History

Remarkable Biographies

Eleventh grade 1.00 high school credit Core curriculum

Description

This course invites you to experience the lives of great or remarkable men and women through biographies.

Each month, students choose a biography to read from among the options presented. The schedule includes two or three options each month, and you may also choose a biography from a different month if you prefer. By the end of the course, you should have read ten books in total.

We include remarkable biographies from a wide range of times and walks of life. Here is a rough categorization:

August - September: Scientists and inventors
October - November: Statesmen and advocates for social change
December - January: Spiritual leaders
February - March: Survivors who have transcended terrible circumstances
April - May: Explorers who have left comfortable lives to seek new insights and experiences

The course concludes with a short essay writing assignment.

Great books allow us to experience life many times over from the perspective of others, and provide examples to inspire us. Biographies do these things especially well. We hope this course will be the start of a lifelong enjoyment of remarkable biographies.

Course components

  • Book cover image

    Leonardo da Vinci

    Walter Isaacson

    Optional · Reading level 9 · Aug 3, 2026 - Aug 30, 2026 · 17 credit hours
  • Book cover image

    In the Shadow of Man

    Jane Goodall

    Optional · Reading level 7 · Aug 3, 2026 - Aug 30, 2026 · 12 credit hours

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