Grade 7 – opinions

Oh – btw, the list of courses that he would be taking IF he were going to the B&M school where we live… (not that we are considering it…):

Arts  (I didn’t check, but I think this would be some music and drawing…?)

English Language Arts

Beginner French (required at the local school, but not at all of them)

Math

Phys Ed / Health

Science

Social

Practical Arts (Home Ec & Industrial Arts)  (required at the local school, but not at all of them)

And there would be 1 option from:

Art, Band, Dance, or Outdoor Ed

Well, I’ve done some more thinking on options – and wrote a few ‘course descriptions’…..   So this is more what I am thinking.

A Options (pick 2)

Note that students will be expected to take the same A options at a higher level in Grade 8 (and possibly high school) unless there is a convincing reason to change.

• Instrumental Music (Recorder, Violin, Guitar, Flute, Organ, Keyboard, or other(with approval) instrument.)
  • Do you enjoy music and wish you could play? This course is for you! Using mostly self-teaching (with some coaching) you will learn to play one of the available instruments, as well as learn how to read music. A selection of music will be available including simplified popular music, folk songs, classical, and hymns (exact music will be depending on instrument chosen)
• 2nd Language & Culture
  • Would you like to be able to converse with people who speak a different language? Perhaps you are considering joining the Canadian military (where ability to use French is desired)? Or maybe you want a head-start on learning languages in case you are called to a foreign-language mission? Students will learn basic conversational, reading, and writing skills in the language using computer software, videos, opportunities to talk to speakers of the language, and books. Exact resources will vary from language to language. Students will also learn about the culture of the main country for that language.
    • Latin – The advantages of learning Latin include understanding how many languages work, understanding of various phrases and documents. The student’s understanding of English will grow greatly. The student will also find benefits of knowing Latin if they study Science or Medicine, or even History, where Latin is used often.
    • French – The second official language of Canada! French is a valued language in Canada, and there are some professions where knowing French will be a definite advantage, such as a politician or an officer in the military. French resources are readily available – even including the French ‘track’ on many of our DVD’s.
    • German – Many of the inhabitants of our province have German speaking roots – and, of course, our homeschool principal is conversant in the language!
    • Spanish – This is also a language that is very common in Canada, and even more-so in the United States. It is a native language of Mexico and Spain. There are many people in our church Ward whose first language is Spanish, so there may be many opportunities available to practice!   Some of our DVD’s will have Spanish tracks.
    • Other – Interested in another language?   Let me know, and I’ll see if I can find appropriate resources for you!
  • Biographies
    • Do you finding out about peoples’ lives? Do you find that History comes alive with a good story? This course will allow you to expand on your history time period by learning about some of the famous people from that time.   What made the Explorers – like David Thompson or John Franklin – risk their lives trying to cross Canada? What motivated Sir Isaac Newton to work so hard on his inventions?   What was so special about Helen Keller?   Students will discover the answer to these types of questions using books and movies about important people from this time period.
  • Drafting with the Drawing Board
    • Did you enjoy learning to Draw with the Drawing Board and T-Square? Continue learning to draw various geometric shapes (with a bit of math thrown in).   This course will likely lead to learning basic mechanical or architectural drafting, and Computer Aided Drafting, in High School

B Options (pick 2)

Note that students will be able to change B options if desired each year. Some courses will have higher level courses available, and some might not.

• Extra A Option
• Singing & Conducting
  • Prefer to express your enjoyment of music through song? Learn how to sing harmony as well as melody and be familiar with 4 part harmony.   Learn to read music while singing.   Although a variety of music will be used, there will be an emphasis in Choir singing. Students will be expected to participate in any opportunities to be in Ward or Stake Choirs.
• Logic
  • “A cloud is 90% water. A watermelon is 90% water.   Therefore, since a plane can fly through a cloud, a plan can fly through a watermelon.” Is this a good argument or not? How can you tell? Learn this and so much more!
• Art
  • Do you love to Draw?   Paint? Otherwise express yourself?   This course will provide many opportunities to expand on your skills.
• Genealogy
  • Which family member lived in England in the time of William the Conqueror? Which ones moved to Canada and why? What is a primary source and what is a secondary one – and who cares?   Take this opportunity to   climb our family tree and see what type of ‘nuts’ we can shake loose!
• Special Interest
  • Is there something you have a passion to learn about? Convince me, and help design a course of study! There could be a wide range of topics – but it may take some convincing! Some possibilities could include (but you still need to convince me)
    • Gardening
    • The Architecture of [our city] (building design)
    • The Engineering/Science of War
    • ???