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Year 2

The Great Conversation

$1,685

Curriculum

TGC2 covers the Renaissance, Reformation, and the Revolutionary Age (1200 - 1800s). Students (grades 10-12) will trace the shift from Medieval Christian philosophy and theology to that of the Renaissance and Reformation by examining the literature, music, and art of the period.

Students will explore the works of Dante, Shakespeare, Milton, Bunyan, and Dickens. Students will compare music of the Medieval, Renaissance, Baroque, and Classical periods and explore the art of Giotto, Durer, and Bruegel.

TGC students will examine the influence of both Reformation thought and Enlightenment ideas on society through a study of political theory and government. The class will consider the impact of these ideas on the English and American Revolutions, and compare those to the French and Russian Revolutions. They will study documents from the Magna Carta to the U.S. Constitution, from John Locke's Second Treatise on Government to Marx and Engel’s Communist Manifesto.

Home Studies

  • The average student should plan to spend approximately three hours per day (including class time) to complete the reading assignments, answer the discussion questions in the syllabus, and complete the writing and rhetoric assignments.
  • Regular progress reports will be sent to parents.

Credits

  • 1 Credit - English
  • 1 Credit - History
  • 1 Credit - Philosophy/Theology
  • 1 Credit - Political Theory
  • ½ Credit - American Government
  • ½ Credit - Art & Music History & Appreciation

Prerequisites

  • Students preparing to enter The Great Conversation would benefit from:
    • a thorough study of world and American history.
    • wide and varied reading.
    • basic writing skills.
    • thorough understanding of English grammar.
    • good typing skills.

Texts & Materials

Notes for Sourcing Books:
  • Most of the links below are from Christianbook, which is a great alternative to Amazon. Sign up for emails to receive free shipping offers.
  • Worldview Editions of Paradise Lost, Pilgrim's Progress, and America are available from Cornerstone Curriculum. Use the discount code "schola15" for a 15% discount.
  • If a specific edition is noted, be sure to get that exact edition. For books without a specified edition, any edition will do.
  • + These books are consumable or used in class. Siblings taking TGC 2 should each have their own copy.
  • * These books are used in subsequent years of TGC.

Texts

Curriculum

  • TGC 2 Fall Syllabus (Purchase from Instructor $40)
  • TGC 2 Spring Syllabus (Purchase from Instructor $40)

First semester

Second semester

Materials

  • A binder, paper, pencils, pens, highlighters, and a red pen.
  • Access to a computer, internet, email, and a printer, as well as ink and paper. Be sure your computer has Adobe Reader.
  • We encourage each family to subscribe to and discuss together World Magazine or listen together to the podcast The World and Everything in It from the World News Group.