Classical Education: Hallmarks 1B

Continuing from post "Hallmarks 1A" where I asserted: An unparalleled focus on history is one of the hallmarks of an excellent classical education.

After 6th grade, when students have completed a chronological study of history from Creation to WWII (with an early emphasis on their own history...family, community, state, country, etc.), they're ready to start at the beginning and do it again. This time the focus is less on biography and story and concentrates instead on firming up the chronology, which is crucial to an accurate and thorough understanding of history!

Since students will complete this 2nd cycle in 2 years (7th-8th grades), obviously the teacher is not able to teach in great depth. The goal should be for each student to identify all the major eras and movements in history, know the primary ideas that emerged during those time frames, and be able to place prominent men and events accurately within those eras. "Men" would include political figures, theologians, artists, composers, philosphers, authors, religious leaders, scientists, etc. "Events" would include the rise and fall of kingdoms, battles, influential beliefs, technological advances, etc. We want our students to KNOW THE FLOW and begin to be familiar with the cultures from which these men and events sprang as well as the cultural changes to which they gave birth.

The display of a visual timeline and students' routine interaction with that timeline is essential. They should also be involved in creating their own...not dozens of little timelines, but a coherent whole. I can't stress enough that this image of the flow of time should be firmly planted and called forth in their minds in order for their 3rd trip through history to prove most beneficial. Remember, if you (the instructor) present an overwhelming amount of data, students will never retain it. The purpose of these 2 years is to cement that information which we want them to remember decades from now. Again, concentrate on the flow and where men and events fit rather than on exact dates. Only a few handfuls of dates need to be learned...students may not know the exact dates when Magellan sailed, but they should readily and precisely place him at the right place on a timeline (i.e. in the correct era, and correctly between surrounding events).

Once students master this flow of history, they are prepared to plunge head first into a third round with an in-depth emphasis on philosophy and ideas. The purpose is for students to recognize that every cultural expression - art, politics, wars, economics, literature, movies, etc. etc. etc. - are all outworkings of belief which either conform to or challenge the "zeitgeist." None of these are isolated events occurring in a vacuum. They are influenced by and exert influence on one another. When taken together, students not only gain a thorough understanding of and "feel" for a particular era but, as stated previously, they grasp the connection between belief and action...between ideas and their consequences.

I'll try to use another post later in the series to talk about resources that provide the necessary "content" for this type of history study. For now let this suffice: I recommend lots of age-appropriate biography, historical fiction and fine-art images for the 1st round, a solid text on Western Cilvilzation provides a pretty good summary of history for round 2 (even if you don't use the text itself with your students, it will help you determine the most significant events and people that should be highlighted!). And finally, primary sources should be your greatest resource during the 3rd round...speeches, essays, autobiographies, letters, historical documents (political and religious), along with the art, literature and music produced during the age being studied.