OK, I'm bored with doing SOTW 2

[Osmosis Mom]

And no, we weren't doing any hands-on because basically that just isn't me. The kids love doing the map work, but I find the program a bit boring. We were adding in the encyclopedias (we're doing 3rd and 6th grades so two diferent ones), but not many readers except what we have in our great home library.

 

Honestly, then I miss SL and those days. I am thinking of jumping ship, but am not sure which level we should do. I also think the kids would enjoy that more. Well, at least my two girls 8 who love to read. Ds is very wishy-washy about reading, but at least he'd get specific options that weren't directed by mother. Also, the RA would be nice and since it's scheduled, perhaps actually done....

 

So, which level might we do? I have already several TMs around here, probably 2-4 and 7 Alt. and 100, something like that (can't really remember).

 

Gosh, I'm rambling.

[Rosie_0801]

But, but, but the Middle Ages are cool! :svengo:

 

Maybe you need to eat some medieval food. You could attend an SCA feast or have a go at cooking your own.

 

Don't mind me. I think food is the cure for everything...

 

How about borrowing some books with good illustrations of costumes, portraits of famous people, embroidery samplers, woodcuts and other such stuff. Not to narrate or anything, just to look at for extra flavour. It's kind of cool to look at the samplers Mary, Queen of Scots would have been working on while in captivity in England. Well, I thought it was cool...

 

:)

Rosie

Edited December 14, 2009 by Rosie_0801

[Pata]

Have you tried doing SOTW Sonlight style? I loved Sonlight, but I love WTM more. So I've added read-alouds, readers and some extra history books from Sonlight. It's worked very well for us, you can see my SOTW plans here. Also, the AG is a great source of fun activities and extra books. Hope that helps!

[Osmosis Mom]

Well, actually it is the choppiness of SOTW that I just can't stand. Of ocurse I can alter any plan (if I took the time), but I tend to really like the intensity of the readers and RA's of SL....

[Mary in GA]

Have you tried doing SOTW Sonlight style? I loved Sonlight, but I love WTM more. So I've added read-alouds, readers and some extra history books from Sonlight. It's worked very well for us, you can see my SOTW plans here. Also, the AG is a great source of fun activities and extra books. Hope that helps!

 

This is what I do as well.

 

I've used all 4 years of SOTW, and I think for me, the problem with SOTW 2 is just the time period. I felt like of all 4 books, 2 was a bit lacking in flow compared to the others but I chalk it up to the time period covered. I struggle with Middle Ages whether I'm using SOTW or TOG!

 

Mary

[Another Lynn]

Well, actually it is the choppiness of SOTW that I just can't stand. Of ocurse I can alter any plan (if I took the time), but I tend to really like the intensity of the readers and RA's of SL....

 

I have problems with the choppiness too when we've tried to use SOTW. I wonder if your younger ones would enjoy Island Story as a spine? It's only British history, but it continues the story chapter to chapter and they would still learn a lot.

[Pata]

Well, actually it is the choppiness of SOTW that I just can't stand. Of ocurse I can alter any plan (if I took the time), but I tend to really like the intensity of the readers and RA's of SL....

 

I see, SOTW 2 is a bit choppy as others have said :). Hope you figure out what works for you and yours!

[Kate in Arabia]

I'm pretty sure someone has posted a re-ordering of the SOTW chapters by region (I may even have that saved somewhere), so you could do the chapters in a different order. Just another possibility...

[Nestof3]

I see SOTW as a spine. I think supplementing with great books is what you're missing, and that's what Sonlight gives. Why not just add books? We added a lot of fun ones.

[tdeveson]

Ds is bored with SOTW too. I really liked it for the first few years, but he really pushes back now. I find the writing clunky and the order doesn't make much sense to me now that we're time lining. Also, SOTW is written as a political history and completely leaves out art, music and architecture which I consider essential to a good history curriculum.

 

It won't do for next year and I'm desperately looking for something different to recapture ds's attention, preferably all in one place. Having to pay for a curriculum so that I can then rewrite it, supplement it, try to make it palatable, is just not worth it.

 

This year I'm supplementing heavily with other books to try to keep it fresh, but I don't want to have to write my history curriculum practically from scratch again like I did this year. I think I'd like something with a workbook that ds can write in.

 

If I can't find anything good for sixth grade world history, I'll write my own using the Usborne Internet Linked Encyclopedia of World History as a spine.

[LG Gone Wild]

And no, we weren't doing any hands-on because basically that just isn't me. The kids love doing the map work, but I find the program a bit boring. We were adding in the encyclopedias (we're doing 3rd and 6th grades so two diferent ones), but not many readers except what we have in our great home library.

 

Honestly, then I miss SL and those days. I am thinking of jumping ship, but am not sure which level we should do. I also think the kids would enjoy that more. Well, at least my two girls 8 who love to read. Ds is very wishy-washy about reading, but at least he'd get specific options that weren't directed by mother. Also, the RA would be nice and since it's scheduled, perhaps actually done....

 

So, which level might we do? I have already several TMs around here, probably 2-4 and 7 Alt. and 100, something like that (can't really remember).

 

Gosh, I'm rambling.

 

Your post took me by surprise because SL is so evangelical, it frequently annoyed me. I have never done the activities either. We just finished SOTW 2. It was our most successful history book yet. It helps that I have a good library system so that I was able to get those books recommend in the Activity guide.

 

I am a former user of SL as well. If I were to switch...I would go with a 1 year American History core or to the Eastern Hemisphere core.

 

I did my schedules like SL does only I put in SOTW stuff, Professor B, catechism, scouting assignments, and such. It's a lot of work but I when I have it done, I love it.

 

You could try doing History Odyssey. It shuffles SOTW 2 around and you might like that approach better.

[EKS]

We add tons of read alouds to SOTW, making SOTW the book a relatively minor part of our history experience.

[Lovedtodeath]

I see SOTW as a spine. I think supplementing with great books is what you're missing, and that's what Sonlight gives. Why not just add books? We added a lot of fun ones.

:iagree:

 

Ds is bored with SOTW too. I really liked it for the first few years, but he really pushes back now. I find the writing clunky and the order doesn't make much sense to me now that we're time lining. Also, SOTW is written as a political history and completely leaves out art, music and architecture which I consider essential to a good history curriculum.

 

It won't do for next year and I'm desperately looking for something different to recapture ds's attention, preferably all in one place. Having to pay for a curriculum so that I can then rewrite it, supplement it, try to make it palatable, is just not worth it.

 

This year I'm supplementing heavily with other books to try to keep it fresh, but I don't want to have to write my history curriculum practically from scratch again like I did this year. I think I'd like something with a workbook that ds can write in.

 

If I can't find anything good for sixth grade world history, I'll write my own using the Usborne Internet Linked Encyclopedia of World History as a spine.

Have you seen K-12's Human Odyssey? It is less choppy and has more information, full color pictures, much better maps with color. I also found a book you might like for that time period... The Medieval and Early Modern World: Primary Sources and Reference Volume

[Osmosis Mom]

I really don't care for HO. I'll see what I'll do. My brain is fried right now, though, having just finished the hands-on planet model for the wall (way too much cutting and figuring out circles for me, LOL!!!!).

[MerryAtHope]

I'd pull out your Sonlight 2 guide and figure out where you are timewise with that IG. You can read all the supplemental books and use SOTW as the "Spine" in place of CHOW if you want (or you could switch over to CHOW if you don't want to finish SOTW). SL 2 covers the Middle ages to modern times. And Core 2 had a lot of fun books & there were some good tie ins with the middle ages--loved Castle Diary!

 

Merry :-)

[Laura W.]

We're enjoying Biblioplan here. It shuffles SOTW 2 around for a better flow, plus you get scheduled readers and read-alouds. I know BP and SL use some of the same books in their schedules.

 

HTH.

 

Blessings,

 

Laura

[elizabeth]

 

http://www.pandiapress.com/history_odyssey.htm I love this and it has 3 levels to correlate to your student's particular age. Seriously this is what I would do if I did not like writing my own syllabi. It happens to be my thing. That and endless organization. I do think her material for Medieval period is looking very tempting.

[LibraryLover]

Your kids are older; can they simply do the activities which interest them on their own? I rarely have to help with that except to by stuff. Well, OK, honestly, I never have to help with that. Except to buy stuff. ;)

 

I like to leave it up to them because they retain best when it comes from their interests. Further, I admit, not a one of us wanted to mummify a chicken (from SOTW I). We didn't want to waste one of our chickens and we got the deal of it: The Egyptians had cool knowledge & stuff which preserved bodies. (And their uber -dry climate, but I digress). Check.

[EKS]

Have you seen K-12's Human Odyssey? It is less choppy and has more information, full color pictures, much better maps with color.

 

K12's Human Odyssey is the best history spine I've seen anywhere for the middle grades.

[akmyilee]

we are doing Our Island Story with SOTW2 -- I am using http://spreadsheets.google.com/pub?key=pTosgrz1wWzUf9ZW0K44EXQ

I found it on here sometime. We do the mapwork and coloring sheets. I am not too much into the activity guide stuff either. My son is TOTALLY into the medival times though so I am sure that helps.

[HollyDay]

We had the same problem with SOTW 2 as well, but I am not a huge fan of Sonlight.

 

We re-ordered SOTW 2 and heavily supplemented. I incorporated some of MOH. I liked that even less than SOTW2, but it could be used in pieces to add depth here and there. I also checked the reading lists for Beautiful Feet Middle Ages and Veritas Press. Our library (pitiful as it is) had several books from both lists. I then bought a few. Augustine Came to Kent was a big hit here. So was Sword in the Tree. Kings Shadow was not well liked. We read appropriate Royal Diaries books too (I have girls).

 

It was a lot of work, researching age appropriate readers, re-ordering 2 spines, and diving into food and craft ideas. For crafts, I bought several Dover coloring books. They have an interesting one on medieval tapestries that brought out a whole discussion on art, heating and insulating castles, etc. Our library had a few books on medieval art and also medicine (gross!) which branched us off in another direction. Dk and Usborne have great Knights and Castles book.

[Lovedtodeath]

 

K12's Human Odyssey is the best history spine I've seen anywhere for the middle grades.

Ancients takes at least twice as many pages as middle ages though.

[AngelBee]

:lurk5:

[*Jessica*]

Have you tried doing SOTW Sonlight style? I loved Sonlight, but I love WTM more. So I've added read-alouds, readers and some extra history books from Sonlight. It's worked very well for us, you can see my SOTW plans here. Also, the AG is a great source of fun activities and extra books. Hope that helps!

Paige, I love the SOTW Volume 1 Plans! However, we're already halfway through the year so I was thinking I would just start next year with the Volume 2 Plans. Volume 2 Plans comes up with an error message, "Sorry, there are currently no free download slots available on this server." Is there any chance they can be uploaded again?

[Lovedtodeath]

I just happened to notice that the section for the middle ages is much smaller in several books. Is one year perhaps too long to drag them out?:confused:

[Pata]

Paige, I love the SOTW Volume 1 Plans! However, we're already halfway through the year so I was thinking I would just start next year with the Volume 2 Plans. Volume 2 Plans comes up with an error message, "Sorry, there are currently no free download slots available on this server." Is there any chance they can be uploaded again?

 

Bummer, sorry about that! I'll take a look at that and see what's going on. In the meantime, you can get the file at my yahoo group (link in my siggy) under the files section, in the other homeschooling helps file :).

[Julie in MN]

Well after reading through the replies, it seems you've already made up your mind but I was curious about your original thread title and the reasons for being bored...

 

Also, the RA would be nice and since it's scheduled, perhaps actually done....

 

You do know that the SOTW Activity Book has lots of reading scheduled by topic? Not scheduled by page number and day, though. The options of choosing a book that appeals to us and reading at our own pace are appealing to me, but if you want scheduling, couldn't you just write down "chapter 1 on Monday, chapter 2 on Tuesday" etc?!

 

Well, actually it is the choppiness of SOTW that I just can't stand. Of ocurse I can alter any plan (if I took the time), but I tend to really like the intensity of the readers and RA's of SL....

 

The SL readers & RA's are automatically going to be choppy, with huge jumps between book topics (and sometimes off-topic for a while).

 

All spines have to decide how to group things. I mean, you can't have a history book say "January 1, 1020, and this was happening in each country of the world. January 2, and this was happening in each country..." History has to be grouped by person or country or something in order to make it manageable.

 

Also, SOTW is written as a political history and completely leaves out art, music and architecture which I consider essential to a good history curriculum.

 

Agreeing that SOTW is very political, but the Activity Book we're using in year 4 is definitely adding these things in. Sometimes we like the AB better than the reading :) We've done things from reading Flander's Fields to building the ice palace. (And more are added by MFW, which we're using.)

 

 

Well, just my thoughts in response,

Julie

[*Jessica*]

Bummer, sorry about that! I'll take a look at that and see what's going on. In the meantime, you can get the file at my yahoo group (link in my siggy) under the files section, in the other homeschooling helps file :).

I'm already a member of the Yahoo Group, I just didn't think to look there! Thanks!

[Mommy22alyns]

Bummer, sorry about that! I'll take a look at that and see what's going on. In the meantime, you can get the file at my yahoo group (link in my siggy) under the files section, in the other homeschooling helps file :).

 

 

 

Well now I'm tempted to toss HO and do things this way instead! :001_huh: