clementine Posted March 13, 2011 Share Posted March 13, 2011 So, I am in the thick of planning our 9th grade year. My head is spinning with the thought of credits & classes. There are a lot of 9th grade threads out there, but very few with details of credits being given. I am looking for reassurance that we're on the right track. I would love to see what you're doing & the amount of credits you're assigning. Here's my tentative plan: Math - She is currently taking Alg. 1 as a 9th, but it's challenging. Our highschools do Alg. 1 in 9th, so I'm thinking she may retake it to get more comfortable with it. We will switch curriculums to give her a fresh start. (1 Credit) Science - Apologia Biology (1 Credit) History - World Geography and History (1 Credit) Foreign Lang - Either Sign Language, Spanish, or Latin. She's still deciding. (1 Credit) English - This is SO up in the air. Maybe a class containing Composition & Grammar (1 Credit) Computer as an Elective - Microsoft Office (1/2 Credit) and Computer Applications (1/2 credit) These are taught at our local PS - they are each a one trimester class. Haven't called to register yet, but hoping this will work. PE - (1 Credit) Then, I thought about having her do a semester Health class for 1/2 credit and an Art class for 1/2 credit. Does that seem like too much for a 9th grader? I know that many here do more than that, but we are not uber-rigorous, so I'm not sure if that looks like too full of a schedule. I'm looking at a total of about 26-28 credits for all of highschool. Any thoughts? Thank you :001_smile: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Julie in MN Posted March 13, 2011 Share Posted March 13, 2011 I found that it was best to go easy on the electives in 9th. The foreign language and PE already are 2 "electives" so adding 2 more might be difficult. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
clementine Posted March 13, 2011 Author Share Posted March 13, 2011 That's what I was thinking too. It just seems like she'll be doing LESS that we're doing now in 8th, but I know that the classes next year will be more time consuming & possibly more challenging. Thank you for taking a look :001_smile: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kiana Posted March 13, 2011 Share Posted March 13, 2011 If it turns out to be too easy, you can add a half-credit later. Plans don't really have to be set in stone ... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
clementine Posted March 13, 2011 Author Share Posted March 13, 2011 See? That is why I need this place. I wouldn't have thought of adding 1/2 way through the year. Great suggestion! Thanks :001_smile: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AngieW in Texas Posted March 13, 2011 Share Posted March 13, 2011 what my oldest did for 9th grade 1 credit English - US History Based writing lessons I and II, SL Core 100 literature 1 credit history - SL Core 100 history 1 credit math - Jacobs Geometry 1 credit science - Miller&Levine Biology 1 credit p.e. - workouts at the gym (actually had to do this at least 6 hrs/week because she was in a Boston brace for scoliosis about 21 hours/day and it really weakened her core muscles) 1/2 credit health - I made up this course myself, but I wasn't happy with it. total of 5.5 credits what my middle dd did for 9th grade 1 credit English - US History Based writing lessons II, Windows to the World, literature readings 1 credit history - Oak Meadow American History 1 credit math - Jacobs Geometry 1 credit science - Holt Biology using Oak Meadow syllabus 1 credit p.e. - gymnastics and regular bike rides 1/2 credit health - Oak Meadow health program 1/2 credit philosphy of mind - Teaching Company philosophy of mind course + added readings total of 6 credits I think 6 credits is plenty for 9th grade. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AStableBeginning Posted March 13, 2011 Share Posted March 13, 2011 Math - She is currently taking Alg. 1 as a 9th, but it's challenging. Our highschools do Alg. 1 in 9th, so I'm thinking she may retake it to get more comfortable with it. We will switch curriculums to give her a fresh start. (1 Credit) I have a rising 9th grade DD so I am interested in hearing what others have to say as I too. Question for you, What Algebra program is she using now, and which one will you switch to? We are currently using Saxon, but I think my DD may need a refresher before going onto Alg. II. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
clementine Posted March 13, 2011 Author Share Posted March 13, 2011 She is using Teaching Textbooks Algebra now. Not sure what we'll switch to yet. I have only used MCP for K - 6, TT for Pre-Alg, and TT this year. I am not a curriculum hopper, so I'll have to do some research on this. I am not 'mathy', so I am fine with Algebra 1 in 9th again for credit. aStableBeginning, how did your dd like Saxon? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
beachnut Posted March 13, 2011 Share Posted March 13, 2011 I'm also in the midst of planning my 9th grader's schedule, with input from him. Here's what we'll probably do: 1 credit: English 1 Honors/Great Books (not sure how to classify this, but we'll be studying Ancient World Lit./Great Books while continuing instruction in vocabulary, grammar & writing) 1 credit: Algebra 2 Honors (Florida Virtual School) 1 credit: Ancient-Medieval World History 1 credit: Biology 1 Honors (Florida Virtual School) 1 credit: Latin II Honors (Florida Virtual School) He is technically starting this class this April & working thru the summer, with plans to finish this course in the fall* .5 credit: Art 2-D (thru local high school) .5 credit: Art 3-D (thru local high school) 1 credit: Logic 1 credit: Web Design (he'll start in the summer, work on it as time permits in the fall and complete any remaining in the spring) Total: 8 credits *FYI: After many years of seeing my two boys (ages 10 & 13) being very bored in the summer, playing too many video games, wasting LOTS of time doing absolutely nothing productive (just acting really goofy, often bickering, & not really even playing), we made the decision to start doing just a little bit of school over the summer. (Last summer, my 13yo started Latin 1 thru FLVS. It gave him some structure to his days, allowed him to ease into online learning while he had no other classes and helped him finish 1 of his 2 years of foreign language requirements early. My younger son has not yet done any school in the summer, but will this summer.) We now plan to do the same with both boys each summer, adding just a little "formal learning" into the summer schedule. While I'm all for taking breaks (and we do throughout the year & in the summer), when we have 2-3 months of extended time off in the summer, my kids don't seem to work on hobbies a lot or play outside enough (we live in FL & it's REALLY hot in the summer) or anything really fun-but-productive (doing puzzles, building models, playing board/card games, working on projects, etc.) without a lot of nagging from me. And, after discussing the "summer school" plan with both boys, they like the idea of working ahead and/or finish requirements early. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Teachin'Mine Posted March 13, 2011 Share Posted March 13, 2011 Clementine, I think you've got the basics covered well. I think that a full credit is a lot for PE, unless if she'll be doing something different from the usual. I'd suggest making it a half credit and adding in a half credit of Health and/or art. If she does a half credit each, she could easily do one the first semester and one the second semester so it's not too much. If she's doing a specific sport which brings her hours up to a full credit, she might want to count that as extra-curricular rather than an academic credit. Just a thought. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
newbie Posted March 13, 2011 Share Posted March 13, 2011 PE is ..5 unless you do two sem. Usually Health one/Pe the other. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
clementine Posted March 13, 2011 Author Share Posted March 13, 2011 If my dd is on a competitive sports team that practices year-round 2 hrs a day/5 days a week, would that warrant a full credit of P.E.? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Julie in MN Posted March 13, 2011 Share Posted March 13, 2011 (edited) If my dd is on a competitive sports team that practices year-round 2 hrs a day/5 days a week, would that warrant a full credit of P.E.? It's up to you :) In Minnesota, high schools must "provide" health and phy ed "at least once" but it is up to the district what that will look like. Here are quotes from a couple of schools near me: SCHOOL #1 (not an advanced public school, grades 9-12) This school requires one semester in health and 4 quarters (or one year) of phy ed. Here are some sample courses (each is one quarter long): TEAM SPORTS 1: (9, 10, 11, 12) Quarter Class: Q1 Team Sports 1 is being offered to students who want to experience a variety of team sport activities. Itwill be offered the first 9 weeks of the first semester. Activities taught in this course will be Flag football, soccer, speedball, ultimate frisbee, bomball, and softball. This course is designed to cover rules, strategies, and fundamental mastery of the games. Team play and strategies will also be emphasized. Students will also be required to do at least one written assignment. LIFETIME FITNESS ACTIVITIES 1 (9, 10, 11, 12) Quarter Class: Q1 Lifetime Activities 1 is being offered to students who want to experience a variety of individual, dual, and recreational lifetime activities. It will be offered the first 9 weeks of the semester. Students will learn rules, strategies, and fundamental skills necessary to play each game or activity. Singles and doubles tournaments will be played when possible. Activities taught in this course will be tennis, pickleball, softball, golf, ultimate frisbee, aerobic fitness activities, and fitness walking. Each student will be required to design a personal health-enhancing fitness plan. A research paper may also be required. SOCCER Quarter Class: Q1, Q4 Do you enjoy Soccer, but would like to learn more about the sport? Maybe you just want to play soccer more frequently. If this is you, sign up! This course will provide students with comprehensive skills and knowledge of soccer. Students will learn the basic physical skills of soccer, rules and strategies. The course is also designed to instruct students on how to officiate the sport, with the possibility of having the ability to officiate an actual game. SCHOOL #2 (a more academic public school, grades 10-12) This school requires 2 semester credits in phy ed & 1 in health. Students must also take phy ed in 9th grade, which is housed in their Middle School. Some of their high school (10th-12th) courses go up to "level 4" so it looks like some students will take more than 2 semesters during their last 3 years of high school: Advanced Team Sports American Red Cross Lifeguard Training Individual Fitness and Dual Sport Activity Personal Fitness and Wellness Power Sports Recreational Team Sports Strength and Conditioning I Strength and Conditioning II Strength and Conditioning III Strength and Conditioning IV Here is a description of their sports credits etc: http://www.edina.k12.mn.us/teach/curriconline/pcoursedescr.cfm?cn=149 One caution: Extracurriculars look VERY good on a transcript, and you can't count a credit-course as an extracurricular. Edited March 13, 2011 by Julie in MN Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
angela in ohio Posted March 13, 2011 Share Posted March 13, 2011 Repeating algebra is a great idea. My oldest did algebra I twice, and it was very helpful. I agree with pp to do 1/2 credit of PE. We did 1/2 PE and 1/2 Health for 9th this year. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
clementine Posted March 14, 2011 Author Share Posted March 14, 2011 I was really hoping that those 300 hours of her sport could count as a credit. I know I can make it that way 'if I want to', but I am a rule-follower and want to do the right thing. :tongue_smilie: I am not opposed to doing 1/2 credit of health next year, though. Hmmm, still need to do some thinking. Thanks for the replies :001_smile: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brindee Posted March 14, 2011 Share Posted March 14, 2011 She is using Teaching Textbooks Algebra now. Not sure what we'll switch to yet. I have only used MCP for K - 6, TT for Pre-Alg, and TT this year. I am not a curriculum hopper, so I'll have to do some research on this. I am not 'mathy', so I am fine with Algebra 1 in 9th again for credit. aStableBeginning, how did your dd like Saxon? My dd is struggling with Algebraic concepts, so I am thinking of having her do TT Algebra 1 AND 2, then Geometry, then a different Algebra 2 to help give her a stronger base. Hopefully the year in between the Algebras won't make her lose what she's learned, and the second year of Algebra when she's older will help her understand and retain it better! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Storm Bay Posted March 15, 2011 Share Posted March 15, 2011 So, I am in the thick of planning our 9th grade year. My head is spinning with the thought of credits & classes. There are a lot of 9th grade threads out there, but very few with details of credits being given. I am looking for reassurance that we're on the right track. I would love to see what you're doing & the amount of credits you're assigning. Here's my tentative plan: Math - She is currently taking Alg. 1 as a 9th, but it's challenging. Our highschools do Alg. 1 in 9th, so I'm thinking she may retake it to get more comfortable with it. We will switch curriculums to give her a fresh start. (1 Credit) Science - Apologia Biology (1 Credit) History - World Geography and History (1 Credit) Foreign Lang - Either Sign Language, Spanish, or Latin. She's still deciding. (1 Credit) English - This is SO up in the air. Maybe a class containing Composition & Grammar (1 Credit) Computer as an Elective - Microsoft Office (1/2 Credit) and Computer Applications (1/2 credit) These are taught at our local PS - they are each a one trimester class. Haven't called to register yet, but hoping this will work. PE - (1 Credit) Then, I thought about having her do a semester Health class for 1/2 credit and an Art class for 1/2 credit. Does that seem like too much for a 9th grader? I know that many here do more than that, but we are not uber-rigorous, so I'm not sure if that looks like too full of a schedule. I'm looking at a total of about 26-28 credits for all of highschool. Any thoughts? Thank you :001_smile: This doesn't seem like too much. How many credits are required to get into the university/college of your choice? I would be concerned about only getting 5 or 6 credits in the freshman year. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mcconnellboys Posted March 15, 2011 Share Posted March 15, 2011 What does your state require for graduation? Ours requires 1/2 credit of PE and 1/2 of health. I actually did one credit of each with my older son, but didn't have to.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
clementine Posted March 15, 2011 Author Share Posted March 15, 2011 This doesn't seem like too much. How many credits are required to get into the university/college of your choice? I would be concerned about only getting 5 or 6 credits in the freshman year. Actually, if we do .5 PE and .5 Health, that will still be 7 credits. If I add in an art elective for the second half of the year, it would be 7.5. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wendi Posted March 15, 2011 Share Posted March 15, 2011 Seems like a lot for 9th grade, but of course it depends on the student, too. Here's what my son will be doing for 9th grade: Algebra Physical Science Japanese I My Father's World History, English, and Bible 6 credits total For extracurriculars, he'll be taking guitar lessons and participating in a theatre group. Wendi Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jenny in Florida Posted March 15, 2011 Share Posted March 15, 2011 (edited) My daughter did 9th grade a few years ago, and my son is gearing up for 9th next year. They are very different kids with different interests and strengths. So, the two lists look different, too. My daughter's 9th grade year: 1 credit - American History 1 credit - Biology 1 credit - English 1 credit - Geometry 1 credit - Latin 1 1 credit - Anthropology 1: Intro to Archeology 1 credit - Theater Arts 1: Theater Survey 0.5 credit - Art History: 19th & 20th Centuries 0.5 credit - Music: Choir 0.5 credit - Music Appreciation My son's planned 9th grade year: 1 credit - Math (a combination of materials I’ll call Probability and Problem Solving or something like that) 1 credit - World History 1 credit - Biology 1 credit - Spanish 1 1 credit - World Geography 1 credit - English 0.5 credit - World Religions 0.5 credit - Music: Choir Edited March 15, 2011 by Jenny in Florida Fixing formatting Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Storm Bay Posted March 15, 2011 Share Posted March 15, 2011 Actually, if we do .5 PE and .5 Health, that will still be 7 credits. If I add in an art elective for the second half of the year, it would be 7.5. Right, and that sounds good. I was thinking of another couple of posts where people were suggesting that fewer were okay during the freshman year. It's not that it can't work, of course, but it means that you have to be sure your dc will be willing to do the work to get enough credits in the other three years of high school.:001_smile: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
clementine Posted March 15, 2011 Author Share Posted March 15, 2011 I am excited and kind of feel like I'm where I was 9 years ago when we started Kindergarten. :) I look back at those years and am so glad we started on this journey - I'm hoping to look back in 4 years and be just as pleased. I wouldn't trade this time we've spent together for anything. Okay, getting sappy. Time to wash some floors. :tongue_smilie: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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