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our curriculum for 10th grade ~ 2013-2014

our curriculum for 10th grade ~ 2013-2014

Disclaimer: There are some affiliate links in this post. The little money that I might make from you purchasing through the links, help our family in buying our curriculum.
 This year, I will also have a 10th grade student.  I thought I would share what curriculum we will be using for her, since I shared what curriculum we will be using with the younger children.  I am also joining in with the iHomeschool Network and the 5th Annual “Not” Back-to-School Blog Hop.

10th grade curriculumSome people think that it isn’t possible to homeschool your children in high school.  Well, I say it is possible.  Not only do we have a 10th grade student this year, we have also already graduated one a couple of years ago.  You can do it, if you take the time to prepare and keep great records and a transcript through their high school years.  I plan on sharing with you soon on how I keep track of the records for my high school students.  For now though, here is a list of the curriculum we will be using for our 10th grade year.

{History and Geography}

Last year, we came across the author James P. Stobaugh.  We were able to use his World History Literature and my daughter LOVED it!  So I was really excited when I found out he had written an American History and Literature curriculum.  This is a Christian based curriculum that is published by Master Books, a section of New Leaf Publishing Group.  I chose to use the American History since I will be doing American History with the younger kids.  It will help me out by staying on the same time period with all of the kids.  For Geography, my daughter will be participating in a high school co-op.  They will be using Visualize World Geography.  I have never heard of this curriculum before, but it does sound really interesting.

{English ~ Literature/Writing/Grammar}

As I mentioned above, we had a chance to review a curriculum by James P. Stobaugh last year and will be using his American Literature curriculum this year.  She is really excited about the books that are required to read along with the lessons.  I will be posting all the books that she will be reading in a separate post.  There are 20 books to read!  Along with all of the reading, there will be essays and papers to go along with the lessons in her book.  For Grammar, we will be using The Blue Book of Grammar and Punctuation.  I also have a book called SAT Vocabulary Prep that we will be using for Spelling and Vocabulary.  Sarah will also be taking a Writing class with the co-op she will be attending, as well as a Public Speaking class.  We haven’t gotten any information on the Writing class yet, but she will be using the book Sound Speech: Public Speaking Student Text.

{Math}

This year for math, we will continue on with A+ TutorSoft.  She will finish up Pre-Algebra and then move on to Algebra.  Math does not come easy with her and we have had a hard time finding a program that would work with Sarah.  Sarah started using this math program back in February and has done much better with the A+ TutorSoft program.  She enjoys how they explain the problems to where that she can understand how to do the concepts that they are teaching.  This has made learning math a lot easier for us.

{Science}

We have been using Apologia Science curriculum for 7 years now and will continue to use it this year.  Last year, Sarah completed the Biology curriculum and will move to the Marine Biology this year.

{Bible}

I had bought Who is God?, from Apologia last year.  I had planned on using this curriculum with all of my children, but when we moved, we were all a little overwhelmed, so I sat this aside.  I will use this with all 3 kids and we will do it together.  There is a Notebooking Journal for Who is God?, that Sarah will work in.

{Fine Arts}

Sarah will be continuing with See The Light Art Project DVD’s. She has finished a couple of the dvd’s this last year and really enjoyed the way Pat Knepley teaches the different techniques.  She will also be taking part in a musical theater production of Pilgrim with the high school co-op.  Sarah has also expressed interest in taking music lessons from her dad.  She wants to learn to play the cello, but will start with the upright bass.

{Foreign Language}

Sarah is wanting to learn German or Russian as her foreign language.  I am still looking for a good and affordable program to use with her.  One that she can do on her own.  Do you have any suggestions?

{Electives}

For electives, Sarah will be taking sewing and cooking lessons.  This will be her Home Economics elective for the school year.  I will be teaching her how to cook and our neighbor will be taking time with her a couple of times a week, helping her with sewing.

{Extra Curricular Activities}

Sarah will be taking dance lessons this year.  We have finally found a lovely studio right down the road from us.  Sarah will be taking Tap and Jazz classes.  She will also continue to take riding lessons from a friend of ours.  Sarah is also active in the Youth group at church and participates in a small group class with several girls from church.

As of now, this is how Sarah’s 10th grade year is looking.  She will definitely be a busy teenager this next year.  It does seem like a lot, but it also helps that she will be doing some of this with the high school co-op.  As with anything, once the year starts, we will be able to tell if we will accomplish all that we have planned or if we will need to cut back on a few things.  Being able to tailor the curriculum to your child’s interests and needs is one of the joys of homeschooling.  As our children get older, it is important to our family that we include them in the decisions and choices that we make for their schooling.  What may work for us, may not work for you.  It is very important to pray and ask God to help guide your steps.

What are your plans for the school year?  I would love to see the exciting plans you have made for you and your family!

 

 

our curriculum for the younger kids ~ 2013-2014

our curriculum for the younger kids ~ 2013-2014

Disclaimer: There are some affiliate links in this post. The little money that I might make from you purchasing through the links, help our family in buying our curriculum.
 I always enjoy seeing what curriculum that everyone else is using, so I thought I would share with you our curriculum we will using this upcoming school year.  I am also joining in with the iHomeschool Network and the 5th Annual “Not” Back-to-School Blog Hop.

My younger two kids are in 2nd and 3rd grade this year.  It is amazing how quickly time is passing us by.  I am enjoying being able to be at home with our kids, watching them grow and learn new things everyday.  Since there is only 18 months difference between my younger children, I find it a lot easier on our family if we do a lot of the curriculum together.  While they are on different levels in math, everything else, we do together.

our curriculum

{History and Geography}

For the first time in a couple of years, I am changing curriculum.  While I am excited about this change, I am also nervous.  I don’t think I have changed so much in one year since we started homeschooling 11 years ago!  The first big change for us is our history.  As much as I love Mystery of History and Bright Ideas Press, I wanted to focus this next year on American History.  With the way our country is today, it is important for me to teach how the country was founded and why it was founded.  After much praying and researching, I decided on My Father’s World, Adventures in U.S. History.  We will be doing everything they offer in their deluxe package, with exception of their science.  Notebooking will also be a big part of our schooling this year as well.  We will be notebooking through the 50 states for history and geography.

{Language Arts}

We will also be switching up our Language Arts curriculum.  We will finish the Bob Jones English I have from last year, but we will be adding in Growing with Grammar, A Reason For Spelling and A Reason for Handwriting.  I haven’t used a Spelling or Handwriting curriculum with the kids before.  I have always printed off worksheets and just worked on the words as we came across them in our English book.  I felt like we needed to step it up in this area of our schooling.

{Math}

For Math, we will finish up our Bob Jones curriculum from last year.  Once they finish those books, we will begin using A+ TutorSoft.  They will be doing the math on the computer.  I think this will be a good switch for the kids.  I also have the Life of Fred books; Apples, Butterflies, Cats, Dogs and Edgewood.  That I got for a great deal and we will be trying those out. Everyone that I have talked with that has used them, has said they have been a success.

{Science}

Since I have been homeschooling for so long, some companies and curriculum have just worked for us.  One of those companies is Apologia and their science curriculum.  We will be using their new science book, Exploring Creation with Chemistry and Physics along with their Jr. Notebooking journals.  I have used Apologia science curriculum for 7 years now and my children and I thoroughly enjoy reading the lessons and doing their activities.  I have learned as much as they have!

{Bible}

We will also be sticking with Apologia for Bible as we go through their curriculum book, Who is God?  We will be using their coloring book and their notebooking journal.  I bought this book last year, but when we moved, I set it aside since we had so many changes to begin with.  We will also be covering Bible lessons that My Father’s World has in Adventures in U.S. History.

{Fine Arts}

My kids love to draw and listen to music, so for Fine Arts we will be using See The Light for art lessons. Pat Knepley is amazing in the See The Light art dvd’s.  My kids really enjoy listening to her explain how to draw.  For music, we will be using Young Scholar’s Guide to Composers (Bright Ideas Press) and Introduction to Tchaikovsky & the Nutcracker Suite (My Father’s World).

After writing it all out, it seems like an awful lot of work to do and yet, I still feel like I have not added everything that I have planned!   We won’t be doing ever subject every day.  We will also be adding in field trips with our homeschool group.  Our youngest daughter will be taking dance lessons and our youngest son is wanting to play sports.  Once you fill in those days, I think it will be a well rounded year for us.

Are you excited about the upcoming school year?  I would love for you to share what all you and your family will be doing.  Be sure to stop by and link up with iHomeschool Network and see what others are doing.  As you will see, all homeschooling families are unique and do what is best for them and their families.  THAT is what is so wonderful about homeschooling!

making a compass for Apologia Astronomy lesson

making a compass for Apologia Astronomy lesson

The next project for our Apologia Astronomy lesson, was making a compass.  It is the last project on our lesson about planet Earth and tied in with the last section that we read about, “Perfect Magnetosphere”.   What is a “Magnetosphere”? A magnetosphere is a huge area of magnetic power that is around Earth.

The Earth has a huge magnetic field that is made in the outer core of the earth.  This magnetic field pulls harmful particles away from the earth.  The harmful particles is called a solar wind.  Without this magnetic field, we wouldn’t be able to survive on Earth.  Isn’t that amazing?

The magnetosphere that is around the earth actually blocks some of the solar winds that come from the sun.  The solar winds that are able to get through are mostly around the North and South Poles.  As they are traveling past the North and South Poles, they start running into gases in the earth’s atmosphere.  This is where those beautiful lights that are called “auroras” come from!

Now on to the fun part of this lesson, the project of making a compass!  The supplies for this project  that you will need is a cork, permanent marker, a lid from a yogurt or sour cream container, a sewing needle and a magnet (needs to be a strong magnet).

clairecompass

What you do first is label the lid with (N)orth, (S)outh, (E)ast, (W)est.  Then you run the needle over the top of the magnet several times, making sure that you move the needle in the same direction.  Then you will cut off a little piece of cork and put it in the middle of the needle.

pouring water in the lid.

pouring water in the lid.

Then you will fill the lid to the very top with water.  You will then put the cork and needle in the lid so that the needle is floating roughly parallel to the surface of the water.  Then watch what happens!  Turn the compass and you will notice that the needle continues pointing in the same direction.

Needle is pointing North.

Needle is pointing North.

Regardless of how you turn the compass, one end of the needle will always point to the north and the other end to the south.  Yes, this really works!

Checking the direction the needle is pointing.

Checking the direction the needle is pointing.

How does this work?  Since you turned the needle into a magnet by running it over the magnet, it is affected by the Earth’s magnetic field!

My kids had a really fun time with this project.  Well I have to admit, I did too!  We can’t wait to begin the next lesson on the Moon!

I am linking up with The Homeschool Scientist and Apologia.  Be sure to stop by Apologia and check out the other projects that have been linked up!

Have you done any neat science projects or activities?  I would love for you to share them with us!

 

The Ultimate Homeschool Planner from Apologia

The Ultimate Homeschool Planner from Apologia

When it comes to homeschooling, I think to help make it a success and something I need to be more diligent about is organizing your homeschooling. This is an area that I have struggled in a lot. I was thrilled when I found out I had the chance to review The Ultimate Homeschool Planner  and The Ultimate Weekly Planner for Teens, that Debra Bell created.

The Ultimate Homeschool Planner.

The Ultimate Homeschool Planner.

Just how “ultimate” is this planner?  It is a huge book, with 263 pages.  What do you ask that takes up so many pages in this huge planner?  Let me give you a littl run down of everything that Debra Bell covers in this amazing planner.

  • A User’s Guide (which is extremely helpful!)
  • A One Year Planning Grid
  • Student Goal Setter
  • Pre-Planning Guides
  • Monthly Planner
  • Weekly Planner
  • Records
  • Teaching Tips
  • High School Planning Guide and a High School Planning Guide Example
  • Year in Review
  • and a Notes section

As you can tell, Mrs. Bell did not forget anything in this planner.  She has been homeschooling for many many years and used her experience to put together this planner to help others. One of the things I enjoy as I am filling out the different sections is the little sayings and scriptures that she puts on the pages.  The really brighten my day and give e the encouragement and hope to continue on what I am doing.  Not only for my family, but to glorify God as well.

Inside the Ultimate Homeschool Planner.

Inside the Ultimate Homeschool Planner.

Another thing I really love about this planner, is I can not only use it for my homeschooling plans, but I find the spaces big enough to allow me to put other information there as well.  I can make notes of appointments for all of us in our family, I can make notes about any reviews or posts that I have due.  There is even room for me to write down ideas that I have pop into my head.

I had chosen The Ultimate Weekly Planner for Teens for my oldest daughter.  She is in 9th grade this year and while she has been doing all of her work on her own, I knew it was past time for her to be keeping track of everything for herself.  I think helping and teaching kids to be more organized will help them in the future.  Mrs. Bell did an excellent job creating this weekly planner for teens.  Like with the Ultimate Homeschool Planner, she really did think of everything, even fun things that are important for teens. What all does Mrs. Bell include in this amazing 168 page planner?

  • All About Me section (their favorites)
  • 1st and 2nd semester schedules
  • Monthly planner
  • Weekly planner
  • Grade pages
  • Reading List pages
  • Activities Log
  • Credit and High School Records page

Mrs. Bell also includes wonderful sayings, quotes and scriptures throughout the pages of the planner.  She als has several pages dedicated to a list of books that she recommends to the teens to read.  There is a Guide to Punctuation, Italics and Capitalization,  Cite Right, Fractions, Decimals, Percent Equivalency Chart, Periodic Table, Measurement Equivalency Chart, Algebra and Physics Review, a Map of the World and the USA, as well as a Timeline.  She also gives a lot of high school and college admissions help, with several pages to just write down any notes that you may need to keep track of.

My daughter and I are really enjoying our planners.  I think it will help both of us become more organized as the year continues on.  We both need to be more diligent about keeping track of all sorts of information as we make plans for the rest of our homeschooling years.  Both of these planners have given us the tools we need to do this.

Earth and its seasons ~ Apologia Astronomy activity

Earth and its seasons ~ Apologia Astronomy activity

We have made it to the planet Earth in our Astronomy study.  With all the sickness and then dental issues that have happened in our house, our science, Astronomy by Apologia was put on hold.

We had already talked about how the earth rotates and it takes 24 hours to make a day.  We also learned that while the earth is rotating, it is also revolving around the sun and that takes 365 days, to make a year.  This lesson, we read about how the earth has a tilt, the equator, the Northern Hemisphere and Southern Hemisphere.   As the earth revolves around the sun, the tilt allows the hemisphere that points to the sun to get that direct sunlight and they will be much warmer.  The hemisphere that is not pointed toward the sun will obviously get less sunlight, making it the cooler months.

Our activity for the lessons was getting our globe out (it has a tilt to it) and a lamp.  We put the lamp in the middle of the floor, had each of them to take turns walking Earth (the globe) around the Sun (lamp), counterclockwise.

Claire rotating the Earth around the Sun.

By doing this, the kids could see what hemisphere of the Earth was getting the most sun at that time and what hemisphere had less direct light.

Sammy rotating the Earth around the Sun.

The kids and I had fun with this lesson.  It was fun to learn about how the tilt of the Earth provides the different seasons as it revolves around the sun.

Have you done any fun activities or projects in science lately?  I would love for you to share them!

I am linking up with Adventures in Mommydom’s, Science Sunday.

Science Sunday