Western Cultural History Notebook

Thanks to everyone who has awaited these updates patiently! Your fortitude is about to pay off. But first, a few “release notes” for 2024-2025.

Although I gave a ridiculous amount of time to revising over the summer, the edits did not bring down printing costs much at all. Whatever savings I made by eliminating extra color pages was eaten up by increased costs overall. However, I was able to find a NEW cost-saving option! I’m happy to announce that paperback copies of the Western Cultural History Notebook are NOW AVAILABLE to licensed Challenge II Directors and enrolled families, at a price that should be less than most retail printers and big box stores. Keep reading for specific details.

For those who prefer the download version, never fear! You have two FREE download options offered below: the Revised Edition for 2024-2025 with new additions and a few changes, plus a Legacy version with only the dates updated — for those Directors who don’t want to rock the boat this late in the game. (I get you.) Details on all three options are below.

A Note about Copyrights

This resource would be nowhere without the talented directors who posted previous versions I could use as a springboard. I do not hold or claim copyright to the content created by others. I’ve tried to credit the folks who shared older versions, but I don’t have specific sources for individual components. (If you are one of the creators and would like to be acknowledged, please reach out and let me know.) A copyright notice is included in this document to discourage others from trying to profit off a resource that was created and shared for free, or to use it apart from its proper context: within a licensed Classical Conversations^® community.

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Available Versions for 2024-2025

01

Revised Edition Download

The long-anticipated update of the Western Cultural History Notebook. The 2024-2025 Revised Edition has significant changes in page order, plus several additions of new content.

Click the button below to view specific details on updates to this year’s files.

Jump to updates

02

Legacy Edition Download

Because the changes to this year’s version are more extensive than planned, I’m making a Legacy Edition available. In this version, the ONLY change is that dates have been updated to 2024-2025. Everything else is identical to last year’s version. Find a link to the Legacy Edition on the Revised Edition page. (NOTE: Due to storage limits, a legacy edition will NOT be available every year. This version will be removed in December 2024.)

03

Revised Edition Paperback

Paperback copies of the Revised Edition are NOW AVAILABLE for order by licensed Challenge II Directors and their families — and much cheaper than any big box store!

Click the button below for details about the Paperback Edition and how to order.

details about the paperback

Details About the Paperback Edition

Although I gave a ridiculous amount of time to revising over the summer, the edits did not bring down printing costs much at all. However, I was able to find an online print-on-demand source with pricing significantly less than what I’ve seen elsewhere. After ordering and inspecting a sample copy, I’m delighted to make these paperback copies available to licensed Challenge II Directors and their enrolled families — with a few caveats.

Paperback Pricing & Orders

The paperback version starts at $13.50 per copy — as close to AT-COST as possible while still covering the printing costs plus credit card fees. Shipping and sales tax (for Oklahoma orders) will be calculated at checkout. IMPORTANT NOTE: Since this product is print-on-demand, orders of paperbacks are NON-REFUNDABLE and cannot be canceled once they are in-production.

Password Required

In order to limit availability to licensed Challenge II Directors and their enrolled families, the Paperback Edition product page is password protected. This password will be shared to the Challenge II Director boards, so licensed Directors can be the gatekeepers for their families. (If you are a parent, please request the password from your Challenge II Director.)

Production Times

Paperbacks are shipped direct to you from the printer. Tracking is included with all shipping methods. Production times vary based on the shipping speed you choose at checkout. Available options include:

STANDARD – approximately 12 to 16 business days for production and shipping
EXPEDITED – approximately 7 to 10 business days for production and shipping
EXPRESS – approximately 6 to 9 business days for production and shipping

My sample copy was ordered with Expedited Shipping and arrived 9 days later. We can’t guarantee production and shipping timelines, but if your order is overdue, contact us and we will look into the delay.

Save on Shipping with Bulk Orders

Shipping starts at $6.19 per order, so BULK ORDERS will save the most money. For example, if you’re ordering 4 copies, Standard Shipping (12-16 business days) should be around $2.50 per copy. For 8 books, Expedited Shipping (7-10 business days) would be about $4 per copy. The more books your order, the lower your shipping costs will be, and the more worthwhile it may be to use Expedited Shipping. Express Shipping (6-9 business days) is available, but is probably not worth the extra cost based on its similar production timeline.

Paperback Specifications

The paperback version is a perfect-bound (i.e. square edge) letter-size notebook with a glossy softcover. Interior pages include full-color illustrations and are UNDATED, so extra copies won’t “expire.” Buyers can choose from two paper stocks: 60# uncoated (matte finish), or 80# coated (gloss finish). The 80# coated is slightly more expensive.

Option 1: 60# uncoated paper

The cheaper option. This paper has a matte finish, with more “tooth.” Great for taking notes, but the quality of color images will be softer, less vivid, and less detailed than the coated paper.

Option 2: 80# coated paper

This option costs $1.00 more per copy. The paper will have a smooth finish. I did not order a sample, but the quality of color images should be clearer and more vivid than the uncoated paper, although notes made in pen will be more likely to smear, depending upon the type of ink.

A few quick pictures of the sample copy — on the 60# uncoated paper — are below.

What’s New in the 2024-2025 Revised Edition?

You’ll find the following updates to the Revised Edition (both download and paperback versions):

Interactive Links

I’ve added a few helpful interactive links to certain pages, in hopes this will make it easier for students and directors to enjoy their tour through Western Culture. Readers can access these links by scanning the QR code with a smartphone.

For example, an interactive link on the Listening Guides will connect readers to audio files page on the Classical Music for Dummies website. On the newly-revised Instrument Families pages, you’ll find audio samples from each family to help students train their ears to identify different musical instruments as they listen to compositions.

Reordered Pages

Printing costs (along with everything else!) have gone through the roof since I started sharing this notebook, and I’ve been working on ways to make it more economical for families and directors. (This became especially urgent once ODP’s online printing system began to charge for color on BOTH sides of a page, whether the other side was color or not.) By reordering some pages, I’ve been able to eliminate a number of “extra” color spreads, and maximize color usage on the other pages. (If you’re looking to save more on printing, paperback copies start at $13.50 each.)

Glossary of Musical Terms

I’ve added a glossary of some of the musical terms students might encounter in the Listening Guides. While the list of terms defined is not exhaustive — Classical Music for Dummies has many others — a brief Glossary should help build a foundation of music and music theory terms, including the translation of many Italian words and phrases common to a musical vocabulary. (Students will get plenty more music theory in Challenge III!)

Integrated How Should We Then Live? Notes

Rather than have all the HSWTL note-taking pages at the end of the notebook, they have been integrated in approximate chronological order with the rest of the content. This helped eliminate some of the excess color pages, and makes them seem less like an afterthought. My hope is that it will now be easier to integrate what is learned from watching the video series into class discussions and at-home preparation as the year progresses.

Expanded Margins

I also tweaked the inside margins with a larger gutter, to accomodate various types of binding without losing the content. This should make spiral binding less hazardous!

Files in the Revised Edition download include:

1 WCH Notebook 2024-2025 (12.8mb)

If you want to use the updated notebook in its entirety, without any fuss, this is the file you’ll need.

2 WCH Notebook 2024-2025 WITHOUT Page Numbers (12.7mb)

If you’d like to edit the content to suit your class, use this file. Since it has no pages numbers, you can re-order pages, delete some, add others, whatever you like.

3 Master Pages for WCH Notebook 2024-2025 (172kb)

Think of this file as the DIY option. A set of master pages gives you unlimited options for customizing the notebook. If you want to delete the pages of artwork so students must sketch the masterpieces for themselves, or add extra artists or composers, or use a different format for How Should We Then Live? notes, you’ll find some basic master pages ready to customize with your own text. A list of the fonts used in the notebook is on page 1, for your reference.

(NOTE: Unfortunately, I’m not able to help design or format any of these customizations. If you’d like to make a suggestion for future updates, feel free to leave a comment below.)

4 Personal Use License and Permission to Print

This is your authorization to print copies of the WCH Notebook for use at home or in community. Please note that you are limited to 14 printed copies. I ask that you DO NOT post the file to other websites or pages, since not all of this content is my work.

Download Paperback

Printing Recommendations

Before printing, I recommend you check available pricing carefully! Paperback copies start at $13.50 each, and most commerical printers I’ve found are substantially more expensive.

If cost is no object — or you have a special insider’s source for lower-cost printing — I recommend these specifications:

28 lb. paper
Two-sided printing
Black-and-White ink for all pages EXCEPT…
OPTIONAL Color printing for the pages of your choice (see table below)

Printing the color pages at ODP has become more expensive and more complicated over the years, as the online system no longer allows printing color on one side of a page with black-and-white on the other. In other words, you have to pay for certain pages “in color” that don’t actually have color on them — just to match up with the reverse side. Based on the standard Revised Edition files, I have noted below which pages are color — and their counterparts.

On ODP with discounted pricing via HSLDA membership, the lowest base price I found (not including tax or shipping) for printing the entire 146-page document was $5.92 per copy (20 lb. paper, two-sided printing, BLACK ONLY, unbound). Adding in all the color pages (plus their reverse sides) came to a total of $19.20 per copy (on 24 lb. paper). Since prices vary by area and other factors, I did not price each variation this year. I encourage you to do your own research before you order printed copies. (See my hints for cutting printing costs below, or purchase a paperback copy.)

I have my own spiral binding machine, so I usually bind these at home with a clear PVC cover and a black back, and with 5-10 pages of sketch paper in the Museum Field Trip Section, so students already have a “sketch book” handy. Standard 8.5″ x 11″ sketch paper is sometimes hard to find, so try this one.

Types of Pages	Color Page Numbers*	REVERSE SIDE Page Numbers*
Artwork pages only	1, 9, 21, 29, 41, 67, 79, 87, 97, 105, 115, 125	2, 10, 22, 30, 42, 68, 80, 88, 98, 106, 116, 126
Listening Guide pages only	17, 37, 52, 53, 75, 95, 113, 133, 137, 140	18, 38, 51, 54, 76, 96, 114, 134, 138, 139
Composer Portrait pages only	15, 35, 50, 73	16, 36, 49, 74
Musical Period pages only	18, 49, 76, 134	17, 50, 75, 133
Instrument Family pages only	38, 54, 96, 114	37, 53, 95, 113
ALL color pages	1, 9, 15, 17, 18, 21, 29, 35, 37, 38, 41, 49, 50, 52, 53, 54, 67, 73, 75, 76, 79, 87, 95, 96, 97, 105, 113, 114, 115, 125, 133, 134, 137, 140	2, 10, 16, 22, 30, 36, 42, 51, 68, 74, 80, 88, 98, 106, 116, 126, 138, 139

* The pages numbers should match the original PDF file when uploaded for printing. They will not match the numbers as printed on each page. Please check carefully before printing.

Saving Money on Printing

Paperback copies are now available to help Directors and Challenge II families save some money!

If you’re printing yourself, consider using the file without page numbers and removing any pages you don’t think you’ll need, using color only on the essential pages, or skipping printing the artworks all together (the Master Pages file has substitute pages that can be used for sketching the artwork instead).

If your supply budget won’t accommodate printing or purchasing these for your whole class, feel free to recommend them to parents as a helpful resource they may wish to provide for their own student.