Curriculum by Grade Level
1st & 2nd Grade
Phonics/Fónico: Modern Curriculum Press Phonics Level A and Phonics Level B, plus Kolbe Academy Phonogram Cards
Reading/Lectura: Catholic National Reader, other readers such as Faith & Family series
English/Inglés: Kolbe Academy English 1 and English 2
Religion/Religión: Two-year rotation of Faith and Life series—Our Heavenly Father and Jesus Our Life
Science/Ciencias: Harcourt Science (2nd Grade book used over two years)
Math/Matemáticas: Modern Curriculum Press Math Level A and Math Level B
Spelling/Ortografía: various lists
Handwriting/Escritura: Universal Publishing Manuscript Review and Enrichment Book M and Intro to Cursive Book MC
Geography/Geografía: Map Skills
3rd and 4th Grade
Phonics/Fónico: Modern Curriculum Press Phonics Level C and Word Study Level D
Reading/Lectura: Catholic National Reader, other readers such as Faith & Family series, and books such as Sarah, Plain and Tall, Tales of a 4th Grade Nothing, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of Nimh, Charlotte’s Web, The Trumpet of the Swan, and The Borrowers
English/Inglés: two-year rotation of Loyola Press Voyages in English 3 and Voyages in English 4, supplemented by Exercises in English
Religion/Religión: Two-year rotation of Faith and Life series—Our Life with Jesus and Jesus Our Guide
Science/Ciencias: Harcourt Science (4th Grade book used over two years)
Math/Matemáticas: Modern Curriculum Press Math Level C and Saxon Math 54
Spelling/Ortografía: Everyday Spelling
Handwriting/Escritura: Universal Publishing Handwriting C & Handwriting D
History/Geography / Historia/Geografía: Two-year rotation of California History and World Geography
5th & 6th Grade
Literature/Literatura: various age-appropriate books such as lives of the Saints, The Hobbit, The Bronze Bow, The Children’s Homer, White Fang, and A Wrinkle in Time
Vocabulary/Vocabulario: Sadlier Vocabulary Workshop
English/Inglés: two-year rotation of Loyola Press Voyages in English 5 and Voyages in English 6, supplemented by Exercises in English
Religion/Religión: Two-year rotation of Faith and Life series—Credo: I Believe and Following Christ
Science/Ciencias: Harcourt Science (6th Grade book used over two years)
Math/Matemáticas: Houghton Mifflin California Math (5th) and Holt California Mathematics Course 1 (6th Grade); advanced or remedial Math as necessary
History/Historia: Two-year rotation of U.S. History with Our Pioneers and Patriots and Ancient History with various sources, including Famous Men of Greece and Famous Men of Rome
Forum/Foro: public speaking program
7th & 8th Grade
Literature/Literatura: various age-appropriate books (including lives of the Saints), such as Johnny Tremain, Kidnapped, Robinson Crusoe, I Am David, The Red Badge of Courage, The Yearling, and The Merchant of Venice, plus short story and poetry components in a two-year rotation
Vocabulary/Vocabulario: Sadlier Vocabulary Workshop
English/Inglés: Two-year rotation of Loyola Press Voyages in English 7 and Voyages in English 8, supplemented by Exercises in English
Religion/Religión: Two-year rotation of Faith and Life Series—The Life of Grace and Our Life in the Church
Science/Ciencias: Two-year rotation of Physical Science and Life Science
Math/Matemáticas: Holt California Mathematics Course 2 (7th Grade) and Holt California Mathematics Course 3 (8th Grade); advanced or remedial Math as necessary
History/Historia: Two-year rotation of U.S. History with Sea to Shining Sea and World History/Geography with All Ye Lands
Latin: Henle Latin 1
Forum/Foro: public speaking program
Art/Arte: once per week
9th & 10th Grades
Theology/Teología: two-year cycle of:
- Sacred Scripture—Didache series Understanding the Scriptures from Midwest Theological Forum and the Ignatius Bible
- Sacramental Life—various sources, including Fr. Laux’s Mass and the Sacraments
- In both years, original Church documents are read, primarily relating to the Early Church in the Scripture year and the Medieval Church in the Sacramental Life year
Literature/Literatura: two-year cycle of:
- Ancient Literature—The Iliad, The Odyssey, The Aeneid, Greek plays such as Antigone and Oedipus Rex, Platonic dialogues, Marcus Aurelius’ Meditations, and more
- Medieval Literature—varies, but generally includes such works as Beowulf, Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales, Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, Dante’s Inferno, Hamlet, Macbeth, Richard III, and Paradise Lost
History/Historia: two-year cycle of:
- Ancient History—Herodotus’ Histories, Thucydides’ History of the Peloponnesian War, Livy’s Early History of Rome, Plutarch’s Lives, and more
- Medieval History—Medieval Europe—A Short History, various original sources including Procopius’ The Gothic Wars, Gregory of Tours History of the Franks, Bede’s History of the English Church and People, Einhard’s Life of Charlemagne, Froissart’s Chronicles, and writings of Popes and Kings
Latin: Wheelock’s Latin
Math/Matemáticas: Grade-level Math, generally Algebra 1 in 9th Grade and Geometry in 10th, both from McDougal Littell
Science/Ciencias: Two-year cycle of Physical Science and Biology, both from Holt
Forum/Foro: Public speaking program (once per week)
Seminar/Seminario: Seminar program utilizing original source materials; this year, the text is Plato’s Republic (once per week)
Elective/Electivo: Intensive Composition (9th), choice of Fine Arts electives (10th—this year, choices are Art, Choir and Drama); one double period per week
11th & 12th Grades
Theology/Teología: two-year cycle of:
- Apologetics—Handbook of Catholic Apologetics by Peter Kreeft
- Morality— Didache series Our Moral Life in Christ from Midwest Theological Forum
- In both years, original Church documents are read
Literature/Literatura: two-year cycle of:
- Modern European Literature—varies occasionally, but generally includes Frankenstein, Pride and Prejudice, Crime and Punishment, Brave New World, 1984, and One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich
- American Literature—varies, but texts this year include The Scarlet Letter, Moby Dick, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, a selection of works by Edgar Allan Poe, Grapes of Wrath, and Fahrenheit 451
History/Historia: two-year cycle of:
- Modern European History—utilizes a textbook entitled Sources of Modern Europe, plus original source materials such as Machiavelli’s The Prince, Rousseau’s The Social Contract, Locke’s Essay on Human Understanding and Second Treatise on Government, Newton’s Principia Mathematica, Marx’s Communist Manifesto, excerpts from Kant and Hegel, Lenin’s State and Revolution, Nietzsche’s Beyond Good and Evil, and various Church documents addressing many of the issues raised, e.g., Rerum Novarum and Humani Generis
- American History— utilizes America—A Brief Narrative History, plus original source materials such as the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution, The Federalist Papers, Washington’s Farewell Address, Jefferson’s Inaugural Address, writings and speeches of Abraham Lincoln, Theodore Roosevelt, Woodrow Wilson, Franklin Roosevelt, Lyndon Johnson, and Ronald Reagan, Martin Luther King, Jr.’s Letter from Birmingham Jail, etc.
Spanish/Español: Ya Veras Gold
Math/Matemáticas: Grade-level Math, generally Algebra 2 from McDougal Littell in 11th Grade and Pre-Calculus from Houghton Mifflin in 12th; each year, some advanced students generally take Calculus from Wiley Higher Education
Science/Ciencias: Two-year cycle of Chemistry and Physics, both from Holt
Forum/Foro: Public speaking program (once per week)
Seminar/Seminario: Seminar program utilizing original source materials; this year, the text is Alexis de Tocqueville’s Democracy in America (once per week)
Elective/Electivo: choice of Fine Arts electives (for 2011-2012 school year, choices are Art, Choir and Drama)