A Rhetoric School for
Dominion Classical Christian Academy
Proposal by
James Cain
Headmaster
The mission of Dominion Classical Christian Academy is
to provide an education that cultivates wisdom, joyful
learning, and love for God.
Four Year College Planning Calendar
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9th Grade—Freshman Year
Sign up for strong classes and make studying your number-one priority. Participate
in extra-curricular activities.
Work to your potential because the grades that you earn become part of your Grade
Point Average (GPA).
Make your summer “meaningful.” Consider collegiate summer programs, a part-time
job, volunteer work, enrichment opportunities.
When on vacation, drive through and walk around college campuses just to get the
feel of a large school, a small school, a far-away school, different types of campuses,
etc.
10th Grade—Sophomore Year
Take strong courses and continue to work to your full potential.
Be a self-advocate, attend tutorials and do not let yourself fall behind in your classes.
Meet with teachers, when needed, to review course work, tests and other academic
work to “learn from your performance.”
Begin to consider the various types of colleges available and the types of programs
that they offer.
Use the results of the PSAT to determine your strengths and weaknesses in writing,
verbal and math skills.
Begin to visit colleges informally whenever you are near one during a family trip or
vacation. Sophomores may be excused one (1) day for a college visit. Be your own
best advocate.
Make your summer “meaningful.” Summer experiences are invaluable for personal
growth and add depth to a resume.
Work on service hours. Many college applications have major sections that focus on
community service.
11th Grade—Junior Year
Focus firmly on grades. This is the last year to acquire a strong GPA for college
admissions applications next fall.
Consider a PSAT prep course based on 10th grade results if they showed potential for
National Merit consideration. Otherwise, use the 11th grade PSAT as a baseline score
from which to prepare for next spring’s SAT’s and ACT’s.
Apply in early September for special test accommodations if you regularly use them
in class & need them for the PSAT.
Attend College Fairs in your area. Talk to college representatives and establish
contact with schools of interest to you.
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Talk with college representatives when they visit DCCA. They can eventually be
your best friends at the college admission selection table when applications are
reviewed.
Take the PSAT in October. National Merit Scholarship Competition is determined
from the junior-year PSAT.
PSAT scores can be used as SAT predictors within approximate ranges. They can
also indicate areas of strength and weakness that students can work on before taking
the first SAT and ACT during the latter part of the junior year.
Get on the Internet and review specific course requirements for admission at colleges
of interest to you. You’ll be better prepared to select appropriate senior-year courses
if you do this research early.
Register for strong senior classes. Some schools require/highly recommend additional
courses; find out what your preferred college requires. Course selection is very
important to most colleges. They want to see you challenging yourself in the
classroom.
Take the SAT and/or the ACT in the spring. Take SAT II’s at the end of your junior
year if necessary.
Begin to develop your resume. Consider running for leadership positions during your
senior year.
Ask teachers for recommendation letters early!
Visit college campuses. Begin to narrow down your choices. (Juniors are allowed 2
days for college visits.)
Make your summer “meaningful.” Consider internships, enrichment programs on
college campuses, work experiences, etc.
12th Grade—Senior Year
Sign up for the SAT, ACT or SAT II’s if necessary. Continue test prep if appropriate.
Make plans to visit college campuses of interest to you. (Seniors are allowed 3 days
for college visits.)
Attend the senior College Information Session before Orientation for admission tips
and to review the college application process.
Become aware of application deadlines and DCCA deadlines.
Check on the financial aid and scholarship process at the colleges you are considering.
Pay attention to application deadlines!
Finish the senior year “GRYPHON STRONG!” College admission is based first on
“successful completion of high school.”
Enjoy your senior year! You’ve earned it!
Dominion Classical Christian Academy
Rhetoric School Plan of Study
Preliminary Plan
Students, in consultation with their parents, should draw up a plan for the next school year.
Please note this is a preliminary plan to be considered for consultation and approval.
Complete your schedule for each year, both previous and future school year.
Name: _________________________________________Grade Next Year: ________________________________
Courses you took in Logic School for Rhetoric School Credit:
Math: ____________________Science: _______________ Foreign Language:_________________________
Freshman _______-_______ (year)
Junior _______-_______ (year)
1. *English: ___________________________
1. *English: ___________________________
2. *History: ___________________________
2. *History: ___________________________
3. Math: ____________________________
3. Math: ____________________________
4. Science: ___________________________
4. Science: ___________________________
5. Foreign Language/Fine Arts:
5. Foreign Language/Fine Arts:
_______________________
_______________________
6. Elective(s) ________________________________
6. Elective(s) ________________________________
Sophomore _______-_______ (year)
Senior _______-_______ (year)
1. *English: ___________________________
1. *English: ___________________________
2. *History: ___________________________
2. *History: ___________________________
3. Math: ____________________________
3. Math: ____________________________
4. Science: ___________________________
4. Science: ___________________________
5. Foreign Language/Fine Arts:
5. Foreign Language/Fine Arts:
_______________________
_______________________
6. Elective(s) ________________________________
6. Elective(s) _____________________________
Student’s Signature: __________________________________
*Categorized as Humanities block
Parent’s Signature: __________________________________
Graduation Requirements
Georgia Graduation Requirements
Discipline
English
Math
Science
Social Studies
Language/Fine Arts
Physical Education/Health
Electives
Total
Credits
4
4
4
3
3
1
4
23
Dominion Graduation Requirements
Discipline
English*
Math
Science
History*
Theology/Rhetoric & Thesis
Latin
Fine Arts
Physical Education/Health
Electives
Total
Credits
4
4
4
4
3
2
1
1
2
25
*Taken as a two-hour humanities block each year.
Sample Plan of Study
English/History (4 each)
9th Grade
Humanities
III
Theology/Rhetoric (3)
Math (4)
Science (4)
Language (2)
PE (1)/Fine Arts
(1)/Electives (2)
Athletics
Geometry
(Algebra)
Biology
10th Grade
Humanities
IV
Hermeneutics
Apologetics
Algebra II
(Geometry)
Chemistry
11th Grade
Humanities
V
Rhetoric I
12th Grade
Humanities
VI
Rhetoric
II/Thesis
Calculus
(Statistics)
Physics
Pre-Calc
(Algebra II)
Anatomy &
Physiology
Latin I
Latin II
(Latin III)
(Latin IV)
Art, Chorus, Drama, Mock Trial, Debate, PE
Interscholastic and Club sports, including
JV/V Cross Country, additional sports as offered
Schedule
The current schedule (8:30am – 2:30pm) will be insufficient to attain the proposed graduation
requirements. Lengthening the day by 30 minutes at each end (8:00am – 3:00pm) will provide
space in the form of one additional period, for electives and other cocurricular activities.
COURSES
Humanities
Humanities I (7)
Primary: Aeschylus I: Oresteian Trilogy, The Codes of Hammurabi & Moses, Gilgamesh, The Histories, The
Odyssey, and Plutarch's Lives Vol. 1.; The Aeneid, Early History of Rome, The Last Days of Socrates,
Sophocles I, The Twelve Caesars, and Julius Caesar.
Secondary: Chosen by God, The Horse and His Boy, The Lion, the Witch & the Wardrobe, The Magician's
Nephew, Prince Caspian, Till We Have Faces, and The Voyage of the Dawn Treader, The Best Things in
Life, The Eagle of the Ninth, The Last Battle, The Screwtape Letters, The Silver Chair, Unaborted Socrates,
and The Holiness of God.
Humanities II (8)
Primary: Beowulf, Confessions, Ecclesiastical History of the English People, Eusebius: The Church History,
On the Incarnation of Our Lord, Rule of St Benedict in English,The Song of Roland, The Bondage of the
Will, The Canterbury Tales, The Divine Comedy: Inferno, History of the Kings of Britain, Macbeth, Sir
Gawain and the Green Knight
Secondary: The Dragon and the Raven, The Fellowship of the Ring, The Hobbit, The Merry Adventures of
Robin Hood, A Midsummer Night's Dream, The Nine Tailors, Henry V, King Richard III, The Return of the
King, The Two Towers, Winning His Spurs.
Humanities III (9)
2 semesters
2 credits
(1 English/1 History)
Year three of a six-year survey of the history, literature and philosophy of the Western world
focuses on the period from the Reformation to Modern Times. Extensive reading will be
supplemented by written engagement with themes and ideas that drive the development of the
modern Western world, with a special emphasis on American history and literature.
Core Readings will be selected from the following:
The Anti-Federalist Papers, The Federalist Papers, Of Plymouth Plantation, The Pilgrim's Progress, The Social
Contract, A Tale of Two Cities and The Westminster Confession of Faith, 1984, Abraham Lincoln:
Speeches & Writings, The Communist Manifesto, The Great Gatsby, Mein Kampf, Reflections on the
Revolution in France, Uncle Tom's Cabin, The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, The Autobiography of Charles G.
Finney, Benjamin Franklin: The Autobiography, Frankenstein, Gulliver's Travels, The New Foxe's Book of
Martyrs, Pride and Prejudice, Animal Farm, Christianity and Liberalism, Death of a Salesman, How Should
We Then Live?, The Killer Angels, Little Women, Old Man and the Sea and Postmodern Times.
Humanities IV (10)
2 semesters
2 credits
(1 English/1 History)
Year four of a six-year survey of the history, literature and philosophy of the Western world focuses
for a second time on the Ancient World. Extensive reading will be supplemented by written
engagement with themes and ideas, with a special emphasis on Greece and Rome.
Core Readings will be selected from the following:
The Iliad, Landmark Thucydides, The Bacchae and Other Plays, Lysistra and Other Plays, The Republic,
and Introduction to Aristotle, The New Oxford Annotated Apocrypha, Thirteen Books of Euclid's Elements
Volume 1, The War with Hannibal, On the Nature of Things, Cicero, Annals of Imperial Rome, Eclogues
and Georgics, Metamorphoses, Josephus, Meditations, and the Apostolic Fathers, Aesop's Fables, Death on the
Nile, Troilus and Cressida, Augustus Caesar's World, and Art and the Bible, The Lost World, Knowing God,
Antony and Cleopatra, Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea, Phantastes, Mythology, Plutarch's Lives
Volume 2, and Desiring God.
Humanities V (11)
2 semesters
2 credits
(1 English/1 History)
Year five of a six-year survey of the history, literature and philosophy of the Western world focuses
a second time on the Middle Ages. Extensive reading will be supplemented by written engagement
with themes and ideas pertinent to the development of the modern nation-state.
Core Readings will be selected from the following:
William of Malesbury, Consolation of Philosophy, Divine Comedy: Inferno, Purgatory, and Paradise, Two
Lives of Charlemagne, The City of God, Introduction to St. Thomas Aquinas. St. Matthew's Passion CD Set,
Fierce Wars and Faithful Loves, Praise of Folly, Romeo & Juliet, Canterbury Tales, The Prince, Martin
Luther: Selections from His Writings, Calvin: Selections from Institutes, The Lives of Thomas Becket, Saga of
the Volsungs, St. Thomas Aqunias and St. Francis of Assissi, Le Morte D'Arthur, The Great Divorce, Name
of the Rose, A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court, The Decameron, Idylls of the King, The Koran, A
Distant Mirror, Othello, Here I Stand, Heidelberg Catechism, George Herbert: The Complete English Poems,
The Travels of Marco Polo, Tartuffe, Don Quixote.
Humanities VI (12)
2 semesters
2 credits
(1 English/1 History)
Year six of a six-year survey of the history, literature and philosophy of the Western world focuses a
second time on the Modern Era. Extensive reading will be supplemented by written engagement
with themes and ideas, with a special emphasis on British history and literature.
Core Readings will be selected from the following:
Paradise Lost, Robinson Crusoe, Leviathan, Pensées, Emma, Portable Enlightenment Reader, Wealth of
Nations, Origin and Principles of the American Revolution, Moby Dick, Democracy in America, Huckleberry
Finn. Notes from the Underground, Battle Cry of Freedom, All Quiet on the Western Front, The Sun Also
Rises, Citizen Soldiers, A Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich, The Stranger, Letter from a Birmingham Jail,
Brave New World, Beyond Good & Evil, On Christian Doctrine, Out of the Silent Planet, Perelandra,
Hamlet, Common Sense, John Adams, Red Badge of Courage, Self-Reliance, Civil Disobedience, Leaves of
Grass, Dr. Jeklyll and Mr. Hyde. The Picture of Dorian Gray, Interpretation of Dreams, The Guns of August,
That Hideous Strength, The Jungle, 50 Great Short Stories, Poetry of T.S. Eliot, Heart of Darkness
Mathematics
Algebra I (8/9)
2 semesters
1 credit
Prerequisites: 75 average or above in Pre-Algebra. Algebra I is an introductory algebra course that
stresses both the structure of algebra and the development of computational problem-solving skills.
This course is designed to prepare students for success in geometry and to increase their
understanding of algebraic concepts.
Geometry (9/10)
2 semesters
1 credit
Prerequisites: 75 average or above in Algebra. This course will introduce students to Euclidean
geometry, spatial relationships, area, volume, multi-dimensional figures and geometric proofs.
Algebra concepts will be used in many of the problem sets, providing students with the
opportunity to blend algebra and geometry principles.
Algebra II/Trigonometry (10/11)
2 semesters
1 credit
Prerequisites: 75 average or above in Algebra I and Geometry. This course will build upon students’
understanding of algebra. Concepts cover linear and quadratic functions, application through real
world word problems, and introductory trigonometry.
Precalculus (11/12)
2 semesters
1 credit
Prerequisites: 75 average or above in Algebra II and Geometry. This course is designed to prepare
students to take an Advance Placement Calculus course in high school or a college calculus course.
Topics include functions, function theory, types of functions such as polynomial, rational,
trigonometric, exponential and logarithmic, the study of conics, sequences and series, and an
introduction to calculus that includes limits, derivatives, critical points, continuity, rules for
derivatives, and integration.
Calculus (12)
2 semesters
1 credit
Calculus deals with calculating and exploring things that change at variable rates. The major
concepts of calculus include limit, derivative, and integrals. In addition to these major concepts we
will successfully highlight numerous subtopics and methods as listed in the Calculus AB Topic
Outline in the AP Calculus Course Description. This class explores each concept in four different
ways; graphically, numerically, algebraically, and verbally emphasizing the connections and
applications. Students may take the Advanced Placement Calculus AB exam for college math
credit.
Science
Physical Science
2 semesters
1 credit
This hands-on, lab-based course allows students to explore the fundamentals of chemistry and
physics. In the chemistry portion of the course students will examine characteristic properties of
substances and then use that knowledge to identify substances they have separated from
compounds and mixtures. They will also learn about radioactivity and use scientific models to
understand more complex scientific concepts. In the physics portion of the course, students will
explore forces and the motion that results from those forces. They will also analyze different forms
of energy and the transfer of energy.
Biology
2 semesters
1 credit
Prerequisite: Physical Science. Biology is the study of life beginning with a comprehensive study of
cellular structure and processes. Genetics will be studied from a historical perspective
encompassing current developments and ethical implications. The various kingdoms and
physiological systems will be studied. The class involves substantial lab work including dissections.
Chemistry
2 semesters
1 credit
Prerequisite: Physical Science and Algebra I. Chemistry is the study of atoms, and how and why
they interact to form the basic substances from which the entire universe is comprised. Students
analyze atomic structure through the use of the Periodic Table of the Elements. Topics include
chemical formulas and equations, types of chemical reactions, properties of basic substances, acids
and bases, reaction rates, and oxidation-reductions. Course will include an emphasis upon
problem solving.
Physics
2 semesters
1 credit
Prerequisite: Geometry and Algebra II (or take Algebra II concurrently). Physics provides an
introduction to the fundamental principles of physics with a concepts-based approach from a
mathematical point of view. Major topics include mechanics and motion; waves (sound and light);
electricity and magnetism; and modern physics. The course includes laboratory exercises and
outside projects.
Anatomy and Physiology
2 semesters
1 credit
Prerequisite: Biology with 80+ average. Students pursue an in-depth study of human body systems
such as the muscular, nervous, cardiovascular, immune, respiratory and digestive systems. The
foundational belief that we are “fearfully and wonderfully made” will permeate this course.
Lectures will be supplemented with experiments and relevant animal dissections.
Latin
Foundational Latin I
1 semester
.5 elective credit
Students build a detailed and expansive foundation in the essentials of Latin grammar in order to
facilitate their full comprehension of reading, writing, and understanding the language. The course
includes a study of Christian creeds and prayers as well as Roman culture and history. FOR
STUDENTS NEW TO DOMINION.
Foundational Latin II
1 semester
.5 elective credit
Prerequisite: C or better Foundational Latin I. Students continue building a detailed and
expansive foundation in the essentials of Latin grammar in order to facilitate their full
comprehension of reading, writing, and understanding the language. The course continues their
study of Christian creeds and prayers as well as Roman culture and history. FOR STUDENTS
NEW TO DOMINION.
Advanced Latin I
2 semesters
1 credit
Prerequisite: C or better in Intermediate Latin III. Students begin a study of classical Latin
grammar, syntax, and forms learned inductively through constant observation of usage. They will
acquire a basic Latin vocabulary augmented by repetition in context, by study of the principles of
word formation, and by attention to English derivatives. Composition into Latin, both written and
oral, will be used to drill grammar and syntax.
Advanced Latin II
2 semesters
1 credit
Prerequisite: C or better in Advanced Latin I. Students review and continue their study of classical
Latin grammar, syntax, and forms learned inductively through constant observation of usage. They
will acquire new vocabulary and grammatical constructions including participles, ablative absolute,
and the subjunctive are introduced. Connected readings, both written and oral, allow students to
develop speed and accuracy. (Vergil?)
Physical Education
Physical Fitness
1 semester
.5 credit
Students will learn principles of basic fitness, engage in team and individual sports, and lay a
foundation for future physical activity.
Additional P.E. courses will be determined at the beginning of the year, based on demand and
availability.
Fine Arts
Courses in Fine Arts will be determined at the beginning of the year, based on demand and
availability.
Rhetoric
Rhetoric I (11)
2 semesters
1 credit
A survey of classical rhetoric, as applied both to oral and written communication. The oral aspect
will involve a study of rhetoric’s classical canons. The written aspect will involve study of The Office
of Assertion: An Art of Rhetoric for the Academic Essay, by Scott Crider.
Rhetoric II—Senior Seminar (12)
2 semesters
1 credit
The senior thesis project is the culmination of the Dominion education. It offers the student an
opportunity to expand critical thinking, research, and rhetorical abilities by preparing, presenting,
and defending a substantive argument. Students are expected to prepare a paper as formal
evidence of learning and skill acquired at Dominion. As such, the paper should reflect both the
classical and Christian instruction the student has received at Dominion.
Theology
Hermeneutics (Biblical Interpretation)
1 semester
.5 credit
Hermeneutics is the art and science of interpreting the Bible. This one-semester course surveys
hermeneutical approaches and teaches students to properly interpret and apply God’s Word.
Apologetics
1 semester
.5 credit
Apologetics is the study of how to defend one’s faith, a command that all Christians are given in 1
Peter 3:15. During this one semester course, students will learn that absolute truth does exist,
where that truth comes from (the existence of God), how we know the truth (in the authority of
Scripture and in God the Son), how the truth came to live and die for us thus defeating evil (the
Incarnation), and finally how to deal with the problem of evil in the world today.
COCURRICULARS/SOCIAL
Students are not merely intellectual beings; the image of God in us includes a social component.
Dominion’s Rhetoric School must address this aspect through cocurriculars and other social
activities.
Athletics
In keeping with Dominion’s commitment to a holistic Christian education, one that unites mind,
spirit, and body, students will have opportunities to participate in cocurricular athletics. These
opportunities will include both interscholastic and club-level, both team and individual
competition.
Social Events
One of Dominion’s advantages is that the class sizes are conducive to everyone getting to know
each other. Dominion provides scheduled opportunities for students to have special times with
fellow classmates, teachers, parents, and guest throughout the academic year. The administration
officially sponsors the following events:
Rhetoric School Retreat (Fall)
House Retreat (Spring)
Gryphons Day (House Field Day; Spring)
Homecoming (Fall)
Class Christmas Parties
Class Trips, including the Grand Tour (see Program Distinctives, below)
Spring Gala (Etiquette/Protocol)
Outside of the official social events of the school, the administration encourages classes to organize
events, trips, and parties throughout the year to build relationships and class unity. We encourage
parents to take the initiative in this arena. Social events involving Dominion students, where the
Dominion name is used to promote the event must receive prior approval from the Headmaster or
Headmaster’s designee.
Program Distinctives
Humanities Primer
(For students new to Humanities at Dominion.) This one-week summer intensive introduces
students to the concept of ‘humanities,’ which explores western civilization through its history,
literature, and philosophy.
Grand Tour
During the summer before his senior year, the Dominion senior will take a trip to a region of
Europe with other seniors. Each year’s trip will have a theme, which will guide selection of
destination and topics. The trip will provide context and information for the student’s senior
seminar series and thesis research.
Senior Seminar
The Senior Seminar, a capstone experience of which the centerpiece is the Senior Thesis, provides
students with an opportunity to synthesize what they have learned about humanity and its history,
and to apply that synthesis to the key philosophical questions of human experience: what can we
know, how can we know it, and how should we live?
Thesis
Seniors work with a mentor to select a research topic or project. They will explore the topic
in depth, prepare several drafts in consultation with the mentor and other faculty, and
then submit a final draft to the Capstone Committee. After it is accepted, the student will
present and defend the thesis before an audience of the Rhetoric School student body,
faculty, and parents.
Seminars
Seniors will participate in four extended-period, mentor-facilitated seminars. The first will
be directed at synthesizing the Grand Tour. The remaining three will address three key
philosophical questions: What can we know? (metaphysics) How can we know it?
(epistemology) and How should we live? (teleology) These discussion will facilitate research
for the thesis.
House System
Dominion’s house system (for grades 6-12) provides students with opportunities for scholarship,
service, and school spirit. Older students take leadership roles within the houses. More
information about the House System is available in the Student/Parent Handbook.