Weekly Wrap-Up: My Goal This Year

I know with the increase in sophistication and content of high school comes a measure of responsibility on my part. Becoming lax is always my weakness...allowing things to slip through the cracks and assignment due dates to be flexible. Life does happen but for the most part my boys should be able to meet their required due dates for longer term projects. I am determined to stay on top of these projects this year and to participate in a larger way, even if it is just to be the cheering squad.

As part of my increased desire to stay on top of things, I am holding myself accountable for entering in completed assignments and scores on Homeschool Tracker. I realized at the *end* of last year that I had not been faithfully recording things as we went along and it took me about four days of my summer break to catch up on report cards and transcripts. There is no reason for letting it go that long. So far, after day number nine of the school year, I have only missed one day of recording completed assignments. I think that is a record for me and I am encouraged that it really is not all that much of a big deal, taking only about 5-10 minutes per day to click through the assignments that are already entered in the system.

Ready for some highlights?


Robotics for Mr. B started off with a dragster project from the Lego Mindstorms NXT One Kit Wonders book. He is finished building it now and next week he will build the track and hopefully start testing his car.




Creative Writing for Mr. B is going to be awesome. Believe it or not, I am using this book for the spine for at least the first twelve weeks of school.



Write Your Own Science Fiction
At first glance this book seemed a little too simple to be used for high school writing but at closer scrutiny I decided it could work. It is a perfect fit for Mr. B since he is such a great lover of science fiction. (There are other topics in this series if you have a budding writer. You can follow the link above and then scroll down on that page to see more genres.)

Here is an excerpt from a free write that he did this week:
"The once verdant landscape was now pitted and scarred. The devastation caused by the golden sun was told by the view in a way words only dreamed of. Ashen clouds of dust and dirt drifted lazily across the sky, propelled by a voiceless wind. Twilight fell, first one star then another winked on until the sky was studded with long ribbons of light."

I am looking forward to reading this child's writing this year...so glad he is home and I am audience to his voice on paper.


Baking is a new course that I have pulled together for Mr. B. He is interested in learning to be a chef, either for fun or for a career. There is a course at our local adult ed school that is for pastry chefs that he could take next year if he decides he wants to pursue this interest.



This year we are trying this subject out as a way to see if he has continued interest and perhaps even a talent for it. We are using Williams-Sonoma Kids Baking as our spine cookbook.


The above Apple Galette was his first assignment and it left us all begging for more. This week he is making Apple Turnovers.



Whatever Happened to Penny Candy? is a book and the start of a series of books that we have never read or discussed. I decided to incorporate it into our study of high school economics using the book and the accompanying guide. The guide is more than questions and answers and includes supplementary reading selections. With these additions the guide definitely enhances and steps up the level of work for high school credits. My husband and I are enjoying the material and discussing it with Mr. A. I am feeling like it might have been a good decision to wait until high school for this series.....very meaningful as my teen steps out into the working world.




Chemistry was great this week and we are loving The Joy of Chemistry as our guide to doing some hands-on labwork. The book outlines demonstrations for you to conduct and then accompanying explanations afterward.


I asked what the boys thought about the course so far and they both say they are enjoying the "real lab equipment and using chemicals". (Hat tip to Theresa at La Paz Home Learning for the recommendation of The Joy of Chemistry.)


The Elements: A Visual Exploration of Every Known Atom in the Universe

They also both mentioned that they love this book as a jumping off spot to learn more about the periodic table and the elements. My visual learner is making his own periodic table as he reads about each element and the other son is making a simple notebook page highlighting the elements with images and bullet points. I think this book is the coolest thing ever and it now resides on our coffee table where everyone in the family is reading it in their spare time.

So much more to talk about but I won't share everything this week. I think these wrap-up posts are a great way to not only share what we are doing each week but let you see how the books and materials actually play out in a regular sort of homeschooling family.

I am busy with my new Autumn art and music plans.....hopefully they will be ready to offer to you on 8/30/10. Stay tuned.

Barb-Harmony Art Mom