Home School High School - End of School Year Popcorn Party Method

In cases where you will need to finish up quickly then consider the "Popcorn Party Plan. " Rather than working through a textbook, or finishing every assignment, go the "quick and easy" way instead. Not every class in high school needs to be hard. I remember that I had a few high school classes that were considerably easier than others! So for a break, and a method to quickly finish off a unit study or course, consider educational videos in an effort to catch up.

For example, I have a child that loves economics. He studied economics everyday, and we talked about it often as a family. However suddenly my oldest son was a junior in high school, and I realized that he was the one that did not love economics - and I had forgotten to teach it! I needed a method to quickly teach that class in a pain-free way, since my oldest was already bogged down with heavy academics in math and science, and he truly did not have the energy required for a big beefy economics course. Just residing in our house meant that he had been subjected to more than his fair share of economics. I needed to find a way to ensure it was enough, there were no gaps, and I could call it a 1/2 credit class. That is when I stumbled on the "Popcorn Party Plan. " I chose a challenging series of educational videos, and we watched a movie about it.

For economics, I used the Teaching Company Basic Economics course. With my clients, I have often suggested The Standard Deviants - American Government 2-pack.

For American History, think about Joy Hakim's History of US on PBS.

You can also just check the video section of your library, to see what supplemental videos they might have to help you finish up the details. For instance, one client was working on American History. The difficulty was she was working on it too thoroughly. It took her a great deal longer to cover the American Revolution, since they were enjoying it so much. They had covered many current events as well. She did not want to ignore the post-civil war era, however she did not have time to work it too completely. We decided that she could compromise and cover the middle period of American History lightly, by using the Popcorn Party Plan. Watching videos on the missing topics in American History, and just enjoying it together with a bowl of popcorn. It was much better than a gap, as well as more practical than a summer tests-and-worksheets class. It was a great option to finish up the year!

When you think your children understand something, or you must establish a quick and painless class to complete a perceived gap, look into trying the Popcorn Party Plan yourself!