Romeo and Juliet with Joseph Pearce

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

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

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
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Famous Homeschool Authors and YOU!

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?

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

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

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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