The Trivium Rhetoric Stage

Grades 9-12: Understanding and Communicating Impact
Now that children have learned the knowledge of the Grammar stage and begun to think critically about those learnings in the Dialect stage, it is time for students to learn how to develop beliefs about what they have learned and support those beliefs persuasively in written and verbal format.
Socratic Seminars and Debate
Throughout grade levels and subject areas students will engage in Socratic seminars and structured debate sessions that will provide them with an opportunity to highlight their learning and thinking through questioning and dialogue.
A Well-Rounded Education in Science & The Arts
Hands-on Science – Before diving into complex theories, children learn through hands-on experiments and real-world observations.
The Arts & Music – Music and visual arts are a key part of learning. Our program includes digital art portfolios and music theory to develop creativity and appreciation for artistic traditions.
Building A Community of Character & Virtue
Beyond academics, we focus on building strong moral character. Our character education program teaches virtues such as wisdom, justice, self-control, and courage. Through discussions, stories, and reflections, children learn how these values shape their lives and the world around them.
In the early grades, we incorporate stories like The Lion and the Mouse and Margaret of New Orleans to illustrate moral lessons in relatable ways. With guidance from mentors and hands-on projects, children connect these lessons to real-life situations, fostering resilience, empathy, and strong decision-making skills.
In the later grades, students will take an active role in bringing virtues to life within the school community through student advisory and leadership opportunities. Student advisory councils take the lead in establishing and implementing school traditions and rituals.
At Jefferson Classical Academy, we believe education is about more than just academics—it’s about shaping well-rounded, thoughtful, and virtuous individuals ready to make a difference in the world.
High School (Grades 9–12)
High school reading reflects the Rhetoric stage of the classical Trivium — students bring knowledge and reasoning together through short stories, poetry, drama, speeches, and historical documents.
Core Rhetoric Stage Reading
| Title | Category | Author | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| After Twenty Years | Short Story | O. Henry | 1906 |
| The Gift of the Magi | Short Story | O. Henry | 1905 |
| Dr. Heidegger’s Experiment | Short Story | Nathaniel Hawthorne | 1837 |
| The Road Not Taken | Poetry | Robert Frost | 1916 |
| The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet | Drama | William Shakespeare | c. 1595 |
| O Captain! My Captain! | Poetry | Walt Whitman | 1865 |
| The Colored Soldiers | Poetry | Paul Laurence Dunbar | 1895 |
| The Gift of India | Poetry | Sarojini Naidu | 1917 |
| Beowulf (excerpt) | Epic Poetry (Old English) | Anonymous | c. 700–1000 |
Additional Reading: Poetry, Speeches, and Historical Documents
| Title | Category | Author | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Odyssey (excerpt) | Epic Poetry | Homer (attrib.) | c. 8th c. BC |
| Ain’t I a Woman? | Speech | Sojourner Truth | 1851 |
| What to the Slave Is the Fourth of July? | Speech | Frederick Douglass | 1852 |
| The Union as It Was | Speech | Henry Grady | 1874 |
| Atlanta Compromise | Speech | Booker T. Washington | 1895 |
| Plessy v. Ferguson (excerpt) | Legal Document | U.S. Supreme Court | 1896 |
| The Cop and the Anthem | Short Story | O. Henry | 1904 |
| Rip Van Winkle | Short Story | Washington Irving | 1819 |
| A Dream Within a Dream | Poetry | Edgar Allan Poe | 1849 |
| The Machine Stops | Short Story | E. M. Forster | 1909 |
| We Wear the Mask | Poetry | Paul Laurence Dunbar | 1895 |
| If We Must Die | Poetry | Claude McKay | 1919 |
| Transcendentalist Poetry Selections | Poetry | Various authors | 19th century |
| Romantic Poetry Selections | Poetry | Various authors | Late 18th–19th c. |
| Macbeth | Drama | William Shakespeare | c. 1606 |
| The Progressive Era, Social Movements, and Reform | Historical/Informational | Various sources | – |
| Case Study: The West Virginia Mine Wars | Historical/Informational | Various sources | – |
| Political Cartoons on Child Labor and Workers’ Rights | Historical/Informational | Various sources | – |
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