Five Common Topics

Our teachers use the Five Common Topics—questions cultivated in Classical Christian education—to dive deeper into conversation, create a greater understanding of what students have read and spark their curiosity. 

We strive in our partnership with parents to help our students grow and mature in their thinking. Because of this, we at Faith Christian School give time and effort towards developing the curiosity and inquisitiveness naturally found in children. This is done primarily through teaching students how to ask good questions.

The Five Common Topics are often spoken of as a way to deeply discuss literature. However, the Topics can be better understood as a way to ask all manner of questions, the purpose being to understand more fully any subject. “Topics” carries a slightly different meaning than we might think. “Topic” means “places.”

 So when we talk about the Five Common Topics we are talking about five places where we can go to generate information in order to put our ideas and thoughts together. These places are common because they can be used to dig into any subject.

The Five Common Topics are definition, comparison, circumstances, relationships, and authority. They are explained below with sample questions.

 

Definition: 

What kind of thing is it? 

What is it made for? 

What is it made by? 

What is it made of?

 What are its parts? 

What are its qualities and characteristics? 

 

Comparison:

 How is one thing the same as another?

 How is one thing different from another?

 Is one better or worse? 

More or less? 

 

Circumstances:

When did this happen? 

What else is going on? 

What is happening elsewhere? 

 

Relationship: 

What happened before and after the event? 

What is the cause behind something that happened? 

What is the effect of what happened?

 

Authority:

What do the experts have to say? 

Who is a witness? 

What law or rule applies?