DS wants to do a concentrated study of Russian history...

[Mommyfaithe]

How would you do this the WTM way?? Would you allow your high schooler to veer off either the history or traditional cycle to persue this interest, or would you integrate it into World History somehow?

 

Does anyone know of a good course? Books? Other resources?

 

I am sort of leaning toward following his interests, but how would I list this on a transcript? he will be entering 11th grade: So far his history is.

 

9th: US History (1 credit)

US Government (1/2 credit)

 

10th: Introduction to Philosophy (1 Credit)

 

Thanks for any info or advice or just commiseration.

 

~~Faithe

[MIch elle]

Ds high school world history teacher is BIG on Russian history so I looked on his website and here's what I found: http://www.stjohnshigh.org/s/804/index.aspx?sid=804&gid=1&pgid=361

 

If you like anything print it out because I'm sure it will be gone or changed by the end of their school yr. 6/4

 

HTH :D

[Mommyfaithe]

Ds high school world history teacher is BIG on Russian history so I looked on his website and here's what I found: http://www.stjohnshigh.org/s/804/index.aspx?sid=804&gid=1&pgid=361

 

If you like anything print it out because I'm sure it will be gone or changed by the end of their school yr. 6/4

 

HTH :D

 

THANKS!!!!

[MIch elle]

It's close by: http://www.museumofrussianicons.org/

 

It's only a few years old; I haven't see it yet.

[Orthodox6]

A fascinating topic, for sure ! I hope you can pull together a good course for your ds !

 

The only history book which I comfortably can recommend at this point is Nicholas Riasanovsky's A History of Russia. It approaches balance, and is from a solid historian. This is a book well worth adding to any home library where history is of interest.

 

99% of the books on the market about 20th century Russia and its history are garbage because they sensationalize rumour and innuendo for any discussion of the Russian Revolution. The Royal Family were complex people whom most books reduce to cartoon figures. Imperfect people, of course. But not at all the imbeciles or cruel individuals which they often are portrayed as.

 

Also, the history of Russia cannot be understood without studying the Orthodox Christian faith, using materials written by Orthodox authors. One has to understand the Church as Orthodox do, not as other people distort it.

 

Knowledge of the Jewish faith and, for Soviet times and beyond, knowledge of the Muslim faith seem needed for studying how vast and diverse a country attempted to hold itself together.

 

Historical atlases are available online, as are modern atlases.

 

The Osprey books on military history (fabulous works !) include volumes on medieval Russia as well as modern.

[Lizzie in Ma]

The Russians.

[Mommyfaithe]

A fascinating topic, for sure ! I hope you can pull together a good course for your ds !

 

The only history book which I comfortably can recommend at this point is Nicholas Riasanovsky's A History of Russia. It approaches balance, and is from a solid historian. This is a book well worth adding to any home library where history is of interest.

 

99% of the books on the market about 20th century Russia and its history are garbage because they sensationalize rumour and innuendo for any discussion of the Russian Revolution. The Royal Family were complex people whom most books reduce to cartoon figures. Imperfect people, of course. But not at all the imbeciles or cruel individuals which they often are portrayed as.

 

Also, the history of Russia cannot be understood without studying the Orthodox Christian faith, using materials written by Orthodox authors. One has to understand the Church as Orthodox do, not as other people distort it.

 

Knowledge of the Jewish faith and, for Soviet times and beyond, knowledge of the Muslim faith seem needed for studying how vast and diverse a country attempted to hold itself together.

 

Historical atlases are available online, as are modern atlases.

 

The Osprey books on military history (fabulous works !) include volumes on medieval Russia as well as modern.

 

Knowledge of the Jewish Faith will be learned first hand as my Grandfather escaped from the pogroms and came to this country in 1910 after wandering in Europe for a few years. It was very difficcult, but he managed to bring his wife and 3 sons here in 1918. My mother was born here in 1928, by his 2nd wife. I think this story was the impetus for studying Russia....that and he did his literature term paper on Leo Tolstoy.

 

I think we will need more resources understanding the Muslim faith and I think Sonlight sells a book on the Orthodox faith. Do you know if this book is good and a fair explanation of Orthodox tradition?

 

I will check out the other book you recommended and read it myself in preparation of this course. Thanks!!

 

~~Faithe

[Mama Lynx]

How much world history has your son done, so far? How good is his grasp of the general sweep of history? Have you done WTM history rotations previously?

[Storm Bay]

I'd let my history loving dd do something like this when she gets to high school. I might put it in place of world history, or we might do it as an elective, since you need some of those, too. I'd also tie it in with English/lit by reading Russian novels, and I'd listen to Russian composers. There is a real feel to all of this. Of course, my trilingual grandmother told me that she never read Russian novels in English because they weren't the same, but for those of us who don't speak and/or read Russian, it's the best we can do (plus, there may be some better translations now.)

 

In our case, we'd include the history of the Vikings who went down there who apparently civilized Russia, and a history of the "Russian" Mennonites. My mother's family has plenty of Vikings in it (even if not the same nationality) and my Dad's family were Russian Mennonites. I'ad also study the Jewish people there. They're actually mainly of Prussian/German descent and spoke German the whole time they lived there, because they also suffered persecution during the Revolutions (not sure about before).