Harcourt Horizons Social Studies? Or Something Similar?

[give_me_a_latte]

My son is the history buff of the family. SOTW has been his favorite subject since day one. He's currently in the middle of book three.

 

My daughter kind of likes history.....but not really. She's an advanced second grader, and has zero interest in tagging along with SOTW. I've been using Elemental History's Adventures in America with her....and she's not crazy about it either. 

 

She grabbed a public school science workbook off a free table at a local book sale, and she LOVES it. She does it on her own time. She's always loved workbooks, and likes to take her schoolwork and get it done on her own. So I'm wondering if a more old fashioned social studies approach might be better for her, until she's more interested in the classical approach to history. I stumbled upon Harcourt Horizons Social Studies and it looks like it would be right up her alley. Has anyone used that curriculum?

[give_me_a_latte]

Anyone?

 

I stumbled upon the Visits To...series by SCM last night and also like the looks of that. I'm not sure if that alone would be enough, though....The focus is more geography, although taught through living books. Has anyone used them?

[J&JMom]

I have used Scott Foresman social studies series for my second grader until middle school when I switch to Holt or Glencoe.  Here is a link to the workbooks: 

http://www.pearsonschool.com/index.cfm?locator=PS1m4k&PMDBSUBCATEGORYID=&PMDBSITEID=5343&PMDBSUBSOLUTIONID=&PMDBSOLUTIONID=40021&PMDBSUBJECTAREAID=&PMDBCATEGORYID=40043&PMDbProgramId=97601&elementType=programComponents

Click on the link and select your choice.  It goes to a shopping cart - but if you look under the title, there is a "download PDF" link. 

 

I found the textbooks for a song on Amazon, eBay, etc.  Teacher's manuals are optional, but contain testing, if interested in that. 

 

The textbooks are a little dry and sparse, but I always supplement with picture books, biographies,  projects, documentaries, field trips, etc.  Textbook reading is still only about 50% of the workload in my middle school. 

[jgrabuskie]

I have these social science books and felt the same way. However, they leave a lot to be desired and are geared to public school indoctrination. We were bored last year after about 2 readings. 

 

If your daughter loves science, why not get books from the library on the history of science? Biographies of scientists, look at a timeline when something was discovered or invented and research that era. This way she actually learns history under the guise of science.

 

My DS20 did this one year

Example: Computers

Ancients and computers

Inventions that led to computers

Early Modern Computers

Modern Computers

Biographies of people who help invent the modern computer: Jobs, Gates, ......

The Personal Computer became a household item in 1985??? Why did this happen (economics)

 

Loves Space=Hubble Telescope and How it has opened up our view of space

Loves Chemistry=Research why vaccines were developed, what was going on in the world, who was developing these vaccines, 

Loves Life Science=How are we (as a people) helping to save endangered animals. Should we clone endangered animals, How was the human body perceived by the Ancients, Middle Ages, Early Modern times and Modern times?

Loves Physics=Why were the Renaissance Era and a change in men's minds

Loves Earth Science=Why was the world thought of as flat?  

[Guest]

Busy town :)

 

Core Skills (Steck Vaughn) social studies workbook.

 

Write about my world from Just Write.