TUESDAY/FRIDAY CLASSES
Honors Advanced Mathematics (2011-2012) - Kathy Lord, Instructor
This class meets on Tuesdays and Fridays from 8:30-10:00
This class is specifically designed for college bound students (university and/or technical) who are not majoring in a math or science related field but need a fourth high school math credit that will prepare them to score high on college math placement exams.
Thought you didn't like math? Thought you could never learn advanced concepts? Never understood the purpose of trigonometry? Cringe at the thought of taking a whole year of consumer math? This course is for you!
Two textbooks will be required for this course. The instructor will use Algebra: Structure and Method, Book 2 [the same text used for my Algebra II course] exclusively for teaching two chapters of trigonometry, a review of conic sections, and introduction to matrices. This same text will supplement and expand units on sequence & series as well as probability and statistics found in the second text, Mathematics: A Human Endeavor by Harold Jacobs.
Mathematics: A Human Endeavor presents advanced mathematics topics by adopting a less formal, more investigative approach than regular, lecture based textbooks. Ratio and proportion are taught using billiard tables, sine curves are related to sound waves, characteristics of parabolas are presented as they are found in car headlights, and statistics is presented as an application of breaking ciphers and codes.
Assessment will come from class participation, textbook exercises, worksheets, workbooks, and tests.
Material covered in this course will include most of the topics covered in pre-calculus with the addition of several concepts unique to this course. While the pre-calculus course focuses more on advanced trigonometry and scientific applications, Advanced Mathematics will also expose students to the basics of trigonometry with the end goal of students testing out of the basic college math courses and providing a strong foundation for College Algebra. [The instructor believes that no one, regardless of their mathematical ability, should be without knowledge of trigonometry.]
* A TI-83 or higher graphing calculator will be required for this course. [If planning to use the Casio version, please contact the instructor before purchasing.]
Feel free to contact the instructor for more information on this course.
Textbooks:
Mathematics: A Human Endeavor; Harold Jacobs
Publisher: W.H. Freeman
ISBN-13: 978-0716724261
Algebra: Structure and Method with Trigonometry and Advanced Math, Book 2
Publisher: McDougal Littell/Houghton Mifflin
ISBN: 0-395-97725-8
http://www.mcdougallittell.com
Introductory Logic – Page Fletcher, Instructor
This class meets Tuesdays and Fridays from 9:00-10:00
Formal logic is the science and art of reasoning well. As a science, logic includes discovering and identifying the patterns or rules by which we reason. As an art, logic teaches how to follow those rules, without abusing them in a wooden (and unreasonable) way. About sixteen centuries ago, Augustine said this about the science of logic:
And yet the validity of logical sequences is not a thing devised by men, but is observed and noted by them that they may be able to learn and teach it; for it exists eternally in the reason of things, and has its origin with God. For as the man who narrates the order of events does not himself create that order; and as he who describes the situations of places, or the natures of animals, or roots, or minerals, does not describe arrangements of man; and as he who points out the stars and their movements does not point out anything that he himself or any other man has ordained; in the same way, he who says, “When the consequent is false, the antecedent must also be false,” says what is most true; but he does not himself make it so, he only points out that it is so (On Christian Doctrine, book II, chapter 32).
As there are 36 lessons in the text, one lesson will be taught, reviewed and reinforced each week. Much of the written work will be done in class while studying and reviewing terms will make up the bulk of homework assignments. Tests will follow each unit culminating in an end-of-the-year comprehensive test.
Textbook: Introductory Logic for Christian and Home Schools (4th edition, revised and expanded) by James B. Nance
and Douglas J. Wilson, © 2006 www.canonpress.com
NOTE: This text/ "new edition" is the blue and green bound workbook, not the old pink spiral editions.
United States History (Honors Option) – Page Fletcher, Instructor
This class meets Tuesday and Fridays from 10:00-11:15.
Course Description: This course offers a thorough study of U.S. history from a conservative Christian perspective, beginning with America’s discovery in 1492 and continuing through the 2008 presidential election. The well-regarded A Beka text will guide our studies and provide a springboard for discussion, activities, field trips, guest speakers and related videos.Outside reading, class discussion, quizzes, tests, participation and a portfolio of photos and pamphlets will document our studies. Numerous living history tours, both formal and informal, will help make our learning indelible and fun as we too take part in His story. Credit: 1.0 unitSuggested Grade Level: 9th-12th Textbook: United States History in Christian Perspective: Heritage of Freedom, A Beka Book Publishers, ©2009 (3rd edition)A Beka Book (877) 223-5226 www.abeka.com
Honors Geometry – Kathy Lord, Instructor
This class meets Tuesday and Fridays from 10:00-11:15.
Prerequisite: Successful completion of Algebra I
A more accurate title for this course would be “Meet Your Creator 101”. This course is taught from a Creationist perspective with a strong concentration on how Geometry finds its way into the arts and architecture. Students will study points, lines, and planes as well as two and three dimensional objects in this course. Geometry is mostly reasoning, logic, and proofs; therefore, students will begin studying this early in the school year and keep at it throughout the course.
Honors work consists of reading one book as a class while studying related topics in selected chapters, constructing polyhedron sculptures, meeting amazing Geometers from history, and various web lessons. There will be many in-class activities that will make the class a place to encourage creativity and learning.
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Textbook: Geometry: Seeing, Doing, Understanding – 3rd Edition
Harold R. Jacobs
W.A. Freeman and Company
ISBN 0-7167-4361-2
http://www.whfreeman.com
TUESDAY ONLY CLASSES
Honors English V – Advanced Literature Seminar - Betsy Montgomery, Instructor
This class meets Tuesdays from 10:00-12:30
Prerequisites: Honors English III and IV or their academic equivalents are required. Students must have a confident grasp of grammar, literary terminology and theory and advanced composition principles. Students will be expected to have keyboarding skills and access to a word processor and printing supplies. A placement test will be required of students who have not completed an English course with Mrs. Montgomery previously. If a placement test is necessary, please call the MHSRC at 358-9282 or send an e-mail message to mhsrc2@gmail.com to schedule an appointment to take a placement test.
Designed for seniors who began high school English courses in the eighth grade, this Honors English course is designed to strengthen student skills in vocabulary, grammar, critical reading, composition and literature, while providing further opportunity to cover literature from World, British, and American survey courses in greater depth.
This course will be taught at the Honors English level, although Advanced Placement English Literature and Composition preparation will be core. This class will be taught as a seminar course with small class size and student group leadership as essential aspects of the course. A student in this class must ideally enjoy literature beyond the classroom and find satisfaction in writing quality composition, as well as reading and editing peer work.
Keyboarding skills and access to a PC and printer are essential.
Course Objectives:
A review of advanced vocabulary as encountered in literature, as well as opportunities to expand written and oral vocabulary through keeping a word journal, will be presented. Students will analyze and interpret how meaning is embodied in literary form. A thorough review of grammar in context will be completed. Written work should demonstrate student ability to employ college-level word choices and a variety of correctly crafted sentence structures in a uniquely individual way.
Students will gain an appreciation and analysis of short stories, poetry, plays, essays and novels from a broad scope of university-level reading that will require higher level critical thinking skills. Students will have the opportunity to research and select literary works of import to recommend for class reading.
Students will analyze effective traits in the styles of diverse writers, including elements such as purpose, audience, tone, syntax, irony, figurative language, diction and point of view. Students will develop critical reading skills through close reading of poetry, prose and drama.
Students will create a personal writing style through effective use of rhetoric in expository, analytical, documented argumentative and creative essays, including controlling tone, using logical organization, establishing and maintaining voice and achieving appropriate emphasis through diction and sentence structure. MLA style and research paper writing skills will be assumed. Timed essays, including a synthesis essay, will prepare students for standardized testing.
Students will develop speaking, listening and presentation skills through class participation. Students will practice and master strategies for taking the SAT, ACT, and AP exams.
Latin IV - (Wheelock's with Honors option) Page Fletcher, Instructor
This class meets Tuesdays from 11:15-12:30
Wheelock's Latin is the standard Latin text originally written for college students. Our students will have the opportunity to revisit and reinforce the grammar of Latin and its vocabulary while focusing on the translation of sententiae antiquae (sentences of ancient Roman origin) and the writings of Cicero, Horace, and Catullus, to name a few. This text will best prepare students for upper levels of the National Latin Exam.
Participation in the National Latin Exam required.
Requirement: placement test and/or submission of previous Latin work (notebook and tests)
Honors Requirements: Read Bulfinch's Mythology by Thomas Bulfinch
Participate in the National Latin Exam in March
Translate and present a favorite children's story into Latin
Textbooks: Wheelock's Latin (6th Edition, revised) by Fredrick M. Wheelock, copyright 2005 (available at Barnes and Noble
501 Latin Verbs
Several Latin dictionaries (Oxford and another)
WEDNESDAY ONLY CLASSES
Honors Chemistry II - Katherine Schilling, Instructor
This class meets on Wednesdays from 9:00-12:00.
This course will take topics from the first year Chemistry and apply them to more complex situations. Additional topics will include limiting reagent stoichiometry, atomic and molecular orbital theory, intermolecular forces, solutions and equalibria, acids and bases, electochemistry and redox reactions, nuclear chemistry, and organic chemistry. In addition to reading the text, students will be required to complete worksheets to practice problem solving, participate in laboratory experiments, complete short research assignments, and complete a book report. At the end of the year, students will complete a major research project and present it to the class.
Prerequisites: Algebra II, Biology, Chemistry I
No science fair.
Lab Fee: $50.00
*Students should have a good understanding of logarithms and must have earned a 90 average or higher in Chemistry I.
Students who did not take Chemistry I from Mrs. Schilling must take a placement test. Admission to the class will be decided by Mrs. Schilling based upon performance on this placement test.
Textbook: Advanced Chemistry in Creation, second edition (text only)
Jay L. Wile - Apologia Educational Ministries 2010
ISBN-13: 978-1935495239
Note - this is the second edition. The first edition will not be compatible with this course.
Honors Economics - (Fall 2011) Kathy Lord, Instructor
This class meets on Wednesdays from 12:30-2:00
Note: format change for the 2011-2012 school year! The traditional Honors Econ & Am Govt M/TH course will return in the fall of 2012 as the nation prepares to elect/re-elect a president and the entire South Carolina Senate comes up for re-election. There will be numerous learning opportunities open to us during the 2012 election season. For this reason, it is highly recommended that rising sophomores and juniors wait until 2012-2013 to take this course.
This half-credit, semester course is for high school seniors who are curious about what economics really is and how it applies to them now and in the future.
The goal of the instructor is for each student to demonstrate erudition of the current economic state of America, the economic policies of the current and past administrations, the stock market, and current events specifically related to the subject matter.
Honors requirements will focus on understanding how to invest in the stock market, current economic policies of South Carolina state government and the impact on citizens, along with an in-depth study of national economic policies and financial institutions.
New format for 2011-2012! This year we are switching from the traditional classroom setting to a more casual coffeehouse format. [Better name for the course: Coffee Econ!] Each week we will meet at various Wi-Fi ‘hot spots’ in the Lexington/Columbia area [or at MHSRC if necessary] for a weekly discussion of assigned text reading, converse about current events, and conduct real-time tracking of the financial markets across the globe.
Students will complete all written textbook assignments and tests at home. The instructor will use the text quizzes to assess reading and discussion of the material. All assignments will be turned in to the instructor for grading and recording.
Students are highly encouraged to come to “class” with their laptops, netbooks, iPads, smart phones, or whatever electronic devices they use to gather information. The days of newspapers and television as the only source of news are long gone. Unfortunately, more news doesn’t always mean good news. The instructor will teach the students how to find the good sites [and detect the bad ones!] while assigning reading from various online financial journals and magazines.
Instead of guest speakers coming out to MHSRC, we will either go to them or invite them to have coffee with us. The field trips and speakers will be based on the interests of the students and the issues they desire to explore further.
Due to the intimate nature of the Coffee Econ format, class size will be limited.
Textbook: Economics: Work and Prosperity [Order code #61263]
Publisher: A Beka Book www.abeka.com
Honors American Government - (Spring 2012) - Kathy Lord, Instructor
This class meets on Wednesdays from 12:30-2:00
Note: format change for the 2011-2012 school year! The traditional Honors Econ & Am Govt M/TH course will return in the fall of 2012 as the nation prepares to elect/re-elect a president and the entire South Carolina Senate comes up for re-election. There will be numerous learning opportunities open to us during the 2012 election season. For this reason, it is highly recommended that rising sophomores and juniors wait until 2012-2013 to take this course.
This half-credit, semester course is for high school seniors who are interested in the history, structure, and citizen action opportunities of our government.
The goal of the instructor is for each student to take personal ownership of the responsibilities of being a Christian, United States citizen and to become actively involved in the process of government by the people.
Although Honors American Government can be taken independent of the Honors Economics course, the instructor will review the concepts learned in the previous semester along with the honors research of national and state candidates’ fiscal policies to continue the discussion of the importance of electing officials who are dedicated to fiscal responsibility.
The instructor will utilize numerous guest speakers, videos, web sites, and other means to creatively motivate students towards being actively engaged citizens of the United States of America.
Honors requirements include contacting state senators and representatives for in class visits, following legislation as it proceeds through the House and Senate, researching all Federal and SC office holders, and reporting on various economic and legislative policies adopted or being considered by the state legislature.
This course will follow the same coffeehouse format as described in the Honors Economics course above. This arrangement will be the perfect setting for one-on-one conversations with local political figures and community leaders. Should be quite a semester!
Textbook: American Government [Order code #38733]
Publisher: A Beka Book www.abeka.com
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