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Religion 8
Religion Eight will feature an intense study of the Catholic faith from the Sacred Scriptures and Tradition. The Catholic Truths will provide the weekly topics of study and discussion. Students will come to a deeper understanding of the Scriptures, Catholicism, Morality, and the Life of Christ relevant for today, especially the Holy Spirit! This course is intended to develop adolescent Catholic minds, hearts, and souls for maturity and the Sacrament of Confirmation.
At the successful completion of the course, Queen of Heaven Academy will provide a letter to the respective authorities of the local diocese/parish in which students reside and to which they are accountable for the preparation for the Sacrament of Confirmation. The letter will verify both the material studied and the student's successful completion of the course of study. Parents need to make arrangements with their local parish/diocesan authorities for their children's actual reception of the Sacrament of Confirmation.
History 8
"In this book, you will learn of the Catholic roots of our country. You will find out that Catholic missionaries were on American soil, bringing souls to Christ and dying as martyrs, long before the first settlers came to Jamestown or Plymouth Rock. You will learn how the Catholic Church has fared in our hemisphere. You will meet the great Catholic heroes and heroines of North and South America." by Anne Carroll
"In Christ and the Americas ," we have tried to look honestly at the history of the United States. Not all of the actions of the United States government have been in harmony with the law of God; not all American historical figures have always behaved honorably. By learning the truth about our nation's history, we will be better prepared to help the United States overcome its weaknesses."
For each chapter, students will be provided with a study guide to help prepare for the chapter quiz and will be required to make a post in the class forum. The study guide will break down the work into daily assignments and will include some or all of the following:
- Reading assignment
- Discussion questions
- Vocabulary
- People to Identify
- Events to Identify
- Timeline activity
- Quotes to study
For a slightly higher tuition fee, this course can be taken synchronously (with a live class). See Tuition pricing for 8th Grade - Option 2.
Language Arts 8 includes Grammar 8, Book Reviews using the first five books in the 8th Grade Reading List, and Progymnasmata B
Grammar 8
This course will provide a lesson plan, online weekly quizzes, and four quarter tests. Our text is the first in the Easy Grammar Ultimate Series. There are 180 lessons that take about 15 minutes each day to complete. Allow additional time for review of errors. It is similar to Daily Grams from earlier levels, but functions both as a continuation of the instruction and practice for mastery. Each lesson page contains both review and instruction. In Grade 8 these lessons will provide the familiar capitalization, punctuation, and sentence combining exercises with a variety of exercises near the end of the lesson. Topics in grade 8 include: parts of speech, analogies, sentence fragments/run-ons, prefixes/suffixes/roots, simple/compound/complex sentences, with an emphasis on phrases/clauses (gerund, infinitive, participle, etc.).
Book Reviews
Students write four book reviews incorporating concepts learned from Progymnasmata writing instruction portion of the course. Progymnastmata teachers provide individualized instruction walking students through the book review writing process. 8th Grade Reading List is used with Progym B.
Progymnasmata B
From the Hellenistic period to the renaissance in Europe, students began their study of rhetoric (i.e., the skill of speaking and writing logically, clearly, and effectively) with the progymnasmata. The progymnasmata rudimentary exercises aid beginners in prose composition. There are fourteen levels of exercises; grades 7 and 8 engage the first six levels; the higher levels are incorporated into essays assigned for English and history throughout the four years of high school.
7th Grade Level - A
- Fable
- Narrative I
8th Grade Level Level - B
(Prerequisite - Fable and Narrative I):
- Narrative
- Anecdote
- Proverb
- Refutation
- Confirmation
Included in the 9th - 11 Grade English and History Courses
(Prerequisite - None; however, 7th and 8th grade levels are strongly recommended):
- Refutation
- Confirmation
- Commonplace
- Encomium
- Vituperation
- Comparison
- Impersonation
- Description
- Thesis
- Defend/Attack a Law
Prerequisites:
None; however, students enrolling in Progymnasmata A must complete a grammar proficiency test prior to the start of classes as the course presumes either mastery of sixth / seventh-grade grammar skills.
1. What do the courses involve?
The courses combine step-by-step instruction with repetitive exercises at each level. Learning to think and write well requires much time and effort; this program provides two years of consistent, incremental instruction. Progym 7 focuses on descriptive writing, fables and short essays. Progym 8 fortifies descriptive writing skills and directs students into more developed, longer, essays.
2. Do the Progymnasta prepare a student for college writing?
Yes. One of the college professor's most frequent comments on student essays is, "Your idea is good but not sufficiently developed." Such a criticism will never be applied to a skilled veteran of the progymnasmata. A student who successfully advances through the levels of the progymnasmata internalizes the tools he needs to tackle any form of college essay. In addition, the student enrolled in the progymnasmata learns basics in creative writing forms, such as fiction and poetry writing. Finally, the course provides frequent writing and revising opportunities for the student, enabling him to polish his style.
3. My child enjoys creative writing. Will he be able to use creative writing in this course?
In this program, students learn elements of fiction and poetry writing corresponding to each assignment. Although all types of writing involve creativity, several of the levels, such as the fable, description and commonplace are particularly suited for students who enjoy writing fiction or poetry. However, students may not fail to meet stated objectives for a lesson on grounds of "creativity."
4. My child doesn't enjoy creative writing. What's in this course for him?
The main requirement of each lesson is to meet the its clearly stated objective(s) by (1) using the assigned tools of amplification, (2) meeting grammar and punctuation requirements, and (3) by timeliness . "Creativity", in the sense of possessing a talent for fiction or poetry, is not a requirement of this course. However, don't be surprised if, through the progymnasmata, your student discovers that he has more creative flair than he previously realized.
5. What exactly, are the progymnasmata?
They are a structured series of exercises in expanding or developing thought through writing. They were the classical preparation for rhetoric, or persuasive writing and speaking. For more information, see the Silva Rhetorica website, developed by Dr. Gideon Burton of Brigham Young University.
6. What is rhetoric and what is the history of the progymnasmata?
Rhetoric is the art of persuasion; its Christian master is St. Augustine. Rhetoric has been an important element of western civilization from its inception; wherever masters have taught, they have created various exercises for their students; the best known, though not the earliest, manuals of rules and exercises for composition are those of Hermogenes, a Greek rhetorician of the late second century and Apthonius, of the fourth century. Early Church Fathers -- Tertullian, St. Ambrose, St. Jerome, and St. Augustine -- adapted classical rhetoric for use in Christian discourse and the humanists of the European Renaissance revived Cicero and Quintilian as rhetorical models. The progymnasmata are still discernible, though in a degraded form, in modern composition pedagogy.
7. What makes the progymnasmata effective?
It would be difficult to quantify all the reasons for their effectiveness but we can list four very important ones here: (1) The progymnasmata provide the student a set methodical, incremental structures, building skill upon skill and internalizing the skills taught by repetition throughout increasingly complex forms of discourse; (2) the student learns timeless rhetorical tools from the masters, imitating fables from Aesop, narratives from Ovid, and legal arguments from Cicero; (3) he will be able to recognize these same rhetorical devices in the writings of the Church Fathers, providing a deepened sense of the communion of Saints; (4) he sees classical techniques of amplification used by authors of later historical periods, gaining an appreciation of the timelessness of the skills he is working to develop.
8. What textbook do you use?
No textbook required. Lessons are provided.
Prealgebra
Perhaps you’ve heard, “Mom, when am I going to use this stuff?”
This prealgebra class, in an attempt to answer that question, includes real-life problems that correlate with the topics covered in the Earth Science course. The course reviews basic arithmetic and is an introduction to basic algebra. Class meetings are Monday - Thursday. Tools and methods used are online graphics, examples, explanations, applied problems, quizzes, and tests. Drill with the goal of thorough mastery is a key component of this course.
Students are expected to come to class prepared and to participate using assigned homework assignments. 4 quarterly exams are given with the express purpose of checking the student’s step-wise process of problem-solving.
Prerequisites: Math 7 or equivalent.
Students who have not acquired automaticity with math facts need to drill during the summer, using one of the following:
- Math-It and Advanced Math-it (Available from the Moore Foundation.)
- Cap Jax Math Fax (A program for the development of math fact mastery.)
- Plain old flash cards
Science 8 - Earth Science
Earth Science is a general survey of the earth and physical sciences. Topics covered include: An introduction to the scientific method; overview of the periodic table, atoms, elements, molecules and minerals; sedimentary, igneous, and metamorphic rocks; modeling the earth and earth layers; earth's architecture; the foundations of geology including formation of minerals, sedimentary, igneous and metamorphic rocks; tectonic plate movements; water and weathering; the fossil record and controversies in the geological record; energy resources; weather and climate; earthquakes and volcanoes; water resources and oceanography; solar system overview. Throughout the course there will be discussions of the geological controversies from the Catholic perspective using encyclicals and Church documents as the guide and the use of other supplementary resources to examine these topics.
Latin 1B
(Continuing course for Latin 1A) - In Latin 1B students will continue to read the adventures of the Julii family while learning more about the various cases of Latin nouns. Students will begin to learn about participles and will complete their knowledge of the five "families" (declensions) of Latin nouns. Along the way, they will learn about the Roman calendar, military, and the Latin names for several animals, all of which are relevant to other fields of study. By the end of this course, students should be able to read basic Latin stories in the third person, identify the use of all nouns in a Latin sentence, and distinguish between active and passive sentences. Credit for this course is .5 credits and fulfills .5 credits of 2 credits required for graduation. (Scope: Lingua Latina, Chapters 8-15; ancillary stories)Prerequisites: Latin 1A
Roman Life and History
Friends, Romans, countrymen, lend me your ears! Let’s examine ancient Roman society and discover how it has served as a foundation for much of present-day Western civilization. From our government and laws, to our art and architecture, to our language and methods of warfare, our modern society has been heavily influenced by the Romans. We will walk with the Romans through their history, from the founding of their empire to its fateful demise. Along the way, we’ll encounter many famous (or dare we say, infamous?) Romans—including Cicero, Julius Caesar, Augustus, Virgil, Horace, Nero, Diocletian, and Constantine … just to name a few! We’ll learn about sites such as the Roman Forum, the Coliseum, and the Catacombs and their importance in Roman life and culture. And we’ll witness Christianity in its earliest years—cruelly persecuted by the Romans for several centuries, but ultimately triumphing during the reign of Constantine. Join us as we hearken back to a bygone era, a time of emperors and gladiators, artisans and orators,centurions and martyrs … a time when all roads led to Rome!
Roman Life and History is a two-semester course. Students meet online each week for an instructor-led class lasting 1 hour, where discussions reinforce the readings and introduce great artwork. Students are required to post their thoughts on assigned topics on the discussion forum. Weekly homework is assigned—including readings, vocabulary, timelines, map work, and quizzes—and quarterly tests are given in the form of multiple-choice, fill-in-the-blank, and identification questions. Little typing is required. The reading list for this course will include, but not necessarily be limited to, the books listed on the 8th-grade textbook page.
NOTE: Mature 6th graders, 7th and 8th-grade students may enroll in this course.
This course can be substituted for History 7 or History 8.
Math or Latin Assistance Tutoring
Math or Latin assistance is a once a week, one hour a week, individual tutoring session. Students will log into Adobe Connect each week and spend the hour one-on-one with the teacher working through homework problems, preparing for upcoming tests or quizzes or reviewing concepts covered in class. Assistance can also be used for those students seeking more challenging work than what in covered in the classroom. The student will use a microphone and webcam, as well as write on the “whiteboard.”
At the start of the school year, the student and teacher will agree upon a time and day of the week for the tutoring sessions which will cover all 36 weeks of the Queen of Heaven Academy academic year.
Math or Latin assistance is available for all grades and all levels.
Prerequisites: None
Required Texts:
- None Required.