Digging into World History Vol. 2 – Dark Ages, Renaissance, Exploration

Digging into World History Volume 2 is the continuation of our hugely popular homeschool history curriculum that allows you teach all your kids homeschool history together! This world history homeschool curriculum includes a year’s worth of lessons continuing where we left off in the Dark Ages, continuing through the Renaissance, Age of Exploration, Early Exploreres, Age of Enlightment, and Jamestown Settlement. Our world history lesson plans are perfect for elementary age students, Junior High, and High School to learn together as we have options to scale based on age using worksheets, mapping pages, weekly quizes, tests, and dig deeper ideas like videos, projects, &  activities!

Homeschool History Curriculum

History has become our familes favorite subject. We love learning together – even with our wide range of kids from Kindergarten throught 12th grade! There is something for everyone. I use the coloring pages to engage and teach my little ones while they work on fine motor skills. Meanwhile my big kids learn the core lesson, we watch videos, have fabulous discussions, and at the end of the week they take a quiz to make sure they are retaining what they’ve learned. You will love the short and easy-to-understand lessons that get right to the point and go throught the history of the world in bite-size pieces.

Homeschool History

Discover the untold stories of our past! Have you ever wondered how we unearth the mysteries of ancient civilizations? Through diligent excavation and careful analysis, archaeologists decode the secrets of our ancestors. They meticulously dig into the earth, unearthing remnants of past cultures buried deep beneath the surface. Just like these intrepid explorers, our homeschool history curriculum offers a captivating journey into the depths of human history. By examining first-hand accounts, architectural wonders, burial practices, and invaluable artifacts, we gain profound insights into the rich tapestry of diverse cultures that have existed for millennia. In this intellectually engaging curriculum, we will embark on an enchanting voyage through time, uncovering the wonders, triumphs, and struggles of our ancestors. Through the lenses of archaeologists, we will delve into the knowledge gleaned from physical excavation, shedding light on the stories of civilizations that lived thousands and thousands of years ago. Join us in the exciting expedition of unearthing history and explore the remnants of our past that shape our present!

World History Lesson

This curriculum includes over 349 pages to give you LOTS of options! Let me give you a brief overview of its components here and then dive a little deeper further down:

• World History Lesson Plans – everything is organized and easily laid out to make teaching quick and easy! Except for the digging deeper options, Just print and teach! Handy table of contents so you can jump to different lessons if needed. I like to print all the lesson pages for my kids and they each store them in a 3-ring binder to reference as we go along. My elementary age students keep all their completed coloring pages in a binder; they are so proud of what they’ve colored and learned!
• Let’s Map It! We’ve included some Geography to complement your history lessons so students will begin to learn where the places are they are learning about.  This optional activity is a great addition for upper elementary through high school.
• Timeline – I suggest you make or buy a timeline book to record major events. This is great for review and looking back at over the years. I like to write the date, event, and a picture to help me visually remember.
• World History Lesson – This volume is intended to be your complete history curriculum for one school year. We only do 4 lessons a week to allow the 5th day for co-ops, fieldtrips, extra activities, etc. For 22 weeks, there are four 1-2 page lessons to complete each week. Each printable page includes the lesson number, topic, and dates at the top followed by information to read together. New people, events, or vocabulary are in bold type. Sometimes cute clipart or a map will be included to engage learners.  (More on lesson a little further down)
• Dig Deeper – At the end of each lesson are additional ideas, resources, video links, and more to help you learn more. It is up to you if you dig deeper or not. My kids loved the videos to “see” history and get a little more background information.
• Worksheets – There are various worksheets throughout to enhance the lesson.  From cut and paste history timelines, to compare/contrast the Shang and Qin Dynasty and more.
• Weekly Quizzes – At the end of each week there is a quiz to review the highlights of what you learned together that week. You can do these together to review, as a typical quiz you grade, or not at all.
• Tests – There is a midsemester and an end of the year test that are more comprehensive. I use these to celebrate all they’ve learned. We circle CORRECT answers to show what we’ve learned! Anything they learn and retain is to be celebrated!
• Answer keys – All worksheets, quizes, and tests include an answer key to keep it simple for the teacher!
• History Coloring Pages – Each lesson has a coordinating coloring page to keep younger students engaged while learning about history

World History Homeschool Curriculum

The “meat” of Digging into World History is the lessons! Each lesson is 1-2 pages in length and includes easy-to-understand information about people, places, and events in World History. Important key terms are in bold to help train students to look for important information. When appropriate, cute history clipart and maps are included to add visual interest. After you read and discuss the history lesson you can watch a video, complete  a worksheet, or choose an extra history activity to learn more if you have time and interest. Or leave the lesson at 20-30 minutes if you need a quick subject.

History Lesson Plan

Discover the fascinating history of the Dark Ages with our new coloring page from “Digging into World History Vol. 2”! Color in iconic figures and events:

• King Arthur and the legendary tales of the Knights of the Round Table
• The Byzantine Empire’s rule under Justinian I and Theodora
• Admire the beautiful Saint Sophia Cathedral in all its glory
• Get mesmerized by the intricate art of Illuminated Manuscripts
• Learn about Japan’s Prince Shotoku and his influence
• Explore the rise of Islam with Mohamed and its impact

That’s not all! Dive into an exciting journey through time with many more captivating stories, including the grandeur of Charlemagne, the Viking raids, and the Crusades. Discover influential figures such as Leonardo da Vinci, Elizabeth I, and William Shakespeare. Plus, travel to faraway lands like Australia and New Zealand!

History Lessons

Calling all homeschoolers! We have an amazing program just for you – designed with your flexibility in mind! With only 4 lessons a week, you’ll have complete freedom to mold your schedule to fit those awesome field trips, engaging history activities, or even that bustling homeschool co-op and extracurricular day. Embrace the power of choice!

Homeschool World History

• Map 1 – Europe 1 (week 1)
• Map 2 – World Basics (week 2)
• Map 3 – Israel (week 4)
• Map 4 – Europe 2 (week 3)
• Map 5 – Europe Review (week 6)
• Map 6 – The Crusades (week 8)
• Map 7 – Africa (week 9)
• Map 8 – Asia (week 10)
• Map 9 – Marco Polo Journey Mapping (week 10)
• Map 10 – Central America (week 11)
• Map 11 – Mesoamerica (week 11)
• Map 12 – South America (week 12)
• Map 13 – Middle East (week 15)
• Review Maps

World History Tests

Studying history can often feel like an overwhelming task for students. However, weekly quizzes and semester tests can serve as useful tools to gauge their understanding and progress. Whether you prefer conducting open-book quizzes, group assessments, or individual study-focused tests, the choice is entirely yours. To assist you in this endeavor, we have provided a valuable resource that includes both the quizzes and their corresponding answer keys. This will enable you to quickly and accurately evaluate your students’ performance. By incorporating these assessments into your curriculum, you can ensure that your students effectively absorb the historical knowledge they need. Regular testing not only helps track their learning but also reinforces important concepts and facts.

History Coloring Pages

World History Coloring Page

Each coloring page includes information about the historical event and a memorable picture to color. I like to save all the pages and put them in a binder to create a world history coloring book of sorts to remember what we’ve learned!

Digging Into World History Volume 2

Ready to make history simple and fun as you teach all your K12 students world history together? Here are your options:

• Digging Into World History Volume 2 – includes a whole year of history lessons covering c. 500-1600 using simple text, videos, worksheets, weekly quizes, mapping activities, tests, and answer keys
• History Coloring Pages – 95 pages of history coloring pages that coordinate with Digging into World History Volume 2. This handy printable resource covers Dark Ages through the Renaissance, Reformation, Age of Exploration, and Jamestown Settlement while providing very simplified text and memorable images to color to stay engaged with family history lessons.
• BUNDLE our Digging into World History Volume 2 AND the coordinating World History Coloring Pages