Homeschool Connections: August 2015

ADDENDUM: This course is now being offered free for the 2015/2016 school year.

“I now entered the first class of what today would be called the gymnasium for classical languages [Greek and Latin] ... In retrospect it seems to me that an education in Greek and Latin antiquity created a mental attitude that resisted seduction by a totalitarian ideology.”

~ Pope Benedict XVI, Memoirs

Homeschool Connections is very excited to let you know that we are continuing to offer Biblical Greek for the upcoming school year. Students as young as thirteen and as old as eighteen are welcomed to join us. This is a great course led by an energetic and knowledgable teacher. His love for the subject is contagious -- his students can't help but succeed in their Greek studies. (See below for a video with Mr. Egan.)

This course can be taken as an independent, learning course through Unlimited Access or as a live, interactive course starting in September (details below).

Why Learn Biblical Greek?
Why not? To understand the New Testament and the classics firsthand, in the language they were written, is a great gift. It helps to establish a strong foundation for Catholic education.

Top Ten benefits to learning a new language, specifically Biblical Greek:

Knowledge is always increased in learning completely new things.
Learning a new language, with a new alphabet, improves analytical and logic skills.
The ability to read the New Testament in it's original language.
To gain a new cultural perspective.
A greater appreciation of language and its structure, including English.
A greater knowledge of English vocabulary, as many English words contain Greek roots.
Higher SAT and ACT scores.
Biblical Greek followed by, or proceeded by, Latin benefits students in a unique way as both are the main root languages of our Western culture.
The Greek language has a long and rich history stretching all the way from the thirteenth century BC to the present.
Because the pope says it's a good idea!

“Hardly any lawful price would seem to me too high for what I have gained by being made to learn Latin and Greek.”

~C.S. Lewis

Introduction to Biblical Greek, 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.

Registration is limited to 15 students.

Class dates: Mondays, September 14 to December 14, 2015

Total classes: 14

Starting time: 4:30 PM Eastern (3:30 Central; 2:30 Mountain; 1:30 Pacific)

Duration: 55 minutes

Prerequisite: Basic English Grammar

Suggested grade level: 7th grade and up.

Suggested high school credit: 1 full semester Biblical Greek or foreign language.

Fee: $185 if you register on or before July 15, 2015. $205 after July 15 for all 14 classes.

Instructor: Dan Egan

Course description: In this course, we begin with the alphabet, which is not as frightening as might be thought. Then we will progress slowly into Nouns and adjectives. A part of the class will be given to Christian Greek symbols and their meanings. We will also focus on Greek roots found in English words to build our English vocabulary – an excellent boost for the SAT vocabulary section. There will be 10-15 minutes of homework every night and progress will be seen in a few short weeks. By the 3rd week we will be reading short passages from the Greek New Testament.

Course materials: Basics of Biblical Greek, Deluxe Edition (2nd Edition) by William Mounce, ISBN # 0310250870 (http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0310250870/catholictreas-20).

Homework: Includes study of vocabulary and grammar forms as well as worksheets. There will be a weekly practice quiz as well as an in-class quiz. Homework will take approximately 15 minutes daily in addition to weekly lecture and review.

Meet the Instructor:

Daniel Egan received his B.S. in Geography from Northern Kentucky University, but his true love has been teaching Biblical Greek in Cincinnati since 2001 to high school and grade school children. He occasionally can be heard on EWTN's Sunrise Morning Show on their Bible Tidbit segment. Dan loves to study the Bible and to evangelize. He is happily married to Arica Egan and they have 5 children so far. He has been a student of Gary Michuta's since 2003.

Introduction to Biblical Greek, Part Two

(click on course title to register)

This is a 2-part course. Students interested in joining us midyear should email if unsure about prerequisites.

Registration is limited to 15 students.

Class dates: Mondays, January 11 to April 25, 2016. No class Feb. 22 for midterm break or March 28 for Easter break.

Total classes: 14

Starting time: 4:30 PM Eastern (3:30 Central; 2:30 Mountain; 1:30 Pacific)

Duration: 55 minutes

Prerequisite: Introduction to Biblical Greek, Part One (Fall 2015 or Unlimited Access) or equivalent.

Suggested grade level: 7th grade and up.

Suggested high school credit: 1 full semester Biblical Greek or foreign language.

Fee: $185 if you register on or before November 15, 2015. $205 after Nov. 15 for all 14 classes.

Instructor: Dan Egan

Course materials: Basics of Biblical Greek, Deluxe Edition (2nd Edition) by William Mounce, ISBN # 0310250870 (http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0310250870/catholictreas-20)

“To read Latin and Greek authors in their original, is a sublime luxury. I thank on my knees him who directed my early education for having put into my possession this rich source of delight; and I would not exchange it for anything which I could then have acquired, and have not since acquired.”

~ Thomas Jefferson

Registration is open. Click here: Homeschool Connections Registration (Click on the semester and subject, then click on Search.)

Years ago, a dear friend introduced me to Stanford Nutting videos on YouTube. I don't think we ever laughed so hard. I never thought the day would come when I would announce to the world that Kevin O'Brien, creative genius behind Stanford, is Homeschool Connections' newest teacher.

I'm very excited about Mr. O'Brien's upcoming courses. First, he'll be teaching Speech and Communications for High School. This semester-long course will be offered twice -- once in Fall 2015 and again in Spring 2016. Second, Mr. O'Brien will be teaching a year-long middle school literature course: Drama and the Human Spirit for 2015/2016.

Maureen Wittmann

Please meet your distinguished instructor:

and

Now for the course details:
Fall 2015

Drama and the Human Spirit for Middle School, Part One

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

Class dates: Wednesdays, September 16 to December 9, 2015. No class Wed. Nov. 25 for Thanksgiving Break.

Total classes: 12

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

Duration: 55 minutes

Prerequisite: None

Suggested grade level: 7^th to 8^th grade.

Fee: $170 for all 12 classes.

Instructor: Kevin O'Brien

Course description: From its beginning in ancient Greece and from its inception in England in the context of the liturgy, drama has always been about man's relation to God (or "the gods"). This survey course will examine some of the great works of drama and comedy, focusing on how dramatic art grapples with the question of the meaning of life and the revelation of God in the human heart.

Course outline:

Class 1: Introduction and Overview

Class 2: Ancient Greece I - selections from Prometheus Bound by Aeschylus

Class 3: Ancient Rome - selections from Plautus & Terence and the Story of St. Genesius, Patron of Actors

Class 4: Medieval Drama - Mystery and Miracle Plays (various short examples will be read and discussed)

Class 5: Medieval Drama II - Pageant Plays and selections from Everyman

Class 6: Renaissance Drama - selections from Dr. Faustus by Christopher Marlowe

Class 7: Renaissance Drama - Macbeth by William Shakespeare - I

Class 8: Renaissance Drama - Macbeth by William Shakespeare - II

Class 9: Renaissance Drama - selections from Much Ado about Nothing by William Shakespeare

Class 10: Restoration and Continental Theater - The Forced Marriage by Moliere

Class 11: Restoration and Continental Theater - Commedia del Arte and other forms

Class 12: Conclusion and Review

Course materials: Will be provided free by the instructor in the form of PDF's and eBooks; scenes from filmed versions of the plays will be shown during class time.

Homework: Each play should be read before that week's discussion of it. Frequent short quizzes, consisting of multiple choice and essay questions Expect no more than 3 to 4 hours homework per week.

Speech and Communications

Due to the popularity of this course, it will be repeated again in the spring semester. If it fills, register for the spring.

Class dates: Wednesdays, September 9 to December 9, 2015. No class Nov. 25 for Thanksgiving break.

Total classes: 13

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

Duration: 55 minutes

Prerequisite: None

Suggested grade level: 9^th to 12^th grade

Suggested high school credit: 1 full credit Speech / Communications

Fee: $190 for all 13 classes.

Instructor: Kevin O'Brien

Course description: Effective communications and good public speaking begins with an understanding of rhetoric - how a good argument is developed, how a good speech is structured, and how spoken communication differs from written communication. In this course, we will examine the greatest speeches of the greatest orators in history, analyzing what they wrote and (when audio or video of their speeches exist) their style of delivery. And while Speech and Communications is essential to success in the business world, it is also essential for understanding and presenting arguments in support of the Catholic Faith, or even for persuading others of anything that's important to you. The goal of this course, then, is twofold - to learn to appreciate and analyze good verbal rhetoric, and to apply what we've learned to come up with our own short speeches that are engaging, entertaining and effective.

Course outline:

1. Introduction and Overview

2. The Great Orators of Greece and Rome

3. Public Speeches as Recounted in Scripture - The Prophets of the Old Testament and the Apostles of the New Testament

4. The Rhetorical Structure and Dramatic Effect of Speeches in Shakespeare (selections from Julius Caesar, Henry V, and Macbeth)

5. Religious Persuasion through the Ages - The Sermon on the Mount, Jonathan Edwards and the Puritans, Bishop Fulton Sheen

6. Speeches by Students - Delivered and Critiqued during Class

7. Speeches by Students - Delivered and Critiqued during Class

8. Great Political Speeches of the 18th and 19th Centuries - Patrick Henry, Jefferson, Wilbeforce, Lincoln

9. Great Political Speeches of the 20th Century Part I - Teddy Roosevelt, FDR, Churchill, Eisenhower

10. Great Political Speeches of the 20th Century Part II - JFK, Martin Luther King, Ronald Reagan

11. The Use of Humor and Oratory for American Pop Culture - Mark Twain, Will Rogers, etc.

12. Speeches by Students - Delivered and Critiqued during Class

13. Speeches by Students - Delivered and Critiqued during Class

Course materials: Will be provided by the instructor in the form of PDF’s and eBooks; videos and audio recordings of speeches will be reviewed during class time.

Homework: Weekly reading. Each student will be required to write two short speeches (no longer than five minutes each), with outlines to be approved by the instructor at least two weeks before the speech is to be presented.

Spring 2016

Drama and the Human Spirit for Middle School, Part Two

This is Part Two of a 2-part course. However, students are welcomed to join us midyear.

Class dates: Wednesdays, January 13 to April 13, 2016. No class February 10 midterm break or March 23 for Easter Break.

Total classes: 12

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

Duration: 55 minutes

Prerequisite: None

Suggested grade level: 7^th to 8^th grade.

Fee: $150 if you register on or before November 15, 2015. $170 after Nov. 15 for all 12 classes.

Instructor: Kevin O'Brien

Course outline:

1. An Overview of Theater from Ancient to Modern Times

2. Elements of the Modern Theater - selections from various playwrights

3. Light Opera - HMS Pinafore and the works of Gilbert & Sullivan

4. Theater in America - Vaudeville & Melodramas (various short examples will be read and discussed)

5. Theater in America - Tent Shows & Broadway

6. Modern Continental Theater - A Doll's House by Henrik Ibesen

7. Modern English Theater - Pygmalion by George Bernard Shaw

8. American Musical Theater - My Fair Lady by Lerner & Lowe

9. Modern Catholic Drama - The Surprise by G. K. Chesterton

10. Theater of the Absurd and Experimental Theater - Rhinoceros by Eugene Ionesco

11. Stage vs. Film - How TV and Cinema have changed the dramatic arts

12. Conclusion and Review

Course materials: Will be provided free by the instructor in the form of PDF's and eBooks; scenes from filmed versions of the plays will be shown during class time.

Homework: Each play should be read before that week's discussion of it. Frequent short quizzes, consisting of multiple choice and essay questions. This should take no more than 3 to 4 hours per week.

Speech and Communications

Note: This is a repeat of the fall course. It is not a “Part Two”.

Class dates: Wednesdays, January 6 to April 13, 2016. No class February 10 for midterm break or March 23 for Easter break.

Total classes: 13

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

Duration: 55 minutes

Prerequisite: None

Suggested grade level: 9^th to 12^th grade

Suggested high school credit: 1 full credit Speech / Communications

Fee: $170 if you register on or before November 15, 2015. $190 after Nov. 15 for all 13 classes.