Story of the Modern Age

This is a full-year online course called "Story of the Modern World" that is designed for 7th and 8th-grade students. It covers world history from the American Civil War in the mid-1800s to the fall of Apartheid in the late-1990s. The course aims to sharpen students' formal study of history through investigating the historical and intellectual causes of key world events that shape the present day. It meets once a week for an hour with a focus on interactive discussions among students and with the instructor.

The course includes weekly written assignments that have a three-fold focus on mastery of historical facts, discussion of key ideas in that week’s subject, and mastery of the tools of study. Students are required to participate in a weekly discussion board assignment, write seven short papers throughout the semester, take an end-of-the-semester exam, and complete a final project in the spring semester. The course workload is designed to blend structure and attention to detail with a students' growing study skills and personal curiosity, helping them develop ownership of their historical study skills and interests.