Explore Courses

Online Family Program (OFP) courses for younger students typically involve more parent participation than OFP courses for older students. Instructors provide ongoing feedback to students and parents through discussion boards to provide maximum flexibility for families’ schedules.

Scientific illustration uses the skills and vision of artists in the service of scientific discovery. A good surgeon visualizes  anatomical structure before using their scalpel on a patient. Physicians and other scientists learn from practical experience and first-hand observations which are informed by the study of accurate scientific illustration. Even with modern photography and preservation techniques, illustrators may be able to render more accurate representations of anatomy than a camera or a physical specimen. This course will introduce students to the practice of illustrating anatomy by exploring its use in the past and present. Students will apply new drawing skills as they expand their scientific knowledge of anatomy.

Online Family Program (OFP) courses for younger students typically involve more parent participation than OFP courses for older students. Instructors provide ongoing feedback to students and parents through discussion boards to provide maximum flexibility for families’ schedules.

Mass, force, and momentum can be used to describe some of the most important principles of physics. In this course, hands-on explorations introduce Sir Isaac Newton's ideas. Students are in the driver's seat to discovery as they observe, predict, and experiment with crashes and collisions.

Online Family Program (OFP) courses for younger students typically involve more parent participation than OFP courses for older students. Instructors provide ongoing feedback to students and parents through discussion boards to provide maximum flexibility for families’ schedules.

Cells are often described as the "building blocks of life." In this introductory course, students use LEGO® bricks and other 3D construction tools to learn about the structure of various living cells and of DNA molecules. Students examine virtual cell structures, observe virtual cell reproduction and study the laws of genetic inheritance as they build up their critical thinking skills and knowledge of microbiology.

Online Family Program (OFP) courses for younger students typically involve more parent participation than OFP courses for older students. Instructors provide ongoing feedback to students and parents through discussion boards to provide maximum flexibility for families’ schedules.

Cells are often described as the "building blocks of life." In this introductory course, students use LEGO® bricks and other 3D construction tools to learn about the structure of various living cells and of DNA molecules. Students examine virtual cell structures, observe virtual cell reproduction and study the laws of genetic inheritance as they build up their critical thinking skills and knowledge of microbiology.

Topics include understanding expressions, equations and functions, solving inequalities and graphing equations and functions, including quadratics and exponentials. The course emphasizes problem-solving over computation.

HIGH SCHOOL CREDIT AVAILABLE: 2 Semesters

Sample Syllabus

This course stimulates children's creative thinking and problem-solving skills by integrating math, science, engineering, and language arts. During this course, children engage in hands-on, playful learning experiences with a parent or caregiver. Parents participate in activities with children and post observations and questions for the class and the teacher. Teachers provide feedback and extensions to support guided, playful learning.  

From the highly efficient design of a beehive to the well-constructed dams made by beavers, insects and animals show us they are natural architects and builders. Students and their parents or caregivers will learn about animal-built structures through stories, projects and guided play activities, including building their own animal-inspired construction projects using materials found at home.

This is a flexibly-paced 2 semester-equivalent course that students have up to 36 weeks to complete. Students start on the 15th of the month of their choosing.

This course prepares students to take the AP English Language & Composition exam by focusing on the skills that are necessary to understand, evaluate, and critique analytical arguments. Students will read a wide array of fiction and non-fiction to strengthen critical literacy skills and higher-order thinking. Expository, analytical, and argumentative writing skills that form the basis of effective communication are emphasized.

Prerequisites: Two years of high school English; graded writing sample

HIGH SCHOOL CREDIT AVAILABLE: 2 Semesters 

Sample Syllabus

This is a flexibly-paced 2 semester-equivalent course that students have up to 36 weeks to complete. Students start on the 15th of the month of their choosing.

AP English Literature and Composition will provide students with an increased awareness of how writers use language to evoke emotional response. By reading literary texts from a variety of genres and historical periods and recording their insights in writing, students will be able to develop their own analytical and research essays. A choice of materials is available including readings with more of a STEM focus. 

Prerequisites: Two years of high school English; graded writing sample

HIGH SCHOOL CREDIT AVAILABLE: 2 Semesters

Sample Syllabus

This is a flexibly-paced 2 semester-equivalent course that students have up to 36 weeks to complete. Students start on the 15th of the month of their choosing.

Students will use primary sources and works of art and literature to develop and sharpen the skills necessary for effectively analyzing, interpreting, and evaluating historical materials from the western hemisphere. This course examines the origins and evolution of the values that shape the present world politically, socially, intellectually, and culturally from 1450 to the present day. Topics covered include the foundations of European institutions, the Renaissance and Reformation, and the Conflicts and Transformation of the Cold War. 

Prerequisites: graded writing sample

HIGH SCHOOL CREDIT AVAILABLE: 2 Semesters

Sample Syllabus

This is a flexibly-paced 2 semester-equivalent course that students have up to 36 weeks to complete. Students start on the 15th of the month of their choosing.

This course introduces key political concepts, ideas, institutions, policies, interactions, roles, and behaviors that characterize the constitutional system and political culture of the United States. Students will examine the sources of U.S. government authority and power by studying U.S foundational documents, Supreme Court decisions, and other texts and visuals. While exploring the general patterns of political processes and behaviors which underlie the American governmental system, students will be able to analyze the political framework of other nations, and develop evidence-based arguments to complete a political science research or applied civics project. 

HIGH SCHOOL CREDIT AVAILABLE: 2 Semesters

This course can also be taken separately, as AP Government: US (1 Semester) or AP Government: Comparative (1 Semester)

Sample Syllabus

This is a flexibly-paced 1 semester-equivalent course that students have up to 18 weeks to complete. Students start on the 15th of the month of their choosing.

Students will explore comparative politics by studying patterns of behavior and consequences in the political frameworks of other nations. This course aims to illustrate the rich diversity of political life, show available institutional alternatives, explain differences in processes and policy outcomes, and communicate the importance of global political and economic changes. Countries included in our analysis are China, Great Britain, Mexico, Nigeria, Russia, and Iran. 

HIGH SCHOOL CREDIT AVAILABLE: 1 Semester

Sample Syllabus

This is a flexibly-paced 1 semester-equivalent course that students have up to 18 weeks to complete. Students start on the 15th of the month of their choosing.

Examine the sources of U.S. government authority and political power, the role of nationhood, civil rights, civil liberties, public policy and the court system in this one credit course.

HIGH SCHOOL CREDIT AVAILABLE: 1 Semester

Sample Syllabus

This is a flexibly-paced 2 semester-equivalent course that students have up to 36 weeks to complete. Students start on the 15th of the month of their choosing.

Geography generally focuses on the question of “Where?” Human geography tries to answer the question, “Why there?”

Human geography is the study of where humans and their activities and institutions such as ethnic groups, cities and industries are located and why they are there. Human geographers also study the interactions of humans with their environment and draw on some basic elements of physical geography. This course requires students to examine the basics of cultural change, regionalism, and political organization in a multifaceted approach to understanding world geography.

HIGH SCHOOL CREDIT AVAILABLE: 2 Semesters

Sample Syllabus

This is a flexibly-paced 2 semester-equivalent course that students have up to 36 weeks to complete. Students start on the 15th of the month of their choosing.

Students will read and translate Latin passages from Caesar and Vergil, in Latin and in English, and discuss literary and grammatical features within the social, cultural, historical, and/or political context of the period, in preparation for the College Board's AP Latin Exam, May 12th, 2020. 

Upon successful completion of this course, students will:

a. Know: how to read, understand, translate, and analyze both Latin poetry and prose by authentic authors.
b. Understand: how the author composes, organizes & structures the Latin to embody a theme using meter, grammar & figures of speech; how the author’s life, especially his education and relationship with the political leaders of the time, affects his writing style; what the Latin text tells us about Roman culture; how the lines of poetry are broken down grammatically and metrically; what the difference is between a literal and figurative translation.
c. Be able to: apply and strengthen knowledge of basic grammar learned in beginning Latin, increase their vocabulary, learn and identify figures of speech in Latin and in English, analyze the dactylic hexameter meter and increase their general knowledge of scansion, write essays in English analyzing and referring to the Latin text, outline and analyze Roman History, translate literally and identify approximately 1500 lines of Latin, and outline and analyze the Latin text.

Prerequisites: Latin III: Wheelock or Latin III: Ecce Romani/Literature, or instructor’s permission

HIGH SCHOOL CREDIT AVAILABLE: 2 Semesters

Sample Syllabus

This is a flexibly-paced 2 semester-equivalent course that students have up to 36 weeks to complete. Students start on the 15th of the month of their choosing.

Students will investigate topics such as Newton’s Laws of motion, energy, linear and angular momentum, electric and magnetic fields, circuits and electromagnetism. This two credit course uses complex mathematical problem solving techniques including calculus and is designed for students with prior physics experience and interested in majoring in a technical science in college.

Prerequisites: One year of high school Physics and previous or concurrent enrollment in Calculus

HIGH SCHOOL CREDIT AVAILABLE: 2 Semesters

Sample Syllabus

This is a flexibly-paced 1 semester-equivalent course that students have up to 18 weeks to complete. Students start on the 15th of the month of their choosing.

Explore electricstatics, magnetic fields, circuits and electromagnetism and formulating physical principles using calculus in this one credit course is designed for students with prior physics experience and interested in majoring in a technical science in college.

Prerequisites: One year of high school Physics and previous or concurrent enrollment in Calculus

HIGH SCHOOL CREDIT AVAILABLE: 1 Semester

Sample Syllabus

This is a flexibly-paced 1 semester-equivalent course that students have up to 18 weeks to complete. Students start on the 15th of the month of their choosing.

This one credit course provides a detailed study of classical mechanics including Newton’s Laws of motion, energy, linear and angular momentum, motion and rotation, solving a variety of challenging problems and is designed for students with prior physics experience and interested in majoring in a technical science in college.

Prerequisites: One year of high school Physics and previous or concurrent enrollment in Calculus

HIGH SCHOOL CREDIT AVAILABLE: 1 Semester

Sample Syllabus

This is a flexibly-paced 2 semester-equivalent course that students have up to 36 weeks to complete. Students start on the 15th of the month of their choosing.

This college-level algebra-based physics course explores topics in dynamics, motion and simple circuits through complex problem-solving, lab investigations and learning projects and using the visualization of physical principles and practical applications.

Online credit-bearing courses are offered on a rolling enrollment basis - apply by the 1st of any month, start on the 15th.

Prerequisites: Algebra II/Trigonometry; 1 year of high school lab science

Eligibility: http://www.ctd.northwestern.edu/eligibility

Sample Syllabus

This is a flexibly-paced 2 semester-equivalent course that students have up to 36 weeks to complete. Students start on the 15th of the month of their choosing.

Explore fluid mechanics, electricity, magnetism, optics and atomic and nuclear physics and their practical applications through complex problem-solving, and student centered laboratory investigations in this college-level algebra-based course.

Prerequisites: Algebra II/Trigonometry; 1 year of high school physics; AP Physics I is recommended

HIGH SCHOOL CREDIT AVAILABLE: 2 Semesters

Sample Syllabus

This is a flexibly-paced 2 semester-equivalent course that students have up to 36 weeks to complete. Students start on the 15th of the month of their choosing.

The purpose of psychology is to help us better understand the world in which we live. In this course, students will understand various theories of behavior and cognition, participate in research exercises, and study the current practices of psychology in various contexts. The topics covered in this course will be history, theories, biological bases of behavior, sensation and perception, consciousness, learning and cognition, development, personality, motivation and emotion, disorders and treatment and social psychology. The course culminates in an experiment that includes the collection, interpretation, and evaluation of data.

Prerequisites: a graded writing sample

HIGH SCHOOL CREDIT AVAILABLE: 2 Semesters

Sample Syllabus

This is a flexibly-paced 2 semester-equivalent course that students have up to 36 weeks to complete. Students start on the 15th of the month of their choosing.

This introductory, non-calculus based college-level course that emphasizes understanding and analysis of statistical studies, and the development of an intuitive sense of statistics and probability. A graphing calculator is required.

Notes:

• A graphing calculator is required.

Prerequisites: Algebra II

HIGH SCHOOL CREDIT AVAILABLE: 2 SEMESTERS

Sample Syllabus

This is a flexibly-paced 2 semester-equivalent course that students have up to 36 weeks to complete. Students start on the 15th of the month of their choosing.

Advanced Placement U.S. History is a college-level introductory course that examines the nation’s political, diplomatic, intellectual, cultural, social, and economic history from 1491 to the present. Emphasis is on interpreting documents, mastering a significant body of factual information, developing historical thinking skills, and writing critical essays. A variety of instructional approaches are employed and a college-level textbook is supplemented by primary and secondary sources.  

Key Themes: Within this course, and to align with the College Board AP U.S. History course, there are seven key themes. These themes are: •American and National Identity•Politics and Power•Work, Exchange, and Technology•Culture and Society•Migration and Settlement•Geography and the Environment•America in the World

Prerequisites: graded writing sample

HIGH SCHOOL CREDIT AVAILABLE: 2 Semesters

Sample Syllabus

This is a flexibly-paced 2 semester-equivalent course that students have up to 36 weeks to complete. Students start on the 15th of the month of their choosing.

Learn about the world’s history from multiple perspectives and historical analysis! Through the use of critical skills, students discover the nature of historical and global processes. Primary and secondary sources combined with rigorous online discussions and analytical essays are used to examine the impact of interactions among and within major societies. The relationship of change and continuity, systems of social structure, cultural, religious and intellectual developments, and the function and structures of states are interwoven throughout this course. 

Prerequisites: graded writing sample

HIGH SCHOOL CREDITS AVAILABLE: 2 Semesters

Sample Syllabus

Online Family Program (OFP) courses for younger students typically involve more parent participation than OFP courses for older students. Instructors provide ongoing feedback to students and parents through discussion boards to provide maximum flexibility for families’ schedules.

Freddy the Great is a great dane who stands over seven feet tall, weighs over 200 pounds and holds the title of world’s largest dog according to Guinness World Records.  His owner must love him very much. How much? We may not be able to find the answer to that question, but we can find out a lot about our pets and other animals by asking How much?  Students and caregivers calculate and compare, building computation and data skills as they find the solutions to the mathematical problems of pet ownership. 

Online Family Program (OFP) courses for younger students typically involve more parent participation than OFP courses for older students. Instructors provide ongoing feedback to students and parents through discussion boards to provide maximum flexibility for families’ schedules.

Biomimicry is borrowing ideas we find in nature to solve human problems. It takes careful observation and design thinking. In one case, scientists observed the movements of groups of fish in water. Based on this, they created a system of air flow that resulted in better wind farms, leading to a cleaner, more sustainable energy source. Students in this course will undertake research, challenge their creativity and bolster their design thinking skills. They will apply their knowledge to create a low-tech prototype using hands-on construction and household materials. 

Online Family Program (OFP) courses for younger students typically involve more parent participation than OFP courses for older students. Instructors provide ongoing feedback to students and parents through discussion boards to provide maximum flexibility for families’ schedules.

Young neurologists and their families go inside the brain to analyze its systems and its connection to the rest of the body. Among other activities, students map the brain, experiment with senses and the brain, and use interactive web tools to investigate this amazing and complex organ. This course 'stretches' students' brains as they advance their understanding of the nervous system as a whole.

Online Family Program (OFP) courses for younger students typically involve more parent participation than OFP courses for older students. Instructors provide ongoing feedback to students and parents through discussion boards to provide maximum flexibility for families’ schedules.

Young neurologists and their families go inside the brain to analyze its systems and its connection to the rest of the body. Among other activities, students map the brain, experiment with senses and the brain, and use interactive web tools to investigate this amazing and complex organ. This course 'stretches' students' brains as they advance their understanding of the nervous system as a whole.

Online Family Program (OFP) courses for younger students typically involve more parent participation than OFP courses for older students. Instructors provide ongoing feedback to students and parents through discussion boards to provide maximum flexibility for families’ schedules.

Young neurologists and their families go inside the brain to analyze its systems and its connection to the rest of the body. Among other activities, students map the brain, experiment with senses and the brain, and use interactive web tools to investigate this amazing and complex organ. This course 'stretches' students' brains as they advance their understanding of the nervous system as a whole.

Learning Links Chemistry Honors is an introductory course covering topics equivalent to a full year of high school chemistry at the honors level. The content within Chemistry Honors is organized into five units: Introductory Concepts in Chemistry, Chemical Compositions and Reactions, Energy and Bonding, States of Matter, Reactions and Electrochemistry, and Advanced Chemistry Applications.  

Using hands-on and virtual laboratory experiences, study key topics, analyze data, draw conclusions and report results. Scientific method, chemical foundations, compositions and reactions, modern atomic theory and electrochemistry are among the topics covered.

Notes:

• Additional lab fee is required and non-refundable
• May be used as a lab science for IMSA and other selective high school applications.

Prerequisites: Algebra I is recommended

HIGH SCHOOL CREDIT AVAILABLE: 2 Semesters

Sample Syllabus

Online Family Program (OFP) courses for younger students typically involve more parent participation than OFP courses for older students. Instructors provide ongoing feedback to students and parents through discussion boards to provide maximum flexibility for families’ schedules.

Why are myths and legends still relevant today? Trace the origins of tales and characters of all kinds as you travel back in time to read myths from around the world.  Consider how oral tradition still informs culture today and what we can learn from ancient myths and legends. Research the stories that have influenced what we understand about the world around us, including natural phenomena. Find out why authors throughout the ages have used fantastical creatures such as gods, goddesses, dragons, three-headed dogs and other monsters to tell their tales. Sharpen your own creative writing skills by inventing original myths and fantastical characters to make mythology come alive!

Online Family Program (OFP) courses for younger students typically involve more parent participation than OFP courses for older students. Instructors provide ongoing feedback to students and parents through discussion boards to provide maximum flexibility for families’ schedules.

Electricity is all around us. We use it to play, but we are warned not to play with it. In this course families have fun investigating simple circuits by making and breaking them. Using basic materials and their imaginations, students will learn the fundamentals of electricity and how to think like electrical engineers. To complete all activities in this course, participants will have to purchase basic supplies to create circuits such as wire, battery, bulb.  

Online Family Program (OFP) courses for younger students typically involve more parent participation than OFP courses for older students. Instructors provide ongoing feedback to students and parents through discussion boards to provide maximum flexibility for families’ schedules.

Electricity is all around us. We use it to play, but we are warned not to play with it. In this course families have fun investigating simple circuits by making and breaking them. Using basic materials and their imaginations, students will learn the fundamentals of electricity and how to think like electrical engineers. To complete all activities in this course, participants will have to purchase basic supplies to create circuits such as wire, battery, bulb.  

This is a 3-week, online course. 

Young people often believe that they can’t make a difference. That they don’t have the knowledge, skills, or capacity to influence issues like poverty, healthcare, education, or the environment. That they’re powerless to create change. Yet there are countless stories that prove this is not the case. Thousands of young people powered the peaceful protests that ended legal segregation in the U.S., and have been instrumental in movements for democracy and human rights around the world. Teenagers have started international campaigns against child labor and fought for the education of girls in the developing world. And those are just a few examples. 

What power, passion, and resources do you possess? Begin your discovery with the Civic Leadership Institute! 

CLI students explore the complex challenges that affect our communities and develop the knowledge, experience, and leadership skills they need to make a positive impact on the world. 

View a sample syllabus.

ADMISSION CRITERIA:

• 90th percentile or higher on a nationally normed grade-level assessment in the required verbal/reading qualifying subject area.
• Above-grade-level Tests taken in or before the 7th or 8th grade year within the past two years.
• Successful completion of a CTD course, with a verbal/reading qualifying subject area within the past two years.
• If test scores are not available, or do not meet the criteria, students are welcome to apply via Admission Portfolio.

Online Family Program (OFP) courses for younger students typically involve more parent participation than OFP courses for older students. Instructors provide ongoing feedback to students and parents through discussion boards to provide maximum flexibility for families’ schedules.

Graphic novels and comic books cover topics from superheroes to historical events, capturing complex ideas through a unique combination of text and illustrations. As students learn the elements of graphic novels and comics, they focus on character and plot. Using both off and on-screen tools, students create an original story and build their writing skills as they organize and express their ideas with words and images.

Online Family Program (OFP) courses for younger students typically involve more parent participation than OFP courses for older students. Instructors provide ongoing feedback to students and parents through discussion boards to provide maximum flexibility for families’ schedules.

Graphic novels and comic books cover topics from superheroes to historical events, capturing complex ideas through a unique combination of text and illustrations. As students learn the elements of graphic novels and comics, they focus on character and plot. Using both off and on-screen tools, students create an original story and build their writing skills as they organize and express their ideas with words and images.

Online Family Program (OFP) courses for younger students typically involve more parent participation than OFP courses for older students. Instructors provide ongoing feedback to students and parents through discussion boards to provide maximum flexibility for families’ schedules.

Graphic novels and comic books cover topics from superheroes to historical events, capturing complex ideas through a unique combination of text and illustrations. As students learn the elements of graphic novels and comics, they focus on character and plot. Using both off and on-screen tools, students create an original story and build their writing skills as they organize and express their ideas with words and images.

Online Family Program (OFP) courses for younger students typically involve more parent participation than OFP courses for older students. Instructors provide ongoing feedback to students and parents through discussion boards to provide maximum flexibility for families’ schedules.

Graphic novels and comic books cover topics from superheroes to historical events, capturing complex ideas through a unique combination of text and illustrations. As students learn the elements of graphic novels and comics, they focus on character and plot. Using both off and on-screen tools, students create an original story and build their writing skills as they organize and express their ideas with words and images.

There are dozens of genres of writing and communication, but the most unique is creative writing. Creative writing is a genre that brings personal experiences to light through various means, and it can be manifested through short stories, music, podcasts, or art, among other ways.

In this course, students will utilize creativity through reading and writing different genres of literature and applying them to their own work.

Upon successful completion of this course, students will understand the components of creative writing, such as character development, types of characters, setting, theme, author’s tone and purpose, and dialogue and apply them to various types of creative writing such as short stories, poems, plays, and art.

Students should have high school level writing experience. Note: a graded writing sample may be required for eligibility.

HIGH SCHOOL CREDIT AVAILABLE: 2 Semesters

Sample Syllabus

Essay writing, class assignments, and college applications all demand planning, preparation, and practice. Learn the structure and purpose of essays by reading and analyzing a variety of well-constructed pieces as well as writing and critiquing your own.

HIGH SCHOOL CREDIT AVAILABLE: 1 Semester

Sample Syllabus

Complex, demanding, erudite, and witty describe the first level of this vocabulary-building curriculum.  This class develops a strong base of Latin and Greek stems (roots, prefixes, and suffixes) that underpin advanced and academic vocabulary in English.  Words are presented as a system of thinking, spelling, poetic insights, comprehension and retrieval.  Students learn the way words and their meanings arise over time through the various combinations of stems.  High school credit: two semesters.

Build a foundation comprised of Latin and Greek stems, making it possible to understand, remember and utilize thousands of English words. Knowledge of Latin and Greek leads to advanced English vocabulary. Note: a graded writing sample may be required for eligibility.

Notes:

• The textbook for English Vocabulary I Honors is The Word Within the Word (student manual), Volume 1, written by Michael Clay Thompson. It should be purchased directly from the publisher, Royal Fireworks Press, at www.rfwp.com, or by calling 845-726-4444.

HIGH SCHOOL CREDIT AVAILABLE: 2 Semesters

Sample Syllabus

Take the next step in this etymo-logical approach to building a cumulative vocabulary. Using word prefixes, suffixes and roots from Greek and Latin, students dissect and construct words based on their meanings. The course reinforces, builds on, and continues the work begun in English Vocabulary I and increases students’ vocabulary extensively.

A continuation of English Vocabulary I Honors.

Prerequisite: English Vocabulary I Honors. 

Notes:

• The textbook for English Vocabulary II Honors is The Word Within the Word (student manual), Volume 2, written by Michael Clay Thompson. It should be purchased directly from the publisher, Royal Fireworks Press, at www.rfwp.com, or by calling 845-726-4444.

HIGH SCHOOL CREDIT AVAILABLE: 2 Semesters

Sample Syllabus

Sun Tzu, the ancient Chinese scholar suggested that knowledge of one's enemy is essential to the success of state leaders and generals.  This course is an historical overview of espionage, intelligence gathering, and the development of modern spy agencies,  students will examine intelligence, deception, and spycraft in some of the great wars and conflicts in history, from ancient times to the Cold War, culminating with the role of the intelligence community and government surveillance in the post- 9/11 world.  Through reading assignments, independent research, and interactive discussion, and writing assignments, students will study the history of how intelligence has helped shaped modern politics and international relations.

HIGH SCHOOL CREDIT AVAILABLE: 1 Semester

Sample Syllabus

From non-fiction books and magazine articles to school research papers and business memorandums, expository writing aims to inform the reader about a selected topic. This course will explore a variety of academic writing genres and will allow students to choose from a variety of topics and formats. Students will be able to revise their work after input from the teacher and other students. Students will create a strong writing portfolio and create presentations of their work and ideas in a variety of media.

Note: a graded writing sample may be required for eligibility.

HIGH SCHOOL CREDIT AVAILABLE: 2 Semesters

Sample Syllabus

Online Family Program (OFP) courses for younger students typically involve more parent participation than OFP courses for older students. Instructors provide ongoing feedback to students and parents through discussion boards to provide maximum flexibility for families’ schedules.

One way to see (and eat) fractions is as the slices of a pizza. But there are many other ways to view parts of a whole in the structures and situations of our daily lives. Building onto their math skills, students construct both two and three-dimensional models to explore and deepen their ideas about fractions and proportion. They explore methods for determining fractions of regular and irregular shapes. And they use these skills to describe and solve problems in their own households and neighborhoods by comparing, adding, subtracting and multiplying fractions.

“All warfare is based on deception.” –Sun Tzu

An overview of great battles and their significance on world and military history. Students will study selected battles with respect to background, leaders, armies, the events of the battle itself, and discuss the impact of the conflict on military history and the world in general.

HIGH SCHOOL CREDIT AVAILABLE: 1 Semester

Sample Syllabus

In this course, young children and their parents read the story "The Carrot Seed" by Ruth Krause, to inspire playful exploration of the life cycle of plants, as well as the benefits of patience and perseverence. They also learn about cooking and selling food when they create their own food truck.

This course stimulates children's creative thinking and problem solving skills by integrating math, science, engineering and language arts. During this course, children engage in hands-on, playful learning experiences with a parent or caregiver. Parents participate in activities with children and post observations and questions for the class and the teacher. Teachers provide feedback and extensions to support guided, playful learning.

In this course, young children and their parents read the story "The Carrot Seed" by Ruth Krause, to inspire playful exploration of the life cycle of plants, as well as the benefits of patience and perseverence. They also learn about cooking and selling food when they create their own food truck.

This course stimulates children's creative thinking and problem solving skills by integrating math, science, engineering and language arts. During this course, children engage in hands-on, playful learning experiences with a parent or caregiver. Parents participate in activities with children and post observations and questions for the class and the teacher. Teachers provide feedback and extensions to support guided, playful learning.

This course presents 20th Century American History as shown in historical biographies and literature. Students will choose biographies from four categories (Military/Politics, Science/Industry, Civil Rights, Entertainment/Sports) and one work of period literature for a total of five books. Through the lens of the individuals studied, students will learn about important history and trends of the century and also relate the information to their own lives.

HIGH SCHOOL CREDIT AVAILABLE: 1 Semester

Sample Syllabus

Mathematics and technical programming skills are becoming increasingly important for game development and computer simulations of the physical world. Students in this course are taught to use vectors, coordinate spaces, matrices, transformations, and other mathematical objects and functions to create 2D and 3D visual effects while further developing their technical skill as Java programmers. This application of mathematics to computer graphics affords students the opportunity to develop powerful intuitions about advanced math concepts.

Prerequisite: Algebra I

HIGH SCHOOL CREDIT AVAILABLE: 1 Semester

Sample Syllabus

An introduction to object-oriented programming. Using the BlueJ integrated development environment, implement object-oriented concepts. Gain experience with classes, objects, and inheritance as you learn the keywords and constructs of the Java language.

Prerequisites: Algebra I

HIGH SCHOOL CREDIT AVAILABLE: 2 Semesters

Sample syllabi available here

Stories about the Romans, their mythology and historical characters help reveal the structure of the Latin Language and provide the basis to rich vocabulary development.  The application of grammatical knowledge to Latin stories is emphasized, enabling you to translate Latin stories.

HIGH SCHOOL CREDIT AVAILABLE: 2 Semesters

Sample Syllabus

Begin to master classical Latin by studying basic grammar and vocabulary.

HIGH SCHOOL CREDIT AVAILABLE: 2 Semesters

Sample Syllabus

Continuation of Latin I Honors: Ecce Romani.

Prerequisites: Latin I Honors: Ecce Romani or instructor’s permission

HIGH SCHOOL CREDIT AVAILABLE: 2 Semesters

Sample Syllabus

Continuation of Latin I Honors.

Online credit-bearing courses are offered on a rolling enrollment basis - apply by the 1st of any month, start on the 15th.

HIGH SCHOOL CREDIT AVAILABLE: 2 Semesters

Prerequisites: Latin I Honors or instructor’s permission

Eligibility: http://www.ctd.northwestern.edu/eligibility

Sample Syllabus

A translation-based survey course of Latin prose that introduces the wisdom found in unabridged Latin texts including those written by Caesar, Cicero and others.  Consideration of grammatical, syntactical, and semantic usages, in all their varient forms encourages application of critical thinking skills to produce structurally accurate and fluid translations.

Prerequisite: Latin I & II Honors Ecce Romani or instructor consent. 

HIGH SCHOOL CREDIT AVAILABLE: 2 Semesters

A translation-based survey course of Latin prose that introduces the wisdom found in unabridged Latin texts including those written by Caesar, Cicero and others.  Consideration of grammatical, syntactical, and semantic usages, in all their variant forms encourages application of critical thinking skills to produce structurally accurate and fluid translations.

Online credit-bearing courses are offered on a rolling enrollment basis - apply by the 1st of any month, start on the 15th.

HIGH SCHOOL CREDIT AVAILABLE: 2 Semesters

Prerequisite: Latin I & II Honors Wheelock or instructor consent.

Eligibility: http://www.ctd.northwestern.edu/eligibility

Sample Syllabus

This is a 1-week, online course. 

Engage in interactive workshops on leadership topics, learn from Northwestern faculty and local civic leaders, and build critical thinking and public speaking skills. Expand your leadership capacity through reflective learning opportunities and build community in a supportive online classroom. 

View a sample syllabus.

ADMISSION CRITERIA:

• 90th percentile or higher on a nationally normed grade-level assessment in the required verbal/reading qualifying subject area.
• Successful completion of a CTD course, with a verbal/reading qualifying subject area within the past two years.
• If test scores are not available, or do not meet the criteria, students are welcome to apply via Admission Portfolio.

Online Family Program (OFP) courses for younger students typically involve more parent participation than OFP courses for older students. Instructors provide ongoing feedback to students and parents through discussion boards to provide maximum flexibility for families’ schedules.

What makes a structure a landmark rather than just a building? Its function or location? Or does it have to do with its meaning to those who use and see it? An architect's design considers all of these factors. Young designers and their parents will learn about architectural elements and engage in the design process as they take on building challenges using LEGO® bricks and other household materials. Participants apply concepts of engineering, art and urban planning to create their own landmark designs.

Literary Analysis is designed to give students the opportunity to read and respond to eight different pieces of literature. These responses will expect students to master the objectives of expository and analytical writing. This class will prepare students for the Advanced Placement Language and Composition and Literature and Composition courses as they examine, analyze, and discuss how rhetorical and literary devices are used in works of literatures. The exercises will examine short excerpts from longer works. Students will reflect on their work to fully understand what is learned from the work and assess performance, efforts, and abilities in addition to participating in meaningful discussions and explorations that provoke perceptive observations and insights.

Explore universal themes by reading and reflecting upon major works of literature in the genres of fiction, poetry, essay, and drama. Through thoughtful analysis and written responses, students expand their critical reading and writing skills. Note: a graded writing sample may be required for eligibility.

HIGH SCHOOL CREDIT AVAILABLE: 2 Semesters

Online Family Program (OFP) courses for younger students typically involve more parent participation than OFP courses for older students. Instructors provide ongoing feedback to students and parents through discussion boards to provide maximum flexibility for families’ schedules.

Math doesn’t wait for us at school. It’s baked into our lives from the start of every day. It’s at the breakfast table and outside our front door. We play with it on the playground or in a board game. Mathematicians and their parents or caregivers have fun with the real-life math that’s used for telling time, working in the kitchen, understanding weather and enjoying games. Together, they explore how numbers and units can help us accurately predict and describe everyday experiences, anywhere and everywhere!

This is a two-week, Monday-Friday online in the Solstice Program, meeting synchronously from 9:30am-12:30pm.

Step right up! Learn and apply critical math topics through games of skill and luck including chess, KenKen and Soduku, and carnival games of chance. Concepts come from algebra and geometry and include an exploration of probability and statistics. Apply the concepts of risk analysis, expected value, and outcomes to create your own game and predict the success of the players!

NOTE: This course is Coughlin STEM Scholars eligible.

ADMISSION CRITERIA:

• PSAT 8/9 OR ≥ 90th national percentile rank in math on standardized achievement test OR Admission Portfolio

Explore topics ranging from the anatomy and physiology of the brain to mental disorders. Activities include readings, discussion, and laboratory activities such as a virtual eye dissection and the opportunity to analyze sleep data.

Prerequisite: Biology Honors

HIGH SCHOOL CREDIT AVAILABLE: 2 Semesters

Sample Syllabus

Online Family Program (OFP) courses for younger students typically involve more parent participation than OFP courses for older students. Instructors provide ongoing feedback to students and parents through discussion boards to provide maximum flexibility for families’ schedules.

Would you use the same approach to recommend a movie to a friend and to conduct a classroom debate about an environmental issue? A well-constructed essay deosn't always translate to great oratory. Each must be carefully crafted to have the greatest impact. Students will expand their writing and public speaking skills as they identify and try out rhetorical techniques for producing effective written pieces and delivering excellent speeches, including selecting language for its appeal to the ear, heart and mind. 

Apply the universal principles of physics, gain an appreciation of mathematics, and develop your understanding of the major concepts via hands-on experiments, virtual simulations, and investigations. Study Newtonian physics, electricity and magnetism, waves and optics, and early modern physics.

Notes:

• May be used as a lab science for IMSA and other selective high school applications.

Prerequisites: Algebra II

HIGH SCHOOL CREDIT AVAILABLE: 2 Semesters

Sample Syllabus

Online Family Program (OFP) courses for younger students typically involve more parent participation than OFP courses for older students. Instructors provide ongoing feedback to students and parents through discussion boards to provide maximum flexibility for families’ schedules.

As our spatial visualization skills improve, so do skills in math and other academic areas. As with other things we do for fun, we get better at spatial reasoning with practice, so let’s play geometry! Students and their families are invited to expand their understanding of the Platonic solids and exercise visualization skills through playful challenges and projects.

Online Family Program (OFP) courses for younger students typically involve more parent participation than OFP courses for older students. Instructors provide ongoing feedback to students and parents through discussion boards to provide maximum flexibility for families’ schedules.

As our spatial visualization skills improve, so do skills in math and other academic areas. As with other things we do for fun, we get better at spatial reasoning with practice, so let’s play geometry! Students and their families are invited to expand their understanding of the Platonic solids and exercise visualization skills through playful challenges and projects.

This two semester course provides students with a solid foundation in the same programming language that the game makers use. In semester one, beginning students will learn to compile and run programs, use variables to store and manipulate different kinds of data, implement decisions using if statements, and correct use while, for and do loops. In semester two, beginners will learn to write their own functions and collect and process data in arrays and vectors. Students who come to the course with C++ experience will be able to skip sections or move more quickly through them to have the opportunity to explore more advanced topics such as pointers and structures, streams, classes, inheritance, recursion, sorting and searching, overload operators, memory management, template classes and functions, and advanced data structures.

Notes:

• Requires Windows, Mac, or Linux. Students cannot use ChromeOS or Chromebooks.
• Students need a C++ compiler; information on free compilers available online is included in the course syllabus.

Prerequisites: Algebra I

HIGH SCHOOL CREDIT AVAILABLE: 2 Semesters

Sample Syllabus

Examine theories about personality and the biological factors that may affect behavior, learning, memory, psychological disorders, and therapy. Design and conduct experiments, analyze data, and report discoveries about mental and emotional processes.

HIGH SCHOOL CREDIT AVAILABLE: 1 Semester

Sample Syllabus

Can society and institutions, and schools in particular, step back from technology use and what are the implications? Discover the influence technology has on the individual and society in general. A fast-growing area in psychology, students will grapple with the impact of today’s “connected” environment on their brains and relationships.

HIGH SCHOOL CREDIT AVAILABLE: 1 Semester

Sample Syllabus

Online Family Program (OFP) courses for younger students typically involve more parent participation than OFP courses for older students. Instructors provide ongoing feedback to students and parents through discussion boards to provide maximum flexibility for families’ schedules.

Puppets help us become better storytellers. Working with their parents or caregivers, young storytellers learn about character, story sequence and the structure of puppet plays. Students engage in storytelling, role-playing, and vocabulary activities and they extend their organizational and language skills as they create and share stories. Puppet-making will call for basic crafting supplies and household materials.

Online Family Program (OFP) courses for younger students typically involve more parent participation than OFP courses for older students. Instructors provide ongoing feedback to students and parents through discussion boards to provide maximum flexibility for families’ schedules.

Puppets help us become better storytellers. Working with their parents or caregivers, young storytellers learn about character, story sequence and the structure of puppet plays. Students engage in storytelling, role-playing, and vocabulary activities and they extend their organizational and language skills as they create and share stories.

Online Family Program (OFP) courses for younger students typically involve more parent participation than OFP courses for older students. Instructors provide ongoing feedback to students and parents through discussion boards to provide maximum flexibility for families’ schedules.

Puppets help us become better storytellers. Working with their parents or caregivers, young storytellers learn about character, story sequence and the structure of puppet plays. Students engage in storytelling, role-playing, and vocabulary activities and they extend their organizational and language skills as they create and share stories.

Online Family Program (OFP) courses for younger students typically involve more parent participation than OFP courses for older students. Instructors provide ongoing feedback to students and parents through discussion boards to provide maximum flexibility for families’ schedules.

Students and their families celebrate math with brain teasing and brain building activities. Puzzles, tangrams, mazes and riddles challenge students to see patterns and seek solutions using computation, logic and deduction.

Online Family Program (OFP) courses for younger students typically involve more parent participation than OFP courses for older students. Instructors provide ongoing feedback to students and parents through discussion boards to provide maximum flexibility for families’ schedules.

Students and their families celebrate math with brain teasing and brain building activities. Puzzles, tangrams, mazes and riddles challenge students to see patterns and seek solutions using computation, logic and deduction.

Online Family Program (OFP) courses for younger students typically involve more parent participation than OFP courses for older students. Instructors provide ongoing feedback to students and parents through discussion boards to provide maximum flexibility for families’ schedules.

Students and their families celebrate math with brain teasing and brain building activities. Puzzles, tangrams, mazes and riddles challenge students to see patterns and seek solutions using computation, logic and deduction.

Online Family Program (OFP) courses for younger students typically involve more parent participation than OFP courses for older students. Instructors provide ongoing feedback to students and parents through discussion boards to provide maximum flexibility for families’ schedules.

How many solutions can you find for a single problem? Puzzles and games are the tools used to investigate 
topics such as Fibonacci numbers, combinations, fractions and ancient number systems. Students gain an appreciation for numbers and numbering systems in everyday life as they take on challenging problems that connect measurement, probability, and geometry and build up critical thinking and deductive reasoning skills. 

This course will introduce students to Spanish language fundamentals with emphasis on all four modes of communication: reading, writing, speaking, and listening. Culture, geography, and history of the Spanish-speaking world are woven throughout the course. 

HIGH SCHOOL CREDIT AVAILABLE: 2 Semesters

Sample Syllabus

This course is a continuation of Honors Spanish I that focuses on expanding and improving all four modes of communication: reading, writing, speaking, and listening. Culture, geography, and history of the Spanish-speaking world are woven throughout the course.  The basic format of the course is similar to that of Honors Spanish I, but students will complete more projects and in-depth assignments. Students will learn advanced grammatical concepts, read authentic texts, and expand their vocabulary.

Prerequisite: Spanish I or instructor's permission

HIGH SCHOOL CREDIT AVAILABLE: 2 Semesters

Sample Syllabus

This course is a continuation of Honors Spanish II that focuses on expanding and improving all four modes of communication: reading, writing, speaking, and listening. Culture, geography, and history of the Spanish-speaking world are woven throughout the course.  In this course, students will complete thematic projects that expand their knowledge of topics important to the Spanish-speaking world including ecotourism, health and nutrition, and the visual and performing arts.  An emphasis is placed on tying Spanish language grammar and vocabulary to thematic topics through projects and writing assignments. The course includes a comprehensive review of essential grammatical concepts from Honors Spanish I and II with the goal of mastering them.  

Prerequisite: Spanish I & II or instructor's permission

HIGH SCHOOL CREDIT AVAILABLE: 2 Semesters

Sample Syllabus

This course is a continuation of Honors Spanish III that focuses on expanding and improving all four modes of communication: reading, writing, speaking, and listening. Culture, geography, and history of the Spanish-speaking world are woven throughout the course.  Students will complete thematic assignments and projects that expand their knowledge of topics important to the Spanish-speaking world including environmental conservation, rights and responsibilities of citizens, technology, human rights, personalities and relationships, popular culture in entertainment, diversity, society, and jobs and the economy. Honors Spanish IV introduces complex grammatical concepts and also includes a comprehensive review of essential grammatical concepts from Honors Spanish I, II, and III with the goal of mastering them.  Students will engage with high level authentic texts and films fundamental to Spanish language mastery. Students will present a comprehensive portfolio of artifacts as the culminating assessment. 

Prerequisite: Spanish I, II, and III or instructor's permission

Sample Syllabus

Online Family Program (OFP) courses for younger students typically involve more parent participation than OFP courses for older students. Instructors provide ongoing feedback to students and parents through discussion boards to provide maximum flexibility for families’ schedules.

Applying math skills is the key to survival in this creative problem-solving course. Students role play a variety of exciting scenarios, such as being marooned on a desert island, trapped in a space station, or stranded in a deadly snowstorm. Students and parents analyze what the situation calls for and then apply formulas and concepts from geometry, algebra, and probability, extending their mathematical thinking skills as they save the day in this course.

Online Family Program (OFP) courses for younger students typically involve more parent participation than OFP courses for older students. Instructors provide ongoing feedback to students and parents through discussion boards to provide maximum flexibility for families’ schedules.

Applying math skills is the key to survival in this creative problem-solving course. Students role play a variety of exciting scenarios, such as being marooned on a desert island, trapped in a space station, or stranded in a deadly snowstorm. Students and parents analyze what the situation calls for and then apply formulas and concepts from geometry, algebra, and probability, extending their mathematical thinking skills as they save the day in this course.

Online Family Program (OFP) courses for younger students typically involve more parent participation than OFP courses for older students. Instructors provide ongoing feedback to students and parents through discussion boards to provide maximum flexibility for families’ schedules.

Science is at play when we play on the swings and the slide. It definitely rides along on the merry-go-round and the tilt-a-whirl! Young scientists and their parents or caregivers have fun with gravity, friction and other powerful forces. Using household items, they will explore the laws of physics that Sir Isaac Newton named long ago and astrophysicists and engineers apply today.

"The study of history enables us to control, not society, but ourselves."- Carl Becker.

Explore the story of the great “American experiment,” now known as the United States. For students of history, this honors-level course provides an opportunity to master the facts and analytical skills needed to understand and think critically about issues in American history. Participating in online discussions, reading and analyzing primary and secondary documents and writing critical essays are among the varied activities used to assist students in critiquing different interpretations of history in addition to document based questions (DBQs).

High school credit: 2 semesters

Sample Syllabus

Online Family Program (OFP) courses for younger students typically involve more parent participation than OFP courses for older students. Instructors provide ongoing feedback to students and parents through discussion boards to provide maximum flexibility for families’ schedules.

In this course, students use a web design tool kit while planning and designing for the screen. Focusing on a topic of high interest for their web page, student web designers will learn how HTML and CSS are used and extend their design and programming skills by creating webpages using fun and powerful software, which may include Photoshop, Flash, Adobe Dreamweaver, and Notepad++. Students improve their work by analyzing existing webpages, and by receiving feedback from classmates.  

Online Family Program (OFP) courses for younger students typically involve more parent participation than OFP courses for older students. Instructors provide ongoing feedback to students and parents through discussion boards to provide maximum flexibility for families’ schedules.

In this course, students use a web design tool kit while planning and designing for the screen. Focusing on a topic of high interest for their web page, student web designers will learn how HTML and CSS are used and extend their design and programming skills by creating webpages using fun and powerful software, which may include Photoshop, Flash, Adobe Dreamweaver, and Notepad++. Students improve their work by analyzing existing webpages, and by receiving feedback from classmates.  

"The study of history enables us to control, not society, but ourselves." - Carl Becker.

Examine world cultures from the rise of civilization through the beginning up to the present day. This course emphasizes the use of universal themes of politics, economics, religions, social traditions, intellectual developments and aesthetics to analyze and look for patterns in world societies. Skills related to critical reading and writing skills, historical comprehension, chronological thinking, historical analysis, interpretation and geographic literacy are enhanced through the use of a variety of multimedia resources including primary source documents and other historical materials.

HIGH SCHOOL CREDIT AVAILABLE: 2 Semesters

Sample Syllabus

This comparative study of literature from around the world and throughout history, including selections from classic and contemporary works. Explore multicultural literature through critical reading and writing assignments. Note: a graded writing sample may be required for eligibility.

HIGH SCHOOL CREDIT AVAILABLE: 2 Semesters

Sample Syllabus

Some people explain that all faiths are essentially the same, indicating that differences arising from culture, history, and geography are only superficial. Others recognize the many variations in human religious tradition as deeply-rooted and foundational to specific faiths. How do religions arise, and what does religion look like across continents and millennia? To what extent are religious traditions similar, and to what effect do they vary? Focusing on culture, history, geography, and major religious texts, this course surveys world religious traditions and thought, leaving the answers up to you. 

This course is strictly an academic course. It is not designed to try and sway you one way or the other or to take the opportunity to push a certain viewpoint, but to increase your knowledge of the world we live in. You will be responding to questions about the different aspects of the religions we are covering, the historical and cultural impacts they have as well as the similarities and differences between religions.

HIGH SCHOOL CREDIT AVAILABLE: 2 Semesters

Sample Syllabus

Online Family Program (OFP) courses for younger students typically involve more parent participation than OFP courses for older students. Instructors provide ongoing feedback to students and parents through discussion boards to provide maximum flexibility for families’ schedules.

The best writers are avid readers. Students listen to or read well-written, age appropriate literature from a variety of genres such as mysteries, fairy tales and fantasy adventure. They discuss parts of stories and how authors write differently for different audiences. Vocabulary games and short writing exercises build confidence as student writers prepare to author their own tales of adventure.

This course stimulates children's creative thinking and problem-solving skills by integrating math, science, engineering, and language arts. During this course, children engage in hands-on, playful learning experiences with a parent or caregiver. Parents participate in activities with children and post observations and questions for the class and the teacher. Teachers provide feedback and extensions to support guided, playful learning.  

Climate zones are why a trip to the beach can be either visiting a sunny, breezy island or a sheltered, shimmering lakeshore. The difference is more than just the weather! Students will discover that climate zones affect landscape, animals and people everywhere. Through stories, projects and other guided play activities, students and their parents or caregivers will investigate what it might be like to visit the six major climate regions of the world.

Online Family Program (OFP) courses for younger students typically involve more parent participation than OFP courses for older students. Instructors provide ongoing feedback to students and parents through discussion boards to provide maximum flexibility for families’ schedules.

Junior veterinarians and their parents or caregivers investigate life sciences by focusing on zoo animals. They classify animals and compare animals' characteristics. Students delve into what animals need to survive and how zoo vets help them, for example by creating the right kinds of zoo habitats and providing a healthy diet. Students develop their reasoning skills to think like zoo vets.

Online Family Program (OFP) courses for younger students typically involve more parent participation than OFP courses for older students. Instructors provide ongoing feedback to students and parents through discussion boards to provide maximum flexibility for families’ schedules.

Junior veterinarians and their parents or caregivers investigate life sciences by focusing on zoo animals. They classify animals and compare animals' characteristics. Students delve into what animals need to survive and how zoo vets help them, for example by creating the right kinds of zoo habitats and providing a healthy diet. Students develop their reasoning skills to think like zoo vets.