If you use Kingfisher or Usborne as a spine,

[mom31257]

what do you do besides read the text? I know there is outlining and doing a time line. Are there other good activities to help retain the information? Do you make up quizzes or tests?

[Malenki]

:lurk5:

[missmoe]

I'm using Kingfisher as a spine with History Odyssey. I think information is retained by working with that info. Outlining, writing summeries, making notebook pages, ect. I treat the info in Kingfisher as an introduction to the topic. The other books we add to it are where most of the info and content come from. Along with reading Kingfisher, a fun historical fiction book or project will really cement those facts.

[mom31257]

I'm using Kingfisher as a spine with History Odyssey. I think information is retained by working with that info. Outlining, writing summeries, making notebook pages, ect. I treat the info in Kingfisher as an introduction to the topic. The other books we add to it are where most of the info and content come from. Along with reading Kingfisher, a fun historical fiction book or project will really cement those facts.

 

Thanks for the ideas. I just need to work harder on finding those extra resources. I had a textbook as a spine, but realized it was not chronological. The text was nice to check retention because there were section questions, end of chapter activities, and tests. I'll do some searching on threads here for books and ideas for our time period.

[SilverMoon]

We use a red Kingfisher History Encyclopedia as a spine for the logic stage. A normal week could roughly look like:

 

Day 1

-read a page spread or two from the Encyclopedia

-make a list of facts

-enter important dates on his timeline

-map work if applicable

 

Day 3

-read a library book or two on related topics (particular events, people, places, etc.)

-write an outline on a related topic he's found interest in, the source is probably a library book (If there isn't a particular topic he's interested in I'll assign one I think is noteworthy)

 

Day 5

-write a summary on a related topic, that isn't the one he previously outlined

-finish up any reading

 

I don't quiz or test him, but I do discuss it with him frequently, and ask questions that lead him into analysis (not that this age needs much help with that, lol).

[mcconnellboys]

I use Kingfisher as a spine. That just means, for me, that I organize my topics around those in Kingfisher and read from it first, to introduce a topic. The bulk of our reading comes from library books, or other books we own, which flesh out the topics a lot more than does Kingfisher. We can't look more in depth at every topic, so we choose those that are more interesting, important, or that we can find at the library, LOL! Once more in depth reading on a topic is done, it becomes easier to remember that topic. That, paired with the outlining, timeline and reports helps to cement the learning.

[mom31257]

I use Kingfisher as a spine. That just means, for me, that I organize my topics around those in Kingfisher and read from it first, to introduce a topic. The bulk of our reading comes from library books, or other books we own, which flesh out the topics a lot more than does Kingfisher. We can't look more in depth at every topic, so we choose those that are more interesting, important, or that we can find at the library, LOL! Once more in depth reading on a topic is done, it becomes easier to remember that topic. That, paired with the outlining, timeline and reports helps to cement the learning.

 

Can I ask you what type of reports you have your kids do? I will agree with going more in-depth with what you can find at the library! How much do you put on the timeline? Several pages in Kingfisher have lots of key dates. Do you include all of those, or just those you feel are most important? I've been lurking here for a quite a while and spent a lot of time on the general board at first. I'm trying to switch over to more classical methods this year. Thanks for all the help!

[missmoe]

One paragraph a week is what I require right now--my kids are 10,10, and 11. What I am really focusing on right now is note-taking and outlines. So, we work on an outline each week. Right now we are completing them together. I also try to fit in one fun notebook page every week or every other week--that way my crafty kids have something to look forward to.

 

Timeline---We do use those dates in Kingfisher. Some I require and then the kids get to pick others from Kingfisher or any other reading we've done. They love looking for dates with-in our reading and keeping that for timeline time.

 

We also complete maps for each area studied.

[kmacnchs]

:lurk5:

[mcconnellboys]

Oh, I just pick things based on their readings. The biggest thing my son has done this year is a research report on Brian Boru because he got interested in his story when he read an historical fiction book about him. He ended up portraying his character at a medieval feaste and faire we had at the end of an outside class, as well as doing a panorama of the Battle of Clontarf (where Boru died).

 

Each week, I try to pick out some topic for him to write about, or give him a list of several from which to choose. I try to vary the type of report he does, from short paragraphs, summaries, to longer research reports, to book reports, etc.

 

I got a timeline book from Peace Hill Press at convention last year and we started it using the review cards in the SOTW activity guide. We also add in dates from a sample list they provide in the back of the book, as well as important things from our readings. We don't stress about trying to include every little detail (and there's not room on it to do that, anyway).

[AngelBee]

:lurk5: