Ready for High School...Maybe

Getting closer to nailing down Ben's courses for his Freshman year of high school.  Here is what I have figured out so far...

Math-Teaching Textbooks Algebra I. Ben worked on a few lessons this summer, until he finally succumbed to the lure of the beach... 

Language Arts-

Ben is a natural speller so I don't know that he needs to continue with Spelling Power on a regular basis, but I will use it for periodic testing to see how he is progressing.

There are are couple lessons left over from season three of Analytical Grammar that I would like Ben to complete.  We'll do that at the start of the year and get it out of the way.  I have been very pleased with this program, and would like to use the American Authors review curriculum this year to keep grammar and diagramming fresh in his mind.

To tie literature in with our Early Modern history studies, I will have Ben use Excellence in Literature, American Literature, from Janice Campbell.  I'm really happy with the research aspect of her curriculum and hope Ben enjoys this delving-in as well.  His selections will be: Autobiography by Benjamin Franklin, Rip Van Winkle and Legend of Sleepy Hollow by Washington Irving, The Last of the Mohicans by James Fennimore Cooper, and either The Scarlet Letter or The House of the Seven Gables by Nathaniel hawthorn.

Writing was hard for me to figure out this year, but I've decided to begin with Teaching the Essay from Analytic Grammar.  I've been happy with her grammar program, and her style of teaching so I'm hoping this will be a clear, concise course both for me to teach and for Ben to learn from, damn it.  (Sorry.  Didn't want to end my sentence with a preposition. ) I also have Epi Kardia's Essay Style's for High School on  my shelf which we can continue with either after Teaching the Essay, or next year.

Poetry will be covered at tea time along with Will and Charlie.  

Ben can revisit poems that are familiar to him as Charlie learns them for the first time; I plan to use one of our favorite series of books to highlight Robert Frost or Lewis Carroll, along with seasonal selections from Poetry Speaks to Children and Favorite Poems Old and New.   Also during the course of the year, we'll read some meatier selections from Anne Bradstreet, William Wordsworth, Samuel Taylor Coleridge, Poe, and Longfellow, and tie them in with our American history studies.  I'll use The Harp and the Laurel Wreath for guidance in analyzing some of these poems, but as always, poetry at tea time will be mainly for enjoyment.

Science this year will be Biology.  I would love to have Pandia Press release their Biology Level 2 curriculum to use this school year.  Not only could I use it for Will, but I believe it would make a good foundation for a high school course.  I would add the text Exploring the Life Works and some additional labs if necessary.  Now, I haven't seen any samples of this curriculum, so right now it is a complete fantasy in my head, but I have high hopes.  If it doesn't work out, I would follow the biology course laid out on the Quarks and Quirks blog.  

ETA: Just found out that the release date for the Pandia Press Biology course will be February 14th, 2013.  Later than I hoped, but maybe I can still make it work???

History, as always, is a bear.  It will be Early Modern with a heavy focus on American history.  I'd like to use American Odyssey for Ben's core readings-(no. I did not pay full-price for it!)  Art and music appreciation will be woven into this fabled curriculum.  We'll look at many primary documents. The rest is still fuzzy.  

Government will come from iCivics and The Complete Idiot's Guide to American Government.  Perfect to get the job done!

PE -Membership to the local YMCA, 50 mile bike trip in the fall with scouts.

Health-Review nutrition and substance abuse topics, and cover anatomy and sexual health in biology.

Foreign Language- Right now Klingon seems like a viable choice.  Or maybe Mango for Libraries German? 

Now, I also really, really want to do Literary Lessons from the Lord of the Rings this year, but I haven't figured out how on middle earth to fit it in.  Suggestions?

Introduction to Engineering Design-This is a Project Lead the Way class offered at the local high school. we haven't quite decided about this elective option yet.  We'll meet with the teacher next week to get more details.

• Introduction to Engineering Design (IED)
  • Designed for 9th or 10th grade students, the major focus of IED is the design process and its application. Through hands-on projects, students apply engineering standards and document their work. Students use industry standard 3D modeling software to help them design solutions to solve proposed problems, document their work using an engineer’s notebook, and communicate solutions to peers and members of the professional community.

Our school district is very home school friendly, and I  think he will enjoy being in this class.  There is also the potential to earn college credit with this course. It all sounds good, but is it necessary?  I'll let ya know if we figure it out!