Planning -- Overview of Study

I've been looking quite a lot at the curriculum available (for FREE) through Ambleside Online. While it is quite comprehensive in most respects, it doesn't *quite* suit our household. (It is very, very Christian, after all. That's great for many families, but we are a Pagan home.)

There is so much good material available at Ambleside, though -- material that I can cull and cobble into my own planning.

Here are the subjects that I intend to cover with Harmonia between now (7th grade) and June 2018 (graduation):

Witchcraft -- divination, energy work, totemic studies, Wheel/Compass
History
Biographies
Geography
Government and Economics
Citizenship
Current Events
Literature
Poetry
Grammar and Composition
Recitation
Copywork/Transcription
Math
Science
Nature Study
Art -- history (w/Glaux), Picture Study (appreciation), practice
Music -- Composers, piano, folksongs
Foreign Language -- Japanese, French, Sign Language
Health
Life and Work Skills
Free Reading


Some of these subjects combine with each other in seamless and elegant ways. Recitation and copywork, for example, go together brilliantly. And what is Harmonia reciting and copying? Well, material from literature, history, poetry, witchcraft, etc. See ... elegant.

I'll always link history, geography, literature and composition. There will be plenty of opportunities, as well, to explore composition in conjunction with current events, science, etc.

What I don't do (and don't plan on doing) is working chronologically. That's one of the things I don't like about the Ambleside literature, history, composer, and art sequencing. I work thematically, not chronologically. I think it's more effective for learning to talk about ideas than times.

So here is what I think we'll be doing for the remainder of this school year (roughly):

Shakespeare:
Romeo & Juliet
Taming of the Shrew

Literature:
Early Colonial American Literature (as found here)
Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck

Poetry:
Selected Shakespeare sonnets
???

History & Geography:

Elizabeth's England
Hetalia & WWII

Artist Study:
Albrecht Durer
Norman Rockwell

Composer Study:
Beethoven
Bartok and Hindemuth


We do math through Khan Academy, and we'll be starting this Middle School Chemistry program (both free!).

Harmonia will continue with her Pimsleur Japanese, and we will start American Sign Language.

I think that's a good start for now. There are more aspects to consider, and I will undoubtedly be gathering resource and formulating plan all through our Winter Break. Look for some good free printables coming from me soon!