What Reviewers Say

Reviewers consistently praise Digital Inquiry Group (formerly SHEG) as the premier resource for moving history education beyond rote memorization and toward sophisticated analytical thinking. History Tech identifies the "Historical Thinking Chart" as the heart of the program, providing the essential framework for students to source, contextualize, and corroborate evidence. The Well-Trained Mind Podcast highlights it as an ideal free resource for logic-stage students to develop "sophisticated historical thinking skills," while Stanford Graduate School of Education notes its unique combination of rigorous history and modern digital literacy. The primary trade-off is that DIG is a resource library rather than a "boxed" curriculum; parents must select lessons that align with their studies and actively lead the inquiry process. While The Organized Homeschooler confirms the lessons are effective for home use, they require more parental engagement than a traditional textbook.

How It Works

A typical session begins with the parent presenting a "Central Question" (e.g., "Was the New Deal a success?") and a short introductory PowerPoint or video provided by DIG. The student then spends 30–45 minutes examining two or three primary source documents, using the "Historical Thinking Chart" to source the author's bias and corroborate facts between accounts. The parent then facilitates a "Final Discussion" where the student must use evidence from the documents to defend their answer to the central question. All materials, including the primary sources, graphic organizers, and teacher keys, are downloaded as free PDFs or Word documents.

Switching to This?

DIG does not offer placement tests because it is a modular library of lessons rather than a linear, grade-by-grade curriculum. Families can start at any time by selecting lessons that match their current historical era. If transitioning from a traditional textbook like "BJU Press" or "Abeka," parents should expect a learning curve as students move from finding "the right answer" in a text to evaluating conflicting evidence in primary sources.

Curriculum Details

Price

$0

Free 'Reading Like a Historian' primary-source history lessons (teacher-facing — adapt for home).

Grades

K - 12

Available As

Digital

Coverage

Supplement

Subjects

History/Social Studies Logic & Critical Thinking

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Pacing

Self-paced

Parent Time

30-60 min/day

Student Independence

Needs instruction

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Academic Level

Advanced

Worldview

Secular

Teach Multiple Ages

Yes

Engaging for Reluctant Learners

Yes

Parent Role:

The parent acts as a facilitator and discussion leader, guiding the student through primary source analysis using provided lesson plans and inquiry charts.

Reviews We Consulted

Updated: July 2026 by Claude (v2 research)

How This Compares

OER Project: Similar inquiry-based approach, but OER provides a complete, structured full-year course framework, whereas DIG is a modular lesson library. - Facing History and Ourselves: Both focus on primary sources and social context, but DIG is more focused on the specific cognitive mechanics of historical research (sourcing/corroborating). - The Story of the World: DIG is a secular, analytical supplement used in the logic/rhetoric stages, while "The Story of the World" is a narrative-driven history spine often used in the grammar stage. - Common Sense Media: Both offer digital literacy, but DIG’s "Civic Online Reasoning" is more focused on the specific research skills needed to verify factual claims online.

Getting Started