Staring Ahead: A Classical School Year for 6th Grade

   I will post pictures of rover excursions. But first, I must wrap my mind around the vast expanse of pictures from our trip. I think I can, I think I can, I think I can.  That's its own mountain to climb!

   Meanwhile, planning for school seems much easier! Below is the school year plan for sister and I. The year ahead is finally starting to gel. There will be some give and take, and we won't get it all done, but we'll work hard and have fun. The goal is for rest. Yep, rest. Lively and engaged rest. 

6th Grade Curricula

To Do
Notify State.
Buy Saxon Math book.
Determine Grammar.
Buy Philosophy books.
Buy Singapore Practice Books 6.
Buy bigger white board.


Art
2 hours a week at art class (Someone else teaches.)*
Work on Beautiful to Me graphic design
More sewing / quilting classes?
Fall theatre camp - one week

Bible
History Lives fiction series on church history
Daily devotions

Field Trips
The Hult for ballet and music
OBT education shows
Oregon Symphony education shows
Corban Theatre/Plays
PAM
Oregon History Museum
Teen Pact
See Science Classes

Math
Saxon Math 8/7*
Singapore 6 Practice Books*
Khan Academy Online 

Writing
IEW Continuation  (someone else teaches), one paper every 3 weeks.*
Submissions to Pockets and/or Stone Soup, Readers Digest, Letters for Literature
One essay a week from 642 Things to Write About.*
One book report a month.*
One piece at the end of the year on a subject from history. Three pages?
One written piece on Jane Austen. Two pages?
Classical Composition, Writing Fables from Memoria Press (Just for fun, when we have time or need a break from other writing. Keep in mind this kid likes to write!)

Grammar
Rod and Staff 5 or 6*

Science
First Lego League Robotics 2 hours each week*
Outdoor School
OSU science classes
Evergreen Aviation classes
Immune system, cells, neurons
Diagram and outline pond life with microscope.
GF Science classes
OMSI classes
She'd like to do 3-D design
Maker Faire
Life of Fred Physics*
Life of Fred Biology*
Visit Energy Lab
Volcanoes study
Hatfield Marine Biology Classes

Language
First Form Latin (someone else teaches)*
Mango Languages or Rosetta Stone at home or library?
Meet and Greet Spanish Group (once or twice a month)?

Spelling
10 words a week. She teaches us. Material: English 1 Vocabulary Cards*

History Readings and Discussion
A Little History of the World by Grombrich*
Hillyer's History of the World for Children*
Middle Ages review (We've previously done Story of the World Middle Ages)
Begin Story of the World Early Modern Times, will listen to the CD's.*

Geography
Begin with review of states, continents, oceans, latitude, longitude
Mapping and tracing of Europe and locations of books we are reading onto smaller maps, then putting on a large world map that hangs in the school room.*

Philosophy
Philosophy for Kids*
The Art of the Argument*

Phys. Education
Irish dance drop-ins
Swim lessons continued
Rock climbing class
One hike a week, when weather good.
Birding

Student Reading Lists
Veritas School*
SonLight Core F Books*
Classical Conversations Cycle 3 Books

   We will aim for 1-3 chapter books a week, family reading time in history, and 3-5 picture books a week, all from the various lists. Some we'll discuss such as history or philosophy, but many books will simply be for focused pleasure reading. They know I'm intentional about keeping good books in the house for them, and that I've a bit of an agenda for their reading. They don't care. They just like access to good books! Sometimes they will not pick up a book I want them to read. We let it go at that.

   You might be tempted to believe I'm type A and just a tad detail oriented. No kidding! For us, I've found it's better to aim high rather than low in education. It creates more stress for me not to plan, than to plan and have goals that we intentionally work to achieve. We won't get through it all, but the goal is to complete the main curricula packages and then everything else is a perk! Because life is for learning, and learning is for life.

* Main Curricula to be completed

   Brother will be pulled from school for various excursions, but the plan is for him to be in a chair elsewhere this year. We are excited for him. He's going to have a great teacher and he will be working hard and playing hard. Soccer has begun and school is just around the corner!

"Now Lord, we ask that you bless this year. Because the plans of man amount to nothing without your grace and goodness blessing it all. Your world is intricate and beautiful and we desire to learn more about you and your children through our studies this year. We desire to think about, what it is we think about. We seek to honor you with our studies. Please bless this year. We can do nothing apart from you, but through you we can do all things."