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Paula in MN
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| Posted: June 21 2010 at 3:55pm | IP Logged
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I'm second-guessing my plans for dd11, who will be "in" 6th grade this fall.
I've come up with a plan of the general person, place, or thing to be studied each month. I've broken that down into subject areas, and have chosen books to read, notebook pages or lapbooks to create, and timeline & map ideas. I've identified several Saint books for each month, along with some Science books. I borrowed some ideas from Elizabeth's reading lists, and tweaked as I went along.
I'm going to post my September plans here for you:
September - Shakespeare (16th century)
::Reading - William Shakespeare & the Globe; The Bard of Avon; All the World's a Stage
::Literature - Romeo & Juliet (also watch vhs movie)
::Writing - report on each book listed above.
::Poetry - read poems silently and out loud. Read about poet. Choose favorite stanza or poem for cursive copywork. Written report of Poet at end of month for notebook. (decide on Poet)
::Artist/Picture Study - look at pictures throughout month. Read about artist. Written narration at end of month on artist or favorite work and why. (decide on artist)
::History,Geography - mapping, add information to timeline, notebook pages.
::Holy Land (Voskamp) - this month is Egypt.
::Saints - read St. Francis of the Seven Seas; St. Philip of the Joyous Heart. Written report of each book added to notebook, with illustration and cursive copywork of quote.
::Bosco group - St. Padre Pio and Ember Days.
::Science - Eureka!; Aristotle, Galileo, Newton -- read about these individuals. Notebook work - narration, define scientific terms, label a diagram, etc.
::Math - TT7
::Logic - 3 pages weekly
::English from the Roots Up - 5 cards weekly.
Does this make any sense to you? Do I have too much or not enough? Is it all wrong?
I can't help it - I'm looking at everyone's plans and I'm feeling like I'm missing something. I want to be Mrs. Mac when I grow up and have beautiful plans, and I can't figure out how to do it!!
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 Paula
A Catholic Harvest
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Elena
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It looks very thorough and well thought out. I guess the only thing I might add if your daughter is so inclined (and she might not be) is more hands on stuff art or perhaps cooking or sewing etc. And does she do anything for physical education? Other than that I think it sounds fine.
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Elena
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Paula in MN
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| Posted: June 21 2010 at 6:10pm | IP Logged
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Elena wrote:
| I guess the only thing I might add if your daughter is so inclined (and she might not be) is more hands on stuff art or perhaps cooking or sewing etc. |
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Oh, she is very interested in painting and sketching, cooking and sewing. I didn't add any of that to the overall plan because she does something every day!
Elena wrote:
| And does she do anything for physical education? |
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She is pretty active. Currently she is in softball and she works at our neighbor's dairy farm every morning, and sometimes afternoons! This fall she wants to continue in dance and karate.
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Paula
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Elena
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| Posted: June 21 2010 at 6:15pm | IP Logged
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If she keeps all that up into high school you are going to have very interesting high school transcripts! Good job!! 
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Elena
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Mackfam
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| Posted: June 21 2010 at 9:15pm | IP Logged
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 Paula! You know what's great? You can come up with a good outline of plans (which it looks like you've got), live it a bit, and then make adjustments as needed! I do this with my plans every.single.year!! I always find areas I need to make adjustments. Even pretty plans need to be livable.
I don't really start feeling that my plans will mesh, fit, and that I've got a pretty good balance between *enough challenging* and *enough time for some exploration/masterly inactivity* until...I can build a weekly plan from my booklists and outlines. When I can see a week's worth of work expectations on paper, and consider my child's abilities next to what their day will be like, then I start getting a pretty good idea as to whether or not something will be doable.
So...looking at what you've got going, it looks great! 
Maybe we could brainstorm a bit, Paula, to see if we can pinpoint where you feel like it's not really gelling. It sounds like you have some themes...Egypt, Shakespeare and 16th century in September. Do you have a theme for each month...or do those continue for the entire year?
I like how you've considered the theme for the month, and then you draw from that reading for your copywork and some of your other subjects like writing - so you're integrating and there are cross-connections between subject matter.
Paula wrote:
| I can't help it - I'm looking at everyone's plans and I'm feeling like I'm missing something. |
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So what feels missing? Could it be that you've got a great outline going, you just haven't yet formatted them into something more detailed? Something else?? Let's brainstorm! What's missing for you?
Do you want to talk more planning/formatting??
Or would it be more helpful to talk content/books??
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Jen Mackintosh
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Mackfam
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| Posted: June 21 2010 at 9:23pm | IP Logged
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Mackfam wrote:
| Do you have a theme for each month...or do those continue for the entire year? |
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Oops! Sorry for not reading closely!!!
Paula in MN wrote:
| I've come up with a plan of the general person, place, or thing to be studied each month. I've broken that down into subject areas, and have chosen books to read, notebook pages or lapbooks to create, and timeline & map ideas |
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Got it! So...you've got some monthly themes and have that cross connected across the subjects! Sounds GREAT! And, it sounds like you've got some good booklists you're working from. Are you content there?
How can we help you brainstorm this so you're confident with a *good enough* plan going into the year?
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Jen Mackintosh
Wife to Rob, mom to dd 19, ds 16, ds 11, dd 8, and dd 3
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Paula in MN
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| Posted: June 22 2010 at 6:49am | IP Logged
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I love you, Jen.
I think part of the issue for me is that I am a strong reader. I can read three books in one day, comprehend them, retain what I've read, etc. I love to read and have read since I was two. My daughter is the exact opposite. It's not that she dislikes reading. She is a very slow reader. I look at my lists and it "feels" like I don't have enough books listed.
Take those September plans I listed. As far as actual independent assigned reading, there are only five books listed - three about Shakespeare and two about Saints. She will read one Shakespeare book per week and one Saints book every two weeks. My prayer is that the more reading she does on a daily basis, the more she will retain and comprehend, and the faster she will become.
As far as an actual weekly schedule, I think KC had at one time talked about their weekly rhythm. A few lessons were scheduled daily, but the rest was up to the child to get done within the week. I did something similar for this year. Here goes:
DAILY (no notebook)
::Faith - read and discuss one Catechism lesson; review prayers
::Logic - two lessons
::Math - one lesson
::English from the Roots Up - one lesson
::Bosco group -- Saints/Virtues/Liturgical Year - be prepared for monthly meeting
FAITH (notebook)
::Read one Saint book
::Written report of Saint book - add to notebook
::Illustration of above - add to notebook
::Cursive copywork or Bible verse for above illustration - add to notebook
SCIENCE (notebook)
::Read one book
::Drawn narration, labeled diagram, definitions, copywork - add to notebook
POETRY (notebook) **New poet monthly (Poetry for Young People series)
::Read poems silently and out loud. Discuss.
::Choose one or two favorite poems or stanzas from several poems and use for copywork - add to notebook.
::Read about poet. Written report of him/her at end of month - add to notebook.
FINE ARTS (notebook) Artist & Picture Study **New artist monthly
::Read about the artist for the month. Carefully look at the displayed pictures all month long.
::Written narration on artist or favorite work and why - add to notebook.
::Drawn narration of any piece at end of month - add to notebook.
LITERATURE / HISTORY / GEOGRAPHY (notebook)
::Read one book.
::Written report of book - add to notebook.
::Add information to timeline.
::Mapwork
::Holy Lands - weekly group meeting - be prepared.
I don't have physical education, guitar practice, nature walks, sewing or cooking listed because we just do those. They are part of our daily rhythm already.
I look at these daily/weekly plans and I look at the monthly themes and booklists and I wonder if there is enough for her, and for 6th grade. Do I have too much fluff and not enough real learning?
I really don't know why I'm feeling this way. We've done this for six years and yet this year I'm so filled with doubt. 
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Paula
A Catholic Harvest
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saigemom
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| Posted: June 22 2010 at 8:21am | IP Logged
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Here are my plans for my 6th grader. My chart didn't quite copy over as well as I would have liked; I tried to clean it up for you though. I haven't listed all of the books he will be reading, but my plan is 2 saint books a term, history books that match the time he is on, and then 1 book a week of his choice. We will also continue working on Shakespeare as a family. His world history may change from Middle Ages to Ancient. I was able to get a MODG 6 for $10 and he loved Percy Jackson, so I am debating. Science is going to be a mix of Apologia swimming creatures, movies, books, classes at the aquarium, and field trips.
Your plans look full though. Maybe seeing mine will make you feel better about yours 
6th grade YEAR OVERVIEW
SUBJECTS
MATH &n bsp; SAXON 8/7
LOF PERCENTAGES DIVE CD
WORLD HISTORY MIDDLE AGES 1. MODG 7 4. Tests
2. SOTW AND Notebooking Pages
AMERICAN HISTORY THROUGH CIVIL WAR Homeschool in the Woods Cds and go along books
BOOK OF CENTURIES
COPYWORK FROM LITERATURE WE ARE READING
COMPOSITION WRITING CLASS-Outside home and IEW geography
GRAMMAR CHC BOOK
SPELLING SETON 6/and AS NEEDED 1. Use Spelling Power Notebooks
VOCABULARY BUILDING
1. English From the Roots up
2. Apologia cards
HANDIWORK CARPENTRY &nbs p;
INSTRUMENT
Unit Study Night at the Museum
Independent Studies:
Auto/Bike Mechanics Typing Narnia Unit Study
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Paula in MN
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| Posted: June 22 2010 at 8:38am | IP Logged
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Thank you, saigemom. Your plans look much more thorough and thought out than mine.
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Paula
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saigemom
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| Posted: June 22 2010 at 8:46am | IP Logged
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They wouldn't normally, but I bought the Simply charlotte Mason Planning DVD and it was amazing how it helped me to clarify my plans.
If you haven't seen it- She has you start by thinking about your goals as a whole, then what you are required to teach, then she has you rank priorities.
After that you do a broad range of subjects, narrow it down to topics, and then add which resources you want to use for each topic. I have not gone past the yearly overview yet, but I have it done for each of my 3 kids individually and for our family work.
The DVD continues on and I can't wait to watch the rest. I really feel much more confident about getting stuff done because I have all of my academic goals for the year listed. I won't end up doing a daily plan, but I probably will end up going through the term plans.
I just thought I'd mention that as a resource since I have found it to be so helpful.
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Paula in MN
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I thought I had the SCM planning guide, but in a pdf form. I'm going to have to pull it out again.
I can't get past the thought that I'm not having her read enough!
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Paula
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guitarnan
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Paula, when I read your plans I thought, "Wow, that's a lot of reading!" - if that's any help.
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Nancy in MD. Mom of ds (24) & dd (18); 31-year Navy wife, move coordinator and keeper of home fires. Writer and dance mom.
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Mackfam
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Paula in MN wrote:
I look at these daily/weekly plans and I look at the monthly themes and booklists and I wonder if there is enough for her, and for 6th grade. Do I have too much fluff and not enough real learning?
I really don't know why I'm feeling this way. We've done this for six years and yet this year I'm so filled with doubt. |
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Doubt be gone!
I think your plans sound fantastic! You've considered your daughter's needs! You're looking to her strengths as well as working in areas she isn't as strong. You know you can't overload her with too much reading - that would overwhelm her. So, you've chosen a few books to encourage her reading. Perfect! Choose the best books you can find - beautiful, rich, and noble thoughts!
Here's a couple of ideas for adding in a few more books without overwhelming her:
** Read alouds -- Find a book that you love and read it aloud a chapter at a time after lunch or in the mornings. Maybe you'd like a great anchor book for science, or something for history. Let her sit next to you and she will begin following along as you read. There is no pressure on her, yet she is enjoying a great book with you. Let her narrate to you! This book should be of great literary quality and can be well above her actual reading level!
** Audio books -- grab a great audio book of a history narrative. We're so blessed in that there are so many to choose from! Let me know if we can help brainstorm one that fits! Still....you've just added another book, but she's not reading the words off the page. This is essentially a read aloud, read by someone other than you. That's fine! It counts!
** Many books...few pages read each day -- So, you have some Shakespeare and Saints books...and it looks like there might be one science book of your choice read at a time? Am I right? Hey, that sounds great to me! Spread out her reading and just assign a few pages at a time, in fact, it might be good to ask her to read *less than* you think she can. Let her finish well before you lose her to frustration or feelings of being overwhelmed.
So...brainstorming...this is what reading might look like:
Quote:
:: Shakespeare book - 1 per week
:: Saints book - 1 every 2 weeks
:: Living science book - 1 - 2 pages a day
...and if you are open, you can add in...
:: History - audio book
:: Literature/History/Nature Study - read aloud from you |
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There...her reading assignment hasn't changed and you're careful not to overwhelm her, but you've just added some great reading to her days!
How's that?
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Jen Mackintosh
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saigemom
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It is more important that she enjoys her reading and is a strong reader than it is to read a certain amount of books. IMHO anyway-take it for the .02 it's worth 
You could always add more books through read alouds and audio cds. I do both with my children and we all really enjoy them. Just a thought to consider.
Your plans look good though and if they are what works for your child and family, that's all that really matters.
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Paula in MN
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| Posted: June 22 2010 at 10:34am | IP Logged
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The members of this forum are the best! 
I completely forgot about read alouds, which we do year round. What a duh moment! And audiobooks!! My kids love audiobooks. Our shortest drive is 30 minutes long, so we can always get in two or three chapters per roundtrip.
I would love brainstorming on Audiobooks and Science. I picked out a few science books, but I'm not sure if they will fit in correctly.
Is there a way to load my pdf so everyone can see my monthly themes and the books I've chosen? And make startling and brilliant observations and recommendations? 
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Paula
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JuliaT
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Paula, I don't know if this will help but Mainlesson.com has nature books by Arabella Buckley, Charles Kingsley etc that I use for my oldest. You could peruse their title list to see if something might work.
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Blessings,
Julia
mom of 3(14,13 & 11 yrs.old)
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Mackfam
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Paula in MN wrote:
| Is there a way to load my pdf so everyone can see my monthly themes and the books I've chosen? And make startling and brilliant observations and recommendations? |
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Here you go, Paula!
These are Paula's 6th grade plans...
2010-06-23_174437_6th_Grade.pdf
Let the startling and brilliant observations and recommendations commence!
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Jen Mackintosh
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lapazfarm
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Ok, this seems kind of obvious to me, but it seems like your poet for September should be Shakespeare. Sometimes with all of the focus on his plays we forget he was an incredible poet as well...
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Theresa
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Paula in MN
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lapazfarm wrote:
| Ok, this seems kind of obvious to me, but it seems like your poet for September should be Shakespeare. Sometimes with all of the focus on his plays we forget he was an incredible poet as well... |
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Now you see why I needed your help. I never even THOUGHT of that  
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Paula
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lapazfarm
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Ok, well, I'd also suggest moving Newton to the 18th century slot. (he straddles the 17th and 18th, but I think of him as more of n 18th century man).
Also, is wolves your science theme for that month? I see a wolves unit under social studies, I think. Or is it just a general "night sky" theme?
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Theresa
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4Real Forums : Living Learning
Topic: I admit it...I need help
