Ooooo I love electives! It reminds me of the days when my boys were younger and we were much more child-led in our approach. I suggest you pick something super-targeted for her interests.
What does she do in her free time? You can make anything a value-add experience.
Make jewelry? Maybe do a “History of Jewelry” or “Famous Diamonds” class. It can really be any subject through that lens. If you want to dive into economics, you could have her research/study the “World Economics of Gold” or “Small Business Entrepreneurship” where she develops a small business plan for a hypothetical jewelry shop. You could even have her execute on her idea! (why not?) You could take it into the sciences and do an intensive into gemology with a lab.
Does she like to cook? What about “Food and Culture of Italy” or “Food Festivals of the World” or “Food in Literature” etc.? Maybe she wants to start a small blog where she writes and publishes reviews of local restaurants? She could even interview local restaurants or chefs and ask them how COVID has impacted their business. Stream it on Facebook and upload it on TikTok.
Whatever you do, give her the opportunity to take it very seriously. This isn’t meant to be a blow-off-easy-A-joke. Allocate real time, ask for real work product, and let her guide the project’s direction. Let her get a little obsessive. You get the idea.These are the last precious years, make them amazing! ANYTHING can be a high-quality elective, and this might end up being the highlight of her year!
Do you have suggestions for electives you’ve used? Share below!
So question, how do I go about starting an elective course? Any book or materials Recs?
I would talk to your teen and ask them what they would like to study! One of the best perks of homeschooling is getting to build a class around anything that our heart desires. 🙂