American History for Middle Grades

“The disadvantage of men not knowing the past is that they do not know the present.

History is a hill or high point of vantage, from which alone men see the town in which they live or the age in which they are living.” —G.K. Chesterton

Here, Chesterton illuminates the necessity of knowing history. But why should your students study American history? To give them the advantages of learning to understand more about God, themselves, and the world around us; to train their minds to think, to perceive wisdom, to pursue virtue, and to proclaim truth!

This Middle School American History course is paired with the same level American Literature course so that the two fields are integrated, enhancing each other, although either can be taken independently. Students will receive a lively portrait of the history (and literature, if taking the literature class as well) of the U.S. from engaging tertiary texts like H. A. Guerber’s The Story of the Thirteen Colonies and the Great Republic and Susan Wise Bauer’s Story of the World, Volumes 3 and 4 and selections from primary historical sources such as John Wintrhop, William Bradford, Cotton Mather, Jonathan Edwards, and The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin, to name a just a few. This class takes a storytelling approach to history.

Students will be immersed in the life, times, and writings of the story of the United States and will be required to discuss and write about what they are learning as well as demonstrate their mastery of the material in more generic ways like quizzes and tests.

Our study of American Literature and History will teach students to cultivate historical thinking through the engaging study of real people and events that have helped shape the nation of America. Beginning with Breakout exercises (from Socratic Circles by Matt Copeland), progressing to the annotation of small sections of texts, and moving on to asking one another questions from their annotations, students will learn the basics of Socratic discussions, which will guide our interaction as they begin to see shades of gray and the nuances of people and events. Posing and answering questions will take them deeper into historical events and advance their thinking skills. Learning how to summarize, complete outlines, and write papers will help them connect information, and see causes and effects.

Students are asked to consider and engage carefully crafted questions as to their window into “the Great Conversation”. Occasionally, the teacher will present historical context through brief lectures, but all other classes are seminar-style discussions on the American texts. Students are assessed for their curiosity, participation, and their diligence during the discussion, as well as using short response papers, essays, projects, and occasional informal quizzes. It is understood that students of this age are at varying abilities and skill levels and the goal is to improve and increase the skill level of each student.

This class is paired with our middle-school course on American literature, often taught by the same teacher, and scheduled back to back with that course in a “block.” Students who take both courses receive a discount. This course may also be taken as a standalone history study.

Placement: Please read about our new process above.

This course is suitable for rising 6th–8th graders. Students are expected to have proficient reading and emerging writing skills as well as the interest and willingness to grow in discussion skills about literature and history. Students suited for this course will also be cultivating the following scholarship skills:

• Actively engage in note-taking
• Practice outlining
• Apply teacher critiques
• Adhere to deadlines
• Be responsible for class and project preparedness
• Take initiative to ask questions for understanding and comprehension

How much time will students spend on homework?
This varies by student, according to his or her pace. However, students are generally assigned about 1.5–2.5 hours of reading each week. Additional time may be required to supplement the student’s own studying and paper or project development.

How does this course compare to the upper-school ancient history course?
The chief differences between the middle-school and upper-school levels for this course are noted below. While there will be some overlap of content taught, the upper-school course will be much more challenging and assume a more mature student with more background knowledge and greater reading, writing, and scholarship facility.

How is faith integrated with these courses?
These seminar-style discussions unfold organically. One could approach the texts with a focus on defensive critiques of classical authors. By contrast, we seek to read charitably. We treat classic authors as if they were friends, gleaning every available truth while also examining them from a robustly Christian perspective.

At Scholé Academy, we have carefully considered how we should engage our contemporary culture as those who believe that Christ is the Truth (John 14:6), and that all truth has its source in him. We think it is important to provide our middle-school students (in grades 6–8) with tools and opportunities for critically examining various cultural trends, issues, and mores through the lens of orthodox, Christian beliefs. Being confident in the truth revealed to us in creation, the Scriptures, and the tradition of the church, we are not afraid to follow the truth and its implications, nor to address error and falsehood. Read more about our Faith & Culture.