General
- This classic, beloved game is now available to play for free! Play Oregon Trail online!
- Another great game, also available and free to play! Play Amazon Trail online!
- The Story of Europe by H.E. Marshall
- Our Island Story by H.E. Marshall
- Famous Men of the Middle Ages
- Have you chosen the Spielvogel books as a spine? To navigate the site, click on chapter titles at the top of the page. Note this is for the fifth edition of this book. Lots of great helps!
- The Story of Mankind by Hendrik Van Loon
- All ages will love this site on US Government.
- Eyewitness History! Site has first-hand accounts, graphics, and a user-friendly interface. Bookmark this link to use in all four years! Start by clicking on “index” and then scroll through, noting upcoming topics in your Year-Plan!
- You might want older students to read this selection on Academic Skills Center, Dartmouth College: Great information on how to improve reading and comprehension skills in preparation for college.
Unit 1 – The Middle Ages
General Resources for this Unit
- This webpage from Highland Heritage is full of great helps for this Year-Plan.
Week 1: Twilight of the Western Roman Empire
- Successors of Rome: Goths, Visigoths, Huns, etc. Interesting facts to aid your studies!
- Ancient Rome lesson plans for grammar students!
- What was Roman life like?
- Ancient Rome
- Who Were the Celts?
- The Celts and the Romans in Britain
- Iron Age Celts
- Who were the Ancient Celts?
- Augustine of Hippo
- Diocletian
- Constantine
- What is Arianism?
- Arius
- Jerome
- Ambrose
- Alaric
- Gregory of Tours
- Clotilda
- Clovis
- Genseric
- Odoacer
- Theodoric
- Attila the Hun
- Leo I, Bishop of Rome
- For the rhetoric study of Byzantium faith: The Byzantine Empire, Meet the People: The Orthodox Church, Arianism
Week 2: Byzantine Empire & the Eastern Orthodox Church
- Byzantine Empire
- 12 Byzantine Rulers: Podcast lectures to download!
- Byzantine Empire (for younger students)
- Justinian I
- Theodora (for older students)
- Pope Leo I
- Gregory I
- Saint Patrick
- Saint Benedict
- Augustine of Canterbury
- Venerable Bede
- Arius
- Athanasius
- Ethelbert
- For the rhetoric study of Byzantium faith: The Byzantine Empire, Meet the People: The Orthodox Church, A History of the Orthodox Church, Byzantium Yet Fallen
- Theodora (for older students): click here and here.
- Idolatry: Icons and Iconociasm
- Ecumenical Council
- Ecumenical Patriarch
- The Great Schism
Week 3: Byzantine Empire & Rise of Islam
- History of Islam
- Biography of Muhammad written by a non-Muslim.
- Biography of Muhammad from the Jewish Virtual Library.
- Sunnis
- Kharijites
- Shi’ites
- For the rhetoric study of Byzantium faith: The Byzantine Empire, Meet the People: The Orthodox Church, The Iconoclast Controversy
Week 4: The Making of Medieval Europe: Charlemagne
- Treaty of Verdun
- The Historical Charlemagne
- Biography of Charlemagne
- Cathedral virtual tour
- Louis the Pious
- The Ordinance of Louis the Pious
- Charles the Bald
- Louis the German
- Lothair I
- Egbert the Saxon
- Charles Martel
- Pepin the Short
- For the rhetoric study of Byzantium faith: The Byzantine Empire, Meet the People: The Orthodox Church
Week 5: Developments During the Viking Age
- Viking Age History
- The Vikings in North America
- The German Invasions of Western Europe: follow links to get more detail about a specific topic
- Germanic tribes
- Rollo the Viking (from Famous Men of the Middle Ages)
- Erik the Red
- Leif the Lucky
- Alfred the Great
- Henry the Fowler
- Hugh Capet
- Canute the Great
- Olaf Haraldsson
- William the Conqueror
- The Magyars
- Viking Quest game! Note some stick figure violence.
- For the rhetoric study of Byzantium faith: The Byzantine Empire, Meet the People: The Orthodox Church
- Check out a Viking village.
Week 6: Medieval Life: Feudalism
- Excellent site on Feudal life
- Emperor Otto I
- Pope Gregory VII
- Emperor Henry IV
- Henry II
- Hugh Capet
- Eleanor of Aquitaine
- Thomas Beckett
- Anselm
- William the Conqueror
Week 7: The High Middle Ages
- Medieval Times
- The Crusades
- Biographies of many of the barons present at Runnymede, site of the signing of the Magna Charta.
- Peter the Hermit
- Frederick I (Barbarossa)
- Richard I (the Lionheart)
- John I (Lackland)
- Louis IX
- Saint Francis of Assisi
- Saint Dominic
- Boniface VIII
- Saint Clare
- Frederick II
- Edward I (Longshanks)
- Phillip II (Augustus)
- Pope Innocent III
- Louis IX
- Thomas Aquinas
- The Knights Templar
- The Teutonic Knights
- Knights of St. John
- For the rhetoric study of Byzantium faith: The Byzantine Empire
Week 8: The Mongols, Marco Polo, and the Far East
- Kublai Khan
- Marco Polo
- Marco Polo and His Travels
- Pope Innocent III
- Philip IV of France
- Peter of Aragon links here and here.
- Learn about Chinese and Japanese culture.
- Shinto (Japanese religion)
- Trade in the Middle Ages.
- For the rhetoric study of Byzantium faith: The Byzantine Empire
Week 9: The Reshaping of Medieval Europe
- The Black Death
- Hundred Years War
- Rulers during the Hundred Years War
- High Middle Ages
- War of the Roses
- Joan of Arc
- Henry VII of England and France
- Pope Boniface VIII
- Edward III of England
- Philip VI of France
- Charles VII of France
- Henry V of England
- Charles VI of France
- King John of France
- Charles V of France
- Richard II of England
- Phillip IV
- Robert Bruce
Week 10: Early Lights of the Reformation
- Chart of Protestant Reformers
- Johannes Gutenberg
- John Wycliffe
- John Hus
- Edward IV
- Edward V (never crowned)
- Richard III
- Henry (VII) Tudor
Unit 2 – Renaissance & Reformation
Week 11: Introduction to the Southern Renaissance
- A massive Teacher’s Site for the Renaissance.
- You’ll find this website very helpful to answer dialectic questions about frescoes. (Note that this website is not in keeping with early creationist viewpoints.)
- Use this link to answer dialectic questions about shallow relief and Donatello.
- Teacher’s guide and multiple activities for the read-aloud Renaissance Artists who Inspired the World.
- Reproductions of European art, parental supervision needed. (Classic nudity)
- Giotto – (Classic nudity)
- Petrarch
- To answer dialectic questions about Petrarch, check out this website.
- To answer dialectic questions about Dante, check out this website.
- Lorenzo de Medici
- Leonardo Da Vinci: His life and works. (Classic nudity)
- Michelangelo: His life and works. (Classic nudity)
- Cosimo de’ Medici
- Brunelleschi: His life and works. (Classic nudity)
- Lorenzo Valla
- Alberti: His life and works. (Classic nudity)
- Masaccio: His life and works. (Classic nudity)
- Ghiberti: His life and works. (Classic nudity)
- Botticelli: His life and works. (Classic nudity)
Week 12: The Southern Renaissance & the Early Explorers
- Interactive site for more information about early navigation.
- Teacher’s guide and multiple activities for the read-aloud Renaissance Artists who Inspired the World.
- Spanish Inquisition
- Prince Henry the Navigator: For both younger and older students.
- Bartolomeu Dias
- Isabella of Castile: For older students.
- Ferdinand of Aragon
- Christopher Columbus: For younger and older students.
- Tomas de Torquemada
- John Cabot
- Amerigo Vespucci
- Vasco da Gama
- To answer dialectic questions about Boticelli, click here or here
- To answer dialectic questions about Leonardo da Vince, click here or here.
- View Leonardo Da Vince’s works here.
- Pope Alexander VI
- Lorenzo de Medici
- Girolamo Savonarola
- King Charles VIII of France
Week 13: The Southern Renaissance & the Age of Exploration
- John Cabot
- Teacher’s guide and multiple activities for the read-aloud Renaissance Artists who Inspired the World.
- Amerigo Vespucci
- Vasco da Gama, Pedro Alvares Cabral, Juan Ponce de Leon, Ferdinand Magellan, Francis Drake (younger students)
- Sebastian Cabot
- Giovanni da Verrazano
- Francis Xavier
- Jacques Cartier
- Raphael: His life and works. (Classic nudity)
- Michelangelo: His life and works. (Classic nudity)
- Victorian England: younger students
- Diego Lopes de Sequeira
- Sebastian Cabot
- Portolans
- Ethnocentrism
- Mutiny
Week 14: Spanish Dominion & the New World: Aztecs & Incas
- Aztec Calendar
- The Conquest of the Aztec Empire: Hernan Cortez
- PBS on: Conquistadors
- Hernando Cortez
- Sebastian Cabot
- From EnchantedLearning.com: Francisco Pizarro, Hernando de Soto, Francisco de Coronado
- PBS on: Francisco de Coronado
- Montezuma II
- Venetian Art: History, Angelo, Bellini, Titan (Vecelli or Vecellio)
- Venetian Color
- Vasco Nunez de Balboa
- Pedro de Alvarado
- Nicolaus Copernicus
- Aztec Civilization
- Francisco Pizarro
- Francisco De Orellana
- Juan De la Cosa
- Hernando De Soto
- Alvar Nunez Cabeza De Vaca
- Francisco Vasquez De Coronado
Week 15: The Northern Renaissance & Its Scholars
- Teacher’s guide and multiple activities for the read-aloud Renaissance Artists who Inspired the World.
- Chronological Listing of Northern Renaissance Artists.
- Pieter Bruegel: Life and works. (Classic Nudity)
- William Tyndale
- Desiderius Erasmus
- Charles V
- The Habsburg Empire
- Martin Luther
- Luther’s 95 Theses
- Latin version of the 95 Theses.
- Castle Church: where Luther nailed his 95 theses.
- Albrecht Durer
- William Tell
- The Swiss Reformation
Week 16: The Reformation: Martin Luther & the German States
- General Reformation information with lots of good review questions.
- Factors that lead to the Reformation
- Luther at the Imperial Diet of Worms
- The Augsburg Confession
- The Peace of Augsburg
- Martin Luther
- Katherina von Bora
- Historic festival commemorating Luther’s wedding in Wittenberg!
- Charles V
- Philipp Melanchthon
- Pope Leo X
- From PBS: “Martin Luther” plus more
Week 17: Reformation in Switzerland, England, & Scandinavia
- Gallery of Pictures of Henry VIII
- Royal United Kingdom
- The English Reformation
- General Reformation information
- Reformed theology: What is it?
- Catherine of Aragon
- Anne Boleyn
- Jane Seymour
- Anne of Cleves
- Catherine Howard (or Kathryn Howard)
- Catherine Parr (or Katherine Parr)
- Edward VI of England
- Lady Jane Grey
- Mary I of England
- Mary I, Queen of Scotts
- Thomas Cranmer
- Thomas Cromwell
- Cardinal Wolsey
- Huldrych Zwingli, chronology
- Conrad Grebel
- Michael Sattler
- Melchior Hoffman
- Jan Matthys
- Menno Simons with GodTube audio, Mennonites
- Jacob Ammann and the Amish
- Read more here about the Amish church.
- Jacob Hutter and Hutterites
- Anabaptists
- Moravian Church in America
Week 18: Counter Reformation, French Huguenots, & the Netherlands
- When preparing to teach the Catholic Reformation (Counter Reformation) to dialectic and rhetoric levels, this link to the Council of Trent should be read, by you or by them, independently, or preferably, both. It is a page from the Catholic Dictionary, and represents the Catholic view of this council.
- Read the decrees of the Council of Trent for yourself, and understand why the kernel argument between Catholics and Protestants remains to this day. Dialectic and up. Especially note Cannons 4, 9, 11, 12, 14, 30 and 33.
- Story of the “Siege of Leyden” (William of Orange defending Leiden against Philip II of Spain) by M.B. Synge
- Read the Catholic Encyclopedia article on Controversies on Grace. Rhetoric or teacher level.
- The Jesuits
- William of Orange and the Netherlands: Helpful maps and information.
- William of Orange and his biblical worldview.
- Francis I, King of France
- Francis II, King of France
- Catherine de Medici
- Henry of Navarre: Henry IV of France
- Ignatius Loyola
- Charles V of Spain
- Charles IX
- Jacobus Arminius
Week 19: Elizabethan England & the Scottish Reformation
- Elizabeth I
- Mary Stuart (Mary, Queen of Scots & Mary I of Scotland)
- Phillip II of Spain
- Francis Drake
- John Hawkins
- John Knox
- William Shakespeare
- Anne Hathaway (wife of Shakespeare)
- Christopher Marlowe
- Humphrey Gilbert
- Edmund Spenser
- Walter Raleigh
- The English and Scottish Reformation
- Presbyterianism
- Anglicanism
- Shakespeare quotations: use for copy work or recitations.
Unit 3 – Of Crowns & Colonies
Week 20: Early New World Colonies & Eastern Europe
- James I
- Christopher Newport (younger students)
- John Smith
- John Rolfe
- Pocahontas
- Powhatan
- Opechancanough
- Lord Delaware
- Gustavus Adolphus
- Galileo Galilei
- Walter Raleigh
- Edward Wingfield
- Thomas Dale
- Virginia Dare
- Early America: Colonization
- The First Virginia Charter: Rhetoric and up.
- Virtual Jamestown: all ages! Maps, Jamestown Fort, Artifacts, Images, and more!
Week 21: Puritans in New England
- John Carver
- Samoset
- Squanto
- William Bradford
- Miles Standish
- Henry Hudson ( younger and older students)
- John Winthrop
- Rene Descartes
- William Brewster
- Anne Bradstreet
- John Robinson
- Caleb Johnson’s Mayflower History Pages
- Early America: Colonization
- Native American Tribes
- The Pilgrims and the Plymouth Colony: 1620
- The Plymouth Colony
Week 22: Charters, Creeds, & the English Civil War
- Charles I
- Oliver Cromwell
- Roger Williams
- John Cotton
- Thomas Hooker
- John Davenport
- Blaise Pascal
- Cecil, Lord Baltimore
- Cardinal Richelieu
- Cardinal Mazarin
- Louis XIII
- Louis XIV
- Peter Minuit
- Samuel Rutherford
- John Winthrop
- Anne Hutchinson
- Maryland’s Act of Toleration: Original document (older students)
- Early America: Colonization
- Fundamental Orders of Connecticut
- Background information on the Fundamental Orders.
- Native American Tribes
- The Trial of Anne Hutchinson
Week 23: Restoration Colonies & the Age of Louis XIV
- Charles II
- Samuel de Champlain
- Michiel de Ruyter
- Peter Stuyvesant
- Early America: Colonization
- Native American Tribes
- Louis XIV
Week 24: Dissenters in America & the Age of Reason
- James II
- William III
- Queen Mary
- Anne of Great Britain
- Charles XII of Sweden
- Peter I (the Great)
- Leopold I (Holy Roman Emperor)
- William Penn
- Cotton Mather
- Anne Hutchinson
- Classics For Kids: Bach (younger students)
- Johann Sebastian Bach – (older students)
- Duke of Marlborough
- George Fox
- Quakers
- Palace of Versailles (panoramic views…beautiful!)
- Early America: Colonization
- Native American Tribes
Week 25: Colonists & Native Americans
- Peter I (the Great)
- George I of Britain
- Classics For Kids: Vivaldi (younger students)
- Antonio Vivaldi
- King Philip (Metacom) King Philip (Metacom): biography, worksheet, and teacher’s key.
- Wamsutta (Alexander)
- Pope
- Early America: Colonization
- Native American Tribes
- Northeast Native Americans
- Southeast Native Americans
Week 26: Empires at Odds
- Louis XV
- George II of Britain
- George Washington
- Frederick II of Prussia
- Catherine the Great of Russia
- Robert Walpole
- Classics for Kids – Handel (younger students)
- George Frideric Handel
- Maria Theresa
- Voltaire
- Charles Montesquieu
- Louis de Buade de Frontenac (Governor General of New France)
- Duke of Orleans
- James Oglethorpe
- Life in Colonial America
- Native American Tribes
Week 27: Thirteen Established Colonies
- Benjamin Franklin
- Daniel Boone
- John Adams
- Abigail Smith Adams
- John Hancock
- Benjamin West
- James Cook
- James Watt
- George III of Britain
- The Great Awakening and Its Effects
- Native American Tribes
Unit 4 – Age of Revolutions
General Resources for this Unit
- Check out Dave Barton’s website. It’s filled with terrific books, audiotapes, and videotapes that should be in your and your church’s libraries.
- CHARTERS OF FREEDOM – This includes the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution, and the Bill of Rights.
- A Biographical Index of America’s Founding Fathers from the National Archives.
- Read our DOCUMENTS OF FREEDOM: Columbus’ Letter Announcing His Discovery, The Mayflower Compact, The Declaration of Independence, and much more!
- Click here for an excellent resource as you are studying the birth of America.
Week 28: Shaping Influences on Colonial Culture
- Early America: Colonization
- Benjamin Franklin
- John Wesley
- George Whitefield
- Emperor Qianlong
- Robert Clive
- Deborah Read
- John Harrison
Week 29: French & Indian War
- Picture gallery of the Presidents
- Early America: Colonization
- Great flash movie about Benjamin Franklin.
- Benjamin Franklin Tercentenary website.
- George Washington
- William Pitt
- General Edward Braddock
- General James Wolfe
- Marquis Montcalm
- Chief Pontiac
- Adam Smith
- Thomas Jefferson
- Catherine the Great, Empress of Russia
- Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
- Voltaire
- Sir Edward Hawke
Week 30: Give Me Liberty!
- Early America: Colonization
- George III
- Benjamin West
- Benjamin West Artwork
- Phillis Wheatley
- John Singleton Copley: His life and works
- Francis Hopkinson
- William Billings: Life and interesting facts!
- William Pitt
- Captain James Cook: Life and Endeavour Journal!
- James Watt
- Antoine Lavoisier
- Frederick the Great
- Louis XVI
- Marie Antoinette
- Catherine the Great, Empress of Russia
- Samuel Adams
- The Boston Tea Party from the Boston Tea Party Historical Society.
- Thomas Paine
- Thomas Paine’s Common Sense
- Sons of Liberty
- John Adams
- Paul Revere
Week 31: First Battles for Independence
- Picture gallery of the Presidents
- Two great flash movies about George Washington.
- Great flash movie about the French and Indian War. “From the Warpath to the Plains of Abraham”, links and teaching guide are at the bottom of the page. (younger students)
- George III
- George Washington
- General Thomas Gage
- John Dickenson
- Thomas Jefferson
- Paul Revere
- John Hancock
- John Adams
- Samuel Adams
- Benedict Arnold
- Ethan Allen
- Richard Henry Lee
- Patrick Henry
- Thomas Paine
- Declaration of Independence from National Archives
- THE CHARTERS OF FREEDOM – This includes the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution, and the Bill of Rights.
- The Declaration of Independence
Week 32: Waging the Revolutionary War
- Revolutionary War Interactive Battles Map
- PBS site for American Revolution & Independence
- Revolutionary War time line
- Another American Revolution: Time line links!
- Virtual marching tour of the American Revolution.
- Revolutionary War: Brief descriptions of the major events and battles of the war.
- Boston Massacre
- Video about Patrick Henry
Week 33: America under the Articles of the Confederation
- Revolutionary War Interactive Battles Map
- Shays’s Rebellion
- PBS site for American Revolution & Independence
- Revolutionary War time line
- The Northwest Ordinance
- Congress enacts the Northwest Ordinance
Week 34: Writing the Constitution
- Revolutionary War Interactive Battles Map
- PBS site for American Revolution & Independence
- Revolutionary War time line
Week 35: Federal Republic & French Revolution
- The Constitution – learning level links at the top of the page.
- National Center for Constitutional Studies has a movie called “A More Perfect Union.” You can download a free guide, quiz, words searches, etc. The DVD is very inexpensive when purchased in bulk by educators.
- The French Revolution
- Detailed summary of the French Revolution
- George Washington
- Martha Washington
- Washington’s Farewell Address
Week 36: Perilous Times: The Adams Administration
- Ben’s Guide to U.S. Government for Kids – all learning levels!
- 50 States and Capitals Flashcards – everything you could possibly need to know about our fifty states!
- National Center for Constitutional Studies has a movie called “A More Perfect Union.” You can download a free guide, quiz, words searches, etc. The DVD is very inexpensive when purchased in bulk by educators.
- Napoleon
- The Rise of Napoleon
- John Adams