How we Homeschool High School Classically: The booklist and links (9th grade)

What 9th grade looks like “on paper” in our homeschool

I love looking at how others homeschool high school, but I usually only see the lists of books and things and wonder how in the world that parent can do it all. (Here’s the secret: we CAN’T.) I have 6 students this year plus a loud toddler, and so it became apparent quickly that I needed to call in the reserves to help me dually challenge my bright and capable 9th grader.

Below, you will find the course of study for my 9th grade daughter, complete with headings that indicate the coursework I’m teaching, what she is doing independently with supervision, classes we found online, and the in-person teachers we’ve called in to support us all in our pursuit of an excellent education.

✨Subjects I’m Teaching✨

Truth, Beauty, and Goodness

Composer and artist study with family (CMEC Selections)

Art: Illuminated Manuscripts (Fall)
—We are learning to create illuminated manuscripts this fall in an art class I’m teaching. We are having so much fun. Right now we are learning about Celtic knots. They are so awesome, and wonderfully simple to learn. If you want a whole post about it comment below and I will give you more details about the resources and lessons we’ve covered so far!

Bible

Genesis
—I’m using The Language of Creation by Matthieu Pageau as my commentary. It’s blowing my mind and I highly recommend it. It explains the biblical cosmology which is contrasted with my modern materialistic cosmology. It’s about Genesis and also about how to read the symbolism used throughout Genesis and therefore the whole Bible.

Mark and Acts
—I’m using Saved by Nancy Gutherie. She’s both practical and theologically deep. It’s easy to read and understand.

Virtue

Ourselves by Charlotte Mason  (with mom once per week)- We are using the Annotated Edition by Simply Charlotte Mason. I wish I’d know about it sooner! There are insightful discussion questions and a helpful reading plan. If a child is reading alone - this version is a must! I’m reading it WITH my two older children (13b & 15g) and I appreciate the support it is giving us.¹

The Calumny of Apelles by Sandro Botticelli. This Painting is described in Ourselves in the chapter about Justice of word page 151. The scene depicts an innocent man being dragged by the person who is speaking lies about him, this is Calumny (which means to slander). Each figure in the painting is named for what they represent.

Church History

Eusebius Church History
—I first learned about this book through

Jacob Allee

’s booklist with Study the Great Books! Since we are learning about the Renaissance and Reformation this year, I thought it would be fun to drop Plutarch and study this ancient text written around 300 A.D. and see what we were reforming TO! I’m using Allee’s study guide, for which I’m most grateful. I use the scripture references every time and read through the questions on my own to get me thinking about the section more deeply. I highly recommend the Paul Maier translation (linked above). It has maps, photographs and annotations that are an invaluable help.

Civics:

Current Events: Epoch Times (leisurely)

Laws of Everyday Life by H.O. Arnold-Forster
-This is a CMEC assigned book that I pushed aside for a couple of years until I read an excerpt which made me realize this is a book not to miss. The eloquence and execution of the lessons in this book cannot by duly explained by this tired mama. I will let Mr. Forester tell you about his not-to-miss book in his own words:

“The object of the present volume is to show by simple examples what is the nature of economic laws, and to point out that their effect upon our lives is great and far-reaching.”

Excerpt:

“By the law of nature the stream will run down, and strongest man cannot stop it. But if he be a wise man, though he cannot alter the law, he will know how to make use of it, and he will turn the law to his own advantage. He will build a dam across the stream, and will hold up the water till it is strong enough to turn his mill-wheel, and as it follows the natural law and runs down to the sea, it will grind his corn or weave his wool. He will dig channels for the stream along the hillside, and as it runs he will turn it into numbers of little trenches which will water his fields and make his pastures green and fertile.”

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✨Independent Subjects✨

Miscellaneous

ACT Prep: The Official ACT Prep Guide 2023-24
—Because we homeschool and taking tests is a skill that is learned through practice.

Devotional Reading:  Utmost for His Highest by Oswald Chambers (classic language edition - because it’s more beautiful and they can handle it.)

Science

Fall: Equine Science, 4th Edition (Biology +lab) 
- Since my 9th grader is riding horses regularly, I wanted to find a text that would support her interest and also help her grow in her scientific knowledge. This book is a college textbook and it’s been a perfect guide for her to go more deeply into the world of biology. She has diagrams to copy, experiments to do and observations for study when she goes out to the barn. I’m having her keep a lab book for her observations, experiments, and book work so that we can count it as a Biology Lab. Who says science needs to be boring?

Spring: The Story of Science (Ancient)
—This book is a maybe. It’s a great book, but if we find something more interest-centric we may go that route. Otherwise, this is a great book to round out her Ancient History deep dive this year (as you will see in a minute.

Homeopathy class: TBD

Nature Lore: choose one: How to Read a Tree, How to Read Water, The Natural Navigator etc by Tristan Gooley

Geography: Map keeping with course work

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✨Online Subjects✨

Math

Thinkwell - Algebra 1 (affiliate link)

What we like: straightforward lessons with video and physical book combo.

Foreign Language

Online Spanish: Dulcis Domus Academy: https://www.educacaoclassica.com/academia

These are live lessons with a real instructor takes us through the Gouin Series approach to foreign language. (I’m doing this with my four oldest.) It’s blowing my mind. We are being slowly introduced to new series of terms and words. We are building sentences in Spanish. We are enjoying it and are actually learning the language with ease! I love it and can’t recommend it highly enough! We have three lessons a week. Each lesson is 30 minutes long and fully packed. The time flies by!

Art

Animals with Pastel Online course: https://thevirtualinstructor.com/members/animals-with-pastels

✨In Person Classes✨

Music

• Weekly Violin Lesson

Physical Education: 

• Horseback riding Lesson- Dressage emphasis

• CrossFit with Dad 2x/week 

History, Literature, and Composition

She is in a class with a tutor and several friends reading through these books. They pace one history and one literature selection for about six weeks and then begin working on essays to compare characters or themes. They continue reading one history book and literature book at a time. It’s a lot of reading but the focused assignments mean they can go deep within each book. I require a narration from each reading (even if teacher is lax about it.) We are shifting from my role as teacher to coach, guide and cheerleader.

Is she getting everything out of every book? Nope. But she’s growing and being fed by these Great Books. I can see how important they are to the formation of a person’s character and knowledge of how the world operates and the importance of God’s grace to navigate life’s challenges and successes.

Below I’ve included the booklist along with the ISBN numbers found on our tutor’s website. They are fabulous translations, and she chooses them for readability and accuracy. Many of them are annotated with maps and pictures and other extremely helpful information. Notably the Plutarch and Plato’s Republic were extremely helpful translations that made those great works readable and enjoyable!

Ancient History Book list:

• Plutarch – Lives, Volume 1 (selections) (Dryden translation/Modern Library, ISBN: 9780375756764)

• Herodotus – Histories (Strassler’s Landmark edition, ISBN: 9780375421099)

• Thucydides – History of the Peloponnesian War (Strassler’s Landmark edition, ISBN: 9780684827902)

• Plato – Republic (Bloom translation/Basic Books, ISBN: 9780465094080)

• Plutarch – Lives, Volume 2 (selections) (Dryden translation/Modern Library, ISBN: 9780375756771)

• Livy – The Rise of Rome (Luce translation/Oxford, ISBN: 9780199540044)

• Polybius – The Rise of the Roman Empire (Scott-Kilvert translation /Penguin classics, ASIN: B017YC9XCC)

• Augustine – City of God (Modern Library [ISBN: 9780679600879])

Ancient Literature Book list:

• Homer – Iliad (Lattimore translation)

• Homer – Odyssey (Lattimore translation, ISBN: 9780061244186)

• Aeschylus—The Oresteia (Lattimore/Grene translation, ISBN: 9780226311470)

• Sophocles—Three Theban Plays (Fagles translation, ISBN: 9780140444254) (I always love Fagles translations of anything)

• Virgil—Aeneid (Ahl translation, ISBN: 9780199231959)

• Augustine—Confessions (Boulding translation/Ignatius, ISBN: 9781586176839)

  We all must strike the balance for each child and weigh the opportunities that are available in our own communities. I have a rule that I won’t create something that already exists and is a solid program that’s available locally- I almost started a co-op this past year - but things took a turn when I found a tutor who could teach the Great Books with excellence. What a gift! What help have you found online or in your community that’s helping your homeschool thrive this year?

1. A detailed description of the painting can be found here on page 151 of Mason’s book Ourselves.