Medieval History (6 - 8)
History
is dynamic and exciting when you approach it with real books, compelling human
stories, maps, timelines, and living history applications. This class is
designed to encourage a love for history. We will anchor each book on a
timeline and on a map, and we will study the appropriate history, culture, and
geography in some depth. Students are invited to experience history
through "living books." We will approach each book in light of
a challenge involved in growing up such as finding courage, making decisions,
overcoming hardships, etc. Students
will discuss stories, examine maps, update personal timelines, and enjoy
multimedia presentations. Some activities may be enjoying a typical meal,
building structures, learning poems or phrases in the language, building
dioramas, mapping routes or countries, studying art, or acting out portions of
the story. (Past classes have enjoyed
doing archery in response to Rolf.) Students will keep notebooks
to document their work and to encourage organizational skills. The
class will begin with The Story of Rolf and the Viking Bow, by Allen
French. It begins in Iceland, with the
family of a man named Hiarandi. When
Hiarandi does a good deed, it leads to a grave injustice. His son, Rolf, must struggle against this
injustice and that makes for a tale that students love, that is hard to put
down. Students'
responses to each book will help determine the choices of what to read next,
but the list for Early Medieval History includes: Son of Charlemagne, by Barbara Willard
and Beorn the Proud, by Madeleine Polland. Later, choices include Red Falcons of
Tremoine, by Henry Peart; Genghis Khan, by Harold Lamb; Big
John's Secret, by Eleanore M. Jewitt; The Novice's Tale, by Margaret
Frazer. We will at least touch upon Norse
Mythology, the rise of Christian Europe, the Fall of Constantinople in 1453,
and The Canterbury Tales. Textbooks: The Story of Mankind, by Hendrik Willem Van Loon. [$7.99 in paperback at Amazon; $.99 in Kindle], and Penguin Atlas of Medieval History (Can get the older version from Amazon, used, for $4.99) .Tuition: $250 per semester or $60/month for 9
months, September-May, due at first class of the month. $5 late fee. Materials Fee All Materials/Lab fees are included in the tuition.
Minimum 4 students. |
