Grammar 4
Composition:
Incorporating additional stylistic techniques as well as adding complexity to their writing, students continue to develop their composition skills as they work through additional units of Andrew Pudewa’s Teaching Structure & Style. New skills developed this year focus on moving students toward more independence with editing & vocabulary choice while exercising their imaginations to create details & dialog. A variety of assignments draw from history or science using differing formats to reinforce concepts from previous years.
​
Grammar:
Shurley English Level 4 develops a deeper understanding of grammar & sentence construction. Grammar 4 students work on grammar at home using weekly lesson plans provided by ACTS. Classroom instruction briefly introduces grammar concepts while encouraging reinforcement of previous ones & keeping up with home lessons. Students continue to recite jingles, work through the Question & Answer flow of sentences while solidifying their understanding of basic grammar.
​
History:
In studying the Medieval Era using Veritas Press Middle Ages History Cards, students encounter God’s hand orchestrating events & see His hand preserving His word throughout His story. Weaving a tapestry that incorporates God’s purpose in 32 pivotal events & people of the period, students will learn new vocabulary, memorize the 32 events through a song, and discover how the world shifted & changed during this dynamic period. Various crafts, projects, and field trips enrich & enhance each student’s understanding of the era.
​
Science:
Exploration of God’s amazing universe is the focus of study using Apologia Science Young Explorer Series, Exploring Creation with Astronomy. Content covered includes the major structures of the solar system, unique features of each planet, as well as constellations, comets & other heavenly bodies. Students also learn about space travel & astronauts. Collaborative learning, interactive projects, & opportunities to hone their observation skills are incorporated through the year.
​
Latin:
Latin for Children Primer B follows Primer A’s material covered in Grammar 3. Review of concepts learned in the previous year prepares students for the more advanced concepts of the coming year. Through vocabulary drills, chants, quizzes, parsing & translating of simple Latin sentences, reinforcement of new words & concepts is accomplished further equipping each student as they advance in their Latin studies.
Grammar 5
Composition:
Continuing in their use of Andrew Pudewa’s Teaching Structure & Style, students begin the year by examining simple paragraphs to discern key words & ideas. A review of material covered in previous years encourages confidence as students progress into more complex assignments throughout the year. By the end of Grammar 5, students will have written several essays & reports incorporating all the stylistic techniques learned over the years which have helped them develop into quality writers.
​
Grammar:
Shurley English Level 6 reinforces basics &develops a student’s grasp of more complex grammar concepts. Grammar 5 students continue to work on Shurley grammar at home using lesson plans provided by ACTS. As their competency is increasing, less in-class time is spent on grammar concepts. Students will display their ability through quarterly testing.
​
History:
Students begin the year reviewing the end of the Middle Ages and the birth of the Age of Exploration. Using Veritas Press History Cards, Explorers to 1815 and History of US Volumes 1-4, students set sail on a journey that examines the expansion of man’s understanding of navigation, the discovery of the New World, and the founding of the American republic. Field trips and in-class activities add depth & breadth enabling students to grasp more fully the exciting age of exploration.
​
Science:
What goes on inside your brain? Or in the rest of your body? How do your bones grow? These are just a few of the topics students will examine using Apologia’s Young Explorer Series, Exploring Creation with Anatomy & Physiology. Understanding the complexity of the human body at an elementary level, students will learn how God designed their bodies to function and perform. Various projects & experiments will enhance their grasp of the marvel of the human body.
​
Latin:
Using a curriculum designed by Rockbridge Academy, A Primer for Wheelock’s Latin, students in Grammar 5 solidify their understanding of the Latin concepts learned in Grammar 3 & 4. As they review both vocabulary & foundational concepts learned in previous years, students are exposed to more advanced concepts through challenging translation exercises. This initial exposure to some of the advanced content they will examine in greater depth during the dialectic years prepares them for the transition from the grammar style of learning to the dialectic stage of the trivium.
Grammar 6
Composition:
Continuing in their use of Andrew Pudewa’s Teaching Structure & Style, the goal of Grammar 6 Composition is to improve student’s writing skills through weekly compositions & two research papers. Poetry & creative writing are also studied. Often composition assignments draw from the History lesson of the week allowing students to delve into a topic more deeply. By writing often, students discover that they enjoy writing which prepares them well for the analytical phase of the Dialectic years.
​
Grammar:
Shurley English Level 7 begins witha review of all the basics of grammar from previous years. Following this review, more complex grammar concepts are introduced laying the groundwork for understanding the structure of a sentence within a paragraph in preparation for the Dialectic years. Grammar 6 students continue to work on Shurley grammar at home using lesson plans provided by ACTS. Quarterly testing allows for feedback on their grasp of basic & complex concepts.
​
History:
Using Veritas Press History Cards, 1815 to the Present and History of US Volumes 4-10, major events & interesting people who lived during this era are studied. Making crafts, listening to music, and eating foods that go along with the history topics engage the student in experiencing this fascinating period. Other activities include map skills, memorizing speeches, and acting in plays. Special days find students dressing in costumes reflecting the topic of study. A strong emphasis on US Geography corresponds to each topic. Undergirding these various activities & skill development is instilling a love of history that will accompany each student into high school, college, and beyond.
​
Science – Jr. Chemistry:
Recognizing this level is a time of transition between the grammar & dialectic phases, Grammar 6 Jr. Chemistry capitalizes on the elastic memory of the grammar stage & the beginning analysis of the dialectic stage. Using the God’s Design Series, Properties of Atoms & Molecules, Properties of Matter, the vocabulary of Chemistry is introduced, explained & incorporated into class projects. The student is challenged through a discovery-based observation of in-class experiments & application of those observations through regular interaction with the Scientific Method culminating in a Science Fair Project which is presented at either the ACTS STEM fair or at the in class Science Fair.
​
Latin – Wheelock’s Level 1:
Students work through the first 12 chapters of Wheelock’s Latin using note sheets written at a Grammar 6 level. In class, students are guided through basic and complex Latin concepts by translating sentences from Latin into English and English in Latin. Review of vocabulary is integrated in these translations & students gain a fluency in their ability. For use at home, parents are loaned an answer key enabling them to guide their student through translation exercises assigned as homework. Participation in the National Latin Exam during the spring is a goal of this year.