Feedback on 9th Grade Plans and American History

[jmjs4]

I am trying to plan my daughters 9th grade year.  This is what I am planning so far:

 

Math:  Lial's Algebra 1 (w/Jann in Tx)

Science:  Holt Biology through the WTM Academy

French I:  WTM Academy

Writing:  WWS 2 or EIW 9 & IEW Fix It Grammar

PE:  Swim Team and other activities in between season

History:  See Below Options

 

For history I am considering a couple options.  She has done a lot of world history, and she really wants to study American history.  Here are the options that I am considering.

 

1.  Sonlight Core 100

2.  US History (online class at Debora Bell)

3.  WTMA U.S. History

4.  The Enduring Vision Textbook on our own outling/notetaking (used in Debora Bell class)

5.  American Stories Textbook on our own outling/notetaking (used in WTM online class)

6.  Hakim U.S. History books w/Hewitt Syllabus and Tests

 

I already have her signed up for the online Algebra, Biology, and French class.  I'm not sure if one more on line class would be too much.  For the options other than Sonlight I plan to pick out literature and use Progeny Press guides.  So far I am thinking The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, The Great Gatsby, Uncle Tom's Cabin, The Call of the Wild, To Kill A Mocking Bird, Their Eyes Where Watching God.  I am still considering these titles though.

 

What do you think of my 9th grade plan?  Is six credits enough for her ninth grade year, or should I add in health or art too?  Which U.S. History option would you choose?

Edited March 11, 2017 by WillowFlora

[mom31257]

I think the number of credits would depend on your individual state's requirements. Six a year is enough in GA. You might add in health or art after she's done with foreign language. 

 

We used SL Core 100 when dd was in 8th grade. It's the only core we ever tried. Dd didn't like the Hakim books at all, so that would have knocked out # 1 and # 6 for us. She didn't want all the commentary. She preferred a textbook so that she can get a clear view of what happened. After enduring three of the Hakim books, I switched her to BJU's textbook (8th), which she really enjoyed. She also didn't like a reading schedule like Sonlight's. She couldn't read just a chapter a day. I rearranged the schedule so that she finished about one book a week. 

 

I don't know anything about the other options. 

[Penelope]

Has she had online courses before? If not, it might be too much to go straight intoto doing four of them.

 

Ninth grade can be an adjustment for some kids. It was here, which surprised me, as the increase in difficulty and workload wasn't huge.

 

I don't have experience with those history options. Something to consider might be the types of assignments required and the amount and kinds of writing your student is ready for. I am of the opinion that the Hakim books and the Hewitt tests are not high school level. However, I think they are an acceptable option for ninth grade if your daughter enjoys the style of the books. I personally would add at least some short answer questions and maybe some short writing assignments. I think the Hewitt tests are all simple multiple choice.

 

We got in some work on electives in the summer before ninth grade, so if you did want more credits, that is a consideration. For something like music appreciation or art appreciation, it doesn't take long to gather hours in a mostly enjoyable way.

Edited March 11, 2017 by Penelope

[Garga]

Six is all my son can handle. But it takes us 1.5 - 2 hours a day for biology and another 1.5 to 2 hours a day for history. We can easily spend 4 hours a day on two subjects. Then we still have 4 more hours of work to do.

 

Maybe my son is slow, or maybe 9th grade is just that hard or maybe I made bad choices in what I picked. I can't tell because this is my only 9th grader.

 

Knowing what I know now, I'd say stick with 6 credits, but consider having health as a .5 credit for the 2nd semester of 9th grade. If she has the time, great! If not, you don't have to do it.

 

I can't speak to the American history part of your post as we will study that next year and I haven't finalized our own plans, though I'm 99% sure we're using Hakim and the Hewitt materials. We did World Hx this year.

 

ETA: This isn't true for everyone, but for us, 9th grade was a HUGE change. It was a rocky start to the year when the workload increased. My son is ok with it now, but school takes up a lot more of his time than it ever did. I do my best to spread the work out evenly, but there's just a lot to it in 9th compared to before.

Edited March 11, 2017 by Garga

[Guest]

I would err on the side of lighter to start high school than heavier. The online classes will be an adjustment if she hasn't had them before, and high school level work might be an adjustment too, depending on what you used previously. It's always easier to add in later than to try and save a drowning kid. It sounds dramatic, but there have been many of us on threads here trying to sort out time management for 14 year old students. Everything just seems to take longer than we think it will when planning. 

 

Personally, I think six classes, one being PE,  is about perfect to start 9th grade. Give it 9 weeks or so and see how she is doing. Then if you want to add something in like health, you can. Unless you're considering a live class for health or art you can easily insert those classes as needed. I agree with the posters above that the decision on history is dependent upon how many online classes she's taken before. If she's comfortable with them, and you have the time to help her initially as "coordinator of online things," I would go for the WTMA US History. If not I would go for one of the other choices. 

[Penelope]

Something else to consider is how to count your English credits. I wasn't sure if you meant that you would count the extra literature in with history or with writing. I would include it with English and call it "American Literature and Composition".

Others might count a separate credit for composition, if you spend enough time just on writing, and give perhaps an additional half credit of literature for what you listed.

[jmjs4]

Has she had online courses before? If not, it might be too much to go straight intoto doing four of them.

 

Ninth grade can be an adjustment for some kids. It was here, which surprised me, as the increase in difficulty and workload wasn't huge.

 

I don't have experience with those history options. Something to consider might be the types of assignments required and the amount and kinds of writing your student is ready for. I am of the opinion that the Hakim books and the Hewitt tests are not high school level. However, I think they are an acceptable option for ninth grade if your daughter enjoys the style of the books. I personally would add at least some short answer questions and maybe some short writing assignments. I think the Hewitt tests are all simple multiple choice.

 

We got in some work on electives in the summer before ninth grade, so if you did want more credits, that is a consideration. For something like music appreciation or art appreciation, it doesn't take long to gather hours in a mostly enjoyable way.

 

This year for eight grade she has two online classes.  She is taking Lial's Prealgebra with Jann in Tx, and Astronomy with the WTMA.  She is doing really well with them, but I am thinking four might be too much.

 

Something else to consider is how to count your English credits. I wasn't sure if you meant that you would count the extra literature in with history or with writing. I would include it with English and call it "American Literature and Composition".

Others might count a separate credit for composition, if you spend enough time just on writing, and give perhaps an additional half credit of literature for what you listed.

 

 

Yes, I was planning to count the literature with English.

[RootAnn]

Add up the # of online class meetings for what you already have. I think WTMA French is 2x per week. (It used to be 3x, but I think that changed this year. Can't remember, though. Too lazy to look it up.) Bio is probably 2x/week. Is Jann's class once, twice, or three times? My point is that it adds up to a LOT of time in front of the computer & less time to get other things done. Four online classes that meet 2x or more per week is a LOT to start out with, especially if you haven't done a few before that. (My DD started out with 2 classes meeting a total of 3x/week together. That was fine. We ramped up from there.)

 

We find that having some "at home" classes is helpful because those assignments can flex a bit when the online assignments are tough. I also echo the other posters in saying it is better to start off lighter in 9th grade. Some of us erred on scheduling too much Freshman year & we lived to regret it!

[jmjs4]

Add up the # of online class meetings for what you already have. I think WTMA French is 2x per week. (It used to be 3x, but I think that changed this year. Can't remember, though. Too lazy to look it up.) Bio is probably 2x/week. Is Jann's class once, twice, or three times? My point is that it adds up to a LOT of time in front of the computer & less time to get other things done. Four online classes that meet 2x or more per week is a LOT to start out with, especially if you haven't done a few before that. (My DD started out with 2 classes meeting a total of 3x/week together. That was fine. We ramped up from there.)

 

We find that having some "at home" classes is helpful because those assignments can flex a bit when the online assignments are tough. I also echo the other posters in saying it is better to start off lighter in 9th grade. Some of us erred on scheduling too much Freshman year & we lived to regret it!

 

Yes, I think four online classes will be too much.  With Algebra, French, and Biology she will have a class everyday except Friday.  I think my main concern right now is trying to decide what we should do for US History.  I am pretty sure I don't want Notgrass or BJU.  If I pick my own text, I just have to come up with assignments on my own.  

Edited March 11, 2017 by WillowFlora

[Guest]

I paired the Great Courses US History lectures (a couple of different series) with the Hakim books and threw in my own writing assignments and called it good. It's not as rigorous as what some people do, but she knows her history, so I guess it got the job done. The Great Courses come with PDF discussion guides and some of the questions make great writing prompts.

[Garga]

I paired the Great Courses US History lectures (a couple of different series) with the Hakim books and threw in my own writing assignments and called it good. It's not as rigorous as what some people do, but she knows her history, so I guess it got the job done. The Great Courses come with PDF discussion guides and some of the questions make great writing prompts.

 

 

This is my plan.  I have to finalize it, so it's not set in stone, but adding the Great Courses and some writing assignments will beef up pretty much anything.  

 

My son adores history.  We've done a text book this year for World History and it's been dry.  It's been ok for this year, but I'm afraid he'll lose his love of it.  He liked Hakim's style of writing for her science history books, so even though it's not meant for the high school level, I'm using it.  I think it will hit the right note for my particular student.  Adding the college level Great Courses and adding high school level writing assignments...I think it'll be perfect for us.

[Guest]

This is my plan.  I have to finalize it, so it's not set in stone, but adding the Great Courses and some writing assignments will beef up pretty much anything.  

 

My son adores history.  We've done a text book this year for World History and it's been dry.  It's been ok for this year, but I'm afraid he'll lose his love of it.  He liked Hakim's style of writing for her science history books, so even though it's not meant for the high school level, I'm using it.  I think it will hit the right note for my particular student.  Adding the college level Great Courses and adding high school level writing assignments...I think it'll be perfect for us.

 

I used some lectures from Before 1776: Life in the American Colonies and then some from History of the United States.

 

That was before we had the GC Plus subscription, so there might be some even better ones on there. But dd really enjoyed all of it. I split it into two semesters- we didn't do them straight through, so it gave her a bit of a break and kept her from being oversaturated.

 

I  :001_wub:  The Great Courses. I think if I wasn't allowed to do another online course for her through the rest of high school we would still do really well just using those and a spine.