Middle Ages & Renaissance for High School

AVAILABLE SPRING 2027
Without Doors: Middle Ages & Renaissance for High School is a unique Charlotte Mason curriculum that is simple to implement, yet rich in content. It is designed to streamline the high school experience of studying the Middle Ages, Renaissance, and Reformation.

Without Doors: Middle Ages & Renaissance for High School includes twenty-eight weeks of lessons in Bible, history, geography, citizenship, literature, poetry, nature study, artist study, composer study, and hymns for high school students. The content is coordinated around the Middle Ages, Renaissance, and Reformation, creating a rich, immersive experience and a harmony of lessons. The lessons are clearly laid out in a weekly plan.

A Charlotte Mason education is a rich experience for students and families. Ms. Mason inspires parents to spread a generous educational feast before their children.

Without Doors: Middle Ages & Renaissance for High School facilitates good habits in narration, nature journaling, map-drawing, keeping a Book of Centuries, keeping a Commonplace Book, and recitation. This effortless curriculum will bring joy and freedom to your student!

  • Student Supplies
    Commonplace Book
    Nature Diary (blank pages)
    Narration Notebook (dedicated notebook)
    Nature Journal
    The Book of Centuries
    Thin Sharpie
    Travel Watercolor Set

    Book List
    1493 For Young People: From Columbus's Voyage to Globalization, by Charles C. Mann
    In Their Words, by Notgrass
    Ourselves, by Charlotte Mason
    Plutarch’s Lives, by Plutarch
    Rand McNally's Historical Atlas of the World, 6th Edition
    Saints and Heroes: Volume One, by George Hodges
    Saints and Heroes: Volume Two, by George Hodges
    The Hidden Life of Trees, by Peter Wohlleben
    The Laws Guide to Nature Drawing and Journaling, by John Muir Laws
    The Story of Mankind, by Hendrik Willem Van Loon (Updated Edition by Robert Sullivan)
    Then Sings My Soul, by Robert J. Morgan

    Literature Book List
    *Choose 4-6 book selections for your student from the list provided in the curriculum. Parental guidance required due to mature themes/graphic content in some of the books.

    Optional Complementary Resources
    Famous Men of the Middle Ages, but Rob Shearer
    Mansa Musa and the Empire of Mali, by P. James Oliver
    Renaissance and Reformation Times, by Dorothy Mills
    The Book of the Middle Ages, by Dorothy Mills
    The Story of the Middle Ages, by Christine Miller (revised/expanded by H.A. Guerber)
    World Watch News

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  • The Bible focus is the Kings of Israel, a weekly Proverb, and instructions for the church in the epistles of 1 & 2 Timothy and Titus. Students will also read through the gospel of Mark.

    Students are encouraged to transcribe Bible passages into their Commonplace Book.

  • The weekly history lessons focus on the Middle Ages, Renaissance, and end with the Reformation. Students will read living books and supplement with some original documents, stories, poems, etc. Students will also be reading narratives of influential people in church history.

    Students will add dates to their Book of Centuries.

  • Geography highlights the geography of the Medieval world, a study of how early explorers shaped the world, map-drawing prompts, and map questions using The Rand McNally Historical Atlas of the World.

    Students will be prompted to read a weekly news story, find the location of the story on an atlas, and pray for those involved .

  • Students will read a portion of Ourselves, by Charlotte Mason weekly.

    Students will read a portion of Plutarch’s Lives weekly.

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  • Students will read 4-6 High School Literature Books from or about the Middle Ages, Renaissance, and Reformation (the curriculum includes ample suggestions). Parents are encouraged to choose books that are best suited for their individual student.

    Poet Study includes studies of Sir Walter Raleigh, Sir Philip Sidney, John Donne, and John Milton. The study includes a biography and a weekly poem.

    Students will add passages to their Commonplace Book.

  • Enrichment includes Composer Study, Artist Study, and Hymn Study.

    The composers, artists, and six hymns are all carefully chosen and coordinate with the study of the Middle Ages, Renaissance, and Reformation.

    Composer Study includes a biography of each composer and six weeks of compositions: Leonin, Thomas Tallis, John Sheppard, and Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrin.

    Artist Study includes a biography of each artist and six weeks of paintings: Jan van Eyck, Fra Angelico, Pieter Bruegel the Elder, and Pieter de Hooch.

  • The nature lore readings delight, while grounding students in scientific knowledge of trees.

    Middle Ages & Renaissance includes nature drawing prompts, as drawing was an important medium of artistic expression during both the Middle Ages and Renaissance periods. “As has been said, you begin with drawing.” - Cennino Cennini c. 1400

    Students will enjoy the physical, mental, and spiritual health benefits of time in nature enjoying God’s beautiful creation.

  • Customize Without Doors: Middle Ages & Renaissance by adding content well-suited to your individual high school student in the Miscellaneous box on the Weekly Plan. Suggestions include: Swedish Drill, Handicrafts, Foreign Language, a Shakespeare play per term, etc. This gives you the option to use the Without Doors Weekly Plan as a general planner for all lessons, if desired.