Please critique this freshman year curriculum

[daijobu]

DD14 is *this close* to pulling out of her school and resuming homeschooling.  She's had one foot out the door for a few weeks now, so she's been doing some online classes already.  What do you think of this freshman year?

 

Math: AoPS Intermediate Algebra at home (we're about 1/3 of the way through)

Statistics: Coursera online class (about 2 weeks behind, using this weekend to catch up)

AP Chemistry: PA homeschoolers (loving it)

Writing: resume with old writing tutor

 

Literature/Great Works: I've got nothing.  What do you recommend?  (I'm not qualified to teach this.)  

History:  She doesn't want anything too challenging, as she already has a full plate.  Ideas?  

Spanish:  No idea.  What should I do?  She has about 0.5 years of it already.  

[Lori D.]

DD14 is *this close* to pulling out of her school and resuming homeschooling.  She's had one foot out the door for a few weeks now, so she's been doing some online classes already.  What do you think of this freshman year?

 

Math: AoPS Intermediate Algebra at home (we're about 1/3 of the way through)

Statistics: Coursera online class (about 2 weeks behind, using this weekend to catch up)

AP Chemistry: PA homeschoolers (loving it)

Writing: resume with old writing tutor

 

Literature/Great Works: I've got nothing.  What do you recommend?  (I'm not qualified to teach this.)  

History:  She doesn't want anything too challenging, as she already has a full plate.  Ideas?  

Spanish:  No idea.  What should I do?  She has about 0.5 years of it already.  

 

So here's what I see:

 

1.0 credit = Math: Int. Alg. (home, AoPS)

1.0 credit = Math: Statistics (outsourced, Coursera)

1.0 credit = Science: AP Chemistry (outsourced, PA homeschoolers)

1.0 credit = History = ? (home / light)

0.5 to 1.0 credit = Spanish = ? (already has 0.5 credit)

1.0 credit = English

     1/2 Writing (outsourced, tutor)

     1/2 Literature = ?

 

That looks like a very solid and respectable 9th grade year -- 5.5 to 6.0 credits, with 3.0 credits in advanced subjects, 2 of which are online courses (which always requires more time and effort). I personally would not go over 6.0 credits for 9th grade, when half of the credits are rigorous. :)

 

Any plan for or interest in Electives? That would be an enjoyable break from all of the academics. I would only plan on 0.5 credit Elective if the Spanish is only going to be a 0.5 credit this year. Or 1.0 credit of Elective if the Spanish gets shifted to later on in high school. does DD have an interest that could be incorporated as a Elective? Or, is there a need for PE or Health or other credit that could be knocked out this year, if Spanish is only 0.5 credit, or gets shifted to later on?

 

Any extracurriculars? Any regular volunteering or community service/activities? You want to make sure you're allowing time in the schedule for those things, too, so as to not overburden a student just starting high school. But you DO want to include some "fun" or enjoyment for DD in some way, esp. in the freshman year of high school, so it doesn't ALL feel like heavy lifting. ;)

 

 

For Literature:

- Do you want to match your History and Literature time periods?

- Does DD have an interest in a particular Literature period/genre/author, etc.?

- You mentioned this is your weak area; does that mean you could lead DD through this if you have a program that holds your hand -- or does that mean you want to outsource to someone else?

 

For History:

- Does DD have an interest in a particular History period?

- The Great Courses by the Teaching Company can make a great, lighter spine, and then just add in various other materials of interest to fill out your time.

 

For Spanish:

- Can DD do this as just one class at the high school?

- A number of people on these boards are liking DuoLingo.

- What about a combo of a standard textbook, meet with a tutor 1-2x/week, and Live Mocha for regular conversation practice?

- Is dual enrollment at a community college a possibility? If DD is too young, then maybe wait and outsource 4 semesters of dual enrollment later on in high school, which would simultaneously accomplish both the high school foreign language requirement AND the foreign language requirement for a college degree.

[happypamama]

The combination of DuoLingo and Getting Started With Spanish would likely give her the rest she needs to get a full credit of Spanish.

 

I agree with LoriD that it would be a good time to knock off health, PE, or arts, if required.

[daijobu]

 

 

Any plan for or interest in Electives? That would be an enjoyable break from all of the academics. I would only plan on 0.5 credit Elective if the Spanish is only going to be a 0.5 credit this year. Or 1.0 credit of Elective if the Spanish gets shifted to later on in high school. does DD have an interest that could be incorporated as a Elective? Or, is there a need for PE or Health or other credit that could be knocked out this year, if Spanish is only 0.5 credit, or gets shifted to later on?

 

Any extracurriculars? Any regular volunteering or community service/activities? You want to make sure you're allowing time in the schedule for those things, too, so as to not overburden a student just starting high school. But you DO want to include some "fun" or enjoyment for DD in some way, esp. in the freshman year of high school, so it doesn't ALL feel like heavy lifting. ;)

 

 

 

Thank you for your detailed reply!  Yes, she plans to volunteer coaching middle school math teams, hopefully with an underserved population and a group of homeschoolers.  She also plans to resume voice lessons to support her return to musical theater.  And she plays tennis.  We've got fun stuff covered.  

 

I kind of consider history an elective or at least elective-y since I let her choose what she wants to study.  I forgot to mention she will also resume her electronics/arduino/raspberry pi "elective" which is really a required tech class for her.   :001_smile:  

[AggieMama]

A social studies course that would be fairly easy is World Geography. I would pair it with current event through CNN Student News and maybe pair up literature from around the world to line up with English/Literature. Teach the course as a humanities course to get both credits.

[foxbridgeacademy]

 We're doing Geography using Great Courses "Understanding Cultural and Human Geography" plus "Geography" textbook on the ipad.  DS finished watching the lectures in record time, he actually liked them, and the ipad book is interactive with graded review. Super easy.

 

 

[freesia]

Something like Homeschool Spanish Academy would be good for Spanish if you can afford another online class. They'll test where she is and then you can do once a week for the 1/2 credit to finish the Spanish 1.

 

Something like IEW's Windows to the World would fill the other 1/2 credt for lit. Alternately, she could do some units out of one of the Excellence in Literature series or Sharon Watson has a new lit program that she could work through part of for the other 1/2.