I’m coming to the hive with a request for their students’ all-time favourites for subject-related reads/DVDs which aren’t curricular spines, aren’t necessarily on the required reading list for history, or aren’t used for formal literature studies. I’m in pretty good shape regarding all my “core†resources. I’m banging my head against the wall, however, when I’m trying to choose that one excellent book or that one must-see DVD, which supplements a topic beautifully without being arduous for the high-school student (or family), yet is delightfully written/presented and has substance. Our homeschool budget is tight and our small, regional library system is woefully short of quality trade books/documentaries/movies. To boot, the inter-library loan system is unreliable and SLOW. As such, I’m stuck to mostly purchasing, new or used, these “too good to miss†supplements. I’ve got a slew of resources tagged in my on-line wish lists and shopping carts , but my choices – too many – will give my piggy bank the heebie-jeebies as we march through high school. I'm library building on a budget :D. The recommendations I’m after would serve as free-reading material, family read alouds, or a stimulating (yet “lightâ€) break or diversion from, say, a core lit list, science textbook, or elective course. I’m throwing the door wide open here regarding genre, subject matter, and medium . I hope I’m not asking a lot:tongue_smilie:. One or two (maybe three?) of your highschooler’s all-time favourite reads/views would be much appreciated! Thanks, everyone!

I'm having a little trouble getting a handle on what the teacher's edition for Hewitt's high school textbook might contain. I know there are various editions and re-printings of the program (I've got a 2002 student text), however do the teacher editions generally contain the core student text with sidebars, teaching tips, etc.? Are materials for labs, demo's, etc. summarized, or is the information found in the teacher editions of lab manuals? Are solutions/answers for all student text questions provided? Any and all wisdom with respect to the content/usefulness of the teacher edition is greatly appreciated .... Thank-you!

CPO could probably provide some direction on what, exactly, the Teacher's Edition looks like for Foundations of Physical Sc. (3rd ed.) and what ISBN is applicable. I've tried some on-line book seller searches using the official title of the teacher's guide you're after, and I get some inconsistent ISBNs and it's unclear whether the text might be a single volume, or a set :confused:. I think some of us on these boards have had some success securing CPO resources direct, however others -- including me -- encountered some resistance regarding teacher materials. CPO might insist you verify your homeschool status. Apparently, over zealous students and parents love getting their hands of teacher guides to boost grades. Even when I explained I homeschooled in Canada and that they would be shipping to a British Columbia address, they were skeptical I was being, er, truthfull :blink:

Yup, it’s difficult to get the correct texts for some of CPO’s science programs. What Physical Science student text have you got? There are CPO middle school volumes: Physical Science; Focus on Physical Science (California’s text). Then there are three CPO early high school physical science texts: Foundations of Physical Science; Foundations of Physical Science with Earth and Space; Physical, Earth, and Space Science. I have found that on line book sellers don’t necessarily correlate their CPO titles (for both student texts and teacher’s editions) with correct ISBNs. Also, I’ve got CPO’s Foundations of Physical Science with Earth and Space and it was a bit tricky getting the teacher’s edition. CPO’s print catalogue and website led me to believe the teacher’s edition was one volume with a single ISBN. I ordered through Abe Books and received a teacher’s edition BUT it was only a soft cover text with material for one unit. I then realized that the teacher’s edition was a set of six books. When scouring book sellers for the package of manuals that seem to have a single ISBN, I was careful to confirm that all books were included. Very few sellers were selling the teacher edition as a bundle. It seems some of CPO’s science programs have single bound teacher editions yet others may have editions which comprise several books.

You betcha -- your information was very helpful. Thank-you! Hopefully I'll receive a little more feedback on BJU Chemistry labs.

For those of you who have used either one of these programs and whose students completed most (or all) of the prescribed labs at home, how difficult was this? Did the teacher support material clearly lay out equipment/supply requirements? Were you able to get your hands on most of the needed supplies? Were the labs engaging? Did the experiments yield favorable results in the home lab setting? Any other BTDT comments or advice regarding the labwork? Thanks so much!

The Adult Dogwood is not the same as the GED. Here is a link that explains the Adult Dogwood: http://www.bced.gov.bc.ca/graduation/adult_graduation.htm A couple of interesting things to note about BC’s Adult Dogwood: Of the 5 courses required, each worth 4 credits, 2 can be completed prior to turning 19 years of age and enrolling in the program. If an independently homeschooled student were to take a couple of eligible courses during his grade 11 or 12 year, he’d be on his way to earning the Adult Dogwood. Courses must be undertaken after the student turns nineteen but if the student has been out of school for more than a year, these courses can begin during the student’s 18th year with permission. I’ve been told that homeschooled high school students (without public or independent DL oversight during these years) meet the “out of school for one continuous year†provision. As such, all 5 courses (or perhaps the final three if two courses were completed 12 months prior to turning 18) could begin while the homeschooler is 18 and wrap-up when he turns 19. For home learners who have their sights set on a BC Dogwood, the Adult Dogwood might be a workable alternative. These students will, however, “graduate†a little later than usual. Students who are considering an Adult Dogwood and planning for further studies at a college or university should, of course, check the Adult Dogwood against admission policies. Also, additional prerequisite courses might be required. Courses to fulfill Adult Dogwood requirements can be taken at many of BC’s community colleges. It would be interesting to know if any colleges offer these classes for dual credit. That would be kinda cool!

Rose, Here is a link to the BC Ministry of Ed’s listing of Independent DL’s: http://www.bced.gov.bc.ca/independentschools/bc_guide/dl_schlist.htm Weblinks for the various schools are indicated. Mucking around the internet sites of the Independent DL’s might give you a preliminary sense of how flexible the various schools might be on their high school level courses and programs of study. We’re currently with Traditional Learning Academy. We are not, however, enrolled in their DL program. Rather, we’re registered with them as independent homeschoolers. I have, however, made inquiries as to what high school could look like if we were to flip into their DL program. Another Independent DL that is on my radar is Regent. Like you, I struggle with whether or not the K-12 Dogwood is the be all and end all. My son is currently in grade 8, so I’ve got a little time. I won’t be able to remain on this fence for very much longer, however! To a large degree, I’ll be looking more and more to my son for help in the decision making process. He’s a little young, but at the moment I'm not getting a single clue about what might float his boat in the future. Nothing!:blink: My gut tells me I’ll have to keep an eye on university admission requirements. That’s pushing me in the direction of a K-12 Dogwood. I don’t think the K-12 Dogwood is the only ticket to university/college, but it makes the admission process so-o-o much easier in our neck of the woods, doesn’t it? My gut is also telling me that my son may have difficulty nailing down his career interests. He’s a fellow with lots of passions and interests and he likes to pursue them all. That’s pushing me to give him a ton of flexibility during the high school years so that he can have time to finetune his calling. 80 credits for the K-12 Dogwood could be very stifling. Independent homeschooling, on the other hand, gives him all the flexibility he might need. This may sound a little trite, but the Adult Dogwood could save our bacon if the “do our own thing” high school experience turns out just fine, but he decides very late that a university degree is his next step. The Adult Dogwood could dovetail in with a gap year of sorts, followed by first year university courses at local college. Decisions, decisions!! :willy_nilly:

:grouphug: Working full time and homeschooling independently, or under the umbrella of a DL program, is certainly a challenge any way you cut it. Is your husband able to assume some of the home learning responsibilities you are currently struggling with? From your son’s perspective, what is causing this? Uninspiring content? Too much busy work? Too difficult? Struggles with the on-line delivery model? Do his independent study/time management skills need support? If a BC, K-12 Dogwood is important, and the brick and mortar public school is not a viable option, it might be worthwhile to put BC’s various DL schools under the microscope. My sense is that they’re not all cut from the same cloth. You’ve got public vs. independent. Some rely heavily on e-learning modalities and some offer paper-based alternatives. Some offer courses that are semester based and others have continuous entry, year long course completions. Some (mostly the Independent DL’s, I think) offer higher degrees of flexibility with respect to the learning resources you can use for accreditation. For example, my DL (it’s Independent) will approve Saxon’s highschool math courses provided my son completes a couple of small supplemental modules. Same goes for some of Apologia’s high school-level science courses provided they are tweaked a little. English programs are highly customizable too. All this to say, maybe you can secure a DL school that is more in sync with what you want and need for your son. What are your son’s feelings regarding the pursuit of a K-12 Dogwood? If attendance at local/regional colleges are real possibilities down the road, what are their admission policies for homeschool students? Can you work backwards from there to decide if ditching the K-12 Dogwood is something you can get comfortable with? Is BC’s Adult Dogwood a viable alternative?

Our library system does not have the greatest selection of DVD documentaries. When I am able to locate a decent title and make a request via inter-library loan, we wait ... and wait ... and wait some more! I'm still awaiting Russia, Land of the Tsars and I requested this title back in January ... I think I'm now 3rd in the queue :blink:. I'd love to use Netflix, but we're in Canada and Netflix, or a decent alternative, isn't available to us. I have a bit of money left in my budget for the upcoming school year, so I'm thinking I might add to our DVD collection. What DVD titles (documentaries) are your top picks to accompany a year of Ancient History in grade 9. Thanks, everyone!

Math: Finish Saxon Alg. ½; start Saxon Alg. 1 Grammar & Composition: Finish Analytical Grammar; Wordsmith with a few SL Core 6 LA writing assignments. Literature: My own program with some SL Core 6 and TOG Year One book titles. Social Studies: Ancient History (homegrown) with Spielvogel’s World History: The Human Odyssey as our spine; World Geography supplement using Trail Guide to World Geography and the Geography Coloring Book. Science: CPO Physical Science Foreign Language: Tell Me More German Art: Artistic Pursuits Jr. High and some projects of our own PE: Competitive ice hockey and some daily personal fitness training at home Music: Electric Guitar Lessons Electives/Project Time: Not sure yet – maybe Lego Mindstorms and/or Drafting

:iagree:... with everything Matroyshka said. I have the TM for Earth Science. It's not essential, but for me it's been helpful.

I'll be looking over your shoulder to read the feedback you receive ... :bigear: ... :bigear: Cheers,

Since I'm north of the 49th parallel, this text is hard to preview. Is there a difference between the McGraw Hill/Glencoe 1997 text (ISBN 978-0314205612) and National Textbook's 1999 publication (ISBN 978-0538423298)? I can get my mitts on the McGraw Hill book to sneak a peek, but not the other. So ... which textbook is the *right* one ?? :001_unsure: Thanks for pointing me in the right direction.

Michelle, I've got CPO's California resources. With respect to scheduling, I’m probably not the best person to give you advice on this. You know what they say about best laid plans. Well, my science schedule, after being reworked a number of times, has been burned in the woodstove and we’re now winging it! :blink: I'm going to suggest that you take some time to review your teacher’s manual, the student text, CPO’s website, and the investigations workbook in detail. There’s a ton of stuff you can do with this course and I wish I had scrutinized all the materials more closely before setting down a schedule. There are 32 lab investigations. Do you want to do them all? We are. Will you require formal lab write-ups for each and every investigation? I do, however occasionally my son can complete just the investigation record sheets. There are teaching demonstrations and additional hands-on activities in the teacher’s manual. Do you want to do those too? I do many of these, but we set up the teacher demos as student labs with and without proper lab write-ups. In the student text there are chapter activities and projects – more hands on, if you want it! We do some of these assignments, but I avoid any that seem like busy work. There are supplementary worksheet activities to reinforce lab skills, graphing, SI units, math applications, etc. Will you incorporate these in your plans? Initially I wasn’t going to, but some of the worksheets have been useful and can be done orally. These supporting worksheets might be helpful if your grade 5 son needs a little extra practice. Literature selections are indicated in the teacher’s manual. Are you planning to fill out your study of earth science with these recommendations or other books of your own choosing or internet links? This will take up some time. Reading from the student text shouldn’t be onerous, but how will you handle the unit/chapter questions? Do you want to use them for written work, quizzes, or tests? I do most of these questions orally, but sometimes I’ll pick out a few for quiz questions which require written responses. Will your kids take notes after reading? Will you have your students keep vocabulary cards or complete diagrams in their science notebooks? Once you get a feel for what you want out of this program, you’ll have an easier time coming up with a workable schedule. My California Earth Science teacher’s manual sets out a total of 190, 45 minute class periods to tackle the course. We do science every second school day and it’s been a challenge to do all that we want to do from CPO and include some extras as well. I’ve decided to extend out Earth Science into next year. There’s a fair amount of physical science in the CPO text, so I’m O.K. with taking longer. Good luck with your planning, Michelle. I hope you're more successful than I with respect to scheduling ;). I don't think CPO's specialized equipment is necessary. We've rigged up our own stream table and labs using the geobox are doable so long as you can find a suitable, clear plastic box with a lid. For topographical mapping, clay can be used for a landform and graduations can be marked on the outside of the box with a grease pen. You might have to get a little more creative when you're looking at the "Convection in the Atmosphere" lab. Holes in the plastic box shouldn't be too difficult and clear plastic cups could be fastened and then sealed for chimneys. If you're not crazy about constructing your own lab equipment and CPO is cost prohibitive, you can check out the offerings from other science suppliers. I think I've seen less expensive student grade stream tables, convection chambers, topographical mapping kits, etc., etc., in catalogues from Home Science Tools, Delta Education, or Nasco. All these vendors have webisites.

What text do you have? The California "Focus on" Earth Science or CPO's standard text? I'm asking because not all the lab experiments are the same. Some of the resources I have pulled together myself (vs. those that I have purchased) might not be helpful to you.

I’m in the midst of completing some longer range plans with respect to high school and I’ve hit the wall with respect to our Literature studies. My son and I are trying to get real with respect to high school courses and Lit keeps falling to the bottom of the heap. Not good! We’re not literature-a-phobic by any means … but … my son’s high school math/science progression will be challenging (his choice) and some of his other academic subjects won’t be a cake walk either (again, his choice). Some interesting electives will be pursued and they involve lots of project time. There’s only so much we can fit into our projected plans. In my perfect world I would like a high school Lit program that: Will give us a decent grounding in appreciation/analysis, but won’t kill us time-wise. Won’t destroy my son’s tenuous affection for literature :D. We’ve come a long way in this regard, so I’m reluctant to go with a course of study that’s overly intense. Will provide lots of teacher helps. I’ll have the time to familiarize myself with the readings (reading/pre-reading) and participate in discussions, but some handholding with respect to discussion questions/writing prompts would be ideal. I’ll be doing lots of prep for some of my son’s other subjects and Lit is not a subject I feel particularly comfortable with. Given our situation, are Lightning Lit, IEW’s Teaching the Classics, or IEW’s Windows to the World possibilities? Any and all suggestions/comments welcome. Thanks!

So far, I’ve purchased American math and science programs. I’m using Saxon Algebra ½ for Math and CPO Middle School/Jr High resources for Science. U.S. homeschool science resources don’t necessarily line up well with provincial scopes and sequences. Here in B.C. (and Quebec too?), public school science up to grade 10 is a mix of disciplines in a given year and once the student hits grade 11, science is split off: Biology 11 and 12; Chem 11 and 12; Physics 11 and 12. These 11 and 12 courses are one semester long and Science 12's are not needed for an accredited B.C. diploma. The challenge with American homeschool senior high science programs is that a typical 1 year course could cover off both 11 and 12 level courses here in B.C. (and some of Science 10), but there will definitely be gaps. Put another way, an accredited B.C. Chemistry 11 course, for example, is probably easily filled out by a decent U.S. homeschool high school Chemistry course (e.g., Apologia Chemistry), but that same homeschool course won’t extend out to cover off everything that a B.C. accredited Chem 12 course involves. I’m finding this to be true for Biology and Physics as well. To my mind, using reputable U.S. homeschool science material is, by and large, fine for covering off science 11’s. At the end of the day, the student will get a decent grade 11 science course and is likely to get some grade 12 bits within that particular program as well. All’s good for our students who don’t need science 12s on their transcript or for post secondary pre-requisites. What to do for our math/science focused kids who want full on science in their senior year? I have no idea, but I’ll be thinking about it soon! :tongue_smilie: Other than Apologia’s advanced science courses (which might take a Canadian student beyond a typical grade 12 science course - depends on the course I think), nothing really springs to mind insofar as US homeschool resources are concerned. We’ll have to hunt down our own alternatives and share on these boards. :D Looking to the U.S. homeschool market for Math isn’t stressing me out as much. We’re going with Saxon (some of our independent distance learning schools in B.C. endorse Saxon) and I feel confident that if my son works Saxon right the way thru’ (i.e., completes Saxon’s Advanced Mathematics), he will more than satisfy B.C.’s Math 12 requirement. I’m not trying to push Saxon on anyone or imply that Saxon is the be all and end all US homeschool Math program, but if an American resource provides equal or better scopes and sequences than Saxon, I think our students will be fine for the most part. Cheers!

We are covering Earth Science using CPO’s Focus on Earth Science text - the text for California – and we love it. My son is in 7th grade. I chose this program for a variety of reasons: - It contains lots and lots of lab investigations for my learner who likes hands-on, investigative-type projects for science. There are additional hands-on activities and demonstrations suggested in the teacher’s guide when we want even more science fun :tongue_smilie:. If your grade 5 son likes this kind of thing, he should find the lab work engaging and learn a great deal. Having said this, he probably won’t take away as much as your 7th grader. Both will get a thorough grounding in the scientific method, however some aspects of the investigative topics might be a bit fuzzy for the 5th grader (convection, energy, plate tectonics, wave motion, just to name a few). If you use the sequencing suggested in the teacher’s guide, students do a lab investigation before reading about the topic in the textbook. If your younger student is tagging along, you might want to flip this around to facilitate better understanding. The problem with this: the CPO program would lose its inquiry-based flavour. If hands-on, inquiry-based science won’t get done at your house, don’t go with CPO. - The student text is visually appealing, contains relevant diagrams and sidebars, yet isn’t cluttered. It’s a “just the facts ma’am†type of textbook that stays on topic. This appealed to us because my son does tons of reading for his other subjects. When something in the CPO science text intrigues us, we supplement with topical books from the library, otherwise we get the nuts and bolts from the student textbook. If your grade 5 son is a competent reader, he shouldn’t have a problem navigating the Earth Science text. CPO's Earth Science text won't wow you or your students. - I had room in my homeschool budget for some of CPO’s custom equipment. Having said this, many earth science experiments can be done without CPO lab equipment by either creatively using household items or by purchasing cheaper lab stuff from other science ed suppliers. The student investigations manual explains each experiment in detail and lists the equipment used. If one were to spend a few evenings reviewing all CPO lab work, showing hubby some of the apparatus, and perusing a couple of science catalogues, science supplies wouldn’t necessarily break the bank :). This means extra work for Mom, though! :( - It contains lots of graphing and it ties in age-appropriate math work. Personally, I love science that reinforces math’s usefulness. This aspect of the program shouldn’t be a problem for your grade 7 son (prealgebra), but could push your grade 5 boy a bit depending upon where he’s at with his math. - I lean towards a physics first approach to science and so does CPO. When I looked at the lab investigation samples on CPO’s website for Middle School Earth, Life, and Physical Science, there’s lots of foundational physics buried in all three programs despite the fact they deal with four different branches of science. If you want deeper/broader coverage of topics strictly related to Earth Science, CPO probably won’t look as thorough as other programs. Michelle, hopefully others will chime in with respect to their experiences with CPO. If I can be of further help, keep posting and I'll do my best. :D Cheers!

Christine, Brigid, and Stephanie, I appreciate your thoughtful comments. Thanks for sharing.

I’m in the midst of some long term planning and would love to hear some feedback from high school TOG users if you can spare some time. I’m currently using Sonlight Core 5 for Social Studies, Lit and the odd English Comp activity. I’m thinking I might extend out Core 5 for next year (grade 8 for my son) and then move to TOG for his high school years to cover History, English, Geography, and Fine Arts. My main reasons for considering TOG for grades 9 thru’ 12: 1. TOG appears to facilitate self-directed learning and student-led accountabilities as they advance through high school (more so than Sonlight, perhaps). Would you agree TOG is strong in this endeavour? 2. TOG appears to give Mom lots of handholding so that she can encourage her student to dig deeper into the material covered. Can TOG push Mom to be a better teacher/learning partner, especially during the high school years when stuff is harder for Mom too? 3. As TOG years/units are multi-level we could dip between Rhetoric and Dialectic activities. Sonlight history/lit has been great, but I suspect TOG will be a more challenging course of study. Going full throttle with Rhetoric-level learning, if it overwhelms the student, can be avoided by dipping down a level if need be, right? 4. If desired, TOG seems to incorporate some hands-on activities. Are there hands-on learning opportunities for Rhetoric-level students too? I have some reservations about considering TOG for high school: 1. We’re Canadians. How much U.S. history in years 3 and 4? Tons and tons? A fair amount, but not overkill? I’m O.K. with a manageable amount (Cdn and U.S. history overlap to an extent; U.S history, when studied in tandem with Canadian history, will broaden student understanding of North American issues), but I’d like to avoid completely re-inventing the wheel, kwim? Once I was comfortable with TOG's way of doing things, would adding in Canadian content be doable without me losing my mind? 2. TOG might not be easy to adapt for a family with a different religious persuasion. Can TOG be a secular program if need be, without turning things upside down and inside out? Is it a matter of not doing Bible and Church History and tweaking other subject areas, or is it’s worldview woven tightly into all areas of the program? If you’ve stayed with me so far in this post, thank-you for hanging in. Any feedback, advice, or comments welcome … Thanks so much,

Thanks, everyone, for chiming in. Seems Jackdaw packets might not be the best bang for my buck. I never thought to check ILL ... seems they have a few I can access :). Free seems to be the best way to test drive these resources. Thanks again ladies!

For those who have utilized primary source document material from Jackdaw Publications ... I've checked out the Jackdaw website's FAQ page and it says grade levels are indicated in their product descriptions. I've cleaned the smudges off my reading glasses and even put on a pair with a higher magnification, but I'm just not seeing where this is indicated :blink:. I see that they have grouped together some of their primary source material for upper elementary/middle, so I'm assuming anything else would be high school. Am I correct? If so, what highschool ages/grade levels seem to be the best fit? Was the material a hit with your learners? Were the teacher notes helpful? Thanks!

Rose, My son is recovering from a flu - not sure if it was the flu - so I can relate to your concerns. I did not end up calling or visiting our family doctor, but I was much more watchful as this bug worked its way through his system. If I'd seen anything out of the ordinary, I'd have called 811 (HealthLink BC), called/visited the Dr., or driven to the ER depending upon what it was that concerned me. To be honest, I didn't sleep well until I saw some improvement and I was compelled to check on him in the night. I watched for an unusually high temperature and took thermometer readings more often than I normally would. I don't think I'd used the ear thermometer since my my son was 5 or 6 and the darn batteries were dead :D. I watched to see whether Tylenol/Advil made a dent in reducing his fever, lessening his mild to moderate headache/body stiffness, and relieving his sore throat. My son did not develop much of a cough with his bug, however when it did arrive (on day 3 after the fever had left) I watched it carefully. I also asked regularly whether my son's breathing felt tight, congested or painful. I encouraged my son to tell me if anything, anything at all, felt strange. When my son began to improve (began on day 3), we kept things very low key for a full week thereafter even though he probably could have returned to his sports a little sooner. We didn't see complications with his flu, and I didn't want to invite any trouble. My son is a competitive hockey hockey player so the cold rink and intense hockey practices at 6 a.m. could wait a few extra days. Besides, if his flu wasn't H1N1 (and a great number of folks in our area appear to have what looks like classic H1N1 symptoms) I didn't want my "almost" better son to get hit with it. My sense is that our doctors here in B.C. aren't dispensing anti-virals to the extent as their counterparts in the U.S. but perhaps things are changing as H1N1 appears to have picked up speed here in B.C. Rose, if you're feeling you need to talk to your family Dr. (even if you think you're over reacting) do it if it makes you feel better. Remember, there's HealthLink BC too!

Given the explanation you provided above, is there some justification for receiving flu shots (whether it be for novel H1N1 or otherwise) on an annual basis? Here’s my thinking: While each of us may naturally catch some of the various flu strains that mutate and circulate during our lifetimes, yearly vaccines give our bodies the opportunity to at least “see†a variety of mutated flu’ bugs that we didn’t catch. Whatever stockpile of antibodies our bodies are able to produce from natural exposure and that coming from a vial, we might stand a better chance of at least partial immunity to morphed flu’ bugs that we catch at a later date. Perry, bearing in mind I was a financial analyst in my previous life, am I way out in left field with my train of thoughts? I hope you haven’t already addressed this in a previous thread - I could have missed it in my searches. If so, please accept my apology as I’m sure you are growing weary of educating us neophytes. One last bit: THANK-YOU for taking the time to address all our concerns or questions regarding ILI. Your thoughtful responses are very much appreciated.