8th Grade Curriculum Choices for the 2017/2018 School Year

I had a really hard time deciding on curriculum for Alex.  While I try to combine as many things as possible, going from 1-8th grade can be a bit of a stretch.  My younger 4 children really love listening to me read and doing hands on activities, but Alex no longer cares for those types of activities.  He really wanted something that he could just do on his own, by reading and answering questions.

I thought some online classes would be a good fit for him, but when I started looking at them, most cost anywhere from $200-$500 per class and that was way out of my budget.  Then I was offered a 30 day trial for Alpha Omega Monarch (anyone can try it for 30 days for free I found out about it when they were a possible vendor), so I signed up for the trial.  Their pricing structure was more affordable at around $320 on sale for 5 classes: Math, Bible, Language Arts, Science, and History/Geography.  You put in your start and end dates and can schedule in all of your breaks, field trips, etc.. and the program schedules out the students assignments.  The majority of the grading is done automatically.  You also have the ability to choose courses from different grade levels.  If for instance your child was at an 9th grade level for language arts and a 7th grade level for math you can choose those courses. It doesn't automatically make you choose all 8th grade if that's the grade your child is supposed to be in.  It also has a read to me feature which is great for struggling readers or auditory learners.

To be honest, I thought it was kind of boring just reading and answering the questions.  There were a few little interactive type videos and some graphs and charts.  But Alex liked it and wanted to give it a try.  So he is committed to completing the courses I chose for him this year.

He will be taking:

Bible 800- "Bible 800 provides a developmental and in-depth academic study of the teachings of the Old and New Testaments. It focuses on prayer, salvation, the attributes of God, the book of Proverbs, and interpersonal relationships. Special emphasis is given to a survey of Church history from the early Church through the Reformation. These areas target five content strands: theology, the attributes of God, biblical literature, Christian growth, and Church history (a special topic). "

History and Geography 800 - " The course focuses on American History, covering the subject from early exploration through the present day, with special emphasis given to the Civil War and to inventions and technology of the 19th and early 20th centuries. These areas of focus target three major content strands: History, Geography, and Government "

General Science I-" Some of the areas covered in General Science I include the scientific method, overview of the four major areas of science, mathematics in science, astronomy, the atmosphere, natural cycles, weather and climate, human anatomy and physiology, and careers in science."

Language Arts 700- "Language Arts 700 continues to build on the sequential development and integration of communication skills in four major areas—reading, writing, speaking, and listening."

Mathematics 800- Pre-Algebra

School starts bright and early Monday morning!