Before my oldest entered high school, we spent a lot of time researching what topics she was in interested in and what subjects she might need going forward into high school, and possibly college. One of the big topics to cover when talking about his school is electives.
In high school, electives are a wonderful way for kids to explore their interests as well as possible options for future careers. Possible high school electives might include things like a foreign language (Latin, Spanish, French, Sign Language), extra math courses (accounting, statistics, personal finance), photography (film, digital, darkroom), various art and music endeavors (jewelry making, music theory) sciences outside the basics, psychology, and sociology.
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What is Sociology?
What is sociology? Sociology is the study of social life, social change, and the social causes and consequences of human behavior.
- Human behavior: How people interact with each other and in groups, and how ethics vary across cultures (Online conversations, friendship, and families)
- Cultural trends: How cultural trends impact society
- Political and economic aspects: How politics and economics impact sociology in different cultures (governments, crime and law, poverty and wealth and global markets)
- Stereotypes and prejudices: How people from other cultures experience stereotypes and prejudices
- Adolescence: Characteristics of adolescence, dating, and social interaction
- The American class system: How the American class system works
- Urban life: How people live in urban areas (Neighborhoods, population growth and migration)
Homeschool Sociology Curriculum Options
1. Time 4 Learning Homeschool High School Sociology
In high school sociology, students will learn about the diverse cultures that make up our growing society. It covers cultural diversity and conformity, social stratification, racial and ethnic interactions, the study of social life and more.
This homeschool sociology class covers how ethics vary in different cultures, groups and societies, the cultural trends that affect how society operates, and how to work well with people from different backgrounds.
Students will also learn about the political and economic aspects of sociology in cultures around the world, what stereotypes and prejudices people from other cultures endure, and gives students a clear understanding of how people interact as individuals and in groups on an everyday basis.
In a sociology course, students will be able to compare and contrast their daily lives, cultural norms, and their relationship with family and friends with that of other people from around the globe.
Time 4 Learning’s high school sociology course covers topics of particular interest to teenagers such as characteristics of adolescence, dating, types of social interaction, groups within society, the American class system, urban life and more.
2. Outschool Sociology
Outschool offers multiple options for homeschool sociology including:
Gina Jude Curriculum is offering a comprehensive and engaging course on CLEP Sociology, designed to help students successfully pass the exam with confidence. Through a structured curriculum that covers key concepts in sociology. This consists of 30 classes (15 weeks, two times a week). These are live video classes for kids ages 14-18.
More about CLEP Exams and credits here: What is a CLEP Exam? – a series on using CLEP Exams for homeschool high school credit and college credit.
2. Embracing our Sociological World: A Teen Journey Through
Get ready to embark on an incredible journey into the world of sociology, specially designed for your teens! This isn’t just another high school class – it’s an engaging and eye-opening exploration that will transform the way they see the world! Sociology is the scientific study of social structures, offering a unique opportunity for your teen to examine human behavior, not just on an individual level but within the context of entire groups. Imagine your teen unlocking the secrets of sociological imagination-the ability to connect their personal experiences to the broader patterns of society. With this powerful tool, they’ll develop critical thinking skills, challenge traditional views, and make informed decisions about human behavior.
3. LifePac Anthropology & Sociology
Dive into a scripture-based exploration of ancient cultures and histories for a unique and fun homeschool sociology experience!
LIFEPAC® Select Mankind: Anthropology & Sociology Box Set combines LIFEPAC® units from two grade levels to provide a focused, alternative course for middle and high school credit. This exciting, one-semester homeschool course includes five consumable student workbooks and a teacher’s guide packed with learning activities, material lists, answer keys, and alternate tests. Bible-based homeschool lessons include step-by-step, student-directed studies on the origin and fall of man, the method of sociology, cultural backgrounds in the United States and distant lands, Earth’s development by man, and more.
This is an awesome option for high schoolers to add homeschool sociology to their transcripts. Whether they are planning on attending college or not. But added bonus is that it is approved for college credit offering 3 semester hours and may be transferred to over 2,000 colleges and universities. Sociology 101 is an online, self-paced course.
Sociology Books For Your Homeschool
Here are a few books that provide a solid foundation in sociology. These are good as references, or more in-depth information, as well as test prep if your high school student would like to take the Sociology CLEP Test to earn college credit.
1. CLEP Sociology Vocabulary Prep – This workbook reveals a system that shows you how to learn faster, easier and without frustration. By mastering the hidden language of the subject and exams, you will be poised to tackle the toughest of questions with ease. The key to success on the CLEP Sociology Exam lies with mastering the Insider’s Language of the subject. People who score high on their exams have a strong working vocabulary in the subject tested. They know how to decode the vocabulary of the subject and use this as a model for test success.
2. CLEP Introductory Sociology Book + Online CLEP Test Preparation – this book gives you all the tools you need to make the most of your study time:
- Glossary of key terms: Round out your prep with must-know vocabulary.
- Diagnostic exam: Pinpoint what you already know and what you need to study.
- Targeted subject review: Learn what you’ll be tested on.
- Two full-length practice exams: Zero in on the topics that give you trouble now, so you’ll be confident and prepared on test day.
We used many of these CLEP Prep books with our kids over the years!
3. The Sociology Book: Big ideas Simply Explained (DK Books) – Learn about Sociology in this overview guide to the subject, great for beginners looking to learn and experts wishing to refresh their knowledge alike! The Sociology Book brings a fresh and vibrant take on the topic through eye-catching graphics and diagrams to immerse yourself in.
My kids loved these because they were put in much easier terms for them to digest. It made learning a big subject much less overwhelming!
4. Down to Earth Sociology – For thirty-five years and through thirteen editions, Jim Henslin’s Down to Earth Sociology has opened new windows onto the social realities that shape our world. Now in its fourteenth edition, the most popular anthology in sociology includes new articles on our changing world while also retaining its classic must-read essays. Focusing on social interaction in everyday life, the forty-six selections bring students face-to-face with the twin projects of contemporary sociology: understanding the individual’s experience of society and analyzing social structure.
5. High School Sociology: Comprehensive Content for High School Sociology (High School STEM Series) – From early theories on human societies to modern interdisciplinary perspectives, this comprehensive text is an excellent guide for learning about sociology. This book is an essential overview of sociology theories, principles, and approaches elucidating multidimensional concepts of groups, communities, institutions, and social behavior. Learn about social psychology, social culture, demography, social inequalities, and research methods, as well as historically significant sociologists who contributed to these knowledge areas. The book also describes concepts of personality, self-presentation, and other aspects of social behavior and how they affect social networks and interactions.
The Ultimate Guide to Homeschool High School Resources
The Ultimate Guide to High School Homeschool Curriculum Options – Welcome to The Curriculum Choice and our HUGE LIST of High School Homeschool Curriculum Options! While every possible option for high school is not listed here, I have strived to include a wide variety of styles, prices ranges, etc. so you have a solid place to start
More Homeschool High School Resources
1. Creating High School Transcripts with Homeschool Records – Let’s talk homeschool high school transcripts and keeping homeschool records. Just the thought of homeschooling high school can be a scary one for most parents. The good news is that in this age of digital technology we have so many wonderful resources to help us navigate homeschooling high school.
While you may not be huge on keeping formal homeschool records, it can become especially useful when homeschooling high school. Homeschool Records is a website designed by a retired homeschool mom, specifically for homeschool moms. It’s meant to make keeping homeschool high school records an easy process for homeschool parents.
2. 4 Year High School Plan FREE Printable Spreadsheet – Planning for high school and college really ups the ante when it comes to what you need to do and know! While I was working out my curriculum plans for my oldest, I realized in order to accurately account for everything she would need, I would need to have a full 4 year high school plan! I realized planning just one year would not allow me the vision to see ahead and be sure we would cover everything both required by our state (Homeschooling in NYS), and that we desired to adequately prepare her if she chose to go on to college.
This is a 4 Year High School Plan Spreadsheet Printable that can be totally customized by you, for your needs/subjects. You can fill it all in, save it, and print it.
3. Homeschooling High School in 3 Years – Homeschooling High School in 3 Years is easier than you think! Even if you live in a more regulated state like New York! How do I know? Because I did it! Let me tell you why, and how I did it.
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