Do you teach Pre-History?

[Mommybostic]

I received my copy of Usborne's Internet Linked Ecyclopedia of World History to use in conjunction with SOTW for my fifth grader, along with various other things. It has a big section devoted to the creation of the universe, dinosaurs, etc.

 

Now, my son LOVES dinosaurs, thinks they're awesome, and he has a dinosaur encyclopecdia under the tree as I type, but I was curious about teaching it. Should I delay a couple of weeks of SOTW and allow him to explore this topic a little more in depth? What about introducing him to the scientific theory of how the universe was created? He holds a strong Christian belief, but we are able to reconcile that with scientific theory.

 

Do any of you teach pre-history? How do you approach it? I guess I just never thought about it before.

 

Thanks!

[redsquirrel]

I think I handed him the useborn encyclopedia in august (we start school in sept) and I told him to check it out. He poured over the pages, along with his little brother, for weeks. I also had the Oxford World in Ancient Times prehistory book. He read through that as well.

 

I didn't stress how much he retained when reading on his own. I had a one month unit on evolution as part of life science this year, so we went all over the same stuff again.

 

I think SWB addresses it briefly in TWTM schedule and says that it is possible but you will have to make up the time later on. That was why I sort of did it before we started school. I knew that was one part of history and science that he wouldn't mind doing on summer break.

 

Gah! I guess I should add that I did this because we were starting again with ancient history. Sorry if that was unclear

Edited December 23, 2010 by redsquirrel
lack of clarity

[mcconnellboys]

I cover it with ancients, at the beginning of my study. I also cover it from the standpoint of the creation of the earth, dinosaurs, etc. along with earth science.

[Mallory]

Like redsquirrel we did it the summer before we started Ancient history and Biology. I also had planned out sort of a loose idea of what to do, but once I got out the Usborne Encyc and the dino/fossil/evolution books I had they really took off on thier own.

 

I would say if he is interested it could be an easy way to start science or an easy book basket to add to your day. I also think that if you are going to have some deschooling time, learning together about something he is interested in might be a great way to start your time at home (as long as you can keep it fun, not "schooly".)

[Hunter]

I'd talk about how we know less than we want to know about this period of time, and why we know so little.

 

Speculation is fun. This period of history is large and...well...fun. But...much is just speculation. And the people who claim to know the most, and are the loudest, are often the ones spreading the most speculation, not facts.

 

Rather than TEACH this period, I think it is best to PLAY with it.

 

I'm covering this period right now in my own self studies as week one in SOW. I got some great picture and science books from the library on creation and the big bang and God. The curriculum is creation based...but I'm just playing around and well...enjoying all of it.

 

I'm supposed to be writing a persuasive paragraph proving creation, and a friend is tutoring me who is an atheist, and she finds the assignment to be a good one, and says its important to learn to defend whatever is assigned.

 

I was emailed a links to an online lecture. I'll try and post it in the morning. Oh yeah it's been morning for over an hour now :-) Later in the morning I guess :-)

Edited December 23, 2010 by Hunter

[Hunter]

How to take notes on the lecture

http://education.exeter.ac.uk/dll/studyskills/note_taking_skills.htm

 

Part 1: http://www.godtube.com/watch/?v=J9B9CMNU

Part 2: http://www.godtube.com/watch/?v=D7L7ZPNX

Part 3: http://www.godtube.com/watch/?v=D7LKLLNX

Part 4: http://www.godtube.com/watch/?v=D7LKLWNX

Part 5: http://www.godtube.com/watch/?v=D7LKD7NX

Part 6: http://www.godtube.com/watch/?v=D7LK7LNX

Part 7: http://www.godtube.com/watch/?v=J9BF9FNU

Part 8: http://www.godtube.com/watch/?v=D7LK7GNX

Edited December 23, 2010 by Hunter

[redsquirrel]

I cover it with ancients, at the beginning of my study. I also cover it from the standpoint of the creation of the earth, dinosaurs, etc. along with earth science.

 

That's a great point. I will be covering it again as part of Earth/Space science. I seem to remember being middle school aged and having to memorize the different epochs as part of science class. I can have the middle schooler do that this time around and the first grader can join in.

[KarenNC]

We school year round, so we did it this past summer (before starting ancients again). In earth/space science previously we'd gone over origins of the universe, so we revisited that, revisited basic evolution and then focused a bit more on hominid evolution this time around.

[Mommybostic]

That's a great point. I will be covering it again as part of Earth/Space science. I seem to remember being middle school aged and having to memorize the different epochs as part of science class. I can have the middle schooler do that this time around and the first grader can join in.

 

I've got Earch Science on the agenda after we finish Science 5, so that is an excellent point. I didn't really think about it from the science point of view, I was thinking of history since it's in the front of our book. But we can always come back to that when we start science, or we can touch on it for a little bit. The only thing is I figure once we start on it, he will want to spend a while on it. I guess we'll just go with the flow!

[Jyniffrec]

I also had the Oxford World in Ancient Times prehistory book. He read through that as well.

 

I just found this book yesterday and went through it this morning. I was pleased to find a logic stage book that went into so much depth on the subject.

 

I was planning to use 2 weeks on the subject next year but now that I've read these posts I may assign it as summer reading.

[Hunter]

It can be interesting to compare the European/Asian Stone Age to the American, African and Australian Stone Ages and to the last few surviving Stone Age cultures still left today.