TOG users - please help me figure out where to start?

[Joy at Home]

Oldest dd will have finished two years of world history usign SL Cores 6 and 7. We were planning on one year of American History using Core 100 next year, then TOG for the last four years.

 

If we decided to start next year, I am unsure where to begin. I would like to have one full cycle for dd for 9th-12th grade (she'll be 8th grade next year). I really would like to focus on American History, but the American Revolution begins the end of year 2. Is it possible to condense years 3 and 4 in one year, then start the cycle the following year with year 1? Obviously, I'd have to pick and choose which weeks to schedule. Or should I start with year 3, then year 4, then condense years 1 and 2 into one year?

 

Does anyone have any suggestions?

 

thanks so much!

Lisa

Edited October 16, 2009 by Momto5girls
spelling

[Laboroflove]

Have you looked through the TOG books. American history is incorporated throughout. We're using TOG 2 next year and the second half is all American colonization. I've looked forward into TOG 3 and again see a lot of American History. Check out the scope and sequence section of each year of TOG to see if you really feel you need to have a year of only American History before beginning TOG. Best of luck.

[specialmama]

Begin exactly where you've left off. You don't need to purchase a whole year plan. Lampstand Press sells units for just such a purpose. I think it's more important to keep the history chronological, flowing from what you are doing now. If you oldest is just entering 9th grade, she'll have a full cycle no matter where you begin, without condensing anything.

[Joy at Home]

Thanks for your insights! I guess I'm just wondering if dd has five years left, we'll have time for one complete cycle plus one year, so not sure which one I want to do twice. I kind off want to end high school with more recent history, so maybe starting with year 4 and then repeating that year in high school? Or starting and ending with Year 3? I'll have to sit down with the scope and sequence and try to decide.

 

Thanks again!

 

thanks,

lisa

[choirfarm]

Well, I vote for start at 1 and do all 4 and then decide. My oldest is in 9th and we are doing year 3. He did dialectic level for years 1 and 2 in 7th and 8th. He will do year 4 next year as a 10th, then I'm not sure. He might do a government class (It is included in TOG, but it was too much on top of the step up in history and literature as a 9th grader so we aren't doing it. Plus that way I could do a local government component as well if I did it on my own. But I might use the rhetoric government for all 4 years into a one year course with Teaching Company Material and maybe a Texas history government textbook...not sure) Also, history is a course that many homeschoolers take as dual credit at the local Christian college in 11th or 12th grade. So who knows!! I am a planner, but I'm keeping my options open once we finish the cycle.

 

Christine

[mrsrevmeg]

I would start with year 1, and that would be the one to do twice. It has a great deal about ancient government systems that just make more sense the older a child is. Is is do-able at any age, but I think some of the things are best understood by an older child. Just my 2 cents.

[siloam]

Oldest dd will have finished two years of world history usign SL Cores 6 and 7. We were planning on one year of American History using Core 100 next year, then TOG for the last four years.

 

If we decided to start next year, I am unsure where to begin. I would like to have one full cycle for dd for 9th-12th grade (she'll be 8th grade next year). I really would like to focus on American History, but the American Revolution begins the end of year 2. Is it possible to condense years 3 and 4 in one year, then start the cycle the following year with year 1? Obviously, I'd have to pick and choose which weeks to schedule. Or should I start with year 3, then year 4, then condense years 1 and 2 into one year?

 

Does anyone have any suggestions?

 

thanks so much!

Lisa

 

You could but that would personally drive me nuts. But a big part of why I love TOG is all the integration and progression of topics.

 

How? If you went in and took out all the weeks that cover just world history, but that probably would still leave you with more than a year of material because most weeks they cover both at the same time. It would be just the weeks that focus on China, Africa, Australia, ect... that you could eliminate.

 

If I were in your shoes I would one of these three:

 

1. Start year 1 now. Gives you extra time to sometimes dig in deeper or not even do history on a busy week without getting behind. Basically plan to do the 4 years over 5.

 

2. Start year 4 now. This would cover the most modern of US history, the part she has only lightly covered with SL. TOG goes into a lot more detail. The biggest down side of this is obvious. She just finished this history.

 

3. Start year 3 now. You would drop year 4 from the next rotation. I prefer to other two, which is why I listed them first.

 

Heather

 

[Joy at Home]

You could but that would personally drive me nuts. But a big part of why I love TOG is all the integration and progression of topics.

 

How? If you went in and took out all the weeks that cover just world history, but that probably would still leave you with more than a year of material because most weeks they cover both at the same time. It would be just the weeks that focus on China, Africa, Australia, ect... that you could eliminate.

 

If I were in your shoes I would one of these three:

 

1. Start year 1 now. Gives you extra time to sometimes dig in deeper or not even do history on a busy week without getting behind. Basically plan to do the 4 years over 5.

 

2. Start year 4 now. This would cover the most modern of US history, the part she has only lightly covered with SL. TOG goes into a lot more detail. The biggest down side of this is obvious. She just finished this history.

 

3. Start year 3 now. You would drop year 4 from the next rotation. I prefer to other two, which is why I listed them first.

 

Heather

 

 

Thank you, Heather! As always, your thoughtful responses are much appreciated.

 

I never thought of spreading four years over five. That may be a very good plan for us. It would also take some of the pressure off of keeping up while going through the learning curve.

 

Thanks so much!!

lisa

[siloam]

Thank you, Heather! As always, your thoughtful responses are much appreciated.

 

I never thought of spreading four years over five. That may be a very good plan for us. It would also take some of the pressure off of keeping up while going through the learning curve.

 

Thanks so much!!

lisa

 

Lisa,

 

I am glad that rang a chord. I hope you enjoy TOG as much as we do!

 

Heather

 

[Rhonda in TX]

We are currently in year 4, so we will be doing Year 1 for DS's 8th grade year. I don't know that I want to end high school with Year 1, so we may take a year off of TOG and do a year of geography instead. I haven't made up my mind for sure. The nice thing is, I don't have to decide now.

 

I do like the idea of doing 4 years over 5 as well. I hadn't thought of doing that.

[Renaissance Mom]

I also endorse the 'do 4 year plans over 5 yrs' approach. This is our 4th year using Tapestry and I can think of many weeks we have productively spread over 2 or more. We've also skipped some weeks. The 4 over 5 approach would give you so much flexibility to be able to do what you and your family want to do. One more thought, from experience, year 2 is quite "dense." This is one year plan I wish we had scheduled to do over at least 1 1/2 yrs (we're in a virtual co-op this year so I couldn't back out of our commitment and slow down).

 

Enjoy!

[Paisley Hedgehog]

nm