All our Tuesday Courses are listed below.
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TUESDAY COURSE OFFERINGS (2024-2025)

WRITING 1:

Using the award-winning Institute for Excellence in Writing Level B curriculum, students learn to write with style by practicing varying their sentence openers and adding “dress-ups” such as adverbs and clauses. Although the year begins with simple note-taking skills, by the end of the second semester, even reluctant writers will be able to write five paragraph essays with ease. The curriculum teaches both report writing and creative writing, such as writing from pictures and storytelling. This year, students will be using the year two materials, so that returning students will have completely new assignments. Although the class will be discussing some grammar and punctuation rules during the first semester, this course is primarily a writing class. Working through a grammar curriculum at home such as the “Fix It! Grammar” series is highly recommended and will help the student understand the concepts being discussed in class. Students will be assigned four days of homework and should expect to spend around three hours a week completing assignments. Most students will need their parents to be the “at-home” editor and check over essays for errors before they are brought to class. Essays must be printed out and marked using the system they will learn in class, not turned in through e-mail. After making suggested revisions, students will decorate essays and place in a “Magnum Opus” binder. Materials: $45 ($35 for curriculum and $10 for copies). Taught by Sheri Harrington.

WRITING 1 PLUS:

This course bridges the gap for young students who have successfully completed
Writing I but do not meet the minimum grade requirement for Writing 2, or for students who need more practice working independently before attempting the more rigorous assignments of Writing 2. This year, the curriculum will revolve around a modern world history theme. Progressing quickly through the skills learned in Writing I, students will add additional techniques called “decorations” to their writing tool belts. Students should expect about three hours of homework per week, including practicing with vocabulary flashcards. The year will culminate with a research project on a historical figure. Essays must be printed out and marked using the system students will learn in class, not turned in through e-mail. After making suggested revisions, students will decorate essays and place in a “Magnum Opus” binder. Materials: $45 ($35 for curriculum and $10 for copies). Taught by Sheri Harrington.

A question about the writing classes: How do you decide in which class to enroll your students if they’ve taken one of them already? Writing is a process, and we never come to the place where we have learned it all. All the way through school we’re going back to writing words and sentences, paragraphs and papers. If your students completed a level well and were able to be nearly independent and do the assignments fairly easily, they probably are ready to move to the next level. However, they will receive much more benefit from taking a class they’ve already taken and becoming more competent than by taking one for which they are not ready. Even though they are enrolled in the same class, they will definitely be working at a higher level, practicing the skills to achieve mastery. Think of it…students in school are taking composition courses every year or almost every year. At GCT they are taking the classes at different levels also, even though they may technically be in the same class two years in a row. We have students in 5th grade and those in 10th grade in our writing 1 classes. The older students achieve a higher skill level and the youngest often needs lots of help at home. Tutors are happy to help you decide on the correct level. What are the options if my student isn’t really ready to move up a level? You should not see this as a failure to learn, but as the need to benefit from cycling through the skills again. They could repeat the same level – many of our students have done that, with great success. But you could also practice with them the things they’ve learned to become more comfortable, perhaps using one of the theme-based books sold by Excellence in Writing. For more information about our writing courses and other options for completing at home, check out www.excellenceinwriting.com.

WRITING 2:

This class reviews all the basic Excellence in Writing techniques learned in Writing I and adds more advanced stylistic devices, while also putting more emphasis on the cohesiveness, clarity, and content of the student’s writing. While those who think clearly tend to be strong writers, it is also true that learning to write clearly leads to stronger thinking skills. Working more on content and organization than in Writing 1, students will write a variety of kinds of essays: a biography, narrative, argument, critique, and a 12-paragraph research paper step by step, learning the skills of choosing and limiting topics and sources, organizing outlines, integrating quotations, and citing properly. Also adding to the style toolbox, students spend time analyzing and imitating famous authors, writing descriptively from pictures using imagery and figurative language, and learning the structural forms and language of poetry. For creative writing and practice in figurative language, students work all year on an anthology of their own original poetry. Prerequisite: Students must have successfully completed Writing I or its equivalent. Feel free to speak with tutor to determine level. It is very acceptable for students to repeat a level of writing, because they cycle through sentences, paragraphs, and papers in composition classes. Repeating a class means they will be taking it at a higher level for mastery (thus counting as a second year on a transcript also). Grammar is taught contextually, which means it is more likely to be learned well; if students are weak in grammar, a review of a basic grammar handbook would be valuable. Students should have a sturdy 2-3 inch binder with dividers. Copies: $25.00. Taught by Julie Shorey and Bree Brasil.

PUBLIC SPEAKING:

“Fear of public speaking can be overcome with effective public speaking tips, skills and strategies” Robert Moment. Everyone must speak in public during their lives – job interviews, making friends and managing social situations, presenting a project or report in school or work. It’s important to give our kids the gift of being well-equipped to thrive in these situations, and the best way to become comfortable speaking in public is…well…to begin to speak in public. Whether your student suffers from anxiety or needs to refine those skills, this class is a must. Students will gain experience with three types of speech styles: interpretive, impromptu, and platform speaking. During the first semester, students will build skills through games and memorizing poetry and literature for a December presentation. In the second semester, they will create and memorize a 2-10 minute speech on a topic of their choice, which they will deliver at the presentation evening in April. Beginning and Advanced Public Speaking classes are combined for two reasons: 1) All students are working to improve the same skills to the best of their ability, while understanding that their best will be different from that of their classmates; and 2) advanced students are asked to step into a coaching role for their beginner classmates, improving their own skills in the process. We have found the combined model creates an encouraging environment for all. By completing this class, students will overcome their fear, become equipped with skills, and build their confidence. Some may even develop a natural interest in public speaking! Materials: $35.00. Offered at both 1:00 and 2:15. Taught by Bree Brasil.

INTRODUCTION TO LITERATURE:

In this popular 32-week middle school class, students gain a solid understanding of the structure of literature by learning plot elements, conventional story patterns, figurative language, and common literary devices. Students are explicitly taught how to read metaphorically, how to consider each text from a biblical worldview, and how to participate in dialectical class discussions. It is currently popular in many home school middle school literature classes, both online and in person, to use double the number of books than are used in this class, to use novels that are high school level, and to force advanced analytical thinking before students have learned about the basic structure of stories. Over fifteen years of teaching students who have been through these classes and then enroll in my high school literature class has shown me that this results in students who are stuck in a literal, surface level of thinking when they encounter more rigorous texts in high school. In sharp contrast, this middle school class emphasizes reading through books at a more thoughtful pace. Using fewer novels and combining both synthetical and analytical thinking concurrently allows students to lay the groundwork in literary thinking before being forced to decipher more difficult texts. The books we use in this class are still challenging, however, as they are intentionally chosen for a mix of both older classics and modern novels, from a variety of genres, and for their text complexities, such as multiple characters and plots, symbolic elements, archaic language, non-linear time sequence, varied points of view, or parallel stories. Most weeks for homework in the first semester, students will read a portion of the book and complete work in a study guide (about 3 pages a week) as well as write one literary paragraph. Then in the second semester instead of a study guide, students are more than ready to respond in a dialectical journal where they choose meaningful quotations from the story. Required Books: Every year the class starts off with a few traditional stories from the Bible, myths, and Grimm’s fairy tales, all provided by the tutor. This year the five books you should purchase are: Tales from Shakespeare by Charles and Mary Lamb (must be ISBN 9781441405654 or ISBN 9781853261404), Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry by Mildred Taylor, The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe by C. S. Lewis, Wednesday Wars by Gary Schmidt, and The Westing Game by Ellen Raskin. It is very complicated to use library books for this class because of how long the students will need each book, so I do NOT recommend using library books, but instead recommend buying reasonably priced used copies from Amazon, Thrift books, or library book sales. Please note: Since many students take the Introduction to Literature class for two consecutive years during middle school, the books are rotated every other year. Tales from Shakespeare is used every year; however, different stories from the book are studied each year. Materials fee for copies and study guides which are all provided by the tutor $55.00. Taught by Allison Desautell.

AMERICAN LITERATURE:

The purpose of this high school course is to familiarize students with American literature and its authors and worldviews. The literature selections for this class include such works as To Kill a Mockingbird, The Scarlet Letter, The Crucible, Alas Babylon, Fahrenheit 451, and The Glass Menagerie. In addition, we will analyze classic short stories and poetry and will end the year with a fun analysis of political agendas in Dr. Seuss’ stories. Students will receive a complete list of books and materials to purchase; and should expect 50-75 pages of reading per week, as well as study guides, dialectical journals, creative projects, and literary analysis essays. They should also be prepared to participate in lively class discussions! Prerequisite: It is assumed that students who take this course have successfully completed a high school level introductory or fundamentals literature course. Required: ability to access tutor’s Google Classroom, a Gmail account, AND the use of Google Docs for turning in homework! This class won’t work without the use of these communication outlets. All work will be submitted on Google Classroom. Copies: $7.00. Taught by Tammy Bankston.

INTRODUCTORY COLLEGE WRITING (AP ENGLISH LANGUAGE AND COMPOSITION):

This class will be remote, enabling students from Attleboro and Cranston to participate together. This is an introductory college-level writing course to prepare high school juniors and seniors for the AP English Language and Composition examination in May. Students will read and analyze a wide variety of primarily non-fiction works with an emphasis on the study of rhetoric, the art of effective or persuasive speaking and writing. We will focus on how language works and why writers use language as they do. Weekly reading assignments will be from a range of letters, articles, essays, speeches, product advertisements, and political cartoons and ads. Assignments will feature personal, analytical, expository, and argumentative texts. Students will use skills learned to improve their own writing. Writing assignments will include expository, narrative, persuasive and descriptive writing in the form of journal entries, formal and timed essays, and several major creative projects with presentations to the class. Learning to write well is the primary objective of this class, so students should expect to write frequently! The class will be a lot of work, but the writing instruction will be invaluable, the reading fascinating, and the discussions lively and entertaining! Also, students passing the AP exam receive college credit. What a great way to get dual enrollment. Students will receive a list of books and materials to purchase. Taught by Tammy Bankston.

SPANISH 1A:

This course focuses on interaction and conversational Spanish, concentrating on the four aspects of communicating: listening and speaking, writing and reading. The students will converse in Spanish using basic vocabulary to talk about their interests and the world around them. Grammar is taught to support the effort to speak and understand this language, as students explore the various cultures of Hispanic people around the world. The class includes studies of geography, history, cultural traditions, art, music, and daily life, all from someone who has experienced it firsthand and uses that knowledge to make the language come alive in the classroom. This course works well for middle school students looking to get a head start on language or high school students who would like to work at a slower pace, breaking Spanish 1 into two years to ensure comprehension. Taking both Spanish 1A and Spanish 1B is the equivalent of one year, one credit of high school Spanish, meaning that students would still take a Spanish 2 class in order to fulfill the two-year language requirement. All teacher-made materials mean no textbook, but students will need a binder and should plan on about 3-4 hours of homework per week. Materials: $45.00. Taught by Mikaela Shorey.

SPANISH 1B:

This course is the continuation of the conversation-based Spanish 1A class. It is a communicative course that focuses on interaction to learn language effectively. The students converse in Spanish using basic vocabulary and grammar. Students will experience a continued balanced development of the four basic skills: reading and writing, listening and speaking. The content focuses on students talking about themselves and others, their likes and dislikes, feelings, giving directions, travel, food, description of where they live, and what their daily routines look like, hobbies, plans, and healthy living. Grammar concepts focus on the formation of the present tense. Students will begin to show, in oral and written form, some spontaneity and creative language use in response to an oral or written question, a situation, or a visual. This class, combined with the preceding Spanish 1A, is the equivalent of one year of high school Spanish, meaning that students would still take a Spanish 2 class in order to fulfill the two-year language requirement. (But don’t be surprised if they learn to love it, and want to pursue more language years than required!). All teacher-made materials mean no textbook, but students will need a binder and should plan on about 3-4 hours of homework per week. Materials: $45.00. Taught by Mikaela Shorey.

INTERMEDIATE SPANISH (Spanish 3/4):

This course provides intense emphasis on the four skills: listening, speaking, reading, and writing. Most colleges require two or three years of foreign language study, and top schools highly recommend four years. Learning a language is about more than memorizing vocabulary and conjugating verbs. When students take intermediate and advanced levels of a language, they begin to engage with literature, conversation, and writing. Spanish is the second most common language spoken in the US, so being fluent will help students as they pursue careers in many fields, will introduce them to people, travel, and opportunities they might not have experienced otherwise. The students will continue learning vocabulary to describe their interests and activities; as well as asking for information and giving advice. They will develop listening and speaking skills by articulating current and past events in their own lives in the target language. The students will enrich their Spanish through learning to express themselves in the future tense by describing events that will take place. They will use a variety of sources to present oral reports on topics of personal interest. Reading skills will be developed by processing the content and contextual meaning of reading selections. Students will develop writing skills through a variety of real-life compositions in the target language. Students will be given opportunity to write creatively and defend their opinions. By the end of the year the students will have a strong command of the language. Students will need a binder, folder, and loose leaf paper. They should plan on about 4-5 hours of homework per week. Prerequisite: successful completion of Spanish 2 or its equivalent. Materials: $45.00. Taught by Mikaela Shorey.

UNDERSTANDING THE TIMES:

(1½ hour tutorial) This course by Summit Ministries answers the “whys” about many of the trends in current culture. It focuses on comparing six fundamental worldviews dominant in Western Civilization and influencing in a big way: Marxist Leninism (communism), Secular Humanism, Cosmic Humanism (New Age movement), Islam, Post-Modernism; and compares them with Biblical Christianity. Students learn the basic beliefs of each of these, often looking at their own writings, and compare them with Christianity. Some take the course because they are questioning what they’ve been taught; others because they want to learn about the world from an idea point of view and/or effectively defend their own faith. Students have reported feeling confident in their faith and able to defend it to others because they understand the various worldviews better. (And what matters more than that?) This course, or one like it, should be required for graduation by every Christian parent. But don’t worry. The students generally love the deep, thoughtful, lively discussions. Explore the Summit Ministries site and try taking this excellent (and free) worldview test yourself and then have your high schooler do it, to perhaps obtain some real insight into the need: http://www.secretbattlebook.com/checkup.html. While Apologetics is mostly studying the basics of the Christian faith from the Bible, this course involves studying respectfully what the other worldviews believe and how they compare to the basic concepts of Christianity, also using the Bible as the final authority. According to Summit Ministries, 70% of Christians leave the church by age 22, 40% of GenZ claim no religious affiliation, and only 4% of GenZ holds a biblical worldview. Instruction in the worldviews dramatically changes these statistics. The lively discussion/application format is very effective in encouraging students to interact about the things that really matter, and it is what the students love most about this class, along with the video lectures by experts in every field we study. Students can gain college credit for this class. Check it out at http://understandingthetimes.com/college-credit/. The material was written for juniors and seniors in high school, but not strictly limited, although it is challenging. Parents are welcome to sit in. Materials fee includes hard cover textbook, student manual, access to online video lectures, and copies. Materials: $75.00. Taught by Julie Shorey.

PRE-ALGEBRA:

(2 hour tutorial) This class will meet twice a week, allowing for more in-depth interaction with the concepts. The course requires about 45 minutes to an hour of DAILY work outside of class. There will be required summer assignments to get students warmed up for the beginning of the school year. Prerequisites: Admission into this course requires passing a readiness test administered by the instructor. If a student is not ready for this class, Fundamentals of Mathematics would be an excellent course to begin with. Topics covered in Pre-Algebra include: variables, expressions, integers, order of operation, simplifying variable expressions, solving equations, multi-step equations, inequalities, factors, greatest common factor, rules of exponents, scientific notation, equations and inequalities with rational numbers, ratios and proportions, the percent equation, percent applications, simple interest, relations and function, graphing, linear equations in two variable, slope, graphing a line in the slop-intercept form, the Pythagorean Theorem, distance and mid-point, circumference and area of circles, basic statistics. The goal of this course is to help students understand the concepts and the connections between them, to avoid the some of that frustration for students thinking they are memorizing many, many concepts. We use a variety of approaches which make the material accessible to all learning styles, building a strong foundation for high school math and science. This course is designed for middle school students who have completed their basic elementary math work (7th and 8th graders, although some 6th graders may be ready for this course). Required Materials: Pre-Algebra, by Larson, Bosewell, Kanold and Stiff, published by McDougall Littell, Copyright 2005, ISBN 0618250034; a 3-ring binder with 5 dividers; lined and graph paper; a calculator that can handle trig. Functions and logarithms (I would highly recommend the Texas Instruments TI-30xs MultiView). Do not purchase a graphing calculator. The use of a phone is not allowed. Materials: $40 – includes one year subscription to IXL, summer review assignments and practice workbook. Taught by Sandy Tracy

ALGEBRA 1/HONORS ALGEBRA 1:

(2 hour tutorial) This class will meet twice a week, one hour on Tuesday and for one on Thursday. The course requires about 45 minutes to an hour of DAILY work outside of class, and can be taken at an honors level or a standard level. Required summer assignments will review the Pre-Algebra topics in chapters 1 and 2 and we will begin the year with chapter 3. Topics covered in this class include polynomial arithmetic, factoring polynomials, transforming formulas, algebraic fractions, negative exponents and scientific notation, functions and lines, equations and graphing, systems of linear equations, inequalities, rational and irrational numbers, and quadratic function. Prerequisites: Admission into this class requires either successful completion of Pre-Algebra or passing an Algebra readiness test administered by the instructor. Students should have a good command of order of operations, evaluating simple and complex expressions, solving linear equations, problem solving process, signed number arithmetic, positive exponents, and the distributive property. Required Materials: Algebra 1, by Larson, Bosewell, Kanold and Stiff, published by McDougall Littell, Copyright 2007, ISBN 0618594027; a 3-ring binder with 5 dividers; lined and graph paper; and a scientific calculator (I highly recommend the Texas Instruments TI-30XS MultiView). Do not purchase a graphing calculator. The use of a phone is not allowed. Material fee: $40 – includes one year subscription to IXL, summer review assignments and practice workbook. Taught by Sandy Tracy.

GEOMETRY/HONORS GEOMETRY:

(2 hour tutorial) This is a high school level math course that meets twice per week, one hour on Tuesday and one on Thursday. This format allows for more in-depth interaction with the concepts. Prerequisite to admission into this class is successful completion of the Algebra 1 class or passing an Algebra Exit test administered by the instructor. [If a student is not ready for Geometry, the Algebra 1 course is a great place to begin.] The course requires about 45 minutes to an hour of DAILY work outside of class. A goal of this course is to help students understand why the concepts work, not just how to find the answer. This helps promote mathematical reasoning and conceptual growth which allows students to analyze new situation and deduce answers. Some of the topics covered include: parallel and perpendicular line, triangle relationships, similarity, polygons and area, surface area and volume, right triangles and basic trigonometry, circles, transformations, and proofs. Please purchase: McDougal Littell Geometry (2007 edition ISBN:978-0-618-59540-2). You will also need a calculator that can handle trig. functions and logarithms (I highly recommend the Texas Instruments TI-30XS MultiView ). Do not purchase a graphing calculator. The use of phones is not allowed. Material fee: $40 – includes one year subscription to IXL, summer review assignments and practice workbook. Taught by Sandy Tracy.

FORENSIC SCIENCE:

This high school level lab science explores the exciting field of crime scene investigation, covering topics in biology, chemistry, and physical science. Students will use a unique hands-on program to perform intriguing investigations weekly. Topics include blood detection, blood spatter analysis, evidence processing, footprint analysis, questioned document and handwriting analysis, fingerprinting, bite mark analysis, hair analysis, fabric and fibers analysis, and drug testing. In addition to the labs, there will be reading and workbook assignments, quizzes, and short oral reports about historical crime cases. The main textbook for the class will be available to the students online or through handouts from the instructor. Students should purchase Cold Case Christianity by J. Warner Wallace, which will be used as a supplement. Required: ability to access tutor’s Google Classroom, a Gmail account, and the use of Google Docs for turning in homework! This class won’t work without the use of these communication outlets. All work will be submitted on Google Classroom. Due to the lab intensive nature of the course, there is a $100 lab fee. Copy fee: $15 Taught by Tammy Bankston.

ALL ABOUT ART (1st semester):

This is a multi-level basic art course that will include the elements and principles of art, and is appropriate for both middle school and high school students who are wanting to try their hand at the beginning concepts of art. We will be using different types of mediums, to give a variety of experience to the students, including pencils, paint, and clay. Assignments will include: discovering LINE through drawing, SPACE and depth through collage, designing and sculpting a comic character, and brushstroke and techniques of paint and COLOR. We will be completing the semester with an original watercolor painting, and will display student projects during the last day of classes. A supply list will be provided. Materials: $10.00. Taught by Erin Hazen

ALL ABOUT COLOR (2nd semester):

This art course, also for every age level, covers more in depth the element of art: color. It is a wonderful follow-up to the first semester’s more general art course, but that is not a prerequisite for this one. “I cannot pretend to feel impartial about colors. I rejoice with the brilliant ones and am genuinely sorry for the poor browns.” ~Winston Churchill Observing is an essential artistic skill and students will learn to observe the amazing colors in God’s creation and experiment with color through painting. They will build color harmonies, compare contrasting colors, and understand the theory of the color wheel. They will discover how color affects moods and brightens the world around us. During this class the students will use colored pencils, markers, acrylic and watercolor paints, and even toilet paper! Projects include a monochromatic shoe painting, a color collage, marker pointillism art, warm and cool color landscapes, and a food sculpture emphasizing color. Materials fee includes a set of designed paint cards (part of the “Colors, Colors, Colors curriculum”) which we will be using in class. Plan on an art show the last day of classes. A supply list will be provided. Materials: $25.00. Taught by Erin Hazen

DRAMA (2nd semester) (1.5 tutorial):

This multi-level class is for students in grades 6-12. Students usually love drama, but it has value way beyond a fun class. For the shy, drama can be a wonderful opportunity to grow in confidence. For the outgoing, drama is a wonderful opportunity to serve others (the audience and castmates). Some of the skills developed in drama: courage, responsibility, perseverance, humility, trust, cooperation, receiving constructive criticism and positive feedback and trust in God to do hard things. Drama class is a unique opportunity for students to mingle among people with whom they may not otherwise cross paths. It is truly a team effort! Performances for this class will be one-act plays – shorter scripts and smaller casts, making it manageable in the time allotted and giving opportunity for more “bigger parts” in shorter, doable plays. Besides growing in their acting skills and understanding of people, students will all work on one production area: costumes, set, props, and even some student directing for experienced actors. The plays will be performed on the stage in May. Materials: $30.00. Taught by Julie Shorey with others.