Front Range Christian School encourages all students to take a challenging academic program. In an effort to ensure a high academic program, prerequisites have been established to set admission criteria for certain courses and to serve as indicators of the academic skills needed to succeed.
In addition, more specific prerequisites for these courses are listed by course in this online Course Catalog.
Recognizing that there may be some instances when students are close to meeting prerequisites for a course and are highly motivated to enroll in that course, FRCS has created an appeal process to take these facts into account.
Appeal Process:
If a student does not meet the prerequisites required or was not recommended for placement in the requested course desired, the student’s parent may appeal to the FRCS Guidance Counselor Department by completing the FRCS Academic Performance contract and approval from the teacher and guidance counselor.
FRCS Guidance Department will examine a student’s appeal based on the following:
- Recommendation for the class by their current teacher for that subject
- Overall GPA as well as grades in requested subject course
- Attendance
- EXPLORE/PLAN score that meets ACT bench mark or above
- PSAT Scores
- Demonstrated maturity to handle the increased work load
Students placed in the requested classes will be expected to meet and maintain the academic standards of the course. If, after enrollment, the course content is determined by the student to be too difficult, he/she may drop the course within FRCS add/drop period.
Requests will be on a space available basis.
Course Plan
9th Grade
10th Grade
11th Grade
12th Grade
Department
God has given us the ability to govern ourselves and institute government. His principles and guidelines provide the foundation of a well ordered society. The Social Science department strives to ensure that our students become citizens who follow Jesus Christ as a role model in their interactions with society: individuals, government, and employment. To develop these skills, students will explore and examine the content areas of geography, history, economics, psychology, and government.
To meet current college track graduation requirements, students MUST complete 4 credits of Social Science.
Course Descriptions
American History
In this course, students are challenged to analyze the past in recognition of God’s sovereign will throughout all of creation. We evaluate primary source documents and recent secondary interpretations of history in light of God’s truth as revealed in His Word, discerning God’s purpose in making His name known through individuals, events, and creation itself. Therefore, get ready to use a worldview based on God’s Word to ask radical new questions of the past events that have shaped our world into what it is today.
Students learn to critically assess American history from the Reconstruction Era to the present, analyzing chronology in terms of major historical themes. Students not only master the historic content, but also strengthen their reading, critical-thinking, and essay-writing skills. This course allows you to work frequently with primary sources (original documents) and recent historiography (historians’ research and perspectives) to think deeply about interpretations of American History and their implications for the future.
The course chronologically covers aspects of America’s development, including the political, social, diplomatic, environmental, and economic aspects of history. Students are expected to develop a critical understanding of key themes of United States history, including American identity, culture, demography, economic transformations, environment, globalization, politics and citizenship, reform, religion, slavery and its legacies, and war and diplomacy. These themes are not necessarily ranked in order of emphasis or importance.
AP European History
AP European History is a challenging college-level course which serves as an introduction to the history of Europe from 1450 to the present. It divides European History into nine units, each of which is covered thoroughly during the year. Although there are certainly a lot of names, wars, and dates involved, this class is primarily a class about ideas and skills. From the time of the Renaissance, when we can see the seeds of many of today’s values emerging, through the fall of Communism, this course guides students through thoughtful analysis of European History and their own personal role in God’s story.
AP U.S. History
In AP US History (APUSH) students take an in-depth look at the history of the United States before the time of colonization all the way to the present day. Like most AP courses, this is a rigorous course that stretches students to grow in their thinking about historical processes and events. The year builds toward the national exam, but no matter the result of the test students are encouraged that the skills and practices they learn through this course serve as lifelong skills they may use across life and higher education. Throughout this course of study, instructor and students partner together to further students’ understanding of United States History for the glory of Christ!
Civics and Modern World
In Civics, we tackle questions on the minds of many of our seniors, such as: How can I be an effective citizen; What am I doing after high school; How will economics play a role in my life; and How can I use my life to honor God? While I do not claim to have all the answers to these lofty questions, I can promise that I will walk alongside you as you begin to tackle them on your own and as a class. We will follow a plan of first establishing the how and why of government before taking it down to a personal level of how you can be involved. This class is primarily discussion-based, so I hope that students come prepared to discuss these ideas with a creative and inquisitive spirit. Together we can help prepare you to be the culture-makers for Christ that you were all called to be!
Geography/Ancient Civilizations
In the first semester, the class focuses on World Geography. Geography is the study of God’s creations (solar system, earth, global regions, landforms, water forms, places, plants, and animals) and how God’s most precious creation, human beings, interact with them. Students will analyze the physical and human characteristics of places and regions within the world; and examine the physical processes, ecosystems, and human activities that shape the earth’s surface. In doing so, students will increase their understanding of the relationships between people, places, and environments in order to interpret the past and understand their future. This course specifically focuses on the understanding of geography from a cultural perspective.
In the second semester, the focus shifts to Ancient World Civilizations. Ancient World Civ provides a look at world history from the perspective of God’s dealings with mankind. Students explore the people, events and developments that form the major eras of history from its origin up until the Medieval Era. Emphasis is placed on the development and changes in major worldviews that shape human interaction and behaviors as compared and contrasted to a Biblical worldview. The course links the past to the present and recognizes the contribution students themselves can make to history. The process of historical inquiry, chronological organization, synthesis of information, and critical thinking are utilized.
Public Speaking
In Public Speaking, we discuss the principles of the voice that allow us to effectively engage in the work of speech. Once we have mastered the use of the voice, we explore adding the use of logos, ethos, and pathos to our public speaking endeavors. In this course, especially in the section on debate, we address some controversial topics. This is not for shock value, but rather to prepare students to engage in a world that is engulfed in many controversial topics.
World History
In World History, students explore the development of the different continents from ancient times to modern-day civilizations. Practically, this means that we look at the development of civilizations across the continents starting after the Fall of Rome until the beginning of World War I. The ultimate goal of this class is not to know everything that occurred in that time period exhaustively, but that students walk away with a general understanding of the broad time periods and a greater appreciation of how we arrived at where we are today.