Social Studies Courses
Discovering
God’s World
(2 year cycle – 2011-2012 is Year Two)
Instructor: Michele Anderson
Grade 1 and 2
Pre-requisites: Read at 1st grade level recommended minimum
This fun, discovery based class will use a multi-sensory approach to learning the historical and social aspect of our world. Through group games, songs, rhymes, stories and hands-on activities, students will explore fascinating facts about our country and our world.
· Year one: My Country
US Geography along with memorizing the names of states and capitals, simple land forms, major water bodies surrounding the US, and basic US history through our national and Christian holidays as they arrive on the calendar will be our focus during this cycle. Community and culture study will include the institutions of American culture that make it strong, like family, church, school, government, and civil service. As an introduction to historical fiction, students will also study American tall tales.
o Books Needed:
§
Geography
from A to Z
§
Legends
and Leagues Book and Workbook Set
§
American
Tall Tales by Mary Pope Osborne
§ My American and My World by Abeka Books
· Year Two: My World
World Geography along with memorizing the names of the continents and countries, more land forms, major global water bodies, along with an overview of global facts through international holidays, cultures and communities will be the focus during this cycle. Christian missionaries, historical and current, and their work will add an interesting component to this class. As an introduction to historical fiction, students will study folktales and stories from around the world.
Discovering
the Ancient and Medieval World
(2 year cycle: 2011-2012 is Year One - Ancient)
Grades 3and 4
Prerequisites: Read at a 3rd grade level (minimum), 4th grade (recommended) and write a short paragraph
Instructor: Faith Bruck
This fun, discovery class takes students on a journey into the past. Over a two year period, young scholars will explore the mysteries of the ancient and medieval worlds from Creation to the Reformation. Through historical facts, bible stories, games, memorization activities, timelines, projects, literature, map activities, arts and crafts, and art history, young students will be encouraged to develop a love and appreciation for history and the bible. The geography focus will be the exploration of Asia, Africa, and Europe. Engaging historical fiction and resource books will immerse young scholars into the lives and cultures of the people of the past.
Discovering America – CANCELLED for 2011-2012
Grades 5 and 6
Discovering
Our Modern World
Grades 5 and 6
Instructor: Rachel Ford
Pre-Requisites: Read at a 4th grade level (minimum) 5th grade level (recommended) and write several short paragraphs
Students will continue on their amazing journey through time as they discover the excitement of the American experience from the early 19th century to the present. This fun, hands on class will use historical facts, games, memorization activities, timelines, projects, stories and literature, map activities, arts and crafts, and art history to encourage students to develop an appreciation for history. The continued exploration of North and South America along with a look at Antarctica and Australia will be studied in the geography component. A study of current events and their connections to historical events will also be incorporated make history relevant and interesting. Engaging historical fiction and resource books will immerse young history scholars into the lives of the people and cultures of the past and present.
Western
Civilizations
(2 year cycle – 2011-2012 is Year Two)
Grade 7 and 8
Pre-Requisites: Read at a 6th grade level (minimum), write a 3 paragraph essay
Instructor: Rachel Ford
These courses survey the history of western civilizations, weaving in the fabric of the Scriptures, primary source documents, geography, and historical fiction. A significant amount of reading and discussion are incorporated to encourage critical thinking skills.
·
Year 1: Creation to the Reformation
This year begins with the Creation in the biblical account and works through the rise of civilization later concluding with the study of the Protestant Reformation. These were times of great scientific and cultural development. Masterful structures were erected, laws and treaties were established, and empires took shape. A deeper understanding of these eras and the peoples who lived in them will give students a clearer understanding of humanity as well as the foundation of the Christian faith.
·
Year 2: The Renaissance to the Present
This year begins with the Renaissance and works through the development of governments later concluding with the study of our current culture. Inventions, industry and technology developed rapidly during these eras. Challenges to government and beliefs surfaced which influenced the shaping of the world as it is today. Through a deeper understanding of these historical events, an appreciation of how God has worked in the past and continues to work in our world will be established.
American
History
Grade: 9th-12th (Geared to 9th grade level)
Pre-Requisites: Read at 8th grade level, write a 3 paragraph essay
Instructor: Tim Coolidge
Throughout this course, students come to appreciate and understand the struggle for justice and freedom throughout American History. By means of a solid history text, primary source documents, and historical fiction, students will come to understand how historical decisions impacted the political, economic, cultural, and religious meanings values which our citizens have attached to the United States and what it inherently means to be an American. Students will learn to sharpen their analytical skills and learn to communicate them effectively. Success in this course depends on the student’s diligent interaction with course materials. Correlations of the past to the present will be examined and discussed in the light of a Christian worldview. Optional CLEP test preparation will be included for students wishing to take the CLEP exams for college credit.
World
History
Grade: 9th-12th (Geared to 10th Grade Level)
Pre-Requisites: Read at 9th grade level, write a 3 paragraph essay.
Instructor: Karine Bauch
This comprehensive world history course will explore all major cultures and strive to see God’s over arching plan through the interactions of peoples who lived in the past. Emphasis will be placed upon the religious and philosophical influences as well as the political and social forces that drive each civilization. Students will be challenged to analyze and think critically from a biblical worldview as they study the course of western civilization in parallel to eastern cultures concurrently. Additional assignments and writing practice will be given to those students who wish to prepare for the AP World History Exam in the spring. This course will use primary source documents and excerpts from classic literature in addition to the text to fully explore the cultures studied.
Government (Tentative)
Grades: 10th-12th (Geared to 11th and 12th grade)
Pre-Requisites: Read at 10th grade level, write 5 paragraph essay
Instructor: Tim Coolidge
This fascinating course uses a historical, philosophical, and theological approach to the subject of American and International governments. Students begin their exploration by examining some of the most important philosophers, themes, and categories in the history of western thought pertaining to politics, society, and government through the eighteenth century. Reading and discussion of selections from Plato, Aristotle, Cicero, Augustine, Aquinas, Machiavelli, Luther, Calvin, Hobbes, Locke, and Montesquieu introduce the student to universal political questions while also setting the foundation to understanding the birth of the American Republic and the formation of the Constitution. Students continue to learn about the workings of modern government both in the United States and the world from the 19th century to the present. This course will incorporate rhetorical skills, writing, speech development and presentation along with sections on debate and argumentation.
Books Needed: TBA
