Scope and Sequence: Middle School

For an example of a scope and sequence for high school please click here: Scope and Sequence for College-Bound Catholic High School Students.

Here is a suggested scope and sequence for 7th and 8th grade students to compliment the above S&S. Remember, this is only our suggestion. You can easily make adjustments to fit your family dynamic and special needs.

GRADE 7

Apologetics: Beginning Catholic Apologetics (Defending Our Faith Series)

The Hobbit

Lord of the Rings

The American Revolution; Liberty! 

The Civil War; A Nation Divided 

Elements of Writing for Middle School: Essential Punctuation and Grammar 

Simplified Writing for Middle School

Middle School Writing Essentials: Excellent Sentence and Paragraph Writing

Saxon 7/6 

Health, Fitness, and Wellness for Middle School Students 

American Sign Language 

MS Word I

GRADE 8 

Defending the Bible in the Modern World

The Heroic in Arthurian Literature 

Making of the Modern World

Middle School Writing II

Fiction Writing Series (3 4-week courses)

Pre-Algebra

Cell Biology and Animal Kingdom

Introduction to Biblical Greek

How to be an Excellent Student: Note Taking, Test Taking, and How to Get an A

As our program grows, we will be able to refine this S&S for middle school.

Catholic Scripture Study: Online High School Classes

Homeschool Connections, THE Catholic online curriculum provider, offers a wide variety of excellent theology courses. These courses can be taken as live, interactive courses or as recorded, independent-study courses. We offer apologetics, Thomistic philosophy, moral theology, Theology of the Body, and so, so much more.

Here are just two of our live, interactive courses coming up for the 2014/2015 school year. These courses give high school students an excellent working knowledge of Scripture so that they can know, love, and defend their Catholic faith:

Reading the Old Testament

(click on title to register)

Class dates: Mondays, October 6 to December 1, 2014.
Total classes: 9
Starting time: 2:30 pm Eastern (1:30 Central; 12:30 Mountain; 11:30 Pacific)
Duration: 1 hour per class
Prerequisite: None
Suggested grade level: 10th to 12th grade
Suggested high school credit: ½ semester Theology. For a full credit, add another theology course.
Fee: $105 if you register on or before August 1, 2014. $120 after Aug. 1st for all 8 classes.
Instructor: Robert Gotcher, Ph.D.
Course description: The Old Testament is the record of God’s initial interaction with His Creation and the human race and His preparation the People of God for the coming of the Messiah. This course will focus on the historical development of Israel from the patriarchs to the Maccabees. We will emphasize methods for reading a passage so as to more fully grasp God’s message for us.
Course outline:
Class 1: Overview
Class 2: OT understanding of God
Class 3: OT understanding of man
Class 4: OT understanding of cosmology (nature)
Class 5: Common words in the OT
Class 6: Marriage and family in the OT
Class 7: History of Israel from creation to the Roman occupation
Class 8: Christ in the OT
Class 9: Review
Course materials: Catholic Bible
Homework: Online readings from Bible. There will be a short online quiz after each class period based on reading and class material. Final exam graded by the instructor.

Reading the New Testament

(click on title to register)

Class dates: Mondays, March 2 to May 4, 2015. No class April 6.
Total classes: 9
Starting time: 2:30 Eastern (1:30 Central; 12:30 Mountain; 11:30 Pacific)
Duration: 1 hour
Prerequisite: None
Suggested grade level: 10th to 12th grade
Suggested high school credit: ½ semester Theology
Fee: $105 if you register on or before November 15, 2014. $120 after Nov. 15th for all 8 classes.
Instructor: Robert Gotcher, Ph.D.
Course description:
Course outline:
Class 1 What is the NT?
Class 2 Studying and praying with the NT
Class 3 Genres of NT books, Gospel, gesta, letters, apocalypse
Class 4 Common terms in the NT
Class 5 More terms
Class 6 NT geography
Class 7 NT culture
Class 8 NT history
Class 9 The writing of the NT
Course materials: Catholic Bible
Homework: Quiz after each session. Write a final paper about a passage from the NT. All homework graded by the instructor.

These two courses are also available recorded through our Unlimited Access program.

Instructor biography: Dr. Robert Gotcher is an independent educator and scholar. He has taught at a major seminary, graduate and undergraduate students, lay ministry students, diaconal candidates, and high school students, both online and in the classroom. 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 junior and high school. 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 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 and his Ph.D. from Marquette University.
          Dr. Gotcher teaches literature, theology, and formal logic for Homeschool Connections.

Literature / Writing: Poetry

We have been looking for just the right poetry instructor for several years now. Today I can tell you that we've found her and she is amazing. This is a great series of courses that will help your high school student be a better writer and have a greater appreciation for beautiful poetry, as well as lift his heart up to God.

Introduction to Poetry, Part One
(click on course title to register)

Note: Registration is limited to 20 students.
Class dates: Mondays, September 8 to December 15, 2014. No class Dec. 8.
Total classes: 14
Starting time: 1:00 pm Eastern (Noon Central; 11:00 Mountain; 10:00 Pacific)
Duration: 1 hour
Prerequisite: None
Suggested grade level: 9th to 12th grade
Suggested high school credit: 1 full semester Poetry or Literature/ Creative Writing. For a full year of poetry, see Poetry Writing I in the spring.
Fee: $190 if you register on or before August 1, 2014. $210 after Aug. 1st for all 14 classes.
Instructor: Sally Thomas
Course description: An introduction to reading and writing poetry, covering such literary devices as rhyme, meter, and figurative language, and the relationship of those elements to the overall meaning of a poem. Students will practice the art of close, critical reading, as well as experimenting with elements of poetry in their own writing. Introduction to Poetry plays a crucial function in the whole scheme of high-school literature, providing the student with a heightened understanding of this most mysterious literary form, as well as sharpening overall writing and critical-reading skills. Introduction to Poetry serves as pre-requisite for more advanced and specialized poetry-writing courses, including Creative Writing: Poetry and Introduction to Poetic Forms.
Course materials: Sound and Sense, 8th Edition, Lawrence Perrine. Out of print, but readily available used for as little as $0.99 plus s/h: http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0155074946/catholictreas-20
Course outline:
Class 1: Introduction: What Is a Poem?
Class 2: Reading the Poem
Class 3: How Words Mean
Class 4: Imagery
Class 5: Figurative Language I
Class 6: Figurative Language II
Class 7: Figurative Language III
Class 8: Allusion
Class 9: Meaning and Idea
Class 10: Tone, Diction, Voice
Class 11: Musical Devices
Class 12: Sound and Meaning
Class 13: Rhyme and Meter
Class 14: Pattern: The Whole of the Poem
Homework: One chapter per week in Perrine, with assigned poems. One poetry-writing exercise each week. (Approximately 4 hours total homework per week.)

Poetry Writing I: Joining the Great Tradition
(click on course title to register)

Note: Only 20 students accepted in this course.
Class dates: Mondays, January 5 to April 20, 2015. No class Feb. 16 or April 5.
Total classes: 14
Starting time: 1:00 pm Eastern (Noon Central; 11:00 Mountain; 10:00 Pacific)
Duration: 1 hour
Prerequisite: Introduction to Poetry (Fall 2014)
Suggested grade level: 9th to 12th grade
Suggested high school credit: 1 full semester Poetry or Literature/ Creative Writing
Fee: $190 if you register on or before November 15, 2014. $210 after Nov. 15th for all 14 classes.
Instructor: Sally Thomas
Course description: An introduction to the craft of poetry writing, including examination of traditional English verse forms and free verse, and experimentation with rhetorical techniques. Though this is a writing-intensive class, students will also be immersed in the reading of poetry. Through their experiences in examining how poems work and putting their observations into practice, students will prepare themselves for the challenge of college by developing heightened sensitivity as close readers and a greater command of rhetoric in their own writing, whether poetry or prose.
Course outline:
Class 1: Introduction
Class 2: Verse Systems
Class 3: Accentual Meters
Class 4: Syllabic Verse
Class 5: Forms in Free Verse
Class 6: Ode Forms
Class 7: Quantitative Verse
Class 8: Repetitive Structures
Class 9: Comical Schemes
Class 10: Rhetorical Schemes
Class 11: Variation and Mimesis
Class 12: More About Rhyming
Class 13: Uncommon Schemes
Class 14: Poetry Festival
Course materials: Rhyme’s Reason, John Hollander. A Poetry Handbook, Mary Oliver
Homework: One chapter each in Hollander and Oliver each week, plus additional poetry readings, provided by the instructor. One poetry-writing exercise per week.

Instructor biography: Mrs. Sally Thomas is a poet, essayist, fiction writer, and homeschooling mother of four, currently living and writing in North Carolina. Over the last two decades, her writing has appeared widely in publications large and small, including The New Yorker, First Things, Lay Witness, Verily, the Catholic literary journal Dappled Things, and the homeschooling magazine mater et magistra. Her debut poetry collection, Brief Light: Sonnets and Other Small Poems, appeared in 2012. She holds a B.S. in English and secondary education from Vanderbilt University, and her teaching background includes experience in both the high school and the college classroom, where she has taught literature, composition, and creative writing. A convert to Catholicism from the Anglican tradition, Mrs. Thomas serves her small rural parish as First Communion catechist and volunteer choir director. She is also a contributor to the Catholic Charlotte Mason group blog Things and Thoughts.
Mrs. Thomas teaches poetry.

Online High School: Art, Music, and History with Professor Carol

We are very happy to announce, thrilled in fact, that Professor Carol will be back for the 2014/2015 school year. She will be teaching music and art appreciation, as well as Russian history. Yes, THE Professor Carol! We hope you'll join us in this adventure of art and music through history ...

Discovering Western Culture through Music and the Arts

(click on course title to register)

Class dates: Mondays, September 29 to December 22, 2014. No class December 8th for the Feast of the Immaculate Conception.
Total classes: 12 classes plus 12 recorded lectures
Starting time: 5:00 pm Eastern (4:00 Central; 3:00 Mountain; 2:00 Pacific)
Duration: 1 hour
Prerequisite: None. No musical background is necessary.
Suggested grade level: 9th to 12th grade
Suggested high school credit: 1 full semester Music/Art Appreciation
Fee: $195 for all 24 classes
Instructor: Carol Reynolds, Ph.D. (Professor Carol)
Course description: Journey with Professor Carol through Western History, using music as the focal point but weaving in visual art (painting, sculpture), dance, theater, architecture, and literature. The study of music and the Fine Arts supports the understanding of history, geography, and culture. Elements of science, technology, and language are included in the course as well. Sessions will focus on the years between 1600 and World War One, but will present an overview of Medieval/Renaissance Sacred Music.
Course materials: 1. Discovering Music online curriculum by Professor Carol will be made available to students for half of the regular price ($30 for four months subscription). 2. Music selections assigned by the instructor. These can be accessed in one of four ways. Choose the one that best suits your family: a) Free by searching your public library or YouTube; b) Classical Archives ($8 per month); c) Naxos ($20 per year); OR d) purchase 3-CD set from the instructor (HSC discounted price $34.95).
Homework: This is not a course for the faint of heart. We’ll have a lot of fun as we discover music together, but students should expect a good amount of work outside of the classroom in that discovery. Homework will entail: 1. Viewing recorded classes in advance to the live classes. 2. Viewing assigned artwork and listening to music. 3. Interactive quizzes. 4. A midterm and a final exam (fill-in-blank, short essays, long essays, with answers/suggested answers). 5. Unit projects to be determined. Due to the nature of the medium, we encourage students more than ever to share their learning experience and the resources used in this course with the rest of their family.

History and Culture of Imperial Russia

(click on course title to register)

Class dates: Mondays, September 29 to December 22, 2014. No class December 8th for the Feast of the Immaculate Conception.
Total classes: 12 live classes plus 12 recorded lectures.
Starting time: 6:30 pm Eastern (5:30 Central; 4:30 Mountain; 3:30 Pacific)
Duration: 1 hour
Prerequisite: None
Suggested grade level: 8th to 12th grade.
Suggested high school credit: 1 full semester History or Fine Arts
Fee: $160 for all 24 classes.
Instructor: Dr. Carol Reynolds (Professor Carol)
Course description: Beginning with ancient Russia and the medieval princes, we’ll study the major developments that shaped Imperial Russia through the Bolshevik Revolution. We’ll cover the roots of Russian Christianity, the effect of European influence, and the primary cultural and military development under the Riurik and Romanov tsars. We’ll examine architecture, folk art, music, and the key contributions of Russian authors Pushkin, Gogol, Dostoevsky, and Tolstoi. We will also study factors that led to the fall of the Romanov tsars and the rise of the Bolsheviks, And, we'll end with a look at the arts and culture in the early Soviet period.
Taught in an interactive weekly webinar, the course requires the viewing of a one-hour pre-recorded class session with Professor Carol in preparation for the live class. The course also will feature a number of video sequences filmed by Professor Carol on location(!) in Russia.
Course outline:
Russia and the West
Orthodoxy in Music, Art, and Architecture
Riuriks: The First Russian Dynasty
Time of Troubles and the Early Romanovs (incl. Peter the Great)
The Tsarinas and a Changing Russia
Catherine the Great
Napoleonic Russia
Russia’s Strongest Voice: Pushkin
The Golden Age of Russian
Russian Realism
Final Flowering of Imperial Russia
The End of Imperial Russia & Revolution
Course materials: Land of the Firebird by Susanne Massie [Hearttree Press], 1980. Used and new copies (paperback or hardcover) available at www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/096441841X/catholictreas-20.
Homework: In addition to the required pre-recorded lectures in preparation of the weekly webinar, each unit contains a homework assignment that reinforces and expands the class sessions. These assignments are rich in visual images, music, and clips from historical documentaries. Approximate time needed to devote to the assignments: 2 hours per week. Students should also allot 1 to 2 hours weekly for reading in Land of the Firebird. Midterm and a final exam.

Early Sacred Music

(click on course title to register)

Class dates: Mondays, Dates to be announced.
Total classes: 12 live classes plus 12 recorded lectures.
Starting time: 5:00 pm Eastern (4:00 Central; 3:00 Mountain; 2:00 Pacific)

Prerequisite: None. No musical background is necessary.

Suggested grade level: 9th to 12th grade

Suggested high school credit: 1 semester, History, Religious Studies, Fine Arts, or Humanities
Fee: $175 if you register on or before November 15, 2014. $195 after Nov. 15th for all 12 classes
Instructor: Dr. Carol Reynolds (Professor Carol)
Course description: Have you wondered about the roots of sacred music and wanted to learn more? This new course takes you from Old Testament times and Ancient Greece and Rome, through the Carolingian Era and the establishment of Christian worship throughout Europe and the Slavic lands, to the dawn of the Renaissance (1400).
We'll encounter saints and philosophers, art and architecture, manuscripts and technology, emperors and political intrigue. And we'll consider the the critical role played by the monks who developed, preserved, and spread the music .
Early Sacred Music features musical performances and commentary from a variety of scholars, including the monks of St. Louis Abbey, Sr. Margaret Truran (St. Cecelia's, Rome), the Ring Around Quartet from Italy, Dr. Michael Dodds (University of North Carolina), Dr. Christopher Anderson (Southern Methodist University), Dr. John Trapani (Walsh University), and more.
This course is taught by Dr. Carol Reynolds, retired professor of Music History (Southern Methodist University) through richly illustrated video class session, written commentary and multi-media assignments, as well as a weekly interactive class session specifically for those enrolled through Homeschool Connections.
Course materials: To be announced.
Homework: To be announced.

Instructor biography: Dr. Carol Reynolds weaves energy, humor, and history into everything she does.   After a career as a professor at Southern Methodist University, Dallas, “Professor Carol” and husband Hank moved to a ranch and began creating Fine Arts courses for students and adults.  Her unprecedented Discovering Music: 300 Years of Interaction in Western Music, Arts, History, & Culture and Exploring America’s Musical Heritage reach across the world.  Her new course History of Early Sacred Music will appear this summer, as well as online courses on Russian Music, Research Skills for Students Entering College, and a new series on American Music.  A pianist and organist, she is a popular speaker for the Van Cliburn Series, The Dallas Symphony, opera companies, and museums.  She works frequently in Eastern Europe and Russia as Study Leader for The Smithsonian.

Western Art: Online Classes for High School

We are thrilled to announce that internationally-renown artist Dr. Karen Schneider has joined our teaching staff. 

Survey of Western Art I 
(click on course title to register)

NOTE: This is Part One of a 2-part course, which can be taken separately or together. Survey of Western Art II will start in January.

Class dates: Tuesdays, September 9 to December 2, 2014. No class November 25. 

Total classes: 12 

Starting time: 11:00 am Eastern (10:00 Central; 9:00 Mountain; 8:00 Pacific) 

Duration: 1 hour each class

Prerequisite: None. 

Suggested grade level: 9th to 12th grade 

Suggested high school credit: 1 full semester 

Fee: $175 if you register on or before August 1, 2014. $195 after Aug. 1t for all 12 classes 

Instructor: Karan Schneider, Ph.D. MS 

Course description: The primary focus of this course is to understand the artistic legacy of not only Europe and the United States, but the entire globe. The course will introduce students to the discipline of art history and its effect of not only art but cultural experiences. A chronological order of time is organized within the book to best study the civilizations of their art and the impact it produced throughout the world. This program prepares students to aim in the appreciation and understanding of works of high aesthetic quality and historical significance, as well as, enhancing all other works taken in future education. This is the same book used in almost all university and college levels. Learn from a faculty member who is a practicing instructor in the 

arts, and who taught Art History at the university level. 

Course outline: 

Class 1: Introduction.
Class 2: Prehistoric to Renaissance. 

Class 3: Extensive Global History of Art. 

Class 4: Written Sources for the birth & rise of art. 

Class 5: Religion & Mythology within civilizations. 

Class 6: Art, Society & Antiquity. 

Class 7: Architectural Basics of everlasting buildings. 

Class 8: Art in the News from heroes, gods & athletes. 

Class 9: Maps & Timelines illustrated. 

Class 10: Language, Glossary, Bibliography. 

Class 11: Materials and Techniques. 
Class 12: Review and Final.

Course materials: There is one (1) required textbook for this course. This is a large book, yet full of many photos and not full pages of reading; please do not be intimidated by it. Certain chapter will target on areas and specific pages for work & study, as this is a high school course. Expect 2-6 hours a week on assignments, and this will depend on the student. Book: Gardner’s Art throughout the Ages-eleventh edition, Fred S. Kleinre, Christin J. Mamiya, Richard G. Tansey, Thompson-Wadsworth, ISBN # 0534642004. This text is widely available inexpensively (as little as $5) used. You may purchase the 11th, 12, 13th, or 14th edition.

Homework: There is one examination in week #12 We will work through the first half of the textbook. The assignments are to be done in a Learning Portfolio style. Expect 2-6 hours a week on assignments, and this will depend on the student. WRITTEN ASSIGNMENTS: The Learning Portfolio style example will be available to you upon request or available in Moodle. It is to be submitted in one complete form as early as Week #10 or early in Week #11 with prior notification. The exam is taken in Week #12. EXAM: The examination is "open book" objective type. You will have three (3) days to complete your exam, once you access it from the classroom. 

Instructor biography: Karan A. Schneider Ph.D., has her Master of Science in Art and is licensed by the State of Ohio as a longterm substitute teacher, as she also taught Art History for an online university for eight years. Between 1990 and 2001 she taught private sculpting courses through her studio. She is internationally recognized and published since 1980. She formed an art company in the mid 1980’s with original art pieces that have been created for world famous physicians, attorneys, and various celebrities. A custom porcelain angel was created for the Clinton Inauguration in 1992 at the White House, as well as each inauguration until 2008. In 1999 she was personally selected by Hillary Rodham Clinton to create a one-of-a-kind sculpted figure to be presented on the Christmas tree artwork for the White House formal. This event and her piece were in six international magazines. Another of her works was also accepted into The White House by President Bush and The First Lady in August of 2004, called Emerging Wings-Unaware. She has also been authored and published internationally from 1996 to 2003 in various how-to articles with international magazines as Doll Crafter and Dollmaker that included writing articles for other various artists and doll maker friends. Author and world renown doll artist, Susanna Oroyan, selected Karan to be featured in her two books, Designing the Doll and Finishing the Figure. Dr. Schneider was raised Catholic and has embraced the works of St. Hildegard von Bingen because she upheld a lifestyle conducive to what is lacking in our culture today. Hildegard had been blessed to offer the world all aspects within this lifestyle from music, art, morals to medicine. 

Survey of Western Art I 

(click on course title to register)

High School Physics: Online Classes

Homeschool Connections continues to grow in the area of science offerings. Starting with the 2014/2015 school year, we will be offering two physics courses for high school. For lower high school students, we have Conceptual Physics. For upper high school students, we have Mechanical Physics.

Information on the live, interactive courses is below. Note that these courses will be available as recorded, independent-learning courses starting in February 2015. Recorded courses are offered through our Unlimited Access Program.

FALL 2014

Conceptual Physics I, Part One

(click on course title to register)

Note: This is a 2-part course. Students are expected to register for Part Two in the spring.

Class dates: Mondays, September 8 to December 22, 2014. No class Dec. 8.

Total classes: 15

Starting time: 4:00 pm Eastern (3:00 Central; 2:00 Mountain; 1:00 Pacific)

Duration: 75 minutes

Prerequisite: None, but Algebra I is beneficial.

Suggested grade level: 9^th to 10^th grade

Suggested high school credit: 1 full semester

Fee: $175 if you register on or before Aug. 1, 2014. $195 after August 1st for all 15 classes.

Instructor: Thomas Frederick, MS

Course description:

This is the first course in a two course series in introductory Physics concepts. The title of “conceptual” means we will not rely too much on mathematical calculations. Instead, we will stick to concepts and major ideas. Students will view pre-recorded online lessons and have live instruction once a week. Topics covered will include:

• Scientific Methods
• Linear Motion and Projectile Motion
• Forces and Newton’s Laws
• Work, Energy, and Linear Momentum
• Circular Motion, Gravitational Interactions, and Satellites
• Stability and Rotational Mechanics
• Waves, Sound, & Light

The goal of the course is to investigate Physical Science concepts without the need for complicated mathematics. Students will build in their natural intuition—and break some commonly held misconceptions. Students will learn how the cosmos that God created works and apply the laws of physics to every day examples in their lives. Students will learn that physics is phun! Students will be expected to read ahead and complete weekly homework assignments.

Course materials: Conceptual Physics, Paul Hewitt (2002) ISBN: 0-13-054254-7. We recommend purchasing used. We will also use http://www.physicsclassroom.com as a resource.

Homework: Weekly reading and homework will be assigned. Individual assignments will be provided in a class Moodle along with solutions for checking progress. Each unit will have a test at the end, which will be graded by the instructor.

Physics I; Mechanics, Part One

(click on course title to register)

Note: This is a 2-part course. Students are expected to register for Part Two in the spring.

Class dates: Tuesdays and Thursdays, September 2 to December 18, 2014. No class Nov. 25 or 27. (May be a combination of live and prerecorded lessons – more details to follow.)

Total classes: 30

Starting time: 4:00 pm Eastern (3:00 Central; 2:00 Mountain; 1:00 Pacific)

Duration: 60 minutes

Prerequisite: Algebra II and Trigonometry (Trigonometry available Summer 2014. Algebra II available through Unlimited Access.)

Suggested grade level: 11^th to 12^th grade

Suggested high school credit: 1 full semester credit

Fee: $225 if you register on or before August 1, 2014. $250 after Aug. 1^st for all 30 classes.

Instructor: Thomas Frederick, MS

Course description: This is the first part of a two-semester course. It is expected that students also enroll in Physics II – in the spring semester. This course is an algebra-based, college prep survey course in Physics. Topics covered will include:

• Scientific Tools and Measurements
• Linear Motion
• Projectile Motion
• Force and Newton’s Laws
• Equilibrium and non-Equilibrium Applications
• Universal Gravitation
• Uniform Circular Motion & Satellites
• Torque and Rotational Dynamics

Students will investigate the inner workings of the universe, created by a loving God. The goal of the course is to build on previous knowledge of Physical Science principals, to break common misconceptions based on false intuition. Students will learn problem-solving strategies as they apply the laws of physics to every day examples in our lives. Of course, students will learn that “physics is phun” as we learn what makes the universe tick!

Course materials:  Physics 5th ed, Cutnell & Johnson, ISBN - 978-0471321460.

Homework: This is an algebra-based course but it is fairly rigorous. Weekly reading and completion of homework is expected. Thirty to sixty minutes of reading/homework a day is a reasonable expectation. Individual assignments will be provided in a class Moodle with homework solutions posted so students can evaluate their understanding. All tests will be graded by the instructor.

Instructor biography: Mr. Frederick is a Physics and Mathematics teacher at Saline High School in Michigan. He has twenty-plus years of classroom experience helping young people understand and apply mathematics and physics. He holds a Master of Science in Physics Education from Eastern Michigan University, as well as a Bachelors of Science in Mathematics from the University of Michigan. In addition to being a teacher, Mr. Frederick is a Cross Country Coach and was the Coordinator of Youth Ministry and Confirmation Director for seven years at his local parish. In that time he built up the youth program from a handful of moderately committed kids to 75-100 young people packing the youth room every Sunday night! Suffice to say, he enjoys working with high school aged young adults in a myriad of different venues—and especially enjoys living and sharing his Catholic faith. He and his wife homeschool their six awesome children. In his spare time, Mr. Frederick also enjoys running, scripture study, fixing computers, gardening, and keeping up a small orchard. He can be found online at www.physicsisphun.org.

SPRING 2015

Conceptual Physics I, Part Two

Note: This is a 2-part course. Students who wish to join us midyear should email to check prerequisites.

Class dates: Mondays, January 5 to April 27, 2015. No class Feb. 23 or April 5.

Total classes: 15

Starting time: 4:00 pm Eastern (3:00 Central; 2:00 Mountain; 1:00 Pacific)

Duration: 75 minutes

Prerequisite: Conceptual Physics I, Part One or equivalent.

Suggested grade level: 9^th to 10^th grade

Suggested high school credit: 1 full semester

Fee: $175 if you register on or before Nov. 15, 2014. $195 after Nov. 15^th for all 15 classes.

Instructor: Thomas Frederick, MS

Physics I; Mechanics, Part Two

Note: This is a 2-part course. Students want to join us midyear should email to verify prerequisites.

Class dates: Tuesdays and Thursdays, January 6 to May 5, 2015. No class Jan. 22, Mar. 31, or Apr.2. (May be a combination of live and prerecorded lessons – more details to follow.)

Total classes: 30

Starting time: 4:00 pm Eastern (3:00 Central; 2:00 Mountain; 1:00 Pacific)

Duration: 60 minutes

Prerequisite: Physics I; Mechanics, Part One (Fall 2014) or equivalent.

Suggested grade level: 11^th to 12^th grade

Suggested high school credit: 1 full semester credit

Fee: $225 if you register on or before August 1, 2014. $250 after Aug. 1^st for all 30 classes.

Instructor: Thomas Frederick, MS