What are you all using for history during middle school?

[Shellydon]

I feel like I need more discussion questions and output from y 7th grader, but not sure what to add.  She does outlining 2 times a week from history text and we read history aloud from both MOH and SOTW (history is for all 4 of my kids).  I add more, like Greenleaf's Famous Men of the R and R.   I like to add something that has more written work.  Suggestions?

[AK_Mom4]

This year, we are using History of US by Hakim, with videos added in from the TimeLife(?) series by the same name.  It's going well - DD likes the writing style and is learning to take notes.  I picked up the syllabus from Hewitt for scheduling and tests.

 

Last year for 7th, we did World Geography.  Not so much writing, but with lots of mapping and we used a text book from Glencoe.

 

Before that, we used History Odyssey by Pandia Press.  It had much more writing involved and a great book list.  They have a free try-before-you-buy that lets you download the first 10 lessons or so - maybe that would have the extra add-ins you are looking for?

[HSinNH]

We are in SOTW4 and I added in Connect the Thoughts: Into the 20th Century for more writing and critical thinking. We also use various lessons that line up with SOTW4 from Reading Like a Historian.  It is excellent; I am very impressed. It uses primary documents and questions from both sides of a historical event to show different points of view and help the child analyze the events.

[Laura W.]

Currently we are using History Revealed.  There are a lot of ideas for different learning activities and output - not just discussion and writing, but hands-on and creative things as well.

 

We used Biblioplan in the past.  There are writing suggestions and extra discussion ideas included in the materials.

 

Blessings,

 

Laura

[Shellydon]

Thank you!

[Kfamily]

We use an assortment of books but the main series we use for middle school through high school is the series by Dorothy Mills. I created guides to go along with the first two (Book of the Ancient World and Book of the Ancient Greeks), I'm nearly finished with a guide for the third book (The Book of the Ancient Romans), I will work on a guide for the 4th book next (The Middle Ages) and I've completed the guide for the last book (Renaissance and Reformation Times). I use the Foster books and The Landmark History of the American People by Daniel Boorstin for the time periods which come after the books by Mills. I love the books by Mills because she includes excerpts from primary sources, making it easier for me to expand on this. I tried the guides from Memoria Press but I found they focused too much on surface questions, didn't include variability and flexibility in output (writing, speaking, creative, etc.) options and did not incorporate primary sources, which I consider important. So, I ended up writing my own guides. :)

[happypamama]

My 7th grader is using History Odyssey Level 2.  She started Early Modern last year and will finish it this year and start Modern, which she should finish by the end of next year.  I like that it incorporates historic fiction, reading and outlining from Kingfisher History Encyclopedia and Human Odyssey, primary source work, research, and analysis.

[happypamama]

Also, if you're interested in History Odyssey, they offer the first ten lessons of each plan for free, which is enough for several weeks. And, last year, they had a 40% off sale on Black Friday, so you might want to look for that.

[Chrysalis Academy]

Another great resource for this age that I've not seen mentioned yet are the series from Oxford University Press - The World in Ancient Times and the Medieval and early Modern World series.  There are study guides and teacher's guides that go with each.  They are just right for middle grades students.  There is another series from OUP, Pages from History, which covers American history using primary documents.

 

A lot of people like and use the books from Human Odyssey, too.  There are three world history books and an American history book all useable by middle grade students.

[MEmama]

We use History Odyssey 2 as well. We skip using the Story of Mankind, and supplement heavily with a standard secular textbook and whatever we find at the library, plus documentaries. DS is really enjoying the required reading list this year; The Canterbury Tales has his been his favorite.

[Shellydon]

We use an assortment of books but the main series we use for middle school through high school is the series by Dorothy Mills. I created guides to go along with the first two (Book of the Ancient World and Book of the Ancient Greeks), I'm nearly finished with a guide for the third book (The Book of the Ancient Romans), I will work on a guide for the 4th book next (The Middle Ages) and I've completed the guide for the last book (Renaissance and Reformation Times). I use the Foster books and The Landmark History of the American People by Daniel Boorstin for the time periods which come after the books by Mills. I love the books by Mills because she includes excerpts from primary sources, making it easier for me to expand on this. I tried the guides from Memoria Press but I found they focused too much on surface questions, didn't include variability and flexibility in output (writing, speaking, creative, etc.) options and did not incorporate primary sources, which I consider important. So, I ended up writing my own guides. :)

 

I've not heard of the Dorothy Mills series, off to look that up!  I am so impressed you wrote your own guides!

[Shellydon]

Also, if you're interested in History Odyssey, they offer the first ten lessons of each plan for free, which is enough for several weeks. And, last year, they had a 40% off sale on Black Friday, so you might want to look for that.

 

Thank you!

[Kfamily]

The guides I wrote are still at my blog (A Mind in the Light) and can be downloaded and printed for free, if you find that you like the books by Dorothy Mills. I'm working hard to finish the guide for The Book of the Ancient Romans (3rd book) and posted, because Adobe is canceling their free membership and my files won't be accessible until I can move them to a web site of my own. Jan. 6, 2015 is the last day that Adobe will keep them available. I'll probably remove all of the files (but not the books and links) over the Christmas holidays.

[Shellydon]

The guides I wrote are still at my blog (A Mind in the Light) and can be downloaded and printed for free, if you find that you like the books by Dorothy Mills. I'm working hard to finish the guide for The Book of the Ancient Romans (3rd book) and posted, because Adobe is canceling their free membership and my files won't be accessible until I can move them to a web site of my own. Jan. 6, 2015 is the last day that Adobe will keep them available. I'll probably remove all of the files (but not the books and links) over the Christmas holidays.

 

Thank you again!

[Kfamily]

Here is where you can find them on my blog:

 

Year 5

The Book of the Ancient World

 

Year 8

The Book of the Ancient Greeks

Renaissance and Reformation Times

 

Book Notes

The Book of the Ancient Romans (because this one isn't finished yet, once I've finished it, I'll move it to Year 9 where it is placed in the curriculum)

 

I'll start The Middle Ages after I finish the Ancient Romans book.

[AimeeM]

We're doing civics/government/basic economics for middle school (so this year in 7th, and next year in 8th). It's something DD is interested in, and she's pretty burnt out on "history". The texts we're using, however, do provide a good amount of history in context. The program also requires written output in the form of a workbook, tests, and essay/paragraph questions.

[Shellydon]

We're doing civics/government/basic economics for middle school (so this year in 7th, and next year in 8th). It's something DD is interested in, and she's pretty burnt out on "history". The texts we're using, however, do provide a good amount of history in context. The program also requires written output in the form of a workbook, tests, and essay/paragraph questions.

 

What texts are you using?

[MicheleinMN]

Editing because I really didn't answer OP's question.  

 

Output is a discussion, outlining a section, or a narration of some kind; it all depends on what kind of day or week we are having. 

 

We started out using the The Book of the Ancient World by Dorothy Mills, but my son and I both prefer our set of The Picturesque Tale of Progress by Olive Beaupre Miller, so we've decided to read it together. :)

 

http://www.valerieslivinglibrary.com/ptp.htm

[FriedClams]

Sonlight. This year core w with Human Odyssey as the spine. Loving it. Last year we did core f.

[AimeeM]

What texts are you using?

Notgrass' "Uncle Sam and You" with accompanying workbook (they have a different one for upper grades, too, but my daughter likes the puzzles and activities in the workbook better) and supporting texts (the text has extension activities, writing assignments, etc at the end of each chapter or unit).

We're using Whatever Happened to Penny Candy? for basic economics, and after we read through it once, I'm going to buy the accompanying workbook for us to go back over the book.

[...................]

Ds:

6th - calvert

7th and 8th- history of the English Speaking Peoples by Churchill- abridged version plus Uncle Eric books

 

Dd: 6th will be SOTW 4 and she's actually reading the Penny Candy bokk today. She is very excited about this book and is almost finished. She will also read all the Uncle Eric books. I don't know what her 7th and 8th plans are. :)

[momacacia]

Hmmm...just curious, does no one do TOG anymore?

[Shellydon]

Hmmm...just curious, does no one do TOG anymore?

 

Most people I know that used TOG at one time, give it up after 2-3 years.....

 

I personally looked at it, but found it a HUGE amount of work.  It was just way too time consuming to even consider trying.

[LMD]

Currently we are using History Revealed. There are a lot of ideas for different learning activities and output - not just discussion and writing, but hands-on and creative things as well.

 

We used Biblioplan in the past. There are writing suggestions and extra discussion ideas included in the materials.

 

Blessings,

 

Laura

I'd love to hear how you're liking history revealed! It's front runner for us in Jan.

 

Eta- history hasn't been a strength up until now. I'd like to do history revealed for 5&6th and then omnibus in 7th.

[Kathie in VA]

We used TOG yr 1&2 for grades 7&8 in a co-op. Then we switch co-ops and now we are using a combination of 1&2 for 9th at the Rhetoric level. I don't know about next year as we will be moving. :(

[Shellydon]

This has been very helpful.  Thanks all.

[HollyDay]

My youngest used SOTW vol 4 plus Joy Hakim's History of US as outlined by Paula's Archives.  I added tons of literature, art, and writing.  It was great fun!

[idnib]

Another great resource for this age that I've not seen mentioned yet are the series from Oxford University Press - The World in Ancient Times and the Medieval and early Modern World series.  There are study guides and teacher's guides that go with each.  They are just right for middle grades students.  There is another series from OUP, Pages from History, which covers American history using primary documents.

 

A lot of people like and use the books from Human Odyssey, too.  There are three world history books and an American history book all useable by middle grade students.

 

 

We're using OUP and love it, although we've stopped to do Big History for a bit. 

 

OP, here's the thread in which I got some OUP guidance.

[Saddlemomma]

Currently we are doing TOG, Y3.  Next year we'll use Y4 and then have a gap year for 8th grade.  During that year, DD wants to study the Celts and some other people groups.  I think we'll also do North Star Geography by Bright Ideas Press as well.  https://www.brightideaspress.com/store/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=2_82&products_id=273

[Farrar]

Nothing. We decided to go interest led. But we may go back and do some of the Joy Hakim books - both the US history series and the science one.

[deerforest]

This is the first year we used anything organized. For K-4, we did interest-led, and I created our own plans. So, for 5th, I decided to start with ancients, but after a couple of previous failed attempts with SOTW, I knew I wasn't going to bother trying to use that series. We use the OUP series and K12 Human Odyssey as our primary spines. But, we also use a lot of other sources, including:

• Geography: World History Detective http://www.criticalthinking.com/world-history-detective-book-1.html and Ellen McHenry's Mapping the World by Art
• Science: Story of Science, Aristotle Leads the Way
• Math: Can You Count in Greek http://www.amazon.com/Can-You-Count-Greek-Exploring/dp/1593630565/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1417054889&sr=8-1&keywords=count+in+greek
• Several Great Courses and YouTube videos and other documentaries
• Lots of additional books, myths, primary sources, etc.
• Tons of projects, games, writing output, and final scrapbook project for each period

We do history daily and we are spending about 2 months on a time period covered in each OUP book. 

[RootAnn]

I won't likely be of much help as my eldest uses a Catholic text. There are plenty of written prompts, quizzes, and tests in the TM. I don't use most of them. I'm focusing on her getting all the reading & background info so she has the big picture in mind and be able to dig deeper as she is interested in high school. The writing she does helps me to make sure she's making connections in history or grasping things that I think will be helpful when she focuses on US History over the next two years. Otherwise, I just encourage her to read, read, read, and read some more.

 

My dd#2 is doing her second go-round with SOTW. She's just doing some extra reading & learning to outline non-fiction from the white Kingfisher on top of regular written or oral narrations from SOTW. I'm totally happy with that for now. I know where I want her to go with writing eventually and what I have her doing now will help us get there easier than how dd#1 did. She'll do more with outlining next year in SOTW4.

 

I'd suggest thinking about what the point of the extra written work would be and going from there.

[ondreeuh]

We used K12's Human Odyssey 1 for 6th grade and are using HO 2 for 7th. I love it, and my son loves it. It helps that he enjoys history and has excellent retention. We'll be doing Hakim's History of Us for 8th (all 10 books, hopefully!).

 

I plan to do the same thing with my next kid, except maybe Hakim's history in 5th or 6th and the Human Odyssey after that, depending on his interest and ability level.

[Loesje22000]

For now we use BJU Heritage studies, plan aftherthat is BJU WorldStudies, unknown and IB History, but then we will already be considered Highschool...

[mom31257]

After much thought and looking through various publishers at the convention last year, I decided ds will use BJU Heritage Studies throughout middle school and probably high school. The middle school sequence covers all of history as well, Ancient in 6th, the rest of world in 7th, and American in 8th.  

 

I am so impressed with their materials, especially the student activity manuals (AM). I will be adding in some historical fiction, but I wanted middle school to really challenge ds on the level of work required in a subject as well as testing over that material. The AM includes mapping, graphic organizers, outlining, essay writing, source documents, etc. For some strange reason, BJU doesn't have samples of the AMs on their website, but you can see some samples on Christian Book's site. The TM includes so many resources on CD and discussion questions for every page of the student text. There are 2-3 quizzes per chapter as well as a test. 

 

My dh, who is a history teacher, went with me to the convention and was far more impressed with BJU than most other programs we looked into while there. 

 

 

[mom31257]

Here are a couple of links to the AM, but I don't feel that the samples even do them justice for all the great things included.

 

BJU 7 World Studies Student Activity Manual

 

BJU 8 American Republic Student Activity Manual

[Shellydon]

After much thought and looking through various publishers at the convention last year, I decided ds will use BJU Heritage Studies throughout middle school and probably high school. The middle school sequence covers all of history as well, Ancient in 6th, the rest of world in 7th, and American in 8th.  

 

I am so impressed with their materials, especially the student activity manuals (AM). I will be adding in some historical fiction, but I wanted middle school to really challenge ds on the level of work required in a subject as well as testing over that material. The AM includes mapping, graphic organizers, outlining, essay writing, source documents, etc. For some strange reason, BJU doesn't have samples of the AMs on their website, but you can see some samples on Christian Book's site. The TM includes so many resources on CD and discussion questions for every page of the student text. There are 2-3 quizzes per chapter as well as a test. 

 

My dh, who is a history teacher, went with me to the convention and was far more impressed with BJU than most other programs we looked into while there. 

 

This is good info., thanks.  I have not looked into BJU at all.

[mom31257]

This is good info., thanks.  I have not looked into BJU at all.

 

You are welcome! I am using BJU for history and science, but I'm using the dvd/online videos with the science. The middle school science teacher is Mrs. Vick, and she makes science come alive and digs so much deeper than I know I could on my own. 

[Guest]

We use Biblioplan for grades 5-8. :)

[SilverMoon]

.

Edited July 9, 2022 by SilverMoon

[Shellydon]

You are welcome! I am using BJU for history and science, but I'm using the dvd/online videos with the science. The middle school science teacher is Mrs. Vick, and she makes science come alive and digs so much deeper than I know I could on my own. 

 

This is good to know.  My oldest loves science!

[SporkUK]

We use World History for us all. We started it this year with my eldest and really enjoy it. It's currently planned to go throughout middle school grades and interwoven in other topics like literature as well making their own timeline, maps, and hero books (their own writing of role models from history and present). 

[Chrysalis Academy]

We use World History for us all. We started it this year with my eldest and really enjoy it. It's currently planned to go throughout middle school grades and interwoven in other topics like literature as well making their own timeline, maps, and hero books (their own writing of role models from history and present). 

 

Thanks for sharing this - it looks really interesting!  

[JadeOrchidSong]

You are welcome! I am using BJU for history and science, but I'm using the dvd/online videos with the science. The middle school science teacher is Mrs. Vick, and she makes science come alive and digs so much deeper than I know I could on my own.

Which BJU science is ds doing now? Do you take advantage of the $99 online science sale? I am thinking of using BJU science online for ds, who is now doing Apologia General Science on his own. I think having an online teacher to teach and to be held accountable to will give him much more than doing it all by himself.

I am also interested in BJU history. How do you use the TM? Ds just turned 12 by the way.

[Mommy to monkeys]

Ds:

6th - calvert

7th and 8th- history of the English Speaking Peoples by Churchill- abridged version plus Uncle Eric books

 

Dd: 6th will be SOTW 4 and she's actually reading the Penny Candy bokk today. She is very excited about this book and is almost finished. She will also read all the Uncle Eric books. I don't know what her 7th and 8th plans are. :)

Calming Tea,  Are you using the Bluestocking Guides with the Uncle Eric books or just the books themselves?

[mom31257]

Which BJU science is ds doing now? Do you take advantage of the $99 online science sale? I am thinking of using BJU science online for ds, who is now doing Apologia General Science on his own. I think having an online teacher to teach and to be held accountable to will give him much more than doing it all by himself.

I am also interested in BJU history. How do you use the TM? Ds just turned 12 by the way.

 

The $99 sale is going on now, but I didn't use it for the science curriculum this year. I've been part of a co-op that included science, so I had to use their program last year. I paid the full price for 6th grade science. I dropped out of co-op for this school year because it was my dd's senior year and wanted less outside commitments. I may go back next year, though. If I go back and do their science, I will wait for the $99 special and purchase 7th Life Science to use all that next calendar year taking our time to do it along with what we use at co-op. If I'm only going to complete one of the two remaining grades, Life Science is the one I want because it's such a great course to do before biology later in high school. 8th grade is earth science, so since ds is talking medical careers, the life science will be more useful.

 

I forgot to note that the TMs change quite a bit in 7th grade. There aren't page by page discussion questions but rather chunks of information and ideas of things to discuss. Their materials are really written for school, so I think they are assuming 7th grade and up are being taught by teachers who are specialized in those subjects. The CDs usually include a lot of extras such as maps, source documents, etc. For 6th grade I am using it as a pacing guide, many of the discussion questions, the CD (activity manual answers, printable quizzes, maps, etc.).  Depending on our budget, I might consider using the online/dvd option for 7th and 8th

history as well as science. 

 

Even though the teacher is online, it's just videos. If you take the course online, the student does quiz and test online instead of paper, but it's not a real-time class with teacher contact so to speak. You are still the main teacher as far as accountability.

[KrissiK]

For those who use Hakim's books, do you just read it and that's it? I like her books, but there don't seem to be questions or a guide or activities or anything to reinforce what is being read.

[deerforest]

For those who use Hakim's books, do you just read it and that's it? I like her books, but there don't seem to be questions or a guide or activities or anything to reinforce what is being read.

There are guides available for history and science series. She has a summary of them here but OUP and John's Hopkins has developed materials and I have found them on Amazon.

 

http://www.joyhakim.com/contact.htm

[KrissiK]

There are guides available for history and science series. She has a summary of them here but OUP and John's Hopkins has developed materials and I have found them on Amazon.

 

http://www.joyhakim.com/contact.htm

Thanks! I will check that out!

[Momling]

Looking back, if I could do everything over, I'd have used SOTW in K-3rd grade, Story of US in 4th-5th grade and Human Odyssey in 6-8th grade.  That's not exactly what we've done, but it makes a bit more sense... I've been happy using a DIY version of History Portfolios and lots of supplementary materials, so I'd definitely do that again.