Wednesday, August 21, 2013

U/W is for... Under Way

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Yes, our school year is indeed Under Way! We started this week and although there have been some ups and downs already, for the most part I think we can be fairly pleased with our start.

There are a few things still undecided or tentative, but this is how our school year looks going forward.

Social Studies
I still need to come up with a course title for this. We will be studying the geography, history, and cultures of North, South, and Central America. Our spine is the section on the Americas in Around the World in 180 Days. We'll also be using Geography Through Art and a whole slew of other resources. I have planned to use ideas from Holidays of the World Student Cookbook and Global Table Adventure (and others) to include some foods from the different countries and regions as well.
Holidays of the World Cookbook for Students: Updated and Revised   



Math
Kennady will continue with Life of Fred and with Math Mammoth's Green Series and Make It Real Learning worksheets. She also really liked Target the Question, which we reviewed earlier in the year, so I will let her continue with that as well. This seems to be a combination that works for her - the story-based approach of Life of Fred along with a few worksheets and short, focused lessons that help her apply something she's learned to a real-life situation.
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Landon started off with No-Nonsense Algebra for the school year, but we just found out (to MY delight, if not his - yet) that we will be reviewing VideoText Online! So he will work on that algebra program and see how he likes it.


Language Arts/English
Both kids will be working on their writing skills using Institute for Excellence in Writing. In addition, Kennady will be working through Lightning Lit for Grade 7. We are still debating what literature study, if any, Landon will do this year. I've suggested a couple of literature studies from Progeny Press, but we haven't made any decisions on that front yet.
Photobucket 

Science
This is another subject area where we will pull together a few things and just see how it goes. Landon will be using a combination of High School Biology In Your Home and Supercharged Science. Kennady and I chose a book called The World of Animals from MasterBooks, and that will be her main 'textbook'. She will also be referring to Supercharged Science often, and although I don't know how it will all work out, I'm sure there will be other resources for her as well. At the curriculum fair, I had picked out a fascinating book called Crime Scene Investigations that I think would be such a cool science text. We plan to do some of the things in that book, although many of them are better suited to classrooms or groups. It might wind up being our main 'textbook' for the following year! LOL
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Art/Music
I expect both kids to do some art project related to our Social Studies, but Kennady will probably want and need more opportunity for creativity. We have loved ARTistic Pursuits, so she will be finishing one of those books, or at least working on it.

Kennady will also be earning grades for her piano and guitar lessons, and for singing in a children's chorus, and in a choir that is forming at church.

Landon will probably get to skip art and music type subjects this year, and I doubt that will bother him much.

Technology/Electives
We have TeenCoder's Windows and Game Programming as well as the KidCoder Web Series. As it stands now, Landon will do the TeenCoder course, and Kennady will do the KidCoder course. I just hope I get to use the computer at some point during the school day or I don't know how I'll keep track of grades!
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Landon will also be earning a credit for his involvement with Civil Air Patrol. Several other cadets in his squadron are homeschooled as well, and one of the moms graciously shared the course description she worked up for including CAP on her child's transcript, so I will be using that.

Both kids will be in a Phys.Ed. class, and Landon will also be doing some Bible study material. We will need to decide whether the Bible study will net 1 credit or a partial credit.
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Is your school year under way yet? Are you still deciding some things, like we are? Leave a comment and let me know!

Please visit Ben and Me: W is for Washington, D.C. to join in and to see what thoughts this week's letter has prompted for other bloggers.
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1 comments:

BARBIE said...

Sounds like some great choices. My 8th grade girl will begin school next week!

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