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8th Grade
Year Plan 2
of Tapestry of Grace was our core curriculum as my oldest entered 8th
grade. We studied the Middle Ages, the Renaissance period, and the Reformation.
This was a wonderful experience for all of my kids as we learned together
about the feudal system, knights, castles, and the history of the church.
We all learned a lot!
TOG covers
everything except math and science, which my older children took at a
homeschool co-op.
When our kids were in grades 1, 4,
and 7 we began using a curriculum called Tapestry of Grace. TOG follows
the “classical method” using a 4-year rotating cycle of Ancients, Middle
Ages/Reformation, Early Modern and Modern. Based on a Christian
worldview, this is the BEST curriculum I have ever used. Having all three
of my girls using the same curriculum means that they all cover the same
topics and subjects, but each grade level has age appropriate activities
and expectations. Each Year Plan can be purchased in digital format (DE)
as well as in print. You purchase the lesson plans (instructions) for
Year 1, Year 2, Year 3 and Year 4 and then use them over again as you go
through each cycle. If you began this curriculum with your child in 1st
grade you would go through the 4 year cycle 3 times before he graduates
(going through Ancients in grades 1, 5, and 9). The reading books and
reference materials will change with each grade level as you go through
the curriculum, but you only have to purchase the lesson plans once. You
can purchase additional pieces to go along with the curriculum for
subjects like writing/grammar, map work, etc. We added our own math and
science for the older students and the Tapestry lesson plans provided
instructions for everything else...including hands on projects!
At first glance, it can be
intimidating. I honestly looked at it for 3 years and didn’t think I
could do it, but I eventually figured out that each Year Plan has
everything in it for grades 1-12 and I would never “do it all” in one
year. We have now worked with Year Plans 1, 2, and 3 and
I can honestly say that we are solid in our decision to use this
curriculum until our last child graduates from high school. You even have
access to online help including other users and the authors through the
Tapestry Forum on their website. Check it out by clicking here...
saxonpublishers.hmhco.com
While the
younger girls continued with Singapore Math, our oldest began to take math
and science at our homeschool co-op. For this reason, she needed to use
the program they offered – Saxon. Saxon seems to be either really well
liked or not liked at all, depending on whom you ask. Not being the
teacher or student in this case, I’ll keep my opinion to myself (but I
will say that my daughter seems to have a much better grasp on algebraic
concepts than her mother).
Apologia.securesites.net
For our
younger kids we find and explore the science all around us; gardening,
cooking, experiments, and anything that strikes our interest for a quick
unit study or lapbook. Elementary grades can
use the Apologia science series by Jay Wile called Discovering Creation.
There are several to choose from: Astronomy, Botany, Zoology 1, 2 and 3,
and finally Anatomy and Physiology. Middle school leads to high school
with General Science and in 8th grade our oldest took Physical
Science.
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