Every objective and each lesson plan assumes, above all else, that students have read the assigned reading.  All Socratic discussion, role-playing, timeline integration, writing exercises, and all classroom activities depend on student preparation, and reading is the most important part of that groundwork.

Take notes for use in class discussion. You will find note-taking pages for each week on the web for download. These note-taking tools have an artist's rendition of something pertaining to the lesson and space for the student to take notes on his weekly reading. These notes greatly enhance the student's ability to participate in weekly class discussions.

Begin work on all the reading assignments for next week within one day (including electives).

We post the booklists before the year begins, and homework charts by the quarter so that parents give their children plenty of reading material ahead of time. Use weeks when classes do not meet to get ahead on reading.

Work through the reading in ALL subjects, not just culturative history or English.  Teachers of electives are just as handicapped in moving forward if students have not prepared.

Some writing assignments are a response to the reading, so reading must come first. However, prewriting (working out a topic sentence and a rough outline) or first drafts should follow within a day.

Begin work on the writing assignment (usually from  English class) by day two of your school week, and try to finish the rough draft in enough time to let it rest 24-48 hours prior to the day before class.

A day or two before your class day, proofread  and edit your rough draft by using The Proofreading Checklist.

In weeks when a final draft is due, polish your paper early in the week, and let it rest, again, for 48 hours. Edit it the final time the day before class.

These assignments give parents the treasure of pouring themselves into their progeny’s understanding of God and how they, as a family unit,  relate to their fellow man. Numerous discussion topics are assigned, and each take time to work through, so begin these early in the school week. Student-Parent discussion questions are given in Study Guides and homework charts.

Parent discussion questions lay the foundation for a student’s personal, solid convictions in Socratic class discussions. They inverst children with a sense of knowing who they are and what they believe.

Study groups can help with this order. Often these groups begin with critical reading followed with some discussion, provide a time for fleshing out rough drafts, and then, in the afternoon, turn to simpler group work like maps, drilling vocabulary, or filling in charts or timelines.

Opportunity for student to read and summarize book related to the historical period being studied

• Book to be chosen from book report list on book list
• Sample book report grading matrix on web
• Assigned by English, reminders in homework chart

Because homework charts are formed weeks before the class meeting, there will be occasional changes to the homework chart. The teachers work hard to make sure that students are learning the desired information and this can result in changes/additions to the homework posted on the web.

• Changes will be announced at the end of the class period
• Changes will be sent to each family weekly by the teacher using the student's on-line Engrade account
• Read, print, and discuss the changes with your student

A presentation given in front of the other students for the purpose of:

• Providing students the opportunity to study one topic or region in depth
• Produce a visual display of the student’s interest and talent
• Give an oral presentation
• Work in a group
• Synthesize and relate information on one topic
• Provide the listening students an opportunity to learn to take notes from an oral presentation and to receive information in a different and interesting way.

All students provide one project per year

• The matrix for each project is found under Standard Forms on the website
• The student’s instructors evaluate the project
• The grades for the project from each instructor are averaged
• A handout with summary information and a color or activity sheet for the elementary students should be provided

Students are required to take notes weekly in class; part of class participation grade

• Teachers will instruct students in note taking skills. We use the procedure explained at cornellnotes.com.
• UGR, DI and RH level students will use the “note taking cards” provided on the book list for this purpose.
• Culturative History notes may be used for pop tests, English writing assignments

Arrives in class with tools, paper, books, dictionary, and a Bible

• Includes, but not limited to, pop quizzes, note taking, participation in Socratic discussion
• Evaluated weekly, but may be recorded as one cumulative grade for the quarter

Presented in Culturative History, individual students will combine outside reading and research with a display, model, costume, or other visual aid for their presentation.

• Purpose:  to help students have a better understanding and appreciation for the respective time periods we are studying.
• Each student responsible will have several in-class mini-presentations throughout the year
• Presented orally for practice and experience speaking before a group
• Grading matrix provided

Students will organize their completed Culturative History work in a coursebook each quarter.

• 3” binder with section dividers for each period of history studied
• File homework and class papers into coursebook each week
• Used for reference throughout the quarter
• Occasionally will be acceptable to use for open book/take home tests
• Extra assignments/field trip information/English papers can be placed in section where it applies or in a section for additional assignments

Coursebooks  provide:

• portfolio of student’s accomplishments
• method of yearly review
• opportunity for students to organize incorporated material

Every subject requires a colored pocket folder clearly labeled in the upper right hand corner with the Student Name, Level, and Class. 

• Colors are as follows:
  • Blue          Culturative History
  • Red           English
  • Yellow       Latin, Greek
  • Green        Logic, Rhetoric
  • Orange      Science
  • Purple        Arts (theater, music, etc.)
  • Black Math Lab
• Assignments should be in colored folder, per class, with proper heading
• Colored folders should be placed in family crate (see supply list) and brought to school
• Special assignments should be turned in as assigned

Our standard heading is left justified, Times New Roman, 12 point font, as follows:

Student Name
Week #, Assignment Title or Description
Class

Completion Date

Example:

John Doe
Week 26, Fable
C—English—NE

March 25, 2010

Each subject will have a homework chart that can be accessed on the web. These weekly charts will have all of the assignments required to be read, discussed or written work prior to coming to class on the left side of the homework chart. On the right side of the homework chart will be the general areas that will be covered in class that week.

In addition to the homework chart, additional resources for the students use will also be found in each subject area. These resources will include questionnaires, data retrieval charts, grading matrixes, note taking sheets, presentation information, IEW guidelines, etc… These items should be printed off by the student each week to complete the homework or classwork assignments.

Weekly English assignment. Journal book should be of durable quality to be used throughout the year Size of at least 5” x 7” is recommended.

• Date, week number assigned at the top of page
• Title or assigned topic/question on top line
• Assignment should consist of at least six sentences (eight for Rhetoric)
• Thoughtful answer/explanation of assigned topic
• If journal assignments requires list or other format, follow directions

Maps are available on the web in Member's Area under Culturative History resources for each week and in MapTrek (book on booklist)

• All continents, bodies of water, and assigned map details must be labeled
• Color is optional unless specified in assignment or required by parent.

All K-12 students will have some mandatory videos to watch

• Students will choose two movies from the Movie List  from designated quarters in Culturative History
• Generic questionnaire found on web under PACES/Homework
• Both Movie Questionnaires from the quarter will be due at the end of the quarter
• Occasional videos may be assigned through the homework chart
• Parents may rent/borrow the video and have their children watch it at home or with a study group

All classes will use one 2 1/2 inch black binder for all classes. The black binder will contain subject dividers for each class. Several classes will have more than one divider for use in the class. The teacher will instruct the students in the tab labeling for the dividers. The black notebook will have loose-leaf notebook paper for note taking and possibly other sections designated for reference sheets or class handouts.

Culturative History, English and Logic will also use spiral notebooks for note taking in class.

Tests insure students understand each lesson, and may include maps, diagrams, and essay questions. 

• Dates of tests will be listed on the homework chart. 
• During testing, “A” students may dictate an answer to the teacher or to the teaching assistant or parent volunteer if this service is requested.  This is also available for younger students who have trouble with spelling or writing in a limited time frame.

Timelines give each student a visual of history unfolding throughout the millennia.  Ideally, the timeline should be kept in a binder to provide easy access for additions throughout PAideia four year cycle of the study of history. (It may also be presented in a folder, connected sheets of paper, or computer generated calendars.) 

A sample format is provided on the web, but is not mandatory.  Different periods of history will warrant varying spans of years on a page.

• Designed for students to refer to regularly, pages pertaining to the time period being discussed, should be brought to class
• Dates and pictures (when available) will be assigned in the Culturative History homework charts to be added by the student weekly to their timeline. You will find these on our website
• Topics may be color-coded based upon their area of history.  Students can use colored sections on their page or use colored highlighters to mark the individual dates

Timeline Colors:

We recommend that  students turn in a grading matrix for the timelines each quarter (as specified in the homework chart) to assess if students are entering dates as they are studied. Parents will need to determine the accuracy of the placement on the timeline of the required items. (Timelines are recommended this year, not required.)