water2wine,
You are SO funny! The ultimate planner! (A woman after my own heart!)
WARNING TO ALL OTHERS: This post may be overwhelming if you're not a curriculum researcher-type personality! So, just don't read this if your eyes glaze over when others start discussing options or if all of the options make you hyperventilate! I just want to assure you that each of you CAN homeschool through high school and that HOD will give you a very good foundation going into those years!
I am always looking and thinking, so these are not hard, fast decisions for high school. But, I will throw out a few of the other things we are weighing and really hope to use at some point to give them a true trial run before endorsing them for high school.
We do like the overall look of Starting Points by the Quines for 9th grade. So many, many parents recommend NOT doing it too early to get the full benefit, so grade 9 seems perfect! Here's the link:
http://www.cornerstonecurriculum.com/Cu ... /SP/sp.htm
We also do like Unwrapping the Pharaohs (a Christian Look at Ancient Egypt) for grade 9 as a possibility in place of Starting Points or to do in junior high (or in addition to a study of the ancients). Here's a link:
http://www.visionforum.com/boysadventur ... egoryid=20
We enjoy the idea of the fun side of a course such as Movies as Lit. for 9th grade lit/composition. This may need some screening, we're not sure, as it is not specifically Christian. However, we desire our boys to be able to look for and understand underlying themes in movies and felt this is an excellent way to teach this. Here's a link:
http://www.designastudy.com/products/1891975099.html#
Hands-on English looks like an interesting credit for taking care of freshman grammar. Here's a link:
http://grammarandmore.com/edu/index.htm
For Speech we are wanting a better look at "Secrets of Great Communicators" by Jeff Myers (video and workbook course). Here's a sample link:
http://www.bhpublishinggroup.com/myerse ... at_Com.pdf
For Christian Worldview (probably Sophomore year), we like the looks of "Thinking Like A Christian" by Dave Noebel. Here's a link:
http://www.cathyduffyreviews.com/worldv ... istian.htm
Starting Points also covers a Christian Worldview. During the junior or senior year, we also would like to cover something like "Countering Culture" by Noeble and Edwards. Here's a link:
http://cathyduffyreviews.com/worldview/ ... ulture.htm
For devotions, we're looking at books such as the following (although these are VERY subject to change depending on the content once we go through them with a fine tooth comb): "Thoughts for Young Men" by J.C. Ryle (freshman boys), "Created for Work" by Bob Schulz (sophomore), "Looking at Myself Before Loving Someone Else" (junior), and "Prepare Thy Work" by Doorposts (senior).
We are also thinking a course such as the "Industrial Skills and Careers Course from
www.pacworks.com (which is worth a closer look for boys too - senior year option).
We love Francis Schaeffer's Video Series "How Then Shall We Live" and may be able to use it for a partial fine arts credit. It is well worth watching and discussing for Christian Worldview too. Here's the link:
http://www.christianbook.com/Christian/ ... &event=CFN
Otherwise, I want to look further into "The Story of Art" through Hewitt for a fine arts credit (which is not a Christian course from my understanding) Here's a link:
http://www.hewitthomeschooling.com/book ... asp?i=3108
A computer course "Computer Science Pure and Simple" by Motherboard books in also worth checking into for the computer requirement. We just started the younger course as a Friday extra with my 12 year old, so we'll see how that goes.
Anyway, just a few thoughts. The earlier curriculum I posted on the other thread, I am more sure of. These particular ones I am still researching.
As far as a unifying thread, we are looking to integrate history, Bible, and literature as much as possible each year. So, for freshman year we'd be looking at focusing on Christian Worldview (with Starting Points, a World Geography course, and Movies as Lit.) For sophomore year, we would hope to use something like Notgrass American History, while reading American Literature through Lightning Lit. and studying a Biblical focus that tied in there. The following year (junior), we would do World History with matching world lit. and worldview Biblical course. Senior year would not match as well but would be tied to preparation in life skills and getting set to face college. It would be American government and Economics and probably British Literature or Shakespeare, with Countering Culture for Biblical worldview.
Blessings,
Carrie
There were two things on your list I had not seen that look wonderful for us. And a couple I had on my list like Notgrass. What else if anything are you looking at for other things. I am not asking for an endorsement, just a peak into how your mind is working. Is there anything else you have been looking at that looks really good. I see us piecing things together most likely but I would like to have some kind of a unifying thread to it. Are their any other publishers you think are worth looking at. 
)
But it gives me a couple of years to look at things and then I will start buying ahead because I do not want to skimp just because we have so many. HOD is so economical for us. And thankfully we will have it to use again with our younger two girls while my others do high school. But high school I know is going to be expensive so if can buy ahead so we do not feel it so much. I want them to have the great math and do all the cool experiments plus all the great Christian world view materials. Well anyway those are my excuses