History of Science & Literature J 

Study alongside history’s greatest scientific minds!

From the development of ancient Sumerian calendars to today‚Äôs exploration of quantum physics, BookShark‚Äôs History of Science provides an in-depth study of how science and history intersect.  You will study thousands of years of history, learning about the success (and failures!) of the scientists, philosophers and mathematicians who have contributed to our knowledge base today. 

Explore the ancient Greek city of Alexandria and learn how Alexander the Great invested in scientific advancement, inspiring countless scientists, mathematicians and philosophers including, Aristotle, Archimedes and Euclid.

Discover how Europe escaped the Middle Ages and built upon Chinese advancements to launch the Renaissance enabling Galileo, Newton, Kepler and Descartes to broaden the way we utilize math and view the universe.

Witness the explosive scientific growth of the past 100 years, where we have watched Marie Currie sacrifice her life to discover radiation, Einstein expand greatly upon Newton’s work, and how the use of computers is facilitating new scientific discoveries in space, medicine, national defense, and energy.

Virtual

An optional online platform that enables students to access their reading schedules, take assessments, and receive instant auto-grading results. Parents can track and review student work, customize assessments, and message students directly from a computer or mobile device. Virtual courses MUST be started within 6 months of purchase. You will have 12 months from the time of your start date to complete the course.

The one-year curriculum provides an excellent foundation for students to grasp the significance, implications, and importance of chemistry, physics, and advanced math.  

This package includes:

Instructor’s Guide

Includes a 36-Week, 4-Day schedule designed to save one day a week for co-ops, music lessons, sports, field trips or other extra-curricular activities. Includes colorful map answer keys, discussion questions and answers as well as background notes to help you get the most from the time you spend with your child.

 

History & Geography

We utilize Joy Hakim‚Äôs The Story of Science as the spine to our program.  The Story of Science is a three book series centered on three of the world‚Äôs most influential scientists: Aristotle, Newton and Einstein. Each book provides the historical perspective and the scientific explanation necessary for students to comprehend how each scientist contributed to our current understanding of matter, mechanics, mathematics and the universe. 

We complement Hakim‚Äôs 3 book series with a collection of historical literature to further the understanding of the environments and events surrounding the scientific eras.  A few of the books include: 

String, Straight-Edge & Shadow, an illustrative look at the discovery of geometry

 Archimedes and the Door of Science, an in-depth background of Archimedes influence and his incredible inventions

 Bomb recounts the race between Germany and the United States to develop the most powerful weapon the world has ever known 

Literature & Language Arts

This is the first year in which BookShark students do not engage in Read Alouds with their parents as well as the first year (since Level D) that Language Arts and Literature does not tie to the History.  With the highly academic nature of the History program, we chose to surround it with classical literature and daily poetry reading. 

The Language Arts program focuses on creative expression and vocabulary development.  We provide instruction on how to compose various writing assignments, namely: narrative, argumentative, expository, persuasive and descriptive.  We also require a 4 week research project and various reporting assignments (similar to a periodical).  Each writing assignment concludes with a series of evaluation questions for the parent to analyze the quality of the student‚Äôs finished work. 

Required Resources

A few essential resources make your learning extra rich this year. You'll use The Timeline Book and the Markable Map throughout your BookShark journey.