Courses

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IntroductionToHighSchoolWriting

Intermediate Course (13 yrs and up), $335, 14 week course– Prerequisite: sufficient experience in English grammar to understand proper sentence structure and grammatical concepts (parts of speech, mechanics, and usage). Samples may be requested.

In this high school level introductory writing course, students will read selections from classic literature and discuss one each week. They will also submit a writing assignment to their tutor weekly and will learn the fundamentals and techniques of good writing. This course includes private tutorial time. Assignments include: essays, short stories, poetry, fables/fairytales etc. Students must have high-school level grasp of formal grammar and sentence structure, and a strong commitment to this course.

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HistoryOfWW2

Intermediate Course (13 yrs and up), $195, 14 week course – No Prerequisite

The primary purpose of this course is to give the students a realistic, factual outline of the history of the Second World War, with a particular focus on the series of grand political, moral and strategic decisions made by the major actors. Of particular interest will be series of assumptions and miscalculations leading up to the war, the loss of nerve demonstrated at critical moments by the aggressor nations (Dunkirk, Battle of Britain, Moscow, Leyte Gulf, etc.), the occasionally quixotic risks taken by the initially defensive allies (Greece, the North Atlantic, Coral Sea, Arnhem, etc.), and the colliding intentions of the different allies for the post-war world. Students will be encouraged to construct a series of time-lines of the years 1939-45 for each continental theatre.

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HistoryOfWesternCulture

Senior Course (14 yrs and up), $195, 14 week course – Prerequisite: One Intermediate Level Course
(Extra Evaluation Version available - see below)

From the first sparks of Ancient Greece’s splendour to the wonders of the Renaissance, Western culture is a perfect banquet of ideas to engage the mind. Dreams and empires rise and tumble in the centuries’ story of our civilization’s development before the modern era. Students engage with some of the greatest champions and villains the world has known by studying the history of the West, and will increase their understanding of their heritage.

The course timeline will cover the period and works from the ancient philosophers, Homer and Socrates, to the renaissance of Michelangelo. A satisfying allotment of historical anthologies will include selected writings of notable and far-reaching academics, philosophers, artists, historians, and theologians such as: Homer, Socrates, Livy, Plutarch, Herodotus, Justin Martyr, Athanasius, Augustine, Bede, and Francis of Assisi.

Extra Evaluation Information

Students interested in taking the extra evaluated version of this course can find more information and a grade breakdown on our History of Western Culture fact sheet. This version partially fulfills the admission requirements for the WISDOM/Augustana University Partnership. It may also be taken by students not pursuing the Augustana application but who desire more rigorous assessment.

Reading List:

Week 1: From Homer to Socrates

Week 2: From Socrates to Alexander

Week 3: From Alexander to Cleopatra

Week 4: From Romulus to Brutus

Week 5: From Hannibal to Cato

Week 6: From Gracchi to Augustus

Week 7: From Augustus to Marcus Aurelius

Week 8: From Marcus Aurelius to Constantine

Week 9: From Constantine to Augustine

Week 10: From Augustine to Benedict

Week 11: From Benedict to Charlemagne

Week 12: From Charlemagne to Francis of Assisi

Week 13: From Francis of Assisi to Petrarch

Week 14: From Petrarch to Michelangelo

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Intermediate Course (12 yrs and up), $195, 14 week course – No prerequisite

Glimmerings of imagination tangle with tales of true-life heroes in the pages of historical fiction. Never was history more easy to remember and enjoy than by living through stories set in various eras. Students will immerse themselves in the events of an array of centuries and delve deeper into the meaningful lives of the characters who, while fictional, can make the context of a real time period ring true for all readers.

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GreekMyths

Senior Course (14 yrs and up), $195 - Prerequisite: One other Intermediate level course

In the world’s youth, Greek bards came up with the world’s first fully-developed epic fantasy, full of unforgettable characters. Soar over the bold Odysseus’s ship as he navigates hydras, enchantresses, and the perils of a treacherous sea – will he ever come home to reclaim his rightful kingdom? Brimming with cunning warriors, clever maidens, heartbreak and heroism, the Greek mythos is not to be missed!

This course is designed to build students up in familiarity and comfort with the original stories of legendary Greek heroes, in the context of the writing that the Greeks themselves would have enjoyed. Students will discover the complex immortal world of the gods, demi-gods, and mortal heroes through narratives and Greek plays. This course builds into other WISDOM courses, such as The Gods of Mount Olympus, Foundational Great Books, Continued Great Books, and Before Tolkien, to continue the study of the strong creative roots of myth which we still enjoy in our culture today.

(Note to parents: This course's materials reflect ancient Greek understandings of the world, and this includes their understanding of human sexuality. Readings are carefully selected to be useful to a Christian education, but ultimately it is up to parents to decide what is appropriate material for their child.)

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Foundational Great Bookssmall

Intermediate Course (13 yrs and up), $195, 14 week course – No Prerequisite
This course is at the heart of WISDOM’s Socratic Dialogue Program and is a prerequisite to many senior level courses.

What makes a classic? Why read ancient books?

Our current culture has done a marvelous job to simplify life. Countless inventions are doing our work for us at the push of a button, freeing our time to focus on more important things. However, do we find that society at large uses this extra time for meaningful growth? Are popular pursuits typically edifying and challenging? Ironically, although we have ready access to incredible information, our culture is beginning to forget where it has come from.

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Foundational Grammar

Intermediate Course (12 yrs and up), $335, 14 week course (includes private tutorial time) – No prerequisite

This course covers basic grammatical knowledge, with the final end of helping students to write well and avoid improper sentence structure - namely, fragments, run-on sentences, and poor punctuation. Each week, students will learn about a new grammatical concept (parts of speech, mechanics, and usage), always referring back to the previous lessons so that there is a synthesis of all the material.

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FablesAndTales2

Parent/Child Course (8-10 yrs), $185 – No Prerequisite

Parents and their children will explore the Socratic Method and the world of stories, fables, and fairy tales, with somewhat more advanced readings than Fables and Tales 1. Not only will these discussions examine the lessons and ideas within the stories, but the children will also start to examine what makes a fairy tale or a fable, and what about a reading makes it exciting or instructive, or both.

We recommend that parents review these stories ahead of time to ensure they are a good fit for their children. Not all courses may be well-suited for each family, particularly when children are in a younger age range. We rely on parent discretion to determine whether or not a course will serve their child well.

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FablesAndTales1

Parent/Child Course (8-10 yrs), $185 - No Prerequisite

Come ready to read and discuss! This is a course parents and children take together. Experience using the Socratic method in this introductory level course while reading and studying a weekly fable or tale. The entire family is encouraged to participate in reading and asking questions about these classic short stories prior to class, so that once in class the experience is rich. Explore the deep lessons and ideas in these seemingly simple readings.

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CreativeWriting

Intermediate Course (13 yrs and up), $335, 14 week course– Prerequisite: Intro to High School Writing or Mastering the Essay

This high school level writing course endeavours to give students the ability to use their imaginations in expressing themselves through story, and to cultivate their writing abilities through studying the basics of story composition. Students will learn to brainstorm ideas, create characters, develop plot, write description and dialogue, proofread and edit, and "show, not tell." To assist with this thought and process development, students will read selections from classic literature and discuss them each week. At the culmination of the course, students will have written a short story (10-15 pages), with different elements being covered in each week's assignment. This course includes a weekly private tutorial time.

Extra private 30 minute tutorials are available upon request. (Cost: $25/tutorial)
Please contact Nicole Noster to receive more information or to book additional tutorials: nicole@wisdomhomeschooling.com

All readings and course material are provided to students in an online format below.

Week 1: