As I did for 9th grade, I have taken the AmblesideOnline Year 6 plans as a starting point and made changes as I saw fit. Mr. D is an “old” 6th grader – he turns 12 in October – but I don’t want to push him into a higher grade even though he might technically be able to do it. He needs the time to grow and mature and be ready to tackle the more difficult subjects that will come up in Years 7 and following. I’m hoping it will be a good transition year for him.
Bible: He’ll continue to read and narrate through the Bible, usually a chapter a day (he’s currently in Isaiah).
History and Biographies: He will do AO’s Year 6 history schedule as is: one term of modern history and two of ancient history. He’ll read the scheduled Churchill bio in Term 1, but for Term 2 I am substituting The Pharaohs of Ancient Egypt by Elizabeth Payne, which I found quite fascinating when I read it a few years ago (I wanted to be an archeologist when I was a girl 🙂 ). He’ll probably have time in that term to read Diane Stanley’s Cleopatra as well. I haven’t decided on a book for Term 3. Ambleside suggests a book from the list of “Free Reads”, but I am open to ideas for ancient history biographies appropriate for 6th graders. 🙂
Geography: I’ve decided we’ll read the suggested Livingstone bio during Morning Time. Instead, he’ll listen to God’s Smuggler in Term 1, which is a must-read in my opinion (Miss A says it’s her favorite book ever) – and it’s on the Year 6 free read list. I’m also planning to do A Child’s Geography: Explore the Classical World during MT in Terms 2 & 3, which will be especially relevant to his history studies, but something I think we’ll all enjoy. I don’t think I’ll schedule any other geography books those terms because he’s going to have two hefty Literature selections going.
Science: I’m dropping The Sea Around Us from the schedule (I haven’t found the children’s edition at a good price anyway) and possibly stretching out School of the Woods over the entire year. He started doing Simple Machines with Fantastic Physics from Wildflowers and Marbles, which schedules The New Way Things Work, among others, and will continue with that. And he’s on a First Lego League team again this year. Our scientist/inventor biography choices are:
- Term 1: The Wright Brothers by David McCullough (recommended by my friend Dawn 🙂 )
- Term 2: Archimedes and the Door of Science by Jeanne Bendick
- Term 3: Galen and the Gateway to Medicine by Jeanne Bendick
Writing: He will continue to do a written narration about four times a week. He’s also currently working through Writing & Rhetoric Book 3: Narrative II, and then will start Book 4: Chreia & Proverb.
Math: When he finishes Teaching Textbooks Math 6 he’ll go on to Math 7.
Foreign Language: He will do Duolingo for French and Visual Latin.
Literature: He’ll finish Bulfinch’s Age of Fable this year, although I’ve scheduled it differently than AmblesideOnline. I’ve also switched Animal Farm to Term 1 and may squeeze another Lit selection in there as it’s pretty short (he’s already listened to The Hobbit at least twice). He’ll be reading both Ben Hur and Homer’s Iliad during the next two terms. I’ll be using The Space Between: A Guide to Homer’s Iliad from the Circe Institute to discuss it with him and Miss A. I haven’t done something like this before, so we’ll see how it goes!
Fine Arts: He will continue taking piano lessons, and hopefully attend Art with Friends classes in the fall – things are still a bit up in the air with that.
Physical Education: He’ll continue to learn parkour skills at the Jungle Gym.
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