How to Make the Most of CC’s Challenge A

CC Challenge A curriculum

Welcome to our Challenge A Page!

Our hope is that this series of pages becomes a great resource for CC families. 

This page is part of our series on how we homeschool with Classical Conversations. 
Check out a full list of all the resources on our main CC page here.

Table of Contents for This Page:

I know there’s a lot of information here, but I’m going to try hard to use headings and bold lettering to make it easy to scan!

Please know that my youngest completed Ch A in the fall of 2023, so I may not be up to date on anything new!

Help Contribute!

If you have some suggestions or additional samples of student work you’d like me to add here, please send them to me at: Julie (at) RidgeLightRanch.com

And now for some legal stuff

I try to use affiliate links whenever possible. So, if you use one of these links I may get a few pennies from it. However, the cost to you will be the same. I promise that I never choose what to suggest to you based on the benefit I might receive from it. You can learn more about our affiliate policy here.

Classical Conversations has asked me to tell you that “References to Classical Conversations do not constitute or imply endorsement by the company.” I’m guessing you knew that, but now we’re all on the same page.

Five Common Topics- Circle Sticker

I’m assuming you already read about how we do Classical Conversations and about how we do Challenge, where I cover:

I also want to remind you to also talk with your CC Director. This page is one mom’s advice and each CC group does things a little differently.

Now let’s move on to the Challenge A-specific material!

How to Grade Challenge A

I cover all the general information about Grading in Challenge on my general CC- Challenge page. I hope you’ll read that first!

For most students, Challenge A is their 7th-grade year. Since the student is not in high school, you may not need to grade at all. However, I think it’s a good idea to grade at least a few subjects, so your student isn’t shocked when high school rolls around. However you use this spreadsheet, I think it’s a good idea to sit down with your student and explain what this spreadsheet is for and what it measures (it doesn’t exactly measure learning, as I mentioned in the Grading in Challenge segment)!

Within this Excel spreadsheet are two tabs- one for each semester. Each Subject below has some additional details on how I grade that subject. Since this is an excel file, you may need to right-click and choose “save as…” in order to open the file.

Please keep in mind that CC’s curriculum has shifted in a few areas so you may need to update other things as well, but at least it’s a good start!

Challenge A (7th Grade) Grading Plan Spreadsheet (updated 08/2024)
CC Challenge 4 grading sheet

1. Logic (Math) Strand

CC has introduced The Math Map. My kids are older and I know next to nothing about it! Sorry! I hear good things about “The Math Map Book Club” on YouTube and the “Math Map Lessons w/ References” Facebook group.

Still, I have a lot to say about Logic-Math and most of it applies to all the Challenge levels, so I’ve moved that info to a separate page. I hope you’ll check it out:

Saxon Math

2. Grammar (Latin) Strand

Again, I have a lot to say about Latin (and some great free downloads) and most of it applies to all the Challenge levels, so I’ve moved that info to a separate page. I hope you’ll check it out:

Latin in CC-Challenge

3. Research (Science) Strand

The Research/Science strand is broken into 3 sections: Natural Science, Science Fair, and Biology/Anatomy.

CC Science Fair
Eyeball Dissection

A. Natural Science

This should be a fun unit for the students! They get to pick a topic, research it a bit, and write a report on it. They can use books you have on hand, library books, or online resources. You can have your students write an IEW style paper, or just have a key word outline on an index card. Ask your director what they’ll be doing in class.

SAMPLE! Here’s a sample paper that my oldest wrote about the Arizona Tiger Salamander when he was in Ch. A. Even though we took out all the markers, you may notice he wrote an IEW-style paper. He’s a pretty natural writer and enjoys writing, so if your student isn’t like that, you’ll probably want to scale the papers down to a single paragraph.

Hopefully, your student will want to sketch whatever they researched! If your student is overwhelmed by the idea of drawing, have them trace an image instead! We can learn soooo much when we trace! As an artist myself, I have so much I want to tell you about tracing, but I’ve already said it all on the Tracing is Amazing page, so check it out!

B. Science Fair

Your guide lays this all out for you. Just remember, Science Fair is NOT about playing around doing science experiments. It’s about the scientific method, the report, and the presentation. If you’d like your student to be curious and try stuff, start that long before science fair time (like over the summer)! Once the Science Fair unit arrives, it’s time to buckle down and follow instructions.

One of the hardest parts of the Science Fair is finding a project where you truly can control ALL the variables but one, so keep that in mind as you plan!

C. Biology/Anatomy

Once again, your guide has all you need!

Students will take Biology in Challenge 2, but it doesn’t have hardly any anatomy, so this is a great little unit. Still, don’t worry if they miss some here. (Most traditional schools don’t do ANY anatomy, although they often have a health class, which has a bit of anatomy).

Trace and draw the body systems, label them, and watch a few YouTube videos about each body system each week.

In class, many communities will do some dissections of animal parts (my son was super fascinated by the eyeball!) toward the end of the semester! If your child is a bit squeamish, view some dissections on YouTube prior to the live dissections. This often helps students get accustomed to the sights before they are accompanied by smells!

What to Purchase for Research (Science)

  • Tri-fold poster board (I think everyone uses these for Science Fair)
  • Optional: CC’s Nature Sketch Journal (we just used a spiral notebook and loose paper instead)

What Goes in the Binder?

  • Each week they are adding their homework and such to the binder.

How to Grade Research (Science)

  • I used my IEW rubric (more about this on my Essentials page) to grade the science research papers at the beginning of the year.
  • For Science Fair, I split the work (and points) between Preparation, which is the work the guide suggests students do before Christmas, and Presentation, which is the work they do after Christmas.
  • For Anatomy, I had my son turn in his best labeled drawing and complete a quiz (matching terms and labeling a diagram) for each system.

4. Reasoning Strand

This year (summer 2026), CC has released a new “Reasoning Together” series of books. In Challenge A, students will use two of them: Reasoning Together Analogies, and Reasoning Together Puzzles.

Proverbs 25

In the Reasoning Together Analogies book, the students will look at Proverbs 25 (NKJ) during the first semester. If you choose to do this, we have some items to help:

Flashcards of Proverbs 25
handwriting practice proverbs 25
proverbs 25 handwriting examples

What to Purchase for Reasoning

  • CC’s Reasoning Together: Analogies Book (previously called Analogies for All of Us)
  • CC’s Reasoning Together: Puzzles Book
  • (The beloved Fallacy Detective is no longer used!)

What Goes in the Binder?

  • We just put the Proverbs 25 handwriting sheets in here

How to Grade Reasoning

  • Previously, I graded the Analogies for All of Us workbook, so I assume the Reasoning Together books have exercises to grade as well.

5. Exposition Strand

We use Lost Tools of Writing (LTW) in Ch A, B, and 1. Most of the information I have about LTW applies to all three levels, so I moved it (including the free download) all over here:

Lost Tools of Writing in CC-Challenge

Where to Find Each Challenge A Book

My older son loves paper and Kindle. My younger son loves audio. Our library had each book in assorted formats. Check with your library and see if they support both the Hoopla app and the Libby app. The selection of books will vary on each app and at each library! We also love our Audible subscription! Some of these are also on YouTube, but I’m not a fan of listening to books there.

Here’s where we found all the books:

*Included free in a paid Audible membership or a Kindle Unlimited Subscription

What to Purchase for Ch. A Exposition

  • The 10 novels (see above)- students will read them in the order they are listed in CC’s catalog. You do NOT need the same version CC sells. In fact, we mostly used audiobooks from the library and Audible!
  • The Lost Tools of Writing, Level 1 set (we used this a lot at first and then rarely used it after we caught the gist of it)
  • Optional: CC’s Words Aptly Spoken: Children’s Literature (we rarely used ours)- It has comprehension questions and discussion questions, but no answer key. So, if you need an answer key, look elsewhere.

What Goes in the Binder?

  • A copy of the charts above
  • A set of page protectors, one per paper, with the corresponding rubric in it. My sons can then quickly slide papers in a pocket without having to 3-hole punch them (apparently an arduous task). When they are finished with the paper, they turn in the whole page protector with the rubric, paper, and worksheets/brainstorming sheets.

How to Grade Exposition

I grade each paper using the above checklist as a rubric/checklist but send them back for revisions until they are A-level work.

6. Debate/ Cartography Strand

First, let’s talk about the name, “debate.” There are a lot of theories on why CC named this strand Debate. However, rather than retell them all here, I like to just think of this strand as “Social Studies,” and then it all fits.

Oh, I have sooooo much to tell you about Cartography! I love this strand and I’ve put countless hours into making it easier for you and your students! Here are the main things I have for you:

Cartography video course

What to Purchase for Debate (Cartography)

  • CC’s Exploring the World Through Cartography book (Students read out of it each week, but any atlas type book could substitute in a pinch)
  • Optional: Anyone Can Draw the World PDF or Video Course (my shameless plug!)

What Goes in the Binder?

  • I have my son keep the PDF instructions for the region he is currently learning behind this tab. The rest of the instructions are in a big binder on the bookcase.
  • I also have my son put all the maps he draws in or behind this pocket tab divider.

How We Grade Debate

I had my son turn in his best map for each region (all the points or none) and had him take cartography term quizzes for his grade.

7. Now Let’s Add Some Artsy Fun!

Beyond Cartography, which I told you all about above, Research (Science) will offer a bunch of great artsy opportunities! Here are some of my existing lesson plans that will coordinate great with the Natural Science unit:

How to draw texture

Also, I’m working on a full drawing video course called Anyone Can Learn to Draw. It’s available for pre-order now!

Anyone Can Learn to Draw video course description

8. Other Helpful Resources

I found these other resources very helpful!

  • Challenge Planners from Amanda Craig and Andrea Salzman (free with a suggested donation)- These break down the guide’s weekly work into daily work.

Help Contribute!

Now it’s your turn! Let me know how you make the most of Challenge A!

Want to say thank you and help support this kind of content?

You can buy me a cup of tea and help pay for the hosting of this website with a simple Thank You Donation.

Leave a Reply