Monday, April 27, 2009

2009-2010 Curricula

This is the time of year to start thinking about plans and curricula for the up coming year and I have been doing just that. Mulling, actually. I can't believe I am going to have a 3rd and a 1st grader!
History-Both
We are going to be covering American History...starting with the 13 Colonies and ending with the Westward Expansion/Pioneers. I am going to be planning my own thing using various books, lapbooks, and notebooking pages. Here are some of the resources I plan on using...

Time Travelers History Studies from Homeschool in the Woods-I didn't really care for their Colonies unit, so I will have to find something for that, but I really like the American Revolution and the Early 19th Century units.

"If You Lived at the Time of the American Revolution" Lapbook from A Journey Through Learning-We really enjoy the "If you..." books so when I saw a lapbook for it I knew we had to have it! We are also going to complete the "If you Sailed on the Mayflower in 1620" lapbook and the "If You Traveled West in a Covered Wagon" lapbook.

Other lapbook/notebook activities will include items from these books:
Interactive 3-D maps: American History
Colonial America Make and Learn Projects
History Pockets
The Pilgrims, the Mayflower & More Easy Make and Learn Projects

Also plan on watching the Liberty's Kids Videos.

Here is a sampling of the great books we are going to read:
Exploration and Conquest by Betsy Maestro
The New Americans: Colonial Times by Betsy Maestro
A More Perfect Union: The Story of Our Constitution by Betsy Maestro
Liberty or Death: The American Revolution by Betsy Maestro
Struggle for a Continent: The French and Indian War by Betsy Maestro
A Pioneer Sampler: The Daily Life of a Pioneer Family in 1840 by Barbara Greenwood
Daily Life in a Covered Wagon by Paul Erikson
This Country of Ours by HE Marshall
George Washington's World by Genevieve Foster
Abraham Lincoln's World by Genevieve Foster

Magnus and Thane also enjoy listening to audio books. Here are a few we are going to listen to:
Story of the World Volume 3...Jim Weiss
Horizon's West: The Lewis and Clark Expedition...by Jim Hodges
Your Story Hour
American History Studies...by Jim Hodges
Boys of Grit Stories...by Jim Hodges
True Stories of Great Americans for Young Americans...by Jim Hodges
True to the Old Flag...Jim Hodges

Magnus' literature selections will also correspond with our history study. I need to really research this part of my plan (and I purchased The Artner Reader's Guide to American History to help with that), but here are a few I know for sure:
The Landing of the Pilgrims by James Daugherty (Landmark Book)
The American Revolution by Bruce Bliven Jr. (Landmark Book)
I am also going to give Socratic discussion a try...once I get through my Teaching the Classics dvd course.

Like I mentioned, this is just a sampling of the resources we will be using. I hope to post my lesson plans/resources as I create them. I am really looking forward to planning and teaching History next year!

Science-Both
I'll be piecing together our science for next year too. We looked at the lapbooks and units available from Homeschool Share. I chose a few topics and I let the boys pick a few. Again, this is just a sampling of the resources we are going to use.

The Human Body:
Usborne's First Encyclopedia of the Human Body
My Body
Head to Toe Science by Jim Wiese (not be confused with Jim Wiess the story teller)
Easy Make and Learn Project: The Human Body by Donald Silver
The Magic School Bus-Human Body DVD
And other Magic School Bus books and DVDs

The Seashore:
Pagoo by Holling C. Holling
This unit from Homeschool Share
One Small Square: Seashore by Donald Silver

Chemistry:
Real Science 4 Kids-Pre Level Chemistry
Periodic Table Lapbook from Homeschool Share
Fizz, Bubble, and Flash

Sharks:
Shark Lapbook from Homeschool Share

Meerkats:
Meerkat Lapbook from Homeschool Share

Penguins:
Mr. Popper's Penguins Unit/Lapbook from Homeschool Share
Watch March of the Penguins and Happy Feet (maybe)

Crocodiles and Alligators:
Crocodilians Lapbook from Homeschool Share

Some of these topics might get dropped and others added as their interests change. That's okay. That is one of the reasons we homeschool! However, we are covering the Human Body, Chemistry, and the Seashore no matter what! Lesson plans are already written. I also hope to do more of a "formal" yet laid back approach to our Nature Studies. We'll be using Adrienne Olmstead's 'My Nature Journal' as somewhat of a guide as well as Barb's Handbook of Nature Study Blog.

Math
Magnus-He will continue with Right Start Level C. I am planning to add the Addition Deluxe Kit from City Creek Press and the Basic Times Kit when he gets to multiplication. We'll also continue to supplement with Singapore's Challenging Word Problems. If you want to continue using these fabulous workbooks you will have to buy what you need NOW! They are going out-of-print. Apparently Rainbow Resource will continue to cary them through the summer, but I wouldn't chance it.

Thane-He will continue with Right Start Level B but then move onto Level C pretty quickly. He will also be using the same supplements as Magnus.

Magnus' Language Arts
Grammar-He will continue with Growing With Grammar Level 3 once he finishes Level 2. He absolutely despises this subject.

Phonics-He will continue working through the Explode the Code workbooks since he never really went through a phonics program.

Spelling-Yeah!! We finally found a program that works for him and that he likes! Amazing! He will continue to work through Phonetic Zoo Level A that is put out by the wonderful people of Institute for Excellence in Writing. We'll also be using a new product from Marie Rippel of All About Spelling fame. It's a workbook called All About Homophones. We will also continue to build our Sound City.

Writing-He will continue working through the Writing With Ease Level 2 Workbook. It doesn't directly teach him the mechanics of writing but I love it for the copywork, narration, and dictation. He will also be using the U.S. History Based Writing Lessons Volume 1 from Institute for Excellence in Writing. I am still working through the Teaching Writing: Structure and Style, but I can not say enough good things about IEW's products!

Vocabulary-I am on the fence with this one. I am not sure if I want to add it yet or not. If I do, then we will use English From the Roots Up.

Handwriting-Handwriting Without Tears Cursive.


Thane's Language Arts
Phonics-He will continue working through The Ordinary Parent's Guide To Teaching Reading and Explode The Code.

Writing-I am going to start him on the Writing With Ease Level 1 workbook.

Grammar-He will use Level 1 of Growing With Grammar. BUT...as I am typing this, I am wondering if First Language Lessons wouldn't be better for him. He may need the slower pace, less writing, and constant repitition. I will have to give this some thought.

Reading Lapbooks-Thane really enjoys doing lapbooks. I have thought about just having him and I complete some on some stories we like. Homeschool Share has some we might try...
Time of Wonder by Robert McCloskey
Henry & Mudge

Magnus' Latin
He is going to move onto Latin for Children Level A from Song School Latin. There is a possibility I may be teaching it at our charter school.

I am also trying to fit in picture study, composer study, and poetry memorization.

I am not sure what classes will be offered at our charter school next year, but I hope to get both boys into drawing, PE, and music appreciation again. Magnus has been begging us to learn how to play the violin since he was 3. He would be able to take lessons at the school for free, it would just be a matter of finding him a violin for free too.

Yikes! This is a lot of stuff! I hope I will be able to fit it all in without overwhelming us all! We'll just have to see how things shape up. I am okay with dropping some things and/or taking a different approach.



4 comments:

Lori C., Texas said...

Sounds great!!:) I love planning for the year!

Just some guy... said...

I was going to read all this, but then my life called and I had to go.

Dawn E said...

Sounds like a wonderful year! Does that Shark Lapbook cover Shark Punching? :) Thanks for linking to homeschool share...I had forgotten about them.

Kelly said...

we did american history this year, and my kids loved liberty's kids. i couldn't believe how much my 3 year old came to understand from watching that series. i purchased it, and they want to watch it again and again.