Course Description Semester
Great Books Library
Shakespeare Guild Master I Fall 2022 Take a deep dive into the plays of William Shakespeare. Through his comedies, tragedies, and histories you will encounter important ideas cultivated throughout Western Civilization. Come laugh with Benedick and Beatrice in Much Ado About Nothing; feel King Lear’s despair; and ask yourself if you could forgive others like the characters did in The Winter’s Tale. You will be learning to ask questions, write about your own opinions, think about human nature, practice some foundational public speaking skills, and discover that you can understand Shakespeare’s language. This literature and public speaking course is well-suited for any student in the eighth through twelfth grades. Writing assignments and projects can be tailored to the capabilities of each student. It includes four video-based lessons per week and one online seminar per month (September through May).
Shakespeare Guild Master II Spring 2023 This is a continuation of Shakespeare Guild Master I.
Freedom Hall
Western Civilization Foundations Part I Fall 2022 Where do our Western cultural institutions and ideas originate? In this class, you will travel through history from the time of the Ancient Hebrews and Greeks up to the revolutionary Founding Fathers of the United States. Along the way, you will witness an evolution of provocative ideas such as individual rights, economics, war, natural law, religious beliefs and liberties, and constitutionalism. Meet individuals as varied and significant as Queen Esther, Aristotle, Alexander the Great, Julius Caesar, John Calvin, and Thomas Jefferson. This class serves as a survey of the history of Western Civilization and will be followed with later courses that further examine the peoples and places important to our shared culture.This class is well-suited for any student in the eighth through twelfth grades. Writing assignments and projects can be tailored to the capabilities of each student. It includes four video-based lessons per week and one online seminar per month (September through May).
Western Civilization Foundations Part II Spring 2023 This is a continuation of Western Civilization Foundations Part I.
Curiosity Labs
Foundation Math I – Pre-Algebra Fall 2022 Foundation Math I covers everything you need to know to jump into more advanced math like geometry and algebra. This course will cover the origin of numbers and number systems, why and how arithmetic operations work, modern math symbology, the order of operations, handling negative numbers, exponents and roots, introduction to variables and constants, and a few examples for how these concepts work in other commonly used number bases like binary and hexadecimal.
Foundation Math II – Geometry Spring 2023 Foundation Math II introduces Euclidean geometry and formal proofs, then shifts to covering the remainder of geometric concepts (such as perimeter, area, volume, angles, etc.) using analytic geometry techniques and the Cartesian coordinate system. We will introduce and learn to work with trigonometric functions using practical applications from physics.
Electronics I – The Basics Fall 2022 Electronics I introduces the key concepts from electronics and electrodynamics such as voltage, current, and resistance using hands-on projects to verify that the math actually predicts what happens in the real world. Students will learn how to analyze, wire, and test basic circuits using a battery or power supply, resistors, Light Emitting Diodes (LEDs), switches, relays and other discrete components. The emphasis, beyond developing a general knowledge of electricity and electronic circuits, is on understanding how to safely work with the kinds of discrete components that will be connected to microcontrollers in Electronics II.
Electronics II – Intro to Arduino Spring 2023 Electronics II leverages the Arduino ecosystem to teach students about the ubiquitous microcontroller.  Students will learn how to connect and use input and display devices, leverage input/output pins to sense and control, and understand the differences between analog and digital sensors.  Along the way, students will learn to use the Arduino Integrated Development Environment (IDE) to develop and upload C++ to the Arduino.
Surprising Scientific Discoveries I Fall 2022 Surprising Scientific Discoveries reviews cases in science and technology where a new discovery, observation, theory, or technology disrupted the world. This course is taught primarily in a story format, and will cover selected major developments through approximately 1880. Topics covered will show how scientific discoveries build on each other, demonstrate several scientific and engineering concepts, highlight the impact of technological innovations on major historical events, demonstrate the scientific method and mindset, and show the importance of critical thought even in the face of scientific consensus.
Surprising Scientific Discoveries II Spring 2023 This is a continuation of Surprising Scientific Discoveries I covering from 1880 through the modern day including highly disruptive ideas such as quantum mechanics and world-changing technologies like nuclear weapons and microprocessors.