Take a Stand! Medieval Civilizations Teacher Bundle
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Everything you need to teach Medieval History through the Socratic discussion with our classical history curriculum.
If this is your first year with us, we recommend starting with Teaching the Socratic Discussion DVD Curriculum, a teacher training course.
We also offer recorded Socratic discussions about Medieval History in The Dolphin Society.
If this is your first year with us, we recommend starting with Teaching the Socratic Discussion DVD Curriculum, a teacher training course.
We also offer recorded Socratic discussions about Medieval History in The Dolphin Society.
Teach Medieval History through the Socratic Discussion
Classical Historian History Bundles have everything teachers and homeschool parents need for an engaging year of history. The Take a Stand! Teacher Edition has detailed lesson plans that organize the school year, including tips for end-of-semester presentations. During their first few lessons, students learn history content and master essential critical thinking skills. After they learn how to be historians, students then research and develop arguments in response to our Socratic discussion questions. Teachers may then assign an essay to complete the unit.
The Medieval Civilizations TeacherBundle includes:
For the Student Bundle, click here.
The Medieval Civilizations TeacherBundle includes:
- Take a Stand! Teacher's Edition
- Medieval History Go Fish Game
- Medieval Discussions DVD
- World History Detective
For the Student Bundle, click here.
Classical History Curriculum for Middle School
The captivating lessons and activities in this 368-page book can be used as a standards-based, stand-alone textbook, a resource for supplemental activities to enrich another textbook, or as a review course for older students. What makes World History Detective® different from other world history books is the integration of critical thinking into the content lessons. The questions in this book require deeper analysis and frequently ask for supporting evidence from the lesson. This in-depth analysis produces greater understanding, which results in better grades and higher test scores. Over time, students who practice critical thinking learn to apply it throughout their education and life. This book also develops reading comprehension and writing skills.
Students begin by analyzing a lesson. Next, they apply critical thinking skills to answer multiple choice and short essay questions. Finally, students support their answers by identifying evidence learned from the lesson. World History Detective® includes geographical maps, timelines, and concept maps. It develops critical thinking skills in lessons that teach the roles that technology, power, institutions, ideas, and trade played in shaping history.
Winner of the Tillywig Brainchild Award, Word History Detective® covers ancient, medieval, and Early American civilizations. These are the lessons that are covered:
Students begin by analyzing a lesson. Next, they apply critical thinking skills to answer multiple choice and short essay questions. Finally, students support their answers by identifying evidence learned from the lesson. World History Detective® includes geographical maps, timelines, and concept maps. It develops critical thinking skills in lessons that teach the roles that technology, power, institutions, ideas, and trade played in shaping history.
Winner of the Tillywig Brainchild Award, Word History Detective® covers ancient, medieval, and Early American civilizations. These are the lessons that are covered:
- The Fertile Crescent
- Mesopotamia
- Sumerians
- Babylonians
- Hittites
- Phoenicians
- Hebrews
- Assyrians
- Babylonian
- Persia
- Egypt
- Celts
- India
- Buddhism
- Hinduism
- China
- Classical Greece
- Roman Republic
- Christianity
- Roman Empire
- Byzantine Empire
- Founding of Western Europe
- Islamic Dynasties
- Russia
- Renaissance
- The Crusades
- China
- Japan
- India
- Korea
- Southeast Asia
- Africa
- East Africa
- Zimbabwe
- West Africa
- Mesoamerica
- Mayas
- Incas
- Aztecs
- Northeast Woodland Tribes
- Plains Tribes
- Southwest Tribes
- Inuit
Teacher Resources
For Socratic teachers, this book provides a lesson on teaching students to identify evidence. It also provides answers to every homework activity as well as grade level standards.
Critical Thinking Skills
- Identify evidence
- Analyze evidence
- Draw inferences and conclusions
World History Detective Reviews
"World History Detective® accomplishes more than just teaching world history. It also can replace reading comprehension activities since that is a major function of the lessons. It might provide a significant amount of composition activity, especially if you use the opportunity to help students develop essay writing skills. Depending upon how often you use the lessons, students can complete World History Detective, Book 1 in one or more years. A one-year schedule would require at least two lessons per week, but using it alongside another program over a longer period of time should work fine too." --Cathy Duffy Review
"Surprisingly my 11-year-old REALLY got into this workbook. GASP! A workbook for history? Yes! Honestly, I was just as surprised! World History Detective® has 78 Civilizations to learn in self-guided chronological order. My son really like the condensed and concise information about civilizations filled with great maps, timelines, deductive question and concept maps." --Lisa Keva
"Importantly, the workbook portions are not simple read-and-regurgitate queries. Instead your student will be asked to point out which statements in a set of four are fact and which are opinion; or which of these phrases can be inferred from the lesson, and which sentences best support that theory. These types of questions help your child to grasp that history is always interpreted by those telling the story and to think through the varied reasons why an event happened as it did." --Timberdoodle
"I absolutely LOVE the critical thinking aspects of the curriculum. Implementing critical thinking into the reading and discussion of history is a powerful tool to help our children understand what they are reading as well as form an opinion and knowledge that they will be able to use in many situations in life." --Dina, California
For samples and more information, click here.
"Surprisingly my 11-year-old REALLY got into this workbook. GASP! A workbook for history? Yes! Honestly, I was just as surprised! World History Detective® has 78 Civilizations to learn in self-guided chronological order. My son really like the condensed and concise information about civilizations filled with great maps, timelines, deductive question and concept maps." --Lisa Keva
"Importantly, the workbook portions are not simple read-and-regurgitate queries. Instead your student will be asked to point out which statements in a set of four are fact and which are opinion; or which of these phrases can be inferred from the lesson, and which sentences best support that theory. These types of questions help your child to grasp that history is always interpreted by those telling the story and to think through the varied reasons why an event happened as it did." --Timberdoodle
"I absolutely LOVE the critical thinking aspects of the curriculum. Implementing critical thinking into the reading and discussion of history is a powerful tool to help our children understand what they are reading as well as form an opinion and knowledge that they will be able to use in many situations in life." --Dina, California
For samples and more information, click here.
An Epidemic of Historical Illiteracy
Many people suffer through history class because they are never challenged to analyze the past. Instead, they are spoon-fed a narrative and told to memorize it. And though they quickly forget most of contents of their course, they do remember one thing: history is boring.
The result of this broken educational model is that America is in a crisis of historical illiteracy. According to a comprehensive survey by The Institute for Citizens & Scholars, only 27% of people under the age of 45 have "a very basic understanding" of history. In the words of esteemed historian David McCullough, Americans are suffering from collective amnesia.
The result of this broken educational model is that America is in a crisis of historical illiteracy. According to a comprehensive survey by The Institute for Citizens & Scholars, only 27% of people under the age of 45 have "a very basic understanding" of history. In the words of esteemed historian David McCullough, Americans are suffering from collective amnesia.
The Socratic Approach to History
The Socratic approach to history is our response to this catastrophe. Instead of trying to pass down a narrative, Socratic teachers empower students to participate in the process of history. In other words, they teach students how to be historians.
When young people are empowered to analyze the past, they develop their critical thinking skills. When they're challenged to take a stand on historical controversies, they put those skills to work developing arguments that are based in evidence. And when they're called to defend their position in a Socratic discussion, they learn to consider historical events from multiple perspectives.
In the end, they learn that history is more than an academic subject. It is a discipline that leads to self-knowledge, and eventually, to wisdom.
When young people are empowered to analyze the past, they develop their critical thinking skills. When they're challenged to take a stand on historical controversies, they put those skills to work developing arguments that are based in evidence. And when they're called to defend their position in a Socratic discussion, they learn to consider historical events from multiple perspectives.
In the end, they learn that history is more than an academic subject. It is a discipline that leads to self-knowledge, and eventually, to wisdom.
Socratic Reasoning Skills
Using the Take a Stand! series, students master critical thinking skills as they learn the following Tools of the Historian:
- Fact or Opinion?
- Judgment
- Supporting Evidence
- Primary or Secondary Source Analysis
- Using Quotes
- Paraphrasing
- Thesis Statement
- Conclusion
- Outline for a One-Paragraph Essay
- Rough Draft for a One-Paragraph Essay
- Taking Notes
- Thesis Statement for a Five Paragraph Essay
- Rough Draft for a Five Paragraph Essay
- Revising
- Documenting Sources in a Text
- Works Cited
- Typing Guidelines
- The Cover Page and Checklist
- Thesis Statement for a Multi-Page Essay
- Counter-argument
- Analyzing Primary Sources
- Cause and Effect
- Compare and Contrast
Socratic Discussion Questions
Using our curriculum, students engage in Socratic discussions in response to debate questions including:
- Who held more power in Medieval Europe, the Crown or the Church?
- What was the greatest achievement of Medieval Islamic Civilization?
- Why did Europeans lead during the Age of Exploration?
Medieval History Content
This Medieval History curriculum covers the following topics:
- The Fall of the Roman Empire
- Islamic Civilization
- Medieval China
- Medieval Africa
- Medieval Japan
- Medieval Europe
- Civilizations of the Americas
- The Renaissance
- The Reformation
- The Scientific Revolution
- The Age of Exploration
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FAQ
1. Should the teacher or homeschool educator start with the Teaching the Socratic Discussion in History Seminar?
The Teaching the Socratic Discussion in History Seminar prepares classroom and homeschool educators to teach History using a Socratic approach. If you have never taught using the Socratic Method, we recommend starting with the seminar.
2. Will this curriculum work in a homeschool history class with 1 student, or in a classroom setting of 30?
This classical history curriculum has been successfully used in both situations. In a homeschool setting with one student, the parent challenges the student to develop arguments for both sides of a Socratic discussion question. In a classroom or small group setting, students debate and discuss with one another and the teacher acts as a facilitator.
3. How do the history text and the primary source documents fit in with the Take a Stand! student book? Are they integrated?
Yes. The Take a Stand! Teacher Edition contains detailed lesson plans that explain when, in each lesson, to read the history text, what to assign for homework, what to do in each lesson, and when to read the primary source documents. The entire curriculum is seamlessly integrated. This classical history curriculum has been refined over the course of a decade of use in various settings.
4. About how much time should I allot for History work each lesson/day/week? I know each student is different, but a general timeframe could be very helpful for planning purposes.
In a homeschool setting, we recommend that lessons take place once a week for one hour and a half. In the first half hour, play the Classical Historian Go Fish game that most closely aligns with the curriculum. Begin with the go fish game, and then switch to the “collect the cards” version of the game, which teaches historical facts, chronology, and inductive thinking skills. Then, plan under one hour for the lesson.
In our Online Academy discussion courses, we meet for 30 50-minute lessons each year. In a classroom setting, plan on interspersing the 30 lessons throughout the year. One teacher shared that she enjoyed teaching this curriculum once per week where she had a Socratic Discussion day. Another teacher shared she enjoyed teaching this in chunks, such as one week every six weeks or so.
For teachers who will be assigning essays, our Teaching the Socratic Discussion DVD Seminar goes into great detail about timing related to first drafts and revisions.
5. What is the difference between the high school and middle school levels?
In our high school history curriculum, the readings are longer and more complicated, and the Socratic discussion questions are more complex.
6. How much time should I plan on having my child do the homework?
If the student is not writing any essay, junior high students can usually complete the homework anywhere from 30 minutes to one hour per week, and high school students from two to five hours per week, depending on their reading skills. If essays are assigned. it really depends on the length of the essay (one-paragraph, five-paragraph, or more) and the age and skill of the student.
7. I see the middle school history curriculum comes with Socratic Discussion DVDs specific to the curriculum. How do I use those?
Teachers may use our recorded Socratic discussions in a variety of ways. Educators can watch the discussions for further teacher training, or they can be shown to students after they have had their own Socratic discussion. Students can use these recordings as an “answer key” for their own discussions. Additionally, students could watch these before they have their own discussions and take notes to help them prepare.
8. I don’t know much about history. How can I teach this?
We’ve all had history teachers who know “everything” and they were poor teachers. For teachers of the junior high curriculum, you can read the history along with your child and it would take about 10–20 minutes a week of reading. For high school, it would require from one to two hours per week of reading.
9. Do I need to complete every single thing that is recommended in the Teacher Edition?
No. In the end, the teacher has complete authority to make judgement calls based on the situation and what the think is best. We recommend that all students read the entire history text and engage in as many Socratic discussions as possible. We planned the curriculum to include essays for each chapter because persuasive writing is an important component of good scholarship. However, teachers may use their judgement as to how much work they want to plan for their students.
10. How does this curriculum work and how is it unique?
Classical Historian teaches students to think independently, read, write, and speak effectively, AND learn history. We use a four-step method:
1. Students learn the Tools of the Historian.
2. Students are challenged with Socratic discussion questions.
3. Students research a variety of primary and secondary sources.
4. Students engage in a Socratic discussion.
For more specifics, visit our Methods Page.
The Teaching the Socratic Discussion in History Seminar prepares classroom and homeschool educators to teach History using a Socratic approach. If you have never taught using the Socratic Method, we recommend starting with the seminar.
2. Will this curriculum work in a homeschool history class with 1 student, or in a classroom setting of 30?
This classical history curriculum has been successfully used in both situations. In a homeschool setting with one student, the parent challenges the student to develop arguments for both sides of a Socratic discussion question. In a classroom or small group setting, students debate and discuss with one another and the teacher acts as a facilitator.
3. How do the history text and the primary source documents fit in with the Take a Stand! student book? Are they integrated?
Yes. The Take a Stand! Teacher Edition contains detailed lesson plans that explain when, in each lesson, to read the history text, what to assign for homework, what to do in each lesson, and when to read the primary source documents. The entire curriculum is seamlessly integrated. This classical history curriculum has been refined over the course of a decade of use in various settings.
4. About how much time should I allot for History work each lesson/day/week? I know each student is different, but a general timeframe could be very helpful for planning purposes.
In a homeschool setting, we recommend that lessons take place once a week for one hour and a half. In the first half hour, play the Classical Historian Go Fish game that most closely aligns with the curriculum. Begin with the go fish game, and then switch to the “collect the cards” version of the game, which teaches historical facts, chronology, and inductive thinking skills. Then, plan under one hour for the lesson.
In our Online Academy discussion courses, we meet for 30 50-minute lessons each year. In a classroom setting, plan on interspersing the 30 lessons throughout the year. One teacher shared that she enjoyed teaching this curriculum once per week where she had a Socratic Discussion day. Another teacher shared she enjoyed teaching this in chunks, such as one week every six weeks or so.
For teachers who will be assigning essays, our Teaching the Socratic Discussion DVD Seminar goes into great detail about timing related to first drafts and revisions.
5. What is the difference between the high school and middle school levels?
In our high school history curriculum, the readings are longer and more complicated, and the Socratic discussion questions are more complex.
6. How much time should I plan on having my child do the homework?
If the student is not writing any essay, junior high students can usually complete the homework anywhere from 30 minutes to one hour per week, and high school students from two to five hours per week, depending on their reading skills. If essays are assigned. it really depends on the length of the essay (one-paragraph, five-paragraph, or more) and the age and skill of the student.
7. I see the middle school history curriculum comes with Socratic Discussion DVDs specific to the curriculum. How do I use those?
Teachers may use our recorded Socratic discussions in a variety of ways. Educators can watch the discussions for further teacher training, or they can be shown to students after they have had their own Socratic discussion. Students can use these recordings as an “answer key” for their own discussions. Additionally, students could watch these before they have their own discussions and take notes to help them prepare.
8. I don’t know much about history. How can I teach this?
We’ve all had history teachers who know “everything” and they were poor teachers. For teachers of the junior high curriculum, you can read the history along with your child and it would take about 10–20 minutes a week of reading. For high school, it would require from one to two hours per week of reading.
9. Do I need to complete every single thing that is recommended in the Teacher Edition?
No. In the end, the teacher has complete authority to make judgement calls based on the situation and what the think is best. We recommend that all students read the entire history text and engage in as many Socratic discussions as possible. We planned the curriculum to include essays for each chapter because persuasive writing is an important component of good scholarship. However, teachers may use their judgement as to how much work they want to plan for their students.
10. How does this curriculum work and how is it unique?
Classical Historian teaches students to think independently, read, write, and speak effectively, AND learn history. We use a four-step method:
1. Students learn the Tools of the Historian.
2. Students are challenged with Socratic discussion questions.
3. Students research a variety of primary and secondary sources.
4. Students engage in a Socratic discussion.
For more specifics, visit our Methods Page.
