for a libertarian/Austrian-school economic framing, video instruction, and a free-market orientation with different philosophical grounding.
• Thinkwell Economics or Modern States AP Macroeconomics, a family would choose Thinkwell or Modern States over Notgrass for a secular, video-based course aimed at AP-level preparation without religious integration.
• Uncle Eric's Whatever Happened to Penny Candy (Bluestocking Press), a family would choose the Uncle Eric series over Notgrass for a shorter, libertarian-flavored introductory economics sequence suitable for middle-grades or as a light high-school addition.