Overview
The Whetstone Humane Letters curriculum is an integrated course of instruction in History, Literature, and Composition that teaches thinking and communication skills as students engage with the Great Ideas of Western Civilization. The complete high school curriculum spends one year on each of four historical periods: Classical Greece, Classical Rome, Church History and the Middle Ages, and Modernity (with particular emphasis in the Modern period on the history of the United States).
Students may begin the curriculum at any point in the cycle. For the 2014-15 school year, we are studying the expansion of Christendom—its history, its literature, and especially its ideas.
History and Literature
Christendom (2014-15): This course of study will include literature and history from the early church and the Middle Ages. Our primary texts will begin with the gospel(s), include Dante's Divine Comedy (Inferno, Purgatory, and Paradise), and end with Chaucer. Other texts will be included as time allows. Our goal is transformation of the student, so he becomes more Christlike and more able to enjoy God. We read slowly and thoughtfully, discussing the ideas that have concerned mankind from Adam and Eve to our own time. The literature discussions will go beyond facts to help students to see truth, to find and understand a Christian “worldview", to integrate into their thinking the ideas that nourish our souls and order our minds and the facts of the curriculum. Maps, timelines, small projects, films, and the occasional guest lecturer on art or music, etc., round out our history component. (Our maps are from the TRISMS curriculum and are used by permission of its author.) Composition is integrated with all of this, not taught as a "disintegrated" or even "overlapping” subject—instead, we use the Lost Tools of Writing to help us think through the literature and the historical events.
Modernity (2015-2016): Covering the time period from 1500 to the present, we will read British and American literature, including Nathaniel Hawthorne, Charles Dickens, Jane Austen, Mark Twain, etc. Our history component is wider-reaching, and will also include maps, timeline events, etc. from other global locations.
Classical Rome (2017-18): We begin with background reading from Classical Rome to get to know the main actors. Texts will include Ovid's Metamorphoses and Virgil's Aeneid. Other texts will be included as time allows.
Upon successful completion of this part of the course, the student earns one credit in History and one in Literature.
Writing about the Great Ideas – The Lost Tools of Writing
The Lost Tools of Writing™ (a curriculum published by the CiRCE Institute) provides questions that guide students to think deeply through the literature. Students learn specific steps for writing: to think of something to say, to arrange their ideas, and to express their ideas appropriately. This classical writing curriculum teaches not only critical thinking but reaches beyond that by giving students practice making good judgments, helping equip them to be moral leaders.
Upon successful completion of this part of the course, students earn one credit in Composition.
Why all three together?
The Whetstone Christian Classical Curriculum is an integrated (not just overlapping) course that includes history, worldview, apologetics, logic, rhetoric, literature, and composition. We also discuss some art, architecture, and music, while we focus on the history of ideas and their consequences. Ideas integrate the curriculum, order the facts, and nourish the soul.
Benefits
- Focus on formation of the student, his virtue and skills (not just information)
- Increase ability to use language (one the best predictors of career success)
- Provide practice in making moral judgments, cultivating wisdom and leadership
- Normative education
- Destroy writer's block forever
- Have writing assessed and coached
- Build a library of Great Books
- Learn to make a Great Book your own
- Learn classical Greek history and thought—the mindset of the New Testament
- See how the Lord Jesus Christ fulfilled classical thought and its quest for virtue
- Learn course content in an integrated way (not in the usual modern "dis-integrated" style)
Testimonials
In the past semester and a half I've learned more about classical literature and history than in any class I've taken in my 12 years of schooling. I've developed new habits of thought and am forced to question every situation I'm faced with in my life. Camille Goldston has ruined my life, and it's great! – Jill
This class has enabled me to read great books when I would not have read them on my own. – Taylor
This is an extremely beneficial class. The conversation and discussions help me understand the books. Also the way we're taught to write is the only way I've been able to write well. – Brandon
I like this class because we have a lot of discussion. My writing improved and it's much easier to write essays. My knowledge of Roman history has expanded and I find history very interesting now. I think you are a great teacher! – Lindsay
This class has taught me how to sort my thoughts better. It is easier to understand what I read by highlighting. – Sophie
Since I have attended this class, my writing skills have increased tremendously. Before, I had trouble inventing, organizing, and just starting any type of paper. Now I can write any paper in a reasonable amount of time with no trouble at all. The highlighting for our reading assignments helps me remember what I read and to concentrate on what I am reading. – Erica
[This class] put order into my thinking and writing. – Jake
What I like about the class is we are able to talk and express ourselves on the subjects we are learning about. The books we are reading are interesting and I enjoy learning about their history. – Jasmine
The discussions can be fun(ny)! – Ned
The way I've learned to organize my thoughts helps me in everyday life. – Emily
I love that the class is open discussion. She teaches how to write in a way you have never thought of before. I like reading history books ... [ and having] three classes all into one. – Leah
Your class has taught me how to write. – Ryan
This class makes me think and find different perspectives. – Wes
I enjoy the conversation! – Anna
Details
Time and Place: The Christian Classical Curriculum class meets Tuesday afternoons from 1:30p–3:30p at the home of instructor Camille Goldston, located at 6311 Merona Lane, Houston, Texas, 77041.
Homework: The homework load will not include a difficult quantity of work, but it will include a difficult quality of work since we emphasize learning the skills of reading, thinking, and writing at a high level. No busy work is included. Students learn how to read a hard book and how to think about great ideas and enter into "The Great Conversation". We cannot read every great book, so we focus on learning how to read a hard book and understanding that our reading and learning will continue all our lives. The teaching equips students with tools for a lifetime of learning.
Recommended ages: This course is open to all high school age students.
Books: Whetstone provides the books and parents pay a book fee of $125 that is due by August 15th.
Other Materials: Students need a two-inch, three-ring binder with dividers, plus lined paper for writing and blank paper to make a timeline. Students also need a set of colored map pencils or something similar. (Highlighters for reading are provided by the instructor.).
Cost: Course tuition is $95 per month. The first month is paid upon enrollment, to hold your place, but checks are held until July 1. The next payment is due on August 1, and then on the first of each month thereafter, throughout the school year, until April 1st, which is the last payment. Mail your tuition (check or money order) to: Whetstone Instructional Support, 6311 Merona Lane, Houston, Texas, 77041. Tuition paid after the 10th of each month incurs a $10 late fee unless you have made other arrangements with the instructor.
Registration: If your student has never taken a Whetstone class, please request an application using the form available on our Contact page. Currently enrolled students are not required to re-register, but must submit a deposit equal to one month's tuition to guarantee a place in the class. Students are taken on a first-come, first-served basis, and classes fill quickly. We advise you to submit your deposit as soon as possible to secure a spot. Mail your deposit (check or money order) to: Whetstone Instructional Support, 6311 Merona Lane, Houston, Texas, 77041.
Dress code: Girls must wear loose-fitting shirts that have sleeves, with capris, jeans, or skirts (no shorts). Boys must wear shirts that have sleeves, and must not wear T-shirts with inappropriate wording or short shorts.