8th Grade Curriculum Choices for 2016-2017

I am already making plans for this coming school year! I like feeling prepared for the year - having everything purchased, binders and notebooks set up, and new school supplies ready!

Mikaela is going to be in the 8th {EIGHTH!} grade this year. I can't believe I have a child this old! For some reason, 8th grade is starting to scare me - I'm so afraid we won't be covering everything necessary for her to begin high school the next year! I may change things up a bit, but this is our tentative 8th grade plan:

MATH: She is still working through Principals of Mathematics, which is a pre-algebra course. She is about halfway through with this book. There is a second in this series, Principals of Mathematics, Book 2. We are considering using that when she is finished with Book 1. It's a solid math program that really makes her think. Some of it is really, really easy, and other parts are really, really hard!

LANGUAGE ARTS: She just started Learning Language Arts Through Literature, the Green Book. So far, it's been really easy for her, but she enjoys it. It's a full language arts program that incorporates literature. The books she will read with this program are: Star of Light by Patricia St. John, Shakespeare's Much Ado About Nothing, and Adam and His Kin by Ruth Beechick.

WRITING: She is using Apologia's Writers in Residence and loves it. She will finish this program. When she is finished with WIR, I'm not sure what we'll use!

LITERATURE: Although she will be reading some great literature with LLATL, she wants some more literature! She loves to read. We were going to go with Memoria Press Literature Guide Set for 8th grade, but I am reviewing a literature study guide from Progeny Press with Mercie, my 2nd grader. I LOVE these guides even more than Memoria Press! I am going to have each of my older 3 children complete 3 of these guides this school year. The ones Mikaela wants to read and complete are:

 

SCIENCE: She will have independent science this year with Master Books's Introduction to Oceanography and Ecology.

HISTORY & GEOGRAPHY: Mikaela finished Part One of America the Beautiful by Notgrass this year, and she will complete Part Two this year.

ART: She wants to learn calligraphy, so she is going to use this book:

ELECTIVES: Mikaela wants to learn Spanish, so we are going to use Rosetta Stone's Spanish Course.

She loves to cook and bake, and I already give her free reign in the kitchen. She cooks dinner for the family several times a week and bakes goodies whenever she can! I don't think she needs a formal home economics course, because she is so adept and confident in the kitchen, but I do plan to write down what she cooks each week and what kitchen skills she learns from me.

She also wants to learn to use a sewing machine. I do not sew, but my mother does. I'm going to have my mom work with her over the summer {she will be staying with them for a month or so} on the basics, so she can use my sewing machine to sew. {Yes I have a sewing machine even though I can't sew.}

I think this is a well-rounded curriculum for an 8th grader! What are your middle school choices?