All our Thursday Courses are listed below.
If you prefer to look at them on a printable PDF, click the button:
If you prefer to look at them on a printable PDF, click the button:
Thursday Courses (2018-2019)
HISTORY THROUGH STORIES: This class is for 5th through 8th grade students. Since history is simply the story of the past, we will learn about historical events and times through the stories of people, including some historical fiction. This year we will focus on some of the key times and characters in United States history through the 1600’s and 1700’s. Students will have freedom to choose books based on their own interests and reading level, in addition to some assigned reading. Audio books will also be encouraged as listening allows even the reluctant reader to gain valuable ideas from books, opens up more challenging literature, and allows for more time learning from books as you can listen in the car and while doing chores, art or spending time as a family. By providing a list of suggested books along with sharing our family’s library, I hope to make it easy for students to find fascinating ones. The public library will be an invaluable resource as well. Weekly homework will involve students reading and/or listening to stories and answering related questions. Each student will create a U.S. history timeline, and engage in hands-on projects as a means of encouraging a deeper understanding (examples: writing a newspaper article, making a picture book, creating a replica or model, cooking or learning to do or make something as it would have been done in the past. With parental help, I would like to plan a few field trips during the year. Since stories engage our minds and move our hearts, they have the power to leave a more lasting connection with people, times and ideas, promoting greater insight and appreciation of our country’s past. Materials: $10.00. Taught by France Vivenzio.
WORLD HISTORY: MODERN: This high school course is based on Tapestry of Grace, Year 4: The Twentieth Century. We will be studying God’s working through the course of history from the turn of the century to modern times. Included in the content of this course will be World Wars I & II, the rise of communism, the Great Depression, the Cold War, Korea, Vietnam, and the rise of the “Information Age.” We study world events, but it contains enough US History to count for that on a transcript. Although students at any level of high school can learn to manage this course due to the amount of study help given, those doing well should count this as an HONORS level course. The majority of the work will be given as homework in preparation for Thursday’s class: vocabulary words, map work, biography/timeline characters to identify, history reading, and research. On Thursdays we will have discussion and presentations based on the week’s work, group projects, and art work, both art appreciation and projects. We love to apply all of history to our lives, but Year 4 is particularly suited to it, as we watch video clips from the Civil Rights movement, share family stories from the Great Depression, have a 50’s party, listen to guests tell their war experiences, and visit the Kennedy Library and Museum. (Not only that, but the tutors are old enough to share from their own lives!) About 5 hours of homework a week can be expected. The course easily provides a full credit in history and ¼ - ½ credit in art, and more could be logged for theology, church history, philosophy, etc., if there is a need/desire.
Art element: Do you have a distaste for “modern art”? Have you ever said to yourself, “My 5-year-old can paint better than that!” If you’ve ever thought that way before, you’re in good company! However, by studying the history and worldviews of the 20th century, we will begin to understand the worldviews of the modern artists. We will see how effectively they have communicated their worldviews through their art, and examine those messages in light of Scripture. We will look at 20th century painting, architecture, sculpture, and more. Students will become familiar with the art from the time period covered as it is connected to the rest of history. Some hands-on art projects are included, but not on a weekly basis.
Why learn history? Because it helps us understand God’s work, our own place, and how to influence history in our own age. (Our post-modern world does not study history the way we used to because they don’t see any “big picture”, any way that things are and ought to be in the world, any Truth that applies to all people everywhere.) Why study the hands-on way, even in high school? Because kids who learn in dynamic ways tend to face other things in life in a more involved way, rather than sitting on the sidelines. We all remember much more of what we DO, than what we READ or HEAR. Licensing fee: $70.00, or $95.00 for BOTH History and Literature (if you don’t own the curriculum or have it in your possession). Materials: $20.00. Taught by Julie Shorey and Tammi Visser.
WORLD LITERATURE: MODERN This high school level course is designed to complement the Tapestry world history course, but it can be taken separately. Students will be studying world literature written in the past 100 years. Benefits? Although homeschooled students have often read LOADS, they are often reluctant and unskilled in literary analysis, a VERY high school and LIFE skill. Studying the literature of the time helps us to understand not only the people, beliefs, and customs of the time period studied, but also gives us a “cultural shorthand” to understand other literature. As we understand what each author wrote and why he wrote it, we will compare and contrast it to a Christian worldview, appreciating each author’s God-given talent and artistry while evaluating his secular worldview. Reading, literary analysis, and discussion are all included in this class. Novels for this year will include All Quiet on the Western Front, Animal Farm, The Old Man and the Sea, The Glass Managerie, Lord of the Flies, The Chosen, The Crucible,To Kill a Mockingbird, Fahrenheit 451, and The Hobbit, as well as some poetry and plays. (List could possibly change.) Students will be expected to read 50-70 pages/week, answer comprehension and analysis questions, participate in class discussions, and complete tests and projects on the literature read. Licensing fee: $70.00 or $95.00 for BOTH History and Literature. Copy fee: $5.00. Taught by Tammi Visser.
SPANISH 1: Have your kids tried to do a foreign language program on their own with a computer program that promised speaking fluency in one week or less? Have they gotten discouraged when they don’t understand why the language works the way it does, and the program offers no explanation? Have you gotten discouraged that they aren’t progressing through the program for which you paid a substantial amount of money? If you can relate to this, sign your kids up for a tutorial class in Spanish 1. This is a high school level Spanish 1 class in which students will be instructed in Spanish vocabulary, grammar and pronunciation, with an emphasis on reading and listening comprehension, leading to ease in writing and speaking. No prior experience in the language is needed to begin, but if your child has started and stopped a Spanish 1 program before, he will build on what he has previously learned. In the tutorial class, daily grammar homework and online vocabulary memorization will be assigned and quizzed weekly, to make sure that students stay “on track.” If students have a question mid-week, they are encouraged to contact the tutor with questions no matter how small. Students should expect to spend approximately 30-60 minutes per day outside of the Thursday tutorial working on the language; the only way that students can succeed in learning a foreign language is to spend time on it every day. Parents are expected to monitor and check the completion of their child’s work at home, and assist in helping their child to check and correct homework using answers provided by the tutor. Textbook, Spanish for Mastery 1 by Valette & Valette is provided by instructor. Copy fee: $15.00. Taught by Tammi Visser.
SPANISH 2: Has your child completed a Spanish 1 class before but not continued on? Does he have a firm grasp on basic Spanish pronunciation, verb conjugation, and vocabulary? If your child has successfully completed a rigorous beginning Spanish class (like Spanish 1A and 1B), he should be able to move into the Spanish 2 tutorial. This high school level class picks up where the Thursday Spanish 1 tutorial left off, quickly reviewing beginning vocabulary, pronouns and present-tense verb conjugations, and noun/adjective agreement. Students again will be instructed in Spanish vocabulary, grammar and pronunciation, with an emphasis on reading and listening comprehension, leading to ease in writing and speaking. Daily grammar homework and online vocabulary memorization will be assigned and quizzed weekly, to make sure that students stay “on track.” Students should expect to spend approximately 30-60 minutes per day outside of the Thursday tutorial working on the language; the only way they can succeed in learning a foreign language is to spend time on it every day. If students have a question mid-week, they are encouraged to contact the tutor with questions no matter how small. Parents are expected to monitor and check the completion of their child’s work at home, and assist in helping their child to check and correct homework using answers provided by the tutor. Contact the tutor if you have placement questions before registering. Textbook, Spanish for Mastery 2 by Valette & Valette is provided by instructor. Copy fee: $15.00. Taught by Tammi Visser.
ENGINEER IT! This is a hands-on science class that leads students through the engineering design process. Working in teams to problem solve and think creatively, teams will be presented with a new engineering challenge each week that will build on concepts over 5- 6 classes to culminate into a final design challenge! It should not replace General Science, but might be a nice option for students not quite ready for that course, and is ideal for students in grades 5-7. Using the Design It! curriculum, challenges will include: Roller Coaster Design, Cardboard Construction, Rubber Band Powered Cars, Paper Bridges and Blinking Lights! Students will learn new vocabulary, research engineers and engineering history and complete one paragraph report for each challenge. Up-cycling material will be used as much as possible. Materials Fee: $40. Taught by Denise Mudge.
GENERAL SCIENCE: This Apologia junior high school level course is the foundation for all the upper level Apologia high school science courses due to its easy introduction to areas of biology, chemistry, physics and anatomy and physiology in a simple and approachable manner. Labs and fun projects will be done in class while bi-weekly tests will be proctored at home. Apologia science courses follow a routine and rhythm that helps the students and that routine is established effectively in this foundational course. Required Materials: Apologia Exploring Creation with General Science, 2nd edition, by Jay Wile; 3 ring binder notebook. Materials/lab fee: $20.00. Taught by Dana Cloutier.
PHYSICAL SCIENCE: (1½ hour tutorial) As with our other science courses, this course uses an Apologia science text. It begins with detailed discussion of what makes the world work, and then travels to the universe for further appreciation of God’s creation. Topics include air and the atmosphere, weather, the physics of motion and Newton’s laws, gravity, magnetism, atoms, sound, light, and an introduction to astrophysics. This course is labeled 8th grade by Apologia, but suits most transcripts as a 9th grade course as well. Students will do labs and have instruction and discussion in class, while having tests proctored at home. Prerequisite: Students should have completed Pre-Algebra or be taking it concurrently. Please purchase Apologia’s Exploring Creation with Physical Science, (2nd edition required) by Jay Wile. Materials and copy fee $20.00. Taught by Sandy Tracy.
BIOLOGY: (1½ hour tutorial) This high school biology course is an introduction to general biology topics including: classification of organisms, basic cell biology, biochemistry concepts, anatomy and physically of organisms, genetics, ecology, and a discussion of evolution. Laboratory experiments, including dissections, are performed throughout the year. Students will create Biology Laboratory books so to demonstrate to college admissions the true nature of this Lab Biology course. Homework and bi-weekly examinations help build students’ understanding of the material. Required Materials: Apologia - Exploring Creation with Biology, 2nd edition, Jay Wile and Marilyn Durnell. Material/Lab fee: $20.00. Taught by Dana Cloutier.
CHEMISTRY: (1½ hour tutorial) This high school class provides an introduction to general and physical chemistry topics, ranging from the structure of atoms & molecules, energy & heat, the phases of matter, measurement making, and chemical equations. It also provides an overview of more advanced chemistry topics, including acid/base chemistry, thermodynamics, kinetics, equilibrium, and even a bit of quantum mechanics. This class provides a solid foundation for future science classes in college, and prepares the student for chemistry questions on standardized tests (ACT, SAT). This course contains laboratory experiments that help illustrate the topics in the class; the student will maintain a laboratory notebook to document the experiments performed and provide evidence to college admissions that the class included a lab section. Prerequisite: Algebra 1. Please purchase: Exploring Creation with Chemistry, 2nd Ed. Jay Wile. Students will also need a calculator. Lab and materials fee: $20.00 Taught by Sandy Tracy.
ADVANCED BIOLOGY: Anatomy and Physiology (1½ hour tutorial): This advanced high school biology course covers the eleven organ systems of the human body module by module, including a detailed study of the reproductive system. Even if not intending to major in the sciences in college, students in this course will be exposed to a further understanding of their own bodies to empower them to advocate for themselves medically after graduating high school. Students should keep in mind that many college majors require anatomy and physiology as the mandatory science in their undergraduate studies in lieu of biology or chemistry, i.e. speech pathology, audiology, early childhood and personal training/kinesiology to name a few. Laboratory experiments, including dissections, are performed throughout the year. Students will create Biology Laboratory books so to demonstrate to college admissions the true nature of this Lab Biology course. Homework and bi-weekly examinations help build students understanding of the material.
Required Materials: Apologia - The Human Body: Fearfully and Wonderfully Made!, 2nd edition, Marilyn Shannon and Rachael Yunis. Pre-requisite: Biology. Material/Lab fee: $20.00. Taught by Dana Cloutier.
MATH CONCEPTS: Understanding math concepts, the whys behind what we do with a math equation, is key to future success in math and science. As our world becomes more and more technical, being comfortable with these skills become even more essential. There is a big difference between getting the correct answer to a math problem and understanding why it is correct and how to extrapolate what you are learning to new situations. Students often learn math as a lot of different, new and separate ideas for which they need to memorize procedures. As a result, they quickly reach a point where they can’t keep it all straight, feel overwhelmed, and conclude that they are no good at math. The goal of this course is to help students understand the concepts and the connections among the different concepts. This enables them to broaden their math knowledge and see how they can connect what they already know with the new things they are learning. This course is designed for middle school students who have completed their basic elementary math work (7th and 8th graders, although some 6th graders may be ready for this course). We will work through the basic math concepts that will lay a strong foundation for Algebra and high school level science, approaching the material through a variety of learning approaches which makes the material accessible to all learning styles. Please purchase Pre-Algebra for Christian Schools (1st edition, trees on the cover) by Bob Jones University Press (this can be purchased used on Amazon). Although it is optional, it is highly recommended that parents purchase the teacher’s edition and check their student’s daily work. Copies: $15.00. Taught by Sandy Tracy.
ALGEBRA 1: This high school math course meets TWICE per week (see Tuesday). Prerequisite to admission into this class is successful completion of the Math Concepts class or passing an Algebra readiness test administered by the instructor. [If a student is not ready for Algebra 1, the Math Concepts course offered on Thursdays is a great place to begin.] . This format allows for more in-depth interaction with the concepts. The course requires about an hour of DAILY work outside of class. A goal of this course is to help students understand why the concepts work, not just how to find the answer. This helps promote mathematical reasoning and conceptual growth which allows students to analyze new situation and deduce answers. The concept of function is emphasized throughout the course. Some of the other topics covered include integers, word phrases and algebraic expressions, solving equations and inequalities, polynomials and factoring, radical and quadratic equations, rational expressions and equations, and quadratic functions. Additionally, statistics topics (which are now included in the SAT exam) are introduced as well: probability, multiplication principle of counting, permutations, combinations, standard deviation, and standard normal distribution. Please purchase: Algebra I Student Text, by Bob Jones University Press (2nd edition). Although it is optional, it is highly recommended that parents purchase the teacher’s edition (Algebra I Teacher’s Edition, 2nd edition) and check their student’s daily work. Also required is a calculator that can handle trig. functions and logarithms (the Casio FX-300 ES PLUS, the Casio fx-300MS, and the TI-30XS MultiView can be purchased for under $20). Do not purchase a graphing calculator. Materials and copies: $15. Taught by Sandy Tracy.
GEOMETRY: This is a high school level math course that meets TWICE per week (see Tuesday). Prerequisite to admission into this class is successful completion of the Algebra 1 class or passing an Algebra Exit test administered by the instructor. [If a student is not ready for Geometry, the Algebra 1 course is a great place to begin.] This format allows for more in-depth interaction with the concepts. The course requires about an hour of DAILY work outside of class. A goal of this course is to help students understand why the concepts work, not just how to find the answers, promoting mathematical reasoning and conceptual growth which allows students to analyze new situation and deduce answers. Topics include include: parallel and perpendicular line, triangle relationships, similarity, polygons and area, surface area and volume, right triangles and basic trigonometry, and circles. Please purchase: Holt McDougal Geometry Concepts and Skills (2010 edition). Also required is a calculator that can handle trig. Functions and logarithms (the Casio FX-300 ES PLUS, the Casio fx-300MS, and the TI-30XS MultiView can be purchased for under $20). Do not purchase a graphing calculator. Materials and copies: $15. Taught by Sandy Tracy.
UNDERSTANDING THE TIMES: This course by Summit Ministries focuses on six fundamental worldviews of Western Civilization: Marxist Leninism (communism), Secular Humanism, Cosmic Humanism (New Age movement), Islam, Post-Modernism, and Biblical Christianity. Students learn to understand how worldview affects all other disciplines and how to defend their own faith. Try taking this excellent (and free) worldview test yourself and then have your high schooler do it, to perhaps give to give yourself some real insight into the need: http://www.secretbattlebook.com/checkup.html Where apologetics is mostly studying the basics of the Christian faith from the Bible, this course involves studying what the other worldviews believe and how they compare to Christianity, also using the Bible as the final authority. You have heard the statistic that 50% of professing Christian students leave the faith in college? Instruction in the biblical worldview dramatically changes those numbers. The lively discussion/application format is very effective in encouraging students to interact about the things that really matter, and it is what the students love most about this class, along with the video lectures by experts in every field we study. Arrangements have been made by Summit with Bryan College to give college credit for this high school course to students meeting the extra requirements and making arrangements with them. More information will be given regarding the college credit option, but you can check out this option at http://understandingthetimes.com/college-credit/. The material was written for juniors and seniors in high school, but, though challenging, it need not be limited to that age. This class meets for 1½ hours per week. All the materials for the course are available on line and licensing fee does not include a hard copy of the textbook unless you pay an extra $20.00. License/Materials fee: $45.00. (plus $20.00 if you want the hard copy of the text). Taught by Julie Shorey.
STUDY SKILLS AND READING STRATEGIES. (1st semester) Appropriate for students in grades 8 – 12. Please Note: This class has been revised and no longer includes SAT/ACT prep! SAT/ACT prep is now offered in a separate class 2nd semester. Success in high school and college depends heavily on a student’s ability to comprehend challenging non-fiction reading passages, manage time well, and study effectively. Students in this class will learn basic speed reading skills, along with summarizing and recall strategies, which will improve both their reading rate (words per minute) and their reading comprehension. There has been, for 80% of the students taking this class, an increase in their reading rate of at least 100%. That means that if they started with a reading rate of 150 wpm (words per minute), then they increased their reading rate to 300 wpm. This is NOT a class where we are trying to attain extreme speed reading rates instead students work on steadily increasing their reading pace and improving their comprehension so that they are able to complete assignments more efficiently. Even for homeschoolers who are avid readers, I have found in my literature and SAT prep classes that their reading speed and comprehension are not what they should be. The reality for most students is that they need to be explicitly taught reading strategies and study skills. Any student planning to go to college (regardless of how high functioning you think they are academically) should consider taking this class to improve their reading abilities, as well as to learn specific strategies for studying, note taking, task analysis, and time management. This class is geared for students who are 8th grade and above. Copy fee $20.00. Taught by Allison Desautell.
AP (ADVANCED PLACEMENT) UNITED STATE HISTORY (APUSH): The AP U.S. History focuses on developing students’ understanding of American history from approximately 1491 to the present. The course concentrates on the significant events, individuals, developments, and processes in U. S History, organized in nine historical periods and utilizing the thinking skills and methods (i.e. analyzing primary and secondary sources, making historical comparisons, chronological reasoning, and argumentation) employed by historians when they study the past. The course traces seven themes that students explore throughout the course in order to make connections among historical developments in different times and places. The test taking strategies employed prepare students to take the AP exam in spring 2019. Please note: there is a summer reading requirement (see below), and the first class will meet on August 30. AP U.S. History is designed to be the equivalent of a two-semester introductory college or university U.S. history course. Students should be able to read a college-level textbook, primary historical documents, write grammatically correct, complete sentences, and enjoy class discussion.
Required Textbooks (4)
(1) Foner, Eric, Give Me Liberty! An American History (AP Edition, Third Edition
ISBN-13: 978-0393919554
ISBN-10: 0393919552
(2) Workbook: Cracking the AP US History Exam 2018 (Premium Edition)
ISBN-13: 978-1524710620
ISBN-10: 1524710628
(3) For the Record (Volume 1): A Documentary History of America: First Contact through Reconstruction
ISBN-13: 978-0393283037
ISBN-10: 0393283038
(4) For the Record (Volume 2): A Documentary History: Reconstruction through Contemporary Times
ISBN-13: 978-0393283044
ISBN-10: 0393283046
Summer Reading Assignment (Required):
Read all of part 1 in your textbook, Chapters 1-2 (pp 1-91). Answer the following questions (see below). This will be turned in the FIRST DAY of class. It must be typed. It should label chapters and sections.
Pg. 39, #1-3; Pg. 43 #1 & 2; Chap. 1 Review pg 50 Review Questions #1-9, Freedom Question s #1-5; Pg. 72, #1 & 2; Pg. 79 #1-3; Chapter 2 Review pg. 90, Review Questions #1-9 and Freedom Questions #1-5.
Copies: $25.00. Taught by Bauer Evans.
WORLD HISTORY: MODERN: This high school course is based on Tapestry of Grace, Year 4: The Twentieth Century. We will be studying God’s working through the course of history from the turn of the century to modern times. Included in the content of this course will be World Wars I & II, the rise of communism, the Great Depression, the Cold War, Korea, Vietnam, and the rise of the “Information Age.” We study world events, but it contains enough US History to count for that on a transcript. Although students at any level of high school can learn to manage this course due to the amount of study help given, those doing well should count this as an HONORS level course. The majority of the work will be given as homework in preparation for Thursday’s class: vocabulary words, map work, biography/timeline characters to identify, history reading, and research. On Thursdays we will have discussion and presentations based on the week’s work, group projects, and art work, both art appreciation and projects. We love to apply all of history to our lives, but Year 4 is particularly suited to it, as we watch video clips from the Civil Rights movement, share family stories from the Great Depression, have a 50’s party, listen to guests tell their war experiences, and visit the Kennedy Library and Museum. (Not only that, but the tutors are old enough to share from their own lives!) About 5 hours of homework a week can be expected. The course easily provides a full credit in history and ¼ - ½ credit in art, and more could be logged for theology, church history, philosophy, etc., if there is a need/desire.
Art element: Do you have a distaste for “modern art”? Have you ever said to yourself, “My 5-year-old can paint better than that!” If you’ve ever thought that way before, you’re in good company! However, by studying the history and worldviews of the 20th century, we will begin to understand the worldviews of the modern artists. We will see how effectively they have communicated their worldviews through their art, and examine those messages in light of Scripture. We will look at 20th century painting, architecture, sculpture, and more. Students will become familiar with the art from the time period covered as it is connected to the rest of history. Some hands-on art projects are included, but not on a weekly basis.
Why learn history? Because it helps us understand God’s work, our own place, and how to influence history in our own age. (Our post-modern world does not study history the way we used to because they don’t see any “big picture”, any way that things are and ought to be in the world, any Truth that applies to all people everywhere.) Why study the hands-on way, even in high school? Because kids who learn in dynamic ways tend to face other things in life in a more involved way, rather than sitting on the sidelines. We all remember much more of what we DO, than what we READ or HEAR. Licensing fee: $70.00, or $95.00 for BOTH History and Literature (if you don’t own the curriculum or have it in your possession). Materials: $20.00. Taught by Julie Shorey and Tammi Visser.
WORLD LITERATURE: MODERN This high school level course is designed to complement the Tapestry world history course, but it can be taken separately. Students will be studying world literature written in the past 100 years. Benefits? Although homeschooled students have often read LOADS, they are often reluctant and unskilled in literary analysis, a VERY high school and LIFE skill. Studying the literature of the time helps us to understand not only the people, beliefs, and customs of the time period studied, but also gives us a “cultural shorthand” to understand other literature. As we understand what each author wrote and why he wrote it, we will compare and contrast it to a Christian worldview, appreciating each author’s God-given talent and artistry while evaluating his secular worldview. Reading, literary analysis, and discussion are all included in this class. Novels for this year will include All Quiet on the Western Front, Animal Farm, The Old Man and the Sea, The Glass Managerie, Lord of the Flies, The Chosen, The Crucible,To Kill a Mockingbird, Fahrenheit 451, and The Hobbit, as well as some poetry and plays. (List could possibly change.) Students will be expected to read 50-70 pages/week, answer comprehension and analysis questions, participate in class discussions, and complete tests and projects on the literature read. Licensing fee: $70.00 or $95.00 for BOTH History and Literature. Copy fee: $5.00. Taught by Tammi Visser.
SPANISH 1: Have your kids tried to do a foreign language program on their own with a computer program that promised speaking fluency in one week or less? Have they gotten discouraged when they don’t understand why the language works the way it does, and the program offers no explanation? Have you gotten discouraged that they aren’t progressing through the program for which you paid a substantial amount of money? If you can relate to this, sign your kids up for a tutorial class in Spanish 1. This is a high school level Spanish 1 class in which students will be instructed in Spanish vocabulary, grammar and pronunciation, with an emphasis on reading and listening comprehension, leading to ease in writing and speaking. No prior experience in the language is needed to begin, but if your child has started and stopped a Spanish 1 program before, he will build on what he has previously learned. In the tutorial class, daily grammar homework and online vocabulary memorization will be assigned and quizzed weekly, to make sure that students stay “on track.” If students have a question mid-week, they are encouraged to contact the tutor with questions no matter how small. Students should expect to spend approximately 30-60 minutes per day outside of the Thursday tutorial working on the language; the only way that students can succeed in learning a foreign language is to spend time on it every day. Parents are expected to monitor and check the completion of their child’s work at home, and assist in helping their child to check and correct homework using answers provided by the tutor. Textbook, Spanish for Mastery 1 by Valette & Valette is provided by instructor. Copy fee: $15.00. Taught by Tammi Visser.
SPANISH 2: Has your child completed a Spanish 1 class before but not continued on? Does he have a firm grasp on basic Spanish pronunciation, verb conjugation, and vocabulary? If your child has successfully completed a rigorous beginning Spanish class (like Spanish 1A and 1B), he should be able to move into the Spanish 2 tutorial. This high school level class picks up where the Thursday Spanish 1 tutorial left off, quickly reviewing beginning vocabulary, pronouns and present-tense verb conjugations, and noun/adjective agreement. Students again will be instructed in Spanish vocabulary, grammar and pronunciation, with an emphasis on reading and listening comprehension, leading to ease in writing and speaking. Daily grammar homework and online vocabulary memorization will be assigned and quizzed weekly, to make sure that students stay “on track.” Students should expect to spend approximately 30-60 minutes per day outside of the Thursday tutorial working on the language; the only way they can succeed in learning a foreign language is to spend time on it every day. If students have a question mid-week, they are encouraged to contact the tutor with questions no matter how small. Parents are expected to monitor and check the completion of their child’s work at home, and assist in helping their child to check and correct homework using answers provided by the tutor. Contact the tutor if you have placement questions before registering. Textbook, Spanish for Mastery 2 by Valette & Valette is provided by instructor. Copy fee: $15.00. Taught by Tammi Visser.
ENGINEER IT! This is a hands-on science class that leads students through the engineering design process. Working in teams to problem solve and think creatively, teams will be presented with a new engineering challenge each week that will build on concepts over 5- 6 classes to culminate into a final design challenge! It should not replace General Science, but might be a nice option for students not quite ready for that course, and is ideal for students in grades 5-7. Using the Design It! curriculum, challenges will include: Roller Coaster Design, Cardboard Construction, Rubber Band Powered Cars, Paper Bridges and Blinking Lights! Students will learn new vocabulary, research engineers and engineering history and complete one paragraph report for each challenge. Up-cycling material will be used as much as possible. Materials Fee: $40. Taught by Denise Mudge.
GENERAL SCIENCE: This Apologia junior high school level course is the foundation for all the upper level Apologia high school science courses due to its easy introduction to areas of biology, chemistry, physics and anatomy and physiology in a simple and approachable manner. Labs and fun projects will be done in class while bi-weekly tests will be proctored at home. Apologia science courses follow a routine and rhythm that helps the students and that routine is established effectively in this foundational course. Required Materials: Apologia Exploring Creation with General Science, 2nd edition, by Jay Wile; 3 ring binder notebook. Materials/lab fee: $20.00. Taught by Dana Cloutier.
PHYSICAL SCIENCE: (1½ hour tutorial) As with our other science courses, this course uses an Apologia science text. It begins with detailed discussion of what makes the world work, and then travels to the universe for further appreciation of God’s creation. Topics include air and the atmosphere, weather, the physics of motion and Newton’s laws, gravity, magnetism, atoms, sound, light, and an introduction to astrophysics. This course is labeled 8th grade by Apologia, but suits most transcripts as a 9th grade course as well. Students will do labs and have instruction and discussion in class, while having tests proctored at home. Prerequisite: Students should have completed Pre-Algebra or be taking it concurrently. Please purchase Apologia’s Exploring Creation with Physical Science, (2nd edition required) by Jay Wile. Materials and copy fee $20.00. Taught by Sandy Tracy.
BIOLOGY: (1½ hour tutorial) This high school biology course is an introduction to general biology topics including: classification of organisms, basic cell biology, biochemistry concepts, anatomy and physically of organisms, genetics, ecology, and a discussion of evolution. Laboratory experiments, including dissections, are performed throughout the year. Students will create Biology Laboratory books so to demonstrate to college admissions the true nature of this Lab Biology course. Homework and bi-weekly examinations help build students’ understanding of the material. Required Materials: Apologia - Exploring Creation with Biology, 2nd edition, Jay Wile and Marilyn Durnell. Material/Lab fee: $20.00. Taught by Dana Cloutier.
CHEMISTRY: (1½ hour tutorial) This high school class provides an introduction to general and physical chemistry topics, ranging from the structure of atoms & molecules, energy & heat, the phases of matter, measurement making, and chemical equations. It also provides an overview of more advanced chemistry topics, including acid/base chemistry, thermodynamics, kinetics, equilibrium, and even a bit of quantum mechanics. This class provides a solid foundation for future science classes in college, and prepares the student for chemistry questions on standardized tests (ACT, SAT). This course contains laboratory experiments that help illustrate the topics in the class; the student will maintain a laboratory notebook to document the experiments performed and provide evidence to college admissions that the class included a lab section. Prerequisite: Algebra 1. Please purchase: Exploring Creation with Chemistry, 2nd Ed. Jay Wile. Students will also need a calculator. Lab and materials fee: $20.00 Taught by Sandy Tracy.
ADVANCED BIOLOGY: Anatomy and Physiology (1½ hour tutorial): This advanced high school biology course covers the eleven organ systems of the human body module by module, including a detailed study of the reproductive system. Even if not intending to major in the sciences in college, students in this course will be exposed to a further understanding of their own bodies to empower them to advocate for themselves medically after graduating high school. Students should keep in mind that many college majors require anatomy and physiology as the mandatory science in their undergraduate studies in lieu of biology or chemistry, i.e. speech pathology, audiology, early childhood and personal training/kinesiology to name a few. Laboratory experiments, including dissections, are performed throughout the year. Students will create Biology Laboratory books so to demonstrate to college admissions the true nature of this Lab Biology course. Homework and bi-weekly examinations help build students understanding of the material.
Required Materials: Apologia - The Human Body: Fearfully and Wonderfully Made!, 2nd edition, Marilyn Shannon and Rachael Yunis. Pre-requisite: Biology. Material/Lab fee: $20.00. Taught by Dana Cloutier.
MATH CONCEPTS: Understanding math concepts, the whys behind what we do with a math equation, is key to future success in math and science. As our world becomes more and more technical, being comfortable with these skills become even more essential. There is a big difference between getting the correct answer to a math problem and understanding why it is correct and how to extrapolate what you are learning to new situations. Students often learn math as a lot of different, new and separate ideas for which they need to memorize procedures. As a result, they quickly reach a point where they can’t keep it all straight, feel overwhelmed, and conclude that they are no good at math. The goal of this course is to help students understand the concepts and the connections among the different concepts. This enables them to broaden their math knowledge and see how they can connect what they already know with the new things they are learning. This course is designed for middle school students who have completed their basic elementary math work (7th and 8th graders, although some 6th graders may be ready for this course). We will work through the basic math concepts that will lay a strong foundation for Algebra and high school level science, approaching the material through a variety of learning approaches which makes the material accessible to all learning styles. Please purchase Pre-Algebra for Christian Schools (1st edition, trees on the cover) by Bob Jones University Press (this can be purchased used on Amazon). Although it is optional, it is highly recommended that parents purchase the teacher’s edition and check their student’s daily work. Copies: $15.00. Taught by Sandy Tracy.
ALGEBRA 1: This high school math course meets TWICE per week (see Tuesday). Prerequisite to admission into this class is successful completion of the Math Concepts class or passing an Algebra readiness test administered by the instructor. [If a student is not ready for Algebra 1, the Math Concepts course offered on Thursdays is a great place to begin.] . This format allows for more in-depth interaction with the concepts. The course requires about an hour of DAILY work outside of class. A goal of this course is to help students understand why the concepts work, not just how to find the answer. This helps promote mathematical reasoning and conceptual growth which allows students to analyze new situation and deduce answers. The concept of function is emphasized throughout the course. Some of the other topics covered include integers, word phrases and algebraic expressions, solving equations and inequalities, polynomials and factoring, radical and quadratic equations, rational expressions and equations, and quadratic functions. Additionally, statistics topics (which are now included in the SAT exam) are introduced as well: probability, multiplication principle of counting, permutations, combinations, standard deviation, and standard normal distribution. Please purchase: Algebra I Student Text, by Bob Jones University Press (2nd edition). Although it is optional, it is highly recommended that parents purchase the teacher’s edition (Algebra I Teacher’s Edition, 2nd edition) and check their student’s daily work. Also required is a calculator that can handle trig. functions and logarithms (the Casio FX-300 ES PLUS, the Casio fx-300MS, and the TI-30XS MultiView can be purchased for under $20). Do not purchase a graphing calculator. Materials and copies: $15. Taught by Sandy Tracy.
GEOMETRY: This is a high school level math course that meets TWICE per week (see Tuesday). Prerequisite to admission into this class is successful completion of the Algebra 1 class or passing an Algebra Exit test administered by the instructor. [If a student is not ready for Geometry, the Algebra 1 course is a great place to begin.] This format allows for more in-depth interaction with the concepts. The course requires about an hour of DAILY work outside of class. A goal of this course is to help students understand why the concepts work, not just how to find the answers, promoting mathematical reasoning and conceptual growth which allows students to analyze new situation and deduce answers. Topics include include: parallel and perpendicular line, triangle relationships, similarity, polygons and area, surface area and volume, right triangles and basic trigonometry, and circles. Please purchase: Holt McDougal Geometry Concepts and Skills (2010 edition). Also required is a calculator that can handle trig. Functions and logarithms (the Casio FX-300 ES PLUS, the Casio fx-300MS, and the TI-30XS MultiView can be purchased for under $20). Do not purchase a graphing calculator. Materials and copies: $15. Taught by Sandy Tracy.
UNDERSTANDING THE TIMES: This course by Summit Ministries focuses on six fundamental worldviews of Western Civilization: Marxist Leninism (communism), Secular Humanism, Cosmic Humanism (New Age movement), Islam, Post-Modernism, and Biblical Christianity. Students learn to understand how worldview affects all other disciplines and how to defend their own faith. Try taking this excellent (and free) worldview test yourself and then have your high schooler do it, to perhaps give to give yourself some real insight into the need: http://www.secretbattlebook.com/checkup.html Where apologetics is mostly studying the basics of the Christian faith from the Bible, this course involves studying what the other worldviews believe and how they compare to Christianity, also using the Bible as the final authority. You have heard the statistic that 50% of professing Christian students leave the faith in college? Instruction in the biblical worldview dramatically changes those numbers. The lively discussion/application format is very effective in encouraging students to interact about the things that really matter, and it is what the students love most about this class, along with the video lectures by experts in every field we study. Arrangements have been made by Summit with Bryan College to give college credit for this high school course to students meeting the extra requirements and making arrangements with them. More information will be given regarding the college credit option, but you can check out this option at http://understandingthetimes.com/college-credit/. The material was written for juniors and seniors in high school, but, though challenging, it need not be limited to that age. This class meets for 1½ hours per week. All the materials for the course are available on line and licensing fee does not include a hard copy of the textbook unless you pay an extra $20.00. License/Materials fee: $45.00. (plus $20.00 if you want the hard copy of the text). Taught by Julie Shorey.
STUDY SKILLS AND READING STRATEGIES. (1st semester) Appropriate for students in grades 8 – 12. Please Note: This class has been revised and no longer includes SAT/ACT prep! SAT/ACT prep is now offered in a separate class 2nd semester. Success in high school and college depends heavily on a student’s ability to comprehend challenging non-fiction reading passages, manage time well, and study effectively. Students in this class will learn basic speed reading skills, along with summarizing and recall strategies, which will improve both their reading rate (words per minute) and their reading comprehension. There has been, for 80% of the students taking this class, an increase in their reading rate of at least 100%. That means that if they started with a reading rate of 150 wpm (words per minute), then they increased their reading rate to 300 wpm. This is NOT a class where we are trying to attain extreme speed reading rates instead students work on steadily increasing their reading pace and improving their comprehension so that they are able to complete assignments more efficiently. Even for homeschoolers who are avid readers, I have found in my literature and SAT prep classes that their reading speed and comprehension are not what they should be. The reality for most students is that they need to be explicitly taught reading strategies and study skills. Any student planning to go to college (regardless of how high functioning you think they are academically) should consider taking this class to improve their reading abilities, as well as to learn specific strategies for studying, note taking, task analysis, and time management. This class is geared for students who are 8th grade and above. Copy fee $20.00. Taught by Allison Desautell.
AP (ADVANCED PLACEMENT) UNITED STATE HISTORY (APUSH): The AP U.S. History focuses on developing students’ understanding of American history from approximately 1491 to the present. The course concentrates on the significant events, individuals, developments, and processes in U. S History, organized in nine historical periods and utilizing the thinking skills and methods (i.e. analyzing primary and secondary sources, making historical comparisons, chronological reasoning, and argumentation) employed by historians when they study the past. The course traces seven themes that students explore throughout the course in order to make connections among historical developments in different times and places. The test taking strategies employed prepare students to take the AP exam in spring 2019. Please note: there is a summer reading requirement (see below), and the first class will meet on August 30. AP U.S. History is designed to be the equivalent of a two-semester introductory college or university U.S. history course. Students should be able to read a college-level textbook, primary historical documents, write grammatically correct, complete sentences, and enjoy class discussion.
Required Textbooks (4)
(1) Foner, Eric, Give Me Liberty! An American History (AP Edition, Third Edition
ISBN-13: 978-0393919554
ISBN-10: 0393919552
(2) Workbook: Cracking the AP US History Exam 2018 (Premium Edition)
ISBN-13: 978-1524710620
ISBN-10: 1524710628
(3) For the Record (Volume 1): A Documentary History of America: First Contact through Reconstruction
ISBN-13: 978-0393283037
ISBN-10: 0393283038
(4) For the Record (Volume 2): A Documentary History: Reconstruction through Contemporary Times
ISBN-13: 978-0393283044
ISBN-10: 0393283046
Summer Reading Assignment (Required):
Read all of part 1 in your textbook, Chapters 1-2 (pp 1-91). Answer the following questions (see below). This will be turned in the FIRST DAY of class. It must be typed. It should label chapters and sections.
Pg. 39, #1-3; Pg. 43 #1 & 2; Chap. 1 Review pg 50 Review Questions #1-9, Freedom Question s #1-5; Pg. 72, #1 & 2; Pg. 79 #1-3; Chapter 2 Review pg. 90, Review Questions #1-9 and Freedom Questions #1-5.
Copies: $25.00. Taught by Bauer Evans.
