The New World and the Founding of the United States

The New World and Founding of the United States Humanities course is a year-long course that focuses on the building up of American civilization, beginning with European exploration in the 1300s and 1400s, focusing particularly on the establishment of the British colonies in North America, and the founding of the United States. The first semester covers European Exploration through the Revolutionary War. The second semester covers the Constitutional Convention and Westward Expansion through the Civil War. During class, students are presented with information on the time and place of study. Maps and timelines are created by students and are a foundation for understanding. Independent Work is also a significant part of the class, with weekly reading and writing assignments.  The readings for this course are taken from textbooks as well as primary documents.  For the research project, emphasis is placed on non-internet sources. The students are challenged to use books, interviews, newspaper articles, etc., and as a very last resort, websites are permitted with the approval of the teacher. One of our goals in enabling the students to see primary documents and research collections is to give them a better understanding and appreciation for the work that goes into information collection and organization. This is an invaluable lesson in this age of information and an important outcome of a Montessori education—an appreciation for the work that has been done before us and from which we have so greatly benefitted. This research is shared with their peers at the culminating “Presentation Day,” giving each student a broader understanding of the period of study.