This year we've begun a whole new adventure.
We are learning about ancient civilizations. Tomorrow we will end our month-long study of Mesopotamia, and will begin on the Indus civilization next week.
For two years Jack has been fascinated with ancient Egypt, and I think he knows about all there is to know about that culture. It was only after reading "The Well Trained Mind" that I figured out how to put together a year-long study, done one day a week, on ancient civilization.
I'm finding this delve into ancient history just as exciting as he does!
While Mattie is in her ballet class, he and I use that hour to read through different books on the subject. These books are geared toward young children, so more often than not it's the pictures that tell much of the story.
We even went so far as to read a modern translation of "The Epic of Gilgamesh," which is considered by many to be the earliest work of literature ever found. I must say that this was the first book I found myself skipping over whole lines because it was, at times, a bit too erotic for 8-year-old ears.
Here is a list of the 10 civilizations we plan to cover this year:
1. Mesopotamia
2. Indus
3. Egyptian
4. Mayan
5. Chinese
6. Greek
7. Persian
8. Roman
9. Aztecs
10. Incas.
We will likely combine nine and ten.
In addition, I'm making my way through the lectures of a Yale course on ancient Greece, and Jack is taking an archaeology class offered through a local homeschool co-op.
And so the years of history study officially begin!
