Geometry

Geometry is an essential laboratory for logical thought and proofs.  It is a natural extension of the student’s previous mathematical training and highly complementary to other courses (Formal Logic and History) in the classical curriculum at Coram Deo Academy.  Students will read, discuss, practice, and solve problems in Geometry to meet the objectives specified below.  The teacher will endeavor to show the students how Geometry is applicable in the real world.  World-view perspectives will be introduced in order to encourage students to see the relevancy of the curriculum and the importance of the concepts to the understanding and development of their faith.

A fundamental philosophical underpinning of Geometry is the logical connection of facts and ideas.  This is typically taught and illustrated through proofs.  Students are often averse to proofs if taught out of context.  It is important that students understand that the exercise of proving two triangles are congruent is merely an exercise for connecting other logical thoughts in any field of endeavor.  If the student can master the string of connected logical ideas in the Geometry class, they can extend the practice with less concrete and provable thoughts.  After learning the format of a Geometry proof and the conditional statements in a Formal Logic class, students should read selected passages in Romans or Galatians.  It is important to understand that Paul used the same ideas to prove issues of the faith and likely had training in or understanding of Euclid’s Elements.

Formal Logic

Coram Deo Academy Logic students will read, discuss practice propositional logic as a foundation for Rhetoric using  Introductory Logic and Intermediate Logic by Douglas J. Wilson and James B. Nance, part of the Mars Hill Textbook Series.  These books will be supplemented with Dr. Stephen Toulmin’s system of rhetoric logic.  World-views will be addressed in discussing the development of Western propositional logic from Greek Times to the present.