High School add-on

[abritunique]

We've been gone from WP for a couple of years, but it's time to come back! My youngest, now 5th grade, is getting bored with the same ole' same ole' routine every day and the first thing which popped into my head was, "We need WinterPromise!"
So, I know we are doing American History next year and this is the time period which most interests her. She's had world history up to this point, but not US specific. I'm hoping she's had enough Colonial and Westward Expansion information to build on. So it's AC2 for my 6th grader. I will also have an 8th grader and I'd like some more information on the High School add-on pack and credits please! I'm trying to make a decision between her using Sonlight or AC2 with add-on for next year. I have used "youngers" add-ons with WP in the past, but am concerned that it will be too "bitty" and not coherent enough for me. And with it being high school and having to keep track of everything now I'm a little concerned.
Thanks for your insights!
Lillian

[cheryl at WP]

We are loving AC2 and are also using the HS add-on. I am using it with my 9th and 12th graders this year, so we read the History of US together and discuss it. I really love History of US - for the most part, it is well done and relatively fair. The few times it shows its bias make for great discussion times. We have ended up using fewer of the "regular" resources to make room for more History of US discussion. For example, my kids have already read many of the Adventure Reading books, so we haven't redone those. And some of the simpler single-topic books I have assigned as independent work. We have not done all of the Presidential assignments that also go with the HS add-on, but I do like the Encyclopedia of the Presidents and we refer to it often.

If you're using AC2 with a 6th and 8th grader, I would think you could also use the History of US with both students. I do not think it would be too difficult for a 6th grader to comprehend, and if you are discussing it together it adds more family time. With a graduating senior that is what I crave the most!

As for credits, I calculate credits for my HS classes in two ways - hours and mastery. Some classes work well with an hour format - ie when you finish 120 hours of work I assign a credit. Others - and history is one of them - I assume that mastery of the subject deserves a credit. We tend to take more than a year to do a WP program so that we can tailor it to fit our family and schedule. I simply title the class whatever time period we completed and assign a full credit, knowing that my student did all of the work I expected covering that time period. So last year we finished Crossings and began Culture. I called that Later American History and awarded a credit. This year's course is finishing Culture and maybe moving into Royals. That is called Modern American History.

So I think you could assign HS credits as you see fit, as long as you explain your method on the transcript. Good resources for record-keeping are Homeschooling High School by Jeanne Gowen Dennis, and High School: A Home-Designed 4-mU-la, although I can't remember the author (a friend has borrowed my copy). They have great information and are coming from two completely different angles, so together they really helped me figure things out.

Sorry if this is TMI! Hope some of it is helpful.

[abritunique]

Thank you for so much information. I need it! My 8th grader is currently in that grade so I should have put that I'll have a 6th and 9th grader - I guess I'm really trying not to acknowlege that! :D
I'll look into those books as I really need an insight into those high school years.

[jamberrymama]

Cheryl- where does the History of US start.....at the early settling of the country with explorers - or later? Trying to figure out 9th grade American History for my son....thank you!

[cheryl at WP]

History of US actually starts with the Native Americans. There's some strange stuff at the beginning of the first book, but not too much, and it's easily discussed. It covers different groups of Native Americans and then goes into the explorers.

[jamberrymama]

History of US actually starts with the Native Americans. There's some strange stuff at the beginning of the first book, but not too much, and it's easily discussed. It covers different groups of Native Americans and then goes into the explorers.

Perfect. I am trying to get my son ready for the CLEP exam for early Am history after 9th grade (next year), and the outline of the exam starts with Native Americans and the explorers - so that is awesome. Thank you. Jam