| LEVEL 3 Junior High / Early Secondary (approx. ages 11-13) |
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General
Instructions
The curriculum is designed
to fit into thirty-six weeks, with many subjects broken down into three
blocks of twelve weeks (terms).
Lesson length at this level will
normally be 30 to 40 minutes.
History Cycle for Australian students [provided by Ruth Marshall]
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| +Religious Education |
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The main focus of
religious education for these two years will be Bible study. (N)
Read one entire Gospel each year. Choose from * Matthew, Mark or
Luke to tie in with Liturgical Year
A, B or C as appropriate. (N) *
Bible
History by Ignatius Schuster (First Part) (3) Catechism (Weekly) (a)
(N) * Faith
and Life Series (pub. Ignatius Press). Read, narrate and discuss one
lesson each week. 1st Year: * Faith and Life 6: Following Christ Term 1: Chapters 1 to 11 Term 2: Chapters 12 to 21 Term 3: Chapters 22 to 31 2nd Year: * Faith and Life 7: The Life of Grace Term 1: Chapters 1 to 10 Term 2: Chapters 11 to 20 Term 3: Chapters 21 to 30 Optional Extras (N) * Prove It! God by Amy Welborn (N) * Prove It! Jesus by Amy Welborn Term 1: Prove It! God, Chapters 1 to 10 Term 2: Prove It! God, Chapter 11 to Epilogue; Prove It! Jesus, Chapters 1 to 5 Term 3: Prove It! Jesus, Chapter 6 to Epilogue 2nd Year (N) * Prove It! Church by Amy Welborn (N) * Prove It! Prayer by Amy Welborn Term 1: Prove It! Church What Church Do You Go To? to Why Does Your Church Say You Are Saved By Works ...?
Term 2: Prove It! Church Why Do You Pray to Saints
to end; Prove It! Prayer, 1st section Term 3: Prove It! Church 2nd section (I Want to Pray, But It's Difficult Because ...)
(4) Saints (Free time reading) Choose one saint's biography each term from the Vision Books series (or any other saint biography of your choice). Where possible these should tie in with the history studies for the term. List of in-print titles in chronological order:
(5) Lent and Easter Reading (Twice weekly)
Lent (6 weeks) 1st
Year: * Little
Flowers of St.Francis 2nd Year: * Story of a Soul by St.Therese of Lisieux
(Alternative Option for Boys Peter
on the Shore by Fr.Anthony Bannon)
1st Year: * Saint Athanasius by Francis Forbes 2st Year: * Our Lady's Feasts by Sister Mary Jean Dorcy
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| + Mathematics (Daily) |
| Continue with your
preferred maths programme |
| + English |
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(1) Grammar and
Composition (Four
lessons weekly) * Lingua Mater by Margot Davidson
As the course is being spread over two years, only two days lessons need be completed each week. The book makes additional lesson suggestions for those using the book over two years. These can be used if desired, but our preference would be to stick to the shorter lesson plan as your child will also be doing written narrations.
Composition work is also to include regular written narrations from books set for history, religion, geography, literature and science.
Year 1: * Grammar Skills 5 (available late 2005) Year 2: * Grammar Skills 6 (available late 2005) or * English Grammar for Students (Textbook and Workbook), to be used over two years. All published by Learners Publishing, Singapore and available from Halfmoon Books. These books use British English.
(2) Copywork (10 minutes daily) Copy daily from
favourite poems, prayers, Bible passages or the Shakespeare play being
studied. Recommended
Resources
(3) Studied
Dictation (Twice
weekly) Paragraphs or passages to be dictated from a section (two or three paragraphs) of a history, literature, geography or religion book that has been studied in advance.
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| + Literature |
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1) Classic Literature 1st Year
Term 1: Little
Women by Louisa May Alcott, or Tom
Sawyer by Mark
Twain or other classic
literature of your choice Alternative One
book to be read each month from the reading list provided by The
Arrow
(2) Shakespeare
Suggested plays
(others of your choice can be substituted): Year 1 Term 1: Merchant of Venice Term 2: Hamlet Term 3: Richard III Year 2 Term 1: TBA Term 2: TBA Term 3: TBA Recommended
Resources: Shakespeare Stories by Leon Garfield
Enchanted Island: Stories from
Shakespeare by Ian Serraillier Background
reading:
See our Shakespeare pages
for notes on selected plays (3) Poetry * The
Harp and Laurel Wreath by Laura Berquist: Logic
Stage |
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+ National History (twice weekly; additional book as free reading) |
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Option1: American
History
(N) * From Sea to Shining Sea: the Story of America (to be studied over two years) Year 1 Term 1: Chapters 1 to 3 (Discovery to California Missions) Term 2: Chapters 4 to 7 (New France to 1770s) Term 3: Chapters 8
to 10 (Independence) Term 1: Chapters 11 to 14 (Frontier Church to Mexican War) Term 2: Chapters 15 to 17 (Gold Rush to Civil War) Term 3: Chapters 18 to 20 (Late 19th Century)
From Sea to Shining Sea -
Teachers Manual Option 2: British
History (N)
* Young Oxford History of Britain and
Ireland Also available in five separate volumes An Ancient Land, Medieval Kingdoms, Crown and People, Empire and Industry and A Century of Change (only the first four are used at Level 3)
Choose at least one additional reading book each term from our recommended reading list (Free time reading)
Option 3: History Cycle for Australian Students See Australian history outline. Study of British history (see Option 2) recommended for this Level.
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+ World History (twice weekly) |
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(N)
* The
Story of Mankind by Van Loon
Recommended Reading Choose at least one additional book each term from our recommended reading list (Free time reading) |
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+ Geography and Earth Studies (twice weekly) |
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Geography study at Level 3 has a historical perspective and takes the form of two world tours. The first follows the expansion of the known world with a history of exploration; the second visits the great sites of the world
1)
Exploration (Weekly) (N) * The Book of Discovery by M.B.Synge 1st Year Term 1: Chapter 1 (A Little Old World) to Chapter 14 (The Vikings Sail the Northern Seas) Term 2: Chapter 15 (Arab Wayfarers) to Chapter 28 (Cortes Explores and Conquers Mexico)) Term 3: Chapter 29 (Explorers in South America) to Chapter 42 (Tasman finds Tasmania) 2nd Year Term 1: Chapter 43 (Dampier Discovers His Straits) to Chapter 55 (The Search for Timbuktu) Term 2: Chapter 56 (Richard and John Lander) to Chapter 67 (Livingstone's Last Journey) Term 3: Chapter 68 (Through the Dark Continent) to Chapter 79 (Space) Note: This schedule is based on the 1962 edition of the book which was updated with additional chapters. If you have an earlier edition (or a reprint of an earlier edition) then read one chapter per week.
(2)
Travel
(Weekly) (N) * Complete Book of Marvels by Richard Halliburton. Note: Unfortunately this book is out of print. We have broken our rule about only using books that are in print as used copies are widely available and there is nothing else comparable. The book is also available in two separate volumes, one of which is studied each year. Purchasing them separately may be a cheaper option.
2nd Year: Book of Marvels: The Orient [UK Title: Marvels of the East]
(3) Mapwork (Weekly) Locate places mentioned in the week's reading and places in the news.
(4) Geology - TBA (Weekly: Year 2 only) |
| + Nature Study |
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(1) Take at least one nature walk each week.
(2) Keep a nature notebook
Recommended Resources Keeping a Nature Journal by Claire Walker Leslie and Charles E.Roth Wild Days: Creating Discovery Journals by Karen Rackliffe Introduction to Nature Study by MacBeth Derham (website)
Optional Nature Reading Insect
Adventures by J.Henri Fabre |
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+ Science (twice weekly) |
| At this level
students will undertake a two year science study following the chronology
of scientific discovery. Science topics are studied alongside the history
of science
Secrets of the Universe (Paul Fleisher) (out of print) OR ** Objects in Motion: Principles of Classical Mechanics (Paul Fleisher) and ** Liquids and Gases: Principles of Fluid Mechanics (Paul Fleisher) OR *** Alternative (UK; Australia): Inventing the Future by Mary and John Gribbin Our Universe: A Guide to What's Out There (Russell Stannard) Note: This book is out of print, but used copies are cheaply and easily available Copernicus, Galileo and the Catholic Sponsorship of Science (Jane Meyerhofer), available from Ye Hedge School Exploring the Sky: 100 Projects for Beginning Astronomers (Richard Moeschl) TBA - book on classification World of Plants (Usborne Internet-Linked Library of Science)
Year 2 Secrets of the Universe (Paul Fleisher) (out of print) OR ** Matter and Energy: Principles of Matter and Thermodynamics (Paul Fleisher) and ** Waves: Principles of Light, Electricity and Magnetism (Paul Fleisher) OR *** Alternative (UK; Australia): Inventing the Future by Mary and John Gribbin The Mystery of the Periodic Table (Ben Wiker) TOPS Science #10: Analysis TOPS Science #11: Oxidation TOPS Science #32: Electricity
** These four books (together with a fifth which will be used at Level 4) were originally published as a single volume, Secrets of the Universe. This single volume is now out of print and hard to find used. The individual volumes are still in print, but at a rather high price - we recommend trying your library first.
*** If the Fleisher books are too difficult or expensive to obtain (especially likely to be the case outside the USA), Inventing the Future would be a suitable alternative. This tells the story of science through brief biographies of scientists. It is a secular book, simpler than the Fleisher books, and written in a chatty style with extra information in the margins. It would also be an alternative for slightly younger children, or for children who struggle with scientific concepts.
Schedule for Secrets of the Universe (or separate Fleisher books) Alternative schedule for Inventing the Future Recommended Reference
Book Recommended Extra Resources Year 1: Lyrical Life Science Vol.1 Year 2: Lyrical Life Science Vol.2 |
| Foreign Language (two or three times weekly) |
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Option 1:
Spanish Spanish program of your choice
Recommended Resource Living
Spanish by R.P.Littlewood (available from Amazon UK) provides
additional grammar coverage. Option 2:
French or other French program of your choice. Recommended Resource Living French by T.W.Knight (available from Amazon UK) provides additional grammar coverage. Both courses are to be
used simultaneously over four or five years. |
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Latin (twice weekly) |
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Option 1: Intensive Approach Henle
Latin I
Option 2: Gentler Approach
1st Year: Latina
Christiana II 2nd Year: Henle Latin 1: Units 1 and 2 or If starting Latin for the first time: 1st Year: Latina Christiana I 2nd Year: Latina Christiana II
Recommended Additional Resource Lingua
Angelica
British
Alternative Option 1: Intensive Approach The Approach to Latin, First Part by
J.Paterson and E.Macnaughton Note: This is the schedule used by the Parents' Union Schools in the 1960s. O Level Latin was taken at the end of Approach to Latin Part 2. The standard achieved was roughly equivalent to the current A level standard. This option is recommended for academically oriented children requiring a challenge and will enable children to read Latin texts in the original. It requires a teacher familiar with Latin, or who is prepared to commit time and effort to master the material alongside the child.
Option 2: Gentler Approach
1st Year: Latina
Christiana II 2nd Year: The Approach to Latin, First Part, pp.4-58 (about 18 pages a term) or If starting Latin for the first time:
1st Year: Latina
Christiana I 2nd Year: Latina Christiana II Note: This approach would complete The Approach to Latin, First Part by age 15 or 16. This should easily enable a child to take the current Latin GCSE.
Recommended Additional Resource Lingua
Angelica
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Picture Study (weekly) |
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See notes on picture
study for instructions
for picture study.
1st
Year: Realism Term 2: James McNeill Whistler Term 3: John Singer Sargent Alternative: American Artists Replace Millet with Mary Cassatt
2nd Year: Baroque Art Term 1: Peter Paul Rubens Term 2: Rembrandt van Rijn Term 3: Diego Velazquez |
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Music Appreciation (weekly) |
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* Music
Masters
Set 3 (Handel, Beethoven, Wagner, Dvorak, Haydn,
Vivaldi/Corelli). CDs can also be bought separately as Note:
Other Music Masters CDs can be substituted so that all children in a
family can study the same composer. Masters of Classical Music, Vols.1-10 (Box Set) – economical set of 10 CDs, each featuring works by a different composer. Ideal as follow up listening to the Music Masters CDs (includes Beethoven, Wagner and Vivaldi).
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| Art (Twice weekly) |
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Year 1 Artistic Pursuits: Grades 4-6, Book 2 - Color and Composition
Year 2 Artistic Pursuits: Grades
7-9, Book
1 - The Elements of Art and Composition |
| Music |
| Continue (or start)
studying a musical instrument. Regular opportunities for singing should be provided. Learn traditional Catholic hymns, including at least three in Latin |
| Practical Work |
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(1) Help in house and yard (garden). (2) Work on learning a practical craft or skill of your choice.
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Copyright © 2004-2005 Kathryn Faulkner
and Michele Quigley. All Rights
Reserved.
Use of this material is
subject to the terms of the Mater Amabilis license agreement:
http://www.materamabilis.org/license.html |
