This is our catalog of courses. We will occasionally adjust the course listing to reflect the addition of new courses and the retirement of others.
Using historian Anne Carroll’s popular text, enjoy learning American history (from Columbus to the 1850s) from a strong Catholic perspective.
Total classes: 14
Prerequisite: None
Suggested grade level: 9th to 12th grade. Advanced middle school students are welcome (assignments can be adjusted for younger students)
Description
Using Anne Carroll’s Christ and the Americas as a framework and guide for the first part of a yearlong study, this course roughly traces American History up through the year 1877. This includes the colonial period, the Revolutionary War, and a narration of the issues which led to the Civil War. Carroll’s frequent references to primary sources will solidify lessons learned. Yet, she goes beyond simple facts and looks at the faith life of historical figures and how that makes a difference.
Outline
Week 1: Introduction and overview of syllabus and assignments
Weeks 2-7: Forming America
Week 2: Discovery
Week 3: The Spanish and the New World
Week 4: English Colonies
Week 5: Colonial Ways of Life
Week 6: Crisis with the English
Week 7: American Independence
Weeks 8-14: Building Tension
Week 8: Establishing Society and Constitution
Week 9: American Catholicism
Week 10: Ascent of Thomas Jefferson
Week 11: Slavery and the West
Week 12: Jacksonian Democracy
Week 13: The Great Compromises
Week 14: The Crisis of the 1850s
Materials and Homework
Course Materials: Anne Carroll’s Christ and the Americas, https://www.amazon.com/Christ-Americas-Carroll/dp/0895555948/chrisgooverth-20, ISBN-10: 0895555948 or ISBN-13: 978-0895555946.
Homework:
Approximately 15 pages of reading from the textbook per week. (Middle school students in this course are exempt from readings.)
Writing is an integral part of demonstrating both the assimilation of knowledge and the articulation thereof. Therefore, students will be guided through the process of writing a short (three to five pages, double-spaced) review of a book of their choice relevant to the subject matter. (Middle school students in the course must instead write a one- to a two-page book report.)
Weekly extra-credit review quizzes based on classroom lectures and discussions. Graded by the computer.
