Q: What age is considered a “Middle”Student?

A: Middle Students are best defined as those between 4th and 8th grade or students older than that with learning challenges.  The Mystery of History is designed to perfectly fit the Middle Student without modification.  From the Pretest to the lessons to the quiz at the end of the week, most Middle Students will be right on target for the challenge.  Activities are designed to continue to use some hands-on work to reinforce the lessons.  But many of them will go beyond their senses and engage their minds to higher level thinking by analysis, composition, and creative writing.  All learning styles are incorporated.  

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Q: What can I expect my Middle Student to learn?

A: Middle Students are not expected to master world history, but rather are beginning to process the significance of it to themselves.  By the end of each volume, Middle Students will be well acquainted with about 100 characters of the time period.  They will also see God’s hand in history.  Because of the built-in reinforcement of Memory cards, timelines, etc, students will be constantly reminded of previously studied lessons.  Ideally, each name or event studied carries with it a bigger picture or a concept.  Memories from projects and activities will be built upon as the student matures and can attach even more meaning and understanding to the biographies and events studied.   

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Q: What additional items are needed for a Middle Student?

A:  The most important things a Middle Student needs to complete The Mystery of History are atlases.  A historical atlas will provide them with geographical information that changes over time.  They’ll need this information to complete the weekly mapping exercises.  For example, in Volume I they will be asked to place the boundaries of Alexander the Great’s empire on a map – but they are not given the answers.  They will need an outside resource.  A highly recommended one is A Historical Atlas of the World by Rand McNally which is available at the MOH Online Store.  Additionally, students will need a Bible atlas to complete significant Bible history maps.  For example, in Volume I great emphasis is placed on understanding the 12 tribes of Israel and the dividing of the kingdom of Israel.  Understanding these events can bring to life the Old Testament.  In Volume II they will trace the journeys of Paul and come to a better understanding of his letters found in the New Testament.  For those on a tight budget, maps in the back of a Bible may be adequate for Middle Students.  However, if looking for something colorful and easy to handle, The Student Bible Atlas by Tim Downey is recommended and available on the MOH Online Store.

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Q: What are Memory Cards?

A: Memory cards are student or teacher-made flashcards.  They are a valuable tool for all ages.  One set of cards can be made by the whole family to alleviate the burden on any one student.  Middle Students who struggle with writing can benefit from the exercise of trying to summarize a lesson in a few sentences.  Help from the teacher is fine as the student is learning to narrate, summarize, and condense his thoughts into main points.  It’s an acquired skill that most Middle Students do not have mastery over.  On the other hand, Middle Students with well developed writing skills may enjoy the process and want to make their own set of cards.  (This student is rare, but they’re out there!)  As the growing stack of cards are made, they can be used over and over again as flashcards for quick review just before quizzes or tests.  To reinforce the chronology of events, cards can be shuffled and put back in order.  For the competitive student, timing this event can be fun.  At this stage of development (the Logic Stage) students are still acquiring new information, but are able to begin to see the links in this information.  The cards make a wonderful way to pull ideas, threads, and trends together across time and cultures. 

You can use 3 x 5 index cards and store them in an index card holder. However, some students may find the lines too small to write on.  Medium sized binders and 5 x 8 cards are an alternative as well as full size binders.  Though directions are not included in the MOH, some students may choose to make an 81/2 x 11 scrapbook type page for every lesson in the MOH (commonly referred to as lap books) as a great keepsake of the stories they love. 

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Q: What is a good way to make a timeline for a Middle Student?

A: The point of a timeline is to see a big picture of what was happening around the world at the same time.  The author gives directions for creating a timeline on a foldable sewing board (also called a pattern cutting board).  These boards are typically available at Wal-Mart, Joanne Fabrics, or Hobby Lobby.  If a sewing board is difficult to find, science project boards and refrigerator boxes are good replacements.  As students study the MOH, they place 3-5 timeline figures on the board per week.  The book instructs students how to make their own timeline figures with memorable add-ons (a burnt match for Gideon to represent a torch, garlic salt on the Phoenicians to represent their famous stinky dye, etc) 

Students who find hand made figures too tedious or too juvenile may opt to cut and color pre-made timeline figures.  The author recommends Amy Pak’s Homeschool in the Woods timeline figures. (These are available on card stock or cdrom.  The beautiful figures on the cdrom can also be enlarged to make coloring pages.)  More mature Middle Students, particularly crafty girls, may consider creating a timeline notebook rather than a timeline on the wall.  The author highly recommends Homeschool in the Woods Timeline Notebook, Figures (on card stock or cdrom), and Placement Guide for this project.  This artistic keepsake is one to be proud of. 

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Q: What kind of activities are there for Middle Students?

A: Examples found in Volume I  

Sumerians: build a ziggurat of Legos or sugar cubes

Samuel: make a mini-timeline book of the events of Samuel’s life

Homer:  write a book report on The Children’s Homer including a running list of mythological characters

The Babylonian Captivity: research the water source of your community

Ezekiel:  complete a list of post-exile prophets

Confucious:  make a bamboo tablet

Belshazzar: build a weight and measure set

The Maccabean Revolt: cook a traditional Hanukkah dish

Cleopatra: write a diary page of Julius Caesar first meeting Cleopatra

Tiberius Caesar: study the architectural design of the arch

Examples found in Volume II

Paul: write a letter from Paul when shipwrecked on Malta

Masada: research ancient weapons like battering rams and assault towers

Bar-Kokhba: make a Jewish phylactery

The Maya: take an online hieroglyph test

The Dark Ages: make a Medieval hour candle

Mohammed: calculate the year according to Muslim tradition

Charles Martel: hammer a plaque of Martel commemorating the Battle of Tours

The Investiture Controversy: write a word study on “forgiveness”

The Early Crusades: interview a traveler to the Holy Lands

The Black Death: pray for the afflicted

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Q: What would a typical week look like for a Middle Student?

A: Each volume contains three lessons per week. Volume I contains 108 short lessons(1-3 pages) based on 36 school weeks.  Volume II contains 84 long lessons (2-4 pages) based on 28 school weeks. For the family interested in studying history in three days per week, the following schedule will work nicely.   

Monday:  Oral Pre-test; Read Lesson #1; activity of choice

Tuedsay: Off or supplemental readings/films

Wednedsay:  Read Lessons #2 and #3; activity of choice; making of Memory Cards

Thursday: Off or supplemental readings/films

Friday: Make timeline figures; complete a mapping exercise; take a quiz or exercise

As a variation to the above schedule, students may opt to do a little bit of history every day allowing indepth time for activities and supplemental reading.

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Q: Can this curriculum be finished in a year?

A: Each volume of The Mystery of History can be completed in one year (but they don’t have to be!).  Your pace can be set by your choices of activities, field trips, and additional readings.   When interests are stirred, a family can slow down their study for additional research of a time period.  Supplemental lists are provided for this.  On the other hand, during demanding or stressful periods, a family can simplify and/or “speed up” the course by only reading through the lessons.  The Mystery of History allows for this kind of flexibility making it useable at whatever stage of life you find your family.

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