History Cycle Year 2 Resources (Middle Ages – Reformation)
When Ian started 1st grade, I began a 4-year history cycle. At the end of the year I posted a list of Cycle 1 Resources that worked well for us at the lower elementary level. Now that we’ve finished our second year of the cycle, I thought I’d share what we used to learn about the period from the fall of the Roman Empire through the Reformation. (Includes affiliate links.)
(Note: This list reflects the VP course’s focus on European history.)
Year-Long Resources We Drew From Selectively:
- Story of the World, Vol. 2 by Susan Wise Bauer (as well as the audio book)
- Famous Figures of Medieval Times by Cathy Diez-Lucky
- Draw and Write Through History: The Vikings, the Middle Ages, and the Renaissance by Caralee Gressman
Early Church
Books
- Athanasius by Simonetta Carr (from the Christian Biographies for Young Readers series)
- Augustine of Hippo by Simonetta Carr (from the Christian Biographies for Young Readers series)
- Torchlighters: The Augustine Story (The 30-minute animated story is available streaming on Amazon Prime, but the DVD also contains an informative documentary.)
Vikings/Northern Europe
Books
- Voyage with the Vikings (AIO Imagination Station Books)
- Leif the Lucky by Ingrid and Edgar Parin d’Aulaire
- D’Aulaires’ Book of Norse Myths by Ingrid and Edgar Parin d’Aulaire
- (and if they really like the Norse Myths, follow up with D’Aulaires’ Book of Trolls)
Videos
- VeggieTales: Lyle the Kindly Viking (silly, but lots to discuss after learning about the real Vikings)
Middle Ages (including Castles/Kings/Knights)
(For preschool suggestions, see my post “Knights, Castles, and the Armor of God“)
Books
- Beowulf retold by Michael Polpurgo (probably a little gory for some families, but Ian loved it)
- Revenge of the Red Knight (AIO Imagination Station Books)
- The Little Duke by Charlotte Mary Yonge
- The Minstrel in the Tower by Gloria Skurzynski
- Robin Hood (A Stepping Stone Book)
adapted by Annie Ingle
- Ivanhoe adapted by Marianna Mayer
- Joan of Arc by Diane Stanley
- King Arthur and His Knights of the Round Table by Roger Lancelyn Green
- St. George and the Dragon retold by Margaret Hodges
- The Kitchen Knight as retold by Margaret Hodges
- The Door in the Wall by Marguerite De Angeli.
- Ms. Frizzle’s Adventures: Medieval Castle
- Castles by Stephanie Turnbull
- Castle by David Macaulay
- Young Arthur by Robert D. San Souci
- Young Lancelot by Robert D. San Souci
- The Making of a Knight by Patrick O’Brien
- The Sword in the Tree by Clyde Robert Bulla
- Imagine You’re a Knight by Phillip Steele
- Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, as told by Michael Morpurgo (beautiful illustrations, but deals with some mature themes, so I recommend pre-reading)
- A Medieval Feast by Aliki
Videos
- Castle video (based on the book by David Macaulay)
- Disney’s The Sword in the Stone
- Reading Rainbow episode “Rumpelstiltskin,” in which LeVar visits a Renaissance Faire and learns about medieval life
- A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court (animated)
- Young Robin Hood series
Other
- The Dragon and the Raven audio drama about Alfred the Great
- In Freedom’s Cause audio drama about William Wallace
- Knights Sticker Pack / Princess Sticker Pack
Medieval Church
Books
- Cathedral by David Macaulay
- Illuminations by Jonathan Hunt
- Marguerite Makes a Book by Bruce Robertson
- Anselm of Canterbury by Simonetta Carr (from the Christian Biographies for Young Readers series)
- Building the Great Cathedrals
- Disney’s The Hunchback of Notre Dame
- Cathedral video based on the book by David Macaulay
Other
- music by Hildegard von Bingen (also two picture books: Hildegarde’s Gift by Megan Hoyt and The Secret World of Hildegard by Jonah Winter
The Silk Road/Marco Polo
Books
- Marco Polo for Kids: His Marvelous Journey to China by Janis Herbert (has hands-on projects)
- The Silk Route: 7,000 Miles of History
by John S. Major
- A Single Pebble: A Story of the Silk Road
by Bonnie Christensen
- Peril in the Palace (AIO Imagination Station Books)
- The Adventures of the Young Marco Polo (available on Netflix)
Renaissance
Books
- Famous Figures of the Renaissance by Cathy Diez-Lucky
- Michelangelo (Getting to Know the World’s Greatest Artists) by Mike Venezia
- Michelangelo by Diane Stanley
- Leonardo da Vinci by Diane Stanley
- Leonardo Da Vinci (Getting to Know the World’s Greatest Artists series) by Mike Venezia
- Leonardo’s Horse by Jean Fritz
- Fine Print: A Story About Johann Gutenberg by Joann Johansen Burch
Reformation
Books
- The Barber Who Wanted to Pray by R.C. Sproul
- Martin Luther: What Should I Do? by Catherine MacKenzie (from the “Little Lights” series)
- Martin Luther: A Man Who Changed the World by Paul L. Maier
- John Calvin: What is the truth? by Catherine Mackenzie (from the Little Lights series)
- John Calvin by Simonetta Carr (from the Christian Biographies for Young Readers series)
- John Knox by Simonetta Carr (from the Christian Biographies for Young Readers series)
- Torchlighters: The William Tyndale Story (The 30-minute animated story is available streaming on Amazon Prime, but the DVD also contains an informative documentary.)
If I come across other resources that are good for this age, I’ll add them to the list. If you have some favorites that eluded us, please tell us about them in the comments!