Rhondabee Posted May 9, 2009 Share Posted May 9, 2009 I can't find the post from a few months back when someone mentioned SWB had recommended starting 9th grade w/Ancients, even if that wasn't where you dc was in the cycle. I didn't think much of it at the time, but as I'm preparing for my older ds's 9th grade year (Ancients), I'm having doubts about having my *younger* ds studying Modern when *he* hits 9th grade. It seems like he will be missing a foundation that would bring greater understanding. Also, that we will have to choose between doing a "light" modern year in 9th grade, or risk exposing him to themes that would be better handled by a 12th grader. So....... I'm wondering if I should look at doing Sonlight 6 with him this year (his 6th grade year), while my older ds studies Ancients ala WTM (9th grade). I have SL 6 sitting up in my attic, so this is free, and it would save me from having to squash Years 1 and 2 on my own. Then, I could follow WTM for his 7th and 8th grade years - and I have the plans I made for my older ds's years for that. That would put him at Ancients for 9th grade. (On one hand, having plans already made should make this a fairly stress-free option. But, I'm not sure how I feel about having them study two different times in history for the next 4 years.) I guess the other alternative - maybe the sanest - would be to do a light 9th grade Modern year, and then follow a 3-year plan for 10th-12th grade so that we get back to Modern in 12th grade. (But, a 3-year plan seems to be a very fast trek, and I think I would prefer to combine two years while he's in middle school rather than in high school.) Of course, my DH says whatever I do will be great! So, if you have an opinion or a thought for me to consider, I would be most grateful!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lori D. Posted May 9, 2009 Share Posted May 9, 2009 Hi Rhonda, Don't know if this is the thread you were referencing? WTM history sequence very different from traditional public school one: http://www.welltrainedmind.com/forums/showthread.php?t=86860&highlight=ancients+9th+grade All I can do is share from our experience so far. In general, our philosophy is to connect the history and literature -- but with exceptions. If the boys are not ready for a work, we will save it and include in 11th/12th grades (regardless of whether it "fits" that time period historically or not). I don't think we have to slavishly be tied to the history. Also, by high school I think it's important to give our boys some input into their own education -- so we're not doing the history completely chronologically, which also gives us a little more freedom about what lit. we want to cover each year. Also, because we're doing the lit. aloud together, it gives us a chance to discuss those "heavy" and "dark" themes and walk through it WITH them. We did All Quiet on the Western Front this year, and it was hard and intense -- but, because we did it together, it was "safe", if you understand what I mean. I guess you could say we're doing a hybrid of classical / non classical, chronological / non chronological. Below what this has looked like specifically for our first 2 years of high school. But in general, we've stuck with what we thought was at the boys' level literature-wise and discussion wise. So doing the ancients with them at an early high school level, it was more about epic stories and themes. This year with 20th century, since they've had Logic with DH and a lot of exposure to Worldview, it's about worldview themes and consequences of choices. Next year we'll be doing American History/Lit and Government, so I hope to squeeze something like Plato's Republic in under the Government credit; we'll also shoot for some more Shakespeare; and I'll probably squeeze in a few unrelated works that I feel we should cover for some reason. (LOL) Anyways, I hope something here is of help. BEST of luck as you decide what works for your family! Warmest regards, Lori D. Ancient World (with an 8th grader and a 9th grader) 1. History = 1 credit - Spielvogel Human Odyssey) as spine, plus parts of various other resources - 2 research papers - solo reading = 6 historical fiction works, their choice from my list (many SL6 books): Golden Goblet Shadow Hawk Tales of Ancient Egypt God King Hittite Warrior Archimedes and the Door to Science Galen and the Gateway to Medicine Ides of April Beyond the Desert Eagle of the Ninth Ben Hur 2. Great Books = 1 credit Eight ancient works, selected to be a good match for young high schooler and middle schooler; read aloud/discussed together, using a lit. guide. - Epic of Gilgamesh (abridged version by Westwood) -- SMARR guide - The Iliad (Fagles translation) -- Novel Unit guide - The Odyssey (Fagles translation) -- Garlic Press publishers guide - various Greek myths -- no guide - Oedipus the King (Fitzgerald translation) -- Sparknotes guide - Antigone (Fitzgerald translation) -- Sparknotes guide - The Aeneid (abridged version by Church) -- Sparknotes guide - Till We Have Faces (CS Lewis) -- Wikipedia article on Cupid and Psyche myth 3. English = 1 credit Composed of Literature, Grammar, Writing. For the Literature portion we did Literary Lessons from the Lord of the Rings. 20th Century World (with a 9th grader and a 10th grader) 1. History = 1 credit - Spielvogel Human Odyssey) as spine, plus parts of various other resources - 4-6 research papers ("decade" reports) - 20 brief time line entries per decade - solo reading = 6 historical fiction works, their choice, many from SL: The Great Brain Little Britches Summer of the Monkeys The Endurance Albert Einstein The Road From Home Cheaper By the Dozen Winged Watchman Hiroshima Escape From Warsaw Tramp for the Lord I Am David The Cay God's Smuggler The Pushcart War I Robot R is for Rocket 2. Great Books = 1 credit Eight works, some modern, some titles chosen by the boys (from my list); read aloud/discussed together, using a lit. guide. - Beowulf (Heaney translation) -- The Great Books guide - Macbeth (Shakespeare) -- Parallel Text Shakespeare workbook and guide set; AND Brightest Heaven of Invention guide - "Gift of the Magi" (Henry) -- unit from Windows on the World program - All Quiet on the Western Front (Remarque) -- Sparknotes guide - "The Most Dangerous Game" (Connell) -- unit from Windows on the World program - Diary of Anne Frank -- Portals to Literature guide - To Kill A Mockingbird (Lee) -- Garlic Press guide - Much Ado About Nothing (Shakespeare) -- Brightest Heaven of Invention guide 3. English = 1 credit Composed of Literature, Grammar, Writing. 9th grader = Lightning Literature & Composition 8 - 3 poetry units - "A Crazy Tale" (Chesterton) - Treasure Island (Stevenson) - A Day of Pleasure (Singer) - "Wakefield" (Hawthorne) - A Christmas Carol (Dickens) - The Hobbit (Tolkien) - "Reflections" (Hearn) - My Family and Other Animals (Durrell) - To Kill a Mockingbird (Lee) -- done above as part of the Great Books credit 10th grader = Worldviews in Sci-Fi and Gothic Lit. (we made our own): - Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (Stevenson) -- Progeny Press guide - Frankenstein (Shelley) -- Progeny Press guide - The Time Machine (Wells) -- online guide - Animal Farm (Orwell) -- Sparknotes guide - The Giver (Lowry) -- Garlic Press guide / Sparknotes guide - Brave New World (Huxley) -- Sparknotes guide - Farenheit 451 (Bradbury) -- Progeny Press guide - A Canticle for Leibowitz (Miller) -- Wikipedia article on the book - short stories from Cosmi Comics (Calvino) -- Wikipedia article on Calvino - Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy (Adams) -- no guide Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kathy in MD Posted May 9, 2009 Share Posted May 9, 2009 In the 3rd edition of TWTM, SWB does recommend just continuing on with the history cycle. On advantage of this is that the child is older and better able to handle the tougher readings of the older classics. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris in VA Posted May 9, 2009 Share Posted May 9, 2009 Isn't it in the second edition, too? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rhondabee Posted May 10, 2009 Author Share Posted May 10, 2009 Lori (and all), I read through that post, and didn't see what I'm remembering. But, I've always read in WTM to just keep all the kids together and keep going chronologically. That's what will be easiest for me, anyway - and right now I need easy!!! Thanks for your posts! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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