(Recorded Course) Living History through Literature (Medieval): Door to the North with Jackie de Laveaga , B.A., M.Ed.

 

How to get the most out of Door to the North: Living History Through Literature (Medieval Era 8) with Jackie de Laveaga:

  • First, read the course materials below before the first class meeting.

  • Then have a notebook ready and available for class notes each live session.

  • Read assignments before class meetings

  • Watch that week’s recording if you need to revisit information from our live session.

  • Do the assignments, quizzes, and any extra work assigned for that week.

  • Once the course is completed to the parent's and professor’s satisfaction, there is a Certificate of Completion at the end to be filled in for your records. 

Continue learning with this 6-week project-based literature and history course discussing the Medieval Era -- and help your middle school student study the historical context of the novel and participate in engaging literature discussions and hands-on projects. 

 

Special Notes: There are a total of eight courses in this series. There are no prerequisites for any of the LHTL courses and so can be taken individually or as a series, and in any order. The first four courses are available as recorded courses through Unlimited Access. The second four are available as live, interactive courses in 2020/2021.

Parts 5 and 6 follow one another this semester. Parts 7 and 8 follow in the spring semester. Parts 1 – 4 are not necessary for Parts 5 – 8.

If you want all of your children to study the Medieval Era together, this course fits into our 4-year History Cycle (matching grade school, middle school, and high school courses).

 

Total Classes: 6

Duration: 40 to 45 minutes

Prerequisite: None

Suggested Grade Level: 5th to 9th grade

Suggested Credit: 1/2 semester Medieval Literature or Literature. Precede with Red Falcons of Tremaine: Living History Through Literature (Medieval Era 8) to receive one full semester of credit (12 weeks of classes).

Instructor: Jackie de Laveaga

Instructor email: delaveaga.hsc@gmail.com

Course Description: Living History Through Literature is a project-based course series offered to 5th through 9th grade students. These courses will weave the study of literature into a meaningful and engaging encounter with a specific era of history. In LHTL: Medieval History 8: Door to the North, it is the year 1360, and Olav Sigurdsson is desperate to redeem his family honor and right of place. He is sent by King Magnus, ruler of Christian Scandinavia, to investigate the disappearance of a whole Greenland settlement. It is there that Olav’s longing for justice begins finally to merge with a true desire for the success of the difficult quest. Students will study the historical context of the novel and participate in engaging literature discussions. In this project-based course, students will engage in short quizzes and in projects of their choice. Project options will include fiction writing, preparing period-specific food and/or costumes, creating lap books, recreating scenes from the novel (Legos, clay, K’nex, digital drawing, hand-drawing, etc.), building a timeline, mapping, and more.

Course Outline:

  • Class 1: Overview of Historical Context and Novel Introduction

  • Class 2: Literature Discussion; Project Introduction

  • Class 3: Literature Discussion; Cultural Overview

  • Class 4: Literature Discussion; Fiction Writing Tips

  • Class 5: Literature Discussion; Final Project Instructions

  • Class 6 Literature Analysis and Historical Connections; Student Project Showcase

Course Materials: Door to the North, Elizabeth Coatsworth [Publisher: Bethlehem Books, 2013], ISBN: 

978-932350-39-5. Your student will need either PowerPoint, Google Slides, or Keynote to create a Final Project. Google Slides and Keynote can be found free online.

Homework: Weekly quizzes and reading assignments. Each week, students will work on one project-based assignment that will culminate in a final novel project submission (due at the end of week 6). Homework (including novel reading) will take 1.5-3 hours per week. Parents are encouraged to support younger students by reading texts aloud and helping with project planning and execution.