Level 5 & 6 History
Choose ONE one-credit course of study for each year of high school
The levels and years listed here are recommendations and may be moved around to different years, though they are designed as a sequence to parallel the history sequences.
Level 5 Year 1
Ancient History to the End of the Roman Empire
British History to the Tudors
Church History to the End of the Roman Empire
1 credit
World History:
A Short History of the World, Roberts 2x weekly N – Note: A member of Mater Amabilis says she has compared this book with A Concise History of the World by Roberts and believes they contain the same text. A Concise History of the World is available in hardcover and has some pictures. Page numbers in the lesson plans may not match.
Term 1: Chapters 1-2, pp. 1-75
Term 2: Chapters 3-4, pp. 78-153
Term 3: Chapter 5-6, pp. 155-208
National History:
A History of the English-Speaking Peoples, Churchill and Lee 2x weekly N
Term 1: Chapters 1-8, pp. 1-82
Term 2: Chapters 9-16, pp. 83-152
Term 3: Chapters 17-24, pp. 153-253
Church History:
The Catholic Church Through the Ages, Vidmar 1x every other week N
Term 1: Jewish Sources of Christianity-Attacks on Christianity
Term 2: Rival Religions-First Christological Councils
Term 3: St. Augustine-The End of the Second Age
1x every other week, rotating with Church History N
NB: Religion readings in the Church Fathers also constitute primary-source material for Church History. The Bible also constitutes a primary source.
Primary Sources Reader History Level 5 Year 1
Supplemental Audio-Visual Resources
Honors Option
Term 1:
Modern Scholar lecture series The Anglo Saxon World (available at Audible)
Great Courses lecture series Foundations of Western Civilization (available at Audible)
-OR-
Life of Alfred by Asser AND The Ballad of the White Horse by Chesterton (to be completed this term) AND Quo Vadis or Ben Hur by Wallace (complete ? this term.)
Term 2:
Great Courses lecture series Foundations of Western Civilization (available at Audible)
Modern Scholar lecture series The Anglo Saxon World (available at Audible)
-OR-
Helena by Evelyn Waugh or Daughter of Time by Tey (to be completed this term)
AND Quo Vadis or Ben Hur by Wallace (complete to ? this term.)
Term 3:
Great Courses lecture series Foundations of Western Civilization (available at Audible)
Modern Scholar lecture series The Anglo Saxon World (available at Audible)
-OR-
Joan of Arc by Belloc or Twain AND Life of Sir Thomas More by Roper (to be completed this term)
AND Quo Vadis or Ben Hur by Wallace (complete book this term.)
EXTRACURRICULAR READING FOR HONORS STUDENTS, ETC
Level 5 Year 2
Medieval History
British and American History to 1815
Church History to the End of the Middle Ages
1 credit
Level 5 Lesson Plans (scroll down for L5Y2)
World History:
A Short History of the World, Roberts 2x weekly N – Note: A member of Mater Amabilis says she has compared this book with A Concise History of the World by Roberts and believes they contain the same text. A Concise History of the World is available in hardcover and has some pictures. Page numbers in the lesson plans may not match.
Term 1: Chapters 7-8, pp. 211-278
Term 2: Chapters 9-10, pp. 279-333
Term 3: Chapter 10, pp. 333-336
National History:
A History of the English-Speaking Peoples, Churchill and Lee 2x weekly N
Term 1: Chapters 25-3, pp. 254-300
Term 2: Chapters 32-38, pp. 300-400
Term 3: Chapters 38-43, pp. 400-500
American History:
Land of Hope, McClay 1x weekly N
Term 1: Chapters 1
Term 2: Chapters 2-3
Term 3: Chapters 4-6
Church History:
The Catholic Church Through the Ages, Vidmar 1x every other week N
Term 1: Islam-End of the Third Age
Term 2: Crusades-Medieval Inquisition
Term 3: Spanish Inquisition-End of the Fourth Age
1x every other week, rotating with Church History N
NB: Religion readings in the Church Fathers also constitute primary-source material for Church History. The Bible also constitutes a primary source.
Additional Primary Documents from Land of Hope
Supplemental Audio-Visual Resources
Honors Option
Term 1:
Great Courses lecture series Rise and Fall of the British Empire (available at Audible)
Great Courses lecture series Foundations of Western Civilization (available at Audible
-OR-
Come Rack! Come Rope! by Robert Hugh Benson or St. Francis of Assisi by G.K. Chesterton (to be completed this term)
AND 1776 or John Adams by David McCullough(complete ? this term.)
Term 2:
Great Courses lecture series Rise and Fall of the British Empire (available at Audible)
Great Courses lecture series Foundations of Western Civilization (available at Audible)
Great Courses lecture series The Skeptic’s Guide to American History (available at Audible)
-OR-
Shadows on the Rock by Cather OR The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin (to be completed this term)
AND 1776 or John Adams by David McCullough (complete to ? this term.)
Term 3:
Great Courses lecture series Rise and Fall of the British Empire (available at Audible)
Great Courses lecture series The Skeptic’s Guide to American History (available at Audible)
-OR-
Trianon by Vidal OR A Tale of Two Cities by Dickens
AND 1776 or John Adams by David McCullough (complete book this term.)
EXTRACURRICULAR READING FOR HONORS STUDENTS, ETC
Level 5 Lesson Plans (scroll down for L5Y2)
Level 6 Year 1
Modern World
American History to 1815-Present
Church History to the End of the Sixth Age
1 credit
Level 6 Year 1 History Lesson Plans
World History:
A Short History of the World, Roberts 1x weekly N – Note: A member of Mater Amabilis says she has compared this book with A Concise History of the World by Roberts and believes they contain the same text. A Concise History of the World is available in hardcover and has some pictures. Page numbers in the lesson plans may not match.
Term 1: Chapters 11-12
Term 2: Chapters 13-14
Term 3: Chapter 15
National History:
A History of the English-Speaking Peoples, Churchill and Lee 2x weekly N
Term 1: Chapters 44-46, pp. 254-300
Term 2: Chapters 47-49, pp. 300-400
National History:
Land of Hope, McClay 1x weekly N
Term 1: Chapters 7-12
Term 2: Chapters 13-17
Term 3: Chapters 18-Epilogue
Church History:
The Catholic Church Through the Ages, Vidmar 1x every other week N
Term 1: The Renaissance-The Catholic Response
Term 2: The Missions-The Aftermath of Revolution
Term 3: The Catholic Church in the United States-The End of the Sixth Age
2x weekly N
NB: Religion readings in the Church Fathers also constitute primary-source material for Church History. The Bible also constitutes a primary source.
Additional Primary Documents from Land of Hope
Honors Option
Term 1:
Great Courses lecture series Rise and Fall of the British Empire (available at Audible)
Great Courses lecture series Skeptics Guide to American History (available at Audible)
-OR-
An Infamous Army by Georgette Heyer OR Up from Slavery by Washington
AND Hidden Figures (complete ? this term.)
Term 2:
Great Courses lecture series Rise and Fall of the British Empire (available at Audible)
Great Courses lecture series Skeptics Guide to American History (available at Audible)
-OR-
Flu by Kolata OR A Month in the Country by Carr
and The Great Gatsby by Fitzgerald
AND Hidden Figures (Complete to 2/3 this term.)
Term 3:
Great Courses lecture series Rise and Fall of the British Empire (available at Audible)
Great Courses lecture series Skeptics Guide to American History (available at Audible)
-OR-
Witness by Chambers OR A Song for Nagasaki by Glynn
AND Hidden Figures (Complete to end this term.)
Level 6 Year 2
Independent Research in History
Each term, the student will choose a topic or focus for self-conducted research. Categories for these topics might include:
Military History
Fashion History
Women’s History
Agricultural History
History of Slavery and Slave-Holding
History of a Particular Ethnicity or Cultural Background
History of Religious Orders
History of the Papacy
History of Theology/Development of Doctrine
Economic History of a given era or culture
History of Science
History of Theater and Drama
The student would need to select a narrow focus within one of these categories (or another of his/her own devising), in order to have a workable project for the term. For example, within History of the Papacy, a student might choose to focus on the corrupt Borgian popes of the Renaissance, or on one saintly pope. Within History of Theater, a student might concentrate only on Greek drama or medieval mystery plays.
The student may choose to research aspects of the same broad topic each term. This is perfectly acceptable.
The student should plan to write a 5-10-page research paper each term, OR prepare a thorough half-hour oral presentation.
Term 1: first chosen topic researched, with paper or presentation due in Week 12
Term 2: second chosen topic researched, with paper or presentation due in Week 12
Term 3: third chosen topic researched, with paper or presentation due in Week 12
These projects might or might not feed into a year-long senior thesis. It is acceptable for those two assignments to be integrated, as long as the student does produce a paper or an oral presentation each term. It is also acceptable for the senior thesis to deal with some other topic altogether, outside the parameters of history. Either way, juggling multiple research projects and deadlines provides important preparation for college or the working world.
