LOWER SCHOOL HISTORY
Our history courses are
global in their orientation, rather than oriented toward a
single nation or segment of history. History courses cover,
in sequence and as they occurred, the major movements and
discoveries found in all corners of the globe. These
include scientific discoveries; political movements;
philosophical and religious ideas and movements; social
changes; artistic schools and movements, including the works
and lives of great artists; the history of economics; the
tale of nationalism, wars and peace; and the development of
literature. These are presented as an integrated whole,
rather than as separate subjects. We experience them as an
integrated whole which we call "life". They
should be taught as such, and not as separate and unrelated
subjects. Each course is filled with exercises and field
trips to be done by the student, to help them fully
understand and evaluate for themselves the vast history of
our world.
To find out more about our Lower School History Courses,
please take a few minutes to watch the video at the top of
this page. Then read the articles here, and take a
look at the course description and sample we provide for
every course.
HISTORY COURSES OVERVIEW
Lower School History uses as its priciple text Van Loons "The Story of Mankind", which is integrated directly into the materials, so no copy needs to be secured. The Lower School Program consists of over a dozen courses, and takes a full two years to complete, generally.
Overall, CTT History (including a very complete study of politics, religion and philosophy) for Upper School is a very thorough four year program, comprised of eleven courses, including a vast, expansive American Civics course. Students learn history in a linear manner, everything right where it belongs in time and space, from start to today. History is taught with a "global" perspective, rather than a concentration on any single, modern country.
As to religion, the student learns about each religion thoroughly as they arrive at that point in history, going to temples, churches and mosques, and speaking to worshipers as part of their studies. This removes the "unknown" quality to religion, and makes others more easily accepted by the student.
Students watch many documentaries and films as part of their history studies, each one broken down just as their reading materials are! A student who completes these courses is going to really understand who we are and how things became the way they are!
The next-to-final history course is largely based on Will and Ariel Durant's The Lessons of History . The student will decide for himself what he has learned studying history, what was and is important, and how he can use what he knows, today. Then he will do a survey to discover the condition of the world, to this minute. He'll research how many wars are being fought and where and how, he'll discover where there is poverty and hunger, and where there is not. He'll look at what modern civilization prizes, and what it is discarding...and then he'll act on the information as he sees fit.
The end result of our history program is a student correctly located in history. The student is aware of "when" they are in the scheme of history, how the civilization that they are a part of came to be and why it is in the condition that it is in. The student will have decided what changes they may wish to make in the world, and how they'd like to work to help make those changes occur.
Please note - Many of the required films or music have links provided so that there may be no need to secure them. However, we cannot guarantee that all the links will be “live” or active when you use them. You may need to secure films or music in other ways. No film or music selected is very hard to secure. Any book required will need to be secured by you, though a great deal of reading material built in to the courses (such as The Story of Mankind) is built directly into the courses and so do not need to be secured.
All courses are PDFs and can be instantly downloaded upon purchase!
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History I - Pre-History Students ages 9-10 explore the beginnings of life on our planet as their first step through History. |
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History II - Egypt History for ages 9-10. One of the world's first, great civilizations is explored by young students. The pyramids await! The ancient, true story of great and terrible leaders, and one of the earliest people to believe in an afterlife. |
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History III - Mesopotamia and Moses Students ages 9-10 discover the world's earliest civilization, Mesopotamia. They also explore elements of the Old Testament, and the story of Moses, savior of the Jewish People, and bearer of the Ten Commandments. |
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History IV - Phoenicians and Indo-Europeans History for ages 9-10. The first great fishermen, and the first businessmen. The people who first invented money, the oil of society, and the founders of some of our earliest civilizations. |
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History V - The Greeks - Part I History for ages 9-10. The founders of Western Culture revealed. The birth of Democracy, Philosophy and science, all in one small Greek City. Students discover the miracle of Athens and Greece. |
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History VI - The Greeks - Part II History for ages 9-10. The story of Greek conquest of the known world, through Alexander the Great, and the spreading of Greek culture. |
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History VII - The Romans History for ages 9-10. The longest-lived Western empire! A tale of conquest and genius! |
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History VIII - Jesus, Rome and Mohammad The history of two major religions, for ages 9-10. One of the richest periods in all history. The miraculous story of Jesus Christ and the start of Christianity, and the tale of Mohammed and the birth of Islam, two great forces which compete for the soul of the world to this day. |
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History IX - Early European Wars History for ages 9-10. Europe comes into its own, through a series of bloody wars and new national powers. |
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History X - Life In The Dark Ages History for ages 9-10. After Rome fell, Europe experienced 1,000 years of ignorance and disease, during a period we call |
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History XI - The Renaissance History for ages 9-10. After the Dark Ages, the world is reborn into art and knowledge. Great art fills the world! The most amazing explosion of human creativity ever known. Drama, painting, sculpture, science...the dawn of modern, human knowledge. |
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History XII - The Reformation / Eastern Religions History for ages 9-10. The birth of Protestantism, through the works of Martin Luther. The powerful story of Hinduism and Buddhism, great religions which have shaped our world for thousands of years. |
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History XIII - The Rise of Europe and Russia History for ages 9-10. A great power, Russia, grows as European nations are born and spread their muscle throughout the globe. The awakening of much of the modern world. |
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History XIV - The Great Revolutions History for ages 9-10. A period of great change in the world, as first the American colonists separate from England, then the French poor overthrow their wealthy masters, and finally, the machine age changes every life. Perhaps the most explosive period of change in human history! |
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History XV - The Fight For Independence History for ages 9-10. New nations are born, as native peoples demand their freedom and independence from the great powers of the 19th and 20th century. |
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History XVI - Into the 20th Century A big history course for ages 9-10, all about now. The tale of the most violent and active century in human history. The final transitional course into Upper School History studies. |
