I want to use Joy Hakim books....but how??

[charmama4]

OK so I got sucked into the hives (at least some of the hive dwellers) excitement about Joy Hakim's book, both science and US history.

 

So, I'm checking them out at the library to take a gander and finding that I love her books. Now I'm asking myself, how do I use them? I mean, I'm doing chemistry (RS4K) with the kids next year and want to add some history and other stuff to bulk it up. I would really like to use Ms. Hakim's books to suppliment but HOW, I ask you HOW :bigear:?

 

I also want to use her US history books, but again how??

 

PS: please excuse my igonorance :D

[charmama4]

I used this: http://www.hewitthomeschooling.com/book/bsingle.asp?i=2852 It's cheap and nicely done.

 

That looks interesting. Is there one for her science books?

[plansrme]

Sonlight has an excellent set of discussion questions for the History of US series:

 

http://www.sonlight.com/120-02H.html

 

WinterPromise's American Story I and II used to include a reading schedule for the History of US in their "Middlers" set, the add-on for middle schoolers. It was tied to their AS I and II schedule. It has been several years since I've used AS I and II, so I do not know whether their current programs do this or not. When my youngers did AS I and II, my middler read the corresponding History of US chapters; we did the Sonlight discussion questions together; and she used a couple of additional American History resources, such as weekly lessons on economics in Am. history, a book on original sources and a third activity book that I picked up at Borders. She learned a lot, took the SAT II subject test in American History at the end (when she was 11) and scored very well on it.

 

Hope that helps.

 

Terri

[charmama4]

I was going through the Einstien Story of Science last night and chapters on chemistry subjects were all over the place. Because her books are written as *stories* and not a textbook, it's difficult for me to see the rhyme to reason.

 

Could someone share their *system*? Do you use her books as spines or as suppliment to something else? And which book do I use first?

Edited July 8, 2010 by charmama4

[Guest]

Her books are written as stories because she felt that an antidote to dry, superficial coverage in textbooks was really needed. The story aspect is what attracts many (but not all) kids to her books. It also parallels what SWB did with Story of the World: the point is to draw young kids in to the world of history as a fascinating collection of stories about a hugely diverse collection of people.

 

I used the History of US with my daughter in junior high, so I bought a few of the teacher's guides used (amazon is my best friend). They are filled with discussion questions, suggestions for activities, essay questions, along with maps and a few worksheet-type assignments. I used those that appealed to me. But the major thing we did was read and discuss things that caught our interest, things we didn't know before, places where the turn of events surprised us, things that contradicted what we'd read elsewhere, etc.

 

As far as supplementing, if you use the History of US as a spine, you would do as SWB recommends doing with Story of the World: with each handful of chapters, find a topic or person that interests your child, go to the library and find a book or couple of books on that topic. The books don't have to be straightforward "history" or biography; they can be books on art of the times (and you can do your own version of classic paintings, which is fun), cooking (make a pioneer meal, dry apples, etc.), books on the history of clothing or some aspect of technology (pair with making an article of period clothing, building a model of the telegraph or some other form of technological invention, etc.). Mess around. Have fun. Don't make it all too serious and studious at elementary age.

[Tutor]

Johns Hopkins has student guides (which include experiments) and a teacher's manual that you can use with the science book series. You can order them on Amazon.

 

I just used Sonlight's lesson plans for the history series. It was in the 100 core, I think. (What I know of Sonlight it from using this series, so I may have the core number wrong. Someone more in the know may want to confirm whether or not I got the number right.)

[charmama4]

I saw the study guides and as great as they sounded and looked, I thought they may be too much (money for one) time consumming for just a suppliment. If I was using just Joy Hakim's books that would be great.

 

Could someone explain her book layout for me? She has 3 books (science) out at the moment with 3 more in the works. Do these books, go chronologically, or what?

 

I appreciate all the great suggestions on how to use it, I also would like to know her books are to be read. Does that make sense? Are they to be read in sequence or what?

[plansrme]

I didn't chime in on the science books because I have never actually used them, though I have all 3 of them and the TGs. I also did my own lesson plans once for part of the first book. I think that to get the most out of the hy. of science books, you really have to treat the hy. of science as a separate course. It doesn't work easily to have them as a supplement to history or science, but stand-alone, they would be great.

 

And yes, the science books go chronologically, though I don't remember the titles well enough to know what order that would be.

 

Terri