High School: Moral Theology—How Shall I Live?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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)

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

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

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

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

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

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.