Our Curriculum this Year (2011-2012)

We begin our lessons again in a little over two weeks. The summer has flown by, and I'm cutting it closer than I usually do. But, all the books have been purchased and the entire year is planned day-by-day. Now our reward...SHOPPING FOR SCHOOL SUPPLIES...oh, and heads full of knowledge!! Have a great year everyone!

The Discovery School

Curriculum Guide 2011-2012

(All listed are for our 4th/5th and 7th graders unless noted as PreK)

·         World History

o   Story of the World Vol. 4 The Modern Age

o   Living Books (see reading list)

·         US History

o    The Zinn Project, Teaching a People’s History

o   Picturing America

·         Science

o   Simple Schooling Middle School Physics 

o   Elemental Science/Early Years –  PreK

·         Reading

o   Weekly assigned readings in History, Science, Current Events, and Literature

o   Daily free reading

o   The Ordinary Parent’s Guide to Teaching Reading –  PreK

o   Bob Books and Teaching Reading using the Bob Books - PreK

·         Writing

o   Poetry, Essay, Research, Writing for Debate (activities from education.com)

o   Cross curricular narration and dictation

·         Spelling

o   All About Spelling (books 1-3)

o   Spelling dictionary

o   Cross curricular writing/editing

·         Grammar

o   First Language Lessons Grammar 4

o   Giggles in the Middle: Caught’ya! Grammar

·         Math

o   Numbers & Abacus PreK

o   Math Mammoth Blue Series and Gold Series

·         Foreign Language

o   Latin – The Big Book of Lively Latin

·         Engineering

o   Units from TeachEngineering

·         Nature Study

o   The Handbook of Nature Study by Anna B. Comstock (already own) and Website

·         Arts

o   Harmony Arts Art and Music Study for Modern Art and Music

o   Drawspace

o   Discovering Great Artists - PreK

o   Art exhibits

o   Various workshops as available

·         Music

o   Guitar

o   Beginning Piano and Music Theory (Alfred’s Basic Piano)

o   Various concerts and workshops as available

o   Lessons from Makin’ Music - PreK

·         Drama

o   Participation in Stage Left/Georgetown Community Theatre productions

o   Various plays and workshops as available

·         PE

o   Homeschool Family Fitness

o   Swimming Lessons

o   Homeschool Gym & Swim (Spring)

o   Hiking with Nature Study

Reading Lists

4th/5th Gr. Independent Reading List

Just So Stories, Kipling

Rifles for Watie, Keith

The 21 Balloons, du Bois

Caddie Woodlawn, Brink

Sign of the Beaver, Speare

Bud, Not Buddy, Curtis

A Child’s Garden of Verses, Stevenson

Poetry by Walter de le Mare

The Song of Hiawatha, Longfellow

Poetry by Robert Frost

Poetry by Langston Hughes

Personal choices for free reading

7th Gr. Independent Reading List

The Secret Garden, Burnett

Old Yeller, Gipson

Across Five Aprils, Hunt

Number the Stars, Lowry

Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry, Taylor

Diary of a Young Girl, Frank

A Child’s Garden of Verses, Stevenson

Poetry by Walter de le Mare

The Song of Hiawatha, Longfellow

Poetry by Robert Frost

Poetry by Langston Hughes

Personal choices for free reading

Family Read Alouds (as many as possible)

Treasure Island, Robert Louis Stevenson

The Man Without a Country, Edward E. Hale

Little Women, Louisa May Alcott

Sherlock Holmes stories, Arthur Conan Doyle

Rikki Tikki Tavi, Rudyard Kipling

The Time Machine, H.G. Wells

The Call of the Wild, Jack London

The Scarlet Pimpernel, Baroness Orczy

Short stories, O. Henry

Anne of Green Gables, Lucy Maud Montgomery

Murder on the Orient Express, Agatha Christie

Strong Poison, Dorothy Sayers

Gone with the Wind, Margaret Mitchell

The Yearling, Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings

PreK Reading List

Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day by Judith Viorst

Anansi and the Moss-Covered Rock by Eric Kimmel or Anansi the Spider by Gerald McDermott 

Bark, George by Jules Feiffer 

The Berenstain Bears series by Stan and Jan Berenstain

Caps for Sale by Esphyr Slobodkina

The Carrot Seed by Ruth Krauss

A Chair for My Mother by Vera B. Williams

Chicka Chicka Boom Boom by Bill Martin Jr. and John Archambault 

Click, Clack, Moo: Cows that Type by Doreen Cronin

Clifford the Big Red Dog by Norman Bridwell 

Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs by Judy Barrett

Curious George by H.A. Rey

Danny and the Dinosaur by Syd Hoff

Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus! By Mo Willems

Flat Stanley by Jeff Brown

Frog and Toad Are Friends by Arnold Lobel 

Froggy Gets Dressed or Froggy Goes to School by Jonathan London 

George and Martha by James Marshall 

Green Eggs and Ham by Dr. Seuss 

Harold and the Purple Crayon by Crockett Johnson

Harry the Dirty Dog by Gene Zion 

How Do Dinosaurs Say Goodnight? By Jane Yolen 

I Stink! By Kate McMullen

If You Give a Mouse a Cookie by Laura J. Numeroff

Ira Sleeps Over by Bernard Waber 

Joseph Had a Little Overcoat by Simms Taback

Leo, the Late Bloomer by Robert Kraus 

Lyle, Lyle, Crocodile by Bernard Waber

Madeline by Ludwig Bemelmans

The Magic School Bus Series by Joanna Cole 

Martha Speaks by Susan Meddaugh 

Mike Mulligan and His Steam Shovel by Virginia Lee Burton

Miss Bindergarten Gets Ready for Kindergarten by Joseph Slate

Miss Nelson is Missing! By Harry Allard and James Marshall 

Mr. Popper’s Penguins by Richard Atwater

My Father’s Dragon by Ruth Stiles Gannett 

Nate the Great by Marjorie Weinman Sharmat 

Owen by Kevin Henkes

The Paper Bag Princess by Robert Munsch

Pete’s a Pizza by William Steig

Pierre: A Cautionary Tale by Maurice Sendak

Puss in Boots by Charles Perrault

Rapunzel by Paul O. Zelinsky

Strega Nona by Tomie De Paola

Stellaluna by Janell Cannon

Sylvester and the Magic Pebble by William Steig

Tough Boris by Mem Fox

The True Story of the Three Little Pigs by A. Wolf, by John Scieszka

Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak

Yoko by Rosemary Wells

Personal choices for free reading

Given

It's funny, the difference between what we are given and what we earn. I read an article once about mission workers in an African country who gave people water pumps in areas where they would otherwise have to walk miles for clean water. When the workers returned later, many of the pumps sat broken from neglect or missing pieces that were more valuable to sell for scrap. Later, this same missions group began selling the pumps for a few American dollars. Often, neighbors bought the pumps together, sometimes whole villages. When the workers returned to check on the families, the pumps were usually working and were a valuable asset to the family, group, or village.

The same is true with me and my family. I see more care taken with possessions that required a bit of effort or a delay of gratification. Items that my children have saved or worked for are prized over those handed them on Christmas morning or in the heat of the moment on a trip to the bigbox. Though I am so grateful for all the wonderful gifts I have received in my life, and there have been many, it's the things we have won for ourselves that mean the most.

Most certainly, it's the love. Twenty years ago it was easy. The love and companionship came easily. The hours of planning made it seem that we would always be on the same page, always have the same interests and goals. We were given a great opportunity at a great love. But, the reward has not been the initial gift. The reward comes in the moving away and the sometimes deep water, upstream wading to come together again. There's a comfort in what we were given. That is what makes us want to keep working through the rapids to get back to the calm straights...and we always do. That is the reward...the value is in that reward.

Happy 20th Anniversary, Love.
Always...