About Classical Curriculum

What is classical curriculum?

A classical curriculum is chronologically synchronous education -- an education beginning with the first recorded history and following the progression and development of human thought up to the present--which is designed to educate the student holistically.

Beginning with the first written documents of human history and working its way through Western Civilization’s most prominent thinkers, our rigorous curriculum ultimately helps students to engage with the most fundamental questions of humanity.

Why classical curriculum?

A classical education helps students engage with their cultural heritage so that they can understand their own history and be able to enter the world with a foundational knowledge of how and why the world has begun to think in the way that it has.

Moreover, a classical education aims to form students in their ability to think clearly and to write and speak coherently, persuasively, and beautifully. In this regard, a classical education creates the opportunity to engage deeply with the realities of beauty, truth, and goodness.

How we do classical curriculum differently:

Every classical education aims to form the students in their ability to think clearly and express their thought well, but only when revealed in the fullness of Truth can a classical education truly take root. Our function is not to falsely insert Christ into the curriculum, but to trace, to the best of our ability, the reason and order of the mind of God, and so come to know Him more fully.

Our Classes

Click on our “ Curriculum Overview” for a year-by-year snapshot:

Curriculum Overview PDF

The Humanities Program

History, literature, philosophy, theology, and languages are braided together in an integrated curriculum utilizing the Socratic Method.

Humanities Sequence +

Grade 9: Ancient World
Grade 10: Early Medieval Period
Grade 11: High Middle Ages to the Renaissance
Grade 12: Modern World

LITERATURE +

Our study of literature is tied to the study of history and the rest of the humanities. Students are first introduced to classical epics of Homer and then exposed to early English classics such as The Canterbury Tales and modern literary renderings of medieval history. Moving towards the modern period, they read Dante, Shakespeare, Dickens, Dostoevsky, Chesterton, and American literature. Reading and writing go hand in hand, and each student masters the art of the essay in their writing assignments in all subjects.

HISTORY +

The history classes at Chesterton Academy form the backbone of our curriculum. The four-year history sequence covers ancient history through the Greek and Roman civilizations, early Church history, the Middle Ages, the Renaissance, and the Reformation and Counter-reformation. In senior year, students study the modern era, including the American and French Revolutions, the Industrial Revolution, the Communist Revolution, and the Sexual Revolution. Each history course is tailored to provide a colorful backdrop for literature, art, and science classes.

PHILOSOPHY +

Philosophy, “the love of wisdom,” exercises the brain while it elevates the soul. The ability to understand abstract concepts leads to clear and systematic thinking in all things. We use philosophy to connect the humanities, but also to show its obvious connection to logic and mathematics. We study the development of philosophy from its classical roots focusing on Plato and Aristotle, its dramatic encounter with the early Church, its christening by St. Thomas Aquinas, and its deterioration in the modern era.

THEOLOGY +

Theology, “the study of God,” is the context by which all other texts are studied. The principal theological texts studied are the Bible and the Catechism of the Catholic Church. We also read selections from the Church Fathers, Documents of the Church Councils, and Papal Encyclicals.

FOREIGN LANGUAGE +

The study of a foreign language is required of all students for three years. All students are required to take two years of Latin and then go on to choose Latin III, Spanish, or Italian. Because students may have already studied a foreign language before they arrive at the school we try, as much as possible, to place them in the correct level right from the start, regardless of their grade.

The Math & Science Program

Math and science are intimately connected; the logic of math is seen in philosophy and God’s handiwork is seen in the sciences.

MATH +

Mathematics is the art of measuring. Science is the study of what can be measured. While math is woven together with the sciences, it is also connected to the humanities. It teaches logic, which is a basic philosophical principle. It teaches balance, which is a basic aesthetic principle. Math at Chesterton Academy covers Euclidean geometry and algebra, all the way through advanced Calculus.

MATH SEQUENCE +

Foundations Track: Euclidean/Analytical Geometry - Algebra I - Algebra II/Trig - Pre-Calculus or Statistics
Traditional Track: Euclidean/Analytical Geometry - Algebra II/Trig - Pre-Calculus - Calculus or Statistics
C-STEM Track: Euclidean/Analytical Geometry - Pre-Calculus - Calculus (AP Calc AB) - Calculus (AP Calc BC)

SCIENCE +

Science is the study of the physical world, that is, of God’s creation. None of these subjects can be approached without a sense of wonder. It is fitting, therefore, to begin by looking up at the heavens, at the lights in the sky: Astronomy. Then we take a look at the world God created (Geology), the creatures he created (Biology), and the intricate substances of which all things are made (Chemistry). We end by gaining an understanding of the nature and properties of matter and energy (Physics).

SCIENCE SEQUENCE +

Grade 9: Astronomy and Earth Sciences
Grade 10: Biology
Grade 11: Chemistry
Grade 12: Physics

The Fine Arts

Equal emphasis is given to the arts, so that every student learns to draw and paint, sing in the choir, act on the stage, give speeches, and engage in debate.

MUSIC +

Music appeals to the ear and the mind, the emotions and the intellect, the senses and the spirit. Chesterton Academy students are exposed to a wide variety of music that they perform chorally several times a year. An education at Chesterton includes music theory, performance, ear training, note reading, and musical analysis. Music history is taught according to the grade level with an emphasis on music development within the Church, and corresponds to the historical period in which the students are immersed. Students perform in grade-level choirs and in the all-school choir at choir concerts, Masses, and The Chesterton Gala.

ART +

A complete education must include the development of the creative nature and must provide students with the tools and the technique with which to express their ideas, their feelings and their love. It must also include the analytical skills with which to judge a work of art and exposure to great art. Finally, the mechanical skills and the aesthetic aptitude must be put into the proper context of eternal Truth. A good artist is a complete thinker and vice versa. The influence of the arts in today’s society cannot be overstated, and this is why art is mandatory at Chesterton Academy all four years.

ART HISTORY & STUDIO ART SEQUENCE +

Grade 9: Ancient Art History | Drawing and Calligraphy
Grade 10: Late Roman and Early European Art History | Pastels and Colors
Grade 11: Late Gothic, Renaissance, and Baroque Art History | Oils
Grade 12: Classical, Romantic, and Modern Art History | Oils