(2-in-1) COURSE DESCRIPTION

This is a two-in-one course that offers 56 hours of live instruction and combines a study of classical literature with a high school composition course. It could count for 1.5 - 2.0 high school credits. Students will read the oldest stories we have in Western literature, dating back to 1200 B.C.: They'll start with the epic poems of Homer, The Iliad and The Odyssey, and move on to the Greek tragedies of Aeschylus and Sophocles.

The class will meet online twice a week: on Tuesdays for literature discussion and on Wednesdays for writing instruction and workshop. Students will learn techniques of argumentative and analytical writing and will write eight essays by the end of the year. They will also practice public speaking through in-class discussions, debates, and a presentation or two. It's going to be epic!

COURSE SCHEDULE & LOGISTICS

Course Duration:

• September 2, 2025 - April 29, 2026 (28 weeks)
• 1st Semester: Sep. 2 - Dec. 17, 2025 (No classes week of Thanksgiving)
• 2nd semester: Jan. 13 - April 29, 2026 (No classes March 2-6 for Spring Break and no classes March 30 - April 3 for Holy Week)
  

Live Online Class Schedule:

• Tuesdays, 8:30-9:30 a.m. Pacific, 11:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Eastern (Literature)
• Wednesdays, 8:30-9:30 a.m. Pacific, 11:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Eastern (Literature)

Office Hours:

• Thursdays, 8:30-9:30 a.m. Pacific, 11:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Eastern (subject to change)

Teacher-Student Interaction (Weekly):

• Two, 60-minute live classes
• One graded writing assignment with detailed feedback
• Office hour for additional coaching (optional)

Class Size:

• 18 student maximum, 6 minimum
  
  

Questions? Email

[email protected]

WEEKLY WORK FLOW AND CREDIT HOURS

Monday:

Complete reading assignment and study guide questions; watch short lecture; take quiz (2-3 hours)

Tuesday:

Meet for literature discussion (1 hour)

Wednesday:

Meet for writing class (1 hour)

Thursday:

Optional Office Hour; complete Writing Assignment (1-3 hours)

WRITING CURRICULUM

We'll be learning (and reviewing) the fundamentals of writing: skills that are easy to learn but hard to master. Some skills, such as quote integration and MLA conventions, will be new to most students. Students will practice and practice (and practice) throughout the year. Being graded on a consistent rubric, they will be able to track their progress toward specific goals.

Learning Objectives

Improve Active Reading and Note-taking Skills

Develop Excellent Reading Comprehension

Hone Critical Thinking Skills such as Analysis, Inference, Reflection, Comparison and Contrast

Improve Powers of Insight and Skills of Argumentation

Formulate Original Ideas and Explain Them Well

Express Ideas with Confidence by Practicing with Peers in a Supportive Atmosphere

Master Conventions of Academic Writing (MLA) Expected at a College Level

Identify over 30 Literary Devices

Understand the origins and foundations of Western Literature

Write convincingly with confidence!

In class, practice communicating with courage, clarity, and charity!

Student Testimonials (2024-25)

"This class is easily one of the best I’ve ever taken! It goes in depth with creativity, writing and analyzing skills as well as learning how to write argumentative and effective papers/essays. The class is great if you are looking to improve your writing skills and learn how to create good and effective essays and papers! Another thing that really stuck out was learning how to be argumentative while keeping things on a professional level. To whoever is considering the class, definitely go with it, especially if you have an interest in mythology and writing."

--Landon Picou, 17-years-old

"It was great! I learned so much from it about how mankind works, which is essentially what history and literature are all about! The study guides are funny and really helpful. I found fun in everything, from live classes to my own reading time. I have learned not only a great method to writing but also I learned how to read classical literature. Before this class I couldn't understand diddly-squat about anything published before the Civil War, let alone 800 B.C! Now I've been reading old (VERY old) books and they make complete sense!"

-- Annabella Salvucci, 14-years-old

"This course is perfection! I have learned to appreciate my faith in God more through this class, how and where I need to improve in my writing, and also how to work cooperatively with others. As a student, I enjoy meeting with others to learn about such an interesting topic while also receiving amazing instruction. This course specifically has taught me so much about ancient and modern life and how they compare and contrast while also giving invaluable writing tips."

-- Abby Hill, 15-years-old

Parent Testimonials (2024-25)

"When Ms. Finnigan invited my daughter to this class, I took pause. We've not done much in the way of Ancient Literature in our homeschool. I knew it would be deep and wide and hard and maybe even frustrating. It was all of those things. HOWEVER - it was incredible to watch my student develop her understanding of language and literature and analysis through this class. She would regularly storm in the kitchen to scream at Agamemnon or mourn Astynax and Hector and Priam. She would create modern connections to ancient issues around women, children, marriage and politics. It was so beautiful to see her natural intelligence refine and become tangible through writing and note-taking. We had incredible conversations because of this class and I'm so grateful that it was taught in a challenging, but approachable fashion that kept her coming back for more. My student felt that using personalized annotation was crucial. She found ways to use post-it style notes and different colored ink to manage the flow of constant information in her books. She would also outline as she read - really crucial for her information retention! This is an amazing course for any high school student. It's intense - but you absolutely get so much value from the all-encompassing education that Ms. Finnigan provides! I can see this class paying dividends for years!"

-- Julia Hill

"This course was definitely the highlight of my daughter's school year. And I expect the same with next school year."

-- Jamie Salvucci

"We highly recommend Ellen Finnigan's courses for college prep or for students who simply want to be able to express themselves in writing...The students relate to her well and want to learn for her."

--Samuel Dean

Notes to Parents

On Recordings

Recordings will not be sold nor made available to anyone outside of class.

On Religion

The Study Guides and video lectures are "Catholic and Classical". They deal with moral, spiritual, and philosophical questions from a Christian perspective, and they draw on the 2,000-year-old intellectual tradition of the Catholic Church to articulate and present that perspective. However, this is not a theology course. The religious content is very general and should be acceptable to any Christian, whether Catholic, Orthodox, or Protestant.

Not a believer? Perhaps, you will find the religious content interesting from a cultural or historical perspective. After all, the pagans who told these stories for hundreds of years were religious people: They believed in divine beings, they engaged in religious rituals, they worshipped, they prayed. Most of them eventually converted to Christianity. The materials will sometimes ask you to think about differing concepts of the divine, make connections with Sacred Scripture, or engage in introspection and spiritual reflection. If these exercises are not valuable to you, you can skip them, and you will still get a lot out of this study!

Non-Christians are welcome to take this course, as long as the Christian religion is respected.

Most paper topics will not require you to consider the Christian point of view, and will certainly not require you to write from that point of view, although you are welcome to incorporate this point of view if you desire. If Ms. Finnigan suggests a "Christian" paper topic, she will always provide an alternative for students who want another option.