Quarter(s): 2

Day(s): Tue

Open Spots: 0

In the 8th century CE, Western Europe was beset by hostile enemies, taking advantage of hundreds of years of disunity and decay. One king would unify the disparate and petty barbarian fiefdoms and be crowned Emperor of a new Holy Roman Empire. This quarter will focus on how Charlemagne expertly won his way to Imperial glory through shrewd negotiation and skill on countless battlefields across all the corners of Europe. Even his greatest military defeat would be immortalized in The Song of Roland, which would join the legend of King Arthur in laying down the ideals of chivalry and knighthood. Beyond the achievements of Charlemagne s conquests, the Carolingian renaissance would revolutionize written Latin, introducing such conveniences as lower case letters, and punctuation thanks to the Emperor s demand for easier communication across his entire realm.

Students will choose from among several options for their diorama: the battlefield at Pavia, Roncevaux Pass, or Sigiburg. Using artistic model-making techniques, hand tools, and historical maps, students will create a 12 X 18 diorama board, and populate it with dozens of 1:72 scale Carolingian knights for historical re-enactments. Once individual projects are constructed, students will combine their dioramas alongside those of their classmates to approximate a larger battlefield terrain. Students will spend the remainder of the quarter learning about the tactics and outcomes of the military engagement while playing a table-top strategy game. Student strategists will use a simplified version of the Fire and Fury historical war gaming rule system for moving troops and equipment. Along with their classmates, students will see how battles progressed and test different outcome scenarios that might have occurred with different battlefield choices. Course documents, such as period maps, game rules and all other instructional media will be available via a Google Drive link which will be emailed to parents.

There is a $25.00 supply fee due payable to the instructor on/before the start of classes. Topics in this series include: Viking Invastions (Quarter 1), Charlemagne, Rebuilding an Empire (Quarter 2), William the Conqueror 1066 (Quarter 3), Saladin and the Crusaders (Quarter 4).

Quarter(s): 2

Day(s): Tue

Open Spots: 0

Remember the Alamo! No? We'll fix that. The US did not always extend from sea to shining sea, and it would take several conflicts with Mexico to make that so. First was the Texas Revolution, in which Texas sought its independence from Mexico. It was this conflict that gave us the Alamo, often portrayed as a heroic last stand in the face of overwhelming odds. (That was only partially true.) Next was the Mexican-American War, in which the United States gained not only Texas, but also the California territory which included all the land from Texas to the Pacific. This class will focus heavily on US westward expansion and how the conquest of California and Texas added fuel to the eventual fire of the American Civil War.

Students will engage in a hands-on 3D battle strategy game using the military dioramas that they make! Using artistic model-making techniques, hand tools, paint, and miniatures, each student will craft a 10 X 16 diorama. In class, they will view historical maps, artistic renderings, and/or photographs to understand the topography and development of this time and place in history. Students will customize their dioramas with landforms, landscape elements, waterways, and structures to represent a scene from this period. Once individual projects are constructed, students will populate them with 1:72 scale miniature figures. Students will combine their dioramas alongside those of their classmates to approximate a larger battlefield. Students will spend the remainder of the quarter learning about the tactics and outcomes of the military engagement while playing a table-top strategy game. Student strategists will use a simplified version of the Fire and Fury historical war gaming rule system for moving troops and equipment. Along with their classmates, students will see how this battle progressed and test different outcome scenarios that might have occurred with different battlefield choices. Each student will have at least one board and set of miniatures to take home with them.

Course documents such as maps, game rules and all other instructional media will be available via a Google Drive link which will be emailed to parents. There is a $25.00 materials fee payable to the instructor on the first day of class. Topics in this year's series include: Lexington & Concord (Quarter 1); The Alamo (Quarter 2); Gettysburg (Quarter 3); and Invasion of San Juan Hill (Quarter 4)