Curriculum Ideas for Newly Enrolled Students
The Supervising Teacher will work with the parent/student to be sure there are adequate learning materials available for the student to use until ordered materials arrive. Such interim materials can include texts and/or other resources. Learning must occur even if ordered materials have not arrived!
Please remember that there is no requirement that the student be working on every subject every day. Even if you are waiting for the arrival of an order, there are many learning activities students of all ages can do. A student can concentrate on a few core subjects, such as math, literature, and history while waiting for the science materials to arrive. With a little creativity, the Supervising Teacher, student, and parent can develop a study plan that meets the need of the individual student.
While you are awaiting the arrival of materials, here are some things you can do to get the student started.
Obtaining Text-based Materials
Visit the VOC Library to arrange to checkout materials for the student’s use.
Surplus book warehouses, school districts' discarded materials, library book sales, etc. can provide free or inexpensive curriculum materials.
Yard sales, flea markets, used bookstores, etc. are sources for inexpensive materials.
Students may use the public library as a source for books, tapes, magazines, and videos. Public libraries also provide access to the Internet.
Some parents may wish to purchase materials of their own for their students at local educational materials suppliers.
The table of contents for various textbooks can be used as a source of general guidelines for various courses. For instance, the table of contents for a U.S. history book gives ideas for appropriate topics of study for that subject. The student can pursue information contained in chapters using various methods of research: Internet research about the Civil War, videos on the subject of westward expansion or a biography about Abraham Lincoln.
Each of these modalities covers the subject content without requiring an official "textbook". Of course, the student could follow up his/her research with an essay or report.
Beyond the Textbook Learning Resources
The community is considered our school's campus. Supervising Teachers, students, and parents can discuss ways to use various local resources to fit the student's curriculum needs. There are many resources and learning activities readily available to our students. Learning activities may include:
Watching, discussing and/or writing about educational programming, science and nature-based programs, documentaries, movies based on the classics, history-based programs, media coverage of current events, books
Developing various skills through games (counting, spelling, multiplication, critical thinking, memorization, money counting/making change)
Using newspapers for studying many subjects (language arts, current events, economics, politics, consumer math)
Participating in learning activities offered through community colleges, parks and recreation departments, and local businesses (classes, information forums, exhibits.
Developing interdisciplinary studies using books, videos, audiotapes, computer programs, the Internet
Participating in community group learning activities (amateur radio clubs, computer interest groups, master gardeners)
Connect with local homeschooling groups in your area
Begin working in Test-Prep (Spectrum, Buckle Down, etc…) workbooks in student’s grade level. This can also give you a feel to where your student falls within grade level.
K-6 students: many all-in-one workbooks are available at local bookstores and Costco. They usually cover a few core subject areas.
Reading
Using various research materials, books, videos, audiotapes, magazines, etc. obtained from the local library (Reading selections may include: novels, magazine articles, non-fiction selections, instruction manuals, newspapers, anthologies, poetry, and primary & secondary resources)
Participating in local literature-related groups at library and/or bookstore
Read recommended grade level books suggested by state of California: http://www.cde.ca.gov/ci/rl/ll/
Attending/participating in poetry readings
Students can read and journal what they are reading. Identify new vocabulary
Choose a novel and read chapters for discussion. Read aloud to each other. Do shared reading, where everyone reads a paragraph and passes the book along for one chapter. Play Charades using scenes from novel.
Students in K-8 could choose their own grade level appropriate reading material and have a set number of pages to read daily. After the reading they would have to retell that section of the story to the parent. At the end of the story, the child could do a culmination activity relating to some aspect of the story.
Students could take passages or stories from their reading (or textbook) and find another story by the same author or another story in the same genre and do a comparison essay using a Venn diagram.
Students could read a grade appropriate book that has a movie of it as well. After reading the book, they could watch the movie and write a comparison essay.
Writing
Writing essays, reports, paragraphs, sentences, poetry, short stories, biographies/autobiographies, novel, letters to the editor, scripts
Developing personal journals (possibly including illustrations, writing entries, photographs)
Taking notes or writing responses to lectures, educational programs, news programs
Writing critiques or reviews of books, concerts, performances, or films
Comparing and contrasting novels to their movie versions, one author's style to another, various viewpoints/philosophies
Discerning fact or opinion
Outlining chapters
Writing letters, notes, memos (personal and/or business)
Creating various lists (groceries, "to do," inventories for insurance purposes)
Developing step-by-step how-to manuals
Dictating and illustrating stories (possibly with help from parent, older sibling, tape recorder)
Entering writing contests
Practicing and improving handwriting
Editing writing samples
Write new ending for a book
Write short journal entries using pen/paper or computer. Simple ideas can be used that cover every subject. Examples for different subjects might be:
English: What was your favorite book that you have read?
Math: Who was your favorite math teacher and how did he/she make the subject so wonderful?
History: If you could go back to any time period in history, what time would it be and why?
Science: What characteristics, beyond feathers, do you think help a bird to fly?
PE: If you had the choice of riding your bike or scooter all year, which would it be and why?
Special Interest: What painting or work of art transformed your view of art so that you wanted to be there/do that?
Mathematics
Using mathematics in building/construction activities, cooking, shopping
Figuring out materials needed for various projects (sewing, carpentry, gardening)
Calculating gas mileage, tips, sales tax
Keeping personal finance records (budgeting, savings and checking accounts)
Applying math skills in business finances/records (profit, losses and expenses involved in lawn mowing, babysitting, egg business)
Researching various numeric systems
Developing an imaginary numeric system of own
Grocery store- investigate/record best prices. Organize coupons. Graph spending/savings over a period of time.
K-2 go to http://www.pbs.org/parents/earlymath/
Social Studies
Reading about/researching the stock market. Watch/record activity of specific stock over a period of time.
Watching/discussing economics-related television programming
Using maps to plan routes, find destinations
Create scale models/maps (of room, house, neighborhood)
Reading/writing about historically significant people, places, and events
Researching current issues (origins of current ethnic conflicts, political issue conflicts)
Arguing various sides of current issues
Researching your neighborhood, family tree, local events, holiday origins
Peace Corps: http://www.peacecorps.gov/wws/ and they have huge classroom resources that have lesson plans, slide shows, volunteer stories, language lessons, and podcasts.
Create a timeline and/or lap book for the time/unit studying.
Science
Nature studies may include identification of insects, birds and plants
Researching pond life, tide pools
Researching current weather conditions, season
Using simple machines
Keeping weather records
Studying the stars
Volunteering at nature center or science museum, at local creek clean-up project
Research/identify local geological features
Watching/discussing/writing about nature- and science-based educational programming
Gardening
Animal care
Nature journaling
Go to local museums and record observations.
Study Skills
Taking notes on lectures, television programs
Using various book- and computer-based research materials (dictionaries, encyclopedias, telephone books, magazines, newspapers, card catalogs, almanacs, atlases, the Internet
Life Skills
Learning new skills related to meal planning/preparation, cooking/baking, sewing, repair work (automobiles, bicycles, small engines, homes, etc.), animal care, gardening
Completing personal inventories to help discover, assess, and gain insights into abilities, learning styles, aptitudes, interests
Developing a resumé
Researching requirements to attain future goals (colleges, tech schools, the military, career interests)
Locating available scholarships for camps, colleges
Reading biographies about successful people in various careers
Observe different careers
Enrolling in and attending ROP courses
Locating mentors in field of interest
Attending job fairs
Interviewing business people, college students
Developing apprenticeships
Filling out "real life" forms such as checks, job applications, tax forms
Maintaining personal checking account, budget
Volunteer at a local animal shelter, fish hatchery or other service organization.
Physical Education
Participating in aerobics, bicycling, water and/or snow skiing, hiking, jogging, swimming, martial arts, various sports, weight lifting, horseback riding. Be sure and record amount of time, take pictures, or have student write about it. This will be useful when reporting to your Supervising Teacher.
High School transcript credit for PE requires submission of PE logs and must meet time requirements. Contact the HS Supervising Teacher for support.
Researching particular sporting events, athletes, and/or sport and write it up in a short paper.
Computer
Developing computer skills in such areas as keyboarding/typing, Internet research, e-mailing, web design, programming, word processing, graphics, database, spreadsheet, multimedia presentations
Health
Researching importance of exercise, nutrition, healthful lifestyle choices
Developing a personal health and fitness program, healthful diet program
Graph/record your food/exercise over a specific time period
Driver's Education
Beginning study through use of DMV manuals, AAA and/or CHP materials
Community Service/Outreach
Volunteering at:
food banks
canned food drives
hospitals
libraries
schools
museums
historical sites
veterinary clinics
political campaign headquarters
fund raisers
Visual Arts and Music
Listening and responding to audiotapes/CDs of various types of music
Researching the lives of composers
Looking at and responding to various artwork
Researching the lives of artists
Entering art contests, participating in band, choir
Developing/refining skills in metal working, woodworking, masonry, small engine repair, mechanical drawing, gourmet cooking, organic gardening, painting, drawing, sculpting, dancing, calligraphy
Actively listening to foreign language programs on radio and/or television
Go to local performing arts center- listen/evaluate/critique what you see/hear.
Online Education Resources
The internet has a wide variety of educational resources available. Valley Oak Charter has collected some favorites. They can be found on our Online Educational Resources Website.