Classes with Kevin

Rave Reviews of Mr. O'Brien and his classes  by parents and students I love your classes, and want you to know that you are my favorate teacher by far! You explain things in a way that is both understandable and fun! You take the time to read, and correct our writing assignments. Thank you!  Our son often shares how your class pushes him to think more deeply about current events and global issues. We think your history class is excellent! I took a recorded class of yours,  Love & The Meaning of Life.  I've honestly always wanted to tell you how big of an impact that class had on me. As someone who  struggles with severe depression, anxiety, and suicidal thoughts, it really helped me understand and trust in God's plan for my journey a little more. So for that I desperately thank you!    I cannot tell you what a difference your class has made this semester for [my daughter]. She came downstairs the other day and said, 'I'm so sad that Mr. O'Brien'...

2026-2027 School Year at Royal Fireworks Online Learning Considered by many to be among the greatest books of the 20th century, The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings are JRR Tolkien's masterpieces of epic fiction. Over the course of two semesters, students will examine The Hobbit and the three volumes of The Lord of the Rings in depth. This course will explore symbols, plot and character development, focusing on Tolkien's deeply Christian theme of heroic self-sacrifice. This will be a complete immersion in the beauty and mystery of Middle Earth. Class Meetings:  Wednesdays, 2:00 p.m. Eastern Time Fall Semester:  September 9 – December 16, 2026* Spring Semester:  January 13 – May 12, 2027* *Please note that there will be no class meetings on Nov. 25, 2026, and March 31, 2027.

  Spring Semester 2027 at Royal Fireworks Online Learning Students will read a variety of short stories from a number of authors, including Mark Twain, Edgar Allen Poe, Nathaniel Hawthorne, Franz Kafka, Ring Lardner, O Henry, Shirley Jackson, Flannery O'Connor and more. Students will analyze the stories on the basis of plot, character development, genre and theme, identifying the prose styles of the various authors. Cultural and social issues dealt with in the stories will also be discussed. The Final Project will consist of a short story written by each student. Class Meetings:  Wednesdays, 10:00 a.m. Eastern Time Dates:  January 13 – May 12, 2027* *Please note that there will be no class meeting on March 31, 2027.

  Fall 2026 School Year at Royal Fireworks Online Learning This course will examine the creative works that have grown out of Christian culture, including music, art and literature. The students will be exposed to the best and most significant works of the past 2,000 years. By examining themes, symbols and issues that recur in works produced by devout Christians, a fuller understanding of both the Christian Faith and Western Culture will be revealed. Class Meetings:  Wednesdays, 10:00 a.m. Eastern Time Dates:  September 9 – December 16, 2026* *Please note that there will be no class meeting on Nov. 25, 2026.

2026-2027 School Year at Royal Fireworks Online Classes What is love? Is it an emotion, an action? How do romance and marriage fit into love? How does love determine our identities - who we are - and our vocations - what we are called to? Is there a connection between love and war, between love and desire, even between love and death? How is love central to the Meaning of Life? This course will approach these questions through great works of literature and philosophy, including Plato's Symposium , Cicero's De Amacitia , selections from great poems and stories of love (including several Shakespearian sonnets) and also The Four Loves by CS Lewis.     LIVE CLASS MEETINGS:  11:00 am to 12:00 pm Eastern Time on Tuesdays, beginning Sept. 8 and ending May 11, with no classes on Nov. 24 and March 30.

   2026-2027 School Year at Royal Fireworks Online Learning Learning to Write Well, Read Well and Think Clearly! Class Meetings:  Thursdays, 11:00 a.m. Eastern Time Fall Semester:  September 10 – December 17, 2026* Spring Semester:  January 14 – May 13, 2027* *Please note that there will be no class meetings on Nov. 26, 2026, and April 1, 2027.

  2026-2027 School Year at Royal Fieworks Online Learning The Mystery of History from 1500 is explored at Royal Fireworks. Eric Voegelin called history "the unfolding of a pattern of meaning in time."  This course will not only examine major events and trends in World History from 1500 to the Present, but will attempt to see "patterns of meaning" revealed in them.  The instructor will focus on the history of Europe and the Americas, including the Conquest of Mexico, the Reformation, the Wars of Religion, the English Civil War, the Enlightenment, the American Revolution, the French Revolution, the Industrial Revolution, as well as the wars, politics and cultures of the Modern Era, including Communism, Fascism and the ongoing push for freedom during the Civil Rights era and beyond.  Eastern and Indigenous cultures will also be included. Class Meetings:  Tuesdays, 2:00 p.m. Eastern Time Fall Semester:  August 19 – December 16, 2025 Spring Semester:  Janua...

  2026-2027 School Year at Royal Fireworks Online Learning The Mystery of History is explored at Royal Fireworks. Eric Voegelin called history “the unfolding of a pattern of meaning in time.” In this course, students not only will examine major events and trends in world history from “the Dawn of Man” to the year 1500 but will attempt to see patterns of meaning revealed in them. The instructor will focus on the prehistoric era, ancient Egypt, ancient Greece (including Greek drama and philosophy), the rise of Christianity and Christian culture, the Roman Empire, the “Dark Ages,” the rise of Islam and Islamic culture, and the Middle Ages. Indian, Chinese, and various Indigenous cultures will also be included. Class Meetings:  Thursdays, 2:00 p.m. Eastern Time Fall Semester:  September 10 – December 17, 2026* Spring Semester:  January 14 – May 13, 2027* *Please note that there will be no class meetings on Nov. 26, 2026, and April 1, 2027.

  This course will examine allegorical and epic literary approaches to the Christian "Journey of Faith". The Fall Semester will feature an in-depth examinations of 14 cantos spread throughout the "Divine Comedy" of Dante. The Spring Semester will feature an analysis of John Bunyan's "Pilgrim's Progress" In addition to those two major works, occasional class meetings will also focus on the use of Allegory and Parable in the Bible, the use of allegory in the medieval mystery play "Everyman", and examples of 20th Century approaches to Christian epic and allegory, such as that of JRR Tolkien and CS Lewis. FALL 2025: 14 Sessions - Wednesdays at 11:00 am Pacific; Noon Mountain; 1:00 pm Central; 2:00 pm Eastern from September 3 to December 17, with no meeting Wednesday, November 26 for Thanksgiving Break. SPRING 2026: 16 Sessions - Wednesdays at 11:00 am Pacific; Noon Mountain; 1:00 pm Central; 2:00 pm Eastern from January 14 to May 6, with ...

  The American Theater has a spirit all its own! Students will learn about the History of American theater in the Fall Semester and the History of American Musicals in the Spring Semester. The survey will cover the years 1752 to today. Each week, a different play by an American author will be read (as homework) and discussed (in class). Students will have a chance to read aloud and play parts in scenes from each play during the live class sessions. The context of American Theater in the larger history of Drama will be explored, as will the thrills of Broadway, Vaudeville, Tent Shows and Showboats. Each play will be analyzed in regard to its characters, plot, settings and themes, and typically American recurrent themes will be noted. In addition, the development of American Musicals on stage and screen will be studied, focusing on the relation of American Musicals to other genres of music, inlcuding opera, show hall, pop, rock and rap. FALL 2025: 14 Sessions - Wednesdays at 7...