SS in MD Posted March 25, 2008 Share Posted March 25, 2008 Next fall my oldest dc will restart the history cycle with Ancients (7th grade). Either we can do another 4 year cycle (7-10th), or I was thinking doing world history for 2 years (7th-8th), then in 9th grade start with Ancients using VP Ominbus w/Great Books or TOG Year 1 (or something else?). Just wondering if anyone has used K12 for 7th or 8th grade world history. We used K12 years ago when dd was in 2nd grade. But, stopped due to cost, at the time no DSL was available in our area, and being stuck to the computer for most subjects. So, just wondering if you liked/disliked the 7th/8th grade K12 history and if it's worth the $$$. It's hard to justify for one child for 1 year. But, if it's really good, I would consider it. Thanks so much for responding! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SS in MD Posted March 25, 2008 Author Share Posted March 25, 2008 Thanks for the post. Sounds like it wasn't that great and I'm assuming your dc didn't get much out of the program? Was the text dry and boring?? Just curious...Thanks for offering to send me samples. I'll see if I can get online access and check it out for myself. Otherwise, I'll let you know. Thanks again for your insight! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peela Posted March 25, 2008 Share Posted March 25, 2008 I love the text...it is one of my best finds for the year. I was actually ordering History Odyssey 2nd hand thinking I was getting a different text, and ended up with K12's instead, (same name, 2 different books)and it is fantastic for my needs. I joined K12 thinking I might as well do it since I liked the text...but I agree with Eliana, a lot of busy work...a lot of work period. And my kids don't like working on the computer. So I quit K12online and I just use the text. I read it aloud a chapter a week. The book covers Ancients and Medieval so I can afford to take our time, and I intend to slow down once I get to the Greeks and Romans. The book is wonderful for Logic stage. Instead of just covering facts, it covers the thinking, the background, what civilization is, the development of all the major world religions...the development of thought and culture. It is secular, which suits me. On Tuesdays I read a chapter to the kids. Sometimes they do mapwork. On Wednesdays they will do outlining...not usually from the K12 book, because the chapters are very long. Sometimes I will find a relevant section in Kingfisher, or another book from the library..last week for Hinduism I printed off two pages from the internet that seemed to be a good summary and they outlined that. They outline on their computers and will usually find pictures online. On Thursday I will pick a writing assignment- a research report, or sometimes a creative exercise. I have started adding in more geography, and today after reading I had them do a short report on the Himalayas. On top of all this they have reading lists, and our year is a year long unit study on Ancients. So the text itself is just for reading, there are no exercises in it, but I would definitely say it qualifies as a Living Book....far, far more so that Kingfisher Encyclopedia. It has stories embedded in it as well. Beautifully illustrated. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EKS Posted March 25, 2008 Share Posted March 25, 2008 We are in the same boat in 7th and 8th grade, needing to cover all of history in two years. I thought that K12 would be perfect. I was all set to sign my son up for it next year (7th). Then I got a demo account and actually had a chance to look at it (I was able to get a copy of the book used). The questions on the worksheets seemed like mostly busy-work (I use K12 for other things and this is a recurring theme). I also find it frustrating that World History A/B only goes to 1914. There is another whole year that independent users can't get because it's high school. Now, why did they have to do that? If you haven't already, I highly recommend getting a demo account. It gives you access to all the lessons for all the courses (you can't print and do some other things but you can see everything!). It really helped me with my decision. We are going to be using Speilvogel's Human Odyssey over two years instead. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SS in MD Posted March 25, 2008 Author Share Posted March 25, 2008 EKS, Thanks for the idea of getting temporary access. Do you plan to use other texts with Speilvogel's? Will you do outlining, mapwork, etc? Just wondering what you will schedule alongside Speilvogels. - thanks! My oldest 12yo will be in 7th, 10 yo (5th), 7 yo (2nd), and pre-k. While I would like to keep all 3 older kids together doing the same history (ancients). I feel like oldest may benefit from a 2 year world study, then start ancients in 9th or some sort of concentrated study (like British literature).. I'm just pondering.... Thanks so much for your help! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SS in MD Posted March 25, 2008 Author Share Posted March 25, 2008 Peela & Eliana, Thanks for your posts. You know I remember when we used K12 in 2nd there seemed to be a lot of busy work, and I wondered why we were doing all we were doing.... I'll look into getting a temporary account. - thanks!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SS in MD Posted March 25, 2008 Author Share Posted March 25, 2008 EKS, Also, where can I find Speilvogel's Human Odyssey? I can't find it on Amazon or RR? THanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SS in MD Posted March 25, 2008 Author Share Posted March 25, 2008 Eliana, Thanks for the link! Have you used this text yet? If you have, did you use the student study guide (I saw it on amazon, but no samples available). Or did you use other texts or literature books? What do you this of this book overall? Is it a good, engaging read? Its so hard to figure things out... go with TOG or all kids, or have oldest do something on her own for 2 years? Hard to figure it all out... LOL! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EKS Posted March 25, 2008 Share Posted March 25, 2008 My plan for Spielvogel's HO is to read the text, do the section review questions, mapwork, selected questions at the end of each chapter, and some sort of writing project at the the end of each unit (there are 6 in the book). I haven't decided about outlining or testing. We are also going to read historical fiction, adaptations of the Iliad and the Odyssey (Sutcliff) and the Aeneid (In Search of a Homeland), and D'Aulaires Greek Myths. When we get to where American history comes into play (the end of year one), I think we are going to also read Boorstin's A History of the United States and do something similar with the review questions, etc. My idea is to use the high school books but try to only expect middle school level output. If my son is still homeschooling in high school, I plan to start the history rotation again in 9th the WTM way. That's the plan, anyway! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peela Posted March 27, 2008 Share Posted March 27, 2008 Yes I must admit my personal love for the K12 one comes largely from the fact that it covers eastern religions in fair depth, and in a secular way, and in a way my kids (ages 12 and 13/14) can access. I had designed my own program for the year making sure I had included good coverage of Buddhism etc, but when the K12 book fell in my lap I decided not to reinvent the wheel. I have a personal love of eastern religion and mythology, and a great familiarity with it, and my kids live in an environment where we have buddhas and all sorts of spiritual philosophy floating around..I wanted to share that with my kids this year and give them a more solid background. Its not that the K12 book is dominated with it...it just takes up a balanced amount of time along with the history of judaism , christianity etc, and that is what suited me well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SS in MD Posted March 28, 2008 Author Share Posted March 28, 2008 Thank you Peela for the detailed post and for including the two books excerpts. I appreciate it. It helped me see the differences you mentioned in the texts. Where do you get your literature sources and Great Book sources from?? - thanks again for your help! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peela Posted March 28, 2008 Share Posted March 28, 2008 lol....you mean Eliana, not Peela :001_smile: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SS in MD Posted March 28, 2008 Author Share Posted March 28, 2008 Peela - you're right, I meant to include you both in the post ... but my eyes were weary! Thank YOU for the information, alway good to get more than one opinion! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Haiku Posted December 31, 2008 Share Posted December 31, 2008 At one point on some thread here someone posted a link to the K12 site for The Human Odyssey. I was trying to find it today on their website, which to me is opaque and very difficult to use, and I can't find the page that tells how much the book costs and lets you order it. Does anyone have such a link? Tara Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quiver0f10 Posted December 31, 2008 Share Posted December 31, 2008 What time period does the K12 second book end with? Could you use both books to cover all of Word History? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Barb_ Posted December 31, 2008 Share Posted December 31, 2008 (edited) What time period does the K12 second book end with? Could you use both books to cover all of Word History? There are actually 3 books, and yes, you can cover all of history with the three books. They are very good and I would recommend them as spines, but they are pricey. The used market for them is slim because they are published in-house. Barb ETA: Sigh. See below. Edited December 31, 2008 by Barb F. PA in AZ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Barb_ Posted December 31, 2008 Share Posted December 31, 2008 At one point on some thread here someone posted a link to the K12 site for The Human Odyssey. I was trying to find it today on their website, which to me is opaque and very difficult to use, and I can't find the page that tells how much the book costs and lets you order it. Does anyone have such a link? Tara The books are $60 for History A and $75 for History B and there used to be a place online where you could order the books directly. I'm pretty sure it was right here: http://www.k12.com/curriculum_and_products/history_main/k12_history_books/ It looks as if that is no longer an option. What a shame! It really chaps me that they make it so difficult for private homeschoolers to access their materials. If you are inclined to do so, you may want to call them directly to see whether they are still making the books available as a separate option. Barb Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quiver0f10 Posted December 31, 2008 Share Posted December 31, 2008 Thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Emma Posted December 31, 2008 Share Posted December 31, 2008 My 7th grade dd is using it and she likes it a lot. She doesn't feel like the questions are busy work and she really thinks the assesments help her know what she needs to reread. We've tried lots of different programs, and this one is working for her. Now, I don't make her write out all the answers to every question, we don't outline, and I'm not giving her tons of extra reading either. She does do all the writing assignments and feels that they are preparing her for high school work. I asked her if she wanted to stay with K12 for 8th grade or move to something like Sonlight. She gave me a resounding, "Stay!" She is remembering way, W-A-Y- more than she did with other programs. Unfortunately, K12 high school is way too much $$ for us; so once again, I'm looking for another program for 9th grade. All in all, I couldn't be more pleased with her progress. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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