4-Year Cycle: Ancient History

ANNOUNCING Homeschool Connections' new four-year cycle for live, interactive courses ...

In response to requests from students and their parents, Homeschool Connections has organized a four-year cycle of coordinated courses for all students in your family, third through twelfth grade. This is so your entire family can learn about the same era at the same time, making life easier for parents and making school more fun for children. (We also offer alternate courses, not in the cycle.)

The four-year cycle includes:

• Grade-school unit studies (3rd through 6th grade)
• Middle-school history and literature courses (6th through 8th grade)
• High-school history, literature, and philosophy courses (9th through 12th grade)

The four eras in the cycle are:

• Ancient (starting Fall 2019)
• Medieval (starting Fall 2020)
• Renaissance through Modern (starting Fall 2021)
• American (starting Fall 2022)

NOTE: This is already available through our Unlimited Access program. We have recorded, independent-learning courses available for fifth through twelfth grade for all eras.

For the 2019/2020 school year, here are the live, interactive courses that are available utilizing the new four-year cycle ...

-- Grade School. Homeschool Connections has developed a brand new, online grade school unit study program based on Story of Civilization by Phillip Campbell (TAN Books). The unit study is geared for third through sixth grade and will include religion, history, language arts, and science. Taught by Jackie deLaveaga. Registration is open HERE.

-- Middle School. Click on the course title to learn more or register:

• History: The Ancient World, Part One. Fall 2019 taught by Phillip Campbell (12 weeks).
• History: The Ancient World, Part Two. Spring 2020 taught by Phillip Campbell (12 weeks).
• Literature: The Golden Goblet: Living History Through Literature (Ancient Era 1). Fall 2019 taught by Jackie deLaveaga (6 weeks).
• Literature: Black Ships Before Troy: Living History Through Literature (Ancient Era 2). Fall 2019 taught by Jackie deLaveaga (6 weeks).
• Literature: Victory on the Walls: Living History Through Literature (Ancient Era 3). Spring 2020 taught by Jackie deLaveaga (6 weeks).
• Literature: The Bronze Bow: Living History Through Literature (Ancient Era 4). Spring 2020 taught by Jackie deLaveaga (6 weeks).

-- High School. Click on the course title to learn more or register:

• Philosophy: Early Greek Philosophy. Fall 2019 taught by Julian Ahlquist (15 weeks).
• Philosophy: Virtue and Vice: Ancient Philosophy for Modern Catholics. Spring 2020 taught by Sam Nicholson (12 weeks).
• History: The Dawn of History: The Ancient World. Fall 2019 taught by Phillip Campbell (12 weeks).
• History: Christ and Caesar: The Ancient World and the Founding of Christendom. Spring 2020 taught by Phillip Campbell (12 weeks).
• Literature: The Theban Plays of Sophocles. Fall 2019 taught by Joseph Pearce (6 weeks).
• Literature: Shakespeare’s Antony and Cleopatra. Spring 2020 taught by Joseph Pearce (6 weeks).
• Literature: Iliad: The Glory and the Will of God. Fall 2019 taught by Henry Russell (12 weeks).
• Literature: Odyssey: The World Without Fathers. Spring 2020 taught by Henry Russell (12 weeks).

We also offer all levels of Latin. Search our registration page to find the right course for you or email us for a free Latin placement test.

ADDENDUM: Make sure to include your pre-k to 2nd grade children too! Here is a great picture book list for the Ancients (and accompanying podcast) from Sarah Mackenzie of Read-Aloud Revival, https://readaloudrevival.com/108/. Have your older children read aloud to your littles for a win-win homeschool day (lessons reinforced for the bigs, littles are included, Mom gets a break).

Finishing the Homeschool Year Strong

We received a request from a homeschool mom who was winding down her school year. She asked us to offer short 4- to 6-week recorded courses to help her fill in some homeschooling holes between April and June. The good news is that we were able to help immediately as we already offer a great slate of short courses ...

Here is a list of 4-week and 6-week courses currently available through our Unlimited Access program (recorded courses):

Computer Skills

• Introduction to Microsoft Word
• Introduction to PowerPoint
• Microsoft Excel

Economics

• Introduction to Catholic Social Teaching

Government

• American Elections: Democracy in Action
• Pro-Life Boot Camp: Learning the Facts and Effective Communication

History

• The Life and Legacy of St. John Paul II 
• Foundations of Christian Historiography
• Christian Architecture through the Ages 
• The Great Depression: 1929-1941
• Understanding the Second Vatican Council

Latin

• Preparing for Intermediate Latin Boot Camp
• Preparing for Advanced Latin Boot Camp

Life Skills

• How to Be an Excellent Student and Get an "A"

Literature

• Introduction to Literature: Why & How to Study Literature
• Literature Independent Study
• How to Read Great Literature
• Humor in Literature
• Poems Every Catholic Should Know
• Narnia for Young Adults: The Theology of The Chronicles of Narnia
• The Hobbit: There and Back Again
• Lord of the Rings
• Tolkien for Young Adults: The Theology of Middle-Earth 
• Screwtape Letters by C. S. Lewis
• Orthodoxy by G.K. Chesterton 
• The Man Who Was Thursday by G. K. Chesterton
• St. Francis by G. K. Chesterton
• What's Wrong with the World by G. K. Chesterton
• The Odyssey by Homer
• The Iliad by Homer
• Beowulf and Christ
• Canterbury Tales of Geoffrey Chaucer; Trust God and Tradition
• The Merchant of Venice
• Romeo and Juliet
• Hamlet
• King Lear
• The Twelfth Night
• Sir Gawain and the Green Knight
• Sophocles and Tragedy
• Death Comes for the Archbishop
• Dracula
• Jane Eyre
• Frankenstein: Misunderstood Monster 
• The Picture of Dorian Gray
• Redemptive Comedy of Flannery O'Connor

Math

• Introduction to Trigonometry

Philosophy/Logic

• The Philosophy of Beauty

Science

• Health, Fitness, and Wellness

Speech & Communication

• Leadership and Interpersonal Communication

Test Prep

• The New SAT: What you need to Know to Score Well
• ACT Test Prep
• ACT/SAT English and Writing Test Prep

Theology

• Discovering Your Authentic Beauty & Making Life Full and Fun for  Middle School Girls
• True Radiance! Discovering Your Authentic Beauty as a Young Woman
• The Trinity Explained
• The Mass Explained

Writing

• Punctuation & Grammar
• Excellent Sentences and Paragraphs
• Excellent Paragraphs and Essays
• Fiction Writing Series (Creative Writing)

These are all great courses to take in summer as well, especially if you want to keep learning alive between the spring and fall semesters in an easy-to-implement way and still have summer fun.