Our 2019-2020 Class Offerings
for Foundations, Grammar level, & Dialectic Students
Please note the following class levels for 2019_2020 as you review our course offerings. Grades are used as a guide and can be flexible between levels (for instance Upper Grammar in Writing, Dialectic in History, Upper Grammar in Science). Our desire is for students to be registered each period in the class that will be best suited for their current academic skills, abilities, and needs. Please contact us, prior to registering, if you are unsure of where to place your student.
- Foundations: Students for this level would be potentially 4, 5 & 6 year olds.
- Lower Grammar - non fluent readers; enjoys learning basic facts; 1st-4th (Level TBD based on interest)
- Upper Grammar - fluent reader; enjoys learning and memorizing concrete sequential facts; 4th-6th
- Dialectic - moves the student from facts to making connections between facts/debate; 6th-9th
- Rhetoric - moves students from making connections to analyzing and synthesizing ideas and arugements; 9th - 12th
Science
Our science course of study utilizes the Apologia Science curriculum. In order to expose grammar level students 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 grammar level science classes have been planned with the hope that our students will be well-prepared to enter Apologia's middle school level curriculum which includes General Science and Physical Science.
Note: We have created a 4 year rotation of the books in the Apologia Exploring Creation series for our grammar level 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.
For more information on Apologia Science, please go to www.apologia.com
For the upcoming school year we will study:
Grammar Level
Fall Semester
Curriculum: Apologia Exploring Creation with Zoology I - Flying Creatures of the Fifth Day
Through hands-on experiments and activities, students will:
Spring Semester
Curriculum: Apologia Exploring Creation with Zoology II - Swimming Creatures of the Fifth Day
Through hands-on experiments and activities, students will:
Dialectic Level
Fall & Spring Semesters
Curriculum: Apologia General Science
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. General Science covers such topics as:
Our grammar level science classes have been planned with the hope that our students will be well-prepared to enter Apologia's middle school level curriculum which includes General Science and Physical Science.
Note: We have created a 4 year rotation of the books in the Apologia Exploring Creation series for our grammar level 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.
For more information on Apologia Science, please go to www.apologia.com
For the upcoming school year we will study:
Grammar Level
Fall Semester
Curriculum: Apologia Exploring Creation with Zoology I - Flying Creatures of the Fifth Day
Through hands-on experiments and activities, students will:
- explore the dynamics of flight and animal classification, understanding why the design we see in these incredible creatures points us to our Creator God
- learn about birds including their anatomy; how to attract various bird species; identify them by looking at their special physical characteristics, diverse nests, and interesting domestic practices
- explore the world of chiropterology, which is the study of bats while learning about the value of bats in our world and dispelling many misconceptions
- investigate entomology, the study of insects; learn to scientifically classify insects by examining their wings and other important characteristics while also learning how to attract and catch insects for scientific study
Spring Semester
Curriculum: Apologia Exploring Creation with Zoology II - Swimming Creatures of the Fifth Day
Through hands-on experiments and activities, students will:
- explore the wonders of swimming creatures; everything from whales, dolphins, seals, manatees, sea turtles, snakes, and salamanders to name a few. You’ll even peek in on the primeval plesiosaurus and its pals
- continue your study with fish and sharks while also uncovering the world of crabby crustaceans, sea snails, clams, and their soft bodied friends like the octopus, squid, and nautilus
- You’ll consort with corals, find flowers that devour plankton, see stars and feathers that walk, leap and roll, and discover dollars that disappear in the sand and sponges that clean more than you might think
- This class will include a field trip to the Aquarium for the Sleeping with the Fishes overnight program - a marine life program and sleepover in the aquarium under the shark tanks!
Dialectic Level
Fall & Spring Semesters
Curriculum: Apologia General Science
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. General Science covers such topics as:
- the scientific method
- designing experiments
- simple machines
- archaeology
- geology
- paleontology
- biology
- human anatomy and physiology.
Writing
Our writing course of study utilizes resources and curriculum from IEW (The Institute for Excellence in Writing) for grammar level students. In the Dialectic level, students transition to essays and creative writing assignments based on the Tapestry of Grace Writing Aids program. 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. If you have any concerns or questions feel free to contact us prior to applying. To learn more about the IEW program, please visit their website at www.excellenceinwriting.com .
Lower Grammar
IEW (Institute for Excellence in Writing)
Suggested Grades: 1st-4th
Our goal for this class is to prepare students in a variety of skills to set a foundation for writing skills. The class will cover such skills as copy work, basic grammar terms introduced as dress-ups, sentence structure and beginning writing. There may be a level A and B assignments offered for this level.
Curriculum for this class: IEW intro book; curriculum to be finalized based on student enrollment
Upper Grammar
IEW (Institute for Excellence in Writing)
Suggested 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. 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 the Dialectic level. There will be level A and B assignments offered for this level.
Curriculum for this class: IEW American History-Based Writing Lessons
Dialectic Level
Based upon Tapestry of Grace Year 3 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. Students in this level are no longer given the source for their writing, as was the case with the IEW curriculum. Students will now be challenged to compose a variety of essays and creative writing papers, such as: short stories, poetry, and essays such as compare & contrast, research, persuasive, descriptive, and cause and effect using their own thoughts and research. 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 Writing Aids; Tapestry of Grace Year 3 resources, as well as additional resources deemed necessary by the faciliators
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. If you have any concerns or questions feel free to contact us prior to applying. To learn more about the IEW program, please visit their website at www.excellenceinwriting.com .
Lower Grammar
IEW (Institute for Excellence in Writing)
Suggested Grades: 1st-4th
Our goal for this class is to prepare students in a variety of skills to set a foundation for writing skills. The class will cover such skills as copy work, basic grammar terms introduced as dress-ups, sentence structure and beginning writing. There may be a level A and B assignments offered for this level.
Curriculum for this class: IEW intro book; curriculum to be finalized based on student enrollment
Upper Grammar
IEW (Institute for Excellence in Writing)
Suggested 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. 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 the Dialectic level. There will be level A and B assignments offered for this level.
Curriculum for this class: IEW American History-Based Writing Lessons
Dialectic Level
Based upon Tapestry of Grace Year 3 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. Students in this level are no longer given the source for their writing, as was the case with the IEW curriculum. Students will now be challenged to compose a variety of essays and creative writing papers, such as: short stories, poetry, and essays such as compare & contrast, research, persuasive, descriptive, and cause and effect using their own thoughts and research. 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 Writing Aids; Tapestry of Grace Year 3 resources, as well as additional resources deemed necessary by the faciliators
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 Grammar Level students and Junior Analytical Grammar for our Dialectic students.
Grammar Level
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 2019_2020 school year: Fix It! Grammar Book 1: The Nose Tree or Fix It! Grammar Book 3: The Frog Prince
Dialectic Level
Junior Analytical Grammar (JAG)
The Analytical Grammar program 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. For more information on Junior Analytical Grammar visit www.analyticalgrammar.com.
Curriculum for the 2019_2020 school year: Junior Analytical Grammar
Grammar Level
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 2019_2020 school year: Fix It! Grammar Book 1: The Nose Tree or Fix It! Grammar Book 3: The Frog Prince
Dialectic Level
Junior Analytical Grammar (JAG)
The Analytical Grammar program 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. For more information on Junior Analytical Grammar visit www.analyticalgrammar.com.
Curriculum for the 2019_2020 school year: Junior Analytical Grammar
History
Our history program is scheduled to follow the 4 year cycle established by the Tapestry of Grace (TOG) history program. For the 2019_2020 school year, we will use the TOG Year 3 curriculum which covers the 1800's from Napoleon through Roosevelt. 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 3 tab.
All families will need to purchase the digital edition of the Tapestry of Grace Year 3 Curriculum and the Year 3 Map Aids supplement. In addition, the Dialectic 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. Students will need these books to complete work assigned for the classes.
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.
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.
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. Weekly reading and questions are assigned and homework is turned in and reviewed. 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 3 tab.
All families will need to purchase the digital edition of the Tapestry of Grace Year 3 Curriculum and the Year 3 Map Aids supplement. In addition, the Dialectic 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. Students will need these books to complete work assigned for the classes.
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.
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.
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. Weekly reading and questions are assigned and homework is turned in and reviewed. 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, 5 and 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 have a structured learning period from 9:15 to 12:15 and the free-play period from 1:15 to 2:30.
This class will have a structured learning period from 9:15 to 12:15 and the free-play period from 1:15 to 2:30.