Secular Unit Studies

[pandahoneybee]

We have been doing a lot of unit studies...not really for any specific class but they are more for my oldest to "get in" the electives that he is interested in...

Right now we are doing game development, caring for goats and guineas (two animals we have on the farm right now, and survival skills.

I will probably make more of these into a credit depending on the level of research and work he does on them..more of hobbies for him.

What are you doing for extra credit/unit studies/etc. for your kiddos?

[peloha]

1) He is into Computers; hardware (build his own desktop, 9m's of negotiations, research, questions, presentations and budget talks), network, animation and programming.
2) He like his sport, karate, where he also volunteers helping out with the under 7 year old. Because of it he is thinking of asking to become a junior councillor at a summer camp. He has to wait till he is chronological in 9th grade though, cross my fingers he will still be into it then and they say yes.
3) He has been playing guitar for years, but he is not that into it anymore, although he does not want to quit it.
4) He has said if he stays homeschooled he wants to keep studying French, what becomes an elective after ninth grade. It is a surprise, because he struggles with French. At the moment we are reading French History in French and that has made French more interesting.
5)We are also looking for more variation in our "high school" curriculum, because computer and karate happen outside our "school time" and we are doing all these things for years.

Have fun!

[snippets]

Peloha, it sounds like your son knows what he wants to do. Kuddos to him!

[peloha]

Yes, he has a plan, but he is only 13y.

[pandahoneybee]

Wow...I would say that my 12 year old has more of a plan then my 17 year old but he is getting on track this year!! I just want them to be able to tell me things that interest them, so that I can make some unit studies up for all of us to learn!!

[snippets]

Farm life lends itself to lots of great learning lessons (unit studies). Budgeting and/or animal nutrition can be a mini unit. You can have the kids set up a budget for animal feed and then have them figure out which feed provides the best nutrition and value for the money. I know our guineas and goats are wasteful eaters, so picking a reasonably priced, but nutritious feed is crucial since feed is soooo expensive. Maybe they can figure out how often to purchase feed, keeping in mind wastefulness and weather. Maybe they can figure out other things around the farm to supplement the animal feed and cut the cost of purchased feed down a little. I know we plant rye and wheat and bail it by hand to supplement the goats. Maybe they can research to find out what grows in your area that is a good food resource for your animals.

Just thinking out loud.