1 1

St. Thomas Aquinas Academy

Fall 2025 Class: U.S. History & Geography IB

Fall 2025 Class: U.S. History & Geography IB

Grading Options
Section
£120.00 GBP
£120.00 GBP
Sale Sold out

Ready to Register? Meet with an advisor or send an email to add live classes to your student's STAA enrollment or Independent Study membership.

Course Plan

What to Expect

  • Engaging Discussions: 8 live, Socratic-style classes—no lectures, just lively guided conversations capped at 3–10 students for personal attention.
  • Support: The STAA Study Guide and student website keep your student on track between meetings.
  • Graded Progress: Graded weekly quizzes and prep activities; advisor grading of formal writing assignments available, too (discuss the grading option with an advisor before registering).

Live Homeschool Learning

Elevate Your Homeschool with Live Discussions

Bring the classical liberal arts to life with St. Thomas Aquinas Academy’s live online classes, designed to support Catholic homeschooling families. Our advisor-led, Socratic-style courses invite high school students to engage deeply with the Great Books, spiritual classics, and the grand ideas of Western Civilization—from history and literature to theology and the sciences. No prior experience in classical education is needed; we blend structure with flexibility to meet your family where you are, fostering inspiring conversations and intellectual growth.

What Are STAA Live Classes?

Our live classes offer a “semi-online” experience, combining biweekly or weekly Zoom discussions with offline preparation. Led by experienced advisors, these small-group sessions—capped at 10 students—emphasize dialogue over lectures, encouraging teens to think critically, speak confidently, and connect faith with reason. Courses span writing, reasoning, religion, history, economics, government, fine arts, and natural sciences, all rooted in a Catholic worldview that prepares students for life beyond schooling. Explore our Live Class Schedule for dates and details.

How It Works

Students prepare offline using STAA Study Guides, tackling readings, assignments, and study tools, then join advisor-guided Socratic-style discussions to explore ideas with peers. Weekly online quizzes via the STAA Student Zone keep progress on track. Orientation seminars before each semester ensure a smooth start, while our advisors offer personalized support—whether you’re fully enrolled or opting for an Independent Study membership.

Materials & STAA Study Guide

We will be studying real, quality, meaningful books!

Our courses engage students with true, timeless books—most non-consumable and ready to enrich your Catholic home library as lasting keepsakes. Teaching-parents are responsible for purchasing the books and STAA Study Guides for the courses from preferred or our recommended suppliers.

Online versions of the STAA Study Guides, accessible via the STAA Student Zone (login required), provide a seamless backup when printed guides are delayed, lost, or still arriving.

Required technology for meetings is simple: Live classes use Zoom for camera-free web meetings, ensuring privacy for students (and their families) during lively seminars with the advisor and peers, requiring a device (ideally a laptop, computer, or tablet with keyboard) with a reliable internet connection and a headset with a boom microphone. A smartphone can be used in a pinch.

Required software:

  1. Zoom: Free to use; discussed above.
  2. Word Processing Software (e.g., Microsoft Word, Apple Pages, Google Docs): Lets students write and edit assignments like essays or notes for submission and discussion prep.
  3. Scanner or PDF App (e.g., Adobe Scan): Converts handwritten work, such as notes in STAA Study Guides, timelines, prewriting, or worksheets, into digital PDF files using a physical scanner or a free mobile app (like Adobe Scan or Office Lens) on a smartphone, making it simple to submit assignments or share materials with advisors digitally.
  4. Web Browser (e.g., Chrome, Safari, Firefox): Provides access to the STAA Student Zone for quizzes, resources, and progress tracking twice weekly.

Software seem daunting? Fear not—the live class advisor is careful to model and coach students, transforming them into Zoom stars, document masters, and PDF pros in a snap! Employers and professors love how naturally STAA live class students wield these must-have tools for work and college.

Graded Class Meetings

Live classes on the ♞Black Schedule and ♘White Schedule tracks meet every other week. The ✪Essential Schedule courses in writing and reasoning convene every Tuesday for steady, consistent engagement. STAA Study Guides support students with structured plans and assignments for effective study between meetings.

Small group discussions: Limited to ten students, these seminar-style live classes feature Socratic conversations guided by the advisor—not lectures—focusing on exploring texts, building study skills, and mastering time management. Grades reflecting student preparedness and participation are issued by the advisor for each discussion.

Course Cancellation Policy

Live Class Cancellation and Refund Policy

The registration fee covers the live class and grading option selected at registration and is non-prorated. Refunds are available until Week B, Day 1 of the Academic Calendar if your schooling situation changes, minus a $50 cancellation fee and credit card processing fees (typically 3%, higher for currency conversions). Written refund requests must be submitted by mail or email before the first “Book Check” orientation meeting (Week B, Day 2 of the Academic Calendar) if your student cannot continue. Details on drafting cancellation requests are available on the Refund Policy page.  We’re here to help—contact us with any questions!


Coursework and Attendance Policy

All coursework must be completed by Day 5 of Week 16, per the semester calendar (some assignments allow a three-day late submission window—see specific due dates). No discounts, credits, or refunds are provided for missed, skipped, or forgotten assignments or class meetings.

As a homeschooling program, students may submit late assignments or discussions to their teaching-parents for grading, and parents may adjust the final grade in the official semester gradebook accordingly. The clearly defined schedule helps ensure your student thrives with structure, consistency, and a strong finish to the semester.

View full details

To Register for Live Classes

Hi, I’m Bethany, the high school advisor for this course. I’d love to meet with you to explore how STAA's live classes can enrich your teen’s semester! During our consultation, I’ll ask about your student’s recent writing classes to ensure a great fit, and I’ll walk you through the assignment schedule, software needs, and prerequisites. Together, we’ll pick the grading options that best match your child’s learning style and goals.

Ready to get started? Use the online scheduler to pick a time that works for you—I can’t wait to connect!

Schedule a Meeting | Send an Email

Customer Reviews

Based on 8 reviews
75%
(6)
25%
(2)
0%
(0)
0%
(0)
0%
(0)
N
N.F., Grade 9
U.S. History and Geography IIB (US2-B) • Live Class

Basis for Rating: I loved this course! However, it was difficult for me because this is the only class I take with STAA, and some of the assignments used outlines from other courses that I didn't attend, such as the TRIAC outline. However, this was on my end!I think one important lesson I have learned is the toll war takes on innocent people. When we read Hiroshima by John Hersey, I learned just how deadly nuclear war is. The bomb dropped on the city is described as a "tremendous flash of light." (Hersey 5) The people struggle with radiation sickness, injuries, and death. This made me realize just how terrifying that would be and how unethical it was for the US to drop the bomb on Hiroshima. This caused me to learn the lethality of nuclear bombing and how war changes the lives of uninvolved people forever.

P
P.S., Grade 10
U.S. History and Geography IIB (US2-B) • Live Class

Basis for Rating: I chose 5 stars because I learned a lot more about the world wars than I had ever known and that was really interesting for meThe most important lesson was the lesson where we talked about the Great Depression and the impact it had on the world.

P
P.S., Grade 10
U.S. History and Geography IIB (US2-B) • Live Class

Basis for Rating: I liked the books we read and I felt that I really learned a lot and retained a great amount of information about our country's history from this class.One important lesson from this semester that I believe will have a lasting impact on my life would have to be the Hiroshima story. The way John Hersey described the events with such vivid imagery and how he shared the stories of the survivors after the bombing made me really think about the events of that day. I also never really read about the story before in depth so it was interesting to be able to understand that history better.

M
M.M., Grade 9
U.S. History and Geography IIB (US2-B)

Basis for Rating: Use of Catholic resourcesUnderstand the importance of knowing history. It is imperative that a Catholic knows his background. Christ and the Americas should be well thumbed by the time you leave this course.

A
A. S., Grade 9

Basis for Rating: I enjoyed reading Our Lady of Guadalupe and the Conquest of Darkness. The geography was the most challenging part of this course for me.Review: Coming into my first semester of high school, I was not looking forward to History and Geography. It had never been one of my favorite subjects in middle school, and more times than not, I left more confused than I had been before I opened the history book. But the materials in this course had me really intrigued, and I enjoyed reading about the origin of our country and the notable Catholics throughout the centuries. I loved how the lessons intertwined so well with some of my other subjects, such as Composition and Church History. The topic that struck me the most was how prominent the Catholic faith was in the lives of some of the most famous explorers and heroes in Christ and the Americas. Despite the many horrors and setbacks they faced, the Church on earth persevered to complete their holy mission. As St. Elizabeth Ann Seton said, "May the most holy and high will of God be accomplished forever." (Carroll 142)

12

More Live Classes

1 5
View all