Is it more important to cover American History or Geography b/f High School?

[Mommy7]

My dd will be in 8th grade next year. She has not had American History in a while. I had planned to do MFW American History next year. But, she is interested in Geography as well. She is interested in knowing where things are in the world as well as the cultural aspects. She has mentioned that missions may be a possibility for her in the future. So, I would like to follow her heart in this.

 

The thing is, it seems she needs both, but I don't want to overload her. I could do American with everyone and have her do Geography on her own. (Maybe BJU?) But, I don't have time to teach both. OR I could do MFW Exploring Countries and Cultures with everyone and have her read some American history on the side. (no idea what I would go with for this option) But, that way, she would not have had a good coverage of American before doing it at a high school level.

 

I'm afraid confusion is reigning at the moment. But, God is not the author of confusion, so I know He will lead us.

 

Any advice for me? Pretty please? :D ;)

[Chris in VA]

What did she do before? Has she done world history and just gotten Am history in context?

[EppieJ]

How about (just throwing this out there since I've yet to teach Jr High) dividing the week so dd gets American History 4 days and World Geography the 5th? Of course that assumes you school 5 days. We only do 4 here.

 

We'll be doing American History next year with a little Cantering the Country on the side for Geography. Maybe you could check out Galloping the Globe? It might be enough to get her started in Geography studies on her own. Not sure what the grade level is on it, but it shouldn't be too hard to adapt.

 

Sorry I'm not much help! :001_unsure:

[Mommy7]

She did BF Early American back around 3rd grade. Then, we did Ancient Egypt & OT with VP, then NT, Greece & Rome with VP, and now we are doing MFW Rome to Reformation. So, she has read a few historical fiction novels during the early American time period, but she doesn't have any sort of a firm grounding in it.

 

MFW American will be a 4 day schedule, for the most part. I'm just not sure what kind of Geography I could do that would be only one day a week.

 

Any ideas?

[Donna A.]

Which year of MFW American were you thinking of? Expl-1850 or 1850-Modern?

 

Either way, those programs both cover World and American history simultaneously for the time period, and mapwork is included. So she'd definitely be getting *some* geography and insights into the rest of the world. Not at the same level as in ECC, of course, but some. Also the personal discipleship aspect of both EX1850 and 1850MOD is great for this age. Gives them a lot to think about in their personal relationship with Christ as they're preparing for high school and thinking ahead in life.

 

1850-Modern includes a little bit of missions emphasis in there.

 

You could also just have her read the missionary bios from ECC while doing EX1850 or 1850MOD. I highly recommend those missionary bios! If she's an avid reader, she could do both the ones scheduled for 3rd-6th grades and the ones scheduled in the junior high supplement package.

 

Or do it vice versa -- Do ECC as your main program, but then have her read the read-alouds from both EX1850 and 1850MOD, as well as the Encyclopedia of American History from 1850MOD. The latter is a *beautiful* book and includes our founding documents as well. It's well worth the price. Christian Liberty Press has a couple of good government courses scheduled in 8th grade, so your dd could maybe do one or both of those, too. (Depending on how much free time she has, of course.)

 

How well does she know the states & capitals and presidents?

[Donna T.]

I'd move forward with MFW and do American History with her. Then, in her free-time, or on that 5th day of each week, if she is motivated on her own, I'd give her something like:

 

http://www.handsofachild.com/shop/International-Geography-Quest-Project-Pack-P513.aspx

 

plus give her some of the missionary books from ECC to read on her own.

 

If she weren't motivated to do those things on her own, I'd probably let her by without doing it and then do BJU Geography in 9th grade.

Edited April 15, 2010 by Donna T.

[Sue G in PA]

If she is interested in Missions, MFW ECC seems like it would be the perfect program for her. She will get American History in high school (most states require this) or she could read through some American History books on her own. My ds12 hasn't had much American Hist. either and I think I'm just going to have him read through A Child's Story of America and All American History 1 and 2 on his own next year. He'll get it all again in a few years in high school anyway.

[MamaReese]

My dd will also be in 8th next year and we did American History back in 4th grade. She hasn't had much Geography, so our plan for next year is to do Wonderful World of Geography (Runkle) and What happened to Penny Candy.

She will need American History for HS so we just decided to wait until her 9th grade so it will count.

[Mommy7]

Does anyone know if geography is incorporated into MFW High School? I'm pretty sure that is what we will be doing for high school. That is really why I wanted to do a solid year of geography. With MFW, it doesn't look like there would be a year available to do something like BJU Geography.

 

Donna A., I'm sorry to say that she does not know her capitals and presidents. I know MFW Explorers-1850 incorporates that knowledge. So, that would be great, too. I wish I could somehow do ECC *and* Explorers-1850! But, I do not have the teaching time.

 

Other thoughts?

[Donna A.]

Does anyone know if geography is incorporated into MFW High School? I'm pretty sure that is what we will be doing for high school. That is really why I wanted to do a solid year of geography. With MFW, it doesn't look like there would be a year available to do something like BJU Geography.

 

MFW high school does incorporate geography, and it equates to 1/4 credit per year. So if you did all 4 years of MFW h.s., you'd have 4 credits of history as well as 1 credit of geography.

 

The geography in ECC is fantastic, and the missions focus would light up your dd's eyes if she's already thinking about missions. I know it's a hard decision. I was in the exact same spot last year. We ended up doing part of ECC during the summer, then she read, read, read as much as she could from 1850MOD (we ended up not doing the whole course), and then she started high school in January. I had been planning on waiting until fall for her to start h.s. and just take the rest of this year to focus on math and writing, more American history and more missions, but she was chomping at the bit to start high school. (All her friends started h.s. in the fall, as most of them are a year older than her.) We'll just go through high school a bit slower instead.

 

That Encyl. of Am. History used in 1850-Modern really is nice. ;) That, plus the scheduled read-alouds, the States and Capitals CD, and the presidents flashcards would be easy enough for her to do in addition to ECC.

 

Oh yeah, and I'd go with 1850-Modern instead of Expl-1850. Reason being, there's review at the beginning of 1850MOD for some of what she may have missed from EX1850. You could also have her read the read-alouds scheduled in EX1850 to help fill that gap. Not sure how strong of a reader she is, if it would be too much to read the missionary bios from ECC, and the read-alouds from both EX1850 and 1850MOD.

[Donna A.]

MFW high school does incorporate geography, and it equates to 1/4 credit per year. So if you did all 4 years of MFW h.s., you'd have 4 credits of history as well as 1 credit of geography.

 

 

Quoting myself because I want to clarify that you'd also have a full credit each of both English and Bible.

[Mommy7]

Donna A., I was hoping you would respond because you are so familiar with MFW. Thank you very much. Your thoughts are very much appreciated.

 

To answer a few questions: yes, my dd is an avid reader. It is nothing for her to read a book in 1-2 days. So, I don't think the reading would be a problem.

 

I see the wisdom in doing 1850-mod, but I had planned on doing it as a family and then the other children would be skipping that whole period. What if we did it the other way around? Meaning, what if we do Explorers-1850 this year, but also have her read things from the 1850-modern period? Possibly over next summer? What books would you recommend to cover that period? Do you think that could work?

 

I am so glad that geography is incorporated in MFW High School...enough even to count as a credit in the end. It is my plan to follow MFW all the way through high school. So, that would be great. However, she is still interested in doing some geography next year. I think I might just let her do a "delight directed" study and read what she is interested in. Meaning, maybe get the BJU Cultural Geography text (she thought this book looked very interesting) and the missionary bios from ECC...the read alouds as well as the advanced books like Bruchko, etc. Then, I think, I would just let her go with it...no schedule or anything...just let her read what she is interested in. She will have a schedule that is plenty full as it is. I just can't turn it into a full blown course because my teaching schedule is maxed out. Have you ever done anything like that? Any thoughts on it?

 

One other thought about MFW High School. For years, I have looked forward to using the Smarr Literature Courses. While I know that MFW incorporates a few of their guides, it looks like the MFW schedule is so full that I wouldn't be able to use one of the actual Smarr courses. That is sort of disappointing to me. Am I right that it would be overkill to try to add Smarr to MFW? It just doesn't seem doable to me. I probably need to just let go of the Smarr idea. I know with MFW, I would be getting so much great stuff. I can't see letting MFW go in order to be able to use it. Do you have any thoughts on that aspect?

 

Thank you so much for taking the time to answer all these questions. I truly appreciate it. (Sorry this is so long) :001_smile:

[Donna A.]

I see the wisdom in doing 1850-mod, but I had planned on doing it as a family and then the other children would be skipping that whole period. What if we did it the other way around? Meaning, what if we do Explorers-1850 this year, but also have her read things from the 1850-modern period? Possibly over next summer? What books would you recommend to cover that period? Do you think that could work?

 

I think that sounds like a great plan! So let me see if I understand correctly... You're thinking do EX1850 with the whole family next year, while oldest does additional reading on her own from ECC and 1850MOD, right? Possibly even extending her extra reading into the summer? And maybe adding the BJU Cult Geog book as well? You know, MFW used to recommend the BJU text as a resource for junior highers, but they've changed things around a bit in the ECC program and don't have it listed anymore. Nevertheless, your thinking isn't far from what they've used and recommended in the past. ;) Sounds like a great plan. :001_smile:

 

If you do that, I'd recommend getting at least the Encyl of Am History and the scheduled read-alouds from 1850MOD for the oldest. Or even the whole Deluxe package (+ the Encyclopedia) which includes:

 

 

• The U.S. History Cookbook

• The Stories of Foster & Sousa in Words and Music

• The Best of George Gershwin

• Sousa to Satchmo DVD

• Wired!

• My First Magnet Kit

• Courage to Run

• Across Five Aprils

• Hudson Taylor

• Sergeant York and the Great War

• Corrie ten Boom

• Brother Andrew

 

 

She can browse that Encyclopedia at her leisure, and I'd make sure she at least skims the Constitution and Bill of Rights, too. You could use the two science kits with your youngers just for fun, if they aren't going to be doing the whole 1850MOD package anytime soon.

 

Then, I think, I would just let her go with it...no schedule or anything...just let her read what she is interested in. She will have a schedule that is plenty full as it is. I just can't turn it into a full blown course because my teaching schedule is maxed out. Have you ever done anything like that? Any thoughts on it?

Yep. That's exactly how I handled the first half of this year with my oldest. :D I did make a list of the books I wanted her to read in chronological order, so she had a "plan" to follow in that sense, but she didn't do the whole 1850MOD "schedule". And she's read the missionary bios from ECC on her own, in the order she chose.

 

One other thought about MFW High School. For years, I have looked forward to using the Smarr Literature Courses. While I know that MFW incorporates a few of their guides, it looks like the MFW schedule is so full that I wouldn't be able to use one of the actual Smarr courses. That is sort of disappointing to me. Am I right that it would be overkill to try to add Smarr to MFW? It just doesn't seem doable to me. I probably need to just let go of the Smarr idea. I know with MFW, I would be getting so much great stuff. I can't see letting MFW go in order to be able to use it. Do you have any thoughts on that aspect?

Well, the Lit Supplement that MFW uses in AHL (9th grade) is an adaptation of the SMARR guides. It's still authored by Robert Watson, but MFW just combined and condensed (with permission, of course) the various SMARR study guides into one for purposes of this program. It turns out to be a consumable guide for the student to use according to the schedule in the MFW manual. If you go here and scroll down, you can see my review of the guide and how it's laid out and used in the 4th post in this thread (I'm "4Truth"): http://board.mfwbooks.com/viewtopic.php?f=34&t=8727

 

So you won't be NOT using the SMARR guides if you do MFW. It just looks different. :) And yes, I think it would be overkill to add more. My dd's day is pretty full. It takes her about 3 hours (plus or minus) to do History, Bible and English each day (and then more for her other subjects), with lighter days on Friday. I suppose you could add something more on Fridays if you wanted to, but my dd's glad for the break. :tongue_smilie:

 

I'm going to our homeschool convention today and am going to stop in the MFW booth to take a peek at the British Lit guide that's used in year 2. I'll post about that afterwards.