Introducing new courses
​for the 2021-2022 school year
including science, vocabulary, and life skills!
​

Our distinction between "classical" and "traditional" courses is a bit of a misnomer. Our traditional courses are classical in many important ways--they use great books and foster biblical wisdom and virtue in every area of study. However, our traditional courses are taken independent of parallel history or literature study requirements. 

NOTE: all book lists are tentative. Finalized book lists will be provided to registered students in May. ​

RHETORIC HISTORY COURSES
WORLD HISTORY
This is a full-year rhetoric survey course of world history from Creation through the present. By reading rich living books, students will explore the major themes throughout history and how the past directly affects their lives today. This Socratic discussion course may include review games, student presentations, quizzes, exams, forum participation, etc. 

​Age: Minimum age 14. Recommended for 9th - 12th graders. 
​
​Required Resources:
Tapestry of  Grace license (purchased separately from Lucerna): $20. This additional license fee will be automatically added to your cart when you enroll in this course. 
​Recommended Book List coming soon
​
American hISTORY
This is a full-year rhetoric survey course of U.S. history from the colonial period through the present. By reading rich living books, students will explore America's foundation and think deeply about the ideas that shaped her into the nation she is today. This Socratic discussion course may include review games, student presentations, quizzes, exams, forum participation, etc. 
 
Age: Minimum age 14. Recommended for 9th - 12th graders. 

Required Resources:
Tapestry of  Grace license (purchased separately from Lucerna): $20. This additional license fee will be automatically added to your cart when you enroll in this course. 
​Recommended Book List HERE
​

RHETORIC LITERATURE COURSES
WORLD LITERATURE
In this full-year course, students will learn and develop their literary analysis skills while reading poetry, story and drama by a variety of authors from the ancient and medieval world through the modern era. Some of the literature explored in this course will include the poetry of The Bible; the epic poems of The Odyssey by Homer, The Aeneid by Virgil, and The Divine Comedy by Dante; the stories of Les Misérables by Victor Hugo and All Quiet on the Western Front by Erich Maria Remarque; and the play The Cherry Orchard by Anton Chekhov. Students will also examine the worldviews of the authors and of their time periods, comparing them with a biblical worldview. This Socratic discussion course may include review games, student presentations, quizzes, and dramatic reading. 
 
Age: Minimum age 14. Recommended for 9th - 12th graders. 
 
Required Resources:
Tapestry of  Grace license (purchased separately from Lucerna): $20. This additional license fee will be automatically added to your cart when you enroll in this course. 
​Recommended Book List HERE
​
AMERICAN LITERATURE
In this full-year course, students will learn and develop their literary analysis skills while reading poetry, story and drama by a variety of American authors from the early American period through postmodernism. Some of the literature explored in this course will include the poetry of Longfellow, Poe, and Frost; the stories of The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain, The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald, The Pearl by John Steinbeck, and To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee; the plays of The Crucible by Arthur Miller and The Glass Menagerie by Tennessee Williams; and the short stories of Flannery O’Connor and William Faulkner. Students will also examine the worldviews of the authors and of their time periods, comparing them with a biblical worldview. This Socratic discussion course may include review games, student presentations, quizzes, and dramatic reading.  
 
Age: Minimum age 14. Recommended for 9th - 12th graders. 
 
Required Resources:
Tapestry of  Grace license (purchased separately from Lucerna): $20. This additional license fee will be automatically added to your cart when you enroll in this course. 
​Recommended Book List HERE
​
BRITISH LITERATURE
In this full-year course, students will learn and develop their literary analysis skills while reading poetry, story and drama by a variety of British authors from the Middle Ages up through the modern era. Some of the literature explored in this course will include the poetry of Wordsworth, Blake, Coleridge, Shelley, Bryon and Keats; the stories of Paradise Lost by John Milton, Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen, Great Expectations by Charles Dickens, Animal Farm by George Orwell, and The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien; and the plays of Much Ado About Nothing, Henry V, and King Lear by William Shakespeare. Students will also examine the worldviews of the authors and of their time periods, comparing them with a biblical worldview. This Socratic discussion course may include review games, student presentations, quizzes, and dramatic reading. ​
 
Age: Minimum age 14. Recommended for 9th - 12th graders. 
 
Required Resources:
Tapestry of  Grace license (purchased separately from Lucerna): $20. This additional license fee will be automatically added to your cart when you enroll in this course. 
​Recommended Book List HERE

RHETORIC WRITING COURSES
rhetoric WRITING 9
This course is designed as an entry-level high school writing course for freshmen and sophomores. Students will study elements of style, rhythm, mechanics, structure, and content in a variety of genres. For each genre covered, students will receive instruction, collaborate with classmates online, submit drafts to their instructor, and receive personalized feedback on ways to improve their writing. Unlike our classical writing courses, there is NOT a parallel history study requirement for this course. Instead, students will write about contemporary issues.  

Typical genres covered in the Rhetoric Writing 9 Course: Expository Essay, Analytical Essay, Descriptive Essay, Persuasive Essay, Compare/Contrast Essay, Narrative Essay, Personal Profile, Essay Tests, Research Paper, Playwriting, Multi-Media Presentation.

Note: Assignments for this course are typically due Thursday 5:00 PM ET.

Age: Minimum age 14.
​
Prerequisite: Students should be able to write a strong paragraph, comprised of rich, cohesive sentences, be able to combine those paragraphs into a unified report, and be ready to handle the depth of analysis and synthesis required for high school-level essay writing.

Required Resources: ​​​
RHETORIC WRITING 10
Students will study elements of style, rhythm, mechanics, structure, and content in a variety of genres. For each genre covered, students will receive instruction, collaborate with classmates online, submit drafts to their instructor, and receive personalized feedback on ways to improve their writing. Unlike our classical writing courses, there is NOT a parallel history study requirement for this course. Instead, students will write about contemporary issues.  

Typical genres covered in the Rhetoric Writing 10 Course: Expository Essay, Analytical Essay, Persuasive Essay, Compare/Contrast Essay, Narrative Essay, Essay Tests, Biography Research Paper, Poetry, Multi-Media Presentation, Websites.

Note: Assignments for this course are typically due Thursday 5:00 PM ET.

Age: Minimum age 14.
​
Prerequisite: Students should be able to write a strong paragraph, comprised of rich, cohesive sentences, be able to combine those paragraphs into a unified report, and be ready to handle the depth of analysis and synthesis required for high school-level essay writing.

Required Resources: ​​
ADVANCED rHETORIC WRITING 11
​This advanced writing course covers genres such as literary analysis, short story, and various essays. Students will study elements of style, rhythm, mechanics, structure, and content. For each genre covered, your student will receive online instruction, collaborate with classmates online, submit drafts to their instructor, and receive personalized feedback on ways to improve their writing. 
​
Typical genres covered in the Advanced Rhetoric Writing 11 course: Analytical Essay, Essay Tests, Essay of Opposing Ideas, Cause/Effect Essay, Essay of Definition, College Essay, Literary Analysis Essay, Personal Response to Literature, Literary Analysis Research Paper, Short Story, Poetry, and Multi-Media Presentations.

 Note: Assignments for this class are typically due Thursday 5:00 PM ET.
 
Age: Minimum age 16.  
 
Prerequisite: Students must either be recommended by a Lucerna writing teacher  (preferably after successfully completing a previous Lucerna rhetoric writing course) or must submit an essay for review to be admitted into this course. Contact director@lampstandlearningcenter.com for more details about this process. Students must have previously studied or currently be studying literary analysis at a high school level—preferably with Lucerna. Students should be familiar with the study of form, literary devices, themes, and character analysis. Since the major project for this advanced writing course will be a lengthy literary analysis paper, it is crucial that students be experienced in literature analysis.
 
Required Resources​​
ADVANCED RHETORIC WRITING 12
​This advanced writing course covers genres such as literary analysis, historical fiction, research papers, and various essays. Students will study elements of style, rhythm, mechanics, structure, and content. For each genre covered, students will receive online instruction, collaborate with classmates online, submit drafts to their instructor, and receive personalized feedback on ways to improve their writing. 

Typical genres covered in the Advanced Rhetoric Writing 12 course: Analytical Essay, College Essay, Cause/Effect Essay, Essay of Definition, Persuasive Essay, Essay Tests, Personal Response to Literature, 40-60-page Classical Comparison Paper, 2 Research Papers, Historical Fiction, and Senior Thesis & Multi-Media Presentation, where they look back over their studies in high school and ahead to what God has for them in the future as they prepare to graduate.
 
Note: Assignments for this class are typically due Thursday 5:00 PM ET.
 
Age: Minimum age 16.  
 
Prerequisite: Students must either be recommended by a Lucerna writing teacher (preferably after successfully completing Advanced Rhetoric Writing 11) or must submit an essay for review to be admitted into this course. Contact director@lampstandlearningcenter.com  for more details about this process. Students must have previously studied or currently be studying literary analysis at a high school level—preferably with Lucerna. Students should be familiar with the study of form, literary devices, themes, and character analysis. Since the major project for this advanced writing course will be a lengthy classical comparison paper, it is crucial that students be experienced in literature analysis.
 
Required Resources

SCIENCE COURSES
bIOLOGY
This full-year hands-on science course provides an introduction to biology at the high school level. Topics to be investigated include classification of organisms, cell structure and function, cellular energy, cell cycles, DNA, genetics, viruses, protists, fungi, invertebrates, chordates and ecology. Class time will be spent learning and discussing new concepts, playing review games, taking quizzes and tests, as well as watching videos to enrich learning.  Each student will be required to complete weekly reading assignments, written homework, and lab activities that will reinforce concepts presented during class.  In addition, one lab report and one long term project with class presentation will also be assigned. Students will also be tested on all material presented. This course is God-honoring and taught from a Creationist perspective. 

Age: Minimum age 14. Recommended for rhetoric students in 9th-12th grades
​
Prerequisite: none

Required Resources:
  • Apologia's Exploring Creation with Biology 3rd edition Text (Giraffe and clownfish on cover)   
  • Apologia's Exploring Creation with Biology 3rd Edition Student Notebook 
  • Apologia’s Exploring Creation with Biology 3rd Edition Solutions and Test Manual
  • Weekly Experiment Supplies (supply List will be available prior to first class meeting)
​​​
CHEMISTRY
This course is a thorough study of high school chemistry from a Christian, creation-based perspective.  Topics to be explored include the classification of matter, atomic structure, spectroscopy, chemical bonding, molecular geometry, physical change, chemical change, stoichiometry, solutions, ideal gases, acid/base chemistry, reduction/oxidation reactions, thermochemistry, thermodynamics, kinetics, and chemical equilibrium.  Class time will be spent learning and discussing new concepts, playing review games, taking quizzes and tests, as well as watching videos to enrich learning.  Each student will be required to complete weekly reading assignments, written homework, and lab activities that will reinforce concepts presented during class. In addition, two lab reports and one long term project with class presentation will also be assigned. Students will be tested on all material presented. This course requires a strong foundation in Algebra I.  Many homework and test questions will be mathematical in nature. 

Age: Minimum age 15. Recommended for rhetoric students in 10th-12th grade.
​
Prerequisite: Successful completion of Algebra I

Required Resources:​
  • Discovering Design with Chemistry textbook by Dr. Jay L. Wile
  • Discovering Design with Chemistry Answer Key and Test Book
  • Binder
  • 1-subject notebook
  • Calculator
  • Lab kit for Discovering Design with Chemistry
  • Additional lab supplies (supply list will be available prior to first class meeting) 
​​
physics
Coming 2022-2023 School Year
EXPLORING CODING
Spring-Semester Course
This fun 1-semester course is designed to introduce students to the basic concepts of coding. Students will create a series of projects and games that will challenge their skills and inspire their imagination. 

Age: Minimum age 12. Recommended for 7th-9th graders, but (shh!) even adults enjoy it! 

Required Resources:

ELECTIVE COURSES
u.s. GOVERNMENT
In this one-semester, 1/2 credit rhetoric course, students will study the development of democracy from a Christian worldview.  This course begins with an overview of the philosophical ideology of the Founding Fathers and its importance in the materialization of the United States and its government today.  Students will study founding documents in their historical context including the Constitution, Bill of Rights, and the Federalist Papers. The successes and failures of this unique form of government will also be studied through the lens of Alexis de Tocqueville's important work, Democracy in America. 

Students who take this course will understand how our government was formed with a Scriptural basis, as well as be prepared to become prayerfully involved in our government at any level.

Prerequisites:  Previous study of modern history at the dialectic or rhetoric level is recommended.  If this prerequisite is not met, some additional readings in history may be necessary for full comprehension.                 

Age: Minimum age 14. Recommended for mature 9th graders - 12th graders. 

Credits: 1/2 ​(Elective)

Required Resources:
  • ​Democracy in America  by Alexis de Tocqueville
  • Several original source documents available for free on the internet (links provided by the teacher)
​​
ECONOMICS
In this one-semester, 1/2 credit rhetoric course, students will study the choices that societies make regarding the production, distribution, and consumption of goods. We explore the economic principles of production, supply and demand, competition, inflation, and saving from a Christian worldview, and show the link between economic freedom and political and individual freedom by encouraging free-enterprise capitalism and moral responsibility with money. Students will be graded based on assignments, quizzes, discussion participation, projects, and periodic exams. Appropriate for all rhetoric-level students. 
 
Prerequisite: Previous study of modern history at the dialectic or rhetoric level is recommended. If this prerequisite is not met, some additional readings in history may be necessary for full comprehension. 

Age: Minimum age 14. Recommended for mature 9th graders - 12th graders.    

Credits: 1/2 ​(Elective)

Required Resources:​
personal finance
​This one-semester, 1/2-credit spring rhetoric course equips high school juniors and seniors with the biblical principles and processes to shape their financial decision making. Combining sound resources from Ron Blue Institute to teach them various principles with a fun fantasy finance project, students not only learn about how to handle their resources wisely, but they get to put it into practice by "living" a fantasy life throughout the semester--complete with researching their living expenses and income growth potential, making and maintaining a budget, rolling with the inevitable punches that God (or in this case, their teacher) throws at them, and saving and investing for the future. 
​
Age: Minimum age 16. Recommended for mature 11th graders - 12th graders.    

Credits: 1/2 (Elective)

Required Resources:
  • License for Biblical Financial  Planning, from Ron Blue Institute ($25 licensing fee paid to the LLC to cover this material. This fee will be automatically added to your card and is in addition to the tuition fee for the course.)
introductory logic
Introductory Logic is a one-semester course for dialectic and rhetoric students that explores logical thought. The course covers basic terms used in logical thought and argument, explores different types of statements and their relationships, the use of syllogisms, and informal fallacies.  The course uses Introductory Logic by James Nance and Douglas Wilson, and will consist of lecture, class activities, homework assignments, quizzes, and exams.

Age: Minimum age 12.  Recommended that student has already studied or is concurrently studying Algebra I. 

Credits: 1/2 (Elective or Science)

Required Resources:
intermediate logic
Intermediate Logic is a one-semester dialectic- or rhetoric-level course that covers logical thought and the tools of argument.  The students will learn to use truth tables and proofs of validity for syllogisms, how to derive an argument's conclusions from its premises, and how to apply all these skills to real-life thinkers and writers wherever they encounter them.  The course uses Intermediate Logic, by James Nance and Douglas Wilson, and will consist of lecture, class activities, homework assignments, quizzes, and comprehensive exams. 

Age: Minimum age 12.  Recommended that student has already studied or is concurrently studying Algebra I. ​

Credits: 1/2 (Elective or Science)

Prerequisite:  Completion of Introductory Logic is recommended but not required.  If the student has not taken Introductory Logic, some outside study may be required.

Required Resources:
health & nutrition
This one-semester high school health and nutrition course based on Apologia Science’s Exploring Creation with Health and Nutrition will explore the physical, nutritional, emotional, social and spiritual aspects of growing into a healthy adult from both a biblical and scientific perspective. The following topics will be discussed: the human body systems, common health related concerns and conditions, temperaments, physical influences on thoughts and feelings, emotional issues, mental illness, human value, culture, gender roles, families, socialization, decision making skills, boundaries, contentment, communication and conflict resolution skills, senses, genetics, digestion, macronutrients, micronutrients, a healthy diet, physical fitness, exercise, sleep, and spiritual health.  Reproductive anatomy and physiology are covered including accurate illustrations and descriptions. Marriage, sexuality, pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases are discerningly explained, along with alcohol and drug abuse, depression, pornography and other topics necessary for our young people to understand for godly navigation to and through adulthood. All of these topics are handled gently and respectfully from a biblical perspective, but parents should evaluate their young adult’s emotional and spiritual maturity prior to enrollment in the course. Prior or current enrollment in Biology is beneficial, but not required.  Students will be graded based on discussion participation, assignments, quizzes, projects submitted from the Student Notebook, and periodic exams. Students will need to be able to scan and submit projects from their Student Notebook. Appropriate for all rhetoric-level students.

Age: Minimum age 14. Recommended for mature 9th graders - 12th graders

Credits: 1/2 

Required Resources:
  • Exploring Creation with Health and Nutrition Text ISBN: 1940110343
  • Exploring Creation with Health and Nutrition Student Notebook ISBN: 9781940110356
​
STUDY SKILLS
Study Skills is a one-semester course for dialectic and rhetoric students that explores both the skills and the heart attitudes necessary to succeed academically. Students explore note taking, time management, meeting deadlines, study strategies, and personal organization skills that can be applied in all class settings. They also learn how their studies are part of worshiping God, which helps students fight anxiety, approval-seeking, and other heart issues that are counter to a grace-centered approach to pursuing excellence in their studies. The course will consist of lecture, class activities, homework assignments, quizzes, and exams.

Age: Minimum age 12.   

Required Resources:​   ​the teacher will supply all required resources.


vocabulary from classical roots
This full-year course meets bi-weekly to equip students to determine unknown word meanings using Greek and Latin roots. This knowledge increases student vocabulary and reading comprehension, provides students with a useful, transferable technique for making sense of unfamiliar vocabulary across content areas, and prepares students for standardized tests including the SAT and ACT. The course consists of lecture, class activities, homework assignments, quizzes, and comprehensive exams. 

Age: Minimum age 14

Required Resources:
Coming in 2022-2023, Vocabulary From Classical Roots D


Still Unsure?

Contact us. We would be happy to help you choose the perfect courses for your family.