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my K-er is obsessed with mythology! but....


Courtney_Ostaff
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I'd like some advice from the Hive Mind.

 

We started HSing in August, switched to a private school in November (long story), and I'm pulling her out in the next two weeks.  

 

During all this time, she's been obsessed with Greek, Roman, and Norse mythology. My poor, beleaguered husband, who is the designated bedtime reader, pretty much has D'Aulaire's Book of Greek Myths and D'Aulaire's Book of Norse Myths memorized at this point.  He's also read to her:

  • Padraic Colum's The Children of Odin, 
  • Classic Myths to Read Aloud by William Russell,
  • Myths of the Norsemen From the Eddas and Sagas by H. A. Guerber, 
  • Asgard Stories Tales from Norse Mythology by Cummings, Mabel H. and Foster, Mary H.
  • The Legends of King Arthur and His Knights by Sir James Knowles (not a hit)

While I'm pleased she's so into mythology, it's a little disconcerting.  My mother (who lives with us), was talking about Vikings, and so I mentioned that the Vikings are the Norsemen, and she was puzzled.  :huh:

 

Clearly, I need to do some context with her, so I thought that this spring would be a great opportunity to use some history and geography for background on the stories.  I'm just a leeetle unsure how to go about it.

 

I thought perhaps that we should at least do some maps, because she likes maps, I like maps, and we have maps on the wall.  She's kind of familiar with the world map already.  I bought Dover's Around the World Coloring Book for her, as well as Dover's Greek and Roman gods coloring books.  I'm tempted to start SOTW Ancient Times, but I'm not entirely sure that's really where I want to go.

 

I just don't want her to end up like the gifted, PS 4th grader I met this winter, who had no idea what a continent was.  :thumbdown:

 

Thoughts? Ideas? Suggestions?

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I suggest Egyptian myths, to give poor old Dad a change. :D

 

I'm not sure what to suggest to answer your question though, because I'd be viewing the mythology craze as a WONDERFUL introduction to the history and geography which can come later on if you don't want to do it now. Perhaps get a historical atlas to compare with the current world map?

 

I have the myths coming after history, and if I'd realised that was how it was going to turn out, I'd have planned it the other way around, I think. But I guess it doesn't matter in the end anyway.

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We have both a paper copy of some Egyptian myths, Weiss's Egyptian myths audio book, and some e-books, and she's not having anything to do with Egypt. We've also tried Russian fairy tales (fail, because we only found morbid, depressing ones), Anansi folk tales (meh, not so interesting to her, few available), and Native American stories (outright "no, thank you") Stubborn little girl.   :001_rolleyes:

 

I do want to do geography and history, very much so---but I want to do something methodical, with a strong visual emphasis.  She is *such* a visual person, and she's still really young. Given those two issues, I don't want her to think of history and geography as so many words, but instead a beautiful tapestry....if that makes sense.  :)

 

A historical atlas is a good idea! I don't know if I have one handy--I'll have to look.  

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We use the SOTW books and the Activity Books that go with them. I group the reading in books 1 and 2 more by region than strict chronology the way they're written. We incorporate history, geography, science, literature, folklore/mythology, crafts and a little economics using the suggested resources in them and others I've found online them withThe Ubsorne Book of World History with it's images based on archeological finds and Terry Johnson's Blackline maps of World History (now sold as Map Trek) for weekly related geography as it's laid out chronologically just like SOTW. We also use the Timeline Figures from Homeschooling in the Woods and put them in The Wonders of Old timeline book of World History also by Johnson. There are lots of coloring books, cards and stickers for art and clothing covering different eras in history from Dover Publications.  I'm definitely systematic and thorough.

 

 

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