On this site, we'll offer you FREE SAMPLES of a proven home school curriculum unlike any other, one that home school students are excited to do, and which truly educate a student. We email you your home school courses within one working day, as MS Word documents. Great home school courses await you in world history, American civics, sciences, creative writing and the arts, designed to make your home school student truly win at education.
WE KNOW YOU OR YOUR STUDENT WILL SUCCEED WITH OUR HOME SCHOOL CURRICULUM! WE'RE SO CERTAIN, WE WILL EMAIL YOU OUR HOME SCHOOL CREATIVE WRITING STARTER COURSE, A $60.00 VALUE, FOR FREE, TODAY! JUST GO TO THE TOP RIGHT CORNER OF THIS SITE, CLICK THE LINK THERE, FILL IN THE CONTACT INFO AND UNDER COMMENTS, TELL US "SEND ME MY FREE CREATIVE WRITING COURSE!" WE BELIEVE THAT, AFTER YOU DO A CONNECT THE THOUGHTS HOME SCHOOL COURSE, YOU'LL COME BACK TO US FOR YOUR HOME SCHOOL EDUCATIONAL NEEDS!
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AN OPEN LETTER TO PARENTS
IS THERE ANYTHING A PARENT HAS TO GET RIGHT THAT IS MORE IMPORTANT THAN THEIR CHILDREN'S EDUCATION? That's why you've come to this site, isn't it? You're looking. Many of you are looking because you're unhappy with schools or curricula you've used. Many of you have decided you want more control over what your children are learning. In many cases, your children have not been challenged or assisted by available curricula, or were not taught or expected to think for themselves, a skill they will have to master to survive. We understand.
For those of you who have decided to home school, we commend you. Home schooling is a big job! CONNECT THE THOUGHTS is a curriculum that was written just for you. It consists of over 100 specialized study guides in Creative Writing, History, Science, various arts and related areas. These were authored over a five year period, over 8,000 hours of painstaking research and labor. This curriculum has, over the past five years, been thoroughly piloted in home school and school situations, and has been used successfully by hundreds of students, ages nine to adults. It is based on ancient and proven ideas in education (many abandoned by educators today), but is current and entirely "of this world". It is a curriculum that constantly asks the student to evaluate the information for themselves, and USE the information in life, so it has immediate application.
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TO PURCHASE OUR HIGH SCHOOL COURSE ON EARLY CIVILIZATIONS (including the history of the peoples and religions of the early Middle East), PLEASE GO TO THE UPPER RIGHT CORNER OF THIS SITE, OR USE THE LINKS BELOW TO DISCOVER THE MANY COURSES WE OFFER!
Click here to order Lower School (ages 9-10) courses for home school use!
Click here to order Upper School (ages 11-adult) courses for home school use!
Welcome to
CONNECT THE THOUGHTS!
Where a High School home school student
can learn about the history
of the Ancient Middle East!
These students are each holding a Presidential Recognition for Academic Achievement Award, presented to them in 2003. They won this award in the first year of Connect The Thought’s existence, and as home schoolers. This is an award sponsored by the Department of Education, intended to recognize academic accomplishment.
HERE’S WHAT HOME SCHOOL PARENTS, TEACHERS AND STUDENTS
HAVE TO SAY ABOUT
CONNECT THE THOUGHTS™!
H. is about done with Greece (Upper School History III). One neat thing was (when she was studying) about geometry and the golden mean. She is studying geometry this year for math and was really able to understand how the Greeks approached this and what they contributed. Certainly made math more meaningful!
Your courses have had a great impact on us and we've learned so much from them. I am so appreciative for all you've done for us.
A.B., Parent
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Connect The Thoughts has increased my children’s interest in their studies and has become my one of their favorite subjects. It's rather amazing to hear a 12 year old discuss the Popul Vu as if knowledge of it were a matter of course. Or to hear my children discussing amongst themselves the philosophy of non-violent resistance after studying Gandhi, with great understanding of it.
I feel that they can now look at something like today's news and see how history is essentially repeating itself in many ways. This will serve them well in the future the ability to study and understand the varying viewpoints on this subject increases a child's awareness of and communication with their environment as the material is readily absorbed and easily applied to the world at large.
The entire purpose of an education should be application to the everyday world. I feel that this program really forwards this concept and makes the subject of history into a living study since it incorporates all the other elements - Art, Science and Religion - necessary to really understand History and to connect it to life by having the data on the timeline of events on the past but taught in such a way as to truly become part of a child's education
M.G., mother
To read many more success stories about Connect The Thoughts, click here.
The Middle East has for thousands of years been a concentrated point where history is shaped. Many civilizations arose in the Middle East, including ancient Sumeria (in Iraq), and the ancient Hebrews of the Old Testament. This course covers these civilizations thoroughly!
We'll tell you about Connect The Thought's High School home school Early Civilizations History course (and offer you a free sample!), and other Upper School History courses, in a moment, but first, here are some links you can use to find out more about us and our courses, and to purchase courses.
To find out a lot more about CTT, go to our site at connectthethoughts.org
To purchase an Upper School (ages 11-adult) course, click here.
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ABOUT OUR HISTORY COURSES
Connect The Thoughts is divided into LOWER SCHOOL HOME SCHOOL COURSES for 9-10 year olds and older students who are challenged by advanced reading requirements, and UPPER SCHOOL HOME SCHOOL COURSES for 11 year-olds to adults.
We present history in the order that it happened. We consider that a study of history should include a thorough study of religion, philosophy, science, politics, art, and all the related experiences mankind knows as "life". We do not believe these studies should be isolated from each other, but should rather be experienced as a continuity, as they are in life.
Below is a description of our full Upper School history curriculum.
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UPPER SCHOOL HISTORY II - EARLY CIVILIZATIONS
The second history course covers the beginnings of civilization, including Mesopotamia and Sumeria (ancient Iraq), Ancient Egypt, Cultures of the Middle East including the ancient Hebrews, China and India. This course integrates History, Geography, Philosophy, Art, Literature, Economics, Politics, Science and Religion to create an honest and involving view of the start of civilization.
The beginnings of early religions are covered extensively, including Buddhism, Hinduism, Taoism, Confucianism, Judaism, Zoroastrianism, and Jainism. The earliest dawning of science is studied. The first literature and art is looked at. The Old Testament is covered through film and reading. The first laws and social contracts are reviewed. In short, the beginning of nearly every area of human endeavor is researched and understood. And in every case, the student relates the studied materials to his own life, discovering ways to make history, science and religion real and useable.
In covering a religion, the student reads about that religion’s birth, its beliefs and practices from materials belonging to that religion. Then, he attends services or ceremonies regarding that religion. The student interviews people who practice that faith, and asks them a prepared list of questions, such as “Why do you practice this religion?”; “What about your religion could society benefit from today”; etc.
In studying the first motions of science, the student often re-creates in simple ways the methods used by the original discoverers. Students develop their own theories based on observation, and use science as it was originally used. The student develops his own view of each science, as he experiences first hand that area of study.
The first method of writing is looked at. The student even recreates the method of the first writings, in clay, with a sharpened tool. The first great architecture is studied, in reading, photos and in documentaries. The first laws ever written are reviewed, and re-written by the student to be more effective. The student is constantly asked to compare thoughts and beliefs, looking for relative values.
This is a lengthy course, sometimes requiring over a semester. It comes with a related materials list, and the purchase of the University level textbook Civilization Past & Present, Tenth Edition (not included, but now available used on many internet sites) is required, along with securing access to several other books and films, all carefully listed and priced in the “Added Materials” section of the attached materials. (Civilization Past & Present will be used extensively in every history course to follow in the Connect The Thoughts Upper School Program.)
The course comes with related written materials, tests and answer keys. The result of this course will be a student who knows where and how civilization, and most of our beliefs and institutions, started. The student will understand the genesis of much of our law, science, government, economics, religion, art, literature and architecture. He will be able to understand and evaluate this information, and use it to improve current conditions in life. This course also comes with a teacher’s guide. This course requires additional materials not provided by CTT, including a book or books, and possible DVDs or CDs.
| Hours to Complete | Cost Of Course | |
| 110-140 hours | $100.00 |
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UPPER SCHOOL HISTORY II,
EARLY CIVILIZATIONS:
(CPP, mentioned below, is the book Civilization, Past & Present, 10th edition)
190. LOCATE: in CPP, the
191. FULLY UNDERSTAND THE WORDS:
Diplomacy- The art of compromise in politics, the art of negotiating terms
Momentous- Of great importance.
Old Testament-The first part of the Bible, telling the story of the Hebrew
Divine Inspiration- Inspired by God.
Patriarchal- “Father-like” male leader.
Genesis- The first book in the Old Testament.
Accuracy- Correctness of information.
Famine- A period when there is little food available.
Covenant- An agreement between two or more parties.
Yahweh- The Hebrew God.
Liberator- A person who sets others free, usually a nation or large group.
Account- The telling of a story.
Contend- Fight, deal with.
Confederacy- An alliance between groups.
Visited- To inflict with, or let loose on.
Affirmed- Proven true and stated as so.
Remains- What’s left when people have died or moved on.
Exodus- The book in the Bible that tells the story of the Jews leaving
(As you saw in the film The Ten Commandments.)
Exercised- Used.
Fruitful- To bear fruit; to have many children.
Subdue- Conquer, push down.
Entrusted- Having been trusted with.
Ward Off- Push away, protect against.
Tyranny- The cruel use of power in order to rule.
Undercut- Cut away from underneath, like knocking someone down by
Domain- An enclosed area or a house.
Chapel- A place of worship.
Standing Army- An army always ready to fight.
Complex- A group of buildings that are all a part of one area of operation.
Dissension- Spoken disagreements.
Statutes- Laws.
Legitimacy- Legally real and true.
Validated- Proven to be true.
Deprived- To have had something taken away.
Captivity- Slavery.
Residing- Living at or in.
Adherence- The quality of “sticking with” something, not giving up on it.
192. READ AND FULLY UNDERSTAND:
in CPP, The Hebrew Kingdoms, pages 28-30
193. DRAW: Why are Hebrews, Israelites, and Jews all the same thing?
194. DRAW: God’s covenant with the Hebrew people, in two ways:
What God promised to do for the Hebrews.
What the Hebrews promised to do for their God.
195. EXERCISE:
Why would archaeologists have a disagreement with the Bible? What proofs
196. DRAW: Why the Hebrew people prayed for a King, when they were
197. EXERCISE:
When do you think a country would need a very strong leader? A government
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ALL OUR UPPER SCHOOL HISTORY COURSES
History Courses in the Upper School CONNECT THE THOUGHTS curriculum are for literate students of at least 11 years of age. These courses are intended to be done 1-2 hours a day, five days a week, until completed.
NOTE- There are MANY materials needed in conjunction with each course, including the textbook Civilization, Past & Present 10th Edition, and many films. These are the home-schoolers responsibility to secure, but we do provide available locations and the best prices we could find, in a list included in "Added Materials" section of each course.
UPPER SCHOOL HISTORY COURSES OVERVIEW
History (including a very complete study of politics, religion and philosophy) for Upper School is a very thorough four year program, comprised of eleven courses, including an American Civics course. The main book in Upper School is the university-level textbook, Civilization Past & Present, 10th edition. This book is not “Western Centric”, but rather, makes the global progress of all civilization its main theme. Students learn history in a linear manner, everything right where it belongs in time and space, from start to today. They learn about each religion thoroughly as they arrive at that point in history, going to temples, churches and mosques, and speaking to worshipers as part of their studies. This removes the “unknown” quality to religion, and makes others more easily accepted by the student.
Students watch many documentaries and films as part of their history studies, each one broken down just as their reading materials are! A student who completes these courses is going to really understand who we are and how things became the way they are!
The next-to-final history course is largely based on Will and Ariel Durant’s The Lessons of History. The student will decide for himself what he has learned studying history, what was and is important, and how he can use what he knows, today. Then he will do a survey to discover the condition of the world, to this minute. He’ll research how many wars are being fought and where and how, he’ll discover where there is poverty and hunger, and where there is not. He’ll look at what modern civilization prizes, and what it is discarding…and then he’ll act on the information as he sees fit.
To purchase an Upper School (ages 11-adult) course, click here.
UPPER SCHOOL HISTORY I - PRE-HISTORY
Integrating subjects generally not taught in a unified manner (History, Geography, Philosophy, Art, Politics, Economics, Science and Religion), this first course takes the student on a journey through many of mankind’s most important concepts of where the Universe and our planet came from, and how we came to be. This course covers scientific, philosophical and religious theories of creation, and of the development of mankind. Without bias, the course delivers to the student in a thorough and easily understood manner, conflicting (or seemingly conflicting) concepts about the world he lives in, and then allows the student himself to determine what he wishes to accept or reject.
The course makes use of various books and films. THE FILMS NEEDED TO DO THE COURSE ARE NOT INCLUDED IN THE MATERIALS SOLD, AND MUST BE PURCHASED SEPARATELY. (This particular course uses no text book, and can be started immediately.)
An included Teacher’s Guide contains a copy of the five tests to be taken during the course, and the answer guide for each test. The Teacher’s Guide contains materials which can help the instructor get a student through difficulties they may encounter.
This course is the shortest of the Study Guides for history. The students who first tested this course almost always scored at 95% and better on their tests, on subject matter which many adults would unquestionably flounder. This course requires no additional materials.
| Hours to Complete | Cost Of Course | |
| 55-70 hours | $50.00 | |
UPPER SCHOOL HISTORY III - GREECE
The third history course covers the amazing story of the birth of Western Civilization. Most of the political, scientific, philosophical and artistic ideas that occupy the Western World today began in Greece, 2,500 years ago.
The student learns about the beginnings of Western Science, and through various exercises, walks in the footsteps of those first brilliant and inquisitive Greeks. The study and inquiry into the heavens, Earth, life in general and mankind in specific was a province of the Greeks. The first astronomers questioned the nature of the stars and planets. The first biologists looked for the first time at the living world around them, with an eye for more profound questions than "what's edible". The first mathematicians created much of the basic tapestry of numbers and quantities we are still using today. The student pulls back the curtain separating him from his distant, creative Western fathers, and walks at their side, taking from them much that may be useful today.
The most influential philosophers in Western culture prior to the twentieth century, Socrates, Plato and Aristotle, are studied. The student compares and contrasts, looking for the best and brightest ideas, those most useable today.
Greece was the first “Democracy”, and this remarkable experiment in government is considered. The Greek passion for art is explored. The invention of theatre is looked at in detail, from the dawn of acting with “Thespis”, the first actor, through the invention of tragedy and comedy, the artistic forms that still guide performing artists today. Greek architecture, the monumental works such as amphitheatres and the Parthenon, are studied. The student is exposed to the beginning of all Western literature with the Iliad and the Odyssey, the wondrous works of the first story-teller, Homer.
The life of perhaps history’s greatest general, Alexander, is reviewed in detail, in writing and film. This takes the student on a tour of the Middle East into Asia and Africa, just as the genius of Greek civilization was spreading through the globe. The student studies elements of Alexander’s campaigns, and determines for himself whether or not he would have done what Alexander did. Additionally, the student studies both Athens and Sparta, the two significant and very different Greek city-states, in detail.
Upon completing this course, the student will have journeyed through and come to understand the very beginnings of Western science, art, history and philosophy.
In addition to the above, on this course the student starts to use the inter-active computer program from Zane, called History Through Art (not included). This splendid program shows art from the period up close, with lots of simple explanations of what the student is looking at, and how the art relates to history.
This extensive course takes around a semester. It comes with the Study Guide, Teacher’s Guide, Tests and answer keys, along with a list of additional materials that must be purchased or borrowed, and detailed information to assist in this endeavor. This course requires additional materials not provided by CTT, including a book or books, and possible DVDs or CDs.
| Hours to Complete | Cost Of Course | |
| 120-150 hours | $100.00 | |
To find out more about CTT courses, click here.
To find out a lot more about CTT, click here.
To order Upper School Courses, click here.
UPPER SCHOOL HISTORY IV - ROME
The fourth history course brings to life the longest-lived empire in Western history. The greatest experiments in government and world rule are deeply looked in to. The lives of perhaps the most important figures in Western Civilization are studied.
This extensive course provides a thorough overview not only to Rome, but to Christianity, and to the various forces which surrounded Rome during its 1,000 years as an Empire. The lives and words of Caesar and Christ are studied. The great spokesmen of Rome such as Cicero, are read and considered. The Roman ways of life, or war, of art and literature and architecture, are all studied. The dome, the aqueduct, the Forum and the Coliseum are examined and appreciated. Even works inspired by Roman History, such as Shakespeare’s play Julius Caesar, are examined.
The course extensively uses selected sections from The Classical Roman Reader (not included), an easily found compilation of the best writings from the greatest of Roman thinkers and figures. Their art and architecture is given full view in Zane’s History Through Art (not included). Roman theatre is read, and the student experiences first hand what a Roman actor experienced. All materials are firmly integrated into a comprehensive, powerful learning experience.
The course also covers the history of both India and China, during the crucial Roman period in world development. The surrounding forces that shaped the Fall of Rome, including the Germanic tribes of Northern Europe, are considered in detail.
When finished, a student will have developed a thorough appreciation and understanding of this greatest of Empires, both its strengths and its failings. And he will relate these to his own society, in way of evaluating how we’re doing today.
The course comes with the Study Guide, and a Teacher’s Guide with tests and answer keys. It contains articles and added materials that enhance the student’s understanding of this most important turning point in Western History. This course requires additional materials not provided by CTT, including a book or books, and possible DVDs or CDs.
| Hours to Complete | Cost Of Course | |
| 140-170 hours | $100.00 | |
UPPER SCHOOL HISTORY V - THE MEDIEVAL ERA
The fifth massive history course covers over 1,000 years of world history. From the expansion of the Catholic Church, to the explosion into history of Muhammad and the birth of Islam, from the mysteries of ancient Byzantium to the ancient civilizations of Africa and Asia, from the growth of new nations and powerful rulers in Europe and their battle with religious leaders for ultimate power, the student witnesses our modern world start to take shape.
The start of law and government as we practice them today are first represented in this course. Universities come into being for the first time in history. Plagues, feudalism, castles and crusades…the entire panoply of medieval life is explored by the student. The course includes the use of many films and multi-media materials which further enhance the students study of this long and vital period, one of the most brutal and yet beautiful in the history of human civilization.
Again, this course is built around Civilization Past & Present, as well as many other texts and films. Your student will understand clearly upon completing this course, many of the movements and pressures that made (and make) our “modern” world. This course requires additional materials not provided by CTT, including a book or books, and possible DVDs or CDs.
| Hours to Complete | Cost Of Course | |
| 110-140 hours | $100.00 | |
UPPER SCHOOL HISTORY VI - THE THREES "R"S
(The Reformation, Renaissance and Restoration)
Upper School History VI covers the European Reformation, Renaissance, Restoration, and the Enlightenment, leading up to and including essential information on the foundations of the American Revolution. One of the most glorious and bloody periods in history, Shakespeare and Luther, Queen Elizabeth and Cromwell, Henry VIII, Columbus and Galileo all come to life, as Europe awakens to its cultural and nationalistic future. This course requires additional materials not provided by CTT, including a book or books, and possible DVDs or CDs.
| Hours to Complete | Cost Of Course | |
| 130-170 hours | $100.00 | |
UPPER SCHOOL HISTORY VII - AMERICAN CIVICS
NOTE - Upper School History VII is our American Civics course, and is not applicable outside the United States. Students outside the United States would skip Upper School History VII, and go to History VIII. THIS COURSE IS WRITTEN TO STAND ALONE FOR THE STUDENT WHO ONLY WISHES TO STUDY AMERICAN CIVICS.
Our nation's founding and rules have rarely been made more germane and involving than in this course, which is an “owner’s manual for Americans”, and the student (or adult) who completes it will never look at their nation in an indifferent or ineffective way again.
In this course, the student is given a simple history of America, and the revolution that set us apart from England. The student intently studies and rewrites the Declaration of Independence and the Paris Treaty. He studies several of the Federalist Papers, written by John Adams, Alexander Hamilton and John Jay, the most significant argument we possess for the acceptance of our form of government.
The Constitution is broken down article by article, and each article is considered by the student for its current and historical effectiveness. Each article is then rewritten by the student as deemed needed to make it more useful and appropriate for the times.
All American holidays and their history are studied, and the usefulness and current appropriateness of each holiday is determined by the student. The same is done with the Pledge of Allegiance.
Prominent American speeches are reviewed for their current effect on the nation and on the student’s own life, including Martin Luther King’s “I Have A Dream” speech, and Lincoln’s “Gettysburg Address”. The student even fills out an actual form to run for President of the United States.
This course, with the exception of a few films, comes complete. The course will take a semester, and will result in a student who understands the American form of government, how it should work, how it does work, how it fails, and how it might be corrected. This course requires additional materials not provided by CTT, including a book or books, and possible DVDs or CDs.
| Hours to Complete | Cost Of Course | |
| 150-200 hours | $130.00 | |
UPPER SCHOOL HISTORY VIII - REVOLUTIONS AND NATIONS
From the late 1700s to the start of WWI, an extraordinarily active period in world history is examined, when the world we understand and live in largely came to be. The student intensively studies the French Revolution, Napoleon, Impressionism, changes in music that resulted in much of the greatest classical composition of all time, and the expansion of European powers through the world. This course requires additional materials not provided by CTT, including a book or books, and possible DVDs or CDs.
| Hours to Complete | Cost Of Course | |
| 120-140 hours | $100.00 |
UPPER SCHOOL HISTORY IX - WORLD WARS AND THE TWENTY-FIRST CENTURY
World Wars I and II are covered in all their frightening details. The creation of the bomb, the march of science and technology, the space race and men landing on the moon, international efforts to deal with racism and communism, the Cold War...the most active period in all history is found here in detail, bringing the student up to 2005. This course requires additional materials not provided by CTT, including a book or books, and possible DVDs or CDs.
| Hours to Complete | Cost Of Course | |
| 130-150 hours | $100.00 | |
UPPER SCHOOL HISTORY X - THE LESSONS OF HISTORY
UPPER SCHOOL HISTORY XI - HISTORY COMPLETION
The final (tenth/eleventh) courses in the Upper School History program, these courses bring up to date, and complete the student’s education...and immediately starts putting it to use.
In The Lessons of History, the student authors essays covering areas they've learned about in their studies, such as how mankind and governments work (or don't work), the impact of religion on man, of geography on civilization, and so on. They then compare their opinions to those of Will and Ariel Durant, American historians. The Durants authored a brief book near the end of their lives, The Lessons of History, which explained what they had learned from a lifetime of research. The student’s own educated opinions are compared (by the student) to the Durant's, to fill any holes in their studies, and to further develop their own perspective. This course is a rich experience, which will actively develop the student’s understanding and view of history and what is has to offer the modern world.
History Completion exposes the student to the series of six documentaries entitled Legacy, featuring historian Michael Wood. He brings his camera (and the student) to the modern sites of the remains of ancient civilizations around the world. The student gets a clear and graphic vision of what happens to civilizations after they fail, throughout the world. It is a stunning, breathtaking journey, accompanied by unique, potent exercises throughout.
The second part of this course is largely about research and "focus". In a series of carefully designed exercises, the student locates those places on Earth that, today, are suffering from hunger, war, pestilence, suppressive political systems...and those places where thriving civilizations are at work. They secure for themselves a view of what ails and worries Mother Earth and her children, such as terrorism, global warming, over-population, and the erosion of the ozone layer. They get a clear view of the world as it is right now. Then, they're asked to select the one problem that they would most like to work on to handle. They develop a step-by-step plan...and then they start!
This, combined with a completion of their science and creative writing studies, marks the end of their education in Connect The Thoughts! Around a semester of study. These two courses are only sold together. These courses requires additional materials not provided by CTT, including a book or books, and possible DVDs or CDs.
| Hours to Complete | Cost Of Course | |
| 120-180 hours | $250.00 |
To find out more about CTT courses, click here.
To look at samples of Science, History and Creative Writing Courses, click here.
To find out more about CTT courses, click here.
To find out a lot more about CTT, click here.
To order Upper School Courses, click here.