Schedule and Room Assignments

Classes meet on Wednesdays in Oakton, VA, with some classes also meeting on Fridays. Filter by subject or grade below.

Quarter beginning April 4, 2018

Art / Music Science / Technology History / Humanities Language Arts
Extracurricular Math Foreign Language (Full Classes)
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Wednesday Classes (Click here for Friday Classes)

9:00
9:30
10:00
10:30
11:00
11:30
12:00
12:30
1:00
1:30
2:00
2:30
3:00
3:30
4:00
4:30
5:00
Room 2

The Stock Market Challenge The Stock Market Challenge - Stocks? Bonds? Shorts? Margins? Cryptocurrencies? Mutual funds? This class, built around the Stock Market Game, gives students the information and experience they need to invest for the future. Student teams will compete to generate the highest returns on their (imaginary) money while learning about the ins and outs (and ups and downs!) of various investment strategies. In addition to the tools provided by the Stock Market Game, students will discuss relevant readings ranging from Adam Smith through blockchain technology and be able to participate, if they choose, in the security industry s spring "InvestWrite" essay contest. To be successful in this class, students should read at or above grade level and be comfortable calculating decimals and percentages. They should also be prepared to do a minimum of 30 minutes of research each week and coordinate and communicate with team members. Teams of 4-5 students each will be registered with the national Stock Market Game program with an estimated registration fee of $5.00-$6.00 per team member. (This fee will be finalized when team registration details are published.) This is a 15-week semester class that begins on January 17, 2018, and then follows the Compass winter and spring calendar.

10:00 am-10:55 am

8th-12th

Money Matters: Business Start-Up Money Matters: Business Start-Up - Student entrepreneurs...This class will help you launch your own business just in time for summer or the spring marketplace! What will you do to earn money? Start a dog walking business? How about offering child care, petsitting, or lawn mowing? Can you bake gourmet cupcakes, grow and sell fresh herbs, give lessons to youngsters, or host kids' birthday parties? Maybe you want to make and sell jewelry or start a camp? There are lots of businesses tween and teen entrepreneurs can start! In this class you will navigate all the start-up essentials for your business- select a name, design a logo and create marketing materials, set up a simple business website. Find out how to identify potential customers, how to get the word out, and how to price your product of service. Look at how others with similar businesses operate and what supplies or equipment might be needed. The class will look at types of business structures, investigate whether permits, licenses, or training are required. Students will learn how to line up references and how to ask for reviews and feedback. As part of their inspiration, young businessmen and women will read articles about successful teen entrepreneurs. During one class, a panel of small business owners will be invited in to answer students' questions. Finally, during the last class, students will officially launch their new businesses to an audience of parents and classmates. This is a 7-week class that will start on April 4.

11:00 am-11:55 am

7th-8th

Room 3

Dynamic Dioramas: A Jurassic Survival Challenge Dynamic Dioramas: A Jurassic Survival Challenge - Students will build a 12 X 12 diorama board and smaller terrain disk as swamp, forest or scrub terrain type. As part of this process, students will learn about the Mesozoic flora and fauna of the prehistoric world, and be introduced to the ideas of plate tectonics, species variation, and the evolution of plants. This knowledge will be applied through several games in which the students will learn the characteristics of the various dinosaurs and other creatures that lived with them and how to cooperate in a group. In "Saurian Safari Junior," students get to simulate a cooperative hunt through a Mesozoic game park using miniature figures of their own, and in "Try-To-Survive-Asaurus," students will try to survive in the harsh and changing environment of the dinosaurs while playing as their very own dinosaur with the options of cooperating with or eating their fellow classmates. Over the course of the class, students should be able to explain the differences in the types of dinosaurs and plants found during the period, be it Cretaceous, Jurassic, or Triassic and how these differences are reflected in their very own terrain boards, which they will take home to populate with their very own stable of dinosaur figures to continue learning and playing on thie own. There is a $15.00 materials fee payable to the instructor on the first day of class.

1:00 pm-1:55 pm

2nd-4th

Dynamic Dioramas: Sumerian Settlement Dynamic Dioramas: Sumerian Settlement - Travel back to the ancient Middle East and learn about the very first civilizations ever to exist! Discover the first major cities of Ur and Uruk, the first written language in Cuneiform, and the first story every written, The Epic of Gilgamesh. Each student will create an individual diorama of an ancient Sumerian Settlement city. Students will craft and hand-shape their scene on a 10" x 12" foam board using artistic, model-making techniques. They will customize their dioramas with landscape elements, waterways, structures of the time, and paint. Once individual projects are constructed, students will populate them with 1:72 miniature figures and combine their dioramas alongside those of their classmates to create a larger terrain. Students will then compete in a history-based survival strategy game. This will reinforce lessons about the culture, agriculture, warfare, and politics of the time. Each student will have at least one board and set of miniatures to take home with them. Course documents such as maps, game rules and all other instructional media will be available via a Google Drive link which will be emailed to parents. There is a $15.00 materials fee payable to the instructor on the first day of class. Future topics in this series include Ancient Greece, The Iliad & Odyssey (2nd quarter), Roman Republic, Hannibal & The Punic Wars (3rd quarter), and Ancient China and The Three Kingdoms (4th quarter).

1:00 pm-1:55 pm

2nd-4th

Modeling the Great Conquests: Saladin and the Crusaders 1175-1187 Modeling the Great Conquests: Saladin and the Crusaders 1175-1187 - In the year 1175, Saladin consolidated his power over the Muslim Kingdoms from Egypt to Syria, and was set to begin the campaign that would crush the Crusader States for good. This Quarter will focus on the battles of the horns of Hama and Hattin, as well as the sieges of Jerusalem and Acre.
Using artistic model-making techniques, hand tools, and historical maps, students will create a 12 X 18 diorama board, and populate it with dozens of 1:72 scale Crusader and Saracen Knights for historical re-enactments. Once individual projects are constructed, students will combine their dioramas alongside those of their classmates to approximate a larger battlefield terrain. Students will spend the remainder of the quarter learning about the tactics and outcomes of the Crusades while playing a table-top strategy game. Student strategists will use a simplified version of the Fire and Fury historical war gaming rule system for moving troops and siege equipment. Along with their classmates, students will see how battles progressed and test different scenarios that might have occurred with different battlefield choices.
Course documents, such as period maps, game rules and all other instructional media will be available via a Google Drive link which will be emailed to parents. Students in this class would benefit from taking the Siege Physics, Trebuchet class since it examines another aspect of warfare at the same time. There is a $25.00 materials fee payable to the instructor on the first day of class.

2:00 pm-2:55 pm

5th-8th

Battle Strategy & Dioramas: Revolutionary War, Battles of L... Battle Strategy & Dioramas: Revolutionary War, Battles of Lexington and Concord - This quarter will focus on the first battles of the American War of Independence, Lexington and Concord from the shots heard round the world to the unlikely match-up of an untrained militia of colonial farmers against the professional soldiers and statesmen of the great British Empire s army. Students will engage in a hands-on 3D battle strategy game using the military dioramas that they make! Using artistic model-making techniques, hand tools, and historical maps, students will each form a 12 X 18 shaped, foam diorama with landscape elements (hills, valleys, rivers, ridges, vegetation, fences, etc) to represent a scene of a famous historical engagement. Students will each receive 1:72 scale miniature soldiers to populate their scene. Once individual projects are constructed, students will combine their dioramas alongside those of their classmates to approximate the larger battlefield terrain. Students will spend the remainder of the quarter learning about the tactics and outcomes of the military engagement while playing a table-top strategy game. Student strategists will use a simplified version of the Fire and Fury historical war gaming rule system for moving troops and equipment. Along with their classmates, students will see how this battle progressed and test different outcome scenarios that might have occurred with different battlefield choices. The instructor will use maps and visual presentations to explain the historical background and circumstances leading up to the specific battle. Course documents, such as period maps, game rules and all other instructional media will be available via a Google Drive link which will be emailed to parents. There is a $25.00 materials fee payable to the instructor on the first day of class. Topics in this year s series include: Revolutionary War, Battles of Lexington and Concord (1st quarter), Revolutionary War, Yorktown (2nd quarter), Civil War, Gettysburg (3rd quarter), and Civil War, The Siege of Petersburg (4th quarter).

2:00 pm-2:55 pm

5th-8th

Modeling the Great Conquests: Genghis Khan and the Mongol E... Modeling the Great Conquests: Genghis Khan and the Mongol Empire 1227-1241 - The Mongol hordes spread out like a plague across Asia, killing an estimated 25-50% of the populations that dared stand in their way. This quarter will examine the Great Khan himself, and the Mongol empire he left behind that stretched from the Pacific Coast all the way to Europe s borders. Using artistic model-making techniques, hand tools, and historical maps, students will create a 12 X 18 diorama board, and populate it with 1:72 scale invading armies and their adversaries for historical re-enactments. Once individual projects are constructed, students will combine their dioramas alongside those of their classmates to approximate a larger battlefield terrain. Students will spend the remainder of the quarter learning about the tactics and outcomes of the conquest while playing a table-top strategy game. Student strategists will use a simplified version of the Fire and Fury historical war gaming rule system for moving troops and siege equipment. Along with their classmates, students will see how battles progressed and test different scenarios that might have occurred with different battlefield choices. Course documents, such as period maps, game rules and all other instructional media will be available via a Google Drive link which will be emailed to parents. There is a $25.00 materials fee payable to the instructor on the first day of class. Topics in this year s series include: Genghis Khan (1st quarter), Alexander Nevsky, Russia's Hero (2nd quarter), Edward the Black Prince & Henry V, The 100 Years War (3rd quarter), and French King Charles VIII, The Italian Wars (4th quarter).

3:00 pm-3:55 pm

5th-8th

Room 5

History Investigators: North or South, Who Killed Reconstruction? History Investigators: North or South, Who Killed Reconstruction? - The twelve years after the Civil War proved to be a difficult time for America. Called Reconstruction by historians, this era saw an increase of freedom for former slaves. However, there was also great resistance to change. In 1877 attempts to reconstruct the South officially ended, leaving white-only governments in power. This DBQ asks students to decide who, North or South, was most responsible for the failure of Reconstruction. History Investigators is an interactive, multi disciplinary examination of some of most pivotal points in American History using sources from The DBQ Project. DBQs, or document based questions, are derived from AP History exams and help develop high school level critical thinking skills. Students will review an array of primary sources such as letters, journal entries, inventories, ship's manifestos, newspaper articles, period maps, and court documents along with selected secondary sources like excerpts, charts, and graphs. Students will be guided through analyzing the documents, interpreting the data, drawing inferences, and forming conclusions. In some historical scenarios, the class will consider conflicting perspectives and be able to defend and debate multiple sides of a key issue. To demonstrate comprehension and a deeper understanding of the class theme, students will use factual findings to develop a structured, evidence-based essay.

2:00 pm-2:55 pm

7th-10th

Hands on History: Ancient Mali Hands on History: Ancient Mali - Discover the medieval African kingdom of Mali, and its contributions to the modern world in this vibrant hands-on history class! Learn about the cultural development and traditions of Mali (such as homes, architecture, clothing, food, transportation, and beliefs) through weekly projects. Students will make Malian mud cloth, red clay model mosques, shell and bead necklaces, Djembe drums, Dogon masks, and play mancala as they learn about life in medieval Mali! Students will learn about the lasting influence of Islamic beliefs and the Trans-Sahara Trade Route on the world. The class will also sample the oral traditions and literature of the period through read-alouds of fables and folklore. Students will be excited by history when approached through this engaging, multi-disciplinary exploration of historical connections and integrated concepts rather than memorizing dates and disconnected facts! There is a $15.00 material/supply fee payable to the instructor on the first day of class.

3:00 pm-3:55 pm

3rd-5th

Atrium A

American History Illuminated: Manifest Destiny American History Illuminated: Manifest Destiny - Students will be immersed in detail and fully engaged in this intensive history course led by well- known homeschool instructor and historian Hugh Gardner. This history class is unlike other high school American history courses. Instead of learning a sequential set of names, dates, and battles, students will learn how to analyze and interpret history. Much like a college seminar, this approach to American History incorporates historiography (the history of the history.) Mr. Gardner does not teach a narrow view from a single textbook or static set of prepared notes. Instead, he presents the back story and multiple interpretations for the "why" questions in American history. Class discussion considers interpretations from a wide array of scholars and is updated as new sources are published. Rather than running through a timeline of outcomes, students will evaluate contributing factors (the "how" questions) and will learn about the personalities, prejudices, and biases of the people involved ("who"). First semester will begin with the War of 1812 and its test of the new republic. The group will examine slavery in America, from Jamestown to the rebellion of Nat Turner. In addition, the class will study how prevailing beliefs and movements such as westward expansion, manifest destiny, and nativism. The saga of Texas and the Mexican-American War will be investigated in-depth, as these not only are essential for study of the Civil War, but are extremely relevant to current political and economic debate. The class will discuss the effects on the political, social, economic, and religious climate as well as influences on the arts, science, literature, and warfare. This is no ordinary history class as Mr. Gardner surrounds the students with vivid posters, maps, charts, primary sources, and artifacts to supplement his story-telling style. Students will be able to examine and handle period pieces such as antique and replica weapons and military accoutrements of the era while learning how these tools helped shape the battlefields and turning points in history. With an emphasis on primary sources, students will scrutinize historical atlases and original writings, all in a fun and interactive setting. Just for fun, students earn historical trading cards for class participation. Registration for the second semester, covering the rise of Lincoln, the complete Civil War, and the aftermath will take place separately in late fall 2018. This class meets for 2.5 hours, one time per week on Wednesdays. Students should expect to spend 1-2 hours outside of class each week completing assigned reading. Students will be asked to purchase books for class (approximately $30-$40). For those families who want to investigate the course themes at a deeper level, an optional reading list will be furnished. Based on the format and rich content of this class, homeschool families could count two semesters of this series as a full credit in American History for purposes of a high school transcript.

9:30 am-12:00 pm

7th-12th

Atrium B

Mission Possible: Global Solutions 2030 Mission Possible: Global Solutions 2030 - Want to fix the world? Of course you do! This highly interactive class will engage students in running the world they will inherit. As officials of imaginary countries, they will employ critical thinking skills, negotiation techniques, and problem solving methods to lead their people towards peace and prosperity. (Or will they?) Working individually and in teams, they will decide when to cooperate and when to compete, when to bargain and when to take a stand, how systems are interrelated and how to adjust to life s surprises. Short readings in political science, international affairs, people management, and moral philosophy provide discussion points and context for the simulation. Based on the instructor's experience working with groups on scenario-based planning, this class promotes outside-the-box thinking about world problems and how to solve them. The simulation is different every time.

12:00 pm-12:55 pm

8th-12th

Where in the World? BioGeography Where in the World? BioGeography - Geography is our window into understanding the world around us. This quarter, we ll be exploring U.S. and world geography by considering the planet s plant, animal, and even microbial life. We ll study some of the earth s most unusual biomes, investigate animal migrations, learn about fossiling sites, look at national parks around the world, track the path of an apidemic, and examine the distribution patterns of some of our favorite animals. Each week will feature a variety of hands-on activities, games, and at-home projects designed to enrich students' understanding of both U.S. and world geography. Prior geographic knowledge is welcome but not assumed. Students must be able to read at or above grade level and be prepared to complete brief projects at home to present during class time.

1:00 pm-1:55 pm

5th-8th



 

Friday Classes (Click here to jump back up to Wednesday classes)

9:00
9:30
10:00
10:30
11:00
11:30
12:00
12:30
1:00
1:30
2:00
2:30
3:00
3:30
4:00
4:30
5:00
Room 2

Psychology: Famous Cases in Intelligence, Cognition, and Memory Psychology: Famous Cases in Intelligence, Cognition, and Memory - Can your teacher change your IQ? Just HOW smart are you? Are memories always correct? Learn the answers to these questions and more! This class will introduce students to the study of Cognitive Psychology. Cognitive psychologists study human mental processes including our intelligence, our ability to think and reason, and our ability to store and retrieve memories. We will read, discuss and analyze four influential case studies that have shaped the way we view Cognitive Psychology. Students will investigate factors that affect human cognition like the Pygmalion effect, cognitive maps, multiple intelligences, and reconstruction of memories. Landmark studies conducted by renowned psychologists like Rosenthal & Jacobson, Gardner, Tolman, and Loftus will be at the core of this class, leading to ongoing, thought provoking and intellectually stimulating discussions. We will also use different tools to evaluate our own learning styles and "smartness." Students will learn how to read research, evaluate theories, and think critically about how these studies apply to the world around them. This class is a great introduction to psychology and will allow you to explore your interest in taking the AP Psychology course being offered at Compass in 2018-2019! This course includes a $5.00 charge for printed case studies and course materials. This is a 7-week course that does not meet on May 11 due to instructor's travel.

1:00 pm-1:55 pm

9th-12th

Room 4

Human Geography (AP, Honors, or On-Level) Human Geography (AP, Honors, or On-Level) - Wish you could take anthropology, environmental science, and economics, but don't have enough space in your high school schedule? Human geography blends all these and adds a dose of pop culture and even sports. This is the classic interdisciplinary course for people interested in everything! Human geography explores questions like "how many pizza parlors can survive in Schenectady, NY?" and "why is French spoken in Madawaska, Maine?" and "how many teens are listening to K-Pop in Cairo?"
Human geography studies people, places, and cultures. It considers how and why humans and our activities are distributed across Earth's surface. Geographers have a special way of looking at topics using the broad questions of "where?" and "why there?" In human geography, "place" is more than map coordinates and location. Places have meaning. Consider a mountain: it might be described mathematically in terms of height or geologically in terms of plate tectonics. From the perspective of humans, however, the mountain may be a barrier between nations, a place of recreation, a site for toxic waste disposal, a national symbol, or a sacred sanctuary. Human geography maps the spread of world religions, monitors the movement of epidemics, explains the rapid expansion of new technologies, and can even investigate the death of little-known languages.
This year-long, multi-level, high school social science course studies how human activity and the surface of our planet interact. Seven themes, taken from the College Board's Advanced Placement (AP) Human Geography curriculum, will be covered: (1) the nature and perspectives of geography; (2) population and migration; (3) cultural patterns and processes; (4) political organization of space, (5) agriculture, food production, and rural land use, (6) industrialization and economic development, and (7) cities and urban land use.
This course offers a substantive, full-credit experience. The course is offered at three levels, which meet together: On-Level, Honors, and Advanced Placement (AP). Pick your desired workload. You can always do more if you like, but at any level you are expected to keep up with weekly readings and homework. This allows you to enjoy active, rich discussions with your peers a big advantage of taking a class with live, in-person meetings. Students will likely need 4-5 hours each week outside class meetings for reading and homework, regardless of level. All levels use materials written at an adult or college level, but the amount and type of homework varies. Brief summer assignments are due in August for those who elect to take the AP level.
There are two weekly meetings: (1) Friday in-person at Compass; and (2) Tuesday online (recorded for those who cannot attend live; time to be announced). This is a 27-week class which follows the Compass calendar, with a few exceptions. Check the course calendar for a few additional days off, assignments due on non-meeting days, early finish, etc.
All students will register online for the same course. Students must designate their intent to take the on-level, honors, or AP version before August 4. Once the course has begun, students may move down a level (from AP to honors, or from honors to on-level) at any time. However, once classes have begun, students may not "bump up" a level.
There is an additional tuition fee of $130 for students who are approved to take the AP level of this course. Those who take AP level will receive a separate invoice for this amount before the start of classes. The fee is not refundable if the student decides mid-year to change to honors or on-level work. The fee to take the AP Human Geography exam in May 2018 is not included; each family will be responsible for scheduling and paying for their student's AP exam. Students who have taken a prior course with this instructor can seek approval for the AP level through a conversation or e-mail with the instructor. For a student who is new to the instructor, a short questionnaire and brief written assignment about a sample textbook chapter is needed in order to get approval for the AP level.
All students should request the course information packet from Compass to receive the sample chapters, ISBN for required text(s), course calendar, projected weekly workload, and AP questionnaire. Registered students will have access to a detailed syllabus and other information on the instructor's Canvas website starting Friday, August 4.

9:30 am-10:55 am

9th - 12th

Room 5

3D History: WWI, Germany's Last Gasp: The Ludendorff Offensive and America's Arrival 1918 3D History: WWI, Germany's Last Gasp: The Ludendorff Offensive and America's Arrival 1918 - Why read about key military battles on maps or in books when you can learn about them hands-on, in three dimensions, using historical miniature gaming? In 3D History, pivotal engagements come alive for new and experienced students, as they navigate a table-top terrain, deploy hundreds of miniature soldiers, ships, and tanks... all while playing a military strategy game. Each student will have the opportunity to fight a battle from both sides, allowing them to test various strategies, try multiple scenarios, predict different outcomes, and rewrite history- an effective way to gain a deeper understanding of what actually happened and why! Students will learn why the First World War was exactly that, war spread to every corner of the globe, through a simulation and examination of key battles.
The final quaret will examine the closing stages of the war. Despite knocking Russia out of the war, Imperial Germany s greatest generals saw the writing on the wall; soldiers and civilians were starting to starve in the streets, and the other members of the Central Powers had all but collapsed. France and Britain were almost equally exhausted. The Allied armies had been on the brink of mutiny following the slaughter of 1917, but they had one thing going for them, the United States had officially declared war on Germany in April of 1917. One year later, the US was finally ready to send millions of fresh soldiers that would surely push Germany over the edge. *100 years prior to the start of our quarter*, on March 21, 1918, Germany would launch its final offensive to crush Allied resistance on the continent; success would mean survival, and failure would be the end of an empire. Course documents including period maps, photographs and recreations will be made available through a class Google Drive link emailed to parents, as well as a class YouTube playlist for any videos watched in class or assigned as homework.

1:00 pm-2:55 pm

7th-12th