Quarter(s): 1,2

Day(s): Fri

Open Spots: 12

Separate fact from fiction in the study of law and order. Did you know that on average it can take up to six months to get a DNA report, not same day? Did you realize that law enforcement only spend 4% of their time on violent crimes, not in high-speed car chases or high stakes foot races? This course is taught by a PhD candidate and adjunct professor in Criminology, Tayler Shreve. It is a survey of the Criminal Justice system for teens who are interested in becoming practitioners or professionals in this vast field which includes attorneys, investigators, detectives, forensic scientists, law enforcement officers, corrections officials, wardens, FBI, DEA, or ATF agents, researchers, or advocates.

First semester, students will examine the broad themes of criminals (who?) and the crimes they commit (what?), and the settings and neighborhoods where crimes are most likely to occur (where? when?) and what motivates them to commit crimes (why?). The class will talk about trends and theories in criminology, criminal psychology, and profiles, and what the studies and statistics reveal about criminals and the justice system.

Theories that will be discussed this semester include: Early criminological theory from the Chicago School; Social Disorganization Theory; Life Course Theory; Differential Association Theory; and the Reintegrative Shaming Theory. To understand theories, the class will read real case studies such as: the Menendez brothers (Parricide, Social Bonds Theory), Ted Bundy (Labeling Theory), and Bernie Madoff (Anomie/ Strain Theory)

Students will discover how this information is interpreted and applied whether you are working in law enforcement, policymaking, the judicial system, or correctional network. Finally, the class will talk about law enforcement and how they build a case once a crime is committed. Students will read and discuss actual cases, looking at the facts, evidence, forensics, and alibis from real case files. They will learn what is a cold case, and how these can be 'cracked' years later. This semester, the class will host guest speakers such as a police canine team, a detective, and/or a forensic expert, and may take a trip to the Herndon police station.

This course is not a study in social justice or reform but instead relies heavily on the facts, statistics and policies of our existing criminal justice system, details that every advocate and reformer should also understand.

Rating/Advisory: For sensitive students, please note that in the examination of actual crimes, violence such as assault and murder will be discussed. References may be made to illicit substances and weapons used in the commission of crimes. Course content will be filtered to be age-appropriate for high school students in the instructor's judgement. For example, real crime scene photos may be shown with evidentiary details, but not victims or body parts. Students may read autopsy reports, but they will not be shown autopsy photos, and cases of rape will be referred to as sexual assault with no intimate details.

Topics in this Series: Crimes and Cases (Semester 1), Courts and Corrections (Semester 2). Students continuing from first semester receive priority pre-registration for second semester.

Prerequisites: Students should be on-level for high school reading and comprehension.

Schedule: This is a 12-week class that will not meet on September 18, 2026, or October 2, 2026.

Workload: Students should expect to spend 1-2 hours per week outside of class on class reading and activities.

Assignments: The instructor offers a Choose-Your-Own-Assignment policy in which students will be required to complete a certain number of assignments out of a selection of assignments offered. This allows a student to drill down on themes that they prefer and spend less time on topics that they do not prefer. All assignments will be posted on password-protected Canvas classroom management site. There, students access assignments, find course documents, upload homework, track points earned, and message instructor and classmates.

Assessments: The instructor will award points for completed assignments that parents can use to assign a grade.

Textbook/Materials: All materials will be links to open-source materials or scans of documents provided by the instructor and posted to the class Canvas site.

Lab/Supply Fee: None

What to Bring: Notebook or paper, pen, or pencil.

Credit: Homeschool families may wish to count this course as a component (partial) credit in Civics/Humanities or Career Exploration for purposes of a high school transcript.

Quarter(s): 1,2

Day(s): Fri

Open Spots: 10

Re-enact the great unseen intelligence battles of early American history, from Washington's spies to British double agents, using an RPGs (role playing game) custom designed by the instructor.

This semester will examine the clandestine activities of America's first intelligence network, Washington's spies of the famous Culper Ring in New York. The class will roleplay day-to-day life in occupied New York, with period appropriate jobs acting as cover while they spy on British headquarters to shape the outcome of the American War of Independence.

Real spying is less James Bond and more Sherlock Holmes, an intricate world of clues, codes, and covert communication where knowledge is power and every move matters. In this immersive, game-based class, students step into the role of rival intelligence agents, using a custom role-playing system to bluff, sneak, and strategize their way through secret missions. They will study real historical spies and practice authentic techniques, from cracking ciphers to crafting coded messages with tools like shift ciphers and code wheels. As teams compete to uncover and protect critical information, students will experience the high-stakes tension of espionage, where success brings advantage, secrets shift the balance of power, and every decision could mean triumph or capture.

Topics in this Series: The History of Espionage in the Revolutionary. War (Semester 1) and The History of Espionage in the Civil War (Semester 2).

Workload: Students should expect to spend 0-1 hours per week outside of class.

Assignments: Google Drive (period maps, photographs and recreations) and YouTube (videos) links will be e-mailed to parents/students for homework or supplemental investigation.

Assessments: Will not be given.

Credit: Homeschool families may wish to count this course as a component (partial) credit in History for purposes of a high school transcript.

Quarter(s): 1,2

Day(s): Fri

Open Spots: 10

This class will use an interactive role-playing game (RPG) to immerse students in Medieval History. Students will be assigned land and titles to create a mock feudal system in which students collaborate and compete with classmates to better understand medieval society. By chance or choice, will they amass armies, capture castles, take titles, and repel rivals, or fail and fade into the pages of history?

First semester begins in 1066 with the last successful occupation of Britain, the Norman Conquest by William, Duke of Normandy following the Battle of Hastings. The class will examine the history of Normandy and how the conquest eliminated the existing Saxon nobility. Students will learn how the Normans were able to maintain control of the countryside with a comparatively small occupying force, using control of language, law, and lethal force. In addition, the class will study the resistance, both the real forces and the legends the resistance inspired in the English people. Students will evaluate the history of earlier resistance by the British peoples and compare how previous conquests affected their culture.

Students will examine case studies taken from primary source documents in art and literature to learn how warfare, architecture, politics, law, and religion interplay to create the history of the world. Students will complete a semester project on the Bayeux Tapestry. They will build on this base of knowledge to continue the study of English history in future semesters.

In this semester's RPG, all students are Normans and assigned a medieval English county and awarded the title of title of "count" or "countess." Students will develop their own coat of arms in the unit on heraldry. Each begins with similar wealth, populations, knights, and land, and waits to see how their fates unfold each week in a custom game described as a complicated, semester-long game of Risk or Medieval Axis & Allies.

Topics in this Series: Rise of Norman Power (Semester 1), Crusades and Conquests (Semester 2). Students continuing from first semester receive priority pre-registration for second semester.

Prerequisites: None

Workload: Students should expect to spend 1-2 hours per week outside of class on readings.

Assignments: Reading assignments will be assigned in class and noted in the weekly e-mail.

Assessments: Short, open note in-class quizzes will be given, and students will have a semester project.

What to Bring: Paper or notebook; pen or pencil; assigned articles.

Credit: Homeschool families may wish to count this course as a component (partial) credit in world history for purposes of a high school transcript.

Quarter(s): 1,2

Day(s): Fri

Open Spots: 12

From John Locke and Jamestown to conflict, crisis, then Constitution, students will engage with American Government from a unique, thoughtful perspective. This course is facilitated by college professor Dr. Albert Thompson, a historian of the state, culture, and conflict who was homeschooled through high school. He uses an engaging storytelling style to encourage high school students to use "historical data to advance solutions to contemporary problems." First semester, the class will examine the founders and the establishment of a constitutional government in America. Students will consider the influence of Medieval English and British Protestant legal history in American thought. They will learn about the legacy of the wars throughout the British Empire, including the War for American Independence, on the development of the state governments and the federal system. This class will cover the Founding Fathers' vision and their framing of the US Constitution, including the economic influences. This semester covers the period in American Government from 1607-1804 with a focus on 1764-1804, including an examination of primary sources such as the Articles of Confederation, Declaration of Independence, Federalist Papers, The Constitution of the United States, and the Bill of Rights. Topics in this Series: Setting Up the Great Republic (Semester 1) and How the Republic Works Today (Semester 2). Students continuing from first semester receive priority pre-registration for second semester. Prerequisites: None Workload: Students should expect to spend 1-2 hours per week on readings. Readings should be treated as pre-readings which students complete before class in order to engage in in-class discussion. Assignments: Reading assignments will be communicated weekly to students by email. This class will not have written assignments or projects. Assessments: The instructor will not give quizzes or provide assessments. Parents may give the textbook Review Questions and/or Critical Thinking Questions that are available for each unit for purposes of assessing their own student's understanding of major themes. The instructor will provide the answer keys. Textbook/Materials: The class will use American Government, , 3rd edition, a free, online open-source textbook from OpenStax. OpenStax is a nonprofit educational initiative based at Rice University. Contributing authors come from a variety of universities. Students may read the book online, download a Kindle version, download a pdf, or order an print copy from Amazon (ISBN-13: 978-1711493954 for $41.00). https://openstax.org/details/books/american-government-3e What to Bring: Paper or notebook; pen or pencil; assigned chapter. Credit: Homeschool families may wish to count this course as a component (partial) credit in American Government or Civics for purposes of a high school transcript. (Full credit for both semesters.)

Quarter(s): 1,2

Day(s): Fri

Open Spots: 12

Seventy-seven percent of Americans ages 18 - 34 do not recognize either senator from their home state and 53 percent of millennials cannot name even one US Supreme Court justice. Yet there are celebrities from Hollywood, the NFL, and the music industry who have a recognition rate of 98%. Why are so many young Americans disconnected and disinterested in politics, government, economics, and most current events? One reason may be because these subjects seem dull and dated. They require looking backward and may appear devoid of things teens care about. Yet, an understanding of these issues is what is needed to ensure engaged, informed citizens who understand our country's policies and politics. This course will examine the top stories and news of the day and put them in the context of our political institutions and free enterprise system. The class will select topics and trends from the news and evaluate what is "really" behind them. Migrants gathering along our southern border: Can a president change our immigration policy? Mounting student loan burden: Can Congress erase the debt? Governors failing their states: What is a recall? This class will help students understand current events and contemporary controversies by connecting them to the building blocks of political science: American history, government, politics, and economics. This class will employ a Socratic method of teaching. Students should be active, engaged contributors, who come to class prepared to participate in weekly discussions. Each class meeting will be approximately 2/3 discussion of current topics and 1/3 discussion/lecture on connecting the issue to relevant principles in political science and public policy. Students will be assigned weekly readings or short news videos/documentaries which will provide background and context on the issues they are discussing. Prerequisites: None Workload: Students should expect to spend 2-3 hours per week outside of class on homework. Assignments: Assignments will consist of reading newspapers or magazine articles, viewing newsclips, and replying to online prompts. PDF articles and assigned links will be posted in the class Canvas portal. Assessments: Points will be awarded for the class participation and online responses to class discussion and prompts.Parents can assign a grade based on the number of points earned as compared to the number of points available. Textbook/Materials: Students should subscribe to the Washington Post, New York Times, or Wall Street Journal where they will read current topics. In addition, students will each select an online, independent newspaper from a secondary market to follow. Credit: Homeschool families may wish to count this course as partial credit in Humanities/Social Studies for purposes of a high school transcript. (Full credit for both semesters)

Quarter(s): 1,2,3,4

Day(s): Fri

Open Spots: 12

Wish you could take sociology, anthropology, political science, economics, and urban planning – but don't have room in your high school schedule? Human geography brings these together in the study of people, places, and cultures, asking two powerful questions: “Where?” and “Why there?” It explores how languages spread, why religions cluster, how migration reshapes cities, and where new technologies take root. It traces epidemics across borders, maps the rise of global pop culture, and investigates the disappearance of endangered languages. Human geography explores questions like: “Why do we find K-Pop karaoke in Cairo, Nigerian neighborhoods in Newark, and curry cuisine in Camden?” This is the classic interdisciplinary course for people interested in everything! Human Geography is a year-long, multi-level high school social science course which examines how human activity and the surface of our planet interact. Seven themes from the College Board's Advanced Placement (AP) Human Geography are covered: (1) 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. Levels: Three levels meet together: On-Level, Honors, and Advanced Placement (AP). Course materials are written at a college level, but amounts and types of homework are differentiated. Honors incorporates more analysis and writing; AP requires additional reading, writing, and AP skills practice. Some content and essay writing addressed on Mondays will be required for AP but optional – though beneficial – for Honors and On-Level.  All students register online for the same course. By August 1, students must designate their intent to take On-Level, Honors, or AP. Once the course begins, students may move down a level (from AP to Honors or Honors to On-Level) at any time, but may not "bump up.” Class Meetings: There will be two weekly class meetings: (1) Mondays online from 10:00 am – 10:55 am in a virtual classroom with live instruction and synchronous participation and (2) Fridays in person from 12:00 pm- 12:55 pm. Monday virtual class meetings are recorded for those who cannot participate as scheduled. Calendar: This 29-week course follows the Compass calendar with a few exceptions, including an earlier, staggered start online to accommodate AP testing. AP students will receive two weeks of online, asynchronous content beginning Monday, August 17 and Monday, August 24, with homework due each Thursday. During their third online week, AP students will be joined by Honors and On-Level for the first joint Monday meeting on August 31. Homework for all levels will be due that Thursday, September 3 and subsequent Thursdays. Friday in-person meetings begin September 11. The last day of class will be Friday, May 7, 2027. Check the course calendar for a few additional days off, assignments due on non-meeting days, early finish, etc. AP-Level Option: Students wishing to enroll at the AP level must receive instructor approval. Consistent with the College Board’s support for open access with preparation, approval is meant to give families an accurate assessment of AP work, not to discourage interested and academically prepared students. Students who have previously taken a course with this instructor may seek approval through a brief conversation or Canvas Inbox. Students new to the instructor must complete a short questionnaire and brief written assignment based on a sample textbook chapter. The College Board allows students in ninth grade and above who enroll and complete this course at the AP level to designate it as “AP” on their transcript; and one quality point may be added when calculating GPA. The AP Human Geography exam fee (May 2027) is not included in tuition. Families are responsible for registering and paying for their student’s AP exam at their local public high school by the end of October 2026. Workload: Students should expect to spend 4-5 hours per week outside meetings for reading and homework, regardless of level. As noted above, AP students have summer work with Thursday assignments due August 20 and 27. Beginning September 3, all levels have Thursday homework. Assignments: All assignments will be posted on a password-protected Canvas classroom site. There, students access assignments, upload homework, take automated quizzes and tests, track grades, view scores and narrative feedback, and message instructor and classmates. Parents, who need their own "observer" accounts on Canvas, may easily view assignments, scores, and other feedback. If Compass does not already have a separate email address for your student, please provide one by August 1 so the instructor may send separate student and observer invitations via Canvas. Assessments: Completed homework, projects, presentations, quizzes, tests, and class participation are graded and receive points and other feedback from the instructor. Parents can calculate a letter grade using the student's points earned divided by points available; the instructor has programmed an automatic gradebook that does this in Canvas, based on a scale derived from several area high schools. Textbook/Materials: All students must purchase or rent the 2021 (1^st) edition of Human Geography for the AP Course (ISBN 978-1319192242) by Hildebrandt ("red chili peppers" cover). AP students also need Advanced Placement Human Geography, 2nd ed, (ISBN 978-1663609663) by David L. Palmer (“handprint” cover). Credit: Homeschool families may wish to count this course as a full credit in social science/ humanities for purposes of a high school transcript.