Description

New! This is a Live Course for the 2024 Spring Semester. Course may be canceled if minimum enrollment is not met.

Civics: American Government’s History and Structure is a discussion-based class that will study the American system of government by exploring the biblical basis for civics, a brief history of civil liberty, the English common law system, and America’s founding documents. Students will complete weekly readings and write answers to discussion questions for class. Students will also have an opportunity to demonstrate their understanding of civics through occasional quizzes and a paper on a Supreme Court case at the end of the semester.

This is a course that students of Dave Raymond’s American History won’t want to miss!

The live course consists of:

• 14 weekly classes with lecture and discussion (see schedule below)
• Weekly homework: discussion questions graded on a pass/fail basis
• Quizzes: approximately every 3 lessons and graded objectively
• Final Paper: submitted for grading
• Final grade submitted to parents for their records

The class will meet weekly over Zoom on Thursdays, from 2:15 PM – 3:15 PM Central Standard Time, according to the schedule below. The format will be lectures and discussion each week.

Requirements

No prerequisites, although a course in American History is recommended.

Students will need a copy of the Declaration, Constitution, & Amendments. All other readings will be found online.

Scope/Sequence

Schedule of Class Meetings

All Thursdays, all scheduled from 2:15 PM – 3:15 PM Central Standard Time.

• • Jan 18 — Civics in Antiquity
  • Jan 25 — The Common Law I
  • Feb 1 — The Common Law II
  • Feb 8 — The Common Law III
  • Feb 15 — The Founding Period I
  • Feb 22 — The Founding Period II
  • Feb 29 — The Founding Period III
  • Mar 1-20 — Spring Break
  • Mar 21 —United States Government I
  • Mar 28 — United States Government II
  • Apr 4 — United States Government III
  • Apr 11 — United States Government IV
  • Apr 18 — United States Government V
  • Apr 25 — United States Government VI
  • May 2 — United States Government VII

What if I can’t attend the live Zoom sessions?

All the sessions will be recorded and posted for enrolled families to watch at their convenience. You can use the recordings to review or catch up if you missed a session.

Families who can’t make the schedule above can still participate in the class assignments and group discussions by watching the recordings and submitting the assignments to Dave.

Credit: Half-Credit in High School Civics/Government

Ages: 14+ (This course is taught at the high school level.)

Dave Raymond lives in rural Middle Tennessee with his wife and 6 children where he has taught the humanities for the past 20 years. He teaches the disciplines of history, literature, composition, and Latin through Quiller Tutorials.