Blue Hen Posted February 7, 2010 Share Posted February 7, 2010 As I'm clearing my bookshelves I pointed to our ancient history bookshelf and mentioned to my 8th grader that we would be doing ancients next year for history. "NO, PLEASE NOT ANCIENTS AGAIN!" he begs, he pleads, please there must be some other history subject. In a way I don't blame him for feeling this way. He had ancients 3 times according to him. As a 3yo, while he played with trucks, he listened to the stories I read to his older brother. Then he went through SOTW in 1st grade, and a more in-depth look in 5th grade including having his brother read many of the high school books out-loud to him. He feels like that was just yesterday and he isn't interested in the time period just yet. This child could use some time to mature as a reader too before tackling ancients too. Instead I'm thinking about spending half-the-year on US government but what should we do the other half-of-the-year? Maybe a geography study, but then what textbook should we use as a spline? or something else completely, but just what? That's what I need help with. What are the alternatives to consider? Either for half-a-year or a full year. Oh my, and then what do I do for a Great Book study? Just when I thought I had it all figured out. :glare: Carole Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Corraleno Posted February 7, 2010 Share Posted February 7, 2010 I'm planning to do a year of US History and Government in 9th, after finishing up Modern in 8th. I'll do American Literature that year as well. Then in 10th I'll do Western Civ and cover Ancients through Renaissance in one year. By 11th he'll probably be at CC and may do additional history or may take other core courses like Human Geography, Intro Anthro, etc. Jackie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris in VA Posted February 7, 2010 Share Posted February 7, 2010 Two sciences might be fun--one regular, and one in which you could do a lot of biographies/GB's on the scientists and so gain a bit of historical perspective. Use Joy Hakim's History of Science books. There's a recent thread detailing some scientist's works that are accessible "primary sources." You could pair it with a simplified Omnibus 1, also. The Omni 1 readings are pretty easy--they hold your hand in that curriculum, as it is a 7th grade starting point (but we found it plenty for 9th). Don't do the secondary readings, and pick maybe 4 of the primaries--even if you buy it used, you can get most of your $ back. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lionfamily1999 Posted February 7, 2010 Share Posted February 7, 2010 For reading you could do autobiographies and biographies of past and the present Presidents. Major political writings would be good too. You could just make it the year of American History and (as the other poster mentioned) focus on American literature. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jane in NC Posted February 7, 2010 Share Posted February 7, 2010 I love the Hakim History of Science idea. What science will your 9th grader study? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mooooom Posted February 7, 2010 Share Posted February 7, 2010 (Great Source) and a half year of economics (Blue Stocking press). We also did a whole credit of geography using Mapping the World by Heart with the Hewitt guide (had them write 6 reports, on a country from each inhabited continent - and their maps are BEAUTIFUL!) For 10th we are doing world history up to the end of the 1900s, and then a year of 20th century for 11th (we will actually label this as 1 year US and 1 yr world history for colleges). Not sure what we will do for 12th, I'm wondering if I can interest them in anthropology. In any case, I have seen multiple people say they wished they hadn't spent 4 years on history in high school as it really didn't interest colleges. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blue Hen Posted February 7, 2010 Author Share Posted February 7, 2010 I love the Hakim History of Science idea. What science will your 9th grader study? This year we've used Hakim's History of US as our history spline. I love her writing. Sitting on our shelf is Hakim's History of Science, the first two books. And we haven't 'used' them yet. And I do have loads of famous scientist biographies.... DS will either be doing Biology or an earth science. We haven't decide which one although I'm leaning to Biology. Carole Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blue Hen Posted February 7, 2010 Author Share Posted February 7, 2010 My senior is taking AP Econ from PA HS'ers---loves, loves, loves the course-----and I really want DS#2 to take this course too his senior or junior year. I'll have to look at the Mapping the World by Heart. Thanks for the ideas. The colleges DS#1 applied to wanted to see 3 or 4 years of Social Science/history which is really broad. Lots of possibilites. thanks, Carole Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lori D. Posted February 7, 2010 Share Posted February 7, 2010 How about a comparative religions or worldview course rather than any history? And for literature/Great Books, why not compile a list of classics you'd really like to make sure you cover at some point, or ones that would be just lots of fun -- Treasure Island, Animal Farm, To Kill a Mockingbird, the Adventures of Tom Sawyer, etc... Or what about the Literary Lessons from the Lord of the Rings year-long study? You can include The Iliad, Beowulf, Macbeth, Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, and The Once and Future King as Great Books to go along with that. Or, what about 20th century world history? Check out some of the lit. books SL uses for that year. When we did 20th century world history last year with grade 9 and 10 DSs, we made our own literature program: "Worldviews in Classic Sci-Fi Literature" for our Great Books (Frankenstein, Dr. J & Mr. H, Time Machine, Animal Farm, The Giver, Brave New World, Farenheit 451, Canticle for Leibowitz, Cosmicomics, Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy). So many choices! BEST of luck, Lori D. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rosie_0801 Posted February 8, 2010 Share Posted February 8, 2010 I did a history of cities subject at uni and that was a really different way of considering history for me. The idea of studying the history of a place, or a time period across the board was quite normal, even the history of an item. The development of cities as institutions, rather than a specific city, was very interesting. Sorry, that's really badly constructed paragraph. I'm really tired, so I hope you understand what I mean! This sort of idea is what I'm getting at: http://www.amazon.com/City-Story-Roman-Planning-Construction/dp/0395349222/ref=sr_1_19?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1265588096&sr=8-19 Yes it's ancients, but it probably won't kill him ;) If you can find similar resources to plod on through time, it'll show the evolution of city construction, and that is history. Rosie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StephanieZ Posted February 8, 2010 Share Posted February 8, 2010 Hakim's Story of Science would be a sneaky way to tie into history. . .as the first volume is all about the ancients, lol. We're really enjoying it this year. You could ask him to write a small report/essay each week on some topic, researching in some history text something that ties into the SoS chapters. . . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frontier Mom Posted February 8, 2010 Share Posted February 8, 2010 (edited) Hakim's Story of Science would be a sneaky way to tie into history. . .as the first volume is all about the ancients, lol. We're really enjoying it this year. You could ask him to write a small report/essay each week on some topic, researching in some history text something that ties into the SoS chapters. . . Jumping in to see where you order this? Did you also get the teacher's guide? I was looking into it and love her History Books. This looks good but I didn't see pricing on their site. I found the books at Amazon but wondering if you even need to TG. Edited February 8, 2010 by Frontier Mom Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MamaSheep Posted February 8, 2010 Share Posted February 8, 2010 What about a half year of economics? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EKS Posted February 8, 2010 Share Posted February 8, 2010 We're doing a year of geography. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cinder Posted February 8, 2010 Share Posted February 8, 2010 Since you mentioned social sciences you might consider a course like psychology, sociology, or philosophy. I took a social studies course in high school called "Futuristics." I thought it would be about planning a futuristic city (like the other class of Futuristics did). But this teacher focused on philosophical discussions (his specialty) such as "If in the future a chimpanzee could carry a human fetus so that a woman would not have to be pregnant, would you do it? Why or why not?" We'd have lots of class discussion and then an essay test on the topic. Some folks I knew years ago gave their kids a psychology credit by studying for and taking the CLEP test. Sorry, I have no resource suggestions. (My 9th grader is doing BJU geography.) Just wanted to offer other ideas. Cinder Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blue Hen Posted February 8, 2010 Author Share Posted February 8, 2010 Please share what you are using. I've spent the morning looking at Mapping the World by Heart, and Runkles, and looking at literature guides. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
elegantlion Posted February 8, 2010 Share Posted February 8, 2010 Jumping in to see where you order this? Did you also get the teacher's guide? I was looking into it and love her History Books. This looks good but I didn't see pricing on their site. I found the books at Amazon but wondering if you even need to TG. I recently asked this question on the K-8 board. http://www.welltrainedmind.com/forums/showthread.php?t=153300&highlight=story+science Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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