The Curious Historian Level 1A Program

Curious about how to teach this text? Visit our FAQ page for suggested schedules, tentative release dates for the rest of the series, and much more!

A one-semester course for grades 5 and up

The Curious Historian Level 1 is the first part in a 3-level series that presents the study of history and culture from the beginnings of civilization (Mesopotamia and Egypt) through the Middle Ages and the Renaissance. Students will grow excited about history, see how people throughout the ages were both similar to and different from themselves, and learn to be scholars of the past who can make a difference in the future.

 Full program includes:

The Curious Historian Level 1A: The Early & Middle Bronze Ages* includes weekly chapter lessons that present a chronological narrative of history. Accompanying sidebars feature historical and archaeological tidbits, discussion questions, and Greek/Latin root words for key vocabulary. A wealth of exercises, hands-on projects and activities, maps, and appendices help to present the study of history in an engaging, creative manner. The Curious Historian Level 1A (TCH1A) will introduce students to:

• Unit I: Ancient Mesopotamia
• The ancient Sumerian city-states
• The Akkadian, Ur III, and Old Babylonian Empires
• Sargon the Great and Hammurabi
• Mesopotamian culture: ziggurats, cuneiform, and religion
• Unit II: Ancient Egypt
• The Egyptian Archaic Period
• The gifts of the Nile River
• The Egyptian Old and Middle Kingdoms
•  Egyptian culture: pyramids, hieroglyphics, and religion

The Curious Historian Level 1A Teacher’s Edition includes the full student text, detailed teacher notes and tips, a suggested weekly schedule, answer keys for all exercises, and sample responses and prompts for the discussion questions. View sample here.

The Curious Historian Archive: Extra Resources for Level 1A is a collection of supplemental materials that correspond with the TCH1A student edition. The digital files include:

• Entertaining songs summarizing the key events and cultural aspects discussed in each unit, plus a “Top Things to Remember” song. Sample songs here.
• A Biblical Connections in TCH1A PDF that draws connections to biblical history, figures, and locations, as well as scripture verses, within the context of the chapter narrative
• A Reading Guide for TCH1A PDF that features recommended books for both students and teachers
• The “Top 12 Things to Remember from TCH1A” section of chapter 18 designed as a downloadable single-page PDF
• Printable PDFs of the blank maps for extra geography practice, along with the answer keys, for extra geography practice
• Printable, full-color unit time lines and timetables

Bonus Digital Resources for Level 1A is a collection of PDFs which is complimentary when you purchase a The Curious Historian Level 1A textbook (or available for purchase separately). These digital files can be printed and either distributed to students or displayed in the classroom:

• The Curious Historian Level 1A Quizzes (PDF)
• The Answer Key for the quizzes (PDF)
• Reference Archive charts from TCH1A appendix G

Plus: A supplemental Go Deeper PDF is available to view for free here! This resource includes additional information to share with your students or explore for your own interest: links to museum collections of artifacts, fun tidbits (Have you ever wondered what happened to the Great Sphinx’s nose?), links to recent archaeological discoveries, and more. Icons in the teacher’s edition indicate when to reference this optional resource.

“We believe that history is about more than memorizing dates, reciting lists of kings and emperors, and remembering who won which battle in wars that changed the world forever. History is also the study of the people who lived during those events. From the beginning of recorded time, people have invented new ways to do things, created beauty in dreary places, and erected buildings and monuments that continue to inspire us. Some of these people became well-known figures and others were ordinary men and women like you and me. But all of us are part of the greater tree of humankind, and we each need to know what our part is as a leaf upon that tree. Without an understanding of the past, we will be less equipped to live in the present and plan for the future.” —Dr. Christopher Perrin

*The student edition is a consumable item. For more information on this product’s copyright, please refer to our General FAQ section here.