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AmblesideOnline Year 11 Booklist

As students mature, their reading material will present more challenging content, and may include strong language and more mature themes. We have placed footnotes linked in red beside those books that most parents will consider an issue. However, we cannot anticipate which content might be an issue for every family. We encourage parents to pre-screen material to determine its appropriateness for their child and family.

Note: These booklists and curriculum suggestions are incomplete without a thorough understanding of Charlotte Mason's ideas and methods. We cannot emphasize enough that you take time to familiarize yourself with her philosophy by reading her books.

If you're planning to use AmblesideOnline, your first stop should be the the FAQ for some information about the curriculum and basic instructions. Our FAQ answers all the questions that people routinely ask: AO's history scope and sequence, how to schedule your school days, how to do narration, and more.

Key: (What do all those symbols mean?)

Book titles are linked to Project Gutenberg (which offers free etexts in a variety of formats) or other online text when no Project Gutenberg text is available.

Asterisks refer to which term the book is used: * Term 1 ** Term 2 *** Term 3

β - manybooks.net, another free ebook site.
α - free etext at archive.org; newer books can be borrowed for one hour at a time.
(ChrBk) - purchase from Christianbook.com using AO's affiliate link.
K - free Kindle text from amazon.com.
(£amzn) - Living Books Press purchase using AO's amazon.com affiliate link.
($amzn) - book purchase using AO's amazon.com affiliate link.
(K) - Kindle purchase using AO's amazon.com affiliate link.
(£) - Purchase directly from Living Books Press with an affiliate link; save 10% with discount code: AOBooks
Λ - free audiobook at Lit2Go
Ω - free audiobook at Librivox ^[2]
∩ - other free audiobook source
^[0] - Click the bracketed numeral to view any notes about the book near the bottom of the page.
^[0] - red footnotes indicate a heads-up for parents about the title. We cannot foresee every incident that might potentially be an issue to every family, but we have red-flagged those that are commonly a concern.

AO is an affiliate of Living Book Press, which means that when you purchase from our (£) links, we receive a commission which allows us to keep offering AO for free.

AO is an affiliate of Christianbook.com, which means that when you purchase from our (ChrBk) links, we receive a commission that helps with our costs.

AmblesideOnline is part of Amazon.com's Affiliate program. If you use the Amazon links, we receive a small commission which enables us to cover the costs of keeping the website and curriculum. Amazon links are identified like this: ($amzn) or (£amzn) or (K).

AmblesideOnline Year 11 Curriculum

For some thoughts behind the planning of this Year, some encouragement, and an explanation of AO/HEO upper years' "Salad Bar" approach, click here. Take the time to read the footnoted notes and comments; you will not be able to make good decisions about what to include or not without doing so. If this looks overwhelming for your student, you might consider plan B - a lightened load for Year 11.

Weekly Readings

The following weekly readings should be broken up into daily readings in whatever way works best for your family.

---

Bible

Isaiah 1-66, Amos 1-9, Micah 1-5, Hosea 1-14, Nahum 1-3, Zephaniah 1-3, Jeremiah 1-52, Habakkuk 1-3
2 Corinthians 1-13, Romans 1-16, Colossians 1-4, Philemon, Ephesians 1-6, Philippians 1-4, 1 Timothy 1-6, 1 Peter 1-5, Titus, Hebrews 1-13, 2 Timothy 1-4, 2 Peter 1-3, Jude, 1 John, 2 John, 3 John
Psalms 56-105 , Proverbs 1-16

Bible Gateway has many versions of the Bible online. ^[4]

Spiritual Formation

* Holier Than Thou: How God's Holiness Helps Us Trust Him by Jackie Hill Perry (ChrBk) ($amzn) (K) ^[6]
** The Knowledge of the Holy by A.W. Tozer (about the attributes of God) α α α (ChrBk) ($amzn) (K) ^[7]
** *** Bonhoeffer: Pastor, Martyr, Prophet, Spy by Eric Metaxas, first half α ($amzn) (K)
or Mrs. Oswald Chambers by Michelle Ule (ChrBk) ($amzn) (K) ^[8]
Optional: Pilgrim's Progress Part II, Christiana's Journey (online here or here) α - for those who missed this earlier, or wish to re-visit it as an older student.

Optional to substitute or supplement, perhaps one from this list this year:
The Practice of the Presence of God by Brother Lawrence β α (ChrBk) ($amzn) Ω
The Imitation of Christ by Thomas a Kempis β α (ChrBk) ($amzn) (K) Ω
On Loving God by Bernard of Clairvaux (40 pages) (ChrBk) Ω ($amzn) (K)

Some students might benefit from a daily devotional. These are time-tested classics:
Morning and Evening by Charles Spurgeon α (ChrBk) ($amzn) (K)
My Utmost for His Highest by Oswald Chambers α (ChrBk) ($amzn) (K)
Daily Light: Morning and Evening, scriptures compiled by Samuel Bagster α ($amzn) (K)
Streams in the Desert by Lettie Burd (Mrs. Charles) Cowman α (ChrBk) ($amzn) (K)

History: The 20th century

Term 1: 1900-1940; Term 2: 1940-1960; Term 3: 1960-present

Please see footnote for very important explanation on how the nature of this year's history is much different than any other AO/HEO Year before, as well as additional resources. ^[10]

As always, keep a timeline or century chart of the period studied. ^[12]
Optional: Truthquest History guides ^[14]

HISTORY OPTIONS:

Option One (Our preferred option; this is the primary text for Year 11):
A History of the Twentieth Century: The Concise Edition of the Acclaimed World History by Martin Gilbert. ($amzn) (K) ^[16]

Option Two:
Modern Times Revised Edition: World from the Twenties to the Nineties by Paul Johnson. (ChrBk) ($amzn) (K) ^[18]

Option Three:
Oxford History of the American People by Samuel Eliot Morison ($amzn) ^[20]

Option Four:
A Basic History of the United States by Clarence B. Carson. ($amzn) ^[22]

Option Five:
A Short History of Western Civilization by Sullivan et al ^[24]

Option Six:
A History of the American People by Paul Johnson (ChrBk) ($amzn) (K). ^[26]

Option Seven:
Land of Hope: An Invitation to the Great American Story by Wilfred M. McClay ($amzn) (K) This is a lighter option. ^[19]

Biography

Just a few possible options: [58]
* The Americanization of Edward Bok: The Autobiography of a Dutch Boy Fifty Years After β α K ^[60]
* Georges Vanier: Soldier: The Wartime Letters and Diaries, 1915-1919 edited by Deborah Cowley ($amzn) (K) ^[62]
* Black Boy by Richard Wright ($amzn) (K) ^[64]
** Witness by Whittaker Chambers (ChrBk) ($amzn) (K)
** Diary of A Young Girl by Anne Frank ($amzn) ^[65]
** The Hiding Place by Corrie Ten Boom (ChrBk) (ChrBk) ($amzn) (K) ^[67]
*** When Hell Was In Session by Jeremiah A. Denton Jr. ($amzn) (K) ^[66]
*** Life and Death in Shanghai by Nien Cheng ($amzn) (K) ^[68]
*** Mao Tse-Tung and His China by Albert Marrin

History Supplements and Speeches

* Theodore Roosevelt's Letters to His Children by Roosevelt, ed. by Joseph Bucklin Bishop. β α ($amzn) ^[28]
* Testament of Youth by Vera Brittain (preferred) ($amzn) (K) ^[30]
OR Guns of August by Barbara W. Tuchman (ChrBk) ($amzn) (K)
OR Now it Can Be Told by Philip Gibbs. ($amzn) K

* Only Yesterday by Frederick Allen ($amzn) (K) (still under review)
* Some of Us Survived: The Story of an Armenian Boy by Kerop Bedoukian ($amzn) ^[32]
* Ethiopia Through Russian Eyes by Alexander Bulatovich ^[34]

* Optional: The Napoleon of Notting Hill by G. K. Chesterton β α ($amzn) K ^[36]

* NY Times Current History...Who Began the War, and Why?, selections ^[38]

* We particularly recommend these speeches, though you may choose others from the rich resource listed above.

Teddy Roosevelt "The Man with the Muck Rake" - April 15, 1906
Woodrow Wilson, entering World War I, April 2, 1917 "War Message"
Franklin Roosevelt's First Inaugural Address March 4, 1933 "The only thing we have to fear is fear itself."
Edward VIII abdicates the throne of England - December 11, 1936 "the woman I love"
Lou Gehrig's farewell to baseball speech July 4, 1939 "the luckiest man on the face of this earth" ^[40]
Winston Churchill "Blood, sweat and tears" May 13, 1940
Winston Churchill "Their finest hour" June 18, 1940

** Any collection of Ernie Pyle's classic, Pulitzer-prize winning war dispatches. ^[42]
** The Men Behind Hitler: A German warning to the world by Bernhard Schreiber ^[44]
The Nuremberg trials: ^[48]
The Trial at Nuremberg ^[50]
Documents
     The Justice Trial
     Justice Jackson's Opening Statement for the Prosecution
** Optional resource: The Greatest Generation by Tom Brokaw (ChrBk) ($amzn) (K)
** Mitsuo Fuchida and Jacob DeShazer's story ^[52]

** Term 2 Speeches:

Franklin Roosevelt's Pearl Harbor address December 8, 1941 "a day that will live in infamy"
Eisenhower--D-Day invasion order June, 1944: "The hopes and prayers of liberty-loving people everywhere march with you."
Franklin Roosevelt D-Day Prayer June 6, 1944
Dwight David Eisenhower--Guildhall Address, London June 12, 1945 (also here; Read it here)
Winston Churchill's Iron Curtain speech abbreviated; March 3, 1946
Douglas MacArthur's farewell to Congress April 19, 1951 "Old soldiers never die"

*** Call to Conscience: The Landmark Speeches of Martin Luther King, Jr. by Martin Luther King, ed. by Shepard and Carson (ChrBk) ($amzn) (K) ^[54]
*** Why We Can't Wait by Martin Luther King (ChrBk) ($amzn) (K)
*** I Have a Dream speech by Martin Luther King, Jr. (ChrBk)
*** The Hungarian Revolt by Richard Lettis and William Morris ($amzn)
*** Victim: Imprisonment Because of the Hungarian Revolution of 1956 by Arpad Szilagyi ^[56]

** Term 3 Speeches:

A World Split Apart by Aleksandr Isaevich Solzhenitsyn; Harvard speech
John F. Kennedy's Inauguration Jan 20, 1961 "Ask not what your country can do for you--ask what you can do for your country."
Douglas MacArthur's address at West Point May 12, 1962 "Duty, honor, country."
John F. Kennedy's "Ich bin ein Berliner" June 26, 1963
Martin Luther King's "I've been to the mountaintop" March 3, 1968
Edward Kennedy at Robert Kennedy's funeral June 8, 1968 "I see things that never were and say 'why not?'"
Neil Armstrong; Apollo 11 Moon Landing July 20, 1969 "One small step for man, one giant leap for mankind." ^[57]
Richard Nixon's "Silent Majority" speech Nov 3, 1969
Congresswoman Barbara Jordan's opening statement to House Judiciary Committee
Richard Nixon's resignation August 8, 1974
Gerald Ford's pardoning of Richard Nixon September 8, 1974
Ronald Reagan--D-Day Memorial June 6, 1984 "These are the boys of Pointe du Hoc."
Ronald Reagan--Challenger Disaster Address Jan 28, 1986 "they 'slipped the surly bonds of earth' and 'touched the face of God.'"
Ronald Reagan--Brandenburg Gate June 12, 1987 "Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall!"
Barbara Bush at Wellesley 1990
George H. W. Bush 41st President--Announces Attack on Iraq January 16, 1991
Mother Theresa at Presidential Prayer Breakfast 1994 Feb 5, 1994 before the Clintons, regarding abortion; text; also here
Billy Graham's (minister to the Presidents) funeral address for Richard Nixon April 27, 1994, before 4 living presidents; Part 1 Part 2
Queen Elizabeth II on death of Princess of Wales September 5, 1997
Clarence Thomas "I am a man, a black man, an American" July, 1998
Chairman Henry Hyde's Opening Remarks to Impeachment Inquiry of President Bill Clinton, December 11, 1998; video here; Hyde's statement starts at 1:50:40
Elie Wiesel The Perils of Indifference April 12, 1999
Franklin Graham at Columbine High School Memorial Service April 25, 1999 (Columbine High School Memorial Service is online at C-Span; Franklin Graham's speech starts at 1:24:00)
What Happened on 9/11 September 11, 2001

Literature

Follow AO's Shakespeare Rotation.

Keep a commonplace book along with Shakespeare ∫ ^[92]

Miss Mason directed students at this level to keep a commonplace book for passages that strike them particularly; to learn a hundred lines of poetry; and to be able to give some account of what they have read in each book, with sketches of the chief characters.

Invitation to the Classics by Louise Cowan and Os Guinness ($amzn) ^[94]
* The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald (ChrBk) ($amzn) (K)
* All Quiet on the Western Front by Erich Maria Remarque (ChrBk) ($amzn) (K) ^[96]
** The Chosen by Chaim Potok ($amzn) (K)
** Brideshead Revisited by Evelyn Waugh ($amzn) (K) ^[98]
*** Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury (ChrBk) ($amzn) (K)
*** To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee (ChrBk) ($amzn) (K)

Supplementary Reading Not For The Faint of Heart: ^[100]

Short Stories ^[106]

* The Machine Stops by E. M. Forster (1909); also here Ω
* The Open Window by Saki (Hector.H. Munro; 1914) Ω
* Barn Burning by William Faulkner (1939) pdf with fewer typos
** Shooting an Elephant by George Orwell (1936)
** The Secret Life of Walter Mitty by James Thurber (1939) (possibly here)
** The Lottery by Shirley Jackson (1948) (also here)
** The Outstation by Somerset Maugham (1950) (also here, a third of the way down)
*** A & P by John Updike (1961)
*** Harrison Bergeron by Kurt Vonnegut Jr. (1961)
*** Everything That Rises Must Converge by Flannery O'Connor (1965) or here
*** Thank You, Ma'am by Langston Hughes (1958) or here; pdf

Essays ^[108]

* In Defense of the Essay by Christopher Orlet
* The Artistic Ordering of Life by Albert S. Cook, 1898 (Good, but long)
* The Moral Obligation to Be Intelligent by John Erskine, 1915
* The Superstition of School by G.K. Chesterton, 1923, from The Common Man
* Master of Many Trades by Robert Twigger, 2013
* The Second Time I Learned to Read by Stephen L. Carter
** Introduction to Athanasius' Incarnation (or, The Reading of Old Books) by C. S. Lewis, 1944 or here
** The Inner Ring by C. S. Lewis, 1944
** A Nice Cup of Tea by George Orwell, 1946
** Politics and the English Language by George Orwell, 1946
** How a Generation Lost Its Common Culture by Patrick Deneen, 2016
** Freedom of the Press by George Orwell, discovereded 1972; alternate links Δ Δ Δ Δ Δ Included in some editions of Animal Farm
** Living Like Weasels by Annie Dillard, 1974
** Home Places by Gene Logsdon, 2014
*** Abortion and the Conscience of the Nation by Ronald Reagan, 1983
*** The Spirit of Youth: What was so new about Futurism? by Morgan Meis, 2014
*** The Joy of Literary Destruction: Writers who broke all the rules by Wendy Lesser, 2014
*** Can Beauty Help us to Become Better People? by John Armstrong, 2014
*** You're Regretting Wrong by Judith Shulevitz, 2014
*** Too Much Information: What Good is Information? by Dougald Hine, 2014
Wikipedia's definition of an essay.
Arts and Letters daily is a good aggregate source for current essays
Project Gutenberg's collection of essays.

Ex Libris: Confessions of a Common Reader by Anne Fadiman ($amzn) (K) ^[110]

Poetry

Edna St. Vincent Millay poems suitable for terms 1 or 2.
Czeslaw Milosz Polish poet; this page includes audio of him reading his poems. More at NPR.
A good 20th Century anthology, such as Norton's Anthology of Modern Poetry or The Norton Anthology of Modern and Contemporary Poetry, Third Edition, Volume 2: Contemporary Poetry
Audio resources ^[112]

Copywork

Include selections from Shakespeare, the Bible, poetry and other sources. These selections may be the same ones used for recitation.
Continue (or begin) a personal quote book.

Dictation

2 or 3 pages of studied dictation per week. ^[128]

Grammar and Composition

On Writing Well: The Classic Guide to Writing Nonfiction by William Zinsser (ChrBk) ($amzn) (K) ^[114]
Traditional English Sentence Style by Dr. Robert Einarrson ^[116]

Written narrations: 3-5 per week, varying among subjects. Include one written narration from a reading earlier in the week. ^[118]
Essays/SAT Preparation ^[120]
Purchase a good English handbook. ^[122]
Less Than Words Can Say by Richard Mitchell ($amzn)

Optional: Paradigm Online Writing Assistant ^[124]

Recitation

2 Bible passages of about 20 verses each, 2 entire Psalms, 2 Hymns, 2 poems (or 50 lines) per term from that term's poets, and a passage from the term's Shakespeare play per term.

Scripture suggestions:
* Matthew 6; 2 Timothy 3; Psalms 19; 27; 33; and 111
** Hebrews 9; John 1:1-14; Psalms 91; 121; 122; 136
*** Acts 2:14-47; Ephesians 6; Psalms 122, 123 (these are short); Psalms 119:9-30; Psalm 118 and 145

Shakespeare - 1 passage from the term's Shakespeare play. ^[126]

Foreign Language

Begin or continue Latin.
Continue with any previous foreign language studies. ^[154]

Geography

Some suggestions: ^[70]

The World: Travels 1950-2000 by Jan Morris, formerly James ($amzn) (K) ^[72]

* Endurance: Shackleton's Incredible Voyage by Alfred Lansing (ChrBk) ($amzn) (K) ^[74]
OR South by Sir Ernest Shackleton β α Ω (ChrBk) ($amzn) K

** Under the Tuscan Sun by Frances Mayes ($amzn) (K) ^[76]

Ten minutes of map drills each week, locating places from the week's reading on a map. ^[78]
Explore foreign places relevant in news and current events.

Citizenship

Follow AO's rotation of Plutarch's Lives.

Ourselves by Charlotte Mason (£) (£amzn) ^[86]

Post-Christian: A Guide to Contemporary Thought and Culture by Gene Edward Veith (ChrBk) ($amzn) (K)
or Saving Leonardo: A Call to Resist the Secular Assault on Mind, Morals, and Meaning by Nancy Pearcey (ChrBk) ($amzn) (K) ^[87]
The Vision of the Anointed: Self-congratulation as the Basis for Public Policy by Thomas Sowell ($amzn) ∫
The following two essays from Graves of Academe by Richard Mitchell ($amzn) ∫
1. The Seven Deadly Principles
2. Problem Solving in the Content-Area
Are Screens As Addictive As Drugs? 53-minute documentary on YouTube ^[88]

Government and Economics

Economics in One Lesson by Henry Hazlitt α ($amzn) (K) pdf file here
or Basic Economics, first half, by Thomas Sowell α ($amzn) (K) ^[89]
Autobiography of a Slander by Edna Lyall β α Ω K ^[80]

A basic government book or course ^[82]

Current Events

Students should have a plan for keeping up with current events. This is not optional. ^[90]

If you prefer more options, we have a whole list to select from.

Science

Apologia science materials or other science program ^[130]
The Microbe Hunters by Paul de Kruif α ($amzn) (K) ∫ ^[132]
Six Easy Pieces: Essentials of Physics Explained by Its Most Brilliant Teacher by Richard P. Feynman ($amzn) (K). ∫ Online at CalTech ^[134]
E=Mc2: A Biography of the World's Most Famous Equation by David Bodanis ($amzn) (K) ^[136]
The Book Nobody Read: Chasing the Revolutions of Nicolaus Copernicus by astronomer Owen Gingerich. ($amzn) ^[138]

For those wanting to explore intelligent design:
Darwin's Black Box by Michael Behe (ChrBk) ($amzn) (K) (technical yet surprisingly readable)
The Case for a Creator by Lee Strobel (ChrBk) ($amzn) (K)

Nature Study

Keep flower and bird lists of species seen, select a special study for outdoor work, and continue to maintain nature notebooks.

The Handbook of Nature Study by Anna Botsford Comstock α (ChrBk) ($amzn)
Continue to use as in previous years with the AmblesideOnline curriculum.

Select books by these authors:
Stephen Jay Gould - although he is an atheistic evolutionist, he is an extraordinary writer.
Pilgrim at Tinker Creek by Annie Dillard (ChrBk) ($amzn) (K)
books by Hal Borland
John Muir Ω
Jacques Cousteau
The Outermost House by Henry Beston ^[140]
Henri Fabre's works on insect observations ∫ ^[142]

Follow AO's Nature Study Rotation of subjects.

The 36-week schedule uses these Nature texts:
* Our National Parks α by John Muir (ChrBk) ($amzn)
** A Thousand-Mile Walk to the Gulf α by John Muir ($amzn)
*** The Life of the Caterpillar α by J. Henri Fabre ($amzn)

Mathematics

Continue your math program; for some options, see this page.
Euclid's Elements

Logic

One possibility: The Thinking Toolbox: Thirty-Five Lessons That Will Build Your Reasoning Skills by Nathaniel and Hans Bluedorn (ChrBk) ($amzn) (K)

Art

Follow AO's Artist rotation; Picture Study helps on YouTube.

Work on drawing skills. Illustrate a scene from reading of your choice once a week, more as desired.
Choose one of these two options: ^[144]
The Story of Painting by H. W. Janson ($amzn) ^[146] ∫
The History of Art by H. W. Janson ($amzn) ^[148]

Music

Follow AO's Composer Study rotation.

Follow AO's Hymn Rotation.

Follow AO's Folksong Rotation.

Singing:
Foreign language - 3 songs per term ^[150]
Three Folk Songs in English ^[152]

Health and Physical Education

Schedule regular exercise of some sort. ^[156]
Study nutrition. ^[158]
Fearfully and Wonderfully Made by Paul Brand, if you haven't done it yet. (ChrBk) ($amzn) ^[160]

Life and Work Skills

House or garden work, useful crafts, or skill. ^[162]

Free Reading

Are Free Reads required reading?

(We hope to whittle this list down and divide it somehow to make it more manageable.)
Listed by date to help place these in historical Term:

1) The Hawk and the Dove trilogy by Penelope Wilcock ($et) Medieval-era story of Christian brotherly love:
The Hawk and the Dove (ChrBk)
The Wounds of God
The Long Fall (ChrBk)

2) Persuasion by Jane Austen, 1816 β α (ChrBk) (ChrBk) ($amzn) (K) Ω British tale of a thwarted romance between Anne Elliot and Captain Wentworth
3) My Antonia by Willa Cather β (ChrBk) ($amzn) K Ω Bohemian immigrants in the prairies of 1800's Nebraska
4) The Inspector General by Nicolai Gogol, 1842 β α ($amzn) very funny play satirizing small town corruption (The 1949 Danny Kaye movie ($amzn) was based on this play.)
5) The Harwich Naval Forces β α and/or others by E. F. Knight, a British war correspondent between 1870-1904. (Many are online)
6) The Club of Queer Trades by G.K. Chesterton 1905; short story mysteries β α Ω
7) Mama's Bank Account by Kathryn Forbes ($amzn) Light-hearted story of a Norwegian family living in San Francisco around 1910; inspired the movie "I Remember Mama"
8) Chesterton's books, written 1904-1930's Heretics/Orthodoxy (ChrBk) Everlasting Man (ChrBk) Ballad of the White Horse (ChrBk) In Defense of Sanity (essays) (ChrBk) Notting Hill/The Man Who Was Thursday (ChrBk)
9) G. K. Chesterton, The Apostle of Common Sense by Dale Ahlquist ($amzn) (K) a great book to read along with any of Chesterton's other books.
10) A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith (ChrBk) ($amzn) (K) Early 1900's; book-loving Francie comes of age in a poor section of New York
11) Christy by Catherine Marshall, 1912 (ChrBk) ($amzn) (K) Faith-based story of a young teacher in the Smoky Mountains
12) Michael O'Halloran by Gene Stratton Porter ($amzn) K Ω 1914; this bestseller about an orphaned newspaper boy outsold Pollyanna in 1916

13) The Adventures of Richard Hannay also called The Four Adventures of Richard Hannay by John Buchan ($amzn) includes
The Thirty-Nine Steps 1915 Ω
Greenmantle 1916 Ω
Mr. Standfast 1919 Ω
The Three Hostages, 1924

14) A Book of Escapes and Hurried Journeys by John Buchan, 1923 (Out of print; The Advisory has not previewed this.)
15) A Passage to India by E. M. Forster, 1924 (ChrBk) ($amzn) (K) Clash of cultures during the British rule of India
16) Keeper of the Bees by Stratton Porter (ChrBk) ($amzn) (K), 1925 (best seller about a dying soldier who escapes to the beach to die; her last novel)
17) The Trial by Franz Kafka, 1925 ($amzn) (K) A bank clerk is arrested but he doesn't know why; a look at the justice system
18) The Plutocrat by Booth Tarkington, 1927 (best seller satirizes American businessmen)
19) Cold Comfort Farm by Stella Gibbons, 1932 ($amzn) (K) ". . . hilarious parody of D. H. Lawrence and Thomas Hardy's earthy, melodramatic novels..."
20) Anthem by Ayn Rand, 1938 ($amzn) Futuristic story, useful for discussion (This is the only Ayn Rand book we recommend.)
21) How Green Was My Valley by Richard Llewellyn, 1939 ($amzn) Poetically beautiful book about Welsh mining community
22) The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich by William Shirer ($amzn) (K) for students who want to read more about WWII
23) The Screwtape Letters by C. S. Lewis * (ChrBk) ($amzn) (K) 1942 (satirical apologetics; fictional letters from one demon to another)
24) History of the Second World War: The Gathering Storm, Their Finest Hour, The Grand Alliance, The Hinge of Fate, and Closing the Ring, Triumph and Tragedy by Winston Churchill; six volumes: ($amzn) For students who want to read more about WWII
25) While Still We Live by Helen MacInnes, 1944 ($amzn) An English woman visits Poland just as Hitler invades
26) To Sir With Love by Edward Ricardo Braithwaite ($amzn) (K) (teaching in London's East End slums in the 1940's)
27) Kingsblood Royal by Sinclair Lewis ($amzn) (K) (best seller 1947, an uncomfortable but thought-provoking book about race relations when a middle-class American banker discovers he's part African)
28) Neither Five nor Three by Helen MacInnes, 1951 ($amzn) Spy-thriller involving communism and the media
29) One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich by Aleksandr Isaevich Solzhenitsyn, 1950-53 ($amzn) (K) (Dehumanization in Stalinist labor camps; Parental warning: There are multiple profanities and obscenities is this work. It is, nonetheless, an important book about Communist tyranny and the human spirit. One Advisory member came away from this book enamored with Solzhenitsyn, and affected with concern for what happened 'behind the iron curtain.' It's an important book, but we strongly urge parents to make this book selection thoughtfully, while fully aware of the language it contains.)
30) Karen by Marie Killilea, 1952 ($amzn) (K) A mother writes about raising a child with cerebral palsy
31) Angel Unaware: A Touching Story of Love and Loss by Dale Evans Rogers, 1952 (ChrBk) ($amzn) (K) A Down Syndrome child's short life, told from the child's point of view
32) Invisible Man by Ralph Ellison, 1952 ($amzn) (K) A student expelled from a Southern Negro college becomes spokesperson for "The Brotherhood."
33) Gulag Archipelago 1918-1956 by Aleksandr Isaevich Solzhenitsyn, single volume abridgment by Edward Ericson, recommended by Invitation to the Classics. ($amzn) Soviet labor camps
34) Waiting for Godot: A Tragicomedy in Two Acts by Samuel Beckett, 1953 (ChrBk) ($amzn) (K) Two homeless men wait for Godot, but they don't know why.
35) Good Morning, Miss Dove by Frances Gray Patton ($amzn) 1954, charming story of a devoted school teacher
36) The Old Man and the Sea by Ernest Hemingway, 1954 (ChrBk) ($amzn) (K) Santiago, an old Cuban fisherman, wrestles with a marlin
37) Leaf Storm: and Other Stories by Gabriel Garcia Marquez, 1955 ($amzn)
38) A Raisin in the Sun by Lorraine Hansberry, 1959 ($amzn) (K) Racial tensions observed in a black family in Chicago; there's a stage play (and movie) based on this book.
39) 84, Charing Cross Road by Helene Hanff, 1950's-60's ($amzn) Fun; letters between an American book-lover and a bookstore owner in England.
40) The Violent Bear it Away by Flannery O'Connor, 1960 ($amzn) (K) (A sheltered 14 year old is torn between his religious great-uncle and atheist uncle)
41) Peace Like a River by Leif Enger ($amzn) (K) 1962, an 11 year old asthmatic boy searches for his fugitive older brother
42) The Lilies of the Field by William Edmund Barrett, 1962 ($amzn) East German nuns are convinced that a black ex-soldier was sent by God to build a chapel in the desert.
43) Rocket Boys by Homer Hickam ($amzn) (K) (A NASA engineer's childhood building rockets in a WV mining town in 1960's; inspired the movie October Sky; parental warning--some hormonal content)
44) Labyrinths, 1964; collection of stories and essays ($amzn) (K) and others by Jorge Borges
45) Cosmicomics by Italo Calvino, 1965 ($amzn) surreal tales about the creation/evolution of the universe from the perspective of tiny particles; not to be missed by sci-fi fans. The first story is told in sensuous language, parents might want to preview.
46) The Outsiders by S. E. Hinton (ChrBk) ($amzn) 1967, gangs and social cliques; lots of street slang, but nothing vulgar
47) The Hunt for Red October by Tom Clancy ($amzn) (K) 1975; genre fiction, not literature--(note: rough language) Military submarines, US, USSR, CIA...
48) Under the Eye of the Clock by Christopher Nolan, 1987 ($amzn) autobiographical story of a severely handicapped poet with cerebral palsy. Nolan writes in a way that's impossible to describe. Flights of fancy, incredible twists and turns in labyrinths of words he makes up, but that you can understand.
49) The Giver by Lois Lowry, 1993 (ChrBk) ($amzn) (K) difficult themes; about a utopian society in which diversity is squelched and 'mercy killing' is part of the process.
50) At Home in Mitford by Jan Karon, 1994 (ChrBk) ($amzn) (K) the joys and sorrows of small town life seen through the eyes of an Episcopalian priest illustrating God's power to repair and restore broken lives and scattered families. Volumes are consecutive and best read in order. An Advisory favorite.
51) Safely Home by Randy Alcorn * (ChrBk) ($amzn) (K) 2001, Christian persecution in China
52) 2 1/2 Pillars of Wisdom/Dr. Von Igelfeld series by Alexander McCall Smith, 2003 (Very British humorous tales of linguistic philologists)
Portuguese Irregular Verbs ($amzn) (K)
The Finer Points of Sausage Dogs ($amzn) (K)
At the Villa of Reduced Circumstances ($amzn) (K)
53) Animal, Vegetable, Mineral by Barbara Kingsolver ($amzn) (K) True story of a family's move to a rural area to live as farmers; sparked the local food movement.
54) The Cross and the Switchblade by David Wilkerson (ChrBk) ($amzn) (K) The 1958 founding of the inner-city ministry Teen Challenge.

55) Joni: An Unforgettable Story by Joni Eareckson Tada (ChrBk) ($amzn) (K) "One of the most beloved Christian autobiographies of modern times, "Joni" highlights the unforgettable story of a young woman's courageous struggle to find hope after a broken neck left her completely paralyzed."

Short Stories:

Ransom of Red Chief by O Henry (1910) Ω
I'm a Fool by Sherwood Anderson (1922)
Hills Like White Elephants by Ernest Hemingway (1927)
You Were Perfectly Fine by Dorothy Parker (1929)
A Clean, Well-Lighted Place by Ernest Hemingway (1933)
The Dead (a collection of three short stories) by James Joyce (1914) Ω
Why I Live at the P.O. by Eudora Welty (1941)
Ace in the Hole by John Updike (1955)
I Stand Here Ironing by Tillie Olsen (1961)
Judgment Day by Flannery O'Connor (1965)
Revelation by Flannery O'Connor (1965) Complete Short Stories by Flannery O'Connor (ChrBk)

---

Many thanks to David Hicks, author of Norms and Nobility, for his kind permission to draw from his work and ideas. For more information please see the 1999 edition of his book. (ChrBk) ($amzn)

The Year 11 "Salad Bar"

This is a collection of some of the best resources for this time period. Even Advisory members aren't able to cover all of these with every single one of their own students and have to be selective. Feel free to pick and choose from among these suggestions. The best choice may just be the book you already own, and the one from which your student can narrate. (If this looks overwhelming for your student, you might consider plan B - a lightened load for year 11.)

High school is hard work. Students should be encouraged to approach it as though it's their first full-time job, and parents must remain involved--even as the child is maturing toward independence and becoming capable of taking over some of the decision making and record keeping. Some students already have specific career goals in mind that can be integrated into their school work, while college-bound students will need to tailor their studies to meet university admissions requirements. (Read about high school credits) There is no way we can create a high school year that will be precisely tailored to every child's needs.

Now for a word about books, and the design of Year 11...

Selecting the best books is a challenge that increases with each successive school year, and, in particular, when studying the 20th century. High school students are journeying across the bridge into adulthood, and the books they should read at this level reflect the adult world. Yet the last hundred years have seen a decline in the field of literature like no other century before. We had great difficulty finding well written material that didn't shock us or bathe us in vile and vulgar crudity. In the interest of giving students a firsthand knowledge of the writing that prompted 20th century movements and struggles - including the very negative and seriously damaging ones - we have included some works with which we wholeheartedly disagree. AO students will have already read most of the best 20th century books (C. S. Lewis, Tolkien, Chesterton, etc) by Year 11. Also, very few of the books were written after the 9/11 terrorist attacks, and that alters the terrain of the historical coverage in books of our era. As an example, imagine sitting down in 1950 to read a book published in 1936 which was written about the years 1900 to 1935. An author would naturally understand the events from those years with far greater insight after WWII than prior to it. Similarly, books written prior to 9/11 do not include historical events that are now known to have been significant.

While previewing the content of mountains of books for the AO/HEO high school years, we've been constantly aware that we cannot predict how far across that bridge other people's children may be. Families vary greatly in their views on sheltering, protecting and preparing for adulthood, so it would be futile for us to attempt to be the censor or guardian (the bridge troll?) for all AmblesideOnline/House of Education Online scholars. We set a very high standard for AO/HEO materials, and we've gone the extra mile and beyond to create and provide a Year 11 prototype that reflects excellence. However by no means do we claim to have done all the work for you! It remains the homeschool parent's job, most particularly on the high school level, to assume full responsibility for matching your child's sensitivities and sensibilities, and your family's standards, with the books you select for study.

In the booklist below, we've offered a few notes on potential concerns in certain books, but it goes without saying that we have not noted every potential concern in every book. Please understand that the absence of a comment does not mean the absence of anything your particular family might find offensive or inappropriate.

For these and other reasons, the AO/HEO high school Years are designed not as a single curriculum list (like the preceding Years), but rather as what we fondly call the AO/HEO "Salad Bar" approach. In many subject areas, we offer a variety of options for you to choose among (or you may substitute your own). The final product will be your design. Those who still prefer the comfort of a single booklist may simply select "Option One" where options are presented.

We feel that this Year 11 book list is in keeping with Charlotte Mason's principles, but it isn't the only possible way to "do" CM in high school. You are free to use it en toto, piecemeal, or simply as an example to consider.

To arrive at the best high school plan for your child, expect to burn some midnight oil, dig a little more than you did to prepare for the younger grades, and make more personal choices. You should budget time over a few weeks to focus on previewing and selecting books. Look on the bright side: you'll emerge from this process more conversant and familiar with the era and books your student is about to cover--and discussion is so vital for students in the upper grades. You'll also be more sympathetic to your hardworking young scholar!

As you devise your own Year 11 curriculum, whether using our book suggestions or your own substitute titles, it's useful to keep a page count in mind. Charlotte Mason's students covered approximately 1600-2000 pages in a term by Year 11, using about 40 different books. This loose guideline will help you gauge whether your own academic load is in keeping with Miss Mason's.

Before beginning Year 11, please do yourself one very smart favor: zealously pursue some teacher preparation time for yourself. It's a little investment that will pay you back double every single school day. We suggest you read (or reread) volume 6 of Charlotte Mason's six volume set. We suggest rereading it every single year of high school. Volume 5 may also be helpful to you. Both are available online, as free e-texts. You'll also find it useful to scan the sample Programmes from Miss Mason's own PNEU school, which are linked from the AmblesideOnline homepage. Forms V and VI are the ones relevant to Year 10. You'll find a wealth of helpful articles at AmblesideOnline, so plan to spend a few evenings exploring the site. It's also helpful to have on hand a good current book on homeschooling through high school. And you'll find terrific support on the AO Forum -- please join and participate!

Blessings to you, and happy high schooling! The Advisory (Back)

Footnotes

2. Note on Audiobooks: While links to audio books are added as a courtesy, Miss Mason's approach to grammar and composition is heavily dependent upon the children receiving an immense amount of visual exposure to the written word over many years, so parents should exercise extreme caution in how many audiobooks they use each year. Our brains just work differently when we see the words.

For children who have difficulty reading, one solution is to have them follow the audio version along in a written text.
Librivox free audio is done by volunteers, and some are better than others. Heidi Nash has a list of some favorite Librivox readers. Be aware that apps, including Librivox, that have clickable ads can open a browser and allow children unfiltered access to the internet, even when browsers have been disabled by the parent. There are options: either download mp3 files from Librivox and listen without the app, or only install the app on a parent-controlled device. Librivox has a pay option to turn off ads.

Cindy Rollins did a Circe Mason Jar podcast that included the role of audiobooks with difficult books.
(Back)

4. Continue AO's plan (6 years through the Bible in Years 7-12), or follow a plan of your own preference. AO's plan schedules the following for this year:
Isaiah 1-66, Amos 1-9, Micah 1-5, Hosea 1-14, Nahum 1-3, Zephaniah 1-3, Jeremiah 1-52, Habakkuk 1-3
2 Corinthians 1-13, Romans 1-16, Colossians 1-4, Ephesians 1-6, Philippians 1-4, 1 Timothy 1-6, 1 Peter 1-5, Titus, Hebrews 1-13, 2 Timothy 1-4, 2 Peter 1-3, Jude, 1 John, 2 John, 3 John
Psalms 56-105 , Proverbs 1-16
Resources: Study questions with maps; Bible Maps; Bible timeline.
Charlotte Mason had her students reading a commentary. We suggest you use what fits best with your family's belief system, keeping in mind that this year should be a bit meatier than previous years. One option is Matthew Henry's commentary. ($amzn). Encyclopedia of Bible Truths, 4 Volumes by Ruth C. Haycock (CBD) This is more of a topical Bible than a commentary.
Other commentaries are available at Christian Classics Ethereal Library. (Back)

6. Jackie Hill Perry came out of a LGBTQ lifestyle and is now married with four children. In this book, which is about God's Holiness, she quotes from Tozer's Knowledge of Holy a few times. She also wrote the book Gay Girl, Good God, about her experience in the gay culture and her conversion to Christianity. That book may be useful for teens, but be aware that she speaks candidly, though not graphically, about her own childhood abuse and attraction to females. (Back)

7. Knowledge of the Holy is sometimes subtitled The Attributes of God: Their Meaning in the Christian Life. (Back)

8. Bonhoeffer: Eric Metaxas has spoken of God at work during his writing of this book, and how the witness of Bonhoeffer's life has more significance for our time than perhaps even for his own time. Only the first half of this book is scheduled this year, as the second half is scheduled in Year 12.
Eric Metaxas wrote an abridged version of his Bonhoeffer book, which is excellent, though not as detailed. (ChrBk) ($amzn) (K)
Mrs. Oswald Chambers is the story of the writing of the beloved classic devotional My Utmost for His Highest. (Back)

10. History: In previous centuries, information on breaking events was transmitted after the fact, orally or through newspapers, pamphlets, and books, and thus citizens sometimes learned of the significant events of their time long after they occurred. In the 20th century the transmission of news events reached the speed of sound. Early in the century news came via radio or movie trailers. Later, with the development of television and photographs in the media (and in our day, the internet), information reached us via live pictures for the first time in history.
Images are now part of our collective history and memory. When many of us think Kennedy Assassination, landing on the moon, Kent State, the Berlin Wall, etc., we have a specific image in mind that is that event for us, and it's generally the same image. It's important for AO students to hear Martin Luther King Jr.'s "I Have a Dream" speech --because the timbre in his voice is part of the collective knowledge of a country. However, earlier speeches like the Gettysburg Address were read by the country and only heard by a handful. It's important for our students to read about the events of the 20th century, and then to see the images that the country knows and associates with those events. Certain images are the defining picture of significant events, such as the exploded Challenger, the little girl running in Vietnam after the napalm bombing, John Kennedy junior saluting at his father's casket, even the POW families running to be reunited on the airport tarmac during the Viet Nam era.
Discernment will be necessary on the part of the parent and student because images can be deceiving. For example, one book we previewed had multiple pictures of President Bill Clinton smiling and shaking hands and looking wonderful, and only one of President Reagan, a photo of him immediately after having been shot. The coverage of the two men arguably should have been equivalent, as both were two-term presidents. Editorial choices such as this reveal a definite viewpoint. Another example would be the famous photograph of the little girl in Viet Nam running from her village--this should be accompanied with the explanation that no Americans were involved in that attack, it was strictly a North and South Vietnamese engagement. We want our children to be able to 'see' the images and understand their significance, their emotional impact, and the events they represent.
Two titles that meet this need to see the century as it was seen by the world are The 20th Century Day by Day, published by Dorling Kindersley--this is a great resource for getting an overall view and feel for the century. It is an enormous book and should be read slowly, a page or two at a time. The 20th Century Year by Year, also a Dorling Kindersley book, appears to be out of print, but we mention it because some AO/HEO households may already own it. This title has been published in two different editions--one is simply an exact copy of the other, only printed in much smaller font. Most of us old enough to have a child in Year 11 will need a magnifying glass or bifocals to read the smaller version, but our students can probably manage without assistance. You can see a picture of the book at amazon.com.
And lastly, resources for general reference:
PBS Timeline of the 20th Century
Yahoo Search Engine collection of people, events, and movements of the 20th century
Library of Congress American Memory - Primary documents and eyewitness accounts that could be joined to timeline.
American Cultural History by decade - Focuses on the main issues of that decade; the opening for 1910 says "The 1910s was a decade of great change for America. It was the decade when the United States was first considered a world leader. Many of the issues we face today were important including the escalating of immigration and poverty, labor and monopoly battles, work safety and child labor problems. World War I--the first 'war to end all wars' raged. The 1910s were the decade America came of age. " It goes on to talk about negro suffrage, child labor laws, tobacco and the Titanic.
This timeline site was designed to go with PBS's similar TV series, "People's Century." 26 episodes starting with Age of Hope 1900 and Killing Fields 1919 (WWI) to People Power 1991 (Fall of Communism) and Fast Forward 1999 (technology) Includes an overview (etext) of each program.
Canadian Timeline
Evansville's World Hisory shows each period in outline form and links to lots of people, events and trends. The outline itself could serve as a timeline. Covers 1900-1945 and 1945-1990's. (seems to be offline!)
The 20th century was a very public one in which events were first heard rather than read by much of the world. The events of the 20th century were immediately brought into our lives and living rooms via the medium of pictures and sound. One of the clearest ways to gain an understanding of the shared language of the 20th century is through hearing or viewing the speeches of the era (or reading them if a recording cannot be located), From President Roosevelt's "The only thing we have to fear is fear itself" to Martin Luther King's "I've been to the mountaintop," to Neil Armstrong's "One small step for man" to President Reagan's "Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall," these famous and world-changing words were heard, rather than read, and the timbre in the voices of those who spoke them is a part of the history of this century. The phrases became part of the vocabulary of the people who first heard them. We have provided a list of those speeches in the appropriate terms, often with links where our students can go download a recording and actually listen to it over the internet. Parents should select perhaps one a week for their students to read, hear, or view. We suggest students give their narrations of those speeches orally, both because oral narration continues all the way through high school, and also to experience narrating a speech 'in kind.'
We do not wish to appear to imply that a full and complete study of American History is mandatory for non-Americans. Because of the influence the US has had on world events, we do believe that some understanding of the histories of England and the US is necessary for everybody; however, the depth of that coverage is an individual choice. Students from other countries should have a more thorough exposure to their own national history than our suggested options offer, and we encourage all AO/HEO users to seek excellent books on their own history and heritage. However, as we lack the resources and time to choose histories for other countries, we leave this responsibility to our foreign users. Still, we do encourage you to be bold in making the curriculum fit your own needs. Canadians can find more Canada specific information here. (Back)

12. Timeline: At this age, students should be keeping a Century Chart and Book of Centuries. Students at this level in the PNEU schools made summaries of dates and events, referred to maps as they read their history, and made century charts. Instructions for making your own timelines and charts are included in these Parents' Review articles: Book of the Centuries; Teaching Chronology; The Correlation of Lessons. For more details about the why, when, how of keeping CM timelines (and other notebooks), we recommend Laurie Bestvater's book, The Living Page ($amzn). Two Book of Centuries options: (£) (£) (Back)

14. Truthquest: Many AO/HEO parents find Truthquest History guides to be a tremendous help for enriching discussion of the big picture of history with their children. Somewhat reminiscent of the kinds of lesson preparation materials Charlotte Mason provided her PNEU teachers, they may be used to supplement whichever history books you choose. The appropriate Truthquest guide for Year 11 is Age of Revolution 3 (1865-2000) in the Truthquest editions published after 2003 (these have full-color covers). For those using the original Age of Revolution editions with the old pink covers, Age of Revolution 4 (which covers 1865-2000) would be the appropriate edition. (The contents of the newer editions is virtually identical to the old pink editions.) For more information visit Truthquest's website (Back)

16. A History of the Twentieth Century by Martin Gilbert
Term 1: ch 1-6 (to pg 263)
Term 2: ch 7-9 (to pg 416)
Term 3: ch 9 (pg 416)-12 (to pg 678) (Back)

18. Modern Times by Paul Johnson: We had always intended to use Johnson's book for option one. However, upon closer inspection, we found that Johnson writes for an audience he presumes still remembers the events he discusses. He has great analysis, but he's very short on details, and many of our students (and parents) will find it difficult to fill in the blanks. Some of our members may still prefer this book, and if you have the time to correlate the chapters with the Gilbert book above, you'll have a near perfect history combination. (And if you do put together such a correlation of chapters between the two books, please share it with us so we can make it available to others!) Pre-read; some rough language.
Term 1: ch 1-ch 9
Term 2: ch 10-13
Term 3: ch 14-20 (Back)

19. Land of Hope: An Invitation to the Great American Story by Wilfred M. McClay. ($amzn) (K) The paperback version may not be sturdy -- we saw one that had pages falling out after a few days. Year 11 corresponds with ch 14-Epilogue. There's a schedule that fits it into Years 8-11. This is a lighter option than most of our other history spines. ^[19]

20. Oxford History of the American People: Vol. 3 (the last volume) covers from end of Civil War to Kennedy Assassination. (Back)

22. A Basic History of the United States by Clarence B. Carson: Carson (a history professor) has a scholarly tone, and approaches his topic from a libertarian, probably Christian, point of view. This is a six volume series, available through used booksellers. This is a six volume series, available through used booksellers; try Amazon.com or Rainbow Resources. Also available on audio from Downpour. Pick up volume 4 where we left off in year 10, and then go on through volumes 5 and 6. (Back)

24. A Short History of Western Civilization by Sullivan et al: David Hicks, author of Norms and Nobility, recommended this. Sullivan's book has a nice feature at the end of chapter; he lists titles for additional reading, generally fictional books, classics that go with that time period. That is a lovely option in a history book. Katie B. has determined which chapters correspond to this year's history:
    Laying groundwork for the 20th Century (these dip into the 19th Century and sometimes earlier)
 (Chapter 46: Science and the Challenge to Christianity)
 (Chapter 47: Thought and culture in an Age of Nationalism and Industrialization)
 (Chapter 48: Politics, Democracy and Nationalism, 1871-1914)
 (Chapter 49: Democracy, Expansion, Civil War, and Reform in the United States, 1800-1920)
 (Chapter 50: Imperialism)
    Term 1 (1900-1949)
 Chapter 51: World War I, 1914-1918
 Chapter 52: Revolution and Communism in Russia
 Chapter 53: The Rise of Fascism and Authoritarianism
 Chapter 54: Paralysis of the Democratic West (1920s and 1930s)
 Chapter 55: World War II, 1939-1945
    Term 2 (1949-1960) and 3 (1960-present)
 Chapter 56: The Recovery of Europe and the Superpowers, 1945-1980s
 Chapter 57: Society and Culture in the Twentieth Century
 Chapter 58: Decolonization and the Non-Western World, 1945-present
 Chapter 59: The Collapse of Communism and New Realities (Back)

26. A History of the American People by Paul Johnson: An easier read than Morison (more engaging), perhaps more editorial in places. Juicier than either Churchill or Morison. Very enthusiastically pro-American. Year 11 students would read approximately pages 621-976.
Term 1: 621-725
Term 2: 725-841
Term 3: 845-976
A weekly schedule for Paul Johnson's History of the American People (Back)

28. Theodore Roosevelt's Letters to His Children: Delightful to read, chock full of nature study, geography, literary comparisons, composition study specifically for writing really nice letters, and some incidents of what goes on in government as seen from the White House leader of that time period. (Back)

30. Testament of Youth: This book is a vivid report of the anguish experienced by those English young people who lost their youth and lives to the "War to end all wars." Because it is an honest and accurate portrayal, there are candid references to sex and war violence, but these are few and not graphic. The experiences of the author led her to atheism, feminism, and socialism, and these topics are discussed with great sympathy. There are important themes here for young people today, as their generation may also face the horrors of a prolonged war. This is a book that should be read and discussed with a parent. (Back)

32. Some of Us Survived: a book about the Armenian genocide in WWI from the perspective of an 8 year old boy; intense but important. Parents should preview. (Back)

34. Ethiopia Through Russian Eyes: eye-witness account of the end of an era, 1896-98, consisting of two books by Alexander Bulatovich: From Entotto to the River Baro (1897), and With the Armies of Menelik II (1900) (Back)

36. The Napoleon of Notting Hill goes well with the first chapters of Gilbert's book because it talks about the conflict between nationalism and imperialism.(Back)

38. New York Times Current History: The European War from the Beginning to March 1915, Vol 1, No. 2 Who Began the War, and Why? Jam-packed with speeches, papers, and other documents, from many sides and viewpoints.; choose selections from these. (Back)

40. Lou Gehrig's farewell to baseball speech: We suggest you read a biography of him; there's a brief bio on his website. (Back)

42. Ernie Pyle's war dispatches: Some resources would include the books Here Is Your War: Story of G.I. Joe; Brave Men; or Ernie's War: The Best of Ernie Pyle's World War II Dispatches by David Nichols. There is also a website about his journalism with samples of his columns for those of us one a budget. Pyle's reports are classic recording. The soldiers loved him, and back home everybody read his articles, eagerly looking forward to the next report. Ernie Pyle won the Pulitzer Prize for his war reporting. (There a few documentaries/movies about Ernie Pyle and his role in the war.)
You might search out his most popular WWII articles online: The Damned Infantry; An Easy Landing; The Horrible Waste of War; A Pure Miracle; A Long Thin Line of Personal Anguish; Dispatch From Normandy; The Liberation of Paris; On Victory in Europe. (Back)

44. The Men Behind Hitler: A German warning to the world by Bernhard Schreiber: An important book, very chilling, connects Planned Parenthood to the eugenics movement today.(Back)

48. The Nuremberg trials: These are very important. The suggested websites provide insight into and source documents from Nuremberg, one of the most significant events in regard to law and jurisprudence of the 20th century. (Back)

50. The Trial at Nuremberg: if you read nothing else, read this link, which is a short essay summarizing the significance of the trials. Short summary of the significance of the trial. The original link is gone, and the new site hosting the article includes graphic war images, so we've used an archive.org link until we find a replacement. (Back)

52. Mitsuo Fuchida and Jacob DeShazer: The man who led the raid on Pearl Harbor--Mitsuo Fuchida--came to know Christ as Saviour after the war after reading a pamphlet written by Jacob DeShazer, an American airman with Doolittle's Raiders--who had been captured and spent 40 months as a POW, including 34 in solitary--and who had accepted Christ in prison, when he was eventually allowed to have a Bible, which he had repeatedly asked for. The two men later met, and even traveled together, sharing the love of Christ. Their story is here--a wonderful website. This site tells more of DeShazer's story. And if you want to read something yourself to really lift your heart as a praying mother, read "I Am the Praying Mother of Jacob DeShazer" from Missionary Tidings, April 1957. "My story is not one of boastful pride, but of witness to the goodness of the God who ever hears and answers the intercessory, pleading prayers of a Christian mother. My son, Jacob DeShazer, is a living example of what the Lord can do . . ." It's powerful. Try this archived version or scroll down 2/3 of the way down this page. (Back)

54. Call to Conscience: If the direct link doesn't work, try here, and type it in the search bar. Search online for audios of these speeches (try YouTube) (Back)

56. Victim: Imprisonment Because of the Hungarian Revolution: contains some rough language. (Back)

57. Apollo 11 Moon Landing July 20, 1969: The first moon landing was a singular event in the history of mankind and in the history of the United States of America. Most people on earth viewed it through images in magazines or newspapers and on grainy television video. And 650 million people worldwide heard the very brief sentence uttered by astronaut Neil Armstrong as he stepped onto the lunar surface. Students should read through this link and look at the pictures, and then listen to the two-minute audio clip. The clip begins with a line from President John F. Kennedy's commitment to landing a man on the moon, and then it immediately goes to the sound of lift-off, seven years later. The audio of Armstrong's famous words can be heard as well.
Also, while it was kept quiet at the time, astronaut Buzz Aldrin held a communion service in the lunar module in the moments between the landing and the two men's first steps. An account of it can be read here.
And yes, movie character Buzz Lightyear was named for the second man to walk on the moon (Buzz Aldrin is 93 of this writing). (Back)

58. Biographies: More suggestions. Biographies of the people listed are particularly relevant for Year 11 students. Please choose at least one per term. Where a title is included, it's because an Advisory member has read it and found it worth reading, but there may be and probably are others equally worthy at your library. Pick one book per term, or possibly more IF and ONLY IF the books chosen are short and light.
Students interested in reading more about the movers and shakers of the 20th Century might consider looking for biographies on these people.

Jean-Henri Fabre 1823-1915 Fabre, Poet of Science by Dr. Georges Victor Legros β α
Jacob Riis, 1849-1914 (Social reformer in New York) (The Making of An American by Jacob Riis)
Woodrow Wilson, 1856-1924
Theodore Roosevelt 1858-1919
Billy Sunday, 1862-1935
Marie Curie, 1867-1934
Tsar Nicholas II, 1868-1918 (Nicholas and Alexandra by Robert K. Massie)
Wilbur (1867-1912) and Orville (1871-1948) Wright
Mohandas Karamchand (Mahatma) Gandhi, 1869-1948
Vladimir Lenin, 1870-1924
Winston Churchill, 1874-1965
G. K. Chesterton, 1874-1936
Albert Einstein, 1879-1955
Joseph Stalin, 1879-1953
Margaret Sanger, 1879-1966
Pablo Picasso, 1881-1973
Franklin Roosevelt, 1882-1945
Eleanor Roosevelt, 1884-1962
David Ben-Gurion, 1886-1973
Lawrence of Arabia, 1888-1935 (WWI) (Seven Pillars of Wisdom by T. E. Lawrence)
Adolf Hitler, 1889-1945
Amelia Earhart, 1897-1937
Marion Anderson, 1897-1993 (opera singer)
Golda Meir, 1898-1978
Margaret Mead, 1901-1978
Charles Lindbergh, 1902-1974 (Spirit of St. Louis)
Anne Morrow Lindbergh, 1906-2001 (North with the Orient, a book about the pioneer flights Anne and her famous aviator husband took, and especially any of her collections of diaries and letters, such as Bring Me a Unicorn, Hour of Gold, Hour of Lead, War Within and Without)
Mother Teresa, 1910-1997
Richard Nixon, 1913-1994
Rosa Parks, 1913-2005
Scientist Francis Crick, 1916-2004
John F. Kennedy, 1917-1963
Nelson Mandela, 1918-2013
Alexander Solzhenitsyn, 1918-2008
Billy Graham, 1918-2018 (Just As I Am)
Ronald Reagan, 1920-2005 (God and Ronald Reagan by Paul Kengor; When Character Was King by Peggy Noonan)
Pope John Paul II, 1920-2005
Margaret Thatcher, 1925-2013
Jim Elliot, 1927-1956 (Journals of Jim Elliot)
Scientist James Watson, 1928-
Martin Luther King, Jr., 1929-1968
Stephen Biko, 1946-1977 (Biko by Donald Woods) The movie Cry Freedom about the South African activist murdered by the apartheid government is based on this book.
The Beatles, 1963-1970
A book by or about one of the many participants in the Manhattan Project - here are two websites which list possible resources. (note: Advisory members have previewed very few of these.) http://www.lib.uchicago.edu/e/spcl/manhat.html http://www.atomicarchive.com/Store/books1.shtml (Back)

60. The Americanization of Edward Bok is an inspiring autobiography of the first male editor of Ladies Home Journal magazine. (Back)

62. Georges Vanier: Soldier is a perspective of WWI from Canada's much-admired Governor's General (Back)

64. Black Boy: best seller from 1945, some language. (Back)

65. Diary of a Young Girl: We recommend locating an edition published before 1989, as later editions include content that was left out of earlier editions and will need parental screening. If you use a later edition -- The Critical Edition (1989), or The Definitive Edition (1991), or The Revised Critical Edition (2003) -- please pre-read for content. The mass paperback linked from the AO website ($amzn) translated by B. M Mooryart-Doubleday "with an introduction by Eleanor Roosevelt" should be fine; it's a reprint an earlier edition.
(Back)

66. When Hell Was In Session: Graphic first-hand account of a Vietnam POW that students really should read. (The Advisory hasn't previewed this.) (Back)

67. The Hiding Place: Students who enjoyed The Hiding Place may also be interested in reading The Watchmaker's Daughter, by Larry Loftis, a carefully-researched biography which adds more details and depth to the story. ($amzn) (K) (Back)

68. Life and Death in Shanghai: China's cultural revolution, 1966-1976 (Back)

70. Geography Suggestions: "The World" and "Under the Tuscan Sun" were especially recommended by at least one Advisory member, but since this is a salad bar, you might prefer to choose one of the other geography options, all of which were published in the 20th century. Alternative suggestions are listed on page of geography options. (Back)

72. The World: Travels 1950-2000 is well written, but there's a brief non-graphic mention of the author's gender-change operation in chapter 18, titled "Casablanca." The chapter is very short and can be skipped or removed. Also some language on pg 233 and 242. This book should be spread over all three terms. (This book is divided over the year in AO's posted 36-week schedule as the only geography selection.) (Back)

74. Shackleton's exploration of the South Pole on The Endurance; travel, geography, adventure. The Endurance set out on the very eve of WWI--in fact, war was declared but the Prime Minister wanted the expedition to continue. Very exciting tale of survival and exploration, scientific expeditions, polar exploration, human ingenuity. (Back)

76. Under the Tuscan Sun: great geography book, but the movie of the same name isn't recommended. There is a brief anatomical reference on pp. 70-71 that parents may want to preview. (Back)

78. Geography: Miss Mason's students at this level were expected to "know from Atlas something about foreign regions coming most into note in the newspaper, and in connection with history etc. studied. Summarize readings by memory maps on blackboard."
SeterraOnline offers Free Map Quiz Games. If you have an iPad or iPhone, TapQuiz is a free map quiz app.
Many countries have a tourism department, and writing to their embassies for free brochures, maps, and other travel information might be an inexpensive way to supplement geography studies. The World and I, listed under current events, is a rich resource for this purpose also. (Back)

80. Autobiography of a Slander: good short story on the dangers of slander. Very sad, tragic ending. Includes information on the political climate in Russia during the early 1900's. (Back)

82. Government: High School students will need to earn credit for basic government. This material can be done in Year 9, 10, 11 or 12. Some options:

Foundation for Freedom: A Study of the United States Constitution Workbook by Lars Johnson - This "workbook" is the text with review exercises after each chapter, which can be skipped. (ChrBk) ($amzn) Foundation for Freedom is an updated, full-color version of The Story of the Constitution, Second Edition by Sol Bloom and Lars Johnson ($amzn). Both appear to be the same book/workbook, but the newer one is in color. (Sol Bloom's original 1937 Story of the Constitution, which Lars Johnson used as a foundation for his own book, is online at Hathi Trust.) Because it was written in 1937, it stops at the 21st Amendment. Lars Johnson did an excellent job expanding and updating the Bloom book by adding concerns that weren't on the radar in 1937. He also wrote a chapter on limited government, checks and balances, and Biblical morality as well as a full-page explanation of each Amendment; Sol Bloom's book just explains each Amendment with a sentence or two. If you are in a situation where you need an online resource, the Sol Bloom text could work, but you should also seek out a source that explains why each Amendment was added and what it does.

Constitution 101: The Meaning and History of the Constitution is a twelve-week online course offered by Hillsdale College with 40-minute streaming video lectures (or you can download the audios). You have to register with a login and password, but the course is free. After you register, "you can find out how to get a copy of Hillsdale's U.S. Constitution Reader, the essential companion to the course, which contains over a hundred primary source documents edited by Hillsdale's Politics faculty." The website says the course begins on Feb 24, but their FAQ says their courses are archived so you can start them at any time, and you can go at your pace.

Exploring Government Curriculum Package by Ray Notgrass (CBD)

The Everything American Government Book by Nick Ragone is an easy to read explanation of political terms (such as caucus, filibuster, bureaucracy, regulatory commission, judicial review, pork barrel spending, gerrymandering) with a minimum of bias. The author glosses over the Constitution, giving his interpretation of the key points, so this is not a substitute for learning what's in the U.S. Constitution. If you decide to use this book, this schedule divides it over either 36 weeks or 18 weeks. ($amzn) (K).

This 10-minute YouTube video presents a clear explanation of the difference between a republic based on law, and a democracy based on majority rule. (Back)

86. Ourselves, the 4th volume of Mason's 6 Volume Series: approximately 22 pages per term. This book will continue through all the remaining years of AO's high school curriculum. If your student is graduating before Year 12, you may wish to speed up in order to complete the book before graduation. This year: pages 68-136 of Book 2
There is a modern English paraphrase that can be read online or purchased. ($amzn) (K) Relying on paraphrases will prevent your child from developing the mental muscles needed to comprehend older books. But sometimes a paraphrase is needed. If a child is completely lost, then nothing in their brain is firing up, so there are times (and specific children) where it can make the difference between giving up on a book, or using a paraphrase so the ideas at least get through. Read more about this in Wendi Capehart's blog post Imagination and the Mind's Eye.
Term 1: Book 2 pg 68-96
Term 2: Book 2 pg 97-114
Term 3: Book 2 pg 115-136 (Back)

Plutarch: Charlotte Mason recommended Thomas North's "inimitable translation." If you need to cut back, do one or two Lives this year. (Back)

87. Saving Leonardo may appeal to more artistically minded students (Back)

88. Are Screens As Addictive As Drugs? The first 15 minutes focuses on a doctor in France and uses English subtitles, but the documentary is English. (Back)

89. Sowell's Basic Economics: Sowell's book is longer than Hazlitt's Economics in One Lesson, but some students may find it easier to follow. If your student completes AO with Year 11 and doesn't get to Year 12, even half of the Sowell book will be worthwhile. There are five editions of this book (1st published in 2000 at 390 pgs, 3rd published 2007 at 648 pgs, 4th published 2011 at 712 pgs, 5th published 2015 at 710 pgs) with some added material to each edition. We have scheduled the Fifth Edition, but if you have an earlier version, that is still valuable, as the principles don't change, and we encourage you to use what you have. (Back)

90. Current Events: Charlotte Mason had students at this level read the daily news and keep a calendar of events. We suggest students choose the most important 2 or 3 stories of the week and re-write them in their own words as a chronicle of the year, making the heading of each page something like "This Week in History, September 1st, 2003." Parents: pre-read and filter current events materials (on the web, or in print) as necessary, due to the potential for coverage and topics of an explicit nature, even from conservative sources. We've listed some possible options.
Blogs as a media form have rapidly overtaken hard-copy publications. News is being reported there, in some cases, faster and more accurately than other, older media forms. Students should learn about them, find one they trust, and check it regularly. However, we recommend that parents first become familiar with blogs and visit the one(s) their children will frequent. We suggest several poliblogs, but parents should know that not every message on these blogs will be 'child-friendly' and often have ads that include scantily clad women. Also, most blogs link to a multitude of other blogs and sites that may not be child-friendly.
Comments posted on blogs can be considered a new media equivalent of a letter to the editor, and students should learn how to communicate well on blogs. (Back)

92. Shakespeare: Leithart's book Brightest Heaven of Invention ($amzn) (K) is a Christian study guide for 6 Shakespeare plays: Henry V, Julius Caesar, Hamlet, Macbeth, The Taming of the Shrew, and Much Ado About Nothing. (If you need to cut back, do one or two plays this year.) (Back)

94. Invitation to the Classics: pages 307 to 366 this year, beginning with James Joyce, and continuing to the end of the book; the chapters are short. Table of contents arranged by Year and Term for both books
(Back)

96. All Quiet on the Western Front: well-written, straightforward account of the realities of WWI. Parent may want to preview the end of ch 8 (pg 193 in some editions). (Back)

98. Brideshead Revisited: Mature content, but meaty and thought provoking. (Back)

100. Supplementary Reading for Intrepid and Bold Souls Who Are Not Faint of Heart: These are important novels, but some parents may feel uncomfortable assigning to their students because of mature themes or rough language. (Back)

102. Daring Young Man on the Flying Trapeze: beautifully written, Pulitzer Prize winning, upbeat, funny, story of a man who quietly and cheerfully starves to death during the depression. It's his death that makes the book not for the faint of heart - in this year, with this age, there's already so much sadness. (Back)

104. Lord of the Flies: Probably should be read by all Year 11 students who are prepared in advance to be horrified by a realistic look at how humans will act without God or Law. Dispels the idea of the 'noble savage.' (Back)

106. Short Stories: Year 10 and 11 students should gain familiarity with some of the best literary short stories and to learn something about their structure. Stories are one of the oldest literary forms (although not as old as poetry), but the modern short story didn't come into its own until the 19th century when it was adopted by writers such as Hawthorne, Chekhov, Gogol and Poe. Although Year 11 focuses on the 20th century, a study of short stories should also include early examples. Stories from the 20th and 21st centuries will pose the same problems with content. Parents are advised to preview those selections.
Since anthologies go in and out of print, it is difficult to recommend one single volume. However, any good anthology should include some of the following authors. Where the Advisory feels one story is particularly important, we have indicated that. You will probably want to choose between eight to twelve stories to read.
As an alternative to purchasing an anthology, the following websites offer a number of American and international short stories, including many of those listed above, that can be printed out: Classic Short Stories 160 short story classics from A to Z
Bibliomania (click on Short Stories)
Twenty Great American Short Stories
List of Classic Short Stories
Short Story Classics (If your images/java are on, site flashes questionable images)
As a supplement to the stories themselves, one recommended guide to reading and writing fiction is Technique in Fiction by Robie Macauley and George Lanning, available through Amazon.com.
A useful online essay introducing the short story is "How to Read a Short Story" by Dino Manrique; it's online here.
If you prefer some upbeat stories, there are some "feel good" short by classic authors listed here. (Back)

108. Essays may be used for dictation work. After studying essays, students should be prepared to tackle writing essays on subjects they choose. One possible usage is to have students read an essay on Monday, outline it on Tuesday, rewrite it from their outline on Wednesday, and polish up that rough draft on Thursday. Note: In PNEU's Form III, a paragraph was dictated; in Form IV, selections were occasionally written from memory. You might occasionally assign the student's mastered work for the dictation lesson. Forms V and VI also wrote: "A good precis. Letter to The Times on topics of the day. Essays on subjects taken from the term's work in History and Literature and Economics; or, write on a picture studied, or on some aspect of nature."
Students should read an essay every other week. Choose 18 essays for the year from the suggestions listed, or supplement with your own choices. We reserve the right to replace suggested essays with better ones should we come across them. (Back)

110. Ex Libris: If you prefer a book, "This witty collection of 18 essays recounts a lifelong love affair with books and language." (Back)

112. Poetry: Audio resources: Students who have developed an affinity for poetry will benefit from hearing these rare recordings of poets reading their own works: Poetry On Record: 98 Poets Read Their Work (1888-2006), and The Caedmon Poetry Collection: A Century of Poets Reading Their Work. These are available at Amazon but also through public libraries (check the inter-library loan system if necessary). University libraries hold them as well. Delightful and unforgettable.
Extensive audio archives of famous poets reading their own works can also be found at www.poets.org and www.poetryarchive.org.
Norton Anthology audio site (Back)

114. On Writing Well: This is a classic, respected book familiar to all writers, and commonly used as a text in writing courses. Very readable and instructive, and currently in print. Written for adults; you may wish to preview.
If your student hasn't yet had any formal grammar lessons, use Our Mother Tongue: An Introductory Guide to English Grammar by Nancy Wilson ($amzn) Answer Key: ($amzn) This book has 49 chapters; schedule approximately 16 chapters per term. OR, if you have Jensen's Grammar ($amzn), work through that this year.
In terms of difficulty (easiest to most challenging), Easy Grammar Plus is probably the easiest, followed by Jensen's, and then Our Mother Tongue.
Jensen's Grammar goes slowly and step-by-step; their answer key is thorough (Our Mother Tongue doesn't always have answers). There are 75 lessons, so plan to take two years, or else do two lessons per week. Expect to pay about $30 for the Jensen's text and answer key. The DVD's are not necessary. You will probably find it cheaper at New Leaf Publishing, or other homeschool sellers such as Lamppost Homeschool.
If you are not confident about teaching grammar, you might prefer Easy Grammar Plus by Wanda Phillips. It's less intense than Jensen's, but still doesn't assume a lot of previous knowledge from the teacher. It's easier than Jensen with just a couple suggested alterations (for example, don't insist on memorizing the prepositions at the start, just write a list of them and explain an easy way to remember most of them: any way a worm can go in relation to two apples, or ways a bird can fly in relation to two mountains). A parent using this with one child could get by with only the Teacher's Edition (ChrBk) since the student workbook is included in it, but multiple students would need their own workbooks (ChrBk). You can also purchase from their website. Easy Grammar Grade 8 Student 180 Daily Teaching Lessons by Wanda Phillips is just as good; it also has the student workbook included in the teacher's edition.

Those who are more familiar with grammar may prefer Our Mother Tongue. It's more interesting as it uses classic literature for exercises and includes snippets of history about language. The Answer Key ($amzn) is sold separately. Our Mother Tongue has 49 chapters. One suggestion is to spread the book over two years, doing about 9 chapters per term. (Back)

116. Dr. Robert Einarrson's Grammar Handouts that Karen Glass so highly recommended have been replaced with a free downloadable textbook and workbook called Traditional English Sentence Style and teaches grammar through literature. This is an excellent book and should be used for students who have already completed Our Mother Tongue or Jensen's. It "promises not only to teach you about grammar, but also to show you the 'grammar secrets' of some of the great writers of English." (Back)

118. AO's Language Arts Scope and Sequence for this level. Assign 3 to 5 written narrations each week, varying the assignments among subjects, and assigning some narrations to be written from readings done earlier in the week. For example: On Tuesdays, the student would read the scheduled Literature, news of the week, historical or allegorical subjects, etc. Then on Thursdays, the student would write a narration of one of those readings. Narration can be done in many ways: poetic, in answer to an essay-style question, straight narration, narration in letter-writing form, and many other creative ways. Write verses (perhaps using metre of poems set for this term) on current events and characters in the term's reading, upon heroic deeds, or on seasonal scenes. Write Narrative poems on striking events. (Back)

120. Most students in Year 11 will have the SAT barreling down on them, and will need to focus on preparing for the essay portion of that test. As for assigning research papers, we leave this to parental discretion. A student should learn to cite sources properly; however, it takes very little time to learn how to do this. Students should already have become proficient at writing from previous schoolwork such as narration. If the student has not already done so, he should be writing some longer papers--around 5-7 typed pages. This does not necessarily mean research papers, rather writing at length in a focused way--perhaps comparing two books, perhaps writing an analysis of the significance of a historical event, perhaps...the possibilities are endless. A student at this level should be able to write longer papers like this. (Back)

122. A favorite Advisory English handbook is The Little, Brown Handbook by H. Ramsey Fowler and Jane E. Aaron ($amzn). Some may find Writer's Inc. more user friendly ($amzn). (Back)

124. Paradigm Online Writing Assistant: Karen Glass: Paradigm Online Writing Assistant is a whole online free course about writing four kinds of essays. I haven't explored the whole thing, but I like what I've seen so far. This is the link to the section on writing a support essay. At the top of the page, you can see the progression of the whole course. (Back)

126. Bartlett's Familiar Quotations is a helpful tool for looking for quotable sections from various plays of Shakespeare, especially quotes from the various plays which appear in various other literature. Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 10th edition, is online (in html and text here.) Note: To get the list of plays from the Bartlett's Familiar Quotations page, try selecting 1) the Author index, then select 2) the Shakespeare entry, which should provide a list of quotations from the first play in the list; and then try selecting 3) Shakespeare's name above the quotations. This last step should bring you to an index of the plays, not just the list of quotations. Or, you may go directly to the play needed from the Shakespeare play index. (Back)

128. Dictation: The student studies two or three pages of dictation material per week, from which the teacher dictates several paragraphs or sections. Students should have the opportunity to study the passage carefully for spelling, punctuation and form before they are required to write it from dictation. At this level, you may wish for your student to alternate between taking dictation in the traditional way by hand, and with a word processor (an added benefit here is the spellchecker function, which can be a useful teaching tool and actually functions in a manner complementary to CM's spelling methods.)
Dictation selections may be drawn from sources such as the term's prose, poetry and Bible readings. You may also occasionally choose to assign selections from well-written journalism sources to exemplify a more technical and factual style of writing. However, choose carefully as newspapers and magazines are often poorly written. Examples of worthy sources might include World Magazine, and columnists such as Peggy Noonan, William F. Buckley, William Raspberry, Charles Krauthammer, Cal Thomas, George Will, and Thomas Sowell, most of whom are accessible from www.drudgereport.com (site will need screening by parent; daily entries are increasingly and disturbingly non-family-friendly). Another good resource for exemplary journalism is http://www.opinionjournal.com from the Wall Street Journal. Writers from these sources are prolific and skilled at the craft of writing. The New Yorker magazine is known for being expertly written and edited, but may require parental previewing.
You may also select among these essays for dictation work. These provide a good starting point for the essay form of writing. After two or three terms of studying Lamb's essays, students should be prepared to tackle writing essays on subjects they choose. One possible usage is to have students read an essay on Monday, outline it on Tuesday, rewrite it from their outline on Wednesday, and polish up that rough draft on Thursday.
Note: In PNEU's Form III, a paragraph was dictated; in Form IV, selections were occasionally written from memory. You might occasionally assign the student's mastered recitation work for the dictation lesson. (Back)

130. Apologia science materials ($earch). If a student missed out on the AmblesideOnline science selections and nature study rotation, General Science should be considered as a starting point with Apologia materials; otherwise start with Physical Science. If financial resources are a concern, any of their science courses may easily be stretched to two years.
Another possible option: BJU Press Science, which schedules Physical (basic) science in 9th grade, Biology in 10th grade, Chemistry in 11th grade, and Physics in 12th grade. The Advisory has not used this yet. Some have recommended BJU Biology, Apologia Chemistry and Apologia Physics. (Back)

132. Microbe Hunters is a collection of science biographies. Chapters 9-12 (Bruce, Ross vs Grassi, Reed, Ehrlich) are scheduled in Year 11. (Back)

134. Six Easy Pieces: These chapters, one per term:
Term 1: Conservation of Energy
Term 2: The Theory of Gravitation
Term 3: Quantum Behavior (Back)

136. E=Mc2: A Biography of the World's Most Famous Equation - There's a 2-hour docu-drama called "Einstein's Big Idea" about the theory of relativity; look for it on YouTube. (Back)

138. The Book Nobody Read: Though none of the Advisory has read this, it was highly recommended by an AO mom. (Back)

140. The Outermost House: suggested by a homeschooling dad; none of the Advisory has seen this yet. (Back)

142. Henri Fabre: choose any one of these; many of these are online at Project Gutenberg; Fabre texts with photos; Some browsers have trouble with this link. Try going to http://www.efabre.net/ and clicking the tab at the top that says "Electronic texts" and scroll down for the title of the book you want to view.
Select one of the following Fabre works from the above link:
Bramble-Bees and Others α
The Life of the Caterpillar α
The Life of the Fly, With Which Are Interspersed Some Chapters of Autobiography α
The Mason-Bees α
More Hunting Wasps α
The Wonders of Instinct: Chapters in the Psychology of Insects α
The Glow-Worm and Other Beetles α
Social Life in the Insect World α (Back)

144. Art options: Parents may wish to screen all options for nudity. (Back)

146. Janson's Story of Painting: The chapter titled Painting in Our Own Time. (Note: this book is best suited for the earlier years of Ambleside's House of Education) If you already have Janson's Picture History of Painting, Janson's History of Art for Young People or Janson's History of Art, those books are broken down into their appropriate terms for Years 7-11 here. (Back)

148. Janson's History of Art: Assign the chapters in your Janson edition that cover the Year 11 period. If you already have Janson's Picture History of Painting, Janson's History of Art for Young People or Janson's History of Art, those books are broken down into their appropriate terms for Years 7-11 here. (Back)

150. Foreign Folk Songs: Charlotte Mason did 3 in French and 3 in German. (Back)

152. English Folk Songs: you may choose to continue the Folk Song rotation at AmblesideOnline; as well as the AmblesideOnline rotation for Hymns each term. Carols would do for the Winter term. Work on each song about 4 weeks. Folksongs which are particularly appropriate selections for the Year 11 time frame include:
Term 1 World War I:
1. Over There
2. It's a long way to Tipperary
3. There's a Little Blue Star in the Window - refers to the tradition of hanging a blue star in the window if a family member was in the war - and later it was a gold star if they died in the service of their country. This tradition was also in World War II, and some do it still today.
4. Danny Boy
Term 2 World War II
1. (There'll be bluebirds over the) White Cliffs of Dover
2. When the Lights Go On Again All Over the World (refers to the 'blackouts' in homes at that time)
3. I'll Be Seeing You-- Originally recorded by Sammy Fain, who co-wrote it for a Broadway musical. Artists of the era who covered it include Billie Holiday and Bing Crosby; search for their recordings on Pandora, Rhapsody, Youtube, etc. The song was also featured in a WWII-era movie of the same name starring Ginger Rogers, Joseph Cotton and Shirley Temple.
(several could be added to this - like "Don't sit under the apple tree without anyone else but me," or "Boogie-woogie Bugle Boy from Company B" or "In the Mood" - the list goes on!)
Term 3 Vietnam War/Civil Rights
1. Where Have All the Flowers Gone - a protest song written by Pete Seeger
2. We Shall Overcome - a theme song of the Civil Rights movement
3. Okie from Muskogee (portion) - an anti-hippie song
Also - Families might want to explore on their own the music of the 20th century - Big Band, Jazz, Country, Bluegrass, Rock and Roll, and, of course, the protest songs of the sixties by artists such as Bob Dylan or Woodie Guthrie, for the impact this music had on the culture.
From Wikipedia: The terminal state of the loss of folk music can be seen in the United States and a few similar societies, where except in isolated areas and among hobbyists, traditional folk music no longer survives. In the absence of folk music, many individuals do not sing. It is possible that non-singers feel intimidated by widespread exposure in recordings and broadcasting to the singing of skilled experts. Another possibility is that they simply cannot sing, because they did not sing when they were small children, when learning of skills takes place most naturally. Certainly it is very common for contemporary Americans to claim that they cannot sing.
There is anecdotal evidence that the loss of singing ability is continuing rapidly at the present time. As recently as the 1960s, audiences at American sporting events collectively sang the American national anthem before a game; the anthem is now generally assigned to a recording or to a soloist.
Inability to sing is apparently unusual in a traditional society, where the habit of singing folk song since early childhood gives everyone the practice needed to able to sing at least reasonably well. (Back)

154. Charlotte Mason's students were learning three languages at this level. A good English/foreign language dictionary is also recommended.
You might find that your foreign language studies cover enough grammar to be counted as English Grammar as well. (Back)

156. Regular Exercise: One Advisory suggestion: For routine fitness, Living Arts' Pilates videos/DVD's offer a challenging but enjoyable 30 minute mat workout that will benefit the entire family. Instructor Ana Caban gives clear and concise verbal cues that even young children can follow with a little guidance (even a 3 yob! ;-) and the background music is neither loud nor distracting. Start with the Beginning Mat Workout video/DVD ($amzn), which explains the basics, before advancing to the Intermediate Mat Workout ($amzn). Another suggestion: Leslie Sansone's Walking DVD's: Start! Walking ($amzn), Walk Away the Pounds ($amzn).
Learn and play a game (kick ball, tennis, croquet, ping-pong, bocce ball, softball, racquetball, volleyball, soccer, etc.) or take up hiking, swimming, folk-dancing, hula dancing, clogging, Scottish dancing, Irish dancing - purchase Celtic Feet DVD ($amzn) -- or pursue other physical activity of your choice.
Another option is Swedish Drill Revisited by AO mom Dawn Duran purchase
The Inner Game of Tennis, by Timothy Gallwey (PE) (Back)

158. Nutrition: some suggestions:
     Nutrition and Physical Degeneration, by Weston A. Price (2003; 2009) ($amzn)
     The Omnivore's Dilemma: A Natural History of Four Meals, by Michael Pollan (2007) (ChrBk) ($amzn) (K)
     Folks, This Ain't Normal: A Farmer's Advice for Happier Hens, Healthier People, and a Better World, by Joel Salatin (2012) (ChrBk) ($amzn) (K)
     Animal, Vegetable, Miracle, by Barbara Kingsolver (2007; revised 2017) ($amzn) (K) (duplicates Pollan's Omnivore's Dilemma)
     The Locavore's Dilemma, by Pierre Desrochers (2012) ($amzn) (K)
     Nourishing Traditions, by Sally Fallon (2001) ($amzn) (K)
     Harvest For Hope, by Jane Goodall (2006) ($amzn) (K)
     Naturally Healthy Woman, by Shonda Parker (2003) ($amzn)
     Mommy Diagnostics, by Shonda Parker (2003) ($amzn) or others by Shonda Parker, a Christian homeschooling mother and certified herbalist.
     Why We Get Fat: And What to Do About It by Gary Taubes (2011; there are a few scientific images parents should preview) ($amzn) (K)
     The Case Against Sugar by Gary Taubes (2017) ($amzn) (K)
     In Defense of Food, by Michael Pollan (2009) (ChrBk) ($amzn) (K)
     Good Energy: The Surprising Connection Between Metabolism and Limitless Health by Casey and Callie Means "A bold new vision for optimizing our health now and in the future." Highly recommended by the Advisory. ($amzn) (K) Note - This is an important book that ties together much current research concerning metabolic dysfunction, sleep, clean environment, mental health and more -- but parents should preread as the book also includes frank comments about reproductive issues (pg 40-43, pg 51), rough language (pg 66, 115), graphic description of a surgery (pg 185-186), medical use of psychedelics (pg 256-258), Buddhist influences (pg 259). There's a two-hour interview from Aug. 2024 with the author on Tucker Carlson, and a four-hour Senate round table from Sept. 2024 featuring Casey Means, RFK Jr, and others posted by Senator Ron Johnson about "changes that have occurred over the last century within public sanitation, agriculture, food processing, and healthcare industries . . ."
     What the Bible Says About Healthy Living, by Rex Russell (2006) ($amzn) (K)
     Taking Charge of Your Fertility, by Toni Weschler (2015) ($amzn) (K) (Back)

160. Fearfully and Wonderfully Made: preview this first (see note) (Back)

162. Work and Life Skills: Charlotte Mason had students do house or garden work, make Christmas presents, pursue useful crafts, sew, cook, and learn first aid. She also suggested that the student help darn and mend garments from the wash each week and sew for charity (serving at a soup kitchen would also work). We suggest that over the course of high school, your student might do the following (a rough guideline would be to choose about three of these per year for the next four years):
Learn to cook using a basic cookery book such as Joy of Cooking ($amzn), Better Homes and Gardens New Cookbook ($amzn), The Cook's Illustrated How-to Cook Library (K), Mark Bittman's How to Cook Everything ($amzn), one of Sue Gregg's cookbooks, or whatever you have on hand.
Learn CPR and first aid (This can also be counted for Health.)
Learn to balance a checking account
Learn to read a map
Read a book about Small Engine Repair
Take a course in Driver's Ed
Work with an Election Campaign
Learn to garden and/or yard care
Change a flat tire
Use jumper cables
Pump gas, change the oil and plugs on a car
Make some simple furniture
Lay a tile floor
Paint a room
Some basic home repair and maintenance
The Walls Around Us, by David Owen ($amzn) is a well-written book about how our houses are built, but it needs some previewing or parental editing.
Miss Mason frequently recommended Scouting tests (Parents' Review, May 1920) and said that all girls should take the First Aid and Housecraft Tests. We suggest that all students learn CPR and First Aid. Scouting or 4-H are other options to consider.
DOMESTIC SCIENCE OPTIONS:
Back to Basics: A Complete Guide to Traditional Skills by Abigail Gehring (teaches step by step how to "dye your own wool with plant pigments, graft trees, raise chickens, craft a hutch table with hand tools, and make treats such as blueberry peach jam and cheddar cheese . . .") ($amzn) (K)
Home Comforts: The Art and Science of Keeping House, by Cheryl Mendelson (excellent resource for all homes) ($amzn) (K)
The Hidden Art of Homemaking, by Edith Schaeffer ($amzn) ∫
Do I Dust or Vacuum First?, by Don Aslett ($amzn)
books by Emilie Barnes
Get More Done in Less Time, by Donna Otto ($amzn)
Speed Cleaning, by Jeff Campbell ($amzn)
Who Says it's a Woman's Job to Clean?, by Don Aslett ($amzn)
     (These last two may be particularly useful with boys.)
MONEY MANAGEMENT
Books by Larry Burkett or Dave Ramsey
The Tightwad Gazette books by Amy Dacyczyn (Back)

Last updated March 31, 2023 (to update Bible)