Highlights of the Rhetoric Program

• • • Grades 9/10-12 (ages 14-18)
    • The Lost Tools of Writing Level One uses literature and history topics to teach the students the art of the writing an essay using classical methods. The program guides students in developing a thesis for their essays and encourage improvement and growth in their writing from year to year. Homework: 30-60 min. per week
    • Latin covers famous sayings, first and second conjugations, first declension, irregular verbs, future and imperfect tense verbs: 5 min/day.
    • Speech gives opportunities for student written presentations as well as the memorization and recitation of four selections from Destruction of Senacherib by Lord Byron, Apology of Socrates, Prologue to the Gospel of John, and “St. Crispin’s Day” from Shakespeare’s Henry the V. Classical and oratorical skills addressed over the three tours. Homework: 2 hrs/quarter.
    • Fine Arts—Tour III:  Art, Music, and Culture Slideshow-based quarterly seminar introduces students to the development of and relation between art, music, and culture. Art projects develop skills related to the featured artist. Tour III covers Da Vinci, Durer, El Greco, Millet, Degas and Van Gogh.
    • Rhetoric Seminar guides students in the Socratic method while adding to connections among topics started during the dialectic program. Students move beyond analysis to begin to form their own arguments and opinions. Homework: <60 minutes per week.
    • Church document discussion. We will explore Catholic culture as it was lived out in the formation of the early church, using source documents from the time. Homework: Read assigned excerpts.
    • Literature choices have been chosen to allow discussion of classic and historical works, further analyzing literary elements and discussing the virtue and morality of characters. Provided discussion guides assist the students in forming and discussing opinions on issues posed in literary works. Tour III selections: The Merchant of Venice by Shakespeare, Church Documents from the Council of Trent and Vatican I,  The Hounds of Heaven by Francis Thomson, Song of the Scaffold by Gertrude Von Le Fort, Encyclical Quanta Cura and the Syllabus of Errors, The Blue Cross by G. K. Chesterton, and Humanae Vitae.
      

Homework: Read 1 book per quarter

Rhetoric Schedule

Communications

• • • Latin 15 minutes
    • Composition 45 minutes
    • Speech 15 minutes

Fine Arts

• • • 60 minutes bi-weekly

Economics

• • • 60 minutes bi-weekly

Rhetoric Seminar

• • • Socratic discussion 30 minutes weekly
    • Literature 30 minutes 3 times per quarter
    • Church documents 30 minutes 3 times per quarter

Rhetoric Fees

Catholic Schoolhouse Registration Fee: $90.00 (per family)   *$70.00 (per family) early bird
Student Fee: $300.00 (per child)
Supply Fee: $165.00 (per child)
Facility Fee: TBD (per family)  based on number of families to offset rental fees 

We will meet for 24 weeks throughout the 2019-2020 academic year with a break every four weeks.    We will begin September 3, 2019.  Our Winter Break is scheduled December 11,  2019 – January 14, 2020. Our last class is April 28, 2020.  We will have a Showcase and year end celebration on Tuesday, May 5, 2020.

Catholic Schoolhouse is loyal to the Magisterium of the Roman Catholic Church and has received the nihil obstat and imprimatur for all three Tours of our curriculum.

Credit Integration between Chapter and Home

Composition* – ½ credit composition if all assignments completed and turned in. Vocabulary and advanced grammar (if needed) should be added at home. Combined with literature gives 1 English credit.

Literature* – ½ credit. 1 more book per quarter, plus 2 papers done outside of class needed. Combined with Composition give 1 English credit.

Logic:* – ½ credit (½ credit is all that is typically assigned to Economics. We will do U.S. Government and logic/philosophy in other cycles for additional ½ credit courses.)

Ancient and Early Church history—Weekly discussion topics in Socratic Seminar will relate to culture and history. Church document discussion will further explore our Catholic heritage. The bulk of this course should be completed at home, either with a world history text or classical reading and paper writing.

Philosophy/logic* – Socratic discussions could become a partial credit course. We will discuss topics from history, art, culture, and literature.

Religion* –  ⅓ credit church history if prep is done for class discussions. Our

three years together comprise a good overview of Church history worthy of a full credit. Add an at-home course each year to complete all four credits of high school religion.

Math and science – These should be covered entirely at home.

Speech* – Based on a 1-credit course, distributed over the three cycles. Assign 1 credit if all three years are completed, ½ credit if only 2 years.

Fine arts – ½ credit. Add music lessons for full fine arts credit. Add 1 book or report per quarter for full art credit.

Foreign language – The Latin in Catholic Schoolhouse is exposure, and hopefully provides inspiration to motivate your student. This needs to be covered at home, either with Latin or another language.

*Subjects that require homework from CSH. Estimated time spent for required homework: Weekly writing assignment, 60 min; memorize speech/Latin prayer, 5 min/day; prepare seminar topics, < 60 min/week; prepare speech, 1-2 hr/ quarter, read 1 book per quarter for class plus church document excerpts.  Logic class will require a larger investment of time since the class will be for credit. Student should spend approximately 2 hours per week on reading, questions, quizzes, and tests to meet educational standards of 1/2 credit.