Homeschool Curriculum For Middle School & High School Co-op Classes Or Individuals

Last year, my son and I really enjoyed doing some nature study activities out of the Handbook of Nature Study! This year, nature study will fit in nicely with our course on biology! It'd be nice to include a little class time whenever possible for getting out in nature and exploring the living world around us! The Handbook of Nature Study provides both activities and information about particular nature topics, many of which we'll be reading about in our biology text.

By the way, HarmonyArtMom includes a monthly newsletter of activities that go along with the Handbook of Nature Study for those who are interested! They're a lot of fun, in addition to being educational!

This is an optional book for the members of our NIKE Homeschool Co-op.

The principle goal of education is to create men
who are capable of doing new things,
not simply of repeating what other generations have done
- men who are creative, inventive and discoverers. -Jean Piaget


This is a catapult that a small group of teens made,
without any directions, hints, or help,
during our critical thinking class last year!

Photo © by Janiece.

Our Philosophy class should be a fun and lively discussion class! The youth will complete short exercises to get them thinking, then divide up into teams and discuss various philosophical questions together! We'll also learn a little bit about famous philosophers!

Our Critical Thinking class will involve working together as a team to complete various challenges. This is a very hands-on class, and was a favorite of the youth in our co-op last year! Because there are quite a few activities in the book that we've not attempted yet, we decided to continue the class for 2011-2012! Last year, many of the activities involved designing their own plans for whatever challenge they were trying to accomplish, carring them out, testing their model, making adjustments, and retesting! They were busy thinking critically and creatively, learning to work together as a team, and learning a valuable problem solving process, without relying on others to tell them what to do!

Nike Homeschool Co-op Members: What You Need For This Class
Each student does NOT need their own copy of the Team Challenges or the philosophy book.

Imagination is more important than knowledge.
Knowledge is limited. Imagination encircles the world.
- Albert Einstein

It is the supreme art of the teacher to awaken joy
in creative expression and knowledge. - Albert Einstein

For photography, we'll be using Oak Meadow's high school level photography class. There will be lessons on light, composition, color (including monochromatic), complementary colors, black and white, frame, landscape, portraits, patterns, narrative, depth of field, and many other things! Each week, the students will be given a new section in the syllabus to read (they're short), as well as a photography assignment. They'll complete the reading and photography and other assignments at home. In class, everyone will get a chance to show off some of their best photographs to the group! I'm really excited about this class! I think the students are going to have a ball!

Nike Homeschool Co-op Members: What You Need For This Class
1. Each family will need a copy of the photography syllabus. The syllabus contains information, as well as the assignments. (The syllabus is our textbook.) One syllabus per family (instead of per student) will suffice.

2. In addition, each student will need a notebook or journal. The notebook/journal will be used to collect ideas, clippings from magazines or newspapers, dreams or poems, or anything else that inspires you. It will also be used to record information about your photos, such as the date, subject, lighting conditions, etc.

3. Each student will need access to a camera. The camera can be either a 35 mm or a digital. (Obviously, if your child uses a 35 mm, they'll need film as well.) The author of the photography syllabus recommends a manual 35 mm camera, but also says you can use a point and shoot digital, or a point and shoot 35 mm.

Our Latin roots class will give students an opportunity to improve the English vocabulary by learning Latin and Greek roots. During this short class, the students will play games designed to help them learn a select set of roots. Each week, little by little, we'll add to the roots we already know, while continuing to review those learned previously.

Nike Homeschool Co-op Members: What You Need For This Class
Although it is not necessarily that each student have his own set of cards during class, it might be helpful to use the game in your review at home.

We'll start with Rummy Roots. If we make it all the way through this deck, we'll move on the More Roots.

Other atlases are available on Amazon and at your local bookseller.

Eat Your Way Around the World is a collection of recipes from around the world. Students will take turns preparing authentic international dishes for their classmates (and parents!) to sample.

Nike Homeschool Co-op Members: What You Need
It isn't necessary for every family to own their own copy, but having at least 2 to 3 copies within the co-op would be useful!

You can find a copy of it at on Amazon (follow the link below) or on the Geography Matters Website. Sometimes Eat Your Way Around The World can be found on ebay.