Declare Your Curriculum!

It's that time of year again.   Time to Declare Your Curriculum! 

 

I think I'm most excited about our science plans this year.   We are using Joy Hakim's The Story of Science: Newton at the Center.   It covers science history through the Middle Ages and Renaissance.   We will incorportate timelines, study journals, art history, and geography into the study of science history.  Many of the science experiments suggested in the TG are included in the Milestones in Science kit--so that made supplies for many of the experiments super easy.   The Mystery of the Periodic Table and Along Came Galileo will round out our science for the year.

Our core for Language Arts is Rod and Staff English.   E will be working in level 6 and E-R and I-E will complete level 5.    In addition to R&S, we will be working with Write Source,  Daily Warm-Ups: Prefixes, Suffixes & Roots 1, and  Test Prep Words Level I.   Figurative Langauge.and Other Literary Devices  will introduce I-E and E-R to literary anylisis. E-R and I-E will also study several books using blackbird & company lit guides.  The one I'm looking forward  to the most is Exploring Poetry.    E will be working more in depth with Windows to the World.  Of course, we'll continue with our favorite spelling, Sequential Spelling. 

E-R and I-E are continuing on with Singapore Math 5.    E is finishing up Teaching Textbook's pre-algebra.  I am not what we will do for algebra.   I'm not really happy with his standardized test scores in math.   I say this because he had the same weaknesses that A-M did after completing TT's algebra.    So for now, he will finish up pre-algebra, and I will try to figure out algebra by that point.  Math will be supplemented with Mathematicians are People, Too.

History, history, history!    We will be covering the Middle Ages and Renaissance.   I have a plethera of materials.   SOTW, The Human Odyssey, various Kingfisher history encyclopedias, Learning through History magazines, In the Hands of a Child lap booklets,  numerous Jackdaw resouces, The Story of Western Civilization, ect.   Blah!!!!!   It's too much.  I can't decide what to do with any of it.   Part of me wouldn't mind a workbook or two (perhaps a textbook with ?s included) and a few neat library books thrown in.   Anyone have any ideas, suggestions, or a swift kick for me?

Spanish and French will be online courses again.

Critical Thinking will include Mind Benders and A Case of Red Herring.   E will work on Building Thinking Skills Level 3 Verbal.  E-R and I-E will work on Building Thinking Skills Level 2.   And I will sneak into Language Arts  a few more thinking skills with Descriptive Mysteries.

Art will continue with the second half of Calvert's Discoveries in Art.   Everyone is excited to continue the second half of this program.   Art was the highlight of our Fridays last school year..  Hopefully that will continue this year.

I'm most likely missing a few things here or there.  I am awaiting the delivery of an art history book and a map book for geography.   If they are the gems I am expecting, I'll post more details later on.   One never knows though---must have it in my hands to make that determination!

What are you using for curriculum this year?   Feel free to  share your plans(or links to them) in the comment section.