Literary Mom Posted September 29, 2015 Share Posted September 29, 2015 ...So we've been doing history the WTM way since first grade, but the logic stage has been bumpy, and with my daughter now in the 8th grade, I'm thinking about concluding it with something new, possibly as a launch into what we'll do for high school and what I'll switch my younger two over to next year when we'll have wrapped up SOTW for the second time. I would like to have a Christian worldview in our history curriculum (I think that's especially important as they get older), so I have been looking at Mystery of History, Biblioplan, and Diana Waring's History Revealed (Volume III - World Empires, World Missions, World Wars). We're in 1850-present, but I am flexible with going back a bit, as my oldest does take an interest in history (particularly American & British). I am leaning toward MOH, both because it's the least expensive and it seems the most simply packaged (though I wish the companion were in hard copy form). Biblioplan is intriguing, but costs a lot, and I worry it could be too complicated (I once bought TOG - electronic version - and never could get it going). I love the creativity and integrated approach of History Revealed, but I'm hesitant because of how out-of-the-box it is and because of how much history is compressed into it (what with it being a three year instead of four year cycle - I had that same issue with CC, the one year we did that). In case you're wondering why I'm researching this now, it's because we are Logos Online Academy drop-outs - after only two weeks. Omnibus III (history, literature, theology) took us for a ride, so we hopped off the bus. Hence my quest for a kinder, gentler history curriculum that is not as DIY as the logic stage of WTM, but not so detailed as TOG; Biblically-based, but not as if my 13 year-old is enrolled in seminary (Omnibus). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Slache Posted September 29, 2015 Share Posted September 29, 2015 Don't forget about My Father's World. You could even do MFW ECC for 8th and then the high school sequence. I haven't done this, just throwing the idea out there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JadeOrchidSong Posted September 29, 2015 Share Posted September 29, 2015 We are doing MOH 4 now for my boys. They did SOTW for the first round and then TOG 4 20th century and then TOG 1 ancient followed by MOH 2 and 3. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Literary Mom Posted September 29, 2015 Author Share Posted September 29, 2015 I considered that (MFW ECC), but I really want to go through this time period again - I believe she is at the right age to discuss some of these heavier topics and dig a little deeper. I'd attempt both (since ECC has always interested me), but with the rest of our curriculum, I don't think that would be realistic. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tess in the Burbs Posted September 29, 2015 Share Posted September 29, 2015 We started Biblioplan this year for dd, 7th grade. She chose to do Ancients. I didn't think it was too expensive considering some of the options out there and the costs with those. We did get print in most things, but they have digital versions for many parts of the program. First, the schedule is simple. It's 3 days a week and my dd knows which parts we are using. She just looks at those rows and reads for her level and books. She does have some upper middles stuff like the maps and review questions. You could easily just discuss and have her draw maps on her own to save money buying those items. I did spend some time in the book list in the schedule and picked out books we hadn't read or we read so long ago she didn't remember and I could reuse. I saved a lot of money this way. Obviously, using the library for books would save more money. I also already had some of the Drive thru History videos, but she didn't want all of them, so didn't need to buy any more! Once I picked our books for the year I circled the reading section for her so she can just grab and read. She is spreading the readings out on her own. Some books are 1 week, others 2. Easy enough to divvy up and she reads a little daily. But the main lesson components are only 3 days a week. We discuss at the end of the week and go over her review questions and maps. The program is very nicely done and the companion has a lot of info packed into each week. We have the companion book printed and it is hardcover. I am seriously thinking about using Biblioplan for high school. The reading list is completely different for that level and again, the schedule is nicely laid out each week. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KeriJ Posted September 29, 2015 Share Posted September 29, 2015 Or Beautiful Feet....they have a new Modern history package for grades 5-8. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JadeOrchidSong Posted September 29, 2015 Share Posted September 29, 2015 Side question: OP, how is EIL working for you? I am thinking of getting some kind of lit analysis for ds12. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Literary Mom Posted September 29, 2015 Author Share Posted September 29, 2015 I just ordered EIL, but I have high hopes. I had to completely relaunch our school year (we're actually on a bit of break...sigh) once Logos fell through. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Literary Mom Posted September 29, 2015 Author Share Posted September 29, 2015 Now I'm torn between Notgrass (America the Beautiful), Beautiful Feet, and Mystery of History! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Literary Mom Posted September 29, 2015 Author Share Posted September 29, 2015 Okay, I went with MOH, because that fits more with my original goals (I am easily sidetracked). Whenever I buy BF, we end up not really using it - it just sits there looking pretty. I don't want to go off into just American History right now, so that rules out Notgrass. Also, both are geared toward 5th-8th, whereas I'd rather be on the bottom rung of a curriculum aimed at older kids (or in the middle of one that's for all ages). Biblioplan could still be in our future, but for right now it's too many components (decision fatigue!) which add up to more than I want to pay. I'm not going to even say what kind of hit we took for dropping out of Logos, but it was a real doozy... 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mschickie Posted September 30, 2015 Share Posted September 30, 2015 We are doing MoH Volume IV this year(8th grade) and it is working wonderfully. I hope you enjoy it as much as we are. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KeriJ Posted October 1, 2015 Share Posted October 1, 2015 May I ask a quick MOH question for those who have used most of the levels? I have an old version of volume 1. There is a huge difference between the format of the first 2 and the last 2 levels, right? Is it still that way? I love the hardback, student reader format of the last 2, but hate the format of the one I have. Has there been any mention of her switching the first 2 levels to the same format? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MerryAtHope Posted October 1, 2015 Share Posted October 1, 2015 May I ask a quick MOH question for those who have used most of the levels? I have an old version of volume 1. There is a huge difference between the format of the first 2 and the last 2 levels, right? Is it still that way? I love the hardback, student reader format of the last 2, but hate the format of the one I have. Has there been any mention of her switching the first 2 levels to the same format? I've not heard of any mention. For us there were pros and cons to each version. I do prefer the hardback ones (and love the color photos!), but I will say it was easier to have my dd look through the project offerings and choose one per week when there was a separate book (and not just a CD-ROM) for looking at the quizzes etc... I was more likely to add those in with MOH 1 and 2. Although, since the readings are longer in 3 and 4, that does account for part of why we did fewer projects those years. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mschickie Posted October 1, 2015 Share Posted October 1, 2015 As far as I know there are no plans to change the formats. I am a volunteer for MoH and I have heard it both ways, some folks love the all inclusive format of books 1 and 2 while others like the material separated as in books 3 and 4. I think the main motivation was keeping the books cost effective. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JadeOrchidSong Posted October 3, 2015 Share Posted October 3, 2015 I just ordered EIL, but I have high hopes. I had to completely relaunch our school year (we're actually on a bit of break...sigh) once Logos fell through. Please report back how EIL goes after you use it for a while. Also MOH 4 review after a while. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JadeOrchidSong Posted October 3, 2015 Share Posted October 3, 2015 We are doing MoH Volume IV this year(8th grade) and it is working wonderfully. I hope you enjoy it as much as we are.May I ask how you use MOH4? Which parts do you use? For now I read aloud to both boys. We have Sonlight H readers and read alouds to go with it. We haven't done any of the quizzes or maps or activities in the CD-Rom. We just finished French Revolution. I am having ds12.9 read Scarle Pimpernel by himself now. I always feel like we are doing history Lite. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KeriJ Posted May 4, 2016 Share Posted May 4, 2016 Bumping for a review of how it all turned out. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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