British Middle Ages Study Program
The British Middle Ages Study Program covers the fifth to seventeenth century in the British Isles. The first six divisions cover English history from the Saxon conquest to the Glorious Revolution. The final two divisions focus on the histories of Scotland and Ireland. (~400 to 1700 AD).
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Reading Recommendations
The following books are recommended as 'core' reading assignments. The complete texts are online, or PDF and EPUB versions can be downloaded.
English History—The Heritage British Library includes dozens of student histories that cover English history at all reading levels. PDF, EPUB and online versions of all books are available so they can be downloaded read on any device. The two we recommend as 'core' reading selections for the first six units (Early Britain to Stuart Era) are:
- Our Island Story by Marshall
- Story of the English by Guerber
- Tudors and Stuarts by M.B. Synge
Scottish and Irish History—Reading recommendations for units seven and eight are short histories that focus specifically on Scotland and Ireland.
- Peeps at History — Ireland by Home
- Peeps at History — Scotland by Mitton
Advanced Students—There are many excellent supplemental texts in the British Middle Ages collection, especially among the biographies. See the Books Summaries page for biographies, legends, and simplified literature classics. Particularly interesting biographies in the collection include:
- In the Days of Alfred the Great by Eva March Tappan
- In the Days of William the Conqueror by Eva March Tappan
- Mary Queen of Scots by Jacob Abbott
- Margaret of Anjou by Jacob Abbott
- Richard I by Jacob Abbott
Additional Reading Resources—The following links provide information about additional reading options for British History.
- Book Descriptions — Short Descriptions of all books in the Heritage Library related to British history.
- Reading Assignments — Detailed, chapter-to-chapter reading assignments for each division of British history, including both "core" and supplemental suggestions.
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Study Aids
Study Aids are provided to help students review important characters and events. Some resources relate to all of British history and others to specific historical eras.
| Historical Maps | Outline Maps |
| Timeline | Major Characters |
| Wars and Battles | Era Summaries |
Study Aids organized by Historical Era
- Early Britain — Roman Conquest of Britain to First Viking Raid (43 to 800)
- Saxons and Normans — House of Wessex to Death of Stephen (800 to 1154)
- Early Plantagenets — Henry II Plantagenet to Reign of Edward III (1154 to 1350)
- Lancastrians and Yorks — Hundred Years War to War of the Roses (1337 to 1485)
- Tudors and Reformation — Henry VII Tudor to Death of Elizabeth I (1485 to 1603)
- Stuarts and Civil War — First Stuart king to Glorious Revolution (1603 to 1688)
- Scotland — Macalpine Unifies Scots to Act of Union (1403 to 1707)
- Ireland — Life of Saint Patrick to Irish Independence (450 to 1922)
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Quiz Game
The British Middle Ages History Quest program includes over 700 multiple choice questions, divided into eight subcategories. Questions are based on the Reading Recommendations listed above, but the program can used with other traditional curriculums.
Students who have never studied British History should complete the assigned reading and focus on earning "Knowledge Medals". Players who already have some knowledge of the topic can play "History Quest" by answering progressively more difficult questions across all eight divisions.
Advanced players can also compete with other history lovers by posting their scores on the British Middle Ages Leaderboard.
The History Quest quiz game is now available from the Google Play Store, and also the Microsoft WIndows Store. It will be released for Apple devices in 2021.
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Review Questions
Each of the British Middle Ages Q/A worksheets listed below includes at least 20 questions (out of 50-90 per unit) taken from the History Quest app. Answering written questions helps reinforce information learned through reading and review.
Homeschoolers or others who are studying English History can use the written worksheets along with the History Quest quiz game to help them demonstrate mastery in each division.
| Early Britain Q/A | Saxons and Normans Q/A |
| Early Plantagenets Q/A | Lancastrians and Yorks Q/A |
| Tudors and Reformation Q/A | Stuarts and Civil War Q/A |
| Scotland Q/A | Ireland Q/A |
