Join this 4-week project-based literature and American history course using Joan Stromberg’s excellent Glory of America series. Help your middle school student study the historical context of the book and participate in engaging literature discussions and hands-on projects. 

Special Notes: If you want all of your children to study American history together, this course fits into our 4-year History Cycle (matching grade school, middle school, and high school courses).

Total Classes: 4

Class Dates: Thursdays, February 27 to March 27, 2025. (No class March 6th)

Starting Time: 10:00 AM Eastern (9:00 Central; 8:00 Mountain; 7:00 Pacific)

Duration: 30 minutes per class

Prerequisite: None

Suggested Grade Level: 3^rd to 6^th grade

Suggested Credit: 1/2 semester American Literature or Literature. Precede with Kat Finds a Friend: Living History Through Literature to receive one full semester of credit.

Fee: For all 4 classes: $67 if you register on or before November 15. $87 after Nov. 15.  (Registration closes one week before the first day of class. After that date, registrations are not guaranteed. There is a $20 surcharge for late enrollments after the course is closed.)

Instructor: Mandi Gette, MA, MAS

Course Description: Living History Through Literature is a project-based course series. These courses weave the study of literature into a meaningful and engaging encounter with a specific era of history. In Thomas Finds a Treasure, we meet Thomas and Fr. John Neumann of Williamsville, New York. It’s 1836, and Catholic persecution is rampant. The Erie Canal has just been completed, and Thomas’ Bohemian immigrant father helped to build the Canal. This is a story of bravery, friendship, family, and dignity. 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 lapbooks, 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; Literary Devices; Analysis

Class 3: Literature Discussion; Cultural Overview; Project Ideas; Analysis

Class 4: Literature Discussion; Fiction Writing Tips; Analysis

Course Materials: Thomas Finds a Treasure, a Saint John Neumann Story by Joan Stromberg, ISBN-10: 0966468929; ISBN-13: 978-0966468922

(https://catalog.beholdpublications.com/). 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.

©2025 Homeschool Connections and Jackie de Laveaga, M.Ed. All rights reserved. This course is designed by Jackie de Laveaga, M.Ed.

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