The Contemporary WorldOrdinary TimeWeek 31 of 32

The World Wars

Essential Question

How did the 20th century see both humanity's worst horrors and its bravest holiness?

This is the gravest week of the year. The student studies the two World Wars, the rise of totalitarianism, and the Holocaust, the darkest chapter of human history, alongside the brightest witnesses of holiness it produced: Sts. Maximilian Kolbe and Teresa Benedicta of the Cross, martyrs of the camps. The faith, the saints, the art, and the music all reckon with the same question: how could a century hold such horror and such heroic love? We handle these subjects with honesty, reverence, and age-appropriate care.

Liturgical note: Ordinary Time (May). The Church remembers the martyrs of the 20th century; St. Maximilian Kolbe's witness in particular illuminates Christ's words, 'Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends' (John 15:13).

Threads at a Glance

What Each Thread Covers This Week

World History

World War I (causes, the trenches, the fall of empires); the interwar years; the rise of totalitarianism (communism, fascism, Nazism); World War II (the war, the Holocaust treated with gravity, the Church's witness); the dawn of the atomic age.

US History

World War II: Sacrifice, Victory, and Remembrance

Historical Figure

Winston Churchill.

Geography

The world at war: draw the WWI alliances and the WWII theaters (Europe and the Pacific).

Art History

Modern art and the wars: Picasso's 'Guernica,' Expressionism, and Dada's response to WWI.

Music History

The 20th century: Stravinsky's 'Rite of Spring' and the splintering of tonality; jazz comes of age.

Saint

Sts. Maximilian Kolbe and Teresa Benedicta of the Cross (Edith Stein), martyrs of the camps.

Virtue

Heroic Charity: 'greater love has no one than this.'

Catechism

YOUCAT on the dignity of life, the culture of life, and peace and war (Q378-Q397).

Grammar

Synthesizing complex information clearly; avoiding nominalizations.

Writing

Research-based: a 'history that matters' essay (primary-source or interview based).

Weekly Writing Assignment

History That Matters

Choose one person, place, or moment from the World Wars era that you believe should never be forgotten, and explain why it matters. Options include: a person who showed heroic courage or charity (such as St. Maximilian Kolbe, a rescuer of Jews, or a soldier or nurse); a place that bears witness (such as a memorial or a former camp); or a moment of decision. If possible, interview an older relative or read a survivor's testimony. Write an essay that tells the story clearly and argues, with evidence, why it still matters today.

Skill: Synthesizing complex historical information into clear, well-organized prose; supporting a focused point with evidence; writing with directness (avoiding nominalizations).Length: 550-700 words

Show rubric ▾

Focus: a clear central point about why this subject matters, stated and sustained.
Synthesis: complex information organized clearly and accurately, not just listed.
Evidence: specific, accurate detail from at least two sources (or an interview/testimony).
Style: direct sentences with strong verbs; nominalizations reduced (see Day 3 grammar).
Gravity and care: the subject is treated with the seriousness and respect it deserves.

The Week