Introduction
Below is an English translation of the French collège (middle school) history program organized by grade (6ème to 3ème). Each grade includes a short, step‑by‑step explanation of what students study and how the topics fit together.
6ème (1st year of middle school — ≈ ages 11–12)
- The Ancient Orient
Study of the early civilizations of the Near East (Mesopotamia, Egypt, etc.): origins of writing, cities, states, religion and law.
- Greek civilization — The foundations (cities, myths, pan‑Hellenism)
How city‑states (poleis) formed, Greek myths and shared culture that bound Greek populations (religion, festivals, language).
- Greek civilization — The city of the Athenians (5th–4th centuries BCE): citizenship and democracy
Focus on Athens at its democratic peak: institutions, citizenship, political life and limits of democracy.
- Greek civilization — Alexander the Great (option)
Optional chapter on Alexander, his conquests and their effects (Hellenization, new empires).
- Greek civilization — Greece of the scholars (option)
Optional focus on Greek science, philosophy and learning (e.g., philosophers, mathematicians).
- Rome — From origins to the end of the Republic: foundation and organization
Founding myths, political evolution, Roman institutions and society up to the late Republic.
- Rome — The Empire: the emperor, the city, Romanization
The imperial system, the city of Rome, the spread of Roman culture and administration across the provinces.
- The beginnings of Judaism
Origins, religious beliefs and early history of the Jewish people.
- The beginnings of Christianity
Origins, beliefs, spread of Christianity and its early relationship with the Roman world.
- The Christian empires of the early Middle Ages
Formation of kingdoms and Christian political structures in early medieval Europe.
- Views of distant worlds
A short study often outside the Mediterranean/European focus (sometimes omitted): introduces other world regions.
5ème (2nd year of middle school — ≈ ages 12–13)
- The beginnings of Islam
Origins, beliefs, early expansion and civilization of the Islamic world.
- Medieval Western Europe, 11th–15th centuries — Theme 1: Peasants and lords
Feudal society, rural life, obligations and daily life of peasants and seigneurs (lords).
- Medieval Western Europe, 11th–15th centuries — Theme 2: Feudal lords, sovereigns, the first states
Political structures: feudal relationships, emergence of monarchies and early state formation.
- Medieval Western Europe, 11th–15th centuries — Theme 3: The role of the Church
Influence of the Catholic Church in society, politics, education and culture.
- Medieval Western Europe, 11th–15th centuries — Theme 4: The expansion of the West
European expansion in trade, crusades, urban growth and beginnings of overseas contacts.
- Views on Africa
Introduces African societies and histories (beyond a European focus).
- Toward modernity, late 15th–17th centuries — Theme 1: Cultural and intellectual upheavals
Renaissance, humanism, scientific beginnings and cultural transformations.
- Toward modernity, late 15th–17th centuries — Theme 2: The emergence of the absolute monarch
Development of centralized states and the idea/practice of absolute monarchy.
4ème (3rd year of middle school — ≈ ages 13–14)
This year focuses on the 18th century, the French Revolution and the 19th century.
- Europe and the world in the 18th century — 1: Europe in the world at the start of the 18th century
Political and economic situation of Europe, empires and global connections in early 1700s.
- Europe and the world in the 18th century — 2: The Enlightenment
Ideas of the Enlightenment, philosophers, critique of institutions and influence on politics.
- Europe and the world in the 18th century — 3: The slave trades and slavery
Transatlantic slave trade, enslaved peoples, and the economic and moral issues around slavery.
- Europe and the world in the 18th century — 4: The difficulties of the monarchy under Louis XVI
Social, political and fiscal crises that led to the French Revolution.
- The Revolution and the Empire — 1: Key moments of the Revolution
Main events of the French Revolution (1789–1799): Estates‑General, National Assembly, Terror, etc.
- The Revolution and the Empire — 2: Foundations of a new France during the Revolution and the Empire
Institutional changes, legal reforms (e.g., Napoleonic Code), administrative reorganization.
- The Revolution and the Empire — 3: France and Europe in 1815
Aftermath of Napoleonic wars, Congress of Vienna and restoration of European order.
- The 19th century — 1: The industrial age
Industrialization, social changes, urbanization and new technologies.
- The 19th century — 2: Political evolution of France, 1815–1914
Monarchy, republics, empires and the changing political regime of France across the century.
- The 19th century — 3: The rise of nationalisms
Emergence and spread of nationalist movements in Europe and beyond.
- The 19th century — 4: The colonies
Colonial expansion, imperialism and its impact on colonized peoples.
- The 19th century — 5: Map of Europe in 1914
Geopolitical configuration of Europe on the eve of World War I.
3ème (4th year of middle school / roughly 9th grade — ≈ ages 14–15)
Focus on the 20th century: wars, totalitarian regimes, Cold War, decolonization and contemporary France.
- A century of scientific and technological transformations
Major scientific and technological changes that transformed daily life and economies during the 20th century.
- World wars and totalitarian regimes (1914–1945) — Theme 1: World War I: toward a total war
Origins, development and social impact of World War I; concept of total war.
- World wars and totalitarian regimes (1914–1945) — Theme 2: Totalitarian regimes in the 1930s
Study of fascism, Nazism, Stalinism and the political and social features of totalitarianism.
- World wars and totalitarian regimes (1914–1945) — Theme 3: World War II: a war of annihilation
Major events of WWII, the Holocaust, occupation, resistance and liberation.
- A global geopolitics (since 1945) — Theme 1: The Cold War
East‑West confrontation, ideological conflict, major crises and the bipolar world order.
- A global geopolitics (since 1945) — Theme 2: From colonies to newly independent states
Decolonization processes and the formation of new nations after WWII.
- A global geopolitics (since 1945) — Theme 3: Geopolitics of the contemporary world
Current global issues: globalization, regional conflicts, international organizations and economic relations.
- Political life and society in France — Theme 1: The Republic between the wars: victorious and weakened
France in the interwar period: politics, society and challenges.
- Political life and society in France — Theme 2: Collapse and republican refounding (1940–1946)
Vichy regime, Liberation, provisional government and restoration of republican institutions.
- Political life and society in France — Theme 3: The Fifth Republic tested by time
Post‑1946 political evolution, institutions of the Fifth Republic and long‑term challenges.
How the program is organized and how to study it (step‑by‑step)
- Follow the chronology: The curriculum moves roughly from ancient times (6ème) to the contemporary world (3ème). Building a timeline helps anchor events and periods.
- Understand themes: Each year mixes chronological history with thematic studies (politics, society, economy, beliefs). Identify the main themes for each unit.
- Use maps and sources: Regularly work with maps, primary sources (texts, images), and biographies to connect facts to people and places.
- Compare and connect: Compare different societies (e.g., Greek vs Roman, European vs non‑European) and connect causes and consequences across periods.
- Practice skills: Summarize events concisely, explain causes and effects, and practice short essays and document analysis.
If you want, I can (1) produce a printable English version of this curriculum, (2) create timelines for each year, or (3) give study plans and key dates/figures for a particular grade. Which would you like?