Level: Form II (4th–6th grades)
Description:
New in 2022-2023: Combined Modern History & Geography!
In the Modern History portion of the class, students will build beautiful keepsake Record of Time notebook binders and follow the narrative of history through The Story of the World, Volumes 3 and 4. They will read, narrate, and discuss passages from Story of the World and possibly other living history texts. In addition, students may work on developing outlining skills as they build their timeline of world history with illustrations and notes. There may be some at-home reading assignments given so that the students will be able to complete the time period under study by the end of the academic year.
Bluebonnet Scholars offers history on a rotating three-year cycle with studies synchronized across Forms 1 through 4 (grades K through 12th) so that all students are studying the same time period together. Spine texts for Form 2 (grades 4–6) History are included below:
- Cycle Year 1 (2020-2021): Ancient through Early Medieval History (creation to c. 860 AD)—The Story of the World, all of Vol. 1 & part of Vol. 2
- Cycle Year 2 (2021-2022): Medieval through Early Modern History (c. 860 AD to 1797)—The Story of the World, part of Vol. 2 & part of Vol. 3
- Cycle Year 3 (2022-2023): Modern History (c. 1797 to today)—The Story of the World, part of Vol. 3 & all of Vol. 4
In the Geography portion of the class, students will read, narrate, and discuss portions from living geography books in a rotating three-year cycle:
- Cycle Year 1 (2020-2021): Prisoners of Geography: Our World Explained in 12 Simple Maps (half) and living geography read-aloud books
- Cycle Year 2 (2021-2022): Prisoners of Geography: Our World Explained in 12 Simple Maps (half) and living geography read-aloud books
- Cycle Year 3 (2022-2023): The Road to There: Mapmakers and their Stories and living geography read-aloud books
In addition, each week students will spend some time working on maps. Students will have opportunity to research and present on one country in a year-end World Fair.
Materials:
Families purchase the following required supplies (used copies of textbooks are fine):
- Story of the World, Volume 3
- Story of the World, Volume 4
- Geography main text: (Student copy recommended but not required) The Road to There: Mapmakers and Their Stories.
- Bachmore Translucent Vellum Paper, 8.5×11″ Tracing Pad, 56 LB
- Record of Time Timeline Notebook with blank timeline pages—Note: This item has been discontinued except as digital download; BHSC has purchased printing rights and printed timelines in binders are available for purchase from BHSC for $30. Returning students will use the same binder as in previous terms.
- Printable Suggested Timeline Placement Guide
- Composition notebook
- Scissors
- Three-ring binder with lined paper, pencils, colored pencils, and erasers in a pencil pouch.
