Year 10 Homeschool Curriculum

Poetry, Shakespeare and studying Classic novels are just some of the components of our English program in our Year 10 homeschool curriculum. Your teenager will read and study a novel each term, chosen from a range of genres, and a Novel Study Guide is provided to help guide them along.

Literacy, Language and Literature are highlighted within the My Homeschool Year 10 course, supporting your child to be confident to a high level of reading, listening, writing, viewing, creating, and speaking across a range of text types and features both classic books and contemporary sources.

Skills in English is one key English component in Year 10. Written exclusively for My Homeschool and designed for the homeschool high school setting, in Semester 1 students focus on Skills in English: Rhetoric and Opinion and examine a range of speeches, excerpts from classic texts from both Australian and international authors, and hone-in on the craft of rhetoric and how to cleverly present an opinion. This will not only teach your teenager important skills and techniques, but also instil confidence in their approach to interpreting and writing more complex texts. These skills are continued in Semester Two with Skills in English: Expression and Voice where again your teen will read and analyse from a range of authors and they will learn new skill in reviewing and editing their work, determining how to find their voice, and give polish to their pieces.

Classic Novels: My Homeschool uses living books in many subjects and of course English is no exception! Each term in Year 10 a novel is studied and a Novel Study Guide provided to help them become a close reader and appreciate references and author’s techniques they have may missed. You can look forward to classics and more contemporary authors. In addition our Novel Study Guides classic read alouds are scheduled into your Weekly Planner so no more worrying about when you will fit those in. Each of these are carefully selected to reflect themes addressed in the course and will offer great enjoyment to the whole family.

Poetry and Shakespeare: Year 10 students will learn about more contemporary poets in Profiling Modern Poets, featuring a number of well-loved American and Australian poets. Learning about their lives and their art, your teen will also learn skills of reading and interpreting poetry with the range of resources provided for them. Don’t allow your teen to draw back from enjoying poetry!

Alongside the enjoyment of poetry is the enjoyment of Shakespeare. Throughout the My Homeschool High School courses students read and study Shakespeare’s plays, but in Semester 1 we take a slight pause, examining his life, Shakespearean England and offer a broad view of his collection of works. A Little Bit of Shakespeare is the resource that explains his plays and his influence and isn’t to be missed.

Please Note: Profiling Modern Poets and A Little Bit of Shakespeare is provided in Semester 1 (18 weeks) while A Shakespeare Study Guide: Hamlet and Two Others is included in Semester 2 (18 weeks).

Here at My Homeschool we appreciate that maths can be a struggle for some families, particularly as some teenagers are heading into complex work and topics that parents can barely remember learning at high school, let alone be able to teach themselves. We’ve taken the stress and worry out of high level mathematics, offering you a curated list of maths programs suitable to use as a Year 10 Homeschool Math curriculum. We guide you to choose the best program for your family. In addition to these suggestions, we also provide a list of Living Books for mathematics because we appreciate they are so often forgotten from those coveted booklists.

My Homeschool members also have access to our 50% discount on Maths Online membership. This can save you $150 per year for a family membership and a discount code is provided with the purchase of each Year Ten course.

Reflecting the standard of the Australian Curriculum for students of this level, Year 10 homeschool curriculum for History features the modern era and includes a range of in-depth studies on world history, seeing history and current affairs meet.

In Semester 1, students will learn about World War II in greater detail through A Window into World War II, examining the key events of the war, but also going deeper by examining the efforts certain individuals made, the wartime experience for those left at home, and the more personal stories of those who suffered. With some wonderful living books to read, this will guide your teen to understand the atrocities and how they shaped people. Following from this, we don’t simply stop at the end of World War II like so many resources do. Rather, we draw the thread from a post-war world to examine Migrants and Identity in our Global World examining the consequences and repercussions of those displaced people.

Please Note: A Window into World War II and Migrants and Identity in our Global World are included in Semester 1 (18 weeks).

Within Semester 2, students consider the east in The Making of Modern Asia, as they consider the shift from British colonial times to the rise of powerful nations in this region. This offers an historical context to many of the current affairs of the day and so will help your child to better understand complex contemporary geopolitical issues. To finish their in-depth modern history studies, your teenager will complete Making History Today. Like all our resources, this features a great selection of books that will guide, inform, and equip your teenager and expand their view of what they thought History was as they discern it being made.

Please Note: The Making of Modern Asia and Making History Today are included in Semester 2 (18 weeks).

Many homeschoolers know how important Geography was to Charlotte Mason but get stuck using dated or dull books and resources that do not go far in reflecting how dynamic and intriguing modern geography is. Too often Geography seems dry and full of tedious mapping exercises, yet it doesn’t need to be. At My Homeschool, a love for adventure and a desire to better understand our world to raise global citizens is at the core of our Geography programs and Year 10 homeschool curriculum resources are no exception.

Prepared exclusively for My Homeschool by a geographer and designed for the homeschool high school setting, your teenager will explore the complex issues of global inequality and environmental management. As with all our subjects, this is taught through the inclusion of well-chosen Living Book titles but also through a range of carefully chosen online resources that ensure your teenager is being taught Geography in line with good-practice standards. Remember, Charlotte Mason herself embraced the opportunity to include new release titles and contemporary issues and here at My Homeschool we do too.

During Semester 1 your teenager will travel through India and parts of Africa through living books as they consider the issues of inequality and human wellbeing between many nations. Caring for All: The Geography of Global Wellbeing delves into the complexities of mapping wellbeing, the indicators used to compare the health of the nation’s peoples and the causes and barriers to improving human wellbeing in some places. Malnourishment, illiteracy, life expectancy, child exploitation, access to sanitation and shelter are challenging issues for our modern time and teaching our teenagers about them equips them to be able to identify how they may be able to help others on a global scale.

Managing Environmental Change in Semester 2 shifts away from the social and cultural geography focus of Semester 1 to an emphasis on physical geography. With a focus on practical geography skills, fieldwork options and contemporary case studies, this is sure to give your teenager a different perspective on what Geography can look like and the work geographers can be involved in.

Please Note: Caring for All: The Geography of Global Wellbeing is included in Semester 1 (18 weeks) and Managing Environmental Change is included in Semester 2 of our Year 10 program.

We know that so many teenagers are interested in current affairs and keen to know how nations and regions are ruled and run, yet there seem to be so few resources that are designed to teach a high schooler in an informative yet engaging way. Frustrated by the lack of options available, My Homeschool is pleased to offer families a better alternative, guiding your teenager to examine issues of civics and governance from a historical perspective through to current affairs of the day.

In Semester 1 (18 weeks) students cover Eternal Vigilance: The Value of Freedom and learn the foundational principles of democracy and the struggles of individuals and groups to have their rights and freedoms recognised. Highlighting issues and individuals in America, Australia, Singapore, South Africa and North Korea, this resource will bring the issues of recognising Indigenous rights, the Civil Rights Movement, the fight against Apartheid, the struggle for freedoms and also clearly explain terms that your teen will want (and need!) to know. It also teaches them about the role of the United Nations and the rise of Human Rights post World War II, including First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt’s involvement in this. During Semester 2 the focus remains on the international stage, but it highlights the hallmarks of democracy and what this represents for citizens and includes an opportunity for your student to prepare a research project on these key issues that they will so often see within the current affairs of the day.

Underlying the perspective on more modern approaches and interpretations of Civics and Governance is the study of Plutarch’s Parallel Lives. Charlotte Mason included this resource in her schedules not to teach students aspects of history, but to allow them to become better acquainted with the characteristics and achievements, both good and bad, of these leaders so students could better identify the qualities and characteristics they admired or rejected. Within Semester 1 your teenager will learn about the life of Pericles and his involvement in the rebuilding of the Parthenon and the Peloponnesian Wars and then in Semester 2 they will consider the Roman statesman and general, Fabius Maximus. Reading about these leaders of ancient times alongside their more contemporaneous studies will give your teenager a long and informed view on Civics and Governance and issues of citizenship.

The contribution of great scientists of the western world and their theories is a theme that is covered throughout our Year 10 homeschool curriculum.

We also cover the simple, but powerful act, of ensuring that yes, your child can identify some of the more common trees around the world. Too often Charlotte Mason educators find that Nature Study for older teens is forgotten or laid aside, but at My Homeschool we embrace this practice and use it as an opportunity to equip your teenager, reflecting the delight and enjoyment nature study can bring to all.

In addition to these two themes, the Science component of My Homeschool reflects the requirements of the rigorous standards of the Australian Curriculum. Within Semester 1 Chemistry and Earth and Space Sciences are studied through the use of a dynamic online platform offering good science resources as well as living books that parents can trust to take their teen through complex topics.

In Semester 2 the focus shifts to Physics and Biology where again your teenager is given a rich feast of carefully selected Living Books and online resources. This includes covering the theory of evolution through natural selection, DNA and human genetics and is taught within a Christian perspective, while definitely not shying away from rigorous science. The resources used for Science and Nature Study in Year Ten have been carefully selected and designed keeping in mind Charlotte Mason’s statement in Parents and Children:

Science herself contains the promise of great impetus to their spiritual life: to perceive these things is to be able to rejoice in all truth.

The team at My Homeschool know full well what it is like to raise teenagers with a keen interest in Science and appreciate that not all parents want to wholeheartedly embrace a long list of items to purchase and turn your home into a science lab, so we are pleased to offer Year 10 student access to The Science Hub. Including a range of resources on science experiments, additional Living Books, and excellent online resources to read and watch, The Science Hub is the place for your budding scientist.  In Semester 1 resources relating to Chemistry and Earth and Space Sciences are offered, while in Semester 2 the focus is on Physics and Biology.

While a huge range of Art and Music Appreciation courses are provided to My Homeschool members on the purchase of a course, we are pleased to offer specific resources within our Year 10 homeschool curriculum in addition to these. Deigned for older students and to enhance their learning about the modern era, these resources focus on art, historical objects, music and also architecture. Objects of the Modern Era showcases a range of historical items that will make History really come alive for your child and models the emphasis Charlotte Mason placed on students attending the British Museum on a regular basis.

Please Note: While Objects of the Modern Era is offered for the full Year 10 course, Part 1 is provided in Semester 1 (18 weeks) and Part 2 in Semester 2 (18 weeks).

Music at the Movies is not your regular Music Appreciation course and will encourage your teenager to appreciate the role scores play in developing the drama and mood of a movie, while also showcasing some very talented modern composers that are often left out of Composer Studies. Likewise, too often instrumental pieces are included in Music Appreciation and the music of ballets and operas is forgotten. Teach your teenager many of the most famous stories of operas in Opera Tales and have them learn how they can enjoy the musical artform of the voice too.

Please Note: Music at the Movies is provided in Semester 1 (18 weeks) while Opera Tales is featured in Semester 2 (18 weeks).

Art Appreciation in Year Ten also showcases two aspects of art often forgotten: the art of the built form of architecture and that of sculpture. Equip your child to be able to identify key artists of the three-dimensional form while they also learn about the different materials and inspirations for these pieces. Feel confident to step forward from the Artist Studies your child has enjoyed throughout their years of schooling and extend them into an appreciation of new artforms.

Please Note: The Art of Modern Architecture is provided in Semester 1 (18 weeks) while The Art and Craft of Sculpture is included in Semester 2 (18 weeks).

Your My Homeschool membership also gives you access to our Handicrafts resource which includes a range of practical art and craft ideas with instructional videos.

Throughout the My Homeschool courses this commonsense subject is taught through the activities of daily living and participation in local sports and community events as well as our series of fun kids exercises in our online WOW – Work Out World classes.

In addition, Healthy Conversations checklists are provided for each stage so you can teach your child about respectful relationships and aspects of personal growth in an age-appropriate manner and as you deem appropriate. Our Healthy Conversations Checklist – Years 9 and 10  will prompt you to cover many important topics and issues with your teen in a way that is respectful and empowering to their growth and development.

As an added bonus for Year Ten students, aspects of personal health and development are showcased through our Best Study Habits course. Provided in Semester 2 over 8 weeks, Best Study Habits will guide your teenager to develop some powerful habits that will see them carve out a strong foundation for a bright future. With insights and tips from famous and successful individuals, your teen will be energised to see how they can improve their own personal development. We also encourage you to schedule time for your teenager to complete a first aid certificate too, with our focus on supporting the whole person, not just their intellectual life.

My Homeschool Includes Electives In Our Core Curriculum

When you use our Year 9 and 10 programs, you can have confidence that you will meet the basic requirements of the Australian Curriculum for the following electives:

• Geography,
• History,
• Civics and Citizenship,
• Economics and Business, and
• Personal Development, Health and Physical Education.

Knowing the basic curriculum elective requirements are met in our core program means you can explore additional extension materials and subjects as desired.

Bonus Subject Guides

We understand that many teenagers have a particular area of interest or a skill that they would like more time to pursue and excel at. This is one of the marvellous aspects of home education!

However, parents often don’t know where to start when it comes to looking for extension resources, so we created Subject Guides to help you design a tailor-made program.

Each of the categorised Subject Guides includes:

• the Australian Curriculum and NESA Syllabus requirements;
• curated Living Book lists;
• further resources to help your high schooler master skills; and
• various project ideas and concepts you can choose to complete to help your teenager reach their full potential in their chosen field.

Picking Extension Electives

Time is allocated each week in your weekly planner for two elective extension choices.

All you and your student need to do is work out the general category you wish to pursue and then use our Subject Guides to select the additional resources. Because our core curriculum already meets so many aspects of the Australian Curriculum you have a lot of freedom when choosing.

Our Year 9 and 10 Subject Guides include the following categories:

• Science and Nature Study – Does your teen want to pursue a career in science or medicine at university level? This Guide will give ideas to support them do just that.
• Commerce and Economics – Is your teen a budding entrepreneur or interested in a career in business? Then use this Subject Guide to profile entrepreneurs, teach them basic business skills, and read more books on this topic.
• Geography – Does your teen love their core geography lessons? Do they see themselves having a career as a geographer, town planner or environmental scientist? Does learning about other cultures and countries excite them? This Guide details exactly what you need to cover to study Geography as an elective, including project ideas that are actually achievable in a homeschool setting.
• History – Is your teen a history buff? Do they want to learn even more about history? Perhaps they are hungry for historical fiction, biographies or wish to pursue this at university? Our History Subject Guide offers a curated booklist for modern history titles, including Australian modern history.
• Technology and Design – Does your teen want to learn about textiles, food, agriculture, or information technology? Our Technologies Subject Guide will give ideas to help with that, complete with a guide for how to set out a program of work and how to select hands-on projects to help them finesse their skills.
• Creative Arts – Does your teen want to develop their artistic skills? Are they a talented musician or artist? Then use our Creative Arts Subject Guide to help support their skills and gifts.
• Personal Development, Health and Physical Education – Does your teen like psychology, health and lifestyle books, and sport? This Subject Guide will show you how to foster their skills and abilities in this area.
• Foreign Languages – Is your teen interested in pursuing another language? Perhaps they want to extend the progress they’ve already made in learning a second language? Learn how to best support your teen when learning languages with this Subject Guide.  

These Subject Guides are based on the Charlotte Mason method and make it so easy to hand pick resources that offer your teen a broad feast of ideas in their area of interest. We’ve taken all the stress out of creating a program, and helped you avoid having to use a boring schoolish program that doesn’t suit your thriving teenager.

You simply use our curated collection to choose what suits you best and get started. This gives you freedom and flexibility to extend your child in the areas that interest them, all within a simple framework that allows you to easily choose the best resources.

We’ve done all the hard work for you, making it easy to create a high-quality tailor-made program for your teenager.

Year 10 Homeschool Exams

We are pleased to come alongside you as you prepare your teenager for future experiences of assessment and examinations in an educational institutional setting by including a Charlotte Mason Style Examinations Booklet in Year 10. Designed to be used at the end of each term, each Semester includes two Examinations Booklets which focus on the core subjects and Art and Music Appreciation resources too.  Forget multiple choice tests, stressful exams or time-pressured teens cramming at the last minute, this offers the busy homeschool parent an opportunity to reflect on how positive a good assessment can be and reaffirm to your student how well they have progressed each term. Parents receive guidance on how to assess their teenager’s work as well as the examination questions to provide to their student. Embrace a good assessment and include oral presentations, drawn narrations, and opportunities for written pieces too as your child is encouraged to share and delight in what they have learned and discovered through their learning journey.

We do not do your registration plans for you. Registration applications are meant to be specific for each individual child and so you, as the parent, are the best person to do this.  Registration remains your responsibility.

My Homeschool provides you with plenty of support for preparing your registration documentation, including:

• An Education Plan outlining our curriculum for 12 months in the Primary Full Version and 6 months in the Lite version. This is a Microsoft Word document that you can adjust to suit your own needs.
• A comprehensive Scope and Sequence document using Australian Curriculum and NSW Syllabus codes and outcomes.
• End of Term report templates that are mostly done; you just need to add a few details specific to your child and their progress.
• A week by week planner that you can print off, with plenty of space to make notes specific to your child. This means no need to keep a daily diary!
• An end of year Certificate of Completion (Full Program).
• Our Community Forum where you can have your questions about registration answered by experienced homeschoolers.
• Prompts and reminders to collect work as part of your child’s portfolio to show progress and development.
• Tips on a smooth re-registration process.

The My Homeschool State Rego and Planning course guides you through your state or territory’s application process for homeschool registration when using our courses.

The My Homeschool team includes experienced home educators who provide mentor support and help you deal with issues as they arise. We don’t provide tutoring or specific lesson support on an individual, one-on-one basis.

We are always happy to answer questions about our curriculum and how to implement it and we encourage our members to get involved in the Community Forum.

We have a vibrant online community where you can share stories and help others, purchase books you might need and connect with other My Homeschool families in your area.

You are the teacher and you oversee lessons. We provide homeschool teacher training as well through our self-paced courses How To Homeschool 101 and for our more experienced members the Boost Your Homeschool.

We are continually adding to our collection of resources to help support you in your role as teacher to your children.

A comprehensive list of books used is found in the Year 10 homeschool curriculum Resource List which is provided with the purchase of a course. Some of these books are readily available at your local library some are available online for free. These will cost between $150 – $200 each semester.

You will also need to purchase a math curriculum appropriate to your child’s ability. All My Homeschool members are eligible for a 50% off Math online discount which is around $100 for a single student or $150 for a family price.

To further enhance elective study we give suggestions of other living books but these are not compulsory.

Year 10 is the last grade we provide at My Homeschool. But what’s next!

We want your homeschool to thrive so we have created a bonus resource to help you explore possibilities after graduation from our Year 10B course.

What’s in the Beyond Year 10 toolbox:

• Selecting The Next Best Step – This guide helps you navigate the various pathways available to students who have already completed their Year 10 studies. We look at: university entry without an ATAR, DIY Year 11 & 12, TAFE, apprenticeships, and gaining international qualifications.
• Curating A Senior High School Course – Here you’ll get ideas on how you can prepare your own DIY curriculum for a non-accredited Year 11 and 12 course of study. We have information on: when you can stop homeschooling, how to put your own curriculum together, and what subjects to choose. Our curated subject lists include English, mathematics, science, geography, history, foreign languages, technology, creative arts and PDHPE. You can craft an individualised curriculum from these lists.
• Preparing Academic Transcripts – We teach you how to prepare your own professional transcripts to demonstrate your record of learning. We also provide examples, a template and tips on creating portfolios.

When you finish with My Homeschool Year 10B you’ll have many options. You and your teen can create your own strategy and make informed decisions for the future.

This resource is part of our Year 10B course and is only available to families who have purchased our Year 10B curriculum. It is not sold separately.