Curriculum I'm using for Eighth Grade....

I have already posted working lists for our history/lit studies for the upcoming year, as well as an outline of many of the things we'll be doing in science:

http://greenapplesblush.blogspot.com/2011/04/civil-war-4-weeks-read-alouds-week-1.html

http://greenapplesblush.blogspot.com/2011/05/eighth-grade-poetry-study.html

http://greenapplesblush.blogspot.com/2011/06/physical-science-topics-for-eighth.html

I thought I'd go ahead and list at least some of the items we'll be using for the rest of our studies this year, too:

Algebra:

Structure and Method, Book 1, Brown, Dolciani, et al - beginning class this year with a tutor reviewing last year's work.

Algebra and Trigonometry, Structure and Method, Book 2, Brown, Dolciani, et al - beginning Algebra II studies this year after review is completed.

Reviewing and reinforcing at home with VideoText Interactive series (because I already own it)....

Religion:

Beginning the year with a United Learning curriculum on world religions which includes videos, a learning guide, and worksheets for each religion covered.  Continuing with Bible Prophecy for Blockheads, Douglas Connelly; The Prayer of Jabez, Devotions for Kids, Bruce Wilkinson; World Faiths: Judaism, Trevor Barnes; The Usborne Book of World Religions, Susan Meredith; How the Bible Came to Us, Meryl Doney; and finishing off the year with At Home with Jesus, Devotions for Children, Joslyn Wiechmann Moldstad (Lutheran Aid Society).

Geography:

I'm using various atlases (I LOVE all those by John Haywood!) and map work from a variety of sources, but am also doing some review and reinforcement using some workbooks such as Maps, Globes, Graphs, as well as some Which Way USA? books for western states we have not used in past (for a little fun).  He will continue memory work regarding states and capitals, etc.

Language Arts:

We are continuing with Vocabulary for the College Bound;  reviewing and continuing with Easy Grammar Plus, and also adding in the new Easy Grammar Ultimate series workbook for grade 8.  I am still casting about for what I will do to cover writing at home, as I'm not sure yet what sorts of writing assignments will be made for the outside writing through lit class my son will take.  I do have his list of books for that course and they include:

The Call of the Wild
Sounder
The Screwtape Letters
Pilgrim's Progress (A New Translation in Today's English)
Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde
A Christmas Carol
Amos Fortune
Robinson Crusoe
My Side of the Mountain
Tom Sawyer
To Kill a Mockingbird
A Separate Peace

Languages:

We are finishing up Latin Primer III during the first few weeks of school, and then my son will embark on the first of the Latin Grammar books for the remainder of the year.  He is continuing with an outside Spanish class once a week.  They are using Barron's Spanish Now! this year.  He will also do some workbook and online work for me at home.

Logic:

I have pulled the old edition of Introductory Logic that my older son used years ago.  I didn't like the redesigned book I started last year, got bogged down, and ended up dropping it for the year.  I am hopeful that I can make adjustments to the way we're approaching this and manage to stick with it this year. 

I think that just about covers everything.  We had our first day of school today and all proceeded smoothly, which is always promising....  Hope everyone else's school year goes well, too!

Regena

Our Schoolroom....

School's in session!  I've looked at so many pics of lovely school rooms that I decided I'd take a shot at sharing my very messy room (while it's in the best shape it will probably be in until this time next year!)....  Please cut me a little slack, I went from one of the largest rooms in the house to one of the smallest last year and I'm still culling stuff!  After next summer, perhaps we'll actually fit into this room (just in time for what may be my son's last year at home if he goes the way of his big brother)....  So this first shot is from the doorway, looking in to the room's centrally located writing table....

This shot looks into the back right corner of the room, where there's a reading nook.

In the back left corner is a small bookcase that holds books we're using for this year, as well as our geography resources (middle shelf).  As you can see, these books spill out into stacks on the floor.

A closer view of the floor.  The large tub houses crafts supplies I still have not managed to part with (just in case)....  The piles are primarily science, with a little math and a Spanish tape thrown in (that we're listening to tomorrow)....

Directly behind the writing table, and beside the small bookcase, is an even smaller shelf housing various reference materials, some collections, etc.

And taking up one entire side of the room is one of a pair of  large bookcases I used to have in the other schoolroom.  This unit houses a couple of shelves of books for classes I'm working on for next year, a couple of shelves of history/lit we're using this year, our poetry books, art books, and various other resources.  The drawers are filled with craft and paper supplies, as well as more music and art related supplies, etc.

This view looks back from the writing table towards the door, which holds a bulletin board for my son's work throughout the year.  The old desk holds our stock of paper supplies (and there are more such supplies stacked in the corner behind it).  My son sometimes sits there to watch his Latin videos or other videos, such as those we're using for religion right now. 

Just to the right of the door is the closet area, also filled with more bookshelves and books not in use this year, as well as more science equipment, games of all sorts, etc.  The stuff stacked in front is (you guessed it) more science materials, including supplies I'm gathering for my first class next Tuesday....

And here is the window wall of the room.  One entire wall is taken up by this large window.  Those are (guess?) science supplies stacked under the bench.  Reference materials for me are in the basket.  I tend to sit on this bench to go over work with my son, grade papers, etc.

This small chest behind his writing table houses supplies such as pens, pencils, sharpeners, erasers, paper clips, staples, markers, etc., etc.  (Those pinch pots all over the room are some he made in his pottery class last year.) 

And that's the tour, I guess!  Messy, but with at least some degree of method to the madness....  Let the learning begin!  Hopefully we'll all have a terrific school year....

Regena

Notes on Ninth Grade Health Class....

For covering health, I'm looking at using some books I have at home, such as The Way WE Work; a Nat. Geo. book entitled Body: The Complete Human; a Nat. Geo. book entitled The Incredible Machine; and maybe even a book entitled Medicine: A Treasury of Art and Literature (looking at how medical and health care have evolved over time).

I've pulled a bunch of online lesson plans for various topics, too:

Mental Health

http://www.eduref.org/cgi-bin/lesson.../Mental_Health (the ones for high school)

...and a variety of other health related topics

http://www.eduref.org/cgi-bin/lessons.cgi/Health

First Aid

http://www.homepage.montana.edu/~mtp...DoesItHurt.pdf

(And I want him to take CPR/First Aid courses, too....)

Tobacco Awareness Issues

http://www.media-awareness.ca/englis...nd_tobacco.cfm

http://www.pecentral.org/lessonideas...son.asp?ID=930

Parasites and Disease

http://www.nationalgeographic.com/xp...parasites.html

Sex Ed Topics (perhaps, haven't reviewed yet)

http://www.safehealthyschools.org/se...on/gateway.htm

http://www.pbs.org/inthemix/educators/lessons/sex1/

AIDS

http://www.discoveryeducation.com/te...os-at-risk.cfm

Sexual Harassment

http://www.discoveryeducation.com/te...harassment.cfm

Health Occupations

http://www.ncsu.edu/pbl/pbl_lessons/...gh_health.html

The Movie Supersize Me

http://www.freedocumentaries.org/film.php?id=98

Lesson Plans to go with that movie

http://www.lessonplanspage.com/PEODo...rSizeMe912.htm

http://www.pbs.org/newshour/extra/te...nutrition.html

Michael Pollan's books; the movie The Future of Food; the book Seeds of Deception

I haven't organized these into any meaningful order of usage yet.  I also want to look at a high school health curriculum entitled "Total Health" to see if I want to integrate it into my plans:

http://www.homeschoolfcgs.com/product_info.php/cPath/34/products_id/4557

Regena