Lightbearers Worldview Curriculum

Description

Lightbearers has a twofold goal. To keep the Christian student from being deceived by anti-Christian worldviews and to train him to actively live out the truth of Christianity in a culture of relativism and confusion. Summit Ministries knows how to accomplish those goals. Through the use of Bible passages, movie clips, thought-provoking films, video teaching segments, reading selections, discussion questions, writing assignments, video lectures, and writing assignments the student is introduced to various worldview perspectives and drawn into a realization that ideas have consequences. Although targeting a younger student (middle school), many of the same concepts and questions are examined as the other worldview curriculum from Summit - Understanding the Times and its Sunday School counterparts, Thinking Like a Christian and Countering the Culture. There are ten units plus an introduction and conclusion covering these topics: theology, philosophy, ethics, biology, psychology, sociology, law, politics, economics, and history. Each unit is covered in a fifteen-day lesson plan that incorporates material from the online videos, readings from How to be Your Own Selfish Pig, and material from the student text. At all points the student is encouraged to think about, talk about, and write about what they are watching and reading. One of the most intriguing components of this course is the well-done re:View video series produced by Cedarville University. These are short, thought-provoking films and teaching segments and just like many movies, these include a director's comment version which explains the underlying purpose and visual effects. Also included with each video are PDF files that include a leader's guide, teaching scripts, and student handouts as well as PowerPoint slides. Some of this information is incorporated into the Lightbearers course and some is additional.

The Homeschool Teaching Package includes everything you need for one student - Teacher Manual, Student Workbook, access to online videos, and the book, How to be Your Own Selfish Pig. The softcover Student Workbook (302 pgs) provides both textual information (usually several essays per unit) and a worktext format for discussion questions, assignments, and exercises. A fifteen day syllabus serves as a checklist for work assigned and completed. Some units include fill-in-the-blank outlines for the video lectures. The coil-bound, hardcover Teacher Manual (415 pgs) includes daily lesson plans with video and reading assignments, answers to all discussion questions, assignments, and exercises from the student workbook as well as answers to all test reviews and unit tests. The online teaching videos form the heart of this program. These include re:View videos, videos with worldview lectures, two special production videos (Incredible Creatures that Defy Evolution and Who is this Jesus? Is He Risen?), one video of movie clips (including segments of Star Wars, The Polar Express, Bruce Almighty, and The Matrix among others) and additional content containing quizzes and tests in two formats - Word documents and pdf files. Please note that the DVDs previously packaged with the program have been replaced by online video content. Access information is included with the program. - Janice

Teaching Method
Traditional
Teacher-centered curriculum commonly used in classrooms that may include a text, teacher manual, tests, etc.
Charlotte Mason
A methodology based on the work of a 19th century educator who maintained that children learn best from literature (Living Books), not textbooks.
Classical
A methodology based on the Latin Trivium (three stages of learning), including the grammar stage (memorization and facts), logic stage (critical thinking), and rhetoric stage (developing/defending ideas).
Unit Study
A thematic or topical approach centered around one topic that integrates multiple subject areas.
Montessori (Discovery)
A methodology based on the work of a 20th century educator that emphasizes student and sensory-driven discovery learning and real-life applications.
Other
Other methodologies
Religious Content
Secular
Contains content contrary to common Christian beliefs (i.e. evolution).
Neutral
Avoids religious or theoretical topics or presents multiple viewpoints without preference.
Christian/Religious
Faith-based or including instructional religious content.
Learning Modality
Auditory
Learns through listening, talking out loud or reading out loud.
Visual
Learns through seeing, prefers written instructions and visual materials.
Kinesthetic/Tactile (Hands-On)
Learns through moving, doing and touching.
Multi-Sensory
Curriculum that employ a variety of activities/components.
Presentation
Sequential
Curriculum progresses through well-defined learning objectives. Emphasizes mastery before moving to the next topic.
Spiral
Topics and concepts are repeated from level to level, adding more depth at each pass and connecting with review.
Conceptual/Topical
Focus is on the “why,” often with a unifying concept as well as specific skills; coverage may be broader.
Teacher Involvement
Low Teacher Involvement
Student-led materials; parent acts as a facilitator.
Medium Teacher Involvement
A mix of teacher-led time and independent student work.
High Teacher Involvement
Teacher-led lessons; may utilize discussions, hands-on activities and working together.
Additional Materials Required
No other materials needed
Everything you need is included.
Other Materials Required
There are additional required resources that are a separate purchase.
Other Materials Optional
There are additional resources mentioned or recommended but are not absolutely necessary.
Consumable
Consumable
Designed to be written in; not reusable.
Non-Consumable
Not designed to be written in; reusable.