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All the parts of speech and parts of the sentence
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Phrases and clauses
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Classic sentence diagramming
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Rules of punctuation and capitalization
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Common usage errors
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Home | Resources for Homeschoolers | Daily Devotional | Photos | Contact Us | Directions THIS IS A PARTIAL LIST
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To write well requires that we know what we’re going to write before we write it! The result: reduced stress, expanded creativity, and improved grades. This class incorporates both academic and professional techniques that develop a student’s critical thinking, organizing skills, and effective communication through essays, including writing about literature. In addition, this class prepares students for SAT timed essays, including evaluation and scoring. For complete descriptions, email john@reconciliation.com or visit www.reconciliation.com. Tutor: John Jenkins
This class provides an essential venue for developing writing and thinking skills for high school, college and beyond, focusing on developing a student’s natural voice while deepening their practical use of effective writing principles through time-tested professional techniques. This class also prepares students for John Jenkins’ Master StoryTeller short story fiction writing class. For complete descriptions, email john@reconciliation.com or visit www.reconciliation.com. Tutor: John Jenkins
This unique writing class combines professional fiction writing skills with the study of classic literature (short stories, not novels) – the authors, their themes, their times. Students will acquire genuine skills for academic excellence – and beyond. Students will learn how to: 1) read, interpret, and understand literature, 2) understand the impact of the author’s worldview and historical context on their stories, 3) how to plan, write, and rewrite short stories using elements that include: setting, plot, characterization, tone/mood, genre, and theme, and optionally, learn how to format and edit a story for publication. For complete descriptions, email john@reconciliation.com or visit www.reconciliation.com. Tutor: John Jenkins
PREPARED STUDENT Gear-up your student for high school, college, and young adulthood! This upbeat classroom setting focuses on developing critical thinking and successful leadership with proven academic and real-world communication skills that last a lifetime. First semester, students will learn: 1) notetaking, listening, and reading skills, 2) problem solving tools, and 3) effective writing skills, but no formal essays or papers. Second semesters, students will learn 1) leadership and teamwork skills, and 2) verbal presentation skills integrated with first semester skills. For complete descriptions, please email john@reconciliation.com or visit www.reconciliation.com. Tutor: John Jenkins
JOY WRITING: CREATIVE WRITING FOR THE RIGHT-BRAINED STUDENT Grade level 7-12th Primarily fiction. Purposefully fun! The emphasis is on creativity. Writing short stories, responses to prompts, children's board books, nonsense poetry, script writing--performing a one-act play with friends and simple props and/or costumes, reading from your script! (The script is more important than the performance in this case). Develop gift book and greeting card ideas, optional submissions to national contests and children/teen anthologies of short stories and poetry, more. Using all the senses to write from what you know (or can imagine). Computer-generated homework required. (Bring your laptop to class if you like.) The emphasis is on fun, but homework must be completed on time. Writing sample required. Tutor: Betsy Dill
HISTORY OF CHRISTIAN THOUGHT (2 Credits on Transcript) At some point in their education, our students will learn mainstream history, but unless they go to seminary, they will not learn our "own" history. Not knowing the development of Christian theology is like holding a cut flower. It has no roots and will not survive. This course is organized by historical figures, Augustine, Aquinas, Luther, Calvin, etc--which is the best way to learn ideas, linking them to real people with their real concerns and challenges. The course also provides a solid foundation for Western intellectual history in general. After all, the history of Western thought is the history of Christian thought until well into the modern period. with SPEECH AND COMPOSITION Would you like to learn writing from a best-selling, award-winning author? Would you like to learn speaking skills from an invited speaker at Princeton, Dartmouth, Stanford, USC, UC Santa Barbara, and many more? Then this course is for you. The weak link in most writing and speaking courses is the content: Students are required to come up with their own content, and as a result, it is not always challenging. To solve that problem, this course will be integrated with the History of Christian Thought, and students will use the theological/philosophical readings as the basis for their presentations. Because all students will read the same core material, they will also be equipped to discuss and challenge one another's class presentations, making for better class discussions. This is a crucial part of the course: Studies show that we retain only 10 percent of what we read, but 70 percent of what we discuss and 95 percent of what we teach. That's why this course involves students teaching one another and discussing what they have learned. Tutor: Nancy Pearcey (bio: http://www.pearceyreport.com/about.php) Grade level: High School Textbooks: Required: Exploring Christian Thought by Tony Lane. I will order the books when I have a count of the students. Strongly recommended: Students will be writing papers to explain the historical background and context of the theologians discussed, and it would be best to have a source on hand for general church history. These are two of the best and most accessible: Justo Gonzalez, The Story of Christianity, two volumes Bruce Shelley, Church History In Plain Language 3rd Edition Transcript: Because this is an interdisciplinary course, it can be counted on your transcript as 1 credit in History (if you attend a secular university) or Theology (if you attend a Christian college), plus 1 credit in Speech & Writing. Be prepared to do the workload of two courses.
"SEEING" WORLDVIEWS (2 Credits on Transcript) This course
is based on Nancy Pearcey's latest book, Saving Leonardo: A Call
to Resist the Secular Assault on Mind, Morals, & Meaning. Most
people pick up a worldview not by taking courses in philosophy
but by absorbing ideas as they filter down through media and pop
culture. As a result, it is crucial for Christians to develop
skills in "translating" the idiom of culture. In this course,
you will learn how to recognize and resist a variety of secular
philosophies when expressed not in words but in images and
stories. This is the fun way to learn about worldviews: You will
"see" them unfold before your eyes through painting, literature,
music, and film. And you will practice hands-on apologetics
through in-class dialogs that give experience in responding to
secular people.
CRITICAL READING/SAT PREP This course teaches students the skills necessary to do a close reading of any text. It is based on a book produced by St. John's College, a great books program in Annapolis. The college has selected excerpts from classic literature, and teaches students how to identify assumptions, analyze logical structure, draw inferences, recognize implications, compare and contrast similar texts, and so on. These skills are not learned in isolation. They are best learned in interaction with others, challenging one another to dig more deeply into the text and decipher what it says. Studies find that we retain only 10 percent of what we read, but 70 percent of what we discuss. Thus, learning good discussion skills is foundational to higher order learning. As a bonus, the course includes sample SAT Prep questions. The SAT has dropped analogies but has increased its emphasis on Critical Reading. As a result, the old strategies for SAT prep are no longer adequate: learning tricks to outwit analogies, memorizing vocabulary words, practicing synonyms and antonyms. A new strategy is needed that concentrates on Critical Reading. Do NOT read the textbook before class. This is a no-homework course, though the readings are quite challenging. The point is to duplicate the SAT test where you confront a text with no prior experience of that text. Tutor: Nancy Pearcey (bio: http://www.pearceyreport.com/about.php) Grade level: High School Textbook: SAT Preparation for Critical Reading, revised edition 2010, from Touchstones. Homeschoolers enjoy a 15% discount. I will order the books when I have a count of the students signed up, in order to request the discount. Transcript: This course can be counted on your transcript as .5 credit in English (Critical Reading).
This course will use the Saxon book, Algebra 1, to provide a comprehensive teaching of the fundamental aspects of problem solving. It offers a substantial review of pre algebra fundamentals while also offering coverage of area, volume, and perimeter of geometric figures. Major topics include evaluation of algebraic equations, thorough coverage of exponents, polynomials, solving and graphing linear equations, complex fractions, solving systems of equations, radicals, word problems, solving and graphing quadratic equations, solving systems of equations, and solving equations by factoring. Tutor: Mac Ogilvie
This course will use the Saxon book, Algebra 2, to provide a comprehensive teaching of the fundamental aspects of problem solving. It offers a substantial review of all topics in Algebra 1 and then moves on to cover these topics at an advanced level. Major topics include the solving and graphing of linear and quadratic equations, factoring, a variety of types of word problems, solving quadratic equations by completing the square, solving simultaneous equations with fractions and decimals, complex roots of quadratic equations, solving systems of nonlinear equations, graphing and solving a system of inequalities, exponential equations, and review of key geometry, probability and statistics topics. Tutor: Mac Ogilvie
We will be using Exploring Creation with General Science by Dr. Jay L. Wile. This course is designed to be a student’s first systematic introduction to the sciences Parents and students will enjoy this text written in a conversational style that makes science concepts easy to understand and fun to discuss. The course covers a brief history of science, the scientific method, designing experiments, simple machines, archaeology, geology, paleontology, biology, and human anatomy and physiology. Its scope, therefore, is quite wide. There are many hands-on experiments using household items. Required Text Books: Exploring Creation with General Science (in two volumes - Text and Solutions Manual) Tutor: Victoria Rose
EXPLORING CREATION THROUGH BIOLOGY, Grade 9 - 10 We will be using Exploring Creation through Biology by Dr. Jay L. Wile. This is a college preparatory high school biology course that provides a general survey of the five kingdoms. It covers the following topics: classification, the definition of life, features of the organisms in each kingdom, an introduction to biochemistry, cell structure and function, cellular reproduction, DNA, protein synthesis, cellular respiration, and genetics. Parents and students will enjoy this text written in a conversational style that makes science concepts easy to understand and fun to discuss. In class, students will participate in lively discussions of the information presented in the module, and learn to make application to the science they read about in current events. Emphasis will be on experimentation and observation while students perform the enumerated labs which include a variety of experiments and dissections and use of a microscope. Lab reports and current event reporting are important routine homework assignments in addition to the assignments required in each module of the text. Required Text Books: Exploring Creation through Biology (in two volumes - Text and Solutions Manual) Important supplies: Meade 3-subject spiral notebook with divider pockets; metric ruler; dissection kit (tools, earthworm, crayfish, perch, frog), lab apron, safety goggles. Theresa Knight, proprietor of Knight’s Book Nook (229-776-8823 or 229-881-7205), offers a discount to STARS families when purchasing science materials and text books for these classes. Tutors: Victoria Rose, Kathy Mukai
CHEMISTRY Description: Apologia Chemistry Exploring Creation with Chemistry. The modules cover measurement and units, classifying matter and its changes, chemical equations, stoichiometry, atomic and molecular structure, polyatomic ions, molecular geometry, acids and bases, solutions, gas phase, kinetics, thermodynamics, chemical equilibrium, energy and heat, and reduction-oxidation reactions. The class meets once a week for two and a quarter hours for textbook discussion and laboratory experiments. Requirements/grade levels: high school lab experience, at least Physical Science; Algebra 1 Course designed for grades 10 - 12 Textbook: Apologia Chemistry Exploring Creation with Chemistry, two volumes and test packet. Tutor: Sandy Kelly
EXPLORING CREATION THROUGH PHYSICAL SCIENCE, Grade 8-9 We will be using Exploring Creation through Physical Science by Dr. Jay L. Wile. This course gives an introduction to such topics as the atmosphere, the hydrosphere, weather, the physics of motion, gravity, Newton's laws, light, sound, and astrophysics. Parents and students will enjoy this text written in a conversational style that makes science concepts easy to understand and fun to discuss. In class, students will participate in lively discussions of the information presented in the module, and learn to make application to the science they read about in current events. Emphasis will be on experimentation and observation while students perform the enumerated labs. Lab reports and current event reporting are important routine homework assignments. Required Text Books: Exploring Creation through Physical Science (in two volumes - Text and Solutions Manual) Important supplies: Meade 3-subject spiral notebook with divider pockets; metric ruler; safety goggles. Theresa Knight, proprietor of Knight’s Book Nook (229-776-8823 or 229-881-7205), offers a discount to STARS families when purchasing science materials and text books for these classes. Tutors: Sherri Carlson, Victoria Rose
ANALYTICAL GRAMMAR COURSE DESCRIPTION Analytical Grammar teaches English grammar, punctuation, and usage. It is designed to be taught in three grammar “seasons” (see timeline) over three years; however, it is flexible enough to be adapted to a one- or two-year schedule. Analytical grammar covers: For more information and where to purchase the required text Analytical Grammar click here. Tutor: Victoria Rose
ART CLASSES THE CREATIVES Grade level: 6-12th Studio art from a Christian perspective with introduction to, and mastery of, classic techniques in different media, and a dusting of art history. Most classes self contained and do not require prior training. Included in this course are composition and design, drawing, painting, portraits, animal art, still lifes, landscapes/seascapes, sculpture. Media includes acrylic paint, watercolors, oil pastels, pencil, India ink line work, Japanese Sumi brush paintings, and children's book illustration. Sculpey and air-dry clay, weaving. Once a year -student's choice: (1) reenactment of a scene from a famous artist's life (friends welcome in the "cast") (2) teaching some art technique not covered in the class, to peers--with How-To paper for the teacher (3) Classic report on an artist with a poster or PowerPoint presentation. Tutor: Betsy Dill
3-D ART: For the Hands-On Artist Grade level: 7-12th Three-dimensional objects are not flat. They can be measured in three different directions (height, width, and depth). In this course, students create hand-made objects or spaces that communicate or explore ideas, faith, and/or emotions. Subtractive and additive figures (clay/wire), nature mosaics, linoleum block cutting/printing, clear tape and plaster casts, paper mache sculptures, stabiles (like a mobile but it has a base rather than being suspended from the ceiling), soft sculpture, masks, etc. Once a year, your choice: (1) reenactment of a scene from a famous sculptor's or architect's life (friends welcome in the "cast"), or (2) teaching some 3-D technique not covered in the class, to peers --with How-To paper for the teacher. Tutor: Betsy Dill
DRAWING IN DEPTH Grade level: 7-12th Student maintains a portfolio and either turns in one detailed sketch each week or continues work begun in class as homework. Includes in-depth study in realism, finishing techniques, shading and highlighting, simple anatomy, composition, elements of design, simple perspective, color theory. Emphasis is on developing a personal style. Line work with pencils, charcoal, pen & ink, Egyptian reed pens, markers, etc. human & animal portraits, cartooning/caricatures, personal still lifes, logo design, projects, more. At this level, students may choose individualized study plans if approved ahead of time. Tutor: Betsy Dill
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