Cycle 1 · One full year for every grade · 1600s America/Britain + Ancient Mesopotamia & Egypt
A complete year of school for your whole family — set in the 1600s and the ancient world.
Each Living Heritage cycle is one full year of school for Grades 1–12 together, plus a gentle, cycle-independent year of Kindergarten. Cycle 1's history period — 1600s America and Britain alongside ancient Mesopotamia and Egypt — sets the theme, and the literature, Bible, geography, and arts appreciation move with it; skill subjects and some Bible and civics change by grade. Whatever your children's ages, here's what you'll cover and what you'll need.
What a cycle is
One year. Every subject. Every grade.
A Living Heritage cycle isn't merely a history course — it's a complete year of school with all subjects for your whole household, organized around a historical era. History — as well as much of the literature, church history, geography, and arts appreciation — are keyed to Cycle 1's time period — the 1600s in America and Britain alongside ancient Mesopotamia and Egypt — and science moves with the cycle as well for grades 1-8.
Skill subjects — math, language arts, foreign languages, music — and some Bible and civics change by grade, independent of the cycle — but don't worry; they're still included with your cycle purchase!
Grades 1–12 study the same era together, each group with its own reading list, while Kindergarten runs its own gentle, cycle-independent year alongside.
The history
The 1600s and the Ancient Near East.
Cycle 1's America/Britain streams follow the Explorers and the 1600s — the colonial founding, the Pilgrims and Puritans, the English Civil War, the early American settlements. The ancient world stream examines the earliest history of the world — the first cities of Mesopotamia, the pharaohs and kingdoms of Egypt, the patriarchs of Genesis, the Exodus, the kingdoms of Israel and Judah.
These streams run on different days of the week, fostering connections and relations between America, the intertwined history of Britain, and pre-modern times. Read more about how the Cycles work →
For Group I (grades 1–4), only the American stream is scheduled.
Choosing where to start
Do I have to start with Cycle 1?
No. Each cycle stands on its own. Start with whichever historical era you'd like your family to be in this year and rotate from there. If you're just starting your homeschooling journey with a first-grader or if your child did a whole sweep of American or world history last year, we do recommend starting at the beginning with Cycle 1. Also, if you've just finished study of the 20th century or study of the Renaissance and Reformation with another curriculum, then Cycle 1 is a great place to begin with Living Heritage.
The books
Cycle 1 books, by grade group
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American History Spine
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American History Spine
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Also in Cycle 2
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American History Spine
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Ancient History Spine
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British History Spine
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American History Spine
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American History Spine
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Ancient History Spine
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British History Spine
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These are the books specific to Cycle 1 book across all three grade groups — not every book is read in every grade, and other books not shown here are grade-specific or used in multiple cycles. (You can see those in the Shop by Grade section.) 3rd/4th grade and 7th/8th grade students have extra independent reads (some pictured here) and are sometimes given a choice between two. A complete linked book list with titles, publishers, and exclusive discount codes comes with the plan you purchase. About 60% of our books are free online (cycles vary), and many may be at your library. Wondering what that adds up to? See our note on yearly book costs →
Begin at the beginning
Get Cycle 1.
Or start any cycle — each one stands on its own.