AmblesideOnline Years 9-10-11 in Two Years

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This is for those who desire to complete AO's years 9-11 in two years, either because the student only has two years left before graduating, or in order to implement AO's Year 12 during the student's senior year. (If your student would prefer to take their time through the more modern era and combine earlier years, you may prefer Years 7-9 in Two Years.)


A 180-day school year breaks down to 36 weeks. This plan compresses each 36-week year into 24 weeks: the first 24 weeks (two 12-week terms) of the first year are from AO's Year 9; the next 24 week period straddles both years, so Year 10 is covered during the last 12 weeks of the first year and the first 12 weeks of the second year of this plan. And the final 24 weeks of the second year cover AO's Year 11.

The history spines (Churchill's Age of Revolution and The Great Democracies, and Gilbert's History of the Twentieth Century) are necessarily heavier in volume each week by half. Some students will find this easier to manage by breaking up each week's reading into smaller sections, reading 6-10 pages at a sitting rather than 20 or more. (Gilbert's History of the Twentieth Century schedules about 28 pages per week.)

Removing a few books helped to make the reading manageable, but the books that were left out came from the already pared down Basic schedules, so you should think twice before skipping them entirely. It would be worth considering them first when planning free reading. In particular, the removal of The Count of Monte Cristo and Les Miserables left a lot of room in the schedule, but are books that should not be missed. Movie versions are inadequate! However, these might work well with an audiobook played over Christmas or summer break.


First Year's Booklist and 36-Week Schedule (a combo of AO's years 9/10)

Second Year's Booklist and 36-Week Schedule (a combo of AO's Years 10/11)

Exams are available for these Years. Click here and scroll down.


Books from the Basic Version Years that were not scheduled for this combined plan and should be consulted first for free reading:

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Year 9:
The God Who is There by Francis Schaeffer ($amzn) (K)
The Story of Napoleon by H. E. Marshall (online here Δ; ($amzn) (K) or The Boy Life of Napoleon by Eugenie Foa (online) OR The Life of Horatio Lord Nelson by Robert Southey (online here ° Δ; ($amzn) (K)
John Adams by David McCullough ($amzn) (K) OR John Adams and the American Revolution by Catherine Drinker Bowen ($amzn)
She Stoops to Conquer by Oliver Goldsmith (online) ° Δ; ($amzn) Ω
Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen (online) ° Δ; ($amzn) ($amzn) (K) DVD: ($amzn) Ω
The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas (online or here) ° Δ; Unabridged translation by R. Buss: ($amzn) (K) Ω
The Land of Little Rain by Mary Austin (online) ° Δ; ($amzn) Ω

Year 10:
The Imitation of Christ by Thomas a Kempis (online) ° Δ; ($amzn) (K) Ω
Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee by Dee Alexander Brown; optional ($amzn) (K)
Les Miserables by Victor Hugo (online) ° Δ; ($amzn) (K) Ω (one possibility: Family Radio Theater's dramatic audio ($amzn)
How Should We Then Live by Francis Schaeffer ($amzn) (K) The video series of the same title offers a strong supplement to the book. DVD: ($amzn)
Walden by Henry David Thoreau (online) ° Δ; ($amzn) K free Kindle edition may be missing segments)

Year 11:
Testament of Youth by Vera Brittain ($amzn) (K)
When Character Was King by Peggy Noonan; 20 chapters ($amzn)
The World: Travels 1950-2000 by Jan Morris, formerly James ($amzn) (K) (brief non-graphic mention of the author's gender-change operation in chapter 18, titled "Casablanca." The chapter is very short and can be skipped or removed. Also some language on pg 233 and 242.) (Geography)
Our National Parks by John Muir (online here) OR The Life of the Caterpillar by J. Henri Fabre (online here) Fabre texts with photos
The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald ($amzn) (K)

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