Our 2016-2017 Class Offerings
Please note the following class levels for 2016_2017 as you review our course offerings. Grades are used as a guide, please contact us if you are unsure of where to place your student:
- Foundations: This year is a re-building year for our youngest level. We are looking for mature 4, 5, & young 6 year old students for this level. Priority will be given to students with siblings in Levels 1-4; however, we may consider families with just a Foundations student based on space availability. We may also have the possibility to open up a nursery for children under the age of 4. Please contact us and attend one of our information meetings in February to learn more.
- Level 1 - 2nd-4th (4th grade students new to our program would be encouraged to enter Level 1)
- Level 2 - 4th-6th (for 4th grade students already in Level 2; new students on a case by case basis)
- Level 3 - 7th-8th
- Level 4 Beginning - 9th-10th
- Level 4 Continuing - 11th - 12th
Science
Our science course of study utilizes the Apologia Science curriculum. In order to expose the younger students (Level 1 & 2) to a variety of science disciplines and terms, we have developed a scope and sequence to our science program that utilizes the texts from the Apologia Young Explorer Series. Our goal for our science classes is to provide weekly hands-on experiments and activities at the co-op that help solidify the chapters that are read and studied each week at home. Parents will be provided with lesson plans that include reading assignments that complement the week's topic.
Our level 1 & level 2 science classes have been planned with the hope that our students will be well-prepared to enter Apologia's middle school level curriculum which encompasses an alternating schedule of either General Science or Physical Science each year.
Note: We have created a 4 year rotation of the books in the Apologia Exploring Creation series for our Level 1 and 2 students. It is our desire within our scope and sequence to cover two science disciplines per year which usually means we cover a book in the Exploring Creation series per semester. Our goal is exposure not mastery. By providing exposure to the various science disciplines in the younger years, it is our hope that this will build a foundation for the next level of science classes to build upon.
For more information on Apologia Science, please go to www.apologia.com
For the upcoming school year we will study:
Level 1 & 2: Fall
Apologia Young Explorers Series: Exploring Creation with Astronomy
Level 1 & 2: Spring
Apologia Young Explorers Series: Exploring Creation with Botany
Level 3: Fall/Spring
Apologia Exploring Creation with Physical Science
Level 1 & 2
Fall Semester
Curriculum: Apologia Young Explorers Series: Exploring Creation Astronomy
Through hands-on experiments and activities, students will:
Spring Semester
Curriculum: Apologia Young Explorers Series: Exploring Creation with Botany
Through hands-on experiments and activities, students will:
Level 3
Fall & Spring Semesters
Curriculum: Apologia Physical Science (2nd ed)
This course is designed to be a student’s first systematic introduction to the sciences. This course is designed as a middle school science course (typically 7th or 8th grade). Topics to be covered include the atmosphere, the hydrosphere, weather, the structure of the earth, environmentalism, the physics of motion, Newton’s Laws, gravity, and astrophysics. There are many hands-on experiments to do, utilizing household chemicals and supplies. It is an excellent course for preparing the student to take a college-prep high school science course.
Our level 1 & level 2 science classes have been planned with the hope that our students will be well-prepared to enter Apologia's middle school level curriculum which encompasses an alternating schedule of either General Science or Physical Science each year.
Note: We have created a 4 year rotation of the books in the Apologia Exploring Creation series for our Level 1 and 2 students. It is our desire within our scope and sequence to cover two science disciplines per year which usually means we cover a book in the Exploring Creation series per semester. Our goal is exposure not mastery. By providing exposure to the various science disciplines in the younger years, it is our hope that this will build a foundation for the next level of science classes to build upon.
For more information on Apologia Science, please go to www.apologia.com
For the upcoming school year we will study:
Level 1 & 2: Fall
Apologia Young Explorers Series: Exploring Creation with Astronomy
Level 1 & 2: Spring
Apologia Young Explorers Series: Exploring Creation with Botany
Level 3: Fall/Spring
Apologia Exploring Creation with Physical Science
Level 1 & 2
Fall Semester
Curriculum: Apologia Young Explorers Series: Exploring Creation Astronomy
Through hands-on experiments and activities, students will:
- cover the nature of astronomy
- uncover the major structures of our solar system - starting with the sun and working towards Pluto (discuss is it 9 planets or 8?)
- learn about Earth’s moon, the asteroid belt, and the Kuiper belt
- discover the stars and galaxies that make up God’s incredible universe
- end their study with space travel and what it takes to be an astronaut!
Spring Semester
Curriculum: Apologia Young Explorers Series: Exploring Creation with Botany
Through hands-on experiments and activities, students will:
- cover the nature of botany and the process of classifying plants
- discuss the development of plants from seeds, the reproduction processes in plants, the way plants make their food, and how plants get their water and nutrients and distribute them throughout the body of the plant
- learn about many different kinds of plants in creation and where they belong in the plant classification system
Level 3
Fall & Spring Semesters
Curriculum: Apologia Physical Science (2nd ed)
This course is designed to be a student’s first systematic introduction to the sciences. This course is designed as a middle school science course (typically 7th or 8th grade). Topics to be covered include the atmosphere, the hydrosphere, weather, the structure of the earth, environmentalism, the physics of motion, Newton’s Laws, gravity, and astrophysics. There are many hands-on experiments to do, utilizing household chemicals and supplies. It is an excellent course for preparing the student to take a college-prep high school science course.
Writing
Our writing course of study utilizes resources and curriculum from IEW (The Institute for Excellence in Writing) for Levels 1 & 2. Students transition to essays and creative writing based upon the Tapestry of Grace program for Level 3. These classes are geared to prepare our students for our high school English Literature and Composition classes.
The IEW program is based on a series of units that not only introduce students to a variety of writing models, including narrative stories and research reports, but also provide them with the tools to tackle a variety of writing assignments. In addition, the program incrementally teaches students how to "dress-up" their work with the use of quality adjectives, strong verbs, and clauses, in addition to "sentence openers", that take their writing from ordinary to extraordinary.
It is our desire to have each student placed in the correct class based on their skills not necessarily by grade level. For that reason, the classes are noted by level, not by grade, however, we have included recommended grade levels for your consideration. To learn more about the IEW program, please visit their website at www.excellenceinwriting.com .
Level 1
IEW (Institute for Excellence in Writing)
Grades: 2nd-4th
Our goal for this class is to prepare students in a variety of skills to set the foundation for moving to Level 2 Writing. The class will cover such skills as copy work, basic grammar terms introduced as dress-ups, sentence structure and beginning writing. There will be level A and B assignments offered for this level.
Curriculum for this class: IEW All Things Fun & Fascinating
Level 2
IEW (Institute for Excellence in Writing)
Grades: 4th-6th
Our goal for this class is to utilize IEW resources, such as their theme based books and student writing intensive programs, to lead the students through the various types of writing in each unit and the stylistic techniques that are foundational to the IEW program over a two year period. The skills taught in this class will provide the foundation for the quicker pace and more concentrated coverage of report, essay, prompt and critique writing in Level 3. There will be level A and B assignments offered for this level.
Curriculum for this class: IEW Rockets, Radar, & Robotics
Level 3
Based upon Tapestry of Grace Year 4 literature and writing assignments
Grades: 6th+
Our goal for this class is to utilize the skills taught in previous years by incorporating them into a variety of writing projects. The Level 3 writing class provides opportunities for students to compose a variety of essays and creative writing papers, such as: short story, poetry, compare & contrast, research, persuasive, descriptive, and cause and effect Students will also discuss, analyze, and have homework based on the reading selections from the TOG Literature program.This class will provide a solid foundation for our high school English Literature and Composition class.
Curriculum for this class: Tapestry of Grace Year 4
The IEW program is based on a series of units that not only introduce students to a variety of writing models, including narrative stories and research reports, but also provide them with the tools to tackle a variety of writing assignments. In addition, the program incrementally teaches students how to "dress-up" their work with the use of quality adjectives, strong verbs, and clauses, in addition to "sentence openers", that take their writing from ordinary to extraordinary.
It is our desire to have each student placed in the correct class based on their skills not necessarily by grade level. For that reason, the classes are noted by level, not by grade, however, we have included recommended grade levels for your consideration. To learn more about the IEW program, please visit their website at www.excellenceinwriting.com .
Level 1
IEW (Institute for Excellence in Writing)
Grades: 2nd-4th
Our goal for this class is to prepare students in a variety of skills to set the foundation for moving to Level 2 Writing. The class will cover such skills as copy work, basic grammar terms introduced as dress-ups, sentence structure and beginning writing. There will be level A and B assignments offered for this level.
Curriculum for this class: IEW All Things Fun & Fascinating
Level 2
IEW (Institute for Excellence in Writing)
Grades: 4th-6th
Our goal for this class is to utilize IEW resources, such as their theme based books and student writing intensive programs, to lead the students through the various types of writing in each unit and the stylistic techniques that are foundational to the IEW program over a two year period. The skills taught in this class will provide the foundation for the quicker pace and more concentrated coverage of report, essay, prompt and critique writing in Level 3. There will be level A and B assignments offered for this level.
Curriculum for this class: IEW Rockets, Radar, & Robotics
Level 3
Based upon Tapestry of Grace Year 4 literature and writing assignments
Grades: 6th+
Our goal for this class is to utilize the skills taught in previous years by incorporating them into a variety of writing projects. The Level 3 writing class provides opportunities for students to compose a variety of essays and creative writing papers, such as: short story, poetry, compare & contrast, research, persuasive, descriptive, and cause and effect Students will also discuss, analyze, and have homework based on the reading selections from the TOG Literature program.This class will provide a solid foundation for our high school English Literature and Composition class.
Curriculum for this class: Tapestry of Grace Year 4
Grammar
Since proper grammar usage and knowledge is key to a well-written paper, it seemed to be a natural fit to add grammar to our writing program. Our goal for covering grammar is to help the students connect their grammar study to their own writing by utilizing proper sentence structure and mechanics. We will utilize the Fix It! Grammar program for our Level 2 students and Analytical Grammar for our Level 3 students.
Level 2
Fix it! Grammar
Students hunt for and correct errors in daily passages that cumulatively tell a story. Fix It! encourages students to immediately apply new grammar knowledge in context, aiding in the transfer of grammar skills into their own writing.
Curriculum for the 2016_2017 school year: Fix It! Grammar: Robin Hood
Level 3
Analytical Grammar
After looking into various curriculum and resources, we were excited to find the Analytical Grammar program. The Analytical Grammar program is written for 6th graders and above and is based on the concept that grammar can be mastered and mastered without years and years of re-teaching the same topics over and over again. We have scheduled the Analytical Grammar program to be taught over two years with Year 1 encompassing the material in Season 1 & 2 and Year 2 encompassing the material in Season 3. Year 1 completes the formal study of grammar, followed by Year 2 which covers all the rules of punctuation and usage. Although recommended, a student does not have to complete Season 1 and Season 2 of the Analytical Grammar program to take the Season 3 course. Please let us know if you have questions regarding placement.For more information on Analytical Grammar, visit www.analyticalgrammar.com.
Curriculum for the 2016_2017 school year: Analytical Grammar Season 3
History
Our history program is scheduled to follow the 4 year cycle established by the Tapestry of Grace (TOG) history program. For the 2016_2017 school year, we will use the TOG Year 4 curriculum which explores 1900 to the present day. Coursework for this class will revolve around the weekly topics set forth in the Tapestry program in areas such as history, geography, literature, crafts/activities, timelines, presentations, etc.
In addition to the weekly classes, we will also plan some end-of-unit celebrations/activities/field trips to mark the various units we are studying. These may be held outside of the co-op's regularly scheduled operating hours. For more information on the TOG program, please visit www.tapestryofgrace.com and click on the Year 4 tab.
All families will need to purchase the digital edition of the Tapestry of Grace Year 4 Curriculum and the Year 4 Map Aids supplement. In addition, the Level 3 class will need to purchase a copy of the TOG Dialectic Evaluations supplement. History and literature books outlined by Tapestry for each level will be reviewed and facilitators will create and distribute a list of required books to be acquired.
Level 1
TOG Lower Grammar
Based on the TOG topic studied during the week, students will participate in crafts, activities, presentations, projects (ie. diorama, poster, show-and-tell), story time, or other fun and engaging activities as pre-determined by the class facilitators. Students will also have opportunities to learn about the geography pertaining to the week's study and work on memorization of key geography locations and other pre-determined information pertinent to the time era studied.
Level 2
TOG Upper Grammar
Based on the TOG topic studied during the week, students will participate in crafts, activities, presentations, projects (ie. diorama, poster, show-and-tell), story time, or other fun and engaging activities as pre-determined by the class facilitators. Students will also participate in corresponding map work for the week and work on memorization of key geography locations and other pre-determined information pertinent to the time era studied. Students will also read and discuss literature written during or about the time period studied.
Level 3
TOG Dialectic
This class will encapsulate the week's topics through interactive lectures, discussions, projects and activities, and geography. Students will prepare for class discussions by answering at home questions from the pre-determined questions found in the curriculum. This class also focuses on teaching the students skills such as note-taking, study skills, time management, and accountability for work completed. We will culminate each unit studied with a take-home evaluation test created by TOG. The purpose of these evaluations is to prepare the students for the test taking environment at the high school level.
In addition to the weekly classes, we will also plan some end-of-unit celebrations/activities/field trips to mark the various units we are studying. These may be held outside of the co-op's regularly scheduled operating hours. For more information on the TOG program, please visit www.tapestryofgrace.com and click on the Year 4 tab.
All families will need to purchase the digital edition of the Tapestry of Grace Year 4 Curriculum and the Year 4 Map Aids supplement. In addition, the Level 3 class will need to purchase a copy of the TOG Dialectic Evaluations supplement. History and literature books outlined by Tapestry for each level will be reviewed and facilitators will create and distribute a list of required books to be acquired.
Level 1
TOG Lower Grammar
Based on the TOG topic studied during the week, students will participate in crafts, activities, presentations, projects (ie. diorama, poster, show-and-tell), story time, or other fun and engaging activities as pre-determined by the class facilitators. Students will also have opportunities to learn about the geography pertaining to the week's study and work on memorization of key geography locations and other pre-determined information pertinent to the time era studied.
Level 2
TOG Upper Grammar
Based on the TOG topic studied during the week, students will participate in crafts, activities, presentations, projects (ie. diorama, poster, show-and-tell), story time, or other fun and engaging activities as pre-determined by the class facilitators. Students will also participate in corresponding map work for the week and work on memorization of key geography locations and other pre-determined information pertinent to the time era studied. Students will also read and discuss literature written during or about the time period studied.
Level 3
TOG Dialectic
This class will encapsulate the week's topics through interactive lectures, discussions, projects and activities, and geography. Students will prepare for class discussions by answering at home questions from the pre-determined questions found in the curriculum. This class also focuses on teaching the students skills such as note-taking, study skills, time management, and accountability for work completed. We will culminate each unit studied with a take-home evaluation test created by TOG. The purpose of these evaluations is to prepare the students for the test taking environment at the high school level.
Foundations
We are hoping to offer our Foundations class for 4 and 5 year old students or young 6 year old students. Our Foundations class will feature both a structured learning time and play-time. Curriculum for this class will be based on the Five in a Row program and will incorporate Social Studies, Geography, Language Arts, Applied Math, Science, and Art based upon the week's literature title.
This class will be taught by a 3 person team that will rotate facilitating this class during the morning structured learning period from 9:15 to 12:15 and the free-play period from 1:15 to 2:30.
***Please note while this class is intended for siblings of students in levels 1-4 we may consider a family with only a Foundations student if space permits.
This class will be taught by a 3 person team that will rotate facilitating this class during the morning structured learning period from 9:15 to 12:15 and the free-play period from 1:15 to 2:30.
***Please note while this class is intended for siblings of students in levels 1-4 we may consider a family with only a Foundations student if space permits.