This is the third in a three-part series on alternative education.

At Sandhills Classical Christian School in Southern Pines, seventh-graders read about 30 works of literature a year.

But there's not a Gary Paulsen novel or Chief Joseph poem in sight.

Instead, these students are dealing with tomes such as the "Epic of Gilgamesh" and Herodotus' "Histories" -- works that are more commonly found in freshman college syllabi than middle school reading lists.

"All these titles are very intimidating, especially to adults," says teacher Lynn Cross. "But we teach our students how to read and understand these books. When they leave our class, there's nothing that they can't read."

The school, which is about seven years old, is driven by an approach to learning called classical education. Within the classical model, students study the so-called canonical works of Western civilization. They learn subjects not always taught in contemporary classrooms -- disciplines such as Latin, theology and philosophy.

"They're reading the great books," says school board member Joy Johnson, "books that have been tested through time. They go through almost the entire Western canon."

Sandhills Classical currently has about 70 students attending in kindergarten through ninth grade, and school officials plan to continue adding a grade as the oldest class progresses.

While the school uses the facilities of Sandhills Presbyterian Church, it has independent funding and its own governing board.

There are about 275 classical schools across the country, including 10 in North Carolina.

Students at the school go through a three-stage education, based on the philosophy of classical education developed in the 1980s by theologian Douglas Wilson.

Elementary school-aged students start at a grammar stage, where they learn basic facts, recitations and core subjects through songs, games and creative projects. For example, the students normally perform some type of play after they've finished a book to reinforce what they've learned.

"It is a lot of rote memory," Cross says, "but very creative rote memory. It's really the factual stage."

By the time the students are in middle school, they learn to use their basic knowledge as support for argument. They learn to debate and write papers intended to persuade. They read the works of philosophers such as Plato and Socrates, as well as primary-source documents like "The Federalist Papers."

"They're encouraged to look at the teacher and say, 'I don't agree with that,' Johnson says. "Then we'll say, 'Let's talk about why you don't.' We start really teaching different world-views."

Applying Complex Ideas

Unlike more contemporary curricula, which normally have students read various excerpts from historical primary sources in textbooks, classical courses allow for those sources to dominate study. Studying these original documents, teachers say, allows students to put history in context in a way textbooks can't.

"You read these primary sources," Cross says, "and then you pull out what you think. Then you're able to put those things together in a way that they can remember. You're building upon our Western civilization."

Once classical students reach high school, teachers say they're ready to interpret and apply a variety of complex ideas in the verbal and written form. They are taught how to think, but not necessarily what to think.

"One of our major ways of teaching here is the Socratic method," Cross says. "We don't give them the answers. When they first come into my class, they'll say 'Just tell me what you think' and I'll say 'I don't know.'"

The students also take a class in logic, which teachers say have benefits beyond the humanities. Middle schoolers in Cross' class, for example, have placed far beyond grade level in standardized tests on a broad range of subjects.

"We have found it very successful when taught with upper-level math," Cross says. "It gives students a great advantage. We have seen a great difference between the kids who come in and have not had logic compared to those who have."

'How to Be Extraordinary'

The teaching, on the whole, is propelled by a view of the world through the lens of Christianity. Officials and faculty members say that training in Biblical text and thought is crucial in their approach to Classical education.

"We think the Bible a big, big deal in this school," Johnson says. "We believe it's the ultimate great book, that it has all the roots of our civilization and creation."

The Sandhills school is not exclusive to a single denomination, however, and teachers say students are not sheltered from certain controversial subjects.

"We are not a school where we're hiding anything or we're putting ideas under a bushel," Cross says. "We want to bring them to light."

School leaders hope to see Sandhills Classical Christian grow into a K-12 school, and they say they are pursuing the model of successful classical schools such as Cary Christian Academy, which has a student population of hundreds and boasts dynamic extracurricular activities. For now, though, the teachers and school officials alike are focusing on transforming young minds.

"These are not genius children," Johnson says. "They're just average children. But we teach average children how to be extraordinary."

Katherine Evans can be reached at 693-2480 or by e-mail at kevans@thepilot.com.