At Georgia Mountain Academy, we believe small class sizes and an educator who actually knows your child make all the difference. Every class we offer is taught by Keely Chalk — Georgia State Certified since 1995 — and designed for the North Georgia homeschool community.
Our classes are available on a subscription basis, so families can enroll for a semester or full year without committing to a full private school schedule. Classes are offered both in-person at our Talking Rock campus and online via live sessions.
Questions about a specific class or want to know what’s offered this semester?
📧 info@gamtnaca.org | 📞 706-640-5100
Middle School Classes
Designed for students in grades 6–8. These classes provide structured, teacher-led instruction in core subjects — giving homeschool parents a break from teaching and giving students the experience of learning in a small group with peers. All middle school classes are capped at small group sizes.
Creative Writing
One of our students’ favorites. Writing is a skill that touches every subject and follows students into every aspect of adult life. In this course, students learn to write with purpose, voice, and structure.
- Narrative writing: plot, character development, point of view, and pacing
- Descriptive writing: using specific detail and sensory language to bring scenes to life
- Expository writing: organizing ideas clearly and supporting them with evidence
- Personal essay: finding and developing a distinct voice
- Poetry: forms, imagery, and how to break rules intentionally
- Editing and revision: the real craft of writing happens in rewriting
Students will write a lot, share their work in a low-pressure environment, and leave with a portfolio of polished pieces they are proud of.
Math History
You have never taken a math class like this. Math History is the story of mathematics — where our number systems came from, who discovered what, and why any of it matters. Ideal for students who love history, find traditional math drill tedious, or are curious about the bigger picture behind the formulas.
- Ancient number systems: Egyptian, Babylonian, Greek, Roman, and Hindu-Arabic
- The development of zero: one of the most important ideas in human history
- Geometry and Euclid: how the ancient Greeks built an entire logical system from five postulates
- Algebra and its Islamic roots: Al-Khwarizmi and the founding of algebra as a discipline
- The Scientific Revolution and the invention of calculus: Newton, Leibniz, and the famous dispute
- Probability and statistics: how mathematics learned to talk about uncertainty
- Modern mathematics and the digital age: Boolean logic and why your computer works
This class pairs beautifully with traditional math coursework — it gives the “why” behind the concepts students are already learning.
English Literature
Reading great literature teaches students to think. In this course, middle schoolers read real books — not excerpts, not summaries — and learn to engage with them as readers and thinkers. The reading list is built around books appropriate for middle schoolers that are also genuinely great literature.
- Close reading: paying attention to word choice, tone, and what an author is really doing
- Theme identification: finding the big ideas beneath the story
- Character analysis: understanding motivation, development, and relationships
- Making connections: text to self, text to world, text to other texts
- Literary discussion: how to talk about books in a way that deepens understanding
- Written response: short essays and reading responses that practice analytical writing
High School Classes
Designed for students in grades 9–12. These courses are taught at a level appropriate for high school credit and can be used on a student’s homeschool transcript. Contact us if you have questions about credit qualification.
U.S. History / World History
History is not a list of dates to memorize — it is an ongoing human story. Our high school history class takes a narrative approach: we tell the story, look at primary sources, and ask hard questions about cause, consequence, and perspective. The specific focus (American history, world history, or thematic) rotates by semester.
- Primary source analysis: reading actual documents, speeches, letters, and records from the period
- Historical thinking skills: causation, continuity and change, contextualization, and argumentation
- Writing about history: how to make a historical argument with evidence
- Discussion: history is meant to be argued about, and we argue about it respectfully
- Connecting history to current events: what does the past tell us about what is happening now?
Economics
Every adult in America has to make economic decisions — budgets, investments, careers, taxes, retirement — and most were never taught how to think about money and markets. This class covers both personal finance and the broader economic principles that shape the world your students will live in as adults.
- Supply and demand: how prices form and why they change
- Macroeconomics: GDP, inflation, unemployment, and the business cycle
- Personal finance fundamentals: budgeting, saving, debt, investing, and compound interest
- The Federal Reserve and monetary policy: how interest rates affect everyday life
- International trade: why countries trade and what happens when they do not
- Real-world application: reading economic news and understanding what it means
Government
Civics education has largely disappeared from American schools, and we think that is a problem. Understanding how your government works — and how to participate in it — is not optional for citizens in a democracy.
- The Constitution: text, structure, amendments, and why each part matters
- The three branches: how they are supposed to work and how they actually work
- Federalism: the relationship between state and federal governments
- Elections and voting: how elections are run, how to research candidates, and why local elections matter most
- Civil liberties and civil rights: the Bill of Rights and landmark Supreme Court cases
- Civic participation: beyond voting, how citizens influence their government
We do not tell students what to think politically. We teach them how to think about politics — how to read a news story critically, identify bias, evaluate a candidate’s platform, and engage in civil disagreement.
English (All Levels)
Offered at multiple levels, from foundational writing and grammar for 9th graders to advanced composition and literature for upperclassmen. Contact us to discuss which level is the right fit for your student.
- Writing: Essays, research papers, and creative pieces — building toward thesis-driven analytical writing that college requires
- Literature: Novels, short stories, poetry, and drama selected for quality and relevance; titles vary by semester and level
- Grammar and mechanics: Real grammar instruction in the context of student writing — fixing the specific problems each student has in their own work
- Research skills: Finding credible sources, evaluating them, citing them correctly, and building an argument from evidence
Algebra 1
The gateway to all of high school math. Students who understand Algebra 1 deeply — not just how to get the right answer, but why the rules work — are set up for success in Geometry, Algebra 2, and beyond. This class emphasizes understanding over memorization.
- Variables, expressions, and equations: what algebra is and why it works
- Solving linear equations and inequalities
- Graphing on the coordinate plane: slope, intercept, and what a line means
- Systems of equations: substitution, elimination, and graphing
- Polynomials: operations and basic factoring
- Quadratic functions: parabolas, the quadratic formula, factoring
- Word problems: the real point of algebra is applying it to real situations
We offer Algebra 1 but do not currently offer advanced math courses (Algebra 2, Precalculus, Calculus, or higher). We are happy to recommend resources for students needing those courses.
Physical Science
An introduction to the physical world — the laws that govern how matter and energy behave. Designed for students beginning their science sequence, this course provides a strong foundation for future study in chemistry, physics, or any STEM field. Labs and hands-on activities are incorporated wherever possible.
- Motion and forces: Newton’s laws and how they explain everyday movement
- Energy: forms, conservation, and transfer
- Waves: sound, light, and electromagnetic radiation
- Electricity and magnetism: circuits, fields, and how your house works
- Matter and the atom: elements, compounds, and the periodic table
- Chemical reactions: what happens when substances combine
- Earth and space science: weather systems, earth structure, and the solar system
We currently offer Physical Science but do not offer advanced science courses (Chemistry, Biology, Physics, or AP sciences). We are happy to point families toward appropriate resources for those subjects.
Spanish 1 & 2
Conversational and foundational Spanish for high school students. Counts as a foreign language credit toward graduation requirements. Contact us for current availability and level placement.
ASL 1 & 2 (American Sign Language)
American Sign Language is a complete, recognized language — and it counts as a foreign language credit under Georgia graduation standards. ASL 1 covers foundational vocabulary, the manual alphabet, and basic conversational signing. ASL 2 builds on that foundation with more complex grammar and broader vocabulary. A unique and genuinely useful language to know.
Math History (Senior Level)
An advanced version of our Math History course designed for seniors who have completed Algebra 1, Geometry, and Algebra 2. This course counts as a 4th math credit under Georgia graduation standards. Same engaging historical narrative approach as the middle school version, but with deeper mathematical content appropriate for students who have more math background.
Prerequisites: Algebra 1, Geometry, and Algebra 2 must be completed before enrolling in the senior-level Math History course.
Class Schedule & Enrollment
Class schedules vary by semester. Some classes are offered in-person at our Talking Rock campus; others are available online via live video sessions. Some are offered both ways.
Find out what’s available this semester
📧 info@gamtnaca.org
📞 706-640-5100
Or visit our Contact page
We are happy to discuss your student’s specific situation, what they need, and how our classes might fit into your homeschool or hybrid school plan. There is no pressure — just a conversation.
In-person: 5119 GA Hwy 136, Talking Rock, GA 30175 · Online sessions available anywhere.