COURSE
DESCRIPTION AND TEACHER BIOGRAPHY
Humanities
Core A: (7th-8th grade)
* Ancient History I, Jr.
Students
will learn about ancient history, culture, and literature from Ancient Egypt
through the Roman Empire. Textbook: Western Civilization, A Brief History,
Comprehensive Edition by Jackson Spielvogel.
The teacher: Lisa
Futoran holds a BA in History and a minor in Education from Covenant College.
She has taught History, Government, Bible, P.E., and Music at schools in
California, North Carolina, and Germany. Currently she directs an adult church
choir and leads and disciples girls and women.
*
Composition & Literature, Jr.
Composition Jr. is a
writing class that introduces several different types of writing: fiction,
poetry, journalism, essay, research paper, and more. We focus on improving our
writing by concentrating on content and technical areas. Some literature which
complements Liisa Futoran’s courses on Ancient History and World History will
be studied and used as a basis for writing.
The teacher: Traci DeBra has a B.A. in English Literature/Secondary Education from Northern Kentucky University. She taught 4 years in local Ohio public schools. She is a private writing instructor, International Adoption Coordinator, freelance writer for adoption education and proud mother of 5 children.
* Biblical Worldview
The goal of this course is to...
Will follow the book, Battle for the Truth by David Noebel. Very light homeword, 30-minutes reading per week. ("Sunday school" format.)
The teacher: Bruce Chester (See Western Civilization I)
Humanities
Core B: (7th-8th grade)
* World History II, Jr.
Students will learn about world history, culture,
and literature from the Renaissance to the present day. Textbook: Western
Civilization, A Brief History, Comprehensive Edition by Jackson Spielvogel.
The teacher: Liisa Futoran (See Ancient History I, Jr.)
*
Composition & Literature, Jr.
Composition Jr. is a
writing class that introduces several different types of writing: fiction,
poetry, journalism, essay, research paper, and more. We focus on improving our
writing by concentrating on content and technical areas. Some literature which
complements Liisa Futoran’s courses on Ancient History and World History will
be studied and used as a basis for writing.
The teacher: Traci DeBra has
a B.A. in English Literature/Secondary Education from Northern Kentucky
University. She taught 4 years in local Ohio public schools. She is a private
writing instructor, International Adoption Coordinator, freelance
writer for adoption education and proud mother of 5 children.
* Biblical Worldview
See Core A for description.
Humanities
Core C: (8th-9th grade)
* Starting Points: American
History/Apologetics/Bible/Literature
After students learn the basics of a Biblical Worldview, they
will apply their knowledge and understanding by examining and evaluating the
ideas contained in books and movies. Then they will study three approaches for
talking to non-Christians in the 21st century (apologetics).
Finally, through a study of American History, students will consider the ideas
of the Founding Fathers used to write the Declaration of Independence. The text
is David Quine’s Starting Points.
http://www.cornerstonecurriculum.com/Curriculum/Curriculum_StartingPts
The teacher: Shaunna Howat has a B.A. in English
Literature/Mass Communications from University of Denver. She taught 9 years in
Christian schools in Michigan and Texas. She is a freelance
writer/editor, curriculum designer, and syndicated newspaper columnist.
Composition is a
writing class that covers several different types of writing: fiction, poetry,
journalism, essay, research paper, and more. We focus on improving our writing
by concentrating on content and technical areas. Complementing Starting
Points, American and other literature will be studied and used as a basis
for increasing writing techniques.
The teacher: Shaunna Howat
(See Starting Points.)
*American History
A thorough survey of America’s
History from Colonial times through the present, emphasizing the philosophies
behind the founding of America as well as the prevailing philosophies which
have determined national events throughout our history.
The teacher: Dave Liebing and Wendy Silvius.
Dave Liebing is a 1984 graduate of U.C., with a degree in Business Administration, but has a lifelong love of the study of history - particularly American and western European. (That would make him homeschooled in history!) He has been an elder in my church for 14 years, and has teaching experience with both adult Bible classes and junior and senior high youth studies. He and his wife, Ellen, have been homeschooling parents for 12 years. His oldest son (of 5 children ranging from 18 to 6 years old) will go to college this year with the intention of majoring in history.
Wendy Silvius has a B.S. in Political Science from Florida State University and is currently pursuing a Master of Education at Xavier University, expected to be completed in May 2004. She student taught at St. Ursala Academy A.P. American History and World History. Previous work experience in Human Resources in businesses. Previously an officer of Young Republicans and volunteer coordinator for congressional campaign for Congressman Charles Canady. She is a member of the Mt. Washington Community Council, is the mother of two daughters, and volunteers teaching teenage girls at her church.
Humanities Core C.5 (9th-10th grade)
(For students who have already
completed Starting Points.)
*American History
(See Core C.)
The teacher: See Core C American History
*Composition and Literature, Sr. (C
& C.5)
(See Core C.)
The teacher: Shaunna Howat (See Starting Points.)
This interdisciplinary
worldview study is designed to give the student: 1) the ability to stand
against the thoughts and ideas of the secular culture, 2) an adequate and
logical defense for the hope they have within them, and 3) the ability to take
the truth of Christianity into various disciplines. The text, Worldviews of
the Western World, Vol. I, by David Quine uses Francis Schaeffer’s How
Shall We Then Live as the structure for this 3-year study of western
culture.
http://www.cornerstonecurriculum.com/Curriculum/Curriculum_wvww
The teacher: Bruce Chester holds B.S. degrees in Mechanical
Engineering and Foreign Trade, and M.A. degrees in Ministry and Education. His work experience includes Field Engineer,
Export Sales Manager, Jr. High Math and Science teacher (19 years), Walnut
Hills High School Math Teacher (6 years), Mathematics Specialist, Cincinnati
Public Schools (5 years), Math and Biology teacher at Regional Institute of the
Torah and Secular Studies (1 year), home school extension teacher of Algebra I,
II, and Geometry Problem Solving, Logic I&II, American Covenant, teaching
teens at FEFC Christian Apologetics, Christian worldview, and Bible, as well as
helping his wife, Jan, home school their son.
Bruce is an advisor to the PEP Curriculum Committee.
A
detailed high school level study of ancient western cultures. Students will learn about ancient history,
culture, and literature from Ancient Egypt through the Middle Ages.
Text: Western Civilization Volume I, 5th edition, Jackson Spielvogel
(or the 2-year comprehensive edition)
The teacher: Liisa Futoran
An advanced writing
class that covers several different types of writing: fiction, poetry,
journalism, essay, research paper, and more. We focus on improving our writing
by concentrating on content and technical areas. Books will be selected that
represent the time periods being studied in the History Course taught by Lisa
Futuran and the ideas being studied in Western Civilization taught by Bruce
Chester.
The teacher: Shaunna Howat (see Composition Jr.)
* OR Rhetoric I
Rhetoric:
First year of a 2-year study of the art and science of persuasion, taken from
Aristotle's The Rhetoric. We read and analyze essays, speeches, letters
and discourses from Socrates to the present. Student must have taken or
currently be taking Logic.
The text, Worldviews
of the Western World, Vol. II, by David Quine.
A
detailed high school level study of western cultures. Students will learn about world history,
culture, and literature from the Middle Ages through the Revolutionary times.
Text: Western Civilization Volume I & II, 5th edition, Jackson Spielvogel
(or the 2-year comprehensive edition)
An advanced writing
class that covers several different types of writing: fiction, poetry, literary
analysis, essay, research paper, and more. We focus on improving our writing by
concentrating on content and technical areas. Books will be selected that
represent complementing World History II taught by Lisa Futuran and the ideas
being studied in Western Civilization taught by Bruce Chester.
The
teacher: Traci DeBra (See Composition and Literature,
Jr.)
* OR Rhetoric I
Rhetoric:
First year of a 2-year study of the art and science of persuasion, taken from
Aristotle's The Rhetoric. We read and analyze essays, speeches, letters
and discourses from Socrates to the present. Student must have taken or
currently be taking Logic.
Other Essential Courses
Art
To the glory of God we are creative because He is
creative. With this in mind, the art curriculum will encourage individual
creativity but will have a strong emphasis on skills development. Various
medium will be used such as pencil, pen and ink, pastels, oil pastels, and
watercolor. We will refer to periods of history, diverse cultures,
and various artists as these pertain to the skills being learned.
The teacher: Marilyn Lebhar holds Bachelor of Fine Art from Bucknell University.
She is a teacher, graphic designer, and studio artist. At Mars Hill Academy she
developed and implemented the fine arts and art history curriculum for 1st-8th
grade. She has tutored home school students. In 1977, she was a teacher
assistant at DeKalb County Psycho-educational Center doing art therapy and
social work.
Logic I & II: The first semester is an introductory course
in formal logic. The course work will introduce students to an understanding of
the Christian theory of knowledge and present an in-depth study of the
classical syllogism. The second semester is an advanced formal logic course. It
covers the four figures of the traditional syllogism, the three forms of
rhetorical arguments (called enthymemes), the three kinds of hypothetical
syllogisms, the four kinds of complex syllogisms, as well as relational
arguments. In-class discussion will augment the “what
and how” with opportunities to “do”.
Learning to think well and to think critically is the goal.
The teacher: Bruce
Chester (see Western Civilization)
Wednesdays at the Countryside YMCA in Lebanon, Ohio from 1:30-3:00. This course will give
students the opportunity to learn about sports and games. We will include
exposure to the following sports via rules and play: volleyball, basketball,
soccer, floor hockey, kickball, wiffleball (instead of softball and
baseball)racquetball, tennis, wall-climbing and gymnastics. A short course on
games would also be included to prepare students for a lifetime of game playing
with all ages of children and adults. (This prepares the students to lead games
and provides resources for camps, youth groups and family activities.)
Students
will wear modest T-shirt, shorts or sweats, socks and gym shoes.
The
teacher: Susie Baron is a graduate of Ohio State University in the field of
P.E. and Health. She taught K-12 P.E. for 8 years while on fulltime staff with
Campus Crusade for Christ in Africa. She taught two years in an African school
in Liberia and then moved to teach and coach sports teams of International and
American students in Kenya at the Rift Valley Academy (an American school for
missionary children). Returning to the States she worked for Athletes in Action
for an additional 7 years on Campus Crusade Staff with the Gymnastics ministry
and as the National Women's Coordinator for AIA. Now a homeschool mom, Susie
teaches Homeschool PE classes at the YMCA and continues coaching gymnastics,
with past experience in coaching volleyball, soccer, field hockey, basketball,
and softball, as well as, teaching sports and games.
Latin I
Classical Latin is a
language that educated people of all nations have studied for 2000 years. In
this study you will increase your English vocabulary (and your SAT
scores), better understand the structure of the English language, and learn the
culture of Ancient Rome, all while learning a new language. This is an academic
course requiring a dedicated student.
The teacher:
Toni
Kraft attended the University of Cincinnati on a Semple Scholarship and
received a B.S. in Classics. She also
took Latin classes grades 7-12 at Walnut Hills High School. For the past five
years she has been teaching Latin at the Learning Tree Coop and tutoring high
school students from both public and private schools. She has been a
homeschool mother for the past 13 years.
Spanish I
Spanish I students will be introduced to the basics of the Spanish
language. Their vocabulary will increase as they hear and retell
short stories in Spanish. They will gain a general understanding of verb
conjugation, sentence structure and basic Spanish grammar. Spanish songs
and verses will contribute to their vocabulary.
Spanish II
The course
will gear towards mastering present tense verb conjugation through the use
of short Spanish stories. They will develop more of an ear for
understanding the spoken language as well as becoming more creative and fluent
in speaking. They will be introduced to past tense verbs and more
advanced grammar. They will continue to increase their vocabulary through
the use of stories, songs, verses and general classroom conversation.
The teacher: Ruth
Cuellar received B.A. in Secondary Education and an Associates Degree in Office
Administration from Crown College. While in college she taught Spanish I &
II, Conversational & Advanced Spanish and Spanish Literature. In addition
to business experience, she taught Jr. and Sr. High Spanish I & II and many
other courses at Milford Christian Academy and Temple Baptist Academy. She spent her childhood in Mexico as a child
of missionaries. Ruth has been teaching many home school classes throughout the
community.
Algebra ½, 3rd edition by Saxon covers all
topics normally taught in pre-algebra, as well as additional topics from
geometry and discrete mathematics. It is recommended for seventh-graders who
plan to take first-year algebra in the eighth grade or for eighth-graders who
plan to take first-year algebra in the ninth grade. Algebra 1/2
represents the culmination of the study of pre-algebra mathematics.
Algebra I & II courses. Lessons to follow Saxon
curriculum. Saxon Algebra 1, 3rd edition
Algebra I Tutorial
Practical reinforcement and addictional practice with what was taught in the Algebra I class for the week. Only for students enrolled in Algebra I at PEP.
Math Tutor
Parent arranges with teacher special one-on-one(or
more)instruction of a needed math course. Tuition to be agreed upon between
parent and teacher.
The teacher: Patty Hunt holds a B.S. in
Mathematics Education from Bowling Green State University. She taught middle school and high school
math from 1974-1979. She has taught
Mathematics, Algebra I & II, Geometry, Trigonometry, Pre-Calculus, and
Calculus. Patty has been home schooling
since 1986 until the present.
Advanced Mathematics
In Advanced Mathematics,
topics from algebra, geometry, trigonometry, discrete mathematics, and
mathematical analysis are interwoven to form a fully integrated text. A
rigorous treatment of Euclidean geometry is also presented. Word problems are
developed throughout the problem sets and become progressively more elaborate.
With this practice, students will be able to solve challenging problems such as
rate problems and work problems involving abstract quantities. The graphing
calculator is used to graph functions and perform data analysis. Saxon
Publisher.
The teacher:
Carmen Swedes studied
at GMI Engineering and Management Institute and Purdue University. From the
latter, she earned a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering and a Master of Science in
Mathematics Education, Secondary Mathematic Education emphasis.
She has taught mathematics for 11 years in a variety of formal and informal
settings: Calculus at Purdue University, high school math at Mount Notre Dame
High School in Cincinnati, and high school/college math in Bexhill-on-Sea,
England summarize her formal teaching experience. Since becoming a full-time mother, she has tutored all secondary
math subjects as well as edited secondary level math textbooks.
Biology
College preparatory high school course
in biological science.
The
teacher:
Donald
Lynn
earned a Bachelor of Science, Agriculture, Ohio University, 1967
and a Masters of Education, (concentration in biological science) Xavier
University, 1973. In addition he has completed 150 education hours from various
institutions; among which are University of Akron, University of
Cincinnati,Walsh University. He taught 35 years for Loveland City
Schools(freshman science, Earth Science, Biology, Honors Biology and Ecology.)
He was the Science Department Chair. He is presently the co-ordinator of the
LHS Ecology Club and overseeing the continuing development of a freshwater
wetland and arboretum on the LHS campus.
Science I:
General Science
Students
will complete an overview study of the nature and properties of the physical
world, with a unit on Physics, Chemistry, Biology. Textbook TBA.
The teacher: Don Lynn (See
Biology.)
Chemistry
This course is designed to be a first-year high
school chemistry course and gives the student a rigorous foundation in
chemistry, in order to prepare him or her for a college-level course. The
course covers significant figures, units, classification, the mole concept,
stoichiometry, thermochemistry, thermodynamics, kinetics, acids and bases,
redox reactions, solutions, atomic structure, Lewis structures, molecular
geometry, the gas laws, and equilibrium. Text: Exploring Creation With
Chemistry, 2nd edition, Dr. Jay Wile, Apologia
Educational Ministries, Inc. Prerequisite: Algebra I.
The teacher: Connie Huber has been a favorite teacher at Milford Christian Academy since 1994. She has taught Earth and Life Sciences, Health, Physical Education, English, Band, and coached cheerleading. She is presently pursuing a B.S. of Science in Health Education and Promotion at U.C., expected to complete study by the end of this year. Previously, she completed 3 years study in Biology at Wright State University.
Physical Science
The course discusses such topics as the atmosphere,
the hydrosphere, weather, the structure of the earth, environmentalism, the
physics of motion, Newton’s Laws, gravity, and astrophysics. Text: Exploring
Creation With Physical Science by Dr. Jay Wile, Apologia
The teacher: Connie Huber (See Chemistry.)
Academic Clubs
The Club will work on
different aspects of drama with the use of exercises, games, etc. This drama
club will not replace professional instruction a student may wish
to experience. The drama club will put on a drama production of some
kind and the magnitude of the drama production will depend upon the dynamics of
the club (number of participants, volunteers, etc...).
Coordinator:
Ruth Burkhard has been active in
church teen ministries for 20+ years with music and within the last several
years, drama. She has been involved in Word of Life (WOL) T.I. competitions
with teen drama groups which have placed at area, regional, and
international levels. These groups have placed 1st and 2nd at the
international level. Her involvement in drama is ministry driven.
The drama club will put on a drama production of some kind and the
magnitude of the drama production will depend upon the dynamics of the club
(number of participants, volunteers, etc...).
Students will learn how to prepare and present
speeches and be able to participate in statewide speech and debate
competitions.
Coordinator: To be determined
Students will put
together a yearbook in a “scrap book” syle.
We will meet once a month to plan and work on putting photos together to
create memories of the year. The students will take photos, create pages and
captions and come up with a finished product.
The coordinator: Sandy
Previty has had experience on yearbook staff in high school and yearbook editor
in college.