Ancient History: A Literature Approach for Intermediate Grades and High School

Ancient History Intermediate

Ancient History Sr. High 

"I purchased this curriculum last year after a few weeks into the year when I realized what I had planned for ancient history was not going to be enough. The guide was thorough, detailed, and organized in a way that we were able to jump right in and start without much planning. I have one student at each level (MS and HS) so I was able to use one guide for both of them, which is a nice plus. They could discuss what they were learning together because they were both going at the same pace and reading about the same subjects. It was a life saver for this first year homeschool mom." Paige on our Ancient History Through Literature study.  

Ancient Sumeria, Egypt, Greece, and Rome become colorful and vibrant in this literature based study that includes separate notes for intermediate (5th-8th grade) and high school level students. Biblical history is combined with the writings of Shakespeare, Henryk Sienkiewicz, Padraic Colum, Genevieve Foster and others.  Detailed study notes, vocabulary lists, maps, lesson plans and tests with answer keys all combine to make this an exciting study that reveals the relevancy of the ancient world to ours today!

Includes references, a listing of relevant websites, vocabulary lists, historical notes, comprehension questions and answer key, and much more. Everything you need to teach ancient history using the best literature available! The Intermediate section of the study guide contains 71 lessons (complete 2-3 per week) and the Senior High section contains 91 lessons (complete 3 per week).

Check out this review from Melissa of Reflections from Drywood Creek. She details the books used, explains how the study works, and shows how she adapted it for her own family. 

Click on thumbnails below to view sample pages. 

Our guides are open and go, all you need are the books and a notebook for your student! And everything is available in discounted packs that ship for free! 


We hope you find this helpful. Please never hesitate to contact us with any questions. We can be reached at 800.889.1978, letters@bfbooks.com, on Facebook, and Instagram.

A History of Classical Music: A Literature Approach for Intermediate Grades

"I am not musically inclined at all, however, this study provided an easy way for even me to engage in a classical music study with my children. The CDs, the living books and the extremely easy guide work together to provide a rich study in a doable format that didn't overwhelm our school day and was an excellent addition to our Friday arts focus. The Jumbo pack is worth the investment and we have spread the course over 2 years to match our history studies."

Mrs. Mileshouse

Take a musical journey from the Baroque Period of composition to the Modern Period with our History of Classical Music: A Literature Approach for Intermediate Grades. Beginning with Corelli, the father of modern violin playing, and tracing the development of music composition up to the time of Igor Stravinsky, students will learn of the lives of great composers, the formation of the orchestra, as well as a study of each type of musical instrument. Using the highly acclaimed Music Masters 18 CD collection, students will gain a familiarity with the great works of classical music and their composers. The history of the orchestra is also covered along with each instrument! The great ballets, like Swan Lake, the Nutcracker, and The Firebird are also introduced. A combination of music and biography makes this study enjoyable as well as educational. Designed for 4th-8th grade students the Study Guide contains 75 lesson and we suggest that 2-3 lessons be completed each week for a one year study.

For a detailed review, check out Jimmie's review at Curriculum Choice. You can also read about how Feisty Mama from Farmhouse Schoolhouse uses it! 

Click on the thumbnails below to see sample pages from the guide:

Composers covered in this program include: Corelli, Vivaldi, Paganini, Bach, Handel, Haydn, Mozart, Beethoven, Schubert, Berlioz, Mendelssohn, Chopin, Schumann, Grieg, Tchaikovsky, Wagner, Verdi, Brahms, Dvorak, Strauss, Mahler, Foster, Sousa, Debussy, Stravinsky and more!

We strive to make teaching history easy and inspiring. Our guides are open and go, all you need are the books and a notebook for your student! And everything is available in a discounted pack that ships for free! 

We hope you find this helpful. Please never hesitate to contact us with any questions. We can be reached at 800.889.1978, letters@bfbooks.com, on Facebook, and Instagram.

High School: Teaching Modern U.S. and World History

Many parents question their ability to teach their high schoolers at home, but we believe that there is no reason to fear the high school years! And we're here to help. Here's our newest high school level study. It's chock full of great literature because we also believe that just because you're teaching high school level students doesn't mean you have to start using dry, boring textbooks. The high school years provide a unique opportunity to read some of the best historical literature available! These books provide a unique lens through which to view the course of human events and provide training in writing style, critical thinking skills, geography, and much more. The books you see pictured here make up our Modern U.S. and World History study and they're books from world renowned historians, biographers, and writers. Classics such as To Kill a Mockingbird, Rifles for Watie, The Hiding Place, and The Jungle bring color to the black and white annuls of history. Tales of courage like Unbroken and Lost Names inspire character traits we seek to nurture in our children. And the study guide brings it all together with historical and author notes, lesson plans, vocabulary, mapping activities, writing assignments, websites, additional book and movie recommendations and much more. Check out these sample pages from the study guide. 

If you're curious to hear from a family who used this study, check out this review. And if you've used it, chime in in the comments and let us know what you thought. 

We hope you find this helpful. Please never hesitate to contact us with any questions. We can be reached at 800.889.1978, letters@bfbooks.com, on Facebook, and Instagram.

Ancient History Update from Melissa

Melissa at Reflections from Drywood Creek is updating us on her daughter's journey through our Ancient History, A Literature Approach. Check out her beautiful notebooking pages! Here's Melissa:

Riley is just finishing up week eight of her Beautiful Feet Intermediate Ancient History study and is loving it. So far, she has been reading from the Book of Genesis, Streams of Civilization, Tales of Ancient Egypt, The Pharaohs of Ancient Egypt, and Pyramid. She's enjoying the books, as well as the activities.

Riley's completing two lessons per week. The lessons are a bit long so we've split each lesson into two days, giving her a total of four days per week for history. I am including photos of Riley's notebooking pages below in order to give you an idea of the types of assignments included in the guide. Aside from reading, there are bible verses to copy, essay questions, map work, illustrations to draw, and topics to research.

 

Continue reading about Riley's experience and see more pictures here. 

Thank you Melissa and Riley for sharing! We look forward to seeing more. If you have questions about teaching history through literature or want to learn more about our study guides, check out our website or give us a call at 800.889.1978.

Don't forget to check out our Facebook and Pinterest pages. 

And if you've enjoyed this, please feel free to share using the buttons below.

Again...and again...and again. The value of repetition.

by Rebecca Berg Manor

I'm in the middle of the endless rereading of favorite books with my two-year-old. Last night my husband read Lost and Found three times, after which our son brought the book to me for a fourth reading. Every parent knows this ritual of childhood. It's equal parts endearing and mind-numbingly boring. It's a rare book that can weather the storm of toddler-demanded repetitive readings without becoming somewhat annoying to the person tasked with the reading. Each Peach, Pear, Plum  is one that I still enjoy reading despite months of repetition.

As we have all been through this with our children, it comes as no surprise that one of the questions parents often ask us, is why do you repeat some of the books in your early American history programs? And should I follow the Early American History for Primary Grades with the Early American History for Intermediate Grades. Our answers are mostly, yes and yes!

Between the Primary-level and Intermediate-level Early American History studies three books are the same, d'Aulaire biographies on Columbus, Pocahontas, and Benjamin Franklin. These books are the best biographies we are aware of on these figures and as students progress from the primary level to the intermediate, they will be able to read these books on their own, adding a new experience to familiar material. We find that this is encouraging to students as well as empowering.

In terms of repeating the time period studied in both programs, it's important to remember that not only are students learning history at this level, they're learning how to study history. They're also learning what history is: the stories of people like them! The ability to immerse oneself in a time period grows with repetition. Just as children request to hear the same stories over and over, taking the time to repeat the study of our nation's history gives them the ability build a strong foundation for understanding not just that time period, but how history works, how our world is affected by ideas and action, and how that relates to our lives. Kim John Payne, in his book Simplicity Parenting,  observes that "Repetition is a vital part of relationship building for children. By repeating experiences and scenarios in play, as well as in storytelling and reading, kids are able to incorporate what they learn. Repetition deepens the experience and relationship for a child; it helps them claim it as their own...The consistency and security of such repetition is very soothing for young children."

We've found this to be true. As a student becomes comfortable in a time period, she begins to explore more, to ask more questions, to follow rabbit trails. This is especially important in the younger years. So don't be nervous about repeating a time period (or books!) in those first years. It's comfortable for the child and will help them gain a strong foundation from which to branch out and study other eras, cultures, geographies, and more.

We would love to hear what you think! Chime in below in the comment section and share your thoughts. Don't forget to check out our Facebook and Pinterest pages. To learn more about Beautiful Feet Books, click here. 

And if you've enjoyed this, please feel free to share using the buttons below.