curriculum

Everyone else is sharing their curriculum choices for the up coming year, and I want to too. Mainly because we are no longer using boxed curriculum. We are mixing and matching everything. One comment my girls both made after last year was that they didn’t like being told what books they had to read (language arts), not all the books were of interest to them, nor held their interest. This year we are changing it up and making it more interesting.

Our Grade 5 Curriculum Choices for 2019-2020

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Science and History

A few months ago I found Waldock’s Wizards and Wands, a Harry Potter themed curriculum. I knew this would be perfect for my Harry Potter loving 10 year old, going into grade five.

We are going to be reading along with the suggested reading in the language arts, but that is simply because we love the books. We are planning to the science Alchemy, Astronomy, Herbology, Potions, and, her favorite science topic – Magical Creatures.

Austin loves history, she totally and completely gets this from her father, so Muggle Studies is right up her alley studying Medieval, Viking, Roman, and Egyptian history.

Math Curriculum

Teaching Textbooks. Done. It was the easiest choice of all the curriculum. She loved it last year, she excelled at it, why change what works right? She has to get a certain percentage on each lesson, before she does the next. For me, this is to make sure she is understanding the work. We work through anything she might need a little help on.

Language Arts Grade 5 Curriculum Choices

This year we are trying something completely new. We are using Grammar Galaxy Red Star (which is new, just out in June 2019). No boring text to read, instead exciting mission manuals. Short, comical stories teach concepts in a memorable way. Students discover the havoc that ensues when the evil Gremlin tampers with the English language. Parents or students read the text themselves, and at the grade 5 level, she’ll be reading it herself.

Vocabulary words are defined in the text. Discussion questions follow each lesson to check for understanding. Students then complete a corresponding mission in the mission manual that reinforces the concepts. Parents can provide as much help as necessary.

Social Studies

I’m only separating this from history because we will be focusing on Canada. In September/October we’ll be learning about past Prime Ministers for example as we will be at election time and they’ll be hearing about it. You can see what resources we are using for learning more about Canada in these two posts: Canadian Social Studies and History Options and Books About Canada for Your Homeschool.

Other subjects

(These are not required by Saskatchewan Home Education so I do not specifically plan anything for them.)

Art, will be added through our daily/weekly life. We are a creative bunch so I don’t worry too much about fitting it in. Plus the Waldock’s Wizards and Wands does include some art throughout.

Health is the same, it is a daily thing. We cook and bake together, we garden and such which covers this nicely. We talk about staying fit and active, which my children have no problem with, and they do know that this Momma exercises most mornings as well. We are really quite open about things.