• Develops literacy, vocabulary!
• Introduces the child to the subject of Geography!
• Introduces important times and ideas in history!
• Introduces great artists and scientists from history!
• Fun, hands-on activities!
• Develops critical thinking skills!
• Lesson plans are complete and ready to use!  Start now!

The first history course for Semester 3 of Step 1 (ages 5-6). 18 lessons, 9-10 weeks of study.  For students ages 5-6, preliterate students, and for students starting to develop some limited literacy.

The course starts with six lessons that explain the basics of Geography. What is geography? What are continents and oceans, mountains and plains, rivers and lakes? The student is introduced to Earth and geography in a thorough, hands-on manner.

This is followed by an introduction to the Medieval Period. The fall of Rome, the growth of the Catholic Church in Europe, the demise of learning and the development of Europe’s feudal system are all presented. Kings and Queens, plagues and countries, Knights and Crusades! The student also studies the birth of Islam and the life of Muhammad.

Then the student arrives at the Renaissance, from Italy, to the Netherlands, and finally to Elizabeth I and Shakespeare!  The knowledge of the ancients is rediscovered, brought back to Europe from the Middle East as a result of the Crusades, and resulting in an explosion of interest in art and science that changed the world.

18 lesson plans, 9-10 weeks of study.  A great, fun intro to a fascinating 1,000 years of history, structured to introduce ideas from history while developing early reading skills and vocabulary, as well as introducing concepts of geography.

Concepts covered in this course include:

• Geography
• Continents, Oceans and Seas
• Hemispheres
• Islands
• Deserts
• Mountains
• Volcanoes
• Jungles and Forests
• Rivers
• Valleys
• Plains
• The Fall of Rome and the birth of the Dark Ages
• The rise of the Catholic Church in Europe
• Catholic belief that Earth was the center of the Universe
• Countries and Kings start to develop in Europe
• The Feudal System
• Muhammad and the birth of Islam
• The Crusades: wars between Catholicism and Islam
• Islam as the restorer of knowledge
• Martin Luther and the birth of Protestantism
• The birth of the Renaissance
• Wealth from the New World flows into Europe
• Great Italian painters and artists
• Da Vinci
• Botticelli
• Raphael
• Titian
• Michelangelo
• The Northern Renaissance
• Franz Hals
• Rembrandt
• Valazquez
• Vermeer
• Henry VIII and growing British power
• The birth of the Anglican Church
• Elizabeth I and the British Renaissance
• Shakespeare
• Cervantes