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Years 9-10-11: Second Year Booklist

As students mature, their reading material will present more challenging content, and may include strong language and more mature themes. We have placed footnotes linked in red beside those books that most parents will consider an issue. However, we cannot anticipate which content might be an issue for every family. We encourage parents to pre-screen material to determine its appropriateness for their child and family.

Note: These booklists and curriculum suggestions are incomplete without a thorough understanding of Charlotte Mason's ideas and methods. We cannot emphasize enough that you take time to familiarize yourself with her philosophy by reading her books.

If you're planning to use AmblesideOnline, your first stop should be the the FAQ for some information about the curriculum and basic instructions. Our FAQ answers all the questions that people routinely ask: AO's history scope and sequence, how to schedule your school days, how to do narration, and more.

Key: (What do all those symbols mean?)

Book titles are linked to Project Gutenberg (which offers free etexts in a variety of formats) or other online text when no Project Gutenberg text is available.

Asterisks refer to which term the book is used: * Term 1 ** Term 2 *** Term 3

β - manybooks.net, another free ebook site.
α - free etext at archive.org; newer books can be borrowed for one hour at a time.
(ChrBk) - purchase from Christianbook.com using AO's affiliate link.
K - free Kindle text from amazon.com.
(£amzn) - Living Books Press purchase using AO's amazon.com affiliate link.
($amzn) - book purchase using AO's amazon.com affiliate link.
(K) - Kindle purchase using AO's amazon.com affiliate link.
(£) - Purchase directly from Living Books Press with an affiliate link; save 10% with discount code: AOBooks
Λ - free audiobook at Lit2Go
Ω - free audiobook at Librivox ^[2]
∩ - other free audiobook source
^[0] - Click the bracketed numeral to view any notes about the book near the bottom of the page.
^[0] - red footnotes indicate a heads-up for parents about the title. We cannot foresee every incident that might potentially be an issue to every family, but we have red-flagged those that are commonly a concern.

AO is an affiliate of Living Book Press, which means that when you purchase from our (£) links, we receive a commission which allows us to keep offering AO for free.

AO is an affiliate of Christianbook.com, which means that when you purchase from our (ChrBk) links, we receive a commission that helps with our costs.

AmblesideOnline is part of Amazon.com's Affiliate program. If you use the Amazon links, we receive a small commission which enables us to cover the costs of keeping the website and curriculum. Amazon links are identified like this: ($amzn) or (£amzn) or (K).

AmblesideOnline Year 9-10-11 Curriculum

Weekly Readings

The following weekly readings should be broken up into daily readings in whatever way works best for your family.

AmblesideOnline has had updates in the subject areas of Spiritual Formation (Suggested Devotional Reading) and Citizenship as of March 2023, which means that this page is outdated. For the convenience of those who are in the middle of their school year, we will leave this page up through the 2023-2024 school year -- until June, 2024. You can access the 36-week schedule, which has links to the outdated pdf/doc/odt weekly schedules, at this link.

Bible and Christian Theology

Bible: if you continue AO's plan, read read Isaiah, Amos, Micah, Hosea, Nahum, Zephaniah, Jeremiah 1-16, Habakkuk; John, 1 and 2 Thessalonians, 1 Corinthians; Psalms 56-105; Proverbs 1-16. (Plan to finish the Bible in Year 12.)

The Attributes of God, by A. W. Pink ($amzn) (K) continue from previous year
The Holiness of God, by R. C. Sproul ($amzn) (K)
The Pleasures of God, by John Piper ($amzn) (K)

History

Keep a century chart and Century Book of the period studied. ^[tl]

The Great Democracies by Winston Churchill ($amzn) (K), volume 4 of History of the English Speaking Peoples; schedule here (continue from previous year)
A History of the Twentieth Century: The Concise Edition of the Acclaimed World History, by Martin Gilbert ($amzn) (K) ^[2]
Arguing About Slavery, by William Lee Miller ($amzn) continue from previous year
The Men Behind Hitler, by Bernhard Schreiber
The Trial at Nuremberg (short essay)

Biography

Diary of A Young Girl, by Anne Frank ($amzn) OR The Hiding Place, by Corrie Ten Boom ($amzn) (K) ^[4]

History Supplements and Speeches

Woodrow Wilson, entering World War I, April 2, 1917 "War Message"
Lou Gehrig's farewell to baseball speech July 4, 1939 (also see biography on the site)
Winston Churchill "Blood, sweat and tears" May 13, 1940
Winston Churchill "Their finest hour" June 18, 1940
Franklin Roosevelt's Pearl Harbor address December 8, 1941 "a day that will live in infamy"
Dwight David Eisenhower--Supreme Allied Commander broadcasts D-Day invasion order June 5, 1944 (Real Audio only--1 min. 42 sec. click on Speech Archive, scroll down to first Eisenhower entry) "The eyes of the world are upon you. The hopes and prayers of liberty-loving people everywhere march with you."
Franklin Roosevelt D-Day Prayer June 6, 1944
Douglas MacArthur's farewell to Congress April 19, 1951 "Old soldiers never die"
John F. Kennedy's Inauguration January 20, 1961 "Ask not what your country can do for you--ask what you can do for your country."
John F. Kennedy's "Ich bin ein Berliner" June 26, 1963
I Have a Dream speech by Martin Luther King, Jr. August 28, 1963 OR "I've been to the mountaintop" March 3, 1968
Ronald Reagan--Brandenburg Gate June 12, 1987 "Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall!"

Literature

Silas Marner, by George Eliot β α ($amzn) (K) Ω
The Chosen by Chaim Potok ($amzn) (K)
Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury (3 parts) ($amzn) (K)
To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee ($amzn) (K)

Shakespeare for the 2023-2024 School Year:
* Twelfth Night
** King Lear
*** Measure for Measure

Short Stories

The Necklace, by Guy de Maupassant (1884) Ω
How Much Land Does a Man Need?, by Leo Tolstoy (1886) Ω
The Open Boat, by Stephen Crane (1897) Ω
The Machine Stops by E. M. Forster (1909); also here Ω
The Open Window, by Saki (Hector.H. Munro; 1914)
Barn Burning, by William Faulkner (1939)
Shooting an Elephant, by George Orwell (1936)
The Secret Life of Walter Mitty, by James Thurber (1939) (possibly here)
The Lottery, by Shirley Jackson (1948) (also here)
The Outstation, by Somerset Maugham (1950) (also here, a third of the way down)
A & P, by John Updike (1961)
Harrison Bergeron, by Kurt Vonnegut Jr. (1961)
Everything That Rises Must Converge, by Flannery O'Connor (1965) or here
*** Thank You, Ma'am by Langston Hughes (1958) or here; pdf

Essays

G.K. Chesterton (A Piece of Chalk; The Twelve Men; What is Right With the World)
In Defense of the Essay, by Christopher Orlet
The Moral Obligation to Be Intelligent, by John Erskine, 1915
The Superstition of School, by G.K. Chesterton, 1923, from The Common Man (also here)
Master of Many Trades, by Robert Twigger, 2013
The Second Time I Learned to Read by Stephen L. Carter
Introduction to Athanasius' Incarnation (or, The Reading of Old Books) by C. S. Lewis, 1944 or here
The Inner Ring, by C. S. Lewis, 1944
Politics and the English Language, by George Orwell, 1946
Abortion and the Conscience of the Nation, by Ronald Reagan, 1983
Can Beauty Help us to Become Better People?, by John Armstrong, 2014
You're Regretting Wrong, by Judith Shulevitz, 2014
Too Much Information: What Good is Information?, by Dougald Hine, 2014

Poetry

Ralph Waldo Emerson and Walt Whitman
Edna St. Vincent Millay
Short Anthology of Modern Poetry

Copywork

Include selections from Shakespeare, the Bible, poetry and other sources. These selections may be the same ones used for recitation. Consider beginning a personal quote book.

Dictation

Do dictation regularly.

Grammar and Composition

The Book on Writing: the Ultimate Guide to Writing Well, by Paula LaRocque ($amzn) (K) continue from previous year)
On Writing Well - The Classic Guide to Writing Nonfiction, by William Zinsser ($amzn) (K)

Recitation

2 Corinthians 6; Ephesians 4; Proverbs 1-4; Hebrews 8; Amos 5:1-24; 1 Peter 2
Psalm 19; Psalm 111; Psalms 121; Psalm 122; Psalm 145; Psalm 118
Shakespeare passages
a poem per term from the term's poetry selections

Foreign Language

Begin Latin if you've not started already OR Continue with any previous foreign language studies

Geography

Eothen, by Alexander Kinglake β α ($amzn) (K) Ω

Citizenship

Ourselves, by Charlotte Mason (£) (£amzn) (purchase paraphrase for Kindle)
One Blood, by Ken Ham - Study guide at AIG; video available; scroll down halfway to videos on racism. Revised edition ($amzn) (K) Old Edition ($amzn)

Plutarch for the 2023-2024 School Year:
Term 1: Alcibiades (Study Guide with text; Text Only)
Term 2: Coriolanus (Study Guide with text; Text Only)
Term 3: Cato the Younger (Study Guide with text; Text Only)
(Purchase this year's study guides, Vol 9, in one book: ($amzn) (K)
AO's full Plutarch rotation

Government and Economics

Economics in One Lesson, by Henry Hazlitt ($amzn) (K)
Graves of Academe, by Richard Mitchell ($amzn)
Are You Liberal, Conservative, or Confused?, by Richard Maybury ($amzn)
A basic government book ^[6]

Current Events

Keep up with daily news (resource options here) and keep a calendar of events

Worldview

The Deadliest Monster, by Jeff Baldwin ($amzn)
Seven Men Who Rule the World from the Grave, by David Breese ($amzn) (K)
Amusing Ourselves to Death by Neil Postman ($amzn) (K)

Nature Study and Science

The Handbook of Nature Study α by Anna Botsford Comstock (as a reference) ($amzn)
Apologia science text ($earch) OR BJU Press Science
Microbe Hunters, by Paul de Kruif; chapters 4-12 this year α ($amzn) (K)
Six Easy Pieces, by Richard P. Feynman ($amzn) (K)

Nature Study Topics for the 2023-2024 School Year:
summer/fall: Trees/shrubs/vines
winter: Stars/sky
spring: Amphibians
AO's full Nature Study rotation

Mathematics

Continue your math program; for some options, see this page.

Logic

Art

Artists (Picture Study) for the 2023-2024 School Year:

2023-2024 TERM 1 Tintoretto (1518-1594; Renaissance)
(This term's music: Renaissance)
Self portrait
1. Crucifixion, 1565, Scuola Grande di San Rocco, Venice; study
2. Christ Before Pilate, 1567, also here Scuola Grande di San Rocco, Venice
3. The Adoration of the Magi, 1582, Scuola Grande di San Rocco, Venice; study
4. Portrait of a Man, 1586-1589, State Hermitage Museum, Saint Petersburg, Russia
5. Paradise, 1588, Doge's Palace, Venice
6. The Last Supper, 1592-1594, San Giorgio Maggiore, Venice
Download a pdf file of this term's six prints here ^[NOTE]

2023-2024 TERM 2 Claude Monet (1840-1926; French Impressionist)
(This term's composer: Ravel)
Biography
1. Terrace at St. Adresse, 1866, Metropolitan Museum of Art, NY
2. Women in the Garden, 1866, Musee d'Orsay, Paris
3. Jean Monet on His Hobby Horse, 1872, Metropolitan Museum of Art, NY
4. Woman with a Parasol: Madame Monet and Her Son, 1875, National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C. (see also here)
5. Tulip Fields in Holland, 1886, Musee d'Orsay, Paris
6. The Waterlily Pond, 1899, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey (Similar image here)
Download a pdf file of this term's six prints here ^[NOTE]

2023-2024 TERM 3 Georges Seurat (1859-1891; French Post-impressionist)
(This term's music: Opera Overtures)
1. Rock-Breakers, Le Raincy, 1882, also here Norton Simon Art Foundation, Pasadena, CA, USA
2. Man Cleaning His Boat, 1883, Courtauld Institute Galleries, London, UK
3. Bathers at Asnieres, 1883-84, National Gallery, London, UK
4. Sunday on La Grande Jatte 1884, Art Institute of Chicago, USA
5. The Eiffel Tower, 1889, Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco, USA (also here)
6. The Circus, 1891, Musée d'Orsay, Paris
Download a pdf file of this term's six prints here ^[NOTE]

AO's full Artist rotation

Note: PDF files for AO's picture study are being made available for you to download and print yourself from "A Humble Place"; you can access the PDF files of pictures by clicking the "Individual Artworks Only" link by each artist's name. The "Picture Study aid" link is an additional optional resource and may require you to submit your email address or make a purchase, but the "Artworks Only" link is provided with no strings attached.

Music

Composers for the 2023-2024 School Year:

2023-2024 TERM 1 Renaissance Music (This term's artist: Tintoretto)
1. Songs * * * * *
2. Guillaume Dufay * *   Ave Maris Stella ("Hail, star of the sea") * *
3. Dance Music * * * * *
4. Josquin des Prez * * * *
5. Vocal Music of William Byrd * * * * *
6. Claudio Monteverdi * * * *   Monteverdi wrote the earliest opera still regularly performed: "L'Orfeo" *
     CD and mp3 Options:
     -- The Hillard Ensemble: Music for Tudor Kings seems to offer a nice variety of music from the era. ($amzn) ($mp3); also English and Italian Renaissance Madrigals. ($mp3) The Hilliard Ensemble has multiple CD's featuring Renaissance era composers.
     -- Gloriae Dei Cantores: Masters of the Renaissance (choral sacred music) ($amzn) ($mp3)
     -- Oxford Camerata: Renaissance Masterpieces (vocal) ($amzn) ($mp3)
     -- Dances of the Renaissance ($amzn) ($mp3)
     -- Catherine King: Elizabethan Songs and Consort Music (solo voice, instrumental) ($amzn) ($mp3)

2023-2024 TERM 2 Maurice Ravel (1875-1937; Impressionist) (This term's artist: Claude Monet)
1. Daphne et Chloe - selections * *   complete *
2. Bolero * *
3. Mother Goose Suite * *
4. Pavane pour une infante dufunte (no, there really is no dead princess) * *
5. Piano Concerto in D for the Left Hand (composed for a pianist who lost his right arm in WWI) * *
6. Rhapsody Espagnole * *

2023-2024 TERM 3 Opera Selections (This term's artist: Georges Seurat)
1. Giuseppi Verdi: "Triumphal March" from Aida * * and "Vedi! le fosche" (Anvil Chorus) * * from Il Trovatore
2. Giuseppi Verdi "Libiamo Ne'lieti Calici" (Brindisi; drinking song - parents, preview!) from La Traviata * * and "La Donne Il Mobile," from Rigoletto * *
3. Giacomo Puccini: "O Soave Fancuilla" * * and "Quando M'en Vo" * * from La Boheme, and "E Lucevan Le Stelle" * * from Tosca.
4. Giacamo Puccini: "Un Bel Di Vedremo" * * from Madama Butterfly, and "Nessun Dorma" * * from Turandot.
5. Gioacchino Rossini: overture * * and "Largo al factotum" (Figaro Figaro Figaro. . .) from Il Barbiere Di Siviglia (The Barber of Seville) * *
6. Gioacchino Rossini: William Tell overture * *
We suggest using a selection of Opera favorites that contains most of these, such as Best Opera Album In The World . . . Ever! ($amzn) and filling in any missing pieces with whatever else is on the CD. Puccini's "O mio babbino caro" from Gianni Schicchi, Bizet's "Au fond du temple saint" from The Pearl Fishers, Verdi's "Celeste Aida" from Aida would be worthy substitutes.
One possibility: 25 Opera Favorites CD ($amzn)
1 - track 7. Giuseppi Verdi: "Triumphal March" from Aida; track 17. Gypsies' Chorus from Il Trovatore
2 - track 3. Giuseppi Verdi: "Libiamo Ne'lieti Calici" (Brindisi) from La Traviata; track 9. "La Donne Il Mobile," from Rigoletto
3 - track 21. Giacomo Puccini: "Che Gelida Manina" from La Boheme; track 23. "Quando M'en Vo" from La Boheme; track 18. "Vissi d'Arte" from Tosca
4 - track 6. Giacamo Puccini: "Un Bel Di" from Madama Butterfly, track 5. "Nessun Dorma" from Turandot
5 - track 4. Georges Bizet: "Au Fond du Temple Saint" from the Pearl Fishers; track 2. Gioacchino Rossini: "Largo al factotum" from The Barber of Seville
6 - track 1. Gioacchino Rossini: William Tell overture
     Free Ebook for younger students Verdi: The Little Boy who Loved the Hand Organ by Thomas Tapper
     Classics for Kids Past Shows: Verdi; Puccini; Bizet; Rossini

AO's full Composer rotation

Hymns for the 2023-2024 School Year:

August: The Rock That Is Higher Than I * ∘
September: For All the Saints who from their Labours Rest * ∘
October: For the Beauty of the Earth * * * ∘
November: Anywhere with Jesus * * ∘
December: Praise God From Whom All Blessings Flow * * ∘
January: My Song is Love Unknown * * ∘
February: This is My Father's World * * ∘
March: Ah, Holy Jesus * * ∘
April: Count Your Blessings * * ∘
May: All Creatures of Our God and King * * *
June: Lo! He Comes With Clouds Descending *
July: Holy, Holy, Holy * * *

AO's full Hymn rotation

Folksongs for the 2023-2024 School Year:

AO's Intro to 2023-2024's Folksongs
August (Bonus): God Bless America ∘
September: Aiken Drum * * ∘   Scottish version: * *
October: The Ash Grove * * * * ∘
November: The Lion Sleeps Tonight * * ∘
Over Christmas break, try learning a less familiar carol: Sleep, Sleep, Sleep My Little Child ∘ and/or O Little Town Of Bethlehem
January: The Water is Wide (Oh Waly, Waly) * * * * ∘
February: Now is the Hour * * * ∘
March: Log Driver's Waltz * * * ∘
April: A Man's A Man for A'That ("Should'a been Scotland's national anthem...") * * * ∘
May: Simple Gifts * * *
June: Click Go the Shears * *

AO's full Folksong rotation

These folksongs fit with this year's historical time period:
Poverty Knock, origin uncertain (please preview and edit the verses as your family sees fit) term three
The Triumph of General Ludd, 1811
The Arms Of Abraham
Various Songs by Stephen Foster CD: ($amzn)

Health and Physical Education

Study nutrition
Keep fit: Learn and play a game (kick ball, tennis, croquet, ping-pong, softball, etc.) or folk-dance, or pursue other physical activity of your choice. One option is Swedish Drill Revisited by Dawn Duran purchase

Life and Work Skills

Work on useful skills such as budgeting, gardening, cooking, car maintenance, carpentry, etc.

Free Reading

The following is a list of books from the Lite Years that were not scheduled for this combined plan and should be consulted first for free reading. If you need more, consult the free reading suggestions from the AO booklist for Years 9, 10, and 11.

Year 9:

The God Who is There, by Francis Schaeffer ($amzn) (K)
The Story of Napoleon, by H.E. Marshall α ($amzn) (K) or The Boys Life of Napoleon, by Eugenie Foa OR The Life of Horatio Lord Nelson, by Robert Southey β α ($amzn) (K)
John Adams, by David McCullough ($amzn) OR John Adams and the American Revolution, by Catherine Drinker Bowen ($amzn)
She Stoops to Conquer, by Oliver Goldsmith β α ($amzn) Ω
Pride and Prejudice, by Jane Austen β α ($amzn) ($amzn) (K) DVD: ($amzn) Ω
The Count of Monte Cristo, by Alexandre Dumas (or here) β α; Unabridged translation by R. Buss: ($amzn) (K) Ω
The Land of Little Rain, by Mary Austin β α ($amzn) Ω

Year 10:

The Imitation of Christ, by Thomas a Kempis β α ($amzn) (K) Ω
Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee, by Dee Alexander Brown; optional ($amzn) (K)
Les Miserables, by Victor Hugo β α ($amzn) (K) Ω One possibility: Family Radio Theater's dramatic audio ($amzn)
Invitation to the Classics, by Louise Cowan and Os Guinness ($amzn) (Purpose of, Importance of, Classics are not Canon, and all chapters from Jane Austen to Joseph Conrad)
How Should We Then Live by Francis Schaeffer ($amzn) The video series of the same title offers a strong supplement to the book. Purchase DVD series: ($amzn)
Walden, by Henry David Thoreau β α ($amzn) (K) Free Kindle edition may not be complete.

Year 11:

Testament of Youth, by Vera Brittain ($amzn) (K)
When Character Was King, by Peggy Noonan; 20 chapters ($amzn)
The World: Travels 1950-2000, by Jan Morris, formerly James ($amzn) (K) (brief non-graphic mention of the author's gender-change operation in chapter 18, titled "Casablanca." The chapter is very short and can be skipped or removed. Also some language on pg 233 and 242.) (Geography)
Our National Parks, by John Muir OR The Life of the Caterpillar, by J. Henri Fabre (Fabre texts with photos)
Invitation to the Classics, by Louise Cowan and Os Guinness ($amzn) (chapters from James Joyce to Contemporary Writers)
The Great Gatsby, by F. Scott Fitzgerald ($amzn) (K)

Footnotes

2. Note on Audiobooks: While links to audio books are added as a courtesy, Miss Mason's approach to grammar and composition is heavily dependent upon the children receiving an immense amount of visual exposure to the written word over many years, so parents should exercise extreme caution in how many audiobooks they use each year. Our brains just work differently when we see the words.

For children who have difficulty reading, one solution is to have them follow the audio version along in a written text.
Librivox free audio is done by volunteers, and some are better than others. Heidi Nash has a list of some favorite Librivox readers. Be aware that apps, including Librivox, that have clickable ads can open a browser and allow children unfiltered access to the internet, even when browsers have been disabled by the parent. There are options: either download mp3 files from Librivox and listen without the app, or only install the app on a parent-controlled device. Librivox has a pay option to turn off ads.

Cindy Rollins did a Circe Mason Jar podcast that included the role of audiobooks with difficult books.
(Back)

Timeline: At this age, students should be keeping a Century Chart and Book of Centuries. Students at this level in the PNEU schools made summaries of dates and events, referred to maps as they read their history, and made century charts. Instructions for making your own timelines and charts are included in these Parents' Review articles: Book of the Centuries; Teaching Chronology; The Correlation of Lessons. For more details about the why, when, how of keeping CM timelines (and other notebooks), we recommend Laurie Bestvater's book, The Living Page ($amzn). Two Book of Centuries options: (£) (£) (Back)

2. Churchill: A History of the American People by Paul Johnson ($amzn) (K) is an option, although its focus is on the US. If you choose to use it, we provide a weekly schedule for Years 9-10-11 in Two Years. (Back)

3. Invitation to the Classics: pages 307 to 366 this year, beginning with James Joyce, and continuing to the end of the book; the chapters are short. Table of Contents arranged by Year and Term for both books. (Back)

4. Diary of a Young Girl: We recommend locating an edition published before 1989, as later editions include content that was left out of earlier editions and will need parental screening. If you use a later edition -- The Critical Edition (1989), or The Definitive Edition (1991), or The Revised Critical Edition (2003) -- please pre-read for content. (The mass paperback linked from the AO website ($amzn) translated by B. M Mooryart-Doubleday "with an introduction by Eleanor Roosevelt" should be fine; it's a reprint an earlier edition.) (Back)

Plutarch: Charlotte Mason recommended Thomas North's "inimitable translation." (Back)

6. A basic government book: High School students will need to earn credit for basic government. This material can be done in Year 9, 10, 11 or 12. Some options:

Foundation for Freedom: A Study of the United States Constitution Workbook by Lars Johnson - This "workbook" is the text with review exercises after each chapter, which can be skipped. ($amzn) Foundation for Freedom is an updated, full-color version of The Story of the Constitution, Second Edition by Sol Bloom and Lars Johnson ($amzn). Both appear to be the same book/workbook, but the newer one is in color. (Sol Bloom's original 1937 Story of the Constitution, which Lars Johnson used as a foundation for his own book, is online at Hathi Trust.) Because it was written in 1937, it stops at the 21st Amendment. Lars Johnson did an excellent expanding and updating the Bloom book by adding concerns that weren't on the radar in 1937. He also wrote a chapter on limited government, checks and balances, and Biblical morality as well as a full-page explanation of each Amendment; Sol Bloom's book just explains each Amendment with a sentence or two. If you are in a situation where you need an online resource, the Sol Bloom text could work, but you should also seek out a source that explains why each Amendment was added and what it does.

Constitution 101: The Meaning and History of the Constitution is a twelve-week online course offered by Hillsdale College with 40-minute streaming video lectures (or you can download the audios). You have to register with a login and password, but the course is free. After you register, "you can find out how to get a copy of Hillsdale's U.S. Constitution Reader, the essential companion to the course, which contains over a hundred primary source documents edited by Hillsdale's Politics faculty." The website says the course begins on Feb 24, but their FAQ says their courses are archived so you can start them at any time, and you can go at your pace.

Exploring Government Curriculum Package by Ray Notgrass (purchase from CBD)

The Everything American Government Book by Nick Ragone is an easy to read explanation of political terms (such as caucus, filibuster, bureaucracy, regulatory commission, judicial review, pork barrel spending, gerrymandering) with a minimum of bias. The author glosses over the Constitution, giving his interpretation of the key points, so this is not a substitute for learning what's in the U.S. Constitution. If you decide to use this book, we provide a schedule that divides it over either 36 weeks or 18 weeks. ($amzn) (K).

This 10-minute YouTube video presents a clear explanation of the difference between a republic based on law, and a democracy based on majority rule. (Back)

Last updated Mar. 16, 2021