Electives 2023-24

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

Bible and Theology
Hermeneutics and Biblical Interpretation (Track 1 - 2023-24)
 Students will have the opportunity to learn the basics of biblical interpretation, hermeneutics, and exegesis by studying selected books of the bible. Students will learn how genre, setting, audience, context, and background influence the way we read and interpret the bible. Students will also learn how to apply the bible personally in their own lives, as there will be a strong emphasis on application. This course is the first of four tracks in the Bible and Theology Libertas Curriculum.

This is the break down over a 4 year cycle:

Track 1 – Hermeneutics and Biblical Interpretation (2023-24)
Track 2 – Biblical Survey (2024-25)
Track 3 – Apologetics and the Bible (2025-26)
Track 4 - Systematic Theology (2026-27)
​

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
Note: This class may or may not utilize or require a MOM Prep subscription. As plans unfold, we will update all registered families.


Geography and World Cultures (7th-9th)
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. 


Speech, Debate, and Mock Trial (7th-9th)
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.

Traditional Logic
Formal Logic arms students to think clearly and communicate meaningfully, skills that will prosper them academically, professionally, and in all areas of life. This one-semester course deals with the structure of arguments; it teaches students to define terms, form judgments, and craft arguments with precision and discretion. Class time includes lecture, discussion, thought challenges, and in-class assessments. Homework includes light reading and weekly exercises. This is a high school elective.



Economics
Through vivid illustrations and sensational case studies, Economics walks students through the foundational principles and laws of economics, spotlighting inflation and its critical role in the rise and fall of economies from the Roman Empire to present. Supplementary lecture topics and group exercises will plunge students deeper into free market economics and introduce key concepts from political science, political psychology, political philosophy, and game theory. Students will find Economics not just enjoyable, but also, extremely practical, offering much of the wisdom they need to prosper and protect their economic freedoms as workers, business-owners, investors, voters, and citizens.




Principles of Art
We'll explore the seven elements of art - lines, shapes, color, value, texture, form and space, which are the building blocks of composition.  Students will organize these elements using the prrinciples of design through art projects, studio time , and sketchbook journals.