2013-2014 Curriculum Plan, AO’s Y10 & Y8, 11th & 9th Grade

Not that I’m switching curriculum because it’s AO every time. We’ve come far from our start with CM/AO and I’m impressed with my kiddos. We still won’t cover absolutely everything on the booklist or on the schedule but I’m confident in what we, they, will accomplish. You can see the original Y10 and Y8 AO booklist and weekly schedules at AO’s official site.

I’m getting this all down now and out of the way. Just about all of the books have been acquired but for just a couple. Next step will be the week by week break down. Another post may detail our science plan (not that we really did so well with our ‘plan’ for science this year lol- it’s good to have a plan anyway). There are still 2 weeks left of the 2012-2013 school year but I’m looking forward to next year! *I’m also looking forward to our break in between *

This may seem like a long post but it’s mostly just because I’m spelling out (snicker) all my abbreviations for the year for each student in this post. Of course, it might also have some mistakes. This is possibly the first year using AO that we will have so many physical books. There are links here in this post, none are affiliate links and all link to free resources.

Lee: 11th grade, Y10

Book abbreviations (some books used all terms, some *T1, others **T2 &/or ***T3):
TCS: The Christian’s Secret to a Happy Life (devotion) –ebook
AHAP: A History of the American People (history) –physical book
*KUTC: Key to Uncle Tom’s Cabin (history) –online
*TSotA: The Spirit of the Age (short bios) –online
*UFS: Up From Slavery (history) –online
*WtB: Walking the Bible (geography) –physical book
EB: Evaluating Books (govt/econ) –physical book
*TL: The Law, Bastiat (govt/econ) –online
CiD: Character is Destiny (citizenship) –physical book
CE: Current Events (citizenship) –online
WB: Weekly Barden (citizenship/current events/writing)
TSCW: Thinking Straight in a Crooked World (worldview) –physical book
HOEL: History of English Literature (literature/history) –physical book
LM: Les Miserables (literature) –ebook
*UTC: Uncle Tom’s Cabin (literature) –physical book
ROtOS: Roar On the Other Side (poetry) –physical book
POWA: Paradigm Online Writing Assistant (composition) –pdf
LoF: Life of Fred Advanced Algebra, Geometry (math) –physical book
NWtS: North With the Spring (nature study/science) –physical book
HtRaB: How to Read a Book (logic) –physical book
* **AoA: Art of Argument (logic) –physical book
YSGtC: Young Scholar’s Guide to Composers (music) –pdf

Term 1Bible: Reading, verses, TCS
History/Biography: AHAP, TSotA, UFS, Speeches/Documents
Geography: Eothen, WtB, Seterra
Govt/Econ: EB, TL
Citizenship: Ourselves, CiD, CE, WB
Worldview: TSCW
Literature: HOEL, LM, UTC, KUTC
Essays: various
Poetry: Coleridge, RotOS
Grammar/Composition: POWA, written narrations
Math: LoF
Science: Chemistry
Nature Study: journaling, NWtS
Logic: HtRaB, AoA
Art: Degas, Manet, independent projects
Music: YSGtC, practice (trumpet, piano?)
Health/PE: Nutrition 101, other books (?), outdoor activities, homeschool events
Foreign Language: Latin, Sign Language
Free reads: UFS, WtB (those 2 at-your-own-pace, but must be completed by end of term), NWtS, LM (those 2 year-long), any from AO’s list

Book abbreviations not mentioned above (used **T2 &/or ***T3 when specified):
KA: Killer Angels –physical book
ASAL: A Short Life of Abraham Lincoln –ebook
** ***TOT: The Oregon Trail –online
** ***ToB: Tower of Babel –pdf
FR: Frankenstein –ebook
** ***DJMH: Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde –ebook

Term 2Bible: Reading, verses, TCS
History/Biography: AHAP, KA, ASAL, Speeches/Documents
Geography: Eothen, TOT Seterra
Govt/Econ: EB, Sowell Essays
Citizenship: Ourselves, ToB, CE, WB
Worldview: TSCW
Literature: HOEL, LM, FR, DJMH
Essays: various
Poetry: E. B. Browning, RotOS
Grammar/Composition: POWA, written narrations
Math: LoF
Science: Chemistry
Nature Study: journaling, NWtS
Logic: HtRaB, AoA (? may be finished Term 1)
Art: Hudson River School Artists, independent projects
Music: YSGtC, practice (trumpet, piano?)
Health/PE: Nutrition 101, other books (?), outdoor activities, homeschool events
Foreign Language: Latin, Sign Language
Free reads: NWtS  (year-long), any from AO’s list

Book abbreviations not mentioned above (only used T3):
BMH: Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee –physical book
QV: In the Days of Queen Victoria –ebook
OL: On Liberty –online
GA: Graves of Academe –online
SM: Silas Marner –physical book

Term 3Bible: Reading, verses, TCS
History/Biography: AHAP, BMH, QV, Speeches/Documents
Geography: Eothen, TOT, Seterra
Govt/Econ: EB, OL, GA
Citizenship: Ourselves, CiD, ToB (?), CE, WB
Worldview: TSCW
Literature: HOEL, LM, DJMH (?), SM
Essays: various
Poetry: E. B. Browning, RotOS
Grammar/Composition: POWA, written narrations
Math: LoF
Science: Chemistry
Nature Study: journaling, NWtS
Logic: HtRaB
Art: Hudson River School Artists, independent projects
Music: YSGtC, practice (trumpet, piano?)
Health/PE: Nutrition 101, other books (?), outdoor activities, homeschool events
Foreign Language: Latin, Sign Language
Free reads: NWtS  (year-long), any from AO’s list

Fox: 9th grade, Y8

Book abbreviations (some used all terms, some only *T1, others **T2 &/or ***T3):
TCC: The Case for Christ (devotion) –physical book
TNW: The New World (history) –physical book
*AMFAS: A Man For All Seasons (history/biography) –movie/movie guide
*LSFB: Life of Sir Francis Bacon (history/biography/citizenship) –online
GD: Galileo’s Daughter (biography/history) –physical book
TLCC: The Life of Christopher Columbus From His Own Letters and Journals (geography/history) –ebook
WHJ?: Whatever Happened to Justice? (govt) –physical book
CTAP: Christian Theology and Ancient Polytheism (worldview) –physical book
SotS: Secret of the Scribe (worldview) –physical book
AYHIW: A Young Historian’s Introduction to Worldview (worldview) –physical book
WH!: Westward Ho! (literature) –ebook
*FWFL: Fierce Wars and Faithful Loves (poetry)
SS: Shakespeare Sonnets –online
JG: Jensen’s Grammar (grammar) –physical book
TLAW: The Lively Art of Writing (composition) –physical book
RH: Rural Hours (nature study/science) –ebook
F&WM: Fearfully & Wonderfully Made (health/science) –physical book
HtRaFF: How to Read a French Fry (science/cooking/home ec) –physical book
CE: Current Events (citizenship) –online
WB: Weekly Barden (citizenship/current events/writing)
HOEL: History of English Literature (literature/history) –physical book
ROtOS: Roar On the Other Side (poetry) –physical book
LoF: Life of Fred Beginning Algebra (math) –physical book
HtRaB: How to Read a Book (logic) –physical book
* **AoA: Art of Argument (logic) –physical book
YSGtC: Young Scholar’s Guide to Composers (music) –pdf

Term 1Bible: Reading, verses, TCC
History/Biography: TNW, AMFAS, LSFB, GD, Speeches/Documents
Geography: TLCC, Seterra
Govt/Econ: WHJ?
Citizenship: Ourselves, Utopia, Francis Bacon Essays, CE, WB
Worldview: CTAP, AYHIW, SotS
Literature: HOEL, Everyman, WH!
Essays: Francis Bacon
Poetry: SS, FWFL, RotOS
Grammar/Composition: JG, TLAW, written narrations
Math: LoF
Science: Chemistry
Nature Study: journaling, RH
Logic: HtRaB, AoA
Art: Degas, Manet, independent projects
Music: YSGtC, practice (piano?)
Health/PE: F&WM, Nutrition 101, other books (?), outdoor activities, homeschool events
Home Ec: cooking, HtRaFF
Foreign Language: Latin, German
Free reads: WH!, RH, HtRaFF (all three year-long; at-your-own-pace but must be done by year’s end), any from AO’s list

Book abbreviations not mentioned above (used **T2 & ***T3 when specified):
AHPP: A History of Plymouth Plantation
** ***OC&RP: Oliver Cromwell & the Rule of the Puritans in England
TLoJD: The Life of Dr. (John) Donne –physical book
TDoSP: The Diary of Samuel Pepys –online
** ***KT: Kon Tiki –physical book
GA: Great Astronomers –ebook

Term 2Bible: Reading, verses, TCC
History/Biography: TNW, AHPP, Johannes Kepler in GA, OC&RP, TLoJD, GD, Speeches/Documents
Geography: TLCC, KT, Seterra
Govt/Econ: WHJ?
Citizenship: Ourselves, Utopia, Francis Bacon essays, CE, WB
Worldview: CTAP, AYHIW, SotS,
Literature: HOEL, WH!, TDoSP (excerpt)
Essays: Francis Bacon
Poetry: SS, John Donne & George Herbert, RotOS
Grammar/Composition: JG, TLAW, written narrations
Math: LoF
Science: Chemistry
Nature Study: journaling, RH
Logic: HtRaB, AoA (? may be finished Term 1)
Art: Hudson River School Artists, independent projects
Music: YSGtC, practice (piano?)
Health/PE: F&WM, Nutrition 101, other books (?), outdoor activities, homeschool events
Home Ec: cooking, HtRaFF
Foreign Language: Latin, German
Free reads: WH!, RH, HtRaFF (all three year-long; at your own pace but must be done by year’s end), any from AO’s list

Book abbreviations not mentioned above (used only in T3):
TW: The Holy War –ebook
WH&D: William Harvey and the Discovery of the Circulation of the Blood –ebook

Term 3Bible: Reading, verses, TCC
History/Biography: TNW, OC&RP, GD, Speeches/Documents
Geography: TLCC, KT, Seterra
Govt/Econ: WHJ?
Citizenship: Ourselves, Utopia, Francis Bacon essays, CE, WB
Worldview: CTAP, AYHIW, SotS
Literature: HOEL, THW
Essays: Francis Bacon
Poetry: SS, John Milton, RotOS
Grammar/Composition: JG, TLAW, written narrations
Math: LoF
Science: Chemistry
Nature Study: journaling, RH
Logic: HtRaB
Art: Hudson River School Artists, independent projects
Music: YSGtC, practice (piano?)
Health/PE: F&WM, Nutrition 101, other books (?), outdoor activities, homeschool events
Home Ec: cooking, HtRaFF
Foreign Language: Latin, German
Free reads: WH!, RH, HtRaFF  (all three year-long; at your own pace but must be done by year’s end), any from AO’s list

Link Up with Training Children up for Christ: Let’s Talk Curriculum

I posted awhile back (wow, in March!) about what I had planned to use for Lee and Fox for *gulp* 9th grade and 7th grade but since then I’ve tweaked it a bit. Rodna, at Training Children up for Christ, has put together a Link Up about what we’re using this year. Yay! It’s always fun and admittedly somewhat frustrating (because I some times second guess what I’ve planned when I see what others are doing lol) when I read the posts of others. I decided to link up my revised plan for the coming year (which has started for us). We use Ambleside Online Year 8 and 6 for our base.

For Lee’s 9th grade:

Bible: KJV-reading: continue OT/NT, Memory verses: Romans 6/Colossians 3/Psalms 139, devotion: Mere Christianity/The Mind of the Maker, study: Commentary by Henry & Brown (Bible Explorer)
Math: Life of Fred: Beginning Algebra, Advanced Algebra, Khan Academy
Writing/Literature: Written narrations, History of English Literature for Boys and Girls, Everyman: A morality play, Westward Ho!, Fierce Wars and Faithful Loves, The Holy War, The Roar on the Other Side (Poetry), …
History/Geography: Western Civilization (11-13; 15-16), http://bit.ly/hizMTY , How the Heather Looks, The Life of Christopher Columbus
Science: Mader Biology 9^th Ed (1-16) (?), http://bit.ly/eLkFR1
Gov’t/Economics/Logic/Civics: Whatever Happened to Justice?, Ourselves, Plutarch’s Lives, Utopia & Francis Bacon Essays, The Fallacy Detective/How to Read A Book
Foreign Language: First Form Latin, Second Form Latin, Greek Level 4
Art/Music/PE: Anime Studio, 4H Visual Arts, Scenic drawings from readings; Composer Study; …
Home Economics/Life Skills

For Fox’s 7th grade:

Bible: KJV-reading: continue OT/NT, verses: 1 a week, study: Saints and Heroes Vol 1 & 2
Math: Life of Fred: PreAlgebra 2 with Economics, Beginning Algebra, Khan Academy
Writing/Literature: Written narrations, The Hobbit, Animal Farm, Tales of Troy; poetry of Robert Frost, Carl Sandberg
History/Geography: Story of the World Vol 4 (2^nd half), *Story of the Greeks, *Story of the Romans; Around the World in 180 Days
Science: The Storybook of Science, Murche’s Science Readers VI, *The Sciences (Holden)
Gov’t/Economics/Logic/Civics: Whatever Happened to Penny Candy?, *Plutarch’s Lives, The Fallacy Detective
Foreign Language: First Form Latin, Second Form Latin
Art/Music/PE: Pictures in cursive (picture study); undecided; …
Home Economics/Life Skills

I do plan on having Nature Study in there as well. Art and Composer Study I really hope to implement much more but will see

I’ve also made up reading lists for each of them. Since we started ‘late’ with AO, it is a bit necessary, I think, to get a little caught up to speed with the readings from previous years. I don’t think it would be detrimental if I did not have them read but it will give them an edge (I hope) on the year and subsequent years. The lists are primarily the same but for a few books:

Our Island Story –
   OR Part 1: http://librivox.org/our-island-story-part-1-by-he-marshall/
   Part 2: http://librivox.org/our-island-story-part-2-by-he-marshall/
Fifty Famous Stories Retold
Parables from Nature
*Wind in the Willows
Books by E. Nesbit
Understood Betsy
Otto of the Silver Hand
Tanglewood Tales (Lee)
*This Country of Ours (Lee)
The Princess and the Goblin
Unknown to History: The Captivity of Mary of Scotland
Heroes Every Child Should Know
The Life and Adventures of Robinson Crusoe (audio)
   http://www.candlelightstories.com/audio/podcast-of-robinson-crusoe/
The Legend of Sleepy Hollow (audio)
   http://librivox.org/the-legend-of-sleepy-hollow-by-washington-irving/
Rip Van Winkle (audio)
   http://librivox.org/short-story-collection-vol-026/
Kidnapped
*Complete Book of Marvels (Lee)
Great Inventors and Their Inventions
The Story of King Arthur and His Knights
   http://www.celtic-twilight.com/camelot/pyle/ka/index.htm
*Across Five Aprils
*The Hobbit (Lee)
*Letters from Rifka (Lee)
The Story of the Von Trapp Family Singers
*Animal Farm (Lee)
*Books by Louisa May Alcott
(Personal Reflections of) Joan of Arc
   http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/basis/conte-joanofarc.html (Lee)
*Age of Fable (Lee)
*Age of Chivalry (Lee)
Books by Jean-Henri Fabre http://www.efabre.net/e-fabre.htm
Beowulf http://www.lone-star.net/literature/beowulf/index.html (Lee)
*Daughter of Time (Lee)
*Beautiful Girlhood (Lee)
How to Be A Man (Fox)

Besides their ‘curriculum’ they also will be learning through 4-H. I’m not sure what projects they will choose in October when the new 4-H year starts, but Lee has voiced the strong desire to do Photography again. Fox may not do any.. not sure.

So, I think that is about it…and I think that’s what I have planned   It’s always subject to change What are you using this coming year for your curriculum? Link up at Training Children up for Christ if you would like to share.

Getting Antsy for Year End...and Next Year

There are only 2 more months of school left. A-W-E-S-O-M-E

I love schooling my kids. But really, I can't wait for our month long 'summer' break. But at the same time, I'm looking forward to next year already. Oh yeah.

Lee is going to be a FRESHMAN- when in the world did that happen?? I'm so grateful that for the last two years I've been able to have my kids with me 24/7 and been able to not miss things. Being there with your children when they are young -when they get their first tooth, when they learn to crawl and walk, when they say their first word- is great and beneficial to both parent and child but honestly, I think those tween and teen years are uber important. 

My dd says she is glad that she has a mom like me- I can be fun at times (downright silly) but I am serious and stern when I need to be. Homeschooling has been a blessing for our family in so many ways.

Today Fox was plugging away at his History/Geography work (which he said wasn't 'too bad' lol) and I realized he only has 2 months to 'catch up'. We have blocked our days for his school to include on Tuesdays History/Geography, Wednesday Language Skills (Composition, Grammar, Vocabulary), Thursday Earth Science, Friday Literature. Today was to include at least 4 hours of H/G- didn't happen. Although he didn't mind the learning and assessment taking, he just was more into other things. It's tough sometimes to cover one subject for such a long period of time in a day. Tomorrow we will be doing subjects he doesn't like- hope that goes well! He has reached almost 30% complete on PreAlgebra though! Yea!!

For Fox I am having a bit more difficult time thinking about next year and am thinking more in terms of year end. I know that I will have to procure the books he needs for next year if I do not go the k12 route (which at this moment we will not be going the k12 route) but I haven't even stopped really to think what books I will be needing. Cross that bridge a bit later. 

But I did just realize he is right on track for finishing one of his history books from Yr5 AO. Well, the first part anyway. The second part of The Story of the World Volume 4, pagers 244-474, he can do for Yr6 as recommended. I looked at the Geography selections for AO and I've decided not to go the suggested route- will have to find something else. I've not gotten any farther with his next year plans.

For Lee I've been thinking Science. I'm not science oriented. Rather I should say, I'm not the hands on science type. I found it difficult to do labs when in high school - I could/can keep great records of observations and can write reports but please, let someone else do the labs! With the route I've decided to go, there are no physical labs (unless I/she decides we should/need to do one) but still the learning that would be gained from doing labs will be had with the interactive lab component that is online. I started plotting out a schedule for her ninth year. 

The book that we'll be using is not Creation based; it is typical of college science classes. There are definitely places/topics that will need discussion/omission/deletion/scribbling-out-with-black-marker ;) but we'll do fine with this book. When Lee saw the book she will be using at first she balked because it is a college textbook. She did remind herself that her reading/comprehension is supposedly 2nd year college level anyway. And you know, even though I used this book and took a class I just now realized that the chapter questions have answers in the back of the book. Sheesh... but helpful to me!

I do know also that for Fox I will need to get him a better guitar. We have an awesome guitar program that he really cannot use because the guitar he has is not very well made. It will not stay tuned and there are parts of it that look like they will fall off at any moment. 

It will be sooo nice (I hope) next school year because I will be done with school and can focus more on their schooling. Well, I am off to do more planning.

Perhaps in another post I will tell what I've decided to do for both of their grades next year. With only 1 month between this year and next, I've got to get planning!