German for Middle and High School

Update: This live course has concluded and is available now as a recorded course through our Unlimited Access! Service. This is a great way to learn at your own pace when your schedule allows. To subscribe or learn more: Catholic Homeschooling

German I, Part Two is open to any student wishing to jump in with a great group of eager students who are continuing from the fall. You need only have an introduction to German yourself and a good work ethic to find yourself quickly caught up with the rest of them! (Click on the course title to learn more or register.)

We are using German Made Simple by Arnold Leitner and German Grammar Drills by Ed Swick.

For homework each week there will be a translation, a composition, grammar exercises and quiz, and finally a short German phrase for memorization. Each week you can also find several videos of traditional German folksongs. In class, we will focus on pronunciation and practice drills, so come ready to speak in a microphone and hear others just like yourself learning to speak German!

Latin I and II for Middle and High School

Update: This live course has concluded and is available now as a recorded course through our Unlimited Access! Service. This is a great way to learn at your own pace when your schedule allows. To subscribe or learn more: Catholic Homeschooling

Latin I Part Two and Latin II Part Two are both open to all students who are wishing to deepen their knowledge of the Latin language. Please click on the course title to learn more or to register for the upcoming semester.

Latin Part One is not a prerequisite, but its equivalent is expected.

For Latin I, students should have a good command of present tense verbs in the third person (e.g. laborat, narrat, and orat) and a decent understanding of the 1st and 2nd Noun Declensions.

For Latin II, students should have a good command of both the active and passive verbs as well as a good understanding of all 5 declensions.

Both courses are homework intensive with a translation and composition each week as well as weekly Latin passages to memorize and grammar exercises and quizzes to complete.

We use Benjamin D'ooge's Latin for Beginners (available for FREE online) to help inform our investigations of ancient, medieval, and modern Latin. Looking at the original texts, we are able to see how Latin is really written, and at the same time, our grammar book helps make sense of what we are seeing, making Latin learning easier and easier rather than the other way around!

Middle School History: Ancient Rome

History: A Day in the Lives of the Ancient Romans
(This course is completed and now available as a recorded course through our Unlimited Access! service.)

Here is an additional reading list for middle school students who would like to expand on their Ancient Rome studies.

Click on book title for free download:

      Historical Tales: Roman, Charles Morris

The Story of the Romans, Helene Guerber
Story of Rome, Mary MacGregor
Famous Men of Rome, John H. Haaren
Stories from Ancient Rome, Alfred Church
The Aeneid for Boys and Girls, Alfred Church
A History of Western Philosophy, Ralph McInerny

An additional resource that is very helpful if you'd like to add a timeline to your studies (recommended):

The Timeline Index

Ancient Greece Reading List for Middle School

(Note to parents. This reading list would also work well with grade school children if you read aloud together.)

Dear Students,

Thank you so much for participating in our middle school course on Ancient Greece. Even though it’s been a few years since I was in middle school, I learned from the course too and really enjoyed it.

If you also enjoyed learning about the Ancient Greeks and would like to keep learning, here is a reading list with some great books on the subject (compliments of For the Love of Literature). You should be able to find most on your public library’s shelf or through inter-library loan. I hope you’ll pick up one or two or maybe even three to read before we meet again for our study into Ancient Rome in January.
Mrs. Wittmann

D’Aulaire’s Book of Greek Myths by Ingri and Edgar d’Aulaire – We highly recommend this classic on audio to hear the correct pronunciations of the Greek names.

Ancient Greece (DK Eyewitness) – Photo essay of the ancient Greeks. Learn the history of their culture, philosophy, science, medicine, and the role geography played.

Homer (c. 800BC)

The Children’s Homer: The Adventures of Odysseus and the Tale of Troy by Padriac Colum – A 1965 retelling of Homer’s The Iliad and The Odyssey for children. The language and vocabulary can be challenging, but worth the effort.

Black Ships Before Troy: The Story of the Iliad by Rosemary Sutcliff – A modern retelling of The Illiad. It’s the story of the Trojan War, from the quarrel for the golden apple, and the flight of Helen with Paris, to the destruction of Troy.

The Wanderings of Odysseus: The Story of the Odyssey by Rosemary Sutcliff – The story of Odysseus’ long years of wandering after the Trojan War. Sutcliff’s retelling makes a nice read aloud. One may say Odysseus’ story is that of everyone’s search for home.

The Trojan War by Olivia Coolidge – Reading before taking on The Iliad will help with background information and bring about better understanding. (We recommend the Fitzgerald translation when you get to high school.)

Persian Wars (490-479 BC)

Herodotus of Halicarnassus (c. 484-425 BC)

History of the Persian Wars by Herodotus – Herodotus is known as the “Father of History” even though some inaccuracies can be found in his work. He presents an in-depth look into the Persian Wars. Though thousands of years old, this work is readable for an advanced middle-school student.

Herodotus and the Road to History by Jeanne Bendick (Bethlehem Books) – “Jeanne Bendick's lucid text, humorous illustrations and helpful maps entertain and instruct as they open the way for readers young and old to once again join Herodotus . . . on the road to history.”

Golden Age of Athens (479-430 BC)

The Golden Fleece: And the Heroes Who Lived Before Achilles by Padriac Colum – Colum weaves the tales of Jason and the Argonauts with classic Greek mythology, creating a captivating epic.

Archimedes (272-212 BC), Greece – Inventor and Mathematician

The Sand Reckoner by Gillian Bradshaw – This historical fiction based on the life of Archimedes could also be tied into math.

Archimedes and the Door of Science by Jeanne Bendick [Bethlehem Books] – A real gem, the story and illustrations present scientific principles and the details of Archimedes life clearly and enjoyably.

Galen (129-c.200), Greece – Physician, Writer, and Philosopher

Galen and the Gateway to Medicine by Jeanne Bendick [Bethlehem] – Galen was the chief physician to the gladiators. He was also the first to show arteries carry blood, not air.

Addendum: Middle School Reading Available for Free Download.