Paco’s Curriculum and Book List, 2007-2008

Our self-designed curriculum for an 11-year-old (4th or 5th grader)

Basic Curriculum:

  • Religion/Catechism/Liturgical Year:
    • Catholic Mosaic and book selections
    • The Holy Bible (RSV-CE)
    • Faith and Life
    • Baltimore Catechism
    • Santa’s Favorite Story
    • Can We Help You, St. Nicholas?
    • The Clown of God
    • Room for a Little One
    • Jingle the Christmas Clown
    • The Little Drummer Boy
  • English:
    • Classical Writing
  • Math:
    • Math-U-See
    • Saxon Math 76
  • Science:
    • K’nex Educational
  • History:
    • Kingfisher History Encyclopedia
  • Latin:
    • Latina Christiana II
    • Minimus Latin

Booklist:

Math:
Measuring Penny by Loreen Leedy
Anno’s Mysterious Multiplying Jar
Amanda Bean’s Amazing Dream by Cindy Neuschwander
The Best of Times by Greg Tang
Spaghetti and Meatballs for All by Marilyn Burns
The Grapes of Math by Greg Tang
One Odd Day by Doris Fisher and Dani Sneed
Bunny Money by Rosemary Wells

History:

Star of Fear, Star of Hope (1942, Nazi occupation, Germany)
Call of the Wild (Canada, 19th century, Klondike gold rush)
The Hand of Apollo by Elizabeth Coatsworth (Greece)
The Island on the Border by Trella Lamson Dick (Civil War)
The Civil War for Kids: A History with 21 Activities

Literature:
The Bremen Town Musicians by Lisbeth Zwerger
The Owl Who Was Afraid of the Dark by Jill Tomlinson (I didn’t like this that much; children don’t need suggestions to fear the dark)
Star of Fear, Star of Hope (Nazi occupation, France, Vichy, Jewish people)
Magic Hoofbeats: Horse Tales from Many Lands retold by Josepha Sherman (horses, Pawnee, Basque, Russian, French Canadian, Albanian, Iranian, Hungarian)
Mother Teresa by Demi (religion)
Zlateh the Goat by Isaac Bashevis Singer (Jewish people, Poland, Hannukah)
Angelo by David Macaulay (Rome, Italy, pigeons, churches, art)
Fluffy, Scourge of the Sea by Teresa Bateman (rhyme)
If by Rudyard Kipling, with pictures by Charles R. Smith, Jr. (manhood, boyhood, courage, confidence, patience, integrity, poetry)
The Call of the Wild (Jack London)
Old Yeller (dogs)
St. Jerome and the Lion by Margaret Hodges (religion)
Joan of Arc: Heroine of France by Ann Tompert (religion, history: 15th century)
Poppy by Avi (science: deermouse, owl)
Chester Cricket’s Pigeon Ride by George Selden (pigeons)
Young Mary of Nazareth by Marianna Mayer (religion, history, Mary)
Brother Wolf, Sister Sparrow: Stories About Saints and Animals by Eric A. Kimmel (saints, religion)
Curious George Rides a Bike by H. A. Rey
Pigeon Post by Arthur Ransome (prospecting, mines, science)
The Borrowers by Mary Norton (fantasy)
Green Eggs and Ham and Other Servings of Dr. Seuss (audio)
Jock’s Island by Elizabeth Coatsworth – dogs, nature, adventure, survival – 3 1/2 stars
The Moffats by Eleanor Estes – family life, large families, humor – 3 stars
Last Horse on the Sands by Arthur Catherall – horses, England, rescue, heroism – 4 stars
The Little Wing Giver (picture book) by Jacques Taravant and Peter Sis
Andy Buckram’s Tin Men by Carol Ryrie Brink (fantasy, robots)
Paco’s Miracle by Ann Nolan Clark (New Mexico, Christmas, Saint Francis, life in the mountains)
Finnegan II: His Nine Lives by Carolyn Sherwin Bailey (cats)
The Man Who Lost His Head by Claire Huchet Bishop
Homer Price by Robert McCloskey
Snorri and the Strangers by Nathaniel Benchley
Martin the Warrior by Brian Jacques
The Bellmaker by Brian Jacques
Taggerung by Brian Jacques
The Long Patrol by Brian Jacques
Pearls of Lutra by Brian Jacques
Chancy and the Grand Rascal by Sid Fleischman

Science/Nature:
Owl moon by Jane Yolen
Renewable Energy by Alan Collinson
Nuclear Power by Ian Graham

English
Miss Alaineus: A Vocabulary Disaster by Debra Frasier

Music
Zin! Zin! Zin! A Violin by Lloyd Moss
A Mouse Called Wolf

Sports:
Apple Batter (picture book) – baseball, apples, fall – 4 stars
Game Plan by Thomas J. Dygard – football, teamwork, trust, peer relationships, leadership, confidence – 4 1/2 stars
Quarterback Walk-On by Thomas J. Dygard – football, teamwork, trust, leadership – 4 1/2 stars
Halfback Tough by Thomas J. Dygard – football, trust, teamwork, friendship, dealing with conflict – 3 stars
Second Stringer by Thomas J. Dygard – football

Art:
Dinotopia – fantasy, science, adventure, artwork and illustration – 4 stars

Other:
Space and Beyond by R.A. Montgomery
Star Wars, the Ultimate Visual Guide

Centerburg Tales by Robert McCloskey
The Great Brain Reforms by John D. Fitzgerald
The Return of the Great Brain by John D. Fitzgerald
Rufus M. by Eleanor Estes
The Great Brain Does It Again by John D. Fitzgerald
The Great Brain by John D. Fitzgerald
Ramona the Brave by Beverly Cleary
The Great Brain is Back by John D. Fitzgerald
The Legend of Luke by Brian Jacques
Halfback Tough by Thomas J. Dygard

Far Out the Long Canal
September Island
Mr. Mysterious and Company by Sid Fleischman
The Golden Venture
The Castle Family
The Return of the Twelves
Children of Bach
The Sea Wall
Five Boys in a Cave
Black Fox of Lorne
The Secret of Stoneship Woods
Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets
The Canterbury Tales
Little Dermot and the Thirsty Stones
Phoebe the Spy
Storm in the Night
A Remainder of One
Clever Ali
Chester Cricket’s Pigeon Ride
Gay-Neck, The Story of a Pigeon
Prisoners in the Snow
Seven Simeons: A Russian Tale
The Cave
Jon the Unlucky
The Tale of a Donkey
Snow Dog
Triss: A Tale from Redwall
High Rhulain
Bandits and Outlaws
Duel in the High Hills
The Story of a Bad Boy
Escape from Warsaw
By the Sword
Snow Moon
Little Cat Baby
Grandmother’s Pigeon
The Civil War for Kids: A History with 21 Activities

Field Trips:
– London, Lourdes, Paris (March 2008)
– MarsQuest program – Planetarium

Movies:
The Blue Butterfly
Batman and Robin (1949)
Nanny McPhee
The Flintstones
Race Forever

Cobweb Christmas: The Tradition of Tinsel by Shirley Climo
Three Pebbles and a Song – Eileen Spinelli
Milly and the Macy’s Parade – Shana Corey
Tony’s Bread – Tomie de Paola