NOTES

Literature

Language Arts

Music

Fine Arts

History

Math

Science

Discussions

Philosophy

Geography

Cartography

N/A  = Not available for this grade level. Note: If this course was not completed  in prior grades, it may be done now. 

The elementary (N-8th grade) Literature Program is taken entirely from the "Good Books" list compiled by Dr. John Senior. The 9th-12th grade program consists of selections of the Great Books, selected principally by Dr. Mortimer J. Adler with additions for the Medievals by Drs. Quinn, Senior, Nelick.

We recommend the study to fluency in a foreign language, beginning in 1st grade  (especially the ancient inflected languages -Greek and Latin). Our diploma  requires proficiency in any one foreign language.

Music, drama and dance can be characterized as the fine symbolic arts, because they consist variously of notes, words and  figures.  Music, drama and dance (or  some form of gymnastics) classes may easily be found in most locales, and are  encouraged. We recommend that students learn to play at least one musical  instrument reasonably well, for recreation, self-expression , and to learn control of the emotions and passions.

Drawing, painting, sculpture (or modeling), and crafts may be characterized as fine material arts, meaning that what is  required is to make or transform some material thing.

This course follows the chronological order of history. The early grades are largely stories, heavily illustrated to help provide a sense of time. In the early grades literature often teaches  history best. Grade 6 includes a more mature, though brief recapitulation of ancient history. The Great Books include much history, integrated into the  readings, beginning with the Greek historian, Herodotus.

Mathematics at the elementary level should be taught with many connections with the real world and real human problems, not as a purely abstract set of formulae. Most textbooks, including those we selected (for want of any better) insufficiently connect math to reality for youngsters.

We do not recommend science as a separate subject before 4th (or even 7th  grade). Prior to that time a few "wonders" might be demonstrated,  such as the constellations and resonance in music, but only phenomena which are simple should be considered. Field trips, simple experiments and stories  of early discoveries and scientists should begin to be read and reenacted in these years. This is the age of wonder and contact with the beauties of nature, not excessive analysis. Our texts selected for this year are largely  selected due to their beautiful images, interesting presentations, and for  such simple projects which are described therein. But we encourage an even  more "poetic" approach to science at the early grades. 
  

The  Great Books Discussion Groups are not sequential prior to 9th grade, and may be begun profitably at any year or time. From 9th-12th grades, they are sequential and students need to begin at the beginning, with the 9th grade  readings only, regardless of their grade levels in other subjects.

This course is age appropriate and a wonderful training in the liberal art of thinking. Dr. Peter Redpath, a member of the Great Books Academy Board, taught  this course for years and highly recommends it. The Great Books course in grades 9-12 integrates education in reasoning, logic, rhetoric and ethics.

Our  Geography course is based on National Geographic's 100+ years of issues,  indexed and on CDs, with Lesson Plans developed by the Academy to run parallel with the history course grades. Geography gives us the setting of human events all over the planet and their relatedness to nature, the  environment, weather, scarce resources and the common struggles of mankind, engendering a mutual respect. It may be studied profitably even in the earliest grades. Unlike social studies, it is not an attempt to abolish  history, but compliments it.

Like our Geography course, our Cartography (Map skills) course is a National Geographic product of the finest quality, (copyrighted 2000 A.D.). It therefore ties in well with the Geography and history courses.