Halcyon Posted February 16, 2015 Share Posted February 16, 2015 I haven't seen a thread for this yet--please direct me to it if I am wrong and there's already one up. Please post your plans for your motivated 8th grade child. Here's what we are thinking: Math: Wilson Hill Algebra 2 Science: Clover Creek Physics History: American History--American Odyssey and primary documents-Mom Led Writing: G3 Creative Writing (first semester) and Attune Up (second semester) Literature: Lightning Lit 8-Mom Led Latin: Wheelocks Chapters 10-25-Mom Led He will continue to attend the project-based school 3 days, and will homeschool after school as well as Tuesdays, Thursdays and on Saturday mornings. At his project-based school, he works on vocab, test prep, reading, and longer-term projects like Rube Goldberg and bridge building. 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
.... Posted February 16, 2015 Share Posted February 16, 2015 I think I posted on the other thread, but I can't remember. My daughter has wandered into the realm of self-directed learning. I'm expecting her to do math daily (she's about a third of the way through Lial's Algebra 1), finish Easy Grammar Plus and keep a daily journal of her activities. I'm also going to start keeping records *as if* she's in high school - in case she wants to start taking some college classes early. We also started mapping out what makes a credit hour...what writing expectations might be for a credit hour...etc (we're really clueless). We're not aiming for an elite university here. We plan to do the 2 years community college + 2 years at the university route. Also, I'm not sticking to any kind of weekly schedule or anything like that. I'm letting her pick stuff out and we're just working on it until we get tired. In the last few weeks, she read Animal Farm, The Yearling, The Iliad. She's starting The Odyssey today. We're about halfway through The Cartoon Guide to Genetics. I just bought Holt Biology over the weekend (after hours of looking at 3 gazillion textbooks and reading reviews), started looking online at lab expectations and that will probably be the next thing we start on. We don't really know what we're doing...so take that in consideration when you read my post. I'm probably hopelessly destroying my kid's future. :tongue_smilie: 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Halcyon Posted February 16, 2015 Author Share Posted February 16, 2015 Just a heads up--the Audible dramatic version of Animal Farm is great fun, and appropriate for all ages. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Loesje22000 Posted February 16, 2015 Share Posted February 16, 2015 With one leg in grade 8, and another leg in grade 9/10 next year will probably look like this: Grade 8: German: Grammatik - Ganz Klar, Groses Ubungbuch Deutsch - Wortschatz, reading books in German Greek: hesitating between Stathmoi or Thalassa both Flemish Textbooks Latin: Phoenix French: Practical Grammar, Activites pour A2, A mots Contes, Lectures Thematique, BtB, SYRWTLF 3, reading books in French (exam) Introduction to Technical Education ( exam) Grade 9: math: AoPS Intro A, Statistics, Dutch: Www.lezenvoordelijst.nl , www.literatuurgeschiedenis.nl, reading books in Dutch science: BJU Physical Science icw IGCSE Chemistry History&Geography: BJU english: word wealth, TEE, WttW, Introduction to Poetry, reading books in English Other: History of Rock Music, MP Logic, Annotated Arch, Civics. Attending academy of fine arts, folkdance, in search of a piano teacher Faith of our Fathers: the Belgic Confession Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chrysalis Academy Posted February 16, 2015 Share Posted February 16, 2015 We're starting to loosely pull together our plans, too. I'm going to keep high school worthy records, although I have no intention at this point of graduating her early, but she will mostly likely start DE classes when she is 14 and ramp that up, so that doing DE in anything we don't want to do at home will be an option. Math- I really don't know where she'll be next year. We're taking a break from regularly scheduled Algebra 1 to do the edX/School yourself Algebra 1 & Geometry courses right now. I think we could finish Algebra 1 and Geometry during 8th grade, but I don't know that I want to do that (Geometry I mean). Then that puts pressure on to do advanced math in high school. Which would definitely have to be outsourced. So 8th grade could be all about depth & problem solving with Algebra skills. I don't know yet if the EdX course will be adequate for a Geometry credit by my standards (it's meant to be equivalent to a high school geometry class, but . . . ) So math is totally up in the air. English - We'll do writing as SWB suggests in her high school lectures - half-time rhetoric study, using Writing with a Thesis, and half time writing across the curriculum. We may do some screenwriting/creative writing study as well. We'll finish Movies as Lit and do other lit associated with . . . History/Great Books: Ancients. We plan to use the History of the Ancient World: A Global Perspective TC course, Ways of the World: A Brief Global History with Sources by Strayer, and a slew of Vandiver lectures along with Ancient great books: selections from Ovid and Hesiod, Iliad, Odyssey, Aneid, Oedipus, Julius Caesar & Anthony & Cleopatra Spanish - probably Spanish 1 with allinonehomeschool, some text/workbooks we already have, plus Duolingo, etc. Science - this is also up in the air, kind of. I think we'll do a Natural History year, which will incorporate ecology, evolution, history of biology, and getting to know our place - native plants, watershed science, stuff like that. Maybe a short course on Chemistry to help prepare for "official" biology in 9th. Metacognition/Study Skills: How to be a superstar student, Your Deceptive Mind, The Philosopher's Toolkit, Meaning From Data are all TC lectures, and read The Demon Haunted World. Other things may bubble up too. Extracurricular/Independent Studies: filmmaking, screen writing, creative writing, horseback riding, theater Clearly, I don't have it all figured out yet. But that's ok. I know where we'll start, mostly, and the rest will evolve as interest and inclination leads. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Halcyon Posted March 1, 2015 Author Share Posted March 1, 2015 bump Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fastforward Posted March 2, 2015 Share Posted March 2, 2015 My daughter will be coming out of private school after being there for 6th and 7th grade. She was homeschooled up until 6th. I feel she has stagnated in math because the school follows a specific math sequence and they don't generally deviate from it. On the flipside, I've been pleased with her language arts instruction, and especially happy with her Latin coursework. DD is a bright kid and I'm hoping that bringing her back home will prove to be a good decision for the entire family. :) Here's our basic plan, which is changing frequently: Language Arts: Vocabulary: Vocab. Cartoons SAT Word Power book Grammar: IEW Fix It! (Not sure which level to start, need to take a placement test) Writing: Considering WTM Academy Intro to Rhetoric, but still unsure Literature: Lightning Literature 8 with other books thrown in as we find them. Math: AOPS Intro to Algebra A (fall), AOPS Intro to Algebra B (spring) Science: 1st choice (hers) - Biology (currently looking at online class suggestions for this since she asked to go deeper into this subject) 2nd choice (my suggestion) - Coursera or MIT online self-paced Earth Science (or Astronomy) Language: Lukeion Latin I History: US History II (using Hakim series with Hewitt Homeschooling book), overview of SOTW Vol. 4 with Activity Book Current Events: Science Friday, TED Ed videos For Phys. Ed, we're hoping to find a swim team that isn't all superstar, gifted swimmers. She recently finished her first year of being on a swim team and it was so good for her confidence, even though she wasn't the fastest by any stretch. :) I feel I'm missing something.... 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peaceful Isle Posted March 2, 2015 Share Posted March 2, 2015 Well, my kid is average ,so she is kinda in the middle. I guess I will post her plans here :) Math u see pre algebra BJU writing and grammar 8 BJU Excursions in literature EIW 8 SOTW 4 with activity book and extra readers AIG science SWO H 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Halcyon Posted April 28, 2015 Author Share Posted April 28, 2015 bump Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
happyhomemaker Posted April 28, 2015 Share Posted April 28, 2015 Halcyon, what is BtB Spanish? My rising eighth grader wants to start Spanish next year, and I'm not sure what program to do. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TarynB Posted April 28, 2015 Share Posted April 28, 2015 Halcyon, what is BtB Spanish? My rising eighth grader wants to start Spanish next year, and I'm not sure what program to do. I'm not Halcyon, but it is Breaking the Barrier Spanish. http://www.tobreak.com/ It's also available as an iBook on iTunes if you want an electronic version. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chrysalis Academy Posted April 28, 2015 Share Posted April 28, 2015 We're starting to loosely pull together our plans, too. I'm going to keep high school worthy records, although I have no intention at this point of graduating her early, but she will mostly likely start DE classes when she is 14 and ramp that up, so that doing DE in anything we don't want to do at home will be an option. Math- I really don't know where she'll be next year. We're taking a break from regularly scheduled Algebra 1 to do the edX/School yourself Algebra 1 & Geometry courses right now. I think we could finish Algebra 1 and Geometry during 8th grade, but I don't know that I want to do that (Geometry I mean). Then that puts pressure on to do advanced math in high school. Which would definitely have to be outsourced. So 8th grade could be all about depth & problem solving with Algebra skills. I don't know yet if the EdX course will be adequate for a Geometry credit by my standards (it's meant to be equivalent to a high school geometry class, but . . . ) So math is totally up in the air. School Yourself's classes were *awesome*. We'll spend 8th grade shoring up Algebra 1 & Geometry. Probably we will need to start outsourcing Math in 9th grade. English - We'll do writing as SWB suggests in her high school lectures - half-time rhetoric study, using Writing with a Thesis, and half time writing across the curriculum. We may do some screenwriting/creative writing study as well. We'll finish Movies as Lit and do other lit associated with . . . I have way too much lit planned, of course. So we may just do a couple of movies. I'm trying to make lit very interest-led, and a lot of that is driven by plays or theatrical productions we have the chance to see live. Emma and 12th Night are playing this summer, so we'll read those - for example. She's on a fantasy series kick right now, but that could change. History/Great Books: Ancients. We plan to use the History of the Ancient World: A Global Perspective TC course, Ways of the World: A Brief Global History with Sources by Strayer, and a slew of Vandiver lectures along with Ancient great books: selections from Ovid and Hesiod, Iliad, Odyssey, Aneid, Oedipus, Julius Caesar & Anthony & Cleopatra, I keep finding new cool stuff to add to this, too. We decided to do the National Mythology Exam next year. Spanish - probably Spanish 1 with allinonehomeschool, some text/workbooks we already have, plus Duolingo, etc. Just keep plugging along - goal is to master Spanish 1 material so that can be an early DE class. Science - this is also up in the air, kind of. I think we'll do a Natural History year, which will incorporate ecology, evolution, history of biology, and getting to know our place - native plants, watershed science, stuff like that. Maybe a short course on Chemistry to help prepare for "official" biology in 9th. Probably focus on Natural HIstory, Botany, and the other non-molecular aspects of Biology in 8th, and then do the molecular/cellular stuff in 9th. With chemistry threaded through there. This is another subject I keep finding new resources for, so my plans keep expanding. Metacognition/Study Skills: How to be a superstar student, Your Deceptive Mind, The Philosopher's Toolkit, Meaning From Data are all TC lectures, and read The Demon Haunted World. Other things may bubble up too. Extracurricular/Independent Studies: filmmaking, screen writing, creative writing, horseback riding, theater Clearly, I don't have it all figured out yet. But that's ok. I know where we'll start, mostly, and the rest will evolve as interest and inclination leads. Hm, I don't feel like my plans are much firmer than they were . . . we're still basically doing what I described above, even though I've changed the specifics multiple times. Ah, the benefit of having vague plans! You can change them repeatedly without seeming wishy-washy. :lol: 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
amsunshine Posted April 28, 2015 Share Posted April 28, 2015 Here's pretty much what I posted on the other thread: L.A.: K12 Literary Analysis and Composition with Teacher/Student Guides finish Hake 8 Grammar Scripps Spelling Bee spelling lists and vocabulary (30,000+ words) Maths: Saxon Algebra II with Geometry (We will test through a lot of this as she knows most of the material already...just want to cover some of the topics not previously covered); then some unknown portion of Saxon Advanced Maths History: K12 Human Odyssey, volume 2 with Teacher/Student Guides; will also add in TC dvds here and there. Science: Physical Science: Concepts and Connections with Dive CDs & QSL MicroPhySci Foreign Language: Spanish with charter school + something else (Athena conversational Spanish, maybe? Middlebury, maybe?) Not sure if she will continue French as well. Computer Science: Java Android Programming Amplify AP Computer Science P.E.: Ballet (eta: some changes to science) 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
amsunshine Posted April 28, 2015 Share Posted April 28, 2015 I haven't seen a thread for this yet--please direct me to it if I am wrong and there's already one up. Please post your plans for your motivated 8th grade child. Here's what we are thinking: Math: Wilson Hill Algebra 2 Science: Clover Creek Physics Spanish: BtB continue, or an online course History: American History--American Odyssey and primary documents Writing: Attuneup Literature: assortment TBD. He will continue to attend the project-based school 3 days, and will homeschool after school as well as Tuesdays, Thursdays and on Saturday mornings. At his project-based school, he works on vocab, test prep, reading, and longer-term projects like Rube Goldberg and bridge building. Halcyon: My dds just started a phase with attuneup and it's too early for me to tell what I think of it. I like it so far for them -- Amy seems very on the ball. Which course will your son take next year and do you think it is rigorous enough for 8th grade? Thx. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Halcyon Posted April 29, 2015 Author Share Posted April 29, 2015 Halcyon, what is BtB Spanish? My rising eighth grader wants to start Spanish next year, and I'm not sure what program to do. Breaking the Barrier--it's really good, but we havent been very consistent with it this year..... 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Halcyon Posted April 29, 2015 Author Share Posted April 29, 2015 Halcyon: My dds just started a phase with attuneup and it's too early for me to tell what I think of it. I like it so far for them -- Amy seems very on the ball. Which course will your son take next year and do you think it is rigorous enough for 8th grade? Thx. My son is using it now and my thinking is that he will continue in 8th; Amy will know his style and level and push him accordingly (or that's my assumption). His writing, and his independence in writing, has really grown over the last 2 phases, so we will continue until i feel the course has reached the limit of its usefulness for him. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
My3girls Posted April 29, 2015 Share Posted April 29, 2015 I don't know how "motivated" my soon to be 8th grader is but here are our basic plans. lol Math: finish AOPS Pre-A and start AOPS Intro to Alg. She has asked for the next LoF books, too. L.A.: WWS2, Killgallon Paragraphs, Vocab, AG Review books Lit: WtW/TTC combo or EiL (I had originally thought EiL, but I am second guessing myself) Science: Physical Science ( we're looking at a coop at her request, but if not, we'll probably use GAVS) History: The Medieval World series and supplemental reading Foreign Lang: German (GAVS) PE: Cross Country/Dancing Grits/Archery Music: Concert Band (flute) 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Loesje22000 Posted April 29, 2015 Share Posted April 29, 2015 With one leg in grade 8, and another leg in grade 9/10 next year will probably look like this: Grade 8: German: Grammatik - Ganz Klar, Groses Ubungbuch Deutsch - Wortschatz, reading books in German Greek: hesitating between Stathmoi or Thalassa both Flemish Textbooks Latin: Phoenix French: Practical Grammar, Activites pour A2, A mots Contes, Lectures Thematique, BtB, SYRWTLF 3, reading books in French (exam) Introduction to Technical Education ( exam) Grade 9: math: AoPS Intro A, Statistics, Dutch: Www.lezenvoordelijst.nl , www.literatuurgeschiedenis.nl, reading books in Dutch science: BJU Physical Science icw IGCSE Chemistry (exam) History&Geography: BJU english: word wealth, TEE, WttW, Introduction to Poetry, reading books in English Other: History of Rock Music, MP Logic, Annotated Arch, Civics. Attending academy of fine arts, folkdance, in search of a piano teacher Faith of our Fathers: the Belgic Confession We will change history and geography from BJU for SCM Middle Age, Ren.&Ref. A little bit more relaxed.on that point next year. I'm not conviced dd will pas her math exam in june. If not we will have to return to flemish math texts. I'm working on the readinglists for Dutch now, and it is not that easy... 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ondreeuh Posted April 29, 2015 Share Posted April 29, 2015 My son is motivated but not accelerated. He works his butt off, so I am posting our plans for 8th here. History: Bookshark 8 history (History of US). Literature: Moving Beyond the Page 12-14. I have a used guide for K12's lit & comp to review in case there's anything I need to add, but I think MBtP will be enough. LA supplements: Exercises in English grammar, Essentials in Writing 8, still doing spelling, word roots Science: Holt Science and Technology physical science Math: Holt Course 3 (2007) Tech: Youth Digital's Game Design Culinary Arts? Or an elective of his choice. (He will read K12 Human Odyssey 3 (Modern), complete a British Poetry unit, complete an outlining workbook, and probably do Jousting Armadillos over the summer) 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Melissa B Posted May 1, 2015 Share Posted May 1, 2015 Hi Halcyon, I tried to PM you, but it wouldn't go through. Could I get a link to the website of the project-based school your children attend? You can PM me if you'd prefer. Thank you! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LisaKinVA Posted May 1, 2015 Share Posted May 1, 2015 My PonyGirl will be in 8th grade next year...I've already listed what she's doing in general in my siggy (reflection of my desire to be FINISHED with this year!) Bible: Explorer's Bible Study English: MCT Magic Lens/Word within the Word, WWS3, Killgallon Literature: World Literature 2 (not listing every book...but a variety covering time periods from Renaissance to Modern Times) History: World History 2 (2nd half of The Human Odyssey vol. 2 and all of vol.3), various lectures, and more books...because...she reads a LOT. Math: She's already completed a "regular" course in Geometry and Algebra 2, so we're going back to AoPS for a bit more depth. She'll be doing Introductory Algebra, Geometry, and probably beginning Intermediate Algebra (I expect that Introductory Algebra and Geometry will be fairly easy at this point, but want to get back to AoPS without too much of a shock...I wouldn't be surprised if she finished Intro Algebra/Geometry before September). Main texts will be Number Theory and Counting and Probability. That's all I can justify planning...but if history is any indication, I may need to get the Intermediate book, too. My goal is to hold off on pre-calculus until 9th. Science: Advanced Chemistry -- we're following the course by Homeschool Connections. The current plan is to attempt the Chemistry AP next year. Since she's already completed Algebra 2 (once), the math shouldn't be an issue. She'll be taking this with her older brother (to save me time/engergy). If she struggles through it, so much the better. I'd like her to have to study for once :p And, if it doesn't go well enough for her to take the AP, well...she can re-take it in high school later. German: We're following the course outline from MIT, and doing it as paced. She is working with a native-German speaking tutor. We are hoping to be prepared for the German AP exam by the end of 9th grade. Italian: Duolingo, maybe Rosetta Stone (kinda money dependent...hoping I can pick up a copy from someone leaving early, we are surrounded with native speakers, but her focus is really German right now). She'll continue doing art on her own, plus whatever other stuff she's interested in...she swims competitively, and is usually in 2-3 plays a year. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Halcyon Posted May 2, 2015 Author Share Posted May 2, 2015 Hi Halcyon, I tried to PM you, but it wouldn't go through. Could I get a link to the website of the project-based school your children attend? You can PM me if you'd prefer. Thank you! Their website is pretty minimal. http://www.globalprospectiveschool.com/ 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
happycc Posted May 2, 2015 Share Posted May 2, 2015 Math: MIF Course C and AOPS Prealgebra over the summer before MIF Course C (can't tell which one is harder or easier) Science: Science Fusion and Derek Owens Physical Science and maybe Supercharged Science with their science experiment tutor ASL: hanging out with the deaf community, Koda camps, deaf mentors for their little brother who uses ASL, we were doing Chinese and Spanish but that has stopped since youngest brother needs ASL. History: UGH, I have no idea, We have not gone further in Story of the World since Time Capsule, but they really do cover a lot of history in their Attuneup classes. Need ideas for this one Writing: Attuneup, trying to see if Amy will work with my girls using Excellence in Literature next year. Like correcting their papers or something like that. Literature: Excellence in Literature Grammar: Analytical Grammar Typing/Handwriting: Continuing on with both. PE: Adventures in Fitness and gymnastics Music: Piano for one, guitar for the other, Garage Band Academy For fun over the summer prior to 8th-Homeschool MineCraft (which ones should they do?) I have found two different ones thus far. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
quark Posted May 2, 2015 Share Posted May 2, 2015 . 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
amsunshine Posted May 2, 2015 Share Posted May 2, 2015 quark: What will you use for writing lessons with your ds? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
quark Posted May 2, 2015 Share Posted May 2, 2015 quark: What will you use for writing lessons with your ds? I'm still trying to decide between making it literature-based and/ or history-based (integrated writing) vs. just direct writing instruction. The challenge is that grade-level writing resources don't work for him and I need something more advanced, although he isn't as advanced in persuasive writing. I have a collection of resources to borrow ideas from: 1. They Say I Say 2. Langan's College Writing Skills (this is more of a community college writing text than a 4-year college writing text) 3. The Norton Sampler 4. I have some old Scott Foresman literature textbooks from the 80s/90s and might use these anthologies and accompanying discussion questions. 5. He enjoys reading and working with Mastering the Craft of Writing by Stephen Wilbers on his own so he will continue that. 6. He has already read Strunk and White...but might have him read it again and again as SWB suggests. 7. ETA: I am also looking into a few irreverent books (a little irreverent towards Strunk and White I mean) for variety! :) 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Halcyon Posted May 15, 2015 Author Share Posted May 15, 2015 bump Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chrysalis Academy Posted May 16, 2015 Share Posted May 16, 2015 Well, we made a decision about science: since Big History (with lots of added science content) went so well in 7th, she wants to do Big Science in 8th. We're going to do the TC Joy of Science course as a spine, and read Science Matters, with the goal of getting a broad overview/background in all the topics of science and how they fit together. We'll go in depth into selected topics and read some good trade/living books on interesting subjects. A few things pre-planned, but lots of time and space for spontaneous rabbit trails. I think we'll do the Open2Study 4 week intro chemistry class online, and probably Carbon Chemistry & The Cell from McHenry. Books we want to read for sure are Exploring the Way Life Works and Letters to a Young Scientist. I think this will be good. It's 8th grade, so we feel free being interest led, and building background that will help with high school science. We can use this course to work on our 8th grade learning goals - note taking from lectures, note taking from texts, writing answers to essay questions, and test-taking, I can write tests. The focus can be on learning to learn in science, rather than mastering a specific body of content. ETA: We're still doing Natural History, focusing on that this spring and summer and in a more relaxed way next year. I just can't have that be "it" because it's soooo much work for me to pull off. We'll hit it seasonally throughout the year, and keep up with it in our read-alouds too. 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chrysalis Academy Posted May 19, 2015 Share Posted May 19, 2015 Ack, so now we decided that we're going to push Ancients back a year and focus on a robust History of Science for 8th grade. So now I'm busy planning that and running around like this :willy_nilly: I knew planning was going way too smoothly . . . ;) 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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