Great Civilizations

An integrated curriculum in History, Science, Technology, Art, Music, and Ideas

Kindergarten through Eighth Grade

Ancient Rome

• Architecture: The Roman Arch
• Technology: Mixing concrete
• The Roman Republic
• The Roman Empire
• The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire
• The Byzantine Empire
• Art: Pompeian Mosaics
• Science Labs: Simple Machines — levers, pulleys, wheels and axles, inclined planes...
• Art appreciation: Roman Portrait busts
• Literature: Shakespeare's Julius Caesar (older students)
• Introduction to Latin (older students) and Latin word roots
• How did Latin turn into the Romance languages?
• Family life in Ancient Rome
• Geography: The Roman Empire in Europe, Asia, and Africa

The Dark Ages

• The Barbarian Invasions
• Life in Norman England
• Art: The Bayeux Tapestries
• Literature: Robin Hood

Ancient Asia

• Civilizations of Japan, China, India

The Middle Ages

• Life in a medieval castle
• The Feudal system
  • Life of a: lord, lady, vassal, serf, doctor, monk, knight, merchant...
• Art: Medieval art — Subjects and Techniques; Celtic designs
• Field Trip: The Cathedral of St. John in Manhattan
  • Art workshops on Stone Carving and on Stained Glass
• Music: Gregorian Chant
• Vikings
• Architecture: Romanesque and Gothic arches; flying buttresses; domes — Cathedrals!

The Renaissance

• Art: Perspective Drawing
• Artists: Leonardo da Vinci; Michelangelo; Raphael; Durer
• Science: Galileo: The beginning of modern scientific method
  • Experiments with pendulums
  • The Ptolemaic vs. the Copernican Systems in Astronomy
  • Experiments with lenses and telescopes
• Machiavelli's The Prince
• Music: Madrigals
• Shakespeare: Macbeth and Midsummer Nights' Dream for children
• Everyday Life of: Princes, warriors, artists, scientists, merchants...

The Age of Exploration

From Europe to China, Around Africa, and Around the World

• Marco Polo
• Prince Henry the Navigator and Portuguese Explorers: Vasco da Gama, Bartolomeu Diaz
• Columbus
• Spanish explorers: de vaca, de Coronado, Ponce de Leon, Hernando de Soto, Pizarro
• Magellan
• Navigation: By compass and quadrant; the "longitude" problem
• Life on a Full-Rigged Sailing Ship

Geography: Physical and Political Maps; Cultures

• Countries of Europe
• Countries of South America

The Enlightenment

• Isaac Newton
  • Newton's Laws of Motion: Experiments on Forces
• John Locke; Montesquieu: Inpiration for America's founding fathers (older children)
• Life in Colonial America
• The American Revolution and Constitution
• Music Appreciation: Classical Composers: Handel, Haydn, Mozart

The Industrial Revolution

• Power from nature: How does a waterwheel work?
• The invention of the steam engine
• Working in an 18th century mill
• Project: Carding, Spinning, and Weaving natural fibers
• Colonial crafts
• A factory assembly line
• Music Appreciation: Romantic composers: Beethoven, Brahms, Chopin, Schumann...
• Inventors:
  • James Watt — the steam engine
  • Eli Whitney — the cotton "gin"
  • The Wright Brothers — the airplane
  • Thomas Edison — light bulb, power grids, phonograph, moving picture...
  • Alexander Graham Bell — telephone

Copyright 2007 Dr. Deborah Knapp. All rights reserved.