Teachers will be able to create a consistent content structure throughout the American History, Western Civilization, and/or World History curricula. The curricula will allow students to develop a mental schema that will build on previous knowledge throughout the course of the academic year, and from one academic year to another.

Aristotle explains Paideia as what makes a city what it is, according to “settled things,” or settled issues.  It is more than a culture or an ethos. The Paideia encompasses all things that a Politeia, or regime, teaches its children, including the stories or myths that define a people, e.g. the Iliad, the Aeneid, the Torah, the Bible, the Koran, the Declaration of Independence, the Communist Manifesto, inter alia.

Offices and Honors in a society are conferred on certain individuals according to their adherence to the Paideia. The Paideia includes a certain set of morals and manners of those who make it to the top. During the 1840s, a Japanese ambassador told an English delegation that he was sent to find out what the English “bow to.” What they bowed to, can help explain Paideia.

This curriculum will contain a study of the evolution of one Paideia to another Paideia in Western and in American history.  It will also enable students to contrast the Paideias found in Western Civilization with those in other diverse cultures. Contrasting Paideias will aid students in comprehension and retention. Contrast will also empower students to identify the essence of the societies being examined. Understanding a society’s Paideia also helps students comprehend the various subcultures within the Paideia, e.g. Greek philosophers within the polis.

With Binary Paideia, students will contrast a Paideia from one time period with a Paideia from another time period. Students will even identify contrasting Paideias within one nation, e.g. the North vs. the South in 1860. As students comprehend the concept of Paideia, they will be able to discover the Paideias of cultures thorough their own investigation and research. From the knowledge of the society’s Paideia, students can develop a more thorough and comprehensive understanding of the history of a society, according to their own academic level.

By comparing the Paideia of one society with the Paideia of another society, students will develop a greater capacity for retention of earlier lessons, resulting in a greater comprehension of substantive material in subsequent lessons.

Students will use opposites (or contrasts) to explore American History, and they will comprehend history within the context of stories or tales. History should not be taught as one isolated event after another. Teachers will use stories to reveal the exciting continuum found in American History.

Examples

Teachers can explore the Binary Paideia approach which enables students to discover the essence or nature of various cultures, and articulate what makes a particular society what it is. Students will contrast four essential aspects of each society.  The Politeia is the society’s regime, the structure of their government.  The Politeuma is the ruling order.  They are those who control the dispensing of offices and honors.  In philosophical terms the Paideia is the idea, the Politeuma is the matter.  The Idealist examines the Paideia; the Realist examines the Politeuma.  Aristotle examined both in a more holistic approach.

The virtue is the highest moral excellence honored in a society.

Within this framework, students will be able to comprehend and enjoy rich historical stories that will help them appreciate “the big picture” when exploring their heritage

The segments of society:

Examples from the ancient world:

In ancient Israel , power was originally held by the religious judges/prophets
After 1050 BC, there is often cooperation between king & priests, but the prophets are often at odds with the monarchy.

In Hellenic Greece, there were republics. Religion was part of daily life, but it was not a state religion.
In Athens , there was a form of direct democracy.

In Rome , there was a republic. Religion was part of daily life, but it was not a state religion.
The Roman Republic was based on a military culture.

Later curriculum:    Medieval period

As teachers teach the medieval curriculum, they can show the changes from the ancient societies.  They can hearken back to the ancient curriculum.  They will be able to review the earlier civilizations and make connections to the medieval period.

Middle school teachers should also know the high school World civilization curriculum in order to project forward.  They should also know the United States History curriculum, so they can foreshadow what is to come.

i.e., Luther, or Machiavelli, or Hobbes, or Locke, or Hamilton, or Lincoln, inter alia

Christianity
There were major changes from ancient Rome

Islam
Major changes from ancient Rome & Persia.

Historical Contrasts