It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year...

Ah yes, it's that time again, curriculum planning!  I am so excited to plan Ari's 11th grade and Rodney's 7th grade curriculum.  I love making lists, shopping for books, scouring the internet for resources, reading the http://www.welltrainedmind.com/ forums



right along with secularhomeschool.com.


Here's the plan for the 7th grade:

Logic:  The Art of Argument, An Introduction to the Informal Fallacies

Algebra I:  Teaching Textbooks

Spelling:  Undecided on what we'll do.  I may pickup another copy of Spectrum Spelling workbooks.  It worked for us last year.

Vocabulary:  Vocabulary from Classical Roots C & D

Grammar:  Season 2 of Analytical Grammar

Writing:  Writing Strands Level 5

History:  Classical House of Learning lesson plans (http://www.classicalhouseoflearning.com/logic-stage-literature.html#MiddleAges) for the Middle Ages and if she post the lessons in time, for the Renaissance as well.  Otherwise I'm going to follow the CHOLL model and create something of my own.

Science:  Real Science 4 Kids Chemistry for the first half of the school year and Biology for the second half. I'm doing it this way because I want 8th grade to be all about Physics.

Foreign Language:  Continuing with Rosetta Stone Spanish Level 1

Art Appreciation:  Start Exploring Masterpieces: A Fact Filled Coloring Book

Technology:  Kid Coder's Window Programming.  This one is at the request of our Principal, my hubby.  He's all about nudging the kids toward the computer sciences.  Okay, maybe me too :-)

P.E./Sports:  Soccer in the Fall and Basketball in the Winter.

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Here's the plan for the 11th grade:

Rhetoric:  The upcoming election is going to be gift to help in the study of Rhetoric.  I'm still piecing some ideas together on this one.  Stay posted!

Precalculus:  Teaching Textbooks

Vocabulary:  Vocabulary from Classical Roots E


Writing:  Writing Strands 7 and Writing Strands Exposition


History:  The History of the Medieval World: From the Conversion of Constantine to the First Crusade and if it's published in time and ready for the masses then Susan Wise Bauer's The History of the Renaissance:  From the History of Aristotle to the Fall of Constantinople.  If not, then I plan to consult my copy of her book The Well Trained Mind to study the Renaissance using the same methods.


Science:  Advanced Biology using, cringe worthy, Apologia's The Human Body: Fearfully and Wonderfully Made.  Along with quite a few of the books I purchased at our local homeschool bookstore, The Homeschool Room.  The labs are what we mostly want the book for!  Dissections, here we come!!!  I am also using MIT's open courseware  Fundamentals of Biology (http://ocw.mit.edu/courses/biology/7-01sc-fundamentals-of-biology-fall-2011/).  Can we say...AWESOME!

2nd Science:  Physics.  We're up in the air on studying two sciences but I know my daughter is into it, with  much apprehension about becoming overwhelmed.  I am researching Singapore Math's Physics Matter Textbook.  I also am looking into more cringe worthy Apologia texts as well.  Again, stay posted for updates.

Foreign Language:  Rosetta Stone Japanese Level 2

Technology Elective:  Teen Coder C# Windows Programming.  Also, depending on how it goes, then Game Programming.

Sports:  Volleyball