Snapshots of Medieval History is secular, inclusive, world history curriculum aimed at 2nd to 6th grade students
covering history from 550 to 1550 CE.

It contains 36 chapters covering history across the globe, including Imperial China, the Holy Roman Empire, the Aztec Empire, the Islamic Empire, Heian Japan, the Ghana Empire, the French and English Monarchies, the Byzantine Empire, and more.

Snapshots of Medieval History

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A mosaic of Emperor Justinian with a golden background and a red and black halo around his head. Justinian wears a multi-colored crown, two pearl earrings in each ear and blue cape attached with a large broach with an orange center and pearl decorations.

Emperor Justinian, Byzantine Empire 527 CE

A painting of Emperor Yang Guang in the center wearing black robes with red trim around his wrists and feet. He has a trimmed beard and wears a red hat. Two attendants dressed in red stand on either side of him.

Grand Canal Completed, China 605 CE

A decorative manuscript with a blue border with white flowers and a smaller golden border. The center is a bright blue background with floral decorations. IN the center are several golden shapes filled with Arabic calligraphy.

Muhammad's First Vision, Arabia 610 CE

Painting of Queen Seondeok. She wears a tall gold crown with red robes, a blue shawl, and a white skirt protruding from her robes. All parts of her outfit are trimmed in gold.

Queen Seondeok, Korea 632 CE

Archeological CGI aerial reconstruction of what Cahokia would have looked like. Clusters of small huts cover the right side of the image while large public squares cover the upper section. The left side include a large round ceremonial area.

Cahokia founded, Great Plains, North America 600s CE

Painting of Wu Zetain. She is wearing orange robes with a turquoise trim. She wears an elaborate gold crown with blue decorations.

Empress Wu Zetian, China 690 CE

A golden ring with a large square top. On top of the ring is a large three dimensional golden frog.

Ghana Empire, West Africa ~750 CE

Painting of Charlemagne wearing golden robes and cape while holding a royal scepter and large sword. Charlemagne has a long grey and white beard.

Emperor Charlemagne, Holy Roman Empire 800 CE

A manuscript page of yellowed paper with Arabic writing on it.

House of Wisdom founded, Baghdad 830 CE

A black and white illustration of Vikings invading Paris. Vikings are crowded on a small ship and point toward nearby stone walls. In the center Rurik stands covering his eyes from the sun and looking ahead. He is wearing a fur cap and large helmet.

Vikings sack Paris, France 885 CE

CGI reconstruction of what Chaco Canyon would have looked like. It shows a semi-circle shaped complex of buildings made of red stone that matches the surrounding red desert and cliffs. The center of the complex has several raised round structures. In the center is a single tall evergreen tree.

Chaco Canyon founded, Southwest, North America 900 CE

Aerial view of the stela of Axum. Several thin, tall stone stela rise up in the center. Trees fill the background.

Fall of Axum, Horn of Africa ~960 CE

Vladimir the Great is shown in a large octagon stone tub with a cross carved on the front. Vladimir has dark hair and a beard and a bare chest. A preist in golden robes with a red cross stands over him pouring water onto his head. An attendant stands by with a golden towel while other watch.

Vladimir the Great converts to Orthodox Christianity, Kievan Rus 988 CE

Murasaki Shikibu wears a white, orange, and red kimono while sitting in front of a red writing desk on a Japanese porch. A tree with red leaves is shown in the background.

Tales of Genji completed, Japan 1012 CE

A museum display showing a mannequin of Bi Sheng sitting at a round table. The table is divided into several sections each filled with small grey pieces A sign sits on top of the table with a description written in Chinese.

Moveable type invented, China 1041 CE

An illuminated manuscript showing a man in red robes sitting on a golden throne with two men wearing white and blue robes standing in front of him.

Great Schism, Europe 1054 CE

A section of the Bayeux Tapestry embroidered on cream cloth showing five soldiers carrying various supplies behind a wagon carrying spears. Two men pull the wagon.

William the Conqueror, England 1066 CE

Painting showing Christian crusaders wearing full armor with white tabards and a red cross laying their weapons at the feet of Saladin. Saladin sits underneath a red canopy. Soldier holding flags stand on either side.

The Crusades 1096–1254 CE

A wampum belt made of purple beads with white diamonds forming a triangular design in the center.

Great Law of Peace, Eastern Woodlands, North America 1142 or 1451 CE

Photograph of Angkor Wat, a large stone temple with five domes. A moat with moss is in front of the temple and a group of Buddhist monks wearing orange robes stand in the bottom right.

Angkor Wat, Cambodia 1145 CE

A stone church carved out of a solid piece of light pink rock in the shape of a cross.

King Lalibela, Ethiopia 1181 CE

A painting of Genghis Khan wearing white robes and a white hat. He has a long grey and white beard with mustache.

Genghis Khan, Mongolia 1206 CE

View of a courtyard surrounded by a stone wall with remnants of smaller walls inside the courtyard. Three trees grow along the wall.

Great Zimbabwe, East Africa 1200s CE

A section of a medieval map. In the center is a drawing of Mansa Musa, an African ruler sitting on a throne wearing white robes, a gold crown and holding a gold coin and spear.

Mansa Musa, Mali Empire, West Africa 1312 CE

View of stone courtyard with several columns joined by arches that form vaulted ceilings.

Kilwa Kisiwani, East Africa 1331 CE

Medieval History Products

There are six individual products for the Medieval History level.

These products can be purchased individually or bundled together.

Snapshots of Medieval History

The core book for Medieval History.

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Available in hardcover, softcover, and PDF.

Instructor's Guide

This guide for educators includes general book recommendations as well as chapter by chapter vocabulary, supplemental reading suggestions, hands-on activities, Minecraft building prompts, and more.

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Available in softcover and PDF.

Student's Guide

This guide for students includes vocabulary, comprehension questions, discussion questions, activity pages, coloring pages, review activities, and more.

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Available in softcover and PDF.

Cover of the Audiobook for Snapshots of Medieval History

Audiobook of Snapshots of Medieval History

The an audiobook recording voiced by professional voice actors of Snapshots of Medieval History.

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Available as a digital download only.

Photograph of a lapbook titled "America" with interactive page elements colored and glued into the lapbook about the Aztec Empire, Incan Roads, and the Haudenosaunee in the center of the lapbook.

Ted's Timeline Kit

Lapbook/Interactive Notebook Package

Materials to create your own timeline of history including a wall and notebook timeline and important date markers.

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Available as a digital download only.

Lapbook/Interactive Notebook materials for each chapter to create hands-on reinforcement and review.

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Available as a digital download only.

Medieval History Bundles

There are three curriculum bundles you can choose for Medieval History. The difference between each bundle is the physical or digital format of the books.

None of these bundles include the Lapbook/Interactive Notebook Package.

It can be added for just $10.

Curriculum Package

Hardcover of Snapshots of Medieval History
Audiobook of Snapshots of Medieval History
Softcover of Instructor's Guide
Softcover of Student Guide
Ted's Timeline Kit

Perfect for if you prefer to hold a physical copy of all the books in your hands. Add an extra Student Guide for each additional student.

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Mixed Format Curriculum Package

Softcover of Snapshots of Medieval History
Audiobook of Snapshots of Medieval History
PDF of Instructor's Guide
PDF of Student Guide
Ted's Timeline Kit

Perfect for if you are teaching multiple children and need to print extra Student Guide pages or are only selectively using pieces of the Student Guide.

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Digital

Curriculum Package

PDF of Snapshots of Medieval History
Audiobook of Snapshots of Medieval History
PDF of Instructor's Guide
PDF of Student Guide
Ted's Timeline Kit

Perfect for eco-conscious users or if you are traveling while schooling or have limited storage space.

Buy Now

Sample Week Demo

Curious what a week of Curiosity Chronicles Medieval History would look like?

The following visual walkthrough shows you a sample week. This walkthrough follows Sample Schedule H: All the Bells and Whistles from our Sample Schedules page.

This is our most extensive sample schedule. You don't have to do all these activities to successfully use Curiosity Chronicles.

Curiosity Chronicles is designed to be flexible and adaptable. You can pick and choose which aspects of the curriculum to use to design a history study that meets your unique learning situation. Check out our Sample Schedules page for ideas on simpler schedules.

Collection of all the items that could be used while doing Chapter 26 against a wooden background. In the bottom left corner Snapshots of Medieval History is open to Chapter 26: Mansa Musa's Gold Dazzles the World. In the bottom right is two piles of playdough with wooden skewers making a West African style wall. Above the playdough is a lapbook titled "Africa" with several colored interactive page elements. A long accordain fold book is open about the life of Mansa Musa. In the top left is a white t-shirt with black dirt piled on it with a metal bowl with extra dirt to the left. Above the shirt is a Student Guide book open to show a colored map of West Africa. On the top left is a collection of books about West Africa.

Visual Walkthrough of Chapter 26: Mansa Musa's
Gold Dazzles the World

Day 1: Study the Chapter

Read or listen to Chapter 26: Mansa Musa's Gold Dazzles the World

Learn about Sundiata, the first Mansa of Mali, Malian craftsmanship, the famed city of Timbuktu, the reign of Mansa Musa, and his famous hajj where the world was stunned by the golden wealth of Mali.

Snapshots of Medieval History is open to Chapter 26: Mansa Musa's Gold Dazzles the World against a wooden background.

Day 2: Reinforce Learning

Read relevant pages from general reference books and complete accompanying student pages.

Review vocabulary and comprehension questions from the chapter. Cover geography as well by completing accompanying map work. Assemble the timeline and more.

Student Activity Guide book open to show a completed crossword puzzle on the left page. On the right page is a map of West Africa with the Kingdom of Mali colored in yellow.

Day 3: Dive Deeper

Read 1–2 supplemental books.

Head to the library to grab different supplemental books for each chapter.

For this chapter, some of the options include a richly illustrated biography of Sundiata, a brief biography of the Muslim scholar and explorer Ibn Battuta who visited Mali, and a fantasy novel set in medieval West Africa.

Collection of three books about West Africa against a wooden background.

Day 4: Hands-on Learning

Complete one hands-on activity.

Select a hands-on activity from multiple options. One option for this chapter is craft using mud to dye a shirt based on bogolanfini, a traditional fabric from Mali. Another activity option is using mud or playdough and sticks to explore traditional West African building techniques. The Minecraft building prompt guides learners through building the University of Timbuktu.

Hands-on activites for chapter 26 including on the right side several colors of playdough with wooden skewers making a West African style building. On the left is a white t-shirt with black dirt piled on it with a metal bowl with extra dirt to the left.

Day 5: Summing It Up

Complete lapbook elements and one extra hands-on activity.

For this chapter, add one more element to your growing African lapbook by adding an accordion fold book about the life of Mansa Musa.

A lapbook against a wooden background titled "Africa" with several colored interactive page elements. A long accordain fold book is open about the life of Mansa Musa.

Shop Medieval History

Snapshots of Medieval History

Snapshots of Medieval History Timeline

Medieval History Products

Medieval History Bundles

Sample Week Demo

Visual Walkthrough of Chapter 26: Mansa Musa's Gold Dazzles the World

Visual Walkthrough of Chapter 26: Mansa Musa's
Gold Dazzles the World