Need help planning a Modern History/Modern Lit. year

[Lori D.]

Older DS recently expressed interest in covering Modern History -- which would be out of historical chronological order of what we've been doing (but could be do-able); BUT, it means massively changing gears for me, as I had been pulling together resources for Medieval history and British Lit. for next year.

 

What are your suggestions for Modern history/literature year for a student who will be 16yo/10th grade next year?

 

What history text or resources?

 

And re: literature: I'm considering mixing in some sci-fi to balance the very depressing worldview of so much of the modern lit. -- or, possibly just not matching up the history and literature and go with an American Lit. program or a "mixed bag" for lit. and save modern lit. for senior year. What do you think??

 

Thanks so much in advance! Warmest regards, Lori D.

[Michelle in MO]

Kathleen on these boards is planning, I believe, both a modern history/modern lit. class that she will teach next year. I think she'll be using Paul Johnson's Modern Times, as well as other resources.

 

Kathleen's done a great job teaching her boys; they've both excelled in the humanities. I would recommend anything she would teach without hesitation.

 

Here's Kathleen's blog address:

 

http://www.kahclassical.blogspot.com/

 

You might check out her blog and post there, or else send her a private message and see what her plans are.

 

HTH!

[Lori D.]

Thanks Michelle! I really enjoyed Kathleen's blog as a whole -- a bonus! : )

[kathleen]

Yes! I am teaching a 20th C history/literature course next year (online). We are using Johnson's Modern Times, as Michelle said, along with The Century by Peter Jennings and some other guy whose name escapes me at the moment. Modern Times will be the glue that holds it all together, and The Century offers more of a linear approach to the 20th C, along with more liberal views for a good balance and discussion (not that I'm liberal--far from it! but hey, we need to balance my viewpoint :D)! We will also read a couple of Albert Marrin books, Over Here by David Kennedy, possibly Only Yesterday, a book about the 1920's (I've just checked that one out from the library), and I'm sure a couple of others that cover later trends or events. We'll also study primary sources (speeches, Supreme Court decisions, etc.). One of the hardest things in doing study for this period is winnowing the vast amounts of material. I want to include so much, but I have to be reasonable.

 

For literature, I'm definitely having the students read Heart of Darkness, The Great Gatsby, The Old Man and the Sea, Remains of the Day, Cry the Beloved Country, and My Antonia. Other works I'm considering include Things Fall Apart, The Quiet American, something by Kafka (Metamorphosos? The Trial?), and something by Solzhenitsyn. We'll also read short stories, poetry, and drama. That way I can include many more 20th C authors, some whose novels we won't read because of content, but who have written short stories that are more tame. I plan for this class to be a full two credits (one for history and one for literature).

 

Please don't hesitate to contact me for further information. All plans are not set in stone yet, by any stretch. You can private message me if you like. I'm no expert here, though--I expect this to be a great class, filled with lots of good discussion, but I'm sure I'll learn just as much as the students (assuming they learn anything, that is :001_huh:).

[Lori D.]

Wow! Congratulations and BEST of luck in this wonderful resource and awesome endeavor on teaching an online course!

 

 

My first question is: do you think the literature and texts you've selected would work for a 10th grader? (I'm esp. wondering about Heart of Darkness and the Great Gatsby).

 

Second: do you have a schedule/syllabus available?

 

And last: where would I find more information on your online class -- or is that either already filled, or for upper level high school students? Not sure we're ready to try an online course yet -- esp. one so far-reaching! But I would love to start gathering information as we toy with the idea. : )

 

 

Many thanks! And warmest regards, Lori D.

[Anne/Ankara]

Lori, if your library has the Teaching Company's videos, you might want to check out some of their Modern History series. We have enjoyed them very much, and they provide a very nice lecture on many different aspects of modern history (social trends, biography, conflicts, etc).

 

Here's our list, which also includes some documentaries and movies:

 

Video: Queen Victoria’s Empire, parts 1,2,3,4

 

Video; History of the United States, “Sectarian Tensions Escalate,†“Drifting Toward Disaster,†“Coming of War,†“First Year of Fighting,†“Shifting Tides of Battle,†“Diplomatic Clashes,†“Behind the Lines,†“African Americans in Wartime,†“Union Drive to Victory,†“Presidential Reconstruction,†“Congress Takes Command,†“Reconstruction,†“Industrialization,†“Transcontinental Railroad,†“Indian Wars,†“Farming on the Prairie,†“African Americans,†“Men and Women,†“Religion in America,†“Populists,†“New Immigrants,†“City Life,†“Labor and Capital,†“Teddy Roosevelt,†“Mass Production,†“Preparing for War,†“World War One,†“1920’s,†“Great Depression,†“New Deal,†“WWII, Road to Pearl Harbor,†“WWII, European Theatre,†“WWII, Pacific Theatre,†“Cold War,†“Korean War and McCarthyism,†“Affluent Society,†“Civil Rights Movement,†“Great Society,†“Mass Media,†“Vietnam War,†“Women’s Movement,†“Nixon and Watergate,†“Environmentalism,†“Religion In 20th Century,†“Carter and Reagan Revolution,†“New World Order,†“Clinton,†“Conclusions.â€

 

Video: Complete History of US Wars, “Imperial Wars 1876-1917,†“Global Wars 1917-1950,†“Cold War,†“Police Wars.â€

 

Video: Foundations of Western Civilization II, “Russian Revolution,†“1918 End of War,†“Recovery And Depression in the West 1918-1932,†“Totalitarian Russia,†“Rise of Fascism,†“Holocaust,†“Failures of Diplomacy,†“WWII 1939-1942,†WWII 1942-1945,†“American Hegemony and Soviet Challenge,†“New Europe,†“Meaning of Western Civilization.â€

 

Video: Brief History of The World, “Transformation of Europe,†“Emergence of Russia,†“Asian Empires and Shogunate,†“Long Nineteenth Century,â€

“Nationalism and Modernism,†“Latin America,†“China and Japan,†“20th Century,†“20th Century Economy,†“Age of Revolutions,†“US in World History,†“Contemporary Democracy,†“Cultural Changes,†“Gender Issues,â€

“Globalization.â€

 

Video: Art Across the Ages, “From Realism to Impressionism,†“Paris and the East,†“American Realism,†“Fin de Siecle,†“African and Asian Art,†“They All Came to Paris,†“Revolutions in 20th century Painting,†“Figuration and Abstraction,†“Sculpture,†“Architecture,†“Edges of East and West,â€

"Art, Trauma and Politics,†“Modern Jewish Art,†“Problems of Categories,†“Explosion of Modernist Media,†“Politics and Religion from Era to Era.â€

 

Video: 10 Days that Changed America, “Homestead Riot,†“Assassination of McKinley,†“Scopes Trial,†“Einstein Sends a Letter,†“When America Was Rocked,†“Freedom Summer 1964.â€

 

Video: The Sting

Video: It’s a Wonderful Life

Video: Mr. Smith Goes to Washington

Video: All Quiet on the Western Front

 

Video: History of European Art, “Birth of Impressionism,†“Monet and Degas,†“Renoir, Pissarro, "Cezanne,†“BeyondImpressionism,†“Cubism,â€

“Modern Sculpture,†“Art Between Two Wars.â€

 

Video: History of Impressionism, “Mary Cassatt.â€

 

Video: In Search of the Bismarck

Video: Panama Canal

Video: Titanica

Video: Chariots of Fire

Video: October Sky

Video: Guns of Navaronne

Video: Trinity, Story of the Atomic Bomb

Video; The Mouse that Roared

Video: Failsafe

Video: Ozzie and Harriet

Video: Schlessinger Media, “Post-War USAâ€

Video: All the President’s Men

[Lori D.]

We really enjoy films to enhance our history -- but I'd forgotten about the Teaching Company and documentaries; and that would be perfect, since the 20th century IS so well documented with photos and film! Thanks! Warmest regards, Lori D.

[kathleen]

"My first question is: do you think the literature and texts you've selected would work for a 10th grader? (I'm esp. wondering about Heart of Darkness and the Great Gatsby)."

 

Well, of course it depends on the background of the student, but I don't think either of those two you mention are beyond the ability of a well-read 10th grader (especially a 16 year old one).

 

"Second: do you have a schedule/syllabus available?"

 

Not yet, but I'm workin' on it! I hope to have the first 9 weeks mapped out by the end of this month.

 

"And last: where would I find more information on your online class -- or is that either already filled, or for upper level high school students? Not sure we're ready to try an online course yet -- esp. one so far-reaching! But I would love to start gathering information as we toy with the idea. : )"

 

Because I'm not advertising the class--just going by word of mouth--I don't have a brochure or anything ;), but you can feel free to ask me about it. It will be on a moodle format, on which I will post information, assignments, quizzes and exams, and discussion fora. It is not filled--so far three students are confirmed (including my son, of course), with three more possibles. I do plan to limit it to no more than 10 students. I was thinking of mainly 11th and 12th graders, but would consider mature 10th graders.

 

And I love Anne's ideas for videos, too. I plan to suggest optional extra readings, films and documentaries to round out our studies. I'm trying to keep the cost reasonable for everyone, though, so I'm not requiring gobs of resources.