Scripture, History & Letters
Bible I reads the Pentateuch and the books of history, Ancient History & Literature surveys civilization from creation to the time of Christ, and Logic & Composition I begins formal argumentation.
Bible I: Pentateuch & History
Students will gain an appreciation for the historical and cultural context of God’s holy word by sustained and disciplined inquiry into the early history of Israel as recorded in the Pentateuch, and the books of history: Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers Deuteronomy, Joshua, Judges, Ruth, the books of Samuel, Kings as well as the works of Ezra, Nehemiah and Esther.
Students will examine the Old Testament and covenantal background to the fulfillment of “the Law and the Prophets” in the coming of Jesus of Nazareth, the Son of God and promised Messiah, by doing the following:
Debate different Patristic interpretations of the text through progymnasmata writing exercises of Confirmation and Refutation and oral exercises of the formal dialectic
Find events in the text on geographical maps, and observing the change of maps over time
Locate events in the text on a timeline
Memorize the books of the bible in canonical order, and know appropriate hermeneutical strategies for the genre of writing being studied
Applying biblical concepts learned in class to real world situations, so that they will be prepared to apply them to unpredictable situations later in life
Engage in a sustained inquiry into the way to read the Old Testament types and shadows as fulfilled in Christ and the Gospel, as seen in a research paper
Pray these scriptures through the adoption of a habitual practice of morning and evening prayer, modeled on Lectio Divina
The student will academically study the same passages they pray, so that God’s Spirit will form both the head and the heart for lifelong love of God’s Word.
Ancient History & Literature
Students will gain an appreciation for the early history of human civilization from creation to the time of Christ with specific attention given to the early history and development of including (but not limited to) Egypt, Assyria, Babylon, Persia, Mede, Greece and Rome and the Julian-Claudio Dynasty.
Students will also gain an appreciation for the early literature of human civilization from creation to the time of Christ with specific attention given to (but not limited by) the literature of Egypt, Assyria, Babylon, Persia, Mede, Greece and Rome and the Julian-Claudio Dynasty.
Students will engage in sustained and disciplined inquiry into these civilizations by doing the following:
Debate different historical interpretations of historical events and literature through progymnasmata writing exercises of Confirmation and Refutation and oral exercises of formal dialectic, Harkness Discussions, and Socratic Circles
Find events in the text on geographical maps, and observing the change of maps over time
Locate events in the text on a timeline and memorization of Geneva timeline for class
Apply insights from historical research to real world, so they will be prepared to apply them to unpredictable events in life
Students will spend extended time developing close reading skills in primary source historical material including but not limited to:
The Code of Hammurabi
The Histories, by Herodotus
The Early History of Rome, by Livy
Lives of Noble Greeks and Romans, by Plutarch
Cultivate close reading skills by reading great works of literature in the primary source, including but not limited to:
Selections of Egyptian Literature
The Epic of Gilgamesh and Enuma Elish
Ancient debate poetry
Selections from Hesiod’s Works and Days and Metamorphosis
The Iliad, by Homer
Greek tragedy and comedy
Last Days of Socrates, by Plato
Roman comedy and tragedy
Selections of Greco-Roman poetry
Teacher will also draw from resources including but not limited to Jackson Spielvogel’s Western Civilization: A Brief History Vol 1 to 1715 and Gore’s Historical and Chronological Context of the Bible
Logic & Composition I
This course will focus on argumentation in composition, with an additional emphasis on mechanics and grammar. Students will prepare for the written composition of arguments by studying categorical and hypothetical syllogisms, and also by engaging in disputations with their classmates. Then they will continue to refine these skills of argumentation in the third and fourth stages of the progymnasmata (preliminary exercises), which are chreia and confirmation/refutation. By doing so, students will develop skills in making and defending different kinds of arguments while also developing a copious vocabulary.
A successful student who finishes this course should be able to:
1. Recite from memory the heads of development and purpose for each of the studied forms.
2. Use the given heads of development to defend wise sayings.
3. Use the given heads of purpose to confirm or refute elements of narratives.
4. Recite and define the nine narrative components.
5. Identify sentence parts and parts of speech.
6. Identify and correct errors in spelling, grammar, and writing mechanics.
7. Identify given figures of rhetoric and incorporate them into assigned paragraphs.
8. Diagram simple, compound, and complex sentences that include prepositional phrases, modifiers, gerunds, infinitives, and participles.
9. Determine validity of categorical syllogisms.
10. Use the relationships of the square of opposition to paraphrase statements and arguments.
11. Track with the flow of arguments in a disputation in shorthand notation.
12. Recite Genesis 3 (ESV) from memory.
13. Type at least 25 wpm.
14. Be in the habit of effectively using an academic planner.
Texts used
Classical Composition by James Selby
Daily Grammar Practice 7 by Dawn Burnette and Judith Holbrook
The Holy Bible (ESV) by God **note: I will provide students with a copy of the ESV version of this chapter, so they don’t need to own an ESV Bible.
Keyboarding Essentials by Prentice Hall Publishing