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pgr

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Posts posted by pgr

    Scrambling to find an online Rhetoric + Senior Thesis

    in High School and Self-Education Board

    Posted

    Ack! It looks like almost all the online classes we had planned for next year are offered at exactly the same time slot. 

    DD has completed informal and formal logic at home last year, pre-rhetoric (Everyday Debate and Persuasive Writing) this year with SA, and we had planned on Rhetoric I followed by Rhetoric II/Senior Thesis with SA. But the timing of the class really doesn't work at all. 

    With the scheduling conflict, we looked at WHA Rhetoric I and II. I have to get in touch with them to see if she meets the prerequisites. Does anyone have any experience with Mr. Althage?

    What courses am I missing that also offer Rhetoric I and II but WITH Senior Thesis? I know Memoria Press has a semester-long Senior Thesis, but what do students take the other semester? It seemed they would need at least a semester of something deeper in addition to Rhetoric I the previous year to prepare for the Thesis?

    She feels very strongly about doing a formal Senior Thesis; her career direction is Genetics, and she wants the experience of defending a thesis.

    Help?! TIA!

     

    AP Bio

    in High School and Self-Education Board

    Posted

    Bumping as I'm suddenly scrambling to figure out what to do; all three online classes we had planned are scheduled Tuesdays at 11AM... We were going to do AP Bio with Wilson Hill and still may give that one the time slot. DD has done Physics H and Chem H with WHA and really liked both. 

    I don't have any experience with CTY, unfortunately. 

    What pre-algebra would you choose for this kid?

    in Logic Stage & Middle Grade Challenges

    Posted

     

    On 1/29/2020 at 6:18 PM, forty-two said:

    FWIW, I did a trial of AoPS Pre-A with my oldest (after finishing SM), which conclusively showed that AoPS wasn't a good fit for her.  I had Dolciani as a back-up.  When I'd flipped through Dolciani prior to trialling AoPS Pre-A, it had seemed dry and kinda uninspiring.  But after the trial, when I opened it and started teaching from it, the straightforward logic of it all was a sight for sore eyes, lol.  We're 2/3 of the way through it now, and I just keep liking it more and more, to the point making Dolciani my top Alg choice. 

     

    Yikes, I'm sorry - I missed the replies! Thank you - I'm pulling it out to look at it once more 😊.

    What pre-algebra would you choose for this kid?

    in Logic Stage & Middle Grade Challenges

    Posted · Edited by pgr

    DS liked SM, did well enough with BA, and LOVED Jousting Armadillos. He's not an intuitively "mathy" child, so my plan had been to start with JA (I don't feel it's complete enough to stand alone) and then move on to AOPS Pre-Algebra. He has worked through the first chapter, and I'm not sure it's clicking.... 

    AOPS has worked great for DD (who does have a natural inclination toward math). I love the approach, and I love that it is a full series that will take them through HS. It would definitely be my preference to wave a magic wand and have DS take to AOPS like DD has. But....

    We also own Jacobs, which is OK, but dry, as is Dolciani. I'm pretty sure I've combed through most pre-Algebra threads and considered most resources, but, perhaps, I missed something? 

    Is there a resource that reads like Jousting Armadillos but is a stand-alone curriculum that also has Algebra, Geometry, and beyond? I do know about the other two Arbor Center books, and plan to use them in the future as supplements.

    ETA: I don't think online courses/content would work for this one.

    TIA!!!

     

    Please hit me with any "outside the box" Biology study/project ideas!

    in High School and Self-Education Board

    Posted

    On 11/14/2019 at 10:47 AM, Emerald Stoker said:

    Maybe you might be interested in looking into a citizen science project? There are several lists of them on the web; here's the home page of one site: https://scistarter.org/citizen-science and the project finder: https://scistarter.org/finder . You could use an idea from there, and, if you wanted to, expand it to include a few more experimental parameters of your own.

     

    Your project sounds awesome - thank you for the idea, and for sharing all the resources!!

     

    Please hit me with any "outside the box" Biology study/project ideas!

    in High School and Self-Education Board

    Posted

    40 minutes ago, lewelma said:

    I am a big fan of open ended questions.  Science is about investigation. Investigation is about the thrill of discovering something you cannot look up, that no one else has ever done.  We really enjoyed figuring out how the different types of water supported different communities of critters. And the more you study, the more questions you have. 

     

    I wholeheartedly agree! 

    • Like 1

    Please hit me with any "outside the box" Biology study/project ideas!

    in High School and Self-Education Board

    Posted

    Very good food for thought, thank you both. Questions like yours are exactly what I need to push me past the wall I've hit. I think it's worth mentioning that I have a background in medicine and some firsthand experience in research; I feel equipped to help her navigate a more complex project, if only we could come up with a topic! I was hoping (ever the victim of wishful thinking) that her independent reading would lead her to something a bit more tangible that would, in turn, ignite her curiosity. Clearly, that would be the foundation for the best project ever.... 

     

    • Like 1

    Please hit me with any "outside the box" Biology study/project ideas!

    in High School and Self-Education Board

    Posted

    DD14 is very interested in molecular biology and genetics. Her interest in the area was piqued when a natural-history-for-homeschoolers teacher described hemimastigotes as new branch of life; at around the same time, she started reading my old HS Bio AP textbook on her own because she found it super interesting. When asked, she currently (which obviously may change) describes her ideal job as: "observation and analysis, searching for patterns and relationships, with the goal of answering previously undefined questions in animal/human (not plant) molecular biology/genetics".

    She's chosen to do a Biology elective this year, and is reading through a text (more current than my old book), answering study questions, etc. @Farrarsuggested doing a unique project to make the year more special, and she and I both loved this idea. Problem is, even after searching, reading, discussing, scouring the library and the web for ideas - neither she nor I have had success in coming up with a topic or question to explore that would be both meaningful and doable. I remember reading about @lewelma boys' incredible, in-depth science projects...Gah. Any thoughts?? Farrar and Ruth, I hope you don't mind my tags. Now that it's November, I'm feeling desperate.

    Please eyeball my plan for 9th? Ack!

    in High School and Self-Education Board

    Posted

    7 minutes ago, Pen said:

    Is it impossible to drop the physics at this point? 

     

    I, too, have considered that. There's a cancellation charge and 50% tuition is refunded/50% credited toward a future course, and we've purchased the book(s) and materials. Not impossible, but not painless. It's seems like dropping physics altogether from high school really wouldn't be ideal, and she's come to terms with having to get it over with this year, so I'm inclined to leave it be. Especially since workload will likely increase over the next couple years and it seems studying things she's interested in would make that load a bit easier.

     

    • Like 2

    Please eyeball my plan for 9th? Ack!

    in High School and Self-Education Board

    Posted

    1 minute ago, Farrar said:

    Given this, rather than do either of the electives that you suggested, what about giving her a biology elective that's more clearly an elective class. Like, a special topic... botany, human anatomy, brain development, genetics, zoology... even a special project in biology. If this is going to be a big focus for her, then putting something on the transcript that makes her stand out a bit seems like a win. Plus, giving her a more tailored, specific elective also seems like it'll excite her way more than art appreciation.

     

    That is PERFECT! Thank you!

    • Like 1

    Please eyeball my plan for 9th? Ack!

    in High School and Self-Education Board

    Posted

    4 hours ago, MamaSprout said:

    I've never seen required geography. I have seen several colleges require "World History OR Geography PLUS US History AND Government".

    That's not to say somewhere doesn't, but I think it would be unusual.

     

    Thank you...I think I saw it ONCE and it stuck in my mind as something I'd better not forget to include... Ah, how panic muddles the mind.😜

    Please eyeball my plan for 9th? Ack!

    in High School and Self-Education Board

    Posted

    21 hours ago, Lori D. said:

    current planned schedule:
    1.0 = English: World Lit & Composition (Lit = Great Books / Writing = WWS3 + VCR)
    1.0 = Math: Geometry (AOPS)
    1.0 = Science: Physics, honors (WHA online)
    1.0 = Science: Biology (Novare)
    1.0 = Social Studies: World History & Geography (SWB + Cultural Landscape)
    1.0 = Foreign Language: Latin II (SA online)
    0.5 = Foreign Language: Spanish (Duolingo)
    0.5 = Fine Arts: Music & Art Appreciation -- or Theater
    0.5 = Elective: PE: Dance (local class)
    0.5 = Elective: Logic (Discovery of Deduction)
    8.0 credits total

    Agreeing with previous posters -- that is esp. heavy for also having to transition into high school level work -- AND possibly transitioning into doing online courses for the first time. Also, you want to make sure that at least something in there is "lighter" and is a personal interest, otherwise school becomes an overwhelming burden and a fast track to burnout. Totally just my rambling thoughts. 😉 Here are some ideas:

    Things that could be dropped (to lighten up the all-heavy credits):
    - Vocabulary from Classical Roots -- you can get plenty of vocabulary out of the Great Books, and study words in context
    - Geography -- if doing SWB's History of the Ancient World, it makes a very solid 1.0 of just History without also trying to cover Geography

    Credits that could be dropped or postponed:
    - Logic - could postpone and do as a summer school course or as an elective next year. Or could drop entirely.
    - Spanish - that's fine to dabble with Duolingo, but there's no written work or grammar, so you would need a text to make that a solid 0.5 credit; perhaps drop entirely. Or postpone until after done with Latin (perhaps consider taking as dual enrollment in 11th/12th grades, when 1 semester college class = 1 credit of high school Spanish). Or switch from Latin to Spanish this year (Latin I would provide a solid base for Spanish).

    Possible alternative schedule
    Since Natural Sciences are DD's priority, I'd suggest the following as the "core", and only add on as DD can handle it:

    1.0 = English: World Lit & Composition (Lit = Great Books / Writing = WWS3)
    1.0 = Math: Geometry (AOPS)
    1.0 = Science: Physics, honors (WHA online)
    1.0 = Science: Biology (Novare)
    1.0 = Social Studies: World History (SWB)
    1.0 = Foreign Language: Latin II (SA online)
    6.0 credits total

    add 1 or 2 of the following:, for a total of 6.5 - 7.0 credits:
    0.5 = Elective: Logic (Discovery of Deduction)
    0.5 = Elective: PE: Dance (local class)
    0.5 = Foreign Language: Spanish (Duolingo)
    0.5 = Fine Arts: Music & Art Appreciation -- or Theater

    BEST of luck as you plan, and have a great 9th grade year! Warmest regards, Lori D.

     

    This all makes a lot of sense - thank you so much for helping me think through possibilities and taking the time to write it all out!!

    I like the idea of making Logic a summer study course, that would free up time for the heavy courses. Your "Possible alternative schedule" is an awesome spine for me to kind of work around. Thank you!

    Please eyeball my plan for 9th? Ack!

    in High School and Self-Education Board

    Posted

    14 hours ago, Farrar said:

    Seconding many of these wise words.

    I also have young for grade kids who also refused to reclassify themselves when starting high school and sometimes I cringe about it a bit. When they started kindy, our not-a-state had literally just changed the cutoff from December to September so it didn't even feel like they were that young. But it is what it is. Don't overthink it.

    I would not give any credit for Duolingo by itself in any context. Duolingo with something else? Sure. Like, Duolingo and an online tutor? Okay. I'd call it Practical Spanish or something. Duolingo and a textbook? Sure. That would just be a basic credit and you could take the textbook slower. If she wants to do Spanish, I'd do Spanish as a real credit and drop the Latin. If you're set on Latin, I'd drop the Spanish and if she wants to do a few minutes of Duolingo every day, I'd set it aside in her schedule and not worry about it beyond that. If she later adds it as a class, she'll have a small head start, which is great.

    I would drop the biology. That's not even a question in my mind. Like, why do that? Did I miss the reasoning?

    I would then have her pick between her two electives... does she want to do the art stuff or the logic?

    Thank you for weighing in! 

    Re: Biology, yes, there's a bit of back information. Her interest in the subject was piqued at a homeschool science class last fall. This spring, she found my old AP Bio textbook and has been reading it with tremendous interest nightly before bed. She's super excited about starting biology, and it's the only thing that's making the thought of studying physics (which she's completely disinterested in) bearable. She enrolled in WHA Physics pretty early, and I think it makes sense to study physics at some point in HS, so that's how we ended up where we are with that.

    Re: Foreign language - given the lack of grammar (which I somehow missed entirely....), I'm dropping Duolingo as a formal course. She can dabble in it if she likes. Regardless, she has a passion for Latin and excelled at Latin I through Schole Academy last year, so it makes sense to continue with that.

    Re: electives, she dislikes anything related to art. My plan was to study artists and musicians according to the historical time period we're covering, mostly for exposure and to ultimately give her a fine arts credit should she need it for college admissions.

    • Like 2

    Please eyeball my plan for 9th? Ack!

    in High School and Self-Education Board

    Posted

    1 hour ago, Mbelle said:

    It does look like a lot.  You know your student though.  I would probably drop the bio and the spanish and focus on doing the other classes well. My older two have done a similar schedule for 9th.   I'm gonna go against the grain and say just go with 9th grade.  I have been surprised personally by the maturity jump by 11th grade and seeing students ready to move on to college at that time and just be done.  Having to wait an extra year has been hard for some of my friends kids and their parents too.  

     

    Yes, that's definitely a consideration (it being hard on everyone to wait an extra year). At the same time, in addition to the other factors, she's been contemplating a "gap year" on and off for a while, and has so many things she really wants to study in HS. I guess we'll take it one step at a time. You have a point - and it will be clearer in a couple years where she stands as far as maturity.

    • Like 1

    Please eyeball my plan for 9th? Ack!

    in High School and Self-Education Board

    Posted · Edited by pgr

    58 minutes ago, kokotg said:

    FWIW, I gave my second summer b-day kid an extra year before calling him a 9th grader (after seeing how challenging high school is with my oldest),  and so far (he's just starting 10th) now, it's been a great decision with no downsides. 

     

    Thank you for this. From my point of view, the only downside here is that she's hell-bent on graduating in four years. At the same time, she's a fairly reasonable and rational being, so there's hope.☺️

    • Like 1

    Please eyeball my plan for 9th? Ack!

    in High School and Self-Education Board

    Posted

    30 minutes ago, freesia said:

    That does seem very heavy.  I would drop Logic and Spanish.  I would let her do it "in her free time" if she wants (Duolingo) and have her keep track of time and eventually give her credit.  You could also see how it's going and add Logic for second semester. 

    Why does she "have to get to AP Bio" by 11th grade? And I've never heard of stats being a pre-req for AP bio.  Is there a program she is trying to get into that requires that?

     

    I agree re: Spanish and Logic... I can't decide if I necessarily need to put everything she does on the transcript, even if she ends up putting in enough time for half a credit or so. It seems she's got a lot of electives?

    As far as AP Bio, the thought is that she'd have taken it before applying to colleges. Statistics not as a prerequisite, but I've read in several places that it's helpful, so incorporated that into planning for 10th and 11th, taking into account the maths she'll be doing; it's not terribly pertinent to 9th. 

    • Like 1
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