Middle Ages & Renaissance
Without Doors: Middle Ages & Renaissance includes the overall framework to successfully implement 28 weeks of lessons in Bible, history, geography, literature, poet study, nature study, artist study, composer study, and hymn study for students in 1st-8th grade. One printed book per family combined with the items noted on the supply list provides a rich study for the Middle Ages, Renaissance, and Reformation.
Conveniently included in the book are artist study paintings, poetry, links to hymns, copywork, and more. The lessons are simple and clearly laid out in a weekly plan.
The content in each subject area is coordinated around the Middle Ages, Renaissance & Reformation, creating a rich, immersive study and a harmony of lessons. Your student will develop good habits in nature journaling, narration, map-drawing, recitation, copywork, dictation, keeping a Book of Centuries, keeping a Commonplace Book, and more!
This effortless curriculum will bring joy and freedom to your family!
Charlotte Mason recommends beginning with the history of the student’s native country. However, if that doesn't work for your family, or if you prefer to begin with a different book, each book includes a full feast of appropriate content for students in 1st-8th grade.
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Student Supplies
Watercolor Paper 9X12
Thin Sharpie
Travel Watercolor Set
Nature Journal
Narration Notebook
Elementary Copywork Notebook
Middle Copywork Notebook
The Book of Centuries (ages 10+)
Commonplace Book (ages 10+)
World Map or GlobeFamily Book List
A Castle with Many Rooms, by Lorene Lambert
A Child's History of the World, by V.M. Hillyer (**use BN Publishing version with 91 chapters)
Castle, by David Macaulay
Cathedral, by David Macaulay
He Went With Marco Polo, by Louise Andrews Kent
The Laws Guide to Nature Drawing and Journaling, by John Muir LawsElementary Book List
A Lion to Guard Us, by Clyde Robert Bulla
Eyes and No Eyes: Birds of the Air, by Arabella Buckley
Eyes and No Eyes: Insect Life, by Arabella Buckley
Fables, by Arnold Lobel
Fairy Tales and Fables, by Gyo Fujikawa
Little Sir Galahad, by Lillian Holmes
My Father's Dragon, by Ruth Stiles Gannett
The Sword in the Tree, by Clyde Robert Bulla
The White Dove, by Christoph von SchmidMiddle Book List
Adam of the Road, by Elizabeth Janet Gray
A Single Shard, by Linda Sue Park
I, Juan de Pareja, by Elizabeth Berton de Trevino
The Apple and the Arrow, by Conrad Buff
The Bible Smuggler, by Louise A. Vernon
The Door in the Wall, by Marguerite de Angeli
The Storybook of Science, by Jean Henri Fabre
Trial and Triumph: Stories from Church History, by Richard M. HannulaChallenge Book List
Crispin, by Avi
The Black Arrow, by Robert Louis Stevenson
The Boy Knight, by G.A. Henty
The King's Fifth, by Mark Twain
The Second Mrs. Gioconda, by E.L. Konigsburg
The Trumpeter of Krakow, by Eric P. KellyAs an Amazon Associate, I may earn a small commission from qualifying purchases at no extra expense to you.
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Bible includes scripture highlighting God as a healer and scripture memory that coordinates with each passage. In addition to narration, older students are encouraged to transcribe Bible passages into their Commonplace Book.
The original “Church History Song” highlights some key events in church history during the Middle Ages and Renaissance.
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The weekly history lessons begin with the fall of Ancient Rome and go through the Middle Ages, Renaissance, and end with the Reformation times through the mid- 1600's. The living history spine is simple and engaging for families as they navigate through this time period together. Middle students will also be reading narratives of influential people in church history.
Older students add suggested dates to their Book of Centuries.
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Without Doors: Middle Ages & Renaissance includes a glimpse into castles and cathedrals, reading and narration, and map questions highlighting the empire of Mali, the Vikings, the adventures of Marco Polo, the Crusades, and more.
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Students will read six living books that coordinate with the Middle Ages and the Renaissance. Literature also includes one poet study per term including Shakespeare and George Herbert
Copywork selections coordinate with weekly lessons, building a strong foundation in spelling and grammar.
Older students will add passages to their Commonplace Book.
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Students develop the habit of narration by responding to literature with narration.
The elementary weekly narration prompt is a response to a fable or fairy tale from the Middle Ages.
The middle weekly narration prompt rotates between history, geography, and nature study topics.
Students will respond to the narration prompt in their Narration Notebook, a notebook with lines for writing and a blank space for drawing. Narration expectations (amount of words and/or paragraphs) should be different for younger vs. older students.
A Narration Notebook is a keepsake!
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Without Doors: Middle Ages & Renaissance includes rotating enrichment activities including: Composer Study, Artist Study, Hymn Study, and Handicrafts.
The two composers, four artists, four hymns, and four handicrafts are all carefully chosen and coordinate with the study of the ancient world.
Composer Study includes Johann Pachelbel and Henry Purcell.
Artist Study includes Leonardo da Vinci, Raphael, Diego Velazquez, and Johannes Vermeer.
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The nature lore readings delight families while grounding students in scientific knowledge of birds and insects (elementary) or The Storybook of Science (middle).
Out-of-door nature walks and nature journaling prompts inspire an interest in God’s beautiful creation.
Students will also look closely at the importance of drawing in the medieval world and will draw in their Nature Journal.
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Marguerite Makes a Book, by Bruce Robertson
A Medieval Feast, by Aliki
The Kitchen Knight: A Tale of King Arthur, by Margaret Hodges
The Ink Garden of Brother Theophane, by C.M. Millen
Therese Makes a Tapestry, by Alexandria S.D. Hinrichs
Once Upon A Time in Persia, by Sahar Doustar
The Silk Route: 7,000 Miles of History, by John S. Major
In a Small Kingdom, by Tomie dePaola
If You Were a Kid in a Medieval Castle, by Josh Gregory
Leif the Lucky, by d'Aulaire
A Year in a Castle, by Rachel Coombs
The Knight and the Dragon, by Tomie dePaola
Knight: A Noble Guide for Young Squires, by Sir Geoffrey De Lance
The King and the Dragon, by James Shrimpton
The Adventures of Robin Hood, by Marcia Williams
The Hawk of the Castle: A Story of Medieval Falconry, by Danna Smith
Fire on the Mountain, by Jane Kurtz
Mufaro’s Beautiful Daughters, by John Steptoe
The Girl and the Cathedral: The Story of Notre Dame, by Nicolas Jeter
Pippo the Fool, by Tracey E. Fern
Rupert's Parchment: Story of Magna Carta, by Eileen Cameron
Genghis Khan, by Li Jian
Marco Polo, by Demi
Joan of Arc, by Diane Stanley
Johann Gutenberg and the Amazing Printing Press, by Bruce Koscielniak
Follow the Dream: The Story of Christopher Columbus, by Peter Sis
The Sad Night: The Story of an Aztec Victory and a Spanish Loss, by Sally Schofer Mathews
Traveling Man: The Journey of Ibn Battuta, by James Mumford
Leonardo da Vinci, by Mike Venezia
Leonardo da Vinci, by Diane Stanley
Johannes Vermeer, by Mike Venezia
Martin Luther: A Man Who Changed the World, by Paul L. Maier
The Queen's Progress: An Elizabethan Alphabet, by Celeste Davidson Mannis
Good Queen Bess: The Story of Elizabeth I of England, by Diane Stanley and Peter Vennema
Bard of Avon: The Story of William Shakespeare, by Diane Stanley and Peter Vennema
William Shakespeare & the Globe, by Aliki
How the Bible Came to Us, by Meryl DoneyAs an Amazon Associate, I may earn a small commission from qualifying purchases at no extra expense to you.
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Beautiful Stories from Shakespeare, by Edith Nesbit
Fleas, Flies, and Friars: Children's Poetry from the Middle Ages, by Nicholas Orme
Good Masters! Sweet Ladies!: Voices from a Medieval Village, by Laura Amy Schlitz
How the Bible Came to Us, by Meryl Doney
Living in a Medieval City,Living in a Medieval Village, Living in a Castle, all by R.J. Unstead
Mansa Musa and the Empire of Mali, by P. James Oliver
Tales from Shakespeare, by Charles and Mary Lamb
The Book of the Middle Ages, by Dorothy Mills
The Merry Adventures of Robin Hood, by Howard Pyle
The Story of Europe, by H.E. Marshall
The Story of the Middle Ages, by Christine Miller (revised/expanded H.A. Guerber)
Usborne Timelines of World HistoryAs an Amazon Associate, I may earn a small commission from qualifying purchases at no extra expense to you.
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Coming Soon!