Homeschool Plan and Curriculum List for My Kids 2010 to 2011

Outside Academic Classes

This fall we are trying two new academic things in addition to continuing the once a week Co-Op A. The opportunity to participate in Co-Op B was extended to me in the spring (it was by invitation) and I chose to jump on the bandwagon (I had about a week to make the decision), in case Endeavor C, something brand new that was in development, didn't get off the ground. Well now Endeavor C is up and running, but instead of one day a week (the original idea), it's three days a week.

So to explain this is the slate for our family this fall, which I'm calling the time between Labor Day and New Year's Day:

Homeschool Co-Op A: one day a week (both kids), 13 fall sessions

Homeschool Co-Op B: one day a week (both kids), 10 fall sessions

Wilderness School: one day a week for each kid but on different days of the week, 10 weeks in fall

Homeschool Endeavor C "not a homeschool co-op" but what it is is too hard to explain here (sorry), it's five hours under one roof with a group of homeschoolers: three days a week with about three weeks off from Labor Day to New Year's Day.

Endeavor C is more flexible than the two co-ops. I envison each kid will spend 2 days a week there, since this overlaps with the wilderness school day. That means I'd commute to the wilderness school and drop one kid off, then the other will go to Endeavor C and when it's over, I'll drive back and pick up the other kid at wilderness school.

Learning at Home Facilitated by Me or Online Classes Done from Home:

I honestly have no idea how I'm going to facilitate the home lessons in between all the things were doing not at home. It may be early in the day before the other stuff starts, it may be at the end of the day, it may be on weekends, or it may be in spurts in between the sessions of outside stuff, like a major home lesson stint in between the sessions. For example my kids are off of wilderness school from mid-December to mid-April. One co-op is off from mid-December to sometime in March.

Curriculum We'll Use

So, here is the curriculum we'll use for lessons at home (and one is listed for a co-op class that uses a text). I don't know all the materials being used yet for the other academic classes being taught by teachers other than me.

Older son, Grade 8:

Science:

1. Biology Real Science 4 Kids Level 1 (done quickly before the co-op class starts)

2. High School level biology at Co-op B using school textbook: Prentice Hall Biology by Miller and Levine, with labs

3. K-12 Earth Science online course

4. Science Olympiad Divison B competition 2011 with many prep classes taught by various SME volunteers or hired professional teachers. Expanding the experience from focusing on two main events to doing more work in perhaps eight content areas, including scientific method, lab experiments, weather, and astronomy.

5. Boy Scout Merit Badges: First Aid and Emergency Preparedness and Weather

History:

1. U.S. History: The History of Us by Joy Hakim

2. K-12 U.S. History online class: American History Before 1865 (uses Hakim books and online readings). If we like that he'll also do American History Since 1865 too.

3. Living books also, various

4. Boy Scout Merit Badges: Citizenship in the World, Indian Lore, and American Heritage

Writing Composition:

1. Institute for Excellence in Writing, level B using Student Writing Intensive and Teaching Writing Structure and Style

2. Bravewriter exercises from The Writer's Jungle

Literature and Language Arts:

1. Bravewriter Boomerang monthly literature unit studies

Spelling:

Spelling Power, working at his level

Math:

I am facilitating teaching Pre-Algebra using various curriculums and materials as needed. A couple we'll use are:

The Teaching Company High School Level Basic Math (Professor Siegel of Arizona State University and Arizona College)

Key to Fractions (for fraction review)

Teaching Textbooks Math 7 (he's near the end of that now)

When he's ready, this year he'll start Algebra I with:

The Teaching Company Algebra I (Professor Sellers Penn State University)

Art of Problem Solving curriculum

Foreign Language

Not yet determined, may hire a teacher to run classes for Endeavor C, if not, I'm going to find an online class. He does not want to take a foreign language but will have to while in high school. I was hoping he'd do some this year to get a taste for it.

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Younger Son, Grade 5

Science:

1. Real Science 4 Kids Biology Level 1 with Labs

2. Real Science 4 Kids Physics Level 1 with Labs

3. Living Books, various

4. Cub Scout Webelos Pins in science fields

5. Homework for classes taking for Science Olympiad Division B events (even though he cannot compete in Division B until next year, grade 6)

History:

U.S. History focus

A History of Us by Joy Hakim

Living books, various

Writing Composition:


1. Institute for Excellence in Writing, level B using Student Writing Intensive and Teaching Writing Structure and Style

2. Bravewriter excercises from The Writer's Jungle

Language Arts, Literature and other:

Bravewriter Arrow

Spelling:

Spelling Power, working at his level

Studying to participate in the Scripps National Spelling Bee

Math:

Teaching Textbooks Math 5 (he's 3/4 through it at the start of this year)

Teaching Textbooks Math 6

(If this is not working for him we're switching back to Math-U-See.)

Review work with: Key to... series such as Key to Fractions as necessary.


Foreign Language:

He is asking to learn Italian. We are pursuing a teacher to hire for Endeavor C. If this doesn't work out I'll find an online class.

Continue using Immersion Italian Levels 1, 2, and 3 software (not a main course in my opinion)

Extra-curriculars for fall:

Older son:

Boy Scouts:

He is First Class Rank now and goal is to make Star rank in fall.
End elected leadership role as Den Chief. Begin elected leadership role as Troop Librarian.

Sports:

Begin community based crew rowing sport, meets twice a week for beginner. Move up to Intermediate for session which starts in November.

Younger son:

Cub Scouts:

Webelos II rank, work toward Arrow of Light and Super Achiever Award (by earning every Webelos Activity Pin)

Sports:

Undecided, may join a running club or do running and biking at home.

Seriously considered doing a community based travel football team but a couple of weeks ago we decided against it due to the time intensive schedule and physical injury risk at the young age of ten, it doesn't seem worth the risk.

Co-Op Classes and Other Academic Classes:

This list is not the complete course load for my sons. They will be doing many different classes with hired professional teachers, volunteer subject matter experts or homeschool mother co-op teachers (some are SMEs and some are former school teachers). The classes range from physics, astronomy, art method instruction, discussion of current events classes, film analysis discussion classes, entrepreneurship, and cooking classes to name a few.