creekland Posted June 21, 2009 Share Posted June 21, 2009 My two high schoolers have already done a year each of both World and American Lit, but obviously, one can only read so much in one year. I'm wondering if there is a course out there that mainly covers "classics" of different varieties - anything from Shakespeare to Grapes of Wrath, War of the Worlds to Fahrenheit 451, The Most Dangerous Game to Flowers for Algernon - or similar (generally a variety of books, poems, & short stories from a list of what 'every college bound student should have read' regardless of origin)? I haven't found anything like this as of yet, but considering we've only been homeschooling for 3 years and I tend to be a math/science person, my ability to locate something is bound to be limited - hence the question. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laura Corin Posted June 21, 2009 Share Posted June 21, 2009 I'm not teaching high schoolers yet, but with Calvin I have him read a lot more books than he studies - there isn't time to study everything. Could you use WTM or a similar list to choose books, then have them read them in addition to their in-depth studies? Laura Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michelle in AL Posted June 21, 2009 Share Posted June 21, 2009 You may want to check out a copy of the Well Educated Mind. There are great discussion questions for almost every genre in there that you can apply to every book. You could pick a variety of books across the ages, research the context of the book to make a context page and then answer the questions from the WEM. I'm planning on using the questions from all 3 stages: grammar, logic and rhetoric. Some ?'s apply to before you begin reading, some apply to while you're reading and some are to synthesize what you've read. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
creekland Posted June 21, 2009 Author Share Posted June 21, 2009 You may want to check out a copy of the Well Educated Mind. There are great discussion questions for almost every genre in there that you can apply to every book. You could pick a variety of books across the ages, research the context of the book to make a context page and then answer the questions from the WEM. I'm planning on using the questions from all 3 stages: grammar, logic and rhetoric. Some ?'s apply to before you begin reading, some apply to while you're reading and some are to synthesize what you've read. This is my backup plan if I don't find this type of course - and yes, they definitely have been reading more than course descriptions have had before. One year I had them in a book discussion group separately - that was helpful and fun for them, but the group hasn't met since due to scheduling, etc., so other reading since has been on their own. I'm just a little concerned with a "made up" course on a transcript heading to college - esp since my middle son is probably heading to a competitive college. Maybe I'm jumpy over nothing? This is possible... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michelle in AL Posted June 22, 2009 Share Posted June 22, 2009 You can call the class whatever you want on the transcript. I don't think colleges are even very familiar with homeschool curriculum. I plan to include course descriptions. Here are the two that I used for English this past yr. English 9: This yr long course covers composition, grammar, spelling, vocabulary, reading comprehension and literary elements. 9 novels by C.S. Lewis are read and analyzed along with various short stories. A unit on the elements of poetry is also included. 1.0 credit Great Books 1: This class covers some of the great books of ancient history including Genesis, Exodus. 1st and 2nd Samuel, The Epic of Gilgamesh, portions of the Code of Hammurabi, The Odyssey, books 1,2 & 7 from The Histories by Herodotus, Oresteia by Aeschylus, portions of Plutarch’s Lives, Oedipus the King and Antigone by Sophocles, The Last Days of Socrates and The Aeneid. 1.0 credits. When you put the information into the course descriptions this way I don't think colleges will question the rigor/quality of the course. At least I hope not :glare: You could use any books you want and make up anything you want and call it whatever you like. It could be something as traditional as English 9 or something different such as Socratic Discussions in Ancient Literature. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
creekland Posted June 22, 2009 Author Share Posted June 22, 2009 You could use any books you want and make up anything you want and call it whatever you like. It could be something as traditional as English 9 or something different such as Socratic Discussions in Ancient Literature. I'm thinking this is probably what I'm going to have to do. I'll have to come up with a name of some sort, then reference the reading list. Since we're in PA, we build portfolios all year, so work from this class would be in it. I have my boys keep them for their high school years. If we got a college that wanted, they could look at it... That'll have to do... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jean in Wisc Posted June 22, 2009 Share Posted June 22, 2009 I made a short-list of things I wanted to cover in the high school years--things like poetry each year, literary terms, short stories, speech...and a list of books I think they should read before graduating. This list ebbs and flows with each child. La! Then I go in search for study guides and lessons for these and plug as many of them into the school year as I can. It isn't all that hard :001_smile:. Jean Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Julie of KY Posted June 22, 2009 Share Posted June 22, 2009 (edited) You might look at Janice Campbell's Excellence in Literature studies. http://www.excellenceinliterature.com Edited June 22, 2009 by Julie of KY Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laurie in CA Posted June 22, 2009 Share Posted June 22, 2009 I was looking at samples of Literature Studies on James Stobaugh's site and history curriculum, For Such a Time as This. There were 3 different studies: World Literature, English Literature, and American Literature. It looked pretty darn good. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laurie in CA Posted June 22, 2009 Share Posted June 22, 2009 Here's the link for the thread For Such A Time As This http://www.welltrainedmind.com/forums/showthread.php?t=109291 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.