Weekly Wrap UP 7/31/20---Curriculum choices for 11th grade 2020-2021

I find myself only having to home school one child this year, since my daughter is going off to college next week!  I have been working on putting MarioFan's course work and I think we have made all of the decisions and I have order all of the supplies/curriculum we will need.  I do allow MarioFan to have some input but there are some things he just has to do:)!

We will not be attending our local Co-op this year due to the pandemic and people not wearing masks and that there are members of my family who are high risk.  So we are looking at a lot more online options this year.

So without further ado our plan for this year!

11th grade curriculum choices.

English (1 credit) --We are using Lightening Literature focusing on British literature this year.  I am also going to add in some Shakespeare plays and sonnets.  I will be using the site: Course hero and their study guides in addition to the Lightening Literature program.  I found out about Course Hero last year and we used it quite a bit and love their videos and analysis of the novels/plays.  I will also be including vocabulary and using a grammar program

I was lucky to get this free so am just need to buy the books.  I did decide to skip some of the books (as they wouldn't appeal to MarioFan--like Jane Eyre and pride and prejudice, so I can fit in more Shakespeare plays and sonnets.

This is my Shakespeare book from High school!  I still have all my notes and remember loving this class in High school because I had an amazing teacher who taught it!  Hope I can teach it as well as she did 30+ years ago!

Vocabulary -- 11th grade World wise

Grammar  Easy Grammar 11th grade

Science (1 credit )-- Chemistry which will be done online through Outschool and will include labs and tests.   I will also supplement with Crash Course videos if they are needed.  I also purchased the great courses video series on Chemistry last year so it will be available if more teaching is needed for certain areas.

the class is using this book and will be done in a 3 part series of classes.  total cost for the class is about $600

 Math (1 Credit)-- We are using Teaching textbooks Algebra 2 as it seems to work with MarioFan.  

Social Studies (.5 credit)--We are doing this class also through outschool.  This class is being done the first semester.  I will be using Crash course videos for Economics to supplement in addition to a few other books that will help beef up the course and make it worth half credit.

outschool class will be using these books

I will be using this book as well to supplement the course work if it is needed

 US Government (.5 credit)-- I will be doing this class on my own during the second semester and will be using Crash course in addition to a following the books below and the curriculum someone else created.  I was able to download a curriculum from one of the many homeschooling groups I belong too with their permission:)

The curriculum also suggests some movies to watch and books to read that are related to learning more about our system of government

I also have this video series that we will be looking into as well.

another book I will be using as needed to assist with the course

 ELECTIVES this year will include:

Sociology (.5 credit)--I am going to use some of the crash courses videos and well as this book as a spine

 Electronics/computer skills(1 credit) -- we are using 42 electronics and are on book D.  This program also includes python coding. 

Supplies came in and he will be building a moving robot car that takes pictures.

I also order a soldering kit and have several LED kits that he will learn to solder together.

Additional soldering supplies and soldering mat. 

My husband also plans to start instructing MarioFan on some GIS programs.  MarioFan is really interested in computers and electronics and keeps saying he wants to enter this field.  So we are trying to introduce him to many different types of computer and electronic skills so he can narrow down his ideas for what he wants to go to college for.

Spanish 3 (1 credit)-- this one is a tough one as we are not going to be attending Co-op this year due to the virus.  So I have narrowed down, but have not selected which course of action we will take.  Currently looking at Outschool Spanish classes, Spanish Homeschool Academy or a private tutor/class.   I am in the process of talking to several people to determine which on will work for us and hoping to pin down a class option before the end of August.  This has so far been my greatest headache scheduling. 

Piano (.5 credit)-- MarioFan is continuing  private tutoring sessions and  participates in several competitions each year.

Total credits for this year will be 6.5 credits.

If we have time we will look into doing a personal Finance class for .5 credits but I may hold off until next year,simply because I don't know how much time will be needed for his online courses during the week.   

If you have any curriculum suggestions for personal finance let me know in the comments below.

Someone gave me this program but I am still exploring other options as I am not a huge fan of Dave Ramsey. 

If we do personal finance that will bring MarioFan's total credits for the year to 7.

MarioFan opted not to take driver's education this year wanting to wait until his senior year!  Since his sister, Firedrake is taking the spare car with her to college and both my husband and my car are not 100% paid off so we are happy he decided to wait a year;)!

We have another packed year and I am still fine tuning my lesson plans/outline for the year.  We don't plan on beginning until the end of August after we get Firedrake settled in college which will be the middle of August.  I really foresee me not being super involved in a lot of his schooling this year.  Last year was a real turning point and he demonstrated that he was more than able and willing to do a lot of his work on his own and he did it well.  I will probably only need to teach  Literature for the year and US government next semester and just assist as needed for all the other subjects.

Weekly Wrap Up 7/24/20 -- 10th grade completed and Virtual Camp

We finally finished all of our assignments for completing 10th grade.  With me visiting my Mother for over a month MarioFan fell a tiny bit behind through no fault of his own.  He now gets to have the the next 4-5 weeks off for summer break.  I hope to spend more time in my glass studio!


MarioFan has done his science with his Dad for the past two years.  Since MarioFan was with me and at my Mom's they just finished up the last two chapters since we returned home. 

According to both my kids, Dad is a far tougher teacher than I am.  Plus his tests are hard.  :)

We got together with our Co-op family and the boys finished up the last book on our reading list.  This was not part of the curriculum we had, but we added it as we felt the boys needed to read a play and this tied in with the History the boys are working on separately.

While we discussed the book and reviewed all the symbolism, themes and character development for the books we decided we would not do a writing assignment for this book.  

The four of us read the play aloud and each had to read several different parts which was fun!


We also watched our last Music video by Great course on Music History, while we didn't get to attend all the symphonies we had signed up for this past semester due to the virus.  However I think we just covered the minimum of 60 hours to cover our .5 credit for high school

Lastly MarioFan participated in another virtual camp at home.  They delivered the supplies that he will need to participate in the camp.

This camp introduces kids to different types of jobs they can consider based on their interests, in addition to discuss what skills they need to achieve at college.  They also discuss budgeting, and other adult skills.  MarioFan participated in the camp in June and loved it so he wanted to do the second week and since they are including different companies I thought it was a good idea.  The companies the kids were introduced to was Wells Fargo, Mercy Hospital, Purina farms, STL Community College and Centene Corp.

Normally this camp is done in person and the kids get to tour the facility and meet with the workers.  Due to the pandemic the kids do everything online.  While not exactly the same it still provides lots of excellent information .

WeelKy Wrap Up 7/17/20-- Stain glass projects

Since returning home I have been working on some stain glass projects that have just been waiting for me to find some extra time to complete for myself.

I got the lantern at IKEA and removed the plain window glass.  I had four blue Geos and decided to incorporate them into my lantern.  I like how it turned out.

Took me a while to find a light fixture that would go inside the lantern.  My husband found this type of LED Light bulb and it distributes the light evenly around the lantern. 

what it looks like when lite.  I placed it on a timer so it will light up every evening and turn itself off on it's own.

I have different Geo's on all side but they are all blue

Finally finished MarioFan's Pokemon character Snivey. 

Also got my garden stake finished and placed in the garden.

I am now looking to start a few more projects.  I still need to go to the glass store to get some blue glass so I can finish working on my dogwood lamp.

I am hoping the glass shop opens up soon for business.

MarioFan wants me to make a Pokemon figure for his best friend.  I am told his favorite character is
Axew.

I am working on a pattern for it right now.

I also want to make a stain glass window for the Homeschool Mom that I have been working with for the last several years for classes that our boys attend.  Neither one of us will be attending Co-op next year due to the virus so I wanted to make something to show gratitude for all the work she put into teaching our kids.  I really struggled with what to make so finally I asked her what her favorite flower or bird was.  She said she has American Golden Finches in her yard that she enjoys watching feeding at her bird house. So I am looking for a pattern -- right now this is the top choice.

Lastly, I have one more garden stake in my studio that I have been staring out for ages trying to decide what to make with it.  It is hexagon shaped.  after some thought I am going to make an internal bee hive with bees flying around.  I know in my head exactly what I want -- lets see if I can create it.  I already found a hexagonal pattern, now looking for the perfect bee patterns to to add to it. 

 I have a lot of projects planned and with MarioFan now officially on school break, I have more free time.  I will post my progress as I go.  Not all will be completed by September.

In between glass projects I am still working on ordering curriculum for 11th grade and preparing to send my oldest off to college.

Weekly Wrap Up 7/10/20 -- College Orientation and visiting my MOM

We just got word that the college is opening up in August. I am not sure this is a good idea but we are trying to keep positive.  Truman can not do in person orientation yet, so the college did an online orientation.  Firedrake is signed up for her classes and was horrified to learn that she has to take trig.  We decided to put that off this semester as I have a feeling that classes will be cut short and she really struggled with her Calculus class online last semester. 

She finally heard back from her room mate and they are just starting to communicate who is bringing what.  We are only six short weeks away so we really need to start putting together what she is taking with her and what we need to buy.

MarioFan and I Spent some time with my MOM at her house.  Since my Dad's passing she is now trying to take care of her home on her own.  So many things my Dad and her did together and she needed a little help,  but mainly we went to just spend time with her:)

My mother is a fantastic gardener (I did not inherent that trait) and her yard is so lush and peaceful.  We spent many mornings and evenings outside enjoying the sights and sounds of nature.  We also cleaned the patio bricks, weathered sealed them, and added sand to the patio. 

Both kids helped lay mulch down in the yard and do general gardening stuff.  

 Mom and I worked on stain glass projects for her yard.  She wanted to hang some glass from her sign

the other side of the sign

Mom's puppy Jack kept us entertained with all his puppy antics.

In the evenings we went through all of my Dad's Military boxes and tried our best to sort through them and put them in order and into an album.  It was both sad and fun to see all the performance evaluations, certificates and awards my Dad had.  This was a project he was working on before he passed last year.

I think we went through about three boxes full of stuff.  My MOM found a great Navy album that we are putting things into.  We didn't have time to go through the photos, just his military file and awards.

My dad in 1961-2 joined the army reserves and was training to be a cook but after only six months he left to join the navy.

His Navy picture.  He was tested in the Navy and was told no way was he going to train to be a ship's cook, he was too bright.  He entered the field of cytological technician.

Found this citation for his service at the Golf of Tonkin.  Something he never talked about with me.

Found some pictures from his promotion to Chief Petty Officer.  He worked his way up to Master Chief before he retired.

So many memories and so many things I didn't know.  There were many things my mother never knew since his job was so secretive.  We plan to go through his military pictures next time I am there.

 Mom is a member of a local gardening club and she spent two years trying to get approval to place a Blue Star Memorial at the rest area near her home.  My Dad passed before he saw it completed.  But it is finally done and they held a ceremony last year on its completion.  My mother had a bag piper come and play Navy tunes at the ceremony in honor of my Dad.

This was the first time I was able to see the completed garden.  It looks great and is completely planted with Native plants for the PA area and also encourages pollinators. 

In another little area of the rest stop some girl scouts created a fairy garden.  It was cute

We spent lots of time together and enjoying each others company

My sister presented me with a lovely pillow made from one of my father's shirts.  I will treasure it always

My father was a huge Cardinals fan as will has a Iowa Hawk-eye fan.  He was born and raised in Iowa.  While at my Mom's I found some Navy buttons which I am going to use to replace the shirt buttons.  So everything my dad loved will be on this one pillow:)

Our last picture together before we began the journey home.

Mom loaded up my car with some plants to add to my garden.  I need to get them planted in the garden asap.  I hope they do well but I do not have a great track record

I am back at home and starting to get Firedrake ready for college and trying to prepare my lesson plans for MarioFan.  I need to start ordering some resources.  It will be a busy couple of weeks