One of the great advantages of unschooling through high school is being able to design a truly individualized curriculum.
When my oldest became the equivalent of a freshman, we spent a lot of time exploring options. And while high schools today offer way more interesting options than they did back in my day, I was surprised to see all the familiar staples: algebra, geometry, calculus, biology, chemistry, physics…you get the idea. It still seems to be the case that much of what is offered is only really necessary if you plan on a career based around that subject matter. I have yet to use much, if any, of my geometry or chemistry skills – and I have survived quite successfully having never taken a single calculus or physics class.
Continuing to unschool during high school has allowed my kiddos to: 1) learn subjects of interest to them, and 2) learn skills that will be highly applicable and useful in their adult lives. My son has now completed his high school years, and my twin girls are the equivalent of second-semester juniors. Some of their studies have been fairly traditional, but much of their education has been wildly and wonderfully unique. Here’s a peek at some of the courses on their transcripts.
Science:
Canine Biology: Fetal, Neonatal and Transitional Stages of Growth (this came with a lab in which my daughter actually delivered eight puppies on her own)
Canine Genetics
Paleontology
The Science of Climate Change
Anatomy: The Biomechanics of Dance
The Science of Music
Social Sciences:
Black History in America: Antebellum Period Through Present Day
Geography and Culture of Hawaii
American History Through Hamilton the Musical
Math:
Financial Literacy
Logic, Critical Thinking, and Spatial Reasoning
Foreign Language:
Swahili
Hawaiian
Deaf Studies
Electives:
Music Theory
Music Production and Promotion
Training a Therapy Dog
Societal Issues in Television and Film
Designing a Youth Theater Camp
Running a business
Best of all, my kids didn’t sit down in September and manufacture these topics. Most of these courses were simply reflections of what they were diving into already. The interest came first; the course was a formalizing of that interest for the sake of the records.
If you have high school age children, what kinds of subjects are they delving into these days? Share in the comments!
Hi Nicole,
Wow! It sounds like your kids are very engaged learners, and have delved into such a wide variety of interesting subjects!! I hope they are having a lot of fun,
My son is the same age as your daughters, (he met them a long time ago and remembers them?). He is loving homeschooling, and throughout high school he has studied a lot of subjects. Some of these are: Orchestra (violin, classical), Fiddle with the Boston Scottish Fiddle Orchestra, Biology – Infectious Diseases, US History (both before 1876 and after 1876), Society and Film, English Composition (oops, very traditional!), French 1,2,3,& 4), Poetry group, Literature group, Writing group (this group published a book of their stories). He has learned many subjects in science (especially environmental science) from a wonderful scientist, has acted in multiple plays (this summer it was a Shakespeare play with Youthquake), and has had a dog care business for years . These learning experiences, including the wonderful kids he has met and the amazing teachers/facilitators he has had, have brought and continue to bring so much joy and growth to his life. What better could you ask for in your child’s education?
Hi Johanna!
My girls remember your son, too 🙂
It sounds like your son has had many wonderful experiences! As you say, what better could you ask for? Thanks so much for sharing!