Here’s some practical information about Human Development in a homeschool co-op class.
Human Development in a Homeschool Co-op Class
Over the years, local homeschooling high schoolers have been learning about Human Development in homeschool co-op classes. This is a fun subject to study as a group because there are so many group activities that can be enjoyed.
Here are a few human development activities our local co-ops have experienced:
1. At the first class, ask each homeschooler what he/she believes are the best ages in a person’s life. Ask how old a person must be to be “old”.
2. Using videos from my Pinterest board or your own explorations, show the teens life before birth.
3. Have some mothers visit the class to describe their pregnancies, labors and deliveries (the boys might be grossed out but it is good stuff to discuss).
4. Invite a mother with a baby to visit class. Have her discuss her baby’s personality, reflexes, habits and her opinions about motherhood.
5. Invite some toddlers to class. Give them Play-Dough, chalk, crayons, and balls and observe their play.
6. Ask the toddlers’ mothers about parenting and their child’s personality and habits.
7. Invite some preschoolers to class. Do Piaget’s conservation games with them. Play Follow the Leader using the physical activities they have gained (listed in text).
8. Ask the preschoolers’ mothers about parenting, education, personalities, habits, and speech.
9. Ask some elementary aged children to class. Do Piaget’s conservation games with them. Allow them to lead your high schoolers in some games like Tag, Simon Says, or Hopscotch.
10. As the elementary aged children’s mothers about parenting, education, personalities, developmental differences between kids, etc.
11. Allow the homeschool high schoolers to discuss their lives and various things they have learned about themselves since they hit adolescence.
12. Invite some 20-somethings to attend class and share about their lives: relationships, college, career, interests, challenges.
13. Have the high schoolers do “life maps” (timelines of their own lives with important events listed, past, present and future).
14. Interview some middle-aged parents and senior-aged grandparents, ask about their lives, families, careers, successes, challenges, and faith.
15. Twice during the year, have the homeschoolers present projects (with one-page summary) based on research they have done to expand on a topic covered in that semester (powerpoints, posters, hands-on activities, etc).
There are more activities listed in Human Development from a Christian Worldview.
ALSO there are lots of great ideas and links in the Lesson Plans for Human Development.
We usually suggest that co-ops use a syllabus with their class to help teens gain independent learning skills and clarify what needs to be done and when. While we believe there’s not ONE right way to homeschool high school and there’s not ONE right way to create a syllabus, we have had so many requests for guidelines that we have shared a suggested syllabus. Use it as a template for your homeschool high schoolers and have fun with your co-op classes!
Download the suggested syllabus for Human Development by clicking the image below:
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