(Recorded Course) Christ and the Americas, Part One with Christopher Martin (American)

Instructor Access (optional grading support) for Unlimited Access families is available for this course!

Using historian Anne Carroll’s popular text, enjoy learning American history (from Columbus to the 1850s) from a strong Catholic perspective.


How to get the most out of Christ and the Americas, Part One with Christopher Martin, Ph.D.:

  • Download the pre-course materials (e.g., syllabus) found at the end of the course introduction, but before the class materials.
  • Review the class's PowerPoint slides before attending the class meeting.
  • Have a notebook ready and available for class notes during each class meeting.
  • Watch the class's recorded meeting.
  • Do the assignments, quizzes, and any extra work assigned for that class.
  • Repeat the above for each class.
  • Once the course is completed to the parent's and professor’s satisfaction, there is a Certificate of Completion at the end to be filled in for your records.

Special Notes: This is Part One of a 2-part course. Students should also sign up for Part Two following this course as a proper complement to this class.

Total Classes: 14

Duration: 55 minutes

Prerequisite: None

Suggested Grade Level: 9th to 12th grade. Advanced middle school students are welcome (assignments can be adjusted for younger students)

Instructor: Christopher Martin, PhD

Instructor email: chrisgooverthere@yahoo.com

Course Description: Using Anne Carroll's Christ and the Americas as a framework and guide for the first part of a yearlong study, this course roughly traces American History up through the year 1877. This includes the colonial period, the Revolutionary War, and a narration of the issues which led to the Civil War. Carroll’s frequent references to primary sources will solidify lessons learned. Yet, she goes beyond simple facts and looks at the faith life of historical figures and how that makes a difference.

Course Outline:

  • Week 1: Introduction and overview of syllabus and assignments

      Weeks 2-7: Forming America

  • Week 2: Discovery

  • Week 3: The Spanish and the New World

  • Week 4: English Colonies

  • Week 5: Colonial Ways of Life

  • Week 6: Crisis with the English

  • Week 7: American Independence

 

Weeks 8-14: Building Tension

  • Week 8: Establishing Society and Constitution

  • Week 9: American Catholicism

  • Week 10: Ascent of Thomas Jefferson

  • Week 11: Slavery and the West

  • Week 12: Jacksonian Democracy

  • Week 13: The Great Compromises

  • Week 14: The Crisis of the 1850s

Course Materials: Anne Carroll's Christ and the Americas, https://www.amazon.com/Christ-Americas-Carroll/dp/0895555948/chrisgooverth-20, ISBN-10: 0895555948 or ISBN-13: 978-0895555946.

Homework:

  • Approximately 15 pages of reading from the textbook per class. (Middle school students in this course are exempt from readings.)

  • Writing is an integral part of demonstrating both the assimilation of knowledge and the articulation thereof. Therefore, students will be guided through the process of writing a short (three to five pages, double-spaced) review of a book of their choice relevant to the subject matter. (Middle school students in the course must instead write a one- to a two-page book report.)

  • Regular class extra-credit review quizzes based on classroom lectures and discussions. Graded by the computer.