Electives 2022-23

Electives alternate yearly, these courses may not be offered next year.

Bible and Theology
Sytematic Theology (Track 4 - 2022-23)
This course is the fourth of four tracks in the Bible and Theology Libertas Curriculum. Students will have the opportunity to learn what the bible teaches about the core doctrines of the Christian faith, including God; Revelation; Creation; Sin; Salvation; the Kingdom; Eschatology, and more. Students will learn what the bible as a whole says about these themes and how they relate together in telling the Story of God. 
This is the break down over a 4 year cycle:

Track 1 – Hermeneutics and Biblical Interpretation
Track 2 – Biblical Survey
Track 3 – Apologetics and the Bible
Track 4 - Systematic Theology
​

ACT-Mom Prep Class
Using ACT Mom (www.actmom.org) test prep methods and videos, this class will cover all four sections of the ACT College Entrance Exam: English, Reading, Science, and Math.
Students will concentrate on one section at a time, and will be assigned ACT mom videos to watch as homework.
The following class time will be spent taking an ACT subject test.
The next week, we will review problems missed and discuss strategies.
Must purchase a subscription to the ACT mom online course. We were able to get special pricing for Libertas, subscription is $200 per child.
Lab fee: $10 for practice tests used in class

American Government and Civics
American Government (Fall) and Civics (Spring)- Using Hillsdale College’s curriculum as a spine for our high school level course, we will spend the Fall semester discovering the foundations and systems of our American Government using the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution, and additional significant essays and writings. Along with those discussions, we will investigate other major forms of government found around the world and compare/contrast them to that of the United States. In the Spring, we will continue our studies, once again using Hillsdale’s curriculum, primary documents, and noteworthy speeches as we focus on Civics and explore our role in a “...government of the people, by the people, for the people….” During the spring semester we will also discuss political parties, the Electoral College, state and local governments, foreign and domestic policies, along with investigating civil rights and liberties. Since 2022 is a midterm election year, we will follow and discuss Current Election Events and the ensuing transitions of power from the national through local levels while practicing civil discourse and respect for those with differing opinions. In addition, questions on Civics, Government, and History from the U.S. Citizenship and Naturalization Test will be covered during both semesters. (9th-12th)

Middle School Geography and World Cultures
In this middle school class, students will learn the countries, important cities, and particular features of each continent and so much more! We will study the interesting people who inhabit these countries and their cultures - the food they eat, the games they play, and the dangers they face. Learning about and praying for unreached people groups will be a focus. Through the study of climates, populations, economies, time zones, languages, and more, students will gain experience with map reading using an atlas. This class will also help prepare any student who would like to participate in the National Geo Bee. 


Middle School Speech, Debate, and Mock Trial
This course will teach logic by using the skills involved in speech and debate. In this class students learn how to conduct informal and formal debates, but also how to develop good arguments by using solid logic and the resources available in their own thinking as well as the world around them. Students will employ the techniques of logic and rhetoric, such as the common topics of definition, comparison, relationship, circumstance, and testimony. Additional study of ethos, pathos, and style is also included, as well as a study of debate arrangement.

This will be combined with curriculum from Florida Law Related Education – through which students will prepare to argue a court case in the group’s annual Middle School Mock Trial Competition, as well as participating locally in a mock trial with another home school group.

Introduction to Political Philosophy (1st Semester)
Introduction to Political Philosophy investigates three topics at the heart of political philosophy: the nature of man, the limits of government, and the separation of powers. Our exploration of each topic will center around a matchup between two opposing philosophers: Rousseau vs. Hobbes, Locke vs. Marx, and Plato vs. Montesquieu. Students will join the fray, debating these philosophers’ key points and grappling with weighty questions posited by their political philosophies. To prepare, students will complete light reading assignments incorporating excerpts from our six contenders plus Aristotle, Machiavelli, and Rawls. The class will culminate with a brief overview of how the Bible--especially the Mosaic Law--confronts our three main topics. Students will leave more informed voters and deeper political thinkers.
 
Due to the higher reading level of some of the philosophers’ works, this class is recommended for high school students.


Introduction to Western Philosophy (2nd Semester)
Philosophy 1 introduces students to key philosophers, concepts, and movements in the history of Western philosophy, starting with the Greek natural philosophers of the 600’s BC and ending with the New Age craze of the 1990’s. The class format blends lecture with discussion, creating a stimulating environment where students can discuss, defend, and hopefully strengthen their faith as they grapple with the big questions that have puzzled philosophers for millennia.

This class is recommended for high school students.

Guitar 1 & 2
This course teaches students how to play guitar from the ground up, focusing mainly on chords; strumming techniques; and all of the basic music theory needed to play chord charts, accompany other musicians, transpose, improvise, compose, and self-teach. Students will practice at least 90 songs in class and at home using the instructor’s original YouTube tutorials. The instructor will also provide written lessons, access to hundreds of additional chord charts, opportunities to practice outside of class, and other supplemental resources which students may elect to use at their own pace. In class, students will enjoy one-on-one attention from both the instructor and at least one teacher’s aide (depending on class size). Students of all levels will learn from this course’s unique approach to chord theory, and even the most advanced students will dramatically expand their song repertoires by participating. This is a full year class, semester 1 will focus on beginning guitar (Guitar 1) and semester 2 will focus on more advanced instruction (Guitar 2). Students who have taken Guitar 1 with Mr. Nicholson before are welcome to join both semesters for practice and review, or just for 2nd semester.  This class is appropriate for students 12 and up.  There is a $50 material fee.
​​