What are you plans for 8th grade?

[sherriscott05]

I have an 8th grader and I like to see what other are doing this year.  What are your plans (curriculum choices) for the 2016-2017 year for each subject?  

[jjeepa]

Here's a big thread about just that.

 

http://forums.welltrainedmind.com/topic/585969-2016-2017-8th-grade-planning/

[2_girls_mommy]

I don't have an 8th grader this year, but I had one last year, and I will have one next year. So I can tell you what my 8th grader did last year:

 

She finished up Rod and Staff 8th grade math, and dipped her feet into Lial's Algebra. She didn't like it much, so we went very slowly, and are finishing it this year much better.

 

Fourth Form Latin/Henle I. She received her first high school credit for that, Latin I.

 

Apologia Biology w/Lab at co-op. She tested there and did work at home. Got her second high school credit for that.  She has always worked ahead in science with this same group since she was little.

 

A lot of History. We covered American History in depth w/a bit of World History at home. She took a co-op class of state history, and did assignments and classes and projects and field trips for that all year too. We used a huge variety of stuff for this: Kingfisher Encyclopedia, a Jackdaws portfolio, SOTW4, and lots of library books.

 

She took a speech class at co-op that dabbled in debate and required a lot of writing in general.  She mastered the 5 paragraph Essay.

 

She took art at co-op and worked on drawing skills along with various other things we did at home.

 

She did some Rod and Staff grade 7 English, Some R&S grade 8 spelling, and a bit of WWSI when there was time between her other classes.

 

**** Didn't put literature: We did a Memoria Press lit guide for Shakespeare, As You Like It together. Then on her own she read: Johnny Tremain, Narration of Frederick Douglass, some of Don Quixote, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn on audiobook, To Kill a Mockingbird, Diary of Anne Frank, and we read The Hiding Place as a readaloud. For each of these there was discussion, vocabulary to look up as she read, and a written summary at the end. And she read a lot of Young Adult Fiction on her own, with no work required.

Edited August 29, 2016 by 2_girls_mommy

[Anchor Kari]

My 8th grader will be doing:

 

Math: Teaching Textbooks Pre- Algebra and Khan academy randomly

 

Writing: writing with skill level 1

Abeka grammar and Composition 7

Abeka spelling 8

 

Lit: I've compiled my own book list and found study guides to go along with them. A few choices are The Giver, Tom Sawyer, Call of the Wild

 

History: Notgrass America the Beautiful, which will also be used with my 5th grader

 

Science: Sonlight, (I can't think of the name of he core) it's the one with anatomy, medicine. This will also be combined with the 5th grader

 

Keyboarding is yet to be determined still looking for a program!

[mschickie]

Here is what my 8th grader is doing:

 

Science: Apologia Physical Science

 

Math: Saxon Advanced Mathematics

 

History:  BJU American Republic, Maps Charts and Graphs by MCP

 

Literature: 4 lit guides (Midsummer's Night Dream, Tom Sawyer, Little Women and The Chosen) plus about 15-20 books to read

 

Writing: IEW The Elegant Essay and then part of their research paper book

 

Vocabulary: Jensen's Vocabulary

 

Grammar: Sections from Easy Grammar 9 and Editor in Cheif

 

Logic: The Discovery of Deduction

 

Bible : Explorer's Bible Study God's Perfect Plan

 

French:  Breaking the Barrier French 1

 

 

[....]

Mine is doing Ambleside Online's Year 7 with the 9th grader.  But, we aren't using a CM schedule.  We tried for about a month and it became overwhelming.  I split the subjects into blocks to make it more manageable.  I also added to the science.

 

For math, he is doing Saxon 8/7.  Everything else is AO.

[...................]

Apologia Biology

Horizons Alg 1

English outsourced locally if they offer it

History outsourced locally or MFW 9th grade history

Duolingo Spanish

 

I have a feeling online classes will be not only frustrating but Unmotivating for this child so I plan to find as much locally as I can :) and teach the rest myself :)

[SemiSweet]

My 8th grader is doing

 

Math: Saxon Algebra 1 through Well Trained Mind Academy

 

Social studies: Geography through Well Trained Mind Academy

Joy Hakims Story of US with lots of field trips

 

Science: Holt Earth Science

 

Language Arts: Writing- Cover Story

Grammar- Hake

Figuratively Speaking

 

Literature: Informal -reading books of his choice from a list I made

 

Foreign language: Japanese using materials from dh's work friends and the library

 

PE: YMCA football

Couch to 5k

Edited August 31, 2016 by SemiSweet

[Saddlemomma]

We just started our 8^th Grade year on August 22^nd.  Here is what we are doing: (I apologize in advance for the length).

 

Bible:  In-depth study of Jesus Christ

·         Jesus in the OT

Ø  Beginning at Moses

Ø  Jesus & The OT: 4-pt Lecture series by Dr. Michael S. Heiser  (We all love this guy’s knowledge!)

·         Jesus in the NT

Ø  Jesus the Messiah (we’ll read excerpts)

Ø  Jesus & The Gospels (we’ll read excerpts)

Ø  Introducing the New Testament

Ø  What Did Jesus Really Teach

Ø  Various articles & lectures re: historicity (including source docs), contradictions, myths about Jesus

 

Math:  Algebra 1 using CLE

 

History/Geography:  History of the Celts & Druids w/Geography corresponding to our studies (this was DD’s choice for History) Geography will focus on Europe.

·         Reference books: (Not sure we’ll use them all, but I have them on hand)

Ø  The World of the Celts

Ø  Symbols of the Celts

Ø  Druids: A History

Ø  Blood of the Celts (Will definitely use this one. DD is fascinated by DNA/Genes/Heredity)

Ø  Myths & Legends of the Celtic Race

Ø  The Religion of the Ancient Celts

·         Lectures:

Ø  From GCP, The Other Side of History – L#35: Being a Celt in Ancient Briton

Ø  From GCP, Great Mythologies of the World – L#10: Dagda’s Harp & Other Celtic Myths

Ø  From GCP, King Arthur History & Legend – L#16: Tristen & Isolde

·         Documentaries:

Ø  The Celts; BBC 6-Pt. Series on YT

 

Science:   Integrated Science.  This will be a 2-YR course culminating in 1 CR for 9^th grade science.

·         Spine: GCP The Joy of Science w/corresponding text, Sciences: An Integrated Approach

·         Supplemental Reading:

Ø  Science Matters: Achieving Scientific Literacy

Ø  Why The Universe Is the Way It Is

Ø  Impact Events Series Devotionals by RTB

·         Extras:

Ø  Appropriate YT Home Experiments using household items

Ø  Appropriate YT documentaries about key concepts

 

Literature:  This year we will be reading The Hobbit & Lord of the Rings series.  DD will learn annotating this year through LA and practice with these books.

·         Main Resources

Ø  The Annotated Hobbit

Ø  The Hobbit

Ø  LOTR Triliogy

·         Lit Analysis Resources:

Ø  Bilbo's Journey: Discovering the Hidden Meaning in The Hobbit (Primary)

Ø  Frodo's Journey: Discover the Hidden Meaning of The Lord of the Rings (Primary)

Ø  The Gospel According to Tolkien: Visions of the Kingdom in Middle-earth (Primary)

Ø  The Lord of the Rings: A Reader's Companion (Primary)

Ø  Hobbits, You, and the Spiritual World of Middle-Earth (Christian Devotions Ministries)

Ø  The Real Middle-Earth - Discovering the Origin of The Lord of the Rings

Ø  Moments of Grace and Spiritual Warfare in The Lord of the Rings

·         Supplemental Resources:

Ø  Watch all the movies & compare/contrast

Ø  LOTR & Hobbit Series through Mythgard Institute or

Ø  The Hobbit & Themes in LOTR series with Ryan Reeves of Gordon Conwell Theological Seminary on YT

 

Language Arts:

·         Main Resources

Ø  Writing – Adventures in Fantasy (to go along with the fantasy theme of LOTR) & Paragraphs for Middle School, Killgallon

§  Create her fantasy map in Minecraft

Ø  Grammar/Spelling – dictation, Fix It Grammar, & The Only Grammar Book You’ll Ever Need

Ø  Focus on Annotating using YT teaching videos & practice through Lit/Science/History

 

Philosophy (we alternate Logic & Philosophy. This class will begin with our 2^nd Semester or when we start the Lord of the Rings Series.)

·         Main Resources

Ø  The Philosophy of Tolkien

Ø  Appropriate Apologetics YT Videos by Craig/Koukl/Turek for each concept

Ø  Philosophical Foundations for a Christian Worldview (excerpts)

 

Spanish (Homemade curriculum as I’ve had 5 yrs. & still retain enough for first year HS-level)

·         Main Resources

Ø  GCP-Learning Spanish: How To Understand & Speak a New Language

Ø  Easy Spanish Step-By-Step

Ø  Madrigal’s Magic Key to Spanish

Ø  Easy Spanish Reader

·         Supplemental Online Resources:

Ø  Duolingo

Ø  Destinos

 

ELECTIVES: (In addition to below, read one work each of Shakespeare and Poe as time permits)

 

Computer Programming: DD wanted something specifically using Minecraft but not Raspberry Pi, so we’ll see how it goes.  If it bombs, we’ll try Scratch.

·         Main Resource

Ø  Minecraft Modding For Kids For Dummies

 

Evolution: This is a course I feel strongly should be taught, however we will address it as a respectable compare/contrast class – secular vs. ID. (based upon an OEC view)

·         Main Resources:

Ø  GCP:  Joy of Science – Lecture #s 32; 54-57

Ø  GCP: Major Transitions in Evolution

Ø  Discovering ID

§  Online DiscoveryU companion site

·         Supplemental Reading:

Ø  On the Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection (to be annotated)

Ø  Darwin’s Doubt (selected chapters)

Ø  Copious refutation articles from Evolution News & Views and RTB to compare/contrast

·         Supplemental Multimedia Resources:

Ø  Through the Lens , RTB

Ø  Darwin’s Dilemma (Amazon)

Various other YT videos dealing with Evolution matching topics we will discuss