• Home
  • About
    • Contact Danika
    • Help Your Kids Learn and Love the Bible
    • Who What Why Series | Christian Biographies for Kids
    • When Lightning Struck!: The Story of Martin Luther
    • Wonderfully Made: God’s Story of Life from Conception to Birth
    • Statement of Faith and Beliefs
    • Thinking Kids Disclosures
    • Thinking Kids Privacy Policy
    • Thinking Kids Website & Printables Terms and Conditions of Use
  • Thinking Kids Press Store
  • Help Your Kids Learn and Love the Bible
  • Who What Why Series | Christian Biographies for Kids
  • When Lightning Struck!
  • Wonderfully Made
  • Thinking Kids Press
    • Bible Road Trip™
      • Bible Road Trip™ Year One
      • 10 Reasons to Take a Road Trip Through the Bible
      • The Buzz on Bible Road Trip™ | Reviews
      • BRT ~ The Everything Page
      • Bible Verses for Children: Bible Road Trip™ Memory Verse Cards
      • Statement of Faith and Beliefs
    • Bible Lapbooks | Hands-On Bible Study for Kids
    • Cobblestone Path
  • Book Reviews
    • Parenting / Homeschooling
    • Ages 4-7
    • Middle Grade (Ages 8-12)
    • Middle School
    • High School
  • Christian Parenting
  • Homeschooling Coolness
  • Artfully Learned

Thinking Kids

Teach Your Kids the Bible and Christian History

FREE Reformation Study Guide for 4th-12th Grades

October 12, 2022 By Danika 51 Comments

Thinking Kids Press uses referral links in posts. Signing up for free offers will subscribe you to our email list. We'll send you encouragement, free products, and exclusive offers via email. You can read our disclaimer, privacy policy, terms and conditions of use, and Danika Cooley's personal statement of faith and beliefs for more information. The Thinking Kids Press store is located at ThinkingKidsPress.com.
318 shares
  • Facebook149
  • Twitter

Teach your 4th-12th graders about the Renaissance & Reformation with this free Reformation study guide. Teach both the Catholic & Protestant Reformation.


Free Reformation Study Guide for 4th-12th Grades

The Protestant Reformation

The Protestant Reformation was an important time in history, not only for the history of the Christian Church, but for the history of the world. As a result of the work of faithful, godly men and women, there was a return to biblical theology. People came to understand that we are saved by grace through faith. Feudalism ended. There were wars for decades over the future of the Church. Out of these wars, denominations arose.  We saw the rise of new theology and doctrine that still finds a home in sects of the Church today.


Grab your FREE 130-page Bible Study Tool Kit--and learn about Help Your Kids Learn and Love the Bible!


Our kids need to know what happened during the Reformation, and why.


In 2015,  my book When Lightning Struck!: The Story of Martin Luther for middle and high school students published with Fortress Press. That was truly a dream come true for me, and it was a project I’d worked on for several years. I’ve been so blessed by your support and enthusiasm.

When Lightning Struck! is the exciting story of Martin Luther for young adults by Danika Cooley.


Take your kids through the Bible in just three years! Try out Bible Road Trip™ with a free three-week sample pack.


Thank you so much if you have purchased a copy, and shared the book with your children! I cannot tell you how much that means to me. You may remember that I wrote two guides to go with When Lightning Struck!: a Discussion Guide and a 12-week Martin Luther Study Guide.


Fortress Press also published Tim Dowley’s Atlas of the European Reformations this fall, and it’s an excellent overview of the Protestant Reformation and the resulting Catholic Reformation for grades 4-12. To help you fully utilize this resource in your home or school, I’ve written a Study Guide for the Atlas, and Fortress Press has given me permission to give it to Thinking Kids subscribers for free.

Atlas of the European Reformations by Tim Dowley

Check out Tim Dowley's Atlas of the European Reformations

The Atlas of the European Reformations is valuable overview of the Reformation Age. There are four sections: Before the Reformation, Reformation, Catholic Reform and Counter-Reformation, and Early Modern Europe. Students get an overview of what led to the Reformations, what occurred during the Reformations, and what happened after.

Each of the 60 maps has a brief overview with it. The maps are fascinating, as they really communicate the scope of each topic being discussed. Students learn about important figures in the Reformation period, as well as movements, conflicts, and how the Reformations affected different nations.

The narrative is careful to avoid bias, and both the reform of the Roman Catholic Church and the Protestant Reformation are covered. This is a great overview of the period, and unlike anything I’ve seen. I like the fact that the Atlas covers the Catholic reform and missions as well. Though we are not Catholic, I want my boys to understand that part of history.

Atlas of the European ReformationsAtlas of the European Reformations

Amazon: Atlas of the European Reformations
Christian Book: Atlas of the European Reformations


Free Reformation Study Guide

Free Reformation Study Guide for 4th-12th Grades
The Atlas of the European Reformation Study Guide is a 56 page digital resource, free to Thinking Kids subscribers.

Subscribe here to receive your study guide:

The Reformation Study Guide includes:

  • A brief overview of each section
  • Discussion questions for each map
  • Vocabulary
  • Related literature by grade level (Grades 4 and up)
  • Scripture to consider

Because this guide is meant to facilitate discussion and understanding as students learn about the European Reformations, no formal schedule has been included. You can work through the Atlas as it fits your schedule, and easily coordinate it with any history curriculum you are using.

The Reformation study guide is divided into four sections, as is the book. You’ll find an overview of each section of history.

Each of the 60 maps and overviews has a set of discussion questions for students to consider, as well as related vocabulary definitions in language students can understand. You’ll also find fine art related to the period on the discussion pages throughout. History is the perfect time to study art, so the pieces and the artists are all clearly identified on the same page as the artwork.

The related literature lists contain excellent works that will deepen your student’s understanding of the time period. None of the books are required (indeed, there are too many listed to use them all), and many can be located at your local library, though each would make an excellent addition to your home or church library. Further, you will find periodic “Scripture to Consider” sections, with a scripture reference and discussion questions.


The Story of Martin Luther

Teach your teens about Martin Luther and the Reformation in an exciting, new way with When Lightning Struck!: The Story of Martin Luther!


Martin Luther (1483-1546) is often referred to as “The Father of the Reformation”. Born during a time of superstition, tradition, and spiritual corruption, Luther gave up a lucrative career as a lawyer to become a monk in the Roman Catholic Church–a path he felt would certainly lead to salvation.

As Luther’s understanding of the spiritual corruption within the Church grew, and he despaired of true salvation, Luther (now a scholar and priest) sought the Bible for answers. Following his discovery of the true gospel in Scripture, Luther began to preach spiritual freedom to his congregation, and to teach biblical (rather than philosophical) theology at the University of Wittenberg.

It was on October 31, 1517 that Martin Luther penned his Ninety-Five Theses in Latin in response to the abusive indulgence sales practices of the monk Johann Tetzel in a nearby town. Luther nailed the Theses to the door of the Wittenberg Castle Church, the scholarly bulletin board of his day, and mailed a copy to the Archbishop of Mainz. Luther hoped to start a scholarly debate about the practice of selling salvation through plenary indulgences. The response he received was greater–and more dangerous–than he imagined it would be.

Luther’s story is exciting. There are death defying moments, epic spiritual battles, narrow escapes, a kidnapping, revolution, and war. As the “Father of the Reformation”, Luther is a vital figure in Church history. His sacrifice and willingness to wage battle against the spiritual, religious, and political powers of his medieval world allowed Christians throughout time to embrace the truth of salvation by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone as explained by Scripture alone once again. May all glory be to God alone!

Read portions of the first eight chapters of When Lightning Struck!:

 


Reformation Family Book Bundle
Your kids will love the Who What Why Reformation series with illustrated narratives for 8-11 year olds.
And, Martin Luther’s young adult historical fiction story makes the perfect family read aloud!
Grab the autographed Reformation Family Bundle!


More Posts You’ll Love

Who What Why Series | Christian Biographies and History for KidsWho What Why Series | Free Printable LapbooksWho Was Martin Luther | Biography for KidsWhat Was the Gutenberg Bible? | Christian History for KidsWhy Did the Reformation Happen | Theology for KidsWhen Lightning Struck!: The Story of Martin LutherBible Road Trip | Three-Year CurriculumHelp Your Kids Learn and Love the BibleMartin Luther History for Kids | Biography LapbookGutenberg Bible History LapbookProtestant Reformation for Kids | FREE Lapbook4 Reasons to Teach Christian History to your KidsMartin Luther of the Reformation Toilet Paper Roll CraftJohann Gutenberg Printing Press | Toilet Paper Rolls CraftThe Protestant Reformers | A Reformation CraftHistory Detective Bookmark Craft for KidsChristian Church History Detectives | Kids' Craft40+ Best Books on the Reformation for your FamilyMartin Luther | When Lightning Struck! Discussion GuideThe Five Solas Family Bible StudyReformation Day SnacksReformation Day ActivitiesA Mighty Fortress is Our God Lyrics Craft & PrintableMartin Luther of the Reformation Unit Study for TeensJohannes Gutenberg Facts for KidsThe Protestant Reformation for KidsMartin Luther and the 95 ThesesChristian History Notebooking for Teens | Cobblestone Path™: The Reformation Age for TeensMartin Luther & the Reformation Resources for Your FamilyFree Reformation Study Guide for 4th-12th GradesReformation History for Kids: 13 Biographical CardsMartin Luther Historical Fiction ReviewsMartin Luther Printable Valentine's Day Cards (& Bookmarks)Martin Luther Biography Endorsements


Free Reformation Study Guide for 4th-12th Grades

Join the newsletter

Get the Family Prayer Box Project FREE!

Teach your children to pray with this fun project that includes 7 printable sets!

Awesome! Go check your email to confirm your subscription. After you confirm, I'll send your Family Prayer Box Project!

There was an error submitting your subscription. Please try again.

We won't send you spam. Unsubscribe at any time. Powered by ConvertKit

Filed Under: Cobblestone Path, Homeschooling Coolness, Subscriber Freebies

Join the Newsletter and Get Gifts and Offers

« The 5 Solas for Families
Martin Luther of the Reformation Unit Study »

Comments

  1. Susan Menzmer says

    February 8, 2016 at 5:12 am

    This sounds like a fantastic resource! Maps can help a child (and adults too!) put a historical happening into context so they can better understand that the historical happening was a REAL thing, that effected REAL people in their every day lives. Would absolutely love to win a copy of this book!

    Reply
  2. HillaryM says

    February 8, 2016 at 5:17 am

    This looks like a great resource to cover this part of church history more fully than we have before — and fill in my own gaps (we learn so much ‘teaching’ our children, don’t we?).

    Reply
  3. jenniferrusk says

    February 8, 2016 at 5:32 am

    this looks like a great resource for my children! Once again, THANKS!

    Reply
  4. Darcy says

    February 8, 2016 at 5:42 am

    The atlas will help my children better picture what happened as well as help my understanding.

    Reply
  5. Gabrielle says

    February 8, 2016 at 5:42 am

    I love your resources, they enrich our studies at home with our children. Thank you!

    Reply
  6. vanderplaatsj says

    February 8, 2016 at 5:45 am

    This looks like a wonderful resource. I would enjoy using it with my children.

    Reply
  7. Kim C. says

    February 8, 2016 at 6:04 am

    I think the atlas will help in showing my son why we believe what we believe.

    Reply
  8. Angela L says

    February 8, 2016 at 6:06 am

    What an awesome resource! We are just about to reach the Reformation phase of history in our homeschool. My kids are facinated (and so am I) by seeing the hand of God on all the events of the past. As we study His wonderful works our hope and trust in His plans for our future is also increased. Thanks for offering this book!

    Reply
  9. KimberlySwanson says

    February 8, 2016 at 6:21 am

    What a fabulous resource to help educate my children about such a pivotal point in history! I know we would enjoy it greatly!

    Reply
  10. Judith Martinez says

    February 8, 2016 at 6:27 am

    The power of visual aids like maps is so dramatic for my kids. They’ll spend hours poring over something like this and learn a ton of stuff with little effort on my part.

    Reply
  11. C says

    February 8, 2016 at 6:42 am

    My kids love maps and biographies/history. They’ll love this resource that combines the two.

    Reply
  12. Nichole says

    February 8, 2016 at 6:51 am

    This looks like a great resource. We love learning about history and seeing Gid’s hand in it all. We will be studying the reformation in the fall!

    Reply
  13. Suzanne says

    February 8, 2016 at 7:14 am

    I love how its all put together thoughtfully and thoroughly. We are Lutherans and my children would benefit from this unit immensely. Thanks for the chance!

    Reply
  14. jgwatkins says

    February 8, 2016 at 7:15 am

    Love the maps and pictures and I know your study guide will bring it all together beautifully! Thank you.

    Reply
  15. kaytlin says

    February 8, 2016 at 7:28 am

    Thanks for the chance to win. This looks like a great tool to have while teaching the children!

    Reply
  16. [email protected] says

    February 8, 2016 at 7:40 am

    This is cool and will be great for education tools for us (our church) or some of our church member’s are home school parent can use this educational tools.

    I too can learn a lot from this too.

    Reply
  17. raleymail says

    February 8, 2016 at 8:19 am

    Thanks for sharing the resource!

    Reply
  18. Rachel Clark says

    February 8, 2016 at 8:28 am

    My son enjoyed reading When Lightening Struck. Thanks so much.

    Reply
  19. Faithfulmommy26 says

    February 8, 2016 at 8:35 am

    Looking forward to this book – even if we don’t win it!

    Reply
  20. Rebekah M says

    February 8, 2016 at 8:41 am

    I love the vivid colorful maps. This I think will help place the reformers in my children’s minds,. into the part of the world they lived in. I love how they have short simple explanations to, not lengthy pages of reading

    Reply
  21. Karolyn K. says

    February 8, 2016 at 8:47 am

    This looks great. It would make church history come alive for them. I like the discussion questions because that opens up communication between all family members. I like the maps too. It is great for the kids.

    Reply
  22. mh says

    February 8, 2016 at 10:41 am

    A combination of maps and non-biased narrative is always helpful in putting history into context.

    Reply
  23. cvolle says

    February 8, 2016 at 10:58 am

    We are nearly to that time in history and this would be a great resource for my children! We LOVE history but have not used your resources before so this would be a great introduction.

    Reply
  24. Tiana says

    February 8, 2016 at 11:06 am

    This looks like a great resource, maps have been a huge help to my kids’ understanding!

    Reply
  25. L Sell says

    February 8, 2016 at 1:12 pm

    We are in need of anything to better our homeschool. I have 2 boys (10 years apart) and I’m at a loss on history. This would be a wonderful addition (something I would love to do for myself as well). Thank you for the opportunity!

    Reply
  26. Jone says

    February 8, 2016 at 1:17 pm

    This sounds like a great resource. The maps would be a big help. Also, having it all together in one place to see the flow of how the people and events from different areas tie together.

    Reply
  27. Janice D says

    February 8, 2016 at 1:55 pm

    It is always great to have a resource to visual where in the world an event(s) took place. I know they will learn a lot from it.

    Reply
  28. Angela says

    February 8, 2016 at 2:37 pm

    This looks GREAT!

    Reply
  29. Michelle G says

    February 8, 2016 at 3:56 pm

    I’m always looking for ways to deepen my twins understanding of christian history, so we would be excited to win this!

    Reply
  30. Anna A. says

    February 8, 2016 at 4:28 pm

    Looks like a good resource for me too because let’s face it, I know next to nothing about the reformation!

    Reply
  31. Ticia says

    February 8, 2016 at 5:24 pm

    I forgot the question……

    Reply
  32. katie.hickman20 says

    February 8, 2016 at 6:55 pm

    I think this would help everyone in my family!!

    Reply
  33. Megan says

    February 8, 2016 at 8:01 pm

    This looks interesting! We study history chronologically and will be doing the Reformation next year, so I’d love to take a look! 🙂

    Reply
  34. Leigh O says

    February 8, 2016 at 8:16 pm

    I’m a reference section nerd and I’m drooling over that book! It would help by tying together all the details like an anchor and bringing them to life!

    Reply
  35. Marth says

    February 8, 2016 at 8:48 pm

    This atlas would help my children put places to the events and people of the Reformation. It would help to bring up questions and avenues for study which I had not thought of.

    Reply
    • Martha says

      February 8, 2016 at 8:50 pm

      My keyboard is not working properly and somehow missed the last letter of my name.

      Reply
  36. setodd14 says

    February 8, 2016 at 10:02 pm

    Yay! We’re coming up on the Reformation in a few weeks in our history. I would love to add this to our current curriculum!

    Reply
  37. Judy G says

    February 8, 2016 at 10:09 pm

    Looks like a great resource!

    Reply
  38. WolfPackMom says

    February 9, 2016 at 12:20 am

    I have not found many good books on the Reformation at our local library, so I think that this book would be an asset to our homeschool.

    Reply
  39. Jennifer Mathesz says

    February 9, 2016 at 7:23 am

    it will help us both since i’m not toocompetent on church history either 🙂

    Reply
  40. Jamie says

    February 9, 2016 at 6:49 pm

    The atlas will help us visualize things better regarding the Reformation. It looks very helpful and interesting.

    Reply
  41. Shawnda says

    February 9, 2016 at 6:56 pm

    Wow! This looks like such a good resource for Reformation studies. It’s one of those kind of resources that I would look forward to using so that I could learn along with the kids.

    Reply
  42. glkphineas says

    February 10, 2016 at 6:14 am

    We like the visual side of things. This would help see when things happened and how the ideas propagated.

    Reply
  43. Lauriejm says

    February 10, 2016 at 2:18 pm

    Looks like a great resource! Thank you

    Reply
  44. [email protected] says

    February 11, 2016 at 5:23 am

    We try to study the reformation around October, but we’ve never done an in-depth study so this would be great!

    Reply
  45. MTkatrina says

    February 12, 2016 at 8:10 am

    The curriculum we are using touched briefly on the Reformation, but I would love to have something like this to make it really come alive.

    Reply
  46. Katherine Rhodes says

    February 13, 2016 at 1:31 am

    This looks like an excellent resource. Our family celebrates Reformation Day instead of Halloween. They love maps and this would really help them see where and how these events were happening.

    Reply
  47. SilverMoon says

    February 14, 2016 at 7:47 am

    How will Tim Dowley’s Atlas of the European Reformations help your students better understand Christian history?

    I have had this book on my purchase for fall list for awhile. Thank you for the detailed review! I pray it will help make church history come just as alive and real as world history.

    Reply
  48. Erica Bancroft says

    February 20, 2016 at 1:34 am

    Ooo! Lots of bright colors to bring history to life.
    This would be a very helpful resource for studying the Middle Ages, etc.
    Thanks for reviewing some great materials.

    Reply
  49. Margaret D. says

    July 31, 2017 at 7:55 pm

    Hi Danika,
    I’m so excited to buy this book and use your study. Thanks for offering it for free! However, I can’t get it to download for me. Could you help me figure that out, please?
    Thank you!

    Reply
    • Margaret D. says

      July 31, 2017 at 8:08 pm

      Well, I finally figured out how to “trick” my computer, and it downloaded. :o)
      Thanks!

      Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

photo credit: @billdjohnson

Welcome to Thinking Kids!

My name is Danika Cooley, and I’m glad you’re here. This site exists to help equip you to teach your kids the Bible and Christian history. I’m an author, a homeschool mom, and a curriculum developer. Pull up a chair and stay awhile.

Get Gifts & Exclusive Offers

Love the Bible for Kids | A resource you'll love!
Bible Road Trip™ Year One Curriculum
Bible Study Tools for Kids | FREE Bible Study Resources for Your Family
Who What Why Reformation Free Printable Lapbooks

Popular Posts

4 Reasons for Daily Bible Reading with Your Family

4 Reasons for Daily Bible Reading with Your Family

Armor of God Crafts and Activities for Kids

Armor of God Crafts & Activities Kids Adore

The Armor of God Bible Study and Lapbook

The Armor of God Bible Study and Lapbook

Bible Verses about the Armor of God for Kids: Bible Memory Verse Cards

Bible Verses about the Armor of God for Kids: Bible Memory Verse Cards

Copyright 2010-2019 Danika Cooley.

About page images © Pam Koch 2015. Headshot © Bill D. Johnson 2015.
318 shares