Why read about famous people from history when you can read
and learn directly from them? Humanitas is a 4-year high school history curriculum based on primary source documents. It is
comprehensive and powerful, exposing students first-hand to the greatest minds, ideas, and
events of the past. And if you’re thinking that primary source
documents are too intimidating, you’ll be pleasantly surprised with these courses!
Classical Academic Press has done an amazing job sourcing key documents, extracting
core material, and updating archaic language just a bit so students can hear ancient
voices like that of Dionysius on the founding of Rome, or Martin Luther on the
limitation of government. Just the right amount of secondary information has
been added to the primary (original) sources to allow students to digest and
engage with the material in a meaningful way.
The Student Textbooks are
beautifully illustrated, with helpful chapter introductions for each document and
marginal annotations throughout the document to aid in understanding. Difficult
terms are explained, critical background info given, and historical context and
timelines are provided to see how each document fits into the larger picture in
history. Each chapter ends with Socratic questions for discussion and writing.
Each of the 8 titles is designed as a one semester history
course (containing 2 books) for .5 credit, but similar titles are paired
together for a continuous, full year of history… worth 1 credit. Doing all 8
courses provides 4 years of chronological history (though they can be done in
any order), earning 4 credits. These include Level 1 courses –
Ancient Greece and Ancient Rome, Level 2 courses –
Early Medieval and Late Medieval, Level 3 courses –
American Origins and American Republic, and Level 4 courses –
Early Modern and Late Modern. Currently only Level 1 (Ancient), Level 3 (American), and the first semester of Level 2 (Medieval) courses have
been released, with others coming soon.
The Teacher’s Guide PDF E-books provide everything
needed to teach the courses… lesson plans, additional help in understanding
each document, and suggestions for facilitating a robust discussion. Because of
the emphasis on Socratic discussion, these are perfect for a classroom or
homeschool co-op, but a homeschool family can adapt them for discussion around
the table with family/friends.
