Our Core Curriculum is Based off Teaching the Timeline of our World’s and US History
In all grades, history is the guiding principle. History is divided into four periods and each period is revisited three times, once in each stage of the trivium (grammar, logic and rhetoric). Students start by building a broad foundation, and then later work with more challenging texts and materials to create a deeper understanding of events and ideas that have unfolded overtime.
Students in 1st grade are introduced to the story of the ancient world in chronological order and by geographic area. Through stories, myths, pictures, and artifacts, students learn about the places, leaders, and important events or advancements of five major ancient civilizations: Ancient Mesopotamia, Ancient Egypt, Ancient Greece, Ancient Rome, and Ancient China. When students revisit ancient history in 5th and 9th grade they read more complicated text and explore the events, characters, and stories at a deeper level.
Students in 2nd grade learn the history of the Middle Ages in chronological order and by geographic area. Through stories, pictures, artifacts, and first source accounts, students learn about the development and advancement of Western Civilization in Europe, along with the major events and civilizations from around the world. When students revisit the Middle Ages in 6th and 10th grade they read more complicated text and explore the events, characters, and stories at a deeper level.
Students in 3rd grade study the expansion of Western Civilization during the Age of Exploration in chronological order and by geographic area. Through the journals, artifacts, and first source accounts, students learn about the countries, explorers, royalty, and leaders who defined this era. They progress from Elizabethan England to Colonial America, the Revolutionary War, and the signing of the Constitution. When students revisit the Age of Exploration in 7th and 11th grade they read more complicated text and explore the events, characters, and stories at a deeper level.
Students in 4th grade engage in the history of the Modern Era in chronological order and by geographic area. Through writings, journals, stories, artifacts, and firsthand accounts, students learn about the major events, leaders, and countries that have shaped the modern world. When students revisit the Modern Era in 8th and 12th grade they read more complicated text and explore the events, characters, and stories at a deeper level.