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Sunday, November 23, 2008

Second Quarter Overview

2nd Quarter December 1-February 6
One week break for Christmas- Dec. 22-26

BIBLE
In Bible, we'll be studying Genesis using Explorer's Bible Study, Discovery level, Genesis book.

Second quarter will focus on Lessons 10-18; Genesis 12 through Genesis 24

Answering the questions orally has been working well so we will continue in this fashion. It makes using Explorer's Bible Study more like a discussion which we both enjoy.




MATH
In Math, we're trying Math on the Level as our new math program. We are still using Times Tales which we started at the end of the first quarter for multiplication and division facts.










LATIN

We are continuing our Latin studies with Prima Latina happily.







LANGUAGE ARTS & WRITING

We started Primary Language Lessons by Emma Serl, Updated by Margot Davidson during the last portion of our 2nd grade year. We will continue to work through the book this year with great pleasure. Hillside Education has released an Answer Key and Teacher guide free of charge as a .pdf file.

We will finish with Primary Language Lessons in about 30 lessons, then we will start Writing Tales 1 by Amy Olsen. We are still using Writing Aids by Tapestry of Grace just not as our main program.



PHONICS

We are continuing on with the Explode the Code series, we will finish Book 7 and start Book 8 this quarter (see further below). After we finish Explode the Code, Camille will start Simply Spelling by Laurie Hicks.

I use the Teacher's Guide for Explode the Code because Camille gets much more instruction than just using ETC as a workbook.

I'm considering trying ABeCeDarian Student Workbook B-Short Version for Camille, her reading fluency has grown tremendously but she still stumbles a bit. During our break between 1st and 2nd Quarter we are both reading Swiss Family Robinson, she's reading the Classic Starts version and I'm reading the unabridged version. I think we're finally at a turning point in her reading skills.



POETRY MEMORIZATION

We are continuing our poetry memorization with The Harp and Laurel Wreath by Laura Berquist. This quarter we will be memorizing Animal Crackers, Christmas Carol, Furry Bear, The Wind, and Stopping by the Woods on a Snowy Evening and adding to Camille's growing poetry notebook.

This year we are learning about simile, metaphor, onomatopoeia, and alliteration through our poems and Writing Aids.





HISTORY, GEOGRAPHY, WORLDVIEW
We are cheerfully continuing our history studies with Tapestry of Grace, this year we'll be using Year 3 Redesign. We will also be using Tapestry's Writing Aids, MapAids and Evaluations.

For the second quarter we will be studying the great movement West, Australia and various American presidents.

We will creating a display board for Australia, including ABC book of Australian animals, continuing our President card bank, and learning all about the West. We will be doing activities from Hands-On History: Pioneers and Interactive 3D Maps: American History. When we study Mexico, I'll get a piñata for the kids to demolish for sweets.



SCIENCE & NATURE STUDY
We are studying germs and microbes, which is where Head to Toe Science by Jim Wiese ended with. We will use Magic School Bus World of Germs kit with other books before reading Exploring the History of Medicine by John Hudson Tiner. For more details.

In our nature studies, we're working on completing the Georgia Junior Park Ranger program and filling in My Nature Journal by Adrienne Olmstead.



INFORMAL LOGIC
Once a week, Camille will continue working in Building Critical Thinking Skills Level 1.







COMPOSER STUDIES & PIANO LESSONS
This quarter we are reading about Johann Sebastian Bach. Camille is continuing her private piano lessons and has a recital on December 5th.







ART INSTRUCTION- DRAWING

Drawing With Children has been replaced with Draw Squad which we love. I loved Drawing With Children in theory but there was a gap between the theory and actually doing it. We are both enjoying Draw Squad.

 

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

Looks like a great plan! I need to start getting my second quarter together as well!

Sherry

http://educatingemme.blogspot.com

Anonymous said...

Jessica,

Thanks for the info. I love the pictures to go along with what you are learning. It really adds to the blog to be able to see the books you are learning from.

Can you tell me, I am so unorganized, how do you go about planning your school year? Do you have a planner you work from?

Thanks!

MommyInTraining
Terri

Jessica said...

Terry,
I don't use a planner, I posted about this in detail here.
http://triviumacademy.blogspot.com/2008/06/how-i-plan-year.html

If you have any questions, let me know and I'll try to help.

:) Jessica

Anonymous said...

Hi Jessica,

I am debating Primary Language Lessons for next year for my 2nd grader. I am wondering if you are going to use Intermediate Language Lessons. Cathy Duffy recommends Simply Grammar after Primary Languge Lessons. I want to use much of Charlotte Mason's teaching ideas but I would like a bit of structure.

Jessica said...

Nancy,
Our proposed (haven't done it yet) sequence is:
2nd- PLL
3rd- PLL and Writing Tales 1
4th-6th: ILL

then for grammar:
3rd-7th: Latin studies
7th & 8th: Analytical Grammar

for writing:
6th and up: Either The Lost Tools of Writing OR Writing Aids once we finish ILL.

I'm more than confident that Analytical Grammar will be all that we need for formal grammar outside of Latin studies.

I'm comfortable with the products I've chosen and the philosophy behind them. I think that's what you may need to do, find out the hows and whys so that you can feel comfortable too or you'll know that you need a different path.

Ruth Beechick, Charlotte Mason, Catherine Levison, Christine Miller (www.classical-homeschooling.org) and a few others helped me develop our philosophy for LA.

I hope this helps
:) Jessica