Here are 3 powerful ways to earn character-forming World History credit.
3 Powerful Ways to Earn Character-Forming World History Credit
Why waste 4 good years of high school with your teens simply learning dates and facts but having NO life change?
Character formation has always been my goal in teaching history with my homeschool high schoolers, co-op teens and group classes. Adolescent minds (as we know from Human Development) are arriving at metacognition- which means they can:
- think,
- perceive,
- perspective-take and
- develop character like never before in their lives.
World History is one of those subjects that best lends itself to character formation. This is because teens can read, think and discuss the great things that have happened over time, as well as the human-character disasters that have happened.
With this in mind, we can teach our teensthe quote from the philosopher George Santayana,
“Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.”
Homeschool high schoolers need a World History credit for their homeschool transcript.
Why not create a character-forming World History credit? Here are 3 ways:
Use a text that integrates thinking skills, Christian history and World History
Character formation and critical-thinking skills development is exactly why 7Sisters published History and Philosophy of the Western World. Teens need to learn the:
- church leaders from the past who boldly lead God’s people
- philosophers who molded the thinking and actions that shaped cultures
- political leaders who changed their worlds
7Sisters’ History and Philosophy of the Western World covers all that in a light-hearted, student-friendly, no-busywork, inspirational format. Co-written by philosopher, Dr. Micah Tillman, the text gives introductory thinking skills without being intimidating or boring. It is also levelable (includes interesting extra activities for teens who want to earn rigorous Honors credits).
Follow current events
Following current events is easily done to enrich your World History credit. A weekly discussion about major events in politics, missions or culture will give homeschool high schoolers the opportunity to think about:
- times when people HAVE learned from the past
- other times whem people HAVE NOT learned from the past and are thus, repeating it
- places God may be calling teens to pray, learn or serve
Integrate Language Arts’ research paper and books
Homeschool high schoolers need Language Arts credits each year. While working on that credit, each year they should include some personal reading that helps fill out the number of books they need to read. Also, they need to write a research paper each year.
Your homeschool high schoolers can level up their World History credit by including biographies of leaders or books from the past as part of the credit. For instance, they can learn from:
- missionary or church leaders’ biographies
- biographies of modern philosophers such as C.S. Lewis
- books about the lives of great political leaders
Level up your World History credit by reading books written in past times from around the world.
7Sisters’ World Literature course includes no-busywork, understandable study guides for books such as:
- The Epic of Gilgamesh (ancient text – author unknown)
- Antigone by Sophocles
- Plato’s Republic
- The Three Musketeers by Alexandre Dumas
- Les Miserables by Victor Hugo
- Uncle Vanya by Anton Chekhov
- The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde
- The Good Earth by Pearl S. Buck
- Cry, the Beloved Country by Alan Paton
Choose a topic from World History for your teen’s research paper (MLA, APA or Chicago styles):
Homeschool high schoolers are encouraged to write a research paper as a conclusion to this course. This is a good opportunity to them to practice one of the research paper styles. (While they are at it, they can count this research paper as a Language Arts paper also!)
- How does life (or government) in Ancient Rome compare to life (or government) in America today?
- What does Aristotle teach about virtue?
- How was life for Christians during the Roman Empire?
- Who was Kierkegaard and why are his ideas influential with Christians and non-Christians?
- How did the Empiricists change the ways that politicians, scientists and theologians think?
- What was the life of C.S. Lewis (or other modern philosopher/Christian leaders)?
Your teen needs a World History credit. Make the most of it for character formation! Download History and Philosophy of the Western World and World Literature for your homeschool high schooler.
Need more inspiration for helping teens understand how meaningful and important it is to study history? Check out this on why History is boring and how to make it better.
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