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.
This course examines how the Modern World — our world — came to be. It looks at the revolutionary ideas that created, first in Europe and then the entire world, an understanding of man and his relationship to God, the Church, and the state that was in many respects radically different from the understanding of these things that prevailed in the Middle Ages.
Total classes: 12
Prerequisite: None
Suggested grade level: 8th to 10th
Suggested credit: 1 full semester History or World History
Description
This course examines how the Modern World — our world — came to be. It looks at the revolutionary ideas that created, first in Europe and then the entire world, an understanding of man and his relationship to God, the Church, and the state that was in many respects radically different from the understanding of these things that prevailed in the Middle Ages. Ideas influence deeds, and thus the course examines historical events, showing how they flowed from the struggle between those who held to traditional conceptions and those who embraced the new ideas. Events influence ideas, and thus we study how the events of history helped modify and develop both the new ideas and the traditional vision of the world. The course is divided into two parts. Part I (first semester) begins with the scientific revolution of the 16th and 17th centuries and concludes with the attempt, steered by Prince Klemens von Metternich, to reestablish the ancient regime after the fall of Napoleon’s empire.
Outline
Reading assignments listed for a particular work should be read before the class of that week. Thus, the reading assignment for week one should be read before the class of that week. The instructor will indicate in the week an assignment is given when it will be do.
Materials and Homework
Course Materials: The text for the course (both Part One and Part Two) is Light to the Nations II: The Making of the Modern World, ISBN: 9781935644286, published by and available from http://www.catholictextbookproject.com/. Parents may want to purchase the teacher manual if they wish to assign their students the end-of-chapter exercises, as well as further quizzes and tests. Answer keys for the exercises, as well as quizzes and tests with answer keys, can be found in the teacher manual, which is available at https://www.catholictextbookproject.com/shop/light-nations-part-ii-making-modern-world-teachers-manual/. ISBN: 978-1-935644-10-1
Homework: Students will read assigned portions of the text. Lectures will focus on those events and ideas that are the keys to understanding the historical periods under consideration. The teacher will evaluate the students by essay tests given after Week III, Week V, and Week VII. Thereafter, the evaluation will be based on student’s responses to questions in class. Students may expect to spend two to four hours a week on homework depending on the weekly assignments.
