This teacher's guide was developed for the second of four courses in Valencia Community College's Interdisciplinary Studies Program, a 2-year core general education curriculum which chronologically examines the major developments in the evolution of human knowledge. The guide provides an introductory overview of the semester's topic (i.e., the foundations of modern thought laid in the Medieval period, Renaissance, Reformation and Counter-Reformation); introduces each unit; discusses each topic within each unit, including information on methodology and main points to be stressed; and provides student papers showing the work in each unit. The units of the course are: (1) A Theological World View, which includes an introduction to Judeo-Christian religion and its influence on Western culture during the Medieval period; (2) Theological Humanism, which traces the birth and development of the Renaissance; (3) Religious Backlash--Scientific Progress, which looks at the Protestant Reformation through the eyes of Martin Luther and the Catholic Counter-Reformation through the eyes of St. Teresa de Avila and St. Ignatius Loyola, and considers the scientific discoveries of the day; (4) The Old State vs. The New State, during which the study of the complete texts of "The Prince," by Machiavelli; "Macbeth," by Shakespeare; "Candide," by Voltaire; and "Second Treatise on Government," by John Locke introduce students to various aspects of government; and (5) Science Creates a New World, which includes the philosphy and discoveries of Descartes, Bacon, and Newton. (AYC)