This course may be taken as a standalone, but students are expected to have a basic familiarity with Greek and Roman history to avoid confusion. Students would further benefit from a familiarity with basic Christian doctrines and theology.

 

History, like a beautiful tapestry, has much in the way of both light and dark patches, from the brutal persecutions under Nero to the joys of St. Francis of Assissi.  If certain sins and behaviors are discussed in Scripture, students should be ready to read about them in class.  Students will be expected to reflect on reading selections in group discussions and writing assignments.

• The Late Roman Empire

• Christianity: The Early Church

• Europe: The “Dark Ages”

• The Early Germanic Kingdoms

• The Seven Ecumenical Councils

• Byzantium: Constantine to the First Crusade

• The Franks: Merovingians and Carolingians

• Early Islam: Muhammad through the Umayyads

• The Vikings

• Early England

• Islam: The Abbasid Caliphate

• Christianity: Councils to the Great Schism

• The Holy Roman Empire

• France: The House of Capet 

• The Crusades: First through Fourth

• England: The Normans to the Plantaganets

• The Hundred Years War

• Islam: The Ottoman Empire

• England: The House of Lancaster 

• Europe: The Renaissance

• Byzantium: Crusades to Fall

• Christianity: Schism to Reformation

All readings for the course will be provided and uploaded online for the convenience of the students.

Students are expected to have a computer with a functioning microphone and camera, as well as a stable Internet connection. A functioning email address, preferably a Gmail account, is also required to access this course’s Google Classroom space and the attached materials.

 

Lectures:  The history lessons will be given in the form of live, interactive lectures.

 

Handouts:  Handouts take the form of excerpts from past writers or historians, interesting pieces of information, or necessary context for a lesson (for example, sections of Germanic law codes or the Koran). Coupled with the discussions, handouts help focus the study of history from merely facts for memorization into topics worthy of deeper reflection and consideration.

 

Discussions:  Discussions will be pertinent and thoughtful considerations of various historical movements or events directed by the teacher.  Discussions can be considerations of the differences between iconography and iconoclasm, analyses of the Scriptural backing behind various cultural movements, or breakdowns of past ideologies (e.g., the Divine Right of Kings).  They will be conducted in a respectful, moderated manner.

 

Essays:  Essays will be written on various events and people mentioned in lessons which deserve a deeper, independent study. Whether it be a 300 word essay on the Battle of Ethandune or a 500 word research paper on the Fourth Crusade, essays will allow students to dig deeper into a plethora of topics that interest them and aid them in their studies.

 

Orations: Eight times over the school year (roughly every 4.5 weeks), students will be expected to present a short excerpt of a medieval writing or section of Scripture from memory to provide greater interaction with course material and improve memory.

 

Testing: Testing will occur at the end of every lesson. Tests will appear in various formats but will consistently include comprehension questions as well as a written portion. Furthermore, a cumulative exam will take place at the end of every quarter (roughly every nine weeks) in order to ensure continued factual recall.

Conduct:  Students are expected to exhibit Christ-like behavior in their discussions and interactions.  While disagreements are permitted, disparaging comments or ad hominem attacks are not. Furthermore, as this course is designed for high school students, a certain level of godly maturity is expected in behavior and conversation. Education from the Academy is a privilege and ought to be treated as such.

 

Attendance:  Students are required to attend this class in person or view and participate in a live meeting of the class with an active camera.  Class sessions will take place from 12:35-1:30 P.M. EST Monday to Thursday. If a student misses a class session, it is the student’s responsibility to identify and complete assigned work by either contacting a classmate or the instructor. Refer to the school calendar for days off due to holidays or other circumstances.

 

Cheating: Plagiarism and other forms of academic chicanery may be punished according to the discretion of the instructor. All decisions made on academic integrity may be appealed to the headmaster of the Academy. Discipline for academic violations is proportional to the severity of the violation, and may be as severe as removal from the course. Rules and guidelines specific to the course will be included in the course syllabus, distributed to the students on the first day of the course.

 

Contact Information: The instructor will establish reliable and consistent means of contact with students on the first day of the course.

Grades for Individual Assignments:

Percentage	Letter Grade
98-100%	A+
93-97%	A
90-92%	A-
88-89%	B+
83-87%	B
80-82%	B-
78-79%	C+
73-77%	C
70-72%	C-
69% or less	F

Course Grades

Percentage	Letter Grade	Grade Points
90-100%	A	4.0
80-89%	B	3.0
70-79%	C	2.0
69% or less	F	0.0

 

Grading Weights for this Course

Orations	15%
Participation	15%
Essays	20%
Tests	50%

 

This course aims to provide students with a semi-comprehensive grasp of Western, especially European, history from the fall of the Roman Empire to the fall of Constantinople to the Ottoman Turks. By the end of the course, students should be able to:

• Identify the most influential historical characters, places, and events of this period.

• Understand and explain the development of Christianity and Christendom from its legalization in A.D. 313 to the eve of the Reformation.

• Identify and understand the various internal and external challenges to Christianity and Christendom, especially in the form of various Christian heresies, from Arianism to Islam.

• Trace the establishment and development of certain cornerstones of Western Civilization, such as human rights, social order under God, a market economy, property ownership, religious freedom, etc., across this period.

• Recognize the medieval roots of the modern world as well as clearly distinguish the medieval world from its pagan predecessor.

• Easily use this course as a stepping stone in pursuing further or deeper studies in history.