High School Reading Log

[4poobear]

Is anyone else keeping a high school reading log? Do you put all of their textbooks here also, like science, math, etc.? Do you include all of the books they had to read for lit classes or just the reading they did for fun?:001_huh:

[Murphy101]

Is anyone else keeping a high school reading log? Do you put all of their textbooks here also, like science, math, etc.? Do you include all of the books they had to read for lit classes or just the reading they did for fun?:001_huh:

 

Yes, to all of the above.

 

Textbooks are listed in course description.

Reading lists are separate.

[holdoll]

Yes, we keep separate logs of textbooks and reading lists.

[4poobear]

I am so so new to this. I have been told to do transcipts of grades and a reading log and an activities/community service log. Why do you include a course description and what do you put on there that is not self explanatory using the course name as listed in the transcript, ex. Ald 1, Chemistry etc? What else should I include in a college application admissions packet?

[regentrude]

Why do you include a course description and what do you put on there that is not self explanatory using the course name as listed in the transcript, ex. Ald 1, Chemistry etc?

 

It is not standardized what content and to what depth is covered in a course of a certain name. For example, "Physics" can be a class that is conceptual, or algebra based, or calculus based. It can encompass mechanics only, or mechanics and e&m, or a comprehensive review of Modern physics. The name itself does not tell whether the student just watched a few popular videos or went through a college level textbook.

Providing the college with a course description helps the admissions people evaluate just how rigorous the student's coursework was. Things to include are the textbook used, a syllabus of topics covered, and an explanation how the grade was determined (if you assign grades).

regentrude

[choirfarm]

I am so so new to this. I have been told to do transcipts of grades and a reading log and an activities/community service log. Why do you include a course description and what do you put on there that is not self explanatory using the course name as listed in the transcript, ex. Ald 1, Chemistry etc? What else should I include in a college application admissions packet?

 

Here are a couple of my course descritpions:

 

 

 

Chemistry

 

 

 

 

 

 

Books, Materials List, Resources:

Exploring Creation with Apologia 2nd edition

Apologia lab kit

MicroChem Lab kit

The Teaching Company: Chemistry with Frank Cardulla

Class description: The student studied the topics of measurements and units; energy, heat and temperature; atoms and molecules; classifying matter and its changes; counting molecules and atoms in chemical equations, stoichiometry, atomic structure; molecular structure; polyatomic ions and molecular geometry; acid/base chemistry, the chemistry of solutions, the gas phase using the Apologia text. He also watched the lectures by Frank Cardulla He performed experiments related to the material and wrote lab reports. He took notes on material, answered review questions, completed practice problems as well as chapter and quarter tests on the materials.

Ø

Grading Scale: A = 100-90%; B = 89-80%; C = 79-70%; D = 69-60%; F = below 60%

Weight: Labwork 20% Practice Problems 15 % Reviews15% Test 30% Reading 10% Video 10%

 

 

Geometry

 

 

 

 

 

 

Books, Materials List, Resources:

Larson, Roland E., & Boswell, Laurie, & Stiff, Lee. Geometry: An Integrated Approach . Lexington, Massachusetts: D.C. Heath and Company, 1995.

DVD: Dana Mosely teaching the material

Class description: The student studied the topics of reasoning, lines in a plane, congruent triangles, properties of triangles, polygons, transformations: revisiting congruence, similarity, right triangles, circles, planar measurements, space measurements and loci. The student watched the lectures by Dana Moseley for each lesson and completed the assignments from the textbook. He also took midchapter quizzes as well as chapter tests.

Ø

Grading Scale: A = 100-90%; B = 89-80%; C = 79-70%; D = 69-60%; F = below 60%

Weight: Textbook w/dvd- 25%, Midchapter quiz 25% chapter test 50%

 

 

19th Century World History

 

 

 

This world history course begins with U.S. President John Adams and continues through William McKinley, covering major events of the 1800’s. Students will follow developments in the United States, South America, Europe, Australia, Africa, China, and Japan. Of particular focus are the Congress of Vienna, Victorian England, Manifest Destiny, Marx and Communism, the American Civil War, and European Imperialism. Students will earn one full credit upon completion of this course.

Books, Materials List, Resources: ( Entire resource used unless otherwise noted.)

The American Presidency Edited by Alan Brinkley and Davis Dyer

Introduction through Grover Cleveland

The Early American Republic 1789-1829 by Paul E Johnson

The Revolutionary Era 1789-1850 By Charles Breunig and Matthew Levinger

Antebellum America 1784-1850 Editor William Dudley

Simon Bolivar The Liberator by Guillermo A. Sherwell

The Age of Nationalism and Reform, 1850-1890 by Norman Rich

The Victorian Internet by Tom Standage

The Morman Trail and Latter Day Saints by Carol Rust Nash

American History by Era: The Civil War 1850-1895 Book Editor Auriana Ojeda

Eyewitness to the Civil War by Hyslop and Kagan

The Gilded Age: A History in Documents Janette Thomas Greenwood ch 6-11, ch 7

Imperialism: A History in Documents pp. 6-39

Movies/Documentaries:

HBO’s John Adams

Wild South America- BBC 6 part series

Victoria and Albert

History Channel: Underground Railroad

Slavery and the Making of America – 4 part series

Civil War Journal: 4 parts

American Experience: USS Grant

History Channel Ellis Island

History Channel Spanish American War

History Channel: Teddy Roosevelt

Field Trip

We took a trip and visited Vicksburg, Shiloh, Lookout Mountain and Chatanooga

Class description: The student will read the reading material above, complete maps from the time period, continue a timeline, answer questions, participate in weekly discussion, and take periodic exams on the material.

Grading Scale: A = 100-90%; B = 89-80%; C = 79-70%; D = 69-60%; F = below 60%

Weight: Class discussion20% Mapwork 10 % Questions/Charts 30% Reading 10 % Timeline10% Test 20%

[Murphy101]

I have not made a grade evaluation section for each course! I'll have to contemplate how important I think that will be. I do not weight grades, so the transcript grade/GPA equivalency section is all I've made so far. I do plan to keep major projects documented as well as particularly good essays and so forth that will amount to a yearly portfolio.

 

But otherwise that is very much how mine will look too.

 

I know many thing I'm going overboard, but I am a big believer in always being prepared and some of this will be more for us, kind of like an academic year book, scrap book, keep sake box thing. It all is going to fast, I want to have stuff to look back on this time someday when we have caught our breath!:D

[H0MEFree]

I require lots of reading of classics of all genres. I keep a record of all that. Any books read for "fun" I record too, unless it is something like Nancy Drew. Only goes on the list if it sounds "good" like historical fiction or something.

[Gwen in VA]

I had each kid keep a list of EVERYTHING that he read starting at the beginning of high school.

 

Then at college application time we selectively pruned the list to remove really "light" reading and books that were similar. We wanted to keep the list short enough that someone would actually look at it! I think we actually called the list something like "Sampling of books read in high school" or something like that.

 

For my bookworm, we only ended up including books he read since the beginning of his junior year. Even the heavily pruned list would have been ridiculously long otherwise.

[DebbS]

Also, if your child reads any serious journal articles or magazines you should include these. We're keeping a list of books, serious articles and even movies/documentaries. You don't have to include them all in a transcript, but it's hard to say which things will be most useful...who knows if your child gets a passion for special effects science and the horror films really were useful.:eek: I like Gwen in VA's idea of a "Sampling of books.....".

[Kareni]

Here are a couple of my course descriptions:

 

Chemistry

 

 

Geometry

 

 

19th Century World History

 

 

Since choirfarm shared some descriptions, I thought I'd share some of mine on similar topics so that you can see how they can differ.

 

Chemistry (with Lab)

This course introduces the student to basic concepts in general chemistry. The course covers significant figures, units, chemical formulas and equations, the mole concept, stoichiometry, thermochemistry, thermodynamics, kinetics, acids and bases, redox reactions, solutions, atomic structure, Lewis structures, molecular geometry, the gas laws, and equilibrium.

(Class taken at home in 10th grade.) Awarded 1.00 credits.

 

 

Geometry

This classical geometry course is heavily dependent on deductive reasoning and the proof writing process and also relies on compass-and-straight-edge constructions. Topics include points, lines, planes; rays and angles; congruent triangles; geometric inequalities, parallel lines; quadrilaterals; transformations; area; similarity; right triangles; circles, concurrence theorems; regular polygons and the circle; geometric solids, non-Euclidean geometry and coordinate geometry.

(Class taken at home in 9th grade.) Awarded 1.00 credits.

 

 

World History from 1700 to 2000

This reading-based course covers world-changing events of the 18th through 20th centuries which have shaped our culture today; it complements the associated Literature course (listed above) by giving the student a context for the literature studied. The course also includes musical recordings, documentaries, and videos of or about the time. Map work and short writing assignments are required.

(Class taken at home in 9th grade.) Awarded 1.00 credits.

 

 

Rather than including textbooks in the course description, I also submitted a reading list and textbook list as part of my daughter's application materials.

 

Regards,

Kareni