High School Government Level 5 Year 1 Course

Course Description

The course is designed as an introduction to American Government, Economics, and Civics, providing foundational knowledge for more advanced study in subsequent years. It emphasizes character formation alongside academic content, encouraging students to think about their own role as citizens and contributors to society. The approach combines classical texts, such as Plutarch’s Lives of Cicero, Alexander the Great, and Julius Caesar, with modern educational materials to give students both historical perspective and contemporary understanding of government and economics.

Books and Resources

Mater Amabilis participates in affiliate programs with Amazon and Living Book Press.

Civics:

• Plutarch’s Lives, Plutarch – translation of your choice, but we recommend one by Bernadotte Perrin [online version]
  • If you find you need additional support reading Plutarch, Anne White’s guides are also available to purchase and more are free at Ambleside.org, though her guides emphasize the use of the Thomas North and John Dryden translations.
• Ourselves, Charlotte Mason [Amaz][LVP][online at Ambleside Online]
  • Ourselves is made up of two books published in a single volume. Be aware that the page numbering begins again at 1 for the second book.
  • Ourselves pp. 1-135 are assigned within the Health plans. A student would not need to read these pages twice.

Economics:

• Whatever Happened to Penny Candy?, Maybury [Amaz]

Government:

Lesson plans

All readings are narrated, orally or in writing. In this introductory course, readings are assigned only three days a week. More formal government and economics study will begin in Level 5 Year 2.

TERM 1

Week 1
Day 1: Whatever Happened to Penny Candy, pp. 12-21
Day 2: Plutarch, Cicero, 1-5
Day 3: Ourselves, Introduction

Week 2
Day 4: Whatever Happened to Penny Candy, pp. 22-30
Day 5: Plutarch, Cicero, 6-9
Day 6: Ourselves, Book 1 Introductory Ch. 1 The Country of Mansoul pp. 1-4

Week 3
Day 7: Whatever Happened to Penny Candy, pp. 31-42
Day 8: Plutarch, Cicero, 10-14
Day 9: Ourselves, Book 1 Introductory Ch. 2 The Perils of Mansoul pp. 5-8

Week 4
Day 10: Whatever Happened to Penny Candy, pp. 43-58
Day 11: Plutarch, Cicero, 15-19
Day 12: Ourselves, Book 1 Introductory Ch. 3 The Government of  Mansoul pp. 9-10

Week 5
Day 13: Whatever Happened to Penny Candy, pp. 59-68
Day 14: Plutarch, Cicero, 20-24
Day 15: Ourselves, Book 1 Part 1 The House of the Body Ch. 1 The Esquires of the Body: Hunger pp. 11-14

Week 6
Day 16: Whatever Happened to Penny Candy, pp. 69-81
Day 17: Plutarch, Cicero, 25-28
Day 18: Ourselves, Book 1 Part 1 Ch. 2 The Esquires of the Body: Thirst pp. 15-17

Week 7
Day 19: Whatever Happened to Penny Candy, pp. 82-92
Day 20: Plutarch, Cicero, 29-32
Day 21: Ourselves, Book 1 Part 1 Ch. 3 The Esquires of the Body: Restlessness and Rest pp. 18-20

Week 8
Day 22: Whatever Happened to Penny Candy, pp. 93-101
Day 23: Plutarch, Cicero, 33-37
Day 24: Ourselves, Book 1 Part 1 Ch. 4 The Esquires of the Body: Chastity pp. 21-23

Week 9
Day 25: Whatever Happened to Penny Candy, pp. 102-114
Day 26: Plutarch, Cicero, 38-41
Day 27: Ourselves, Book 1 Part 1 Ch. 5 The Pages of the Body: The Five Senses pp. 24-26

Week 10
Day 28: Whatever Happened to Penny Candy, pp. 115-127
Day 29: Plutarch, Cicero, 42-45
Day 30: Ourselves, Book 1 Part 1 Ch. 5 The Pages of the Body: The Five Senses pp. 27-30 “songs you can distinguish”

Week 11
Day 31: Whatever Happened to Penny Candy, Appendix
Day 32: Plutarch, Cicero, 46-49
Day 33: Ourselves, Book 1 Part 1 Ch. 5 The Pages of the Body: The Five Senses pp. 30-32 “The more we listen..”

WEEK 12: DAYS 56-60 MAKEUP/EXAM WEEK

Examination questions for exam week
To be answered as short in-class essays, taking roughly 30-45 minutes each.
The student will choose two of the questions to answer.

1. Tell what you have learned about inflation.
2. What does Cicero’s story teach us about the qualities needed for effective leadership in times of crisis?
3. What is the Kingdom of Mansoul?

TERM 2

Week 13
Day 34: Are you Liberal? Conservative? Or Confused?, pp. 17-32
Day 35: Plutarch, Alexander, 1-8
Day 36: Ourselves, Book 1 Part II The House of Mind Ch. 1 Ourselves pp. 33-34

Week 14
Day 37: Are you Liberal? Conservative? Or Confused?, pp. 33-41
Day 38: Plutarch, Alexander, 9-16
Day 39: Ourselves, Book 1 Part II Ch. 2 My Lord Intellect pp. 35-38 “real and alive to us.”

Week 15
Day 40: Are you Liberal? Conservative? Or Confused?, pp. 42-51
Day 41: Plutarch, Alexander, 17-24.3
Day 42: Ourselves, Book 1 Part II Ch. 2 Mathematics – “only by this test” pp. 38-41 

Week 16
Day 43: Are you Liberal? Conservative? Or Confused?, pp. 52-60
Day 44: Plutarch, Alexander, 24.4-28
Day 45: Ourselves, Book 1 Part II Ch. 2 Our Beauty Sense – end of page pp. 41-44 

Week 17
Day 46: Are you Liberal? Conservative? Or Confused?, pp. 61-72
Day 47: Plutarch, Alexander, 29-33
Day 48: Ourselves, Book 1 Part II Ch. 3 The Daemons of the Intellect pp. 45-47

Week 18
Day 49: Are you Liberal? Conservative? Or Confused?, pp. 73-82
Day 50: Plutarch, Alexander, 34-38
Day 51: Ourselves, Book 1 Part II Ch. 4 My Lord Chief Explorer, Imagination pp. 48-51 “to be kind meantime!”

Week 19
Day 52: Are you Liberal? Conservative? Or Confused?, pp. 83-92
Day 53: Plutarch, Alexander, 39-43
Day 54: Ourselves, Book 1 Part II Ch. 4 My Lord Chief Explorer, “How to Exorcise the Daemon” – end, pp. 51-53

Week 20
Day 55: Are you Liberal? Conservative? Or Confused?, pp. 93-105
Day 56: Plutarch, Alexander, 44-48
Day 57: Ourselves, Book 1 Part II Ch. 5 The Beauty Sense pp. 54-55

Week 21
Day 58: Are you Liberal? Conservative? Or Confused?, pp. 106-117
Day 59: Plutarch, Alexander, 49-55
Day 60: Ourselves, Book 1 Part II Ch. 6 My Lord Chief Attorney-General pp. 56-58 (end of page)

Week 22
Day 61: Are you Liberal? Conservative? Or Confused?, pp. 118-127
Day 62: Plutarch, Alexander, 56-61
Day 63: Ourselves, Book 1 Part II Ch. 6 to “…most terror-striking crimes” pp. 59-62

Week 23
Day 64: Make-up
Day 65: Plutarch, Alexander, 62-65
Day 66: Ourselves, Book 1 Part II Ch. 6 pp. 62 Reason in Mathematics -65 end of page

WEEK 24: MAKEUP/EXAM WEEK

Examination questions for exam week
To be answered as short in-class essays, taking roughly 30-45 minutes each.
The student will choose two of the questions to answer.

1. Tell what Maybury thinks about the current dichotomy between “liberal” and “conservative” and what he proposes as an alternative.
2. What does Alexander’s life (what you’ve read so far) teach us about the relationship between power and character in leadership?
3. What does Charlotte Mason say about one or more of the Lords of Mansoul?

TERM 3

Week 25
Day 67: Animal Farm, Ch. 1
Day 68: Plutarch, Alexander, 66-71
Day 69: Ourselves, Book 1 Part II Ch. 7 The Lords of the Exchequer, The Desires (Part 1) pp. 66-68 “food it needs.”

Week 26
Day 70: Animal Farm, Ch. 2
Day 71: Plutarch, Alexander, 72-77
Day 72: Ourselves, Book 1 Part II Ch. 7 pp. 68 Prizes and Places – 72

Week 27
Day 73: Animal Farm, Ch. 3
Day 74: Plutarch, Caesar, 1-8
Day 75: Ourselves, Book 1 Part II Ch. 7 The Lords of the Exchequer, The Desires (Part 2) pp. 73-75

Week 28
Day 76: Animal Farm, Ch. 4
Day 77: Plutarch, Caesar, 9-16
Day 78: Ourselves, Book 1 Part II Ch. 7 The Lords of the Exchequer, The Desires (Part 2) pp. 75 Dangers..-78 “ourselves!”

Week 29
Day 79: Animal Farm, Ch. 5
Day 80: Plutarch, Caesar, 17-23
Day 81: Ourselves, Book 1 Part II Ch. 7 The Lords of the Exchequer, The Desires (Part 2) pp. 78 Emulation– 80

Week 30
Day 82: Animal Farm, Ch. 6
Day 83: Plutarch, Caesar, 24-31
Day 84: Ourselves, Book 1 Part III- The House of Heart Ch. 1 The Ways of Love pp. 81-83

Week 31
Day 85: Animal Farm, Ch. 7
Day 86: Plutarch, Caesar, 32-40
Day 87: Ourselves, Book 1 Part III Ch. 1 The Ways of Love pp. 84-86

Week 32
Day 88: Animal Farm, Ch. 8
Day 89: Plutarch, Caesar, 41-48
Day 90: Ourselves, Book 1 Part III Ch. 2 Love’s Lords in Waiting: Pity pp. 87-90

Week 33
Day 91: Animal Farm, Ch. 9
Day 92: Plutarch, Caesar, 49-57
Day 93: Ourselves, Book 1 Part III Ch. 3 Love’s Lords in Waiting: Benevolence pp. 91-94

Week 34
Day 94: Animal Farm, Ch. 10
Day 95: Plutarch, Caesar, 58-65
Day 96: Ourselves, Book 1 Part III Ch. 4 Love’s Lords in Waiting: Sympathy pp. 95-96 “thinking and living.”

Week 35
Day 97: Make-up
Day 98: Plutarch, Caesar, 66-69
Day 99: Ourselves, Book 1 Part III Ch. 4 Love’s Lords in Waiting: Sympathy pp. 97-98 from Virtue goes out of Us to end of chapter.

WEEK 36: MAKEUP/EXAM WEEK

Examination questions for exam week
To be answered as short in-class essays, taking roughly 30-45 minutes each.
The student will choose two of the questions to answer.

1. Compare and contrast the leaders you have read about in Plutarch this year with the pigs in Orwell’s Animal Farm.
2. How was Caesar both an effective leader and a dangerous one? How did the same characteristics that brought him success also contribute to the conflicts that led to his downfall?
3. What are some of the important virtues you have read about in Ourselves and how might you cultivate them in your own life?