This is a short review of our history curriculum and activities for the 2015-2016 school year. Our text book was The Story of the World Volume 2: The Middle Ages by Bauer. I also purchased the activity book, test booklet, and audio CDs to listen to in the car. For someone like me who needs a lot of help in the arts and crafts department, I loved the activity book. There were almost too many good ideas that tied the lessons together.
Every Monday, we read a chapter then briefly covered the review questions and did the accompanying map work from that chapter in the activity book.
Tuesdays and/or Wednesdays were color sheet days.
We usually tackled the project list as best we could during the week but usually ended up working on them Thursdays and Fridays. Thursday was a test review day as well and Fridays were for the test.
I catalogued our project attempts to put in Jack’s history notebook. Not every project listed in the activity book was attempted because there were simply too many of them. Some chapters we didn’t do a project at all but still did the map work, color sheets, review, and test.
Chapter 1-The Glory That Was Rome, Project: (fail) Cookie Dough Roman Pillar. Learn from my mistake and use the recipe provided in the activity book. Do NOT buy a tube of pre-made cookie dough-it won’t hold the shape of the “pillars” and you will be left with a flat, albeit tasty, sugar cookie mess.
Chapter 2: The Early Days of Britain, Projects: Celtic Double-Headed War Axe and Celtic Brooch and Cloak
Chapter 3: Christianity Comes to Britain, Project: Monk’s Cross Necklace
Sculpey makes a good clay monk’s cross and an old Gandalf Halloween costume works well as a robe. There may have been excessive Nacho Libre quotes this week.
Chapter 4: The Byzantine Empire, Projects: Crown of the Empress Theodora, Make Justinian and Theodora Paper Dolls, and Byzantine Mosaic
Sometimes cursive practice is easier when you wear a crown.
Chapter 5: The Medieval Indian Empire, Projects: Say “Welcome” with Sand Art, Paint an Ajanta Cave Fresco
Diwali is the Hindu New Year celebration.
Our “frescos” were made with a small box of Plaster of Paris.
Chapter 6: The Rise of Islam, Project: Make an Edible Oasis
Brown sugar sand, tootsie roll and gummy trees, chocolate refreshment, and camel animal crackers. This was one of my the kids’ favorite projects.
Chapter 7: Islam Becomes an Empire, Project: Sinbad Spoon Puppets, Make Ali Baba “Open Sesame” Biscuits, Make a Hanging “Valley of Snakes,” Make Your Own Royal Scimitar. These were all too fun to pass up.
Sinbad and the Valley of Snakes
Open Sesame!
Paper plates really are terrifying in snake form
“Sinbad” vanquishes the Dixie snakes
The Royal Scimitar
Chapter 8: The Great Dynasties of China, Projects: Make a Jade Bead Necklace, Learn to Eat with Chopsticks, Make a Chinese “Lacquered” Bowl.
Sculpey jade beads
Lucy was more excited about wearing her jade jewelry than Jack
we cheated with a rubber band and a small piece of rolled paper
Lucy’s non traditional bowl
the lacquer is a coat or two of white glue
Chapter 9: East of China, Project: Compose and Illustrate a Haiku
This Haiku is great
I did not help him one bit
I am so proud, Jack
Chapter 11: The Kingdom of the Franks, Project: Design Your Own Dynasty
Not quite sure why he named his imaginary kingdom, “Range rover super snake string,” but I did give him free reign.
Chapter 13: The Great Kings of France, Project: Puppet Retelling
honestly, these puppet re-tellings end in sword fighting and splinters
Chapter 14: The Arrival of the Norsemen, Projects: Make a Viking Boat, Make a Viking Brooch or Thor’s Hammer Pendant
This is one of those times the project didn’t quite get completed. Our Viking ship never got its sails.
So, this was my first experience with Shrinky Dinks. I’m still not sure why this is a thing. This is a before and after to show the shrinkage.
Chapter 15: The First Kings of England, Project: Make an Alfred the Great Statue
Chapter 17: Knights and Samurai, Project: Design Your Own Coat of Arms
Lucy just wanted to paint
Chapter 18: The Age of the Crusades, Projects: Make Your Own Pilgrim’s Badges and Make El Cid’s Beard
we tried
Chapter 20: The Diaspora, Project: Make a Tzedakah Box
Chapter 24: The Ottoman Empire, Project: Byzantine Icon, Make Turkish Dancing Bears
Icon
Chapter 25: The End of the World, Projects: Make a Cycle of the Plague Wheel, Make a Plague Doctor Mask
this was a feel- good chapter
Chapter 26: France and England at War, Project: Joan of Arc Paper Dolls
hang in there, Joan
Chapter 27: War for the English Throne, Project: Build a Pop-Out Tower of London Card
Chapter 28: The Kingdoms of Spain and Portugal, Projects: Isabella and Ferdinand Paper Dolls
power couple
Chapter 29: African Kingdoms, Projects: Make Your Own Gold Nuggets, Gold and Salt: The Fast Tax Game
Note: rocks, glitter, glue, and sugar cubes make a huge mess
Chapter 33: Spain, Portugal, and the New World, Project: Conquistador’s Mask
Chapter 34: Martin Luther’s New Ideas, Project: Illuminate the Book of Common Prayer
Chapter 35: The Renaissance, Project: What’s Your Name in Greek?
Jack really got into the Greek alphabet
Chapter 36: Reformation and Counter Reformation, Project: Make Stained Glass
We are looking forward to next school year already and will continue with this series with Story of the World Volume 3: Early Modern Times-From Elizabeth the First to the Forty-Niners.
