Where would you fit this in?

[mommy4ever]

I'm pretty sure this is going to be semi incoherent....

 

At this point, we aren't sure we are going to comply and to the credits route to get diploma, or just use a portfolio. In order to get a diploma here there are certain courses required, grade 10 math and phys ed, grade 12 English, Science and Social. There may be another grade 12 course, but off the top of my head this is what I am remembering. My concern lies with the social study course, it is essentially all about Government, very little history other than that of Canada. I have spoken to local hs families that said they did the credit route and it is a waste of time in terms of quality content, but necessary perhaps. However, depending on what program you want to apply for in university, it can be really hard to get in without that credit path. I don't know if it is impossible, but still difficult. Now we are only completing grade 5, I have an older one that may be coming home and she would be going in grade 8. So there is 5 to 7 years or 11 years for the youngest who is 6, for the local Universities and Colleges to catch up with the times....

 

My eldest is grade 10 in ps, 1/2 way through is grade 11 courses as well. I can get a pretty good feel of what the grade 12 social class is, through him, but they change everything so often.

 

Now, I don't know what she will be, she really hasn't no idea. As all kids, she wants to be a teacher....then not, then a dr. then not, then a lawyer, then not.

 

So I'm not 100% on the right path to take for her at this point. We have about 4.5 years before it's crucial decision time. But how would you work in the social studies learning with the Classical?

 

I can agree with those hs that said it was a waste of time, it was when I took it oh...20 years ago, other than the rare time we learned about some really cool history or about a foreign land, our Social Studies program is pretty useless and so dry. BUT if she ends up at 18 deciding on something where we will have to get that diploma, I think we'd do the challenge the exam route, but she will need that knowledge in order to do so. Where would you work that in? We will not do an intensive American History, but will do a more in depth one of Canada, would this be where to introduce it?

 

Clear as mud...sorry

[swimmermom3]

I would suggest you cross-post this on the High School board. There is a lot of wisdom and experience there and they should be able to help you out.

 

Not that we here on the K-8 aren't wise or experienced.:D

[PeterPan]

Yeah, ask on the high school board. There are definitely canadians around here. Are you sure you can't just issue the diploma yourself? I don't know the laws in Canada, sorry. Don't assume that you have to jump through hoops if you don't.

[Colleen in NS]

My concern lies with the social study course, it is essentially all about Government, very little history other than that of Canada.

 

I can get a pretty good feel of what the grade 12 social class is, through him, but they change everything so often.

 

But how would you work in the social studies learning with the Classical?

 

BUT if she ends up at 18 deciding on something where we will have to get that diploma, I think we'd do the challenge the exam route, but she will need that knowledge in order to do so. Where would you work that in?

 

I don't know what province you are in, but here in NS, I have heard that local universities have opened up a lot more to homeschooled applicants in the past five years or so. And we can't even get a high school diploma unless enrolled in p.s. or in the DOE correspondence courses (which I have heard aren't so great, either). So, I guess the doors are open here.

 

So it sounds like your local social studies courses are mostly gov't., some Cdn. history, and they change all the time? It's not much to go on, is it.

 

When I made a big general plan of courses a couple of years ago, I took the WTM idea of integrating American history into years three and four of high school history, and changed it to Canadian. What I did in grammar stage, and will do next year for ds' logic stage year 3, is to check out a bunch of library books covering all these things - Canadian history, Canadian gov't., Canadian culture, Canadian biographies....anything I could find, and just told the kids to read. There is a great series of books in my library, I think they are called "The Kids' Book of Canadian....." All sorts of Canadian topics in those. I hope to use the same idea for high school - just having my kids read more Canadian history/culture/gov't. books alongside their world history studies. I have one book so far that I wrote in my WTM - it's called Canadian History for Dummies, by Wil Ferguson. I'll add to the list as I come across useful books. Also, I just bought MapTrek blackline maps for world history, which have map activities for all grades - I was looking at their website last night and discovered that they are thinking of creating a map set for Canadian history, so if they do, I will get it, since I like Knowledge Quest's (the makers) maps so much.

 

Anyway, this is how I tend to approach it - just look for age appropriate books on the various cultures here, the gov't., and history (Janet Lunn's The Story of Canada is another good one.), have them read, and fold their reading into their writing lessons.

 

hth

[mommy4ever]

Thanks Colleen. I'll have to look at the library and see, and take a peek. I'm in Alberta, and it is becoming more and more accepted that not all students are educations within the walls of a school. But some are looking at home schoolers as barely even literate :001_huh: I have heard that the highly competitive schools require those courses, doesn't matter that you took a college level course, they want a high school course. There is correspondence that we can do. Yes. My oldest is taking a Social grade 11 level now, as to accelerate his graduation while in school. His friend is taking it IN school, ds has 10 times the work to do. It's weird. I can just imagine what the 30 will be like.

 

OhElizabeth, it isn't so much the diploma that is required. It is that course, Social Studies 30, or English 30 or...... We have one in the city that is being a stickler about it. Will not consider her Community College course, which ,btw is in an accredited college, to be sufficient, despite that the College course was a higher level curriculum. Having that official transcript seems to be the only criteria from some admissions. Which is unfair, they will take an international student based on as SAT, but not a local.

[Sandy in Indy]

I think I'd do the history that *you* want to do...then add in the gov't that's required. Surely there's enough wiggle in the schedule for you to put in an "elective" here and there.

 

Here's what I did with my hs kids...I looked up what my state required for an academic honors diploma. Then we mirrored that in our coursework. Most of it was stuff I would have done anyway...English, Math, History, Science...the changes were probably in the amount of those courses and then the electives that we chose.

 

Basically, I think you should be able to do the work that you want as well as what's required for the diploma. You do have some time to research options and talk with schools and see what's possible. That's a plus in your favor.

[Sahamamama]

I have an older one that may be coming home and she would be going in grade 8.

 

This jumps out at me:

 

If you bring this student home for grade 8, could you begin a 4-year history/literature rotation one year "early," in 8th grade?

 

6th grader/8th grader -- Ancient Civilizations (+ Ancient Literature for 8th grader)

7th grader/9th grader -- Middle Ages + Literature for 9th grader

8th grader/10th grader -- Exploration & Discovery + Literature for both

9th grader/11th grader -- Modern Era + Literature for both

10th grader/12th grader -- Government Course for both + Canadian literature, geography, culture, etc.)

 

Then your 12th grader goes off to university (or whatever), and your 10th grader can study History + Literature again for two more years. They would both have the Government/Canada content covered during their high school years, so it could go on the transcript.

 

I don't know if this would really work in Canada? Would you need to have the 8th grader's Ancient History on the transcript for high school? HTH. :001_smile:

Edited May 15, 2010 by Sahamamama

[Sahamamama]

Here are links for the course content of Social Studies 30:

 

http://www.rdpsd.ab.ca/~david_smith/Social%20Studies%2030IB%20Outline.pdf

 

http://www.rdpsd.ab.ca/HHHS/SocSt/Social%2030-2%201st%20sem%2009_10.pdf

 

http://web.mac.com/rundlecollege/iWeb/30-1/30-1_files/Outline%2030-1.pdf

 

http://www.sachs.ab.ca/dept/social/outline08/SS308Outline.pdf

 

http://www.worsleyschool.net/course/social30-1.pdf