Darcy asked me some followup questions after my homeschool high school seminar in Vancouver. Here are the answers I provided.
Can sign language count as a foreign language?
Yes! Most colleges will accept sign language as a foreign language. It’s always a good idea to ask the colleges you are looking at, to find out their specific policy, because it can vary. However, most colleges that I have seen will accept American Sign Language and Latin (those are the two most asked about languages!)
If a child does dance, can that count for PE as well as Fine Arts?
Yes, but not with double-dipping. One credit of dance can be PE or it can be Fine Art, but it can’t be BOTH. The 150 hours of a credit can only be counted once. Usually people who like dancing do a LOT of dancing. They will often have different kinds of dance, so that one can be the PE credit and another can be the Fine Art credit. (Remember you don’t need to have both of those every year!) You can’t use the same hours for two purposes. But you might have enough hours to do both.
Would 4-H things like “Horse Group” or sewing be counted as electives?
4-H and Boy Scouting are very similar in one way: almost all of it is completely educational in nature. I haven’t met a 4-H that didn’t belong on a transcript! I would include your “horse group” as an elective, but if you are doing much riding, it might be a good fit for PE. Sewing can be a wonderful elective for textile science, fashion design, or home economics.
Can “Horse” be science?
The study of horses can certainly be a science, as long as you are studying the SCIENCE of a horse. Equine studies, veterinary studies, biology of the horse, and that sort of thing are great. In my opinion, using a horse for science would probably involve some lab work or veterinary skills. A good rule of thumb for determining if something can be a science is to just look at a college course catalog. Is there anything in a college catalog like that? Since we know that veterinarians exist, and that some kids work as a vet assistant, then the science of a horse would be workable.
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J W says:
Having just gone through an entire year of horsey stuff…
Riding – Physical Education, Social Studies (if exposed to the many different styles beyond merely English and Western)
Training – Science (animal behavior), Occupational Education, Social Studies (training methods vary from culture to culture)
Anatomy – Science
Stable Management – Occupational Education
Care of Horses – Occupational Education
Horses in Popular Culture and Mythology – Social Studies
Horses in History – covers a huge chunk of human history across a wide spectrum of cultures
Equine Issues (mustangs, use in stunt work, use in racing, etc.) – Social Studies
Horses in Literature – Reading
Horse Breeds – History, Science (genetics), and Social Studies
June 23rd, 2009 at 2:08 pm