In this year-long, honors-level class, each student acquires both a deep understanding of chemistry and an appreciation for its real-world applications. Each week comprises live lecture and live discussion enhanced by graphics and PowerPoint presentations. Students perform labs under the instructor's guidance and are provided with lab materials and worksheets to be completed at home.
High school and even college courses often "teach" physics by requiring that students memorize and apply formulas. Students who are whizzes at math or good at memorization excel in such classes; the rest are left confused. — Our instruction in Honors Physics takes a different approach: our students begin by experiencing for themselves specific physical phenomena and exploring their underlying principles. Then and only then do they delve into the mathematical conceptualization of those principles and their algebraic applications.
Our online science intensives are eight weeks long; each delivers in-depth, focused study of a particular topic in science, and they all include labs. Each is a standalone course that may complement nicely your at-home science curriculum. But you may also combine two or more intensives in whatever way suits your student's interests and needs. — You can even fashion a robust year-long science course complete with labwork.
Instructor Diane Speed will deliver intensives on the following topics:
To view the weekly schedule of our online classes for 2021-22, click on the image at right. —
Need to see the current schedule (2020-21)? Just click here.
Algebra is the study of mathematical relationships. Many algebra courses emphasize the mechanics of solving problems: first do this; then do that... — In our online courses, by contrast, we aim to teach an understanding of the why: why certain relationships exist; why we solve problems the way we do. To keep students engaged and motivated, we use a variety of instructional tools and methods, such as games and competitions. Students solve problems with the help of the teacher, and once the concept is understood, homework is assigned to reinforce the learning.
In geometry, many students discover a new and practical application for the algebra they've already learned. They may also recognize for the first time the beauty and power of logic: students in this class create chains of reasoning, building knowledge from just a few givens.
Equally important, when solving geometric problems, students practice skills important for understanding the world:
deductive reasoning;
spatial understanding;
problem-solving.
Along the way, they strengthen a variety of mental muscles like visualization and sustained concentration.
This program addresses the principal concerns parents have about homeschooling through high school — everything you need to know about the high school curriculum and credits, standardized tests, transcripts and record-keeping, applying to college, pursuing scholarships, and much, much more.
The thing I liked best about this workshop: The workbook! Having all the information presented by Diane also on paper where notes can be added is so valuable! That's the true treasure from this workshop — it can be referred to repeatedly through high school years and when applying to colleges.
—Jacqueline B.
Homeschooling mom
Terrific. Full of information. The materials were so thorough. I now have a plan of action. Also, this workshop is inclusive: No matter what type of homeschooler you are, you will understand better how to prepare your student for college and present him or her in the best light.
At the heart of effective writing is the ability to develop and sustain a clear train of thought. This acclaimed year-long writing course is designed to help students develop the missing skills — the writing tools and know-how needed to organize and express their ideas. To better understand the essay form, students they not only produce and revise their own essays; they read closely and analyze dozens of essays by really fine writers. Please note: This course serves as a precursor to our course Essay Writing & Appreciation.
The emphasis of this course is writing essays that produce insight: those fleeting, intuitive leaps and connections we all make at some point — magic glimpses of understanding, and even wisdom.
Students in this course are trained, first, to notice and record their own observations and insights; second, to explore them in the form of essays. For inspiration, they not only read and analyze splendid essays by fine writers; they maintain a commonplace book of their own observations.
These online sessions provide an in-depth study of this play as well as the historical, cultural, and literary background needed to bring the play to life. This course takes students to an advanced level of reading comprehension and analysis. It strengthens the skills needed to tackle sophisticated material across the curriculum and even dissect difficult passages included in standardized tests.
For students, Hamlet can seem daunting — it's Shakespeare's longest play, with dark themes, complex ideas, and difficult verse. This course makes the play accessible and, in ten online sessions, reveals the play's deepest secrets. This course in close reading provides an in-depth study of the play some consider Shakespeare's greatest.
Prerequisites: Students should already have some familiarity with Shakespeare. Our own College-Bound Intensive on Romeo & Juliet is ideal preparation for this course.
It may be his shortest tragedy, but Macbeth is packed with some of Shakespeare's most compelling imagery and finest verse. This series of seven sessions is for students who already have some familiarity with Shakespeare and seek greater depth. The emphasis is on close reading, and students also become familiar with 1) Shakespeare's sources for the play, and 2) the most interesting movie versions.
Prerequisites: Students should already have considerable familiarity with Shakespeare. Our own College-Bound Intensive on Romeo & Juliet is ideal preparation for this course.
This new online series comprises eight sessions on one of Shakespeare's finest comedies. Twelfth Night satirizes unrequited love, mocks sanctimony and snobbery, and celebrates the simple pleasures of ordinary life. This course serves as an introduction to Shakespeare's comedy, and it is also a course in close reading — students become acquainted with Shakespeare's vocabulary and verse and get practice in important skills, like annotating the text.
This is a year-long online course in close reading of medieval texts. The emphasis is England and English literature, but a great deal of what the students learn about this period will be applicable to other European societies and cultures.
The "Medieval Millennium" extended from roughly 500 to around 1500 ad, encompassing a huge swath of British history. English literature of the period spans everything from Anglo-Saxon poetry and the epic poem Beowulf to The Canterbury Tales and Malory's Morte Darthur. This course provides historical perspective, traces the development of the English language, and takes students on a deep dive into the most important literature of the period.
In this year-long, honors-level class, each student acquires both a deep understanding of chemistry and an appreciation for its real-world applications. Each week comprises live lecture and live discussion enhanced by graphics and PowerPoint presentations. Students perform labs under the instructor's guidance and are provided with lab materials and worksheets to be completed at home.
High school and even college courses often "teach" physics by requiring that students memorize and apply formulas. Students who are whizzes at math or good at memorization excel in such classes; the rest are left confused. — Our instruction in 
Our online science intensives are eight weeks long; each delivers in-depth, focused study of a particular topic in science, and they all include labs. Each is a standalone course that may complement nicely your at-home science curriculum. But you may also combine two or more intensives in whatever way suits your student's interests and needs. — You can even fashion a robust year-long science course complete with labwork.
At the heart of effective writing is the ability to develop and sustain a clear train of thought. This acclaimed year-long writing course is designed to help students develop the missing skills — the writing tools and know-how needed to organize and express their ideas. To better understand the essay form, students they not only produce and revise their own essays; they read closely and analyze dozens of essays by really fine writers.
The emphasis of this course is writing essays that produce insight: those fleeting, intuitive leaps and connections we all make at some point — magic glimpses of understanding, and even wisdom.
This new online series comprises eight sessions on one of Shakespeare's finest comedies. Twelfth Night satirizes unrequited love, mocks sanctimony and snobbery, and celebrates the simple pleasures of ordinary life. This course serves as an introduction to Shakespeare's comedy, and it is also a course in close reading — students become acquainted with Shakespeare's vocabulary and verse and get practice in important skills, like annotating the text.
