What subjects are you studying next year?

[Supergirl9801]

I will have a 4th grader and 6th grader and I'm trying to incorporate some new subjects.  Up to this point, we've covered the basics (Bible, Math, Language Arts, History, Science).  We've dabbled in typing, but not hit any foreign languages or anything else.  Wondering what subjects others are covering next year for similar aged students.  Thanks.

[Jackie]

My kid is younger, but she's considering an online class either for Literature or Etymology, we've been doing Spanish, and we have a slot for different unit studies of her choice.

 

In case it is helpful, here is the 2016-17 fourth grade planning thread: http://forums.welltrainedmind.com/topic/585864-4th-grade-planning-thread/

 

And the sixth grade thread: http://forums.welltrainedmind.com/topic/585924-2016-2017-6th-grade-plan/

[Aurelia]

DD will be 7th-8thish, and aside from the standard stuff (math, grammar, writing), we're doing the history of science, spelling (DD is probably going to have to study this through high school), either French or ASL, art and possibly a group literature class. I'm trying to decide what to do for music, because she's currently in a choir, but isn't enjoying it very much. She wants to sing, just not with the group.  :glare:

 

For 4th-6th, some of the extras we had were Latin, Spanish, art, music theory, piano, guitar, typing, world geography (Mapping the World Through Art) and equine science.

Edited May 8, 2016 by Aurelia

[Mrs Twain]

Besides the basics (which we spend most of our time working on), I have included various other subjects from time to time:

 

Duolingo for foreign language

Geography (map workbooks or map drawing)

Civics

Typing

Word/PowerPoint instruction

Art

Test prep/editing practice

Logic

Memory work (CC, excerpts from famous speeches, poetry)

Oral presentations or speech club

State history and geography

Edited May 8, 2016 by Mrs Twain

[73349]

3rd grade - Besides ones you mentioned: art, Spanish, artists and composers, and we'll try some Shakespeare.

[happypamama]

My 6th grader will be studying:

Pre-algebra

Medieval History

Medieval Literature

Non-fiction composition (or whatever you want to call Writing With Skill 1)

Latin

Life Science

maybe another foreign language if he wants

a literature unit study on Lord of the Rings

Bible

 

Small subjects (not all of which are done every day

Logic

Spelling

Fire Safety (I'm in PA; it's required.)

PA History (also required)

History of painting and sculpture

World Geography, to include world, world monuments, and world music

 

[ondreeuh]

My rising 3rd grader will probably be enrolled in PS, so at this point I am paring down my grand plans to figure out what I can after-school. It will partially depend on how they cover the "basics" in his class.

 

Mornings:

Literature read-alouds - using Brave Writer Arrow units as they seem very light and easy

Spanish - using First Step Español and Next Step Español, supplemented with various things to keep it fun and interesting

Music - composer biographies (audiobooks/podcasts in the car), music theory to supplement to the school's music program

 

Afternoons:

Math - this could be heavy or light depending on how challenged he is in school. I have Math in Focus, Beast Academy, and lots of challenging supplements ready.

Science - using a textbook as a spine, supplemented with Kitchen Science Lab for Kids,  Tinker Crates, Brain Pop, They Might Be Giants videos :)

 

Bedtime:

World Cultures read-aloud

 

Weekend:

Art - Home Art Studio, How to Teach Art to Children, artist biographies, Doodle Crates

World Cultures & Geography - taking a "task card" approach, focusing on researching topics of interest and small writing projects

DIY.org - working on child-selected projects to earn badges

 

[momof4inco]

I have a 3rd, 5th, and 7th graders. Other than the basics you mentioned, they'll all be doing Spanish, typing, and geography (not every day on any of these). My super crafty 3rd will also be doing art once a week, and my 3rd and 5th will be doing cursive twice a week.

[MinivanMom]

In addition to the basics, my 4th graders also study French and art.

 

My 6th graders study:

English

Pre Algebra

Life Science

World History (year 2 of a 3-yr cycle using K12 Human Odyssey)

French

Latin

Logic & Rhetoric (at an introductory level using Art of Argument & Argument Builder)

 

My first 6th grader didn't do any other electives, because she already had so many extracurricular activities. My second 6th grader also wanted to do an Art elective.

[Ravin]

DD will be in 7th. She has some delays in math and is a little behind in writing.

 

We will be utilizing an enrichment program which will cover the arts (orchestra and possibly choir), and literature (with a Roald Dahl lit class). She will also be doing a leadership/mentoring skills program where older kids get to work with younger elementary students.

 

We will probably use some combination of Math on the Level, Ronit Bird ebooks, and Math Mammoth for math. If things go very very well, we may move into Jousting Armadillos before the year is out.

 

She will be doing physics for science, based on DH's college physics for nonmajors course lab book and kit. For social studies, I want to work on American history with her, with Zinn's Young People's History of the United States as the spine, but she wants to focus on geography, so that is yet to be determined.

 

We will also be using Connect the Thoughts Upper School Basics--aside from math this will actually be our main parent-driven focus next year. I want to work with her on her ability to think critically and evaluate the reliability of new information--part of learning how to learn, if you will.

[My3girls]

Dd9 is taking guitar in addition to the basics.  Next year she will be adding chorus.  My DD11 is adding art next year.  She wants to take Japanese, but I am having a hard time finding an age-appropriate, budget friendly resource for her.

[Miss Tick]

I will have two 6th graders and a 2nd grader.

 

We are adding in American History which we do once or twice a week as a light subject. It is a nice place to give emphasis to cultural background. The 2nd grade will be repeating what I did with the others the first time around. I'll have to spend more time balancing the olders' work load since we are breaking new ground there.

 

We are also adding German to our subjects for both grades. It is so rare to get spontaneous educational requests that I am going to make this work, by George! Although, I have zero background in this and am a bit nervous.

 

For typing, I had my kids work through Dance Mat Typing which is free from the BBC. After that introduction they are welcome to find online games to build up speed.

[BooksandBoys]

3rd grader and 3 year-old at home, K'er who will likely go to public.

We'll do lots of math because we always do lots of math, and, of course, language arts.

We'll go through the third volume of SOTW together, and flesh out the American history with read-alouds.

I'm hitting Spanish this year with an actual curriculum, instead of my cobbled together method.

Adding either art or piano lessons, depending on availability of instruction in our new town.

Adding martial arts.

Typing.

Extra Nature study and exploration to get to know the topography, flora, and fauna of of the Deep South.

[purduemeche]

I would suggest adding Latin and a writing program.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Holly]

I'll have 4th & 6th graders next year.  My plans for them include:

math

Latin

language arts: composition, literature, grammar, spelling

Bible

history/geography

science

art

piano

Extras as time allows: poetry, music, picture study, PE, science experiments, nature study, etc.

 

[luuknam]

4-H offered a small engines repair class this year (which we didn't do), and if they offer it again, my rising 4th grader may do it next year. He's mentioned he wants to do more technology stuff (and was mighty vague about what *exactly* he meant by that), so I'll need to look into stuff to do wrt that. We might do some Minecraft modding (i.e. programming) and woodworking. He's also got snap circuits that he hasn't done all the projects of, and he soldered something together at the mini maker faire at the science museum last Saturday, so when he finishes the snap circuits I guess he's ready to move on to soldering stuff (with close supervision).

 

Oh, and I also learned during the mini maker faire that the central library has a 3D printer that they'll teach you to use for free (takes about 45 minutes), and then using it costs 5 cents per gram, so that sounds pretty awesome (except getting to the library is a pain, with impossible parking).

 

Other than that, I'm not planning on any unusual/special subjects or w/e. We do Dutch, but that's because I'm Dutch - if I wasn't, we'd do another foreign language or something.

[HomeAgain]

I follow the 1+ rule.  Every year, change or add one subject.

 

This year our list was

*Geography

Language Arts

Math

Science

Critical Thinking

Art

Music

Spanish
 

Next year our list will stay the same length but include

*History

Language Arts

Math

Science

Critical Thinking

Art

Music

Spanish/Intro to Latin towards the end of the year

 

The following year Latin will get its own space in the line-up, so we'll keep on with what we have, but add that one more thing.  The following year we'll add typing, but drop daily copywork (doing it once a week), and by grade 5 p.e. will have a line in the schedule to make sure we're hitting it every day.