Page 13 - 2017-2018 Class Catalog
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history text is narrative; its author claims to have clearly stated his own opinions for the reader’s evaluation.
In addition, he has sprinkled the text with insightful questions about underlying principles that drive
historical events. In class, we will review important dates and facts, share maps and primary source images,
discuss the truths we glean from the text, great American speeches and articles, (and our literature) and
refine our opinions about America and our history to the point that we are able to clearly, tactfully,
thoughtfully, and memorably articulate them to both a Christian and Non-Christian audience in writing and
speech. Core Text: Johnson, Paul. A History of the American People. New York: Harper Perennial, 1999. (It
does look intimidating – Don’t worry!) Supplies: A three-ring binder, four dividers, 5X5 graph paper, loose-
leaf notebook paper, pens/pencils, colored pencils (optional). Teacher: Laura Keifer Recommended
Donation of $10 per weekly donation
• Rhetoric-stage American Literature (9th-12th). High School (Rhetoric) American Literature places our Great
Works of literature in historical context and provides a forum for discussing the themes and rhetorical devises
our authors use to communicate their ideas, and for presenting the truths we discover to each other. Core
Works (Tentative): Washington Irving, “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow; Edgar Allan Poe, “The Fall of the House of
Usher”; Nathaniel Hawthorne, The Scarlet Letter; Harriet Beecher Stowe, Uncle Tom’s Cabin; Mark Twain,
Huckleberry Finn; Steven Crane, The Red Badge of Courage; O. Henry, The Cop and the Anthem; Jack London, To
Build a Fire; Thornton Wilder, Our Town; Arthur Miller, The Crucible; Harper Lee, To Kill a Mockingbird; Supplies:
we will use the same binder for both History and Literature. Teacher: Laura Keifer Recommended Donation of
$10 per weekly donation
• Playwright- (highschool) **May be offered in 2018-2019** Writing is fun! This class will guide you through the
playwriting process, from initial idea to submission. It's a complete course, organized in easy-to-follow lessons
and filled with exercises designed to hone your skills and improve your writing.
A few examples of topics that will be covered: Creating Characters and Conflict, The Three Act Structure and its
Alternatives, Choosing the Right Setting, The "Question" of the Play, How to Use an Outline,Handling Exposition,
Using Punctuation to Write Better Dialogue, Beginning and Ending Your Play, Dealing with Writer's Block,
Rewriting with The Writer’s Web, How to Have a Useful Play Reading, The Playwright's Bill of Rights, Places to
submit your original work, etc. No textbook needed Teacher: Rachel Dircks Recommended Donation of $10 per
class
• Journalism and Newspaper- (middle and high school) **May be offered in 2018-2019** The journalism and
newspaper class will cover multiple facets of story-telling and visual communication through journalism. The
basic concepts of mass communications (journalism and newspaper), including the history of journalism as it
pertains to the US, the role of the media in a democracy, media ethics, the role and impact of social media,
pyramidal writing style, and how to appropriately title articles, will be taught and reinforced through lessons and
activities that will prepare students to write and publish a quality student newspaper. Students will also learn
basic layout and design principles and will have the opportunity to see their work in print on a regular basis
throughout the academic year. Textbook: pending Teachers: pending Recommended Donation of $10 per class
• Logic and Writing (Middle School) – coming 2018-2019
• Rhetoric and the Argument Writing Course - coming 2018-2019
• Essential Writing Course – (middle & high school) **May be offered 2018-2019** This class is ideal for students
who are comfortable with writing & want to hone their skills. We will begin the year by talking about the
different types of writing and then focus in on the persuasive essay. We will read and work through the book