2010-11 School Year

We officially started school this week.  I realized that I haven't shared the plans for the year, yet.  So, here goes...

Math - Math - U - See for both boys

Grammar - Easy Grammar for both boys (this is new - so we'll see how it goes)

Spelling - Spelling Power (if I decide to continue with it)

Writing - Writing for 100 days for Alex, and D'Nealian Cursive for Nicolas

Bible - verse memorization (index card style), Character lapbook (from Homeschool Share) and Hymn Study (based on Jimmy's squidoo lens)

History - Mystery of History for Alex (6th grade) and Early American History for Nicolas (3rd grade) using History Pockets - Colonial Life and Life in Plymouth Colony, the following Download and Go units:  Ben Franklin, George Washington and Davy Crockett, along with other resources I have here.

Science - Apologia's Zoology 2 - Swimming Creatures of the Fifth Day

And then to add something fun to the mix, I have a book that has holidays for 365 days.  I looked through it this summer and picked out fun holidays that we will base activities on throughout the year.  The following are the h0lidays I picked out:

Aug. 13   National Left-Handers Day (so Aug. 16-20 we will study more about lefties)

Sept. 18  National Play-Doh Day (so Sept.17 will be play-doh fun day here)

Sept. 26  Johnny Appleseeds Birthday (so Sept. 24 we will have apple fun and our read aloud will be The Apple and the Arrow)

Oct. 11   Columbus Day (so Oct. 9 we will study more about Christopher Columbus)

Oct. 16  National Dictionary Day (so Oct. 15 we will learn more about the dictionary and how to use it)

October is national family history month so Oct. 18-22 the boys will draw their own family trees along with pictures, as I have them.  Since losing their last great-grandparent this week, they have been asking questions about which great-grandparents they have met.

November is National Aviation Month, so Friday, Nov. 5 we will try to watch Those Amazing Men and Their Flying Machines

Then leading up to Thanksgiving, we will focus on being thankful in different ways (yet to be determined by me.)

The week after Thanksgiving, we will start our Advent activities with Jotham's Journey.

Jan. 10 is National Pizza week, so we will do our Download and Go unit study on Pizza and have a pizza party that Friday.

Jan. 29 is National Puzzle Day, so Jan. 28 we will do various puzzle type activities, or just spend time putting together a puzzle.

Leading up to Valentine's Day, we will do our Download and Go Chocolate study along with making Valentines.

Feb. 23 is the anniversary of the creation of the Tootsie Roll, so this will go right along with our Chocolate study.  We might have to extend our chocolate study for the whole month!!

March is National Craft month, so every Friday for the month, I will have a fun craft for them to complete.

Mar. 17 is St. Patrick's Day, so we will have fun St. Patrick's Day unit to complete.

Easter- study the death and resurrection of Jesus.

May 5  is Cinco de Mayo, so we will do Download and Go's Expedition Mexico

Along the way, where there needed to be other fun activities filled in, I have included the following:

Hands of a Child's Hot Dog Unit study
Download and Go's Birthday Unit for each boy to do the week of their birthday
Homeschool Share's M is for Melody unit (to get our music in for the year)
Hands of a Child's Mary Cassatt Unit Study (to get our art in for the year)
Download and Go's Expedition Australia
Download and Go's Twisting Tornadoes (in the spring - since we are in tornado alley)
Download and Go's Expedition China
Download and Go's Mother's Day (possibly, if we can fit it in.)

And as we study different sea animals with our Zoology 2 book, I will throw in some animal studies from Homeschool Share (octopus, whale, manatee, sea turtle, shark,  hermit crab, and mollusk.

I'm excited about all we will learn about this year.  I'm not sure the boys are as excited, but hopefully I can spark a fire in them.