PCS Rhetoric School Curriculum Outline
Author: The PCS School Board and Administration. Last Revision: October 2012.
1. Introduction
This document is the companion piece to the “PCS Rhetoric School Manual” where the overall
design and philosophy of the rhetoric school is presented.
It is always good to begin by reflecting on the mission statement of PCS:
The purpose of Providence Classical School is to provide a classical, Christ-centered
education equipping students with a thorough biblical world and life view that captures
their affections and enables them to discern, articulate, and live truth.
2. Ninth Grade Curriculum
Geometry:
I.
II.
III.
IV.
V.
VI.
VII.
VIII.
IX.
X.
XI.
XII.
XIII.
XIV.
Points, Lines, Planes and Angles
Deductive Reasoning
Parallel Lines and Planes
Congruent Triangles
Quadrilaterals
Inequalities in Geometry
Similar Polygons
Right Triangles
Circles
Constructions and Loci
Areas of Plane Figures
Areas and Volumes of Solids
Coordinate Geometry
Transformations
Science: Biology
I.
The Nature of Life
II.
Ecology
III.
Cells
IV.
Genetics
V.
Evolution
VI.
Creation
VII. From Microorganisms to Plants
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VIII. Animals
IX.
The Human Body
Humane Letters: History, Literature and Composition, Philosophy, and Theology
I. History: Ancient Civilizations (Pre-history – 300 AD)
A. Ancient Near East: The First Civilizations
B. Ancient Near East: Peoples and Empires
C. The Civilization of the Greeks
D. Culture and Society of Classical Greece
E. Religion of the Hellenistic World
F. The Decline and Fall of the Roman Republic
G. Selected Readings from The Following Books
1. The Ancient Greeks, Chester Starr
2. The Ancient Romans, Chester Starr
3. Herodotus (selections)
4. Thucydides (selections)
II. Literature and Composition:
A. Composition
1. Focus on Persuasive Essay Writing
2. Lost Tools of Writing Level I
B. Vocabulary
1. Latin and Greek Stems
2. Classic Words
3. Analogies
4. Text: Word Within the Word vol. 2, Michael Clay Thompson
C. Grammar
1. The Parts of Speech
2. The Parts of a Sentence
3. The Prepositional and Participial Phrases
4. The Adjective and Adverb Clauses
5. Direct and Indirect Objects, Subject Complements
6. Simple, Compound, Complex, and Compound-Complex Sentences
7. Diagramming Sentences
8. Text:
a. The Magic Lens Volume II
b. 4 Practice Workbook: Analysis of Sentences on Four Levels
D. Textbooks
2. Advanced Academic Writing Volume II
E. Literature Selections
1. Theogeny/Works and Days, Hesiod
2. Livy
3. The Iliad & The Odyssey: The Essential Homer, Lombardo
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4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
Greek Tragedies: Agamemnon, Oedipus the King, Antigone
Till We Have Faces
Fahrenheit 451
Lord of the Flies
Poetry, Plato and The Problem of Beauty
III. History of Philosophy:
A. Introduction to Philosophy
B. Socrates
C. Plato
D. Aristotle
E. Philosophical Readings
1. Socrates Meets Jesus, Peter Kreeft
2. The Last Day of Socrates
3. Aristotle for Everybody, Mortimer Adler
IV. Theology:
A. The Old Testament (Genesis – Malachi)
B. Theology Texts
1. What’s in the Bible? (Correlates with Dust to Glory Video Series)
2. A House For My Name: A Survey of the Old Testament (The New
Concealed), Peter Leithart
IV. Latin: 9
A. Vocabulary
500 words memorized, including all genitive/genders for nouns and principal
parts for verb.
B. Reading and Analysis
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Grammar review
Review of historical contexts
Translation
Recitation and oratory
Reading and discussion of Latin scripture
Reading and discussion of Roman and early Christian literature
C. Primary Texts
1. In Catalinam (Against Cataline), Cicero
2. De Bello Gallico (The Gallic Wars), Caesar
3. Titus and other passages from the Vulgate Bible
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4. De Civitate Dei (The City of God), St. Augustine
5. Wheelock’s Locī Antīquī, Frederic Wheelock & Richard LaFleur
6. Wheelock’s Locī Immutati, Frederic Wheelock & Richard LaFleur
3. Tenth Grade Curriculum
Algebra II and Trigonometry:
I.
II.
III.
IV.
V.
VI.
VII.
VIII.
IX.
X.
XI.
XII.
XIII.
XIV.
XV.
XVI.
Basic Concepts of Algebra
Inequalities and Proof
Linear Equations and Functions
Products and Factors of Polynomials
Applications of Factoring
Irrational and Complex Numbers
Quadratic Equations and Functions
Quadratic Functions and Their Graphs
Analytic Geometry
Exponential and Logarithmic Functions
Applications
Triangle Trigonometry
Trigonometric Graphs; Identities
Trigonometric Applications
Statistics and Probability
Matrices and Determinants
Science: Chemistry
I.
II.
III.
IV.
V.
VI.
VII.
VIII.
IX.
Introduction to Chemistry
Atomic Structure
Properties of Matter
Electron Configuration and the Periodic Table
Bonding, Nomenclature, and Formula Writing
Chemical Reactions and Equations
Stoichiometry
Kinetic Theory
Acids, Bases, and Electrolytes
Humane Letters: History, Literature and Composition, Philosophy, and Theology
I.
History
A. Middle Ages
a. Early
b. High
c. Late
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d. Renaissance
e. Reformation
B. Additional Texts
1. The Middle Ages, Mills
2. Macmillan Atlas History of Christianity, Littell
3. Short History of Western Civilization, Vol. I, Harrison
4. Life of Charlemagne, Einhard
II.
Literature and Composition
A. Whole Works
1. Virgil, The Aeneid
2. Eliot, The Cocktail Party
3. Dante, The Inferno
4. Heaney, Beowulf
5. Shakespeare, Merchant of Venice, Hamlet
6. Boroff, Sir Gawain and the Green Knight
7. Eliot, Murder in the Cathedral
8. Brecht, Galileo
B. Selections
1. Malory, Le Morte d’Arthur (selections)
2. Chaucer, The Canterbury Tales (selections)
3. Spenser, Faerie Queene
4. Janet Lewis, The Wife of Martin Guerre
C. Grammar Texts
1. The Magic Lens Volume III
2. The Word Within the Word Volume III
3. Poetry, Plato and the Problem of Truth
4. Advanced Academic Writing Volume III
5. 4 Practice Volume III
III.
Rhetoric
A. Lost Tools of Writing, CIRCE Institute
C. Office of Assertion, Scott Crider
IV.
Philosophy
A. Boethius, The Consolation of Philosophy
B. Machiavelli, The Prince
C. Erasmus, Education of A Christian Prince (selections)
D. Pico, “Oration on the Dignity of Man”
V.
Theology
A. Acts of the Apostles (St. Andrew's Expositional Commentary by R.C. Sproul)
B. Saint Augustine, Confessions, City of God
C. Aquinas, Thomas, Selected Writings (The Shorter Suma)
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D. Defending Your Faith: An Introduction to Apologetics, Sproul
E. Church History in Plain Language, Shelly
F. The 7 Ecumenical Councils, Davis (selections)
VI.
Research Paper Project – Middle Ages
VII.
Memory
A. St. Matthew 5:3-16, “The Beatitudes”
B. St. John 1:1-5, “The Word”
C. I Corinthians 13, “The Greatest of These”
D. Shakespeare, “The quality of mercy is not strained” from the Merchant of Venice”
E. Shakespeare, “To be, or not to be: that is the questions” from Hamlet
F. Nicene Creed
Ancient Greek I:
I.
Vocabulary
A. 300 words memorized
B. Study of English derivatives
II.
Usage
A. Alphabet, pronunciation, vowel length
B. Accents
C. Particles, proclitics and enclitics
D. Agreement
III.
Grammar & Memorization
A. Nouns: all three declensions
B. Use of cases
C. Articles, intensives and demonstratives
D. Adjectives and position (bound and unbound)
E. Comparatives and superlatives
F. Possessive adjectives
G. Participles
H. Adverbs and comparison of adverbs
I. Pronouns: relative, interrogative, personal
J. Verbs: present tense
IV.
Memory: Selections from Original Texts
A. New Testament verses
B. Poetry and quotations of Sappho, Heraclitus, and Diogenes
V.
Text
A. Ancient Greek Alive, Paula Saffire and Catherine Freis
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4. Eleventh Grade Curriculum
Pre-Calculus:
I.
Linear and Quadratic Functions
II.
Polynomial Functions
III.
Inequalities
IV.
Functions
V.
Exponents and Logarithms
VI.
Trigonometric Functions
VII.
Trigonometric Functions and Applications
VIII. Triangle Trigonometry
IX.
Trigonometric Addition Formulas
X.
Polar Coordinates
XI.
Sequences and Series
XII.
Limits
XIII. Introduction to Calculus
Science: Astronomy
I.
Cosmological Conceptions
A. Heavenly Motions
B. The Formation of Cosmological Models
C. Earth is Not the Center
D. Galileo and Newton Models
E. Understanding the Electromagnetic Spectrum
F. Telescopes: Our Vision Expanded into the Deeper Cosmos
G. Einstein’s Relativity and Space-time
II.
The Nine Planets
A. Mother Earth
B. The Large Cratered Rocks: Luna and Mercury
C. Our Two Closest Planets: Venus and Mars
D. The Huge Gas Planets
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E. Other Members of Our Solar System and its Formation
III.
The Starry Universe
A. The Sun: The Closest Star
B. Stars are Born and Stars Die
Humane Letters: History, Literature, Philosophy, and Theology
I.
History (1500 – 1850)
A. Early Explorers
B. Religious Wars
C. Revolutions (American, French, Industrial)
D. Pre-Civil War
E. Additional Texts
1. Weber, The Western Tradition
2. Durant, The Lessons of History
3. Burke, Reflections on the Revolution in France
4. Harrison, Short History of Western Civilization Vol. II
II.
Literature
A. Selections
1. Jane Austin – Pride and Prejudice
2. The Federalist Papers, Hamiliton, Madison
3. De Tocqueville, Democracy in America
4. Milton, Paradise Lost
5. Wordsworth, The Prelude, Book IX, X, IX (on France)
6. John Bunyan – The Pilgrim’s Progress
7. Jonathan Swift – Gulliver’s Travels
8. Nathaniel Hawthorne – The Scarlet Letter
9. Hardy, The Mayor of Castorbridge
10. Conrad, Heart of Darkness
11. Dickens, Hard Times or Great Expectations or Oliver Twist
12. Wilde, The Importance of Being Earnest
13. Yeats, Selected Poems
14. Joyce, Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man
15. Shakespeare, Macbeth
16. H. Coombes, Literature and Criticism
III.
Philosophy
A. Selections
1. Descartes, Meditation
2. Hobbes, Leviathan
3. Rousseau, On the Origins of Inequality, The Social Contract
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4. Locke, Second Treatise on Civil Government, An Essay Concerning Human
Understanding or On
5. The True End of Civil Government
6. Hume, Treatise on Human Nature, Of the Original Contract
7. Smith, Wealth of Nations
8. Kant, Critique of Pure Reason
9. Voltaire, Candide
10. Plato - Gorgias
IV.
Rhetoric
Selections
1. Classical Rhetoric for the Modern Student, Corbett
2. Office of Assertion, Scott Crider
3. Amusing Ourselves to Death, Postman,
4. Rhetoric and Ethics, Aristotle
5. How to Read a Book, Mortimer Adler
V.
Theology
Selections
1. Lewis, Abolition of Man
2. Veith, Reading Between the Lines
3. Donne, Divine Meditations
4. The Reason for God, Keller
5. Why Jesus?, Zacharias
Memory
A. Marvell, “To His Coy Mistress”
B. Blake, “A Poison Tree”
C. Keats, “Ode to a Nightingale”
D. Tennyson, “Strong Son of God, Immortal Love” from In Memorian A.H.H.
E. Hopkins, “The Habit of Perfection”
F. Hardy, “In Time of the Breaking of Nations
G. Arnold, “Dover Beach”
H. Yeats, “The Second Coming”
I. Spender, “I Think Continually of Those Who Were Truly Great”
VI.
VII.
Research Paper Topic: each student is expected to write a short thesis of 3,000 – 5,000
words in the area of history from 1500-1850.
The thesis is submitted to the Grade 11 Teachers’ Seminar in the spring. Grade 11 teachers act as
thesis advisors.
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Ancient Greek II:
I.
Vocabulary
A. 300 words memorized
B. Study of English derivatives
II.
Grammar & Memorization
A. Aspect: continuous, aorist, perfect
B. Tense: past, present, future
C. Verb stems: all tenses, all aspects
D. Voice: active, passive, middle
E. Indirect discourse
F. Genitive absolute & passive periphrastic
G. Imperatives
H. Uses of Subjunctive: hortatory, deliberative, prohibition, purpose, fearing
I. Perfect as Present
J. Optative
K. Middle Voice: Indicative Middle, Perfect Middle, Middle Imperatives
L. Deponent verbs
M. Verbals
III.
Memory: Selections from Original Texts
A. New Testament verses
B. Poetry and quotations of Sappho, Heraclitus, and Diogene
C. Hecuba’s Speech from Trojan Women, Euripides
IV.
Text
A. Ancient Greek Alive, Paula Saffire and Catherine Freis
5. Twelfth Grade Curriculum
Statistics and Probability:
I.
II.
III.
IV.
Interpreting Categorical and Quantitative Data
Making Inferences and Justifying Conclusions
Conditional Probability and the Rules of Probability
Using Probability to Make Decisions
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Calculus:
I.
Limits and Their Properties
II.
Differentiation
III.
Application of Differentiation
IV.
Integration
V.
Logarithmic, Exponential, and Other Transcendental Functions
VI.
Applications of Integration
VII.
Integration Techniques, L’Hȏpital’s Rule, and Improper Integrals
VIII. Infinite Series
IX.
Conics, Parametric Equations, and Polar Coordinates
Science: Physics
I.
Planning and Conducting Investigations
II.
Analyze and Interpret Data
III.
Demonstrate Scientific Reasoning and Logic
IV.
Interrelationships Among Mass, Distance, Force and Time
V.
Quantities Including Mass, Energy, Momentum, and Charge are Conserved
VI.
Properties of Fluids
VII.
Transferred and Transformed Energy for Usable Work
VIII. Models of Transverse and Longitudinal Waves to Interpret Wave Phenomena
IX.
Electromagnetic Spectrum
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X.
Optical Systems
XI.
Effects of Gravitations, Electric, and Magnetic Force
XII.
Electrical Circuits
Humane Letters: History, Literature, Philosophy, and Theology
I. History (Civil War – Today)
A. Bailyn et al., The Great Republic
B. Morison, Oxford History of the American People
C. Hofstadter, Great Issues in American History
D. The Declaration of Independence
E. Alexander Hamilton et al., The Federalist
F. Constitution of the United States
G. Short History of Western Civilization, Vol. II, Harrison
H. De Tocqueville, Democracy in America
I. The Roots of American Order, Russell Kirk
II. Literature (Poems, Short Stories and Novels)
1. Dostoyevsky, The Brothers Karamazov
2. Thoreau – Walden
3. Cost of Discipleship: Bonheoffer
4. Edgar Allen Poe – The Fall of the House of Usher and other stories
5. Aldous Huxley – Brave New World
6. Orwell, 1984
7. Hitler, Mein Kampf
8. Stowe – Uncle Tom’s Cabin
9. Steinbeck – Grapes of Wrath
10. Tuchman – Guns of August, Proud Tower
11. Whitman, “Song of Myself”
12. S. Crane, “The Bride Comes to Yellow Sky”
13. Hart, “The Luck of Roaring Camp” “The Outcasts of Poker Flat”
14. Turner, “The Significance of the Frontier in American History”
15. Dickenson, Selected Poems
16. James, The American
17. Frost, Selected Poems
18. Pound, “The White Stag’ The Return” “Portrait dune femme” “Moberly”
19. Agee, Let Us Now Praise Famous Men
20. O’Neill, Long Day’s Journey into Night
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21. O’Connor, “The Life You Save May Be Your Own” “A Good Man Is Hard To Find”
22. Miller, Death of a Salesman
23. Warren, All the King’s Men
24. Ellison, Invisible Man
25. Ortega y Gusset, The Revolt of the Masses
26. Shakespeare – Taming of the Shrew, Othello
27. Shakespeare’s Poetry
28. Marx – Das Capital
29. Scott Fitzgerald, The Great Gatsby
30. Shelly, Frankenstein
III. Problems of Knowledge and Faith
A. Kant – Critique of Pure Reason
B. Spinoza – Ethics
C. Plato – Republic
D. Aristotle – Ethics
E. I Corinthians
F. Clement of Rome, “First Epistle to the Corinthians”
G. Selections from Origen, Basil of Caesarea, and Gregory of Nyssa
H. Chesterton, The Everlasting Man, Orthodoxy
I. Smooth Stones Taken from Ancient Brooks, John Owens
J. Lewis, Mere Christianity
IV. Rhetoric II
A. A Manual for Writers of Term Papers, Theses, and Dissertations
B. Elements of Style, Strunk and White
C. Classical Rhetoric for the Modern Student, Corbett
D. Aristotle – Rhetoric
V. Memory
A. Bible Selections
B. Lincoln, “Gettysburg Address
C. Whitman, “I celebrate myself
D. Frost, “Stopping by Woods”
E. Crane, “Repose of Rivers”
F. Stevens, “The Emperor of Ice Cream”
G. Auden, “Musée des Beaux Arts”
H. Warren, “Bearded Oaks”
I. Markham, “The Man with a Hoe”
VI. Spring Film series:
A. “Citizen Kaine”
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B.
C.
D.
E.
F.
G.
H.
“Streetcar Named Desire”
“The Grapes of Wrath”
“Casablanca”
“The Quiet American”
“The Matrix”
“The Tree of Life”
Readings from: Max Lerner, America as a Civilization
Ancient Greek III:
I. Grammar
A. Grammar review
B. More uses of subjunctive
C. Translation
D. Recitation and oratory
E. Reading and discussion of Greek scripture
F. Reading and discussion of Greek and Hellenistic authors
II. Primary Texts
A. The Greek New Testament
B. The Old Testament (Septuagint)
C. Selections from Homer
6. References
PCS Board, 2012, “PCS Rhetoric School Manual”
PCS Board, 2010, “PCS Curriculum Guide for Teaching on Origins”
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