All our Tuesday 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:
Tuesday Courses (2019-2020)
WRITING I: This course uses the Excellence in Writing, Level B curriculum, which The Old Schoolhouse Family Education Magazine awarded First Place in their 2017 Excellence in Education Awards in the “Language Arts: Writing (Composition)” category. Along with structure, students will be taught stylistic techniques. Divided into 9 units, structure includes: note taking, summarizing from notes, writing from narrative stories/pictures, research reports, inventive writing, 5-paragraph formal essays, and critiques. Stylistic techniques encompass a combination of 28 grammatical writing enhancements from adverbial clauses to teeter-totters. Checklist rubrics guide students and provide a framework for writing and editing weekly assignments. In completing all assignments, pupils cover the entire nine units of the curriculum in one school year. Plan on two hours of homework per week, and a year-end binder project showcasing the year’s work. Materials fees: $22.00 for binder and $8.00 for copies. Taught by Carol de Vries.
WRITING 1 PLUS: Many younger students benefit from the shoring up of skills learned in Writing I before attempting the more rigorous writing of our advanced courses. This transitional class is ideal for younger students who have successfully completed Writing I but who have not yet met the minimum grade requirement for Writing 2. Using IEW's U.S. History-Based Writing Lessons, students will once again work through all nine structural models introduced in Writing I with increased attention given to decorations, syntax, grammar, and punctuation. IEW offers several excellent theme-based writing programs to shore up structure and style skills learned in Writing I, and this U.S. history volume is no exception. While encouraging increased independence, the lessons utilize source texts touching on people and events in U. S. history from the settling of Jamestown to World War II. Prerequisite: successful completion of Writing I and permission of instructor. Plan on 2-3 paragraphs of writing per week, as well as worksheets on advanced topics. A year-end binder showcasing your student’s weekly revisions is required. In addition, the students will read one novel in the second semester, Journey to Topaz, to prepare them for Module 9, which covers formal critique writing. Materials fees: $30.00 for required text, $10.00 for Journey to Topaz, and $8.00 for copies. Taught by Carol de Vries.
WRITING 2: (offered this year on Tuesdays in Attleboro and Fridays in Cranston) This class reviews all the basic Excellence in Writing techniques learned in Writing I and adds more advanced stylistic devices, while also putting more emphasis on the cohesiveness, clarity, and content of the student’s writing. Students will write a variety of paragraphs, as well as expository, argument, and narrative essays. Conducting research is a major emphasis of Writing II, so students write a 12-paragraph research paper. For this they learn invaluable skills such as how to choose reliable sources, construct a thesis statement, organize an outline from multiple sources, integrate supporting quotations, and cite their sources. In addition, students spend time analyzing and imitating famous authors, writing descriptively from pictures using imagery and figurative language, and learning the structural forms and language of poetry. For creative writing, students work all year on an anthology of their own original poetry. Prerequisite: Students must have taken and successfully completed Writing I or Writing I Plus without much help from their parents; otherwise, Writing II may not be a good fit for them at this time. Also, because of the research paper, even if younger students have successfully completed Writing I, this class is best suited for 8th grade and up. Any student younger than 8th grade must get permission from the instructor in order to take this class. Although grammar is taught contextually in this course, it is paramount that students have completed some formal grammar BEFORE taking this class. Instead of a textbook for this class, students will build a comprehensive binder so they will need at least a two-inch binder with 7 tab dividers. Please note: The source texts used for many of the larger assignments vary every other year so that students can take this class for two consecutive years if they need to. Copy fee $25.00. Taught by Allison Desautell.
A question about the writing classes: How do you decide in which class to enroll your students if they’ve taken one of them already? Writing is a process, and we never come to the place where we have learned it all. All the way through school we’re going back to writing words and sentences, paragraphs and papers. If your students completed a level well, and were able to be nearly independent and do the assignments fairly easily, they probably are ready to move to the next level. They will receive much more benefit from taking a class they’ve already taken and becoming more competent than by taking one for which they are not ready; even though they are enrolled in the same class, they will definitely be working at a higher level. Students will often remain in the same level to more fully practice the concepts, achieving greater mastery. Tutors are happy to help you decide on the correct level. What are the options if my student isn’t really ready to move up a level? You should not see this as a failure to learn, but as the need to benefit from cycling through the skills again. They could repeat the same level – many of our students have done that, with great success. But you could also practice with them the things they’ve learned in order to become more comfortable, perhaps using one of the theme-based books sold by Excellence in Writing. For more information about our writing courses and other options for completing at home, check out www.excellenceinwriting.com.
WRITING 3: Using several Excellence in Writing advanced materials – Student Writing Continuation C, The Elegant Essay, and The Advanced Communication Series – this course reviews the basic IEW units and stylistic techniques, but with added and fun elements (ie an interview essay rather than a biography, imitating some of the great authors, and a short persuasive speech at the end), also adding word roots, some advanced stylistic techniques, descriptive writing, expanded essays, summarizing, quotations and citations, the art of persuasion including letters to the editor, advanced note-taking techniques, college application essays, and a little fun with common grammatical mistakes. We spend most of the second quarter completing one short paper while working individually on the various parts of an essay: forming thesis statements, types of introductions, effective support, and powerful conclusions. Students apply what they’ve learned by writing a term paper during the third quarter, after being set free from the IEW checklist. Because of the class size, lots of individual attention is possible. Students should plan on a little more work than Writing 2, and should have successfully completed level 2 or its equivalent. Assignments can easily be integrated with work in other classes. Each student should also have a loose leaf binder with dividers, two-inch or larger. Materials: $40, which includes The Elegant Essay student workbook. Taught by Julie Shorey.
A word about public speaking: From Forbes Magazine to Psychology Today, it has been concluded that one of the greatest fears for many adults is public speaking. About 19% have an actual public speaking or stage fright phobia, while 75% have speech anxiety. How many adults wish they had been forced to overcome this fear while they were still in grade school? All of us do or will encounter many opportunities in our jobs and in life when public speaking is the expectation. For this reason, we believe it is a skill best conquered while young. Therefore, we are now offering 3 levels of Public Speaking classes!
INTRODUCTION TO PUBLIC SPEAKING: (2nd semester) Intended for grades 5-7, this class allows students with little to no speech experience to “get their feet wet”. By playing speaking games and learning to get up in front of a class, they will tell jokes, recite poems, memorize scripture verses, and re-tell familiar stories. A small amount of writing will be required. This is a fun and exciting way to be introduced to this valuable skill! There will be an in-class presentation toward the end of the semester. The curriculum from Communicators for Christ, Beginning Public Speaking guide will be used. Requirement: basic typing skills or someone to help student type short speeches. Materials: $15.Taught by: Carleen Perkins
BEGINNING/INTERMEDIATE PUBLIC SPEAKING: Intended for grades 7-10, in this class, students will be introduced to a range of speech styles. Speech writing skills such as outlining, research, and organization, as well as presentation skills such as articulation, connecting with an audience, and poise will be taught. Students will practice speeches during class time throughout the year, choosing one piece to present at the speech presentation evening at the end of April. Students will also be introduced to how to create and include a thesis statement in their speeches, as well as how to cite sources. Although material will be drawn from several resources, IEW’s Speech Boot Camp will be our main curriculum. We will conclude the year with time spent on learning how to present an impromptu speech, which is a skill we all use in our day-to-day lives, from sharing with others our faith and values to being interviewed for a job, to carrying on meaningful conversation. Competing in NCFCA or another competitive speech league is encouraged but not required. For those considering repeating, this class will teach slightly different content than in previous years but the amount of writing will be about the same. Repeat students in the past have shown remarkable improvement the second time around! What is expected from the student? Students need to arrive in class having completed the weekly homework assignments. This will help build class unity as well as personal confidence. The only way to actually get comfortable with public speaking is to do it! The speech presentation night at the end of April will be to showcase student’s favorite speeches and is a requirement for this class. Also strongly recommended is our In-house speech tournament, which will take place one Saturday in March. Requirement: Due to the necessary writing component, students should have completed Writing 1 or its equivalent. No other experience necessary. Materials Fee: $15. Taught by: Carleen Perkins.
ADVANCED PUBLIC SPEAKING: The Advanced Public Speaking class is for students who have completed Beginning/ Intermediate Public Speaking Class or who have spoken to Carleen Perkins or Amy Gaudet in order to waive that requirement. This is a high school level class, which requires extensive memorization and is for those students who wish to further develop their speaking skills personally and competitively. Students will learn to listen well, anticipate questions, and formulate reasonable responses, sometimes with very little time to prepare (Impromptu). In addition, students will identify an issue about which they are passionate and present a speech designed to inform and impact listeners regarding that issue (Persuasive or Informative). Few people can navigate life without speaking in public at the very least occasionally. Most adults wish they had received training in public speaking. Public speaking skills have been proven to serve the students well in college, career, ministry, and adult life. For those who are Christ followers, we are compelled to confidently articulate the gospel message. This course is intended to help in that process (I Peter 3:14-15) as well as improve the students’ confidence and ease when giving a speech. Students will test the hypothesis that it can be FUN and exhilarating to embrace challenges which the Lord presents to us without fear (or at least learn to rely on the Lord instead of fear!). Although there will be extensive writing as a part of this course, it is not a tutorial in writing, so students should have completed Writing 2 or its equivalent level before taking this class. Requirements: Participation in at least one competitive public speaking opportunity during the school year (e.g. NCFCA tournament or other competitive venue); Affiliation to NCFCA (www.ncfca.org) for the 2019-2020 academic year (we will be using resources from the NCFCA website. This cost is approximately $100.00 per family); participation in the one day GCT in-house tournament in March; participation in speech presentation night in late April. Copies: $15.00. Taught by Amy Gaudet.
A question about competition: Why is competition necessary? It takes a big commitment of both time and finances. Don’t we just want our kids to get experience in front of people? We have found that NOTHING motivates kids to continue to strive for excellence like competition. If our kids just practiced acting, but never performed; or just practiced football skills, but never played the game; or just practiced the piano without a recital or performance, the outcome would be very different. Winning competitions is NOT the goal –the goal IS becoming effective communicators for Christ, and competition has proven to be an effective means to that end.
INTRODUCTION TO LITERATURE: (for students in 6th-8th grade, offered on Tuesdays in Attleboro and Fridays in Cranston) In this middle school class students gain a solid foundation for high school literary analysis, strengthen their reading comprehension skills, and learn how to discuss books in a group setting. Students will practice the Socratic method of questioning what they read, grounding everything they say with evidence from the text, and drawing conclusions from what is implied in the story. Identifying basic plot elements, conventional story patterns, figurative language, and common literary devices are also important aspects of every class. Incremental lessons ensure that writing a variety of different paragraphs and one literary analysis essay are manageable for all students. Students will read books from a variety of genres that are chosen for their text complexities, such as: multiple characters and plots, symbolic elements, archaic language, non-linear time sequence or varied points of view. This year the books we will use include: Tales from Shakespeare by Charles and Mary Lamb, The Cay by Theodore Taylor, Prince Caspian by C. S. Lewis, Wonder by R. J. Palaccio, and Tuck Everlasting by Natalie Babbitt. Each week for homework students will need to read in the required book, complete work in study guides or reading response journals, along with writing one literary paragraph. Please note: The books for this class are rotated every other year, so that students can take Introduction to Literature for two consecutive years during middle school. Tales from Shakespeare is used every year; however, different stories from the book are studied each year. Copy fee $25.00. Taught by Allison Desautell.
FUNDAMENTALS OF LITERARY ANALYSIS: (offered every other year; this year on Tuesdays in Attleboro and Fridays in Cranston) This foundational high school class is open to any high school student who has never taken a formal high school, discussion-based literature class, but it is ideal for those in 9th or 10th grade. It is also appropriate for an 8th grader who has taken GCT’s Intro to Literature class and has the instructor’s approval to take a more mature literature class. In addition to learning the basics of literary analysis, time will also be spent learning how to interpret an author’s worldview from a Biblical perspective and recognizing Christian symbolism. Incremental lessons enable all students to learn to successfully write a literary analysis essay. Texts are intentionally chosen for an author’s worldview and for a variety of text complexities, such as: multiple characters, narrators, and plots; non-linear time sequence; symbolic elements; or archaic language. Students will read from a wide variety of genres, including: A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens, The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson, The Giver by Lois Lowry, Animal Farm by George Orwell, The Magicians Nephew by C. S. Lewis, The Old Man and the Sea by Ernest Hemingway, and Much Ado about Nothing by William Shakespeare, along with short stories by O. Henry, Edgar Allan Poe, and other notable authors. Homework each week consists of reading, journaling or study guide work, and a manageable amount of writing. There are many reasons to take this class, but the three most important skills your student will develop will be discerning an author’s message and worldview, learning how to annotate and respond to a text, and mastering the art of discussion. Please note: There is no prerequisite for this class, but the content of the novels studied is geared for high school, not middle school, so please keep that in mind when you are making your decision. Copies: $25.00. Taught by Allison Desautell.
BRITISH LITERATURE: The purpose of this high school course is to familiarize students with British literature and its authors and worldviews. The literature selections for this class include such works as Beowulf, Canterbury Tales, Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, The Taming of the Shrew, Frankenstein, Jekyll and Hyde, Jane Eyre, and A Tale of Two Cities. In addition, students will analyze British poetry and end the year with a fun study of famous detective writers. Students will receive a complete list of books and materials to purchase, and should expect 65-85 pages of reading per week, as well as participation in an online forum, study guides, dialectical journals, creative projects, and literary analysis essays. They should also be prepared to participate in lively class discussions! Prerequisite: It is assumed that students who take this course have successfully completed a fundamentals literature course. Copy fee: $7.00. Taught by Tammy Bankston.
ADVANCED PLACEMENT (AP) ENGLISH LITERATURE/COMPOSITION: This college level course is open to responsible 11th and 12th grade students who wish to prepare for the AP English Literature and Composition exam in May. Dependent upon their scores, students can earn up to six college credits with this test. A love for literature along with proficiency in writing are a must for this course. Students should expect to work 8-10 hours per week, reading 75-100 pages along with essay writing, dialectical journals, extensive work with poetry, and required participation in a forum-based discussion. Students will post essays and discussion question responses to an on-line forum for critique, commentary and discussion. Deadlines for work will be strictly enforced. Although rigorous, the class will be lively, with opportunity for entertaining and spirited discussions. A student who loves digging into books and chatting with others about their deeper meanings will do well. Along with a list of novels and plays, there are required textbooks. Students will receive a list from the instructor. Please contact the instructor for specifics before signing up for this class:tammybankston@gmail.com. Please note: Although the class is listed on the schedule as a 1:00 class, it actually begins at 12:40 and ends at 2:10. Copy fee: $7.00. Taught by Tammy Bankston.
UNDERSTANDING THE TIMES: (offered on all three days) (1½ hour tutorial) Don’t let your high school student graduate without this course by Summit Ministries which focuses on comparing six fundamental worldviews of Western Civilization: Marxist Leninism (communism), Secular Humanism, Cosmic Humanism (New Age movement), Islam, Post-Modernism, and Biblical Christianity, all easily discovered in the current culture. Students quickly learn to do that, as well as being grounded in answers for them. Students learn to understand how worldview affects all other disciplines and how to defend their own faith. Those questioning their beliefs are encouraged to ask questions. Try taking this excellent (and free) worldview test yourself and then have your high schooler do it, to perhaps obtain 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? The number is even higher now, but instruction in the biblical worldview dramatically changes the statistic. 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. Check out the college credit 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. Materials fee includes hard cover textbook, student manual, access to online video lectures, and copy fee. Materials: $75.00. Taught by Julie Shorey.
WORLD GEOGRAPHY AND CULTURE: (1½ hour tutorial) Travel around the world using the Trail Guide to World Geography curriculum, for high school students and mature 8th graders who could earn early high school credit! This course guides students throughout the world - continent by continent. Students will create their own geography notebooks by comparing and contrasting countries and cultures using the required texts. Small writing assignments will include topics such as: world news, famous landmarks, wildlife, people groups, and one winter geography project. Students will also study and label maps from all over the world. During class, students will enjoy hands-on projects, foods from many cultures, guest speakers, and student oral presentations.
Required Materials: Answer Atlas by Rand McNally (out of print) OR Atlas of World Geography by Rand McNally (www.geomatters.com); World Geography in Christian Perspective - Student Text with Political and Cultural Profiles (ABeka book); and one “Heavy Duty” 2 inch wide 3 ring binder (usually has clear plastic pocket in front).Due to the high research demands of this course, computer/printer access is required. Materials/copy fee: $25.00. Taught by Dana Cloutier.
SPANISH 1A: This course focuses on interaction and conversational Spanish, concentrating on the four aspects of communicating: listening and speaking, writing and reading. The students will converse in Spanish using basic vocabulary to talk about their interests and the world around them. Grammar is taught to support the effort to speak and understand this language, as students
explore the various cultures of Hispanic people around the world. The class includes studies of geography, history, cultural traditions, art, music, and daily life, all from someone who has experienced it firsthand and uses that knowledge to make the language come alive in the classroom. This course works well for middle school students looking to get a head start on language or high school students who would like to work at a slower pace, breaking Spanish 1 into two years to ensure comprehension. Taking both Spanish 1A and Spanish 1B is the equivalent of one year, one credit of high school Spanish, meaning that students would still take a Spanish 2 class in order to fulfill the two-year language requirement. All teacher-made materials mean no textbook, but students will need a binder and should plan on about 3-4 hours of homework per week. Materials fee: $25.00. Taught by Mikaela Shorey.
SPANISH 1B: This course is the continuation of the conversation-based Spanish 1A class. It is a communicative course that focuses on interaction to learn language effectively. The students converse in Spanish using basic vocabulary and grammar. Students will experience a continued balanced development of the four basic skills: reading and writing, listening and speaking. The content focuses on students talking about themselves and others, their likes and dislikes, feelings, giving directions, travel, food, description of where they live, and what their daily routines look like, hobbies, plans, and healthy living. Grammar concepts focus on the formation of the present tense. Students will begin to show, in oral and written form, some spontaneity and creative language use in response to an oral or written question, a situation, or a visual. This class, combined with the preceding Spanish 1A, is the equivalent of one year of high school Spanish, meaning that students would still take a Spanish 2 class in order to fulfill the two-year language requirement. (But don’t be surprised if they learn to love it, and want to pursue more language years than required!). All teacher-made materials mean no textbook, but students will need a binder and should plan on about 3-4 hours of homework per week. Materials fee: $25.00. Taught by Mikaela Shorey.
STUDY SKILLS AND READING STRATEGIES (1st semester): Success in high school and college depends heavily on a student’s ability to comprehend challenging, non-fiction reading passages, manage their time, and study effectively. Students in this class will learn key reading skills to improve their reading speed and comprehension. 80% of the students who take this class experience 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; however, this is NOT a class where we are trying to attain extreme speed-reading rates, instead students learn to make decisions to find their own optimum reading pace and improve their comprehension so that they are better able to understand what they read and complete assignments more efficiently. Even for homeschoolers who are avid readers, I have found in teaching 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. As always in order to build their reading stamina, students are required to read in a book for 20 minutes a day 4 days a week; however, one new requirement for their required reading is that students will now have specific genre requirements to fulfill so that they will be exposed to a wider variety of books. This class is geared for students who are 8th grade and above. Tutor will contact registered students about purchasing workbook. Copy fee $20.00. Taught by Allison Desautell.
ALGEBRA 1/HONORS ALGEBRA 1: This is a high school level math course that meets TWICE per week. 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.] Since math is a difficult subject to take in an entire week’s worth of instruction at one sitting, it will meet TWICE a week for 1 hour each session. This format allows for more in-depth interaction with the concepts. The course requires about an hour of DAILY work outside of class, and can be taken at the standard level or the honors level. 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 situations and deduce answers. The concept of function is emphasized throughout the course. We will start with Chapter 3 of the textbook because Chapter 1 and 2 are Pre-Algebra topics. Required summer assignments will review these earlier topics. 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. Required Materials: Algebra 1, by Larson, Bosewell, Kanold and Stiff, published by McDougall Littell, Copyright 2007, ISBN 0618594027. (Can be purchased used through Amazon, Abe Books and other used book sources.) A 3-ring binder with 5 dividers, lined and graph paper. You will also need a calculator that can handle trig. functions and logarithms (the Casio FX-300 ES PLUS, the Casio fx-300MS, and the TI-30XS MultiView are examples for under $20). Do not purchase a graphing calculator. Material fee $60 – includes one year subscription to aleks.com and summer review assignments. Taught by Sandy Tracy.
ALGEBRA 2/HONORS ALGEBRA 2: This is a high school level math course that meets TWICE per week. It can be taken at either the standard level or the honors level. Prerequisite to admission into this class is successful completion of the Algebra 1 class or passing an Algebra 2 readiness test administered by the instructor. [If a student is not ready for Algebra 2, the Algebra 1 course is a great place to begin.] Since math is a difficult subject to take in an entire week’s worth of instruction at one sitting, it will meet TWICE a week for 1 hour each session. 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. We will start with Section 2.6 of the textbook because the earlier sections are Algebra 1 topics. Required summer assignments will review these earlier topics. Topics covered in this class include: systems of inequalities, factoring quadratics, quadratic equations and functions, rational expressions, complex fractions, irrational and complex numbers, direct and indirect variation, polynomial equations, systems of equations in 2 or more variables, exponential and logarithmic functions, triangle trigonometry, and trigonometric applications. Required Materials: Algebra 2, by Larson, Bosewell, Kanold and Stiff, published by McDougall Littell, Copyright 2007, ISBN 0618595414. (Can be purchased used through Amazon, Abe Books and other used book sources.) A 3-ring binder with 5 dividers, lined and graph paper. You will also need a calculator that can handle trig. Functions and logarithms (the Casio FX-300 ES PLUS, the Casio fx-300MS, and the TI-30XS MultiView are examples for under $20). Do not purchase a graphing calculator. Material fee $60 – includes one year subscription to aleks.com and summer review assignments. Taught by Sandy Tracy.
INFORMAL LOGIC: This class involves a lot of class discussion and participation as we study and apply reasoning skills and logic to the things we hear every day. We will first build reasoning skills like distinguishing between fact, opinion and inference, being able to list the reasons we believe something, being able to evaluate another’s arguments, and developing observation skills. Then we will learn to recognize poor reasoning. We will learn to identify various fallacies such as: red herring, ad Hominem attack, faulty appeal to authority, circular reasoning, and equivocation. We will also look at propaganda (like appeal to fear or pity, or snob appeal), applying these skills to identify fallacies in TV ads, political campaigns, and daily discussions. This course can be taken at one of two levels depending on the amount of out of class work done by the student. Required reading and work takes about 1 to 1 ½ hours of work per week. This would count as a ½ high school credit. However, students who wish to earn a full high school credit can complete additional weekly work to accomplish that goal (about a total of 3 to 4 hours of work per week). This course is also appropriate for upper middle school students as well. Required books: The Thinking Toolbox and The Fallacy Detective, both by Nathaniel and Hans Bluedorn. Material fee: $10 for middle school or ½ credit level, $20 for 1 credit level. Taught by Sandy Tracy.
FORENSIC SCIENCE: (1½ hour tutorial) This high school level lab science explores the exciting field of crime scene investigation, covering topics in biology, chemistry, and physical science. Students will use a unique hands-on program to perform intriguing investigations weekly as they seek to discover the culprits in The Mystery of Lyle and Louise. Topics include: blood detection, blood spatter analysis, evidence processing, forensic entomology, footprint analysis, questioned document and handwriting analysis, fingerprinting, bite mark analysis, gunshot residue, bullet striations, and drug testing. To learn more about the program, visit this website: http://www.crosscuttingconcepts.com/about-mystery-lyle-and-louise). In addition to the labs, there will be an online forum, reading and workbook assignments, quizzes, and short oral reports about historical crime cases. Students should purchase a copy of Cold Case Christianity by J. Warner Wallace before the first class. There are no other textbooks to purchase as all written material is available online. Due to the lab intensive nature of the course, there is a $90 lab fee. Taught by Tammy Bankston.
HEALTH AND NUTRITION (for high school and beyond): “Exploring Creation with Health and Nutrition covers what maturing students need to know to help them make the best choices they can for themselves as they become young adults. Health is about stewardship: managing what you have as well as you can. This 15-module course covers the physical, nutritional, emotional, and spiritual aspects of growing into a healthy adult. Students will study the human body systems, senses, genetics, temperaments, and physical influences on thoughts and feelings. The course respectfully covers mental illness and emotional stability, as well as the inestimable value of another human being, our culture, our gender roles, our families, socialization, communication skills, and conflict resolution skills. Students will gain an in-depth knowledge of both macronutrients and micronutrients, including the importance of exercise and proper diet. We will also touch on topics such as nature versus nurture, personal temperament, good decision-making skills, boundary setting, analyzing food intake and activity levels, creating good hygiene habits, keeping a sleep record, as well as so much more. Parental Note: This is a full health textbook. Some students may not be mature enough to discuss some of the topics. The reproductive systems are covered in detail, including accurate, yet respectful, illustrations and descriptions. We respectfully discuss the act of marriage, sexual misconduct, pregnancy, and sexually transmitted diseases. We discuss alcohol and drug abuse, depression, pornography, and other topics that also require maturity. Please use your knowledge of your students to decide if this course is appropriate for their maturity levels.” (from apologia.com). Please note: If your student high school science course plan does NOT include the Anatomy & Physiology course, this Health course would be helpful to include with biology. Apologia Biology does NOT include any study of the human body in its biology book. Exploring Creation with Health and Nutrition can fulfill the health course requirements that some states require for high school graduation. It does not fulfill a lab science requirement. Required Text: Exploring Creation with Health and Nutrition. Materials: $20.00. Taught by Dana Cloutier.
ALL ABOUT ART (1st semester): This is a multi-level, basic art course for both middle and high schoolers that will include the elements and principles of art. Students will be introduced to different types of mediums, for a variety of art experience, including pencils, paint, and clay. Assignments will include: discovering LINE through drawing, SPACE and depth through collage, sculpting a comic character that will be designed by the student, and brushstroke and techniques of paint and COLOR. We will be completing the semester with an original watercolor painting, and will display student projects during the last day of classes. A supply list will be provided. Materials: $10.00. Taught by Erin Hazen.
COLORS AROUND THE WORLD (2nd semester): This art course, also for every age level, emphasizes, for deeper understanding, the element of art: color. It is a wonderful follow-up to the first semester’s more general art course, but that is not a pre-requisite for this one. “I cannot pretend to feel impartial about colors. I rejoice with the brilliant ones and am genuinely sorry for the poor browns.” ~Winston Churchill Students in this class are introduced to painting and color and will observe the amazing colors used in various techniques and styles of different countries and cultures around the world: color harmonies, contrasting colors, and the theory of the color wheel. They will discover how color affects moods and brightens the world around us. During this class the students will use colored pencils, markers, dye, and acrylic and watercolor paints. Projects include a story pole of the Native North Americans, a monochromatic shoe painting, fabric dying of Africa, illuminated manuscript design from the cathedrals of Europe, Russian Pysanky eggs, South American masks, Chinese watercolor prints, and an acrylic complementary color painting. Materials fee includes a set of designed paint cards (part of the “Colors, Colors, Colors curriculum”) which we will be using in class. A supply list will be provided. Materials: $18.00. Taught by Erin Hazen.
CALLIGRAPHY (1st semester): Learn Italic Calligraphy for invitations, letters, envelopes, scrap booking, and more. Using the book/kit, Miller's Calligraphy 1, a practice pad and three chisel tip felt markers, students gain proficiency in all upper and lower case letters, and the numerals 0-9. With instruction, apprentice calligraphers master letter formation, letter width, slant, and self-critique. While weekly practice is necessary, it's fun! Previous students report using their skills to bless others, to make gifts, and to improve their handwriting. Calligraphy is open to both students and adults. Students will need to purchase Miller's Calligraphy 1 Kit, which includes book, practice pad and 3 chisel tip markers for $18.99. http://millerpadsandpaper.com/millers-calligraphy-i-kit/ Additional chisel felt tip markers may be purchased by the students throughout the semester to expand their color range. Copies: $7.00. Taught by BB Wolf.
TREBLE CHOIR - CHRISTMAS AROUND THE WORLD: (1st semester) Choir this fall will focus on the higher (treble) voices. Our unique Christmas repertoire has been selected from various places around the globe (Africa, Germany, Puerto Rico...) while also featuring a fair selection of our favorite music from the USA. In this class we will work on quality of sound & presentation, while having some fun learning about Christmas traditions in other places! Choirs from Attleboro and our Cranston location will combine in concert at Cranston Christian Fellowship. Mandatory dress rehearsal and concert dates/times will be provided soon. Open to all Sopranos & Altos (guys & gals) grades 5-12; new singers or experienced! Please contact Mrs. Baker at carolsjenny@gmail.com if you have any questions regarding vocal placement. Internet access is crucial to this class, as students will use goodcompanychoirs.wordpress.com for supplemental instruction. In addition, CD’s may be handed out for learning music at home. Students need a black 2”, 3-ring binder with their name inside & designated choir pencil. ***No audition necessary! But NEW students must email Mrs. Baker at carolsjenny@gmail.com to complete registration (in addition to GCT registration form). Materials: $22.00. Taught by Jennifer Baker.
To view a choir "teaser" featuring one of the songs we will learn, click here ---> www.youtube.com/watch?v=zFpJ36Oh4JY&feature=youtu.be
CHOIR: (2nd semester) Choir returns to SAB format (Soprano, Alto, Baritone) with eclectic repertoire from a broad range of genres which gives us ample opportunity for developing choral skills as well as creating a very interesting presentation at the end of the semester! A one day “choir retreat” for fun & extra rehearsal time may be provided mid-semester pending provision of a venue. Details TBD. Our concert will be held at Cranston Christian Fellowship. Mandatory dress rehearsal and concert dates/times will be provided soon. Internet access is crucial to this class, as students will use goodcompanychoirs.wordpress.com for supplemental instruction. In addition, CD’s may be handed out for learning music at home. Open to students grades 5-12. They will need a black 2”, 3-ring binder with their name inside & designated choir pencil. ***No audition necessary! But NEW students must email Mrs. Baker at carolsjenny@gmail.com to complete registration (in addition to GCT registration form). Materials: $22.00. Taught by Jennifer Baker.
READERS THEATER (2nd semester): This class for 5th-8th graders is perfect for students who don’t read well orally or for students who don’t read very much and need to build their reading stamina. Fluency is essential for successful comprehension because when children don’t read smoothly they use up all their energy sounding out the words instead of understanding the meaning of what they are reading. Studies show that students who struggle with intonation, pacing, and decoding when reading orally also struggle while reading silently. In this class, students practice reading short scripts from a variety of genres orally without memorizing them, so they naturally develop reading fluency because of repeated exposure to a familiar text. By repeatedly reading a text, students can better comprehend what they are reading, so they are able to execute proper voice expression. GCT Readers Theater is a class that combines both drama and reading skills. Unlike typical drama classes, it does not require any costumes, stage sets, or memorization. Required homework each week consists of repeated oral reading of a short script. One change this year is that in addition to reading the script for the week, in order to maximize a student’s potential for improvement in fluency, students will also be held accountable for silent reading in a book of the student’s choice for 20 minutes 4 days a week. Everyone who takes this class is required to participate in a culminating performance that showcases the skills the students have learned all semester long. Copy fee $20.00. Taught by Allison Desautell.
DRAMA: PRODUCTION: (1st semester) Intended for grades 7-10, students will learn how to express themselves through physicality, characterization, and timing through a ½ hour mixed-up comedy called “The Adventures of Little Red Robin Hood,” a mash-up of The Adventures of Robin Hood and Little Red Riding Hood. With the help of Robin and her Merry Maidens—and a decidedly friendly Wolf—can Grandma find a way to save her cottage from a developer who wants to cut down Sherwood Forest, and keep her money out of the hands of the Sheriff, Prince John and a conniving Bishop? Space is limited, but if enough students sign up, a second, short, humorous play will be added. Requirement: Please only sign up if you can commit to being at every class, with the exception of unseen emergencies or illness. A large part of the success in any drama production is unity through working together—think of the players on the stage as a team sport! You will also need to commit to attending longer rehearsals for each Tuesday in December, including our Tuesday evening production. Materials: $15. Taught by: Carleen Perkins.
DRAMA PRODUCTION: (2nd semester): (1½ hour tutorial) This high school (grades 9-12) class will work toward a performance of Sense and Sensibility (adapted from the book by Jane Austin). It would be a good idea, for those who would like to participate in this play, to come to the first class having read the book! This humorous story is set in the late 18th century and revolves around the Dashwood family. A mother and her three daughters face life without adequate income and a permanent home. How will they manage it? Because this is a tutorial program and we only meet generally once a week, there will be several longer rehearsal times arranged. It is also imperative that students commit to attending all classes – most especially all classes in April and May. Please make sure this class fits your schedule, allowing for a firm commitment. Materials: $20.00. Taught by Amy Gaudet.
