One Day Academy

Purpose

The Starting Points course is preparatory to the high school courses World Views of the Western World I, II, and III. Although Starting Points is not required before taking World View, it is an advantageous introduction. Starting Points can also stand alone as an introductory apologetics course. If a student could take only one World View class, this should be the one because it lays the foundation for a biblical understanding of the world.

This is a 2-credit course: English and Bible.

Process

Starting Points – Where Our Thinking Begins

• Provides the Basic Foundation of the Biblical World View

• Provides Practice in Examining Literature from the Biblical World view

• Provides Three Approaches to Apologetics

• Provides an Examination of the Foundations of the United States

The Apostle Paul, writing in 1 Thess.5:21, explains that Christians are to "examine everything carefully." We are to examine ideas – testing and proving all things – discerning which ideas are true from the vast array of ideas that are flowing from society. Paul then explains that we are to "hold fast to that which is good."

EXAMINING….. EVALUATING…. EMBRACING…. EXTENDING

These four words represent the focus of STARTING POINTS.

“The truth is that, like everyone else, Christians are always more culturally shortsighted

than they realize. They are often unable to tell, for instance, where their Christian

principles leave off and cultural perspectives begin.”

Os Guinness

No one disputes that there have been massive changes in America, even since the turn of

this century. Many truths that once seemed secure are now contested. Some long-

standing truths are even deemed dangerous.

It should be said that these debates are not just between Christians and non-Christians.

Vigorous debates are regularly found among us Christians.

In this course we will look at many issues we all are challenged by today: the influence of

technology, a better and more comprehensive understanding of politics, ethical

challenges, and much, much, more.

We will consider these issues through the lens of the Bible, Christian theology, and some

of the best thinkers of the past 3,000 years.

Again, this course is geared to stretch students to think more honestly and thoroughly

about the most challenging issues of our day.

Homework is not heavy in this class. Homework will contribute to class discussion.

Worldview 1

The Ancient World and Middle Ages

Purpose

Worldview One is designed to give an overview of the progression of Western thought and culture.

Covering the Ancient World into the Middle Ages (Creation to 1100 A.D.), this first year of Worldview

prepares students to face an increasingly pagan world. Students investigate and compare the great

philosophers, writers, and streams of thought originating from Israel, Greece, and Rome that helped

form Western Civilization.

This is a 4-credit course: English, Ancient Literature, World History, and Philosophy.

Process

Students are expected to keep extensive syllabus notes, write several reflective and argumentative

papers, give oral presentations in class, as well as write and present a major research paper.

The books studied in Worldview One include, but are not limited to:

• The Iliad, Homer

• Genesis in Space and Time, Francis Schaffer

• The Universe Next Door, James Sire

• The Odyssey, Homer

• The Republic, Plato

• The Aeneid, Virgil

• The God Who is There, Francis Schaffer

• Escape from Reason, Francis Schaffer

• The City of God, Augustine

• Church History in Plain Language, Shelly

• The Bible and Ancient Thought World Views of the Western World, David Quine

Worldview 2

Renaissance, Reformation, and Revolution

Purpose

The second year of Worldview continues with the Middle Ages, moving into the Renaissance, the

Reformation, and the Revolutionary Era (c. 1200-1800). Students focus on the primary works that

shaped these periods and their impact on the formation of the Western mind and American

government. Class discussions will aim at moving beyond the details of the texts to their cultural

implications.

This is a 4-credit course: English, Medieval Literature, American History, Philosophy ½, and Government

½.

Process

Course work includes extensive syllabus note taking, six short papers, a major research paper on the

Declaration of Independence, class debates, and impromptu writing assignments.

The books studied in Worldview Two include, but are not limited to:

• The Divine Comedy, Dante

• Canterbury Tales, Chaucer

• Le Morte d’ Arthur, Malory

• How Should We Then Live, Schaeffer

• Paradise Lost, Milton

• Institutes, Calvin

• Pilgrim’s Progress, Bunyan

• Second Treatise of Government, Locke

• Federalist Papers

• Democracy in America, de Tocqueville

• Tale of Two Cities, Dickens

• Total Truth, Pearcey

• Animal Farm, Orwell

• Communist Manifesto, Marx

Purpose

Rather than merely reacting to current events, Christians must be proactive. We must charge the next generation with the unchanging truth of the Gospel, rooted in knowledge and wisdom. Our Current Events class is anchored in Scripture, and this conviction serves as our guiding principle throughout the curriculum. This course aims to analyze the truthfulness and trustworthiness the information we receive from news and media and compare them to a biblical worldview.

Students will:

• Study current events as they unfold

• Learn to differentiate between fake news and reliable news sources

• Research the background of current news events

• Analyze the causes and effects of current events

• Give Power Point presentations to demonstrate what they have learned

This is an interactive course. Students will engage in lively discussions and debates during class time.

Expectations:

Students are expected to read a news source at least three times a week to familiarize themselves with the fast-paced nature of current events. Class participation is a vital aspect of this course and can be earned through active engagement in discussions. Depending on the duration of their reading, listening, or watching of news sources, students can anticipate spending 2-4 hours per week on homework.

Worldview 3

The Modern Era

Purpose

This is the third and culminating year of Worldview spanning the period from the American Civil War to

the Modern Era (c. 1850-Present). Students read primary works and analyze their impact on the

formation of the modern mind and American culture. In this Socratic setting, students prepare for

college level work through extensive reading, journaling, and current event discussion and analysis.

This is a 4-credit course: English, Modern Literature, American History, and Philosophy.

Process

Course work includes a reading journal, in-class essays, debate exercises, several short papers, and a

major research paper. Class discussions will aim at moving beyond the details of the texts to their

implications.

The books studied in World View III include, but are not limited to:

• Total Truth, Pearcey

• Origin of Species, Darwin

• How Should We Then Live, Schaeffer

• Up From Slavery, Washington

• Rites of Spring, Eksteins

• Modern Times, Johnson

• Pride and Prejudice, Austen

• Anna Karenina, Tolstoy

• Citizen Soldiers, Ambrose

• The Old Man and the Sea, Hemingway

• The Plague, Camus

•  Screwtape Letters, Lewis