The Educational Plan of

St. Jerome Classical School

A Catholic Classical School in Prince George’s County

5207 Forty-Second Place

Hyattsville, Maryland 20781

Anno Domini 2010

 The very fact that it is the flesh of the Word become man that ultimately defines
the limits of Christian humanism contains the possibility of almost explosively
extending those limits to what is really a limitless degree. Now we may dare—
indeed dare we must—to take up with an all-embracing gesture into this pattern of
the Christian man whatever in the long perspectives of history or in the depths of
his soul is true and noble in thought and deed. All that is good and true has
proceeded from the Word and has its homing point in the incarnate God, even
though this be hidden from us, even though human thought and human good-will
may not have perceived it…For the humanist Christian there is only one possible
attitude that he can take towards the world: he must love. Yet one can only love a
person, and that is why the Christian humanist loves the human in every shape
and form but only in him of whom St. Paul says ―all things were created in him.‖
Here is the meaning of those words written by an ancient Christian… ―Christ is
the Word, in whom the whole human race has a portion, and all who have lived
according to this Word are Christians, even though, like Socrates and Heraclitus
among the Greeks, they are accounted godless.‖

- Hugo Rahner, S.J.,

citing Saint Justin Martyr

Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just,

whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is gracious, if there is any
excellence and if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.

- Saint Paul

©2010 St. Jerome Curriculum Group

Cover Image: St. Jerome Removing a Thorn from the Lion’s Paw, Niccolo Antonio Colantonio

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 Table of Contents

Part I: Blueprint

Building a New St. Jerome School: A Blueprint for the Vision .................................................... 5
Vision Statement ......................................................................................................................... 6

Part II: Tools

An Integrated Curriculum: The Building Blocks of Learning and the Shape of the Soul .............. 9
History .......................................................................................................................... 10
Religion ......................................................................................................................... 11
Art ................................................................................................................................. 12
Language Arts ............................................................................................................... 13
Nature Studies ............................................................................................................... 14
Mathematics .................................................................................................................. 15
Music ............................................................................................................................ 17
Physical Education ........................................................................................................ 17

Part III: Laying the Foundation

Pedagogy .................................................................................................................................. 20
Curriculum Objectives Stage by Stage....................................................................................... 23
Lower Grammar Stage Objectives ................................................................................. 24
Upper Grammar Stage Objectives .................................................................................. 30
Logic Stage Objectives .................................................................................................. 38

Part IV: Materials

A Note on How to Use the Book Lists ....................................................................................... 49

Lower Grammar Stage Curriculum
Kindergarten: The Cradle of Civilization Year ............................................................... 50
First Grade: The Greek Year .......................................................................................... 56
Second Grade: The Roman Year .................................................................................... 62
Upper Grammar Stage Curriculum
Third Grade: The Medieval Year ................................................................................... 68
Fourth Grade: The Modern Year .................................................................................... 73
Fifth Grade: The American Year.................................................................................... 79
Logic Stage Curriculum
Sixth Grade: The Ancient Year ...................................................................................... 84
Seventh Grade: The Christendom Year .......................................................................... 89
Eighth Grade: The New World Year .............................................................................. 95

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Part V: Picking Out Colors

Beauty in the Life of the School .............................................................................................. 105

Classical Education and Our Surroundings .................................................................. 105
Classical Education and School Culture ....................................................................... 107
Liturgy ........................................................................................................................ 108
Multicultural Connections Related to Time Periods ................................................................. 110
A Daily, Weekly, Quarterly, Yearly Schedule for Mathematics ............................................... 111
Teacher Enrichment Reading for Mathematics ........................................................................ 112
A Note on the Teaching of Nature Studies ............................................................................... 113
Possible School-Wide Events and Celebrations ....................................................................... 114
Suggestions for Further Reading ............................................................................................. 115

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Part I: Blueprint

Cologne Cathedral Floor Plan

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 Building a New St. Jerome School: A Blueprint for the Vision
With every building and every work of art, there is a sense in which the finished product or the
completed work comes first. The builder or the artist starts with a blueprint, a plan, or a picture
of the finished work in mind. Sometimes the builder modifies the plan in the course of the work,
but he cannot modify it entirely without creating something entirely different or destroying the
work altogether. By keeping this picture firmly in view, the builder can ensure that each step in
construction occurs for the sake of the next, and he can see how all the steps combine to build up
the whole. If this blueprint does not guide his work, then the end result of his labors is not a
building, but a heap of stones. Education is like this. Without a clear sense of what education is
and the end it serves, we may expend a great deal of effort ‗piling up stones‘ instead of truly
educating.

This outline is like a blueprint. It begins with the end product: the sort of person we hope would
emerge after nine years at St. Jerome‘s. The actual content of the various subjects within the
curriculum are like the foundation stones of the educated person. The skills, aptitudes, and
habits we hope to cultivate through pedagogy and through the culture of the school are like the
tools of learning. And of course the teachers are the builders who bring their art and experience
to bear on the construction of the building. We proceed from the vision, first through the core
subjects that would comprise the St. Jerome‘s curriculum, and then with increasing detail
through the specific stages in the teaching of each subject to show how each stage builds upon
the next and these combine with the labors of St. Jerome‘s teachers to contribute to the building
up of the whole.

Christ Leading Adam and Eve Out of Hades, Hosios Lukas Monastery

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 Vision Statement
St. Jerome School educates children in the truest and fullest sense by giving them
the necessary tools of learning and by fostering wonder and love for all that is
genuinely true, good, and beautiful. We emphasize classical learning because we
want our students to read well, speak well, and think well and ultimately because
truth and beauty are good in themselves and desirable for their own sake. We
seek to incorporate our students into the wisdom of two thousand years of
Catholic thought, history, culture, and arts so that they might understand
themselves and their world in the light of the truth and acquire the character to
live happy and integrated lives in the service of God and others. Education in this
deep and comprehensive sense extends beyond the classroom and is more than
just the acquisition of skills. It encompasses the whole of one‘s life. For this
reason, St. Jerome‘s seeks to involve families ever more deeply in the life of the
school and in the education of their children.

True education has always rested on two presuppositions. The first is that truth is desirable for
its own sake. It is good not for what it does, but for what it is. The second is that knowledge
consists not in bending the truth to ourselves, but in conforming ourselves to truth. We can only
conform ourselves to truth by freely embracing and loving it, and we can only love truth if we
are enticed by its beauty. Love of beauty has therefore always been integral to the discovery of
truth and true education has always sought to form the heart and mind, reason and will, desire
and knowledge. In short, education forms the whole person in light of truth, beauty, and
goodness.

The Vision Statement seeks to root a comprehensive understanding of education in a compelling

and beautiful vision of reality worthy of students‘ love. This vision is intended to govern every
facet of the school‘s life. Its aim is twofold: first, to communicate a certain body of knowledge;
and second, to cultivate a certain kind of person, to develop as far as possible what is uniquely
human in him, and so to equip him with the skills, habits, and aptitudes necessary to embrace
truth and to become the person he was truly created to be. Immediately it becomes clear that no
aspect of a school‘s life is truly ‗extra-curricular‘ or falls outside of its core mission of education,
because every aspect of its life—from the way the school prays, to the dress code of students and
staff, the arrangement of furniture in the classroom, the paint and posters on the wall, the
activities during recess, the way technology is used, and the songs the children sing—reflects the
school‘s judgments and priorities about the meaning of its educational mission. Everything a
school does teaches something. Everything a school does is education of some sort. The
important thing is to be sure that it is good and coherent education and that policies, procedures,
pedagogical methods, and the culture of the school are not at cross purposes with the vision.

Curriculum, pedagogical methods, and all the details of the school‘s life should therefore be
constantly assessed both in light of the conviction that knowledge and love of truth, beauty, and
goodness are ends in themselves and in light of the twofold goal of the Vision Statement. Every
activity, program, policy, method, or proposal should be tested by the following criteria, which
follow from this vision, though not all are equally applicable to each of these facets of the
school‘s life.

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1. Is it beautiful?
2. Are we doing this because it is inherently good, or as a means to an end? If the latter,
what end?
3. Does it encourage the student to think of education itself as a high and noble enterprise,
or does it cheapen education?
4. Is it excellent? Does it demand the best students and teachers have to offer, and hold
them to the highest standard they are capable of achieving? Or does it give in to the
gravitational pull of mediocrity? Is excellence the highest standard, or is excellence
subordinate to lower standards such as convenience, popularity, or marketing
considerations (i.e., consumer appeal)?
5. Does it encourage reverence for the mystery of God and the splendor of His creation?
6. Does it encourage reverence for the mystery of the human person and respect for the
student‘s own human dignity?
7. Does it encourage him to desire truth, to understand such virtues as courage, modesty,
prudence, and moderation and to cultivate these within himself?
8. Does it help the student to see what difference God makes to all the facets of the world,
or does it make God‘s existence seem irrelevant, trivial, small or private?
9. Does it assist in passing on the received wisdom of the Christian tradition, or does it
create obstacles to reception of the tradition?
10. Does it encourage real searching and thinking? Does it provoke the student to ask
‗why?‘ Does it stir up a desire for understanding?
11. Does it encourage conversation between and across generations or does it hinder it?
12. Does it help to develop to the fullest extent what is uniquely human in the student: the
powers of attending, deliberating, questioning, calculating, remembering, and loving?
13. Does it encourage the student to become patient, to take time, and if necessary, to start
over in order to achieve excellence, or does it subordinate excellence to speed, ease, and
efficiency?
14. Does it encourage the student to value rigor and discipline?
15. Does it deepen the role of the family in the life of the school and the role of education in
the life of the family, or does it erect a barrier between family and school?

Plato and Aristotle from School of Athens, Raphael

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Part II: Tools

God as Architect of World

Paris Bible, c. 1220

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 An Integrated Curriculum:
The Building Blocks of Learning and the Shape of the Soul

As the Vision states, the goal of education is the student himself, to form his mind and his
character in such a way that he can live his whole life, so far as possible, in a way that is
consistent with the truth about himself as a human being created in the image and likeness of
God. We often say that we aim to achieve this through an integrated curriculum. But what does
this mean? And how is the curriculum integrated?

Just as there were two complementary dimensions to our vision of education—conveying a

definite body of knowledge and forming certain aptitudes, qualities of character, and habits of
mind in the student—so too is the curriculum integrated in a similar, twofold way.

The first is through the content of a historically based curriculum, rooted in an understanding of
the human person as a creature, created in the image and likeness of God. From this starting
point, the curriculum presents history as a coherent story propelled by the human desire for God
and God‘s coming to meet, inflame and satisfy that desire in Christ. This is what the Vision
Statement means by ―incorporating our students into the wisdom of two thousand years of
Catholic thought, history, culture, and arts.‖ This means placing special emphasis on the Greek,
Roman, Jewish, and other ancient Near East cultures that make up the Western tradition. This
understanding of the person as a creature provides a basis for exploring and appreciating these
and other pre-Christian cultures in their own right, for seeking to understand them as they
understood themselves.

But rooting history in the understanding of the human person as a creature with a natural desire
for God also orients those cultures toward the coming of Christ, after which they are taken up,
transformed, into a new Christian culture in which the deepest of human longings and the highest
of human aspirations are met by a gift from God which surpasses all these. Other subjects such
as literature, art, and music and even math and nature studies complement this understanding and
deepen it. For instance, a class studying Greek culture in the Grammar stage might read and
discuss stories from Greek mythology to think along with the Greeks ‗from the inside‘. A class
studying the Middle Ages in the Logic stage might learn Gregorian chant in music, or consider
the symbolism of Gothic architecture in art or the symbolism of shapes in medieval stained glass
in conjunction with their introduction to geometry.

The students will twice cycle through the history of the world. In grades K-5, they will devote
one year of study to Egypt and the Ancient Near East, Greece, Rome, the Middle Ages, the
Modern Age, and America respectively. In grades 6-8, they will recapitulate this history by
studying the ancient civilizations, then the Middle Ages, and ending with the Modern Age and
America. By completing these two cycles, students will reinforce what they have previously
learned as well as penetrate the meaning of history more deeply.

The second dimension integrates the curriculum in the student himself, by cultivating in the
student aptitudes, habits, and qualities that shape his approach to all subjects, and bind them
together into a unity in what the Vision Statement calls ―wonder and love for all that is genuinely
true, good, and beautiful.‖ For instance, the curriculum emphasizes observation and rendering in

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subjects as varied as art, music, and nature studies. The purpose of this emphasis is also to
cultivate within the students habits and powers of looking, seeing, and noticing, the development
of which makes us most human and most alive. These, in turn, imply a capacity for
concentration, whole-hearted attention, silence, and stillness of both body and soul. The study of
music seeks to cultivate the same power of attention and understanding with the sense of hearing
as observation does with the sense of sight. In this way, the qualities and habits needed to read
beyond the surface level of a story, to notice mathematical patterns in nature, to distinguish one
bird from another, to hear parts of a harmony in music, or to recognize how shadows are effected
in a painting by lines, geometrical shapes, and gradations of color are not unlike the qualities
needed to recognize the presence of God which, like light, always invisibly surrounds us.
Approached in this way, the study of nature, music and art is a kind of preparation for
contemplative prayer or adoration, and these in turn, prepare the student to study the world and
to live in it in a fully human way.

In these two ways this approach to education forms a unified whole. The core subjects studied at
each stage of the curriculum each have peculiar objectives which, taken together, combine for
building up the whole. We will look at each of these in very general terms, asking in each case
what skills, aptitudes, and knowledge we want our students to come away with at the end of their
time at St Jerome‘s, in order to see how each subject combines with the others to serve the
overall vision and its twofold aim.

History
 Students should understand human culture and history itself as the lived answer to
fundamental human questions and the human desire for God.
 Within history, ―Christ has reconciled all things to himself‖ (Col. 1:20, see also Col.
1:16, Rom. 11:36, Heb. 2:10, I Cor. 8:6, Rev. 4:11). Students should understand that the
coming of Christ is the decisive act of God in history and that this has enormous
historical and cultural ramifications.
 As the opening epigraph from Hugo Rahner states, the coming of Christ and the Church
is central to history. As Christ reconciles all things to himself, his Church and the
culture to which it gives rise takes up and transforms all that is beautiful, good, and true
in pre-Christian culture and becomes a decisive reference point for all world cultures
thereafter. Understanding the human person as a creature and seeing all of history and
all cultures as expressions of the human desire for God and as lived answers to ultimate
human questions, students should learn to appreciate the great cultures of history on
their own terms, seeking to understand them as they understood themselves and resisting
the prejudice that equates the newest with the best.
 However, they should understand history neither as a story of constant progress
culminating in the present, nor as a series of disconnected events lying side by side in
time, but as the story of the world‘s anticipation of and longing for the truth and
happiness revealed in Christ and the events his incarnation sets in motion.
 They should therefore have a special understanding of those classical cultures—Greek,
Jewish, Roman—which become ingredients of Christian culture. They should read
those portions of the Bible that are contemporaneous with the historical period they are
studying and appreciate the window that the Bible provides into the development of this

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 history. And they should seek to understand the birth of modern culture as an event
within Christianity, as simultaneously a development of Christian culture and a reaction
against a Christian view of reality.
 Students should thus come to understand American history as a chapter in this larger
story. American history should be studied in the same spirit of love for truth, goodness,
and beauty that animates the rest of the curriculum, and American history and culture
should therefore be viewed through the same lens as other historical cultures: as a lived
answer to these fundamental human questions. American history should therefore form
in students a love of their country and its ideals, but it should also encourage them to
subject that love and those ideals to the still higher love for the truth of God and the
human person revealed in Jesus Christ and through his Church. In this way, the study of
history should prepare students to become both virtuous and responsible citizens and
faithful Catholics and begin to equip them with the tools of discernment necessary to
live deeply Catholic and deeply human lives amidst increasingly challenging times.
 The study of history in these terms is central to ―incorporating our students into the
wisdom of two thousand years of Catholic thought, history, culture, and arts.‖ Students
are incorporated into the received wisdom of the Christian tradition in two ways: first,
by understanding themselves as products and heirs of a culture which represents the
deepest of human longings, the highest of human aspirations, and the most profound of
human artistic and cultural achievements; and second, by making the desires and
questions that have animated and propelled that history their own—Who am I? Who is
God? How am I to live? What is goodness? What is truth?
 The proper presentation of history should therefore further cultivate the art of
questioning, as an expression of their innate desire for the happiness found in God.

Religion
 Religion is not just one subject within the curriculum, but the key to its unity and
integration. The cosmos is an ordered, unified whole because it is created in Christ ―in
whom all things hold together‖ (Col. 1:17). Belief in God as our Father and the world as
His beautiful and rational creation binds faith and reason, nature and culture, art and
science, morality and reality into a coherent and integrated unity. This unified view
reaches its summit in worship, which is the highest form of knowledge and thus the end
and goal of true education. This understanding should be made explicit in religion as a
subject, in the curriculum as a whole, and in the life of the school. Most of all it should
be reflected in the Sacred Liturgy and the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, the source and
summit of the school‘s life. Religious education should therefore have as its ultimate
goal the life of prayer and a deep, reverent participation in God‘s own life through the
Sacrifice of the Mass.
 ―God is love‖ (1 Jn. 4:8). This is at the heart of what it means to say that God is Trinity,
a communion of persons. If God is the source of cosmic order, then that means love is at
the root of this order, a key to its meaning, and essential to our meaning as persons.
Students should come to a deeper understanding of the meaning of love, both divine and
human. They should begin to understand that love is at the root of reality and what this
implies for civilization and for the meaning of their own nature as embodied persons.

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 Students should understand that God‘s love in the Incarnation gives rise to a distinctive
Christian civilization which is their birthright. Students should learn Scripture and be
familiar with the treasures of Christian culture, art, architecture, music, literature, and
great deeds, all of which give expression to a Catholic view of reality. Students should
begin to learn the ‗symbolic language‘ of these treasures and learn how to ‗read‘ religious
paintings and architecture. And they should understand how a true civilization of love
reaches its summit in the Mass, where our desire for God is anticipated and surpassed by
God‘s love for us.
 Students should be introduced to such treasures as we have here in Washington: e.g., the
National Shrine, St. Matthew Cathedral, the Franciscan and Dominican monasteries, and
paintings in the National Gallery. They should be made to understand and appreciate that
St. Jerome‘s is a part of this rich Christian heritage and that this heritage represents the
very height of human culture and aspiration.
 Students should understand how the vocation to love informs our very meaning as
persons, soul and body. The curriculum should reflect on how men and women live out
this vocation differently in marriage, religious, and consecrated life. Upper school
religion courses should therefore contemplate the ‗theology of the body‘, not primarily
from the point of view of ‗sex education‘ or even sexual morality (though both of these
remain important), but from the truth about the human person as a sexually differentiated
unity of body and soul created in and for love. The goal here is not to moralize, but to
provide students with a beautiful, more compelling vision of life and love that they can
desire and appropriate as their own.
 The study of religion should fulfill the role of basic catechesis, conveying what the
Church teaches. By approaching catechesis in light of a broader vision of God and the
human person students are helped to understand not only what the church teaches but why
this teaching is true. Students see what these teachings have to do with the basic
questions of the human heart, how they matter to their lives, and how they have mattered
in the lives of whole cultures.
 The study of religion is both the conveying of a definite body of knowledge and the
cultivation of habits and qualities in the soul of the student. It should incorporate silence,
adoration, mystery, and the experience of beauty through adoration, music, and the
school‘s observation and study of the liturgy and the liturgical calendar.
 Religious instruction, above all, should seek to draw the student more deeply into the life
of God. To that end, the school‘s liturgical observances should not condescend or ‗speak
down‘ to children in order to ‗reach them where they are‘. Children who are given an
infantile form of the faith are not likely to grow in it. Rather these observances should
stress the mystery by emphasizing ―the beauty of holiness‖ (Ps. 29:2). They should seek
to draw the child ever more deeply into this mystery by appealing to the student‘s natural
wonder. They should be child-like without being childish.
 For this reason, students should come to understand the meaning of the parts of the Mass
and given the opportunity to be trained as acolytes.

Art
 The study of art should focus on both art appreciation and rendering, preferably in
different media (chalk, paint, charcoal, etc.), since art is tactile.

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 Art study in both senses should foster an appreciation of beauty, not merely as a
subjective preference, as pretty or pleasant, but as an objective feature of reality that
expresses the deep truth of what things are. Students should understand this objective
beauty as desirable for its own sake. They should be able to identify its features and
think about its effect on the soul, for example, why it is desirable or how it can be
profound. Students should be able to explain this with respect to certain works of art
(e.g. by being able to say why Cezanne‘s apples are important).
 Art studied in both senses should therefore be understood not as amusement nor as
individualistic creativity, but as aiming for a real, objective beauty. It is, though,
appropriate to study how changed understandings of what art is (away from this notion)
are reflected in works of art themselves and reveal differing cultural attitudes about the
nature of the human person and the objectivity of truth, goodness, and beauty.
 The study of art should therefore complement the study of history and be a part of it. It
should consider how the art of a culture provides that culture‘s answers to the deep
human questions and how changes in art reflect changed understandings (e.g., by
appreciating the differences between Byzantine iconography and the paintings of
Giotto).
 The study of art and the practice of rendering should be used to train children how to
attend closely to detail, to study shape and proportion, in short, how to see both art itself
and the objects depicted by it. The study of art is also training in the art of attention and
adoration.

Language Arts
 We want students to ―read well, speak well, and think well.‖ This means that we want
them to understand and internalize how language works both at the level of individual
words (their roots, conjugations and declensions), but also the parts of speech. These
are the building blocks of argument.
 Reading well therefore means reading efficiently, but it also means reading insightfully.
The study of language and stories is therefore an introduction to basic human questions.
Students should learn how to question a story and be questioned by it. With the right
literature, even young students can be made to consider the ‗worthiness‘ of a character‘s
choices, the consequences of their actions, and the importance of truth. They can be
asked to consider whether a story or a character is fair or just, whether it is beautiful and
why. What are the elements of this and its effect? Does it make the student happy or
sad? Can a story be beautiful and sad? They can begin to recognize the significance of
symbols and foreshadowing.
 The study and recitation of poetry should be used to cultivate memory and the skills that
go along with recitation, but poetry should also be treated as a form of vision and a
window into truth.
 The study of language and literature should complement the study of history and culture
by providing a window into them, e.g., in showing how the theme of life as a dangerous
journey ‗home‘ in Homer and Virgil is decisively taken up and transformed in
Christianity and expressed in a millennium of Christian literary and visual art.
 The study of Latin (and Greek, if possible) should complement the study of history,
religion, and English grammar.

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 Nature Studies
 The study of nature must be integrated into a comprehensive vision of reality as God‘s
creation. Otherwise the human person who is at the foundation of the curriculum
becomes unintelligible and the truth about him becomes a matter of private opinion.
 The study of nature therefore begins from the presupposition that all of reality is God‘s
creation, though the implications of this are easily misunderstood. The act of creation is
not an alternative to natural processes; nor is the doctrine of creation an alternative to
natural explanations. The act of creation is not something done to the world, since prior
to creation there is nothing to act upon. The doctrine of creation therefore does not
explain how the world came to be, but what the world is. And to treat nature as creation
is not to confuse science with theology or to divert attention from nature to prove God‘s
existence, but to behold nature differently in a way that is at once deeper and more
comprehensive, but no less rigorous, than modern scientific materialism.
o It is to recognize that we do not arbitrarily impose meaning upon a meaningless
material world, but that meaning is inherent in the world itself. It is reflected in a
rational order that penetrates to the depths of the natural order and can be
apprehended by reason.
o It is to see the infinite generosity of God reflected in the mysterious uniqueness
of every living thing.
o It is to recognize that this mysterious uniqueness can never be exhaustively
explained or understood and can only be fully appreciated through the eyes of
love.
o It is to recognize that what things are is not exhausted by how they work or how
they came to be. Therefore, living things are wholes, irreducible to the
interaction of their parts or the history of causes that produced them. They are
wholes that transcend their parts.
o It is to recognize that living things differ essentially from non-living machines
because:
 Unlike a machine that acquires its identity only at the end of a
manufacturing process, living things have a nature, and therefore a unity,
that precedes and guides their development. (This is partly what is meant
by soul. It is also why a fetus is a person from the moment of conception
and why it eventually matures into an adult: because it is already human.)
 Unlike a machine, an organism is not a means to an end and its purpose is
not imposed from the outside. An organism‘s end or ‗good‘ is internal to
it and is that for the sake of which it develops and acts. Maturity and
health are the ends for which organisms ordinarily develop and grow as
they do.
 Machines and other inanimate objects have an environment which
surrounds them but is basically external to them. Living things have a
world which they assimilate to themselves through metabolism and
within which they move themselves and act. This world is not just the
organism‘s physical surroundings, but the whole order, including past,
future, and other creatures, which makes up the organism‘s ‗action
space‘.

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  Higher organisms are characterized by having a larger world in this
comprehensive sense. Man has the largest world of all, since he can
deliberate about his future, since his world includes God, and since he
can respond to God‘s call.
 There is therefore an essential difference between the living and the non-
living, between procreation and mechanical reproduction, between what
is born and what is made.
 No aspect of the human body or of human biology is ever merely material
or purely biological, but personal. All human biology is personal
biology, the biology of persons.
o It is to recognize that science alone, which is preoccupied with the causal history
and mechanical aspects of the natural world, is not sufficient to understand what
nature, living things, and human persons are. Philosophy and ultimately
theology are also required.
 The study of nature should train the student above all to see nature through the eyes of
love and to respect its inner integrity. This must be the foundation on which all further
specialized study in the sciences is based.
 Coursework should emphasize the observation, classification and rendering of living
things (as in a nature notebook). Students should consider the unique characteristics of
different kinds of plants and animals and their ways of life, be able to recognize and
appreciate the unique characteristics and classify them accordingly. They should
understand what distinguishes human beings from other animals and the relation
between human biology or morphology (e.g., upright posture, primacy of sight,
opposable thumbs, etc.) and the uniquely human way of living.
 From the study of living wholes, students should then move to the study of their parts
through the study of anatomy, physiology, and related disciplines.
 From this foundation students should proceed through the relevant sub-disciplines in
science—chemistry, geology, astronomy, etc., with special attention to how these
various aspects of nature combine to make Earth a home suitable for life, but also in a
way that prepares the student for the study of these subjects in high school.
 Students should have experience in both inductive and deductive methods and know the
difference between them.
 Students should complete their study of nature at St. Jerome‘s with a keen eye for
nature, a deeper wonder and love for the natural world, a greater awe at the mystery of
living things, and a deep appreciation of how the world, in providing a home fit for life,
reflects the wisdom and generosity of its Creator.

Mathematics
 The study of mathematics should instill in students an ever-increasing sense of wonder
and awe at the profound way in which the world displays order, pattern and relation.
Mathematics is studied not because it is first useful and then beautiful, but because it
reveals the beautiful order inherent in the cosmos.
 Mathematics stands in a unique position at the intersection of induction and deduction,
and as it flowers, it enables the student not only to appreciate more deeply its own
subject matter, but also every other discipline since it lends its own intelligibility to their

15
 study. This is readily apparent in logic and analytical reasoning, but is no less true for
art, music, poetry, history, sports, experimental science, philosophy, and language.
 Mathematics can engage all the senses, particularly in the early years, with the direct
manipulation of simple objects that illustrate number and counting, similarity and
difference, belonging and exclusion, progression, proportion, and representation. Along
with this direct experience, students can be coached in observation and taught not only
to recognize but to question the relationship of countable to uncountable, unity to
plurality, and repetition to progression. They can gradually be introduced to ways in
which we quantify the world by applying dimension, magnitude, duration, measure and
rank, and also ways in which the world may be analyzed and modeled through
mathematical representation, including geometric and algebraic expressions. To the
extent possible, students can be encouraged to ‗construct mathematics‘ (such as building
Platonic solids) as well as work it out on paper, and come to understand that the
symbolic writing of mathematics enables us to describe accurately and therefore to
predict the outcomes of many real-world events.
 The study of mathematics should emphasize its foundational contribution to aesthetics
(the study of beauty). The ―mathematics of beauty‖ can be discerned in every subject.
o In history, for example, students can begin to understand the meaning of the
architectural design and sacred geometry of classical buildings, in which not only
shape, pattern and placement convey meaning, but number also is used to encode
philosophical and theological truths.
o The mathematical foundations of music can be introduced from the mono-chord
to tone relations, and then to the understanding of harmonics and series. In the
upper grades, students can be introduced to the mathematics of the fugue and the
canon, and taught to hear the voices in their relationship.
o In the study of visual art, students can be trained in the geometric and numeric
relationships that are at the basis of representational drawing, particularly for
creating the illusion of depth through the application of transformation and
projection, and can be taught the visually pleasing and dynamic ratios that appear
in great art and photography. This visual training can be extended to a broad
discussion of dimensionality in the context of iconography and non-
representational art.
o In the language arts, the mathematics of rhyme and meter can be discussed and
practiced, at first through recitation but eventually through imitation. Also, the
discovery of the numerological meanings written into great literature can begin
with the Bible and advance historically through the various periods studied.
o In nature studies, the mathematics of nature can unveil the mysterious
occurrences of transcendental constants such as pi and the natural logarithm, the
recurrence of biological geometry such as the spiral of Archimedes, and the
myriad ways in which relation is communicated in the branches of a tree, the
strands of an orb web, or the convergence of streams into a river. Individual
plants and animals can be introduced as the basis for understanding growth, and
direct observation and measurement can be the basis for understanding numerical
and visual representation of change through time. Individuals and populations
can be used to illustrate the concepts of rate of change, large numbers, and
eventually infinity. Measurement and the mathematical representation of natural

16
 systems can become the entry point for a discussion of estimation and precision,
order and entropy, probability, and eventually chaos. This can include a
discussion of how to represent things numerically, which presupposes an
understanding of Aristotle‘s four forms of causality, and can culminate in
understanding that mathematically representing and quantifying the world
depends on philosophical choices.
 A love of mathematics naturally leads not only to the development of analytical and
critical reasoning skills, but deep creativity. Most importantly, it fosters a sense of
profound reverence for the cosmos and our place within it, and the infinite depth of
intelligibility woven into creation. This love is a spontaneous response that arises when
a child first discovers math in the world, and must be nourished so that the work of
solving math problems does not become tedium. Puzzles, codes, riddles, games, and the
direct observation and experience of mathematics in our world are important ways to
keep the intrigue and enchantment of mathematics alive while building necessary skills.

Music
 The study of music should be to the sense of hearing what the study of art is to the sense
of sight. It should cultivate the power of that form of attention known as listening.
 The study of music should complement the study of history, e.g., in the movement from
Gregorian chant to polyphony.
 Children should learn the ‗aesthetics of number‘ and learn to ‗hear number‘ through
learning harmony and measure.
 Students should learn and experience how music expresses the mystery of God, and the
spirit of adoration should be cultivated through acquaintance with the tradition of sacred
music, chants and hymnody. Students should be able to sing the Salve Regina, the
Regina Caeli, and other prayers that are appropriate to different liturgical seasons.
 Students should learn the language of music, both in terms of musical notation and the
ability of different instruments and notes to ‗tell stories‘.
 If possible, students should participate in a schola cantorum and, if possible, learn to
play an instrument in order to internalize music, appreciate its beauty, and foster
creativity and discipline.

Physical Education
 Play, like joy, is its own end. In the sheer joy of play and playing well, one becomes an
‗amateur‘ in the true sense, that is, a 'lover'. Developing this sense of 'amateurism' is
perhaps the most important contribution that physical education makes to classical
education. This is because the amateur, though he always strives to play well, plays out
of love and delight for the game itself. Genuine amateurism thus reinforces the classical
conviction that there are things worth doing well simply because they are good.
 But physical education is vital to classical education in other ways as well. Physical
education offers students an opportunity to train their minds, hearts, and bodies into
unified expressions of gracefulness. Accordingly, the physical education program should
strive to train the minds, hearts, and bodies of the students.
 Students should develop concentration, self-discipline, and mental stamina through

17
 repetition, practice, and competitive play. They should come to recognize the excellence
and gracefulness of beautiful physical achievements. They should also learn the rules as
well as the proper techniques and strategies for playing all major sports.
 Students should practice sportsmanship and fair play; they should learn to win and lose
with grace. They should participate in games and sports in which they can both lead and
be led, subordinating their own role to the good of the team. A spirit of healthy
competition as well as an attitude of perseverance, commitment, and excellence should be
the norm.
 Students should participate in a variety of physical activities that promote strength,
agility, coordination, speed, and endurance. They should be encouraged to form healthy
living habits, which include getting the appropriate exercise, diet, and rest.

Still Life with Apples, Paul Cezanne

18
Part III: Laying the Foundation

Christ the Teacher

St. Catherine Monastery on Mt. Sinai

19
 Laying the Foundation: Pedagogy
A Catholic classical education seeks both to incorporate students into the wisdom of the Catholic
tradition and to form certain habits and dispositions in the souls of students. This endeavor
requires a distinct pedagogical approach, though it will obviously take a more developed form in
the higher grades. It will fall to teachers in their expertise to tailor this approach to particular
subjects and situations in age-appropriate ways. The following guidelines will help to cultivate
those habits and dispositions. By working creatively within their parameters, teachers in the
lower grades will lay a solid foundation for future work in the upper grades, while teachers in the
upper grades will build upon this solid foundation.

What You Don’t Know Won’t Hurt You. (But What You Don’t Want to Know Will.) Very
few people teaching today are the beneficiaries of a classical education, and nowadays even
those with some classical training have holes in their knowledge of the tradition. So it is natural
to feel overwhelmed or intimidated at the prospect of such a demanding and ambitious approach,
so foreign to common experience. The nature studies program, for example, differs markedly
from conventional introductions to science, and there are few resources in this area that are
complete and readymade for this approach. Teachers in this as well as other areas will have to
be thoughtful and creative in bending imperfect materials to fit this approach. But the most
important ingredient in teaching a classical curriculum is not command of the tradition, though
this is a worthy and desirable goal and should come with time. Rather the most important thing
is that ‗you become like this child‘, that teachers begin to think of themselves as students, that
they fall in love with thinking and are gripped by the same fundamental human questions that
animated our forebears in the tradition and created the greatness of Western and Christian
culture. Regardless of what ‗information‘ a student may acquire, classical education has only
truly succeeded when this desire, having become contagious, is passed from teachers to students.
When this happens, teachers and students are incorporated into the ‗great conversation‘ together
and bound by a common love and common desire to discover the truth and make it one‘s own.

What They Don’t Know Won’t Hurt Them. (Yet.) Remember that a classical education lays a
foundation for future learning both by developing skills and by incorporating students into the
great conversation of the tradition. The themes and texts introduced in the early years (e.g.,
Greek characters and themes) are foundational for the subsequent tradition. They will reappear
frequently in later art and literature, and they will be covered again in the upper school. It is
therefore vital to introduce these texts and themes in the early grades even if students do not fully
comprehend them. In doing so you will be cultivating dispositions, contributing to the culture
and atmosphere of the school, and a common knowledge base that will be developed further later
on in the curriculum. This knowledge, in turn, will deepen and perfect what is sometimes only
imperfectly grasped at earlier stages.

Practice the Art of Memory. To cultivate memory, confidence, and good speaking, heavy and
regular emphasis should be placed on memorization and recitation of phonics rules, math facts,
and the narration and dictation of short poems, stories, and even history lessons. These skills and
facts are the foundation for later work.

20
Homework: A Game the Whole Family Can Play. Because in the early grades memorization
and narration precede the child‘s ability to read, and because class sizes will not always allow
children to perform their narrations and recitations in school, children will often have to practice
narration at home with the help of a family member. Parents should be informed of this
expectation in orientation prior to the start of classes, and teachers should remind parents of this
responsibility at the onset of classes. This will help to achieve the additional goals of raising
standards and expectations and involving parents more deeply in the education of their children.

Stretching Minds by Stretching Language. From a very early age we want to establish a
standard of excellence and promote the command and love of language. We want to nurture the
ability to think about and discuss stories. We want to foster a capacity to remember and sustain
attention and cultivate a love for what is noble and high. A good deal of instruction in the early
grades will therefore consist in teachers reading great works of literature (e.g., children‘s
versions of Homer) to students over the course of a number of days. Often ‗age appropriate‘
texts are less challenging (and inspiring) than great works which seem slightly out of reach. But
when these texts are read slowly, with the teacher pausing to explain or discuss difficult phrases
and ideas, children begin to discover the wonders of language, the power of big ideas, and to
improve their own vocabulary. And they acquire a foundation for understanding most of the
great Western art and literature they will encounter later in their studies and in life.

What Would Plato Do? ‗Socratic‘ discussions should begin in the earliest grades and teach
students to begin questioning and discussing stories, pictures, fables or proverbs according to
four rules: 1. Read the text carefully. 2. Listen to what others say and don‘t interrupt. 3. Speak
clearly. 4. Give others your respect.

Thinking With the Mind of the Ancients. As students advance in their ability, they should be
encouraged to place themselves imaginatively within the historical period they are discussing in
order to understand how that culture thought about the True, the Good, and the Beautiful, and the
nature of God and man. The assignments included at the end of every chapter in Eva March
Tappan‘s The Story of the Greek People provide a good example that could be adapted to oral or
written work.

Is There a Text in This Class? The use of textbooks should be minimized. This is for several
reasons: to provide students a coherent history, to produce a more integrated curriculum, to
introduce them to ‗primary sources‘, to develop memory and a capacity for sustained attention,
and to prepare them for reading great works of literature in later grades. Teachers may choose to
use textbooks or other reference books for themselves in order to develop a narrative of historical
continuity tailored to the school‘s characteristic emphases, and some subjects (e.g., math) may
require greater reliance on textbooks from students. Still teachers should strive so far as possible
for ‗textbook independence‘ and to devise an oral presentation of historical material in ‗lecture‘
form, as a thread on which to hang more targeted readings in primary source material, ideally,
whole books.

History and the Restless Heart. Teachers in the humanities should strive to integrate history,
literature, religion and the arts so as to provide a comprehensive and coherent history which

21
addresses the basic human questions: Who is God? Who and what is man? What is true, good,
and beautiful?

Forming the Soul One Sense at a Time. Developing what is peculiarly human in the souls of
students means developing the art of noticing and the habit of attention. By definition this means
developing one concentrated sense or capacity—seeing, listening, and reading— at a time. This
allows students who excel at one particular ‗learning style‘ to succeed, while also giving them
opportunities to develop in weaker areas. Teachers should seek methods for cultivating these
capacities one at a time, avoiding as far as possible multimedia presentations which dilute and
diffuse attention. Instead, they should rely on a diverse range of activities (e.g., looking at
artwork, listening to music, reading of books) that develop concentration in diverse ways, ‗one
sense at a time‘.

Humanizing Technology. Education develops what is most human in students: the capacity for
wisdom and love which requires insightful reading, depth of thought, and the autonomy that
comes from virtuous self-command. These, in turn, require disciplined habits of patience,
attentiveness, memory and concentration and a desire for what is truly good and beautiful. The
role of computers and information technologies should be critically assessed in light of these
goals, and prudence should govern their use in instruction and the completion of assignments.
These technologies are both a fact of contemporary life and a wonderful resource, providing
access to sources of knowledge otherwise unavailable. They should be utilized when appropriate
and students should be taught to use them responsibly. However, premature or excessive use of
these technologies undermines the very qualities and skills education seeks to cultivate: it
inhibits the development of reading comprehension, alters the very processes of composition and
calculation, and creates dependence on the technologies themselves. It also hampers the
transmission of tradition by isolating students from previous generations and instilling the
prejudice that new equals better. Furthermore, it isolates students from one another. Real
education therefore requires a space where children can experience a measure of freedom from
these technologies and develop independently of them. Our pedagogy should help create this
space by stressing personal interaction in instruction and ‗manual labor‘ (e.g. handwriting) in the
completion of assignments. We should encourage students to take time, attend patiently to
detail, and correct mistakes. We should prioritize the insightful reading of books over the
collection and manipulation of data and should use ‗instructional videos‘ and other media
sparingly after evaluating their quality and their effect on school culture. Lastly, we should
promote communal activity over computer games or movies during leisure time. The truly
liberating answer to the problem of children's immersion in technology is not just a more
responsible use of technology; it is to give them something better to love.

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 Laying the Foundation: Curriculum Objectives Stage by Stage
Each of the core disciplines has its role to play in the building up of the whole and each has its
own more specific set of objectives for the different stages at which it is being taught. Quite
simply, at each stage there are things we want children to know, things they ought to be able to
do, and habits, dispositions, or aptitudes they ought to have acquired or be acquiring.
Considering these in detail and in light of the general objectives of each subject, and considering
each subject in light of the overall end, teachers in specific subjects and at specific stages can see
how each stage builds upon the previous stage, how their work contributes to the ‗finished
product‘, and how they can tailor specific classes and methods to serve these ideals more
effectively.

The curriculum is divided into the following developmental and historical segments:

Lower Grammar Stage

Kindergarten: The Cradle of Civilization Year
Grade 1: The Greek Year
Grade 2: The Roman Year

Upper Grammar Stage

Third Grade: The Medieval Year
Fourth Grade: The Modern Year
Fifth Grade: The American Year

Logic Stage
Sixth Grade: The Ancient Year
Seventh Grade: The Christendom Year
Eighth Grade: The New World Year

The Death of Socrates

23
 Lower Grammar Stage Objectives
Kindergarten: The Cradle of Civilization Year
Grade 1: The Greek Year
Grade 2: The Roman Year

History
Knowledge
 Understand history and culture as human desire for goodness, truth, and ultimately God
 Develop basic knowledge of ancient civilizations in ancient Near East and their
relationship to one another
 Develop basic knowledge of history of Israel through the Bible and in context of ancient
Near East
 Develop basic knowledge of the geography of the ancient Near East, including
Mesopotamia, Canaan, and Egypt
 Develop more detailed understanding of Greek civilization: people, places, geography,
religion, government, economics, art, architecture, music, technology, and culture
 Understand how Greek civilization contributed to Christianity
 Develop better understanding of Roman civilization: people, places, geography, religion,
government, economics, art, architecture, music, technology, and culture
 Understand how Rome became the home of the Roman Catholic Church
 Begin to see how Christianity transformed the Roman Empire
 Begin to see Greek and Roman contributions to culture
 Learn to identify the basic geography of Greece, Rome, and their neighbors

Skills
 Memorization of key historical facts
 Beginning map reading and recognition
 Use a globe
 Understand a timeline
 Ability to narrate historical stories
 Begin to see connections between historical events and themes
 Beginning ability to formulate and discuss philosophical questions
 Artistically render historical scenes from imagination

Aptitudes
 Develop memory
 Develop ability to listen and recall
 Develop an interest in history
 See relevance of past to present
 Appreciate Greek philosophical ideals
 Begin to see an integrated conception of the world on which the beliefs of Western
Civilization are based

24
 Religion
Knowledge
 Begin to recognize how Christianity becomes incarnate in culture through art, music,
architecture, literature, and the liturgical calendar
 Appreciate the historical setting of the Bible
 Learn the traditions of the Church and the mysteries of the faith through beauty,
beautiful liturgy, and adoration
 Become acquainted with the tradition of sacred music as a form of prayer
 Acquire basic catechetical instruction in the meaning of the Incarnation, the Creeds of
the Church, familiarity with the Old and New Testament and the difference between
them, the meaning of the Mass, the liturgical calendar, basic prayers and practices of the
church, etc.

Skills
 Memorize and recite Scripture, Bible facts, catechism, prayers, and hymns
 Learn to pray liturgically, intercessory, and contemplatively
 Learn to regard and participate in sacred music as a form of prayer

Aptitudes
 Cultivate longing for God
 Develop habits of stillness and adoration
 Begin to develop a habit of prayer, a love for the mysteries of the faith, and a desire for
God‘s beauty and truth
 Develop a habit of noticing the presence of God

Art
Knowledge
 Learn how to look at and begin to interpret paintings
 Study and give rudimentary explanation of Christian art and iconography
 Study and give rudimentary explanation of art related to Egypt, Greece, and Rome
 Begin to know properties, characteristics, and qualities of beauty
 Begin to recognize how art expresses cultural ideals

Skills
 Learn how to look at, examine, and see a painting and other works of art
 Learn to tell the story of a painting
 Begin to render as well as draw imaginatively
 Learn basics of drawing, painting, and sculpting
 Learn to copy according to established rules

Aptitudes
 Acquire habits of attending, noticing, sitting still, and concentrating
 Learn discipline from following simple projects through to completion

25
  Begin to develop eye and appreciation for beauty
 Begin to question art works for their meaning

Language: Literature, Grammar, Composition, and Drama

Knowledge
 Alphabet
 Phonics and reading
 Spelling
 Beginning writing
 Beginning grammar
 Beginning poetic understanding
 Latin roots (chants), early vocabulary, phrases, prayers

Skills
 Learn to read proficiently
 Develop reading comprehension
 Employ correct grammar in writing and speech
 Learn good penmanship, using proper technique, and beginning cursive
 Recognize and write complete sentences
 Memorize and recite the definition of the parts of speech
 Understand and identify parts of speech and the four different types of sentences
 Say and write the days of the week, the seasons, the months of the year, their home
address, titles of respect, abbreviations, dates
 Understand and use beginning punctuation, contractions, capital letters, synonyms,
antonyms
 Be able to order simple ideas, form paragraphs, and copy the final work
 Narration: re-tell stories in detail, with vocal clarity, poise, and eye contact; eventually,
re-tell the narrative thread of a story
 Act out stories with other students as characters
 Develop ability identify main idea
 Answer comprehension questions about a reading passage in complete sentences
 Copywork: copy sentences from works of history, the Bible, or literature
 Dictation: listen to an oral recitation and write down a sentence(s) from works of
history, the Bible, or literature
 Recitation: recite poems or psalms from memory with vocal clarity, poise, eye contact
 Conversation: ‗Socratic‘ discussions should teach students to begin questioning and
discussing stories, pictures, fables or proverbs according to four rules: 1. Read the text
carefully. 2. Listen to what others say and don‘t interrupt. 3. Speak clearly. 4. Give
others your respect.
 Perform a play and memorize lines

Aptitudes
 Develop capacity for listening
 Develop memory

26
  Appreciate playfulness in language
 Develop habits of concentration, stillness, memory
 Learn to ask questions about the moral or meaning of stories and symbols
 Learn to speak directly and confidently

Nature Studies
Knowledge
 Understand difference between basic animal groups
 State and ‗catalogue‘ animals of certain species by their differences
 Recite key characteristics of the way of life for certain select animals or animal groups
 Understand basic divisions within the plant kingdom and the distinguishing
characteristics of each
 Learn to identify flora, fauna, and wildlife indigenous to the region
 Begin to develop an elementary understanding of the human body
 Begin to understand the ‗body-soul unity‘ of the human person, and the specific
characteristics and capacities distinguishing humans from other animals
 Understand basic regional geography and seasons

Skills
 Be able to narrate the above knowledge
 Develop skill of observing, rendering, and cataloguing this knowledge in a ‗nature
notebook‘

Aptitudes
 Develop a capacity to attend to and notice nature
 Develop wonder and appreciation for the natural world

Mathematics
Knowledge
 Acquire basic numeracy
 Understand equivalent forms of the same number using diagrams, objects, and numbers
 Recognize basic geometrical shapes and parts of shapes
 Solve word problems

Skills
 Count, read, write, and compare numbers up to 1,000, both symbolically and through
physical construction
 Acquire facility with basics of place value
 Perform basic addition and subtraction functions of one-, two-, and three-digit numbers
 Understand basic fraction concepts
 Count by 2s, 3s, 4s, 5s, 10s
 Identify and construct circles, squares, rectangles, triangles, ovals, cubes, tetrahedral
pyramids, cylinders, cones, spheres, and rectangular prisms

27
  Recognize and describe the appearance of basic patterns in nature
 Recognize equivalency in number, shape, pattern, and other physical characteristics
 Construct basic sets and groupings of objects in the environment and nature and be able
to articulate the criteria for inclusion and exclusion
 Recognize and solve simple replacement codes
 Solve simple geometric puzzles
 Recognize the relationship of tone to the size, length, shape, and material of the object
being sounded (e.g., bells of different size being rung or the length or thickness of a
string being plucked)
 Take linear measurement and be able to articulate changes in measurement over time;
introduce basic means of recording measurement
 Tell and record time and changes in time in seconds, minutes, hours, days, weeks,
months, and years
 Recognize and calculate basic currency; introduce coin-tossing scenarios as an
introduction to probability

Aptitudes
 Recognize the ubiquity of number and shape in the world around us
 Develop a sense of wonder at recognizing how the world can be expressed
mathematically
 Develop a love for constructing math, numerically and geometrically

Music
Knowledge
 Know elements of music: melody, harmony, rhythm, pitch, tone
 Begin to think about what music means and why it is or is not beautiful
 Know instruments of the orchestra by sound and sight
 Be introduced to tradition of sacred music
 Begin to understand the symbols in music

Skills
 Begin to read music
 Begin to acquire some musical skill singing and playing elementary instruments
 Begin to be able to concentrate on, listen to, and discuss a piece of music

Aptitudes
 Begin to develop a love and appreciation of beautiful music and its power
 Begin to understand the relationship between music, prayer, and liturgy
 Acquire the habit and develop their powers of patient, attentive listening

Physical Education
Knowledge
 Understand their bodies and physical abilities as a gift

28
  Begin to learn the rules of major sports and races

Skills
 Begin to acquire facility in throwing, catching, hitting, and kicking
 Begin to learn basic dance steps
 Begin to deliberately coordinate body to physical activity

Aptitudes
 Practice teamwork and good sportsmanship

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 Upper Grammar Stage Objectives
Third Grade: The Medieval Year
Fourth Grade: The Modern Year
Fifth Grade: The American Year

History
Knowledge
 Understand key figures and events of Medieval, Modern, and American history
 Appreciate how the lives of the saints shaped the respective historical periods
 Know how people in the Middle Ages understood God and man
 Recognize how Medieval culture exhibits an understanding of truth, goodness, and
beauty
 Know that Christianity has shaped the world and that the expansion of Christianity has
brought increasing liberty, reason, and culture
 Distinguish how the Modern period differs from the past in its understanding of God and
man, and truth, goodness, and beauty
 Understand how America understands God and man
 Recognize how American culture exhibits an understanding of truth, goodness, and
beauty
 Understand history of America in the context of Catholic and world history
 Appreciate the novelty of America in relation to its European origins
 Understand what it means to be a good citizen
 Understand difference between Medieval and Modern political forms
 Understand key technological developments of the historical periods they are studying
 Recognize basic geography (major world land masses and bodies of water; European and
U.S. states and capitals)
 Memorize songs and chants for relevant kings and queens, states and capitals, original 13
colonies, etc.
 Recognize major periods of history using timelines
 Understand how the differences between these periods and cultures are reflected in art

Skills
 Compare, contrast, and explain the essential characteristics of cultures, governments, and
figures in different historical periods
 Memorize significant dates and be able to build timelines from them
 Recognize correlation between ―secular‖ history and Biblical/Church history
 Explain cause and effect of historical events
 Discuss philosophical and theological questions which arise from history
 Narrate historical stories
 Read and recognize symbols on maps
 Recognize how geography contributes to historical events
 Write biographical reports and do basic research on important figures in history
 Understand the contribution of major historical figures

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Aptitudes
 Continue to develop an interest in history
 See the relevance of past to present
 Develop love of country
 Develop a desire to be both a good citizen and a faithful Catholic
 Begin to understand themselves and their culture as historical
 Continue developing curiosity to know how things came to be and why people acted as
they did
 Appreciation of the beauty of saints and integrity and courage of heroes
 Cultivate a desire to imitate the good qualities of these saints and heroes

Religion
Knowledge
 Begin to recognize how the Christian culture of the Middle Ages is reflected in art,
music, architecture, literature, the liturgical calendar, the structure of cities, organization
of labor, and the code of chivalry and how this is transformed in the Modern period
 Begin to understand importance of the Trinity and Incarnation
 Know they belong to God's chosen people and are part of his family, the Church
 Know they are made for heaven and that creatures and the created world exist to help
them get there
 Memorize books of the Bible, important verses, Apostles, Beatitudes, basic prayers of the
Mass in English and Latin, sacraments, major events of salvation history
 Know the parts of the Mass
 Know the major moments of salvation history from creation to Pentecost
 Understand basic teachings on Confession and Eucharist
 Understand sin, grace and the sacraments
 Know the Creed and understand each of its tenets
 Know lives of the major saints of the periods of history they are studying
 Know how to pray the Rosary

Skills
 Give more advanced theological explanations of Church doctrines
 Learn how to "assist" at Mass through acolyte training
 Memorization and recitation of Scripture, Bible facts, catechism, prayers, and hymns
 Learn to pray liturgically, intercessory, and contemplatively
 Learn to regard and participate in sacred music as a form of prayer

Aptitudes
 Cultivate longing for God
 Develop personal relationship with Christ as friend and Mary as mother
 Begin to value silence
 Have favorite saints and relationships with them
 Examine conscience, go to Confession, "offer up" a sacrifice,

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  Strengthening of the conscience to begin to love God's will and wish to avoid sin
 Take responsibility for faults or failure and apologize sincerely
 Acquire a spirit of service, collaboration and genuine friendship

Art
Knowledge
 Understand the significance of the Christian contribution to art
 Begin to appreciate an art history perspective in addition to a cultural history perspective
 Study and give explanations of art of relevant time periods, especially Medieval and
Renaissance
 Begin to give more complex explanation and interpretation of works of art
 Continuation of rendering
 Develop an understanding of and be able to apply the following principles in artistic work
(drawing, painting, and other media): line, shape, texture, color, value, and form
 Recognize and employ basic elements of space and perspective

Skills
 Continue to learn how to look at, examine, and see a painting and other works of art
 Learn to tell the story of a painting
 Learn how to justify why something is beautiful or not
 Begin to reflect on experience of beauty
 Develop drawing, painting, and sculpting skills
 Copy more complex images according to rules

Aptitudes
 Deepen the habits of attending and noticing
 Sit still and carefully observe art and whatever is the subject of rendering
 Deepen love and appreciation of beauty
 Begin to look at art contemplatively
 Deepen appreciation of art and beauty in the life of faith
 Be able to question art works for their meaning

Language: Literature, Grammar, Composition, Latin, and Drama

Knowledge
 Acquire familiarity with classic folklore and literature of the historical periods they study
 Begin to master grammar
 Begin to analyze and diagram sentences
 Write complete sentences and paragraphs
 Acquire facility in spelling and vocabulary
 Have a repertoire of light verse, Psalms, ballads and historical mnemonic devices
committed to memory
 Memorize the fundamentals of Latin: primary declensions, conjugations, and vocabulary
 Memorize Latin prayers, hymns, and phrases

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Skills
 Be able to use prefixes, suffixes, and root words as clues to meaning
 Be able to read chapter books without help
 Recognize plot, theme, symbolism, and other literary elements
 Evaluate characters in stories
 Ability to identify the main idea of a story
 Write complete sentences and construct coherent paragraphs
 Read and write summaries of readings
 Practice good penmanship, especially cursive
 Write paragraphs and recognize topic sentences
 Identify conflict, climax, and resolution in a story
 Write an organized, multi-paragraph composition in sequential order with a central idea
 Research a topic using multiple books
 Ability to understand more complex poetry
 Narration: re-tell more complex stories in detail, with vocal clarity, poise, and eye contact
 Construct simple stories
 Be able to read aloud with good inflection and diction
 Recitation: students recite poems, speeches, psalms from memory with vocal clarity,
poise, eye contact
 Conversation: students should understand and be able to follow rules for 'Socratic'
discussions; students should be questioning and discussing various texts.
 Follow four rules of discussion: 1. Read the text carefully. 2. Listen to what others say
and don‘t interrupt. 3. Speak clearly. 4. Give others your respect.
 Perform a play: memorize lines and help design costumes, props, set, etc.

Aptitudes
 Listen attentively to peers and instructor
 Read and concentrate for long periods of time
 Learn to ask questions about the moral or meaning of stories and symbols
 Learn to speak directly and confidently
 Be basically truthful and dependable

Touchstones
Every week students and teachers in Grades 3-8 will engage in a Touchstones discussion. The
readings will occasionally integrate nicely with the time period being studied, though the primary
purpose of Touchstones is to develop the habits of Socratic inquiry. Teachers and students will
engage in close study of philosophical and literary texts and will learn, over time, to speak
clearly and listen attentively. The skills acquired in Touchstones will be carried over into all
aspects of school and home life. Students and teachers will:

 Acquire the habit of asking questions

 Learn to seek understanding together through group discussion
 Think more deeply about fundamental human matters

33
  Learn to read a text carefully
 Learn to respect and listen to their peers
 Relate texts to issues in classroom and life
 Be exposed to samples of good writings of literature, philosophy, art, math, and science
from many different cultures
 Exhibit manners and respect for others

Nature Studies
Knowledge
 Recognize the study of nature as part of the human endeavor to understand the world
 Understand science as one aspect of the study of nature which must be integrated into a
more comprehensive vision of reality as God‘s creation and thus behold nature in a
different way
 Recognize persons and animals not as historical accidents or the sum of their mechanical
parts, but as living wholes that transcend their parts and are irreducible to them
 Understand that as living wholes, organisms possess an inexhaustible depth and are
worthy of our awe, wonder and affection
 Understand that nature is therefore hierarchically arranged according to capacity for self-
transcendence:
o All organisms, including plants, exhibit some form of metabolism that relates
them to the world through appetite
o Animals exhibit metabolism as well, but also a capacity for self-movement and an
awareness through the senses
o Human beings, in addition to these, move and transcend themselves through
reason and will, are able to contemplate God and the world, and can offer
themselves in love
 Beginning with the study of living things, students should be able to:
o Render detailed observations of different organisms
o Distinguish between genera in the plant and animal kingdoms
o Specify essential differences between species
o Identify unique characteristics in different forms of animal life
o Explain what these characteristics mean in the life of the animal
o Identify essential differences distinguishing human beings from other animals
 From this basis, students should proceed to the interior world of plants and animals:
o Botany
o Anatomy
o Physiology
 Students should then proceed to the external world, understanding Earth as home for life:
o Ecosystems
o Natural processes which support life (e.g. weather, soil formation, water cycles)
o Earth‘s place in the solar system: the finely-tuned astronomical factors necessary
to support life

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Skills
 Continue to develop the skill of observing, rendering, and cataloguing this knowledge in
a 'nature notebook'
 Narrate the above knowledge
 Begin to ask philosophical and scientific questions of nature
 Gain detailed, firsthand experience of nature through growing things and recording the
various stages of growth
 Follow directions carefully when carrying out scientific experiments

Aptitudes
 Acquire reverence for nature as God‘s creation
 Be able to attend to and notice nature
 Have a sense of wonder and appreciation for the natural world and the mystery of living
things
 Have an enthusiasm for examining nature and acquire the habit of curiosity regarding the
physical world
 Acquire a desire to experiment with what they are studying and observing

Mathematics
Knowledge
 Deploy numeracy/counting: whole numbers into the millions; decimal place value
 Recognize geometric shapes and calculation of perimeter and area
 Have facility in addition, subtraction, multiplication, division whole number operations
 Add, subtract, multiply, and divide decimals up to the thousandths place
 Use fractions (reducing, adding, subtracting, multiplying, dividing)
 Measure accurately using both customary and metric systems
 Estimate measurement when measurement tools are not available by comparison of
surrounding or similar objects
 Solve word problems
 Count money and basic decimals
 Acquire basic algebra skills (looking for unknowns)
 Begin to understand proportions
 Comprehend basic averages and ranks (median and mode; mean by grade 5)
 Introduce classical geometric and architectural design (choose a building from historical
time period being studied and analyze its geometric and proportional properties)
 Analyze rounds and simple canons to identify simple progressions
 Recognize and construct fundamental shapes in plane geometry: points, lines, rays,
angles, parallels, perpendiculars, quadrilaterals and regular and irregular polygons
 Analyze composition and use of light in art in relation to geometry
 Analyze perspective in art in relation to angle measurement
 Construct Platonic and Archimedean solids
 Use Euler‘s formula for the number of vertices, faces, and edges of polyhedral
 Solve more complex codes such as a single replacement and translation code

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  Apply numeric methods in describing natural phenomenon—for example, estimate the
number of leaves on a tree by modeling the splits in a branch

Skills
 Memorize and master addition/subtraction tables (0-10)
 Memorize and master of multiplication tables and division (0s-12s)
 Use mental arithmetic
 Multiply single- and multi-digit numbers
 Divide multi-digit numbers by one-digit numbers
 Tell time to the quarter- and half-hour and to five minutes and one minute
 Add and subtract decimals, and compare decimals and fractions
 Multiply multi-digit numbers by two-digit numbers
 Divide larger multi-digit numbers by one-digit numbers
 Find the area of two-dimensional shapes
 Reason mathematically both orally and in writing through word problems
 Use problem-solving strategies to solve real-world math problems
 Add and subtract fractions and decimals
 Identify and describe three-dimensional shapes, and find their volumes and surface areas
 Use long division to divide large numbers by multi-digit numbers
 Recognize numerical patterns in music and nature and geometrical patterns in nature and
art
 Solve simple probabilities, including independent and dependent events and simple truth
tables for conjunctions, disjunction, negation, and implication
 Read and use bar, line, and circle graphs
 Measure shape and position over time, such as tracking the phases of the moon and
simple astronomy, including solar measurements (measuring shadows and angles at
different times of the year)
 Count back change up to $100
 Recognize basic Biblical numerology

Aptitudes
 Acquire a foundation for logical reasoning through math
 Be attuned to the relevance and significance of number and shape
 Begin to appreciate the 'aesthetics' of number through recognition of patterns

Music
Knowledge
 Understand the concepts of melody, harmony, and rhythm
 Be able to recognize beautiful music and be able to explain why it is beautiful
 Recognize instruments by sight and sound
 Be able to sing and, if possible, play an instrument
 Be able to read music
 Memorize lyrics and know how to sing liturgical music

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  Sing carols, ballads and authentic folk music from periods of history they are studying
 Sing the Hail Mary and Our Father in plain chant
 Recognize forms of music from the periods of history they have studied

Skills
 Acquire some musical skill singing and/or playing an instrument
 Be able to concentrate, listen, and discuss a piece of music
 Begin to learn how to sing/play various parts of a musical piece (applying their
understanding of melody, harmony, and rhythm)

Aptitudes
 Develop a love and appreciation of beautiful music and its power
 Understand the relationship between music, prayer, and liturgy
 Acquire the habit of patient, attentive listening, and active participation

Physical Education
Knowledge
 Understand their bodies and physical abilities as gifts
 Learn the rules of major sports and races
 Recognize importance of discipline for achieving bodily excellence
 Understand dynamics of competition

Skills
 Acquire facility in throwing, catching, hitting, and kicking
 Learn to work as a team in order to achieve a goal
 Compete against other students of similar skill level
 Learn basics of contra, square, and ballroom dancing

Aptitudes
 Practice teamwork and good sportsmanship
 Aspire to physical gracefulness
 Admire excellent athletic performances, especially their aesthetic qualities

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 Logic Stage Objectives
Sixth Grade: The Ancient Year
Seventh Grade: The Christendom Year
Eighth Grade: The New World Year

History
Knowledge
 Understand the Incarnation as the decisive act of God in history
 Appreciate how the coming of Christ transforms history
 Understand history and culture as the human desire for goodness, truth, and God Himself
 Understand themselves as part of the Israel, Egypt, Greek, Roman, Catholic story
 Understand how the differences between these time periods and cultures are reflected in
their civilizations: religion, philosophy, government, economics, art, architecture, music,
technology, and culture
 Understand key figures and events of Ancient, Medieval, Modern, and American history
 Understand difference between Ancient, Medieval and Modern political forms
 Understand how the lives of the saints shaped the respective historical periods within
which they lived
 Understand how people in the Ancient, Medieval, and Modern periods differ in their
concept of God and man
 Understand how the respective time periods pursue and express truth, goodness, and
beauty
 Know how Christianity has shaped the world and how the expansion of Christianity has
brought increasing liberty, reason and culture
 Understand the historical and philosophical roots of modern materialist atheism
 Understand history of America in the context of Catholic and world history
 Understand the novelty of America in relation to its European origins
 Understand key technological developments of the different historical periods
 Recognize basic geography
 Recognize major periods of history by using timelines
 Acquire familiarity with primary sources characteristic of each period

Skills
 Acquire facility in reading primary sources of various kinds
 Discuss philosophical and theological questions which arise from history
 Recognize correlation between ―secular‖ history and Biblical/Church history
 Explain cause and effect of historical events
 Compare, contrast, and explain the essential characteristics of cultures, governments, and
figures in different historical periods
 Think and write imaginatively from within the mindset of different historical periods
 Analyze the importance of significant new ideas as they emerge in history
 Memorize significant dates and be able to build timelines from them

38
Aptitudes
 Deepen appreciation of history as an expression of man‘s desire for God and his pursuit
of goodness, truth, and beauty
 Evaluate world events and historical characters from a Catholic perspective
 Draw on past ideas to evaluate present assumptions and deepen self-knowledge
 Appreciate the beauty of saints and the integrity and courage of heroes
 Develop a desire to be both a good citizen and a faithful Catholic
 Develop a sense of inquiry
 Develop a comprehensive and ordered sense of the world
 Cultivate a desire for wisdom

Religion
Knowledge
 Know that God made us for Himself and that our hearts are restless until they rest in Him
 Understand history as oriented to Christ before his Incarnation and flowing from Christ
after his Incarnation
 Know the major moments of salvation history from creation to the modern day
 Recognize the competing claims about God (or the gods) offered by pagans and
philosophers and how the Christian understanding of God is radically different
 Recognize how Christianity transforms the classical inheritance
 Recognize how the Christian culture of the Middle Ages is reflected in art, music,
architecture, literature, the liturgical calendar, the structure of cities, organization of
labor, and the code of chivalry; and how this is transformed in the Modern period
 Recognize relevance of Christian faith and teachings of Church to fundamental human
questions and aspirations that have animated every culture
 Begin to understand how the Trinity and Incarnation reveal both God and man
 Know the teachings of select books of the Bible
 Begin to know the theological tradition
 Begin to understand the art of apologetics and how the teachings of the Church flow from
the truth about God and man
 Begin to understand the claims of the Protestant Reformers, modern atheists, and moral
relativists and how the Church defends the truth in the face of these claims
 Begin to understand the Mass: its structure, its meaning, and its place in God‘s plan for
the world
 Understand the basic teachings on the sacraments, especially Confirmation
 Begin to understand and appreciate that a person is a unity of body and soul, created in
God‘s love and called to love and truth, and thus to understand the true personal meaning
of their own bodies.
 Begin to understand how the Christian vision of love and Catholic sexual morality flow
from the truth about God and man

Skills
 Give more advanced theological explanations of Church doctrine

39
  Defend the tenets of the faith against heresy and atheism, as well as the major moral
teachings against confusion
 Begin to think theologically
 Memorization of Scripture and scriptural arguments

Aptitudes
 Cultivate and reflect on longing for God
 Deepen the habit of contemplative prayer
 Deepen the familiarity with and participation in the liturgical life of the Church
 Deepen appreciation of silence
 Examine conscience, go to Confession, "offer up" a sacrifice
 Strengthening of the conscience to begin to love God's will and wish to avoid sin
 Heed the double commandment to love God and neighbor
 Cultivate friendships based on virtue

Art
Knowledge
 Begin to understand how truth is expressed in the beauty of art
 Understand the significance of the Christian contribution to art and how art reveals the
depth of the Christian mystery
 Compare and contrast pagan and Christian art, and how Christians incorporate or
transform pagan themes in their art
 Appreciate the development of art in its historical, philosophical, and stylistic dimensions
 Give more complex explanations and interpretations of works of art
 Understand how art is the expression of a culture‘s desire for truth, goodness, and beauty
 Continue rendering
 Deepen understanding of the principles that constitute a work of art

Skills
 Continue to learn how to look at, examine, and see a painting and other works of art
 Give more complex explanations of artworks
 Learn how to justify why something is beautiful or not
 Reflect on the experience of beauty and its relation to longing
 Develop drawing, painting, and sculpting skills
 Develop creativity on the basis of imitation, tradition, and discipline, not in opposition to
them

Aptitudes
 Deepen the habits of attending and noticing
 Sit still and observe carefully works of art and subjects to be rendered
 Deepen love and appreciation of beauty
 Deepen reflection on the experience of beauty and its effect on the soul
 Begin to look at art contemplatively as revealing objective beauty and truth
 Deepen appreciation of art and beauty in the life of faith

40
  Be able to question artworks for their meaning

Language Arts: Literature, Grammar, Composition, Logic, Latin, and Drama

Knowledge
 Understand literature as a reflection of history and culture
 Understand literature and poetry as vehicles for the revelation of truth
 Understand literature as culture‘s way of seeking and manifesting truth, goodness, and
beauty
 Learn to think poetically
 Know the elements of good speaking in order to speak truthfully, persuasively,
beautifully, and well
 Possess a command of English grammar
 Recognize a variety of writing styles and how to employ them
 Understand the elements of argument
 Acquire a basic facility in reading, praying, and translating Latin
 Ponder the relationship between the Word of God (Christ), the word of God (Scripture),
and the words we use

Skills for Literature

 Make connections to related topics, especially history and religion
 Identify and evaluate the effectiveness of tone, style, and use of language
 Analyze the effects of elements such as plot, theme, characterization, style, mood, and
tone
 Discuss the effects of such literary devices as figurative language, dialogue, flashback,
allusion, irony, and symbolism
 Analyze and evaluate themes and central ideas in literature
 Recognize relevance of literary themes to contemporary problems and one‘s own life
 Analyze relationships between characters, ideas, and experiences
 Discern an implied main idea, draw an inference, and recognize how different texts
address the same fundamental human questions
 Deepen the ability to question the text and characters
 Develop ability to discuss literature intelligently and insightfully with proper grammar
and diction

Skills for Grammar and Composition

 Master all facets of English grammar, demonstrable through the ability to diagram
sentences
 Properly express the relationship of ideas in a sentence, paragraph, and essay
 Recognize and correct stylistic errors such as sentence fragments and run-on sentences
 For Narrative Writing:
o Write original narrative and descriptive passages
o Write coherent and logical prologues, epilogues, sequels, dialogues or alternative
endings for fiction and nonfiction

41
 o Incorporate effective narrative techniques into a short story focusing on the
following:
 Point of view (first person, third person)
 Setting, including time and place
 Character development
 Elements of plot structure
 For Descriptive Writing:
o Write descriptive passages focusing on one of the following: person, place, object,
event, works of art, plants and animals
o Use evocative imagery (vivid words, active voice verbs, colorful modifiers)
o Use figurative language (e.g., simile, metaphor, personification, allusion)
 For Persuasive Writing:
o Develop a rhetorically persuasive, logical writing style
o Develop a thesis that makes a disputable claim
o Support a thesis with logically organized and relevant evidence
o Develop and logically support a position addressing reader concerns and
counterarguments
 For Analytical/Expository Writing:
o Develop interpretations exhibiting careful reading, understanding, and insight
o Organize interpretations around several clear ideas, premises, or images
o Develop a thesis that makes a disputable claim
o Make an argument for the thesis providing reasons, details, and examples
o Write a response to literature demonstrating a comprehensive understanding of
the text and justifying the interpretation through use of examples and textual
evidence
o Begin to explore the connections among characters, incident, setting, symbol, and
conflict
o Write a character analysis

Skills for Logic:

 Learn the basics of logical reasoning
 Learn and identify logical structures, logical fallacies, and biases in speeches and various
non-fiction texts
 Express own arguments logically and clearly through speech and the written word

Skills for Latin:

 Master basic declensions, conjugations, and simple grammar
 Possess a solid vocabulary
 Memorize Latin prayers, hymns, and liturgical responses
 Know how to translate complex sentences and short stories from Latin to English
 Compose sentences in Latin

Skills for Drama:

 Perform a play, preferably Shakespeare or a Greek tragedy
 Analyze and discuss characters and their motivations
 Design costumes, props, and set

42
Aptitudes
 Develop a love of reading and of language
 Appreciate the beauty, playfulness, and logical possibilities of language
 Explore own ideas through writing
 Draw on literature for deeper self-knowledge
 Habitually look to poetry and literature as vehicles of truth
 Deepen love for listening to stories
 Deepen habits of concentration, stillness, and memory
 Develop ability to penetrate literature and plumb the depths of its meaning
 Nurture the habit of listening
 Foster sustained concentration

Touchstones
Every week students and teachers in Grades 3-8 will engage in a Touchstones discussion. The
readings will occasionally integrate nicely with the time period being studied, though the primary
purpose of Touchstones is to develop the habits of Socratic inquiry. Teachers and students will
engage in close study of philosophical and literary texts and will learn, over time, to speak
clearly and listen attentively. The skills acquired in Touchstones will be carried over into all
aspects of school and home life. Students and teachers will:

 Acquire the habit of asking questions

 Learn to seek understanding together through group discussion
 Think more deeply about fundamental human matters
 Learn to read a text carefully
 Learn to respect and listen to their peers
 Relate texts to issues in classroom and life
 Be exposed to samples of good writings of literature, philosophy, art, math, and science
from many different cultures
 Exhibit manners and respect for others

Nature Studies
Knowledge
 Contemplate important questions, such as: What is life? What is nature? How does
‗world‘ differ from ‗environment‘? What makes a human distinct from other animals?
 Be familiar with different historical answers to these questions
 Name and employ the Four Causes of Aristotle in the explanation of nature
 Understand more deeply the relation between science and philosophy in the study of
nature
 Recognize the study of nature as part of the human endeavor to understand the world
 Understand science as one aspect of the study of nature which must be integrated into a
more comprehensive vision of reality as God‘s creation
 Acknowledge nature as God‘s creation and so behold nature in a different way

43
 Recognize persons and animals not as historical accidents or the sum of their mechanical
parts, but living wholes that transcend their parts and are irreducible to them
o Understand how this wholeness is exhibited in the relation between the parts of an
animal
o Understand how this wholeness is visible in animal form and patterns, whose
meaning in the animal‘s life is not reducible to utility or survival value
 Understand that as living wholes, organisms possess an inexhaustible depth and are
worthy of our awe, wonder and affection
o The human organism is always a person: an indivisible unity of body and soul
o Human beings, because they are made in the image of God, possess a unique
dignity among creatures
 Understand that nature is therefore hierarchically arranged according to a capacity for
self-transcendence:
o All organisms, including plants, exhibit some form of metabolism that relates
them to the world through appetite
o Animals exhibit metabolism as well, but also a capacity for self-movement and an
awareness through the senses
o Human beings, in addition to these, move and transcend themselves through
reason and will, are able to contemplate God and the world, and can offer
themselves in love
 Beginning with the study of living things, students should be able to:
o Successfully grow and tend to plants, recording the stages of development
o Render detailed observations of different organisms
o Distinguish between genera in the plant and animal kingdoms
o Specify essential differences between species
o Identify unique characteristics in different forms of animal life
o Identify essential differences distinguishing human beings from other animals
 From this basis, students should proceed to the interior world of plants and animals:
o Botany
o Anatomy
o Physiology and biological processes
o Human anatomy: the correlation between the physical structure of the human
body (e.g., upright form, opposable thumbs, etc) and uniquely human
characteristics associate with the soul (e.g. desire to know, longing for God,
human craft, etc.)
o Fetal development
o Beginning organic chemistry
o Heredity and genetics
o Evolutionary development
 Students should then proceed to the external world, understanding the Earth as home for
life:
o Ecosystems
o Natural processes which support life (e.g. weather, soil formation, water cycles,
atmosphere)
o Geological processes (e.g., plate tectonics, volcanoes, erosion)

44
 o Earth‘s place in the solar system: the finely-tuned astronomical factors necessary
to support life
o Astronomy

Skills
 Ask philosophical and scientific questions of nature
 Describe various creatures using Aristotle‘s Four Causes
 Observe animals and plants in their natural habitats
 Render animals and plants through art
 Employ scientific method
 Continue to develop the skill of observing, rendering, and cataloguing this knowledge in
a 'nature notebook'
 Relate different parts and systems of nature to comprehensive whole
 Explain and defend the distinction between the animate and the inanimate

Aptitudes
 Appreciate the wholeness of animals and plants
 Develop wonder and appreciation of the natural world and the mystery of living things
 Recognize beauty of creation
 Develop enthusiasm for examining nature and acquire the habit of curiosity regarding the
physical world
 Desire to inquire into the lived life of organisms and the world that sustains them
 Acquire reverence for nature as God‘s creation

Mathematics
Knowledge
 Master arithmetic necessary for algebra: order of operations; fraction, decimal, and
integer operations
 Develop more advanced number sense (integers, irrational numbers, percentage,
scientific notation, absolute value, exponents, roots and radicals)
 Understand factors and multiples; find greatest common factor and least common
multiple/denominator
 Understand measurement concepts
 Master developmentally appropriate algebra and geometry
 Read and use a coordinate plane
 Recognize mathematical and geometrical patterns in nature and art
 Begin to understand the philosophical and theological history of mathematical symbolism

Skills
 Think algebraically and geometrically
 Use logic and hands-on experience to solve problems
 Convert fractions, decimals, and percents
 Rewrite fractions using factors and multiples
 Solve problems using rate, proportion, common formulas, and percentage applications

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  Use estimation techniques
 Use mental arithmetic
 Use and convert customary and metric measurements
 Solve developmentally appropriate functions, equations and inequalities and graph them
on a coordinate plane
 Calculate slope
 Write and use formulas to solve problems
 Combine like terms
 Add, subtract, multiply, divide, and factor polynomials
 Represent simple quadratic functions
 Identify properties of and congruency between angles, parallel lines, triangles,
quadrilaterals, other polygons, and common three-dimensional figures
 Calculate area and perimeter or circumference of two-dimensional figures
 Calculate surface area and volume of three-dimensional figures
 Use the Pythagorean Theorem to solve problems
 Use a coordinate plane to translate, rotate, and reflect a given image
 Calculate simple probability
 Read and create bar graphs, line graphs, circle graphs, and stem-and-leaf plots
representing data; make predictions from statistical data
 Analyze musical compositions for mathematical properties, particularly Baroque music
(Bach, Vivaldi, Pachelbel, Albinoni, etc.)
 Understand Christian iconography in relation to dimension
 Analyze poetic meter
 Recognize sacred number in writing and art

Aptitudes
 Appreciate mathematics as one way humans give an account of reality
 Appreciate relevance of math to music, art, science, and architecture
 Enhance logical reasoning
 Acquire a foundation for logical reasoning through math
 Be attuned to the relevance and significance of number and shape
 Begin to appreciate the 'aesthetics' of number through recognition of patterns

Music
Knowledge
 Understand the elements of music
 Understand the essential differences between genres of music, especially within classical
and sacred music
 Appreciate the theology inherent in sacred music
 Recognize the characteristic differences between different composers
 Be able to recognize beautiful music and explain why it is beautiful
 Be able to sing and, if possible, play an instrument
 Be able to read music

46
  Memorize lyrics and know how to sing liturgical music and traditional Catholic hymnody
 Appreciate carols, ballads, and authentic folk music from different historical periods and
cultures
 Sing plain chant in Latin and English
 Deepen understanding of the mathematics of music

Skills
 Acquire some musical skill singing and/or playing an instrument
 Be able to concentrate on, listen to, and discuss a piece of music
 Sing or play various parts of a musical piece (applying an understanding of melody,
harmony, and rhythm)

Aptitudes
 Deepen love and appreciation of beautiful music and its power
 Appreciate the profundity and playfulness of music
 Understand the contemplative and mystical dimension of sacred music
 Acquire the habit of patient, attentive listening, and active participation

Physical Education
Knowledge
 Understand embodiment and physical excellence as a gift
 Recognize unity of psychic and physical powers in playing well
 Know and be able to regulate the rules of major sports and races
 Recognize importance of discipline for achieving bodily excellence
 Understand dynamics of competition

Skills
 Achieve facility in throwing, catching, hitting, and kicking
 Be able to transfer these skills to new sports and activities
 Learn to work as a team in order to achieve a goal
 Compete against other students of similar skill level
 Learn basics of contra, square, and ballroom dancing

Aptitudes
 Practice teamwork and good sportsmanship
 Aspire to physical gracefulness
 Admire excellent athletic performances, especially their aesthetic qualities

47
Part IV: Materials

Creation of Man
Old Testament Manuscript, 13th c.

48
 A Note on How to Use the Book Lists

The lists below contain both required reading, marked with an asterisk, and possible additional
readings. The required reading provides the teacher and students with a historical narrative and
necessary core knowledge, as well as gives them the most important stories and texts related to
the time period or subject. The other readings have been chosen either because they will further
aid the teacher in creating a historical narrative, or because they provide resources for creatively
integrating topics and themes of mutual interest to students and teachers.

49
Kindergarten: The Cradle of Civilization Year

Moses Before the Burning Bush, Manuscript Detail

50
History, Religion, and Literature Integrated

History and Religion Literature

Teacher Texts Literature Related to History
*The Story of the World, Volume 1: *Gods of Ancient Egypt (Dover), Bruce
Ancient Times (chapters 1-6), Susan Wise LaFontaine
Bauer *The Well of Truth: A Folktale from Egypt,
*The Story of the World, Activity Book, Martha Hamilton
Volume 1: Ancient Times, Susan Wise Tales of Ancient Egypt, Roger Lancelyn
Bauer Green
*The Pharaohs of Ancient Egypt,
Elizabeth Payne
The First Kingdoms

* New Catholic Picture Bible (pp. 8-19),

Quarter One:

Lawrence Lovasik,
*The Usborne Internet-Linked Ancient
World
*The Biblical World: An Illustrated Atlas
(National Geographic), Jean-Pierre
Isbouts

Supplemental Texts
* Ancient Egypt (DK Eyewitness)
Ancient Egyptians and Their Neighbors:
An Activity Guide, Marian Broida
Mummies Made in Egypt, Aliki
Pyramid, David MacAulay

Teacher Texts Literature Related to History

*The Story of the World, Vol. 1: Ancient *Lugalbanda, Kathy Henderson
Times (chapters 5, 7, 8), Susan Wise *The City of Rainbow: A Tale of Ancient
Bauer Sumer, Karen Foster
The Ancient Middle East

*The Story of the World, Activity Book, *Gilgamesh the King, Ludmilla Zeman
Vol. 1: Ancient Times, Susan Wise Bauer The Last Quest of Gilgamesh, Ludmilla
Quarter Two:

*New Catholic Picture Bible (pp. 20-47), Zeman

Lawrence Lovasik The Revenge of Ishtar, Ludmilla Zeman
*The Usborne Internet-Linked Ancient
World
*The Biblical World: An Illustrated Atlas
(National Geographic), Jean-Pierre
Isbouts

Supplemental Texts
* Mesopotamia (DK Eyewitness)

51
 Teacher Texts Literature Related to History
*The Story of the World, Vol. 1: Ancient *Tales of Ancient Egypt, Roger Lancelyn
Times (chapters 12, 15, 16, 17), Susan Green
Wise Bauer
*The Story of the World, Activity Book,
Vol. 1: Ancient Times, Susan Wise Bauer
*The Pharaohs of Ancient Egypt,
Kingdoms at War

Elizabeth Payne
Quarter Three:

*New Catholic Picture Bible (pp. 48-73),

Lawrence Lovasik
*The Usborne Internet-Linked Ancient
World
*The Biblical World: An Illustrated Atlas
(National Geographic), Jean-Pierre
Isbouts

Supplemental Texts
Ancient Egypt (DK Eyewitness)
Mesopotamia (DK Eyewitness)

Teacher Texts Literature Related to History

*The Story of the World, Vol. 1: Ancient Tales of Ancient Egypt, Roger Lancelyn
Times (chapters 13, 16, 17, 21), Susan Green
Wise Bauer *The Legend of the Persian Carpet, Tomie
*The Story of the World, Activity Book, de Paolo
Vol. 1: Ancient Times, Susan Wise Bauer
Revolutions and Returns

*The Pharaohs of Ancient Egypt,

Elizabeth Payne
Quarter Four:

*New Catholic Picture Bible, (pp. 74-92),

Lawrence Lovasik
*The Usborne Internet-Linked Ancient
World
*The Biblical World: An Illustrated Atlas
(National Geographic), Jean-Pierre
Isbouts

Supplemental Texts
Ancient Egypt (DK Eyewitness)
Ancient Egyptians and Their Neighbors:
An Activity Guide, Marian Broida

52
Literature Related Thematically

Books with Classical Themes

St. George and the Dragon, Margaret Hodges
The Wicked Prince, Hans Christian Anderson
The Clown of God, Tomie de Paolo

Books, Fairy and Folk Tales, Rhymes, and Verse

English Fairy Tales, Flora Ann Steel
Little Dermot and the Thirsty Stones, and Other Irish Folk Talks, Richard Bennet
The King's Drum and Other Stories, Harold Courlander (African)
The Blue Fairy Book, The Orange Fairy Book, The Green Fairy Book, Andrew Lang
The Story of Peter Rabbit, Beatrix Potter
Mother Goose Rhymes, Traditional
Winnie the Pooh, A.A. Milne
The Wheel on the School, Meindert De Jong
Far Out the Long Canal, Meindert De Jong
The Velveteen Rabbit, Margery Williams
The Mousehole Cat, Antonia Barber
Time of Wonder, Robert McCloskey
The Wind in the Willows, Kenneth Grahame
Frog and Toad (series), Arnold Lobel
The Empty Pot, Demi
Pinnochio, Carlo Collodi

Picture Books
This is a non-exhaustive list of good picture books that will lead students to an appreciation of
art, history, geography, nature, human relationships, and writing.

The Story About Ping, Marjorie Fleck and Kurt Wiese

A Pair of Red Clogs, Masako Matsuno
The Story of Peter Rabbit, Beatrix Potter
Lentil, Robert McCloskey
Winnie the Pooh, A.A. Milne
Madeline, Ludwig Bemelmans
Cranberry Thanksgiving, Wende and Harry Devlin
Papa Piccolo, Carol Talley
Clown of God, Tomie de Paolo
Storm in the Night, Mary Stolz
Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening, Robert Frost
Mirette on the High Wire, Emily Arnold McCully
The Story of Ferdinand, Munro Leaf
Harold and the Purple Crayon, Crockett Johnson
Owl Moon, Jane Yolen
Wee Gillis, Munro Leaf
Andy and the Circus, James Daugherty

53
The Five Chinese Brothers, Claire Huchet Bishop and Kurt Wiese
Blueberries for Sal, Robert McClosky
Make Way for Ducklings, Robert McClosky

Language Arts

*Shurley Grammar: English Made Easy (Level K)

*Handwriting Book
*Spelling/Phonics Book
*Basal Reader

Latin

*Song School Latin

Religion

See ―History, Religion, and Literature Integrated‖ above

Nature Studies

The science curriculum is guided primarily by the teacher's thoughtful integration of various
resources. There are no textbooks. Anna Botsford Comstock's Handbook of Nature Study
contains instructions for the teacher on how to approach nature studies (pp.1-24) as well as
lessons and other source material.

Topics
Dinosaurs and fossils
Basic animal groups
Plants and plant parts
Water cycle
Solar system: sun, moon, planets, stars
Seasons
My body: the senses
Simple machines: wheels, ramps, levers
Magnets

Teacher Resources
*Handbook of Nature Studies, Anna Botsford Comstock
*Nature Notebook (for the students to draw in)

54
*Janice VanCleave's Teaching the Fun of Science to Young Learners: Grades Pre-K through
2nd, Janice VanCleave
*Big Book of Dinosaurs: A First Book for Young Children (DK Publishing)
The Magic School Bus Explores the Senses, Joanna Cole
The Magic School Bus In the Time of the Dinosaurs, Joanna Cole
The Magic School Bus Plants Seeds: How Living Things Grow, Joanna Cole

Mathematics

*Saxon Math Kindergarten

*Beginners Guide to Constructing the Universe, Michael S. Schneider
*Constructing the Universe Activity Book, Volumes 1-6, Michael S. Schneider

Related to Historical Time Period

The History of Counting, Denise Schmandt-Besserat
The Story of Money, Betsy Maestro
The Riddle of the Rosetta Stone, James Cross Giblin

Supplemental Texts
The Dot and the Line: A Romance in Lower Mathematics, Norton Juster
Anno’s Magic Seeds, Mitsumasa Anno
Domino Addition, Lynette Long
Grandfather Tang’s Story: A Tale Told with Tangrams, Ann Tompert
How Much is a Million, David Schwartz
Marvelous Math: A Book of Poems, ed. by Lee Bennett and Rebecca Davis
Math Curse, Jon Scieszka
Math-terpieces, Greg Tang
Beyond a Million: An Amazing Math Journey, David Schwartz
Pigs in a Blanket: Fun with Math and Time, Amy Axelrod
Pigs in the Pantry: Fun with Math and Cooking, Amy Axelrod
Pigs Will Be Pigs: Fun with Math and Money, Amy Axelrod
A Remainder of One, Elinor Pinczes
Twelve Snails to One Lizard: A Tale of Mischief and Measurement, Susan Hightower
The Go-Around Dollar, Barbara Johnston Adams
Lewis Carroll’s Games and Puzzles, Lewis Carroll
Math Trek: Adventures in MathZone, Ivars Peterson and Nancy Henderson
Anno’s Math Games, Mitsumasa Anno

Teacher Resources
Games for Math, Peggy Kaye (K-3)
Take It to Your Seat Math Centers, Evan-Moor Educational Publishers
Math Wizardry for Kids by Margaret Kenda and Phyllis S. Williams

55
First Grade: The Greek Year

Achilles and Ajax Playing a Game, Greek Vase

56
History, Religion, and Literature Integrated

History and Religion Literature

Teacher Texts Literature Related to History
*The Story of the World, Vol. 1: Ancient *D'Aulaires’ Book of Greek Myths, Ingri and
Times (chapters 18-19), Susan Wise Edgar Parin D'Aulaire
Bauer *Aesop's Fables
Quarter One:
Early Greece

*The Story of the World, Activity Book,

Vol. 1: Ancient Times, Susan Wise Bauer
*The Story of the Greek People (chapters
1-3), Eva March Tappan,
*Zechariah, 1-4

Teacher Texts Literature Related to History

*The Story of the World, Vol. 1: Ancient *D'Aulaires’ Book of Greek Myths, Ingri and
The Virtues of Greek Life

Times (chapters 20, 22, 23), Susan Wise Edgar Parin D'Aulaire
Bauer *Aesop's Fables
Quarter Two:

*The Story of the World, Activity Book, *Black Ships Before Troy: The Story of the
Vol. 1: Ancient Times, Susan Wise Bauer Illiad, Rosemary Sutcliffe
*The Story of the Greek People (chapters Herodotus and the Road to History, Jeanne
4, 5, 7), Eva March Tappan Bendick
*Greek Mythology Activities, Marcia Archimedes and the Door of Science, Jeanne
Worth-Baker Bendick
*Zechariah, 5-8

Teacher Texts Literature Related to History

*The Story of the Greek People (chapter *D'Aulaires’ Book of Greek Myths, Ingri and
Art and Politics
Quarter Three:

13), Eva March Tappan Edgar Parin D'Aulaire

*Greek Mythology Activities, Marcia *Aesop's Fables
Worth-Baker *The Wanderings of Odysseus, Rosemary
*Zechariah, 9-11 Sutcliffe
*The Adventures of Odysseus, Hugh Lupton,
Daniel Morden, Christina Balit

57
 Teacher Texts Literature Related to History
*The Story of the World, Vol. 1: Ancient * D'Aulaires’ Book of Greek Myths, Ingri
Times (chapters 24-25), Susan Wise and Edgar Parin D‘Aulaire
Bauer *The Librarian who Measured the Earth,
Quarter Four:
Greece at War

*The Story of the World, Activity Book, Kathryn Lasky

Vol. 1: Ancient Times, Susan Wise Bauer The Legend of the Persian Carpet, Tomie de
*The Story of the Greek People (chapters Paolo
9, 14, 19, 20), Eva March Tappan In God’s Hands, Lawrence Kushner and
*Zechariah, 12-14; 1st and 2nd Gary Schmidt
Maccabbees Hershel and the Hanukkah Goblins, Eric
Kimmel

Literature Related Thematically

Books with Classical Themes

St. George and the Dragon, Margaret Hodges
The Wicked Prince, Hans Christian Anderson
The Clown of God, Tomie de Paolo

Books, Fairy and Folk Tales, Rhymes, and Verse

English Fairy Tales, Flora Ann Steel
Little Dermot and the Thirsty Stones, and Other Irish Folk Talks, Richard Bennet
The King's Drum and Other Stories, Harold Courlander (African)
The Blue Fairy Book, The Orange Fairy Book, The Green Fairy Book, Andrew Lang
The Story of Peter Rabbit, Beatrix Potter
Mother Goose Rhymes, Traditional
Winnie the Pooh, A.A. Milne
The Wheel on the School, Meindert De Jong
Far Out the Long Canal, Meindert De Jong
The Velveteen Rabbit, Margery Williams
The Mousehole Cat, Antonia Barber
Time of Wonder, Robert McCloskey
The Wind in the Willows, Kenneth Grahame
Frog and Toad (series), Arnold Lobel
The Empty Pot, Demi
Pinnochio, Carlo Collodi

Picture Books
This is a non-exhaustive list of good picture books that will lead students to an appreciation of
art, history, geography, nature, human relationships, and writing.

The Story About Ping, Marjorie Fleck and Kurt Wiese

A Pair of Red Clogs, Masako Matsuno
The Story of Peter Rabbit, Beatrix Potter

58
Lentil, Robert McCloskey
Winnie the Pooh, A.A. Milne
Madeline, Ludwig Bemelmans
Cranberry Thanksgiving, Wende and Harry Devlin
Papa Piccolo, Carol Talley
Clown of God, Tomie de Paolo
Storm in the Night, Mary Stolz
Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening, Robert Frost
Mirette on the High Wire, Emily Arnold McCully
The Story of Ferdinand, Munro Leaf
Harold and the Purple Crayon, Crockett Johnson
Owl Moon, Jane Yolen
Wee Gillis, Munro Leaf
Andy and the Circus, James Daugherty
The Five Chinese Brothers, Claire Huchet Bishop and Kurt Wiese
Blueberries for Sal, Robert McClosky
Make Way for Ducklings, Robert McClosky

Language Arts

*Shurley Grammar: English Made Easy (Level 1)

*Handwriting Book
*Spelling/Phonics Book
*Basal Reader

Latin

*Song School Latin

Religion

*Faith and Life: Our Heavenly Father (Ignatius Press)

See ―History, Religion, and Literature Integrated‖ above

Nature Studies
The science curriculum is guided primarily by the teacher's thoughtful integration of various
resources. There are no textbooks. Anna Botsford Comstock's Handbook of Nature Study
contains instructions for the teacher on how to approach nature studies (pp.1-24) as well as
lessons and other source material.

59
Topics
Animals: birds, fish, amphibians, reptiles, mammals, insects
Plants: wildflowers, weeds, garden flowers, crops, trees
Human body: the senses, the skin, skeletal and muscular systems, the digestive system,
respiratory and circulatory systems, nerves and the brain

Teacher Text
*Handbook of Nature Study, Anna Botsford Comstock
*Nature Notebook (for the students to record and draw in)
*The Backyard Birdsong Guide: Eastern and Central North America, A Cornell lab of
Ornithology Audio Field Guide to Listening, Donald Kroodsma
*North American Wildlife (Revised and Updated), editors of Readers Digest
*Your Insides, Joanna Cole
Fabre's Book of Insects, Jean-Henri Fabre
The Life of the Spider, Jean-Henri Fabre
The Magic School Bus Inside the Human Body, Joanna Cole
The Magic School Bus Explores the Senses, Joanna Cole
The Magic School Bus Plants Seeds, Joanna Cole

Mathematics

*Saxon Math Grade 1

*Beginners Guide to Constructing the Universe, Michael S. Schneider
*Constructing the Universe Activity Book, Volumes 1-6, Michael S. Schneider

Related to Time Period

The History of Counting, Denise Schmandt-Besserat
The Story of Money, Betsy Maestro
What’s Your Angle, Pythagoras? A Math Adventure, Julie Ellis
The Librarian Who Measured the Earth, Kathryn Lasky

Supplemental Texts
Alvin’s Secret Code, Clifford Hicks
The Dot and the Line: A Romance in Lower Mathematics, Norton Juster
The Grapes of Math: Mind Stretching Math Riddles, Greg Tang
One Grain of Rice, Demi
Tiger Math: Learn to Graph from a Baby Tiger, Ann Whitehead Nagda and Cindy Bickel
Wild Fibonacci: Nature’s Secret Code Revealed, Joy Hulme
Anno’s Magic Seeds, Mitsumasa Anno
Domino Addition, Lynette Long, Ph.D
Grandfather Tang’s Story: A Tale Told with Tangrams, Ann Tompert
How Much is a Million, David Schwartz
Marvelous Math: A Book of Poems, ed. by Lee Bennett and Rebecca Davis
Math Curse, Jon Scieszka
Math-terpieces, Greg Tang

60
On Beyond a Million: An Amazing Math Journey, David Schwartz
Pigs in a Blanket: Fun with Math and Time, Amy Axelrod
Pigs in the Pantry: Fun with Math and Cooking, Amy Axelrod
Pigs Will Be Pigs: Fun with Math and Money, Amy Axelrod
A Remainder of One, Elinor Pinczes
Twelve Snails to One Lizard: A Tale of Mischief and Measurement, Susan Hightower
The Go-Around Dollar, Barbara Johnston Adams
Lewis Carroll’s Games and Puzzles, Lewis Carroll
Math Trek: Adventures in MathZone, Ivars Peterson and Nancy Henderson
Anno’s Math Games, Mitsumasa Anno
Benjamin Franklin and the Magic Squares, A Step into Reading + Math

Teacher Resources
Mad Minutes, Paul Joseph Shoecraft and Terry James Clukey
Games for Math, Peggy Kaye (K-3)
Take It to Your Seat Math Centers, Evan-Moor Educational Publishers
Math Wizardry for Kids by Margaret Kenda and Phyllis S. Williams
Tangrams: 330 Puzzles by Ronald C. Read

61
Second Grade: The Roman Year

Bust of Julius Caesar

62
History, Religion, and Literature Integrated

History and Religion Literature

Teacher Texts Literature Related to History
*The Story of the World, Vol. 1: Ancient * In Search of Homeland: The Story of the
Times (chapters 27-29), Susan Wise Aeneid, Penelope Lively
Bauer Gladiators, Minna Lacey and Susanna
The Beginnings of Rome

*The Story of the World, Activity Book, Davidson

Vol. 1: Ancient Times, Susan Wise Bauer
Quarter One:

*The Story of the Roman People: An

Elementary History of Rome, Eva March
Tappan

Supplemental Texts
DK Eyewitness, Ancient Rome
Classical Kids: An Activity Guide to Life
in Ancient Greece and Rome, Laurie
Carlson

Teacher Texts Literature Related to History

*The Story of the World, Vol. 1: Ancient *History News: The Roman News, Andrew
Times (chapters 34-36), Susan Wise Langley
Bauer Julius Caesar, William Shakespeare,
*The Story of the World, Activity Book, (Saddleback's Illustrated Classics)
The Roman Empire

Vol. 1: Ancient Times, Susan Wise Bauer Galen and the Gateway to Medicine, Jeanne
Quarter Two:

*The Story of the Roman People: An Bendick

Elementary History of Rome, Eva March
Tappan

Supplemental Texts
City: A Story of Roman Planning and
Construction, David MacAulay
Ancient Rome (DK Eyewitness)
Julius Caesar, Rachel Firth (Usborne
Young Reading Series 3)

63
 Teacher Texts Literature Related to History
*The Story of the World, Vol. 1: Ancient Parables of Jesus, Tomie de Paolo
Times (chapters 37-38), Susan Wise
The Life of Jesus

Bauer
Quarter Three:

*The Story of the World, Activity Book,

Vol. 1: Ancient Times, Susan Wise Bauer
*The Story of the Roman People: An
Elementary History of Rome, Eva March
Tappan
* Gospel of Luke
*Acts of the Apostles

Teacher Texts Literature Related to History

Fall of Rome, Rise of the Church

*The Story of the World, Vol. 1: Ancient *History News: The Roman News, Andrew
Times (chapters 39-42), Susan Wise Langley
Bauer
Quarter Four:

*The Story of the World, Activity Book,

Vol. 1: Ancient Times, Susan Wise Bauer
*The Story of the Roman People: An
Elementary History of Rome, Eva March
Tappan

Supplemental Texts
DK Eyewitness, Ancient Rome

Literature Related Thematically

Books with Classical Themes

St. George and the Dragon, Margaret Hodges
The Wicked Prince, Hans Christian Anderson
The Clown of God, Tomie de Paolo

Books, Fairy and Folk Tales, Rhymes, and Verse

English Fairy Tales, Flora Ann Steel
Little Dermot and the Thirsty Stones, and Other Irish Folk Talks, Richard Bennet
The King's Drum and Other Stories, Harold Courlander (African)
The Blue Fairy Book, The Orange Fairy Book, The Green Fairy Book, Andrew Lang
The Story of Peter Rabbit, Beatrix Potter
Mother Goose Rhymes, Traditional
Winnie the Pooh, A.A. Milne
The Wheel on the School, Meindert De Jong
Far Out the Long Canal, Meindert De Jong
The Velveteen Rabbit, Margery Williams
The Mousehole Cat, Antonia Barber

64
Time of Wonder, Robert McCloskey
The Wind in the Willows, Kenneth Grahame
Frog and Toad (series), Arnold Lobel
The Empty Pot, Demi
Pinnochio, Carlo Collodi

Picture Books
This is a non-exhaustive list of good picture books that will lead students to an appreciation of
art, history, geography, nature, human relationships, and writing.

The Story About Ping, Marjorie Fleck and Kurt Wiese

A Pair of Red Clogs, Masako Matsuno
The Story of Peter Rabbit, Beatrix Potter
Lentil, Robert McCloskey
Winnie the Pooh, A.A. Milne
Madeline, Ludwig Bemelmans
Cranberry Thanksgiving, Wende and Harry Devlin
Papa Piccolo, Carol Talley
Clown of God, Tomie de Paolo
Storm in the Night, Mary Stolz
Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening, Robert Frost
Mirette on the High Wire, Emily Arnold McCully
The Story of Ferdinand, Munro Leaf
Harold and the Purple Crayon, Crockett Johnson
Owl Moon, Jane Yolen
Wee Gillis, Munro Leaf
Andy and the Circus, James Daugherty
The Five Chinese Brothers, Claire Huchet Bishop and Kurt Wiese
Blueberries for Sal, Robert McClosky
Make Way for Ducklings, Robert McClosky

Language Arts

*Shurley Grammar: English Made Easy (Level 2)

*Handwriting Book
*Spelling/Phonics Book
*Basal Reader

Latin

*Song School Latin

65
Religion

*Faith and Life: Jesus Our Life (Ignatius Press)

See ―History, Religion, and Literature Integrated‖ above

Nature Studies
The science curriculum is guided primarily by the teacher's thoughtful integration of various
resources. There are no textbooks. Anna Botsford Comstock's Handbook of Nature Study
contains instructions for the teacher on how to approach nature studies (pp.1-24) as well as
lessons and other source material.

Topics
Waterways
Rocks and minerals, fossils
Soil and magnets
Water
Climate and weather
Astronomy

Teacher Resources
*Handbook of Nature Study, Anna Botsford Comstock
*Nature Notebook (for the students to record and draw in)
*Earth Science for Every Kid:101 Easy Experiments that Really Work, Janice VanCleave
*The Usbourne Encyclopedia of Planet Earth
Snowflake Bentley, Jacqueline Briggs Martin
The Magic School Bus Lost in the Solar System, Joanna Cole
The Magic School Bus Inside the Earth, Joanna Cole
The Magic School Bus Kicks Up a Storm, Nancy White

Mathematics

*Saxon Math Grade 2

*Beginners Guide to Constructing the Universe, Michael S. Schneider
*Constructing the Universe Activity Book, Volumes 1-6, Michael S. Schneider

Related to Historical Time Period

The History of Counting, Denise Schmandt-Besserat
The Story of Money, Betsy Maestro
Roman Numerals I to M: Numerabilia Romania Uno Ad Due Mila: Liber De Difficillimo
Computando Numerum, Arthur Geisert

66
Supplemental Texts
The Dot and the Line: A Romance in Lower Mathematics, Norton Juster
Math Talk: Mathematical Ideas in Poems for Two Voices, Theoni Pappas
The Adventures of Penrose the Mathematical Cat, Theoni Pappas
Anno’s Mysterious Multiplying Jar, Masaichiro and Mitsumasa Anno
Amanda Bean’s Amazing Dream: A Mathematical Story, Cindy Neushwander
The Grapes of Math: Mind Stretching Math Riddles, Greg Tang
One Grain of Rice, Demi
Tiger Math: Learn to Graph from a Baby Tiger, Ann Whitehead Nagda and Cindy Bickel
Wild Fibonacci: Nature’s Secret Code Revealed, Joy Hulme
Anno’s Magic Seeds, Mitsumasa Anno
Domino Addition, Lynette Long
Grandfather Tang’s Story: A Tale Told with Tangrams, Ann Tompert
How Much is a Million, David Schwartz
Marvelous Math: A Book of Poems, ed. by Lee Bennett and Rebecca Davis
Math Curse, Jon Scieszka
Math-terpieces, Greg Tang
Beyond a Million: An Amazing Math Journey, David Schwartz
Pigs in a Blanket: Fun with Math and Time, Amy Axelrod
Pigs in the Pantry: Fun with Math and Cooking, Amy Axelrod
Pigs Will Be Pigs: Fun with Math and Money, Amy Axelrod
A Remainder of One, Elinor Pinczes
Twelve Snails to One Lizard: A Tale of Mischief and Measurement, Susan Hightower
The Go-Around Dollar, Barbara Johnston Adams
Lewis Carroll’s Games and Puzzles, Lewis Carroll
Math Trek: Adventures in MathZone, Ivars Peterson and Nancy Henderson
Anno’s Math Games, Mitsumasa Anno
Benjamin Franklin and the Magic Squares, A Step into Reading + Math

Teacher Resources
*Donald Duck in Mathmagical Land (DVD)
Mad Minutes, Paul Joseph Shoecraft and Terry James Clukey
Games for Math, Peggy Kaye
Take It to Your Seat Math Centers, Evan-Moor Educational Publishers
Math Wizardry for Kids by Margaret Kenda and Phyllis S. Williams
Math Puzzles and Patterns for Kids, by Kristy Fulton
Tangrams: 330 Puzzles by Ronald C. Read
More Math Puzzles and Patterns for Kids, Grades 2-4 by Kristy Fulton
The Multiplication Tables Colouring Book: Solve the Puzzle Pictures While Learning Your
Tables, Hilary McElderry

67
Third Grade: The Medieval Year

St. Francis Preaching to the Birds, Giotto

68
 History, Religion, and Literature Integrated

History and Religion Literature

Teacher Texts Literature Related to History
*Cambridge Introduction to the History King Arthur & His Knights of the Round
of Mankind (Book 3), Trevor Cairns, ed. Table, Roger Lancelyn Green
*The Old World & America (Unity V), The Hidden Treasure of Glaston, Jewett &
Rise of Christendom

Philip Furlong Chapman

Quarter One:

Son of Charlemagne, Barbara Willard

Teacher Read-Aloud or Student Text St. Benedict, Hero of the Hills, Mary Fabyan
*Heroes of the Middle Ages, Eva March Windeatt
Tappan

Supplemental Texts
St. Patrick & Irish Christianity, Tom
Corfe

Teacher Texts Literature Related to History

*Cambridge Introduction to the History *The Chaucer Story Book, Eva Tappan
of Mankind (Books 3-4), Trevor Cairns, March
Monasteries and Christian Culture

ed. *Clown of God; The Song of Francis; The

*The Old World & America (Units V- Holy Twins, Tomie de Paolo
VII), Philip Furlong Making of a Knight: How Sir James Earned
*Building the Medieval Cathedrals, Percy His Armor, Patrick O‘Brien
Quarter Two:

Watson; The Big Book of Nobles, Knights &

Life in a Medieval Village, Gwyneth Knaves, Chretien de Troyes (includes
Morgan abridged versions of Robin Hood & Song of
Roland)
Supplemental Texts St. Dominic & the Rosary, Catherine Beebe
Medieval Castle, Phil Wilson (3-d castle Clare & Francis, Saints of Assisi, Helen
model) Walker Homan
Medieval Life (DK Eyewitness) The Weight of A Mass, Josephine Nobisso
The Duke & The Peasant: Life in the
Middle Ages, Sr. Wendy Beckett

Teacher Texts Literature Related to History

Knights and Crusades

*Cambridge Introduction to the History Angels in Iron, Nicholas Prata

of Mankind (Books 3-4), Trevor Cairns, Blood Red Crescent, Henry Garnett
Quarter Three:

ed. St. George and the Dragon, Margaret

Medieval Knights, Trevor Cairns Hodges
St. Joan, The Girl Soldier, Louis De Wohl
Read Aloud Text A Door in the Wall, Marguerite De Angeli
*When Knights Were Bold, Eva March
Tappan

69
 Teacher Text Literature Related to History
The University and the Bible *Cambridge Introduction to the History Johann Gutenberg & the Amazing Printing
of Mankind (Books 3-4) Press, Bruce Koscielniak
The Old World & America (Unit VII), Marguerite Makes a Book, Bruce Robertson
Quarter Four:

Philip Furlong Thomas Aquinas & the Preaching Beggars,

Larnen, Lomask & Fisher
Read Aloud Text
*St. Thomas Aquinas for Children & the
Child-like, Raissa Maritain

Language Arts

*Shurley Grammar: English Made Easy (Level 3)

*Step Up to Writing, Maureen Auman
*Handwriting Book
*Spelling Book
*Basal Reader

Latin

*Latin for Children, Primer A

Religion

*Faith and Life: Our Life with Jesus (Ignatius Press)

See ―History, Religion, and Literature Integrated‖ above

Nature Studies
The science curriculum is guided primarily by the teacher‘s thoughtful integration of various
resources in accordance with the general and grade specific objectives for nature study. There
are no textbooks. The Delta Science Modules offer a combination of hands-on experiments and
related workbook activities. Anna Botsford Comstock‘s Handbook of Nature provides an
observational and experimental approach to the study of nature that is deeply human.

Topics
*Insect Life, Delta Science Module II

70
*Food Chains and Webs, Delta Science Module III
*Plants and Animal Cycles, Delta Science Module III

Teacher Resources
*Handbook of Nature Study, Anna Botsford Comstock
*Nature Notebook (for the students to record and draw in)
*The Earth: A Human Habitat: The Exceptional Features of Our Small Planet, Euresis

Mathematics

*Saxon Math Grade 3

*Beginners Guide to Constructing the Universe, Michael S. Schneider
*Constructing the Universe Activity Book, Volumes 1-6, Michael S. Schneider

Literature Related to History

The Story of Money, Betsey Maestro
The History of Counting, Denise Schmandt-Besserat
Sir Cumference and the First Round Table, Cindy Neushwander
Sir Cumference and the Dragon of Pi, Cindy Neushwander
Sir Cumference and the Sword in the Cone, Cindy Neushwander
Sir Cumference and the Great Knight of Angleland, Cindy Neushwander
Melisande, E. Nesbit

Supplemental Texts
Calculus by and for Young People, Don Cohen
The Confe$$ions and $ecret$ of Howard J. Fingerhut, Esther Hershenhorn
The Phantom Tollbooth, Norton Juster
Alvin’s Secret Code, Clifford Hicks
Math Talk: Mathematical Ideas in Poems for Two Voices, Theoni Pappas
The Adventures of Penrose the Mathematical Cat, Theoni Pappas
Anno’s Mysterious Multiplying Jar, Masaichiro and Mitsumasa Anno
G Is for Googol: A Math Alphabet Book, David Schwartz
Amanda Bean’s Amazing Dream: A Mathematical Story, Cindy Neushwander
The Grapes of Math: Mind Stretching Math Riddles, Greg Tang
One Grain of Rice, Demi
Tiger Math: Learn to Graph from a Baby Tiger, Ann Whitehead Nagda and Cindy Bickel
Wild Fibonacci: Nature’s Secret Code Revealed, Joy Hulme
How Much is a Million, David Schwartz
Math Curse, Jon Scieszka
Math-terpieces, Greg Tang
Beyond a Million: An Amazing Math Journey, David Schwartz
Lewis Carroll’s Games and Puzzles, Lewis Carroll
Math Trek: Adventures in MathZone, Ivars Peterson and Nancy Henderson
Anno’s Math Games, Mitsumasa Anno

71
Teacher Resources
*Donald Duck in Mathmagical Land (DVD)
Mad Minutes, Paul Joseph Shoecraft and Terry James Clukey
Games for Math, Peggy Kaye (K-3rd)
Take It to Your Seat Math Centers, Evan-Moor Educational Publishers
Math Wizardry for Kids by Margaret Kenda and Phyllis S. Williams
Math Puzzles and Patterns for Kids, Kristy Fulton
Tangrams: 330 Puzzles Ronald C. Read
More Math Puzzles and Patterns for Kids, Kristy Fulton
The Multiplication Tables Colouring Book: Solve the Puzzle Pictures While Learning Your
Tables, Hilary McElderry
Hands On Math Projects, Grade 3-5, Judith and Gary Muschela
MathART Projects and Activities (Grades 3-5), Carolyn Ford Brunetto
Math Fair Projects and Research Activities: A Comprehensive Guide for Teachers And Students,
Barry Doran and Leland Graham
25 Super Cool Math Board Games (Grades 3-6), Lorraine Hopping Egan

72
Fourth Grade: The Modern Year

Proportions of Man, Leonardo da Vinci

73
 History, Religion, and Literature Integrated

History and Religion Literature

Teacher Texts Literature Related to History
*Europe Finds The World (Cambridge St. Isaac & the Indians, Milton Lomask
Intro. To the History of the Mankind, St. Rose of Lima, Mary Fabyan Windeatt
Book 5), Trevor Cairns, ed. Treasure Island, Robert Louis Stevens
*The Old World & America (Unit VIIand
following), Philip Furlong
*Story of the World, Vol. 3: Early
Modern Times, Susan Wise Bauer
The Discovery of New Worlds, M.B.
Synge (2nd half)

Student Text
* Story of the World, Vol. 3: Early
Modern Times, Susan Wise Bauer

Supplemental Texts
Renaissance and Exploration

*Story of the World, Vol. 3: Early

Modern Times Activity Guide, Susan
Quarter One:

Wise Bauer
Evangelization of the New World, James
Leek
The Catholic Faith Comes to the
Americas, Illeen Reninger
Renaissance (DK Eyewitness)
Giotto (DK Eyewitness)
Raphael (DK Eyewitness)
Michelangelo (DK Eyewitness)
Johannes Gutenberg (DK Eyewitness)
Who was Leonardo da Vinci, Edwards &
Kelly

A Long & Uncertain Journey, Tom

McNeely (Vasco da Gama)
Meet Christopher Columbus, deKay &
Edens
Cortez & the Conquest of Mexico by the
Spaniards, Herzog & Brown
Pizarro & the Incas, Nicholas Saunders
Ferdinand Magellan, Katherine Bailey
Sir Francis Drake, Hook & Pearson

74
 Teacher Texts Literature Related to History
*The Birth of Modern Europe Tales from Shakespeare, Charles and Mary
(Cambridge vol. 6), Trevor Cairns, ed. Lamb
*The Old World & America (Units XI-
XII), Philip Furlong Poetry
Reformation and Counter-Reformation

*Story of the World, Vol. 3: Early Thomas Kyd, Christopher Marlowe, Robert
Modern Times, Susan Wise Bauer Southwell, Edmund Spenser

Student Text St. Francis of the 7 Seas, Albert Nevins;

Quarter Two:

* Story of the World, Vol. 3: Early St. Thomas More of London, Elizabeth Ince
Modern Times, Susan Wise Bauer St. Teresa of Avila, Joyful in the Lord, Susan
Helen Wallace
Read Aloud Texts St Philip of the Joyous Heart, Francis St.
*St. Ignatius & the Company of Jesus, Ignatius Loyola, In God’s Service, Peggy
Derlith & Lawn Sklar
Edmund Campion, Hero of God’s
Underground, Harold Gardiner

Supplemental Text
*Story of the World, Vol. 3: Early
Modern Times Activity Guide, Susan
Wise Bauer

Teacher Text Literature Related to History

*Europe Around the World (Cambridge In the Reign of Terror: Adventures of a
Empires: Napoleon, British, Ottoman

9), Trevor Cairns, Ed. Westminster Boy, G.A. Henty

*The Navy That Beat Napoleon, Walter Les Miserables, A Stepping Stone Book,
Brownlee Monica Culling, Victor Hugo
*Story of the World, Vol. 3: Early By Conduct & Courage, A Story of the Days
Quarter Three:

Modern Times, Susan Wise Bauer of Nelson, G.A. Henty

The Jungle Book, Rudyard Kipling
Student Text Just So Stories, Rudyard Kipling
*Story of the World, Vol. 3: Early Patriotic Song: A Book of English Verse :
Modern Times, Susan Wise Bauer Being an Anthology of the Patriotic Poetry
of the British Empire from the Defeat of the
Supplemental Text Spanish Armada Till the Death of Queen
*Story of the World, Vol. 3: Early Victoria, Arthur Stanley
Modern Times Activity Guide, Susan The Hungry Coat, A Tale from Turkey, Demi
Wise Bauer

75
 Teacher Text Literature Related to History
*The Little Book of the War, Eva March ―In Flanders Fields,‖ Lt. Col. John McCrae
Tappan In Flanders Fields, The Story of the Poem,
Linda Granfield
Student Text Where Poppies Grow, A WWI Companion,
Quarter Four:
World Wars

*The Little Book of the War, Eva March Linda Granfield

Tappan Hero Over Here, Katherine Kudlinski
Number the Stars, Lois Lowry
Supplemental Texts
World War I (DK Eyewitness) Service Songs: Army, Air Force, Navy,
World War II (DK Eyewitness) Marines
The Good Fight: How WWII Was Won,
Stephen Ambrose

Language Arts

*Shurley Grammar: English Made Easy (Level 4)

*Step Up to Writing, Maureen Auman
*Handwriting Book
*Spelling Book

Latin

*Latin for Children, Primer B

Religion
*Faith and Life: Jesus Our Guide (Ignatius Press)
See ―History, Religion, and Literature Integrated‖ above

Nature Studies

The science curriculum is guided primarily by the teacher‘s thoughtful integration of various
resources in accordance with the general and grade specific objectives for nature study. There
are no textbooks. The Delta Science Modules offer a combination of hands-on experiments and
related workbook activities. Anna Botsford Comstock‘s Handbook of Nature provides an
observational and experimental approach to the study of nature that is deeply human.

Topics
*Earth Movements, Delta Science Module III

76
*Water Cycle, Delta Science Module III
*Solar System, Delta Science Module III

Teacher Resources
*Handbook of Nature Study, Anna Botsford Comstock
*Nature Notebook (for the students to record and draw in)
*The Earth: A Human Habitat: The Exceptional Features of Our Small Planet, Euresis

Mathematics

*Saxon Math Grade 4

*Beginners Guide to Constructing the Universe, Michael S. Schneider
*Constructing the Universe Activity Book, Volumes 1-6, Michael S. Schneider

Literature Related to History

The Story of Money, Betsey Maestro
The History of Counting, Denise Schmandt-Besserat

Supplemental Texts
Calculus by and for Young People, Don Cohen
The Confe$$ions and $ecret$ of Howard J. Fingerhut, Esther Hershenhorn
The Phantom Tollbooth, Norton Juster
Alvin’s Secret Code, Clifford Hicks
Math Talk: Mathematical Ideas in Poems for Two Voices, Theoni Pappas
The Adventures of Penrose the Mathematical Cat, Theoni Pappas
Anno’s Mysterious Multiplying Jar, Masaichiro and Mitsumasa Anno
G Is for Googol: A Math Alphabet Book, David Schwartz
Melisande, E. Nesbit
Murderous Math Series, Kjartan Poskitt:
Do You Feel Lucky: The Secrets of Probability
The Fiendish Angletron
Murderous Math
Numbers: Keys to the Universe
The Phantom X
and more
Amanda Bean’s Amazing Dream: A Mathematical Story, Cindy Neushwander
The Grapes of Math: Mind Stretching Math Riddles, Greg Tang
One Grain of Rice, Demi
Tiger Math: Learn to Graph from a Baby Tiger, Ann Whitehead Nagda and Cindy Bickel
Wild Fibonacci: Nature’s Secret Code Revealed, Joy Hulme
How Much is a Million, David Schwartz
Math Curse, Jon Scieszka
Math-terpieces, Greg Tang
Beyond a Million: An Amazing Math Journey, David Schwartz
Lewis Carroll’s Games and Puzzles, Lewis Carroll

77
Math Trek: Adventures in MathZone, Ivars Peterson and Nancy Henderson
Anno’s Math Games, Mitsumasa Anno

Teacher Resources
*Donald Duck in Mathmagical Land (DVD)
Mad Minutes, Paul Joseph Shoecraft and Terry James Clukey
Math Wizardry for Kids, Margaret Kenda and Phyllis S. Williams
Math Puzzles and Patterns for Kids, Kristy Fulton
Tangrams: 330 Puzzles, Ronald C. Read
More Math Puzzles and Patterns for Kids, Kristy Fulton
The Multiplication Tables Colouring Book: Solve the Puzzle Pictures While Learning Your
Tables, Hilary McElderry
Hands On Math Projects, Grades 6-8, Judith and Gary Muschela
MathART Projects and Activities (Grades 3-5), Carolyn Ford Brunetto
Math Fair Projects and Research Activities: A Comprehensive Guide for Teachers And Students,
Barry Doran and Leland Graham
25 Super Cool Math Board Games (Grades 3-6), Lorraine Hopping Egan
Hands-On Math! Ready-To-Use Games & Activities for Grades 4-8, Frances M. Thompson

78
Fifth Grade: The American Year

George Washington, Gilbert Stuart

79
 History, Religion, and Literature Integrated

History and Religion Literature

Teacher Texts Literature Related to History
*Our United States, Woodburn, Moran & An American Book of Golden Deeds, James
Hill Baldwin
*An Elementary History of Our Country, The Children’s Book of America, William
Eva March Tappan Bennett
Colonization and Colonial Life

Student Texts Kateri Tekakwitha, Evelyn Brown

*An Elementary History of Our Country, Fr. Marquette & the Great River ,August
Quarter One:

Eva March Tappan Derlith

*American Hero Stories, Eva March Juanita; Pedro; Song of the Swallows, Leo
Tappan Politi
*Leonard Calvert and the Maryland Story of Junipero Serra, Florence White
Adventure, Ann Jensen
Music: American folk songs & ballads (Wee
Supplemental History Texts Sing America!), spirituals, Scott Joplin, John
American Colonial Life: Eyewitness Jacob Niles, John Henry Clay Work
Accounts, Albert B. Hart
American History Stories, Mara Pratt
Catholics in America, James T. Fisher
North American Indian (DK Eyewitness)

Teacher Texts Literature Related to History

*An Elementary History of Our Country, King George, What Was His
Eva March Tappan Problem?, Steve Sheinkin
*Declaration of Independence Johnny Tremain, Esther Forbes
*Articles of Confederation Meet George Washington (Landmark
From Declaration to Constitution

*Constitution Books)
Vindicating the Founders, Thomas West Meet Thomas Jefferson (Landmark Books)
Eyewitness American Revolution Ben Franklin of Old Philadelphia
(Landmark Books)
Quarter Two:

Student Texts
*An Elementary History of Our Country,
Eva March Tappan
*American Hero Stories, Eva March
Tappan

Supplemental Texts
Our Country’s Founders: Words of
Advice to Young People, William Bennett
American History Stories, Volumes 1-4,
Mara Pratt
American Revolution (DK Eyewitness)

80
 Teacher Text Literature Related to History
* Elementary History of Our Country, Harriet Tubman & The Underground
Eva March Tappan Railroad, Michael Martin
Letters & Speeches of Abraham Lincoln Meet Abraham Lincoln, Barbara Cary
*Slaves Who Dared: The Stories of 10 Frederick Douglas Fights for Freedom,
African American Heroes, Mary Garrison Adler & Byrd
Uncle Tom’s Cabin, Harriet Beecher Stowe
Quarter Three:

Student Texts (excerpts)

Civil War

*An Elementary History of Our Country,

Eva March Tappan
*American Hero Stories, Eva March
Tappan

Supplemental Texts
Mr. Lincoln’s High-Tech War, Thomas B.
Allen
Civil War (DK Eyewitness)

Teacher Text Literature Related to History

*An Elementary History of Our Country, Little House on the Prairie, Laura Ingalls
Eva March Tappan Wilder
A Penny’s Worth of Character, Jesse Stuart
Westward Expansion to Roosevelt

Student Texts Paul Bunyan and other Tall Tales, Jane B.

*An Elementary History of Our Country, Mason
Eva March Tappan John Henry, Julius Lester
*American Hero Stories, Eva March Johnny Appleseed, Stephen Kellogg
Quarter Four:

Tappan The Wright Brothers,Quentin Reynolds

The Story of Thomas Alva Edison, Margaret
Supplemental Texts Cousins;
How We Crossed The West: The Lewis & Clark in their own words, George
Adventures of Lewis & Clark, Rosalyn Sullivan
Schanzer Mother Seton & the Sisters of Charity, Alma
Power Waters
Mother Cabrini, Francis Parkinson Keyes
Saint Katherine Drexel,Friend of the
Oppressed, Ellen Terry
Carry On, Mr. Bowditch, Jean Lee Latham

Language Arts
*Shurley Grammar: English Made Easy (Level 5)
*Step Up to Writing, Maureen Auman
*Handwriting Book
*Spelling Book

81
Religion

*Faith and Life: Credo: I Believe (Ignatius Press)

See ―History, Religion, and Literature Integrated‖ above

Latin
*Latin for Children, Primer C

Nature Studies

The science curriculum is guided primarily by the teacher‘s thoughtful integration of various
resources in accordance with the general and grade specific objectives for nature study. There
are no textbooks. The Delta Science Modules offer a combination of hands-on experiments and
related workbook activities. Anna Botsford Comstock‘s Handbook of Nature provides an
observational and experimental approach to the study of nature that is deeply human.

Topics
*Oceans, Delta Science Module III
*Weather Forecasting, Delta Science Module III
*Color and Light, Delta Science Module III

Teacher Resources
*Handbook of Nature Study, Anna Botsford Comstock
*Nature Notebook (for the students to record and draw in)
*The Earth: A Human Habitat: The Exceptional Features of Our Small Planet, Euresis

Mathematics

*Saxon Math Grade 5

*Beginners Guide to Constructing the Universe, Michael S. Schneider
*Constructing the Universe Activity Book, Volumes 1-6, Michael S. Schneider

Related to Historical Time Period

Carry On, Mr. Bowditch, Jean Lee Latham
Molly Bannaky, Alice McGill
What Are You Figuring Now? A Story about Benjamin Banneker, Jeri Ferris

Supplemental Texts
Calculus by and for Young People, Don Cohen
The Confe$$ions and $ecret$ of Howard J. Fingerhut, Esther Hershenhorn
Alice in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass, Lewis Carroll

82
The Phantom Tollbooth, Norton Juster
Alvin’s Secret Code, Clifford Hicks
The Adventures of Penrose the Mathematical Cat, Theoni Pappas
Anno’s Mysterious Multiplying Jar, Masaichiro and Mitsumasa Anno
G Is for Googol: A Math Alphabet Book, David Schwartz
Melisande, E. Nesbit
Murderous Math Series, Kjartan Poskitt:
Do You Feel Lucky: The Secrets of Probability
The Fiendish Angletron
Murderous Math
Numbers: Keys to the Universe
The Phantom X
and more
Lewis Carroll’s Games and Puzzles, Lewis Carroll
Math Trek: Adventures in MathZone, Ivars Peterson and Nancy Henderson

Teacher Resources
*Donald Duck in Mathmagical Land (DVD)
Mad Minutes, Paul Joseph Shoecraft and Terry James Clukey
Math Wizardry for Kids, Margaret Kenda and Phyllis S. Williams
Tangrams: 330 Puzzles, Ronald C. Read
Hands On Math Projects, Grades 6-8, Judith and Gary Muschela
MathART Projects and Activities (Grades 3-5), Carolyn Ford Brunetto
Math Fair Projects and Research Activities: A Comprehensive Guide for Teachers And Students,
Barry Doran and Leland Graham
25 Super Cool Math Board Games (Grades 3-6), Lorraine Hopping Egan
Hands-On Math! Ready-To-Use Games & Activities for Grades 4-8, Frances M. Thompson

83
Sixth Grade: The Ancient Year

Fresco of Socrates from Ancient Ephesus

84
History, Religion, and Literature Integrated

History and Religion Literature

Student Texts Literature Related to History
*The Bible: Creation, Adam and Eve, God King: A Story in the Days of King
Noah, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, Hezekiah, Joanne Williamson
Moses and the flight from Egypt, Joshua Victory on the Walls: A Story of Nehemiah,
and the conquering of Canaan, Samuel, Frieda Clark Hyman
Saul, David, Elijah and Elisha, the
Cradle Civilizations

Assyrian and Babylonian captivities, Tales of Ancient Egypt, Roger Green

Quarter One:

Daniel, the rebuilding off the Temple The Golden Goblet, Eloise McGraw
(Ezra, Nehemiah) Mara, Daughter of the Nile, Eloise McGraw
*The Pharaohs of Ancient Egypt,
Elizabeth Payne Thematically Related: Creation
Perelandra, C.S. Lewis
Supplemental Texts Magician’s Nephew, C.S. Lewis
Pyramid (DK Eyewitness)
Pyramid, David Macauley
Mesopotamia (DK Eyewitness)
The Bible: Ruth, Esther (Queen of
Persia), Tobit, Judith

Student Texts Literature Related to History

*The Story of the Greek People, Eva *D’Aulaires’ Book of Greek Myths, Edgar
March Tappan (Dodo Press) and Ingri D‘Aulaire
*The Bible: Ancient stories continued, *Black Ships Before Troy, Rosemary Sutcliff
Maccabees *The Wanderings of Odysseus, Rosemary
Quarter Two:

Sutcliff
Greece

Supplemental Texts *―Allegory of the Cave,‖ Plato

Famous Men of Greece, Cyndy Shearer Pericles in Tales from Shakespeare, Charles
and Robert Shearer and Mary Lamb
Ancient Greece (DK Eyewitness) Herodotus and the Road to History, Jeanne
Bendick
Archimedes and the Door of Science, Jeanne
Bendick

85
 Student Texts Literature Related to History
*The Story of the Roman People, Eva *The Aeneid for Boys and Girls, Alfred J.
March Tappan (Dodo or Kessinger Press) Church (Dodo Press) OR *Aeneas, Emily
Quarter Three:
Pagan Rome

*The Bible: Gospel of Luke Frenkel

Julius Caesar, Shakespeare
Supplemental Texts Augustus Caesar’s World, Genevieve Foster
City: A Story of Roman Planning and Detectives in Togas, Henry Winterfield
Construction, David Macauley Roman Mystery Series, Caroline Lawrence
Famous Men of Rome, Cyndy Shearer Galen and the Gateway to Medicine, Jeanne
and Robert Shearer, revised edition Bendick

Student Texts Literature Related to History

*The Story of the Roman People, Eva *The Bronze Bow, Elizabeth George Speare
March Tappan (Dodo or Kessinger Press) City of the Golden House, Madeleine
*The Bible: Acts of the Apostles OR Polland
*The First Christians: The Acts of the The Spear: A Novel of the Crucifixion, Louis
Christian Rome
Quarter Four:

Apostles, Marigold Hunt De Wohl

The Living Wood, Louis de Wohl
Supplemental Texts
A Life of Our Lord for Children, Marigold
Hunt
Saint Paul the Apostle, Mary Fabyan
Windeatt
Famous Men of Rome, Cyndy Shearer
and Robert Shearer

Teacher Texts
*You Can Understand the Bible, Peter Kreeft
*The Old World and America, Fr. Phillip Furlong
*The Story of Christianity, Michael Collins and Matthew Price
*The World’s Great Speeches, ed. Lewis Copeland, et al
A Father Who Keeps His Promises, Scott Hahn
First Ancient History, Roy Burrell (Oxford)

Teacher Resources
Hands-on History: World History Activities, Garth Sundem (reproducible)
The Ultimate Geography and Timeline Guide, Maggie Hogan and Cindy Wiggens (reproducible)
Catholic World History Timeline and Guide, by Marcia Neill (www.rchistory.com)
World History Map Activities, Marvin Scott (reproducible)

Thematically Related and Read Aloud Literature

Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, Lewis Carroll
Phantom Tollbooth, Norton Juster
A Wrinkle in Time, Madeleine L‘Engle

86
Pinocchio, Carlo Collodi
The Little Prince, Antoine Saint-Exupery

Religion

*Faith and Life: Following Christ (Ignatius Press)

*The Way of the Fathers: Praying with the Early Christians (selections), Mike Aquilina
See ―History, Religion, and Literature Integrated‖ above

Language Arts
*Shurley Grammar: English Made Easy (Level 6)
*Step Up to Writing, Maureen Auman
*Spelling

Latin
*Wheelock’s Latin (6th Edition), Frederic M. Wheelock edited by Richard LaFleur
38 Latin Stories (5th Edition), Anne Groton and James May

Nature Studies

The science curriculum is guided primarily by the teacher‘s thoughtful integration of various
resources in accordance with the general and grade specific objectives for nature studies. There
are no textbooks. The Delta Science Modules offer a combination of hands-on experiments and
related workbook activities. Anna Botsford Comstock‘s Handbook of Nature provides an
observational and experimental approach to the study of nature that is deeply human. The
teacher may also draw on Christopher Baglow‘s Faith, Science, and Reason to begin introducing
the historical and theological issues that accompany the study of nature.

Topics
*Simple Machines, Delta Science Module III
*Electromagnetism, Delta Science Module III
*Matter and Change, Delta Science Module III

Teacher Resources
*Handbook of Nature Study, Anna Botsford Comstock
*Faith, Science, and Reason: Theology on the Cutting Edge, Christopher T. Baglow
*Nature Notebook (for the students to record and draw in)
Archimedes and the Door of Science, Jeanne Bendick

87
Mathematics

*Saxon Math Sixth Grade 6

*Beginners Guide to Constructing the Universe, Michael S. Schneider
*Constructing the Universe Activity Book, Volumes 1-6, Michael S. Schneider

Related to Historical Time Period

Agnesi To Zeno: Over 100 Vignettes from the History of Math, Sanderson Smith
Elements, Euclid

Supplemental Text
A Gebra Named Al: A Novel, Wendy Isdell
Alice in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass, Lewis Carroll
The Phantom Tollbooth, Norton Juster
Alvin’s Secret Code, Clifford Hicks
The Brown Paper School Series, Marilyn Burns:
The Book of Think
The I Hate Mathematics! Book
Math for Smarty Pants
and more
Fascinating Fibonacci: Mystery and Magic in Numbers, Trudi Hammel Garland
String, Straight-Edge, & Shadow: The Story of Geometry, Julia E. Diggins
Murderous Math Series, Kjartan Poskitt:
Do You Feel Lucky: The Secrets of Probability
The Fiendish Angletron
Murderous Math
Numbers: Keys to the Universe
The Phantom X
Lewis Carroll’s Games and Puzzles, Lewis Carroll
Math Trek: Adventures in MathZone, Ivars Peterson and Nancy Henderson

Teacher Resources
*Donald Duck in Mathmagical Land (DVD)
Mad Minutes, Paul Joseph Shoecraft and Terry James Clukey
Tangrams: 330 Puzzles by Ronald C. Read
Hands On Math Projects, Grades 6-8, Judith and Gary Muschela
Math Fair Projects and Research Activities: A Comprehensive Guide for Teachers And Students,
Barry Doran and Leland Graham
25 Super Cool Math Board Games (Grades 3-6), Lorraine Hopping Egan
Hands-On Math! Ready-To-Use Games & Activities for Grades 4-8, Frances M. Thompson

88
Seventh Grade: The Christendom Year

Coronation of Charlemagne by Pope Leo III

89
History, Religion, and Literature Integrated

History and Religion Literature

Student Texts Literature Related to History
*Heroes of the Middle Ages: Alaric to Saint Benedict: The Story of the Father of
Columbus, Eva March Tappan the Western Monks, Mary Fabian Windeatt
*Bible Study: Gospel of John The Life of St. Patrick: Enlightener of the
Irish, Zachary Lynch
Supplemental Texts Augustine Came to Kent, Barbara Willard
Art Through Faith (Seton Press)
Rise of Christendom

The Age of Chivalry (National Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, trans. by
Quarter One:

Geographic) J.R.R. Tolkein

King Arthur and the Knights of the Round
Table, Roger Lancelyn Green

Charlemagne and the Twelve Peers of

France, Alfred J. Church
Son of Charlemagne, Barbara Willard

Magna Charta, James Daugherty

Beowulf, Rosemary Sutcliff

Student Texts Literature Related to History

*Heroes of the Middle Ages: Alaric to *Francis and Clare: Saints of Assisi, Helen
Columbus, Eva March Tappan Walker Homan, OR *The Little Flowers of
*When Knights Were Bold, Eva March St. Francis, Brother Ugolino (selections)
Tappan
*The Compact History of the Catholic The Chaucer Story Book, Eva March Tappan
Church, Alan Schreck The Divine Comedy (selections), Dante
Life in the Middle Ages
Quarter Two:

Supplemental Texts *Romeo and Juliet, Shakespeare, OR

A Medieval Feast, Aliki *Macbeth, Shakespeare
Art Through Faith (Seton Press)
Castle, David Macaulay
Cathedral: The Story of Its Construction,
David Macauley
The Age of Chivalry (National
Geographic)
Castle (DK Eyewitness)
Knight (DK Eyewitness)
Medieval Life (DK Eyewitness)
Arms and Armor(DK Eyewitness)

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 Student Texts Literature Related to History
*Heroes of the Middle Ages: Alaric to The King’s Shadow, Elizabeth Alder
Columbus, Eva March Tappan The Boy Knight: A Tale of the Crusades,
Crusades and Decline of Middle Ages

*When Knights Were Bold, Eva March G.A. Henty

Tappan The Merry Adventures of Robin Hood,
*The Compact History of the Catholic Howard Pyle
Church, Alan Schreck
Quarter Three:

Personal Recollections of Joan of Arc, Mark

Supplemental Texts Twain
Art Through Faith (Seton Press) Saint Joan: The Girl Soldier, Louis de Wohl
Castle, David Macaulay
The Age of Chivalry (National The Last Crusader, Louis de Wohl
Geographic) ―Lepanto,‖ G.K. Chesterton (used with
Castle (DK Eyewitnes) Lepanto: The Battle That Saved the West
Knight (DK Eyewitness) (audio), Christopher Check)
Medieval Life (DK Eyewitness) The Blood Red Crescent and the Battle of
Arms and Armor(DK Eyewitness) Lepanto, Henry Garnett

Student Texts Literature Related to History

*Heroes of the Middle Ages: Alaric to The Tempest, Shakespeare
Renaissance and Reformation

Columbus, Eva March Tappan Tales from Shakespeare, Charles and Mary
*The Compact History of the Catholic Lamb
Church, Alan Schreck Sonnets (Selections), Shakespeare
Quarter Four:

Poetry of Marlow, Jonson, Donne, Herbert,

Supplemental Texts and Milton
Art Through Faith (Seton Press)
The Golden Book of the Renaissance St. Thomas More of London, Elizabeth Ince
(Golden Press) A Man For All Seasons, Robert Bolt (also a
Shakespeare: His Work and His World, movie)
Michael Rosen Saint John Fisher, Michael Davies
Welcome to the Globe: The Story of Edmund Campion: Hero of God’s
Shakespeare’s Theater Underground, Harold Gardiner

Teacher Texts
*A Light to the Nations, Catholic Textbook Project
*The Middle Ages: An Illustrated History, Barbara Hanawalt (Oxford)
*Ignatius Catholic Study Bible: The Gospel of John
*The Story of Christianity, Michael Collins and Matthew Price
*The Old World and America, Fr. Phillip Furlong
*The World’s Great Speeches, ed. Lewis Copeland, et al
How the Irish Saved Civilization, Thomas Cahill
The Story of the Middle Ages, Samuel B. Harding
The New Concise History of the Crusades, Thomas Madden

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Teacher Resources
Hands-on History: World History Activities, Garth Sundem (reproducible)
The Ultimate Geography and Timeline Guide, Maggie Hogan and Cindy Wiggens (reproducible)
Catholic World History Timeline and Guide, by Marcia Neill (www.rchistory.com)
World History Map Activities, Marvin Scott (reproducible)

Thematically Related and Read Aloud Literature: Medieval Sentiments

Fairy Tales, Hans Christian Andersen
Wind in the Willows, by Kenneth Graham
Grimm’s Fairy Tales, Brothers Grimm
Redwall, by Brian Jacques
The Hobbit and Lord of the Rings, by J.R.R. Tolkein

Religion

*Faith and Life: Our Life in the Church (Ignatius Press)1

*The Way of the Fathers: Praying with the Early Christians (selections), Mike Aquilina
*Called to Love: Approaching John Paul II’s Theology of the Body, Carl Anderson and José
Granados (Teacher Text)
See ―History, Religion, and Literature Integrated‖ above

Language Arts

*Step Up to Writing, Maureen Auman

*Vocabulary Workshop, Sadlier-Oxford
*Grammar Book

Latin

*Wheelock’s Latin (6th Edition), Frederic M. Wheelock edited by Richard LaFleur

38 Latin Stories (5th Edition), Anne Groton and James May

Nature Studies

The science curriculum is guided primarily by the teacher‘s thoughtful integration of various
resources in accordance with the general and grade specific objectives for nature studies. There
are no textbooks. The Delta Science Modules offer a combination of hands-on experiments and
related workbook activities. Anna Botsford Comstock‘s Handbook of Nature provides an

1
In the Faith and Life Series, this text is designated for grade 8, but it corresponds better with our grade 7
curriculum and should be used here.

92
observational and experimental approach to the study of nature that is deeply human. C.S.
Lewis‘s Abolition of Man and Leon Kass‘s Being Human provide an entry, through literature,
into the ‗philosophical‘ approach to the study of nature. At this point the teacher should also
draw on Christopher Baglow‘s Faith, Science, and Reason in order to provide structural
coherence to the course and to introduce the historical and theological issues that accompany
nature studies.

Topics
*You and Your Body, Delta Science Module III
*DNA: Genes and Proteins, Delta Science Module III
*Plants in Our World, Delta Science Module III

Teacher Resources
*Handbook of Nature Study, Anna Botsford Comstock
*Being Human, Leon Kass (selections)
*Faith, Science, and Reason: Theology on the Cutting Edge, Christopher T. Baglow
*The Earth: A Human Habitat: The Exceptional Features of Our Small Planet, Euresis
*Nature Notebook (for the students to record and draw in)

Mathematics

*Progress in Mathematic: Fundamentals of Algebra, Sadlier-Oxford

*Progress in Mathematics: Foundations of Algebra, Sadlier-Oxford (advanced students)
*Beginners Guide to Constructing the Universe, Michael S. Schneider
*Constructing the Universe Activity Book, Volumes 1-6, Michael S. Schneider

Related to Historical Time Period

Agnesi To Zeno: Over 100 Vignettes from the History of Math, Sanderson Smith

Supplemental Texts
The Joy of Mathematics: Discovering Mathematics All Around You, Theoni Pappas
Mathematical Quilts: No Sewing Required! Diana Venters and Elaine Krajenke Ellison
Conned Again, Watson! Cautionary Tales of Logic, Math, and Probability, Colin Bruce
The Man Who Counted: A Collection of Mathematical Adventures, Malba Tahan
A Gebra Named Al: A Novel, Wendy Isdell
Alice in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass, Lewis Carroll
Fractals, Googols, and Other Mathematical Tales, Theoni Pappas
The Brown Paper School Series, Marilyn Burns:
The Book of Think
The I Hate Mathematics! Book
Math for Smarty Pants
Fascinating Fibonacci: Mystery and Magic in Numbers, Trudi Hammel Garland
String, Straight-Edge, & Shadow: The Story of Geometry, Julia E. Diggins
The Snark Puzzle Book, Marin Gardiner (based on Lewis Carroll‘s nonsense poem The Hunting
of the Snark)

93
Lewis Carroll’s Games and Puzzles, Lewis Carroll

Teacher Resources
*Donald Duck in Mathmagical Land (DVD)
Mad Minutes, Paul Joseph Shoecraft and Terry James Clukey
Hands On Math Projects, Grades 6-8, Judith and Gary Muschela
Math Fair Projects and Research Activities: A Comprehensive Guide for Teachers And Students,
Barry Doran and Leland Graham
Hands-On Math! Ready-To-Use Games & Activities for Grades 4-8, Frances M. Thompson

94
Eighth Grade: The New World Year

Landing of Columbus, John Vanderlyn

95
History, Religion, and Literature Integrated

History and Religion Literature

Student Texts Literature Related to History: Explorers
*Sea to Shining Sea, Catholic Textbook I, Juan de Pareja, Elizabeth Borten de
Project Trevino
Christopher Columbus, Ingri and Edgar
Supplemental Texts D‘Aulaire
The Log of Christopher Columbus’ First
Quarter One: Explorers, Missionaries, Colonizers

Voyage Missionaries
Columbus and Cortez, John Eidsmoe Saint Juan Diego and Our Lady of
The Earliest Americans, Helen Roney Sattler Guadalupe, Josephine Nobisso
Native American Shipwrecks, James P. Saint Martin de Porres, Mary Fabyan
Delgado Windeatt
North American Indian (DK Eyewitness) Saint Martin de Porres: Humble Healer,
The Landing of the Pilgrims, James Elizabeth Marie DeDomenico
Daugherty (Landmark) The Man Who Founded California: The Life
Mourt’s Relation, Anonymous (Pilgrim of Blessed Junipero Serra, M.N.L. Couve
Journal) De Murville
The Witchcraft of Salem Village, Shirley Isaac Jogues: With Burning Heart, Christine
Jackson (Landmark) Virginia Orfeo
Slavery (DK Eyewitness) Kateri Tekakwitha: Mystic of the
Wilderness, Margeret Bunson
Kateri Tekakwitha: Mohawk Maid, Evelyn
Brown

Colonies
Shadows on the Rock, Willa Cather
The Witch of Blackbird Pond, Elizabeth
George Speare
The Crucible, Arthur Miller
The Scarlet Letter, Nathaniel Hawthorne

96
 Student Texts Literature Related to History: Pre-
*Sea to Shining Sea, Catholic Textbook Revolution America
Project Sally Wister’s Journal, Sally Wister
*Declaration of Independence Priest on Horseback: Father Farmer, Eva
*Articles of Confederation K. Betz
*Federalist Papers #10, James Madison
*Constitution of the United States Revolution Heroes
*―The Constitution of the United States: Is It The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin,
Pro-Slavery or Anti-Slavery?‖ Frederick Benjamin Franklin
Douglass Poor Richard, James Daugherty (B.
Franklin)
Supplemental Texts Abigail Adams and Her Times, Laura E.
Common Sense, Thomas Paine Richards
The Federalist Papers (selections) George Washington’s World, Genevieve
The Anti-Federalist Papers (selections) Foster
Quarter Two: American Revolution

Black Heroes of the American Revolution, Rules of Civility and Decent Behavior in
Burke Davis Company and Conversation, George
American Revolution (DK) Washington
George Washington (DK) Johnny Tremain, Esther Forbes
The Oregon Trail, Francis Parkman
Comparing the French Revolution
A Tale of Two Cities, by Charles Dickens
The Scarlet Pimpernel, Baroness Orczy
Les Misèrables, Victor Hugo

Native American‘s Role

The Deerslayer, James Fenimore Cooper
The Last of the Mohicans, James Fenimore
Cooper
Calico Captive, Elizabeth George Speare
Giant of the Western Trail: The Life of
Father Peter de Smet, Michael McHugh

Westward Expansion
Life of David Crockett, David Crockett
Bold Journey: West with Lewis and Clark,
Lewis and Clark
The Captain’s Dog, Roland Smith (Lewis
and Clark)
The Call of the Wild, Jack London
Island of the Blue Dolphins, Scott O‘Dell

97
 Student Texts Literature Related to History: Slavery
*Sea to Shining Sea, Catholic Textbook Anthony Burns: The Defeat and Triumph of
Project a Fugitive Slave, Virginia Hamilton
* Narrative of the Life of Frederick Miles’ Song, Alice McGill
Douglass, Frederick Douglass Uncle Tom’s Cabin, Harriet Beecher Stowe
*First and Second Inaugural Address,
Gettysburg Address, Abraham Lincoln Civil War
Little Women, Louisa May Alcott
Quarter Three: Civil War and Reconstruction

Supplemental Texts The Red Badge of Courage, Stephen Crane

The Story of Christianity, Michael Collins Across Five Aprils, Irene Hunt
and Matthew Price The Perilous Road, William O‘Steele
―Ain‘t I a Woman?‖ Sojourner Truth The Killer Angels, Michael Shaara
The Lincoln-Douglas Debates, Lincoln and
Douglas After the War
Lincoln: A Photobiography, Russell Sounder, William Armstrong
Freedman The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, Mark Twain
Undying Glory: The Story of the The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, Mark
Massachusetts 54th Regiment, Clinton Cox Twain
(cf. the movie Glory) The Virginian, Owen Wister
The Forgotten Heroes: The Story of the
Buffalo Soldiers, Clinton Cox 19th Century Saints
The Souls of Black Folk, W.E.B. DuBois Father Damien and the Bells, Arthur and
Up From Slavery, Booker T. Washington Elizabeth Sheehan
Mother Cabrini: Missionary to the World,
State by State Atlas (DK Eyewitness) Frances Parkinson Keyes
Children’s Encyclopedia of American
History (DK Eyewitness) 19th Century Poetry
Slavery (DK Eyewitness) Poetry of Whitman, Poe, Longfellow,
Civil War (DK Eyewitness) Dickinson
Abraham Lincoln (DK Eyewitness)

98
 Student Texts: World War I Literature Related to History: World War I
*The Little Book of the War, Eva March All Quiet on the Western Front, Erich Maria
Tappan (Dodo) OR *World War I (First Remarque
Book), Tom McGowen
Great Depression
World War II No Promises in the Wind, Irene Hunt
*Maximilian Kolbe: Saint of Auschwitz, Grapes of Wrath, John Steinbeck
Elaine Murry Stone Of Mice and Men, John Steinbeck
*World War II (First Book), Tom McGowen To Kill a Mockingbird, Harper Lee

Civil Rights World War II

*Letter from Birmingham Jail, Martin Guns of Navarone, Alistair MacClean
Luther King, Jr. The Winged Watchman, Hilda van Stockum
Quarter Four: Twentieth Century

Martin Luther King, Amy Pastan (DK Number the Stars, Lois Lowry
Biography) Twenty and Ten, Claire Bishop

Supplemental Texts Civil Rights

World War I (DK) St. Katherine Drexel: Friend of the
Everyday Life: World War I (Good Year Oppressed, Ellen Tarry
Books) Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry, Mildred
Where Poppies Grow: A World War I Taylor
Companion, Linda Granfield The Watson’s Go to Birmingham – 1963: A
Leon’s Story, Leon Walter Tillage (Black Novel, Christopher Paul Curtis
Sharecropper, 1940‘s)
20th Century Poetry
World War II (DK) Poetry of Robert Frost, T.S. Eliot, and
Everyday Life: World War II (Good Year Langston Hughes
Books)
The Scarlet and the Black: The True Story of
Monsignor Hugh O Flaherty, Hero of the
Vatican Underground, J.P. Gallagher
The Trapp Family Singers, Maria von Trapp
Anne Frank: The Diary of a Young Girl,
Anne Frank
Escape from Warsaw, Ian Serraillier

Teacher Texts
*Sea to Shining Sea: Teacher’s Guide, Catholic Textbook Project
*The Story of Christianity, Michael Collins and Matthew Price
*The American Reader: Words That Moved a Nation, Diane Ravitch
*The World’s Great Speeches, ed. Lewis Copeland, et al
Vindicating the Founders: Race, Sex, Class and Justice in the Origins, Thomas G. West
How to Read the Federalist Papers, Anthony A. Peacock
Eyes on the Prize: America’s Civil Rights Years, 1954-1965, Juan Williams

99
Eyes on the Prize Civil Rights Reader: Documents, Speeches, and Firsthand Accounts from the
Black Freedom Struggle, D. Clar
Voices of Freedom: An Oral History of the Civil Rights Movement, Henry Hampton

Teacher Resources
Hands-on History: World History Activities, Garth Sundem (reproducible)
The Ultimate Geography and Timeline Guide, Maggie Hogan and Cindy Wiggens (reproducible)
Catholic World History Timeline and Guide, by Marcia Neill (www.rchistory.com)
World History Map Activities, Marvin Scott (reproducible)
The World’s Great Speeches, ed. Lewis Copeland, et al

Thematically Related and Read Aloud Literature

Poetry of Wordsworth, Shelley, Byron, Blake, and Coleridge
Treasure Island, Robert Louis Stevenson
The novels of Jane Austen
Jane Eyre, Charlotte Brontë
A Christmas Carol, Charles Dickens
David Copperfield, Charles Dickens
Oliver Twist, Charles Dickens
Bleak House, Charles Dickens
The Count of Monte Cristo, Alexandre Dumas
The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
Around the World in Eighty Days, Jules Verne

Religion

Scripture Study
*Teacher‘s Choice: Gospel of Mark or a Letter of Paul
*Ignatius Catholic Study Bible: [Teacher’s Choice]

Preparation for Confirmation

*Faith and Life: The Life of Grace (Ignatius Press)2
*Swear to God: The Power and Promise of the Sacraments, Scott Hahn
*Compendium of the Catechism of the Catholic Church
*The Catechism of the Catholic Church

Defending the Faith

*The Essential Catholic Survival Guide: Answers to Tough Questions about the Faith, Staff of
Catholic Answers (Teacher Text)

The Spiritual Life

*The Way of the Fathers: Praying with the Early Christians (selections), Mike Aquilina
*Screwtape Letters, C.S. Lewis
2
In the Faith and Life Series, this text is designated for grade 7, but it corresponds better with our grade 8
curriculum and should be used here.

100
Theology of the Body
*Called to Love: Approaching John Paul II’s Theology of the Body, Carl Anderson and José
Granados (Teacher Text)

Language Arts

*Step Up to Writing, Maureen Auman

*Vocabulary Workshop, Sadlier-Oxford
*Grammar Book

Latin

*Wheelock’s Latin (6th Edition), Frederic M. Wheelock edited by Richard LaFleur

38 Latin Stories (5th Edition), Anne Groton and James May

Nature Studies

The science curriculum is guided primarily by the teacher‘s thoughtful integration of various
resources in accordance with the general and grade specific objectives for nature studies. There
are no textbooks. The Delta Science Modules offer a combination of hands-on experiments and
related workbook activities. Anna Botsford Comstock‘s Handbook of Nature provides an
observational and experimental approach to the study of nature that is deeply human. C.S.
Lewis‘s Abolition of Man and Leon Kass‘s Being Human provide an entry, through literature,
into the ‗philosophical‘ approach to the study of nature. At this point the teacher should also
draw on Christopher Baglow‘s Faith, Science, and Reason in order to provide structural
coherence to the course and to introduce the historical and theological issues that accompany
nature studies.

Topics
*Earth Processes, Delta Science Module III
*Earth, Moon, Sun, Delta Science Module III
*Astronomy, Delta Science Module III
*Nature Notebook (for the students to record and draw in)

Teacher Resources
*Handbook of Nature Study, Anna Botsford Comstock
*Abolition of Man, C.S. Lewis
*Being Human, Leon Kass
*Faith, Science, and Reason: Theology on the Cutting Edge, Christopher T. Baglow
*The Earth: A Human Habitat: The Exceptional Features of Our Small Planet, Euresis

101
Mathematics

*Progress in Mathematics: Foundations of Algebra, Sadlier-Oxford

*Progress in Mathematics: Algebra 1, Sadlier-Oxford (advanced students)
*Beginners Guide to Constructing the Universe, Michael S. Schneider
*Constructing the Universe Activity Book, Volumes 1-6, Michael S. Schneider

Related to Historical Time Period

Agnesi To Zeno: Over 100 Vignettes from the History of Math, Sanderson Smith
A History of Mathematics, Carl B. Boyer
Journey Through Genius: The Great Theorems of Mathematics, William Bunham
The Lady Tasting Tea: How Statistics Revolutionized Science in the Twentieth Century, David
Salsburg
Mathematical Apocrypha: Stories and Anecdotes of Mathematicians and the Mathematical,
Steven G. Krantz
The Mathematical Experience, Philip Davis and Reuben Hersh
Of Men and Numbers: The Story of the Great Mathematicians, Jane Muir

Supplemental Texts
Gödel, Escher, Bach: An Eternal Golden Braid, Douglas Hofstadter
The Golden Ratio: The Story of Phi, the World’s Most Astonishing Number, Mario Livio
How to Solve It, George Polya
The Joy of Pi, David Blatner
Algebra Survival Guide: A Conversational Guide for the Thoroughly Befuddled, Josh Rappaport
Algebra Unplugged, Ken Amdahl and Jim Loats, Ph.D.
Math and Music: Harmonious Connections, Trudi Hammel Garland and Charity Vaughan Kahn
The Joy of Mathematics: Discovering Mathematics All Around You, Theoni Pappas
Mathematical Quilts: No Sewing Required! Diana Venters and Elaine Krajenke Ellison
Fantasia Mathematica, Clifton Fadiman
Flatland: A Romance of Many Dimensions, Edwin Abbott
The Parrot’s Theorem: A Novel, Denis Guedj
Conned Again, Watson! Cautionary Tales of Logic, Math, and Probability, Colin Bruce
The Man Who Counted: A Collection of Mathematical Adventures, Malba Tahan
A Gebra Named Al: A Novel, Wendy Isdell
Alice in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass, Lewis Carroll
Fractals, Googols, and Other Mathematical Tales, Theoni Pappas
The Brown Paper School Series, Marilyn Burns:
The Book of Think
The I Hate Mathematics! Book
Math for Smarty Pants
Fascinating Fibonacci: Mystery and Magic in Numbers, Trudi Hammel Garland
String, Straight-Edge, & Shadow: The Story of Geometry, Julia E. Diggins
The Snark Puzzle Book, Marin Gardiner (based on Lewis Carroll‘s nonsense poem The Hunting
of the Snark)

102
Lewis Carroll’s Games and Puzzles, Lewis Carroll
The Colossal Book of Mathematics: Classic Puzzles, Paradoxes, and Problems, Martin Gardner

Teacher Resources
*Donald Duck in Mathmagical Land (DVD)
Mad Minutes, Paul Joseph Shoecraft and Terry James Clukey
Hands On Math Projects, Grades 6-8, Judith and Gary Muschela
Math Fair Projects and Research Activities: A Comprehensive Guide for Teachers And Students,
Barry Doran and Leland Graham
Hands-On Math! Ready-To-Use Games & Activities for Grades 4-8, Frances M. Thompson

103
Part V: Picking Out Colors

Almond Tree in Blossom, Vincent Van Gogh

104
 Beauty in the Life of the School
Beauty is praiseworthy and desirable for what it is, not merely for what it does. In this way it is
like truth; indeed beauty is the very splendor of truth (veritatis splendor) that makes knowledge
desirable for its own sake. This is why there can be no desire for truth without beauty, without
the love of what is good in itself and not merely good for us (useful). It is precisely this
objective quality of beauty that makes it a source of real joy and delight. And it is why education
that culminates in wisdom culminates in worship.

Education, like wisdom, is comprehensive. Everything a school does is education of some sort.
Every detail of its life speaks to its own view of education and to what it regards as good and
true. A school that seeks beauty in its pursuit of truth should strive at the same time to be
beautiful and to reflect the best, noblest, and highest—what is good in itself and desirable for its
own sake—in all aspects of its life. ‗Beauty in all things‘ thus testifies to the splendor and the
ordered unity of God‘s creation, making it possible for a student to live a wiser and more
integrated life.

Classical Education and Our Surroundings

Classical philosophy teaches that beauty has unity, harmony, proportion, wholeness, and
radiance. In considering how a classical classroom should look, one should keep in mind these
principles. As a Catholic classical school, we should recognize the supreme beauty of the
Church and incorporate her rich tradition into the daily lives of our students, regardless of what
subject area we teach. Thus, our classrooms should contain images and objects that, first of all,
meet the criteria of the beautiful, but also reveal the Catholic faith.

It is also important to recognize that in creating us in his image, God implanted in us a natural
desire for beauty. Dolores Flessner, in her ―Creating a Catholic Culture in Your Home,‖ points
out that ―History and archeology have shown us that the making of things, and the attempt to
make them beautiful, has characterized human activity from the beginning. Man not only
created the pot that he needs to eat from; he decorated it and made it lovely.‖

Bearing in mind that everything a school does is education of some sort, we should carefully
consider the aesthetic components of the school building and our classrooms. Here are some
areas of consideration followed by some ideas on how to implement them:

The Spiritual: In ―The Holy See‘s Teaching on Catholic Schools,‖ Archbishop Michael Miller
says, ―The Incarnation, which emphasizes the bodily coming of God's Son into the world, leaves
its seal on every aspect of Christian life. The very fact of the Incarnation tells us that the created
world is the means chosen by God through which He communicates His life to us. What is
human and visible can bear the divine. If Catholic schools are to be true to their identity, they
should try to suffuse their environment with this delight in the sacramental.‖ With a little effort,
our classrooms can celebrate the sacramental. Here are some thoughts on how to do so:

 Crucifixes and statues should be beautiful and realistic, not cheap-looking.

105
  Icons are windows into the divine and are a simple, traditional way to invite young
people to contemplate God.
 Copies of high-quality paintings or drawings of Catholic edifices (such as St. Peter's) are
readily available and inexpensive; they serve to acquaint students with the Church's
cultural treasury.
 Religious objects particular to the Church calendar, such as an Advent wreath or Nativity
scene, are traditional and beautiful ways of teaching the faith.

The Beautiful: Joseph Pieper has said that in its original sense beauty is ―the glow of the true
and good irradiating from every ordered state of being.‖ Flessner elaborates on this thought:
―Our longing for beauty, and our deep joy in the moments we encounter beauty, is because it is a
vestige of paradise and a foretaste of heaven.‖ It is important that the school display religious art
because it represents the cultural treasury of the Church and the highest aspirations of human art
and because it is important for children‘s understanding of the faith. But because God is the
Creator and because he embraces the whole of his creation in the Incarnation, art that is truly
beautiful need not be ‗religious‘ in order to be Catholic. In fact, it is essential that beautiful ‗non-
religious‘ art be present if students are to appreciate that all creation and all beauty come from
God, which is essential for seeing the relevance of faith to life.

 Beautiful art, both religious and non-religious, can be purchased and framed at low cost.
Art beautifies the classroom and reflects God‘s goodness and truth. It can also serve as
an explicit teaching tool.
 For younger children, choose simple scenes that they would be naturally interested in;
hang artwork at their eye level.
 Consider choosing art related to the themes for the year.
 God is the first and best Artist! Incorporate God‘s creation into the classroom in organic
and tasteful ways. For example:
 Plants help create a more peaceful and attractive environment. Orchids, for
example, are surprisingly easy to care for and the blooms last a long time.
 Animals, such as hamsters, tortoises, and fish provide delight and fun for children.
 The remains of animals, such as taxidermist-stuffed birds, bones, or fossils,
provide an opportunity for wonder and inquiry.
 Seashells and interesting rocks can be creatively incorporated into decorating the
classroom, and also serve as learning tools.

A Warm and Inviting Atmosphere: Archbishop Miller suggests that ―since the school is rightly
considered an extension of the home, it ought to have some of the amenities which can create a
pleasant and family atmosphere.‖ Students spend almost half their waking hours in school; it
behooves us to make our classrooms as welcoming and comfortable as possible.

 Aim to create an overall homey atmosphere

 Arrange the furniture in such a way as to create open spaces for gathering and corners for
―going on retreat.‖
 Paint walls a warm-tinted color. Avoid industrial or overly stimulating colors.

106
  While plenty of natural light is ideal, adding some accent lighting can help create a more
intimate feeling in the classroom.

Questions to Consider:
 Is this a warm and inviting atmosphere?
 Does the room evoke peace? Does it inspire?
 What does the arrangement of the furniture say about the classroom?
 Are the walls decorated thoughtfully? Are they crowded or too sparse?
 Are the objects and pictures on display ones that I would enjoy gazing at? Are they
beautiful? Do they have unity, harmony, and proportion? Are they radiant? Are works
from master artists included?
 Have I brought elements of the natural world into my classroom?
 Are there images of the Catholic faith? A crucifix that is centrally placed? Images of the
Church, Mary, and the saints?
 Is the room neat, orderly, and clean? Do I make an effort to keep it tidy and clutter-free?
 Is there student work on display? Is it presented in an organized and professional
manner? Is it a selection of superior work?

Classical Education and School Culture

The same spirit that informs the organization of the classroom should animate the entire culture
of the school. This is important because beauty and truth are good in themselves and are the
principles that bind things together in a natural order. Only by revering truth for its own sake can
students discover this order, conform themselves to it, and truly understand their own inherent
dignity.

 The same concern for beauty that animates the organization of the classroom should
govern the arrangement and decoration of common areas such as hallways, the cafeteria,
and the library. The criteria of unity, harmony, proportion, wholeness, and radiance
should prevail, and these areas should feature a tasteful combination of religious and
‗non-religious‘ art, as well as beautiful natural objects.
 Great care should be taken to see that events usually thought of as ‗extra-curricular‘ are in
keeping with the ideals and mission of the school, and the school should strive for
excellence in these areas as well. Such events should be planned with an eye toward both
the liturgical season and the historical emphasis of the curriculum.
 Because education is formation in both knowledge and love, one of these goals is to
make the school more of an extension of the family and to involve families more deeply
in education and the life of the school. To that end, the school should strive as much as
possible to include families in its festive and liturgical life. It should sponsor
intergenerational events such as lectures, reading groups, and discussion groups to
involve the entire family more deeply in the educational process.
 The school should seek to hold a number of formal events such as banquets and balls.
These encourage interaction between families and generations and provide a supervised,

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 fun, and wholesome context for boys and girls to mingle outside of the structure of the
classroom. Such events encourage a love of beauty. They encourage the modesty that
belongs to dignity and self-regard and the beauty of modesty which is elegance.
 There should be a clear dress code for students, faculty, and staff. A dress code teaches
students that their bodies matter. It encourages self-respect, respect for the educational
enterprise and reverence for God by teaching that God and the truth deserve the best they
have to offer. A dress code for faculty and staff communicates this common vision to the
students and elevates the overall culture of the school.
 Charity and respect should prevail between students, teachers, and other staff as they
address each other. The school should consider using formal titles or forms of address
(Mr., Ms., etc.) for teachers and students. This exhibits self-respect, mutual respect, and
respect for the common endeavor of education. Sarcasm and belittlement are to be
avoided always.
 A code of conduct that emphasizes charity, honor, nobility, and dignity should be
operative for all school events such as extra-curricular festivals, assemblies, liturgical
celebrations, and sporting events.

Liturgy

 The Sacred Liturgy is the heart of the school‘s life and its most solemn activity. The
Sacred Liturgy is not a means to an end, even a worthy end such as moral instruction, but
is itself the end to which all true education is ordered. For in worship we acknowledge
the goodness of truth by surrendering to it, offering ourselves in Christ to the Father. And
it is in worship, by God‘s gracious initiative, that our longing for beauty and truth finds
its rest in the mystery of God who is beauty and truth. Contemplation and adoration,
prayer and praise are therefore the highest form of knowledge and are foreshadowed by
all others, even if this knowledge adores a mystery that is beyond our comprehension.
Sacred Liturgy should thus be central to the life of the school, and this understanding
should be made incarnate and explicit.
 Beauty in liturgy is important because it is ‗pointless‘ and extravagant, like the costly
perfume with which Mary Magdalene anointed the head of Jesus. Liturgy should be
beautiful because without ‗pointless‘ beauty, we forget that the worship of God is its own
end—indeed the highest end—and that the Church is His mystical body. Other goals,
such as building up the community, moral formation, and social action, all follow from
the liturgy, but the liturgy itself must be ordered to the worship of God who both
transcends and dwells among us.
 Liturgy is beautiful and reveals the mystery of God when it is celebrated with solemnity
and reverence. Silence and stillness should be observed before, during, and after the
liturgy. The lectors should be competent and well prepared. The movements of the
servers should be solemn, graceful, and deliberate. Musical selections should be
beautiful and appropriate to the occasion. And the church itself should be beautifully and
tastefully adorned in ways appropriate to the liturgical season. (Graduating classes could
emphasize this by making a modest gift to the parish, e.g., crucifixes, icons, vestments,
thuribles, etc.). The school should thus seek to ‗worship the Lord in the beauty of
Holiness‘ and to understand that holiness is beautiful.

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 Because the worship of God is its own end, because it is the gift of God‘s own life and
the highest expression of our humanity, it should evoke a sense of wonder and gratitude
and call forth the very best we have to offer—which is everything, ourselves, our souls
and bodies. This means that students should present themselves at their best, appearing
groomed and well-dressed. They should seek to love God with the whole of their being,
soul and body. Children should have the intricacies of the Mass explained to them and
learn a proper posture for prayer as well as to perform bodily gestures such as
genuflecting, bowing, and crossing themselves. They should also understand why these
are appropriate at certain moments in the Mass. Not only does this allow for a fuller and
more comprehending participation in the Mass, it allows children to worship God with
their bodies and their souls and reinforces that they themselves are persons who are a
unity of body and soul.
 Masses for children should be child-like without being childish. They should be full of
wonder, awe, and mystery, but Mass should never be sentimental or 'cute', even when the
occasion is a defining moment in the children's lives. When Mass is cute the children
themselves become the focus of our adoration, whereas the true purpose of these
occasions is to induct the children into the adoration of Christ. Therefore when Mass is
arranged to 'feature' the children, the true meaning of both the occasion and the Mass is
lost. Children should be taught to participate in a spirit of wonder, love, and praise and
they should be fully involved in as lectors, altar servers, and members of the schola.

Holy Spirit Above the Chair of Peter, St. Peter‘s Basilica

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 Multicultural Connections Related to Time Periods
The Incarnation is the center of history. Thus, it touches on every world culture and provides a
distinct vantage point from which to study them. Insofar as all cultures are animated by a natural
desire for God, we are obliged to appreciate them on their own terms, seeking to discover their
inherent beauty and goodness and to understand them as they understood themselves. Insofar as
this natural desire finds its fulfillment in Christ, we are obliged to study these cultures in
reference to him and their (sometimes tragic) historical encounter with Christian culture. Below
are suggested topics for organically and effectively integrating the study of pre-Christian, non-
Christian, and non-Western cultures into the history curriculum.

Ancient Greece – Archaic Period, Classical Greece, Hellenistic Greece, Roman Greece
 Persia – Greco-Persian wars; Hellenistic expansion
 Judea – The Maccabean rebellion; Hellenistic expansion
 Egypt – Hellenistic expansion
 India – Hellenistic expansion; Indo-Greek kingdom

Ancient Rome – Founding and Roman Kingdom, Republic, Empire

 Greece – Rome inherited the Hellenistic Empire
 Near-East and Asia Minor – Judaism and Christianity
 North Africa – Expansion of empire; importance of North African Christianity, especially
Sts. Augustine and Monica; Ethiopia and Coptic Christianity (cf. Acts of the Apostles)
 Europe and Slavic Europe – Gaul (France), Britain, Hispania (Spain); Barbarian
invasions, Huns, Visigoths

Middle Ages – Early Middle Ages, High Middle Ages, Late Middle Ages
 Byzantium – Asia Minor and Near East
 Islam – Crusades

Early Modern – Renaissance, Exploration and Colonization, Reformations, Revolutions

 China – the journeys of Marco Polo; missionary activity
 Peru – Incas; Spanish colonization; missionary activity
 Mexico – Mayans and Aztecs; Spanish colonization; missionary activity
 India – British colonization; East India Company
 North America – Native Americans; French/Spanish/English colonies; missionaries
 Africa – Slave trade; colonization of New World

Modern and American History

 French and Spanish Colonies – Catholic missionaries in America; Louisiana Purchase;
California and the Southwest
 Mexico – Mexican-American War; Texas
 African-Americans – Slavery in America; Abolition & Civil War; Segregation and Civil
Rights Movement
 Globalization and Decolonization – Middle East and Israel; Africa; India and Pakistan;
China (Cultural Revolution)

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 A Daily, Weekly, Quarterly, Yearly Schedule for Mathematics
Daily
 Math warm-ups: drills, Mad Minutes, brain-teasers, or reinforcement problems (e.g.,
Round Robin)
 For Grammar Stage, chant number and formula sequences, such as area formulas or
counting by 2s, 3s, 4s, etc., as appropriate to learning objectives
 Saxon Math lesson

Weekly or Bi-Weekly
 Engage in an activity that shows the wonder, beauty, or fun of math, such as:
o Constructing the Universe Activity Book, Michael S. Schneider
o Teacher-guided manipulative or hands-on activity
o A story about mathematics (such as 40 Fabulous Math Mysteries Kids Can't
Resist, Math Curse, or books from the Scholastic math series)
o A game requiring the use of mathematical operations (both numerical and
geometric)
 These activities should preferably initiate or reinforce current learning objectives,
including and especially in cross-curricular instruction, though they can also be
enrichment activities.

Quarterly
 For the Upper Grammar and Logic stages, students should engage in a more extended
math project. These projects can be class-wide or individual, but should put the students
in touch with the beauty of math in a deeper and more personal way.
 Students should be encouraged to explore topics that interest them, such as the math
found in art, music, architecture, science, astronomy, etc. Investigating the Fibonacci
sequence, Archimedean spiral, stained-glass windows or beautiful architecture are all
possible ways of engaging students in the profundity and pervasiveness of math.

Yearly
 Students should engage in math unit related to the historical period they are studying that
year. This would take the place of one of the quarterly projects.
 For example, students in the fifth grade could read Carry On, Mr. Bowditch by Jean Lee
Latham (a Newbery Medal winner), which tells the true story of Nathaniel Bowditch, a
self-taught early American, sailor, and mathematical genius who discovered and
corrected thousands of mathematical errors in nautical books, saving the lives of sailors
all over the world. While reading the novel, students could also learn the history of the
math and tools necessary for safe nautical travelling.

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 Teacher Enrichment Reading for Mathematics
Nature and Sacred Number
Nature’s Numbers: The Unreal Reality of Mathematics, Ian Stewart
Beauty for Truth’s Sake, Stratford Caldecott
Li: Dynamic Form in Nature, David Wade
Sacred Geometry, Miranda Lundy

Math Fundamentals
Vision in Elementary Mathematics, W.W. Sawyer

Number Theory
The Book of Numbers, John Conway and Richard Guy

Algebra
Algebra Survival Guide: A Conversational Guide for the Thoroughly Befuddled, Josh Rappaport

Geometry
Platonic & Archimedean Solids, David Sutton
Mathematical Quilts: No Sewing Required! Diana Venters and Elaine Krajenke Ellison

Education and Development

Math: Facing an American Phobia, Marilyn Burns
Math Power: How to Help Your Child Love Math, Even if You Don’t, Patricia Clark Kenshaft
The Number Sense: How the Mind Creates Mathematics, Stanislas Dehaene

Modern Mathematics
From Here to Infinity, Ian Stewart

History of Math
Journey Through Genius: The Great Theorems of Mathematics, William Bunham
Mathematical Apocrypha: Stories and Anecdotes of Mathematicians and the Mathematical,
Steven G. Krantz
The Mathematical Universe: An Alphabetical Journey Through the Great Proofs and
Personalities, William Dunham
Of Men and Numbers: The Story of the Great Mathematicians, Jane Muir

Math and Music

Math and Music: Harmonious Connections, Trudi Hammel Garland and Charity Vaughan Kahn
Harmonograph: A Visual Guide to Mathematics of Music, Anthony Ashton

Economics
Economics in One Lesson: The Shortest and Surest Way to Understand Basic Economics, Henry
Hazlitt
The Worldly Philosophers: The Lives, Times, and Ideas of the Great Economic Thinkers, Robert
Heibroner

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 A Note on the Teaching of Nature Studies
There is no existing science curriculum for primary and middle school students that perfectly
fulfills the approach we want to take for the study of nature: an approach that is at once
experiential, observational, scientific, and philosophical, that grants centrality to life, treats life in
a non-reductive fashion, and recognizes both the philosophical dimension of science and the
necessity of other disciplines such as philosophy, theology, and literature for an adequate
understanding of nature. Anna Botsford Comstock‘s Handbook of Nature Study approaches
nature in this spirit; the Delta Science Modules allow one to arrange an experimental and
scientific examination of the ‗parts‘ of nature according to these emphases; the literature
selections from C.S. Lewis and Leon Kass‘ Being Human provide the occasion for reflecting
philosophically on the nature of life and humanity and the inadequacy of science alone for
answering such questions. Christopher T. Baglow's Faith, Science, and Reason reflects on the
relationship between religious faith, theology, and scientific reason and provides helpful
clarification about the history of their interaction. This is an important book for addressing the
historical and theological dimensions of nature study. But as with other subjects such as history,
it will fall to the science teacher to develop a thoughtful and integrated picture of the whole in
accordance with our objectives for this subject. And this will require thinking of nature not
simply from the point of view of experimental or technological science, but in ‗philosophical‘
ways that may not come naturally. The following is a partial bibliography of sources to assist the
teacher in that endeavor.

Baglow, Christopher T. Faith, Science, and Reason: Theology on the Cutting Edge (Midwest
Theological Forum, 2009).

Burtt, E.A. The Metaphysical Foundations of Modern Science (Dover, 2003).

Euresis. The Earth: A Human Habitat: The Exceptional Features of Our Small Planet (The
Human Adventure Corporation, 2009).

Jonas, Hans. The Phenomenon of Life: Toward a Philosophical Biology (Northwestern

University Press, 2001).

Kass, Leon. ―The Meaning of Life—in the Laboratory,‖ and ―The Permanent Limitations of
Biology,‖ in Life, Liberty, and the Defense of Dignity: The Challenge of Bioethics (Encounter
Books: 2002).

Kass, Leon. The Hungry Soul: Eating and the Perfection of our Nature (University of Chicago:
1999).

Lewontin, R.C. Biology as Ideology: The Doctrine of DNA (Harper, 1991).

Portmann, Adolf. Animal Forms and Patterns: A Study of Animal Appearances (Shocken, 1967).

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 Possible School-Wide Events and Celebrations
School events and celebrations should be aligned to the curriculum as much as possible. The
ethos of the classroom should be present in the ethos of all activities, including assemblies,
reunions, fundraisers, etc.

Below are some ideas for school events that correlate to the historical learning objectives. This
list is in no way exhaustive or mandatory; rather, these ideas are provided to show the kinds of
events St. Jerome School could hold which flow naturally from the classical curriculum.

Date Event Name Organizing Possible Activities

Class(es)
Sept/early Greeks Versus Grades 1, 2, and The day could start out with a school assembly at which first,
Oct. Romans 6 (relates to second, and sixth grades present short vignettes or dramatic
Olympiad ancient history) presentations about the Greeks and Romans, as well as the origin
of the Olympics. The Olympiad begins after the assembly.
Every student (and teacher?) is assigned to be a Greek or a
Roman; one half of the school competes against the other half in
athletic and intellectual contests run by teachers and parents.
Lunch could include favorite Mediterranean foods and treats.
Togas (with shirts and shorts underneath, and tennis shoes on)
required!
Dec. 12 Feast of Our Grade 4 (relates Mass should be celebrated in the church, followed by veneration
(or as Lady of to exploration, of Our Lady‘s image and a presentation or dramatic
close as Guadalupe / colonization, and representation of the story of Our Lady and St. Juan Diego by the
possible) Latin American missionary fourth grade. We could have an outside presenter, such as a
Cultural Day activity) storyteller or musician, give an assembly pertaining to Latin
American culture and heritage. Lunch could include favorite
Latin American foods and treats.
February Black History Grades 5 and 8 Begin the day with Mass. Then in the gym, fifth grade puts on a
Month Day of (relates to ―Wax Museum‖ of important Africans and African-American
Celebration American personages throughout history (covering the span from cradle
history) civilizations to present) – the students dress up as their characters
and when their ―button‖ is pressed, each student recites and
performs a short speaking piece, telling the listener about that
person. Classes could go through the Wax Museum in turns;
afterwards, the whole school could assemble for an eighth-grade
performance pertaining to a topic of African-American history.
We could also have an outside performer, such as a storyteller or
musician, give an assembly pertaining to African and African-
American culture and heritage. Lunch could include favorite
African and African-American foods and treats.
April/May Medieval Faire Grades 3 and 7 Third and seventh grade students (with parent volunteers to
(after (relates to coordinate) set up booths, selling medieval food and playing
Easter) medieval and medieval games. We could have a science faire as well, with
renaissance catapults and other medieval inventions. We could also have
history) drama selections from the grade 7. Then chosen knights and
ladies could participate in a series of competitive medieval games
for the whole school to watch and enjoy. Any profit from the
food or games booths could act as a school fundraise or go to a
charity of choice. Medieval costume a definite must!

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 Suggestions for Further Reading

What is Catholic Education?

The Holy See’s Teaching on Catholic Schools, by Archbishop J. Michael Miller. Archbishop
Miller summarizes the magisterial writings directed to Catholic schools from the time of Vatican
II. Also see his lecture, ―A Summary of Holy See's Teaching on Catholic Education.‖
http://www.catholiceducation.org/articles/education/ed0269.html

―Toward a Distinctively Catholic School,‖ by Stratford Caldecott. A concise and compelling

vision of Catholic education with important suggestions for how classical education should be
modified to cope with the problems presented by modern culture.
http://www.secondspring.co.uk/articles/scaldecott17.htm

The Spirit of the Liturgy, by Joseph Ratzinger. If liturgy is central and not extracurricular to the
life of the school, and if the whole curriculum is directed toward the cultivation of prayer and
adoration, then this is indispensible.

―The Teaching Role of the Sacred Liturgy,‖ Vancouver Synod Study Commission on Teaching
the Faith. The Synod offers six recommendations for how to think about and cultivate the liturgy
in Catholic schools. http://catholiceducation.org/articles/education/ed0137.html

Called to Love: Approaching John Paul II’s Theology of the Body, Carl Anderson and José
Granados. This book is about much more than the Theology of the Body. It is about wonder,
love, and fundamental human questions which are the foundation of education both classical and
Catholic. Readers will recognize our approach to education mirrored and deepened in this book.

The Beauty of Faith: Using Christian Art to Spread the Good News, by Jem Sullivan. Sullivan
urges us to recover Christian art as an integral way of evangelizing our image-saturated culture.

Recovering a Catholic Philosophy of Elementary Education, by Curtis Hancock. Dr. Hancock

presents the goals of elementary education grounded in a Catholic view of the human person and
his powers.

The Crisis of Western Education, Christopher Dawson. Dawson analyzes the crisis facing
contemporary education at all levels and shows why classical education must be accompanied by
a historical approach to the story of Christian culture.

What is Classical Education?

Beauty for Truth’s Sake: On the Re-enchantment of Education, by Stratford Caldecott. A

powerful meditation on the form, content, and goal of Catholic education in the midst of secular
culture that provides rich and clear explanations of the importance of beauty in education and the
role it plays in Christian culture. Caldecott emphasizes math and science as a way of recreating a
sense of beauty and wonder.

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―The Lost Tools of Learning,‖ by Dorothy Sayers. The essay that launched the classical school
movement in the twentieth century. Sayers charmingly discusses the need for classical
education, what it is, and how well it accords with the natural development of young
people. http://www.gbt.org/text/sayers.html

Trivium, by Sr. Miriam Joseph. This is an incredibly lucid account of grammar, logic, and
rhetoric.

An Introduction to Classical Education: A Guide for Parents, by Christopher Perrin. A handy

introduction to classical education written by a school master of a Protestant classical school. It
is not perfect and entirely suitable to St. Jerome‘s vision, but it does offer a brief and clear
explanation of and justification for classical education.

The Classical Education You Never Had

A Students Guide to the Core Curriculum and A Students Guide to the Liberal Arts, by Mark
Henrie and James Schall (respectively). These two books come in one volume. Henrie shows
college students (and us!) how to construct a traditional core curriculum with minimal resources,
while Fr. Schall discusses what an authentic liberal arts education looks like and surveys some of
the major ideas and books from the tradition.

―On the Reading of Old Books,‖ by C.S. Lewis. In this delightful little essay, Lewis tells us why
we should not leave the reading of ―old books‖ to the experts. If we try, we can understand
much more than we think we can.
http://jollyblogger.typepad.com/jollyblogger/2005/10/c_s_lewis_on_th.html

The Well-educated Mind: A Guide to the Classical Education You Never Had, by Susan Wise
Bauer. If one is interested in how to 'train her own mind' and get an insider's view, this is a good
introduction.

Socrates Meets Jesus, by Peter Kreeft. Western civilization is the result of the Christian
appropriation of Greek and Roman culture. In this fun Socratic dialogue, Kreeft has Socrates
come back to life in the twentieth century to seek the truth about this fellow Jesus. A great
introduction to philosophical questioning, Christianity, and the modern problems we face.

Aristotle for Everyone, by Mortimar Adler. Adler argues that ―philosophy is everybody‘s
business.‖ It is not the special concern of a few University professors, but is the very stuff of our
humanity. All people ask fundamental questions and seek answers to them. Adler introduces us
to Aristotle, another human who asked fundamental questions and offered some pretty good
answers.

A Father Who Keeps His Promises: God’s Covenant Love in Scripture, by Scott Hahn. In times
past, Christians were educated not only in grammar, logic, and rhetoric, but also in the
Scriptures. This book presents a very accessible entryway into understanding the Bible.

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Greek Myths and Christian Mystery, by Hugo Rahner (preface, Part 1: chs. 1-3, Part 3:
introduction, chs. 6-7). A beautiful book written in a profound spirit of Christian humanism
which is indispensible for understanding the world significance of Greek culture and the
relationship of Greek and Christian culture in the light of Christ. The chapters on Holy Homer
are particularly illuminating.

How to Read a Book, by Mortimar Adler. The title says it all.

A Student’s Guide to Philosophy, by Ralph McInerny. A good introduction to the major thinkers
and ideas in the history of philosophy.

The Pocket Guide to the Meaning of Life, by Peter Kreeft. If you cannot answer the question,
―What is the meaning of life?‖ then you might want to pick up this handy little book which walks
us step by step (question by question) to the answer of this most fundamental question.

What Does Classical Education Look Like?

Everyone a Teacher, by Mark Schwehn. This anthology contains readings from Plato,
Augustine, Mark Twain, the Bible, Pericles, Abraham Lincoln, Vivian Paley, and Miss Manners.
The book takes up the question, ―What is teaching?‖ and offers a variety of images and examples
which involve us in the process of learning about teaching by thinking through what these
images and examples mean for us.

Spitwad Sutras: Classroom Teaching as Sublime Vocation, by Robert Inchausti. This book is
one of the most insightful accounts of what it means to say that teaching is a vocation. It is an
honest, funny, and penetrating account of the mysterious experience of teaching day to day.

White Teacher, by Vivian Paley. Vivian Paley is the Socrates of kindergarten teachers. In this,
her first book, she probes the dynamics of being a white teacher in an all-black school.

Wally’s Stories, by Vivian Paley. Paley, as Socrates, questions the kids and herself about how to
deal with the ―problem child,‖ Wally, who has an extraordinary imagination.

The Marva Collins Way, by Marva Collins. This is the story of how Marva Collins used
classical education to transform inner-city schools.

Why Do We Need Classical Education Anyway?

Pope Benedict‘s University of Regensburg Lecture. Benedict traces the consequences of the
modern rejection of the Hellenistic (Greek) basis of Western civilization.
(http://cwnews.com/news/viewstory.cfm?recnum=46474)

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The Abolition of Man, by C.S. Lewis. Lewis discusses how notions of relativism have slipped
into our common thought (as revealed in a child‘s language arts textbook!) and attempts to show
the reality and importance of universal values, such as courage and honor.

―Relationships,‖ by Allan Bloom in Kass and Kass (eds.), Wing to Wing, Oar to Oar: Readings
on Courting and Marrying (pp. 45-76). While the relevance of this may not be immediately
obvious, Bloom discusses the relationship between the demise and sorry state of education, the
decline of the family, and the demise of courtship. He argues that all this results from the loss of
beauty and nobility in education and a diminution of the desire or yearning for transcendence. It
testifies to the importance of the classical tradition and beauty in education.

Classical Multimedia

The Teaching Company. This company provides lectures by college professors on various
subjects, including philosophy and history. The Hyattsville Library has many of these for
checkout, but you can also buy them www.teach12.com. One that comes particularly
recommended is Thomas Noble‘s ―The Foundations of Western Civilization.‖

Movie: The Emperor’s Club. Kevin Klein stars as a classics teacher in a boy‘s Catholic prep
school. The movie beautifully portrays the enduring value of a classical education in the life of a
teacher and his students. It also provides a nice contrast to Dead Poets Society, a movie
depicting the Romantic ideal of education which burns brightly but does not last.

The Homecoming of Odysseus, Greek Vase

- non nobis, Domine, non nobis

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