Plan for High School in Our Home

My question: how do we school at home, freely and unobstructed, and still come away with legitimate "credits" that are acceptable at any college? My Kid wants to go to film school as soon as he can, so we need good solid proof of learning and credit that will get him in.

I read somewhere that if one "unschools" then giving your child credits is "opening a whole can of worms" that needs to stay closed. Thing is, I want to do what I can -- tracking his progress and learning and skills -- in the best manner for him. So he can go to film school or do whatever he wants to accomplish in life.

Plans to take in "high school" years (plans, but may not necessarily take them all):

Math:
-brush-up on essentials
-consumer/everyday
-geometry
-pre-algebra
-algebra 1

Science:
-Animal Husbandry
-Earth Science
-Space/Astronomy
-Physical (chemistry, etc)
-Biology
-Ecology
-Botany with Therapeutic Herbalism

Social Studies:
-Geography
-World History
-U.S./American History
-U.S. Government / Constitution / Civics

Language:
-create his own language (HELP!)
-Spanish
-Sign Language
-French
-Greek and Latin

Language Arts:
-basics
-usage
-writing (to include a fiction series, movie script, etc)
-analysis of literature

Art:
-drawing
-photography
-music
-write a movie script
-movie making/file producing

Life Skills/Electives:
-home ec (cooking, nutrition, sewing, etc.)
-managing money
-handling criticism, problem solving, etc
-leadership
-auto repair
-computer building
-computer programming

So...

(1) how do I track his learning and progress and skills so that it translates into a transcript and credits for him?

(2) how do I make his high school years full of learning but make it a whole lot more fun than the last few years have been?

Thank you!

Advice Needed on Textbooks

I'm planning the Kid's high school curriculum because he starts 9th grade in August. Looking for textbooks (or good "for dummies" books) for the 9th grade courses below. I want only one or two or maximum three books per course. If you have suggestions, please comment asap!

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Successful Living: Description: Training in relating to authority, making right choices, handling criticism, self-control, self-reliance, good health/hygiene and appearance, reproduction, sex, STDs, smoking, illegal drugs, prescription drugs, alcohol, manners, etiquette, special emphasis on experiences that bond the family together such as developing traditions, fostering family time with conversation, balancing work/family, and celebration of holidays. Final grade: written test including planning a month of Friday Night Family Fun Times.

Consumer/Everyday Math: Description: How to effectively use math in daily life: manage bank accounts, fill out state/federal tax returns, personal finance, purchasing (small items AND big items like house and car), comparing prices, insurance, gas mileage, inesting, budgeting, money management, frugal living, planning for retirement, financial freedom, and how to complete a loan application. Day to day personal finances. Final grade: written test AND setting up a bank account AND working out a personal budget.

Earth Science: Description: Earth's structure, rocks and minerals and Earth's resources, forces that change the earth including lessons on plate tectonics, earthquakes, volcanoes and erosion, and earth's history of change through the fossil record. Oceanography (sources of water, currents and climage, and structure of ocean environment) and atmospheric science (weather/climate). Final grade: written test AND 10 page report OR 3D demonstration of a volcano erupting!

Home Economics: Description: Cooking, food preparation, menu planning, food purchasing, intro to nutrition, yogurt-making, cheese-making, canning/preserving, laundry, cleaning, sewing. Will plan and prepare/cook one dish each week during the course. Final grade: 1 meal, 1 sewn item, and a written test.

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We have lots of cookbooks, and some basic math/science books. For the home ec... did I miss anything?

If I can't find what I want, I guess I could write them but would like to at least SEE what's available! So... any suggestions?

Possible Change to Blog

Keeping up with these blogs is very time consuming ... not that I mind, usually! We're getting ready to embark on an intensive homesteading adventure, and may not be able to work on blogs daily.

So... I'm thinking about combining our blogs (cooking, gardening, homesteading, survival, storage, homeschooling, etc.) into one. I would eventually move posts to the new and combined blog.

We have a lot of readers, and I value your opinion. Thoughts?

Geometry

What kind of a mind can't do simple addition and subtraction, and thus multiplication and division, but instantly understands geometry?

I'm confused.

My kid has struggled with basic math. Still uses his fingers to add and subtract. Two weeks ago he started on decimals and fractions with common denominators, and got it right away. This week he started on geometry (using the "basic skills series - math topics - grade 5 workbook) and again, got it right away. He insisted on using an algebra equation to figure out the missing angle of a parallelagram!

I hope this isn't temporary!

Settling In

We've finally moved, and will be here for about 5 months. Meanwhile, last week was our first school-week here in our new home. We couldnt' find the encyclopedias until Friday, and are missing 2 of our schoolbooks. So... not all of the assigned schoolwork was completed.

Hopefully, we'll find the books this weekend as we do a little rearranging and unpacking.

On a good note, he's suddenly great with adding and subtracting fractions! Believe me, that is beyond thrilling!

Still not focusing. Still upheaval.

We're still in the upheaval of selling a house and moving, so because we thought we were closing last Thursday and moving Friday, we took 2 days off from schoolwork. We didn't close (long story). We spent Thurs thru Sun playing and watching TV. Big mistake. He's even more messed up.

Now we might close today so that means our school schedule is completely messed up because I'd planned on being in our new place by now, schoolwork unpacked and ready to settle back in.

Soon. Hoping.... soon.

Upheaval = no school work

I've noticed with all of this preparing to sell the house and move... that our 12 year old can't concentrate on anything... not schoolwork, chores, packing, or anything. I guess because I never moved as a 12 year old that I didn't think about it.

Not that I like all of this chaos at my advanced age, but still.

Time to make the final push to close on this house, move to our next home, unpack, and start a life of normalcy again.

Focus Problems

We seem to be having a little problem focusing now. Could it be the move? Could it be the political climate? His diet? (Just discovered he can't soy, cashews, peanuts or gluten because they all make him weird.)

Thoughts?

7th Grade Started

We decided to change up some things so our kid started "7th grade" the first of July, and will continue through the end of December. From then, our school year will be a calendar year, taking several weeks off when appropriate for family vacations and so forth.

So... we're 5 weeks into the 7th Grade. Already read Diary of Anne Frank and are working on Journey to the Center of the Earth. Working on getting better at division, and did great with the intro to geometry. Studying American History... so far, the First World War, the time right after with the Jazz Age and Prohibition, and beginning Second World War and Depression next week. Science includes studying cells and atoms - loves it!

We don't have the time right now to do the regular speaking videos and posting them on YouTube. Maybe when 8th grade starts in January.

That's just a quick note about what we're doing!

High School Language Arts - Curriculum Planning

I'm working on planning my Teen's high school curriculum (I like to do this a year or two or three in advance in case something comes up).

Our state requires 4 years of language arts / English. Year 1 is usage and practice, Year 2 is writing, Year 3 is poetry and Year 4 is analysis of literature. I found some great books for Years 1 and 2, but am having trouble for the poetry and literature analysis.

I'd love recommendations! Anyone?