This is our catalog of courses. We will occasionally adjust the course listing to reflect the addition of new courses and the retirement of others.
Sign up for this course to learn history in an engaging, enjoyable format. You will learn about Mexican and modern history through the protagonist of our story and share that knowledge with a fun project of your choice.
Total classes: 6
Suggested grade level: 5th to 9th grade
Suggested credit: 1/2 semester History or Literature. For a full semester credit, follow with Enemy Brothers.
Special notes: This course only takes 22 students. We recommend registering early. This is one of four courses in the Living History Through Literature Series (Modern Era). Students can sign up for just one, all four, or anywhere in between. Two 6-week courses are offered in the fall and two are offered in the spring. They are offered consecutively.
Living History Through Literature is a project-based course series offered to 5th through 8th grade students. These courses will weave the study of literature into a meaningful and engaging encounter with a specific era of history. In this course, we meet Blessed Miguel Pro. The story starts in the heart of Miguel’s closely knit, devout family. Born in 1891, he assists his father, an agent assigned to a remote mining camp in Zacatecas. Miguel’s journey to the priesthood is plagued by difficulties and setbacks that temper and transform the mischievous youth into Padre Pro, a man ready to lay down his life for Christ his King. Blessed Miguel Pro died before a firing squad in Mexico City in 1927, and he was beatified in 1988 by Pope John Paul II.
Students will study the historical context of the novel and participate in engaging literature discussions. In this project-based course, students will engage in short quizzes and in projects of their choice. Project options will include fiction writing, preparing period-specific food and/or costumes, creating classic art remakes, recreating scenes from the novel (Legos, clay, K’nex, digital drawing, hand-drawing, etc.), building a timeline, mapping, and more.
Class 1: Overview of Historical Context and Novel Introduction
Class 2: Literature Discussion; Project Introduction
Class 3: Literature Discussion; Cultural Overview
Class 4: Literature Discussion; Fiction Writing Tips
Class 5: Literature Discussion; Final Project Instructions
Class 6 Literature Analysis and Historical Connections; Student Project Showcase
Course Materials: Padre Pro: Mexican Hero, by Fanchon Royer, ISBN# 9781932350760. Purchase new from BethlehemBooks.com or used from BookFinder.com. Your student will need Word 2007 or later version or the ability to convert a document to a Word-compatible document (this can be done free online – let us know if you need assistance).
Homework: Weekly quizzes and reading assignments. Each week, students will work on one project-based assignment that will culminate in a final novel project submission. Homework (including novel reading) will take 1.5-3 hours per week. Parents are encouraged to support younger students by reading texts aloud and helping with project planning and execution.
Class dates: Mondays, January 22 to March 4, 2024 (No class Feb. 19)
Starting time: 4:00 PM Eastern (3:00 Central; 2:00 Mountain; 1:00 Pacific)
Duration per class: 45 minutes