Homeschooling Grade School with Unlimited Access

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Grade School Unit Study Program
3rd Through 6th GradeCourse of Study Description
Recorded, Independent-Learning with Unlimited Access
2020-2021 School Year


Welcome!
Introduction

Welcome to the Grade School Unit Study Program for 3rd through 6th grade students -- designed to simplify and streamline your home education experience. Through an integrated literature-based curriculum, your family receives clearly laid out directions for the parent(s), hands-on project-based activities for students, and a once-a-week recorded class to watch together.

How it Works
The full year course is segmented into three parts (Course 1, 2, and 3), hours usually taken in the fall, winter, and spring -- incorporating History, Science, Language Arts, Art, and Religion -- to learn all subjects together in a unit that coordinates and dovetails into one harmonized year of learning.


Your Program DescriptionThe Four-Year Sequence
The entire program, currently under development, will span a four-year sequence based on the four volumes of TAN Books’ History series, The Story of Civilization. The four years of study are...

            Ancient History (TSoC, Volume 1, Year One), Currently Available in Unlimited Access
            Medieval History (TSoC, Volume 2, Year Two), Available starting Mid-February 2021
            The Modern World (TSoC, Volume 3, Year Three), Available starting Mid-February 2022
            US History (TSoC, Volume 4, Year Four), Available starting Mid-February 2023

Your Learning and Course Formats

Your Yearlong, Three-Part Ancient History Program:
The yearlong grade school unit study program is taught in three parts: Part One (13 weeks); Part Two (12 weeks); and a short Part Three (4 weeks). Take all three parts, to create a complete year of learning.

Lesson Plans for Daily Activities
Families are provided with daily lessons, checklists, and other resources and learning materials.

The Grade School Unit Study Program uses a four-day-week course of study: families work together on interactive lessons (guided materials and instruction) and watch a weekly class together. The fifth day can be a free day for museum visits, nature walks, co-op classes, play dates, etc.

Subjects
Your List of Subjects Scheduled for the Four School Days (Per Week) 

* History (30-60 minutes per day) 
* Literature Read-Aloud (30-60 minutes per day) 
* Greek & Latin Roots (10-15 minutes per day) 
* Poetry Memorization (10-15 minutes per day) 
* Creative Writing (Odd weeks, 60-90 minutes per week)
* Science (Even weeks, 60-90 minutes per week)
* Solo Reading (time varies per family choice; suggested 30-60 minutes per day) 
* Project Work (time varies per family choice; suggested 60-90 minutes per week)

Core Texts
Getting Your Texts/Books
The same texts are used for all three parts of the series.

●      New or used copies of the texts will work for use in this course. See BookFinder.com for the best prices.
●      Choosing Prices: The price range after each title reflects the lowest price (Kindle edition or used edition) to the highest price range (new and/or hardback edition).
●      Coupon Code: TAN Books has generously offered a coupon code for Homeschool Connections families to purchase supplementary materials for the series, The Story of Civilization. This code is provided on the Moodle course page that you will have access to after registration.

Your Book ListPurchase or borrow the following books for the school year (required):
1.     The Story of Civilization (TSoC), Volume 1: The Ancient World by Phillip Campbell, (ISBN- 10: 1505105668; ISBN-13: 978-1505105667) (*New $20; pre-owned $12) (Used All Year) Note: Supplementary TSoC Student and Teacher texts and Audio/Video products are optional. Depending upon your budget, we recommend adding supplementary texts as tools for further engagement.
2.     Archimedes and the Door of Science, by Jeanne Bendick. (ISBN- 10: 9781883937126; ISBN-13: 978-1883937126) (*New $13; pre-owned $5) (Used Part One)
3.     D’Aulaire’s Book of Greek Myths, by Ingri and Edgar d’Aulaire (ISBN- 10: 9780440406945; ISBN-13: 978-0440406945 (*New $14; pre-owned $5) (Used All Year)
4.     Around the Year Once Upon a Time Saints, by Ethel Pochocki (ISBN- 10: 1932350268; ISBN-13: 978-1932350265) (*New $15; pre-owned $14) (Used All Year)
5.     Detectives in Togas, by Henry Winterfeld, (ISBN-10: 0152162801; ISBN- 13: 978-0152162801) (Fall 2019) (*New $7; pre-owned $3.50) (Used Part One)
6.     St. Paul the Apostle, by Mary Fabyan Windeatt (ISBN: 9780895554260) (*New $16; Pre-owned $8.50 BF) (Used Used Part Two and Three)
7.     Galen and the Gateway to Medicine, by Jeanne Bendick (ISBN: 9781883937751; ISBN-10: 1883937752) (*New $15; pre-owned $9.50) (Used Part Two and Three)


Frequently Asked Questions
What role does the parent play?
In this unit study program, the parent’s role is to…
1. Schedule and implement the course material into your daily school and home life.
2. Schedule and engage in read-aloud time. 
3. Guide students with art and science projects.
3. Grade some student work (approximately 30-60 minutes per week, depending on family choice of enrichment activities).
4. Watch recorded class sessions with your student(s) each week. 

What’s included in the course?
Enrolled families will receive…
1. A weekly checklist of activities and assignments and a timeline template.
2. Computer-graded quizzes, project work instructions (science, art, history), and creative writing assignments.
3. A suggested daily schedule for the four-day school week. 
4. A list of optional supplementary books for solo reading for multiple grade levels.
5. A recorded class each week with the instructor.

Is Instructor Access offered for this course?
Yes! Mrs. Jackie de Laveaga is available for grading assistance. The course plan for each semester includes eight to ten assignments that are designed to be submitted for instructor grading. These assignments are in addition to the auto-graded quizzes and parent-graded assignments which are in the course. These instructor-graded assignments include science and history assignments, and art projects as well as creative writing assignments. Instructor Access is an optional service for parents who would like additional help for a fee.
Can I sign up for this course with Single Access?
Since the Grade School Unit Study Program is made up of multiple subjects, it is not eligible for the single-course price. It is available through Unlimited Access and can be used with multiple children.

Can my preschool to 2nd grade children join in this course with older siblings?
Yes! Younger children can participate in read aloud time and activities with older brothers and sisters. Parents can adjust projects to a younger child’s ability. We recommend For the Love of Literature by Maureen Wittmann (Homeschool Connections Co-Founder) for picture books from the era. (www.beholdpublications.com/wordpress1/product/love-of-literature/?v=2320522a6676).

Can I coordinate the grade school program with your middle and high school courses?
Yes! Your older students can also get both LIVE, interactive courses and/or recorded, independent-learning courses here at Homeschool Connections -- courses that cover the same historical era as this program, so your elementary through high school students can study the same four-year historical sequence together.

When you give your middle and high school students courses in the same areas of History, Literature, Science, and more, you create a full, multi-grade study of the same era in your homeschool. Visit “The Four Year Cycle” article for more information on matching courses here:  http://homeschoolconnectionsonline.blogspot.com/search/label/4-Year%20Cycle.

Your Instructor
Jackie de Laveaga, M.Ed.
Your instructor for the Grade School Unit Study program is Mrs. Jackie de Laveaga.
Mrs. de Laveaga holds a Bachelor of Arts (BA) degree in English and Secondary Education and a Master of Education (M.Ed.) degree with an emphasis in Language Arts Instruction. Her career and her experience include teaching online middle school and high school courses in writing, journalism, and humanities – as well as teaching live courses in literature, history, composition, and drama to students in grades 1 through college. Mrs. de Laveaga loves homeschooling and learning alongside her five children; two have graduated from college and married, one is in college, and two of her children are at home. You can reach Mrs. de Laveaga by email at delaveaga.hsc@gmail.com.


Questions?We’re happy to help!
Simply email homeschoolconnections@gmail.com, or call Toll Free, 1-888-372-4757, and we’ll get right back to you with answers!
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