Reading University 2014

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My kids and I have a book club that we have been running for the past four summers. Towards the end of the school year, we select a different genre to read during each week of the summer break.  This gives everyone a chance to explore new authors and topics that they might not have discovered on their own, and we have had some great discussions over breakfast each week.  As we were discussing our plans for this summer's book club, I told them about the amazing challenge I found on one of my Goodreads groups.  I thought it would be a cool twist on what we were already doing and would challenge the kids even further in their reading.  We adapted the challenge we found to meet our needs, and it seems like it will be a lot of fun for all of us.

Concept:
We are starting off with earning an Associates Degree in 7 core subjects.  We are each reading a book from one subject per week, then meeting for a coffee chat to discuss our books and what we have learned.  We are rotating who will facilitate by week.  Here is the breakdown by subject for our adapted core curriculum, and the different options they can choose from for that week.

Science:
Earth Science - fiction or non-fiction book about natural disasters, climate change, or located primarily in the ocean or underground
Life Science - fiction or non-fiction book about plants or animals
Applied Science - fiction or non-fiction book about a medical condition, disease, epidemic, or science breakthrough or where the main character is a medical professional or scientist
Science Fiction - Science fiction, fantasy, paranormal, or dystopian genres and magical worlds

Literature: 
American Novel - literature genre set in North America or by a North American author
European Novel - literature genre set in Europe or by a European author
World Novel - literature genre set outside of North America and Europe or by an author from outside of North America or Europe
Poetry - book or collection of poems from any country, include anthologies of poetry

History:
American History - fiction or non-fiction historical book set in North America
European History - fiction or non-fiction historical book set in Europe
World History - fiction or non-fiction historical book set outside of North America and Europe
Alternate History - books from the alternate history genre

Social Science:
Anthropology - fiction or non-fiction book set in a culture or country different from yours
Religion - fiction or non-fiction book about a religion, sect, or cult, or about a religious figure
Psychology - fiction or non-fiction book about psychology, a psychological disorder, a psychiatrist, or where the main character has a mental disorder
Education - fiction or non-fiction book about education, an educator, or set in a school
Political Science - fiction or non-fiction book about a political movement, government, politicians, or spies

Art: 
Fine Arts - fiction or non-fiction book where a fine art piece or an artist plays a major role in the plot (painting, drawing, comics, photography, and sculpture)
Visual Arts - fiction or non-fiction book where a visual art piece or a visual artist plays a major role in the plot (dance, theater, film)
Music - fiction or non-fiction book where a musical piece or a musician plays a major role in the plot

Mathematics: 
Math - fiction or non-fiction book involving mathematics or numbers, or a math teacher or mathematician as a main character
Probability and Statistics - fiction or non-fiction book about odds, gambling, or a gambler. May also include books about chess or a chess player
Computers and Cryptography - fiction or non-fiction book about computers, computer science, or cryptography
Finance - fiction or non-fiction book about money, the stock market, or a book where the main character is a millionaire or on a quest for riches

Physical Education: 
Baseball - fiction or non-fiction book about baseball or a baseball player
General Sports - fiction or non-fiction book about any sport other than baseball
Olympics - fiction or non-fiction book about the Olympics, an Olympian, or any Olympic sport
Sports History - fiction or non-fiction historical book involving any sport

After completing the first seven subjects, we will each choose a major and minor.  From the list above, we will read 4 books in our declared major and 2 books in our declared minor. We will continue to meet weekly to discuss our books and share out what we have learned.

And that's it!  Looking forward to a fun summer of reading.