JJ'S JUNIOR YEAR: 1st Quarter Review

We are off to a great start this year, probably our best year of High School so far. The work has not been tedious, and JJ is able to do most of his work independently now, as long as I give him instructions ahead of time. He has chosen to do most of his book work in the evenings before bed (because he is not a morning person.) However, I still sit with him mid to late mornings as he goes through Algebra lessons & Ancient History; and also guide our Nutrition class in the afternoons.

ANCIENT HISTORY - We are currently watching Drive Thru History's Ancient History DVD series, along with answering the provided discussion questions. It is interesting and educational material, especially for visual learners.

WORLD GEOGRAPHY - JJ is using The Geography Coloring Book by Wynn Kapit. This is a book for all ages that gives great practice in paying attention to detail, while also learning geographical locations. He is not thrilled with it, but is doing the work and learning from it.

ALGEBRA I - This has been one of our easiest years with Math so far. We are using SchoolYourself.org, a FREE online curriculum that covers the basics of Algebra. The lessons are short, and he is understanding them for the most part. Some areas he still struggles with, but we are working through the program with much less struggle this year than in previous years.   

WRITING INSTRUCTION - We are using Jump In, by Apologia (A workbook approach for reluctant OR eager writers). So far, he has learned how to write an "Opinion" paper, and is currently working on a "How-to" paper.  Writing is not his favorite subject, but I love how this workbook breaks things down into easy steps and is helping him learn the benefits of different forms of writing. Someday, he'll thank me for putting him through it. (I hope.)

VOCABULARY - We went over all of the words in 1000 High Frequency Words listed on K12 Reader, covered several new words in 100 Words Every High School Graduate Should Know, and he is also using Explode the Code for some additional phonics/vocabulary review.

FOREIGN LANGUAGE - We decided to drop a foreign language for now. The Tok Pisin he had chosen on UTalk.com did not work out as well as we had hoped. He already finished one year of Spanish his Freshman year, so we will wait and see if college is something he wants to pursue. If it is, then another year of Spanish would be a good option during his Senior year. If he does not pursue college, then Foreign Language isn't really necessary. So, we aren't stressing over it at this point.

CAREER EXPLORATION - We finished the main workbook from 7 Sisters Career Exploration, took an Interest Assessment on Career One Stop, and have been watching career videos on You Tube to see which jobs/careers might spark some interest. So far, he has a few things he is showing interest in, most of them hands-on types of jobs. He knows for certain he does not want a desk job, or anything that requires a lot of Math. 

PHYSICAL EDUCATION - He is still going strong with attending a teen strength and fitness class at a local gym. They meet on Monday and Wednesday afternoons. He is being challenged, and is enjoying seeing how he improves.

NUTRITION - We meet to have this class once per week with our friend CV. It is going well. The boys have so far learned about the essentials of drinking water over sugary drinks, different forms of carbohydrates and fats, the importance of proteins, vitamins, and minerals. We are using Janice VanCleave's Food and Nutrition for Every Kid, related videos on TedEd, and several Nutrition worksheets by Milliken.

NUTRITION EXPERIMENT:  Which banana tastes sweeter, the less ripe or more ripe? ANSWER:  The more ripe. WHY? Most fruits grow sweeter as they ripen because the starches in the fruits digest (break down) into sugars.

STRATEGY CLUB - After Nutrition class, the boys choose a game to play that requires strategizing skills. So far, they have played Checkers, Connect Four, Battleship, and Stratego. They have been enjoying this and learning from it.

STRATEGY CLUB - Week 1

 
OTHER ACTIVITIES this year have included Boy Scouts twice a month, volunteering at a local food distribution once per month, attending church on Sundays, Youth Group on Wednesdays, and also a teen hangout on Saturday nights. In his spare time, he is also learning to play songs on the keyboard (self-taught by using You Tube), learning Aurebesh & Huttese (an official Star Wars alphabet and language), and has been involved with making and editing short videos for his and cousin Jon's You Tube channel, JON SQUARED. One of their most-liked videos so far is THE MAGIC CLOSET. Check it out, and subscribe to their channel to see more. 


NOTE:  JJ is at the age where I don't like to post his personal business without his approval. So, he read over this with me and allowed me to post. Our friend, CV, also approved the photos that include him.