Leisa Gustafson [email protected]
616- 554-7018
"Establish thou the work of our hands upon us." -Psalm 90: 17
I accepted Jesus as my personal Savior as a young child and have watched in amazement His sovereign
hand leading me. After graduating from Michigan State University with a degree in Special Education for
the Deaf, I taught the Deaf for several years in Lansing Schools. After moving to Grand Rapids and starting a family, I decided to stay home and raise my children based on biblical principles. I home school my
seven children, interpret for the Deaf at my church, and have tutored ASL and history for fourteen years at
Teenworks and the more recently at the PTC.
American Sign Language - 9th-12th grade
IntroductionIn Matthew 28: 19-20 we are given the Great Commission. This is an awesome responsibility
considering our worlds, diverse languages, customs, and histories. Students will become equipped to carry
the Good News of our Savior Jesus Christ to one people group in our diverse world-the Deaf They will
learn the language, customs, and biblical history associated with this unique group. Only eternity will reveal
how God has established the work of our hands in our community.
American Sign Language I (9th - 12th)
Students will gain an understanding of ASL, its vocabulary, grammar, Christian heritage, physiology and
culture. Students will be required to give their personal testimony in ASL by the year's end.’
Text: A Basic Course in American Sign Language.
Copy fee: $8.00 first semester.
American Sign Language II (9th - 12th)
Prerequisite: ASL I or equivalent.
Students will build on their knowledge of ASL and increase their understanding of hearing losses, Deaf culture, and occupations for interpreters for the Deaf Students will be adept at translating Bible stories by
year's end.
Texts: A Basic course in American Sign Language (same text as ASL I).
Deaf Heritage: A Narrative History of Deaf America
Copy fee: $8.00 first semester.
5th/6th Grade History
Ancient History and Geography
This is where we all began! Join us as we navigate back in time, using the Bible as our compass, to study
creation, the Flood, the Fertile Crescent, the Ice Age, and civilizations long gone. We will study the Sumerians, ancient China, Egypt, Greece, and Rome. Each class includes geography practice and games.
Resources needed: (Tentative list)
Regular trips to your local library are essential to this class.
Bible (your choice)
Life in the Great Ice Age, by Michael and Beverly Oaard. ISBN 0-89051-167-5.
D 'Aulaire's Greek Myths, by Ingri and Edgar Parin D' Aulaire. ISBN 0-440-40694-3
The Pharaohs of Ancient Egypt, by Elizabeth Payne. ISBN 0-394-84699-0.
Quintus, by R. Weerstand (no ISBN # but available thru Veritas Press)
Copy fee is $14. (continued )
Project supplies include a 2-inch 3-ring binder, 3-fold display board/poster board, colored paper, paint,
markers,colored pencils.
7/8 Twentieth Century History
During the last hundred years our country and the world has gone through dramatic changes economically, politically, technologically and morally. This year will begin with a brief overview of the end of the 19th
century and intensive study of the 20th century ending with the Persian Gulf War. Crafts, activities, research projects as well as oral and written reports will be accomplished in this class. The last day of class
we will celebrate with "Decade Days" presentations.
Resources needed:
The following is a tentative list of books needed for class. A $12.00 copy fee, payable to the tutor on the
first day of class, is required
* Bully for You Teddy Roosevelt!-Jean Fritz
*Sergeant York and the Great War-edited by "Little Bear" Wheeler
* Stalin- Russia's Man of Steel-Albert Marrin
* Number the Stars-Lois Lowry
* (dustbowl?)
* America and Vietnam: The Elephant and the Tiger---Albert Marrin
Each student needs a 2 1/2 -3 inch binder, tabbed dividers and access to various materials: clay, poster
board and colored pencils. Library research is essential to this class.
PTC Kids
American Sign Language
ASL is an expressive, fun language easily learned by young children. As you can see in the sentences, the grammar
differs from Standard English. This year, we will focus more on the vocabulary. The syntactical and grammatical distinctions of ASL are better grasped at a more advanced level.
We will be using the text Learning to Sign the Fun Way! by Penny Warner ISBN 0-7615-3263-3