Join this dynamic world history course to examine history in a unique way. You will study different eras through the lens of major inventions that changed mankind and history forever.
How to Get the Most Out of This Course

• Take notes on all the main points and important people.

• Come to the Live session or review the recordings before taking quizzes.

• Give yourself enough time to do the readings slowly and without rushing yourself (they are not very long).

• And most of all, have fun!

Special Notes: All course materials are provided free by the instructor. For a full year of History credit, also register for “History and Culture of Imperial Russia” offered in the Spring semester.

Total Classes: 12

Class Dates: Tuesdays, September 3 to December 3, 2024 (No class Oct. 22 & Nov. 26)

Starting Time: 1:00 PM Eastern (Noon Central, 11:00 PM, Mountain, 10:00 PM Pacific)

Duration Per Class: 55 minutes

Prerequisite: None

Suggested High School Credit: 1 full semester

Suggested Grade Level: 9th to 12th

Instructor: Phillip Campbell

Course Description: This class will look at the development of twelve of the world's most revolutionary inventions, focusing not only on their mechanical development but also on how they changed culture and altered the way man views his place in the cosmos. Man's capacity to invent is a result of his being made in the image of God, the original Creator. This class explores the creative capacity of mankind and how man has shaped and reshaped his own self-understanding through his inventions, beginning with the alphabet and going all the way up to the Internet.

Course Outline: 

Week One: The Origins of the Alphabet

Week Two: Cartography (Mapmaking)

Week Three: Time-Keeping

Week Four: Firearms

Week Five: The Printing Press

Week Six: The Telescope

Week Seven: Money

Week Eight: Antibiotics

Week Nine: Photography

Week Ten: Automobiles

Week Eleven: Electricity

Week Twelve: The Internet

Course Materials: Online sources will be provided as needed by the instructor. No textbook is required.

Homework: Homework will consist of a semester-long research project/paper with different components due at various intervals throughout the semester, as well as weekly readings provided by the instructor, and weekly quizzes which are graded automatically inside Caravel.

Fee: For all 12 classes: $207 if you register on or before July 15, $227 after July 15. (Registration closes one week before the first day of class. After that date, registrations are not guaranteed. There is a $20 surcharge for late enrollments after the course is closed.)