Beginning of recorded history through 350 BCE (3,410 on the Jewish calendar)
This page provides an overview of book options for History and Literature for both Jewish and Secular studies. The Jewish studies on this page provide only an overview of Jewish history and Jewish texts written during this time. For a more in depth study of Jewish texts please see our separate page for textual study.
For a Pre-Planned Guide, please see Ani VeAmi Curriculum Guide: Tanakh (review), which is broken down into monthly and weekly units including copywork, maps, literature, music, and art.
For a Custom Plan to fit your family’s needs, an Ani ve-ami Planning Guide is in the works in conjunction with A Charlotte Mason Plenary. Consultations specific to Ani ve-ami are also available through A Charlotte Mason Plenary.
History
Jewish History
Secular History
Note: When studying the history of any people group, it is important to choose authentic sources written by and respected by that group. We have opted for traditionally respected Jewish sources as opposed to including works that represent a conflict of interests (ie. Josephus’ Antiquities of the Jews) Elementary: Understanding Jewish History, Volume 1 by Sol Scharfstein
Note: It was imperative to choose history selections that represented both the West and the East as Jewish history is very much tied to both. Susan Wise Bauer was the only narrative author of history that we felt met this criteria and also represented a secular view of history. Some families may wish to skip certain sections depending on the ages and needs of their families. Elementary/Middle Grades The Story of the World, Volume 1: Ancient Times by Susan Wise Bauer (chapter 1 thru 24) The Story of the World, Activity Book 1: Ancient Times by Susan Wise Bauer
* This novel normalizes slavery, but we decided to include it, since slavery was considered normal in that time period.
** Contains elements of mythology
*** Mentions human sacrifice; use parental discretion
While this list represents the best stories from this specific time period, you will likely need to add more literature selections from our Jewish Reading List and our Secular Reading List as your children/family have time.
For those families that need/choose to add Mythology resources this year, we have created a separate page for Mythology that offers several different levels of content so you can choose the level that best meets the needs of your family.