Australian Homeschool Scope & Sequence

Year Six

Ages 11-12

This is a suggested outline of how to organise your curriculum for Year Six. Curriculum choice varies depending on the individual child and specific family's homeschooling needs. So feel free to change it as it suits you.

This guideline has been written with consideration of the Australian National Curriculum and the methods of Charlotte Mason.

If you are new to homeschooling find out more here and see our how to homeschool booklists for more ideas.

Year Six Scope & Sequence

• Bible: Scripture readings and christian literature
• English: Copy work, Dictation, Narrations, literature and language skills
• Math: Follow chosen curriculum
• Australian History: Australia as a Nation 1900-2000 Federation, The British Empire, Westminster System, Australian Government, key figures in our nation. Prime Ministers of Australia,Sally Morgan,John Flynn and Ahn Do
• Science and Nature Study: Follow Apologia schedule for Year 4 to 6
• Geography: Big Idea: Going Global
  
• Picture Study: Using the work of Margaret Preston, Darcy Doyle and Albert Namatjira

Homeschooling Downunder Grade Five Resources

Curriculum Suggestions By Subjects

Bible

Continue with scripture reading and choose some books from out Christian Children's Books list.

English

LANGUAGE & LITERACY

Teaching English can be done without a workbook BUT many of us do not have the confidence to do that.

Intermediate Language Lessons-Part 3, Emma Serl is a three year program for Year 4 to Year 6 that teaches variety of English skills.

Combine with this resource with daily copywork and a reading program to complete your language arts program.

A good grammar and punctuation reference is useful at this stage. I recommend The Briefest English and Punctuation Guide Ever!

Use our copywork resources or passages chosen from their other reading material.

Spelling can be taught during weekly dictation. If you use Intermediate Language Lessons-Part 3, Emma Serl this is part of the resource.

If you would like more dictation exercises you can use our resource Downunder Dictation. Another good dictation resource is Spelling Wisdom (make sure you get the British spelling version. For Year 6 use Book 2).

LITERATURE

Choose a novel from our suggested list and combine it with Any Novel Novel Study Guide.

Poetry

The Oxford Treasury of Classic Poems

Science & Nature Reading

Crowns of Fire illustrated by Cath Chegwidden

Classics

Around the World in 80 Days (Unabridged Classics) by Jules Verne

Read Aloud Suggestions List

Look through our Living Booklists for some ideas

Math

• Chosen curriculum
• Math drill such as Times Table Drill Copywork  or Calculadder
• Mathletics is also a fun online resource.
• Math Online - Read my review and find out about the homeschool discount

Science and Nature Study

The Australian National Curriculum teaches the science disciplines biology, chemistry, earth and space (geology & astronomy) and physical science (physics). Within each school year a portion of the each science strand is chosen for study. Science teaching is broken down into science understanding, science skills and human endeavour. The curriculum states that these topics are interrelated and that scheduling of topics can be taught at the teacher’s discretion.

For science we have enjoyed the Apologia Exploring Creation series by Jeannie Fullbright. These books are best done as read alouds in the early primary and in late primary school they can be done independently. The notebooks are not necessary. Choose one book per year to complete from Year Three to Year Six.

The topics that I recommend are:

• Exploring Creation with Astronomy(excellent--my kids love this one)
• Swimming Creatures of the Fifth Day: Exploring Creation with Zoology 2 (the ocean box was very popular)
• Land Animals of the Sixth Day: Exploring Creation with Zoology 3 (lots of marsupials in there)
• Exploring Creation with Human Anatomy and Physiology

For other science strands I recommend the books of John Hudson Tiner. Read one as a read aloud each year.

Exploring the World of Physics: From Simple Machines to Nuclear Energy
Exploring the World of Chemistry: From Ancient Metals to High-Speed Computers by John Hudson Tiner
Johannes Kepler, Sower Series .Many titles are in this series. Written with a Christian world view.

Note: Since geology covers the theory of evolution we suggest that you choose a resource that you have considered for yourself. We like books from Creation Ministries

NATURE STUDY

• Nature study and journaling will continue to teach about living things and how they grow.
• Nature Walks once per week.
• Read Crowns of Fire

History

Australian History begins from Year 4. Some Australian history has been covered in previous years but this year we will see a more comprehensive approach. Australian geography is covered within the history of Australia. Nature study also gives some observation skills as the physical geography of local areas is recorded. Please use your Australian Map to locate places and events that occurred within history.

The Australian National Curriculum covers the history of Australia in three sections:

• First Contacts to Australia before 1800. (Year 4)
• The Australian Colonies 1800-1900 (Year 5)
• Australia as a nation from 1900 (Year 6)

Our Sunburnt Country by Arthur Baillie is the history of Australia from first contacts to modern times.

It can be read in total this year or split into three sections to follow the Australian National Curriculum (ANC) guidelines.

Reading Schedule for Our Sunburnt Country

• Year 4 Chapters 1 to 5
• Year 5 Chapters 6 to 10
• Year 6 Chapters 11 to 15

ADDITIONAL READING

The Long Walk by Kerry Greenwood is a fictional story set in the Great Depression of 1929

The Bombing of Darwin (My Australian Story) by Alan Tucker about the Japanese bombing Darwin in WWII

Sally's Story: "My Place" for Young Readers - Part 1 (My place) by Sally Morgan Tells the story of aboriginal children growing up in the 60's in Perth. This is a highly recommended book about the life of an Aboriginal family in the 1960’s. Grandma's story does have some disturbing information so I suggest the young reader version.

The Happiest Refugee: A Memoir by Ahn Do Excellent story of Vietnamese boat peoples' immigration to Australia. Some swearing. We read it as a read aloud. Not to be missed in my opinion.

Australian History Notebook

Notebooking is a good way to record history and be be worked on over the next three years. This notebook comes with notebooking pages specifically set out for Our Sunburnt Country. Children of this age may not be confident in written narrations or chapter summaries so you may need to write some of their narrations down or ask them to illustrate some pictures.

OPTIONAL RESOURCES FOR YEAR SIX

Prime Ministers of Australia by Jill Bruce

Who's on the Money? by Chris Miles

Picture Study

For this period of history we study the art of Margaret Preston, Darcy Doyle and Albert Namatjira. These works are still under copyright so you will have to find some coffee table books from your library.

Geography

The ANC big idea for Year 6 is going global and environmental disaster that effect Australia. Our history readers also tie in with this theme.

Crowns of Fire focus on the devastation of Bush fire.

Hills End by Ivan Southall is a fictional story about children caught in the aftermath of a horrific cyclone.

Read through Around the World in 80 Days and map the journey.

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