To sum up this year, Twenty Twenty-Five,
We’ll dig through the photos in the old archive…

Again we started with subzero temps
While Levi & Gary went on a Honduras mission trip.

David turned a year older on Valentine’s Day.
Homeschool and co-op were full of learning and play.

Big Laurel Falls was our spring waterfall hike.
We enjoyed spending time with people we like.

Stephen graduated from biochemical college
with his shoes full of feet and his head full of knowledge.

Then we headed out west, new memories to make.
First stop ended up as Isaac’s 50th state.

Our childhood heroes were easily seen
in the Storybook Gardens of Abilene.

Next stop was Carlsbad, an underground wonderland.
Then trekked across miles of stunning white sand.

Next was Petrified Forest where trees turned to stone,
Sunset Crater Volcano, and an Indian home.

At the mighty Grand Canyon, we oohed and we aahed
over magnificent scenery sculpted by God.

Glen’s Horseshoe Bend boasted beautiful features
We crawled through Sand Cave like little Hobbit creatures.

We continued to crawl through Hobbit Hole Slot
in Zion where we found a great photo op.

In Bryce we hiked among many hoodoos.
The switchbacks nearly wore through all of our shoes.

We traveled the washboard on Hole-in-Rock Road
To explore Devil’s Garden, a sight to behold.

Capitol Reef connected us to Little Wild Horse,
a slot canyon much like an obstacle course.

After all that hiking, our knees started wobblin’.
So we rested our legs in the Valley of Goblins.

In Arches we saw an elephant line
Double, Delicate, Landscape, and Pine.

Canyonlands was a stop we wanted to repeat
Corona Arch trail we thought pretty neat.

On the way out of Utah, Forrest Gump Point
was an iconic view. It did not disappoint.

At Mesa Verde we explored Cliff Dwelling remains
In Durango we explored the Silverton train.

At Sand Dunes we stayed until the sun set its light.
At Salt Plains we dug up crystal selenite.

We dropped by Brandy’s sisters as we were on the way
back home where we celebrated some summer birthdays.

Other summer things? eXalt and KidZ Choir
and VBS where we crafted with hooks and some wire.

At Salt Lick we fished and we camped and we rowed.
This year’s HDS, we sang Westward Ho!

This time for Sukkot we camped once again.
We enjoyed time spent with family and friends.

To Cumberland Falls for fall-break family time
with Big South Fork Scenic Railway and Twin Arches to climb.

Unexpected changes also happened this fall
when fostering became our family’s new call.

A Tobymac concert and Levi’s birthday
finished out the year in a very special way.

At the David Movie Premiere, we all had a ball.
The boys nerded out with Wingfeather’s Chris Wall.

As we reflect on this year – new memories and things,
We consider this season and the hope that it brings.

We’re grateful to God for His blessings and care
For His salvation within us – His immense love to share.

With blessings and prayers from our family to yours,

Gary, Brandy, Stephen, David, Levi, Isaac, and Foster Baby #1

The post Christmas Wrap 2025 appeared first on Half a Hundred Acre Wood.

Need help (or convenience) with planning for high school?  The planning has already been done for you with High School Lesson Plans! We’re separating each subject/course from our Truth Trek High School Lesson Plans Series to offer one-year, high-school level curriculum schedules so you can choose individual subjects and better customize your student’s course of study through high school. These lesson plans provide:

36 weeks of lesson plans (for full-year credits) or 18 weeks of lesson plans (for one-semester or half-credit electives)
Suggestions for earning college credit via CLEP testing for those subjects that have CLEP exams — and a high school CLEP Test Credits reference
 A transcript template
A recommended option for using a one-room schoolhouse approach for all grades where appropriate (for families with younger children in addition to high school students)
Weekly prompts and reminders for parents to stay plugged in to their high school students’ learning progress

Each week of high school lesson plans consists of four days of instructions for students and wraps up with a “Co-op or Parent Meeting Day” that walks parents or instructors through a discussion of the current week’s topics and activities.

High School History Lessons

Our lesson plans for Dave Raymond’s History include Bible readings/responses to add a Bible credit to each course and literature/composition assignments to add an English credit to each program.

• Dave Raymond’s American History Lesson Plans
• Dave Raymond’s Antiquity Lesson Plans
• Dave Raymond’s Christendom Lesson Plans
• Dave Raymond’s Modernity Lesson Plans

High School Math Lessons

Our High School MATH Lesson Plans include an entire suite of high school-level math lessons scheduled out for grades 9-12 with Math U See Algebra I through Calculus. This single guide includes a full year’s lesson plans for each option:

• Math – Algebra I (full year, 1 credit): Math U See Algebra I Legacy Edition (brown cover)
• Math – Geometry (full year, 1 credit): Math U See Geometry
• Math – Algebra 2 (full year, 1 credit): Math U See Algebra 2
• Math – Advanced Math Option 1 (full year, 1 credit): Math U See Precalculus
• Math – Advanced Math Option 2 (full year, 1 credit): Calculus for Everyone
• Math – Advanced Math Option 3 (full year, 1 credit):  Math U See Calculus
• Click here for more details.

High School Foreign Language

Our High School Latin Lesson Plans include two years of high school-level lesson plans for two full credits in Foreign Language using Visual Latin from Compass Classroom. This single guide includes two full year’s lesson plans for Visual Latin 1 and Visual Latin 2. To complete this plan of study, you will need the following resources:

• Year 1 – Foreign Language I (1 credit): Visual Latin 1 along with Lingua Latina (Familia Romana).
• Year 2 – Foreign Language II (1 credit): Visual Latin 2 along with Lingua Latina (Familia Romana).

These lesson plans may be used for middle school by dropping the Lingua Latina lessons.

High School Elective (Visual/Performing Arts)- Filmmaking

Our High School Filmmaking Lesson Plans includes one-year of high school-level lesson plans for one high school credit in Visual/Performing Arts and/or computer technology using Filmmaking from the First Directors from Compass Classroom. To complete this plan of study, you will need the following resources:

• Filmmaking from the First Directors
• Audio/video equipment and computer software for editing their footage (such as iMovie or other similar program)

High School Elective (Humanities & Worldview) – Consequences of Ideas

High School Lesson Plans Philosophy is a one-semester high school-level curriculum guide which provides lesson plans for a half credit in high school humanities/worldview using Philosophy: Consequences of Ideas from Compass Classroom. To complete this plan of study, you will need the following resources:

• Philosophy: Consequences of Ideas
• The book A History of Western Philosophy and Theology by John M. Frame

High School Elective (Economics) – Economics for Everybody

Economics for Everybody Lesson Plans provides lesson plans for a half credit (one semester) in high school humanities/worldview using Economics for Everybody from Compass Classroom. To complete this plan of study, you will need the following resources:

• Economics for Everybody course
• Optional: Basic Economics textbook

Students may opt to earn six hours of college credit in social science at the conclusion of this course by preparing for and taking the Principles of Macroeconomics and Principles of Microeconomics CLEP exams.

High School Lab Science – Devotional Biology

Devotional Biology Lesson Plans is a one-year (36-week) high school-level curriculum guide which provides lesson plans for one high school credit in Biology (lab science) using Devotional Biology, a video-based curriculum from Compass Classroom. To complete this plan of study, you will need the following resources:

• The Devotional Biology course

Students may opt to earn eight hours of college credit in Biology at the conclusion of this course by preparing for and taking the Biology CLEP exam.

Career Readiness/Bible – Kickstart: Launch Your Life

Kickstart Lesson Plans provides lesson plans for a half credit (one semester) in high school career readiness/Bible using Kickstart: Launch Your Life from Generations Curriculum. Click here for more details.

What’s next?

Other subjects will be released as soon as they are available. If you have a specific course/subject you’d like to move forward in our queue, leave a comment below or contact us at halfahundredacrewood @gmail.com (no spaces).

The post High School Lesson Plans by Subject appeared first on Half a Hundred Acre Wood.

Public Speaking. It strikes a fear and dread into the hearts of almost all of us. A quote often attributed to Mark Twain makes the point more bluntly:

“There are only two types of speakers in the world. 1. The nervous and 2. Liars.”

And yet… this is one of the most important skills we can master. Public speaking allows us to communicate interests and ideas with others. Communicating effectively is necessary in almost every single career. And communication is commanded by Christ:

“Go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to all the creation.” Mark 16:15

In fact, scripture has much to say about what we say. As Christians, we’re challenged to encourage and edify one another (1 Thessalonians 5:11), to share the Good News with the world (Mark 16:15), to speak truth (Ephesians 4:15, 25) and move others to goodness (Hebrews 10:24), and to become a voice for the voiceless (Proverbs 31:8-9). Every time we speak or write, we’re choosing the words we say. But how do we decide which words to use? The two greatest commandments, to love the Lord your God and to love your neighbor as yourself, should compel us to speak with clarity and sincerity, engaging others with speech that considers others before ourselves. And thus, rhetoric (or the art of using words well) becomes a subject of great importance in a Christian education.

So… how do we overcome our fear and tackle this foreboding yet necessary skill? Where do we start? And how do we even figure out what to say?

Here’s where I bring in some reinforcements. Since public speaking does not come naturally to me, I must search for resources that lay down the rails for me to teach (and learn alongside) my children. Introduction to Public Speaking is exactly what we needed to provide structure and practice for developing skills in speech-writing, memory techniques, and delivery.

We received this product free for the purpose of reviewing it. We only recommend resources we actually use in our own homeschool. Affiliate links are used in this post. Your purchases through our links keep this website up and running. We are grateful for your support. Please read our full disclosure policy for more details.

Introduction to Public Speaking is a 12-week video-based course in which middle- and high-school students learn memory and delivery techniques as they write and present five different speeches:

• Self-introductory, in which they tell who they are
• Narrative, in which they tell a story
• Expository, in which they inform or explain
• Persuasive, in which they convert or motivate
• Impromptu, which are prompted by special occasions

The course includes:

• A Student Packet with 3-Ring Student Binder which includes a packet of handouts with source texts, checklists, and other resources, along with four tabbed dividers for organizing student work | Download a sample
• A Teacher’s Manual which includes images of all student pages along with teaching tips, whiteboard notes, teaching tips, and student samples | Download a sample
• Portable Walls for the Public Speaker
• 12 video lessons (in streaming or DVD format) in which an experienced teacher (Andrew Pudewa) instructs students on the art of public speaking

Beginning with an overview of the Five Canons of Rhetoric, the first few weeks of the course focus on developing the skill of memorization using poetry and famous speeches before embarking on the writing of specific types of speeches.

Recorded as a live class, this course teaches students to evaluate themselves and others regarding poise, locution, contact, and content. After students attempt their first critique, they compare their evaluation with those provided within the book. Students continue to evaluate recorded speeches as they prepare for self-evaluation. Thus, the program models the critique process – and the important skill of self-evaluation – for students.

Each lesson includes daily lesson plans, and the teacher’s guide includes a video summary along with the notes that were taken on the board.

At the end of each lesson, students are encouraged to organize their materials, which is, of course, another important life skill.

Included with this program are Portable Walls for the Public Speaker where main concepts are organized as a quick reference for students as they plan, compose, memorize, present, and evaluate speeches.

This program equips parents and teachers with tools that help form competent and confident public speakers…

• It’s great for co-ops and schools. Extra student materials are available for students who are watching the Introduction to Public Speaking video course in a group or classroom setting.
• It’s great for homeschools. It’s not teacher-intensive. The teacher materials are laid out in such a way that a parent can easily remain engaged with their teens.

As our 14-year-old son prepares to present at a regional 4-H Project Achievement Day, he’s using the skills developed in this course to hone his speech and delivery. (Update: He won first in the region for his category!) And… I can already see great improvement in his writing of essays (in general) as a result of this course.  This course is actually something he looks forward to each day. But you don’t have to take our word for it. Try the first two weeks of this course free!

Interested in other resources for improving your student’s writing and communication skills? Check out all our favorites!

100% Money-Back Guarantee

Because of IEW’s incredible 100% Money-Back Guarantee, we highly recommend purchasing products directly from IEW instead of through 3rd-party sellers.

Try out Writing, Spelling, Poetry, and Grammar Programs for Free!

We highly recommend checking out the first three weeks of Structure & Style for Students program from IEW. (You can access the first three weeks free.)

Other IEW programs you can try out for free include…

• Structure and Style for Students. If you’d prefer Andrew Pudewa to teach writing structure and style to your student(s), this program is for you! Download the first lessons from each level for teaching composition to children in grades 3-12.
• Fix It! Grammar. Download the first lessons of all four levels of this gentle introduction to grammar and mechanics with thorough yet simple instructions for the teacher.
• Introduction to Public Speaking. Download the first two lessons of this engaging program for learning to conquer the #1 fear of most people: public speaking.
• University-Ready Writing is a 12-week video-based course which teaches high school students advanced note-taking skills and writing techniques in preparation for college-level writing. Try it free here!
• Theme-Based Writing Lessons. Theme-Based Writing Lessons are for students and/or teachers familiar with IEW’s Structure and Style Program. Topics include science, history, literature, and Bible, covering a variety of grade levels.
• Linguistic Development through Poetry Memorization. Download the first five poems from this mastery approach to learning poetry.
• The Phonetic Zoo. Try a sample of a program that teaches spelling with an auditory approach towards mastery. (Requires free registration.)
• Free audio talks, booklists, and more! (Our favorite audio is Nurturing Competent Communicators.)

Visit IEW to find out more about other programs to transform your students into proficient writers – from early elementary all the way through college! You may also be interested in our favorite resources for teaching grammar and composition to students in grades 3-12.

*IEW product images are subject to copyright. Used with permission.

The post How to Teach Public Speaking appeared first on Half a Hundred Acre Wood.

In our early years of homeschooling, we tried so many math programs: Saxon, Math Mammoth, A Beka, Christian Light Education (CLE), Master Books, ACE Paces, Life of Fred, Beast Academy, and others I’m probably forgetting.  I kept defaulting back to Saxon (unsuccessfully, I might add) until my husband told me to get rid of it. (My background is in engineering and in teaching high school-level math, so it’s ironic this was such an issue for us.)

It was in my search for a high school-level advanced math course that we landed upon Math U See. Our oldest son was planning to go into a STEM field in college, and we wanted something that would provide a solid foundation before he tackled college-level calculus. He had finished Algebra 2 in 11th grade and needed a precalculus course. Our options were limited. Math U See PreCalculus was one of them.

At first, I was concerned Math U See would not adequately prepare our children for college-level math (because I’ve always carried Saxon guilt, thinking that it had to look like Saxon for it to be successful), but Math U See Precalculus proved to be sufficient to equip our oldest for entering Calculus I as a college freshman. It was actually the best math curriculum he used throughout his middle and high school years!

The following year I decided to swap the rest of our sons to Math U See, and I couldn’t believe how well it had worked for all of them (one in high school, one in middle school, and one in grade school). Since then, our second son also completed Math U See Precalculus as a senior and then entered an engineering program at a local university. Our third son started Math U See Pre-Algebra in 7th grade and liked it more than any other math curriculum we had used. (He is now taking a calculus course as a high school junior).  And our youngest has been working methodically through the elementary series. (He has completed Alpha (1st grade), Beta (2nd grade), Gamma (3rd grade), Delta (4th grade), and Epsilon (5th grade) and is currently in Zeta (6th grade), the last level before entering Pre-Algebra.

Now that we’ve used Math U See for over five years, I’d like to share five reasons why Math U See has been the best math curriculum for us…

Five Reasons We Use Math U See

1. The “See” in Math-U-See. Math U See builds conceptual understanding using consistent, hands-on manipulatives, then proceeds with visual representations (on paper) followed by the symbolic form. And it’s not an extensive list of manipulatives. Math U See uses the same manipulatives from Primer through high school-level math: integer blocks, fraction overlays, and decimal inserts.

2. A simple mastery approach. Math U See provides an adequate balance of practice and review. In other programs, either there wasn’t enough focus on new concepts (as was the case for us with Saxon’s spiral approach), or the assignments were too short (as was the case with Master Books), or the assignments were too long (as was the case with A Beka and several other programs). Math U See provides enough sheets for you to customize the amount of new-concept practice and systematic review to incorporate.

3. Teaching videos. Although I’ve found the instructor’s manual easy to use, we’ve used the teacher videos for convenience. The videos explain the concepts in a classroom setting, and they’re fairly short. The videos have provided autonomy for our high schoolers, and it’s helped me to learn to use the manipulatives correctly for our younger son. The videos are not required by our a great add-on, especially for parents who aren’t strong in math themselves.

4. Honors and/or application lessons provide real-world examples or puzzles/challenges for the student to complete. These are optional but build problem-solving skills and provide some great math discussion opportunities.

5. The progression allows for Calculus in high school. If students start in Pre-Algebra in 7th grade, they will be able to take Calculus before they graduate from high school. That’s with taking only one math course per year. If students start in Alpha in 1st grade, they will end up in Pre-Algebra their 7th grade year. In other words, children don’t have to be advanced math whizzes in order to take the most advanced math course normally tackled by honors students in high school. It’s the natural pace/progression in Math U See. And if a student struggles, you can slow down the pace and still get to Algebra 2 and/or Precalculus in high school.

If you’re interested in learning more, you can explore each level, download samples, and watch sample video lessons at the following links:

• • Primer
  • Alpha
  • Beta
  • Gamma
  • Delta
  • Epsilon
  • Zeta
  • Pre-Algebra
  • Algebra 1: Legacy Edition or Algebra 1: Principles of Secondary Mathematics
  • Geometry
  • Algebra 2
  • PreCalculus
  • Calculus

Need help (or convenience) with planning for high school?

Our High School Truth Trek plans include lesson plans for Math U See Algebra I through PreCalculus. And… we are now dividing up the Truth Trek series into subject-specific lesson plans so families can choose individual subjects and better customize what their students are taking. Our first subject-specific lesson plans are High School MATH Lesson Plans which include an entire suite of high school-level math lessons scheduled out for grades 9-12 with Math U See Algebra I through Calculus. Click here for more details.

You may also be interested in:

• Recommended Math Games and Resources
• Recommended Books for Teaching Math with Picture Books
• Math Resources for teaching multiplication, unit conversions, geometry, math laws and more…
• Other curriculum reviews
• Other Math Posts

The post Why Math U See? appeared first on Half a Hundred Acre Wood.

When our eldest son graduated from high school four years ago, I had no idea how much it would shift my priorities and our family dynamic. While it’s been a joy to watch him pursue his post-homeschool educational endeavors (and work in scientific research as an adult), the honest truth is that… when he graduated and left for college, a piece of my heart went with him.

And now, even though I’m still adjusting to not just our first son’s graduation but also to our second son’s graduation (which was a year ago), our third son started trade school this summer. This means the end of another homeschool journey is fast approaching.  I have so loved homeschooling each of our boys through high school. It’s exciting to enter into this new chapter of their lives, but man. It’s so hard to let go.

So… in case you’re wondering why it’s been quiet over here, I’m finding it harder and harder to write blog posts and engage on social media and write newsletters because my perspective has shifted so much. Time with my family is just so precious.

Before I share more, I just want you to know… I am a real mom. We are a family who loves to spend time together and aims to love and serve God well. I enjoy writing curriculum and sharing ideas (and my husband is such a good sport about handling shipping, receiving, and customer service), but I am not that mom who has it all together. My ongoing prayer is that what we share here and what our business stands for continues to bless other families. My husband and I are grateful for the opportunity to homeschool our family alongside yours even as our lives shift and transform into a new normal.

Before providing a sneak peek at our schedules and curriculum selections, I wanted to revisit my top lessons learned from our first fifteen years of homeschooling…

Lessons Learned from Fifteen Years of Homeschooling

• Seek first the kingdom of God. Loving God and fellow man (including siblings) takes precedence over everything else.
• Relationship is far more important than curriculum and lesson plans. Get to know your children and their interests. Seek opportunities to encourage them in those interests, but also hold them accountable to do their best in whatever they do.
• Young children operate best with short 15-minute lessons and plenty of time to explore nature and use their hands. (Boys especially struggle with sitting at a desk for long periods of time. We’ve completed our book work on the playground, the trampoline, the patio, sitting upside down in a chair…)
• Reading together provides an opportunity to build your family’s relationships through shared stories and discussion. During family read aloud time, it’s okay if children are using their hands (playing with LEGOs, coloring, etc.). In fact, we’ve found that it’s necessary.
• Give yourself and your children the grace of tapering into the school year, taking breaks when needed, and doing whatever needs to be done in the midst of your real, everyday lives.
• Be prepared, but hold your plans and expectations loosely, for God may have a special unexpected purpose for your family to pursue.
• Focus on learning and character-building rather than grades and test scores (at least until middle or high school).
• Resist falling into the trap of comparison. Comparison is the death of contentment. Do what’s best for your family, regardless of what others say and do.
• Choose joy. Learning can be hard, but it’s also exciting and rewarding. If you’re filled with a sense of dread as you enter a new school year, it’s time to change what you’re doing.
• If you’re new to homeschooling, start simple. Reading, writing, and arithmetic are the foundational skills needed for learning anything. Add in other things to spark curiosity and to learn about God and the world He has given us. When you discover interests and giftings, pursue them!
• Be confident but also recognize that plan doesn’t equal reality. As with starting anything new, it may be a rocky road at first. (Remember, mercy triumphs over judgment!) Pray for guidance, wisdom, and grace, and lay all your efforts at the feet of Jesus. It’s all for Him anyway!

Homeschool Schedules

Let me take you back to when we first started homeschooling. What follows is a bare bones schedule for learning the basics.

This was the schedule we followed until our thirst for more truth, goodness, and beauty prompted us to seek new learning adventures beyond the basics. Over time, our family started to long for the wonder and beauty of music, art, poetry, science, and literature. We discovered the passions of our children and pursued hands-on history studies with our eldest (who has always loved history). Then we felt a genuine desire to make the Great Commission the focus of our learning endeavors. And as our oldest boys became teenagers, we wanted to stay connected in our learning even though they were studying high-school level material. And so our reading plans, blog posts, and schedules morphed over time to look more like this:

This schedule is just a guideline we’ve used in the past. In reality, our homeschool has been more of a juggling act at times. After our morning time (which has consisted of activities we use to jumpstart our school day), our high schoolers would follow a somewhat independent schedule, choosing the order in which they complete assignments. They engaged me in discussions or asked questions as needed. When I was working with our youngest two, their brothers were working on something they could do without my assistance so that they didn’t interrupt — and vice versa.

Curriculum Choices

In years past, I have taken each of our children out individually for a “dessert date” before the school year starts. This was where we set goals and chose curriculum for the year. I’ve loved setting goals with my children, and I’ve loved learning with them. It’s one of the greatest reasons we homeschool. Another reason is learning together, which leads me to…

Family Morning Time

For several years, our family (from our youngest though our oldest) has started together with a common morning time over breakfast. Now that we have one beyond college, one in college, and one halfway in college (via dual enrollment), this just leaves our fourth son and me for morning time.

• For morning time, we’re using the one-year U.S. history/geography curriculum, Mission: Lasting Liberty. This plan includes Bible, U.S. history, hymns, art, music, poetry, geography, science, scripture memorization, and read-alouds. Memory work includes poetry & hymns, U.S. geography, and scripture. This means we skipped Mission Faith Forgers, which was a painful decision for me because it’s my favorite of the three Mission Great Commission curriculum plans. But due to several factors, we ended up jumping over a year which will put our son at the right place in 9th grade for starting Truth Trek One. To make up for the skip, we’ve been reading Trial and Triumph and adding in some of the missionary stories from Mission Faith Forgers.

In the past, our older students were fairly independent in their individual work and just asked questions as they needed my assistance. After morning time, most of my day was spent on teaching writing and math to the youngest ones, discussing literature/philosophy/etc. with the oldest ones, and answering questions as needed. This year, it’s pretty different. Our third son (who is now in 11th grade) is only home two days per week. On those days, he works through Bible, physics, calculus, and English/literature, and we discuss content from each subject, so… let’s start with that.

The High Schooler (11th grade)

Our 11th grader officially needs only a few more credits to graduate (Bible III, English III, and English IV), but he’s taking additional coursework in science and math because it’s a given in our home that our children will take one course from each of the science disciplines (biology, chemistry, and physics) and they will take at least four years of math (one of which he completed in 8th grade). He’s currently working on the mechatronics & industrial maintenance program at the Tennessee College of Applied Technology (aka, trade school) as a dual enrollment student. Here at home, he’s studying the following:

• Physics: Conceptual Physics
• Math: Calculus for Everyone. Read our review.
• Exposition & Composition: Worldviews in Conflict. This literature course compares the Christian worldview to the predominant worldviews students will encounter beyond high school and in popular culture (using the writings of philosophers, literary figures, film, and pop culture) and includes an analysis of influential literary works from Shakespeare’s Macbeth, Hawthorne’s The Scarlet Letter, Twain’s Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, and Hemingway’s The Old Man and the Sea. Other reading & composition will come from philosophy and British literature selections.
• Philosophy: Consequences of Ideas. This is a course that we’re both going through which corresponds nicely with Calculus for Everyone.
• (TCAT coursework towards certification in mechatronics.)

Two of the resources above are part of the Compass Classroom Membership, a monthly subscription option allowing homeschool families access to over 30 courses. You can test drive all the courses for free!

If you’d like to take a look at a scope and sequence for fulfilling history credits, visit this post or check out our Truth Trek series which provides plans that take students through all four years of high school.

The Middle Schooler (6th grade)

This year ushers us into another shift in our homeschool. I already mentioned that our third son has started trade school as a dual enrollment student which means there’s not much he’s doing at home from here on out. Our youngest son started 6th grade last week which means we don’t really have an elementary student anymore. Honestly, I miss using things like All About Reading. (Three of our sons have asked me to keep our All About Reading curriculum, so at least it’s not completely out of our lives. I guess that’ll end up being distributed as part of their inheritance.)

So… here’s what our sixth grader is working on this year:

• History, Science, Drawing/Art, Composer/Orchestra, Geography, and Scripture: Mission: Lasting Liberty.
• Poetry, Bible, and Geography Memory Work. Also Mission: Lasting Liberty
• Math: Math U See Zeta. Math U See has resulted in the best outcome of any math curriculum option we have used in the past – for all of our sons! Most math programs incorporate either too few math problems or too many. This program provides a good balance, incorporating new concept practice and systematic reviews for every lesson. And… because he will start PreAlgebra in 7th grade, he will be capable of completing math through Calculus I in high school if we decide to do so.
• Language arts:
  • Spelling: All About Spelling Level 4. We’re still using this program in our family after over a decade. We’ve attempted other spelling programs, but this is the one we have always returned to. You can read more about it here. (Until August 26, enjoy FREE shipping on orders over $100.)
  • English Grammar: Fix-It Grammar – Level 4 (15 minutes). We’ll work through these short, simple lessons to reinforce mechanics and editing skills over the course of the year. This is the quickest, most effective way to apply English grammar and mechanics. Read the reasons we love this program so much, and/or try it free here!
  • Composition: Writing & Rhetoric Book 5: Refutation & Confirmation. While we often recommend IEW’s theme-based writing lessons or Structure & Style for Students for teaching/learning all types of structures (such as summaries, essays, literature responses, critiques, and stories), our youngest son has a bent towards narrative writing. Writing & Rhetoric provides consistent narration in our homeschool and allows us to work through the classical progymnasmata as he develops his writing abilities. He has learned to write fables, narratives, and 6-paragraph chreia/proverb essays. This year he’s learning refutation and confirmation. Thus far, it’s been a great fit for him! And should we ever need to, we can always return to IEW’s Structure & Style to ensure we’ve covered all the bases.
  • Literature selections for independent reading will be posted here. If he had his choice, he would read mostly the fantasy/adventure genre (such as Wingfeather Saga, Guardians of Ga’Hoole, The Mysterious Benedict Society, or Guardians of Childhood). But… we came to an agreement this year which has been working rather well. After he reads two books from our suggested reading list (primarily historical fiction relating to the history we’re studying), he gets to read a book of his choice. We’re two weeks into the school year and he’s already starting his fifth book. (View what he’s read here.) If you have a younger child and are studying American history this year, you may want to checkout selections from the Who Was series, American history leveled readers, and American History Picture Books.

Beyond High School

If you’re looking at college, just know that things are not the same as they were two or three decades ago. Young men with college degrees are now unemployed at the same rate as those who never went to college at all. And this is now occurring even with degrees in STEM-related fields. So… my one piece of advice from having two college students is…

Do NOT take out loans to go to college.  It’s not worth it. If you need some convincing, we urge you to watch this video (approx. 1.5 hours).

We’ve been blessed that our oldest sons have gone to college tuition-free due to scholarships (based mainly on their ACT scores). If it had not been tuition free, though, they likely would have all traveled the trade school route. (Actually, I wish our oldest sons had enrolled in a dual enrollment program at trade school to earn certifications/training in a trade prior to graduating from high school. I also wish they had experienced an apprenticeship or, at the very least, some job shadowing. You can learn more about this approach through the Kickstart program.)

That sums up where we are now. If you have any questions about these schedules, about any of our curriculum choices, about college, or about planning in general, feel free to drop down to the comments or send us an email! We’d love to hear from you!

[I am] confident of this very thing, that he which has begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ: -Philippians 1:6

The post Curriculum Picks & Lessons Learned Revisted appeared first on Half a Hundred Acre Wood.

Over the past couple of years, our family discovered an English grammar program that not only filled the gaps we had experienced when using another language arts curriculum, but it also emphasized classical and Charlotte Mason principles in design and implementation. That program? Fix It! Grammar from IEW.

Fix-It Grammar is a gentle introduction to writing and grammar with thorough yet simple instructions for the teacher. The program introduces concepts in English grammar, after which the student applies the concept (in context) to a passage from a quality work of literature. Instead of memorizing rules and applying them to unrelated sentences, students learn to edit sentences in an ongoing story, which provides a foundation for learning to transfer grammar and editing skills to their own writing. Students also build new vocabulary and hone dictionary/research skills as they define each vocabulary word within the text.

There are many good things I can share about this program – its simplicity, its thoroughness, its effectiveness. Our 10-year-old son actually enjoys his English grammar lessons, which is shocking in itself. But… the most rewarding aspect of the program is how it complements our family’s classically Charlotte Mason approach to learning. It just… fits.

How Fix It! Grammar Embraces Charlotte Mason Principles

1. Lessons are short. Charlotte Mason advocated short lessons for young children. By focusing on a task for 15-20 minutes, students learn the habit of focused attention early in their education, making the future scholar years more productive and efficient.
2. Lessons emphasize establishing good habits. Habits makes up a third of a child’s education. Fix It! Grammar emphasizes the habits of attention and best effort as a student learns to catch and edit mistakes and write a passage correctly and neatly.
3. Lessons are relevant. English grammar concepts are taught and applied at the point of need through the context of literature. Students incorporate usage, grammar, and punctuation concepts as they correct passages and discuss their corrections with their teacher. The passages include the kinds of errors normally found in student writing, which provides student the opportunity to practice finding errors in sentences along with why and how they need to be fixed. The format encourages students to apply new grammar concepts in context, which aids in the transfer of grammar skills to their own writing and editing.
4. Lessons present ideas instead of unrelated facts. English grammar and proofreading skills are taught through the presentation of ideas rather than disconnected facts. Charlotte Mason embraced the use of living books written in a conversational or narrative style. Fix It! Grammar uses text from living books to learn English grammar. The living book approach to learning makes a subject come alive as the narrative pulls the reader into the subject, which involves the emotions and makes it easier to learn the concepts presented. Literature used in the six levels offered in this program include passages from: Nose Tree, Town Mouse and Country Mouse, Robin Hood, and The Jungle Book.
5. Lessons provide an opportunity for narration. Because Fix It! Grammar uses a narrative work (story) in application, it lends itself to using narration to tell back the story in a student’s own words. There are no prompts within the book for doing so, but the layout of the program provides an opportunity for students to narrate the passage they are rewriting.
6. Lessons provide a passage for studied dictation. If desired, each sentence or passage may be used for studied dictation to improve spelling, punctuation, and capitalization skills.

How Fix It! Grammar Embraces Classical Principles

1. Repetition, intensity, and duration result in mastery. Students repeatedly practice skills in editing (repetition) in a setting of focused attention to detail (intensity) over the period of several years (duration).
2. Grammar is taught in context. Classical teachers recognize that all subjects are interconnected and related to one another and seek to relate the knowledge of one subject to another. (Listen to the But… But… But… What About Grammar? Audio Talk for more on the importance of this point.)
3. Copywork imitates the masters of writing. As students copy stories from classic literature, they imitate the sentence structure and style of authors of great works. Not only do editing skills transfer to their own writing, but the more complex styles and structures of advanced writers also transfers to their own writing.
4. English grammar lessons integrate well with other learning. The grammar concepts within this program complement the themed-based writing lessons also offered by IEW. These two programs overlap and reinforce each other very well.

Fix It! Grammar is a series of six books, each providing a full year of grammar instruction and editing practice, from grades 3 through 12. Each book includes:

• 30 weeks of daily passages (4 days per week)
• Over 100 vocabulary words
• Clear teacher’s notes
• Grammar Glossary

Each week begins with a Learn It! section where students learn grammar and punctuation concepts….

…followed by four days of practice in which students Read It!  Mark It! Fix It! and Rewrite it! where students read the daily passage & define new vocabulary, label/mark the parts of speech within the passage, apply concepts to fix/correct the passage, and rewrite the corrected passage.

The pages are laid out in a logical format to easily guide students through the lesson each day.

The first book in the Fix It! Grammar series, Level 1: Nose Tree, is recommended for grades 3-5. Presuming no prior grammar knowledge, this book introduces basic editing marks, indentation, capitalization, end marks, quotation marks, prepositional phrases, clauses (who-which, that, and adverb clauses), homophones, and basic parts of speech, including the identification of nouns, pronouns, verbs, adjectives, adverbs, prepositions, and coordinating conjunctions.  Students with little or no grammar background should begin in Level 1 regardless of their age.

Level 2, Town Mouse and Country Mouse, is also recommended for grades 3-5. It builds upon the concepts introduced in Nose Tree, exploring additional capitalization rules and homophones, comma rules, apostrophes, noun usages, and complex sentence patterns (aka, sentence openers).

Level 3, Robin Hood, is recommended for grades 6-8. It continues the concepts taught in Levels 1 & 2, explaining additional comma rules and homophones, types of pronouns (personal, indefinite, demonstrative, reflexive, etc.), types of adjectives (articles, possessives, predicate adjectives, coordinate adjectives, and cumulative adjectives), and phrasal and clausal constructions.

Level 4, Mowgli and Shere Khan, is also recommended for grades 6-8. This book refines the concepts taught in the previous levels and provides thorough instruction in advanced punctuation rules, complex sentence patterns, advanced verbs (verbals, tenses, phrases, participles, etc.), transitional prepositional openers, essential and nonessential clauses, subject/verb agreement, and much more.

The two final levels, Fix It! Grammar: Level 5 Frog Prince and Fix It! Grammar: Level 6 The Little Mermaid, continue to advanced editing and sentence analysis.

Also available are Fix It! Grammar Cards which highlight key grammar concepts from the Fix It! Grammar Glossary in thirty full-color cards for review and quick, easy reference.

NOTE: IEW is currently updating Levels 5 and 6 of the Fix It Grammar program for grades 9-12. Stay tuned for details!

Try out Fix It! Grammar lessons for free!

Try out Fix It! Grammar for free! Click here to receive the first lessons of every level of Fix It! Grammar.

Or… download the sample for any level at the following links by clicking on the sample tab:

• Fix It! Grammar: Level 1 Nose Tree
• Fix It! Grammar: Level 2 Town Mouse and Country Mouse
• Fix It! Grammar: Level 3 Robin Hood
• Fix It! Grammar: Level 4 Mowgli and Shere Khan
• Fix It! Grammar: Level 5 Frog Prince
• Fix It! Grammar: Level 6 The Little Mermaid

Try out Writing, Spelling, Poetry, and Grammar Programs for Free!

We highly recommend checking out the first three weeks of Structure & Style for Students program from IEW. (You can access the first three weeks free.)

Other IEW programs you can try out for free include…

• Structure and Style for Students. If you’d prefer Andrew Pudewa to teach writing structure and style to your student(s), this program is for you! Download the first lessons from each level for teaching composition to children in grades 3-12.
• Fix It! Grammar. Download the first lessons of all four levels of this gentle introduction to grammar and mechanics with thorough yet simple instructions for the teacher.
• Introduction to Public Speaking. Download the first two lessons of this engaging program for learning to conquer the #1 fear of most people: public speaking.
• University-Ready Writing is a 12-week video-based course which teaches high school students advanced note-taking skills and writing techniques in preparation for college-level writing. Try it free here!
• Theme-Based Writing Lessons. Theme-Based Writing Lessons are for students and/or teachers familiar with IEW’s Structure and Style Program. Topics include science, history, literature, and Bible, covering a variety of grade levels.
• Linguistic Development through Poetry Memorization. Download the first five poems from this mastery approach to learning poetry.
• The Phonetic Zoo. Try a sample of a program that teaches spelling with an auditory approach towards mastery. (Requires free registration.)
• Free audio talks, booklists, and more! (Our favorite audio is Nurturing Competent Communicators.)

Visit IEW to find out more about other programs to transform your students into proficient writers – from early elementary all the way through college! You may also be interested in our favorite resources for teaching grammar and composition to students in grades 3-12.

100% Money-Back Guarantee

Because of IEW’s incredible 100% Money-Back Guarantee, we highly recommend purchasing products directly from IEW instead of through 3rd-party sellers.

*IEW product images are subject to copyright. Used with permission.

The post Learning English Grammar & Editing Skills appeared first on Half a Hundred Acre Wood.

Here’s a blast from the past – a post written in November 2013. Still… after over a decade, our boys still love Bible Readeez. Our oldest two sons (who are now adults but were 10 and 7 when we first started using this resource) still pop up with little scripture jingles from Bible Readeez. (We loved it so much that we ended up becoming the sole distributors of the album after it went out of print.)

Oh! How excited I am! Our family has literally been waiting for months for the release of Bible Readeez!

But let me back up a bit…

We first came across Readeez a couple of years ago and originally watched the Readeez videos on-line. A few weeks later (after using up our Internet download allowance multiple times), I finally caved and bought the entire Readeez Gram Slam Bundle. For the past couple of years, we have enjoyed Readeez so much for so many reasons, including the unforgettable music, the engaging SyllableSync technology, the fun educational content, and the outstanding customer service from Michael Rachap, the founding father of the Readeez company.

Now… back to Bible Readeez! We have watched/listened to the new Bible Readeez only a few times, and my children are already roaming around the house singing 1 Corinthians 13, The Lord’s Prayer, The Books of the Bible (Old and New Testament), and the first five verses of Genesis. In fact, when I was feeling a little… cranky… earlier this week, David reminded me, “Love is not irritable.” And, as humbling as it is, this is what I want!  I want my children to have scriptures come to mind as soon as they are facing a situation – even (or especially?) when that situation involves a grouchy mom!

Included on this DVD are word-for-word, syllable-by-syllable video texts of scripture passages set to music, including:

• 1 Corinthians 13:4-13 (Faith, Hope, Love)
• Matthew 5:3-9 (Beatitudes)
• The Lord’s Prayer (Our Father)
• Psalm 23 (The Lord is My Shepherd)
• Genesis 1:1-5 (The First Day)
• The Books of the Bible
• Psalm 100 (Make a Joyful Noise)
• Amazing Grace
• Books of the Bible

You can watch Books of the Bible here or Psalm 23 here.

What do our children think?

The Ten-Year-Old’s Take:

Bible Readeez has three things:

1. 1. The Bible
   2. Catchy tunes so you can memorize it
   3. SyllableSync so little kids can learn to read while listening to the Bible

The Seven-Year-Old’s Take:

I love it because it teaches me about the Bible, of course!

The Four-Year-Old’s Take:

I like the silly things [in the Books of the Bible song].

The Bible Readeez DVD/CD Set includes all the Bible Readeez songs, plus bonus readings – 17 tracks in all. As we clear out physical inventory from our shop, we’re offering a huge discount on bulk orders of Bible Readeez. If you run a co-op, teach a classroom, or simply need gifts for friends or family, this resource is a great affordable gift that will bless families for a lifetime!

Your word I have hidden in my heart, That I might not sin against You. Psalm 119:11

Bible Readeez CD/DVD Set
Format: Audio CD and DVD
Suggested grades: Elementary and Middle School
Price: $9.99

Bible Readeez CD/DVD Set – Lot of 20
Format: Audio CD and DVD
Suggested grades: Elementary and Middle School
Price: $100

Honestly, our family thinks Readeez contains some of the best kids learning music ever. In fact, I keep asking Mr. Rachap to make Readeez for the multiplication facts through 15 x 15…

The post Bible Readeez: The Word Set to Music appeared first on Half a Hundred Acre Wood.

Our goal to see all 50 states with our children before they graduate started as just a whimsical thought just over a decade ago. Little did we know that we would actually visit all 50 states with our boys before our eldest son graduated from college! This roadtrip is what we’re calling our final Ferrell family roadtrip because it’s gotten much more challenging to take roadtrips together now that two of our children are adults. This trip was a repeat, revisiting some places we had explored when we were wearing our youngest son in a carrier. This time we were able to hike long distances and climb through slot canyons and up steep terrain. For this trip, we drove 5,387 miles across 9 states in 15 days. We visited 15 National Parks/Monuments/Refuges. We hiked over 55 miles. This trip was filled with so much beauty and wonder, and I’m so grateful to God for the memories we made together as a family. To see our other roadtrips, click here.

Day 1

Drive from middle Tennessee to Shreveport. Photo with Elvis Statue.

Day 2

Visit Louisiana State Exhibit Museum (1-2 hours). Incredible dioramas!

Tour Shreveport Waterworks and Railroad Museum (1 hour)

Drive to Abilene, TX (5-6 hours)
Stroll through Adamson-Spalding Storybook Garden (1 hour)

Drive to Andrews, TX and take a photo with a pumpjack unit to commemorate our old oilfield drilling days!

Day 3

Drive to Carlsbad Caverns National Park. (Timed-entry permit reservation required.) This is truly the most impressive cave we have ever visited. Just incredible!
Carlsbad Caverns: Hike Natural Entrance Tour to Big Room. Complete Junior Ranger program. Hike outdoors trails. Watch bat flight.
Drive to Artesia, NM.

Day 4

Drive to White Sands National Park.
Hike/play/picnic at White Sands (4 hours)

Drive to Gallup, NM. On way to Gallup, take photo at Pistachioland Giant Pistachio.

Day 5

Drive to Petrified Forest National Park.
Drive through Petrified Forest National Park, stopping at viewpoints. Hike Blue Mesa, Crystal Forest, Giant Logs Trails.

Drive to Sunset Crater Volcano National Monument. Hike Lenox Crater Trail.
Drive to Wupatki National Monument. Explore Wupatki, Wukoki, Citadel & Nalakihu Pueblos, Lomaki & Box Canyon Pueblos.
Drive to Grand Canyon Desert View Watchtower to watch sunset at Grand Canyon.
Drive to Williams, AZ.

Day 6

Drive to Grand Canyon South Rim at Mather Point.
Hike South Rim Trail to Yavapai Geology Museum. Shuttle to South Kaibab Trailhead. Hike South Kaibab to Ooh Aah Point.

Drive to Desert View Watchtower Visitor Center. Drive to Cameron Trading Post for supper (Navajo Tacos).
Drive to Page, AZ.

Day 7

Visit Glen Canyon National Recreation Area – Glen Dam Overlook Trail.
Visit Horseshoe Bend.

Drive towards Zion National Park.
Hike to Sand Caves (on hwy 89)

Walk through Belly of the Dragon (on hwy 89)
Drive through Zion National Park East Entrance.
Hike Hobbit Hole Slot Canyon.

Drive through Zion-Mount Carmel Tunnel.
Turn around at shuttle bus area.
Drive to Bryce Canyon National Park.
Take driving tour to visit all viewpoints before sunset (Swamp Canyon through Rainbow Point). Stay at Ruby’s Inn in Bryce Canyon City.

Day 8

Drive to Bryce Point, Inspiration Point, Sunrise Point.
Hike Queen’s Garden/Navajo Loop trail.
Drive to Mossy Cave – waterfall and alcove.
Drive down Hole-in-the-Rock Road (washboarded road) ~ 12 miles to Devil’s Garden.

Explore Devil’s Garden.
Stay in Torrey, UT.

Day 9

Drive through Capitol Reef National Park, stopping at viewpoints and visitor center/ junior ranger.
Drive to and hike Little Wild Horse Slot Canyon.

Drive to and explore Goblin Valley State Park.
Drive to Moab, UT

Day 10

Drive through Arches National Park. (Timed-entry permit reservation required.)
Hike to North & South Windows, Double Arch, Landscape Arch, Sand Dune Arch, Delicate Arch Viewpoints.

Drive through Canyonlands, stopping at viewpoints. Hike Mesa Arch Trail.

Drive to Corona Arch (outside national parks). Hike trail to Pinto Arch, Bowtie Arch, and Corona Arch.

Climb giant sand dune outside Arches National Park.
Drive to Monticello, UT.

Day 11

Drive through Monument Valley. Stop at Forrest Gump Point.
Drive to Mesa Verde National Park and drive Cliff Palace Loop and Mesa Top Loop, visiting all viewpoints/trails. Recommended in advance: reserve cliff dwelling tour of Cliff Palace or Balcony House (or Long House).
Stay in Cortez, CO.

Day 12

Complete Junior Ranger.
Drive Wetherill Mesa. Hike and explore Mesa Verde Step House.
Drive to Durango, CO and tour Durango D&SNG Railroad Museum.

Drive to Great Sand Dunes National Park and hike/roll down dunes.
Drive to Trinidad, CO.

Day 13

Drive from Trinidad, CO to Salt Plains National Wildlife Refuge Selenite Crystal Digging Site.

Dig for selenite crystals. (We found so many!)
Stay in Alva, OK to avoid crazy weather south of us.

Day 14

Drive to Sterling, OK to see Brandy’s sisters.
Drive to and stay in Okemah, OK (to again avoid crazy weather).

Day 15

Drive home to middle Tennessee.

The post Four Corners Roadtrip Itinerary appeared first on Half a Hundred Acre Wood.

Intimidated by homeschooling high school? You don’t have to be! We’ve done the planning for you with High School Lesson Plans: Truth Trek series.

A few years ago, we started to pursue a long-term vision of developing a complete course of study for Grades 1-12, one in which families can experience many of the benefits of a one-room schoolhouse atmosphere. As a first step towards that end, we offered a suggested sequence along with curriculum recommendations for studying high school subjects as they correspond with each program within our Mission: Great Commission Curriculum series. Since then, we have embarked on the long process of evaluating high school curriculum with our teenagers using our corresponding lesson plans for each curriculum choice. We’re excited to announce that after years of curriculum evaluation and lesson planning, our fourth and final year of Homeschool High School Lesson Plans is finished!

What it entails

1. Parent help. Co-op help. If you’re not sure how to lay out lesson plans over the course of the year or what to do when you meet with your student to discuss what they’re learning, these lesson plans provide that support for you. Each week concludes with a co-op or parent meeting day in which students present and discuss material with their parents or with other students (in the case of a co-op setting). Prompts are included for discussion.
2. Engagement with family. High school students often become disconnected from the rest of their family as they earn high school credit, so our aim was to develop lesson plans that would step them and their parents through learning the same general topics at a deeper and more challenging level – and with curriculum that qualifies as high-school level material. By having these same general topics correspond to the resources used in our Mission Great Commission series, high schoolers can remain engaged and contribute what they’re learning to family morning-time discussions because of the overlap between material.
3. College prep. Because we wanted to do our best in preparing students for college, we also wanted to ensure that our high schoolers could successfully transition to college and/or successfully earn college credit via testing before offering our plans to others. In these lesson plans, we’ve taken our favorite courses, scheduled them out over the course of the year, and provided a few suggestions for how to earn college credit as your student works his/her way through high school using CLEP testing.
4. Complete, four-year program! This set of lesson plans is Truth Trek Four, intended for 11th graders but may be used for any student needing lesson plans for Bible, World History (with Medieval focus), English, Lab Science (Physics), Math (Algebra 2), Visual/Performing Arts (High School Art – Drawing & Painting), P.E. (1 semester), and/or Career Readiness (1 semester). Depending on the interest expressed by homeschooling families, our goal is to create an entire scope and sequence of lesson plans for the four years of high school. Trek One was released in May 2023, Trek Two was released in March 2024, Trek Three was released in March 2025. Truth Trek Four was released in April 2025.

The most challenging part of this vision has been simply…. decision. There are many different curriculum options, and there are many different learning styles. Education is not a one-size-fits-all endeavor. Considering this, we have provided two different options for advanced science and advanced math and three options for humanities. You can find out details about each curriculum option at the bottom of this post. Also, there is flexibility on how to fulfill elective credits such as Visual/Performing Arts or humanities. Truth Trek Three and Truth Trek Four provide different options for fulfilling these credits.

The Truth Trek High School Lesson Plans are meant to provide a framework to equip parents to continue to teach their children at home through the intimidating high school years. And our hope is that this will provide a catalyst for meaningful discussion and memory-making with your high schoolers!

The Curriculum Choices

If you’re interested in using our lesson plans, Trek Four will provide a full, 36-week schedule for the following subjects:

As this is the final year of our program, it is a year of options. Many students will have the majority of their required credits completed by their senior year if they have completed the other levels in the Truth Trek series. In Truth Trek Four, we’ve included such optional courses as filmmaking, music appreciation, and philosophy. Students can complete as many or as few courses as they’d like as long as they have earned the credits they need 1) to graduate and 2) for admission into the college or degree program of choice (if they intend to go to college).

This one-year high school-level curriculum provides lesson plans for eight high school subjects: Bible, Modern World History, English, Advanced Science (Biology II or Astrophysics), Math (Precalculus or Calculus), Visual/Performing Arts or humanities (Music, filmmaking, or philosophy). You may choose to complete all of the subjects or complete only the subjects needed for your student to fulfill his/her high school credits. To accommodate for various interests, we offer two curriculum options for Advanced Science and Advanced Math and three options for humanities (or performing/visual arts). This guide includes lesson plans for each option. Please note that if you do not use Dave Raymond’s Modernity, these lesson plans will not provide the composition you need for English credit because the composition assignments within our Truth Trek 4 Guide are assigned to correlate with Dave Raymond’s Modernity.

• Combined Modern World History, Bible, & English credit (full year, 3 Credits)(3 Credits):
  • World History from the 1600s (full year): Dave Raymond’s Modernity (video-based with student reader containing primary source documents), along with the following World and British Literature. Our Truth Trek Lesson Plans include the World and British literature and composition assignments to provide a corresponding literature credit.
    • Invitation to the Psalms by Rolf A. Jacobson and Karl Jacobson
    • Goodbye, Mr. Chips by James Hutton
    • The History of Rasselas, Prince of Abissinia by Samuel Johnson
    • The Scarlet Pimpernel by Baroness Emmuska Orczy
    • A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens
    • Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
    • Silas Marner by George Eliot
    • The Man Who Was Thursday by G.K. Chesterton
    • Greenmantle by John Buchan
    • The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien
    • Mere Christianity by C.S. Lewis
    • The Nine Tailors by Dorothy Sayers
    • Live Not by Lies by Rod Dreher
    • These plans also reference Barron’s English Literature (EZ-101 Study Keys).
  • Note: If your student is uncomfortable with responding to essay prompts and needs more formal instruction on essay writing, we recommend using IEW Structure and Style for Students Level C (Year 1 or Year 2) or University Ready Writing.

• Choose from two options for Advanced Science (full year):
  • Apologia Exploring Creation with Advanced Biology (Anatomy & Physiology)  – Textbook & Solutions Set and Student Notebook with Kaplan Anatomy Coloring Book (lab science, 1 credit) or
  • Option 2: Introduction to Astrophysics (non-lab science, 1 credit)
• Math – Advanced Math (full year, 1 credit or 2 credits): Option 1: Math U See Precalculus and/or Option 2: Calculus for Everyone (read our review here)
• Humanities: Visual/Performing Arts (Full Year Option, 1 credit): Filmmaking from the First Directors (read our review here)
• Humanities: Visual/Performing Arts (One semester Option, 1/2 credit in the fall): The Story of Great Music 
• Humanities (One semester Option, 1/2 credit in the spring): Philosophy: Consequences of Ideas with the book A History of Western Philosophy and Theology by John M. Frame

If your student is using a different program for any of these subjects, a blank planning page is provided so that you can insert your own lesson plans for those subjects.

The introduction to the Truth Trek Lesson Plans includes details about each program so that you can make the best decision regarding the options provided for science and electives. You can also scroll down to the bottom of this post for a short summary of each program to help with your curriculum choices. You can test drive Dave Raymond’s Modernity, Calculus for Everyone, Filmmaking from the First Directors, The Story of Great Music, and Philosophy: Consequences of Ideas for two weeks with Compass Classroom’s free trial membership.

Check it out!

If you’d like to download a sample of the first week of Homeschool High School Lesson Plans: Truth Trek Four, click here.

If you have questions, feel free to hop down to the comments or contact us via email at halfahundredacrewood @gmail.com (no spaces).

For families with children in Grades 1-8, you can either use the Mission Faith Forgers program which incorporates corresponding world history themes at the elementary and middle school levels, or the Mission Lasting Liberty Program which incorporates American history during the age of modernity. This provides a unified approach to teaching and learning in the home as all students in Grades 1-12 study similar content areas. To provide students in Grades 1-8 with a corresponding science, we recommend Our Universe from God’s Design for Heaven and Earth if your high schooler is taking Astrophysics or The Human Body from God’s Design for Life if your high schooler is taking Anatomy & Physiology.

High School Lessons – Truth Trek Four

Streamline high school with all-in-one lesson plans for courses written from a Christian worldview! This one-year high school-level curriculum provides 36 weeks of lesson plans for eight high school subjects from which you can choose: Bible, Modern World History, English, Advanced Science (Biology II: Anatomy or Astrophysics), Math (Pre-Calculus or Calculus), Philosophy (1 semester), and Visual/Performing Arts (Music and/or Filmmaking). As this is the final year of our program, it is a year of options.

Each week consists of four days of instructions for students and wraps up with a “Co-op or Parent Meeting Day” that walks parents or co-op teachers through a discussion of the current week’s topics and confirms that the student understands the material. To download a sample, click here.

Format: PDF Download (Mac & PC Compatible), 247 pages. For individual family use only. A link to download the PDF Document will be automatically sent to the Paypal email address used at checkout.

Suggested grades: 12th grade (or high schoolers who need to take a course in any of the following: Bible, Modern World History, English, Advanced Science (Biology II or Astrophysics), Advanced Math (Precalculus or Calculus for Everyone), Visual/Performing Arts and/or Humanities (Music Appreciation, Filmmaking, and/or Philosophy).
PDF Price: $39.95

The Options: Advanced Biology vs. Astrophysics

The introduction to the Truth Trek Lesson Plans includes details about each program so that you can make the best decision regarding the options provided. Students who have used Truth Trek One, Two, and Three will have completed a course in biology, chemistry, and physics and may not need a fourth year of science. In Truth Trek Four, we are providing two different options for an advanced science for students who either need one more science credit or would like to continue the study of science beyond the core disciplines: Apologia Exploring Creation with Advanced Biology and Introduction to Astrophysics.

• Apologia Exploring Creation with Advanced Biology (Biology II) is a Christian textbook-based course that includes lab experiments and dissections, but Apologia also offers live online classes and self-paced recorded classes. It is the recommended option for students who are going into nursing or a related medical field. For this course, students will need the Textbook & Solutions Set and the Kaplan Anatomy Coloring Book. We also strongly recommend the Student Notebook, as it includes the quarterly reviews, case studies, and optional lab experiments that are not included in the textbook. This course also requires the purchase of the Advanced Biology Slide Set w/Blood Typing Kit, and the Advanced Biology Dissection Specimens Set. Students must keep a laboratory notebook as a record that they completed this course as a laboratory-based science credit.
• Introduction to Astrophysics (non-lab science, 1 credit). Because astronomy is a subject that often instills an awe of the Creator (and is also part of the classical quadrivium), Introduction to Astrophysics is also offered as an option for advanced science. Although it is not a lab science course, it includes five projects and other activities. A telescope is recommended for this course.

  The samples at the the following links will help you with choosing the program that best fits your family.

  • Apologia Exploring Creation with Advanced Biology. Preview: textbook + student notebook
  • Introduction to Astrophysics. Download: textbook sample | teacher guide sample

The Options: Precalculus vs. Calculus for Everyone

For the final year of high school, we have provided two options for advanced math. College-bound students going into the physical sciences will want to consider taking both courses concurrently.

Calculus for Everyone is a classical approach to calculus which presents the “problems” that arose through history that led to the eventual invention of calculus. The only prerequisite for this course is Algebra I, as it teaches the concepts of calculus using only the functions introduced in Algebra I. Because it removes the more difficult trigonometric and logarithmic functions in learning the foundational concepts of calculus, students are better able to get a big-picture overview of what Calculus is and thus develop a stronger foundation for more advanced calculus in future years. Because of its specific focus on providing a deep conceptual understanding of calculus, Calculus for Everyone will not introduce trigonometry, logarithms, or other concepts that are normally included in an advanced math course. Read a more detailed review of this program and try sample lessons here.

Math U See Precalculus provides a foundation in the more advanced trigonometric functions, composite functions, exponential functions, logarithmic functions, as well as sequences, series, limits, and more. If a student is going into a future math- or science-related field of study, this course will likely be required. Check out a sample lesson here.

The Options for Humanities: Filmmaking vs. Music vs. Philosophy

Filmmaking from the First Directors. If students have not yet earned a visual/performing arts credit (or a computer technology credit) and/or would like to learn about filmmaking, this course will provide a framework for videography, storytelling/script-writing techniques, directing films and editing footage. This course may be used as an introduction to filmmaking, or it can assist experienced YouTubers in better developing storytelling and videography skills.This course requires audio/video equipment and computer software for editing their footage (such as iMovie or other similar programs). Because the process of screenwriting, filming, and editing requires a significant amount of time and commitment, students should only take this course if they are interested in filmmaking. Read a more detailed review and try sample lessons here.

• Humanities: Visual/Performing Arts (One semester Option, 1/2 credit in the fall): 
• Humanities (One semester Option, 1/2 credit in the spring): Philosophy: Consequences of Ideas with

The Story of Great Music (1st semester with an option to continue 2nd semester if desired). If students have not yet earned a visual/performing arts credit and/or would like to learn about classical music, The Story of Great Music will provide a foundation for learning the characteristics of different musical eras as well as famous composers and their works. Although this course requires no previous experience or training in music, it can provide a historical overview for even experienced music students to better connect their knowledge of musical periods, composers, instruments, and performance styles.

The lesson plans in this Truth Trek Guide schedule the Story of Great Music lessons over first semester (Weeks 1-18) to receive 1/2 credit in humanities or visual/performing arts with an option to extend this course into second semester if they would like to earn a full credit in the arts. The course includes readings, video performances, quizzes, and audio/video playlists. If students extend the course into second semester, they will review the material while adding in a listening journal, research papers, and projects as they dig deeper into the story of great music.

Philosophy: Consequences of Ideas (2nd semester) provides an overview of philosophical thought throughout history and thus equips students with analyzing the philosophies of the world within the context of a Biblical worldview. Although philosophy and worldview studies are not required according to state education standards, these subjects are invaluable in equipping our teens (and ourselves!) to live as ambassadors for Christ in a fallen world. As a wise king once said, “What has been will be again, what has been done will be done again; there is nothing new under the sun.”

This course will be used during second semester (Weeks 19-36) and includes video lectures from R.C. Sproul’s Consequences of Ideas, primary source documents featuring each philosopher’s words (available as PDF or online readings), and assigned readings from the book A History of Western Philosophy and Theology by John M. Frame.  Students will also keep a “philosophy journal” throughout the semester.

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