Global Perspective Studies
Core Two: Europe
Explore European history and literature from ancient Greece to the European Union
This unit covers from the earliest peoples in Europe to the Dark Ages. Students will read about Athenian democracy and the birth of Rome. They'll read some of the greatest epics ever written and try their hands at writing a silly one of their own.
This unit takes students from the Middle Ages through the French Revolution. Students will focus on history with two history reads, try out poetry analysis, and continue exploring our literary theme for the year: villains.
This unit covers from Napoleon through World War I. Our history book will help students explore the rise of cities and plagues. Students will focus on several works of classic literature and write their own researched work of literary analysis.
This unit takes students from the birth of the Soviet Union through contemporary issues like migration. Students will focus on the rise of totalitarianism and the trend toward European unification. For writing, they'll focus on creativity and honing their writing voice.
GPS Core Two Books
Unit One: Beginnings
World Masterpieces
A quality World or European history textbook
Nimona by Noelle Stevenson
The Story of Greece and Rome by Tony Spawforth
The Odyssey by Homer
Oedipus the King by Sophocles *
Beowulf trans. by Seamus Heaney
Unit Three: Revolutions
World Masterpieces
A quality World or European history textbook
The Ghost Map by Steven Johnson
Oliver Twist by Charles Dickens
Frankenstein by Mary Shelley
The Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka *
All Quiet on the Western Front by Erich Maria Remarque
Unit Two: Explorations
World Masterpieces
A quality World or European history textbook
Heretics and Heroes by Thomas Cahill
Tulipomania by Mike Dash
Othello by William Shakespeare
Candide by Voltaire
Unit Four: Transformations
World Masterpieces
A quality World or European history textbook
One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich by Alexandyr
Solzhenitsyn
Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein
Maus I and II by Art Spielgelman
White Teeth by Zadie Smith
What does Core Two Writing Support Include?
There are always nine assignments included in GPS writing support. For Core Two, those are:
- A document-based essay about the Fall of Rome
- A creative "mock epic" that displays the conventions of a classic epic
- A mini-essay about Iago's motivations in Othello
- A mini-poetry analysis essay
- A persuasive essay about Enlightenment ideas today
- A book review of Frankenstein
- A researched literary analysis paper with citations
- A mini-research paper about World War II
- A creative essay with revisions
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