"Standing on the shoulders of giants” is a phrase that is often heard in the classical Christian school community. Proponents of classical Christian education strive to build upon the solid foundation laid by the great thinkers of the past, using time-tested teaching methods rather than following the latest fads in modern education. Haw River Christian Academy has taken a similar approach when selecting our curriculum. When faced with the very important and daunting task of deciding exactly what our students will be learning on a day to day basis, we turned to Rockbridge Academy in Maryland, a “giant” in the field of classical Christian education. Rockbridge has a stellar reputation and an exceptional record of achievement. Rockbridge provides rigorous academics and has produced scholars of the highest caliber--students whose Biblical worldviews remain in tact as they navigate the world of higher education. The HRCA staff witnessed this achievement first hand when we attended Rockbridge’s summer teacher training program. The Rockbridge training and curriculum materials have provided an excellent “road map” for HRCA to navigate our way through our first years of classical Christian education.
What does this road map look like? As you might have guessed, it offers quite a different route than the one offered by most modern schools. Most public school curricula focus on skills and general concepts, leaving individual teachers to decide the day to day content. This is why many parents of children in public schools complain that their children repeat the same information year after year. For example, a child may learn about the pilgrims or the rainforest for several years in a row, leaving large gaps in students’ knowledge of other topics in history and science. HRCA takes a different approach. Our curriculum specifically details what information students are required to learn in each subject, systematically adding new information and skills for each grade. The result is a cohesive, efficient, and challenging program of study.
To illustrate this point,
we offer a comparison of a portion of the North Carolina Standard Course of
Study (the curriculum that all NC public schools must follow) with a portion of
HRCA’s curriculum. You will notice that the NC curriculum is
“experience-related,” and leaves parents guessing as to exactly what their
children will be learning. In contrast, the HRCA objectives target a
specific set of facts, clearly informing parents as to what their children will
be held accountable for knowing.
NC Standard Course of
Study (www.dpi.state.nc.us)
for first grade earth science Competency Goal: The
learner will make observations and use student-made rules to build an
understanding of solid earth materials. Objectives: 1. Describe and sort a
variety of earth materials based on their properties (color, hardness, shape,
size) 2. Describe rocks and other
earth materials in more than one way, using student-made rules. 3. Observe the various
components that combine to make soil. 4. Compare the components of
soil samples from different places. 5. Explore where useful earth
materials are found and how they are used. HRCA objectives for earth
science The first grade student
will: 1. Recall that God created
the heavens and the earth (Genesis 1:1). 2. Describe the four main
layers of the earth. 3. Describe the evidence for
these layers as seen with volcanoes. 4. Recall the three types of
rocks as igneous, sedimentary, and metamorphic rock. 5. Observe, memorize, and
draw the water cycle. 6. Recall that the water
cycle is a closed cycle to which nothing is added and God maintains. 7. Identify and draw four
types of precipitation. 8. Recognize and name three
types of clouds. 9. Observe a variety of
demonstrations that display the facts being studied. 10. State in words and/or
pictures the results of the demonstration.