Homeschool Connections

Recorded Webinar: Fiction Writing with Regina Doman

2012-01-27T11:12:00.001-05:00

Regina Doman's webinar last night went wonderfully. Regina truly blessed us with her God-given gifts!

It's not to late for you to take part in the webinar. Though you can't participate live, you can watch and listen to the recording of the event. Just click here:

Which Comes First, the Character or the Plot? with Regina Doman

This is a great webinar for any adult or high school student who loves to write fiction stories!!!

To view or download the accompanying handouts click here: Scribd

To check out our fiction writing classes click here: Write Your Own Fiction Book Series

Recorded Webinar: What Every High School Student Needs to Know to Succeed in Writing

2012-01-25T14:55:00.002-05:00

E. B. Conroy's live webinar Monday went wonderfully. What a blessing to have such a gifted writing professor to spend time with us and share her tips and experience!

To download or watch the recorded webinar (free of charge and available 24/7) please click here: Simplified Writing: What Every High School Student Needs to Know to Succeed. Share this link with other homeschoolers looking for writing help.

This is a very informative webinar that is filled a lot of practical advice that you can implement into your homeschool TODAY. I suspect that it is one that parents will watch again and again.

If you'd like to learn about other great upcoming free webinars please click here: Refresh! Midwinter Homeschool Conference.

If you'd like to learn about Professor Conroy's upcoming courses (writing and test prep), please click here: Homeschool Connections Courses.

Recorded Webinar: Finding Levity in Your Homeschool

2012-01-18T03:28:00.000-05:00

Nancy Carpentier Brown's webinar last night went wonderfully. It was such a joy to spend the evening with Nancy. As a gift to the attendees, Nancy is offering a discount on two of her e-books. PLUS, Hillside Education offered a FREE giveaway. These deals were not just for the live attendees but also for those of you who watch the recorded webinar in the upcoming days. Here's all the scoop:

To watch the recorded webinar (free of charge and available 24/7) please click here:
Finding Levity in Your Homeschool: A Chestertonian Principle

Nancy is offering two of her e-books for only $4.99 each. That discount is good for one week and ends Tuesday, January 24, 2012. Click here:
A Study Guide for G. K. Chesterton's Francis of Assisi
The Blue Cross Study Edition

Hillside Education is offering a FREE giveaway. This is only good until tomorrow -- Thursday, January 19, 2012 at midnight Pacific. To enter the giveaway, simply send an email to sales@hillsideeducation.com. Put "Free Hillside Books" in the subject bar.

Thank you Nancy! And thank you Hillside!

Free Webinar: Engaging the Culture as a Family

2012-01-14T09:03:00.000-05:00

Refresh! Midwinter Virtual Conference

Be Not Afraid: Engaging the Culture as a Family with Alicia Van Hecke

(click on webinar title to register)

I have had the honor of knowing Alicia Van Hecke for a good number of years. She is a pioneer in the Catholic homeschooling movement and has worked tirelessly to help her fellow homeschoolers. Her website Love 2 Learn is one of my favorite resources. Alicia's previous webinar Choosing Worthwhile Homeschool Materials was quite popular so I wouldn't wait too long to register for this one. I hope to see you there!

Date: Monday, February 20, 2012
Starting time: 8:00 pm, Eastern Standard Time (7:00 pm Central)
Duration: 1 hour 15 minutes
Presenter: Alicia VanHecke

Webinar description: As Catholic homeschool parents we are called to live out our witness before our children first; and then, as a family, live it out before the world. Mrs. Van Hecke will share her thoughts on forming children’s imaginations, providing optimal socialization, and inculcating a desire to serve, all through the lens of the Catholic faith and with an emphasis on teaching specific virtues. As a homeschooling mother herself, Mrs. Van Hecke shares her experience, humor, and natural eloquence in this presentation.

As with all of our webinars this is a live interactive event, so bring your questions and comments.

Presenter biography: Alicia Van Hecke is a homeschool graduate and the founder and editor of Love2learn.net, a popular online resource guide for Catholic homeschoolers. After attending a Catholic elementary school, she was homeschooled for highschool went on to receive her B.A. in Liberal Arts from Thomas Aquinas College. She has experience teaching Math, History, Literature, Religion, Latin and Music and moderates a Junior Classical League Club for homeschooled teens. She and her husband, John, homeschool their five younger children (the oldest is in college) near Milwaukee Wisconsin. The whole family is heavily involved in their local parish where they all sing and John and Alicia are involved in the marriage preparation ministry. Her writings have appeared on numerous websites, as well as in Mater et Magistra Magazine, The Catholic Homeschool Companion [Sophia Institute Press] and in a long-running daily feature on Relevant Radio.

Note: Attendance is limited. If it fills up, you will be placed on a wait list. All webinars are recorded and made available for free viewing within 24 hours.

Refresh! Midwinter Virtual Conference

Be Not Afraid: Engaging the Culture as a Family with Alicia Van Hecke

(click on webinar title to register)

Free Webinars: Preparing Your Homeschooler for College

2012-01-13T14:51:00.002-05:00

Refresh! Midwinter Virtual Conference

Katherine O'Brien of Celtic College Consultants will be hosting a series of free webinars designed to help you prepare your children for college enrollment. She'll be tackling the FAFSA, the ACT and SAT tests, and more. Here are the three talks we've scheduled with descriptions and links to register:

FAFSA and PROFILE Tips and Tricks: College Financial Aid Form Help

(click on webinar title to register)

Date: Wednesday, January 25, 2012
Starting time: 8:00 pm, Eastern Standard Time (7:00 pm Central)
Duration: 1 hour 15 minutes
Presenter: Katherine O'Brien
Webinar description: Eighty percent of FAFSA forms are still filled with errors, according the the Department of Education. How can you file correctly? I'll identify the most common errors, and teach you how to avoid them. After all, the sooner your financial aid application is in, the more money your chosen school(s) will have available to award you!

Join us for this informative session to get the most $$$ for your student's education!

ACT/PLAN and SAT/PSAT Scores: What Do They Mean and How Do We Prepare?

(click on webinar title to register)

Date: Wednesday, February 8, 2012
Starting time: 8:00 pm, Eastern Standard Time (7:00 pm Central)
Duration: 1 hour 15 minutes
Presenter: Katherine O'Brien
Webinar description: In this webinar, we will explore the PSAT and PLAN tests and why (or why not) your student(s) should take them. We will also discuss the ACT and SAT and their similarities and differences. Lastly, we will explore the various methods of preparing for the tests, and which types of students do best with each method.

College Prep Basics for Parents of Children From Newborn to Eighteen

(click on webinar title to register)

Date: Wednesday, February 15, 2012
Starting time: 8:00 pm, Eastern Standard Time (7:00 pm Central)
Duration: 1 hour 15 minutes
Presenter: Katherine O'Brien
Webinar description: Research has shown that children decide whether they will go to college before they are ten years old. What factors shape that desire in children? This webinar will discuss how we and prepare our children to be lifelong learners and successful college students. It will also briefly discuss a few financial considerations so we can support our college applicants when the time comes.

Presenter biography: Since 2004, Katherine O'Brien, MA CCPS has been serving families all over the US as they prepare their children and their finances for college. A holistic planner, Katherine combines college selection, student preparation, financial aid, and alternative funding strategies to help each student and family achieve college success.

Katherine earned a BS in Industrial Engineering from Northwestern University and an MA in Catholic Theology from Franciscan University of Steubenville. She is the mother of six children, ranging from 7 to 17. She is in her 13th year of homeschooling. She is a Boy Scout leader and serves at her parish as well.

Note: Attendance is limited. If it fills up, you will be placed on a wait list. All webinars are recorded and made available for free viewing within 24 hours.

Refresh! Midwinter Virtual Conference

(click above for these and other awesome webinars -- all free!)

Free Webinar: The Liturgical Year and Your Home

2012-01-10T21:42:00.004-05:00

Refresh! Midwinter Virtual Conference

Family Centered Living in the Domestic Church with Michele Quigley

(click on the webinar title to register)

This webinar has the added benefit of a free drawing. Two attendees will win a beautiful Catholic Daily Planner from Family-Centered. I personally use these planners and LOVE them. Thank you Michele.

Date: Thursday, February 23, 2012
Starting time: 8:00 pm, Eastern Standard Time (7:00 Central)
Duration: 1 hour 15 minutes
Presenter: Michele Quigley

Webinar description: Learn why the Church year should be an integral part of our lives and what steps you can take to organize your home and time in a way that flows organically into the Church's liturgical seasons. Michele will share tips on time management and organization and how to make it all work with the liturgical year not against it. PLUS, all attendees will be entered into a drawing and two will win a free 2012 Catholic Daily Planner of their choice. This unique liturgical and appointment planner is a great resource for managing your time and living your faith!

Presenter's biography: Michele Quigley is a devoted wife and mother of 10 children. She is the creator of the popular Catholic Daily Planner and co-creator of the Mater Amabilis online curriculum. Michele and her family run Family-Centered™.com from their home. Michele blogs at http://family-centered.com/living and http://inhousejournal.net

Note: Attendance is limited. If it fills up, you will be placed on a wait list. All webinars are recorded and made available for free viewing within 24 hours.

Refresh! Midwinter Virtual Conference

Family Centered Living in the Domestic Church with Michele Quigley
(click on webinar title to register)

New Writing Courses

2012-01-09T14:35:00.001-05:00

Registration for our current Simplified Writing for Middle School has filled up. Because we have a number of parents on the wait list, we've added a second course. It will take place on the same days as the original course but at Noon Eastern instead of 2:00 pm Eastern.

Also note that we offer Simplified Writing for High School and Writing for College. Both of those courses are close to filling up as well, so if you're interested you should enroll today. We will not be offering those two again until next school year.

We do still have plenty of room in the fiction writing series. Those are excellent 4-week courses that can be taken alone or as a group.

Here are links for detailed information on the Spring Semester Writing Courses:
Fiction Writing Series (middle and high school)
Writing for College (college preparatory: 11th and 12th grade)
Simplified Writing for High School (9th to 11th grade)
Simplified Writing for Middle School (6th to 8th grade)

Also note that we are planning on adding a basic middle school grammar and punctuation course starting in April. Keep an eye on the website or blog for the announcement. Or drop us an email at homeschoolconnections@gmail.com

Free Webinar: Is Our Faith a Fairy Tale?

2012-01-07T15:10:00.000-05:00

Refresh! Midwinter Virtual Conference

Is Our Faith a Fairy Tale? with Andrew Schmiedicke

(click on webinar title to register)

I've had the pleasure of spending time with Andrew and his wife Regina over the years and I am thrilled to announce Andrew's upcoming webinar for Homeschool Connections's Refresh! Midwinter Virtual Conference. Andrew brings to us a joy and love for all things Catholic as well as for great literature and fairy tales. I pray you'll be able to join us for what is sure to be an uplifting and informative talk, either live or on recording.

Date: Thursday, February 2, 2012
Starting time: 8:00 pm, Eastern Standard Time (7:00 pm Central)
Duration: 1 hour 15 minutes
Presenter: Andrew Schmiedicke
Webinar description: What do the spells and enchantments, princesses and princes, witches and wonders of fairy land have to do with our Christian Faith? Why did G.K. Chesterton believe so strongly in both? This talk playfully explores the possibilities of Chesterton's apparently puzzling perspective.

Presenter's biography: Andrew is a devoted Catholic husband, father, editor, small business owner, and homesteader. As the editor of his wife's books, Regina Doman Schmiedicke calls him "the secret of my success." He and his brother Mike and business partner Matthew own and operate Veraprise, a web development company which hosts all of Regina's websites. In 1999, he and Regina produced and directed an audio drama of The Shadow of the Bear, which won the Sonic Society's 2009 award for "Best Audio Drama Show". Together with Regina, he edits fiction for Sophia Institute Press, and helps to raise and homeschool seven of their eight children at Shirefeld, their homestead in Virginia where they raise chickens, rabbits, sheep, llamas, and pigs, while providing a good home for their three cats and dog.

You can learn more about Andrew, Regina and their work at Fairy Tale Novels.

Note: Attendance is limited. If it fills up, you will be placed on a wait list. All webinars are recorded and made available for free viewing within 24 hours.

Refresh! Midwinter Virtual Conference

Is Our Faith a Fairy Tale? with Andrew Schmiedicke

(click on webinar title to register)

Free Webinar: Regina Doman on Fiction Writing

2012-01-07T10:53:00.004-05:00

NOTE: The live webinar was absolutely wonderful! You can watch and listen to a recording of the event by clicking here: http://tinyurl.com/ReginaTalkFiction.

Refresh! Midwinter Virtual Conference

Which Comes First, the Character or the Plot? with Regina Doman

(click on webinar title to register)

Regina Doman is a favorite author among teens, mine included. Her books accomplish exactly what fiction is supposed to accomplish ... the exploration of the soul -- not just the fictional characters's but our own soul. It is enjoyable, it is savored, and yet it is also uplifting and good for us.

Therefore, I am very excited to tell you that Regina is scheduled to present a free webinar to you and me on fiction writing. In our evening together we will explore the very basic questions of plot and character development. I pray that this webinar will help you and your children expand your love for reading and writing.

Date: Thursday, January 26, 2012
Starting time: 8:00 pm, Eastern Standard Time (7:00 pm Central)
Duration: 1 hour 15 minutes
Presenter: Regina Doman

Webinar description: Which come first, the character or the plot? This classic conundrum was solved by the playwright Lajos Egri, and is the method still employed by Hollywood screenwriters today. With an overview of both story structure and character building, this talk particularly explores the overlooked component that Egri used to tie both together in a satisfying whole.

Presenter's biography: Regina Doman is a Catholic wife, mother, author and editor. Currently she works for Sophia Institute Press as the editor of their fiction line, whose recent offering is Rachel's Contrition, a #1 Best Seller in Amazon's Women's Fiction category, and winner of the 2011 Catholic Arts and Letters Award for best adult fiction. As an author, she has written the Fairy Tale Novels, a series of books for teens and adults that places fairy tales in modern settings with Christian themes interwoven. The fifth book in that series, Alex O'Donnell and the 40 CyberThieves, won the 2011 Catholic Arts and Letters Award for best young adult fiction. Her only picture book Angel in the Waters has sold over 100,000 copies. Regina and her husband Andrew live in Virginia's Shenandoah Valley where they homeschool seven of their eight children. To the question, “How do you manage to get it all done?” Regina responds, “What makes you think I get it all done?”

Visit Regina at her website by clicking here: Regina Doman

Note: Attendance is limited. If it fills up, you will be placed on a wait list. All webinars are recorded and made available for free viewing within 24 hours.

Refresh! Midwinter Virtual Conference

Which Comes First, the Character or the Plot? with Regina Doman

(click on webinar title to register)

Spanish Classes Starting January 12th

2012-01-05T06:35:00.000-05:00

Our Spanish I course is set up as a two part course for the school year. Part One started in September and Part Two will start in January. New students are welcomed to join us midyear next week. This is a great way to enhance your homeschool if you find that you need some help this semester in Spanish.

Please feel free to drop us an email at homeschoolconnections@gmail.com to make sure your student's progress is in line with the course schedule.

Registration link:
Spanish I

Algebra I and Pre-Algebra Classes Starting Soon

2012-01-04T07:06:00.001-05:00

Our Math courses are set up as two part for the school year. Part One starting in September and Part Two starting in January. New students are welcomed to join us midyear in January. This is a great way to enhance your homeschool if you find that you need some help this semester in Math.

We will begin the semester with the following chapters:
Saxon Algebra 1/2 Chapter 61
Saxon Algebra 1 Chapter 71

Registration links:
Pre-Algebra
Algebra I

Please feel free to drop us an email at homeschoolconnections@gmail.com with any questions.

Latin Classes Begin January 13th

2012-01-03T08:25:00.002-05:00

Our Latin courses are set up as two part for the school year. Part One starting in September and Part Two starting in January. New students are welcomed to join us midyear in January. This is a great way to enhance your homeschool if you find that you need some help this semester in Latin.

Please feel free to drop us an email at homeschoolconnections@gmail.com to make sure your student's progress is in line with the course schedule.

Registration links:

Latin 1/2 (Middle School) -- Jenney's First Year Latin

Latin I (High School) -- Wheelock Latin

Latin II (High School) -- Wheelock Latin

American Sign Language Classes

2011-12-30T12:27:00.000-05:00

Click on the video and learn about our upcoming ASL course:

To register click here: American Sign Language Course

Free Online Classes: Modern American History

2011-12-28T19:52:00.000-05:00

Due to the outstanding response to Mr. Campbell's FREE Modern History course, we're extending the offer until the Feast of the Epiphany.

Click here and learn! Modern American History

Free Webinar: Homeschooling and Socialization

2011-12-27T22:32:00.002-05:00

Refresh! Midwinter Virtual Conference

The Well Socialized Homeschooler ~ Embracing the Weird, Debunking the Myth with Mary Ellen Barrett

(click on webinar title to register)

I saw Mary Ellen give this talk at the CHAPLET Conference in New Jersey this last summer and it was quite excellent. She blew the myth of "What about socialization" right out of the water. This will be a great webinar for you to find encouragement and to be reminded that "socialization" is a reason TO homeschool.

One of the great things about our free webinars is their interactive nature. You make it unique with your questions and comments. So bring lots of them. Another plus is that they are all recorded -- you can share this event for years to come with friends and family.

Hope to see you there.

Date: Thursday, February 9, 2012
Starting time: 8:00 pm, Eastern Standard Time (7:00 pm, Central)
Duration: 1 hour 15 minutes
Presenter: Mary Ellen Barrett

Webinar description: Homeschoolers are often portrayed as socially crippled and abnormal. Mrs. Barrett will debunk the myths of the unsocialized homeschooler and show how the very things that make them weird to society makes them wonderful students, adults, and children of God.

Presenter's biography: Mary Ellen Barrett is a homeschooling mother of seven children. She is a longtime columnist for The Long Island Catholic and speaks on a variety of topics at conferences and parishes around the eastern part of the United States. She can be found blogging at Tales from the Bonny Blue House.

Note: Attendance is limited. If it fills up, you will be placed on a wait list. All webinars are recorded and made available for free viewing within 24 hours.

Refresh! Midwinter Virtual Conference

The Well Socialized Homeschooler ~ Embracing the Weird, Debunking the Myth with Mary Ellen Barrett

(click on webinar title to register)

Review: The Chronicle of Pilgrimage to the Holy Land

2011-12-27T15:55:00.000-05:00

The Chronicle of Pilgrimage to the Holy Land (256 pp.)
Edited by D. Salomon
Copyright by Alpha Communications Ltd. (2008)
Review by Maria Rioux

Many books cover large periods of history, but I've yet to see one that includes so many personal experiences and fascinating stories in such a stunning, sweeping manner as does The Chronicle of Pilgrimage to the Holy Land. Most of us will never set foot in the Holy Land. Traveling there is a lot easier than it used to be, but, for me and most of the families I know, living our vocation takes up every spare minute—and most of our money. Nevertheless, we each have a strong and devotional attraction to the Holy Land. The Chronicle is an excellent means to feed that natural devotion we already have for the places where Jesus lived, worked and died. Pilgrimages have always been popular because man learns through his senses: though what we know by faith is unshakably true, it's reinforced by what we can see, touch and feel. This book, a virtual pilgrimage in itself, is a phenomenal help. When you read about what people went through in order to visit the Holy Land or what they sacrificed to keep Christian sites and artifacts from falling into Muslim hands, you can't help but feel awed and inspired.

The chosen format is that of a newspaper chronicling the history and legends of the Holy Land from the birth of Christ until the present. Unlike the newspapers of today, however, this one is wonderfully balanced, while also highly informative and detailed. While Christ is undoubtedly the focus, respectful consideration is shown to those others who consider this land holy for other reasons: the Jews and the Muslims. In the 2000 years covered there's not one snide insinuation, insulting jab, or indication of bias, which is highly unusual for anything historical, especially if it is also at all religious. Evil men and evil deeds are plainly told, just as good men and virtuous acts are faithfully recounted, and each with a level of detail that makes you feel as if you might have been there. I felt as if I met Christ again, living in the Body of Christ, but also in time. I met Him first walking the paths He walked, but then, too, in those who expressed their devotion, hope, or longing through their art or by embracing the physical hardship pilgrimage to the Holy Land entails. This narrative is not a marching through 2000 years of salvation history. It is an unfolding of God's plan in time, for individuals and peoples, in the language God uses to speak to us: Scripture first and foremost, but also, through people, events, and even things themselves. I would be so bold as to say that, through this book, I have felt God more closely, marveled at His providence and love throughout time more appreciatively, and wished to be a pilgrim myself. We each are, but I'm grateful for this more concrete connection with the broader family of God throughout time, and the places and things so holy to me as well.

This book begins with the birth of Christ and I can't think of a better way to prepare for Christmas. It does not stop there. We see Christianity thrive and grow as pilgrims from increasingly distant lands journey to the Holy Land to see for themselves the places where Jesus walked, preached, prayed, wept, suffered and died. Of course they wanted to see these places! I want to see them, too! This book has helped me get as close as I am likely to get in an amazingly personal and compelling manner.

The accompanying DVD/documentary helps enormously. I've watched quite a few documentaries. The first thing one immediately notices is the voice/manner of the narrator. Even terrific pictures/footage can be unjustly under-appreciated if the narration is terrible. This is still true if the narration is not half-bad. In this case, the footage is phenomenal, and the narrator is quite good: his manner is pleasant and manly, but not over-bearing. He walks you through the Holy Land, quietly guiding and informing you along the way, almost as if he doesn't want to intrude on your thoughts. The footage is breathtakingly beautiful. Some scenes are panoramic, and others up-close and personal. Though I've never been to the Holy Land, I now almost feel like I have. The DVD alone is a kind of pilgrimage.

The author treats religious matters, sites, and controversies with a reverent yet objective tone. As a teacher, I'm particularly appreciative of this because it's not only exhausting to constantly have to work against a writer's bias, it's sometimes so time-consuming it's unfeasible. This book, however, is a pleasure to read—a delight! It has none of that. It neither demonizes nor sanctifies the Crusaders nor vilifies the Muslims. It is very much what a history should be: presenting the facts in an engaging, living manner and backing them up with authentic documentation; in the words and art of the people who lived it. Everything—the photographs, the varied and beautiful artwork, and the citations from ancient documents—works together to give a well-rounded while also deeply personal account of what went on during various periods of time in the Holy Land. And there's a wealth of it!

In fact, this book could have been an art book with an emphasis on Christianity and a penchant for historical detail and documentation. The same balance I mentioned earlier is evident even in the selected artwork: there is such a variety of types and periods. What's most astonishing is the sheer number and quality of the images—aerial shots of Jerusalem and photographs taken inside the Basilica of the Annunciation interspersed with murals, paintings, and maps—give you a vivid impression of the Holy Land itself. The paper quality is excellent, and the book is over-sized (9X13), which is especially appropriate, pleasing and necessary because there are so many stunning photos, artworks, and additional documentation of astonishing variety throughout.

It certainly isn't the same as visiting in person but, together with the DVD that's included, it's the next best thing. I can linger over the images in the book, noting the inscriptions along the margins of the icons or carved into stone, while the DVD takes me through the streets of the major cities and sites at a visitor's pace. I can direct all my attention to the sights and sounds of Jerusalem while still having a guide to point out the things I wouldn't have noticed on my own. I also liked the way the author chose to convey historical events: as newspaper headlines with the stories in columns below. For example, in Chapter I, a headline reads: It's a Boy! followed by the sub-caption: "His Name is John." It's a clever way to retell a story that we've all heard many times: the birth of John the Baptist. And, later on in the same chapter, I read: "Joseph, Do Not Be Afraid” followed by: Angel Convinces Husband to Take Mary Home.

While I cannot show you the pictures or the artwork, I can give you a glimpse of the personal nature of the narrative throughout. This is an excerpt from William Lynch's travelogue (an American naval lieutenant exploring the Jordan and the Dead Sea in 1848): "Monday, April 17. At 9:30 p.m. we arrived at "El Meshra," the bathing place of the Christian pilgrims, after having been fifteen hours in the boats. This ford is consecrated by tradition as the place where the Israelites passed over with the Ark of the Covenant; and where our Blessed Savior was baptized by John. Feeling that it would be desecration to moor the boats at a place so sacred, we passed it, and with some difficulty found a landing below. My first act was to bathe in the consecrated stream, thanking God, first for the precious favour of being permitted to visit such a spot; and secondly, for His protecting care throughout our perilous passage. For a long time after, I sat upon the bank, my mind oppressed with awe, as I mused upon the great and wondrous events which had here occurred. Perhaps directly before me, for this is near Jericho, "the waters stood and rose up upon a heap," and the multitudinous host of the Israelites passed over. ...Tradition, sustained by the geographical features of the country, makes this also the scene of the baptism of the Redeemer. The mind of man, trammeled by sin, cannot soar in contemplation of so sublime an event. On that wondrous day, when the Deity veiled in flesh descended the bank, all nature, hushed in awe, looked on, —and the impetuous river, in grateful homage, must have stayed its course, and gently laved the body of its Lord." (p. 198)

Christ promised not to leave us orphans, and He did so through His Church and the sacraments. Man learns through his senses, so concrete signs of God's presence among us is both necessary and comforting. And yet, even the sacraments are in some ways not that concrete. Baptismal water is not (for most of us) the Jordan. Mass is not Holy Thursday, though it definitely began there. This is at least partly why so many from such far away places and varied circumstances for over two thousand years have felt blessed to make the journey to the Holy Land; to be a pilgrim walking where Christ walked, seeing what Christ saw, in a spirit of prayer and penitence, faith and hope. It is a witness to the Body of Christ over time and throughout the earth. We have countless brothers and sisters, each taking this journey in some way. Some belong to the Church Triumphant (St. Helen of the Cross and St. Louis IX, for example), some to the Church Suffering (and we don't know who they are for sure, but history may lead us to suspect and we should definitely pray for them), and some to the Church Militant, who have always and do still fight for Christ as best they can and as demanded by the circumstances of their lives. We, who follow the tales of these pilgrims can relate, learn, and benefit, today as yesterday.

Lastly, another remarkable aspect of The Chronicle is its scope. From the events surrounding the life of Christ (Chapter I) up through "Twentieth-Century Pilgrimage" (Chapter XI: 1917 onward), this book explains the political forces behind the wars, the various difficulties faced by both pilgrims and Crusaders, and the internal struggles among the Muslim caliphs that accounted for bursts of benevolent tolerance as well as sudden and harsh reprisals almost completely through personal accounts. I will try to give you some sense of that by giving you a peek at each of the 11 chapters. Seriously, it's just a peek. You would not believe all that I had to leave out! Each chapter begins with a synopsis of the period covered, which is then fleshed out through the pilgrims and events of the day.

Chapter I: The Footsteps of Jesus
This chronicles the life of Christ and lays the foundation for all the chapters to follow: this land is holy because Christ was born, lived and died here.

Chapter II: The Byzantine Period (324-634 CE)

Once Christianity became the official religion of the Roman Empire (4th century), pilgrimages to Jerusalem increased. The difficulties involved and the hardships to be endured were extreme. First, there was the sea voyage. Ships were built for function rather than comfort and pilgrims would be crowded together in the hold, living on food that rotted a little more each day. Assuming that they survived the voyage, there were wars to avoid, governments that would spring up and collapse whenever one took his eyes off of them, and the only rule that was stable was inimical to Christians.
St. Helen of the Cross, churches built, wars between various non-Christians, Jerusalem changes hands frequently.
Monasticism in the Holy Land: hermits and communities
Mosaics, sections of carpet/floor, baptismal founts, St. Sabbas in his coffin (skeleton in fine garb)

Chapter III: The Early Arab Period (634-1099)

Various caliphs, their internal wrangling, the ones held in high regard and the traitorous dogs.
Earthquake destroys Bethlehem but leaves Church of Nativity untouched.
Church encourages sinners to make pilgrimages for sins.

Chapter IV: The Kingdom of Jerusalem (1099-1187)

Pope calls for knights to stop feuding and save Holy Sepulcher. Peter the Hermit’s disastrous People’s Crusade. “Tancred of Apulia Conquers Galilee with 80 Knights.” Godfrey’s (Protector of the Holy Sepulcher) sword, spurs, and cross photo. Teutonic Order of Knights in response to German/French hostility (German inscription on knight’s tomb erased and French one substituted). Love triangle between Eleanor of Aquitaine, Louis VII, and Raymond of Antioch (ended in divorce).
Crusaders rebuild Church of Holy Sepulcher. Women in the Crusades. Saladin defeats the Crusaders and razes all their fortress but neglects city of Tyre, thereby leaving possibility of a third crusade.

Chapter V: The Second Crusader Kingdom (1187-1270)

Heavy hitters set out to face Saladin and retake Jerusalem: Richard Lionheart, Philip II, Friedrich Barbarossa. Almost 3000 Muslim prisoners executed at Acre when Saladin refuses terms. Saladin nearly takes Jaffa but Richard Lionheart’s timely arrival and daring dive into the surf saves Christian defenders. St. King Louis’s role and death.

Chapter VI: The Mameluke Conquest (1260-1516)

Non-Christians crack down on pilgrims—Franciscans charged fee and threatened with beating to death—and destroy Church of Annunciation. Non-Christians make money off pilgrims. Pilgrims complain of noise, unpleasant odors, living conditions, and fees associated with food/travel/amenities. Prestige knighthood titles. Bogislav wrote a third-person account of his own exploits against the
Turkish pirates and fought off the last of them with a skewer for roasting chickens.

Chapter VII: Under Ottoman Rule (1516-1798)

Turks drug their soldiers and camels with opium (for fighting spirit). French pharmacist mentions 275 plants from his journey to Holy Land by name. Scotsman William Lithgow writes crude, simple account of his travels, using nicknames where he forgot the real ones, and bluntly informing critics of his work that he wished they would hang. Bestseller in twelve editions and sold for 200 years.
Dutch De Bruyn paints the Holy Land.

Chapter VIII: Into the Nineteenth Century (1798-1831)

Napoleon attempted to take the Holy Land but turned back at Acre. The Princess of Wales was royally treated by Suleiman despite suspected scandalous behavior. William John Banks, a member of the British House of Commons, carried out the first archeological excavations in Jerusalem. In renovating the Church of the Holy Sepulcher, the Greek Orthodox nearly went bankrupt. Irishman Richard Madden outwits bandits four times, with the last time being the most impressive. While never lucky, the Irish are, indeed, plucky.

Chapter IX: The Advent of the Modern Age (1831-1876)

Artists, architects, scientists and unlikely physicians from various countries all use their gifts to better appreciate and understand the Holy Land and its people. Jerusalem is photographed for the first time. The British conquer Acre, which must have been especially gratifying as Napoleon couldn't.

Chapter X: The Sunset of the Ottoman Empire (1876-1917)
Ottoman Turks ally with the Germans, sundering ties with the British, and fall with them when they're defeated in WWI. Kaiser Wilhelm journeys east, "feeling himself a modern Crusader, though the preparations for his journey were made by the English travel agency Thomas Cook and Sons, Ltd." The Kaiser was thus referred to as "Cook's Pilgrim". At least he got a capitol "P". Lawrence of Arabia surveys Byzantium...but in which sense? Both, maybe? The Holy City surrenders to the British. Thank God.

Chapter XI: Twentieth-Century Pilgrimage (1917 onward)

Pope Paul VI visits the Holy Land...the first pope to do so. In the Jubilee year 2000, JPII also made a pilgrimage: "To come here and to pray in the most important places which, from ancient times, have seen God's interventions, the wonders He has done."

I am not connected with this project in any way, but they are offering my readers a discount. This book was ten years in the making, with historians, theologians, journalists and researchers working together to make what Mother Therese might well have characterized as, "something beautiful for God." It's
phenomenal, and I am grateful to be even a small part of making others aware of it.

These are the details on the discount:
1) Book (DEAL1000): $47.90, plus $2 shipping and handling, for a grand total of
$49.90

2) DVD (DEAL1010): $11.99, plus $2 for shipping and handling, for a grand total
of $13.99

One can buy the book and DVD here: http://www.kindle-business.com That site also contains a few resources that will you a better preview of the book and DVD. A virtual book tour can be found here: http://www.kindle-business.com/tour/
More about each chapter and the book can be found here: http://www.kindle-business.com/footsteps.html
Excerpts from the DVD can be found here: http://www.kindlebusiness.com/dvd.html

Free Webinar: Little Flowers Girls Club

2011-12-19T08:55:00.007-05:00

Refresh! Midwinter Virtual Conference
Little Flowers Girls Club: Having Fun While Learning Catholic Virtues with Rachel Watkins

(click on webinar title to register)

Date: Monday, February 13, 2012
Starting time: 8:00 pm, Eastern Standard Time
Duration: 1 hour 15 minutes
Presenter: Rachel Watkins
Description: Thinking about starting a Little Flowers Girl Club? Already a leader and looking for some tips? Have a daughter in a club and have some questions on how to make her experience even better? Whether you're a beginner, experienced, or just considering Little Girls Club for the future, this webinar is designed with you in mind.

Come meet the creator of the program, Rachel Watkins. Learn just how easy it is to start a club and how fun it is for the girls as they grow in Faith. Feel free to bring your questions. Or, if you prefer, just sit back and relax with a nice hot cup of tea and enjoy Rachel's talk.

Little Flowers Girls' Club® is a Catholic program for girls ages 5 and up based on learning Catholic virtues through the lives of Catholic saints, Scripture and the Catechism of the Catholic Church. Developed by our speaker Rachel Watkins, and based on Fr. Lasance's Catholic Girls' Guide, the Club strives to bring the Catholic faith alive and inspire the girls to become authentic Catholic women.

Presenter's biography: Rachel Watkins is wife to Matthew, homeschooling mom to 11 great kids, creator/writer of the Little Flowers Girls Club (ages 5 and up) and Honor Guard (ages 12 and up) Contributor to Ave Maria Radio's More 2 Life with Dr. Greg and Lisa Popcak and their companion blog Exceptional Marriages. In the midst of life, she has found some time to be published in a number of Catholic publications and websites. Her life could be defined as a daily attempt to fulfill the words of Jesus who assures us that He came so that our joy would be full! She doesn't always succeed but the efforts have been surprising.

Note: Attendance is limited. If it fills up, you will be placed on a wait list. All webinars are recorded and made available for free viewing within 24 hours.

Refresh! Midwinter Virtual Conference

(click on conference title to learn about other upcoming talks)

Little Flowers Girls Club: Having Fun While Learning Catholic Virtues with Rachel Watkins

(click on webinar title to register)

Meet Wyoming Catholic College

2011-12-17T06:45:00.004-05:00

This new video from Wyoming Catholic College is simply beautiful. They are accomplishing great things in Wyoming. If you'd like to learn more, here is a free webinar they did for Homeschool Connections a couple of years ago. Click to view: Meet Wyoming Catholic College.

Frances Chesterton Photo Album

2011-12-16T06:43:00.002-05:00

Nancy Brown put together this lovely YouTube photo album of Frances Chesterton, wife of G. K. You can watch Nancy's recorded webinar for free here: Frances Chesterton: What We Can Learn from the Wife of G. K. Chesterton About Home Education

Anatomy of a Logo

2011-12-15T07:49:00.004-05:00

We've been hard at work creating a new logo for Homeschool Connections. I have found the process to be fascinating. In fact, I even found a way to fit it into our homeschool studies.

We were studying heraldry in our Middle Ages history co-op. Each student was assigned to create their own coat of arms. We talked about how one's coat of arms represented the person or family and how each symbol and every color has some special meaning.

Then the conversation moved to how modern company logos are similar to medieval coats. Here are a few examples of logos with special and hidden meanings:

Notice how the arrow denotes A to Z?

This is an electric company. See how the E and D make a plug?

In this one the G is also a happy face.


And, finally, our new logo. The pencil and the book binding make a cross to represent our Catholicity. And the digitization represents the old becoming new.

I hope you like our new logo. It's so new, you won't even see it on the website for a while yet. We're in the midst of a complete website redesign built around the new logo. We're also working to make the website more user friendly for you.

To see more cool logos, visit Toxel Design here and here and here.

Free Webinar: What Every High School Student Needs to Know to Succeed in Writing

2011-12-14T05:43:00.006-05:00

NOTE: The live webinar went fantastic. If you missed it, you may watch the recording of the event here: http://tinyurl.com/EBConroyWriting

Simplified Writing: What Every High School Student Needs to Know to Succeed with Erin Brown Conroy, MA

(click on webinar title to register)

Date: Monday, January 23, 2012
Starting time: 8:00 pm, Eastern Standard Time (New York, GMT-05:00)
Duration: 1 hour 15 minutes
Presenter: E. B. Conroy (Erin)
Description: Every student needs to know how to write! Whether your student is going to college or simply wants to succeed in life—there are critical how-to skills for writing that get the good grade and business promotion. Come to this one-hour free webinar (plus Q&A) to learn the 7 most important skills of writing—and how to easily teach them to your teen. Get inspired -- and learn how to inspire your teen to love writing!

Presenter's biography: E.B. Conroy (Erin) is a public speaker, professional writer, author, curriculum writer, and college writing professor. Erin has been homeschooling for 27 years and is a parent of 13 children ages 10 to 30. Erin also teaches "Simplified Writing" courses for middle and high school students, fiction writing, and SAT/ACT prep through Homeschool Connections.

Note: Attendance is limited. If it fills up, you will be placed on a wait list. All webinars are recorded and made available for free viewing within 24 hours.

Refresh! Midwinter Homeschool Conference

Simplified Writing: What Every High School Student Needs to Know to Succeed with Erin Brown Conroy, MA

(click on webinar title to register)

FREE Online Course: Modern American History

2011-12-13T06:01:00.002-05:00

Homeschool Connections offers a pretty awesome deal for recorded classes. For only $30 a month OR one $330 annual payment (one month free!) you can have access to over 70 courses. Seventy courses!!! Some online schools charge $330 and up for just one online course. This is the best deal you'll ever find in Catholic online education -- quantity and quality!

We want you to have an opportunity to try out one of our courses so that you can see firsthand what this service can offer you.

As of today, you have free access to Mr. Campbell's Modern History recorded course until December 30, 2011. It is completely free to you and yours. Just click here: Modern American History. Make sure you forward this on to your friends on email and Facebook who could really benefit from this deal.

Please email or leave a comment below if you have questions or comments.

Free Webinar: Keep Doing What You're Doing

2011-12-10T06:45:00.004-05:00

Refresh! Midwinter Homeschool Conference

Keep Doing What You're Doing: Perspectives of a Home School Mom turned Catholic High School Teacher with Laurie Gill, M.Ed.

(click on webinar title to register)

Note: Attendance is limited. If it fills up, you will be placed on a wait list. All webinars are recorded and made available for free viewing within 24 hours.

Date: Wednesday, February 22, 2012
Starting time: 8:00 pm, Eastern Standard Time
Duration: 1 hour 15 minutes
Presenter: Laurie Navar Gill, M. Ed.
Webinar Title: "Keep Doing What You're Doing" Perspectives of a Homeschool Mom Turned Catholic High School Teacher

Webinar description: After homeschooling six kids for 16 years and running writing workshops for homeschoolers, Mrs. Gill returned to the fulltime work force and has been teaching high school English in St. Louis Catholic schools since 2006. This year, she added an online AP lit class for Homeschool Connections to her teaching load. Mrs. Gill will share her observations about differences between home schooled and private schooled students and about the strengths and weaknesses in each type of educational setting.

Refresh! Midwinter Homeschool Conference

Keep Doing What You're Doing: Perspectives of a Home School Mom turned Catholic High School Teacher with Laurie Gill, M.Ed.

(click on webinar title to register)

Online Course: American Sign Language

2011-12-08T06:45:00.008-05:00

American Sign Language; Level I

(click on course name for registration)

(Extra credit if you figure out the signs above and leave in the comments below.)

UPDATE: You can meet E. B. Conroy here: American Sign Language Course (YouTube)

Class dates: Thursdays, January 12 to March 1, 2012
Instructor: E. B. Conroy
Total classes: 8
Starting time: 3:30 pm Eastern
Duration: 50 minutes
Prerequisite: None
Suggested grade level: 6th to 12th grade
High school credit: 2/3 semester Foreign Language
Fee: $120.00
Course description: This course is a beginning American Sign Language (ASL) course for those who would like a strong foundation in learning to communicate with American Sign Language. Students will learn and practice fingerspelling, identifying and signing words used in everyday life; asking questions; special structure of sentences in ASL; the role of expression (non manual markers) in communication; the foundations of ASL’s history; Deaf culture; and practice words and sentences. IMPORTANT! This course is a video course; it is a requirement that you have a web cam , so that you can interact and sign within the course learning time—with immediate feedback and encouragement.
Course outline:
Class 1: Fingerspelling and Greetings
Class 2: The Family and Deaf History
Class 3: Around the House and Deaf Culture
Class 4: Numbers and Time
Class 5: Questions
Class 6: Building Vocabulary: Nouns
Class 7: Building Vocabulary: Verbs
Class 8: Conversations
Course materials: Web cam (most newer computers have them built in). Everything else is provided FREE online from Professor E. B. Conroy
Homework: Weekly practice of the signs and conversations covered in the course, watching videos of signing, and review within signed conversations during class time.

Professor's biography: Erin Brown Conroy, MA, is the professor of College-Level Writing and Writing and Research for Patrick Henry College (five years) and taught writing at Cornerstone University for seven years. She is the author of several non-fiction books, including Simplified Writing 101: Top Secrets for College Writing Success, and has designed four college writing courses, including an AP English Language and Composition course for PHC Preparatory Academy online. Professor Brown Conroy also privately coaches ACT English prep live and across the US via Skype and phone conferencing and has spoken at conferences regarding the teaching of writing. A member of the Society of Children’s Book Authors and Illustrators, she is also a fiction writing coach for high school and college students for the last ten years and has judged writing contests. She is also a freelance professional writer and ghostwriter. Professor Brown Conroy also authored True North Reading: The Complete Mastery Reading and Spelling Program, a five-level multisensory learn-to-read program for children ages 3 to 15. Mrs. Brown Conroy lives in Howell, Michigan and attends Old St. Patrick's Parish. She has been homeschooling for 27 years. Mrs. Brown Conroy loves enjoying her two Australian Labradoodles, playing the Irish wooden flute, and homeschooling five of her 13 children who still live at home.

Equipment requirements: Classes are online, live and interactive. Students are required to have high-speed internet, web cam, and a headset with microphone.

Misc:
Mrs. Brown Conroy will be available via email in between classes for questions and comments.
Recordings of classes are provided to students within 24 hours and available for 6 months.
Homeschool Connections does not provide record keeping services.

American Sign Language; Level I

(click on course name for registration)

Free Webinar: Science by Inquiry

2011-12-08T06:30:00.000-05:00

Refresh! Midwinter Homeschool Conference

Science by Inquiry (At Home Science Series) with Kris Correira

(click on webinar title to register)

Note: Attendance is limited. If it fills up, you will be placed on a wait list. All webinars are recorded and made available for free viewing within 24 hours.

Date: Wednesday, February 1, 2012
Starting Time: 8:00 pm, Eastern Standard Time
Duration: 1 hour 15 minutes
Presenter: Kris Correira
Webinar Description: Science by Inquiry is where children begin with a question and then answer that question through investigation. Inquiry engages children to make learning more fun and enduring. Any current science program can be adapted to take on this approach, or you can start from scratch to create a project of interest to your children. Kris Correira will show you how Science by Inquiry can be as structured or as open as you like. Use it as your main approach to science, as a way to liven up a structured curriculum, or as a fun addition to what you are already doing.

Speaker Biography:
Kris Correira is a Catholic homeschooling mother of three boys with a particular interest in science. Her blog, At Home Science, is a resource for teaching science at home without reliance on textbooks or curricula, but rather by creating individual, flexible science programs through a variety of books and other resources.
   Kris also has an extensive background in medicine and teaching. Currently she is a Human Biology instructor for Homeschool Connections an online Catholic education site that offers a wide variety of live and recorded courses for homeschool students. She has been teaching both classroom and online courses in the paramedic program at Quinsigamond Community college since 1993, and taught a Human Biology lab at Eastern Connecticut State University. She is a physician assistant who worked in a busy emergency department for sixteen years.
   Kris received her Bachelor of Arts degrees in Biological Sciences and Computer Science from Wellesley College, and her Physician Assistant Certificate and Masters of Health Professions degree from Northeastern University. She is currently working toward her Doctorate degree in Educational Leadership and Higher Education online from the University of Nebraska—Lincoln. She, her husband, and her sons live in Massachusetts.
   You can find Kris online at At Home Science and Homeschool Connections.

Science by Inquiry (At Home Science Series) with Kris Correira

(click on webinar title to register)

Free Webinar: Finding Levity in Your Homeschool

2011-12-07T06:10:00.002-05:00

NOTE: The live webinar went fantastic. If you missed it, you may watch the recording of the event here: Finding Levity in Your Homeschool.

Refresh! Midwinter Homeschool Conference

Finding Levity in Your Homeschool; A Chestertonian Principle with Nancy Brown

(click on webinar title to register)

Date: Tuesday, January 17, 2012
Starting time: 8:00 pm, Eastern Standard Time
Duration: 1 hour 15 minutes
Presenter: Nancy Brown
Webinar Description: It's easy to be heavy, hard to be light, said British journalist and Catholic Defender of the Faith G.K. Chesterton. Why do we get so bogged down in the details, record-keeping, worrying about test scores, making sure they finish that last workbook page—when Chesterton teaches us that being light, finding humor, keeping things pleasant, keeping our voices quiet, and interjecting humor and wit wherever and whenever we can, is the best way?

How do I add humor, wit, lightness and levity to my homeschool? Add some Chesterton, and become like Chesterton, who will someday be declared a saint. American Chesterton Society Media Manager and homeschooling mother Nancy Brown will show you how.

How to stop yourself from exploding when you feel the heat rising
How to become funnier at home
How to quicken your wit and tickle your kids funny bones
How to keep your voice quiet when all you want to do is yell
How to think like Chesterton, and how to add Chesterton to your homeschool

We'll cover all this and more at Nancy Brown's webinar. Join us today!

About the Presenter: Nancy Carpentier Brown is the blogmistress, podcaster, Facebook and Twitter commander for the American Chesterton Society, as well as a columnist for their publication Gilbert Magazine. She is on the editorial board of mater et magistra.

Brown is the adapter of The Father Brown Reader: Stories from Chesterton and the newly released Father Brown Reader 2: More Stories from Chesterton. She is also the author of The Blue Cross Study Guide and the Study Guide to Chesterton's St. Francis of Assis
Note: Attendance is limited. If it fills up, you will be placed on a wait list. All webinars are recorded and made available for free viewing within 24 hours.

Finding Levity in Your Homeschool; A Chestertonian Principle with Nancy Brown

(click on webinar title to register)

Refresh! Midwinter Virtual Homeschool Conference

2011-12-06T11:48:00.003-05:00

Renew! Rejuvenate! Recharge!

Hey--
I'm totally excited to tell you about this!

First, I have to ask you...

Have you ever felt those midwinter doldrums? Does homeschooling tend to bog down for you during certain times of the year? I know it does for me. Here's something we can get excited about!

Beginning in Mid-January, you'll get a chance to rejuvenate your spirit, encourage your heart, and feel inspired & recharged in your homeschooling with our upcoming series of FREE webinars for homeschool parents (Yes, over 12 webinars that you attend from home, all free, with nationally known speakers)--all online and even recorded, spread out over a number of weeks, so that you can get great inspiration and ideas exactly when you need it.

February is known as "Burnout Month" in homeschooling circles, and we thought it would be good to help us all get through that tough month with something extraordinary: the Refresh! Midwinter Virtual Conference.

Refresh! begins Tuesday, January 17, and lasts through February with a full schedule of practical how-to helps, to keep your homeschool vital, alive, and fun! When you come, you'll join us online and have access to speakers who will do everything from encouraging you in your vocation to giving you great practical tips to apply every day.

We pray that February 2012 will be your best month ever for homeschooling and for your family--so that you no longer think of February as as Burnout Month, but instead, as Refresh! Month. Please pray for us as we organize this free online conference. We strongly desire to make this an annual event.

Come visit our blog often as details unfold in the upcoming weeks. You will start to see information on individual webinars beginning December 7th.

Romeo and Juliet with Joseph Pearce

2011-11-29T10:14:00.001-05:00

We are very happy to announce that Joseph Pearce will be teaching for Homeschool Connections. He will begin with a high school course on Romeo and Juliet in April. Below are all of the details.

Literature: Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare

(click on the course title to register)

Class dates: Wednesdays, April 11 to May 16, 2012
Total classes: 6
Starting time: 2:00 pm Eastern
Duration: 1 hour
Prerequisite: The ability to read and enjoy the play.
Suggested grade level: 9th to 11th grade (advanced 8th graders can be accepted.)
Fee: $120 for all 6 classes
Course description: Romeo and Juliet is perhaps the most famous love story ever written. Its cultural influence is so profound that Shakespeare’s “star cross’d” lovers have become synonymous with the very meaning of romantic love. But what exactly does the world’s greatest playwright have to say about the world’s greatest lovers? Does he sympathize with their plight? Does he consider them blameless, or are they largely responsible for the tragedy that awaits them? Is it a story about fatalistic forces beyond the control of the lovers, or is it a cautionary tale warning of the dangers of unbridled erotic passion? In this course, Joseph Pearce, editor of the Ignatius Critical Edition of Romeo and Juliet, asks and answers these questions as he invites students to see the play through Shakespeare’s Catholic eyes.

Course outline:
Week One: An Introduction to Shakespeare
Week Two: Act One
Week Three: Act Two
Week Four: Act Three
Week Five: Act Four
Week Six: Act Five and concluding comments

Required reading: Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare (Ignatius Critical Edition, edited by Joseph Pearce)
Suggested reading: The Quest for Shakespeare by Joseph Pearce (Ignatius Press)
(Please click on book titles for ordering information.)

Homework: Quizzes, essay prompts and answer keys will be provided each week.

Instructor biography: Joseph Pearce is the editor of the Ignatius Critical Edition of Romeo and Juliet and author of the forthcoming book, Shakespeare on Love: Seeing the Catholic Presence in Romeo and Juliet (publication by Ignatius Press in Fall 2012). He is also the author of The Quest for Shakespeare: The Bard of Avon and the Church of Rome and Through Shakespeare’s Eyes: Seeing the Catholic Presence in the Plays, both published by Ignatius Press. He has hosted two 13-part seasons of “The Quest for Shakespeare” for EWTN and has also edited the Ignatius Critical Editions of The Merchant of Venice, Julius Caesar, Hamlet, King Lear, and Macbeth. Writer in residence and associate professor of literature at Ave Maria University in Florida, Pearce has also authored books on great Christian writers such as G. K. Chesterton, J. R. R. Tolkien, C. S. Lewis, and Alexander Solzhenitsyn.

Equipment requirements: Classes are online, live and interactive. Students are required to have high-speed internet and a headset with microphone.
Misc:
Professor Pearce will be available via email in between classes for questions and comments.
Recordings of classes are provided to students within 24 hours and available for 6 months.
Homeschool Connections does not provide record keeping services at this time.

Literature: Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare

(click on the course title to register)

Free Homeschool Helps

2011-11-17T08:04:00.001-05:00

Homeschool Connections has a Scrbd account where we offer a great number of free downloads for families. Just a few examples:

We owe a very special thank you to Jean and Maria Rioux for their major contribution to Catholic homeschooling and to this collection of free downloads.

We continue to add new content every month. There are more Shakespeare helps on the way, we have a collection of unit studies, and we love to add reading lists. So check back often.

Pre-Algebra and Algebra I for Homeschoolers

2011-11-14T09:27:00.000-05:00

Meet our math instructor and consider joining us for Pre-Algebra or Algebra in January!

For detailed information or the link to register, please click on the hyperlink:
Pre-Algebra
Algebra I

Famous Homeschool Authors and YOU!

2011-11-09T16:36:00.005-05:00

What do Christopher Paolini, Michael Aquilina III, and Kaleb Nation have in common? All three are homeschool grads and all three are published authors. I (Maureen) have the privilege of knowing two of these three young men. Kaleb was part of a homeschool high school writing club I organized a few years ago and Michael is a longtime family friend.

If you love to write, I am here to encourage you. If you have the burning desire to write, I hope to help give you the tools to fulfill that desire and to do for the glory of God.

Don't ever think that because you are young that you cannot be published. The three authors mentioned are just a small example of young people who have achieved success in publishing. Walter Crawford and I are committed to providing young homeschooled students with the tools and the leg up needed to achieve that goal. Here at Homeschool Connections, we are working with an amazing writing professor, E. B. Conroy, in developing a series of courses to teach you the skills to write fiction as well as nonfiction.

The fiction writing series of courses are designed to be taken in any order. You can join us at anytime. See above for a short video from Professor Conroy explaining the Plot and Structure course that starts in January. To view more videos about our other writing courses, please click here: Homeschool Connections YouTube Channel.

Homeschooling through the Holidays?

2011-11-07T06:29:00.001-05:00

Thanksgiving and Christmas are just around the corner already. Do you continue to homeschool or take a nice long break during the holidays? At our house we "homeschool light." An easy way to do that is with our Subscription Service. You have 24/7 access to our recorded courses which can be taken at your own pace. Take your time, focus on just one or two courses, take a course together as a family ... these are just a few ideas on how you can keep learning alive throughout this busy time of the year.

Plus you can give it a try for only $1.

Click here to learn more: Online Catholic Classes

How to Teach Linear Writing

2011-11-05T05:29:00.003-04:00

What do muffins and linear writing have in common? Watch and learn!

Online History Class: The Civil War

2011-11-04T10:54:00.000-04:00

Meet Professor Stanley, our new middle school history teacher:

To learn all the details, please visit: The Divided United States of America: The Civil War Years

Simplified Writing for High School

2011-10-28T14:32:00.000-04:00

Meet Mrs. Conroy, our new writing instructor:

For details please visit Simplified Writing for High School with Mrs. Conroy

High School Archeology for Catholic Homeschoolers

2011-10-27T21:44:00.000-04:00

What do strawberry tarts, archeology and Bible history have in common. Check out this video to find out!

To register click here: An Archaeological Survey of the Old and New Testaments

FAQ: Refund Policies

2011-10-26T06:02:00.003-04:00

Following are questions we've received regarding refund and cancelation policies for both live and recorded courses:

Live Courses
Q: What do I do if I have a scheduling conflict and my child is unable to take a course once I've already registered him?
A: Because of busy schedules and potential conflicts with the class times, some people may find that they have to drop a course. We will refund 95% of the course fee for cancellations made up to 1 week before the first day of class. Up to 1 week following the first class, we will refund 50% of the course fee plus 45% credit for a future course (must be used within one year). Written notification is required prior to the second class if you would like to receive the partial refund.

Recorded Courses (Subscription Service)
Q: My youngest graduated and I would like to cancel. If I cancel today (the 1st) will my subscription end today or at the end of my 30-day subscription period which is the 15th.
A: Your subscription will end on the 15th. You don't have to worry about timing it just right as we take care of that for you. We make sure you get the most out of your subscription fee!

Q: I haven't used my Subscription Service for six weeks. Can I get a refund for the past couple of months?
A: We are not able to give refunds for past months. The recorded courses are paid via a subscription service. To help you keep track of your charges, the monthly fee is automatically deducted from your credit card on the same day each month and you receive an email notification. Additionally, we send out monthly e-newsletters regarding your Subscription Service. If you do not plan to use the service, you may cancel at any time and resubscribe at a later date. On a similar note, we are able to refund for a current month if notified within 24 hours of the deduction.

AP English, Part Two

2011-10-25T06:05:00.000-04:00

Advanced Placement: Literature and Composition; What Good is a Good Story, Part Two

(click on course title for registration page)

Note: This is a two-part course. See Fall 2011: High School for Part One.
Class dates: Tuesdays (instruction) and Thursdays (discussion/lab), January 10 to May 3, 2011. No class April 3 and 5 (Holy Week).
Total classes: 32
Starting time: 8:00 pm Eastern (7:00 pm Central)
Duration: 1 hour
Prerequisite: Part One of this course. Instructor’s permission is required for exceptions. Students are expected to take the AP Literature and Composition test on May 10, 2012.
Suggested high school credit: 1 full semester credit for AP English
Suggested grade level: 11th to 12th grade
Fee: $300 if you enroll on or before November 1, 2011. $375 after November 1 for all 32 classes. (Note: enrollment is limited.)
Instructor: Laurie Navar Gill, M. Ed
Course description: This course syllabus has been approved by the College Board to bear the designation “AP.” All students in the class will be receiving a preparation that will help them to succeed on the AP Literature and Composition exam, which many students take for Advanced College Credit. You may also be eligible for a weighted grade.
Building on representative texts from the western literary tradition, this course will particularly examine the nature of storytelling and its relationship to life and culture. We will look at different storytelling media, including the epic, drama, the novel, non-fiction prose, and poetry. We will analyze story structure and storytelling techniques and examine the interplay between life and story. As we read stories, we will also talk about them, write about them, and tell some of our own.
The course approaches the goals of AP Literature through a Catholic lens. The primary themes under consideration are God’s universal charity and the consequences of sin. As we travel with the pilgrims of Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales, imagine the end of the world, examine the tragedies of Othello and King Lear, look at Gothic horror novels through the lens of contemporary bio-ethical dilemmas, and finally, ponder how God’s plan is worked out through very imperfect instruments in The Power and the Glory, students can mature and deepen in their understanding of human weakness and God’s sovereign mercy.
Course outline: Please contact Homeschool Connections for the complete course outline.
Course materials: Each student will need 7-11 books; all are available in inexpensive paperback editions. Specific editions will be suggested, but library copies are fine. In the case of literature in translation, particular translations will be required. Some of the texts are available free online.
Homework: The course requires roughly an hour of reading every day, with additional discussion/posting responsibilities. Every reading unit (approx. every 3 weeks) also includes a major writing assignment that will go through draft, conferencing and revision stages. Conferences are one-on-one meetings with the instructor that can take place via computer or telephone [SKYPE]. Students should plan on spending an average of 60-90 minutes 5-6 days a week outside of class on reading and writing for this course.

Language: Spanish I, Part Two

2011-10-24T10:14:00.001-04:00

Language: Spanish I, Part Two

(click on course title for registration page)

Class dates: Thursdays, Jan. 12 to Apr. 12. No class Feb. 23 or Apr. 5.
Total classes: 12
Starting time: Noon Eastern (11:00 am Central)
Duration: 1 hour
Prerequisite: Spanish I, Part One or equivalent
Suggested grade level: 8th to 12th
Fee: $160 if you register on or before November 1, 2011. $195 after November 1 for all 12 classes
Instructor: Irma Luz Schmitt
Course description: Students will learn to grammar and be given the foundation to speak the language. In first year Spanish you will learn basic words, verb tenses, how to speak basic sentences, etc.
Course materials: Spanish: Middle / High School (Skills for Success)
Homework: All assignments will be graded by the instructor.

Professor's biography: Irma Luz Schmitt was born in Ciudad Victoria, Tamaulipas, Mexico. She graduated from the Instituto Tecnologico y de Estudios Superiores de Monterrey (Monterrey Institute of Technology) in Monterrey, Mexico with a Bachelor’s degree in Accounting in 1986 and a Master’s Degree in Education in 1999. In 2005, she earned a certification from Cambridge University in England to teach English as a second language.
From 1987-1999, Mrs. Schmitt worked as an accountant at Catepillar, Cedetel and Sorteo Tec. In 2000, she worked at Universidad Virtual del Tec de Monterrey as part of a team that initiated online courses in Accounting. From 2002-2004, she taught accounting, humanities and Latin American Studies at Universidad LaSalle in Ciudad Victoria. In 2003-2005, she taught English as a second language in the Centro de Lenguas de la Universidad Autonoma de Tamaulipas in Ciudad Victoria. While there she also participated in a distance learning program to train teachers who teach English in elementary public schools in neighboring cities of Tamaulipas.
Mrs. Schmitt and her husband live in Bear, Delaware where they homeschool their 5 year-old-daughter.

Equipment requirements: Classes are online, live and interactive. Students are required to have high-speed internet and a headset with microphone.
Misc:
Mrs. Schmitt will be available via email in between classes for questions and comments.
Recordings of classes are provided to students within 24 hours and available for 6 months.
Homeschool Connections does not provide record keeping services.

Language: Spanish I, Part Two

(click on course title for registration page)

Language: Latin II, Part Two

2011-10-21T09:49:00.000-04:00

Language: Latin II, Part Two

(click on course title for registration page)

Note: This is a two-part course. However, students are welcomed to join us midyear. Please feel free to drop us an email at homeschoolconnections@gmail.com to make sure your student's progress is in line with the course schedule.

Class dates: Fridays, January 13 to April 13, 2012. No class February 24 (midterm break) or April 6 (Holy Week)
Total classes: 12
Starting time: 10:00 am Eastern (9:00 am Central)
Duration: 1 hour
Prerequisite: Latin II, Part One or equivalent
Suggested grade level: 9th-12th
Suggested high school credit: 1 full semester of Latin
Fee: $160 if you register on or before Nov. 1, 2011. $195 after Nov. 1 for all 12 classes
Instructor: Catherine Alvis
Course description: Students who have completed a full year of Latin are welcome to Latin II. Students will become proficient in both English Grammar and in all Latin forms. We will also discuss Roman thinkers and their influence on the Roman Republic. From time to time we will also translate some short stories from "Wheelock's Short Stories".
Course materials: Wheelock's Latin.
Homework: An average of one to one half hour 4 days a week and graded by the instructor. Students must memorize all new forms including any new vocabulary. Translation and vocabulary quizzes will be given periodically.

Instructor's biography: Catherine Alvis is a graduate of the University of Dallas with a BA in Politics and is currently obtaining her Masters in Humanities from UD as well. She has been teaching English and Latin for 5 years at a homeschool co-op in Dallas, TX and has tutored various levels of Latin throughout her teaching career. Miss Alvis enjoys reading, tennis, spending time with her family, volunteering at various events at her Thomas Aquinas parish, organizing events with Young Catholic Professionals of Dallas and playing fetch with her boarder collie.

Equipment requirements: Classes are online, live and interactive. Students are required to have high-speed internet and a headset with microphone.

Misc:
Miss Alvis will be available via email in between classes for questions and comments.
Recordings of classes are provided to students within 24 hours and available for 6 months.
Homeschool Connections does not provide record keeping services.

Language: Latin II, Part Two

(click on course title for registration page)

Language: Latin I; High School

2011-10-20T08:59:00.000-04:00

Language: Latin I, Part Two

(click on course title for registration page)

Note: This is a two-part course. However, students are welcomed to join us midyear. Please feel free to drop us an email at homeschoolconnections@gmail.com to make sure your student's progress is in line with the course schedule.

Class dates: Fridays, January 13 to April 13, 2012. No class February 24 (midterm break) or April 6 (Holy Week)
Total classes: 12
Starting time: 2:00 pm Eastern (1:00 pm Central)
Duration: 1 hour
Prerequisite: Latin I, Part One or equivalent
Suggested grade level: 9th-12th
Suggested high school credit: 1 full semester Latin
Fee: $160 if you register on or before Nov. 1, 2011. $195 after Nov. 1 for all 12 classes
Instructor: Catherine Alvis
Course description: Students new to Latin will be introduced to all verb and noun forms and will translate famous Latin anecdotes from Wheelock's 'Sententiae Antiquae'. English Grammar will be emphasized in addition to discussing famous Roman speakers. Students will have a more comprehensive understanding of Latin forms than in Latin 1/2.
Course materials: Wheelock's Latin
Homework: An average of one hour per day 4 days a week and graded by the instructor. Students will be assigned practice sentences in class, and must memorize vocabulary and new forms with each new lesson. Vocabulary and translation quizzes will be given periodically.

Instructor's biography: Catherine Alvis is a graduate of the University of Dallas with a BA in Politics and is currently obtaining her Masters in Humanities from UD as well. She has been teaching English and Latin for 5 years at a homeschool co-op in Dallas, TX and has tutored various levels of Latin throughout her teaching career. Miss Alvis enjoys reading, tennis, spending time with her family, volunteering at various events at her Thomas Aquinas parish, organizing events with Young Catholic Professionals of Dallas and playing fetch with her boarder collie.

Equipment requirements: Classes are online, live and interactive. Students are required to have high-speed internet and a headset with microphone.

Misc:
Miss Alvis will be available via email in between classes for questions and comments.
Recordings of classes are provided to students within 24 hours and available for 6 months.
Homeschool Connections does not provide record keeping services.

Language: Latin I, Part Two

(click on course title for registration page)

Homeschool Latin for Middle School

2011-10-19T05:54:00.002-04:00

Language: Latin 1/2, Part Two

(click on the course title for registration page)

Class dates: Fridays, January 13 to April 13, 2012. No class February 24 (midterm break) or April 6 (Holy Week)
Total classes: 12
Starting time: 11:30 Eastern (10:30 am Central)
Duration: 1 hour
Prerequisite: Latin ½, Part One or equivalent
Suggested grade level: 7th to 8th
Fee: $160 if you register on or before Nov. 1, 2011. $195 after Nov. 1 for all 12 classes
Instructor: Catherine Alvis
Course description: Students new to Latin will be introduced to the fundamental forms of both nouns (1st-3rd declensions) and verbs (all tenses, active and passive of 1st conjugation). Logic level students will begin translating various short stories about Aeneid's journey to the founding of Rome.
Course materials: Jenney's First Year Latin. Make sure to get the latest edition, ISBN# 0133193284, so you can follow along with the instructor.
Homework: Average 45 to 60 minutes per day, four days a week and graded by the instructor. It will consist of memorizing forms, writing vocabulary cards (students should use colored index cards to help them study) and some translation. Vocabulary and translation quizzes will be given periodically.

Instructor's biography: Catherine Alvis is a graduate of the University of Dallas with a BA in Politics and is currently obtaining her Masters in Humanities from UD as well. She has been teaching English and Latin for 5 years at a homeschool co-op in Dallas, TX and has tutored various levels of Latin throughout her teaching career. Miss Alvis enjoys reading, tennis, spending time with her family, volunteering at various events at her Thomas Aquinas parish, organizing events with Young Catholic Professionals of Dallas and playing fetch with her boarder collie.

Equipment requirements: Classes are online, live and interactive. Students are required to have high-speed internet and a headset with microphone.

Misc:
Miss Alvis will be available via email in between classes for questions and comments.
Recordings of classes are provided to students within 24 hours and available for 6 months.
Homeschool Connections does not provide record keeping services.

Language: Latin 1/2, Part Two

(click on the course title for registration page)

Homeschool Math: Saxon Algebra I

2011-10-18T06:17:00.009-04:00

Math: Algebra I (Saxon); Part Two

(click on course title for registration page)

Note: This is a two-part course. However, students are welcomed to join us midyear. Please feel free to drop us an email at homeschoolconnections@gmail.com to make sure your student's progress is in line with the course schedule. We'll be starting the second semester with Chapter 61. Students who want to start at the beginning can take the recorded courses on their own (see Subscription Service).

Class dates: Mondays, January 9 to April 23, 20112. No class Jan. 23 (March for Life) or Apr. 9 (Easter Monday).
Total classes: 14
Suggested grade level: 9th to 12th
Starting time: 4:00 pm Eastern (3:00 pm Central)
Duration: One hour 15 minutes
Fee: $160 if you enroll on or before November 1, 2011. $185 after November 1 for all 14 classes.
Instructor: Jean Hoeft, MA
Prerequisite: Math: Algebra (Saxon); Part One or equivilant
Suggested grade level: 8th to 12th
Suggested high school credit: 1 semester credit for math
Course description: This course involves all concepts needed to fulfill national requirements for Algebra I. The topics to include but not be restricted to, operations with integers, rules of multiplicative identity and additive identity, equation solving, exponential function relations, quadratic function relations and their graphs, Cartesian graphing, polynomial relations and functions, radicals and their properties as well as some work with geometric properties as a background for use in Algebra II.
Course materials: Saxon Algebra I Homeschool Kit, Third Edition, which includes the textbook, test booklet, and answer key. (If you shop around, this kit can be found from a variety of sources new or used for a reasonable price.) A different edition could be used if you already own it but it would be more difficult to follow along in class.
Homework: Students will be assigned 4-5 homework assignments per week with testing done on Fridays. Students will be required to take a placement test before entering the class to tailor studies to the individual needs of the students. Parents are asked to grade homework and tests and to send results to the instructor. The course instructor will then use these results to tailor lessons. The first 15 minutes of class will involve answering questions and doing practice problems to help the learners understand and improve on homework mistakes.

Instructor's biography: Jean Hoeft has been a math and algebra teacher for 22 years. She has a BA from the University of Michigan and a MA from Marygrove University. Jean has taught the confirmation class at her Catholic parish for 27 years. She loves gardening, sudoku puzzles, raising chickens, reading, knitting, and everything Catholic.

Equipment requirements: Students are required to have high-speed internet and a headset with microphone.
Misc: Mrs. Hoeft will be available via email in between classes for questions and comments.
Recordings of classes are provided to students within 24 hours and available for 6 months.
Homeschool Connections does not provide record keeping services.

Math: Algebra I (Saxon); Part Two

(click on course title for registration page)

Homeschool Math: Saxon Pre-Algebra

2011-10-17T08:51:00.001-04:00

Math: Pre-Algebra (Saxon), Part Two

(click on course title for registration page)

Note: This is a two-part course. However, students are welcomed to join us midyear. Please feel free to drop us an email at homeschoolconnections@gmail.com to make sure your student's progress is in line with the course schedule. We'll be starting the second semester with Chapter 61. Students who want to start at the beginning can take the recorded courses on their own (see Subscription Service).

Class dates: Tuesdays, January 10 to April 24, 2011, No class Jan. 24 (March for Life) or April 3 (Holy Week)
Total classes: 14
Starting time: 4:00 pm Eastern (3:00 pm Central)
Duration: 1 hour 15 minutes
Prerequisite: Pre-Algebra (Saxon), Part One or equivalent.
Suggested grade level: 7th to 9th grade
Fee: $160 if you register on or before November 1, 2011. $185 after Nov. 1 for all 14 classes
Instructor: Jean Hoeft
Course description: Students will begin the skills needed for Algebra I. These include but are not limited to: writing equations, slope of a line, solving simple equations, numbers and their operations, linear functions, and operations with integers.
Course materials: Saxon Algebra ½ Homeschool Kit
Homework: Students will be assigned 4-5 homework assignments per week with testing done on Fridays. Students will be required to take a placement test before entering the class to tailor studies to the individual needs of the students. Parents are asked to grade homework and tests and to send results to the instructor. The course instructor will then use these results to tailor lessons. The first 15 minutes of class will involve answering questions and doing practice problems to help the learners understand and improve on homework mistakes.

Instructor's biography: Jean Hoeft has been a math and algebra teacher for 22 years. She has a BA from the University of Michigan and a MA from Marygrove University. Jean has taught the confirmation class at her Catholic parish for 27 years. She loves gardening, sudoku puzzles, raising chickens, reading, knitting, and everything Catholic.

Equipment requirements: Students are required to have high-speed internet and a headset with microphone.
Misc: Mrs. Hoeft will be available via email in between classes for questions and comments.
Recordings of classes are provided to students within 24 hours and available for 6 months.
Homeschool Connections does not provide record keeping services.

Math: Pre-Algebra (Saxon), Part Two

(click on course title for registration page)

FAQ: Two-Part Courses

2011-10-16T17:09:00.000-04:00

Q: I noticed that you are offering Part Two of Latin II starting in January. I would like to enroll my son. Is that okay even though we have not taken Part One this semester?

A: Yes, that is not a problem. We have had students join us midyear in the past without any problems. We can put you in touch with the instructor so that you can make sure that your son's current progress is in line with our course schedule before you register.

Plot and Structure: Writing Your Own Fiction Book

2011-10-15T23:26:00.001-04:00

Click to play and learn about this great writing course:

Enroll today by clicking here: Write Your Own Fiction Book Series

Simplified Writing for Middle School: Your All-Encompassing Foundational Middle School Writing Course

2011-10-15T14:26:00.000-04:00

Meet our writing professor:

Enroll today by clicking here: Simplified Writing for Middle School.

High School: Moral Theology—How Shall I Live?

2011-10-14T07:00:00.026-04:00

Theology: Moral Theology—How Shall I Live?

(link on course title for registration page)

Class dates: Tuesdays, March 6 to May 1, 2012. No class April 3 (Holy Week)
Total classes: 8
Starting time: 1:00 pm Eastern (Noon Central)
Duration: 1 hour
Fee: $90 if you register on or before November 1, 2011. $120 after Nov. 1 for entire 8-week course.
Course instructor: Monica Ashour, MTS; M Hum
Prerequisite: None.
Suggested grade level: 10th to 12th
Suggested high school credit: 1/2 semester credit in theology

Course Rationale: Every human person is called to the perfection of charity (cf. LG #40). This vocation has been revealed through Jesus Christ and can be accomplished only in and with Jesus Christ, whose Paschal Mystery is made present in the Church’s liturgy—the “great work in which God is perfectly glorified and men are sanctified” (SC #7). To further man’s sanctification, the Second Vatican Council has asked that “. . . special care should be given to the perfecting of moral theology. Its scientific presentation should draw more fully on the teaching of Holy Scripture and should throw light upon the exalted vocation of the faith in Christ and their obligation to bring forth fruit in charity for the life of the world” (OT #16). Therefore, this course will attempt to focus upon the moral life, first of all, within the context of man’s vocation in Christ, the model of holiness, who took the form of a slave, emptied himself, and learned obedience through suffering; secondly, within the context of man’s natural endowments, his capacity for virtue; and finally, within the context of charity as the form of the virtues and the goal of all man’s strivings since “God is love” (1Jn 4:8). The course will investigate concretely those challenges to the Catholic Church’s teachings and respond with solid, pastoral answers.
Course Goal: Each student, having been challenged intellectually with various doctrinal teachings, will be challenged to be open to ongoing conversion so as to offer himself along with Jesus, the Sacrificial Victim, to the Father in the love of the Holy Spirit both now and for all eternity. Concretely, this will manifest itself in life in Christ through virtuous living and a deeper understanding of and participation in the Liturgy.

Homework: Weekly Quizzes, Major Project, and Final Exam: Graded by the parent. (Answer key provided, with reference to powerpoint.)
Course Reading: The reading will assist the student in delving into a deep understanding of the human person and how (s)he is to act, along with its application to one’s relationship with Jesus and the Church. Please note that several of these are available free online and others are available used inexpensively. Please click on the hyperlinks below for free downloads or purchase information:
1. The Bible 2. The Catechism of the Catholic Church; 3. The Documents of Vatican II; 4. Veritatis Splendor (Pope John Paul’s encyclical on morality) 5. The Weight of Glory and Man or Rabbit, both by CS Lewis;
Optional: 1. Peter Kreeft’s A Refutation of Moral Relativism, Ignatius Press 2. Fr. Basil Maturin’s Christian Self-Mastery;, Sophia Institute Press 3. Hayes, Hayes, Kelly, & Drummey’s Catholicism and Ethics: A Medical/Moral Handbook, C.R. Publications, Inc. (and for those interested—Leader’s/Catechist’s Manual of the same name and publisher).
For those who want more of a challenge and more credit earned: 1. Charles Rice’s 50 Questions on the Natural Law, Ignatius Press; 2. Peter Kreeft’s Snakebite Letters, Ignatius Press. Even deeper challenge: National Catholic Bio-ethics Quarterly.
Recommended future reading, to form the imagination in morality: Dante’s Inferno, Dostoevsky’s Crime and Punishment, and Shakespeare’s Hamlet.

Instructor's biography: Having had 20 years of experience in the classroom, 3 years of experience working at St. Mary’s Catholic Church at Texas A&M University as one of the Campus Ministers, and Master Degrees in Humanities and Theological Studies from the University of Dallas, Monica Ashour comes to us with a breadth and depth of vision that will solidify and electrify high school students. Orthodox, passionate, and pedagogically adept, Miss Ashour reaches youth especially in the areas of Christian Anthropology, Moral Theology, and Social Ethics. Her former students come to her often with gratitude in preparing them for the various experiences that they faced in college. She is also a gifted speaker for the Theology of the Body Institute.

Equipment requirements: Classes are online, live and interactive. Students are required to have high-speed internet and a headset with microphone.
Misc:
Miss Ashour will be available via email in between classes for questions and comments.
Recordings of classes are provided to students within 24 hours and available for 6 months.
Homeschool Connections does not provide record keeping services.

Theology: Moral Theology—How Shall I Live?

(link on course title for registration page)

Early Enrollment Discount

2011-10-13T05:58:00.001-04:00

Early registrations helps our instructors plan their coursework more effectively. For this reason, Homeschool Connections offers a very generous Early Enrollment Discount.

Register for your spring courses on or before November 1st and you'll save from 15 to 30%. You'll find links to individual registration pages in the sidebar here on the blog. Or, visit our website and click on Courses.

The discount is automatic when you register. No need for special codes and no hoops to jump through. The courses are set at the discounted price and will automatically increase on November 2nd.

High School Science: Hematology and Immunity

2011-10-12T04:20:00.014-04:00

Science: Blood and Immunity; Hematology and Immune System (Anatomy & Physiology)

(click on course title for registration page)

Class dates: Wednesdays, January 11 to April 11, 2012. No class February 22 (midterm) or April 4 (Holy Week).
Total classes: 12
Starting time: 12:30 pm Eastern (11:30 Central)
Duration: 1 hour
Prerequisite: None
Suggested grade level: 9th to 12th
Fee: $160 if you register on or before November 1, 2011. $185 after Nov. 1 for all 12 classes. (Note: Enrollment is limited. A waiting list will be created if the course fills.)
Instructor: Kris Correira, PA-C, MHP
Course description: We may have only three types of blood cells, yet blood carries our oxygen, repairs our injuries, stops our bleeding, and it fights off infections and more. Explore Hematology and Immunology in this twelve-week course.
Course outline:
Week 1: Blood Function, Composition, and Hematopoiesis
Week 2: Coagulation and Coagulation Disorders
Week 3: Hemoglobin and Blood Typing
Week 4: The Complete Blood Count and Blood Smear
Week 5: Anemias and Bone Marrow Disorders
Week 6: Exam I
Week 7: Immune System Anatomy, Pathogens, and Nonspecific defenses
Week 8: Antigens, Antibodies, and Types of Immunity
Week 9: Humoral Immunity
Week 10: Cell-mediated Immunity
Week 11: Immune Hormones and Patterns of Immune Response
Week 12: Exam II

Course materials: Students must have access to a compound light microscope with 400x magnification, 1000x preferable. The following supplies need to be ordered from Home Science Tools or other biological supply company:
     BE-BLDTEST Blood Test Kit
     MS-ANEMIA Human blood slide, anemia, smear
     MS-HUBLOOD Human blood slide, Wright's stain, smear
Homework: Students will have written homework assigned most weeks. Each week there is an open-book quiz available 30 minutes before class and there are two open-book exams during the semester.

Instructor's biography: Kris Correira has a long background in medicine and teaching. She is a physician assistant who worked in a busy emergency department for sixteen years. She has been teaching in the paramedic program at Quinsigamond Community College since 1993, and now also teaches a lab in Human Biology for Non-Majors at Eastern Connecticut State University. She received her Bachelor of Arts degrees in Biological Sciences and Computer Science from Wellesley College, and her Physician Assistant Certificate and Masters of Health Professions degree from Northeastern University. She is currently working towards her Doctorate degree in Educational Leadership and Higher Education online from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.

Equipment requirements: Classes are online, live and interactive. Students are required to have high-speed internet and a headset with microphone.
Misc:
Mrs. Correira will be available via email in between classes for questions and comments.
Recordings of classes are provided to students within 24 hours and available for 6 months.
Homeschool Connections does not provide record keeping services.

Science: Blood and Immunity; Hematology and Immune System (Anatomy & Physiology)

(click on course title for registration page)

High School Literature: Flannery O'Connor

2011-10-11T05:03:00.001-04:00

Literature: Redemptive Comedy of Flannery O’Connor (American Classics Series)

(click on course title for registration page)

Class dates: Tuesdays, March 13 to May 1, 2012. No class Mar. 20 and Apr. 10.
Total classes: 6
Suggested grade level: 12th or college
Starting time: 10:00 am Eastern (9:00 am Central)
Duration: One hour
Fee: $80 if you register on or before November 1, 2011. $100 after Nov.1 for all 6 classes.
Instructor: Henry Russell, PhD
Prerequisite: Ability to enjoy reading and discussing the works.
High school credit: 1⁄2 semester credit; for full credit, precede with Dr. Russell’s course on Death Comes for the Archbishop by Willa Cather.
Course description: Flannery O’Connor is among the short list of American 20th-century novelists who may be considered great and enduring. This is especially odd since she lived most of her life in or on a farm outside the small town of Milledgeville Georgia, slowly dying, for most of her working life, of lupus. Moreover, she wrote only two novels—Wise Blood and the Violent Bear It Away. All else were finely chiseled short stories, of a power perhaps unmatched by any other author.
          In a largely self-satisfied America of the 1950’s, she prophetically wrote of a nation that was losing its soul by abandoning its God. Her characters-- once widely criticized as unrealistic, even bizarre, and grotesque—now walk the streets of our nation and populate every level of society. O’Connor is great because she always understood that the soul is the wellspring of human action. Each of her stories is filled with characters who are trying to avoid God’s demands. Each must face a shattering moment of choice between their illusion of self-sufficiency and obedience to reality.
          We will explore “A Good Man is Hard to Find”; “Greenleaf”; and “The Lame Shall Enter First.” Perhaps I can explain it best by saying that these stories will remain with you as unforgettably as the best stories Edgar Allen Poe ever wrote. But Poe’s stories are about life that has moved permanently into horror; O’Connor’s are about great suffering that offers a chance to know ourselves and God.

Course outline:
Class One: Flannery O’Connor and “A Good Man is Hard to Find”
Class Two: “A Good Man is Hard to Find”
Class Three: “Greenleaf”
Class Four: “Greenleaf”
Class Five: “The Lame Shall Enter First”
Class Six: “The Lame Shall Enter First”
Course materials: Find the two short stories. “A Good Man is Hard to Find” is in almost any competent modern American Anthology for college. “The Lame Shall Enter First” can be found in 3 by Flannery O’Connor, Signet, 1983 (NOT 1962), of which there are many used copies.
Homework: Dr. Russell will provide quizzes, essay topics, and a midterm and final exam to be graded by the parent. Answer keys provided.

Instructor biography: Dr. Henry Russell is Headmaster of the St. Augustine’s Homeschool Enrichment Program founded with his wife Crystal. The program began in Fall 2005 with 20 students in two living rooms and now tutors more than 70 students. He is also the President of the SS Peter and Paul Educational Foundation, dedicated to founding an orthodox Catholic Liberal Arts college in southeast Michigan.
          A graduate of Princeton and South Caroline (M.S.), Dr. Russell completed his graduate work at Louisiana State University. Formerly the Chairman of Ave Maria College’s Department of Literature, he has also been a professor at Franciscan University of Steubenville and Wake Forest University. He is a founding faculty member of the St. Robert Southwell Creative Writing Workshop held in Mahwah, New Jersey.
          Dr. Russell’s works include The Catholic Shakespeare Audio Series available from Kolbe Academy. He was the Associate Editor of The Formalist from 1990-2004 and his writings have been published in various journals. He was honored to edit Dr. Alice von Hildebrand’s groundbreaking volume, The Privilege of Being a Woman.

Equipment requirements: Classes are online, live and interactive. Students are required to have high-speed internet and a headset with microphone.
Misc:
Dr. Russell will be available via email in between classes for questions and comments.
Recordings of classes are provided to students within 24 hours and available for 6 months.
Homeschool Connections does not provide record keeping services.

Literature: Redemptive Comedy of Flannery O’Connor (American Classics Series)

(click on course title for registration page)

Literature: Death Comes for the Archbishop by Willa Cather

2011-10-10T05:22:00.003-04:00

Literature: Death Comes for the Archbishop (American Classics Series)
(click on course title for registration page)

Class dates: Tuesdays, January 17 to March 6. No class on Jan. 24 and Feb. 21.
Total classes: 6
Suggested grade level: 10th to 12th or college
Starting time: 10:00 am Eastern (9:00 am Central)
Duration: One hour
Fee: $80 if you register on or before November 1, 2011. $100 after Nov. 1 for all 6 classes.
Instructor: Henry Russell, PhD
Prerequisite: Ability to enjoy reading and discussing the works.
High school credit: 1⁄2 semester credit; for full credit, follow with Dr. Russell’s course on “The Redemptive Comedy of Flannery O'Connor”.
Course description: Willa Cather’s Death Comes for the Archbishop is one of the few American novels radically to appreciate and celebrate the Catholic culture of the American Southwest that long pre-dated the settling of Plymouth Massachusetts.
          This is a relatively short novel built on the life of the first (French) Archbishop of New Mexico. The novel is constructed around multiple journeys: from the cultivation of the Old World to the beautiful yet primitive New World; from a region that was Indian and pagan, that becomes Spanish and Catholic, only to be forced into the United States; from the West of Kit Carson to a region of cities and towns; from being an outsider in a strage land to becoming one with the land; from a slightly sceptical view of saints and miracles to a keen sense of God’s Providence to the American world.
          At all times the glowing beauty of the American Southwest and of heroic piety upholds the narrative and the reader. This is one of the great Catholic books ever written by one who did not, as far as we know, formally enter the Church in her life here on earth.

Course outline:
Class One: Willa Cather, Preface and Book 1, Chapter 1
Class Two: Book 1.2 to Book 2
Class Three: Books 3 and 4
Class Four: Books 5 and 6
Class Five: Books 7 and 8. 2
Class Six: Books 8.3 – End
Course materials: Death Comes for the Archbishop by Willa Cather
Homework: Dr. Russell will provide quizzes, essay topics, and a midterm and final exam to be graded by the parent. Answer keys provided.

Instructor biography: Dr. Henry Russell is Headmaster of the St. Augustine’s Homeschool Enrichment Program founded with his wife Crystal. The program began in Fall 2005 with 20 students in two living rooms and now tutors more than 70 students. He is also the President of the SS Peter and Paul Educational Foundation, dedicated to founding an orthodox Catholic Liberal Arts college in southeast Michigan.
          A graduate of Princeton and South Caroline (M.S.), Dr. Russell completed his graduate work at Louisiana State University. Formerly the Chairman of Ave Maria College’s Department of Literature, he has also been a professor at Franciscan University of Steubenville and Wake Forest University. He is a founding faculty member of the St. Robert Southwell Creative Writing Workshop held in Mahwah, New Jersey.
          Dr. Russell’s works include The Catholic Shakespeare Audio Series available from Kolbe Academy. He was the Associate Editor of The Formalist from 1990-2004 and his writings have been published in various journals. He was honored to edit Dr. Alice von Hildebrand’s groundbreaking volume, The Privilege of Being a Woman.

Equipment requirements: Classes are online, live and interactive. Students are required to have high-speed internet and a headset with microphone.
Misc:
Dr. Russell will be available via email in between classes for questions and comments.
Recordings of classes are provided to students within 24 hours and available for 6 months.
Homeschool Connections does not provide record keeping services.

Literature: Death Comes for the Archbishop (American Classics Series)
(click on course title for registration page)

The Journey Home with Guest Gary Michuta

2011-10-09T05:14:00.001-04:00

Gary Michuta, our apologetics instructor, appeared on The Journey Home with Marcus Grodi not too long ago. This is the full one-hour show. It's very interesting, focusing mostly on "Why Catholic Bibles are Bigger."

High School Theology: Christian Anthropology

2011-10-08T05:06:00.003-04:00

Theology: Christian Anthropology—Who Am I?

(click on course title to view registration page)

Class dates: Tuesdays, January 10 through February 28, 2012
Total classes: 8
Starting time: 1:00 pm Eastern (Noon Central)
Duration: 1 hour
Fee: $90 if you register on or before November 1, 2011. $120 after Nov. 1 for entire 8-week course. Course instructor: Monica Ashour, MTS; M Hum
Prerequisite: None.
Suggested grade level: 11th to 12th
Suggested high school credit: 1/2 semester credit in theology
Course rationale: The student will study the foundational aspects of Christian Anthropology (the Catholic vision of what it means to be human). With this understanding, the student in this course will be challenged to apply such principles to being “in the world, not of the world,” with a critical mind of recognizing distortions regarding the human person that the world holds. Furthermore, the student will delve deeply into Trinitarian and Soteriological (how we are saved) theology in that we are made in the image and likeness of the Trinitarian God and in that Jesus’ death on the Cross gives the highest and deepest revelation of what it means to be human.
Course goal: The student, through his/her embracing of this theological perspective, will be invited to grow in his/her humanity to become “St. Me,” the person he/she was made to be and whom he/she co-creates with God.
Course outline:
Class 1: Foundational Introduction to Theology; Anthropology (Study of Man (man and woman); Foundational Introduction to Theology
Class 2: Study of Man; Solitude for Communion
Class 3: The Goal of Kenosis for Union and Communion with God, within ourselves, others, and creation. Proper understanding of salvation.
Class 4: The Sacramental View of Reality
Class 5: Nominalism’s Role in our Understanding of the Human Person/William of Ockham
Class 6: Man’s Conquest over Nature”—Francis Bacon’s Influence on Modernity
Class 7: Tough Questions and Loving Responses, all based on Anthropology
Class 8: Summation of Entire
Course reading: The reading will assist the student in delving into a deep understanding of the human person, along with its application to the moral life and spirituality. (All are available online free.)
1. The Bible—Gen 1-3; Rom 3:21-8:39;
2. The Catechism of the Catholic Church #’s 249-421;
3. The Documents of Vatican II—Gaudium et Spes, especially Part I;
4. Redemptor Hominis (Pope John Paul’s 1st encyclical)
5. Pope Benedict’s address at Regensburg;
6. The Weight of Glory and Man or Rabbit, both by CS Lewis.

For those who want more of a challenge/more credit earned: CS Lewis’ The Abolition of Man; Thomas Howard’s Chance or the Dance; J. Budziszewski’s What We Can’t Not Know (Part I); Dr. Joyce Little’s The Catholic Church and the Culture War (esp. the part about egalitarianism).

Homework: Weekly quizzes, major project, and final exam: To be graded by parents. (Answer keys provided.)

Instructor's biography: Having had 20 years of experience in the classroom, 3 years of experience working at St. Mary’s Catholic Church at Texas A&M University as one of the Campus Ministers, and Master Degrees in Humanities and Theological Studies from the University of Dallas, Monica Ashour comes to us with a breadth and depth of vision that will solidify and electrify high school students. Orthodox, passionate, and pedagogically adept, Miss Ashour reaches youth especially in the areas of Christian Anthropology, Moral Theology, and Social Ethics. Her former students come to her often with gratitude in preparing them for the various experiences that they faced in college. She is also a gifted speaker for the Theology of the Body Institute.

Equipment requirements: Classes are online, live and interactive. Students are required to have high-speed internet and a headset with microphone.
Misc:
Miss Ashour will be available via email in between classes for questions and comments.
Recordings of classes are provided to students within 24 hours and available for 6 months.
Homeschool Connections does not provide record keeping services.

Theology: Christian Anthropology—Who Am I?

(click on course title to view registration page)

High School Online Writing Classes: Writing for College

2011-10-07T05:22:00.000-04:00

Writing: Writing for College

(click on course title for registration page)

Session dates: Tuesdays, January 10 to February 28.
Total classes: 8
Starting time: 2:30 pm Eastern (1:30 pm Central)
Duration: 1 hour
Fee: $130 if you register on or before November 1, 2011. $180 after Nov. 1 for all 8 classes.
Instructor: Robert Gotcher, Ph.D.
Prerequisite: Either “Writing for High School” or some other high school-level formal writing program.
Suggested grade level: 11th to 12th grade
Suggested high school credit: 2/3 semester. Parent can assign additional writing assignments for full semester credit.
Course description: What are the characteristics of excellent writing in the eyes of college professors? This course will use the rhetorical arts to help turn competent writing into impressive writing. What are the essential components of an excellent piece of nonfiction writing? How does one write a compelling introduction and conclusion? How does one argue effectively for one’s position? What are important mistakes to avoid? The course will work with previous writing samples of the students, as well as composition exercises, culminating in the writing of a short argumentative essay.
Course outline:
Class 1: Characteristics of a well-written college level research paper.
Class 2: Basic outline of a paper: introductory paragraph(s), body, and conclusion. Special focus on thesis and "hook."
Class 3: Argumentation in the body of the paper. Three types of appeal in classic rhetoric, ethos, pathos, and logos. Rational argumentation. Anticipating objections
Class 4: The syllogism, major premise, minor premise, and conclusion. Definitions in the major and the minor of a complex argument.
Class 5: Templates for four types of writing: Expository essay, textual analysis, argumentative research paper, and book review.
Class 6: Research tools and citations
Class 7: Research tools and citations (cont.)
Class 8: In this final session we will review practical suggestions about formatting and editing. We will also discuss how to use the work of others and how to avoid plagiarism.
Course materials: Everything provided free online or by Dr. Gotcher.
Homework: The student will have two types of homework assignments. He will apply the material to previous written work and he will compose a five to seven page paper as the course develops. All assignments commented on and graded by Dr. Gotcher.

Professor's biography: Dr. Robert F. Gotcher most recently served as Associate Professor of Systematic Studies at Sacred Heart School of Theology in Hales Corners, Wisconsin. He and his wife, Kathy, are raising their seven children in Franklin, Wisconsin. Dr. Gotcher has been actively involved in the homeschooling of his children, especially in the junior high and high school years. He has taught Latin, literature, physics, astronomy, and religion to homeschooled students. He has a special devotion to the classical trivium of grammar, logic and rhetoric, especially as they pertain to the written arts.
Dr. Gotcher graduated from the University of Notre Dame in 1981 with a B.A. in the Program of Liberal Studies. He received his M.A. in Theology of the University of St.
Thomas in St. Paul in 1991 and his Ph.D. from Marquette University in 2002.

Equipment requirements: Classes are online, live and interactive. Students are required to have high-speed internet and a headset with microphone.
Misc:
Dr. Gotcher will be available via email in between classes for questions and comments.
Recordings of classes are provided to students within 24 hours and available for 6 months.
Homeschool Connections does not provide record keeping services.

Writing: Writing for College

(click on course title for registration page)

World History for High School

2011-10-06T04:41:00.001-04:00

History: World History; 12 Inventions That Revolutionized the World

(clock on course title for registration page)

Class dates: Wednesdays, Jan. 18 to April 25, 2011. No class Feb. 22 (Midterm Break), Apr. 4 (Holy Week) or Apr. 11.
Total classes: 12
Starting time: 4:30 pm Eastern (3:30 pm Central)
Duration: 1 hour
Prerequisite: None
Suggested high school credit: 1 full semester
Suggested grade level: 9th to 12th
Fee: $160 if you enroll on or before November 1, 2011. $185 after Nov. 1 for all 12 classes.
Instructor: Phillip Campbell
Course description: This class will look at the development of twelve of the world's most revolutionary inventions, focusing not only on their mechanical development but on how they changed culture and altered the way man views his place in the cosmos. Man's capacity to invent is a result of his being made in the image of God, the original Creator. This class explores the creative capacity of mankind and how man has shaped and reshaped his own self-understanding through his inventions, beginning with the alphabet and going all the way up to the Internet.
Course outline:
Class 1: Alphabet: How human language begot writing, first in pictographic and then alphabetic systems, making possible for the first time the expression of complex, abstract ideas and making human inquiry possible.
Class 2: Cartography: A look at the development of mapmaking, from primitive drawings of mountains on cave walls to the adoption of the system of latitudes and meridians, and how this revolutionized the way people viewed the world, focusing on cartography as an expression of culture.
Class 3: Timekeeping: Man's calamitous history at attempting to keep some reckoning of the passing of hours, days, months and years and why this struggle was so important.
Class 4: Firearms: The origin of gunpowder, its uses, and how it revolutionized the way people think about battle and wage warfare.
Class 5: Printing Press: The transformation of writing from an individualized labor of love into a mass produced, marketable commodity.
Class 6: Telescope: A look at the seismic shift in cosmology, astronomy and theology that followed in the wake of the discovery of the telescope, as well as a primer of the Galileo controversy from a Catholic viewpoint.
Class 7: Money: This class will trace the development of money from stones and shells to gold goings to the fiat paper currencies of today, focusing on how changes in the availability and use of money and banking drove changes in culture and development.
Class 8: Antibiotics: The slow development of medical knowledge of antibiotics, from the Roman Galen up to the discoveries of Louis Pasteur and Alexander Fleming.
Class 9: Photography: The development of this marvelous invention which, for the first time in history, allowed mankind to truly capture a moment in time - but what was gained and what was lost by this revolutionary invention?
Class 10: Automobile: The wondrous invention of the "horseless carriage" and how the distribution of the automobile throughout all levels of society permanently changed every aspect of our culture, everything from how wealth is displayed to concepts of punctuality to procedures for courtship and dating.
Class 11: Electricity: The strange story of the discovery and utilization of electricity, from the experiments of Dr. Franklin to the bizarre rivalry between Tesla and Edison over whose energy was more beneficial (and more dangerous).
Class 12: Internet: Perhaps the greatest innovation of all time, leading to interconnectivity of the whole human race and the universal diffusion of knowledge. This class will examine the development of the Internet, from the first communications between servers at colleges back in the 60's to the age of Google, including a discussion of how the Internet has benefited and detracted from human relations.
Course materials: Online sources will be provided as needed by the instructor. No textbook required.
Homework: Homework will consist of a tutor-guided semester long research project/paper with different components due at various intervals throughout the semester.

Instructor biography: Phillip Campbell holds a BA in European History from Ave Maria University and recently completed a certificate program in Secondary Education through Madonna University. He has a background as a Youth Director and RCIA instructor. He teaches history and Scripture for the St. Augustine Homeschool Enrichment Program. Mr. Campbell is the author of the popular fantasy-epic Tale of Manaeth. His writings have also appeared in such publications as St. Austin Review and The Distributist Review. Mr. Campbell and his wife of eight years homeschool their four children.

Equipment requirements: Classes are online, live and interactive. Students are required to have high-speed internet and a headset with microphone.
Misc:
Mr. Campbell will be available via email in between classes for questions and comments.
Recordings of classes are provided to students within 24 hours and available for 6 months.
Homeschool Connections does not provide record keeping services.

High School Archeology / Geography / Biblical History

2011-10-05T04:30:00.002-04:00

Addendum: Meet the instructor by clicking here: Mr. Campbell, Archeology and Strawberry Tarts (YouTube video).

An Archaeological Survey of the Old and New Testaments

(click on course title for registration page)

Class dates: Thursdays, January 19 to March 22, 2012 (No class February 23)
Total classes: 10
Starting time: 4:30 pm Eastern Time (3:30 Central)
Duration: 55 minutes
Prerequisite: None
Suggested grade level: 9th to 12th grade
Suggested high school credit: 3/4 semester. Add reading / writing assignment for full semester.
Fee: $120 if you enroll on or before November 1, 2011. $145 after Nov. 1st for all 10 classes.
Course description: This class will use chronology of biblical history to acquaint students with some of the most important archaeological sites of the Holy Land. The content of this class will be based on four interrelated components:[1] Geography: Instruction on the geography of the Holy Land and the greater Middle East [2] Archaeology: An introduction to the principles of basic archaeological methodology in theory and practice [3] Apologetics: Demonstrations of how archaeological research has generally confirmed the biblical narratives [4] History: Using the schema of salvation history as a pattern through which to learn about geography and archaeology.
Course outline:
Week 1: Foundations: Capabilities and limits of archaeological research with regards to the data given to is in the Scriptures; archaeological methodology.
Week 2: Genesis 1-11: Archaeology and the oldest biblical narratives, including traditional "Eden" sites, the Tower of Babel and the ever elusive search for Noah's Ark.
Week 3: The World of the Patriarchs:
Week 4: The Historical Exodus: The sites associated with the Exodus and wandering in the wilderness, as well as questions regarding whether archaeology "proves" the Exodus account.
Week 5: The Conquest: Examining the Israelite conquest of Joshua, a visit to ancient Jericho and some of the sites from the Book of Judges.
Week 6: David, Solomon and the Kings: Old Jerusalem, the sites of the books of Samuel and Kings, including the Valley of Elah (where David killed Goliath), Mt. Carmel, En Gedi, Ezion Geber (where Solomon built a fleet).
Week 7: Where is the Ark of the Covenant?: The most enduring archaeological mystery of the Bible examined in light of four modern theories of the Ark's whereabouts.
Week 8: Intertestamental Archaeological Sites: Archaeological sites surrounding the migration of the Jews to Egypt in the 4th century BC, Alexander's conquest of Israel, the period of the Maccabees and the Herodian Dynasty.
Week 9: Life of Christ: The locations associated with the events of our Lord's life and passion.
Week 10: The Book of Acts: The first Christian communities established by St. Paul, the seven churches of Asia and Minor and many other places mentioned in the New Testament, including the oldest churches in Rome, established by St. Peter himself.
Course materials: FREE online sources will be provided as needed by the instructor. No textbook required.
Homework: Homework will consist of a tutor-guided, semester-long research project/paper with different components due at various intervals throughout the semester.

Instructor biography: Phillip Campbell holds a BA in European History from Ave Maria University and recently completed a certificate program in Secondary Education through Madonna University. He has a background as a Youth Director and RCIA instructor. He teaches history and Scripture for the St. Augustine Homeschool Enrichment Program. Mr. Campbell is the author of the popular fantasy-epic Tale of Manaeth. His writings have also appeared in such publications as St. Austin Review and The Distributist Review. Mr. Campbell and his wife of eight years homeschool their four children.

Equipment requirements: Classes are online, live and interactive. Students are required to have high-speed internet and a headset with microphone.
Misc:
Mr. Campbell will be available via email in between classes for questions and comments.
Recordings of classes are provided to students within 24 hours and available for 6 months.
Homeschool Connections does not provide record keeping services.

An Archaeological Survey of the Old and New Testaments

(click on course title for registration page)

Government / Law for High School

2011-10-04T05:02:00.002-04:00

Government/Law: Introduction to Law; Fundamentals of the American Legal System

(click on course title for registration page)

Class dates: Fridays, January 13 to March 9
Total classes: 9
Starting time: Noon Eastern (11:00 am Central)
Duration: 1 hour
Fee: $115 if you register on or before November 1, 2011. $145 after Nov. 1 for all 9 classes.
Instructor: Jason Negri, MS JD
Prerequisite: None. However, American Government is recommended
Suggested high school credit: 2/3 semester credit for government or law. Additional reading can be assigned by the parent for a full semester credit.
Suggested grade level: 11th to 12th grade
Course description: An introduction to the legal system that surrounds us, governs us and influences us every day, even if we're not aware of it. This course will give a basic understanding of some fundamental concepts of the American legal system and will review some of the different areas of law.
Course outline:
Week 1: Foundations of the law; jurisprudence; history; interplay of law and government, natural law, legal positivism
Week 2: Law in America: structure, process, Constitution and Bill of Rights, Judicial review
Week 3: Criminal Law
Week 4: Torts
Week 5: Torts, cont.
Week 6: Contracts
Week 7: Property
Week 8: Legal concepts related to life issues: privacy, liberty; Griswold v. Connecticut; Roe v. Wade; Planned Parenthood v. Casey; Cruzan v. Director, MO Dept. of Health; Vacco v. Quill
Week 9: Final Class; Summary
Course materials: Law 101 (3rd ed.) by Jay M. Feinman; various cases; other materials found free online or as a pdf from the instructor.
Homework: 1 to 2 hours of preparatory reading and homework per week on average.

Instructor biography: Jason Negri is the Assistant Director of the Patients Rights Council, a think tank dedicated to opposing the spread of doctor-prescribed suicide and euthanasia. He earned his BA in history and French, and his MS in education administration from Franciscan University of Steubenville, and his JD from Ave Maria School of Law as a member of its inaugural class. Mr. Negri is a practicing attorney in Michigan, where he lives with his wife and 4 children.

Equipment requirements: Classes are online, live and interactive. Students are required to have high-speed internet and a headset with microphone.
Misc:
Mr. Negri will be available via email in between classes for questions and comments.
Recordings of classes are provided to students within 24 hours and available for 6 months.
Homeschool Connections does not provide record keeping services.

Government/Law: Introduction to Law; Fundamentals of the American Legal System

(click on course title for registration page)

Catholic Apologetics for 8th and 9th Grade

2011-10-03T04:32:00.008-04:00

Religion: Apologetics for Catholics

(click on title to visit the registration page)

Class dates: Wednesdays, January 11 to April 11, 2012. No class Feb. 22 (midterm) or Apr. 4 (Holy Week).
Total classes: 12
Starting time: 10:00 am Eastern (9:00 am Central)
Duration: 1 hour
Prerequisite: None
Suggested grade level: 8th to 9th grade
Fee: $160 if you register on or before November 1, 2011. $185 if you register after Nov. 1 for all 12 classes
Instructor: Gary Michuta
Course description: We will cover many of the anti-Catholic viewpoints that a young person may encounter, including Atheism, the unique claims of Christianity, the reliability of the Gospels, common Protestant objections, and an overview of the larger pseudo-Christians groups (i.e. Mormons, Jehovah's Witnesses, New Age).
Course outline:
Class 1: Can we really know anything?
Class 2: Review / Introduction to Theistic apologetics.
Class 3: Problems with Atheism.
Class 4: Proofs for the Existence of God.
Class 5: The Unique Claims of Christ.
Class 6: The Reliability of the Gospels.
Classes 7 to 9: Answering Protestant Objections
Class 10: Pseudo-Christian Apologetics - Mormons / Jehovah Witnesses
Class 11: Pseudo-Christian Apologetics - JW / New Age.
Class 12: Review, questions, and mock debate.

Course materials: Suggested books (not required): Catholic Apologetics by Fr. John Laux (TAN Books), Godless Delusion by Patrick Madrid (Our Sunday Visitor Press), How to Wolf-Proof Your Kids by Gary Michuta (Grotto Press).
Homework: Each week the student will be given one or two pages of questions that will cover that day's lesson. The papers will be graded by Mr. Michuta.

Instructor's biography: Gary Michuta is the author of Why Catholic Bibles Are Bigger: Did the Catholic Church Add Books to the Bible? (Grotto Press, 2007). Gary’s latest book is How to Wolf-Proof Your Kids: A Practical Guide to Keeping Your Kids Catholic (Grotto Press, 2010). This unique book gives Catholic parents and educators valuable insights into the deceptive tactics used by anti-Catholics and concrete suggestions on how to combat these methods. Mr. Michuta was also the co-host of the radio show Hands on Apologetics Live. He is also a frequent guest on various Catholic radio shows such as Catholic Answers Live (EWTN), Searching the Word (Relevant Radio), and the Son Rise Morning Show (EWTN). He gave his “inversion story” on The Journey Home (EWTN) and he also worked as an uncredited consultant for Steve Ray’s Footsteps of God video series (Ignatius Press). Since 2003, Mr. Michuta has developed apologetic material for the Eastern Church Re-Evangelization Commission (E.C.R.C) to aid the Chaldean Catholic Dioceses. Gary currently offers classes on Apologetics to Catholic parishes around the country.

Equipment requirements: Classes are online, live and interactive. Students are required to have high-speed internet and a headset with microphone.

Misc:
Mr. Michuta will be available via email in between classes for questions and comments.
Recordings of classes are provided to students within 24 hours and available for 6 months.
Homeschool Connections does not provide record keeping services.

Religion: Apologetics for Catholics

(click on title to visit the registration page)

Traditional Logic Online Classes (Catholic)

2011-09-30T04:44:00.000-04:00

Logic: Formal Logic I

(click on course title for registration page)

Class dates: Fridays, January 6 to March 30, 2012. No class February 24 (midterm).
Total classes: 12
Starting time: 10:00 am Eastern (9:00 am Central)
Duration: 1 hour
Fee: $190 if you register on or before November 1, 2011. $225 after Nov. 1 for all 12 classes.
Instructor: Robert Gotcher, Ph.D.
Prerequisite: None
Suggested grade level: 9th to 12th
Suggested high school credit: 1 full semester Logic
Course description: The emphasis on feelings and de-emphasis on proper, logical thinking has left many Americans prey to advertisers and demagogues. A training in logic can help a reader or listener see the truth and falsehood of statements made on the editorial page or on talk radio shows, so he can make proper judgments about important matters. This six-week course establishes the rudiments of formal logic—the construction and detection of valid syllogism and formal and informal fallacies. The emphasis will be on examples taken from popular media.
Course outline:
Class 1 to 2: Terms
Class 4 to 7: Propositions
Class 8 to 11: Syllogisms
Class 12: Practical applications and review
Course materials: Traditional Logic: Introduction to Formal Logic by Martin Cothran (Memoria Press).
Homework: Logic exercises each week. Final assignment to analyze a paragraph taken from a source for logic. Dr. Gotcher will grade assignments and give a final letter grade for the course.

Instructor's biography: Dr. Robert F. Gotcher most recently served as Associate Professor of Systematic Studies at Sacred Heart School of Theology in Hales Corners, Wisconsin. He and his wife, Kathy, are raising their seven children in Franklin, Wisconsin. Dr. Gotcher has been actively involved in the homeschooling of his children, especially in the junior high and high school years. He has taught Latin, literature, physics, astronomy, and religion to homeschooled students. He has a special devotion to the classical trivium of grammar, logic and rhetoric, especially as they pertain to the written arts.
Dr. Gotcher graduated from the University of Notre Dame in 1981 with a B.A. in the Program of Liberal Studies. He received his M.A. in Theology of the University of St. Thomas in St. Paul in 1991 and his Ph.D. from Marquette University in 2002.

Equipment requirements: Classes are online, live and interactive. Students are required to have high-speed internet and a headset with microphone.

Misc:
Dr. Gotcher will be available via email in between classes for questions and comments.
Recordings of classes are provided to students within 24 hours and available for 6 months.
Homeschool Connections does not provide record keeping services.

Logic: Formal Logic I

(click on course title for registration page)

Middle School History: The Civil War

2011-09-29T04:24:00.004-04:00

The Divided United States of America: The Civil War Years

(click on course title to register)

Class dates: January 10 to March 20, 2012
Total classes: 10
Starting time: 11:30 am Eastern (10:30 Central)
Duration: 1 hour
Prerequisite: None
Suggested grade level: 6th to 8th grade
Fee: $120 if you register on or before November 1, 2011. $140 after Nov. 1st for all 10 classes
Course description: This course will explore the political, economic and legal issues that existed during the Civil War years, including federalism, slavery, the Dred Scott decision, the suspension of the Writ of Habeas Corpus, the Emancipation Proclamation, and the Gettsyburg Address. Key figures and major battles will be discussed and life as a soldier will be investigated. Moreover, there will be a brief look at the Reconstruction period. Any pertinent Catholic statements on the War will be introduced.
Course Outline:
Week 1: The Political and Economic Landscape Prior to the First Shot of the War
Week 2: Succession of Southern States, the Election of President Lincoln and Suspension of the Writ of Habeas Corpus
Week 3: Battles of Fort Sumter and Manassas (First Bull Run)
Week 4: Ulysses S. Grant
Week 5: Emancipation Proclamation and Catholic Position
Week 6: Chancelorsville and Vicksburgh
Week 7: Life of a Civil War Soldier
Week 8: Gettsyburgh and the Gettysburgh Address
Week 9: Atlanta and the March to the Sea
Week 10: Reconstruction
Homework: Short written essays, reading assignments and final.
Instructor's biography: Mrs. Stanley has a B.A. from Michigan State University and a law degree from the University of Michigan. She loves to study history, especially how it pertains to legal and political issues of today. Mrs. Stanley is a mother of five children, all who have been homeschooled at some point.

Equipment requirements: Classes are online, live and interactive. Students are required to have high-speed internet and a headset with microphone.

Misc:
Mrs. Stanley will be available via email in between classes for questions and comments.
Recordings of classes are provided to students within 24 hours and available for 6 months.
Homeschool Connections does not provide record keeping services.

Online Classes: Write Your Own Fiction Book Series

2011-09-16T06:13:00.012-04:00

UPDATE: Meet the Instructor: Click Here

We are very excited to announce our new fiction writing program for middle and high school students. This is a wonderful series of courses for students who love to write and create their own stories. By the end of the series, the student has all the tools needed to complete and publish their own novel!

The program consists of six mini-courses of four weeks each. The courses can be taken in any order. Students are invited to begin with the first course in February, 2012 or join us later as we continuously offer the six courses over the upcoming years.

The current schedule:
February 2012: Plot and Structure
March 2012: Description and Setting
September 2012: Characters and Dialogue
October 2012: Theme, Style and Point of View
February 2013: Conflict and Creating the Breakout
March 2013: What it Takes to be a Published Author; Marketing, the Book Proposal and More
April 2013: Plot and Structure

If there is a strong demand for the courses, we will move the schedule up and offer much more each semester.

Below are course descriptions for the first two mini courses scheduled for the spring semester. Register early to save up to $30:

Fiction Writing 1; Plot and Structure

(click on course title to enroll)

One of six mini-courses in the Write Your Own Fiction Book Series. NOTE: Courses in this series can be taken in any order.
Class dates: Thursdays, Feb. 2 to February 23, 2012
Total classes: 4
Starting time: 2:00 pm Eastern (1:00 pm Central)
Duration: 1 hour
Prerequisite: none
Suggested grade level: 8th to 12th grade
Suggested credit: 1/3 semester (three courses in the Write Your Fiction Book Series equals one semester credit)
Fee: $75 if you register on or before November 1, 2011; $90 after Nov. 1 for all 4 classes.
Instructor: Erin Brown Conroy, MA (E.B. Conroy)
Course description: This course teaches key components of writing a gripping plot for fiction books of any genre. Designed for writing fiction for middle grade, young adult, and adult plots, the course covers great openings (the opening line, hook, drop into action, and inciting incident); development (doors of no return, peaks, and the rising plot line); creating tension and intrigue; and the climax and finish.
Series description: There are a total six parts to the Write Your Own Fiction Book Series. We will continue the series in the fall and into next spring and start all over again. Students can jump into the series at any time. Once you have completed all 6 mini-courses, you can have a completed book!
Course outline:
Class 1: Great openings—the opening line, hook, drop into action, and inciting incident
Class 2: Developing your plot—doors of no return, peaks, and the rising plot line
Class 3: Creating tension and intrigue—tricks, tips, and “the plant”
Class 4: Great endings—creating a strong climax and finish
Course materials: All materials are provided FREE via the instructor.
Homework: Weekly writing assignments, with direct feedback from Professor Brown Conroy, with an estimated five hours per week for homework, outside of class time that includes reading, writing, and responding to feedback.

Fiction Writing Course 2: Description and Setting

(click course title to register)

One of six mini-courses in the Write Your Own Fiction Book Series. Note: Courses in this series can be taken in any order.
Class dates: Thursdays, March 8 to March 29, 2012
Total classes: 4
Starting time: 2:00 pm Eastern (1:00 pm Central)
Duration: 1 hour
Prerequisite: none
Suggested grade level: 8th to 12th grade
Suggested credit: 1/3 semester (three courses in the Write Your Fiction Book series equals one semester credit)
Fee: $75 if you register on or before November 1, 2011. $90 after Nov. 1 for all 4 classes.
Instructor: Erin Brown Conroy, MA (E.B. Conroy)
Course description: This course teaches key components of using excellent description and crafting a strong and memorable setting for your fiction book. The course covers when a good writer uses description and setting (timing and amount of use); types of description (sensory, metaphor and simile, figures of speech, and literary techniques); principles and techniques of memorable settings; and how to integrate description and setting into plot, structure, and character development.
Series description: There are a total six parts to the Write Your Own Fiction Book Series. We will continue the series in the fall and into next spring and start all over again. Students can jump into the series at any time. Once you have completed all 6 mini-courses, you can have a completed book!
Course outline:
Class 1: Description and Setting: Timing and the Basics of their Use
Class 2: Types of Description—The senses, metaphor and simile, figures of speech, and literary techniques
Class 3: Principles and techniques of memorable settings (including examples to learn by)
Class 4: How to integrate description and setting into plot, structure, and character development
Course materials: All materials are provided FREE via the instructor.
Homework: Weekly writing assignments, with direct feedback from Professor Brown Conroy, with an estimated five hours per week for homework (outside of class time) that includes reading, writing, and responding to feedback.

Professor's biography: Erin Brown Conroy, MA, is the professor of College-Level Writing and Writing and Research for Patrick Henry College (five years) and taught writing at Cornerstone University for seven years. She is the author of several non-fiction books, including Simplified Writing 101: Top Secrets for College Writing Success, and has designed four college writing courses, including an AP English Language and Composition course for PHC Preparatory Academy online. Professor Brown Conroy also privately coaches ACT English prep live and across the US via Skype and phone conferencing and has spoken at conferences regarding the teaching of writing. A member of the Society of Children’s Book Authors and Illustrators, she is also a fiction writing coach for high school and college students for the last ten years and has judged writing contests. She is also a freelance professional writer and ghostwriter. Professor Brown Conroy also authored True North Reading: The Complete Mastery Reading and Spelling Program, a five-level multisensory learn-to-read program for children ages 3 to 15. Mrs. Brown Conroy lives in Howell, Michigan and is attends Old St. Patrick's Parish. She has been homeschooling for 27 years. Mrs. Brown Conroy loves enjoying her two Australian Labradoodles, playing the Irish wooden flute, and homeschooling five of her 13 children who still live at home.

Equipment requirements: Classes are online, live and interactive. Students are required to have high-speed internet and a headset with microphone.

Misc:
Mrs. Brown Conroy will be available via email in between classes for questions and comments.
Recordings of classes are provided to students within 24 hours and available for 6 months.
Homeschool Connections does not provide record keeping services.

Writing for High School: Online Class

2011-09-13T06:30:00.004-04:00

Addendum: Click here to meet the professor for this course: Simplified Writing for High School with Mrs. Conroy

Simplified Writing for High School; Your All-Encompassing Foundational High School Writing Course

(click on course title to register)

Class dates: Wednesdays, February 1 to March 28, 2012 (no class Feb. 22).
Total classes: 8
Starting time: 2:00 pm Eastern (1:00 pm Central)
Duration: 1 hour
Prerequisite: Basic middle school writing skills.
Suggested grade level: 9th to 11th grade.
Suggested credit: 2/3 semester. Parents can assign the completion of an additional writing assignment, for a total of one semester credit for the course
Fee: $150 if you register on or before November 1, 2011. $180 after Nov. 1 for all 8 classes.
Instructor: Erin Brown Conroy, MA (E.B. Conroy)
Course description: This course is designed to give the teen skills that make writing strong and clear, lacking nothing—able to articulate ideas well in writing for all high-school level work. Students will learn how to perfect strong sentences and paragraphs; learn nine basic forms of rhetoric; focus on linear academic writing for a purpose; practice transitions and connectives, parallelism, paraphrasing, and summary; review punctuation as it influences excellence in writing (comma, semicolon, colon, and dash use); recognizing and correcting common grammar struggles; understand the characteristics of an effective introduction, body, and conclusion; learn prewriting, drafting, and editing skills; and practice sculpting a piece of writing with direction that receives specific feedback from the instructor.
Course outline:
Class 1: Audience, purpose, and word choice
Class 2: Perfecting strong sentence and paragraph construction
Class 3: Nine forms of rhetoric (and what they have to do with great writing)
Class 4: Linear writing for a purpose: more strong sentences and paragraphs
Class 5: How to effectively use transitions/connectives and parallelism
Class 6: Punctuation and excellent writing: the comma, colon, semicolon, and dash; conquering common grammar struggles
Class 7: The introduction, body, and conclusion; prewriting for success
Class 8: Drafting for success; editing and polishing your writing
Course materials: Simplified Writing 101: Top Secrets for College Success, by E.B. Conroy (available online for a special $12 student price); additional materials provided FREE from the instructor
Homework: Students will have weekly writing assignments and direct feedback from Professor Brown Conroy, with an estimated five hours per week for homework (outside of class time) that includes reading, writing, and responding to feedback.

Professor's biography: Erin Brown Conroy, MA, is the professor of College-Level Writing and Writing and Research for Patrick Henry College (five years) and taught writing at Cornerstone University for seven years. She is the author of several non-fiction books, including Simplified Writing 101: Top Secrets for College Writing Success, and has designed four college writing courses, including an AP English Language and Composition course for PHC Preparatory Academy online. Professor Brown Conroy also privately coaches ACT English prep live and across the US via Skype and phone conferencing and has spoken at conferences regarding the teaching of writing. A member of the Society of Children’s Book Authors and Illustrators, she is also a fiction writing coach for high school and college students for the last ten years and has judged writing contests. She is also a freelance professional writer and ghostwriter. Professor Brown Conroy also authored True North Reading: The Complete Mastery Reading and Spelling Program, a five-level multisensory learn-to-read program for children ages 3 to 15. Mrs. Brown Conroy lives in Howell, Michigan and attends Old St. Patrick's Parish. She has been homeschooling for 27 years. Mrs. Brown Conroy loves enjoying her two Australian Labradoodles, playing the Irish wooden flute, and homeschooling five of her 13 children who still live at home.

Simplified Writing for High School; Your All-Encompassing Foundational High School Writing Course

(click on course title to register)

Equipment requirements: Classes are online, live and interactive. Students are required to have high-speed internet and a headset with microphone.

Misc:
Mrs. Brown Conroy will be available via email in between classes for questions and comments.
Recordings of classes are provided to students within 24 hours and available for 6 months.
Homeschool Connections does not provide record keeping services.

Writing for Middle School: Online Class

2011-09-12T06:30:00.008-04:00

UPDATE: Due to the popularity of this course, we have added a second Simplified Writing for Middle School course. The new course takes place on the same dates, except at Noon Eastern. Click now to register for the Noon Eastern course: Simplified Writing for Middle School Noon Eastern.

YOUTUBE: Meet the instructor: Click Here

Simplified Writing for Middle School: Your All-Encompassing Foundational Middle School Writing Course

(click on course title to register for the 2:00 pm Eastern course)

Class dates: Mondays, January 30 to March 19, 2012
Total classes: 8
Starting time: Mondays, 2:00 pm Eastern (1:00 pm Central)
Duration: 45 minutes
Prerequisite: none
Suggested grade level: 6-8
Suggested credit: 2/3 semester
Fee: $150 if you register on or before November 1, 2011; $180 after Nov. 1 for all 8 classes.
Instructor: Erin Brown Conroy, MA (E.B. Conroy)
Course description: This course is designed as a first writing course, to introduce students in middle school to the skills and habits that create a strong and clear writing foundation for high school writing from a Christian worldview. Students will learn how to write effective sentences and paragraphs, including the use of topic sentences, linear writing, and transitions; the purposes of writing, including expression, informing, and persuading; the effect of audience on writing; how to sculpt a piece of writing with direction, including the characteristics of an effective introduction, body, and conclusion; and practice writing with specific feedback from the instructor that leads to an increase in skill through rewriting.
Course outline:
Class 1: Writing for a purpose and audience: the “why” of writing
Class 2: Great word choice: how to choose the “right” word
Class 2: Strong sentences: how to write a great sentence
Class 3: Clear paragraphs: what makes a great paragraph
Class 4: Clear paragraphs: linear writing that makes sense to the reader
Class 5: Writing with direction: great introductions and the hook
Class 6: Writing with direction: great introductions and the thesis
Class 7: Writing with direction: the body (of your paper) and how to make it “shapely”
Class 8: Writing with direction: the conclusion
Course materials: Everything is provided FREE online from Professor Brown Conroy
Homework: Weekly writing assignments, with direct feedback from Professor Brown Conroy, with an estimated three to four hours per week for homework, outside of class time.

Professor's biography: Erin Brown Conroy, MA, is the professor of College-Level Writing and Writing and Research for Patrick Henry College (five years) and taught writing at Cornerstone University for seven years. She is the author of several non-fiction books, including Simplified Writing 101: Top Secrets for College Writing Success, and has designed four college writing courses, including an AP English Language and Composition course for PHC Preparatory Academy online. Professor Brown Conroy also privately coaches ACT English prep live and across the US via Skype and phone conferencing and has spoken at conferences regarding the teaching of writing. A member of the Society of Children’s Book Authors and Illustrators, she is also a fiction writing coach for high school and college students for the last ten years and has judged writing contests. She is also a freelance professional writer and ghostwriter. Professor Brown Conroy also authored True North Reading: The Complete Mastery Reading and Spelling Program, a five-level multisensory learn-to-read program for children ages 3 to 15. Mrs. Brown Conroy lives in Howell, Michigan and attends Old St. Patrick's Parish. She has been homeschooling for 27 years. Mrs. Brown Conroy loves enjoying her two Australian Labradoodles, playing the Irish wooden flute, and homeschooling five of her 13 children who still live at home.

Equipment requirements: Classes are online, live and interactive. Students are required to have high-speed internet and a headset with microphone.

Misc:
Mrs. Brown Conroy will be available via email in between classes for questions and comments.
Recordings of classes are provided to students within 24 hours and available for 6 months.
Homeschool Connections does not provide record keeping services.

Simplified Writing for Middle School: Your All-Encompassing Foundational Middle School Writing Course

(click on course title to register)

Course Catalog Changes

2011-09-10T17:40:00.000-04:00

We are busy updating the current Course Catalog to reflect changes and additions since last spring. We hope to have it available at the website by the end of the week. In the meantime, here are the changes:

The following courses have been closed:
Ancient Greek (We will add Latin III in 2012/2013. We are also developing an AP Latin to be approved by the College Board)
Middle School History: The Dust Bowl
Introduction to Biology (Will be offered as a full-year course in 2012/2013)

The following courses have been added to the spring semester:
Middle School History: The Civil War
Writing for Middle School
Writing for High School
Fictional Writing

The new courses will be featured here at the blog over this week. They will be opened for registration by Monday morning.

American Government for Homeschoolers

2011-09-05T19:52:00.001-04:00

Advanced American Government will be starting a week later than originally scheduled. So, if you'd like to join us, there is still time. While it is recommended that students take Mr. Rivet's introductory government course first, it is not required. Any student with a basic understanding of government and has a desire to learn and work can handle this course. They may have to go back and fill in a detail or two to help make sense of a few things, but much of the material stands alone. So, Government I is not critical to doing well. We hope to see at noon Eastern on Friday, September 16th!

And now, introducing Mr. Rivet, our government instructor. (Make sure to watch to the end for a good laugh!)

Note: This is a FREE course. We only ask that you come to class with the same commitment you would come with if you had to pay the regular $140 fee.

To learn more: Advanced American Government for Catholic Homeschoolers

To register: Advanced American Government with Mr. Rivet

Computer People Love Homeschool Connections

2011-09-03T06:34:00.000-04:00

Our very own Phillip Campbell (History and Economics instructor) created this video. Thank you, Mr. Campbell!

High School Science: Anatomy & Physiology

2011-09-02T07:46:00.000-04:00

Science: Heart and Lungs; the Cardiovascular and Respiratory Systems (Anatomy & Physiology)

(click on course title to register)

Class dates: Wednesdays, September 7 to November 30, 2011. No class Nov. 23 (Thanksgiving).
Total classes: 12
Starting time: 12:30 pm Eastern (11:30 Central)
Duration: 1 hour
Prerequisite: None
Suggested grade level: 9th to 12th grade
Fee: $160 if you register on or before August 1, 2011. $185 after Aug. 1 for all 12 classes. (Note: Enrollment is limited. We will open up a waiting list if it fills.)
Instructor: Kris Correira, PA-C, MHP
Course description: Your heart beats around 100,000 times, and your lungs take 18,000 breaths in a day. How do these amazing organs work? Learn about the beauty and precision of the cardiovascular and respiratory systems as only God could design. We will also look at some of the more common diseases that can afflict these systems.
Course outline:
Heart Anatomy
Controlling the Heartbeat
Blood Vessels
Circulation
Cardiovascular Diseases
Airway Anatomy
The Journey of a Breath of Air
pH and Hemoglobin
Controlling Breathing
Pulmonary Diseases
Course materials: A FREE pdf textbook will be provided as well as links to online resources.
Homework: The course will consist of 10 lectures, a midterm, and a final exam. Homework will be assigned throughout the semester. Students will take a quiz each week before the lecture starts. Graded by the instructor.

Catholic Homeschooling and Philosophy

2011-08-26T08:47:00.000-04:00

Dr. Rioux explains Early Modern Philosophy ...

To learn all the details: High School Philosophy: Early Modern Philosophers

To register: http://tinyurl.com/hscathphilosophy

Catholic Homeschooling and High School Economics

2011-08-24T11:59:00.001-04:00

Mr. Campbell takes a minute to tell you about his upcoming high school economics course:

For more information about the course: Economics as if People Matter

FAQ: Arthurian Literature with Writing (7th to 9th Grade)

2011-08-12T07:56:00.001-04:00

We received a recent email regarding the writing component of the English: The Heroic in Arthurian Literature course (click on course title for more information).

Q: I am interested in the junior high literature/writing course for my 13-year-old son, but I'm wondering how much of the course is focused on essay writing instruction and how much is focused on literature study with the expectation that the students will already know how to write essays. My son needs more help writing essays. He's not done very much and I don't want to sign him up for a course that is going to frustrate him by expecting him to be more proficient in essay writing than he is. Thank you for your help!

A: Miss Brock will work with any level a student is currently at when entering in the class. The classes will be lecture based and she will give very specific instructions for their responses. The goal is for the students to learn how to develop a thesis and find evidence to support that thesis in order to become more confident in their opinions on a particular topic. Miss Brock will give them opportunity to take a stand on a topic for each essay assigned and so it will hopefully become an exercise of rhetoric and learning to build an argument. Efforts toward development of a thesis and support will be rewarded. We know that students of this age are learning how to write and so Miss Brock will not expect them to come in knowing how to write a full fledged essay of great awe and wonder. However, we believe that the training wheels need to be put on at middle school to early high school age to develop their ideas through writing with support.

If you have questions about this or any course, please don't hesitate to leave a comment below.

FAQ: Philosphy

2011-08-11T07:04:00.002-04:00

We've been getting a few questions about the level of difficulty in the upcoming philosophy course: Introduction to Modern Philosophy.

While this class is not for the faint-hearted, it's not something only intellectual Amazons can handle. Among the many things Dr. Rious does very well, making the moderns understandable is right up there. I find it hard to wrap my brain around some of the ideas and principles the moderns hold, especially because I am such a concrete thinker. However, the moderns have such a huge impact on the world we live in today that it is imperative we better understand them. Especially, where and why they went so wrong. This way we can avoid making similar mistakes and help others to recognize error when they encounter it.

From Dr. Rioux on why this course is designed for 11th and 12th grade:

I intentionally placed the level of instruction for this course at the junior and senior high-school level. In my experience, students who have studied some ancient and medieval philosophy react to the moderns in a similar way: they cannot believe someone would actually hold these things!

For example, George Berkeley denies the existence of the material world, and René Descartes' standard for human knowledge appears impossibly rigorous. There is often a feeling of being "at sea" and, in many cases, of deciding that these authors, with their outlandish views, need not be taken seriously, which would be a great mistake for students preparing to begin college life, where they will encounter the profound influences these thinkers have had firsthand.

That's why students need to be more intellectually mature when approaching them. In addition, the readings I have set out are longer and more difficult than in any other course I've taught through Homeschool Connections: we'll be reading about 200 pages of fairly difficult material over the course of twelve classes. (Note also that the course schedule on the Homeschool Connections site has been changed slightly: we'll be spending two courses on Descartes, one on Spinoza, two on Leibniz, two each on Locke, Berkeley, and Hume, and one on Kant.)

Jean W. Rioux, Ph.D.
Professor and Philosophy Department Chair
Benedictine College
1020 North Second Street
Atchison, KS 66002

Free e-Books for AP English

2011-08-06T10:14:00.002-04:00

The following e-books for our AP English course can be found free. Click on the title to download.

Advanced Placement Literature & Composition with Laurie Gill, M.Ed.
Lord of the World by Robert Hugh Benson
The Last Man by Mary Shelley
Hamlet by William Shakespeare
Othello by William Shakespeare
Frankenstein by Mary Shelley
Dracula by Brom Stoker
Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte
Emma by Jane Austin
The Count of Monte Christo by Alexander Dumont
A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens
The Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad

Free Kindle App (click on name to go to app)
Download to your i-Phone, i-Pad, Mac, Windows PC, Blackberry, Android or Windows Phone 7.

Free Nook App (click on name to go to app)

Download to your i-Phone, i-Pad, Mac, Windows PC or Android.

Writing for Middle and High School

2011-08-05T08:26:00.001-04:00

Enrollment in the upcoming fall course Writing for High School is full and therefore registration is closed. If you would like to be put on a waiting list for the course, please email homeschoolconnections@gmail.com and put Writing for High School Waiting List in the subject bar.

We are considering adding another writing course if the demand supports it and we get enough students on the waiting list.

Also, we currently offer two other writing courses that still have plenty of seats available for now.

English: The Heroic in Arthurian Literature is a 7th to 9th grade course that teaches writing skills through literature. We offered a similar course last year based on Mark Twain's Huckleberry Finn that was quite excellent. To register: http://tinyurl.com/arthurwriting

Writing for College is for 11th to 12th grade and will be offered in the spring. We have offered this course in the past so it is also available as part of the Subscription Service (recorded courses).

Please email or leave a comment below if you have any questions.

Discounts Extended!

2011-08-03T09:44:00.004-04:00

Homeschool Connections has decided to extend a special offer to homeschool families. We are keeping the Early Enrollment Discount in affect for the following three courses. This is a savings of up to $90 if you enroll in all three!!!

This is an indefinite extension of the discount, so register soon so you don't miss out.

Middle School Literature and Writing

English: The Heroic in Arthurian Literature with Dayspring Brock, MA

High School Philosophy

Introduction to Early Modern Philosophy with Jean Rioux, Ph.D.

High School Government

Advanced American Government with Ed Rivet, MPA

Please click on the course titles for more information or to register. And don't hesitate to leave a comment if you have any questions.

https://homeschoolconnections.webex.com/mw0306ld/mywebex/default.do?service=7&nomenu=true&main_url=%2Ftc0505ld%2Ftrainingcenter%2FLoading.do%3Fsiteurl%3Dhomeschoolconnections%26rnd%3D0346881375%26servicename%3DTC%26RT%3DMiMxMQ%3D%3D%26FM%3D1%26ED%3D126664357%26UID%3D1088908887%26needFilter%3Dfalse&siteurl=homeschoolconnections

Language: Spanish I

2011-07-30T05:28:00.018-04:00

Language: Spanish I, Part One

(click on title above to register)

Note: This is a two-part course. See Spring 2011: High School for Part Two.
Class dates: Thursdays, Sept. 8 to Dec. 1. No class Nov. 24 (Thanksgiving).
Total classes: 12
Starting time: Noon Eastern (11:00 am Central)
Duration: 1 hour
Prerequisite: None
Suggested grade level: 8th to 12th
Fee: $160 if you register on or before August 1, 2011. $195 after Aug. 1 for all 12 classes
Instructor: Irma Luz Schmitt
Course description: Students will learn to grammar and be given the foundation to speak the language. In first year Spanish you will learn basic words, verb tenses, how to speak basic sentences, etc.
Course materials: Spanish: Middle / High School (Skills for Success)
Homework: All assignments will be graded by the instructor.

Equipment requirements: Classes are online, live and interactive. Students are required to have high-speed internet and a headset with microphone.
Misc:
Mrs. Schmitt will be available via email in between classes for questions and comments.
Recordings of classes are provided to students within 24 hours and available for 6 months.
Homeschool Connections does not provide record keeping services.

Language: Spanish I, Part One

(click on title above to register)

High School Science: Heart and Lungs; the Cardiovascular and Respiratory Systems

2011-07-29T10:09:00.001-04:00

Science: Heart and Lungs; the Cardiovascular and Respiratory Systems (Anatomy & Physiology)

(click on title above to register)

Heart Anatomy
Controlling the Heartbeat
Blood Vessels
Circulation
Cardiovascular Diseases
Airway Anatomy
The Journey of a Breath of Air
pH and Hemoglobin
Controlling Breathing
Pulmonary Diseases

Course materials: A free electronic textbook will be provided. Lab materials to be announced.
Homework: The course will include a midterm and a final exam. Homework will be assigned throughout the semester. Students will take a quiz each week before the lecture starts. Will be graded by the instructor.

Equipment requirements: Classes are online, live and interactive. Students are required to have high-speed internet and a headset with microphone.

Misc:
Mrs. Correira will be available via email in between classes for questions and comments.
Recordings of classes are provided to students within 24 hours and available for 6 months.
Homeschool Connections does not provide record keeping services.

Science: Heart and Lungs; the Cardiovascular and Respiratory Systems (Anatomy & Physiology)

(click on title above to register)

Are You Ready for Algebra? Pre-Algebra?

2011-07-28T11:39:00.002-04:00

The new school year begins in just a month for many families. If you'll be tackling Pre-Algebra or Algebra this school year, and would like a little help, we're here to provide it.

Starting Monday, we are offering two 2-week long summer boot camps to help prepare students for their upcoming math studies. All course materials will be provided FREE by the instructor.

There are still a few seats left. Click on the title to register. For more information, don't hesitate to email us at homeschoolconnections@gmail.com.

Math Boot Camp: Preparing for Pre-Algebra
Class dates: Monday through Thursday, August 1 to August 11, 2011
Total classes: 8
Starting time: 10 am Eastern (9 am Central)
Duration: 1 hour
Prerequisite: Basic computation skills, adding subtracting, multiplying and dividing integers.
Suggested grade level: 6th to 9th
Fee: $100 for all 8 classes.
Instructor: Jean Hoeft, MA
Course description: Students will begin the rudiments of algebra: solving simple equations, graphing lines and learning about how finding a variable changes everything!
Course materials: Provided free by the instructor
Homework: At least 30 minutes every day after the class with a culmination activity on the final class.

Math Boot Camp: Preparing for Algebra
Class dates: Monday through Thursday, August 1 to August 14, 2011
Total classes: 8
Starting time: 11:30 am Eastern (10:30 am Central)
Duration: 1 hour
Prerequisite: Basic math skills, multiplication tables, and fractions a must!
Suggested grade level: 7th to 10th
Fee: $100 for all 8 classes.
Instructor: Jean Hoeft, MA
Course description: Students will brush up on algebra skills using more advanced problem solving and both linear and non-linear equations alike.
Course materials: Provided free by the instructor
Homework: At least 30 minutes after each class with a culmination activity on the last class.

Instructor's biography: Jean Hoeft has been a math and algebra teacher for 22 years. She has a BA from the University of Michigan and a MA from Marygrove University. Jean has taught the confirmation class at her Catholic parish for 27 years. She loves gardening, sudoku puzzles, raising chickens, reading, knitting, and everything Catholic.

Equipment requirements: Students are required to have high-speed internet and a headset with microphone.

Misc: Mrs. Hoeft will be available via email in between classes for questions and comments.
Recordings of classes are provided to students within 24 hours and available for 6 months.
Homeschool Connections does not provide record keeping services.

Free Book Giveaway: Olivia and the Little Way

2011-07-27T15:28:00.002-04:00

It's time for a Free Book Giveaway!!! I love free books!

We are giving away three copies, yes three copies, of Olivia and the Little Way by Nancy Carabio Belanger and illustrated by Sandra Casali LewAllen. This is a lovely chapter book about a fifth grade girl trying to follow St. Therese's Little Way even though it's not easy when you live in the real world. She's dealing with peer pressure and all those things that come with being a tween girl but when you have the Little Flower as a friend things are bound to come out well in the end.

You can enter the contest four different ways, increasing your chances of winning:

Leave a comment here at the blog (below and make sure we know how to contact you). Tell us why you'd love to win this book or why you love Homeschool Connections.
Leave a comment at our Facebook fan page, https://www.facebook.com/homeschoolconnections.
Follow us and then post about the contest @homeschoolcnnct on Twitter.
Sign up for our e-newsletter. The sign up box is at the top right column of this blog.

Do all four to increase your chances to win!

Thank you's go to Hillside Education for providing the books. Make sure to visit their website as they have a lot of wonderful offerings for Catholic homeschool families.

Contest ends August 2, 2011 at noon Eastern. Winners will be chosen by a random drawing. Good luck!

How Do I Make a Homeschool Transcript for College?

2011-07-04T09:19:00.001-04:00

Recorded webinar:

The Art of Bragging:

Building Your College Application and Transcript

The live webinar (online seminar) went wonderfully. In case you didn't make it, we've made the recording available for you.

I highly encourage this webinar, especially if you're homeschooling high school. This is a great presentation to learn how to create your child's transcript and prepare for the application process. Drew Johnson, Admissions Counselor for the University of Dallas, does an excellent job of giving you exactly the tools you need.

Just click on the hyperlink above and the recording should start in a minute or two.

Title: The Art of Bragging: Building Your College Application and Transcript
Description: Worried about building the transcript? Have questions about applications? Drew Johnson breaks down the parts of the application and teaches you how to build a transcript using real world examples. He answers many common questions on applying to colleges and helps you prepare questions to ask your admission counselor. Concerns such as state laws, curriculum requirements, and are also addressed.
Presenter: Drew Johnson

FAQ: AP English

2011-06-13T07:40:00.001-04:00

We have been receiving a few questions about our new Advanced Placement course, AP English: Literature and Composition; What Good is a Good Story. Just in case you have similar questions, we are posting them here. Please feel free to leave a comment below or email us if you have further questions. We would also love to hear your suggestions if you have them.

Q: My son plans to take your AP English class. Can you tell me how many college credits he would earn if passing the College Board?
A: Credit is determined by the accepting college, based on the student's score. If your child has one or more colleges in mind, we suggest contacting them to ask if they accept AP credit and how much is given. Here is the college board's link to AP credit acceptance policy at most colleges and universities. It is always wise to contact the university, as policies do change. Note that the college board applet also links to the schools' websites and AP policies.

Basically, there are two things taking an AP class can do for a high school student. First, it prepares him or her for the AP exam. That exam gives students the opportunity to demonstrate that they are competent in college level work in the subject matter. A 3 is considered a passing score. Many schools give some credit for a three; most give 3 to 6 hours of credit for a score of 4 or 5 on either of the English exams. Some selective schools use AP scores not for credit, but for placement.

Q: What is the value in taking an AP course?
A: As discussed in the previous answer, college credit can be earned. This can save a parent and student a substantial amount of tuition as well as open the possibility of taking more challenging courses.

The second advantage of taking an AP course is its value in demonstrating the level of your curriculum. Many universities want to see that applicants have taken the most challenging courses available, and they know AP classes are challenging. particularly if you are interested in selective college admissions, the AP designation on the transcript is can be as valuable as the score/advanced credit option.

Mrs. Gill is a dual enrollment teacher for English in a Catholic high school as well as an AP teacher. In her opinion, AP is the superior program.

Q: I plan to enroll in the AP English course. Can I get the book list so that I can begin reading over the summer?
A: Yes, you can find it HERE.

Q: My daughter is enrolled in MODG (Mother of Divine Grace). MODG doesn't offer AP credits at this time. Can she take the AP course while still being enrolled in MODG? Does Homeschool Connections provide official transcripts? Thank you so much.
A: We do not provide official transcripts though we would be happy to supply MODG with your child's grades and credits on a request basis (records are kept for 180 days from course completion). We are not a full service home study school like MODG. Instead, we offer individual courses. We get a number of MODG as well as Kolbe and Seton students. You should always get approval from your consultant first so that you can get credit through MODG and it shows on your transcript from them.

Q: Hi, maybe I missed this but are any of your high school courses set up for duel enrollment college credits? Thank you very much
A: No, not at this time. We are currently considering working with a Catholic university to offer dual enrollment in the future.

Also note that we do offer AP English (Advanced Placement) which offers college credit through the College Board. At the end of the school year, the students takes the AP English (Literature and Composition) test locally. Once they pass, they receive the credit through the College Board. We are currently working to add more AP courses, including AP Latin, in the future.

Here is information on the 1st semester of our AP English course:
http://homeschoolconnectionsonline.blogspot.com/2011/04/online-advanced-placement-literature.html

Here is general information from the College Board on how AP works:
http://www.collegeboard.com/student/testing/ap/sub_englit.html

Q: My son has taken some courses with you and has been very pleased. I saw the AP Lit class for the fall and became very excited. It is exactly the type of class I was looking for ... AP lit through a Catholic lens. However, after reading about the work load and time commitment involved, I realized there is no way he would have time for this course. I personally believe the commitment is a bit unreasonable especially for most high school junior and seniors most of whom would be college bound (SAT prep, college apps, etc that need to be done as well) .

I am just communicating my disappointment in the hopes that in the future you might offer the same course but with less time involved. Thanks for listening.

A: Our AP course has been reviewed and approved by the College Board. They require a very high level of commitment. If we do not meet their criteria then we cannot officially designate a course as AP.

However, we are always working to make sure all students are served. I believe that we can offer a similar high school experience with less commitment. By taking Dr. Russell's literature courses along with Dr. Gotcher's writing courses, a junior or senior will receive solid Catholic teaching in the area of literature and composition. The work load would less but still very high quality. Plus it would still prepare students for college (sans the AP credit).

Q: Can one take the AP recorded (vs. live) class and still be eligible for taking the exam?
A: Anyone can take the exam. The question is whether or not a student will be properly prepared without taking the course. One student we know of, did not take an AP US History course, and was able to score a 4 on the exam, enough to get credit at a fairly selective university (USC). So, it is possible.

With the recorded course, you would still have access to the recorded classes, homework assignments, and support materials. The parent and student would need to be self motivated. Also, instructor feedback and peer interaction would not necessarily be available and this is important to truly getting the AP as well as college-level experience. We are currently working on a program to provide grading services for our recorded courses (for a separate fee). So, by the time this course is made available as a Recorded Course it is possible we will be able to provide that service for you.

Aside from the test, taking the course itself can help with college admissions. Colleges like to see that students have sought a challenging path, and they know what AP delivers. To some degree, it is more advantageous to be able to have AP on your transcript than it is to take and pass the exam. Using an example of another graduate, who attends the United States Military Academy (West Point), no advanced credit was given. However, taking a full range of AP courses was doubtlessly helpful in gaining admission to this highly selective school.

Q: Which is better, AP or ACC?
A: We personally like AP better than ACC (advanced college credit). By forcing students to perform on an exam, AP guarantees that they are capable of college level discourse. ACC courses can vary widely in content, quality and level. The AP test runs about $80, usually quite a bit cheaper than the charge of most ACC programs.

Q: Will you be offering any more AP courses in the near future???
A: We hope so. If there is a demand for more AP courses in other subjects, then we will begin the process of creating such courses. It will depend on enrollment next semester as well as feedback from parents and students.

Q: Have you heard which good Catholic higher learning schools might accept AP?
A: Most colleges offer credit for the AP English exams. Many of Mrs. Gill's past students, for example, have gotten 6 hours credit at U Dallas for scoring a 4 or a 5 on the AP Lit exam.

The link below is the college board's search utility for college credit, but policies change and can vary from department to department, so it is best to check with your university.
http://collegesearch.collegeboard.com/apcreditpolicy/index.jsp

Q: Hi. My daughter will be a homeschooled junior next school year. She is very interested in taking the AP English course on Homeschool Connections next year. We see that you require special permission from the instructor for those who are not 17 yet. She will be turning 16 this June. She has not been moved ahead a year, she is just on the younger side of her grade.

She has taken several out-of-home classes. As a freshman, she received permission to take a literary analysis class taught by a Ph.D. candidate. In that class she received an A. The year before, she took a class from a published author who teaches many writing and literature classes to homeschoolers in our area. There she earned an A and was told by the instructor that she was writing at college level and "won" his award for best student out of all of his classes, beating out seniors. She reads Shakespeare for fun!

I understand that the issue may be about sensitive subjects. She took a class this year, a history/lit combined class out of the home. The teacher did point out issues in several of the books (for instance, All Quiet on the Western Front comes to mind, and there were others).

And as far as the load of reading, this is a child who "gets in trouble" for reading "too long". She would welcome the "it's for my class!!!!" response!

A: Our chief concern about younger students in the AP literature class has to do with the moral complexity of some of the works. The capstone novel at the end of the course is The Power and the Glory by Grahan Greene, a beautiful novel about mercy and Divine Providence, but one that can be troubling to young people due to the reprehensible character of the protagonist, who is a priest. Parents need to know from the outset that some of the ideas are complex and mature. In our philosophy, you are the best ones to judge whether or not an exposure could be damaging or premature. We would trust to your judgment.

In our experience, younger students also struggle with analysis, but it may be the case that your daughter is an exception. If you do not object to the content of the course, she is free to take it and we will look forward to working with her.

Q: This AP English class is exactly what my daughter needs for the fall. I do have one concern: What is the Thursday time commitment? (She has theater 6:30-8:30 Central Time)

I spoke with University of St. Thomas Houston and U Dallas already regarding AP English, and this course will be a good match. These are the schools my daughter is most interested in attending.

A: AP English meets for a total of 30 weeks over 2 semesters. Tuesdays are lecture and Thursdays are lab/discussion.

We could try out the class for your daughter because the discussion/lab will have a strong online component. She could participate in our discussions, just not in real time. We are willing to try to make it work.

Though students gain a great deal from interaction with one another, the instructor will only occasionally grade those discussions. Most of the students' preparation is through reading and writing and your daughter's writing will be graded and commented on by Mrs. Gill. For that reason, this could work. We would love to help your daughter get college credit for English.

If this ends up not being a fit for you, then another option is Dr. Russell's literature classes on Tuesdays at 10 am (Eastern). His are purely lecture with quizzes + answer keys provided. Dr. Russell taught literature at Franciscan University and was head of the literature department at Ava Maria so his lectures are quite insightful. His 2011/2012 Homeschool Connections courses are recommended for 11th, 12th, and college level.

Other courses that would be on the challenge level would be Miss Ashour's theology courses, Mr. Rivet's Advanced American Government, Dr. Gotcher's Writing for College and Dr. Rioux's Early Modern Philosophers.

Reading List: AP English

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Homeschool Connections will be offering an AP-level English course in the 2011/2012 school year. This course has been approved by the College Board. Students taking both semesters (Part One and Part Two) of this course are encouraged to take the AP Exam in May 2012 to receive college credit. This course does require a large commitment and a carries a heavy workload.

For AP students who wish to get a head start over the summer, here is the reading list and suggested prerequisites:

AP Literature and Composition List of Books and Supplies

Helpful Prerequisite: A background in Scripture and either The Odyssey, The Illiad or a suitable breadth of knowledge of classical mythology. (If you do not have this background, Homeschool Connections offers recorded courses on all of these topics which can be taken anytime including summer.)

Summer Reading: All students should come to the first class gathering having recently read one of the novels on the free reading list (scroll to the bottom).

Semester One:
Unit I: Your Literacy Profile

Unit II: Epic structure (Dante’s Inferno (Hell) OR The Aeneid)

Unit III: Here is God’s Plenty (selections from The Canterbury Tales)

Unit IV: A Bang or a Whimper: Apocalyptic Imagery in Novels about the End of the World. Students choose one from the list below or may suggest another novel of literary merit about the end of the world:
Father Elijah by Michael O’Brien
Alas Babylon by Pat Frank
Plague Journal by Michael O’Brien
Lord of the World by Robert Hugh Benson
Last Man by Mary Shelley
The Road by Cormac McCarthy
Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand
A Canticle for Leibowitz by Walter Miller

Semester Two:
Unit V: Family Dramas
Othello
AND
Hamlet

Unit VI: Poetry boot camp

Unit VII: Science, fiction and the horror! (Students’ choice of one)
Frankenstein by Mary Shelley
OR
Dracula by Bram Stoker

Unit VIII: Frailty and redemption
The Power and the Glory by Graham Greene

Additional Free Reading:
Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte
Emma by Jane Austen
The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexander Dumont
The Picture of Dorian Grey by Oscar Wilde
Cry the Beloved Country by Alan Paton
A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens
The Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad
Another suitable work of literary merit, with instructor’s approval.

Note that most of these books can be borrowed from the library (check inner- and inter-library loan options). Some can also be found online free at places such as Project Gutenberg.

Please do not hesitate to email Homeschool Connections with any questions, comments, or suggestions.

ADDENDUM: Here is a list of books found free online: Free e-Books for AP English

Catholic Books on Kindle

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I love Louis de Wohl novels and recently purchased The Last Crusader for my Kindle. I'm very happy that Ignatius Press is making many of the de Wohl novels on Kindle along with many of their other titles including the Ignatius Bible.

Ignatius isn't the only Catholic publisher converting current and past titles for e-readers. Just take a look ...

Behold Publications (formerly Ecce Homo Press) is converting many of their beloved children's books including their Glory of America series and history mysteries.

Arx Publishing, owned by Catholic homeschool father Tony Schiavo, is also converting their wonderful historical fiction books to Kindle including the awesome Belisarius.

Our Sunday Visitor, Loyola, Ascension, Servant and many others are also making their titles available for e-readers.

Here is a list of Catholic homeschooling books currently available on Kindle:

For the Love of Literature by Maureen Wittmann
The Catholic Homeschool Companion edited and compiled by Maureen Wittmann and Rachel Mackson
Designing Your Own Classical Curriculum by Laura Berquist
A Catholic Homeschool Treasury edited and compiled by Maureen Wittmann and Rachel Mackson

If you come across a book on Amazon that you would like to see made available on Kindle, there is a link just below the book image that says, "Tell the Publisher! I'd like to read this book on Kindle." Click on that and Amazon will notify the publisher of the request.

Free Kindle App and Books for Your Homeschool

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Whether you own a Kindle, Nook or other e-reader there is a plethora of free books available to you. You don't even have to buy the e-reader as both Kindle and Nook offer free applications for other electronic devices such as your PC, Mac or Blackberry. Just click on the image down below to download a free app.

The first place to look for free books is of course Gutenberg Project. They have been very busy converting their public domain books in the epub and Kindle formats.

Also to check out:
Amazon's Free Book Collection: A number of classics available. I've also found Kaplan's SAT/ACT prep books here for free.
Christian Classics Ethereal Library: From Calvin College, though loaded with lots of Church Fathers and Catholic saints. It even has large selections from Summa Contra Gentiles. Only available in PDF format which can also be read by e-readers.
Munseys: Rare and hard to find books.
Many Books

If anyone knows of a good Catholic site for e-books please let us know in the comments.

Tomorrow: Great Catholic books for a reasonable price on Kindle.