This year has been an interesting balance of sixth grade with outside classes in math and science and an outdoor program and sixth grade inside the home. On one hand, it’s amazing to have opportunities in our area – so grateful! And on the other hand, it is hard to really get things done as we have no consecutive school days. I work outside the home on the days our sixth grader is in class, so it is what it is and I decided to find a way to make it work by limiting the amount of material we are covering at home and making it manageable. Deeper depth is always going to be better than a mile wide and an inch deep!

So, for November, this is where we are with outside classes:

1. Outside math is working through Saxon Math 7/6 with a teacher who is a retired engineer. I don’t mind the daily practice that comes with this class. At home we are also working our way through geometric constructions that I have done with our other children when they were in sixth grade.
2. Outside science has done some middle school chemistry and they are beginning physics with an emphasis on mechanics. At home, we have done Earth Science using Christopherus Earth Science and some other resources. I have a few more plans for the year in science (see below), but I am not wedded to doing all of it. Energizing, not depleting is the goal for this year.
3. The Outdoor program is covering all kinds of building, engineering ,and survival skills, and also working their way through Ancient History, which we did last year in fifth grade. That’s fine by me!

Plans for this month at home:

We began Greek History with a look through Live Education’s booklet, which has been fun, and doing the geometry mentioned above. We will be moving into the History of Rome, one of my favorite blocks, before Thanksgiving.

Math practice – I do pull out a combination of workbooks and such to practice concepts and keep reviewing for practice as we do have standardized testing at the end of this school year.

Handwriting – we are working on cursive.

Language Arts – we write in all subjects and as we do our main lesson books, but we are doing separate work in spelling with All About Spelling.

Our Episcopalian Corner – I have been using some of the free lesson plans here: https://vts.edu/lifelong-learning/younger-youth

Our loose plans for the rest of the year at home includes:

Roman History and then Christmas break

January – Medieval History and more Geometry

February – Business Math

March and April – Medieval Africa and African Heroes, African Geography

May – Zoology or Botany

Other possibilities include music lessons since our youth choir isn’t singing right now at church due to Covid, and to keep pushing physical movement (which is also done at the outdoor program). We have 4H, church youth group, and horseback riding which is plenty to do on top of farm life. ❤

Where are you in your homeschooling year?
Blessings,
Carrie