The Plan

The best laid plans often go awry, as they say. Nevertheless, if I began a school year without some sort of plan of attack, we'd spend every day doing the same dull things. So, for the 2012-2013 school year, I've decided to experiment with Unit Studies and hope we all come out for the better.

Obviously, given the ages of my kiddos, these historical studies will not go into every detail of the period. The goal is to provide an introduction and solid foundation to expand on later on in their schooling.

Note: all times and themes subject to change on a whim or a change of the winds.

Unit One: Ancient Egypt
(two weeks)

• Pharohs and Mummies
• Geometry and the Pyramids
• Weather, Irrigation and the Nile River
• Hieroglyphics and Papyrus

Unit Two: Ancient Greece

(four weeks)

• The Olympics
• Early Democracy
• The Trojan War
• Alexander the Great

Unit Three: Mythology

(two weeks)

• What is Mythology
• Greek and Roman Gods
• Astronomy
• Legends, Fables and Folktales

Unit Four: Ancient Rome

(four weeks)

• The Gladiators
• Roman Senate and The Republic 
• Expansion and Aqueducts
• The Fall of Western Rome

Unit Five: The Legend of King Arthur

(two weeks)

• Knights and Chivalry
• Royalty
• Dragons and Mythical Creatures
• Basis in History

Unit Six: The Middle Ages

(twelve weeks, broken into three parts)

• Early Middle Ages
• Vikings: Geography, mapmaking, sailing
• Birth of the Holy Roman Empire
• Spread of Christianity

• High Middle Ages
• Feudalism and Knights
• Universities and Invention
• The Crusades

• Late Middle Ages (The Dark Ages)
• Famine and Plague
• Social unrest and warfare
• Columbus and the New World

Unit Seven: The Renaissance

(four weeks)

• Art
• Philosophy 
• Religion
• Georgia Renaissance Festival