Senior Year!

This is it! Senior year!!  S didn't think he would ever make it.  I have told him throughout the years, "If you just follow my plan, your senior year will be relaxed and fun."  Through a lot of parental encouraging or as he calls it "nagging", we have made it to senior year.  He has now agreed that it will be relaxed and fun.

Here is the plan:

1.  English:  Writing, writing, and more writing.  S will be doing daily writing - possibly through his own blog.  We have some research papers and larger writing projects scheduled that are related to his history course.  Our ultimate writing goal is to get him to write faster through typing or through speech recognition software (Dragon Dictation).  He will be reading literature for school and reading on his own.

2.  Math:  S is working on College Algebra using ALEKS -- Assessment and Learning, K-12, Higher ....  We have used ALEKS for the past 4 years.  It is an online math program which is great for S and his fine motor issues.  He enjoys it.  It is an ACE credit recommended course.  Our hope is that the community college will give him credit for this course.  If not, College Algebra will be a review for him. Math is a subject that he tolerates even though he does well in it.  He would probably enjoy it more if he were able to write the problems out himself.

3.  Science:  S is working on a .5 credit Equine Science course using Simple Schooling's "The Science of Horses" along with Rick Parker's Equine Science 4th Edition textbook.  Because he takes therapeutic riding lessons, this course is pertinent to him.  

4.  History:  S will be finishing up History Odyssey Modern Times History from www.pandiapress.com.  Since he loves history, we spread this history course over his Junior and Senior year, and we have delved deeply into the assigned topics and branched off into other topics.  We will be starting this year with World War II.  Because it is a level 2 course, we have supplemented with a lot of extras.  

a.  Uncle Eric books (Bluestocking Press):  The Thousand Year War in the Mideast:  How It Affects You Today, World War I:  The Rest of the Story and How It Affects You Today, World War II:  The Rest of the Story and How It Affects You Today.  We have used the study guide for the WW I book and will use it for the WW II book this year.

b.  Videos from The Great Courses (http://www.thegreatcourses.com/) to include:  "Turning Points in Modern History", "Churchill", " A History of Hitler's Empire", and "Utopia and Terror in the 20th Century"

c.  "America at War" DVD set

d.  "America:  The Story of Us" DVD set

e.  "The Presidents" DVD set

f.  Movies related to history

g.  Field trips

h.  Literature

5.  German IV:  Rosetta Stone Homeschool Version (http://www.rosettastone.com/homeschool-german)

6.   Personal Finance:  "Foundations in Personal Finance" course (http://www.daveramsey.com/store/kids-teens/home-school/foundations-homeschool-teacher-student-pack/prodFOUHOMEPACKCUR.html)

7.  Business elective:  I purchased Starting a Micro Business for Teens by Carol Topp and the accompanying workbook.  There are 2 other books in the series:  Running a Micro Business and Money and Taxes in a Micro Business. We will see how S enjoys the first book before I purchase the other two.  He would love to have his own business, so we will see how this works.

8.  Russian II:  Rosetta Stone Homeschool Version (http://www.rosettastone.com/homeschool-russian)- S hasn't decided if he is going to continue with Russian or not.  He likes his foreign languages.  We told him that he will graduate with 5 foreign language credits without taking Russian II, but it is up to him if he wants to put the time into the course.  We will see as the year moves along.

9.  Nutrition:  Just this week, S told me he might enjoy taking an elective course in Nutrition.  That is what his senior year is about.  I am looking at different books he could read, websites, videos, etc. to come up with a plan for him.  

Hard to believe we have made it to this point.  We are looking forward to this last year of our homsechool journey.

Since everything is all under control, you will find my husband and me on the couch with chocolate!

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