Instructor: Mr. Kris Johanson
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I consider myself fortunate to have been able to homeschool my own kids through high school, and I am honored to be a part of your family's education goals. My background: I earned Masters degrees in engineering and business and spent 30 years working at public and private firms, and the science curriculum on these pages grew out of my work experience as well as from teaching my own kids and their school friends. My goal with NexGen is to offer an interesting, challenging, and easy-to-access STEM curriculum to independent high school students, and to hopefully inspire the next generation to get motivated, use their minds, and succeed. I am well-known throughout the large San Diego homeschool community - please feel free to read the parent comments and testimonials near the bottom of the home page. |
What are the classes like?
First and foremost, they are designed to be interesting and fun... All of us are more likely to engage our minds and reach higher when we can make a real connection and see exciting opportunities and possibilities for the future.
Class Overview
Each class consists of 32 weeks of coursework, from September to mid-May (the typical U.S. school year). The courses use a combination of live webinar instruction, in-person (or virtual) labs/projects, and a variety of modern Internet tools. The lab courses include a full complement of labs (in-person or virtual), spaced-out evenly throughout the two-semesters. During webinars & labs there is lots of guided discussion, and class cohesiveness and positive student-student interaction is encouraged over the course of the year.
Homework
Weekly homework is assigned from each topic. Typical homework consists of standard end-of-chapter questions and/or Internet research assignments, as well as lab write-ups. Recommended study time for high school science courses is at least 5 hours per week. AP students should budget more than that amount.
Exams
Most classes use a take-home style, open-book, midterm and final exam, covering semester material. The exams are not burdensome, and you will be given a week to complete each one. Emphasis is on applications, not on rote memorization.
Course Requirements
Please visit the "Policies" page for more information.
Class Overview
Each class consists of 32 weeks of coursework, from September to mid-May (the typical U.S. school year). The courses use a combination of live webinar instruction, in-person (or virtual) labs/projects, and a variety of modern Internet tools. The lab courses include a full complement of labs (in-person or virtual), spaced-out evenly throughout the two-semesters. During webinars & labs there is lots of guided discussion, and class cohesiveness and positive student-student interaction is encouraged over the course of the year.
Homework
Weekly homework is assigned from each topic. Typical homework consists of standard end-of-chapter questions and/or Internet research assignments, as well as lab write-ups. Recommended study time for high school science courses is at least 5 hours per week. AP students should budget more than that amount.
Exams
Most classes use a take-home style, open-book, midterm and final exam, covering semester material. The exams are not burdensome, and you will be given a week to complete each one. Emphasis is on applications, not on rote memorization.
Course Requirements
- Attend the classes (in-person and webinar sessions). Be on time.
- Take notes and ask relevant questions during the lectures
- Turn in your lab reports on time
- Turn in your homework assignments by the due date
- Don’t fall behind in your work. Do not procrastinate!
Please visit the "Policies" page for more information.
