CC Catalog 2015

CLASSICAL CHRISTIAN COMMUNITY

2015

Dear Friends, Heading into our eighteenth year, we remain committed to supporting families in their homeschooling journey. We continue to improve our

products, our training, and our services to help you homeschool

successfully with confidence.

We are pleased to offer more local communities than ever so that every family who wants to join Classical Conversations can find a community or is equipped to start one. We have refined our Challenge tutor training to better equip Challenge tutors to lead teens in thought-provoking dialogues, life-ordering ideas, and Christ-centered conversations, making the high school years challenging and rewarding for students and parents who choose our Challenge program. We have seen many graduates of the homeschooling journey that have stayed with Classical Conversations’ programs and communities, positioned to serve and prepared to do great things with their classical, Christian education. These graduates have succeeded in everything from entrepreneurial endeavors to student life to family and community life. Whether at home or in the mission field, the military, the arts, sports, or as students in private and traditional universities, these graduates are the leaders and influencers of the next generation.

In 2015, our Parent Practicums, free three-day conferences for parents on classical, Christian education, will be held around the globe, equipping thousands of parents and families. These signature events, held from May through August, are designed to equip any parent anywhere who desires a Christian, classical education for their children. This year’s Parent Practicum will explore His creation and the natural world—what we often call the subject of science—with its theme, “Drawing out the Truth: The Art of Inquiry.” As one parent said, “It is like a college course, Bible study, and pep rally all rolled into one!” We are sure this year’s Parent Practicum will be an inspirational event as well as a practical help to you and your family. Share the vision and support—invite a friend to this year’s Parent Practicum!

Meeting many Classical Conversations families over the last year in my travels, hearing the accounts of provision, success, and community throughout the year, I’d like to thank the whole team of Classical Conversations leaders, directors, and families who pour their hearts into making their communities a great support network. If you are new to Classical Conversations, welcome! Thank you for joining us on the journey to know God and to make Him known in everything we learn and in everything we do.

Peace be with you,

Robert Bortins, CEO Classical Conversations

parents are the We believe...

The VisionTo Know God and to Make Him Known….....4 Community......................................................5Classical Model..............................................6Parent Training and Equipping......................8And more...

The ProgramsFoundations……………………………………….....16Essentials……………………………………………...18Challenge…………………………………………......20

The ConversationsThree Keys to a Great Education................35Science: A Path to Wonder………………….....38Cultivating a Christian, Classical Parent…..40And more…

The ResourcesGetting Started.............................................64Scribblers…………………………………………......66Foundations…………………………………………..68Essentials…………………………………………......72Challenge………………………………………….......74Parent Practicum……………………………………88More Resources...........................................90

2 | T O L E A R N M O R E A B O U T O U R C O M M U N I T I E S , V I S I T O U R W E B S I T E A N D C O N T A C T Y O U R S U P P O R T M A N A G E R .

best teachers for their children.

Learn more by attending a local Classical Conversations Information Meeting.

Visit our website’s Event Calendar today to find events near you.

Scan the QR code to watch a short video about Classical Conversations.

Every child is uniquely and wonderfully made and their education should be uniquely and wonderfully made, too. We believe that parents can create a unique and wonderful education for their child because they know and love the child better than anyone. Classical Conversations exists to assist parents in educating their children. We believe there are three keys to a great education: the classical model of learning, taught within the framework of a Christ-centered worldview, in a supportive community.

Homeschooling is a journey. We’re with you every step of the way from little scribblers to the middle school years all the way through to graduation. We would love to have you join us as we cultivate a love of learning among students and parents.

| 3C L A S S I C A L C O N V E R S A T I O N S . C O M

http://www.classicalconversations.com

In every subject, God has hidden His truth and beauty. It is our pleasure as students and teachers to discover Him as we learn. Our studies should also prepare us to reason clearly, speak eloquently, calculate accurately, and write persuasively so that we have the ability to make God known to others.

A Christian model of education puts God in the center and presents every subject in its proper context: every subject was created by God. Every law of science, every detail of biology, every man in history was created by God. We also show students that every created thing has a purpose: to glorify God. Psalm 19:1 says, “The heavens declare the glory of God, the skies proclaim the work of his hands.”

to know God and to make Him known.

When we study with the purpose of knowing God more fully through a subject, we are loving God with our minds. When we see God’s hand in history or science, or discover His wonderful complexity and grace, we love Him even more.

We believe the purpose of education is...


We believe that the most important element to a great education is a support-ive community. Classical Conversations connects families with others who wish to give their children a classical, Christian education at home. Parents and students find companions who can share the journey.

Parents and students meet once a week throughout the school year. Each com-munity consists of programs that are facilitated by a trained parent-director. Seminars of eight to twelve students are led by trained parent-tutors who model the classical tools of learning.

Meeting with a trained tutor once a week helps families continue to homeschool through middle school and high school. Here, parents find the support and en-couragement they need. Students develop positive peer relationships by learning to-gether, working together on projects, and challenging each other, and they develop wisdom under the tutelage of trustworthy mentors.

We believe in accountability. Classical Conversations motivates and encourages

in a supportive community.students to complete assignments well, on time, and in an interesting manner. Weprovide parents with suggestions on how to homeschool, and we encourage both parents and students to aim high in their academic aspirations. We pray that as a Christian organization, with the help of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, we can assist our participating families to discov-er the best God has for their students.

Raising academically and spiritually strong children is a difficult task and requires accountability, planning, and encouragement. Classical Conversations

We believe the practice of education is most fruitful...

encourages adults committed to quality education to form communities where their entire family will be loved and sharpened by other families reinstituting the home as the foundation of culture and learning.

Learn more by visiting a community. Lo-cal communities offer open houses so that you may come and observe a community in action. Visit our website and click on “Events” to find an Open House near you. Or, click on “Find a Community” to contact a community director in your area.

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to teach a child how to learn.We believe the intent of education is...

What is the Classical Model?

The Grammar Stage: FoundationsThe first step in learning any subject is to learn the vocabulary. For example, when you learn to read, you learn the names of the letters and the sounds they make. Classical educators call this the grammar stage. Young children enjoy this stage; they love repeating songs, chanting rhymes, and pronouncing big words. We capitalize on their enjoyment by teaching young students the grammar of many subjects, using songs and chants and practicing with friends.

Foundations is the Classical Conversations grammar-stage program. In this program, students receive the building blocks for later learning in science, math, geography, Latin, English grammar, history, fine arts, and public speaking.

The classical model divides learning into

three stages.

Classical education focuses on teaching students how to learn. It empowers students to teach themselves any new thing. This is more valuable now in our rapidly changing job market than ever before.

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Classical Conversations guides parents in using the classical model of education, which teaches students how to learn. This method has proven effective over time; it has cultivated great thinkers and leaders from Aristotle to Thomas Jefferson.

Classical schools vary in their definition of “classical.” Some educators believe that classical education simply means add-ing Latin to a modern education; others define it as the study of classical works of literature.

The Dialectic Stage: Essentials, Challenges A and BThe second step in learning a subject is to sort, com-pare, and understand the words and the rules that apply to them. For example, when learning to read, students will learn how to put letters together to form words and how to construct a sentence. We call this stage the dialectic stage because much of the work done in this process is accomplished through dialogue. Children generally enjoy this process most between the ages of ten and thirteen.

The Rhetoric Stage: Challenges I, II, III, IVThe third stage in learning a subject is to use what has been learned to solve a problem, write an original paper or speech, or lead a discussion. In reading, this would be the time to focus on the themes and context of what has been read and apply the lessons learned. Older teens usually enjoy this process because they long to express themselves and be creative problem solvers.We call this the rhetoric stage and our Challenge I through Chal-lenge IV programs are designed to help students learn and exercise these skills across many subjects.

Classical Conversations includes both Latin and classical literature, but when we use the term “classical,” we are refer-ring to the three stages of learning: grammar, dialectic, and rhetoric.

Our programs use traditional subjects, such as math, ge-ography, economics, and history, etc., to teach the skills of each stage of learning in coordination with a child’s natural development. This unique coordination cultivates the love of learning.

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We believe in parents. According to Scripture, education is the re-sponsibility of the parent and family—not the state or the church. God established the state to administer justice and the body of Christ to spread the gospel. In the words of R. L. Dabney, “The Church’s duty is to instruct parents on how God would have them rear their children, and enforce the duty by spiritual sanction; but there its official power ends. It does not usurp the doing of the im-portant task it inculcates.” Classical Conversations, therefore, does not usurp the parent role. We assist the parents through encourage-ment, leadership, and training. We believe so strongly in encour-aging and equipping parents that we offer free three-day trainings, called Parent Practicums, around the world all summer long. The real mission of Classical Conversations is to equip parents to be great educators at home. Therefore, we put a great deal of effort into parent training through parent conferences, daily articles, and online resources.

free parent training and equipping.We believe in investing in...

One participant described a practicum as,

“...I knew that with something like

Classical (Conversations), that

it would guide me and help me and give me a foundation so I could

help my children and do a better job.”


Have you ever redeemed a coupon? What did you get in return for that little piece of paper? an ice cream cone? a discount on laundry detergent? a free movie ticket? Have you ever wished you could redeem your education? “Return it” for something more valuable to you? Many parents begin the homeschooling journey determined to give their chil-dren a better education than the one they received. But, many of us wish we could transform our own educations, too. Practicums offer parents that chance! Our yearly 3-Day Parent Practicums offer encouragement, inspiration, and equipping to parents and interested educators. Each summer, parents at all stages of the homeschooling journey spend three days delving into the underlying philosophy and the practicalities of the classical model; then, we challenge ourselves to dig deeper into a specific subject, discovering the truths behind the facts and becoming students ourselves. We learn new ideas and vocabulary, we begin to understand how to identify and fill in the gaps in our own educations, and we wrestle with big ideas in the company of a like-minded community; in short, we practice learning classically! As an added bonus, we get to model the skills of learning for our children; we show them how exciting it is to learn new ideas and demonstrate that learning is a lifelong pursuit. Parent Practicums are offered all across the country (and in sever-al overseas locations) beginning in April and continuing through early August. Check our Event Calendar on the Classical Con-versations website for convenient locations. Student camps are offered at low cost for families attending together, and parents attend FREE.

Parent Practicums—where lifelong learning can be a family affair!

Parent Practicums: 3-Day Conferences

One participant described a Parent Practicum as

“a pep rally, a Bible study, and a

college course all rolled into three days!”

THE ART OF INQUIRY

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Parents and students from all over the world tell us they love their tutors! Classical Conversations tutors have helped students learn to love learning for eighteen years. They do this by modeling learning and by being encouraging and supportive. We recruit homeschool-ing parents who love to learn, and we offer three days of specialized training during the summer: nine hours of in-person academic training. We continue to provide support throughout the year through monthly online webinars targeted toward specific skills and subjects and our own “Learning Pathways,” an online resource that guides tutors in self-directed learning at their own pace. This service helps tutors grow independently as well as in community. Our program team is available to answer any questions left unanswered by training.

What do you need to be an incredible tutor?

incredible tutors: leading learners.

We believe that parents make...

Love of God. Our tutors begin with a Christ-centered worldview that informs every aspect of learning.

Love of Learning. By their own example, tutors demonstrate to students that learning is not limited to school hours, but is a journey for life.

Love of Students. Our tutors, themselves homeschool parents, demonstrate love for their students by

committing to spend a day with them once a week for the length of the program (twenty-four weeks for younger students or thirty weeks for older students).


The PartnershipParents attend seminars (small workshop-style classes rather than lecture classes) with their younger students so tutors develop relationships with students and parents. The tutor leads the class of children, and at the same time, models teaching techniques that the parents can use at home.When students begin to go to seminar without their parents (usually around age twelve), tutors stay in close contact with parents by meeting together before each semester at a parent meeting, visiting together during lunch break, or meeting after classes are over in the afternoon. Parents are always welcome to sit in on seminars with their students, too. Tutors are trustworthy mentors for students and often become lifelong friends of parents, too.

Parents remain as the primary educator of their child, customizing the assignments at home to challenge the student further in areas in which they are strong, or come alongside the student and offer further support in areas in which they are weak. We believe the sole responsibility of education relies with the parent. Our tutors do not usurp that role; they supplement it by leading group activities one day a week and offering accountability and support.

Interested in becoming a tutor?

Our licensed directors are independent contractors. Visit our website and click on Community to contact your local

support manager for more information.

Discipleship. Our tutors spend an entire day each week with their group of up to twelve students.

Integration. Our tutors share all of a student’s coursework with them so that they can make connections between math, science, literature, history, and philosophy.

Modeling. Our tutors demonstrate a lifelong love of learning as they tackle new material alongside their students.

What kind of training do Challenge tutors receive?

What makes a Classical Conversations Challenge tutor different?

Annual in-person training. At our 3-Day Parent Practi-cums, our Challenge tutors receive nine hours of academic training.

Monthly online training. Our program team offers monthly webinars targeted toward specific skills and subjects.

Ongoing online training. We offer tutorials, archived webinars, handy documents, and conversation forums through Learning Pathways, an online resource center for licensed tutors. This service helps tutors grow independently as well as in community.

Personalized support. Our program team is available to answer any questions left unanswered by training.

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The Classical Conversations Challenge program offers rigorous academics, leadership from trustworthy mentors, and positive peer relationships through the high school years. Students find that they learn more than they ever thought possible when they are challenged and encouraged by their tutors and peers. Some activities are competitive and some are cooperative, but all are designed to bring out the best in the students and prepare them for whatever God calls them to do after high school.

The Challenge program is uniquely designed to take students to the rhetorical level of learning. This is the level at which students are required to know the material well, work with it long enough to develop a good understanding, and then take it to the next level and teach others. Seminars in the upper Challenges offer opportunities for students to gain this valua-ble leadership experience and actually lead the seminars under the direction of the tutor. Have you ever led a Bible study and found that you learned more as the teacher than you did as a student? It is the same with young adults. When they are given the responsibility, they will rise to the occasion and learn the material well enough to teach others. It is a great experience for them.

The Classical Conversations Challenge program (a weekly program for ages twelve through graduation) engages students

homeschooling through high school.

in a full spectrum of academic subjects, including classic literature, the sciences, government, philosophy, theology, logic, and languages. Focus is placed on developing the skills of written and verbal communication, research, memoriza-tion, debate, and critical thinking.

Teens in the Challenge program are surrounded by support-ive, encouraging, and trustworthy friends who encourage each other in their walk with Christ and in achieving academic goals.

Every program is led by a highly qualified, experienced home-schooling parent-tutor who mentors a small group of students through every subject for the school year.

We believe in guiding parents in...


“Contrary to most schools today, in Classical Conversations, a student is taught not what to think, but how to

think.” —Challenge Graduate

Classical Conversations Plus:Classical Conversations works with colleges and universities to offer college credits to high school students. New courses are added every year. Check our website for current offerings. Classes include math, history, and theology. See page 83 for more details on these opportunities.

Summer Art History in Italy:Classical Conversations is also proud to partner with Biola University to offer a summer in Italy. Students study in Italy with a college professor and receive 3 credit hours of Art History and the experience of a lifetime!

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“I feel like [the Challenge Program] allowed me to explore the depths of subjects and not just skim over them. I really got a chance to

understand and form an opinion on subjects.The program taught me to love to think and

reason.” —Challenge Graduate

“Watching my children grapple and wrestle with the truth of God’s word as they try to apply it to their real life struggles is most

rewarding... They have stayed with the faith, and the relationship we developed as a result

of homeschooling through high school allows me to walk with them as WE now

grow together in our individual relationships with the Lord.”

—Challenge Parent



prepares outstanding leaders.

We believe classical education...

Students who have graduated from the Classical Conversations program have gone on to do great things. Many students have served in the missions’ field, attended universities, traveled and studied abroad, joined the military service, played college sports, entered the work force, and started their own businesses. We are especially excited to see Classical Conversations students start their own families and begin Classical Conversations again as parents!

All Test Scores By Group

Composite ACT Score

National average

CC alumni average

Challenge IV alumni average

Average PSAT Score

Composite SAT Score

26

59.7 1794

2661 1876

On a scale of 600–2400






21.150 1498

Challenge alumni score higher than the national average in the ACT, PSAT, and Composite SAT scores.

Graduates from the Challenge program have been accepted to—and proven successful in—over 200 universities and colleges.

According to the 2013 survey of Clas-sical Conversations alumni, 66% had been accepted by EVERY college to which they applied and 65% received financial aid based on merit.

Church Attendance/Comparative

100908070605040302010

0I attend

regularly.

18- to 29-year-olds in the general population (out of 4,242). SOURCE: Pew Forums (2007)

CC alumni (out of 217). SOURCE: CC Alumni Survey (2013)

“at least weekly.” CC Alumni Survey did not specify.

I attend occasionally or not at all.

Classical Conversations alumni stay active in church aftergraduation.

Graduates of Classical Conversations are also likely to get involved in political campaigns and government issues.

“Classical Conversations prepared [Daniel, Challenge graduate, pictured above] well for it {the scholarship). The scholarship award was a competition among qualified incoming freshmen. They had to have GPA and SAT scores high enough to qualify to participate, then, the competition itself was a formal day on campus where they had to write two impromptu essays and go through faculty-panel interviews. Classical Conversations’ intensive writing through the Challenge years prepared him to be able to write clearly and persuasively, so his essays were good. All of the presentations they do in Classical Conversa-tions had him well prepared for the panel interviews.”

—Parent of Challenge Graduate

Classical Conversations graduates have received college scholarships for sports, such as football, swimming, and tennis,

as well as academic scholarships. Daniel, Challenge Graduate

(kicking)

Many Classical Conversations students go into the mission field after graduation in short- and long-term service ventures.

Hannah, Challenge IV


consistency in a changing world

We believe in providing...

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Moving is hard on a family. Whether it is an upward career decision, a job relocation, or part of military life, moving is stressful. For Classical Conversations families, though, there is one less thing to worry about: the children’s education. With communities all over the country and even in fifteen other nations, chances are good that there will be a Classical Conversations community where you are headed. If there is not a community already formed in the area, we can help you start one! Foundations and Essentials programs all over the world do the same cycle at the same time, so if you move, your children can join in the new community without missing a thing. (Challenge Programs do not rotate through cycles; however, they will follow the same curriculum as described.)

and accountability

with e ibility.

Students who pursue serious sports or arts find the perfect balance of accountability and flexibility to help them achieve their goals. Classical Con-versations students compete in Olympic-bound tracks in rugby, soccer, and gymnastics. Many strive for professional dance and theatre careers. Having all their academic classes meet at one location on one day a week allows them the flexibility to be in the gym, on the field, on the ice, or on the stage when they need to be.

Visit ClassicalConversations.com and click “Find a Nearby Community” to learn more.

David, Challenge III

Caleb, Challenge I




We believe a great education starts with a firm FOUNDATION.

FOUNDATIONS

The ProgramFOUNDATIONS is a grammar-stage program for children age twelve and under and their parents. Using creative activi-ties, games, and lots of enthusiasm, Foundations tutors make memorization fun. Tutors use drawing to teach geography, singing to teach Latin, mnemonics in science, singing and rebuses for history, visual pegs to teach the timeline, and movements to teach English grammar. Don’t let the fun fool you though—students are gleaning a large amount of information from a variety of academic subjects. The facts they memorize establish a set of knowledge pegs on which they will hang the details of higher learning in later years.

Parents and tutors use the Foundations Curriculum Guide, which outlines a comprehensive core of grammar for history, science, English, Latin, geography, and math. Students will encounter these facts again later in the Challenge programs. This guide clearly leads parents through a classical education at home, week by week.

In addition to the memory work, students also participate weekly in public speaking, science projects, and either an art or music activity, building a firm foundation for a rich education.

The CommunityFoundations programs meet for two semesters of twelve weeks each. Parents and students participate in a group assembly and then separate into classes of eight students for an academically-charged learning experience. Parents participate in classes to learn how to teach classically at home. Students inspire and encourage each other, and parents appreciate the support and encourage-ment they find in joining with other like-minded parents.

Participation in a Foundations program establishes a three-way partnership between tutors, parents, and students. This partnership preserves all the advantages that led parents to school from home in the first place. In addition, parents benefit from the wisdom of experienced homeschoolers and relationships made with families on the same educational journey.

The PartnershipTutors model teaching and memorization techniques for parents and students.

Parents attend class and, as primary educators of their children, direct home study and set standards for memorization, testing, and overall academics.

Students participate in class and practice memory work at home.At home, parents review the memory work daily and study more about the topics as they are interested. Families choose a complete math curriculum and a phonics/reading program that suits them.

C L A S S I C A L C O N V E R S A T I O N S ®

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2015–2016

Cycle 12016–2017

Cycle 22017–2018

Cycle 3

History and Geography

World: Historical Empires, Peoples, and Countries

(ancient through modern)

World: Pre-Reformation to Modern

United States or Canada: Discovery to Current Events

ScienceBiology, Earth Science, related

experiments and projects

Ecology, Astronomy, and Physical Science, related experiments and projects

Anatomy, Chemistry, related experiments and projects

Timeline Creation to Modern America Creation to Modern America Creation to Modern America

Art Masters, Drawing Impressionists, Drawing American Masters, Drawing

Music Composers, Music Theory Composers, Music Theory Composers, Music Theory

English Verbs, PrepositionsPronouns, Adverbs,

ConjunctionsParticiples, Irregular Verb

Tenses, and Clauses

Latin Noun Endings (Declensions) Verb Endings (Conjugations) Translate John 1:1–7

Math

Multiplication Tables, Conversions,

Geometric Formulas, Algebraic Laws





Bible Memory

Exodus 20 (Ten Commandments)

Ephesians 6 John 1:1–7

Community Day Schedule 9:15 Large Group Opening: Families take turns opening with

prayer, the Pledge of Allegiance, and a family presentation. Directors lead Scripture memory work recitation and make announcements.

9:30- 12:00

Classes: Students participate in learning the grammar of core subjects, hands-on fine arts and science projects, and practicing presentation skills. For older children, the presentation is generally on a topic they have researched the previous week. For younger children, presentations are similar to show-and-tell.

12:00 Lunch: Families eat, talk, and play together after the morning’s work.

1:00- 3:00

Essentials Program: Fourth- to sixth-grade students study English grammar and writing and participate in fun math games, like Uneven Odds.

What is a Cycle?The material taught in Foundations is divided into three cycles: one cycle per year for three years. Each cycle consists of twenty-four weeks of memory work and activities. Students who begin Foundations as abecedarians will complete each cycle at least twice, developing greater understanding and mastery through repetition. However, students at any learning level will benefit from learning the memory work, even if they only complete one cycle.

Cycle 1 covers ancient world history, Cycle 2 covers medieval to new-world history, and Cycle 3 covers history of the United States or Canada. All other subjects (geography, science, fine arts, etc.) correlate to these time periods.

Cycles aren’t related to a particular grade level. Sixth graders cover the same grammar as kindergartners but are expected to cover the material in greater depth. See pages 68–71 for the resources for this program.

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We believe in learning the ESSENTIALS

of words, numbers, and sentences.

ESSENTIALS

In Class… At Home… Students Will Learn…L

anguag

e A

rts Essentials of the

English Lan-

guage Lesson

Overview

(45 minutes)

Essentials of

the English

Language

Weekly Lesson

Basic capitalization and

punctuation; phonograms;

sentence structures, patterns, and

purposes; eight parts of speech

plus speci c classi cations for

verbs, nouns, pronouns, sentence

diagramming; and more!

Wri

tin

g IEW Unit

Overview

(45 minutes)

IEW’s

History-

Based Writing

Lessons

Assignment

Different writing structures, using

IEW writing models; techniques

to polish any writing style.

Mat

h Arithmetic Drills

and Games

Math

Curriculum of

Choice

Greater speed and accuracy

in mental arithmetic as

students prepare for success

in algebra and beyond.

The PartnershipStudents and their parents meet for two hours each week after Foundations. Parents, the true students in the class, will be equipped and encouraged to teach their children grammar and writing. Tutors, trained in the program materials, facilitate class time by modeling the exercises that parents will do with their students at home. Student and parent participation are critical components to this unique partnership!

The ProgramThe ESSENTIALS program is a bridge between the grammar and dialectic stages and prepares students for the Challenge program. This power-packed course guides 4th–6th grade students and their parents through the foundational principles of language struc-ture and analysis, the structure and style of writing, and arithmetic speed and accuracy.

The CommunityThe classroom dynamic in Essentials is comparable to the one-room schoolhouse. Children will enjoy the process of parsing and diagramming sentences and learning the correct usage of words through sentence and paragraph building while gleaning information from their peers and wrestling with concepts through a tutor-led dialectic discussion. This encouraging environment allows students to be servants to each other without focusing on age, grade, or ability levels. Students emerge prepared to confidently tackle foreign languages, essays, and pre-algebra when these simple, yet often neglected, skills are mastered.


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The Essentials Difference

The Essentials of the English Language program (EEL) is a complete language arts program that takes students beyond the worksheet. Mixing strategic memorization of vocabulary, rules, and lists with a series of analytical tasks, EEL teaches students how to thoughtfully analyze sentence construction. The result is strong language construction and usage skills, both written and oral.

“Faces of History” research paper presentation

See pages 72–73 for the resources for this program.

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Our CHALLENGE program, designed for students twelve years and older, provides the perfect setting for students to expand their command of the classical tools of learning—dialectic and rhetorical skills, in particular. Our curriculum path uses a core of familiar classical material and content; however, the Challenge program’s primary goal remains mastery of the timeless tools of the classical model. We identify Challenge “levels” rath er than grades because students should enroll in the level they are prepared to study.

We believe students will rise to a CHALLENGE.

CHALLENGE

Our PhilosophyOur rigorous Challenge program stands out from other classical, Christian programs or co-ops for two reasons: First, in each program, one highly qualified, experienced homeschooling parent-tutor partners with studetns and their parents as a yearlong mentor in all subjects. Second, we belive dialectic and rhetoric students need help understanding core subjects, equipping them to disover that all knowledge works together in an indivisible “universe” rather than a disconnected “multiverse.”

We believe that no subject is taught in isolation. A subject such as sci ence cannot be truly taught without cor relating it to math, philosophy, theology, history, and literature. For example, lit-erature analysis cannot be sepa rated from philosophy, theology, history, economics, or science.

Our Challenge tutors seek to give students more than just knowledge in particular subject areas like history or science. Instead, students learn to see how all knowledge glorifies the Lord while also revealing aspects of His divine nature. In this manner, we train our students to become lifelong learners and lovers of God’s creation.

In Challenge, our content, assignments, and discussions help students progress from knowledge to understanding to wisdom. Tutors and parents collaborate in guiding students to become godly leaders and confident adults who echo in celebration of their Creator. This partnership between parent and tutor, as well as our goal of developing leaders with an educated and integrated Christ-centered worldview, makes Classical Conversations unique among other educational services.

Each Challenge program consists of six strands, which focus on a particular skill. The grammar strand is the study of language (Latin). The exposition and composition strand encompasses reading and writing. The debate strand is the study of argument.

The CommunityFor fifteen weeks in each semester, students participate in a weekly seminar that is facilitated by a trained Challenge tutor. Specific to each Challenge level, the assignment guide/syllabus is issued by the tutor to each student and outlines the weekly assignments. Students study six classical subjects, utilizing the learning skill associated with that strand at home while practicing dialectic and rhetorical skills in the weekly seminars. Tutors help point students to the integration of science, history, math, philosophy, literature, and so on, while also pointing students to the plumb line of God’s Word. The weekly seminars give students additional opportunities to hone skills in exposition, speaking, and debate as well as to explore more advanced topics in research and logic seminars.

The PartnershipAlthough tutors facilitate the weekly community time and lead class discussions, parents continue to be students’ primary teachers. The tutor/parent/student partnership is a valuable relationship that fosters accountability for all.

What are the responsibilities of these partners?

with parents and students regarding student progress, and partner with parents to hold students accountable for their course work.

work, encourage and guide students in the development of good self- and time-management skills, and adjust elements of course work as family dynamics dictate. Parents also assess student work and assign grades.

and prepare for and participate in class discussions.

The research strand is the study of the natural world. The rhetoric strand is the study of expression, and the logic strand is the study of measurement and shape. (See the chart at the right for specific subjects taught in each strand.)


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The Culmination of a Classical, Christian Education:

CATECHESIS...an echo in celebration

GOD

Grammar

Debate

ResearchRhetoric

Logic

Exposition

& Composition

DOXOLOGY

Knowledge

GR

AM

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Stories

Understanding

DIALECTIC

emes

Wisd

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RHET

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CHALLENGE PROGRAMS C O P E & S E Q U E N C E

Students ages 12 and older Students ages 14 and older

OWNERSHIP DISCIPLINE F R E E D O M C H O I C E S CONSEQUENCES LEADERSHIP

G R A M M A RLatin A Latin B Latin 1 Latin 2 Caesar and

CiceroLanguage and

Literature

E X P O S I T I O N a n d C O M P O S I T I O NLiterature,

Discussion & Persuasive

Writing

Persuasive Writing/Short

Stories

American Literature

British Literature

Poetry/Shakespeare

Ancient Literature

D E B A T E

GeographyCurrent Events/

Mock Trial

Free Market Economics/American

Government

Western Cultural History

American History World History

R E S E A R C HBiology

and Natural Science

History of Science/Origins

Physical Science Biology Chemistry Physics

R H E T O R I C

Clear Reasoning/Apologetics

Informal & Formal Logic

Drama /Music Theory

Traditional Logic / Socratic

Dialogue

Advanced Philosophy/

Advanced Logic & Socratic Dialogue

Theology

L O G I C

Mathematics Pre-Algebra Algebra Algebra & Geometry Pre-Calculus Pre-Calculus/

Calculus

III IVIIB IA



We believe that when students take OWNERSHIP in their education, they can achieve great things.

CHALLENGE A

Challenge A seeks to introduce students ages twelve and older to the rigorous course work of the Challenge program. Students twelve years or older enter into the joys and challenges of this discussion-charged program. It is a mix of grammar and dialectic materials as well as an introduction to basic rhetorical skills. We purposefully limit the amount of reading to give students time to work on their writing skills. The program is less demanding than later Challenges, yet fulfilling and preparatory. It bridges students from the earlier parent-directed elementary level to a more self-directed stage of learning.

Exposition and CompositionThe Lost Tools of Writing (First and Second Semesters)The Lost Tools of Writing trains students in the art of clear thinking and persuasive writing. This comprehensive program trains students to think clearly about both sides of an issue. Students choose a “should question” related to the action of a character from their assigned reading. Through step-by-step instruction, they learn to craft a persuasive essay. Over the course of the year, the essay requirements are gradually more complex as students learn how to ask good questions and how to employ stylistic techniques that will enhance their argument. This is a truly rhetorical writing curriculum.

GrammarLatin A (First and Second Semesters)The classical model emphasizes language skills. In Challenge A, students study Latin with an emphasis on memorization of vocabulary, declensions, and conjugations. In seminar, tutors review previous coursework, introduce new concepts, and model parsing and translating from Latin to English for the students.

DebateGeography (First and Second Semesters)Over time, countries’ political lines are formed by the world’s ugliest form of debate—war.

This seminar includes continent cartography and memoriza-tion of current political boundaries, countries, capitals, and 150 geographical terms. When practiced daily, the content and skills learned establish a powerful framework in the mind of the student.

The goal of this seminar is for students to draw the world from memory. Each week, students practice drawing and labeling various continents of the world. Mastery of the contents of this seminar equips the students with a sense of achievement and competency. This propels them to pursue excellence in subsequent Challenge levels.


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ResearchNatural Science (First Semester)Biology (Second Semester)During the first semester, students will study natural science using a purely classical method. Each week tutors introduce and discuss different realms of nature. Students research and read about the assigned topic at home, using varied materials of their choice. They record their research, illustrate or make a model of their findings, and present the results in seminar. The second semester involves drawing, labeling, and memorizing nine body systems.

LogicMathematics (First and Second Semesters)Each week, students engage in conversation around numbers, operations, and laws, setting a firm foundation for higher math studies. Students may work from Saxon or any other math book they are using at home, bringing questions to class each week to fuel the math conversation.

RhetoricClear Reasoning (First and Second Semesters)Two general topics are discussed during the year: thinking and speaking truthfully and a comparison of evolution vs. intelligent design. Both courses set the foundational premise upon which other Challenges build. Students will be assigned weekly reading, outlining, and summarizing of key ideas and arguments and will be asked to memorize a series of catechism-style questions and answers about science and Creation. In seminar, tutors lead a discussion on the material studied, challenging students to defend their views.

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GEOGRAPHYMATH

BIOLOGY &

NATURAL

SCIENCE

CLEAR

REASONING

LITERATURE

& PERSUASIVE

ESSAY Grammar

Debate

ResearchRhetoric

Logic

Exposition& Composition



We believe that ownership builds SELF-DISCIPLINE.

CHALLENGE B

Challenge B is much like Challenge A in that reading assignments are limited to allow students thirteen and older to work on their writing and thinking skills. Continued development of grammar, exposition, debate, research, rhetoric, and logic skills makes this program challenging and academically rewarding. Some of these subjects are truly high school-level subjects. Formal logic; current events and mock trial; the study of history-shaping scientists, origins, and beliefs; Latin; pre-algebra or algebra; and distinctive literature and short stories all make Challenge B a power-packed program that is popular among homeschool families. Challenge B will prepare students for the more rigorous course load and faster pace of Challenges I through IV. This program encourages students to stretch themselves and excel in academics as well as the classical skills of debate and logic.

Exposition and CompositionChildren’s Literature (First Semester)This is a continuation of the literature seminar begun in Challenge A. Using The Lost Tools of Writing, students review and build on the skills of the persuasive essay as they practice the tools of thinking and writing well through the reading of children’s literature and the writing of persuasive essays. Through invention, arrangement and elocution, students will practice the first three canons of rhetoric.

Short Stories (Second Semester)Students transition to the adult reading level required in the higher Challenges by studying short stories by various writers they will encounter in Challenges I–IV, including Hawthorne, Poe, Twain, and more. At home, students take the entire semester to write a short story of their own.

GrammarLatin B (First and Second Semesters)Students continue their study of Latin with an emphasis on memorization of vocabulary, declensions, and conjugations.

DebateCurrent Events (First Semester)First semester, students research and discuss current events from a Christ-centered worldview while practicing dialectic skills. For parents, this is a great opportunity to teach your students how to think about and respond to their world. The preparation you do at home will foster wonderful discussions—don’t miss out!


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Mock Trial (Second Semester)The tutor and students spend the second semester preparing a case to be heard in a county courthouse at the end of the semester. Students play roles as attorneys and witnesses for the prosecution and the defense. Students decide on the most effective way to present their case and perform it for their parents, friends, jury, and a judge. The skills gained in critical thinking, public speaking, and persuasive presentation will help students succeed in the Challenge I Debate seminar.


ResearchHistory of Science (First Semester)For ten weeks, students research a scientist and complete a biography or demonstration of the scientist’s contributions to humanity. The students present and discuss their research in seminar. Students also complete a science fair project.

Origins (Second Semester)Students spend ten weeks reading and discussing the Creation vs. Evolution debate. The last five weeks are devoted to a simple section on Chemistry, in which students learn how to use the periodic table and build atomic models.

LogicPre-algebra (First and Second Semesters)Each week, students further their understanding in math as the conversation centers around the ideas of numbers, shapes, laws, relationships, operations, equality, and inequality. Students may work from the Saxon resource or any other math book of their choice, as the conversation centers around the universal building blocks of pre-algebra.

RhetoricInformal and Formal Logic(First and Second Semesters)The first semester is an introduction to the vocabulary and concepts of informal logic. Purposefully simple in scope, this semester allows students to review the vocabulary and lessons repeatedly. This course may require additional parental guidance at home.

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“Challenge B was an amazing year. We watched a group of young people stretch, mature, and

bond as they worked together at mock trial. The judge said our students tried the case better than

most lawyers he sees during the day! What a great opportunity for these students!”

–—Challenge Parent See pages 76–77 for the resources for this program.

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LATIN B

current

events/mock

trialpre-algebra

history of

science/

origins

formal /

informal

logic

literature

short stories Grammar

Debate

ResearchRhetoric

Logic




We believe that self-discipline is the cornerstone of FREEDOM.

CHALLENGE I

Students fourteen years or older enter into the joys of student leadership and classical learning in this challenging program. Challenge I students are encouraged to think deeply and critically while improving their writing and researching skills. This Challenge level, along with Challenge II, has the largest volume of reading and writing. Through studies in American literature, American government, music theory, Latin, physical science, algebra, free market economics, and Shakespeare, students hone their dialectical skills and prepare for the rhetorical focus of later Challenges.

Exposition and CompositionAmerican Literature (First and Second Semesters)Rigorous reading and writing characterize this seminar. Students read essays, sermons, speeches, short stories, and novels. Using The Lost Tools of Writing as the spine text, Challenge students practice the art of rhetoric by discussing their readings and by writing many essays during the year. Time manage-ment is key for both parents and students. In seminar, students lead book discussions, and tutors suggest ways that students can improve their writing.

GrammarLatin I (First and Second Semesters)Students continue their study of Latin with an emphasis on memorization of vocabulary, declensions, and conjugations. Tutors review previous lessons and present the new material from the upcoming lesson.

DebateFree Market Economics (First Semester)This seminar requires students to read and discuss various articles related to free market economics. Tutors lead discussions about the impact of free market economics on national histories and present politics. Students partic-ipate in various hands-on projects that allow for real-life understanding and practical application of current economic issues.

American Government (Second Semester)This loaded semester requires students to read and discuss various original documents related to American government and its history. Tutors facilitate and encourage discussion of political ideas, past and present, in historical context. Integrating dialectic and rhetorical skills, students learn to discover context when analyzing political, social, and policy decisions. Students also take the principles they have learned from American Government and apply them to a series of public policy debates on current political issues. Students learn and practice the skills of research, argumentation, critical thinking, public speaking, and logic.

ResearchPhysical Science (First and Second Semesters)More textbook-driven compared to the research strand of Challenges A and B, students learn to take good notes and study from a textbook. Each week, students are assigned a physical science module from the text. In seminar, tutors lead students through simple labs and explain the integrated math principles as well as contents from the current module. Integrating exposition skills, students also learn how to write a well-structured research paper with appropriate documentation.

LogicAlgebra (First and Second Semesters)Each week, students further their understanding in math through conver-sations about the building blocks of algebra and geometry: numbers, laws, relationships, shapes, equations of the first degree, knowns and unknowns, and variables. Students may work from the Saxon resource or any other math book of their choice.


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RhetoricDrama (First Semester)Using The Taming of the Shrew, students learn to read and enjoy the plays of Shakespeare; they also complete a special project related to this play.The theme of this play centers around courtship, so seminar discussion embraces that theme and compares different cultural perspectives on courtship. Students listen to Ravi Zacharias’s audio presentation “I, Isaac, Take Thee, Rebekah,” which examines marriage from a Christian perspective. Parents are wise to use this integrated opportunity to discuss their family’s ideas and standards regarding courtship and marriage.

Music Theory (Second Semester)French novelist Victor Hugo said, “Music expresses that which cannot be put into words and that which cannot remain silent.” In this seminar, students learn the fundamental principles of music (from keyboard notation and key signatures to chords and triads) in the context of analyzing familiar hymn scores. This course provides students with vocabulary and conceptual knowledge to enrich their study of Western Cultural History in Challenge II.

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Spring Formal Protocol

Each spring, local directors may offer a formal event for Challenge I–IV students. This is not a prom or a dating event; it is a chance to learn and practice the proper protocol during formal events.“I pray our stu dents will one day be world leaders and ambassadors to unsaved peoples, and I want them to know what to expect.” —Leigh Bortins, Classical Conversations founder and CAO

Directors and parents arrange a formal meal at a local country club or upscale restaurant. You may choose to have a photographer there to take profes sional pictures. Afterwards, students attend a formal cultural event like an opera or symphony. This chap eroned event is very popular among our Challenge families.

Let your community’s Challenge directors know if you are interested in arranging this event for your community.


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LATIN 1

economics

governmentALGEBRA

physical

sciencedrama

music theory

american

literature

Grammar

Debate

ResearchRhetoric

Logic




We believe that freedom provides opportunities for noble CHOICES.

CHALLENGE II

In Challenge II, students ages fifteen and older study Western ideas, focusing on European and cultural studies. British literature, Latin II, traditional logic, Algebra 2, Western cultural history, and biology provide a well-rounded academic core. Advances in language skills, research, writing, dialogue, and debate continue as Challenge II moves into a more rhetorical format than earlier Challenges. Students prac-tice writing their own thesis statement to analytically consider literature and history. Previous research and laboratory skills are sharpened, resulting in compiled notebooks for both science and history. Elocution (or style) in written and oral presentations gains added importance as students learn and practice new types of rhetorical skills, including persuasive, expository, and lecture-format presentations.

Exposition and CompositionBritish Literature (First and Second Semesters)This rigorous seminar continues to allow students to develop strong exposition, composition, and rhetoric skills using classical British literature. Through Socratic dialogue and analytical essay writing, students examine the literature and scrutinize the value of their opinions. Each week, a different student will lead the book discussions, but all students will practice the art of questioning to gain clarity, insight, and a deeply profound conversation.

GrammarLatin II (First and Second Semesters)The focus of this grammar seminar is to continue to build a firm framework of language and memorize vocabulary, rules, and endings. From Latin grammar learned in Challenge I, the student progresses to more advanced Latin grammar and sentence struc-ture and complex translation skills. In second semester, students integrate overarching themes of Challenge II, including Western cultural influences, as together they read, translate, and discuss the conquests of Caesar.

Debate Western Cultural History (First and Second Semesters) In this class, students will sift through the origins of ideas. They will discuss, debate, and present analyses of Western culture and its shaping influences from a Christ-centered worldview.

In the first semester, Western Cultural History is studied through the lens of art history. Students contemplate the history and fate of Western culture with Francis Schaeffer’s book and video series, How Should We Then Live? Integrating the skills of research, ex-position, and logic, students compile a series of papers on various artists and come to seminar prepared to discuss their research.

During the second semester, the focus of the course switches to music history. Students listen to and discuss a variety of musical forms. Students examine and consider different perspectives on the way the arts influence (and are influenced by) culture. A timeline is also developed to coincide with major political, social, and philosophical events of Western culture.


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ResearchBiology (First and Second Semesters)The biology seminar is a comprehensive lab that correlates with the concepts taught in the text. Each week, students read assign-ments from the text. Students also compile data for the research notebook and complete formal laboratory reports from selected labs. Microscope use and dissection techniques are introduced and practiced in the seminar laboratory work.

LogicAlgebra and Geometry (First and Second Semesters)Each week, students further their understanding in math as the conversation centers around the ideas of numbers, laws, relation-ships, shape, simple proofs, equations of higher orders, knowns and unknowns, and variables. Students may work from the Saxon resource or any other math book of their choice, as the conversa-tion centers around the universal building blocks of algebra and geometry.

RhetoricTraditional Logic (First Semester)Logical thinking skills are foundational for strong rhetorical skills. This is a one-semester review for students who studied Logic in Challenge B and a good introduction to Logic for students new to the subject.

Socratic Dialogue (Second Semester)Together in seminar, students read Plato’s Gorgias as an intro-duction to the Socratic method and a second time to discuss the meaning and personal application of logic and rhetoric as the search for truth.

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WESTERN

CULTURAL

HISTORY

ALGEBRA &

GEOMETRY

BIOLOGY

Logic &

Socratic

Dialogue

BRITISH

LITERATURE

Grammar

Debate

ResearchRhetoric

Logic




We believe that all choices bring CONSEQUENCES.

CHALLENGE III

Challenge III students learn to consider abstract ideas, which promotes clear thinking. In addition, Challenge III encourages students to polish their writing, presenting, and analyzing skills. Caesar and Cicero, Shakespeare and poetry, American history, chemistry, advanced logic and philosophy, and advanced mathematics integrate student learning skills across academic subjects. Students don’t have nearly the volume of essay writing as in previous Challenges. Instead, they study more difficult material, spend more time reaching a depth of under-standing, and work to bring their presentation skills to a new level.

Exposition and CompositionPoetry and Shakespeare (First and Second Semesters) This course requires students to read five Shakespeare plays, a text that comments on the plays from a Christian perspective, and a book on poetry. Students then write an in-depth analysis of some aspect from each play and create a poetry anthology. In seminar, students lead and participate in discussions about each play and present memorized lines for dramatic interpretation. Between plays, students present poetry readings and discuss poetic forms in seminar.

GrammarCaesar and Cicero (First and Second Semesters) Students continue to follow Caesar’s footsteps as he completes his conquest of Gaul and later takes his final breath at the Senate in Rome. They then turn their attention to the great oratory of Cicero, one of the finest Roman statesmen, who skillfully defends the ideals of republic against tyranny. Students encounter the elements of stylistic devices applied to political eloquence. They will witness the intrigue of Cicero’s day while gaining a deeper understanding of the art of rhetorical speaking.

Debate American History (First and Second Semesters) Students read and study material, write essays to present in semi-nar that relate to various events in American history, and work on a timeline. Significant events, important people, dates, and places arranged chronologically enable students to commit important facts to memory. Students work on polishing their presentation skills through a variety of forensic events.

ResearchChemistry (First and Second Semesters) The chemistry seminar offers a combination of labs and math tutorials. The students work on chemistry lab techniques and the math taught in the text that relates to the labs. This lab is very thorough and enjoyable. Students build their own lab notebook, write lab reports, and complete additional research at home.


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LogicPre-Calculus (First and Second Semesters) Each week, students further their understanding and facilitate discussion about assigned concepts from pre-calculus. Conversations synthesize the ideas of relationships, shapes, higher order equations, variables, Euclidean proofs, and trig functions. Students may work from the Saxon resource or any other math book of their choice, as the conversation centers around the universal building blocks of pre-calculus.

RhetoricPhilosophy (First Semester) Students outline the text and prepare discussion questions at home each week. Besides examining the major ideas of influential philos-ophers, the students will work on the five canons of rhetoric—in-vention, arrangement, style, memory, delivery—and improve their presenting skills through seminar leading.

Traditional Logic II and Socratic Dialogue (Second Semester) This is a continuation of Logic from Challenge II. More detail is given to categorical syllogisms, complex syllogisms, and hypothetical reasoning. Students study the text, complete discussion questions, and write case studies of arguments each week at home. In seminar, forms are introduced and arguments and philosophical ideals are examined to determine logical thought and validity. Together in sem-inar, students read Plato’s Meno once to discuss virtue and whether it can be taught, and a second time to study the Socratic model.

We believe in making opportunities available.


GOD

latin

caesar &

cicero

american

historypre-calculus

chemistryadvanced

logic/

philosophy

poetry

shakespeare

Grammar

Debate

Research

Rhetoric

Logic




We believe that understanding consequences defines great LEADERSHIP.

CHALLENGE IV

Challenge IV is the capstone of all the Challenge levels. This Challenge encapsulates the practice of rhetoric through student-led discussions that evaluate the most difficult reading material of all the Challenges. The combination of ancient literature, theology, and science history encourages synthesis in remarkable intensity. The assignments require analysis from a Christian perspective and help students develop a philosophically integrated worldview. Research in physics, more development in language usage, and logic studies in advanced math or calculus complete the academic study. Upon completion of Challenge IV, the competent student will confidently express the dialectic as a budding rhetorician in several academic disciplines.

Exposition and CompositionAncient Literature (First and Second Semesters) Ancient literature of Greek and Roman poets is the prime focus of the literature seminars. Students analyze, discuss, and examine each epic work through a biblical lens. Students complete a thorough study and dramatically interpret portions of each literature selection in conjunction with the companion guide. Students practice rhetorical skills by leading seminar discussions and performing dramatic interpretations.

GrammarLanguage and Literature (First and Second Semesters) Have you often longed to read a document in the original language as effortlessly as Francis Schaeffer seemed to read aloud in his How Should We Then Live? video series? It is not as difficult as you may imagine. Challenge IV Language and Literature grammar seminar will explore and translate original language documents alongside the translated works. Uncover the literal meaning of Virgil’s Aeneid in the ancient Latin while studying this epic poem.

DebateWorld History (First and Second Semesters) World History focuses on various discoveries that have impacted and changed the course of nations. Students read the text, record pertinent facts, and create a timeline to organize the discoveries in a linear context. Six oral presentations of different scope and focus exercise the knowledge attained and stretch students to new levels of rhetorical skill.


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ResearchPhysics (First and Second Semesters)

The main goals of the physics seminar are to provide students with a good foundation to understand the mechanics of natural science and to develop a solid mathematical foundation in order to explain the abstract ideas of work, energy, motion, and other aspects. Physics is studied with a mathematical emphasis. Lessons are targeted, concepts are explored, vocabulary is defined, and problems are practiced.

LogicPre-calculus and Calculus (First and Second Semesters)

Each week, students further their understanding and facilitate learning assigned concepts from pre-calculus and calculus. Conversations synthe-size the ideas of relationships, shapes, higher order equations, variables, Euclidean proofs, trig functions, and in some cases, limits, derivatives, and integrals. Students may work from the Saxon resource or any other math book of their choice, as the conversation centers around the univer-sal building blocks of pre-calculus and calculus.

RhetoricTheology (First and Second Semesters) In the first semester, students complete an Old Testament study, examin-ing passages that point to Christ as the fulfillment and the embodiment of Scripture. The second semester changes focus to the New Testament ideals of faith and the Christian response reflected in behavior and actions. Also, the unique creed and beliefs of Christianity are examined comparatively alongside other major religions. Students explore, research, and present topical presentations while gaining rhetorical skills through vivid discussions during seminar.


Scan the QR code to watch a short video of a Classical Chat about Challenge IV.

GOD

latin

language &

literature

world

historypre-calculus

calculus

physicstheology

ancient

literature

Grammar

Debate

ResearchRhetoric

Logic




We believe in cultivating great CONVERSATIONS.

Three Keys to a Great Education

Marc Hays

35

Articles

Science: A Path to Wonder

Leigh Bortins

38

Cultivating a Christian, Classical Parent

(and Growing a Challenge Tutor)

Heather Shirley

40

Raising a Discoverer

Matt Bianco

42

Three Things a Guitar Taught Me about

Grammar

Jen Greenholt

54

Becoming a Servant

Mary Alphs

56

Trivial or Essential?

Daniel Shirley

58

Math as a Conversation

Amanda Butler

60

Creation: Humility, Harmony, and

Hierarchy

Kate Deddens

62

Rising to the Ne t Challenge: College

Sara Ellison Cavicchi

48

Awestruck

Courtney Sanford

50

Latin as a Conversation

Leslie Hubbard

52

Morning and Evening: Setting a Rhythm

for the Day

Jennifer Courtney

46

Why Study Latin—A Student’s View

Anna Harvey

45


Three Keys to a Great Education

Classical Conversations is “classical.”That’s not surprising, eh? However, although folks are not surprised to hear that we’re classical, they often have questions about what that means. We can say “classical” until we’re blue in the face, but if we cannot explain what we mean by it, the word doesn’t help much. Most folks think that “classical” means we love to wear togas and laurel wreaths while sitting around quoting

Plato and Aristotle. That, of course, is not the case, but what is the answer?

My favorite response to this question is: “We are looking back in order to move forward.”

In Chapter 5 of Mere Christianity, C. S. Lewis said,

“We all want progress. But progress means getting nearer to the place where you want to be. And if you have taken a wrong turn-ing, then to go forward does not get you any nearer. If you are on the wrong road, progress means doing an about-turn and walking back to the right road; and in that case the man who turns back soonest is the most progressive man. We have all seen this when doing arithmetic. When I have started a sum the wrong way, the sooner I admit this and go back and start again, the faster I shall get on.”

In America, this “wrong turning” culminated with the

by Marc Hays

implementation of John Dewey’s social and educational philos-ophies into the public schools. If we want to move beyond the monstrosity of American “education,” we need to assess where we went wrong, go back, and get on the right path in order to move forward. This is what we mean by “classical.”

“Classical” does not mean antiquarian. Older is not necessarily better, but if an ancient practice has been successful for centuries—if it is tried and true—and the current practice has been deemed a failure in less than a century, then perhaps the wise educator would be willing to commit the latter model to the flames and pursue the former posthaste. Under these terms, the reinstitution of the classical model is just good science. It is sad that John Dewey’s experiment was implemented on the children of America, robbing generations of Americans of a good education.

So, this is my one-sentence summary of the “classical” portion of the CC alliteration: We look back in order to move forward.

Classical Conversations is “Christian.” I love the word “Chris-tian.” Many rail against it because it doesn’t “mean” one thing, or it’s too hard to “nail down” its meaning. But, rather than despise a word as versatile as “Christian,” I think we ought to allow it to accomplish all that it can. Here’s what I mean by “Christian”: The word “Christian” can be used both inclusively and exclusively. In its exclusive use, “Christian” makes a distinction between all the reli-gions on earth that worship false gods, and the single religion that worships the One True and Living God, in three persons, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, through the Son, Jesus Christ. Christianity

The overarching vision of Classical Conversations is often delineated by the alliterative, threefold focus: “Classical, Christian, Community.” For a brief moment, I’d like to zoom in on each “C” in this alliteration.



Christian congregation of which we are each a part, and this ministry occurs between Christians from different local churches when they get together during the week. Christians have so much to offer one another. We need each other so much because we were designed to need each other. Classical Conversations recognizes this mutual need between Christians, encourages mutual care, and facil-itates it through our local Classical Conversations communities.

Christianity is not meant to be accomplished alone, and neither is classical education. The first aspect that we covered in this essay, “classical,” is nigh unto impossible to do well in seclusion.

If we define classical education as an education that applies and integrates the three arts of the trivium—grammar, dialectic, and rhetoric—to those same three stages of childhood development, it becomes evident that no one can accomplish this goal well on his or her own.

Is the art of “grammar” better in community? You bet. Listening to lectures, watching DVDs, memorizing definitions, learning your timeline song, and practicing Latin flashcards can all be done via different media that can be ordered online, shipped directly to your doorstep, and enjoyed in the privacy of your own home. This is a great blessing. We are actually home-schoolers. The work happens at home because parents will be the best educators for their young home-scholars. But why stop there?

Teaching your students at home and meeting together with other homeschoolers to share the joys and griefs of this journey are not two mutually exclusive acts. Rugged-individualistic homeschooling cannot produce the number of benefits that homeschooling together can. It will be better in community. It will be better for your children. It will be better for you.

Is the art of “dialectic” better in community? As the art of grammar can be practiced at home, so can the art of dialectic. If we are good readers, then we are always asking questions of the text. We must endeavor to suspend judgment until the end of the text in order to judge rightly. I’ve heard this called being “academ-ically honest” with the text. But at the same time, words only have meaning as they are sifted and sorted through the reader’s present paradigm of the world. Even one who is attempting to be academically honest must recognize his present personal biases. As a reader, I am judging every sentence while I am suspending judgment of the entire argument. A good reader is always reading dialectically.

is not Islam. Christianity is not Judaism. Christianity is not Bud-dhism, Hinduism, or Taoism. When it comes to the worship of God or the worship of dead idols, it is a mutually exclusive term. Christians worship the one true and living God. No one else does.

However, the word “Christian” is also used inclusively. Christianity includes ALL those who worship the Holy Trinity, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, through the Son, Jesus Christ, having been baptized in that triune name. Your particular brand of Christianity does not “get you in” with God. The person and work of Jesus Christ, applied by His Holy Spirit, redeem you from your bondage to sin, graft you into the family of God, forgive your sin, and make your dead soul alive. His mercy endures forever for all kinds of folks from all kinds of denominational backgrounds. In this sense, “Christian” is also an inclusive term.

This is not to say that doctrine is superfluous, but it is to say that no single denomination is going to have all orthodox doctrines in their absolutely perfect proportions and applications all the time. This is one of the extraordinary benefits of Classical Conversa-tions’ distinctive ecumenism. Classical Conversations wants to be exclusive where God says to be exclusive and inclusive where God says to be inclusive. The One who says, “Do not love the world and the things of the world” (1 John 2), also says, “Love the brethren” (1 John 3).

Which leads us to…

Classical Conversations is a “community.” We are in this thing together. Neither of the two preceding aspects of Classical Conversations can be, nor were they ever meant to be, accomplished alone. We’ll begin with the latter aspect first: Christian.

Particular Christians live, move, and have their being as particular individuals. I am me; you are you; I am not you; and you are not me. But when we think of ourselves as individual Christians, we ought to think of ourselves as individual members of the larger Christian body, because that’s how God’s Word refers to us (1 Corinthians 12). I am an individual, but I am not the entire body. I may be an eye and you may be an ear. The point is that we need each other in order to be whole. God is one God in three persons; Jesus Christ is one Son with two natures; the church is one bride in millions of persons. Christ is the head of this one body for she really is one bride. He is not a polygamist with millions of brides throughout history. There has never, ever been any such thing as rugged individualism—either in heaven or on earth.

As Christians, if we see ourselves rightly, we will not despise the brethren by thinking we’re fine on our own, and they’re fine on their own. We will love, serve, and minister to one another. We will use our freedom as individuals for the building up of the body instead of exploiting that freedom on ourselves. We will love our neighbor as ourselves by laying down our lives in service to one another.

Classical Conversations loves the body of Christ. Classical Conversations exists to minister to the body of Christ—both present and future. This ministry happens within the local


In like manner, a good writer is attempting to sift and sort his or her own thoughts. If a writer is always concerned with his or her audience, then there is another imaginary person with every writer. An assertion always requires a consideration of possible refutations. This allows the writer to effectively communicate with the future reader, who is ideally attempting to be academically honest. But why stop there?

As both a reader and writer, my personal dialectic will come to a grinding halt long before the depths of any subject have been thoroughly mined. The lenses through which I see and interpret the world, i.e., my worldview, will eventually inhibit, instead of promote, a fully mature dialectic. To begin to plumb the depths of the glories of the handiwork of God, I am going to need another image-bearer alongside me. I need help. I need a conversation.

Is the art of “rhetoric” better in community? Actually, it is almost impossible to practice the art of rhetoric in solitude. Not even with a mirror. Even if I practice my speech all day long in front of the mirror, I have never done more than rehearse. Public speaking requires a public. Being a “persuader” requires a “persuadee.” Like an athlete, you have to be in a real game. You can practice for years at home, but you’ll never come close to your potential until you’re up against another athlete. A real game requires people—several people—practicing the same sport that you’re practicing, working with you and against you to win the same game that you’re trying to win. In like manner, you have to do more than practice in front of a mirror to master the art of rhetoric. Real rhetoric requires people—several people aimed at the same truth you’re aiming at, and eventually, several people that are not. Real rhetoricians require chutzpah, and that doesn’t come from seeing yourself in the mirror. Real rhetoric requires the sharpening of iron by iron.

Classical Conversations is a classical, Christian community. In our continuing endeavor to educate our children, not a single one of the three C’s is negotiable. They are like legs on a stool—two just won’t cut it. We must be classical: looking back in order to move forward; we must be Christian: taking every thought captive to the obedience of Jesus the Messiah; we must do this together—in community—if we are ever to attain to this holy and noble calling.

©2014 Classical Conversations® MultiMedia, Inc. All rights reserved.

Marc Hays currently tutors a Challenge II program in Kentucky. He and his lovely wife have five children in Classical Conversations. Marc currently tutors Challenge II, blogs about classical education, and devours good books.



Science: A Path to Wonder by Leigh Bortins


On August 2, 1971, Apollo 15 commander David Scott stood on the surface of the moon in a live television feed and demonstrated an incredible scientific fact that had been described by Galileo more than three hundred years earlier: that two bodies of differing weight will fall at the same rate if they do so in a vacuum. Encased in his cumbersome, protective space suit,

Commander Scott held in one hand a hammer and, in the other, a feather. He then said the following:

Well, in my left hand, I have a feather; in my right hand, a hammer. And I guess one of the reasons we got here today was because of a gentleman named Galileo, a long time ago, who made a rather significant discovery about falling objects in gravity fields. And we thought, where would be a better place to confirm his findings than on the moon… And so we thought we’d try it here for you. The feather happens to be, appropriately, a falcon feather for our Falcon [the name of the lunar module]. And I’ll drop the two of them here and, hopefully, they’ll hit the ground at the same time. (“The Hammer and the Feather” Lunar Surface Journal 167:22:06-43)

Then, Scott dropped the hammer and the feather. As predicted, they fell at exactly the same rate and hit the moon’s surface simultaneously.

Imagining this astounding scene, we might have the following questions:

there?

experiment on Earth?

As you might guess, the questions could keep coming. Do we have to ask these questions? No. But history shows us that human beings are impelled to ask questions about the natural world and man’s place in it. There is something unique about the nature of human beings that drives us to know and understand the natural world. Asking questions and seeking answers is the dialectical activity that breathes life into the facts accumulated through the grammar stage.

One does not need to go to the moon to dig into the character of the cosmos (cosmos is a word meaning “an orderly and harmonious system”). A child digging in the dirt and feeling the earth between his fingers, a child holding her hands under the faucet in fascina-tion with the running water, and a child noticing how building blocks balance on top of each other and then fall when pushed over, are each engaged in the natural world. They are developing a grammar of nature that will continue to expand for their entire lives.

[In] our concern for the physical safety of our children, we have forgotten the invisible injuries to the souls of children who no longer play outdoors and understand themselves to be adventurers and discoverers.

As parents, we must return to a way of life in which we direct our children to accumulate scientific grammar. In previous eras, much of this came from life experiences such as tending a garden or boiling eggs or camping under the stars. In some cases, we are more intentional in our direction; we will have our children memorize scientific facts such as the types of volcanoes or the five kingdoms of living things. Dialectic takes over when the questions begin—questions such as “What is it?” “How is it similar to that?” “What caused it?” “What does it do?”

Too often, when we think of science, we have images in our minds of complicated mathematical formulas scrawled on blackboards or professors talking over our heads in a language that sounds as foreign as Sanskrit. If a parent does not step back from these images and explore at a more basic, more fundamental level, then science might seem too daunting to tackle. Much that we learn about advanced scientific discovery can be overwhelming in its complexity and its terminology, but the heart of science is rather straightforward. Science is simply the study of nature, and that can begin simply with wonder and with trying to understand the source of that wonder.


This article was originally published in The Question.

Leigh Bortins and her husband Rob live in North Carolina. They have graduated their oldest three sons from the Classical Conversations Challenge program. In addition to founding Classical Conversations, Leigh started the Mandala Fellowship for high school graduates. She is currently traveling and working in Australia with some of the Mandala fellows.



Cultivating a Christian,

Classical Parent

(and Growing a Challenge Tutor)by Heather Shirley

“All the same, I should like it all plain and clear,” said [Bilbo] obstinately, putting on his business manner (usually reserved for people who tried to borrow money off him), and doing his best to appear wise and prudent

and professional and live up to Gandalf ’s recommendation. “Also I should like to know about risks, out-of-pocket expenses, time required and remuneration, and so forth”—by which he meant: “What am I going to get out of

it? and am I going to come back alive?”


That’s how I felt when I began my homeschooling journey. I wanted some up-front guarantees, too. I had my list of things that I was rather adamant that I needed, never mind the list of things I didn’t know that I was going to need. So with my list of things that I thought I needed and a list of things that I didn’t know I needed, the journey began. Our family set out to homeschool using this

thing called a classical, Christian model.

Where does one begin? In my case, I was able to begin when mine were littlest and youngest. We resembled hobbits in feature and stature. My three children were seven, five, and four. Their outer stature, small and unimpressive, my inner stature, small and unim-pressive, I resolved: I will learn with my children. As they grow, I will grow. I will journey with them.

James 4:10, “Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up.” (KJV)

A firm foundation...I needed a firm foundation from whence to begin, so it seemed most fitting to tutor Foundations and learn alongside my children. We drilled memory work together each week. We grew in the scientific method, walking the young minds through science exper-iments. We learned the tin whistle and with it a little about scales, rhythm, notes, and some foundational language of music theory. We listened to masterpieces of music. We beheld masterpieces of art, and the students and I enjoyed imitating their techniques. Yes, I tutored all of these endeavors, which required me to humble myself and learn with the least of these and to become like them. I was learning geography, history, Latin endings, and more about the structure of my own language. And perhaps most beautiful of all (and rather by accident), because I was engaged in all of these domains of knowledge with my children, was beginning to see in-credible order and purpose, which caused wonder and excitement in our learning. The memory work recitations provided a welcome mat into a broader and more integrated view of knowledge and learning. My children were growing and learning, and so was I, and so was our wonder.

Gandalf: “You’ll have to manage without pocket handkerchiefs, and a good many other things, Bilbo Baggins, before we reach our journey’s end.”

A few essentials....Next, since I needed a few essentials if I hoped to educate my children through high school, it seemed fitting to tutor Essentials and learn along with my children. We learned more about the structure and style of writing, and we learned how to take apart sentences and think on words, phrases, and clauses and their roles and relation to the whole sentence. We learned about declarative, imperative, interrogative, and exclamatory sentences and their purposes. We drilled the addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division skills that would be essential to success in higher math. But perhaps the greatest lesson I learned out of Essentials was the importance of asking good questions. So these essentials moved me from the welcome mat and through the doorway and into the foyer of learning. Knowledge was giving birth to understanding. Our wonder and joy in learning continued to grow.

A welcomed challenge...Finally I was facing homeschooling a child in high school; this was the season of schooling with the most fears, fears that almost kept me from starting and at times continuing on the journey. But I was a different person than when I began my journey so many years ago. A transformation had taken place. And I had a new question, one that I had not foreseen at the beginning of the journey. High school would surely be a challenge. But now my question was: so why not tutor it?

Armed with a working timeline and map in my memory, memory work from every domain of science, experiments, a little music theory, exposure to artists and composers, language structure, memorized Latin endings, writing structure and style, sentence parsing, arithmetic facts, and good questions, I was ready to have more conversations—good conversations—and so were my kids! Knowledge, understanding, and wisdom had been moving us from the welcome mat through the doorway, through the foyer, and into the living room, which transformed our living room. Our home is now filled with good conversations and thoughtful dialogues about the true, noble, good, etc. (Philippians 4:8), how to consider and love others (Philippians 2), and loving the Lord (Matthew 22:37), as we cook, work, and wash; read, write, and measure; sit, walk, and stand.

James 1:5, “If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not: and it shall be given him.” (KJV)

Ask, seek, and trust...Many of the things I thought I needed at the beginning of the journey proved not to be so necessary. Some concerns ended up being provided for in ways I could not have foreseen. And there were still other things that I had no idea that I would need. All of these, like the manna in Scripture and the train ticket to Corrie ten Boom, were provided just when they were needed, and not a moment before.

Ephesians 3:20–21, “Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the pow-er that worketh in us, unto him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. Amen.” (KJV)

Are you new to the homeschooling journey? Do you have young children? Then begin. Enter in. Some of the best preparation you have for your most pressing questions about high school is hidden in learning, growing, and maybe even tutoring a community as you walk alongside your children.


Heather Shirley, her husband Ed, and their three children have been involved with Classical Conversations since 2003. Heather began her Classical Conversations’ journey tutoring abecedarians, the youngest Foundations program students. Over the last ten years, Heather has tutored Foundations, then Essentials, and finally, Challenge III. Her learning motto for life is: “A learning life is a life in lessons on humility.”



Raising a DiscovererBy Matt Bianco

What do you believe about children and learning? In any learning environment we consider—public, private, or home school—some children seem to enjoy learning while others seem to be bored or frustrated by it. Parents and teachers will go to great lengths to make learning fun, enticing children to enjoy learning. They might even attempt to bribe the child into learning with prizes,

gifts, or payments. Some people believe children are born with either a natural affinity or aversion to learning. Others believe they are born with a desire to learn but are nurtured into the aversion to learning. I want to propose that all children are born with a desire to learn (one that has to be trained out of them), using these three arguments: historical precedence, nurture’s evidence, and nature’s demands.

Historical precedence is an argument by which I mean the obser-vations of educators, academics, and thinkers of the past. Aristotle wrote, “All men by nature desire to know.” It is certainly possible that Aristotle was writing something that he believed to be true, yet was not. However, it is unlikely that this observation could be false in an age that produced so many great scholars, thinkers, writers, adventurers, discoverers, scientists, mathematicians, and artists. Are we to believe that they just happened to give birth to more children with a natural affinity for learning than we produce today?

Nurture’s evidence is the idea that today’s model of education is one that nurtures, or trains, the natural desire to know right out of our children. By nature, children desire to know, and we take that love for learning away from them with our educational methods. It can be as simple as reducing learning to something you do because it is practical. If we reduce some of the things they learn to something they have to know to get a good job or be productive members of society, it will not be long before they conclude that this is all learning is for. As soon as they encounter a subject or a lesson that has no obvious practical application, they will balk against learning it and we will not be far behind them in questioning it ourselves. It can get worse, however, when we mistakenly reduce learning to its practical benefits by connecting it—very early on—to a reward system: I learn this because I get candy or money for it. As children get older, they will make that same connection not to candy they get immediately, but to the paycheck they will get as adults. Learn-ing is once again reduced to the pragmatic.

Learning is more than something we do for its fiscal benefits. Learning is something we do for its own sake, its own end. Learn-ing is something we do because it elevates our ability to think and understand on a higher, more mysterious plane.

Learning is something we do because it aids in remaking us in the likeness of God, as we come to understand Him, His creation, His Word, His Church, His providence all the more.

Nature’s demands are those things that tell us how children like to learn and how we can nurture that natural affinity for learning rath-er than squelch it. Dorothy Sayers’s essay, “The Lost Tools of Learn-ing,” is an excellent example of what demands nature makes in a child. By “nature,” here, I am referring to the child’s nature. Sayers makes the connection between young children and the art of gram-mar, young teens and the art of dialectic, and teenagers and the art of rhetoric. Classical Conversations founder Leigh Bortins explains the connection in her book, Echo in Celebration. The better and more consistently we teach our children in accordance with their nature, using the art of grammar when they—by nature—enjoy it most, using the art of dialectic when they enjoy it most, and using the art of rhetoric when they enjoy it most, the less likely we are to squelch their natural desire for knowledge, and the less likely we are to create in them an aversion to learning. Using the “lost tools of learning” that Sayers and now Classical Conversations are helping us to use, we encourage their natural desire for knowledge; these tools are to their natural curiosities what gasoline is to a blazing fire.

The first tool parents are equipped with in educating their children is the art of grammar. This art is most enjoyed by our children when they are of elementary age. They enjoy the predictability (and, therefore, the order and harmony) that comes from repeated chanting and singing of facts. The art of grammar gives them the opportunity to memorize vast amounts of information related to a subject or a series of subjects without regard for their relationships. They are collecting facts at a time when they are only interested in collecting facts. Children at this age are not as interested in seeing the relationships that develop between these facts as, say, we are. This allows them to focus on the accumulation of facts without being slowed down like we are. As a result, they can memorize far more efficiently than we can. The need to see these relationships will come when their desire to see them comes as well. This tool by itself does not a discoverer make, but it does make someone who will be very good at Jeopardy.

The second tool that parents are equipped with in educating their children is the art of dialectic. This art is most enjoyed by our children when they are young teens of junior high age. They enjoy the argument and debate that comes from discovering and examin-ing the relationships between the facts they previously memorized. With this tool, our children take the facts they have collected, and through the process of comparing, relating, arguing, debating, contemplating, and discussing, they distill these facts into truths—timeless truths. These truths, however, are not something we force-




feed to them through lectures, but something they discover for themselves through this process—a process that is primarily built on the constant asking of questions by the student and tutor or parent. And the dialectic process itself is something that is done in accordance with their nature at that age. The lecture experience, however, goes against the grain of their natural desire for learning. Using the dialectic tool whets the appetite of discovery, preparing the young learner to be a future discoverer. The lecture, on the other hand, is like telling a child everything has been discovered and there is nothing left for them to do but sit there and listen to a recitation of all that has been discovered.

The third tool that parents are equipped with in educating their children is the art of rhetoric. This art is most enjoyed by our children when they are teens of high school age. They enjoy trying to effect specific opinions from others. Unfortunately, the only tool our culture gives them for this purpose is their appearance. Thus, many high school-aged children become obsessed with acquiring the right shoes, the right clothes, and the right hairstyle. The art of rhetoric teaches them to use different tools—eloquent speech, persuasive communication, beautiful words, and honorable actions—to effect specific opinions from others, opinions not just about the student but also about the truths they distilled with the art of dialectic.

The student who learns how to become a discoverer through the arts of grammar and dialectic is a student who learns how to speak well regarding, and act rightly with, their discoveries. The mastery of this final art and the sense of accomplishment that accompanies it complete the process of raising a discoverer. These students will not be able to help but continue the journey of discovery with any-thing that is set before them, anything that piques their curiosity.

On the other hand, the student who is educated apart from these tools and who is never truly equipped with them is the student who goes through his educational journey thinking there is nothing left to discover, only things left to be told. And what if they do not want to hear what the teacher is saying? One path leads to a student waiting to be told what to do, and the other leads to a student on an adventure to find whatever is there to be discovered.

“Using the ‘lost tools of

learning’ that Sayers and now

Classical Conversations are

helping us to use, we

encourage their natural desire

for knowledge; these tools are

to their natural curiosities what

gasoline is to a blazing re.

Matt Bianco and his wife Patty live in North Carolina. Their firstborn graduated from Classical Conversations Challenge IV and was part of the first Mandala Fellowship. They have two children still in the Challenge program. Matt currently tutors Challenge II and is a passionate lifelong learner.

All children are born with a desire to learn (one that has to be trained out of them) as historical precedence, nurture’s evidence, and nature’s demands make clear. Today’s world needs adventurers, discoverers, writers, mathematicians, artists, and musicians such as the world before us knew. Classical Conversations and the tools of learning will encourage our children in their natural desire to know, and may just lead to a generation unlike any this world has seen in a very long time.


Are you passionate about

homeschooling?Do you want to share the blessing of classical education with families in

your area? Are you or have you homeschooled all of your children?

We’d love to hear from you. Consider becoming a tutor, program director, or local support manager. To

learn about tutoring opportunities, talk to your local support manager.

See page 94 for more information about support managers.


Why Study Latin—A

Student’s Viewby Anna Harvey, Classical Conversations Graduate

Have you ever been mistaken in a belief? For years I thought learning Latin was a waste of my time. I have recently come to realize that learning Latin is anything but a waste of time; it makes me a better person. There are three different aspects to consider as to why this is the case. First, learning Latin has a utilitarian purpose. Second, learning Latin helps me understand the world more thoroughly. And third, learning Latin is satisfying.

The first reason in support of my belief that learning Latin im-proves me is that learning Latin has a utilitarian purpose. Through the process of learning Latin I have gained a greater understanding of my own language. Latin has increased my grammatical skills as well as my vocabulary. Also, learning Latin has helped me develop my skills of learning. I started learning Latin at a young age. The activity of learning a language, even with only a basic understand-ing, has helped me to develop study skills and habits.

The second reason for my belief is that learning Latin helps me un-derstand the world more thoroughly. Most people today think of Latin as a dead language. Latin moved into the realm of the dead in the eighth century. It became a language only for the church and scholars; the common man no longer studied and understood the language of his ancestors. If we fail to study the language of the past, we miss out on a part of the world’s civilization, culture, history, literature, art, and beauty. Carlos Ruiz Zafón said, “There is no such thing as dead languages, only dormant minds.”1 Learn-ing Latin awakens our minds. It opens the door to a whole new realm of knowledge and opportunities. It helps us know the world around us, understand the struggles we face today, and recognize the beauty in all that surrounds us.

The third reason for my belief is that learning Latin is satisfying. Just in the past few months, I have come to truly appreciate the joy Latin brings me. This is because I resisted learning a “dead language,” which did not appear to have any applicable purpose in my life. But I decided to try to like learning the language. Eventu-ally I realized how satisfying it is to learn Latin. Latin is logical and structured, but as with most things, it has its exceptions and

1 Unknown. “Carlos Ruiz Zafon>Quotes>Quotable Quotes.” http://www.goodreads.com/quotes/142800-there-s-no-such-thing-as-dead-languages-only-dormant-minds. n.d. Web. 1 Nov. 2012.

inconsistencies that make it challenging. Translating Latin gives me a feeling of accomplishment, which in turn gives me confi-dence in myself and makes me happy.

It could be argued that all of these benefits could be gained through learning any language, so why learn Latin, a dead lan-guage? Learning a dead language can be thought of in the same way as learning to paint a picture. In today’s world, the human element could be removed from the realm of art. With cameras, computer-generated images, and many other technologies, a painting could paint itself. Yet people still paint pictures. Why? The same goal could be achieved through other, more practical means. Technology could capture the world around us just as effectively as the human hand. Yet we paint. We paint because we recognize that art is not for the purpose of recording reality, but that it is meant to do much more: to express our minds, our hearts, and our souls. The same is true of learning. We learn not to have a list of facts stored up in our brain for the sole purpose of utility, but to have an understanding of the world around us and to have an appreciation for all that God has given us. If you look at learning as a way to better know our Lord, then there is no reason not to learn Latin.

In conclusion, I believe that Latin makes me a better person. It has utilitarian purposes, it increases my understanding of the world, and it is satisfying. If we want to know God and make Him known, we must embrace all that He has given us, and we must view learning as a means to this end, rather than an end in and of itself.


Anna Harvey graduated from Classical Conversations Challenge IV. She was part of the first Mandala Fellowship and was on the team that developed National Number Knockout (N2K). She is currently working with Leigh Bortins in Australia.

“...learning Latin helps me understand the world more

thoroughly.”


http://www.goodreads.com/quotes/142800-there-s-no-such-thing-as-dead-languagesonly-dormant-minds




Morning and Evening:Setting a Rhythm for the Day

by Jennifer Courtney

“And there was evening, and there was morning, the first day.” When I read Scrip-ture aloud with my children, I see things differently. Years ago, when my children were nine, seven, and four, we read through Exodus and the descriptions of the Taber-nacle. Their curiosity caused me to see the story in a whole new way. “Mommy, what is jasper?” “What is onyx?” “What color is

scarlet thread?” Instead of rushing through an assigned chapter a day, we lingered and beheld the beauty of the Tabernacle together.

This year, I went back to Genesis 1 for the first morning of school. The children are now fifteen, thirteen, nine, and five. What they saw was this pattern: “and there was evening, and there was morning, the _______ day.” We were struck by the importance of rhythms to our own day, particularly the way we open and close each day. For the last ten years, I have held the morning time of our home school to be sacred. We rise in the morning and start the day with family Scripture reading, prayer, and literature.

Over the years, we have read or listened to history together, studied famous scientists together, looked at art, and recited poetry. We re-cline on sofas and pillows so that we can begin the day with leisure. The posture of reclining invites contemplation and conversation. These morning times bind us together and set the tone for our day. We have listened to the cadences of the Psalms crafted in praise of God’s attributes and marveled at the metaphors of the New Testament designed to explain God’s Son. We have laughed at the schemes of The Great Brain, wondered about the hardships of life on the prairie, and wept over the deaths of beloved pets in Ameri-can classics.

As my children grew older, I wondered if we could maintain this morning time together. Apparently, they cherish it as much as I do because they beg for our time even on the busiest day. These mo-ments of contemplating the truths of Scripture, as well as behold-ing both the goodness and the hardships of life, prepare us to begin even the hardest days. “You shall go out with joy and be led forth with peace” (Isaiah 55:12).


I hold one other time of day to be sacred, and that is dinnertime. As often as possible, we eat together and have long discussions around the dinner table. One year, we spent two hours a night for ten nights discussing the Ten Commandments. At other times, we have talked about numbers together. My husband once explained Social Security to the children using pennies, nickels, and dimes. Another night, he drew supply and demand curves on paper towels to explain some basic principles of economics.

As this idea developed at home, I wanted to pay attention to the rhythm of evening and morning in my Challenge seminars as well. While studying Paul’s epistles, I saw a similar pattern of beginnings and endings. Paul’s epistles begin with him thanking God for his disciples and end with him encouraging his disciples; they begin with celebration and end with a charge. What an idea…that we would begin the day thanking God for these young people and end it by sending them out with a mission for the week.

It seemed good to begin with Paul’s letter, so we started with Romans 1:8-12:

To all that be in Rome, beloved of God, called to be saints: Grace to you and peace from God our Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ. First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for you all, that your faith is spoken of throughout the whole world. For God is my witness, whom I serve with my spirit in the gospel of his Son, that without ceasing I make mention of you always in my prayers; Making request, if by any means now at length I might have a prosperous journey by the will of God to come unto you. For I long to see you, that I may impart unto you some spiritual gift, to the end ye may be established; That is, that I may be comforted togeth-er with you by the mutual faith both of you and me.

We opened with prayer that we would comfort and encourage one another in our mutual faith this year. We then dove in to math and Latin; we discussed heroism in Beowulf; we discussed the rise and fall of the Roman Empire and standards for beauty in art; we talked about rhetoric; we classified animals. And then we closed the day with Paul’s solemn charge from Romans 16:17–20:

Now I beseech you, brethren, mark them which cause divisions and offences contrary to the doctrine which ye have learned; and avoid them. For they that are such serve not our Lord Jesus Christ, but their own belly; and by good words and fair speeches deceive the hearts of the simple. For your obedience is come abroad unto all men. I am glad therefore on your behalf: but yet I would have you wise unto that which is good, and simple concerning evil. And the God of peace shall bruise Satan under your feet shortly. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you. Amen.

In His providence, God knit together our day with these words. We read Paul’s letter to the Romans on the same day we studied the Roman Empire. We read the solemn warning against using “good words and fair speeches” to “deceive the hearts of the simple” on a day when we defined rhetoric.

Over the years, I have come to realize that we must inten-tionally establish these rhythms for the day. It sounds like a contradiction, but we must plan for leisure. In the classical world, leisure was perceived very differently. In his book Leisure: The Basis of Culture, Josef Pieper reveals that our word for school (Greek, skole; Latin, scola) is literally translat-ed as “leisure.”

When I first read these words, I could not conceive of a con-nection between my home school and leisure. After all, I have to teach four children of wildly varying ages. During the day, I must teach history, science, literature, Bible, spelling, math, handwriting, phonics, and Latin. Then, of course, there are the fine arts and . . . after that, of course, I must prepare meals, tend to my home, and drive everyone to activities. I could not see what leisure has to do with any of this.

Pieper demonstrates that we moderns are trapped in a culture that views the weekends as much-needed rest to “recharge the batteries” in order to return to work on Monday. In other words, the focus of life has become work. In the classical world, the focus of life was not work, but leisure. Aristotle put it this way, “we are unleisurely in order to have leisure” (Pieper, 20). In other words, the ancients worked that they might have leisure. This is the dead opposite view of “we rest in order to work again.”

Instead of looking on each day as a long task list to rush through, we should look upon the day as a feast of good ideas, good conver-sations, and good work. We should cultivate rhythms that allow us to share good stories with one another, to prepare meals together, and to linger over those meals.

I believe God established these rhythms to teach us how to live as humans created in His image. It is good for us to marvel at His creation every day by studying science. It is good for us to share stories together every day because we are imitators of a God who has revealed himself to us in the written word. It is good for us to recite poetry together and enjoy the rhythms of speech because language is the hallmark of creatures made in His image. It is good for us to attend to the beginning and end of every day, to mark the rhythms of evening and morning, to begin in praise and to go forth on a mission.

“So teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts to wisdom” (Psalm 90:12 Webster).


Jennifer Courtney, her husband Tim, and their four children ages five to fifteen reside in Oklahoma. Their children have been in Classical Conversations since 2005 and span from Foundations to Challenge II. Jennifer currently tutors Challenge II. She loves inspiring parents to restore their own educations while teaching their children.

“It is good for us to attend to the beginning and end of every

day, to mark the rhythms of evening and morning, to begin in praise and to go forth on a

mission.”



Rising to the Ne t Challenge:

Collegeby Sarah Cavicchi, Classical Conversations Graduate

Patrick Henry College (PHC) has been my number one choice for higher education since I can remember and was the only school I applied to. I never questioned whether I would be academically prepared for such a rigorous education because of the excellent training I received in Challenge A through IV.

Coming into PHC my freshman year, I was prepared in more ways than one. I would not venture to say I was much more prepared than most other students, because PHC attracts a caliber of stu-dent I had never before seen in my life, but I, too, was equipped to be an exceptional learner, and I thank the Challenge program for that. Allow me to outline for you several ways Challenge prepared me for Patrick Henry:

in which you get all your assignments for the semester at once. It can be especially overwhelming for freshmen who have never had to deal with anything similar. Because I had experience juggling multiple “classes” with different schedules and due dates, I had the skills to organize myself so that I would not get overwhelmed or let things slip through the cracks.

Speaking in front of your peers at 8:00 a.m. is truly a horrid thing. But thanks to all the opportunities in Challenge that helped me learn to overcome my fear of public speaking by reading papers in front of a class, debating, and doing presenta-tions, I felt completely at ease up at that podium and actually enjoyed the class.

literature and theology classes because I had already read them in Challenge I and II. This enabled me to move onto writing papers earlier and to get better grades on those papers.

freshman-year papers did not shock me. Writing a thousand words seemed like not enough. I always scored very high on my writing assignments, whether they were papers with a two-week assignment deadline or the essay portions on a test. Blue books were also not foreign to me because of my experiences in Challenge.

knowledge I had gained, but the grit and determination I had learned in order to succeed in whatever I do. Part of this is due to my personality, but without the challenges that the Challenge program presented me, I may not have cultivated that drive nearly as much. There are many times in the Challenge program when students throw up their hands and cry. It’s hard. A lot of

the assignments are purposefully vague so that students take ownership, press on, and make them their own. This was hard for me. I remember being thoroughly confused by Latin and spending hours and hours figuring out which word belonged to which declension until it finally clicked. I got a Latin scholar-ship to Patrick Henry and just completed Latin IV—all of my language credits are complete. Having the opportunity to learn to press on through challenges is a skill that is invaluable in an upper-level academic setting. Professors do not hold your hand and walk you through assignments. You must have the drive to take initiative and do things on your own in order to succeed.

waste the first year or two of their college careers scraping by with average grades because they are not prepared for the learning experience that college presents. It is very different from public or private school, but even more different for home-schoolers. Even Classical Conversations students will struggle with the differences between the two. Many college freshmen waste opportunities to start a solid GPA because they are unsure how to study for tests, how they best retain informa-tion, or even how to take notes. Challenge gave me a forum to figure this out in high school, when it wasn’t as critical to my academic future, so that I knew my own learning style by the time I reached PHC. I made adjustments along the way, but there was never a time when I questioned how I should best memorize a recitation, because I did that in Challenge I; I never questioned how I should go about researching and writing a major paper, because I did that in Challenge A, B, and III; I never questioned how to take notes on a lecture, because I did that in every class that Challenge offered. This allowed me to focus more on the content I was learning rather than the process by which I learned it and allowed for stronger grade outcomes.

I have a lot to thank the Challenge programs for. Challenge didn’t make me stand out above all the rest at Patrick Henry College, but it prepared me in a way that allowed me to transition nearly seamlessly into a school of very high caliber. It also would not have worked had I not put a lot of work in on my end as well, but I avoided many of the hurdles that other college students trip on, and I have come out stronger because of it. I hope everyone considers Challenge as a way to prepare their children for the best possible college experience.


Sarah Ellison Cavicchi graduated through the Classical Conversations Challenge IV program. She attends Patrick Henry College with her husband Tony. They are expecting their first child. Sarah is passionate about politics and reforming government.




Awestruckby Courtney Sanford

Imagine I gently place a piece of colored glass in your hand. You could study its color, texture, size, and shape. Now, imagine I place more pieces in your hand until your hand is full. After studying each piece, you may decide you like some pieces better than others, but pretty soon, you will lose interest in them and let them drop from your hand.

Now consider it from a different perspective. What if I told you each piece of glass had a special place in the most beautiful stained glass window in the most beautiful cathedral ever built? What if I took you to see this work of art so you could see how the colored light fills the cathedral like sunlight that dapples the forest floor and how it creates an ethereal atmosphere in the whole space and becomes a part of the worship that takes place there? Those pieces of glass become meaningful if you know that they are part of something bigger…something awesome. You would be more likely to treasure each piece.

Modern education has become something like a handful of separate, fragmented pieces of glass. We hand our children one subject at a time, trying to collect all the pieces they will need to get a job, but we fail to show them the glorious work of art of which each piece is a part so that they are in awe of the Creator.

In classical, Christian education, we present each subject in its context: every subject was created by God and every subject is under the authority of God. For example, God created linear symmetry and tells the leaves on a branch to grow in that symmetry, some in alternating patterns, some in reflective symmetry, and some in radial symmetry. You can see how God uses geometry in seashells, fruit slices, the rings of tree stumps, and all creatures. It is math (symme-try, pattern, balance, and so on) that creates beauty in nature and reminds us that God is an amazing creator. We should be pointing out to our students how awesome God is. If we are teaching well, our students should be awestruck: totally in awe of God.

I am forming a framework to guide my thinking. Taking the story of both the Old and New Testaments, I see four governing principles: creation, the fall, redemption, and restoration. It helps me to categorize each subject we study into one of these areas.

Creation: God created everything. Therefore, when we study the things He created, we can learn more about God, and it can draw us closer to Him. This is easy to see in science. Biology is the study of the life He created: birds, fish, plants, and man and the study of their behavior, which He established and continues to direct. As-tronomy is the study of the stars and planets He created and set into motion. Physics is the study of the laws He created to govern energy, mass, and gravity and the forces that keep us standing on earth, not floating off into space. Chemistry is the study of how His creation

works on a molecular/chemical level. The study of science gives us the joy of discovering how God made things work and live. The study of math is the study of how we can measure, compare, and understand the hidden aspects of creation. Geometry is the study of the organizing principles in creation. Proverbs 25:2 (NIV) sums up the joy of discovery in the sciences: “It is the glory of God to conceal a matter; to search out a matter is the glory of kings.”

So everything was good at first. Then there was The Fall that intro-duced death, work, and strife into creation (Romans 5:12). When we study history, we are studying how man has dealt with the fall. Some men and women have dealt with death and sin admirably, some have not. We need to examine those who did well and those who did not so that we can learn how we should deal with it our-selves. We need to point this out to our students. This also includes economics and government; now that we have to work and deal with sinful behavior, we need to study what works and what does not.

Then God sent Jesus in order to offer us a way to escape death, so we could have the opportunity of Redemption. I see literature as the study of how man has either accepted or rejected this oppor-tunity and what effect that has. In the case of fictional literature, we can examine how man might have acted and what should or should not have been done. Reading and discussing Christian biographies is a great place to start, of course, but you can learn a lot from discussing non-Christian literature and drama with your students. Romeo and Juliet, for example, were not living for Christ but solely for romantic love, and it had tragic consequences. When you read The Old Man and the Sea, do you see a pointless struggle against nature, or do you see the story of Christ? Leigh Bortins has said there is only one story, the story of Christ, and every other story is a reinterpretation of it. (It may not be evident on the first reading.) Redemption also includes the study of language because Jesus is the Word made flesh (John 1:1). The more we study words, the more we know about our Lord.

Finally, the Bible calls us to Restoration: to align our thinking and behavior to God’s Word and the Holy Spirit, learning to take each

“An education with a biblical foundation will enable you and

your children to fulfill the Great Commandment

(Matthew 28:19) with great understanding and wisdom.”


thought captive (Corinthians 10:5) and hold it up to The Truth and become as Christ-like as possible in a fallen world. The study of logic helps us to develop habits of good, clear thinking. The study of theology, of course, falls into this category. I also believe the study of philosophy helps us here. If we examine the phi-losophies of others and the history of philosophy, it helps us to examine our own philosophy in order to form in our own minds the right way to look at the world.

Learning to write and speak eloquently enables your children to communicate to others all that they have learned about our Lord. Learning about other worldviews (through the study of history, philosophy, and literature) enables them to know their audience and to address their stumbling blocks. An education with a biblical foundation will enable you and your children to fulfill the Great Commandment (Matthew 28:19) with great understanding and wisdom.

I have found that reading a little bit of Scripture with my students first thing every morning is a great way to stay centered. I also find it helpful to attend a Classical Conversations Parent Practicum every summer. At these conferences, I’m always inspired to go even deeper by reading the recommended book. Some of my favorite books are: Norms & Nobility: A Treatise on Education by David V. Hicks, Total Truth: Liberating Christianity from Its Cultural Captiv-ity by Nancy Pearcey, and The Soul of Science: Christian Faith and Natural Philosophy by Nancy Pearcey and Charles Thaxton.


eigh’sLL I S T

L E I G H S L I S T . C O M

Do you have gently used books that you’d like to sell? Leigh’s List provides a marketplace for

our Classical Conversations families: homeschool resources, reviewed byhomeschool families, in one place!

Courtney Sanford and her husband Chris live in North Carolina. They have two children in the Challenge program and one in Foundations and Essentials. Courtney currently tutors Challenge II and puts the fun in classical education by bringing creative skits and games to her seminars.



Latin as a Conversationby Leslie Hubbard

voice is audible, very patient, and worn; it has been saying this for a long time.

Scene 1. The stage is totally dark, until we see ANNIE and HELEN silhouetted on the bed in the garden house. ANNIE’S voice is audible, very patient, and worn; it has been saying this for a long time. Annie. Water, Helen. This is water, w-a-t-e-r. It has a name. (A silence. Then:) Egg, e-g-g. It has a name, the name stands for the thing. Oh, it’s so simple, simple as birth, to explain. . . There’s only one way out, for you, and it’s language. To learn that your fingers can talk. And say anything, anything you can name. This is mug. Mug, m-u-g. Helen, it has a name. It—has—a—name.

This is an adjective, a-d-j-e-c-t-i-v-e. It has a name, the name stands for the thing: a describing word that modifies a noun or pronoun. The very word derives from the Latin: ad = to; jacere = to throw, to hurl (a verb we use regularly in our translations, as those nasty Gauls were always hurling their javelins at Caesar’s army). Literally, “adjective” means “to throw to.” Simple as birth to explain—which is why we can do it with our young children beginning in the Essentials program. Not so simple to a high school student who is trying to learn the nuances of Latin alongside those of her mother tongue. The comparison of English to Latin adjectives is fairly straightforward, especially given the fact that they share the same degrees: positive, comparative, and superlative. But it is not so straightforward to a student who is unfamiliar with those “names” of degree.

But I am getting ahead of myself; I’ve been talking about adjectives when the first paradigm a student of Henle Latin encounters is the noun declension. For the most part, this is a task of simple memorization, but we quickly stumble into the Wood with the discussion of gender, number, and case. If you are fortunate to have, or to have had, a child in the Essentials program, you are already comfortable with the term “number” as applied to a noun, and “case” as considered in the application of personal pronouns (nominative, objective, possessive). But my students had little recall of these grammar terms and so we would once again apply our minds to the learning of these “names.” The six cases in Latin kept us loitering in the Wood for some time as we encountered the case of the possessive (genitive), the case of the indirect object (dative), the case of the direct object (accusative), and yes, even the case of the preposition (ablative). Now, I know that a typical Essentials student will memorize some fifty-plus prepositions, but my Challenge students were hard-pressed on our initial journey into the Wood to name five.

By now I can hear most of you veterans of the Essentials program clucking your tongues and wagging your heads, but to convince you that the study of Henle Latin is very similar to the systematic study of the English grammar in Essentials, I will give you the most

Normally, I would be the last person on earth to even whisper a contradiction of anything said or written by Dorothy Sayers. But to her quotation on the facing page I would add, with all due reverence, the caveat that this mastery over one’s own language is assumed only if one has mastery over the grammar of said language. The lamentable truth is that this was not the case with my first-ever Classical Conversations Challenge

class. With the advent of a Classical Conversations community to our western corner of the world, my students and I leaped, catapulted, surged, and hurtled mad-dashedly (you get the idea) into Challenge II. Yes, Challenge II was to be our first experience and introduction into Classical Conversations. Not Challenge A, B, or even Challenge I. No Foundations, and especially no Essentials.

The difficulties of entering Classical Conversations toward the end rather than the beginning of the trivium became apparent in every strand, but never more so than in Henle Latin. The dictates of studying a foreign language require one to start with what one knows. Presumably, for us it was the English language. But the foundation that was my students’ knowledge of English grammar quickly showed itself to be sifting sand. Throwing a sentence, in English, mind you, on the whiteboard and asking them to identify the parts of speech brought blank, even bewildered expressions. The very term “parts of speech” was foreign to them. I can hear your collected and astonished gasp, “What? Why even my Foundations student knows the eight parts of speech! We memorized them in Cycle 2!” Let me remind you, lest you have forgotten our mad-dashed hurtle, my students did not have the benefit of Foundations, and they especially did not have the benefit of Essentials. So when I asked them to deconstruct a sentence into its constituents, they muddled fairly well through subject and verb, but when it came to the other parts of speech it was clear we had wandered disconcertingly into what Dorothy Sayers would call the precarious “Wood where Things have no Names.”

The Wood is a terrible, foreboding place, without a map or signpost with which to find one’s way. Everything learned there would have to be laboriously thought out and explained from the very beginning. And there wasn’t much time. Grappling with the syntax and construction of a sentence through hard reasoning (and hard labor) reminded me of a scene from the play The Miracle Worker. Your first thought might be of the scene where Annie, the teacher, and her blind student, Helen Keller, once isolated and locked in the dining room, launch the epitome of food fights. But the scene to which I refer comes in the third and final act of the play (you’ll note that the scene, much like the Wood, begins in darkness):

Scene 1. The stage is totally dark, until we see ANNIE and HELEN silhouetted on the bed in the garden house. ANNIE’S


way to unlock God’s mysterious, marvelous world for our students is through language. His Word, His world. Time spent studying Latin is not time wasted on a dead language. As Dorothy Sayers said, “It is the quickest and easiest way to gain mastery over one’s own language, because it supplies the structure upon which all language is built.” But from my experience (forgive me, Dorothy) the oppo-site is even more relevant. The time spent in an Essentials program is not (though it may seem so at times) vain repetition. It is the quickest and easiest way to gain mastery over another language like Latin because it supplies the structure upon which any language is learned. And when, someday, I have your Essentials student in my Challenge class, he or she will excel in Henle Latin because he or she will quickly recognize, with nary a detour into the Wood, that “it” has a name, the name stands for the thing.


Leslie Hubbard, her husband, and her two sons reside in southern Cali-fornia. Leslie has directed Challenge II–IV in her local community and has proudly promoted CCs first graduating class “west of the Rockies.” Her greatest pleasure is in being wife and mother to her family, who graciously tolerate her many idiosyncrasies.

terrifying example of all: that of the nefarious pronoun. With no fewer than eight pages in the Henle Latin grammar book dedicated to the study of pronouns, nothing could strike more terror in the hearts of my students than Henle’s assignment of yet another grammar rule for a new pronoun declension. Starting with the personal pronouns of first and second declension and then moving on to the possessives, my students were soon meandering bewildered in the Wood amongst reflexives, non-reflexives, and possessives of third person, demonstrative and interrogative pronouns, and finally, the relative. Before I could even discuss the relative pronoun with my students, I had to invoke the relative clause. But what is a clause? It has a name, the name stands for the thing. But they had never learned, or had never learned for a duration, over time, those names. Not the way you learn them in Essentials. Act three, scene one from The Miracle Worker opens fittingly in darkness. The metaphor is not lost on its audience—the teacher is devoted, but struggling, seemingly in vain, to teach her deaf and blind pupil by repetition, over and over and over again, that “it” has a name, the name stands for the thing. But then she informs, “There’s only one way out, for you, and it’s language.”

The only way to unlock Helen’s dark world and give it meaning is through language. The metaphor is not lost on us, either—the only

“...if I were asked what, of all the things I was ever taught, has been the greatest practical use to me, I should have to answer the Latin Grammar. An early grounding in the Latin Grammar has these advantages:1. It is the quickest and easiest way to gain mastery over one’s own language, because it supplies the structure upon which all language is built.” —Dorothy Sayers, “The Greatest Single Defeat of My Own Latin Education”



by Jennifer Greenholt

In certain situations, I am the mental equivalent of a first-grader, and so are you. Does that surprise you? It has taken me many years to say those words without discomfort, but as I learn more about the classical model of education, I realize that it is both true and appropriate.

Any time you learn something new, you begin where a first-grader begins: by

learning the words and facts associated with the subject. In classical education, this is called the grammar stage. As you progress, you begin to relate those facts to each other and ask questions about them, entering the dialectic or logic stage. Finally, you are able to articulate the subject, use it wisely, and explain it to others. This is called rhetoric stage.

When I graduated from high school as a Classical Conversations alumna, the Foundations program was still in its infancy and my understanding of the classical model was similarly juvenile. The grammar stage of learning was for six- and seven-year-olds, I thought, not for a mature learner like me. Years later, my understanding of the classical model remains a work in progress, but I have begun to accept that I, too, must become a grammarian when I want to learn something new, whether it is arithmetic, Latin, plumbing, or acoustic guitar. Children in the elementary years may find memorization and mimicry more natural than older learners, but we all start at the grammar stage. A summer-long tryst with a Jasmine guitar taught me that.

The first time I held the guitar, I ran my fingers over the six strings and down the fretted neck, picturing myself as the next Joni Mitchell or Joan Baez. As a child, I had learned piano in haphazard fashion and spent two years attempting to play the violin without hyperventilating. This time, I wanted to do it right. I was determined. I was confident. After all, I was an adult learning something new of my own volition: surely this meant I was starting at the dialectic stage, at the very least.

That was day one.

By day two, when a friend began to teach me a basic strumming pattern and a few simple chords, my cool attitude began to waver, along with the muscles in my fingers. I began to reevaluate my expectations. Over the course of the summer and through a painful exercise in humility, I have come to see the parallels between my study of guitar and the way all of us approach a new subject as grammarians. Here are three of the most salient lessons I have learned:

Three Things a Guitar Taught

Me about Grammar

(1) Celebrate the calluses. Sometimes, the basics of being a gram-marian surprise us by just how basic they are. When learning to write, you do not begin with the alphabet; you must first build muscle control to the point of being able to hold a pencil. When learning to play the guitar, you do not begin with open chords; you must first develop enough finger strength to press the strings. Since my fingers were not accustomed to this form of exercise, the steel strings left reddened dents in the fingers of my left hand for the first month.

Practicing was painful and unpleasant, so there were weeks during which I barely picked up the guitar, and thus, my fingers continued to protest. (Cue the cycle of frustration!) I was ignoring a fact known by every musician and athlete: daily practice is essential. You must work hard to learn the basics, pressing them repeatedly into your brain until they are imprinted there like a callus.


encouraging words of a friend, and I needed models to re-mind me how beautiful the end result could be. Practicing one chord repeatedly loses some of its tedium after you lis-ten to a classical guitarist play “Asturias” by Isaac Albéniz1, or when you read Tolkien’s description in The Silmarillion of a world created by music, in which “a sound arose of endless interchanging melodies woven in harmony that passed beyond hearing into the depths and into the heights, and the places of the dwelling of Ilúvatar were filled to overflowing, and the music and the echo of the music went out into the Void, and it was not void.”2 Master craftsmen can provide a vision for novices struggling to remember the goal for which they strive.

The mentoring aspect of the Challenge program is one of the distinctive benefits of Classical Conversations. Your child’s

tutor might be an engineer or a chemist, a poet, a musician, a baker, or someone who loves to garden and nurture growing things. He or she is also a homeschooling parent who has made mistakes and soothed crying babies and wrestled with teenagers, just like you have. This kind of mentor can provide a hug, an encouraging word, or a shared laugh when all the computer does is stare back at you.

These three lessons—celebrating the calluses that come from routine hard work, evaluat-ing your progress honestly, and seeking the aid of others—are equally difficult whether you are six years old, twenty-six years old,

or fifty-six years old. Attempting any new venture means being willing to fail and acknowledging that you are not perfect. My journey with the guitar has been no different.

Fast-forward more than a year from that first day. Learning the guitar is still a slow, often regressive process for me. I do not prac-tice as often or as mindfully as I should. I skip the basics because I want to rush ahead. I am not a model of the perfect student by any means, and, for the moment, I am still solidly situated in the grammar stage. That is okay. I am humbler for the experience, both as a student and as a teacher. I can walk alongside other grammarians and celebrate each step with them because I, too, believe that at the end of their struggle lies something beautiful.


Jen Greenholt is a graduate of the Classical Conversations Challenge program. She earned an MA from Wake Forest University in litera-ture. She is the author of the Words Aptly Spoken series published by Classical Conversations MultiMedia. She reads avidly and competes ferociously at Ultimate Frisbee.

1Karadaglic, Milos, perf. “No.5 Asturias.” Suite española, Op.47. Comp. Isaac Albéniz. YouTube. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nIoC 6V_F-Y 2Tolkien, J.R.R. The Silmarillion. Ed. Christopher Tolkien. New York: Del Rey, 1985. http://www.amazon.com/The-Silmarillion-J-R-R-Tolkien/dp/0345325818

Only then can you move ahead with confidence. The day I noticed calluses forming on my fingertips I felt a deep sense of accomplish-ment, as they were proof that I had been diligent in practicing. It should have been no surprise that my skill level increased along with the toughness of my skin.

Practicing math problems, completing Latin charts, or diagramming sentences is no different than playing the guitar. I’m looking down at my right hand, and I can see a faint callus on my middle finger from many years of holding a pencil. You might think about emotional calluses in a similar way. Remember the first time a math lesson did not produce tears? Remember when you pushed through frustration as a family? That mental toughness was a necessary step on the way to skill.

(2) Evaluate often and honestly. Although I spent most of the summer learning chords and practicing transitions, eventually it was time to try a simple song or two. The result was not pretty, but I needed some method of evaluating my growth. After all, true assessment is not about achieving a passing score in a high-stakes setting, but about measuring progress in order to make practice more effective. To be effective, appraisal must be frequent and honest. I was tempted to share my new skills only with those I knew would stroke my ego. Likewise, when you see your child’s first attempt to spell a three-syllable word, your instinct may be to offer unconditional praise of the accomplishment. Unfortunately, uncritical praise teaches the student that hard-earned excellence is no better than half-hearted mediocrity. Critiquing an individual may create fear of failure, but critiquing a product demon-strates confidence in an individual’s potential to improve. I learned most effectively through the efforts of teachers who praised the effort, amended the artifact, and encouraged me to try again.

Remember, as a parent and tutor, you are modeling honest evaluation to your children in the hope that, eventually, they will be able to evaluate themselves and their peers. When I was able to hear a wrongnote and correct it on my own, I was taking ownership of the learning process. Likewise, children learn to recognize and correct their own mistakes by seeing that kind of assessment patiently modeled for them.

(3) Seek mentors and models, human if possible. I could fumble my way through “Blowin’ in the Wind” well enough on my own, but when it came to interpreting chord charts and tackling more difficult combinations (a pesky “F” chord), I needed help. Technology was a great asset, but I could watch YouTube videos all day long, and the instructor in the video would not hear me growling in an unidentifi-able language or notice that my eyes were seeking blunt objects with which to bash the uncooperative instrument.

What I needed was not a five-step program; I needed a warm hand to guide mine to the correct location on the frets. I needed the


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nIoC6V_F-Y

http://www.amazon.com/The-Silmarillion-J-R-R-Tolkien/dp/0345325818


http://www.amazon.com/The-Silmarillion-J-R-R-Tolkien/dp/0345325818

Becoming a Servantby Mary Alphs

“That I, whose experience of teaching is extremely limited, should presume to dis-cuss education is a matter, surely, that calls for no apology.” This is Dorothy Sayers’ opening quotation for her speech “The Lost Tools of Learning.” As I pondered writing an article on serving, the familiar opening of Dorothy Sayers’ speech seemed to match my own sentiments on my ability to lead this charge. I, too, might open by saying, “That I, whose experience of serving is ex-

tremely limited, should presume to discuss servanthood is a matter, surely, that calls for no apology.” Though I have not achieved any essence of servanthood, and more often need the service of others than I provide service to them, I venture to discuss serving because I can begin where we ought to begin any discussion on any topic of value—I will begin in God’s Word. Therefore, I offer no apolo-gy; although this discussion can only show me where I am lacking, I have a foundation upon which to start.

As parents and community leaders, our perception of greatness may be shattered when we hear in Mark 9:35 that “to be first, or great, one must be the servant of all.” God’s Word juxtaposes true greatness with false or worldly greatness. The truly great not only serve, but serve all. In fact, the truly great man is not even in control of his service. There is a difference. Someone else calls the shots. Our service is not for own glory first, but for the glory of the One we serve.

Model the ServantWe have a model to follow. Jesus, who is fully God, is our servant-model. Becoming the least, he washed His disciples’ feet on the eve of His own big day. My flesh screams at the thought of menial tasks on any day, but to attend to others on the eve of my day in the most humbling of manners? Think about it for a moment. Let’s not pass over the magnitude. In Mark 9:12–15, Jesus tells his disciples:

Do you know what I have done to you? You call Me Teacher and Lord; and you are right, for so I am. If I then, the Lord and the Teacher, washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet. For I gave you an example that you also should do as I did to you.

He was always in submission to the glory of the Father and emptying himself for others, and He tells us that even as God, He did not come to be served, but to seek and serve the lost. Do we get it? Jesus, who deserves honor, glory, and recognition always emptied himself and served even to death.

Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus, who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men. Being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross (Philippians 2:5–8 NASB).

Follow the MannerWe have a manner by which to serve. Jesus was fully God, but He did not equate himself with God the Father. He became a bond-servant, humbling himself.

One of my first observances on serving occurred when I was a young professional. Though we wanted to bless our receptionist by taking her to lunch, someone had to serve by manning the phones in her absence. The time ticked beyond the customary hour-long lunch. On our return, the once warm coworker, who so note-worthily (and pridefully) assumed the receptionist’s role, showed her displeasure at our tardiness. I saw the joy on the receptionist’s face, whom we were honoring and serving, fade to fear. Not only did the volunteer fail to serve, she robbed us all of the experience of honoring someone.

As parents and servant leaders, we often do not get to choose how and when we serve. Every opportunity to serve reveals the kind and quality of our servanthood. For some of us it is never easy to serve, but for others it is easy and enjoyable only if all the elements are just right. Let me be noticed and let me do it in my own timeframe, manner, or method. Violate my parameters? Forget it. I will either steal the joy or rob the one making the opportunity. This isn’t Christ-centered and other-centered servanthood, it is me-centered servanthood. Do you see the difference?

“As parents and servant leaders, we often do not get to choose how and

when we serve. Every opportunity to serve reveals the kind of quality of

our servanthood...Our service is not for our own glory first, but for the

glory of the One we serve.”


(This one is twofold because it goes hand-in-glove with, do we believe there is a sovereign God giving us an opportunity to serve?)

Become the ServantServing is like exercise. In order to be an athlete, one must exercise and train often. Giving up our rights with integrity and honesty and in humility—daily—is the only way we can become true servants. Try praying for others, fasting for their needs, scheduling time to serve, serving when it is to your own disadvantage, seeking to understand rather than being understood. At first the serving will be imperfect (just as this article is). Yet, keep serving because He is perfect. He is at work in your circumstances. He brings life out of death. He is able to accomplish what concerns us today. Serve and trust Him today and you will find yourself becoming a servant after His own heart tomorrow.


Mary Alphs and her husband live in Virginia with their three children. Their oldest daughter graduated from the Classical Conversations Challenge program and is attending college, starting a new chapter in her life. Mary currently tutors Challenge II and has a daughter in Challenge III and a son in Challenge I. Working nearly ten years for Classical Conversations, Mary serves Classical Conversations by developing business leaders, establishing healthy communities, and strengthening overall company integrity and quality.

The manner in which Jesus served was humble, gentle, and obedient. He taught us our manner of serving is as one who gives a cup of water to a child:

For he who is not against us is for us. For whoever gives you a cup of water to drink because of your name as followers of Christ, truly I say to you, he will not lose his reward. Whoever causes one of these little ones who believe to stumble, it would be better for him if, with a heavy millstone hung around his neck, he had been cast into the sea (Mark 9:40–42 NASB).

Keep the MindsetUltimately, as His followers, we have a renewed mind. One question that a servant asks is, “What is my motive?” We have an eternal perspective that our model gave us. It is worth repeating the verse from Mark 10:45, “For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.”

Will we choose to serve and empty ourselves, or will we find ourselves being territorial, easily offended or self-serving? Are we trying to reach a temporary objective and letting our eyes slide away from the eternal focal point? Some perspective questions that will help determine our mindset are:

others?

for it as our own?


Dorothy Sayers “Lost Tools of Learning.” Reprinted with permission in Classical Christian Education Made Approachable. West End, NC: Classical Conversations MultiMedia, 2011.


“Education is the most powerful

weapon which you can use to change

the world.” –Nelson Mandela

Trivial or Essential? by Daniel Shirley, Classical Conversations Graduate

When I first came across this quotation, it begged me to ask, “Why?” I believe that a good education is necessary. Now, as a student in the Rivendell Sanctuary Honors Program in Bloomington, Minnesota (a Minnesota Campus of San Diego Christian College), I am learning to change the world, and in order to do that I have to discard trivial things such as my selfish desires in order to seek the essentials of truth, good-ness, and beauty.

My educational journey has been a process, to say the least. Since I was very young, I was homeschooled along with my two siblings, Caleb (fourteen) and Emily (sixteen). Two or three years into homeschooling, a friend introduced us to a homeschool community that was just starting up called Classical Conversations. I was about seven years old when I first met Mrs. Leigh Bortins at a small church somewhere in Greensboro. I enrolled in a Foundations class and began my journey.

During the Foundations phase of Classical Conversations, I memorized everything from Carl Linnaeus’s scientific classification system to catchy history songs. My siblings and I would chant prepositions, rattle off timeline cards, and memorize various countries around the world, depending on the cycle of Foundations we were in that year. At home, we would drill each other in the different subjects and prepare for our Memory Master tests. Foundations memorization techniques still follow me to this day, so I find learning the vocabulary for a new subject easy. For instance, during each subject here at Rivendell Sanctuary Honors Program, we have required vocabulary that we must learn in order to participate in the thoughts of great philosophers, such as Plato, Aquinas, Augustine, Descartes, Kant, and so on, and thus far I have acquired the required vocabulary with ease.

As I moved into the Challenge program, I started to develop my work ethic along with time management skills. My experience in the Challenge program is one I look back on with a smile; all the projects we were assigned were difficult but rewarding. Mock Trial was a definite highlight for me, even though we lost in the first round!


“Education became a passion; it became something I did, not

because I had to, but because I loved it.”

Today, besides offering students the opportunity to endure cold all the time in minus-fifteen-degree weather, this school prides itself in providing strong academics and in forming students of character. Having come through Classical Conversations, I find that the workload is chal-lenging but manageable, and having the capacity to think theoretically and critically has allowed me to participate in class discussions to the fullest extent.

While some of my fellow students are caught in the trivial, others have surpassed the trivial and reached for the essential lessons hidden in Euclid’s Elements or Plato’s Meno. The environment of my education through high school endowed me with a thirst for the essential knowledge of life. However, even to this moment as I reach for my tea, I find myself wondering what knowledge is really essential and what the power of truly essential knowledge is? Maybe all these ques-tions are a product of my inner Hume. Nevertheless, I truly want to make an impact in this world, because I believe these questions are essential. As followers of Christ, we are called to pursue truth, goodness, and beauty. Only through espousing the essentials can we find them.


During Challenge II, I overcame my fear of dissection and was able to appreciate the intricacies of created life. Before this experience, I was blinded by trivial preferences, but once I was pushed to overcome them, this exercise revealed an entirely new beauty in created things. In Challenge II, I was also encouraged to strengthen my writing, which had long been a point of contention in my prior education. Triviality would have me believe that writing was a pointless exercise, but the essential knowledge revealed through Challenge II showed me that writing was a new vehicle to perpetuate truth! When I arrived at Challenge III, I really began to notice the fruits of the program as well as its progressive advance into my personal life. During school time I was studying and reading, but in my spare time I would find myself engaged in meaningful conversation with friends and family. By the time I reached Challenge IV, the program was complete. Every day that I went to class was a joy, no matter which class we were in: theology, math, history, science, Latin, or literature.

Around the time I was finishing up Challenge IV, the dichotomy between my educational time and personal time had become nonexistent. My education had become part of who I was; suddenly, my “other things” time and “school” time blended. Education became a passion; it became something I did, not because I had to, but because I loved it.

All in all, the Classical Conversations program was masterfully crafted and I have benefited greatly from the program in personal and educational circles. In this program I made some of the closest friends I could hope for. As I progressed through the program, my personal time became more about discovering truth with friends and family. Sometimes I would just sit outside to watch the sunset and philosophize, or I might even make assertions about morality in history on an afternoon run with my good friend Austin Garmer.

Being able to distinguish the trivial from the essential is a vital part of living. A life in the trivial will never arrive to a place of beauty and wholesome fulfillment, whereas a life in pursuit of the essential will rejoice. Classical Conversations, along with my parents (Love you, Mom!), provided a wonderful environment for growing my discernment and ability to think theoretically and critically today. Obviously, I am by no means a master at any of those things, but I have the capacity to be, and that is due to my homeschool education.

Articles posted daily will encourage, inspire, and equip you as you homeschool your family.

Visit the Writers Circle on ClassicalConversations.com.

Daniel Shirley is an alumnus of Classical Conversations and one of the first students to have completed six years in Foundations, the full Essentials program, and the entire Challenge program through Challenge IV. Daniel enjoys running, reading, and sharing Classical Conversations with families everywhere. Daniel has his associate degree in liberal arts and plans to attend Montreat as the next step in his education.




Math as a Conversationby Amanda Butler

are looking for answers such as “an x,” “two fractions,” “a subtrac-tion sign,” and “an equal sign.” Some students may add “common denominators” and “variable.” No answer is too obvious. In fact, celebrate the obvious! This is a place where students of any mathe-matics level can contribute freely.

After identifying the parts, ask some definition questions. For example, “What does 38 mean?” or “What is a variable?” You may choose to define every part students discover or to focus on the main idea of the lesson. Allow the conversation to develop natu-rally. Be patient. Persevere. They are learning. If the students seem confused or unable to define your focus, back up and try to define simpler parts of the problem and build to the mystery. Make sure the meaning of all parts is clear.

Depending on the idea you want to focus on, you may ask a relationship question at any time of the discussion. For example, “What do we need to know to solve this problem?” This question will begin to help students see how prior lessons and Foundations memory work help to work out present homework problems. Some answers you might expect for our example problem are “sub-tracting fractions,” “solving equations,” and “simplifying improper fractions.” You may choose to review these ideas during this part of the discussion or wait until later. Before moving to the next question, you might consider asking for and writing on the board each of the math laws memorized in Foundations.

Now that everyone knows and understands the parts of the prob-lem, their schema is solid. Feel free to ask a a testimony question

What is the most valuable weapon a teacher or tutor wields? What can make a banal lecture bounce to life? What is the one thing guaranteed to wake the sleepy student? Questions! Throughout the history of classical education, teachers have used the simple question to invigorate the classroom setting. God uses questions to teach, too. To Job He asks, “Where wast thou when I laid the foundations of the earth?” (Job 38:4). In the New Testament, Jesus asks Peter,

“But whom say ye that I am?” (Matthew 16:15). Questions are not unique to Christian thought. As Aristotle studied the nature of human thought, he developed a list of questions named the “five common topics,” which include definition, comparison, circum-stance, relationship, and testimony. “Topic” comes from the Greek word topos, meaning “place,” and is the origin for English words like “topography.” “Common” means these places exist for every area of human thought. There are additional special topics for specific subjects. The five common topics are places where a person may go to think on any subject. We venture to those places via questions. In a Challenge A logic seminar, the five common topics encourage conversation by clarifying meaning, solidifying schema, and igniting students’ imaginations. Consider the problem x – 38 = 58 from Saxon’s 8/7 Lesson 18, mixed practice.

Instead of diving into a dry lecture of how to solve for x, ask the students “What do you see?” This is a circumstance question. You


to try something new in a subject area that may already have them feeling insecure. But remember, as Heather Shirley, Classical Conversations MultiMedia CEO, said, “Cultivating and nurturing another is a sobering work of endurance, long suffering, and self-sacrifice.”

Bible quotes are from Hebrew-Greek Key Word Study Bible KJV, AMG Publishers


Amanda Butler and her husband live in Texas. Their two sweet children participate in Foundations and Essentials. Amanda loves training Challenge A tutors to cultivate conversation in their seminars. She passionately pursues the lost tools of learning.

such as “What law or laws will we use to solve this problem?” This is a delightfully dialectic exercise for Challenge A students. Integrating the memorized laws and real problems is the dialectic at its best. In the beginning, you and your students may not see all the laws used, but keep trying. For our example problem, we are using a form of the Identity Law of addition on the left side, - 38 + 38 = 0, and then using the Law of Equality for the right side. We can add 38 to both sides of the equation without changing the value of the equation since 38 = 38.

To entice your students who have mastered the given concept to deeper conversation, ask another circumstance question to keep them engaged like “Can any of the parts be written a different way?” Challenge them to think through all the different ways to write numbers. The Classical Conversations Trivium Tables®: Math is an excellent resource for this part of your discussion. Ask the students to discover at least three additional ways to write each of the terms in the given equation or expression. For our example problem, answers such as 9/24 , 0.375, or 3.75 × 10-1 would be appropriate. Thinking about different numeric expressions for equal values prepares the students for the next question in the conversation.

As students become comfortable with rewriting mathematical terms, ask the students a new question such as “Can we work this problem in a different way?” Compare the method one student chooses with another. Evaluate the benefits of different thinking patterns. Challenge your advanced students to work the problem in an unconventional order. For example, with our example problem, we could use the Law of Equality first, multiplying the entire equation by 8 and obtaining 8x – 3 = 5. Next, we could add 3 to both sides and use the Identity Law of multiplication to separate the coefficient from the variable. This is not an efficient method to solve this particular equation, but it ignites thinking!

In general, ask the questions in the order and number you deter-mine will best fit your class and the situation. Some problems may require jumping straight to testimony or comparison (inequality problems, for example). Modify the five common topic questions as your understanding grows, and ask your students to compose their own common topic questions.

When you begin to transform your classroom environment from lecture to conversation, you will probably see looks of confusion, the shaking of heads, and some frustration. It is a rough adjustment for some students because they are no longer passively receiving information but instead must engage with the tutor, teacher, and math problem to get the desired answers. They are being challenged

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Creation: Humility, Harmony,

and HierarchyHow classical, Christian education nurtures humility, the appreciation of beauty,

and the cultivation of biblical virtues

by Kate Deddens

We have to be receptive in order to learn. We need to be open to instruction—to submit to those who teach us, to their ideas, and to the substance of what we are studying. These are characteristics of humility. In turn, humility leads us to understanding as we submit to deeper study. Greater understanding then helps us see the many facets of what we have learned. We notice how things fit together, how they

can be well utilized, and how they form a harmonious whole. In addition, the appreciation of harmony helps us discern the most beneficial, balanced structure for what we know and understand; it helps us to see appropriate hierarchy.

Once we perceive this flow, we notice some parallels. For example, consider the Trivium. Since humility encourages us to be receptive, it is invaluable in the grammar stage of any learning process; it helps us submit to the rigors of amassing information, of training our minds to notice, focus, and retain. As we accumulate this foundational knowledge, we begin to comprehend its meanings and implications, to integrate it, realizing that harmonious relationships exist in all we study. Through dialectic, we gain balanced comprehension and right discernment. Finally, as we perceive harmony we develop a sense for balanced partnerships and right ordering as we act in the world. This is a hallmark of the rhetoric stage—it is wisdom: judging and acting rightly.

In addition to the Trivium, classical, Christian educators focus on another significant triad: truth, beauty, and goodness. If we acknowledge that truth can be accessed epistemologically, we see that humility leads us to truth through knowledge. If we see that harmony is aesthetically pleasing, we grasp that understanding opens the door to perceiving beauty. If we grasp that goodness is ethics, then we understand that right ordering leads us to justice—to valuing biblical hierarchy in which all things are structured ap-propriately and carried out according to God’s character and will.

What can we conclude from these parallels? That grammar, dia-lectic, and rhetoric are in balanced relationship with knowledge, understanding, and wisdom; that knowledge, understanding, and wisdom are in balanced relationship with truth, beauty, and goodness; and that truth, beauty, and goodness are in a balanced relationship with humility, harmony, and hierarchy. Thus classical, Christian education is diffracted through intellectual character-

istics into transcendent and aesthetic principles and into realms of virtue. Becoming educated through the classical model causes students to follow that trajectory in learning. This is why classical education hones the skills that produce the arts of the truly educated, free man.

We could pick any particular subject to examine how this is so, but let’s look at it through the lens of science, specifically through the study of science in the Classical Conversations programs from Foundations through Challenge IV.

Data, Definition, and the Art of Learning: Foundations students cultivate humility by submitting themselves to the rigorous memorization of grammar information. As they acquire factual data, they amass a bedrock of truths across all subjects. They then begin to nurture their grasp of harmony through the dialectic process of recognizing the information as they come across it in their lives (identifying a Latin term in current usage, recognizing a geographical location, or linking historical events, for example). Here they perceive beauty in the great bounty of information that unfolds around them elegantly as they interact with others and with the world. And, as they uncover the real existence of what they have learned, they come to appreciate the natural hierarchies in the world. This allows them to see that being teachable helps them to interact wisely. In the excitement and delight that come from this process, young students learn to cultivate the virtue of becoming rhetorical, lifelong learners who love instruction. The mark of a truly great rhetorician is that he recognizes what he does not know and cultivates the art of seeking it.

Natural Science and the Art of Stewardship: Through-out Challenge A, students cultivate humility by submitting to observation. By practicing grammar-stage observational skills in their studies of nature, they begin to dialectically perceive the artistry of nature: its harmoniousness, its beauty. Finally, they understand that appropriate hierarchy requires that they rhetorically practice the virtue of stewardship over the natural world. The rhetorician embraces the art of governance.

History of Science and the Art of Discovery: In Chal-lenge B, students humbly submit to the rigors of researching significant scientists. They thereby also learn from examples of brilliant scientists who have themselves submitted to disciplined thought—and, very often, a Christ-centered worldview—in order to revolutionize their fields of study. This grammar infor-mation reveals the harmony displayed by so many common


approach the rigors of the procedures they seek to master but they will also perceive that chemistry is relentlessly harmonious: chemical and electrical interactions are intrinsically in balance. This helps students dialectically cultivate a sense of the beauty in harmonious relationships, which in turn helps them to grasp the virtue that biblical hierarchy demands not just loving stew-ardship of the creation, but also love of one’s neighbor. The best rhetoric is motivated by the art of love.

Physics and the Art of Being Just: In the capstone of the Classical Conversations programs, Challenge IV, students study physics, submitting themselves to the rigors of mathematical concepts and applications that delve deeply into how our cos-mos is governed by energy and forces. The harmonious system of forces at work brings students to the dialectical realization that balanced order is a hallmark of creation, and this brings students to perceive and value the natural hierarchies that abound, teaching them the virtue of the love of justice. The highest rhetoric is governed by a profound understanding of the art and application of justice.

For classical, Christian students, the study of the creation through science is a fruitful journey to producing humility, perceiving harmony, and practicing right hierarchy.


Kate Deddens and her husband Ted have four children, the oldest has graduated from their home school, and the younger three participate in Foundations, Essentials, and Challenge. Kate has tutored almost every Challenge program and is an avid supporter of classical education.

characteristics in the thinking and methods of these scientists, and students recognize the aesthetic excellence in inquiry itself: they see how the dialectical process of exploring science well is beautiful, and through this they cultivate the virtue of the rhetorical act of intentionally incorporating the art of discovery into their lives.

Physical Science and the Art of Analysis: Challenge I opens up the world of the laboratory, in which students submit to the scientific method in the research seminar and hone the grammar skills of experimentation, careful record-keeping in lab journals, and conscientious reporting in lab reports. This humility in the face of scientific procedure, which is in and of itself highly dialectical, in turn helps students to see the harmony in experimentation: how the scientific method, regularly applied to many different contexts, produces instructive and dependable results. Through this, students perceive the beauties of the dialectic in experimentation and cultivate the rhetorical virtue of disciplined, artful analysis.

Biology and the Art of Loving Creation: Challenge II students learn humility in the face of the amazing character of physical incarnation. Through the microscope and in their dissections, they examine grammar material in detail and begin to perceive the harmonies in material substances, coming to appreciate through dialectical investigation the deep physi-cal beauty and merit of creation. As a result, they develop an understanding that appropriate hierarchy demands not simply a desire to rhetorically steward nature but also an inclination to actively sharpen the art of loving creation.

Chemistry and the Art of Loving Your Neighbor: Challenge III sees students submit to the rigorous application of mathematical principles to physical substance in their chemistry studies and lab experiments. They not only must humbly



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OREC

LEIGH A. BORTINS

Y o u r C h i l d t h e

C l a s s i c a l E d u c a t i o n

D I O B O O K

Classical Christian Education Made Approachable

Have you heard about classical, Christian education but find the very thought intimidating? Let this simple

booklet guide you as you discover the tools to learn any subject as a family.

CS078 $10.00

Echo In Celebration: A Call to Home-Centered EducationLeigh A. Bortins

In this easy-to-read book, Leigh shares her own educational journey and passion for home-centered

education. Leigh encourages parents and educators to become lifelong learners who study all subjects as a way to learn about the Creator.

CS015 $6.99

The CoreLeigh A. Bortins

Perfect for first-time homeschoolers. Are you curious about the core body of knowledge that all educated humans should know? Read The Core to find the lost tools for teaching reading, writing, history, science, math, geography, and fine arts in the elementary years.

CS071 $11.00

The Core, AudiobookCS107 $25.00

The QuestionLeigh A. Bortins

Do you feel anxious about homes-chooling your children through middle and high school? The Question will

rekindle your love of homeschooling by showing you how to join forces with your child’s natural curiosity in the pre-teen years.

CS099 $16.00

NEW! The ConversationLeigh A. Bortins

Why do so many families stop homeschooling when their children reach high school? In her third book

on classical education, Bortins makes a compelling case for parents to stay the course and reap the rewards of the rhetoric stage of learning.

CS108 $16.00

C lassicalonversations®

CLASSICAL CHRISTIAN COMMUNITY

Track 1. Bortins family and Christian

2011

Cla

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Mult

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MADE APPROACHABLE

CLASSICAL CHRISTIANE D U C A T I O N

The Compass of Classical Conversations, 2-Disc Set

Perfect for families new to Classical Conversations. On Disc 1, founder Leigh Bortins compares and contrasts

classical, Christian education and modern education. Disc 2 provides an overview of Classical Conversations’ programs and communities.

CS079 $10.00

COMINGSUMMER 2015

GETTING STARTED

Are you new t o c lassical homeschoo l ing?

Classical Conversations moms and dads recommend...

C L A S S I C A L C O N V E R S A T I O N S B O O K S . C O MO U R L I C E N S E D D I R E C T O R S A R E I N D E P E N D E N T C O N T R A C T O R S . V I S I T O U R W E B S I T E A N D C L I C K O N C O M M U N I T Y T O C O N TA C T Y O U R L O C A L S U P P O R T M A N A G E R F O R M O R E I N F O R M AT I O N .

http://www.classicalconversationsbooks.com

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Wondering where to start? Attend a Parent Practicum this summer to learn more about classical, Christian education from experienced homeschool moms and dads in your area. See page 88 for details.

Classical Conversations communities meet once a week, but as a homeschooling parent, you educate every day. CC Connected offers you the help you need at your fingertips anytime you need it. It provides a wealth of resources and a community of experienced Classical Conversations parents to help

you reclaim your own education as you create a unique and wonderful education for your children!

CC Connected offers a Learning Center, a forum, and a file sharing area for each Classical Conversations program: Foundations, Essentials, and Challenge.

Learning Centers contain video and audio tutorials on thesubjects specific to that tier, designed by our Program Management team. New tutorials are added regularly, and parents can learn at their own speed.

On the Foundations Learning Center, watch the timelinesong, learn the hand motions that go along with it, and explore the interactive tutorials for students. Tutorials teachall the Foundations memory work using songs, visuals, and extra helpful information.

Forums connect you with other Classical Conversations parents across the country. Post your questions and contribute to discussions about your child’s tier. Program Managers are available to answer questions as well.

On the Essentials Learning Center, watch step-by-stepvideos on how to parse a sentence, get great teaching tips for grammar and writing, or watch videos that demonstrate math games your family will love to play at home.

On the Challenge Learning Center you have access to videos on Latin created by Classical Conversations tutors, the Lost Tools of Writing videos with Andrew Kern, andmany more how-to videos on mock trial, debate, science fair, and more!

File-Sharing Centers connect you with additional resources created by other parents.These are files created at home, for use at home: a virtual library of unofficial tools shared byparents everywhere.

Registration is FREE. Explore our guest area’s sample resources before subscribing to one or more tiers at an affordable monthly or annual rate. Community members enjoy substantial discounts, making CC Connected an economical investment for your home school.

C L A S S I C A L C O N V E R S A T I O N S B O O K S . C O MP R O D U C T P R I C E S A N D A V A I L A B I L I T Y S U B J E C T T O C H A N G E W I T H O U T N O T I C E . P L E A S E V I S I T T H E B O O K S T O R E W E B S I T E F O R C U R R E N T I N F O R M AT I O N .

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CONNECTED

Your family’s at-home classical learning centersupporting parents the other four days of the week.


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COMINGSPRING 2015

Where do the littlest learners begin?SCRIBBLERS

Saxon K–3 ManipulativesXS019 $94.40

The Writing Road to ReadingRomalda Bishop Spalding

The Spalding Method is a total language arts approach that teaches parents to teach students to spell, write, and read. Now fully updated to reflect the latest research on how children learn language, this newest edition is easier to use than ever. (6th edition) CS069 $27.99

Song School Latin Book 1Amy Rehn

Sing, trace, and draw your way into basic Latin with your youngest children! Song School Latin Book 1 is an interactive workbook with activities, 31 weekly lessons, everyday vocabulary, and a very gentle introduction to Latin grammar. (includes CD)

SC051 $24.95

Spell to Write and Read Core KitWanda Sanseri

The Core Kit provides the first four to six years of unified language arts. Spelling serves as the foundation for phonics, penmanship, literature, composition, grammar, and vocabulary. The program uses a logical progression, multi-sensory instruction, and scientific research to produce outstanding spellers and readers.

SC055 $105.00Learning Log—Primary SC054 $6.00Learning Log—Black SC053 $12.00

American Language Series Phonics ReadersThese readers are filled with short stories containing interesting character-training themes, science, history, nature, and more. Written with one-syllable words, each book is designed around one of the six basic phonics word groups in our American Language.Fun in the Sun SC100 $15.95Scamp and Tramp SC101 $15.95Soft and White SC102 $15.95At the Farm SC103 $15.95On the Trail SC104 $15.95Sounds of the Sea SC105 $15.95

Song School Latin Book 2Amy Rehn

Song School Latin Book 2 continues your child’s learning with 32 weekly lessons and even more vocabulary and fun activities. (includes CD)

SC052 $24.95

Spelling PlusSusan Anthony

Spelling Plus will help your student master the most commonly used and misspelled words, ensuring improvement in first-draft writing.

ES017 $19.95

Drawing with ChildrenTeach drawing simply and classically using this resource. PS008 $18.95

NEW! Nature Sketch Journal

Alternating blank and lined pages give budding scientists room to record what they see and think.

Includes reference materials. Spiral bound; 120 pages. AS040 $12.99

Scribblers is a recommended at-home curriculum for children ages three to

se en. hese products help hone ne motor skills reinforce memory work and

teach young children about truth goodness and beauty.

NEW! Trivium at the Table Placemats: Geography Cycle 1

Now your little ones can learn geography while they snack and play with these colorful 11” x 17” laminated placemats. Double-sided.

Complete with rounded edges for long-lasting fun. (set of four: two World and two Africa, front and back) SK001 $25.00

COMINGSOON



PreScripts

PreScriptsL E T T E R S A N D C O L O R I N G

W O R L D H I S T O R Y

LEARN CURSIVE & COLOR A TIMELIN

E!

Cursive Sentences and Art Lessons: American History Students practice cursive and art by copying sentences from American history and drawing related artworks.

SC031 $12.99

Cursive Passages and Illuminations: American DocumentsStudents refine cursive through longer passages of writing taken from American documents and speeches. Students are intro-duced to the practice of illumination to make each copybook become a real work of art.

SC040 $12.99

NEW! Cursive Passages and Illuminations: Poetry Students practice cursive through the poems of Shakespeare, Chaucer, Browning, Frost, and many others. Students will learn to recognize rhetorical devices in poetry and illustrate the imagery in these classic poems.

SC045 $12.99

Cursive Sentences and Art Lessons: Medieval to Modern World HistoryStudents copy longer sentences from medieval to modern world history. Each sentence is accompanied by a related piece of artwork used to teach the elements of composition such as depth, point of view, and light and shadow. SC030 $12.99

Cursive Letters and Coloring: World HistoryColor your way through the Classical Acts & Facts History Timeline with this consumable resource. Covers a sampling from all three Foundations cycles. SC011 $5.99

Cursive Words and Drawing: Scripture Introduces children to cursive: letters, then words, then simple sentences. This book focuses on lessons from Proverbs and the book of James as well as drawing lessons using basic shapes.

SC020 $12.99

NEW! Cursive Sentences and Art Lessons: Ancient History A perfect companion for your Cycle 1 Memory Work! Students copy longer sentences from ancient history and learn the elements of composition through historical images. SC032 $12.99

PreScriptsC U R S I V E L E T T E R S A N D C O L O R I N G

Medieval to Modern World History

PreScriptsC U R S I V E W O R D S A N D D R A W I N G

Scripture

PreScripts

Cursive Letters and Coloring: Medieval to Modern World HistoryIntroduce your child to the building blocks of cursive writing and drawing. Finger tracing, tracing with pencil, and copying build confidence and fine motor skills. Coloring pages include images from medieval to modern world history.

SC010 $11.99

Cursive Words and Drawing: Math TermsSimple cursive words and sentences provide handwriting practice and reinforce basic math definitions. Drawing lessons show your child how to find and sketch examples of math in nature.

SC021 $12.99

PreScripts

PreScripts

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The PreScripts® series reinforces memory work for students old enough to

hold a crayon all the way through cursive mastery. Now your student can

practice cursive writing using uality copywork from Scripture history

math terms or poetry. lso included are coloring pages drawing practice

and lessons on composition.

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FOUNDATIONS What is the foundation of a great education?

C FOUNDATIONS

Leigh A. Bortins

lassicalonversations®

the weekly grammar for classical communities

4th edition

Foundations Curriculum Guide, 4th edition*

This is the foundational resource for all three cycles of our Foundations program. Besides containing helpful information for families just beginning the homeschool journey, the guide includes week-by-week subject-by-subject outlines for all memory work in each

cycle, related science activities, fine arts activities, and a full appendix of maps.

Leigh A. Bortins

This is the foundational resource for all three cycles of our Foundations program. Besides containing helpful information for families just beginning the homeschool journey, the guide

includes week-by-week and subject-by-subject outlines for all memory work in each cycle, related science activities, fine arts activities, and a full appendix of maps. FS100

Tin Whistle, Key of D* This truly symphonic instrument is used to teach music theory and to play simple tunes. One needed per child. Tutors, remember to order one for yourself! Colors may vary. FS023 $11.00

Just Getting Started?This is all you need:

Foundations Curriculum Guide

Memory FlashcardsThese convenient and durable business card-sized flashcards provide memory work review

on the go! Sturdy cardstock is laminated to make these cards last.

Cycle 1 FS102 $30.00 Cycle 2 FS202 $30.00 Cycle 3 FS302 $30.00

Memory Flashcards PDF downloadThis is an economical alternative to the premade Memory Flashcards. Formatted and ready for you to print and create your own. Visit our online bookstore to download.

Cycle 1 FS005 $15.00

Audio 3-CD setThis portable resource has gotten even better! In addition to math, history, Latin, English, timeline,

science, and presidents songs we now bring you a history timeline tune, books of the Bible, and Scripture memory tune! Weekly and subject summary formats. Contents vary from cycle to cycle.


Memory Work Resource CDContains same memory work as audio CD plus visual aids and print-ables of memory work for tutors

and students. PC-compatible only, Windows platform.


2014–2015CYCL

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* Indicates required resources for licensed programs.

See pages 16–17 for the program details.



with the artist or composer on the front and a fuller description on the back. Each card front also contains a beautiful memory peg image. Images were chosen to serve families in Foundations as well as Western cultural studies in Challenge II. Anyone wanting to add fine arts to your study of history will appreciate these beautiful resources.NEW! Set 1 FS104 $9.99Set 3 FS304 $9.99

Classical Conversations has developed its own timeline of 161 historical events, representing major cultures on every

continent. You and your students are sure to enjoy this exceptional collection of classical acts and facts of human history from creation to current day, including the U.S. presidents. Each card front contains a beautiful memory peg image. Images were chosen to serve families all the way through cultural studies in the upper levels of Challenge. The back of each card also includes a world map, pinpointing the event location, and a general timeline, illustrating when the event occurred relative to known history.Ancient World FS046 $22.99Medieval World FS047 $22.99New World FS048 $22.99Modern World FS049 $22.99

See page 16 for the program details.

Age of Ancient Empires FS054 $2.75The Middle Ages FS055 $2.75Age of Exploration, Age of Absolute Monarchs, Age of Enlightenment FS056 $2.75Age of Industry FS057 $2.75Age of Information and Globalization FS058 $2.75All Ages (entire song) FS059 $10.00

EXCL

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Classical Acts & Facts® Timeline SongsOnline only! Purchase and download the

Classical Acts & Facts® History Timeline Songs in MP3 format, high quality audio (256 kbps).

C L A S S I C A L C O N V E R S A T I O N S B O O K S . C O MP r o d u c t P r i c e s a n d a v a i l a b i l i t y s u b j e c t t o c h a n g e w i t h o u t n o t i c e . P l e a s e v i s i t t h e b o o k s t o r e w e b s i t e f o r c u r r e n t i n f o r m at i o n .

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Classical Acts & Facts® Artists and Composers

A supplementary series of acts and facts cards featuring the world’s greatest artists and composers. The cards are

similar to our Classical Acts & Facts® History Cards,

EXCL

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Classical Acts & Facts® Science Cards

Classical Conversations’ exclusive series of science acts and facts, arranged into four sets according

to major science categories, will serve you and your family throughout your educational journey. These high-quality, laminated, 5˝ x 8˝ cards contain a comprehensive set of grammar pegs that relate to Foundations memory work all the way through our Challenge programs’ sciences. Over 120 unique acts and facts in all!Biology and Geology FS040 $19.99Ecology, Astronomy, and Physics FS041 $19.99Anatomy, Chemistry, and Origins FS042 $19.99Famous Scientists and More FS043 $19.99

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Students in the Foundations program lay a firm foundation in history, science, languages, arithmetic, and geography.

COMINGSUMMER 2015


K–3 Manipulatives Set XS019 $94.40Kindergarten Kit (1st ed.) XS020 $77.35First Grade Kit (1st ed.) XS003 $117.55Second Grade Kit (1st ed.) XS006 $117.55Third Grade Kit (1st ed.) XS008 $121.205/4 Homeschool Kit (3rd ed.) XS010 $96.85

DVD set (14 discs)+ XS009 $175.006/5 Homeschool Kit (3rd ed.) XS014 $96.85

DVD set (14 discs)+ XS013 $175.007/6 Homeschool Kit (4th ed.) XS017 $107.75

DVD set (15 discs)+ XS016 $175.00

Saxon Math Texts for K–Sixth GradeAll of the Saxon kits include a student text, answer keys, and tests. The K–third grades also include Teacher’s Manual and a Meeting Book. The 8/7 Level and above have a separate detailed solutions manual. High school math is difficult because arith-metic is rarely mastered. We recommend complete mastery before going to the next text. To determine where your student should start, use the assessment test at www.Saxonhomeschool.com (Resources section).

Teaching Tape Technology produces an excellent DVD series to complement Saxon Math for Saxon Math Levels 5/4 and above. Teaching Tape Technology is not affiliated with Saxon Publishers, Inc.

Classical Conversations Foundations Memory Work Tutorials

Classical Conversations students, ages 4 through 12, have been enjoying the Memory Work

Tutorials in our online subscription service, CC Connected. (For more about this inexpensive online resource, please see page 65).Now we offer the foundational knowledge of seven topics for each cycle in a fun, inter-active application for your Apple devices, with touchscreen features.New features include enhanced graphics and interactivity, Classical Conversations® Classical Acts & Facts® Timeline, and U.S. presidents!

Cycle 2

Updated! Cycle 3 (available Fall 2014)from iTunes only

Trivium Tables®: GeographyThis convenient resource provides everything students need to preview

and review geography! Each laminated table lists the geography terms for the current Foundations cycle, map keys, and a large blackline master for students to trace, color, or copy as they learn. Tables fold to fit conveniently in a notebook or tote so they go where you go!

$10.00 $10.00 $10.00

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Understanding MathematicsKeith Kressin

From counting to calculus, this reference covers it all! Explains critical math concepts every child needs to know to build a strong foundation in math.

PS023 $24.95

Math Problems and Solutions Guide

PS024 $24.95

Tables, Squares & CubesLeigh A. Bortins

Algebra would be so much easier if students would memorize the multi-plication tables through 15 along with the squares and cubes through 20. This inexpensive kit drills the lower tables as well as the higher tables, squares, and cubes.

XS021 $5.00


Cycle 1 FS051 Cycle 2 FS052 Cycle 3 FS053

$15.99

Cycle 1

http://www.Saxonhomeschool.com


201 Awesome ExperimentsJanice VanCleave

Many, many awesome experiments! Used in all three cycles for science experiments portion of curriculum.

FS024 $16.95

Classical Music for DummiesDavid Pogue and Scott Speck

Used in all three cycles during the composers portion of the fine arts work. Includes CD for students to listen to. Used again in Challenge II for memorization in music history.

FS002 $24.99

The Story of the World SeriesPeace Hill Press

We highly recommend this wonderful series of stories and activities that is an excellent complement to our curriculum. Enjoy the stories in any order, at any time, over and over again. They are great! All story books and activity books are paperback.

Vol. I: Ancient TimesStory Book HS003 $16.95Activity Book HS001 $34.95Audio (7-CD set) HS002 $39.95

Vol. II: The Middle AgesStory Book HS006 $16.95Activity Book HS004 $36.95Audio (9-CD set) HS005 $44.95

Vol. III: Early Modern TimesStory Book HS009 $16.95Activity Book HS007 $36.95Audio (9-CD set) HS008 $49.95

Vol. IV: The Modern AgeStory Book HS012 $16.95Activity Book HS010 $36.95Audio (11-CD set) HS011 $54.95

Drawing with ChildrenMona Brookes

Teach drawing simply and classically using this resource.

PS008 $18.95

Discovering Great ArtistsMaryAnn F. Kohl and Kim Solga

Used in all three cycles during the Great Artists portion of the fine arts work. Students love these fun projects that also teach the techniques and styles of the many different artists.

FS017 $18.95


Alternating blank and lined pages give budding scientists room to record what they see and think.

Includes reference materials. 120 pages, spiral bound. AS040 $12.99

COMINGSPRING 2015

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NEW! Trivium at the Table Placemats: Geography, Cycle 1Now your little ones can learn geography while they snack and play with these colorful 11” x 17” laminated placemats. Double-sided. Complete with rounded edges for long-lasting fun. Set of 4, with two world maps and two Africa maps per set. Each map is two-sided, with key on one side and blank spaces for memory practice on the other. SK001 $25.00


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ESSENTIALS W hat are t he essent ials of

mat h and language arts?

History-Based Writing Lessons SeriesInstitute for Excellence in Writing (IEW)

Tutors teach the lesson in class, then families can complete the writing assign-ment at home to present the following week as time allows.

NEW! Ancient History-Based Writing, 4th ed. *

(Cycle 1) Teacher & Student* EK001 $49.00 Student only ES005 $29.00

Medieval History-Based Writing(Cycle 2) Teacher & Student EK002 $49.00 Student only ES021 $29.00

U.S. History-Based Writing, Vol. 1(Cycle 3) Teacher & Student EK004 $49.00 Student only ES012 $29.00

Teaching Writing: Structure & Style, 2nd edition *

Institute for Excellence in Writing

Writing made doable! This syllabus accompanies the nine-DVD set that teaches a systematic and practical approach to writing. This top-notch writing program teaches models and techniques for English composition that logically build upon each other, allowing students to become familiar and competent with a variety of writing formats and styles. IEW TWSS Syllabus* ES033 $ 35.00IEW TWSS DVDs & Syllabus EK003 $189.00IEW TWSS DVD set only ES032 $155.00

Tour Guide: Essentials of the English LanguageLeigh A. Bortins

Join Leigh Bortins in uncovering the essentials of the English language. Step inside her Essentials

community as she encourages students in their language studies and equips parents by modeling the classical approach to teaching language.6-Disc Set: 5 DVDs & 1 CD of instructions and handouts

ES003 $29.95

IEW’s Portable Walls Not enough available wall space for posters? No problem! Your student can have a writing station at his or her own desk. IEW’s Portable Walls is a single-pocket folder with an extra page, creating a tri-fold wall packed with all the Unit Models, several word lists including prepositions, substitutes for “said,” and more. Levels A–C.

ES008 $7.00

CYCL

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GUIDE CDGetting Started

©2010 Classical Conversations® MultiMedia All rights reserved. Please do not copy o

r distr

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www.ClassicalConversationsBooks.com


MULTIMEDIA

Tour Guide:ESSENTIALSof the English Language

earn the basics of numbers words and

sentences. For more information about

the ssentials Program see pages .

For Cycle 1, you will need:Essentials of the English Language

Teaching Writing: Structure & Style SyllabusAncient History-Based Writing, 4th ed.


Essentials of the English Language, 4th edition revised*

Essentials of the English Language was designed to be used within a licensed Classical Conversations Essentials community.

Leigh A. Bortins

Essentials of the English Language has been written and formatted to put the tools of learning English grammar at tutors’ and parents’ fingertips. The “grammar” of English is systematically introduced and reinforced, and the weekly dialectic exercises have been written with more variety and clarity than ever. ES025

IEW Structure and Style Overview DVDAndrew Pudewa introduces the Teaching Writing: Structure & Style method of teaching writing, including the nine units of structure and several stylistic techniques. Andrew provides insight into why this method is so effective in teaching even the most reluctant writer. Ideal for Essentials parents.

ES010 $10.00



GraphboardC 1996 The Markerboard People

G1116 - 2x - CCItem #

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www.DryErase.com1-800-DRY-ERASE

This product is made in the USA byThe Markerboard People®. The configuration of the board is a trademark/trade dress of The Markerboard People Inc.

® Created by

Exclusivelyfor

COMINGSPRING 2015


FLASHCARDS

+1ADDITION

the Commutative Law

SET

math facts through 15 + 15

Commutative Law of Addition

8 + 14 14 + 8

13

22

13


FLASHCARDS

×2MULTIPLICATION

the Commutative Law

SET

math facts through 15 × 15

Commutative Lawof Multiplication

15

0

120

14

Tables, Squares & CubesLeigh A. BortinsPlease see page 70 for full description.

XS021 $ 5.00

Math FlashcardsThese sets of 68 cards each with facts from 0 to 15 are the latest tools in the memory work toolbox from

Classical Conversations. Cards are 2.75” x 3.75,” laminated, with rounded corners, and contained in a sturdy box.Addition ES026 $ 9.99Multiplication ES027 $ 9.99

NEW! Quick Flip ArithmeticPractice math operations with simple and fun games using a deck

of cards! Developed by a team of students from the Mandala Fellowship, these games are designed to increase speed and accuracy. Students learn that they can practice any skill presented in a textbook by drilling themselves.

ES031 $10.99

English GrammarThis foldable, quick reference contains the core memory work from Essentials of the English Language in a simplified and streamlined format.

ES023 $10.00

Quid et QuoStudents are able to complete a Quid et Quo exercise with dry-erase, fine-tip markers using the helpful, analytical task references on the laminated surface. Also included are additional memory work items such as verb anatomy and the 112 Simple Sentences.

ES024 $10.00

MathIncludes definitions of different types of numbers, comparisons of four basic operations on each of those number types, as well as drills.

ES029 $10.00

RhetoricPractice the five canons of rhetoric in these inviting, compact exercises.

ES028 $10.00

All of the Trivium Tables are laminated, folding, 4-panel resources designed to be used over

and over for many years. All fold to 83/8” x 107/8.”

Tables, Squares & Cubes

A Multi-Sensory Drill Kit for Multiplication Memorization

Leigh Bortins

Trivium Tables®

Our Mother Tongue Nancy Wilson

Grammar, parts of speech, diagram-ming—it’s all here! This compact and comprehensive resource promises to help any parent teach students great grammar!Text ES015 $20.00Key ES016 $5.00

Grammar & Diagramming SentencesGarlic Press

To use after Our Mother Tongue for advanced practice.

ES004 $13.95Spelling PlusSusan Anthony

Spelling Plus will help your student master the most commonly used and misspelled words, ensuring improvement in first-draft writing.

ES017 $19.95

The Synonym FinderJ. I. Rodale

Over 1 million synonyms—the largest, most comprehensive thesaurus in print. Expanded to include thousands of new words and expressions that have entered the language in recent years.

ES019 $19.00

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NEW! WhiteboardsWhether you’re diagramming a sentence, drawing a map, parsing Latin, working a math exercise,

or graphing an equation, this 11˝ x 16˝whiteboard is a must-have for every student in your homeschool. Fits in a backpack!

CS112 $9.99Set of 8 CK112 $64.00 See page 18 for the program details.

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Dictation ResourceSusan Anthony

Companion book to Spelling Plus. Teach spelling, capitalization, punctuation, and language skills with less effort and MORE SUCCESS using dictation! ES001 $12.95

Spell to Write and Read Core KitWanda Sanseri

See page 66 for full description. SC055 $105.00

Learning Log—Primary SC054 $6.00Learning Log—Black SC053 $12.00


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® Created by

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COMINGSPRING 2015

CHALLENGE W hat inspires ownership?

Exposition & Composition

A

n hallenge the themes of

Newbery-awarded literature

encourage students to own their

educations producing inspired and

motivated lifelong learners. Using

The Lost Tools of Writing students

learn to practice a timeless method

of thinking and communicating

persuasively.

The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe *

C. S. LewisBS030 $8.99

Carry On, Mr. Bowditch *

Jean Lee LathamAS003 $6.95

The Magician’s Nephew *

C. S. LewisAS031 $8.99

Number the Stars *

Lois LowryAS022 $6.99

Amos Fortune, Free Man *

Elizabeth YatesAS001 $6.99

The Secret Garden *

Frances BurnettAS032 $6.99

The Door in the Wall *

Marguerite de AngeliAS030 $6.99

A Gathering of Days *

Joan W. BlosBS001 $6.99

Crispin: The Cross of Lead *

AviBS003 $7.99

The Bronze Bow *

Elizabeth SpeareAS029 $6.95

Words Aptly Spoken®: Children’s Literature, 2nd edition Jen Greenholt

This study guide combines author biographies and thoughtful study questions for literature selections

in Challenges A and B. Choose a few of the thought questions for each novel to have stimulating and character-forming discussions with your older children.

AS035 $19.99

The Lost Tools of Writing *

Andrew Kern

Level 1: This easy-to-use Christian, classical composition program lays the foundation for higher level thinking, writing, and speaking skills. Set includes Teacher Workbook, Student Workbook (consum-able), and DVDs.Level 1 Set PS019 $157.00Student Workbook PS020 $39.00

Debate

Compact World Atlas*

Dorling-Kindersley

Sketching daily from a current 8.5˝ x 11˝ atlas equips students to memorize the world’s major geographical locations and features.

AS005 $14.95

Trivium Tables®: Rhetoric

Please see page 73 for full description.ES028 $10.00

NEW! WhiteboardsPlease see page 73 for full description. CS112 $9.99

Set of 8 CK112 $64.00 * Indicates required resources for licensed programs.



Rhetoric ResearchGrammar

Logic

Nature Sketch JournalSpecially designed pages for students to record their research and produce labeled sketches for both

natural science and biology. AS040 $12.99

Biology 100+ Series Lab Sheets *

Joan DiStasio

Includes simple, easy-to-copy drawings of body systems as well as worksheets to label and define terms associated with the lungs, brain, heart, and more!

AS002 $12.99

Lyrical Life Science, Vol. 3Lyrical Learning

This set of workbook, teacher’s manual, and CD helps students easily learn human anatomy. Complex vocabulary put to simple folk songs. (optional)

FS020 $29.50 Additional Workbook FS019 $5.95

Henle First Year Latin *

Robert HenleText 1S011 $16.95Key 1S010 $4.50Henle Grammar (used through Henle IV) 1S009 $9.50

Tour Guide: LatinIn this 3-disc set, Leigh Bortins is joined by veteran CC tutor Denise Moore to model teaching Latin.

(optional)PS026 $24.95

It Couldn’t Just Happen *

Lawrence O. Richards

Assists students in defending Creationism against evolution. Students summarize key ideas from each chapter.

AS008 $16.99

The Fallacy Detective *

Nathaniel Bluedorn and Hans Bluedorn

Teach your child to recognize bad reasoning in 38 fun-filled lessons. Perfect for ages 12 through adult.

PS018 $22.00

Math 8/7, 3rd editionSaxon

Reviews arithmetic calculation, measure-ments, basic geometry, and other founda-tional concepts and skills. Also includes extensive pre-algebra exercises, preparing the students for upper-level mathematics. Homeschool Kit contains text, solutions book, answer key, and tests.KIT AS024 $107.75 Teaching Tape Tech. 19-DVD set (optional)

AS023 $200.00R

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C L A S S I C A L C O N V E R S A T I O N S B O O K S . C O MP r o d u c t P r i c e s a n d a v a i l a b i l i t y s u b j e c t t o c h a n g e w i t h o u t n o t i c e . P l e a s e v i s i t t h e b o o k s t o r e w e b s i t e f o r c u r r e n t i n f o r m at i o n .

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Trivium Tables®: LatinLearn the grammar of Latin—noun declensions, verb conjugations, and beginning vocabulary. This laminated

resource folds to fit nicely into your notebook for the year. (Recommended for Challenges A–IV.) (optional)

FS050 $10.00

Trivium Tables®: MathIncludes definitions of different types of numbers, comparisons of four basic operations on each of

those number types, as well as drills. Eight laminated panels fold to fit easily into a notebook for convenience.

ES029 $10.00

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CHALLENGE W hat bui lds se l f-d isci pl i ne?


B

Rhetoric

Words Aptly Spoken®: Children’s Literature, 2nd edition

Jen Greenholt

Challenge parents can stay connected by discussing excellent literature with their children. This study guide

combines author biographies and thoughtful study questions for all of the literature in Challenges A and B. The questions provide a framework to analyze distinguished literature from a classical model perspective.

AS035 $19.99

NEW! Words Aptly Spoken®: Short Stories, 3rd edition *

Jen Greenholt

This short story sampler showcases the works of classic authors. Includes

review and comprehension questions, provides opportunities for writing practice, and prepares students for more intensive literature study in high school.

BS038 $19.99


Andrew Kern

Level 1: This easy-to-use Christian, classical composition program lays the foundation for higher level thinking, writing, and speaking skills. Set includes Teacher Workbook, Student Workbook (consum-able), and DVDs.Level 1 Set PS019 $157.00Student Workbook PS020 $39.00

The Phantom Tollbooth *

Norton JusterBS031 $6.99

Little Britches: Father and I Were Ranchers *

Ralph Moody RS002 $14.95

Where the Red Fern Grows *

Wilson Rawls BS035 $6.99

The Hiding Place *

Corrie ten Boom BS029 $7.99

With intellectually-stimulating novels in Challenge

B students confront ideas about personal and spiri-

tual discipline. Corrie ten Boom’s The Hiding Place

provokes conversation on the merit of religious per-

severance while Poe’s chilling The Telltale Heart

might warn against reckless behavior and secrecy.

Through the novels and discussion students e pand

their understanding of discipline gathering impres-

sions that plant seeds for successful futures.

Intermediate Logic, 3rd ed.*James B. Nance

Introduces the math behind formal logic. Analysis of the logic in ideas is discussed.Student Handbook BS045 $29.00Teacher Edition BS046 $32.00Test Packet (optional) BS048 $10.00DVD set (optional) BS047 $75.00

Introductory Logic, 5th ed. *

James B. NanceStudent Handbook BS041 $29.00Teacher Edition BS042 $32.00Test Packet (optional) BS044 $10.00DVD set (optional) BS043 $75.00

Tour Guide: LogicOur Tour Guide series was designed to give you extra guidance on your homeschooling

journey. In this 2-disc set, Classical Conversations Founder Leigh Bortins shares practical tips and tricks for understanding and teaching logic. (optional)

PS007 $19.95

Trivium Tables®: RhetoricPractice the five canons of rhetoric in these inviting, compact exercises.

ES028 $10.00




ResearchDebate

3 www.ClassicalConversations.com

Mock Trial Notebook

Case #3 State v. Barrett

Mock TrialNotebook


Mock Trial Notebook

Case #2 Parker v. Calhoun

Mock TrialNotebook

Algebra 1/2, 3rd editionSaxon

Algebra 1/2 covers all topics normally taught in pre-algebra, as well as additional topics from geometry and discrete mathe-matics. It is recommended for seventh-graders who plan to take first-year algebra in the eighth grade, or for eighth-graders who plan to take first-year algebra in the ninth grade. Kit includes textbook and homeschool test packet.KIT BS026 $84.10 Solutions Manual BS027 $45.30 Teaching Tape Tech. 16-DVD set(optional) BS025 $200.00

Logic

Grammar

Classical Acts & Facts® Science Cards: Famous Scientists

This set encompasses the key accomplishments of many famous scientists studied in Challenge B;

your family will find it a valuable resource!(optional) FS043 $19.99

The Soul of ScienceNancy Pearcey and Charles Thaxton

Discussion of how early scientific advancement was influenced and fueled by the Christian worldview held by scientists in the past as they endeavored to know God and His world. This book is primarily for tutors and parents who want to add to their knowledge of science and Christianity. (optional)

BS032 $19.99

Defeating Darwinism *

Phillip Johnson

Johnson encourages us to develop good thinking habits in order to avoid common mistakes in discussions about evolution.

BS004 $15.00Discovering Atomos,

revised edition *

Jen Greenholt

This booklet provides sixth- through eighth-graders a basic introduction to

chemical processes at the atomic level. Also available in downloadable PDF format.

BS039 $8.00



Mock Trial Notebook *

NEW! Case, reports, and information for mock trial. In the 2015–2016 school year, students will use Case #1.

BS051 $12.50

Discovering AtomosA Grammatical Introduction to Atomic Processes in Chemistry

Jen GreenholtRevised Edition

BIOLO

GY

Gregor MendelScience of Modern Genetics

1800s

SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY

4

Robert BoyleModern Chemistry and Boyle’s Law

1600s

SHEILA TERRY / SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY

CHEM

ISTRY

101

C lassicalonversations® ©2010 Classical Conversations® MultiMedia

Boyle (1627-1691) was one of the scientists responsible for making chemistry a distinct field of science. Boyle rejected Aristotle’s four elements of the universe (air, fire, water, and earth) in favor of an explanation that included multiple small elements.

Boyle’s law states that the volume and pressure of a gas are inversely proportional if the mass and temperature are constant.

With the help of Robert Hooke, Boyle used an air pump to create a vacuum in which he tested the predictions of other scientists as far back as Galileo.

Robert Boyle, an Irishman, launched the field of modern chemistry in the 1600s.

Who was Robert Boyle?

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Trivium Tables®: LatinPlease see full description on page 75.

FS050 $10.00


Mock Trial Notebook

Case #1 State v. Peake

Mock TrialNotebook


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DRAMATISTSPLAY SERVICE

INC.

HARVEYACTING EDITION

A COMEDY IN THREE ACTSBY MARY CHASE

The Red Badge of Courage *

Stephen Crane 1S029 $3.00

The Gold-Bug and Other Tales *

Edgar Allan Poe 1S026 $3.00

Through Gates of Splendor *

Elisabeth Elliot 1S033 $7.99

The Best Christmas Pageant Ever *

Barbara Robinson 1S023 $5.99

Born Again *

Charles Colson 1S004 $19.99

Starship Troopers *

Robert Heinlein 1S021 $9.99

Up From Slavery *

Booker T. Washington 1S035 $3.00

Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass *

Frederick Douglass 1S014 $3.00


Andrew Kern

Please see page 76 for full description.Level 1 Set PS019 $157.00Student Workbook PS020 $39.00

Words Aptly Spoken®: American Literature, 2nd edition

Jen Greenholt

This companion guide includes thought and review questions for all the

American literature in Challenge I to inspire students to think critically about the elements of literature.

1S046 $19.99

The Sign of the Beaver *

Elizabeth Speare 1S031 $6.99

Johnny Tremain *

Esther Forbes 1S012 $6.99

The Call of the Wild *

Jack London 1S024 $2.50

The Adventures of Tom Sawyer * Mark Twain 1S022 $4.50

Billy Budd, Sailor *

Herman Melville 1S003 $4.95

The Scarlet Letter *

Nathaniel Hawthorne 1S030 $4.50

OptionalPlease check with your Challenge I Director before purchasing the titles below.

The Witch of Blackbird PondElizabeth Speare 1S043 $6.99

An Old-Fashioned GirlLouisa May Alcott 1S044 $5.99

Trivium Tables®: Rhetoric See page 76 for full description.

ES028 $10.00

CHALLENGE W hat is freedom?Exposition & Composition

I

Harvey *

Mary Chase 2S013 $9.00

To Kill a Mockingbird *

Harper Lee 1S034 $8.99

Self-Reliance *

Ralph W. Emerson 1S019 $3.50

Walden: Or, Life in the Woods *

Henry David Thoreau 1S036 $4.50

The Old Man and the Sea *

Ernest Hemingway 1S028 $12.00

The enduring and innovative merican literature presented in Challenge spurs

students to e plore the themes of freedom and its different interpretations. Through

analysis both inside and outside the classroom students emerge challenged and en-

lightened ready to engage the world with a new understanding of freedom choice

responsibility and the effect of one’s worldview.

* Indicates required resources for licensed programs. C L A S S I C A L C O N V E R S A T I O N S B O O K S . C O M

O U R L I C E N S E D D I R E C T O R S A R E I N D E P E N D E N T C O N T R A C T O R S . V I S I T O U R W E B S I T E A N D C L I C K O N C O M M U N I T Y T O C O N TA C T Y O U R L O C A L S U P P O R T M A N A G E R F O R M O R E I N F O R M AT I O N .


The Taming of the Shrew *

Shakespeare 1S032 $5.99

I, Isaac, Take Thee, Rebekah *

Ravi ZachariasFREE

NEW! Math in Motion: First Steps in Music Theory *

In this approachable introduction to music theory, students learn how to read and analyze a musical score.

1S051 $TBD

Words Aptly Spoken®: American Documents *

Jen Greenholt

This collection of 44 articles, speeches, poems, and legal documents is an inviting guide to the study of American

government. Includes questions for thought and review.

1S047 $19.99

Whatever Happened to Penny Candy? 6th ed. *

Richard Maybury

Historical events from ancient Rome are used to explain economic principles.

1S039 $14.95

The Money Mystery *

Richard Maybury

This book investigates inflation, stock market swing, and velocity of circulation of the dollar and their effects on the economy. 1S027 $10.95

A Bluestocking Guide to Economics, 4th ed. *

Jane Williams

Companion study guide to Whatever Happened to Penny Candy?

1S006 $16.95


Robert HenleText 1S011 $16.95Key 1S010 $4.50Grammar (used through Henle IV) 1S009 $9.50

Exploring Creation with Physical Science*J. Wile

This two-book set contains the textbook and the tests with solutions supplement.

1S008 $85.00

Trivium Tables®: Latin Please see page 75 for full description.

FS050 $10.00

Algebra 1, 3rd editionSaxon

Covers all topics in a first-year algebra course, from proofs, statistics, and probability to algebra-based, real-world problems. Kit includes text and homeschool text packet.KIT 1S017 $84.10Solutions Manual 1S018 $46.65Teaching Tape Tech. 16-DVD set

(optional) 1S016 $245.00

Rhetoric

Research

Grammar

Logic

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An Introduction to Policy Debate*Christy Shipe

This accessible handbook opens the door to the exciting world of argumentation and debate.

1S045 $20.003-DVD set (optional) 1S048 $44.99


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NEW! Science Lab JournalSee page 81 for full description.

1S050 $10.99


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CHALLENGE What is the signif icance of choices?II

s students mature academically and personally Challenge’s ’s British

literature provides an outlet for them to e plore the complicated and

occasionally dark world of choices. The increasingly involved essay

topics and rich literary material intertwine to create a course that initially

challenges and ultimately empowers students to live as champions for

truth and virtue.

Words Aptly Spoken®: British Literature, 2nd edition

Jen Greenholt

This study guide is used for all of the British literature discussed in class.

Includes thought and review questions.2S043 $19.99

Beowulf *

2S007 $2.50

Selected Canterbury Tales *

Geoffrey Chaucer2S008 $2.00

Sir Gawain and the Green Knight *

retold by J. L. Weston2S027 $3.95

Paradise Lost *

John Milton2S020 $5.50

The Pilgrim’s Progress *

John Bunyan2S035 $5.50

Gulliver’s Travels * Please check with your director before purchasing.Jonathan Swift

2S012 $3.50

Pride and Prejudice *

Jane Austen2S021 $4.00

A Tale of Two Cities *

Charles Dickens2S003 $5.00

Jane Eyre *

Charlotte Brontë2S018 $4.50

Animal Farm *

George Orwell2S005 $9.99

A Passage to India *

E. M. Forster2S002 $14.95

Something Beautiful for God *

Malcolm Muggeridge2S028 $14.99

Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland *

Lewis Carroll2S004 $3.00

Robinson Crusoe *

Daniel DeFoe2S022 $4.50

Favorite Father Brown Stories *

G. K. Chesterton2S011 $4.00

A Morbid Taste for Bones *

Ellis Peters2S001 $8.00

Out of the Silent Planet *

C. S. Lewis2S019 $15.00

The Hobbit*

J. R. R. Tolkien2S034 $8.99

The Screwtape Letters *

C. S. Lewis2S036 $14.99





NEW! The Student Lab Report Handbook, 2nd edition *

John Mays

A guide to content, style, and formatting for effective science lab reports and journals.

CS106 $22.50

Exploring Creation with Biology, 2nd edition *

J. Wile

Apologia’s science curriculum teaches biology from a creationist viewpoint. Two-book set includes student text and solutions manual.

2S010 $85.00

Henle Second Year Latin *


NEW! Science Lab JournalQuadrille-ruled pages give science scholars a versatile space for recording lab data and sketching

their findings proportionately. Includes reference materials for biology, chemistry, and physics.

1S050 $10.99

COMINGSPRING 2015

Note: Challenge II resources are continued on the following page.

Trivium Tables®: Latin Please see page 75 for full description.

FS050 $10.00

The Elements of Style *

Strunk & White

This handy guide offers advice on improving writing skills and promotes a style marked by simplicity, orderliness, and sincerity.

2S032 $9.95

Traditional Logic I *

Memoria Press

This text teaches the four logical statements, the four ways statements can be opposite, the three ways they can be equivalent, and the seven rules for validity, along with a basic understanding of the Christian theory of knowledge.Text 2S039 $29.95Key 2S038 $6.952-DVD set (supplemental)

2S037 $45.00

Gorgias *

Plato

This is a Socratic dialogue written by Plato around 380 BC. In this dialogue, Socrates seeks the true definition of rhetoric, attempting to pinpoint the essence of rhetoric and unveil the flaws of the sophistic oratory popular in Athens at this time.

2S044 $3.99

Trivium Tables®: Rhetoric Please see page 76 for full description.

ES028 $10.00

Rhetoric Research RE

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CHALLENGE II

Algebra 2, 3rd editionSaxon

Covers all topics that are traditionally covered in a second-year algebra as well as a considerable amount of geometry. Kit includes textbook, homework answer key, and tests with answers.KIT 2S024 $84.10Solutions Manual 2S023 $50.40 15-DVD set (optional) 2S025 $245.00

Classical Acts & Facts® Artists and Composers

Please see page 69 for full description.NEW! Set 1 FS104 $9.99Set 3 FS304 $9.99

ARTISTS AND COMPOSERS

Pierre-Auguste R1841–1919

y

tr it


Frank Lloyd W1867–1959

Fallingwater (or Kaufmann Residence) Mill Run, P

Inset: Fr


Igor Stravinsky1882–1971

The Mariinsky Ballet performing L’Oiseau de feuGreat Festival Hall, Salzburg, May 2013

Inset: Igor Stravinsky, ca. 1929

Saving LeonardoNancy Pearcey

An excellent resource for homeschool families striving to develop a biblical worldview about art and culture. Optional.

CS083 $26.99

The Gift of Music *

Jane Stuart Smith and Betty Carlson

The lives, philosophies, and musical discus-sions of the great composers are presented with rich insight and appreciation of each artist’s unique contribution to music.

2S033 $19.99

How Should We Then Live? *

Francis Schaeffer

Dr. Schaeffer contemplates the reasons for modern society’s state of affairs and argues for total affirmation of the Bible’s morals, values, and meaning.

2S017 $19.99DVD set * 2S016 $24.99

The Annotated Mona Lisa *

Carol Strickland, Ph.D.

A layman’s guide to art history, from prehis-toric to postmodern, provides the reader with a basic working knowledge of art and its influence on society.

2S030 $22.99

State of the Arts *

Gene Edward Veith, Jr.

This resource chronicles biblical founda-tions of art as well as the role of Christians in the artistic arena.

2S029 $19.99

Classical Music for Dummies *

David Pogue and Scott Speck

This text and CD provide an approach to perceptive listening and an introduction to musical elements and styles. This book heightens the reader’s love of music and develops listening skills.

FS002 $24.99

NEW! WhiteboardsPlease see page 73 for full description.

CS112 $ 9.99Set of 8 CK112 $64.00


G1116 - 2x - CCItem #

R



® Created by

Exclusivelyfor

Debate Logic


COMINGSPRING 2015



Classical Conversations® Plus

Challenge Post-Graduation Advisor

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Classical Conversations Plus offers dual enrollment courses to Challenge students through Bryan College and Biola University.

Our partnership provides:

Also visit

H O M E S C H O O L C O U N S E L O R . C O Mfor sports information, college recommendations, and other resources.

Now Classical Conversations students can have the best of both worlds: a quality high school tutorial through Classical Conversations and the opportunity to complete additional assignments to earn college course credits—all at an affordable price.

FOR MORE INFORMATION, please look for the CCPlus webpage within ClassicalConversations.com.

EARN COLLEGE CREDITS WITH YOUR CLASSICAL CONVERSATIONS COURSEWORK!

FREE WEBINARSVeteran homeschooler Linda Tomkinson offers FREE monthly webinars for parents and students alike as they homeschool through high school. Topics include transcripts, SAT/ACT/CLEP/AP

testing, graduation ceremonies, college applica-tions, and resume building. Linda believes in lifelong education and supports pursuing dreams, whether in the academic, vocational, mission, or service sectors. She delights to see well-equipped students positively impact society with a Christ-centered worldview that is dynamic, living, and full of grace, truth, and beauty.

To register, go to ClassicalConversations.com and sign up for our newsletter or visit the Challenge and Post-Graduation Advisor page.

W hat unique opportunities are available?

CHALLENGE III–IV

The upper Challenge programs offer unique opportunities for students in their final years of high school.

Sign up for our Homeschooling Through High School newsletter to receive webinar registration invitations, helpful tips, and much more!


PLUS


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CHALLENGE W hat are c onsequences?III

Debate

Much Ado About Nothing*

Shakespeare

A comedy that contrasts two couples in a witty and suspenseful battle of the sexes.

3S028 $5.99

Julius Caesar *

Shakespeare

Shakespeare’s great tragedy is based on Plutarch’s account of the lives of Brutus, Julius Caesar, and Mark Antony.

3S026 $5.99

Henry V *

Shakespeare

This drama focuses on the young warrior king and his role in one of the greatest military triumphs in English history.

3S025 $5.99

Hamlet *

Shakespeare

Hamlet’s halting pursuit of revenge for his father’s death unfolds in a series of highly charged confrontations that climax in tragedy. 3S024 $5.99

Macbeth *

Shakespeare

Goaded by his ambitious wife, Macbeth becomes entangled in a web of treachery that ultimately spells his doom in this dark and bloody drama of murder, guilt, and revenge. 3S027 $5.99

Brightest Heaven of Invention *

Peter Leithart

A guide that analyzes several plays by William Shakespeare from a Christian worldview.

3S003 $21.00

The Roar on the Other Side *

Suzanne Rhodes

This poetry text exposes students to the habits of poetic thinking and to the use of rhetorical devices and poetic forms. Students practice these skills by expressing themselves through different types of poetry.

3S017 $15.00

Led by the delightfully sharp wit of

William Shakespeare’s works Challenge

III students wrestle with the idea of

conse uence a key e tension of personal

responsibility. In an environment

conducive both to af rmation and debate

students discuss the effects whether ust

or un ust of one’s actions.

A Patriot’s History of the United States, updated edition *

Larry Schweikart and Michael Allen

Arguing against modern educational practices that teach students to be ashamed of American history, the authors chronicle our nation’s past using a straight-forward approach that highlights America’s virtues while placing its less favorable periods in a political and historical context.

3S002 $25.00

Words Aptly Spoken®: American Documents

Jen Greenholt

This collection of 44 articles, speeches, poems, and legal documents is an inviting companion

to the study of American government. Includes questions for thought and review (optional). 1S047 $19.99

NEW! PreScripts® Cursive Passages and Illuminations: Poetry

Students practice cursive through the poems of Shakespeare, Chaucer, Browning, Frost, and many others.

Your student will learn to recognize rhetor-ical devices in poetry and illustrate the imagery in these classic poems (optional).

SC045 $12.99

PreScripts


* Indicates required resources for licensed programs. C L A S S I C A L C O N V E R S A T I O N S B O O K S . C O M

O U R L I C E N S E D D I R E C T O R S A R E I N D E P E N D E N T C O N T R A C T O R S . V I S I T O U R W E B S I T E A N D C L I C K O N C O M M U N I T Y T O C O N TA C T Y O U R L O C A L S U P P O R T M A N A G E R F O R M O R E I N F O R M AT I O N .


Logic

Traditional Logic II *

Memoria Press

This book is a continuation of Traditional Logic, Book I and covers additional types of syllogisms and forms of argument. Text 3S020 $29.95Key 3S019 $ 6.952-DVD set (supplemental)

3S018 $45.00

The Consequences of Ideas*

R. C. Sproul

Trace the consequences of the ideas found in Western philosophy from the ancient world to the present day. Learn how these ideas impact our everyday lives.

3S016 $16.99

Notes from the Tilt-A-Whirl DVD N. D. Wilson

In this fascinating film sequence, N.D. Wilson gives an emotional and intellectual tour of life in this world and provides conversation starters for families and student leaders (optional).

CS090 $21.99

Henle Third Year Latin *



FS050 $10.00

Trivium Tables®: RhetoricPlease see full description on page 76. ES028 $10.00

Advanced Mathematics, 2nd editionSaxon

Integrates understanding of advanced mathematics to help students prepare for college entrance exams such as the SAT and ACT. Kit includes textbook, homework answer key, and tests with answers.KIT 3S014 $87.70Solutions Manual 3S015 $48.00Teaching Tape Technology 17-DVD set (optional) 3S013 $245.00

NEW! Exploring Creation with Chemistry, 3rd edition *

Apologia

This two-book set contains the textbook and the tests with solutions supplement.

3S030 $85.00

NEW! The Student Lab Report Handbook, 2nd edition *

John Mays

A guide to content, style, and formatting for effective science lab reports and journals.

CS106 $22.50

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NEW! Meno *

Translated by Benjamin Jowett

A Socratic dialogue that discusses what virtue is, and whether it can be taught.

3S029 $4.99

NEW! Science Lab JournalQuadrille-ruled pages give science scholars a versatile space for recording lab data and sketching

their findings proportionately. Includes reference materials for biology, chemistry, and physics. 120 pages.

1S050 $10.99

COMINGSPRING 2015

Rhetoric


Grammar

Research

COMINGIN 2015


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CHALLENGE W hat is great leadership?


IV

The ancient Greek literature of Challenge

I rings with themes of leadership en-

couraging students to own their in uenc-

es on the world and affect lives for Christ.

s students discuss leadership styles of

characters like gamemnon ector and

chilles students begin to understand

comple issues of motivation and how

best to lead others in the truth.

Debate

Heroes of the City of Man *

Peter Leithart

An analysis of the classics of ancient literature, including The Iliad, The Odyssey, and The Aeneid, comments on each and compares their pagan worldview to the Christian worldview. 4S002 $25.00

The Iliad *

Homer

A masterful and elegant translation of Homer’s stirring story of the Trojan War and the rage of Achilles. 4S013 $16.00

The Odyssey *

Homer

A new translation of Homer’s epic poem of the adventures of Odysseus during his ten-year voyage home to Ithaca after the Trojan War. 4S014 $18.00

The Aeneid *

Virgil

Virgil’s poem details the adventures of Aeneas after the fall of Troy.

4S011 $13.00

Theogony *

Hesiod

A systematic genealogy provides an account of the struggles of the Greek gods.

4S015 $11.95

Oedipus Rex *

Sophocles

Catastrophe ensues when King Oedipus discovers he has inadvertently fulfilled prophecy by killing his father and marrying his mother.

4S005 $2.50

The Discoverers *

Daniel Boorstin

This original history chronicles man’s greatest adventure: his search to discover the world around him.

4S012 $18.95




ResearchRhetoric Grammar

Logic

What the Old Testament Authors Really Cared About *

Jason S. DeRouchie

This Old Testament survey, written for family and classroom reading, reveals what makes Scripture the “story of stories” and shows how all the Scriptures point to Jesus Christ. 4S029 $45.99

Mere Christianity *

C. S. Lewis

The essence of Christian faith and the doctrine of the Trinity.

4S004 $14.99

Jesus Among Other Gods *

Ravi Zacharias

This book contrasts the truth of Jesus with founders of Islam, Hinduism, and Buddhism to strengthen believers and compel them to share their faith with our post-modern world. 4S003 $15.99

Physics *

Saxon

Physics, taught at an introductory level, allows the average high school student to grasp the concepts of Newton’s laws, statics, dynamics, thermodynamics, optics, DC circuits, waves, electromagnetics, and special relativity. Kit includes physics text with homeschool packet, and tests with answers.KIT 4S009 $88.30 Solutions Manual 4S010 $42.70

Henle Fourth Year Latin *


Advanced Mathematics, 2nd editionSaxon

Please see full description on page 85.KIT 3S014 $87.70Solutions Manual 3S015 $48.00Teaching Tape Technology17-DVD set (optional) 3S013 $245.00

Calculus, 2nd editionSaxon

Following a condensed summary of key algebra, trigonometry, and analytic geometry topics, students explore limits, functions, and the differentiation and integration of variables. Kit includes textbook, homework answer key, and tests with answers.KIT 4S007 $94.40Solutions Manual 4S006 $49.25Teaching Tape Technology20-DVD set (optional) 4S008 $245.00

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Trivium Tables®: RhetoricPractice the five canons of rhetoric in these inviting, compact exercises.

ES028 $10.00


FS050 $10.00



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PARENT PRACTICUM

W hat is c lassical , C hr ist ian educat ion?

What are the bene ts of classical Christian

education ow can I give my children a classical

Christian education at home?

Join veteran homeschooling parents for three days of encouragement and

inspiration as we seek to understand the classical model of education and

learn how to apply it in Christian homeschooling. This year we will be

digging deeper into understanding the art of inquiry.

Morning speakers will present practical tools for giving your children

a classical, Christian education at home. See the grammar, dialectic, and

rhetoric stages of learning in every subject and discover how every subject

glori es od. The second half of the morning will be devoted to under-

standing the art of inquiry.

FREE 3-Day Conference for Parentson classical Christian homeschooling

Afternoon facilitators will demonstrate practical tools for teaching inves-

tigation and science. (Afternoon topics may vary.)

Get equipped at our on-site bookstore. You will nd the resources you

need to educate classically and be able to get expert advice from our book

representatives.

While you learn, your children learn, too! Economically-priced day

camps are available for students of all ages. Your students are sure to enjoy

the group learning environment, whether they are being cared for in our

nursery; playing and singing in our play camps; memorizing and drawing

od’s world in our geo-drawing camps; or learning about language,

writing, science, logic, debate, or public speaking in our academic camps

for older students. Advance registration for student camps is required.

Please register online.

For dates, locations, and registration, please visit our website:

P A R E N T P R A C T I C U M . C O M

Click on the Event Calendar and select - ay Practicums to nd events near you.

“It is the glory of God

to conceal a thing: but

the honour of kings

is to search out a

matter.”—Proverbs 25:2



http://www.parentpracticum.com

COMINGSPRING 2015

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The Soul of ScienceNancy Pearcey and Charles Thaxton

Discussion of how early scientific advance-ment was influenced and fueled by the Christian worldview held by scientists in the past as they endeavored to know God and His world. Perfect for tutors and parents who want to add to their knowl-edge of science and Christianity.

BS032 $19.99

Improving Your Serve: The Art of Unselfish LivingCharles B. Swindoll

In this classic volume, Charles Swindoll offers clear guidelines on developing a servant’s heart and challenges readers to realize the rich rewards promised in a life of authentic Christian servanthood.

CS109 $14.99

Practicing Affirmation: God-Centered Praise of Those Who Are Not GodSam Crabtree

Practicing Affirmation sounds a call to recognize and affirm the character of Christ in others. When done well, affirmation does not fuel pride in the person, but refreshes them and honors God. All who are discouraged in relationships will find wisdom and practical insight in this book.

CS110 $14.99

Student’s Guide to Natural ScienceStephen M. Barr

Physicist Stephen M. Barr gives students an understanding, in broad outline, of the nature, history, and great ideas of natural science from ancient times to the present, with a primary focus on physics.

CS113 $8.00

Discovering Atomos, revised editionJen Greenholt

Please see page 77 for full description. BS039 $8.00


Please see page 75 for full description.AS040 $12.99

NEW! Science Lab JournalPlease see page 81 for full description.

1S050 $10.99

Parent Practicum

AtmosphereAir That Surrounds the Earth

KARSTEN SCHNEIDER / PHOTO RESEARCHERS, INC.

GEO

LOG

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Classical Acts & Facts® Science Cards

Please see page 69 for full description.Biology and Geology set FS040 $19.99Ecology, Astronomy,

and Physics set FS041 $19.99Anatomy, Chemistry, and Origins set FS042 $19.99Famous Scientists and More set FS043 $19.99

Leonardo da VinciScientific Study through

Observation

1400s

SCIENCE SOURCE / SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY

ORIG

INS

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C lassicalonversations® ©2010 Classical Conversations® MultiMedia

Leonardo da Vinci, an Italian, was a great inventor and made discoveries in all fields of arts and science in the 1400s.

Who was Leonardo da Vinci?

Although da Vinci (1452-1519) is best known as a Renaissance artist, his scope of interest was much broader. His intensive study of human proportions and anatomy produced a collection of more than 200 anatomically correct drawings of the human body.He also worked with aerodynamics (flying machines), hydrodynamics (water movement), and models of weaponry far advanced for his time.

Ultimately, da Vinci advanced a model of scientific study that was rational and based on observation very similar to the modern scientific method.

5

Out of the Silent PlanetC. S. Lewis

In the first book of his space trilogy, Lewis inspires readers to consider the possibility of other-worldly life forms, the limits of scientific observation, future space travel, physicists, and more.

2S019 $15.00

COMINGSPRING 2015



THE ART OF INQUIRY


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How can I learn more?

Norms & Nobility: A Treatise on EducationDavid V. Hicks

Do you want to educate your children so that they love and pursue wisdom and virtue? Do you want to teach them to recognize and to hunger for truth, goodness, and beauty? This book will elevate your vision and direct you toward “the better half of learning and the better half of man.”

CS075 $51.99

Amusing Ourselves to DeathNeil Postman

A warning about the dangerous effects of television on today’s society, as well as suggestions for withstanding the media onslaught.

CS005 $16.00

Reading the Right BooksLee Edwards, Ed.

A practical list of thoughtful and accessible books around which the reader can build a firmer structure of political knowledge.

CS039 $7.00 NEW! The Abolition of ManC.S. Lewis

“The task of the modern educator is not to cut down jungles but to irrigate deserts.” In an age governed by the industrial model and utility, Lewis warns that we are laboring to produce “men without chests” and calls us to reconsider the purpose of education.

CS114 $12.99

Beauty For Truth’s SakeStratford Caldecott

Caldecott uncovers the unity within diverse subjects, such as math and science, to demonstrate that God is behind all truth. The liberal arts, he argues, ultimately prepare man to worshp. Applicable for parents, students, and lifelong learners alike. CS089 $20.00

Recovering the Lost Tools of Learning

CS040 $17.99

The Case for Classical Christian Education

CS060 $19.99

Repairing the Ruins (edited by D. Wilson)

CS041 $19.00

Angels in the ArchitectureDouglas Jones, Douglas Wilson

CS006 $15.00

Books by Douglas Wilson

The PeacemakerKen Sande

This guide to conflict resolution goes beyond quick fixes to true, life-changing reconciliation with family members, coworkers, and fellow believers.

CS063 $16.99

For more books about classical education, please visit our online bookstore:

C L A S S I C A L C O N V E R S AT I O N S B O O K S . C O M

The War Against GrammarDavid Mulroy

Mulroy offers a lucid, learned, passionate account of the history, importance, and value of grammar.

CS068 $30.25

Ten Ways to Destroy the Imagination of Your ChildAnthony Esolen

This provocative book is a satire against the modern education project. Through sarcasm, the author argues for a return to older values, which nurtured children’s imaginations.

CS101 $18.00

The Well-Trained Mind, 3rd editionSusan Wise Bauer

CS066 $39.95

The Well-Educated MindSusan Wise Bauer

CS065 $29.95

Saving LeonardoNancy Pearcey

An excellent resource for homeschool families striving to develop a biblical worldview about art and culture. Optional.

CS083 $26.99

The Office of AssertionScott F. Crider

Provides an introduction to “the classical art of rhetoric and composition.” While providing this introduction, Crider specifically seeks both to improve the reader’s ability to write academic prose and to argue that rhetoric is, as a liberal art, a noble pursuit.

CS086 $15.00




Teaching the ClassicsAdam Andrews

Adam Andrews is a dynamic, excited teacher who easily transfers that excitement about literature to you and your students. If you have read DeMille’s A Thomas Jefferson Education but feel ill-equipped to study the classics with your children, this seminar is your ticket to a leadership-style education. Includes a video seminar on 4 DVDs and spiral-bound syllabus. Workbook/ DVD Set PK003 $89.00Workbook PS016 $29.00

When People Are Big and God Is Small Edward T. Welch

Overly concerned about what people think of you? Welch uncovers the spiritual dimension of people-pleasing and points the way through a true knowledge of God, ourselves, and others.

CS116 $15.99

Invitation to the ClassicsLouise Cowan and Os Guinness

A lively collection of fifty brief essays by a number of respected Christian literary scholars. Each contains a biographical and historical sketch, a summary of the work being considered, suggestions and bibli-ographies for further study, and questions raised by the text about the interaction of Christian faith and society.

CS087 $24.99

The Rhetoric CompanionN. D. Wilson and Douglas Wilson

A thoughtful description of the Christian approach to memorable and effective expression.

4S028 $24.00

NEW! The Pattern of God’s Truth Frank E. Gaebelein

At the heart of all thinking about education lies the problem of integration. Adopting a philosophy of education is not the same as integrating that philosophy into curriculum, student activities, administration, and more. This book seeks to help Christian educators achieve a living union between Christianity and education. CS115 $9.99

NEW! Quick Flip ArithmeticPractice math operations with simple and fun games using a deck of cards! Developed by a team of students from the Mandala Fellowship, these games are designed to increase speed and accuracy. Students learn that they can practice any skill presented in a textbook by drilling themselves.

ES031 $10.99

NEW! WhiteboardsWhether you’re diagramming a sentence, drawing a map, parsing Latin, working a math exercise,

or graphing an equation, this 11˝ x 16˝ whiteboard is a must-have for every student in your homeschool. Fits in a backpack!

CS112 $9.99Set of 8 CK112 $64.00

COMINGSPRING 2015

Total TruthNancy Pearcey, Phillip E. Johnson

Does God belong in the public arena of politics, business, law, and education? Pearcey challenges 21st-century believ-ers to “think Christianly” about secular topics. CS074 $21.99

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Online Testing

ASSESSMENT W hat about assessment?

Blue Book Examination BookletsCCMM

For directors. Pack of 12 books.Assess student learning in time- honored fashion with these

standard-ruled booklets (12 pages each).CS103 $9.99

BLUE BOOKEXAMINATION BOOKLET

C L A S S I C A L C O N V E R S A T I O N S ® M U L T I M E D I A

Visit

C C T E S T I N S E RV I C E S . C O Mfor hosted testing sites near you.

Each Stanford-10 test registration permits your students to test on-site in your community, or through a convenient online

experience, each of which are widely accepted methods arranged by certi ed Test Coordinators.

To learn more please visit our website and click the Online Testing button.

Stanford Achievement Test Series, 10th editionConsidered the benchmark assessment in the United States

for the past 80 years, the “Stanford 10” is administered by thousands of school leaders. An untimed test in 4-color format, the Stanford 10 generates norm-referenced scores, allowing parents to compare a student’s performance with others in several reference groups locally and nationally.

$50.00/student

Testing ServicesC lassicalonversations®

TESTING

Need a reminder about testing registration? We’ll be glad to contact you! From our website, just sign up to receive e-mail from us. Be sure you select “Homeschool End-of-Year Testing Services” and you’ll automatically be reminded when testing registration begins. Already geting e-mail from us? You can edit your profile from any e-mail to select the lists on which you’d like to appear.

Parents arrange for students to take this 2-day test, often (but not required) between March and May under the guidance of a non-family-member Test Coordinator in a nearby location or online.

To join the conversations about standardized testing at ages 5–18, go to CCTestingServices.com.

To find a test site near you, click on Events at CCTestingServices.com.

If you want to coordinate a test site, please complete this form:http://www.cctestingservices.com/test-coordinator-info.html.


http://www.cctestingservices.com/test-coordinator-info.html


http://www.ccTestingServices.com



Student PlannerThe student planner provides a system to help parents instill a sense of schedule and discipline in their student’s coursework. Begin using this in

Foundations, and by the time students are in the upper Challenge levels, they will already have a system in place to help them organize the fuller course load, as well as an easy tool to compile transcript information.

CS007 $16.99

V lassicalonversations®

Student Planner

Transcripts Made EasyJanice Campbell

Unsure of how to translate your child’s experiences into transcript form? This book has lots of explanations and worksheets to make it all easy and to ensure students have their coursework described and accounted for correctly. This book will help you determine how to enter coursework into AcademicRecords.net for a beautiful transcript to mail or e-mail to colleges.

CS067 $21.60

AcademicRecords.NetOur solution for professionally formatted student records, report cards, GPA calculations, transcripts, and immunization records. Additionally, our student resume builder summarizes extracurricular activities, awards and achievements, competitions, community and missions service, work experi-ence, and conduct records. Recordkeeping is FREE until you choose to print your official records.

$15.00 per printed transcript

A C A D E M I C R E C O R D S . N E T

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UNITS REQUIRED FOR GRADUATION*College Prep Program Classical Conversations Program

Credits LEVEL Credits

Course Required* I II III IV TOTAL

English4 American Lit.

and CompositionBritish Lit. and

CompositionPoetry/

ShakespeareAncient

Literature 6

Math Algebra I, 2 (2) Geometry (1) beyond Algebra 2 (1)

4 Algebra Algebra & Geometry Pre-Calculus Pre-Calculus/

Calculus 5

Science (2 with lab) 3 Physical Science & lab Biology & lab Chemistry & lab Physics 4

Social Studies4

Economics/American

Government

Western Cultural History American History World History 4

Foreign Language (same language) 2 Latin I Latin II Caesar and Cicero Language and

Literature 4

Health & Physical Ed 1 0Electives

6

Drama/Music Theory

Traditional Logic/Socratic Dialogue

Adv. Philosophy/Adv. Logic/Socratic

DialogueTheology 4.5

Debate (½) Speech/Oral Presentation (½)

Speech/Oral Presentation (½)

Forensics/Oral Presentation 2.5

Totals 24 7.5 8 7.5 7 30

* This is a general guide based on state guidelines in VA, OH, MI, and NC, collegeadmissions requirements for UNC-Chapel Hill, U of Michigan, Princeton, Harvard, Clemson, UVA, and VA Tech, and guidelines from HSLDA and SAT and ACT college prep materials. Check with the university system in your state for specific requirements.

** Saxon’s Algebra 2 contains one semester of geometry. Taking Saxon Advanced Mathcompletes the year of geometry (1 credit) as well as a year of Advanced Algebra,Trigonometry, and Pre-Calculus (1 credit). See the FAQ section of www.saxonhomeschool.hmhco.com for more information.


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http://www.saxonhomeschool.hmhco.com


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Are you passionate about homeschoo l ing?

“You really can make a difference in how parents approach homeschooling. I love watching them transition from ‘overwhelmed’ to ‘I think I can do this well and enjoy it!’”

—Dayna

We’d love to hear from you!Contact [email protected] today!

Qualifications:

communication, and time

Want to share the blessing of classical education with families in your area?

Consider becoming a Support Manager.Support Managers are key leaders within Classical Conversations, fulfilling our mission to know God and to make Him known. They serve families by assisting them in beginning their home-centered education journey and in continuing through high school. Exciting elements of this position include conducting information meetings to reach local families, as well as recruiting, contracting, managing, and supporting the directors who lead our academic programs.

(Dog not available.)

A P P A R E L &MerchandiseC lassical

onversations®

W W W . C A R M A N A D . C O M / S T O R E S / C C


mailto:[email protected]


http://www.carmanad.com/stores/cc

ORDERING,ETC.

Online ShoppingShop online 24 hours a day. Check our online bookstore regularly for discounts and special sales.

C L A S S I C A L C O N V E R S A T I O N S B O O K S . C O M

Phone OrdersPlease call us at 1.910.673.0100 to place an order. Our customer service team is standing by Monday through Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time.

Customer ServiceWe have a customer service page on our website designed to help us respond much faster. Find it here:

C L A S S I C A L C O N V E R S A T I O N S . C O M / S U P P O R TIf you are logged into CC Connected, our system will be able to recognize you, making it easier to submit your questions.

Mailing AddressClassical Conversations BookstoreP.O. Box 909West End, NC 27376

Shipping and Handling (USA)

International OrdersPlease contact our bookstore at 001.910.673.0100 or contact our customer support web page at ClassicalConversations.com/support for shipping costs on orders to international locations, Alaska and Hawaii, and military bases. Orders shipping to these locations usually require USPS Priority Mail.

ReturnsReturns may be made within 90 days of purchase on select items. For complete details on our return policies, go to ClassicalConversationsBooks.com and click on the Shipping & Return Policies tab or type “returns” in the search field and then press Enter on your keyboard. Submit your return questions on our website at ClassicalConversations.com/support.

C L A S S I C A L C O N V E R S A T I O N S B O O K S . C O M

Classical Conversations BookstoreP.O. Box 909West End, NC 27376

1.910.673.0100

Classical Conversations currently uses several different shipping methods. For shipping details, please go to our online bookstore, ClassicalConversationsBooks.com, and click on the Shipping & Return Policies tab, or type “shipping” in the search field and then press Enter on your keyboard. Some states require taxes to be collected on shipping costs.

Facebook.com/ClassicalConversations Twitter.com/ClassicalConv Pinterest.com/ClassicalConv YouTube.com/user/ClassicalConv

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Scan the QR code at right or visitCLASSICALCONVERSATIONS.COM/E-MAIL SIGN UP

to receive sales updates.

Local ShoppingVisit C L A S S I C A L C O N V E R S A T I O N S . C O M to find Parent Practicum events in your area. Click on Community, and then click on Parent Conferences. Local book representatives sell curriculum at these events.


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http://www.twitter.com/ClassicalConv

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http://www.classicalconversations.com/support

http://www.classicalconversations.com/e-mail-signup




P.O. Bo 0

West End, NC 27376

Find a community…Visit our website at ClassicalConversations.com to find a community near you!

Start a community…If you don’t see a community nearby, there may be one forming, or we can help you start one. Visit our website and contact a Support Manager for details.

Scan the QR codefor moreinformationabout Classical Conversations.

We serve 81,000 students and their families in 9 countries around the world. For international inquiries, contact [email protected].

v. 1/2015

mailto:[email protected]

http://www.classicalconversations.com/