1. The student already familiar with Western Civilization
The student who has followed CCH’s
history and literature recommendations for the grammar
stage, or who has in some other way completed a grammar stage study of the history and
literature of Western Civilization (use CCH’s recommendations as a guide), is ready
to begin CCH’s History of Western Civilization
Units for the dialectic stage in 7th grade without additional preparation.
Furthermore, the student who has followed CCH’s grammar stage history
and literature recommendations is uniquely prepared, both in historical knowledge and
reading ability, to study the Great Books through internet tutorials. He may use his 7th
grade year to complete a one-year survey of Western Civilization
if planning to study with Escondido Tutorial
Service, or he may use his 7th and 8th grade years to complete a two-year
survey of Western Civilization if planning to study with Schola Classical Tutorials. The survey will
provide him with an excellent opportunity to refresh his memory concerning the events and
philosophies of Western Civilization.
Another option for the student desiring to study the Great Books through
internet tutorials would be to spend 7th, or 7th and 8th grades, revisiting in depth a
specific era or eras of history which captivated his interest during the grammar stage,
using history and literature suggestions from All
Through the Ages History Through Literature Guide. Or, the student could spend 7th, or
7th and 8th grades, reading and enjoying additional literature from the 1000 Good Books List which he might not otherwise have
time to read (reading, reading, and more reading of worthy literature is excellent and
necessary preparation for the Great Books Tutorials). The student and parent can
furthermore use portions of all these suggestions to create a unique study plan for 7th,
or 7th and 8th grades.
2. The student currently studying Western Civilization
A student who began classical education later than first grade often falls
in this category. While he will have to work a little harder than the first student, a
study of the great books is not outside his grasp. Here are his options:
He can study the great books using either CCH’s history and literature
of Western Civilization units, or internet tutorials. If he chooses to use CCH’s
Units, he will either have to: compress his grammar stage study of Western Civilization
history and literature into fewer than six years, or begin his secondary study of the
great books of Western Civilization later than 7th grade, with the dialectic and rhetoric
study compressed.
If he chooses to study the great books using internet tutorials, he has
either one additional year to finish his grammar stage Western Civilization history and
literature study if studying the great books with Escondido
Tutorial Service, or two additional years to finish his grammar stage study if
studying the great books with Schola Classical
Tutorials. Of course, any child can begin the Great Books Tutorials with either
service at any age after the 8th or 9th grade, and carry their study beyond his graduation
date, if he so desires. We are constantly learning and growing throughout our lifetime,
and true education is not limited to the 12 or 13 year segment of time from ages 5 or 6 to
18.
3. The student who has not studied Western Civilization
A student just beginning his classical education often falls in this
category. While he may have studied American history in the elementary grades, he will not
be as familiar with the history of Western Civilization from ancient through Reformation
times. Or, if he is now homeschooled after a public school elementary education, he may
not have had any American history, either. While he will have to work a little harder than
either the first or second student, a study of the great books is not outside his grasp,
especially if he is motivated.
It is probably not advisable that this student use CCH’s History of Western Civilization Units -
he just will not have enough time remaining in his school years to follow CCH’s
suggested scope and sequence. However, his parents may certainly
take from CCH’s scope and sequence where they can and create a unique plan of study
for him, utilizing internet tutorials and other resources as they desire.
If he chooses to study the great books using internet tutorials, he will
need to survey in one year the history and literature of Western
Civilization if choosing to study with Escondido
Tutorial Service, or survey in two years the history and
literature of Western Civilization if choosing to study with Schola Classical Tutorials. This student must
also read, read, and read some more from as much of the worthy literature as possible
listed in the 1000 Good Books List, in order to
prepare for the higher level of reading required to tackle the great books.
For the student that has already completed a grammar stage study of the
history and literature of Western Civilization; the first student above.
 Western
Civilization: A Brief History
Jackson J. Spielvogel
This brief version of Western Civilization, the comprehensive volume,
retains all of the best selling features of the larger book in a condensed manner. It is
based on the third edition of the larger text, and can be used to thoroughly cover the
history of Western Civilization, from the ancient Near East through our modern times, in
one year, but with less detail than the other editions of Western Civilization.
 Western
Civilization, Volume One
Jackson J. Spielvogel
This text is based on the 4th edition of Spielvogel’s Western
Civilization, the comprehensive volume, but includes only the first 16 chapters of the
text, and therefore covers Western Civilization up to 1715. The book ends with chapter
sixteen, Toward a New Heaven and a New Earth: The Scientific Revolution and the Emergence
of Modern Science. This text makes a nice survey of Western Civilization up to the
American era, and can be completed in a single year. It can also be used as the first year
text for a two-year survey of Western Civilization.
 Western
Civilization, Volume Two
Jackson J. Spielvogel
This text is based on the same 4th edition of Spielvogel’s Western
Civilization, the comprehensive volume, but includes only the last 16 chapters of the
text, and therefore covers Western Civilization since 1550. The book begins with chapter
14, Discovery and Crisis in the Sixteenth and Seventeenth Centuries, and ends with chapter
29, the Contemporary Western World since 1970. This text can be used for the second year
of a two-year survey of Western Civilization, begun in the first year with Western
Civilization, Volume One.
 Western
Civilization, Comprehensive
Jackson J. Spielvogel
This text is the new 4th edition of Western Civilization, the
comprehensive volume, covering the complete history of Western Civilization from its
beginnings through the present. (The Amazon.com page mistakenly calls this edition
hardcover; this ISBN is in fact for the paperback copy.) Covering the entire history of
Western Civilization from the ancient Near East to our modern times, it contains all the
chapters included in both Volume One and Volume Two above. This text makes a nice survey
which could be completed in two years.
For the student that has not already completed a grammar stage
study of the history and literature of Western Civilization; the third student above.
While this seems like a lot of reading, if your child cannot complete this study in one
year, he will most assuredly not be able to keep up in a Great Books Tutorial. For the
student following a two-year survey, additional books from suggestions
for older students should also be read in accompaniment of those listed below.
The Story of the Renaissance and Reformation H. A. Guerber,
available January 2002
The Story of the Thirteen Colonies H. A. Guerber, available August
2001
The Story of the Great Republic H. A. Guerber, available August 2001
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Still have questions? Ask
me!
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