Our 12th Grade Non-Traditional Resources

For the 12th grade, I had our boys choose their own curriculum.

They had surpassed all requirements for “graduation,” so we went for an unschooling and student-led approach.

I had the boys find those things they wanted to learn more about and what really interested them.

I was surprised by a few of their picks, and I loved that they took this seriously.

It was time for them to assert a little more independence and have a say in what they wanted to learn.

FYI: At this time, the boys were learning a lot about “living off the grid.” So, you will see a few areas that incorporate this theme.

Below are the lists of what the boys chose, along with the resources and projects they undertook.

Jack’s Curriculum

• Blacksmithing
  • Practical Projects for the Blacksmith
    • created a flesh hook [to use for his smoking and salt curing studies]
• Smoking/Salt Curing
  • The Complete Guide to Smoking and Salt Curing
    • built a smoker from pallets
    • created various flavored marinades
    • created a website to sell jerky
• Preserving Foods
  • The Preserving Answer Book

• Mythology
  • Mythology: Timeless Tales of Gods and Heroes
  • Japanese Mythology
  • Myths of Ancient Egypt
• Art
  • used mythology studies to create illustrations of various gods and heroes
• Adobe Illustrator
  • Adobe Illustrator CC Classroom in a Box
    • used his illustrations from above to practice skills needed for Adobe Illustrator

Josh’s Curriculum

• Blacksmithing
  • Practical Projects for the Blacksmith
  • Knife Making Starter Handbook
    • forged skewers, coat hooks, and a knife
• Candle Making
  • How to Make Candles
  • Candle Kit
• Soap Making
  • Simple & Natural Soapmaking
  • Soapmaking Cold Process Kit
  • Domestika Online Course: Design and Creation of Cold Process Soaps
  • Domestika Online Course: Natural Soap Making for Beginners

• Home Brewing
  • The Brew-Master’s Bible
    • created several types of beer
• Gardening
  • Raised-Bed Gardening for Beginners
    • created and prepped garden boxes
  • The Home Brewer’s Garden
    • planted hops
• Making Dairy Products
  • The Complete Guide to Making Cheese, Butter, and Yogurt at Home
    • made several types of cheeses
• Creative Writing
  • Writing Fiction
• Critical Thinking of U.S. History
  • The 1619 Project
    • engaged in discussions of the book’s content
    • researched historical pieces presented in the book
• Modern Music Appreciation
  • researched top songs for each decade, starting from the 60s to the current year
  • listened to music and researched the singer or band and lyrics for each song

As you can see from above, most of the curricula involved lots of reading and note-taking and a few projects.

I was impressed by their dedication.

As a result of the blacksmithing course, the boys went on to take welding classes in our local community college.

In his spare time, Jack continues to work on his art and has taught himself to use a HUION to make digital illustrations.

In his spare time, Josh has taken on raising chickens, ducks, and geese.

If you have any questions about any of the above resources, please feel free to contact me at dionnem@homemadeourway.com.