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A New Course on Family History 🌳

The Royal Fireworks Online Learning Community is thrilled to introduce a brand new addition to our course offerings: Family History! Led by Dr. Steve Cox, this course is personalized for each student and delves into the rich tapestry of a family’s past. From ancestors who served in wars to those who immigrated from distant lands, each family’s journey is unique, and this course promises to explore that history in a deeply personal way.

Dr. Steve Cox is a seasoned historian with a passion for teaching. With a Ph.D. in U.S. History and extensive experience at esteemed institutions like the University of New Hampshire and Indiana University, Dr. Cox brings a wealth of expertise to his courses. From his role as the editor of a statewide history journal to his tenure as Senior Historian at Conner Prairie, Dr. Cox’s dynamic teaching style and deep knowledge make history come alive for students of all ages.

In addition to the new Family History course, kids can also delve into American history with Dr. Cox’s other engaging courses. Check out the options below!

👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Family History
(Full-year course, every other week)
Student Ages: 11–18
Class Meetings: Thursdays at 6:00 p.m. Eastern Time
Dates:
-Fall Semester: August 29 – December 19, 2024
-Spring Semester: January 13 – May 12, 2025
Cost: $475 per semester/$900 full year
🌟 Course Highlights:

  • Utilizes census data, historical newspapers, oral interviews, and family items
  • Focuses on how historical events impacted family members
  • Highly individualized based on each student’s family experience
  • Culminates in a paper or project based on research done during the course

🗽American History: From Settlement to the Present
(Full-year course)
Student Ages: 9–14
Class Meetings: Mondays at 2:00 p.m. Eastern Time
Dates:
-Fall Semester: August 19 – December 16, 2024
-Spring Semester: January 23 – May 15, 2025
Cost: $550 per semester/$1,000 full year
🌟 Course Highlights:

Semester 1:

  • Covers settlement to the Civil War
  • Focuses on early American history from the colonial period to the outbreak of the Civil War in 1861
  • Topics include the break with England, rise of political parties, conflicts with Native Americans, antislavery movement, women’s rights movement, and more
  • Key figures highlighted: Alexander Hamilton, George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Abigail Adams, Abraham Lincoln, and others

Semester 2:

  • Covers Reconstruction after the Civil War to the present day
  • Focuses on America’s social, economic, political, and diplomatic challenges since the mid-1870s
  • Topics include the rise of big business, America’s involvement in global conflicts, technological advancements, and influential individuals
  • Key figures highlighted: Henry Ford, Jane Addams, Teddy Roosevelt, Martin Luther King, Jr., Gloria Steinem, Steve Jobs, and others

🇺🇸 Advanced Seminar on American Local History
(Full-year course, every other week)
Student Ages: 14–18
Class Meetings: Thursdays at 6:00 p.m. Eastern Time
Dates:
-Fall Semester: August 29 – December 19, 2024
-Spring Semester: January 13 – May 12, 2025
Cost: $475 per semester/$900 full year
🌟 Course Highlights:

  • Provides an introduction to the study of local history
  • Delves into the challenges and opportunities in understanding local history
  • Focuses on methods and sources for writing local history
  • Culminates in a final paper or project based on a topic of each student’s choosing

Visit our Courses page to enroll today. And as always, if you have questions or need assistance in selecting a course, feel free to call us at (845) 726-4444. We’re here to help! Our phone lines are open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Eastern Time, Monday through Friday.

Happy Learning!
The Royal Fireworks Online Learning Community Team

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