The Great Books – Homeschool English and History in High School

The Great Books

What is the Great Books system for teaching history and English for high school? It is a method for reading literature while studying the historical context behind the work. There are many different lists of what the Great Books are. That is, the best literature and must-reads for all serious readers. Since there are a seemly infinite number of great books, each list necessarily will miss some wonderful options.

My own Great Books list skips Don Quixote, which is considered the first modern novel. I however, could not get into the writing style so I focused on other historic works. Some people include selections of the Bible on their Great Book lists. Maybe we will look at some books of the Bible for their literary value. But I don’t want to commit to doing this until I can evaluate how this will (or won’t) benefit my individual children.

While I am on the topic of caveats to my Great Book List, I want to add another significant note. In between the reading of the Great Books, important documents from your countries history should be added in. In the USA, add works like The Declaration of Independence. And in Canada, add The Charter of Rights and Freedoms, and so on.

Why the Great Books

History and literature aren’t really separate subject, although schools describe literature as language arts rather than history. So by using the Great Books method of education, you bring together subjects that ought never have been separated. In fact, literature is one of the main ways we learn about history… by reading what people wrote during the time something happened. In this way we help our children think about how we know what we know about history!

So, the Great Books are a course in history and reading. Now let’s look at the details of how this course of study works.

Teaching the Great Books

So now that you know what the Great Books are, let’s talk about how to make it work for your family.

First of all, I recommend continuing the four year divisions as used in History for the earlier years. This especially helps if you have a large family. Because, all your children can be studying the same period of history at the same time, even if they are reading different books.

In many cases you could have your eldest reading the original vision of a book, or play, or poem. (Hopefully your teen has been prepared for this by reading earlier adaptions or other significant works). Meanwhile, the middle school aged kids may read a chapter book adaption. And the younger ones look at a picture book adaptation. So in this way families can all be on the same page, so to speak!

The main difference is that in high school, teens are ready for dealing with the language in the original versions of the great works of literature. Yes it can be quite challenging, but we want to teach our children that it is okay when reading is difficult, and if we don’t understand a passage we can make note of it and come back to it later, or after we have finished the book, and see if it makes more sense then. And while persevering through is great, it some cases you may discern that a particular work is not suited to your child after he makes a valiant attempt at it. Put the book aside, and move on to one of the other Great Books instead.

Reading the Great Books – Part 1 – The History

Since the study of literature is being connected to the study of history, there is a bit of ground work to be done before beginning reading the work. Once a work is selected, the teen begins by looking into the historic period during which the author lived and in which the book was written. The child takes notes about key events during this period and brushes up on other important historical information about that time period. Getting a Historical Atlas can really help jump-start this research.

In high school, the child may use textbooks from earlier grades to research the historical period. You can also invest in some high school level history texts, or take advantage of the internet for research. I am keeping an eye on Tan Books and the Catholic Textbook Project in the hopes of finding Catholic friendly options for the high school years. However, I also think this is an important time to teach you children about anti-Catholic biases in history study, and how various authors will present the same event with a very different outlook.

Check out our free Great Books printable for a worksheet to fill out for each Great Book.

Reading the Great Books – Part 2 – Genre and Reading

After the child has considered and studied the historical period which represents the backdrop of when the book was written, it is time to consider genre.

Just as bias can effect the presentation of information, so can genre. Before reading any of the great books, have your teen find the genre of the Great Book. After this, have him look into the history of the genre. He’ll take notes on the history and specific characteristics to know about that genre. Throughout the Great Books courses, try to cover at least six different genres, including autobiography/biography, history, novels, philosophy, plays, and poems.

After reaching a sufficient understanding, begin the reading process. Your child should take some notes while reading, including making a summary of what happened at the end of each chapter or section. Be sure to have your child note any difficult passages, as well as when new vocabulary words crop up so that they may be looked up in a dictionary. Your child should also make note of any particular passages that strike him. This can be done simply by noting page number with a short notation.

Reading the Great Books – Part 3 – Discussion

Whenever possible, try and read the book along with your child (before, or during your child’s read. You could also listen to an audio book). This is helpful for being able to have a discussion about the books. If you haven’t read any of these great books before and are pressed for reading time, consider outsourcing some of the book discussions. If you are going to have to do this for a lot of books, also be sure to find some works you can discuss with your child, so a book of the Bible or another work you are familiar should be added to the Great Books list for your family. For some longer works, consider reading and assigning just a few sections, and then your child may decide if he wants to read the rest on his own.

So how can you outsource literary discussions? A local university student or literary friend may be delighted to have someone to discuss The Inferno with, or to share insights about Jane Austen’s Emma. If you are in a homeschool group, see if you can share book discussion duties with other parents of high-schoolers. There are many Catholic Literary Geeks out there, and with the benefits of social media you may find a selection of individuals to aid you in this literary endeavour.

Be sure that there is a chance for literary discussion before assigning a writing project after the reading of a great book.

Great Books Writing Projects

In the high school years, we want to focus on philosophy, ideas, and communication. Part of this is achieved in the discussion of the Great Books after reading them. The rest of this is achieved by the writing process. That is, taking notes, making an outline, and then writing a coherent paper. You can adjust the kind of writing assignments, and the length of these assignments based on your individual child’s writing ability. However, if your child intends to go on to University, be sure to include at least one longer writing assignment which includes research (10+ pages).

What follows are some suggestions for writing topics.

Writing Assignments for the Great Books

1. Write a paper analyzing the historical conditions represented in the work.
2. Write a report presenting how the historical events surrounding the author’s life. [And/or] Discuss the time the book was written, and how it affected the writing of the story.
3. Do a comparison essay between two books, plays, or poems read this year.
4. Write an essay comparing two characters, and their actions, motives, growth, and so on. This may be done within an individual work or from different stories.
5. Compare a written work to a film adaptation. Or to a modern adaptation (such as Hamlet and The Lion King, or King Lear and A Thousand Acres).
6. Write a paper about the structure of the work and/or the use of language.
7. Consider the philosophical implications of the work. What perspective is the author trying to convey? Is he successful? Write an essay regarding the answer to these questions with a critical perspective regarding the author’s ideas.
8. Write an essay tracing the presence (or absence) of a particular virtue throughout the work.
9.  What does this work have to say about what it means to be human? And the state of humanity and civilization? Discuss these in an essay.

At the end of four years of studying the Great Books this way, your child will have a greater understanding of the history and development of civilization and society.

The Great Books as Credits

Ancient World Literature

Ancient History

Medieval World Literature

Medieval History

Modern Literature

Canadian Literature/American Literature/etc. (be sure to edit your list to include works from your country)

Modern World History

American/Canadian/etc History

The Byzantine Life

Thank you for checking out this article in our Homeschool Series! Be sure to check out our similar post on Teaching History. And our article on Teaching English Language Arts. Also, if you want to combine a study of the saints with a study of history, check out our free PDF resource listing saints by their death date and historical period.

Also be sure to download our FREE Great Book List + Printables here.

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