Anyone NOT teach history chronologically?

[Mrs. A]

If so, why not? How do you do it? What kind of planning does it involve? Are there advantages/disadvantages? I'm toying with the idea and would like to hear about it from anyone who has done it this way.

[Ellie]

If so, why not? How do you do it? What kind of planning does it involve? Are there advantages/disadvantages? I'm toying with the idea and would like to hear about it from anyone who has done it this way.

 

I didn't, because I started hsing in 1982, after about two weeks of research, and just had to jump in. :-) We just did...history. Field trips, historical fiction that I happened upon while browsing the library, historical movies, Camp Fire badges, lots of rabbit trails and stopping for living history days. No real planning. The first time we did a focused history was when the dc were 9 and 12, when we did Volume 2 of KONOS, which begins with the early scientists, then the explorers, then the American colonies, through the Revolution, and ending with the writing of the U.S. Constitution. My goal was for my children to love history, because then they would want to learn more, and they would remember what they learned. And they do. :-)

[KeriJ]

We don't.  We do it differently every year.  We do normally pick an era to study throughout the year.  But I'm thinking of doing an overview next year.  I'm kind of a book list person for history.  I choose from different places and add whatever I feel like adding.  We use a CM/WTM style of just reading, narrating, mapping, timeline. 

[Mandamom]

I know someone teaching my themes -- so Exploration will include the typical world exploration but also space. She ties in literature books to those same themes. 

 

Other themes are immigration and invention. 

 

I can't think of anymore right now but I'm sure Google might have some ideas.

 

[eternalsummer]

So far we don't.  DD learns best through historical fiction (which I know is suspect, but things just stay better that way, so we read historical fiction and look up the facts on Wikipedia) and DS learns best through biographies and books about topics of interest, which right now mostly involve tanks and wilderness survival (so WW2 and the American Frontier, largely).  We listen to SOTW but I don't make a big deal about it.

 

I'm planning to start a systemic study of history with DD in maybe 8th or 9th.  I figure by then she'll be ready to study it systemically (kind of like science at the HS level) and will hopefully have enough background knowledge about various topics to pull from.

[Clemsondana]

We follow the Core Knowledge sequence, so we do the topics that it discusses each year. We read an assortment of books, watch videos, etc based on the history that is taught each year. We have usually done world history in the fall and US history in the spring.

[Clemsondana]

We follow the Core Knowledge sequence, so we do the topics that it discusses each year. We read an assortment of books, watch videos, etc based on the history that is taught each year. We have usually done world history in the fall and US history in the spring.

[Hunter]

I have done non-chronological more than chronological. I've used everything from unit studies, to correspondence schools, to just cramming in some videos during snack time because we were to busy working on skills to worry much about content.

[Guest]

I aim to do an overview of world history and an overview of us history, both, each year. Inevitably (as "inevitable" as 4 years can produce) the kids get caught up in something and we sit for a while, though. Nbd.

[Mrs. A]

We don't. We do it differently every year. We do normally pick an era to study throughout the year. But I'm thinking of doing an overview next year. I'm kind of a book list person for history. I choose from different places and add whatever I feel like adding. We use a CM/WTM style of just reading, narrating, mapping, timeline.

By "booklist person" I'm assuming you mean you give your kids a list of books to be read over x amount of time and then expect narrations etc? How do you compile your list?

[Mrs. A]

I have done non-chronological more than chronological. I've used everything from unit studies, to correspondence schools, to just cramming in some videos during snack time because we were to busy working on skills to worry much about content.

How do you choose what to study? Do you try to go by what's most relevant to the particular student or do you have a sort of general plan?

[8filltheheart]

We don't study history chronologically. We never have. History tends to be woven into whatever else we are studying. (This yr, for example, my 5th grader has been doing a Narnia study, so we did British history.)

 

Do they have gaps when they graduate in 12th grade? Probably, but they also have had some great history studies that they remember.

[KeriJ]

By "booklist person" I'm assuming you mean you give your kids a list of books to be read over x amount of time and then expect narrations etc? How do you compile your list?

I use SCM primarily. I also pull from HOD. I choose some books we will read together as a family, some I'll read to my youngest and some that I assign middle schoolers to read independently. We do narrations primarily, but random other things like selected CC memory work (we are not actually in CC), Draw and Write Through History, and a timeline. Sometimes we listen to something like SOTW in the car. Sometimes we do a BF guide.

 

There's not a hard and fast plan...we just keep reading.😊

 

This year we are focusing on Modern, next year we will do Middle Ages.

Edited March 27, 2017 by KeriJ

[Mrs. A]

We don't study history chronologically. We never have. History tends to be woven into whatever else we are studying. (This yr, for example, my 5th grader has been doing a Narnia study, so we did British history.)

 

Do they have gaps when they graduate in 12th grade? Probably, but they also have had some great history studies that they remember.

Did you just do the years of British history relevant to the books or did you cover more?

 

How important would you (all of you) say that history is in your homes? I know that it's often SO emphasized and sometimes I just feel like it's too much. Would you say that history has a lesser place when it's done this way or could it still be considered the backbone of your studies? Where does history fall amongst your priorities?

[8filltheheart]

Did you just do the years of British history relevant to the books or did you cover more?

 

How important would you (all of you) say that history is in your homes? I know that it's often SO emphasized and sometimes I just feel like it's too much. Would you say that history has a lesser place when it's done this way or could it still be considered the backbone of your studies? Where does history fall amongst your priorities?

No, we read this book: https://www.amazon.com/Story-Britain-Norman-Conquest-European/dp/0763651222/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1490617125&sr=8-1&keywords=the+story+of+britain+from+the+norman+conquest+to+the+european+union

 

Historynis very important in our home. It is a subject incorporated into every single day. Is it the backbone? No. It is an equal rung amg all other content subjects. It doesn't dictate what we study. I dictate what history we study based on our interests for that particular yr.

 

(Btw, I really like that book for elementary British history.)

[RenaInTexas]

The schools around here study history from the inside out. For example:

 

The 1st three grades are light and don't spend a lot of time on history -- actually called social studies

 

1st = local communities = family members, traditions, holidays, community helpers, what's around me, what it means to be a member of a communities etc ...

2nd = communities form cities = diff b/t urban, rural, suburban, also cultures and how small communities form big communities (cities, towns, etc..), what good citizenship looks like, responsibilities of citizens, rights of citizens

3rd = regions & states = how big communities come together to form regions & states, characteristics of the regions in the US, landforms, intro to the states, etc...

 

Starting in 4th, history is really history & becomes a more serious class.

 

4th = State history

5th = US History (overview)

6th = Contemporary World Cultures

 

7th = State History -- deeper

8th = US History -- deeper

 

HS= US History, World History, World Geography, Government & Economics

 

So as you see, it is from the inside (you), out (the world) and the state history-us history-world history cycle is repeated. 

 

 

Edited March 27, 2017 by RenaInTexas

[Mrs. A]

No, we read this book: https://www.amazon.com/Story-Britain-Norman-Conquest-European/dp/0763651222/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1490617125&sr=8-1&keywords=the+story+of+britain+from+the+norman+conquest+to+the+european+union

 

Historynis very important in our home. It is a subject incorporated into every single day. Is it the backbone? No. It is an equal rung amg all other content subjects. It doesn't dictate what we study. I dictate what history we study based on our interests for that particular yr.

 

(Btw, I really like that book for elementary British history.)

Thanks for the book rec. I put it in my Amazon cart so I'll remember it :)

 

I've read your book Homeschooling at the Helm and I understand the process, but I'm wondering what you do if one of your kids isn't showing interest in any particular books/topics? Do you just decide for them if that's the case? How do you go about choosing in that case?

[CadenceSophia]

We do history like most here have described. We just keep reading books, maybe with an theme, time period or region but we just keep reading. Or listening. My voice doesn't hold out long so we rely on audio books for a lot of the reading each day.

 

My kids haven't liked any spine enough to drag it out over months. With our current plan, even if they don't love a book I have selected, we get through it fast enough that it doesn't matter much.

 

That said though, I hate studying history. I pretty much only like historical fiction. I told DH when we started homeschooling that he was ultimately in charge of making sure the kids get enough history.

 

I don't really consider history to be an important part of the early grades (dh disagrees but we agree on strategy for now) because I think it is ridiculous to have to study watered down versions of things and then go back and re-learn the same things with all the adult themes that had been left out the first time. I am very much into geography and cultural studies by theme, as well as studies of the stories and mythologies of different cultures where age appropriate.

[8filltheheart]

I have never had a child who didn't like history. Not like a particular book, yes. But not have an interest in learning anything, no. I definitely come up with suggestions, and when they are younger I might just make the decisions. There is no firm way I do things. At the Helm is really only a description that attempts to capture the essence of what we do. Even it isn't exact, just a generic approximation.

 

Like CadenceSophia, I don't see history as something Imworry about with little ones. I don't make the decision to formally include history until 3rd grade. For the primary grades, I just spend a lot of time readint them different stories.

 

Most boys like stories of knights and adventures. History can be biography based, picture books, etc. I don't really use historical fiction, but well written biographies can read as excitingly as fiction. I rarely use textbooks. When I do. It is usually high school and I tend to use well-written college type books than a typical high school textbook.

 

For elementary age kids, say the subject was the Alamo. They might read books like this:

https://www.amazon.com/Susanna-Alamo-Story-John-Jakes/dp/0152005951

https://www.amazon.com/Remember-Alamo-Landmark-Robert-Warren/dp/B0007DNCK0/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1490874248&sr=1-1&keywords=Remember+the+Alamo+landmark

[eternalsummer]

I have never had a child who didn't like history. Not like a particular book, yes. But not have an interest in learning anything, no. I definitely come up with suggestions, and when they are younger I might just make the decisions. There is no firm way I do things. At the Helm is really only a description that attempts to capture the essence of what we do. Even it isn't exact, just a generic approximation.

 

Like CadenceSophia, I don't see history as something Imworry about with little ones. I don't make the decision to formally include history until 3rd grade. For the primary grades, I just spend a lot of time readint them different stories.

 

Most boys like stories of knights and adventures. History can be biography based, picture books, etc. I don't really use historical fiction, but well written biographies can read as excitingly as fiction. I rarely use textbooks. When I do. It is usually high school and I tend to use well-written college type books than a typical high school textbook.

 

For elementary age kids, say the subject was the Alamo. They might read books like this:

https://www.amazon.com/Susanna-Alamo-Story-John-Jakes/dp/0152005951

https://www.amazon.com/Remember-Alamo-Landmark-Robert-Warren/dp/B0007DNCK0/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1490874248&sr=1-1&keywords=Remember+the+Alamo+landmark

 

 

And what better subject to study, really, than the Alamo?

 

:)

 

 (grew up in Texas.)

 

This is also how DS likes to do history.  DD just really cements better through story - real stories are okay, as long as there is a storyline.  We do historical fiction too; we just spend a lot of time looking up the people and events on Wikipedia and talking about how the author saw them vs. how some people see them now vs. how other people see them now, etc.

 

For DS, the story is secondary to the facts.  Where DD writes stories and poetry about things she's interested in in her free time, DS writes guides and instructions and reference pamphlets.  

[birchbark]

How important would you (all of you) say that history is in your homes? I know that it's often SO emphasized and sometimes I just feel like it's too much. Would you say that history has a lesser place when it's done this way or could it still be considered the backbone of your studies? Where does history fall amongst your priorities?

 

If by chronologically you mean a 4yr cycle, then I do not. I switched to "Mrs. Twain's style" history a few years ago. It is yearly overviews with a few in-depth studies on the side. The only planning I do is selecting a text for the year and then pacing it. The student chooses what to study in depth.

 

When we did the 4yr cycle in the past, history was the driving force in our curriculum. I came to see we were spending way too much time, money, and energy on it. About the same time I made the history switch, the 3R's become our priority, particularly literature.  Now the interest-led history studies are often spurred by the literature we read, rather than the other way around.

 

History is still important around here, but no longer top tier.

[Bluegoat]

I think everyone uses chronology to some extent (unless, like8 we teach just by stories early on, which is also what we do.)  But,. no one teaches about incidents totally randomly - if you do a unit on WWI people start from the early years and move on.

 

So, the question is, how far do you take that?  Over topics, terms, a school year, a history cycle approach?

 

I think the purpose with the creation of the history cycle approach was largely about making sure students weren't being taught in a really confusing way, that they got a sense of the whole of history and got to revisit t at a few developmental periods.  It also makes a planning structure for the teacher.  And as a structure for the student, there is a logic to it, to seeing cause and effect and development in a chronological way.

 

But, there can be other ways to make that happen.  It's pretty easy to teach a young history student that historians divide time into different periods and what they are called.  And tools like a timeline or book of centuries will help them build up a picture of that even when their study is not totally chronological.  (In fact, in some cases it can perhaps be a little clearer as the periods don't always follow the same chronology in every part of the world.)

 

I think the downside of the long chronological approach is that people try and do the history of the whole world that way.  Which end up being scattered in a totally different way - it is just too broad.  It loses it's narrative focus and the sense of cause and effect is lost - it becomes a lot of disconnected episodes.  I think it's telling, really, that most of the world history overviews for kids are actually western in focus, and most people do a separate national history.

 

For my kids, we've settled on doing our first year of real history study with the Hilyer overview.  It is quite broad, but just focused and well-written enough to work, and the kids seem to really like it.  It's a great intro after doing a story based approach and gives them a nice timeline.  We also start with a national/regional history and add a second within the next year or so.  (Canada and the UK.)  I base those around the best texts and resources I can find, and the are largely chronological.  But not necessarily with each other.  I'll probably add a third topical history n the elementary period near the end for dd9 and ds7, it might be focused on another region, or it could be around a period, or something else - it will really depend on the child, and any great resources or opportunities that come up.

 

We also do some history in other topics - like art, music, and so on. 

Edited March 31, 2017 by Bluegoat