​Melissa Jordan has spent the last eleven years homeschooling her four children and the last six years tutoring with Classical Conversations. She worked with students in Foundations for three years and tutored Essentials of the English Language for the last three years.


She and her husband, Jeff, attend Four Oaks Community Church with their family. They are actively involved with missions efforts and volunteering with several non-profit organizations around Tallahassee.

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)
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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.

MS Latin A
We alternate MS Latin A with MS Latin B (verb conjugation…

MS LATIN A (2023-24)
Middle School Latin A is designed for beginning Latin students to learn noun declensions prior to Latin 1. Teaches noun vocabulary and how the five noun declension endings are constructed in the context of Latin sentences.  

MS LATIN B (2024-25)
Middle School Latin B is designed for beginning Latin students to learn verb conjugations prior or Latin 1. Teaches Latin adjectives and prepositions. 

Latin I
The study of Latin is the study of the history of Western
Civilization: its wars, its poetry, its theology, and its laws. It is also
the key to understanding many modern languages, especially our
own. Using the Lavin Alive Book I textbook, this course will start at
the very beginning of Latin study with an emphasis on learning
skills for language acquisition as well as carefully studying the
structure of language. Weekly vocabulary quizzes and intermittent
grammar tests will encourage the student to master these basic
elements in preparation for translating ancient texts successfully
in Latin II.

Latin II
After completing a year of Latin study, students are ready to begin the rewarding task of translation. Students study through Henle II in order to grasp the foundational grammar necessary to begin translating one of Ancient History’s greatest works, Caesar’s conquest of Gaul. Latin II introduces students to more complex grammar and sentence structures, teaching them the eloquence of good writing on its structural level. Weekly vocabulary quizzes and intermittent grammar tests will encourage the student to master these basic elements to ensure continued growth in translating Latin into English.

Latin III
Having completed two or more years of high school Latin,
students have the unique perspective and sublime privilege of
studying some of the ancient world’s greatest authors in their
original language. Using the second half of Wheelock’s Latin,
students at this level will be focusing on translation while
continuing to review grammar and syntax already learned, to study
the nuances of the Latin language, and to further expand their
vocabulary. Special attention will be given to mastering participles
and other verbals such as the infinitive and the gerund/gerundive.
Works studied this year include selections from Cicero, Virgil,
Ovid, Livy, Catullus, and Scripture. Students will have two-three
hours of translation homework and weekly vocab/grammar
quizzes.

Availability of space in classes will ultimately determine placement.

Pre-Algebra
    This year-long math course takes students from basic operations in whole numbers, decimals, fractions, percent's, roots, and exponents and introduces them to math-building concepts in algebra, trigonometry, geometry, and exciting real-life applications.

    Every block of ten lessons in this math course begins with a challenging set of problems that prepares students for standardized math testing and features personal interviews showing how individuals make use of math in their everyday lives.

Algebra
    This traditional algebra course studies the fundamental properties of arithmetic operations and their order; functions and graphs; integers, rational numbers, and real numbers; equations in one and two variables; simultaneous equations; exponents and polynomials; factoring; fractions and fractional expressions, square roots and radical equations, quadratic and fractional equations; inequalities; and number sequences. Using Harold Jacob's Elementary Algebra as the text students can expect 4-6 hours of work each week, which will be routinely checked along with tests and quizzes.

Geometry
    One of the seven liberal arts, geometry is both useful and beautiful. We will use Harold Jacobs' Geometry. Its focus is on Euclidean Geometry and deductive reasoning through proofs. It is as much a logic course as a math course as one must justify each step of an argument, using simple objects around us such as circles as fodder for our reasoning exercises. A solid foundation in Algebra is necessary.

Algebra II
   This course will follow the first half of Paul Foerster’s Algebra and Trigonometry: Functions and Applications and will include the study of polynomial, rational, and exponential functions and relations, sequences and series, probability, data analysis, and functions of a random variable, trigonometric and circular functions, triangle problems, and matrices.

    Diligent study of this subject should prepare the student well for the study of calculus or trigonometry in college. Specific preparation for the SAT and/or ACT math sections will also be a focus of the class. The student can expect 4 to 6 hours of homework each week, which will be routinely checked, as well as chapter tests and quizzes.

Middle School Science
Middle school science will employ the classical model as students study astronomy, life science, and earth science. Students will research and report though presentations on various topics throughout the year. A sketchbook will be compiled each year documenting research papers, drawings, and biographies. Focus will include both memorization and understanding cause and effect relationships. 

Track 1 (2022-23): 
First Semester - Astronomy and Historical Scientist Study
Second Semester - Life Science with a focus on animals 

Track 2 (2023-24)
First Semester - Earth Science
Second Semester - Life Science with a focus on botany and cells
   

Physical Science
    The goal of this lab is to inspire students to pursue learning about God’s order. A course designed to be taken before Biology 1, Physical Science is an overview of earth science and physics. This lively course covers atmosphere, hydrosphere, lithosphere, weather, Newton’s laws and simple physics, forces in creation, sound, light, and astrophysics. Many hands-on experiments demonstrate the topics covered. Lab time is a lecture/experiment format. Assignments and lab reports will be completed at home. Quizzes, Mid-term, and Final exams are given in lab.

Biology
Prerequisites: Concurrently with/or after Algebra 1
    The goal of this lab is to develop an awe of God’s creation of living organisms. This course is a college-prep biology course that provides a strong background in scientific classification and terminology. Studies include: biological keys, kingdoms, chemistry of life, cellular biology, genetics, creation/evolution, dissections, botany, and a crash course on human body systems. Students will dissect at minimum: clam, grasshopper, perch, earthworm, crayfish, frog, snake, spider, flowers and a mammalian eye. The students will also become proficient in using the microscope. Assignments and lab reports will be completed at home. Lab will be a lecture/experiment format. Quizzes, Mid-term, and a Final exam will be given in lab.

Chemistry
Prerequisites: Proficient in Algebra 1
    This course will follow Apologia’s Exploring Creation with Chemistry, 3rd Edition and will include the study of significant figures, units, classification, the mole concept, stoichiometry, thermochemistry, thermodynamics, kinetics, acids and basics, redox reactions, solutions, atomic structure, Lewis structures, molecular geometry, gas laws, and equilibrium. In addition, this class will focus on the application of chemical concepts in the laboratory, and a full laboratory experience will be provided, well beyond that called for by the textbook. Diligent study of this subject should prepare the student well for the study of chemistry in college. The student can expect 4 to 6 hours of homework each week, which will be routinely checked, as well as chapter tests and quizzes. In addition, two formal lab reports will be completed each semester.


Anatomy and Physiology
Human Anatomy and Physiology is a laboratory-based course that will enable students to develop an understanding of the relationships between the structures and functions of the human body. Topics covered will include the basic organization of the body and major body systems along with the impact of diseases on certain systems. This course will involve laboratory activities, projects, dissections, textbook material, models and diagrams.

MIDDLE SCHOOL OMNIBUS AND RHETORIC

The Latin word "Omnibus," meaning "for all," is an apt description of our Middle School course. In Omnibus, we will be covering the 1700s through Modern Times in chronological order. While this course will largely focus on American History, we will also study other parts of the world to explore people and events, not only through historical facts, but also through maps, literature, poetry, drama, religion, and art for a more complete view of the world. History is brought to life and literature is given context as we seek to integrate these parts into a cohesive whole. Primary source documents are used whenever possible. Biography presentations and fun semester projects will allow students to share their knowledge in creative ways.

Libertas Middle School Rhetoric classes emphasize the classical method of building up the student's reasoning and articulation skills while helping them successfully complete Omnibus themed writing assignments. Each semester the Middle School focuses on different classical forms of writing. Along with writing instruction, our focus includes filling gaps in mechanics (a sequential, thorough review of grammar, punctuation, and form), developing an appreciation and love of style, and rhetorical analysis of classic American and World Literature, along with famous speeches. Students will keep a journal, a commonplace book, and a grammar notebook. Homework will be minimal and mostly associated with Omnibus literature and primary sources. 
 
HIGH SCHOOL OMNIBUS AND RHETORIC
US American - Omnibus is a course that unites history, literature, art, and culture to gain a fuller understanding of a time period. In the 2022-2023 school year, we will study the United States, from colonization to contemporary times. In context with the experiences of God’s people during this time, students will explore American foundations through its literature, drama, poetry, art, architecture, philosophy, and historical texts. Primary sources will be used as often as possible, including those of the founding fathers. Evaluation of materials examined will come through journals, essays, projects, and semester exams, focusing on an understanding of significant ideas.
 
Rhetoric - In conjunction with Omnibus, the Rhetoric class will help students gain the skills to argue and express ideas eloquently and effectively in both written and oral formats. Through debate, writing exercises, and essays, students will respond to Omnibus material. Both the practicalities of grammar and citations as well as the beauty of well-crafted sentences will be used to aid these efforts to argue well.

SENIOR SEMINAR - MODERN OMNIBUS AND RHETORIC
Modern history examines the social, political, economic, and cultural development in the modern contemporary world in the period between the seventeenth and the twentieth century. Students will analyse key events such as revolutions, nation states, modern war, globalisation, political regimes, capitalism, totalitarianism, democracy, and communism, touching on the philosophies that brought about these ideologies. Methods of instruction will include socratic discussions, student led class discussions and more project/presentation/paper based evaluations.  In this Senior seminar, some time will be spent exploring post-high school opportunities and taking the required steps to make those things happen.
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After graduating from Florida State with a degree in Humanities, Jennifer Drury taught a variety of courses at Christ Classical Academy, beginning in 2004. Crafting Omnibus courses remains one of her favorite parts of teaching, and she loves the freedom to do so outside of traditional school. She began tutoring fellow students in math and science in the 10th grade. While tutoring homeschoolers and teaching courses for a SAT prep company during college, she realized that she loved the humanities even more than her math and science courses and changed her major from chemistry, but she never lost her love of seeing students make math connections.

Mrs. Drury has homeschooled her children and taught courses from her home for the past six years. She enjoys helping students to find truth, goodness, and beauty, along with a lot of fun, in the great books within a historical context. Along with her husband and two daughters, she loves being a member of Center Point Church, where she is the administrator.