"Whatchadoin?" #4~ extras

The subjects that are taking me the longest to plan are our extras.  They are the ones that don't have any real grade level requirements.  Different curricula take different approaches so it is up to you, the teacher, to decide which works for you.

During our first few years homeschooling science was a tricky subject for me.  I wasn't sure if I wanted something secular or Christian, general or specific.  After discovering the "Exploring Creation" series last year I knew I had found the right fit for us.  So we will be using the next book in the series.

This year we will be learning about the swimming creatures.  The curriculum offers many hands on activities that explore not just the animals but the world around them.  For example, when learning about artic fish we learn about how salt water has to be colder than fresh water before it will freeze.  I ended up choosing specific because my daughters really liked getting into all the details and Christian because I was so disappointed how many churches act like God had no part in science.

While science was an easy choice history was not.  This is the first year I will used an actual history book and I am a little nervous.  I ended up picking "All American History" for two reasons.

The first reason is the worksheets.  They have cutting, glueing, and tracing as well as fill in the blanks.  Since my oldest prefers lap booking to work booking this set up should be good.

The second reason is it is a two year program that starts with the early explorers.  That means we will spend more time learning about the different historical events and that the time line will line up with what my younger daughter is studying.

My youngest will be making American Girl lap books, spending an entire week on each book. (6 weeks for each unit.) Since I am putting together the units myself it is a bit time consuming.  On the plus side most resource websites have materials for each of the American Girls, like the American Girl website and homeschool share so as long as I bookmark the sites they will be easy to find for the next unit.

That brings me to my final extra subject, Latin.  I took Latin in high school and have been eagerly waiting for my daughters to be interested.  Last year we tried Minimus as a family and, while it was fun, we weren't able to stay consistent.  This year we are using a more intense program, "Latin for Children."

We will be working at a slow pace so my youngest can keep up.  I hope my excitement will wear off on the kids and we stick with it this year.

So those are the extras that will keep school interesting.  With just a few more weeks before we start I am excited to see how everything is coming together.