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Multi-week courseEarly yearsNo reading requiredBiography

Stories of American Courage

True stories, told simply · Ages 6–9

Eight true stories about Americans who did a hard thing. Washington at Valley Forge, Harriet Tubman on the road at night, the men who would not leave the fire.

James Okada

Instructor

Mr. James Okada

American History & Civics

New this term. Reviews from students and parents appear here once families have taken it.

Overview

History for young children works best as biography, because a child understands a person long before they understand a period. Each week is one person and one decision.

Told honestly. When the story is hard, and several are, it is told at a six-year-old’s level without being made false.

Ages & grades
Ages 6–9 · Grades 1–4
Live meetings
7 × 30 min
Cadence
Once a week · 7 weeks
Structure
Join any week · ungraded

Come and go as it suits you

Every meeting of this class stands on its own. Nothing in week six assumes week five, so a student can join in the middle, take the four weeks that fit around a busy month, and stop when they want to. There is no catching up to do, because there is nothing to be behind on.

That is also why there is no grade here and no such thing as an incomplete. The record keeps what actually happened: the meetings attended live and the recordings watched. A student who came to three meetings has a record of three meetings, not a failure.

What students will be able to do

  • Retell eight true American stories
  • Place each story roughly in time
  • Explain what made the choice difficult
  • Say what courage looked like in each case

Syllabus

  1. Weeks 1–2

    Washington in winter

    Valley Forge, and staying when leaving was easier.

  2. Weeks 3–4

    Harriet Tubman

    Nineteen trips back into danger.

  3. Weeks 5–6

    The Wright brothers

    Failing in public, over and over.

  4. Weeks 7–8

    Firefighters and first responders

    Ordinary courage, close to home.

Books & materials

  • Story cards and timeline strip

    Odysseus Lyceum

    Printable, supplied free.

Prerequisites

None. Any student in the age range can enroll.

How this course handles its perspective

Affectionate toward the country and honest about its hardest chapters. Nothing is flattened to make a hero simpler than they were.

Read our academic philosophy

Recording policy

Meetings are recorded and released to enrolled families for fourteen days. Recordings capture the instructor and shared materials; student video is not published.

Cancellation & refunds

Full refund up to seven days before the first meeting; inside seven days, everything paid is credited to your Lyceum balance. No refunds or credits once the class has begun. Cancel any section from your parent account.

Learner support

  • ADHD-aware instruction
  • Gifted & accelerated

These describe how this instructor has been trained, reviewed with educators and accessibility specialists. They are not a diagnosis and not a marketing claim.

Ratings & reviews

Students and parents review separately, on different questions, and the two aggregates are never blended. Every review is verified and moderated.

    No parent reviews for this class yet.

    Reviews from students are published as “Student, age 13”, never with a full name. Photo and short video reviews are supported and moderated before they appear.

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