Believing that God’s Word is the basis for all truth, we strive to integrate biblical principals with academic knowledge.  The goal for our students in Bible class is to develop lifelong learners with a deep knowledge of God’s Word and a focused heart on sharing the Gospel with the world.  Our hope is that God will develop within each student the heart to trust Him as they learn to apply His principles in everyday life.  Integration of biblical truth occurs throughout all curricula. 

Our Bible Curriculum, published by ACSI (Association of Christian Schools International) and BJUP (Bob Jones University Press), strives to balance information with age appropriate life application. Curriculum is developmentally and biblically appropriate in design to provide challenging opportunities through a variety of activities.  These courses will allow teens to wrestle with the questions they frequently ask in a framework that draws the answers from the Scriptures.  Our overall objective is to equip students in the truth of God which results in Godly men and women who desire to know Christ and make Him known throughout our world.

9^th Grade –Lessons from the Early Church (BJUP) (one semester)

Through the study of Acts and the early Pauline Epistles: Romans, Galatians, Corinthians, and Thessalonians, students will learn the importance of the proper foundations of the early church and the faithfulness of first century Christians.

10^th Grade – Journeying with God: Survey of the OT (ACSI) (one semester)

This semester course focuses on Old Testament truths about the person and work of Jesus.  The curriculum presents an overview of each of the books of the OT and is structured to give basic information about each of the books of the OT.  A strong emphasis is given in helping students to develop a biblical perspective as they examine how God has worked through His people to carry out His plan of salvation. 

Let God Be God – A Study of the Attributes of God (ACSI) (one semester)

This study will focus on the character and attributes of God and allows the teens to wrestle with questions they frequently ask in a framework that draws the answers from Scripture. Scripture is integrated daily to give students a better grasp of who God is and how He interacts with His creation.

11th -Connecting With God: Survey of the NT (ACSI) (Full Year)

This survey course is intended to give your students an overview of each book in the New Testament.  It is structured so that basic information is presented and guides students toward a solid understanding of each New Testament book.

12th Grade Bible – Timeless Truth (ACSI) (Full Year)

What is truth? Where can truth be found?  Is the Bible reliable and relevant for today?  This course in apologetics walks students through the answers to these and other important questions.  The course is based on the realization that what you believe about truth and what you rely on for truth are crucial issues that will influence both your thinking and your life’s decisions.

We believe that mathematic principles are a glimpse of God’s orderliness and absolute truth.  Our mathematics curriculum is thorough in its presentation, development and systematic review of the material.  Biblical truths are integrated in natural ways through God’s order and design of our universe.  Deductive reasoning, inductive reasoning, and conclusions are stressed.  Multiple resource materials, including manipulatives and transparencies, are provided to enhance the teaching/learning experience in the classroom. (Glencoe Mathematics)

Algebra I (Full Year)

Algebra I is a one-year course that will build upon the knowledge and skills learned in Pre-Algebra. Mathematical modeling of real-life problems is a major theme of the course. Topics include:  Using basic math skills and inverse operations to solve equations and inequalities, working with fractions, decimals, and exponents, factoring polynomials, graphing linear equations, solving systems of equations, and working with quadratic functions. Also integrated into the curriculum are topics from geometry, trigonometry, and data analysis. This course will introduce students to the TI-83 or TI-84 graphing calculator, and during the second semester the use of the calculators will be incorporated into most lessons as the students display data and graph a variety of functions.

Honors Algebra I

Honors Algebra I is by invitation only.   Students enrolled in Honors Algebra I have demonstrated an exceptional aptitude for mathematics and have been very successful in their previous math class (3.875 or better in Pre-Algebra). Honors Algebra I students will work at the same pace as the other students enrolled in Algebra I, but the honors course will emphasize critical thinking skills and problem-solving techniques, and students will be expected to complete a math-related project or paper each semester.

Geometry (Full Year)

Geometry provides students with experiences that deepen their understanding of two and three-dimensional objects and their properties. Deductive reasoning, inductive reasoning, and investigative strategies and activities (i.e. folding, constructions, drawings) in drawing conclusions are stressed. The application of Algebra skills in solving problems are seen throughout the text.  Projects may be used throughout the year to help students recognize the use of geometry in their everyday life.

Honors Geometry

This course is by invitation only.  The student has demonstrated an aptitude for mathematics and has been very successful in previous math classes.  (3.875 GPA in last math class)  The student should be motivated to work and possess excellent study skills.  Students will develop his or her critical thinking skills and problem solving techniques and may be required to complete an additional project/paper each semester.

Algebra II (Full Year)

Algebra II is a review of basic algebraic functions and strengthens each student’s skill in graphing and solving equations.  Exponential functions, logarithms, and trigonometry are introduced.  More advanced topics such as complex numbers, rational expressions and conic sections, probability and statistics are presented.

Honors Algebra II

This course is by invitation only.  The student has demonstrated an aptitude for mathematics and has been very successful in previous math classes.  (3.875 GPA in last math class)  The student should be motivated to work and possess excellent study skills.  Students will develop his or her critical thinking skills and problem solving techniques and may be required to complete an additional project/paper each semester.

Pre-Calculus (Full Year)

Pre-calculus is a course that includes such topics as college algebra, advanced trigonometry, and analytic geometry of two and three dimensions and students should have a very strong background in math.  Students experience a thorough analysis of all elementary functions and curve-sketching. Experience with graphing calculators is incorporated.

Honors Pre-Calculus

This course is by invitation only.  The student has demonstrated an aptitude for mathematics and has been very successful in previous math classes.  (3.875 GPA in last math class)  The student should be motivated to work and possess excellent study skills.  Students will develop his or her critical thinking skills and problem solving techniques and may be required to complete an additional project/paper each semester.

Statistics (Full Year)

Elementary Statistics is an introduction to data analysis course that makes use of graphical and numerical techniques to study patterns and departures from patterns. The student studies randomness with emphasis on understanding variation, collects information in the face of uncertainty, checks distributional assumptions, tests hypotheses, uses probability as a tool for anticipating what the distribution of data may look like under a set of assumptions, and uses appropriate statistical models to draw conclusions from data.  The use of technology (computers and graphing calculators) will be required in certain applications.

Students will read both classic and contemporary literature in the light of Biblical truth and learn how to spiritually apply those truths to life’s challenges.  Students are exposed to a multi-cultural variety of genres and styles.  They will grow in literary appreciation, improve analytical skills, demonstrate high verbal aptitudes through formal written essays, detailed oral response, and project oriented activities.  Recognizing the importance of preparation for college, our courses will be writing intensive and build on analytical/critical thinking skills. This will enable students to read critically, research responsibly, and develop well-supported opinions presented in grammatically cohesive papers, to form thesis statements and argumentative essays, to consider how the past has shaped the present, and to consider our own role in the world around us, all the while engaging in heavy discussion.   Students will be challenged to capture their ideas and ask the truly important questions inspired by the texts.  Formal writing will be primarily analytical in nature, where students will write thesis driven essays on single/multiple texts and on demand writing will be practiced as well. 

Introduction to Literature (Full Year)

Introduction to Literature prepares students for high school literature and composition courses, calling students to hone their analysis skills while inviting them to discover meaning hidden within challenging texts.  Each year a theme will be explored through the texts and students will be encouraged to inquire about their own roles in society.  Throughout the year, process assignments will foster growth and understanding of the connections that emerge between reader and text, encouraging the students to step out as readers to explore the personal conversations we have with literature.  Through the literature, students will examine a variety of themes and essential questions, including the following:

o   What leads us into growth?

o   What hinders our ability to grow?

o   What role do knowledge and wisdom play in our lives?

o   How do we respond to atrocities as Christians?

o   How do we walk our own walk as Christians in a fallen society?

o   How or when is the journey more important than the outcome?

o   What rites of passage and initiations do we encounter along the way?

o   How can pain and struggle build a better self?

o   How do we respond to choice?

Formal pieces of expository and creative writing will be developed, and grammar will be studied in context.  Focus will be on pronoun-antecedent agreement, sentence fluency, subject-verb agreement, and punctuation marks.  Students will learn how to write focused/debatable thesis statements, construct effective essays to support their ideas, and practice the revision process while participating in peer editing and feedback sessions.  Creative pieces will also be developed in order to make the literature we study real to each student.  We will work together on this to form a community of passionate, capable writers and thinkers.  By the end of the year, students are asked to have found the golden thread that connects the texts to one another, examining their own journeys along the way. 

World Literature (Full Year)

World literature explores texts written from a variety of cultures.  Areas studied include, but are not limited to, ancient China, Romantic/Gothic Britain, Shakespearean England, France, Africa, and 20^th century America.  As high school students, it is important to study texts analytically.  Our goal will be to locate common threads in texts to form links, to examine the layers of meaning texts bring to a certain topic, to trace themes and symbols to examine what an author might be saying, to form thesis statements and argumentative essays, to consider how the past has shaped the present, and to consider our own role in the world around us; all the while engaging in thought provoking discussion.   As the year progresses, students will be asking the essential questions that will define the course. 

The class is designed to be writing intensive, utilizing the writing and thinking journal in class and outside of class.  Thus students will be able to capture their ideas and ask the truly important questions inspired by the texts.  Formal writing will be primarily analytical in nature, where students will write thesis driven essays on single and multiple texts.  On demand writing will be practiced as well.  Throughout the year, each student is asked to synthesize what they are learning to form a link between all of the units studied.  In this way, each student should have found the interconnectedness between the stories by the end of the year.  The year will culminate in a final project that combines a creative element with an expository element, the goal being to share the “connective tissue” discovered by each student throughout the year.  

Honors World Literature

This course, by invitation only, is open to students who have demonstrated superior abilities in the area of written communication.  This is an accelerated course and requires a minimum overall GPA of 3.875 in the area of English Literature.  The student should be motivated to work hard and possess excellent study skills.  Students will continue to develop his or her critical thinking skills and extensive writing will be required in preparation toward college.   An additional project/paper may be required each semester.

Literature of Western Civilization (Full Year)

Students will continue to explore texts that hold significant places in history, while focusing on literature from the European and Western traditions.  Archetypes and archetypal roles will be explored so that students can understand and analyze how stories are told.  Texts will be studied chronologically and encompass a variety of written styles such as epic poems, plays, and novels.  To prepare for future SAT and ACT testing, a focus will also be placed on vocabulary development.  Students will continue to further their studies of essential grammatical and stylistic devices to enhance writing.  As a continuation from World Literature, students should explore how texts relate/speak to one another.  The writing component will continue with a creative element, as well as a further study of analytical essay writing.  On demand writing will also continue to be developed to ensure success on formal tests. 

Honors Literature of Western Civilization

This course, by invitation only, is open to students who have demonstrated superior abilities in the area of written communication.  This is an accelerated course and requires a minimum overall GPA of 3.875 in the area of English Literature.  The student should be motivated to work hard and possess excellent study skills.  Students will continue to develop his or her critical thinking skills and extensive writing will be required in preparation toward college.   An additional project/paper may be required each semester.

Survey of American Literatureu (Full Year)

In this course, students will review an array of the most critically acclaimed novels by American-born authors. We will be investigating and defining what makes American literature unique to the other literature they have studied so far. The span of our studies covers prose and poetry from the settlement period through the mid-twentieth century.   Students will add to their reading repertoire critically acclaimed classics that have been studied by literary and cultural experts for many years and which demonstrate an important influence on or make a statement about the American psyche during crucial historical points.  Students will engage the mind and its processes in analytical and spiritual discernment through the evaluation of this prominent literature and pertinent related critical essays.  Students will achieve proficiency in communicating personal, plausible, complex connections to each examined text via written and oral means.

Honors Survey of American Literature

This course, by invitation only, is open to students who have demonstrated superior abilities in the area of written communication.  This is an accelerated course and requires a minimum overall GPA of 3.875 in the area of English Literature.  The student should be motivated to work hard and possess excellent study skills.  Students will continue to develop his or her critical thinking skills and extensive writing will be required in preparation toward college.   An additional project/paper may be required each semester.

Senior Literature (Full Year)

Senior Literature is a writing-intensive class that explores a variety of worldviews through the study of both literature and philosophy.  Students will study both fiction and nonfiction literature from around the world.  Our objective is to not only provide opportunities to look into the worldviews that guided the thinkers and writers of the time, but to examine how the author intended to reflect, promote, recant, or rebut those worldviews.  In this way, students can formulate responses to these views as well.  Students will also focus on the genre of creative nonfiction and poetry—various short essays and poems will be assigned throughout the year for students to study and formulate responses to.  Together we will take opportunities to enhance their writing stylistically, especially in the areas of diction, imagery, syntax, and tone.  The year will begin and culminate with student-designed projects as we encourage our students to become independent thinkers and learners.

Science is understood as God’s creation and is taught from the creationist perspective. Our science is a well designed and God-based science curriculum focused on God’s awesome creation power in the study of the various sciences. Anatomy, botany, astronomy, and archaeology are only a few topics covered in the material to help root students in God’s laws of science and His divine plan for the universe He created.  A thorough study of these topics, provide material which encourages critical thinking skills in our students.  All high school students who attend FBA are required to complete at least three years of Science and preferably four. 

Physical Science (Full Year)

Students will be introduced to concepts in the areas of physics, chemistry, the metric system, and the philosophy of science as they prepare for upper-level lab classes. Labs and projects, which include hands-on experiments and inquiry-based activities, will be a focus for students this year. Physical science is the study of energy and matter and our curriculum provides a thorough introduction to chemistry and physics. Students will be involved in hands-on laboratory investigations and demonstrations throughout the year.

Biology (Full Year)

The biology curriculum is designed to give students an introductory knowledge of fundamental biological principles and general understanding of life.  Biology will incorporate the following areas of study for students this year: cellular biology, genetics, taxonomy, microbiology, botany, zoology, and the human anatomy.  Biology curriculum celebrates the sanctity of life as God created it, and presents drugs, abortion, diseases, evolution, ecology, AIDS, genetics, and miracles from a biblical perspective. Students will develop an understanding of the fundamental biological principles as they relate to life as God’s creation. Hands-on activities and laboratory exercises will help reinforce material presented as well as stimulate student interest in the sciences.  Students are provided with the opportunity to dissect in our state of the art science laboratory.

Chemistry (Full Year)

This course is designed to present students with foundational understanding in atomic structure, kinetic theory, thermodynamics, chemistry and more.  The text points students to the wonders and marvels of God’s design in Creation.  Experiments reinforce the concepts students are learning in the classroom and are designed to improve critical thinking and problem solving skills that are necessary for student success in the academic arena.

Introduction to Physics (Full Year)

Physics is significant in preparation for college courses. Students are engaged in the study of forces, movement, mechanics, and energy.  The curriculum highlights the foundations of electricity, magnetism, optics and stresses a logical problem-solving approach which will benefit students as they prepare for college.  Extensive laboratory exercise and experiments reinforce concepts and stimulate student participation.

Beginning with the graduating class of 2011, five semesters of Social Studies, including two semesters of junior level U.S. History and one semester of either Civics of Government are required by the state for graduation.   Our Social Studies program is one where students are encouraged to see history as God’s hand on the nations over time.  BJUP curriculum highlights the hand of God through History: His sovereignty over the earth, His immutable character, His omnipresence and His divine plan in history.   Using excellent hands-on activities, exciting group investigations and thorough individual coursework, the curriculum appeals to all four learning types.  Presenting history from a clear, in-depth, and Godly perspective, students will be actively engaged as they learn the lessons of history.  From Creation and the ancient world to modern day studies, this curriculum builds a thorough understanding of culture, politics, and the growth of the United States as we study history as His-story

Cultural Geography (Full Year)

This curriculum is a survey of both geographic principles and every country of the world through a regional approach.  Following the theme of a Grand tour, students “travel” from continent to continent around the world studying the cultures, land forms, climates, resources, economy, religions, and government of each country.  Photographs, charts, maps, and first-person accounts make this “virtual world tour” an exciting and stimulating experience for students.

World History (Full Year)

Students will see historical events from Creation to modern times in light of God’s Word.  Bible integration and in-depth questions provides students with the opportunity to execute higher-order thinking skills.  The ministry of the church is emphasized in the discussion of politics, economics, science, and fine arts.

U. S. History (Full Year)

A comprehensive survey of our nation is presented throughout this year.  The curriculum focuses on the causes of events, the strains of the Union, and the underlying issues that have shaped our United States history, from the age of exploration through the current administration.                       

Intro. To American Government/PolSci 150 (Full Year)

PREREQUISITE:  Reading and writing assessment scores at the ENG 101 level or completion of all reading and writing developmental requirements. Open to juniors and senior students.

This course offers dual credit in conjunction with Southwestern Illinois College (SWIC).  Students must qualify through SWIC in order to receive the three semester hours of college credit.   This is a survey course of the American federal system of government.  Included is a historical review of the founding of the United States and its political beginning.  Emphasis is on the structure and function of the executive, legislative and judicial branches of the federal government with an overview of state and local government.

After completing this course, students will be able to:

1. Explain the history of the U.S. Constitution and the American political system.
2. Critically analyze the structure and function of American government at the national, state, and local levels.
3. Describe how to participate effectively in the political process.
4. Recognize the importance of keeping informed about government and current political events.
5. Explain political concepts, their interpretations and how they are put into practice.
6. Discuss the functions of government and the rights and responsibilities of citizens.
7. Evaluate candidates, political topics, social issues, and legal cases in an effective manner.

PE is designed to help the students continue to develop age appropriate physical awareness.  Students may participate in such sports as kickball, speed-away, flag football, soccer, volley ball, bowling, swimming, physical fitness, softball, strength training, , and various team building games.  All skills necessary for successful, safe participation are taught.  Every class period begins with stretching exercises that are critical to participation and success in the Presidential Fitness Challenge.  The importance of regular exercise, as it applies to the care and maintenance of our God given bodies is stressed.  Assessment is based on preparation, participation, effort and self improvement, not competition.

Health (one semester)

This course is designed to help the students develop healthy Christ like attitudes that will strengthen their physical, mental, social and spiritual health.  This course utilizes the Total Health curriculum which is designed to help the students build a healthy self image that reflects who they are in Christ.  Total Health is designed to reflect the idea that a “young person’s health is multidimensional”.  Spiritual health influences physical, mental and social health, and all of these play an important role in the success of students living up to the potential God intends for their lives.   The curriculum is interactive and engaging designed to present the Bible as the foundation for life and to provide students with the tools for making wise choices.