Rigorous teachers seized my youth, and purged its faith and trimmed its fire, showed me the high, white star of Truth, there bade me gaze and there aspire.

— Matthew Arnold

LESSON 7 — ASSIGNMENTS

Readings

Pages 102-112, Teaching and Learning America’s Christian History

Reflections

Study the methods identified as Biblical. How will the affect our teaching and design of curriculum? This is a very important part of your educational philosophy, for if our methods are not Biblical, they will undermine everything else you attempt.

Writing

Apply definitions, principles, and distinctive gleaned from this lesson to your “Educational Philosophy Chart”; found on pages 103-104.
As you begin to develop curriculum for your students, remember to begin with the whole “running course.”

THE CURRICULUM AND THE METHOD

Education, by definition, is an internal experience. It deals with the eternal nature of man—the spirit, mind temperament, and character of both teacher and student.

A Christian curriculum should be more than a survival course while waiting for heaven. It should fully equip and train our youth to faithfully serve Christ in their calling as virtuous leaders in every sphere of life. This requires the consistent habit of thinking and reasoning from truth to firmly establish daily spiritual, intellectual, social, and aesthetic sensibilities and disciplines for a Christian world and life view.

Teaching and learning is a natural process and relational—the heart and mind of the teacher interacting with the heart and mind of the student.

Christian education requires a living curriculum that inspires and nourishes the inner man, one rooted in Divine revelation.

What is a Living Curriculum

There is a spirit in man: and the inspiration of the Almighty giveth them understanding.

— Job 32:8

Living: ppr., Having life or the vital functions in operation; not dead. 2) Flowing, as a living spring or fountain; not stagnant. 3) Producing action, animation, and vigor; quickening; as a living principle; a living faith. (Webster’s 1828 Dictionary)

Curriculum: n., (L. curriculum—a running course, race, career.) A specific course of study or, collectively, all the courses of study in a school, university, etc.

Course: n., A methodical series, applied to the arts or sciences; a systemized order of principles in arts or sciences, for illustration or instruction. 2) Manner of proceeding; way of life or conduct; deportment; series of actions. That I might finish my course with joy. Acts xx. (Webster’s 1828 Dictionary)

A curriculum is:

The whole body of knowledge taught—subjects
How it is ordered—scope and sequence
The means for teaching it—methods and tools

The goal: To cause effective growth in understanding and character.

Each component within the curriculum paradigm is interdependent upon the other. The power of the curriculum resides in both the internal principles (educational philosophy) and the exchange (synergy) of the components.

To have a living curriculum, each component must be carefully reasoned, ordered, and executed in light of each of the other components in the paradigm. By way of illustration, reason through what the end product of an educational program would be if:

The subjects do not glorify God and His principles?
The textbooks are written from a secular worldview?
The teacher developing the curriculum is not a Christian?
Secular methods and tools are employed?

The end product would not be Christian education.

Principle Approach® education produces a living curriculum because the Truths and authority of God’s Word are at the heart of every subject and method. In the Principle Approach®, subjects are unified Biblically, historically and governmentally.

The Principle Approach® educational program, The Noah Plan®, is not dependent upon secular textbooks, student workbooks, and teacher manuals with daily lessons fully designed. It does provide a scope and sequence, subject guidelines, course overviews, directed courses of study and Christian methods for teaching and learning, all of which are fully imparted in the F.A.C.E. subject Curriculum Guides and the grade-level Lessons books. It is a curriculum that is Biblical, historic, and classic by design.

Teaching Methodology Demonstrated in the Bible:

The Bible, given by God to teach man truth, has a unique methodology of teaching which can be characterized as follows:

The recurrence of underlying bedrock principles forming a unity of truth.
The use of Providential history to teach the love and character of God.
The use of individual character to teach the Christian idea of man and government through:
The Notebook Approach, which governs the teacher and student participation in the subject by establishing a consistent tool and standard of Christian scholarship.
The Four R’s, which form the basic steps of human learning—research—reason—relate—record.
Writing overviews to create a whole approach unified by principles and structure.
Emphasis in method on student participation, response, essay, discussion, presentation, and the three powers of government—planning, doing, and evaluating.
Respect for the individuality of the student through a tutorial practice of identification, individualization, record-keeping, in a spirit of love and acceptance believing he best in love, calling forth the full potential of Christ in every child.
The use of stories to teach truth the apperception (using the familiar to teach the unfamiliar “living water”).
The wisdom of God demonstrated in precepts and principles.
The use of reasoning with leading ideas and principles to teach the “art of learning.”
The presentation of truth in a literary form and Biblical standard of language.
The use of symbols and imagery, ceremony and celebration to memorialize truth.

PRINCIPLED METHODOLOGY AND ITS RESULTS

Whom shall he teach knowledge? And whom shall he make to understand doctrine? For precept must be upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line, here a little, and there a little.

— Isaiah 28:9-10

Teachers should accommodate themselves to the capacity of the learners, give them what they most need, and can best bear, and a little at a time . . . a variety of instructions [that] might be pleasing and inviting.

— Matthew Henry’s Commentary on Isaiah 28:9-10

The Bible presents its own unique methodology of teaching.

Practice

Recurring principles form a unity of truth.
Leading ideas spring from the principles.
Providential history teaches the hand of God.
Subjects presented through the life and character of individuals.
Liberal use of stories to teach by apperception (ex. living water).
Upholding a high literary form and style.
Using symbols, imagery, ceremonies, and celebration to memorialize truth.

[See Herman Harrell Horne, Teaching Techniques of Jesus, Kregel Publishing, 1920]

Results

A divined structure of truth is formed in the student upon which all truth fits in perfect unity.
Trust in God and faith in His character is inspired.
A knowledge of man and his human tendencies and inclinations (sin nature) is gained.
The mind is trained to embrace analogy, to make application of truth.
Literacy is enhanced and a high standard of language imparted.
The love of learning is sparked.

Reason from the internal to the external, cause to effect.

Practice

The teacher inspires, consecrates, cultivates, and instructs, and does no stimulate, motivate, enculturate, indoctrinate.

Results

The student responds to inspiration, consenting to learn and receiving instruction; it is sweet to him.
Learning is as internal experience informing the heart, appealing to conscience, and affecting the character.

Reflective learning and reasoning from principles and leading ideas.

Practice

The pace set by the teacher and the tone of the classroom encourages reflection.
Questions direct students to identify the causes, the purposes, the underlying truth, the patterns the problems, and solutions.
Writing is a daily practice in essay, composition, recording discussions, etc.
Rote learning is used sparingly and only to achieve certain skills.
Memorization is used to store a bank of meaningful data—poetry, scripture, etc.

Results

Students are comforted by a sense of importance in what they are learning, and not deadened by busy work.
Reasoning is the habit of the classroom.
The student learns to write his thoughts and to articulate the subject.
Mastery is achieved when the principles are understood and applied, and problems solved by reasoning
The student recognizes that his study majors on the majors and prepares him for lifelong learning.

The notebook method: three-ring binders with dividers for the organization of the study of the subject.

Practice

The student organizes, according to teacher direction, a notebook for each subject, which he will compile in his own hand.
It records the research, reason, relating, and recording achieved in his study of the subject.
The standard requires neatness, completeness, accuracy, and order.
It encourages creativity and individual expression.
The notebook standard governs the child’s study and provides accountability that is personal and particular to each child.

Results

The notebook habit is teacher-directed in kindergarten and student-generated by middle school building sound study skills and habits.
It makes the child the producer of his own education.
It establishes a pace that is reflective allowing successful reasoning through writing, illustration, and articulation.
It forms Christian character in the student by consistently practicing the standards such as faithfulness, accountability, responsibility, stewardship, thoroughness, work ethic, etc.

Essay writing.

Practice

The student learns to invent or combine ideas, clothe them with words, put them in order, and commit them to paper.
The student is caused to articulate the subject in his own language by writing and presenting.
Essay writing encourages exact and logical expression of ideas.

Results

Writing causes clear thinking and careful reasoning.
The student possesses and masters the subject.
The student is comfortable with rhetoric and obtains the skills to express himself articulately.

Presentation.

Practice

The child presents his own understanding of the lesson or the subject.
The child exhibits his mastery of the subject through discussion, debate recitation, presenting his written work, and sharing his reflections and ideas.
The product of learning is celebrated.

Results

The child learns to see each individual’s expression of the subject as unique and valuable.
The child values learning as his possession, personal to him, and something to be shared.

Tutorial Approach

Practice

Each child’s learning style and pace is valued and honored.
The child is met at his threshold of learning and taken as far as he can go.
Teaching isn’t complete until learning is achieved.
Enrichment and remediation are standard practices as needs are recognized.
The teacher teaches children, not subjects or classes; the individual is valued above the group.

Results

The student is comfortable with his gifts and confident to rise to challenges.
Real achievement and excellence are unique to the individual not dependent on the class norm. There is no standard rate of learning, style of learning, or “assembly-line” method of learning.
Teaching is a relationship unique to the individual, based upon respect.
The love of learning is natural and right.

Individual expression through fine and performing arts.

Practice

Children are early introduced to all areas of the arts and given experiences and instructions in all the visual arts, drama, music, and dance.
The arts are integral parts of the learning of every subject in the curriculum.
Individual expression of the arts is valued and affirmed in all subjects as appropriate and relevant.

Results

The soul as well as the mind is cultivated and tastes are formed for what is excellent.
Beauty is a moral teacher: filling the soul with beauty leaves little room for the profane, the mediocre, or the banal.
Students find expression of talent and ability through the arts and learn to share them to bless others.

Word Studies—developing the vocabulary of liberty.

Practice

Word Study as a tool of Biblical scholarship establishes reflective thinking, deductive reasoning and illumination of the understanding.
The Word Study Builds vocabulary, particularly one of liberty and Biblical government.
Practicing the word study with the Webster 1828 Dictionary and with the Bible establishes a Biblical vocabulary and precision in the use of words.
Researching, reasoning, relating, and recording are the four steps of mastery learning.
Reasoning from cause to effect, from choices to consequences, forms a Biblical world and life view.

Results

The Word Study builds vocabulary, particularly one of liberty and Biblical government.
It enhances reading comprehension and verbal scores.
It establishes the precise word usage in writing and oral communication.
It cultivates the habit of critical thinking.
It produces deductive reasoning skills.
It sharpens discernment of truth from error.
It inculcates a lifetime habit of scholarship.

Emulation of individual character.

Practice

Teach individual character by introducing individuals who were significant in every subject.
Teach conscience and character, not circumstances and environment, as causative.
The study of individuals should include the providential background, the forces of character formation in the life and the contributions of the individual.

Results

The student becomes discerning of character qualities that both bless and curse.
The student becomes acquainted with individuals—forming “friendships”—that will walk with him through life.
The student discovers role models to emulate in all subjects, living him the opportunity to identify his own providential calling.

Overviewing/timelines

Practice

The subject or lesson is first presented in overview—an outline of what is to be studied.
The student is encouraged to grasp the scope of his study, the purpose, the outcome.
The student is shown the subject as a whole, not as a series of lessons that become unrelated over time—but as a whole system of knowledge

Results

The student gains a sense of ownership and personal need and responsibility for the subject.
The student acquires a sense of dominion over the subject.
The student develops a sense of purpose understanding why the subject is important to him and how it fits into his education.

Celebration

Practice

The teacher establishes many celebration opportunities for enjoying what has been learned.
The teacher enlists help in expanding the student’s experiences in the subject—community events, guest scholars, etc.
Special Days are dedicated to exploring and “handling” the subject.

Results

Celebration becomes a practice of life, in conformance with Biblical practice.
The student has opportunity to enjoy learning in various settings and to celebrate his knowledge communally.
Learning is a joy and fulfills the student’s greater need to express his love of God.

The Noah Plan® Curriculum

The scope of The Noah Plan® Curriculum in Principle Approach® Schools includes language mastery through the study of literature classics, French, Latin, grammar, composition, and research skills. Reasoning skills are developed by studying Bible principles, logic, mathematics, and the sciences. Through the study of history, geography, music and art students are exposed to a Biblical worldview at the elementary level of education. The mastery of basic skills and habits of scholarship are established in the foundational years, as students are equipped with confidence for success to meet the challenges of a rigorous and demanding high school course of study.

The Noah Plan® high school curriculum, developed by masters of subjects, prepares students with the rich vocabulary, reasoning and research skills, and mathematical concepts to compete with high PSAT and SAT (Scholastic Aptitude Test) scores with student from around the nation, enabling their admission to prestigious, conservative colleges and universities with scholarship awards. Armed with a conservative, Biblical world and life view, they place high among their Christian peers as leaders in their own generation. (Please see the PEERS test results for Principle Approach® schools on page 102.)

Modern and classical languages in high school include four years of French and Spanish, and two years of New Testament Greek.. Formal and informal Logic is taught in a demanding Bible curriculum, establishing cogent thinking and Biblical reasoning skills within the student. The fine arts enrich literature and history courses, while government and economics are taught by master teachers. Mathematics courses, including Precalculus and AP Calculus (Advanced Placement Calculus), and Earth Science and three lab sciences including AP Physics, comprise the Advanced Study Diploma are included along with an athletic program to complete the high school curriculum.

The purpose of the Noah Plan® curriculum centers on first inspiring a love of learning and building up of skills by expanding the student’s strong qualities, broadening and sharpening scholarship, and encouraging the student towards a fuller and more excellent expression of his value in Christ. Subject areas are taught in light of how they were used to advance the Gospel. In addition, the principles of Christian liberty, self-government, property and union for the individual are stressed.