History Odyssey: Early Modern

History Odyssey Early Modern

Grade level: 6th - 10th

Pages: 170

Course type: Study guide (See the Booklist tab for the resources required to complete this course.)

Important Notice

The Kingfisher History Encyclopedia (KFH) has become difficult to obtain. While we are hopeful a new edition will be released, there is no confirmed publication date at this time. KFH is the main reference spine for this History Odyssey course and is required for proper use.

Please make sure you have secured a copy of KFH before purchasing this History Odyssey course.

 

What Is History Odyssey: Early Modern?

History Odyssey: Early Modern (“Early Modern”) is a year-long, secular homeschool history curriculum designed for middle and high school students who are ready to work more independently.

This comprehensive course takes a multi-disciplinary approach, integrating history, language arts, and world geography. Through a combination of reading and writing assignments, mapwork, and timeline activities, students explore the Early Modern era in depth—developing academic skills and a global perspective along the way.

Because Early Modern is secular, it presents religious texts and beliefs not as factual accounts, but as historical perspectives to be analyzed and understood within context.

This course is the third in the four-part History Odyssey series (Ancients, Middle Ages, Early Modern, Modern). Each course can be completed independently, though writing, time management, and critical thinking skills advance progressively throughout the series.

What Resources and Materials Are Needed?

In addition to this study guide, you will need:

• The Kingfisher History Encyclopedia (main reference spine)
• Access to additional reference materials (library or internet)
• The History Odyssey Timeline or materials to create a large-scale timeline
• A detailed world atlas
• Colored pencils for mapwork
• 3-ring binder with dividers and lined paper
• Books from the original and/or alternative book list (see Booklist tab for complete list)

The study guide integrates all twelve books from the original book list into the course.

To broaden the historical narrative, Pandia Press has curated an alternative book list offering a wider range of world perspectives. Students may replace or supplement original selections with books from this updated list.

Who Can Use History Odyssey: Early Modern?

This course is suitable for grades 6–10, and can be used effectively in:

• Homeschool settings
• Co-ops and learning pods
• Micro-schools or charter schools

The study guide is written directly to students in clear, accessible language, encouraging independent learning with structured, self-guided lessons.

Prerequisites

Each History Odyssey course builds upon the writing and critical thinking skills developed in earlier levels.

Before starting Early Modern, students should already be comfortable with:

• Writing detailed outlines and paragraph summaries
• Composing biographies
• Writing persuasive essays

These skills are introduced and developed in History Odyssey: Ancients and Middle Ages.

Flexible Scheduling

• The course contains 89 lessons, each designed to be completed in 1–2 sittings.
• Students will need approximately 2 hours per session, 3–4 days per week, to complete the course within one school year.
• The schedule can flex and adjust to meet the needs of students and families.

Lessons are adaptable—teachers, parents, and students can tailor assignments to individual skill levels, pacing, and interests.

What Material Does Early Modern Cover?

The Early Modern curriculum covers the period from approximately 1600 to 1850 CE and is divided into two major units:

1. Trade and Rebellion — examining global connections, colonization, and early revolutions.
2. Revolutions Around the World — exploring how revolutionary ideas reshaped nations and societies.

Major areas of study include:

• The English Civil War
• The transatlantic slave trade
• The Agricultural, Industrial, and Scientific Revolutions
• The American, French, and Latin American Revolutions
• Japanese isolationism
• The Opium Wars in China
• The formation and growth of the United States

What Skills Will Students Learn in This Course?

Through History Odyssey: Early Modern, students will strengthen:

• Analytical reading and comprehension of complex historical texts
• Evidence-based writing across multiple formats
• Critical thinking and argument development
• Independent study and time management
• World geography and timeline awareness
• Cross-cultural understanding and contextual reasoning

Important Copyright Information

If you choose the eBook version of this course, you are purchasing a license to use the PDF for your own children. You may make copies for your own children, but you may not share (email, download, print and distribute, resell, etc.) this eBook or any portion of this eBook to others. Licensing is available for group, school, and co-op use. Please contact Pandia Press for details on group licensing (info@pandiapressbooks.com).