Chapter Book for Grades 1 to 6
Pages: 516
Grade level: 1st through 4th grade as a read-aloud; 5th grade+ as an independent read
Book type: Narrative history chapter book with hand-drawn black and white illustrations and maps
Author: Lisa Hawkins
Through rich and exciting narrative, special History Hop! sections, and hand-drawn illustrations, History Quest: Early Times chapter book takes you on a journey into the past to experience the rise and fall of ancient civilizations and empires.
What is History Quest: Early Times?
History Quest: Early Times is a secular homeschool history chapter book focusing on the years between the Paleolithic period through the 8th century CE. Because it is secular, the text presents religious beliefs from that period not as factual accounts, but as relevant sources and perspectives to be considered through a historical lens.
Through rich and exciting narrative, special History Hop! sections, and hand-drawn illustrations, our History Quest: Early Times chapter book takes you on a journey into the past to experience the rise and fall of ancient civilizations and empires. You’ll visit faraway places to meet and learn from the stories of everyday folks, famous world leaders, and even a few mythological characters.
Designed as a read-aloud for elementary-age children, an independent read for older students, or a journey of exciting adventures to be shared during family story time, this main text of the History Quest: Early Times curriculum presents an immersive study of history in an engaging and memorable format.
Used alongside the History Quest: Early Times Study Guide and other recommended resources, your students will gain a deep understanding of the ideas, events, and individuals that shaped early civilizations in the ancient world and take their first step in a life-long quest to explore and appreciate history.
What Material Does History Quest: Early Times Cover?
Students will learn about events that occurred from the pre-historic Paleolithic period to approximately 700 CE. Major areas of study include:
- Paleolithic and Neolithic Times
- Earliest Civilizations
- Ancient Egypt
- The Andes Mountain Civilizations
- Mesoamerica
- Babylon, Assyria, and Persia
- The Hebrews and Phoenicians
- Ancient Greece
- India
- The Roman Empire
- Ancient China
- Arabia and the Rise of the Islamic Empire
Who Can Use History Quest: Early Times?
History Quest: Early Times is appropriate for elementary-aged children learning at home or in co-ops, learning pods, micro-schools, or charter schools. First through fifth graders can use the chapter book as their primary history spine, either as a read aloud or by reading independently.
History Quest: Early Times - Grades 1-6
At the end of each chapter, you will find a History Hop! section that takes the reader on an imaginary journey back in time to visit historical characters and places introduced during that chapter.
Below are a few of the adventures you’ll find in Early Times History Hops:
Paleolithic Times
Share in a campfire breakfast with a Paleolithic family.
Ancient China
Enjoy teatime with the legendary Silk Mother, Empress Leizu (lay-ZOO).
Classical Greece
Chat with “Simon the Shoemaker” and Socrates at the Agora in Athens.
The History Quest: Early Times Study Guide is a comprehensive and engaging, full-year secular history curriculum for elementary-age children. Designed to be used with the History Quest: Early Times chapter book and other resources, it provides 31 weeks of creative, hands-on activities, literature suggestions, geography study, discussions, and writing assignments that help bring history to life.
Day 1 Discover
Discover the story of human history from the Paleolithic period to approximately 700 CE. Read the corresponding History Quest: Early Times chapter, and map the locations of the ancient civilizations you are studying.
Day 2 Explore
Explore ancient culture and civilizations through imaginary time travel journeys with the History Hop! pages in the History Quest chapter book. Create History Travel Logs to mark and remember your journeys
Day 3 Create
Create crafts, complete projects, and try recipes that reinforce connection to the past. Make a Paleolithic painting, cook a meal Ashoka would have loved, create an eggshell Byzantine mosaic, make a Roman clock, and much more!
Day 4 Demostrate
Demonstrate new knowledge and understanding through weekly writing, discussion, copy work, and/or dictation assignments.
Day 5 Enrich
Enrich understanding of the time period through exposure to multiple sources, including books, online games, and videos. Read from the suggested literature enrichment list and visit websites found on the Pandia Weblinks page.