Social Science

Middle School US History and Middle School Texas History alternate each year.

High School US History and High School Government/Economics alternate each year.

Middle School U.S. History

Instructor: Victoria Slinde

Course Fee: $400 (8 payments of $50)

Copy/Supply Fee: $30

Grade level: 7th-8th grade

Minimum enrollment: 6 students

Maximum enrollment: 10 students

Supplies: Students will need a three ring notebook with tabs and lined paper and map/colored pencils and a highlighter.

Course Description: History doesn’t have to be boring if you tell it like a story! This is a different approach to teaching history. We will be using Our Land Publications – Our Land of Liberty as our US History curriculum. An accurate understanding of our history is important. The question is how to get the points across without being boring. Our Land Publications curriculum makes this possible by integrating textbook contents into a newspaper format. Newspaper-like headlines and articles highlight each issue. Historical events are presented as though they just took place. People are seen as living and real. History comes to life on a scale that students find interesting, instead of intimidating. Our Land of Liberty covers the history of the United States from before European discovery to the current day. The teacher will provide the “newspapers”; no textbook is required. Students will be required to read the first paper before the first day of class, so the first paper only will be mailed to the student.

Course Expectations and Grading: Students will receive a grade based on class work, homework, tests, projects and participation.

Government/Economics

Instructor: David Petershack

Course fee: $400 (8 payments of $50)

Grade level: 10th grade minimum, but most suited for 11th-12th

Minimum enrollment: 5 students

Prerequisites: None

Texts: Declaration Statesmanship: A Course in American Government, Drs. Richard Ferrier and Andrew Seeley, Both Student Text and Readings Text.

Common Sense Economics: What Everyone Should Know About Wealth and Prosperity, 2010 edition by James D. Gwartney, Richard L. Stroup, Dwight R. Lee, and Tawni Hunt Ferrarini.

Class will also be using other materials as provided by instructor.

Course Description: The first half of the year will be focused on Government. This course is designed to "help the young citizens of America to understand how the principles of the American founding are crucial to the pursuit of happiness which is their birthright." The Student Text begins with the Declaration of Independence and the founding of the United States. Then, it continues on through the writing of the Constitution and the forming of the government, and how the founding fathers incorporated all the fundamental principles within the Constitution. This insightful program next discusses the challenges our country faced in the past and how they were eventually solved, and how those same problems apply to America today. The second half of the year we will be using The book Common Sense Economics. Common Sense Economics covers what students really need to know in order to make wise choices as consumers, investors, voters and citizens. We will mainly address the various principles of economics through the problems and concerns of modern society such as the effect of price controls, the role of profits and losses, and international trade. We then will go over a brief history of economic theory. The class is designed to make economics fun.

Course Makeup Policy: In-class work may be made up at home. Students are responsible for getting any notes that they missed.
Course Grading Policy: Students will receive a grade based upon their work including class work, homework, tests, quizzes, projects and participation.