Allow more time than you think you'll need...

One thing I'm learning quickly now that my oldest is on week 8 of our homeschool high school journey is I should have allowed for much more time on my lesson plans whenever there is a biology experiment (or more than one) on tap for the day.  Even though we've used Apologia science materials from the start, experiments are taking much longer this year than ever before.  Why?  Well, admittedly *I'm* finding it all quite fascinating, so I take look after look after look under the microscope.  My 2nd grader has been enthused about every experiment thusfar, so he takes time observing and drawing, observing and drawing, and observing and drawing.  Most importantly, my 9th grader has really taken his time with the microscope observations and the related drawings in his lab book.  What I thought would take maybe 1 hour ends up taking 2 to 3 hours instead.  Thankfully it's been fairly easy to make adjustments in my lesson plans and I'll be better prepared for this adventure the second time around.

Making Apologia Biology an Honors Course

I know some homeschoolers poo-poo the notion of doing "honors" courses in high school or just don't care, however, I'm on the side of the fence that does care.

Why?

First, some colleges do in fact give extra weight for honors high school courses when considering an application for admission.  Take a look at the application/admission requirements page of any college's website and it will state such if they do.  Some of the colleges my high schooler is considering do give the extra weight toward a high school GPA, so that is one reason I have him doing honors level work in some courses.  Second, I feel it can only benefit the student, especially if he/she is considering a college major related to that subject.

My high schooler is intending to major in a biological sciences field, so it only makes sense to me to have him complete an honors course in biology this year (ninth grade).

But what makes a course an "honors" course?  Here is where you will find a variety of opinions, and you know what? ... that's okay.

We are using Apologia Biology (2nd edition) along with the companion multimedia cd as my son's biology curriculum.  On its own, could it be considered an honors course?  That's left to your own interpretation.  In my opinion, no.  However, I personally don't feel there is any one right way to add to the text to bring it up a notch.  One opinion on the matter was discussed at a high school homeschool seminar I attended over a year ago.  The author of a book about homeschooling high school stated during that seminar the only way to make Apologia Biology an honors course was to do a complete science fair project in addition to completing the text in full.  Now while I agree every bit of the text should be covered (and that means doing all the experiments and dissections), I do not agree a science fair project added into the mix is the only means of making the course worthy of an honors designation.  That's the beauty of homeschooling.  We're all entitled to our opinions and interpretations!  Do what you feel is right in your heart.  You know your child and his/her interests, passions, and goals better than anyone.

So, what am I doing to make the course worthy of an honors designation?  Several things.

In addition to the companion multimedia cd, YouTube is a fantastic resource for additional videos to use with each module.  I personally have a Pinterest board dedicated solely to biology videos to help me keep track of what I intend to use with each module over the course of our homeschool year.  (As of the date of this posting, I have not finished lesson planning so the board is not complete.)  Extra reading (online biographies, articles, books - both fiction and nonfiction, etc.), extra experiments, additional projects, watching related films and documentaries, viewing additional dissections available online (photos like those at Biology Corner or videos), and so on certainly count as they help to enrich the text.  I have a couple of Pinterest boards set up for those types of things here and here.  (The latter is a hodge-podge of things and contains a lot of general ideas for expanding the curriculum.)

I am also having my son complete many (many!) of the plates/pages from The Zoology Coloring Book and The Botany Coloring Book.

Both are excellent and provide additional details and information beyond the Apologia text.

Just my 2¢ on the matter.

Anyone have a magical fairy wand I can borrow?

One ninth grader, one second grader, dishes (by hand), laundry, many more homeschool lesson plans to go for the upcoming year, two dogs, two cats, responsible for paying the bills, running errands, grocery shopping, taekwon-do lessons, two volunteer "jobs" for my teen, continuing with a reading program at the library for my youngest, being the chauffeur, no friends, no family, a nonexistent marriage, feeling shut out of ministry at church, surrounded by clutter in a small house, and so much more my head is a swirling jumble.

Balance.

I need balance.  It's what I fear I will not find but so desperately need.

Anyone have a magical fairy wand I can borrow?

Summer Fun on a Tight Budget

Summer break arrived about a week ago at my house, and I'm already hearing how bored both my boys are.  My family has had a rough year financially, so a vacation is definitely out of the question.  I've been exploring ideas from dozens upon dozens of "summer bucket lists" and "kids' summer fun" lists available online to come up with my own list that appeals to my children (not an easy feat with one teenager and one early elementary child).  We may not get to all of them, and that's fine.  The important thing is to have fun and ENJOY.  Some of these ideas may seem a bit 'juvenile' for a teen boy, but rest assured he likes to have fun and be silly as much as his younger brother.

1.) Visit an aquarium on free admission day.
2.) Visit a nearby education center on free admission day.
3.) Try a new cookie recipe.
4.) Try a new muffin recipe.
5.) Try a new pancake recipe.
6.) Try a new smoothie recipe.
7.) Juice bottle bowling.
8.) Miniature golf.
9.) Water balloon fight.
10.) Go on a picnic.
11.) Get squirted with the water hose.
12.) Go to a farmers market.
13.) Make a fort.
14.) Read books inside the fort.
15.) Make seedling pots out of tp and paper towel tubes for fall planting.
16.) Listen to an audiobook.
17.) Make a creation out of recyclables.
18.) Make a sandcastle.
19.) Make lemonade.
20.) Make orange creamsicle popsicles.
21.) Have a family 4th of July party.
22.) Movie night with popcorn.
23.) Play a board game.
24.) Go to a "new to us" beach.
25.) Make a seashell craft.
26.) Make homemade bubbles.
27.) Make and fly paper airplanes.
28.) Go thrift store shopping.
29.) Go to a rummage/yard sale.
30.) Find shapes in clouds.
31.) Play in the rain.
32.) Make a birdfeeder.
33.) See a movie.
34.) Watergun fight.  (Done)
35.) Make nature art.
36.) Go out to lunch.
37.) Try a new candy recipe.
38.) Try a new biscuit recipe.
39.) Make paint chip art.
40.) Cut a watermelon with cookie cutters.
41.) Play charades.
42.) Learn how to tie different types of knots.
43.) Play "I Spy".
44.) Hula hoop contest.
45.) Make sidewalk chalk.
46.) Have a family luau dinner.
47.) Cardboard sledding.
48.) Attend a free outdoor concert or festival.
49.) Play bingo.
50.) Visit a nearby nature center.
51.) Squirt bottle water fight.
52.) Do a random act of kindness.
53.) Scavenger hunt.
54.) Play balloon tennis.
55.) Make and fly a kite.
56.) Make origami.
57.) Skip rocks on our pond.
58.) Play paper plate ring toss.
59.) Have a family Summer Solstice party.
60.) Make oyster mats.
61.) Laser show or movie at the planetarium.
62.) Minor league baseball game.
63.) Learn how to play chess.
64.) Wii bowling tournament.
65.) Visit a nearby wildlife sanctuary.
66.) Play tic tac toe with nature items.
67.) Go for a drive with no particular destination in mind.
68.) Make finger paints.
69.) Make handprint art.
70.) Obstacle course in the yard.
71.) Make shadow puppets.
72.) Play on our town's new playground.
73.) Do a 1000-piece puzzle.
74.) Build an archery target.
75.) Practice archery.
76.) Make sunbaked recycled crayons.
77.) Make a foil river in the yard.
78.) Dancing raisin experiment.
79.) Water balloon target practice.
80.) Driveway silly drawing photos.
81.) Explore a "new to us" city.
82.) Go to the free splash pad. (Done)
83.) Make ice chalk.
84.) Camping in the living room.
85.) Target practice with Nerf guns.
86.) Pipe ball lawn game.
87.) Play on Freerice.com
88.) Sponge finger painting.
89.) Read Christmas Jars by Jason Wright.
90.) Write messages on stones with permanent marker and leave in random places for people to find.
91.) Minute To Win It games.
92.) Draw faces on balloons.
93.) Family movie night in our pj's complete with blankets and pillows.
94.) Sumo wrestling with pillows stuffed in shirts.
95.) Make liquid sidewalk chalk.
96.) Watch as many seasons of Doctor Who as possible.
97.) $3 admission day at the zoo. (Done)
98.) Make our own paint.
99.) Potato stamps.

edited to add.......

100.) Enjoy watching baby birds learn to fly.  (Done)
101.) Print/Make some items to have ready to send to our Compassion child in the coming months.
102.) Christmas in July party.
 

Homeschool High School is Creeping Up Way Too Fast - Grade 9 Plans

Homeschool high school ..... those three words don't seem all that scary until the actual event is staring you in the face and creeping closer with each passing day.  My oldest will be a 9th grader this fall.  How did that happen???

I'm finding the whole process of attempting to get prepared quite stressful.  One of homeschool options in my state is registering with an umbrella school.  We've gone that route from the start for a variety of reasons.  Simply put, it made the most sense for our family.  Now as we are about to hit homeschool high school head on, I am required by my umbrella school to submit an entire 4-year high school plan (courses, credits earned, and which years/semesters these courses will be taken) by the end of this year.  I feel like a deer in the headlights.  It's a daunting, overwhelming task.  Thankfully the plan can be revised as needed throughout high school, but that makes the task no less paralyzing.  I am literally on about "plan R" at this point - I've written and scrapped that many 4-year plans.  I gave my son a say in some of the courses he wanted to complete during high school, but was warned on different forums that those classes were too easy and would be frowned upon by colleges.  At the same time, I must abide by our umbrella school's requirements which are in line (mostly) with the state public school graduation requirements.  These are.....

- 4 credits in English (these courses must be comprised of composition, grammar, literature, and vocabulary, with the composition and literature portion being emphasized as "strong in composition and literature")

- 4 credits in Math (Algebra 1, Geometry, and Algebra 2 are required)

- 3 credits in Science (Biology, a choice of Chemistry or Physics, and one equally rigorous to Chemistry or Physics are required)

- 3 credits in Social Science (1 credit in U.S. History, 1 credit in World History, 1/2 credit in  U.S. Govt., and 1/2 credit in Economics are required)

- 2 credits in World Language (not required for graduation, but required for college admission and a specific state scholarship)

- 1 credit in Fine Arts

- 1 credit in Physical Education and Health (1/2 credit for each)

- 8 credits of Electives (and there are some specifics I must adhere to in this category ... no more than a total of 8 credits for any elective, no more than a total of 4 credits for remedial or compensatory subjects, no more than a total of 3 credits in practical home economics)

Intimidating, yes???

In addition, 1 credit equals 135 logged hours and 1/2 credit equals 70 logged hours (in an unstructured curriculum).

Whew!

As part of planning my son's tentative 4-year plan, I have looked up admission requirements for various colleges throughout our state.  What a difference!  Most are the same, but some require 4 years of foreign language, one does weight grades in admission consideration, and others have very specific requirements based upon intended major.  It's a lot to remember.  It's a lot to take in.  It's a lot to consider when making a high school plan of action.

Of course one of the colleges in which my son has expressed an interest is the one that does weight grades.  You guessed it ... our umbrella school has specifics about what can and cannot be an "honors" course for high school.  What counts?  Any college level course, any AP course or CLEP credits, any foreign language above level 2, any course designated as honors by the curriculum, or any course designated honors on my state's DOE website.

It gets better.  My son intends to be a biology major (his desire is to work with animals in a zookeeper or sanctuary capacity).  Biology is one of those majors that does have specific admission requirements at various colleges, so we've had to cross a few possibilities off the list because we more than likely will not make it through all the maths required.  (As it stands, we'll make it through pre-calc but not trigonometry.)

Is your head swirling yet just from reading this?  I believe all this explains why my head never seems to stop swirling!

So, are you ready for our 9th grade plans?  This is the current plan of action (and I really, really, really hope I do not have to modify it yet again).......

- Honors English 1 (1 credit)
- Honors Biology 1 with Lab (1 credit)
- Algebra 1 (1 credit ) (I really would like to do this as Honors, but I haven't convinced my son yet)
- World Cultural Geography (1 credit - counts toward Electives)
- Spanish 1 (1 credit - counts toward Electives)
- Taekwon-do (1 credit - 1/2 credit counts toward the P.E. requirement and the other 1/2 credit counts toward Electives)
- Drawing 1 (1 credit - counts as the required Fine Arts credit)

Total: 7 credits

Piecing Together The Puzzle

Homeschool high school.  Those are three pretty scary words when put all together.  And yet in the midst of its clutches is where I find myself ... planning a course of action, questioning myself, thinking I had it figured out only to discover I didn't have a clue.

The situation in which I find myself is not unlike others who have traveled this path and are still on the journey.  I use the umbrella school option offered by my state because it's what has always made the most sense for my family.  Every umbrella school is different.  The one we use has undergone some revamping the last couple of years.  One change is that I must provide them with a list of every course my soon-to-be high schooler will study throughout all four years of high school and during which year.  Planning out all four years is a daunting task!  I'll be honest ... at first I was taken aback and even quite irritated that I must do such a thing.  Now I view it as a good thing.  It's no less stressful, but I've concluded the required structure of the situation is what I/we need.  (I know more relaxed homeschoolers will disagree, and that's fine.  That's one of the wonderful things in life - we're all unique and have our own thoughts, opinions, and beliefs.) 

I find it somewhat amusing that just before Christmas last year I cleared out over 200 books from our home library.  Many were children's books my kids have outgrown, but every member of the family chipped in and did his/her own weeding out.  I truly had a plan to bring no more "clutter" into my home.  But I'm a homeschooler.  I should have known that plan was doomed from the start.

Recently while my oldest was attending his weekly youth group meeting, I found myself wandering through Barnes & Noble.  I felt a nudge in my heart that's where I should go to spend my wee bit of quiet time that evening.  The above photo shows what happened.  I didn't mean to do it, but am glad I did!  I believe that nudge on my heart was God directing me to some wonderful bargains we will use during our high school journey.

I had been looking at The 7 Habits of Highly Effective Teens for my oldest because he is very much in that wonky young teenager phase where I feel as though the sweet, driven boy I used to know is no longer inhabiting his body.  I've been told it's a phase he'll (hopefully) outgrow soon.  I thought this would be helpful for him and even put it on my Goodreads list recently.  I was thrilled to find it way cheaper than other places I had been looking, plus I received an additional 25% off using my B&N educator card.  I don't know if my teen will dive into The Bare Bones Bible Handbook For Teens or save it for our "Introduction To The Bible 1" class I tentatively have on his list of high school courses, but it looks fantastic.  The Daily Dose of Knowledge Bible is absolutely magnificent.  I'm currently reading my way through (at a pace of more than a dose a day because I'm enjoying it so much), and it would make an additional great "textbook" for the aforementioned high school class.  Both of those books were also a great price and qualified for my 25% educator discount.  The remainder of the books are classics we did not already own.  They were on sale 50% off, so that was motivation enough for me.  They were cheaper than the paperback versions, much more pleasing to hold in the hands, and the font size is better for someone of my mature years (LOL).  The Darwin book is honestly something I never thought I would allow through my front door, however, in my recent online searching of how to turn Apologia Biology an honors course I discovered and determined it really is a necessary evil.  My oldest's current career plans will mean he will have to major in biology or something very similar in college.  Going ahead and including Darwin in his high school studies will help prepare him for what he will find himself faced with during college courses.

Cleaning House ... A New Adventure

I've tried for years to get my kids to do chores and keep their rooms clean.  No amount of money promised, begging, pleading, or threat-making has resulted in any success.

Back in November I read Cleaning House: A Mom's 12-Month Experiment to Rid Her Home of Youth Entitlement by Kay Wills Wyma.  While I didn't agree with the entire book, nor could I financially afford to do as the author did in her experiment, I did gain quite a bit of insight into all the skills I really need to be equipping my children with (and thought of plenty more not mentioned in the book).  I tried desperately to get my own version of the experiment underway at the beginning of December, but my troops remained unmotivated and I had too much on my plate at the time put up much of a fight.  I did make it clear, however, that January 1st marked the start of our adventure with the methodology described in Cleaning House.

For this month - January - I am focusing on my kids keeping their rooms clean and orderly, keeping their belongings picked up from around the house daily, and making their beds each morning.  Just as in the experiment in the book, my kids have the ability to earn, or lose, a set amount of money/allowance each day based upon their performance.  As an added twist, since it's my house and I am certainly entitled to make my own rules, my kids must also be polite to one another or they risk losing their allowance for the day.  They found out on day one I meant business with this rule.  When our homeschool year begins again in a few days after the close of our winter break, they must also have all their work completed for the week before the next week begins or they lose a set amount of their allowance that has been earned.  That may seem unfair or harsh, but it's a necessary evil with my teen at this point.

In the fury of getting their rooms cleaned up and prepared for the beginning of this month - and believe me, that was quite the undertaking with the state of how things were - my youngest constructed this "desk" in his room.......

He declared he wanted a place where he can go draw without having to do so on the dining room table or spread out on the floor somewhere, so he made his own using one of his toy castles, a 3-drawer storage unit, and a shelf that was removed long ago from a piece of our furniture.  He equipped himself with pencils (held in an empty peanut butter jar), paper, and a storage box full of colored pencils.  I'm proud of his ingenuity!

So far, so good with this experiment.  We'll see where it leads.