Increase your vocabulary! Raise your test scores! Improve your Latin! Conquer the world! These are just a few of the things that Bartholomew’s World can help you with. Here’s how:

Supercharge your vocabulary

We here at Bartholomew’s World know that the worst letters of the alphabet are SAT. We cannot help you learn algebra, but we can definitely upgrade your vocabulary skills with the Etymology Exercises that accompany each text excerpt. These exercises will teach you:

  • how to find the roots of Latin words
  • how to interpret prefixes and suffixes
  • how to decipher the meanings of unfamiliar English words quickly and without a dictionary
  • how to use these unfamiliar words in sentences
All of this makes Bartholomew’s World the perfect study tool for the SAT Verbal section. Oh, and don’t worry: Bartholomew's World has GRE words for you prospective grad students too!

Learn cool stuff!

Is singing possible in heaven? What did medieval authors have to say about leprosy and madness? Ever wonder what it is like to read a medieval manuscript? Bartholomew's World will show you. We’ve selected excerpts on a wide variety of topics that allow glimpses into the thoughts of the period’s greatest minds about everything from anatomy to the nature of God - and even the war between dragons and elephants.

This breadth allows the reader to see what impact medieval scholasticism - European and Arabic, male and female - had on the development of Western culture. Introduced by modern leading scholars from some of the top universities in the world, our carefully selected articles offer unparalleled insights into the people and ideas that have shaped Western civilization.

Improve your Latin

Whether you’ve got a big test to study for or you just feel like freshening up your skills, Bartholomew's World has a variety of resources for the stressed-out Latin student. Check out our text excerpts from many great medieval authors, all in their original Latin for you to translate. We have even included some English translations for you, in case you get stumped.

Need to augment your ablatives? Subjugated by the subjunctive? Never fear, Bartholomew's World gives you a variety of targeted grammar exercises to help you slay your dative demons and ace that next quiz. Start with our handy list of grammar exercise topics.

BW as a teaching tool

Whether you want to use Bartholomew’s World for a single homework assignment or build an entire curriculum based on it, Bartholomew's World can meet your classroom needs. Our lessons will soon be available individually in PDF format, and will give students access to full-length versions of the texts you will encounter here.

Our Teacher’s Guide (available via email request from a teacher or parent) provides historical background and lesson plans for every lesson in classroom-ready formats, or use our lessons a la carte online. Our website allows students to check their answers and print out their completed assignments straight from the site and take to class, meaning less photocopying and more learning.

With varied and interesting content, as well as assignments in a range of difficulties, Bartholomew’s World is the perfect customizable complement to any world history or Latin course at the middle school, high school, or college level.