Wow... so many good thoughts. I appreciate everyone's input. I really let TL slide for my first student. I can't say that is all bad; she works hard for all of her subjects. School takes time for her and she knows that if she tries to rush through....say.... math, then she simply won't do well. If something has had to give, it has been TL. Given adequate time, it would really be interesting to look back on pages completed and discuss connections. Dina, I have come so close to buying the VP history cards so many times!!!! I think they are not only beautiful but practical as well. One thing I really like is that there is a manageable number to learn. No doubt the set MFW uses is valuable, yet, the number of figures we have to cut and paste has been part of the problem. I thought your suggestion was totally relevant. Thank you. Swimmermom, I emailed Pandia Press, and a rep there was kind enough to send me samples of how they do exercises and use forms to analyze the information they write on the timeline. I was impressed that they didn't just say, "Analyze your timeline and draw historical connections." They provided the tools needed to make this happen. Thanks very much for mentioning them. ETA: Stating the obvious, but the samples work for the PP lessons and are not meant to work with just any history curriculum. They gave me a fresh perspective that I appreciated and maybe hope to incorporate connecting the dots in our history. Julie, it would help tremendously if I used the sticky paper and cut the figures out during the summer. I have my first student's timelines from AHL (she's working on WHL this year). I think it would be possible to use her completed TL with my second student for him to draw those connections. If he isn't so busy building the TL, he would have more time to analyze it. I'll continue to ponder all of the possibilities. Thanks, everyone!

Great question... MFW uses these timeline figures from History Through the Ages. They also sell an over-sized timeline book that the student uses to paste the figures into. Each page in the TL book has parallel horizontal lines with the names of several countries or areas. The student cuts out a TL figure, decides which country/area it belongs to, and pastes it into the book. This way, the student can see how people, places, and events overlap. There really isn't anything wrong with this method. Our problem is simply that it gets boring and becomes a chore. Techwife, the discussions you have with your student would be a huge help. Somehow, however, weekly discussions are hit and miss here. Once again, my student is doing very well to work through most of MFW's lesson plans as well as complete homework and study for math, science, and foreign language. Considering MFW includes reading assignments and graded assignments for English, history (quizzes, timeline, and maps to be filled out), and Bible (yet, not as many grades by comparison) her day is extremely full. In fact, there simply isn't time to work in detailed conversation. We do well to hit the high points every now and then. This probably sounds worse than it is, because when we go over papers we get to talk about what she is learning. I'm not sure if there is an answer to my question. We might just have to make do with the TL as is. I don't do so well thinking out of the box.....

Lori, could you recommend anything for the 7th (Eastern Hemisphere) and 8th (Western Hemisphere) grades above? What are my choices for getting both the cultural/physical geography and comparative world religions done?

My oldest finished MFW AHL last year, and my second dc will start it next year. When my oldest was working through it, the timeline eventually became busy work- especially when other subjects competed with it. For example, if she had a timeline assignment the same day as geometry homework, she gave her time and attention to geometry every time. I'm trying to decide how to handle the timeline with my next dc. I don't want the TL to be busy work for him as well. Is there a different way to handle the TL that is more efficient? Could I leave it out??? It is a grade in the curriculum after all... Would you all help me think outside the box? I know the timeline could be a valuable part of AHL, but as is, I'm not sure that my kids make the intended connections. They see it wholly as a chore that they wish they didn't have to do.

I posted the same question on the K-8 board. Lori D. answered with a unique idea: Here's a suggestion: 6th = Ancients 7th = cultural/physical geography and comparative world religions part 1 (OR, Eastern Hemisphere) 8th = cultural/physical geography and comparative world religions part 2 (OR, Western Hemisphere -- Europe & Americas) You naturally get quite a bit of history in there when you study the culture on a nation or region of the world. And including the religions includes even more history and culture, and makes for a super foundation to understanding WHY nations/peoples make the choices they did throughout history, for when you move onto high school history. A cultural geography/history study ends itself well to looking at the art, music, games, food, customs, and myths of various cultures and history (a humanities focus) -- which are naturally more interesting aspects of history to most students than lists of dates and battles. ;) She shared more information about this at this link: http://forums.welltrainedmind.com/topic/512611-please-share-your-history-lineup-for-6th-7th-and-8th-grades/?do=findComment&comment=5610381 Lori, Thanks so much for your replies on both boards..... subjects and book lists!

Ladies, thank you so much for all of these responses! After posting my question, I had to be out until about an hour ago. I am definitely going to need more time to absorb all of the information here. :001_smile:

Thanks, Farrar. The one year of history my son seems to love is ancients. We covered this time period with his older siblings when he was in 2nd grade, and he has been asking to do it again for a couple of years! Thing is, back in 2nd grade, there were three kids going through history together. The kids had each other to enjoy discussion. Our history was like our down time.... school, yet fun. We always had tremendous conversations when we did history. Both older kids will be in high school next year. The 9th grader will use MFW Ancients, but he'll do this independently. My youngest will be stuck with me, and I just want him to enjoy history (and learn something in the process.) I think we'll include the IEW Themed Ancient Writing book. I think integration of subjects is a practical and effective part of doing history. Writing is better than testing in my opinion. Those ideas are more likely to stick when they are part of a paragraph/report. I agree with you about having a spine and living books. Honestly, I will have to see what I have left from doing ancients so many years ago. I should have some living books.... I hope.

Wow! Thanks everyone! Since starting this thread, we have been on the move and out of the house. I've just gotten home, and have read through all of the replies. So many of you are sticking to a chronological type of plan which is what I have always naturally assumed we would do. I really appreciate the idea of allowing middle school history to be somewhat interest led especially when the dc has already gone through one history cycle. I also love and intend to include geography.... and I remembered that I have Mapping the World with Art!!! I bought it to use this year, but we ran out of hours in the day. I put in in a drawer and have not looked at it since! I need to read the thread again a little more slowly and absorb all of your suggestions. Many thanks, all!

Thanks, Reefgazer! You made me consider something... ds is kind of looking forward to ancients. If I did that for 6th, I wonder how I could do american integrated with world for 7th. I know that would be a lot... would have to maybe hit the high points. Then spend 8th grade focused on geography. Wonder how some sort of integrated history would look for middle school? Just chewing on some ideas. Thoughts anyone????

Thank you, Farrar... I would also be interested in HOW everyone does their history. What is practical and effective.... Not really cute or artsy.

I will have a 6th grader next year. He covered ancient, medieval, and 2 years of American history (early and later) in grades 2-5. Do I repeat this lineup again in middle school years? I could do a year of geography in 8th grade before high school; we use MFW for high school. But then, what would I do for grades 6 and 7? What would you suggest for these middle grades for history? What would make it more interesting? Round history subjects out? Make it more interesting? Incorporate writing? This is my last kiddo to guide through jr. high. If there is a way to spice up the history line-up, I want to hear about it.

I will have a 6th grader next year. He covered ancient, medieval, and 2 years of American history (early and later) in grades 2-5. Do I repeat this lineup again in middle school years? I could do a year of geography in 8th grade before high school; we use MFW for high school. But then, what would I do for grades 6 and 7? What would you suggest for these middle grades for history? What would make it more interesting? Round history subjects out? Make it more interesting? Incorporate writing? This is my last kiddo to guide through jr. high. If there is a way to spice up the history line-up, I want to hear about it. ETA... Also, please share HOW you do history. I'm looking for suggestions that are practical and efficient rather than cute and artsy.

Thanks so much to both of you. I really appreciate your insight. :001_smile:

Thank you so much for this, Ellen. I usually do a search for topics; I was so tired last night that I never even thought about it. I just quickly typed my question and went to bed. This morning, I searched for college campus tours and found this. I'll follow up with searching your suggestions. You gave excellent advice. One thing I would like to know that was not mentioned in your response- Since we have never toured a campus, my dd 16 yo, will be inexperienced. How much parental help is normal without giving the student a bad impression in the eyes of the administration/profs?

DD will begin 11th grade next year, and we hope to begin college tours this summer. This is a first for us. Please offer advice about college tours: what kinds of questions to ask/ not to ask, to do/not to do, etc. What do we need to know before we make that first appointment?

We used both the student and teacher texts. I have the problem solving book, but we did not use it. I am sort of interested in seeing the Concept Development book, but I'm not sure it is worth buying. In the TM, Hewitt makes some comment about this book being the most helpful because of the drawings and explanations..... Seems like several years ago, I found a web page where I could see inside this book. Amazon does not have a see inside version. I should try somewhere else online. Because we used Labpaq, we did not use Hewitt's lab manual. Some like the Teaching Company's Physics in Your Life to pair with CP. I have it too, but didn't use it for two reasons... First, there was not time to do everything and second, this student didn't like the presentation.

I have this edition. We also used a Labpaq lab, but I'm not sure what is going on with that company. Seems like some have had trouble ordering with them. I don't remember right off which lab set we ordered, but it only had something like 9 labs in it. My dh went through CP with our dd, and he only scheduled about 6-7 of the labs. There were just a few that were too math/concept heavy for her.

I asked a similar question when I was thinking about using Hewitt's CP. I realize you are also asking about other viable physics options or chemistry options, but I thought you might find this thread interesting: http://forums.welltrainedmind.com/topic/322971-non-mathy-physics-in-9th-is-conceptual-physics-a-solid-high-school-course/ We did use Hewitt's CP in 9th grade. My dd completed Alg. I in 8th grade and was taking geometry along with the CP course. This year in 10th grade, she is taking Alg. II and Apologia Chemistry outsourced. I really struggled with the chemistry decision. I had to choose between this outsourced Apologia class or Spectrum at home. It worked out well for us; the chemistry teacher is wonderful. I thought Spectrum would be a good choice for us too, but I really did not want to have to teach or oversee it. (We also tried DO Physics, but she had not covered enough Algebra I to understand the math in this physics class. I would have loved for her to use the DO Physics.) CP ended up being what we used, and during this year in chemistry, dd is so grateful that she took the CP course. She learned the concepts in CP that are now being discussed in chemistry, and she is finding chemistry "easy" to understand because of CP.

When I tried searching for the Concept Development book, I read several times that there are no answers... Is there an answer book at all? Also Crimson Wife, can you recall how the book helped your student? For example, what kinds of exercises did he do?

I have the 2009 version of Hewitt's Conceptual Physics (White book with roller coaster.) Has anyone used the Concept Development Practice Book that supplements this curriculum? Here is a link to it on Amazon (temporarily out of stock). I want to know if it is worth using or not.

I asked a similar question several weeks ago. I'm only repeating here the most popular resources that I read again and again as I researched, and I think this is what we will end up using: Spanish I: Visual Link Spanish with Madrigal's Magic Key to Spanish Spanish II: Practice Makes Perfect Spanish Verb Tenses, PMP Spanish Pronouns and Prepositions, and Easy Spanish Reader Both years we will watch age appropriate Spanish TV, and we may check out library books written in Spanish. You can do a search on Spanish and find threads to read. Foreign language is a tough one to teach without being fluent. My oldest outsourced Spanish I and II; her class used Alpha Omega's Spanish. The class didn't go as well as I would have liked, so I'm seriously considering doing it at home with my other kids. I think the resources above will be the sort that will be self-teaching. The more I thought about it, if we tried to use a Spanish curriculum, it would assume the instruction of a teacher. Self-teaching materials, I hope, will take the need for a teacher out and make learning the language mostly independent..... or at least make exposure to the language possible. I know someone who studied Spanish in college who can help us out if we need it. I would also like to find someone who would converse with my dc in Spanish occasionally. These things have not been worked out yet. I continue to read all of the threads about Spanish that are posted because to determine how to complete credits for Spanish I and II has not been easy.

We're still in the planning stages, but at the moment it looks like we'll do the following: Bible Probably a devotion book with quite time and discussion American Literature and Composition: Locally outsourced Pre-cal: (hopefully outsourced) Pending successful completion of Algebra II and teacher recommendation Bio/lab: Thinking about using Science Shepherd Biology American history: Will probably use FundaFunda Computer: A simple how-to-use course for Word, Excel, and Powerpoint (maybe use a Dummies book for this) US Geography: Map Trek Farm apprenticeship: (Elective) Care and financial aspect of having horses and living on a farm (due to a move to the country.) It is such a help to see what others are planning for a certain grade. If you are planning 11th grade, please share what you are considering.

Michelle, Thank you so very much for taking the time to field my questions. You did answer them. I appreciate all of the comments of help from everyone. For the time being, I'm going to step back. I'm going to let my dd read this thread and see what she wants to do. If she has any further questions, I'll post them. With MANY thanks!

You all have been so very helpful! I can't wait to read the responses over again tomorrow when I have time to digest them. It has been a very busy day here.