Ancient History Second Semester Curriculum (Young Adult Edition): Thoughtful, Hands-On History for High School Students

Continue your students’ thoughtful exploration of the ancient world with the second semester of our Ancient History Curriculum (Young Adult Edition). This creative and critical program takes high school learners through nine more fascinating civilizations, from Alexander the Great’s vast empire to the powerful kingdom of Ancient Ghana.

This stand-alone package includes nine themed boxes, each packed with immersive, hands-on activities, advanced lesson plans, reading lists, and educator resources. Perfect for homeschool families, independent study, or classrooms earning high school credit, this curriculum encourages students to engage critically with the people, cultures, and ideas that shaped history.

What’s Inside?

This package includes nine engaging boxes, each with creative projects, deeper historical context, and mature discussion prompts to help students ages 16+ analyze and reflect on history:

1. Phoenicia: Sail to the merchant civilization of the Phoenicians! Make papyrus, learn the art of dyeing fabric, and write your name in an ancient script.
2. Scythians: Ride the steppes of Ancient Russia and Asia with the Scythians! Sew a warm wool hat, learn the art of gold leaf, and discover the origins of Amazon warriors and centaur monsters.
3. Alexander the Great: Watercolor Alexander’s empire, own your own action figure, and find out why you’re glad we have modern medicine!
4. Athens: Study with Plato in ancient Greece, learn the allegory of The Cave, construct a mobile with Plato’s geometric solids, and enjoy stickers featuring some of Plato’s most quotable quotes.
5. Mauryan Empire: Meet the man whose change of heart brought peace to the Mauryan empire in Ancient India! Make your own stick incense, decorate with rangoli stencils, own your own hand-carved wooden stamp, and read from Ashoka the Great’s writings.
6. China: See the beginning of The Great Wall in Ancient China, paint a terracotta warrior, fly an ancient style of kite, relax with a cup of tea, and make a magnetic compass.
7. Julius Caesar: Find out why so many people loved or hated this notorious individual. Listen to a perfectly abridged version of Shakespeare’s play, weave a laurel wreath, and own your own replica Roman coin.
8. Pompeii: Visit the Roman resort of Pompeii… just don’t stay for too long! Learn to tile a mosaic, make a Roman wax tablet, explore the ancient graffiti of Pompeii, bake bread from a 2000 year old recipe, and own your own volcanic rock.
9. Ghana Empire: Visit the richest kingdom in the ancient world: Ancient Ghana! Practice the art of oral storytelling, weave on a circle loom, and find out why salt was worth its weight in gold and how to use it to preserve food!

Each box offers hands-on projects, in-depth historical context, and educator prompts that help students connect creatively and critically with history.

Why Choose Our Ancient History Curriculum?

This secular, high school-level curriculum combines creativity with critical thinking, helping students experience history through hands-on projects while exploring its deeper meaning. Students are encouraged to analyze complex narratives, reflect on ethical questions, and draw connections between past and present.

Everything you need is included: supplies, directions, historical context, and advanced educator prompts. You can focus on teaching while your students engage meaningfully with the richness of the past.

Product Details

• Includes nine themed boxes with advanced lesson plans, reading lists, and educator resources

• Covers one semester of ancient history at a high school level

• Designed for students ages 16+ / grades 10–12

• Secular, inclusive, and adaptable for homeschool, classroom, or independent learning

• Please see our FAQs for additional information

Bring the ancient world to life for your students with the Ancient History Second Semester Curriculum (Young Adult Edition) for a thoughtful, hands-on way to explore history’s earliest stories. Order today and inspire curiosity and critical thinking!