Registration - 8th -12th Grade Students
Course descriptions followed by the class registration form
English
Level 3 Writing/Grammar (recommended for 6th through 8th)
Utilizes TOG Writing Aids and Analytical Grammar Seasons 1 & 2 (parsing and diagramming); Writing will cover different types of essays; Dialectic literature will be assigned and discussed as well as some literary vocabulary.
Level 4 Beginning Rhetoric English Literature and Composition (recommended for 9th -10th; strong 8th grade students in writing or returning 8th grade students; or high school students new to TOG or English Lit)
In TOG Year 3, we study British, American, and Russian authors of the 19th century. Our 19th century overview will also include some shorter works from such authors as Goethe, Twain, Dickens, Stowe, Crane, Melville, Ibsen, Conrad, Tolstoy, and Wilde, as well as short works of poetry that we will read and analyze. Besides offering a great introduction to these works and learning to use tools of literary analysis, this course ties into the student’s historical and worldview studies so that both are enhanced. This class utilizes TOG dialectic and rhetoric literature selections to offer an Intro to Literature course focusing on literary discussion, vocabulary and analysis. Grammar may be a component of the class whether assigned or brought in each week for accountability - still to be determined. Participation also included in class grade.
Level 4 Continuing Rhetoric English Literature and Composition (recommended for 11th -12th; or students strong in the fundamental skill of English Lit)
In the continuing literature class students will read TOG selections in story, drama and poetry that cover the literary movements of Romanticism and Realism in both Europe and America. We will also be adding some selections not listed in TOG to more fully introduce Transcendentalism in America. Students will have literary analysis papers as well as research papers in the course of the year as we take our writing to the next level. Our goal is to have writing workshops included in the instruction hour to help students to hone their writing skills in preparation for SAT and AP exams. Grammar, writing books, and some American author selections will be required in addition to the TOG selections.
History
Level 3 History (recommended for 6th -8th grade)
Will explore the 19th century from Napoleon to Teddy Roosevelt. This class utilizes the TOG dialectic history books; homework includes reading the history, answering questions, filling out maps; some timeline work. End of unit dialectic evaluations (tests) will be given at home and brought back for grading. There is usually a group project incorporated into the year as well as an enrichment activity or craft planned for each unit. Also, encourages students in learning to take tests and note taking skills.
Level 4 Beginning Rhetoric History (recommended for 9th -10th grade; strong 8th grade students)
Will explore the 19th century from Napoleon to Teddy Roosevelt, including the government and philosophical ideas of the time. This class will utilize TOG rhetoric history books, some government reading selections, and some philosophy selections; homework to include reading the assigned homework from the resources above, answering questions and filling out the week's map. Timed, in class quizzes will be given during weeks that cover material from the unit exam, timed unit exams will be given both in class and at home depending on the schedule. We will spend time guiding students at the beginning of the year through taking these timed tests and may modify tests and/or test prep. We will offer "mini"-workshops in the literature and history classes in addition to covering the TOG material. These will be 15-20 minute time slots at the end of some class periods in which we hone writing skills for tests, discussion skills, note taking skills, etc. Many of these workshops will be early in the year during unit 1 as we build a stronger foundation to equip these students in their essay test taking skills.
Level 4 Continuing Rhetoric History (recommended for 11th - 12th grade students; or continuing students strong in the skills taught in beginning history)
Will explore the 19th century from Napoleon to Teddy Roosevelt, including the government and philosophical ideas of the time.This class will utilize TOG rhetoric history books, some government readings selections, and some philosophy selections; homework to include reading the assigned homework from the resources above, answering questions, and filling out the week's map. Timed, in class quizzes will be given during weeks that cover material from the unit exam, timed unit exams will be given both in class and at home depending on the schedule. We will offer "mini"-workshops in the literature and history classes in addition to covering the TOG material. These will be 15-20 minute time slots at the end of some class periods in which we hone writing skills, discussion skills, note taking skills, etc. Many of these workshops will be early in the year during unit 1 as we build a stronger foundation to equip these students in their literary writing skills and their essay test taking skills.
Electives/Science
Please Note: Worldview, Intro to Speech and Debate, and Intro to Computers are semester classes, therefore, your student can take two electives next year. One in the fall and one in the spring. The Level 3 General Science class is a year long class.
Worldview (recommended for 10th -12th grade students; 9th grade students ready for discussions on some mature topics) - semester course
The Worldview class at Potter’s Clay is intended for high school students only. We will use the curriculum Understanding the Times from Summit Ministries. Understanding the Times outlines the differences between Christianity and the other prominent worldviews vying for allegiance in Western culture: Islam, Postmodernism, Secular Humanism, Marxism, and New Age often with hot button topics. In a time when more than half of all Christians lose their faith in college, its goal is to effectively prepare students to identify and defend the Christian worldview against its competitors. Of note to parents: Some of the issues covered include: abortion, apologetics, the arts, homosexuality, biotechnology, critical thinking, cults, euthanasia, leadership, radical environmentalism, radical feminism, the problem of evil, religious pluralism, scriptural reliability, and more. Your student would need to be able to handle such delicate topics in order to participate in this class effectively. Please feel free to email Krissy with questions at [email protected]
Intro to Speech & Debate (recommended for 8th -12th grade students) - semester course
This is a noncompetitive introduction to speech and debate. This course will offer the opportunity to be introduced to the skills behind public speaking and debate and give the students a forum to practice those skills in a supportive and instructive environment. The goals for this class are to build the students' confidence in public speaking and for articulating their opinions and beliefs in a way that encourages thoughtful and graceful debate of the issues of today and assists the students in developing into logical defenders of their faith. For those that are involved in Speak Out and competitive debate, this course will be a place to continue to hone skills, practice, and to work on fundamentals. For those not in competitive speech or debate this class may spark interest for the future.
Intro to Computers (recommended for 8th - 12th grade students) - semester course
This course is designed to introduce the Potters Clay high school student to basic computer knowledge and skills. The course syllabus is still being finalized, however, the following is a preliminary list of course objectives. At the conclusion of the class, the student should be able to:
• type 60 words per minute or more
• explain the basics of how a computer and network work
• create and format a report for college
• generate a basic spreadsheet with formulas
• create a concise and creative PowerPoint slideshow
• understand the ramifications of privacy in the Internet age, including social media
• understand societal and ethical issues brought on by the Internet, from a Christian perspective
Each week, the student will read in preparation for the topic to be covered and will take a short 10 question quiz to demonstrate comprehension of the material. There will be a mid-term and final exam, administered by the parent, with a mixture of multiple-choice
questions and application based exercises, where the computer skills are used. The students will complete a semester project, where they combine their use of the Internet for research with their word processor and presentation skills.
General Science (recommended for 6th-8th grade students) - year long course
Apologia Exploring Creation with General Science
This course is designed to be a student’s first systematic introduction to the sciences. The course covers such topics as 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 to do, and they all use household items.
Level 3 Writing/Grammar (recommended for 6th through 8th)
Utilizes TOG Writing Aids and Analytical Grammar Seasons 1 & 2 (parsing and diagramming); Writing will cover different types of essays; Dialectic literature will be assigned and discussed as well as some literary vocabulary.
Level 4 Beginning Rhetoric English Literature and Composition (recommended for 9th -10th; strong 8th grade students in writing or returning 8th grade students; or high school students new to TOG or English Lit)
In TOG Year 3, we study British, American, and Russian authors of the 19th century. Our 19th century overview will also include some shorter works from such authors as Goethe, Twain, Dickens, Stowe, Crane, Melville, Ibsen, Conrad, Tolstoy, and Wilde, as well as short works of poetry that we will read and analyze. Besides offering a great introduction to these works and learning to use tools of literary analysis, this course ties into the student’s historical and worldview studies so that both are enhanced. This class utilizes TOG dialectic and rhetoric literature selections to offer an Intro to Literature course focusing on literary discussion, vocabulary and analysis. Grammar may be a component of the class whether assigned or brought in each week for accountability - still to be determined. Participation also included in class grade.
Level 4 Continuing Rhetoric English Literature and Composition (recommended for 11th -12th; or students strong in the fundamental skill of English Lit)
In the continuing literature class students will read TOG selections in story, drama and poetry that cover the literary movements of Romanticism and Realism in both Europe and America. We will also be adding some selections not listed in TOG to more fully introduce Transcendentalism in America. Students will have literary analysis papers as well as research papers in the course of the year as we take our writing to the next level. Our goal is to have writing workshops included in the instruction hour to help students to hone their writing skills in preparation for SAT and AP exams. Grammar, writing books, and some American author selections will be required in addition to the TOG selections.
History
Level 3 History (recommended for 6th -8th grade)
Will explore the 19th century from Napoleon to Teddy Roosevelt. This class utilizes the TOG dialectic history books; homework includes reading the history, answering questions, filling out maps; some timeline work. End of unit dialectic evaluations (tests) will be given at home and brought back for grading. There is usually a group project incorporated into the year as well as an enrichment activity or craft planned for each unit. Also, encourages students in learning to take tests and note taking skills.
Level 4 Beginning Rhetoric History (recommended for 9th -10th grade; strong 8th grade students)
Will explore the 19th century from Napoleon to Teddy Roosevelt, including the government and philosophical ideas of the time. This class will utilize TOG rhetoric history books, some government reading selections, and some philosophy selections; homework to include reading the assigned homework from the resources above, answering questions and filling out the week's map. Timed, in class quizzes will be given during weeks that cover material from the unit exam, timed unit exams will be given both in class and at home depending on the schedule. We will spend time guiding students at the beginning of the year through taking these timed tests and may modify tests and/or test prep. We will offer "mini"-workshops in the literature and history classes in addition to covering the TOG material. These will be 15-20 minute time slots at the end of some class periods in which we hone writing skills for tests, discussion skills, note taking skills, etc. Many of these workshops will be early in the year during unit 1 as we build a stronger foundation to equip these students in their essay test taking skills.
Level 4 Continuing Rhetoric History (recommended for 11th - 12th grade students; or continuing students strong in the skills taught in beginning history)
Will explore the 19th century from Napoleon to Teddy Roosevelt, including the government and philosophical ideas of the time.This class will utilize TOG rhetoric history books, some government readings selections, and some philosophy selections; homework to include reading the assigned homework from the resources above, answering questions, and filling out the week's map. Timed, in class quizzes will be given during weeks that cover material from the unit exam, timed unit exams will be given both in class and at home depending on the schedule. We will offer "mini"-workshops in the literature and history classes in addition to covering the TOG material. These will be 15-20 minute time slots at the end of some class periods in which we hone writing skills, discussion skills, note taking skills, etc. Many of these workshops will be early in the year during unit 1 as we build a stronger foundation to equip these students in their literary writing skills and their essay test taking skills.
Electives/Science
Please Note: Worldview, Intro to Speech and Debate, and Intro to Computers are semester classes, therefore, your student can take two electives next year. One in the fall and one in the spring. The Level 3 General Science class is a year long class.
Worldview (recommended for 10th -12th grade students; 9th grade students ready for discussions on some mature topics) - semester course
The Worldview class at Potter’s Clay is intended for high school students only. We will use the curriculum Understanding the Times from Summit Ministries. Understanding the Times outlines the differences between Christianity and the other prominent worldviews vying for allegiance in Western culture: Islam, Postmodernism, Secular Humanism, Marxism, and New Age often with hot button topics. In a time when more than half of all Christians lose their faith in college, its goal is to effectively prepare students to identify and defend the Christian worldview against its competitors. Of note to parents: Some of the issues covered include: abortion, apologetics, the arts, homosexuality, biotechnology, critical thinking, cults, euthanasia, leadership, radical environmentalism, radical feminism, the problem of evil, religious pluralism, scriptural reliability, and more. Your student would need to be able to handle such delicate topics in order to participate in this class effectively. Please feel free to email Krissy with questions at [email protected]
Intro to Speech & Debate (recommended for 8th -12th grade students) - semester course
This is a noncompetitive introduction to speech and debate. This course will offer the opportunity to be introduced to the skills behind public speaking and debate and give the students a forum to practice those skills in a supportive and instructive environment. The goals for this class are to build the students' confidence in public speaking and for articulating their opinions and beliefs in a way that encourages thoughtful and graceful debate of the issues of today and assists the students in developing into logical defenders of their faith. For those that are involved in Speak Out and competitive debate, this course will be a place to continue to hone skills, practice, and to work on fundamentals. For those not in competitive speech or debate this class may spark interest for the future.
Intro to Computers (recommended for 8th - 12th grade students) - semester course
This course is designed to introduce the Potters Clay high school student to basic computer knowledge and skills. The course syllabus is still being finalized, however, the following is a preliminary list of course objectives. At the conclusion of the class, the student should be able to:
• type 60 words per minute or more
• explain the basics of how a computer and network work
• create and format a report for college
• generate a basic spreadsheet with formulas
• create a concise and creative PowerPoint slideshow
• understand the ramifications of privacy in the Internet age, including social media
• understand societal and ethical issues brought on by the Internet, from a Christian perspective
Each week, the student will read in preparation for the topic to be covered and will take a short 10 question quiz to demonstrate comprehension of the material. There will be a mid-term and final exam, administered by the parent, with a mixture of multiple-choice
questions and application based exercises, where the computer skills are used. The students will complete a semester project, where they combine their use of the Internet for research with their word processor and presentation skills.
General Science (recommended for 6th-8th grade students) - year long course
Apologia Exploring Creation with General Science
This course is designed to be a student’s first systematic introduction to the sciences. The course covers such topics as 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 to do, and they all use household items.