What to Expect in Classical Conversations Cycle 2

As our Classical Conversations homeschool year winds down, I’ve started getting excited about what’s coming next year in Cycle 2. I love how Cycle 2 takes us through European geography, world history from Charlemagne to modern times, and fascinating science topics including biomes, planets, and the laws of motion.

If you’re like me and already thinking ahead, read along for a sneak peek at what’s coming and a few simple ways to start preparing now!

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What is Cycle 2 in Classical Conversations?

Classical Conversations follows a three-year cycle of memory work called Cycles 1, 2, and 3. Each cycle covers a complete set of subjects—history, geography, science, English grammar, Latin, and math—but with a different focus each year.

Cycle 2 is the second year in this rotation and centers on:

• World history, starting with Charlemagne and continuing through the Middle Ages, Renaissance, and modern times up to the end of apartheid.
• Geography mainly of Europe, including both physical features and political locations.
• First conjugation Latin verb endings that lay the foundation for future Latin translation skills.
• Science topics including biomes, the solar system, Newton’s laws of motion, and the laws of thermodynamics.
• English grammar topics including pronouns, the eight parts of speech, and the four purposes of a sentence.

Each cycle also includes:

• Timeline memory work (the same 161 events every year)
• Math facts and formulas that spiral and build over time

The goal isn’t to master everything at once, but to build a strong foundation through repetition and exposure. By the time your child completes all three cycles, they will have encountered these core concepts multiple times in a meaningful way.

Core Focus of Classical Conversations Cycle 2

Let’s dive a little deeper into what specifically your child will learn about in Cycle 2. Here’s a quick look at what your child will be focusing on:

Latin

In Cycle 2, we’ll focus on first conjugation verb endings. These are the building blocks of Latin grammar and set the stage for future translation work. Learning these forms helps students start to understand how verbs change depending on who is doing the action.

Science

Cycle 2 science covers some amazing topics including:

• Biomes and ecosystems – Learn about the different environments God created and how life thrives in each.
• The planets and solar system– A fun dive into astronomy.
• Newton’s Laws of Motion– Explore how things move and why.
• Laws of Thermodynamics– Simple introductions to energy and heat.

These are just a few of the exciting things we get to learn about!

Geography

We’ll be focusing mainly on Europe—its rivers, mountains, peninsulas, and major political features. Students will gain a strong sense of world geography by learning to draw and label the map week by week.

History

Cycle 2 history sentences start with Charlemagne and take us all the way through modern events including the end of apartheid. Some highlights are:

• The Crusades
• The Reformation
• The World War
• The Cold War

Cycle 2 provides a global view of history that connects many of the ideas we encounter in other subjects.

English Grammar

In Cycle 2, we’ll focus on:

• Pronouns
• The 8 parts of speech
• The 4 purposes of a sentence

This helps lay a foundation for strong communication and writing skills.

Math

Math memory work remains consistent in every cycle. In Cycle 2, we’ll continue with:

• Multiplication tables
• Basic geometry formulas
• Unit conversions

Timeline

No matter the cycle, we review all 161 timeline events each year by learning the Timeline Song. It’s a powerful way to see how all of history fits together, from creation to modern times.

How to Start Preparing for Cycle 2 Now

Even if you’re taking a well-deserved summer break, a little light preparation can go a long way in setting up a smooth start to Cycle 2. Here are a few simple ways to get ready:

1. Print Beautiful Memory Work Cards

I love using these memory work cards from @kimberlyvieley to give my children a visual of what they are learning about in each subject of the memory work. I print them out, laminate them, and tape them to the wall around our kitchen table so we can talk about them during breakfast time throughout the week.

2. Cycle 1 Fridge Facts

Every year, I print out these “fridge facts” which have all of the memory work on them for each week. They are a great thing to have in your kitchen so you can quiz your kids while making dinner! You can access these for free now by following these steps:

1. Go to www.ccconnected.com
2. Click on “Forums” on the left-hand side of the screen.
3. Click on the search icon (magnifying glass) on the top right-hand corner of the screen.
4. Type in “Cycle 2 Fridge Facts” into the search bar and they should pop up as one of the first results!

3. Access the Classical Conversations Resources

After you enroll in Classical Conversations, you can log in to ccconnected.com and get full access to Cycle 2 resources, including the Sandbox Ezine, which I use each week. It’s really helpful to get familiar with the layout before the year begins. You can begin printing out the resources you know you’ll use this summer so it’s one less thing you have to do when next school year begins! See my video below for what I recommend downloading and printing out from ccconnected.com each year:

What I Recommend Purchasing from Classical Conversations

I recommend taking advantage of sales that the Classical Conversations Bookstore has over the summer. It’s great to decide what you want to purchase for the year ahead of time, and then actually purchasing when Classical Conversations offers a sale (especially free shipping!).

You can also go in with some other families from your community and have an order large enough that you could qualify for free shipping.

Here are some items I recommend that you consider for the new school year:

• Foundations Guide: If you don’t have a Foundations Guide, this is one of the must-haves from the Classical Conversations bookstore! This core resource contains all the memory work for each cycle. You will use it every year that you have children in Foundations!
• Cycle 2 Audio Digital Downloads: I love playing these audio files in my car as we drive around to different places. It’s a great way to introduce children to what they will learn about next year. There are songs for each of the history sentences, as well the rest of the memory work!
• Cycle 2 Placemats: These are the perfect excuse to talk about what your kids are learning about in geography as they eat their meals at your kitchen table!
• Story of the World Volume 2: This is a great read aloud that goes along with the history we learn about in Cycle 2! There is an activity book that we have that goes along with it too!
• Timeline Cards: I love having these visual aids that correspond with the timeline events covered in all cycles. I use these both at home and as a tutor! I recommend getting all 4 sets eventually! Ancient World, New World, Medieval World, Modern World

Other Cycle 2 Book Recommendations

There are a few other books and resources I’ve used and highly recommend for Cycle 2. While they aren’t specifically from Classical Conversations, they align beautifully with the Cycle 2 memory work and were a huge help to me the last time we went through it.

• Geography From A to Z: A Picture Glossary by Jack Knowlton. This book introduces over 60 geographic terms, including river, peninsula, sea, and mountain (all geographic features we talk about this cycle!). It has simple definitions and engaging pictures that help kids understand more about these geographic features. I used it both at home and as a tutor last time we went through Cycle 2.
• Everything You Need to Know About World History Homework by Anne Zeman and Kate Kelly. This book provides summaries for many of the events and figures we encounter in Cycle 2, including the Crusades, the Renaissance, and the World Wars. I love it’s clear and concise explanation of these events in history.
• Foundations of the Bible by Drive By Grace. I love using this Bible study each year with my kids. This study goes along with Bible memory work from Cycle 2. I also read to my kids the corresponding Bible story from The Complete Illustrated Children’s Bible and let them work on a few of the activity pages from The Foundations of the Bible Activity Book each week.

Our 24 Family Ways

One of my favorite homeschool resources I have discovered so far is Our 24 Family Ways: A Family Devotional Guide by Sally and Clay Clarkson. This book has been amazing to go through with my children each year! It presents 24 “Family Ways,” each focusing on a specific Biblical principle including obedience, kindness, diligence, and truthfulness. I have matched up each of these family ways with a Bible verse that we memorize as a family.

I write both the family way and the Bible verse on chalk boards that I have hanging up by our kitchen table so we can see them often. There are also songs that match with each Bible verse that I play after we eat breakfast.  The songs I use are mostly from Steve Green’s CDs. My kids have loved coloring in their 24 Family Ways Coloring books while I play the song for them and clean up breakfast a bit. You can download my matchup of the 24 Family Ways with Bible verses and songs from my Resource Library.

A Few Fun Review Games For This Summer!

Here are a couple fun review games that you can play with your kids to help them review the memory work they’ve learned this year!

Stay tuned for more Cycle 2 resources coming this summer including a large felt Europe map and European Countries workbook for your kids! How do you begin to plan for the next homeschooling year? Share some of the first things you do to start switching to Cycle 2 in the comments below!