History and Geography

The classical approach to history is as a story. Start at the beginning, and continue onward. The goal of this curriculum is multicultural in the true sense of the word: the student learns the proper place of his community, state, and country by seeing the broad sweep of history from its beginning and then fitting his own time and place into that great landscape. The systematic study of history in the first four years lays the foundation for the logic stage, when the student will begin to understand the relationships between historical events.
World history is divided into four segments, one segment per year of study. In 1st-4th grades, the child will study history from 5000b.c. through the present day. In 5th-8th grades, he'll study it again, concentrating on cause and effect and chronological relationships. In grades 9-12, he'll repeat it yet again, this time studying original sources and writing thoughtful essays about them.

Grade 1 (and 5, 9): Ancients, 5000bc-400ad
Grade 2 (and 6, 10): Medieval - Early Renaissance, 400-1600
Grade 3 (and 7, 11): Late Renaissance - Early Modern, 1600-1850
Grade 4 (and 8, 12): Modern, 1850-present (Also plan to spend a few weeks studying the history of your own state)

To study history and geography, you'll need a 3", 3-ring notebook with lots of paper. Make 4 dividers for each of the 4 periods above (use this one notebook for 4 years). This notebook will contain the child's pictures, compositions, and narrations about history.We will need The Story of the World, and the Usborne Internet-Linked Encyclopedia, geography resources (globe, maps), and a library card.

For each chapter in The Story of the World, we'll follow the same basic pattern.

1. Make a narration page about what we've just read. Put in notebook.
2. Ask the child to illustrate what he's just read, make a caption about it, or let him color a picture related to the story. Put in notebook.
3. Find the geographical area under discussion on a globe and wall-map, and color the appropriate black-line map. Put colored map in notebook.
4. Go to the library to find out more about the subject. (For the books the child reads on their own about the subject, remember to make a narration page for the Reading notebook 2-3 times a week.)

This process will take a week, ideally three days a week for an hour each day, or two days for a slightly longer period.

Consult the WTM for lists of important biographies to read, events to thoroughly go through, and lists to memorize. 

Resources to purchase:
The Story of the World Vol. 1 by Susan Wise Bauer ~$8
The Story of the World Vol. 1 Activity Book (Activity books contain comprehension questions and answers, sample narrations, cross references to the Usborne and Kingfisher history encyclopedias, maps and map exercises, coloring pages, reading lists, history activities, and review cards.) ~$23
The Story of the World Vol. 2 ~$8
The Story of the World Vol. 2 Activity Book ~$22
The Story of the World Vol. 3 ~$9
The Story of the World Vol. 3 Activity Book ~$21
The Story of the World Vol. 4 ~$11
The Story of the World Vol. 4 Activity Book ~$22
The Usborne Internet-Linked Encyclopedia of World History for grade 1 (In place of library visits, you cans use this encyclopedia to explore topics- the visual learner will enjoy looking at the pictures.) ~$10
The Kingfisher History Encyclopedia as a ready reference ~$16