Curriculum Guide

CLASSICAL CURRICULUM PARADIGM

We encourage a classical core curriculum that includes:

Four years of Latin grammar during grades 5-12
Two years of logic during grades 7-12
Two years of rhetoric during grades 7-12
Mathematics in grades K-12
Reading great books in grades 5-12.

While not every subject will be taught weekly on Academy Day, we expect families to follow this general outline at home, but there is lots of flexibility within it. Parents may choose and maintain their personal curriculum at home, while still enjoying a "group learning" experience in a restful Classically Catholic environment. They may also choose to use classes taught on Academy Days as full courses which replace those subjects at home. Minimal homework will be assigned and is expected to be completed on time. Parents remain the primary educator and may change assignments to fit their students’ needs – just notify the tutor prior to the due date. We highly discourage families from enrollment in other academic programs (Seton, MODG, etc) as we have found the workload in conjunction with Academy expectations to be contrary to our goal for restful education. For deeper insight into a classical curriculum, we suggest reading The Liberal Arts Tradition by Kevin Clark and Ravi Scott Jain.

CURRICULUM OVERVIEW

Whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is gracious, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.

~ Philippians 4:8

We follow a chronological history cycle and focus on three anchor subjects: Humanities, Science, and Latin. All classes are taught by trained tutors and experienced Classical educators. All volunteers have completed Virtus training through the Diocese of Gary and a background check for our students’ safety and protection. Parents are encouraged to attend summer tutor training sessions, learn alongside our guides during Academy Days, and to further their own education at home through reading, online courses, and participation in various continuous education events held throughout the year. Our Beginner and Grammar level courses are designed to enhance what you use at home, but the many resources available to families make it easy to expand our curriculum to fulfill all your homeschool needs. Our Logic and Rhetoric level enrollment covers a complete curriculum offering.

Integrated Humanities Program – This is the cornerstone of the Queen of Angels curriculum. This humanities class integrates language arts, history, and literature with logic, rhetoric, philosophy, geography, Bible and Church History, theology, and even arts and crafts, if you choose. Books will be read both in class and at home, using a Catholic textbook as the springboard to deeper exploration through other sources. Using Lectio Divina as a framework, students connect to History and the Great Books through storyboards, discussions, writing, skits, and other planned celebration activities, meant to deepen the student’s experience and understanding of the material discussed. Younger students will memorize poetry and Scripture, Catechism, and timeline related to the time period through songs, chants, and rhymes. Older students will exercise their logic and rhetoric skills through Socratic discussions and classical writing assignments. Narration is a powerful skill encouraged in all our students, leading them to their own distinct voice and a natural understanding of the structure of good writing. Every term culminates with an opportunity to express creativity, focus on a topic of personal interest, and share knowledge through an individual, family, or group project.
Natural Sciences – The classical quadrivium (mathematical arts) meets the modern world in this hands-on class that seeks to expose students to the wonder of God's perfect creation and the ingenuity of man's participation in creation as images of God. We challenge our students to connect knowledge with experience. Through guided questioning and experimentation, students develop observation and scientific reasoning skills. Our youngest learners search for the fingerprints of God revealed in nature. Middle grade students dive deep into the scientific process to discover the ornate unity of God's Design. Our oldest students seek to master the modern sciences, through an integrated curriculum that rejects today’s artificial conflict between faith and science. We live in an endlessly fascinating and mysterious world, where not only do “the heavens declare the glory of God, and the skies proclaim his handiwork,” but so do atoms, lemurs, DNA, and Fermat’s Last Theorem. This beautiful world, this breathtaking gift of God, is loaded with potential we haven’t even dreamed of yet!
The Arts – A sensory exploration of famous artists and composers, mediums, and techniques that has formed the hearts and souls of man in the Church for over two millennia. Hymn study, music theory, and artistic skill, as well as history and appreciation, are all used to expand the child’s understanding of the material being covered throughout the Humanities, Natural Sciences, and Latin classes.
Latin – We encourage all students to study the mother tongue of our Church. Prayers and hymns should not just be memorized, but embodied, as students read and recite original Latin works. To this end, we pray and sing together in Latin during Chapel.

Not all are called to be artists in the specific sense of the term. Yet, as Genesis has it, all men and women are entrusted with the task of crafting their own life: in a certain sense, they are to make of it a work of art, a masterpiece.

~ Pope Saint John Paul II, Letter to Artists

For more information on the Charlotte Mason and Classical Liberal Arts Traditions, please visit these articles:

What is the Charlotte Mason method?

What is Scholé?

Contemplating the Liberal Arts: The Roots

Discover Classical Christian Education (magazine)

We also recommend these books on this educational philosophy:

An Introduction to Classical Education by Dr. Christopher Perrin (free pdf)

The Liberal Arts Tradition (Revised Edition) by Kevin Clark & Ravi Jain

Wondering what other curriculum we use at home to complement the Cooperative Academy? Here's some of our favorites:

Math