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Year 3

The Great Conversation

$1,685

TGC3 covers the Age of Reason and the Age of Fragmentation through the present (1800s to the present). Students (grades 11-12) will compare and contrast the theistic ideas of the Bible with the naturalistic ideas of the 19th and 20th centuries.

Students begin the year by reading three 20th century novels: B.F. Skinner's Walden Two, Hemingway's The Old Man and the Sea, and The Plague by Camus, and examining the legendary Star Wars Trilogy by George Lucas in order to define the cataclysmic shifts in thought which occurred during the 20th century. Next, students will examine the impact of this loss of truth, meaning, and purpose to life on science, philosophy, and theology.

Students will study how the thoughts of Darwin and 20th century philosophers were transferred into culture through art, music, government, and economics. Finally, TGC3 students return to apologetics as they learn to take the truth of Christianity into the areas of philosophy, theology, psychology, ecology, and sociology.

Home Studies

  • The average student should plan to spend approximately three to four 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 - Economic 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.
  • The Syllabus is available from Cornerstone Curriculum. Use the discount code "schola15" for a 15% discount. Families who have previously purchased a Worldviews of the Western World (WVWW) Syllabus may receive an additional 20% discount when purchasing another WVWW Syllabus. Choose "Additional Syllabus" option when ordering online. Free shipping for orders over $200.
  • 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 3 should each have their own copy.

Texts

Curriculum

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.